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Home » Uncategorized » The working theory for the Source of the worldwide Hum The working theory for the Source of the worldwide Hum Follow World Hum Map and Database Project on WordPress.com Follow World Hum Map and Database Project on WordPress.com There is now a workable theory to explain how pulsed radio waves at lower frequencies can activate human nerve cells. For more than 50 years, increasing numbers of powerful VLF transmitters (mobile, stationary, and airborne), have been in operation. By line of sight, ground wave, sky wave, antipodal focusing, and geomagnetic coupling, the surface of planet Earth is riddled with zones of modulated high intensity VLF electromagnetic (EM) radiation. A small proportion of people – I now estimate no more than four percent of the adult population – have auditory systems that are sensitive to lower sound frequencies and the type of biological radio wave activation described in the above paper. They may be able to detect the Hum in many places on Earth solely by interaction with VLF radio, while there may be another group of people who need some extant sub-audible low frequency sound or infrasound at certain frequencies in order to create sufficient auditory activation that, together with VLF radio energy, would be interpreted as sound. Sources of industrial infrasound, such as mining, hydro-electric projects, windmills, high pressure gas pipelines, and massive construction projects may or may not be prerequisite or aggravating factors in some settings. When there is strong but sub-audible infrasound such as from a large industrial site, it may take little VLF exposure in order to activate the auditory system. High levels of ambient noise during the day from traffic, industry, mechanical devices, and other people, often mask the Hum and explain why the Hum is stronger at night when society has quieted down somewhat, and why the Hum can become very loud in sound-reduced rooms. If the Hum is rooted in VLF energy, it is therefore affected by the behaviour of the Earth’s magnetic field and by the height and layers of the ionosphere, solar activity, the time of day, and the season. The Hum also is rooted in the particular radio frequencies that governments use for communication. Therefore, when a powerful VLF transmitter suddenly stops broadcasting or changes frequency, this will cause a simultaneous change in the Hum at multiple locations across the planet. During a big solar storm, anything could happen. The Hum can also slowly drift over an area as do the entry and exit points for geomagnetic conjugate magnetic field lines. All I need to do to conduct the simple experiment that will prove or disprove the above theory. If I am wrong, then back to the drawing board. If I’m correct, then the first part of the job will be over. 1. straightcue says: Right.. and the way to control these fields? I already know where this goes. • Now now, let’s not harp on and on about it. • straightcue says: It’s true, the thing that happens is that once you get a certain amount of buildup… you can actually control the field it generates and it can feed off other power sources of electromagnetic fields and also bounce off other signal waves to influence a person directly, though its mainly being reproduced for a mass people affect, overally. That’s what the chem spray trails are all about.. co-ed with the harrp technology and obama’s mind mapping incentive.. Its a world wide dilemma. Believe me, you will look back one day and know the truth, God bless, meanwhile, view a my blog on this.. https://straightcue.wordpress.com/ Thanks for viewing. • Zapper says: ..or impulse-ive. 2. Steven says: Well Done. It’s a good theory. Beats my theory as mine is plausible but not likely. lol I was thinking it had to do with the Airplanes pushing pressure onto the earth causing the hum in a molecular fashion. As I am no scientist it is one thought I had, but yours is much more plausible and well thought out. Good luck! I know we all would love to know what keeps us up at night! 3. citrique says: Yes, this is a good statement. Good chances that the truth about the hum is somewhere in these lines. Am I totally dreaming to hope that it could be possible to raise funds from universities or governemental organizations to begin some serious research ? Also, living in the woods like I do, I often think about what kind of impact this hum can have on wild animals, much more capables than us to hear VLF… Maybe some “green” organizations could be open to put some money in this research ? 4. The ‘Mechanism for action of electromagnetic fields on cells’ is solid. That is a great piece to have, thank you. It calls to mind ‘Effect of magnetic micropulsations on the biological systems — A bioenvironmental study’ [http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02189660] A note on the data around age: Remember that the data only suggests that the majority of Hum hearers -who have found this website- are in the 40s or older. There may be any number of young people who experience symptoms but don’t know how to qualify them or where to look for answers. Where do you get your information for tracking solar activity? I have a couple sources on Twitter, but could use something a little more concrete. • George G. says: SpaceWeather.com. is an excellent source. The folks at NASA are more than happy to answer any question regarding our celestial neighbors. As for your observation regarding younger people, I am in full agreement with you. 5. hezi says: its interesting theory.however my experience of this noisless hum,that it is constant very low frequency that is everywhere,especially in quite places and can be magnified by focusing on it ignoring it and not hearing it, like the sound of empty space • straightcue says: Interesting, I have been trying to source the contemplation of sound composite myself.. and that is a very relevant thought you brought to mind. For me its like a wide open space spectrum with pinpointed sound replays.. or one could call it sound static, the empty space syndrome.. And its easier to focus on when its all quiet and your not around alot of huge power grids, like take for instance when I go to a lonely background near the mountain, its peaceful. I can actually hear my own thoughts apart from the sound patterned frequency, and sense the relief open air.. Otherwise the sound trash-static is so dense, when focused on.. it so much pressure internally, and can have a piercing effect on the ears. And if your not being careful, majorly affect your thinking and emotional cognitive values.. You need to be open to understand this. Particularly in my case, because I know how the source is actually being emitted, I’m being fused with individuals, that are using technology equipment to enhance the overall effect on their own personal aura digital outputs.. translations of interpreted patterns one could say to attempt to overpower me. Like similarly just mentioned above, I often experience mind patterns that try to “fold” out my existence.. my own normal brain patterns, to be voided. See brain patterns encourage motivation.. A idea worth, a sense of intuition, instinct, a better way of doing things.. Is why it is so convincing to become immersed into the frequency technology advancement because it runs so parallel with other people’s thoughts.. (and we all like thinking alike, in thoughts of friendships) that you can be blind sighted, being feed a butch of artificial intelligence to just make you feel good (self deception) yet avoiding actually dealing with the true perceptions in a reality based situation. Basically one becomes brain-trashed, because you get aligned to their “coked” frequencies, grid locked into their own patterned outputs.. And in avoidance, you essentially become frozen’d. No ability to feel, think or hear what you would want to (own freewill)… So unless you want to be profiled, your subjected an “outcast” of a cell differentiation “program”.. All responses create a specialized cell structure.. deployed with other layered spectrum’s.. to form a grid “mark” prolific information bank that is then processed by the machine, parallel reversed, and then sound coded to send the information back to individual to possess a person’s senses… Thou, this is done on a wide scale.. that’s why there is a “base” frequency that everyone is subjected too, likewise you have your primaries of eating, drinking, and sleeping, and “sex” These are the basic motor functions of your brain, and that is being pumped out in the stratosphere via harrp technology and ground vibration machines to base code line people in to a core root systematic “mathematical” “mechanical” “magnetized” subjection. This subjection is easy to fall into, because we basically all like the same things. That is also why it goes unnoticed for long periods of times till they have obtained enough information to then update the database and send out a new frequency to “level up” everybody and increase the pressure to the next advancement of code. Remember the Truth sets you free.. It’s called mind mapping, and we are the involuntary science subjects. 6. […] made this response reply on the Hum site, and thought to be include it here for another perspective way of saying […] 7. Warren says: The hum is man made. We are making it threw the use of our inventions . Good job someone is looking into it it bugs me. I reco the way to the bottom of it is power cuts. Shut down what cause it. I have had 6 nights in three years not hearing it . It ties it back to something. Would be good to rate a world scale of the intensity each night of the hum to see if the the world hum suffers are hearing the same drone. I recon its up and down and always there day and night. Better scale at night as not as much backgound noise. • George G. says: Hello Warren, I cannot agree the Hum source is man made, and have said so numerous times. I am, however, 100% in agreement with your logic regarding a need for a synchronized world-wide reporting system, IN REAL TIME, to attempt a correlation of the Hum with our planet’s rotation. This will require a super effort from EVERYBODY interested, a difficult task. The failure to harvest enough data from this site during the recent Lunar eclipse is a good example of the difficulties involved. If you have any suggestions, or are able to organize such a task, I will support you any way I can. 8. straightcue says: Look I said to you George.. be on of the people hearing it, AND when resisting it the “feel” of it.. to dealing the intensity affects being pushed back on you, targeted, in the middle of your own room. I got a spiral of energy field underneath my feet of kinesiological energy trying to algorithmic with my body’s aura, and when its intense of enough, I can actually see the “fabrication” of energy in-front of me. And then you go try to prejudge, brush off that its just some possible sound-wave that is cause by some natural phenomenon caused by an evolving man’s trademark on planet earth in one form or another. Well it is.. but a whole more advanced, and being particularly specific.. It will actually pierce into your eardrums with a pressurized vortex to warn/horn into your head. It is absolutely discomforting.. Cause they trace profile your thoughts about everything you think and feel, and align them with coding mach to intensify the reverse feel. It’s power control. Man if you read my website, read what they do with technology, cause they can actually cause cells in your body to realign specifically to a pattern and then subdued them to form a directional response. Are you just another willing subject? I only ask to suggest then you dig a little more here, my resources are limited to just reaching out, and I’m particularly in this position for a reason. Don’t take it wrongly guy, keep it open, I admire that your got this site up and willing to tackle a huge worldwide phenomenon.. Its a big deal and that’s why I got you cross-linked from my site.. Keep up the good work man, and follow through with good deeds, I hope you make it.. Peace out. • Zapper says: Remember the interferometric studies in Physics class? Now add several hundred radiation sources within a several miles of your habitat. Peaks and troughs. What happens when the peaks surpass the cell’s electromagnetic threshold? Elementary Watson. You are violated continuously day and night. Once driving over a mountain entering Los Angeles county I could hear several AM stations in my head until they became background noise again. My passenger had the same experience. From quiet to a constant subtle din. We had our metal filings replaced with composite, but the background hum is still present. 9. George G. says: Hi Straightcue, I am overwhelmed by the ultra-high technology level you use to describe this phenomenon. Are you a professor of Quantum Physics? I am but a simple technician trained in classic electronic engineering. Quantum physics goes way over my head, so I am indeed grateful you take time to explain these mysterious forces, I am particularly interested in the technology “they” use to realign the cells in my body, though “they” need not have bothered, because the beer I drink does the job just as effectively. I can’t help to wonder if you may have me confused with Glen, who is the head tech. of this site, but no matter, because I have browsed through your site, twice, and each time have found it leaving me in some form of head-spin, far too complex for this old tinkerer. In reference to your warning re: “——pierce into my eardrums with a pressurized vortex———-” I did recently have the strange sensation of a piercing shrill during a prolonged Hum episode, and I did wonder if “they” were performing an alignment in my head, but it turned out to be the smoke alarm when my wife burnt the toast (again) What is it with her? She is the best cook but still burns toast. We are continually changing batteries in the kitchen smoke detector. I also notice you have the ability to see the “fabrication” of energy. Could you possibly teach me this trick, it would be useful at night time so I don’t go bumping into kinesiological spiraling fields on my way to the bathroom. Thanks for the peace blessings, take care, Oh, one more thing. How the devil did you manage to get past SpellCheck with “kinesiological” ??? 10. straightcue says: Just to make a short mention here.. “Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics, is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological …” I think you where in your ever so slightly sarcastical jargon saying, and correct me if I’m wrong.. “how in the world did I get past SpellCheck..” See how it made sense in how the sentence was put together to switch the “y” with “ical”.. I’m glad to offer more of a “approachable” meaning less spiny explanation of the world’s dilemma. Thanks for your words, And I also note.. that any consolidating VLF frequencies disappear rather quickly… what’s happening here.. is a complied resource, and enhanced version of extracted snippets versions of frequency synchronized patterns that have been coded to forcefully interject a field of influence on mankind.. you. Like said.. Kinesiological Energy that has been Algorithmicated to control you. It’s easy research, mind you.. prayer is how you get there. And sorry about the confusion.. I did absently-minded-ly was thinking your where Glenn, with your G.. rather then the curious George, so I take it back and redirect to Glenn the “particular” encouragement to follow through with this. Yet also you too, and speaking of seeing the “fabrication” of this field of energy.. just do go with this explanation.. is like walking into a electrical changed room, you can feel it, meaning to sense it.. your skin tingles, your hair feels a rise, your brain is more alert etc.. and you might feel pain in a old injury.. etc.. Well, got that ok? Now make an containment field, of not just abasement random energy, but of particular co-junctionalized energy.. (basically patterned information sound-bytes, similar to dna sequencing) and then pinpoint it.. to have your “harmonized” affect/influence. How to do that? Well think about it.. That’s what my site is about, I’m a human experiment, subject per say.. and what’s happening to me, is the end result, and there is whole story that goes along with that. Again, thanks for your time, and thank you.. maybe clearing that up for you will prompt you a reread with a open, yet more of an understanding mind. • I’ll mention that I am better equipped to talk about science than poetry, and so it’s difficult for me to comment. Not because I have no opinions at all on poetry, but because I really have no idea what is being talked about scientifically, and I haven’t been given any hint on how to proceed. Maybe this reflects a limitation on my part, but so far my impression of what I have seen so far is that most of it is either error or gibberish. I have an open mind, which is a very different thing than simply accepting conclusions that don’t appear to be based in anything that holds up to examination. There’s no censorship here, however, because I’ve always felt that the best way to move forward is to not silence people, but to win the argument. And nothing beats a transparent, repeatable, and rigorous experiment. Cheers, Glen. • straightcue says: Seriously man? Look at this here, is what’s being said.. that a person being in a forced position of being an science experiment, in all of its vulnerabilities for the advancement of Scientology is presumptuously worth it and totally unbeatable? Oh for goodness sake’s, I would say.. I would just say in response, meaning without to say an insult to injury, One must not get out to vaguely limit one’s proportions in regard. But don’t take that wrongly though, yet openly.. Because what of the questions to be answered that are held above that of expectations of a nero-constricted/constrained science. Those answers offer the solutions. If you don’t divulge into those regions, then your basically incapacitating oneself. Then you have pure logic, yet no mystery of wonder in creation and just end up in ever-changing theories, agree, or disagree and destroy the human race in the pursuit of greed. • Scientology …. well, now I’m lost. I think I’ll turn back to the sheet metal for a while. Cheers. • Eva Fishman says: Glen – You have the patience of a saint, the gentleness of a diplomat. It’s January 20, 2016 and this is the first I have seen these posts. I worked adult mental health for many years, and while avoiding “diagnosis”, the ramblings of a few of these posts are that of someone who is not completely in touch with the rest of the world (no pun intended), and indeed is just gibberish. As long as they aren’t a danger to others or themselves, no intervention is needed. Made-up words don’t become legitimate by defining them with more made-up words or concepts. Some people perceive a very frightening world, and when something “real” is discovered that supports their fears and paranoia, creating “explanations”, no matter how off-the-wall, is one way to cope with it. Thank you for your measured, scientific methods in “sussing” out this phenomenon. 11. straightcue says: OK Glenn… Look past a glance, look, I was having no idea that Scientology is actually a religion, I was referring to science-ology.. define science, then define ology.. “a subject of study; a branch of knowledge.” it wasn’t meant to confuse you.. I was just referring the the study of science.. So remove the incorrect spelling with an ” t “, I’m human alright. Thanks.. Blessings, Dan. 12. Buck says: I’m interested in this and related topics, but want to add something to the debate. We live with 50 or 60HZ 110/240v power-grids, radiating EM waves which have been proven to cause our bodies distress on a micro-cellular level. These sine wave pulses travel approx. across the country in one cycle. So do not weaken over distance like higher frequency EM. During a local 2 to 3 hour grid-blackout I noticed how quiet & peaceful it was suddenly. It was very similar to driving say over 250+ kms from a city (I found). IE going to the bush for a few days. I believe city-life disruption/stress (inner noise) is additionally a result of a ‘hub of wills’ on a subconscious, telepathic level. Going bush also eases this factor. This HARP array seems to stem from Tesla’s work at Wardencliff etc. and I assume is genuine but not a clue myself. Will read on enthusiastically. • Warren says: Good to here that it stopped during blackouts. That was my understanding of getting to the bottom of it man made. Powercuts to see if it stops. I have learned to live with it. I tell you when it goes away few and far between man does one think what it used to be like with out the hum. Very quite and airy. Almost like you are waiting for what. Im sure technology will solve this issue in years to come. Or the average joe blogs. 13. Jennifer Webster says: We had a wide spread power outage (Langley, B.C.) about 2 years ago. I still heard the Hum . . . 14. James says: Has anyone considered that this sound is from the large transformers at local electrical substations? • George G. says: The thought did cross my mind James, way back in ’75. I was a young trainee living next to a zone station, (large switching/distribution yard). The 50Hz hum was a constant companion, especially at night. Often I would tune my guitars to it and jam away with it. Sleep? No problem, a gentle lullaby in the key of 50Hz. BUT! Every now and then a beat would creep in. Bloody awful! No hope of sleep. Bad news for a sleep deprived youngster. My limited experience led me to imagine a transformer was slightly out of phase with the rest, and would soon explode. “Impossible. “They are all fed with the same source.” I would think in the middle of the night. So, what was that nasty signal beating with my beloved 50Hz ‘bass’? My guess today is ‘The Hum’. Every now and then, during a severe electrical storm, my poor old Dad would have to go into the zone station and switch feeders. At times ALL incoming power failed completely. The Hum, however could still be heard. This is the interesting bit — no beating, just Hum. (study beating if I am not making sense) I hope my historical indulgence did not bore too many folk, but rest assured, whatever was beating with our domestic supply did not originate from the grid. By the way, this one is for your data bank Glen. Dad was in his 50’s and unable to hear the Hum. I was 20 years old at the time and well aware of it. • Zapper says: Right. Beating. Peaks and troughs. Interferometry. Our minds have tuned to, and have remembered, specific frequencies of equipment and music, even their harmonics. Pitch perfect individuals can sing accurately without reference. Throw in a rogue frequency and you either get distress or relief depending on the effect. Example: Does 432 sound better than 440? Some musicians work with this to create effects on the psyche without science. Working with Pink Floyd for 3 months convinced me of that. They had little clue except that it draws fanatics and $$. Many new power supplies emit pulse frequencies above hearing, yet you can hear them. Faraday shields are first order of protection/isolation, then removing proximal energy sources. This does not prevent earth bound sympathetic radiation, but there are methods to reduce this … expensive. BTW, a tin hat is just an ungrounded Faraday shield. 😉 15. Rutger Neijland says: I find this all interesting. I always thought about such thing like a hum, or a collective conscious frequency actuated via Haarp. I just to be fanatic in this theory, but when I learned it didn’t gave me what I wanted, I like it less interesting. I’m now gonna study physics, and leave it behind. Maybe it will come around one day. I’m not afraid be called a tin foil hat loony. On one hand I find it a pity that people judge you on this way, not keeping the possibility in mind that such phenomena could be invented in theory. That’s the other way, then thinking it’s happening. To say I don’t conclude that, but I find it nice to be philosophical in a scientific way. I don’t think you have the right to so easily undermine that. 16. […] particular site that deals with individuals that have this attuned hearing to know the hum. https://hummap.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/the-working-theory-for-the-source-of-the-worldwide-hum/ You can see that I have responded to this website site accordingly and will continue to provide […] 17. […] In other words, a large VLF signal anywhere on Earth creates a mirror signal at its geomagnetic conjugate point. This adds yet another layer of VLF energy at various location on Earth, interacting with each other, and creating unpredictable interference patterns of varying intensity. My current working theory is that the world Hum is a biological reaction to interaction between tissue and pulsed radio frequencies between 3 kHz and 30 kHz; that is, the VLF radio band. A full statement of that theory can be found here. […] Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s %d bloggers like this:
News & Opinion » Health Cutting through the H1N1 hype Cutting through the H1N1 hype Flu epidemics can start off with a mild form, followed by a "second wave" caused by a more dangerous strain that can lead to an epidemic of severe illnesses during fall and winter crowding. The 1918-1919 flu epidemic started off this way. But after the onset of the second wave, more than 50 million people died, mostly from pneumonia. Even though the 1918 flu was caused by the H1N1 virus, experts believe today's H1N1 virus is less virulent. Nevertheless, the President's council of scientific advisors holds that H1N1 flu is a "serious threat to our nation", because 30-50% of the US population may be infected and because H1 N1 flu is expected to cause between 30-90,000 deaths. The lower figure is less than what ordinarily occurs each flu season, and the higher figure exceeds it. Ideally the first line of defense is vaccination. The CDC recommends these high-risk groups for H1N1 vaccine: Pregnant women; those 6 months through 24 years old; persons 25-64 who have chronic lung, heart, kidney disease, diabetes, or severe muscle or neurological disorders; household contacts & caregivers for children younger than 6 months; health care & emergency medical services personnel. But should this recommendation be followed? The answer depends on how safe the vaccine is and how scary the fall H1N1 epidemic turns out to be, as the vaccine is not expected to be available until mid-October. When 40 million people received swine flu vaccine in 1976, 500 persons came down with Gullain-Barre (nerve inflammation with paralysis) - equivalent to a risk of 1/100,000. Unfortunately the safety study for the 2009 vaccine is too small to give an idea as to the risk of the vaccine. Although the mortality rate of the first wave of H1N1 flu so far (.7%) is much higher than the risk of Guillain-Barre with the 1976 H1N1 vaccine (.001%), if the "second wave" of H1N1 flu is mild, many people will probably opt out of receiving today's vaccine. If the second wave is associated with a high rate of serious complications, most people will take their chances with the vaccine. Depending on the results of the safety study, this is probably what many physicians will recommend. Keep in mind this discussion is about H1N1 flu. Just about all physicians subscribe to the CDC's recommendation that the previously mentioned risk groups should receive the annual flu vaccine, unless there is a reason not. Other lines of defense are to avoid crowds, hand-wash frequently, clean contaminated surfaces, cover one's nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, discontinue handshakes and hugs, and remain more than 6 feet away from someone with flu. If you are sick with a flu-like illness stay at home for at least 7 days (counting the day before symptoms began) and remain home until symptoms disappear. Consult a physician regarding anti-viral medications unless you're well into a mild flu. If your child's school/day care has cases of H1N1, should you take him or her out? The problem is that the outbreak may continue to percolate as new cases pop up, so you could end up keeping your child out for a long time. I've not seen a recommendation to pull children from schools that have cases of H1N1, but if the school/day care appears to be a hotbed of infection, it make sense to call time out. Were it shown the H1N1 vaccine is safe with little risk - and this may never be shown conclusively - and if the fall/winter outbreak of H1N1 is associated with a lot of severe illnesses, parents will probably want their children vaccinated, which will bring some confidence about how to react to outbreaks in schools and day care. If we're in for a rough ride, an effective, safe vaccine delivered in sufficient quantity in a timely fashion may prevent much suffering. Otherwise intelligent, un-wasteful use of anti-viral drugs and application of time tested public heath preventive techniques may do the job, if we all pay heed. This is a good time to heighten cooperation in the establishment of a city wide center, where folks with flu symptoms can be screened and treated with anti-virals as necessary, and the quite sick bedded down for short stays and given supportive care to keep our hospitals from being overwhelmed and staff from being exposed unnecessarily. Old fashioned things can do a lot of good, like cooperating, staying alert and helping each other, just as New Yorkers did on 9/11. Add a comment
This is the face of “high-functioning” anxiety. Feeling anxious right now? Try this. Identifying with “high-functioning” anxiety Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million American adults age 18 or older, or 18 percent of the population. While not an official diagnosis, the term “high-functioning” as it relates to an anxiety disorder—especially generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)—is something many people who struggle with anxiety identify with. “As therapists, we talk about a lot of people even with diagnosed anxiety disorders as ‘high-functioning,’ and many of them are,” says Lynne Siqueland, Ph.D. of the Children’s and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety. “They are doing really well in their jobs, in relationships and raising kids, despite having significant anxiety.” Identifying signs and symptoms Research shows that people with an anxiety disorder perceive the world in a fundamentally different way. People with GAD experience excessive anxiety and worry, often expecting the worst even when there is no apparent reason for concern. There is constant mental exhaustion weighing heavily on those struggling with anxiety because their mind never stops going. These intense feelings of worry require a lot of energy to battle the thoughts of what could go wrong, has gone wrong, or may go wrong in the far future. This continuous loop of stress and overthinking thoughts of “worst case scenario” is often exacerbated by the fact that non-anxious people see this way of thinking as irrational, illogical, emotional, and crazy. Anxiety is not easily explicable, at least not to those who don’t experience it. In fact, only 25 percent of people with a mental health disorder feel like others understand their experience. While a person with high-functioning anxiety can appear as though in control and actively engaged in the daily tasks of life, underneath this confident exterior, it is a fight to make it through the day. “Much of anxiety is internal-uncontrolled worry or social evaluation, and no one would know unless the person has a lot of physical symptoms of avoidance,” says Siqueland. “Many people with mild to severe anxiety will do the essential tasks but limit other experiences or opportunities, and this is what sometimes leads them to treatment.” Managing and treating anxiety Anxiety can be managed and treated, but not cured. This is the reality people with anxiety live with every single day. There are a variety of treatment options that are effective in treating anxiety disorders including cognitive behavioral therapy, coping strategies, medication, and alternative therapies such as meditation, acupuncture, mindfulness, and yoga. [Editor’s Note: As someone who suffers from an anxiety disorder, I’ve found Headspace’s Anxiety pack to be very helpful. Maybe it can help you, too. Try it now.] And there is increasingly compelling evidence making its way to the masses about the effectiveness of mindfulness and meditation to help manage anxiety. In fact, meditation and mindfulness can be a great resource on their own or in combination with other treatments. “The goal of meditation practice is to be aware, observe and notice thoughts, feelings, and body states without becoming reactive or fused with them (believing them to be true states of the person or the world),” explains Siqueland. “It takes practice but it gives the person both pause and freedom to make choices that are more effective.” New technology has made meditation and mindfulness more accessible, and even mental health practitioners are finding ways to incorporate these “handheld” treatment options into their plans. “I have used Headspace with quite a number of my adult and teen clients and have even been using it myself,” says Siqueland. “The animations really help to describe concepts in an engaging way.” If people have reservations about adding one more thing to a busy schedule, Siqueland advises clients to begin with 10 minutes a day. A smaller commitment can help to make mindfulness a lifestyle change that can be incorporated into daily life.
Army Tanks A British attempt to prevent Axis forces in North Africa from advancing to Alexandria, Egypt led to the First Battle of El Alamein during World War II. During the First Battle of El Alamein, the British tank force clearly had a numerical advantage over German armored forces. However, the British were hampered by poor strategy and communications. British forces in North Africa were in chaos after Tobruk fell to Rommel's forces in June 1942. Rommel took advantage of this by harrying the British as they were retreating to the Egyptian border. 25-pounder guns of the 2/8 Royal Australian Artillery near El Alamein, July 12, 1942However, the British rear guard was able to slow down the Axis advance enough so that a defense and counterstrike could be prepared. Auchinleck began coordinating a defense at the Egyptian town of El Alamein, where British troops were protected by the Qattara Depression to the south and by the sea to the north. There were also three small ridges at El Alamein that emplaced troops could use for defense. A railway, which provided a supply line, ran 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) south of the sea. The British continued to use brigade boxes for their defense. Because of the British position, Rommel was forced to attack from the front. On June 30, the Afrika Korps' panzer divisions feinted to the south in order to draw away British armored forces. The next day, July 1, Axis forces attacked. Rommel planned to move his armored forces and motorized infantry between the brigade boxes, attacking the rear whenever they could. Things did not work out as planned. The Axis attack was delayed because of sandstorms and attacks by the RAF. Soft desert sand slowed down the German 90th Light Infantry Division. Because there were no landmarks to rely on, the German infantry got lost. Instead of moving between the British defenses, the infantry ran right into them and the British stopped them. The panzers, on the other hand, were able to overrun the 18th Indian Infantry Brigade, which had a few Matilda tanks. The panzer force, which had no ammunition, relied on its full strength of about 55 tanks. By the time the panzers were able to break through, they had lost about two fifths of the tanks. The British had communication problems, which caused a delay in the launch of an armored counterattack that was supposed to relieve the Indian brigade. Despite all of the difficulties that the British encountered, Rommel was not able to continue his breakthrough. The Afrika Korps had itself experienced many delays and had lost too many tanks to go on as planned. Auchinleck decided to use British tanks to attack the Italian infantry so that the German panzers would have to react. He knew that the Germans had lost many of their tanks and had only a small number left. In fact, the Germans had only about 26 tanks, some of which were old Panzer IIs. On the other hand, the British 1st Armoured Division had more than 100 tanks, including 38 Grants. Auchinleck though that the panzers would become overworked and either run out of fuel or break down. On July 3, as Axis infantry attacked El Alamein, the 1st Armored Division attacked and overran the Italian Ariete armored division. The Italian tanks were taken out of battle. The British captured all of the Italian artillery. The British planned to continue on, attacking the Axis flanks and the Axis communication lines. However, the Germans were able to intercept the British radio communications and Rommel learned the details of the British plan. Fighting continued for several days. The British received more tanks as reinforcements, so that they had more than 200 tanks available. Auchinleck then pulled some of his infantry back, so the British would think that the British were withdrawing. Rommel then turned his panzers northward to exploit the perceived withdrawal. Auchinleck then attacked from the south. On July 11, the 15th Panzer Division initiated a counterattack, preventing a British attack from the north from breaking through Axis forces. However, the panzers were able to prevent the attack, but this only served to wear them down further. At midnight on July 15, the British attacked again, but poor communications caused infantry and armored forces to become separate. German armor attacked the British infantry, who had no tanks to support them. On July 16, the panzer force attacked again, but they were defeated and lost still more tanks. The British on the other hand, had many tanks available to them. The 1st Armored Division still had more than 170 tanks. The 23rd Armored Brigade, which had just arrived, had 104 tanks, of which approximately 23 were Valentines. Auchinleck launched another attack. Although the British armored force had a numerical advantage, it suffered from disadvantages as well. The Valentines' radio equipment had not been adapted to local conditions, leading to more communication problems. There were also strategic problems. Britain's Eighth Army Headquarters decided that tanks could not be moved at night. The Germans, meanwhile, prepared for a counterattack by moving their tanks into position overnight. They attacked British infantry while British tanks were out of position. The British tanks had to rush into position to help defend the infantry from the German tank force. They ran into minefields that were covered with antitank guns. The 23rd Armored Brigade lost 93 tanks. The British infantry attempted another assault on the night between July 24 and July 25. A few German tanks were able to break up the infantry, which had no armored support. Effectively, the First Battle of El Alamein ended in a stalemate. In August 1942, Auchinleck was replaced by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery.
Fun with affixes, Part 1: AD- Prefixes are one of the most important parts of the language. If you know your prefixes, you’ll know far more words than you thought, and you’ll be able to make up words on your own much more easily. Today’s prefix is ad-: to, toward, toward the end of. Ad- is a prefix of motion, be it gentle or violent or anything in between. Some notable words: Aggressive: An aggressive person is constantly moving toward something. This is an example of assimilation. Try saying “Ad-gressive.” How much easier is it to say “Ag-gressive?” Languages (even our own) really start to make sense when you combine the established roots with the physical and cultural laws of linguistics. Adverse: An adversary is someone who has turned on you. Advocate: Someone who speaks toward (or speaks for) someone. Amplify: From ply, to fold. This is quite similar to apply, to add a layer. Folding used have a slightly different meaning, as seen in words like hundred-fold, but the most vivid use of the root is certainly to multiply. In its simplest meaning, to amplify is to add layers. A Completely Made-up Word Amplecate: This would be a synonym of to hug. Literally, to touch chests, from plexus, chest (as seen in “solar plexus,” which, being at the line of symmetry for your chest, is the part of your chest that is single). Do note that, although the pronunciation would be unchanged, spelling the word, “to amplicate” would be both etymologically incorrect and confusing. Let’s explore the the nuances of this new word, shall we? While to amplecate is a synonym of to hug, there are non-amplecatory hugs and non-hugging amplecations. Culturally, the distinction is usually made by the male of the species; consider the handshake-hug, which doesn’t involve the actual touching of chests, making it non-amplecatory, and the chest bump, which is amplecatory, but doesn’t involve hugging! Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s %d bloggers like this:
Ivan Grozny: part of the Eurasian tradition. Count Nikolai Trubetzkoy first established the theory of Eurasianism, and is thus considered the founder of the movement. He was also a friend of Claude Lévi-Strauss, the famous French anthropologist, from whom Eurasianism drew its idea of a pluralistic world. This is the first and most important position of the Eurasian philosophy, which can also be formulated negatively as the rejection of Western universalism. This universalism also had French roots, growing out of 18th-century Enlightenment thought, the effective imperialism that emerged through the military and technological dominance of the European powers, and the resulting Eurocentrism. In addition to rejecting these aspects of the West, Eurasianism also rejects the hypocrisy of modern democracy, the ideology of "human rights," and consumerist materialism. To counter Western universalism, Eurasianism proposes a multipolar world that is modulated by a sense of social responsibility and traditionalism. The ideas of Eurasianism have evolved into what Alexander Dugin terms Neo-Eurasianism and the Fourth Political Theory, the latter also the name of Dugin's best known book in English. Recently published by Arktos, Eurasian Mission is Dugin's most recent summation and update of his theories to appear in English. This allows us to consider his theories and outlook in some detail. Along with the more geopolitical aspects, the Fourth Political Theory lies at the heart of Eurasianism, and constitutes its philosophical core. Drawing its roots from France's New Right, the Third Way, the German Conservative Revolution, and thinkers as diverse as Heidegger, Boaz, Evola, and de Benoist, the Fourth Political Theory could be summed up by what Alain Soral calls "la gauche du travail et la droite des valeurs" ("the worker’s left and the moral right"). It is important to note that, just like Alain Soral, Dugin rejects ethnocentrism. The Fourth Political Theory rejects not only liberalism (capitalism), but also communism (socialism) and fascism, preferring a blend of the two non-capitalistic systems in order to prevent each one’s particular shortcomings. Even though it believes in multipolarity, Russia is central to Eurasianism, as is the goal of creating a "European Space," encompassing both Europe and Russia. The objective is clearly to shift the balance of global power from Washington to Moscow, although Dugin denies this in an interview with Arktos published at the end of the book. Time to dig Dugin? If Eurasianism opposes the New World Order and American-led globalization, it does not reject the concept of globalization outright. Instead it could be claimed that it is simply offering an alternative way to do it; an alter-globalization. According to Eurasianist philosophy, nations should disappear and should be grouped into "Great Spaces" that would themselves be grouped in blocs. There would be an Atlantic zone, a Euro-African zone, a Russian-Central Asian zone, and a Pacific zone. Dugin regards "the nation" as a mere bourgeois construct. Accordingly, in his vision, nations would lose all sovereignty and would be replaced by "autonomies." These entities would be free to adopt internal policies in the fields of economics, justice, education, health, etc., but would have no power whatsoever in terms of international politics. This would be the sole preserve of the Great Spaces and the power blocs. For Quebec, it would mean more power than it already has, but, being in a super state with Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, its external policies would be dictated by an otherwise homogeneous Anglo-Saxon bloc. Needless to say, we would not have our voice heard and would have to follow Ottawa, Washington, and London unconditionally. History has proven to us countless times that their international policies seldom benefit French Canadians. Also, it is clear that a population of 8 million in a great space encompassing more than 410 million Anglophones would jeopardize our survival as a people. The fact that Russia is not a part of our Western civilization is also central to Eurasianism. Russia is a blend of Europe and Asia, from whence the term Eurasianism is derived. This defines its specific goals: "Russia is called to counter the West, not only to safeguard its own path, but also to stand at the vanguard of the other peoples and countries of the Earth in order to defend their freedom as civilizations." Because Russia is a multicultural state, Eurasianism does not reject multiculturalism. It actually encourages the building of autonomies that include different identities, ethnicities, and religions within them. This is a position in conflict with an ethno-nationalist worldview. Although not stated explicitly, this is clearly the model proposed by Putin for Russia’s allies: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and even Iran. Lessening the ethnic tensions. History suggests that such a model cannot function well without a charismatic, authoritarian, and even tyrannical leader. While that may lessen the ethnic tensions for a while, history also shows us that the downfall or even the loss of prestige of such a leader brings about a tragic unraveling of such unstable entities. But Russia is forced to support such a model by its very nature, as it is perhaps the best example in the world today. According to Dugin, Eurasianism is a theory that is relevant to diverse fields such as sociology, anthropology, and history. However, looking at the many books he has written on the subject and bearing in mind that he was the “creator of the modern Russian school of geopolitics,” it becomes clear that the focus of that theory is first and foremost geopolitics. In his essay "On White Nationalism and Other Potential Allies in the Global Revolution" (Eurasian Mission p.166-171) Dugin makes it quite clear that he is not an ethnic nationalist, as many people mistakenly presented him. Yet he claims that Western ethnic nationalists can be allies of Eurasianists in the struggle against American hegemony. His concept is that we must first overcome the Atlantist enemy, and then solve our own disputes. In his "Manifesto of the Global Revolutionary Alliance," (Eurasian Mission p.129-165), he reiterates this idea of unity through action, because like Eurasianists, nationalists see the same problems, and reject the current world: "Joint action does not require us to be fighting for the same ideals or to be in solidarity with particular standards that will replace the current catastrophe and pathology. These ideals may be different, and even, to some degree conflict with one another, but we all must realize that if we won’t be able to terminate the global oligarchy, all of these projects, whatever they are, will remain unrealized and we will perish in vain." This unity in fighting a common enemy can be best illustrated by Greece. Eurasianits support far-right Golden Dawn, but support at the same time the far-left party Syriza. The politics defended by these groups do not matter; instead, it is their opposition to the current world political situation that matters. Dugin sends a warning to identitarians worldwide: if some rightfully defend their identity and roots, they may well fall into the "Islamophobia trap" and actually end up working for the system they despise. Perhaps the best example of this trend is the English Defense League. Overall, Dugin's criticism of Western modernity is spot on. But, simply because the disease is diagnosed properly, does not mean the cure proposed is the most appropriate one. Changing one sphere of influence for another, even if the latter is more respectful of our values and identities, is still neo-imperialism. Wouldn't the true antithesis of American Imperialism be a neutrality or non-interventionist policy, like that advocated by Charles Lindbergh, rather than some oriental Neo-Imperialism? Is Eurasianism's call for multipolarity genuine or is it only a transit station on the road to a new bipolar or even unipolar world, where Moscow would reign supreme as the Third and final Rome? Wouldn't it be just as much a mistake for nationalists today to blindly follow Moscow in its anti-US struggle as those 20th-century nationalists who supported NATO and the US simply because of their anti-communist stance? These questions remain open and must be pondered. Vladimir Putin appeals to many nationalists because of his style and his tone. However, we must look beyond such glamour and superficiality to the real interests of our various peoples.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Washington Orders Inoculation One of the most stirring scenes in HBO's new miniseries John Adams is the inoculation of Abigail and her children. Instead of today's modern inoculation methods (which still cause many to squirm and even pass out), colonial inoculation was much more barbaric. The process involved the cutting of the flesh accompanied by the introduction of the smallpox virus. As can be imagined, many within the colonial community saw inoculation as an insane method of treatment. There were even debates amongst medical practitioners as to its effectiveness. What most people don't know when it comes to inoculation during this time period is that General George Washington actually ordered the soldiers of the Continental Army to be inoculated. Washington was a strong supporter of inoculation, believing that the medical procedure would greatly reduce the chances of infection. Though the procedure had many skeptics, Washington firmly believed that the benefits of inoculation far outweighed the risks. In fact, Washington became so paranoid about the spread of smallpox during the early years of the war that he literally became obsessed with inoculating the troops. During the seige of Boston, Washington's concern about the spread of smallpox caused him to issue an order stating that no soldier could enter the city unless he had been infected with smallpox in the past. Washington's experience with smallpox during his youth was probably the primary determining factor in shaping his opinion on inoculation. During a trip to the Caribbean, Washington was infected with smallpox. In fact, Washington carried a few pockmark scars on his face to remind him of this nearly fatal encounter. His experiences during the French & Indian War had also confirmed to Washington that inoculation was essential for any army. During the war, Washington witnessed several British raids that were unsuccessful, due to the depleted manpower of the British Army. In his highly acclaimed biography His Excellency, historian Joseph Ellis makes the claim that Washington's decision to inoculate the Continental Army was one of his finest moments: Washington understood the ravaging implications of a smallpox epidemic within the congested conditions of the encampment, and he regularly quarantined patients that were infected with the virus...And although many educated Americans opposed inoculation, believing that it actually spread the disease, Washington strongly supported it...When historians debate Washington's most consequential decisions as commander in chief, they are almost always arguing about specific battles. A compelling case can be made that his swift response to the smallpox epidemic and to a policy of inoculation was the most important strategic decision of his military career. In today's modern world we enjoy the benefits of understanding the scientific advancements of modern medicine. In today's world the decision to be inoculated is a "no-brainer" of sorts because of our understanding of infectious diseases. For colonial Americans, however, this was very much a roll of the dice. Fortunately for the Continental Army, Washington was brave enough to take the gamble. Steve said... I completely agree with Ellis on this point. inoculation was a brilliant gamble by Washington. klkatz said... great insight. it only makes sense, considering we were outnumbered, and expecting a war of attrition, that washington would take this gamble. The Bennetts said... Think about the magnitude of what Washington did. Especially during Morristown and winters following. Making in mandatory that men and women in towns be inoculated. It was a very "presidential" move, and yet it could have been very costly to him, as he was trying to inoculate thousands of soldiers all while keeping the British in the dark.. Couldn't imagine if Obama, Clinton, or Bush doing something like this.. They would be considered Socialists
by Boots Hart, CAP Monday, September 15, 2014 Black Moon Lilith at 22 Leo (image) Maser M 31 at the core of the Andromeda Galaxy as photographed in X-ray by the Chandra Space Observatory (photo credit: NASA, January 2000) Here’s my thesis for the day: orbits aren’t round. In science, that’s just a fact - orbits tend to be egg-shaped complete with one end of the orbit being pointier than the other. (Which may, with all due respect for chickens and eggs just beg the question ‘which came first, the orbiting object or the orbit it is orbiting along?’ or some such akin to that.) So we have these egg-ish orbital tracks. And most of them are pretty constant. But some - such as the orbit of our Luna Moon around Planet Earth - do their own little orbital dance, one which in the mind’s eye (provided you’re not feeling blind-sided) might well remind you of that child’s toy known as a Spirograph. The tracings of a Spirograph The Moon’s orbit being the Moon’s to moon over, what seems notable to mention at this particular point in time is the fact that the ‘short’ or ‘near’ end of that "rotating" or transiting Spirograph figure is what is known in astrology is known as Black Moon Lilith, a calculated point which like the Ascendant and other axis points (the MC, IC and Descendant) is often difficult to manage simply because this isn't a planet. Or an asteroid. Or a comet, star or dwarf planet. They all have mass. But a calculated point has no mass - and when you watch things astrological for long enough it becomes rather apparent that the metaphysics of 'mass' is related to any form of a very common expression: I'm trying to get hold of it. Metaphysically, that's about mass. Any attribute denoted or described by an object with mass appears to be something we can develop 'habits' with (or about) - and thus we can change those habits. No one's saying such changes are easy, just that they're possible...with the real idea here being that Black Moon Lilith, in being an astrological symbol of zero mass is very hard to 'get hold of' or otherwise remain constantly and consistently aware of...which in one sense leads to a very consistent kind of perspective on the Black Moon as in the world of energetics it functions something like a ‘shadow effect’ in all of our lives, shifting through the zodiac raising this and daunting us with that, always originating from some area of thought or feeling, ethic, perception, value or awareness which we have ‘pushed away’ or abandoned outright. As for the reference to Lilith, that would be something which ‘embodies’ something we have - individually or as a culture (or race, perhaps) turned our back on, rejected, or denied in manner which may or may not be obvious to us...or others. Just to make this all a little more interesting, there are also two forms of Lilith: the calculated point (Black Moon Lilith) and a main belt asteroid (Lilith). And yes, there's a post on that too, if you'd like to read the long form: The effects of Black Moon Lilith are not always entirely noticeable in our busy moment-by-moment days, but we do feel them. They're there even if they're that itch you can't quite scratch, that certainty you can’t quite define and that uncertainty which, try as you may, you can’t quite least not to the degree of relaxed satisfaction. As for why Black Moon Lilith seems worth taking time to think through in this moment, that would be because Black Moon Lilith moves into 22 Leo on September 17th (UT/+0)...and 22 Leo just happens to be the degree Jupiter (the desire to get ahead, achieve, expand one’s understanding/ability) will go station/direct in come this December. Technically... (read: in the short run)... the Black Moon will only be in 22 Leo until early on September 26th (UT/+0). But it still seems worth our while to be on the ‘lookout’ for social and/or societal clues as to where you’re going to be (most of all with your Self) or be facing come mid-late December 2014 - and in this regard, the Black Moon is a metaphysical signpost we are all being given (even if what we do with it is our business). To understand how this will function in your life, obviously the first place you need to look is at your personal chart, complete with sign, degree, aspects and all the usual contemplation. Then, where does 22 Leo fall in your natal chart? As for 22 Leo as a degree, it’s a sensitive one - which you may read as ‘emotionally sensitive’ or ‘psychically sensitive’ or any other kind of sensitive as seems applicable, given the rest of your nature (and chart). There is a need to be of use and help in the world, plus a need to learn how to value and be valued properly - which is to say, not too much and not too little. This degree carries with it a quality of anxiety which is often made worse by attempts to ‘cope’ with the problem rather than deal with the reaction to it (the anxiety) which in the long run is really the problem - and as I say that (typing to you as I look up the Sabian Symbol)... well evidently that anxiety could be deserved - at least at some level. Sabian 23 Leo (Zodiacal 22 Leo): In a circus, the bareback rider displays her dangerous skill. The audacity and perseverance required to control and play with the powerful energies of the vital realm in human existence. Astrologer Marc Edmund Jones wrote of this degree as one which in being both vital and creative is the driving engine behind spectacular human feats. In commenting on this degree Astrologer Dane Rudhyar typifies it as that which turns ego into imagination and inventiveness, providing us with the insight as to our own potential for dramatic native virtuosity. And yet this showmanship cannot be ego-aware. The moment it turns into a means to receive those accolades or those longed for rewards and/or advantages, that’s when the shadow of the Black Moon becomes the gaping vulnerability which though perhaps not apparent to others, nonetheless swallows us unimpeded. Nor is the Black Moon going to be lighting its 22 Leo September-to-December ‘shadow torch’ on its own. As the Black Moon begins activating needs imbedded beyond conscious perception on September 17th, so too will Europa (getting carried away) and Hestia (structural protection/protection of life structures) move on station to turn retrograde as of September 19th. And since both of these influences originate in Taurus and any turn to retrograde means the symbolic energy is turned ‘inward,’ the whole of this September 17 through 21 station will like as not test our ability to balance control against lack of productive participation, maintaining (or supporting) our personal sense of [Taurus] ‘having things secured’ as part of the process. Mind you, with Hestia (a guardian figure of home, hearth, family and state) in this mix there may be something we need to ‘guard against’ or take proper care of here, whether that thing would be doing our homework, nursing a drippy cold or remaining aware of some job effort, social obligation or merely our erratic temper. There’s also the idea that the degree Europa is going retrograde in (19 Taurus) is one which tends to get bogged down or which ‘chases around in circles,’ which may well lead to much action and many words while also acting as a ‘symptom’ of the underlying (subconscious, rejected, misunderstood) Black Moon matters. Plus with Hestia on station and conjunct Europa in a degree (14 Taurus) known for beating a full retreat as well as doing much (too much) out of an abundance of instinctive (perhaps spiritual) beliefs there are likely to be more than a few ‘turnabouts’ during this time. In point of fact, the whole of this week seems to be one long series of patchwork overlays. Europa and Hestia going retrograde on the 17th is not only its own event but also serves to mark a beginning the Cubewano (and possible dwarf planet candidate) station-retrograde moment for TNO Chaos. Unlike Neptune-influenced Plutinos like Pluto, Ixion and Huya which test our ability to keep our dreams either separate or strongly rooted in fact, Chaos is a [Cubewano] symbol of something which exists apart from all other influences. And what is that ‘something’? That something is all about possibility. Endless possibilities. Originally a symbol of that sort of fertility which promises there are more ideas yet to be had, and that the Sun will yet come up again tomorrow, the energy of Chaos is generally the proverbial ‘light bulb moment’ which starts some inspirational process. And here? Well, in going direct at 19 Gemini, Chaos presents us with a variety of [Gemini] choices - none of which are likely to utterly delight us... at least not in the short run. The Sabian symbol for this degree (‘A modern cafeteria displays an abundance of food, products of various regions’) being plainly multi-regional, multi-cultural or even international, the image being presented is about nourishment (food) of various kinds, some of which is foreign to us - an idea which fits very well with the endless source which is TNO Chaos. And then we add in asteroid Apollo, which in overlapping Chaos’ station goes direct at 1 Leo a day after Chaos goes retrograde (on the 22nd, to be exact). Representing truth (the light of truth) and general enlightenment of every informative and curative kind, asteroid Apollo’s station at 1 Leo shines a light on vulnerabilities not as a negative but as something which gives us a chance to relate to others - and maybe more importantly, relate to our Self. Our oh-so mortal Self. For reasons mentioned before (read: because of a newly installed back injury) I will mention all this then let you think it all through...pausing only for one moment more to point out how all of this is happening during the run-up to Pluto going station-direct on September 23rd in tandem with the Sun moving into Libra, a fact which gives everything about this Black Moon-Europa-Hestia-Chaos-Apollo sequence something of a hint of ‘cosmic prelude’ preceding the bringing of all into [Libra] balance for good, for bad, for all it can possibly be worth. So yes, everything about such moments are valid in the moment that they become: individual global transits will evidence their effects in and across all our days in all their symbolic if sometimes subtle manifestation. And while all that is happening, time and our Black Moon Lilith timings will also be weaving all of this and more together seamlessly, bringing us to a place where no matter who has denied what we are ready to face another round of Plutonic transformations and the chance (or risk) of being transformed as we pursue our relationship to life and our place among others on this planet we call our world. 1. You're just teasing us, I know you know your Keplerian mechanics. Orbits are elliptical, an object orbits around the focus of the ellipse. A circle is an ellipse, it just has both foci in the same spot. 1. Well, yes...but for one, it did get you to stop and noodle me back. Oh - and for the record, I tend to think of my mechanics as either Greek or clad in denim. (Just a personal concept.) As to the teasing, though I'd love to say I was, I'm afraid I'm just so much more boring than effort here was just to help illuminate how an orbit could/would shift - and therefore why the position of the Black Moon would shift too. (Heavy sigh. Note to self: be more obscure.) - Boots 2. So interesting to read your blog... I have NatalMars at 12 taurus in 4th H, N-Neptune at 6 Scorpio in the 11H, and N-Uranus at 19 Leo in the 8th H and 22 Degrees in Leo is just two degrees into my 9th house. I am super novice and wonder what that may foretell!?? Good things I hope lol, cause I deserve some happy happy love love. What you think? 1. I'm glad to hear you're finding the blog interesting...and to your question, with regards to 22 Leo (let's be specific here) I would suggest two things. The first is to find out whether you have any asteroids or currently unknown (unknown to you, that is) objects at/within the 5-degree conjunction orb to 22 Leo, as that's going to 'color' the "operations" of your natal Black Moon and therefore tell you more about the Black Moon in transit seeing as all transiting objects stir up a 'whiff' of the natal position (and sometimes a whole lot more than a whiff!). If you need a website to help with this, try those listed under "Free Charts" here in astroPPM's sidebar - Serennu (in Wales) can cast such charts and may have default sets of asteroids to choose from. (Sorry not to know for sure.) Of course the other thing to do is to look at your Sun as the ruler of Leo and your 9th house cusp, taking into account aspects to that Sun and whatever 'extra points' are in conjunction to it. Since you've said you're a 'super novice' (which makes you sound like a superhero - lol!) here's one of the most important technical 'rules' I've ever found in astrology as it helps us know whether any given planet (or in this case Black Moon) in any given house is going to act mostly on the positive side or mostly on the negative side: "the good or bad which comes out of the house depends on the condition of the planet ruling the sign on the cusp of that house." So with Leo on the 9th house cusp, ask yourself - is my Sun well aspected? Is it happily placed in its own sign? Is it exalted or in a sign or house of fall/detriment? That plus the aspects to your natal Lilith...PLUS Lilith now being in the house will tell you what you're not seeing, learning or privy to (at least yet) or where you're going to make/be able to make some great effort (or make headway) because you are ignoring (or choosing to ignore) something. I hope that helps! 3. How tight of an orb would you say? I'm going to take notice this time around as I'm sure to feel the effects. I've got natal Mars in Leo at 24'17 in the 3rd house and my 4th house cusp is at 26'02 Leo, then right after that my natal Black Moon Lilith at 28'58. I also have 4th house Sun in Virgo at 1'36, South Node at 2'49 Virgo, and my Mercury and Pluto are conjunct in the later degrees of Virgo, still in the 4th house. So the idea of Black Moon Lilith is to show you what you're not aware of in relation to that particular part of your chart? 1. Yes - denial (or possibly that which needs to be put aside and 'denied' attention at this time)...with current/transiting effects combining the area of the natal chart where the Black Moon is found AND that where it is currently by transit, which for you would be the 3rd and 4th houses equaling what you think of something basic or basic to you as an individual or as part of your heritage, history or life(style). With your IC (4th house cusp) in Leo, ALL of this pertains to your overall life or sense of life in particular seeing as Leo is ruled by your Virgo Sun. What are you doing? What are you not doing? What are you not doing as well as you could - either in terms of how it affects you, how it affects others or how it affects some overall aim and its (probably eventual) consequences. As for orbs, I use standard (Ptolemaic) aspects to/from Black Moon Lilith, though I'm not sure I've ever heard of this being astrological 'convention' or not. Also, considering the degrees you're giving me, try tracking this event as part of the greater Jupiter pattern as it moves up to 22 Leo then retrogrades, only to return to 22 Leo next year - a pretty sure sign that this Black Moon (against) Jupiter pattern is setting up something now which may play out only once Jupiter (and/or) Black Moon Lilith move over your Mars and IC before the Black Moon conjuncts its natal position. Have you looked at your BMLilith returns? That's another thing you might want to consider. Returns often inform where nothing else does.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014 Mass Extinctions Mass extinctions of many species have happened before. Five times, actually. At the end of Permian era, 299 to 251 million years ago before the continents were formed, mass extinction led to 95% of all species being wiped out. In this situation it was naturally caused by extreme climate fluctuations. You can get a little more detail here. The process of extinction took millions of years; nothing happened overnight. Species naturally come and go. Some scientists have postulated that we are in a period of accelerated extinctions. In the past mammals became extinct at a rate of less than two species per million years. But in the past 500 years, 80 mammals out of 5570 species of mammals have gone extinct. And that's a conservative estimate. The fact that it can be attributed to humans and that it has happened so quickly is especially disconcerting. Professor Anthony Barnosky, writing in the Huffington Post, tries to present a hopeful outlook. Perhaps because, if we decide it's hopeless, no efforts will be made. But it is critical. Climate change, destruction of tropical rain forests, the market for trinkets made out of ivory and aphrodisiacs made out of rhinoceros horn are matters we may feel we have little or no control over and that other people are responsible. One of Professor Barnosky's suggestions is to simply get out and enjoy nature; you'll come to value it. For further reading, his book, Dodging Extinction is out this month. As a review states, "Read this book and you will demand change." Saturday, October 25, 2014 Reviews Bite Back Reviews can be problematic. They can have long lasting consequences whether they are negative or positive. More than one author has admitted to paying a service ($5 seems to be the going rate) to have thousands of cubicle dwellers half a world away post a glowing review on Amazon. It usually had the desired effect. Sales expanded exponentially. Then there's the reverse situation: A negative, one star review, even by someone who hasn't purchased the book or admits in the review to never finishing it, can bring book sales to a screeching halt from which they never recover, not even months later. Many people don't leave reviews, positive or negative. Just too much effort. There's no reward and most people post their reviews under a pen name. A comment takes time to draft; you can't just say "I loved it!" A certain number of words is required. I post regular reviews on Tripadvisor. Since I use the service it somehow seems my duty to provide my best version of a fair and balanced opinion. I have read suggestions that reviews, especially when it is the only review that the writer has ever written, should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. Could be a competitor or their employee. Is everyone fair? Trolls inhabit the internet and some form clubs or groups that lurch from topic to topic, apparently taking pleasure in swamping a book, restaurant, or hotel with reviews that have no basis in reality or their actual experience but provides the trolls with an amazing sense of power and group fellowship. I've heard that some people demand a 'comp', a free meal or similar, in exchange for not posting a negative review. In response, more than one restaurant has decided to bring out the heavy hitters. A blogger here was fined because Google searches placed her negative review too high in the listings. That plus the number of blog readers she possessed were to her detriment. In another case, lawyers were employed to track down the reviewer and threaten litigation if the review wasn't retracted. A wedding venue had a term in the contract that the security deposit would be retained if one of the guests posted a negative review. If you're wondering where will it end, this article only provides more questions. Tuesday, October 21, 2014 Travel light Airlines seem to have a constant need for revenue. Perhaps it's tied to the price of jet fuel. Raising fares is a last resort, it seems, as customers have shown a reluctance to pay more and various search engines, like Kayak, facilitate finding an airfare by price alone. Some countries have passed legislation requiring airlines to state the full, all-inclusive price of an airfare including taxes and surcharges. This seems a positive move; previously the final price could be almost double the listed price. But then there are the optional charges which are not required to be listed in the fare price. Because they are optional and presumably avoidable, they are seen as fair game in the attempt to extract more revenue from travellers. In a way it is similar to the included fixtures in some homes for rent or purchase in other countries. North Americans might expect that appliances like a stove and refrigerator should be de rigeur but that just isn't the case. So it is that food, especially on domestic flights, is not provided, headphones for listening to the on-board entertainment must be purchased, and, more recently, checked luggage attracts an additional charge. As a longstanding carry-on traveller I have researched various ideas and methods that could be used to avoid checking your suitcase. Some are amusing, some border on ridiculous and some seem downright clever. Families can box up and send their vacation clothing to their tropical destination via UPS or some other carrier. If you are staying at the same resort for one or two weeks or more this can save you money. Four or five family members, each checking a suitcase would amount to $250. ($25 each way x 5). It seems it is cheaper to ship a box or boxes back and forth as long as you don't need to travel beyond your shipping destination. Then there's the suggestion of travelling with a carry-on bag (probably packed with your underwear) and upon arrival heading immediately to the nearest thrift store or charity shop. For considerably less than the check luggage fee you and your children can purchase enough clothing to last a couple of weeks. This reminds me of the character in Lee Child's book, whose title name escapes me, who bought a set of clothing, wore them for several days and then discarded them. His busy life, tracking down notorious criminals, did not allow for time at the laundromat. Tim Ferriss' blog (of 4 hour Work Week fame) which you can look at here is pleased to provide a unique idea for avoiding ever checking luggage again: Leave caches of clothing and even food at hotels you frequent. Seems to me it might require a large tip. What about wearing all your clothes? Check out this website, Jaktogo, for tips on how to wear all your clothes on your body when you fly. Better hope the air-conditioning is working. A more conservative version of this involves reversible clothing. I suppose even the pants that zip off to become shorts and jackets that have sleeves that zip off to reveal a vest, reduce the amount of clothing required. Will the day come when we pay our airfare by our body weight? Saturday, October 18, 2014 Alas, too soon they're gone Those delicate pink blossoms Close my eyes and dream Brave, even foolish Those pink harbingers of Spring Trembling before harsh winds Wednesday, October 15, 2014 Interpreting value Part II How do we decide what an item is worth? A quick easy answer would be that it is worth the price on the tag. But prices change in response to . . . what? Consumer demand, or lack of it? Cheaper methods of production, volume discounts? Perceived worth is certainly factor. I recently came across a post from the writer of a 47 page or 16,900 word book of short stories on the Community posting section of Amazon's kindle boards. She wrote that: My book has been up on Amazon sites for two weeks now and I have not made a single sale! When and how do the sales happen? Will customers come? Helpful suggestions were not slow in coming: Change the cover; it doesn't look eye-catching. Change the price to $0.99--that's all people will pay. But at that cover price, the author will receive $.0.35 in royalty. Is that sufficient? I paid $0.40 for a large carrot at the vegetable market a few days ago. A red pepper was double that price. Why? If the author sells 30 copies she will be closing in on one hour's work at minimum wage. Will that be adequate compensation? Suggestions are made by others that effort be expended to ensure grammar and spelling are impeccable. That apparently increases value, but to what? Books are not unique, of course, in having flexible prices. In my youth I worked briefly for a ladies clothing store. Clothing was marked up 100% or more, for example, from $50. to $100. That allowed room for discounting but still allowed a profit. Would that work with books? Perceived scarcity increases desirability, and thereby price. E-books are in unlimited supply generally and the total number of books, e-book or otherwise, has greatly increased in the past few years. It's enough to make one long for the non-consumer era. But then we'd have to figure out values by barter. The medieval monks who lived here built their own homes from the island's stones and caught their own food. They didn't have much but everything was priceless. Saturday, October 11, 2014 I had a quick glance at this post about falling milk prices in the U.K. The factoid that gave me pause was that farmers are only paid twenty-five pence (about forty cents) for a litre of milk. It seems to me I paid close to $3.00 for the last litre I bought at the local supermarket, although not in the U.K. There is a problem when the producer of the product, the one whose labour--okay, give some credit to the cow--makes the product possible, receives such a small percentage of the price the consumer pays. After all, the cows must be fed, preferably healthy and sufficient food, and then there are vet bills and housing expenses. I realize that the supermarkets have their own expenses and then there are the trucks that transport the milk from the farm but even without knowing the particulars, I'm left with the impression that the farmer is being cheated. My speculations led me to comparisons with the music and film industry. I've read in the past of some artists who despite earning millions from their music seemed poorly compensated. Didn't Paul McCartney end up on a farm in Scotland for several years with little to show from his Beatle years? Somehow others benefitted from his talent. In the author autobiography of the James Herriott veterinarian series, also produced on television, James Alfred Wight relates that he was regularly approached for donations to animal causes but the reality was that it took years before his royalties amounted to much. He disclosed that about 80% of his royalties was taken as tax payment and remember that the typical royalty payments to authors are only between 8% and 15% of the cover price. He was one of the few authors who maintained British residency due to this; most moved to Jersey or Guernsey or a similar more sympathetic tax regime. Some apple farmers in the past have chopped down their trees in protest at the small share of the final consumer price their toil received when they sold their products. This problem has led to marketing boards that guarantee a price and thereby give some security to the farmer. But not everyone is pleased at this either. Shoppers cross borders to obtain cheaper products and change their eating habits. Is an apple a day still happening when apples cost a dollar each? There's no easy solution. More on this topic next time. Wednesday, October 8, 2014 Why Agatha? Agatha Christie is the third best selling writer of all time, only exceeded by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her novels have been made into movies and television programs and her Poirot Mysteries have been excellently interpreted by the actor, David Suchet. I watched a program, The Mystery of Agatha Christie, narrated and featuring Suchet, wherein he attempts to trace how she became a writer and where her ideas came from. As a writer and a reader of Agatha Christie I was interested in this. Suchet was given access to her childhood home, interviewed her grandson and studied photographs, diaries and documents never before seen outside the family. Agatha herself attributed her desire and success at writing to growing up in a happy family. Her family was well-to-do and money doesn't appear to have been a problem. Agatha worked as a pharmacy assistant in a hospital during World War I and thereby gained a knowledge of pharmaceuticals, including poisonous ones. It seems in about half her novels, death was by poisoning. I've always thought that it helps to write about a locale or topic you have some passing familiarity with. There are many small details and other worthwhile information so watch the forty-five minute program if you are at all an Agatha Christie reader or a mystery writer. There's no saying, though, that her method can be duplicated and even Ms. Christie's venture into romance novels under the pen name Mary Westmacott did not receive the same critical or public favour. Saturday, October 4, 2014 Are we becoming like goldfish? The title of this post comes from an article by McLean Greaves in Zoomer Magazine's September issue entitled 10 Reasons Why Almost Every Internet Article is a List. A point permeating the reasons is the decreased ability of readers to stay focussed today, according to Greaves. He goes as far as to say that the human attention span is less than that of a goldfish. I remember someone telling me once that we shouldn't feel sorry for the pet goldfish, stuck in a small bowl with basically nothing happening all day, save the daily drop from the sky of edible products, hopefully tasty. The goldfish brain is so small that by the time it completes the circuit around the bowl, its minuscule brain has already completely forgotten what it saw the last time around. In effect, it is delighted anew with the sights and decor each time. I don't know if some legitimate scientific experiment was conducted that led to this finding or whether it was the creation of a guilty goldfish owner attempting to assuage his conscience over a tiny bowl. Humans have a much greater capacity for memory and attention but suffer from a surfeit of choices. We barely begin to engross ourselves in a lengthy article or novel before a certain restlessness or sense of time pressure inexorably draws our focus away. Is the next thing more worthwhile of our attention? Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Everything evolves It is interesting to watch the evolution of the English language. I shouldn't be ethnocentric; I'm sure all languages evolve. But who is the person who comes up with the new word? In France, I believe, they (the government) wants to preserve the integrity of the French language. So the almost universal computer is called l'ordinateur. Similar words are invented for other new technology. Marathon was a small town in Greece before it was a long distance endurance race with an official distance 42.195 kilometres or 26 miles and 385 yards. It is usually run as a road race as opposed to multiple times around a track. Athens was fighting the Persian Empire prior to the time of Alexander the Great in one of the endless stream of conflicts from that era. They sent a most capable runner on a long journey to Sparta to ask for help as a battle was anticipated. Exerting himself beyond human capabilities the man gasped out the request, which was refused, and then dropped dead (whether from exhaustion, shock or disappointment is not known). The location of the ensuing battle (which Athens managed to win even without the Spartan reinforcements) was called Marathon. Maybe we should have remembered instead the name of the unfortunate long distance runner who made the ultimate sacrifice.
A Review of Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War With his now classic work, Dreadnought, Robert Massie weaves together the political and military ambitions of Great Britain and Germany, creating an unrivaled historical narrative of both national and personal ambitions. These ambitions led to the naval arms race of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, which then culminated in the carnage of World War I. Beginning with Queen Victoria’s birth in 1837, Massie examines familial conflicts between the great houses of Europe. King George V, Kaiser William II of Germany, and Czar Nicholas II of Russia were cousins. Not just family rivals, these heads of state were also nationalistic opponents. Against this family background, we follow the machinations of historical figures such as Winston Churchill, Lord Fisher, Admiral von Tirpitz, Bernhard von Bulow, and Otto von Bismark. This time period is defined by nationalistic vanity, missed opportunities, and unintended consequences. Although published in 1991, Dreadnought has withstood the test of time. Anyone with an interest in naval or colonial history should enjoy Dreadnought. I also recommend Dreadnought to those interested in technological innovation and its impact on warfare. Despite being written 26 years ago, Dreadnought is still in publication. Copies can also be found in libraries, or purchased from Amazon, eBay, and used bookstores. The Odd Case of the MV Joyita When the MV Joyita, mysteriously disappeared in the South Pacific in 1955, most assumed the small ship and her 25 person compliment were lost at sea. However, she was found five weeks later drifting north of Vanua Levu, it was clear this wasn’t a normal accident. The Joyita was discovered over 600 miles west of her pre-planned route. Her radio was set on the international marine distress channel. Also, over 4 tons of cargo (medical supplies, timber, empty oil drums and foodstuffs) were missing. No trace of her passengers or crew were found. Built in 1931, the Joyita started life as a luxury yacht for Roland West, a Los Angeles movie director. She was purchased in 1941 by the United States Navy. Joyita, now renamed Yard Patrol Boat 108 (YP-108) operated out of Hawaii until World War II ended. Declared as military surplus, the Joyita changed hands twice before being purchased by well known anthropologist Dr Katharine Luomala. Dr Luomala then chartered Joyita to her friend, Captain Thomas H. “Dusty” Miller. Captain Miller, a British sailor living in Samoa, used the ship as a trading and fishing charter boat. In the early hours of October 3, 1955, the Joyita left Samoa’s Apia harbor for a two-day (270 mile) trip to the Tokelau Islands. Joyita was scheduled to leave the previous day, but problems with her port engine delayed her departure. Repairs were not made, and Joyita left Samoa with just one working engine. She was expected to arrive in the Tokelaus on October 5. The Joyita was reported overdue on October 6. Despite not having received a distress signal, the Royal New Zealand Air Force quickly launched a search and rescue mission. After a seven-day search, which covered nearly 100,000 square miles of ocean, no trace of the Joyita, her crew, or her passengers were ever found. She was written off as another ship lost at sea. However, the Joyita was discovered five weeks later drifting just north of Vanua Levu. When boarded, the Joyita was found to be in extremely poor shape. Her flying bridge was smashed and the deckhouse windows were broken. An auxiliary pump was rigged in the engine room, but it wasn’t connected. Joyita’s navigational equipment, along with the ship’s logbook and sextant were gone. Three life rafts and a dinghy were also missing, leading many to believe the crew and passengers had abandoned ship. Despite the Joyita’s condition, a formal inquiry found the idea of the crew abandoning ship, “inexplicable on the evidence submitted at the inquiry.” Even though her engine room was flooded, the Joyita was never in danger of sinking. Her 69-foot hull was lined with 640 cubic feet of cork, which made her sinking almost impossible. This reasoning is supported by the fact that after almost a month adrift, the Joyita remained afloat. Captain Miller received most of the blame regarding the Joyita’s loss. The inquiry found him reckless for departing Samoa on one engine. The inquiry also criticized the condition of the radio equipment. The investigation found a break in the radio cable, which limited the Joyita’s radio range to roughly two miles. No one had noticed because the broken cable had been painted over. Although no trace of the passengers or crew were found, there was no shortage of theories regarding their fate. These theories ranged from the plausible to the absurd. People who knew Captain Miller claimed he wouldn’t have simply abandoned the Joyita. He knew the ship’s hull was cork-lined, making the ship virtually unsinkable. Unless faced with almost catastrophic conditions, there would be no reason to leave a large stable ship for smaller less stable life rafts. If the crew or passengers did abandon the Joyita, friends argued that Captain Miller was either seriously injured or dead. This theory makes sense, but doesn’t account for the disappearance of the ship’s cargo. Other contemporary theories blamed the Japanese. The Fiji Times and Herald ran a story claiming the Joyita had encountered Japanese fishing boats. Having “observed something the Japanese did not want them to see,” the fishermen disposed of the Joyita’s passengers and crew. The Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper, suggested Japanese forces not realizing or recognizing that World War II were responsible. Others speculated that modern day pirates attacked the Joyita, killing all those aboard and seizing the cargo. David Wright, an English lecturer at Auckland University, believes he knows what happened to the Joyita’s passengers and crew. In his 2002 book, Joyita: Solving the Mystery, Mr. Wright argues water from a corroded pipe located in the engine cooling system leaked. This leak partially flooded the engine room, leading to disastrous consequences. He cites the missing navigational equipment and life rafts as proof of a nighttime evacuation. But as stated in earlier abandonment theories, there is no explanation for the missing cargo. So what happened to Joyita’s crew and passengers? Were they murdered? Did something happen to the captain, causing the ship’s compliment to panic and abandon ship? Or is a leaky pipe to blame? Who really knows? Fabergé Eggs Crafted between 1885 and 1917, Fabergé Eggs are one-of-a-kind jeweled eggs made from jewels and precious metals. They were originally created by Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian Royal Family. Tsar Alexander III and his son, Nicholas II, gave the eggs to to family members as Easter gifts. Fabergé eggs associated with the Russian Court are called “Imperial” Fabergé eggs. The precious materials required, combined with the delicate nature of the work, meant a team of highly skilled craftsmen were required for the construction of each Fabergé Egg. For example, the 1898 Dowager (Pelican) Fabergé egg made for Empress Maria Feodorovna was constructed of gold, diamonds, pearls, enamels, and ivory. When Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate in 1917, Russian Bolsheviks confiscated the royal family’s wealth. Of the 50 Imperial eggs created, only 43 have survived. In 1922, much of the Romanov Imperial collections, including the eggs, were sold under Joseph Stalin’s “treasures to tractors” program. Others simply disappeared in the chaos of Revolutionary Russia. The surviving Fabergé Eggs command astronomical prices. In 2002, a dealer bought what he thought was scrap gold for 13,000 dollars. Thinking he had overpaid, he held onto the gold egg for ten years. Once he decided to sell the egg, a cursory internet search revealed he had found the Third Imperial Egg. Made in 1887, this egg was worth 33 million dollars. There are still seven more out there.
Lifting a Mindstorms LEGO robot Lifting a robot. Introduction The FIRST LEGO League competition is similar each year. With a little experience you could accomplish most of mission. The goal of this episode is to introduce you to the course, its purpose and approach. Divide and conquer The competition could be divided in three parts. 1. Building a robot construction 2. Building attachments and programming the robot for this attachments 3. Grouping the missions of the field in as less runs as possible Improving FLL Robot Game. Introduction to task for Lifting We've already build a number of resources for lifting at But at the end of this course we would have a robot that lifts itself and hangs on the mission model. Links for lifting This is just the search on the term "lifting" Divide and conquer Again we separate the task on a few simpler steps: 1. Build an attachment for hanging on the mission model 2. Lift to the mission model Improving FLL Robot Game. Teacher Note. Introduction to task for Lifting How should an instructor use this course when working with students and a group of students in school Goal of the course The goal of the course is to show a number of principles and tools and how could students think about lifting the robot. There are different approaches depending on the construction, on the place you lift your robot and the LEGO parts that you have. Specific attachment We will discuss the rules of building the attachment that we've shown, because they could be replicated in other attachments. Do not go directly to the end result. This is not the goal of the course and students will barely learn anything. Improving FLL Robot Game. Places you could lift your robot onto. Where should you lift the robot? Especially if you don`t have the mission model that we are using Build one This is the first task. Where should you lift?. Try building one mission model with the part that you have. It could be just similar. No need to be the same. Lift on the box Using the boxes of the EV3 Mindstorms sets is also possible. Should you use the BOX robot You can use the Box robot that we are using. Here is the course - Box Robot Two. Fewer parts and one motor. Simplifying a robot. We advise you to build it. But you could also use any robot that you have. You can even use a Five-Minute robot. Choose a place where you could lift the robot Building a mission model This could be a mission model as in the FLL 2016-2017 Animal Allies competition, or you could build one yourself. It should be about 1.5 the height of the robot, or even higher. Building the mission model is up to you. Use the parts that you have. Using a box or other objects If you do not have enough parts you could use one of the Mindstorms boxes. Just put it over a few books to make it higher. Improving FLL Robot Game. Teacher Note. Places you could lift your robot onto. How to organize the different robots and group of students when working on lifting the robot. Different robot Each group could work with a different robot. You can construct the Box robot. This is our recommendation. Each student on different mission model How to approach the organization of the groups in class when using different robots? Set the height When lifting the height of the mission model or the box is very important. Do not set it to high or to low.
Online Google Dictionary improve 中文解釋 wordnet sense Collocation Usage Font size: improved, past participle; improved, past tense; improves, 3rd person singular present; improving, present participle; 1. Make or become better • - we’ve used technology to improve relations with customers • - improved road and rail links • - his condition improved after glass was removed from his arm 2. Develop or increase in mental capacity by education or experience • - I subscribed to two magazines to improve my mind 3. Achieve or produce something better than • - they are trying to improve on the tired old style 4. Increase the value of (real property) by renovation, construction, landscaping, etc • - improved property in an urban renewal project area 1. better: to make better; "The editor improved the manuscript with his changes" 2. (improved) made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing; "new houses are springing up on an improved tract of land near the river"; "an improved breed" 3. (improved) (of land) made ready for development or agriculture by clearing of trees and brush; "improved farmlands" 4. (improvement) a change for the better; progress in development 5. (improvement) the act of improving something; "their improvements increased the value of the property" 6. (improving) getting higher or more vigorous; "its an up market"; "an improving economy" 7. Improve means to make something better. It is also used in the names of: * Bread improver * Improver Corporation: Improver v Remington, a 1990 United Kingdom patent infringement law court case 8. to make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something); to become better 9. (improved) something that has been made better; enhanced 10. (improvement) The act of improving; advancement or growth; promotion in desirable qualities; progress toward what is better; melioration; as, the improvement of the mind, of land, roads, etc; The act of making profitable use or application of anything, or the state of being profitably employed; ... 11. (Improved) Term used to indicate a standard cartridge case which has been altered by fireforming to reduce body taper and/or increase shoulder angle. Improved cases have greater powder capacity than the corresponding standard case. 12. (IMPROVED) Influence of Introduction of Mycophenolate Mofetil and Reduction of Cyclosporine on Renal Dysfunction After Cardiac Transplantation [study] 13. (Improved) An item that has been altered or added to at a later date to improve its style. 14. (Improved) seedlings, trees, seeds, etc., that have been genetically selected and/or bred to increase growth potential, disease resistance, or other desirable characteristics. 15. (Improvement) Usually some sort of manmade structure, although perhaps not always a literal “improvement”. 16. (Improvement) Any structure, usually privately owned, erected on a site to enhance the value of the property--for example, building a fence or a driveway. A publicly owned structure added to or benefiting land, such as a curb, sidewalk, street or sewer. 17. (Improvement) The positive effect of a process change effort. Improvement may result from incremental changes or from a major breakthrough. 18. (Improvement) A structure or building on the property. 19. (Improvement) An addition to a property that enhances its value. 20. (improvement) n. any permanent structure on real property, or any work on the property (such as planting trees) which increases its value. 21. (improvement) A structural addition to the land which can be considered to be a fixture. 22. (Improvement) Buildings or other more or less permanent structures or developments located on a parcel of land. 23. (IMPROVEMENT) Works or repairs accomplished in a property to improve his/her state, to beautify him/it or to solve a problem. 24. (Improvement) 20% baseline score reduction, irrespective of later deterioration above the achieved improvement score. 25. (Improvement) A physical change or addition made on a property so as to increase its value or enhance its appearance.
Stay Informed stay informed media library media library get involved Register \| Forgot login info John Adams Quote The prospect now before us in America ought...to engage the attention of every man of learning to matters of power and of right, that we may be neither led nor driven blindfolded to irretrievable destruction. ideas > Greed and Anti-capitalists Greed and Anti-capitalists What is greed? Greed is a desire to have more than what you have and willingness to do what it takes in order to get what you want. What is jealousy? Jealousy is a yearning for something that someone else has. It is the same as envy. Greed is often cited as the main problem with capitalism. Greed, no doubt, is the main driving force of capitalism. It is greed that causes people to work hard, to innovate, to create, and to compete. People do these things hoping that they will receive something in return. That is greed. The anti-capitalists, whether they are socialists, progressives, liberals, or any other group, often criticize greed being the main driving force of capitalism. Capitalism produces material wealth for the masses, but this is not enough for anti-capitalists. They want material wealth, but a more human material wealth where those who do not succeed under capitalism still receive fruits of capitalism at a level for which their contributions do not warrant. In to achieve this new social order, one that is based on a third-party's views on who should succeed and in what quantity they should succeed, the anti-capitalist must lie in order to convince people that there is a better way towards material wealth. To do this they often exploit the emotion of jealousy and envy by stoking the rich versus poor, big business versus the people, and a myriad of other themes. These themes all are based on jealousy and envy for what someone else has and the desire to take it from them with force. This is greed, but it is a type of greed that is dangerous. It is greed with jealousy tinged with coercion, sometimes leading to violence. Anti-capitalists often rail against capitalists for being greedy, but aren't anti-capitalists also greedy. They are greedy for other people's wealth. Not only are they greedy, but they are jealous and envious, and are willing to often use to coercion, the threat of violence, or violence itself to get what they want. So who is really more humane or peaceful? The one who is just greedy or the one who is greedy, jealous, and envious. Clearly, the better system is the one that does not reward people who are willing to coerce and utilize violence to get the objects of their greed and jealousy. Greed motivates one to work harder and smarter. Greed and jealousy motivate someone to steal and coerce from others. Anti-capitalists are often nothing more than jealous that they have not succeeded in the capitalist world and so wish to utilize government to achieve their means of rewarding themselves above what their work merits. Take a look at all the anti-capitalist revolutions in the past, from the Soviets, to the Chinese, to the North Koreans, Germans, Italians, and many other countries in the world. What do the anti-capitalist leaders do once in power. They increase their power and increase their wealth at the expense of those they supposedly serve. Anti-capitalists shout hypocritically that capitalism is a terrible ill because its main motivating force is greed. Ironically, anti-capitalists are motivated by greed as well, but they are also motivated by jealousy and a desire to take what they view as their just rewards. Capitalism doesn't reward them as they believe they should be rewarded, so they are jealous and seek to use the government to get what they feel they deserve. Leaders of anti-capitalist groups have nothing to offer in a capitalist society. If they did, they wouldn't fight capitalism. Instead they seek to utilize the emotion of jealousy and victimization to rise to power with promises of freedom and democracy of the people. What usually happen are the leaders and their supporters are enriched beyond what they produce and offer to the people, while the people are impoverished. Anti-capitalism is clearly an inferior philosophy when it comes to offering material wealth to the people, yet the people often fall for it as jealousy and envy are stoked by those who wish to gain power through these masses who are deceived. Contact us
Now reading Fast Food Nation Fast Food Nation What archaeologists found when they began to excavate the city of Pompeii. Thier_logo-loWhen archaeologists began to excavate the city of Pompeii, which was remarkably well preserved by the same catastrophe that destroyed it—the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE—they were surprised by both the lack of kitchen facilities in city residences and by the large number of cookshops. These establishments have traditionally been called thermopolia, from a Greek work meaning something like “a place where hot things are sold,” and they are thought to have been simple restaurants that resembled our own fast-food restaurants. The people of Pompeii, archaeologists believe, liked to eat on the go. The word thermopolium appears only in the work of the comic playwright Plautus, and ancient Pompeiians probably didn’t use the term. Instead, they would have referred to these cookshops as popinae, if they sold food and drink; tabernae, if they sold alcohol; or cauponae, hospitia, or stabula, if they also offered lodging. Some or even many of these places might have functioned as brothels. Some of them retain graffiti that refer to the prices of the female workers. Pompeii was a resort town, a getaway for wealthy Romans. It is pleasant to think that the popinae were something like crab shacks on a New England beach, but this is unlikely. Large villas in Pompeii did have kitchens, and elite Romans considered it inappropriate to eat in public. They also preferred to eat in a reclining position, an amenity few of the cookshops could have provided. Popinae probably served lower-class people, a hypothesis supported by the contempt in which Roman writers—almost always elites—seem to hold these places. Cicero insults Mark Antony by saying he often went to bars and cookshops; the poet Juvenal describes customers at a popina as sailors, thieves, runaway slaves, executioners, and coffin-makers. Several emperors attempted to regulate commerce in the popinae at various times, forbidding the sale of hot water, cooked meat, and baked goods. Vespasian allowed only peas and beans. Popinae of all kinds are characterized by a masonry counter into which one or more earthenware pots (dolia) are permanently fixed. They may also have an oven or brazier, and a series of hooks from which food could have been hung. Cookshops attached to the proprietor’s residence often had shrines to the household gods as well. Archaeologists used to think that the dolia contained hot food or wine, but because they were porous and would have been difficult to clean, the current idea is that they contained dry foods like grains, nuts, or smoked fruits and vegetables. Certainly there would have been some other way of storing wine, however, since even popinae that didn’t function primarily as bars would have sold wine to take home or to enjoy with food on the premises. Ancient Romans mixed their wine with hot or cold water because it was substantially stronger than the wine we drink today, and sometimes they seasoned it with honey, black pepper, myrtle, or cedar. For those who wanted to keep their wits about them, there was often lemonade or a decoction flavored with licorice. The food would have been simple, by Roman standards—no peacock’s tongue here. Instead there would have been things like roasted partridges, pork, goose liver pâté, eggs, sausages, salted hams (a Pompeiian establishment advertised: “Once one of my hams is cooked and set before a customer; before he tastes it, he licks the saucepan in which it was cooked”), lentils, peas, wheat or barley porridge (barley was cheaper), meat stews, and—perish the thought—sow vulvas. We don’t know if they had pasta. Romans did grow durum wheat, and a chewy pasta-like bread product is easy to make accidentally, so it’s hard to imagine that no one chanced upon this invention. Still, there is no unequivocal evidence. The Apicius manuscript, still the most important source for scholars interested in Roman food, does not include any recipes for pasta, although it mentions something called lagano that sounds very much like the precursor of lasagna—thin strips of bread layered with fish, meat, or eggs. The manuscript comes from the fourth or fifth century CE, however, and describes the food of the wealthiest people. It’s possible that if pasta existed, it was the food of the poor. As for seasoning, the ancient Romans had garlic, onions, asafoetida, poppy seeds, dill, coriander, chervil, pepper, mint, and cumin. Salt was rare and very expensive—soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, which is where we get the word “salary”—but Romans did have a condiment called garum, a fermented mixture of fish guts and sea water. Like condiments today, it came in various flavors and grades and was occasionally mixed with wine, vinegar, or olive oil. It would have been ubiquitous. It probably functioned like soy sauce. Were the popinae really like today’s fast-food restaurants? Some of them did have pictorial menus, just like a fast-food restaurant today. There’s one on the Via di Diana (in Ostia, not Pompeii), with a fresco that depicts eggs, olives, fruit, and radishes. They also catered to poor people and people in a hurry. Of course they weren’t national chains that operated on a franchise system, at least as far as we know. But the fact is that we don’t really know, so we’re free to imagine. And it’s an appealing thought, or at least it’s appealing to imagine that human nature and human society are so stable and continuous. Aaron Thier is the author of The Ghost Apple. His new novel, Mr. Eternity, will be published in 2016.
"Respect" Religion? Do you demand respect without giving it? Literally, what does it mean to "respect" religion? Sadly, the word respect has multiple meanings: to admire or, to show consideration or, to avoid harming. Now, certainly no atheist "admires" religion, just as Jews don’t "admire" the Hindu faith. But when it comes to religion, it seems fair to define “respect” as showing consideration or avoiding hurting others. Isn't that exactly what atheists themselves want and expect from religious people? As an atheist, what do you want? Let’s assume, for starters, that you want others to respect your beliefs. You want to practice your humanism or atheism in peace. You want to voice your religious opinions without fear of retribution. You want your beliefs to have zero impact on your job, your friendships or your life generally. Agreed, yes? Okay, then why not extend that exact same respect to the religious people around you? Shouldn’t respect a two-way street? But wait. Argumentative atheists say they must fight religion at every opportunity, but let's get practical. Clearly, religious superstition has thrived since the dawn of human existence. Worldwide, for every one nonbeliever today there are nine religious believers. And that’s despite thousands of years of rational thought, hundreds of years of scientific achievement, and endless logical refutation. So let's cut the crap: for centuries, our best efforts have had almost no impact on religious superstition. If you think all your angry argument and defiance have any meaningful impact, you are pissing into the wind. Now, consider what we gain by being out-and-proud atheists who avoid hurting and who are respectful of other people’s beliefs. Our respect sets a positive example for atheists still in the closet, and for outsiders who will judge our movement by our actions. Our respect gets us a seat at the table of public opinion. (And public opinion is everything when it comes to getting God out of the courthouse and getting the Bible out of schools.) Most importantly, our respect earns us the right to demand respect from others. That’s a short-term goal you can personally achieve that will have a positive impact on your life. Add new comment Filtered HTML • Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Plain text • No HTML tags allowed. • Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Here is a fun task that keeps out the robots and spammers. Identiry all the things that say "meow".
Behavior of Cats Cats as pets and their behavioral features are discussed and any remedies to fix bad behavior in pet cats Why do Cats Bite? Why do Cats Bite? We all have gone through such stage where we get bitten or scratched by our cat. We do love them a lot but sometimes while playing or while trying to control them, they bite or scratch on our hands. Most vets have been asked a lot about “why cat bites?” They […] Why Cats Mark Their Territory? Why Cats Mark Their Territory? The cat behavior varies among different breeds and human culture it lives in. It includes cat litter technique, hunting technique, communication with other animals and humans and reaction to certain events. In case of more than one cat, one may become dominant over the other(s). The main mode of communication of […] Purrs n Grrs © 2017
Google might have created the first Terminator brain Google might have created the first Terminator brain. Image: YouTube. On April 5, Google revealed the company had created a machine learning processor, and that it was the secret weapon of all its AI projects. Its name is the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), and it made possible DeepMind’s victory over Lee Sedol, the Go master. There is more. The custom chip has been working on the company’s data centers since 2014. It explains the exponential performance improvement of apps like Maps, RankBrain, Street View, and Google Images, to name a few. Google first talked about the Tensor Processing Unit in May 2016. The TPU had been running for a year and a half by the time the organization decided to announce it. Impressively, the engineers only needed 22 days to complete the “machine learning” chip from a silicon prototype. How fast is the “Machine Learning” processor? The TPU is up to 30 times faster than the traditional CPUs when it comes to AI workloads. Not only that but it is also more energy efficient, and the code required to create neural networks based on the TPU is much simpler than other options. tpu-google-machine learning-chip TPU could be the first version of the Terminator’s brain. Image: Google. It is important to understand the kind of challenge AI and Machine Learning represent is different from conventional software. If it was not for the TPU, the programmers from DeepMind could not have taught Alpha Go how to beat a Go master. It literally means Google created a brain that AIs can use to evolve and become more like us, and even surpass us. It is the most terrifying and exciting case of hardware based on software. Google promised to share it all with the world The company has been very open about its AI research, and the TPU will not be the exception. Google has already published a study detailing the chip’s performance, and according to the announcing blog post, it will continue sharing the details on the custom processor. So, it should be safe to say Neural Interfaces will grow exponentially over the next decade after teams from all around the world start working on their projects based on the Tensor Processing Units, or even a better version of the processor. Machines have been becoming smart. Too smart for our own safety, according to Elon Musk. In fact, he recently registered Neuralink, and the startup final goal is to create a human-computer neural lace so that our kind can keep the pace with AIs. This topic has unraveled in sci-fi research with even more incredible results, and I fear people are not really paying attention to how fast computers are becoming more like us. Moreover, researchers do not want to slow down regardless how many people warns them about the risks of their work. Source: Google
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 25 Cards in this Set • Front • Back What is cancer? cancer is just unchecked growth How does cancer arise? it arises from a loss of normal growth conrol in tissues, the balance of old and new tissue is disrupted, cells can no longer self destruct What is adoptosis? cell suicide What are the two mechanisms cancer is able to spread by? invasion and metastasis What is invasion? direct migration and penetration by cancer cells into neighboring tissues What is metastasis? What does a doctor do when there is evidence of cancer? biopsy using piece of tissue, and also microarrays are used to determine wich genes are turned on or off in the sample, and also proteomic profiles are used What is a good way of identifity the different causes of cancer? studying populations What kind of cancer is predominant in japan, us, and australia? japan has stomach, us has colon, and australiea has skin How can a virus cause cancer? a virus can insert nucleic acids into the chromosomes of an infected cell, and this cell can become malignatnt What does HPV cause? cervical cancer What does the bacterium helicobacter pylori do? it causes stomach ulcers, and cauases stomach cancer How is breast cancer related to heredity? 5 percent of breast cancers are thought to be caused by a "Breast cancer susceptibility gene" How often is hereditary conditions thought to be involved in all cancer cases? less than 10% How much us death does cancer account for? one quarter, just behind heart disease How has the cancer rate compared to other diseases changed? it has only decrease slightly, while other diseases are down substantially What is the most fatal cancer in men and women? What trend is there seen in lung cancer for women? the death rate is more than 2 tiem what it was 25 years ago What is PSA testing? prostate specific antigen What have breast cancer rates for women done? after increasing rapidly in the 1980's they have leveled off due to more mamograms and less use of hrt What does the american cancer society recommend in our diet to help prevent cancer? 5 or more serving of fruit and vegetables What does AMS recommend for exercise for cancer? 30 minutes 5 days a week What percentage of adults don’t engage in leisure time activity? one fourth What has happened to the prevalence of obesity in kids since 1980? it has tripled How does obesity compare in states to 1992? in 92 just 12 had 50% obesity, now they all do today
Chapter 8. Models And Frameworks – Foundations for Organizational Foresight 10. Inequality Cycles (Political-Economic Pendulum) An alternative change model for economic inequality than a Kuznets curve is to view it as a simple pendular cycle, swinging perennially between two poles in social democracies. One pole represents a more equal society, what we will call a “Democracy”, and one a less equal one, a “Plutocracy”. Swings between each pole occur often in history, and some swings take many decades to complete. Thus this cycle is of less interest to businesses, and more in longer-term policy and social foresight. The figure below from Olivier Berruyer is a Gini index measure of US inequality since 1913. Note the high and rising inequality that existed for three decades prior to the Great Depression of 1930. Note also the nearly forty-year period of decreasing inequality from 1930 to 1968, through World War II and well beyond. Many new social programs and regulations emerged in this era. That Democratizing period has been followed by a forty-six year Plutocratizing period (so far) of increasing inequality, from 1968 to the present. Inequality grew particularly rapidly in the US in the deregulating Reagan and Bush I Presidencies, and under Margaret Thatcher in the UK. Inequality is high today in both countries, but still below the 1929 peak. When will our current US inequality peak, and after it does, how long will it stay peaked, and when can we expect another multi-decade Democratizing period, similar to 1930-1968? Social cycle theories are among our oldest models in sociology. Turchin in Historical Dynamics, (2003), and Korotayev in Introduction to Social Macrodynamics (2006) are two sources for good quantitative models of longstanding historical political-demographic cycles. These models are typically confined to agrarian cultures. Oversimplifying, in the first stage of these cyclic models, population grows unchecked and there is overuse of the land via salinization from overirrigation, and soil degradation from overfarming. Food production declines, and control of production resources becomes increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, and often bureaucratized. In the second stage, a demographic collapse (Malthusian catastrophe) occurs, with famine, death, and migration away from the overburdened regions. Then in a third stage, local resources again become temporarily more abundant, new enterprise and social renewal occurs, and then the cycle repeats. But while cycles of food availability continue in today’s technologically advanced societies they are now rarely the central drivers of social change. The new dominant cycles are economic wealth, produced by new technology, and the disruptions created as those new technologies work their way into all areas of society. Social cycles still apply, but the periodic catastrophes we now suffer are income and asset inequality cycles, market boom/bust cycles, and political corruption/reform cycles. The crises are no longer Malthusian (loss of life) they are temporary loss of financial wealth, cheap credit, affordable housing, fair wages, or political representation. The Law of Accumulation: Those that Have Tend to Get Better Marginal Returns (Wikipedia) The Law of Accumulation: Those that Have Tend to Get Better Marginal Returns (Wikipedia) What drives the social cycle in post-agrarian economies? One proposal is what economist Adam Smith (and much less accurately, the utopian philosopher Karl Marx) identified as a law of accumulation, where capital slowly but naturally concentrates with those who have more initial capital in economic transactions, as they are often able to use their wealth and power to extract superior rates of return. These real (versus perfect, ideal, or “fair”) markets eventually result in a crisis of overaccumulation, and a need for social redistribution. In 1968, sociologist Robert Merton also studied this natural cycle of accumulated financial wealth in modern societies. He called it the Matthew effect, the phenomenon where the rich tend to get richer, extracting ever better terms and unproductive rents in their economic transactions, and the middle class and poor get poorer, or at least, no richer. As Tyler Cowen notes in Average is Over (2013), we have seen the stagnation of average wages in the US for four decades now, while the top 15%, 10%, 5%, 1%, and especially 0.01% continue to accelerate in wealth. Network theorists call this kind of growth preferential attachment, and find it in many network-based natural systems. See Albert-Laszlo Barabasi’s Linked (2003) for details. Foster & Kaplan (2001) Foster & Kaplan (2001) But we see a force that works in oppostion to the law of accumulation in modern economies as well, a process the economist Joseph Schumpeter called creative destruction. Creative destruction is the economic condition where entrepreneurs and other small holders of capital can make better rates of return than large holders of capital, often for long time periods. For more, see Christensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma (2011) and McKinsey partners Richard Foster and Sarah Kaplan’s Creative Destruction (2001). Creative destruction does seem to need a special set of social and political conditions to make it more powerful than the law of accumulation. Fortunately, those conditions are increasingly found in free societies the closer we get to the present time. First, there needs to be the easy ability to be an entrepreneur, with no major legal or capital impediments to small business formation or operation. Second, there needs to be rapid change. Small companies always seem to learn and take risks faster than large companies in times of rapid change. Sometimes this change comes via sudden natural, social, economic or political events or catastrophes. But increasingly, rapid change comes from the continued acceleration of nano and info-driven technologies. Third, creative destruction grows whenever our technologies empower individuals and networks to learn, communicate, or experiment faster than hierarchies and large owners of capital. Think of personal computers, the web, and smartphones, and the way each has empowered entrepreneurship and disintermediation (removing layers of hierarchy) over large actors. See McCraw’s Prophet of Innovation (2010) for a detailed account of Schumpeter’s theories on how sufficiently rapid and powerful new technology waves spur new entrepreneurship, wealth turnover, and business extinction. When faced with sufficiently fast-changing and unfamiliar territory, wealthy investors and big firms cannot use cartels, collusion, and acquisitions to slow down innovation, and small firms grow more quickly to take market share. This dynamic is less true for high-capital industries, but as access to capital drops, with more crowdfunded, seed, angel, and venture capital available, even those industries open up to disruption as well. In our modern environment, the rush of new technologies can effectively stand in, at least for now, for the periodic political revolutions that used to be necessary to reverse the corruption and stagnation that comes with extreme plutocratic swings. Economic historian Walter Scheidel in The Great Leveller: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age, to the Twenty-First Century (2017), gives a wealth of evidence that only major system shocks, like pandemics, deeply economically damaging (“great”) depressions, mass warfare, and very powerful (and usually violent) social revolutions have caused reversals of inequality over the years. Almost all political reforms done within the plutocracy only slow inequality growth at best. The system is too rigged to correct itself via solely internal mechanisms. As most of the system shocks Scheidel cites are rapidly disappearing from in our increasingly interdependent, intelligent, and automated society, we are left with the very powerful, and largely nonviolent, social revolution of personal sims, and the ongoing force of entrepreneur- and technology-driven creative destruction as the leading tools that will generate the next swingback. In brief, we’re heading into a new form of democracy, one that hasn’t existed historically before, so Scheidel’s historical data does not dictate our future. I personally am confident that the sim-aided democracy of the mid 21st century will be engaging in major redistribution, and constitutional amendments to greatly improve the social contract, and our sims will be citing evidence that if we care about innovation, and sustainability, we must reform all our industries and laws to keep them creatively destructive. Thomas Friedman, in The Lexus and the Olive Tree (1999/2012), proposed a simple index of creative destruction. By counting, for example, the Top 10 private and public firms in each industry by market capitalization and noting how many remain in the Top 10 over the next decade, one has a simple measure of how much creative destruction is occurring. In countries like China, this number is low, as there is a lot of competition and turnover. In countries like Japan this number is high, as cartels of powerful families and corporations control many industries, reducing competition at the top. In some countries, like Israel, Japan, and Korea, a network of wealthy families run cartels that control many of the low innovation and domestic industries, and the higher innovation and export industries, like high-tech, remain competitive and subject to turnover. In the US, there is a medium amount of creative destruction. We have significantly less turnover than China, but much more than Japan. So one possible pendular model for the modern economic inequality cycle is that the law of accumulation drives societies to greater income inequality, economic overconcentration, and less competitiveness over time. Then some form of shock to this increasingly unstable system causes a reset. That shock might be a pandemic, mass mobilization war, a great depression, a social revolution, or most ideally, science, technology, and entrepreneurship-mediated creative destruction. Later, as the titans of the new industries grow up and consolidate their power, the system again gets increasingly overregulated, less competitive, fiscally overburdened, and ripe for deregulation again. In plainer words, we can say that modern democracies continually balance themselves between the attractors of sustainability-fairness and innovation-greed, swinging to each polarity on an irregular cycle. Here is a cartoon of the cycle: The Political-Economic Pendulum - Democratic and Plutocratic Attractors (Smart 2004) The Political-Economic Pendulum – Democratic and Plutocratic Attractors (Smart 2004) Both governance states are adaptive under different environmental circumstances. Democracies offer freedom, innovation, and diversity; Plutocracies offer control, security, and scale. Societies swing irregularly between the two extremes. Both conditions are networks, but the term “network” popularly connotes a flat, scale-free structure and the term “hierarchy” a multi-layer, pyramidal structure, so it is common to refer to Democracy as a network, and Plutocracy as a hierarchy in social structure. For more, see my article, “The Political-Economic Pendulum” (2004). Creative Destruction on the S&P 500, 2002-2012 Data: Innosight, Richard N. Foster, Standard & Poor’s (2012) Creative Destruction on the S&P 500, 2002-2012 What is the appropriate level of creative destruction for an industry and a nation? Hopefully comparative data will help political economists answer that question better in coming years. An Innosight briefing by Richard Kaplan, “Creative Destruction Whips through Corporate America” (2012), notes that 23 companies entered (and the same number exited) the S&P 500 index of the 500 most representative public companies, by market capitalization in the decade from 2002-2012. They also note that the average firm tenure on the S&P 500 was 61 years in 1958 and is now just 18 years, and if the current accelerating churn rate continues, 75% of the S&P 500 will be replaced by 2027. Because the S&P 500 is selected by committee to be top large firms that are most representative of the US economy, these numbers are much less impressive than if they were simply the 500 largest firms. But the above data at least suggests that the forces of accelerating technological change are keeping the US economy reasonably creatively destructive even during our current plutocratization swing. The pendular hypothesis would also predict that we’ll get even more competitive in the initial decades of the next democratization swingback, if and when it occurs. One interesting weak signal with respect to inequality cycles is that on a global level, as a single political-economic system, our species is already engaged in a swingback toward economic democracy. This concept is called global economic convergence, and long-term foresight thinkers should know the concept and its literature. In the last few decades, emerging nations’ economies have been growing faster in GDP than developed nations. We are seeing a “moderation of the West” and “a rise of the Rest”, as Fareed Zakaria says in The Post-American World 2.0 (2012). Very recently, we are also seeing both less inequality between countries (international inequality) and less inequality in global world citizen wages (mean-income convergence), the latter since 1988. A Great Healing of global income divides is now underway, even as most of the developed world’s nations continue to grow in their internal income inequality. The economist Branko Milanovic’s The Haves and the Have Nots (2010) and his paper, Global Income Inequality By the Numbers, Policy Research Working Paper, World Bank (2012) offer some of the most recent convergence data. Because of the finite size of our planetary sphere, and the accelerating digital intellligence of all the humans on that sphere, the world may be becoming a single regulated entity, something like a global organism. Global income convergence may be a weak signal of a permanent new shift toward the ethical noosphere (“global mind”) predicted by paleontologist priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in the 1920s, and explored in his utopian work The Phenomenon of Man (1955). See also David Brin’s The Transparent Society (1998), a brilliant exploration of how accelerating global digital transparency forces us to behave better toward others, in all spheres where we can be seen. Clearly there are cycles within cycles in all natural systems, and some cycles, particularly global and technological cycles, are more powerful than others. Seeing all the relevant trends and cycles and understanding their relative strengths, can help us greatly in predicting the future of any complex system. Share your Feedback
Looking for a highly impractical desert that's both delicious and educational? Look no further! This instructable details how to create a periodic table out of frosted sugar cookies, complete with a background mat to serve them off of and to help keep them in order. Step 1: Make Cookie Presentation Background Though it's possible to create the background at any time because it's separate from the actual baking, do this first so you get a feel for what you're getting into and just what it's like to make 110 tiles of anything. Also, making the mat first will help you check the size of the overall outcome before you get too far into the process. To start, first lay out the 50" x 25" butcher paper sheet that will serve as the background. Use a ruler and pencil to lightly mark a 2.5" grid across the whole sheet. You're going to erase the guide lines later, so don't use a pen or draw too darkly. Sanity check to be sure you haven't mis-measured and that the grid is at least 18 squares across to be sure that your table will fit. Once the grid is ready, using a pencil lightly outline the shape of the periodic table and each of the groups to make sure it will be correctly positioned. Once you've verified the layout, color in the groups with different colors of marker and outline the table grid with heavy black lines. After the final colors are in place, erase the pencil lines to create a finished look. Select a separate color of paper for each periodic table group and and cut it into 2"x2" squares. The square will sit on top of the marker color so pick something that contrasts a little. Letter and number the paper squares to match the elements on the table, and after each tile is lettered glue it in position. The nice thing about doing the lettering on separate tiles is that if you mess up the lettering alignment you can do it over easily. Once the colors and tiles are all complete, coat the whole table in contact paper to create a surface that will stand up to buttery cookies without getting stained with grease and chocolate. At first I wasn't sure that contact paper would be robust enough, but upon actually completing the project I found that contact paper (I bought paper labeled as "book covering" at an office supply store) is perfect. After it's been covered the whole table can stand up not only to holding cookies, but to being washed vigourously with a sponge with no ill effects. The one catch is that contact paper strong and water resistant, but it isn't particularly sticky, meaning that it will tend to peel off at the edges. This is great when you're trying to align big sheets of contact paper over the table without getting wrinkles in it, but a real problem when you're trying to wash it. To deal with this, once the contact paper was in place square up the edges of the table and coat the edge with scotch tape folded onto both sides of the table. This creates a nice edge and prevents the contact paper from coming unstuck. Step 2: Mix the Dough, Store and Chill This project requires 110 cookies but the quantities will vary a little depending on how precise you are with the cookie rolling and cutting stage and how many mistakes you make. The following is the recipe for ONE batch. I made 7x the recipe and had some extra. When making the dough, mix it in double batches; if you more than double the recipe it will be hard to evenly distribute everything. Sugar Cookie Recipe: 1 cup butter 1.5 cups confectioners sugar 1 eggs 2.5 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp almond extract Pinch of salt • Cream salt, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and almond together • Add egg and mix • Sift in baking soda, cream de tartar, and flour, mix Once the dough is made it will need to be chilled for 4-5 hours (or preferably over night) before it's ready to be worked with. This both provides time for the egg to be absorbed into the flour and for the dough to get nice and cold so it won't stick to everything. Step 3: Roll the Dough Flat When you remove the dough from the refrigerator it will no longer be sticky, but it will have the opposite problem: it will be too hard. For rolling you want the dough pliant and soft, but not sticky. When it's too cold it will crack and crumble when you try to squish it, so the first thing to do is to "wake" the dough by working it like clay. Using a metal spoon dig chunks out of the storage container and work them in your palms a bit until they warm up enough to feel like clay. Take clay-like chunk and work it into a pancake shape. Make several handful-sized balls into pancakes and stack them, then squish the whole stack together by pushing down on it. This process is both warming the dough and making it homogeneous, attempting to work out any air bubbles between chunks. Pull combined dough into a sphere, compressing it into the center as you work with it. Once you have a nice ball, begin flattening it with your hands. Alternate squishing downwards and pinching the edges in to prevent cracks at the circumference. Flip the dough and add more flour to the work surface as often as you need to to prevent sticking. Gradually work the dough into a rectangle shape by pushing and pulling it as you squish. Flattening with your hands this way instead of using a roller provides more control over the shape the dough forms. Once the hand-flattened rectangle is about .75 inches thick, move it onto baking parchment and get your rolling pin. Flatten to a height of .5 inches with the roller, attempting to maintain the rectangular shape as much as possible as you do so. Once baked the dough will be cut into 2" tiles, so the final unbaked dough rectangle should measure an odd number of inches to allow .5" of clearance around the edges during the cutting process. Measure and cut off the excess dough to make an odd-number-of-inches by odd-number-of-inches rectangle and throw the scraps back into the dough pool. Use the parchment paper to pull the dough gently onto a lip-less cookie sheet without deforming it. Because the dough is being baked in big sheets, the parchment paper is vital for being able to get it on an off the cookie sheet without cracking or bending the product. Step 4: Bake the Dough, Let It Cool Once the dough is on the cookie sheet, it's ready to bake. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 5 minutes then turn 180 degrees and bake another 5 minutes. Don't be alarmed if the dough is still pasty white at the end of the baking. As a frequent chocolate chip cookie baker but first time sugar-cookie baker I ruined my first batch by letting them cook until they were browned. Also, the more you bake the cookies the more stiff, crumbly, and difficult to cut they become. The bottom edge should be just beginning to turn golden when the cookie comes out. Once the dough is out of the oven, carefully use the parchment to slide the dough off onto a clear flat space where it can rest and cool while you start your next sheet of dough baking. Step 5: Prepare the Toppings Each group on the periodic table is topped with a different flavor of icing or melted chocolate. Before you go whole hog you should experiment with a couple of flavors and find out what you like. The table groups are of wildly differing sizes, so choose your color / flavor combinations wisely. Here are my choices: (38) Transition metals: white chocolate, peach (28) Rare earth metals: bourbon spice, green (15) Halogens: vanilla, blue (10) Poor metals: chocolate, brown (6) Alkalai metals: almond, orange (6) Alkalai earth metals: lemon, yellow (6) Noble gasses: maple, red Both the icing and melted chocolate will become hard in a few hours, so don't prepare them until your cookie rectangles are cooled and ready to use. Work with flavors one at a time rather than attempting to prepare multiple toppings in advance. Icing Recipe: 2 cups sifted powdered sugar About 3 tbs of cream Flavoring of choice Icing is really just powdered sugar wet with a tiny bit of liquid until it forms a paste. To make just sift powdered sugar into a bowl (some powdered sugar brands come quite lumpy and you definitely want a smooth icing), add flavorings, then add cream by the tablespoon full until you get a nice gooey mixture. Be cautious with the addition of cream or it will take a long time to harden up. The finished icing should hold peaks but slowly ooze towards flatness. If you are using melted chocolate melt chocolate chips in a double boiler, then just apply like icing. One of the most difficult parts of this project was attempting to stack and store all the cookies without damaging the finish, so the time it took the toppings to dry was a huge unexpected problem. Chocolate dries up fastest and hardest, so is by far the easiest to work with. If I was doing it again, I might try using white chocolate as a base for more of the flavors. Step 6: Apply Toppings to the Cookie Rectangles Take each of the baked cookie rectangles and spoon a generous quantity of icing onto its center. Work to spread the icing from the middle out, being careful not to scrape the surface and pull up crumbs. Once the cookie square is completely covered let it sit until the topping hardens (should be 2-5 hours depending on how liquid your topping was, how warm the dough was, and the temperature of your kitchen). If you have problems leaving delicate projects out without them being disturbed by cats or other household pests, then carefully use the parchment paper (still under the cookie rectangle) to slide the iced cookie onto a hard flat surface such as a cutting board and refrigerate until the topping is set. Keep the cookie as supported and flat as possible while moving so that it doesn't bend or crack. Step 7: Cut Cookies to Size Once the icing is completely hard it's time to make cookie tiles. Take each iced cookie rectangle and cut the edges square using a good sharp knife. Measure a 2" grid, scoring the icing with a knife or a pin to create guide lines. If you are cutting through one of the chocolate topped cookie rectangles then be careful not to let the chocolate break into uneven pieces as you cut (cutting through cold chocolate is hard). To prevent cracks let it warm up a bit before you try to cut it and use more of a sawing motion to whittle through the top layer of cold chocolate. However while cutting sugar icing or the cookie itself use firm downward strokes to minimize crumbs and tearing. If you store the cookie tiles at this point, be sure to insert layers of wax paper between the cookies! If the icing is at all tacky the cookies will stick together and ruin the shiny finished look of the topping. Step 8: Finish the Cookie Edges Though this ice-a-big-cookie-and-cut-to-size method has the advantage of making it easy to mass-produce cookie tiles, it has the disadvantage of creating crumbly unfinished cookie edges. To fix this and to make the tiles a little bit fancier, the edges are finished with a coating melted chocolate. At the end of the project I found the chocolate edges to be a mixed blessing, but all things considered I think I'd do it again. On the one hand they add chocolate to the otherwise plain cookie (yum!) and create a nice visual grid for the look of the table. On the other hand, as the chocolate warms the cookies can be really messy to handle. No kidding. Really messy. However if you're keeping the cookies in the fridge and taking them out to eat, the chocolate is pure win. My first plan for coating the edges was to make a pot of melted chocolate and dip them. However I found that even when melted and kept over warm water the chocolate was too gloppy to make the results of dipping look neat. The better solution I came up with was to use a knife to spread molten chocolate across the edges in the manner of peanut butter. To give the chocolate edging time to harden first do one edge of all the cookies, then the opposite edge, etc. Elevate each newly coated edge while it dries to prevent sticking and smudging. If you finish one set of edges and no cookies are ready for their next edge, you can pop the cookies into the freezer for 5 minutes to harden up the chocolate quickly. Be prepared to make an awesomely huge chocolate mess. At the end of this step my apron and all my dish towels were practically rigid with chocolate, and there was a coating of sugar across the table, all the chairs, and one of the cats. Step 9: Letter the Cookie Tiles Lay the completed cookie tiles on the background provided. This is both gratifying as it will be the first time the project starts to look complete, and is a good way to check you've got enough of all the colors. Melt semi sweet chocolate in double boiler and spoon into an icing bag or ziplock freezer bag with a tiny corner cut off. Test writing on a piece of wax paper to get a feel for it before you try writing on one of the real tiles. Work your way across the table, moving each row of cookies off of their space in turn so that you can see both the cookie and the underlying guide. Pipe chocolate into the appropriate letters on each cookie and then return it to position. Step 10: Enjoy the Cookies! Step back, take a break, take some pictures to show off to your friends! Then enjoy your cookies! This Instructable was <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.instructables.com/community/Instructables_on_NPRs_Here_amp_Now_next_week/">featured on NPR's Here & Now</a> on November 24, 2008!<br/> <p>Great!! </p> oh wow! drool that makes me sooo hungry...<br/>lol, look at this pic!<br/> HAHA SnApple LOL That's good, that's really good...XD yeah, i know. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.xkcd.com">if you want to see more, just go here</a> =-)<br/> i dont get any of ur jokes lol Guess you did Home Economics instead of Science<br>Don't worry..I'm Australian. I didn't know what a Snapple was me too here's another one for you guys; Johnny was a chemists son, but Johnny is no more. what johnny thought was H2O was H2SO4 Ever heard of the Ferrous Wheel? (Fe 2+ = Ferrous Ion = Iron (II) Ion)<br>http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/sciencemath/aff5/ eh, that one's old....... Kinda funny, you typed a frown but your picture is a smiley. uhhh... sorry... not as old as yours! : ) i dont get it?? okay jonny was a chemisists son but Johnny is no more. what johnny thought was H2O was H2SO4 sooo ?? H2SO4=Sulfuric Acid<br/> h2o is water (the stuff you drink) h2so4 is a very very strong acid (the stuff that kills) get it now? lol yeah haha. I love xkcd. lol, me too. Once again ME THREE!!!! lol<br/><br/>GO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br/><sup>who love xkcd</sup><br/> Have you read the one where the guy tells his friend about his dream girl? Her only form of transportation is the mc hammer slide.. There are so many of them. My favorite is number 404. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://xkcd.com/404/">you mean this one???</a><br/> I found number 403 though,403 means access denied. teheheheheh, the one he showed doesn't exist... 404 - Not Found ha ha yeah... Yep. I thought it was funny. lol, nice. ohhh... no. Go look for it. It's funny. ha ha weird... I found it <a rel="nofollow" href="http://xkcd.com/108/">right here.</a><br/> i know, i saw it already... Oh, ok. I GET IT NOW!! LOL!! Sn is tin, apple is apple. Snapple is tinapple ha ha, cheers, asian killer cow Cheers back to you, uh... (insert synonym for anarchist here) Asian :P ha ha LOL! <br/><br/><sub>I know my periodic table! Yay!</sub><br/> lucky :( About This Instructable Bio: Ex video game programmer, ex Google software engineer, ex character animator, currently working as a designer More by maicoh:Sea Monster Pumpkin Eerily Delicious Halloween Dinner Quilting Add instructable to:
Illustration by Nick Hayes for the New Statesman. Show Hide image What David Cameron can learn from Abraham Lincoln Wearing the Union blue. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 is one of the noblest statements ever delivered, and forcing the abolition bill through a reluctant Congress, as Steven Spielberg’s masterful Oscarnominated film attests, was a monumental achievement. But Lincoln’s principal contribution to American history was to save the Union, as those from the Southern states are quick to tell you. In the former Confederacy, the civil war is still called “the War Between the States”. Lincoln confided his thoughts about secession and slavery in a letter of 1862. “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that,” he wrote. “What I do about slavery, and the coloured race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.” His proclamation did not, in fact, free the slaves in the North, nor was he in a position to free slaves in the Confederate South, but, under his powers as commander-in-chief in wartime, he issued an executive order that freed all slaves in the Southern states as soon as they were occupied by the Union army. It may at first seem a little far-fetched, but there are poignant similarities between the conundrum that Lincoln encountered 150 years ago and the dilemma David Cameron faces today. They are both confronted with threats to the very existence of the nations they govern. While Lincoln was obliged to respond to a fait accompli, a group of slave states that had decided before his election to wrest themselves from the Union, by force of arms if necessary, Cameron finds himself under siege on all sides. But while Lincoln was presented with the simple option of whether to take up arms to defend the Union or watch as his country split in two, Cam eron has no such easy choice. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party has finally achieved what it has been dreaming of for 80 years. It has a mandate to demand from Westminster a referendum on whether, after three centuries united with England and Wales, Scotland should become a free nation again. The Union came about as a result of the Union of the Crowns, when the Scottish king James VI, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, acceded to the throne of England following the death of the childless Elizabeth I in 1603. It took a full century before the English and Scottish parliaments combined in the Acts of Union of 1707. Lincoln was obliged to defend a union barely 90 years old; Cameron must protect a union that has lasted more than 300 years. In Ireland, Cameron presides over the latest skirmish in a bloody struggle that has lasted much longer. The colonisation of Ireland was messy and brutal from the start, and the independence wrested from Britain in 1922 left the northern, overwhelmingly Protestant and unionist part of the island in British hands. A border had to be drawn somewhere, leaving many who would prefer to live in the republic stranded in a British province. The continuing troubles offer a challenge to Cameron to find a permanent peace. No less than in Scotland, British sovereignty and British lives are severely at risk. Then there is the European Union. Those with a sense of history will remember that joining Europe was always predominantly a Conservative project. It was Harold Macmillan, with Edward Heath at his side, who first flirted with the continentals in 1961 and had his overture rudely rebuffed by Charles de Gaulle’s “Non!”. Heath the eternal bachelor then made it his life’s mission to make a marriage with the Europeans and the lasting legacy of his otherwise awkward, chilly and ultimately tragic premiership was British entry into the European Economic Community in 1973. As Cameron must be all too aware, the principled Heath condemned the referendum that Harold Wilson called on European membership two years later as a shabby gimmick, designed to appease internal Labour divisions over the Common Market. Since the moment when Heath’s successor Margaret Thatcher – who had campaigned in favour of remaining in Europe in 1975 – began arguing, as prime minister after 1979, against closer European union, the Conservatives have been profoundly and openly divided on the matter. The rupture over Europe, even more than Thatcher’s unpopular poll tax, led to her defenestration by cabinet colleagues in 1990. John Major’s leadership of the Tories was blighted by the question of Europe; and the election of three Eurosceptic leaders in a row – William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard – did not settle the matter. Cameron’s inheritance is a party facing both ways on Europe, and his inability to reconcile the opposing forces has given rise to a challenge for the affections of his patriotic electoral base from the anti-European Ukip. Although Ukip’s leader, Nigel Farage, along with every other Ukip candidate, failed to win a Commons seat in 2010 (Farage was beaten by a candidate dressed as a dolphin), his party stole enough votes from the Conservatives to deprive Cameron of a parliamentary majority. When he dreamed of leading his party, Cameron could never have imagined that Britain’s existence would be subject to a three-pronged attack. But he finds himself in the same position as today’s Republican leadership in America, under assault from angry rank and file who feel they are being ignored and betrayed by their leaders. The Republicans, once the proud “party of Lincoln”, have evolved into a testy vehicle for insurgent mavericks and malcontents. To add insult to indignity, the “Grand Old Party”, which once bravely saved the Union, is the home of a new secessionist movement. Having failed to devolve substantial powers from the federal government to the states, many are demanding independence. At present, eight states, all from the defeated Confederacy, have petitioned the White House to be allowed to secede: Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama and South Carolina. The muddled, ahistorical thinking behind the treacherous talk is evident in the argument proffered by the libertarian Ron Paul: “It’s very American to talk about secession. That’s how we came into being.” On a personal level, there are as few similarities between Cameron and Lincoln as between Jacob and Esau. Lincoln was brought up in a sparsely furnished log cabin and, much to his ignorant father’s despair, taught himself to read and write, eventually emerging as a jobbing country lawyer in Illinois. Cameron, as we know, was the son of high privilege. Everyone who met Lincoln commented on his rough looks and his even rougher clothes. Cameron’s smooth, unlined face betrays an easy, affluent, well-fed life. Both men, however, could be described more accurately as Whigs than Conservatives, in their commitment to parliament or Congress over absolute powers held by the monarch or president. Indeed, Lincoln was an old American Whig before he joined the Republicans over the issue of abolition. Allied to their commitment to rewarding individual effort, irrespective of background, is a strong, Protestant sense that their good fortune entails paying something back. Despite his comfortable circumstances, Cameron has argued that “it’s where you are going to, not where you have come from, that matters”. In a decisive break from the philosophy of heroic individualism that inspired Thatcher, he believes “there is such a thing as society”. As well as soaring ambition, the two men share other similarities. Both are most eloquent when they do not refer to notes. Although stiff and wooden at first, Lincoln’s speeches gathered pace and by the peroration he would be ripping off his necktie, loosening his starched collar and throwing his arms around like a deranged windmill. “His pronunciation is bad, his manners uncouth and his general appearance anything but prepossessing,” is how one eyewitness described his platform presence. Cameron’s delivery is calm, ordered and deliberate. His speech to the Tory party conference in 2005, delivered without notes, may not have been as powerful and inspirational as the 268 words of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address of 1863, which would be a tall order for anyone except, perhaps, Winston Churchill. But the performance at Blackpool, in its carefully pitched content tailored to the party faithful and the confidence of its delivery, ensured his election as leader. Lincoln took into his administration the big beasts of the Republican Party whom he had beaten to the Republican nomination: William H Seward, Salmon P Chase and Edward Bates. And Cameron, too, assembled a team of former rivals. To become Tory leader, he saw off David Davis, Liam Fox and Kenneth Clarke, all of whom he invited into his shadow cabinet. Like Lincoln, Cameron leads his disparate colleagues with the minimum of friction. But there the favourable comparisons between the two leaders start to run out. Lincoln was always a man of principle rather than pragmatism. He could be rash, failing to hold his tongue in the presence of those he knew disagreed with him, and found it difficult to compromise even when it was in his best interest to do so. Nowhere was this more obvious and powerful than when he spelled out, years before running for the White House, what he felt about race. He declared that when the Founding Fathers wrote, “We hold these truths to be selfevident: that all men are created equal,” they meant “the whole great family of man” and not merely those with white faces. Lincoln said the founders knew enough about human nature to imagine that, “in the distant future”, people would emerge who would “set up the doctrine that none but rich men, or none but white men, were entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. But he was certain that racism could never have been in the founders’ minds and he would have none of it. In comparison to this eloquent statement of principle, just one among dozens that Lincoln crisply articulated in his short life, Cam - eron emerges as a dissembler, always alert for a way to delay taking a stand, ever ready with the smudgy phrase and the tactical retreat. Let us give him a pass on Ireland. Few have got it right and it may well be insoluble so long as a vociferous minority in Northern Ireland demands the impossible and the intractable majority insists on being British. In Scotland, however, when the SNP obtained a majority in the Scottish Parliament and claimed a mandate to call a referendum on independence, Cameron readily ignored Lincoln’s example to resist the dissolution of the Union and readily agreed to Alex Salmond’s demands. In calling an all-or-nothing, in-out referendum on independence next year in Scotland only, David William Donald Cameron, to give him his full, Scots-derived name, failed to question the legality of one half of the nation being able to secede from the other on its own cognisance. Instead, he conceded the principle that if the referendum records a majority of Scots in favour of secession, that is enough to grant a divorce, as if England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scots living in the rest of Britain, were not entitled to a say in the dissolution of the United Kingdom. “I’m not going to stand here and suggest Scotland couldn’t make a go of being on its own, if that’s what people decide,” Cameron said. “There are plenty of small, independent nation states of a similar size or even smaller. Scotland could make its way in the world alongside countries like those.” Lincoln would never have yielded on such a fundamental principle. As he put it, “If we do not make common cause to save the good old ship of the Union on this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage.” When Cameron conceded the principle that one part of the United Kingdom may constitutionally break from the rest, he also declared himself “ready for the fight for our country’s life”. He appears to be in favour of two incompatible principles, the right of Britain to remain a nation and the right of Scotland to secede. He then adopts the principle that gives Scotland the moral right to secede to inform his party’s demand that Britain be allowed to renegotiate a looser union with our European partners. What, then, is Cameron’s guiding principle when dealing with Scotland and the European Union? There is none. Both are craven acts of political expedience. His promise of a referendum on British membership of the EU is largely an attempt to save the Conservatives from being driven from office by Ukip. Cameron’s answer to the Ukip threat to the renewal of his Downing Street lease is to avoid saying exactly what the relationship between Britain and the EU should be, because plainly he doesn’t know where the line should be drawn. Instead he abrogates the responsibility of a true leader and, in the hope of being re-elected, promises an in-out referendum on EU membership, so long as he is re-elected. As Lincoln asked, “What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried against the new and untried?” Cameron is less a conservative than a trimmer, less a Heath than a Wilson, less a That - cher than a Blair. When Lincoln confronted the break-up of the United States, he borrowed from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” To avoid the consequences of the Conservatives’ deeply divided house, Cameron is willing to risk the dissolution of the United Kingdom and British withdrawal from the European Union. Both are too high a price to pay for trying to bridge the irrevocable schism in the Tory ranks. Nicholas Wapshott’s most recent book is “Keynes Hayek: the Clash That Defined Modern Economics” (W W Norton, £12.99) Picture: Archives Charmet / Bridgeman Images Show Hide image What Marx got right ...and what he got wrong. 1. You’re probably a capitalist – among other things Are you a capitalist? The first question to ask is: do you own shares? Even if you don’t own any directly (about half of Americans do but the proportion is far lower in most other countries) you may have a pension that is at least partly invested in the stock market; or you’ll have savings in a bank. So you have some financial wealth: that is, you own capital. Equally, you are probably also a worker, or are dependent directly or indirectly on a worker’s salary; and you’re a consumer. Unless you live in an autonomous, self-sufficient commune – very unusual – you are likely to be a full participant in the capitalist system. We interact with capitalism in multiple ways, by no means all economic. And this accounts for the conflicted relationship that most of us (including me) have with capitalism. Typically, we neither love it nor hate it, but we definitely live it. 2. Property rights are fundamental to capitalism . . . but they are not absolute If owning something means having the right to do what you want with it, property rights are rarely unconstrained. I am free to buy any car I want – so long as it meets European pollution standards and is legally insured; and I can drive it anywhere I want, at least on public roads, as long as I have a driver’s licence and keep to the speed limit. If I no longer want the car, I can’t just dump it: I have to dispose of it in an approved manner. It’s mine, not yours or the state’s, and the state will protect my rights over it. But – generally for good reason – how I can use it is quite tightly constrained. This web of rules and constraints, which both defines and restricts property rights, is characteristic of a complex economy and society. Most capitalist societies attempt to resolve these tensions in part by imposing restrictions, constitutional or political, on arbitrary or confiscatory actions by governments that “interfere” with property rights. But the idea that property rights are absolute is not philosophically or practically coherent in a modern society. 3. What Marx got right about capitalism Marx had two fundamental insights. The first was the importance of economic forces in shaping human society. For Marx, it was the “mode of production” – how labour and capital were combined, and under what rules – that explained more or less everything about society, from politics to culture. So, as modes of production change, so too does society. And he correctly concluded that industrialisation and capitalism would lead to profound changes in the nature of society, affecting everything from the political system to morality. The second insight was the dynamic nature of capitalism in its own right. Marx understood that capitalism could not be static: given the pursuit of profit in a competitive economy, there would be constant pressure to increase the capital stock and improve productivity. This in turn would lead to labour-saving, or capital-intensive, technological change. Putting these two insights together gives a picture of capitalism as a radical force. Such are its own internal dynamics that the economy is constantly evolving, and this in turn results in changes in the wider society. 4. And what he got wrong . . . Though Marx was correct that competition would lead the owners of capital to invest in productivity-enhancing and labour-saving machinery, he was wrong that this would lead to wages being driven down to subsistence level, as had largely been the case under feudalism. Classical economics, which argued that new, higher-productivity jobs would emerge, and that workers would see their wages rise more or less in line with productivity, got this one right. And so, in turn, Marx’s most important prediction – that an inevitable conflict between workers and capitalists would lead ultimately to the victory of the former and the end of capitalism – was wrong. Marx was right that as the number of industrial workers rose, they would demand their share of the wealth; and that, in contrast to the situation under feudalism, their number and geographical concentration in factories and cities would make it impossible to deny these demands indefinitely. But thanks to increased productivity, workers’ demands in most advanced capitalist economies could be satisfied without the system collapsing. So far, it seems that increased productivity, increased wages and increased consumption go hand in hand, not only in individual countries but worldwide. 5. All societies are unequal. But some are more unequal than others In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an increasing proportion of an economy’s output was captured by a small class of capitalists who owned and controlled the means of production. Not only did this trend stop in the 20th century, it was sharply reversed. Inherited fortunes, often dating back to the pre-industrial era, were eroded by taxes and inflation, and some were destroyed by the Great Depression. Most of all, after the Second World War the welfare state redistributed income and wealth within the framework of a capitalist economy. Inequality rose again after the mid-1970s. Under Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the welfare state was cut back. Tax and social security systems became less progressive. Deregulation, the decline of heavy industry and reduction of trade union power increased the wage differential between workers. Globally the chief story of the past quarter-century has been the rise of the “middle class”: people in emerging economies who have incomes of up to $5,000 a year. But at the same time lower-income groups in richer countries have done badly. Should we now worry about inequality within countries, or within the world as a whole? And how much does an increasing concentration of income and wealth among a small number of people – and the consequent distortions of the political system – matter when set against the rapid income growth for large numbers of people in the emerging economies? Growing inequality is not an inevitable consequence of capitalism. But, unchecked, it could do severe economic damage. The question is whether our political systems, national and global, are up to the challenge. 6. China’s road to capitalism is unique The day after Margaret Thatcher died, I said on Radio 4’s Today programme: “In 1979, a quarter of a century ago, a politician came to power with a radical agenda of market-oriented reform; a plan to reduce state control and release the country’s pent-up economic dynamism. That changed the world, and we’re still feeling the impact. His name, of course, was Deng Xiaoping.” The transition from state to market in China kick-started the move towards truly globalised capitalism. But the Chinese road to capitalism has been unique. First agriculture was liberalised, then entrepreneurs were allowed to set up small businesses, while at the same time state-owned enterprises reduced their workforces; yet there has been no free-for-all, either for labour or for capital. The movement of workers from rural to urban areas, and from large, unproductive, state-owned enterprises to more productive private businesses, though vast, has been controlled. Access to capital still remains largely under state control. Moreover, though its programme is not exactly “Keynesian”, China has used all the tools of macroeconomic management to keep growth high and relatively stable. That means China is still far from a “normal” capitalist economy. The two main engines of growth have been investment and the movement of labour from the countryside to the cities. This in itself was enough, because China had so much catching-up to do. However, if the Chinese are to close the huge gap between themselves and the advanced economies, more growth will need to come from innovation and technological progress. No one doubts that China has the human resources to deliver this, but its system will have to change. 7. How much is enough? The human instinct to improve our material position is deeply rooted: control over resources, especially food and shelter, made early human beings more able to reproduce. That is intrinsic to capitalism; the desire to acquire income and wealth motivates individuals to work, save, invent and invest. As Adam Smith showed, this benefits us all. But if we can produce more than enough for everybody, what will motivate people? Growth would stop. Not that this would necessarily be a bad thing: yet our economy and society would be very different. Although we are at least twice as rich as we were half a century ago, the urge to consume more seems no less strong. Relative incomes matter. We compare ourselves not to our impoverished ancestors but to other people in similar situations: we strive to “keep up with the Joneses”. The Daily Telegraph once described a London couple earning £190,000 per year (in the top 0.1 per cent of world income) as follows: “The pair are worried about becoming financially broken as the sheer cost of middle-class life in London means they are stretched to the brink.” Talk about First World problems. Is there any limit? Those who don’t like the excesses of consumerism might hope that as our material needs are satisfied, we will worry less about keeping up with the Joneses and more about our satisfaction and enjoyment of non-material things. It is equally possible, of course, that we’ll just spend more time keeping up with the Kardashians instead . . . 8. No more boom and bust Are financial crises and their economic consequences part of the natural (capitalist) order of things? Politicians and economists prefer to think otherwise. No longer does anyone believe that “light-touch” regulation of the banking sector is enough. New rules have been introduced, designed to restrict leverage and ensure that failure in one or two financial institutions does not lead to systemic failure. Many would prefer a more wholesale approach to reining in the financial system; this would have gained the approval of Keynes, who thought that while finance was necessary, its role in capitalism should be strictly limited. But maybe there is a more fundamental problem: that recurrent crises are baked into the system. The “financial instability” hypothesis says that the more governments and regulators stabilise the system, the more this will breed overconfidence, leading to more debt and higher leverage. And sooner or later the music stops. If that is the case, then financial capitalism plus human nature equals inevitable financial crises; and we should make sure that we have better contingency plans next time round. 9. Will robots take our jobs? With increasing mechanisation (from factories to supermarket checkouts) and computerisation (from call centres to tax returns), is it becoming difficult for human beings to make or produce anything at less cost than a machine can? Not yet – more Britons have jobs than at any other point in history. That we can produce more food and manufactured products with fewer people means that we are richer overall, leaving us to do other things, from economic research to performance art to professional football. However, the big worry is that automation could shift the balance of power between capital and labour in favour of the former. Workers would still work; but many or most would be in relatively low-value, peripheral jobs, not central to the functioning of the economy and not particularly well paid. Either the distribution of income and wealth would widen further, or society would rely more on welfare payments and charity to reduce unacceptable disparities between the top and the bottom. That is a dismal prospect. Yet these broader economic forces pushing against the interests of workers will not, on their own, determine the course of history. The Luddites were doomed to fail; but their successors – trade unionists who sought to improve working conditions and Chartists who demanded the vote so that they could restructure the economy and the state – mostly succeeded. The test will be whether our political and social institutions are up to the challenge. 10. What’s the alternative? There is no viable economic alternative to capitalism at the moment but that does not mean one won’t emerge. It is economics that determines the nature of our society, and we are at the beginning of a profound set of economic changes, based on three critical developments. Physical human input into production will become increasingly rare as robots take over. Thanks to advances in computing power and artificial intelligence, much of the analytic work that we now do in the workplace will be carried out by machines. And an increasing ability to manipulate our own genes will extend our lifespan and allow us to determine our offspring’s characteristics. Control over “software” – information, data, and how it is stored, processed and manipulated – will be more important than control over physical capital, buildings and machines. The defining characteristic of the economy and society will be how that software is produced, owned and commanded: by the state, by individuals, by corporations, or in some way as yet undefined. These developments will allow us, if we choose, to end poverty and expand our horizons, both materially and intellectually. But they could also lead to growing inequality, with the levers of the new economy controlled by a corporate and moneyed elite. As an optimist, I hope for the former. Yet just as it wasn’t the “free market” or individual capitalists who freed the slaves, gave votes to women and created the welfare state, it will be the collective efforts of us all that will enable humanity to turn economic advances into social progress. Jonathan Portes's most recent book is “50 Ideas You Really Need to Know: Capitalism” (Quercus) Jonathan Portes is senior fellow The UK in a Changing Europe and Professor of Economics and Public Policy, King’s College London. 0800 7318496
What’s the US Government doing to combat the global tsunami of chronic disease? Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), conditions like heart disease, cancers, and type 2 diabetes, aren’t confined to wealthy countries. Fueling this tsunami, which now accounts for roughly 6 times as many deaths—or 38 million—globally as major infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined, is (in part) the widespread adoption of unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diets. Aside from the overwhelming health burden, these conditions and risk factors (which often includes overweight and obesity) pose a monumental economic challenge, both from direct health care costs, as well as lost productivity and stymied economic output. A well-known, often-cited 2011 study by Harvard and the World Economic Forum puts the global price tag at $47 trillion. The question is now what are governments, companies, NGOs and other stakeholders doing about it? The 2011 UN High Level Meeting on NCDs sparked an elevated interest by governments around the world to address the issue. They also committed to take action, mostly because there is broad recognition that current public and private investments in NCDs is hugely mismatched with the burden of the challenge (i.e. the global burden of NCDs). To be fair, the private sector has stepped up to the plate in many ways. Many have instituted wellness policies and programs, and are taking employee health and well-being more seriously, as something inextricably linked to their own health as a company. Then there’s the public sector. As a starting point, many low- and middle-income countries are allocating more domestic resources for health. However, for those countries who contribute vast sums of money into the global health system, such as the US Government, there’s a question of how they are incorporating NCDs into its portfolio, if at all. The US Government contributes billions of dollars each year to improve global health. It’s been a recognized leader in improving child health and curbing the burden of killer infections like HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. But like other governments at the 2011 UN High Level Meeting on NCDs, the US Government committed to doing its part as well. The consensus Political Declaration acknowledged, “resources devoted to combating the challenges posed by non-communicable diseases…are not commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.” Almost 4 years since that landmark meeting, what’s the status of the US Government’s realization of this commitment? Over the course of several months, I led an investigation for the NCD Roundtable, a coalition of organizations and companies committed to addressing global NCDs, into this exact question. Thanks to the support of the American Heart Association and LIVESTRONG Foundation, both of which sponsored the project. (You can access the full report and summary here.) Admittedly, putting a price tag on the depth and breadth of US Government engagements and investments in global NCDs is difficult. Many of its contributions, such as policy expertise and normative leadership, is hard to monetize. Others have tried as well, which I wrote about in this previous blog, but there are always going to be limitations. The study includes a set of 5 main findings accompanied by a series of recommendations for each. Some are broader, others are more specific and practical. But if there’s a major take-away from the study it’s this: actually, it’s a two-part take-away. First, the USG is already doing a lot, much of which goes unnoticed because it’s difficult to quantify. But, just because something is difficult to quantify doesn’t mean it’s not important or impactful. And second, there are several areas where the USG can do more, and it doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money. The example included in the report about the Treasury Department’s technical assistance capacity on tobacco control policy development and implementation is a case in point. These are good places to start. This was an enlightening and fascinating project for me personally. Thank you to the people who helped shape it and contributing valuable insights. Specific names are mentioned in the report. I hope this is a helpful contribution to the community. And, as always, please feel free to leave a comment. I’d love any thoughts or feedback. Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s
All posts by Ms Leonards Class Gemma came in today to show us items and clothing from the Lakota tribe, which is in North America. These are some of the things we learned. The Lakota have a dance stick that they move up and down to lead the dance. The dance is like a prayer. Boys wear a head-dress called a roach for ceremonial reasons. Girls wear beads and braid their hair. The three parts of the braid symbolise body, mind and spirit. The white buffalo calf is a symbol of hope. Girls wear dance shawls for the pow wow. Their houses now are wooden and small. In summer they live in tipis usually made out of canvas. Sometimes they are made out of buffalo skin. They use sweet grass for their prayers. They light it and the smoke that goes up is their prayers going up to God. Dreamcatchers were made by the Oneida . You put them on your window or over your bed and they catch your nightmares. When a boy was twelve, he was isolated on a mountain. When he came back, he had to take care of the children, cook his own food, make his own bed, and look after himself for a year. He wasn’t allowed to talk to the women during this year. At the end of the year, the women would decide if they could call him a man or not. The Lakota have a medicine pouch. They keep medicine in it but they also keep grey wolf skin and things that are very important to them. It’s like a memory box and it’s private. The Lakota believe that there is good medicine and bad medicine and that everyone is medicine. If you’re good medicine you’re kind and helpful and nice. If you’re bad medicine, you’re mean, cruel and selfish. Women wear feathers in their hair. If you’re married, you wear them on the right. If you’re not married, you wear them on the left. You shouldn’t touch a woman’s feathers. Warriors would wear a choker around their neck made out of beads and deer bones. If they were hit by a bullet, the bullet would ricochet off the deer bones. They would also have a breast plate on their chest made out of the same things. Women’s breast plates were long and thin and the men’s would be shorter and thicker. Thank you Gemma! Maths can actually be fun! Today, Miss O’Regan taught us how to play a card game. We called it Blackjack Decimal Maths. We drew a table in our copy with headings for hundreds, tens, units, tenths, hundredths and thousandths. We took out all the kings, queens, jokers, jacks and tens from the pack and then we had to pick a card. An ace counted as one. We had to write the number of the card in the section we thought would give us the biggest number. Once you wrote the number in, you couldn’t move it around. The person who got the biggest number at the table got one point. If you made the highest number possible, you got two points. It was really fun! We recommend it! Turas Scoile! Chuaigh Rang a Cúig ar thuras scoile. Chuaigh muid go dtí Ardgillan. Bhí muid ar bís. Tháinig an bus ar a leathuair tar éis a naoi. Bhí muid ag caint agus ag canadh ar an mbus. Tar éis tamaill, shroich an bus Ardgillan. Bhuail muid múinteoirí. Bhí muid ag dreapadh suas balla. Bhí muid ag boghdóireacht agus ag millín péinte. Bhí muid ag sleamhnú ar an bhféar. Bhí muid ag siúl ar rópaí. Bhí muid ag imirt cluichí foirne. D’ith muid an lón ar a dó dhéag a chlog. Chuaigh muid abhaile ar a leathuair tar éis a dó. Bhí an-spórt againn. Music with Miss Lora This morning, we had a concert led by Miss Lora. There was a fifth class (us!), a fourth class (Ms McNicholas) and a third class (Mr Gorman/Ms McNamee). We all sang three songs each. After we warmed up, we all sang “Hello to all the Children of the World.” Third class sang “A Sailor Went to Sea”, “How Much is that Doggy in the Window?” and “Sing a Song”. Fourth class sang “Catch a Falling Star”, “Do Your Ears Hang Low” and “Smile.” Fifth class sang “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, “What a Wonderful World”, and “Walking on Sunshine.” At the end we all sang “Happy.” We had a great time working with Miss Lora and we think that all the parents and Ms Walsh’s third class enjoyed the concert! Music with Miss Lora Miss Lora teaches us music every Friday. Every week, we sing songs and sometimes we learn new ones. At the moment, we are learning “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” This week, we sang “Doggy Doggy, Where’s Jerome” and passed around a small stuffed puppy. When the song got to “I took Jerome”, the person who had Jerome had to sing solo. Someone in the middle had their eyes closed and had to guess who sang it. This week, we also played percussion instruments. We did this to practise keeping the pulse of the music steady. We have great fun every week. Thank you, Miss Lora! IMG_1499 IMG_1500 IMG_1501 A Visit from the Scéalaí At ten o’clock, we went over to Ms Daly’s classroom and met a storyteller. She told great stories. One was called “An Gadaí” (The Thief) and the other was called “Bríd na Amhráin” (Bríd of the Songs). Those stories were written by Patrick Pearse. Tháinig an scéalaí go dtí an scoil ar a deich a chlog inniu. D’inis sí scéalta dúinn. Scríobh Pádraig Mac Piarais na scéalta. Bhí na scéalta an suimiúil. Bhí an scéalta go hiontach.DSCF0677 The Rugby Blitz The Rugby Blitz happened on 10/2/2016. Ms.Leonard’s and Ms.Gray’s Fifth Classes competed against each other. The classes utilized their amazing rugby skills that they acquired from recent rugby activity organized by our wonderful rugby trainers. The teamwork of both teams was outstanding in all of the matches. The teams were very competitive and sportsmanlike. The matches were exciting, especially when the better players made daring maneuvers for their teams. Some players had extraordinary skills compared to others, but everybody made good efforts in their teams. During the matches some accidents happened but no-one was hurt thankfully. However, all of the players had some great fun while playing. That's My Ball!Aggresive PlayBe Careful! Catch!Defensive PlayOops! Pass the Ball Running with the Ball Rush PlaySprinting for the Ball Starting Move Ta-Da! Tag! You're it! Team Talk The Christmas Alphabet A is for angel on top of the Christmas tree. B is for baubles on the Christmas tree. C is for children that play together each day. D is for donkey that came to the stable. E is for the elves up in the North Pole. F is for family; family is fun. G is for Gabriel, the angel that came down to Mary. H is for holly that you hang up on the wall. I is for indoor with your family. J is for “Jingle Bells” that families sing. K is for kings for the Three Kings. L is for lights which we hang around the house. M is for magic; Santa is magic! N is for Nazareth where Jesus grew up. O is for ornaments that we hang on the Christmas tree. P is for Prancer, the name of Santa’s reindeer. Q is for queues that are in shops everywhere. R is for Rudolph that guides Santa’s sleigh. S is for Santa, good old Santa! T is for tree, our Christmas tree. U is for unwrapping presents . V is for Vixen, one of the reindeer. W is for wisdom which Jesus has lots of. X is for X-Mas, short for Christmas. Y is for the Yule log we eat for dessert. Z is for z z z z z as I snore through the night waiting for Santa!
Saturday, March 31, 2007 Lesson 36 Cheap airline tickets in and out of Japan! Konnichiwa minasan, Welcome come back to One word a day Japanese Lesson! For people who visit this site for the first time, please let me explain about "One word a day Japanese Lesson". As this title says, you can learn One Japanese word a day. The words are casual and there are also sentences you can use to Japanese people straight away. So if you would like to have Japanese friends, a Japanese girl friend or a boy friend, this lesson is for you! Let's learn Japanese easily and enjoy yourself in Japan!!! Cool Kanji for Tattoo design Today's word part of speechadjective the past tense yasashi katta a negative sentenceyasashiku nai To look the conjugation of verb, please click here. Anata wa yasashii. You are kind. anata wa(ga)=you Kare wa yasashi katta. He was kind. kare wa(ga)=he Kanojo wa yasashiku nai. She is not kind. kanojo wa(ga)=she Sensei wa yasashiku nakatta. The teacher wasn't kind. Yasashii no wa ii koto da. Being kind is good. **Small test Q. Translate the following English sentence into Japanese. Was she kind? If you would like to know the conjugation of verb, please click here. A. The answer will be in a tomorrow's lesson! The answer of yesterday's small test** Amari suteki janai. Was your answer correct? If it was, you are brilliant! If it wasn't, don't be disappointed. Just remember the answer and try today's question! If you would like to get an email every time a new lesson is available, please click here. Kantan Booking - Cheap airline tickets and translation service - Have a good day and see you tomorrow! One word a day Japanese Lesson No comments:
Ways of writing revenues A business isn’t one until it earns revenues and incurs expenses. Meanwhile, it is also isn’t a well-managed business if you don’t have books to record these transactions. The problem, however, is that not everyone is really sure how to write them in the journal entries, ledgers, or even financial statements. In general, there are two ways on how to recognize and write revenues and expenses. These are called cash basis and accrual basis accounting. Accrual Basis vs. Cash Basis Both of them do realize revenues and record expenses. However the way they are written and when set the difference. In the accrual method of accounting, you record the expenses and revenues on the date they are earned, not when they are realized. More details are available on accounting bookkeeping For a clearer illustration, read the example: X Company has sold 15 computer units on August 29, 2012, but they’re expected to be paid on October 20, 2012. In the accrual method of accounting, you already recognize it as sales; hence, you already have the following entry in the book: Accounts Receivables $4 500 Sales $4 500 But if you’ll notice, you don’t receive any money on August 29 but later on October 20. It’s quite the opposite when it comes to cash basis. Expenses and sales are recorded only when cash is received or spent. Thus, using the same example, you’ll record the transaction as sales only on October 20. Cash basis accounting sounds much easier than accrual basis accounting. However, a lot of businesses use the latter. This is because it follows the matching principle of GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles). According to the concept, an accountant should record expenses and sales on the period they happen and not when there’s change of hands. It also reflects more accurately the operations of the business. GAAP, though, is simply a list of concepts or principles that are considered ideal by the industry. A business is free to choose the recognition method it prefers. The Effects on Your Tax Deductions Nevertheless, choosing the ideal method for your business is essential because of tax deductions. Businesses do pay a lot of taxes to the IRS, but there are also a lot of deductions that can be charged against your taxable income. When you can enjoy the tax deductions depends on the method you’ve picked. For instance, if the expenses are to be recognized the following year, 2013, you cannot apply it to your taxes for 2012. Keep in Mind A number of business people are confused when the actual accounting period begins and ends. The IRS has the answer: the recommended calendar period is from January 1 to December 31. Unless you have a valid reason why you should choose another date or period or unless your business is a corporation, you cannot change the mentioned duration. Further, if you want to change yours, you still have to ask permission from the IRS. Also, when you are using an accrual basis accounting, you should also adjust the entries in the book to reflect correct balances and attributions of figures.
Jul 31, 2013 Scientists Closer to Cat Allergy Cure Researchers at the University of Cambridge say they've figured out how a particular protein in cat dander triggers an allergic response in humans. Many people are allergic to cats, dogs, and other animals. Typical symptoms include sneezing, itchiness, and a stuffed or runny nose. Allergic reactions happen when the immune system overreacts to a perceived danger. Normally, the immune system identifies and responds to harmful viruses and bacteria. But with an allergy, the immune system wrongly identifies an allergen as dangerous, such as pet dander, and starts an immune response. "How cat dander causes such a severe allergic reaction in some people has long been a mystery," said Clare Bryant, who led the research at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine. "Not only did we find out that LPS [intensifies] the immune response’s reaction to cat dander, we identified the part of immune system that recognizes it, the receptor TLR4." No comments:
Sunday, December 04, 2005 Arabic language primer Abu Khaleel explains how Arabic is constructed. The alphabet, together with an elaborate permutation of mood, tense and gender possibilities makes for a very descriptive language. Poetry flows naturally from this stream. There are indeed more than a hundred words in the Arabic language for the word “love”. Now I hope you know why. There are also hundreds of words for things like walking, running, smiling, crying, the camel, the horse, the sword, rain, clouds and many other items and feelings. The greatest benefactor has naturally been Poetry. It has to be mentioned though that some of those subtle differences in meaning are being lost, perhaps forever, in these times of utility, speed, junk food and junk words. Nothing political here, folks. Just one culture reaching out to another. (I have copied the calligraphy example above hoping that the meaning isn't controversial. When I see Chinese characters used to decorate shirt fabrics or napkins I also wonder what they might be saying.) 1 comment: Abu Khaleel said... Dear Hoots, Thank you. The calligraphy example is just that, an example that I found on the net. It is a quote from the Koran (as is most frequently the case with these things!) and says something like: “Blessed be He who owns ‘everything’ and who is capable of everything.” Unofficial translation, of course :)
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 One of the big reasons I wanted our district to go 1:1 iPad was the mobility of the device. As much as I love my MacBook, I can't really take it outside and capture pictures and video with it easily. The mobility of the iPad allows us to have class wherever we want, whenever we want. Here are some ways that we take learning outdoors: 1. Citizen Science: Using the app iNaturalist, our kids can become citizen scientists. They can capture images of living things around them and upload to document nature. There are so many projects in iNaturalist you can join, or you can create you own. 2. InfoPics: One vocabulary word, one picture, and a five word or less definition. This is a great way to review vocabulary with each student taking one word and creating their infopic using Moldiv or PicCollage. Once everyone is done, students can upload them to a common space (we use Schoology media albums) and comment on each others pictures. We use the "Yes, and.." format when commenting. See the example below. 3. Walk and Talk: Get with your project group and plan your project while taking a lap around the school. Discuss goals for the day, who is doing what, any supplies or materials needed. 4. Nature Walk: Test the soil pH or temperature, find seeds, collect specimens for viewing under the microscope, etc. Several of our labs could be completed outside - measuring heart rate, calculating jump distance to compare to height, etc. We also use the Pro-Scope iPad camera attachments to get macro images of nature. Everything looks cooler magnified by 40X. 5. Flipgrid Reflections: Using the app FlipGrid, have students reflect on their learning or answer a question prompt. Going outside allows them to spread out and have better sound quality on their recordings. You can also join FlipGrid Friday and discuss some science hot topics with us! If you follow the grid, you will notified as new questions are added. 6. Sidewalk Chalk: Want to see 7th graders get super excited? Hand them some sidewalk chalk! Once we left Earth Day messages in the car loop, but my favorite is having them draw a structure, capture an image of it and then annotate it on the iPad. Now with the Clips app, the could put together a short video that explains the particular topic we are focused on. Share ways that you take learning outdoors! Sunday, June 11, 2017 Saving Earth This year my 7th graders focused on ways to improve our planet. They began by looking at the United Nations Goals for Sustainable Development and figured out ways we could help in our community. At the end of our first semester, they presented their plans to their peers and we voted on which projects we could accomplish in the spring semester. The culminating project was to create a book, Saving Earth, to help kids better understand how they could help. The book is completely student created including animations, illustrations, photography, and text. We were able to collaborate with other schools on some of the chapters and share the voices of students from around the world. Download their book and see what you think!
Tuesday, July 14 "In music, the burden is the drone or base in some musical instruments, and the pipe or part that plays it, such as a bagpipe or pedal point in an organ. Hence, the burden of song is that part repeated at the end of each stanza; i.e. the chorus or refrain. The term comes from the French bourdon, a staff or a pipe made in the form of a staff, imitating the gross murmurs of bees or drones." No comments:
IBIS Pullup IV Curve Pullup IV Curve By Timothy Coyle How to Generate the Pullup IV Curve The Pullup IV curve table data has to be formatted to be Vcc relative according to the IBIS specification. (We’ll talk about this in a later article) So sometimes you will see the pullup IV curve shown ground relative and other times you will see it shown Vcc relative but it is the same IV curve just with a different reference point. The Pullup IV Curve Sweep The Pullup IV curve represents the drive strength of the buffer when driving high. The input of the buffer is set to logic high and a DC voltage source is placed on the output. The voltage is varied from –Vcc to 2*Vcc and the current is measured. The data is then compiled into the IBIS IV (current-voltage) table. References and Links “TI IBIS File Creation, Validation, and Distribution Process”, App Note SZZA034, 2002. Learn How IBIS DRC Can Automatically Validate IBIS Models for Signal Integrity Simulation IBIS DRC uses over 75+ built-in quality checks based off of the IBIS Specification and the IC vendor datasheet to provide a comprehensive quality report.
Twelve Days Of Christmas A few years ago, I came across a religious interpretation of the popular Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Here are the lyrics: On the first day of Christmas My true love gave to me: A partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas My true love gave to me: Two turtle doves and A partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas My true love gave to me: Three french hens Two turtle doves and A partridge in a pear tree. On the forth day of Christmas My true love gave to me: Four calling birds Three french hens... On the fifth day of Christmas My true love gave to me Five golden rings Four calling birds... On the sixth day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Six geese a-laying Five golden rings... On the seventh day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Seven swans a-swimming Six geese a-laying... On the eight day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Eight maids a-milking Seven swans a-swimming... On the ninth day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Nine ladies dancing Eight maids a-milking... On the tenth day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Ten lords a-leaping Nine ladies dancing... On the eleventh day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Eleven pipers piping Ten lords a-leaping... On the Twelfth day of Christmas, My true love gave to me Twelve drummers drumming Eleven pipers piping... And here is a religious interpretation: 1 True Love refers to God 2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments 3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues 4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists 5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace. 6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation 7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments 8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes 9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit 10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments 11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles 12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed I am too busy wrapping and shopping to look up what the writer's intention was but I found this interesting. :) Merry Christmas Eve eve! [image courtesy of this book] Bad Rap vs. Bad Rep Is there a difference? Apparently slightly so! According to Merriam-Webster, in this context: rap is "a negative and often undeserved reputation or charge —often used withbum or bad" rep is slang for "reputation; especially : status in a group (as a gang)" So, from these definitions and other things I've read: - If someone has a "bad rap", it's typically because that person is getting blamed for or associated with negativity for something that person may not have done. - If someone has a "bad rep", others also think poorly of that person, but likely for something that person did, or for a track record of sketchy behavior. Of course, in this day and age, the meaning of phrases can change with how the populace uses them - so don't be surprised if some find these interchangeable! Lifeguard Dog Here are some fun facts that I learned about the Newfoundland dog, from the Animal Planet show "Dogs 101": - Newfoundlands are excellent swimmers, with large bones to keep them afloat, strong legs to battle ocean currents, a waterproof double coat to protect them from the cold, webbed paws, and extremely large lung capacities. Their droopy jowls allow them to breathe while swimming, even when carrying something in their mouths. - Newfoundlands love retrieving things from the water, so much so, in fact, that they are often trained to be lifeguards. Also, a Newfoundland saved Napoleon Bonaparte when he fell overboard from his ship on the way back to France from exile in Elba. - Newfoundlands love being with children, and are extremely gentle and patient with them. They are very smart, loyal, and aim to please. "Nana" from Peter Pan was a Newfoundland. - The largest Newfoundland was 6'-long and weighed 260 pounds (the size of a baby elephant)! They typically weigh in at about 150 pounds. It's like having your very own huge cuddly teddy bear - that can save your life! If I thought I could handle that much dog, I would be very tempted to get one! How To De-Pill Your Clothes Oftentimes, after you wear a shirt or sweater a couple of times, it begins to "pill" or get annoying fuzzies on it. Lifehacker offers this trick that just uses a disposable razor: To clean pilling off your clothes just spread the fabric across a flat surface (something firm like a table is best) pull the fabric taut and carefully shave the pilling away from the fabric. Be careful with the razor, especially around seams, buttons and stitching because you can easily cut the fabric. This simple solution works - I tried it out personally! It made some of my t-shirts look like new, in seconds. How A Candle Burns People have been burning candles for thousands of years... and I know I, at least, have been taking the science for granted. It wasn't until I listened to last week's "Science Friday" on NPR that I finally "got" why the candle works. Host Ira Flatow and staffer Flora Lichtman talked about how Brigham Young engineers have been taking high-speed videos of flames in order to figure out how to reproduce one in digital 3-D. Lichtman spent some time with these engineers as they accomplished this task, and shared what she had learned with Flatow: LICHTMAN: But - here's one that I thought was pretty amazing. A flame, a candle flame, for example, is just an envelope of fire around this sort of center area. So the wax, which is the fuel, goes up through the wick. It melts, goes up through the wick, and then evaporates into a gas. And that is - the part around the wick is actually not on fire. So the wick is actually not on fire. FLATOW: That's why it doesn't burn away, I guess. LICHTMAN: That's why. FLATOW: Yeah. Hey, you're right. You know, the wick is not on fire - so there's an envelope of gas around the wick, and it's the gas that's burning. LICHTMAN: And it's the gas that's burning, and it only burns when it hits oxygen. So the gas on the inside that doesn't have access to oxygen isn't burning, and it's actually cool inside the flame. And then they posted the following video of the candle wick "sucking up" the wax (among with other interesting fire facts). It's very cool! You can listen to the whole interview here. It's full of good stuff! Why Are Diamonds Valuable? I just read some disturbing information about the diamond industry and thought I'd share. I have not seen the movie Blood Diamond, nor know its plot, so forgive me if this is all old news... Diamond jewelry has come to symbolize love. We also think of diamonds as valuable investments, valuable because they are so rare. But we think both of those things -- because we've been conned. Diamonds only mean love, and cost more than gold, because one brilliant company convinced people that diamonds were special. The marketing strategy was born 100 years ago in the mines of South Africa, when huge deposits of diamonds were found... Before that the discovery of a diamond was so rare that diamonds had become status symbols among royalty. But with the South African discovery, diamonds were suddenly ordinary. Prices plunged. Then a smart Englishman, Cecil Rhodes, bought lots of the suddenly cheap diamond minds, and established a monopoly [through the company De Beers] on the diamond supply... [His dealings with diamond-producing countries] brought De Beers an astonishing... 80% of the market... To keep prices high, De Beers hoards diamonds. That makes diamonds seem more rare than they actually are. But that's only half of their strategy... De Beers played the market brilliantly. It launched an advertising and public relations campaign to manipulate the world into believing that diamonds were the proper way to express love. At the beginning of the 20th Century, there was not a clear American marriage "tradition" since the country was made of so many different cultures. De Beers jumped on that opportunity and offered their solution: if you want to marry a woman, you put a diamond ring on her finger. Movie studios jumped on the diamond bandwagon, and sales exploded. De Beers seems to be able to set the diamond standards based on what's in their warehouses. When they had an overflow of large diamonds, they advertised "The bigger the diamond, the more you love her." When they acquired many small diamonds from Russia, De Beers encouraged men to buy their wives "Eternity Rings" for their anniversaries, which happened to contain lots of smaller stones. So now we're left with a conundrum -- De Beers may have started the diamond trend based purely on economic strategy that leaves diamonds chronically overpriced, but it now IS culturally "American" for diamonds (instead of other precious stones) to symbolize eternal love. How can we resolve this? You are so pretty and so sparkly... but are you worth it? [source: Myths, Lies, & Downright Stupidity by John Stossel] Prevent Hearing Loss Here's a handy guide from Reader's Digest to help you know when you're listening to music too loudly: One in five adolescents now suffers from hearing loss -- a 30% jump from just two decades ago. The loss is mild, but it means more teens are hearing only about as well as a typical 40- to 60-year-old. Playing music too loudly is partly to blame, experts believe. To avoid damage to your hearing, keep these numbers in mind: • 60 : You can listen all day if you keep the volume at 60% of the max • 80 for 90 : You can boost the volume to 80% for 90 minutes a day • 100 for 5 : If you want to crank up the volume as high as it'll go, keep it short -- just 5 minutes a day Here's to good hearing health! Walking On Hot Coals How can people walk barefoot on hot coals without getting burned? Is it some mind trick? Actually it's just science... and you can do it, too! Physicist David Willey from the University of Pittsburgh physics department and 20/20 anchor John Stossel show how it's done: Willey laid out 165 feet of lumber and set it aflame. As [they] waited for the lumber to turn into hot coals, he said that anyone can "fire-walk" in their bare feet, provided they keep moving, because when you touch burning wood or charcoal, the heat doesn't go instantly to your feet. You'd be burned if you walk on hot metal, but wood and charcoal don't conduct heat very well. Hot coals can (slowly) roast a marshmallow and burn at a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees F. But it's a poor thermal conductor, so it takes a while to "conduct" (move) the heat from itself to whatever it's touching. If you keep walking at an even pace on the coals your feet won't keep in contact with any coal long enough to burn them! Plus, and this is pure speculation, the fact that the skin on your feet is so thick probably delays the heat transfer as well. You're not so scary anymore, are ya? Do Cats Only Meow At Humans? My brother once told me that adult cats only meow to talk to humans, so I decided to see if he was right. And he seems to be! What are you saying, kitty? Here are the ways that cats communicate: 1. Meowing They naturally meow just as kittens to get their mother's attention. But as a result of domestication, it appears that they have learned to meow at humans for the same reason! 2. Purring Most of the time, cats purr because they are happy. They sometimes purr when they are feeling sick or during stressful moments. 3. Hissing/Growling Cats hiss or growl when they are angry or want to threaten other animals or humans. They typically will attack with their claws and paws if whoever they are hissing at doesn't back off. 4. Chirping/Chattering This is a "bird-like" noise that cats can make while watching potential prey. Some have thought that the cats are imitating birds or mice, but the accepted theory is actually that they are simulating the biting motions they'd do if they actually caught the prey. 5. Caterwaul Cats make this "crying baby" or howling noise to signal to other cats that they are in heat. In rarer occasions, cats will caterwaul to get their owner's attention, like if they are behind a door and need to be loud. 6. Body Language There are so many ways cats use their body to communicate, I feel as though it may be their primary source of communicating, especially with other cats, who instinctively know what their bodies are saying. Here are a few examples, some of which could be confusing to humans: • Lying on their back: this could mean submission and trust, or that they want to attack with all four claws, or just that's how they feel comfortable • Puffed tail: the cat is surprised or scared; they can also arch their backs and puff out their back hair to look bigger to whatever they feel threatened by • Tail-twitching: this could mean they are hunting, or they are irritated, or they are excited, or they are playing • Flattened ears: the cat is feeling threatened • Nose-touching: this could just be a friendly greeting, or they are marking their territory • Licking: the cat is trying to bond with another cat or sometimes with their human owner • Pawing: this could mean they are showing affection or contentment or curiosity, or that they are comforting themselves, or that they are marking their territory There are tons of other ways cats communicate to each other by whisker position, tail height, and other body movements. 7. Scent Cats claim territory by territorial marking or by rubbing their scent on people or objects. All that to say (since it seems I have strayed from the original question): it appears that past kitten-hood, cats mainly meow to humans, and use a variety of other methods of communication to deal with other cats and other animals. It's pretty smart of them, actually. Cats must have figured out at some point that humans communicate well with noise... and don't always read their body movements correctly! [source: wikipedia] ps. Check out this cat who somehow learned to bark... yet didn't want their human owner know! I guess cats have a great ability to learn how to communicate the most effectively. Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap? Bottled water ranges from $4-$8 per gallon, whereas tap water costs less than a penny per gallon. Is it worth it? Here are some answers from John Stossel's book: Does bottled water taste better than tap water? ABC News ran a taste test. We put two imported waters, Evian and Iceland Spring, up against Aquafina (America's best seller), American Fare (Kmart's discount brand), Poland Spring (which is bottled in America, not Poland), and some water from a public drinking fountain in the middle of New York City. We asked people to rate the waters. Only one water got "bad" ratings [the most expensive one, Evian]. The water our testers liked most came from Kmart, which costs a third of what Evian costs. Aquafina ranked second... Tied for third were [Iceland Spring] and... drum roll... New York City tap water. In other words, reservoir water -- squeezed through the antique pipes of NYC before emerging from a water fountain in Harlem -- tastes as good as expensive imports. Even people who told us that they didn't like tap water did like it, when they didn't know it was tap water. Is bottled water more "pure" than tap water? Many people believe that bottled water is cleaner. So we sent bottled and tap water samples to microbiologist Aaron Margolin, of the University of New Hamsphire, to test for bacteria, like E. Coli, that can make you sick. "No difference", he said. Some people worry more about traces of chemicals in water, like chlorine, lead, chromium, copper, and iron. It's possible that you will ingest more of these from some tap waters than bottled, but trace amounts of chemicals are not only harmless, they may even be helpful; that's why iron, copper, and chromium are in vitamin pills. There are some counties where the tap water is not as safe or tasty as bottled water, but it appears that in the majority of America, you can save money (and trash) by just drinking out of the tap. To further this point, I recently went to a wedding in Indiana where they served Absopure bottled water. As it turned out, it had been bottled (and "purified"?) from the municipal water in Plymouth, Michigan. Municipal water is city water! I suppose Plymouth's tap water is tasty enough for these customers! Tap water rate for Ann Arbor, MI. What's Broasting? Maybe you've seen prepared "broasted chicken" at the grocery store and wondered (as I have) what it is, and how it's different than roasted or fried chicken. Broasting is actually a very special (and trademarked) method of preparing chicken, meats, and fish with a specific marinate, breading, and spices, and then pressure frying it. It's (basically) a quicker and less greasy way of frying that makes the food crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. How come we don't hear of more people broasting? Well, it's only available for commercial use. So you can grab a broasted whole chicken from your local grocer, or a leg from a fast food restaurant, but unfortunately you can't do this method at home. Read more about this interesting cooking method at the Broaster Company website: broaster.com. Side fact: L.A.M. Phelan, the inventor of the Broaster pressure fryer, also invented the the first automatic gasoline pump, the first automatic toilet, and the first automatic commercial refrigerator. We owe him a lot! :) Weird State Laws Aw, everyone loves strange laws, right? Here are a few for you today from John Stossel's book: In Belton, Missouri, it's illegal to throw a snowball. In New Jersey & Oregon, it is illegal to pump your own gas. In Kern County, California, it is illegal to play bingo while drunk. In Illinois, it is against the law to hunt bullfrogs with a firearm. In Massachusetts, it's illegal to deface a milk carton. In Fairfax, Virginia, the use of pogo sticks is outlawed on city buses. In Palm Harbor, Florida, it is illegal to have an artificial lawn. Also, in Spring Hill, Tennessee, you can't do any outdoor home-improvement projects in any residential neighborhood on Sundays. And inn Friendship Heights, Maryland, it's illegal to smoke indoors or outdoors. Remember, ignorance of the law is no excuse. :) Where Robots Come From ... or where the word "robot" comes from at least! From Reader's Digest: Some robots (Robbie, Wall-E) we adore. But many others (the terminators, Alien's Ash, those cylons from Battlestar Galactica) are downright evil -- with good reason: The term robot comes from the Czech robota for "compulsory labor" and the Latin orbus for "orphan". Now, if you were a motherless machine forced to work against your will, wouldn't you be belligerent too? :) I knew there was a good reason to not like robots! You may look cute, but you still scare me! Are Women Bad Drivers? According to scientific research conducted in 2002, men are worse! Here's a quick analysis of that research from John Stossel: Women have a bad reputation when it comes to driving... But researchers with the Social Issues Resource Center beg to differ. Their 2002 report analyzed a stack of studies on male and female driving differences and came to a bold conclusion: "In all studies and analyses, without exception, men have been shown to have a higher rate of crashes than women." Men, the report claims, drive faster than women and have less regard for traffic laws: They speed, they drive drunk, run stop signs, and therefore crash twice as often as women do. In the US, men cause 71% of all road fatalities, a figure that's remained constant since 1975. But don't men drive many more miles than women do? Wouldn't that account for some of the difference? It's true that males account for 62% of all miles driven, vs. 38% for females, but even after miles are clocked and driving hours are factored in, men still get in way more fatal accidents [about 40% more]. So maybe it's time to give the ladies a break. :) What's A Hysterical Pregnancy? Late in last season's hit sitcom 30 Rock, the character Jenna experienced a "hysterical pregnancy" during a gas leak, where she had all the signs of being pregnant without actually being pregnant. I couldn't help but wonder... is that really a thing? Not only is it a thing, but women and men can experience it! According to WebMD False pregnancy, or pseudocyesis, is the belief that you are expecting a baby when you are not really carrying a child. People with pseudocyesis have many or all of the common symptoms of pregnancy [swollen belly, stopped menstruation, feelings of fetal movement, nausea/vomiting, milk production, etc] with the exception of an actual fetus. This condition is very rare, occurring in only 1 to 6 out of every 22,000 births. It is most common in women aged 20 to 44, although it can affect women of all ages. In rare cases, even men can have a false pregnancy. Some men experience a related phenomenon known as couvade, or sympathetic pregnancy. They will develop many of the same symptoms as their pregnant partners -- including weight gain, nausea, and backache. People suffering from a false pregnancy can sometimes even test positive on pregnancy tests! What can cause hysterical (false) pregnancy? According to an article in the NY Times: Though scientists are still largely baffled about what causes it in humans, recent case studies and studies of similar conditions in animals are beginning to provide insight, exploring the role of hormones and psychology. Psychiatrists have suggested that pseudocyesis occurs in patients who desperately want to become pregnant — or who have a strong desire to be involved in a family member’s pregnancy experience. In a recent issue of the journal Psychosomatics, Dr. Biju Basil, a psychiatrist at Drexel University, reported a case of a woman who went through false delivery at the same time her son’s girlfriend was giving birth. "She started having labor pains..." Dr. Basil speculated that “she wanted to [subconsciously] play a more active part in this new life that was coming into the world.” Still, for all the theories about false pregnancy’s origins in the subconscious, biological studies suggest it may be in part hormonally mediated as well... Case studies at the University of Michigan and elsewhere indicate that many patients have elevated levels of hormones like estrogen and prolactin — compounds that can cause physical symptoms like abdominal swelling and milk excretion... This raises the possibility that pseudocyesis is the result of a delicate mind-body feedback loop: an initial emotional state induces abnormal hormone secretion, which in turn has its own physical and psychological effects... anxiety may be one emotional state that helps set this feedback loop in motion. Wow. That's incredible. False pregnancy has written about since at least 300 BC! The human body is a crazy thing. And what's stranger -- dogs have much higher instances of false pregnancy than humans! Keep Colored Clothing From Fading Yet again, Reader's Digest has come up with an easy solution to our random everyday problems: That new cherry-red shirt you just purchased is fantastic, but just think how faded the color will look after the shirt has been washed a few times. Add a teaspoon of pepper to the wash load. Pepper keeps bright colors bright and prevents them from running too. It's worth a try, I'd say. Click on the link above for other pepper tips! The Difference Between http:// And https:// This may seem obvious, but I was completely unaware of the subtle difference until recently! If you go to a website, you'll notice the address usually contains a http:// at the beginning. It stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol" and is the standard way of transferring text to the internet. If there is an "s" at the end of the abbreviation - https:// - that means that the site is "secure". A site becomes "secure" when the information on it will get encrypted (changed so that only the person with a key or password can see it) so that third parties can't view that information. If you are entering personal or account information onto a website, make sure that little "s" is in the address! Is DDT Dangerous? DDT, the chemical used as a bug and mosquito repellent in farming, has been pretty controversial since started being more widely used in the 1950s & 60s. People believe that it's been a cause of cancer and possibly worse. Recently I read some research to the contrary: Despite [DDT's] overuse, there was no surge in cancer or any other human injury. Scientists found no evidence that spraying DDT seriously hurt people. It turns out DDT itself wasn't the problem -- the problem was that much too much was sprayed... In the late 1950s we sprayed DDT indiscriminately, but it only takes a tiny amount to prevent the spread of malaria. If sprayed on the walls of an African hut, a small amount will keep mosquitoes at bay for a year. That makes it a wonderful malaria fighter. But today DDT is rarely used to fight malaria because environmentalists' demonization of it causes others to shun it. It's interesting how media coverage of a chemical can influence people's views on it more than science can. If the above paragraphs are true, it's tragic, considering how many people die of malaria each year... [source: Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity by John Stossel] What Are Baby Corn And Baby Carrots? While making stir-fry the other day, I got a little curious about what I was eating. As it turns out, both baby corn and baby carrots have very appropriate names! They are baby-versions of the full-grown vegetables of the same names. Read on for more information: Baby Corn: Baby corn is cereal grain taken from corn (maize) harvested early while the ears are very small and immature. Baby corn ears are hand-picked from the branches as soon as the corn silks emerge from the ear tips, or a few days after. Baby corn typically is eaten whole, cob included, in contrast to mature corn, whose cob is considered too tough for human consumption. Baby Carrots: A "true" baby carrot is a carrot grown to the "baby stage", which is to say long before the root reaches its mature size. The test is that you can see a proper "shoulder" on each carrot. They are also sometimes harvested simply as the result of crop thinning, but are also grown to this size as a specialty crop. "Manufactured" baby carrots, or cut and peel (what you see most often in the shops) are carrot-shaped slices of peeled carrots invented in the late 1980s by Mike Yurosek, a California farmer, as a way of making use of carrots which are too twisted or knobbly for sale as full-size carrots. What Is Couture? Anyone who has watched "Project Runway" has heard the word "couture" thrown around a lot. But what does it mean? 1. The business of designing, making, and selling highly fashionable, usually custom-made clothing for women. 2. The high-fashion clothing created by designers. Generally, it seems like if a garment is high-fashion (and maybe somewhat over-the-top), then it's couture. But being "high fashion" isn't the only main point of "couture", it's also the fact that it's "designed" and "made". Actually, the origin of the word comes from Old French/Latin words meaning "sewn together" or "to sew". When people say "couture", they probably mean "Haute Couture" which means "elegant sewing". In the fashion industry, Haute Couture is a big deal - you can't call yourself a couture designer without being approved by the French Department of Industry. So it seems that the true definition of couture is more equal parts: 1. Highly fashionable 2. Hand sewn and well made 3. Custom-designed for a specific customer (thus likely one-of-a-kind) And it typically is: 4. Made of expensive material 5. Involves many hours of detailed hand-sewing (instead of machine-sewing) 1. High fashion - check! 2. Hand sewn - check! 3. Custom-made for a customer - check! Not Couture: 1. High fashion - check! 2. Hand sewn - maybe check? 3. Custom-made for a customer - NOPE! Red Panda Name Origin I actually learned this facts from The Detroit Zoo! My family went recently and became obsessed with the Red Panda. Let me show you why: So cute. Since they are small and more raccoon-like than bear-like, I wondered how they was related to a Panda Bear. Turns out, they aren't! "Panda" in Japanese means "bamboo eater". Since that's the main source of food for the Red Panda, that's how it got it's name, in the same way the Panda Bear got it's name. Maybe since they aren't "bears", we can get one as a pet? These people did (click here)! Man, I want one so badly. :) Bribery vs. Extortion vs. Blackmail While we're on the crime topic, I wondered what are the specific differences between bribery, extortion, and blackmail. Here are the definitions: Bribery: "The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in the discharge of his or her public or legal duties." If you want a public or legal official to do something illegal or lie for you, you can offer them money or pay them to do it. Extortion: "The obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right." Extortion then is taking property (usually money) from someone by threatening them or pretending it's your legal right (as a government official, police officer, etc). Blackmail: "The crime involving a threat for purposes of compelling a person to do an act against his or her will, or for purposes of taking the person's money or property." And blackmail is when you threaten someone enough for them to feel they have to pay you or do something in order for you not to carry out the threat. So, they all involve some sort of deception or threat in order for a criminal to get what s/he wants from another person, they just all accomplish that in their own ways. What Is Racketeering? After the 10th time I heard someone on a TV crime show get arrested for "racketeering" I finally looked up what it meant. Thought you might want to know, too! One of the reasons it's hard to tell by context clues what racketeering is is because it actually is a pretty vague term involving all sorts of organized crime. The root of the word is "racket", which is an illegal business. Taking part in an illegal business is called "racketeering". But what makes a business illegal? All sorts of things! Bribery, counterfeiting, embezzlement, extortion, obstruction of justice, money laundering, trafficking of stolen goods, etc etc etc. So I think what makes a crime "racketeering" is that it's attached to a business, and it's typically part of an organized crime ring. The term was first used in 1927 to refer to the criminal acts of the Chicago Teamsters union. Coffee Explained! Nice quick info on my new favorite drink! White Noise Ringtones Help You Hear Your Phone Lifehacker Lessons, #5 "Use a White Noise Ringtone to Find Your Lost Cellphone Faster" (from 6/13/11) It's easier for our ears to find the location of the source of white noise over bells or limited-frequency tones. Having your ringtone be white noise can not only help you find your cellphone is lost, but can also help you identify its location quicker in your house or bag. From Lifehacker: After the author experienced a fire drill in England that used white noise generators over exit doors, he learned: ...it is easier to locate the fire door in a smoke filled room if this white noise generator is squawking at you rather than ringing a bell. Okay, several days later and this information is still rolling around my head (there's not much to impede it) when my cellphone rang. I couldn't quite locate it—you know how that is sometimes, you put it down somewhere and then forget where, it sounds like it's everywhere. Guess what, I thought about that fire alarm back in England. So, I got one of the interns at work to make me a ring tone which was just pulses of white noise. We put it on my phone then got someone to hide it. We called the number and were able to pinpoint the phone's location exactly. So, the tip is: make a white noise ring tone for calls you don't want to miss (boss, mom or dad). Something like this works pretty well. Not only is the phone more easily locatable but the sound carries farther and is instantly recognizable as your phone. It's a little antisocial I guess but so am I. Other Lifehacker Tips for finding your phone: Soap Bubbles Repel Mosquitoes Lifehacker Lessons, #4 "Repel Mosquitoes with a Bubble Machine" (from 5/31/11) Mosquitoes don't like soap, so bubbles are a perfect way to keep them away. This is a much more fun and interactive method of mosquito-prevention than Citronella or Deet. From Lifehacker: According to [the weblog] DIY Life, mosquitoes are repelled by soap solutions (hence their disdain for dryer sheets), and a bit of soap suds will do a good job of shooing them away... Some blogs recommend adding a bit of lemongrass oil to your bubble mixture for more powerful repelling. For other anti-mosquito tips (and myths), check out DIY's list of prevention methods here. (note #8: an iPhone app that emits a mosquito-repelling noise??) Tips For Staying Awake Lifehacker Lessons, #3 "How to Manipulate Your Body to Wake the Hell Up" (from 5/20/11) There are ways to wake yourself up naturally and cheaply, even when the caffeine doesn't seem to be kicking in during your long workday afternoons. From Lifehacker: Tip #1: Put less sugar & milk in your coffee. The bitterness can help jolt you awake. Tip #2: Grab a few minutes of direct sunlight, outdoors. Light through windows isn't the same. Tip #3: Gently tug at your hair to get the blood flowing to your head. Tip #4: Splash cold water on your face. For best results, head outside to feel the breeze. Tip #5: Place your alarm clock far away from your bed so you have to stand up to turn it off. Tip #6: Take a laughter break with a YouTube video, funny blog, etc. Tip #7: Eat a mint; the stronger the better! Tip #8: Massage your hands, especially between your palms and wrists. Tip #9: Talk to a stranger. Your body will tend to wake up to avoid awkwardness. Tip #10: Play upbeat music that you love. Tip #11: Stretch your limbs and back like you're about to exercise to get your blood flowing. Tip #12: Shed some clothing layers (if appropriate!). It's easier to feel sleepy when we're warm. Tip #13: Stand up, feet shoulder-width apart, and flip your head upside-down to help with circulation (but come back up slowly!). Tip #14: Suck on a lemon to shock your system! Good luck! Split An Apple With Your Bare Hands! Lifehacker Lessons, #2 "How to Split an Apple Without a Knife" (from 5/23/11) The title says it all! You not only can do this to share an apple in a pinch, but also to impress your friends. :) From Lifehacker: New Experiences Help Time Pass More Slowly I learn a lot of stuff from a great website called Lifehacker. It contains all sorts of ways to make your life easier and cheaper, from learning about what new gadget google has to turning cinder-blocks into planters. In my appreciation, I've decided to devote this week's Stuff I've Just Learned posts from recent Lifehacker entries. "Why New Experiences Are Important, and How They Positively Affect Your Perception of Time" (from 5/17/11) Time may tick by at a consistent beat, but that's not how our brains perceive time. Instead, if something is unfamiliar and thus harder for our brain to process, time appears to slow down as our minds organize the new information. Conversely if something is familiar/easier to process, time appears to speed up. From Lifehacker: Neuroscientist David Eagleman, who has extensively studied the effects of our brain's perception of time, believes that this effect makes time fly by faster as we age. His profile in the New Yorker, written by Burkhard Bilger, explains further: "This explains why we think that time speeds up when we grow older," Eagleman said-why childhood summers seem to go on forever, while old age slips by while we're dozing. The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass. "Time is this rubbery thing...it stretches out when you really turn your brain resources on, and when you say, ‘Oh, I got this, everything is as expected,' it shrinks up." ...If we perceive time more slowly when we're processing the unfamiliar, than the frequent introduction of the unfamiliar could help our perception of time from rapidly shrinking. Click here to read more about fascinating perception-of-time Eagleman's research. How Did Marvel Comic's Spider-Man Make Webs? Believe it or not, movies that are based on comic books are not always true to the original story! Recently, one of my 10-grade students told me that despite what the 2002 Tobey Maguire film showed, comic-book Spider-Man did not receive the ability to shoot webs out of his wrists after he got bitten by the radioactive spider. He actually used web-shooters which attached to cuffs on his wrists. Here's an explanation of them via Wikipedia: Peter had reasoned that a spider (even a human one) needed a web. Since the radioactive spider-bite did not initially grant him the power to spin webs, he had instead found a way to produce them artificially. The wrist-mounted devices fire an adhesive "webbing" through a threaded adjustable nozzle... Spider-Man must steadily replenish his webbing supply, reloading his web-shooters with small cartridges of web fluid... His web-shooters require constant maintenance and on more than one occasion suffer jams or malfunctions... Occasionally, the web-shooters are modified to expel other liquids. So, my first question upon hearing this was "What good did come from him being bitten by the spider then?" My student answered with pretty much the same answer as Wikipedia does: Immediately after the bite, he was granted his original powers: primarily superhuman strength, reflexes, and equilibrium; the ability to cling tenaciously to most surfaces; and a subconscious precognitive sense of danger, which he called a "spider-sense." I suppose that's enough. :) But I guess that Spider-Man just had to use more ingenuity and engineering in the comic books than in the movie. After all: Before the radioactive spider bite, Peter Parker was already a gifted academic student with considerable expertise in many fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and advanced technology. Through these skills he was able to create his artificial web fluid, his web-shooters and other Spider-man equipment. His scientific knowledge has often been used to defeat his adversaries when his powers are not sufficient enough. Easier said than done, movie Spidey. More Words That Should Exist In English Last year, I posted a couple of words that exist in other languages that could help make American English more concise. Reader's Digest did something similar last month! Here are some of my favorites from their article: Iktsuarpok, Inuit: To go outside to check if anyone is coming. Jayus, Indonesian: A joke so poorly told and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh. Tartle, Scottish: The act of hesitating while introducing someone because you've forgotten his name. Cafune, Brazillian Portuguese: The act of tenderly running one's fingers through someone's hair. Tingo, Pascuense, Easter Island: The act of taking objects one desires from the house of a friend by gradually borrowing all of them. Love it. These will come in handy on Twitter! Must save characters whenever possible! Rap Lyrics Explained 3 Here's more from the book Understand Rap, Explanations of Confusing Rap Lyrics You & Your Grandma Can Understand. This last explanation comes from the Puff Daddy & The Family song, "It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)": My west coast shorty push the chrome 740 Meaning: "The female I associate with while I am spending time in California is driving a high-end BMW brand automobile, which I may have purchased for or loaned to her, and that has had a special coating applied to give it an extremely bright, silver, mirrorlike finish." Want more? Click on the title to buy the book! Rap Lyrics Explained 2 This explanation comes from the Dr. Dre song, "Forgot About Dre": I was strapped wit' gats when you were cuddling a Cabbage Patch Meaning: "When you were still a child and had no concerns other than playing with dolls in the comfort and safety of your home, I was carrying guns around to defend myself in my dangerous urban neighborhood." Want more? Click on the title to buy the book! Rap Lyrics Explained 1 My cousin always used to translate rap songs for me into layman's terms, so I was delighted when she got me the book Understand Rap, Explanations of Confusing Rap Lyrics You & Your Grandma Can Understand. I thought I would take the next couple of days to enlighten you with the info I got from this great book! Today's explanation comes from the Fabolous song, "Throw It In The Bag": Bag full of chips -- we ain't talkin' Ruffles Meaning: "I have a bag that contains a large amount of paper money that I am describing by using a term that stems from the circular disks casinos use as in-house currency, clarifying that it is not a particular brand of thin crinkle-cut potato slices that you may have thought I was referring to." Consider yourself that much more informed. :) The Kings Of Leon Brothers I had to look up the writers/performers of the Kings of Leon song "Use Somebody" for work, and was surprised to see that they all had the same last name. Sure enough, the 4 members of the band contain 3 brothers and their cousin; all members of the talented Followill family. (Side note: they all go by their middle names and not their first!) They don't give off the typical pop family-band image, but they could have been one marketing decision away from being one! So close, yet so far away. Why Doesn't Hello Kitty Have A Mouth? According to sanrio.com (the company who makes Hello Kitty products): Why doesn't Hello Kitty have a mouth? Hello Kitty speaks from her heart. She’s Sanrio's ambassador to the world and isn't bound to any particular language. But according to the host of the late-night QVC show I watched recently, there's an additional reason as well! The host said that Hello Kitty is more relatable to people when she isn't showing a set emotion. Without a mouth, she can appear to be feeling however the person playing with her is feeling. I can see that. Imagine an emotion and look at Hello Kitty - she could be feeling that way, too. Clever. :) What Does "Bimonthly" Mean? I know, I know, it sounds like a simple question... but I've heard it used to describe "twice per month" and "every other month". That can be a big difference! Well, according to Merriam-Webster.com: Bimonthly, adj: 1. occurring every two months 2. occurring twice a month No wonder I'm confused when I hear something happens "bimonthly"! I guess you're supposed to tell the meaning by the context? The same goes for biweekly, biannually, etc. As far as I can see, the word originally (1846) was supposed to mean "occurring every two months", hence the prefix "bi" (meaning "two, twice, double," etc.). I imagine that at some point people got confused when they heard "twice monthly" and started using it to mean twice per month, too. And you know how the English language works - enough people use a word (even if it's wrong) and that defines it. In case you want to be "more" correct, you can try these alternatives for twice per month: Fortnightly (since a "fortnight" is 14 days) French Military Victories This isn't so much "information" I learned; it's more something kind of funny I learned. If you google search the phrase "French Military Victories" and click "I Feel Lucky", this is what you'll get: That's a bit of a low-blow, but I guess history speaks for itself... :) Good Thing Times Have Changed...! Via Reader's Digest: "In 19th-century Japan and China, 'talks too much' was one of seven reasons for which a man could divorce his wife" Eeeek. What were the other 6 reasons, I wonder? Television Ads Will Have To Keep Quiet! News from last month's Reader's Digest: Muffle those TV ads: it's the law The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act was passed by the House and Senate, but the FCC will have a year to mull over regulations another year to enforce them. What's it mean? It appears that within the next two years, television commercials won't be allowed to blast at a higher volume than the television show itself. My ears are pretty stoked! Why Do Things Cost "An Arm And A Leg"? Unfortunately the origins of this idiom aren't super clear. What we do know is that people say an object will "cost an arm and a leg" to imply it's very expensive, and that the phrase likely originated in America around the 1930's, and started being used in print in the 1950s. Other than that, here are some guesses as to its origin: 1. Painters would base their portrait-prices on how many limbs needed to be painted, and would charge extra for arms and legs. 2. Many soldiers who fought in World War I lost limbs, making life extremely difficult (and therefore costly). 3. Early 20th-century factories were very dangerous, but the jobs were worth it, even if a worker lost a leg or an arm in the process, because the work would make money. 4. Some gruesome forms of capital punishment were used for a period of history, where someone by law could get their arm cut off for stealing, have their legs crushed, etc. So the criminal act could literally cost a person a limb. 5. It's an extension of the phrase "to give one's right arm for". Since that's usually the dominant stronger arm, if the speaker is willing to sacrifice it, the object in question must be very valuable. 6. It came from the phrase "if it costs a leg!" used by desperadoes seeking revenge or criminals involved in illegal activity. It would be worth it for them to do these acts even if it "cost them a leg" along the way. 7. It came from the army phrase "to chance one's arm", used to describe a risky situation that could come with great reward. In this scenario, the "arm" the soldier would lose upon failing would be a rank, and thus a stripe from his arm's sleeve. Anything I missed? Founder vs. Flounder Did you know that some people who say the verb "flounder" actually mean "founder"? This kind of thing always blows my mind. After I used flounder incorrectly at work, one of my bosses showed me the following entry in a book, 100 Words Almost Everyone Mixes Up or Mangles, that she purchased for me a few months ago. :) Flounder, verb: 1. To move clumsily or with little progress, as through water or mud. 2. To act or function in a confused or directionless manner; struggle. Founder, verb: 1. To sink below the surface of the water. 2. To cave in, sink. 3. To fail utterly, collapse. "If a student is foundering in Chemistry 101, he had better drop the course; if he is floundering, he may yet pull through." Since I didn't know that founder the verb existed until now, I definitely have been using flounder for all of those meanings! Think about this: if a person flounders in the water, that person will likely founder at times. Trademarks, Copyrights, & Patents Do you know what the difference is between these things? As my former student Andrew pointed out, I have no real idea. :) So let's learn! According to him: Copyrights are for protecting an artists' creative works. ie. J.K. Rowling has the copyright to the Harry Potter series. Trademarks are for protecting the names and identifying marks used in commercial activity. ie. The Target Corporation owns the trademark for its bulls-eye-target icon. Patents are for scientific inventions, including machines, drugs, and the like. ie. Apple has the patent for the iPod (and lucky them!). Trademarks and copyrights don't need to be registered, though you get extra enforcement rights if you do register them. Patents have to go through the United States Patent & Trademark Office, and they have reviewers who look at applications and check to see whether the invention is actually new enough for a patent. I could look all of this stuff up for you to name a source, but I believe Andrew! Thanks! Sleepy Words I can always count on Reader's Digest to teach me things! Here are some sleep-related words and their meanings that you can throw around during this hibernation season: Somniloquist, noun: sleep talker Hypnopompic, adj: prewaking Torpor, noun: state of sluggishness Quiescent, adj: at rest Bruxism, noun: teeth grinding Soporific, adj: sleep-inducing Did you know there were words for all these things? Feel free to use them to impress your friends. For example: "Danny's wife's bruxism often woke him throughout the night, so he found himself in a torpor most days. If that wasn't enough, she was also a somniloquist in her hypnopompic state! Danny loved his wife, but he cherished Sunday afternoons when he could read a boring soporific book and finally be quiescent napping on the couch." See? You probably wouldn't have understood that story at all 24 hours ago. :) Happy Valentine's Day! Some people say that Valentine's Day was created by the greeting-card companies just to make a profit. Is it true? Where did Valentine's Day come from? It actually has Catholic religious origins, dating back to 496 AD, when Pope Gelasius I established the day to commemorate the martyr Valentine (although the Feast of Saint Valentine was removed from the General Roman Calendar by Pope Paul VI in 1969). Based on the earliest historic records, Valentine was martyred for trying to convert Roman Emperor Claudius II to Christianity. Okay. Not very romantic yet. Folklore has claimed that instead Valentine spent his life in jail for protesting Claudius's law prohibiting military men to marry. Further, legend states that Valentine wrote the first "Valentine's Day card" to the jailer's daughter, whom he loved. However, there is no historical proof of these stories. So, minus the folklore, how could the jump from martyr to romance happen? Some people say that it has to do with associating St. Valentine with "sacrificial" love (for God), which just became love in general, then "romantic" love. Others say that the original February holiday of St. Valentine got mixed together with the Ancient Roman Lupercalia Festival of fertility. Others associate the origins with George Chaucer's 1382's Parlement of Foules, which contains the line, "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate". ... and on and on... Regardless, Valentine's Day poetry and letters appear to have long-standing tradition in Europe and the United States. As early as 1797, British publishers were banking on helping people express their Valentine's Day love on paper. To get back to the original question, though, I doubt that there were greeting-card companies in the 14th century (or earlier) when this all began, but someone decided to make this holiday what it is now! And the reasons seem to have nothing to do with St. Valentine himself. So I don't believe that a company began this holiday, although the greeting-card companies are certainly taking advantage of it (rightly so! good economics!). Either way, hope you all have a love-filled day!
From Children's Rights Wiki Jump to: navigation, search Alphabetical Country Selector Links to Country specific information: International Regional National Action Organisations Resources Persistent violations • Discrimination against indigenous children in education[1] • High rate of chronic malnutrition among indigenous children[2] • Trafficking of children separated from their family (the CRC further stipulates that in spite of a new law, it remains “concerned at the tolerance of trafficking, which has led to underreporting and impunity”[3] • Violence against street children[4] • Persistence of child labour in hazardous spheres[5] 1. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Universal Periodic Review 2. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 3. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Human Rights Committee, UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women 4. UN Human Rights Committee, UN Committee Against TortureCorporal punishment is not prohibited in the home (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Univesral Periodic Review 5. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women A Central American country situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala borders Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Its recent history is plagued by a succession of military coups and a brutal civil war that lasted 36 years until 1996. With the subsequent transition to democracy, Guatemala has taken steps towards addressing historic human rights abuses, most notably placing its former president on trial on genocide charges. Other enduring human rights issues include discrimination against indigenous and minority groups and extrajudicial executions of children which largely remain in impunity. The Republic of Guatemala is located in Central America and borders Mexico to the north and west, Belize and the Gulf of Honduras to the east, Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The exact origin of the country's name is not known, but one theory holds that it comes from the expression 'land of the trees' in the Mayan-Toltec language. The country's capital is Guatemala City. Population and language Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, with 13,686,000 inhabitants, of whom 6,834,000 are under 18. Guatemala has a diverse racial and cultural heritage and is home to many indigenous peoples, including some 21 different Mayan groups, which collectively make up more than 50 per cent of the population. [1]. Spanish is the main official language and is spoken by the majority (60 per cent). However, 23 Mayan languages are also officially recognised and commonly spoken by 40 per cent of the population. History and Politics Guatemala came under the control of the Spanish Crown from 1523 until the Declaration of Independence in 1821. However, the United States has a history of exerting political influence in Guatemala, primarily through the United Fruit Company (today known as Chiquita Brands International). The Company backed a military coup in 1952, stoking fears of communism in the country, to oust Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, whose agrarian reform programme threatened the Company's economic dominance. The programme aimed to redistribute wealth and end semi-feudal practices, proposing to expropriate any uncultivated land, including 40 per cent of that owned by the United Fruit Company. Following the coup, Guatemala suffered a string of authoritarian governments and social and military revolutions, culminating in a 36-year internal armed conflict in which approximately 40-50,000 people disappeared and 250,000 were killed. One of the most brutal moments in the country's conflict was the massacre of 200 people in the village of Dos Erres by counter-insurgents who claimed villagers were harbouring insurgents. In a landmark trial, four former army officers trained by the CIA were sentenced for their role in the atrocity in August 2011. The 1996 Peace Accords marked an end to the conflict and delivered a package of agreements on agrarian reform and human rights, including to bolster the rights of indigenous peoples. The Peace Accords created a more favourable climate for foreign direct investment, although a significant divide persists between rich and poor as a consequence of unequal distribution of wealth. The country's main agricultural exports are coffee, sugar and bananas. Industrial activities include sugar processing, tobacco and textile manufacturing. Exports are geared primarily to the US and other Central American markets. Remittances from migrant workers in the US make up about 10 per cent of GDP. Guatemala is part of the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Media and civil society Guatemala has a strong civil society movement which has grown as a result of the nation's turbulent history and in response to disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes to which it is prone. However, Reporters Without Borders has noted that the country is a dangerous place for journalists to look into cases of corruption or links to the civil war, and highlights that the murders of journalists generally pass without investigation.[2]Guatemala ranks 77 out of 178 in Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index 2010, with one being the most free. Human rights and children's rights The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has noted that chronic malnutrition affects some 80 per cent of the indigenous population of Guatemala (paragraph 40), and reiterated concerns expressed by other UN treaty bodies about the 'alarming' level of discrimination against indigenous peoples.The UN body has also expressed particular concern about violence against children, in particular the high number of extrajudicial executions of children and the lack of investigation into such cases by the authorities. In addition, the country has come under international criticism in the past for widespread illegal inter-country adoptions in which members of the judiciary were complicit, leading to the suspension of such adoptions until laws were tightened in 2007. 1. Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Guatemala: Maya, July 2008 2. Reporters Without Borders, Guatemala page Quick Facts
Hitting a golf ball To hit the ball, the club is swung at the motionless ball wherever it has come to rest from a side stance. Many golf shots make the ball travel through the air (carry) and roll out for some more distance (roll). Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. The full golf swing itself is used in tee and fairway shots. A full swing is a coiling and uncoiling of the body aimed at accelerating the club head to a great speed. For a right-handed golfer, it consists of a backswing to the right, a downswing to the left (during which the ball is hit), and a follow through. The fastest recorded golf club head speed is 217 miles per hour (349 km/h). The full golf swing is a complex motion that is often difficult to learn. It is common for beginners to spend some time practicing the very basics before playing their first ball on a course. Generally, even once a golfer has attained professional status, a coach is still necessary in order for the player to maintain good fundamentals. Every shot is a compromise between length and precision, and long shots are often less precise than short ones. A longer shot may result in a better score if it helps reduce the total number of strokes for a given hole, but the benefit may be more than outweighed by additional strokes or penalties if a ball is lost, out of bounds, or comes to rest on difficult ground. Therefore, a skilled golfer must assess the quality of his or her shots in a particular situation in order to judge whether the possible benefits of aggressive play are worth the risks. Types of shots Strictly speaking, every shot made in a round of golf will be subtly different, because the conditions of the ball’s lie and desired travel path and distance will virtually never be exactly the same. However, most shots fall into one of the following categories depending on the purpose and desired distance: • A putt is a shot designed to roll the ball along the ground. It is normally made on the putting green using a putter, though other clubs may be used to achieve the same effect in different situations. A lag is a long putt designed less to try to place the ball in the cup than simply to move the ball a long distance across the putting green for an easier short putt into the cup. • A chip shot is a very short lofted shot, generally made with an abbreviated swing motion. Chip shots are used as very short approach shots (generally within 35 yards/32 meters), as a “lay-up” shot to reposition the ball on the fairway, or to get the ball out of a hazard such as a sand trap. This requires a lofted club, usually a wedge. • A pitch or bump and run is a variation of a chip shot, which involves pitching the ball a short distance and allowing the ball to run along the ground with a medium- or high-lofted club using a motion simliar to putting. • Punch or knock-down shots are very low-loft shots of varying distance. They are used to avoid hitting the ball into overhead obstructions, or when hitting into the wind. • A Flop Shot is when a player opens the club face on a chip shot to get the ball to fly over an obstacle and stop quickly when it hits the ground. • A drive is a long-distance shot played from the tee or fairway, intended to move the ball a great distance down the fairway towards the green. The driver or 1-wood is used for this shot which is the longest and largest golf club. • An approach shot is made with the intention of placing the ball on the green. The term “approach” typically refers to a second or subsequent shot with a shorter-range iron depending on the distance required. • Lay-up shots are made from the fairway after a drive or from the rough, but intended to travel a shorter distance than might normally be expected and/or with a higher degree of accuracy, due to intervening circumstances. Most often, a lay-up shot is made to avoid hitting the ball into a hazard placed in the fairway, or to position the ball in a more favorable position on the fairway for the next shot. They are “safe” shots; the player is choosing not to try to make a very long or oddly placed shot correctly, therefore avoiding the risk that they will make it incorrectly and incur penalty strokes, at the cost of requiring one or more additional strokes to place the ball on the green. • A draw is when a player shapes a shot from right to left in a curving motion (or left to right for a left-handed player). This occurs when the clubface is closed relative to the swingpath. • A hook is a shot which moves severely from right to left (or left to right for a left-handed player). More skilled players can hook the ball at will, but most commonly a hook is a badly misplayed shot that often has negative consequences as a result. • A fade is when a player shapes a shot from left to right in a curving motion (or right to left for a left-handed player). This occurs when the clubface is open relative to the swingpath. • A slice is a shot which moves severely from the left to right (or right to left for a left-handed player). Similarly to the hook, skillful players can slice the ball when necessary. The slice, however is the most common fault of the average golfer’s swing, and it is quite common to see golfer’s adjusting to play for it. The loss of distance from playing the slice is usually the extent of the penalty, but slices, especially unexpected ones can get the player into trouble as well. • A shank occurs when the club strikes the ball close to the joint between the shaft of the club and the club head, called the hosel, and thus flies at a sharp angle to the right of the intended direction (or to the left, for a left-handed player). It is often called a “lateral” describing the path of the shot. Shanking can become difficult to stop when started. • A topped or bladed shot occurs when the forward edge of the club head strikes the ball too high, ie at the center of the ball instead of underneath as intended, and the ball thus flies very low or rolls along the ground. • A fat shot, known as a chunk on chips, occurs when the club head strikes the ground behind the ball, making a large divot instead of striking the ball cleanly, causing the shot to come up short of the target. Rare Football Programmes – Program covering all events in the Xth Olympiad in Los Angeles, July 30th – 14th August 14 1932. Includes timetable, map and ticket information. Leave a Reply
07/03/2010 05:12 am ET \| Updated May 25, 2011 New Toxics Legislation Isn't Hazardous to Corporate Health On April 15th, Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, which proposes to bring regulations governing chemicals into the 21st century. Whether the industries involved go willingly or are dragged kicking and screaming remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the business community needs better rules on toxins and would be wise to support the legislation. Currently, chemical safety is regulated by the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. Designed to grant the EPA the power to control toxic substances, this 34-year-old law has not produced the information needed to identify hazardous chemicals and asks regulators to meet an absurdly high burden of proof before taking positive action. Instead of protecting public health from harm, it has allowed countless dangerous substances to flood our homes and environment. The evidence of these failures can be seen in all-too common headlines warning consumers about the threats posed by countless household products containing BPA, phthalates, flame retardants, PFCs, and a host of other chemicals many experts believe can lead to hormonal disruption, developmental and reproductive damage, and other serious conditions. The Safe Chemicals Act would change this by empowering the EPA to demand complete safety data, set safer exposure thresholds, place the burden of proof of chemical safety on manufacturers prior to introduction, take immediate action to reduce risks created by those substances already proven harmful, and encourage the development of green chemistry alternatives. There is a wealth of reasons why the business community should support such a shift in toxics policy. By requiring both new and existing chemicals to meet identical testing requirements, the new law would establish a much more predictable regulatory system. New and existing chemicals would be subject to the same testing requirements, which would level the playing field and end the guessing game that so often accompanies today's approval process. Even better, the law would spur growth and create new profit centers by greatly expanding the market for greener products. Importantly, banning chemicals that clearly have no place in a sustainable world would also reduce costs and risks related to product liability across a company's supply chains -- risks that today often remain unknown until the financial and brand reputation damage has been done. It would lower expenses associated with exposure-related employee illness and create safer workplaces that enhance employee productivity. It would also boost consumer confidence along with employee and investor trust, which would create a more positive pro-business environment. This business case is extremely powerful. Reining in dangerous chemicals and replacing them with safer alternatives would promote a world that's healthier, wealthier, and much better for business as a direct result. That's why chemical makers and companies of all kinds should avoid the knee-jerk objections that typically come whenever stronger regulations are proposed. A closer and more rational look at the outcomes the Safe Chemicals Act would create shows plenty of things that are good for all of us.
Ligament Injuries Ligament Injuries Loading image. Please wait... Injury to the cruciate ligaments is sometimes referred to as a "sprain." The ACL is most often stretched or torn (or both) by a sudden twisting motion (for example, when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another). The PCL is most often injured by a direct impact, such as in an automobile accident or football tackle. Symptoms and Diagnosis Injury to a cruciate ligament may not cause pain. Rather, the person may hear a popping sound, and the leg may buckle when he or she tries to stand on it. The doctor may perform several tests to see whether the parts of the knee stay in proper position when pressure is applied in different directions. A thorough examination is essential. An MRI is very accurate in detecting a complete tear, but arthroscopy may be the only reliable means of detecting a partial one.Loading image. Please wait... For an incomplete tear, the doctor may recommend that the patient begin an exercise program to strengthen surrounding muscles. The doctor may also prescribe a brace to protect the knee during activity. For a completely torn ACL in an active athlete and motivated person, the doctor is likely to recommend surgery. The surgeon may reattach the torn ends of the ligament or reconstruct the torn ligament by using a piece (graft) of healthy ligament from the patient (autograft) or from a cadaver (allograft). Although synthetic ligaments have been tried in experiments, the results have not been as good as with human tissue. One of the most important elements in a patient's successful recovery after cruciate ligament surgery is a 4- to 6-month exercise and rehabilitation program that may involve using special exercise equipment at a rehabilitation or sports center. Successful surgery and rehabilitation will allow the patient to return to a normal lifestyle.Loading image. Please wait... What Is the Most Common Cause of Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligament Injuries? The MCL is more easily injured than the LCL. The cause is most often a blow to the outer side of the knee that stretches and tears the ligament on the inner side of the knee. Such blows frequently occur in contact sports like football or hockey.Loading image. Please wait... Symptoms and Diagnosis When injury to the MCL occurs, a person may feel a pop and the knee may buckle sideways. Pain and swelling are common. A thorough examination is needed to determine the kind and extent of the injury. To diagnose a collateral ligament injury, the doctor exerts pressure on the side of the knee to determine the degree of pain and the looseness of the joint. An MRI is helpful in diagnosing injuries to these ligaments. Most sprains of the collateral ligaments will heal if the patient follows a prescribed exercise program. In addition to exercise, the doctor may recommend ice packs to reduce pain and swelling and a small sleeve-type brace to protect and stabilize the knee. A sprain may take 2 to 4 weeks to heal. A severely sprained or torn collateral ligament may be accompanied by a torn ACL, which usually requires surgical repair. Loading image. Please wait... Tendon Injuries and Disorders What Causes Tendinitis and Ruptured Tendons? Knee tendon injuries range from tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon) to a ruptured (torn) tendon. If a person overuses a tendon during certain activities such as dancing, cycling, or running, the tendon stretches like a worn-out rubber band and becomes inflamed. Also, trying to break a fall may cause the quadriceps muscles to contract and tear the quadriceps tendon above the patella or the patellar tendon below the patella. This type of injury is most likely to happen in older people whose tendons tend to be weaker. Tendinitis of the patellar tendon is sometimes called jumper's knee because in sports that require jumping, such as basketball, the muscle contraction and force of hitting the ground after a jump strain the tendon. After repeated stress, the tendon may become inflamed or tear. Symptoms and Diagnosis People with tendinitis often have tenderness at the point where the patellar tendon meets the bone. In addition, they may feel pain during running, hurried walking, or jumping. A complete rupture of the quadriceps or patellar tendon is not only painful, but also makes it difficult for a person to bend, extend, or lift the leg against gravity. If there is not much swelling, the doctor will be able to feel a defect in the tendon near the tear during a physical examination. An x-ray will show that the patella is lower than normal in a quadriceps tendon tear and higher than normal in a patellar tendon tear. The doctor may use an MRI to confirm a partial or total tear. Initially, the doctor may ask a patient with tendinitis to rest, elevate, and apply ice to the knee and to take medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve pain and decrease inflammation and swelling. If the quadriceps or patellar tendon is completely ruptured, a surgeon will reattach the ends. After surgery, the patient will wear a cast for 3 to 6 weeks and use crutches. For a partial tear, the doctor might apply a cast without performing surgery. Rehabilitating a partial or complete tear of a tendon requires an exercise program that is similar to but less vigorous than that prescribed for ligament injuries. The goals of exercise are to restore the ability to bend and straighten the knee and to strengthen the leg to prevent repeat injury. A rehabilitation program may last 6 months, although the patient can return to many activities before then. Medical/Legal Disclaimer Copyright © 2003 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
An Analysis of the Village Only available on StudyMode • Download(s) : 3933 • Published : January 19, 2006 Open Document Text Preview M. Night Shyamalan's The Village is a "psychological thriller". Classical conditioning, mental disorders, and senses are some of the categories of psychology found in the movie, everything else stems from these three categories. There are several examples of classical conditioning in The Village. The villagers exhibit fear around the color red because they have had it drilled into their heads since birth that red is "the bad color". The color red attracts "those we do not speak of", monsters with whom there is a tentative treaty, or so the villagers believe. Threats of violence or harm are the unconditioned stimulus, which evoke the unconditioned response: fear. Threats paired with warnings of the color red result in fear. Finally, red brings about fear all on its own even though a color cannot physically harm a person. Similarly, the villagers have been told that yellow is the safe color and it will protect a person from "those we do not speak of". Through the same series, yellow evokes feelings of safety in the people. Ivy, when traveling through the woods, knows that the monsters are not real and yet she is still fearful when her yellow robe becomes completely covered in mud. This conditioning is so deeply ingrained in her mind that it will not be easily extinct. Each elder experienced the death of someone close to him or her at the hands of another person. They got together and each story that they heard increasingly convinced them that these people and money where evil. Because they had all had these terrible things happen to them once they began to believe that this might be a pretty common occurrence and that maybe all of the people, or at least most, of the world where bad people at heart. They generalized their fear to include all people, not just the ones that had wronged them. They therefore came up with "The Village" where they could live in a simpler time with out the corruption of the modern day and without money at all. They made the village... tracking img
Only available on StudyMode • Download(s) : 24 • Published : February 2, 2011 Open Document Text Preview Chemical industries encounter failures affecting their productivity leading to enormous financial losses. It is estimated that in process industries the phenomenon of corrosion failure contributes to 60%, while the remaining 40 % accounts for mechanical, operational factors. Therefore, it is necessary to have a through knowledge on various aspects of corrosion in process industries. Fertiliser plants encounter corrosion due to presence of a wide spectrum of corrosive materials. Corrosive materials, which are responsible for corrosion at various stages of fertiliser manufacture, are sulphur compounds, chlorine, carbonates, carbon-di-oxide, ammonia, nascent nitrogen and hydrogen, carbamate etc. The operation of the plant at high temperature and pressure also contributes towards corrosion loss in fertiliser industries. Generally corrosion failures are classified into uniform corrosion, pitting corrosion, galvanic corrosion, crevice corrosion, inter-granular corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, carburisation, sulfidation and metal dusting. Stress corrosion cracking is one of the frequently encountered corrosion problems in fertiliser industries. Various factors affecting the corrosion are quality of feed stock and pre treatment, presence of impurities like sulphur compounds, chloride etc. Uniform corrosion is a general attack on the material by forming uniform oxide layer over the material. Deterioration by pitting is one of the most dangerous and most common types of localised corrosion encountered in aqueous environments. Pitting occurs when the protective film brakes down in isolated spots, where halide salts are in contact with the surface. After initiation, the attack may accelerate because of difference in electric potentials between large area of passive surface and active spot. It can be avoided by proper selection of the material with respect to the environment. Crevice corrosion is due to the presence of local difference in oxygen concentration or other oxidising agents in the crevice. It occurs due to the presence of crevice between metal and metal or non metal components. Unintentional crevices such as cracks, seams and other metallurgical defects also lead to crevice corrosion. Crevice corrosion progress rapidly. The best solution for this is to have a design that eliminated the crevice. Galvanic corrosion occurs when a metal or alloy is electrically coupled to another metal or conducting non metal in the same electrolyte. The three essential components are : 1) Material posssesing different surface potential 2) A common electrolyte 3) A common electrical path Erosion can be defined as the removal of surface material by the action of numerous individual impacts of solid or liquid particles. Erosion is typically thought to involve the action of dilutte dispersion of small solid or liquid particles entianed in a fluid jet. Stress corrosion cracking is a term used to describe service failures in engineering materials that occur by slow environmentally induced crack propagation. The observed crack propagation is the result of combined and synergistic interaction of mechanical stress and corrosion reactions. The stress required to cause SCC are small, uaually below the macroscopic yield stress, and are tensile in nature. The stress can be externally applied, but residual stress often cause SCC. Intergranular corrosion takes place when the the corrosion rate of the grain boundary areas of an alloy exceeds that of the grain interiors. This difference in corrosion rate is generally the result of difference in composition between grain boundary and grain. The difference in corrosion rate may be caused by number of reasons. A phase may precipitates at at a grain boundary and deplete the matrix of an element that effects its corrosion resistance. A grain boundary phase may be more reactive than the... tracking img
What is it to listen? Is listening the same as paying attention to something? Not quite. Listening has a receptivity to it. We are opening ourselves to receiving information. Listening has a natural STILLNESS to it. Animals remain still and quiet while they listen. A horse will stop chewing, stop breathing, and freeze while listening. To listen we are still, quiet, attentive, and receptive. A ‘noisy’ or ‘inattentive’ mind cannot listen as effectively as a quiet and still mind. Someone who has a busy mind cannot listen. They cannot hear. This is why emergency responders are trained to talk loudly and clearly and to repeat information over and over. They know that a stressed person cannot take in information. Emotions get in the way of being receptive. A quiet receptive mind is a tool for listening. When we listen with our ears we are receptive to sound waves, pressure waves, passing through the medium in which we are bathed. We are receptive to waves of energy hitting our eardrum and being interpreted as sound. Our sense organs are specialized for registering certain information (eg., ears for sound waves, eyes for light waves) but it is the mind that organises what to sense. Mind unconsciously pre-selects filters for perception as we aim our attention on something. We can therefore only sense that which we are attending and which our pre-selected filters register. Although sense organs are specialized for receiving certain information, they are not exclusive. Humans, for example, show a strange phenomenon called blindsight when a person who is blind can still know what is in front of them without seeing it with their eyes. They just know but don’t know how they know and may not be able to identify all its attributes but something, some information has been registered. We also find synesthesia in people who have cross over sensory input; seeing numbers or hearing colours, for example. Our mind limits, filters, and prioritizes for relevance what information we receive and so we Qigong practitioners cultivate our quality of mind, our ability to attend and listen; to enhance our sensory interaction with, and receptivity to, information. Attainment of Skill British schooling conditions us to think that we are either right or wrong. During our developmental years, we are assessed and marked accordingly. There develops a sense of failure or achievement depending on how good we are getting things ‘right’ and, at an early age, we learn where we stand in relation to others in this regard. As an Open University tutor, I often come across students with a deeply ingrained sense of failure which seriously impedes learning. In Taiji there is no right and wrong: just a spectrum from poorly skilled to highly skilled. Please ingest this. There will always be more skill to develop and therefore you will never have it done, have it right, have it finished. Skill is always developing. For some of us, this produces an open-ended lack of achievement (no sense of completion) but only if we assume there should be an end point. The end is not the aim. Development of skill is the aim. In the early days, we do not have much skill and we struggle with clunky bodies, self-criticism, and perhaps a sense of defeat (I will never be able to do that). But there should be no comparison with others. This is not a competition, a grading, or a test. We are each developing our skill as best we can at this time in our lives, with all the limitations of aging and injury inflict. One student will be flexible and flowing while another is stiff and clunky but if both are developing slightly more skill each week, both are doing it right. The interesting thing about skill is that it develops by DOING. It is not about understanding it with our intellect (although, for some of us, this helps). It is about understanding it, knowing it, kinaesthetically. This is a completely different type of learning (which academic schools do not address but various craft-based apprenticeships do). We do not develop taiji skill by ‘learning’ the form as quickly as we can. We develop skill by working on (practising) the principles we know so far. As our skill evolves, our teacher gives us more principles to work on. In other words, the sense of achievement needs to shift from one of ‘completion’ to one of ‘attaining skill’. It is not so much about the length as the depth. Silence for Health Silence is under-rated in our stimulation-rich, things-to-do, must-never-get-bored, society. The ceaseless attentional demands of modern life put a significant burden on the prefrontal cortex of the brain, where we organise thinking, decision-making and problem-solving. Over time, of course, our attentional resources become depleted. As a result, we become mentally fatigued, and may struggle to focus, solve problems or come up with new ideas. But the brain can restore its cognitive resources when we have lower levels of sensory input than usual—in silence, for instance. Silence can also regenerate brain tissue. Researchers have found that only two hours of silence a day can lead to new cells in the hippocampus, a key brain region associated with learning, memory and emotion. These findings suggest that silence could be therapeutic for conditions like depression and Alzheimer’s, which are associated with decreased rates of neuron regeneration in the hippocampus. Silence does something tangible to our sense of self. When there is little input to process from outside, we have an opportunity to process inside. This is often one reason why some of us avoid silence; it prevents any observation of our inner lives. But silence allows access to more than our internal processes. It allows us access to something deeper, bigger, wiser. When I was in the Sinai desert, doing Qigong (as you do) the silence created by a vast expanse of emptiness was the most unexpected part of my experience. It was as if, in the silence (where there were not even plants to rustle in the wind or distant activity from far off people) my senses expanded in all directions to find something. This silence was, quite tangibly, expansive. It became obvious why so many spiritual retreats take place in deserts (Didn’t Jesus spend time mooching about in a desert?). So give yourself a full day of silence at one of our regular mini retreats. There will be guidance (it is not a day of sitting in silence wondering what to do or what to think about) and opportunities for brief discussions of feedback but the day will generally be silent. Speech is a river, Silence is an ocean. Belly breathing In many ways, the breath is the link between body and mind because the way we breathe directly reflects our mental and emotional state. When in a state of panic, for example, we breathe with the top of the chest, visibly gasping for air. On the other hand, when depressed, our breath can be shallow with substantial periods of stillness with no breathing at all. Different ways of breathing use different muscles. When anxious, excited or busy, we naturally breathe using chest and shoulder muscles. If this is prolonged it can create a tight neck and back. But, when deeply relaxed, we breathe predominantly with the diaphragm with our abdomen moving in and out and our chest remaining still and relaxed. Fortunately, the relationship runs both ways. We can induce relaxation through diaphragmatic breathing. But so what? Why is this kind of deep relaxation good for us? Our bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, breathing, and immune activity are controlled by a part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and this has two modes. ‘Fight or Flight’ mode is designed to prepare us for action taking the focus away from non-emergency processes such as digestion and fighting disease. ‘Rest and Recuperation’ mode, on the other hand, is designed to kick in between emergencies and allows digestion and immunity to function once more. If we never fully relax, we never allow the body to drop back into Rest and Recuperation mode and unfortunately a stressed person does not necessarily fully relax even when asleep. The thing about Belly Breathing is that by stimulating the vagus nerve running deep into the belly, the ANS switches from Fight or flight to Rest and Recuperation mode. This allows our immune system to focus on long term health problems rather than short term damage and our digestion to work optimally. The way we breathe also influences the acidity of our blood. Improving our breathing pattern can reduce acidity and thereby help reduce the severity of a range of inflammatory conditions. Technique (min 20 mins per day): Lay on your back with knees slightly bent. Let your belly go up when you breathe in and down when you breathe out. Check that your chest is NOT moving as well. For this exercise we want no movement in the upper chest. After a few minutes, check that both inhale and exhale are soft, smooth and long. Make sure you are breathing OUT fully. See if you can make the inhale and exhales change over slowly, smoothly from one to the other, i.e., there is no gasping or holding of breath. Belly Breathing should feel like a wave gently rising and falling. It will be quiet, unforced, and smooth. We want the in and out breath to be the same length and intensity. As your practise develops, your belly breath will get longer and smoother.
Metal–air electrochemical cell From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Metal-air electrochemical cell) Jump to: navigation, search Energy density (Wh/kg) for different types of metal–air batteries A metal–air electrochemical cell is an electrochemical cell that uses an anode made from pure metal and an external cathode of ambient air, typically with an aqueous electrolyte.[1][2] The Li–air battery discharge reaction between Li and oxygen Li2O, according to 4Li + O2 → 2Li2O, has an open-circuit voltage of 2.91 V and a theoretical specific energy of 5,210 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg). Since oxygen is not stored in the battery, the theoretical specific energy excluding oxygen is 11,140 Wh/kg (40.1 MJ/kg). Compare this to the figure of 12,200 Wh/kg (44 MJ/kg) for gasoline (see Petrol energy content). Metal–air battery Theoretical specific energy, Wh/kg (including oxygen) Theoretical specific energy, Wh/kg (excluding oxygen) Calculated open-circuit voltage, V Aluminium–air 4300[3] 8140[4] 1.2 Germanium–air 1480 7850 1 Calcium-air 2990 4180 3.12 Iron–air 1431 2044 1.3 Lithium–air 5210 11140 2.91 Magnesium air 2789 6462 2.93 Potassium-air 935[5][6] 1700[Note 1] 2.48[5][6] Sodium–air 1677 2260 2.3[7][8] Silicon–air 4217 9036 1.6 Tin–air at 1000 K [9] 860 6250 0.95 Zinc-air 1090 1350 1.65 Iron-air rechargeable batteries are an attractive technology with the potential of grid-scale energy storage. The main raw-material of this technology is iron oxide (rust) which is abundant, non-toxic, inexpensive and environmentally friendly.[10] Most of the batteries being developed right now utilize iron oxide (mostly powders) to generate/store hydrogen via the Fe/FeO reduction/oxidation (redox) reaction (Fe + H2O = FeO + H2).[11] In conjunction with a fuel cell this enables the system to behave as a rechargeable battery creating H2O/H2 via production/consumption of electricity.[12] Furthermore, this technology has minimal environmental impact as it could be used to store energy from intermittent solar and wind power sources, developing an energy system with low carbon dioxide emissions. The way the system works can start by using the Fe/FeO redox reaction, then the hydrogen created during the oxidation of iron can be consumed by a fuel cell in conjunction with oxygen from the air to create electricity. When electricity must be stored, hydrogen generated from water by operating the fuel cell in reverse is consumed during the reduction of the iron oxide to metallic iron.[11][12] The combination of both of this cycles is what makes the system operate as an iron-air rechargeable battery. Limitations of this technology come from the materials used. Generally, iron oxide powder beds are selected, however, rapid sintering and pulverization of the powders limit the ability to achieve a high number of cycles resulting in a lower capacity. Other methods, such as 3D-Printing[13] and freeze casting,[14][15] currently under investigation seek to enable the creation of architecture materials to allow for high surface area and volume changes during the redox reaction. See also[edit] 1. ^ Metal Air Batteries, Half a Fuel Cell? 2. ^ "METAL-AIR BATTERIES Lithium, Aluminum, Zinc, and Carbon" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-04-04. 3. ^ "Electrically Rechargeable Metal-Air Batteries (ERMAB)". Retrieved 25 March 2012. 4. ^ "Batteries for Oxygen Concentrators". 5. ^ a b "A Low-Overpotential Potassium−Oxygen Battery Based on Potassium Superoxide". 7. ^ "Electrochemical properties of room temperature sodium–air batteries with non-aqueous electrolyte". Electrochemistry Communications. 16: 22–25. doi:10.1016/j.elecom.2011.12.019. 8. ^ "BASF investigating sodium-air batteries as alternative to Li-air; patent application filed with USPTO". 9. ^ HyungKuk Ju and Jaeyoung Lee*, High-temperature liquid Sn-air energy storage cell, Journal of Energy Chemistry, 24 (2015) 614. 10. ^ Narayanan, S. R.; Prakash, G. K. Surya; Manohar, A.; Yang, Bo; Malkhandi, S.; Kindler, Andrew (2012-05-28). "Materials challenges and technical approaches for realizing inexpensive and robust iron–air batteries for large-scale energy storage". Solid State Ionics. "Fuel Cells-Energy Conversion" Proceedings of Symposium X EMRS Spring Meeting 2011E-MRS / MRS BILATERAL CONFERENCE on ENERGY,"Held at the E-MRS 2011 SPRING MEETING IUMRS ICAM 2011. 216: 105–109. doi:10.1016/j.ssi.2011.12.002. 11. ^ a b Requies, J.; Güemez, M. B.; Gil, S. Perez; Barrio, V. L.; Cambra, J. F.; Izquierdo, U.; Arias, P. L. (2013-04-19). "Natural and synthetic iron oxides for hydrogen storage and purification". Journal of Materials Science. 48 (14): 4813–4822. ISSN 0022-2461. doi:10.1007/s10853-013-7377-7. 12. ^ a b Ju, Young-Wan; Ida, Shintaro; Inagaki, Toru; Ishihara, Tatsumi (2011-08-01). "Reoxidation behavior of Ni–Fe bimetallic anode substrate in solid oxide fuel cells using a thin LaGaO3 based film electrolyte". Journal of Power Sources. 196 (15): 6062–6069. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2011.03.086. 13. ^ Jakus, Adam E.; Taylor, Shannon L.; Geisendorfer, Nicholas R.; Dunand, David C.; Shah, Ramille N. (2015-12-01). "Metallic Architectures from 3D-Printed Powder-Based Liquid Inks". Advanced Functional Materials. 25 (45): 6985–6995. ISSN 1616-3028. doi:10.1002/adfm.201503921. 14. ^ Sepúlveda, Ranier; Plunk, Amelia A.; Dunand, David C. (2015-03-01). "Microstructure of Fe2O3 scaffolds created by freeze-casting and sintering". Materials Letters. 142: 56–59. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2014.11.155. 15. ^ Durán, P.; Lachén, J.; Plou, J.; Sepúlveda, R.; Herguido, J.; Peña, J. A. (2016-11-16). "Behaviour of freeze-casting iron oxide for purifying hydrogen streams by steam-iron process". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. The 5th Iberian Symposium on Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Advanced Batteries (HYCELTEC 2015), 5–8 July 2015, Tenerife, Spain. 41 (43): 19518–19524. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.06.062. 1. ^ Calculated from the specific energy density (including oxygen) value and 39.1 and 16 atomic weight data for K and O respectively for KO2
Vitamin D: How much do you need? We know Vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones. Recently, however, more evidence has linked low Vitamin D levels to things like heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes. So how much do you need? There’s debate. Allow me to weigh in. Different individual needs Vitamin D is the so-called “sunshine vitamin”. Our bodies convert rays from the sun into Vitamin D. Therefore, individuals who get less direct sunlight (generally speaking the elderly), those with darker skin (they don’t make Vitamin D as well) or those living in northern climates need to take in higher amounts. The Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin D is 400 IU. Consider this your minimum. What the hell is 400 IU? Well from the sun, our body produces 6 IU of Vitamin D per square inch of skin exposed per hour of sun exposure. So exposing your face to the sun for 2 to 3 hours a day is probably gonna get you to the minimum. And yes, using sunblock slows this process. We only get Vitamin D from our diet through animal sources. If you eat little meat or dairy, you should definitely take a daily supplement. A daily intake of 2,000 IU is a good target for everyone . The “tolerable upper limit” of Vitamin D is set at 4,000 IU by those in charge. But recent evidence suggests higher doses offer more protection against disease. And the threat of toxicity is only theoretical until dosage approaches 10,000 IU. This matter is hotly debated. Some experts advocate for doses closer to 4,000 IU while others believe anything over 1,500 IU is dangerous. In my estimation 2,000 IU is a good compromise. Note: Children under 25 pounds should aim for 1,000 IU daily. Additional info: Vitamin D Council What Say You! You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s
Your Shopping Cart It appears that your cart is currently empty! Spring means Sapphires! by Kate McCoy \| Sapphire is the gemstone for those born in September. It is said to be a stone of wisdom, royalty and prophecy. Sapphires signified the height of celestial hope, faith, and bring protection, good fortune and spiritual insight. It is a symbol of power, strength, kindness and wise judgement. Travellers wore Sapphire in ancient times to protect them in unknown lands. Sapphires have been set in jewellery for hundreds of years and are still very popular today. Most famously, Lady Diana’s engagement ring from Prince Charles was a brilliant blue sapphire. The ring was then passed down to Prince William, who then presented the engagement ring to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Princess Diana's Engagement Ring The Duchess of Cambridge 'Kate' wearing the ring that was passed down from Diana to William Sapphires at their highest quality are clear. Poorer quality sapphires have a milky opaque marble effect. However there is a particular phenomenon that is both rare and beautiful in opaque sapphires called asterism that gives a star effect. When white light hits the surface of the stone, a six ray star pattern can be seen. This occurs when the numerous needle like inclusions perfectly align. If you are buying star sapphires be sure to watch for the star effect travelling across the stone as you tilt it in any direction. Imitations will only show a stagnant star effect. Star Sapphire The second hardest gemstone after diamond, Sapphire presents in every colour of the rainbow and more. Classically, Blue sapphires are the most famous. Ruby and Sapphire are from the same gemstone family Corundum. When Corundum is found in shades of red and some pinks it is called Ruby. Sapphires form deep underground where there is no precence of silicon. Corundum is made up mainly of aluminium and oxygen and then traces of iron, titanium and chromium give it varying shades of colours. The gems are created in a rare and unique environment over many thousands of years and are then carried to the rivers and creeks on the Earth’s surface through volcanic activity. Authentic stones are mined in Australia, East Africa, Burma and Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Fun Facts The largest star sapphire is the Star of India at an amazing 536 carats. The stone was donated to the American Museum of Natural History. It was stolen and returned 2 months later, adding to the mystery and value of Sapphires.
18 Ιουλ 2012 (πριν από 5 χρόνια και 3 μέρες) 1.337 εμφανίσεις Richard H.G. Parry Although the shear strength expression proposed by Coulomb (1776) for masonry, brick and earth, made up of cohesion and friction components, is still in general use today, it was not until Terzaghi (1936) presented the principle of effective stress that it could be used with confidence in most soils and soft or jointed rocks. The Griffith (1921, 1924) crack theory, while inadequate in itself, has provided a starting point for developing empirical expressions for the shear strength of hard intact rocks. Many factors influence the shear strength of soils and rocks, such as drainage conditions, rate of strain or shear displacement, degree of saturation, stress path, anisotropy, fissures and joints. A brief review is attempted here of the more salient advances which have been made in understanding and quantifying the influence of these various factors. Throughout the five thousand years or more that humans have been concerned with works of construction some assessment of rock and soil strengths have had to be made, at least by responsible builders, to ensure that they were adequate to serve the purpose, either in their natural state or as constructional materials in their own right. Until the 20th Century such assessments were necessarily qualitative, based mostly on experience or rule of thumb. The problem is that soil and rock come in an infinite number of guises, and while experience and rule of thumb may often have sufficed in the past, there were no doubt many instances, mostly long forgotten, when they proved inadequate and even misleading, leading to failures. The advances in understanding the strength of engineering materials which occurred in the 19th Century did not extend to soils and rock masses. A fundamental understanding of the strength of soils and soft rocks had to await an understanding of effective stress, first expressed formally by Terzaghi in 1936 and for which he is justifiably regarded as the Father of Soil Mechanics. A different, more empirical approach has been required in the case of hard rocks for which it is recognised that their strength is dominated by the presence of 2.0 COULOMB 1776 In 1773 Coulomb read his paper to the French Academy of Sciences which, after being refereed by his peers, was published by the Academy in 1776. He proposed an expression for the shear resistance of masonry, brick and earth of the form: s = ca + (1/n) N (1) in which he visualised the frictional component to conform to Amonton's Law with N as the normal force and 1/n the coefficient of friction, and the cohesion c to be the resistance of solid bodies to the simple separation of their parts, giving a total cohesive or adhesive force of ca where a is the area of rupture. He related cohesion to tensile strength and showed by experiment for a "white stone" that the shear fracture force directed along the plane of rupture was slightly greater than the tensile fracture force perpendicular to the rupture plane, but the difference was very small and he chose to neglect it. Cambridge, UK. In modern geotechnical terms the Coulomb equation is written in the form: = c + σ tanφ (2) where τ is the shear strength per unit area, c is the unit cohesion, σ is the normal compressive stress on the shear plane and φ is the angle of shearing resistance. The values of c and φ for a soil depend on many factors including stress path, stress level, drainage conditions and strain rate. Although widely used for soils, the Coulomb equation is less used in rock mechanics as strength envelopes often show strong curvature. Coulomb applied the shear strength parameters to studying the strength of an axially loaded vertical masonry pier and to earth pressures on retaining walls. He examined first a masonry pier with cohesive strength only and showed correctly that the least strength was given by a rupture plane at 45° to the pier axis. He repeated his analysis for a masonry pier having both cohesive and frictional strength and showed that the minimum strength was given by a rupture plane with angle x to the horizontal, where x is given by: tan x = [(1 + n - n It is now usual to use φ rather than n, giving the much simpler expression: x = (45° + φ /2) (4) In analysing earth pressure on a vertical retaining wall Coulomb first considered the stability of a triangle of earth behind the wall, deducing correctly that the geometry of the triangle giving the maximum pressure was determined by the friction alone and was not influenced by the cohesion. Assuming the soil to have both cohesion and friction, and assuming zero friction between the wall and the soil, he obtained the expression for the maximum horizontal force on unit length of the retaining wall: = mh - clh (5) where h equalled the height of the earth behind wall and, in modern terms, putting γ equal to the unit weight of earth: m = 0.5γ tan (45 - φ /2) (6) l = 2tan(45 - φ /2) (7) In an example illustrating the use of his expression Coulomb assumed a coefficient of friction of unity, which he considered to be the angle of repose and he took cohesion to be zero for "newly-turned soils (Heyman 1972 translation). This presumably included any reworked soil. 3.0 CULMANN 1866, MOHR 1882. Clear graphical representation of stress and shear strength has played an important role in their understanding in relation to soils and rocks. Culmann (1866) first used the stress circle in considering longitudinal and vertical stresses in horizontal beams during bending. His exploitation of the stress circle included the establishment of a point on the circle, now known as the pole point, allowing the stresses on a plane at any specified inclination to be found by drawing a line through this point parallel to this plane. Such a line met the circle again at the required stress point. This gave him a simple means for plotting principal stress trajectories for a beam. Aware of the fact that the currently favoured failure criterion, based on the maximum strain criterion of Saint-Venant, did not give good agreement with experiments on steel specimens, Mohr (1882) promoted the use of a failure criterion based on limiting shear resistance, and proposed that stress circles should be drawn to give a full understanding of stress conditions at failure. As an illustration of the shear stress criterion, Mohr used the example of cast iron tested to failure in compression, in tension and in pure shear. Drawing failure envelopes just touching the compression and tension circles, he showed that the failure stress in shear was given by the radius of a circle with its centre at the origin of stresses and just touching the two envelopes. These values agreed satisfactorily with experimental observations. Although the motivations of Coulomb and Mohr towards developing a failure criterion were very different and on different materials, the end point was much the same: a stress dependent criterion based on shear resistance, familiar to geotechnical engineers as the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. Heyman (1972) cites a number of workers in the 18 and 19 centuries who appear to have been primarily concerned with setting up classical solutions for the thrust of soils as an intellectual exercise, rather than with any practical application. Although some included cohesion in their analyses, the bulk of the work avoided the difficulties this introduced, assuming cohesionless behaviour and a friction angle equal to the angle of repose. This clearly led to difficulties in interpreting the behaviour of clays which were known to be able to stand on steep, or even vertical, faces. In his memorandum on Landslides in Clays, Collin (1846) recognised that soils may have both frictional and cohesive (sometimes referred to as adhesive) components of strength as evidenced in the passage: "The force of cohesion of clay plays an important role in the equilibrium of soils although so far the geometricians who have established the proper formulas to determine the conditions of the equilibrium of clayey soils have neglected this factor, which one might just as well neglect as gravity or friction". Collin himself apparently considered that friction played little part in the strength of clays, with remarks such as "... the mathematical formula for stability must include two forces, one of constant gravity and the other of cohesion...". He warned that this cohesive strength could be greatly diminished by the infiltration of water, by freezing and thawing and other factors, or could simply diminish with time. Collin carried out tests on long 40 mm square-section specimens of clay compacted to different consistencies (presumably different moisture contents, although these are not given) in which a central section was pulled out at right angles to the axis of the specimen thus shearing on two parallel surfaces 50 mm apart. Collin's memorandum was concerned with the reality and shape of slip surfaces and he made no attempt to use measured shear strengths to analyse the slips. His purpose in carrying out the tests was to show the influence of soil consistency (ie moisture content) and time or loading rate effects on the cohesive Rankine (1876) coped with the problem of cohesion in clays by stating that "...the adhesion of earth is gradually destroyed by the action of air and moisture, and of changes in the weather, especially by alternate frost and thaw; sothat friction is the only force that can be relied upon to produce permanent stability". He considered the adhesion, however, to be "...useful in providing temporary stability in the execution of earthworks, enabling the side of a cutting to stand for a time with a vertical face for a certain depth below its upper edge". This still led him to incorrect assumptions, such as stating the angle of repose for a "damp clay" to be 45°. In discussing the stability of rock cuttings, Rankine stated that the permanence of cohesion in firm, sound rock, such as igneous and metamorphic rocks without fissures, may be depended upon and cuttings made vertical or nearly so. He warned, however, that sedimentary rocks containing clay, such as shale, even if hard when cut may soften with time; and that sandstones and limestones could have variable strengths. He also observed that sedimentary rocks in the side of a cutting were more stable when the beds were horizontal or dipping away from the cutting, than when they dipped into the cutting. The lack of understanding of clay strength and the anomalous, and often incorrect, results obtained by applying formulae based on an angle of repose led practising engineers to rely on their judgement and experience when dealing with this material. This led to frequent failures in construction works. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between normal pressure and shear strength in clays, Bell (1915) constructed an apparatus consisting of a brass cylinder 3 inches (76 mm) internal diameter, which could be filled to a depth of about 5 inches (127 mm) with clay and loaded axially by means of a plunger. The mid- portion of the cylinder consisted of a brass ring which could be translated laterally by a measured force, thus shearing the cylinder of soil on two parallel faces 3 inches in diameter. Tests were made under different axial stresses and, as the tests were essentially undrained (and for reasons now clearly understood), his plots of shear resistance against normal pressure showed substantial zero intercepts and low angles of inclination, generally less than 6.5°. Higher values were obtained with stiff sandy clay and dry very stiff boulder clays, probably as a result of unsaturation or cavitation in the clay. While these tests confirmed that it was not appropriate to apply an angle of repose to clay, they did not clarify the true behaviour of clay and the role of pore water pressure in the soil. Citing earlier experiments by Osborne Reynolds (1885), Casagrande (1936) observed that during shear deformation dense sand expanded and very loose sand reduced in volume. Under large shear deformation a unique critical voids ratio was reached, and in the case of dense sand the applied shear stress reached a peak before dropping to a lower ultimate value at the critical voids ratio. Casagrande also realised that the critical voids ratio depended upon the static pressure applied to the soil. Taylor (1948) introduced the concept that the strength of dense sand consisted in part of internal rolling and sliding friction between grains and in part of interlocking. In the shear box he proposed the interlocking portion s of the strength to be given by: .A.Δh = σ.A.Δt (8) where A is the area of the test specimen, σ is the applied vertical pressure, Δh is an incremental horizontal shear displacement at failure and Δt the corresponding increase in thickness of the specimen. For a sample of dense Ottawa sand tested in the shear box he found the interlocking portion to make up 26 per cent of the total shear strength. Rowe (1962,1969) proposed a dilatancy rate D for granular materials such as sand given by: D = ( 1 - dv/dε ) (9) where v is volume decrease per unit volume and ε is the major principal strain in a compression test and minor principal strain in an extension test. Applying minimum energy principles Rowe derived an expression for principal stress ratio σ′ at failure: ( 1 - dv/dε ) tan (45 + φ′ /2) (10) The friction parameter φ′ depends on relative density, pressure and stress path and has a magnitude in the < φ′ < φ′ , where φ′ is individual particle slip friction and φ′ is the frictional strength at critical state. At the densest state up to peak φ′ and at its loosest state (critical state where dv/dε = 0), = φ′ Rowe introduced the theoretical finding by Horne (1965) that the maximum value of ( 1 - dv/dε ) is 2 (ie dv = -dε and thus dv/dε = -1), giving 1≤ ( 1 - dv/dε ) ≤ 2. The upper limit for sands in triaxial compression = 2 tan (45 +φ′ /2) (11a) and the lower limit (critical state value) for sands in triaxial compression is: = tan (45 + φ′ /2) (11b) In plane strain, φ = φ for any packing, so the upper limit for sands in plane strain becomes: = 2 tan (45 + φ′ /2) (12a) and the lower limit for sands in plane strain becomes: = tan (45 + φ′ /2) (12b) Rowe observed that the limiting dilatancy rate of 2 was not necessarily reached by dense packings. In order to illustrate the influence of dilatancy rates Rowe considered the case of Mersey River quartz sand for which φ = 26° and φ = 32°. Applying Equations 11a and 11b for triaxial compression: = 5.1, thus φ′ = 42° and (φ′ - φ′ ) = (φ′ - φ′ ) = 10°. Applying Equations 12a and 12b for plane strain φ′ = 47°, (φ′ - φ′ ) = 15° for Mersey River sand. After analysing results from 17 different sands tested in 12 different laboratories Bolton (1986) proposed the use of a dilatancy index I , given by the best fit relation ship: = I (10 - ln p′) - 1 (13) The experimental data yielded the following best fit relationships (Figure 1): Triaxial compression: (φ′ - φ′ ) = 3I (in degrees) (14a) Plane strain: (φ′ - φ′ ) = 5I (in degrees) (14b) All conditions: -(dε = 0.3I It can be seen in Figure 1 that (φ′ - φ′ ) for triaxial compression (given by I = 1) is 10° and 16° for plane strain, which correspond closely to the values derived by Rowe for Mersey quartz sand. After studying many case records of earth dam and foundation failures in Europe and the USA, Terzaghi recognised the inadequacies of existing soil classifications and put in hand an experimental programme lasting 7 years. This culminated in 1925 in his book Erdbaumechanik and a series of articles in Engineering News Record. His strength tests consisted of compressing 20 mm and 40 mm cubes of soil at various moisture contents. His realisation in these articles of the importance of pore water pressure in determining soil behaviour led to his formal statement in 1936 of the principle of effective stress, in which he states that the effective principal stress is the difference between the total principal stress and the neutral stress (now called the pore water pressure). In his 1925 articles Terzaghi stated that frictional resistance in soils was produced by the difference between the externally applied stress and the hydrostatic excess. He also stated that when load was applied to a clay a large part was taken by the pore water and hence there was no large additional frictional resistance, and furthermore if a clay was not in hydrostatic equilibrium it could demonstrate an angle of friction anywhere between zero and the normal value. He appears to have been much less clear about cohesion in clays and some of his comments are confusing. For the most part he refered to "cohesion" or "apparent cohesion", as the internal resistance arising from pressure exerted by the surface tension of the capillary water. In modern terms this is the unconfined (undrained) strength of a saturated clay. In a rather obscure comment he contrasts "apparent cohesion" with "true cohesion" produced by the internal friction. In an unpublished MIT Report (1930) Casagrande and Albert concluded from a series of direct shear tests on Boston blue clay that consolidation can take place during a shear test and the measured strength depended upon the rate of load application. In the first systematic investigation of shear strength using the triaxial test, Jurgenson (1934) showed shear strength for remoulded Boston blue clay to be independent of total normal stress if no consolidation was allowed; and he also concluded that the higher resistances obtained in slow tests were caused by partial consolidation of the soil.. He concluded too, as did Casagrande and Albert, that previous history influenced soil strength. In a discussion on Jurgenson's paper, Casagrande (1934) distinguished, perhaps for the first time, the relationship between the Mohr-Coulomb strength envelopes for quick (undrained) tests and slow (drained) tests (Fig.2). With the principle of effective stress firmly established (Terzaghi 1936) researchers directed their attention to separating the true cohesion and true friction components of the shear strength of clays. A proposal by Tiedeman (1937) that the true cohesion was proportional to the maximum consolidation pressure was criticised by Hvorslev (1937) on the rather flimsy basis that it gave friction angles greater than indicated by the inclination of observed failure planes, and on the stronger evidence that all samples under the same normal stress, and having the same maximum consolidation stress history, would have equal strengths. Observations did not support this. Hvorslev also pointed out that this criterion also ignored volume changes during shear. On the basis of shear box tests on Wiener Tegel and Klein Belt clays, Hvorslev (ibid) proposed a true cohesion component of strength c depending only on water content at failure, and he related this cohesion to the "equivalent pressure p ", that is the value of pressure for that water content given by the unique relationship between water content and consolidation pressure for the soil when normally consolidated, giving the shear strength expression: = c + (σ – u) tanφ = κ + σ′ where κ is a constant, u is pore pressure at failure and φ is the true friction angle. Dividing Equation 15 throughout by p gives the advantage of a non-dimensional plot of τ / p vs σ′ / p with abscissa κ and slope . Terzaghi (1938) supported these findings in a paper on the Coulomb equation. An outstanding contribution to the understanding and usage of the shear strength parameters for clays was made by Skempton in his study of a slip in the soft clays of the west bank of the Eau Brink Cut near King's Lynn in Norfolk (Skempton 1943). Skempton performed both total stress and effective stress slip circle stability calculations and showed that, although both gave factors of safety close to unity, the critical slip circles differed in location as shown in Figure 3, with the effective stress circle approximating more closely to the estimated location of the actual slip surface than the total stress circle. Referring to the undrained shear strength as the "existing shear strength", Skempton measured this on sealed specimens in a triaxial cell (together with some confirmatory tests in direct shear) and showed it to be essentially independent of applied cell pressure as already demonstrated by other workers. He measured the effective stress cohesion and angle of friction in drained direct shear box tests, but pointed out that while it was appropriate to use these in analysis they were not fundamental strength parameters. The fundamental Hvorslev parameters were difficult to determine in the laboratory and unsuitable to use in the field with existing analytical methods. Skempton also showed that the measured inclination of failure planes in undrained triaxial tests was determined by the true angle of internal friction and not by the (zero) angle of shearing resistance measured in the undrained tests, which explained why the critical slip circle given by the total stress analysis of the field slips differed considerably in location from the critical circle given by the effective stress analysis and from the actual slip surface. In a supplement to a report on the influence of strain rates Taylor (1944) discussed various other factors which would modify the shear strength expression for clays, the basic form of which he gave for a normally consolidated clay as: s = σ′ tanφ (16) where σ ′ is the intergranular pressure normal to the failure surface and φ is the true friction angle. For overconsolidated clays (Taylor used the term precompressed) he introduced the concept of intrinsic stress p arising from the observation that overconsolidated specimens in the shear box at failure under drained conditions had a voids ratio less than normally consolidated specimens of the same clay under the same applied pressure. The intrinsic pressure was taken to be the pressure increment along the failure line for the normally consolidated clay on an e - σ ′ plot corresponding to the voids ratio difference. This gave the shear strength expression: s = (p + σ′ )tanφ (17) Taylor further suggested the possibility of including a term for soil density in the strength equation which, together with p tanφ, comprised the Hvorslev true cohesion term c For consolidated undrained tests on normally consolidated clays Taylor gave the expression for shear s = σ where σ is the consolidation pressure and φ is an apparent friction angle. He illustrated the differences between drained and consolidated undrained strength envelopes by means of the diagram in Figure 4, the portions of the envelopes deviating from a straight line through the origin giving the strengths for overconsolidated specimens. Taylor drew attention to a number of points with respect to this diagram, notably that for normally consolidated specimens the consolidated undrained strengths were about half the drained strengths for the same consolidation pressure, the envelopes crossing over where the drained test underwent no volume change, and at lower pressures than this the consolidated undrained strengths could be much higher than drained strengths because of expansion of the drained specimens during shear (and the development of high negative pore pressures in the undrained tests, although Taylor does not state this). Taylor also commented on the relative flatness of the consolidated undrained envelope for overconsolidated specimens (again reflecting the development of high negative pore pressures during shear). The Triaxial Shear Report prepared by Rutledge (1947) contained the results of a large number of triaxial tests carried out between 1940 and 1944 in three American laboratories. Observations from the tests on undisturbed, saturated clays led to the American Working Hypothesis, that for normally consolidated clay the strength at failure depended only on water content and that water content itself was a function solely of major principal effective stress for clays of the type tested (Chicago and Massena clays). Similar findings were reported by Bjerrum (1950). By relating strains to effective stress changes during shear and assuming zero volume change, Skempton (1948) derived for undrained triaxial compression tests on saturated clays the expression: Δu = A(Δσ - Δσ ) + Δσ where Δu is the pore pressure increment caused by the applied major and minor total principal stress increments Δσ and Δσ respectively, and A is a constant. In a subsequent paper Skempton (1953) modified this expression to include the constant B for soils which were not fully saturated, thus: Δu = B[Δσ + A(Δσ - Δσ )] (19b) where B is the relationship between pore pressure change and an applied isotropic total stress change Δσ Skempton showed that A = 1/3 for a soil behaving as an isotropic elastic material. He also listed values of A at failure ranging from -1/2 to 0 for heavily overconsolidated clays up to +1/2 to +1 for normally consolidated clays (up to +1.5 for clays of high sensitivity). The earlier work of Taylor on energy expended at failure was taken up for clays by Gibson (1953), who postulated that the Hvorslev "true friction angle" comprised the sum of the resistance arising from frictional interaction between grains and a strength related to the rate of volume change of the test specimen. He proposed a modified form of the Hvorslev expression for drained shear box tests: = c + σ′ + σ′ is the work expended at failure to expand the specimen against the applied stress σ′ . He found to have a value ranging from 3° to 26° for a number of clays tested in the shear box. Cylindrical specimens of each soil, 76 mm in height and 38 mm diameter submitted to unconfined axial compression at constant strain rate, showed the angles of failure planes as they developed to reflect good agreement with the true angle of friction φ′ (identical to φ′ for undrained conditions). A basic weakness in the attempts by Hvorslev and others in the early studies was the fact that the peak shear strength, while important to engineers, was a transient point on the stress strain curve which varied with a number of factors such as applied stress path and boundary conditions. It was not a fundamental state of the soil. A full understanding of soil strength needed the establishment of a fundamental "shear state" in the soil as a platform from which to view any other state during shear including, and most importantly, the condition of failure, usually taken to be the point of maximum deviator stress. With interest concentrated on peak strength, little attention was given to post-peak behaviour and to the fact that under sustained shearing a specimen might be expected to achieve an ultimate "steady state" condition. One problem discouraging such studies was the often considerable distortion of the test specimen in the post-peak phase or even in reaching peak strength. In order to understand the influence of factors such as overconsolidation ratio and stress path on the behaviour of clays a basic reference state in shear was required and this was provided by the critical state concept (Roscoe, Schofield and Wroth 1958, Parry 1958), although not known by this name when first proposed. The basis of the critical state concept is that under sustained uniform shearing, a unique condition of e vs p′ and q′ vs p′ is achieved as shown in Figure 5, regardless of the test type and initial stress history of the soil, where e is voids ratio, p′ is mean effective stress and q′ is deviator stress at critical state. In Figure 5 the paths AB, FB are undrained tests, ACD, FGH are consolidated undrained tests and ACE, FGJ are consolidated drained compression tests. The critical state strength expression is usually written: = Mp′ where M is a constant for a particular soil. Combining equation 21 with the Mohr-Coulomb failure expression (assuming c′ =0) gives for: Triaxial compression: M = (6sinφ′ )/(3 - sinφ′ ) (22a) Triaxial extension: M = (6sinφ′ )/(3 + sinφ′ ) (22b) The ratio of critical state deviator stress in extension (E) to compression (C) is thus given by: (C) = (3 - sinφ′ )/(3 + sinφ′ ) (23) Equation (23) gives undrained shear strength ratios reducing from 0.8 for φ′ = 20° to 0.68 for φ′ = 35°. These ratios accord well with peak strength ratios observed by many experimentalists, commonly in the range 0.6 to 0.9, confirming the strong influence exerted by the basic critical state condition even where a peak strength is experienced before the soil reaches critical state. Theoretical plane strain strengths lie intermediate between triaxial compression and extension values which is also in accord with observations. Most natural soils and even laboratory reconstituted soils do not deform uniformly during shearing owing to a lack of uniformity in the soil structure and the manner in which the boundary forces are applied to the test specimen. This obviates the possibility of the soil reaching a true critical state. In the field, too, failure and the mode of failure when it occurs is likely to be governed by specific weaknesses in the soil structure. Thus, the adoption of strength parameters for design or analysis becomes a matter of judgement, based on experience, a sound knowledge of the site conditions and selection of the most relevant laboratory or field tests to determine strength parameters. A particular case is residual strength (Skempton 1964) where large displacements can occur in the field along a well defined failure surface, which, in some cases, may be a pre- existing failure surface. It is considered to have particular relevance in stiff heavily overconsolidated clays. Residual strength parameters cannot be determined in the triaxial test and require the use of a ring shear or several reversals of a shear box. The influence of soil structure in natural sedimented clays was examined by Burland (1990) in the light of the soil in a reconstituted state, the strength and compressibility for which he refers to as the "intrinsic" properties. In order to compare natural and reconstituted states of a soil, he introduces a normalising parameter I , termed the "void index", such that: = (e - e∗ )/ (e∗ - e∗ ) (24a) = (e - e∗ where e is voids ratio, e∗ and e∗ are voids ratios for the reconstituted soil under consolidation pressures of 100 kPa and 1000 kPa respectively. In Figure 6 values of I for a number of natural sedimented clays (e = e ) are plotted against effective overburden pressure σ′ and the best fit regression line through these points termed the sedimentation compression line (SCL). The separation of the SCL from the intrinsic compression line (ICL) is a measure of the enhanced resistance of a naturally deposited clay over that in its reconstituted state. Over the region shown in Figure 6 the effective overburden carried by the reconstituted clay is approximately five times that carried by the equivalent reconstituted clay and would be much greater for highly sensitive and quick clays. Plotting shear strength against normal effective stress for two heavily overconsolidated natural clays, low plasticity Todi clay and high plasticity London clay, Burland shows the intact strength envelope to lie above the intrinsic strength envelope as expected. Normalising the applied stresses by dividing by the Hvorslev equivalent stress he shows the intact drained and undrained surfaces to again lie above the intrinsic Hvorslev surface. He also noted for these two clays that their strengths dropped quickly after peak to achieve a reasonably stable value after only a few millimetres further displacement, and he terms this the "post-rupture strength", as opposed to the residual strength which will only be achieved after much greater displacements. The post-rupture envelope lies close to the intrinsic critical state envelope at low stresses and below it at high Despite the great attention which has been given to the effective strength shear strength parameters c′ and φ′ for clays, and the many papers written on the subject, there are still uncertainties about the basic nature of these sources of strength and the appropriate values to adopt for design and analysis. This applies particularly to c′, as a measured φ′ value, although it may be stress path and stress magnitude dependent, is usually regarded as reliable, providing the appropriate test is performed to evaluate it. It is much more difficult to decide on the right value of c′ to adopt. It is embodied in Critical State theory that c′ = 0 and although in practice most natural clays, particularly if initially moderately to heavily overconsolidated (i.e. on the "dry" side of critical state), do not achieve a true critical state, it is common for c′ = 0 to apply at large strain or shear displacement (e. g. at the residual state). Effective stress strength envelopes for peak strength conditions, particularly for drained tests on moderately to heavily overconsolidated clays, are likely to exhibit a zero stress cohesive intercept. This may simply arise from the linear extension of a portion of a curved envelope, or may have a specific physical meaning. In most cases the overriding contribution will come from interlocking of the densely packed particles leading to dilation, but some contribution to the cohesion intercept may come from interparticle bonding, at least in natural undisturbed clays. True cohesion has been attributed by various writers to interparticle electrical forces (e.g. Lambe 1953, Rosenquist 1955) and interparticle bonding through the coalesence of modified "rigid" water layers surrounding the particles (Hvorslev 1937, Terzaghi 1941, Grim 1948, Haefeli 1951). The possible existence of some form of interparticle attraction or bonding is supported by the fact that effective stress tensile strengths have been measured in natural heavily overconsolidated London Clay (Bishop and Garga 1969) and in a natural soft lightly overconsolidated clay (Parry and Nadarajah 1974). In the latter case effective stress tensile strengths up to 8 kPa were measured in undrained triaxial compression and extension tests, while effective stress cohesion intercepts ranged from 3 kPa to 11kPa for specimens at different orientations. These relative magnitudes are of interest in view of Coulomb's assumption of tensile and cohesive strengths having essentially the same magnitude. Whatever the origin of the effective stress cohesion intercept, it remains a major uncertainty what value should be used in design in any particular circumstance. While putting c′ = 0 is common, and no doubt often justified, it will be overconservative in some instances. A study by Taylor (1944, 1948) of the influence of strain rate on measured undrained shear strengths showed that for Boston blue clay tested in the triaxial cell the strength increased by about 6 per cent for every tenfold increase in axial compression rate from about 0.0003% per minute up to 1.0% per minute. Some early studies of strain rate effects on clays were made by Casagrande and Shannon (1948, 1949) and Casagrande and Wilson (1951). Unconfined and undrained triaxial tests were performed with failure times ranging from 0.015 seconds to 30 days. The reports by Casagrande and Shannon describe, in general, tests performed at rates faster than normal laboratory rates, while the report by Casagrande and Wilson describes creep tests at rates slower than normal laboratory rates. Tests were also performed at normal laboratory rates (2 to 10 minutes to failure) for comparison purposes. Quick undrained tests on a wide range of natural clays and on reconstituted kaolin mostly showed linear increases in strength with reducing log-time to failure, with a few showing increases at an increasing rate. The increases ranged from 1.07 to 1.44 for one (order of magnitude) time cycle and 1.38 to 2.20 for four time cycles. There appeared to be no correlation between these rates and the plasticity of the soil. In the slow tests the strength decreases with increasing time to failure were fairly constant, ranging from 4 percent to 10 percent per time-cycle over four time cycles. A series of fast tests on a number of clays, mostly on unconfined specimens, were performed by Whitman (1957) with failure times ranging from 5 minutes to 0.005 seconds. All clays showed linear increases in strength, ranging from 3% up to 15% per time-cycle up to three reducing time-cycles, with sharper increases in the fourth and fifth time-cycles. Similar behaviour as shown in Figure 7 was reported by Richardson and Whitman (1963) for undrained triaxial compression tests on reconstituted, overconsolidated Buckshot clay = 62, w = 24). Slow triaxial compression tests performed on undisturbed specimens of Fornebu clay (w = 36-59, w 15-34) by Bjerrum, Simons and Torblaa (1958), consolidated under isotropic pressures up to 400 kPa, showed a marked drop of 40% in strength over the first time-cycle from 10 minutes to 100 minutes to failure, with subsequent drops of only about 6% per time-cycle up to 500 hours to failure as shown in Figure 8. Although it has long been recognised that all soils are anisotropic in their behaviour either as a result of their stress history and applied stress during shear, or fabric anisotropy built in during their formation, little or no account is usually taken of this in design and analysis and basic textbooks on soil mechanics give it scant coverage. This, despite the fact that much has been written on the subject. In an early paper on this subject Casagrande and Carrillo (1944) distinguished between induced anisotropy due exclusively to strains arising from the applied stresses, and inherent fabric anisotropy termed inherent anisotropy. They derived graphical and analytical solutions for shear strength in the case of induced anisotropy for (a) purely cohesive material and (b) purely frictional material, assuming in both cases the principal strengths (maximum and minimum) occurred on principal stress planes and varied elliptically between these extremes. For a cohesive soil with inherent anisotropy they considered the case where the principal strengths did not occur on the planes of the principal stresses. Assuming isotropic Hvorslev strength parameters for a one-dimensionally normally consolidated clay, Hansen and Gibson (1949) derived an expression for undrained shear strength for any orientation of the failure plane. They concluded from this analysis that in the field the greatest undrained strength would be mobilised in the case of active earth pressure and the least in the case of passive pressure, with other types of failures, such as circular slides, lying between these two extremes. Duncan and Seed (1966) concluded that, as a result of initial stress anisotropy and principal stress rotation in the field, the effective stress strength parameters and pore pressure parameters would vary with orientation of the failure plane and account should be taken of this in applying the otherwise valid Hansen and Gibson analysis. Assuming a cross-anisotropic elastic material Henkel (1971) derived expressions for effective stress paths for three types of undrained tests: (a) triaxial tests on vertical specimens (b) triaxial tests on horizontal specimens and (c) plane strain tests on vertical specimens with zero strain in one of the horizontal directions. He showed that these coincided well with the initial linear portion of experimental stress paths for heavily over- consolidated London clay assuming a horizontal stiffness equal to 1.6 times the vertical stiffness. The influence of stress path on the peak shear strength of an anisotropic soft clay can be seen in Figure 9. Consolidation tests by Wesley (1975) on vertical and horizontal specimens of Mucking Flats clay (w = 56, w = 25) showed a vertical stiffness about twice the lateral stiffness. Theoretical elastic effective stress paths are shown in Figure 9 (broken lines) for undrained triaxial compression and extension tests on vertical and horizontal specimens of a soil with vertical to horizontal elastic moduli in the ratio of 2:1. The stress paths for Mucking Flats clay observed by Wesley and shown in Figure 9 correspond closely to these and it can be seen that directions of the stress paths determine the points at which the specimens reach the failure envelope and thus determine the peak undrained strengths. The actual values of peak shear strength c are given below: Vertical specimens: Compression 16.3 kPa, Extension 9.2 kPa. Horizontal specimens: Compression 11.7 kPa, Extension 11.8 kPa. As noted previously undrained extension tests on isotropic laboratory prepared specimens usually give shear strengths of about 0.7 to 0.8 times the compression values. The influence of anisotropy in the Mucking Flats specimens is to exaggerate this difference in vertical specimens and suppress it altogether in horizontal specimens An example of the effect of fabric anisotropy on drained shear strength can be seen for heavily overconsolidated Oxford Clay (w = 70%, = 25%) in Figure 10. Oxford Clay is an upper Jurassic deposit outcropping in South-East England and estimated to have been under 900 metres of overburden in the past. It is strongly laminated in the horizontal direction to the extent that pieces of clay defoliate on drying like the leaves of a book. In order to determine design parameters for reservoir excavations, drained direct shear box tests were performed to measure peak and residual strengths of specimens with the shear plane vertical (V), horizontal (H) and at 30° to the horizontal (I). The results for tests with a normal applied stress of 350 kPa are shown in Figure 10, and it can be seen that the H and I tests gave comparable results, but the strength was much higher for the V test. In a study of short-term failures of deep excavations in heavily overconsolidated London Clay (w = 95, =30) an Eocene deposit thought to have been under some 150 metres of sediments in the past, Skempton and LaRochelle (1965) found back-calculated undrained shear strengths from the slips to be only 55% of the values measured on 38 mm dia by 76 mm long triaxial specimens in the laboratory. They attributed about 20% of the reduction to time effects associated with pore water migration and the remainder to the presence of fissures, which would have greatly influenced the mass behaviour of the clay, but would have had little influence on small test specimens consisting essentially of intact clay. It was also found that 100 mm dia triaxial test specimens gave undrained shear strengths about 10% lower than 38 mm dia specimens. Marsland (1972) showed that the undrained laboratory measured strength of London clay was influenced by the shapes, roughnesses and inclinations of fissures in the test specimen (cut from blocks). Noting also the importance of the ratio of fissure spacing to specimen diameter in determining laboratory undrained strengths, he plotted non-dimensionally against this ratio the ratio of laboratory strengths to those deduced from various large scale field tests, using both his own data and data from Imperial College (Figure 11). He showed that undrained shear strengths measured on specimens with a small diameter relative to fissure spacing could be almost five times those from specimens with a large diameter relative to fissure spacing. In three-phase unsaturated clays, with both air and water in the voids, the shear strength may be determined very largely by the high suction in the water phase rather than external pressures. Total suction is made up of osmotic or solute suction and matric suction. Solute suction is the negative gauge pressure to which a pool of pure water must be subjected to achieve equilibrium through a semi-impermeable membrane with a pool containing a solution identical to the soil water. Matric suction is the negative gauge pressure relative to external gas pressure on soil water to which a solution identical to the soil water must be subjected to achieve equilibrium with the soil water through a permeable barrier. The effective stress equation is usually expressed in terms of matric suction only (Bishop 1959, Aitchison 1960, Bishop etal 1960): σ′ = (σ - u ) + χ (u ) (25) leading to the expression for shear strength τ f : = c′ + [σ - u + χ (u )] tanφ′ (26) where u is pore air pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure and - u ) is matric suction. In practice this expression has been little used owing to the problem of assigning values to the coefficient χ and to the extreme difficulty of measuring directly the large negative values of pore water pressure, greatly exceeding atmospheric pressure in magnitude, which often exist in unsaturated clays. Recent work, however, offers hope that the direct measurement of large matric suction may become possible ( Ridley 1993, Gan and Fredlund 1997). Fredlund and Morgenstern (1977) showed that the shear strength of unsaturated soils could be described by any two of three state variables (σ - u ), (σ - u and (u ), based on which a linear shear strength equation was proposed by Fredlund etal (1978): = c′ + (σ - u )tanφ′ + (u Using a curve fitting technique on results from a residual unsaturated soil with low suctions, Abramento and Carvalho (1989) concluded that tanφ should be treated as a variable with respect to suction. The problems of measuring in the laboratory the shear strength parameters for unsaturated soils has limited the use of equations such as (26) and (27) and has led to the use of indirect methods of assessing their strength using saturated shear strength parameters and the soil-water characteristic curve, defined as the relationship between the soil suction and the volumetric water content θ (the ratio of the volume of water to the total volume of soil). An expression of this form was proposed by Lamborn (1986) based on a micromechanics/thermodynamic model and in a more general non-linear form by Vanapalli etal (1996): = c′ + (σ - u )tanφ′ + (u ) (Θ in which Θ is the normalised water content of the soil θ is the saturated volumetric water content and κ is a fitting parameter used for obtaining a best fit between the measured and predicted values. A comparison between the measured and predicted shear strength function for a glacial till based on the soil- water characteristic curve is shown in Figure 12 (Fredlund 1998). An alternative equation not using the fitting parameter κ has been proposed by Vanapalli etal (ibid): = c′ + (σ - u )tanφ′ + (u a - )tanφ′ [(θ where θ is residual volumetric water content estimated from the soil-water characteristic curve. Equations 28 and 29 are designated University of Saskatchewan Procedures 1 and 2 respectively. Direct shear box tests performed on three compacted, unsaturated soils by Escario and Juca′ (1989), at constant vertical stress, gave a plot of shear strength versus suction with an initial slope of tanφ′, then gradually flattening until a maximum was reached. Adopting an empirical approach, the authors found that the variation of shear strength with suction could be represented by an ellipse of 2.5 degrees up to the It should logically be possible to fit the stress-strain behaviour of unsaturated soils within a critical state framework and suggested approaches for doing this have been published (eg Alonso etal 1990. Wheeler and Sivakumar 1995). The basic framework is made up of four state variables namely mean net stress p = [(σ )/3 - u ], deviator stress q, suction s = (u ) and specific volume v. Limited experimental data on compacted kaolin has given encouragement to continue this line of research, but as pointed out by Wheeler and Sivakumar their elastic-plastic approach requires the determination of three elastic constants and six parameters which vary with suction, and a realistic simplified model will be needed for the method to have practical applications. Unconsolidated undrained triaxial tests performed in 1958 on cores of Melbourne mudstone for the design of the Kings Bridge foundations established, apparently for the first time, the importance of moisture content in determining the strength and deformation characteristics of a soft rock (Parry 1963,1972). A Silurian deposit, Melbourne mudstone consists predominantly of siltstone with interbedded claystones and sandstones. All the test specimens were initially tested under a confining pressure of 690 kPa (roughly equal to the total overburden pressure) and in some cases the specimens were subjected to multi-stage testing at confining pressures of 1725 kPa, 3450 kpa and occasionally 6900 kPa. Fourteen of the twenty multi-stage tests showed undrained angles of shearing resistance close to zero, while the other six showed angles of shearing resistance up to 23°, probably reflecting structural features in the rock. It was concluded that the mudstone could be regarded as a φ = 0 material. A site specific correlation was found between the shear strength of the mudstone and its moisture content (Figure 13), which was subsequently confirmed for other sites in Melbourne (eg Parry 1972, McDonald and Jellie 1991). Full use was made of this correlation in fixing the founding level for the foundation caissons in the highly variable, and almost vertically bedded, mudstone, lying under about 30 metres of soft recent sediments. The φ = 0 behaviour of soft rock has been observed by other workers (eg Akai etal 1981). Subsequent research on Melbourne mudstone at Monash University has confirmed the primary role of moisture content, and consequently effective stress, in determining its strength and deformation characteristics (Chiu and Johnston 1980, 1984). While confirming the strong similarity in its behaviour to that of soils, particularly heavily overconsolidated clays, these workers have drawn attention to differences in behaviour, such as the curvature of the effective stress Mohr-Coulomb envelope for both drained and consolidated undrained tests, exhibiting a slope of 34° up to a normal effective stress of 10 MPa, reducing to 22° at 60 MPa, although this may be a consequence of the very high pressure range rather than inherent differences between soil and soft rock behaviour. The Griffith Crack Theory for brittle materials (Griffith1921,1924) provided for a number of workers a basic conceptual model for the strength of rocks, but although giving a parabolic plot of shear strength against normal pressure, which corresponds well with many experimental observations, it has not proved to be a good quantitative model. Attempts to modify the theory by introducing friction on the cracks (McClintock and Walsh 1962) and extending it from a plane compression model to three dimensions (Murrell 1963, 1965) have had only limited success. Consequently Hoek and Brown (1980), recognising the parabolic nature of the strength envelope, proposed an empirical strength criterion for hard rock masses given in the normalised form: = σ + (m σ + S) where σ are the major and minor principal stresses divided by the unconfined uniaxial compressive strength σ For intact rocks the empirical factor m ranges from about 7 for carbonate rocks to 25 for coarse grained polyminerallic igneous rocks, but may have values as low as 0.001 for highly disturbed rock masses. The value of S ranges from 0 for jointed rock masses to 1.0 for intact rock. The special cases of unconfined compressive strength σ and uniaxial tensile strength σ for a rock mass can be found by putting = 0 and σ′ = 0 respectively into Equation 30. The general case and special cases are depicted in Figure 14. A more convenient form of the general equation for slope stability calculations, expressed in terms of shear strength, was derived by Bray (Hoek 1983). Widespread use of Equation 30, sometimes in relation to unsuitable materials such as very poor quality rocks, has led to modifications by the authors (Hoek 1994, Hoek etal 1995, Hoek and Brown 1997) in which the square root power is replaced by a more general parameter a, the value of which, together with the value of S, is fixed according to the Geological Strength Index GSI, introduced by the above authors as a system for estimating the reduction in rock mass strength for different geological conditions. For better quality rock masses GSI can be estimated from the Rock Mass Rating (Bieniawski 1976), but for poorer quality rocks physical appearance alone has to be relied upon. Johnston and Chiu (1984) and Johnston (1985) presented an alternative expression for intact rock: = (Mσ′ /B + 1) where M and B are constants which, for a wide range of clay soils and rocks can be reasonably represented B = 1 - 0.0172(log σ M = 2.065 + 0.276(log σ where σ is in kPa. Putting σ′ = 0 in Equation 31 gives the uniaxial compressive strength σ = σ and the ratio of uniaxial compressive strength to uniaxial tensile strength is given by putting σ′ = 0, σ′ = σ / σ = - M / B (33) Equation 31 is capable of representing a wide range of geomaterials. As σ → 0, B→ 1 and M→ 2.065, implying a virtually linear envelope with φ′ = 20° for soft normally consolidated clay. In stiff heavily overconsolidated clays, typically σ = 200 kPa, giving B = 0.9 and thus a slightly curved envelope, while in hard rocks, typically σ = 250 Mpa and B = 0.5, which is the familiar parabolic form. Based on published data, Hoek and Brown (1980) found the measured strengths of rock test specimens to be influenced by specimen size and suggested the expression: = σ where σ are uniaxial compressive strengths for test specimens with diameter d mm and 50 mm Representation of a range of geomaterials by an expression such as Equation 31 poses the question whether soils and rocks can be encapsulated within a common critical state framework. Attempts to do this inevitably encounter the problem that rock behaviour, particularly strength, is strongly influenced by structural defects which militate against the uniform deformation in shear required to reach a true critical state. Nevertheless some qualified success has been reported for soft rocks (Chiu and Johnston 1984, Johnston and Novello 1985) and for hard rocks (Gerogiannopoulos and Brown 1978, Michelis and Brown 1986). Soft sedimented rocks such as Melbourne mudstone and Ohya tuff (Adachi etal 1981), in which the water content has a dominating influence, exhibit behaviour identical to very heavily overconsolidated soils, and even the non-linear critical state line on a plot of deviator stress against mean effective stress ( Novello and Johnston 1995), which is a reflection of a friction angle reducing with increasing applied stress, can also occur with soils taken to the same high test pressures normally applied in rock testing. Novello and Johnston also found that a form of critical state behaviour could be identified in hard rocks, assuming the brittle to ductile transition with increasing applied stress in the rock to be equivalent to the change from overconsolidated to normally consolidated shear behaviour in soils, and the strength in the ductile plastic state to be of a cohesive, rather than a frictional, nature. Gerogiannopoulos and Brown introduced work absorbed by brittle fracture mechanism in addition to friction, together with normality at peak strength, to formulate an equation able to represent peak and residual strengths for a wide range of brittle strain softening rocks (Brown and Michelis 1978). By exploiting the experimental observation that the plastic strain vector had an approximately constant inclination for both work softening and work hardening materials Michelis and Brown (1986) developed a general expression for intact or granular materials in which the relative scale of their size to the spacing of discontinuities was such that the mass could be regarded as isotropic and If a rock joint is infilled with granular or cohesive material weaker than the rock itself this material will strongly influence the strength, whereas the strength along a clean joint will be governed by the basic smooth rock to rock friction φ′ , plus dilatancy depending on the roughnesses of the surfaces and usually represented by angle i. A simple expression embodying this concept was suggested by Patton (1966): = σ′ tan (φ′ + i) (35) As the effective normal stress σ′ increases the failure occurs increasingly through the asperities, giving a curved relationship between τ and σ′ as observed by a number of workers (eg see Jaeger 1971). An empirical expression for saturated joints based on Equation 35 was presented by Barton (1973): = σ′ tan [(JRC)log ) + φ′ ] (36) where JRC is the joint roughness coefficient, JCS is the joint wall compressive strength (saturated) and φ′ the residual friction angle (wet, drained). Simple empirical methods were given for evaluating φ′ from φ′ using the Schmidt hammer test and for evaluating JRC from tilt tests using core sticks. Magnitudes of JRC range from zero for smooth planar surfaces to about 15 or 20 for very rough surfaces. Refinements to Equation 36 have concentrated mainly on attempts to evaluate the effects of scale and normal stress magnitude on the dilatancy portion of the equation. Barton and Choubey (1977) deduced from a study of 136 joint samples that the total friction angle (arctan τ ) could be estimated by these methods to within about 1° in the absence of scale effects. However, they concluded that scale effects were important in determining values of JCS and JRC, both values decreasing with increasing length of joint. Citing tests by Pratt etal (1974) on quartz diorite which showed a drop in peak shear strength of nearly 40% for rough joint surfaces with areas ranging from 0.006 m to 0.5 m , and adopting JRC = 20, they concluded that these tests indicated a fourfold reduction in JCR for a fivefold increase in joint length from 140 mm to 710 mm. Tilt tests by Barton and Choubey (ibid) on rough planar joints of Drammen granite showed JRC values to decrease from 8.7 for 100mm long joints to 5.5 for 450 mm long joints. ISRM (1977) recommendations for assessing joint roughness are based largely on the methods proposed by Barton and Choubey (ibid). Ten "typical" roughness profiles ranging from JRC = 0-2 to 18-20 shown in Figure 15 are presented in this ISRM report. Based on limited laboratory tests Barton and Bandis (1982) proposed the scale correction for JRC given by: Where L refer to laboratory scale (100 mm) and in-situ joint lengths respectively. In an attempt to reduce the degree of empiricism in quantifying joint roughness a number of workers have introduced fractal geometry (Mandelbrot 1983), seeing an analogy between coastal irregularities and rock joint roughnesses. A straight line linking the end points of a joint with length L can be divided into a number N of equal chords each of length r (=L/N ). If this chord length is stepped out along the joint profile (eg by means of dividers) the number N of segments it measures will be greater than N by an amount exceeding unity according to the roughness of the joint. The fractal dimension D, which is given by the expression: D = - log N / log r (38) can be evaluated from the slope of a log-log plot of N against r. For practical usage it is necessary to convert this value into a quantity which can be used in design or analysis and one approach has been to try and establish a partly or wholly empirical relationship between JRC and fractal dimension (Turk etal 1987, Lee etal 1990). Lee etal established an empirical expression relating the two giving the plot shown in Figure 16. It will be noted that fractal dimension values for rock joints are not greatly in excess of unity and it is necessary determine the value to at least four decimal places. Nevertheless the value is operator dependent, as shown by published values of 1.0045 (Turk etal 1987), 1.005641 (Lee etal 1990) and 1.0040 (Seidel and Haberfield 1995) for the "standard" ISRM joint JRC = 10-12. Adopting a more fundamental approach, and assuming gaussian distribution of chord angles θ, Seidel and Haberfield (1995) derived a relationship between fractal dimension and the standard deviation of asperity angle s ≈ cos (1 - ) / ) (39) which plots as shown in Figure 17. It can be seen in Figure 17 that s increases with D, which expresses the divergence from a straight line and with N, the number of opportunities for divergence. As asperity height is a function of chord length and angle, an expression for the standard deviation of asperity height can be derived from Equation 39: ≈ ( N - N By generating random profiles for s values and comparing these to the ISRM profiles for different ranges of JRC in Figure 15, Seidel and Haberfield established a subjective basis for predicting JRC from fractal geometry and showed, in addition, the possibility of the fractal approach providing conceptual models for the effects of normal stress on shear behaviour of joints and the scale-dependence of joints Krahn and Morgenstern (1979) drew attention to the difference in residual strength between soil and a rock joint. The residual strength is independent of the original state in a soil whereas the residual strength (preferred term ultimate frictional resistance) of a rock joint, as shown by their tests with limestone, is related to the initial surface roughness and surface alterations which take place during shearing. .Owing to their complex nature and the impossibility of submitting identical samples to a systematic series of tests, natural filled rock joints present unique problems in assessing their shear strength, compounded by the fact that not only are there the normal problems of determining the strengths of both the rock and the filling, but also the interaction of the two. Consequently systematic research has been confined to model studies, often using materials such as plaster or concrete in place of rock and a variety of artificial or reconstituted soils as fillers. Although some patterns of behaviour have emerged, there is also much conflicting evidence (Toledo and de Freitas 1993) probably arising in part from differences in model joint preparation, but more particularly from the behaviour under shear of the infill material. If it is a silt or clay the degrees of dissipation of pore pressures generated during joint displacement, which profoundly influence its behaviour, are governed by the rate of displacement and boundary conditions such as rock type and confining conditions. Much of the research on the shear strength of filled rock joints has concentrated on the influence of joint wall roughness, expressed as asperity height a, compared to the thickness t of the fill material. An example of the influence of the relative thickness t/a for a series of tests on clay infilled sandstone joints is shown in Figure 18 (Toledo and de Freitas ibid ), and Figure 19 shows a strength model presented by the same authors embodying in a general way their own observations and those of a number of other researchers, embracing mica filler and plaster as rock (Goodman 1970), kaolin clay and concrete blocks (Ladanyi and Archambault 1977), kaolin and hard gypsum rock (Lama 1978), oven dried bentonite and gypsum rock (Phien-Wej etal 1990) and fillers of kaolin, marble dust and fuel ash with plaster and cement as rock simulating joint The inset diagram in Figure 18 shows the infill soil providing the initial resistance to joint displacement and reaching a peak τ at small displacement, followed by a decline in strength depending on the brittleness of the infill soil, then an increase in strength with increasing displacement brought about initially by a flow of infill material from highly stressed to low stressed zones leading to contact of the rock asperities and a second, higher, peak strength τ depending on the rock properties. The decline in joint strength with increasing t/a is seen in Figure 18 up to about t/a = 1, after which the strength remains essentially constant. It is noticeable that the peak rock strength still exceeds that of the infill at t/a = 1. These features are incorporated into Figure 19, but it is noticeable that in this generalised model the critical thickness at which the soil peak reaches its minimum may be less than the asperity height for clayey infill and greater than asperity height for granular infill. A further feature of Figure 19 is the division of the different thicknesses into three ranges as proposed by Nieto (1974), namely interlocking in which the rock surfaces come into contact, interfering when there is no rock contact but the joint strength exceeds that of the infilling and non-interfering when the joint strength equals that of the filler. The formulation of the principle of effective stress by Terzaghi made possible a fundamental understanding of the shear strength of soils and soft rocks. This was insufficient in itself, however, as the strength of these materials in the field may be influenced by many other factors such as degree of saturation, rate of loading, loading history and loading stress path, physical anisotropy, and the presence of fissures and joints, and other imperfections, in a soil or rock mass. Much of the research work and writings of the 20th Century have concentrated on understanding and quantifying these influences, as well as furthering the understanding of fundamental strength behaviour and introducing improved laboratory and field methods of measuring shear strength. Mohr stress circles and the Mohr-Coulomb envelope have proved invaluable in providing an instantly comprehensible representation of stress and strength conditions. The critical state concept has proved useful in understanding soil behaviour, although most soil test specimens do not reach a true critical state because of imperfections in the specimens and in the test methods. There is evidence that critical state may also apply to some limited extent to the behaviour of rocks. In the case of hard rocks the Griffith crack theory, while inadequate in itself, has provided a conceptual starting point for developing realistic empirical expressions for the commonly observed curved shear strength envelope. Rock joints, even if clean, present a problem in assessing their frictional properties, but the introduction of fractal geometry may allow quantitative assessments of joint strength to be made, including scale effects. If infilled, the strength may be influenced by the strength of both the rock and the joint infill and also by the interaction between them. 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Rutledge, P.C. (1947). "Review of cooperative research program of the Corps of Engineers". Progress report on Soil Mechanics Fact Finding Survey, W.E.S., Vicksburg, Miss., pp.1-178. Sasaki, T., Kinoshito, S.and Ishiyima, Y. (1981). "A study of water-sensitivity of argillaceous rock". Proc. Int. Symp. on Weak Rock, Tokyo, Vol.1, pp.149-155. Seidel, J.P. and Haberfield, C.M. (1995). "Towards an understanding of joint roughness". Int. Jour. Rock Mech. and Mining Sci., Vol.28, No.2, pp.69-92. Skempton, A.W. (1945). "A slip in the west bank of the Eau Brink Cut". Jour. Instn. Civil Engrs., Vol.24, Skempton, A.W. (1948). "The effective stresses in saturated clays strained at constant volume". Proc. 7th Int. Conf. On Appl. Mech., Vol.1, pp.378-392. Skempton, A.W. (1954). "The pore pressure coefficients A and B". Geotechnique, Vol.4, No.4, pp.143-7. Skempton, A.W. (1964). "Long-term stability of clay slopes". Geotechnique, Vol.14, No.2, pp.77-102. Skempton, A.W. and La Rochelle, P. (1965). "The Bradwell slip; a short-term failure in London Clay". Geotechnique, Vol.15, No.3, pp.221-42. Tiedeman, (1937). "Ueber die Schubfestigkeit bindiger Boden" (On the strength of cohesive soils). Die Bautechnik, Vol.15, pp. 400-403, 433-35. Taylor, D.W. (1944). Tenth progress report to US Waterway engineers on shear research. MIT publication. Taylor, D.W. (1948). Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics. Wiley, New York. Terzaghi, K. (1925a). Erdbaumechanic auf bodenphysikalischer Grundlage. Deuticke, Vienna. Terzaghi, K. (1925b). "Principles of soil mechanics". Engineering News-Record, Vol.95: No.19, pp.742-6; No.20, pp.796-800; No.21, pp.832-6; No.22, pp.874-8; No.23, pp.912-5; No.25, pp.987-90; No.26, pp.1026-9; No.27, pp.1064-8 Terzaghi, K. (1936). "The shearing resistance of saturated soils and the angle between the planes of shear". Proc. 1st ICSMFE, Harvard, Vol.1, pp. 54-6. Terzaghi, K. (1938). "Die Coulombsche Gleichung fur den Scherwiderstand bindiger Boden". Die Bautechnik, Vol.16, No.26, pp.343-346. Translation by L Bjerrum in From Theory to Practice in Soil Mechanics, Publ. John Wiley and Sons 1960. Terzaghi, K. (1941). "Undisturbed clay samples and undisturbed clays". Jour. Boston Society of Civil Engineers, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 211-31. (also in Contributions to Soil Mechanics 1941-1953, Boston Society of Civil Engineers, publ. 1953). Turk, N., Greig, M.J., Dearman, W.R. and Amin, F.F. (1987). "Characterization of rock joint surfaces by fractal dimension". Prc. 28th US Symp. on Rock Mechanics, Tucson, pp.1223-1236. Vanapalli, S.K., Fredlund, D.G., Pufahl, D.E. and Clifton, A.W. (1996). "Model for the prediction of shear strength with respect to soil suction". Can. Geot. Jour.,Vol.33, pp.379-92. Wesley, L.D. (1975). "Influence of stress-path and anisotropy on behaviour of a soft alluvial clay". PhD dissertation, Univ. of London. Whitman, R.V. (1957). "The behaviour of soils under transient loads". Proc. 4th ICSMFE, London, Vol.1, Whitman, R.V., Richardson, A.M. and Nasim, N.M. (1962). "The Response of Soils to Dynamic Loadings: Strength of Saturated Fat Clay". MIT Res. Rpt. 10, Project R62-22.
04 April 2010 Laws of Thermodynamics and Evolution of species The discussion on an Amazon forum was on the second law of thermodynamics recently. A participant puts this up: The second law of thermodynamics could well be stated as follows: "In any ordered system, open or closed, there exists a tendency for that system to decay to a state of disorder, which tendency can only be suspended or reversed by an external source of ordering energy directed by an informational program and transformed through an ingestion-storage-converter mechanism into the specific work required to build up the complex structure of that system. [it was later found by another participant to be a direct copy from Henry Morris, from the Institute for Creation Research] Second law of thermodynamics is a law in Physics and the above quote has obviously been adopted for life systems. Physicists are not interested "ingestion-storage-converter" and would not include such references in stating a physical law. In this adoption, Morris injected two additions to the law and missed out an important part. Amazingly, I found an easy to understand description of laws of thermodynamics in a website claiming evolution theory is against the law of physics. (science against evolution SAE): The Zeroth Law simply says there is no heat flow between objects that are the same temperature. The First Law is that heat cannot be created or destroyed. Second law needs a bit more explanation: Entropy: For a closed system, the quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work. second law: Entropy in a closed system can never decrease. From SAE, it is stated as A natural process that starts in one equilibrium state and ends in another will go in the direction that causes the entropy of the system plus environment to increase. The Third Law says that an ideal engine would convert 100% of the heat into useful work only if its exhaust temperature were absolute zero. Comparing Morris's version with that from SAE 1. Morris missed the "closed system" part of the law 2. Morris arbitrarily added the needs of "informational program" and "ingestion-storage-converter mechanism" Hence, I can dismiss any reference of violation of laws of thermodynamics by evolution theory as claimed by Morris because he is just plain wrong in his interpretation of thermodynamics. BTW, here is a rebuttal of Morris's work based on the myths of Noah's ark. Two links further SAE claims that evolution violated laws of physics: So, what does this have to do with the origin of life? Well, according to the grand theory of evolution (molecules to man), the evolutionary process began with abiogenesis. Organic molecules spontaneously combined to form amino acids, which combined to form proteins, which spontaneously combined to form DNA, RNA, and cell membranes, etc. Somehow the first cell formed, which reproduced, and natural selection caused it to evolve into all the life forms we see today. The theory of evolution is dead on arrival. Somehow simple molecules have to assemble themselves into more complex molecules (the “building blocks of life”), which assemble themselves into the first living thing, which reproduces itself, in order to get the evolutionary process started. Molecules will not assemble themselves this way because they have to obey the same laws of thermodynamics as the wooden Building Blocks of Life do. Here, we have a case of good Physics with bad biology. Watch these short clips to have an idea of how abiogenesis may have started the life: Spontaneous combination is not uncommon. Basically, all chemical process are combination, some spontaneous and some with help from catalysis. No comments: Post a Comment
Accounting Terms Online Accounting Dictionary Accounting terms make up the language of business used to measure business performance and profitability. The following accounting dictionary of key accounting terms and accounting definitions decodes the language of business with easy to follow illustrations and examples. For a more in depth discussion of each accounting term, simply click the link associated with each term. The accounting cycle is a ten-step process that consists of the procedures necessary to collect, process, and report economic events in the financial statements for the reporting period. The accounting equation refers to the main accounting formula that lays the foundation of double-entry bookkeeping. Accounting entries entered on one side of the accounting equation must balance with accounting entries entered on the other side. The accounting equation also represents the relationship of the financial elements listed on the balance sheet, where total assets are listed and balanced with total liabilities and owners equity. The Accounting Equation Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity Accounts receivable refers to the current asset listed on the balance sheet that shows the amount owed to the company from customers who purchased products or services on credit. Accounts receivable turnover measures how quickly a business collects cash for sales on credit, or “turned over” the accounts receivable balance, for the accounting period measured. Accounts receivable turnover is calculated as: Accounts Receivable Turnover Net Credit Sales/Average Net Receivables, where Average Receivables = (Beginning Net Receivables Balance + Ending Net Receivables Balance)/2 Accrual accounting refers to the method of recognizing and reporting revenues when earned, whether or not cash is actually received, and expenses when incurred, whether or not cash is actually paid. Compare with the accounting term Cash Accounting. Accumulated depreciation is the total depreciation expense that accumulates from year to year. Accumulated depreciation accumulates on the balance sheet from period to period as a contra asset account, where it is subtracted from the original cost of the asset to get its book value. Adjusting entries are accounting entries made at the end of an accounting period to report transactions that occurred but were not recorded during the normal course of business. Adjusting entries are necessary to more accurately represent the financial statements for the reporting period. Adjusting entries are classified as prepayments, accruals, and estimated Items. Aging of accounts receivable bases the estimate for uncollectible accounts on the number of days the ending accounts receivable balances are outstanding. Aging of accounts receivable is calculated based on the assumption that the longer an account is outstanding, the higher the likelihood that it will not be collected. Allowance for doubtful accounts is a contra account on the balance sheet that reduces accounts receivable to its net realizable value by subtracting the amount estimated to be uncollectible. When an estimated amount is entered as a journal entry for allowance for doubtful accounts, the associated debit entry, bad debt expense, reduces net income by the same amount for the reporting period. An Asset is a probable economic benefit obtained or controlled by a business as a result of a past transaction. In accounting terms, a company does not need to own an asset to have control over it. The accounting equation shows us that assets may be owned (called equity), or financed (a liability). Assets are categorized as Current Assets and NonCurrent Assets. • Current Assets, or short-term assets, are cash or other assets that a business reasonably expects to convert to cash or consume during the year. Examples are cash, inventory, and accounts receivable. • NonCurrent Assets, or long-term assets, are assets that a company does not expect to consume or convert to cash within one year. Examples are equipment, buildings, and land. see also Property Plant and Equipment • Intangible Assets are assets that do not have physical substance, but add long-term value because of the rights and privileges they convey to the business. Intangible assets are classified as noncurrent assets. Examples are patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Asset Turnover measures the amount of total sales generated from each dollar of assets employed in the business. It is calculated as: Asset Turnover Calculation Total Revenue/Average Assets for Period where Average Assets for Period = (Beginning Assets + Ending Assets)/2 Average Collection Period refers to the average number of days it takes a business to collect on accounts receivable. The average collection period measures how well a company is collecting amounts due based on terms of credit (e.g. 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, etc.). Average Collection Period Calculation Average Sales Per Day = Credit Sales or Total Sales/365 Average Collection Period = Accounts Receivable/Average Sales Per Day Average Cost refers to the simplest of the four main inventory valuation cost flow methods. Under this method the amount of goods made available for sale (beginning inventory + net purchases) is divided by the number of units available for sale to determine the average price. The average price is then applied to items sold and items in inventory to determine the amount of cost of goods sold and ending inventory. Bad debt expense is used to expense the estimate for uncollectible accounts receivable on the income statement. The expense is required to match the bad debt with the same credit sales reported for the same period. The bad debt estimate is also deducted from the accounts receivable balance on the balance sheet using its the contra account, allowance for doubtful accounts. The Balance Sheet is one of the main financial statements reported by businesses. The balance sheet lists the assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity of the business, thereby presenting a “snapshot” of the business as of a particular point in time. The balance sheet balances assets with liabilities and owners equity using the accounting equation: The Balance Sheet and the Accounting Equation Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity Book Value is a long-term measure of the financial condition and liquidity of the company. Book value is a measure of assets owned by the business debt-free, and is calculated as: Book Value Assets – Liabilities = Owner’s Equity or Book Value For fixed assets, book value equals the acquisition cost of the asset less the accumulated depreciation or amortization measured to date for the asset. Cash Accounting refers to the method of recognizing and reporting revenue only when cash is actually received, and recognizing expenses only when cash is actually paid. Small businesses and individuals with no inventory primarily use the cash accounting method. The Cash Flow Statement is one of the required financial statements that shows actual cash inflows and outflows by operating, investing, and financing activities for the reporting period. Chart of Accounts lists every general ledger account name and account number that a business has available in its accounting system. It categorizes each account into five major groups: asset accounts, liability accounts, equity accounts, revenue and gain accounts, and expense and loss accounts. Closing Entries are made at the end of a reporting period to bring the income profit and loss statement accounts to zero so the new reporting period will start with zero balances. The difference between revenue and expenses, called net income (or loss), is also closed to retained earnings. A Contra Account is used to reduce or increase the value of the related asset or liability account on the balance sheet. • A contra asset account is a credit account used to adjust the value of its related asset (debit) account. • A contra liability account is debit account used to adjust the balance of the main liability (credit) account. A contra account is also called a valuation allowance because it is used to adjust the carrying value of the related asset or liability account on the balance sheet. Cost of Goods Sold is the cost of the inventory that was sold during the accounting period reported on the profit and loss statement. Cost of goods sold is subtracted from total sales to determine gross profit. A credit is an entry made on the right side of an accounting journal or general ledger account. A credit increases liabilities, revenue, and owner’s equity, and decreases assets and expenses. Current Ratio measures the short-term condition and liquidity of a business, and is calculated as: Current Ratio Calculation Current Assets/Current Liabilities A company should have more than twice the current assets to pay its current debt obligations, or a ratio equal or greater than two. Anything below one is an indication that the company may not be able to meet its short-term financial obligations. A debit in accounting terms is an entry made on the left side of an accounting journal or general ledger account. A debit increases assets and expenses, and decreases liabilities, revenue, and owner’s equity (also see Debits and Credits). Debt Equity Ratio measures how much of the company is financed by debt, and is calculated as Debt Equity Ratio Debt/Owner’s Equity A higher debt equity ratio means that more assets are financed by debt. Generally, ratios of higher than 1 indicate more risk in financing assets. Debt Coverage Ratio is a financial ratio used in corporate finance and investment property loans. The debt coverage ratio measures how much operating income a property, borrower, or business is generating to cover total debt obligations due for the period. The debt coverage ratio is calculated as: Calculating the Debt Coverage Ratio Operating Income/Total Debt Service The higher the debt coverage ratio, the more operating income a company or property has available to cover its total debt obligations. Depreciation is the expense resulting from spreading the cost of an asset over its estimated useful life. A common depreciation method is the straight line method that divides the cost of the asset by its estimated useful life to determine depreciation each year. Depreciation decreases net income, but is a non-cash expense that has no actual cash outflow. Double Entry Accounting\|Double Entry Bookkeeping refers to the accounting system of recording a transaction by debiting one account and crediting another, where total debits of the transaction equal the total credits. The double entry bookkeeping system is designed to keep the accounting equation in balance. Equity is the ownership interest in an asset, also called owner’s equity. Equity is the residual interest in the asset after deducting liabilities, represented in the accounting equation as: Owners Equity Assets – Liabilities = Owner’s Equity Fair Value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transcation between market participants at the measurement date (FAS 157). FIFO, or first in first out, is an accounting method based on the assumption that the first goods in are the first goods out or sold for cost of goods sold reporting and inventory valuation purposes. In times of rising inventory prices, FIFO assigns the lower prices to cost of goods sold, and the later, higher prices to inventory. FIFO more closely parallels the actual physical flow of inventory in many industries. Financial Ratios are numerical values taken from the entity’s financial statements to measure its key performance indicators such as profitability, short-term and long-term financial strength and liquidity, and efficiency of operations. Fixed Assets, also called Property Plant and Equipment, refers to those assets that are used for a company’s benefit for longer than one year. Examples include vehicles, furniture, land, and equipment. Free cash flow represents the cash generated by the company from operations, less cash paid for maintaining and expanding its asset base through capital expenditures (operating activities less investing activities on the statement of cash flows). Free cash flow represents the amount of cash left from operations to pay dividends, pay down debt, research and develop new products, and reward investors with available cash. GAAP is the acronym for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which are the conventions, rules, and procedures that set the standard for presenting financial information in the U.S. GAAP has been adopted by nearly all public and non-public businesses in the U.S. and is thus pervasive in the business community The general journal, or the Accounting Journal, refers to the journal where an accounting transaction is first recorded. The transaction generally consists of the date, the account and explanation, and the amount debited and credited. Accounting entries in the accounting journal are periodically posted to the general ledger to summarize each account. The General Ledger is a collection of transactions summarized by account. Transactions that are recorded in the accounting journal are posted to the general ledger, which provides a listing of each accounting entry by account as well as the balance for each general ledger account. The going concern or continuity assumption means that financial statements are produced based on the assumption that the entity will continue to operate indefinitely or at least long enough to execute plans and fulfill commitments. When evidence calls into question the going concern assumption, a different accounting method may be necessary to meet the needs of financial statement users, such as reporting liquidation values for entities entering bankruptcy. Goodwill refers to the amount paid for an entity in excess of its net assets (total assets – total liabilities). Goodwill is listed on the balance sheet as an intangible asset at historical cost. Similar to land, goodwill is not amortized but is subject to an annual goodwill impairment test. Gross Profit is the difference between sales and cost of goods sold. It is a measure of a company’s core activities, and is an early measure of business strength before subtracting operating and other expenses. Gross Profit is commonly measured as a percentage of sales, called Gross Profit Margin calculated as Gross Profit Margin Calculation Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit/Sales Historical Cost refers to recording assets on the balance sheet at the original cost paid, or the historical cost. In the U.S., assets are currently not written up to market value as is commonly done in other countries, but rather carried at the historical cost until sold. The historical cost principle follows the accounting quality of reliability since the original cost of an asset is more easily verified than its current fair market value. Income Statement is one of the required financial statements, and summarizes the revenue, expenses, and net income for the reporting period. Interest Coverage measures the ability of a firm to meet its interest payments. The ratio divides operating income (income before interest and taxes) by interest expense. Calculating Interest Coverage Operating Income/Interest Expense The larger the interest coverage ratio, the more likely the firm can meet its interest payments. The lower the interest coverage ratio, the greater the risk that the company does not have the necessary operating income to meet its interest obligations. Inventory Methods are the cost flow assumptions used to value cost of goods sold and ending inventory. The four most common inventory valuation methods are first in first out (FIFO), last in first out (LIFO), average cost, and specific identification. Inventory Turnover represents the number of times the inventory “turned over” during the period measured. The Inventory turnover is used to determine whether or not a business is maintaining adequate levels of inventory. Calculating Inventory Turnover Inventory Turnover Ratio = Cost of Goods Sold/Average Inventory where Average Inventory = (Beginning Inventory + Ending Inventory)/2 Journal Entry is an accounting entry made in the accounting journal to record an economic event. The accounting entry follows the double-entry accounting system where a debit in one account equals a credit made in another account. Legal Capital refers to the portion of owners equity and assets that cannot be distributed to shareholders. States requires companies to maintain legal capital to protect creditors’ claims to assets. The Leverage Ratio calculates the portion of assets that are not owned by the business. Leverage Ratio Assets/Owner’s Equity Higher leverage ratios indicate higher debt levels for the company. The leverage ratio is especially useful because it captures all liabilities on the balance sheet, regardless of where or how they are listed. Generally, ratios of higher than 15 are a warning signal that the company has taken on too much debt to finance its assets. Liabilities in accounting terms are probable future sacrifices of economic benefits from obligations to provide assets or services as a result of a past transaction or event. Liabilities are categorized as Current Liabilities and NonCurrent Liabilities. • Current Liabilities, or short-term liabilities, are liabilities that a company expects to pay within one year. Examples are accounts payable, current portions of long-term debt, and short term notes payable. • NonCurrent Liabilities, or long-term liabilities, are liabilities that a company does not expect to pay within one year. Examples are long-term notes such as a mortgage or a lease. For corporations, long-term liabilities may also include bonds payable, pensions payable, and deferred taxes. LIFO, or last in first out, is an accounting method based on the assumption that the last goods in are the first goods out or sold for cost of goods sold reporting and inventory valuation purposes. In times of rising inventory prices, LIFO assigns the higher prices to cost of goods sold, and the earlier, lower prices to inventory. For this reason, LIFO is often used for tax purposes to lower net income and reportable earnings. Lower of cost or market refers to measuring inventory items at the lower of cost or market by comparing the current replacement value with the historical cost, and adjusting items down to the replacement cost, or market, or leaving them at historical cost if the replacement cost is greater. The annual LCM adjustment is required so that losses in inventory are matched with earnings for the same period. Mark-to-market accounting refers to marking certain financial instruments to the market value, thereby bringing gains and losses of the financial instruments onto the income statement. Matching Principle refers to matching expenses incurred to generate revenues with those revenues recognized and reported for the same accounting period. The aim of the matching principle is to fairly report net results on the income statement by reporting expenses incurred with the revenues they helped generate. Net Income is equal to the income that a company has earned after subtracting all expenses from total revenue. Net income is commonly measured as a percentage of sales, called net profit margin calculated as: Net Profit Margin Calculation Net Profit Margin = Net Income/Sales Net Operating Income is income left after deducting the expenses necessary for operating the business, also called EBIT (earnings before interest and income taxes). Net operating income is commonly measured as a percentage of sales, called operating margin calculated as: Operating Margin = Operating Income/Sales Net Profit Margin is calculated by dividing net income by sales: Net Profit Margin Net Profit Margin = Net Income/Sales Net Realizable Value (NRV) generally refers to the amount of cash expected to be received from the selling of an asset. NRV is also used in the process of valuing inventory at the lower of cost or market (LCM). In this context, NRV is defined specifically as the estimated selling price of an inventory item minus all estimated selling costs and costs to complete the product. Operating Margin is calculated by dividing net operating income by sales: Operating Margin Operating Profit Margin = Operating Income/Sales Owners Equity represents the residual ownership interest in the business after liabilities are subtracted from assets, also called the book value of a company. For corporations, owners equity is called stockholders equity. Periodic Inventory is an inventory system used to record the amount of inventory on hand periodically, usually once at the end of the year. It maintains the beginning inventory balance throughout the year, and records new inventory purchases in the “purchases” account. At year end a physical count of the inventory is taken to determine the ending inventory balance and the cost of goods sold. The Perpetual Inventory System maintains a continuous or perpetual record of inventory by recording all purchases, sales, returns, and discounts directly into the inventory account. The perpetual inventory system allows companies to more closely monitor inventory levels throughout the year. Prior period adjustment is an accounting entry to correct an error in the financial statements for a prior period. GAAP requires that companies exclude the effect of prior period adjustments from current financial statements, and instead report accounting errors as a change to beginning retained earnings for the current period. Property Plant and Equipment (PP&E), see Fixed Assets. Quality of Earnings refers to how closely income correlates with cash flow. The higher the correlation between net income and cash flow, the higher the earnings quality. QuickBooks Solutions For Your Industry The Quick Ratio, also called the “acid test,” is a more stringent measure of short-term liquidity than the current ratio. The quick ratio subtracts inventories and prepaid expenses from current assets before dividing by current liabilities: Quick Ratio Calculation (Current Assets – Inventory – Prepaid Expenses)/Current Liabilities Real or Permanent Accounts are those accounts listed as assets, liabilities, or owner’s equity on the balance sheet. Unlike nominal or temporary accounts, real accounts accumulate balances in the account for the life of the account, and are not closed at the end of a reporting period. Examples of real accounts are cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and retained earnings. Retained Earnings represent the amount of undistributed net earnings accumulated in an entity since its inception. Retained earnings are increased primarily from net profits, and decrease primarily from net losses or distributions of earnings in the form of dividends. Return on Assets measures how well a company has invested its assets to return a profit. It is calculated by dividing net earnings by total assets: Return on Assets Calculation Net Income/Total Assets Return on Equity measures how well the company used its owners equity to return a profit in the business, calculated as: Return on Equity Calculation ROE = Net Income/Average Stockholders or Owners Equity where Average Equity = (Beginning Equity + Ending Equity)/2 Reversing Accounting Entry is an optional accounting entry made at the beginning of the next accounting period to maintain consistency in the accounting cycle. Reversing entries reverse an adjusting entry made at the end of the prior period if the adjusting entry increased an asset or a liability account. A Roth IRA is an individual retirement arrangement that allows you to make Roth IRA contributions after you pay taxes, and then grow the contributions and earnings tax-free. This is the opposite of a traditional IRA where you take the tax deduction for the year of the contribution, but are later taxed on all withdrawals and earnings. The Statement of Retained Earnings reports the changes in the retained earnings account from one period to another. Since GAAP requires that companies report changes in all equity accounts for the period, companies often combine the statement of retained earnings with changes in other equity accounts to produce the statement of stockholders equity. The Statement of Stockholders Equity reports changes in retained earnings and any additional changes in equity accounts for the accounting period. The statement of stockholders equity is commonly used to meet GAAP’s requirement that companies report all changes in equity accounts. Stockholders Equity is the shareholders residual interest in a corporation after liabilities are subtracted from assets. Changes in stockholders equity are reported on the statement of stockholders equity. A Traditional IRA is an individual retirement arrangement that allows you to make tax-deductible contributions to your retirement plan depending on your income level, and whether or not you participate in a company retirement plan like a 401(k). Treasury Stock refers to the stock that a company buys back without reissuing them or canceling them, but rather holds them in the treasury. When a company repurchases its own stock (treasury stock), net assets and stockholders equity decrease. There are mainly two accounting methods for accounting for treasury stock: • Accounting for Treasury Stock – Cost Method • Accounting for Treasury Stock – Par Value Method The Trial Balance Sheet provides a listing of the account balances in the general ledger to verify the equality of total debits and credits, and to facilitate the next step in the accounting cycle. Generally there are three trial balances produced during the accounting cycle: • The Unadjusted Trial Balance verifies the equality of total debits and credits before adjusting entries are made, and lists each account balance for the reporting period to facilitate the adjusting entry process. • The Adjusted Trial Balance verifies the equality of total debits and credits after adjusting entries are made, and lists the account balances to facilitate the period close. • The Final Trial Balance verifies the equality of total debits and credits after closing entries are made, and provides a listing of each account balance that is carried forward into the next reporting period. Working Capital measures immediate liquidity of a business, and is calculated by subtracting current debt from current assets, Working Capital Working Capital = Current Assets – Current Liabilities From Accounting Terms Back to the Online Accounting and Business Accounting Home Page 13 Responses to “Accounting Terms” 1. This is most useful for me 2. pls give their definitions that are used in that particular financial statements thank you… 3. Where can i see the updated pages?whats the meaning of investment in stocks, investment in bonds and can you give us an example of financial in a sole proprietorship in service and a corporation in manufacturing thnx god bless… or you can send me the link in my email add ty 4. Hi Nash – The website and this page of accounting terms and definitions are mobile phone friendly and should show up on phone. 5. Hi Well i am student looking for the job opportunities, i did my M.B.A. now i need some accounting terminologies & definitions.. could you send me an email on my id please.. 6. now a days i am studying issues in fianacial reporting so sorry to say that there is a lot of confusion in the elements given in the balance sheet and income statement…….. window dressing….. 8. Hi Shersingh – Thank you for your comment. I would start with basic accounting, including the business financial statements summary table, and the basic accounting equation. 9. hi!! i m a accounts trainer and want to know that how can i teach accounts to the non commerce background students. it is a big problem for me to decide that from from where i stsrt the topic. so please u can tell me what i should teach them first of all. 10. Hi Kassoum – What kind of information and lessons would you like to see? This would be valuable feedback. 11. Hi, i would just have further information about your website and on the lessons of accountancy. thanks 12. Thank you for reminding me Tahir, you can now subscribe to updates by clicking on the email or feeds in the upper left corner of the website. 13. Send me updates Leave a Reply
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 An Eleventary Twictionary 1. Twitter: A popular social networking site; a cross between a text-message and a blog; sometimes referred to as a "micro-blog." 2. Tweets: The 140 character posts on Twitter. 3. Follows: Folks who have chosen to follow your posts or folks you've chosen to follow. 4. Retweet: A request to tweet again whatever you just posted. 5. Tweeple: Twitter People; the folks who use Twitter. 6. Twits: Folks who actually understand the technology and culture of Twitter. 7. Tweetup: An online meeting of Twitter friends. 8. Hashtags: A method of tagging content associated with a specific event, topic, or group. 9. Twurl: An online program to shorten and post a url to Twitter. 10. Twitpic: An online program to post a photo to Twitter. 11. Tweetdeck: A management system to sort through categories of follows. No comments:
What are Urticaria Hives and Angioedema and how to get rid of Them One of the many issues that can affect the skin tissue of humans is that of urticarial hives. This is sometimes linked to angioedema, and effects up to 20% of the global population. The issue is a topical problem but there are problems with the nerve endings that also manifest and cause serious issues. Overall hives of this nature usually burn, sting, and cause a red, elevated rash across several parts of the skin. The redness can turn into scales, and can itch, and cause a serious amount of pressure to manifest in certain regions of the body. It can also cause temperatures to rise and a variety of issues to manifest as a result. Understanding The Symptoms There are several elements that can cause this issue, as well as angioedema. In the case of angioedema, the pressure can cause the eyelids to shut, and pressure to manifest on the face, and chest. It’s often times linked to hives and the issue that comes with that. However, it is not always the case. The symptoms that are associated with these things usually start with redness and welts across the arms and legs. However, this can move fast, and can cover the whole body. The welts are small in size, and travel in spots across the body. In some cases, there may be leakage that comes through as the blood vessels cause problems across the subcutaneous levels of the dermal tissue. Root Causes Root causes associated with this issue can be the result of a lot of different elements. The first can be irritation to certain foods, fabrics and more. An autoimmune disease could be a main problem, and allergies are definitely something to consider overall. Drug induced issues can be the case including those that are using and abusing certain antibiotics and psychotropic drugs. Infections due to poisonous stings, and herbal elements could also be the cause. For instance, poison ivy, and poison oak are the main dermatological elements that could cause these problems to form as well. In the case of dermatographic urticarial, you’ll find that the welts can be a direct result of viral infections, as well as the immune system fighting back against outside stimuli. Exercise induction, water, and cold can all manifest into allergic reactions that trigger this within the body, for instance. The Treatment Options Treatments for this can be given topically in most cases. The main thing to consider is the root cause first. When the root cause has been determined, then proper treatments can be administered as a result. Most people will receive creams that can help with easing the pain as the elements will dissipate in time. For those that are dealing with angioedema and it’s severe, a doctor needs to be contacted immediately. There are several treatments that they prescribed. For instance, strong antihistamines can help, as well as injections, and steroids that can help alleviate the pressure. It’s important to consider a follow up visit with a specialist in order to ensure that this doesn’t keep recurring.
Rivets are considered to be permanent fasteners. Riveted joints are therefore similar to welded and adhesive joints. When considering the strength of riveted joints similar calculations are used as for bolted joints. Rivets have been used in many large scale applications including shipbuilding, boilers, pressure vessels, bridges and buildings etc. In recent years there has been a progressive move from riveted joints to welded, bonded and even bolted joints A riveted joint, in larger quantities is sometimes cheaper than the other options but it requires higher skill levels and more access to both sides of the joint There are strict standards and codes for riveted joints used for structural/pressure vessels engineering but the standards are less rigorous for using riveted joints in general mechanical engineering. A rivet is a cylindrical body called a shank with a head. A hot rivet is inserted into a hole passing through two clamped plates to be attached and the head is supported whilst a head is formed on the other end of the shank using a hammer or a special shaped tool. The plates are thus permanently attached. Cold rivets can be used for smaller sizes the - forming processes being dependent on the ductility of the rivet material... When a hot rivet cools it contracts imposing a compressive (clamping) stress on the plates. The rivet itself is then in tension the tensile stress is approximately equal to the yield stress of the rivet material Strength of riveted joint The notes below are assuming that the plate loads are withstood by the rivets. In practice the loads are generally withstood by friction between the plates under the compressive force of the contracted rivets. The calculations provided below are simplified but provide relatively conservative joint strength value. There is still a need to complete fatigue assessments on joints when relevant Joint Types There are two basic types of axial riveted joint the lap joint and the butt joint. The selection of the number of rivets used for a joint and the array is simply to ensure the maximum strength of the rivets and the plates. If ten small arrayed rivets on a lap joint were replaced by three large rivets across a plate the plate section area (in tension) would clearly be significantly reduced... Rivet materials Rivets for mechanical and structural applications are normally made from ductile (low carbon ) steel or wrought iron. For applications where weight, corrosion, or material constraints apply, rivets can be made from copper (+alloys) aluminum (+alloys),monel etc. Design stresses For rivets used for structures and vessels etc the relevant design stresses are provided in the applicable codes. For rivets used in mechanical engineering, values are available in mechanical equipment standards which can be used with judgment. BS 2573 Pt 1 Rules for the design of cranes includes design stress values based on the Yields stress (0,2% proof stress) YR0.2 as follows:- Hand driven rivets ..tensile stress (40%YR0.2) ..Shear (36,6%YR0.2)..Bearing (80%YR0.2) Machinery's handbook includes some values for steel rivets . I have interpreted these values and include them below as rough approximate values for first estimate. These are typical values for ductile steel. Tensile (76MPa) .. Shear (61MPa) ..Bearing (131MPa) Design Assumptions In designing rivet joints it is convenient to simplify the process by making the following assumptions. • The rivets fail in either pure compression, or pure shear. • The shear stress is evenly distributed across the rivet section. • The bearing stress is evenly distributed across the projected area of the rivet. • The force to cause a rivet to fail in double shear is 2 x the force to cause single shear failure. • The tensile stress is uniform across the plate area between the rivets. Rivet Joint Failure A rivet joint may fail as a result of one (or more) of a number mechanisms.. • Shearing through one section of the rivet (single shear). • Shearing through two sections of the rivet (double shear. • Compressive bearing failure of the rivet. • Shearing of the plate(s) being joined. • Bearing failure of the plate(s) being joined. • Tearing of the plates between the rivets. Rivet Joint Efficiency The rivet joint efficiency is simply described as follows Eff = Max Allowable Force applied to Rivet Joint/ Plate Strength with no holes The joint efficiency is increased by having multiple rows of rivets. It is also clear that the efficiency can never be 100%. The maximum allowable force is the smallest of the allowable shear, tensile or bearing forces. Rivets are initially sized with nominal diameters of between 1,2√ t and 1,4 √t (t = plate thickness) The diametrical clearance provided for hot rivets is about 1,5 mm max. For cold rivets very tight fits are often provided by using reamed holes. It is important that the rivets are not positioned too close to the side of the plate or the edge of a plate. m t should be greater than 1,5 d and m a should be greater than 1,5 d. (d = nominal rivet diameter). It is also suggested that the distance between rivets in the rows (pt) is greater than 3d and the distance between rows (pa) is greater than 3 d. Using these guidance factors the strength calculations are simplified Rivets calculations are generally completed to check for three failure modes: rivet shear, plate tensile failure, and rivet /plate bearing. These are shown below. A rivet joint can also fail due to plate shearing (tearing) behind the rivet. This calculation is not always completed because the joint design should include that the minimum metal land behind the rivet (ma above) is specified ensuring that other failure modes will operate before this mode. It is also important that the axial pitch (p a) is maximized (see above note) to ensure that the weakest section of the plate is through a row of holes Rivet Shear The rivet shear calculation is τ = Fs / ( n p d 2 /4 ) Fs = τ ( n p d 2 /4 ) • τ = Shear Stress (MPa) • d = rivet diameter (mm) • Fs = Total Axial Force (N) • n = Number of Rivets Plate Tensile Stress The tensile stress in the plate = σt = Ft / [t (w - n r d 1)] Ft = σt [t (w - n r d 1)] • σt = Tensile Stress (MPa) • d 1= rivet hole diameter (mm) • n r = Number of Rivets in a row across the plate • w = plate width (mm) Plate /rivet bearing stress The Plate/Rivet bearing stress = σc = Fc /(n d t) Fc = σc (n d t) • σc = Bearing Stress (MPa) • d = rivet diameter (mm) • n = Number of Rivets • t = plate thickness (mm) Plate tearing stress.. The plate shear stress = τc = F /(2 m a t) Determine the rivet joint efficiency: 1- Shearing efficiency of the rivets: Eff1 = τ (n p d 2 /4) / σt t w Eff1 = τ (n p d 2 /4) / σt t w (1) 2- Tensile efficiency of the plate: Eff2 = σt [t (w - n r d 1)] / σt t w Eff2 = (w - n r d 1) / w (2) 3- Crushing or bearing efficiency of the plate/rivets Eff3 = σc (n d t) / σt t w Eff3 = σc (n d) / σt w (3) * Note: The minimum efficiency of the rivet joint is the minimum efficiency in the above cases. View Image ليست هناك تعليقات: إرسال تعليق ممكن نعرف رايك فى المشاركه اللى فاتت ملحوظة: يمكن لأعضاء المدونة فقط إرسال تعليق.
sparty-02 As a high school math teacher at a charter school in Boston, I struggled to teach algebra to students with varying levels of math skills. Some entered my classroom still needing to master changing fractions to decimals and percentages, while others were ready to grapple with the quadratic equation, point-slope form and writing linear equations. At this school I was one of two ninth-grade algebra teachers among a team of four math teachers in the building. Through regular dialogue with my colleague Jeff, I learned that he faced similar challenges in his algebra classroom. Together we decided at the end of the first term of the school year to engage in a discussion with the math staff around how to better meet the mathematical learning needs of all of our ninth-grade students. We believed something could be done to correct the teaching and learning challenges in our classrooms before the end of the school year. It was evident to Jeff and me that heterogeneous grouping in the algebra classroom was not working. The inability to provide curricular challenge for higher performers was affecting student engagement and motivation, and the inability to adequately support struggling students (due to lack of time and resources) was impacting students’ self-efficacy in math and overall academic self-confidence. Despite my thorough knowledge of the negative effects of tracking for students, I knew that considering this structure for student grouping in the classroom might have to be an option for us. Tracking, also known as ability grouping, is the practice of grouping students together according to their academic talent and skills in a particular content area. In secondary schools, this can be a beneficial practice for high-performing students who are exposed to advanced placement and college preparatory coursework, but detrimental for lower-performing students who are often locked into lower-level classes that might not fully maximize their academic potential. Tracking often locks students into a certain pattern of course-taking with few opportunities to explore courses outside of one’s “track.” The last thing I wanted for the majority of my algebra students—who were primarily low-income students of color—was for them to be labeled as lower-level learners who required lowered expectations and watered-down curricula and instruction. As Cotton (2003) states, effective instructional leaders are intensely involved in curricular and instructional issues that directly affect student achievement. As a math team in our school, we wanted to provide the best instruction for all algebra students under the most optimal conditions. A newsletter for the Reading First program (2005) identified key elements of instructional leadership to be: 1. Prioritization of teaching and learning; 2. Use of scientifically-based research to inform decision-making about instruction; 3. Focus on alignment of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and standards; 4. Use of multiple sources of information to assess performance; and, 5. A culture of continuous learning for adults. These elements were definitely at play in our discussions. As a team, we had been reviewing formal and informal student assessments and considering instructional practices for helping students meet grade-level benchmarks. After much discussion, we decided to give ability grouping a try. With the support of the school principal, our math team decided to create three different ninth-grade algebra “sections,” with an option for students to move between classes for the remainder of the year depending on their academic needs. The challenge became how to explain the new structure to students in a way that made this move seem positive. In my classroom, I used a picture of the bell curve to assist me in helping my students understand how they would benefit from our experiment with tracked math classes in the second term. Bell Curve I explained to students that some of them were currently acquiring algebra skills at a rate average to peers at their same grade level (the middle section of the curve) across the country; others were moving at a slightly faster pace in acquiring algebra skills and needed more of a challenge (the right side of the curve); still others were moving at a slightly slower pace in acquiring algebra skills for this grade level (the left side of the curve). I let my students know that three algebra sections had been created to help them strengthen and hone their algebra skills based on current assessment data (formal and informal) that we had been collecting from them. Students understood that in some cases I had recommended they go into the faster-paced section because I saw their potential based on a solid skill foundation even though their performance did not mirror my perceptions. In other cases, I wanted students to understand that being in the slower-paced class would help them strengthen their math skills in order to transition to the “regular” or faster-paced section in the third term of the school year. Jeff utilized this same analogy. What we wanted to make sure students knew was that movement between tracks was possible, that students’ trajectories were not fixed. In this school, with this particular issue, we took an approach to instructional leadership in which we focused on the learning needs of our students, we were reflective about our practice with one another throughout the remainder of the school year, and we believed we were addressing the mathematical needs of the cultural and socioeconomic diversity in our school community. We did see quantifiable changes in students’ algebraic skills and continued the flexible tracking in the next school year. One of many lessons I learned from this experience as a K-12 educator is this: Instructional leadership requires thinking outside the box to obtain the best results for youth. Innovation and creativity are needed amongst a team for strengthening and learning community and improving student outcomes. Cotton, K. (2003). Principles and student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. U.S. Department of Education (2005). What is instructional leadership and why is it so important? sparty-02 2014 © Dorinda Carter Andrews and Michigan State University Go to top
Sunday, November 4, 2007 Why should we care if we manage our water wisely? Water Efficiency, Human Health, and the Environment Depleting reservoirs and groundwater aquifers can put water supplies, human health, and the environment at serious risk. Lower water levels can lead to higher concentrations of natural contaminants, such as radon and arsenic, or human pollutants, such as agricultural and chemical wastes. Using water more efficiently helps maintain supplies at safe levels, protecting human health and the environment. (source: EPA) 1 comment:
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 The Shelley mysteries All historical novels are not the same. Most of them simply use history as a setting, giving their characters a particular time and place for their story. Sometimes authors weave real historical figures into their plots, usually just as minor characters, or attempt to recreate real historical events. Other historical novels actually engage history, sticking as close as possible to known events, while attempting to solve lingering historical mysteries. Melanie Benjamin did this in her 2010 novel Alice I Have Been about the strange relationship between Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell, the girl who became the model for Alice in Wonderland. Benjamin follows known history as far as it takes her, then fills in the blanks. The result is a story is still fiction, but it is convincing enough to at least stand a chance of being true. Lynn Shepherd does the same kind of thing in A Fatal Likeness (Delacorte Press), a novel about poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the women in his life, especially Mary Godwin Shelley and Claire Clairmont. Shepherd's novel doesn't stray far from what is known about these people and their turbulent relationships, but it does suggest possible answers to some of the lingering mysteries, such as whether two of then women in Shelley's life really committed suicide and whether the deaths of his children might have been murder. To try to solve these mysteries, Shepherd invents two fictional detectives, or thief-takers as they would have been called at the time. One is Charles Maddox, a contemporary of Shelley's, who does an initial investigation but then gets a little too closely involved, and the other, years later, is his nephew, also named Charles Maddox, who is hired by Mary. She and Claire remain bitter rivals years after Shelley's death, and Maddox gets thrown into the middle of their conflict. He must also try to figure what his uncle, still living, learned but has remained silent about. This is a complicated novel, often fascinating but sometimes just dull and confusing. Those with a keen interest in Shelley's life (the question of whether Mary Shelley or Shelley himself wrote Frankenstein is also addressed here) will be ones most rewarded by reading this novel. No comments: Post a Comment
A.L.L. PH+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.) is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that the body uses to fight infections. In A.L.L., the bone marrow makes a lot of unformed cells called blasts that normally would develop into lymphocytes. However, the blasts are abnormal. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The number of abnormal cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. The word ‘acute’ in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia comes from the fact that the disease progresses rapidly and affects immature blood cells, rather than mature ones. There are approximately over 4,000 new cases of A.L.L. in the United States each year. It appears most often in children younger than age 10. However, it can appear in people of any age – about one-third of cases are adults. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia may also be called Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia or Acute Lymphoid Leukemia. A.L.L. increases in people ages 45 and older. However, people can get A.L.L. at any age. Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia signs, symptoms and diagnosis The symptoms a person with A.L.L. has depends on how many normal blood cells they collect in the body. Low numbers of red blood cells can lead to anemia – feeling tired or weak, being short of breath and looking pale. White blood cells fight infections. Low numbers of white blood cells can lead to fever and frequent infections that are hard to treat. Platelets control bleeding. A low number of platelets can lead to cuts that heal slowly, easy bruising or bleeding and tiny red spots under the skin. A high number of leukemia cells can cause pain in the bones or joints, lack of appetite, headache or vomiting. Some signs of symptoms of A.L.L. are similar to other more common and less severe illnesses. Specific blood test and bone marrow test are needed to make a diagnosis. A person with A.L.L. may have: Aches in arms, legs, back, Black and blue marks for no apparent reason Enlarged lymph nodes Fever without obvious cause Pale-looking skin Pinhead-size red spots under the skin Prolonged bleeding from minor cuts Shortness of breath during physical activity The best advise for any person troubled by symptoms such as a lasting low-grade fever, unexplained weight loss, tiredness or shortness of breath is to see a healthcare provider. Blood and bone marrow tests are done to look for leukemia cells. A CBC (complete blood count) is used to help diagnose A.L.L. A bone marrow aspirate and a bone marrow biopsy are two of the test that are done. An aspirate is done to take a close look at the cells in the marrow in order to look for abnormal cells such as leukemic blast cells. It can also be used for cytogenetic analysis, immunophenotyping and other tests. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow – the spongy tissue inside the bones where blood cells are formed. The biopsy gives information about how much disease is in the marrow. Immunophenotyping is used to find out if the patient’s leukemia cells are B cells or T cells. Most people with A.L.L. have the B-cell type. Most cases of the B-cell type are called precursor B-cell type. The doctor uses information from these tests to decide the type of drug therapy a patient needs and how long treatment will last. Bone marrow tests are also done to see if treatment is destroying leukemic blast cells. To decide the best treatment for the patient, the doctor may also consider; The patient's age The number of ALL cells in the blood If ALL has spread to the covering of the brain and spinal cord If there are certain chromosomal changes. You want to make sure you are taken care of in a center where doctors are experienced in treating patients with A.L.L. The goal of treatment for A.L.L. is to cure the disease. Children with A.L.L. are likely to be cured of their disease. The number of adult patients who have remissions has increased. The length of remissions in adults has improved. There are two parts of treatment for A.L.L., called induction therapy and post-induction therapy. The aim of induction therapy is to: • Kill as many ALL cells as possible • Get blood counts back to normal • This is called a remission Some drugs used to treat A.L.L. are given by mouth. Other drugs are given by placing a catheter in a vein – usually in the patient’s upper chest. During induction therapy, most patients are treated with more than one drug and they may be given several drugs in combination. Each drug type works in a different way to kill the cells. Combining drug types can strengthen the effects of the drugs. Some of the drugs used to treat A.L.L are vincristine, pegaspargase, imatinib mesylate, prednisone, and dexamethasone. Patients with A.L.L. often have leukemic cells in the lining of the spinal cord and brain. The procedure used to check the spinal fluid for leukemic cells is called a spinal tab. The cells cannot always be found in an exam of the spinal fluid. PH – Positive A.L.L. Ph-Positive A.L.L.-Induction/Post-Induction – about one out of five adults with A.L.L. and a Philadelphia – positive chromosome) A.L.L. Ph-Positive A.L.L. may be treated with imatinib mesylate, also called Gleevec® or with other related drugs, such as dasatinib (Sprycel®) or nilotinib (Tasigna®). These drugs are given with chemotherapy. Gleevec and other medicines are given by mouth. Doctors are studying how well this treatment works in patients with Ph-Positive A.L.L. During post-induction therapy, Gleevec® (or other related drugs) is given with other drugs. Usually people with Ph-Positive A.L.L. stay on Gleevec® (or other related drug) after post-induction therapy is completed. Side Effects of Treatment Not all patients have treatment side effects. Patients who experience side effects should speak with their treatment teams about how to manage them. Possible side effects of treatment for A.L.L. include: The number of red cells may decrease (called anemia). Transfusions of red cells (blood cells that are donated and given to the patient) may be needed to increase red cells. Patients also may have a drop in the number of platelets. If a patient’s platelet count is very low he or she may need a platelet transfusion to prevent bleeding. A big drop of white cells may lead to an infection. Such infections are usually treated with antibiotics until the white cell count goes up and the infection clears up. For adults, growth factors are sometimes given to increase white cells. G-CSF(Neulasta® or Neupogen®) and GM-CSF(Leukine®) are drugs that increase the number of white cells. The doctor may talk about the absolute neutrophil count or ANC, which is the number of neutrophils, a type of white cells a person has to fight an infection. Fever or chills may be the only signs of infection. Patients with an infection may also have: • Sore throat • Pain when urinating • Frequent loose bowel movements Chemotherapy affects the parts of the body where new cells form quickly. This includes the inside of mouth and bowel, and the skin and hair. Some other chemotherapy side effects are: • Mouth sores • Diarrhea • Hair loss • Rashes • Nausea • Vomiting Drugs and other therapies can be given to prevent or treat nausea or vomiting. How can you help someone with A.L.L. To lower the risk of infection: • The patient, patient’s family and friends including medical staff need to wash their hands well. • Be sensitive to mood swings • Always bring a positive attitude • Speak positive words to the patient • Bring the patient encouraging notes and books to read • Pray that God will continue to strengthen the patient and their family Bookmark the permalink. Leave a Reply
Anti Smoking Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate March 2001 download word file, 8 pages 5.0 Cigarettes - Addiction and Product Dangers & The Targeting Of Young People Every day, 3,000 kids start smoking, most of them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids add up to 90 percent of all new smokers. These statistics show us that young people are the main targets of the tobacco companies. The cigarette manufacturers will deny it, but advertising and promotion play a very important part in making these statistics a reality. The two main companies in this advertising war are Marlboro and Camel. Marlboro uses a western cowboy called the Marlboro Man, while Camel uses Joe Camel, a hip cartoon character. Everywhere you go there is billboards or some other kind of advertisement on these two shady characters. When I say shady, I imply that these characters are not just figures we see but they are traps just waiting to lure the next victim in. As kids look through magazines and see Joe Camel driving a cool car and surrounded by beautiful women they get the idea that in order to be somebody they need to smoke a Camel cigarette. It is not right to prey on young people just because they are unaware of the dangers of smoking. The tobacco industry denies that these symbols target people less than 21 and claim that their advertising goal is simply to promote brand switching and loyalty. Many people disagree with this statement. The problem we are facing is not only with the tobacco companies but with the young people also. The reason why I say this is because most youths know that they are being targeted. If these kids realize that the advertising is manipulating them, why do they still smoke? The ads reflect an image of rebellion and fitting in. These are all the...
"Should psychologists study animals in other ways than naturalistic observation?" Essay by aristeo3High School, 12th gradeA+, October 2014 download word file, 5 pages 0.0 Aristeo Canales Mrs. Raymer & Mr. Nydegger Unit 2 Essay September 8, 2014 "Should psychologists study animals in ways other than naturalistic observation?" The difference between nonhuman and human behavior is, as Darwin said, a "difference in degree rather than kind." There are traits of personality that are shared throughout the animal kingdom that can be best observed in naturalistic observation. Such traits, we would conclude, are characteristic of natural behavior. However, other methods of study should not be discarded. When studying a human's behavior, it is difficult to determine what traits are and are not purely human nature without some standard descriptors of what is "natural behavior." By the same token, humans display behavior that is not observable in the wild; I haven't seen lions build any skyscrapers recently. Of course, no matter what controlled environment, no earthly pride will ever build a skyscraper simply because they are not able to and they have no reason to. But we humans have a great reason to, and it is the same reason we do anything else. Humans have developed this society as we know it because we had to. The fact of the matter is, we are the laughing stock of the animal kingdom; without our technological advancements since the dawn of Homo sapiens, we would not have survived this long. We Homo sapiens are the least fit for survival in the natural environment, so in effort to adapt to survive-a characteristic of natural behavior shared throughout the animal kingdom- we made our environment fit for us. When studying humans, it may be difficult to eliminate variables that may affect the outcome of the study that simply are not present in the wild. As humans have evolved from our hominid ancestors and as they have evolved from anthropoid...
The earliest diamonds were found in India in 4th century BC, although the youngest of these deposits were formed 900 million years ago. A majority of these early stones were transported along the network of trade routes that connected India and China, commonly known as the Silk Road. At the time of their discovery, diamonds were valued because of their strength and brilliance, and for their ability to refract light and engrave metal. Diamonds were worn as adornments, used as cutting tools, served as a talisman to ward off evil, and were believed to provide protection in battle. In the Dark Ages, diamonds were also used as a medical aid and were thought to cure illness and heal wounds when ingested. Until the 18th century, India was thought to be the only source of diamonds. When the Indian diamond mines were depleted, the quest for alternate sources began. Although a small deposit was found in Brazil in 1725, the supply was not enough to meet world demands. ( Source: The story of the modern diamond market really begins on the African continent, with the 1866 discovery of diamonds in Kimberley, South Africa. Entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes established De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited 22 years later, in 1888. By 1900, De Beers, controlled an estimated 90 percent of the world’s production of rough diamonds. A diamond has to go through a lot before it reaches the jeweler’s display case. Surprisingly, diamonds share some common characteristics with coal. Both are composed of the most common substance on earth: carbon. What makes diamonds different from coal is the way the carbon atoms are arranged and how the carbon is formed. Diamonds are created when carbon is subjected to the extremely high pressures and temperatures found at the earth’s lithosphere, which lies approximately 90-240 miles below the earth’s surface. Gem diamonds are commonly judged by the four C’s: Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut. My Faux Diamond is the highest quality you’ll find anywhere. My Faux Diamond resembles the real thing as closely as possible in terms of physical properties and appearance. My Faux Diamond diamond rings and jewelry will amaze you with their elegance. Visit us today at: Written by: Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s
Truth Defined Truth Defined Truth, what is it? The word truth has about as many meanings as there are people on the planet. It seems that all people, down through the ages, in all walks of life, culture, race, age and religion, have pondered this one question and have at least formulated some idea as to what it means. Remember, Yahusha was asked by Pilate, “what is truth?” Even if the question is not asked directly, people still form their beliefs either on the truth they perceive to be right, or the truth that someone else said was right. No one seems to be able to define truth, because as soon as something is established as truth, the definition changes. Why does it change? Because the reality of one is a misconception of another. Truth is not truth if it changes. Truth is faithless if it changes. If truth changes, how does one know if the new change is correct? If the new change evolved from a previous definition of truth, then how does one know if that definition was absolute? And without further delay…. Truth is defined as…. “The standard of authority, as set forth in the Name of YaHuWaH Elohim, the Creator of the Universe, by the breath of His Ruach; witnessed to Himself; the interpretation by Himself; brought forth of Himself; the Spoken and Written Word, Yahusha YaHuWaH, His only Son, through Whom the execution of His will and good purpose, without variation, established the boundaries of His eternal laws, instructions and commandments, all of which are inherent to the creation and sustainment of life.” In short…. “….Your Word is truth” (Yochanan 17:17) Any attempt to define ‘truth’ outside the standard as set forth by YaHuWaH Elohim, will be discarded as a treasonous endeavor to usurp the authority of the Creator with ‘ideas’ that are merely relative to one’s own interpretation. 10 Reason Why People Don’t Wear Tzitzits 10 Reasons why people don’t wear tzitzits Through our conversing with different people and observations we have made, these are the top 10 reasons why tzitzits are not being worn…. 1 – I did not know that was in scripture 2 – We are a different priesthood 3 – That is only for the Yahudi’s 4 – The Torah is written our heart, we no longer need a reminder 5 – We are in a new covenant 6 – I can’t wear them to work 7 – They will offend my family 8 – Well I see other people wearing them and the way they act is hypocritical 9 – We can’t get the right color of blue 10 – They are meant for prayer shawls ABBA’s answer to all 10 excuses…. The Feast Of Unleavened Bread You have probably heard the saying: “Yahusha ha Mashiach led a PERFECT LIFE in YOUR STEAD — there is NOTHING AT ALL for you to do but BELIEVE!” Most ministers say: “YaHuWaH’s Torah was nailed to the stake. It is unnecessary to keep the Ten Commandments today!” Are these commonly accepted ideas really true? Is there NOTHING YOU must do to inherit eternal life? Yahusha Our Passover This world would have you think that YaHuWaH’s plan was COMPLETED at the stake. In reality it only BEGAN there. IT WAS YAHUSHA HA MASHIACH, our Passover — not YaHuWaH’s Torah — WHO WAS NAILED TO THE STAKE. Instead of Yahusha doing away with the Torah, it was the TORAH which would have done away with your life. But YaHuWaH accepted the PERFECT LIFE OF YAHUSHA HA MASHIACH TO PAY THE PENALTY OF YOUR SINS IN YOUR STEAD. He died because YOU BROKE YAHUWAH’S TORAH! “All have sinned,” said the apostle Sha’ul, “and come short of the glory of YaHuWaH!” (Rom 3:23) Your human nature, your carnal mind, NATURALLY rejects YaHuWaH’s ways. (Rom 8:7) Yahusha ha Mashiach’s sacrifice — his shed blood — WIPES AWAY YOUR PAST SINS. It gives you the opportunity for a fresh, clean start. But what are you going to do about it — continue to sin — OR QUIT SINNING? Do you realize there is something YOU MUST DO, before YaHuWaH will give you the gift of ETERNAL LIFE? Listen to the answer of Yahusha. When one came to Him asking: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Yahusha said: “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, YaHuWaH: BUT IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.” (Mat. 19:16-17) The Ten Commandments reveal YaHuWaH’s character. YaHuWaH is now creating RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER in those whom He is calling. Man, now only a clay model, is to be created in the CHARACTER-IMAGE of YaHuWaH Almighty. Obedience is a test of that character. YaHuWaH will not grant eternal life to anyone He cannot rule. But why have Christians lost the knowledge that we must obey YaHuWaH? For the same reason that the Jews lost the knowledge that Yahusha ha Mashiach! In the time of Yahusha the Jews rejected the True Mashiach. They did not understand the higher meaning to Passover; therefore, they lost the knowledge of the FIRST STEP in Yahuwah’s plan — and put their Savior to a reprehensible, painful death! But Yahusha ha Mashiach is not only the author, or beginner, He is also the FINISHER of our salvation (Heb. 12:2). That is what the Christian world has forgotten! They have lost the knowledge of the SECOND STEP in YaHuWaH’s plan — that we must PUT SIN OUT OF OUR LIVES! To help us in the knowledge of the second step, YaHuWaH gave His Chosen People a special festival — the Days of Unleavened Bread. They are to impress upon us the fact that we must NEVER AGAIN RETURN to the sins Yahusha paid for with His shed blood. Let’s begin to understand the true significance, the deep meaning in this ANNUAL FESTIVAL commemorating another step in YaHuWaH’s plan. Let’s learn why keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread is so important to your salvation, and just what your part is in YaHuWaH’s Master Plan. Commanded Forever 1. Every reader of the New Testament is admonished to diligently study the example of Israel coming out of Egyptian slavery. Why has this particular Old Testament record been specially written and preserved? I Cor. 10:1, 6. COMMENT: Israel’s experience is to teach us not to sin — to teach us obedience. 1. Almighty YaHuWaH commanded Israel to keep the Passover in Ex. 12:1-4. But were they to stop with the Passover? Or was there MORE for them to do? Verses 15-20. Comment: Were the Days of Unleavened Bread given BEFORE the people of Israel reached Mount Sinai — BEFORE THEY EVEN LEFT THE LAND OF EGYPT? Ex. 12:18, 19. This festival was commanded before the Old Covenant was made. IT WAS NOT PART OF THE TORAH OF MOSES GIVEN NEARLY A YEAR AFTER THE ISRAELITES ARRIVED AT MOUNT SINAI. (See Ex. 40:17 and Lev. 1:1) What was not instituted by the Old Covenant or the Torah of Moses, WAS NOT DONE AWAY WHEN THEY CEASED. YaHuWaH did not give Israel sacrifices and burnt offerings when they came out of Egypt! (Jeremiah 7:22.) What He commanded them was to obey, to keep the Feast. Later, special Mosaic sacrifices were offered on the Days of Unleavened Bread as also on every day of the year. They were TEMPORARY and ceased with the sacrifice of Yahusha. 1. How long were YaHuWaH’s people to continue keeping this Festival? Exodus 12:17. COMMENT: Notice this verse in the modern wording of the Farrar Fenton translation, “consequently keep this period as an EVERLASTING INSTITUTION.” 1. Did YaHuWaH instruct the Israelites to explain the significance of this festival to their children so that each succeeding generation would remember its special meaning? Ex. 13:8. What were they to tell their children about the Days of Unleavened Bread? Verses 6-7, 9-10. 1. Did Yahusha keep the seven days of Unleavened Bread, leaving Believers HIS OWN EXAMPLE to follow? Luke 2:41-43. Does the Bible show that Yahusha NOT ONLY kept the Passover, but also the Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed it? Verse 43. Was Yahusha ha Mashiach OLD ENOUGH at this time to thoroughly understand whether or not YaHuWaH expects His people TO KEEP THIS ANNUAL FESTIVAL IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES? Verses 42, 46-47. 1. Later on when Yahusha came to FULL MATURITY, was He STILL KEEPING the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread? Mark 14:12-16. 1. In the year that Yahusha was crucified, did His enemies expect Him to be keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Mark 14:1-2. COMMENT: Yahusha’s enemies knew that He would surely be keeping the Feast, but they were AFRAID to try to take Him when so many of the citizens would be gathered together. Yahusha was popular because of the miracles He had performed. So, the Jews captured Him during the night of the 14th, after the PRIVATE Memorial meal He ate with the disciples. 1. After the stake — after Yahusha had been crucified, buried and resurrected — did His disciples know that THEY WERE STILL EXPECTED TO KEEP the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Acts 12:3. COMMENT: Why should Luke, years after the crucifixion, use the Feast of Unleavened Bread to indicate the time of Kefa’s imprisonment? Because Believers WERE STILL KEEPING THIS ANNUAL FESTIVAL! 1. Didn’t Sha’ul, THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, wait until after he had observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Believers at Philippi before he sailed for Troas? Acts 20:6. COMMENT: Throughout the history of the early New Testament Chosen People of YaHuWaH in the book of Acts, we find faithful Believers KEEPING the Days of Unleavened Bread. 1. Does Sha’ul, under the inspiration of the Ruach ha Kodesh, COMMAND BELIEVERS TO KEEP THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD? I Cor. 5:8. COMMENT: Here is the direct command for New Testament Believers from YaHuWaH’s apostle to the Gentiles to KEEP THE FEAST of Unleavened Bread. Notice because Yahusha our Passover is sacrificed for us (verse 7) we must also continue to KEEP THE FEAST of Unleavened Bread — a reminder that we are to put sin out of our lives. Now what are you GOING TO DO? Escape the Misery of Sin! Let’s return to the account of the Exodus from Egypt, and see what new lessons we can learn about the Days of Unleavened Bread. 1. Does YaHuWaH show in His word that Egypt is a type of SIN? Hebrews 11:24-27. COMMENT: Even in Revelation 11:8 SINFUL Jerusalem is called Egypt spiritually. 1. Did the people of Israel SUFFER in miserable slavery to the cruel taskmasters of Egypt? What was life in “sin” like? Ex. 1:14 and 2:23. COMMENT: A modern example of this sort of persecution and human slavery is seen in Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany! Slavery for Israel in sinful Egypt was very much like living in Hitler’s concentration and slave-labor camps. There was one great difference however. Nazi Germany’s domination lasted for only little more than one terrible decade, whereas ancient Israel served the Egyptians FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS! In the same way, the entire world has SUFFERED from its own sins since the creation of Adam — NEARLY 6000 YEARS AGO! Today it is still a world of misery, frustration, discouragement and failure. 1. Did Moses have to choose between the immoral sins of Egypt and serving YaHuWaH? Did this mean that by so doing Moses would probably suffer along with YaHuWaH’s people? Heb. 11:25. Why was Moses willing to make such a choice? Heb. 11:26. COMMENT: Moses was willing to sacrifice sinful pleasures knowing that if he wanted to inherit the gift of eternal life he must UTTERLY FORSAKE THE WAYS OF SIN! 1. Just as Moses was willing to forsake the practices of sin, are New Testament Believers expected to do the same? Hebrews 12:1-4. Does YaHuWaH command us to strive TO EXPEND EFFORT AND ENERGY — to put sin out of our lives? Verses 1 and 4. COMMENT: YaHuWaH expects us — through His help — to expend every effort to QUIT SINNING. We must come TOTALLY out of — no longer to participate in sin. If we are to become a part of His family and receive the gift of eternal life, we must PROVE OUR OBEDIENCE HERE AND NOW by getting the LEAVEN of sin out of our lives! This is OUR PART in YaHuWaH’s plan. (See Yahusha’s answer to the lawyer in Luke 10:25-28.) 1. Was any leaven to be found in the Israelites’ homes, or on their property? Exodus 12:15. COMMENT: Leaven is a type of sin. Leaven puffs up — and so does sin. Unleavened bread IS BREAD which contains NO LEAVENING AGENT, and therefore typifies putting out sin. A leavening agent is any substance used to puff up — to produce fermentation, causing dough to rise — a type of sin. Yeast, soda, and baking powder are such leavening agents. (They are, of course, proper to use at any other time of year.) Bread, crackers, some prepared cereals and most cakes contain leaven and are to be avoided during this festival. ALL LEAVEN was to be removed from the premises. YaHuWaH’s people weren’t allowed to store it in some other room, a shed or outbuilding. But it was and is YaHuWaH’s way of testing His people to see how much they prize obedience. 1. Does YaHuWaH positively command His people to eat unleavened bread — a symbol of obedience — during this festival? Verse 20. COMMENT: They were not merely to abstain from all leavened bread during these seven days. That would have meant ONLY PUTTING OUT past sin. They were commanded to do something positive, to eat unleavened bread in the festival. That symbolized obedience, actively OBEYING YaHuWaH, SUBMITTING to His will. Pharaoh a Type of the Devil 1. After Israel escaped slavery in Egypt, what was their attitude? Ex. 14:8. Were their spirits high? Same verse. However, were their troubles only just beginning? Same verse. COMMENT: Pharaoh is a type of Satan the Devil. Satan does not want to let a sinner escape the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:16). 1. What were the physical circumstances that made escape from Egypt IMPOSSIBLE for the fleeing Israelites? Ex. 14:2-3. COMMENT: Pi-hahiroth was a mountain range that made escape from Pharaoh impossible by land to the south and west. The Red Sea to the east was OVER EIGHT MILES ASTAKE at the point where Israel had encamped, and Pharaoh’s army of chariots was thundering down on the trapped Israelites from the north! 1. Who had brought these circumstances about? Ex. 14:4. Why had YaHuWaH done this? Same verse. Did YaHuWaH want to demonstrate that He ALONE has the POWER to deliver his servants — to deliver us — from sin? Same verse. 2. When the Israelites understood their predicament, what was their reaction? Ex. 14:10. When YaHuWaH tested them by not answering their prayer immediately, what was their reaction? Ex. 14:11-12. When the going really got tough, did they regret that they had escaped from the slavery and sins of Egypt? Same verse. COMMENT: Immediately after Israel left Egypt they were pursued by Pharaoh! So today newly begotten Believers are often pursued by Satan. He will set any obstacle in your way — he will attempt to discourage you, to cause you to stumble he will do ANYTHING to keep you from receiving eternal life. His favorite trick is to make you WANT TO RETURN TO THE LIFE OF SIN YOU SHOULD BE FORSAKING. Yet some people blindly prefer to continue in sin! They don’t want to rejoice before YaHuWaH on His annual Festivals because they don’t WANT TO QUIT SINNING! Israel displayed this same SELFISH ATTITUDE as they journeyed out of Egypt through the desert to Sinai. 1. Who did they blame? Ex. 14:11-12. Was it Moses or YaHuWaH Himself who was REALLY responsible? Ex. 14:8. Then it was YaHuWaH that the people of Israel were REALLY rebelling against, wasn’t it? Same verse. 1. Why did Israel rebel against YaHuWaH? Ex.14:10. COMMENT: Israel was afraid that YaHuWaH would not save them from the terrifying situation in which they found themselves. They realized that they needed POWERFUL SUPERNATURAL help, and that they couldn’t deliver themselves from the army of Pharaoh. 1. But did YaHuWaH provide a means of escape? Ex. 14:13-23. Did YaHuWaH even “sabotage” the Egyptian chariots when they tried to follow the Israelites into the now dry bottom of the Red Sea? Ex. 14:24-25. Who was it that fought Pharaoh to deliver Israel? Verse 25. COMMENT: YaHuWaH supernaturally delivered Israel from Satan and from the bondage of sin in Egypt. 1. Does YaHuWaH want His people even today always to remember that it was His POWER that delivered Israel from the harsh bondage of Egypt? Exodus 12:42. Is the Feast of Unleavened Bread an everlasting reminder of this fact? Same verse. 1. Does YaHuWaH promise to help any man or woman who is willing to flee the bondage of sin? I Cor. 10:13. How does YaHuWaH intend for Believers to be able to resist sin? Rom. 8:13. COMMENT: YaHuWaH will provide a means of escape for anyone who really seeks to overcome sin, to mortify or kill his own selfish desires, just as YaHuWaH made it possible for Israel to escape from Pharaoh through the Red Sea. Feast of Unleavened Bread Is Sacred TIME 1. Who instituted these Festivals — YaHuWaH? Lev. 23:1-2. Are they called “the Feasts of YaHuWaH”? Verse 2. COMMENT: Each Feast or Festival is a segment of time ordained by YaHuWaH for our spiritual and physical rejuvenation. One chapter in the Bible summarizes all of the festivals YaHuWaH has ordained — Leviticus 23. Though they were already ordained (Ex. 12) before Israel left Egypt, they are repeated here because they were to continue. The first Festival occurs WEEKLY (Lev. 23:3). It is the seventh-day Sabbath. The weekly Sabbath is a period of rest from all usual business and labors, as well as our mundane pleasures. Each of the other Days mentioned here are to be observed ANNUALLY. They picture ANNUALLY the steps in YaHuWaH’s Master Plan. 1. What is to occur on these Feast Days? Verse 4. Notice the words, “Sacred convocation.” COMMENT: A “sacred convocation” is a COMMANDED CHOSEN PEOPLE. It is an Assembly of people where their presence is COMMANDED by a higher power or authority. YaHuWaH Almighty Himself rules supreme over the universe. He CALLS A MEETING of His people ‘A CONVOCATION’ — on each Festival. These times are “Set Apart” convocations because YaHuWaH is Sacred, and He has commanded them. A Sacred convocation is a gathering called by YaHuWaH for the purpose of worship. 1. On which specific days are there to be Sacred convocations in the Days of Unleavened Bread? Lev. 23:6-8. 1. Must these days fall at a SPECIFIC TIME of the month? Verse 6. At a specific time of WHICH month? Verse 5. COMMENT: The first month of YaHuWaH’s year is called Abib. It corresponds to the time during the months of March and April of the PAGAN CALENDAR man has devised for common use today. Abib means, “the time of green ears of grain.” The Sacred convocations, during the Days of Unleavened Bread are referred to in Exodus 34:21. These days during the Feast of Unleavened Bread occur during the season that grain comes to mature growth — “earring time.” 1. Notice the Days of Unleavened Bread begin immediately after the Old Testament Passover. Lev. 23:5-6. When was the Passover Lamb killed? When was it eaten? Ex. 12:6-9. COMMENT: The Passover Lamb was killed between the two evenings (3:00 PM and 6:00 PM on the 14th of Abib, just before it became totally dark — at dusk. Exodus 12:9-11 describes how the Passover lamb was eaten. This was done during the evening at the beginning of the 15th of Abib. 1. What else happened the night of the first Passover? Verses 29-32. Wasn’t it after the death plague passed over Egypt that Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron — therefore after midnight? Same verses. 1. Were the Israelites on that first night permitted to leave their homes during the night of the 15th of Abib? Ex. 12:22. What did they do in the morning? Ex. 12:10. 1. How was the daylight part of the 15th of Abib spent? Verses 33-36. Ancient Israel Forsakes Egypt 1. Does the Feast of Unleavened Bread continue for SEVEN DAYS? Compare Ex. 12:15 with Ex. 34:18 and Numbers 28:17. See also Deut. 16:3-4. COMMENT: The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th of Abib. It continues until the 21st of Abib. Both the 15th and the 21st were especially happy — ANNUAL SACRED CONVOCATIONS and DAYS OF REST from usual labor. Seven is YaHuWaH’s special number signifying COMPLETION or PERFECTION. YaHuWaH wants His people to come completely out of sin. 1. At what time did the Israelites finally get under way in their exodus from Egypt? Deut. 16:1. COMMENT: They left from Rameses. Josephus records this city was called Letopolis, and later renamed Babylon by the Persians, because it was the city of Semiramis in Egypt. It is the city of Old Cairo today. 1. How far did they get in that first long day and night? Ex. 12:37; Numbers 33:5. COMMENT: “Succoth” MEANS “tents” or “camping shelters.” This was Israel’s first night out, away from the buildings of Egypt! Here they paused — though still in high spirits with their new-found freedom — from utter exhaustion. This was their largest single day’s journey. 1. After a night’s rest where did they go to on the second day? Ex. 13:20. 1. What about the next day — the weekly Sabbath — the memorial of Creation and YaHuWaH’s Creation rest? Did they travel on that day? Ex. 14:2 COMMENT: Note that YaHuWaH gave Moses special instructions to pass on to Israel. How was Moses to pass on YaHuWaH’s words to a congregation of excited ex-slaves? BY A SACRED CONVOCATION! The column of cloud by day that blazed with fire at night (Ex. 13:21, 22) did not move on the Sabbath day! YaHuWaH rested! (Compare Ex. 40:36-37.) The weary, footsore Israelites were ready to rest from their long march. 1. What did Moses tell them on that Sabbath? Ex. 14:2. Wasn’t it to “Turn off this way, you are not really leaving Egypt — a type of sin — as long as you follow the well-traveled, popular road. Only by YaHuWaH’s deliverance can you actually escape from sin”? COMMENT: YaHuWaH knew Pharaoh would pursue and that it was necessary for the Israelites’ own good they be trapped and supernaturally delivered by YaHuWaH’s own power, to prove to them and to us in modern times that YaHuWaH alone offers salvation. As far as Etham, Israel was still in touch with civilization. But Etham was the edge of the wilderness (Ex. 13:20; Numbers 33:6). Now they were to strike out straight into the desert. 1. As soon as Israel turned away from populated places on that first day of the week (the day following the Sabbath), what message did Pharaoh’s swift horsemen report back to headquarters? Ex. 14:5. 1. Could Pharaoh’s army overtake Israel with their three days’ head start? Verse 9. COMMENT: No names are given of camping places for Sunday and Monday nights (the fourth and fifth days of Unleavened Bread. But by sunset Tuesday, the sixth day of Unleavened Bread, they had arrived and camped in a CUL-DE-SAC — between the mountains and the sea — just as Pharaoh’s chariot spearhead legions thundered in behind. Elation in the Israelite camp congealed into stark terror! Then the pillar of cloud, in which YaHuWaH was concealed, moved between the two camps as it flamed bright in the deepening dusk (Ex. 14:19-20 and 13:21). 1. Did YaHuWaH Almighty get His people safely across the Red Sea before daylight? Exodus 14:21-27. 1. Then on the daylight part of Wednesday, the seventh and last day of Unleavened Bread, was there great rejoicing? Did you notice that they traveled on this day? On the seventh day of Unleavened Bread a Sacred meeting in which newly composed congregational hymns were sung in memoriam and thanksgiving to YaHuWaH? Ex. 15:1-18, 20-21. Hezekiah Restores Festivals 1. Did YaHuWaH actually promise to PROSPER His people nationally and materially if they would keep His Sabbaths? Read thoroughly Deut. 28:1-14. Would they be chastened with CURSES when they disobeyed? Read thoroughly Deut. 28:15-68. 1. Now consider the national history of Israel — preserved in the Old Testament for our admonition. Did YaHuWaH stand firmly behind His promises and warnings? II Chron. 29:1-5. 1. What conditions did Hezekiah find in Judah when he took the throne? II Chron. 29:5-. What did Hezekiah do? Verse 10. COMMENT: The people had neglected to follow YaHuWaH’s Torah that outline His plan for material as well as spiritual happiness. They had been suffering for their sins! 1. Did the leaders of the priesthood then clean up YaHuWaH’s temple which had fallen into disrepair through disuse? II Chron. 29:15-19. What did Hezekiah do after the priesthood had been rededicated to the service of YaHuWaH? II Chron. 30:1-4. 1. Did Almighty YaHuWaH, who could have justly punished Israel for their national sins, mercifully forgive His people, and permit them to worship on His annual Feast? II Chron. 30:19-20. 1. Did Hezekiah know that the spring festival season WAS NOT COMPLETE until the Days of Unleavened Bread were kept? II Chron. 30:21. Were the Israelites happy, rejoicing in YaHuWaH’s Feast Days as He had promised they would? Same verse. 1. Weren’t they having such a wonderful time of fellowship (verses 25-26) that they wanted to keep a second period of seven days together in order to hear all the messages? Verse 23. Shouldn’t we who have been given the opportunity to understand YaHuWaH’s Master Plan in this end time also rejoice as they did? 1. Did the Eternal Creator Himself also rejoice to see that His people had returned to worship Him according to the commandment — did YaHuWaH hear their prayers? Verse 27. 1. Does YaHuWaH want His people to really enjoy these Feast Days? What is the principle that YaHuWaH teaches concerning all of His annual Festivals? Deut. 16:12 and 14, Psalm 42:4. Josiah Kept the Feast After Hezekiah’s death the people of Israel again forgot YaHuWaH. They forgot His Festivals and they forgot His plan. They returned to idolatry under the self-willed ruler ship of kings Manasseh and Amon. Not until the reign of Josiah were the Feast Days again restored. 1. Was Josiah a righteous king in YaHuWaH’s sight? II Kings 22:2. 1. What sort of condition were YaHuWaH’s people in when Josiah took over the reins of government? Had they lost the knowledge of YaHuWaH’s Torah and His Feasts? II Kings 22:8-11. 1. How did Josiah react when he heard the words of the Torah? Verse 11. What else did he do? Verses 12 and 13. Why was YaHuWaH angry with Judah? Verse 13. 1. As soon as Josiah understood that the nation had SINNED because they had not known to keep the Torah, did he punish the priests of the counterfeit religions? Read thoroughly II Kings 23:1-20. Then what was Josiah’s command? II Kings 23:21. 1. Was YaHuWaH pleased with Josiah’s works? II Kings 23:22-25; II Chron. 35:1. 1. Did Josiah keep the Passover service according to the words of the Book of the Torah? II Chron. 35, verses 1 and 13. After the Passover had been kept, did Josiah stop, or did he also understand that YaHuWaH expected His people TO CONTINUE AND KEEP THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD AS WELL? Verse 17. COMMENT: Notice that Judah had reverted to worshiping pagan idols and lost the knowledge of the worship of their Creator. When the understanding of the Torah was restored they began to serve the Eternal again. IMMEDIATELY they restored the observance of the ANNUAL FEAST DAYS — the festivals which are the SIGN between YaHuWaH and His people! 1. What does YaHuWaH say about the important part the keeping of His ANNUAL Feats and Sabbaths plays in His Master Plan? Ezek. 20:10-12. Was it by these annual Feasts and Sabbaths that Israel would recognize the true YaHuWaH, and YaHuWaH Himself would recognize the people who keep these days as HIS PEOPLE? Verse 20. COMMENT: These ANNUAL FEASTS ARE A PART OF THE SIGN YAHUWAH’S PEOPLE MUST HAVE! Read this 20th chapter of Ezekiel carefully, and review Israel’s history of Sabbath breaking, and what YaHuWaH says about it. Notice the punishment YaHuWaH enforces upon those who neglect to keep His annual Feast Days. Verse 25. Properly translated verse 25 reads, “Wherefore I gave them over to STATUTES THAT ARE NOT GOOD AND JUDGMENTS WHEREBY THEY SHOULD NOT LIVE,” the ways that seem right to man! This same principle is repeated in the New Testament. YaHuWaH rejects those who reject the knowledge of His way (Hosea 4:6). He GIVES THEM OVER TO SERVE THE HOPELESS WAYS OF MAN WHICH END IN MISERY AND DEATH! (Rom. 1:20-32. See also Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25.) When Josiah died Judah again lost sight of YaHuWaH; they ignored His Sabbaths and rejected His annual Festivals. To bring them to obedience Almighty YaHuWaH chastened them by sending them into NATIONAL CAPTIVITY! THIS SAME FATE AWAITS ANY NATION WHICH SPURNS YAHUWAH’S TORAHS AND NEGLECTS HIS FEAST DAYS! YaHuWaH’s methods remain eternally the same (Heb. 13:8)! 1. What was the attitude of the people who resumed from Babylonian captivity? Ezra 6:21-22. COMMENT: Because they had been chastened for not properly keeping YaHuWaH’s Sabbaths, it was not long before they ADDED CARNAL, HUMAN RESTRICTIONS to the Torah of YaHuWaH, making the Sabbaths a BURDEN to YaHuWaH’s people. One of these HUMAN restrictions was to prohibit using leavened bread during the daylight part of Yahusha’s Memorial — the 14th of Abib. YAHUWAH HAD NEVER MADE SUCH A RESTRICTION! But the Jews thought they could be more righteous than YaHuWaH. The Meaning of Spiritual Leaven The Apostle Sha’ul, in writing to the Chosen People of YaHuWaH at Corinth, explained the spiritual meaning and symbolism of the Days of Unleavened Bread to the Gentile converts there. Notice what Sha’ul teaches NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS about “leaven,” and why we need to become “unleavened” SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY! 1. Were the Corinthians permitting a person who was openly and actively practicing sin to fellowship with YaHuWaH’s Chosen People? I Cor. 5:1. 1. Was this sin in their midst causing them to feel guilty, or was it rather causing them to BECOME VAIN — to be puffed up? Did they think they could be more righteous, more forgiving, than YaHuWaH and the apostle Sha’ul by allowing this adulterer to remain in the Chosen People? I Cor. 5:2. 1. Sha’ul, knowing that this sin was causing foolish members of the Corinthian Chosen People to SWELL WITH VANITY and BECOME PUFFED UP, gave them specific instructions! What were those instructions? I Cor. 5:3-5. 1. What MORE does Sha’ul tell the vain Chosen People members who had BECOME PUFFED UP in YaHuWaH’s sight? I Cor. 5:6. What made their glorying not good? I Cor. 5:6-7. 1. Does the apostle Sha’ul compare this sinning member to a bit of leaven? Verse 6. Again what is his instruction? Verse 7. COMMENT: The one individual who had been practicing sin in the Chosen People had been allowed to remain in their midst. Sha’ul explains that just one bit of leaven — a sinful person — can cause the whole lump of dough — the whole Chosen People — to become saturated with sin. The whole Chosen People had become guilty of vanity — just as guilty as was the fornicator in their midst. The sin of fornication sprang from the same HUMAN NATURE which caused the other members of the Corinthian Chosen People to become PUFFED with vanity! By putting out the one adulterer, they put OUT THE SPIRITUAL LEAVEN that had begun to permeate the Chosen People. 1. What, then, is SPIRITUAL LEAVEN? I Cor. 5:8. COMMENT: Here is the symbolism of leaven interpreted! Not by men, but by your own Bible! LEAVEN TYPIFIES SIN! 1. Is there any other place in YaHuWaH’s word where He clearly shows that leaven is a type of sin? Mat. 16:6, 11-12 and Luke 12:1. COMMENT: Now let’s understand. Sha’ul commanded the Corinthian Chosen People members to PUT OUT the sinful, “LEAVENED” member of their congregation (verse 7), that the Chosen People might be spiritually “UNLEAVENED.” 1. What does Sha’ul mean by the last part of verse 8? Doesn’t he mean they should put out this “spiritual leaven,” JUST AS THEY HAD PUT OUT PHYSICAL LEAVEN in preparation for the Days of Unleavened Bread? Verses 7 and 8. COMMENT: The Corinthians were to keep the feast without the spiritual “leaven” of sin, as well as without the physical leaven of yeast. One was a type of the other. They were to keep it not only with the symbolic flat bread of the Festival, but in spiritually “unleavened” sincerity and truth! Remember Lot’s Wife! Few people realize the absolute necessity of coming out of sin and forsaking the sinful ways of this world. They are like Lot’s wife. Turn in Genesis 18 and 19 to the vivid example of Lot and his family escaping the debauchery of Sodom. 1. Had YaHuWaH determined to destroy Sodom because of the wickedness of the people living there? Gen. 18:20-21; 19:13. 1. When YaHuWaH’s angels arrived in Sodom, who greeted them? Gen. 19:1 Does Scripture tell us Lot was righteous in YaHuWaH’s sight, even though he was living in the midst of sinful Sodom? II Pet. 2:7-8. What was Lot’s attitude toward the city of Sodom? Same verses. COMMENT: Even though YaHuWaH commands us to come out of — FLEE from — sin and the WRONG WAYS of this present evil world, we still must live IN the world (I Cor. 5:9-10; John 17:14-15). 1. After seeing the degradation to which Sodom had fallen, and determining to carry out YaHuWaH’s command to destroy it (Gen. 19:13), what did the angels command Lot? Gen. 19:12. COMMENT: Lot was commanded to leave — UTTERLY FORSAKE — the wicked city in which he and his family lived. 1. When morning came, did Lot IMMEDIATELY OBEY? Gen. 19:15-16. COMMENT: Lot found it difficult to leave his home and business (his past way of life). Lot hesitated. And so the angels had to drag him and his family out of SINFUL Sodom! 1. What else did the angels command Lot and his family? Verse 17. But what did Lot’s wife do? Verse 26. How was she punished? Same verse. COMMENT: The Bible teaches that Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt. The salt has long since washed away. But salt itself is a SYMBOL of something that is lasting, or enduring. Lot’s wife is a PERPETUAL EXAMPLE of one who was NOT willing to completely forsake sin as YaHuWaH commands. 1. Does YaHuWaH teach us that life in these perilous end times is very much like life was in the wicked city of Sodom? Luke 17:28-30. 1. What is YaHuWaH’s instruction to us today? Verses 31-33. COMMENT: Lot’s wife wanted to turn back — to disobediently continue her life in sinful Sodom. SO SHE PAID WITH HER LIFE! Her example is a WARNING for us today that we should be willing to give up sin and the sinful ways of this world and rather submit to YaHuWaH’s Torah — lest we cling to the FLEETING PLEASURES OF THIS PRESENT EVIL SOCIETY ONLY TO BE DESTROYED WITH IT! The decision to FORSAKE SIN is up to you. It is YOUR PART in YaHuWaH’s Master Plan. YaHuWaH will not force you, but if you don’t forsake sin willingly — here and now — you can NEVER FULFILL YaHuWaH’s purpose for your life — the development of righteous, Sacred character. And you will never receive the gift of eternal life! Forsake Sin! Yahusha’s sacrifice blots out all PAST SINS. Should you now CONTINUE in sin? This question was asked of the apostle Sha’ul. Let’s see how he answered it! 1. When Sha’ul asked if we should continue in sin, what did he say? Rom. 6:15-16. What was his apostolic command? Rom. 6:12. COMMENT: We are all, by nature, suffering the penalty of sin, which is DEATH! (Rom. 6:23.) But Yahusha’s sacrifice gives us “grace” — FREE UNMERITED PARDON from the penalty of our past sins. Yahusha died so that WE would not have to die eternal death! Now YaHuWaH expects us to obey His Torah, to “unleaven” our lives! YaHuWaH does not want us to willfully continue in sin — to incur the penalty of death again — for then we would have to die and remain dead FOR ALL ETERNITY! (Heb. 10:26.) 1. Does YaHuWaH promise to help us escape the temptations of sin, just as He helped the Israelites escape from Egypt? Won’t He be as MERCIFUL to us as He was to Lot? II Pet. 2:9. 1. Does YaHuWaH remind us that He will reject anyone who has understood His Master Plan and DELIBERATELY returns to the sinful ways of the world as did Lot’s wife? Heb. 6:4-8. Why? Verse 6. COMMENT: Almighty YaHuWaH MEANS BUSINESS! Those who deliberately rebel, those who have rejected the sacrifice of Yahusha, who have forgotten that their sins were taken away (II Pet. 1:9) — they have WILLFULLY REJECTED THEIR CHANCE for salvation. 1. What does the apostle Kefa tell us about people who have begun in YaHuWaH’s way but have not done their part in “unleavening” their lives — forsaking their old ways — and are again overcome by their old sins? II Pet. 2:20-22. 1. What then was Sha’ul’s example? I Cor. 9:25-27. Did Sha’ul understand that unless he was continually putting sin out of his life he might be CAST AWAY — never to receive eternal life? Same verses. 1. Does YaHuWaH promise to SUPERNATURALLY HELP those who repent and believe because He is merciful and understands the pressures of man’s human weaknesses? I Cor. 10:13. Yahusha’s Answer! 1. What is it that YOU MUST DO to inherit eternal life? When Yahusha was asked this question what did He reply? Mat. 19:16-17. Was this rich young ruler concerned about HIS PART — what YaHuWaH expected HIM TO DO — to receive the gift of eternal life? Same verses. COMMENT: If Almighty YaHuWaH expected men to do nothing at all — if the plan of salvation was REALLY completed at the stake — this was Yahusha ha Mashiach’s GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SO! 1. But what was Yahusha’s answer? Verse 17. Did the young ruler understand immediately which commandments Yahusha referred to, or was he confused by the numerous Pharisaic additions to YaHuWaH’s Biblical Torah? Verse 18. Didn’t Yahusha quote from the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20) to indicate WHICH COMMANDMENTS He meant? Mat. 19:18-19. 1. Now that he understood, did the young ruler affirm that he had kept the Ten Commandments from his youth? Verse 20. What was his next question? Verse 20, last part. 1. Did Yahusha ha Mashiach know what ONE THING the rich young ruler had not yet overcome? His GREED FOR PERSONAL WEALTH — the LEAVEN of sin that was still in his life? What did Yahusha say? Verse 21. 1. When the rich man heard this, was he willing to submit to YaHuWaH? Verse 22. COMMENT: YaHuWaH knows what you are seeking first. If you value ANYTHING connected with the carnal, mundane society of this evil age MORE THAN your opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life and be born into His Kingdom, you will never inherit eternal life. Almighty YaHuWaH promises to TEST YOU, to see if you are REALLY WILLING TO submit yourself to Him and DO YOUR COMMANDED PART IN HIS MASTER PLAN! 1. One other time in his ministry Yahusha was confronted with this same question. Turn to Luke 10 and see how Yahusha answered the Lawyer who tested Him. What was the Lawyer’s question — wasn’t it the VERY SAME one the rich young ruler asked? Luke 10:25. COMMENT: Every faction, every religious denomination in Palestine had THEIR OWN pet ideas on “salvation,” without obedience to YaHuWaH. They all tried to impress their human ideas upon people in much the same way the religious denominations today obscure YaHuWaH’s truth and SUBSTITUTE THEIR OWN VAIN TRADITIONS. The Lawyer was trying to trick Yahusha, but Yahusha asked him a question in return. 1. What did Yahusha ask? Verse 26. 1. Did the Lawyer know which the greatest commandments were? Verses 27 and 28 compared with Mat. 22:37-40 and Mark 12:30-31. What was Yahusha ha Mashiach’s teaching? Luke 10:28. COMMENT: Notice that UPON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE TORAHS OF YOUR BIBLE, AND ALL THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHETS! The expression, “the Torah and the prophets” actually refers to the ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT! These two commandments are SIMPLE SUMMARY COMMANDS. The first, love of YaHuWaH, summarizes basically the first four of the Ten Commandments which teach us HOW TO LOVE YaHuWaH. The second great commandment, love of neighbor, summarizes the last six of the Ten Commandments which teach us HOW TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR! (Ex. 20:1-17.) Yahusha told the Lawyer EXACTLY WHAT HE TOLD THE RICH MAN. He revealed to him the spirit and intent of YaHuWaH’s Torah. For examples of what Yahusha expects us to do — to take the Ten Commandments in their SPIRITUAL RAMIFICATIONS — read thoroughly Matthew 5:17-47. We must dedicate our lives to continual growing — overcoming the leaven of sin in our lives. We are never to stop STRIVING with ALL OUR MIGHT to overcome. Yahusha’s command is, “BECOME YE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT!” (Mat. 5:48) HOW MUCH does YaHuWaH expect us to do? To surrender 100% to Him! We must give EVERY OUNCE of our abilities to conquering the downward pull of our human nature and learn more perfectly to obey YaHuWaH’s commandments. Only in this way do we partake of YaHuWaH’s own character. As we grow, we will become strong. The stronger we are, the MORE we can do — and the more YaHuWaH expects from us. Finally we will be FULLY MATURE, ripe fruit — ready for YaHuWaH’s spiritual harvest! This is the message now revealed for you in the seven perfect Days of Unleavened Bread! The Days of Unleavened Bread remind us annually that unless we are actively working, striving with all our might to put the leaven of sin out of our lives, we are not doing OUR PART. It is a FULL TIME JOB! Yes, YaHuWaH expects you to do YOUR PART in His plan, but there is NO WAY YOU can EARN salvation! Eternal life in YaHuWaH’s Kingdom is a FREE GIFT — (Rom. 6:23). No one but Yahusha ha Mashiach has EVER DESERVED IT! No matter HOW MUCH YOU DO, YOU WILL fall far short, YaHuWaH will not OWE you salvation. He gives it to you as a free gift on condition that you accept Yahusha’s sacrifice and strive to obey Him! Glossary of Names and Titles in Scripture GLOSSARY of Names & Titles in Scripture Our Bible translations were responsible for removing the Name of the Most High and substituting titles of doubtful origin. But apart from confusion about the Names of Father and Son, there are other words in our Bible translations that are not honouring our Creator. This article is not written in judgment or condemnation. We were all, until relatively recently, in total ignorance of this subtle form of deception. We took our Bible translations at face value and went as far as regarding them as the “inerrant Word of God”. However, it is important for us to understand that it is YaHUaH Himself, through His Ruach, who is restoring truth and exposing lies to His covenant children in these latter days. It would be unwise to have a rebellious attitude when our favourite and sentimental beliefs are exposed as false. In humility we need to quieten our spirits, listen to His Spirit, use our gift of discernment, and above all confirm everything that is taught by the numerous teachers out there with Scripture. By Scripture I do not solely mean our Bible translations. Obviously we still use them, but remember they are not inspired. We need to start to learn and become familiar with the Hebrew language in which the Scriptures were inspired. Of course it is hard work but absolutely worthwhile. With modern technology we literally have all the tools at our fingertips. That, together with an earnest searching heart and hearing ears tuned in to the still small voice of our indwelling Ruach Teacher, TRUTH that sets us free will be revealed. (Joh.8:32) Below is a list of religious names, titles and words that sincere believers should avoid using because they are either of pagan origin, or are simply wrong translations of the Hebrew original. Then I will list alternate names, titles and words that we should use rather than the pagan-contaminated words in the first list, as they are “cleaner”. If this is new to you, dear reader, your first reaction will probably be anger at me that I would dare to infer that some names and terms that have such strong sentimental value, are unclean. Please bear with me. In further writings I will explain each word in detail. Unclean Words 1. Bible or Holy Bible 2. The Lord 3. God 4. Jehovah, Yehovah Yahveh, Yahweh 5. Jesus, Jesu, Yeshua 6. Christ 7. Church 8. Holy 9. Grace 10. Amen 11. Sunday – Saturday 12. January-December 13. Sacrifice 14. Cross Clean Words 1. Scripture / The Word 2. Master 3. Almighty / Father 4. YaHUaH 5. YaHUShA 6. Messiah, Mashiach, Anointed One 7. Congregation or Israel 8. Set-apart 9. Favour, approval 10. Amein 11. 1st to 6th day & Shabbat 12. 1st to 12th month 13. Offering 14. Stake or pole Written and shared with us by our beloved brother Johann Moller
Meaning of West Highland West' High'land Pronunciation: [key] 1. any of a breed of small, hardy, usually dun-colored, shaggy-haired beef cattle with long, widespread horns, able to withstand the cold and sparse pasturage of its native western Scottish uplands. Also called
What's better than breakfast for students? Riding a bike to school. Teen girls who walked or biked to school in a Spanish study performed better at school in verbal and math skills that their peers who rode the bus or got to school in a car, according to a 2011 research study funded by the Spanish National Research Council. More recently, the results of a large Danish study from 2012 show that driving kids to school in a car is doing them a disservice. This large study by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University followed 20,000 school kids aged 5-19 in some of their daily activities. The researchers were interested to see whether a good breakfast made a difference in concentration levels - an idea that is fairly well accepted in the U.S. what's-better-than-breakfast-for-students-riding-a-bike© April Streeter The group of kids walking or biking to school concentrated better than those driven to school or taking public transport, and the effect lasted throughout the morning hours. On average, active students scored 8.2 - 8.4 on a concentration test (of a possible 10) while non-active students scored an average of 7.6 - 7.8. This was more than the concentration difference shown between students who did eat breakfast (8 - 8.15) and those who didn't (8.1 - 8.25). Unfortunately, in the Nordic nations and in the U.S., the trend for how children get to school is going in the opposite direction - more children are getting driven to school than ever before. Parents perceive walking and biking to be dangerous, while actually things have gotten safer for cyclists in many, many places, and overall fatalities are trending downward. Of course, correlation is not causality, so it can't be said with certainty that riding a bike to school will make you smarter, anymore than it can be said that driving in cars will make you fat. With biking, there are so many other benefits, real and perceived, that it certainly seems worth a try to get parents off the driving-the-kids-to-school frenzy. Via: Ecoprofil (Swedish) Tags: Bike-Friendly World \| Bikes \| Biking treehugger slideshows
Selasa, 27 Mei 2014 What is education? Lagi dipetik dari FB........Apa itu pendidikan ka pelajaran ka.....mana2 la....x reti omputeh sgt...hehehhee. Pas ni korang translate sendiri ler..... "Education is a dialogue between teacher and students, student and student, academy and the world. We focus on qualitative measures of meaning, purpose, relationship, art, thought, and belief. We value person and life as who we are, not what we do. Our goal is to shape the way we think, looking beyond the superficial gains of power and influence to see consequences and effects on the meaning of being human. Education acts as a check and balance system to political and corporate greed and corruption. Education strives for greater equality as it measures success by ideas and expression rather than method and production. It fosters intelligent leadership through critical thinking. It demands self-reflection as a motivation to evaluate and change, and offers a spectrum of knowledge that becomes a laser of invention and creativity. " "Education is about responsibility, picking courses and professors that help you, and engaging the world in a dialogue about how we can achieve the highest expressions of what it means to be human. If you failed to realize that and if you failed to take advantage of what was right in front of you, that is not the fault or failing of higher education. If you wanted an education that promised a job, you should have gone to trade school." Ramai yg belajar tinggi utk dapat keja. Tp kenapa ramai yg jd bilionair tp sekolah sekerat ja....Mungkin ayat2 diatas boleh menjelaskan apa sebenarnya objektif pendidikan, bukan menjamin pekerjaan tp menjadikan kita manusia. Macam kata ustaz Abdullah (ibu bapa dia) berjaya mendidik dia menjadi doktor tp gagal menjadikan dia manusia.....lagu mana tu??????......lebih kurang macam tu la....kalu tersilap minta maaf...boleh rujuk mana video ustaz AK yg berkaitan Hari Guru. Khutbah oleh Ustaz AK berkaitan Hari Guru Tiada ulasan: Catat Ulasan Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
27 December 2013 Banning the C-words Banning the C-words (the physics ones) Fox Trot by Bill Amend It has a name and even an equation, so it must be real. One of the challenges when dealing with circular motion in a typical physics class is getting students to realize that the centripetal force is the result of other forces. One trick that I have used in my class the past few years is to use the phrase "the force needed for circular motion". By never using the term "centripetal force", I try to emphasize that we need other, real forces to make something move in a circle. This approach seems to help when looking at classic examples, like the roller coaster (see a previous post here). This approach also helps because I don't have to get into the discussion of the difference between centripetal and centrifugal. Unfortunately, for typical high school students, once you give something a name, it becomes real. So, do like I do, and ban the C-words in your class. 24 December 2013 An extra 8 seconds on Jan 4 21 Dec is the shortest day of the year and 4 Jan is the longest. We all know that the day of the winter solstice is considered by many the shortest day of the year, but did you know that we can also consider the day of perihelion (4 Jan) as the longest day? It all comes down to how you define the length of a day. How long is a day? Ask someone how long a day is and you will probably get the answer, "24 hours". However, ask someone at the US Naval Observatory and you will get "1420x106x60x60x24 vibrations of a hydrogen maser". Ask a farmer and you will get "From sunup to sunset". We have any different definitions. For this post, I am going to use the synodic definition, the time it takes the Sun to go from due south (local solar noon) to the next time it is due south. It starts with Kepler. This year, perihelion occurs on 4 Jan, which will be the longest synodic day of the year. Let's figure it out. Since on the above diagram, the Earth is also spinning counter-clockwise, the diagram below shows (with the added lines) one complete rotation of the Earth for both the day of aphelion (3-4) and the day of perihelion (1-2). Note that the diagrams are exaggerated for effect; the Earth does not really move this far in it orbit in one day. But how much longer is it? Since the area of a circular sector is this gives the relationship between for angles swept in equal time. The Earth-Sun distance is 152,098,232 kilometres (or 1.01671388 AU) at aphelion and is 147,098,290 kilometres (or 0.98329134 AU) at perihelion. This gives Microseconds or Hours? So, the Earth rotates around the Sun just a little bit less on 5 July than on 22 December. Since the Earth rotates about 1 degree (actually 360/364 degrees), it rotates about 0.033 degrees less on 5 July for 1 synodic day than on 4 January. How long does it take the Earth to rotate that angle? Since it takes 24 hours to rotate 360 degrees, it takes about 8 seconds to rotate that 0.033 degrees. So the synodic day on 4 January is about 8 seconds longer than the synodic day on 5 July. Classroom use. A related post (
love (n): the state of loving or being loved love (v): A loves B when particular substatements are true of A's state of mind(1) and action(2) with respect to B: (1) knowledge/enjoyment/admiration/acceptance/concern/trust/symbiosis benevolence/compassion/cherish/devotion/passion/commitment/desire; (2) care/response/loyalty/enrichment. A's love for B can thus be modeled as a roughly 18-dimensional vector space with these subcharacterizations forming the basis (square brackets locate terms that inherit scale from the entire phrase): knowledge: A [knows] the details of B, is [familiar with] B; enjoyment: A [enjoys] the presence of B; admiration: A [approves] of B in a delighted or astonished fashion; acceptance: A [accepts] the current state of B; concern: A is [interested in and concerned with] the details of B; trust: A places [confidence] in B, [relying] on the truth or accuracy of B's actions; symbiosis: A is [involved] in a shared entity with B; benevolence: A [wishes] well for B; compassion: A [shares] the suffering of B; cherish: A entertains or harbors B in A's mind [deeply or resolutely, above other things], holds B [dear], in [high] esteem; devotion: A intentionally reserves a [portion] of A's attention/energy/other resources for B; passion: A is affected with [powerful] emotion for B; commitment: A is emotionally [impelled] to do something in the future with respect to B; desire: A lacks, yet believes that [enjoyment] would be caused by, the presence of B; care: A [cares] for B; response: A is [responsive] to B; loyalty: A is [steadfast] in affection or allegiance to B, with resistance to desert or betray B; enrichment: A [increases] the value or quality of B.
How a country budget deficit works ? 8 Good day forex traders. Welcome to another forex education article by The Forex Koala! Budget deficits issues are getting common of late and are responsible for economic crisis such as the Euro Zone Budget Deficit Crisis. So what exactly is a budget deficit? How does a country gets itself into such a situation? In a nutshell, the management of a country’s financial health is not much different from a company or even yourself. Basically, total revenue should be minimally matched against spending to maintain a budget balance. Consider the following : Budget Deficit Government Revenue more than Government Spending = Budget Surplus Government Revenue less than Government Spending = Budget Deficit This is the basis of the management of a country ‘s financial health. Revenue can come from sources such as taxation of personal income, businesses etc and also government business activities such as land sales, investments, etc. Spending are often spend on social benefits such as unemployment handouts, medical subsidies for the needy and basic infrastructure such as roads, rails, power and more. When a country spends more than it receives, financial reserves are used up. If there are no reserves, the country goes into debt, issuing bonds to borrow money. During times of economic uncertainty, the situation gets complicated with the reduction of tax revenue due to economy showdown and increased spending due to unemployment handouts and more. Furthermore lenders will probably demand more in the form of interests from bonds issuance, thus further exacerbating the situation. This is a dangerous scenario to get into and it can become a vicious cycle. Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain are examples. Solutions are likewise simple but difficult to implement. Austerity cuts is the process of reducing spending in order to reduce the budget deficit and aim for eventual budget surplus. This is often meet with social issues such as strikes as this often has a direct impact on salaries and pensions. With reduced spending, many economists urge the viability of this solution in times of an economic slow down. For more forex and economy related articles, check out our forex education section. VN:F [1.9.22_1171] Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast) How a country budget deficit works ?, 5.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings • I hope this article aids everyone in their understanding of the economic issues affecting the forex market. This is key to success! • Everyone if you like this free article, i hope you can support us. Tweet / Google +1 / Like / Link to us via your blog / website. This gesture means alot to us !! • Please join our free mailing list to be notified when new articles arrive 🙂 • Elmar Votri Very good explanaion. Thanks. I learn a lot here. I hope I can become a forex before the gready and pride colapse our civilisation! 😀 thanks a lot. • Glad you like it… do kindly let as many people know about our site as possible 🙂 • Thank you so much, as soon as i received the email notification i came to read, it’s another great post from you, Thanks admin. • koala Jackie Thank You very much for the artical!!! I learned a lot on this artical. Keep up the good work The Forex Koala. I’m keeping You and Your business in my Prayers. koala Jackie
Routine Charts Versus Reward Charts for Children 000023102The Benefits of Teaching Life Skills Over Modifying Behavior Routine charts and rewards charts may look similar but a big difference is the way that each is used. The Positive Discipline philosophy recommends using routine charts instead of reward charts. What is a Reward Chart? A reward chart is a visual behavioral system that tracks desired behaviors and ties those behaviors to a particular reward. When a child earns enough stickers, stars or points on the reward chart, a teacher of parent gives the child a reward. Usually the adult decides on the required number of points or stickers to earn a particular reward. Often adults decide on the reward item, with or without the input of the child. At other times, adults allow children to choose from a treasure box of rewards. Reward charts are recommended by the “behavior modification” theory of human behavior. Behaviorist theory strongly supports the idea that child behavior stems from positive and negative feedback in a child’s life. A typical “behavior modification” approach uses a system of punishment and rewards to change a child’s behavior. download (1)What is a Routine Chart? A routine chart tracks the individual steps of a simple routine such as a morning routine or bedtime routine for children. The steps of the routine may be represented through pictures or words. A routine chart breaks down a large task into small steps. The task of “getting ready for bed” can be divided into several small steps such as “put on pajamas”, “brush teeth” and “read a story”. A morning routine might include “get dressed”, “eat breakfast” and “put on shoes”. Some parents and teachers turn routine charts into reward charts too. However many child development experts warn that reward charts only work as long as children are being rewarded and do not work well to teach life skills that help children be self sufficient in the long run. (Add quote from Jane Nelsen of Alfie Kohn) Reasons Reward Charts are Unhealthy for Children Child development experts who do not recommend using rewards argue that giving prizes and stickers for behavior holds several unhealthy components. Instead of focusing children on the task at hand, rewarding children focuses their attention to the desired reward. Kids end up doing something because of what they will get, not because it builds independence, helps others or teaches kids a new life skill. If a child makes his bed because he will get paid to make it, what happens when no one will pay the child to make his bed? “There are at least 70 studies showing that extrinsic motivators—including A’s, sometimes praise, and other rewards—are not merely ineffective over the long haul but counterproductive with respect to the things that concern us most: desire to learn, commitment to good values, and so on,” says Alfie Kohn in an interview with Educational Leadership. Alfie Kohn is the author of Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes [Manner Books, 1999]. Routine Chart Using PhotosHow Routine Charts Teach Life Skills Using routine charts without rewarding children has a variety of benefits. Daily routines provide structure in a child’s life, which indirectly teaches organization skills. When children follow routine charts, they learn to establish patterns of daily life, which teaches predictability. “Routines are very important to give children a sense of order and security,” writes Jane Nelsen in Positive Discipline for Child Care Providers [Prima Publishing, 2002]. Routine charts teach children to be independent. Visual charts allow children to follow a routine on their own. Parents and teachers can use routine charts to teach life skills such as completing the steps of a morning routine, a “clean up toys” routine or even steps for toilet training including using soap to wash hands. Several experts on child development say that behavior modification- using punishments and rewards – isn’t healthy for kids. They believe that children being bribed into good behavior are missing out on opportunities to develop intrinsic pro-social skills and develop confidence about learning something new or accomplishing a tough task. Working through obstacles during a tough task builds character. Cooperating with others develops altruistic values. Routine charts teach children what to expect next in the day decreasing stress and anxiety that often leads to tantrums. As children complete routines without being rewarded, they gain pride in the simple accomplishment of a task and learn that there are things that need to be done each day. Kelly014Kelly Pfeiffer Certified Positive Discipline Lead Trainer Leave a Reply
Spring 2015 (contents): 1. Crowing Glory 2. Resistance Welding 3. Weld Overlap Crowning Glory A filler wire is commonly used in arc welding processes to fill gaps/groove between parts in butt welding, or to provide reinforcement in fillet welds. In addition to providing proper fusion with the base metal and controlling weld chemistry, the filler metal is also expected to achieve the required profile which, in addition to a minimum size, usually requires that the weld have a positive reinforcement on the face of the weld, often referred to as weld crown. Crown is the material above the dashed lines in the schematics shown below. The welding process has to be controlled such that height of the crown is within limits, which for high-quality welds usually ranges from a minimum of practically zero (minor deviations allowed) to a maximum specified on the drawing. Welding processes such as laser welding and electron beam welding usually do not use a filler wire but can incorporate suitable design features such as a raised lip or a pre-placed filler to produce a crown. A weld crown provides multiple benefits. If the properties of the filler are the same as the base metal, a weld with a crown will be stronger that the base metal for a butt weld configuration. But a greater benefit is in the stresses induced in the weld as it cools from a molten state. The weld metal starts solidifying at the interface between the base metal and the molten metal since the base metal acts like a heat sink. The remaining molten metal continues to solidify and shrink as the weld cools down to room temperature. If there is positive reinforcement to form a crown as the weld cools, the cooling process induces compressive stresses on the weld surface. Presence of compressive stress helps close any cracks that could have formed during cooling due to presence of low-melting phases at grain boundaries. The compressive stresses could also be transferred to the heat affected zone (HAZ) adjacent to the weld and may help in healing cracks in that region as well. However, if the reinforcement is insufficient, the weld surface will be below the dashed line and cooling/shrinking process will produce tensile stress at the weld surface. As opposed to compressive stresses, tensile stresses can pull on weak grain boundaries and can lead to crack formation ( Summer 2008 Newsletter), a no-no in the welding world. With proper training for manual welders and proper process parameters for automated welds, a crown can be easily formed and your weld will heave a sigh of relief, because as they say - easy lies the weld that wears a crown. Resistance Welding As the name implies, resistance welding is a process that utilizes resistance to flow of current to generate heat required for welding. The parts to be welded are pinched between two electrodes while the current flows from one electrode through the parts and then goes back to the transformer through the other electrode. The welding electrodes provide multiple functions including applying welding force, providing path for current flow, and help remove excess heat from the weld. The electrodes are not consumed during the weld, but usually do require resurfacing or grinding to keep them in shape. The overall welding machine is usually composed of the welding head (that holds the electrodes), welding transformer (provides low voltage high current pulse) and the controller (for setting weld parameters). Resistance welding machines come in all shapes and sizes from bench top units to weld wires under 0.001" diameter to behemoths which can fill up a small room and send current up to 100 kA. As the current passes through the parts being welded, heat generated due to resistance to current flow raises part temperatures. At the low end of temperature range, the process is used to melt solder plating on the part surfaces which then forms a solder bond on cooling. At higher temperatures, the process can be used to perform a brazing operation where the braze alloy in the form of a foil is placed between the parts to be joined; solder and braze alloys can also be added in paste form. At even higher energy levels, the temperature reached can be high enough to soften the parts being welded at the interface, and then under the forging action provided by the welding force, the parts can form a solid-state bond (no fusion) at the weld interface. Such a solid-state bond is quite common when welding conductive metals/alloys such as copper, aluminum, platinum, etc.. When using this process to weld resistive alloys, it is much easier to melt a small volume of metal on either side of the weld interface that forms a fusion nugget at the interface. Resistance welding is the only process that is routinely used to produce all four types of metallic bonds: solder, braze, solid-state, and fusion; quite an achievement indeed. Weld Overlap One of the risks of producing a weld crown is the possibility of spilling the molten metal over the edge of the weld from where it rolls onto the base metal; kind of looks like lava flow from a volcano. This overflow is a defect called weld overlap, another no-no in the welding business. Weld overlap will produce a sharp junction between the overflowing weld metal and the base metal that will create stress concentration and must be avoided. Use of suitable process parameters should eliminate the likelihood of weld overlap; but if you do see some localized overlap you can blend that in with a TIG torch with a process called toe dressing ( Fall 2012 Newsletter). Such toe dressing can be performed with or without a filler metal.
Skip to main content Skip to navigation Be S.M.A.R.T. with your Goals Say you want to lose some weight or do well on your next chemistry exam. Those are great goals, but right now they’re too vague and it will be challenging to hold yourself to them. One way to improve on these goals is to make them S.M.A.R.T Understanding S.M.A.R.T. Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward your goal. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions like: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished? Outline the steps you will take to achieve your goal. To be realistic, a goal must be an objective that you are both willing and able to work toward. A goal can be both challenging and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how challenging your goal should be. General Goal: I will lose weight. S.M.A.R.T. Goal: At the end of the semester, I will have lost 10 pounds by working out at the Student Recreation Center 3 days a week.
As the plot developes in a novel typically the conflict starts to become more clear. Describe the plot of your book so far and the emerging conflict…. make sure to mention the point of view and the setting. the wave is based on an incedent that took place in a high school history class, as mr rosses class studys world war 2 they cant understand how the nazis could have followed hitler so mr ross creates this group called the wave to help understand and by a couple days what started in a classroom quickly spreads like wildfire throught the school
World War I Poster Photo above: World War 1 Poster, 1917, James Montgomery Flagg. Courtesy Library of Congress. World War I - United States Involvement For the first three years of World War I, the United States tried to remain neutral and broker peace. That was the goal of President Woodrow Wilson. The U.S.A. remained neutral through the second year of the war, 1915, even after one hundred and twenty-eight Americans died during the German attack on the passenger ship Lusitania. The public was divided on the United States joining the fight, but eventually after provocations in 1916, Wilson decided to actively join the war, sending troops to Europe during 1917 and 1918. • World War 1 Major Battles and U.S.A. Incidents World War I January 11, 1917 - The Zimmermann Telegram Troops: USA 0; Mexico 0. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): USA 0; Mexico 0, Germany 0. German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann sends telegram to Mexico, urging them to attack the United States if the U.S. entered the war against Germany in exchange for cooperation, if victorious, in recovering southwest states Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico considers idea, then decides it can not win. Although no battle was fought, the telegram prompts further action by the United States toward entering World War I. February 1, 1917 - Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Troops: USA 0; Germany 0. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): USA 0; Germany 0. Germany reverses policy not to attack passenger or merchant vessels, including U.S. vessels, announcing its unrestricted submarine warfare policy for the rest of the war. Two days later, the U.S. cut diplomatic ties with Germany. Two ships were sunk during the month. Five merchant ships would be sunk in March. February 19, 1917 - Zimmermann Telegram Released to USA Troops: USA 0; Germany 0. British uncover, decipher, and release telegram to U.S. officials. On March 3, German official Arthur Zimmermann admits that it was true. April 6, 1917 - Congress declares War on Germany Troops: USA 0; Germany 0. Four days after President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to wage war against Germany, the Senate voted 82-6 and the House of Representatives 373-50 to declare war against Germany. It did not include a Declaration of War against Austria-Hungary. April 9 to May 16, 1917 - Battle of Arras (France) Troops: British Empire 23 divisions; Germany 17 divisions. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): British Empire 158,660; Germany 120,000-130,000. First battle of World War I after United States entered and prepared to assist, Great Britain begins offensive on Western Front with initial success, but eventual failure to break through Germany's line. April 22 to May 8, 1917 - Battle of Doiran (Serbia) Troops: British Empire 43,000; Bulgaria 30,000. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): British Empire 12,000; Bulgaria 2,000. British continue plan to break through the Bulgarian forces in the Balkans, but defensive positions were too strong and result in a Bulgarian victory. May 10 to June 8, 1917 - Tenth Battle of Isonzo (Slovenia) Troops: Italy (Allies) 400,000; Austria-Hungary 200,000. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): Italy 150,000 (35,000 killed); Austria-Hungary 75,000 (17,000 killed). Italians push a tenth fight after nine largely unsuccessful attempts on the Eastern Front against a weaker Austria-Hungary force, fearing subsequent German involvement. Italians advance, but are pushed back to minimal gains. June 7-14, 1917 - Battle of Messines (Belgium) Troops: British Empire 216,000; Germany 126,000. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): British Empire 24,562; Germany 25,000, including 7,200 prisoners. British advance with prelude of mine explosion creating nineteen craters in the German lines lead to capture of the ridge and British victory. German reinforcements from France helped relieve pressure on French Western Front. July 31 to November 10, 1917 - Third Battle of Ypres (Belgium) Troops: British Empire, France, and Belgium 56 divisions; Germany 77-83 divisions. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): British (Allies) 200,000-448,615; Germany 217,000-410,000, including 24,065 prisoners. Continued campaign after Messines to take the ridges near Ypres end with Germany diverting attention from its French line, but keeping control of the submarine bases. Large number of casualties on both sides, which the German Empire could not afford. August 18 to September 12, 1917 - Eleventh Battle of Isonzo (Slovenia) Troops: Italy (Allies) 600 battalions; Austria-Hungary and Germany 250 battalions. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): Italy (Allies) 148,000; Austria-Hungary/Germany 105,000, including 20,000 prisoners. Italians cross the river and gain control of several strongpoints, but not their final objectives. Both sides eventually succumb to an inconclusive battle with many casualties. October 24 to November 19, 1917 - Twelfth Battle of Isonzo, Battle of Caporetto (Slovenia) Troops: Italy (Allies) 874,000; Austria-Hungary and Germany 350,000. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): Italy (Allies) 655,000, including 265,000 captured; Austria-Hungary/Germany 70,000. German reinforcements using effective stormtrooper tactics and poison gas rout the Italian Army. Considered the worst defeat in Italian military history. November 20 to December 7, 1917 - Battle of Cambrai (France) Troops: British, France, United States 2 corps; Germany 1 corps. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): Allies 44,000; Germany 45,000. First action by United States troops on November 30 part of British offensive, including an effective use of tanks against Germany supply port and rear of German line, German counteroffensive ends with negligible gains by both sides. Three regiments of engineer units from the U.S.A. Army supported the British Third Army and were the first United States forces engaged in the war. They suffered seventy-seven casualties. December 7, 1917 - Congress declares War on Austria-Hungary Troops: USA 0; Austria-Hungary 0. Casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing): USA 0; Austria-Hungary 0. Responding to the use of unrestricted submarine warfare, the cutting of diplomatic ties, and the Austria-Hungary alliance with Germany, the Senate voted 74-0 and the House of Representatives 365-1 to declare war on the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Most of 1917 after the United States Declaration of War against Germany was spent building the Army and Navy, which had been kept at minimual proportions, smaller than most of the nations already involved in World War I. By the end of 1917, the Selective Service Act had drafted two million eight hundred thousand men. They would begin arriving in Europe at the pace of ten thousand per day, replenishing the losses already encountered by the Allies. Note: Photo above: United States Field Artillery assisting the 29th Infantry Division in France during World War I, 1917/1918. Photo by Signal Corps courtesy Library of Congress. Casualty and troop strength numbers from Wikipedia Commons via various sources; article, "American military operations and casualties in 1917-18," George Thompson, M.A., M.F.A., Adjunct Associate Professor, History, University of Kansas. Divisions during World War I and II consisted of 10,000 to 30,000 men. History Photo Bomb
Climate & Seasons The wide range of latitudes that the South American continent occupies from north to south, the influence of the two oceans (Atlantic and Pacific) both with different temperatures in each side of the continent, the complicated topography along of the Andes - one of the highest and longest mountain chains in the planet -, explains accordingly the great variety of the weather in South America. On top of this, as everywhere else in the planet we are suffering of severe glacier receding and changes in the weather due to green house effect and holes in the ozone layer. Climates can be very varied but - generally speaking -, we can mention the following: the hot and humid Amazon basin and Caribbean, the cold and dry winds of Patagonia, the extreme dryness of Atacama desert, the gelid winds of Tierra del Fuego, the warm temperature of microclimatic valleys "trapped" by the Andes, the hot and dry "Chaco" forest between Bolivia and Argentina, the coldness of the glaciers and snowfields of the Andean mountains. The area of our operations, the central Andes, has a great variety of climates and weather, but we could say that there are two main regions: one inside the tropics and the other below the Capricorn Tropic line, in the temperate zone. Nevertheless there are local differences that have to be considered at the time of travelling to the southern part of South America: at the same latitude it is possible to find extremely dry deserts, high altitude glaciers and extremely humid forests. Even though we learn at our schools that there are four seasons at the southern hemisphere: winter (June to September), spring (September to December), summer (December to March), and autumn (March to June), the reality is that we in the central Andes there are only two clearly differentiated seasons: rainy season (January to March) and dry season (April to December). Depending of the area, the Rainy season may start as early as September, and extend as late as April. The precipitation varies depending not only in altitude but in geographical location. There is plenty of rain in the cloud forest and Amazon basin (over 5000 mm per year in some areas), not too much in the south-western highlands (as little as 100 mm per year), and almost nothing along the coastal deserts in Peru and the Atacama desert in Chile (less than 30 mm per year). There may be occasional rains (snow storms in the mountains) during the dry season due to cold fronts form the south. Temperature can range from 35º C (95º F) or more in some places of the Amazon basin, down to -40º (-40º F) or less in the mountains close to the Atacama Desert. Both extremes can be enhanced by certain local atmospheric conditions like: extreme dryness with practically no winds in one hand or strong winds with high concentration of humidity. Geographically speaking there are five regions in which we organize our trips: • The tectonic mountain ranges in Peru and Bolivia: Apolobamaba, Cordillera Real and Quimsa Cruz ranges. • The volcanoes in Peru, Chile and Bolivia: Volcanic range or Cordillera Occidental. • The high plateau or Altiplano, mainly in Bolivian territory. • The high cold deserts in Bolivia and Chile (Atacama). • The temperate microclimatic valleys trapped into the Andean range. • The cloud forest and Amazon basin shared by Peru and Bolivia. “El Niño” and “La Niña” “El Niño Southern Oscillation” (ENSO), happens every 4 to 7 years and affects the whole planet, particularly the southern hemisphere. This phenomenon produces several climatic changes of a variety of conditions. In 1997-1998, it brought a drought to the mountains that lead to an important recession of the Andean glaciers. During 1999 and 2000, we have had an unstable weather due to the opposite phenomenon, La Niña. During 2001 weather patterns were relatively regular. 2002 through 2005 weather patherns just drove us crazy. We have had the most erratic and unpredictable weather patterns ever recorded in this part of the world. The Andean highlands have been dramatically affected by bad weather (extremely heavy snow storms, avalanches and a disastrous hail storm in La Paz - Bolivia). At the end of 2007 "La Niña" started again, very heavy rains produced severe floods not only in the lowlands but also in the northern highlands. Some scientists expect that in the future weather patterns will became even more unpredictable and we may have heavy rains and a lot of snow. That will mean a new drought in the Bolivian highlands. If “El Niño” brings some instability in the mountains, on the other hand, brings warm streams in the Pacific Ocean, making all the coast warm, and good for traveling and water sports. Highlands, cold deserts & mountains The weather in the highlands is normally dry, and cold. During the dry season - if there is not much wind -, days can get warm. Nights are always very cold. It normally gets below freezing point. In the southern hemisphere, some things happen in the opposite way than in the Northern. Here the further south you go, the colder. During the wet season, days can be hot, except when it rains. Nights are mild and only occasionally will get down to freezing point. Because of the altitude, latitude, and unprotected expanses at the highlands we can experience all seasons in a single day: freezing cold during the night (Winter), temperate at early morning (Spring), warm or even hot at noon (Summer) and cool and windy in late afternoon (Autumn). The High plateau, where the Lake Titicaca and the cities of Puno, La Paz, Oruro, and Potosi are located, sit at an average altitude of 4000 m (13120 ft), with variable elevations from snow glaciated mountains as high as to 6549 m (21480 ft) to the vast Uyuni Salt Flats hovering at a mere of 3580 m (11742 ft). Lake Titicaca provides humidity in the air, thus creating a microclimate in the region, colder at night but warmer during the day than the rest of the High plateau, temperatures in summer rise to 25°C (77°F). In La Paz in summertime temperatures ranges from 5º C to 20º C (41º F to 68º F), while during winter it drops down between 0º C and 16º C (32º and 61º F). High up in the mountains (Blanca, Huaywash, Vilcanota, Apolobamaba, Cordillera Real And Quimsa Cruz ranges) temperature can exceptionally be as low as -20º C (-4º F), normally ranging between 5º C to 15º (41º F to 59º F) during the day and -5º C to -10º C (23º F to 14º F) during the night. Farther south in the Atacama desert and Uyuni salt flats, temperatures are more extreme, range from 30º C / 86º F during the summer, down to -25º C (-13º F) during winter, with an average temperature of 6º C (43º F). In the extreme south, very Strong winds can produce a chill effect of -40º C (-40º F). We have to consider that there are several areas clearly different: • The high so called Eastern range, including Cordillera Blanca, Huayhash, Vilcanota and Apolobamba in Peru, Apolobamba, Real and Quimsa Cruz in Bolivia, are to be best visited in winter time (dry time), from April to September. The rest of the year the rains arrive and travelling to the mountains and jungles can get uncomfortable but still possible. • The Sajama and Lauca National Parks in Bolivia and Chile respectively, have also the same timeline as the Eastern range. It might be widen by a month at both ends, but that depends on the year. • The mountain range that makes border between Chile with Bolivia and Northern Chile with Argentina can be visited all year round. Winter can get extremely cold but mostly dry. Temperatures can get as low as –20 C on the campsites and refuges and –30 or 40 on the peaks and high passes. • The Central Chilean-Argentinean Andes. Including the biggest mountains of South America like Ojos del Salado and Aconcagua, are best visited in summertime, end of November to February, sometimes even March. Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, are also places to visit during the austral summer. Atacama Desert It is possible to travel all year round. It is considered the driest place on earth besides Antarctic. On the same timing can be considered the high and cold Bolivian and Argentinean deserts, including Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde. Mediterranean climate valleys Those valleys, located between 1000m (3280 ft) and 2500m (8200 ft), have some of the most pleasant climates in the Andes. The temperate Mediterranean-like climate make this region a favourite to spend vacations or take a rest after hard adventure trips in warm to hot days and pleasant night time temperatures. That region is where the majority of the fruit and vegetables come from. The temperate valleys, where the cities of Cochabamba, Sucre, and Tarija, are located, sit at an average altitude of 2500 m (8200 ft) down to the riverbeds at 1000 m (3280 ft). There is not much difference between summer and winter temperatures varying from 10º C (0º F) to 30º C (86º F). Cloud forest and Amazon basin The Cloud Forest is located on the eastern side of the Andes (between the mountain ranges and the upper Amazon basin). These areas make a shield to the humid currents that rise from the Amazonian jungle. Between 1.000m (3.280ft) to 3.500m (11.480ft) there exists a thermal inversion zone. This area condenses the rising humidity to create humid forests. Weather is normally humid and hot. During the dry season, days are warm to hot, and nights mild. During the wet season there is a lot of rain (it rains almost every day and all day long), days and nights can be very hot and humid. The Tropical Lowlands, which make most of the north and west Bolivian territory, are composed of the Amazon basin and the “Rio de la Plata” basin. These areas have a variety of ecosystems and in general they are hot and humid year round. During the rainy season the rain is constant and torrential downpours are the norm (it will probably rain everyday and all day long), flooding is a normal part of the process which is also very important for this ecosystem. Temperatures are normally about 25ºC (77ºF) to 30ºC (86ºF) with peak temperatures as hot as 40ºC (104ºF). Occasionally bitterly cold winds (called “Surazos”) come up from Patagonia and the Argentinean plains, this winds plus the humidity in the region drop the temperature down and may produce freezing chill effect even though it will never get to freezing point. The Amazon Rainforest sits at an average altitude of 400 m (1312 ft). Gran Chaco plains This extremely dry and hot area is generally flat with some rolling hills, valleys and few rivers that drain the sparse landscape. Most of the vegetation (short bushes, thorny branches, coarse grasses, cactus, and few scattered large trees) has been adapted to the very hot temperatures and low humidity. Since it is so inhospitable, few people live here and so the abundance of wildlife is varied and abundant. Seasons to travel by activity 4WD Expeditions Travelling by car in the southern highland deserts (Uyuni Salt Flats and Atacama desert) may be possible almost all year around, even during the rainy season (typically from January to March). Check about weather conditions before signing for a trip, sometimes the salt flats get flooded, or there are snow storms in the highlands. The rest of the highlands in the central Andes, are feasible almost all year round if you drive on main roads and highways. Secondary roads can get very difficult during the rainy season because of land slices, grown mountain rivers and muddy roads. Flooding, grown rivers and muddy roads make travelling to the Cloud forest or the Amazon basin very difficult or almost impossible during the rainy season. Mounteineering Expeditions (from north to south) Mountaineering in Venezuela and Colombia at the extreme north of the Andes (Merida and Cocuy), is better from December through February. Volcano climbing in Ecuador can be done from June through February, depending of the distance of the mountain to the pacific or to the Amazon basin. Northern mountain ranges in Peru (Blanca and Huayhuash), better to be accessed from June and July during the winter. Usually, Peruvian mountain ranges gets more snow during the rainy season; therefore, there is more danger of avalanche from January through March and even in June. Eastern ranges in Peru (Vilcanota and Apolobamba) and Bolivia (Apolobamba, Cordillera Real and Quimsa Cruz), extends from May through September. From June to August (winter) the weather is very stable. From May to June you can find the best snow conditions in the mountains. From October to December, the weather becomes more unpredictable and there may be some early rains. Volcano climbing in Bolivian, Peru and Chile (Volcanic range and Atacama) is possible almost all year around. Check about weather conditions before signing for a trip, sometimes the salt flats get flooded, or there are snowstorms in the highlands and volcanoes. Further south in Mendoza region, climbing season better from January to February, although it can extent through March. Because of its latitude, weather conditions in Aconcagua can get extremely rough. Most trekkers come during our winter (June to August) because the weather is more stable at this time but temperature can get very low. Just before the winter and after the rainy season, April and May, temperatures are mild, and - the best of all - there is very few people on the trails. Trekking during the rainy season (specially in the forested areas), may be difficult and sometimes dangerous because of: flooding, grown rivers, muddy trails, and potential land slides. Rafting descents Rafting trips are organized just after the rainy season (April to May) because there is plenty of water in the rivers. During and after winter (June to November) there is not much water in the rivers, therefore descents may be very technical or complicated. From December to March (the rainy season) the rivers get total flood and get very hazardous as they carry big stones and trees. Sea Kayaking It is possible to kayak all year-around on Lake Titicaca. During the rainy season, from January to March, there may be some rains especially during the night. Winds can be a serious problem during our winter, especially in August. Kayaking on the Pacific is better in summer.
Understanding X.509 This week, we will be exploring the general architecture of X.509 to get a better idea of how it provides security for it's users. This post is intended for people who are unfamiliar with the general architecture of X.509. I will be addressing the wide use of OpenSSL on SmartOS in a subsequent blog-post. If you haven't done this already, the first thing when dealing with modern cryptography is wrapping your head around the major players in the X.509 standard. Namely: • Encryption Keys (key) • Certificate Signing Requests (csr) • Public Key Certificates (crt) • Certificate Authorities (ca) • Trusted Certificate Store • Certificate Revocation Lists (crl) • Certification Path Validation Encryption Keys In Asymmetric Cryptography, encryption keys are generated and used in pairs, a widely disseminated public key which can encrypt data that may only be decrypted by the associated and closely guarded private key. It may be better to visualize the public key as an open padlock which can be clasped onto any strongbox, and which can only be opened by the private key. It is easy to close the padlock without the key, and difficult to open the padlock without the key. Additionally, for authentication purposes, the private key can sign (encrypt) data which can be verified (decrypted) by anyone holding the public key. This functionality, combined with cryptographic hash functions, means that documents can be certified as valid by a private key, and verified by any holder of a the public key of a key-pair. The concept of the key in X.509 is actually both the public and private key. When stored as a file, it is optionally symmetrically encrypted with a password and key derivation function (KDF), due to the sensitive nature of the contained information. Certificate Signing Requests A Certificate Signing Request (CSR) is a well-structured, documented request to be trusted, issued by a Private Key. It contains the following: • The Subject: Information about the requesting key formatted in LDIF style fields. • The Subject's Public Key: Modulus (n) and Exponent (e) in the case of RSA. • Optional Meta-Data such as: • The maximum length of Certification Paths under this key • The possible roles of this key The entire document is signed with the private key of the referenced key-pair to authenticate it's accuracy. Public Key Certificates A Public Key Certificate (CRT) is the documented expression of trust by one key (issuer) of another key (subject). In cases where the keys are the same, this is known as a self-signed certificate. CRTs are created from the data of a CSR, combined with some additional information provided by the issuing key, all of which is signed by the issuing key. In addition to the information in the CSR, Certificates include a Validity time frame: A field that specifies a date and time before which a Certificate is invalid, and another field that specifies a date and time after which a Certificate is invalid. Certificate Authorities Certificate Authorities are organizations that have created private keys, self-signed CRTs (CSRs that have been CRTed by the same key). These self-signed CRTs are often referred to as Root Keys, and are distributed in operating system installation and update pathways to end-users' trusted certificate store, with the assumption that they are trustworthy. Trusted Certificate Store Also commonly referred to as a Certificate Trust Store, a trusted certificate store is a secure collection of certificates held by a peer that are intrinsically trusted by that peer. They usually contain certificates provided by CAs, but can also include additional certificates provided by intermediaries and end-users. Any Certificates should be scrutinized carefully before inclusion into a Trusted Certificate Store. Certificate Revocation Lists Certificate Revocation Lists are a list of certificates (specifically a list of serial numbers for certificates) that have been revoked and should no longer be considered trusted. These lists are signed and distributed by the certificate authority. Certification Path Validation One last thing to examine on X.509 is how certification path validation works. When you combine the concept of a Certificate Authority, Trusted Certificate Store, and How Certificates are generated, you get the magic of X.509. An otherwise un-trusted Private Key can generate a Certificate Signing Request that is fulfilled by a CA's private key which has had it's public certificate globally distributed into the Trusted Certificate Stores of all peers. This means that the everyone can reasonably assume that an otherwise un-trusted certificate is actually legitimate. The steps to validate a certificate are as follows. Any false answer invalidates the certificate: 1. Does the certificate have a valid signature? 2. Is the Issuing Certificate trusted? ie: Is it in our Trusted Certificate Store or validated by another trusted certificate? 3. Is the certificate not referenced by the signer's CRL? 4. Does the service match the certificate subject? ie: A certificate that says it's for googlecom.com is invalid if you're trying to access google.com. 5. Does the current date and time fall within the Certificate Validity dates? Certificate Chains Often times, the certificate used by an end service to provide authentication will not be directly signed by a Certificate in the other peer's trust store. In this case, there will be at least one additional certificate between the certificate used at an application level and the trusted certificate. This intermediate certificate should be included with the end certificate for distribution to the client as it's a vital link in establishing the validity of the end certificate. This collection of linked certificates is known as a Certificate Chain. Root, Branch & Leaf Certificates As I've alluded to in the previous section, there are Certificates which serve different roles in X.509 PKI. Each of these Certificates have associated Keys. Root Certificates are distributed to the Trusted Certificate Stores of a set of peers. They are always self-signed and are intended to serve as anchors of trust for other certificates. Because of this role, Root Keys should never be used for common encryption or authentication tasks. It would be better yet that they are stored on physically isolated systems with access granted only to serve their function of signing other valid certificates. Branch Certificates are used as intermediaries between Root Certificates and Leaf Certificates. Due to commonality of physical isolation for Root Keys, issuing Leaf Certificates becomes difficult without this intermediary. Branch Certificates are distributed with their issued Leaf Certificates while their associated Branch Keys often reside on logically isolated yet still online systems. Leaf Certificates are used for the authentication of services by peers with Trusted Certificate Stores. They are either signed directly by a Root Certificate, or by one or more Branch Certificates. Cross-Signed Certificates On occasion, it is helpful for a single CSR to be fulfilled by multiple Issuers. This allows multiple independent CA's to express their trust in a single Key. It results in multiple Certificates or Certificate Chains, one for each Issuer. Technically, repeat keys could be omitted, but this is an unlikely circumstance in how X.509 PKI normally operates. One situation where this can occur is where no single CA has Certificates in the Trusted Certificate Stores of the majority of a given user base. Having cross-signed leaf certificates would mean either Root Certificate could be used for validation. Another place where this is common is when a new CA is starting operations and their Root Certificates haven't yet been fully distributed to the Trusted Certificate Stores of their user base, while another CA's Root Certificates have. The trusted CA can sign the Branch Certificates of the new CA for a temporary work-around that lasts until the new CA's Root Certificates are fully distributed.
Geologist: Fracking Doesn’t Cause Damaging Earthquakes [VIDEO] A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist debunked claims by environmentalists that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, causes damaging earthquakes. “Yes, humans really are causing earthquakes, but not in the way you think,” Dr. Justin L. Rubinstein, a research geophysicist and deputy chief of the USGS Induced Seismicity Project, said during a presentation at a Kansas science museum Saturday. It directly debunked claims by environmentalists and explained that fracking only causes extremely minor earthquakes, which can’t even be felt. The region’s earthquakes aren’t due to fracking, but are caused by injecting wastewater underground, according to Rubinstein. Contrary to popular belief, most of what is injected into wastewater wells isn’t the chemicals used in fracking. Less than 1 percent of wastewaster disposal wells are linked to earthquakes and the fracking industry has already started moving away from underground wastewater injection. Rubinstein also said the relationship between scientists and the fracking industry hasn’t been very confrontational: “It’s not in their [oil and gas producers’] interests to have these earthquakes.” The presentation explained that Kansas and neighboring states have worked with the industry to make minor rule changes to reduce earthquakes and noted that “things are looking positive.” “Induced earthquakes aren’t something new,” Rubinstein pointed out, before explaining that humans have produced quakes since at least 1894 by mining for gold and creating water reservoirs. Other scientists have confirmed that fracking doesn’t cause damaging earthquakes. “Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as ‘fracking’, does not appear to be linked to the increased rate of magnitude 3 and larger earthquakes,” states the USGS website. The use of the term “large” is also misleading. Despite the scientific consensus, even mainstream environmental groups strongly oppose fracking. The Sierra Club claims fracking can “contaminate drinking water, pollute the air, and cause earthquakes.” Fracking-earthquake myths told by environmentalists and media outlets are so widespread that the USGS actually maintains a “Myths and Misconceptions” section of its website to debunk them. Despite scientific consensus, environmental groups tried to blame fracking for just about everything including: droughtsdrinking water contaminationflaming tap-waterpovertyincome inequality, and even low sperm counts. All these claims have been debunked. Follow Andrew on Twitter Send tips to
There’s truth and then there’s, well lying! We have been discussing what we believe is truth and how we determine what is truth in our lives. We have discussed it in a way dealing with one of the most powerful of human actions, murder, the act of killing another human being (or as some in the class pointed out any animal, regardless of whether or not they’re human). So this last class we began our look at the other side of truth: lying. It seems that we had some difficulty determining what should qualify as a lie, but we began our investigation of the truth of lying (so to speak with this video). This led us further into the discussion of what we can do about lying, but importantly what does it mean for our society if we lie as much as seems to be predicted from the research. One thing we looked at was the potential impact on the criminal justice system. Police officers and courts rely extensively on eye-witness testimony, but what happens when they are not so accurate. The Innocence Project (an American group working for the defence of the wrongly accused) claims that eye-witness testimony is the single largest contributory factor in wrongful convictions. If true, it appears that the heart of our system of justice might be deeply flawed. So how well do you do in the following test. So, now in many cases that might not be lying, but it does seem to show that we are susceptible to other information, and also easily influence by it. We can, in effect hold two completely opposing ideas in our brains at one time. So how about something even more personal read this example here, the potential for a lie or real lie has serious impacts on another person, in this case the child. Leave a Reply
Saturday, July 11, 2009 Anchors Aweigh USS Constellation at the Inner Harbor from Historic Naval Ships There are three ships of the United States Navy that have borne the name USS Constellation, honoring the new constellation of stars (it was up to 15 when the first was launched) on the United States flag. Baltimore's Constellation was commissioned in 1854, the second of the trio, and was the last all-sail ship built by the United States Navy. It served through the Civil War and wasn't decommissioned until a century after its christening. Today the proud lady sits on drydock in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a naval museum and living slice of American history. And hey, it's still got a pretty experienced crew on board - of spooks. One story tells of a priest that was roaming the ship alone, trying to get his bearings straight. He was taken in tow by an older guide, who showed him all the nooks and crannies and knew the entire history of the ship. Except there were no guides on duty. The padre's description of his host fit Carl Hansen, the ship's old night watchmen. He died in 1965, but has been sighted many times, both as a spirit and a below-decks card player. But most of the apparitions aren't so thrilled to be aboard the "Connie." The best known may be the ghost of Neil Harvey, a young yeoman accused of deserting his gun station during a raging sea battle. The captain had him lashed to his cannon tube, and fired, splattering poor Harvey to a very messy burial at sea. (Other stories say he fell asleep on guard duty and was executed by firing squad in front of a cannon; how boring.) He's been seen in uniform, generally on the orlop deck (below the main deck) and is so realistic that he's often mistaken for one of the ship's guides, although he's also been seen as a glowing blob. The giveaway is that he floats over the decks. The spook of the captain that had him executed, Thomas Truxtun, is also a regular. The no-nonsense (some say sadistic) skipper also treads the ship - he was its first commander - and is usually associated with the forecastle, the short deck by the bow. Truxtun’s ghost is donned in a Revolutionary War era Navy uniform with a ruffled shirt, gold-striped pants and a cocked hat, holding a sword. And to show their loyalty to the ship, both Harvey and Truxtun transferred over from the original USS Constellation, a frigate that first set sail in 1798. Hey, what self-respecting spook wants to haunt a non-existent ship? But never fear; there are spirits besides Hansen that belong to this version of the Connie. One is the apparition of an eleven year-old boy, an assistant to the ship's surgeon. He was stabbed to death by two sailors in 1822 on the orlop deck, but still calls the ship his eternal home. Another oft-sighted spook is the sailor that hung himself on the gun deck, and his melancholy soul is still reportedly seen there. There are, of course, the usual phenomena - orbs, the smell of gunpowder, and unexplained noises and footsteps. We'll leave you with a final story. In 1955, a naval officer, last to leave the ship, took a picture of the empty Constellation. It was published in the Baltimore Sun, and lo and behold, a figure was seen in the photo of a man on deck. Did someone stay aboard? Was it Truxtun or Hansen? Or is there another spirit manning his station on the Connie, forever sailing the boundless seas? No comments:
Sabtu, 14 Desember 2013 Romans' amount in Spanish History The supposed Roman Conquest of Hispania, when the second war, resolved various strategic problems for the empire, together with total management over the Mediterranean Sea and access to natural treasures of the fresh annexed lands. power of the Roma Empire had been growing bit by bit, tho' its achievements were shared with Spanish people, together with economical and cultural advancement of the country. Roman Infrastructure Generally, there have been many fields, within which Romans and their technological data couldn't however become of an excellent aid. 1st of all, it's related to urban and road infrastructure, large construction of bridges and aqueducts. until these days, archeologists suggests thirty four survived Roman roads, crossing the earth in numerous directions. additionally, several of Romans' building comes square measure thought of high-value look spots. as an example, Roman conduit in composer attracts thousands of tourists annually. it's over 700 meters long and concerning twenty eight meters high. composer aqueducts just towers the complete town, sitting an enormous a part of town panorama. Many of Romans' construction remained hidden underneath layers of Moors' design till the twentieth century, once anthropology advanced to the corresponding level. Among the varied samples of classical architecture one will study theaters, museums, monuments and totally different racecourses. geographic region was a real highlight of architectural style. It became the middle of Roman provinces on the Iberian Peninsula. Historians claim that geographic region conducted absolute management over neighboring lands and other people living on them, who, above all, spoke on the conquerors' tongue. geographic region was major in assimilation of peninsula and Romans' cultures. Spanish Economy underneath Romans' Influence Romans created an excellent deal in Spanish agriculture. To be additional precised, they mostly expedited wine-making and oil press makers. merchandise were additionally sold abroad, victimization fresh engineered ports. Among the places, wherever Romans' particularly promote the assembly, one will acknowledge La Rioja, celebrated wine-making region in European country. Romans in Spanish Culture In times of Romans' on Iberian Peninsula one will see the increase of literature, specifically, on the south. it absolutely was a amount of huge name poets and writers, nice philosophers and students of the time. Among them Seneca takes the leading spot, he rose to fame as a thinker and an educator of bloody Roman Emperor. Hence, Spanish south could be a native to the author Lucan. additionally, this land became the house of the Emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus and therefore the 1st diplomat of the Spanish province. Tidak ada komentar: Posting Komentar
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 What is PC Motherboard The Motherboard is the most important component in a PC system. Virtually every internal component in a PC connects to the motherboard, and its features largely determine what your computer is capable of, not to mention its overall performance. Although I prefer the term motherboard, other terms such as main board, system board, and planar are interchangeable. This chapter examines the various types of motherboards available and those components typically contained on the motherboard and motherboard interface connectors. Several common form factors are used for PC motherboards. The form factor refers to the physical dimensions (size and shape) as well as certain connector, screw hole, and other positions that dictate into which type of case the board will fit. Some are true standards (meaning that all boards with that form factor are interchangeable), whereas others are not standardized enough to allow for interchangeability. Unfortunately, these nonstandard form factors preclude any easy upgrade or inexpensive replacement, which generally means they should be avoided. The more commonly known PC motherboard form factors include the following: Obsolete Form Factors ■ Baby-AT (PC and XT) ■ Full-size AT ■ LPX (semiproprietary) ■ BTX, microBTX, picoBTX Modern Form Factors ■ ATX and variants; microATX, FlexATX, DTX/Mini-DTX, and ITX/Mini-ITX PC motherboard form factors have evolved over the years from the Baby-AT form factor boards based on the original IBM PC and XT, to the current ATX form factor (and variants) used in most desktop and tower systems. ATX has a growing number of variants, mostly in smaller sizes designed to fit different market segments and applications. The short-lived BTX form factors relocated major components to improve system cooling and incorporate a thermal module. Anything that does not fit into one of the industry-standard form factors should be considered proprietary. Unless there are special circumstances, I do not recommend purchasing systems based on proprietary board designs because they are difficult to upgrade and expensive to repair because components such as the motherboard, case, and power supply are not interchangeable with other systems. I often call proprietary form factor systems “disposable” PCs because that’s what you must normally do with them when they are too slow or need repair out of warranty. 1 comment:
Cheat Sheet Q & A: The Question: How about "deflation" as a topic for your Cheat Sheet Q & A? I was surprised to find out that the official policy of the Federal Reserve is to try to maintain a target of a 2% annual inflation rate? Why not zero? So government policy is to have prices rising every year. Is "deflation" the same as saying we have a negative inflation rate? What would cause this? What are the implications regarding employment, consumer spending, investing? Has the US or other countries experienced periods of deflation? Bottom Line: Indeed deflation is basically a negative inflation rate. It is the devaluing of assets in an economy. And yes it has happened in the United States and we have another modern example with a developed economy. Let’s go through those examples. The United States experienced deflation during the Great Depression. From top of the economy preceding the Great Recession to the very bottom of the Great Recession, economic activity decreased by 25%. The actual value of that economic activity (when measured in international trade dollars) decreased by greater than 60%! A more modern example is the Japanese economy. Since 1980 Japan’s economic has slipped into negative territory in 21 of 33 years! The average growth rate of their economy has only been 0.5% on average per year over that entire period of time. As a result China’s economy actually passed Japan’s as the world’s 2nd largest economy last year. The causes of deflation can vary but it’s generally a loss of credibility in the economy in conjunction with the currency of the country that would cause it. In the case of the US, the stock market bubble that had been created due to excessive levels of margin, or borrowing, was the initial catalyst. Subsequent policy that led to record levels of debt being accumulated by the United States exacerbated the deflation that was already in motion. In Japan’s case their Government allowed debt to GDP to rise exponentially (in an attempt to stimulate a slow growth economy – sound familiar) to a level of greater than 200% debt to GDP (which is exceptionally high). In short, deflation is never a good thing because the value of all assets and currency depreciates. Moderate inflation is a positive. Why? It allows for upward mobility. Over the previous 100 or so years the average US inflation rate has hovered near 3%. Meanwhile the average income increase has been about 3.5%. That’s how the average quality of life for the average American has slowly improved over time. Additionally if you save and invest in assets that appreciate above the average inflation rate like real-estate (4.1%) and stocks (9%) you will progressively improve your lot in life. So the Fed is right to desire low inflation… Now the policy they engage in to achieve that objective… That may not be the best idea. Audio Report: The average new mobile plan with data really is hundreds cheaper than two years ago: Bottom Line: I’ve reported frequently on price cuts by various mobile providers of late. Recently I demonstrated that the average family of four could likely save more than $1000 per year on a new plan vs. previous options. Now that we have a full month of data based on the new lower pricing from all of the major service providers we have an idea of the exact cost savings. • The average cost of a mobile plan (with one of the major service providers) with unlimited talk, texting and a data plan was $85 in January • The average cost of the same type of plan two years ago was about $118 So there really is cost savings of nearly $35 per month as a result of the price competition. So if you are going to come off of a two year contract soon, you should shop for a better deal, even with your current provider if you would like to stay with them because the prices really are significantly lower. Competition can be a great thing. Audio Report: Can you afford your pet?: Bottom Line: During the Great Recession we learned that we valued our pets at times even more than ourselves and our human family. During the recession the one member of the family the average American didn’t reduce spending on was the pet. That’s continued over the last two years as well. Despite the economy growing at less than 2% in 2012 & 2013, our spending on pets increased by 10% during that period of time. All told: • 68% of American households have a least one pet • The average cost of a dog in year one is $1580 • The average cost of a cat in year one is $1308 That’s certainly not cheap… In subsequent years your pets will average a $670 to $695 annual expenditure. So by the time you add in multiple pets you’re talking about significant expenses. Ashley and I have pets and we love them so that’s not where I’m going with the question… But for those who are struggling financially, that’s probably not the right time to seek a companion or multiples. Audio Report: Even with the ultra wealthy - Hard work & investing tops salary: Bottom Line: PNC recently had a research study that showed that the average millionaire attributed the overwhelming majority of their wealth accumulation to saving and investing over time (more than 60%), while just a little more than 20% said that a high salary was the biggest driver of wealth accumulation. That goes hand in hand with how the average person with the average income can become a millionaire within 25 years. But what about the ultra wealthy? Those who are worth $5 million or more? PNC studied this wealthier group and they found… Nearly the exact same thing. Greater than 60% of those with $5 million or more in assets attribute their wealth accumulation to saving and investing over time. And yes, only about 23% said a high salary was the predominate reason. So… Here’s the follow-up to my average American millionaire story. The average income ($45,000) per year with reasonable savings and investment levels won’t result in $5 million or more without significant good investment fortune. But… If you earn above average income. Say $85,000 or more per year it is possible to become a multi-millionaire just like the average person worth $5 million or more. Audio Report: The unemployment rate is more than twice the minimum wage rate: Bottom Line: So naturally the number of Americans on minimum wage is a large number right? I mean after all with as big of an issue as the administration has made over the need to federally dictate a higher rate quickly must be because of the enormous impact. So I was looking through the latest info from the BLS and found these little gems: • The % of the workforce earning min. wage is… 2.8% • The average age of a person on min. wage is under the age of 25 and is in school • The rate of people on min. wage is the lowest in ten years. So… Where’s the issue again? Isn’t the free market dictating that 97.2% of people working are worth more than the Fed’s have dictated? If the majority of min. wage workers are young and in school is there really a dire urgency to correct what the evil companies won’t do on their own? This sounds like a different version of the ACA argument and didn’t that work out well…? Audio Report: The new unacceptable economic view: Bottom Line: I’m tired of hearing the new prevailing view many economists that the United States of America can’t grow the way it once did. After last week’s CBO report demonstrating that millions of would be employees won’t be working in coming years due to the ACA (many by choice because they can collect Government handouts by working and earning less), politicians like Chuck Schumer have spun it to be a good thing. It’s true that if many Americans desire to work less and rely more on the Government that indeed we won’t see an economy that will grow the way it once did. That’s exactly the Euro Socialist model that led to you being here in the first place. That’s the irony of this story. If economic opportunity exists then immigrants from around the world will clamor for the opportunity. Unless you’re of Native American descent the reason your ancestors came here was for the freedom and opportunity to achieve more than in Europe. History matters. The more we create a society that is incentivized to do less and get more from the Government the less opportunity and economic growth that will ensue. The less reliant and intrusive a Government is, the greater the economic opportunity and upward mobility in an economy. Audio Report:
Results for: Platelet-count What does a low platelet count mean? Platelets (thrombocytes) are a type of blood cells, which are derived in the bone marrow from large cells called megakaryocytes. They are critical for the clotting of bl (MORE) In Health What happens if you have high platelet count? Having a high platelet count may result to thrombosis, meaning, blood clot formation in the blood vessels. This is quite dangerous since there may be a chance that this (MORE) Is 211 platelet count normal? Yes. Normal platelet counts are between 150k and 400k. I am a laboratory student and just received my own blood count tests back today, I have a 211K platelet count as well. M (MORE) Platelet count 113 what does it mean? Platelet count of 113 (or 113,000 more properly) is indicative of mild thrombocytopenia. It should be monitored, but physicians generally don't become concerned until platelet (MORE) Thanks for the feedback! In Uncategorized What does a high platelets count indicate? Thrombocytosis is associated witha high platelet count. This is often a cause of an existing condition, such as cancer, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, or tuberculosis. Thanks for the feedback!
Commission targets cancer-causing agents in new proposal Workers that come into constant contact with carcinogenic substances, especially in the mining industry, are set to benefit from the Commission's plan. [jasonwoodhead23/Flickr] According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cancer causes 53% of deaths in industrialised countries. Particularly affected are those people for whom the health risks are outweighed by the financial gains, for example, factory and mine workers who are exposed to the substances on a daily basis. A specific example is quartz dust, which is produced by industrial mining and which can cause lung cancer. Maximum limits vary between EU countries and are even non-existent in certain member states. This has created a system where companies have an incentive to set up shop in countries with lower health standards and protection. Those that provide better and higher working conditions and health standards currently suffer a competitive disadvantage. Overwhelming majority of Germans contaminated by glyphosate On 14 May, the Commission proposed an initiative under which these diverging health standards would be addressed and a more competitive playing field would be created. The executive intends to list 13 substances which would be subject to EU-wide maximum limits. “Cancer has immense consequences for workers, their families, industries and society. Our proposal will save 100,000 lives over the next 50 years,” said Social Affairs and Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen. Accordingly, companies should benefit from the stricter rules, given that a healthy employee is generally more productive than a sick one. Nevertheless, companies and industries fear a loss of revenue, in part because they are worried that consumers will be put off buying any products that contain the substances that will be listed by the Commission. That would ultimately be misguided, as materials such as quartz dust are only released during the manufacturing process and as a result do not pose a threat to consumers. Often, regulating chemical substances is like running a gauntlet, given that the overriding factor in the EU is the precautionary principle, which allows Brussels to ban anything that may pose a health threat, even if the scientific evidence is not completely conclusive. Public pressure can often push the lawmakers into making opportunistic decisions. Companies can be hit by high costs when a substance is included on such lists. The manufacturer’s logic can be summed up thus: roadways pose real and significant risks, but driving has not been outlawed. Endocrine disruptors' link to infertility confirmed Trade unions, however, welcomed the Commission’s proposal, but still see a great deal of work to be done. “Finally the Commission has listened to us, but, the proposed maximum limits are still too lax for certain substances,” said Stéphanie Wouters from the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The unions also insisted that 15 other substances be included on the same list by the end of the year. Ultimately, the Commission was accused of doing far too little though: “Instead of merely limiting carcinogenic chemicals, they should be removed and replaced. We also are in dire need of new laws that protect workers from other harmful influences, like nano particles and psychological risks.” Wouters was not enamoured by the Commission’s solution to the problem and accused the EU of being “far from fulfilling its ambitious social agenda”.
As a society, we are dealing with the way health costs should be met. The Affordable Care Act is just the latest part of that ongoing discussion. I am aware that many nations cover health care as part of their responsibility, including costs. I am very curious about other countries' abilities to assume that cost. Is there a book available that can explain that to me? — Paul, Medford Although it's now several years old, journalist T.R. Reid's bestseller "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care" still provides a good primer on how different countries around the world approach health care. Reid explores the health care systems in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and India. Although Americans might assume most of those countries offer government-run health care paid for with high taxes, they actually differ. In Germany, insurance companies operate as nonprofits and cannot bar people with pre-existing conditions. Almost everyone is required to sign up for health insurance. Germany keeps a lid on costs by determining payments for care. Britain essentially has socialized medicine, with most health care employees working for the government and the government being the single payer for care. Canada also pays for care, but health care providers are mostly private entities. The country struggles with long wait times for some types of care. People in India largely pay out-of-pocket, with the poor going without. Reid points out that America actually has a mix of all types of care. As in Germany, many U.S. workers younger than 65 get health insurance from companies, although they can be for-profit. Those older than 65 on Medicare go to various providers, with the bill paid for by the government. For those who buy it, supplemental insurance helps make up Medicare coverage gaps. The government is the payer and provider of health care for military personnel and veterans. Uninsured Americans either pay out-of-pocket or go without. Since the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act in 2010, more low-income people, including those with jobs, have government-subsidized health insurance, and those with pre-existing conditions cannot be barred. Later editions of Reid's book provide an update on changes from the act. With its hodgepodge system, the United States pays the most for health care, at $9,237 per person, but lags behind other industrialized countries on health outcomes, according to a research paper published this year in the journal The Lancet. Japan is among the countries that have better health outcomes. It spends less than $4,000 per person. Japan requires everyone to participate in a universal health insurance system, with fees set by committee. No matter how they pay for care, countries worldwide face the challenge of rising health care costs from aging populations, rising consumer expectations, the increasing prevalence of chronic and lifestyle diseases such as obesity and adult-onset diabetes, costly medical innovations and rising prescription drug prices, according to global organizations that analyze health care spending. The United States — which bans the import of most prescription drugs and does little to regulate drug prices — has been hardest hit by skyrocketing prescription prices, according to global organizations.
Multivitamins Can Reduce Risk Of Birth Defects It's true what they say that a mother's love is unconditional. How can you disprove that when everyday you see pregnant mothers-to-be loving and caring for their child even before the baby is born? A mom-to-be does everything in her power to ensure the optimum growth of her child. It's not a surprise that she takes vitamin supplements along with a nutritional diet. A new study says that she's doing it right taking vitamins during pregnancy. According to this study, women who take a multivitamins daily during the time of conception have less risk of delivering low-birth-weight babies. Taking multivitamins can also reduce the likelihood of preterm birth among women of normal weight. It's important to note that with almost 50 percent of pregnancies in the United States unplanned, taking a multivitamins everyday even if you're not pregnant gives you better chances of improving birth outcomes. This is according to the leader of the study Janet M. Catov, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh. Like folic acid supplement, using multivitamins before and after conception can significantly lower pregnancy risks. Catov and her colleagues did an earlier research that discovered how multivitamins taken before and after conception can dramatically decrease the risk of preeclampsia, which is the condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is dangerous for its can lead to stroke or even death. The early and recent study included about 36,000 Danish women who were enrolled in a national birth registry. They were asked about their usage of multivitamins weeks before and after conception. More than half of these women said they were taking multivitamins during this period. The study also evaluated risk factors for preterm birth such as smoking, age, and obesity. Still, it was found that women who took multivitamins enjoyed a 16 percent reduction in the risk of preterm delivery. Catov confirmed however that there was no link seen among women who are overweight. Using multivitamins weeks before conception also reduced risk of low birth weight of the baby by 10 to 20 percent. The weight of the mother was irrelevant. Taking multivitamins daily weeks after conception reduced the risk by a staggering 33 percent. The new study was published on September 2011 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The benefits of vitamin B supplements such as folic acid have already been confirmed through numerous studies over the recent years. This vitamin in particular was proven effective in dropping the risk of birth problems such as low birth weight, preterm births, and neural tube defects. Most multivitamins that you can buy in the market contain a good amount of folic acid. But this isn't the only thing that can be good for the mother. So are other nutrients in the multivitamins like zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin E. leave a comment
Reclaiming the Ransom Theory The “Penal Substitutionary Atonement” model may be the most controversial of all the atonement theories. However, there is a lesser known controversy within the “Ransom” model of atonement. The controversy was not about whether or not Christ died as a ransom (Mark 10:45, 1 Tim 2:6), but whether or not the ransom was paid to the devil. The belief that the ransom was paid to Satan was the view held by Origen and St. Gregory of Nyssa, whereas the criticism against such a view came from St. Gregory the Theologian. My purpose for writing this is to defend Origen and St. Gregory of Nyssa by further articulating how they understood the “Ransom Theory.” I will begin with analyzing the criticism first, then I will try to reveal that the controversy may be a false dichotomy. Ransomed from Death “He gave Himself as a ransom to death by which we were held captive, having been sold into slavery by sin…” -Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Anaphora Prayers) Many Orthodox Christians vigorously object to the idea that a ransom was paid to Satan, specifically because of this quote. St. Gregory’s reaction to the idea that God paid a ransom to the devil (along with a superficial reading of the quote) seems to be the only reason why the ransom view became controversial. However, I would argue that this is a simple misunderstanding, and that St. Gregory is speaking against a very specific connotation within a very literal understanding of the ransom framework. This is evident because he even begins by saying that man is in bondage to the “devil,” when he could have simply said “death.” He clarifies that we have become “sold under sin” by becoming corrupt “through our lust.” In other words, St. Gregory is implying that we are not enslaved to the devil because he overpowered our will and put us in chains, but because we willingly asked the devil to wrap them around our souls after he gave us his persuasive sales pitch. Our “enslavement to the devil” was never understood literally, rather such a concept is understood to be merely personifying the reality of our attachment to sin (which is an indirect attachment to death and the devil) through the chains of our passions. This shows that St. Gregory did not personally understand this in a literal sense (because he would have contradicted himself), but was probably addressing people who didn’t accurately perceive the metaphorical language (Further evidence of this is found when he immediately follows his objection with another objection; that being in regards to the ransom as paid to the Father). Gregory’s objection to the idea that a ransom was paid to the devil is solely based on one particular understanding of it: that the devil is essentially able to forcibly take hostages and coerce God into giving him a paycheck. Gregory isn’t actually objecting to the idea that we were ransomed from Satan, he is rather objecting to a particular implication that may come along with saying that. To Gregory, it is outrageous to think that a thief should actually be compensated for his crime, because it would theoretically enable and perpetuate criminal behavior. However, I would argue that Gregory isn’t objecting to understanding it as a Sting Operation that uses a reward to bait the criminal into a trap. Therefore, just because someone says, “God paid a ransom to Satan,” doesn’t necessarily mean those negative connotations are inherent. [Stray Observation: St. Gregory would oppose the modern notion of a ransom being paid to God the Father, as found in the popular doctrine of “Penal Substitutionary Atonement.” ] Ransomed from Satan “To whom did [Christ] give his life a ransom for many? Assuredly not to God; could it then be to the evil one? For he was holding us fast until the ransom should be given him, even the life of Jesus; [Satan] being deceived with the idea that he could have dominion over it, and not seeing that he could not bear the torture in retaining it.” –Origen (Commentary on Matthew 16:8) “The Lord’s cross was the devils mousetrap: the bait which caught him was the death of the Lord.” -St. Augustine of Hippo Instead of simply viewing Christ like a generic military general, conquering his enemies by force, Origen and St. Gregory of Nyssa see Christ as more comparable to Sun Tzu, intellectually conquering his enemy and winning the war without lifting a finger. Christ is the one in control, manipulating his enemy into thinking the battle is won, only to essentially “pull out the rug from under him.” Christ is, as Sun Tzu would describe, “appearing to be weak when He is strong.” Christ is “making a sound in the east, but striking from the west.” I would argue that one cannot understand the depths of Christus Victor if one does not understand the intellectual prowess of the strategy behind the victory. Death was Christ’s checkmate, and it took the devil three days to figure out he lost. You can tell immediately that this understanding does not give Satan any power. On the contrary, Christ makes Satan look like a fool by manipulating him the entire time. I don’t think St. Gregory the Theologian would have any issues with the ransom theory as understood in this way, and he probably had the same perspective, being that he was so close with St. Gregory of Nyssa. The Demonic Sword “Here he points out the wonder that by what the devil prevailed, by that was he overcome, and the very thing which was his strong weapon against the world, Death, by this Christ smote him. In this he exhibits the greatness of the conqueror’s power. Do you see how great good death has wrought?… He shows too, that not death alone has been put an end to, but that thereby he also who is ever showing that war without truce against us, I mean the devil, has been brought to nought; since he that fears not death is out of reach of the devil’s tyranny…You see that in casting out the tyranny of death, he also overthrew the strength of the devil.” –St. John Chrysostom (Homily 4 on Hebrews) Scripture says Satan was a murderer from the beginning (Jhn 8:44) and does nothing but seek to steal, kill, and destroy (Jhn 10:10). However, Christ bound “the strong man” and plundered his house of hostages (Mat 12:29). To deny that death has a face would be dishonest to reality. As Hebrews tells us, Christ went to destroy not merely death, but “him who has the power of death” (Heb 2:14). In commenting on that passage, St. John Chrysostom says that Christ essentially kills the devil with his own sword. “Death” is seen as Satan’s weapon, and Jesus uses that same weapon to conquer Satan. Chrysostom even says explicitly that it wasn’t death “alone” that Christ put to an end, but the very personification of death; that is, the devil. [Stray Observation: In keeping with the sword metaphor, one might also say, “him who wields the power of death.”] The Divine Reforge The Orthodox Church has grown accustomed to saying the ransom was paid to death, and that is probably the most helpful way of understanding the ransom model, simply because it forces a metaphorical perspective. However, saying “the ransom was paid to the devil” is ultimately saying the same thing, but using personification. Therefore, there is no need for there to be conflict, because both are valid (and complementary) expressions of the Church. I think it’s time to reclaim the Ransom Theory and put the controversy to rest. In defeating the devil by force and by wit, Christ utilized the lake of fire (that is, the unveiled glory of Christ’s eternal divinity) to reforge “Death” (that demonic sword which absorbed the life within mankind) into a divine plowshare (Rev 20:14, Isa 2:4). Now the seeds (that is, our sleeping bodies) no longer lay planted in that cursed and barren earth which brought no resurrection to man (Gen 3:17), but now our bodies will one day rise again into newness of life (Rom 6:4). The tree is no longer without fruit, and that fact comes with a promise: If one fruit has revealed itself, then the rest are surely coming (1 Cor 15:22-23). Showing 3 comments • Julian I’ve been mulling over a variation of the Ransom Theory. Here’s how it goes: The devil has some sort of legal authority over humanity, due to our sins. This authority includes having the power of death over us. Jesus lived a sinless life. Therefore, the devil did not have any legal authority over Jesus, and certainly did not have the legal authority to put Jesus to death. Nevertheless, the devil and his minions crucified the Lord of glory. By doing so, they broke the law that originally gave them their authority over us. Therefore, their authority over us was made null and void. God raised Jesus from the dead, as a sign that death never had any authority or power over the Righteous One. And since the devil’s legal claim over us has been made null and void, we have been bought and paid for by Jesus’ death. He blood cleanses us of sin, as a sign that we no longer belong to the evil one, but to Jesus. What do you think? • Andrew Interesting, except that in order for the devil to have legal authority he himself cannot be a law breaker. The law is God’s law not Satan’s. The Devil has clearly violated God’s law however in his role as accuser he can point out to God our sins and demand that God deal with us justly by appealing to his nature. In the cross the devil’s appeal to God’s justice was satisfied through Christ, who satisfied the law’s righteousness on our behalf. The curse of the law is lifted, the Accuser can accuse me all he wants, but Christ’s righteousness is imputed to me therefore the curse is broken. • Andrew Thanks I enjoyed reading this. Blessings from a Reformed Baptist here in Canada. Leave a Comment Contact Us Not readable? Change text. captcha txt
What is Crypto Currency? Cryptocurrencies are peer-to-peer, decentralized, digital currencies whose implementation relies on the principles of cryptography to validate the transactions and generation of the currency itself. Lets break down what that means. -Peer-to-peer refers to each node on the network being able to connect to any other node and act as both a server and a client sharing updates to the blockchain (public ledger) without the need for a central server. -Decentralized refers to the peer-to-peer architecture of the network. Because each node can act as both a server and a client, there is no need for a central server or centralized authority, thus effectively solving the double spending problem. -Digital currency, among its various names, is electronic money that acts as alternative currency in the digital realm (though offline adoption is increasing as well). Currently, alternative digital currencies are not produced by government-endorsed central banks nor necessarily backed by national currency. -Cryptography relies on public and private keys for security. With cryptocurrencies every transaction has to be signed by a private key for security. Due to the strong security and well understood principles of cryptography, counterfeiting digital currencies is virtually impossible. Why use Crypto Currency? By choosing to use Crypto Currencies we are choosing to nullify the debts and fake wealth that create systems of slavery and mass poverty. Fiat currencies(USD, EUR, Ect) are one of the central control mechanisms utilized by a small percentage of our population to create an world wide economic imbalance. More information about the challenge that is Centralized Banking can be found in the video below. Getting Started Are you ready to step higher into your Sovereignty by becoming part of the economic solution? Great. Lets get started. First you need a wallet. There are a variety of services that provide wallets. We recommend; Coinbase; A simple method of purchasing bitcoin with a bank wire. Xapo; A secure wallet and bitcoin purchasing service. If you wish to purchase bitcoin with paypal we recommend Virwox. Or you can get Crypto Currency for free. Moonbit, Moonlite and Moondoge are bitcoin, litecoin, and dogecoin faucets that constantly acrue balance that can be withdrawn every 5 minutes, every 5 weeks, or any time length in between. FarmSatoshi, and Wonderland are Faucet “games” that pay out more over time. BitcoinClix, Bitvisitor and BtcVic are services that pay in bitcoin for watching advertisements. Once you have Crypto, where can you spend it? Everywhere, almost. BitNation Mastercard: Spend your bitcoin anywhere Mastercard is accepted. Egift; An online store that instantly sells giftcards to over 500 branches worldwide. Purse; An online store that sells all of Amazon’s products at a 15% discount for bitcoin. Overstock; One of the worlds largest superstores. Cheapair; A popular hotel, flight, and car booker. Bitgold; Buy, sell and trade gold for bitcoin. Coinmap; A global listing of locations that accept bitcoin and other encrypted currencies Microsoft, Dell, and over 7000 physical locations worldwide also accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Beyond Bitcoin; Second Generation Crypto Currencies Bitcoin was the beginning of the Crypto Currency Revolution. Since then we have seen the Rise of a second generation of Online Currencies. These systems are far more advanced then their predecessor and offer much more then simple currency transactions. Of the thousand of alt coins available we recommend Etherium, NXT, Namecoin, Maidsafe and Ripple because of the unique services they offer. NXT sets itself apart with its plethora of innate services and 100% proof of stake model that rewards investors with a regular percentage return. These services include decentralized encrypted communication, asset exchange, voting system, escrow, and the ability to make your own currency with redeemable value. Maidsafe is a SAFE (Secure Access For Everyone) Network that uses advanced peer-to-peer technology that joins together the spare computing capacity of all SAFE users, creating a global network. You can think of SAFE as a crowd-sourced Internet. It is on this network that everyone’s data and applications reside. Maidsafe pays you to utilize your spare storage, processing power and bandwidth. Namecoin provides the infastructure for the worlds first decentralized DNS database. Offering .bit domains that cannot be censored by ICCAN at a fraction of the cost. Ripple is on the leading edge because of its capacity to instantly convert and transfer any currency to any other currency at the lowest possible rate available in that moment. This incudes all Fiat and Crypto Currencies as well as points and gift cards. Ripple is still under development and is unavailable for consumers at this time.
Battal Gazi From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Seyyid Battal Ghazi is a mythical Muslim, saintly figure and warrior based in Anatolia (associated primarily with Malatya, where his father, Hüseyin Gazi, was the ruler [1]), based on the real-life exploits of the 8th-century Umayyad military leader Abdallah al-Battal. His attributed legends, which also form the bulk of the information available on the historic personality, later became an important part in Turkish folk literature. His title Seyyid, as well as being an Arabic honorific, may refer, in the form "Seyyid", to family ties to Muhammad. The title of "Seyyid" or "Sayyid" often occurs at Alevism, and it is said that Battal Ghazi was an Alevi Muslim. Alevism is also described as spiritual shiism, or Sufi-shi'a. The legends[edit] Sources available on the historical personality of Abdallah al-Battal consist of legends often written in the mesnevi style, and which may comport historically correct elements or points that support each other, as well as contradictions. For example, he is cited as having participated in his twenties to the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople in 718, and the legends name his Byzantine enemy as Leon, which could be no other than Leo III the Isaurian, the Emperor during the siege. On the basis of this information, his date of birth is reckoned to be around 690-695 and there is a consensus among historians for accepting 740 as the year of his death, at the Battle of Akroinon. On the other hand, in one story Battal Gazi raids the Maiden's Tower and rides away from Üsküdar, on the city's Asian side, with the Emperor's treasures and daughter, an event that is not confirmed by any historical record.[2] Battal Gazi was revindicated as an ancestor of Danishmend Gazi in the romanced epic on the Turkish Bey, Danishmendnâme, in which stories relating to the two figures are blended, possibly with a view to stress the presence of Islam in Anatolia even before the main Turkish advance following the Battle of Manzikert (modern Malazgirt). The verses that compose Danishmendnâme were compiled from Turkish folk literature for a first time by order of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Alâeddin Keykubad, a century after Danishmend's death, and the final form that reached our day is a compendium that was put together under the instructions of the early 15th century Ottoman sultan Murad II. Battal Gazi remains a spirited figure in Turkey's modern day urban culture. This is partly due to a series of films in which Battal Gazi was incarnated by and immortalised anew under the chiselled features of the Turkish film star Cüneyt Arkın. These modern references sometimes involve touches of indirect humour.[3] The tombs[edit] Battal Gazi is buried in Seyitgazi, a town named after him and where he is believed to have been martyred (possibly during a siege of the nearby Amorium), in Eskişehir Province, Turkey. Upon the initiative as of 1207 of Ümmühan Hatun, wife of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I and mother of Alâeddin Keykubad I, Battal Gazi's tomb was extended into a complex containing a mosque, a medrese, cells and ceremonial rooms for dervishes as well as charitable services for the community such as kitchens and a bakery, and it was later renovated extensively under the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II's reign. As such, Seyyid Battal Gazi Complex in Seyitgazi remains a much visited shrine. On the other hand, many other localities across Turkey also put forth claims as burial places either for Battal Gazi, or for his father Hüseyin Gazi. A tomb in Divriği and another one in Ankara on top of a hill named after Hüseyin Gazi are the most famous among the shrines thought to contain the father's remains. The district centre of Battalgazi in Turkey's Malatya Province, formerly Eskimalatya (Old Malatya) and the previous location of Malatya city, at a distance of 20 km from the modern day urban centre, was renamed in honour of Battal Gazi. Battal Gazi's wife and two children are buried in the town. Battal Gazi films[edit] 1. ^ Hüseyin Türk. (Full text) "Beliefs and traditions in the shrine of Hüseyin Gazi" Check \|url= value (help). Journal of Religious Culture, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main. 2. ^ "Maiden's Tower, Istanbul". Kız Kulesi, İstanbul. Archived from the original on 2004-06-23. External link in \|publisher= (help) Whence the Turkish expression, "Atı alan Üsküdar'ı geçti"; (He who takes the horse is already past Üsküdar).[permanent dead link] 3. ^ Oraletnamso. Video: "Battal Gazi kahpe uzaylılara karşı (Battal Gazi versus perfidious space aliens)" Check \|url= value (help). YouTube. External links[edit]
Deutsche Physik From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from German physics) Jump to: navigation, search Deutsche Physik (literally: "German Physics") or Aryan Physics (German: Arische Physik) was a nationalist movement in the German physics community in the early 1930s opposed to the work of Albert Einstein and other modern theoretically based physics, labeled "Jewish Physics" (German: Jüdische Physik). The term was taken from the title of a 4-volume physics textbook by Nobel Laureate Philipp Lenard in the 1930s. This textbook emphasizes the use of the standard scientific method, based on observation-hypothesis-experiment-theory, in opposition to the supposed emphasis of many Jewish scientists on the primacy of theory. Philipp Lenard, one of the early architects of the Deutsche Physik movement This movement began as an extension of a German nationalistic movement in the physics community which went back as far as World War I. On 25 August 1914, during the German invasion of Belgium, German troops used petrol to set fire to the library of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.[1][2][3][4] The burning of the library led to a protest note which was signed by eight distinguished British scientists, namely William Bragg, William Crookes, Alexander Fleming, Horace Lamb, Oliver Lodge, William Ramsay, Lord Rayleigh, and J. J. Thomson. In 1915 this led to a counter-reaction in the form of an "appeal" formulated by Wilhelm Wien and addressed to German physicists and scientific publishers, which was signed by sixteen German physicists, including Arnold Sommerfeld and Johannes Stark. They claimed that German character had been misinterpreted and that attempts made over many years to reach an understanding between the two countries had obviously failed. Therefore, they opposed the use of the English language by German scientific authors, editors of books, and translators.[5] A number of German physicists, including Max Planck and the especially passionate Philipp Lenard, a scientific rival of J. J. Thomson, had then signed further "declarations", so that gradually a "war of the minds"[6] broke out. On the German side it was suggested to avoid an unnecessary use of English language in scientific texts (concerning, e.g., the renaming of German-discovered phenomena with perceived English-derived names, such as "X-ray" instead of "Röntgen ray"). It was stressed, however, that this measure should not be misunderstood as a rejection of British scientific thought, ideas and stimulations. After the war, the affronts of the Treaty of Versailles kept some of these nationalistic feelings running high, especially in Lenard, who in a small pamphlet[7] had already complained at the beginning of the war about England. When on January 26, 1920, the young soldier Oltwig von Hirschfelde tried to assassinate German Finance minister Matthias Erzberger, Lenard sent him a telegram of congratulation.[8] After the 1922 assassination, of politician Walther Rathenau, the government ordered flags flown at half mast on the day of his funeral, but Lenard ignored the order at his institute in Heidelberg. Socialist students organized a demonstration against Lenard, who on the occasion was taken into protective custody by state prosecutor Hugo Marx (a Jew).[9] This was not a sentiment unique to physics or physicists; this blend of nationalism and perceived affront from foreign and internal forces formed a key part of the popularity of the newly forming Nazi Party in the 1920s. Under the Third Reich[edit] Lenard[10] and Stark benefitted considerably from this Nazi support. Under the rallying cry that physics should be more "German" and "Aryan," Lenard and Stark embarked on a Nazi-endorsed plan to replace physicists at German universities with "Aryan Physicists." By 1935, though, this campaign was superseded by the Nuremberg Laws of 1935. There were no longer any Jewish physics professors in Germany, since under the Nuremberg Laws, Jews were not allowed to work in universities. Stark in particular also tried to install himself as the national authority on "German" physics under the principle of Gleichschaltung (literally, "coordination") applied to other professional disciplines. Under this Nazi-era paradigm, academic disciplines and professional fields followed a strictly linear hierarchy created along ideological lines. The figureheads of "Aryan Physics" met with moderate success, but the support from the Nazi party was not as great as Lenard and Stark would have preferred. After a long period of harassment of quantum physicist Werner Heisenberg, including getting him labeled a "White Jew" in Das Schwarze Korps, they began to fall from influence. Heisenberg was not only a pre-eminent physicist whom the Nazis realized they were better off with than without, however "Jewish" his theory might be in the eyes of Stark and Lenard, but Heisenberg had, as a young boy, attended school with SS chief Heinrich Himmler. In a historic moment, Heisenberg's mother rang Himmler's mother and asked her if she would please tell the SS to give "Werner" a break. After beginning a full character evaluation, which Heisenberg both instigated and passed, Himmler forbade further attack on the physicist. Heisenberg would later employ his "Jewish physics," in the German project to develop nuclear fission for the purposes of nuclear weapons or nuclear energy use. Himmler promised Heisenberg that after Germany won the war, the SS would finance a physics institute to be directed by Heisenberg.[11] Lenard began to play less and less of a role, and soon Stark ran into even more difficulty, as other scientists and industrialists known for being exceptionally "Aryan" came to the defense of Relativity and quantum mechanics. As historian Mark Walker puts it, "despite his best efforts, in the end his science was not accepted, supported, or used by the Third Reich. Stark spent a great deal of his time during the Third Reich fighting with bureaucrats within the National Socialist state. Most of the National Socialist leadership either never supported Lenard and Stark, or abandoned them in the course of the Third Reich." Effect on the German nuclear program[edit] It is occasionally put forth[12] that there is a great irony in the Nazis' labeling modern physics as "Jewish science", since it was exactly modern physics—and the work of many European exiles—which was used to create the atomic bomb. However, this view is unsupported by documentation. See also[edit] 2. ^ Gibson, Craig (January 30, 2008). "The culture of destruction in the First World War". Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 3. ^ LOST MEMORY - LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES DESTROYED IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY ( Archived 5 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine.) 4. ^ Theodore Wesley Koch. The University of Louvain and its library. J.M. Dent and Sons, London and Toronto, 1917. Pages 21–23. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2012. accessed 18 June 2013 5. ^ For the full German text of Wilhelm Wien's appeal see: The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science (J. L. Heilbron, ed.), Oxford University Press, New York 2003, p. 419. The appeal states: "Because of the war the relations of scientific circles to the hostile foreign countries will experience a novel regulation. It will in particular concern our relation to England, after the anti-German declaration formulated without any understanding of German character by English scientists has been signed by eight well-known physicists too (Bragg, Crookes, Fleming, Lamb, Lodge, Ramsey, Rayleigh, J. J. Thomson). It is herewith proven that the attempts made over many years to reach a better mutual understanding with the English have failed and cannot be taken up again within a foreseeable future. The regards which we have taken in the interest of a greater familiarity of the scientific circles of both peoples are no longer justified. Therefore, it is advisable to remove again the unjustified English influence which has penetrated German physics. Of course, the purpose cannot be to reject English scientific ideas and stimulations. But the currently criticized predilection for things foreign has influenced also our science so much that it seems required to point this out. After this hint we constrain ourselves above all to propose that all physicists should ensure 1. that the mentioning of literature of the English should not, as has currently been the case, find stronger consideration than that of our fellow countrymen; 2. that German physicists no longer publish their treatises in English journals, with the exception of cases where replies are required; 3. that publishers accept only scientific works and translations written in German, and only then if according to the judgment of scientific experts the work is really outstanding; 4. that public money is not spent in order to sponsor translations. E.Dorn. F. Exner. W. Hallwachs. F. Himstedt. W. König. E. Lecher. O. Lummer. G. Mie. F. Richarz. E. Rieke. E. v. Schweidler. A. Sommerfeld. J. Stark. M. Wien. W. Wien. O. Wiener." 6. ^ Stephan L. Wolff: Physiker im Krieg der Geister, Zentrum für Wissenschafts- und Technikgeschichte, München 2001, "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007. . 7. ^ Philipp Lenard, England und Deutschland zur Zeit des großen Krieges - Geschrieben Mitte August 1914, publiziert im Winter 1914, Heidelberg. 8. ^ Heinz Eisgruber: Völkische und deutsch-nationale Führer, 1925. 9. ^ Der Fall Philipp Lenard - Mensch und "Politiker", Physikalische Blätter 23, No. 6, 262–267 (1967). 10. ^ Philipp Lenard: Ideelle Kontinentalsperre, München 1940. 11. ^ Padfield, Peter, Himmler New York:1990 Henry Holt 12. ^ Einstein: His Life and Universe. Chapter 21: The Bomb Further literature[edit] • Philipp Lenard: Wissenschaftliche Abhandlungen Band IV. Herausgegeben und kritisch kommentiert von Charlotte Schönbeck. [Posthumously, German Language.] Berlin: GNT-Verlag, 2003. ISBN 978-3-928186-35-3. Introduction, Content.
Volcanic Activity This off-topic post is in the category of trivia. I do not really have a geology category because this is a Botany blog. However, it is also a blog of whatever I am interested in at the time, so I am sharing some things about volcanoes I was curious about the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull. ( I do not know how to pronounce that). I wondered how large a volcano this was compared to other volcanoes. In an article by Elizabeth Cottrell, geologist at the National Museum of History, I learned that volcanoes are ranked by a bunch of different criteria, but the main one I was interested in is the Volcanic Explosivity Index. This index goes from 1 to 8 and each number increase is 10 times bigger than the one before. This is called logarithmic. So, a 3 volcano is ten times bigger than a 2 volcano. If you are comparing two volcanoes they are ten times bigger for every number they are apart. So if you are comparing a couple of volcanoes and they are three numbers apart, then they are ten times bigger for each number, or 10 x 10 x 10 or 1000 times different in size. On this scale, then, Eyjafjallajokull started out at a 1 and is now about a 4. In comparison, Mt. Pinatubo in the Phillipines was a 6. So that was 100 times bigger than Eyjafjallajokull. Of course, Eyjafjallajokull is getting a lot of press due to its location and the fact that the ash cloud disrupts air travel for much of Europe. A similar sized volcano would not rate much of a mention in an isolated area. I was also wondering about that ash cloud and why it is so bad to fly in an ash cloud. I learned that jet engines draw in a tremendous amount of air and so little particles like ash can be very abrasive on the engines. Not good for jet engines at all. The reason you cannot fly under the ash cloud, it that the heavier particles are constantly falling down to earth under the clouds. You may be able to see under the ash cloud, but there is still plenty of gritty ash falling down that would get into the jet engines. I also wondered if the ash would block the sun and reduce global warming or make crops fail in the ash plume area. The answer is no and yes. It won’t really reduce global warming but in areas shaded by the volcanic ash cloud plume there have been occurences of crop failures. The year without a summer, was 1816 and it was caused by a big volcano erupting and shading the earth with ash along with a reduction of light from the sun (the Dalton Minimum). It was actually a series of several big volcanoes from 1812 through 1814, four of which had VEI of at least 4. Then, with the atmosphere primed with dust from these volcanoes, Mount Tambora erupted in 1815 with a VEI of 7. People reported seeing red snow, sunsets and a persistent fog. Crops failed or were damaged by frost in the summer of 1815 causing localized famines, disease outbreaks and rainy weather in the northern temperate climates. Areas of the earth that are tropical reported frosts and crop failures. So, in comparison, the Icelandic activity taking place is pretty minor. Interesting reading about both topics in the links below. Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s %d bloggers like this:
1971: Cornell starts a women’s team. 1975: Yale’s women’s hockey team is founded. 1978: Dartmouth and Harvard found teams. Links of potential interest: Ivy League Women 1998 Winter Olympics From Rome to Rio: The Paralympic Legacy Because of the recent improvement in coverage and attendance of the Paralympic games (although there is room for improvement), some fans might be surprised to learn that this year’s summer Paralympic games is only the fifteenth iteration. While various clubs have existed for people with disabilities since the 1880’s it wasn’t until after World War II that the Paralympic movement found traction in it’s current form. With such a large number of people (both military personnel and civilians alike) having been permanently injured as a result of the war, the demand for rehabilitation centers skyrocketed. Dr. Guttmann In 1944, in response to the demand, the British government asked Dr. Ludwig Guttmann to open a spinal injury center at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, England. Guttmann’s program initially sought to help the injured rehabilitate, but before long it had evolved into a thing of recreation, and eventually became competitive. As a result, Dr. Guttmann organized the Stoke Mandeville Games. The first Stoke Mandeville Games took place on the 29th of July in 1948, the same day as the opening ceremonies of the 1948 London Olympic Games. Gutmann’s games were for wheelchair athletes, and consisted of sixteen wounded service men and women competing in Archery. Four years later in 1952, wounded Dutch servicemen joined the competition, and the Stoke Mandeville Games became the International Stoke Mandeville Games. From there, the games would continue to grow, with eighteen different teams participating, including the likes of: the USA, Australia, Israel, South Africa, Malaya and Pakistan. And, while the games were well received, even receiving recognition from the Olympic committee, Guttmann’s international games wouldn’t become recognized under the Paralympic banner for years to come. That said, the 1960’s international games are now widely considered to be the first Paralympic games, despite still being under their International Stoke Mandeville Games banner. They are considered as such, because the games were hosted in Rome in the Olympic venue following the conclusion of the Olympic Games. From that point on, the Paralympic movement continued to grow and expand, going on to open itself up to athletes with a variety of disabilities. It is thanks to the legacy of Dr. Guttmann and all athletes involved in the early years of Paralympic sports, that today’s spectators are now treated to demonstrations of incredible athletic prowess time and time again. And, if this year’s events are any indication, the trend will only continue to improve, as was evidenced on September 11th when four Paralympians finished the men’s T12/13 (visually impaired) 1500 m race with times that were faster than the time of the Olympic gold medal winner. The winning time for the Paralympic men was 3:48:29 and was run by Abdellatif Baka of Algeria, while the fourth place finisher, Abdellatif’s brother Fouad, finished in 3:49:84. Abdellatif’s win, a world record, was almost two seconds ahead of American Olympic winner Matthew Centrowitz Jr’s time of 3:50:00, meaning that had those men been running in the Olympic version of the event, they would have kept all of the Olympic medal winners off of the podium. The men of the 1500 m and their accomplishment are undoubtedly impressive, but they are not alone. Six days into the Paralympic Games, 132 world records and 214 Paralympic records were broken. And it is likely that in the last two days more records will be broken and set. For those interested in following the remaining days, live streams, results and schedules can be found on the US Paralympic website. Michaela Smith, American History, [email protected] Newt Knight: The Man, Myth, and Legend of Jones County, Mississippi The name Newton (Newt) Knight was, until recently, one that wouldn’t have garnered much recognition if it were to come up in conversation. But thanks to Gary Ross’ Free State of Jones starring Matthew McConaughey, it will be more recognizable to the general public. Though this is not to say that Gary Ross suddenly picked up on Knight’s story, and miraculously made it into a Hollywood movie. Prior to the movies release, there were a handful of books published about Knight and his efforts to create his own free state of Jones. The first being written by his own son, Thomas Jefferson Knight, in 1935 titled The Life and Activities of Captain Newton Knight and His Company, and the Free State of Jones County. Within, Knight’s son portrayed his father as a Robin Hood like figure who was fiercely determined to stand up for his beliefs. Following Thomas Knight’s book was a book by Ethel Knight, a grandniece of Newt, published in 1951 titled, The Echo of the Black Horn. Ethel Knight’s book was a complete departure from Thomas’ previous work in that Ethel saw Newt as a traitorous murderer, and sought to denounce Newt as much as possible. The difference in opinion between Thomas and Ethel’s books reflects a sharp divide within the Knight family, where some saw him as a hero, and others as a traitor to his heritage. Following the work of his ancestors, Newt’s story wouldn’t be picked up again until 1984 when Rudy Leverett, a writer, set out to capture the legend of Newt Knight on paper in an effort to tell the truest story possible, as a result, Leverett wrote the Legend of the Free State of Jones. The next iteration of Knight’s story would be told by Sally Jenkins, a journalist and John Stauffer a professor of English, American Studies, and African American Studies at Harvard in The State of Jones: The Small Southern County that Seceded from the Confederacy in 2010. More recent works include historian Victoria Bynum’s The Free State of Jones, Movie Edition: Mississippi’s Longest Civil War published earlier this year, and historian, film consultant, and former dean of Jones County Junior College Jim Kelly’s The Free State of Jones and The Echo of the Black Horn: Two Sides of the Life and Activities of Captain Newt Knight, set to be published early next month. That said, Gary Ross’ interpretation appeared to offer a solid account of Newt and his efforts, and could potentially offer viewers a way to explore history on a more singular level. The movie itself begins by offering viewers a brief but satisfactorily accurate portrayal of what it was like to be a soldier during the Civil War as the movie begins with Newt as a soldier, and certainly does not shy away from gore, although it is not unnecessary. I appreciated it, even if it was an unexpected part of the film, because it helps to introduce potentially unaware viewers to the reality of the Civil War, while also staying accurate to the time period. The real strength of the movie, to this viewer at least, was the way that Gary Ross chose to approach the issue of Reconstruction. Of course, with a two and a half hour limit, not all aspects of Reconstruction were going to be explored, but I thought that all the major and relevant points of Reconstruction as they related to the film were nicely illustrated. In very general terms, to me it felt like Newt Knight and his story, while (obviously) important featured within a broader timeline of Reconstruction, and functioned nicely as a way to illustrate to movie goers, the issues and stages of Reconstruction and its overall impact on our history as Americans. While I by no means loved the movie, I did find it to be a surprisingly refreshing approach to history, particularly of the Civil War coming out of Hollywood. Much of this likely came from Gary Ross’ having worked with Eric Foner prior to producing the film in order to better understand the subject. Overall, I would recommend the movie to everyone who is willing to tolerate a little gore, and is interested in the story of Newt Knight and the process of Reconstruction. Michaela Smith, American history, [email protected] “Do You Believe in Miracles?!” Thirty Six Years Later Tonight at five o’clock marks the thirty six year anniversary of the meeting of the 1980 US and Soviet men’s hockey teams in Lake Placid, New York. The matchup would go on to become one of the most storied and memorable moments in sports history. In the summer of 1979 head coach Herb Brooks, a native of Saint Paul Minnesota, opened tryouts to create the roster that would eventually be sent to Lake Placid to represent the US in the 1980 winter Olympics. Hockey players from all across the country flocked to the tryouts, many of them amateur or collegiate level players looking for a chance to leave their mark on hockey history. The final roster would end up being comprised largely of men from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Massachusetts, all with an average age of twenty one years old. Herb Brooks The Soviets were a known threat to any team making a bid for a gold medal, having been a dominant force since roughly 1964, but the political relationship between the US and the USSR created a rivalry that was un-matched elsewhere. Cold-War tensions between the two countries caused both hockey teams to see any of their meetings as much more than just a hockey game – it had become political. Prior to the Olympic Games the US team was involved in a series of exhibition games. Their final game was against the Soviets. On February 9th, the same day that the US was expected to face off against the USSR in their exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York, the US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance denounced the summer games at a meeting of the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Vance’s declaration was likely a result of President Carter’s potential boycott of the 1980 summer Olympics, to be held in Moscow, Russia, and deepened the rivalry between both teams. That night, the Soviets beat the young US team 10-3, unwittingly setting the stage for their final meeting. At the beginning of the Olympic Games, Russia, Czechoslovakia, and Sweden were the favorites to advance to the medal round, but the US men’s team prevailed, narrowly beating Sweden in their first game (had they not beat Sweden, but won the rest of their games the USSR would have taken home the gold based on a goal differential). They would go on to defeat Czechoslovakia (silver medal favorite), Norway, Romania, and West Germany to advance to the medal round. While Russia would coast to victory handily defeating Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland, and Canada. Come game night, the atmosphere was likely palpable as a large part of 8,500 fans sang patriotic songs, and waved American flags. For fans at home the situation was a little more complicated as the game wasn’t aired on ABC in the US, so fans close enough to the Canadian border could pick up the Canadian broadcast of the game, while those farther away had to rely on a delayed broadcast or the radio for their coverage. 1980 US Men’s Olympic Team The game itself was a flurry of action, with the Soviets scoring the first goal early in the first period as the US fought to even the score, their effort would see the first period end 2-2. The biggest surprise of the second period was not goals scored, but rather the decision of the USSR’s coach Tikhonov to replace his starting goalie Vladislav Tretiak (thought to be the best hockey goalie in the world at that time) with his backup, Vladimir Myshkin. And although Myshkin didn’t allow any goals in the second period, the Soviets only scored once, leaving the period to end 3-2 in their favor. The third period opened up with a rare power play opportunity for the US, and they capitalized, tying the game 3-3. The biggest goal of the game wouldn’t come until there was just ten minutes of the game remaining as Boston native Mike Eruzione took advantage of being undefended, and scored making it 4-3 in favor of the Americans. As the clock continued to tick down, the Soviets began to panic and lose their composure, while the US held themselves in check. With less than twenty seconds left on the clock, there was a loose puck in front of the net, a last minute battle for both teams. As the US was able to secure the puck, the crowd began their countdown, and broadcaster Ken Dryden spoke his famous words “11 seconds, you’ve got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles?! YES!!!” The US men’s hockey team of the 1980’s Olympic Games played a hockey game that was charged by both sports rivalry, and political implications to leave behind a legacy all of its own. Even though the Cold War wouldn’t end until 1991, the tensions that had stacked themselves on top of this legendary hockey game had been diminished, even if only slightly. The team would go on to win gold that year after coming back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Finland 4-2. 1. Fox 2. Wikimedia 3. Empire Sports Council For Fun: – Check out Disney’s Miracle if you haven’t seen it before. – Cute kid recites Brooks’ famous speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CdJTfGiRCI Presidents’ Day: The Forgotten Legacy of Slavery George Washington's Cook (traditionally identified as Hercules) oil on canvas 76 x 63.5 cm ca. 1795-1797 A Bit of History: Scholastic first began in 1920 as a simple magazine titled The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic and was created by Maurice “Robbie” Robinson who hailed from the town of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Robinson started the magazine after graduating from Dartmouth College where he had served as editor the schools newspaper.Over the years the small four page magazine morphed into Scholastic as it is known today – a publishing powerhouse that is immensely popular among teachers, librarians, and parents alike. The self-prescribed pledge of Scholastic is “to uphold the basic freedoms of all individuals; we are unalterably opposed to any system of government or society that denies these freedoms. We oppose discrimination of any kind on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, or national origin.” Along with this pledge, Scholastic says they believe in “constitutional, representative government, and even-handed justice that maintains equality of rights for all people.” And for many years, the company has had great success in carrying out and promoting these values, but lately the popular company has missed a step. Scholastic Today: Hercules & Delia making the cake Scholastic recently published a book aimed at children in grades 1-3 titled A Birthday Cake for George Washington written by New York Times food columnist Ramin Ganeshram and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. The story depicts the trials and tribulations of Hercules, an enslaved chef, and his daughter Delia. Hercules must make a cake to celebrate Washington’s birthday, but when he realizes that there is no sugar left in the pantry, he must enlist the help of his fellow slaves to find a replacement. At the end of the book, after Hercules and the other slaves are successful in finding a replacement for the sugar, Washington congratulates him, to which Hercules replies that it was “an honor and a privilege, sir.” In addition to this rosy portrayal, at the back of the book in an addendum Ganeshram reveals that Hercules later was able to escape slavery, but that his daughter Delia remained a slave for life. Accompanying the text are rosy and cheerful depictions of slavery that reinforce an all too rosy depiction of life as a slave. Mrs. Washington in the kitchen with Hercules All companies make mistakes, but rather than owning up to their misstep, Scholastic initially failed to apologize. Instead they chose to defend the book – claiming that because the happiness depicted in the books illustrations was not directed at slavery, but at Hercules’ culinary expertise, it was not in the wrong. Though, shortly thereafter Scholastic did release a statement that explained that they were recalling the book, and accepting all returns. In this statement Scholastic noted that the book lacked enough historical background to be appropriate for publishing. While the publishing of such a book is troubling, what is more troubling is that prior to the public outcry and subsequent backlash that resulted in the eventual recalling of the book –consumers were buying and sharing the book with their children. This occurrence is an unsettling sign of the state of our understanding of slavery and American history at large as a society. And, although the book has since been taken off the shelves, it leaves the proverbial door open for questions about the state of our education system, and how a book like A Birthday Cake for Washington would have been able to slip through the cracks in the first place. Currently the book can still be purchased from Amazon.com for roughly $51.00, through third parties, and does allow viewers to ‘look inside’ the book, while also offering a wide variety of reviews (which are quite telling by themselves) for those looking for more context. Original source material: Book About George Washington’s ‘Happy’ Slaves Shelved Further reading: Hercules himself – general information about Hercules 1. Forbes 2. Wonkette 3. Hercules (chef) wikipedia Red Sky at Night, Sailors’ Delight – Red Sky at Morning, Sailors Take Warning: The Eerie Significance of November 10th in Maritime History Forty years ago today the iconic 729 foot Edmund Fitzgerald sank on a run from Superior, Wisconsin to Zug Island on the Detroit River. This is a fact that many people are familiar with thanks to the likes of Gordon Lightfoot’s song titled “The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald” and news coverage that continues to pop up as the years go by. There is much speculation surrounding the sinking of the monstrous ship, but that is not the goal of this particular post. The angle of this post in particular is to give brief nod to the ship and crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and to draw attention to the uniqueness of November 10th in maritime history. November 10th is not only the day that the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, it is also the advent of what is known as the “white hurricane” of the Great Lakes. In 1913 a storm first hit Lake Superior and would go onto visit lakes Huron and Erie as well. According to one source winds reached eighty miles an hour equaling the fury of a tropical storm and caused swells that reached heights of thirty five feet and higher.1 But unlike a tropical storm, the storms that plague the Great Lakes in November are far from tropical in nature as temperatures on average hover around 40 degrees Fahrenheit- and drop as the seasons change. For example, today’s lake wide temp for Lake Superior is just 44 degrees3. Throw in a storm like the white hurricane and the storm that sunk the Fitz, and the water was an unkind place to be. When it was all said and done, a total of “twelve freighters were lost beneath lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie. Thirty-one more vessels had been pounded to pieces on rocks or driven onto land. The official death toll was [a loose] 248.”2 And conditions on land were said to be no better with bitter cold snowfall and ravenous winds sweeping through lakeside towns without warning. Even though it happened over a hundred years ago this hurricane like storm is still said to be the deadliest storm in Great Lakes history. For more in-depth information on both the Fitzgerald and the white hurricane check out the links below. Sources & Further info: 1 & 2 http://www.lakesuperior.com/the-lake/great-lakes/frozen-fury-the-1913-white-hurricane/ 3 http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/glcfs.php?lake=s&ext=swt&type=N&hr=06 Further info: The Edmund Fitzgerald: S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online Rogue Waves on Lake Superior The white hurricane of 1913: Potential 1913 hurricane shipwreck found Not Your Average Vampire: The Use of the Word “Vampire” in Ninteenth Century America When people think of vampires in the 21st century they tend to think of the likes of Edward Cullen, Bram Stoker’s popularized version of Dracula, or any of the other well popularized vampires we see in popular culture today. But, as it would turn out the idea of vampires hasn’t always been used in a positive manner in the past. Instead the connotations surrounding the word “vampire” and the idea of vampires were quite different than those we are used to today. Instead of referring to pop culture icons or literary figures during the 19th century the word vampire was often used as a way to call out those who were judged to have or hold less than savory occupations or positions in the social sphere. That often meant it applied to politics, and the issue of slavery most frequently. A cursory search of America’s Historical Newspapers using the word “vampire” as the sole search term brought up a few hundred results. Most of those results were articles attacking the “accursed vampire of Slavery.”¹ With the same or similar language. Another interesting example of this kind of usage is this quote from The Pennsylvania Freeman that says “Williams is the name of the reptile who owns and maintains the slave barracoon…he is shamed and avoided as if he were a vampire.”² The usage of the term “reptile” is also interesting, taking it a step further beyond just the use of the word vampire and into the realm of the creepy and the crawly as well. I had mentioned that politics also used the word “vampire” in a similar way. An example that can be looked to is from the New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette which alludes to what is likely Republican politicians as “secret vampires.”³ Similarly a Republican newspaper, the Richmond Enquirer can be quoted as referring to members of the Democratic party as being “miserable vampire[s]…which threaten to suck up every drop of blood from the veins of a free people.”4 What I thought would be more of a needle in a haystack-esq kind of search turned out to be an interesting bunch of newspaper articles. I made this discovery while doing some emergency research looking for the use of the word vampire in relation to slavery between 1852-1860. I had always been under the assumption that the word vampire was left more to the literary side of things. So it was a pleasant surprise to find out that there was more to it than mentions of Dracula or vampire bats and that it gives a glimpse into the way social history can shape even the most common day to day discussions. *an enclosure or barracks formerly used for temporary confinement of slaves or convicts —often used in plural (from the Merriam Webster dictionary) ¹ Frederick Douglass’ Paper, July 14, 1854. ² General News/ Domestic, The Pennsylvania Freeman, July, 15, 1852, 63. ³ The Coming Campaign, The New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette, Jan. 07, 1852, 1. 4 Kossuth; Liberty; Bayonet; Purchased; Jackson; Washington; Republican, Richmond Enquirer, Feb. 03, 1852, 4.
Use This Simple Math Problem to Kick Critical Thinking Into High Gear Use This Simple Math Problem to Kick Critical Thinking Into High Gear Image credit: Shutterstock • ---Shares Reader Resource It’s 9 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. Or maybe it’s 10 a.m. on a Wednesday. Or maybe your team meets on Thursdays around 11 a.m. It’s that time of week where a group of smart go-getters sit down for their weekly data-dump meeting. Everyone goes around and shares what’s happening in their world. They give a progress report, share a few details and anecdotes -- some more succinctly than others -- and while they make their way around the conference room table, people are scribbling furiously. Not because they’re taking notes -- nope -- they’re writing down what it is they are going to say when it’s their turn to share. No one is all that engaged, no one is really listening, but it’s company protocol. Sound familiar? Too many team leaders and their teammates are slogging their way through the day and working hard but not necessarily thinking hard. We optimize our skill sets and strengths, master our tasks and then become automatons who engage in critical thinking too infrequently. Related: How to Be Smarter It’s time to wake up our brains. A classic example that reveals how quickly we settle into habits is the following math exercise. Begin by adding a few simple numbers together in your mind. No need to write anything down -- this is easy. Start with 1,000. Add 40. Add another 1,000. Add 30. Add another 1,000. Add 20. Add another 1,000. Add 10. What do we get? Most people answer 5,000. Some shout out 6,000, others say 4,700, some guess 5,100. Very few say, 4,100. Yet, 4,100 is the correct response. Don’t believe it? Please, do it again. It’s the last addition of 10 that messes with our mind. Most people get stuck adding 4,090 plus 10. They jump to 5,000. It’s basic brain behavior and one of the biggest barriers to greater productivity and profitability. Our brains like patterns, ruts and routines. What number is repeated in the math problem? A thousand. So when the brain is asked to add ten it’s already tuning out the request by jumping into the pattern of thousands instead of stopping long enough to say, “What’s really going on here?” Our brains are already moving on to other thoughts because of our assumption about the pattern. We’re thinking about another project or an incident, an email we need to respond to, a cup of coffee we should have poured before starting this article. Our brains consciously leave the moment to go do other things, because they assume they’ve picked up the habit of one thousand and all is well. Our brains are smart enough to say, “Oh, I don’t really need to pay attention right now. I can multi-task mentally, because I know where this is going.” The problem is that it’s often not smart enough to come up with the correct answer. This math problem serves as an analogy for a phenomenon that is taking place in thousands of businesses across the country. We have conversations inside our organization, where we hear 5,000 from our colleagues all day long, and 5,000 sounds good enough, close enough, right enough, except that five months down the road, the project’s gone sideways, or five months down the road enrollment isn’t as high as we expected it to be, or our market share and margins are shrinking, or our sales pipeline isn’t as solid as we forecasted. Why? Because 5,000 is not right. Brilliant leaders raise the level of critical thinking. Leaders are responsible for creating high-quality conversations that require team members, board members, colleagues, direct reports, vendors, client partners and consultants to raise their level of critical thinking, ensuring that everyone gets 4,100 instead of settling for 5,000. How do we start raising the critical thinking skills of our teams? In a world of differences -- gender, generational, socio-economic, political and more -- begin with something we all have in common: Our brains trigger on questions. Ask the brain a question, and what is it naturally wired to do? Answer it. Related: 4 Eating Habit Changes That Can Boost Your Critical Thinking Many of us have attended the leadership conference, webinar or class wherein some speaker espouses the merits of interrogation tactics. They encourage leaders to pepper spray some innocent employee with 1,001 questions in response to their question. That’s not what we’re talking about it. That’s not the goal, and it’s not helpful. In fact, it’s annoying and often downright obnoxious. Asking 1,001 questions is not improving the quality of thinking. But asking the one or two better questions to raise the level of critical thinking in the conversation is brilliant. For example, what’s one of your goals? What’s one of the things that you are supposed to accomplish sometime in the next 90 to 120 days? You might respond with, increase sales, hire more people, spend more time with my kids, move into new office space, install a new software system, or lose ten pounds. Your brain responds quickly. It serves up an answer to the question above without engaging in any critical thinking. It’s not your fault. It was a lousy question. It was a low-level recall question, essentially asking your brain to spit out an answer to a question that you already know the answer to without doing any critical thinking. But, what if we changed a couple of words? What if instead of asking, “Hey, what’s one of your goals?” we asked, “How are you going to successfully accomplish your goal on time and under budget?” What shifts? Your brain actually starts to think. Now, you’re going to have to reflect on what’s worked in the past, evaluate your current energy level, current resources, current dollars, current skill set, and then you’ll need to create a plan to get started. By just changing a couple of words to produce a much more thought-provoking question, the quality of thinking goes up. If we prepare for each conversation by developing one or two better questions, we can now raise the level of critical thinking and yield a much better outcome in every single conversation. The scary statistic, for those of us who love stats, is that 92 percent of the questions that we ask, 92 percent of the questions that leaders ask in organizations are low-level recall. Where are we at with…? What’s the status of…? Can you bring me up to speed on…? They are what we affectionately call download-data-dump questions. Yes, there are critical pieces of data that we all need to know. There is just a better way to share them. The problem with this download-data-dump meeting is that your best and your brightest, smartest minds are in the room, and nobody’s actually engaged, and nobody’s thinking, because no one’s brain is involved. In a world of limited face time, it’s imperative that we change the dynamics of these meetings. First, let’s use technology for what technology is meant to be used for -- a tool to really help us be more efficient, not suck up more time. So here is one quick, practical idea to ensure we raise the level of critical thinking in our meetings. Ask meeting attendees to send out a critical-data email the night before the meeting. Within the email or in a separate attached document, have them bullet-point all the data and information that they think is most important for everyone to be up-to-speed on for the next day’s dialogue. When the meeting starts, the opening question is no longer, “Hey, Laura, what’s going on in your world?” It’s, “Hey, Laura, what was it about David’s report that’s going to have the biggest impact on your projects / your people in the next 30, 60, 90 days?” Laura can only say one of two things. She either confesses, “Oh, shit, I didn’t read it,” or Laura looks at the team leader and she says, “Actually, I read all the reports, and it isn’t David’s that I need to address today, it’s Sandy’s. Sandy’s got a deadline for this Thursday, and we’re supplying her with the marketing materials, but my deadlines for the sales team’s input are next week -- after our next copy deadline, which bypasses Sandy’s. The work flow on this project doesn’t make sense, so we need to sit down with Allen and his sales team and we need to figure out a new schedule for deliverables.” Now what are these team members doing? They’re thinking, and they’re engaged and they’re collaborating. Oh, wow -- they’re awake! They’re not just sitting there waiting for their turn. They’re taking responsibility. They’re ensuring a 4,100 response. A leader’s number-one job is to set people up for success. We can easily help others be more successful by sparking how they think through decisions, team dynamics, conflict resolution, operational systems and efficiencies, cash flow, culture and strategy to name a few. The next time leaders have a critical conversation with an individual or group, bring a few questions designed to raise the level of critical thinking, and stop the download-data-dump. High-level questions change the way everybody plays. 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You are here Aspen History and Information Aspen is located in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 7,815 feet and encompasses 1.99 square miles. It is the 50th largest city in Colorado and is approximately 200 miles southwest of Denver. Aspen is located at the southern end of the lush Roaring Fork Valley, along with the neighboring cities of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, El Jebel, and Basalt. Aspen History Although tourism is the number one industry, Aspen is a thriving community where 6,400 year-round residents take great pride in maintaining the small-town charm of the past and urbane culture of the present. Aspen has always been home to colorful characters, from the flush days of silver mining to the lean quiet years, and from the romance of ranching to the rise of skiing and the arts, Aspen has been defined by its people. It is a community with rich roots, a place where Western heritage and modern mores join together to form a year-round destination resort. Aspen is, and always has been, about style, passion, and balance. Boom or Bust In the late 1800s, Aspen was alive with all the fortune and fancy of a silver mining town. Thousands of fortune seekers rushed to the newly inhabited mountain town for their chance to strike it rich. Many succeeded. By the early 1890s, the town had four schools, three banks, 10 churches, a hospital, six newspapers, an opera house...and several brothels. Times were good -- too good, in fact, to be true. Just years later, Aspen was devastated by the demonetization of silver. At one point, in the 1920s the town's population dwindled to a meager 750. Aspen believe it or not, was a virtual ghost town. And while most Western mining towns were temporary in nature, Aspen was--and remains--unique in its character. As the mines closed and even diehard locals were forced to close up shop, the town grew stronger. Its residents turned to ranching and farming to see them through the tough times, never abandoning the land they called home. These were the quiet years--a period of tranquility between the booms of silver and skiing. Aspen Alive Again In the late 1930s, skiing and the arts began to take hold of the Aspen scene, paving the way for decades to come. It all began when Andre Roch, the famous Swiss avalanche expert, was hired to survey the area surrounding Aspen for development as a world-class ski resort. Meanwhile, a group of ingenious locals built the original "boat tow" ski lift on Aspen Mountain and cleared one ski run, naming it after Roach himself. The dream continued when Aspen went on to hold the 1941 U.S. National ski races. And just six years later, when Lift One carried its first passengers up Ajax, it was clear that Aspen would be a place where people from around the world would flock to schuss through powder and sip hot toddies. Of course the rebirth of Aspen didn't stop there. Two years later, when Walter Paepcke planned the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation, the town was filled with intellect, music, literature, art, and theater. In the 1960s, skiing was expanded to include Buttermilk, Highlands and Snowmass mountains, and the town's population was expanded to include high-rollers and hippies. In the 1970s and 1980s, growth was the issue - both how to control it (note gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's campaign for sheriff on a platform of no-growth and legalized drugs) and how to keep it going. And in the 1990s, the town really took shape with retailers such as Polo, Gucci, and Prada, and nightclubs like the Caribou, Club Chelsea, and Eric's, it was clear that Aspen was more than just a ski town -- it was a year-round destination resort. Today, Aspen is a bizarre tribute to the colorful cast of characters that create the town's unique tapestry. Whether it's the arts, culture, and winding trails for hiking and biking of the warm months or the unparalleled skiing and outdoor activities of winter, people flock to Aspen throughout the year for a vacation unlike any other. Aspen's Climate Aspen's climate is characteristic of high altitudes with low humidity and intense sunshine. Sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended for all seasons. SUMMER: Aspen's summer weather is warm and dry with temperatures occasionally as high as 90 degrees during the day. Brief afternoon showers are frequent, so bring a raincoat. Evening temperatures drop to 50 degrees and below; a lightweight coat or warm sweater is a good idea. FALL: Aspen's fall weather is generally warm and dry, although cold spells do occur, and it can snow in the surrounding mountains. Daytime temperatures can reach the high 70's, dropping to the 30's at night. A warm sweater or lightweight coat is still a good idea for evenings. The last week of September is noted for their fall color beauty. WINTER: Aspen is renowned for its warm winter sun. Daytime temperatures range from 20 to 40 degrees in town and from 10 to 30 degrees on the mountain. Once the sun goes down, the temperature drops dramatically. Aspen dress is informal and either ski wear or apres ski wear is appropriate. SPRING: Aspen's spring weather ranges from warm to cool both day and night. Showers and snowfalls are possible, so don't forget to pack a jacket. Aspen Communinty Faciities The City of Aspen provides and maintains 27 public parks, the Wheeler Opera House, the Aspen Recreation Center (ARC), an 18 hole - municipal golf course, eight tennis courts, four ball fields, three ice skating rinks, a summer program for children, and 266 acres of open space. For more information contact the City of Aspen Recreation Department at (970) 544-4100, or visit the City of Aspen's Recreation Department website.
A new study provides direct evidence that antibiotics sometimes do not kill outright. Rather, they create conditions for bacterial demise by upsetting their metabolism, leading bacteria to a state of oxidative stress that ultimately breaks down their DNA and other key molecules. The antibiotics tested in the study—ampicillin, kanamycin, and norfloxacin—did not kill just by attacking their distinct direct targets. Instead, they killed bacteria like infections often kill us: by wreaking general havoc that allows organ failure to deliver the finishing blow. People do not necessarily die from infections; they die from complications due to those infections. These bacteria did not die from antibiotics; they died from complications due to antibiotics. The findings, published in Cell Reports, have several specific implications for how antibiotics can be used and improved, said lead author Peter Belenky, assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology. "One option to overcome the antibiotic resistance crisis is to design new antibiotics, but that's not really happening at this point," Belenky said. "But what we can do is figure out how to use our current arsenal of antibiotics better. Understanding how antibiotics kill bacteria—the very specific pathways—becomes very important for figuring out ways we can potentiate antibiotic activity with current antibiotics." Stressed to Kill In recent years as scientists have proposed more sophisticated hypotheses about what antibiotics do, they have made observations suggesting that bacterial death stems from major metabolic disruptions. Belenky's study, as well as a paper he co-authored earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were the first to test these hypotheses by making direct measurements of the metabolic products of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as it suffered antibiotic attack. He did much of the work while at Boston University in the lab of co-corresponding author James Collins, who is now at MIT, and some of the work at Brown with research assistant Benjamin Korry. "There were a lot of hypotheses about what antibiotics could do to bacterial metabolism, but we didn't really know," Belenky said."So we set out to directly test the metabolic consequences of antibiotic treatment." In all, Belenky and his co-authors tracked levels of nearly 200 metabolites in the cell. What the researchers noticed right away from their data was that metabolism didn't categorically decline after the bacteria were exposed to the medicines. Instead, the direct chemical evidence showed that the bacteria ramped up a key energy generating process called the TCA cycle. The TCA cycle in overdrive produces "oxidative stress" in the form of an increase in byproduct chemicals called "reactive oxygen species." The bacteria, the data showed, try to protect themselves by producing more of a protective substance called glutathione, but are eventually overwhelmed. News to Use Belenky said there are four main implications from the findings. • More mutations: The finding that antibiotics damage DNA suggests that sublethal doses may cause genetic mutations that may promote antibiotic resistance. • A pump to prime: If TCA in overdrive contributes to bacterial death, maybe finding additional ways to boost that cycle can make antibiotics more effective. Belenky said he hopes the findings can lead to more effective treatments for patients fighting infections.
Dismiss Notice Dismiss Notice Join Physics Forums Today! Conversation of energy / momentum problem weird circumstance in equations 1. Mar 17, 2008 #1 a projectile of mass M explodes into three fragments while in flight at velocity v. one fragment of mass M/2 travels in the original direction, one of mass 3M/10 comes to rest and the third fragment of mass M/5 travels in the opposite direction. The energy released in the explosion equals to 4.75 times the kinetic energy of the projectile before explosion. What are the velocities of the fragments? 2. Relevant equations according to my calculations, Mv (momentum before explosion) = M/2v1 + M/5v2 ... since 3M/10 comes to rest. its velocity is zero. and .. for kinetic energy, 1/2 Mv^2 * 4.75 = 1/2 M/2 v1^2 + 1/2 M/5 v2^2. from these equations we get, v = v1/2 + v2/5 and 4.75v^2 = v1^2/4 + v2^2/10 Now.. how are these to be solved??? in terms of v? 3. The attempt at a solution I hope the formation of the above two equations is correct? 2. Relevant equations 3. The attempt at a solution 2. jcsd 3. Mar 17, 2008 #2 User Avatar Ok but note that when you solve for v2, it must be a negative number then (from the statement of the question) Two equations for two unknowns, it should be straightforward. For example, isolate v1 from the first equation, plug in the second equation. This will leave you a single equation for the unknown v2. It's a quadratic equation so use the quadratic formula. solve but keep only the negative answer (because that fragment moves to the left). Nwo plug back in the first equation to find v1. 4. Mar 18, 2008 #3 Oh ok i didn't see that coming, but i'm still getting stuck.. i guess 3 years after you leave math u become real rusty in solving stuff .. so finally, after i isolate v2 i get v1 = v+v2.. i put this in the main equation to get: 47.5v^2 = 5(v+v2)^2 - 2v2^2... solving this makes me reach.. 42.5v^2 - 3v2^2 + 10vv2 = 0. Now how do i proceed! i'm really sorry for not being able to solve such a trivial problem 5. Mar 18, 2008 #4 User Avatar How did you get this? This does not follow from your equation for conservation of momentum! Go back to the equation you posted and isolate v1. 6. Mar 18, 2008 #5 yup i got the math wrong initially.. i end up getting two equations.. and when i put the value of v1 in the quadratic equation to reduce it to one variable i get 27.5v^2 + 8vv2 - 14/5v2^2 = 0.. i'm sure about this till here.. now i'm confused as to how to solve v2 in terms of v.. how do i treat this quadratic equation.. which is the ax^2 + bx + c = 0.. i don't know which ones are what and how to proceed.. ohh btw .. this is my first ever forum experience and so far its excellent with amazing responses..thanks alot kdv! 7. Mar 18, 2008 #6 User Avatar looks good. The key idea is that you are looking for v2 in terms of v so you must think of v as if it was a number. So your equation is [tex] -\frac{14}{5} v_2^2 + 8 v v_2 + 27.5 v^2 =0 [/tex] The value of "a" is then -14/5. The value of "b" is [itex] 8 v [/itex] and c i s[itex] 27.5 v^2 [/itex]. So you can solve for v2 in terms of v. And as I said before, keep only the negative solution since v2 must be negative. At the end you should always put back your values of v1 and v2 in your two initial equations to check that you got the correct answers. By the way, I just reread the question and I am not sure if the starting equation for energy is correct. The question states that the energy released in the explosion is 4.75 times the initial kinetic energy. This is energy produced by the explosion (chemical potential energy transformed in to kinetic energy) so, if I read the question correctly, the total kinetic energy at the end is [tex]1/2 M v^2 + 4.75 times 1/2 M v^2 = 5.75 M v^2/2[/tex] where the first term is the initial energy and the second term is the energy released in the explosion. I might be wrong but this is the way I interpret the question. But this is the kind of question that could be interpreted in different ways so don't take my word for it. I am glad it was helpful. You will find this site incredibly useful and interesting! That's very kind. Thank you. 8. Mar 18, 2008 #7 Thanks a lot .. i finally see how to solve these equations.. i was really confused. it was just a long time i hadn't done this.. but yes i'll look into the question clearly to see whether we should add the 4.75 or multiply.. in either case.. we'll get the same kind of equation.. thanks alot again.. and i'll try and be helpful to others seeking help as well .. 9. Mar 18, 2008 #8 User Avatar You are very welcome. Best wishes Similar Discussions: Conversation of energy / momentum problem weird circumstance in equations 1. Momentum conversion (Replies: 14) 2. Equation weird (Replies: 2)
Science describing Earth and in wider understanding also other planets and moons. The other meaning refers to specific climate and terrain properties in particular place. For questions related to: • history of describing world, • history of meteorology and other methods of predicting weather, • people related to geography. For cartography (map-making) use tag . history \| excerpt history
Statistics on unemployment are collected and analyzed by government labour offices in most countries and have come to be considered a chief indicator of economic health. Trends in unemployment and statistical differences among groups in the population are studied for what they may reveal of general economic trends and as bases for possible governmental action. Full employment has been a stated goal of many governments since World War II, and a variety of programs have been devised to attain it. It should be pointed out that full employment is not necessarily synonymous with a zero unemployment rate, for at any given time the unemployment rate will include some number of persons who are between jobs and not unemployed in any long-term sense. In the United States an unemployment rate of 2 percent is often cited as a “base” rate.
More Information Anne Rahilly +61 3 9035 5380 +61 432 758 734 "The paradox is that most of our exposure to air pollutants occurs indoors and a primary source is consumer products. But the public lacks full and accurate information on the ingredients in these products. Our indoor air environments are essentially unregulated and unmonitored," Professor Steinemann said. At this time, consumer products sold in Australia, the US and around the world are not required to list all ingredients, or any ingredients in a chemical mixture called ‘fragrance’. “Given the lack of information, consumers may choose products with claims such as green, natural, or organic, but those claims are largely untested,” Professor Steinemann said. Professor Steinemann will continue to investigate how and why we’re exposed to pollutants and ways to reduce risks and improve health. Additional Information: • Products selected are commonly used in Australia, the US, and other countries in a range of environments (e.g., homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, hotels, restaurants, stores, residential buildings, parks, child care and aged care facilities, gyms, homeless shelters, government buildings, airports, planes and public transport). • Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) headspace analysis was used to identify VOCs emitted from 37 products, representing air fresheners and deodorizers (sprays, gels, solids, oils, and disks), laundry products (detergents, dryer sheets, and fabric softeners), cleaning supplies (all-purpose cleaners, window and surface cleaners, disinfectants, and dishwashing liquids), and personal care products (soaps, hand sanitisers, sunscreens, lotions, baby lotions, deodorants, shampoos, and baby shampoo). • For personal care products and cosmetics, labels need to list ingredients, except the general term "fragrance" or "parfum" may be used instead of listing the individual ingredients in the fragrance. • Fragrance ingredients are exempt from full disclosure in any product, not only in Australia and the US but also internationally. The full article is available, free of charge, on Professor Steinemann's website (under Recent Publications, "Volatile Emissions from Common Consumer Products"): http://people.eng.unim...
Monday, April 25, 2011 Nail Polish and the Policing of Gender Norms Makeup allows the user to construct a persona. In the 19th-century, the majority of women who used makeup were actresses and prostitutes—painted ladies, whom most middle-class women were hesitant to be compared to. Makeup had no place in the construction of a "True Woman," defined as: an emotional delicate creature, deeply devoted to marriage, motherhood, and God. As both the moral and spiritual guardian of her family, she was expected to set an example for her husband and children and establish a loving, stable environment in the home (1). Vintage ad, 1947. Source: Perfect Balance Marketing This ideology begins to change in the early 20th-century with the rise of actress endorsements of beauty practices (not products). Beauty manufacturers began to push the idea women could be beautiful if they chose—specifically, they could acquire beauty through purchases, which was a departure from the idea that beauty was tied to morality: Ironically, whereas nineteenth-century writers emphasized the importance of seeing true beauty in the homeliest of women, twentieth-century beauty culturists argued that the homeliest of women need not be homely anymore (2). The use of makeup to enhance or to create ideas of beauty is not a new one, but this particular shift explicitly creates markers for beauty: This allows products to"talk" to consumers: glossy hair, natural looks, softer skin, pinker cheeks, longer lashes—female consumers begin to be told what constitutes beautiful, which leads us today to Iris I Was Thinner. But this shift also adds an element to gender roles as well: not only was the right to be beautiful within reach, but women had the responsibility of being beautiful as well—there was no reason not to access beauty if it was available (3). Nail polish becomes a tool by which the gender ideal is attained. For boys to use nail polish challenges the tool, the power ascribed to it, and the result (achieving "femaleness") itself. And this, of course, makes certain media outlets uncomfortable, causing them to call in an expert to discuss the promotion of transgendered individuals and what this means for the future of our children. (Cue Helen Lovejoy?) These practices become so ingrained over time that we don't think about the pink hat we put on girls, but pause before doing the same for a boy. But these practices are constructed, and can be undone. Pink was once a popular color for baby boys, linked to the color red which was used in church (blue was linked to the Virgin Mary and was thus a feminine color).The rise of subcultures that frequently make use of makeup, including nail polishes, to define identity may ultimately taper these sorts of responses. Until then, little brothers may have to endure the beauty experiments of big sisters quietly. 1. Schweitzer, Marlis (2005). "The Mad Search for Beauty": 262. 2. Schweitzer 2005: 280. 3. Schweitzer 2005: 280. Schweitzer, Marlis. (2005). "The Mad Search for Beauty": Actresses' Testimonials, the Cosmetics Industry, and the Democratization of Beauty. The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 4 (3), 255-292 1. This post (awesome, as always) made me think of this photo of a young FDR I came across a week or so ago: Talk about changing norms in dressing baby boys! 2. my almost-three-year-old boy is currently in love with having his nails painted green, his current favorite color. his preschool teacher started it, but my wife and his babysitters do it for him periodically. it's awesome -- he can't wait to show me when i come in the house. it just makes him so HAPPY. 3. This reminds me strongly of The role of the two genders has been a changing on as far as I understand it while I find it interesting to see the importance of someone being cisgender meaning that a persons sex lines up with the cultural norms set in place on how a person born with those parts should act for example: boys play with trucks Gender roles are silly little things that many humans have placed in a way to try and control natural selection to some degree: the most girly girl must obviously be the most attractive If I have a child I like to think that I will allow my child to do what they want. Like how I played with barbies as a child but I am still cisgendered male. 4. I love this post! Our daughter plays soccer, which is regarded as a man's sport in Belgium (not so in the States, I gather?) and has to deal with negative remarks - from parents! - frequently. Of course, when she scores, my masculine father pride rejoices ;) 5. @KK, thanks for the pic of FDR. I particularly like his curls! When did dresses stop being the norm for all babies?? Seems like it might make diaper duty a little easier ... @David, thanks for reminding us of the Doctorow post. I remember reading that and thinking how disturbed I was that the adults had more of a problem than the kids did with the costume choice, though in hindsight it should not have really been surprising: mothers after all help nurture and encourage the personality and interests of their children ... if the child is breaking with norms, then it reflects on their mothering skills. I agree that gender roles are changing and for the most part, the commentary I read on articles dealing with the "nail polish debate" seemed to also agree, but there seems to be a fair portion of the population that holds fast to the pink=girl/blue=boy mentality (though, as noted, these colors were not always assigned in this way.) I was really heartened to read responses that shared a sense of comfort at letting kids explore—and be kids. I was a total tomboy as a child—much happier playing in the dirt than wearing pretty dresses. In fact, I have a few photos where I look downright annoyed at being put into a frilly dress. For a long time, my greatest wish at Christmas was that I would get one of those mini race track things. I had Legos and trucks and a tea set or two. These things definitely don't make me any less of a woman today—and in fact, those experiences may have helped shape my scientific pursuits later in life. @Tom, I sincerely hope she grows up to kick@ss at soccer or whatever else she decides to pursue. One last note: Jezebel had a really good article discussing some of the research done on gender roles that may be of interest. 6. Very interesting article, I think what is most important to note here is the fact that "these practices are constructed and can be undone". Many people are not aware of this and accept practices without really examining them. 7. This is an interesting though it is only one example of how society domesticates people, both female and male. It's a good example though by far not the only one. It could be said in you conclusion that little girls will have to put up with their brothers playing with cars and trucks too. I would suggest that there may be a genetic predisposition for men to want to play in more rugged arenas; though clearly women are not exempt from this desire, and for women to be more focused on what is beautiful. The promotion of external beauty to the negation of the feminine energy is where the cosmetic industry and beauty industry in general seems to have had negative consequences on how girls are raised, though given our ability to select how to live, we certainly are not at their mercy. 8. You didn't include the notion of wearing makeup as a "court dictated" fashion that women accept to increase their status. Rich old women often need makeup to make them less ugly and high status women can afford the best. Thus women who don't need makeup will wear it in part as a status marker. This apeing of fashion from on high serves the interests of the rich who need makeup because their makeup wearing no longer signals that they need it. Something similar happened hundreds of years ago when high-status bald men started wearing wigs (because lack of hair was perceived as lack of virility). Lesser men who didn't need wigs started wearing them as a courtly fashion which resulted in wig-wearing no longer being an indication of baldness or mange or other bad hair. 9. Hm. I'm male, but I wish I was thinner, too. According to most media, I need to get a gym membership, a bicycle, appropriate attire for each, buy a couple books on the subject, drink protein shakes for breakfast, take creatine, etc., etc., etc.... The thing is, in both cases the goal is to make money. The purveyors of these products do so by exploiting insecurities. They find it easiest to exploit the insecurities by creating a false ideal - in this case gender-based - than then pointing to it and claiming that THEIR products can help you achieve it. We're already seeing the fitness industry become inclusive of women; I think we might even be seeing some cosmetic industry ventures into the male market. But they'll always want to keep separate gender roles, as that lets them market more product lines. 10. @Anon: Makeup has indeed long been used to establish status and provide protection: 1. Ancient Egyptians outlined their eyes in kohl for this reason. 2. Fragrances were meant to protect the body from illnesses. 3. And nail painting was done by the Chinese to indicate status. And the royal courts did play a role in determining what could be worn and by whom dating to the Renaissance. But let's consider this point: Who exactly determines which women "need" makeup and which don't? The beauty industry essentially tells us that there is a standard that women need to strive to attain that only they can provide. They adopt actresses and other well-known/well respected female figures who embody these ideals to promote their products—but you'll note that no single actress promotes all the traits, and even they seem to fall just short of achieving the ultimate ideal. I strongly recommend Schweitzer's article for additional comments on this process as it unfolded in America. 11. 'Appropriate' use of color is highly gendered. I love colors, but the clothes which are designed for my sex are, with almost no exceptions, incredibly drab. And god forbid I put pigments on my skin! Perhaps the most dramatic example was when I was working in the student store at my university. There were two bins of shower sandals, clearly labeled "Men" and "Women". The womens' were bright fruit colors; the mens' were camo. I took down the signs. They were back the next day, so I took them down again. This continued for several days until I was observed and reprimanded. 12. I recently realized that the deodorant that I have been using for years, Degree, has now split from being the gender neutral deodorant that it was in the 1990s to placing a sticker on the female deodorant that says "responsive in emotional situations." Needless to say, this does not make me want to buy their product anymore. As if women are the only ones who sweat more in emotional situations? Will this deodorant help me feel better when I am having a bad day? 13. @Charlie: I think we're seeing a shift in men's fashions though, so you may be in luck! As summer approaches, the businessmen on my commute add some pastels to the stark contrast of their navies and blacks. Johanna, that hearkens back to some of the vintage ads I found while researching this post. There's a long tradition of products "fixing" situations for consumers (both male and female). Some of my favorite have to do with coffee: instant coffee ads tended to suggest the product could make women better hostesses. Charming. 14. I think you're on the right track as to why women are so vehement against a man wearing any cosmetic that's been marketed to women. It's a subtle power thing. Men have so much of it by societal default, that the preponderance of the marketing of one area for the girls is something they do not wish to share at all. That they have been manipulated by marketing, as an above poster observes regarding deodorant, doesn't seem to bother them at all. It's an attitude of it's mine and don't you dare tread here. And if you do I will make the most unkind comments to embarass you enough to let everyone know you're not a real man, a manly man, that the advertisers also said I should have. How's interesting and so dull at the same time. Yet where would women be today without pushing that envelope of gender norms? Never ever wearing trousers, heaven forbid they become a fireman or race car driver because they thought that might be fun and interesting. But if a fellow might think it fun and interesting to wear a cosmetic then he is automatically dropped a few pegs in the mating order to most likely gay status at best, even if there is no way on this planet he has same sex attraction but everyone will tell him that he has, he is just in the closet about it. Odd. Very odd. So it must be about power and control. I can think of no other logical answer for the energy expended on it. What that power is, being male so not experiencing the culture as a female, is not readily apparent to me. Having said that, as a conservative heterosexual male, who does polish his toes, I can tell you that I understand the fun I have just choosing a color to decorate an otherwise drab bit of bodily real estate. Hmm. Much like that butterfly our rose tattoo I see on so many young ladies today, once of course reserved only for men of dubious character. I am one of many men who do, you just don't see it. Why? Because of the above, they are scared to death to show it. And with some good reason. From a socially inclusive or rejection point of view. These then are the manly men you're talking about? Scared of nail color and the possible reaction thereof? What would they do then in a really scary position? So logically I can only conclude that real men do what they please because it pleases them, and are not afraid to let the world know what they like, because to them they are in fact stronger than mere uneducated and manipulated thought. They don't need anyone else's approval to to what they wish when it hurts no one else. Why in the world would anyone seriously care what is on my toes or not? That they would is laughable by itself. There is so much more to be concerned about in this world I starvation, homelessness, sex trafficking, slavery (yes we still have slavery today in 2014), not to mention there ability to kill all of us within maybe 30 minutes by nuclear war. I hardly think that iris to be thinner, a lovely shade of purple by the way, on male toes, or even fingers if they want, qualifies as even a smidgeon of the same concern. But perhaps because the other things seem so large to a mind that cannot grasp true discernment then that would be the thing one could hang onto. Sad really.
Hopkins to discuss Cold War -A A +A John C. Hopkins, former associate director for Los Alamos National Laboratory’s nuclear weapons program, will give his perspective on the Laboratory during the Cold War years in the next 70th anniversary lecture at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Bradbury Science Museum. “I believe that the teams at Los Alamos, Livermore and Sandia and the entire nuclear weapons complex, deserve a resounding ‘well done’ for their contributions to world peace,” Hopkins said. Hopkins will discuss the role of and rationale for nuclear weapons from the Manhattan Project in the 1940s to the last nuclear test in Nevada in 1992. The talk will include nuclear weapons strategy and policy, the “golden age of weapons design” and major nuclear weapons technological breakthroughs. Hopkins also will talk about the future of nuclear weapons development and stockpile stewardship, and how these tasks can be completed without nuclear testing. The national laboratories played a crucial role, Hopkins said, in keeping peace during the Cold War, and contributed significantly to the fact there has not been a major war in 68 years. “The laboratory’s Cold War years are underrepresented in the museum,” said Bradbury Science Museum Director Linda Deck.
Home » diseases » Currently Reading: What is lupin? Round pink pill, 10? Tags: , , 7 Comments Lupin:1:any plant of the genus Lupinus; bearing erect spikes of usually purplish-blue flowers. Any comments? Related Posts Currently there are "7 comments" on this Question: 1. Maurine says: 2008-12-10 00:15:06~2008-11-10 22:37:57~1~3107 Current answer: pink, round Asked What does dr reddys simvastatin look like and said it was the same as What does lupin mfg of simvastatin 20 mg look like 4 Dec 2008 03:05. Current answer: Just got my Rx refilled and the pills looked different from my last fill, 2. Lajuana says: 3. Earleen says: This pill is Lisinopril Strength(s)10 MG Imprint(s)10LUPIN. Lisinopril is used for: Treating high blood pressure alone or with other medicines. More:http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-a-pink-pill-that-says-lupin-on-the-front-and-10-on-the-back 4. Jacqui says: A round peach-colored pill marked LUPIN 10 is Lisinopril, an ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, and to improve survival after a heart attack. More:http://www.chacha.com/question/what-pill-looks-like-a-round-peach-pill-markings-lupin-10 5. Candis says: The pill with imprint 10 LUPIN is lisinopril 10 MG. LUPIN; Strength: 10 MG; Color: Pink; Size: 8.00 mm; Shape: Round; Availability: Prescription only; Drug 6. Lasonya says: The pill with imprint 20 LUPIN is lisinopril 20 MG. LUPIN; Strength: 20 MG; Color: Pink; Size: 8.00 mm; Shape: Round; Availability: Prescription only; Drug Comment on this Article: Related Posts What pill has r127 on one side? What is the pill zithromax used for? What happens if a male takes the plan b pill? What is the pill Noroxin? Does the pill Zithromax help cure chlamydia? What kind of pill will make someone sleep walk? What is meridia the pill? A round pill Ip 203 Trust No One $$? Whats a pill white an round with ip203 on one side? What is b02 pill?
Definición de distillation en inglés: Compartir esta entrada Pronunciación: /ˌdɪstɪˈleɪʃn/ [mass noun] 1The action of purifying a liquid by a process of heating and cooling: the petroleum distillation process Más ejemplos en oraciones distilling, purification, refining, filtering, filtration, treatment, processing; concentration, condensation, reduction 2The extraction of the essential meaning or most important aspects of something: this book represents the distillation of years of experience in the private sector [count noun]: the film is a distillation of personal experiences Más ejemplos en oraciones For editors and proofreaders Saltos de línea: dis¦til\|la¦tion Compartir esta entrada ¿Qué te llama la atención de esta palabra o frase?
PHOTO: In this file photo, a man works on a computer.Flickr RM/Getty Images In this file photo, a man works on a computer. Cyber security experts around the world are racing to dissect Flame, the largest cyber espionage program ever discovered, as clues in the code and vague statements from Western officials fueled speculation as to whether the U.S. or Israel may be behind what researchers are calling a potential game-changer in the burgeoning arena of cyber warfare. The existence of Flame, an unprecedented intelligence-gathering program designed to track and record basically everything an infected computer does, was disclosed Monday by two international cyber security firms as well as the Iranian government, which said Flame had been discovered on its networks. One of the firms, Kaspersky Labs, reported the malware had been discovered in several countries in the Middle East, mostly in Iran, and had been operating for at least two years. Kaspersky Labs, along with a Hungarian cryptology lab called Crysys that also analyzed Flame, said that because of the expertise, time and funding required to create such a large and sophisticated program, it was likely some government agency had created the malicious code, rather than a group of cyber criminals or rogue hackers. Clues in the code, such as the names of processes like "Beetlejuice" and "Platypus," led some experts to believe it could have been written by native English-speakers, but others pointed out that English is a common coding language in many countries. Roel Schouwenberg, a senior researcher at Kasperky Labs, told ABC News today some monikers used in coding mean nothing at all or are just inside jokes among the programmers. "We are talking about a very high stakes operation here, covert cyber ops, but that doesn't mean these guys aren't just having fun sometimes," he said. READ MORE: What Is Flame? Follow BrianRoss on Twitter Another possible clue in the code, Schouwenberg said, is that even though the program's structure and capabilities are very different, Flame shares some sophisticated techniques and geographical targets with another infamous cyber weapon, Stuxnet. Stuxnet was an offensive cyber weapon that was only discovered in 2010 after it had reportedly infected and caused physical damage to an Iranian nuclear facility. Schouwenberg said Kaspersky Labs is operating under the theory that Stuxnet and Flame were created by different development teams but likely under the direction from the same backer and with access to each other's work. A researcher with the U.S.-based cyber firm Symantec told ABC News that scenario was a "definite" possibility and in its report Crysys said it could not be ruled out. After Stuxnet's discovery, a Congressional report in December 2010 put the U.S. and Israel on a short list of countries believed to be capable of carrying out that attack -- a list that also included Russia, China, the U.K. and France. A month later, The New York Times reported Stuxnet may have been the result of a joint U.S., Israeli project to undermine Iran's nuclear program. Publicly, U.S. officials repeatedly denied involvement in Stuxnet, while Israeli officials declined to comment. Follow ABCNewsBlotter on Facebook Israeli Official Raises Eyebrows, U.S. Agencies Mum on Flame Origin Click here to return to The Blotter homepage.
SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Complete Guide to the New SAT in 2016 Posted by Allen Cheng \| Apr 16, 2014 5:14:00 PM SAT General Info, New SAT picture of SAT books for new SAT Today the College Board released a giant 211-page specification for the redesigned SAT, first coming out in Spring of 2016. We’ve read through this document page by page so you don't have to. This article is a new SAT guide that will go through the most relevant points for students, parents, and educators to understand about the new SAT test. We'll dig deeper than most of the guides out there, which seems preoccupied with superficial changes like easier vocabulary and the shift to a 1600 scale. By reading our guide, you'll know answers to the following questions: • What are the meaningful changes from the current SAT? • How will these changes affect how students should prepare for the SAT? • Is the College Board living up to its promises? We’ll also be showing example questions that best illustrate these changes. You'll see questions that are new to the SAT and questions that will never appear again. Here's a table of contents in case you want to find a specific section. I recommend you read through the entire article to get a full grasp of how the new SAT works. Overview of Changes Reading Section Writing and Language Section Essay Section Math Section The College Board has promised that the new SAT test will test skills that are more predictive of success in college and beyond. We find generally that the SAT changes in 2016 accomplish this goal. Greater Emphasis on Reasoning Skills and Context, Not Skills in Isolation Historically the SAT has tested skills in isolation. Vocabulary-based questions would basically evaluate whether the student knew the common definition of that word (like "expropriate"). Writing questions would often test a single grammatical rule in a single sentence. Math questions would test a single math concept for a question of limited scope. Instead, the new SAT emphasizes higher-level logical and reasoning skills. The Reading and Writing questions are now entirely passage-based, giving more opportunities to test a deeper understanding of how the passage is logically constructed and to draw connections between different parts of the passage. The Math section emphasizes more practical, realistic scenarios and introduces multi-step problems. Fewer Learnable "Tricks" The SAT has often been criticized for asking deceptive questions and for using tricks to complicate questions. This meant that students who performed well in school may do poorly on the SAT simply because they were unaccustomed to the presentation of questions. As a result of emphasizing higher-level reasoning, the new SAT features fewer tricks, particularly in the Math and Writing sections. The skills tested are more difficult, but the presentation is more straightforward. Greater Predictability of Test Content The College Board now spells out the makeup of each section, with percentages of questions represented across each major skill. It also specifies the types of passages that will be used. For example, the Reading section will contain 1 passage in US and World Literature, 2 passages in History/Social Studies, and 2 passages in Science. This makes the test more predictable - the tests will deviate less from test to test. This fits the SAT's goal of being more transparent to reduce test anxiety for students. Format Changes • The SAT is now scored out of 1600. • The Reading and Writing sections on the current SAT have been combined into a single section in the new SAT, with a maximum score of 800. Writing is now known as "Writing and Language." • The Math section is still scored out of 800. • The Essay is optional and has changed dramatically. • Instead of 5 answer choices for each question, there will be only 4. This doesn't necessarily make the test easier since the SAT will just remove the most unlikely answer. At this point, I can't help mentioning that the new SAT looks a lot like the ACT. Whereas the pre-2016 SAT had major differences from the ACT, the 2016 SAT will be quite similar. From here, we'll break down each of the major sections of the SAT. The Reading Section of the New 2016 SAT Overall Gist of Changes to the Reading Section • All questions are now based on passages. • The subject matter of passages are pre-determined. There's 1 passage concerning US and World Literature, 2 for History/Social Studies, and 2 for Science. • Some passages will now contain data and require interpretation of data. Greater emphasis on: vocabulary in context; command of evidence; constructing logical arguments; scientific reasoning. Lesser emphasis on: difficult vocabulary and vocabulary in isolation. Reading Questions You'll Never See Again: Sentence Completions: These questions often tested more difficult vocabulary, and it was difficult to answer correctly without knowing the definition of the word. Favoring economy of expression in writing, the professor urged students toward a --- rather than a --- prose style. (This question and all current SAT questions come from the current SAT Practice Test by the College Board). New Reading Question Types: Evidence Support Questions: For the first time, the SAT Reading section will have questions that build on each other. The student will be prompted to answer a question about the passage - for example, the author's tone or stance on a topic - and in the next question be asked to cite evidence for the answer in the previous question. Here's an example: Full Sample Question Excerpt Sample Question Excerpt (the actual passage can be found on page 88 of the SAT specifications). This type of question builds on the SAT's desire to move toward higher-level reasoning skills. The student will need to support his or her answer with evidence from the passage. Data Reasoning Questions: For the first time, the SAT Reading section will include figures that show data. The student will need to interpret the data in the figure and place it in the context of the overall passage - for example, how does this figure support the author's argument? Sample Table for Science Question Sample Question from New SAT This type of data analysis and graph reading has never before been tested on the Reading section of the SAT. Especially tricky questions will likely be inference questions - for example, "the author is least likely to support which interpretation of the data in this figure?" Student Study Tips for the New Reading Section: -because the passages now test higher-level reasoning and ask you to analyze arguments, reading real-world examples will be helpful like never before. Understanding and deconstructing pieces from well-written publications like the New York Times will help your understanding of how effective arguments are made. -the new science passages will not be heavily focused on science. You won't need to know any formulas. You will have to know how to read graphs and understand their relevance. -Evidence Support questions are double-edged swords. Because they’re intertwined, they can be an opportunity to check your thinking - if you can't find evidence that supports your answer to the first question, you can catch your mistake. However you can bet that the SAT will also try to lead you astray - if you pick a wrong answer to the first question, they'll give you a corresponding wrong answer on the second question. -personal biases have always been a common cause of mistakes on the SAT. Your job isn't to interpret the passages, it's to find the answer within the passage. But because the passages are now more relevant to real life and will draw from recent examples, you now need to be in greater control of your personal biases. The SAT will always try not to be controversial (it'll never have any passages on gay marriage) but you'll be more at risk for personal bias. The Writing and Language Section of the 2016 SAT Overall Gist for Changes to the Writing Section • This is the new name for the current Writing section. It still tests grammar and writing logic. It's combined with the Reading section for a total of 800 points. • All questions are now passage-based instead of individual questions. • The subject matter of all 4 passages is predetermined Greater emphasis on: Logic and expression of ideas, higher-level writing skills, punctuation rules. Less emphasis on: Grammatical rules tested in isolation, “Gotcha” questions like faulty modifiers, subject/verb agreement. Questions You'll Never See Again: These questions typically tested single grammatical rules in isolation. Furthermore, they were "tricky" in the sense that the SAT would use the same methods to obfuscate the grammar rule being tested. If you weren't familiar with these tricks, you would be likely to get the question wrong. For example, the rodeo question above tests Number Agreement. The error is B - "rodeo" is a singular noun, which means "they predate" should be replaced by "it predates." The SAT complicates this rule by inserting a complicated phrase in between ("includes games...century"). On the current SAT, this is one of the most common skills tested, and it nearly always shows up in this way. If you don't know this trick the SAT plays, it's harder to answer the question. New Writing Question Types: The new SAT scraps the single questions for passage-based questions. They still test grammatical and writing logic concepts, but the presentation is very different. Each question now refers to a sentence within the passage. Most grammatical questions will still deal with just a single sentence - questions 1-3, for example, can be answered in isolation without reading the rest of the passage. However, some questions will require you to read the whole passage and understand its organization. Question 4 requires you to know the context of the sentence to choose the right word. Question 5 requires you to understand the point of the paragraph so that you can determine the most logical flow. Student Study Tips for Writing: -writing style now matters a lot more. The Writing section previously focused mainly on grammatical rules. The new SAT will test writing logic within the context of a longer passage. This makes what you learn in school more relevant for the SAT, particularly how you construct paragraphs and essays. -knowing grammatical rules is still important. The specific rules tested have changed to emphasize puncutation and common English usage rather than tricky subject/verb agreement and dangling modifiers. The New SAT Essay for the Redesigned SAT Overal Gist of Changes • The essay is now 50 minutes long instead of 25 minutes. • It gives a passage written by an author who is taking a stance on an issue. The student's job is to analyze how the author builds the argument. • The essay is scored on a scale of 2-8 on each of Reading, Analysis, and Writing. This is not combined with the Reading and Writing section score of 800. Greater emphasis on: analyzing an argument; understanding how evidence and rhetorical devices contribute to an argument. Lesser emphasis on: answering a theoretical prompt; coming up with your own evidence to support your thesis. Questions You'll Never See Again The current SAT usually asked students to answer a theoretical prompt and support with evidence. Here's an example: The College Board received heavy criticism for ignoring factual inaccuracies in the essay. A student could, for example, say that World War II occurred in 1980 with no score deduction. It was also criticized for constraining the essay time to 25 minutes, which made it difficult to craft compelling arguments. New Question Types The new SAT essay is much more mechanical and argument focused. These are the new instructions: (The passage text has been omitted, but you can find it on page 125 of the document). The prompt is now asking for something completely different from the current SAT. The student is asked to analyze how the author builds an argument, cite evidence from the passage, and to ignore the student's personal stance on the subject. On a high level, this is a much more relevant skill for college and ordinary life compared to writing a 25-minute essay on whether technology is improving the world. Student Study Tips for the 2016 SAT Essay: Despite the change in format, this is still a very predictable and trainable section. Each argument will often be built on: --evidence: Understand how the author uses data and facts to support the main argument. Understand different types of data - research numbers, surveys of people, statements from authority figures - and why the author cites these examples. --reasoning to develop ideas: Analyze how the author draws inferences from data and extrapolates from data to build larger arguments. --stylistic or persuasive elements: Point out specific rhetorical devices that strengthen the argument and connect the author to the reader. Common examples are word choice, hyperbole, figurative language, rhetorical questions, and emotional appeals - devices that you've probably learned in school. -your essay can always follow the same format. Just like the current SAT essay can be answered with a standard 5-paragraph response, every new essay prompt can be answered with the same format focusing on what the argument is and how the author supports it. -you won’t be able to make up fictional examples any longer. Evidence must come from the passage -once again, avoid biases. These passages will sometimes come from recent literature and articulate a viewpoint. Your goal is to analyze how the author constructs the argument, not describe your own stance on the issue. That much is obvious, but you may find it hard to craft an effective essay when you disagree with the author. You might even practice with passages that indicate an unpopular view just to get over your mental block. The Math Section in the Redesigned SAT 2016 Overall Gist of Changes to Math: • Out of all sections, Math has changed the least. The skills tested have shifted, but the format is almost the same. • There are now multi-step problems that ask the student to take multiple mathematical steps. • There is one section that bans the calculator. This doesn't change the difficulty, since these problems are inappropriate for calculators anyway. • Basic trigonometry is now on the test, but there are very few questions that test this. Greater emphasis on: data interpretation and graphs; algebra and solving equations; realistic scenarios as prompts for questions. Lesser emphasis on: geometry and shapes (like triangles and circles); abstract logic questions. Math Questions You'll Never See Again The current SAT has questions that don't test concepts explicitly taught in school. There's often a trick to these questions that doesn't translate well into math that's practical for the real world. Here's an example: This question requires you to decipher the convoluted point of the question, then understand how to use the data in the chart to find the answer. It's no surprise that this is one of the most difficult questions on the practice test. I call these questions "logical reasoning," but in a bad way - these are more like IQ questions rather than an application of math skills. Geometry, which currently takes up 25-30% of questions, will be reduced to 10% or less. New Math Question Types The new SAT emphasizes real situations and word problems much more. Real situations make the questions seem more relevant to everyday life: Questions are more straightforward. In the following question, the student simply has to solve for k, rather than a more complicated question typical of the current SAT. Multi-part questions are not only based on realistic scenarios but also present more complicated situations that require understanding what math concepts to employ. Finally, trigonometry will be appearing on the SAT for the first time, but it'll be limited to very few (<5%) questions. Student Study Tips for the New Math Section -overall, the new SAT will test more difficult concepts but with more straightforward presentations. There will be fewer tricky questions and more emphasis on understanding what a long scenario question is asking for and how to get to the answer. -the critical focus should be on identifying your weak points and drilling those skills. If you're weak in algebra, you need to do a lot of algebra problems. -don't be worried by the no-calculator section. You'll always be able to solve these questions in a straightforward way, and often a calculator will actually slow you down. We've gone through all the tips for how the new sat is different, and how that means the guide to studying for the new SAT will be different. At this point, we can conclude that ... • Overall, the College Board lives up to its promises. It wanted to make a new test that tested skills more relevant to college success and everyday life. By focusing on higher-level logical and reasoning skills, it successfully moves in this direction. • Students will still benefit from test prep. By working with Khan Academy, the College Board is acknowledging that test prep helps improve SAT scores. • The nature of test prep, however, will be different. Instead of teaching a few tricks that are not apparent to the average student, prep will now have to teach more meaningful skills, focusing on logical reasoning and higher-level analysis. This broadens the scope of test prep from preparing just for the SAT to hopefully teaching meaningful skills relevant to college and other aspects of life. • We must point out that the new SAT heavily resembles the ACT. The new SAT Writing and Language section resembles the ACT English section in format and skills tested. The allocation of SAT Reading passages mirrors what the ACT has been doing for years, and the Math sections on both tests now appear closer than ever before. • There's a common conception that the College Board is enacting these changes because it is losing market share to the ACT. Because the new SAT resembles the ACT so closely, it may have the unintended effect of encouraging students to take both exams. This might ultimately contribute to the College Board losing further market share. • Unfortunately we do predict that the correlation of SAT score with family income will not change. The ACT has shown strong correlations between ACT score with family income. Because the SAT now closely resembles the ACT, it's very unlikely that this pattern will change, even with free high-quality resources like Khan Academy. We'll continue dissecting the 211-page SAT specifications into finer points, but these are the most relevant points for students, parents, and educators to understand today. What's Next? For every student in the class of 2017 and below, we recommend taking the pre-2016 SAT. All colleges will accept this for admissions, and there's so much known about this test that it's in your advantage to take this test. What does it take to get a perfect SAT score? Read our guide to getting a perfect score, written by a perfect scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by over 240 points? Try a 5-day free trial of our leading SAT prep program. We customize your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses so that you make the most progress in the most effective way. SAT Free Signup Allen Cheng About the Author Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT 100% Privacy. No spam ever. Twitter and Google+ Ask a Question Below
Monday, 9 February 2015 Want to learn a new skill more effectively? Stop thinking about yourself! The human mind can be its own worst enemy. When we want to do well in sports, we often intensify attentional focus on bodily movements that are best off left on automatic pilot. The result, even for elite athletes, can be a dire instance of choking. The muscles stiffen or shake. Fluid, expert movement is lost, and the learning of new skills is impaired. A common assumption is that an internal focus is harmful to performance because it directs unhelpful conscious attention to bodily control. But what if the costs of self-focus are more general and profound than that? Perhaps merely thinking about ourselves in any way is harmful to performance and learning because to do so activates the "self-schema". The self-schema is "more than a philosophical construct" argue Brad McKay and his colleagues in a new paper, it is in fact a "functional neural network located anatomically in cortical midline structures." Their theory is that anything that activates this network - be that over-focus on bodily movements, memories of past performance, or the scrutiny of an audience - will be detrimental to skilled performance and learning. The researchers began by dividing 36 students (26 men) into two groups and asking them to throw 10 balls underarm at a bulls-eye style target. Throws nearer the target earned more points. Both groups performed equally well. Now one group spent a minute "thinking about their previous throwing experience including their strengths and weaknesses as a thrower"; the other group acted as controls and just waited out the time. Both groups then performed 10 more throws. The students who'd spent time thinking about themselves showed inferior performance compared with their earlier standard; the control group maintained their skill level. "A simple manipulation designed to activate the self-schema ... was sufficient to degrade performance," the researchers said. Next, 37 more students were recruited (18 women) and split into two groups. They spent time practising using a bat to hit golf-ball-sized balls, travelling at 25mph, at a target. None of them had played organised baseball or softball in the last year. Over two practice days, all the students completed a writing task in the various short breaks between hitting. Those in the self-reflective group wrote for one minute either about their experience at baseball; their personal attributes as an athlete; their emotional experiences related to baseball; or their strengths and weaknesses as a hitter (all the different topics were covered during the different breaks). The other group acted as controls - they spent the same breaks writing about objects in the laboratory where the training took place, either focusing on colours or shapes or the names of the objects. A few days later, the students had a final go at the ball hitting challenge. Adjusting for initial performance differences, the control group significantly outperformed the self-reflective group. The control group also outperformed the self-reflective group when the task was changed slightly by speeding up the delivery of the balls. McKay and his team said their results were surprising - as one of their participants remarked, you'd think spending time writing about one's past glory days at baseball would have provided a confidence boost, and maybe rekindled old movement patterns too. Instead, the researchers said their results showed how the "ostensibly innocuous activity of contemplating one's own experiences, emotions, strengths, weaknesses and attributes, might have activated a lurking neural self-network that interfered with the process of motor learning." Critics may feel this study raises as many questions as it answers - with no measures of muscle tension, or mood, or a myriad other possible mediating factors, we're left in the dark about why writing about the self appeared to be detrimental to motor skill learning. However, the researchers believe their study has broken new ground. Where previous research has shown instructions to focus on parts of the body can be harmful to performance, McKay and his team said their "experiments are the first to show that self-reflection alone is sufficient to interfere with motor skill activation and performance." McKay, B., Wulf, G., Lewthwaite, R., & Nordin, A. (2015). The self: Your own worst enemy? A test of the self-invoking trigger hypothesis The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1-10 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2014.997765 1. Interesting, but I don't think these findings are so groundbreaking, after all. Self-focus and increased attention to internal states is likely to decrease people's attention to the game itself as the human brain has a limited attentional capacity. So, the things that get our attention is what we pay attention to. Also, we know that there is a link between high levels of self-focus and anxiety, and anxiety can be detrimental to performance... /S 2. Not sure why this is groundbreaking. I think this study may show that relaxing is beneficial. Too much focus can be a distraction. We do need to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes we just walk on by because we are focused on our own problems. 3. So basically it says self-reflection does more harm than good? This needs further research. My theory is, as one reflects on past performance, he may attempt some remedy the next time, which falls out of his comfort zone and thus results in a declined performance level, in the short run. 4. I agree. I run decent half marathon times because I am always relaxed. My first marathon at age 42, I bombed it. I hit the wall at mile 18. Ever since I train to not hit the wall. Every marathon since I focus on mile 18 and try to relax, but then at 18-21 I always hit the wall and bomb the times because of all the walking to make the finish. My next marathon I am not going to train long runs. Just going to do it relaxed and see what happens. 5. You make an excellent point Cherry. The subjects who reflected on their experience may be trying new things to do better the second time. Naturally, performance may decrease until the subjects are able to perform the new, improved techniques better. 6. What I would think would be really interesting is if in the intervening period the participants, suspended as much as possible their own "self schema" and activated one of an expert who they had modelled. My expectation is that even though their may be an initial decline in performance, this will be followed by an exponential increase in skill.
The shrine of knowledge. Chestnuts is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Chestnuts books and related discussion. Suggested News Resources The Scribbler: Nuts! Chestnuts made impact 9000 (and 100) years ago Chestnuts were the last of the nut trees to move into this area, Carr told his audience. Chestnuts and other nuts helped to provide a sustainable diet for all animals. As a result, the human population exploded. Eating chestnuts daily keeps the heart stay healthy Chestnuts, a favorite food on cold winter nights, are notable for their health benefits. Trump Health Plan Recycles GOP Chestnuts And Adds A Populist Wrinkle Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has unveiled a health care plan that starts with repealing Obamacare. Maddie McGarvey for The Washington Post/Getty Images. Republican front-runner Donald Trump released a seven-point plan to change ... Chestnut Hill Outdoors: Trees, Trophies and Better Hunting Chestnut Hill Outdoors has decades of experience developing varieties of trees designed specifically for improving wildlife habitat. Their varieties of apple, pear, persimmon and disease-resistant Dunstan Chestnuts grow under a wide range of conditions. MOM & POP: Saving the American Chestnut He was discussing the article: 'The American Chestnut' by Lois A. Breault-Melican in the Massachusetts Wildlife magazine. Snaid related how fond he was of roasted chestnuts. Discussion Forum Battle Of Antietam Afternoon Place for your opinion
'Tagore's concept of humanism more relevant today' Source : IANS Last Updated: Thu, May 09, 2013 12:50 hrs New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's extensive travels around the world, including to China and Iran, left a deep impact on him and his ideals of humanism and a world without barriers is more relevant today, a top official said Thursday. Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, secretary, economic relations in the external affairs ministry, describing Tagore as a "towering figure who influenced India's leaders who went on to shape modern India", said: "Tagore's philosophy of greater harmony and moderation in world affairs found an echo in Jawaharlal Nehru." Tagore's 152nd birth anniversary was celebrated Thursday and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) commemorated it with an international conference titled "Rabindranath Tagore - Envoy of India" that has drawn Tagore scholars from the world over. Tagore's travels to 34 countries "left a deep impact on him, and from an Oriental romantic mystic he came to be identified as a concerned citizen of the world who came to voice the concerns of colonised and oppressed peoples and expressed the passionate desire to be heard," said Chakravarty. Describing Tagore as "a keen observer of the socio-political life" in the countries that he visited, Chakravarty said the Nobel Laureate was drawn to the broad question of relations between India and the West - of the dichotomy "of a spiritual East and the West as materialistic". "Tagore ultimately came up with the idea of the spiritual unity in man," said Chakravarty. Former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey, in his keynote address, said Tagore's travels were part of the "tendency of being a jajabor.. the desire to move around and a desire to see and experience the beauty of life." Another purpose of Tagore's travels was "a desire to bring peoples and civilisations together, especially the eastern", said Dubey, who is president of the Council for Social Development. During his visit to China is the early 1920s, "Tagore never extolled India's or Indian achievement.. India's importance for China was implicit in his praise for the eastern civilisation, and this is an area from which diplomats of today can learn," said Dubey. Tagore favoured the "higher ideology of universalism" as opposed to nationalism and patriotism, which he thought were constricting the higher ideals of oneness of humankind and a world without borders, said Dubey. Describing Tagore as not just a writer, painter and poet, but "an able goodwill ambassador of India", Rajiv K. Bhatia, ICWA director general said Jawaharlal Nehru's concept of "pan Asianism" through the Asian Relations Conference and the Non Aligned Movement "bear the mark of Tagore's thought". "Nehru was greatly influenced by Tagore's thought of Asian unity, and the thoughts of decolonisation and racial equality." He said Tagore was a "great votary of universal brotherhood and advocate of global order where man is not restricted by boundaries of nationalism" and there is need to analyse his ideals on "how India should engage with the world". The two-day conference has brought together Tagore scholars from all over the world, including from Argentina, Canada, Russia, Greece, Egypt, US, UK, Italy and Bangladesh. --Indo-Asian News service More from Sify:

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