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Babylon 10
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Definition of Periodic table group
Periodic table group Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
In chemistry, a group (also known as a family) is a column of elements in the periodic table of the chemical elements. There are 18 numbered groups in the periodic table, but the f-block columns (between groups 2 and 3) are not numbered. The elements in a group have similar physical or chemical characteristics of the outermost electron shells of their atoms (i.e., the same core charge), as most chemical properties are dominated by the orbital location of the outermost electron. There are three systems of group numbering. The modern numbering group 1 to group 18 is recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). It replaces two older naming schemes that were mutually confusing. Also, groups may be identified by their topmost element or have a specific name. For example, group 16 is variously described as oxygen group and chalcogen.
See more at Wikipedia.org...
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adoptable dolls
Remember the rules! You can hover your mouse over any doll for more information about it.
dolls on my bases
newest -> oldest
Sirius and Remus = OTP. Little lolita-ish doll.
dolls on other bases
newest -> oldest
My character Nana.
base: Cherryville
My character Sawyer being rave-y.
base: ILCK
Old contest entry. The contest never finished.
base: Yume Studios
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293 Mass. 552
January 7, 1936 - February 26, 1936
Suffolk County
Negligence, In use of inflammable materials, Of one owning or controlling real estate.
Evidence that the owner of premises allowed oil or gasoline to accumulate around and under a large steel barrel of gasoline, that the oil or gasoline took fire from a cause not shown and heated the barrel and that the gasoline therein exploded, warranted a finding that the owner was negligent in allowing the oil or gasoline so to accumulate and that his negligence was the proximate cause of the explosion.
FIVE ACTIONS OF TORT. Writs in the Municipal Court of the City of Boston dated March 16, 23, and 28, 1933.
The actions were heard in the Municipal Court by Carr, J., who found for the plaintiffs in the sums, respectively, of $211.40, $211.40, $317.10, $211.40, and $211.40, and reported the actions to the Appellate Division. The report was ordered dismissed. The defendant appealed.
W. G. Reed, for the defendant.
W. S. Kinney, for the plaintiffs.
CROSBY, J. These five actions of tort were tried together. The plaintiffs seek to recover for personal injuries alleged to have been received by them through negligence of the defendant, by reason of a fire and explosion on premises controlled by the defendant, while they were on the sidewalks of adjoining streets.
There was evidence that the premises consisted of a large open space; that about one hundred feet from the street line the defendant kept a steel barrel for the storage
Page 553
of gasoline, with a capacity of and containing about fifty gallons; that the barrel lay on its side on a wooden platform, and was about twenty-five or thirty feet from a shanty maintained on the premises for the use of the defendant's employees; that it had a "lockable" faucet at the head for drawing gasoline; that the keys of this faucet were kept in the shanty, which was not locked, and that the foreman and anyone working on gas engines had right of access to the keys. There was also evidence that the defendant kept a watchman on the premises, and that after he had been around the premises he would stop at the shanty; that within ten minutes before the breaking out of the fire he had been near the barrel; that it was getting dark, there were children running around the lot, and at the time the fire started "the watchman was chasing children off the lot"; that he did not know what caused the fire; that he was fifty feet away when it broke out; that he supposed it was oil that was burning, or it might have been gasoline; that the fire was around and under the barrel; that it burned fifteen minutes before the explosion came, and then the barrel and burning substance went up into the air. There was evidence from the district fire chief that he was within four feet of the burning oil; that it seemed to him that waste oil had collected there for some time; that he could not say if it was gasoline or oil; that when he arrived the blaze was under the barrel and toward the front under the faucet; that it was slowly burning, running up three or four feet around the barrel; that there was an explosion and the barrel was lifted fifteen feet, and gasoline went up straight and spread fifteen feet and dropped back; that he did not see the burning part scatter more than thirty or forty feet; and that the fire heated the tank the gas expanded and broke open the barrel. Pictures introduced in evidence showed the land around the premises to be closely built up with apartment houses.
At the close of the evidence the defendant requested a ruling in each case that "Upon all the evidence the defendant was not negligent." The judge made the following
Page 554
memoranda: "There was no evidence that any act of nature such as lightning caused the fire or of spontaneous combustion. There was no evidence that the fire was set by anyone in the commission of a crime. . . . I find that the defendant was negligent in allowing waste oil or gasoline to collect and remain around the barrel of gasoline. . . . Whether the fire was caused by the voluntary or negligent act of employees of the defendant, or of third persons, I find that the causal connection between the original negligence and the accident was not broken . . . ." The report contains all the evidence material to the question reported. The defendant claiming to be aggrieved by the refusal to rule as requested, the case was reported to the Appellate Division, which dismissed the report.
The request of the defendant that "Upon all the evidence the defendant was not negligent" was not properly phrased to express a request for a ruling of law. Its form imports that it is a request for a finding of fact. Castano v. Leone, 278 Mass. 429 , 430-431.
There was evidence that when the plaintiffs were on the sidewalks of streets adjoining the premises of the defendant they were injured as the result of burning substances which came from the defendant's premises. The only question of law presented is whether their injuries could have been found to be the result of negligence of the defendant. The testimony of the district fire chief in substance was that he was within four feet of the burning oil, and it seemed to him that waste oil or gasoline had been collecting under the barrel for some time. In view of the inflammable character of gasoline and oil, we are of opinion that to allow it to accumulate on the ground under and toward the front of the barrel could be found to have been negligence on the part of the defendant or its servants or agents. Although there is no evidence as to how the fire started, it could have been found that but for the negligent accumulation of oil and gasoline the fire would not have occurred; and that in the exercise of due care the defendant should have foreseen that to allow this waste oil or gasoline to collect and remain there for some time was a fire menace which reasonably
Page 555
might have been anticipated. In other words it could have been found that the fire resulted from the negligent accumulation of oil or gasoline under and in front of the barrel. The case is governed in principle by what was decided in Pudlo v. Dubiel, 273 Mass. 172 , and cases cited. The cases of Stone v. Boston & Albany Railroad, 171 Mass. 536 , Harrington v. Border City Manuf. Co. 240 Mass. 170 , and Dwyer v. Edison Electric Illuminating Co. 273 Mass. 234 , are distinguishable in their facts from the case at bar. The case of Stone v. Boston & Albany Railroad holds that the defendant was negligent in storing oil on the platform of its freight house, but was not liable for the loss of adjacent buildings by fire caused by the careless act of a person not in its employ which ignited the oil and caused it to spread to the adjacent buildings. The decision in that case is not in conflict with what is here decided.
In each case the entry will be
Order dismissing report affirmed.
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Snoring - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment .MF .
August 12, 2017 17:52 | The Nose And Mouth
Snoring - a vibrating sound when breathing during sleep, which rarely bothers snoring, but it can lead to insomnia others.
Possible causes snoring
main mechanism of snoring - a change of breathing due to the emergence of obstacles, narrowing its lumen, or the relaxation of the pharynx wall.In this case the air, instead of passing directly into the lungs, twists and causes the soft palate tissue to oscillate and fight each other.This creates a unique timbre and frequency of snoring.In further developments of airway walls developing obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS, periodic pauses in breathing during sleep due to airway overlap).
emergence of snoring is associated with a number of reasons.
1. Obstruction to air flow can create:
• • nose polyps
deviated septum
• Bag Tornvalda
• swelling of the nasal mucosa in rhinitis (runny nose), including:allergic
• swelling of the tongue or mucous membranes of the mouth and throat during an allergic reaction
• hypertrophic tonsils (including the ade
• pharyngeal tumors
• anatomically narrow lumen
pharynx • displacement of the lower jaw back
• underdevelopment of the upper or lower jaw •
enlarged tongue in acromegaly or illness
Down • deposition of adipose tissue in the lateral walls of the pharynx in obesity
2. Relaxation of the throat muscles can be observed:
• under the influence of alcohol and drugs (muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, narcotic pain medications);
• hypothyroidism, when all the general tone of muscles is reduced and tissues become looser;
• with neuromuscular diseases in violation of the receipt of nerve impulses from the brain responsible for muscle tone (muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis);
• trauma of peripheral nerves (random or during surgery with cutting of the throat nerve);
• when the brain is damaged and cranial nerve (brain edema, hydrocephalus, stroke, compression of the brain stem, bleeding in the trunk of the nucleus, and other diseases, leading to suppression of consciousness and control muscles of the pharynx).As a rule, it is acute conditions that require immediate access to medical care.Snoring in this case only one of the symptoms, which goes by the wayside.
The variety of reasons for snoring and diseases in which he appears, requires a mandatory and comprehensive examination.
surveys and analyzes snoring at why they are needed
When snoring requires full diagnostics to identify the causes of this phenomenon and the complications that can be dangerous. To this end, developed an algorithm of complex diagnostics with snoring.
1. Detailed conversation with a doctor and a sleep-examination to identify risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular complications.Particular emphasis is placed on the conditions such as the structure of the face, jaw, teeth, throat, curvature of the nasal septum, the presence of tonsillar hypertrophy, obesity and related diseases that can cause snoring.
2. Survey to determine the "sleepy" habits that affect the assessment of snoring and sleepiness, and the presence of other sleep disorders besides snoring.
3. Carrying out functional tests with the assessment of nasal breathing and jaw thrust.
4. sleep study to detect breathing disorders during sleep and to assess their severity.
5. Carrying out complex analyzes to assess risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the presence of hypothyroidism, diabetes or metabolic syndrome.This includes the following analyzes:
• CBC,
• blood test for sugar,
• glycated hemoglobin,
• biochemical blood test for total protein, urea, creatinine,
• blood test for thyroid hormones (TSH, T4 free,TPO);
• lipid profile (total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides, atherogenic index);
• urine: Rehberg test, urine test for albumin.
6. Consultations related professionals to clarify the causes of snoring and its complications (otolaryngologist, dentist, orthodontist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, cardiologist, neurologist and a lung specialist).
On the basis of the information on the survey, the most appropriate method for the treatment of snoring.This usually depends on several factors:
• What is the cause or causes of snoring,
• which one is more important in the development of snoring,
• What reasons can be eliminated, and which are not,
• severity of respiratory changes during sleep,
• presence of irreversible complications of snoring,
• what is the state of health in general, if there is comorbidity.
How to get rid of snoring in Obscheprofilakticheskie methods home
aimed at eliminating the factors that lead to snoring and may be eliminated, - addictions, drug action, dry air, allergens action, obesity, weakness, nasal valve body position duringtime to sleep.
• Failure or ogranicheniekureniya for 2-3 hours before bedtime.This will reduce inflammation, mucosal edema, reducing snoring.The same measure applies to alcohol.Abandoning alcohol before going to bed, you can reduce the relaxation of muscles and the likelihood of snoring.
• Replace or discard medications that relax the muscles (hypnotics, muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, sedatives, narcotic analgesics).
• Use a humidifier or air conditioning system.This will improve the condition of the mucous and breathing during sleep.
• Remove from the bedroom all possible allergens (wool items, including carpets, blankets, blooming and strong-smelling plants, pets, old pillows and mattresses).
• Reduce weight, at least 10% of initial body weight, if there is extra weight.The situation will improve with the breath half.
• Use strips extend over the nose during sleep.So you expand your nostrils, and they will not stick together.
• If snoring occurs when you sleep on your back, lie on your side on the orthopedic pillows with rollers or a mat under the back of the tennis ball.It will not let you sleep on your back.
Intraoral devices (capacitor)
purpose of the method - the displacement of the lower jaw forward during sleep and lock in this position.This extends the anterior-posterior size of the pharynx, preventing contact between the walls themselves.A very convenient method, especially for travel.
Surgical treatment of snoring
most often associated with the removal of obstacles in the path of air during breathing.This may be interference on the nasal septum (nose surgery), the sky (removal of the uvula, soft palate implants, uvulopalatoplasty, expanding the lumen of the pharynx), removal of enlarged tonsils or polyps.Surgical methods differ by type of intervention: classic (using a scalpel), RF, laser, chemical, combined.All of these approaches have advantages and disadvantages.It is worth to highlight the laser operation.They have a greater risk of complications for people with snoring in the background of obstructive sleep apnea.
PAP-therapy for the treatment of snoring
Other names for this method of treatment of snoring: PAP therapy, PAP, PAP, lecheniePAP.This reduction from the first letters of the Latin name PositiveAirwayPressure - positive airway pressure, which reflects the essence of the treatment.At the time of interruption of breathing during sleep unit compressor delivers pressurized air that spreads the throat, not allowing them to come closer.The main indication for this method of treatment - sleep apnea, which is often associated with snoring.However, given the general nature of these disorders, snoring is also eliminated.There are several types of PAP therapy:
• CPAP (iliCPAP) otContinuousPositiveAirwayPressure that means continuous positive airway pressure.The device is always blowing on the same level.
• avtoSIPAP (autoCPAP).The principle of operation is the same, only the device adapts to the patient's breath and exhale.
• BIPAP (BiPAP, or BiLevel) - a two-level PAP-machine mode.At the same time set a fixed air pressure values of the inhalation and exhalation.
• avtoBIPAP (autoBiPAP) - an automatic duplex mode PAP.
• TriLevel - a three-level operation, when autoBiPAPdobavlyaetsya additional support at the end of exhalation.
mode PAP therapy is chosen, a sleep physician, based on research and clinical data.The selection may take several days.
PAP-therapy for the treatment of snoring
choice of treatment takes place, depending on the severity of snoring and sleep apnea, as well as from a combination of causes of the sounds in his sleep.
1. If snoring - it is just a sound, not complicated by sleep apnea, it will suit all of these treatments.
2. In the case of a combination of snoring with obstructive sleep apnea of any severity (with the index pauses in breathing per hour 5) excludes surgery on the soft palate (eg, removal of the uvula).
3. snore and stop breathing easy and moderate severity can be treated by obscheprofilakticheskih events and intraoral devices (cap).
4. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, moderate and severe require PAP therapy for straightening the walls of the airways when they are closing.The combination with end caps.
presence of daytime sleepiness, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypothyroidism requires a more careful approach to treatment and often a combination of several treatments.Integrated treatment is also necessary for several causes of snoring, as each of them can have independent significance in shaping the sound.For example, a combination of a curved septum and obesity.If you apply only to the plastic nose, excess weight will remain and will cause snoring.It is therefore important to treat snoring under the supervision of a sleep doctor.
How dangerous snoring
snoring itself is not dangerous, it's just a sound, albeit unpleasant.Danger is what he says.This may be an acute situation (as described above) requiring medical intervention (such as stroke).Or, obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs in each of the third and snoring in the next 3-5 years ending strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, arrhythmias or death. Often snoring - the only sign pointing to it.Ignoring the problem could end sadly.
To which the doctor ask for snoring, and when it should be done
The sooner treatment is started snoring, the easier and faster it goes.This will protect you from irreversible complications, life-threatening.
is urgent cases when snoring combined with increased weight, hypertension, elevated levels of insulin and sugar, pain in the heart, night awakenings for urination, morning headaches and daytime sleepiness.These are signs of pronounced respiratory disorders during sleep.Urgent sign up to the doctor.
To cure snoring, you need to see a doctor, a sleep.It is a specialist trained in the field of sleep medicine.Unlike ordinary doctors who are also involved in the treatment of snoring, a sleep sees the whole picture.This allows you to identify the root cause of snoring and deal with it quickly and efficiently without harm to health.
It is this doctor conducts sleep studies that determine further treatment strategy.It is possible that a sleep refer you to an orthodontist, ENT doctor or a dietitian, but you will know that it will help.You do not have to choose a method of treatment, testing each one of them for yourself.
Elena Tsareva, a sleep physician,
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Dani (di_elle) wrote in ontd_sassenach,
Amazon UK Answer time!
will add answers as they happen
jamesandclairefraser asked: Hi Sam and Cait. The amazing chemistry between the two of you is something that many people talk about and it's part of the reason why the show is so popular. It's clear that you have a great friendship, so what I'd love to know is what's the one quality that you admire most about each other?
Sam: Caitriona’s generosity of sharing a bloody mary.
Caitriona: His kindness and his thoughfulness.
marieinthemist asked: We're doing a *30 Days of Oultander* challenge, counting down until premiere day. One of them is to pick your favorite location from Season 1 (indoors or outdoors). Which one was your favorite, Sam and Caitriona? #30DaysOfOL
Caitriona: Loch Rannoch.
Sam: It has to be the same. Where we shoot the standing stones. There’s a beautiful mountain there Schiehallion.
arealgrits4au asked: The Fraser motto is Je suis prest; What would your personal motto be?
Sam: Challenge yourself every day.
tingleamy asked: What has been your favorite Claire and Jamie moment so far?
Caitriona: There’s some beautiful moments coming up this season. They’re very special and we’re excited for our fans to see it.
demonsunshine asked: Can you tell about the next season in 3 words?
Caitriona: Intrigue. Heartbreak and closure.
Sam: Fate. Blood. Redwine.
hockeywwegirl asked: If you had to give advice to anyone traveling back to 1743, what would it be?
Caitriona: Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.
Sam: Bring a sword. Learn to speak Gaelic and French.
noregretsjustlovecc asked: S1 or S2 which one was harder to perform emotionally and physically? love you guys! ceci
Sam: They’re both completely different with their own challenges. However, Season 2 is more complex.
thirteenofdiamonds asked: Who's the troublemaker in set?
Duncan LaCroix. Enough said.
sarcasmisalifechoice asked: The costumes for the first season of Outlander were insanely beautiful, and from what we've seen of season two they continue to stun. What were you're favourite costumes from both seasons?
Caitriona: My tartan dress from the season 2 poster and my ‘40s nightgown from season 1… and all of my Parisian wardrobe.
Sam: The kilt and the kilt. However I get some awesome clothes in Paris.
melonieross asked: Which of the new actors added to Season 2 is the funniest on set and can you share a story?
Sam: Lionel who plays King Louie was very funny and some ad libbing moments in French between the two of us that can never be repeated.
it-only-ends-once asked: If you had the opportunity to travel back in time, but couldn't gurantee your return would you?
Caitriona: No way.
callmeder asked: Ok, most important question ever: Would you rather fight 100 duck-size horses or one horse-size duck?
Caitriona: Duck size horses. Imagine having 100 of those running around your feet. That would be amazing.
Sam: That’s a stupid question. There’s no such thing as a horse sized duck.
…Nevermind, I just saw a picture of one.
robynwarnock asked: My question is for both Sam and Cait and it's the same question. Sam now that you have experienced both worlds of living in the dirt and living in luxury. What do you prefer the silks and lace, or the good old fashion tartans and kilts? The same question is for Caitriona, silks and lace or good old fashion wools and tartan? Love to you both 😍😘❤️
Caitriona: Wools and Tartan.
Sam: The same. We both love Scotland.
steampanic asked: Do you think you and your characters would get along if you met them in real life?
Caitriona: Yes.
Sam: Jamie would be a great drinking buddy.
oscarisaaic asked: If you could bring ONE thing from the 21st century with you in the 18th century, what would it be?
Caitriona: Soap. Without a doubt.
lavandulasmiles asked: What the funniest thing you've seen happen on the set of outlander?
Caitriona: Richard Rankin driving a car.
technicallycleverdaze asked: In season two, what are the qualities Claire and Jamie bring to the partnership which help them undertake their daunting task?
Sam: They support each other and have faith in one another. They have a drive and determination and they learn to manipulate.
gotham-ruaidh asked: If you could pick one "behind the camera" job, what would it be and why?
Caitriona: I would love to direct. Then you get to work and collaborate with all of the departments. That would be a lot of fun.
Sam: The coffee guy. You get unlimited caffeine and you get to see everyone.
loution asked: Can Sam actually speak Gaelish ? (SIC!)
Caitriona: First of all…what language is Gaelish?
Sam: What is that? Do I have to speak Jamish?
Caitriona: I speak Clairish.
lavandulasmiles asked: Is there anything about the other person that annoys you?
Caitriona: Sam always steals my snacks and gets the first coffee of the day.
Sam: Caitriona bribes my horse with treats. Always. It’s very annoying.
it's over. ofc my question wasn't answered. *pouts*
Thanks for all of the great questions everyone! We had a lot of fun this afternoon.
Tags: #askoutlander, caitriona balfe, sam heughan, shamrock bae, tartan bae
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Post Scorp's Portal BBS
#1 Scorpion Sat, Nov 02 2013, 22:37
c64_bbs_setupScorp's Portal BBS is online: scorp.us.to
Download CGTerm to view it in PETSCII!
New: If all else fails, go to the listing on bbsnexus.com and be immediately connected!
Way back before the internet was the thing, bulletin board systems (BBS) were the thing. Someone had a computer hooked up to a phone via a modulator-demodulator (modem) and was running a BBS, which you could call with your computer, using some terminal software and a modem of your own. You could read people's messages and leave your own, upload and download files, chat with the system operator (SysOp), or play a game.
In the early days (up to the early 1990s), people had to use phone lines, but since then, calling up certain boards through different means are possible. Anyone with a Windows or Mac computer can connect to many telnet BBSes these days, for example. The standard for characters (or 'font', if you will) is ASCII (and, in most cases, the more colorful ANSI), but some BBSes run on systems with different types of characters, such as Commodore 64 BBSes, which run on PETSCII (also known as CBM ASCII). These boards can be visited using special software, although some of them support ASCII and/or ANSI.
BBSes were very popular during the 1980s, although connections were slow, and BBSes usually supported only one caller at a time. Downloads could be interrupted with bad phone connections, and unlucky Europeans, who had to pay per minute during a call, would pay a lot, especially when calling American BBSes.
scorpsportalbbsSo why would people still bother connecting to a BBS? Isn't the internet way better? Well, yes. The internet is way better, faster, and easier. People still run BBSes and people still connect to them, purely for nostalgic reasons and purely for fun.
I'm currently running a BBS of my own, imaginatively named Scorp's Portal. It's running on a software package called Color 64 running on WinVICE (courtesy of Retrograde), which is running under Windows XP installed in VMWare v10.0 on my Windows 8 laptop. And it's real easy to connect to it! In most cases, this link will simply open the necessary software on your computer: telnet://scorp.us.to
But in case it doesn't, you can do the following, if you're a Windows user:
• Press Start and choose 'Run...'. Windows 8 users right-click on the bottom-left of their screen. You can also just hold Windows-key and press R.
• Type: telnet scorp.us.to
• Click OK
Mac users should look here.
If you can't connect, it's probably because of one of the following reasons:
• Someone's already connected. Try again in a few minutes.
• The server is saving log files. Just try again.
• I'm carrying my laptop with me (most likely). Try again later.
Also, please note that I'm very new at this BBS setup stuff, and I'm still in the process of figuring out everything. But you can definitely connect to it, and you can read and leave messages! Just be patient - the BBS is running on four virtual 1581 drives, so sometimes loading just takes a while...
Since it's a Commodore 64 BBS, the best way to get the most out of the BBS is to connect to it using a real Commodore 64, but who has the time these days. Luckily there is CGTerm, a terminal program for Windows/Mac designed to connect to BBSes using PETSCII. You should go here and download it!
netherlands.png Scorpion Gender: Male
Mr Garry
Joined: October 2013
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 57
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You Know You're Drinking Too Much Coffee When...
1. Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.
2. You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
3. The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.
4. You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using
the timer.
5. You lick your coffeepot clean.
6. You spend every vacation visiting "Maxwell House."
7. You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you
don't even work there.
8. Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
9. You're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their
10. You can jump-start your car without cables.
11. All your kids are named "Joe."
12. Your only source of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low."
13. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.
14. You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.
15. People get dizzy just watching you.
16. When you find a penny, you say, "Find a penny, pick it up.
Sixty-three more, I'll have a cup."
17. The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.
18. Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.
19. You're so wired, you pick up FM radio.
20. Your life's goal is to "amount to a hill of beans."
21. Instant coffee takes too long.
23. You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity
in a coffee can.
24. You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.
25. You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer.
26. You name your cats "Cream" and "Sugar."
27. You get drunk just so you can sober up.
28. Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.
29. You can outlast the Energizer bunny.
30. You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.
31. You think being called a "drip" is a compliment.
32. You don't tan, you roast.
33. You can't even remember your second cup.
34. You introduce your spouse as your "Coffeemate."
35. You think CPR stands for "Coffee Provides Resuscitation."
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» The Threefold Path of RPG Reading
The Threefold Path of RPG Reading
by Robin D Laws
As a game designer, I look forward to the realization of the still-incipient tablet revolution for several reasons. One of these addresses a constant bugaboo of the designer’s existence, rulebook organization.
Roleplaying game books are, and always have been, exercises in non-linear writing—and reading.
As a designer, I could start the manuscript at the beginning and systematically write my way to the end. But in reality I jump around from section to section. A piece of rules text might reveal a note I need to insert into the GMing chapter. A piece of high-tech equipment may require me to adjust the unconsciousness rules. It may prove more efficient to write the NPC stats for an alien race immediately after its profile as a PC character class.
Likewise, the order in which you read RPG material varies depending on use. Core rule books function as teaching tools, reference documents, and vicarious entertainment experiences.
You read a book in teaching tool mode when learning it for the first time.
You read a book in reference document mode when creating a character, statting up an opponent, designing an adventure, or using a sub-system during play.
A surprisingly large set of RPG book readers will never play the game, and are instead enjoying it as the roleplaying equivalent of closet drama. They don’t have a group, or time to play, or maybe just a group willing to try new games. But these folks read the book anyway, imagining the games they’d play if they had all of these things. We may have all been in those shoes at one point or another.
There may be other reading circumstances. Plundering a game for ideas to use elsewhere likely calls for a reading order all of its own. But I think these are the main three paths through a game book.
The challenge when assembling a rule book is that these three modes make competing demands.
To teach you the game, I want to arrange the book so you learn it quickly and without undue head-scratching. I want you to come away thinking that it’s a simple game—and saying that when you’re assessing it with your friends or on the message boards. I hope that you’ll find it easy to pick up, and come away thinking that it will be easy to teach to others.
(In most cases only the GM reads the rule book before the first session of the game. Many players never read the rules, and know them only as a verbal reconstruction by their GMs. To create a great impression, I want the GMs to be able to smoothly reassemble the game’s key points in their own words.)
To be useful as a reference document, I want to arrange the book so that all the rules you’ll need for a given task appear in the same place, and in an intuitive order.
When considering the book as a fun read, I want to interweave the instruction manual parts with jokes, setting flavor, interstitial fiction, and other elements that leaven what necessarily must be dry explanatory text. If clarity is my main aim, I’ll reuse the same words and phrases more often than would be considered good style for a piece of creative writing. That’s an opposite demand than that met by a writer working to engage the reader’s imagination.
Examples have high teaching and entertainment value, but low reference value. Once you’ve learned a rule, a huge block of example text gets in the way, pushing key points of information further away from one another on the page. But until you get to that point, examples serve as a crucial vehicle for understanding.
(And for suggesting, more broadly, what the game feels like when played. If you write with only the first in mind, you can unconsciously present a negative view of your game. Examples tell you a lot about their writers’ GMing styles, not always complimentary.)
Edge cases and additional options pose another of these dilemmas. If you want a rules sub-system to be easy to learn, you want to reduce the number of choices players and GMs can make when using it, and minimize the number of odd special cases you take into account. But during play, players rightly want an answer when they say, “Can I do this?”
For teaching purposes you want to move rarely-used, but occasionally pivotal, choices and systems to their own section, for advanced readers. For reference purposes these should all be where you’d expect them when hastily flipping through the book, during play.
In other words, you want a Schrödinger’s rulebook, which knows what mode you’re reading in when you open it, and restructures the content accordingly. (The dead-yet-alive cat comes as an extra for big pledgers to your crowdfunding campaign.)
The mind-reading may need to wait for another generation of tablet interface, but even given current technology we could certainly create a toggle that rearranges the book on command. Hit the reference button, and the examples collapse away, to be restored on a case by case basis by finger-swipe, as you need them. The special case rules migrate to sit next to the main sub-systems they arise from. Hit the tutorial button, and the special cases and crunchy bits melt away, removing the clutter so you can see what’s core to the rules and what’s a bell or whistle.
For this to happen, someone would have to create a wrapper app product that allows game companies to pour their contents into. That might require some knotty programming, but not insurmountably so. The real barrier lies in market demand. Enough RPG buyers would have to a) own tablets and b) consider this feature sufficiently valuable to pay for the extra costs, plus profit margin. A publisher might decide that these options will make their game more accessible, and therefore sell to a larger audience, and decide to absorb the cost. But in the end it would have to pay in one way or the other.
That’s why we don’t see the creative potential of current electronic delivery used to its full theoretical potential. Extensive hyperlinks make gaming PDFs easier to use. But the time and staffer attention required to insert them in the first place, and preserve them through the layout and output stages, has yet to demonstrably lead to increased sales, or support a premium price. With neither of those results in place, it’s smarter to move onto the next product than to take more time lovingly fashioning the one at hand.
But a designer can dream, can’t he?
11 Responses to “The Threefold Path of RPG Reading”
1. David Dunham says:
This gives a whole new meaning to “see page XX…”
2. George says:
I’ve thought about this at length. Two reasons in my case: as a gamemaster I might need to use the content of a module, even when the system used is past its expiry date. The other reason is having to dig out metaplot snippets from a module, before even trying to make sense of how these impact the setting as a whole. (Dealing with metaplot that is imposed on you is one thing, but when it’s messy as well then it really is a thankless task). While we’re on the dream cloud, wouldn’t it be great if there was a section identifying themes that you might want to foreshadow in previous sessions? This would make planning easier.
Going back to what you proposed, implementing it really isn’t difficult. And the tricky part isn’t the UI of a particular app in my opinion. Like you said, the difficult step is the paradigm shift. Once that happens, publishers could really just provide output in XML, with tags. (And put the extra effort of categorising content in tags). Personally I’d love to buy a product and not only get it in PDF format but XML too. Assuming this becomes common the next step would be to come up with some sort of standardised ontology. This would then mean that we could seamlessly merge information from many sources. It would truly revolutionise the medium. But I’m back on dream cloud territory.
Regarding your last point: i think a publisher could hope for more than just increased sales. As technology advances, computer games get better. And attention spans unfortunately become smaller. This means a lot of people tend to write off the tabletop medium. For the tabletop medium to thrive, it has to survive. And to do that it has to be able to stand its ground against the big boys – in this case computer games.
• Lou Prosperi says:
Hi George,
I think one possible step towards what you’re talking about would be for games to be written in XML (using a standard such as DITA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Information_Typing_Architecture)), and then processed in different ways for different output types. This is how lots of technical documentation is created.
In the case of RPGs, for printed books or PDF, the XML could be processed through InDesign (or other desktop publishing software), but for eBooks, it might be processed through a tool such as DITA-for-Publishers (http://dita4publishers.sourceforge.net/). This same text could then be published in a format suitable for use with Robin’s app.
Take Care,
Lou Prosperi
• George says:
Lou, many thanks for these, i’ll make sure to check them out. I’ve had a brief look – it certainly sounds like a model like DITA would be spot on.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but Robin’s post and your reply was a catalyst – It would be interesting to see what would come out from bringing a few like-minded people in the same (virtual or otherwise) room to brainstorm this further.
To Lou, and anyone else interested in getting involved in an online email discussion about this, please drop me a line at
goblintriggers at gmail dot com
(those who are about to get spammed, we salute you!)
3. I’d say the rules fulfil two main functions. To resolve situations that occur in game, and to provide a framework for designing adventures.
For example I once ran a D&D campaign where the idea was that there were six 19s. That is, people with 19 strength, 19 intelligence, 19 wisdom, 19 dexterity, 19 constitution and 19 charisma. Teh D&D system allowed scores from 3-18. The players had to identify these people and recruit them.
Of course fantasy characters don’t really have six attributes. It was originally intended as a simplification, and a means of giving characters slightly different combat scores. But the system existed, everyone knew it like the back of their hands, so it became a structural element of the world, and something you could hang a campaign off.
4. saku says:
Good to know I am not the only one who enjoys reading rules and imagining how they would be played, if one only had the time and opportunity…thought it was just a sympton of general weirdness…..
5. Jeb says:
Interesting. Another approach would be set an example of play at the end of each major chapter (i.e. char gen, combat, intrigue/investigation, widget construction, vehicles, etc.) in its own section with hyperlinks back to the relevant rules and links in the rules to the relevant example. When used as a reference, the example sections could be skipped/flipped past.
6. Kainenchen says:
Your ideas intrigue me, and I am delighted that I subscribe to your newsletter!
Seriously though, designing such an app is a thing I have given a lot of thought to recently, and your breakdown is really cool. I would suggest that platforming would solve the tablet problem; a desktop version, an online version, et al would perhaps go a long way to make such a product more attractive on a broader basis. A stretch goal might be an e-reader format which allowed for such a level of interactivity.
The biggest problem to my mind would be getting the designers who are doing the layouts to plan and write for the different purposes, and then editing. But I’ve posted in my own blog about the problems of information presentation, and what an incredible barrier to entry it can be for people.
Thank you for this post.
7. Lisa Padol says:
The low tech version would be the book as Teaching Tool with the Reference Tables at the back, I take it?
8. Jo says:
Hello there,
a most interesting post. I have been thinking about the possibilities of a tablet RPG adventure reader as well but from a different angle.
An important part of a RPG is being totally submerged into the adventure. Having too many books an a table certainly removes the ‘suspension of disbelief’ so a tabled app might help. Having a laptop on the table is even worse I think. But I mastered a few games using only my tablet and an adventure in pdf format – and it didn’t bother my group at all.
What I started thinking about at that stage was the potential added value of the table to create more atmosphere. Imagine a andventure split into scenes and some of the key scenes having specific ambient sounds and subtle sound effects; the sound of rain clattering on a window, the rowdy bar at the riverside or the wind howling through the empty streets. Combat sound could be doable but maybe annoying,
This would of course require yet another skill from the RPG publisher namely designing or compiling audio effects. But I would guess that this could be worth some premium from the potential buyer.
I have been playing with this idea for more than a year now, would it be worth pursuing? As far as I heard the RPG publishing market is one of low margins so the question would be who would be interested in investing in such a new experience…
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27.01.2017 at 19:52 Mirn:
30.01.2017 at 15:25 Mijora:
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Jacobus and son JC
Cool, calm and collected are the three adjectives that come to mind when describing Jacobus Vermaak (JV). I believe these are very important traits to possess, especially as a farmer as I think there a very few professions that tests one’s patience like farming. Jacobus, along with his sister Maizie (Get to know Maize here), manage their family farm, Rosenhof, together.
His love for the outdoors, along with having grown up on the farm, is one of the reasons why he went into farming. He enjoys a good glass of wine and also finds comfort in spending time with his family. His family farm is located in the Oyster Bay area in the Eastern Cape where they are milking just over 1000 cows.I caught up with Jacobus and learnt more about his passion for farming and the success they have had on the farm over the years.
PP: When did you start farming and did you grow up on a farm?
JV: At the end of 2002. Yes, on Rosenhof, were I’m farming at the moment.
PP: Why did you want to become a farmer?
JV: I love to be in the outdoors, and to see how things grow and develop. On a farm there is always something going on, yes there are everyday activities that stay the same, but each day brings new opportunities or challenges.
PP: Are there any differences between your farm now and your farm when you were a kid?
JV: When I was a kid, my father farmed with beef cattle and sheep, and he started milking only roundabout 1994, when I was in standard 7/Grade 9. We used to milk on dry lands only, but changed to dry land and irrigated pastures in 2012.
Calves at Rosenhof farm Photo by Impact Studio
PP: What is the biggest change you have encountered during your years of farming?
JV: Dry land milking in a herringbone parlour, to irrigated pastures milking in a rotary.
PP: How have advances in technology such as, machinery, genetics, or chemicals, affected your farm? You can give an example
JV: Moving away from the herringbone parlour to a rotary parlour, more in the middle of the milking platform, using a breeding program on the dairy cows to breed genetically superior animals, and putting up pivots, have had a tremendous effect on the farm.
PP: Have you observed changes in the number, size and type of farms that are found in your immediate locale? What is your attitude toward any trends you may have noticed?
JV: The farms are getting bigger, but in our area the number of farms stay fairly constant. It is about keeping up with cost-margins, you have to expand or become better at what you do to survive.
Jacobus with wife Juls and their kids Luka and JC.
PP: In another world, where you were not a farmer, what work do you think you would do?
JV: Something outdoors, maybe game ranger or vet.
PP: What are the most difficult and most satisfying aspects of farming for you?
JV: Most difficult: trying to find the middle road in keeping everyone involved on the farm happy and motivated. Most satisfying: Seeing positive results after doing the initial work to get something going, for example seed germinating after planting, cows producing milk from pastures, new developments kicking in.
Jacobus and myself discussing pasture and soil management.
PP: What advice could you give to any young person interested in getting into farming?
JV: There is a bright future in farming, because everybody must eat! You are rewarded for putting in an effort to accomplish something. You get to work close to nature, and through working close to nature, it becomes easy to see God’s hand in everything around us.
Portia Phohlo
Portia Phohlo
Portia is a Trace and Save researcher and has been part of the team that works on the Woodlands Dairy sustainability project for the past 4 years. She studied B.Sc in Agriculture where she majored in crop and soil science at the University of Fort Hare. She went on to do her honors and master’s degree in soil science at the University of the Free State. She is very passionate about soil health and soil microbiology and believes that applying soil health principles will rehabilitate degraded soils.
In her free time, Portia loves catching up on House of Cards and The Walking Dead series. The latter she says she finds it fascinating how a dead decomposed organic material can still be conscious, this actually breaks all rules of microbiology according to her. When she’s not watching that, she enjoys watching motivational videos from Ted, especially ones by her idols Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Brene Brown.
Contact Portia on any of her social media platforms or alternatively email her at [email protected]
Facebook: Portia Tsidi Phohlo
Twitter: @motsedisi
LinkedIn: Portia Phohlo
Portia Phohlo
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Her path to the nomination inevitable no more, Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to announce she is ending her groundbreaking candidacy and supporting Barack Obama, her rival in a presidential quest for the ages.
Clinton prepared to declare Saturday that she is backing the Illinois senator after Democratic congressional colleagues made clear they had no stomach for a protracted intraparty battle once Obama secured the 2,118 delegates necessary to clinch the nomination.
A presidential contender who announced 17 months ago that she was “in it to win it,” the former first lady plans to end her quest with a more humble plea for party unity.
In truth, she had little choice.
Hours after Obama sealed the nomination, Democrats coalesced around his candidacy, sending a strong signal to Clinton that it was time to bow out. The New York senator told House Democrats during a private conference call Wednesday that she would express support for Obama’s candidacy and congratulate him for gathering the necessary delegates to be the party’s nominee.
Also in the speech, Clinton will urge once-warring Democrats to focus on the general election and defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
The only degree of uncertainty was how. Clinton is exploring options to retain her delegates and promote her issues, including a signature call for universal health care.
The announcement closed an epic five-month nominating battle pitting the first serious female candidate against the most viable black contender ever.
Obama on Tuesday night secured the delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. But Clinton stopped short of acknowledging that milestone, defiantly insisting she was better positioned to defeat McCain in November.
“What does Hillary want? What does she want?” Clinton asked, hours after telling supporters she’d be open to joining Obama as his vice presidential running mate.
But by Wednesday, other Democrats made it abundantly clear they wanted something too: a swift end to the often bitter nominating contest.
Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean and the Democratic congressional leadership released a statement urging the party to rally behind Obama, and several lawmakers, including Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, all endorsed their Illinois colleague.
Obama also announced he had named a three-person vice presidential vetting team that included Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President Kennedy.
On the telephone call with impatient congressional supporters that included New York Rep. Charles Rangel, a longtime political patron, Clinton was urged to draw a close to the contentious campaign, or at least express support for Obama. Her decision to acquiesce caught many in the campaign by surprise and left the campaign scrambling to finalize the logistics and specifics behind her campaign departure.
It was an inauspicious end for a candidacy that appeared all but indestructible when it began Jan. 20, 2007.
Armed with celebrity, a prodigious fundraising network, a battle-tested campaign team and husband who also was a popular two-term former president, Clinton was believed by many observers to be unbeatable.
But in Obama, the New York senator faced an opponent who appeared perfectly suited to the time — a charismatic newcomer who had opposed the Iraq war from the beginning — in contrast to her — and who offered voters a compelling message of change. Clinton voted for the legislation that authorized military force against Iraq, a decision that hampered her campaign from the beginning.
After a disastrous showing in the leadoff Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, Clinton won New Hampshire’s primary Jan. 8, setting off the state-by-state war of attrition with Obama that followed.
Her fortunes rose and fell like a fever chart: She was up in Nevada, down in South Carolina. Then, after a roughly even finish on Super Tuesday Feb. 5, she suffered a string of unanswered losses that, almost before Clinton noticed, put Obama so far ahead in the delegate hunt that all the big-state victories she piled up couldn’t close the delegate gap.
By March, her options limited, Clinton adopted the persona of a tenacious fighter for the middle class. She powered successfully through primaries in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, showing grit that earned her valuable political currency.
White men, blue-collar workers, socially conservative Democrats and older women were especially receptive to her message, and her strong showing with those voters exposed Obama’s vulnerabilities among those groups.
Democrats whose No. 1 concern had been ending the Iraq war at the campaign’s outset started worrying more about the economy. That was a switch from Obama’s strength to hers.
2. Ted, if he’s a jerk in his own time, what’s he doing on our’s? ‘Our’s’, as in government time.
3. I fail to see a connection there. How does this impact the FCC if the jerk did it on his own time?
4. "What does Hillary want? What does she want?"
Her money back?
"Her campaign’s financially in a hole, and once he’s elected, a sitting president can do a lot to help a financially strapped candidate. (There’s talk about the Obama Campaign picking up her debts which would violate election law; but there’s nothing to prevent him from helping her afterwards.)"
How does she get her money back that she owes and that the campaign owes her?
What happens to Hillary Clinton’s debt when the primaries are over?
Must be a big reason why she won’t bow out?
Bryan McClellan:
"Where the Sam hell is the FCC?"
They have their own set of troubles to deal with these days:
Ponzi scheme by the chief of staff for the chairman there?
5. What more proof do we need that our electoral, government watchdog, and our judicial processes are broken.
One sides pukes foul the airwaves with lies and half truths so the other pack of rabid skunks sprays their brand of funk everywhere to counter the assault.
Where the Sam hell is the FCC? They are tasked with policing the info realm but do nothing about blatant lying and the juggling of facts.
Hell no ,some celebrities kid just showed her bare back to the world, thats child abuse, we don’t care that some radio dickhead or politician just stuck his/her bare ass out to the people and said KISS IT!
When politicians and so called personalities lie they need to be confronted and adjudicated accordingly.
If the useless ACLU really wanted to make a meaningful difference they would go after any and all who parse the truth and then present their version to the American people without fear of retribution.
This is not some dime store novella we’re talking about.
This is our beloved nation dammit.
Where oh where is Joe Friday? Just the facts maam.
6. I like the reference to “Third Grade Terrorism,” and think we need to make it a consistent and demeaning response to that kind of right-swing slime (i.e., “Sandbox Terrorism,” “Playground Terrorism,” “Street Corner Terrorism,”or any other settings where the bullies congregate.)
More to the point, though, we as opponents to Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy have got to back off on the slurs. She ran a tough campaign; withstood a lot of crap from our side; and brought out as many Democratic voters (More, in fact!), as did Obama.
I’d like to see her formally close out her campaign, rather than “suspend” it. The former is a genuinely public acceptance of reality; the other holds the implication that Mr. Ickes and a “rump” coalition of delegates could cause a problem with the Rules Committee during the Democratic Convention. A formal ending and transfer of her delegate strength means a unanimous first ballot (by acclimation) in Denver, and that gives a candidate even more “bounce.”
I don’t think she’d be an asset on the ticket; and probably knows that herself. Instead, she should be encouraged to help in the VP candidate selection. (Add her or one of her surrogates to the team headed up by Caroline Kennedy)
I think she’ll be a powerful resource for the Obama Administration (Wow! That felt good!), but she can also go back to the United States Senate with incredible “juice.” Harry Reid should be replaced — unless, perhaps, he can deliver the Blue Dogs Democrats to the Obama Campaign — and she’s an obvious figure to do so. She certainly can pick any committee she wants to chair, and in the longer run, it will give her substantial influence over a wide array of national policies.
Further, she’s still the junior Senator from New York, with a safe seat; and with a few more years of legislative seasoning, she can leave the Senate for the Supreme Court or a Cabinet position. So it’s because she has the thirst for individual recognition, public service, and political power for herself that I think she’ll wait rather than stand second in rank to Obama.
I can only guess how tough it will be for her to enthusiastically campaign for him. Wasn’t it Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian who said “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the ONLY thing?” But her support can’t be grudging or tepid. Her campaign’s financially in a hole, and once he’s elected, a sitting president can do a lot to help a financially strapped candidate. (There’s talk about the Obama Campaign picking up her debts which would violate election law; but there’s nothing to prevent him from helping her afterwards.)
Finally, Hillary Clinton will need to come to terms with her colleagues who went with Obama, and especially those who were with her and then switched. In politics, where your word really is your bond but reversals of position are common, she’ll need to find a way to forgive and move on. (Notice I didn’t say forget… Sometimes you have to hand even your friends a little “payback.”)
I think American society really is at a crossroads. If Democrats can’t coalesce behind Barack Obama, then we deserve everything that will happen under a McCain regime.
7. ADB:
Bad suggestion. Obama already has a Clinton-associated & bad choice on that team, in the form of Eric Holder. This from Dick Morris today over on newsmax.com:
“As deputy attorney general, Holder was the key person who made the pardon of Marc Rich possible in the final hours of the Clinton presidency.”
Enough of that sort of sleaze. And it makes me wonder about BO’s team of advisers. How changeworthy, really, is he? Aren’t some of them just more of the same old, with links to the CFR etc? He needs to clear himself of all manner of taint, to earn the full respect of the American people in a sweeping clean of the ugly old order.
Comments are closed.
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Hardwood Floors & flooring
Oil Soap Safety: A User's Guide for Clean Hardwood Floors
by Sherin Hylan
using sponge to clean wood floor
With the vast array of cleaners available today, consumers need to be aware of how to properly use their products to avoid health hazards and damaging surfaces. Murphy® Oil Soap is one natural cleaner that's effective on hardwood floors and more when used as instructed. It's always important to know what's in your product and how to use it the right way.
Murphy® Oil Soap safety starts with its makeup: The original formula gets its strength and consistency through water, cleaning agents derived from coconut and plants, natural fragrances and 2-percent synthetic ingredients. These ingredients are free of harsh chemicals such as phosphate, ammonia and bleach, which can actually damage and discolor gentler types of wood. The cleaner is also biodegradable, making it safe for the environment when discarded.
What's in It?
So, what's inside the bottle? The product specifically includes water, sodium tallate, trisodium MGDA and lauramidopropyl dimethylamine oxide. Don't be intimidated by the latter; this purifying agent is nontoxic and devoid of health concerns, according to GoodGuide. Based on these ingredients, the product has received approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bear the Designed for the Environment (DfE) logo. This indicates products that contain chemicals from the EPA's "safer chemical ingredients list," which ensures there are no potential human and environmental effects.
What Can You Use It On?
The Original Formula is safe for finished wood, tile and linoleum surfaces. How can you tell if you have finished wood? These floors have been sealed with a water-resistant film, such as a polyurethane coating. If you're unsure of your finish, place a drop of water on the surface. If it absorbs the water, it's not finished, and Murphy® Oil Soap should not be used yet. If the droplet beads up, you should still test the product in an inconspicuous area to be sure your floor isn't water-sensitive. When testing, follow the dilution directions below, and keep in mind that the product should only be used on intact wood finishes.
Safety Directions
The key to realizing Murphy® Oil Soap safety, in items like Original Formula, is to understand it is a concentrate that has to be diluted with warm water. The recommended dilution is 1/4 cup per gallon of water, but shoot for 1/2 cup per gallon of water for heavier cleanings or sturdier woods like oak or rosewood. When cleaning hardwood floors, use a lightly damp microfiber cloth or mop, and wring any excess water out before applying it to the floor; too much moisture can warp a wood surface if it is left there.
Additional Precautions
Murphy® Oil Soap Original Formula is safe for your home if used as directed. However, under certain circumstances, it can cause skin and/or eye irritation. If ingested or in contact with allergies, it can also cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, exercise the following safety precautions:
• Keep the product out of reach of pets and children.
• In case of ingestion, drink a glass of water to dilute and seek medical attention.
• Avoid contact with your skin and eyes.
• Rinse your skin if it's in prolonged contact with the product.
• If you get it in your eyes, rinse them out with water for up to 15 minutes.
Use your product in a well-ventilated area, too. Fresh wood smells great, and the product's fragrances are natural, but they can be potent if used in smaller rooms.
What About Residue?
One critical question when finding an effective hardwood floor cleaner is whether it will leave a residue. When diluted properly, Murphy® Oil Soap Original Formula does not leave a residue. Despite the fact that it is called "oil soap," there is no "free oil" left behind. If you see a residue after applying Murphy® Oil Soap for the first time, it's likely that another cleaner was previously used. This is why it's always important to test a small discreet area first.
Not all hardwood is created equal, and neither are their respective cleaners. This product strives to maintain the same level of care to your home as it does to the people living in it. Have you used Murphy® Oil Soap Original Formula? Share your experience.
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Web Technology Year in Review: 2013
2013 has shown us some fascinating new tools and technologies.
This year at Panoptic, we’ve been able to work on some awesome projects for organizations like Ride Connection and Lifespan. Our engineering team has been able to play with lots of interesting technologies, so here’s a quick run-down of three favorites.
1. Rails Admin
Rails Admin is a feature-packed administrative interface generator for Ruby on Rails applications. When one of our Rails apps needed a back-end interface for data entry and data management, Rails Admin saved us a ton of time. Rails Admin auto-discovers your data models, figures out what types of fields to use for different data types and associations, and is simple to configure. Searching, filtering, and spreadsheet export also come out-of-the-box. We really like Rails Admin because it strikes a good balance between a simple setup and powerful features.
Above: Rails Admin list view.
2. Meteor.js
Meteor.js is a open-source web app framework built on node.js, intended for real-time applications. Unlike many front-end Javascript frameworks such as Ember.js or Backbone.js, Meteor exists on both the server and client-sides. This allows developers to maintain a single codebase, written in a single programming language, for both the front- and back-ends of web applications. Meteor.js automatically syncs data between the database and all active clients, allowing you to easily create some amazing demos of real-time software. We haven’t built any client applications with Meteor yet, but our engineering team has been building some prototypes and is itching to get something released!
Read more about Meteor at meteor.com.
3. Django 1.5.x and 1.6.x
Django is a full-stack web framework built-in Python. It combines a robust ORM, advanced templating features, and a very powerful admin interface, allowing it to perform well in many problem domains. We’ve been using Django for several years at Panoptic, but the 1.5.x and 1.6.x releases this year saw some amazing features released. In particular, we were delighted to hear that database schema migrations are now part of Django core. Additionally, these releases included improved geospatial features, a configurable admin user model, and Python 3 support.
Above: Editing geospatial data in the Django admin interface. Check out more detailed Django documentation at djangoproject.com.
This summarizes just a few of the new technologies we’ve been playing with in 2013. What new technologies have excited your team this year?
Get the bonus e-book: Soup to Nuts: Taking an Application Idea to Reality
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"El Nino Was Unusually Active in Possible Link to Climate Change"
"The El Nino weather pattern that can bring drought to Australia and rain to South America was 'unusually active' at the end of the 20th century, possibly due to climate change, a University of Hawaii study found."
"Researchers studied 2,222 tree-ring records as proxies for temperature and rainfall over the past 700 years, the university wrote in an online statement dated yesterday. The records indicate the El Nino-Southern Oscillation weather phenomenon has been increasingly active in recent decades relative to the past seven centuries.
The drought associated with El Nino’s warm phase can cause smaller rice crops in Asia and cut wheat production in Australia, while the rains can cause flooding in South America and weaker cold ocean currents reduce anchovy catches off Peru. Accurately forecasting El Nino is challenging because it varies naturally over decades and centuries, the university said."
Rudy Ruitenberg reports for Bloomberg Businessweek July 1, 2013.
"El Nino More Active In 20th Century Than In Previous 700 Years" (RedOrbit)
"Global Warming May Be Triggering Unusually Active El Ninos" (AccuWeather)
"Tree Rings Reveal El Niño Tied To Recent Global Warming" (Christian Science Monitor)
Source: Bloomberg, 07/03/2013
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"Friends Remember Slain Mexican Activist as Dedicated, Honest Man"
"TORONTO - A Mexican man who strongly opposed the presence of a Canadian company in his hometown felt sure his activism would lead to his murder but was willing to pay that price to protest what he regarded to be human rights abuses, friends said Thursday.
Activist Mariano Abarca Roblero, 51, was gunned down in front of his home in southern Chiapas last month.
The community leader had been campaigning against a barite mine operated by a subsidiary of Calgary-based Blackfire Exploration. The three men arrested in Abarca Roblero's death have ties to Blackfire. The company denies any connection to the killing and is adamant the mine is being run in an environmentally responsible way. "
Romina Maurino had the story for the Canadian Press December 11, 2009.
Source: Canadian Press, 12/11/2009
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How to Choose a Hostel
You’ve just arrived into a new country/city/town/location and you need to find a hostel. If you’re like most backpackers, money is tight and you don’t want to settle for the first place you come across, but you also don’t mind spending an extra dollar or two if it comes with some wonderful perks such as free WiFi or hot showers. So what exactly should you look for when searching out a hostel? Here are ten little things to keep in mind when you do your research.
1. Shop Around
Whatever you do, don’t settle for the first place you come across (unless you did your research in advance). I can pretty much guarantee you will find something that is closer, cheaper, better, and nicer if you shop around. It takes a bit more time and effort, but it’s worth it if you’re going to be spending more than one night there.
2. Cost
This is a pretty obvious thing to ask about when you get to the hostel. But don’t necessarily always pick the cheapest place even if you’re trying to save money as you’re probably missing out on a few things if you always go for the cheapest option. The dollar or two you save might end up getting spent on internet because they didn’t have free WiFi. I paid $1 US for a bed outside with a mosquito net when I was in Cambodia, but I also watched a giant rat run across the top of my outdoor shower when I was freshening up. You get what you pay for.
3. Location
Location is a really important aspect when choosing a hostel. You don’t want to have to worry about taking a cab or a complicated bus system to the things you want to see and do in a new city. If you can find a hostel close to everything you want to do and can simply walk there, you will save more time and money. Also important is making sure the area you are staying in is safe. For a perfect example of not doing this, check out my article on the Hooker Hotel in Honduras I stayed at.
4. WiFi or Internet Access
In these glory days of instantaneous connection to loved ones back home, finding a hostel with free WiFi or free access to a computer with internet is pretty important. If I can pay an extra dollar or two a night but be guaranteed internet, I will gladly spend the money. I am a tech junkie so I need to have my daily dose of internet reality. But if you’re wanting to get unplugged for a little while, then choosing a hostel without internet is a perfect option as well.
5. Hot Showers
This is one of those little luxury things that I really really want in a hostel. I get it, you’re in a tropical destination, it’s incredibly hot outside, so a cold shower doesn’t seem too bad, does it? Yes, it does. No matter how many cool or cold showers I have, I will never get used to them, so I always tend to ask if they have hot water. It might seem a bit pretentious but shaving your legs with goosebumps is neither fun nor effective.
6. Free Breakfast
There is nothing like a free breakfast to rouse hungover or exhausted travelers from their tiny little beds. In fact, I don’t think I know anyone, backpacker or not, who doesn’t like a free breakfast. It might simply be toast and jam, but it’s pretty thoughtful of the place to supply you with the most important meal of the day. Just remember to leave some for the patrons who didn’t wake as early as you did.
7. Social Scene
If you’re traveling on your own, a hostel that has a good social atmosphere is a great place to meet other travelers and have a fun night or two out on the town. The only downside to hostels like these is they often have bars on their main floor and it might not be the easiest to get a good night’s sleep with the base from the bar speakers rattling your windows at 4am. Not all have bars in them though but social hostels also tend to have more people stumbling into the dorm room in the wee hours of the morning waking you up. And late morning sleepers. I’ve seen people sleep until mid-afternoon and you always feel like you’re disturbing them when you want to turn the light on at 2pm to find your stuff.
8. Safety
Along with making sure your hostel is in a good location, safety is another thing to think about when choosing a hostel. Do you get a key to the front door if you’re planning on staying out late? Or do they have a curfew you need to be back by? Is there someone on staff all night long in case something happens? Does the hostel offer up a secure safe or personal lockers in the room if there is no lock on your dorm door? Safety both around and in the hostel are important things to consider when choosing where to sleep and store your stuff while you’re checking out the sites.
9. Private vs. Public Bathrooms
If you’re room is private, then yes, a private bathroom is always much nicer than sharing with someone down the hall, although you might pay more for this feature. But you might also think having a private bathroom in your dorm room is the best option, but I disagree. Sharing one bathroom between 8 to 12 people is not very convenient or practical; especially if someone is getting up early to leave and needs to blow dry their hair after their noisy shower. And when your sleep isn’t being disturbed, you’re usually waiting in the queue to use the toilet or mirror or shower. So pick a public bathroom over private when you’re in a dorm.
10. Communal Kitchen
This is a nice option whether you plan to cook all your meals or only want to store some snacks in the refrigerator. A communal kitchen will save you a lot of money on eating out when you’re traveling. If I had to eat out while I traveled through Australia and New Zealand, I would have only been able to travel for a month or two instead of half a year. Kitchens in hostels make it possible to eat healthy, offer ease of mind if you have dietary restrictions and cannot comfortably dine out, and are awesome places to meet other people staying there as well. Just remember to clean up after you’ve finished using so it’s tidy for the next person. Not sure on hostel kitchen etiquette? I’ve got you covered here.
And lastly, two other little things to think about when choosing a hostel is whether they have 24 hour electricity and mosquito nets. Some remote areas won’t have power until they turn the generators on in the evening. This especially comes into play when you need to charge your laptop or camera battery, so make sure to take advantage of the few hours of electricity there are. Also of note is making sure there are mosquito nets over beds when in malaria and dengue fever zones. Nothing ruins a vacation more than a trip to the hospital or an early trip home because you caught malaria.
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capilano salmon hatchery
Its a place that brings back childhood memories. Both Anita and I havent been to the Capilano Salmon Hatchery in years. Despite the rainy weather we walked around and explored the area for a couple of hours. I'm not sure if the place has changed a lot since we were little, but it certainly looks like it has. Maybe it just goes down to what you pay attention to as a child and what you pay attention to as an adult. The conversations that we had were very inspiring, as was the location. I'm definitely going to have to go back there for a shoot some time!
Wilson Lau
Vancouver, Canada
Photographer of weddings, and people alike.
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City of Eldorn
Session 5: Ransack in Crateport
Yesterday you awoke in the sewers, moved through the empty streets and past the vacant houses of the city of Eldorn. Cri’to Wak’in told you that Rose petals are a powerful mixture for defeating demons. He also told you that a shining man had had his wings removed from his back and sold you some of the “feathers”. Leaving Peram Em’ori to tend to his wounded soldiers and rejoin the rest of the Holy Army. He was grateful to you and promised you protection should the day come later. Before leaving Rogdor, spirit of might, unleashed Fraggle’s inner fire by touching the Rogdor’s orb. Likewise, Ander spend some time with Cri’to learning to his voodoo. This shamanistic spirit magic, complemented Ander’s previous understanding of divine magic and allowed him to command spirits to manipulate nature and heal wounds.
Climbing or walking in the case of Nero’s horse, you took to the road and began to chase Ransack and his Bal’Orc band across Eldorn. At first they had the advantage. The Bal’Orc rode the backs of Dire Wolves and the large thick skinned ridge nosed elephant-like kodo. Yet as hours past Ander’s tracking skills, and knack for finding shortcuts that Ransack could not take began to pay off. After being stopped in the dangerous elven territory of the elf Sylvias, you convinced him to sell you a trio of elvish horses in exchange for your Eldite Pendants.
After a rocky start, your horses eventually reached the top of a steep incline, pierced by stone. You came upon a group of Bal’Orc, dressed as they typically would, and their Kodo. After putting up a fight, in which Fraggle became quite wounded, our adventurers claimed Ransack would have reinforcements as they neared their base. Whether this was true would wait for another day, the party took refuge in the shadow of a rocky pertrusion and slept for the night. When they awoke the next day they realized that Fraggle’s tent and horse, and well… Fraggle were no where to be seen.
Meanwhile in a fort not too far from the waking adventurers, Fraggle wakes to see a halfling of unusual leanness with a large book walks into the room. He opens the book before you pulls out his glasses and says… “Alright let’s get this over with. Where are you from?”
Fraggle at length answers “The Quiet Hills”. The hobbit responds “Foreigner eh? Alright I”ll read the rights that Copernica offers you."
You have the right to a fair trial in the coming days. As Pelor as a witness, your testimony begins here to the Sentinel, keeper of the Peace, may be used in court for or against you. As a foreign resident you do not have the legal rights to an advocate on your behalf. The Holy Empire of Copernica is under no obligation to recognize your rights from other realms. Notwithstanding (that means “in spite of that”, we recognize that your realm is entitled to the peace of Pelor and our Peace Keepers will not unduly cause you harm nor prevent you from the seeking of Holiness that Pelor allows you. May Righteousness Protect us.
Got that out of the way. Andrei, your turn! "
Andrei walks in. He demands that Fraggle tell him why he was trespassing in their territory without going through customs. His hatred for elves blinds him though and he refuses to believe that Fraggle might not be moving through the area for any reason other than trouble. Fraggle also tells him that he has no traveling companions, which he also won’t believe. Despite Fraggle’s requests for a copy of the law, Andrei grows tired of the lack of information and tries to torture it out using a divine spell to burn Fraggle arm. Fraggle hits Andrei back and Andrei has him beaten and taken to his cage.
Meanwhile the group has gotten lost in the woods. Nero has grown strangely silent, and Ander and Kid have begun to argue. Soon they run across a trail leading to the fort. They meet a surprisingly friendly half-elf in a dark cloak. Illidan, as he is named, tells the group that Fraggle has been carried to the fort. Kid, who doesn’t want to lose Ransack, argues with Ander, but eventually (based on a die roll) they decide to save Fraggle.
Kid and Illidan dress as Holy Guard soldiers in a careful plan to save Fraggle. Yet the plan begins to go awry once in the fort. When Andrei realizes that they are not soldiers of the Holy Army, he calls his men to arms. But in the nick of time, Nero enters speaking in a commanding yet gentle voice. He speaks of a greater threat that must be dealt with and after a few minutes he, much to Fraggle’s surprise, allows them all to leave without a trial. A greater threat would be dealt with that day.
They then traveled from the forest, across the fields and into the town of Crateport. It wasn’t long before they had ascertained the location Ransack and his crew from the townspeople.
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Story#35: The Rainbow
A rainbow appeared in the sky. It was big and bold and beautiful, as rainbows often are.
Because it was new to the world, the rainbow knew nothing. It especially did not know that it’s life was finite and would be ending very soon.
A jaded storm cloud, who was jealous of the rainbow’s colors, decided to mess with the rainbow.
“You can live forever,” the storm cloud smirked. “If you follow the horizon until you touch the sun.” Which of course was impossible.
But because the rainbow did not know that the sun was millions of miles away, the rainbow tried to chase the sun. It stretched as hard as it could into the distance causing its bright colors to slowly fade.
The rainbow could hear the storm cloud laughing as it began to disappear.
The next day, a second rainbow appeared.
The bitter storm cloud played his trick again.
And the second rainbow vanished into the ether.
The storm cloud tricked countless rainbows this way until one day a mountaintop saw what he had done.
“Stop!” the mountaintop boomed. Few elements on the planet were as old and wise as this mountaintop. He immediately saw through the storm cloud’s ruse.
“Come and rest yourself on my mountaintop,” he said to the rainbow. “And I will tell you tales of hope and happiness.”
So the rainbow joined the mountaintop who told the rainbow the truth of rainbows: “They are short but sweet.”
This rainbow lasted much longer than the ones who had come before. And when it faded, it left the world with joy as opposed to fear which left the hapless storm cloud wanting.
As a result the storm cloud also disappeared from the world, never again to bother another rainbow.
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Nine ways to improve your speech
Very often when people want to become a better speaker, they miss a very important fact: to become a good speaker, you need to deliver good speeches. To become a great speaker, you need to deliver great speeches.
The speech is the building block of becoming a better speaker. There really is no other way to become a better speaker, except to continue to work on your speeches.
Over my years competing in speech contests and now speaking professionally as a keynote speaker and trainer, I have learned nine ways that you can greatly improve your speeches.
1) Speech Drilling
Speech drilling is a term I learned from 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking, Lance Miller. It entails standing in your living room delivering your speech alone (or a faithful family member or pet).
Speech drilling gives you the chance to go over the most important parts and get them memorized. This is especially important for the opening, close and key message sections.
One thing I’ve learned to do is to drill my speeches in two-minute blocks. This gives me a better sense of flow and also reduces the amount I need to memorize in one go.
Depending upon your commitment level, I’d suggest daily speech drilling for at least a week before your speech.
2) Running the Speech
Running the speech is when you deliveri the speech live to a group. This might be a practice run, or it might be the real thing. Either way, doing it live will make it feel and sound different than delivering it alone.
Whenever I have a big speech coming up, such as a TEDx talk or contest speech, I will deliver the speech to a live audience three or more times before the big day. By doing this, I will get a feel for how it sounds out loud, the timing, and how each part lands with the audience.
3) Getting Fresh Feedback
If you are a Toastmaster, you are probably somewhat used to getting feedback. But what I heave learned over the years is that there are two different types of feedback.
The first is what I call ‘Fresh Feedback’. This is when you present to an audience who haven’t seen the speech before. The benefit of doing this is that you get honest reactions to laughs and the emotional moments. You will have more impact on your audience the first time the hear a speech. You can often gauge their reaction as you are speaking. If you want to really get benefit from this type of group, you want to ask things like:
‘What do you remember most?’
‘What was the most important part for you?’
‘What was confusing or didn’t make sense?’
4) Getting Comparative Feedback
The next type of feedback is what I call ‘Comparative Feedback’. This is when you are presenting to a group who have seen the speech, or have seen you speak before.
On repeated listenings, a group will laugh less and your key phrases won’t land as heavily for them. However, they will have a better perspective and be able to offer more nuanced feedback.
To get the most benefit from this type of group, you might want to ask things like:
‘What was better this time?’
‘Did anything seem missing this time?’
‘What stood out this time when you saw it?’
5) Video Review
Perhaps the most difficult part of being a speaker is watching your own videos. Many new speakers really resist listening to or watching their speeches on video.
But think about it: if you expect an audience to watch and listen to you, you better be willing to do it yourself!
Always record your speeches, even with just a cell phone. Look at your videos both for strengths and improvements. As painful as it can be, watching a video of your speech is one of the fastest ways to craft better speeches. Go easy on yourself, and watch each speech video through at least once.
6) Written Draft Revisions
It is amazing how few speakers actually write out their speech word for word. It is time-consuming, but when your speech is written out, it will naturally become more concise.
You will be amazed to see errors on the page that aren’t obvious in verbal speech.
You will also find ways to shorten and give more punch to the phrases. Remember that most of the most famous speeches in history were actually read out loud, after being written and re-written.
Take the time to write out any speech you want to be taken seriously. You will see a big improvement in your delivery after you’ve finished writing and reading it over a few times.
7) Studying Speaking and Fringe activities
This is a tip that I believe sets me apart from a lot of other aspiring speakers. I am always aiming to learn from the experts in the field of speaking. For a small amount of money, you can read books and watch or listen to training programs on speaking from some of the worlds best speakers.
Once you have learned more about public speaking, you can also look to activities that are similar to speaking. I call these ‘Fringe Activities’.
You can explore acting, writing, poetry, improv, stand-up comedy, and anything else that can help to give you new perspectives. You might be amazed to see how something used in a similar activity can teach you a valuable lesson about speaking.
8) Shortening and Lengthening the Speech
This particular technique I learned from my friend and fellow speaker Ryan Foland. He is the master of teaching people to share an idea in a short amount of time.
Try writing different versions of your speech. Try to write 1-minute, 5-minute, 15-minute and 45-minute versions. The shorter versions will give you clarity and brevity. You will find key phrases stand out when you trim the speech.
Whatever remains in the shorter versions should form the core messages that the longer versions are built around. The longer versions will give you a chance to give more useful information.
9) Coaching and Mentoring
This final tip is for those who have a desire to really take their speeches and speaking skills to a higher level. Having a more experienced speaker give you direct feedback is incredibly valuable. For this reason, it usually also costs money.
Getting professional coaching can cut your learning curve and give you an advantage of their experience. Personally, I have worked with several high-level speaking coaches and interviewed several expert speakers.
Every time I have invested the money and time, the benefit has far outweighed the cost.
I hope these nine ideas help you see there are many methods that can help improve your speeches. You might want to choose two or three of these methods to start with and then build on them over time.
Remember that as a speaker, the measure of your skills is the quality of your actual speeches. The more time you spend focussed on improving them, the more often people will tell you that you are a good speaker.
Daniel Midson-Short
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<![CDATA[Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac.]]>https://jenfocklerlac.com/blog/en-usSat, 20 Jan 2018 22:24:54 +0000Sat, 20 Jan 2018 22:24:54 +0000<![CDATA[Winter Skin 2018]]>rough winter skin
Winter is the season of the Kidneys. It’s dark and cold and hibernation is a natural response. In the northern climes, we like to stay inside and eat and Netflix, (at least this is my standard operating procedure.)
The cold temps and dry air put strain on the body in very different ways from the damp and hot summer months. Because winter is the time of the Kidneys, you can experience problems related to this organ system more easily.
One thing that I really struggle with in the winter, is dry skin and a dry nose and throat. In Chinese Medicine, the Kidneys and the Lungs have a special relationship and work together to generate qi and disperse fluids to the skin and rest of the body.
The lungs are the first stop in qi production, in the most basic terms, if you can't breathe, you can't live. Part of the lungs’ job is to moisten the skin and it does this by sending fluids down to the Kidneys. The kidneys filter it and send the fluids back up to the lungs, where the lungs disperse it to the skin, nose and throat.
The Lungs are at a disadvantage with the very dry air. Normally, the humidity will assist the lungs by moistening the nasal passages, throat and skin, so they don't have to work so hard. In the winter, the lungs need to make up for this loss by calling on more fluids from the kidneys. If the kidneys don’t have the extra to give, then things can dry up. The kidneys will hold the fluids for the more important functions of urination.
There are some pretty easy and practical things you can do to help keep moisture in the air and help your skin.
-Use a humidifier, especially in the bedroom while you are sleeping. You don’t have to get fancy here, a basic warm mist humidifier is what you want. I leave mine running 24/7 in the bedroom.
In other parts of the house you can go old school by running the shower with the bathroom door open or boiling a big pot of water on the stove.
You will be able to feel the difference in the air. It will feel warmer and more comfortable with less static electricity.
-Push fluids and really make an effort to stay hydrated. You want to aim for 3 liters of water a day. This can happen in many forms like hot water and lemon, herbal teas, coconut water, smart water, etc. The only thing to stay away from is cold and sugary drinks. Ice is no bueno and doesn’t feel good on your stomach when its already so cold outside.
I would also caution you about caffeine. It's easy to overdo it when you want something hot, but in the long run it can be very dehydrating.
Another thing to watch is the dairy. Hot milk can be amazing on a cold day with or without the espresso, but this can rack up calories pretty fast and add to mucus production.
-Skip the soap, wash with oils instead. Soaps are very drying to the skin, stripping your natural oils that you need to create a healthy barrier. Use soap only in the groin area and under the arms. And use an option that is less drying.
On the face, use jojoba oil. Apply it sparingly and massage into your skin. Drape a hot wash cloth over your face and wait 10 seconds. Wipe off the excess oil with the warm wash cloth. If you need to moisturize after, you can use a few drops of the jojoba and rub into the skin. Go lighter than you think, too much oil will sit on the surface of your skin.
This is also a great oil to rub into the hairline and scalp if you have dryness there as well. Apply sparingly to your hair to help tame flyaways.
For the body, use a sugar scrub with avocado oil. This is so cheap and easy to make at home, you will never buy it again.
Fill an empty jar or tupperware bowl with sugar, leave an inch of room at the top. Insert a butter knife or spoon in the center to create a little room in the sugar. Pour the avocado oil down the side of the knife or spoon to help it reach the sugar at the bottom. Jiggle the knife or spoon around and repeat, guiding the oil for an even consistency. Add as much oil as you like, depending on the size of your jar and the amount of sugar. If you have really dry skin, add more. If you want more scrubbing action, add less oil. Put the top on and it's ready to go!
Use anywhere on your body and rinse off in the shower. Pat dry, so that the oil stays on the skin to moisturize and protect. *The shower floor will be slippery, please use caution*
You can experiment with the type of oil you use and/or change it seasonally. Avocado oil is heavy and that makes it nice in the winter. In the summer you can try grape seed oil or extra virgin olive oil. Whichever you use, the oil needs to be liquid at room temp, or it will clog the pipes. That means no coconut oil!
You can experiment with the type of sugar you use as well, its just what feels good. Some sugar has a larger grain to it than others. Sometimes I like to add a little baking soda too, usually in the summer. Another nice substitute, is salt. It becomes more drying and astringent, but feels great on the feet in the summer.
Have fun and experiment. You can add essential oils, flower buds, use a mix of oils, french clay, etc.
-Use your dietary choices to help keep you hydrated and full. Eat a lot of soups and stews, heavy on the veggies and broth. The water content fills you up faster and keeps you satisfied, in fact this is an old dieter's trick. This time of year, everybody wants to diet and/or do a cleanse anyways, so kill two birds with one stone.
Go easy on the dairy and fatty foods, they can lead to too much mucus production which burdens the lungs. But make sure you are getting your good fats, those are essential for the skin, like avocado.
And don’t forget the fiber! Beans and veggies are great in soups and stews. The fiber will help pull toxins out of the body, so they don’t have to come out through the skin.
-Use a filtered shower head. In Chicago we have heavily chlorinated water that is also very hard. It’s brutal in the winter! A filtered shower head can make a big difference in how comfortable you are in your skin, literally. I use an inexpensive version by Culligan that I got on Amazon. It was super easy to install and the filter gets replaced every 6 months or so. You can buy fancy versions if you want to upgrade, but if it’s you’re first time, just see if you like it before you buy the best or biggest one.
Our lungs, along with our kidney system in Chinese Medicine, work together to make up a big part of our immune system. An intact physical barrier is a crucial part of that system. If we are taking care of our skin, we are not only more comfortable, but also more healthy. The simple hacks listed above are easy to do and can add up to big changes.
If your skin needs extra help in the winter, come and see me for a treatment. I also have some amazing products that are chemical and preservative free for the face and the body. Check out Emily Skin Soothers and Angelica & Peony.
<![CDATA[November Acutake Newsletter]]>November Acutake Newsletter, Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac. in Chicago, IL
Acupuncture Makes You More Grateful
Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac. offers Acupuncture in Chicago, IL
Acupuncture is a great teacher on gratitude.
The driving idea behind acupuncture is that we already have everything we need to be well. In contrast to biomedicine, which prioritizes external interventions, acupuncture takes what’s already there and rearranges it into something positive.
Acupuncture doesn’t add or subtract anything. Rather, it prompts the body to do what it already knows how to do.
An acupuncture perspective teaches us to appreciate what we have rather than what we are lacking. This inspires gratitude, which can have profound implications, especially this time of year.
Read the article
<![CDATA[October Acutake Newsletter]]>October Acutake Newsletter, Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac. in Chicago, IL
What to Eat This Fall and Winter
Hot apple cider, chunky sweaters, and crackling fireplaces. It’s becoming that time of year again, when we pull out our cozy-time favorites and huddle indoors to stay warm. As we settle into fall, colder darker days urge us to slow down, conserve energy, and rebuild our strength for the coming spring.
When you think of fall and winter, think warm food.
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<![CDATA[September Acutake Newsletter]]>September Acutake Newsletter, Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac. in Chicago, IL
7 Acupuncture Tips for a Healthy Fall
Fall is right around the corner.
New seasons are an opportunity to assess our states of health and realign with our natural rhythms. From an acupuncture perspective, fall is about refinement. It’s time to pare down, to let go of the excesses we allowed ourselves in summer and focus on what’s necessary for winter.
In acupuncture theory, humans are viewed as microcosms of the natural world that surrounds them. Weather and climate, particularly during the transition from one season to another, factor significantly into acupuncture diagnoses and treatment plans.
The transition into fall is especially noteworthy because it signifies moving from the more active seasons to the more passive. This directly impacts how we feel, and how we prevent and treat illness.
Here are seven acupuncture-inspired tips for staying healthy this fall.
Get the fall health tips
<![CDATA[Late Summer 2017]]>spleen and stomach season
Can you believe its September already? Summer has flown by and now kids are going back to school and you can start to feel Autumn on the horizon.
This time of year is known as late summer, its element is earth and its color is yellow. The major organs associated with this season are the spleen and stomach. That’s the all important digestive engine that is the first stop for so many metabolic functions, like making blood, energy levels, clarity of thought, phlegm, and obviously effecting things later down the line like your bowel movements.
Late summer is also the time of year associated with dampness, which is a kind of Chinese medical term that can get confusing. I always think of a moldy bathroom, especially because mold allergies kick up this time of year. The air gets thick and things feel heavy, it will also smell funky if there is mold and mildew. If you took a really hot shower, it will be considered damp heat. If you are in a cold and leaking basement, that’s cold-damp. So, if you can picture those two environments, then you can get a general idea of what this could do in the body.
Allergies have really been hitting our area hard lately, that’s damp stuck in the wrong place, like your sinuses or throat. A good way to treat some of these symptoms is by heating up your digestion with things like ginger and cinnamon, avoiding dairy and cold or raw foods. This will help your spleen not produce damp, which can turn into phlegm. It will also keep your energy levels higher and keep your thoughts clearer as well.
Fluids and staying hydrated are so important to moving the damp. Picture a swamp with standing water and soggy soil, this happens because nothing is moving. A lot of times if you increase your water intake, you create movement and can flush out the stagnant water. But sometimes the water can get stuck in a specific area of the body, like edema in the ankles or a bad phlegm cough. In these situations, herbs are a crucial part of treatment. They really help the body cycle through fluids and break up phlegm to pull it out and can get very precise with the area they are targeting.
I personally, have a hard time staying hydrated and find electrolyte drinks to be super helpful. I like coconut water or smart water and I even put a few drops of salt water in my filtered water if I'm feeling really off. Some people like sipping on hot water or herbal teas all day. You have to find what works for you. And yes, you will be peeing more, there’s no way around it.
The Spleen and stomach are also the first stop for blood production. We all know blood is pretty important. If you are low on blood and fluids, you can feel weak, dizzy when you stand up, have tight muscles and cramping in the calves, muscle spasms, twitching eyelids, headaches, cold hands and feet, fuzzy thinking, trouble falling asleep, plus more!
For women especially, blood is so important, because we lose blood every month and the nature of pregnancy takes a toll on our resources. The spleen in Chinese medicine makes blood, controls blood and is susceptible to damp, in addition, the spleen is one of the first organs to get taxed by our busy and stressful lifestyles. You can see how important the Earth system of the Spleen and Stomach are, and how a little nurturing can go a long way, especially at this time of year.
Some easy ways to help your Earth organs at home is to eat simple balanced meals, really going for that Goldilocks zone of not too much or too little, not too spicy or fatty, lots of veggies and grains, with small amounts of meat and spice.
If you are trying to build blood add goji berries to everything. Eat red and purple fruits and veggies like raspberries, blueberries, and eggplants.
If you have weak digestion like acid reflux, ulcers, or other sensitivities then stay away from your trigger foods (obviously) and add pumpkin and rice into your routine. This will even work on your pet dog and cats. I also like to add probiotics and enzymes, and if you are really having a hard time try an Aloe Vera drink.
Some of you may know that I have the start of an ulcer under my esophageal sphincter that can be super painful and refer into my left shoulder. It gave me a good scare enough times that I ended up in the ER and eventually got an endoscope. Long story short, I understand how crucial the Spleen and Stomach are to our well -being on a whole other level.
This is a huge area in Chinese medicine, in fact there is a whole school of thought that “goes through the Earth” with its own text called the Pi Wei Lun. I personally find the Chinese Medical approach to be much more nuanced and detailed, and definitely less invasive. It also alleviates symptoms with out sacrificing long term health and with little side effects, but it takes work. You have to be committed and make changes.
This time of year is the perfect time to nourish your spleen and stomach for so many reasons. If you can relate to any of the things mentioned above, come in for a treatment. We can get you feeling better with acupuncture and herbs in no time and get your body prepped for the cold and flu season. Click here to make an appointment.
<![CDATA[August Acutake Newsletter]]>August Acutake Newsletter, Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac. in Chicago, IL
August 2017
Press This Point for Heat Stroke
Hot enough for you?! As we approach August, the summer heat may be starting to get to you. This acupressure point is a secret self-care weapon for when you can't get in to see your acupuncturist.
Pericardium 3 is the water point on the Pericardium channel, so as you might expect, it’s used to cool things off. Acupuncturists use this point to clear heat from the body—it’s indicated for fever, dry mouth, excess thirst, restlessness, and heat stroke.
Learn more and find Pericardium 3
<![CDATA[July Acutake Newsletter]]>July Acutake Newsletter, Jennifer L. Fockler, L.Ac. in Chicago, IL
12 Summer Self-Care Tips from Acupuncturists
Summer is here!
From an acupuncture perspective, seasons are a big deal, since humans are viewed as microcosms of the natural world that surrounds them. Weather and time of year can factor significantly into how we feel, both physically and emotionally.
Summer may be carefree, but that shouldn't mean letting go of your self-care practices. Here are some tips from acupuncturists for staying happy and healthy all summer long.
Get the summer self-care tips
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Six Tips for Keeping Your Dog Cool
What To Do If You Think Your Dog is Heat Stressed
The normal temperature of a dog is 100 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit . You should worry if the temperature is 105 degrees or above. You can use any human oral thermometer in the dog; place it two to three inches into the rectum for a minute.
If your dog is overheated, you should provide them with plenty of drinking water. Put cool water over the entire dog to help bring their body temperature down. If there is a limited amount of water, you should wet the ear flaps and the feet first. An alternate liquid that can be good for cooling purposes is rubbing alcohol.
Next, you need to take the dog to your veterinarian immediately. If your dog has heat stroked, there are other treatments that need to be performed other than just cooling him with water.
The following six tips will help you keep your dog cool:
1. The best method for keeping your dog cool is to simply allow him or her to stay inside a house with air conditioning. Dogs want to be part of the family and almost always enjoy being inside.
2. If your dog must be kept outside in the heat, one tool to help keep your dog from overheating is a child's small hard plastic swimming pool. Place it in a shaded area of the yard and fill with a few inches of water. Your dog can drink from it, walk through it, or even lie in it.
3. Misters are another good tool which can be installed on your patio or any shaded area of your back yard. These emit a fine mist of water that your dog can use to keep cool.
4. Another trick is to take large plastic jugs such as milk containers, fill them with water and then freeze them. Place outside in an area where your dog usually stays, preferably in a shaded area. Behind the ice-filled jugs, place an electric fan so it blows across the ice and creates a cool breeze for your dog.
5. Of course, never leave your dog in a car without the air conditioning on. Even in relatively mild outdoor temperatures, on a sunny day the environment inside the car can get dangerously hot in just a few minutes.
6. Never leave your dog tied to a tree or a post. A common scenario is for a dog to keep circling the tree, winding the rope shorter and shorter until it is caught close to the tree trunk. As the sun moves across the sky, eventually the dog is in the full sun, and not able to reach its water bowl to try to help keep itself cool. Heat stroke can quickly ensue.
If your dog is heat stressed, it will be panting heavily, with its tongue hanging out long and wide. This increases the surface area of the tongue and allows for more evaporation to happen, which helps keep your dog cool. Another symptom is the color of the gums will be a very bright red or sometimes a muddy color. If you notice any of these symptoms, take action immediately! Cool down the dog and call your veterinarian for further instructions.
Heat stroke in dogs is usually easily preventable. Using these tips will let you enjoy hot weather safely with your dog and may even save your dog's life!
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God’s Revolution: Part I
The purpose of this article is to provide information on the Iranian relationship with Hezbollah. There are questions over whether Hezbollah is a mere puppet of turbaned Persian overlords in Tehran, and I hope that the contents of this write-up clarify a topic whose facts are often muddled by propaganda from various sides, and whose reality is made doubly more difficult to assess due to the secrecy of Hezbollah itself.
If I were to sum up the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran simply, I would say that Hezbollah is a full-fledged province of the Revolutionary Islamic Republic established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979. The Revolution in its ideological form is pan-Islamic and thus both transnational and anti-nationalist. Khomeini’s revolutionary ideology called for the erasure of colonial boundaries and the joining of Muslims across the Middle East into a single Islamic State.
Of course, this must sound eerily familiar. Since 2011, the world has witnessed the evaporation of national boundaries all over the Middle East, especially with the rise of ISIS and the increasing irrelevance of Sykes-Picot across the region. However, back in the 70s and 80s, when secularism and socialism were touted as the salvation ideologies that would peaceably integrate otherwise disparate confessional and ethnic groups within Frankenstein-like state entities, Islamists were considered subversive radicals that threatened to unwind the efforts of generations of secular, nationalist rulers. The innovative nature of the Islamic Republic is something that often goes ignored–typically lambasted as irrational and owing to a touch or more of insanity on the part of the Iranians. However, the creation and foundation of the Islamic Republic places Khomeini up in the same league as Lenin in terms of shaking up the world’s existing political order.
Khomeini’s Islamic Republic even served as the inspiration for Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the rise of the Salafi movement, which was the Sunni rebranding of the Islamic Revolution. Khomeini sought to recreate society along Islamic lines in a form of government called Wilayet al Faqih, where law descends from religious clergy, and whose primary texts are the Quran and their accompanying scriptures, the Hadith.
The Revolutionaries: Harbingers of Apocalypse
From its very beginning, the Islamic Revolution in Iran sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East. The sheer ferocity and tenaciousness that its revolutionaries brought into combat and the vitriol of Khomeini’s rhetoric were biblical. The world watched with mouths agape as Khomeini’s fanatical revolutionary army sent wave after human wave into fortified Iraqi defenses during the Iran-Iraq War. The reverberation of shouts of ‘Death to America’ from hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered around their Spiritual Guide were no doubt felt in the halls of Washington loud and clear, especially when Khomeini’s young revolutionaries raided the superpower’s embassy and took tens of its personnel hostage. Seemingly out of nowhere, Iran had risen in open defiance to the existing world order and demonstrated, through horrific sacrifice on the battlefields of Iran and Iraq, that it was willing to pay the ultimate price to lay claim to its goals.
With its actions, Iran clearly demonstrated that it sought a regional reordering, starting with the overthrow of secular Arab regimes and later the elimination of Israel and expulsion of all other “colonial enterprises” in the region. In this author’s humble opinion, it is Iran that the world can thank (and hate) for the popularity of Islamism throughout the world today. Islamism came to constitute a Third Option in the bipolar world of Capitalism and Communism thanks to the sheer willpower of Khomeini’s religious army and the precedents they set.
Khomeini’s brand of Islamic chauvinism was a reaction to what he perceived as decades of humiliation of Muslims at the hands of colonial Europeans and, later, the Israeli conquest of Jerusalem. Khomeinists viewed the Muslim world as one wrought with sickness and lethargy, and whose cure was a return to the fundamentals of Islam. Of course, in the secular Middle East, and in a world order where Islam had effectively been buried on the world political stage since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, a revitalization would require nothing short of a total cultural revolution of the likes seen in the Communist countries.
Trench positions attacked by Iranian human waves
Trench positions attacked by Iranian human waves
Khomeini’s plan for the regional supremacy of his ideology was to first target his fellow Shi’a, as those co-religionists were his closest associates during his Islamic studies in the Iraqi city of Najaf. It was in Najaf that Khomeini first began delivering lectures on his radical new form of government. The first two areas that were targeted by Khomeini for conversion were Iraq and Lebanon, who were approximately 60 and 33 per cent Shi’a, respectively. Khomeini found little fertile ground for Wilayet al Faqih in Iraq, which had a strong central government led by Saddam Hussein. Saddam mercilessly smote Islamists in his midst, but Lebanon, with the chaos and relative anarchy resultant of its ensuing civil war, proved to be the perfect testing ground for the viability of the Islamic Republic outside of Iran.
The fervor of the Iranian Revolution was not contained to the battlefields of Iraq and Iran however—when the revolution spread to Lebanon, Hezbollah echoed the commitment and fanaticism of its Iranian peers with its pioneering of suicide bombing as a tactic in the urban battlefields of Lebanon, with dramatic results. The world was fundamentally caught by surprise by the Islamic Revolution, as the maelstrom of religious energy summoned by Khomeini became a strategic threat to the superpowers’ positions in the Middle East. Thus began a policy of containment of Iran by both superpowers and regional rivals alike that continues to this day.
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British Airways Plc
Based in London, we fly out of Heathrow, Gatwick and City. Within the UK we offer services to Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
As the flag carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways is a multinational airline operating primarily out of Heathrow Terminal 5 to destinations worldwide, including 3 in China; Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, as well as to Hong Kong.
UK Address
British Airways plcWaterside (internal postcode)PO Box 365HarmondsworthUB7 0GB
China Address
Room 1805,18th Floor, Tower B,Winterless CenterNo.1 West Dawang Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100026
Additional Locations in UK
Waterside, PO Box 365, Harmondsworth, UB7 0GB
Summer Zhu
Business Development Manager China 中国区商务发展经理
Tel: +8610 6512 0173
Fax:+8610 6512 3637
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Gustavo Prado
The work of Gustavo Prado employs sculpture, drawing, performance, photography and video to explore the manifold aspects of space.
In the Measure of Dispersion series (2014-2016), industrial metal structures with concave mirrors typically used to expand a driver’s field of vision create something akin to an “anti-camera,” which rather than fixing a moment or image of that which stands before it, reflects a fragmented body simultaneously located within different points in space, obfuscating the viewer’s perception of themselves and their surroundings as an integral and idealized whole.
Prado is also an editor and co-founder of Jacaranda Magazine. He lives and works in New York.
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10 Household Headaches You Can Solve with Aspirin
From patching holes in drywall to removing bathtub rust spots, aspirin has some surprising household uses beyond the medicine cabinet. Next time you're looking to clean, soothe, or sow, consider harnessing the power of your generic headache helper to get the job done.
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1. Patch It Up
Aspirin 3
If you need an in-a-pinch solution for patching drywall, look no further than your handy aspirin bottle. Crush a few pills and mix with water to form a paste, then apply the paste to the hole as you would spackle. Once dry, this strong solution forms an adhesive that can fix any patchy problem.
Related: 10 Easy Repairs Never to Pay Someone Else For
2. Car Juice Boost
Aspirin 1
If you find yourself stranded on the side of a road with a dead car battery, don’t fret. Two aspirin dropped into the battery cell will react with the sulfuric acid and create a charge to jump-start the battery—which should provide enough juice to get you to the nearest gas station.
Related: 23 Brilliant Hacks to Help You Weather Winter
3. Resist the Itch
Aspirin 2
A minor insect bite can be an irritating nuisance, but once scratched it can become utterly unbearable. If you find yourself without an alternative remedy, soothe your itchy spot with an aspirin. Simply pop a pill out of the bottle, pour a little bit of water on it, and rub it over the bite.
Related: 10 Plants to Grow for a Pest-Proof Yard
Flickr via carolmartinez
4. Beautify the Bathroom
Aspirin 5
If you've resolved to clean your bathroom only to discover that you've run out of supplies, don't postpone your chores. Instead, dissolve two aspirin in warm water to form a mixture that, when applied like any other bathroom cleaner, works quite well to remove soap scum and grime from counters and tubs.
Related: 8 Unusual Tips for Your Cleanest Bathroom Ever
5. Soak Up Sweat Stains
Aspirin 4
Sweat stains can be embarrassing to have, and they're tough to get rid of. If you’re out of regular stain remover, crush several uncoated aspirin and mix with warm water. Apply the paste evenly to the affected area, and let it sit for a few hours before you throw the garment in the washing machine. You'll be amazed when your fabrics emerge both clean and stain-free.
Related: 7 Smart Ways to Cycle Through Laundry Faster
6. Preserve Cut Flowers
Aspirin 9
It's always disappointing when a vase of fresh-cut flowers wilt after only a few days. To help blooms last longer, mix a crushed aspirin into the water before adding the bouquet. When you change the water, don't forget to add more headache helpers to keep your bouquet beautiful.
Related: How to Help Your Houseplants Survive the Winter
7. Help Ingrown Hairs
Aspirin 6
Ingrown hairs can become quite painful, but here's a remedy that will help reduce the irritating inflammation. Make an aspirin paste from crushed pills and water straight from your bathroom faucet, then apply it to the ingrown hair to aid in eliminating anything trapped in and around the follicle. This technique also works well on pimples.
Related: 9 Home Repair Remedies to Borrow from Your Medicine Cabinet
8. Remove Rust Spots
Aspirin 7
Bathtub rust spots are unsightly, but you don't need to make an extra trip to the store for a specialized stain-busting solution. Instead, crush up a few aspirin, wet the rust spots in the tub, and sprinkle the powder on top. Leave the coating on for 10 minutes before wiping away the paste—and the rust spots—with a damp cloth.
Related: 21 Ways to Spring Clean Your Whole House—Naturally
9. Treat Tough Calluses
Aspirin 8
To soften calluses, crush a couple of aspirin and mix with ½ teaspoon each of lemon juice and water. Rub the formula on the callused skin, wrap a towel around the area, and then cover with a plastic bag. Ten minutes later, wash the paste away, and rub the softened calluses with a pumice stone.
Related: 12 Ways to Clean House with Citrus
10. Grow the Garden
Aspirin 11
Gardeners have been successfully using aspirin in the backyard for some time now to combat garden fungus and stimulate growth. For an effective plant fertilizer, dissolve one aspirin in a liter of water and distribute sparingly over the soil. Be careful not to use too much in one spot, as it can cause the plants to burn instead of thrive.
Related: 10 "Zero Dollar" Garden Hacks
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Before Your License is Suspended
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Because driving under the influence is an entirely too common (and often deadly) occurrence in our country, it's important to understand some basic facts about just how dangerous it is, and what you can face if you drive impaired.
DUI & DWI Basics
What do DUI & DWI mean?
Both DUI and DWI are acronyms. “DUI" stands for “driving under the influence" and “DWI" stands for “driving while intoxicated" (or sometimes, “driving while impaired").
While DUI and DWI are the most common ways to refer to drunk or impaired driving, some states use other terms, such as “operating under the influence" (OUI), “operating while intoxicated" (OWI), and “driving while ability impaired" (DWAI).
What is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) percentage?
Extremely simply put, a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC)—sometimes referred to as blood alcohol content or just blood alcohol level—is a measurement of how much alcohol is in a person's system.
Most commonly, states use breathalyzers and/or blood tests to determine a person's BAC; urine tests are still available, but many states are eliminating them due to unreliability.
Currently, each state has set the criminal blood alcohol level at or above 0.08%; however, that doesn't mean alcohol won't start affecting you before you reach that point.
Also, this percentage (or even “zero tolerance") can vary depending on extenuating factors such as the driver's age and any ongoing penalties the driver might be serving already.
How do drugs relate to DUI?
Whether they're illegal drugs, prescription medicines, or over-the-counter (OTC) medications, drugs can impair your ability to drive by producing a number of side effects, such as:
• Delayed reaction times.
• Blurred vision.
• Dizziness or fainting.
• Sleepiness.
• Inability to focus.
• Nausea.
• Tremors.
• Delusion and hallucinations.
Unlike with alcohol levels, currently no standardized limit for drug impairment exists; however, that does not make drug-impaired driving legal.
Why is impaired driving so dangerous?
Alcohol and drugs can impair you mentally, emotionally, and physically (take a look at some of the side effects listed above), which makes it difficult for you to concentrate on driving safely. By driving under the influence, not only do you put your life at risk, but also the lives of others.
DUI Arrests & Penalties
What is a DUI checkpoint?
Also known as a sobriety checkpoint, a DUI checkpoint is a designated location at which law enforcement officers stop and check drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment.
DUI checkpoint laws vary by state. Some states use them as part of statewide programs to deter impaired driving; others avoid them altogether. Refer to your State Highway Safety Office to learn more about the legality and use of DUI checkpoints in your state.
What happens if I'm arrested for DUI?
The exact legal process will vary depending on your jurisdiction's laws, and possibly your specific situation.
However, after an officer has pulled you over and determined you're driving under the influence (generally using field sobriety tests, chemical tests, or both), you can expect to:
• Have your vehicle impounded.
• Be taken into custody.
• At this point, you will be “booked" for driving under the influence.
• Custody length varies. Sometimes it's until you can get a ride or sober up; other times it's until you can go before a judicial officer such as a magistrate and have an arraignment.
• You might have to pay a bail or bond before being released.
• Have your license temporarily suspended or receive temporary driving privileges.
• Until your official trial determines your exact penalties.
• Have your official trial scheduled.
• Be assigned a court-appointed attorney (also known as a public defender) or hire your own private DUI lawyer.
Once that's all said and done, you'll attend your official hearing and receive your judgment and any associated penalties.
What are common DUI penalties?
DUI penalties vary based on a number of factors such as state laws, the severity of the offense, and whether you've had prior DUI convictions.
However, some of the most common DUI penalties include:
• Hefty fines.
• License suspension or revocation.
• You'll acquire driving record points.
• Your conviction will remain your driving record for a certain time period.
• Installation of an ignition interlock device.
• Typically, these are out-of-pocket expenses for you.
• Alcohol and/or drug counseling programs.
• Jail time.
Can I lose my driver's license forever?
Driver's license suspension or revocation is a common DUI penalty; though, like other penalties, the length varies based on state laws, offense severity, and prior convictions.
However, it is possible to lose your driving privileges for life. Generally, states that impose such laws reserve them for offenders who have been convicted of driving under the influence many times or who have committed a particularly heinous felony offense.
Is DUI a misdemeanor or felony charge?
Whether your DUI conviction is a misdemeanor or felony depends on your state laws and the circumstances surrounding the offense.
Generally, misdemeanor charges are your basic DUI offenses. Generally, a conviction is a misdemeanor when:
• Your BAC isn't too much over the legal limit.
• There was no personal injury or death involved.
• You don't have prior convictions.
On the other hand, felony DUI often involves:
• High BAC.
• A child passenger.
• A personal injury or death.
• Prior convictions.
• Driving while your license is already suspended or revoked.
Needless to say, a felony DUI conviction carries much harsher penalties than does a misdemeanor charge.
DUI & Your Records
Do I get a criminal record for a DUI?
Yes. Driving under the influence is a criminal offense; therefore, it goes on your criminal record.
Depending on your state's laws and the specific circumstances, you might be able to have your record expunged.
How long will a DUI stay on my driving record?
Once again, this depends on your state laws, as well as whether the conviction was a misdemeanor or felony.
Understand that—mostly in cases of felony convictions—some states keep the conviction on your record for life.
Does a DUI conviction show up on a background check?
Typically, yes; however, it can depend on how thorough the background check is and how far back the check goes.
Keep in might that criminal background checks—which focus more on criminal convictions than do regular background checks—might always show your DUI conviction (unless your record has been expunged).
Will a DUI affect my car insurance?
Yes. Once you've been convicted of driving under the influence, your car insurance provider will view you as a “high risk" driver and typically either will increase your rates or disqualify you from renewing your policy.
Also, you might have to file SR-22 or FR-44 forms. Neither is a type of car insurance—rather:
• SR-22 proves you've purchased your state's car insurance requirements and that you keep the coverage for a specific amount of time.
• FR-44 requires you to purchase car insurance limits higher than your state's minimum requirements.
Most states use SR-22, but your judge will inform you about your requirements. For more, check out our guide to the SR-22 form.
Should I hire a DUI lawyer?
Yes, you should absolutely hire a DUI lawyer.
Whether your charge is a misdemeanor or felony, it will bring serious penalties related to both your driving privileges and personal life. For example, not only will you face license suspension or revocation, but also a criminal record.
An experienced DUI attorney is extremely skilled in your jurisdiction's driving under the influence laws and can be represent you in court. Also, because of that experience, he or she might even be able to lessen some of your penalties.
However, if you can't afford to private attorney, the court will appoint you a public defender (see below).
What if I can't afford my own attorney?
Typically, if you can't afford to hire your own attorney, the court will court appoint you a public defender, free of charge.
Because public defenders generally have a much heavier workload than private lawyers, make sure to regularly stay in touch with your public defender for updates and to find out what you can do to help.
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5 Tips For Eating Clean
Eating clean means making sure you choose the healthiest option in each food group. In order to eat clean, you need to know what your food is made of, and if possible, making sure you consume it in its natural form.
Healthy eating
image credit: RitaE
Eating clean, you can structure your diet to get proper nutrition. Healthy eating it means eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Clean eating is one of the best ways to maintain health.
In case you want to start living healthier, but aren’t sure exactly what to change in your diet, here are five great tips for eating clean.
Here are some helpful tips for you Eating Clean
Stock Up On Fresh Produce
The type of diet that you’re following doesn’t really matter, you’ll always need to stock up on fresh produce. This is the golden rule of proper nutrition, as your body needs fresh fruits and vegetables in order to function properly. You can’t get this amount of minerals, vitamins, and other crucial nutrients from other types of food. Not to mention that eating fresh produce is much healthier and more natural than taking supplements.
Many people don’t eat as many fruits and veggies as they should. In order to make sure that you do, you’ll need to bring some variety into your dishes. The best way to do this is to learn when certain fruits and veggies are in season, since that’s when they’ll taste better. If you have a garden, you can also plant some herbs and spices. This will not only provide you with a fun, new hobby, but it will also help encourage you to eat healthier by giving you the option to consume foods straight out of your garden.
Limit Processed Foods
It can be pretty hard to avoid processed foods. Almost all of the snacks you can purchase in your local supermarket are filled with too much fat, sodium, and sugar. Processed foods are basically any foods that have been altered in some way, either for convenience or safety reasons. The main difference between eating processed foods and preparing something at home from scratch is that when you’re preparing something, you know how much sugar and salt you’re adding to the food.
However, it’s important to note that just because a food is processed doesn’t mean that it’s unhealthy. For example, milk has to be processed (more specifically, pasteurized) in order to remove harmful bacteria from it. However, when excess fat, sugar, and salt gets added to foods in order to make them tastier and prolong their shelf life, it may cause you to develop some health problems. Consuming a large amount of unhealthy, processed foods can lead to a higher risk of heart disease or cancer.
Focus On The Nutrients
A lot of people make the mistake of focusing on calories instead of nutrients when they start dieting. However, you need to remember not to get caught up in the numbers game too much. Instead, focus on the nutritional value the food you’re eating holds. Just because a certain food is low in calories doesn’t make it healthy.
Although you should make sure you’re not consuming too many calories, it’s much more important to pay attention to the nutritional value of foods you’re eating. One surefire way to consume all the essential nutrients while keeping your calorie count low is to stock up on fresh produce.
Don’t Be Too Strict
Remember that it’s completely okay to have a cheat meal sometimes. If your diet is too strict, then you might end up dreading all of the meals that you eat. In order to keep them on the right track, many people take one day out of each month to indulge in some unhealthy food that they enjoy.
Drink More Water
Drinking water is all you need to feel better sometimes. By drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day, you will feel healthier and energized, which will motivate you to eat clean. Unfortunately, many people consider water ‘boring’ due to the extremely high number of flavored drinks that are available. However, it is an essential nutrient that should never be overlooked.
The keys to good health and proper nutrition, that means embracing whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, plus healthy proteins and fats. It also means cutting back on refined grains, pesticides, additives, preservatives, unhealthy fats and large amounts of sugar and salt.
More: Clean Eating, What It Is And Why?
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Delays after crash at train station
News story
News story
COMMUTERS are facing delays after a train crash at a Wigan station.
Rail maintenance workers escaped the collision by seconds as a goods train crashed into two cherry pickers at Bryn station.
Passengers on trains between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western will be delayed due to Bryn now being closed until further notice.
Trains can run between Liverpool and St Helens Central, with replacement buses between St Helens Central and Wigan. This is extending journey times by up to 20 minutes with disruption expected until around 17:00.
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It's a quiet Sunday outside of the hospital in Roswell, Ga., where Bobbi Kristina Brown's family is by her side as she lays in a medically induced coma.
A source close to the family tells ET that her father Bobby Brown, husband Nick Gordon and others have been advised to prepare for the worst and that the longer the 21-year-old remains in the coma, the more likely it will be that she will not regain consciousness. They are praying for her recovery but have also started to discuss how they would handle funeral arrangements.
NEWS: Source Says Bobbi Kristina's Bathtub Incident Is 'No Coincidence'
The daughter of the late Whitney Houston was found in a bathtub unconscious after an apparent drug overdose on Saturday morning, Jan. 31, at 10:25 a.m. Another source told ET that she was in "bad shape" when she was first found unconscious. She was taken to North Fulton Hospital and placed on a ventilator.
NEWS: Bobbi Kristina Brown Placed On Ventilator, Drug Overdose Suspected
Local police have a search warrant and have swept the house for drugs as they continue their ongoing investigation into what happened in Brown's home.
It has been almost three years since Houston died of accidental drowning on Feb. 11, 2012. The effects of heart disease and cocaine use also contributed to her death. Brown's incident comes two weeks after Lifetime aired the Angela Bassett-directed biopic, "Whitney."
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A rare visitor:
Yesterday afternoon I was at Barnstable’s Long Pasture Sanctuary watching a flock of cedar waxwings, when I received a text from Casey’s friend, Hannah. She and Casey had just seen a yellow-throated warbler.
Yellow-throated warblers are rare on Cape Cod, so I immediately wrote back asking where. She said it was on Casey’s suet feeder. Casey’s suet feeder! That means the warbler is in my yard.
I quickly ditched the waxwings and headed home. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived it was dark (stupid clock change). Nuts! I had spent my entire day hiking all over Long Pasture, while Casey sat home, nice and warm, and had a rare bird come to him. Maybe these stay-at-home Millennials are on to something.
Before I begin, I have a complaint about the yellow-throated warbler; its name is too long. I would much rather write a column about a bird with a shorter name like, say, a mallard, which only has seven letters. This darn bird has 21 letters in its name, and 22 if I pluralize it. That’s way too much extra typing.
Then there is the annoying hyphen, which my stubby fingers can never seem to find on the first try. Although, I have to give the bird credit: “Yellow-throated” describes it perfectly. Basically, this tiny bird is gray, black and white, with the brightest yellow throat of any bird in the bird world. Even goldfinches look dull by comparison. Really.
Warblers typically spend their day on the tops of trees searching the leaves for insects, but yellow-throated warblers do things differently. They feed by crawling along branches and tree trunks, digging into bark crevices with their long beaks, acting more like nuthatches - nuthatches that are wearing bright yellow bibs.
It’s important to note that yellow-throated warblers aren’t rare. In fact, their population is doing quite well. But the bulk of them breed in the Southeast U.S. and only occasionally will one venture as far north as New England…or in this case, all the way to Casey’s suet feeder.
The arrival of the yellow-throated warbler also coincided with the season’s first blast of cold weather, and that was bad for both the bird and me. I spent the next day standing outside in the frigid wind, staring at a feeder. (I could have also watched from inside Casey’s bedroom, but since I’m overdue for a tetanus shot, it was better I avoided going in there.) During the course of the day I saw chickadees, titmice, assorted woodpeckers and a few snowflakes, but no sign of the warbler.
When I finally went inside to warm up, I discovered several messages from other birders who also wanted to see this warbler. I had to tell them that the bird was a no-show and things didn’t look good, and I was bummed. In light of the scissor-tailed flycatcher that I missed seeing in Truro a few weeks ago, I was starting to feel jinxed. The birding gods were mad at me for some reason.
The next morning I was back out there, but this would be a brief vigil. It was Saturday and I actually had to go to work. (What’s up with that?) Once again there was no sign of the warbler and it was getting late (9:17 a.m. comes early sometimes).
Begrudgingly, I went inside, gathered my stuff for work and was just opening the back door when…zip, the little bird landed on the railing a few feet in front of me. Yay! The birding gods didn’t hate me after all.
Like a maniac I started yelling for the rest of the family, grabbed my camera and darted back outside. (My shop would be opening late today.)
In addition to its glowing yellow throat, what impressed me most about the tiny bird was how tame it was. It didn’t care what I did or how close I came; it just continued hunting for insects on the porch.
And when it got tired of the porch, it flew up to the roof and started gleaning bugs from underneath our solar panels. (Yet, another reason to go solar.) After taking a ton of photos, I contacted the other birders and told them the bird was back.
I then suggested to my wife that she might want to bake some cookies because company was coming. Some spouses may have been annoyed at the thought of strangers arriving on short notice, but my wife headed right for the mixing bowls and said, “I’m on it,” with the usual smile on her face.
Why was this southern bird here, especially this time of year? Why didn’t it head to the tropics with the other warblers?
It’s hard to know for sure why a bird migrates in the wrong direction. It could be a genetic defect, or it had become caught in a storm or it simply read the map upside-down, and who hasn’t done that?
Will it succumb to the cold? It probably won’t, at least not for a while. Yellow-throated warblers are tougher than they look and are one of the first warblers to head north in the spring. It should be able to handle a few cold Cape Cod nights, especially if it finds enough suet or insect-filled solar panels to keep it going.
When I finally arrived at work, I showed everyone my photos of the warbler. Some customers were seriously excited, while others just pretended to be interested. (If it’s not a cardinal, they don’t care.) Later in the day I heard from the birders who had stopped at my house. They were all thrilled that they had seen the yellow-throated warbler, but what they were most grateful for was my wife’s cookies.
I can’t argue with that.
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Friday, September 30, 2011
The long haul
To expand on my previous post about Morton's Foot, further discussion has re-emphasized this point: "Lee said it took him five years to fix his own Morton's Foot."
Five years...
Hopefully I'll see other improvements in the mean time, after all growth and change in the human body is incremental. I need to keep this in mind though when I'm discouraged, that things may still be changing slowly and I need to be patient.
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Previous Kingdon Next Kingdon
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Titulary what's this?
Horus Name Semerkhet, "Thoughtful Friend", or "Companion of the Gods"
Nebty Name "The one who guards"
Manetho Semempses, Mempses
King Lists Semsem, Hu
Alternate Names Semerchet, Horus-Semerkhet
Dates what's this?
manetho 18 years
turin canon 72 years
palermo stone 9 years
piccione 2897 -- 2889 BCE
2905-2890 BCE
krauss 2890/2870 BCE
von beckerath 2861-2853 BCE
malek 2826-2818 BCE
Predecessor Anedjib. May have usurped the throne and destroyed the name of Anedjib.
Successor Qa'a (possibly his son)
Associated People
Father Anedjib
Mother Queen Betrest
Son Qa'a
Prime Minister Henuka
Burial Place
Tomb U in Abydos, a single chamber brick-lined tomb with 68 subsidiary burials. 19.5 x 10.7 x 3.5 m.
Most egyptologists believe that Semerkhet ruled only for eight and a half years, since they have discovered very little about him except a large stela with his name carved on it., and the documentation of his entire reign on the Cairo stone showing each festival and ceremony.
There is some evidence that Semerkhet may have usurped the throne (although if it was his father, Anedjib, I'm not sure how that works) since he reused many of the same inscriptions and simply erased the previous name and entered his own. However, he was listed in the king lists, so there is some legitimacy for his reign.
His tomb shows more changes from his predecessors, too -- the retainers toms are attached directly to the main burial chamber, which some have interpreted to mean that the subsidiary burials were made at the same time as the king was buried, implying sacrifices. The whole complex was built as a single structure. With the earlier burials, the subsidiary graves were laid out in ranks around the kings tomb, and it was assumed that they were buried afterwards.
Notably, Semerkhet is the first king without a corresponding mastaba-tomb in Saqqara from his reign (or at least, they haven't been found yet). Most likely, his ministers and officials outlived him and went on to serve later kings.
Tomb U, Abydos
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Reletting Vengeance, Anger and Angst
"Vengeance is Mine; I shall repay," says the Lord.
I'm reletting my vengeance, anger, and angst. I am "de-posting" my previousl article "Six Years of Lunacy," because it was rude-- while well-warranted-- I don't fair too well with rude. It doesn't suit me, because it accomplishes nothing.
I've been hurt-- mainly by myself and what I allowed myself to belive. I've been hurt; big fucking whoop-- so has everyone else. I've been hurt, but I am going to believe that none of it was intentional: just a result of two people [myself included] making some poor decisions. I am going to shake it off and step up.
And when I meet that dude (or female-- in my closet life), whom I think is just wonderful, and everything that I imagined I'd ever wanted, then I'll merely just...
lol leave one.. my comments are starting to look scarce
1 comment:
Fallon U. said...
You're silly! But I definitely respect what you've said. It's so true...we're hurt and angry and we feel like we're the only one who's ever been that hurt by anyone on the face of the earth in the whole history of the universe.
But then we calm down and realize that there have been others and that through everything there is one certainty: life goes on.
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Friday, December 2, 2016
Shame: the case of Old David & Abishag the pretty virgin
This week I spent a day with a group of mostly Muslim high school students, and restorative justice leader Terry O’Connell. We heard about a 14 year old boy, “Garry” who knocked Terry down to the ground with a punch when Terry was a young police officer. Terry found out that the teenager was stuck in a cycle of shame and lashing out at others. We learned about “the compass of shame” that leads people to attack others and/or self, withdrawal and avoidance (1). I wonder if shame and self loathing on the part of some men plays some role in the disregarding of the dignity and rights of women in their lives. To understand the mind and heart of offenders is not to condone their choices (2) but might help prevent them reoffending.
These thoughts were on my mind as I tried to make sense of a Biblical story that was recited last Saturday in my Synagogue about King David as an old man. David was very cold and being covered by clothing failed to warm him. Avishag, a very beautiful girl, was found and brought to the king, because his servants thought having a beautiful virgin lie in his lap would warm him. Although Avishag served David, and perhaps did lie in his lap (3) “the king did not know her” (4).
In one elaboration of the story (5) Avishag said to King David, “‘Let us marry,’ but he [David] said, ‘You are forbidden to me.’ ‘When courage fails the thief, he becomes virtuous,’ she mocked”. She was obviously resentful of the proposed arrangement. This version of the story implies that Avishag was not ok with the arrangement of being the king’s body warmer if she wasn't going to be his wife and appears to legitimize the objectification of women. However this ancient story would generally not be taken as license by Jewish religious male readers, as it violates relevant Jewish laws (6). It is likely that the moral messages of the story (7) would be the one that are received by most readers, rather than what comes up for readers viewing it from a critical literary lens.
One interpretation of the story brings us back to the “compass of shame”. David’s “weakness and his exceptional coldness was due to the “many troubles and wars that never left him all the days of his life, sleep was driven from his eyes in the ways of the warriors...His sin with Bathsheba [who he saw bathing and lusted after] and Uria [her soldier husband whose death David hastened] was always on his mind (8) and he would cry about his sins and worry about them a lot all day and all night” (9). His unresolved shame appeared to lead him to attack himself constantly in his mind and combined with possible post traumatic stress, and grief (10) profoundly unbalanced his mind .
David's response to shame is further highlighted in a contemporary analysis of our story (11). In contrast to the bold, decisive, even impulsive younger king, we see a withdrawn, avoidant, passive man paralysed by his guilt about Bathsheba. He said and did nothing when his son raped his daughter (12) and when her full brother killed his half-brother rapist. Even when his advisers suggested the young virgin he said nothing, he just allowed them to proceed without permission or protest. He was also oblivious to one of his sons, Adonija, presumptively, claiming that he will succeed David as king (13).
Shame might also explain what has been described as a far fetched (14) explanation of story in the Talmud that the reason for David's predicament in which his clothes didn't warm him was a punishment for his cutting off the corner of King Saul’s robe (15) many years earlier. This was deemed as a “sin against clothing” (16). David had little respect for clothing and the dignity they confer on the wearer. At another time in his life, David danced wildly before God, allowing parts of his body to be uncovered (17). The symbolism of clothing is quite linked to shame, in fact clothing is first introduced as a means of dealing with shame (18). David doesn't manage shame well.
In the end David's shame was overcome. Avishag’s role in the palace had been hidden, she was ostensibly the king’s treasurer (19). However, in a dramatic moment, Bathsheba walked in on David and Avishag in bed together, as Avishag warmed the old King (20). Bathsheba confronted the king with the subject of his shame; his sin with her. She reminded him that he and she had been so overwhelmed by shame and fear of stigma after their first born son died that she didn't want to be with David anymore. But they had overcome their feelings when David made an oath that their next son together would succeed him as king (21). When he heard Bathsheba, he came alive again. He decisively directed the coronation of the wise Solomon as king as he had promised. This doesn't make everything ok, but by dealing with his shame he is able to function and net his obligations.
Returning to 14 year old Gary. Terry, the caring cop, met with him and his mother. There were tears running down his mother's cheeks and healthy shame for this young man about his mistakes. He dealt with it and broke the cycle, he sat up a little straighter and was given opportunities to make things right. Shame is powerful, it can be terribly destructive but it can also redeem.
1. Nathanson, D. L. (1992), Shame and Pride: Affect, Sex, and the Birth of the Self, cited by O’Connell, T, in resources prepared by Real Justice.
2. An argument I first heard being made by UK prime minister John Major
3. This is the view of Radak, Metzudas David and Rashi commentaries to 1 Kings 1:4 and 1:15, Abarbanel wrote: While by nature King David loved women and was driven to sexual relations, [at this point of his old age] he was already so deficient in his powers that he had no intimacy with her [Avishag] and did not draw close to her to lie with her…
4. 1 Kings 1:1-4
5. Talmud, Sanhedrin 22a, the Talmud goes on to relate David’s response to her mockery “Then he said to them [his servants], ‘Call me Bathsheba [his wife]’”. He had intercourse with his wife numerous times to demonstrate that he was still virile”. This raises a further objection as the old King proving his sexual prowess by summoning his wife also doesn't come across as being infused with love and equality between two people.
6. Jewish laws does not allow a man and woman who are not of the same nuclear family to touch each other or being in a room alone with the door locked unless it is a medical situation for example.
7. See Siegelbaum, C. B, quoting her teacher Rav Carmel, that takes an approach articulated by Rabbi Shmuel Yerushalmi in Yalkut Me’am Loez Moznaim, p7, citing Ralbag (although I can’t find it in Ralbag). They argued that this incident was a way for David to demonstrate that he had repented from the incident with Bathsheba in which he succumbed to his lust. The highest expression of repentance involves “overcoming the desire to sin despite being in the exact same situation with equally powerful temptations as when originally committing the transgression (Maimonides, laws of Teshuva, 1:1). This anecdote shows that David had indeed repented in the very highest way, and that it was not because he was too old that he held himself back from taking Avishag
8. Psalm 51:5
9. Abarbanel
10. Abarbanel also mentioned David's “troubles with his son Amnon [who raped his sister and David's daughter] Tamar, and Abshalom who rebelled against David weakened his heart and spirit.”
11. 2 Samuel 13
12. 1 Kings 1
13. Radak commentary to 1 Kings 1:1
14. Talmud Berakhot 62b
15. Yalkut Me’am Loez, p. 5
16. II Samuel 6:16-22, metzudat David commentary to 6:20
17. Ralbag
18. Radak to 1 Kings 1:15
19. Radak, to 1 Kings 1:13
Friday, November 25, 2016
1. See my blog post….
2. Genesis 25:9
3. Talmud Bava Basra 16a
6. Imam Ghazali, in revival of the religious sciences
8. Ethics of the Fathers
Friday, November 18, 2016
Dignity, Dialogue and Donald Trump
Human dignity is greatly emphasized in Judaism. The threat that Trump’s election poses to the dignity of women and minorities is very serious. As one Trump supporter put it: “the effect of Trump is that everything becomes permissible” (1). The risk is that Trump will normalise bigotry and hate-speech to the extent that we are less aware and less questioning of hurtful and humiliating behaviour in the future. However, our solidarity with minorities does not require dismissing the indignities of those doing it tough, including rural white voters who voted for Trump in overwhelming numbers. . Furthermore, I suggest we even take a moment to think about Trump’s own indignity. I know, I ask for a lot from many who are outraged about this election, but there is a time for everything, (2) and now more than ever is a time for dialogue and exploration rather than building walls.
My call for dialogue does not preclude howling in indignation. On the contrary, it might well be a time “to hurl (assertive but civil and strictly verbal) stones”. To speak of Trump without condemnation is, in most cases, to condone his sins. His rhetoric against Mexicans and Muslims recalls the cruelty of the city of Sodom to outsiders in a xenophobic effort to preserve the wealth of its fertile valley (3). Condemnation counters the normalization of deplorable views, but of course calling people deplorable based on their likely voting intentions is unwise, and it is also wrong.
As Jews we need to emulate Abraham, who welcomed all travelers into his homes even if their beliefs (5) and values were diametrically opposed to his own. On social media, I have noticed a ‘trend to unfriend’ those who support trump by those opposed to him. The research shows that engaging people with prejudices can be effective (6) (see the article referred to in this footnote for one touching example of successfully canvassing for Trans rights through non-judgemental conversation and empathy). In such conversations it is important to listen more than we talk.
I tried some respectful engagement myself this morning in a Jewish Whatsapp group that includes some Trump supporters, where someone posted a racist comment. Instead of moralising, I appealed to self interest by pointing out that the racists who despise Muslims, Mexicans and Blacks also hate Jews. My comments on the Whatsapp chat emboldened other members of the group to also speak out against racism within the group chat.
Some have argued, and I think correctly, that one factor that contributed to Trump’s support was an anger by white rural voters toward sophisticated city people who talked down to them. This perceived disrespect is part of what drove the anger toward elitism that pervaded American society, that was exploited, by Donald Trump to drive passion and energy into his supporters. This anger doesn’t justify degradation of any group, but we should not ignore the manifest anger that exists. This anger is borne of passion and stems from stories and backgrounds that we cannot always comprehend - but we should try to understand it and address any genuine injustices and needs. The distinction between condoning specific expressions of anger and understanding their sources can be applied when thinking about Trumps relationship with the media.
One of the most powerful articles I read about Trump was by a journalist who observed Trump rile up his rural poor audiences against the “elite” journalists. He recounts: “I was huddled in the media pen with the traveling press, awaiting the moment Trump would point at us and incite his 5,000 minions to jeer... (but) it only now dawned on me, in the final week of the campaign, to my great horror, that the real reason they put us in the pen was so they could turn us into props...He never once failed to invite his crowds to heckle us. He was placing us on display like captured animals. Behold, Trump said to his fans, I’ve rounded up a passel of those elites you detest. And I’ve caged them for you! Allow me to belittle them for your delight. Here, now you take a turn—go ahead, have at it! Do it again, don’t be shy!”.
However, an incident in 2011 suggests there might have been reveal a more personal l reason for Trumps enthusiasm for humiliating journalists, one which exemplifies the cycle of hurt and hate that Donald Trump was once a victim to, but is now perpetuating and leading. During that the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Trump was repeatedly humiliated by President Obama and another comedian with cutting jokes. “Mr. Trump at first offered a drawn smile, then a game wave of the hand. But as the president’s mocking of him continued and people at other tables craned their necks to gauge his reaction, Mr. Trump hunched forward with a frozen grimace. After the dinner ended, Mr. Trump quickly left, appearing bruised” (7). He had been humiliated by 1000 laughing journalists. His revenge demonstrated that “hurt people, hurt people (8)”. We must break the cycle of hurt and take great care with our words (9). It is a time to heal!
Herein lies one lesson of hope from an otherwise draining election: We must employ a radical empathy and understanding to all those who we encounter, regardless of divergent ideologies. Indeed, Leviticus instructs that “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk.” Thus, despite the hate-filled rhetoric from Donald Trump and his supporters, that has served to embolden hate, and the hostility from city folk toward rural people, now is the time to move past that mood and embrace dialogue over division.
As Martin Luther King said “We’ve got some difficult days ahead..”, however “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”, for all people regardless of their skin color, gender, sexuality or faith. It our task, with patience, listening, compassion and curiosity as well as assertiveness to make sure that it does.
First published on At the Well.
1. Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3
2. Genesis 19, Talmud, Sanhedrin 109
3. Rashi to Genesis 18:4
Friday, November 11, 2016
Eruv, An Angry Intercultural Misunderstanding And A Democratic Contest
It's the morning after a big night of democracy and I was still quite emotional about it. Two hundred of my neighbors attended a meeting at my local council to be part of a tense and dramatic debate about the “St Ives Eruv". “What is that?” many would wonder. Apparently the answer to that question was hotly contested.
For some of my neighbors it is a highly divisive threat to the community, for others it's offensive infrastructure. For me, and for many Jewish members of the community, it's a technical religious solution to a practical problem, particularly for young Jewish mothers and their families. According to Jewish law, one should not carry anything in public areas on the Sabbath. For centuries this has meant that men and children went to the synagogue on Saturday morning for several hours of prayer and community while mothers of young children and babies stayed home, as pushing a pram or carrying a baby in public on the Sabbath is not permitted. Today's young women think of themselves as full members of the community and they are not happy to stay home, they also want to visit family and friends and to be included in community prayers on the Sabbath.
The solution to this problem has been the creation of a symbolic set of doorways, called an “Eruv” which would mean that the area encircled by these symbolic doorways would be deemed a great big courtyard, allowing them to push their prams and carry children. With the abundance of power poles in the area and the wires between them the simple addition of plastic conduits on the side of the poles completes the Eruv.
A few years ago an Eruv was proposed to the council, our local government authority. A website was created that referred to the Eruv simply as a wall. The council refused permission. I respect the democratic process and accepted the decision of our elected officials at the time. The organisers of the Eruv pursued the legal process further but eventually received legal advice that they didn't need council permission to proceed. The Eruv went up, allowing women to join their communities for prayers on the Sabbath..
Recently, the Eruv saga took a wild turn. A new application was lodged with council and some residents framed their opposition to it a leaflet. They claimed there was a real “risk of an Eruv morphing into a religious enclave” Furthermore, “By the very nature of an Eruv, the process of segregation, as opposed to integration must take place.” And it was “establishing a modern version of the ghetto...and eventual expulsion of secular people who live within the Eruv.” These claims were essentially repeated to the packed meeting at Council.
The original translation of Eruv as a wall probably contributed to this misunderstanding. However, a big part of the problem was that opponents of the Eruv relied on internet research to understand their own neighbours’ religion and culture, rather than talking to them directly. One local Rabbi has challenged his congregation to reflect on how much or how little effort we as a Jewish community make to connect with our neighbors. On the other hand, we heard at the meeting from a warm-hearted Jewish teacher and mother named Megan who actually knew the names of all the diverse people who live on her street.. She talked passionately about how the Eruv helps her connect with the wider community, rather than being divisive. A young lady who was not Jewish passionately echoed Megan’s sentiments.
It was hard to tell which way the tense meeting would go. One opponent argued that the original refusal was the decision of the umpire and must be respected. One councillor argued that this was all about human rights. An Anglican minister argued this was about religious freedom. Another councillor argued this was not about tolerance or rights, it was about plastic conduits! I think asserting that “the issue is categorically not what the other person is saying", is one of the most annoying tactics to use in a conflict, cross cultural or otherwise. Clearly for the 200 people in the room is was about needs, process and principles, not just plastic.
A stand out comment was made by a councillor who had lived near a mosque in the inner city. He talked about how he made friends with the people at the Mosque and there were no problems. In response to the concerns about a religious enclave and objections to the plastic conduits, he asked rhetorically, “really?!”
In the end, the vote was eight for the Eruv and two against. There was a great feeling of joy in the room for those who won.
I approached an elderly Jewish woman who had spoken against the Eruv on the ground that it would create a Ghetto. I listened to her politely. She told me to get with the times, and embrace the modern idea of assimilation. I held my tongue. I wanted to say that in fact in these times, we longer expect people to hide their differences. This conversation was on Tuesday night, Australian time. By the next morning the results of the US election were known and it seemed she was up to date with the Trump era while I stuck in the past age of Multiculturalism. I don’t accept that this is the case. Trump’s attitudes to women and certain non-whites, in my view, represents a fading (yet substantial) relic, still putting up one last fight. Practically all the speakers against the Eruv were angry, people of advanced age. The world has changed to embrace difference, but we need to fight to keep the change and foster greater acceptance of diversity or at least tolerance. On Tuesday night on the North Shore of Sydney, we had one very sweet small victory. More to come!
Friday, November 4, 2016
Sexism: Is Religion The Cause or The Cure? Genesis 1-6
I think religious teachings impact different people in different ways; in some cases they work to legitimise discrimination against women, while in others they restrain people from engaging in sexist behavior and attitudes. This question was sparked by a discussion I had with a Muslim teenager last week in which he asserted that faith plays a restraining role in people’s lives, by preventing them from enacting certain behaviours and that without it people would be out of control. I wondered about the apparent tolerance, on the part of many Americans, of Trump’s alleged behaviour and attitudes toward women. Can this phenomenon be attributed to a decline in religious mores or on the contrary, could it be caused to some extent by “Biblical sexism”. I explore this theme by looking at my own traditions relating to Genesis 1-6 (1).
There is a little known variation to the creation story. In this variation is the legend of Adam’s first wife, Lilith. Both she and Adam are created in the exact same way, from the ground. Lilith and Adam quarreled; Lilith insisted that she was equal to Adam. Eventually Lilith flew away and left Adam and was replaced by Eve (2). This shadowy woman is thought of today as a demonic threat to babies. Her name is mentioned on the prayer cards my Chabad community places on a baby’s crib, requesting God’s protection from Lilith. One implication contained in this story could be that a woman seeking equality is a problem. One commentator (3) states explicitly that the woman could not be completely equal to the man because then it would be inappropriate for her to serve him as the Torah suggests (4).
In the aftermath following Eve and Adam’s decision to eat the forbidden fruit, Eve was told by God that her punishment would be for her desire to be directed at her husband and “he will rule you!” (5). It is useful to ask if this assertion is a prediction or a prescription about how things should be.
One tradition asserts that God’s statement that men will rule women is prescriptive rather than descriptive. In a later period a drunken King demanded that his wife appear before him and his guests to show off her beauty. When she refused he had her killed (6). Afterwards he was comforted by an adviser named Memuchan, who, according to this commentary, was actually Daniel. Daniel told the king not to cry over Vashti because the King had done the right thing according to the Torah which states “he (men) should rule over you (women)” (7).
Thankfully, there is an alternative perspective. In this interpretation, men ruling women would apply only a consequence of an agricultural reality. One of the punishments for eating the forbidden fruit was that the production of food would require sweat of the brow and physical exertion (8). This would create an advantage for men, at the expense of women who would now be dependent on them. This “endangers the original equality (that God intended between men and women, but if the Torah is properly adhered to it would reestablish:) Man and woman again in an equal God-serving calling” (9). According to this view, with the shift to the knowledge economy, the value of brute physical strength has diminished and therefore the shift back to the ideal of equality of the sexes can and should be actively pursued.
The interpretation that supports equality would be consistent with the tradition that Eve was actually created at the same time as Adam, not from his rib, but as one part of a double human: one side being Adam and the other side being Eve (10).
The divergent sets of guidance show the problem with jumping to conclusions about whether a religion “is sexist” or it is not. Interpretations vary both in text and practice. Outsiders to a tradition would need to be very cautious when making judgements or assertions. As an insider, I think it is useful to tease out the competing ideas, to emphasise those teachings that support equality and to deal with the challenge of texts that might lead people to undesirable attitudes and behaviours.
On the other hand it is useful to recognise the power that religion has in restraining people from wrongdoing, as my Muslim student suggested. In the unfolding story we are told disapprovingly of men’s treatment of women. The Torah’s standard for the male-female relationship is: “a man will leave his father and his mother and will cleave to his wife and they will become one flesh” (11) which is interpreted as finding common purpose “as if both of them are one existence” (12). This ideal was disregarded by Lemech who married two wives. One for the sole purpose of producing children, who he then left alone for the rest of her life, to live like a widow”, ignored by Lemech. The second wife was used only for sex, she was named Tzila, whose name means “shade” because she was always in Lemech’s “shadow”. She was given a contraceptive drink and was “adorned like a prostitute” (13). The objectification of women then degenerates with men taking from women “all that they chose” including rape. God was disappointed with the human project (14). The message is clear that God-fearing men would surely never consider behaving in such a manner or tolerating such behavior.
In conclusion, I passionately believe that it is generally wrong to blame specific bad behaviors or attitudes on a religion. Human beings are complex. We are driven by a variety of factors including individual characteristics, fears and experiences, psychological and cultural factors. However I think it is not truthful, nor useful to deny that religion can play a facilitating role in justifying sexist behavior or attitudes. Still, we must recognise the differences in attitude and emphasis between people who identify as adherents of the same faith and deeply explore the often complex and apparently contradictory teachings that lead to these divergences. No doubt many men’s faith prevents them from behaving badly toward women out of fear or respect of God. As for the rest, it is incumbent on all people regardless of religious affiliation, to strive for justice for all, including equality and dignity for the female half of the human family.
1. Two main reasons for why I focus on my own faith tradition. a) I have expertise in my faith and know little about the faiths of others, I don’t think a Wikipedia/google based “research” of other faiths has much validity; on the contrary I think it is usually quite idiotic. b) I don’t think it is tactful to judge other people’s sacred texts. I accept that studies of religion students will need to think critically about other’s faiths. I suggest that in those cases, students approach the task humbly, as gathering provisional knowledge. People in positions of leadership, might be advised to take a more cautious approach.
2. Ben Sira quoted in Torah Shlaima part 2, p. 236, see note 256, the legend is mentioned in the Zohar twice, Zohar Bereshit 34b, and Vayikra 19a, see also reference to Lillith in Talmud Shabbat 151a.
3. Seforno commentary to Genesis 2:18
4. Genesis 2:18
5. Genesis 3:16, in Hebrew the same words are used to predict the future as to give a command. He will rule over you can also mean he should rule over you.
6. The book of Esther
7. Pirkey D’Rabbi Eliezer 48, cited in Torah Shlaima part 2, p. 275,121
8. Genesis 3:19
9. Samson Raphael Hirsch on Genesis 3:16
10. Talmud Eruvin 11, cited in Rashi commentary to Genesis 2:21
11. Genesis 2:24
12. Seforno commentary to Genesis 2:24
13. Midrash Rabba/Beresheet Rabba chapter 23
14. Genesis 6:2-3
Thursday, October 20, 2016
My Slavery Sermon: “Fat", Privileged & Uncaring
People just don’t care - I often find that infuriating!
But, the reality is that I don’t care enough about some things either, like modern day slavery for example. This sad fact came to my attention as I prepared to deliver last Saturday’s sermon as part of an interfaith initiative to combat modern day slavery.
I had prepared this sermon long in advance in collaboration with Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky (1) for the organisation, “Stop the Traffik”. So I began with the staggering figure from the 2016 Global Slavery Index which reported that nearly 46 million human beings are currently trapped in slavery. This is the highest number of slaves in human history. I then shared the following anecdote.
Ashani’s (not her real name) father was sick, but the family had no money to pay for needed treatment. Ashani accepted a loan that she believed she would repay by working in a Mumbai factory, but when she reached Mumbai she discovered that her job would not be in a factory but in a brothel.
Trapped, powerless and penniless, she suffered in this place until finally she worked up the courage to escape. She returned home and soon married. However the brothel sent men to find her and force her back. They beat her up. When her husband tried to protect her, he was beaten too. She found herself not only back in the Mumbai brothel – but also pregnant. When her son was born, she was fortunate to get him back to his father.
Ashani owed 20,000 rupees, or around AU$400 but she was earning only a few dollars each day, and she was forced to pay rental for her cubicle in the brothel and for her room, board and clothing. She would realistically never be able to pay off the debt. She was enslaved. Ten women from Stop the Traffik readily agreed to pitch in $40 each to buy Ashani’s freedom.
I am ashamed to admit that Ashani’s story speaks to my mind but not to my heart. Perhaps this is related to what social scientists have discovered about the nature of empathy. Research has revealed a clear ‘empathy gap’ whereby our empathy is essentially geared primarily toward people we identify with, eg. neighbours or others who seem to be ‘like ourselves’ (2). This quirk of nature means it is harder for me as a white middle class Jewish Hasidic man to connect with the experience of an impoverished, brown skinned, non-Jewish, woman forced to work as a prostitute.
The challenge of the empathy gap must be met with a principled engagement with causes such as modern slavery. I look for inspiration from the prophets. Only a few days ago on Yom Kippur we read from Isaiah (3) about a person who cried out to God, "I have fasted but you have not seen!” God replied, “You fast but with a clenched fist!” This is not the fast God desires. Instead, God demands that we “Loose the chains of let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke.” The highest form of charity is not to share more crumbs from our tables but to ensure that more people have a seat at our tables of plenty.
My faith does condemn or shame me for having abundant material possessions. On the contrary, commentary tells us that God made the Israelites “ride on the high places” (4) (plural), giving them both material and spiritual blessings (5). Privilege, like power is an opportunity that can be harnessed for doing good but which also carries risk and responsibility. The Torah phrases the danger as the Israelites having become “fat and kicked” (6) also becoming “thick”, losing capacity to understand “fine truths” (7). Equally, privilege can dull people’s capacity to connect with the brutal reality of the 46 million slaves who are, of course, really people just like me.
The products of modern day slavery are found in the homes of ordinary citizens in every western city and town. They are present in our shops and supermarkets. Some years ago I was inspired by a teacher who told me how her students learned to look for a Fair Trade label (8) on a soccer ball, so that when they play sport they are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
The Torah calls us to “cry freedom in the land for all its inhabitants!” (9). This phrase is surprising because the context is freeing slaves rather than everyone. However, a 17th century scholar explained that “in any country where freedom is incomplete even if only a few are slaves, all the people are slaves. Slavery is an affliction which afflicts both slave and master” (10).
Having focused on these traditions, I have jumped the empathy gap and now care more about my fellow humans who deserve freedom as much as I do. I commit to doing what I can to advance this cause.
1. for another version of this sermon that was prepared in collaboration with Shoshana, the version on my blog is closer to the sermon I actually delivered.
2. Prinz, J, Is Empathy Necessary For Morality, accessed 14.04.2015
3. Isaiah 58:3-7
4. Deuteronomy 32:13
5. Samson Raphael Hirsch on Deuteronomy 32:13
6. Deuteronomy 32:15
7. Seforno on Deuteronomy 32:15
8. Stop the Traffik is a rich source of information for us when we shop for clothing and for foods that are sadly connected with slavery, including fish, coffee, and chocolate.
9. Leviticus 25:10
10. Pnei Yehoshua, Joshua son of Joseph Falk, 1593-1648,
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ausEE Inc.
a charity dedicated to improving lives affected by eosinophilic disorders
Riley's Story
MedicAlert brings peace of mind for people with Eosinophilic Oesophagitis
One in five Australians lives with a chronic health condition, but not enough people take proactive steps to protect themselves in the event of an emergency.
For people living with Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE), a MedicAlert membership can provide vital peace of mind.
"MedicAlert IDs can, and do, save lives every day," said MedicAlert Foundation Chief Executive Heidi Jones. "There is no underestimating the importance of a patient with a medical condition receiving the right medical care, personalised to their need when seconds count." "It really can be the difference between life and death."
For enthusiastic 11-year-old Riley, who lives with multiple severe allergies, eczema as well as EoE, a MedicAlert membership has provided a vital communication tool - ensuring those around him think twice before putting him in harm's way.
"As a child, Riley's voice isn't always heard," Riley's mum Kris said.
"Having a MedicAlert ID with the vital information literally etched into the metal has proven a great mechanism for focusing the attention of busy, often well-meaning adults who have not previously had to consider the challenges Riley faces."
It's also proved compelling enough to prompt parents or event organisers to call me to check if he can safely participate in activities - which enables me to figure out how Riley can be involved so that everyone is safe and happy.
Kris - Riley's Mum
“We realised when he began childcare that the team of adults around him sometimes needed a quick and easy reference point for his multiple allergies,” Kris said.
“It was MedicAlert’s sport style band that worked – it stayed on, could be cleaned in the bath or shower and was unobtrusive enough to wear all day, every day.
“As Riley has become more independent we have relied more heavily on MedicAlert as a data source for practitioners and updating his membership is as much a part of our annual routine as is the beginning of the school year paperwork!”
MedicAlert sets itself apart from competitors as the only provider of medical identification jewellery that works alongside a 24/7 emergency response service – allowing first responders on the scene of an emergency to provide the best possible care to members.
In Riley’s case, those around him can refer to his ID for a quick reference to his allergies, or call the MedicAlert 24/7 emergency response service to gain more detailed information about his medical requirements.
“One of the many benefits of a MedicAlert medical identification, is that paramedics and other first responder agencies around the world are trained to look for them,” Ms Jones said.
“They can also call the 24/7 emergency response service for further information and important member information, ensuring well-informed treatment decisions can be made quickly and effectively – which is especially important when a patient is unable to communicate themselves.”
Upon signing up for membership, MedicAlert members detail their health information and preferences – including health management plans, allergies, stoma and device information that may impact an emergency procedure.
For further information visit:
Riley's story has been shared with us from MedicAlert. This Editorial piece has not been sponsored.
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crest color smib swlci
English A: Literature – Higher Level
group1The course is built on the assumption that literature is concerned with our conceptions, interpretations and experiences of the world. The study of literature can therefore be seen as an exploration of the way it represents the complex pursuits, anxieties, joys and fears to which human beings are exposed in the daily business of living. It enables an exploration of one of the more enduring fields of human creativity, and provides opportunities for encouraging independent, original, critical and clear thinking. It also promotes respect for the imagination and a perceptive approach to the understanding and interpretation of literary works.
• Part 1: Works in translation
• Part 2: Detailed study
• Part 3: Literary genres
The aims of language A: literature are to:
• encourage students to appreciate the formal, stylistic and aesthetic qualities of texts
• develop the students’ ability to form independent literary judgments and to support those ideas.
English A: Literature and Theory of Knowledge
The study of literature offers many possibilities for the questioning and reflection that form the basis of theory of knowledge (TOK). The language A: literature course focuses on different approaches to reading literary works. It encourages close analysis of language, as well as an understanding of the different perspectives presented through literature and the ways in which these are informed by, and interact with, the student’s own culture(s). All of these activities require students to engage in knowledge inquiry, critical thinking and reflection.
The following questions are adapted from the Theory of knowledge guide. They are intended to assist teachers in challenging students to explore the methods of study in the field of literature and to enhance students’ critical reflection on related knowledge issues, ways of knowing and areas of knowledge.
• Is a work of literature enlarged or diminished by interpretation? What makes something a good or bad interpretation?
• How can a literary work of fiction, which is by definition non-factual, convey knowledge?
• What is the proper function of literature—to capture a perception of reality, to teach or uplift the mind, to express emotion, to create beauty, to bind a community together, to praise a spiritual power, to provoke reflection or to promote social change?
• Does familiarity with literature itself provide knowledge and, if so, of what kind—knowledge of facts, of the author, of the conventions of the form or tradition, of psychology or cultural history, of oneself?
• What knowledge of literature can be gained by focusing attention on the author? Can, or should, authors’ intentions and the creative process itself be understood through observing authors or knowing something of their lives? Is the creative process as important as the final product, even though it cannot be observed directly? Are an author’s intentions relevant to assessing the work? Can a work of art contain or convey meaning of which the artist is oblivious?
• What constitutes good evidence within the study of literature?
• What knowledge can be gained from the study of literature?
• What is lost in translation from one language to another? Why?
• Can literature express truths that cannot be expressed in other ways? If so, what sort of truths are these? How does this form of truth differ from truth in other areas of knowledge?
Assessment objectives.
1. Knowledge and understanding
1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of individual literary works as representatives of their genre and period, and the relationships between them
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which cultural values are expressed in literature
3. Demonstrate awareness of the significance of the context in which a work is written and received
4. Substantiate and justify ideas with relevant examples
2. Analysis, synthesis and evaluation
1. Demonstrate an ability to analyse language, structure, technique and style, and evaluate their effects on the reader
2. Demonstrate an ability to engage in independent literary criticism on both familiar and unfamiliar literary texts
3. Selection and use of appropriate presentation and language skills
2. Demonstrate a command of terminology and concepts appropriate to the study of literature
3. Demonstrate an ability to express well-organized oral and written arguments
From Diploma Programme Language A: literature guide, International Baccalaureate, Cardiff, Wales, 2013
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UPDATE: Malnourished dog dies despite being rescued - KWWL - Eastern Iowa Breaking News, Weather, Closings
UPDATE: Malnourished dog dies despite being rescued
Posted: Updated:
An eastern Iowa dog who was rescued after being neglected, was eventually put down. Despite care from the Cedar Valley Humane Society, veterinarians say the Great Dane's condition was beyond repair.
The Cedar Valley Humane Society says they had to euthanize a Great Dane after they rescued her last week.
Development Director Preston Moore says it was a heartbreaking sight when he picked up Kira, a Great Dane that was about 60 pounds underweight. After getting inundated with calls, Moore felt he had to check on the dog.
"Honestly I'm not sure she would have lived another week in her house," said Moore. "She was so thin and so frail. Even when I met Kira the first day she seemed ill, you could see it in her eyes, you could see it in her face she was weak."
Moore convinced the owner to legally hand Kira over to the Humane Society.
In just six days, Kira was able to gain more than 15 pounds, putting on weight and making what seemed a steadfast recovery.
"Great Danes are especially known for being gentle giants, and I think that was especially true for Kira," said Moore. "She would take food out of your hand very gently, she really enjoyed laying on top of your lap and nuzzling into you."
Veterinarian tests showed Kira had been suffering much more than they thought, including terminal cancer that had been untreated. An x-ray showed the cancer had been eating at her bones for years.
"Tests showed that she was so far neglected in terms of her medical conditions and the amount of food that she had access to for a long time-there was very little that could be done for a healthy life," said Moore. "I think that's what's difficult about the whole situation is that everything in Kira's life could have been avoided."
After taking the advice of several veterinarians, the Humane Society felt they had no choice but to put Kira down.
"My advice for anyone with animals that they can't take care of on their own is to just seek help," said Moore. "We give extra donated food away every single day to people who have trouble feeding their animals.
Moore says the way Iowa laws are written make it very difficult to prove or prosecute anyone for animal cruelty and neglect. The Humane society has provided authorities with all of Kira's medical records.
"Animals want nothing more than to make the people they're with happy," said Moore. "And so when Kira was here, I think she was happy, she was loved. We spoiled her. They are very good at hiding it, and that's why it's so important to have regular veterinary visits with your animals."
The Cedar Valley Humane society is accepting donations for a memorial fund for Kira. The money will go towards helping other animals that have been neglected or abused.
The humane society took in a Great Dane named Kira that was about 60 pounds underweight.
They say she also had cancer and a fracture in one of her legs.
The shelter posted the following on Facebook:
If she were great physical condition, she could be considered a candidate for amputation and chemotherapy... but given her current condition, it's very unlikely she would even survive surgery… let alone chemo.
We’ve consulted with numerous vets and explored a variety of options that could potentially help Kira. Unfortunately, there is not a path forward that will result in any acceptable quality of life for her. Rather than let Kira suffer, we have made the hardest decision that ever comes up in a shelter. This morning, CVHS staff gave Kira a breakfast fit for a queen and everyone here gave her ear scratches and cuddles so she knows for sure she was loved here. Earlier today, she was taken to the vet for euthanasia so will not have to suffer any longer. She will not feel pain ever again.
Thank you to everyone who reached out for updates, sent donations, and shared Kira’s story. Unfortunately, Kira simply did not receive a level of care prior to coming to CVHS – either in her home or in a vet’s office – for so long that her condition deteriorated beyond a point of recovery.
Using the donations we received for Kira’s medical care, we have established a fund in her honor. The donations received will be used to help other animals that have been neglected or abused before coming to us. Through those donations and the care they provide, Kira’s memory will live on and allow us to show love and compassion to animals that need it most.
Previous story
A dog is fighting for his life.
The Cedar Valley Humane Society just took in a Great Dane who is severely underweight. They're asking the community for help.
The dog's name is Kira, and she has multiple, serious health issues.
She's about 60 pounds underweight, and one of her legs will eventually have to be removed because of an ACL injury left untreated.
The humane society says she has a long road to recovery, and it will be a while before she's ready for adoption.
They say there's a chance she might not make it.
The vet estimates that Kira is about 6 years old. She's been eating and resting comfortably at the shelter.
If you would like to help out, the Cedar Valley Humane Society says the best thing you can do is donate. Click here to donate to their animal care fund.
You can also click here to visit their Facebook page, where they've been posting updates on Kira.
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Find the best housing options for a senior in your life.
'Magic City' actress loves yoga, Pilates
The actress said she has sciatica in a leg and is both lactose- and dairy-intolerant. To enhance her figure, and keep healthy, she does Pilates and yoga and eats lots of vegetables.
Q: Why do you keep fit?
A: [Working out] makes me feel good — it's weird not being active. And obviously you want to look great in front of the camera. Whoever says they don't is lying. There's no negative to working out.
Q: What's your workout routine?
A: I do Pilates and yoga at a studio four or five times a week, depending on my schedule. If I'm filming, I'm really rigorous about my workout ... I have a bike and like to ride it recreationally. At home, maybe I'll speed-walk on the treadmill.
Q: Why so much Pilates and yoga?
A: I used to dance for 15 years. Pilates makes your body lean and flexible so it's similar to what dance would provide for me. And yoga is really good for your mind, keeping you centered. Calm. Yoga, you get a good workout as well, and you can lean out.
But with Pilates you're toning more specific muscle areas. Especially for me, in the butt area, that's the best area, and thighs and abs to get more definition. I like the constant flow of moving your body and having good balance. And it's good to keep your body flexible.
I have sciatica in my right leg, and yoga and Pilates are so good for that. But especially yoga because you're really stretching. With sciatica, you get the pain when you're sitting still.
Q: What was your physically toughest acting job?
A: I did a movie (2009's City Island) where I played a stripper and learned how to pole dance. Three weeks prior, I was working with a private teacher, learning all the tricks on the pole. I had a goal: I wanted to flip upside-down and hang by my ankles. It was hard. That's an amazing workout. The upper-arm strength is crazy.
Q: Played any sports?
A: Basketball from fourth grade to 10th grade. Also a cheerleader, dance captain. All of the ballerinas were cheerleaders. But basketball was my sport. And still is. All the time I play pickup games with my 10-year-old brother and dad.
Q: Does your family keep fit?
A: My dad does a lot of Pilates. And my brother plays every sport there is: soccer, basketball, swim, baseball. A lot of basketball. My dad's a big golfer, and my brother just started at a clinic.
Q: You mentioned sciatica. Do you have any other physical issues that hinder exercise?
A: I have a hyperextended back so I have to be conscious with my positions. When I danced ballet, I had to be careful. I can back-bend but have to be careful because my back curves in. It makes for a pretty shape.
I don't like to run because I get shin splints.
Q: Do you smoke or have any other health vices?
A: I don't smoke cigarettes at all. That's the No. 1 thing to cut out if you want to be healthy.
Q: Do you have a typical daily diet?
A: I stay away from gluten and dairy. I'm not tolerant of those. In the mornings, I'll have gluten-free oats with almond milk or gluten-free toast with avocado, tomato. I love vegetables.
In my coffee, a little coconut milk ... and I don't add sugar. Not much of a sweet tooth. I used to eat a lot of junk food when younger. But as I've gotten older, being healthy is more of a priority. If I'm in my car all day running errands, I'll eat from a bag of sliced apples.
Lunch is salads or a gluten-free sandwich. For dinner, usually I'll have a protein and vegetable like greens.
Q: What do you drink?
A: Water. Don't really drink soda or juices.
Q: Alcohol?
A: On occasion. I don't react well to it. It gives me a bad feeling the next morning, like a weird anxiety.
Q: Take vitamins or sports nutrition products?
A: In the morning, 1 ounce of noni fruit, a Tahitian fruit that's good for the skin and immune system and energy. Very tart.
I take 15 vitamins a day: 5,000 (IU) of vitamin D; 1,000 mg of the purest form of vitamin C; multivitamins. D vitamins are for skin. My doctor does a lot of Eastern medicine so he suggests ones that are good for my body.
Q: Have any advice for South Floridians wanting to get fit?
A: It's more about what you eat instead of what you do. If you're eating [unhealthy foods], you won't feel the effects of exercising as much. Eating habits are so much more effective than any workout.
Dominik Garcia-Lorido
Age: 29
Cities of residence: Los Angeles, Miami
Height: 5 feet, 9 inches
Occupation: Actress
Copyright © 2018, Orlando Sentinel
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Tag: northwestern engineering
Scientists develop printable graphene ink
One of the methods used to produce graphene involves exfoliating graphite through oxidation or the use of various solvents. However, the techniques tend to interfere with the conductive properties of graphene, greatly diminishing its potential.
The Northwestern graphene team took up the challenge and eventually came up with a conductivity preserving production method that works at room temperature, which should help keep production costs down. In addition, they used cheap and readily available solvents such as ethanol and ethyl cellulose. The latter can even be used as a food additive, which means it is pretty clean and safe, reports Clean Technica
In the end they managed to produce a powder of high concentration graphene flakes and they can transform their product into a printable ink, simply by adding another solvent.
Printable graphene circuits could drastically reduce production costs, as they could use existing printers rather than develop proprietary manufacturing techniques. This means graphene-based circuits and solar cells could become very cheap, very fast.
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Excellent companies have integrity. Integrity comes down from the top. The leader has to have it and expect it from everyone on the team. An individual who is known to possess integrity is said to carry weight with people in general; thus the pound sign is regarded as a symbol for integrity and honesty. People with integrity can be trusted.
You can’t just go through the motions. That isn’t integrity. A concern about customers can’t be satisfied with self-serving surveys or frequent flyer programs. Common Courtesy, treating customers as The Force, caring has to be real, deep-seated, and sincere. People resent a lack of integrity. They know when you are just going through the motions.
Every person at a cash register will ask you, “Did you find everything you wanted?” Very few really care about your answer. Almost none of them will take action in response to a negative answer. The most common answer by the cashier is “After you have checked out, you can go to our customer service desk to tell them.” In short, they have been trained to go through the motions. They have not been freed and authorized to solve your problem as a customer.
A beautiful Nashville lawyer, an inheritance at risk, a devastating storm and wine to kill for—The Claret Murders, a new Mark Rollins adventure.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Structured Planning
Structured Planning:While planning is a continuous and dynamic process, that doesn’t mean it lacks structure. It has to have a starting point; and then it is dynamically adjusted and communicated as conditions change, assumptions are adjusted, and temporary targets are replaced with new ones, etc. The Structured Planning icon above conveys that one cannot develop operational plans or budgets without having a strategic view that those operational plans and budgets support. Structure is a critical part of the planning process, and the one I have followed over the years involves nine main areas to be addressed—and continuously readdressed—by the planning team in the order listed.
Nature of your enterprise (business, division, group, etc.): What it is and how it operates today:
History of the business (outline of important events); Organization, key management, committees; Billing methods and collection methods; Products, services, expense recovery method; Description of the market; Recruitment; Marketing, networking, referral practices, sales methods; Client intake methods and standards; Competition and market share; Quality control and client satisfaction.
Historical performance: Five-year financials which benchmark comparisons of key performance indicators such as days of inventory, days to collect bills, margin percentage, customer satisfaction—the key success drivers for your particular business, department or activity.
Environment in which you operate:
Economic conditions; Labor force; Technology; Governmental issues; Nature of market and competition.
Opportunities/Capabilities (SWOT):
Our strengths; Our weaknesses; Threats; Our best opportunities such as: new products to existing clients-same products to new markets-new products to new markets-performance improvements.
Economic; Labor force; Technology; Governmental impacts;Nature of market.
Objectives—Mission/Strategic Thrust:
Mission, goal and/or objective; Main things required to achieve objective; The main opportunities and the risks and/or weaknesses that require action; Strategies for achieving those main things; Tactics or programs to implement or support strategies.
Policies/Procedures (changes or new ones needed):
Existing policies requiring change, New policies needed.
Strategies/Programs Summary:
Main things for success of each strategy; Tactics (programs) to implement strategies; Key indicators (measurements) of achievements.
Priorities and Schedules:
Programs; New processes; New assets or resources; Measurement capability.
Organization and Delegation: Organization Chart; Who is responsible for what? Job or position descriptions.
Once the overall strategic plan is developed, each major department or group should go through the same planning process, and that planning process becomes input into the firm-wide plan. Which comes first the chicken or the egg--the strategic plan or the operational plan, the enterprise-wide plan or the segment plans, etc.? The answer is each is shaped by the other over time. Since planning occurs continually, it is impossible to tell.
Planning is a discovery process. Sometimes it is a discovery of the obvious and sometimes it breaks new ground. The one thing you can count on is that we are far more likely to get there if we know where we are going and how we are supposed to get there. I refer to that as I65 North. I65 North is a reminder that the business is a journey and that leadership’s job is to get all of the firm’s people traveling in the same direction. Planning gets the team playing from the same playbook. It prepares the team for the future, equipping it to capitalize on its opportunities.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Measurement Improves Performance
Measurement improves performance, and successively higher standards or goals result in successively higher achievement. It is the idea so frequently evidenced in athletics by the announcement, “It’s a new record!” Excellent companies use goals, and excellent companies keep raising those goals.
The most important set of measurements to develop are the organization’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These are the top line metrics that must be achieved for the enterprise (or supporting unit, division, plant, department, group, etc.) to meet its objectives. KPIs can be both financial and qualitative, but should be highly correlated with the top priorities of the firm and the firm’s business model as developed during strategic Planning. Furthermore, if there are more than ten KPIs you probably have too many. That goes for the KPI at the enterprise level or the KPIs for any of its supporting components.
My son was part of the Colgate-Palmolive finance team from 1992 to 1997. He reports that they managed their entire worldwide operation with 10 Key Performance Indicators. The first thing every business unit’s general manager would review when presenting to the CEO would be their results against those 10 KPIs. The rest of the meeting was spent explaining how they achieved their goals or why they did not meet them. It’s hard to believe a huge Fortune 500 company could manage a global operation using 10 measurements of success, but it’s true—and it was VERY effective. Colgate is one of the most reliable businesses when it comes to consistency and predictability of revenue and earnings growth, and their KPI system is a key element of success in this regard.
I spent a good portion of my career working with law firms. For them, KPIs included such metrics as leverage, effective rate, productivity, realization, days to bill and collect, client intake, closed cases, etc. Whatever the nature of a business or organization, its success depends on certain main things and those main things should be the subject of your KPIs.
It's Nashville...with a devastating flood, abeautiful lawyer, a deadly secret, and wine to kill for--The Claret Murders, the latest Mark Rollins mystery adventure.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Eyes Forward
You are not going to get where you want to go looking in the rearview mirror. Excellent managers keep their Eyes Forward. They want to know how they are doing, not how they did. The traditional tool for gaining that knowledge has been MBWA, Management by Wandering Around. Wandering Around meant you were in touch with your business as of that real point in time. You were experiencing, up close and in person, the Event Horizon.
Event Horizon is a boundary in space/time beyond which events cannot be observed. It is real time. It is how things are right then! Except for personal experiences from MBWA, every other piece of information available to that traditional manager was looking backward. The manager in the late 1900s suffered from information overload, but all of it was out of date. For centuries management was been at a disadvantage because their information systems only told them about events occurring well in the past. It was all about events that had already occurred. By the time it got to the manager, it was too late to take any action that would change or improve outcomes of events and transactions reported upon.
Times have changed. Management by Wandering Around has taken on an entirely new meaning. Now we can “wander around” through technology and social media. Excellence companies are hungry consumers of technology that will put them closer to the Event Horizon. They use social media, blogs, websites, and cloud-based tools to have real time contact with customers. They track, in real time, customer Internet reviews and comments about the company's products and services as well as the products and services of competitors. Using technology and wireless communication facilities, excellence companies can and do operate at, and sometimes just over the edge of, the Event Horizon. Technology, including trend analysis, forecasting, real time tracking systems, and social media monitoring, can show us what will occur if we fail to take action now to alter the future. Information guides an organization to its targeted goals provided that information is timely, relevant, accurate, comprehensive, and navigable. And today’s Executive Support Systems (ESS) do just that. They gather, analyze, and summarize the key internal and external information. They provide the modern executive with aircraft cockpit-like command and control—with instruments showing the status of all key metrics necessary to “keep the plane in the air” and accomplishing its mission. Excellent companies keep their Eyes Forward and never go second class when it comes to technology that puts them at the Event Horizon.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Luck Favors the Prepared
Change (especially uncertain change) is the stuff of opportunities—provided you have developed a way of thinking that prepares the firm to take advantage of whatever the future brings. The French scientist Louis Pasteur said it in one short sentence: “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” If Pasteur had been English, the quote would have been, “Luck favors the prepared mind.”
When consulting with a midsize law firm a few years ago, I suggested that the partners adopt the practice of meeting monthly for a half-day session where they did nothing but think about things that could happen and then thinking about how they could happen differently. The mission would be to identify strategies that would allow the firm to benefit rather than suffer from these events.
Suppose, for example, that a member of the law firm is arrested for unsavory activities unrelated to the law firm. What steps should the firm take? Suppose a major local corporation with significant legal needs loses its general counsel unexpectedly. How could the law firm respond in a way to take advantage of the situation? Suppose a single-payer health system is adopted by the U.S. government. What problems and opportunities occur if Mexico nationalizes American businesses? How would the firm respond to another Enron? What happens if outside investors are allowed to own U.S. law firms? Suppose a major client of the law firm contemplates moving its headquarters to a state where your firm doesn’t currently practice? How should your firm respond to a news release that a major U.S. corporation is relocating its headquarters to your area? What if events similar to those that destroyed Arthur Anderson occur with respect to a U.S. mega law firm?
Could the firm have anticipated the events involving Big Tobacco, the rise of the overnight letter business, the advent of, or the wave of refinancing sparked by falling interest rates? Could the firm have been better positioned to take advantage of Sarbanes-Oxley? Is the firm prepared for the next Katrina? Does the fact that 3.6 million Americans will turn 65 in 2012 open opportunities for your firm? Can the firm take advantage of a major changing of the guard in corporate America?
If the firm follows my suggestion, that “thinking outside of the box” exercise is likely to become the firm’s vehicle for rapid response to real-life events which will position the firm to capitalize rather than suffer from uncertain future events. Chance, Luck, Opportunities—whatever you call it—it can best benefit those who are prepared. Practice prepares a business team to take advantage of events that surprise others.
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Aim higher, reach further.
Review Round Up: ‘Teri Meri Kahaani,’ a First Date Flick
Teri Meri Kahaani
Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra’s onscreen chemistry convinced critics when they first teamed up for action-thriller “Kaminey” in 2009.
In “Teri Meri Kahaani,” which roughly translates into “our story,” the duo are again paired in a love story, which this time spans three eras.
Directed by Kunal Kohli of “Hum Tum” fame, the movie follows the journey of Mr. Kapoor and Ms. Chopra who vow eternal love to each other. The film, which released Friday, takes place between British-ruled Lahore in 1910, Mumbai in 1960 and present-day London.
The protagonists seem to have no recollection of their past lives together. So how do the stories connect to each other?
The film releases on the same day as Anurag Kashyap’s “Gangs Of Wasseypur,” which received positive reviews at Cannes earlier this year.
Despite the competition, Teri Meri Kahaani was well-received by critics.
Here is a roundup of what some critics had to say about the film.
“Fascinating,” “uncomplicated” and “charming” is how critic Taran Adarsh described the movie in a Bollywood Hungama review.
Praising the film’s “admirable” sets, “top notch” cinematography, “experimental” narrative and “poetic” dialogues, the reviewer went on to argue that the romantic drama was much better than the 2005 Taiwanese hit film “Three Times,” that allegedly inspired it.
“Perhaps, the idea of three love stories in three different eras may have germinated from the Taiwanese film, but that’s about it,” he noted.
Commending Ms. Chopra for her “livewire” act and Mr. Kapoor for his “exceptional” performance, Mr. Adarsh was impressed with the dazzling on-screen chemistry between the two.
“Thanks to its innovative storytelling, it comes across as the perfect date movie, holding tremendous appeal for the Facebook Gen,” the reviewer concluded, giving the film four-and-a-half stars out of five.
A review on Sahara’s Oneindia Entertainment website shared similar views, arguing that the film has the potential “to revive the long forgotten romantic era of Bollywood.”
The review was all praise for the film’s star cast. “Shahid Kapoor is a complete surprise package in the movie….on the other hand, Priyanka Chopra was just outstanding,” it noted, adding that the chemistry between the duo was “the best part” of the movie.
Praising the film’s distinct narrative and “perfect musical blend,” the review said the romantic saga was “intriguing enough” to make the audience hold on to their seats. “Kunal Kohli is back to woo the audience,” it said, describing the film as a “must watch.”
But not everyone was impressed.
Neither Mr. Kohli’s revered “midas touch nor the polished star cast is able to save the film’s fate,” Resham Sengar wrote in a Zee News review.
“Teri Meri kahaani’ is not Kunal Kohli’s best work but still is a light watch sans any vulgarity,” she concluded, giving the film two stars out of five.
In a NDTV review, film critic Saibal Chatterjee found the movie “soulless.”
Though the critic praised the film’s cinematography and star cast performances, he was disappointed with the movie’s plot, which he found shamelessly adapted from Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s “Three Times.”
Teri Meri Kahaani “is only two hours long and yet it trudges down its hazy path rather sluggishly and, worse still, goes nowhere in particular,” he noted, adding that the film was unlikely to succeed at the box office.
“Teri Meri Kahaani is flat and fluffy for the most part.… what is has simply isn’t enough.” Mr. Sibal wrote, giving the film two stars out of five.
Readers, tell us what you thought of the film in the Comments section.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.
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Bruce Riedel
Bruce Riedel
Two former CIA officers have warned that America will continue “paying an increasing price in blood” for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and urged the White House to directly meddle in domestic Israeli politics in order to help end the dispute. Speaking on Thursday at a conference on achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace, Bruce Riedel and Frank Anderson, whose combined CIA careers span 55 years, agreed that a new all-out war between Israel and the Palestinians would be inevitable unless the United States aggressively “puts down its own map of a two-state solution”. Anderson, who is currently President at the Middle East Policy Council, opined that America is “paying an increasing price in blood for [the Israelis’ and the Palestinians’] failure and refusal to reach an agreement”. Riedel, who is Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, argued that “American lives are being lost today” due to the conflict’s impact on American national security. He further explained that the unresolved dispute forms the basis of “the ideology and narrative” of al-Qaeda’s animosity against the United States. Both speakers agreed that Washington has a moral and strategic obligation to interfere in Israel’s domestic political process in order to sideline hardliners who reject any settlement with Palestinian group Fatah. A third speaker, Philip Wilcox, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and former US Consul General to Jerusalem, agreed with the former CIA officers and urged participants to “remember that the government of Israel interferes daily in American affairs”. The conference was organized by the Washington-based Middle East Policy Council, which was founded in 1981 by Richard Curtiss and George Naifeh.
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7 Responses to US paying ‘price in blood’ for Israel-Palestine conflict, say ex-CIA officers
1. fred lapides says:
We are “paying a price in blood”? How is that, since we seem not to have armed forces between the contending peoples.
We should “meddle” in internal politics, already fairly tricky in Israel. And if so, should we then meddle with Hamas politically?
If we can “force” Israel to do what we want–no matter what the right wing of Israeli politics may want–can we also force Abbas to do what we want?
Should we go along with or veto the forthcoming recognition of a new Palestinian state by a number of South American nations? Does that help or hinder what we (and they in the region) might want?
2. LL says:
@ Fred
They are obviously referring to the war on terror, which is basically due to the Israel/Palestinian dispute.
Also, Abbas is already doing what the US wants and what the Israeli moderates want.
3. jbn says:
Exactly Abbas is mostly just a puppet. And Hamas itself was able to get a footing originally because it was financed by Israel as a counter to the strengthening PLO at the time. One American intelligence official commented that Israel is like a man who sets his head on fire and then puts it out with a hammer. Israel has been ‘meddling’ in US domestic politics for decades, and both sides regularly crush, topple, and dictate to the palestinian side. We definitely should put our foot down with the Israelis, but it won’t happen. The “Peace Process” and it’s clockwork failure are the main cover for Isreali land theft.
4. fred lapides says:
The UN could of course recognize a Palestinian state (or, with Gaza, two states), or the US, on its own could do so. And then Israel could declare
that there are no longer any issues to negotiate, such as The Return or Jerusalem as capital etc.
I simply don’t see on the one hand you can comment that Israel has been meddling in US domestic policy for years but that we should impose our will, and that somehow is neither domestic nor meddlingl
That Israel got Hamas going is well known and I am not sure why this needs saying. We got Saddam going, we got The Shah going etc.
A curious thing: if Israel keeps building settlements, then it seems to me all the more reason why negotiations should go on as soon as possible to prevent further building and some defined borders.
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Have Some Acid Reflux Questions?
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Have Some Acid Reflux Questions? We Have Answers
Are you fighting against acid reflux? Are you losing sleep over it? Has acid reflux affected your esophagus so much that you writhe in pain? You can control your symptoms, and the information below will be your guide.
TIP! You are much less likely to have acid reflux if you are at your ideal weight. Excess fat pushing on your stomach could cause the esophageal sphincter to relax.
Less Likely
You are much less likely to have acid reflux if you are at your ideal weight. If you are overweight, your sphincter will allow acid into your esophagus. Not only will you feel healthier as you lose weight, you will be less likely to suffer from acid reflux symptoms.
You must watch the type of foods you eat when it comes to your acid reflux. Certain foods and beverages are more likely to cause these effects. When you know which foods are hurting you, you can avoid them.
TIP! Keep a close watch on specific foods you have recently consumed when you are troubled by reflux. People who have acid reflux have triggers that make things worse.
It’s important to remain upright when you are eating as well as up to three hours afterwards. Your esophagus relaxes when you are lying down allowing stomach acids to rise. You will feel relief from the symptoms of acid reflux by standing up or sitting in an upright position.
Cinnamon Gum
TIP! Consider giving up smoking if you suffer from acid reflux. The nicotine in cigarettes creates acid in the stomach, causing acid reflux.
After meals, chew on a piece of cinnamon gum. This increases saliva production. The benefit of saliva is that the stomach’s acid can be neutralized. Chewing gum also causes a person to swallow more often, which cleans the throat of acids that come up from the stomach. If not cinnamon gum, fruit flavors work as well. Do not, however, chew gum with mint in it. Mint can actually cause acid reflux, so you may just be making things worse.
Reflux may be so painful that it may seem like a heart attack. Pay attention to chest pain. Having acid reflux does not stop you from suffering from a heart attack. Talk to your doctor about your options. You don’t need serious health issues because of a wrong self-diagnosis.
TIP! Working out after a meal could cause acid reflux. The food in the stomach may be pushed up into the esophagus when the lower muscles in the abdomen contract during exercising.
A lozenge containing slippery elm may give you some relief. The active ingredient in the lozenge provides a protective coating for your digestive tract. This treatment will also soothe your irritated throat and make your coughing disappear if you often cough when experiencing acid reflux. These are very easy to find, as you can pick them up at your local health store.
TIP! Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight. Suspects include pantyhose, waistbands, and tight belts.
Stay calm. Don’t eat when you’re upset or you will increase your acid build-up. You should do some meditation or relaxation exercises after eating a meal. You should stay upright after eating vs laying down.
Acid Reflux
TIP! Acid reflux can be triggered by certain foods in most people. You should partake of these foods infrequently.
Chewing cinnamon gum can help with your acid reflux. Gum chewing helps send your salivary glands into overdrive, which helps with the acid in your stomach. This also will help you to swallow more often than normal. This pushes stomach acid down into the stomach, instead of allowing it to come up into your esophagus.
Make sure you do not eat during the three hours prior to getting into bed. If bedtime is at 11 then make sure you aren’t eating anything after 8. The reason is that lying prostrate with a full stomach tends to increase pressure on the LES muscle. This will cause more acid reflux episodes.
Acid reflux is often triggered by gluten. You should watch your consumption of barley, wheat and any oats. A couple of grains that are helpful for digestion and contain the bodies’ necessary fiber are quinoa and millet.
Acid Reflux
If you experience blood in your stool or vomit, you must see a doctor immediately. This may not be acid reflux, so you need to visit a doctor and get tested immediately. If you find out that you have something besides acid reflux, then you can get the right treatment.
TIP! You should drink between meals if you are dealing with acid reflux. When your stomach is full of food and liquid, the lower esophageal sphincter is under constant pressure.
Do you know what it takes to end acid reflux suffering? Do you want to sleep through the night once more? Don’t you want to heal your esophagus? Now that you have been privy to this great advice, you know what to do to help yourself feel better fast!
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Sophia's First Stroke
April 2015
In April of 2015, shortly after Easter, my precious six year old angel asked me to join her in her bedroom to watch a movie together. We agreed on The Road to El Dorado, made popcorn, and settled into her bed. Before starting the movie, Sophia left the room and returned with her daddy's Easter basket. As she picked through the candy I watched as she happily munched on the chosen pieces and I noticed she cared more for the candy than starting the movie. She asked me to get my phone and film her as her online persona "Ninja Kitten".
I started filming and asked what she was doing, she proceeded to explain her robin egg eating process as she addressed her imagined million YouTube fans. I will explain more about Ninja Kitten later.
As we chatted I informed her she had daddy's basket, asking how she planned to explain where all his robin eggs went. She of course immediately stopped stealing his candy and ran to return his basket to the kitchen. I stopped filming and when she returned, she gleefully hopped into bed and told me to start the movie.
And then it began....
Her tiny voice said "Hey, I can't make a fist."
I didn't quite understand.
Then the panic started "Mommy! I...I can't make a fist! Mommy!" I sat up and saw her holding her left hand with her right.
"Mommy help me! What's wrong with my....", and then the screaming started.
I didn't understand what was happening, I was trying to hold her, comfort her, but she started panicking and got off the bed screaming "No, no...what is happening! Help me mommy, I think I'm dying!"
More screaming.
"Mommy help me I think I'm dying help me!"
I tried to calm her down as I stopped her from rushing out of the room, she was hysterical. I was confused, scared, and shocked. I think I'm dying? What does that mean? And then I saw her face. The left side of her face looked like it was melting. First I saw the eyebrow slightly droop, followed by her cheek relaxing and appearing to sag, then her lips began to pull down and left her mouth slightly open as the left corner pulled down. She fell silent and as her shoulder dropped, the life in her eyes faded away just a bit. She stared at me, but it seemed like she was staring through me.
A Demand for Answers
Immediately when my husband saw her he knew it was a stroke. We rushed her to the emergency room in our small town, her face had recovered from the drooping and the doctor on call stated that they couldn't take images because their machine was down. He said that the left side numbness she described was probably just the arm falling asleep from leaning on it wrong, he gave her a dose of Tylenol and sent us home. Upon leaving, staff at our hospital advised us to travel to Lubbock to obtain images should she still have trouble with that side.
We watched her closely but noticed she used the left arm less and less. Her face had returned to normal but that arm seemed to just hang from the shoulder. Sometimes she would use it but it was only when we mentioned it. I watched her play a video game with her brother and noticed she was only using the right hand to control the entire XBox remote controller. I would toss waded paper to her far left and she wouldn't lift that arm in any attempt to grab it.
When I showed my husband he agreed we would take her to her primary pediatrician in Lubbock which is about 40 minutes away.
I asked her what was wrong with her left arm, questioning why she didn't use it. "Ghoulia? Oh, I named her Ghoulia." Ghoulia is a zombie character from the Monster High series, which she loves. I asked why she named it Ghoulia and she said in a scary voice, "Because she's dead.....but still alive!!!" and then used her right hand to lift it on top of her brother's head saying it wanted his brains. Good...her sense of humor isn't changed.
On the way to Lubbock, I videotaped her saying her name. I figured if I kept her saying the same sentence it would be easy to compare changes in her facial muscles.
When we saw her primary care provider she saw no significant signs to warrant an ER visit for an MRI. Sophia had a second episode which recovered again. But since no immediate signs were showing the MRI was scheduled the following week. Her doctor is a wonderful compassionate woman who immediately believed the symptoms we were telling her and due to Sophia's complicated medical history she agreed that imaging should be done. We were told to come back if the signs returned.
On our drive back home I repeatedly told my husband that I had a bad feeling, I knew something was very wrong and told him that I intended to return to the hospital and go directly to the ER. We stopped at the grocery store and my husband quickly ran inside. In the car, Sophia started saying she was getting "that feeling again".
I went home and packed a suitcase for my son for three days and for myself and Sophia for three days. Because of the history she has had I knew what to expect should she be admitted to the hospital, I knew I needed to prepare for several days. We returned to Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock and I went straight to the emergency room where I demanded that she get an MRI and began showing the doctors the videos I had taken. I was told a long time ago that pictures and videos speak louder than words for doctors. They ordered an MRI, and as expected, they came back telling us she had had a stroke, probably several. She was admitted into the ICU .
While in the ICU we were told by the doctors that the strokes were most likely the result of a blockage of blood flow in the brain, possibly a clot or tumor. In order to gain further knowledge, Sophia would need to be sedated for an angiogram.
The day of the procedure the doctor told me that it would be awhile before she was awake from the angiogram and we should just relax, get something to eat, and return to the room, but added "Unless something goes wrong, we could be done in five minutes. But I'm sure it will be awhile for us to complete this."
I was with her as they took her into the operating room and began her sedation. When I left the room I met my husband and my son In the hallway. We sat in the waiting area near the operating room to discuss where we should go while we waited. Within minutes the doctor came down the corridor and told us to stop.
Something had gone wrong. They discovered at the start of the angiogram that there was no blockage, but her right carotid artery had completely closed and she appeared to have a very rare disease called MoyaMoya.
MoyaMoya is typically characterized as the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain which results in limited blood flow and eventual brain damage from the lack of oxygen to those areas of tissue. There is no cure.
We were told neurosurgery would visit us to discuss our options.
When we met with the neurosurgeon, he explained the typical treatment to help MoyaMoya patients was a surgery called revascularization. The skull is opened and blood vessels are "planted" into the brain in hopes that six months later those blood vessels would take "root" and offer a new source of blood supply to the brain. He was a skilled surgeon and confident in his abilities but due to Sophia's complicated medical history it was best to air lift her to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston where there was a MoyaMoya specialist and a better support system than what was available in Lubbock.
When she woke from sedation she was behaving a little differently. A little more aggressive.
The staff informed us that Texas Children's Hospital was sending their private jet to transport her. In the meantime the hospital wanted an additional MRI of her brain to send with her. She asked to not be sedated and promised to remain still. She had been through countless imaging procedures and the machines no longer scared her. We went to radiology and during this particular image she began to panic. The nurse had added Versed in small increments to her IV line to keep her calm but she had a paradoxical effect. The nurse added more which became apparent was just enough to tip her over the edge. She became very angry, panicky, and eventually violent.
By the time we returned to the ICU room she was at the beginning of a full meltdown. She began screaming and flailing her limbs and gradually became angrier. She became verbally aggressive, saying things that were hurtful and not typical of her at all.
Then the screaming began again followed by pleas for help and that sentence again, "Help me mommy! I think I'm dying!"
This behavior was the precursor to a massive stroke which completely paralyzed her left side. This time the paralysis did not recover And ran on the entire left side. She could not lift her or move any part of that side. She continued to scream. The staff came in and attempted to sedate but her little body wasn't going down, they tried different medication and finally she was under again. It was decided that due to her violent episodes it would best for her safety and the safety of the flight crew that she remain sedated. She was intubated and we were transported to Houston.
Texas Children's Hospital
From the moment we arrived we were assured we were in the place to get answers. But as the teams of specialists studied her imaging for days they began to agree not to perform the brain surgery.
Why? Because they were baffled. Sophia's imaging showed severe damage to the right side of the brain. These images revealed that the extensive damage done from the strokes would result in her permanent loss of use of her left side. She would never walk again. Never use her left arm again. She wouldn't even be able to hold her own head up.
So why were they baffled?
As they observed the recent images of Sophia's brain, in comparison side by side, they showed her brain healing itself.
As these doctors took repetitive images and compared the images side-by-side, they were baffled because Sophia began to revascularize her own brain without the surgery.
They were baffled because her brain began to show new blood vessels forming in the brain on the right side and they could not understand how.
We were told that her brain was doing in days what only surgery can do and would take four to six months.
They decided not to perform the surgery since they couldn't explain what was happening. It became a concern that if they did open up her brain the shock could force the brain to do what the images showed it should be doing...just be dead tissue.
Eventually they decided to move her out of the ICU to the neurology floor for further observation.
The regular imaging continued as they spent time teaching us how to care for Sophia in a partial paralyzed state. How to bathe her, feed her, care for her, and move her with the left half of the body paralyzed.
As the days progressed teams of doctors would come into the room and openly discuss her situation. They would talk to us about what the plan would be for her rehabilitation down the road.
Sophia became very upset after so much time of listening to dozens of doctors talk about the things she would never be able to do again. She started to speak up and at one point told the doctors "If you have nothing positive to say while you're here, then discuss everything in the hallway, because I can hear you. If you're only going to talk about what I can't do then I don't want to hear it. Why don't you let me try to walk. Let me try to move. Let me get out of this bed. Unhook me from all this equipment and please just let me try."
Of course the doctors repeatedly told us it was foolish and a risk to her health should she fall and there were regulations we needed to follow. At one point when they left the room Sophia told her dad and I to go get her some Playdough. When I brought it to her she asked me to open it and place it in her right hand. She then moved the Playdough to her paralyzed left hand and began to use her right hand to push each finger of the left-hand into that Playdough. I asked her what she was doing and she told me she's trying to make the left hand feel the Playdough so that it can do this on its own and she was going to work at it because the doctors didn't want to help her try so she would do it herself.
This didn't just stop with her use of her left hand. She set three goals for herself. For her leg, she wanted to run again. For the left arm, be able to touch each fingertip with her thumb. And for her paralyzed face, she wanted to say a tongue twister.
While much of the staff thought it was cute, most of them told us it was unrealistic and went back to teaching us how to bathe, her how to feed her, how to care for her being completely paralyzed on the left side.
But within a week, Sophia was able to stand and take a few steps with a support belt. Her progress was miraculous.
They eventually moved her to the in-house rehabilitation floor where she and I stayed for many weeks.
Eventually it was time for her to be discharged. The staff were amazed at her improvement and her recovery but it was time to be sent home and followed up with our local doctors.
When we contacted our Lubbock neurologist she stated she was closing her practice and was moving back to Chicago to be with her your mother. She also told us not to come back to Lubbock because the only remaining four pediatric neurologists had already been contacted and refused to take Sophia's case because "she was out of their league" or too complicated to take on as a patient. I was suggested we move to a bigger city where there's a better support team and not to come back to Lubbock.
We didn't know what to do but we prayed as always.
*Check back as we add more details to this section and share more about her time recovering at TCH, the great staff, and her support team she worked with throughout her recovery.
The Naming of Doctors
I should take this moment to talk about Sophia’s “naming of the doctors” habit.
Sophia has always asked us to tell her the truth about her medical condition because she has been In hospitals and surrounded by doctors her entire life, many times hearing every word they say. These conversations included many stating she would not live out the week, not live to be more than two years old, four years old, she would be a vegetable eventually...things children shouldn’t hear.
She asked us a long time ago to always tell her the truth when it came to her health.
After seeing literally hundreds of medical personnel in her lifetime, it became increasingly harder to remember the name is each doctor and specialist.
Sophia would listen intently to her father and I discuss her medical situation and ask “Which doctor is this now?” And then started responding with nicknames she gave them in her little mind. “Oh, you mean Dr. Bad Breath” or “Oh, you mean Dr. Baldy.” or “Dr. Bowtie.”
We soon found it easier for us all to use her labels because we knew who she was talking about.
Cook Children's Hospital
We heard of a great neurology team at Cook Children's Hospital in Dallas but after contacting them to take Sophia's case we were told that they were not interested and it would be six to nine months before we could get an office consultation.
My sister had recently moved to Dallas and had been helping us through all of this and offered her home for us to stay at so that if anything else happened with Sophia we would be closer to a larger hospital which had a larger support team.
The second day we were in Dallas Sophia suffered another minor stroke and we took her to the emergency room at Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth. Upon discharge they ask us to follow up with our own neurologist and since we had none at the time, we we're pleased to tell them they had to see Sophia in clinic now that she had been seen at their emergency room.
I won't say it's a coincidence that these things happened, because God always has a plan.
When Sophia and I arrived at the appointment with the neurologist he told Sophia "I heard about you. I've read about you and I've seen your images. Let me tell you something little girl, you're not doing the things that the medical books say you should be doing. So why don't you tell me how are you doing this. How are you holding your head up and moving when you shouldn't be able to?"
Of course Sophia smiled and confidently said "Well, because I'm awesome that’s how!"
He asked "I've been hearing a rumor Sophia, that you can stand on your own. Is that true? Because I've seen your images and you shouldn't be able to do that, but I heard that you can."
Sophia replied "You want to see what I can do? I'll show you what I can do."
I told her to make safe choices as she locked her wheelchair and swung open the wheelchair legs. She stood up, took about 11 steps, turned around, and walked back to her wheelchair, sat down, raised her arms, and said "Ta-da!"
After some silence, this neurologist told her, "I know you scare a lot of doctors, but you don't scare me. I don't know what is happening, but if you trust me, I'm willing to work at finding answers together."
Sophia looked him over and asked “Do you promise not to use me like a lab rat? And always tell me the truth?” He replied that he would and she immediately said “Ok then, I shall call you Dr. Stoic...after Stoic from the movie How To Train Your Dragon, because he is the bravest man I know!”
Over the next year we made regular trips back to Fort Worth, sometimes as often as once a week, so that Sophia can participate in the stroke clinic at Cook Children's Hospital and receive therapy. She regularly has imaging done of her brain. These images take about five hours under sedation and they are deep imaging that looks inside the blood vessels in the brain.
They have come to the conclusion that Sophia has MoyaMoya like symptoms but not actual MoyaMoya. The stroke team has concluded that Sophia has a "unknown genetic vasculopathy" which is another way of saying they don't know exactly what it is that she has, because it can't be identified. What they do know is that the blood vessels within her brain or slowly narrowing. They don't know why and they cannot stop it.
There is no cure for Sophia's condition. Sometimes the imaging shows that there is no more additional narrowing. Sometimes the images show that there has been an increase in the narrowing.
Every day is a gift. We hear that all the time, but for Sophia it truly is. We are constantly reminded that it any moment she could suffer another stroke and there's nothing that can be done. The next stroke could put her in a vegetative state, permanent paralysis, or end her life. As her mother, this is harder than you could possibly imagine. But our son once told us that God gave her to us for a reason. That God chose us to be her family because we were the right family for her and we absolutely believe that.
During the holidays in 2016, Sophia began suffering minor strokes again. New imaging showed that the left carotid artery artery and the right posterior artery were closing more. The need for an alternative blood supply source outweighed the risk of surgery.
The dural revascularization surgery was performed on February 6. There was an chance that she would not survive the surgery without a stroke possibly killing or permanently paralyzing her.
Once again this little girl came through miraculously. One of the neurosurgeons stated "This little girl has God on her side."
We prepared for weeks of recovery time. But by day two, she was off pain medication. By day three she was up and walking around the nurse’s station.
Sophia returns to Dallas in August to take more images to see if the revascularization surgery was successful.
About a year ago my husband heard me repeatedly telling the story of Sophia's miraculous journey to everyone I could. He was very upset because he couldn't understand why I was retelling the most horrific time of our lives to people with a smile and repeatedly telling it without crying.
It wasn't until he heard me telling a group of mothers at Sophia's troop meeting that he realized I was telling the story because Sophia story is a testament to God's Grace.
I told him later that I feel I must tell it, I have to tell it. In a world where things are so bad and ugly, when there is so much loss of faith, people needed to hear Sophia's story so that they could hear a true testament to God's Grace and His Glory revealed in Sophia's story.
This is why we tell her story as much as possible so that you know prayers are heard. So that you know God's Grace exists today. So you can see it, and retell it in this little girl.
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American Socialism II – Socialized Tuition
The Democratic national party has made it something of a prerogative over the past several elections to platform on more affordable college and university tuition. They tell us that tuition rates have gone up disproportionate to inflation in the past twenty years, that tuition today is too expensive for the aspiring young and their concerned families of the lower class to afford, and that these costs have risen largely independently of economic pressures. The less-nuanced approach to handling these issues comes from Bernie Sanders, self-styled socialist and walking harbinger of the Left’s new face. His solution: subsidize the entire field and, with a combination of federal and state funding, provide free tuition to students of all public two- and four-year institutions.
There are, however, a variety of problems with the notion of what might as well be considered a single-payer higher education system. These problems are not restricted to logistics, such as how to pay for it or even how to implement it, nor are they limited in scope to the implications of how the a majority of the education sector would function under government subsidization and oversight; the problems are more fundamental, reaching into to the very collectivist/individualist divide between the modern Left and Right in their approach to governance and responsibility.
This plan is, at best, doomed to failure; at worst, it’s an evisceration of the classical liberal’s ideals.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, state-funded colleges and universities pulled in about $65 billion over the 2011-2012 year, and according to Sanders’ own site, that number today is a little closer to about $70 billion. In an era where the national debt has skyrocketed over the $18 trillion dollar mark, a measly few tens of billions by comparison seems like a drop in the bucket. Unfortunately, although the national debt of the country is a number a bit more familiar to most Americans, it’s easily one of the worst possible standards against which to measure any form of magnitude. It’s simply too high to adequately comprehend, not unlike the $65-$70 billion that college tuition is supposed to cost.
Let’s put this in perspective. Federal income tax data should suffice.
In 2012, the bottom 50% of taxpayers paid a total of $33 billion dollars to the federal government. This includes everyone who held a legal job through the 2012 fiscal year with a job that paid less than around $36 thousand a year. The combined average of their income tax rate was around 3%, and it covers roughly 68 million individuals—assuming each singular tax return accounts for one person.
The next easily-measurable bracket upwards on this scale accounts for the lowest 75% of the population who submitted returns—and this number is a bit more favorable. This brings us to the least-rich 102 million tax payers in the US, and they pay about $161 billion in income taxes. Just so we know exactly who we’re talking about here, this means everyone who held down a job that racked in less than about $73 thousand dollars over the course of 2012.
This number gives us that magic $65 billion or so we need to cover the university tuition costs over 2012, and it leaves plenty to spare. No big deal, right? That’s only 102 million taxpayers funding the way of roughly 13 million college and university students a year—or about 4% of the entire US population, or the equivalent of 12.7% of the body funding them, or perhaps most accurately, the equivalent of 9.5% of the entire tax-paying body of workers who would collectively finance this and other programs allocated in the national budget.
So we’re looking at a little less than one in ten people benefiting from a program that every worker is forced to contribute to—many of whom already has it siphoned out of their paycheck before they even see it. And if we consider that only about 20% of these students worked full-time while in school—in all likelihood in positions that wouldn’t afford them income brackets greater than the $36k/year cut-off rate that differentiates the top 50% of taxpayers from the bottom—then we’re looking at a grossly disproportionate rate of return for the community of investors. Even being generous and including the part-timers, we’re looking at 71.6% of the college & university student community in the workforce and paying taxes; that means about 3.7 million students would basically be given a free ride.
Maybe all of this is irrelevant. After all, Sanders hasn’t said anything about using income tax to pay for all of this, and even if he had, the tax code would obviously need some drastic restructuring to handle an additional $65-$70 billion load on its current money-hemorrhaging status; the US government already operates with an annual deficit of more than half a trillion dollars (that’s $583 billion in the red for the 2015 fiscal year). It’s worth noting that the deficit is the amount of money in the budget that isn’t already covered by what’s currently being taxed out of every working citizen’s pocket. If the total amount the IRS collected in 2012 came to about $1.2 trillion, the federal budget was at least another half-a-trillion dollars more than that.
I’ve heard suggestions of another payroll tax similar to the social security and unemployment taxes, but that just decreases the amount of money going into the worker’s pocket and establishes yet another empty piggy bank filled with IOUs for government pillaging just like the existing bankrupted social security program—the entire idea strikes me as self-defeating. There’s also the suggestion of a tax imposed on stock trades—either a reform of the capital gains tax that already exists, or a more pervasive tax on every trade. Capital gains tax already taxes each trade, though cumulatively and usually only once a year (although the tax itself is already an example of double-taxation). This simply adds to the dues the government wants to collect from investors.
Clearly, piling onto the national deficit tens of billions of dollars more than it can already subsume isn’t going to work out—especially not for a candidate that has already promised overhauls in national infrastructure, extension and expansion of benefits to workers, growth of the public sector, and the synching of Obamacare into a larger single-payer healthcare system. The money simply doesn’t exist within the government’s current budget, much less the expansion these proposals would require.
Ostensibly, there remain two options: shrink, eliminate, or optimize existing programs to cut costs and drive down government spending, or levy more taxes against rich people and corporations (as if corporations are somehow independent of the people they serve, cover, or are otherwise comprised of, so all it does is further burden the worker anyway). The former option is something that a socialist isn’t usually capable of mentally conceiving, and the latter is little more than another excuse to point the government’s guns at its own people.
But that isn’t the point, Sanders might argue. The point is that everyone should be given the opportunity to go to school, right?
This is the problem; there’s the mistaken assumption that each person has a right to continuing education, and implicitly, that every person can, should, and on some level, must continue to pursue academic rigor. From this assumption comes the notion that government should preserve this right by allocating the resources necessary to ensure that this opportunity is protected. But an individual’s right is an entitlement granted to them by very nature of their being born—the right to speak your mind, the right to assemble, and the right to pursue happiness are all examples. But these aren’t entitlements to commodities, like wealth or property. A person does not have an innate right to a house any more than he has a right to a diamond necklace or a private island or a yacht. He has a right to pursue the acquisition of these things, the right to work for them and gain them by the sweat of his brow. He has the right to invest in them and claim them as property after he’s traded for them or otherwise entered agreements with parties to obtain them. But he doesn’t have a right to their specific ownership at birth. They are wealth created by someone’s labor, and the redistribution of wealth from those who created it to those who do not offer compensation is called theft.
Education is a commodity; it requires teachers, teaching space, materials, and realistically, an administrative structure to support its apparatus. People have to be compensated for their services and goods have to be paid for. The fruits of education should come to those who work for it each and individually in turn.
And the implication behind the rhetoric goes ever deeper; a subsidized system of education, even if it isn’t one fed students by governmental mandate (as the public school system is), still creates a system that will only devalue the very thing it’s supposed to provide. Our society already tells us that free is better; those that don’t take advantage of uncharged public sector university would certainly be throwing away an opportunity to improve their quality of life, at least as we understand it now.
But taking into account that there will always be a much larger need for skilled laborers, then this social necessity of higher education becomes less intuitive. Even if the logistics were worked out, the result would be a world where either the majority of the populace simply doesn’t take advantage of subsidized education, or a world in which it’s expected for people to stay in school up into their mid-twenties simply to get a degree that enables them to start an low-end administrative position as a secretary at lower wages and with less growth opportunities than they have now. The divide between the public and private schools would either shrink as the private schools went out of business, or it would disproportionately grow as employers figured out that the public sector degrees were becoming increasingly worthless in the job market. Because a funny thing happens when something is made available for anyone who shows up: the standards and quality of the service drops.
Now we get to the morality that I touched on earlier: is it good to force the collective of society to pay for the gains of what are effectively the elite few? This in turn brings us to an even broader question: what should higher education be used for: the endowment of skill sets to future employees or passing-down of knowledge and methodology for the Citizenry?
Traditionally, higher education has acted as the threshold upon which the burgeoning mind is prepared for the adulthood of civilized society. It was the mark of aristocracy, the mark of wealth; it differentiated the leaders—in all fields: political, scientific, social, et al—from the ranks who followed them. While being born into wealth and power were the predominant features of aristocracy, their higher level of education became the defining characteristic of the class simply because without it, the family would easily lose their status within a generation or two. The fostering of critical thinking and scientism, the cultivation of the aesthetic, and the passing-down of cultural heritage, knowledge, and artistic canon functioned to further each generation by creating a foundation on which the culture of their entire society was reinforced. The blood-class of aristocracy allowed the great artists to thrive insomuch as they could be their patrons. Art itself was and had for generations been a symbol of that status.
Education thus existed as both a means of continuing the liberal arts tradition through the years while simultaneously teaching the next generation of leaders the skills they’d need for running their lands, kingdoms, and businesses. It maintained the cultural baseline that underpinned the social fabric.
This is not, for the most part, how we conceive of education today. As the aristocracy disintegrated around the crumbling framework of monarchical rule, and as the nouveau riche rose to prominence due to a more open market both in the old world as well as the new, the traditionalist values of art and common culture lost ground against the more immediate concerns of maintaining capital in a less stable economy and the accumulation of wealth amid growing fears of governmental interventionism—particularly during the 1920s. As education became more affordable, as the more rigid class structure of the old world fell apart and the markets freed up, the availability of instruction became easier to get for the growing middle class. The conflation of first the new-rich merchant class of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries grew into the conflation of a rising upper-middle class of almost-rich with the lower spectrum of the upper class. The rise of publically-funded universities and the shift in the US job market toward a more service-oriented economy complicated the situation even more.
But this is somewhat beside the point. Which direction should education take our students? With highly fractured degree programs and a deep divide between the STEM fields and the humanities on a majority of campuses, the answer today isn’t so obvious.
I think we need to let go of the notion that everyone deserves an higher education merely by nature of having been born. Higher education, the pursuit of it and its value, is entwined with the concepts of skill and labor. Anyone is capable of labor, and anyone who shapes their will toward the pursuit of skill naturally labors for it. But the development of skill, critical thinking, and the advancement of knowledge are not things that can be legislated into being or mandated into existence. They must be pursued, honed, maintained, and crafted. Those that deserve such things are those that endeavor to pursue them by the sweat and blood of their toil.
Doubly so when something as expensive as education is considered. It’s always a matter of give and take. The student that pours himself into his studies to learn more is only doing himself the favor—not any real favor to the professors and coaches who instruct him, aside from politely neglecting to waste their time. The student must give to these people, he must pay off the debt that he has accrued as a result of their instruction and guidance. For some, gratitude is enough. Gratitude, however, is a woefully devalued commodity in today’s culture and something growing scarcer by the year. It means nothing when it is between strangers and unbacked with something of agreeable value.
The short of it is simple: a man deserves the opportunity to work for what he desires. Those that prioritize higher education should be allowed to pursue it. Student loan reform that enables graduates to realistically pay back to the university what they have received from it, as well as a shift in conceiving of who should probably attend college are better courses of action. They preserve the liberties of the students and the community by maintaining a decentralized, individual priority driven form of bottom-up planning rather than the socialist and impractical attempt of a top-down mandate, while also avoiding the collectivist pitfalls of excessive bureaucratic mismanagement and over-taxation. At the same time, rethinking the nature of higher education and encouraging more students to pursue trade-related fields will streamline the existing apparatus, discouraging students from pursuing useless degrees of academic rigor that ultimately only send them into debt and have no application outside a classroom.
More government is not the answer.
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Tag Archives: recipies
Homemade Dump Truck Cake
Another homemade birthday cake. Once again from my favourite cake book: ‘The Practical Encyclopedia of Cakes and Cake Decorating’ by Beverley Jollands, Angela Nilsen, Janice Murfitt and published by Lorenz books. It was my son’s birthday cake for his second birthday, and he loved it!
The entire cake was made in a 2lb loaf tin, then cut, shaped, iced and assmbled on a cake board. It was easy and it looked good too.
Easy-Peasy (not really) Carbonara
This lovely, creamy, scrumptious Carbonara is the ultimate comfort food. If you’re making this for pregnant ladies, or the under 1s remember to cook the eggs thoroughly when you add them. Otherwise, you can leave them rich and unctuous.
Serves 2 adults
180g pasta
4 rashers of bacon snipped into bits
2 eggs
100g grated cheese
4 tblsps olive oil
1) Cook the pasta as per packet instructions. Whilst the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon until browned and crispy, then drain on kitchen paper.
2)Lightly beat the eggs with the olive oil and a pinch of pepper. Stir in the grated cheese.
3)Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir in the bacon.
4)Pour the egg mixture over the pasta, and cook stirring over a low heat until rich and creamy. Serve with a crispy salad.
Chocolate bread and butter pudding
The kids loved helping to make this, it was really simple and delicious hot or cold. I think they were a bit disappointed that as there’s no batter mix like with a cake, there wasn’t a bowl to lick out at the end…
Serves 6-8
Half a stale white baguette
100g chocolate chips
50g raisins
2 tblsps cocoa powder
90g caster sugar
5 eggs
2 and a quarter pints of milk (soya is fine)
Large, shallow lasagne dish
Roasting tin, big enough that the lasagne dish fits into it
1) Slice the bread into 1 inch thick pieces and spread thickly with butter.
2)Grease the lasagne dish, then arrange the bread in overlapping rows in the dish.
3)Sprinkle with chocolate chips and raisins
4)Add the cocoa powder to a quarter of a pint of milk and stir into a smooth paste.
5)To make the custard, beat the eggs thoroughly, then whisk in the caster sugar. Stir in the cocoa mixture and the remaining 2 pints of milk.
6)Spoon the custard over the bread and allow to soak for 5 minutes.
7)Put the lasagne dish into the roasting tin, then add water so that the sides of the lasagne dish are halfway covered.
8)Put in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 50mins. Check regularly, do not allow to dry out. The pudding is ready when the custard is lightly set and the top is browned. To check insert a sharp knife into the centre. If the custard is still runny, bake for another 10 mins. Serve warm with custard, ice cream or cream.
Baked rainbow trout, fresh garlic bread and ratatouille
This sounds fancy, but it’s not- it’s quick and yummy. You could make it from scratch and it would be even tastier, but would take much longer. As usual, here is the busy Mummy’s version, which shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes.
Serves 2 adults and 2 toddlers
Sea salt
2 whole rainbow trout
Ready-made, fresh, wholemeal pizza dough or ‘just add water’ pizza base mix, prepared as per packet instructions
3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 large sprig rosemary
200g grated cheese
Olive oil
1 tin ratatouille (400g ish)
1) Cut the heads off the rainbow trout and discard. Then place in a roasting tin and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-30min, or until the fish is soft and flakey.
2)Lightly oil a large baking tray. Then sprinkle with plain flour. Press out the pizza dough until it is about 1.5 cm thick.
3)Dot the dough with the slices of garlic. Pick leaves off the sprig of rosemary, and dot in between the garlic, pressing gently into the dough. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Then drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the pizza and top with the grated cheese.
4)Bake in the oven with the fish for around 15min, or until the cheese is bubbling and the crust risen and lightly browned.
5)Heat up the tin of ratatouille as per the instructions on the tin.
6)De-bone and flake the fish. Serve with the ratatouille and wedges of the fresh garlic bread.
Super fast one pan gnocchi
There are two great things about this meal: it tastes amazing, and it takes only 10 mins to prepare! Brilliant for getting everyone fed when you’re short of time.
Makes enough for 2 adults and 2 toddlers
1tblsp olive oil
200g bacon, snipped into bits
500g ready-made fresh gnocchi
350g tomato based pasta sauce
30g grated cheddar (any sort)
1)Heat the oil in a large, heavy based frying pan, then add the bacon and fry for 2 minutes
2)Add the gnocchi and fry at a fairly high heat until golden (about 3-4min)
3) Reduce to a low heat. Stir in the pasta sauce and grated cheese and heat until the cheese is melting.
4) Serve with plenty of salad and cherry tomatos
Mini Orange and Chocolate Rock Buns
These turn out about bite size, and are so tasty that they’re never around for long in our house. My son loves helping to make these and particularly likes hitting the chocolate with the rolling pin.
Makes around 20
225g self raising flour
125g margarine or butter
75g caster sugar
50g good quality dark chocolate
Grated zest of 3 satsumas (or 1 orange)
1 beaten egg
2 tblsps orange juice
1 tsp vanilla essence
1)Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put the flour and margarine in a bowl and rub together until a breadcrumb like consistency is achieved. Stir in the sugar.
2)Place the chocolate in a plastic sandwich bag or wrap in cling film. Put this on a heavy wooden chopping board and smash with a rolling pin until you have created lots of little chocolate chunks.
3)Stir in the zest and chocolate chunks.
4)Add the beaten egg, orange juice and vanilla essence and stir. This will create a thick, sticky dough.
5)Grease two baking trays, and using two forks drop rough blobs of the mixture onto the tray. Leave a reasonable distance between them as they will spread a little as they bake.
6)Place in the oven for 10-12 mins or until golden brown all over. Cool on a wire rack and serve slightly warm.
Sea Bream (or Bass) oven steamed
For this recipe you can use either Sea Bream or Sea Bass, whichever is more readily available. It’s ideal for a quick, grown-up supper and super tasty. I wouldn’t recommend this for kids though, as these fish have lots of bones.
1 whole Sea Bass or Sea Bream per person
Some white wine
Salt and pepper
Garlic granules
Chilli powder
Aluminium foil
Greaseproof paper
1)Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Cover a baking tray generously with aluminium foil, then layer the greaseproof paper on top.
2)With a very sharp knife, cut the heads off the fish and throw away. Unless you like eating fish heads, in which case, leave them on.
3)Place the fish on the prepared baking tray and season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic granules and chilli powder. Pinch up the corners of the foil to form a tray shap, then pour one tablespoon of wine over each fish, and one into the baking tray.
4)Encase the fish entirely in the aluminium foil, sealing the edges tightly to prevent moisture from escaping.
5)Place in the oven and bake for 10 min. Open the aluminium foil, the fish should be soft and flaky. Serve with rice and fresh green vegetables.
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Pages is a full word processor at your fingertips – but it’s not without its flaws
It makes sense for Apple to deliver the superb Pages on iPad thanks to how well the device is suited to word processing on the move.
Pages has a large, clear screen, plenty of space for a chunky on-screen keyboard and it boasts a wealth of connectivity options. When creating their first document, users are greeted with 15 preset template options to suit many needs.
Starting from scratch with a blank spread and turning it into a custom document is as simple as using Word or the OS X version of Pages, thanks to the wealth of formatting and file embedding options available.
Typing at speed is as intuitive as using a physical keyboard with no lag between input and page display. Text can be aligned, formatted, tabbed and manipulated at speed using custom toolbars at the top of the screen. Viewing pages in both portrait and landscape is superb and while landscape may give users a bigger keyboard to play with, portrait mode works just as well.
Correcting formatting mistakes is a simple case of tapping or dragging over the area of interest and hitting the Inspector tab, which then displays the full range of formatting options available for that region. Additionally, text errors can be corrected using the iPad’s native dictionary function.
Once users are happy with their finished documents, they can be saved into an on-board document folder that can also be emailed to contacts or exported to your desktop Mac or account. It’s simple and it works a treat, however, there are some glaring feature omissions that hold the Pages app back. For starters there are no character or page count trackers.
Users are also unable to print documents due to a lack of device connectivity, and finally, Pages comes without the option to track changes. Although it is missing a few key features, users are unlikely to find a more powerful word processor available for iPad. The range of features the app does offer more than justifies the price, but we expect future updates to rectify the shortcomings of this most recent build.
Rated 4 out of 5
Largely powerful, the Pages app sadly misses features that other word processors deliver as standard.
• TITLE=Amazing app…;RATING=5;This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and intuitive applications I have come across on any platform. Clear, easy menus, a doddle to edit, and oh so beautiful paragraph reflow when inserting images. This is hard to beat. Minor niggles such as word count hardly register, as I consider the ipad as a computer that just happens to take no space at all in my bag, negligible weight, and more than powerful enough to use as a full-blown system.
The integration with icloud then, is simply stunning. If you’re in a meeting taking notes, you don’t have to worry about saving a backup, it just does it automatically, ready for you to download and edit as a pdf, iwork, or indeed, Word document, with FULL compatibility.
My kids use this for school work, and they already have hundreds of documents, each in their own folders, totally synced and available anywhere in the world. they can integrate into it from Dropbox, grab images from the camera or the photo roll…
Well worth the 10 dollars (8Euros), and should be on everyone’s list…
• ismail-taksim
Phantastic layout and cool features but unfortunately it nearly is impossible to use Pages running on OSX Mavericks. It takes ages to copy and paste any graphics or text from a web page to your document, pages will simply block itself and whatever you are trying to accomplish. But what is even more frustrating is not being able to find a workaround this problem after weeks of online digging.
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Saturday, September 20, 2014
Thank you and help name this guitar...
Back in the beginning, there was just this:
Bruce Roper and the big slab of Sapele at Owl Lumber
We picked this wood because of its beauty, its chatoyance, the way the figures danced on the surface. Also, it was one hard piece of wood, not mahogany but like mahogany, a good thing to build a guitar out of. Not just the sides and the back, but the whole body of the guitar. Bruce's thought was it would be a great flitch matched project and would immediately convey the sense that this instrument came not from a factory, but from a tree somewhere in Africa.
This is what it became, a guitar pretty enough for framing with a strong voice and a solid, hand-made feel that I find pretty inspirational. Now it needs a name. We wanted to use this guitar to show you how the instrument is built, what kinds of problems you have to solve, the role of the craftsman in the construction of a modern instrument. Bruce was patient along every step of the way and explained it all to me. I thought I would like to build one, but now that I have seen him work, I'm not so sure. This is not easy.
This is the 50th guitar Bruce has constructed (although you could add hundreds more if you listed the number he has worked on as luthier for the Old Town School of Folk Music's "The Different Strummer" music store. Any time over the past nine months that I visited Bruce's shop, there were guitars and mandolins and banjos everywhere, all of them lined up for his repairs. It made me kind of philosophical about the whole process. If you love your guitars to death (and I do) and they are broken, then he is like the man who fixes broken hearts. I believe that now, having worked with him. What a skill.
Building one is just that much more impressive. I have made and repaired furniture, but I have never done anything that approached the detail of the process I have watched since February, when Bruce bought the wood and cut it into guitar sets.
The whole story is here in the various entries of this blog, and I encourage anyone who is interested in hand made instruments to stroll through them and stop to see what is going on wherever you need to. Not a day passed that didn't involve something I found fascinating.
Playing it is not like playing my other guitars, which are all fine instruments (my son, a repair tech at Guitar Works in Evanston, would say the best ever made anywhere). I can't disagree with him because he knows his stuff. What I can say is that it is different. It has a fine voice and plays well. But knowing how it came together somehow changes everything.
Bruce gave me a good book at the beginning of this process, "Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey," by Perri Knize. It's a great book about a woman's quest to find out what happened to the sound of a beloved piano when it was shipped from New York to her home in Montana. The magic of the thing left and she was heartbroken. She ends up in Germany at the factory where the piano was constucted. She learns that every one who touches an instrument during construction leaves something of himself, or herself, in it. In her case, it was the proper tuning she was searching for, and finally found. But in the course of that journey, she learned all about pianos and how they come together.
Guitar sets maturing in Bruce's shop
I never thought much about how my Martin or Collings guitars were made, although it was clear they were made well by people who knew what they were doing. But I could not imagine how they touched them, measured them, coaxed them into life.
Now I know, thanks to Bruce. The difference is that at C.F. Martin, you can see the 300 steps taken by about as many people to assemble an instrument that must meet a high standard. And at Collings, I am certain, you can see a collection of diligent people working on a series of instruments. That's how its done in factory building.
At Bruce's you get to see just one thing:
That's Bruce, building my guitar.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. I certainly did. I hope you appreciate what you have seen, and maybe will even consider asking Bruce to help you build your guitar. There aren't many luthiers around town who will do that with you.
If you go down that road, it might just carry you to the point at which a slab of wood is transformed and takes on its own soul.
Help me name this guitar. Thank you for following us. Charlie Madigan
Friday, September 12, 2014
My Guitar Is Built!
In front of the Steinway
The Buildmyguitar project is finished, and so is this blog, for the most part. There will be one more next week, just to tie it all up. Bruce Roper, the luthier from the Old Town School, reset the neck Friday morning to get the action closer to proper, then adjusted the tension rod and then we sat down to play.
I'm not one for bragging, but it was close to perfect, and will probably end up being perfect after we do some tweaking next week, put on strap pegs, cover the tension rod adjuster hole and maybe stick a little strip of wood under the saddle to replace the piece of plastic we stuck in there Friday just to get the saddle to the right altitude.
I took the guitar straight home and sat it in a couple of different places just to see how it would look. Best of all was this spot in front of the Steinway, one of my other favorite instruments. But it didn't stop there.
Atop the Steinway
I decided I wanted to see how it would look up on top of the Steinway, where it joined a cigar box guitar a guy made for my son, one of the guitar repair experts at Guitar Works in Evanston. The new guitar sits up there pretty well, I think. But a Steinway kind of earned its own space in the house, so I don't want to clutter it up with too many things. The guitar deserves its own space, too. I just haven't decided where that might be. There are lots of guitars in the house in various places, but this one deserves its own, at least while I am still so tickled about having it. I am well aware that the day will come when I view it as another good musical tool in my collection of good musical tools. But that's a bit down the road yet.
I would be a crass fool if I didn't stop here to thank Bruce for his dedication and patience with this guitar, and with me, over a period that began in February at Owl Lumber in Des Plaines and ended when I walked out of Bruce's shop off Lincoln on Friday afternoon. He has patiently answered all questions and never even once elbowed me out of the way as I pushed close with a little camera to get a shot.
I really enjoyed working with him on the blog. He is a funny, gifted man with a master's touch on the chisels and saws and other pieces of equipment that helped this guitar come together. I thought in the beginning that I knew what he meant when he said this guitar would have excellent chatoyance, but you can really see it, even by the light of a Nikon flash, as it sits there on top of the piano.
The finish isn't shiny. We agreed on that early on. It has a couple of coats of shellac on it, then a couple of coats of gun oil on top of that, with some light sanding between the layers to get rid of any bumps. I have to say the finish is what makes it so beautiful. A lot of gloss on this one would only ruin the sense you should have that you are looking at something that was once a tree.
That is more true of this guitar than of most guitars. It is solid sapele, back, sides and top, all cut from the same piece of wood. We turned away from spruce or cedar, more common guitar tops, to craft this instrument from one solid tone wood. I was surprised when I hit the first chord on Friday. It's loud, but not harsh. I counted 15 seconds of sustain from a simple harmonic on the "e" string, and that's a real tribute to the guitar. It held its tuning through about 40 minutes of playing at home, everything from "Mood Indigo" to "Deep River Blues", "The Sinking of the Jeannie C", "Freight Train" and "Don't Think Twice" played against the music from a chunk of the Pachelbel Canon. That one sounded great. The guitar fairly screams and moans when you play the blues, which is not too much of a surprise since it is modeled on a Gibson Nick Lucas from the 1930s, long a favored acoustic blues guitar. I worked it on "Trying to Win," and some of my own blues songs. It stands up to all of it and fairly well dances on some. Lovely.
With the pots and pans in the kitchen
I played it for a while in the kitchen to see how that would sound, then took a shot of it with pots and pans. I don't know why. It's just lovely anywhere you sit it.
I got to thinking about this a lot over the past week because it is very rare that a player would get to see a whole guitar constructed, from a slab of wood right up to the stringing and playing. What an honor that was for me. I have played guitars since I was about 14 years old but I never appreciated them so much as I appreciate them right now, thanks to Bruce and his skills.
I been to C.F. Martin in Nazareth and walked through the 300 steps they use to build them, and I have visited with Jean L'arrivee in Victoria, B.C. (and Vancouver) to see how a smaller operator put them together. But in both of those cases, there were a lot of people working on the instruments, so you couldn't actually have a sense that one person built any of them. I have an old Martin that was built that way in 1958, and it's different.
But not like this. It's built by one human for another human. Each part has Bruce's thought and action attached to it. I would argue it has something of his voice, the special part of a guitar that you just can't define. I saw him identify the problems and fix them. I saw him decide just how much to trim from the neck to make it sit properly.
I can't thank him enough. If you want an instrument made for you, he's the man to see.
Come back one last time. Maybe you can hear it play then.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Last minute things before the guitar plays!
If it isn't one thing it's another.
Actually, it's a lot of things, and another, and then some.
But this guitar is just about ready to sit down and start singing. There are some final, delicate things that have to happen before that event. So let me explain. Here it is:
Almost done!
As you can see, it's strung up and it looks ready to play, but it's not. On Friday, Sept. 5, Bruce Roper, the luthier at Old Town School, made the nut that goes under the strings at the top and the bridge that goes under them at the bottom. Then he voiced the big and little "e" strings to make certain the saddle would have the proper angle for all the strings to play in tune. Then he decided, remarkably with just his fingers and his eyes, how he should slot the white nut at the top so the strings would be just the right distance. Then he reamed out the rest of the string holes in the bridge. Then he strung it all up and handed it to me and said, "Play it."
It was terrible to play, for sure. The strings were waaaaay off the fingerboard, hard to push down without distorting the note. But you could get some chords out of it, and some notes and guess what, terrible to play or not, this guitar has a fine, strong voice that will sound wonderful when Bruce gets all the adjusting and shaving and fussing finished. I am certain he knew it wasn't ready. But he did want to hear it and so did I. We've been at this since last February, and to see it go from a big slab of sapele at Owl Lumber in Des Plaines to what it is today has been nothing less than inspiring. I don't want to imply there is any magic to guitar building at all. It's just that players don't usually get to see what goes into what they are playing. I know every millimeter of this guitar now. I bonded with it well before I played that first difficult chord. I might just call it "Love Child" (but don't quote me.)
This is the point at which you thank God you have someone fussy working on the guitar. I'm not saying someone fancy (which we will discuss in a while) but someone fussy. A guitar that won't play in tune will spend its days hanging on a wall someplace gathering comments, but not sending out any sweet songs. All of this is called "setting up" the guitar. Bruce has done this maybe a thousand times in his life so he is comfortable with everything he has to do to make it work right. We got into a big conversation about how fancy we wanted to make this guitar before it's finished and I'm sort of leaning toward, "Let nature be the fancy" because the wood is so lovely. I'm even rejecting the idea of a pick guard because, first, what the hell am I going to do to it that I need a pick guard? And second, look what happens when you put a pick guard on it:
Probably a bad choice
To my mind and eye, the pick guard almost completely ruins the lovely waist that is built into this guitar, with its grand shoulders and its elegant hips on either side. Put the pick guard there and it takes something away from the form of the thing. And in this guitar, the form of the thing is important because of the chatoyance in the wood and the matching all around. So no, no pick guard. I thought maybe one of those fancy clear plastic things Jean L'Arrivee uses on his guitars, but Bruce says those can yellow and get dirty around the edges and draw too much attention to the wrong thing.
I've never been a piss pounder on any of my guitars. I don't think there is a violent mark on any of them (and I have lots of guitars.) I loaned one of my Martins to a woman singer once and she returned it with big, sweeping scratches from the neck down across the top front of the guitar. She never held that guitar again and went off on her own way to wreck someone else's instrument. I was that angry about it.
Bruce says he wouldn't mind if I dinged it up a bit, or even a lot, over the years, because it would mean that I was playing it hard and often. Fair enough. But I don't want to plan to do that. This one is such a keeper, I want people to be swept away by its beauty. Bruce would say that's bullshit, that what you want to sweep them away with is your music. The guitar is just a tool in that process, and I have to agree with him. So the challenge will become writing music up to the beauty of the guitar. That's a good challenge to have.
It's crazy to get enthused about the wrong things. That was the lunch time conversation with Bruce over cheap but delicious hamburgers. Some luthiers and their advocates talk about these instruments as though they were special gifts of God delivered thru blessed hands given a magical gift at birth. There is none of that to Bruce in guitar making. Each one of his instruments is individual, and he knows that because he has made each part himself. He doesn't sweat over much of anything. If it all comes together well and plays well, he is happy. The older it gets, the better it will be. The more it is played, the better it will be.
These are very healthy thoughts to have for a luthier because they put the person in the same camp as any skilled craftsperson. Furniture, for example, can be just lovely if it is constructed properly. But no one would think it was a gift handed down from God. Violin makers take on the same, mystical essence sometimes. But not all of them. Some of them recognize its just a bunch of wood prepped up by someone who knows how to do and what to do. In the case of my guitar, you might someday see it and say, "That must have been a lovely tree!" and I would agree. But I don't think I want anyone fainting over the building or playing of it.
Bruce is one of the most practical men I have ever met. Musically, he writes brilliant songs and performs them so well with the Sons of the Never Wrong, and I am certain many a heartbroken guitar owner has had his concerns eased by Bruce's repairs. But if you are looking for mysteries, I am certain he would say, try a church someplace, because there are no mysteries in a guitar.
Take a look at this and you will see what I mean:
Making a nut and saddle
That white thing he is slicing at on his bandsaw is a piece of Corian that was born as a little cheese board. The minute he saw it, he knew what it would be good for. Corian cuts like wood, sands like wood, even glues like wood, but it's not wood. It's harder. So it makes a great nut and saddle for a guitar. That's what Bruce is doing above, cutting out a nut for the guitar. Some luthiers would view this as heresy. Bone! That's what you want! Bone. Nope. Corian is just fine. It has nothing to do with tone. It just holds the strings in exactly the right place for the guitar to play well. It would be hard to pay more than $20 for a whole sheet of it.
You cut it and then you use this machine to form it the way it needs to be formed:
Grinding down the nut
Bingo! You have yourself a nut.
The same process works for the saddle down at the other end of the strings. It's a little more complicated because it has to fit into a slot Bruce will cut in the actual rosewood bridge with his Dremel tool.
Slotting the bridge
Cutting the saddle slot is a little tricky because you can't just drag the bit of the machine down the line and cut out the wood. Instead, Bruce uses it as a plunge router, taking out little cuts at a time. That way the bit never overheats or gets jammed up. One clean pass after he has made about 20 little holes clears it all out. He repeats the process a couple of times to make sure the slot is deep enough. It has to be strong enough and deep enough to hold the saddle in place against the tension of the strings. Too shallow and the strings will pull it out of the slot, or maybe break it.
Once that is completed, the rough stuff is over and it's time to voice the guitar. Bruce puts the Waverly tuners back on and then gets the big and little 'e' strings. You do this, Bruce says, by stringing up the e's and then putting a little nail like block under the string down at the bridge to see how close it is to accurate. And how would you know that?
If you just touch a string at half its length, then pluck it, what you get is a bell shaped note. The same things happens at an octive, and a lots of equal points along the line to infinity. These are called harmonic notes and they can NEVER be wrong. Push the string down to the fret and what you get then is a fretted note and these can be wrong a lot. The objective is to have the fretted note and the harmonic note issue exactly the same pitch, which you measure with a tuner.
It takes Bruce just a few minutes to complete this task on the small "e", then he takes a white wax pencil and makes a mark for where that part of the saddle should sit. Then he does the same thing with the big E string and makes that mark. Then he connects the two marks with a line. That should be exactly where the saddle sits on the bridge.
I become impatient during this process, which makes me wonder whether I will have the chops I need to build a guitar later. Maybe not. We will see.
The bridge with saddle in place
This is what it looks like when it's finished.
So then Bruce strings up the whole guitar to see how it sounds. I get to play one chord then give it back to him.
He plays one and announces he is going remount the neck with a little more back end to it to pull those strings down closer to the fingerboard. He will use shims on the neck where it hitches to the guitar to do that. He will trim the nut and the saddle to get the heights just right.
But that's for next week.
Come back please!
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Indexing and Finding (or Not Losing) Stuff
If you do not know where something is or how to find out where it is, it can be lost forever.
Consider a song that you know a line or two of but not the artist or title. With the Web, you have a chance of finding it if someone has written up the lyrics. Without the Web, it would be much harder.
There is a game on the Armor Games Website that I would like to play again. It involves controlling a tank to solve logical problems. Armor Games does not have a very good lookup system. It only accepts one word and that a title word. This particular game, whatever it is called, does not have “tank” in the title. I am out of luck unless I run through hundreds or thousands of game titles. The game is effectively lost to me unless I want to go to quite a bit of effort.
If you are indexing your Website, please consider a more sophisticated model than just one keyword from the title. The description for that tank game might well have “tank” in it or something else that I could use to find it.
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Yuan Shun
Yuan Shun (*1961 in Shanghai) lives and works in Berlin, Germany
Wolf Guenter Thiel is Author, Editor and Curator
Wolf Guenter Thiel: The setting of your models suggests a certain Asian background. What is your main root of tradition in the process of creating your models?
Yuan Shun: Mandala, Order of Operation and Battlefields, Sun Tzu or the Chinese Art of War, Chinese Landscape Paintings in terms of Journeys of the Mind in Space and the Tradition of Bonsai and the new city planning in China.
WGT: None of your models is a distanced, clean copy of what we could call reality. Why is it important for you to point out a transfigured atmosphere in your work?
YS: Using the idea of Mandala (circle in Sanskrit) for example is of Hindu origin, but is also used in Buddhist context, to refer to various tangible objects. In practice, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart, or geometric pattern which represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm of the universe from the human perspective. I like to work with this idea, because it refers to the “personal world” in which one lives, the various elements of the mandala being the activities and interests in which one engages, the most important being at the centre of the mandala, and the least important at the periphery. I also like the idea of the process in which I work to produce the work as a daily ritual of meditation and spiritualenlightenment and mind inventions.
WGT: We are showing your work in a context with three artists who are all working with models of “SOMETHING”. What type of “SOMETHING” does your model refer to?
YS: It refers to Natural Landscape, Cityscape and landscapes like the ones of the Moon or Mars. Landscape for example has a strong tradition in Chinese art. The Chinese paintings of the landscape, the landscape rarely exists as a setting for the depiction of human activity or as a veiled expression of human moods, spirituality and personalcharacters ; it exists for itself and it exists as an expression of the cosmos. We can, in fact, determine when a painting was made by the presence in it of human activity or the sense of the painting as an individualistic or subjective expression of the artist. So my expression of “Something” is the expression of my individual view of the world as I experience it.
WGT: What are the basic vertices for your work concerning the notion and the concept of MODELS?
YS: I studied at the art army university in Beijing from 1979 until 1983. There my daily routine were two things: training as a soldier and as a student studying art. After four years I regret in this university and worked as an officer in the army of the Peoples Republic of China. My life was inbetween being a soldier and being an artist, that was the reason to be interested in some philosophical ideas or strategic thinking. At this time I was studying Sun Tzu who was the author of The Art of War, an immensely influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy. He is also one of the earliest realists in international relations theory. The only surviving source on the life of Sun Tzu is the biography written in the 2nd century BCE by the historian Sima Qian, who describes him as a general who lived in the state of Wu in the 6th century BCE, and therefore a contemporary of one of the great Chinese thinkers of ancient times—Confucius. The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. It is one of the most famous studies of strategy and has had a huge influence on both military planning and beyond. Leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong has claimed to have drawn inspiration from the work. At this time I was using this book as a main source for my conceptual artworks and until today it one of the vertices of my work.
WGT: Do you think that the process of creating an artificial space is able to discuss MEDIALITY in art in general? What does this MEDIALITY mean to you in the context of SELF-REFERENCE?
YS: I think a model as an ambivalent figure shows its own mediality. It is a reference to the reality: to be a model of something and it is a reference to transfiguration - just being a model of something. In the process of creating a model an artist points out this ambiguity. Central to Neo-Confucianism is the belief that everything has a principle (li)-a principle of government, a principle of family relationships, a principle of the wind. The goal of study would thus be the goal of discovering the li or principle of everything in the universe. But this proved impossible, in part because these principles in some cases could only be grasped through intuition, rather than through scientific study, and in part because the idea of the world as a synthetic unity contradicted the type of analysis that breaks things into pieces and parts that would have been necessary to discover these principles. In painting, this leads to the belief that analysis of the texture and tonal quality of every element in nature could contradict the presentation of something thought of as the inner essence of a rock or a tree or a mountain. Realism had no place in the (Taoist) view of the world and everything in it as a unity, and the expression of this unified world in art.
WGT: The construction of the model always originates in a process of TIME. What does your model, a photograph or painting or film of it mean concerning TIME and PROCESS?
YS: I already explained the way of producing the model, as a spiritual, inspiring and meditative process of experience of activeenlightenment . The process itself is the main experience, the time puts no limits to the process of production. Time looses its meaning in the process as we find it in the material world of today as an indicator for efficiency and economic success. I recognize this process as a journey as one which has the goal of arriving at a distilled or purified essence of the universe.
WGT: Your films, paintings or photos which derive of the model show an astonishing power of UTOPIA. why is a UTOPIAN SPACE so important for your work?
YS: Until today this is the only way I can reach my wishes and realize my ambitions or create a world like I wish for. I create a space which I can never create above the reality of the model. Mind invention action I call my work.
WGT: Do you consciously deal with CULTURAL CODIFICATIONS in your work, or are they merely implicit?
YS: Yes! I refer to the codes as styles of traditional Chinese painting and even before. Styles of Chinese painting exist before artists began to paint the landscape. The flattened coil motif, the contorted bird/animal vessels, the involuted whiplash pattern of carved dragons-these objects which seem to be a combination of mythological and cosmological transformation are united by a rhythmic use of the line or the gesture of the creative action. The sweeping and involuted line is the source of the landscape painting, long before Chinese artists began to paint the landscape, which they don’t truly do until the end of the Han dynasty and the rise of Taoism with its focus on the natural world as the breath of the world in material form. So this style issurely also influencing my way of thinking and working.
WGT: If you think of Plato’s cave, your models represent the shadows that Plato describes. would you agree or disagree that the shadows, the models, even form a richer, a more fascinating REALITY than the reality which creates the shadows?
YS: Generally I think so. If you look at the Chinese painting tradition artists never did use the central perspective and the experiences of optical sciences for their painting, because they believed in the spiritual and existential experience of art as a sign for the art of memory, imagination or spiritual enlightment. The artists do not always succeed in conveying the forms of the landscape with that quality western artists have tried to identify as the essence or life-breath of the form, partly because the increased realism seems to work against capturing the essence, and partly because there is a density and rigidity to the forms. Therefore they like to think that the viewer follows not only their idea of spiritual and imaginative landscape, but follow their idea of a path through the painting the viewer should take, symbolically speaking, walk along in the landscape. This you can compare to the idea of Umberto Eco’s “La opera aperta” (“The open artwork”) the viewer always fulfills the artistic work with his or her personal imaginations or associations and complete with his or her reception.
Comments are closed.
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Friday, March 20, 2009
Online games for good
I love online games and I'm pretty sure that Stargirl does to. We also love to be smartypants. Stargirl is quite the nerd...and I mean that in the most loving way. What's one way to combine a love of addicting online games and a thirst for knowledge? Online trivia!
When you one-up online trivia by doing good for people around the world, you get the following games that, by getting questions right, you donate water or food to people who need it.
10 grains of rice of rice, a spoonful of flour, or a cup of water might not seem like a lot. Wait until the addiction kicks in, however, and that 10 grains of rice really adds up. So do the 10 grains of every other person around the world playing.
This was the first do-good online trivia game I was introduced to. This game tests your vocabulary (you can choose other subjects, but that's how it starts) and for every right answer you get, 10 grains of rice will be donated through the UN World Food program to help end hunger.
Health care trivia! Three right answers provide a DAY's worth of water for a student.
It's a geography game of accuracy with a sliding scale."A perfectly correct answer will result in a donation of 10 cups of water; less accurate will result in 9 cups of water and so on; A completely wrong answer means no cups of water will be donated on your behalf;"
This game tests your knowledge of world geography and world cultures. Each right answer gives a spoonful of flour to end hunger.
♥, Tiffany a.k.a. Tiffasaurus
No comments:
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Facebook Teaming Up with NFL for TV-Like Content
Facebook and the NFL have come to an agreement that will allow Facebook to distribute content from NFL games on their ‘Watch’ system, which is made to provide a more TV-like experience to viewers. The content will include game highlights, recaps, clips, and other related shows.
One of the most interesting things about the deal is not that Facebook is moving toward more TV like content, which has been expected for some time, but the way that the deal is being funded. Facebook is going to pay the NFL a set amount of money for the usage of the content itself. Once Facebook recoups that amount from ad revenue, the money being made via ads will be split between Facebook and the NFL.
There is no official word on the exact details of the arrangement, but reports suggest that it is a 50/50 split on the ad profits.
This type of arrangement may set the standard for major content producers like this between Facebook, and possibly other sites, in the future. As more and more people are moving away from standard TV viewing, content producers like sports will need to make sure they are able to get in front of the desired audiences as effectively as possible.
In addition, all the NFL teams will be posting clips and other videos to their Facebook pages, which will help to keep people on the social network.
New and innovative content deals like this are likely going to be seen much more often in the future.
What's your opinion?
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How Dr. Avi Weisfogel Found Success with Dental Sleep Masters
Sleep apnea is a very dangerous condition that many people have, yet about 90% of people who have it are not diagnosed, despite the fact that the condition repeatedly stops them from breathing every night. Research has shown a strong correlation between those who suffer from sleep apnea and a variety of serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Avi Weisfogel founded a company called Dental Sleep Masters, which was created to help dentists and other medical professionals effectively treat their patients who have this condition. Dr. Avi Weisfogel‘s company has a system which includes certified sleep technicians who operate sleep labs where people can be diagnosed with sleep apnea. Primary and secondary care physicians have access to these sleep labs where their patients can undergo a sleep test that monitors their sleep and breathing patterns.
Dental Sleep Masters and Dr. Avi Weisfogel created a new device, called ImThera Medical, which helps to treat cases of sleep apnea that haven’t previously responded to existing mechanical treatments. His device has been approved by the FDA for clinical trials in order to determine its efficacy.
Dr. Avi Weisfogel was a dentist for 15 years starting in 1999. Over the course of his career, he developed a keen interest in sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. He eventually decided to leave the dentist’s chair behind and pursue treating sleep apnea as a full-time career. He founded a number of companies’ to treat this serious condition before finding the most success with Dental Sleep Masters.
Dr. Avi Weisfogel studied at Rutgers University and earned his bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and biology. He then attended the New York University College of Dentistry where he earned his DDS.
While serving as a dentist, Dr. Weisfogel ran his own practice called Old Bridge Dental Care. He earned a number of local awards during his career at this New Jersey practice including being named as Best Dentist multiple times.
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22 May 2006 @ 07:00 pm
Golden Path?
Well, even if this place is relatively new and lacking members, I decided to take a chance and join anyway. I'll be happy to discuss regardless if it's just one person, if they (and I mean the moderator) feels the same way. I've never read the whole series through, just the first four books years ago so I thought this will be good for memory.
What was Leto II's golden path? What did he wanted to achieve in the end exactly? I'm not the most intellectual or the brightest person here so I'll need someone to spell it out for me. What I generally got was that he wanted a future that was beyond his prescient powers, I suppose.
--->just your modern renaissance child <---: made by wurlocke@ljserpentineheart on May 23rd, 2006 02:16 am (UTC)
This was something that really was hard for me to grasp as well. But what I think the Golden Path is is a cycle of control and some what tyrannical decisions on Leto's part to teach the human race how to truly make long term decisions for the whole of the human race. It's not much but there's my two cents. I hope this has clearified some confusion.
and welcome to spicetrance
Rebeccaindelikatt on June 25th, 2006 05:07 pm (UTC)
I found that the Golden Path was to be the survival of the human race. By repressing humanity for over 3000 years, Leto caused a person's natural tendency to explore to grow a hundred-fold. As such, when Leto died, humans exploded off into uncharted parts of the universe, thus securing their survival. At least that's how I read it.
Jakeinfinition on August 18th, 2006 12:26 am (UTC)
After reading God Emperor of Dune, I believed it was Leto's plan for humanity to escape prescience; humanity's future could remain unseen in case of the rising of another like Leto or Paul. However, after Heretics and Chapterhouse, I thought about it some more and realized that it may have been the foundation for the Scattering so that humanity would survive the unknown enemy from which the Honored Matres fled. Who knows?
Maybe the answer will come in the upcoming two books.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Riddle for You
Q: How can you take two 2 year olds to Wye Mountain and not get any good pictures?
A: Take two 2 year olds.
1 comment:
1. I don't see a problem. On a different note, is this what my future holds. . .my daughter chasing after boys as they are running away screaming?
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[ - ]
Categories: Slash Pairings > McKay/Sheppard
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Genres: AU - Alternate Universe, Pre-slash
Warnings: None
Chapters: 2 [Table of Contents]
Series: None
Word count: 5608; Completed: Yes
Updated: 11 Dec 2012; Published: 02 Jan 2009
Printer Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Story Notes:
Written for Lavvyan in the 2008 SGA_Santa gift fic exchange. Beta read by Aithine and Alyse.
"Take a seat, Brother, and the Abbot will send for you shortly."
John Sheppard nodded, but remained standing as the monk hesitated, then retreated with a shrug, as though to say, 'I did what I could'.
The anteroom was small and chilly. John was grateful for the thick wool of his cloak, and wrapped it more snugly about himself. "Not even York," he muttered, glaring at the walls. "Another man does as I did, and is awarded lands and gold and the gratitude of --" he smirked faintly, "eager maidens. And here I am, left far in the wilds of Northumbria."
"Where there is a sad lack of maidens," a dry voice said, and he turned. "My Lord."
"My Lord Abbot," John bowed to cover his startlement. He was as edgy as a brace of nesting doves.
"I understand you desire a period of contemplation of your immortal soul with us, my son?" The man's eyes held his steadily, weighing him, and he inclined his head in reply, biting back any other response. The abbot was a short man, with a clear blue gaze, and a bald pate, almost hidden by his cap. A little less fleshy than some princes of the church that he had known, and the man's jaw showed a square strength that suggested John might not wish to cross this man's will.
"Aye, my lord," and damned be the bastards who sent him here.
"Very well. My Lord of Creucy suggests that you should be regarded as another lay brother," he eyed John sharply. John could feel shame burning on his face, and nodded again, curtly. "As you wish. I will pass your care to Father Peter. You will follow his every command as though it were in my voice."
"Aye, my lord," John choked out.
"I will see you at Compline."
John bowed, but the abbot had already turned away, the weight of one disgraced nobleman dismissed without effort.
John had left the abbot's office to come immediately face to face with a lanky, grim looking man, who looked him up and down contemptuously, and said, "God give me strength," and turned on his heel.
God apparently failed to support the priest in his hour of need, and a few moments later he paused without looking back, and said, "Brother John, *if* you would be so kind?"
John flushed angrily, but followed. He kept his eyes on the floor -- stone slabs, then wood, then earth. Outside for a moment, then through the kitchens, and out again, turning again, until he wasn't entirely sure which way was East. As he walked the priest briskly named off the places they walked through.
"Great Hall. You'll have no business here unless asked, or serving guests. The monks live through there," he gestured down a narrow stone corridor. "You'll not be required here either except for night soil duty. You'll take that one turn in ten. Brother Antonius will explain that side of your duties."
"Yes, sir."
"I am no knight, my lord, and here we are both simple men before God. I, however, have had the training and erudition that allows a man to step closer to God, and you will accord me the respect of *that* title, only, you understand?"
Sheppard backed up a step, and nodded. "Yes, Father."
"The kitchens. Do you know how to cook?"
"I can dress boar, deer and coney."
"In other words, no," he huffed. "And you've never pulled a plough or yoked an ox in your life, I'll warrant."
"No, my... no, Father." His chin lifted a little, and then he looked down again as he caught the priest's tilted eyebrow. "I was raised to be a soldier."
Father Peter sighed gustily. "And that I suppose means you've no skills other than hunting, killing and riding. Can you letter?"
"Can I -- yes my -- Father. But I have not in many years, my mother--"
"God be thanked. Not completely useless then. Very well. We will try you in the scriptorium. You will attend drill with the lay brothers in the parish on Wednesdays, against the incursions of the godless Scots. You will attend all services, and from what I understand, spending time in contemplation of the sins of impatience and arrogance might stand you in good stead." He paused for a moment, and then his mouth twitched. "Although I suppose that your time in the scriptorium may well give you room to contemplate these also."
"Father Peter?"
"Where do I sleep?"
"Why, with the lay brothers, John. There is a dormitory the other side of the buildings along the north wall, where the lay brothers sleep." He paused. "All the lay brothers are alike, in that they work for the glory of God and under the will of the Abbot. You are Brother John, no more, and no less." He eyed John's warm clothes, leather boots and woollen cloak. "I think we had best supply you with clothing more appropriate to the work you are undertaking."
John's hand dropped to his sword, and Father Peter shook his head disappointedly. "Particularly not that. It will lie with your chattels and worldly goods until you are ready to leave this place."
John snorted. "As though any of this was my choice," he muttered.
Father Peter stopped and looked at him. "Brother John. You did not have to obey the command that sent you here."
John's back straightened abruptly. "I pledged my word!"
Father Peter smiled at him, "And in that, lies your best hope of redemption. A glimmer of honesty and strength of will. We will fit it to a better use, perhaps."
He turned and walked briskly northwards, and John followed.
Nones was the worst. Matins, sung deep in the dark of the morning, felt almost like being woken for early watch. He could stumble back to bed and doze for awhile but this far north the dawn did not break until after Sextus. Sextus passed in a dream, almost. Nones, though, Nones was the solid reminder of the day begun, and begun ill. Every tenth day, Sextus was followed by his duty removing the nightsoil. It was considerably less unpleasant than similar duties undertaken as a page in my Lord de Creucy's household -- the inhabitants of the monastery did not find it as funny as his fellow pages had. There were one or two, he suspected, that might have indulged their sense of humour had it not been for the vigilant eye of Father Peter, and the mild gaze of the Abbot.
That said, he had found himself settling into the tasks set him almost contentedly. There was no discussion, no latitude, merely do thus, and thus, and thus. There was no further expectation to it and, in return, he was fed, busy, and more soaked in religious life than he had ever thought or wanted. It was ... oddly soothing.
Unless he was in Brother Meredes' tender mercies.
Meredes was an angry man, short of temper, his hair falling away from the heat of his mind. But he was astonishingly learned, a man in whose quick, precise hands and words the most complex text came clear. He lettered Greek books of science taken from Byzantium, Moorish books of mathematics and logic carried from Spain, and Latin texts on the world and the history thereof. In these he was happy, his fingers black with ink, his clothes spotted and rumpled, and his eyes bright with the joy of discovery.
Brother Meredes had another talent, too, although Sheppard did not learn of it for nearly a full month.
The Feast of the Presentation, and the villagers crowded into the church attached to the monastery. John was surprised to see Meredes in the cantor's place, and looked for brother Simon-John, the usual occupant. Simon-John was across from him, sitting with the decani, and that simply didn't make any sense. Not until the moment for the Nunc Dimittis came, and Meredes stood, eyes down, and lifted his voice.
It soared. The words rose as precisely as the immaculate letters of Brother Meredes' illuminations, the notes clear and bell-like, carrying praise upwards, where surely, God must hear and be glad.
Sheppard offered his responses with more interest than he had ever previously managed, and thought to say something to Meredes, but the monk vanished almost before the end of the service, and was nowhere to be found. He was meandering around the scriptorium, hoping he'd missed Meredes the first couple of circuits, when Father Peter touched his elbow.
Even a season in the slow peace of the monastery had not really dulled battle instincts and Sheppard whirled, right hand to left hip as though his sword hung there yet.
Father Peter stepped back and raised his hands peaceably. "You seem ... lost, John. Can I help?" His eyes were shrewd, and Sheppard frowned. He relaxed his hands and forced a smile.
"You startled me, Father," he started.
"So I perceive," Father Peter smiled at him, and John felt his face heat up.
"I was looking for Brother Meredes."
"Ah." Father Peter looked away, contemplating the stone flags of the floor for a long moment before sighing. "Brother Meredes does not sing often."
"But his voice --"
"Is a burden to him. He sang this morning because the Father Abbot asked it, and because of the text."
Sheppard frowned trying to remember the words rather than the voice that had sung them. "I--"
Father Peter chuckled, "I'll let your forgetfulness be a matter between yourself and our confessor."
Sheppard grinned at him, "I'm reasonably sure he'll forgive me when I mention that there will be extra honey with the pottage tomorrow."
"No reasonable man could turn down such an offer, surely," Father Peter grinned back at him, and Sheppard laughed out loud.
"How delightful, a full house," Meredes grouched as he stalked in to throw himself down at his customary desk. Peter grimaced at Sheppard, out of view of Meredes.
"I'll leave you to review the text, John," he said mildly, and clapped a hard hand to Sheppard's shoulder. Hard enough that John stumbled a couple of steps towards Meredes. Father Peter headed briskly for the exit, leaving the two of them in silence.
"If you're not going to do anything useful, you might find another bundle of reeds and light them, it's practically midnight in here."
Sheppard rolled his eyes, "It's nearly noon, Brother, perhaps if you spent more time outside you would recognise the daylight for the source of illumination it is."
"And have the wind gusting through, scattering paper everywhere, eh, genius? I think not," Meredes snapped back at him.
"You could use this little something called a paper weight."
Meredes actually turned around and glared at him at this. "Wonderful. Drop lumps of rock on wet ink. What a splendid idea."
John grinned at him and held out the bundle of tallow-dipped reeds that he'd quietly scooped up. "Thank you," he said cheerfully.
"You cannot be that stupid," Meredes grouched, but took the reeds, carefully setting them in place and lighting one. "I've seen your writing -- you actually understand what you're writing instead of just copying the pretty patterns."
"I spent some time with Master Leonardo Pisano, at the court of King Frederic when I was much younger," John said, not really sure what he expected from that, but Meredes' head snapped up, his eyes round with something that made John profoundly uncomfortable -- surely no simple monk would look so ... hungry.
"Truly? I read the Liber Abaci some years ago; we were asked to make a copy for a new school." Meredes stopped, and sighed. "I worked on it myself, but it was not a text to the glory of God, and should not have taken it solely on myself."
It sounded more like something Meredes thought he should say than something he actually believed.
"My copy of his Liber Quadratorum is in Kent," he said, not quite sure what he was about, but sure he wanted to take that odd look out of Meredes' eyes.
It didn't -- quite -- instead, Meredes stared at him, then reached over and pulled him to sit beside him on the bench.
"How much of it do you remember?" he said hoarsely, and pushed pen and paper towards John.
It was hours later, and the two of them were squinting in the darkness when Father Peter came back into the Scriptorium in time to hear Meredes announce, "Well, perhaps you were dropped on your head as a infant, that's the only explanation I can see for attempting to pass *that* off as a logical extrapolation of any method to approach a Diophantine problem!"
John was shaking his head, "No, no, look, you've missed this stage --"
"I have not, you've missed your *brain*."
"Brother Meredes," Father Peter said softly, and Meredes stopped short, his face flushing bright scarlet. He slumped, and Peter sighed. John, looking from one to the other, wondered what old argument he was missing here -- Meredes was easy enough to read: shame at his enthusiasm, his invective, his distraction from his real work. Peter was far harder -- his expression spoke of pity and sorrow, and an underlying determination. "We've discussed your difficulties with humility."
If John could have dissolved into the cracks in the stones, hidden in the dirt and dust, he would, rather than see the look on Meredes' face.
"Yes, Father," he said softly, and carefully gathered the papers they had written on. "Shall I sand them clean now?"
"You've both missed the noon meal, and missing the evening will not hurt you, either of you," he gathered John in with a glance. "Leave the papers until tomorrow, and take a walk in the herbiary, and I will consider."
Meredes nodded silently, and gently placed the papers back on his desk, then stood. "Brother John," he said hesitantly, "I -- apologise if I was too hasty and spoke unkindly."
Sheppard frowned, but Meredes didn't so much as look up, and Peter was eyeing him expectantly. "I beg your pardon for distracting you from the proper work of the Scriptorium," he said with all the formality he could muster. "The fault was entirely mine, Brother. Father."
Peter raised a quizzical eyebrow at him, and made a small chivvying gesture with his hands, shooing them towards the outside door.
"Your apology is accepted, Brother John," was all he said. Meredes stumbled to his feet, and nodded.
"Yes, thank you," he glanced up briefly, then dropped his eyes resolutely to the ground. "Apology accepted, if, if mine is?"
"Of course, Brother," John said, a little worried. "Shall we?" He gestured broadly to the exit, and kept pace with Meredes. Apart from meals and the chapel this morning he hadn't seen Meredes leave the Scriptorium once. Judging by the way Meredes was huddled into himself perhaps this was not merely a much needed break, but a punishment in itself. The narrow door opened with some difficulty, and then they were outside, stepping cautiously into the mud of the courtyard towards the little garden of medicinals.
Meredes glanced back at the door, his steps slowing apparently unconsciously.
"You don't leave there often, do you?" John said, and got a scowl in response.
"Not often, no," was all Meredes actually said, although judging by the narrowing of his lips and eyes he was thinking far more than he uttered.
"Time you did, then," was all he said in response. He breathed in deep as they came down the path and out into the open. It was overcast, a little damp and had they been out earlier he knew that mist would have been wreathing the ground, lingering in the hollows. Winter was drifting away, but Spring had yet to hold out her hand, and the world hung between the two, waiting. Meredes slipped on the muddy path and John reached to catch him. It wasn't needed; Meredes righted himself, and, grumbling, hitched up his robes into his belt to show hairy knees and pale legs. John looked away, smiling to himself.
"Oh, *what*?" Meredes snapped, but when John looked across the man was half smiling too, and John smiled back.
"You really don't get out much, do you?"
"I work the fields every year, I'll have you know," Meredes said, then seemed to falter a little. Not a good subject; John would bet that the bookish brother was about as eager to plough the fields, sow and reap as he was to take a walk.
"More than I ever did," he said mildly. "I was in and out of the smithy as a child, until my father decided I should take on more knightly pursuits." Like hunting and hawking, swordsmanship, archery... he sighed.
"You miss it, too?" Meredes said, looking surprised.
"Miss the Scriptorium?"
"No!" Meredes rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "No, being all," he flailed his hands in search of the word, "'knightish'."
"Knightish," Meredes nodded firmly.
He half shrugged, "Maybe." A lot.
"Working with the yeomanry doesn't help?"
"Teaching people how to copy texts helps you?" He winced after he said it, but didn't take it back, didn't look up.
They were both silent, the mud squelching underfoot the only sound until Meredes sighed, and stepped off the path to lean on the low stone wall that divided the monastery's lands from the local lord's.
"He's destroying what little they've got," he said almost absently, peering across the wretched fields, more rock than soil. "He refused to let them lie fallow two years ago, and when the crop failed last year, he blamed the villeins, instead of his own wrongheadedness."
John nodded. It sounded about right for the balding, pudgy man he'd met briefly on several occasions. Lord Richard of Delth was a man uncertain of his place in the world, and so eager to ensure that he didn't lose it. His hands had been unpleasantly sweaty, and his demeanour somewhere between smug superiority and anxiety. John hadn't helped settle the man's fears at all, alluding in one moment to the Frankish court, and a minute later his own lowly position of lay brother in a nameless monastery.
"Idiot," Meredes added, and John laughed. The sound rang out, and he stopped himself hastily, sneaking a quick glance at his friend. Meredes was looking at him as though he didn't know whether to cross himself or break out laughing too. the laughter won, and John chuckled under his breath.
"Has anyone tried to bless that sound out of you?" Meredes said after catching his breath.
John grinned, "I had a mendicant friar once attempt to exorcise the demon from within my throat because my laughter frightened his mule so badly it threw him."
Meredes slapped his hand on the wall, "Oh, ow, don't. He probably flagellated himself half to Canterbury for failing."
John widened his eyes at Meredes, "Who says he thought he failed?" He winked, and they both were completely unable to talk for some minutes, each time one or the other of them caught his breath, he'd flail or choke out some helpless: "demons!", "ego te exorciso!", until they were half propping each other up.
Eventually the laughter died naturally and John sighed. Meredes was warm against his shoulder, and he shoved at him gently. Meredes shoved back, and they leaned against the wall in peaceful harmony.
"What brought you here, then?" Meredes said
"I," he hesitated, "I like it here."
"But that's not why you came," Meredes' eyes were unexpectedly shrewd and John found himself looking away from the too knowledgeable blue to stare at the wilted clumps of herbs and grasses
"No. No, it's not," he agreed stonily and said no more.
"I was a child oblate," Meredes said, some time later. John could feel the tension in his body, sat as close together as they were -- perhaps it was meant as a peace-offering, but John almost wished he wouldn't. "My family could not afford so many mouths, and gave me to the Church as a thanks for the bounty of a overflowing family." He sounded bitter. "I was nine."
When John was nine he'd been running wild with his brothers playing Knights Crusaders versus Saladin, their mother and aunts and ladies perfectly willing to set every ill to rights, loved, petted, the eldest, favoured son.
"We weren't rich, and I was a trial." Meredes shifted, and added uncomfortably, "They did the best they knew how, I suppose."
"You got an education."
Meredes snorted. "I got to see how vast the world was, and how narrow my cage within it."
"But you sing--" John blurted, thinking of that glorious voice, and how it soared, clear and full. Such a voice could not be so constricted.
Meredes snorted, a bitter, unpleasant sound. "My vows are service, and my voice sings his praise forever, amen."
John winced, the sense of something unwittingly damaged before he even knew its fragile beauty almost painful for all its immateriality. Meredes' heart was as clear as fine Venetian glass, and as brittle.
He wondered why he cared. Meredes was difficult; he said it himself. His family had delivered him to the church, his Church had placed him here, on the edges of civilisation, with only his books to exercise the fine, quick mind that lay within that unprepossessing exterior. And John was a soldier, not a man of God. Here only for a term, to consider his transgressions and then, when they had a need for a strong right arm and a straight eye, he would go back.
"I--" he hadn't really meant to say anything and his voice cracked. He hesitated, but he could feel Meredes listening, waiting. "I made a mistake. Disobeyed a direct command to save a man that was already dead."
"Unforgivable," Meredes said, so dry that John felt a smile twitch at his lips, although Michael's death was the last thing he felt like smiling about. "Was he a good friend?"
John nodded, his words exhausted.
"Then I will pray for you both, that he deserved such love, and that you find a more worthy lord. And maybe grow a brain instead of wasting it here."
John couldn't help the sputtered chuckle.
"No, really, I can't imagine how appalling the yokels are with their sticks and pikes," Meredes said.
"There's some good archers," John said mildly.
"Ah, all the better to poach along the borders."
"There might be another Crusade," John said wistfully, and Meredes thumped him. John nearly fell from his perch on the dry stone wall.
"What?" he asked, but Meredes bit his lip and said nothing. "No, really, what?"
"Nothing. If you don't count the utter *idiocy* of running off to die a slave."
"They'd ransom me. I have rich friends," he said lightly.
"*So* not the point."
John wondered what Meredes' point was -- and besides, "What kind of a name is that anyway?"
"The best the idiot monks could do with Maredudd," he muttered.
"With *what*?"
"My mother was Welsh."
"I'm sorry?"
"Welsh mother. Called me Maredudd. Scottish father, Cennedd Mac Aodh. Sometimes, I wish they'd just called me John."
"Nah. At least fifteen people don't stand up when your name is called."
"That's right. No one stands up. And why is that? Because no one ever pronounces it *right*."
"Why didn't you pick a new name when you made final vows?"
Meredes stared at him. "I -- I didn't want them to take away what I had, bastardised as it was."
Meredes groaned.
"Merrydivh Makee."
"Dear God, make it go away."
"Maybe it's not too late. We can find something better: Bob."
"La la la, can't hear youuuu!"
"Aethelstan. Very you."
Meredes thumped him. "Any more and I'll tell Father Peter you felt too shy to ask for more latrine duty as penance."
"That's just cruel. Bert."
"Shut up."
The shadows drifted around them, passing unnoticed under the quiet laughter.
That day seemed to permanently change things between them. The dusty still of the scriptorium was now shattered with running arguments which slipped from frivolous to serious to mathematical, sometimes leaving them both fuming, sometimes helpless with what they flatly refused to regard as giggles.
Father Peter seemed to have forgotten to tell them to clean the 'wasted 'paper, and now they wrote in the corners of palimpsests, print so small they could only read it in full daylight. And they talked. A text mentioning eagles led to a discussion of the mountains between Tyrol and Lombardy, the things John had seen, the battles he'd fought in.
Spring came in full force. As the days grew longer, the weather worsened until every step outside was a slog, the mud slick heavy on their heavy wooden pattens, sucking them off their feet given the least opportunity. Meredes walked behind the monastery's ox and plough each time it came around his turn -- his broad shoulders suddenly making sense. The rounded hunch from the scriptorium eased away, and his face darkened with the constant outdoors work.
John had to give up on drilling the yeomen for infantry work, and they practised archery until their fingers bled, cracking and swelling in the damp. The peasants were already accurate -- arrows were too high an investment of time to waste with careless or imprecise shooting -- but their speed improved until they were as fast as lightning, nocking and firing with terrifying rapidity, hitting the heart of the target nine times out of ten.
They were good men. John sat with them for the evening meals, greens and last year's barley supplemented by snared rabbits and hares, as good after a long day. Better than the Lenten fare of gruel as the monastery ran through the last of the year's cellars.
"Stop telling me about it," Meredes grumbled one morning, after John had spent the evening in the local brewer's house sampling the barrels.
"You could come too," he said impulsively. Meredes just looked at him, his face sour.
"Because breaking out of the monastery and spending the night carousing is just how I want to start the violation of my vows," he snapped. John's eyebrows went up and he grinned wickedly.
"Really? So, Brother Meredes, just how *were* you planning on breaking them then?"
For a moment John thought Meredes would explode, and then suddenly he ducked his head, his weathered face seeming to redden.
"We should work on the Annales Romanorum," Meredes said, his voice somewhat stifled.
"Look, it's not my fault not all brothers are as ... committed ... as I am to my vows."
John blinked.
"And, and, I can't be expected to do this all the time, the rest of them -- they don't care. And I do. I did. I--" He dropped his head into his hands, and John cautiously took a perch on the bench next to him.
"What's wrong?"
Meredes shook his head, not looking up. "Nothing. Nothing, you've no idea. This is, I don't even know, impossible, ridiculous. God why did you ever come here?"
"I don't understand," John said helplessly. "Do you -- are you--" he stopped, stymied as to how to even begin. "Meredes, what's wrong?"
"I'm just -- going to miss our arguments," he said a little roughly.
"Well. When you go."
John shook his head, confused. "I'm not going anywhere," he said a little bitterly. The world of the nobility might as well be on the moon for all the contact he'd had. Sir Edward had assured him it would not be long -- there were always skirmishes, and experienced knights were never long exiled. But it had been four months, and nothing. Perhaps they had forgotten him. Perhaps he might as well take vows and travel to Jerusalem, throw his lot in with the Holy Roman Emperor. Go back to Palermo, which took him back to an older conversation.
"Have you heard something?" he said, wondering. Surely someone would have told him, he'd have heard a messenger arriving. He looked up eagerly and Meredes sighed.
"You're halfway gone already. No, no one's come, not yet," he hesitated, then swallowed hard and patted John's knee tentatively, then let it rest there. "I'm sorry." He sounded sorry, perhaps a little envious, but his face was almost impossible to read in the dim light.
"I -- I don't mind being here."
"Even the nightsoil?"
John ducked his head and grinned, "Well, maybe not that." He sighed. "I wouldn't miss the weather though."
Meredes looked at him, and then at the deep shuttered windows where the rain beat down. "It's not -- oh, never mind, I hate the weather, I can't even *lie* to pretend I like it."
John laughed. "You'd love Palermo, Meredes. Sunlight glittering on the sea, nights that are long and warm, and days, days filled with talking to the greatest minds of this generation, chattering like magpies."
"Palermo?" Meredes breathed, his eyes wide, and then it all shut down. "As well talk of travelling to the Moon. I'll never leave this place."
"But -- wasn't that what you meant?"
"No -- was, was *that* what you meant?"
They looked at each other uncertainly. Meredes closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then turned and met John's eyes squarely before cupping his face, and then he leaned in and pressed his lips against John's.
"Oh." John touched his fingers to his lips, then stared at them, as though some mark lingered there. It seemed one should, because it changed everything. Everything.
"Oh?" Meredes said belligerently, and suddenly he was on his feet, backing away. "*Oh*?"
"If you weren't here, who would you be?" John said slowly. It was too important somehow to risk looking up, too huge to do more than taste his lips again.
"I've always been here."
"No. Just, just," he looked up, "You were *waiting* here. You've always been somewhere else."
"That doesn't make any sense." But he was standing still as John pushed to his feet, and stepped in close. "They'll send for you soon," he added, his eyes running over John, "I don't know why they haven't already. You don't belong here."
"You don't either. Come with me."
Meredes stared at him.
John leaned in and kissed him back. "When they send for me," he whispered, "come with me."
Meredes blinked, once, twice, and looked around the Scriptorium as though dazed, and then back at John. "But I get to pick a different name."
"Whatever you want. Bob."
And then there was no talking at all.
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How life began is among the greatest of mysteries. The Bible, Qur'an, and other sacred texts say God created the living things of Earth, but offer few clues as to the manner in which this miracle was accomplished. Evolutionary biology assumes life commenced through accidents of chemistry, but even the most ardent Darwinians admit they have no idea what the initial process was. Paleontologists puzzle over the lack of any physical evidence of how the spark of biology was lit. For years, a small minority of researchers have suggested that the reason we see no evidence on Earth of how life began is that we're looking in the wrong place--life began somewhere else and was transplanted here. This concept, called "panspermia," has been backed by figures as respectable as Francis Crick, codiscoverer of the double helix of DNA. Now a new study of moon rocks is lending indirect credence to this maverick idea.
Writing in the latest issue of the technical journal Science, a team of researchers reported that analysis of lunar material brought back during the Apollo program suggests that the Earth and moon went through a sustained bombardment by meteors and comets roughly 400 million years ago. Assuming this finding is correct (dating methods for lunar materials are disputed), it could bear on several aspects of the mystery of the origin of life--including whether Earth was "seeded" by organic compounds from elsewhere in the universe.
First, a thumbnail sketch of what science thinks it knows about the rise of life. Earth appears to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Initially, intense radiation from the developing sun, combined with constant asteroid strikes, made Earth uninhabitable. Somewhat more than 3 billion years ago, the high radiation and asteroid fusillade ended; it's at that time that life began, but in extremely rudimentary forms that were less complex than even the single-celled organisms of today.
For the next 2 billion years, life barely evolved; the planet was covered with life-forms similar to algae, but nothing swam or squawked or breathed. Then about 500 million years ago, the "Cambrian Explosion" occurred. Complex organisms, including fish, seemed to arise very rapidly compared with the previous 2 billion years of little change. Following the Cambrian Explosion, land plants, then land fauna, then thunder lizards, then flowering plants, and finally mammals acquired their being. From our perspective, the big event came when humanity's primate ancestors diverged from the ape family, probably 3 or 4 million years ago.
That's the rough outline most scientists use, and it is one replete with mystery. What could possibly have caused the first jump from inanimate chemistry to self-reproducing life? There's nothing even close to a solid theory. Even the most basic strand of RNA, which might have been the forerunner of DNA, is so phenomenally complex that the odds of it assembling by chance have been estimated as greater than the odds of drawing a royal flush on 100 consecutive poker hands. The creation of resilient life from nothing during bleak primeval conditions of pure chance seems so improbable as to make divine creation pretty attractive as the "logical" explanation.
And what caused the explosion of new life forms in the Cambrian period? Here, there are a few sketchy theories. Earth's early atmosphere contained almost no oxygen; it might have taken 2 billion years of exhaling by algae-like rudimentary life-forms to add enough oxygen to the biosphere for fish and animals to become possible. Also, Earth was warming during this period, and warmth is conducive to life. (The primeval sun was "faint," about 25 percent less powerful than it is today.) But these seem, at best, clues. Something else, and something important, might have happened around the Cambrian point.
Enter the moon-rocks bombardment, which seems to have occurred around the time of the Cambrian Explosion. (The timing doesn't match exactly, but all dating from ancient eras is approximate.) Could asteroids and comets falling on Earth have seeded it with complex organic compounds that accelerated evolution? One of the biggest surprises astronomers encountered in this century was the discovery of vast clouds of organic compounds floating in deep space. These materials in space are not alive; they are "organic" as chemists use the term, meaning complex carbon compounds. But if a bombardment of rocks and comets from elsewhere in the Milky Way arrived at Earth about the time of the Cambrian Explosion, it might have brought along seed compounds from the deep-space organic clouds, adding complexity to life.
In this regard, it is important that researchers assume the rock bombardment that occurred around the Cambrian age came from beyond the solar system. The asteroids that fell on Earth in its dawn era, billions of years ago, were probably debris left over from the formation of this solar system, and thus unlikely to have born complex organic compounds. But the rocks that seem to have hit around the Cambrian time period probably would have come from far away (we'll skip the scientific reasons why) and thus might have carried complex organic compounds from distant points in the galaxy. A bombardment of materials from deep space arrives at Earth; "suddenly," in geologic terms, evolution accelerates. Perhaps a coincidence, perhaps not.
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Circuit Lake
Electronic Project and Circuit Collection
Laser Range Finder
09/21/2011 Category: Data Acquisition, Measurement, Microcontroller, Project, Sensor
This Laser Range Finder (LRF) is a low-cost distance measuring instrument that uses laser technology to calculate the distance to a targeted object. It can measure up to 8 feet away but for optimal measurement the range is about 6 inches to 4 feet. The project is designed by Joe Grand.
Laser Range Finder DIY Project
The main parts of Laser Range Finder are Parallax Propeller processor, OmniVision OVM7690 640×480 CMOS CameraCube, and Arima 635nm APC Laser Diode. Distance to a targeted object is calculated by optical triangulation using trigonometry between the centroid of laser light, camera, and object. User can use this project for distance or liquid level measurements, object detection and/or avoidance, and item counting.
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The technique of using eyeliner to line the eye liner
1. light pen light, avoid the draw too heavy, too thick or too thick eyeliner.
2. take "progressive" overlapping color painting method, and slowly painted eyeliner.
3. can be gently covered or powder foundation, let the eye makeup effect lasting, not easy to open halo, and can suppress the eye out of the oil situation.
4. avoid painting eyeliner, this old style of painting, the overall outline of the eye, but too prominent, very natural.
5. do not let the eye liner and the eyelids have a gap between, will make the proportion of the eyes become very strange.
6. try to draw near the root of the eyelashes, to strengthen the eyelashes thick feeling.
7. with eyeliner or eye shadow powder painted in the eye near the head, gently push with your fingers, you can create a nose like effect, so that the nose becomes more three-dimensional sense.
8. eye color is also very important, no danger of anything going wrong color is still dark brown, iron gray and black 3 colors, this is very suitable for Asians; bright colors such as orange, red and gold, should be with the eye makeup to collocation, otherwise the picture is not good, and the color of the pupil less coordination.log on to our official website for more details :
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UMass researchers to test new AIDS vaccine
By Stephen Smith and Scott Allen, Boston Globe Staff, 3/23/2004
"We underestimated the complexity of HIV," said Dr. Shan Lu, the UMass Medical School scientist chiefly responsible for developing the new vaccine. "If you don't even understand your enemy and yet you think you can defeat your enemy, that's naive."
The trial in Worcester is one of at least 18 new approaches to AIDS vaccines underwritten by the National Institutes of Health and one of several now going to human testing. The idea, say NIH officials, is to support numerous approaches in hopes of achieving a breakthrough.
But NIH officials say they are under no illusions. Dozens of experimental vaccines have fizzled, including one made by California-based VaxGen, which failed last year after a $200 million clinical trial.
"I'm very optimistic that we will find a safe vaccine that has some usefulness in my lifetime," said Margaret Johnston, the middle-aged director of the vaccine and prevention research program in NIH's AIDS division.
Today, however, she said vaccine research is still waiting for a major innovation to energize research the way that AZT, the first effective AIDS medicine, revolutionized treatment in the mid-1980s.
Millions of lives are at stake in the quest for an effective vaccine. World health officials estimate that 42 million people are infected with HIV and that 3 million died of AIDS last year. Many of the victims, especially in sub-Saharan Africa andAsia, are too poor to afford treatment, making vaccination the best hope for those not yet infected.
"It's an urgent search whether [the results are] disappointing or jubilant," said Dr. Calvin Cohen, research director at the Community Research Initiative of New England. "We know enough to prevent every single exposure. Yet, clearly,we're unable to do that.... Human behavior is human behavior."
The researchers at UMass, working with a Maryland biotechnology company called Advanced BioScience Laboratories, say they have learned from past vaccine attempts that did not give the body's immune system enough weapons to fend off HIV.
"HIV presents itself as a virus with new tactics to get around our immune system," said Dr. Jeff Kennedy, an assistant professor of medicine at UMass who will lead the vaccine trial. "It is one nasty critter, the ultimate terrorist."
Successful vaccines of the past, such as the smallpox and polio immunizations, had used weak or killed versions of the disease-causing microbe to prime the patient's immune system to fend off the disease in the future.
But, because of modern-day safety concerns, researchers couldn't inject patients with the AIDS virus itself, instead settling for proteins from the HIV. Unfortunately, the proteins didn't provoke as strong an immune reaction as the virus itself would.
However, the UMass team found that by using genetic material, DNA, from the virus, they could get a more potent reaction, including antibodies programmed to repel the virus and killer cells, which eliminate cells once they're infected.
Just as important, the researchers wanted the vaccine to expose patients to as many forms of the HIV virus as possible. So they extracted DNA from five distinct strains of HIV, with two types from the United States, two from Africa, and onefrom Thailand to represent the major strains worldwide.
"It may not be the vaccine that covers everywhere in the world, but if you want to cover as broadly as possible, you try to collect samples from as diverse a population as possible," Lu said.
The UMass researchers weren't interested in the entire genetic recipe of the virus.
Instead, they focused on what scientists call the viral envelope, its external coating, which varies between strains.
"One HIV virus wears a fur coat, the other is wearing a rawhide coat, and the other is wearing a sweater," Kennedy explained. "We're going to inject people so their immune system can see the sweater, so they can see the fur coat, sothey can see the rawhide coat."
The bits of DNA from the five strains were married into a single vaccine that would carry no risk of causing HIV because the DNA is so fragmentary. However, scientists hope the vaccine will trick the immune system into mounting a response to the virus in various forms.
Animal tests showed that the DNA vaccine did precisely that. It provoked a response from both arms of the immune system, producing both the disease warriors known as antibodies as well as killer cells, which are designed to destroy infected cells before the virus spreads.
"The idea," Lu said, "is that if you're infected with a virus wearing this same envelope coat, the body's immune response will recognize that and eliminate the virus."
During a six-month period the 36 participants in the trial will be immunized three times with the DNA vaccine. Recipients will also get two inoculations of proteins that are designed to provide a boost to the DNA vaccine.
While confident they have hit upon a strategy that could one day yield a successful vaccine, Lu and Kennedy both sought to dampen expectations that they now have in their syringes the single answer to the HIV vaccine quandary.
"The HIV vaccine that ultimately is going to be developed and is going to be successful is going to be based on a new concept," Kennedy said. "I think this vaccine we are testing is one step toward that."
The UMass trial is one of four vaccine experiments that are just starting human trials with $70 million in NIH funding. Among them is a study just launched by Chiron Corp. in Emeryville, Calif. Its vaccine, given so far to 30 people, deliversthe DNA of the AIDS virus aboard microparticles that immune cells readily absorb.
"We have to cross our fingers and hope things work," said Susan Barnett, Chiron's HIV vaccine project leader. "And we have to learn if they don't."
Scott Allen can be reached by email at [email protected].
People who are not HIV-positive, fairly healthy and are interested in more information about participating in the trial, should call 888-687-5757. Or, they can log on to www.umassmed.edu/cidvr and click on "clinical trials."
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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Understanding The Basics Of Empty Leg Flights
Deadhead Flight
Tips on Private Jet Charter With Pets
Flying your dog is slightly different; companies such as Monarch Air Band of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, are aware of that and understand just how important your dog can be to you.However, what must you plan for when seeking to transport your pet aboard a private charter flight?
The whole experience of flying can be distressing for a family pet, especially when travelling without its owner (as could be the circumstance in a scheduled air travel) where pets take a flight in the suitcases area and sometimes accidents may appear (outlined in a recently available Seattle Times article).
Making your dog endure the ground moves at the airport before and after a trip as if it were another piece of baggage might be too much to ask of your furry friend.
On the other hand, the aforementioned has gone out of the conversation when boarding aprivate charter. After checking in, you as well as your pet go right to the aircraft and, moreover, your pet or cat can travel in a chair beside you, or even by themselves (with the company of a cabin crew member if you are not able to join them).
Planning to Soar your Pet?
As with real human passengers, basic safety also should come first with exploring animals. For instance, the safest way for a dog to fly is with a body harness, and smaller dogs and cats should ideally maintain a carrier that is mounted on a seat belt during takeoff and getting.
Finally, for international private jet charter owners must be sure their family pet has all documents as required by customs and immigration of every country. As they may vary one from another, typically they require proof immunisation.
Any Extra Costs/Things to consider?
While there are no additional fees for family pet-friendly aeroplanes, some exceptions do apply, with regards to the type of dog. You will want to note that cleaning fees could also apply, and these can add up to several thousands of dollars.
Additionally, by seeking a ‘dog or cat-friendly’ aircraft the total pool of available private jet charter is reduced, which sometimes could adversely impact the costs. Having said all those things, from experience, it can be rare for customers to see increased pricing anticipated to bringing domestic pets on board.
Dog or cat-Friendly = Allergy-Unfriendly?
Looking at the topic from an alternative angle, will an allergy patient have to be concerned about finding a pet-friendly aircraft, and does the fact that the plane is pet-friendly make it any less clean?
The question of allergy applies to all types of allergy symptoms, including food, nut products and others, which is a major issue for all those operators, and taken very really. As aircraft by classification are firmly enclosed spaces, it is important for all operators to regularly fine detail the interior.
Thus any reputable charter flights operator will ensure a cabin is cleaned regularly and extensively. However, it is well worth asking a charter operator about their cleaning steps if you have concerns or special anti-allergy requirements.
In Conclusion
With just a little extra planning, there must be no reason your pet cannot be transported stress-free, and then for therelatively little additional cost.
Likewise, if you are an allergy sufferer or have concerns about chartering a ‘dog or cat-friendly’ aircraft, a reputable charter operator can allay your fears, demonstrating demanding cleaning and anti-allergy options are used aboard its fleet.
Transportation of dogs, when well been able, shouldn’t impact the comfort of man or their furry friends.However, what must you plan for when seeking to transport your pet aboard a private charter flight?
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In my posts on key-value data modelling with Couchbase, the main concerns were:
In a N1QL world, we're still thinking about similar things and in this post I'll look at two of them:
• * how to represent document types
• * modelling relationships between documents.
Fundamentally, it's still a story of making the right trade-offs so that you can create a physical data model that most efficiently represents your logical model. All that's changed are some implementation details.
Do nothing
First up, it's worth saying that you can query existing JSON data without having to make any changes. N1QL isn't going to demand you remodel your entire existing database.
However, you can make changes to your model that will make N1QL more efficient and your queries easier to write. And if you're starting from scratch, you might as well consider N1QL queryability from the outset.
Document types
One of the most important parts of key-value data modelling is key design. In a key-value world, the key bears an enormous responsibility: it must tell you what you're storing and it must be easy to find again.
For example, the keys for customer records might take the following format:
• * cust::name the main customer record
• * cust::name::payment the customer's payment details
With rich query, the key name's role changes. Rather than directly asking for the key, you'll be asking for the data that you want. Those two responsibilities — describing what you're storing and making the data easy to find — move into the document itself as a document type.
This is where we hit one of the big practical differences between N1QL and SQL: FROM does less work in N1QL today. The scope of a Couchbase bucket is vastly different from the scope of a typical relational table.
SQL FROM narrows the scope of our query to the data that interests us. N1QL FROM tells the query engine which bucket to look at. As a typical bucket contains all the data for one application, we need another way to distinguish types of document.
A customer
Let's look further at a customer. Here's a simple record:
"name": "Alan Partridge",
"email": "",
"location": "Norwich",
"phone": "+44-1603-619-331",
"type": "customer",
"created": "2015-10-22T10:17:24.731Z",
"schemaVersion": "1.2.3"
The type value steps in to narrow the scope of our N1QL query:
SELECT * FROM default WHERE type = customer;
Using the type we can build indexes that contain only the documents of a particular type. For example:
CREATE INDEX customers ON default WHERE type=customer;
The likelihood is that your document schemas already specify a type, particularly if you've been using Couchbase views. Either way, when you create a document you should specify its type within the document body.
In future iterations of Couchbase and N1QL, we might see namespacing below the bucket level but types will always give us a low-cost way of differentiating documents.
Relationships between documents
The question of when to embed and when to refer remains an important one when modelling for N1QL. The difference is that N1QL handles these relationships for you through JOINs.
N1QL joins can take place between:
• * documents in different buckets
• * documents in the same bucket
In both cases, the JOIN matches a value in the document on the left side with the key name of a document on the right side. So, if one document contains the key name of another document, you can JOIN those two documents.
Let's add our fictional customer's most recent purchase to the profile:
{ lastPurchase: "prod::drivinggloves" }
The value here is also the key name of a product document elsewhere in our bucket.
So, to return the name of the customer and the price of their last purchase for every customer living in Norwuch, we'd use the following N1QL:
SELECT, a.price FROM default r JOIN default a ON KEYS r.lastPurchase WHERE r.location = "Norwich";
The result would look something like:
"requestID": "a2284985-541f-491d-b921-4c248f154293",
"name": "json",
"price": "json" },
{ "name": "Alan Partridge",
"price": "9.99"
"status": "success",
"elapsedTime": "5.223111ms",
"executionTime": "5.124029ms",
"resultCount": 1,
"resultSize": 77
With N1QL, we can produce one to one, one to many and many to many relationships between documents. So while embedded documents were previously a large part of how we'd model our data for Couchbase, with N1QL they become effortless for us as developers.
In summary
The two main points to take from this post are:
• your documents should have a type that your queries can use to narrow scope
• JOINs rely on the primary key of the right-side document appearing in the body of the left-side document.
Ultimately, not much needs to change about your JSON data in order for you to use N1QL. As you dive more into N1QL, you'll no doubt find document shapes that work better than others. If so, share them with us on the Couchbase forums!
Posted by Matthew Revell, Lead Developer Advocate, EMEA, Couchbase
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Menopuggled[men-oh-pug-uld]; the condition of being drained of all power.
It is not likely to have escaped your notice, Dear Reader, that we have well and truly entered the seventh calendar month of 2013. Which means there is less of it to go than has already been.
[Takes long deep breath...pssshaawwwww - the links you'll find in the following are worth a visit!]
Fourmonths ago I wrote my third ever entry here and it was about the feeling of having no power in the body. Like a car without fuel. Or the geyser without power. There had been a significant amount of stress built up in regard to menosoup and it was probably at its peak when I discovered the pressure release valve called blogging.
Progress report; short-term memory impairment? What's that then?
Progress report; energy levels? Are there levels other than empty?
I used to drive my trusty ancient Vauxhall wagon like this - that is to say, "on the smell of an oily rag". Wonderful vehicle which I bought for `£500 (cheap even 30 years ago!!), then subsequently did all the maintenance such as brake pad change, oil change, battery change, spark plug change, a bit of valve regrinding, some alternator refinements………… ran like a baby for the four years prior to the OZ move and even had holes in the floor well so one could do the Flintstones thing if the oily rag ran out of sniff. I tip my metaphorical hat to Father for the early childhood training in such matters. Wee brother Mac3 would put his brawn and two cents (sorry pence) worth into the proceedings and then there was the very worthwhile purchase of the AA's "How to…" manual. Was always a dab hand at reading manuals.
The manual for the life I am leading now is a group of writings so ancient there are many and varied arguments as to their actual age. These Sanskrit words of long wisdom prove that mankind has changed not one iota. This is either reassuring or heartily depressing. At times it is hard to decide which.
Aside for extreme philosophical heights, one can find here instructions on the optimal eating regime, rest patterns and mental/emotional balancing. One can trace how it is that the 'modern' world has come up with all sorts of reinvented 'wheels' on how to get the best from life. Whilst it is an irony that it is the very study of said documentations over an intense 22 months which has in part contributed to the menopugglement, there is relief to be found here too.
What advice is given for the physically and mentally spent? Eat lightly, drink plenty (water!), increase rest by half to one hour per day. More than this will lead to increased lethargy - proving the dictum that 'cure' can also be causative.
As a homoeopath, this is exactly what I would say to clients undergoing, say, post-viral syndrome - or indeed, to those who were students and burning the midnight oil.
Which of course is a large part of my condition. Then again, that is because of the menosomnia. No sleep for YAM unless she knocks herself on the head. It comes eventually, hangs around for a couple of hours, then off it runs. So the concept of increasing rest by one hour is a bit lost on me. Never mind. It's still valid advice and am doing my best to comply.
The thing is, we have but two months and six days till the conclusion of the course. It is hitting the whole batch and there is a subtle but distinct change in the atmosphere as we all now are having to get ourselves prepared for the eventual goodbyes. Vedanta is all about non-attachment and majority here (myself included) have got this pretty well under control. But what we are finding, naturally, is that in our efforts to help lift each other to our better inner beings other, different, bonds have formed. These too will have to be acknowledged then released. It will be welcome, but it is natural that there is some apprehension also. That uses energy, burns the whiff from the rag; albeit in the background.
Thus when writing about menopugglement three months past, who knew that I could have pushed myself this far and be again writing of it having found a deeper, darker level of the condition and yet still each day being able to move forward. It is only by holding onto the feet of God and Guru, by gaining grace, that I am still here. Still slogging.
And despite some early self-doubt, still blogging!!
Kay L. Davies said...
You must continue blogging, my dear Yam, even when the slogging is done. We want to know what you'll do then, when you are two years older and wiser than you were at the beginning, and two months older and wiser than you are now.
Where are you going? Oz? Scotland? Somewhere in between? Canada, for instance?
Love the story of your old Volvo. I once had a car I loved dearly, but my mechanic (whom I baby-sat when he was small) wanted to buy it.
The North American version of the unstoppable Volvo was the Dodge Slant Six engine, which of course they stopped making because, in North America, such things are constructed to destruct, and the Slant Six wouldn't give up.
I've never blogged about the old Dodge. I think I'm still in mourning, and I sold it to my mechanic in the mid-80s.
Luv, K
Mahal Selvadurai said...
Thanks for the reminder, from the Gita. A bit stretched at the moment, and this advice is great. See you on the other side babe. Take care. Promise to Email soon.
Yamini MacLean said...
Hari Om
Kay - the Vauxhall is actually a British take on General Motors rather than Volvo - but still as indestructible!! Oh them ol' vee-hickles, ya just gotta luv 'em...
As to 'after' - don't worry, blogging will continue and I'll take you along on the ride!!!!%*>
Mahal - keep breathing!
Perpetua said...
The tale of your old car took me back to our very first vehicle - an old Ford Transit van which had been converted into a basic campervan by DH's parents. By the time we had it bits were falling off it and DH had to resort to desperate stratagems to keep it running. It lasted us for 4 years when it was replaced by a mini-van. :-)
The next few months will demand a lot of adjustments, Yam, but I'm delighted to hear you plan to keep blogging.
Yamini MacLean said...
Hari Om
Perpetua-ji, those oldies were real goodies and one can't help thinking the modern mini motor doesn't cut the mustard!!
Oh Yeah,,, you got me now you can't get rid of me &-)xx
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Chicago Tribune, November 23, 1922. Acid, typically a weapon of the streets, dissolves an upper-class marriage.
Berenice’s primary beef was with her mother-in-law, but poor Darby took it in the face.
darby-3-11-23-22-tribaGreat forensic showmanship on the part of prosecutor McCartney. Weak alibi from Berenice.
darby-4aMcCartney and Pierrotte: both earning their paychecks.
Hmm. Good call, gentlemen.
Notice how the weapon is variously called a “vial” and a “phial” of acid. Phial strikes us as classier, better suited to the Beverly Hills milieu.
Veronal, aka barbital, was the first barbiturate, and hit the market in 1903. It was sold as a sleep aid but also had a solid rep as a suicide drug.
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Explore Surf Trip, Surf Travel, and more!
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Architecting digital technology solutions that expand the way we experience and grow in the sports industry.
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With everything that has happened to you you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.
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Man pages for Bioconductor-mirror/BioCor
Functional similarities
addSimilaritiesAdditive integration of similarities
AintoBInsert a matrix into another
BioCor-packageBioCor: A package to calculate functional similarities
clusterGeneSimSimilarity score between clusters of genes based on genes...
clusterSimSimilarity score between clusters of genes based on pathways...
combinadici-th combination of n elements taken from r
combineScoresCombining values
combineSourcesCombine different sources of pathways
conversionsConvert the similarities formats
diceSimCompare pathways
duplicateIndicesFinds the indices of the duplicated events of a vector
geneSimSimilarity score genes based on pathways similarity
pathSimCalculates the Dice similarity between pathways
removeDupRemove duplicated rows and columns
seq2matTransforms a vector to a symmetric matrix
similaritiesApply a function to a list of similarities
weightedWeighted operations
Bioconductor-mirror/BioCor documentation built on May 29, 2017, 12:07 a.m.
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New Research on Ocean Currents uses Sea Monkeys
In 2009, John Dabiri, a Caltech professor of aeronautics and bioengineering, and a colleague found that jellyfish can actually move water over distances greater than their body length just by swimming. This he said “was the first hint that animals could transport water over distances much longer than their body size.”
The scientist next wondered if the same would be true for smaller animals that are found in the world’s oceans like krill and copepods. Swarms of these animals rise up during the night to feed on phytoplankton and sink back into the darker depths during the day. He and graduate student Monica Wilhelmus wondered if such dramatic vertical migrations might produce currents large enough to mix seawater. If so, then this mixing may need to be accounted for in simulations of Earth’s future climate.
The scientists spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to study these animals. Krill are common in the ocean, but difficult to keep in the laboratory so they decided to use brine shrimp also known as sea monkeys. The brine shrimp have a swimming motion that is similar to that of krill, are easier to raise and are highly attracted to light.
To get a sense of the brine shrimps’ collective power, they were placed in a special aquarium that contained lasers. A blue laser that rose from the bottom to the top of the tank triggered upward migration. A green laser shone in the middle of the tank kept the brine shrimp away from the edges, centered in the tank, similar to how they stick together in the ocean. A red laser sheet was used to track the water movements, because brine shrimp don’t seem to notice that color. The red light reflected off small silver coated beads that were added to the water and revealed how the water was flowing with the help of a high speed camera.
Dabiri and Wilhelmus recently published their findings in the journal Physics of Fluids.
The scientists found that although an individual shrimp couldn’t move much water very far, together they had a powerful effect, particularly when they were swimming near one another. The collective movement of such tiny swimming animals like krill could be contributing an estimated 1 trillion watts of power to the ocean, comparable to the combined effect from the winds and tides, which contribute an estimated 2 trillion watts.
“This research suggests a remarkable and previously unobserved two-way coupling between the biology and the physics of the ocean,” John Dabiri said. “The organisms in the ocean appear to have the capacity to influence their environment by their collective swimming.”
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Q&A with the SBP Candidates
The Student Body President Candidates answer your questions. Why do you want to run?
David: I think there are a lot of issues that the student body is not being represented on. The student body representative has a right to voice those concerns. I’m running on a platform of more student representation to the administrative that is more effective.
Sam: It all revolves around the idea of “get out.” There are two things to this:
• Education: much more comprehensive than just in the classroom.
• Engaging: not only on a service front but also on an idea front.
Caz: I want to run because I love this place and believe in it both as an academic institution and as a community. Every time I sit in the lounge or the café and look around to see all the faces and conversations happening, I realize how much I love what goes on here and how much I want to be a part of it.
Why do you feel you are qualified?
Sam: I’ve talked with students and gauged their concerns. One of the things we do is have a lot of complaints, but then it doesn’t get channeled to a particular place. I will address these students’ concerns by talking to the school. I authored a proposal [last year] to upgrade the email system to what we now have, started Foreign Language clubs and launched Intensives class format.
Caz: I’ve worked in admissions. I’m a House president. I helped start the soccer team. I’m really comfortable working with Student Development. I’m present among the student body. All in all, I have strong relationships with both students and the powers that be, which I hope will make me an effective liaison between the two.
David: I’m captain of the basketball team. I sit on the student athletic committee as a representative between students and administration. Last semester, I interned at Governor Chris Christie's office.
What is your vision for the council?
Caz: I want the presidents to start working together as a unit and a community, not just as 10 separate individuals from separate Houses. Hopefully that unity coming from our leaders will trickle down into the exec teams and the rest of the students. Also, the new Director of Academics position on the cabinet.
David: I think it's time that the SBP took on a larger role in his job as liaison and go outside the council because the council is pretty set in stone. The council gets a lot of important things done, and if elected, I don't expect to change the council in any fundamental way.
Sam: I’m hoping the council will have very efficient meetings (under an hour) to address administrative issues because I want to allow House presidents to spend more time with their Houses–time to focus on building House community; time for Houses to facilitate purpose-driven House events [and] Houses engaging the city.
Next year is going to be a big year for King’s with a lot of change. How do you plan to help the student body transition?
David: There are a lot of changes taking place at King's. The question is whether or not students will have a voice in those changes. I plan to communicate with the students, hear their concerns and broadcast those concerns to the administration.
CazI think communication will be key. A lot of this year’s frustrations from students have come from communication breakdowns between the students and the administration. I plan to keep students in the loop as much as possible regarding updates from the 15th floor.
Sam: I don’t think SBP candidates have access to all of the anticipated changes, but what I do know is that this student body has always been resilient. I will do my best to relay the information that I receive from administration. Honestly, I will be praying with the students. This shouldn’t be a battle. I’m not an “us versus them” candidate. This means that I’ll continue to partner with the administration, which allows students more say in future decisions and the ability to communicate information to students sooner.
As King’s is growing, we are taking in a more diverse group of students. How are we going to uphold the mission of the college with a more diverse student body?
David: We want more students to be financially feasible, but we can't sacrifice the academic rigor of King's in doing so. There is a balance we have to strike between increasing the student population while not decreasing our academic rigor.
Sam: Diversity is good because it develops the school. The mission is the framework that allows diversity to flourish. [Prospective students should] write a couple paragraph responses as to why they want to come to King’s. Sit down and listen to current student’s stories as to why they came to King's and where they are going. Help them to see where they want to go and move one step further.
Caz: Somebody needs to be holding admissions accountable. Admissions has a difficult job because they have quotas to meet in order to keep this place afloat. But that department needs to do its best to bring in students who really believe in our vision.
Getting the exec teams to get excited about the freshman class and getting ready to welcome them now is very important. The new freshmen need to see that the upperclassmen are pumped about being here, that they take the Honor code, classes and the House system seriously.
What is one instance in which you have had to resolve conflict with the Honor Code?
Caz: Tons! I’m a House president, and I’ve had to do it a couple times a month. The Honor Code is a great institution at the college that fosters responsibility and courage in confrontation. What I think we need is the Honor code done properly: having the guts to have those tough confrontations, having the heart to confront with grace, and having the decency to stop judging each other about it.
David: Fortunately, I've never had to Honor Code anyone. And if I had, I wouldn't go telling the school newspaper.
Sam: One of the biggest struggles for me is little things, like seeing people in jeans. Does that constitute lying, cheating or stealing? Most of [Honor Code confrontations] should be happening in community. The greatest difficulty with the Honor Code is the last part: "turning a blind eye to those who do." It’s still something that I’m wrestling with as to what it looks like in practice.
Plans after college?
David: Law school.
Caz: Ministry, education or finance. Maybe all three. Either way, family.
Sam: I used to have a 15-year plan but not anymore. I’d like to get into international development to work with third world countries to help them transition out of that third world status. But wherever I go is wherever God takes me.
Click here to watch the SBP Debates, courtesy of the House of Bonhoeffer.
CampusLuke Anderson
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Original article
Scand J Work Environ Health 2008;34(3):213-223 pdf
Objectives This study aimed at opening up the black box of overtime work among university faculty members by providing information on (i) when faculty members work overtime, (ii) what activities are undertaken during overtime, and (iii) how overtime is experienced.
Methods Data were collected among 120 Dutch faculty members who completed a general questionnaire (addressing general overtime hours, work characteristics, and well-being) and a 9-day diary study (with information on daily overtime hours, activities, and experiences). Analyses of variance were used to analyze the data.
Results Overtime was very prevalent among faculty members, high overtime workers being nonfatigued, engaged employees with positive work characteristics. Overtime was unevenly distributed over the week, being common on Sunday and Monday and uncommon on Friday and Saturday. Overtime activities during the weekend differed from those during the workweek, relatively much time being spent on research during weekend overtime. Overtime activities were experienced differently than activities during regular hours, overtime work being experienced as less effortful and less stressful than regular workhours and weekend overtime being less pleasurable than regular hours and evening overtime.
Conclusions This detailed day-to-day mapping and evaluation of overtime work contributes to a better understanding of overtime work by demonstrating meaningful patterns of overtime over the (work)week and meaningful associations between overtime activities and time-contingent experiences. It is suggested that worktime control plays an important role in explaining the results.
The following article refers to this text: 2011;37(5):418-426
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How To Build Muscle And Start Looking Great
By | April 13, 2015
Muscle building isn’t just about pumping iron. There are a lot of different factors that can contribute to the success or failure of your muscle building efforts. The information below can help you obtain optimal results while building your muscles.
As you are lifting weights, do your movements with control, slowly and easily. Moving too fast uses the body’s momentum instead of letting the muscles do the work and build your strength. Likewise, don’t swing the weights, because this keeps the isolated muscle from doing the work. This is why going slow seems harder because the isolated muscle is really doing its work and building at the same time!
phen 375 build muscle and lose weight
Build Muscle
Short-term use of creatine supplements can help you build muscle with minimal risks. Creatine plays an important role in your body in that it is required to produce ATP, a basic and vital form of energy. Your body cannot function without ATP, and lack of creatine can cause you muscle problems. Having a higher level of creatine will enable you to train far more intensely, and for a much more prolonged period of time.
how to build muscle and start looking greatIf you cannot get to the gym for some reason, do not skip your workout altogether. You can simply do chin-ups, pushups and dips in your home. Even with all of the fancy equipment at the gym, they still remain the best forms of upper body building that you can possibly do.
Try varying your grips a few times. Once you become experienced in working out, your muscles will start to resist any growth on exercises that are familiar to them. Different grips can help to make these familiar exercises a little different, which can help with additional muscle growth. Examples of exercise where you can change the grip are with barbell rows, with barbell curls, pull-ups, and bench presses. Try using wide grips, close hand grips, reverse grips and even mixed grips that include having one hand up and also one hand down.
Tracking your progress is important when learning how to build muscle and start how to build muscle and start looking greatlooking great. It can be hard to determine your progression if you do not take the time to track your muscle-building journey. This can easily be done using a measuring tape and a simple notebook. Write down your starting measurements and track any developments every two weeks or once a month.
Create the illusion that your body is larger than it is. You can achieve this by focusing your strength training on your shoulders, upper back and upper chest. This makes your waist look smaller and your body look bigger.
You must have learned that the many things that play a role in your overall muscle building success are relatively easy to incorporate into your day. Employ all the information you have learned regarding the healthiest techniques on how to build muscle.
Here’s To Your Training!
how to build muscle and start looking great
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3 Reasons Why WalMart Air Purifiers Are A Waste Of Time
It might seem like a great idea to pick up a cheap air purifier whilst your doing your grocery shopping but in reality your going to waste your money.
The vast majority of air purifiers that are stocked by Walmart are under $150 and the majority sold are created by Sharper Image. The two best selling purifiers are the ionic pro combo and ionic pro mini both by Sharper image.
1. Keep Well Away from Sharper Image
Now Sharper Image has had some bad press with their ionic breeze air purifiers after they where found to release ozone which actually reduced air quality. Now the new ionic pro models do not release as much excessive levels of ozone but they are still very inefficient. Read the following articles about why its a bad idea to invest in a sharper Image purifier:
2. Can Only Remove Large Particles
The problem with all cheap purifiers is that they can only remove a very small percentage of the particles in the air. Most of the sub $150 priced purifiers can only deal with particles that are bigger 0.3 microns. 0.3 microns is small but in the world of air based particles they only make up about 10% of pollutant particles. This means that these cheap purifiers are only able to clean 10% of the air in your room.
3. Can Only Work In Small Sealed Rooms
You will see that many of these units promise to clean rooms up to 250 feet but this is assuming that your room air does not circulate. As we all know, air will pass throughout the house and thus an air purifier will be required to clean the vast majority of air throughout the house. Most American houses will require an air purifier that can deal with at least 1000 feet and this is true even if you only want to clean the air in one room. Sealing your rooms is just not an option unless you really want to take one step closer to the grave!
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Hi there – I would like to know which air purifiers are the best of getting rid of the smell of cigarettes?
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99. Calliope camtschatkensis
Calliope camtschatkensis, (Gmel.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 817 (1788) ; Dresser, B. of E. ii. p. 341, pl. 52 ; Gould, B. of E. pl. 114 ; id. B. of Asia, iv. pl. 38 ; Taczanowski, J. f. O. 1873, Taf. i. (egg) ; Erithacus calliope, (Pall.) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 305 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. O. p. 335 ; Oates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 102.
Gunpigora, Beng. ; Gangula, Nep.
Male ad. (Ural). Upper parts wood-brown tinged with olive, the head darker, a line from the forehead over the eye and a moustachial stripe white ; lores and space below the eye black ; throat and fore-neck bright scarlet and bordered with deep slate-grey ; upper breast brownish grey ; lower breast and flanks buffy grey, rest of the under parts white ; bill brown, whitish at the base ; legs plumbeous brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0.55, wing 3.0, tail 2.6, tarsus 1.1 inch. The female lacks the red throat, this part being dull white, the superciliary line is buffy white and the moustachial line is absent ; rest of the under parts dull light brown, but the centre of the abdomen is white. The young bird is mottled.
Hab. Asia, north to the Arctic Circle, east to Japan, south to Mongolia and northern China, wintering in southern China, Burma, India, and the Philippines ; has occurred in the Ural district and the Caucasus, and has strayed as far west in Europe as France, and possibly to England (cf. Ibis, 1901, p. 158).
It inhabits wooded localities near water, both on the plains and in the hills to the limit of tree growth, and is shy and wary in its habits, creeping amongst the dense willow thickets, and seldom venturing into the open when disturbed. Its song is soft and sweet, but somewhat unvaried. It feeds on insects which it obtains chiefly on the ground and constantly erects its tail when hopping about. Its nest is placed on the ground at the foot of a bush or amongst dense herbage, and is constructed of dried grasses and lined with fine bents. Its eggs, 4 or 5 in number, arc deposited late iii June or early in July, and are greenish blue sparingly marked, chiefly at the larger end, with pale red spots. In size they measure from 18.8 by 15.3 to 21.4 by 16 millimeters (from 0.74 by 0.60 to 0.84 by 0.63 inch).
A Manual Of Palaearctic Birds
Title in Book:
99. Calliope camtschatkensis
Book Author:
H. E. Dresser
Page No:
Common name:
Siberian Ruby Throat
Calliope calliope camtschatkensis
Vol. 1
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Great Indian Undie Protest, Take Two
Nisha Susan of Tehelka wants you to send pink panties to the chief of Sri Ram Sene.
Does that make her a Hindu-baiter?
Of course not. The Sene is a little rowdy outfit that beat up girls who went out with boys to a Mangalore pub. It is composed of men who are as nasty as the Marxist cadre that committed rapes in Nandigram, or the Taliban who made a jolly good video shooting a woman in the head. Moreover, these are men that can't tell beautiful Valentines from their soiled langotas. Very primitive and completely uncool. Ergo, giving them a shock of pink serves them right.
So I see that you sport that "eh? come again?" look. Well, the point is, you know nothing if you don't believe in pink. It is said that even the clouds surrounding St Valentine up there in the heavens are a sensuous pink. Imagine, therefore, the effect of thousands and thousands of pink panties on these cornered, flabbergasted Sene men. Before long they be will sending Nisha and pals hand-carved Valentines begging for mercy. And a few months hence, you won't believe that the goatee-sporting pony-tailed hunk with that sexy babe on his arm sitting right next to you at the bar counter in the hippest joint in town was a former Sene activist. You won't. You will keep rubbing your eyes in disbelief till you start to see pink.
Yes, baby. Pink is the natural color of protest. Just as apple is the natural flavor of the Durex condom.
So you think, so far so good. And you want to know where does this Hindu-hating angle come from then, when the projection for the future is so rosy (or pinkish, depending on your p.o.v).
Well, here it is. Some communalists believe that this whole pink panties trick is a convoluted way of baiting Hindus.
How's that, you ask, shocked, every secular bone in your body stirred.
Well, communalists have stitched up a nice conspiracy theory to explain it all.
Didn't Undie TV (that is NDTV for you, but righwingers call it Undie TV) start this whole shebang about "Hindu Taliban" in Mangalore? They ask. Didn't they stress that word "Hindu" again and again, they ask, just as they stressed "exclusive!" when they said "exclusive gun shot, brought to you from Bombay!", when they covered 26/11?
Didn't they keep going at it on and on, for far longer than Barkha Dutt hyperventilated on Undie TV (NDTV for you) about the attack on Leopald? They ask.
To top it all, didn't Tehelka use sex workers in its Operation Westend "sting"? They ask.
The last one is a bit puzzling, I know. How can the use of prostitutes to get a story be dubbed an attack on Hindus? It is an attack on the ethics of journalism, alright, but on Hindus? What's the connection? You wonder too, just like I did.
But you see, communalists are not rational people. They imagine conspiracies because these "Tehelka types" and "Undie TV types" are into this sexy pink undies crusade.
But the communalists couldn't be more wrong. There's no Hindu-baiting in this. Nor Christian-baiting. Nor Red-baiting.
Try this for experiment. Protest Tehelka's unethical use of prostitutes in what was claimed to be a journalism operation . Protest their secret filming of a man having sex with a prostitute. Protest it with red-colored bras.
Just send Red bras to Tehelka, and request them to burn them.
Yes, d-cup, c-cup, full cup, strapless, padded, wired -- ANY kind of bra will do, as long as the color is a shade of Red. Just as most shops that accept Mastercard also accept Visa, shops that accept pink protest are also cool about Red protest.
Steal, beg or borrow -- gather your Red bras and gather tons of them. Send them to Tehelka in protest against their debasing of the values of journalism with their use of sex workers to get a story.
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Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Astronomy Tonight: The Moon and Sagittarius
Astronomy start chart of the mmon and Sagittarius
Tonight the moon is to the left of Sagittarius. Look for the familiar teapot shape to the lower right of the moon. Jupiter is the brightest object to the right of the moon.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Astronomy Tonight: The Moon and Jupiter
Astronomy star chart of the moon, Jupiter & Sagittarius
Look for the moon in the early evening. The bright "star" to its upper right is the planet Jupiter.
Take a look at the stars surrounding the moon. They form a familiar teapot shape. This asterism is the easiest way to identify the constellation Sagittarius. The moon is in the teapot's handle.
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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Acronyms, Wikipedia.
the 64,000 dollar question
If a question is the 64,000 dollar question, it is very important but very difficult to answer. Why should I, young, healthy and female, suddenly lose my hair? The sixty-four thousand dollar question remained unanswered. Note: Other large sums of money are sometimes used instead of 64,000 dollar. They asked the million-dollar question: `So what makes a good marriage?' The billion-dollar question is: how much are those benefits worth? Note: In the United States in the 1940s, there was a radio quiz show called `Take It or Leave It'. Contestants had to answer questions for prizes ranging from two dollars for an easy question to $64 for the hardest. A similar television quiz show in the 1950s increased the prize to $64,000 dollars.
See also: dollar, question
$64 question
The essential or ultimate question. One of the most popular radio quiz shows during the 1940s was Take It or Leave It in which contestants strived to answer question after question until they reached the top prize of sixty-four silver dollars. The questions increased in difficulty, and at any point contestants could choose to stop and keep the amount of money they had won to that point. The phrase “$64 dollar question” became a catchword to the point that it became the program's name, and people applied the phrase to any very important question or matter. Even more popular was the 1950s television spinoff, The $64,000 Question, with the phrase, now adjusted to inflation, catching on in popular speech, but not to the extent that its antecedent did.
See also: question
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Saturday, May 22, 2010
Giving is good...?
So I've recently come to the realization that the first thing people see when they Google my name is this blog. Which makes me embarrassed that I have not written an eloquent blog since December 2008. So...I apologize to friends and family...and hope that this is a step in the right direction.
The other day I was in the community of Santa Ana and saw a little girl on the stoop of a pulperia (corner store) with a bright orange shirt that read in English, "Kiss me! ...before my boyfriend sees…” I chuckled a bit, thinking about how cute that was, and remembering a shirt my mom once put on me as a little girl that read "I will not kiss the boys...I will not kiss the boys...I will not kiss the boys" in the chalkboard handwriting of an 8 year old. But then I realized, this little girls' shirt is in English...and she probably has NO clue what it says.
Humorous, sure, but doesn't it raise the question: where did this girls' shirt come from? Yesterday, my driver/assistant asked me what his shirt said. I translated "United Church of Christ Summer Peace Intern 1993" to Spanish for him. He nodded approvingly, and told me he liked the color.
It makes me wonder, you know. Where do these shirts come from? Why do so many of us think it such a good cause to donate our used clothes? Would you want to wear used clothes that belonged to someone from some other country? Would you want a shirt that you didn't even understand what it read?
So I got to thinking about donations, the phenomenon that it really is. People with excess donate, not knowing where exactly their donations will be going or the effects it may have on a person or a population. They feel good; they did a good deed…but what good is it really doing?
Faith-based organizations are probably the most responsible for perpetuating the phenomenon of donations. Faith-based groups will probably never stop donating clothes or other things because the act of giving is perceived as God’s call; a good act for God is nothing shameful, nothing that could cause a sense of racial, cultural, or economic inferiority. After all, GIVING is good.
But what’s the real context, destination, or circumstances of the receiving partner? What kind of paternalism or cycle of dependency could donations be creating?
Asking these questions reminds me of two things, first of which was my experience at the Dominican-Haitian border in 2007. Every Wednesday, the border of these countries opens up for trade and it is one of the most chaotic experiences I’ve ever encountered. Loaded with cargos of rice, eggs, beans, vegetables, mules, you name it, people raced back and forth across the bridge that crossed over “Massacre River,” where, ironically, tens of thousands of Haitians were killed about 80 years ago. Well, some things never change. The “flow” shall we say of trade was very directional. Every Haitian stand was filled donated items—t-shirts, cowboy boots, NYC caps, shoes—while every Dominican stand was overflowing with rice, beans, platano, spices, herbs, and vegetables. The difference in tradable goods is really stark. Haitians have little cultivatable land, little ability to grow or buy the daily needs to feed their families. But they sure do have a lot of t-shirts.
Haitians didn’t need second-hand clothes, they needed food. So what kind of markets have these donations created? They had turned the donation system into a market they could use to be able to purchase the daily basics to survive, which is creative and entrepreneurial, really. I did some research on this and came across a video I remembered seeing as a freshman in college: T-Shirt Travels. The documentary discusses this very issue, looking how donations as a phenomenon have created what is really a black market, with people from the receiving country purchasing barrels of donated clothes to be able to sell in the local marketplaces…sometimes even fighting to get the “good” clothes to be able to sell them at a higher price and make money to feed or educate their families. It’s really fascinating…if you wanna take a deeper look, here’s a link to PBS T-Shirt Travels. In sum, what happens in the simple act of giving or donating can be much more complex than assumed. What if it has created a sense of dependency or of inferiority or even a black market that perhaps even further marginalizes people? What good, then, is giving?
Now it’s time to play a little devil’s advocate. Through all this discussion, the simple fact does remain…if a little girl needs the shirt off my back, why not give her the shirt off my back? Isn’t that humanity? If there wasn’t North-to-South (developed-to-developing) country relations, what would international development organizations exist for? Though everyone likes to think development is heading towards East-to-West dynamics, acting more in side-by-side partnership rather than in hierarchies, the fact remains that “developed countries” fund “developing countries.” And financial relations are often not an equal flow. The need for program evaluation has been borne out of a desire for accountability to show results or get grants for projects funded by “Northern” partners. And the same “flow” goes for donations, inevitably…so why fight it?
The heart of humanity comes down to those moments when you, personally, sit down and have a conversation with a child from one of our rural communities, and you see that they’ve worn the same shirt for over a week and it’s dirty. It’s those moments when I think two things: 1) Why not give that child another shirt if we have it to offer? And 2) Let’s go talk to his mom about washing their clothes and bathing her kids regularly. Being poor does not mean you have to be dirty. That’s one of the profound lessons I’ve learned from an awesome Honduran teacher who many times has brought his students back home to bathe before returning to class. “Old clothes are one thing,” he says, “but dirty clothes are another.”
That sense of humanity in giving is also enhanced during one particular circumstance: emergency relief—but it’s a difficult situation post-aftermath. For example, after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Honduras received so many donations and it was during this time when “brigades” really began--service trip to help with relief aid. Initially, it worked…get the aid necessary to the places who need it. But over time, Hondurans became accustomed to receiving relief donations, which has now changed Honduran-international dynamics entirely. Communities now EXPECT to receive goods, projects, seed capital for nothing in return, sometimes not even their effort. We like to call that, lack of sweat equity…and it’s a dangerous territory. How can an organization work on a project without the buy-in and collaboration of the community? If communities expect to just receive for free or without any time or sweat on their part, will the project will be valued, understood, and used appropriately in the future? Does giving create a cycle of dependency, or is one appreciative recipient worth whatever other secondary consequences that may arise? That’s a tough question.
I don’t have an answer. I think it’s a fascinating issue and one lots of international NGOs and governments have to face. At the end of the day, though I don’t have an answer, I have an opinion. And that opinion is that donations are inevitable because we as humans have a desire to give and receive. But they should be done personally and strategically, after getting to know the person or the organization to who you would be donating, really understanding where those items are going to and how they will be used, and having confidence that the people or the organization that receive or filter those donations will make the best decision as to how to use and distribute them appropriately.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Global Partnerships
Here's the link to the blog post I recently made regarding for the Global Brigades e- newsletter. Topic: Global Partnerships. Feel free to comment on the blog website or here :)
Also another link to an article I wrote a long time ago when I first started at GB regarding starting the Research and Evaluation unit:
Monday, April 5, 2010
My Job and a Lesson on Being Present
So to give just a little background information about what exactly I'm doing in Honduras this time around: I'm working with an organization called Global Brigades as the Director of Community Research and Evaluation. I work in all 5 of our disciplines in Honduras (Medical, Dental, Public Health, Water, and Microfinance) in building evaluation frameworks, strategic planning and implementation of needs assessments for the 120 different communities we work with, developing system for community selection, and then planning and executing baseline demographic health surveys in these communities. That way, we can have baseline health data to evaluate from after implementing all 5 programs holistically in a selected community.
That's my job, in a nutshell...and it changes with different needs along the way...
But another side-task I've been involved with recently has been giving classes at a school for young female domestic workers. We have started a new partnership with this project and have formed a new high-school technical course in Health Promotion. I've been asked to teach a few week-long courses in this program on international health/development NGOs including Global Brigades' work, as well as an "in-the-field" course on Research and Evaluation in Health-Based NGOs, specifically Global Brigades. It's been a cool experience getting to know these girls, their (somewhat difficult) backgrounds, but also their excitement for working in health in their country. Who knows, some of these girls might go on to be nurses, or doctors, or dentists...?
One thing that I have come to face with trying to juggle my own job along with teaching these classes in Health Promotion is that I find myself often jaded with these kinds of experiences. At first, teaching these classes was kind of thrown on me, as an obligation almost, which stressed me out and made me a bit resentful, which I'm sure a lot of people in the field experience. Why do I have to do this on top of everything else? I'm already burnt out! Needless to say my first class didn't go so well. As I came home, plopped down on my bed however, I thought, you have the chance to shape these girls lives. And you didn't do it.
I'm sure every teacher goes through this experience, and as you see the fruits of your labor in those kids, you feel that motivation to continue on...that becomes your purpose. It brought me back to last year, to a moment in which I remembered feeling like I knew I was making a difference in the lives of my workers with HIV, but deep down inside was worrying about one thing or another-my future, my friendships, my relationships, my career-and I wasn't fully PRESENT with them. I found myself doing that again...worrying about my own things I needed to get done with GB, with my own program development, that I wasn't fully PRESENT with these girls. I think that's extremely important and something that not only I, but a lot of people in the field do. We are so focused on getting a task done, or so entrenched in the work we are doing, that we don't take the moment to be PRESENT where we are. To have coffee with a community member, to smell the corn tortilla, to smile or greet your coworker in the morning, to listen to someone's story. I hope I can be more PRESENT to these girls as I continue to teach and build relationships with them. I don't know what my future holds after the next 9 months, but after having done this once, I hope to not burn out or worry about the future, but rather BE PRESENT where I am now...
back on track
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Twitch and the art of running marathons
Twitch and the art of running marathons
Twitch has proven that the marathon model is successful through a few early examples that have morphed into a more refined science. I firmly believe that both the company and its creators have embraced it because it fulfills a number of goals that build community, raise money and engage viewers like no other.
Tons of people have written thinkpieces on Twitch Plays Pokemon, and one of the most interesting thing to come out of the event is the creation of a culture around it.
As many streamers can attest, having in-jokes, memes and customs attached to your brand is a gold mine, because it’s a signal that people are emotionally attaching themselves to what you’re producing. Twitch Plays Pokemon has a whole wiki devoted to the extended lore around the marathon, and in that regard it rewards people for sticking around to see these things develop organically.
The magic of TPP came from the community-driven play, but also its ability to reward those who were committed to watching it: hypothetically, if it started on Monday and took a day or two to spin up in popularity, it could be assumed that by Wednesday or Thursday it would reach a peak in “hey, look at that cool thing people are doing.”
By then, social networks, the gaming press and just person-to-person talking would bring it more attention, and it could then be consumed by groups of friends and the greater community together. When TPP beat a Pokemon gym, people would tweet about it, sharing the reaction with other people — when it beat the game, I think people realized that the shared experience was special, as it was non-committal, entertaining, and the longer your participated, the more juicy memes you could joke about with friends.
Going Fast
I would have written this post sooner, but I’ve spent the last week addicted to Awesome Games Done Quick.
At its heart, AGDQ (and its counterpart in July, Summer Games Done Quick) have morphed from a niche speedrunning marathon to a juggernaut of marketing, promotion and donations. It doesn’t matter what eSports or game you participate in, because you can usually appreciate a speedrunner destroying your favourite game.
As a stream that had 100,000+ viewers at all hours of the day for seven days straight, AGDQ represents not only the same cultural development as Twitch Plays Pokemon, but also an opportunity for speedrunners to jump-start their own channels’ followings.
By taking part in a GDQ — which are curated when it comes to who can perform — and being entertaining, streamers can expect spikes of people looking for more after the marathon is done; streamer Noir, who ran Half-Life 2 this year, gained nearly 10,000 followers after his well-received appearance, and a boost of hundreds more viewers than usual.
Because the marathon schedule is posted ahead of time, people can plan out their week, staying up late or waking up early to catch games they want to see. There’s also a pseudo badge of courage to sacrificing your sleep to catch something cool; after all, the bragging rights of seeing hype moments live as opposed to a VOD are a very real thing.
The GDQ marathon means that for one week you have a chance to turn on the channel and there will be a reasonable guarantee that something entertaining will be on. Coupling that with the communal viewing experience through Twitter and other social media, it’s very easy to become invested.
My philosophy when it comes to Twitch success is pretty simple: either you’re entertaining, or you’re good at what you play. For the speedrunners of Games Done Quick, they’re usually both, and that makes for a good formula.
Source: Twitch user Sohlol | Link
The final case I wanted to bring up was a bit of an oddball, but after it finished, thinking about why it was successful sparked the rest of this post. To celebrate the launch of their Creative section of streams, Twitch decided to marathon the entirety of The Joy of Painting back-to-back.
This was an extremely cheap event to host, besides whatever they paid for the rights to stream the show; while I can’t find it at the moment, there was a tweet of a laptop running a VLC playlist with all the episodes with a Post-It that said “Bob Ross stream, do not turn off.”
For Twitch, the communal experience, coupled with the exposure for their art-and-music vertical, definitely made the experiment worth it. However, it’s important to realize that Twitch stepped outside of its own comfort zone for this one: they both took licensed, non-live, non-interactive content and made it work., despite a Twitch employee denying it when I originally tweeted the thought, represents the company testing the waters with “old” media; by leveraging the “Netflix binge” in practice, it can put its own unique spin on things. As bad as a reputation Twitch chat gets, it doesn’t seem to stop people from enjoying it; from my experience, both staff and admins are just an inclined to spam emotes as everyone else if the situation calls for it.
What all three events have in common revolves around the communities that spring up around the shared long-term experience of the event itself. People get new memes, people get entertainment, and people get to share the reaction of cool things happening nigh-instantaneously on social media, which in turn tells people not hooked in yet that they should check it out.
In short, it’s the perfect storm of what Twitch wants out of its events, and when the marathon finishes, they get to drown in piles of money from the advertisers and sponsors who see the length of the time the average user spends viewing the stream.
That metric, while nice from a vanity perspective, also allows for more valuable ads to be bought and sold within their network, increasing the value of Twitch viewers as a whole. While I’m sure Twitch is happy building a community of loyal viewers, that facet cannot hurt too much, either.
As for the marathon’s future, it depends on how quickly it reaches its saturation point and jumps the shark. While GDQs won’t go out of style any time soon, part of the reason is their scarcity: if they happened every month instead of twice a year, people wouldn’t get the chance to cool down and remember how awesome it is when it comes back.
It’s kind of a fault of the communal experience model: if you want everyone to enjoy it (“everyone” being the Twitch community at-large), there better not be too much else that divides the attention. Scheduling is imperative, and if there are multiple events demanding the same amount of investment to get reward out of it, the effect muddles fast.
For now, though, I’m looking forward to seeing how the model evolves over the next year: who knows, we might see more older TV shows finding new life on 24/7 streaming channels, or the whole phenomena might fizzle by 2017.
I think Twitch would like to hope, though, that people are in it for the long run.
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Matt Demers writes about eSports and the Internet from his place in Toronto, Ontario. Follow me on Twitch and Twitter, and subscribe to my newsletter.
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The story of Ma Vaishno
About the Shrine
Route to the cave
Information To Pilgrims
How To Get There
Route To The Cave
The holy cave lies nestled in the folds of the mighty Trikuta mountain fifty kilometers from Jammu, the winter capital of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Jammu is connected with the rest of the country by rail, road and air. From Jammu one has to travel by road up to Katra which is the base camp for the pilgrimage to the holy Shrine.
From Katra onwards the pilgrim has to trek on foot for a distance of twelve kilometers to reach the holy Shrine.
Katra at Night
Enroute the pilgrim crosses Banganga, Charan Paduka, Adhkwari and Sanji Chhat before he reaches the holy cave.
Banganga is a small perennial stream and is considered holy by the pilgrims.
According to the legend, this stream owes its existence
to the Goddess. It is believed that while crossing this ravine on her way to the holy cave on the mountain, the langoors accompanying the Goddess felt thirsty.
However, there was no sign of water any where. Therefore, the Goddess shot an arrow in to the ground. The arrow went deep in to the bowels of the earth and smashed its way to an aquifer of crystal clear water, which jetted out of the earth through the path bored by the arrow. The langoors
Faith Moves Mountains
accompanying the Goddess quenched their thirst. The Goddess also drank some water and the party proceeded ahead. This stream of water has been flowing continuously since then. It is known as Banganga which is a combination of two words- BAN and GANGA. Ban means an arrow and commemorates the legend that the stream gushed out after the earth had been struck by an arrow shot by the Goddess. The word Ganga denotes the purity and the holiness of the water in the stream.
Charan Paduka is a small promontory about one and a half kilometers beyond Banganga. According to the legend the Goddess halted here briefly to catch Her breath and to see if She was being pursued by Bhairo Nath. While She stood here Her feet were imprinted on the rock on which She was standing.
Adhkwari is a corruption of the word ADH KWARI which means the eternal virgin and epitomises the fact that Mata Vaishno Devi Ji is the eternal virgin.
People resting at Adh Kwari
Adhkwari is the name of the place where the Goddess performed Tapasya for nine months before She finally left for Bhawan and the holy cave. Mata performed her Tapasya at Adhkwari in a very narow cave which is known as GARABH JOON. According to the legend, when Mata reached Adhkwari She discovered a narrow cave which was hidden by a dense over growth of bushes and shrubs. She thought it was an excellent place for performing Tapasya because the likelihood of its being discovered by Bhairo Nath was quite remote . Therefore, She entered the cave and went into deep meditation. She remained in this state of meditation for nine long months. Meanwhile, Bhairo Nath who was looking for Her with ferocious doggedness finally discovered the cave and entered it. When Mata realised that Bhairo Nath had not only discovered the cave but also entered it, she smashed another way out of the cave with Her Trishul and swiftly left for the holy cave at Bhawan. Since Mata remained in this cave for nine months and also because of the fact that this cave is extremely narrow and very difficult to crawl through it is equated with the womb of the mother through which every child wriggles out at the time of its birth. Therefore, the cave is called Garabh Joon. The word GARABH
means the womb in which a child is conceived and the word Joon is a corruption of the word YONI or the female genetalia through which a child comes out while taking birth. The Hindus believe that in its journey of transmigration, the soul has to take birth eighty four lakh times or pass through eighty four lakh yonis, before it becomes eligible to take birth as a human being. MOKSHA can be achieved by the soul only in its human form. If, however, a human being commits a heinous sin then the soul again falls to the bottom of the evolutionary ladder and must once again embark on that long journey of eighty four lakh births before it can once again assume the form of a human being. The belief is that if a person crawls through Garabh Joon he literally washes away all his past sins and thus escapes the horrifying prospect of falling to the bottom of the evolutionary ladder and losing the chance of attaining Moksha in this life.
There is no religious connection attached with Sanji Chhat. It is relevant only due to the fact that the uphill journey to the holy Shrine ceases at Sanji Chhat and the track evens out there after. On way to Sanji Chhat, the pilgrim has to negotiate the tough climb of HATHI MATHA which is so named because the climb in this stretch resembles in steepness the fore head of the elephant. The word Hathi means an elephant and the word Matha means the forehead.
Two and a half kilometers beyond Sanji Chhat is located the holy cave which contains the holiest of the holy PINDIS manifesting Mata in Her three forms of MAHA KALI, MAHA LAKSHMI VAISHNO and MAHA SARASWATI. Each form represents a particular attribute. Thus Maha Kali represents TAM GUNA, Maha Lakshmi Vaishno represents RAJ GUNA, and Maha Saraswati represents SATVA GUNA.
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This Dunsparce is a normal-type Pokémon owned by Timothy.
Timothy had a Dunsparce that could fly at short distances. Dunsparce managed to fly over Bucky's Caterpie at a tournament, making Caterpie fall down. After Team Rocket's horrible show, the kids in town, including Timothy, traded their Dunsparce for a Moltres, but were fooled. However, the Dunsparce scattered away and battled Team Rocket, then got back to their owners.
Known moves
Move Episode/Chapter
Timothy Dunsparce Glare
Glare The Dunsparce Deception
Take Down The Dunsparce Deception
Screech The Dunsparce Deception
+ indicates this Pokémon used this move recently.*
- indicates this Pokémon normally can't use this move.
Ad blocker interference detected!
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Monday, August 3, 2009
Church Interpreters 2: From Divine Inspiration to Professionalisation
From a later Biblical epoch than the meturgeman (see posting for July 29) comes the well-known example in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians:
“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence." (I Cor xiv, 27-28 in the King James translation)
(The commentators understand by two or at the most by three to mean at any one meeting; while and that by course means separately, one at a time.)
The passage should be understood in conjunction with another in the same epistle:
“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom… To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” (I Cor xii, 8-10)
So in Paul’s view the ability to interpret is an important divine gift, and it’s not given to everybody who knows a foreign language. In a mention in the Old Testament, interpreters are said to be “one among a thousand” (Job xxxiii, 23). On the other hand, it’s not a gift reserved for trained people; it may be that any bilingual in the congregation is endowed with it and can speak up when necessary.
Now let’s do a fast forward. There are still many interpreters in today’s Christian churches. A search for “church interpreter” with Google retrieves over two thousand citations, and that’s just in English. But now comes a big surprise: all of those citations, so far as I’ve had time to look at them, refer to interpreting for the deaf in what are often called the deaf ministries.
Then comes a second surprise. In a field where, because of its altruistic character, one would expect to find few if any Professional Interpreters plying their trade, professionalisation has started in some places.
A recent discussion about church visual language interpreters in the United States is revealing if we read between the lines. It’s on the site and the topic was paying or not paying the interpreters. The discussants were divided on the matter, but from what they say we can deduce the following:
1. Some churches do pay their interpreters, and some of the interpreters are professionals. In other churches, though there are professionals who might claim a fee, they donate their services. Some of their peers are against such donations: “The profession of interpreting will never be recognized as a truly skilled profession if people offer their services for free.”
2. In the USA there is a well-regulated system for accrediting sign language interpreters. Many of the church interpreters are accredited. More than that, some of them attend yearly ‘rectification classes’.
3. On the other hand, some interpreters are less highly trained: “My church has one highly qualified terp and 2 others who are well qualified but have less training.” Less training does not however mean untrained.
So at least in this very developed environment, church interpreters for the deaf are generally trained Expert Interpreters and many are Professional Interpreters.
So much for the visual language interpreters. How about voice interpreters (as the visual language interpreters call us interpreters who speak)? To be continued.
1. I am a church translator myself, and i have never had problems translating to the members of my church. please reply. thnx
2. I am a professional conference interpreter and church interpreter (please do not confuse translation for interpreting. They are NOT interchangeable). So yes, I do both. Can I see professionalisation coming to church interpreting? If I have my way, it will!
1. hey im also church interpreter, and conference interpreter ... very exiting doing both !
3. To Lighthouse:
Before you became a church interpreter you were probably a churchG0ER and well acquainted with the language and culture of your church. In that case, I don’t think you SH0ULD have any problems.
To JD:
Professionalisation is everywhere. I’m not involved in church interpreting myself, and so I’m neutral about it; but I know that some interpreters are happy to do it as a pro bono service.
As for ‘translating’ and ‘interpreting’, there’s a constant problem because we have no specific word for written translation. They differ by the medium used, but both are forms of translating. A lexical gap. I’m hoping someone will come up with an acceptable suggestion one day; or alternatively a ’cover word’ that would include both written and spoken translating.
1. I can't believe I didn't see this, vagaries of blogger.
I am now a bit more neutral on professionalism as it can mean many things. To be honest, as a professional and a church interpreter and a church interpreting researcher, there are some things about the profession I wouldn't want to see copied. I would still be happy to interpret in church pro bono.
As for the translation/interpreting thing, please forgive my previous brashness. Now I am writing my thesis, I can see how tricky it is. The nearest I have found is the Franz Poechhacker (who else?!) who uses Translation to refer to both and the words in lower case to split the two. Ugly? Maybe. Useful? probably.
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Identify your Skin Tags before you Remove Them
When does a person get skin tags or acrochordon?
Some people seem to have skin tags since they are born. This can be true in rare cases. In most of the people, skin tags develop during the midlife period. Some think that skin tags form due to the accumulation of skin collagen in various areas of the skin. In America, more than 40% of the population has skin tags. Many of us think this strange problem doesn’t deserve any discussion or close inspection.
Skin Tags
The major areas of the body often get affected by skin tags, including the eyelids and the zones of the breasts. You can also see them under the armpits, where it sweats a lot and in the groins. Skin tags also appear in the areas around the neck and upper chest region, so don’t be surprised when you spot one or two there.
But did you know that there are an enormous number of skin tag sufferers out there desperate for remedies or treatments to get rid of these tags? Another reason that people want to be free from skin tags is their cancerous connotations. But not all skin tags can lead to cancer. It may happen, but very rarely. This depends on the location of the skin tags, the cause of skin tags as well as the rate of growth of the tags. If it suddenly grows at a very fast rate, then you need to be worried. However, do not panic.
Genetics also play a huge role in the formation of skin tags. If your close relative has skin tags, then you might be more susceptible to the formation of skin tags. Your father and your siblings could have skin tags on the same parts of the body. Skin tag structure is also sometimes blamed on the Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome or the polycystic ovarian syndrome. Erratic changes in hormone levels, as well as the development of ovarian cysts in women, lead to irregular monthly periods. That is what we call as polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Identify your Skin Tags before you Remove Them
But there is no need to worry because medical advancements have now addressed this problem through safe remedies.
But obesity is one of the causes. Those who are overweight will have some skin folds in the body. There are more creases. Skin tags tend to appear more in these cases. Skin tags can also be blamed on diabetes.
Skin tags even appear in pregnant women. This can be attributed to the high level of hormonal changes that they go through. Those who have human papillomavirus can also get affected by skin tags.
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
Is it Real or am I Dreaming?
Lately at a forum that I post at, probably for reasons of nostalgia more than anything else, people were talking about God and not-God, God’s existence and God’s non-existence. I try to stay away from these conversations because nothing is ever gained by my participating in them.
I find it amusing whenever people parade their limited intellects in posturing declarations of what is and what is not in relation to the incomprehensible; the unknown. This is not to excuse my own efforts in that direction. I’m just as limited when it comes to painting the 360 degree canvas of ever changing circumstance and color, using what we all use within the limited bandwidth to describe that which is neither circumstance, color nor anything else that is manifest. How do you describe the blank screen on which existence takes place? This is what it emerges from and what it is absorbed back into. This blank screen, brimming with life force; quick and sudden to expression... retreating endlessly before the probe of science, the press of thought, the reach of emotion. It’s as shy as it is bold and you can’t define it because it is always more and always something else at the same time.
When I see people argue about the existence of God it becomes immediately apparent that they aren’t talking about God. They are talking about religion. Would any of us feel comfortable being described according to the clothes that we wear? Would you think that accurately summed you up? If someone were to say, “He’s that guy with the salt and pepper hair that always wears a blue suit. You know... that guy in accounting that’s always talking about sailing?” Would that be the measure of the man? That’s what happens when we describe the indescribable according to seeming appearance and the impressions of our childhood, our parents, our society and our pre-dispositions.
No sane person is going to believe that the pope, dressed as he is and behaving as he does, has the ear of God, nor that God has his ear. Common sense tells you that when an old man is dozing on the dais and drooling into his raiment that he’s not emblematic of cosmic consciousness. I’ve actually seen this by the way. Common sense tells you that religions which are filled with perversion and dreadful behavior are not expressions of what the words of the founders declared. Does anyone imagine that, if God does exist, he is as boring as the people who drone on and on about cant and dogma; their words falling upon your minds like cinderblocks hitting the ground?
Because there has been so much bloodshed and brutality, so many lies and venality, it’s a sure bet that either it has nothing to do with God or that God is actually like this.
I have a certain advantage in respect of the great question. I have conclusively proven certain things to myself and I can do it again and again at will, just about any time. I found a doorway in my mind, my heart and I can pass through it much of the time. It could be this is some personal fantasy. It could be delusional. It doesn’t matter. I’ve no inclination or need to prove it to anyone else. It is me only who must be convinced and I have achieved that. If my life then serves as some kind of evidence of something, so be it. That’s not a concern either.
I do not expect that I will ever comprehend the ineffable. It could hardly be that if I could. Neither I nor anyone else will ever define it. Whatever it is, it is. Can anyone say that the unknown does not exist? If the unknown does exist and I think we can all agree to that, we also must agree that we don’t know what the unknown contains because it is unknown.
Most people are not all that concerned about God’s existence one way or the other. Most people are concerned with putting food on their families (grin), living well, having sex, being important to someone, avoiding pain and scandal and fitting in... humanity, unlike God, is not difficult to figure out. Among the human foliage are concealed terrible vipers. About six percent of us are psychopaths and they account for most of the darkness in life. The rest is the product of collective ignorance and fear.
I am a student of the Hindu tradition. For me it is easy to understand existence because it is all reincarnation and karma. Karma creates veils called ‘samskaras’. In times of greater material darkness these samskaras can be very thick. Think of gossamer scarves with one placed over another until vision is impossible. Some few have few of these scarves and different degrees of light can pass through. Imagine the difficulty of describing something to a person who cannot see. Karma eventually resolves all of this. The education of pain burns away the veils. We don’t like pain and as a result we are usually dragged kicking and screaming toward understanding.
We can argue about God’s existence or non existence but all of us will admit to the existence of Love. We all know about cases where people have sacrificed their lives for love. We all know that wisdom and knowledge exist. We know that things happen which cannot be explained. We know that mercy and kindness exist. We know these virtues are real and we know that the darker perversions of these virtues also exist. Ergo...
For myself I wish to move in the direction of more love, more wisdom, more of the better qualities that can be acquired. I want to move away from the other things. Like any of you I will fail repeatedly in my efforts. Some of us are relentless and we will pick ourselves up ten thousand times and more and continue. We will not be denied. Something waits for those who persevere. Why else would we proceed?
When I look at the inspiration contained in the lives of great examples, when I see the power of true art and the elegant beauty of nature, I am moved. With all of the heinous outrages of the day there is so much that is remarkable in counterpoint. Let me go that way. Others can make their own decision. Everyone who survives to a greater age will find themselves sitting on some porch front of their minds wondering about what they have done and what the memory of their lives will tell them about themselves.
Since I have come face to face with a particular force many times I have no question about whether it exists or not. I am confident that reincarnation and karma will afford every single soul the same type of encounters tailored to their needs. It’s not important to argue about something when there is no possibility of agreement. Sooner or later, on up the road we will all meet up with each other again and everything will be different.
Rather than acting like clumsy skaters as just another version of the woman in the Robert Burns poem, sitting in the church with the louse crawling on her... pirouetting and falling on our asses... rather than winding up like Isadora Duncan, samskara scarf tangled in the wheel, it’s probably better to just skate for the enjoyment of it apart from the performance angle. Many a graceful turn has been seen and done. Far more have come up painfully short. It takes tremendous dedication to gain mastery of your art and it is unlikely you will do so when the focus is on the people watching you. You have to get lost in it as if you were all alone in the moment for the sake of the moment alone.
As far as I have been able to determine, we are God in the making. That sound, that ancient and enduring vibration is resonating in all of us. It is our reactions to it, our ability to be in concert with, or dissonant by choice, that indicates our understanding of the perfection we have yet to realize. Harmony is the key and balance is not a static thing. It’s always reaching for itself like the Two of Pentacles in the Rider Waite deck. The spirit of God sings through everyone but sometimes it carries a tune.
Anonymous said...
Furthermore brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things pertain to love, whatsoever things are of honest report, if there be any virtuous thing, if there be any laudable thing, those same have ye in your mind, : Paul
Thanks Les.
Peace, Al B.
Anonymous said...
In the debate between religious fundamentalism and science, science wins hands down. No contest. This is easy to see and people should accept it. But as you’ve said before, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Unfortunately that’s what so many of these otherwise rational and intelligent individuals do. They tend to be very uncomfortable with anything they can’t explain or understand. If it can’t be quantified, it must not be real. I find this to be such an odd position for many reasons. Just look at the scientific body of knowledge itself; so much of what we “know” today would have sounded like science fiction fifty years ago and would have been scoffed at by the same ‘intellectuals’ who now do the scoffing at anything that resides outside the realm of current accepted scientific fact. They tend to puff up just a little and get satisfaction out of asserting how God doesn’t exist, as if they have somehow determined this fact with absolute certainty and anyone who disagrees is either ignorant or delusional. If someone from this camp is truly rational (which they pride themselves on greatly) the only respectable approach would be to say, to admit, “I don’t know.” Or maybe something like “I have seen no evidence for the existence of God but I can’t rule the possibility out.” But no, they somehow manage to rule out the possibility based on what they don’t know. Where’s the rationality in that?
kikz05 said...
and so should you be moved. for thru nature we are given the key to understanding the divine, without & within.
the counterpoint, the duality, exists for that very reason in this plane.... to allow the conscious freewill to choose its path of attraction.
then consequence has its say, and we live and learn from our "reasoned" choices...
if we don't.. we get to visit the lesson again in successive incarnations. few if any eternal souls could learn all the lessons they are to, in the blink of an eye that is a human life. :)
my personal philosophy encompasses tidbits of all the older civilizations great thoughts by great minds, although the hermetic school resonates more deeply for me.
once again, i'll pass along something that has helped me so often.
so simple and so beautiful in its distillation the kybalion is quite all i need to find understanding & peace. :)
lovely essay usual.
Bradley said...
Very impressive and certainly inspired. You can now be numbered among the great metaphysical philosophers due to the simplicity of your language as well as the way you sum it up every time with something like the pirouette you mentioned.
I flat out love your work and I'm glad I've been here to see it grow. I am not ashamed to say that you sometimes make me cry and I am proud of that. I am proud of being moved by something like this and grateful that you gave me the opportunity.
Anonymous said...
You have an awakened mind. I was told by an elder that 98% of the people on this earth sleepwalk thru life. They have no want/desire to awaken. Of the other 2% that have the potential to awaken, only .02% will. The rest will be continually drawn back to materialistic persuits. Its all about love. Love is of the soul, fear from the ego. I think its the ego that masks consciousness from the God within. The more I simply notice my ego, and refuse to believe its lies and play its silly games, the better I am.
Thank you.
Anonymous said...
In Dreams
Thanks Les
Anonymous said...
Dear Ben
Re: ...scoffing at anything that resides outside the realm of current accepted scientific fact. As a landscape painter, there is one long ongoing consistently overarching mental argument always going on which is trying to reconcile what it is vs. what I think it is.
Anonymous said...
If we are not passing on these insights through simple actions to our offspring, we have probably never known love.
Anonymous said...
I have been following these writings for a few months now and now must step forth and make a comment. The notion that we are charged with the task of finding ways to shine and spread love in spite of everything that tries to harden us or make us truly believe (and thus live like) we are all seperate entities with everyone and everything else being the "other" is quite simply, for me anyway, The Answer. I can live with that. Now I just need to find a way to live LIKE that. Thanks for making it so clear. Your writing is brilliant and speaks to me in the same way that a small internal voice that I have yet to really connect with does. Truth seems to have a certain resonant frequency and often when I read and ponder your words I feel the "buzz" that lets me know that there is something there worth holding on to. I often feel like I am dreaming - that this can't be "real" and what we are experiencing cannot truly be all that we are. I feel like I have been asleep for a long time and have started to wake up, rub my eyes and roll out of my slumber. The problem is I am feeling like I am looking around and have no idea where the hell I am or how to get home. I needed to hear a reminder that my job is not to take up arms, tap into my anger, and sweep across the world cutting down all the evil-doers and bringers of misery and death in some kind of self-sacrificing crusade. That seems like a big job and I have a wife and kids, bills, a lawn to mow and guitars to tune (and occasionally play if I'm lucky). Becoming myself what I truly wish the world would become sounds doable, even though I am getting a late start and it seems like no one around here (the American Midwest) sees much value in coming together for the benefit of others unless there is a tangible personal benefit. I think I'll try meditation and stay as far away from the "Mega-Church" as I possibly can, and try to find a way to put the rage and sorrow at bay. Thank you. And thank you again. Peace. Z
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Category: Sports
Youth Football Plays – Passing the Ball
Many youth football plays are designed to be simple so that the young kids on the field will not have too much to think about. Most of the plays try to limit the possibility of mistakes and turnovers. This is why the major of youth football plays are running plays. However, there are a few
Cardio Exercises Help You Lose Weight
If you are aiming to lose your extra pounds then you should know that cutting down on your calorie intake and burning more calories through exercise are the only way to success. Losing weight is not an easy task; you need to burn more calories than you take in and for a cardio exercise. You
Flower Pick-Up Lines That Work (or Not)
Have you ever wondered why you still spend night after night with pizza and whatever it was on TV? You think that life doesn’t get better than that. True, enough. But, have you ever thought what the night could have been if you are with someone special, who cooks sumptuous dinner and watch these movies
Relationship Advice – The Kindred Spirit
When we search for love in another, we secretly hope that they will be a little like us. You know you do it… we all do. Why is this? Because we know ourselves very well. To meet someone with similar tastes in music, religious beliefs, ideals and dreams makes it easy. We call this “compatibility”
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Calming down the immune system helps Huntington's disease mice
CB2-activating drug improves survival and symptoms in Huntington's disease mice through calming down the immune syste
By Dr Ed Wild on December 22, 2012Edited by Dr Jeff Carroll
The immune system is thought to behave abnormally in Huntington’s disease. Now, a drug that activates CB2 receptors on immune cells has been shown to improve symptoms and survival in HD mice - with interesting implications for the immune system as a target for HD therapies.
The immune system in HD
Huntington’s disease is called a neurodegenerative disease, because most of the symptoms are caused by the malfunctioning and death of neurons. But the mutant huntingtin protein that causes HD is produced by every cell in the body, and in recent years, researchers have been looking beyond the brain in the search for HD treatments.
This graph shows the effect of GW on the survival of R6/2 mice. Each time a mouse dies, the line drops down. The 'GW' line doesn't drop at all during the trial. The other lines are groups of 'control' mice.
This graph shows the effect of GW on the survival of R6/2 mice. Each time a mouse dies, the line drops down. The ‘GW’ line doesn’t drop at all during the trial. The other lines are groups of ‘control’ mice.
Image credit: Society for Neuroscience (Bouchard et al.)
One discovery that’s arisen from this whole-body approach is that the immune system - our defense against infection and injury - seems to behave slightly differently in HD patients.
On average, levels of immune signaling chemicals called cytokines are higher than normal in people with the Huntington’s disease mutation, even before symptoms begin. And white blood cells from HD patients are hyperactive - when they’re grown in the lab and fired up using chemicals from bacteria, they churn out more cytokines than normal.
The links between the HD gene, the behavior of the immune system and the brain are still being worked out. But there are already signs that artificially altering the immune system might be one way to fight HD.
Last year, a group of researchers led by Dr Paul Muchowski at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in California showed that altering the chemical behavior of white blood cells, using a drug called JM6, made HD mice live longer. And earlier this year, Muchowski’s team reported that transplanting bone marrow from ‘normal’ mice into HD mice was mildly beneficial.
So, studying the immune system to understand HD, and as a target for possible treatments, is a bit of a hot topic right now. And with a new paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, Muchowski’s team has done it again - this time with a remarkable study centering on the activity of ‘CB2 receptors’ in the immune system.
CB2 receptors?
A receptor is a molecule that sticks out of a cell, waiting for a signalling chemical to reach it. When that happens, the receptor triggers a series of chemical events inside the cell, eventually changing the cell’s behavior.
Each receptor is only capable of ‘catching’ a particular type of signalling chemical, and each receptor causes its own series of events in the cell. That’s how each cell in our body is able to respond appropriately to a variety of signals.
CB2 receptors are part of the ‘cannabinoid’ receptor family. They’re called that because they can be triggered by the chemicals in cannabis. But - just so we’re clear - this isn’t a study of cannabis!
One interesting thing about CB2 receptors is that they are mostly found on cells of the immune system. Activating CB2 receptors ‘calms down’ these immune cells, causing them to produce less of their own signalling chemicals - the cytokines we mentioned earlier.
Knowing this, and knowing that the immune system is overactive in Huntington’s disease, activating CB2 receptors ought to be a good thing. Looking at it the other way round, disabling CB2 receptors might be bad in HD. Muchowski’s team looked at both possibilities, starting with the second one.
Knocking out the CB2 gene
The team started off with a Huntington’s disease model animals called BACHD mice, which produce the human mutant huntingtin protein and develop symptoms similar to HD. Symptoms in BACHD mice begin around six months of age and progress slowly.
They then used genetic engineering to make BACHD mice that don’t have the gene that produces the CB2 receptor. Removing a gene in this way is called a genetic ‘knockout’.
When the trial was stopped after thirteen weeks, 30% of the untreated mice had died. But none of the GW-treated mice died.
The BACHD mice with no CB2 receptors developed symptoms much more quickly than normal BACHD mice - at around three months instead of six.
To check that the earlier onset wasn’t just because missing CB2 is bad for brains, Muchowski’s team looked at a third set of mice. These ones lacked CB2 but didn’t produce mutant huntingtin. Those mice seemed normal. It was only when both genetic abnormalities were present - producing mutant huntingtin and missing CB2 - that the mice got very rapidly progressive symptoms.
And it wasn’t just symptoms that were worse in these mice. The researchers looked at the levels of a protein called synaptophysin in their brains. Synaptophysin is essential for the connections between neurons, and there was much less of it in the brains of the BACHD mice that had no CB2 receptors.
Activating CB2 with a drug: GW
With the results of the CB2 knockout suggesting that CB2 receptors are doing something to help keep symptoms at bay in Huntington’s disease, Muchowski’s team took the next step by attempting to increase the activity of CB2 receptors. To do this, they used a CB2-activating drug called GW405833, or GW for short.
To test whether activating CB2 receptors with GW is helpful, the researchers used Huntington’s disease model mice called R6/2 mice. These mice develop symptoms while very young and get sick quickly.
GW was regularly injected into R6/2 mice shortly after the symptoms began, from four weeks of age. Their movement symptoms were tested by measuring their ability to balance. The mice treated with GW did better than untreated mice - they were able to balance on a rotating pole for nearly twice as long.
R6/2 mice usually die after about five months, but GW treatment produced something quite dramatic. When the trial was stopped after thirteen weeks, 30% of the untreated mice had died. But none of the GW-treated mice died. Of course, we don’t know how long they would have lived after the trial, but any way you look at it, this is striking stuff.
Afterwards, Muchowski’s team measured synaptophysin levels in the brain. Recall that these had been lower in the CB2-knockout mice. In GW-treated mice, the synaptophysin levels were higher, suggesting that one beneficial effect of GW is to improve connections between neurons.
With such good results from early treatment, the researchers repeated the trial, starting the treatment a month later at eight weeks of age. By then, the mice were already pretty sick. But the drug was still beneficial for movement problems and brain connections.
Blood or brain?
CB2 receptors are found mostly on immune cells, which in turn are mostly found in the blood, bone marrow and spleen. The brain has its own immune cells, called microglia. So it’s important to ask which cells GW is actually treating. Is it improving symptoms through microglia in the brain, or white blood cells in the body?
Muchowski’s team used a clever trick to find out. Some R6/2 mice were given two drugs. One was GW; the other was a CB2 ‘antagonist’ called SR2. An antagonist is a drug that blocks the activity of a receptor. So SR2 and GW cancel each other out, and it’s as if no drug has been given.
That doesn’t sound terribly clever, until you learn that the drugs reach different places in the body. GW goes everywhere - the blood, the organs and the brain. But SR2 doesn’t reach the brain - it stays in the blood and organs. So because SR2 neutralizes the effect of GW in the body, mice treated with both drugs just get the effects of GW in the brain.
The mutant huntingtin protein is produced throughout the body. Unusually, GW seems to work in HD mice by targeting the immune system outside the brain.
If GW is working in the brain, you’d expect the double-treated animals to improve - but they didn’t. They got sick and died just like untreated mice. That suggests that the benefits of GW are coming about through its effects on immune cells outside the brain.
Something similar had been seen for Muchowski’s other drug, JM6. Together, these results suggest that changing the behavior of the immune system in the body can have beneficial effects for the brain, opening up lots of new lines of attack in the fight against Huntington’s disease.
Going a step further
How might GW working on immune cells benefit the brain? One possibility is through the action of cytokines - those immune signalling molecules we mentioned earlier. Recall that Huntington’s disease patient blood samples have higher levels of these cytokines, particularly one called IL-6.
When Muchowski’s team measured IL-6 levels in the GW-treated mice, they found that they were lower - effectively, the GW had ‘calmed down’ the overactive immune system. So these hard-working scientists carried out another drug trial to investigate IL-6 further.
This time, they gave R6/2 mice injections of an antibody protein that sticks to IL-6 and tells the body to remove it. Mice treated with this IL-6-reducing antibody had better movement control than untreated mice. The effect wasn’t as dramatic as had been seen with GW, but it was there, suggesting that the lowering of IL-6 might be one way that GW’s benefits are reaching the brain.
Summing up
This study, representing years of work, gives us plenty of food for thought.
We already knew that the immune system behaves somewhat differently in HD, but we were less clear as to whether treating it directly was a good idea.
Muchowski’s study provides strong evidence that CB2 receptors are an important link between the immune system in the body, and Huntington’s disease in the brain.
The drug GW produced fairly dramatic benefits for these very sick R6/2 mice, but GW has never been tested in humans, so lots of safety testing will be needed to make sure it’s not harmful. Drugs that activate CB receptors are licensed in some countries (for example, Sativex for symptoms of multiple sclerosis), but there’s no specific CB2 activator on the market.
It’s also worth remembering that other drugs that have improved the R6/2 mouse haven’t so far been successful when tested in humans, because no animal is a perfect model of Huntington’s disease.
One interesting angle from this research is the mild benefit of the IL-6 antibody. Interestingly, such a drug is already licensed for human use in arthritis - it’s called tocilizumab (or Actemra). A human trial of that drug in Huntington’s disease is a possibility, and would likely be quicker to get off the ground than a trial of GW.
Finally - because we know you’re still wondering - this study can’t tell us anything useful about whether cannabis is helpful for Huntington’s disease patients. Though cannabis does contain CB2-activating molecules, it contains hundreds of other chemicals, many of which have other biological effects, that haven’t been tested in HD. So while we know cannabis is popular in HD and beyond, we can’t give it a scientific stamp of approval based on this study.
Dr Ed Wild, the author of this HDBuzz piece, is a colleague of Prof Sarah Tabrizi who is a co-author of the research article discussed. Dr Wild had no involvement in the research, and Prof Tabrizi had no input into the HDBuzz piece, which was edited by Dr Jeff Carroll to ensure its neutrality. For more information about our disclosure policy see our FAQ...
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The book I’m currently reading is “The Infinite Sea”, by Rick Yancey. It’s the second book in the 5th Wave series, which centers around teenage refugees in a post-apocalyptic society. The first book discuss earth being evaded by an alien species and killing post of the population off in different “waves”. Kids are taken to a military base to fight against the supposed “aliens”, but find out at the end of the book that the aliens are actually in charge of the military base and have been using the kids to kill off the last of the population. This book continues the journey after a group of kids escaped from the base. There’s Cassie, who has just been reunited with her little brother, Sam (although his nickname is nugget), after being separated when Sam was taken to the military base and Cassie was left behind. The rest of the group is made up by Ben (aka Zombie), Ringer, Teacup, Poundcake, and Dumbo. I’m about seventeen chapters in and really enjoying it so far. It’s full of twists and turns and always keeps you on your toes. What I like most is that it’s not like every other dystopian society book. Most tend to start with the characters’ world already in a dystopia, but Yancey sets the book in an average modern day before the aliens arrive. The characters often make references to it, such as talking about their old twitter feeds. It makes the book a little bit more relatable, seeing as they lived in a world just like us before everything fell apart. It also kind of makes me wonder what me or people I know would do in this kind of situation. Like how would we react? Would we survive? Would we even realize the aliens were in charge of the military based? All the characters had lives just like us and then boom– they get invaded by aliens and have to fend for themselves. It’s kind of crazy to think about it actually happening, but that’s exactly the position the characters were put in, in the book. Right now, the group is hiding in an abandoned hotel, which I don’t think is the most safe. The aliens sent groups out looking for them, so in my opinion it’s only a matter of time before they get found and killed off. Some characters have gone missing in the last few chapters, so it’ll be interesting to see if they end up dead or alive. Though, I have a feeling they might’ve been found by one of the search groups.
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Progressives love guns
I have a special Christmas present for everyone – a profound revelation for the holiday!! 🙂
It goes like this:
After the school shooting at Sandy Hook, there was a brief flurry of public gun ownership debate, with the usual red and blue tribes facing off against each other. At first glance, it seemed the conservatives were “pro-gun” and the progressives were “anti-gun”.
So, I’ve been pondering this for a while, and if you know me, you know I rarely stop thinking at “first glance.”
Following a logical train of thought, I arrived at an obvious conclusion:
gun-gift-for-christmasProgressives LOVE guns.
Wait… what??!?
No one loves guns, of course, in the hands of a crazy kid killing randomly chosen classmates. In fact, no one loves guns when they’re used to shoot any person (except, perhaps, in the direst of circumstances).
But 99% of the time a gun is used, it’s actually NOT used to fire a bullet.
Instead, guns are usually used as a THREAT.
Guns are used to force someone to do something they don’t want to do. Not by shooting them, but by threatening to shoot them.
A convenience store thief or bank robber rarely just runs into a place and starts shooting everyone. Instead, the thief uses the gun as a threat, to compel the store or bank workers to give the thief money. Countless robberies have taken place without a single shot fired. Yet the gun, and the threat of violence and death, is an essential part of forcing others to your will.
Try walking into a bank and just asking nicely for them to give you a million dollars, with no gun and no threat of violence. Good luck with that.
Some policemen have never fired a gun in the line of duty. Yet they wear guns. Not for the purpose of going around shooting people all day. But as an everpresent threat, so they can enforce laws.
Progressives do love guns, not for shooting people, but when used as a threat of violence, to force values onto others who do not share their beliefs.
Here are a few examples:
How about using guns to compel young, healthy, low-income people to buy expensive health insurance they don’t want so the “pool” can support older, more well-off people? Guns are needed to accomplish that goal.
Progressives love guns when they are used to coerce workers to give up half of what they earn to be spent by bureaucrats on wasteful (at best), corrupt and often violent pursuits (including the killing of far more schoolchildren around the globe than crazy classmates could ever dream of killing).
Progressives love guns when they’re used to deny poor people without job skills the opportunity to work and learn on the job at a low hourly wage.
And paradoxically, progressives love guns when they’re used to deny ordinary people the right to own a gun.
Of course, every law is backed by deadly force. That’s why people who feel “their way is the only way” feel perfectly justified in the use of guns to force others to do things they don’t want to do.
Now, to be fair, most progressive gun-lovers would probably prefer some imaginary, not so violent alternative to using guns to force progressive views on others. Perhaps, if there were some effective mass system of universal indoctrination that taught kids to fear authority, and never question those in power, taught kids that collectivism was superior to individuality and diversity, taught them to conform to societal norms rather than be independent, taught them the need to rely on a “system” and to absolve oneself of personal responsibility for one’s own life, then citizens would be sufficiently brainwashed to never need the threat of violence from guns to obey and conform. (To conceal the true purpose of such a brainwashing institution, perhaps we could call it “free public education” or something equally innocuous and benevolent-sounding.)
But, make no mistake, progressives love guns. Without guns, their agenda completely falls apart, because it depends on deadly force, not peaceful persuasion or voluntary participation.
Myself, I don’t believe in the use of guns or any violent force for any reason, with the sole exception of enforcing laws that punish those who hurt others, or try to force people to do things they don’t want to do, and also as a deterrent against people who want to hurt others.
Other than those exceptions, I genuinely hate guns! And all violence. That’s why I would never feel justified in using guns to force my views onto others who do not share them.
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Thoughts of John
What is on my mind.
The Word of God Came to John: Luke 3:1-9
Summary: The Book of Luke is a careful historical review of the greatest life ever lived. Are you reading through the Book of Luke? The theme of this book, Luke 19:10, says, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus came to grant forgiveness. Invite God in prayer to use this book in your lives.
1. A. What marks the beginning of chapter 3 of Luke as significant? Luke 3:1-2
B. If we dug into the lives of the men in Luke 3:1-2, what would we find? In what kind of world do these events take place?
C. Even in days like we find here in Luke, what does God do? Luke 3:2
2. A. Who was John? Luke 1:76-77, 7:24-28
B. When John comes on the scene, is it Old or New Testament ground?
C. How does God accomplish His work on earth? Luke 3:2, Hosea 1:1, Joel 1:1, Jonah 1:1, Micah 1:1, Zephaniah 1:1, Haggai 1:1
D. How did Jeremiah feel when he was given God’s word? How did Paul and Peter view the scripture at the end of their lives? Jeremiah 1:1-9, II Timothy 3:14-17, II Peter 1:16-21
3. A. When John comes on the scene, where is he? Luke 3:2-3, 1:80
B. How did John come? Luke 3:3
C. How did Jesus come? Luke 4:15-22, 43-44
4. A. What specifically did John preach? Luke 3:3, 1:76-77, 24:46-47
B. Who needs to hear “the word of God” that “came to John?” Psalm 130:3-4
C. What is the good news John preached? Psalm 86:4-5, Luke 23:34
5. A. Is there forgiveness apart from repentance? Luke 3:3, Acts 20:21
B. Is the “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” the same as Christian baptism? Acts 19:1-5
C. What should you do if you want to hear from God? Luke 3:3, Acts 2:38
6. A. How is John’s mission described in our text? Luke 3:4-6, Isaiah 40:3-5
B. How did the people respond to John’s message, and how did John respond to the people? What did John warn them about? Luke 3:7
C. What should be the result of repentance? What should we be proclaiming? Luke 3:8-9, 5:20-21, 19:10, 24:47, Romans 8:1, James 2:26, I Peter 2:24, I John 2:12
February 19, 2014 - Posted by | Bible, Bible Study, Christian, Christianity, God, Gospel of Luke, Jesus, New Testament, Religon, Theology | , , , ,
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Nuruddin Farah in Evanston + Rey Andújar's Candela Is Out
Last night, I finally got to meet and hear Nuruddin Farah (1945-, at left), one of the most important African novelists and perhaps Somalia's best known author, read from his work.
I almost had the opportunity to meet him back in 2001, when we happened to be staying at the same guest house, but my schedule didn't fully coincide with his, and so it didn't happen. Then we'd talked about bringing him to the university, and I'd even gotten his email from a former colleague, but things didn't work out. So I was elated when Reg Gibbons sent along an email to say that Farah would be in town to promote his newest novel, Knots (Penguin, 2007).
Knots, Farah's 10th novel overall, is the second book in his third, unnamed trilogy, and follows Links (2004). The previous trilogies are Variations on the Theme of An African Dictatorship, which includes the volumes Sweet and Sour Milk (1979), Sardines (1981), and Close Sesame (1983); and Blood in the Sun, which includes the remarkable Maps (1986), which was the first volume of his I'd read, Gifts (1993), and Secrets (1998). He was visiting from Cape Town, where he now lives, and he made it clear that he didn't want to discuss politics--though he was perfectly willing to--but rather the work, his work, itself.
He read a sliver from Knots, which I haven't yet perused, but I was struck by one of the first things he said, which was that the name of the protagonist, Cambara, was pronounced "Ambara," a name akin to its Arab cognate, and "amber." The C was silent. Not that I know anything about Somali or any other North African language, but a silent initial "c" did make me sit up. The section concerned Cambara's return to her family's house in Mogadishu (which he spells in the Italian fashion, Mogadiscio), which was now occupied by another family. There was enough suspense to make me want to read more, though Farah's voice and intonation had the effect of lulling me, even though the prose itself wasn't really incantatory. It was almost as if I were listening to an elder and what he was saying was less important than that I was listening. I usually don't have this experience at readings, even by elders, so I did jot it down.
In the Q&A session, people did raise questions relating to his work and life. I asked about the trilogies and how he conceptualized them, whether it was as a whole, in advance, or whether--though I didn't put it so adroitly--he produced them in a more exploratory manner. He talked about ambition, compared himself to a sprinter rather than a marathoner--though 10 novels is close to marathon level, no? He added a bit more, but again, I found his net of words casting a little spell, so I was registering less what he said than the fact that he was saying it. Some other points he made during the discussion were that he was a professional novelist, and not at academic (any more), so he was able to produce work fairly quickly; 5 months, I believe he said, for Knots. (I'd take the 5 year plan!) The only thing he needed, he added, was "time and a quiet place." What novelist doesn't? He stated that his novels were in a conversation with readers and other novels, not only from Africa, but across the globe and history. In fact, he suggested that "quietness, time and a newspaper 50 days old" would do the trick.
When asked about inspiration, he returned to the notion that his reading was broad, which led him to criticize the vast majority of American literature, which he claimed was driven by commerce. But then he raised another question, which was what from any era would last; much of what was being acclaimed now, he posited, wouldn't, and he included his own books. He then spoke about Shakespeare in relation to a call years ago for Africans to read African writers, and pointed out that Shakespeare's territory was broad, like Achebe's, Dante's, and some other writers. It went far beyond the little island the size of a "tissue" (was that the metaphor, or was it "napkin"?). True, true. Returning to inspiration, Maps, I believe he said, had been inspired by Camara Laye's The African Child--a novel I haven't read, though I have read the exquisite The Radiance of the Prince--while Links was sparked in part by George H. W. Bush's follies in Somalia, which the former president had characterized under the rubric of "doing good" and "the work of God." Well, we recall where that led...and now the US is back in Somalia, under the guise of the Ethiopian military, battling alleged Islamic militants it claims are allied to Al Qaeda.... Through the Q&QA, he was suitably resinous, or rather, he wasn't giving too much quarter, though he did answer the questions eagerly. Then he concluded the event with the opening chapter from Maps, which famously unfolds in the second person. This time I heard every word he uttered. I was glad I'd been able to make it, and afterwards, like a schoolboy, I got his autograph. I also think that between Reg, me, and several other colleagues, we'll get him to campus this time.
Young Dominican powerhouse writer Rey Emmanuel Andújar has sent word that his new book, Candela (Alfaguara), is now out. Here's the beautiful ad I received from him; he gave readings in Puerto Rico last week and on Monday.
A writeup of the novel is here. (According to the Cronica Digital article, the cover image below is titled "La Matinée" o "Desnudo con paraguas," by the highly regarded Puerto Rican painter Francisco Rodón. An Listín Diario interview with Andújar can be found here. (Both are in Spanish.)
1 comment:
1. Hi, John!
It was a good piece that you had on Nuruddin Farah. I read several books of his first two sets of trilogies, without a doubt, he is among the best writers in Africa and the world.
To his people in Ogadēn [and the diaspora], though, Farah is seen as a writer, who failed to lend his powerful penship to their just and noble cause for freedom and independence.
Magan Shekeye
Edmonton AB
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#Change11 #CCK12 Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
What is emotional intelligence? How does emotional intelligence influence our relationship with others?
In this post on emotional intelligence:
“The report’s findings seem to confirm some commonly held presumptions. While there is no significant difference between men and women in overall scores, men have a more critical mindset with higher self-regard and lower regard for others.
In contrast, women tend to have a more submissive mindset with lower self-regard and with higher regard for others. Emotional intelligence improves with age, as we develop a more balanced outlook and become less dependent on, but more trusting of, others.”
Picture source: Google image
I have reflected on emotional intelligence here, here and here.
That also explains why some people lead, while others follow, and why it matters – based on Evolutionary Leadership Theory.
Leadership in modern organizations differs in critical respects from the leadership in the EEA. Examples include:
• Physical and biological factors such as sex and stature still play an important role in the selection of leaders (managers are usually male and taller, on average, than subordinates) which may not be functional in modern organizations.
Why are physical and biological factors playing such an important role? Would it be related to the security and power normally associated with people? Most tribes and kingdoms were headed by males as figureheads, and were appointed based on their abilities to bond the tribal members together, especially when at war with other tribes, or in crisis situation.
• Leaders no longer emerge from the group bottom up but they are usually assigned top down.
This is typical in a modernized capitalist system, where the authority and power are vested from a top-down hierarchy. Has there been much changes to such assignments throughout the centuries?
• Nowadays leaders have a lot more power over group members.
This sounds true in most institutions and business organisations. In a group setting, leaders would normally be vested with more power. So, does it mean that leaders should remain as “powerful” ones to be effective?
• Modern forms of organization limit the STOP correcting mechanisms (eg criticism and disobedience are often not an option).
Criticism and disobedience are often not an option, so true. I think this is reflective in most organization’s policy, rules and procedures, to ensure compliance and conformance to the set standards and practice. So leadership does involve constraints, intervention, and discipline at work and in the community.
3 thoughts on “#Change11 #CCK12 Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
1. Pingback: #Change11 #CCK12 Leadership in Networks Part 2 | Learner Weblog
2. Pingback: #Change11 #CCK12 Power and Leadership | Learner Weblog
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Victims' Rights Caucus
Mr. Speaker, it's 4:14 p.m. on the 14th day of the second month of this year. This House is basically empty except for a few of us. Everyone has gone home.
We found time today to do important business for the people of the country. I have some of the bills that we passed today. One of those was that we had the time to vote after debate on regulating insects, roaches, fungus, and rats in the United States. Oh, such an important piece of legislation that the House of Representatives debated and voted on.
But while we had the time to vote on these important issues of regulating the rats and roaches and fungi in the United States, we didn't take the time to protect the American people from those people throughout the world who want to kill us, who want to do harm to us and our families. And not to America only, but to all freedom countries throughout the world.
Because we didn't have time to work on the Protect America Act, a bill that does exactly what it says, Mr. Speaker, it protects America. It protects America from terrorists. And one of those ways is being able to eavesdrop into conversations when one terrorist overseas talks to another terrorist overseas, amending the FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, Act. But, oh, we didn't have time to do that.
Mr. Speaker, it troubles me because has the House of Representatives, without firing a shot, raised the "white flag of surrender" to those people who wish to do us harm? The head of the National Intelligence Service has told us that 50 percent of the intelligence that they attained is through FISA. And yet we have cut off that resource by failing to vote on that, failing debate on that. But yet we had time to talk about roaches, rats, and fungi.
Mr. Speaker, this ought not be. Under FISA, we have been able to prevent crimes from occurring against the United States. One of those was the bombing of the Brooklyn Bridge, another was the bombing of Fort Dix in New Jersey. Those were prevented because of FISA, because we had the intelligence, because we had the eavesdropping, the legal eavesdropping capability.
Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives has not done a service to the people of the United States by failing to debate this issue and at least have an argument, a lively debate, and then vote on it to protect the United States. The people of the United States deserve better from us. Our job is to protect America through legislation. And, Mr. Speaker, I think we have not done that today because we are off doing other things.
So I hope that I am proven wrong by history that this did not hurt the United States down the road for failing to act on this important legislation. And it's important that the House come back as soon as possible and deal with the issue of protecting America first and making sure that we know what they're saying throughout the world when they want to do us harm, because thethe war we fight, and the people we fight against are people who will do anything to get their way and their radical beliefs including killing children and women and innocents and anyone else that gets in their way.
And there is probably joy throughout the terrorist cells in the world that the United States Congress did not do its duty today.
And, Mr. Speaker, that's just the way it is.
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Charge distance
1. May 1, 2007 #1
In Rutherford's scattering experiments, alpha particles (charge = +2e) were fired at a gold foil. Consider an alpha particle with an initial kinetic energy K heading directly for the nucleus of a gold atom (charge = +79e). The alpha particle will come to rest when all its initial kinetic energy has been converted to electrical potential energy. Find the distance of closest approach between the alpha particle and the gold nucleus for the case K = 3.4 MeV.
I first set up the equation as -ke^2/r=1/2mv^2, with the first part of the equation as the electric potential energy and the second part as the initial kinetic energy set equal to each other. then I substituted the value given for K for the 1/2 mv^2 part. however when I solved, I got the radius and I am pretty sure that that value does not correspond to the distance between the two charges. also, I am not sure how to factor in the two charges - should I add them together and use that number?
2. jcsd
3. May 1, 2007 #2
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Gold Member
Electrical potential energy is k.q1.q2/r.
4. May 1, 2007 #3
oh.....okay....so would I still be solving for r, even though that's supposed to be the radius or is there another equation that I am forgetting?
5. May 1, 2007 #4
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Homework Helper
Yes, you are solving for r. Are you remembering to convert your kinetic energy into Joules? (check the units)
If you have a charge of +79e, that means 79*(1.602x10^-19 C).
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Making The Most Out Of Dentures
dentures premier dentistry charlotte nc
With dentures, people who have lost the use of their teeth, can regain the abilities they once had with a set of healthy teeth. The benefits are numerous and immediate. Helping our patients regain these benefits is a top priority for Premier Dentistry in Charlotte, NC.
One of the best things about dentures is that while a set of unhealthy teeth can greatly restrict the foods you can eat, dentures allow you to eat a much wider range of foods. However, it is important to remember that there is an adjustment period that comes with getting dentures, so to start out with, it’s better to stick with the foods that are the most denture-friendly. Start out with softer foods, and avoid things that are sticky or have a tendency to get stuck in between your teeth. Also, reintroduce raw vegetables slowly, and opt for a blended smoothie instead.
As you become more accustomed to your dentures you’ll find that you can eat a wide range of your favorite foods. Also, while you were dealing with a set of unhealthy teeth, it was likely you were also facing damaged nerves in your mouth. Now that you have dentures, your dentist will be able to fully address those issues, meaning that you’ll be able to reduce sensitivity. Enjoy cold and hot food and beverages once again!
While a set of dentures does require regular cleaning just as natural teeth do, being able to remove the prosthetic teeth ensures that you’ll easily be able to get the teeth fully clean every time. Today’s dentures allow for adjustments so it will fit your mouth perfectly, allowing for more natural and comfortable speech once you have become fully accustomed to your new teeth.
Advancements in technology has allowed for dentures that both fit better and look more natural than ever, which means that once you receive a new pair, you’ll instantly feel more confident in your smile. If you’ve had missing teeth, a full set of prosthetic teeth creates a much more youthful and healthy appearance. Are you looking to regain your beautiful smile and get back to enjoying foods, call our office today in South Charlotte to schedule your dental visit 704.419.8168.
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Accessibility links
Suspect Detained In Rahmon Relative Murder Case
Kholmumin Safarov
Law enforcement officials in Tajikistan have announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Kholmumin Safarov, the brother-in-law of Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon.
Tajik Interior Affairs Ministry officials said at a press conference that the suspect was detained following a lengthy undercover operation, and that a search is continuing for accomplices.
The name, age, and other details about the suspect were not disclosed.
Safarov, the 57-year-old husband of Rahmon's eldest sister, died in June after being shot in the chest, abdomen, and head near his home in the capital, Dushanbe.
INFOGRAPHIC: The family ties of the Tajik president
RFE/RL's Tajik Service has obtained a video showing police draining the city's Dushanbinka River in a search for the murder weapon.
Authorities have so far not revealed a possible motive for the killing of Safarov, who was not known to have any significant business interests.
Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS
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Empathy Index: “My” problem versus “Yours”
Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, got into hot water in July for hiking service rates, up to 60% in some cases, without any warning or explanation to his customers. The move has customers and casual observers alike questioning Hastings’ empathy. So this week Hastings sent this explanation to Netflix’s 24 million customers.
You don’t have to be a Netflix subscriber (which I confess I am, in the interest of full disclosure) to understand why this email hasn’t solved Hastings’ PR problem. In fact, you don’t even have to read the full content of the email. The proof is in the pronouns. Let me show you what I mean:
Notice the number of times Hastings uses the words I, Me, My, Our, and Us to refer to himself and his company’s needs. Add to that the number of times he uses vague and impersonal language to refer to his customers as Many, Members, Those, and Their. Now compare that to the number of times when he talks directly to his customer using the power words You and Your.
In Business Writing, we call this the Empathy Index, the ratio of how often you focus on yourself and your needs versus how often you focus on the needs and concerns of your reader. So what do Hastings’ pronouns tell us?
• He refers to himself and his company 48 times
• He refers to the customer in vague impersonal pronouns 8 times
• He speaks directly to the customer a mere 10 times, 4 of which are in the paragraph discussing credit card charges.
• There are 5 consecutive paragraphs when he doesn’t address the customer directly.
• There are 3 consecutive paragraphs when he doesn’t refer to the customer at all.
It doesn’t take a math genius to understand what these ratios suggest. The customer is not Reed Hastings’ first priority.
So how can you avoid making the same mistake?
• Employ your empathy by thinking about your reader’s needs, and putting them first before you start writing. Rather than talking about your market strategy, maybe focus on its affects and benefits to the customer.
• Connect with your reader by addressing them directly whenever possible, even when you are writing to many. Wouldn’t you rather read about “you” and “your needs” rather than “them” and “theirs?”
• Check your own Empathy Index as part of your proofreading process. If you have large sections of writing where you’re not addressing the reader or their needs, consider cutting them. You are likely covering ground that is more important to you than to them.
Pronouns are small words, but big indicators of your empathy. If your language can reflect how genuinely you’ve considered your reader and their needs, it’s very likely your reader, client, customer, boss or subscriber will too.
One response to “Empathy Index: “My” problem versus “Yours”
1. Very interesting stuff, when put so simply and eloquently it’s amazing that such a successful business could make such a mistake. Great article.
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KLR650 Long-Service Review
Short Review
• Cons: It's cheap.
• Pros: It's cheap.
I love my KLR, it's the best bike I've ever owned.
The Really, Really Long Review
I've been riding Killer, my KLR, from the spring of 1991. He's a '90 A4 model and, yes, I refer to my bikes in the masculine form. I beat on them way too much to think of them as ladies. Anyway, this review is intended to show how my KLR has performed over a long period of time. Rather than making it a dry list of specifications and mechanical issues, I'm going to do it as the story of Killer and I.
One day, back in '91, I got a new job. That, of course, meant I could get a new motorcycle. Now, at the time, I was a big Honda fan. Actually, I had 4 Hondas in my garage: an XR-250 for the dirt, an XL-350 for the street, an XR-100 for my little brother to ride, and an XR-200 that I was helping him move up to. I was having overheating issues with both the XL-350 and XR-250 (both had the '84 radial 4-valve air-cooled engine). Prior to that, I had an XR-185 and a CB-750. The 185 was my first real motorcycle and, when I turned 16, I had insured it for the road. The CB-750 was an object lesson in bike dynamics - I sold it to the insurance company after some cager turned left in front of me. It was his fault but I should have been able to ride out of it. Instead, the CB's weight worked against my dirt-biker instincts and I somersaulted over the car. I learned my lesson: born and raised dirt-bikers don't belong on street-bikes. Thus, my preference for dualsports even while owning full-on dirt bikes. Anyway, I never really liked the XL-350 so, with a new job, it was time for a new bike.
My first choice was based on a review in a biker magazine - the Honda XLV-750. I drooled over that little black and white photo like it came from Playboy. Reality set in when I realised that they weren't shipping them to North America, and there was no way I was going to get one, new job or not. I hated the looks of the Honda Transalp and, with the over-heating issues I was having, I swore I'd never buy another air-cooled motor, so the newer XLs and XRs were out. Thus, I decided to break away from my Honda loyalties.
I shopped around but there weren't a lot of water-cooled 750cc dualsport bikes around, at least ones that looked like they were dirt bikes. Like I said, I didn't like the look of the Transalp and the other ones around were pretty much the same - street bikes with tall legs and winter tires. Then I found the KLR. It was a single, where I wanted a twin, and it was 650 instead of 750, but it was half the price of everything else out there. It was unbelievably cheap compared to the Hondas. Really, really cheap.
The bike shop wouldn't let me take one for a test ride and, honestly, I'm not sure if I would have bought one if I had the opportunity to ride it first, so I guess I was lucky there. After relatively little debate, I bought the previous-year's KLR model for $4500 out the door. I figured, it was almost identical to the new model, so why pay more. At the time, I had no idea the bike line would stay almost identical all the way through 2007.
On my first ride, I learned that the Kawasaki KLR-650 was not a Honda. Compared the the Hondas I was used to, it was rattly, clunky, awkward, notchy, and generally rough. It just didn't have the ergonomics or fit and finish that I was used to. It's not a good feeling to be riding home on a brand new bike going, ewww - this is kinda crappy. But, you pays your money and you takes your chances. This was in the days when the Internet was just for us geeks - no KLR650 FAQs or reviews to browse. So, I owned a new bike, number 5 in my garage, and I wasn't very impressed.
The KLR, despite being awkward, rattly, and all the rest, was still fun to ride. So, I rode it a lot. And, even with the fit and finish problems, it was still a better bike than the XL-350, so, as planned, that one got sold pretty quick. One overheating problem solved, at least for me. Of course, before I sold it, I traded the much better rectangular XL mirrors for the stupid-looking round Mickey Mouse mirrors on the KLR. Improvement number one.
I loved the water-cooling on the KLR. After having so many problems with overheating the air-cooled Honda engines, it was a real treat. I still remember the first time the KLR fan came on, while I was trying to turn around on a trail that was getting too tight. It scared the hell out of me; I thought something was broken. Around town, even in traffic, the bike never got hot enough for the fan to come one. Of course, I was still breaking it in.
After the break-in period, I really started to have fun with the KLR. It wasn't as good at wheeling or climbing stairs as the XL was, but the extra power made it really nice in traffic or twisty roads. On the highway, the fairing helped but it dumped rough air right on my helmet face shield, making it rattle. That was really annoying so I came up with a solution, I weather-stripped the bottom edge of my face shield, which stopped the rattling. Worked great and I still do it. Improvement number two.
I bought the KLR as my street bike; I already had a real dirt bike. So, I wasn't expecting much in the way of off-road performance. And, yes, I wasn't entirely surprised on my first trips off the blacktop. In the tight stuff, the weight of the KLR is formidable and you can't ride it like a dirt bike. On the other hand, it's way, way better on gravel roads than any other bike I've ridden. It just tracks unbelievably well and put my XR-250 to shame. I could ride way faster on gravel with the KLR than I could with the XR. Another thing that surprised me is that the KLR would tractor up hills really well. With the XR on loose rocky hills, it was important to keep momentum because, if I slowed down too much, it would just dig in and that was that. The KLR will just keep pulling and pulling and pulling, and pulling, with the engine chugging away slower than I would set the idle. It just doesn't dig in like a dirt bike would. Somehow, the extra weight helps it keep going. Even to this day, after learning how to make the most of the beast, it still surprises me with its tenacity on these types of hills.
Another thing that I fell in love with on the KLR was the huge gas tank. With my XL or XR, I could get 150Km before hitting reserve. That meant that my rides got interesting at 75Km. When the odometer hit that point, I had to stop and think: can I ride through or do I have to turn back now? Just how many side-trips did I make? With the KLR, I would hit reserve at 330Km, more than double the XR or XL. That makes a huge difference out in logging country; a much bigger difference than you would think at first. It means that I just don't really worry about gas. I just go for a ride. Only once, in 17 years, have I really gotten concerned about my remaining fuel - and it got me home. Those concerns used to be a regular thing with the Hondas. Well, once, I did run out of gas on the KLR, while riding to Vancouver. I had completely forgotten that I had hit reserve on the way to the ferry, and, once off the boat, rode past all the gas stations. I sputtered to a halt in some industrial area, no one around, just a bunch of barking guard dogs. After the initial "oh-crap, I'm an idiot" moment had passed, I remembered an old trick, I laid the bike down on its left side, letting the last drops of fuel from the bottom of the right side of the tank spill over the frame hump, and rode to the nearest gas station. Killer has never stranded me, not yet anyway, even when I've been stupid. And, believe me, I've done plenty of stupid things on that bike.
I bought the KLR so I could go motorcycle camping, camping well away from where I live. So, in short order, I strapped on all my camping gear and headed for the interior of BC. The bike handled it well, very well actually, with the only whimper coming from my butt. Dang, that seat gets annoying after a while. I managed to ride through snow in the passes, bake in the desert, dodge cows in the pastures, scream down some highways, ride the Kettle Creek rail line before it became part of the Trans-Canada trail, and generally have a really good time. I did lose my license plate (the first of 3) somewhere along the way, but that was the only mechanical issue. The KLR comes stock with a really stupid plate mounting system. The only limiting factor was my endurance, which was less than I expected.
I learned a few things on that trip: 1) The KLR is an awesome machine, 2) my butt really hurts after a couple of days of riding, and 3) when motorcycle camping, the only thing you can do is motorcycle camping. I love road trips, that's the ideal holiday for me; just get a vehicle and drive, anywhere. But, when you're camping on a bike, you can't stop and do something else because all your gear is just sitting there on the bike. Even stopping somewhere for lunch is cause for concern, always trying to find a window seat with a view of the bike. I guess this is why long-distance riders prefer hard-luggage they can lock up. I learned that I last about 3 days while travelling on a bike. After that, the joy of free discovery is buried under a sore butt and a craving for something different. Maybe it's better in a group, where people can take turns on watch, I don't know. It seems to me that the bigger the group, the less freedom to follow a whim. For me, travelling is mostly about getting away from people, so groups are kind of counter-productive. That first trip did, however, teach me a lot of respect for the people that ride solo on long distance trips. It takes a special kind of person, one with an iron butt, and I'm not one of them. I guess that's learned point number 4.
After that trip, I settled down to shorter jaunts, mostly on the island. During them, I learned that the KLR can carry way more camping gear than I need, that this extra weight can catch you off-guard and dump you over in the dirt if you're not careful, and that saddlebags suck in tight trails. I've tried, over the years, several different systems for carrying my camping gear. Too much on the rear deck makes for interesting handling; saddlebags will snag your feet when you dab down for balance in a tight trail. I also learned that the best solution for carrying gear is to carry less gear. Just because the bag is really big, you really don't need to fill it up with things you might possibly need. Good gear, packed well, and a minimalist attitude make for the most pleasant riding experience. Oh, I also learned that the stock mounting system for the license plate sucks, again.
Yes, I lost another license plate. Then, not more than two weeks later, I was bopping around in the trails and noticed the third plate swinging by one mounting bolt. The other bolt was still there, holding the broken-off corner of the plate. It seems that if you happen to bang the plate inwards, which happens a lot in tight trails, the plate will snag the tire on a big hit. Once that happens, it just rips off. So, out on the trail, I just crammed the plate up under the fender, rolling the top over in the process, and then used the bottom mounting holes, instead of the top ones. On the way home, I, of course, ended up riding through a roadside motorcycle inspection campaign. You know, the ones they have every year. Anyway, the cop checked my drivers license, stared at my plate for a while, humming and hawing, but decided to let me go without saying anything. Once home, I drilled my own holes in the plate about a third of the way up and remounted it from there. That plates been on the bike like that for over a decade. Cops keep doing that double-take when they see it, but so far I've been lucky. Maybe it's just because I'm older now. I don't really recommend my plate mounting system but I do recommend changing from the rather stupid stock system. Improvement number 4.
On another trip to Vancouver, a few years after owning Killer, I had my first big mechanical problem. It was my fault, really. Rather than re-reading the manual like a good owner should, I went from memory. Of course, my maintenance was all wrong. Instead of adjusting the balancer chain every 5000km, I was doing it every 500km or so. And, instead of barely turning out the bolt, I was cranking it out and in a few turns. I did this in Vancouver. When I went to start the bike, it made a horrible grinding noise and seized up. Mortified, I immediately double-checked that the balancer adjuster was tight, and it was. I managed to get the motor loose by rocking it back and forth in high gear and then dared to hit the starter again. This time, after a nasty clunking noise, it started and sounded normal. So, I took the chance and road home.
Killer got me home without incident and I immediately pulled off the engine cover to see what was wrong. The engine balancer chain adjuster, the 'doohicky', had come partially off the shaft that it rides on and bent when I re-tightened the adjustment bolt. Further, the side of the large gear the starter turns had ground off the edge of the now out-of-place doohicky. I pulled it apart, after making some custom tools to get the job done, and went off the bike shop for a replacement. There, I had one of the biggest shocks in my life. That stupid little part cost, get this, $4.95. That was the first sub-$5 bike part I had ever, in my entire life, had the privilege of buying. Nothing on a Honda costs under $5. I had to ask twice to confirm the price, I though he was wrong. Anyway, after securing the part, I went back to install it. I stared at that part for a long time when putting it back on. It seemed like there was another part missing, or the bike was put together wrong, because I couldn't see anything that kept the adjuster from falling off when the adjustment bolt is loosened off. There isn't anything. In my opinion, this is a design flaw on the bike, but I just live with it. I make sure the bike is leaning to the right when I do my adjustment and I make sure to not loosen the bolt very much, just a quarter turn and then I tap the head to make sure things can slide as necessary. Anyway, despite all the metal filing that drained out with the oil during the repair, the bike has been fine ever since.
The only other mechanical "design" issue I've found with the bike is the stupid stock-skid plate. If you're planning on doing any significant off-road excursions, you really need to replace it with something better. The oil drain plug is just way too exposed otherwise. My drain plug has a large chunk tore out of it's head, and now I've got a thick aluminium skid-plate. Improvement number 5.
At that point, my bike was still entirely stock, except for the skid plate. It was also still dent and mostly scratch free. I thought that big steel tank would get dented up pretty fast, but it's actually quite well protected. Besides that, I still hadn't had any incidents "at speed." In fact, the fasted get-off I had was when I didn't make it up a hill and was sliding back down, backwards. I dumped the bike over and tore off a radiator shroud. I managed to glue some tabs back on and, other than a couple of scratches, it's still there. For the most part, dumping the bike over causes surprisingly little damage. Things are tucked in well and those that aren't generally can bend or push out of the way.
One day, I realised that I hadn't gone for a ride on my XR-250 for most of the year. It was just so much easier to hop on Killer and go for a ride, way easier than trailering out the XR. I didn't have to worry about my car, trailer, gas, where I was going to ride. I'd just hop on Killer and go. By that point, after having my primary riding buddies move away or give up riding, I was mostly riding alone anyway. With Killer, I could make the most of dualsport riding that was close to town, hopping from one little off-road area to another. By that point, I had reduced my bike stable to 2: the XR-250 and Killer. The XR was still overheating, despite everything I tried to do to fix it, and it didn't take too much more to push me over the edge. I sold that XR and I was now a one-bike kind a guy, a Kawasaki guy at that.
Then, that fateful day arrived when I discovered DOT approved (street legal) knobby tires. The full story of that is HERE, so I won't bother repeating it. I will mention that I was also due for a new chain and sprockets at that point, so I went a tooth down in the front. Oh, what a difference that made in the tight woods. It completely changed Killer and we started having some serious fun. That bike constantly amazes me at the stuff it can tractor through. It doesn't ride like a "real" dirt bike, there's no dancing over the rough at speed, but it just keeps going, and going, and going. The only thing that makes me cringe now are big log crossings. I just can't keep up enough speed to clear them. As soon as the skid-plate hits, the bike just stops dead. Then, suddenly, I'm aware that the KLR really is a huge, heavy beast. But, other than that, with decent tires and lower gearing, not much can stop Killer and I. I guess that's improvements number 6 and 7.
By this time, I was having way too much fun so I thought I'd spend a little bit to make Killer even more of a dirt machine. I forked out for progressive springs (pun intended), a K&N air filter, a jet kit, and a hydraulic clutch. The springs are awesome, I can't praise them enough. On one ride, the 2003 Mystery Creek Dual Sport, I swear those springs saved my life. The K&N filter is, well, not so good. Sure, it works, but it's more of a nuisance than it's worth. I had to clean it in a gas station bathroom on one trip; I was not impressed. The jet kit does add a nice kick to the bike but it kills my gas range. I went from 330km before reserve down to 220km. That is really annoying. I'm still debating on taking out the kit. The hydraulic clutch, like the springs, is fantastic. I love that clutch and it's worth every penny. It really makes tight woods riding a joy, rather than a pain. So, improvements 8, 9, 10, and 11. On a side note, I loaned my bike to a friend for a bike trip he was doing with his father. With street-biased tires and the stock gearing, he was getting 350km per tank. I have never gotten that kind of range, jet kit or not. So, I guess mileage depends on the rider too.
So, I was feeling pretty good about Killer at that point and, what with being in the bike shops waiting for these after-market parts to come in, I notice that the Victoria Motorcycle Club was putting on a Dual Sport Enduro. I hadn't raced in years, and that was a hare scramble on my XR-250. I used to be a member of the VMC, but I had long since given that up. I had no idea they were doing dual-sport enduros. So, I had to try it out, and it was a blast. I had so much fun. The course was typically-challenging VMC stuff and, after riding alone for so much, it was fantastic to be able to really cut loose and ride as hard and fast as I wanted. And yes, I rode hard and fast, not really even worrying about the enduro timing, but somehow managed to come in second anyway. Well, that was it, I was hooked on racing again and I rejoined the VMC. The next year, I actually tried to win, so I obviously failed miserably and came in way back in the pack. That year, I also did the Mystery Creek Dual Sport.
Killer really shone at Mystery Creek. This was, as I found out, and "event" and not a race. So much for redeeming my miserable VMC dual-sport performance that year. I also learned that it was the last one, which is sad because it was a lot of fun. Anyway, it was a route-charted A/B loop affair. I rode to the event, carrying my full camping gear, and tented the night before the race started. People there were surprised that someone would actually ride to the event and camp. Isn't that what dual-sports are all about? Besides that, everyone was telling me that people on KLRs should stick to the B loop, the A loop was way too hard. Once I started riding, I gave up on the boring B stuff, way too easy for Killer and I. We bounced through the A loop sections without any issues. On the ride home, the bike started making a weird squeaky noise. It turned out that my air filter had vibrated loose and was bouncing around my air-box. One more strike against the K&N filter. Now, when I mount it, I really torque it up.
Being a member of the VMC, it wasn't long before I was called in to help put an event on. So, I volunteered to run a check on the Equaliser Enduro. This is a full-on dirt-bike enduro but all I had to do was ride up the road and man a check where people came out of the bush. Yeah, it was boring. So, after the race was over, I tried my luck with riding the course. Now, having run VMC enduros before, on my XR, I had an idea of what to expect, but it wasn't like that at all. I rode the first section without any problems, so I kept following the course, and then I ended up at the finish going, hey, that was too easy. I asked around and was told that this was what junior-level events are like. So, the next year, I entered the March Hare Enduro, and won first in the juniors. Then, I entered the Equaliser Enduro, and did, well, not so good. But, somehow, between those races, and maybe one other (I can't remember), I managed to win that year's Junior Series Championship, on a KLR-650. Everything on the bike was going fine, other than it was running a little warmer than it used to, and I was having a blast racing. Well, I did finally bust off one of the rear signal lights. The only other thing to report at this point was my very first dent in the tank. I was working on the bike and had a wrench in my hand while I turned around. Yup, ding. First one. Man, was I pissed off. All those years of riding and the first dent is in my shop.
The next year, when the March Hare rolled around, I entered again. This time, the event was much, much harder. The full report is HERE for those interested. I had my first at-speed wipe-out during this race, my first real dent in the tank, and I ripped off both of my brush guards. At least it wasn't my first dent. So, I put some aluminium lever guards in place, and that's improvement number 12. Honestly, I preferred the stock brush guards, so it's not really an improvement. I still hadn't fixed the signal light - they wanted $39 for a stock replacement and I don't use them anyway. I learned to signal with my arm while riding my old XR-185 and still do to this day. Honestly, the real reason is that I feel like an idiot when I look down and realise I've been riding for the last 20km with the signal flashing. It's really hard to forget your arm is sticking out.
By this time, my old nemesis - overheating - came back to haunt me. I don't know what it is about me and engines that run hot. I thought I'd be done with that by going to water-cooling, but no, it's happening again with Killer. It has not actually overheated yet, maybe 3/4 on the temperature gauge at most. However, each year it runs a little hotter, and I can't figure out why. The re-jetting didn't help, I checked the water pump, and radiator, everything seems fine. So, I started running water-wetter instead of antifreeze, and that helps quite a bit. But, still, I've not solved the problem. I'm starting another round now, going back to basics. I have a thermostat ready to go in. But, yeah, it's frustrating.
Another year and another Dualsport Enduro passed by without any trophy again. I'm really going to have to stop trying at these races if I want to get a decent finish. This year, after the race, I blew some extra air in the tires, strapped on the camping gear, and took my girlfriend on an Island trip. Now, there are other bikes out there that would be way better for a dualsport enduro than a KLR650; there are better bikes out there for going motorcycle camping 2-up. But, how many bikes out there are capable of doing both reasonably well? Now, that's what makes the KLR so great.
At this point, Killer is looking not quite so new and a little bit more like a dirt bike. I have long since given up washing it. I wipe off the parts I'm fixing and that's about it. My maintenance plan is basically, if it has lots and lots of dirt on it, then it's probably due for an inspection soon, well, someday, when I get around to it. I've finally fixed the rear signal lights. I was too cheap to buy the proper unit and picked up a couple of rectangular clearance lights from Princess Auto, $1.99 each. Did I mention that I was cheap? Anyway, these lights are too small to work with the flash relay so I paralleled some resistors to increase the load (I'm an electronics technologist by trade, so this is pretty simple for me). I might change to an electronic flash relay at some point. Then again, signal lights are just legal baggage as far as I'm concerned.
The speedometer cable broke during the trip my friend was on, and he replaced it before giving the bike back. I've gone through a few sets of brake pads, a few batteries, lots of tires, and a set of fork seals over the years. And, at present, I'm in the process of replacing the clutch pack - all those single-track trails with the hydraulic clutch have taken their toll. Other than that, I keep checking the valve clearance but, even after 17 years, still don't need to adjust them. The bike is starting to burn a little oil, but I'm not sure if it's just because it's running hotter. There's not much more to report, maintenance wise.
Overall, Killer has been the best bike I've ever owned. It's not beautiful, but if you throw a little mud on it, it kind of has a tough look. Not a KTM/Chuch Noris kind of tough, mind you, more like a coal-miner respectable working-man tough. I've heard there are quality-control issues but I've, thankfully, not experienced any. I have noticed a few design flaws but they are manageable and/or solvable with after-market parts. Overall, it's a hell of a lot more bike than I expected for the price. What more could a biker want?
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Thursday, April 9, 2009
Objectum Sexuals :A New Sexual Orientation ?
We all see beauty objects, such as the symmetry and sleekness of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or the the powerful history in the once-standing Berlin Wall.
A woman has strong emotional and romantic attachments to the Parisian site.
More PhotosFor one woman, the intense feeling that inanimate objects can inspire goes much deeper and becomes something more like true love.
"The Berlin Wall is a masterpiece. I can feel how much he yearns to be loved," Erika Eiffel said.
Her love of the Eiffel Tower is somewhat recent, and two years ago the San Francisco woman had a commitment ceremony and changed her name to reflect the bond.
"Her structure is just amazing. You know, she's got subtle, subtle curves, you know," Erika Eiffel said of the famous Paris landmark.
"I just, it's almost like I heard her crying out, saying, 'Somebody, notice me. Somebody, really notice me. Here I am in the crowd crying out, somebody, somebody, hear my voice,'" she said.
Eiffel, 36, is part of a small group of people across the world who call themselves "objectum sexuals" where their intimate life revolves around objects, not people. The objects can range from a home computer to a set of drums or a national monument, anything they can feel a connection to. It may sound strange to most of us, but it's very real to them.
"We feel an innate connection to objects. It comes perfectly normal to us to connect on various levels, emotional, spiritual and also physical for some," Eiffel said.
Medical experts ABC News contacted said they were not familiar with objectum sexuals, some said it might be classified as paraphilia – a disorder in which a person has an unusual sexual interest. Some psychologists suggest that people with the condition may have been sexually abused.
Certified sexologist Amy Marsh, from Albany, Calif., has a different take. She said objectum sexual is not a disorder, but possibly a new sexual orientation. Marsh said she's been surveying a small online community of people with OS.
"One person said, 'They're real, they're complex, and they are no less and no more of value than other romantic relationships'," Marsh said.
"There's been very little research done on objectum sexuality," Marsh continued. "I can tell you that what I'm finding is not much history of sexual abuse, and actually not much in the way of psychiatric diagnoses either. I'm finding they're very happy, and they don't want to change. I am also finding out that quite a few of them have a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome or autism, but not everybody."
Eiffel said she doesn't have Asperger's syndrome, nor does she believe her chaotic childhood -- shuffling between foster homes before she was adopted -- contributed to OS.
This was on ABC news this morning two years ago she had a commitment ceremony with the Eiffel Tower changed her name Erika Eiffel and she doesn't think there is anything wrong with her. The problem is as you read this article a sexologist is saying its perfectly normal and is calling it a new sexual orientation. No one is telling her she's just plain old crazy and that it's not NORMAL to want to marry the Eiffel tower.
Ky Long Rider said...
I once heard about a guy that had a thing for vibrating sanders and a woman that dug washing machines on spin cycle. Wonder if thats the same thing.
Hogday said...
Well I once wanted to marry my former wife.
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Mid-Winter Mid-Night Satellite
While video recording the star Tycho 1311-1818-1 in Taurus on a very cold Thursday evening last week (-4° F) in the hope that asteroid 126561 (2002 CF105) would pass in front of it (it didn’t), I was surprised and delighted to serendipitously record a very slow moving Earth-orbiting satellite crossing the field. Now, in order to see a satellite, it must be illuminated by sunlight. But to see any satellite during the first week of January only 10 minutes before local midnight, it must be very far from the Earth indeed (more on that later).
Here’s a video of the event showing its complete traversal of the field of view:
Slow-Moving Satellite
I’m hoping that one of the good people that frequent the satellite observers’ forum SeeSat-L will be able to identify this unusual object. Requisite to that, of course, are two precise positions at two precise times and the observer’s location.
A very useful online tool provided by the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech allows one to input the right ascension, declination, and x-y coordinates of between 4 and 10 known objects, and it does an astrometric solution across the field so you can determine the right ascension and declination of an unknown object.
Using Guide 9.1, Limovie, and this tool, I determined the following:
At 5 Jan 2018 5:42:58.122 UT, the satellite was located at:
5h45m48.14s +21°45’17.5″ (apparent coordinates, epoch of date).
At 5 Jan 2018 5:50:22.931 UT, the satellite was located at:
5h46m53.98s +21°48’06.3″ (apparent coordinates, epoch of date).
Observer Location: 42°57’36.9″N, 90°08’31.1″ W, 390 m.
Using the satellite coordinates above, and the angular separation calculator kindly provided by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, we find that the satellite traversed just 0.2590° in 0.1236 hours. That’s 2.095° per hour, or only about four moon diameters in an hour!
Surely, this satellite must be way out there. How far? To determine that, I did a couple of what we used to call during my college physics days “back-of-the-envelope” (BOTEC) calculations. These are rough approximations—using simplifying assumptions—that should get you to an answer that is at least the right order of magnitude.
If we can estimate the orbital angular velocity of the satellite, we can determine its orbital period, and if we could determine that, we can calculate it orbital distance. Now, we don’t know yet if this satellite is in a near-circular or highly-elliptical orbit. If the satellite is an a highly-elliptical orbit and we observe it near apogee, its angular velocity will be somewhat slower than the angular velocity of a circular orbit at that same distance. If we observe it near perigee, then its angular velocity will be somewhat faster that the angular velocity of a circular orbit at that same distance. First simplifying assumption: let’s assume a circular orbit.
The next simplifying assumptions are that (1) the satellite passes through the observer’s zenith, and (2) the distance to the satellite is large in comparison to the radius of the Earth. At the time of observation, the satellite was at an altitude between 65° and 66° above the horizon. Not quite the zenith, but maybe close enough.
First, we need to compensate for the fact that the observer’s location on the surface of the Earth is moving in the same direction (along right ascension) as the satellite is orbiting (eastward) as the Earth rotates. We need to add the Earth’s rotational velocity to the right ascension component of the satellite’s velocity to get its true angular velocity relative to the center of the Earth. This of course assumes that the radius of the Earth is small compared to the distance to the satellite.
During the 0.1236 hours we observed the satellite, it moved 0.2743° eastward in right ascension and 0.0469° northward in declination. We now need to add a portion of the Earth’s angular velocity to the right ascension component of the satellite’s angular velocity. If the satellite were at the north celestial pole, the amount we would add would be zero. If, on the other hand, the satellite were on the celestial equator, we would add the full amount. Since cos 90° is 0 and cos 0° is 1, let’s add the Earth’s rotational angular velocity times the cosine of the satellite’s declination to the right ascension component of the satellite’s angular velocity.
The Earth turns through 360° in one mean sidereal day (23h 56m 04s = 86,164s). That’s 1.8591° during the 0.1236 hours we observed the satellite. Taking that times the average declination of the satellite during the observation time, we get 1.8591° cos 21.7783° =1.7264°. Adding this to the 0.2743° the satellite moved in right ascension, we get new components for the satellite’s angular displacement of 0.2743° + 1.7264° = 2.0007° in right ascension and 0.0469° in declination. This gives us the “true” angular displacement for the satellite of
This is a motion of about 16.19° per hour, giving us a rough orbital period of 22.235 hours or 80,045 seconds.
Using Newton’s form of Kepler’s Third Law to calculate the orbital semi-major axis, we get (as a very rough estimate):
where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth in kg, and P is the satellite’s orbital period in seconds.
Geosynchronous satellites have an orbital radius of 42,164 km, so our mystery satellite is almost as far out as the geosynchronous satellites. If it were further, the satellite would have been moving westward across our field of view, not eastward.
Admittedly, this is a lot of hand waving and is almost certainly wrong, but perhaps it gets us reasonably close to the right answer.
Now, let’s consider the shadow of the Earth to give us another estimate of the satellite’s distance.
At the time of observation, the Sun was located at 19h04m23s -22°36’40”. The anti-solar point, which is the center of the Earth’s shadow cone, was then located at 7h04m23s +22°36’40”. That is only 18.1° from the satellite. The Sun’s angular diameter at that time was 32.5 arcminutes. In order for the satellite to not be shadowed by the Earth, the angular diameter of the Earth as seen from the satellite must be less thanThe distance from the center of the Earth at which the Earth subtends an angle of 18.6° is given bySo, using this method, the satellite must be at an orbital radius of at least 38,905 km to be outside the Earth’s umbral shadow cone.
Now, on to something less speculative: the varying brightness of the satellite. I used Limovie to track the satellite across most of the field and got the following light curve.
At first blush, it appears the satellite is tumbling with a period of around 51.2s. But a closer inspection reveals that a larger amplitude is followed by a smaller amplitude is followed by a larger amplitude, and so on. So the tumbling period looks to me to be more like 102.4s. The mean (unfiltered) magnitude of the satellite looks to be around 11.8m, but ranging between 10.7m and 13.0m. Thus the amplitude is around 2.3 magnitudes. You will find the raw data here.
Update January 10, 2018
Alain Figer, French astronomer and satellite enthusiast, was kind enough to identify this object for me. Alain writes, “At first glance I noticed, using Calsky, that Falcon 9 rocket, 2017-025B, #42699, might be your satellite…From the MMT data (astroguard russian site) 2017-025B rotation period was measured at 89.55s on 13 OCT 2017. That figure seems to me in rather good agreement with yours at 102.4s, since the rotation period of this rocket might be quickly lengthening, a rather classical behaviour for such newly launched rockets.” Alain goes on to say, “For estimating the satellite altitude from your own observations you have to consider its highly eccentric elliptical orbit.” Thank you, Alain!
After I got home from work this evening, I began thinking, “Hmm, Guide is such an amazing program, maybe it can show me accurate satellite positions as well.” Turns out, it can! After downloading the current orbital elements for all satellites and turning on the satellite display, I was able to confirm Alain’s determination that this object is indeed Falcon 9 rocket body 2017-025B.
SpaceX launched the Inmarsat-5 F4 commercial communications satellite from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida using a Falcon 9 rocket on May 15, 2017. Here are some pictures and a video of that launch.
The Falcon 9 rocket body currently orbits the Earth once every 23h21m19s in a highly-elliptical orbit (e=0.8358) that ranges from a perigee height of 432.4 km to an apogee height of 69,783 km. During the time of observation, its range (i.e. distance from me, the observer) went from 64,388 km to 64,028 km. The semi-major axis of its orbit is 41,481 km which is 3.3% higher than my (lucky) estimate above. The shadow criterion of > 38,905 km is met as well.
Orbital inclination 25.6 degrees
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