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If your child’s illness is preventing them from attending school, parents should call the school to inform school officials of the child's absence. If a child becomes ill while in school, the parents will be contacted so they can come immediately to the school to pick up the child. It is important that each parent provide a local name and phone number of a person who could be contacted in case of an emergency.
If any suspected contagious cases are identified by other children parents will be notified. If you have concerns or questions related to illness issues, please contact the school nurse at 701-572-1580 Ext 1030. Exclusion guidelines of ill children are set by the North Dakota Department of Health: NDDoH Exclusion Guidelines or call 800-427-2180.
Children with the following symptoms should not be sent to school and/or school activities: If these symptoms are present, the student should be sent home:
Students may not return to school until: | https://www.willistonschools.org/about/health_services/diseases___conditions |
Tahlequah Public Schools (TPS) is a 5A school district of over 3600 students comprised of seven learning institutions. Sequoyah Pre-Kindergarten Center is a collaboration with Cherokee Nation Head Start serving PK children; Cherokee, Greenwood, and Heritage Elementary Schools serve children Kindergarten through fifth grade. Tahlequah Middle School serves grades 6-8; Tahlequah High School includes grades 9-12; and Central Academy is our alternative high school. The CCREA (Cherokee County Regimented Education Academy), or Boot School, is also on the campus of Central Academy and serves approximately 20 adjudicated youth at any given time.
Buses travel over 900 miles daily to pick up rural students as far as 35 miles away throughout the county, and transport over 1,300 students daily. The district transportation department also transports students home in the evening that attend the B&G Club After School Program. The demographic breakdown in Tahlequah Public Schools includes approximately 43% Native American, 38% White, 17% Hispanic, and 2% other ethnicities.
Students from eight K-8 Cherokee County schools feed into Tahlequah High School when they reach ninth grade. The 2016 Office of Accountability Profiles Report reflects a dropout rate of 8.9% at Tahlequah High School while the state average dropout rate was 7.2%. Only 60.5% of high school graduates completed the Regents' College-Bound Curriculum, according to the Profiles 2016 Report, compared to 80.8% statewide. However, the average GPA of high school seniors is 3.0. Additionally, our Gifted/Talented program provides services for 17.8% of our students and our Special Education Department serves approximately 16.3%.
Tahlequah is a beautiful community that values education, culture and art and is an economically diverse community. It is the home of Northeastern State University where there is a higher than average number of parents with a college degree (30%). The community also reflects a high poverty rate of 29% compared to the state average of 17% and a higher than average number of parents with less than a 12th grade education (15%). In October 2016, 754 of the students qualified for free/reduced lunch.
On average, districts received 42.1% of their funding from the local and county revenue, but Tahlequah receives only 26% from these sources. Comparably, most districts receive only 11.6% of their funds from federal sources, while Tahlequah Public Schools receives 16.3% of their funds from the federal government. The majority of the district’s revenue is received from the state at 57.6%.
The Profiles 2016 report states that the local unemployment rate is 9% compared to the state average of 6%. The low socio-economic level of the community brings about many challenges. However, the district works to overcome the barriers of poverty through community partnerships.
Our vision statement (Tigers ROAR: Removing Obstacles, Achieving Results) truly drives the district, the programs and the services provided to our students. The school district realizes that unless we remove the obstacles that prevent our students from being successful, our students will not be able to achieve their potential. Therefore, the district has a wide variety of programs geared toward overcoming our district's largest obstacle - poverty. Until the basic needs of the student are taken care of, learning will not occur.
TPS has a System of Care called CARE teams at each site. Students are referred to the CARE team primarily because they are not being successful in school. That team works with the student and family to determine the barrier that is preventing the student from learning, then addresses that barrier. Through community partnerships, Tahlequah Public Schools provides many resources that enhance our students' school experience, including School-Based Resource Officers, a School-Based Social Worker, School Nurses, Backpack Food Program, and School Clothing Closets, a Homeless Liaison and the B&G Club After School Program.
There are also many great traditions in Tahlequah worth noting that stand the test of time. Those traditions include an elementary program dedicated to a dynamic learning environment; a Gifted and Talented Program; and a well-rounded middle school emphasizing literacy, technology integration and STEM. Assorted course offerings at the high school level designed to prepare students for college and career include Advanced Placement, Career Tech, Pre-Engineering, Biomedical, a Math Ready Course to assist seniors to college, and Concurrent Enrollment opportunities. TPS boasts an outstanding alternative education program; community collaborations and a wide variety of athletics and extra-curricular offerings that provide our students every opportunity to develop their passion.
ACT Prep, Junior Achievement Biz Town, and the stocks challenge are all opportunities for students supported by Cherokee Nation. These traditions remain steadfast because we are committed to providing a quality education within a safe and caring learning environment.
Through community partnerships, Tahlequah Public Schools provides many resources that enhance our students’ school experience, including: School-Based Resource Officers partnered with the City of Tahlequah; one School-Based Social Worker partnered with DHS; School Nurses, the Backpack Food Program provided through community support; the School Clothing Closets and a full time Homeless Liaison funded in part with a Title X federal grant. The district partners with Cherokee Nation to provide early child care for students with children so that those students can continue their education without the added worry of child care.
Cherokee Nation Head Start partners with the Sequoyah PK Center to provide an outstanding early childhood experience for four year olds in the district. Northeastern State University partners with Tahlequah Public Schools by providing speech services for four year olds; placing pre-interns and interns in the district for clinical experiences, and by supporting our Robotics Programs in the schools. Our high school students are concurrently enrolled in NSU, ICTC and the Oklahoma School for Science and Mathematics Honors and AP courses; and are exposed to on-site career technology programs, as well as a rich variety of extra-curricular and co-curricular offerings.
District Vision Statement
Tigers ROAR!
(Removing Obstacles Achieving Results)!
District Mission Statement
Tahlequah Public Schools is committed to providing all students with a quality education within a safe and caring learning environment.
District Goals
Goal #1: All students will achieve at their highest potential.
Utilizing practices that increase students’ levels of engagement
Goal #2: All stakeholders will work together to build a better school system.
Creating strong professional learning communities
Creating an engaging school culture for our stakeholders
Goal #3: All schools will have equitable resources.
Imbedding instructional technology
District Programs
Academic Coaches
Literacy Resource Specialists and one elementary math coach to facilitate reading and math. Instructional technology coaches also assist in the integration of technology in the classroom. They model, instruct, support and provide resources for teachers to improve learning and increase student engagement in their classrooms. All sites utilize a dedicated time daily to challenge students at their learning level.
Alternative School
The alternative high school serves 50-60 students yearly who, for a variety of reasons, have not been successful in a regular school setting. This exemplary program graduated approximately thirty students in May 2017. Accommodations are made as needed including after school and online classes that allow students to make up credits at an accelerated pace in able to graduate on time.
Backpack Food Program
Through the local Food Bank and in cooperation with Boys & Girls Club of Tahlequah, community partners, the social worker and staff identify students who are hungry. Bags of non-perishable food are sent home in backpacks and include nutritious snacks that the students can just open and eat.
Boot School
The Cherokee County Regimented Education Academy is on the campus of the Alternative School and serves approximately 20 adjudicated youth at any given time. The cadre (disciplinarian) is on site at all times to provide a structured environment. In lieu of incarceration, students attend the boot school to learn self-control while continuing their education. Instruction is individualized for each student and they attend individual and group counseling while attending.
Boys & Girls Club
Each school site is a Boys & Girls Club site and students come before school and/or after school to receive over 2 hours of fun, educational programs. Tutoring is offered to students and specific remediation programs provide small group instruction in reading and math for students identified in need of remediation. The TPS child nutrition program provides a nutritious meal and students then attend a "Choices" period. The district also provides transportation so that it is not a barrier for attending the after school program. Approximately 1,000 students per day attend in Boys & Girls Club.
Career Tech/ Oklahoma School of Science and Math
District students have the opportunity to be concurrently enrolled in the Career Tech to receive hands-on vocational training. Tahlequah High School students may enroll in a Pre-Engineering Program, BioMedical Program, Business/Computers/Technology, Family and Consumer Science and Vocational Agriculture. Tahlequah Middle School provides a technology education program, Medical Detectives, FACS and Vocational Agriculture. The Indian Capital Career Tech also includes the Oklahoma School of Science and Math which provides AP Calculus and Physics for qualified students.
ELL/Migrant
The district has a full time Migrant Recruiter who also works with Hispanic families to ensure that they are well informed of school events, that they understand school policies and procedures and they know where to go to receive needed services for them and their children. He facilitates enrollment for non-English speaking parents and makes sure that students are appropriately placed to receive needed school services.
Gifted/Talented
The district employs two full time gifted/talented coordinators that identify and serve gifted and talented students. Students are pulled out of regular class periodically for enrichment and projects including field trips, academic competition, and visits to museums, enrichment, and many other appropriate activities. Instructional technology is also a focus of the G/T instructors.
High School Food Locker
Also funded through donations, the high school maintains healthy food that students can easily prepare themselves. Donated toiletry items and school supplies are also distributed to students in need.
School Based Social Worker
Through a unique pilot program with DHS, the district is fortunate to maintain one School Based Social Worker after DHS eliminated the positions during the spring 2016 fiscal failures. The School Based Social Worker is an invaluable part of our student assistance program. The School Based Social Worker will conduct home visits and work closely with DHS to identify and monitor students who have been referred due to negligence or abuse.
School Clothing Closet
The School Clothing Closet stocks clothing, coats and shoes of all sizes as well as new underclothes. Local organizations keep the schools stocked with donations and organized so that students in need can have appropriate school clothes.
School Nurses
School nurses are on site to not only dispense medication and take care of minor medical emergencies, but also provide educational programs to students dealing with hygiene, hand washing, sex education and making good choices, drug and alcohol abuse and many other health related topics.
School Resource Officers
Provided through a partnership with the City of Tahlequah, four School Resource Officers work full time in the district to address a myriad of issues including truancy, child protection, students breaking the law, school safety, traffic control and any legal issues that arise. They also provide in-class presentations related to child safety, drug use, DARE and ALICE safety training.
Student Advocates
Student advocates serve high school students, targeting Native American students who have the highest dropout rate of any ethnic group. These advocates work with students and their families to overcome the barriers that prevent them from being successful in school. They travel to their homes, visiting with parents and students to address truancy, poor grades and discipline issues. They help arrange tutoring, counseling, schedule changes and needed social services. They often help homeless teens find shelter, refer students to therapeutic counseling for rehab services, and in general help teens overcome the obstacles that they view as insurmountable. They refuse to let students drop out and even assist them in passing a high school equivalency exam.
Student Drug Testing
All 7th -12th grade students involved in extra-curricular activities are required to be randomly drug tested and any 7th-12th grade student may volunteer to be in the drug testing pool. Random Student Drug Testing is a proven deterrent to drug use. Positive test results are kept confidential and all students who fail the drug tests are required to attend counseling sessions.
Truancy Court
Through collaboration with the associate district judge and the district attorney's office, truancy court not only tickets parents who do not send their child to school, but also works with families to overcome the barrier that is preventing the child from attending.
Tutoring
Tutoring is offered to all students at every site before and after school. High school provides an Encore period for students to receive additional academic help during the day. Middle school students are provided time during the school day for intervention and remediation. Students needing Tier III instruction are identified and provided additional instruction during the school day or before/after school. | https://www.tahlequahschools.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/District%7CDistrict%20Profile |
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks on Nov. 17 announced the launch of a new school bus tracking system to be used within Community School District 26. This marks the next phase of the NYC Student Transportation Modernization Plan.
Known as the Via platform, it will allow families and schools to receive real-time updates and tracking information of students as they travel to and from school on public school buses. Access to this will give schools and families increased transparency and visibility. Additionally, it will allow for lines of communication between schools, bus companies and families to be expanded.
“As a parent and chancellor, I know that at the forefront of every parent’s mind is the safety and well-being of their children,” Banks said. “That is why I am thrilled to be rolling out this program, which will provide peace of mind to families and open communications pathways between students, schools and bus companies. As the largest student transportation system in the country, we are constantly looking to improve service, and I am grateful to our partners at Via, our hard-working bus drivers and the dedicated staff within the Department of Education who are making this possible for our young people and their families.”
The NYC Student Transportation Modernization Plan was first introduced by the New York City Department of Education (DOE) in 2019, in partnership with the City Council. The COVID-19 pandemic halted the project before recommencing during the 2020-21 school year, with small-scale testing of the system to ensure that each component was successful before this expansion. At 472,000 users, this tracking system is expected to have one of the largest technology footprints in the DOE.
“As the parent of a young school-age child, I understand how it important it is know your child is getting to and from school safely,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said. “The recent expansion of the Via platform to Community School District 26 gives thousands of Queens parents much-needed peace of mind by assuring them their children are being transported safely on our city’s school bus network. I strongly commend Chancellor Banks and his entire team at the Department of Education for their commitment to expanding the Via platform and to implementing the entire NYC Student Transportation Modernization Plan.”
The Department of Education’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT), in partnership with the leadership for District 26, held multiple information sessions for schools, families and bus drivers before the program’s official launch. As part of this rollout, OPT will work closely with users to collect feedback and immediately identify and resolve any issues that may come up.
“I am so excited to see this program launching in my district, so that our families never have to wonder where their student’s school bus is again,” Community School District 26 Superintendent Danielle Giunta said. “This platform will allow parents to track where their child’s bus is when they are on their way to and from school — letting them know when to head out in the morning when it is cold and rainy and when their child’s bus may be running late due to traffic. I’m thankful to all District 26 community members for coming together to make this a reality.”
Additional details on the plan and the Via platform are available on DOE’s website, which will be updated regularly, including with details on a forthcoming citywide launch date.
“I applaud Mayor Adams and administration’s efforts to provide families in School Community District 26 with real-time updates as their children commute to and from school on our public school buses,” said Councilwoman Linda Lee, co-chair of the Queens Delegation. “Eastern Queens is a transit desert that lacks access to reliable public transportation, and like any parent, the safety and wellbeing of our children is a priority in my mind. The Via platform will put the worries of our parents at ease and provide an extra measure of communication, security and transparency for our families as we continue to create ways to improve student transportation service across the city.”
Community School District 26 consists of Bayside, Oakland Gardens, Fresh Meadows, Douglaston, Little Neck, Glen Oaks, Floral Park, Bellerose, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica Hills, Hillcrest and parts of Hollis Hills and Holliswood. | https://qns.com/2022/11/school-bus-tracking-system-launched-district-26/ |
The Round Rock ISD Transfinder application allows parents to view route information, pick-up time, and drop-off time for their students. This information is updated throughout the year, so parents are encouraged to regularly check their student’s route information during the start of school and if their child does not ride the bus for an extended period of time.
The Round Rock ISD Transportation Department has developed a Frequently Asked Question section of its web site for parents to utilize. Please visit that page by clicking below.
Transportation services are provided to students who live two or more miles from their campus, according to school board policy. The Transfinder online application will also not work for students entering pre-K, students attending a school outside of their zoned area for special programs, or some special education students who require special travel arrangements. Parents of those students should contact their child’s campus for route information.
If you need assistance, please contact Round Rock ISD Transportation by calling (512) 428-2450.
Transportation services are provided to students who live outside the NET Zone.* A net zone is the area less than two miles from their campus, per school board policy.
*Net Zone = Not Eligible for Transportation. This means that there will be no bus service provided due to the proximity of your home to the school.
Inclement weather, traffic and mechanic issues can cause buses to be delayed. Transportation can send a text message straight to your mobile phone if your child’s school bus is delayed either to or from school.
Parents and students who would like to receive late bus texts can “opt-in” to the notification system by texting “YES” to short code 67587. You should receive an opt-in confirmation message from the service.
You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop.” Opting out of late bus text notifications will also discontinue text notifications for inclement weather or any other emergency communications.
Bus information text notifications are sent to cell phones. To update cell phone number(s) call or email your campus Registrar. It may take 24 hours for the updated number to be active after being changed or added to the district’s system. The district is not responsible for carrier charges. Dispatchers are instructed to prioritize safety issues. Therefore the District cannot guarantee the reliability of a text notification.
If you have opt-in to text message notifications and are experiencing a service issue, let us know how we can help by completing this Late Bus Text Service Assistance online form.
That was the opt-in invitation message sent by SchoolMessenger if it was from 67587 and it said: <> text messages. Reply Y for approximately 3 msgs/month. Txt HELP 4info. Msg&data rates may apply. See schoolmessenger.com/tm To continue receiving informational text messages from the school district reply with “YES.” If you don’t reply, you will not receive any future texts from SchoolMessenger.
Opt-out Response: You’re unsubscribed from SchoolMessenger. No more messages will be sent. Reply Y to resubscribe or Help for help. Msg & data rates may apply schoolmessenger.com/tm Help or Unknown Keyword Response: Reply Y to subscribe for approximately 3 msgs/mo.Text STOP to quit. For more information reply HELP.
Elementary students may be required to walk up to 1/4 of a mile to a bus stop. Secondary students may be required to walk up to 1/2 of a mile. Bus routes are designed limit student ride time to no more than 45 minutes one-way if at all possible, however, most students ride under 30 minutes one-way.
The above design criteria is for regular students only. Students in special programs are subject to different design criteria. Contact the Transportation Department for additional information.
Transportation is available for children who live two miles or more from their assigned school. The distance a student lives from their assigned school is determined by measuring from the curb at the front of the school to the curb in front of their home using the closest paved street. Students residing within two miles of their assigned school may have transportation available if their neighborhood qualifies as hazardous under the district’s hazardous transportation rating system.
Some students who attend more than one school to participate in vocational programs or classes not offered at their school are transported between schools during school hours. Special education students are eligible for transportation if need is established through the Admission, Review, and Dismissal process.
Regular transportation attempts to arrive at every bus stop on time. Due to the variances between individual clocks, students are asked to arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time. Buses will load students and depart the stop. Regular buses do not wait for late students under most circumstances. Special needs transportation follows much the same criteria but will wait up to 3 minutes at the stop for the student to load. All buses will wait 7 minutes at the school in the afternoon for students to board. Students are expected to proceed immediately to the buses. Bus drivers are instructed not to stop or open the door for late students due to safety concerns having students too close to moving bus wheels.
Regular transportation is scheduled to provide service to student riders. Bus stops that do not have riders for 3 days may be suspended temporarily for lack of ridership to conserve district resources. Infrequent riders should contact the Transportation Department stating their wish to ride when service is needed if their bus stop has historically low ridership to verify stop time and location.
School buses are rated by manufacturers to have capacities based on three riders per seat. Round Rock ISD has adopted maximum ridership per bus at 3 riders per seat at elementary levels, 2 1/2 riders per seat at middle school levels, and 2 1/4 riders per seat at high school levels.
Student safety is the primary concern of the Transportation Department. Statistics show that the most dangerous time for students is before and/or after they are on the bus. The Transportation Department considers the environment and age of the students when placing bus stops. We attempt to place every bus stop at a location with reasonable safety assurances for students. Parents must assume the responsibility for their students traveling back and forth from home to the stop.
The most dangerous time for a student riding the school bus is the loading and unloading process. It is critical that students are visible to the driver and out of the bus danger zones when the bus is in motion. This rule applies to loading and unloading both in the neighborhoods and at schools. If students are crossing the street, they should move immediately out of the danger zone and proceed at least 15 feet in front of the bus before crossing the street.
We are pleased to provide quality educational services for your children. Our mission in Special Needs Transportation is to ensure your child arrives at school and returns home safely with care and thought given to his/her individual needs. Our success is a result of our commitment, skill, knowledge, understanding, and ability to communicate. All drivers and assistants participate in frequent in-service training to expand and improve their driving skills and upgrade their knowledge of helping children with special needs.
Establish times and location for your child’s pick-up and drop-off.
Having your child ready to board the bus within three (3) minutes of scheduled time each morning.
Calling 512-428-2450 (eastside) or 512-428-2480 (westside) and making an appointment to speak with the driver rather than delay them in route to transport other students.
Notifying the Transportation Office (512-428-2450 or 512-428-2480) as early as possible when your child will not be attending school. An answering machine is provided so that you may leave messages after hours if necessary. Failure to ride 3 consecutive days will result in termination of service until the parent/guardian calls the Transportation Office and reinstates the service.
Sharing information with the driver and/or assistant regarding changes in schedule, medical status or major personal disruptions that would seriously affect your child’s behavior.
Being open to information form the driver or assistant regarding their observations and concerns.
Making sure your child goes to the restroom before boarding the bus.
Remembering that students in wheelchairs must have properly operating lock brakes, foot rests, arm rests, and a safety belt.
*In order for the Grandparent or Childcare Facility to qualify as an approved stop, it must be within the attendance area of the Student’s Home Campus &/or the Campus of attendance.
To find out in what attendance zone a stop is located, you can enter the address into the School and Bus Route Locator and you will get a list of which campus boundaries encompass that address.
When a new student is added to or dropped from a driver’s list, the time of pick-up and drop-off changes for all students. Parents need information as quickly as possible to adjust to changing pick-up and drop-off times. The driver also needs information about their children before transporting them. The three day lead between notice and start of transport allows for necessary information processing.
Door-to-door service requires the drivers to go to multiple locations (as many as 10 – 15) spread out over a large geographic area, and transport students to locations that are often far away from the child’s home attendance school. Our goal is for no student to be on the bus for more than one hour each way.
If you have questions or concerns about transportation services for your child, please call the Transportation Department at 512-428-2450 (eastside) or 512-428-2480 (westside). | https://transportation.roundrockisd.org/ |
On Monday, April 1, Pueblo City Schools Board of Education hosted a public hearing regarding the proposed school closures of Heroes Elementary and Heroes Middle Schools. The Board reconvened on April 9 and voted to move forward with the closure of Heroes K-8 Academy.
Why was Heroes Academy K-8 a candidate for school closure?
The district has engaged in an extensive process to identify schools for potential closure that included a number of factors and stakeholder engagement. In alignment with Board policy, school closures are evaluated on a number of criteria including educational programming, enrollment, building capacity, facility condition, and academic success over time. Specific information about Heroes can be found on the other side of this page.
If Heroes Academy K-8 is closed, where will my elementary student attend school next year? Where will my middle school student attend?
The majority of elementary students from Heroes will be welcomed at Irving Elementary with a smaller portion attending Morton Elementary. Most middle school students will attend Risley International with a portion going to Heaton Middle School.
If my child currently attends Heroes Academy K-8 through the choice application, where will they attend?
Students that are currently attending Heroes via a choice application will be placed back in the neighborhood school based on their current residence.
You may complete a school choice application on the school district's website (www.pueblocityschools.us). Find and click on the yellow School Choice button and complete and submit a school choice waitlist application. School choice selections for students who were expecting to attend Heroes will automatically be given more weight. If you have already submitted a school choice application for 2019-20, please contact the School Choice office and they will add or update your children's choices for you on your application. Please send an email identifying yourself, your children and your new choices to [email protected] or call 719-253-6014.
Center-based programs that are currently housed at Heroes will be relocated to other schools within the district. Placement of students at particular schools will be based on the individual needs of the student and their current address, as determined by an IEP team that includes staff and parents. You will be contacted by a member of our ESS team to begin this process.
Per district policy, if students identified home school is more than a mile from their new placement, transportation will be provided. Transportation of students with an IEP is handled on an individual basis.
What happens to the teachers that are currently at Heroes K-8?
Will my student have access to community supports and resources that are currently at Heroes?
The district is working with community agencies including the Boys and Girls Club to best identify how we can extend the resources at Heroes to other schools where students will be attending. | http://heroesk8.pueblocityschools.us/heroes-k-8-academy-transition-plan-and-new-boundaries |
Impact on Asthma
Leaks and ongoing moisture or dampness can exacerbate the symptoms of asthma. They can also cause mold growth, which worsens asthma and allergies and can even cause allergies and asthma to develop. Exposure to mold growth can potentially cause sensitization — an increased allergic reaction to chemicals. In addition, leaks and moisture attract insects and contribute to pest infestations, which can be asthma triggers. Preventing, quickly identifying, and eliminating leaks and moisture minimizes associated triggers and mold growth, and can keep pests away.
Example Policies
Your school’s leaks and moisture policy should include guidance on how to address leaks and identify mold; steps for remediation, including length of time before follow-up; and measures to prevent leaks and moisture. It is important for your policy to distinguish between the type of leaks that need to be addressed immediately and larger projects (e.g., roof replacement projects) that require an application to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
Healthy Schools Environment Policy, Boston Public Schools: Outlines the city’s inspection program that documents environmental problems such as leaks and the work order system for maintenance and repairs.
Environmental Services, Newton Public Schools: Outlines the role of the Environmental Management Team in schools and the kinds of issues the team addresses.
Investigating and Remediating Mold in Minnesota Public Schools: Background and best practices related to mold and remediation.
Best Practices
Conduct a school walk-through including less-occupied spaces such as closets, mechanical rooms, and the basement. Use a map of the school to color-code different problems such as stained or missing ceiling tiles.
Ensure that there is an effective system in place for staff to report leaks or other environmental building problems (e.g., a binder in front office, an email address, and key contact person).
Monitor areas where leaks are identified, to make sure water-damaged materials are dried or replaced within 48 hours. Assess if leaks are caused by activities in the school that require a behavioral response (e.g., students clogging a sink or toilet) or response to structural problems (e.g., leaky roof, pipes, and windows). A behavioral response may require increased educational and awareness about preventing the issue, while structural problems may require the involvement of facility staff and resources.
Resources & Tools
Mold, Environmental Protection Agency: Information and guidance on mold and indoor air quality in schools
Remediation and Prevention of Mold Growth and Water Damage in Public Schools/Buildings to Maintain Air Quality, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health: Information on mold removal and prevention, including recommendations for maintaining windows and doors weathertight to prevent water penetration into the building interior.
Indoor Air Quality Guidelines, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health: Guidance documents on flooding, mold, and moisture prevention.
Indoor Plants and Indoor Air Quality, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health: Guidance on the use and care of indoor plants in school and office buildings to protect indoor air quality. | http://www.maasthma.org/toolkit/leaks |
Preparing for a poetry slam, you need to exert maximum effort and use your poetic skills. However, do not be upset if you do not have enough experience. Here are a few poetic devices to help you write good poems.
Repetition demonstrates the importance of the described object, process, action, etc. When using this device, the author repeatedly mentions something especially agitating it and concentrating the reader's attention on it.
Under alliteration, linguists understand a special literary device, which consists in the repetition of one or a number of sounds. At the same time, the high frequency of these sounds in a relatively small speech segment is of great importance. For alliteration, the irregular repetition of sounds is typical, and this is the main feature of this literary device. Typically, the technique of alliteration is used in poetry, but in some cases, alliteration can be found in prose. Alliteration differs from rhyme by the fact that repetitive sounds do not concentrate at the beginning and end of the line.
The metaphor is based on the similarity of a particular feature of two different objects; the property inherent in one object is assigned to another one. Most often when using metaphors, the authors apply words, the direct meaning of which serves to describe the features of inanimate objects and vice versa.
The comparison is one of the expressive methods, in which certain properties (characteristics of an object or process) are revealed through similar qualities of another object or process. In this case, an analogy is made so that the object, the properties of which are used in the comparison, is better known than the object described by the author.
Thus, the author emphasizes the most important properties (in his or her opinion) of an object for a given context. Such a technique as a negative comparison is also often used in poetry. At its core, this analogy is similar to the usual comparison, but the author emphasizes that objects or processes that have common features are not the same. That is, identifying the similarities between the two objects, the poet at the same time focuses the reader’s attention on the fact that the described object has its own unique qualities.
When using hyperbole, the author describes the object or action so that some of their qualities are greatly exaggerated. The use of this expressive means allows you to make a particularly strong impression on the reader.
The use of inversion is based on unusual word order in a sentence, which gives the phrase a more expressive shade. Inversion performs an accent or semantic function in poetic texts, a rhythm-forming function for building a poetic text, as well as the function of creating a verbal-shaped picture. In prose works, inversion serves to place logical stress, to express the author's attitude to the characters and to transfer their emotional state.
The irony is a powerful linguistic tool, which has a tinge of ridicule, sometimes a slight mockery. When using irony, the author applies words with opposite meanings so that the reader can guess the true properties of the described object or action.
The sarcasm is a technique used to demonstrate a scornful, contemptuous attitude. As a rule, the use of sarcasm is negative, while the author builds the phrase in such a way that it looks like a mockery.
At its core, the epithet is a definition of a subject, action, process, event, etc., expressed in the artistic form. The epithet, as a rule, is used to focus on one of the properties of the described object, process or action.
When using this linguistic tool, the author arranges theses, arguments, his or her thoughts, etc. in order to increase their importance or persuasive power. Such a consistent presentation allows multiplying the significance of the stated thoughts.
Now you know how to write a good poem. However, if you do not have enough time or inspiration, you can use professional poem writing services. | https://millionessays.com/blog/poetic-devices-to-spice-up-your-slam-poetry.html |
In ancient India, literature originated from stories that were originally orally transmitted.
Of course, rules can never be a substitute for what a writer can learn, should learn, simply by sitting down and writing.
There is nothing problematic in this view. The most important of these include the Classics of Confucianismof Daoismof Mohismof Legalismas well as works of military science e. Eventually everything was written down, from things like home remedies and cures for illness, or how to build shelter to traditions and religious practices.
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Cited in Susan Bassnett, Let us consider another significant example; the prose-translators find it very difficult to translate proper names. It also allows them to understand the author's intention and psychology.
Poetry A calligram by Guillaume Apollinaire. L but actually do not. Try to write at the same time each day. The separation of "mainstream" and "genre" forms including journalism continued to blur during the period up to our own times.
This is the house of God and I will not live to see it desecrated. Edgar Allan Poeor the clearly modern short story writers e. The translation courses offered at many universities in Bangladesh and overseas treat the subject mostly as an outcome of Applied Linguistics.
A closet dramaby contrast, refers to a play written to be read rather than to be performed; hence, it is intended that the meaning of such a work can be realized fully on the page.
L singular becomes a T. Von Hamburg bis dorthinauf, das ist aber eine weite Reise; zu weit eigentlich im Verhaltnis zu einem so kurzen Aufenthalt. In fiction stream-of-consciousness narrative is a literary device. Realizing the letter was the work of a genius, Hardy arranged for Srinivasa Ramanujan to come to England.
The language used in applications must be abhorred: Its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety. I intend to teach by example. This article deals with the problems in translating literary prose and reveals some pertinent solutions and also concentrates on the need to expand the perimeters of Translation Studies.
Pragmatic Equivalence, when indicating implicatures and policies of evasion all through the translation procedure.
Jainism came into prominence during the life of its exemplar, Mahavira. Tragedies generally presented very serious themes. It is again an indication of the low status of translation that so much time should have been spent on discussing what is lost in the transfer of a text from S.
Some writings of Plato and Aristotlethe law tables of Hammurabi of Babylonor even the early parts of the Bible could be seen as legal literature. China, the origin of modern paper making and woodblock printingproduced the world's first print cultures.
A good paragraph is a series of clear, linked statements. It is very difficult for me to find time on some days, and it is only this low demand that really makes it even possible to sit down and write.
By entering the S. Use as few adverbs as possible. There may be a loss of element if the translator handles sentences for their definite content only. Surely, we can break down many novels into chapters or sections, but the structuring of a prose text is not, by any means, as linear as the chapter divisions might signify.
Natural indicates three areas of the communication process: Canto I" and expresses his opinions through his character Childe Harold. Although at first disruptive for the Indian elites, the sultanate largely left its vast non-Muslim subject population to its own laws and customs.
By the way, Susan Bassnett mentions:. Alliteration is a literary device where words are used in quick succession and begin with letters belonging to the same sound group.
Whether it is the consonant sound or a specific vowel group, the alliteration involves creating a repetition of similar sounds in the sentence. Literature, most generically, is any body of written mobile-concrete-batching-plant.com restrictively, literature refers to writing considered to be an art form, or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.
Essays by George Orwell ‘Politics and the English Language’ Published in April in the British literary magazine Horizon, this essay is considered one of George Orwell’s most important.
AN Wilson is a prize-winning novelist (My Name Is Legion, Winnie and Wolf, The Potter’s Hand); a biographer whose subjects have included John Betjeman and Queen Victoria; and a. If you are a teacher searching for educational material, please visit PBS LearningMedia for a wide range of free digital resources spanning preschool through 12th grade. | https://janeluraqa.mobile-concrete-batching-plant.com/literary-piece-of-india-17841bh.html |
Hello, all you learned literary lovers and notorious narrative nuts to this week’s blog post where we will explore and expound upon through exposition and example the exponential potential of the written word. As the astute may ascertain, I’m alluding to the alluring and ludicrous art of alliteration. Together we’ll unveil a variety of versatile verses to alliterate your way into some positively pretentious possibilities. So for fans of the pepper-picking Peter Piper and the butter-buying Betty Botter, this is the optimal online article to fulfill your freaky phonetic fixations.
(Sorry, I’ll try to get a hold of myself…)
Let’s take a look at alliteration, which is the repetition of similar sounds at the beginning of a set of adjacent or closely connected words.
Origins of Alliteration
The use of alliteration in poetry dates back to around the 8th century, where it was very popular amongst the Germanic peoples. Alliterative poetry, where alliteration rather than rhyme is used to form a metrical pattern, actually got its beginnings in the Germanic languages and can be seen in popular works such as the Old Norse Poetic Edda, the Old High German Muspilli, and the Old English epic Beowolf. Beowolf itself boasts an impressive 3,182 alliterative lines. It’s suspected that alliteration was a popular oral tradition long before the 8th century. There’s a famous set of horns dating back to 5th century Denmark, called the Golden Horns of Gallehus, that bear an inscription of the oldest discovered runic alphabet: “I, Hlewagastir, [son] of Holt, made the horn.” This inscription is considered the earliest preserved example of alliterative verse.
However, if you want the gold standard of alliterative verse, look to Icelandic poet and politician Snorri Sturluson, whose name is just impossibly perfect for someone who, the famous Prose Edda, first described the metrics of alliterative verse used during the 12th century. Also for someone who unintentionally set the standard for dwarf names hundreds of years later. See for yourself:
“Na, Nain,– Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda
Niping, Dain,
Bifur, Bafor,
Bombor, Nore,”
Wait, why are my nerd senses tingling?
Crafty, crafty Tolkein-ses!
Snorri Sturluson was one of many during the 12th century that revived the art of alliterative verse. J.R.R. Tolkein spent a considerable amount of his academic career studying and even translating many of these old works of alliterative poetry during this Middle English alliterative revival period and became himself one of the champions of a modern alliterative movement in literature and poetry alongside others like C.S. Lewis, W. H. Auden, and Richard Wilbur. Compare these two sets of alliterative verses from Sturluson and Tolkein:
“Weary am I of the mountains,– Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda
Not long was I there,
Only nine nights.
The howl of the wolves
Methought sounded ill
To the song of the swans.”
“Let the bow of Beleg / to your band be joined;– J. R. R. Tolkein, The Lay of the Children of Húrin
and swearing death / to the sons of darkness
let us suage our sorrow / and the smart of fate!
Our valour is not vanquished, / nor vain the glory
that once we did win / in the woods of old.”
Many of the songs Tolkein crafted around his books are based in alliterative verse. He was in love with the stuff. Even the name Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End is pure alliteration. Tolkein wrote so much alliterative poetry that Wikipedia has a page dedicated solely to listing all the alliterative verse that he wrote in his lifetime.
Rules of Alliteration
1. Alliteration doesn't have to start with the same letter as long as it's the same sound. Example: "country and king" is alliterative even though the words begin with different letters whereas "pepper and pterodactyl" isn't alliterative since the 'p' in pterodactyl is silent. 2. Alliteration may occur as repeating sounds within the first letters or syllables of a word as well as repeating sounds within the stressed or emphasized syllables of words. Example: "happy harpies harping" is alliterative, and so is "daring undoing" even though the 'd' is in the second syllable because it's the second syllable that is emphasized. 3. Vowels can be alliterative as long as they have the same sound. Example: "ethereal evanescence of the everyday" is an example of alliteration because the 'e' sounds are the same whereas "often open orphanage" is not alliterative because the 'o' sounds are all different.
Types of Alliterative Sounds
Sibiliant Alliteration: alliteration that uses repeating ‘s,’ ‘ci,’ or ‘z’ words (and possibly others) to create a whistling, hushing, or hissing sound.
“I don’t wanna meet your kin– Bob Dylan, “All I Really Wanna Do”
Make you spin or do you in
Or select you, or dissect you
Or inspect you, or reject you…”
Fricative Alliteration: alliteration that uses repeating ‘v’ or ‘f’ words to create an airy, breathless sound that is commonly used to convey a mysterious or light atmosphere.
“I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins.– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
That almost freezes up the heat of life.”
Plosive Alliteration: alliteration that uses repeating ‘b,’ ‘g,’ ‘k,’ or ‘p’ words to make a small explosive sound that is often used to add strong emphasis.
“Paved paradise,– Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi”
Put in a parking lot.”
Dental Alliteration: alliteration that uses words beginning with ‘d’ and ‘t’ whose sounds are made by pressing your tongue against your upper teeth, also used for strong emphasis.
“He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why.”Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Vocalic Alliteration: alliteration that uses vowels rather than consonants.
“And all the phantom, Nature, stands—– Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “In Memoriam A.H.H.”
With all the music in her tone,
A hollow echo of my own,—
A hollow form with empty hands.
That all, as in some piece of art
Is toil co-operant to an end.”
Guttural Alliteration: alliteration that uses repeating ‘g’ and ‘c’ words to create a deep, harsh sound from the back of the mouth.
“As greedy as gluttons they go to their beds,– William Langland, Piers Plowman
And rise up as ribalds, these robberlike knaves;”
Liquid Alliteration: alliteration that uses repeating ‘l’ and ‘r’ words to create a light, fluid sound.
“Little old lady got mutilated late last night.”– Warren Zevon, “Werewolves of London”
Uses of Alliteration
As you might have noticed in reading through some of the examples above, the letter chosen to create an alliteration has a huge impact on the sound created by the set of lines. That’s the primary purpose of alliteration: to create a certain sound and therefore establish a rhythm or mood. The beauty of alliteration is that it can tailored to create whatever atmosphere is needed, whether it be a gritty grouping of guttural grunts to convey an unpleasant mood or whether it be the lovely lull of lyrical lullabies to invoke a soft atmosphere. The repeating sounds add a harmony to sets of lines that can make them very pleasing to the ear. That’s why alliteration is so common in music and poetry. Take a listen:
Poetry and music often use alliteration in combination with rhymes and repetition to create a symphony of words that is astoundingly artful.
“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing.,– Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken,
And the darkness gave no token,”
The uniformity lent by alliteration makes it popular for names as well. Take the comic industry for example: Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, Steven Strange, The Fantastic Four, Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Wonder Woman, the Caped Crusader, the Scarlet Speedster…the list is absolutely endless. The names ARE catchy though. You remember them more easily because of how well they seem to fit together. Marketing has caught on to that too, which is why you have companies named Dunkin’ Donuts and Coca-Cola. Even their annoyingly memorable jingles employ alliteration to capture your attention.
Beyond just the sound itself and the mood created, alliteration can also be used to suggest a theme or imbue an impression beyond just the sound itself. Let’s take this example of how Everett McGill delivers this line in O Brother, Where Art Thou?
“Well, sir, I’m Jordan Rivers. And these here as the Soggy Bottom Boys out of Cottonelia, Mississippi—songs of salvation to salve the soul. Uh, we hear that you pay good money to sing into a can.”– Everett McGrill, O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
Set in the Old South, the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? alludes to the Bible in a number of ways, from the title to actual plot points like the prophecy from the blind man. The alliteration in this line uses soulful undertones one might associate with religious fervor, but it also tends to draw attention to the pretty straightforward punchline about Everett’s greed, which the Bible classifies as a sin. The alliteration used in these specific line is sibilant alliteration. “Songs of salvation to salve the soul” definitely falls into the hissing category, don’t you think? And hissing is pretty synonymous with snakes, and what’s the most famous snake in the Bible? That’s right: the one embodied by the devil that tempted Adam and Eve to commit the first original sin. The alliteration in these scene not only provides sound and emphasis, but it contributes to the story’s theme at the same time.
Paroemion
An extreme form of alliteration is known as paroemion, where nearly every word in a sentence or phrase begins with the same letter. In particular, the previously pointed out pepper-picking Peter Piper provides a perfect paragon of paraoemion. (I’m SORRY. It’s really addicting, okay!?) Probably the most famous example of paroemion is V’s introduction to Evey in the Wachowskis’ adaptation of V for Vendetta.
“But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voilà! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.”– V, V for Vendetta (2005)
V for Vendetta is a dark and depressing look into a dystopian future where the government forcibly removes people from the population whom it finds to be different, weak, or noncontributing. So why this seemingly out of place light-hearted alliterative banter? It’s clear that V is stating his intentions of standing up against an oppressive regime and presenting his reasons for it, but why such theatrical use of paroemion?
V is the voice for change, and to be that voice, he’s cast off his true self to play this part as an actor of sorts, as a symbol, thus the costume and theatrical monologue. He basically says as much himself. The word “vaudevillain” actually refers to a type of theatrical entertainment, so by saying he’s a “vaudevillain veteran” V is admitting to being an actor, one forged by fate to be both victimized by the system and become a villain to it. But that’s not all. A vaudeville show isn’t just an type of entertainment. It refers to variety shows like concert saloons or freak shows or burlesque shows, shows that revel and take pride in the lewd and low-brow and the strangeness of humanity. And isn’t that what V represents—the freedom to be human, to be different, to be a freak in a society that demands unity through an iron-fist conformity? Interesting enough, the word “vaudeville” is actually thought to originally mean “city voice.” And being a voice for the people is the most essential part of his character, so why wouldn’t he use flamboyant rhetoric to assert his opposition to what is normal and acceptable and conforming? The overuse of fricative alliteration in this scene is perfect because it conveys both an airy, mysterious feel while also establishing V’s theatrical persona.
At first glance, alliteration can seem like a whimsical way to whet your words—and by god it is! (Have you read the titles of my blog posts…I have a serious alliterative ailment.) But it can be more than just a fun flow or a fantastical flourish. It can provide insight into your characters, your setting, and the mood of your scenes. Most importantly though, I think it can create a sense of sound in your writing. The senses are a viral part of bringing to life the worlds that we create, which is why we agonize so tirelessly over our descriptions to depict the sights, tastes, feelings, and sounds to such potency that others can be drawn into this imaginary place and become as captivated by it as we are. Alliteration and its ability to create sound is one of the many literary tools that can help you enhance that feeling of realness for your readers.
Create! Alliterate! Captivate! | https://vmlavigne.com/2023/02/19/alliteration/ |
This lesson is designed for use in the history class as well as in the English class. It is cross curricular; however; it could be used in either an English class or a history class depending on the organization of the school. Poems relating to World War I will be introduced to the students. A discussion will follow which will include historical context of the poem and literary analysis. Working in cooperative learning groups, the students will explicate the poems. Written analysis will be completed on the attached teacher generated analysis guides. In addition to the poetry explication, students will also research the author, historical era and specific topics that relate to the poem (s) that they are analyzing. Using essential analytical and research skills students will research in the school computer lab during class and additional research will be completed as a homework assignment.
Students will learn more about the specific historical events by interpreting and analyzing the poetry of the era. The literary perspective, in addition to the textbook and class discussions, will enhance their understanding of history. It will humanize the World War I experience for the students.
- Research an author from the World War I era and write a brief biography
- Select one or more poems to explicate and uses the attached analysis guides
- Create art work that illustrates the essence/theme of the poem
- Research historical context of the poem
Kansas Standards
- Social Studies: Kansas, United States, and World History: History Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of significant individuals, groups, ideas, events, eras, and developments in the history of Kansas, the United States, and the world, utilizing essential analytical and research skills. Benchmark 3: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas events, eras, and developments in the history of Kansas, the United States, and turning points in the era of the industrial era. Benchmark 4: The student engages in historical thinking skills.
- Language Arts: 1081.06: Apply appropriate literary terminology in analyzing and writing about literature
- 1081.35: Develop presentation skills through oral interpretation of literature
- 1081.38: Use skills to research and document information on a topic of interest
- 1081.39: Use current technology to enhance reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.
- 1081.05: Analyze figurative language in literary selections: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, alliteration, imagery, and symbolism.
- 108l.03: Demonstrate knowledge of literature from a variety of genres, cultures and historical periods.
Missouri Standards
Social Studies
2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world
6. Relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
7. The use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)
Comm Arts.
2. reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama
7. identifying and evaluating relationships between language and culture
- A Patriot’s Handbook by Caroline Kennedy
- The American Reader Words That Moved a Nation by Diane Ravitch
- The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry edited by Jon Silkin
- In Flanders Field The story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield
- War Poems of Siegfried Sassoon
- In Flanders Field and Other Poems by John McCrae
- World War One British Poets by Brooke, Owen, Sassoon, Rosenberg and Others
- Audio recordings of poems
- Photographs of the setting of the poem
Computer or DVD player CD or record player
Part I of the lesson: The students will see a variety of poems on the screen and listen while they are being read. Background information about the authors, the time period, and the geographic regions will be given. As the students work together, the Poem of the Day analysis guide will be completed by each student. A class discussion will be generated from the different categories on the analysis guide. Next, students will be given the Literature Analysis guide to complete as the class works together to analyze/explicate the poem. Using post-it-notes they will annotate the different figures of speech that are found in the poem. The post-it –notes will be placed on the attached template. The literary analysis process that is modeled for the students is the same process that will be used when students work independently on their own poetry project. Photographs, watercolors, and sketches that illustrate different themes from the poems will also be on display for the students to analyze. They will discuss which visual display best illustrates the poems that were analyzed during the class discussion.
Part II of the lesson: Students will be given an anthology of poets and poems to study. They will select the poem that interests them the most. We will conference about the selection and share ideas about the project. Students will complete the Poem of the Day analysis guide and turn it in for evaluation and editing. For homework they will complete the Literature Analysis guide by using their post-it-notes. They will also begin to brainstorming for the best technique to illustrate the theme/essence of the poem. They may want to create a watercolor, a sketch, or use some form of technology to enhance the poem. One class period will be spent in the computer lab and in the library for student research. The finished product will include the following components: a typed copy of the poem, a brief biographical narrative of the author, an overview of the historical background of the poem, a final edited version of the Poem of the Day guide, and some form of art work that illustrates the theme/essence of the poem. A bibliography will be required. Students may choose how to display their poetry project. The poem and artwork may be matted and glued onto construction paper by the student or the student may choose to create a multi-media display. These finished products will create a poetry gallery in the library for students, parents, and guests to enjoy. | https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/lesson-plans/world-war-i-poetry |
In the following essay excerpt, Heller gives an interpretation of Hopkins’s ‘‘Pied Beauty,’’ in which attention is given to the prayer form of the poem and how the ‘‘pied’’ poetic elements reflect the topic.
Through the use of various poetic devices in ‘‘Pied Beauty,’’ Gerard Manley Hopkins causes the words of his poem to take on meaning beyond their dictionary definitions. By alluding to common prayers and manipulating both sound effect and stanza form. Hopkins makes his poem itself an example of pied beauty: it is pied, ordered and beautiful, and is an imitation of the creative act of God written to praise him in the form of a poem-prayer.
With the opening line, ‘‘Glory be to God [ . . . ]’’ (1), Hopkins alludes to the ‘‘Glory Be’’— ‘‘Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.’’ By beginning ‘‘Pied Beauty’’ with those words, Hopkins forces the reader to recall the entire prayer and asks the reader to consider his poem a prayer. The ‘‘Glory Be’’ itself is unclear just what, exactly, about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is deserving of glory, but Hopkins provides an answer: the pied beauty of so many of God’s creations is what causes God to be deserving of glory. In ‘‘Pied Beauty,’’ God deserves glory for having created such beautiful things out of nothing, and humans have no idea what magnificent creation God will place on the earth in the future, just as the ‘‘Glory Be’’ discusses the past, present, and future.
The last line of Hopkins’s poem, ‘‘Praise him’’ (11), is significant, just as the last line of the ‘‘Glory Be’’ is ‘‘Amen.’’ Granted, ‘‘amen’’ does not mean ‘‘praise him,’’ but rather ‘‘certainly’’ or ‘‘truly.’’ Hopkins implies, however, that ‘‘Praise him’’ and ‘‘Amen’’ should be equated, and...
(The entire section is 835 words.)
Claire Robinson
Claire Robinson
Claire Robinson has an M.A. in English. She is a writer and editor and a former teacher of English literature and creative writing. In the following essay, she examines how Hopkins uses the poetic techniques of the oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon and traditional Welsh poetry to express his meaning in “Pied Beauty.”
Gerard Manley Hopkins’s experimentation with the poetic techniques of Anglo-Saxon and Welsh poetry was entirely geared to his intention that his poems be read aloud with the ear, not on the page with the eye. In a letter of August 21, 1877 to Robert Bridges (cited in Gerard Manley Hopkins: The Major Works), he writes, “My verse is less to be read than heard . . . it is oratorical, that is the rhythm is so.” In another letter to Bridges in 1886 (cited by Paul L. Mariani in A Commentary on the Complete Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins), enclosing his sonnet, “Spelt from Sibyl’s Leaves,” he writes:
[CALLOUT]
Regular rhythm tends to soothe and lull readers with its incantatory effect, whereas irregular rhythm such as Hopkins uses wakes them up and shocks them into something approaching a state of astonishment, awe, or wonder.
Of this long sonnet above all remember what applies to all my verse, that it is, as living art should be, made for performance and that its performance is not reading with the eye but loud, leisurely, poetical (not rhetorical) recitation, with long rests, long dwells on the rhyme and other marked syllables, and so on.
One of the tools that Hopkins took from the Anglo-Saxon and Welsh oral traditions was alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words, sometimes called consonant-chiming. For example, every line of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf contains three alliterations. The Welsh-language poetic genre called cynghanedd (meaning harmony), a traditional form dating from ancient times and continuing into the present day, relies heavily on alliteration and internal rhyme (in which two or more words in the same line rhyme). Hopkins was studying the Welsh language and literature in the years prior to writing “Pied Beauty.”
In “Pied Beauty,” Hopkins includes such alliterative phrases as “skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow,” where the initial letter “c” is repeated three times, and “Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls,” where the alliteration lies in the letter “f.” The effect of alliteration is similar to rhyme in that it sets up an expectation of repetition that is later satisfied, thereby carrying the listener through the poem. (For one who recites, the alliteration is an aid to memory.) It also has a musical, incantatory effect similar to that of metrical rhythm, due to the repetition of sounds. Often, Hopkins reinforces the chiming effect of the alliteration by making the alliterations fall on strongly stressed syllables, in the Anglo-Saxon style. This point is illustrated in all the above examples.
Hopkins’s use of compound words is another conscious borrowing from the Anglo-Saxon tradition. Beowulf is laden with such constructions, called kennings (literally, knowings). A king is called a ring-giver (a king rewards his warriors with gifts of rings), a burial mound is an earth-hall, and a ship is a sea-rider. Such descriptions lend a concrete and picturesque quality to the object described; they pull it from the realm of the abstract into the more directly felt world of the senses, turning an idea into an object. For example, Hopkins’s “couple-colour” conjures up a concrete image of a pair, perhaps a pair of people, while the word...
(The entire section is 1530 words.)
John Ferns
John Ferns
In the following essay, Ferns gives a critical analysis of Hopkins’s work.
While Gerard Manley Hopkins’s importance as a Victorian poet is well established, his significance as a Victorian prose writer is not as fully recognized. This is, perhaps, because his prose did not appear in single works, like John Ruskin’s Modern Painters, Matthew Arnold’s Culture and Anarchy, or Walter Pater’s Studies in the History of the Renaissance, published in his lifetime but is found in such varied forms as essays, notes, sermons, and letters which were not collected and published until well after his death. Nevertheless, Hopkins is demonstrably one of the... | https://www.enotes.com/topics/pied-beauty/critical-essays |
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Research aimed at improving understanding of aerosol and carbon cycle processes for climate science is open to all qualified applicants. Research in explosion forensics requires Q clearance that normally requires US citizenship.
Desired Skills:
Programming experience with merging, analyzing and synthesizing large data (Igor, Python, Fortran, Java, C/C++, R, and/or MatLab).
Operating state-of-the art aerosol & gas instruments in the field or laboratory.
Record of collaborative research with modelers and writing proposals.
Experience synthesizing results of large data sets and analysis using process or chemical transport modeling (WRF-Chem, GEOS-Chem, PART-MC/MOSAIC)
Education: A Ph.D. in Atmospheric Chemistry, Civil or Chemical Engineering, Physics or related field. The candidate must have completed all Ph.D. requirements by commencement of the appointment and be within five years of completion of the Ph.D. Candidates may also have previous experience including postdoctoral experience.
Notes to Applicants: For further information contact Manvendra Dubey ([email protected]) and/or Allison Aiken ([email protected])
Additional Details:
Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.
New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.
Candidates may be considered for a Director's Postdoc Fellowship and outstanding candidates may be considered for the prestigious Richard P. Feynman, Darleane Christian Hoffman, J. Robert Oppenheimer, or Frederick Reines Distinguished Postdoc Fellowships.
For general information go to Postdoc Program.
Equal Opportunity:
Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regards to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or preference, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to [email protected] or call 1-505-665-4444 option 1.
Where You Will Work
Located in northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. LANL enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. | https://lanl.jobs/los-alamos-nm/aerosol-experiments-for-climate-forensic-science-postdoc/8E64D693ABE34A7BA881E7B27E85937B/job/?vs=28 |
THIS IS AN EXPATRIATE POSITION. ALL WORK WILL BE DONE REMOTELY FOR THE DURATION OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS. ONCE TRAVEL AND RELOCATION ARE PERMITTED AND CONFIRMED TO BE SAFE, THE COUNTRY PROGRAM DIRECTOR WILL BE DEPLOYED TO THE COUNTRY OF ASSIGNMENT.
The Solidarity Center is the largest U.S.-based international worker rights organization. Its programs are based on the principle that, by exercising their right to freedom of association and forming trade unions and democratic worker rights organizations, working people can collectively improve their workplaces, call on governments to uphold laws and protect human rights, and be a force for democracy, social justice and inclusive economic development. Its programs in more than 60 countries focus on human and worker rights awareness, union skills, occupational safety and health, gender equality, migration and human trafficking and pro-legal strategies, bolstering workers in an increasingly informal economy. Founded in 1997 by the AFL-CIO to tackle the enormous challenges workers face in the global economy, the Solidarity Center works to promote democratic rights and respect for workers; raise public awareness about abuses of the world’s most vulnerable workers; and, above all, help the world’s workers secure a voice in their societies and the global economy.
Summary of Position: The Country Program Director designs and implements field programs in Central America. This individual must draw on their experience to write persuasive concept papers and proposals and seek funding for programs that address the needs of the partner trade unions, the AFL-CIO, and the US strategy for the region. This individual monitors programs for progress toward expected programmatic results as well as compliance with budget targets and keeps headquarters informed of significant developments in the region through periodic program reports and other forms of correspondence.
The Country Program Director works closely with AFL-CIO affiliates, the ITUC and its regional organizations, and the international trade secretariats, within approved communications guidelines, to facilitate their participation in Solidarity Center programs. The Country Program Director provides logistical support for visitors from the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO, affiliates, GUFs, the donor agency and/or other organizations. This individual has the experience and presence necessary to represent accurately and effectively in public fora and in private meetings with donor organizations, partners, and other national and international organizations, the policies and programs of the Solidarity Center and the AFL-CIO. This individual may be required to travel extensively within the region (once global conditions allow) and may need to fill in for other Country Program Directors on a temporary or indefinite basis.
The Country Program Director manages the operations of the field office and supervises the local-hire field staff. This individual ensures that the operations of the field office conform to the host country labor code and other pertinent laws.
The Country Program Director is responsible for compliance with Solidarity Center policies and US regulations governing grants. This individual is expected to develop and maintain positive relationships with the appropriate personnel at USAID missions and US Embassies and keep them informed about the Solidarity Center’s work in the region. The Country Program Director follows the evolution of country development strategies and ensures that USAID and the Embassy understand both the role of the labor movement in the development of the relevant countries, and the ways in which the Solidarity Center program contributes to and enhances their ability to accomplish their strategic objectives.
Basic Qualifications:
- Ability to work independently and without supervision.
- Extensive knowledge of international relations and trade union and socio-economic and political developments in the U.S. and abroad.
- Previous trade union experience, and/or experience in the Solidarity Center as a Program Officer III or Senior Program Officer.
- Ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously and make substantive decisions that have major effects on costs and completion of projects.
- Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, labor relations or related fields and/or ten years equivalent work experience.
- Good communications and writing skills.
- Computer literacy for word processing and simple spreadsheets.
- Ability to work and interact easily with a wide variety of people.
- Fluency in Spanish.
Supervisor: Regional Program Director
Specific Duties:
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the field office;
- Recruit, select and supervise local hire staff;
- Ensure compliance of the office with Solidarity Center and AFL-CIO policies and procedures and applicable donor and federal government regulations;
- Design, develop and implement country or regional programs, which respond to the strategies, goals and objectives of the donor organizations, the AFL-CIO and the Solidarity Center’s partners in the field;
- Initiate concept papers and program proposals and seek funding for same;
- Prepare timely, well-written reports in accordance with the deadline schedule;
- Monitor program performance and results; discuss substantive changes required with Program Officer/Regional Program Director;
- Monitor program expenditures to meet budget targets;
- Work closely with AFL-CIO affiliates to coordinate their participation in Solidarity Center programs, within approved communications guidelines;
- Manage the logistics for field trips by Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO and affiliate personnel;
- Develop solid relationships with US government personnel in the region, and ensure they understand the role of labor in development and of Solidarity Center programs in the context of their country strategies;
- Share information on regional conditions and labor issues as appropriate;
- Provide assistance and support for program evaluations or audits of field projects/offices;
- Travel on a TDY basis to conduct and/or oversee program development and implementation in other countries in the region;
- Develop coalition-building contacts with national and international labor, government and non-governmental organizations in the region.
The duration of this position, while contingent upon continued grant funding, is anticipated to last from three to six years, with the option to transfer to another post at the end of the assignment. In addition to a generous compensation package, the Solidarity Center will cover the cost of relocation, housing, annual home leave, and an education allowance for dependents.
Apply HERE!
The Solidarity Center is an equal employment opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status or any other status protected under applicable law. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
WHEN APPLYING: Be sure to indicate that you saw this information at UNIONJOBS.COM. | https://unionjobs.com/listing.php?id=17182 |
Resonance is an award-winning frontier market solutions firm based in Burlington, Vermont that helps a variety of donor, commercial and investor clients around the world to catalyze lasting impact. We envision a prosperous and just world of thriving markets, healthy ecosystems, and vibrant communities where business, governments and citizens work together creating a better world for all. Resonance seeks to catalyze large-scale social, environmental, and economic change by fostering new and dynamic forms of collaboration. We do this by fostering public-private partnerships, facilitating sustainable investment, and providing deep analytical insights in frontier markets. We strive to merge strategic insight with practical on-the-ground knowledge into an integrated approach that emphasizes results. We seek candidates who are ready to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to some of our planet’s greatest challenges in an entrepreneurial, fun, and fast-paced environment. We are looking for passionate and committed people who can work in a highly collaborative environment to deliver results for our clients and stakeholders around the world.
Brief Description:
Resonance is currently seeking a Team Leader – Senior Evaluation Methods/Implementation Specialist candidates to propose for an upcoming Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) task order to conduct a principles-based evaluation of DRL’s transitional justice and atrocity prevention portfolio.
The Team Leader/Senior Evaluation Methods/Implementation Specialist will be responsible for managing the overall evaluation effort and ensuring all deliverables are provided in a timely manner and are of sound quality. They will be responsible for preparing the evaluation design, proposed methodology, and data collection instruments in coordination with team and stakeholders. They will also oversee all work of mid-level evaluators and local consultants and prepare and draft reports to DRL, implementing partners, and other government officials and donors. If necessary, the senior evaluator may accompany mid-term evaluators with data collection on field assignments.
Responsibilities:
Serve as principal liaison with DRL, Resonance Home Office, implementing partners, and other donors to coordinate activities and achieve the goals and objectives of the activity.
Responsible for overseeing the work of the mid-level evaluator(s), including: desk review; data collection, such as key informant interviews; and data analysis. Oversee, mentor, and provide guidance to other staff members, as well as accompany mid-level evaluators to the field to assist with data collection when necessary.
Lead preparation of the evaluation design, proposed methodology, and data collection instruments.
May travel to field sites for monitoring and oversight.
Lead and conduct virtual data collection and virtual consultations with stakeholders and implementing partners.
Lead the preparation of appropriate analysis frameworks and techniques for data collection. Lead and contribute to analysis and evaluation report.
Qualifications:
Minimum of fifteen (15) years of working on and/or leading evaluations with a US Government foreign affairs agency (preferably DOS), international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization
Minimum of seven (7) years of field experience working in one or more developing countries.
Demonstrated experience serving as Team Leader, Chief of Party and/or Senior Evaluation Specialist.
Demonstrated experience in evaluating programs focused on human rights, transitional justice, accountability, and atrocity prevention.
Experience collecting data in restrictive environments (conflict/post-conflict) and/or with marginalized populations.
Experience and understanding of trauma-informed practices for data collection.
Knowledge of qualitative data collection techniques and complexity-aware evaluation methods such as developmental evaluation, principle-focused evaluation, most significant change, etc.
Demonstrated experience in liaising with high level representatives from both the public and private sectors.
Demonstrated experience managing cross-cultural teams
Thorough understanding of USAID and/or DOS policies and procedures
Proven ability to meet targets and deadlines
Knowledge of French and/or Spanish preferred
Ability to travel for field assignments, as required by the contract
Preferred Experience:
Master’s Degree (or higher) in business, international affairs, public administration, public policy, or a related field required. PhD in any of the previously mentioned fields is preferred
Experience with virtual data collection methods.
Experience working or living in developing countires
How To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and three references to [email protected]. Please include “Team Lead, Senior Evaluator, Justice and Accountability Evaluation” in the email subject line, and save documents (cover letter, resume, and references) in one PDF as ‘Last Name_First Name.pdf’. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please. Resonance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. | https://www.dmeforpeace.org/job/team-leader-and-senior-evaluation-methods-implementation-specialist-justice-and-accountability/ |
Following an internal promotion we have an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled and motivated professional.
This key position independently assesses and investigates the administrative processes of the Council or Council staff as well as providing advice on best practice, continuous improvement and suggested customer service enhancements in the way Council services are provided to the community.
Key areas of accountability for this position include:
- Provide strong leadership and specialist advice on ethical decision making, transparency, accountability and probity related matters.
- Provide complaint handling and investigative services to the community, staff, management and Councillors.
- Seek out and take opportunities to add value to Council and improve service delivery.
Essential Selection Criteria
- Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Law, Policing, Human Resources or related discipline or experience commensurate to the qualification(s).
- Strong, strategic leadership experience, with excellent analytical, consultation, negotiation and conflict resolution skills and the ability to resolve high priority, sensitive and complex matters.
- Extensive experience in the managing, planning and conduct of investigations, including an in-depth knowledge of investigation techniques, procedural fairness and a demonstrated ability to adopt a fair and equitable approach to the resolution of complaints and disputes.
- Sound knowledge of relevant legislation and associated best practice; including, but not limited to: (local government policy and practice, Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994, Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988).
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with a demonstrated track record of interaction with a range of audiences and stakeholders of various backgrounds, including senior executives and community leaders/representatives.
- Demonstrated problem solving and decision making skills, as well as an ability to demonstrate initiative, including ability to initiate and respond effectively to change.
- Specialist qualifications or accreditations in an area that is directly related to one or more of the key services for which the incumbent will be responsible (e.g., Certified Fraud Examiner; Cert IV Investigations / Government; Public Administration).
- Understanding the workings of Local Government or experience in a public sector environment.
Please refer to the attached Position Description for the entire scope of essential and desirable criteria which all applicants must meet. | https://counciljobs.com/Job/36504 |
Required:
Desired: English
Grade P4
Vacancy Type FTA International
Posting Type External
Posting Type External
Bureau Audit & Investigation
Contract Duration 2 Years with possibility for extension
Recommended:
Background
The Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) reports to the Administrator and is responsible for internal audit and investigations services to UNDP and its affiliated entities. OAI provides independent, objective assurance on the effectiveness of risk management and the effectiveness and adequacy of internal controls.
OAI has a decentralized organizational structure with the Directorate and other headquarter units, based in New York, and Regional Audit Centres (RAC) located in the five regions covered by UNDP: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Pretoria (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Panama City (Panama) and Istanbul (Turkey) The RAC is normally staffed with a Chief (P-5 level), three or four Audit Specialists (P-4 or P-3 level), and one Administrative Associate (G-6 level). The RAC for East and Southern Africa (RAC-ESA) is based in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Audit Specialist reports to the Chief RAC-ESA that covers 24 UNDP country offices the located in East and Southern Africa. The primary role of the Audit Specialist is to perform internal audits of UNDP offices in these regions. At times, this may include undertaking audit assignments in areas with hardship or hazardous working conditions
Duties and Responsibilities
Principal functions:
1) Management
As a team leader, assumes responsibility and accountability for achieving the audit objectives. This involves:
- Prepare risk-based audit plans/programmes;
- Conduct audit field work;
- Prepare and review working papers;
- Prepare exit meeting notes; and
- Prepare draft audit reports, incorporating input from other team members.
Assess the team members’ performance in a participatory manner and documents lessons learned
Provide direction and guidance to, and coaches team members ensuring effective team functioning
Present audit results to management
Monitor the status of audit recommendations and appraises adequacy of action taken on audit recommendations
2) Client Services
- As a team leader or a team member, conduct internal audit of UNDP country offices in the regions covered by the RAC-ESA. Conduct audits in accordance with the International Standards for Internal Auditing and OAI policies
- Assess the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls and risk management
- Document findings and communicates orally and/or in writing to the country offices on their compliance, performance and potential for improvement
- Recommend actions to address shortcomings identified, strengthen internal controls and improve business processes
- Under the overall supervision of the Chief, conduct special assignments including management reviews, consulting assignments, special audits, and training workshops
- Undertake frequent, and at times extended missions to UNDP offices including to areas with hazardous working conditions
Free CV Writing and Download, Cover/Job Application Letters, Interview Questions and It's Best Answers plus Examples. Click Here!
3) Other Tasks
- Contribute to the ongoing development of professional practices within OAI
- Participate in the implementation of his/her personal learning and training development plan
- As necessary, assist the OAI Investigations Section on investigations mainly
- Perform other assignments or tasks as determined by the RAC Chief or OAI Director
Competencies
Core
Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work.
Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow.
People Management
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.
Communication
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.
Deliver
Ability to get things done.
Technical/Functional
Teamwork:
Motivates and coaches team members;
Embraces extra responsibility;
Build team morale & consensus.
Task Management Skills
- Produces timely, quality outputs;
- Exercises sound judgment/analysis;
- Develops creative solutions;
- Ability to handle multiple task.
Building & Sharing Knowledge:
- Actively builds deep knowledge in one or more areas;
- Makes valuable practice contributions;
- Applies existing knowledge to work;
- Provides advice & support to others.
Learning:
- Provides constructive coaching and feedback;
- Acts as long-term mentor for others;
- Acts on personal development plan.
Professional:
- Demonstrated ability to manage and/or perform the following services, in accordance with relevant professional standards:
- Operational audits
- Performance audits
- Financial audit
- Project audits
- Advisory services
Technical:
- Demonstrated ability to use thefollowing tools:
- Microsoft Office suite
- Electronic working paper
- software
- Computer assisted audit
- techniques
- Enterprise Resource Planning
- systems
Read Also:
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Advanced university degree (Masters) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or related field.
- A first level degree in combination with a certification as Chartered Accountant or Certified Public Accountant may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
- Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation is highly desirable.
- Additional professional certifications (CISA, CFE) are an advantage.
Experience
- A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in audit or another directly relevant area, several of which in internal audit (planning, leading and undertaking internal audit assignments).
- Working experience in an International Organization and field experience are desirable.
Language Requirements
- Fluency in English is required.
- Knowledge of additional United Nations official languages is an advantage.
Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. | https://www.jobs27.co.za/2020/04/2-new-jobs-opportunities-pretoria-at.html |
Balkan Investigative Regional Reporting Network – BIRN Hub, seeks one (1) Programme Manager for Media Development and Capacity Building, with 5+ years of relevant experience and a good understanding of Western Balkan countries, media in the region, politics and society.
Major duties and responsibilities:
- Management media projects of the organisation, and overseeing and coordinating implementation of activities;
- Developing and implementation of activities under award-winning BIRN’s Investigative Journalism Programme
- Based on needs assessments and evaluations, proposes and manages the process of developing rulebooks, guidelines and modification of existing provisions;
- Acts as a liaison for the Network in terms of capacity building, development and coordinates activities within the Network, related to CBD;
- Organises and implements trainings and other events for the staff of the network and outside audiences;
- Maintains and develops relations with donors, and carries out other reasonably requested administrative and operational duties.
Key requirements:
- Extensive project management knowledge and understanding and a proven track record in managing complex, multi-annual and regional programmes with several partners involved,
- Strong knowledge of the media scene and media development processes, including investigative journalism,
- Strong understanding of project and programme based financial planning and monitoring,
- Ability to collect and analyse information, with the aim to provide recommendations, guidance and develop policies,
- Ability to travel all over the Balkans and interact with colleagues from different countries and backgrounds,
- Understanding of capacity building and capacity development, and hands on experience in creation of CB programmes and activities,
- Experience in organisation of events (trainings, conferences, missions),
- Skilled and experienced in communication with donors, partners and other counterparts,
- Excellent written and oral skills in English and at least one of the regional languages,
- Well organised, able to prioritise, goal oriented, multi-tasker,
All interested candidates need to fill out the form on the link, no later than 28 April 2019: https://forms.gle/r5FhRfSPrAGQ4rrc6.
Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selected candidate should start work as soon as possible and be based in one of the countries of Western Balkans.
BIRN Hub is a nongovernmental organisation, a part of the Regional BIRN Network, working on in the field of media development, promoting freedom of speech, human rights and democratic values in Southern and Eastern Europe. BIRN has local organisations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia, while the Network is editorially also present in Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. More information at www.birn.eu.com.
BIRN encourages applicants of both genders, and offers an equal chance to all interested persons, without any prejudice based on any grounds. | http://birn.eu.com/category/vacancies/ |
advocacy.
Action Against Hunger has been working in Liberia since 1991 with the purpose to respond to the needs of the most
vulnerable people, at first during the emergencies and then in a more development setting, until the 2014 Ebola
outbreak and the emergency it generated in the country. AAH interventions in Liberia aim at improving the nutrition
security of the population, with particular focus on children under-five and pregnant and lactating women. AAH
aims at doing so by implementing multi-sectorial programs, which encompass direct nutrition intervention and
prevention activities to address the underlining causes of undernutrition, i.e. poor health, food insecurity, poor
care practices, and poor access to water and sanitation. AAH also has an integrated advocacy strategy in the mission
that cuts across all the sectors.
Action Against Hunger is recruiting a FIELD COORDINATOR for an anticipated COVID-19 response program in
Liberia. The position will be based in the Field with frequent travel to the program areas.
Under the supervision of the Country coordinator, the Field coordinator will develop and implement the district
strategy integrating programs in collaboration with the respective program managers and technical advisors.
The Field Coordinator ensures that AAH procedures and donor regulations applicable to projects implemented in
the region about program, logistics, security, HR, and administration are closely followed.
The Field Coordinator represents the organization at regional level including general meetings with donors,
humanitarian actors, local authorities, protocol meetings, security meetings, as well as sector program meetings
when requested by the mission coordination.
The Field Coordinator is responsible for the district security management and ensures the security of staff,
premises, materials and assets. The Field Coordinator monitors the political, economic, and social environment in
the area, assesses and analyses the risks, monitors and reports the security situation and develops security
procedures relevant to the context.
QUALIFICATIONS
– Masters Degree or equivalent.
– Substantial knowledge regarding the program management on field level.
– Substantial knowledge of standard logistics procedures and practices required
– Good understanding of financial and HR procedures required
– Excellent communication and representative skills (written, oral, cross-cultural)
– Ability to multitask and deal with stressful situations.
– Ability to adapt within the working environment.
– Ability to work in a team setting.
EXPERIENCE
– At least 3 years previous field experience in a relief NGO, ideally in a similar role.
– Minimum of one year of previous experience in an NGO in managerial position.
– Previous experience in security management.
Remuneration package
Starting date: Beginning of June
Duration of contract: 12 month
Monthly basic salary: between 1860 USD and 2027 USD based on profile
Monthly transport allowance:75 USD
Monthly education allowance: 90 USD
Medical insurance
HOW TO APPLY: Send your motivation letter, CV with names of three (3) referees through the system below: | https://liberiahrjobs.com/job/field-coordinator/ |
Our Optimal Health program is a holistic wellbeing program, using discussion and goal setting to help stress management in daily life and integrate mind, body and soul to increase sustainable change and long term wellbeing. Ideal to help manage stress, anxiety and depression and in conjunction with any of our other programs to strengthen and consolidate your healing pathway.
Optimal Health Program (OHP) is a self-management program which promotes hope, growth and partnership. The aim is to improve a person’s wellbeing and build on their strengths and values. OHP responds to individual needs and offers the opportunity to have a conversation, to reflect, write down ideas, ask questions and develop plans supporting wellbeing.
This program which can be delivered for individuals or groups consists of eight weekly sessions followed by an additional booster session.
Reflect on their own wellbeing
Identify their strengths and strategies
Learn to recognise early warning signs of stress and develop partnerships with others as a strategy to optimise their health
Vision achieving goals and celebrating success at each step
Develop health plans which include strategies to maintain wellbeing.
Holistic wellbeing rather than illness
Strengths, strategies, stressors and vulnerabilities as four factors that we can identify and influence to improve wellbeing
The development of social supports to help us to maintain health
Visioning and goal settingto help understand ‘why’ and move forward to plan ‘how’ to enhance wellbeing.
What is Health?
How behavior can in uence our health
I-Can-Do Model Part 1
Health Plan 1
Strengths and vulnerabilities: understanding a balance
I-Can-Do Model Part 2
Health Plan 2
Stressors and strategies: understanding and monitoring impact
Medication
Medication, physical health and metabolic monitoring
Collaborative Partners & Strategies Health Plan 3
Identi cation of key partnerships
Change Enhancement Understanding past events and de ning change
Visioning and Goal Setting
Creative problem solving and planning
Building Health Plans
Health Plans 1, 2 & 3: maintaining wellbeing
Booster session
What is my health like now?
The group sessions are 1-2 hours, with 6-10 participants. Individual sessions are held for approximately 1 hour.
For Information about sessions. | https://pathwaysforliving.org.au/optimal-health-program |
A Japanese parliamentary panel has concluded that the incident at Fukushima nuclear plant was “a profoundly man-made disaster”.
In its report, the panel stated that the disaster “could and should have been foreseen and prevented” and its effects “mitigated by a more effective human response”, it said.
Both Tepco and the Japanese government were found to be culpable of serious deficiencies in their response, reports the BBC.
The panel referring to the disaster as “Made in Japan”, because the mindset that allowed the accident to happen can be found across the country.
It flagged up the bureaucracy’s role in both promoting and regulating the nuclear industry, and also cultural factors such as a traditional reluctance to question authority.
In the panel’s final report, its chairman said a multitude of errors and wilful negligence had left the plant unprepared for the earthquake and tsunami.
It said that the situation at the plant worsened in the aftermath of the earthquake because government agencies “did not function correctly”, with key roles left ambiguous.
The report said regulators should “go through an essential transformation process” to ensure nuclear safety in Japan.
“Japan’s regulators need to shed the insular attitude of ignoring international safety standards and transform themselves into a globally trusted entity,” it said.
The report was made from the findings of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, which was set up to examine the handling of the crisis and make recommendations.
The investigation included 900 hours of hearings and interviews with more than 1,000 people. | https://www.powerengineeringint.com/nuclear/profoundly-man-made-disaster-fukushima-verdict/ |
The worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown never should have happened, according to a new study.
In the peer-reviewed Philosophical Transactions A of the Royal Society, researchers Costas Synolakis of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Utku Kânoğlu of the Middle East Technical University in Turkey distilled thousands of pages of government and industry reports and hundreds of news stories, focusing on the run-up to the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011. They found that “arrogance and ignorance,” design flaws, regulatory failures and improper hazard analyses doomed the coastal nuclear power plant even before the tsunami hit.
“While most studies have focused on the response to the accident, we’ve found that there were design problems that led to the disaster that should have been dealt with long before the earthquake hit,” said Synolakis, professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC Viterbi. “Earlier government and industry studies focused on the mechanical failures and ‘buried the lead.’ The pre-event tsunami hazards study, if done properly, would have identified the diesel generators as the linchpin of a future disaster. Fukushima Daiichi was a sitting duck waiting to be flooded.”
Regulatory failures
The authors describe the disaster as a “cascade of industrial, regulatory and engineering failures” leading to a situation where critical infrastructure — in this case, backup generators to keep cooling the plant in the event of main power loss — was built in harm’s way.
At the four damaged nuclear power plants (Onagawa, Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushimi Daini and Toka Daini), 22 of the 33 total backup diesel generators were washed away, including 12 of 13 at Fukushima Daiichi. Of the 33 total backup power lines to off-site generators, all but two were obliterated by the tsunami.
Unable to cool itself, Fukushima Daiichi’s reactors melted down one by one.
“What doomed Fukushima Daiichi was the elevation of the EDGs (emergency diesel generators),” the authors wrote. One set was located in a basement, and the others at 10 and 13 meters above sea level — inexplicably and fatally low, Synolakis said.
Warnings ignored
Synolakis and Kânoğlu report that the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), which ran the plant, first reduced the height of the coastal cliffs where the plant was built, underestimated potential tsunami heights, relied on its own internal faulty data and incomplete modeling and ignored warnings from Japanese scientists that larger tsunamis were possible.
Prior to the disaster, TEPCO estimated that the maximum possible rise in water level at Fukushima Daiichi was 6.1 meters — a number that appears to have been based on low-resolution studies of earthquakes of magnitude 7.5, even though up to magnitude 8.6 quakes have been recorded along the same coast where the plant is located.
This is also despite the fact that TEPCO did two sets of calculations in 2008 based on datasets from different sources, each of which suggested that tsunami heights could top 8.4 meters — possibly reaching above 10 meters.
Wake-up call
During the 2011 disaster, tsunami heights reached an estimated 13 meters at Fukushimi Daiichi — high enough to flood all of the backup generators and wash away power lines.
Additionally, the 2010 Chilean earthquake (magnitude 8.8) should have been a wake-up call to TEPCO, said Synolakis, who described it as the “last chance to avoid the accident.” TEPCO conducted a new safety assessment of Fukushima Daiichi but used 5.7 meters as the maximum possible height of a tsunami, against the published recommendations of some of its own scientists. TEPCO concluded in November 2010 that they had “assessed and confirmed the safety of the nuclear plants,” presenting its findings at a nuclear engineering conference in Japan.
“The problem is that all of TEPCO’s studies were done internally; there were no safety factors built in the analysis, which anyway lacked context. Globally, we lack standards for the tsunami-specific training and certification of engineers and scientists who perform hazard studies, and for the regulators who review them, who can in principle ensure that changes be made, if needed,” Synolakis said. “How many licensing boards have tsunami-specific questions when granting professional accreditation?”
Lacking tsunami specific training, certification and licensing, the potential for similar mistakes to occur in hazard studies for other coastal nuclear power plants exists, he said. He points to recent studies around the world where lack of experience and context produced tsunami inundation projections with Fukushima-size underestimation of the hazard.
The paper by Synolakis and Kânoğlu was published on Sept. 21. The research was supported by ASTARTE (grant 603839) and the National Science Foundation (Award CMMI 1313839). | https://www.dianuke.org/fukushima-disaster-was-preventable-new-study-finds/ |
In light of the situation in Japan “where an earthquake and tsunami crippled an aging atomic power station,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said international nuclear safety standards should be reassessed, Reuters reports.
“The situation in Japan has … given rise to calls to reassess the international emergency response framework and the nuclear safety regime,” Ban said in a statement. “I support these calls,” he added. The call came “after Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan made his first public statement on the crisis in a week, saying the situation at the Fukushima nuclear complex north of Tokyo was ‘nowhere near’ being resolved,” the news service reports.
The U.N. held a high-level meeting on Friday to examine the international response to developments at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Ban said countries should “ensure that the highest possible standards are implemented to safeguard health, food supply and the environment as well as reviewing the disaster risk reduction framework” (Charbonneau, 3/25).
“Leaked water sampled from one unit [at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant] Sunday had 100,000 times the radioactivity of normal background levels,” the Washington Post reports. “Japanese authorities say efforts to control Fukushima’s overheated reactors will take months and during that time radiation will continue to leak into the environment, extending a nuclear emergency that already ranks as the world’s most serious in a quarter-century,” according to the newspaper. Workers continue to attempt to stabilize the reactor to prevent overheating and further radiation leakage (Harlan/Vastag, 3/28).
“Roughly 20,000 U.S. troops have been mobilized in ‘Operation Tomodachi,’ or ‘Friend.’ It is the biggest bilateral humanitarian mission the U.S. has conducted in Japan, its most important ally in Asia, and it is ramping up fast,” the AP notes. “As logistics gradually improve, U.S. troops have been moving farther into hard-hit zones and providing tons of relief supplies and badly needed manpower,” the news service reports. Though the “Japanese public is very pro-America and generally sees the military presence as a benefit,” the perception of the American military “is complicated by a strong pacifist undercurrent in public opinion borne from World War II,” according to the news service (Talmadge, 3/26). | https://www.kff.org/news-summary/u-n-secretary-general-calls-for-countries-to-assess-global-nuclear-safety-in-light-of-japan-reactor-crisis/ |
It’s been a year since a new set of regulatory standards for nuclear power plants in Japan were implemented in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but safety screenings by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on idled reactors awaiting reactivation are lagging behind schedule.
Nine power companies have thus far applied for safety screenings on a total of 19 reactors at 12 nuclear power stations. However, screenings have been delayed, especially for boiling water reactors that are of the same type as those at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. While the NRA had planned to give the green light on July 9 for the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture — making them the first reactors eligible for reactivation since the new regulatory standards came into effect on July 8 last year — the NRA has decided to shelve the final decision until sometime after July 16.
Under the new regulatory standards, power companies are required to take measures against severe accidents. Such measures had been left up to each utility before the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred in March 2011. The prolonged screenings are largely attributable to slack measures taken by the utilities, including no improvements in their measures against quakes and tsunami. | http://fukushimaontheglobe.com/the_earthquake_and_the_nuclear_accident/3786.html |
The Nuclear Regulation Authority will reassess the safety risks posed by possible natural disasters to certain nuclear power plants that have been declared to be fit for operation under the new safety standards.
The nuclear watchdog’s unusual decision has been prompted by recent discoveries of new facts concerning possible effects of volcanic eruptions on the Mihama, Oi and Takahama nuclear power plants operated in Fukui Prefecture by Kansai Electric Power Co.
It is a totally reasonable decision based on the principle of putting the top priority on safety in regulating nuclear plants.
Initially, Kansai Electric asserted that volcanic ash posed no threat to the safety of the three nuclear plants. Its claim was based on its own estimate of the amount of volcanic ash that would fall on the plants.
Using research findings and geological surveys as well as simulations of eruptions of Mount Daisen, a volcanic mountain in Tottori Prefecture located about 200 kilometers from the plants, the Osaka-based utility estimated that the nuclear compounds could be coated with up to 10 centimeters of ash from a major volcanic eruption.
The NRA accepted the company’s assessments of volcanic hazards for these plants and allowed the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at both the Oi and Takahama plants to come back online.
After the NRA’s safety screenings, however, a 30-cm ash layer from an eruption of Mount Daisen that occurred 80,000 years ago was discovered in Kyoto, 190 km from the mountain.
Kansai Electric argued that the thickness of ash from the mountain cannot be estimated accurately because ash from other sources was mixed in.
But the NRA confirmed that the layer of volcanic ash from the mountain is 25 cm thick through its own on-site inspection and other research, concluding that the eruption was greater in scale than the utility’s estimate of a maximum possible incident.
These developments have led to the regulator’s unusual decision to reassess the risks posed by volcanic ash fall to the safety of the plants.
A massive fall of volcanic ash could cause a malfunction of the emergency power generation system at a nuclear power plant and cut off the power supply, which is crucial for preventing a severe nuclear accident during a natural disaster.
The new findings have made it inevitable to re-evaluate the estimate of maximum possible volcanic ash fall for each nuclear plant and consider the necessity of additional safety measures.
One important component of the new tighter nuclear safety standards introduced after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster is the so-called “back-fit” system, which applies the latest safety requirements to existing reactors.
The NRA acted on this new rule when it decided to reassess the threats posed by volcanic eruptions to the safety of the nuclear plants by incorporating the implications of the newly discovered facts.
The body should adopt the same stance toward safety risks posed by other natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami.
But the NRA has also decided not to order the utility to suspend the operations of the four reactors, at least for now, because there is a certain safety margin in the measures to deal with volcanic ash fall taken at the three nuclear plants in Fukui Prefecture.
But it should not hesitate to order the shutdowns of these reactors if more new facts are discovered with risk implications for them.
Bodies of scientific knowledge concerning earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions change constantly due to new findings from research and surveys.
Kansai Electric Power’s response to the new discovery deserves to be criticized as an attempt to escape from an inconvenient new fact.
Electric utilities operating nuclear plants need to make constant efforts to gather the latest information and face new facts concerning the safety of their nuclear plants in a humble and honest manner.
The back-fit system was introduced to ensure the safety of nuclear plants in this nation as a policy response to the lessons learned from the catastrophic accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. This should never be forgotten. | http://fukushima-is-still-news.over-blog.com/2018/12/new-findings-should-trigger-reevaluation-of-volcanic-ash-fall.html |
24 Mars 2013
Editor's note: This is the ninth part of a new series that has run in the past under the title of The Prometheus Trap. This series deals with the secret missions assigned to the “shadow units” of the Ground Self-Defense Force when the Fukushima nuclear disaster was unfolding following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. The series will appear on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
* * *
The explosion that went off in the No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on the morning of March 14, 2011, caused serious damage to the neighboring No. 2 reactor as well.
The electrical circuits were destroyed, making it impossible to let steam out of the reactor. Pressure inside the reactor core rose, while the water level fell. If the water level kept sinking, fuel rods would become exposed, possibly causing a core meltdown.
At 4 p.m. on March 14, Maj. Gen. Yuki Imaura, 54, vice commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Central Readiness Force (CRF), arrived at the disaster-stricken plant’s off-site center, a facility used as an operational base for dealing with emergencies.
The off-site center, located five kilometers southwest of the plant, was used to house the government’s nuclear emergency response headquarters. It served as the local headquarters for the battle against the galloping nuclear crisis.
Around the time Imaura arrived at the facility, the No. 2 reactor was in an increasingly dangerous situation. Exactly at 4 p.m., the prime minister’s office became aware of the possibility that fuel rods in the reactor could become exposed.
As it turned out, Imaura stayed at the off-site center for only 18 hours until the government’s crisis response headquarters were moved to the Fukushima prefectural government’s building the following morning. The GSDF major general would never forget the stormy night he spent at the off-site center amid the chaos of responding to the nuclear disaster.
According to records left by Imaura, at 6:45 p.m., he went to the office of Motohisa Ikeda, senior vice minister of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, who supervised the headquarters. The office was a private room on the second floor of the building.
Ikeda convened an emergency meeting of top officials in the room. Besides Ikeda and Imaura, the meeting was also attended by Masao Uchibori, vice governor of Fukushima Prefecture; Shinichi Kuroki, deputy director-general for nuclear power at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency; and Akio Komori, a managing director at Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the crippled nuclear plant.
“The No. 2 reactor is in a dangerous situation,” Komori said to Ikeda. “We are worried that the nuclear core may have started melting down” at the reactor. “The worst possible case could occur four hours from now,” he warned.
Komori’s dire warning prompted the attendees to consider moving the headquarters to a safe location. They chose the Fukushima prefectural government’s building, 60 kilometers from the plant, as the evacuation site.
But they didn’t determine when to start the evacuation and decided instead to dispatch an advance unit led by Uchibori to start preparations for the relocation.
The people who were at the meeting also heard the report that some 350 local residents appeared to be still within 20 kilometers from the Fukushima plant. But they didn’t discuss the evacuation of the residents.
At 8 p.m., a general meeting of all those working at the off-site center was held in a large room. Ikeda informed the staff of the decision about evacuating. Immediately after the meeting, Uchibori headed off to the prefectural government building.
At 12:30 a.m. on March 15, a radiation warning was announced over the facility’s public address system.
“Radiation levels are rising. Put on a protective suit and a protective mask immediately,” the announcement said.
When SDF personnel asked TEPCO employees about radiation levels, they were told that the readings were 700 microsieverts per hour within the building and 1 millisievert outside.
At 2 a.m., the headquarters staff was instructed to take potassium iodine pills that could protect their thyroid glands if taken before or shortly after exposure to radiation.
After the advance unit left the off-site center, it was found that many people other than the members of the unit had also gone.
In a general meeting held before dawn on March 15, Ikeda raised his voice and said some people other than those who had been assigned to the unit had lost their nerve and left the facility.
“We have not decided to abandon this place yet,” he said. “Hold your ground and do your jobs,” he yelled. | http://fukushima-is-still-news.over-blog.com/article-asahi-shadow-units-9-116471311.html |
WASHINGTON - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) today formally denied a petition originally submitted by Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and 37 co-petitioners to make modest improvements in emergency planning for nuclear reactor accidents.
The petition for rulemaking, submitted February 15, 2012, called for increasing the size of the existing Emergency Planning Zone around commercial nuclear reactors from 10 to 25 miles, establishing a new zone but with less stringent requirements from 25-50 miles around reactors, expanding the existing Ingestion Pathway zone from 50 to 100 miles, and requiring existing biannual emergency training exercises to include scenarios involving initiating or concurrent regionally appropriate natural disasters. 3,281 people asked the NRC to consider them co-petitioners, and there were a total of 5,993 comments on the proposal. 5,953 of those comments supported the petition. The NRC denied the petition in its entirety.
“The NRC has failed the American people,” said Michael Mariotte, President of NIRS. “Rather than learn from Fukushima and act appropriately to protect the public, the agency has chosen to protect the nuclear power industry yet again. The agency claims the evacuation at Fukushima was a success—yet it took more than three weeks for Japan to fully evacuate the most contaminated areas. Moreover, as we pointed out in our petition, Japan was spared a far worse disaster only because 80% of the airborne radiation released at Fukushima—and nearly 100% in the first critical days—never went over land. Instead it was sent by the wind directly over the Pacific Ocean. The United States should not have to rely on favorable wind patterns as an emergency response measure.”
The petition was based on the real world experiences of Fukushima and Chernobyl, where toxic radiation spread far beyond 10 miles and has resulted in the creation of uninhabitable regions much larger than a ten mile radius as well. NIRS argued that the NRC’s regulations are based on computer models more than actual events, that delayed evacuations at both Fukushima and Chernobyl unnecessarily endangered people and the existing regulations would likely lead to similar delays, that evacuation criteria are unrealistically based on slow-developing accidents, and numerous other issues. The petition can be read at http://www.nirs.org/reactorwatch/emergency/petitionforrulemaking22012.pdf
NIRS’ Acting Executive Director Tim Judson said, “Effective, realistic emergency planning is literally the last line of protection for the public in a nuclear accident. Unfortunately, NRC’s decision today is based more on science fiction than on real-world experience. Over the last thirty-five years, five nuclear reactors have had catastrophic accidents, all requiring evacuations, and four involving massive releases of radiation that have left large areas of land unsafe for human habitation. The Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents required much larger evacuations and emergency response measures than nuclear power stations and state and local governments in the United States are currently prepared for. NRC’s decision indicates it would rather the American public not think about a nuclear emergency until it happens. That may be a good public relations ploy for atomic power, but it does nothing to protect the millions of Americans living near a nuclear reactor.”
The Ingestion Pathway zone is meant to protect against the distribution of contaminated water, milk and other food. At both Fukushima and Chernobyl, such basic elements of life were interdicted from well over 100 miles away (in Chernobyl’s case, more than 1,000 miles); yet the NRC insists with little rationale that its 50-mile zone is adequate.
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Indeed, the NRC’s denial is little more than a series of assertions that its present 10-mile zone is adequate and can be expanded quickly in an actual accident if necessary. “Emergency preparedness means just that: like the Boy Scouts, it means ‘Be Prepared,’” said Mariotte. “But the NRC’s approach is ‘don’t worry, be happy; if we need to be better prepared in the midst of a nuclear accident, we’ll manage.’ That approach is callous and indefensible.”
Mariotte said NIRS has not decided whether to appeal the denial to the courts, but noted that several Congressmembers have expressed interest in the issue and at least two bills already have been introduced to expand emergency planning zones.
The NRC also asserted, without providing documentation, that existing emergency exercises already do include scenarios involving natural disasters. NIRS has asked the NRC to provide documentation of that—especially of scenarios involving initiating or concurrent earthquakes (the fundamental cause of the Fukushima disaster), and will make that information public upon receipt.
The NRC’s decision is available here: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/04/09/2014-07981/emergency...
This press release is available here: http://www.nirs.org/reactorwatch/emergency/epzpressrelease4914.pdf
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NIRS/WISE is the information and networking center for people and organizations concerned about nuclear power, radioactive waste, radiation, and sustainable energy issues. | https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/04/09/nrc-fails-american-people |
The quantum annealer is least powerful and most restrictive form of quantum computers, it is the easiest to build, yet can only perform one specific function. The consensus of the scientific community is that a quantum annealer has no known advantages over conventional computing.
Difficulty Level: A very specialized form of quantum computing with unproven advantages over other specialized forms of conventional computing.
The analog quantum computer will be able to simulate complex quantum interactions that are intractable for any known conventional machine, or combinations of these machines. It is conjectured that the analog quantum computer will contain somewhere between 50 to 100 qubits.
Difficulty Level: The most likely form of quantum computing that will first show true quantum speedup over conventional computing. This could happen within the next five years.
The universal quantum computer is the most powerful, the most general and the hardest to build, posing a number of difficult technical challenges. Current estimates indicate that this machine will comprise more than 100,000 physical qubits.
Difficulty Level: The true grand challenge in quantum computing. It offers the potential to be exponentially faster than traditional computers for a number of important applications for science and business. | https://pupuweb.com/quantum-computing-applications-generality-computational-power/ |
The Complete Ethical Framework for End-of-Life Care
The Ethical Framework for End-of-life Care is part of a national programme, the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme (HfH) of the Irish Hospice Foundation, which is intended to improve the culture of care and organization regarding dying, death and bereavement in Irish hospitals. The Framework is an educational resource that consists of eight Modules of Learning for health professionals, patients, families and the general public. The Framework is the outcome of a unique collaboration between University College Cork, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Irish Hospice Foundation, with contributions from ethicists, legal experts, theologians, sociologists and clinicians. It draws on a range of values and principles that have been identified as important considerations in end-oflife decision making by international experts in bioethics and by professional codes of conduct, policy documents and laws. It is also informed by extensive international research on patients’ and families’ experiences of death and dying and the contribution of health professionals and organizations to quality end-of-life care. In order to ensure that the Framework addresses the concerns of the Irish public and that it is relevant and useful to the work of health professionals involved in end-of-life care in Irish hospitals, the Framework is informed by reviews and studies involving hospice, palliative and acute care services especially commissioned by the Irish Hospice Foundation in the last decade. It also draws on a significant body of research, undertaken in 2007/2008, which specifically addresses ethical issues in relation to end-of-life care in Irish hospitals. | https://repository.rcsi.com/articles/report/The_Complete_Ethical_Framework_for_End-of-Life_Care/10779956 |
Willco is a leading developer, owner, and investor of commercial real estate, based in the Washington, DC Metro Area. In 2012, Interplan began the process of assisting Willco on the redesign and renovation of the interior areas of their Potomac, Maryland office building which also included their corporate office headquarters. Interplan worked with Willco to help them transition from a primarily closed office environment, to a mix of private and open office work areas. A very textured palette of stone, metal, glass, wood and fabrics was selected to create a sophisticated and visually dynamic space. The reception which includes a gas fireplace connects to the executive conference room via an overhead garage door. Textured wood panels were used to accent walls located between private offices and open areas. The private offices were faced with a glass wall system to allow light to the interior open areas. Open ceiling designs were used throughout the suite including the communal pantry that includes accent wood veneer beams. Furniture throughout the suite was selected and procured through Lines Furniture. | https://interplaninc.com/portfolio-item/willco-companies/ |
It all began with sourdough bread: flour, salt and water coming together with time as the catalyst to convert simple, natural ingredients into a delicious everyday staple.
I discovered how weather conditions influenced the outcome; the temperature and humidity influenced the mood of the sourdough culture. It was like the food was made with permission from he conditions around us. While discussing this observation with an elderly lady in a village near our homestead, she told me how she had once built a mud oven with local children.
The idea that one could use local natural materials to build an oven was fascinating, it seemed to complete the circle of baking bread. It was evident that this was my next home project, and I didn’t waste any further time getting started.
The amount of time it will take you to build an oven will depend on the size and design that you wish to have. Each oven is unique, I would urge you to make a custom plan for your own oven before you get started. It is crucial to estimate your capacity for labor, materials, and time; as well as a vision of how this oven would be eventually used.
The basic structure is around an oven cavity in which food would be baked, and an enclosing wall to contain the heat. Firewood is burnt in the cavity, heating up the air inside as well as the floor and walls of the oven. By designing the materials used for the floor and the walls, we try to make sure this heat is retained for a long time, and we minimize heat losses to the surrounding environment.
When adequate fuel has been burnt, the oven stays hot for a long time. You can now stop the burning of firewood and use the space in the oven for baking.
The shape of the oven, the size of the door and the materials used will determine how efficiently your oven stores heat, which in turn will define how much food can be cooked in the oven in one session.
Materials needed:
- Clay (from a nearby lake side, or even dug out from your garden)
- Sand and Wood shavings or chopped straw
- Empty glass bottles of similar size without the caps
- Fire bricks or regular bricks
- Plastering (limestone or cow dung or a clay slurry)
- A piece of sheet metal or wood to make your oven door
- Access to plenty of water and A large tarp sheet that’s used as a workspace to mix your ingredients
Use the tarp to help mix the materials. You will need to repeatedly mix the materials in small batches.
There are two types of mixes you will need:
- Thermal Mix: This is a mixture of clay and sand (1:1) with water. This mixture is the basic mix for the walls of the oven, and it absorbs and retains heat thus keeping the oven warm for a long time.
- Insulation Mix: This is a mixture of wood shavings/straw with just enough clay and water such that you can form a ball with the material.
With the concept ready and materials in place, here’s a rough guide on how to go about building your own mud oven.
It is worth spending some time thinking about where this oven will be located. It should be in a ventilated space, preferably with options for storage of tools and firewood nearby. While it can be outdoors, be sure it isn’t exposed to the rain. Think about how the oven will be used too, with space for groups of people to be near it, a counter to prep food on, and area to eat and be social.
Now create a foundation for the oven. Building an oven on the floor would make it rather inconvenient to use – so think of a platform that is sturdy enough to build the oven on. I collected rocks from the garden and built a rock platform at a height that was convenient for me. I created a platform that was about 5 feet by 5 feet for my oven size.
Glass bottles are laid on the floor of the oven to create insulation on the floor of the oven. The bottles are laid out uniformly, leaving gaps between the bottles. We had some beer bottles left from a recent party, and we decided to use them. Fill the space between the bottles with insulation mix and create a smooth and level surface. Wait until this layer is dry enough to hold its shape before proceeding.
The next layer should be 4-5 inches high. It is a layer of thermal mix that is surrounded by insulation along the edges. I laid fire tiles over this surface to have a smooth and clean oven floor.
It is now time to design the size and shape of the oven cavity and door. I chose an oblong dome, with an arched door in the front. Mix sand with a little water and shape a dome which would be in the shape of the oven cavity. Cover the dome with slightly damp newspaper.
Cut the sheet metal or the wood to the shape you would like for the oven door. Place this against your sand dome. Use bricks to make a doorway around it to match the shape. The sand dome and the door together represent the cavity that would be available inside the oven, and we now need to build the oven around this space.
Related: DIY Year Round Self-Sustaining Garden
Use the thermal mix to build the retaining wall of the oven. Work in circles starting from the floor and slowly cover the entire shape including doorway. If you have built an arch, make sure you pack the gaps between the bricks with this thermal mix.
Once this clay is dry enough to hold it shape, you can take out the door and the sand that is inside the oven. Use your hand and dig out the sand carefully, stop when you can feel the newspaper. You do not need to worry about pulling out the newspaper as it will burn away when the oven is in use.
Your oven is ready, now we just need to make it a little more efficient: cover the walls of the oven with a layer of insulation to make sure heat does not escape to the surroundings. Once the insulation is dry, you can plaster the oven for a smooth finish, according to the materials and aesthetic that you prefer.
Using a wood-fired mud oven requires you to learn how to use it well.
This project taught me how to build a good fire. It is important to burn a strong fire in the oven for 2-3 hours to make sure the thermal mix has heated up and is holding enough heat before you can use the oven for baking.
With time you will learn how much wood you need to burn, and how to strategically use the oven cavity so that it heats up quickly and efficiently.
Much like sourdough bread, nature plays a role here as well. I learnt how to identify dry and dead wood that I always collect when I go on local walks and hikes. Time is the catalyst here too, rushing the baking process never pays off.
Using a mud oven is about being in the state of mind to adapt to local conditions, being patient enough to allow the oven to be ready for baking and learning how to enjoy the company around you while you wait.
It is a worthwhile investment of labor and time, for it has left me with years of joyful usage since I first built it.
You may also like:
Are You A Community Member Or A Lone Wolf? | https://selfsufficientprojects.com/how-to-build-an-outdoor-mud-oven/ |
Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s plans for restoration of 72 Sycamore Street and construction of an addition on a vacant parcel to the west will be reviewed by the Preservation Board on Thursday. Under plans prepared by Flynn Battaglia Architects, the existing building at 72 Sycamore will contain four affordable apartments on the first through third floors and workshop space for Preservation Buffalo Niagara on the lower level. The addition at 68 Sycamore will contain two affordable apartments on the second level and office space for Heart of the City Neighborhoods, a non-profit neighborhood development organization. An elevator will be located between the two buildings and will serve both.
72 Sycamore is listed on the State Register of Historic Places and a National Register listing is pending. The proposed project will utilize funding from the NYS Office of Homes & Community Renewal as well as state and federal historic tax credits.
Project details from the Preservation Board application:
72 Sycamore will be rehabilitated at the exterior and interior. All work will be performed according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties, latest edition. Exterior work will include:
- Repointing and limited rebuilding of exterior brickwork where required at all elevations. The strength of existing bricks will be tested prior to work and the historically-appropriate mortar type selected.
- The strength of the existing brick at the front façade below the existing paint layers will be tested and if determined to be able to withstand general weathering, the existing paint layers will be removed and the original brick exposed. Paint removal will be undertaken using the gentlest effective means. If the brick is found to be too soft to withstand general weathering, the brick will be repainted.
- The existing windows are recent vinyl replacements. These will be replaced with new aluminum-clad wood windows. The sash will have a 6-over-6 muntin pattern consistent with the Federal architectural style of the building.
- The existing low-slope roofing will be removed to the wood deck, the deck repaired, and new insulation and EPDM installed. The simple wood cornice at the top of the front façade will be repaired or replaced in kind.
- The existing deteriorated wood front stair will be removed and a new more ornamental masonry stair will be constructed, with a design derived from rowhouses elsewhere in Buffalo and the Northeastern US.
- The existing paired hollow metal front doors will be removed and new historically-appropriate doors will be installed filling the full 8 foot height of the original opening at this location.
- The existing cast iron storefront at the lower level will be rehabilitated, the existing infill will be removed and new glass will be installed, and the existing concrete stair leading down to it will be repaired.
- Existing ivy will be removed from the side and rear walls.
Addition Overview and Materials
A new two-story addition will be constructed at 68 Sycamore, connected internally to the existing building at #72. The materials of the addition are intended to be durable to create a building that will contributing positively to the city’s long-term urban fabric rather than be a source of planned obsolescence.
An elevator tower will be located at the front façade between the two primary facades, set back approximately 3 feet. The elevator tower will be constructed of CMU and covered in a large public art mural facing Sycamore Street.
The front façade of the addition will be faced in cast stone with a glass storefront at the first floor and stucco at the second floor with deeply inset one-over-one aluminum-clad wood double-hung windows of the same type planned for the existing building. The first floor glass storefront will be constructed of a mix of contemporary aluminum frames and salvaged metal and/or wood frames. Several of the second floor windows will be accented with Juliet balconies. A canopy faced in metal panels will shade the storefront.
The materials of the front façade return one bay onto the west façade. The remainder of the west façade will have a cast stone water table and be CMU above since it is located on the property line adjacent to a site that could potentially be redeveloped in the future. However, nearly the entirety of the second floor will be covered with a large public art mural to ensure this façade adds color and life to the street.
A passageway extends through the westernmost bay of the addition first floor from the street to the rear patio. An ornamental gate will close off this opening from the street to discourage loitering.
The rear façade facing the back patio will have a cast stone water table, fiber cement planks at the first floor, and stucco at the second floor. A metal and glass storefront will provide access from the first floor commercial space onto the rear patio. The second floor windows will be one-over-one aluminum-clad wood double-hung units. An “extensive” (low maintenance, non-occupiable) green roof will be constructed on the roof of this addition in order to help manage stormwater and contribute to the city’s green infrastructure.
A new rear patio will be constructed behind #68 as shown on the Site Plan, paved with concrete or pavers and including several tree pits and shrub planters. A small rear yard space for use by one of the residential tenants will be constructed behind #72, also paved with concrete or pavers. The tenant rear yard will be divided from the rear patio by a fence and gate.
Pending funding and the necessary permits, the existing deteriorated front sidewalk is also intended to be replaced in-kind with concrete as shown on the Site Plan and including new tree pits, planters, and ornamental street lamps. | https://hocn.org/closer-look-redevelopment-plans-for-68-72-sycamore/ |
Photo Credit: Linda Edge-Dunlap
I was recently given the honor of presenting an artist award for the online exhibition HerStory 2017 Art Exhibition, curated by Renee Phillips, Director of Manhattan Arts International.
The show promotes outstanding women artists, and was on view from April 27, 2017 through June 27, 2017, and featured 63 selected artists.
For my award, the main criteria for me was to select a painting that showed innovative painting techniques and playful experimentation. In addition to this I was seeking work that I felt was visually engaging, using contemporary design, and offered a uniquely personal story, situation or viewpoint. I found all of these in abundance in Donna Gilllispie’s painting Lake View No. 1 shown in full at the top of this article.
I was impressed by the painting’s eye catching and riveting appeal and its epic mural size of four feet by twelve feet. Lake View No. 1 is a satellite view of Table Rock Lake, at the intersection of three rivers, located close to where the artist lives, and a place she frequents. The idea of the lake is imaginatively abstracted, and Donna succeeded in capturing the wide variety of colors she sees at the lake. From the sunsets through the four seasons, the work’s color palette reflects its shifting moods. On the far left are the colors for winter, then moving to the right is spring, summer then fall.
This detail gives us a hint of Donna’s passion and expertise with her use of mediums. Using an incredible range of materials Donna pulls them altogether in a cohesive and rich display. Materials include metal leaf (gold, copper, silver and variegated), watercolor, acrylic paints, gold leaf flakes, wood panels, acrylic gels and mediums, glass beads, paper. Watercolor paper is stretched first then woven to form the visible grid design in this giant painting collage. The two bands of color on the top and bottom are made with rice paper. Elsewhere in the work Donna uses tissue paper with gesso to texturize underneath the leaf. Smooth areas contrast texture, warm contrasts cool, and the woven paper grid expertly mimics the grid of the square leaf pieces, and mosaic use of multiple wood panels. Donna uses Fibonacci number proportions to create the swirl shape of the rivers. This painting is a rich mix of creativity, thought, technique and playful experimentation.
About artist Donna Gillispie
Inspired by a childhood love of painting, Donna obtained a Fine Arts degree from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Since, she has consistently studied the arts through a lifetime of books, museums, and working alongside several nationally known artists. She particularly enjoys studying the Old Masters, with them finding a very effective way to learn about historic procedures, techniques and expressive content. While her paintings are often representational, Donna starts each one with an abstract design pattern. The compositions then evolve instinctively and are essentially arranged by putting together those shapes and designs which are related and connected to each other. She is often drawn to unusual perspectives and imagery. She also feels a painting can be a powerful tool of communication, invoking a plea to the viewer to join her in caring deeply about a subject. The area lakes near her home, have profoundly influenced her recent works, as she celebrates them with the joy of painting through color, form, and texture.
More of Donna’s work
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Bring your visions to life on canvas! From your first brushstroke to your ultimate masterpiece – this course has it all. | https://nancyreyner.com/2017/04/28/special-award-winner-donna-gillispie/ |
Three small stones are carefully bound with red and orange thread to the center of “Hourglass,” a quilt by Elizabeth Talford Scott. They sit atop a yellow snakelike coil, amongst a dark field patterned with purple and red coils with stones bundled to them too. Above and below this field, like guards, are two sets of hourglass shapes, stitched with earthy, floral and paisley designs. Geometric shapes populate the area surrounding the field, which is all reined in by a hot-sun-orange border printed with palm trees. The symbols relate to the artist’s childhood, growing up in a sharecropper family on a South Carolina plantation where her grandparents were born into slavery. One of Elizabeth’s responsibilities as a child was to keep watch over the heated stones that kept pots of stew warm throughout the workday. The clusters of stones in this quilt represent those that conducted heat, but here they also read like worry stones that you’d thumb in meditation or prayer.
For the highly dimensional and textured quilts that Elizabeth Talford Scott, the late mother of Baltimore artist and MacArthur fellow Joyce J. Scott, made later in her life, motifs such as fields, coils, pathways, stones, and hourglasses help tell her life story. Except it’s not so much telling as it is sharing a feeling or mood, a gesture at specific memories.
The everyday materials that Elizabeth transformed to create these works hold potent dual meanings for her life and her family’s reality as formerly enslaved people and laborers, and as enduring, skilled creators, craftspeople, and artists. Buttons and a preponderance of found fabric reference her father who’d bring home those materials on the way home from railroad work; rocks and fields suggest labor, palm trees for the south, stars for escape. Through deep abstraction, Elizabeth drew upon memory to chronicle her family’s story and encoded it in symbols, offering respite and imagination and futurity while engaging the past.
Elizabeth Talford Scott, “Hourglass,” cotton and synthetic ground, cotton and metallic embroidery threads, glass beads, plastic and metal objects, rocks (1984) at the Baltimore Museum of Art (Left: detail)
The two related shows featuring Joyce J. Scott and Elizabeth Talford Scott—Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and Reality, Times Two at Goya Contemporary—highlight this creative lineage with a digestible selection of the prolific artists’ work from the early 1970s to the ‘90s, and of Joyce’s through the present day. They also offer a loose narrative of making something—in community with others, often out of on-hand materials, with excellent craftsmanship—because it needs to exist, because its critical engagement can benefit the world, at least as the first drop in a ripple.
Located in the small Berman Textile Gallery of the BMA’s American Wing, Hitching Their Dreams feels like a coda to the abundance of Reality. But what rings loud to me in both spaces is the artists’ dedication to detail, every stitch and bead intentionally, lovingly secured. It can feel gauche to talk about art and love at the same time—a holdover perhaps of the western-white-supremacist-capitalist art world’s tendency to divide art from culture and craft and life—but in their respective practices, Joyce and Elizabeth Scott have re-emphasized the value of art suffused with devotion and care, and the change that can emerge from that.
Not that the content of these works is particularly tender or soft—in Joyce’s case, it’s often brutal. Typically what sticks to my ribs for days or years after I see her work are the intense images and acts of violence depicted or implied. Joyce is celebrated for her mastery of beading, sewing, and glass-blowing and for her dexterity in creating disturbingly gorgeous pieces of art that challenge white supremacy and racism, sexism, and the other -isms that provoke violence. A common line about her work is that it’s a one-two punch; she draws us in with impeccable craft and colorful, gleaming materials and then, once we’re seduced, the implications of both blatant and covert violence—be it through guns, stereotypes, colorism—become clearer.
Joyce J. Scott, “Inkisi #2,” cast glass; glass, plastic, and clay beads; thread, wood, wire (2011).
(Photo courtesy of the BMA)
But of course, there’s even more to explore; the artist also analyzes the spiritual aspects of the human condition using a mix of religious and cultural iconography. Her “Inkisi #2” (2011), on view at the BMA, references the Kongo peoples’ traditional nkisi or “power figure,” a sacred sculptural object or vessel inhabited by a spirit and used for divination, protection, and healing. Joyce took a found wooden figure (“originally made in Nigeria for export,” the wall text says) and clothed it in a hoopskirt of beads, glass, metal charms and medallions with totemic eyes, hands/fingers, and penises—to see, to work, and to procreate, the artist explained.
Nearby, her “Cobalt Rain” (2011) references Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, protection, and creation. With the assistance of the living-dead skeletons enmeshed with him, Shiva’s blue-beaded arms wrestle with a light-skinned, upside-down figure who has just given birth. The baby, whose dark skin is mostly made of clay, was born into this chaotic cycle, immediately yoked by the red cord snaking the deity’s neck—the cord an extension of the little red devil atop Shiva’s head. Shiva’s lower half disintegrates into a glinting shower of rain which, like the god, can be both generative and destructive.
Install view of Reality, Times Two (Photo courtesy of Goya Contemporary)
Joyce J. Scott, “Gun Woman,” hand-blown Murano glass, beads, thread (2019)
At Goya Contemporary, the show-stealer is Joyce’s “Gun Woman” (2019), a grotesquely gorgeous and loaded warrior made of mustard-yellow hand-blown Murano glass and beads. The woman emerges from a pedestal, holding up a serpentine tube that grapples an orange glass gun aimed off to the side, as if in ceremonious warning. Guns also grow out of her headpiece, both still pointing away from the viewer. But bursting out of her womb is a tangle of more snakelike forms with matchstick fingers on the three guns that this time point out to me, at my gut. “Gun Woman” could be a self-defense deity, a protector for the abused, who are often criminally punished for defending themselves against abusers or state violence. But there are a few more metaphors in these womb-weapons, in the defense mechanisms that develop after abuse, like emotionally armoring oneself for protection, and how unhealed trauma is inherited through generations, its manifestations wide-ranging. I proceed from her with caution.
Elizabeth’s works are imbued with a preternatural balance of high energy and escape, grounding and calm. Among the two shows, most of hers are the oft-cluttered and loud ones that incorporate or imply maps, pathways, fields, and gardens. “Tie Quilt #2” (1991) at Goya is a delirious frenzy of neckties stitched together into irregular rows like a rogue farm, and further adorned with embroidery and buttons. The mostly horizontal rows lead you across the quilt, veering off the edge briefly but then looping down and back around, row by row, like following the weft of woven fabric.
“Flower Garden #1” (1989), on view at the BMA, is similarly wild with intensity, the pearlescent buttons, beads, scraps of velvet and corduroy getting lost amid the circular, musical fracas. With my face a safe six inches from the surface, I spy more palm-sized rocks, this time held carefully in place by plastic netting that grocers sell citrus in, secured to the fabric field like gems set in jewelry. “Plantation” (1980), also at the BMA, sets a calmer pace with its minimal color palette, a white ground patterned with dozens of colorful stars and a complex rhythm of winding roadlike stitches decorating the surface. It references coded maps for escape from slavery: the stars’ positions on the quilt mirroring their placement in the sky, the surface stitching a path to liberation. The sewing needle left pinned to the quilt by the artist implies instruction: the path is undone, ongoing, and mutable.
Elizabeth Talford Scott, “Plantation,” cotton ground, cotton, wool, and synthetic blend appliqué, cotton and silk embroidery threads, metal needle, cotton lining (1980). (Photo courtesy of the BMA)
Growing up poor in the 1920s and ‘30s under the cruel regime of the Jim Crow south, Elizabeth learned early on how to create out of necessity—and in community. Elizabeth learned how to quilt from her parents; many in her family also quilted. Quilts were made with fabric scraps that one had on hand, and often in groups with family, friends, church members. Elizabeth taught Joyce how to sew when she was a young child too, instilling in her the urgency to create that runs in their family.
One of Joyce’s pieces at Goya pays homage to that relationship and it stands out for its utter difference from the artist’s more elaborate works. “Mother’s Hand” (1997), a sculptural, beaded portrait of the hand, seems small and delicate as it hovers behind a vitrine. At once ghostlike and corporeal, the deep brown beads and lighter toned fingernails offer a lively shimmer, the protruding metacarpals evidence of a busy life. In its stunning modesty, it has the effect of an off-the-cuff sketch or a study, one that captures an essence with a few decisive strokes, despite its complicated peyote-stitch construction. It serves as an intimate portrait of the woman who gave Joyce her life and legacy, and with whom she spent most of her life, in an Upton home/studio for over 50 years, until Elizabeth’s death in 2011. Working side by side was a kind of history-making on its own, infusing both artists’ work with histories and memories, sewn with intention.
This is why the work resonates, and why the mutually influential relationship between the two artists is a worthy subject, a crucial one, not merely a saccharine tale of mother-daughter love. They were, in a way, each other’s foundation: Elizabeth encouraged Joyce to study art, and when Joyce left for grad school in Mexico in the late 1960s, Elizabeth finally picked up her needle and thread again herself after a long hiatus due to work and family. If not for her mother’s encouragement, would Joyce have pursued art? If not for her daughter’s ambitious pursuit, would Elizabeth have started quilting again?
Time wore on, and they worked and pushed, despite an art world that historically has sequestered African American art, craft, culture and tradition, that has not supported the people who create them. Joyce and Mother Scott kept at it—and they are but one pair. It’s time for the art world to catch up.
Install shot at Goya. Left: Elizabeth Talford Scott, “A Person on a Swing,” fabric, thread, yarn, buttons, rocks (1996). Right: Joyce J. Scott, “Swimmer,” yarn, fabric, leather, buttons, thread (c.1976)
Reality, Times Two is on view at Goya Contemporary through July 31, 2019. Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars is on view at the BMA through December 1, 2019.
Photos by author except where otherwise noted.
Featured image: install shot of Reality, Times Two, courtesy of Goya Contemporary. | http://test.bmoreart.com/2019/07/material-dreams-joyce-j-scott-and-elizabeth-talford-scott-at-goya-contemporary-and-the-bma.html |
I assume that many of us have the basic idea of interior design. As what our masters in design mentors have said, we should match items of the same them, color, and more. Therefore, we end up designing our contemporary homes with modern and elegant home décor and furniture pieces and old houses with antiques and the like. However, the Paris Home of Australian born fashion designer Martin Grant shows that even classic homes can be matched flawlessly with contemporary home decors and furniture sets. Martin was able to create an eye-catching contrast of his white painted wall against the dark timber floors. Furniture pieces are a combination of glass, wood, metal, and fabric that went along enough creating an elegant and modern home interior with a contemporary ambiance. | https://www.designspotblog.com/martin-grants-paris-home/ |
Relaxed Beach Vibes in a Kate Stoltz NYC Distressed Kimono Blouse Posted on 13 Aug 06:00 , 8 comments
Going to the beach reminds me that beauty isn't always polished and neat.. sometimes it's distressed, old and weatherbeaten. The beach wood that has been lying in the sun has a different kind of attractiveness than the polished metal, glass and steel of New York City. The value in beach wood is the weathering that has happened over a long period of time...
The Kate Stoltz NYC distressed kimono sleeve blouse hasn't been lying out in the sun like beach wood, but I created it to match the beach mood. I used a light and cool pastel fabric that can be worn on a hot day, or layered on a cooler beach night. | https://www.katestoltz.com/blogs/fashiondesign/relaxed-beach-vibes |
Dustin demonstrates realistic plastic surfaces making the material clean and new and transforming it to a grungy surface.
Like the metal and plastics before, Dustin demonstrates how to apply wood materials to the model.
Creating realistic fabric takes skill and patience. Dustin shows how to encase our model in fabric.
Replicating glass surfaces presents new challenges for Dustin as he attempts to make the model appear as if it is made from clean and grungy glass. | https://learn.proedu.com/packages/intro-to-redshift-render-engine-in-cinema-4d/videos/plastic-material-demo-clean-and-grungy |
Highlights from the educational sessions at IFAI Expo 2012 in Boston.
By Galynn Nordstrom
“Health and well-being in the personal and built environments” was presented by session moderator Marie O’Mahony, professor of advance fashion and textiles, OCAD University, Toronto, Ont., Canada. New fibers such as “memory metal” (plugged into a car battery), technomaterials made of natural substances such as banana fiber or coconut husks, stretch aramids, multiaxial weaving with glass fibers: all share an emphasis on performance, or “stitch as structure.” Designs from nature combine with technology to create wearable fabrics that clean themselves, conduct electricity, transmit images and information, change shape and fight disease. For buildings, textiles also are designed to be functional as well as decorative, serving to enhance acoustics and create more healthful and comfortable indoor environments. Technical textiles are used now not only to create fabric structures, but as integral parts of permanent structures.
Ph.D. candidates Felecia Davis, MIT, and Delia Dumitrescu, Chalmers University, presented “Designing with Heat: Interactive Knitted Tension Structures,” discussing “sentient textiles that create an ambient interface to the environment around us.” Using a tubular weaving machine, with electronic circuits running throughout the fabric, the ultimate idea is to scale up from textiles to buildings.
Integrating textile and architectural design processes through new software design—“Modeling Materiality”—was discussed by Dena Molnar of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. New materials are reshaping what is possible, she noted, and added that the distributor-controlled model of fabric sourcing, as well as traditional fabric looms (automating a traditional process) are putting limits on innovation in the field. Her emphasis is on software that will build the textile from its smallest component out, then simulate the textile in context (3-D), and then use a larger 3-D model for architects that could possibly simulate an entire office. Textile design would become integral to the building, not a secondary application. Molnar envisions manufacturers and architects working together directly for greater innovation and customization, using software that can simulate both adaptive and responsive behaviors for textiles, within the context of full-scale 3-D models.
The final two sessions departed from the planet, and from humanity, in discussing textile technology. MIT Ph.D. candidate Brad Holschuh discussed the development of the mechanical counter-pressure space suit (MCP), as an alternative to stiff, bulky gas pressurization suits. Challenges include: 1) pressure must be uniform everywhere; 2) must accommodate changes in body shape during movement; and 3) wearers must be able to put it on and take it off. Different types of “active materials” are being modeled, such as elastomers and shape memory polymers, such as a nonwoven compressor sheath (activated by electricity or heat) or “coiled actuators,” working like the childhood toy “finger trap.” Data on pressure and mobility are being collected, and tested on robots.
Another MIT Ph.D. candidate, Adam Whiton, wrapped up the morning’s presentations with a discussion of “Sartorial Robotics,” or “social soft-architecture robotics,” their attempts to design humanoid interactive robots. Adding clothing to robots makes them seem more human, Whiton said, and the coverings can be functional (protective) as well as decorative. The move towards softer materials in robots is one attempt to make them seem more expressive, as well as to expand their function. One example of e-textiles, for example, might be to allow robots to match the color of their exterior coverings with those they’re among, to increase their acceptance.
The panel discussion ended with students commenting that doing research with textiles can be hampered due to the industry emphasis on volume, and the rapid protyping involved. There is no doubt, however, that textiles will play an increasing role in a variety of other industries in the future. | https://specialtyfabricsreview.com/2012/12/07/from-building-to-body-current-research-into-interactive-and-technical-textiles/ |
1. Ode to Things – wood, metal, glass, paper, sea shells, poem; 14 x 38 x 5 in.
2. Solitude – wood, paper, cheese crate, found & fabricated objects; 13 x 12 x 6 in.
Rosalie Koldan
An “assemblage” is a work of art made by linking together objects not intended as art materials and establishing a symbolic meaning. When wood is worn or split, metal is rusted or bent, when fabric is soiled or torn, newspaper print is faded, they gain a character which unmarked materials lack. When an object can be identified, more specific associations can be made. Matter that surrounds us every day is made to be more visible. With every work of art comes a duality of matter and spirit, making the integrity of the arrangements thought provoking and evocative. | https://womanmade.org/artwork/rosalie-koldan/ |
lights, shadows, lines, curves, dimensions ...........
.wood, metal, needle, plastic ,resin ,thread, glue, fabric ....................
My experience with materials , such as the ones listed above , gives me the ability required to visually present feelings and emotions through the transformation of daily objects into new ones that attribute them a new use and appearance.
I've gained the skills to use different mediums by working hard with other industry professionals while learning all the techniques utilised .
Continuing on this path of flexible creativity will give me the opportunity to show my passion in a visual form . | https://r3arda.wixsite.com/rami-arda |
This Romanian restaurant takes inspiration from traditional Transylvanian cuisine and presents it in a hip environment to meet the desires of the modern consumer. Located in Cluj-Napoca, the vibrant folk art-inspired eatery uses a mix of materials including baked clay, metal and wood to create a space that feels rustic yet contemporary.
The space is characterized by the wide number of decorative accents such as furniture pieces picked up at flea markets that infuse the space with homespun familiarity that guests will appreciate. The experience may feel like guests are dining in a sprawling summertime estate enjoying home cooking and soaking up the sun. The space benefits from floor-to-ceiling windows that illuminate the entire restaurant with a rich supply of natural light. | https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transylvanian-cuisine |
The different built extensions derived from the evolution of the household, which during the time has matured several needs of the five children for the use of the house.
The central focus, which was first built by the design of another architect, was revitalized and changed trough the gradual integration of new buildings, used for residence of the bigger children of the family, for the opening spaces of the living area, for the gym for home use with wellness area with indoor pool, for place to study, reading and compilation of scientific texts, and on the west side for various areas of service for the management of the large outdoor area and for the place of reception of the custody personnel.
The real project challenge has therefore developed on the control of a large complex, characterized by the sophisticated articulation of the connecting paths and by the construction carried out for successive time.
The design of the project volume followed an accurate study of the places and the client’s needs, pursuing formal and plastic continuity objectives. This goal was achieved through an appropriate control of heights, of the trend and orientation of coverage, of the use of natural light, making a progressive dimensioning of the solids and voids, thanks to the massive presence of arcades, typical of the countryside, and of terraces for access to the rooftop.
The architectural project made a skilful and calibrated use of building materials, aimed to the mitigating volume and to their inclusion in the adjacent agricultural area. The first part of the complex is characterized by the use of traditional materials, as the “coccio pesto” plaster, the wood, the brick tiles on the roof. These materials on the north area of the house are replaced by the extensive use of glass and metal, wanting to ensure a sweeter insertion in the countryside.
The defined masterplan makes clear the recourse to inner and secure courts, like counterpoint elements between buildings and at the same time opportunity connects visually between blocks, they become the place of meditation and the contemplation of the green and of the architecture.
The presence of the natural green, always of native essence, is use as an enhancement element of the buildings and to give greater well-being to the inhabitants.
The project aims to give back to the observer the picture of a modern country house, functional to the modern residence in this context, respecting its architectural and environment peculiarities. | https://divisare.com/projects/439657-iscattolin-marco-zanta-casa-conte |
The idea of a self-contained, mobile, live/work artist's studio originated in 2006 while preparing for an exhibition at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans. I wished for the ability to transport my studio from New York City to New Orleans for a period of several months, so that I could immerse myself in the culture and conditions of the damaged city, and create work in response.
My experience of post-Katrina New Orleans made apparent the need for such a mobile structure to house displaced artists or enable visiting visual artists to engage with environments which have undergone disasters or are in a state of emergency. In the tradition of "combat artists" who went to war armed with paint and brushes, the Emergency Response Studio will allow artists to "embed" themselves in situations and respond creatively to unfolding events. The ability of the visual arts to aid in the understanding and transformation of such settings is the impetus for the Emergency Response Studio project: I believe we ought to consider deploying artists as part of the mix of disaster workers, medical personal, NGO's, architects and urban planners those people charged with responding to, repairing and re-envisioning disaster sites like New Orleans.
After Hurricane Katrina, the "FEMA Trailer" entered America's collective conscious, generally, with very depressing associations. This project re-purposes a used, 30' Gulfstream Cavalier travel trailer, virtually identical to the 50,000 trailers built by Gulfstream for FEMA. Between April and October, 2008, it is being transformed into a visually engaging, sustainably built, mobile, artist's studio. the Emergency Response Studio will be a green, "off-grid," structure, utilizing a sophisticated, photovoltaic solar system and a small wind turbine to generate all the electricity required for lighting, living requirements, and tools. Although the structure's origins will remain recognizable, the project playfully and purposefully deconstructs the template of the FEMA trailer. A large wall section cranks down to become a deck, opening the interior to its environs, and expanding the usable floor-space. A sculptural, stretched fabric awning made from recycled Kevlar sails will shade this deck and possibly collect rainwater. A ten-foot, elliptical, geodesic skylight will provide daylighting and raise headroom in the work area. A thirteen-foot wall section has shed its aluminum siding in favor of clear, twin-wall polycarbonate sheathing. A 35' high aluminum mast tilts up, supporting a "micro" wind turbine. A large battery box is constructed below floor level and covered with a thick lucite floor panel, revealing the 1300 lbs of batteries which store all the power for the structure. A large, roof-top array of solar panels will fold-up to face the sun and charge these big batteries. Sustainable, non-toxic materials replace the formaldehyde-ridden original materials: kitchen cabinetry will be constructed from bamboo-based plywood; flooring will be natural linoleum, made from linseed oil; insulation in ceiling and floors is made from recycled denim; paints and wood finishes are no- or low-VOC; and much of the wood used to re-frame and panel walls is re-used and is sourced from a local building materials recycler.
Symbolically, the structure is expansive, both opening outwardly, and inviting the outside in, becoming a paradigm for the practice of the artists who use it.
While designed as an artist's studio, the Emergency Response Studio can serve as a prototype for self-sufficient, solar-powered mobile housing, and explores the possible application of sustainable materials in the construction of trailers and other forms of temporary housing. The structure could have a wide array of uses, for example, in a disaster area lacking a working power grid, it could provide families or disaster workers with all the necessities of living through clean technologies. Through its use, its inhabitants as well as the people who see it will have an opportunity to understand and utilize a photo-voltaic system and a wind turbine, and to appreciate the place these technologies will have in our future.
During the Prospect .1 New Orleans exhibition, the Emergency Response Studio will be situated initially in the Lower Ninth Ward, where I first imagined having a mobile studio, in the summer of 2006. During the course of the eleven-week exhibition, it will "migrate" to other locations within the city, probably to include the grounds of the New Orleans Museum of Art, Tulane University, and the area around Lee Circle in the Central Business District. The public will be invited to enter and explore the structure, and discuss it with a docent who will help to contextualize and interpret the project.
The presence of the Emergency Response Studio in New Orleans during the fall of 2008 will call attention to the fact that, in many respects, the city remains in a state of emergency. At the same time, it speaks to our potential to imaginatively transform even the least savory aspects of our built environment. It demonstrates the viability of currently available "cleantech" solutions to provide energy and to create healthy, environmentally-friendly housing and work space, and models the application of these technologies in New Orleans and other communities into which it will travel. It suggests that the inventive, non-traditional thinking practiced by visual artists can be an valuable part of the mix as we attempt to heal what is damaged and confront imminent challenges of all sorts. The Emergency Response Studio is a physical manifestation of hope for the future. | http://emergencyresponsestudio.org/project.html |
Regardless of the fact that Olivia herself needed assistance, she was giving aid to another family and even giving the Food Paks she received from us to them first. Olivia did not approach us for additional help. We ultimately found out that she was unemployed and was not receiving any government assistance for her and her four children. Her husband was able to find work out of state and he returns home about once a month to visit his family.
When we first called Olivia she was very surprised to hear from us. We set up a day to visit her at home and to our surprise she was not planning on being helped. She wanted to help us by giving us the contact information for another family she was already serving with the little bit that she had. What an amazing level of selflessness!
56,468 meals were distributed in the Midwest during the third quarter of 2013.
Remember, 100 percent of all donations made to the USANA True Health Foundation ALWAYS go toward changing lives across the world. | https://blog.usanafoundation.org/humanitarian-work/selfless-in-the-midwest/ |
Best Canadian Author and All Around Good Writer
Billie Eilish is a Toronto based author who was once a successful model and became known for her edgy style of writing. Her work has been featured in magazines such as Vogue and Elle, and she has also written articles for major newspapers. Billie’s writing style makes it easy to follow and even difficult to put down.
The first thing that should strike a reader about Eilish’s books is her witty style. She is a strong and independent woman who has never been afraid to voice her opinion and not only that, but to put it into words. Her witty style is backed up by an interesting and often shocking story. However, Eilish has learned that she can’t always be aggressive on the page and sometimes the better course of action is to come across as gentle.
Although Eilish is often quiet and reserved, she has learned that if she lets her feelings show she can be brave and strong. For example, when she describes how her mother died in an accident, the reader will know that Eilish has experienced the true pain of losing a loved one. This can be scary and sudden, but Eilish will make it clear that she has had time to grieve and that by expressing her feelings she can help others do the same.
The most surprising aspect of Eilish’s writing is that although she writes very well, she often tells a story that isn’t really true. However, the reader will never really question whether or not her claims are true as she is quick to let her readers know that they can trust her.
Another powerful aspect of her writing is that despite the wild and outrageous statements, she never overstates them. This also means that she is very adept at balancing one off with another so that the reader can decide for themselves whether or not they believe her stories.
Eilish will often reveal even more information in her books about certain subjects. She has also learned that she can keep readers interested in the details that she reveals about certain incidents without making her life seem convoluted. For example, she mentions in “Two for the Money” that she and her boyfriend once went on a date to an anti-gambling event and that it was their first date together.
However, Eilish eventually revealed to her readers that this date actually happened six months before, when her boyfriend came to visit from the U.S.A. Despite the fact that this information was really shocking, it was easy for her to balance the revelations with telling her readers that they could still trust her and that she had kept her story straightforward.
As a writer, Eilish is undoubtedly one of the best and she seems to make writing her passion. She seems to have a love for writing and although she has a very varied and diverse career, she enjoys every bit of it. | https://www.homeofscience.net/2020/03/29/best-canadian-author-and-all-around-good-writer/ |
Shyanne’s inherent certainty that all behavior makes sense in context, along with believing all people are doing the best that they can with what they have, guided her to the field of systemic therapy. She approaches her work through the integration of narrative, experiential, and humanistic therapy models. She identifies as a postmodern therapist; someone who is passionate about extending compassion to families and individuals who have been influenced by intergenerational patterns, and/or embedded in environments that have not provided them with equitable opportunities to thrive. Shyanne does not believe any one person is the problem, but rather that people have needs, and some have not always been exposed to all available options of getting those needs met. Therefore, people may develop problematic ways of coping, communicating, and expressing emotions. She holds the assumption that your presenting/identified problem has served a purpose of functioning within the system(s) in which they reside. She believes people seek help when established patterns of interaction are no longer sustainable, becoming harmful and/or distressing to oneself or others. She is dedicated to helping build insight into your underlying needs and supporting you in finding alternative mechanisms for getting those needs met. Alternative mechanisms that will fill the role of the problem in a way that is functional, sustainable, and aligned with your values. Shyanne knows that we are all human, we all make mistakes and have an intrinsic desire to grow into becoming the best self that we can be. She holds a deep admiration for people who take the vulnerable and brave step of asking for support around breaking down the barriers to becoming the self they yearn to be and turning towards making necessary changes to increase their opportunity to thrive.
Shyanne believes that no individual or family is the same, nor should they be. With this perception, she keeps an open mind and fosters a warm, accepting environment as she gets to know her clients for the unique and one-of-a-kind humans that they all are. She believes that there is no one way to be a family, parent, child, or partner and that all humans are deserving of respect, care, and space to heal, no matter their background, identity, or belief system. She approaches her work with curiosity and views her role as a collaborator who strives to support change that exists within the guidelines of your value and belief system. She will help you define your own goals, providing you with agency to approach and process change as you work together. As her client, you will be met with unconditional positive regard and hope as she views you through her empathetic, kind, and optimistic lens that is natural to her as a human, and an asset to her as a therapist. Shyanne will sit beside you to facilitate discussion that allows you to guide yourself through insight-building, strength recognition, and identifying the tools you need to remain confident as the author of your own story. In her relational work, she holds the belief that all guardians want the best for their children, and all partners want the best for their loved one(s). She holds the belief that change is most likely to occur when family members and partners come together against the problem rather than continuing to let the problem turn them against each other. She may gently challenge you as she supports you to turn towards change, engaging you as a team to gain mastery and autonomy in a new narrative that includes having the ability to bounce back, love yourself, and maintain connection through the inevitable ups and downs of the various life stages and changes that have yet to be written.
Shyanne received her master’s degree in Couples and Family Therapy from the University of Oregon. She has experience working with individuals, couples, families, and facilitating therapeutic groups. She has provided treatment to clients struggling with eating disorders, body dysmorphia/dysphoria, PTSD, depression, anxiety, autism, OCD, substance use, and grief. Prior to Family Roots, Shyanne worked in residential eating disorder treatment, as an ABA behavioral therapist, and as a grief/bereavement counselor. She has thoroughly enjoyed engaging family members in their loved one’s treatment and found fulfillment through providing parent coaching. She loves to play and is recharged through time spent with kids. She is excited to engage kids in play therapy utilizing art, games, and sand tray activities. Shyanne is always excited to learn, grow, and develop meaningful connections with her clients. Outside of her role as a therapist, Shyanne loves spending time outdoors, camping, fishing, hiking, and kayaking. She enjoys crafting, making candles, laughing at the comedy club, vegging out with snacks and a good psychological thriller, and spending time with her partner and the new addition to the family, their doggy Roscoe. | https://familyrootstherapy.com/project/shyanne-young/ |
whether it being disguising gender, true feelings or beliefs.
We never no the real to why Viola chose to disguise her gender. We
must assume that she wants to conceal her identity until she has
gathered enough information about where she is and maybe feels safer
dressed as a boy. He is resourceful and does not take pity on herself,
despite the fact she thinks she has lost her brother she quickly moves
on and tries to make do with the situation.
Her brother describes her as "beautiful with a mind that envy could
not call for." Sebastian is expressing that she is beautiful yet
clever and level-headed. Her eloquence and integrity in which she
conducts herself catches Olivia's attention, resulting into some
seriously difficult situations.
Viola is also selfless, accepting fate and the limitations it places
upon her. She knew she had fallen in love with Duke Orsino and had the
perfect opportunity to come clean and express how she felt when he
asked her about what she thought women should be like. She did not lie
to him nor did she tell him the truth her ability to manipulate
language saved her from revealing her true identity. She even subtly
hinted to the Duke how she felt but her clever language technique made
it ambiguous.
She is also very aware of where she stands in many situations. When
she realises Olivia has fallen in love with her and that she is caught
up in a love triangle, she knows there is little she can do, saying: "
O time thou must untangle this, not I!/ It is too hard a knot for me
to untie." She admits it is out of her depth.
Until her twin displays the same quality, Viola is the only character
to be constant and unshakeable in the object of her love. She has
remained faithful into longing for Duke Orsino even though he is
clearly infatuated with Olivia.
Twin of Viola, Sebastian has a high noble status but appears on stage
very little until the final Act. The purpose of Sebastian is to foil
the misunderstandings in the plot.
"Provident in peril," Sebastian shares many of his qualities in
addition to their physical similarities.
Like Orsino, Sebastian is quick to respond to a beautiful woman. He
develops affection for Olivia without reservation although he knows
something is odd I the way she was rushing things to claim him before
he changes his mind.
At the beginning of the play he thought he had lost his sister, but by
the end of the play he finds his sister and gains a wife- with minimum
effort.
His character is largely defined by the way it mirrors that of his
sisters; whom we get to know quite well and have a great deal of
respect for.
... | https://brightkite.com/essay-on/characters-of-twelfth-night-by-william-shakespeare |
Addison gets roped into traveling overseas with her brother and his picky billionaire boss. It’s a world she doesn’t understand but she tries her hardest to help, if only to save her brother’s job. But clashing with the billionaire is no vacation, until he starts to learn from Addison that his arrogant behavior can change and not define him. With his change of heart and admiration towards Addison, she can’t help but see the good in him, leading both to see a possibility of true love.
Runtime:
93 min.
Starring Sashleigha Hightower, Chris Reid, Tanner Gillman
Destined at Christmas
Kim and Theo meet in the midst of Black Friday shopping madness but there’s a definite spark between them. When a power outage causes some panic at a store, the couple gets separated. With Christmas coming, there should be plenty of distractions but neither Kim nor Theo can forget the other. Both yearn to find each other but how with so little information to go on? It’ll take a little Christmas magic and destiny to bring them back together.
Runtime:
86 min.
Starring Shae Robins, Casey Elliott, Eve Elliott, Weixin Le
Love's Portrait
Lily, a museum curator, discovers a painting that looks just like her and is sent to find where the painting came from and who painted it. She tracks the painting down to the post office it was sent from in Ireland. There she meets William and Saoirse, a brother-sister duo who run the post, and who offer her help and friendship on her quest. But William knows more than he's letting on. Will he reveal what he knows if it risks his growing relationship--and mutual love--with Lily?
Runtime:
92 min.
Starring Aubrey Reynolds, Richard McWilliams, Kathryn McKiernan
Taste of Tuscany
April is an uptight health-chef guru on the verge of notoriety, but her brand of cooking is failing. Despite her assurances healthy is tasty, those who have tried her recipes disagree. Her cookbook publisher is thinking about dropping her. Unwilling to give up on her hard work and career, April vows to reinvent herself. She goes to Italy to learn how to incorporate the country’s notorious rich culture of food in her own recipes. There, she meets Rob, a brilliant chef hoping to open his own restaurant someday. Between Rob and the Italian cuisine, April finds new joy and freedom in life and cooking—and also love. It allows her to see what she’s been missing. With that, she discovers she needs to start living and enjoying life to bring out its best flavors.
Runtime:
85 minutes
Starring Laura Mitchell, Brad Johnson, Scott Christopher
My One True Love
Everything is perfect in Ali’s life until a fortune teller tells her she’ll lose her job, be forced to move apartments, and find true love with a man named John. Ali can’t ignore it after the first two fortunes come true. Her dear friends help find all the men named John that they can, but Ali finds herself drawn to a charming paramedic fireman. But since his name isn’t John, Ali struggles to accept her “future” when her heart yearns for the paramedic.
Runtime:
93 minutes
Starring Andriana Manfredi, Ross Jirgl, Shae Robins
Love in Aruba
At the end of a school year, teacher Amber meets Connor, a single-dad searching for a tutor and nanny for his daughter, Macey. Amber joins Connor overseas in Aruba, watching over Macey while he focuses on work. Connor isn’t used to having a woman in the house again, but Amber’s sincerity and kindness help bridge their awkwardness and bring the family together.
Runtime:
90 minutes
Starring Sashleigha Brady, David Shawn McConnell, Scarlett Hazen, Danor Gerald
Identical Love
After being left at the altar, Dr. Charlotte Hudson needs to escape life at home. She signs up to volunteer on a health clinic in a tropical country. But her plans of escaping are thrown off when she comes across her former fiancé’s twin brother, Seth (a dentist), who is also volunteering with the clinic. As they spend time together, Seth falls in love with Charlotte, but she struggles to let go of seeing her fiancé every time she looks at Seth. The island romance will help her break free from the past and love Seth for who he is.
Runtime:
Approx. 90 min.
Starring Shae Robins, Mason D. Davis, Shona Kay, Scott Christopher
Stalked in Paradise
Olivia and her videographer husband Dawson have moved to a beautiful island country to pursue their careers: Dawson takes beautiful stock photos and videos of Olivia, which she puts on stock footage sites to supplement their living. But Olivia's exposure online leaves her vulnerable to the attention of a stalker who is disillusioned into thinking they have a life together based on the videos and photos she's put on the stock sites. When her stalker confronts her and discovers she has a husband, he acts out, injuring Dawson. Determined to make the illusion of his life with Olivia a reality, the stalker pursues her, forcing Olivia to fight back and keep her husband safe from the stalker too.
Premiered on Lifetime Movie Network
Runtime:
90 minutes
Starring Chelsie Hightower, Channon Voyce, Mason D. Davis
Copyright © 2022 Candlelight Media Group, Inc. | https://www.candlelightmedia.com/library/featured-new-releases |
Boeck, who hails from Riga, Latvia, originally intended to study physics before coming to the United States to pursue her undergraduate studies. But once she arrived, a natural inclination to the study of images drove her to major in art history. (Her conversion to Byzantine art history came later, during a trip to Istanbul).
Despite what might seem a jarring shift, she insists there are strong parallels between the fields: “In physics, one studies laws which have been made manifest in physical form . . . and the same thing applies to art history. Objects have a created reality, but there are laws and rules and there are structures—the creator’s intellectual processes—which bring them into existence.”
Boeck’s fascination with the hidden origins of images, and her belief that precise ideological structures often stand behind the art that surrounds us, are perhaps not so surprising, given the environment of her youth. “The other side of the story,” Boeck says, matter-of-factly, when explaining her proclivity to art history, “is that I grew up in the Soviet Union; I’ve seen images and the way images are used for political purposes—and one understands how to read these kinds of narratives, and what to do with them.”
Boeck’s approach to the visual is undergirded by a healthy skepticism, a natural corollary to recent trends in Byzantine studies. Although Byzantine culture has long been recognized as a “distorting mirror,” Boeck writes in her 2015 study Imagining the Byzantine Past that “only recently have that mirror’s characteristics started to fascinate as much as its distortions.” Though the positivist fact-mining that dominated manuscript studies in the first half of the twentieth century can still yield useful historical information, Boeck’s work arises from the more subjective sphere of rhetorical nuances and narrative strategies.
As a result, her work can be both precise and expansive, detail-oriented and theoretically minded. In her own words: “I’m an art historian, but I think about myself as doing intellectual history.” In line with this self-assessment, Imagining the Byzantine Past showcases her method of working backward and outward from discrete visual curios to develop a convincing revision of historiographical approaches to Byzantium.
“Byzantinists love the Skylitzes manuscript so much that they don’t want to look at it critically,” she says of one of the central object-studies in Imagining the Byzantine Past. “Because it is so vivid and so rich, it has to be the reality.” And yet Boeck concludes that the Skylitzes manuscript, commissioned by Roger II of Sicily in the mid-twelfth century, is in fact a purposive construct, designed in opposition to the Byzantine cultural model.
Setting the Skylitzes manuscript against another, more laudatory manuscript—an adaptation of the Manasses chronicle, produced for Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria in the mid-fourteenth century—Imagining the Byzantine Past attempts to display the deliberate and exploitative nature of both works. One is valedictory, one denunciative; one aims to condemn, the other to incorporate—and yet, as Boeck insists, both are suffused with a creative energy, both fundamentally aware of the power to be gained in co-opting history: “They take the foundation—the texts—and they completely transform them.”
Disjunction—between image and text, between truth and narrative, between cultural centers and their peripheries—orders much of Boeck’s scholarship. At the most particular level, this disjunction is evident in the befuddling images that offer glimpses of obscured ideologies: a saint who should know better raises his robes and exposes himself; an iconoclast, denounced by the accompanying text, appears, improperly haloed; a Virgin figure, holding her child, sprouts, for no obvious reason, a third hand.
But more broadly speaking, these visual oddities offer a portal on conflicting historical frameworks that Boeck has worked tirelessly to unearth and interrogate. “As scholars, we all operate with a sense or set of assumptions . . . we create our own versions of Byzantium, and our own interests drive us,” she says. “When we come across images or objects which defy these cultural assumptions—that’s when people have to articulate what they expect from images.”
Boeck is open about her own expectations, as well as the sympathy for peripheral things that often structures her work. (Imagining the Byzantine Past acknowledges its genesis is owed, in part, to its author’s youthful experiences “on the fringes of a collapsing empire.”) Her theoretical background shines through in her choice of words; the language of obliquity—“decenter,” “othered,” and, of course, “periphery”—reigns when she muses on narratives of Byzantium.
And while, couched in these terms, Boeck’s concerns may seem intimidating, they translate easily into her coming work at Dumbarton Oaks. As Boeck sees it, Byzantine studies today is frequently interested in cross-cultural discussions that in turn reevaluate the very meaning of “Byzantium.” Though Boeck can cede that Byzantium has been consistently “othered” in the past and left out of “standard narratives of history,” it is an observation that is quickly tailed by further questions: “What do we call the center? And how do we define the margins, or the borderlands of Byzantium?”
“A simple example: there are modern-day countries which claim Byzantium as part of their national heritage, so in these countries Byzantium is in some ways written into history—it becomes part of standard textbooks. And people who come to it when it’s not part of their tradition, of course, will focus on other aspects of Byzantium—and so, we get different versions of Byzantium.”
One of the most valuable aspects of Dumbarton Oaks, Boeck acknowledges, is its ability “to get different people with different views of Byzantium together, to get them talking more.” In many ways Boeck’s work can be seen as an effort at disentangling—but in order to disentangle, one first has to recognize there’s a tangle at all. At Dumbarton Oaks, Boeck hopes to continue the healthy confluence of different constructs, narratives, and “assumptions” that abets scholarship of all types. In addition, she’ll aim to maintain the institution’s current spate of programming and fellowships—initiatives that Boeck herself can be thankful for.
Boeck previously spent time at Dumbarton Oaks as a junior fellow in the 2001–2002 academic year, an interval she remembers fondly: “It was such a good environment. You put books all around yourself, and you know Hector provided lunches—so it’s life completely worry-free, and you just write.”
More than a decade later, her office space has increased, though she is still surrounded by books, folders, files. Right now, in between her manifold duties—editing the Dumbarton Oaks Papers, working on budgets, coordinating programming—Boeck is composing a cultural biography of the Column of Justinian, which stood in Constantinople from the sixth to the fifteenth century. She’ll be attempting to prove that the column was the “greatest” monument of Constantinople throughout its long existence. | https://www.doaks.org/newsletter/introducing-elena-boeck |
I'm DELIGHTED to welcome a special guest to the blog today with some SOLID advice on why editing before seeking feedback is so important, along with some tips on how exactly you can do this efficiently and effectively.
Jamie Evans is a freelance fiction editor who loves helping writers develop their craft and prepare their stories for that next step. Previously the in-house editor for a boutique literary agency, Jamie has worked with New York Times bestselling authors and offers a friendly approach to editing.
In her spare time, Jamie enjoys writing, reading, taking hikes with her husband and their dog, and baking banana bread.
The Importance of Self-Editing Your Novel: 3 Tips
Once you’ve finished writing your manuscript, you may be excited to send it out to critique partners for a fresh look. You’re probably looking forward to getting the feedback you’ve wanted since you started the first chapter, or getting questions answered about plot, character development, and more.
But there’s an important step before all of this takes place that you can’t skip. Regardless of the stage at which you currently find yourself—writing your first novel, publishing your third book, or anywhere in between and beyond—you need to self-edit.
What is self-editing?
Self-editing is what it sounds like: it’s the process of editing and polishing your words. You can clean up your sentences, spot typos, and make sure the story flows the way you want it to.
Self-editing does not replace the need for an outside reader, but it’s an essential step to take before sending your piece to that outside reader. This is your golden chance to go back and revise or expand.
By giving your reader or editor a cleaner and more organized version of your book, they’ll have more time to focus on bigger elements and spend less time navigating their way through smaller (but distracting) errors. When you send in a more polished product, it’ll not only reflect well on you, but also help make your story better.
So, how can you successfully self-edit your novel? In this post, I offer three important tips:
1. Take a break.
Taking a break may seem counterintuitive. After all, you’ve been looking forward to querying this manuscript since Day One, or self-publishing it by the holidays. However, taking a break from your manuscript is the number one step to ensuring you come back to it with a fresh perspective.
Here’s how you can structure your break:
Aside from coming back to your manuscript feeling refreshed, you’ll be amazed at what you spot with a fresh look. Be sure to take the needed time away so you can return to your story ready to work!
2. Read your novel on a different device.
After you’ve done your first read-through following your break, wait a few more days and then find another device you can use to read your manuscript. This could be a Kindle, iPad, or other tablet. Or, if you’re so inclined, print it out—though this won’t be as environmentally friendly!
You’ll be amazed at what you spot. Just switching up the way in which you read your manuscript will help you find errors or awkward wording, and can even help you approach your storyline from an entirely new direction.
Take a break from Word or Scrivener (both of which are wonderful tools, to say the least), and use a new lens to read your words. From there, you’ll be on your way to polishing your work as best you can.
3. Read your story aloud to yourself.
This last step may seem a bit odd, but going through your piece and reading it aloud to yourself can make a huge difference in the quality of the story. (Make sure you have a few extra hours and some water handy!)
By reading your work aloud to yourself, you can:
Though this step takes a more technical approach to your writing, it’s a great way to clean up the text itself and spot errors you may not have otherwise found. After all, if your work doesn’t sound the way you want it to, that’s an indication that it won’t sound right to your readers, either.
In Conclusion...
Don’t send your very first draft to a critique partner or professional editor. While having a new, fresh set of eyes on your finished manuscript is essential, giving your reader a more polished piece will help make the most of their time (and yours). Good luck!
My beautiful friend Samantha is having a sale of her beautiful books and you should all go buy them
and read her beautiful words.
That is all.
SC Alban was born and raised in Northern California. She graduated from university, where she majored in English literature. Her adult contemporary fantasy books, The Strega Series, will be published through Foster Embry Publishing.
She is currently working as an assistant editor for the boutique publisher, Lakewater Press, out of Queensland, Australia. During her time there, she’s had her hands in various projects from slush pile reader, to assisting acquisitions, to producing book trailers, to working with the social media coordinator, to working directly with the editing & development department under the guidance of the editorial director. She also works on staff for Theme Parkology, writing documentaries for the company.
She currently resides in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her family, two cats, and three (terribly) lazy guard dogs, and considers herself pretty darn lucky to live in such an amazing place.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.scalban.wordpress.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/muchasfloras
Facebook: www.facebook.com/s.c.alban
Title: A LIFE WITHOUT LIVING (BOOK ONE IN THE STREGA SERIES)
Author: SC Alban
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Subgenre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Foster Embry Publishing; 2nd edition (2019)
Release Date: May 21, 2019
Format: paperback
Paperback Retail Price: $16.99
Pages: 350
ISBN-10: 173370731X
ISBN-13: 978-1733707312
Format: ebook
EBOOK Price: $4.99
Pages: 337
ASIN: B07QPPGLW1
Publisher Contact information: [email protected]
How long would you wait for true love?
In her past life, he was her true love. In this life, he is her salvation. Kate Martins appears to have it all; a good career, a beautiful home, and an amazing husband. What more could anyone ask for? But when Kate’s recurring nightmares begin to cross over into her waking hours, she discovers her perfect life is not at all what it seems. It isn’t until she meets a mysterious stranger that Kate begins to question who truly she is and where she comes from.
For the past four centuries, Giovanni Rossi has faced the dark powers of the Strega Negri in search of the one woman who can lift his curse of immortality. The problem? His enemy always seems to be one step ahead. Desperate to be free, Gio races against the clock to find his true love. Will he find what he is looking for in Kate, or fail once more and be doomed to another lifetime of loss?
PRAISE FOR A LIFE WITHOUT LIVING . . .
“A Life Without Living by SC Alban is a breathtaking story
of a love that defies time, a love tested by unusual circumstances.”
—Divine Zape for Readers’ Favorite
“A Life Without Living by SC Alban is a fast paced, supernatural roller coaster that starts out running and doesn't stop until the end.”
Sherri Fulmer Moorer for Readers’ Favorite
“This is series material at its finest. I loved, loved, loved this.
It is such a fresh look at an old theme!”
—Lisa McCombs for Readers’ Favorite
“If you enjoy Fantasy and romance you will surly enjoy this story.”
—Marie’s Book Boutique Blog
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Want to guest blog or be interviewed? Got a cover reveal or book coming out?
Get in touch today! | http://www.katejfoster.com/general-blog/archives/12-2019 |
This is how Emel Samioğlu explains her art work to me, the art work she is going to take to Korea in September when she and her colleagues will join the yearly IAPMA Congress, Workshop and exhibition in Seoul. International Association of Paper Making Artists. On another occasion I will separately inform on this very special art form.
“The same applies to our identity which we carry in our genes, the way our people arrived where I now live, my ancestors who came by boat across the wide waters of the Mediterranean, to finally settle on this island. Life in symbols, the net, the boat, the waves of the sea and my father’s belt, that is all included in my artwork. That is the net of my life with the knots destiny has fastened.”
I know of Emel Samioğlu’s philosophy in her art for many years. She has always been fascinated by history, the old goddesses of womanhood and family, the old crafts which are values disappearing with the wind of modern developments, the memories of childhood and the history of her family. It is a must for her to not let the traditions of her country die.
It takes no wonder, she has studied art history besides fine arts in Ankara from 1963 to 1967 at the Gazi University Faculty of Technical Educational School for Girls and later went to London and France for workshops and research. She is always ready to experiment and has joined IAPMA because the use of handmade paper and other natural fabrics in her art work has intrigued her as a painter for many years to find new ways of expressing her philosophy. In many exhibitions, local and international, she has won the respect and admiration for her work. Her interest in the up-keeping of Cypriot traditions and ways of life has taken her on many journeys and left her with many new experiences.
Emel Samioğlu is another one of those artists I have lately been talking about, going to far away countries to represent North Cypriot art and culture. The world is opening up to art, may it open up in other fields as well. | http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=1412871284 |
Up until now, there was little we knew about The Bachelor contestant and self-identified twin, Emily Ferguson other than she was willing to throw her sister under the bus to get a solo shot with Ben Higgins. But this week, Emily told Ben about Olivia's true character, earning her respect among fellow contestants and fans alike. Yes, it was a teary, and melodramatic affair, but we were so happy that someone finally said something.
Right before the rose ceremony (and the horrific cliff hanger that followed), Emily was sitting down with the other women, waiting for her shot to get some alone time with Ben. In the middle of Amanda discussing her kids, Olivia threw some serious shade her way, telling Amanda that she "feels like she's watching an episode of Teen Mom." While Amanda remained cool, calm, and collected, Emily wasn't having it.
"God, that was the most offensive thing in the world," Emily said. "And the fact that she said something like that made my jaw drop to the floor."
That crocodile tears that Olivia managed to squeeze out while apologizing to Amanda was just about it for Emily, and sh*t finally got real. Grabbing Ben, Emily let everything that she had been feeling about Olivia out. Yes, the angry crying was a bit much, but we are all giving her a standing ovation.
"Olivia has just been disrespectful," she told Ben, "and you giving her the rose the other night just made me think if I'm the right one for you."
Luckily, Ben was willing to hear her out, asking her for more details about how she felt disrespected. Naturally, Olivia had to squash the rebellion against her before it truly took root, but the damage was already done. Once Emily finally came forward, Amanda and Jennifer followed suit with stories of how Olivia has disrespected them.
You could practically hear Bachelor Nation cheer from their couches.
Though it's too soon to tell if Ben pulling Olivia aside means that he's taking away her rose and sending her home (gasp!), we can thank Emily for planting the seed in Ben's mind about the game that Olivia is playing. We love Ben after all, and the last thing we want is to see him go home with the most fake girl in the house. | https://www.romper.com/p/emily-told-ben-about-olivia-it-was-the-twins-best-moment-so-far-4935 |
Yesterday Amy Woods gave us some insight into what she did once she got her revision letter for her upcoming Special Edition. Now we get to see what the editor’s intentions were! Here’s Carly Silver’s perspective on the revision process!
Revisions galore!
Hello! It’s Carly Silver checking in again. It’s my pleasure to be back with Amy Woods, my brand-new author for Harlequin Special Edition, to discuss the next step in the publishing process for her debut novel, HIS TEXAS FOREVER FAMILY! This time, we’re on to every author’s favorite part—revisions, revisions, revisions!
When I first read Amy’s submission, then titled HOMETOWN HEALER, it stood out to me instantly from many other manuscripts. Her book had realistic, yet unique, characters, an emotionally compelling storyline, and a sweet romance. Still, there were a few areas which I thought she could work on. As you’ve probably heard a million times, every manuscript, no matter how polished or how experienced the author is, needs to be revised. It’s simply a matter of two—or more—different sets of eyes viewing the same book.
Furthermore, I’ve always been open to discussion about revisions. Just because I offer up a thought about how to improve a book doesn’t mean that the author necessarily has to take it, unless it violates a general rule of the line or the company policy. I enjoy discussing what we—the author and editor team—can do to improve the book.
As an editorial assistant for Harlequin, I try to consider a manuscript in terms of how it fits into our line and the series business as a whole. Is it right for the line to which it was pitched? Does it have the right tone and theme? Does the author’s voice work for the line? In contrast, an author generally—and rightfully so, I might add!—looks at her manuscript differently. It’s a product of her very hard work and months of intensive creative processes; it’s ultimately a child born of the author’s deepest thoughts and concerns. Editors have the utmost respect for the challenges authors face when creating the characters, settings, and story for a novel.
So, when we suggest revisions, it’s not a sign that a manuscript isn’t good or that an author didn’t work hard on it. If anything, it’s the opposite. Receiving revision suggestions means you’ve got a solid product that fits the guidelines of what we’re looking to publish. While working with Amy, I wanted to suggest ways she could modify her book to make it even more appealing to readers. At the end of the day, both author and editor are working towards the same goal—for the writer to deliver the best story she possibly can.
One element that I suggested Amy consider for HIS TEXAS FOREVER FAMILY was the hero and heroine’s romance, much of which seemed to take place off-screen. The truth was, I’d fallen in love with them so much that I wanted to see more on-screen! By seeing how Paige and Liam bond, a reader could not only better understand the dynamics of their relationship, but also become even more immersed in the story as a whole.
Another aspect I brought up was expanding the back story of the town in which the story took place. Amy hit the nail on the head by placing her story in a small town in Texas, but I wanted to know even more about it—the quirky characters who peppered the population, the local haunts, favorite restaurants, etc. I wanted to eat, sleep, and breathe Peach Leaf, Texas, as much as our hero and heroine did.
Amy took my revision suggestions and incorporated them into her revised manuscript. I truly appreciated her professionalism regarding my ideas—I can only imagine how difficult it must be to hear someone critique your manuscript. I recently received the final manuscript of HIS TEXAS FOREVER FAMILY, and Amy did a fantastic job of taking my suggestions and incorporating them into her revised version. I feel like I know Liam and Paige so much better than before and, if anything, I now want to travel to Peach Leaf to hang out with them!
Be sure to watch out for HIS TEXAS FOREVER FAMILY, coming from Harlequin Special Edition in September. I know it will be a fantastic asset to our line.
Thank you, Carly, for this input! Editors truly do view themselves as your “first readers” and want to make sure the things that stop us or bring us out of the story are addressed. But it is a dialogue between editor and author to figure out just how to do that!
Don’t forget to check out Amy on her website or on Twitter, where she is @AmyWoodsBooks. Her editor is @CarlyASilver on Twitter. And the Harlequin Community has some additional advice on revisions.
Good luck! | https://www.writeforharlequin.com/an-editors-take-on-the-revision-process/?doing_wp_cron=1638679080.7337539196014404296875 |
After falling quick on degree two of the Grand Final run, Olivia Vivian’s time on Australian Ninja Warrior 2022 came to a shock end.
Olivia was just certainly one of 3 girls competing inside the Grand Final. She splashed out on the primary impediment inside the 2d degree, but used her Semi Final benefit to run the course again.
But she once more splashed out inside the specific equal spot as her first run, finishing her Ninja season.
The six-time Grand Finalist took to Instagram to mirror on her time on Australian Ninja Warrior 2022.
“When you fall and recognize you have an additional lifestyles VS while you fall AGAIN and recognize the season is over,” she captioned two pix of herself on the course.
“We are not paid contestants on a TV show. This path is actual, the athletes are actual and the emotions are real and regularly in reality hard to technique inside the moment.”
Olivia opened up approximately how she felt after failing to finish the Grand Final course.
“This night fractured my self assurance, rattled my self notion and all over again left me feeling like I’d allow all the ladies down,” the submit persisted.
“I realize those are all mind and feelings I construe in my thoughts, and they’ll no longer be truth – however to me they sense actual.”
Despite a disappointing final results, Olivia became capable of find the silver lining.
“Since filming this season, I’ve had the time to process it all and are available back to gratitude for all that I even have and this show presents,” she wrote.
“I’m fortunate I get the possibility to compete along the nice within the nation, and for this platform to inspire others to get lower back up, attempt something new and triumph over limitations that life throws at us all.”
Olivia additionally made a unique mention of her Grand Final competitor Luke Schmitzer. Although she beat him, Olivia commended the 16-yr-old’s efforts.
“Congratulations to Luke Schmitzer for an great debut season and thanks for making me paintings for that warped wall! I’m excited and terrified to see how exact you’ll be in a single years time,” she wrote.
With her personal chances of triumphing the Grand Final over, Olivia has became her cognizance to her accomplice and fellow Ninja superstar Ben Polson, who is nevertheless inside the running to claim the identify.
“Now it is time to cheer for Ben Polson and wish he can bring home the bacon and go on that holiday he is been promising considering that 2020,” Olivia concluded her post.
Fellow lady competitor Celeste Dixion – who has additionally seemed on every season of Australian Ninja Warrior – had not anything however words of encouragement for Olivia.
“There is a lot love and admiration for you NO MATTER whether or not you prevail or fall, always keep in mind that,” Celeste commented.
“Congratulations on being the FURTHEST FASTEST FEMALE in Australia.”
Fans flooded the comment section with assist for Olivia.
“You should never let us down Olivia, your dedication and ardour is what we like, and is what inspired us, Not just the stop result. We love you so much!!,” one fan commented.
“You did so properly, and all of Australia is proud of you!” some other wrote. | https://todaygovtjobnews.com/ustralian-ninja-warrior-star-olivia-vivian/ |
Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLeanMy rating: 5 of 5 starsA fantastic story spanning thirty years of secrets. love, and loss.
1990: Olivia Hamilton's husband, Dean, a private pilot, disappeared one night, plane and all, on his way back to Miami as he flew through the notorious Bermuda Triangle. No trace was ever found, no explanation ever forthcoming, and he was finally deemed lost at sea and a death certificate issued. But the uncertainty, the not knowing, continued to haunt Olivia for the rest of her days.
1986: Up-and-coming particle physicist Melanie Brown was successfully navigating her Ph.D. program at Columbia and working on a groundbreaking dissertation on the mysterious Bermuda Triangle when her mother was tragically killed during a tornado back home in Oklahoma. Guilt, self-doubt, memories of a poor childhood, and the impact of her past, along with liberal amounts of alcohol, lands Melanie in dangerous territory, mentally and emotionally, and her committee chair recommends she get some professional help. But a forbidden relationship with her therapist sends her spirally out of control.
2017: An inevitable discovery and technological advancements link these two women together and focus attention once again on Dean's long-ago disappearance.
What an incredibly compelling story! I was immediately invested in the lives of these three people, Olivia, Dean, and Melanie. They were bound together by the past and secrets built upon secrets, with the Bermuda Triangle's tantalizing reputation looming over it all. I was completely absorbed in getting to the bottom of the unexplained mystery of Dean's disappearance.
Olivia begins the story upbeat and optimistic and remains until the end, even when her world is falling apart. When she becomes absorbed in her own search for answers, she maintains enough clear-headedness to know when to move on and live life again. I loved how she realized she'd treated her former boyfriend poorly and took great pains to avoid doing it again, consciously opening up to him about her thoughts and fears regarding Dean. I loved her honorableness, and I loved their relationship.
As for Dean and Melanie, both were deeply damaged from their childhoods. He was doing pretty well but couldn't let go of the past, continuing to hide his background from everyone. But the effect of this was so subtly revealed that even with his voice delivering part of the story's narrative, I was surprised by his decisions.
Melanie's gradual collapse was much more apparent. We have her voice as well as Dean's, providing a running commentary of her mental state. She seems like such a nice, intelligent, and engaging young woman until the therapy and her past take their toll.
I enjoyed how the author used the two timelines to set up the starting points for the book and advanced the story over a 30-plus-year timeframe. I appreciated the story's development of Olivia's two marriages and the feeling of her life moving forward normally and successfully after losing Dean. The Olivia that opens the book is essentially the same Olivia at the end but with the wisdom of a life well-lived. I couldn't have asked for a better resolution to this book either.
I wholeheartedly recommend BEYOND THE MOONLIT SEA to readers who have read and enjoyed this author's previous work and those who like general fiction with dual timelines and a setting from the 1980s to the late 2010s.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author. | https://grandprairie.bubblelife.com/community/boys_mom_reads/library/355741870/key/355248692/Fantastic_two-timeline_tale_of_love_loss_secrets_and_the_mystery_of_the_Bermuda_Triangle |
A bestselling author is facing allegations that he fabricated his book. Who should we believe?
New York Times bestselling memoir Three Cups of Tea is the charming tale of “the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” according to the book’s synopsis.
“By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world — one school at a time.”
However, a new investigation by 60 Minutes alleges that Mortenson fabricated parts of the book.
“It’s a beautiful story and it’s a lie,” author Jon Krakauer told CBS. He was a supporter of Mortenson’s charities until he began to question the financial aspects of his charities.
“Let’s be clear. He has done a lot of good. He has helped thousands of students in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Krakauer said. However, not everything adds up.
Now, Mortenson admitted in an interview with Outside magazine that parts of his story were streamlined, thanks to his co-author David Oliver Relin.
Mortenson said that Relin would combine two or three trips to the regions “into one trip.” Mortenson added, “I would squawk about it and be told it would all work out.”
“So you’re saying you were new to the process, busy, and you were naive about how nonfiction is written. And they were sometimes saying, ‘Let’s tell it this way, it’s better?'” the magazine asked in the interview.
“Yes, definitely,” Mortenson answered. “I was also overseas a lot, in Afghanistan — we had been really launching there since 2000. When I was there, David would read the manuscript to me over the phone, and so forth.”
Mortenson claimed to even raise questions about the book when he read the finished product.
“Yeah. Especially in regards to the timing. Like, you know, you went there three times, twice you went there in the fall, so let’s just make it one fall trip. At the end of the book, I took three trips up to northern Afghanistan, over about a year and a half. Those were synthesized into one trip,” Mortenson said.
Now, Mortenson’s publisher — Viking — said they will launch an intense investigation into the claims.
Mortenson is hardly the first author to be accused of fabrication in their works. Author James Frey was famously blasted by Oprah after fabrication rumors came to light. Frey later admitted that he took considerable artistic license with A Million Little Pieces.
Harvard University student Kaavya Viswanathan was heralded as the next big thing in literature when she came out with How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life in 2006. However, she later admitted she lifted passages from author Megan F. McCafferty’s novels Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings.
How will the investigation work out for Mortenson and Three Cups of Tea? Not sure, but it’s not looking too good for him now. | https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/828877/three-cups-of-tea-author-accused-of-fabricating-memoir/ |
The Museum With No Frontiers curators proved their claim that “Umayyad art is a combination of decorative styles and motifs drawn from different artistic traditions.” All of the chosen art and architecture display multi-cultural artistry from the many nations under Islamic rule. The Umayyad Caliphate was founded under a caliph in 661 AD. Its capitol, the center of the Muslim Empire in what is now modern day Syria, was Damascus. In total, it’s power stretched from Northeast Africa to Spain to Asia. The curators of the exhibit describe Ummayad art as “striking and vibrant[ly] eclec[tic]” because of all of its cultural influences. Umayyad art and architecture features designs from the Sassanian and Byzantine Empires and the Coptic age (Christianity being introduced into Egypt in 1 AD). Many of the motifs and architectural styles are a continuation of designs from the Late Antiquity period.
The Dome of the Rock (Hegira 72 / AD 691) was created in light of Byzantine architecture and mosaics. It is an Islamic monument, its walls decorated with ancient calligraphic texts from the Qur’an in kufic script. However, the architecture is derived from Byzantium styles, with a large dome and octagonal structure, much like the San Vitale in Italy, a church built in the Late Antiquity. The designs of the mosaic patterns have a more Sassanian influence in its lavish vegetal, spiraling patterns. Two carved limestone blocks (Hegira 2nd century / AD 8th century) from the palace complex of al-Qastal aptly demonstrate the stone-carved geometric and vegetal motifs also seen in Byzantine Empire. Decorative stone with stylized scrollwork and pomegranates (Around Hegira 86–96 / AD 705–15) also incorporates stylized plants motifs into the stone.
In the 2nd/8th century, because the caliph failed to conquer Constantinople, the Ummayads began to focus more on Sassanian (Iranian) motifs. The Sassanian Empire were know for their court culture, so the Floor Painting featuring a hunt is reflective of their obsession with court life and royalty. Created in Hegira 109 / AD 727, this painting depicts a hunting scene with musicians. The image of royals hunting depicts life in the Islamic court, as hunting served as practice warfare for royalty. Such paintings were a peek into the pastimes and hobbies of royalty, a rare privilege for common people to view. In both the Sassanian and Umayyad cultures, these works were used to decorate palaces.
Christian communities remained prosperous even under Islamic rule. They were generally accepted by Muslims, as the Koran directed tolerance, especially since both Islam and Christianity were monotheistic religions. Christian artisans created art for both religious and secular use. Thus, many Umayyad artifacts feature Christian imagery. Churches of the era were famous for their beautiful floor mosaics. For example, the Church of the Virgin Mary’s mosaic floor includes an inscription in the Greek language. This may suggest that the Christian Ummayads may have continued to speak Greek, even while Muslims spoke farsi. The decoration of the mosaic floor has geometric and floral motifs, but the inscription reads that an icon of the Virgin Mary once existed in the apse of the church. Again, mosaics are a Greek and Byzantine influence. As a multicultural empire, the Ummayad took inspiration from varying civilizations to create a decorative canon that blended a plethora of nations into one. | https://arth27501sp2017.courses.bucknell.edu/umayyad-exhibition/ |
Even before the advent of pottery, ancient civilizations utilized gourds as one of their tools for survival. Hollow and dried shells of bottle gourds were transformed into different domestic items such as bowls and bottles. Nowadays you can see gourd art evolving, with creation of pieces such as masks, lamps, birdhouses and even musical instruments. In this article you will learn how to burn designs into gourds.
1. Gather all the materials for your gourd art project.
Gourds come in different shapes and sizes and you can get them from the local market or a gourd farm. Check the yellow pages for a list of gourd farms or try searching on the Internet. Visit your local craft store and get a wood-burning pen. You can choose from different tip styles, but as a beginner, just choose the standard, regular tip wood burner. Other materials that you may need to complete your gourd art project are sand paper, pencil or chalk, drill, hand saw, acrylic paint, paint brush, decorative beads.
There are ready-to-use gourds being sold but if you were unable to find such, just get a bucket of warm water and soak the gourd for about 15 to 30 minutes. Scrub it clean using a scouring pad or a cleaner brush. Wipe the gourd with a clean towel and let it dry. Once it is dry, get your sand paper to sand off the rough spots.
3. Trace the design on the gourd.
Grab a pencil or a chalk and draw your design on the gourd. If you are not very talented with drawing, but saw a particular design, say, on the Internet, you can print it out and trace it on the gourd using a carbon paper. Use a masking tape to attach the carbon paper on the gourd, and then tape the print-out of the design on top of the carbon paper. Trace the design on the print-out with your pencil. Use a damp cloth to remove the marks that you mistakenly drew on the gourd.
4. Burn the traced design on the gourd.
Fine dusts are produced when you burn the gourd so before you start, make sure that you wear a protective mask to prevent accidental inhalation of the dust. Burning the design on the gourd depends on your hand movement, the pressure you apply, and the amount of time that you leave the wood burner on a certain spot. For darker spots and lines, slowly trace the design on the gourd until you reach the desired thickness. Thinner lines are achieved by tracing the wood burner lightly and quickly on the design.
5. Finalize the design of the gourd.
Now that you have the design permanently engraved on the gourd, it is up to you if you want to paint on the gourd and add other decorative pieces such as beads. Use an acrylic spray to protect and waterproof the design and paint on the gourd.
In ancient times, they had to heat metal spears over a flame to burn designs onto gourds. Luckily, wood-burning pens are made available to make it easier for gourd art enthusiasts. Once you are comfortable in using a wood-burning pen, invest in a professional wood-burning pen with different tip styles and have an electronic heat control for adjusting the temperature.
Always clean the tip of your wood burner after every gourd-burning project. | http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/how-to-burn-designs-into-gourds |
This invention revolutionized ancient glass production, ... bowls, and beakers declined ... The most common method used by Roman glassmakers for most of the openform cups and bowls in the first century was the Hellenistic technique of sagging glass over a convex "former" mold. However, various casting and cutting methods were continuously utilized as style and popular preference ...
Ancient people were no different than people today, they were slaves to fashion, and colorful decorated pottery was definitely in style in 1300 AD in the American Southwest. Polychrome pottery and the minerals and clays needed to make it were traded across far distances by people who did not have wheels or beasts of burden, meaning that it all had to be carried on somebody's back over ...
The form of a stone axe was created by pecking with a hard hammerstone. In North America, axes, celts, gouges, mauls, plummets, and bannerstones began to appear early in the Archaic period, made from hard igneous or metamorphic rocks. Cobbles with small shallow cupped depressions, called anvil stones or nutting stones, also came into use during the Archaic period.
· Grinding was unnecessary for quickercooking porridge. Here are two ancient recipes for porridge from "On Agriculture," written by Cato the Elder (234149 ) from Lacus Curtius . The first porridge recipe (85) is Phoenician and involves fancier ingredients (honey, eggs, and cheese) than the simple Roman (86) recipe involving grain, water, and milk.
Michael Telliger was the one who made the connection between this ancient city and the gold mining activities in south Africa and you can find his is comments about it in his many YouTube videos. When I calculated the ratio of the distance between the calendar and Great Zimbabwe last night, I was totally puzzled. The ratio is 144:7 and that isn't a part of a diatonic scale. A good night's ...
Other motifs used like the triangles, keloids and chevrons bear reference to the scarifiions which were traditionally exhibited on both African males and s. Some artifacts are incised with relief carving like the Shona headrest and some have carving as well as being masterfully sculpted into 3 dimensional forms like both the stools above.
Music and Poetry in African Traditions. Naturally, singing is very important to the African society because the melody and rhythm follow the intonation of the song text. The songs are often sung in callandresponse form. In West Africa, a griot is a praise singer or poet who possesses a repository of oral tradition passed down from generation to generation.
Tens of thousands of stone circles in southern Africa form cymatic symbols. The stones ring like bells creating standing waves. According to Michael Tellinger, the stone circles were part of an ancient system to produce sound waves into the atmosphere by using a device, (sound laser beam) what we call today a Saser, needed for gold mining.
The Royal Tombs in ancient Sumner, dating back to 3000 BC, delivered to us the greatest collect of all times. There they found mummies encrusted with every imaginable type of jewelry worn, headdresses, necklaces, earrings, rings, crowns, and pins. The Egyptians. Then there are the ancient Egyptians; they too wore amulets and talismans.
Grindingstone implements in the eastern African Pastoral Neolithic Anna Shoemaker a and Matthew Daviesb aDepartment of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; bInstitute for Global Prosperity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
We then conclude by comparing crystal singing bowls to Tibetan singing bowls, which are another popular type of singing bowl made from an ancient blend of metals. What is a Crystal Singing Bowl Crystal singing bowls are made of pure quartz (essentially % silicon quartz) and sand in a spinning mold, in a process that heats the mixture to about 4000 degrees.
· Selection of African tribal pottery from differnet tribes, Burkina Faso Pottery diversity of Africa The vast African continent contains an extreme diversity of cultures, countries and terrains. This has had a critical influence on the styles and techniques that are employed to create their pottery wares. One of the constants in their traditional pottery production is that they are usually hand ...
If you were wealthy in ancient Africa, you would show it by. ... owning a large number of ceramic bowls cooking pots. wearing costly jewelry. Tags: Question 6 . SURVEY . 30 seconds . Q. Some of the oldest pieces of art in the world are. answer choices ... What form of African art was also used every day in common tasks? answer ...
Welcome to the complete guide to singing bowls and their history! In this post, we explain what singing bowls are, their history, how they are made, and what kinds of materials are use to make them. We also explain how cultures have used singing bowls for centuries for .
· This is How the Ancients Moved, Cut and Engraved Great Blocks with Such Precision. No Aliens, sorry. page: 1. 139 2 3 4 >> log in. join. share: Shadow Herder +96 more posted on Mar, 18 2012 10:18 PM link . I have always enjoyed reading Von Daniken when I was young. The Idea of ancient megalith builders using alien technology and ancient visitors to earth thousands and .
20/11/2019 · Puma punku, defys modern age testing techniques so atleast 20,000 yrs old this is loed in the new world highlands of Bolivia an ignorant fools ancient india has some of the oldest civilizations in the world there are two cities under the ocean off the west coast of india they obviously wernt built under water soo the last time that area was ...
· Ethnoarchaeological research combined with morphological analysis of modern and ancient grinding stones was completed in 2013 and 2014 as part of the Eastern Tigrai Archaeological Project (ETAP), based in the Gulo Makeda region of northern Ethiopia. Research focused on investigating the cultural context of grinding, grinding stone morphology, and usesurface area .
It was written in form of an inverted triangle on an amulet, which the patient/sufferer then wore. The power of the cabalistic charm, supposedly, made the disease go away. The word 'Abracadabra' is believed to have been derived from the initials of the Hebrew words for Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Another view is that it originated from an Aramaic phrase that meant 'I create as I ...
You are interested in: Native american grinding stone photos. (Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed.) If you find that some photos violates copyright or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. (photosinhouse16) NAtive American (Navajo or Anaszi) Grinding Stone source. | https://blachutowka.com.pl/2021/Jun/27-36775.html |
The peoples who lived on the island of Crete during the Bronze Age are known today as the Minoans, after Minos, a legendary king of Crete. The history of Minoan Crete is broken into Early, Middle, and Late Minoan periods, and although the exact dates for narrower subdivisions are debated, the broad chronological dates for these major periods are largely agreed upon (1).
Early Minoan Period (c. 3,000-2,000 B.C.E.)
Among the earliest Early Minoan pottery types is Incised Ware, characterized by incised decoration of parallel lines creating patterns on the surface of the clay. Contemporary with Incised Ware is Aghios Onouphrios Ware, a type simply painted with dark red or black diagonal lines, which form both series of parallel lines and criss-crosses on a light surface; these designs typically appear on jugs and bowls (2). Vasilike Ware, with its mottled surface achieved by novel means of firing, was probably meant to approximate more substantial and expensive stone vessels. A reddish coat of paint increased the stone-like appearance of Vasilike Ware vessels. At this time, vessels carved of such variegated and colorful stone as serpentine and alabaster are indeed known (3).
The CU Art Museum's collection contains one vessel from the Early Minoan period, an incised pyxis with its lid intact.
Middle Minoan Period (c. 2,000-1,550 B.C.E.)
Pottery in the Middle Minoan Period was transformed by the introduction of the fast potter's wheel, an innovation that led to thinner and finer wares, which, in turn, led to finer decoration. Kamares Ware is decorated with abstract designs, often in complex patterns. Kamares Ware decoration is light-on-dark polychrome and sometimes includes animal or figural representations rather than abstract patterns. The same types of patterns are found on a much thinner type of vessel known as eggshell ware because of its extreme delicacy and fineness (4). An incredible variety of designs adorned the vases of the Middle Minoan period though eventually the energy of the earlier Kamares Ware calmed a bit, becoming more formal with the introduction of repeated vegetal motifs and other nature-inspired designs (5).
Late Minoan Period (c. 1,550-1,100 B.C.E.)
The Late Minoan period brought the famous fresco paintings of the several palatial centers on the island. Well-known themes in Minoan fresco painting include fanciful floral arrangements, heavily adorned women and men, shrines and other religious motifs, and, perhaps most well-known, acrobats or athletes leaping over a bull. Not suprisingly, some of the most decorative ceramic types also come from the Late Minoan period. During this later period of Minoan history, dark-on-light pottery predominated, replacing the earlier polychrome, light-on-dark wares. The Floral Style was one early result of this shift, featuring vases covered in repeated decorative floral motifs. A simliar and contemporary style was the Pattern Style, which covered vessels in geometric designs, rather than florals. The patterns may have been inspired by the borders of fresco paintings in the great palaces (6). Slightly later in date came the delightful Marine Style, which exhibited sinuous octopuses, realistic fishes, dancing dolphins, and speeding nautiluses, as well as jagged, spiky seaweed nad rocks.
Following the Marine Style in the middle of the Late Minoan period was the so-called Palace Style, in which the earlier decorative motifs of plants, flowers, and sea life are arranged symmetrically and in a greatly stylized manner (7). This change from the exuberant Marine and Floral Styles to the more formalized and symmetrical Palace Style is often seen as evidence that Mycenaean Greeks, who originated on the mainland, occupied Crete and imposed their stylistic sensibilities on the native Minoan art (8). At the end of the Late Minoan period came the destruction of the Minoan palaces, after which the mainland would become the center of artistic production in Greece.
This essay was written to accompany a collection of Greek artifacts at the CU Art Museum.
Footnotes
- The dates used in this article are drawn from John G. Pedley, Greek Art and Archaeology (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1993): 29.
- Jeremy B. Rutter, Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prehistory/aegean/), accessed 01 February 2019; Pedley, Greek Art and Archaeology: 30, fig. 1.8.
- On Vasilike Ware, see Philip P. Betancourt, Vasilike Ware: An Early Bronze Age Pottery Style in Crete (Göteborg: Paul Åströms Forlag, 1979); see also Pedley, Greek Art and Archaeology: 32-3, fig. 1.6.
- Rutter, Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean.
- Pedley, Greek Art and Archaeology: 52-5.
- Pedley, Greek Art and Archaeology: 76.
- For pottery of the Late Minoan period see William R. Biers, The Archaeology of Greece (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1980): 50-52.
- Pedley, Greek Art and Archaeology: 78. | https://www.colorado.edu/classics/2018/06/15/minoan-pottery |
Keywords Click a term to view the records with the same keywordThis object has the following keywords:
East Greek, Fikellura*, Ionian*, lotus*, Orientalizing*, rosette*, sherds*, vessels*, Wild Goat Style*
- East Greek
- Fikellura - Refers to a Greek pottery style that developed around 560 BCE and is named after a site on the island of Rhodes. The most common shape is a squat amphora, and the painting is characterized by dark-on-light designs that generally comprise a single human or animal figure in an empty field or closely spaced bands of ornament, including crescents and lotus flowers. In some classification schemes, it is a variation of middle or late Wild Goat Style.
- Ionian - Distinctive pottery painting styles produced in ancient Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey.
- lotus - Either of two motifs that are both based on types of waterlily, one originating in ancient Egypt and the other in India. Within Egyptian lotus motifs, two varieties occur from the beginning of the Dynastic period ca. 3000 BCE: If the flower-head has a curved outline, it is based on the white-flowered species Nymphaea lotus, while if the flower has a triangular outline, it is based on the blue-flowered species, Nymphaea caerulea. The Egyptian motif continued in Greek, Roman, and later European art. For the Indian lotus specifically, based on the species Nelumbo nucifera, use the narrower term "padma."
- Orientalizing - Refers to the ancient Greek period and style that followed the Geometric period and existed from around 725 BCE to around 650 BCE, overlapping with the early portion of the Archaic period of Greek history. It developed in Corinth and spread throughout Greece, to Etruria, and to other places with connections to Greece. It grew out of greatly expanded Greek trade and the subsequent influence of Near Eastern and Egyptian cultures. It is characterized by the abandonment of the geometric shapes and stick figures of the Geometric period to favor curvilinear forms, fleshy figures, and new themes, including exotic animals and monsters, such as sphinxes and griffins.
- rosette - Motif in the form of a stylized rose with petals radiating from the center, or for similar circular ornaments having a design radiating from the center.
- sherds - Limited to fragments of pottery or glass.
- vessels - Containers designed to serve as receptacles for a liquid or other substance, usually those of circular section and made of some durable material; especially containers of this nature in domestic use, employed in connection with the preparation or serving of food or drink, and usually of a size suitable for carrying by hand.
- Wild Goat Style - Refers to a Greek pottery style that began in Eastern Greece and flourished from about 650 to 550 BCE. It grew out of Sub-Geometric and Orientalizing styles, and is characterized by a loose painting style using dark paint on a light colored slip, enlivened with purple details, and with faces and anatomical details reserved in light. The subject matter often includes animals, especially goats, deer, geese, and griffins.
Additional Images Click an image to view a larger version
Dimensions
- maximum length Dimensions: 4 3/4 x 5 3/8 x 1/4 in. (12 x 13.6 x 0.7 cm)
Comparanda ListThe following Comparanda exist for this object:
- Steffen Kaufler, Die archaischen Kannen von Milet (Dissertation (online) Bochum: University of Bochum, 2004), Figure Number: plate 67, no. 1 and 11 plate 69, no. 16 and 17 .
Related Object(s) Click a record to view
Your current search criteria is: Keyword is "BCFLX".View current selection of records as: | https://triarte.brynmawr.edu/objects-1/info?query=keywordPath%20%3D%20%22BCFLX%22&sort=0&page=16 |
Rock Art in Context:
Mississippian Art in the Central Arkansas River Valley
By Leslie Walker
Arkansas Indians decorated a variety of objects with art: pottery vessels, basketry, and woven textiles are three kinds of artifact media used for artistic expression. Many of these portable artifacts carry motifs also found in rock art. Decorated pottery vessels and basketry from archeological sites in the central Arkansas River Valley share a particularly large series of corresponding motifs with local rock art.
Geometric Motifs
Concentric Circle: One of the most commonly shared motifs is the concentric circle, shown here on rock art from Carrion Crow Mountain and on a ceramic vessel from Carden Bottom. Woven textile fragments preserved at the Spiro site also exhibit this motif.
Spiral: The spiral motif is a less common variant of the concentric circle motif. Here it is shown as a pictograph and as a ceramic vessel decoration.
Interlocking Scrolls: Yet another variant of the circle motif, even less common in rock art but often found as a ceramic vessel design.
Cross-in-Circle: The cross-in-circle is found on a variety of artifact media. Here it is shown in rock art and on pottery. Notice that the non-painted interior surface of the pottery bowl forms a cross, while the painted rim forms an enclosing circle.
Nested (or filled) Triangles and Diamonds: Nested (or filled) triangle and diamond motifs are also common. Here are rock art and pottery examples.
Naturalistic Motifs
Sunburst: The sunburst is a common rock art motif that we also find as a decoration on ceramics and basketry.
Human figures: The human figure is a frequent subject of rock art that is sometimes also observed on ceramics. Note the similar arm postures on these two examples.
Animal figures: These, too, are frequent subjects of rock art that sometimes find expression on ceramic vessels. Here we compare rabbit motifs.
Spirit figures: Southeastern Indians often represented spirit beings as figures that embody a mix of elements from separate species, particularly those associated with Above (sky) and Below (water) realms. The winged serpent is an archetypal figure, representing a spirit being associated with the Below World. Historic Cherokee Indians called this creature an Uktena. Here we can see examples of its imagery in rock art and pottery forms.
Summary
These examples illustrate how ancient Arkansas Indians repeated artistic motifs on a variety of media, including fixed-in-place rock art and portable artifacts. These motifs must have conveyed important concepts or meanings associated with different activities. Additional research may help decipher these meanings and explore the contexts of their use. | http://archeology.uark.edu/rockart/index.html?pageName=Rock%20Art%20in%20Context:%20Art |
The ancient ancestors of the Hopi made beautiful pottery with a smoky cream colored background and stylized symbolic designs representing the flora, fauna, and natural elements that surrounded them. For several centuries the art and techniques used to make this pottery were lost. In the mid 1800s Hopi pottery was traditionally white slipped and painted with geometric symbolic designs. In 1860 a girl was born of Hopi-Hano heritage and was taught by her mother the art of making pottery. Young Nampeyo had a natural talent for the art and a curiosity that spurred her to examine and think about the curious creamy orange pottery and designs of her ancestors. Through experimentation she learned the methods used by these ancient peoples and found the source of their clay, so fine and sturdy that the finished vessel required no slip. Using the colors and designs from these early examples, Nampeyo developed a brand new style in pottery, different from other pueblos. Because she was the best potter of her people, she became well known and her pieces were promoted by local traders and businessmen. Her work and style became famous and began to be emulated by other Hopi artists. Nampeyo became blind in her later years and depended much on her husband Lesso, and her daughters and granddaughters who also learned from her. This one lady, described as a small and demure woman, single-handedly changed the face of Hopi pottery and the fortunes of her people. Today Hopi pottery is considered some of the finest Native American pottery made. Many families and individual artists have gone on to innovate their own signature styles and designs.
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Hopi Pottery History
The Hopi people have resided in northeastern Arizona for over 1,000 years. The language of the Hopi is part of the Uto-Aztecan language group, which happens to be one of the largest Native American Language groups. The name Hopi is a shortened form of the Hopi word for themselves: Hopituh Shi-nu-mu meaning the “The Peaceful People.” The Hopi Dictionary gives the primary meaning of the word “Hopi” as: “behaving one, one who is mannered, civilized, peaceable, polite, who adheres to the Hopi way.” On First Mesa, there is a long tradition of pottery making that was ultimately shaped by the master potter Nampeyo at the turn of the 20th century. Nampeyo is credited with the revival of a prehistoric Hopi pottery type named Sikyatki after an archaeological site near First Mesa. | https://camerontradingpost.com/native-american-art/native-american-pottery/hopi.html |
Army ants form colonies of millions and are able to solve logistical challenges as a group that are impressive in and by themselves, but even more so considering they have no leader and minimal cognitive resources. One individual ant is practically blind and has a minuscule brain. “There is no leader, no architect ant saying ‘we need to build here,’” says Simon Garnier, director of the Swarm Lab at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. And yet, they manage to perform complex tasks as a colony such as building bridges with their own bodies to overcome obstacles. How do they do it?
Here and here you can find a more detailed explanation to this question, including videos of bridge building challenges for army ants. In short, they follow three simple rules:
- If you come to a gap in your path, slow down.
- If you feel other ants walking on your back, freeze.
- If traffic over your back is above a certain level, stay put, but if it dips below some threshold, unfreeze and continue walking. | https://francahoffmann.com/2018/03/06/the-smell-of-a-pde-in-bridge-building-army-ants/ |
Summary: Paul teaches us to hang together as a church.
Hanging Together Ephesians 4:1-16
• Benjamin Franklin said, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately" He said this to the fellow patriots before they signed the Declaration of Independence
1. Hanging Together Works for the ant and I believe it could work for us
• “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8.
• Ants move and lift larger objects by hanging together
• Ants successfully evolve, adjust and survive in many environments as a result of their social organization and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources and defend themselves.
• Ants live in colonies and operate without any central control and that no ant has power over another. Yet they harmoniously perform very complex tasks; including nest building, navigation, foraging, food storage, tending the young, garbage collection and even war.
• When Fire ants in South America have flooding the fire ant link together to build a water tight raft.
2. Ants, lift and move things that seem impossible, but by hanging together they lift and move the seeming impossible.
3. Ants, Survive as a direct result of hanging together
4. Ants as a result of Hanging together perform complex tasks building nests, navigation, storing food
5. Ants by hanging together save each other drop one ant in water and its dead drop a table spoon of ants they live through interconnecting
1. Paul in our text today believes Hanging Together builds the church by using different people.
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
2. Paul tells us to Hang Together in Our Faith and the results will become Mature or Christ Like
13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
• Paul says have faith that causes you to live worthy of the Calling,
• vs 1 I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received
• Hang Together by having Faith with the following as your anchor.
• . Paul says, "2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
3. Paul believes that hanging together is done by conducting ones self this way Love and bear with one another
• .Bearing (put up with, enduring,) with one another in love. . 15Instead, live the truth (Faith) by love,. 16From him the whole body joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love
4. Paul encourages the church to hang together in order to become as One as the ant works as one.
• . 4There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5one Lord, one faith one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. .
5. Churches that hang together Involves each other.
If you’re not involved it is your responsibility to get involved
• 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Consider the City on the Hill by "Casting Crowns" | https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/hanging-together-gerald-roberts-sermon-on-action-168674 |
Amazing Ant Architecture
Scientists have marveled at the intricate nests ants build for decades, especially as thousands of ants are somehow able to coordinate themselves to build these elaborate nests with no guiding central authority. So, a bunch of scientists decided to put together a multi-institutional research team in France to discover the answer to how ants are able to accomplish these amazing feats. They found that chemicals play a large role in the ants’ architectural process.
These ants’ build complex networks of underground galleries and above-ground mounds that contain interconnected chambers that are created through the formation of pillars around them. That’s some pretty complex work for such a tiny creature. Apparently, in order to achieve this, the ants add a pheromone to the building material that leaves a chemical signal for other ants, instructing them to on top of a particular spot, creating the individual pillars. They deduce what size to make the pillars by looking to their own body dimensions. When a pillar reaches the length of an ant’s body they know to finish that pillar and move on to building a new one somewhere else. The ants essentially leave behind building instructions for the next worker to build upon at each site they work on.
Have you ever studied an ant mound? What do you think of their complex architecture? | https://www.azpest.com/bug-blog/amazing-ant-architecture/ |
“If you watch an ant try to accomplish something, you’ll be impressed by how inept it is,” said Stanford biologist Deborah Gordon in a National Geographic article about swarm theory. “Ants aren’t smart…ant colonies are.” If you’re familiar with the ideas behind the wisdom of crowds and swarm intelligence, you’re probably nodding knowingly. Under the right conditions, groups—whether ant colonies, markets, or corporations—can be smarter than any of their members. In these complex adaptive systems, hard-to-predict behaviors emerge from the interaction of the individuals.
Executives make three common mistakes that show they don’t really grasp how such systems work. What they miss is that you can’t understand the behavior of a complex system, let alone manage it, by analyzing a few key individuals.
First, managers extrapolate individual behavior to explain collective behavior. Early in my career as an equity research analyst on Wall Street, I was told that earnings per share is the key to a company’s stock price. (Investors, executives, and the media still beat that drum.) But then I saw studies by financial economists who concluded that cash flow, not earnings, drives the stock price. The earnings camp listened to what people talked about day to day in the investment community, on television, and in the Wall Street Journal’s pages. By contrast, the economists looked at how the market behaved. One group focused on the components, the other on the aggregate.
The latter was the better approach. Research in experimental economics, for example, shows that markets can generate very efficient prices even when each participant has limited information. Just as watching one ant won’t help you understand the colony’s behavior, listening to individual investors will give you scant insight into the market. It can even be harmful for executives to heed individuals, who generally dwell on earnings, rather than collectives, which tend to appreciate cash flow. Those who do may cost their shareholders and themselves substantial value. A survey by Duke University’s John R. Graham and colleagues reveals that 80% of chief financial officers would decrease value-creating spending in order to meet an earnings target.
Second, executives often fail to recognize that changes in one component of a complex system may have unintended consequences for the whole. The U.S. government’s decision to allow Lehman Brothers to collapse in September 2008 is a good illustration. Since the market largely understood Lehman’s poor financial condition, the argument went, it could absorb the consequences. But because Lehman’s losses were larger than people had initially thought, the bankruptcy announcement roiled global financial markets, contributing to an increase in risk aversion. Even parts of the market that were perceived to be safe, such as money market funds, received a jolt.
Third, there is a tendency to prize a few standout individuals while ignoring how much they draw on their surrounding systems for support. For instance, many companies, sports teams, and entertainment businesses hire a star when they want to quickly improve the organization’s results. More often than not, however, newly transplanted stars fail to deliver, because they’re separated from the people, structures, and norms that helped make them great in the first place. In one study, professors from Harvard Business School tracked more than 1,000 acclaimed equity analysts over a decade and monitored how their performance changed when they switched firms. The dour conclusion of the research: “When a company hires a star, the star’s performance plunges, there is a sharp decline in the functioning of the group or team the person works with, and the company’s market value falls.”
All three mistakes have the same root: wrong assumptions about the relevance of individual agents to the behavior of a complex adaptive system. When trying to achieve system-level goals, think twice about agent-level changes. They’re unlikely to have the effects you intend. | https://hbr.org/2009/10/when-individuals-dont-matter |
Traffic is crowded on the little street across the kitchen. The little black dots race from A to B, seemingly random, but somehow arranged. When it gets warm, the ants leave their burrow and forage for food is the order of the day. Neither the front door nor the garden fence will keep little fishermen and gatherers away. “The ants are sometimes a little tired when they’re looking for candy,” says Laura Breitkreuz of the German Confederation for the Conservation of Nature (NAPO). Above all, they are wonderful animals.
Read more after the announcement
Read more after the announcement
Your Highness: The ant queen lays about 100 eggs per day
An ant colony is perfectly organized – it should be, because depending on the ant species, anywhere from a few hundred to several million reptiles live in a colony. There are more than 14,000 different species of ants worldwide, and about 190 species are found in Central Europe. “When we talk about ants in Germany, we often mean the black garden ant. Here, for example, it is the most common ant species in our cities,” says Breitkreuz.
Read more after the announcement
Read more after the announcement
Individual “citizens” of the state are divided into so-called castes: the animals look different and each has its own task. In every state there are sexually active animals: females and males produce offspring. Both have wings and mate in the air. Then the males die. Females store millions of sperm and, as queens, spend the rest of their lives laying eggs. And that’s a very long time, explains the Naboo employee. “The record for a black garden ant queen is 29 years of age, during which she lays about 100 eggs per day.” But every aristocratic country needs not only queens, it also needs diligent helpers who make sure the store is running. Likewise with ants.
Midwife, bodyguard, architect: career options for females
The so-called workers do not reproduce. They are midwives, kindergarten teachers, cooks, bodyguards, architects, construction workers: they feed and clean sons, build shelters, defend them, bring food. In some species of these insects, the role of each animal in the shape of their bodies can also be seen: for example, nest-defendering animals have a larger head and also have a more pronounced jaw.
Who decides the tasks of each individual worker? “The system is complex, and different aspects contribute to that,” Pritcruz says. For example, the season in which the animals hatch, their food and certain glandular secretions that workers provide to the larvae. Age also plays a role: while older animals do “more dangerous” tasks outside, younger ones work more safely in the den. But what does an anthill look like from the inside?
Read more after the announcement
Read more after the announcement
Palace: Anthel keeps reptiles warm
Just like many people, ants do not want to do without air conditioning or heating in their homes. Therefore, depending on the climate and location, they build their buildings either flat or tall. The higher the anthill, the larger the surface. This way the house heats up faster. From April to October there are 20 to 30 degrees in the anthill. If it should get too hot, it will be redone. Animals open their nests in several places, and this has the same effect as opening a window: air is exchanged. Once it gets cooler, the workers make sure it’s warm: outside, the sun’s rays warm their little, dark bodies. Then they bring this heat to the nest.
The higher the building, the greater the volume of the roof – and the warmer the interior.
© Source: Pixabay
The building itself consists of underground passages and rooms connected to each other. There is a separate room for each of the different larval incubation stages, so the young are separated by age groups. In one of the rooms the queen lays her eggs, there are litter rooms, tomb chambers where dead ants are stored, pantries. These stores must be filled. Their search for food also leads small reptiles to homes and apartments.
Building the Path: Through the Path of Smell to Food
Usually anyone who drives to a restaurant is looking for the shortest route. The navigation system helps us humans – a technology that ant colonies can easily keep up with: many workers navigate around the burrow in search of food. With the smell, they mark the way not only on the way there, but also on the way back. The ant that came back first found the shortest way to food. Other ants follow the trail of the smell – the navigation system. This creates an ant trail.
Read more after the announcement
Read more after the announcement
According to expert Breitkreuz, such a route cannot be prevented with poison. The poison is more likely to endanger people and beneficial insects. And killing individual animals also makes no sense, after all, much will follow. Laura Breitkreuz advises: “Just clean the ant path well and draw a line on the street with lavender, peppermint or lemon oil.” This has the same effect when the car’s navigation system loses contact.
The ant’s path was broken by a chalk line.
© Credit: IMAGO / CHROMORANGE
Living with ants doesn’t have to be complicated. And if you spot an anthill during your next walk in the woods, you should definitely spend some time observing the animals. Because there is now so much going on in the Ames house – and there is so much to discover. | https://chiclayomu.com/index.php/2022/09/04/about-their-coexistence-the-search-for-food-and-their-air-conditioned-palace/ |
compassion, collaboration & cooperation iN transistion
"MINDS are like parachutes, they only function when they're open."
Thomas Robert "Tommy" Dewar
AWAKEN TO THE ONE MIND
As individuals, ants might be tiny dummies, but as
colonies they respond quickly and effectively to
their environment. They DO [IT] with something
called swarm intelligence the concept of which I
had become acquainted with, during my thorough
investigations of the issues to be addressed with
regard to the utilisation of the AFTN for secure
initiation of Air Traffic Control handovers between
adjacent Air Traffic Control Centres such as London
ATCC and the Maastricht UAC.
What’s especially remarkable - the close parallels between ant colonies
networks and human-engineered ones. One example is “Anternet”, where,
a group of researchers at Stanford, found that the algorithm desert ants use
to regulate foraging is like the Traffic Control Protocol (TCP) [updated with
correct spelling] used to regulate data traffic on the internet. Both ant and
human networks use positive feedback: either from acknowledgements
that trigger the transmission of the next data packet, or from food-laden
returning foragers that trigger the exit of another outgoing forager.
This research led some to marvel at the ingenuity of ants, able to invent a
world wide web system which has become very familiar to us NOW because
ants have been using internet algorithms for millions of years!
( WIRED, too, flirted with the concept of “anternet”
in its Jargon Watch column last year.)
"Ants aren't smart - Ant colonies are"
.
Views: 129
WITH a realistically dynamic plan for "OTHERS to CONTRIBUTE"
the collective becomes ONE MIND in the guise of a higher level of
evolutionary potential • [IT]'s exponential in fact • [IT]'s the power
of the many literally becoming ONE • which could feasibly [BE]
respected as A SUPERMIND of AWARENESS, aware of [IT]SELF.
- the collective becomes ONE mind - it's a higher level of evolutionary potential - it's exponential - it's the power of the many literally becoming ONE.
http://www.wired.com/2013/07/what-ants-yes-know-that-we-dont-the-fu... | https://letschangetheworld.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-dynamic-plan-for-others-to-contribute |
Ant colonies have been used throughout history as models of industry. As a collective, ants are efficient, surprisingly intelligent, and are among the very few animals that organize themselves to collectively carry loads far heavier than an individual member of their species. Ants working together have an astonishing ability to mix collective muscle with individual initiative, and can adjust their course and outcomes based on intelligence provided by a single ant joining the effort.
So, imagine harvesting those collective strengths where, instead of gathering food for the colony, there was an army of ants raising money for your camp…..
Through this webinar, participants will learn:
- Have an increased understanding of who should be part of their fundraising efforts.
- Be introduced to the basics of training fearless askers.
- The importance of keeping it simple.
- The advantages of having youth help tell your story. | https://www.acacamps.org/staff-professionals/events-professional-development/recorded-webinar/building-army-asking-ants |
08 Jul Are You Thriving or Just Surviving?
Did You Know…
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.? And there is more than just one type of this illness affecting 40 million adults (19% of the population) over age 18 according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).
During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic – becoming public knowledge in early 2019 – people had a whole new level of anxiety.
Losing more than one million people to the deadly virus brought on other forms of anxiety, i.e., PTSD, Social Phobia, and Panic Disorder.
Three years later, people are experiencing a whole new layer of stress as they try to re-enter the public domain where COVID strains abound albeit with less deleterious effects for those vaccinated and boosted.
Many clients feel as if they are sinking under a sea of hopelessness and struggle to remember how they felt in the 21st century B.C., Before COVID.
ADAA facts from the NIMH
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
– GAD affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment. NIMH: Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
– Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with major depression.
Panic Disorder (PD)
– PD affects 6 million adults or 2.7% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Panic Disorders.
– Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Social Anxiety Disorder
– SAD affects 15 million adults or 7.1% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Social Anxiety Disorder.
– SAD is equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13. According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report – experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
Specific Phobias
– Specific phobias affect 19.3 million adults or 9.1% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Specific Phobias.
– Women are twice as likely to be affected than men.
– Symptoms typically begin in childhood; the average age of onset is 7 years old.
– Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders, which some may experience at the same time, – along with depression.
Stress
– Everyone experiences stress and anxiety at one time or another. The difference between them is that stress is a response to a threat in a situation. Anxiety is a reaction to stress.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
– OCD affects 2.5 million adults or 1.2% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
– Women are 3x more likely to be affected than men.
– The average age of onset is 19, with 25% of cases occurring by age 14. One-third of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
– PTSD affects 7.7 million adults or 3.6% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
– Women are 5x more likely to be affected than men.
– Rape is the most likely trigger of PTSD: 65% of men and 45.9% of women who are raped will develop the disorder.
– Childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of the lifetime likelihood of developing PTSD.
Related Illnesses
Many people with an anxiety disorder also have a co-occurring disorder or physical illness, which can make their symptoms worse and recovery more difficult. It’s essential to be treated for both disorders.
Read on to learn more about the co-occurrence of anxiety and these disorders:
-
Adult ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder)
-
Bipolar disorder
-
BDD (body dysmorphic disorder)
-
Eating disorders
-
Fibromyalgia
-
Headaches
-
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
-
Sleep disorders
-
Stress
-
Substance abuse
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) finds that almost one in eight of the 95 million visits to hospital emergency departments made by adults in the United States in 2007 were due to a mental health and/or substance abuse problem.
The most common reason for these visits was a mood disorder (42.7%), followed by anxiety disorders (26.1%), alcohol-related problems (22.9%), and drug disorders (17.6%) read more.
There is good news…
In this video, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) founder Steven C. Hayes explains a great exercise to view anxiety from a stance of self-compassion. Self-compassion is a key technique for depowering anxiety and changing our relationship with it. Click HERE to see how this method works for cultivating compassion for your anxious feelings vs trying to “snap out of it!”
ACT is a shorter-term therapy that has been proven effective now in treating anxiety as well as a variety of mental health challenges, including depression, addictions/compulsions, and chronic pain. It is the model I use to work with all the forms of anxiety and stressors my clients face. As a result of using the methods, they have found a renewed sense of vitality, meaning, purpose, and ease of being.
What’s great about ACT is you can “make it your own”. In therapy, you practice the method (points on the symbol move counterclockwise) with whatever anxiety is or has been bubbling up. It’s a practice, just like meditation, that creates skillfulness and clarity.
I find this model of therapy works as more of a lifestyle or frame of seeing and being with life as it is in an uncertain inner and outer world.
Click HERE to learn more about how I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). | https://emboldenu.com/uncategorized/are-you-thriving-or-just-surviving/ |
What Are Traumatic Experiences?
Traumatic experiences are events or circumstances that threaten one’s life, mental health, or physical well-being. Trauma is the physical and emotional response to those experiences. One in four children endure more than one traumatic experience, and research shows that that can have serious, lifelong effects.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Research also shows we’re stronger than we know, and that having one or more trusted and caring adults who love, support, and protect kids makes all the difference. As a parent or other close caregiver, you hold the power to change the course of kids’ lives after these experiences.
Traumatic experiences can include:
• emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
• emotional or physical neglect
• a parent’s addiction to drugs or alcohol, or a family member’s mental illness
• seeing violence against one’s mother
• loss of a parent due to death, incarceration, separation, or divorce
These experiences may happen once, or over and over. When they happen over and over, they become part of a child’s world. Then stress stays at a level that’s not healthy.
But there’s good news. There are things that help:
• When parents and other caring adults stay tuned in to kids’ needs and support them with love;
• When kids have family, friends, and neighbors who help;
• When kids and parents have ways to understand, express, share, and manage their feelings;
• When kids have food, shelter, clothing, and health care.
You have the power to help kids feel safe and learn to cope. On this site you’ll find materials and resources to help you do that.
Sources
“What is Child Traumatic Stress?” The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. http://www.nctsnet.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/what_is_child_traumatic_stress_0.pdf.
Felitti, Vincent J, Robert F Anda, Dale Nordenberg, David F Williamson, Alison M Spitz, Valerie Edwards, Mary P Koss, and James S Marks. “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 14, no. 4 (1998): 245–58.
“When Things Aren’t Perfect: Caring for Yourself and Your Children.” AAP Trauma Guide. 2014. https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/ttb_caring_for_yourself.pdf.
“Essentials for Childhood: Steps to Create Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments .” Centers for Disease Control. August 2014. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/essentials_for_childhood_framework.pdf. | https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/activities/what-are-traumatic-experiences/ |
Can You Have Too Much Empathy?
When empathy breaks trust.
Posted April 15, 2017 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina
“Can too much empathy be bad for me?” “Could empathy make me overly sensitive?”
These are common questions I hear in my emotional intelligence and coaching skills classes. If you embody the emotions you pick up from someone, the answer could be yes. If you instead, notice and release the emotions in your body so you can hold the space for the person to safely express him or herself, the answer is no.
If you want people to feel comfortable and be open with you—the purpose of empathy—you need to let your reactions fade away. You create a safe space between you by caring and feeling curious so you can identify and understand what they feel , not mirror it back to them.
Empathy as Social Sensitivity
Even at work , most people long for you to listen with compassion, the cornerstone of empathy. 1 They want you to sense their discomfort or distress especially when they struggle articulating how they feel.
Humans desire to be seen and understood beyond their words. Empathy demonstrates you care.
You can experience empathy by noticing a person’s body language and voice, but acute sensitivity includes being open to the emotional energy vibrating between you. 2 You might feel this energy in your heart or gut. You sense not only what people feel but also what they need. You can tell when they need attention, acknowledgment, or an offer of help. You grasp when they want you to back off and give them space or when they want you to quietly stand by. You know when they are impatient to move on or if they want to take more time.
Empathetic Reactivity – When too much empathy is bad
With empathy, you will feel their stress, anxiety, and anger in your body. You might feel their pain emotionally and physically. If you let these emotions sit in your body, your body and mind can be emotionally hijacked.
Unbridled empathy can lead to concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol, making it difficult to release the emotions. 3 Taking on other people’s feelings so that you live their experience can make you susceptible to feelings of depression or hopelessness.
Not only will this lead to burnout, you can break the bond of trust you were hoping to strengthen. When you embody other people’s emotions, you may feel responsible for relieving their pain. You feel the need to fix their problems and make them feel better.
Unless people want your help, your intrusive reaction will push them away no matter the value of your intention. They might feel less understood. They feel disrespected, undermined, or enfeebled when you interrupt to render aid. The response you believe is "being supportive" could damage their sense of safety and trust. They no longer feel they can fully express themselves with you.
How to foster non-reactive empathy
Having open, nonjudgmental awareness, “… is the capacity to remain receptive to whatever might pass into your thoughts, view, hearing or feeling and to do so in a non-critical way.” 4 You notice when emotions begin to arise in your body. You might name the emotion and offer what you sense to the person to help him or her better understand the experience. Then you relax your body and let the emotion subside.
Non-reactive empathy is especially useful when you feel the urge to jump in and fix people, helping them see what they should feel and do instead. This urge might arise from empathy, or you could be judging the person’s beliefs.
I was coaching a man in China in front of a big audience. He wanted to explore what to do when he retired. When he talked, I could sense his heart-felt desire to help others grow. I asked him what he loved about his job being the Director of HR for a large company. He told me he loved developing people and have them realize their potential. Most of all, he was proud to be instilling the Communist principles. I felt my entire body shudder. My democratic values curdled in my bones. But it wasn’t my place to judge him or change him. I noticed my reaction and let it go so I could be fully present with this wonderful man who didn’t want to quit helping people when he retired.
We accept, appreciate, and encourage expression in others by observing our reactions and letting them go.
You can foster this open, non-judgmental awareness with the following exercise . As soon as you notice that you are emotionally reacting:
Relax – breath and release the tension in your body.
Detach – clear your mind of all thoughts.
Center – drop your awareness to the center of your body just below your navel. Feel yourself breathe. This helps to clear the mind.
Focus – choose one or two keywords that represent how you want to feel. Feeling curiosity and compassion foster non-reactive empathy.
When your own emotions distract you, breathe and recall your keywords to maintain trust and connection. Allowing others the safe expression of emotions could help them diffuse their feelings and see a possible path forward.
Empathy Essential Reads
Copyright Dr. Marcia Reynolds
References
1 BusinessThink. The Rise of the Compassionate Leader. Blog post, August 21, 2012.
2 Daniel J. Siegel, The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. New York: The Guilford Press; 2nd edition, 2012.
3 Agata Blaszczak-Boxe, Too much emotional intelligence is a bad thing. Scientific American Mind, March 1, 2017.
4 Richard J. Davidson and Sharon Begley, The Emotional Life of Your Brain. New York: Penguin, 2012, page 60. | https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wander-woman/201704/can-you-have-too-much-empathy |
Teacher:
Teaching Assistants:
Teachers inspirational welcome here
Apple Tree class is located in a double mobile classroom with a wealth of learning areas for the children to explore and create in. Our focus is learning through play which is called ‘choosing time’ and gives each child the chance to develop their interests, skills and knowledge. Every child is allocated a key person which changes over the three terms, but is highly valued and is an effective way of treating every child as an individual.
Reading, writing and maths is taught every day to support children’s growing interest in the world around them. It is taught using a theme which is developed over time and captures children’s curiosity and imagination. Outside we have a safe, purpose built garden area that is ideal for learning through play and is set in a wonderful backdrop of fields and a small wood. Nature is everywhere and the children really benefit from discovering and exploring the outdoor environment.
Our Day in Apple Tree Class
We have a full and busy day that enables children to get the most from their learning. We begin the year gently gradually building up the time spent on more formal learning. Every child is treated as an individual and their needs are met by supporting adults who really get to know how to best develop their learning, social, emotional and behavioural requirements.
During the morning the children have an opportunity for a free piece of fruit, we sometimes run a fruit circle to encourage talking, especially in the first term. Our morning will always have a phonic and maths focus where children are taught how to spell, read and write Phase 1 – 4 phonic letters and sounds. Also, we follow a Reception Mastery Maths Programme designed to support children’s wide-ranging understanding of the number system, including shape, space and measure. We use the school hall for PE where we use the apparatus to develop our gross motor skills, or play games that teach awareness of space, dance or go outside to enjoy running races and field events.
Our afternoon will be devoted to our topic theme, social and emotional development using a Circle Time Approach and music or singing with lots of independent play. There is a big focus on outside play, which is really valued to enhance children’s knowledge and physical skills. Free milk is available for children up to their 5th birthday and we usually do this in our key person groups so that there are further opportunities to talk to our friends. We love to cook and bake too.
We would like to introduce you to the staff who work in the Early Years in Apple Tree.
Mrs. Strand is Apple Tree’s Class Teacher and has taught in Apple for over 12 years. She has worked in early years for a total of 21 years and has experience of nursery age children. She is also the Assistant Headteacher and Special Needs Coordinator with responsibility for inclusion and meeting the requirements of children with special educational needs.
Mrs Strand says: ‘I really enjoy working with this age group of children, every year we begin the children on their educational learning journey and it is a pleasure to see each child grow, achieve and become independent learners.’
Mrs. Hayward is a teaching assistant in Apple Tree and has worked in early years for 16 years. She is brilliant at enabling the children to really get to know their creative and inventive side. Planning wonderful experiences that develop children’s skills and knowledge but always giving each child the chance to make a unique and special creation that they are proud of.
Mrs. Hayward says ‘I love working in Apple Tree because the children never cease to amaze me with their wonderful ideas, creativity and zest for learning something new.
Mrs. Essery is a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) in Apple Tree and has worked in early years for 21 years. She is also our Forest School Leader with responsibility to plan wonderful outside learning experiences for the whole school. This really benefits the Apple Tree children as they are taught a wealth of knowledge about nature and wildlife. Additionally, they get the chance to attend a Forest School Course over six weeks in their first year of school and re-visit Forest School as they move up through the school.
Mrs. Essery says: ‘I love working in Apple Tree class. It is both challenging and demanding working with this age, but also very rewarding and so much fun! Each day is different, so you have to have a flexible approach. I am very fortunate to be able to work with the children in their first year of school, and again as they get older with Forest School. I also run the Breakfast Club and After School club, so there is plenty of variety in my day!’
Mrs. Romero is a teaching assistant in Apple Tree and has worked in early years for 14 years. She brings experience of working with preschool age children and has a background in special educational needs. Mrs. Romero is up to date with the latest special educational approaches and training.
Mrs. Romero says: ‘I feel privileged to be part of a strong and committed team in Apple Tree class. It’s a rewarding role, sharing in the children’s challenges and adventures and supporting them as they develop and grow. The children always bring a smile to your face and I enjoy seeing them having fun, forging new friendships and gaining confidence in all that they do.’
We are a unique team of people who all share a view that early years really matters and every day we work very hard to make a difference in Apple Tree to the children we are privileged to teach.
You are very welcome to come and visit us please ring and make an appointment the school office telephone number is: 01983 293392.
We look forward to meeting your family.
Key Person & Attachment
The Key Person
Key Person Information at Northwood Primary School
Children thrive from a base of loving and secure relationships. This is normally provided by a child’s parents but it can also be provided by a key person. A key person is a named member of staff with responsibilities for a small group of children who helps those children in the group feel safe and cared for. The role is an important one and an approach set out in the EYFS which is working successfully in settings and in Reception classes. It involves the key person in responding sensitively to children’s feelings and behaviours and meeting emotional needs by giving reassurance, such as when they are new to a setting or class, and supporting the child’s well-being.
In the Spring Term your child has had the following key person:
SUPERBS – Mrs. Hayward/Mrs. Romero
WONDERS – Mrs. Strand
MARVELS – Mrs. Essery/Mrs. Marshall
The children can approach any member of the Apple Team for support during the day.
Why Attachment Matters
What is attachment and why is it important for young children? Attachments are the emotional bonds that young children develop with parents and other carers such as their key person. Children with strong early attachments cry less when separated. They engage in more pretend play and sustain attention for longer. They are less aggressive and are popular with other children and with adults. Their sense of who they are is strong. Children need to be safe in the relationship they have with parents or carers. They are vulnerable but will develop resilience when their physical and psychological well-being is protected by an adult. Being emotionally attached to such an adult helps the child feel secure that the person they depend on is there for them. When children feel safe they are more inclined to try things out and be more independent. They are confident to express their ideas and feelings and feel good about themselves. Attachment influences a child’s immediate all-round development and future relationships.
Summer Term Key Persons will be: | http://www.northwoodpri.co.uk/classes/apple-class/ |
Taking the first step to talk to a counsellor about your thoughts and feelings can feel daunting but equally it may be something that you have been thinking about doing for a long time and feel that the time is right for you now.
In the busyness of our lives we may spend more time and energy focussing on our physical health and not always be aware when our emotional health may need a little more of our time and attention too.
Sometimes we can hold on to our worries or put them to one side whilst we try and get on with our day to day routines feeling that we don't want to bother anyone or hoping that our problems will go away.
Negative thoughts, feelings and experiences can affect how we go about our daily lives. This in turn can affect our mood, behaviour and impact upon our relationships and other areas of our life. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, depression and low mood.
The person-centred approach
I am a person-centred counsellor and use an integrative approach in counselling sessions. This means that I draw on my training and knowledge from different modalities and theories when working with clients.
In being person-centred this means that you choose what you want to talk about. I will work with you in a non-judgemental way offering you the core conditions central to person-centred counselling of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard.
How I will work with you
I will work with you at your own pace, offering a calm, safe space for you to explore your worries and concerns no matter how big or how small you think they may be. Together we can work to make sense of difficult thoughts and feelings and unhelpful patterns of behaving in order to help you move forward to find your own answers and way of being.
I believe that through talking things through in a therapeutic relationship with a counsellor we have the ability to find our own solutions and to make sense of the things that have been troubling us. I will work to help empower you to make the positive changes that you want in your life.
My experience
I have been working therapeutically and peripatetically with a mixed client base of adults, children and young people for over 15 years in a variety of settings which includes schools, in the home and in the wider community. This therapeutic work has involved working collaboratively with families and working with children and young people in individual 1:1 sessions.
I have been seeing clients at The Banbury Therapy Centre for over three years where I also worked for the Children's Voice service within Oxfordshire Family Mediation. The Children's Voice service offered counselling support to children of families who were going through a separation or divorce.
Below are some of the issues that I work with:
Depression, stress and anxiety
Isolation, loneliness, feelings of loss
Self- harm, suicidal thoughts
Relationship difficulties
Work related stress
Domestic abuse, emotional, physical, sexual abuse
Family issues, divorce and separation
Parenting issues
Bereavement and loss
Cancer
Children and Young People
Children and young people do not always have the words or language to express what they are thinking or feeling and will often express themselves non-verbally in their behaviour and mood.
They may be experiencing stress and anxiety for a variety of reasons which for example may relate to problems in school with their peers, disruption in home life such as a family break up, loss of a close family member or change in family dynamics such as the arrival of a new baby.
Some children and young people struggle to adapt to change and transitional periods in their lives such as starting in a new class, change of teacher or moving schools. These factors and life events can all play a part in how they impact on a child's emotional well-being.
My training in Counselling Children and Young People through the organisation TICPlus (Teens in Crisis) covers all the necessary BACP competencies to counsel and work with children and young people. Working with this young client group can involve working more creatively to help them express how they are feeling which can include using creative techniques to help in the counselling process.
Membership of professional bodies:
I am a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) and adhere to their ethical framework which I use as a guide to work safely and ethically within my counselling practice. I have regular monthly clinical supervision to help inform my counselling practice to ensure that I am working safely and ethically with my clients.
I regularly undertake and update my CPD (Continued Professional Development) in order to inform my work.
I have Professional Civil Liability insurance
I am DBS checked (Disclosure and Barring Service)
I am GDPR registered (General Data Protection Regulation)
I maintain updated safeguarding training to inform my work with children and young people.
Qualifications:
I offer open ended sessions so that clients can choose what is best for them in terms of short or longer -term work.
My charge is £45 per session. Concessions can be considered for individual circumstances.
I work at The Banbury Therapy Centre which is situated in a convenient location near to Banbury town centre. It has a warm, welcoming and comfortable reception area which is fully manned along with free parking available.
I offer sessions on Tuesday evenings 5-9pm and Saturday mornings 9am -1pm
Other time slots may be available depending on room availability at The Centre.
My therapists profile can also be viewed on the website below.
Please feel free to contact me with an enquiry or any questions that you may have. All messages left and emails received will be responded to at the earliest possible convenience. | https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/debbie-inkpen |
Recognising the primary household responsibilities of women in caring and nurturing their children, we offer women-centric benefits package to our working mothers which includes:
Gamuda Women Empowerment Network (GWEN)
In FY2018, we launched GWEN to help in the career advancement of women through a support network. It also serves as a platform to spread awareness on women empowerment and about raising the bar for Gamuda’s female workforce in order for them to take charge of their careers and aim for the top. Our goal is to ensure strong diverse leadership pipeline. GWEN focuses on three pillars, mainly Career Development, Engagement and Well-being.
Through GWEN, our women are exposed to external leaders who share their views in terms of leadership experiences in a learning environment that would have direct relevance and personal impact. This year, we conducted two leadership programmes:
This year, GWEN’s initiatives have expanded beyond helping women, and have traversed across the 4R approach towards managing our wider pool of employees. Some key initiatives from GWEN include our involvement with International Women’s Day 2019, the Emotional Wellness Programme and Move@Work.
International Women’s Day 2019:
Game On for Fair Play
This year’s International Women’s Day was themed #BalanceforBetter, as it steers the path to a shared future built on diversity and inclusion. On 8 March 2019, we celebrated International Women’s Day to mark the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Growing our youth workforce, through striking the balance to think equal, building smart and innovating regardless of gender and diversity are some of the key topics for this year.
The world is now characterised by evolving gender responsibilities and the use of digital technology to improve the way people work. The path to a shared future is built on diversity and inclusion. The construction industry as a whole is one of the most notoriously male-dominated professions. However, with technology involved and the industry becoming more digital, more engineering works are taken off-site for women to look forward to especially for the newer generation.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Tuan Syed Saddiq attended this year’s celebration, sharing his beliefs that the youth are best placed to ensure that organisations prepare for the future and also lead today. A more conducive environment can be developed through empathy and collaboration regardless of race, gender, and religion.
Emotional Wellness Programme
Organised by GWEN, this pilot project is extended to all employees to address the different elements of an employee’s wellness. The Emotional Wellness Programme is run by a Trainee Counsellor for two of our in-house community development initiatives, Project Differently-Abled and Enabling Academy. The Emotional Wellness Programme aims to provide a safe space for all Gamudians to express their emotions, whether work-related or personal. Launched in July 2019, this initiative has received positive feedback and we are motivated to create a healthier workplace.
We aspire to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues by organising related workshops and awareness sessions. We believe this will help to build a network of supportive, caring and empathetic Gamudians who can then spread this awareness beyond just the workplace.
Move@Work
Initiated by GWEN, Move@Work was carried out by Movement First, a sports rehabilitation company. A seminar was conducted on overall foot health as well as good habits to improve posture at the workplace. The Seminar was then followed by a health screening session, where participants were evaluated on postural structures and habits. A complementary on-site physiotherapy session was provided for 32 employees.
This initiative was well received by Gamudians with equal participation from male employees. This has set the pace for GWEN’s gender-neutral approach, encouraging good workplace health and performance among employees. | https://gamuda.com.my/sustainability/human-capital-development/workplace/gamuda-womens-empowerment-network/ |
EU Cookie Directive
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Employers are obliged to follow certain procedures when an employee becomes
redundant. Redundancy occurs where you lose your job due to circumstances such
as the closure of the business or a reduction in the number of staff. The Redundancy
Payments Acts 1967–2014 provide a minimum entitlement to a redundancy
payment for employees who have a set period of service with the employer. Not
all employees are entitled to this statutory redundancy payment, even where a
redundancy situation exists. You can read our document on qualifying for redundancy.
Employer rebate abolition: There is no statutory
redundancy employer rebate where the date of dismissal due to redundancy is on
or after 1 January 2013.
In addition to the provisions in the legislation as regards collective redundancies your employer
must follow certain fair procedures that is, to give you at least 2 weeks'
notice and on the date of dismissal pay your redundancy payment. There are also various
procedures with regard to selection for redundancy, alternative work and time
off.
In selecting a particular employee for redundancy, an employer should apply
selection criteria that are reasonable and are applied in a fair manner. You
are entitled to bring a claim for unfair dismissal if you consider
that you were unfairly selected for redundancy or consider that a genuine
redundancy situation did not exist. Examples of these situations might include
where the custom and practice in your workplace has been last in, first out and
your selection did not follow this procedure. Another example may be where your
contract of employment sets out criteria for selection which were not
subsequently followed.
Under the unfair dismissals legislation, selection for redundancy based on
certain specific grounds is considered unfair. These include redundancy as the
result of an employee's trade union activity, pregnancy or religious or
political opinions. The employment equality legislation also prohibits
selection for redundancy that is based on any of the following 9 grounds:
gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, religious belief, race,
sexual orientation or membership of the Traveller community.
As with any dismissal, an employer must act reasonably when dismissing an
employee in a redundancy situation. This requires prior consultation with you
before the decision is made. In addition, your employer should consider all
options including possible alternatives.
If your employer makes you a reasonable offer of alternative work, and you
refuse it, you may lose your entitlement to a redundancy payment. Generally
speaking, alternatives which involve a loss of status or worsening of the terms
and conditions of your employment would not be considered reasonable.
Similarly, you may be justified in refusing an offer that involves you
travelling an unreasonable distance to work.
You may take up an alternative on trial for up to 4 weeks. Where the
alternative involves a reduction of 50% or more in hours or pay, working under
the new arrangements for up to 52 weeks will not count as an acceptance.
If you accept a new contract or re-engagement with immediate effect and the
terms do not differ from those of the previous contract, you will not be
entitled to claim redundancy. This also applies if you refuse such an offer
unreasonably.
If you accept an offer in writing from your employer for a new and different
contract which will take effect within 4 weeks of the ending of the previous
contract, you will not be entitled to claim redundancy. Equally, if you refuse
such an offer unreasonably, you will lose your right to a redundancy payment.
Your justifiable refusal of an offer of alternative work, followed by
dismissal, may, depending on the circumstances, entitle you to seek statutory
redundancy or make a claim for unfair dismissal.
Any offer of alternative work should be given to you in writing and you are
entitled to full information concerning the details of the offer.
You are entitled to a minimum of 2 weeks' written notice of redundancy. This
notice period goes up depending on the period of service.
Notice when on lay-off or short time: If you have been laid
off or put on short-time work, this means that your contract of employment is
temporarily suspended. If your employer then decides to make you redundant, he
or she must re-activate your contract in order to dismiss you on grounds of
redundancy. When your employer gives notice of redundancy you are entitled to
the full notice period. If you are made redundant and you are not required to
work out your notice you are entitled to payment in lieu of notice which is
your normal pay for that notice period.
For example, if you have been on short-time work and your employer then
makes you redundant your payment in lieu of notice is based on the hours of
work in your contract of employment, not on the short-time hours of work.
If you are being made redundant, you are entitled to reasonable paid time
off in order to look for a new job. This right is set down in law in Section
7 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1979. (You should note that while the
Redundancy Acts have been amended a number of times the provisions as set down
in 1979 for time off, still remain in force today.)
You are entitled to any holidays that are outstanding or payment in lieu of
holiday.
Between receiving your notice of redundancy and the date your employment
ends, you may give your employer notice that you wish to leave before the end
of your notice period. You do this by completing form RP6
(pdf) and giving it to your employer. Your employer has discretion as to
whether to grant your request or not. You should note that leaving during the
notice period without your employer's agreement may affect your entitlement to
a redundancy payment.
When you lose your job you should register as unemployed by signing on with
your local social welfare office. If you have enough social insurance
contributions you may be entitled to Jobseeker’s
Benefit. If you do not have enough PRSI contributions you may qualify for
Jobseeker’s
Allowance which is a means-tested benefit.
Your employer must give you at least 2 weeks' written notice of the
redundancy. On the date of the termination of employment your employer should
pay the redundancy lump sum due to you.
If your employer is paying you the redundancy lump sum, they are not
required to submit an RP50 form. However your employer should get proof of
payment of your lump sum to you and give you a copy of the proof of payment.
If your employer has not paid your redundancy lump sum, you should apply to
your employer for it using form RP
77 (pdf). If your employer still does not pay it, you can apply to the
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for direct payment from
the Social Insurance Fund as follows:
Insolvency: If the company has been liquidated or is in
receivership, the completed form RP50 should be sent in by the liquidator or
receiver on behalf of the employees.
You can read this list of frequently
asked questions about redundancy.
The application for payment from the Social Insurance Fund should be sent
to:
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Ground FloorGandon HouseAmiens StreetDublin 1D01 A361
Tel: (01) 673 4500 (If calling from outside the Republic of Ireland please call + 353 1 673 4500)
Locall: 1890 800 699 (Note: the rates charged for using 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary)
For further information about the Redundancy Payments Scheme contact: | http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Redundancy-Procedures.aspx |
The intent of this page is to provide New Hampshire clients with more knowledge and a clearer understanding of how things really work in a Real Estate transaction these days. What follows is a breakdown of the most important steps in a sale, including definitions, Common Misconceptions and what we call The Real Deal. The Real Deal explains how these concepts work in actual practice, so that sellers have realistic expectations and a good understanding of the sales process before they accept an offer. It is important to keep in mind that The Real Deal reflects how most sales go, but of course each sale can vary depending on the circumstances.
PURCHASE & SALE AGREEMENTS (P&S):
Definition – Typically a 5 page document that outlines all the terms of the offer (price, dates/deadlines, deposit amount, inspections, financing details, etc.) for the purchase between a buyer and seller. It is considered to be “legally binding” agreement once executed by both parties. The day the P&S is executed by the Seller is known as the “effective date”.
Common Misconception – P&S is hand delivered to listing agent by the buyer’s agent with a deposit check.
The Real Deal – P&S are usually submitted via email or fax directly to the listing agent by the buyer’s agent. Sellers can accept reject or make a counter offer. When both parties reach an agreement on the terms and the offer is executed by the seller, it is emailed directly to the buyer’s agent by the listing agent. Once it is executed by the buyer and seller it becomes a legally binding contract.
DEPOSITS:
Definition – The deposit is also known as “earnest money” and it is commonly held in the escrow account of the listing brokerage (Lamacchia Realty in this case) when received. In most cases there are two deposits provided by the buyer and the amount of these deposits vary, the P&S indicates when the buyer will submit their deposit checks. The first deposit is typically received 3 days from the effective date. The second deposit, if applicable, will be submitted after the inspection stage is completed and the terms of the agreement are finalized.
Common Misconception – Checks are hand delivered from the buyer’s agent to the listing agent along with the Purchase and Sale agreement.
The Real Deal – It is customary for buyer’s agents to mail the deposit to the listing brokerage once the Purchase & Sale agreements are executed by both parties. As explained in our Escrow Policy, if a buyer defaults and there is any dispute over the deposit a mutually agreeable release must be executed by all parties before any funds can be returned to the buyer or given to the seller.
MORTGAGE PRE-APPROVAL:
Definition – A Pre-Approval is a preliminary approval to obtain a mortgage. Buyers who plan to obtain a mortgage should provide this along with their offer.
Common Misconception – Buyers are completely approved for their mortgage once they have a pre-approval and nothing can go wrong.
Real Deal – PRE is the key part of pre-approval to pay attention to. A buyer cannot apply for a full approval until they find a home. If buyers provide a pre-approval from a reputable mortgage broker and company, chances are they will be able to actually obtain the mortgage, as long as they don’t have a life change such as job loss, Credit Change, etc.
HOME INSPECTION CONTINGENCY:
Definition – This is the period of time that buyers have to inspect the home and conduct their due diligence. The deadlines for inspections and type(s) of inspections to be conducted are illustrated within the P&S/Offer and commonly written as “within 10 days” or “within 14 days” of effective date.
Common Misconception – Buyers cannot attempt to renegotiate or back out of the purchase following or as a result of an inspection.
Real Deal – Home inspections are part of the buyer’s “due diligence” period, they are meant to identify and/or address major safety and/or structural issues with a home. After their inspection(s), buyers, depending on the results, will have the option to present questions and/or requests to the Seller and/or attempt to renegotiate terms; withdraw their offer; or proceed with no requests or changes to the current agreement. If issues arise in the inspection and both parties are unable to come to an agreement, buyers do have the right to withdraw their offer and they are entitled to the return of their deposit. If this occurs, we will advise you accordingly depending on the circumstances.
Once the inspection stage is completed the buyers will issue an addendum indicating they are releasing the inspection contingencies, either 1) with the following exceptions: (listing out the agreed upon remedies), or 2) and are moving forward.
APPRAISAL:
Definition – An appraisal is an evaluation of a home’s value conducted by a licensed appraiser that is hired by the buyer’s mortgage company. The purpose of an appraisal is to allow the lender to ensure that the home’s value is enough to warrant a mortgage in the amount that the buyer is seeking.
Common Misconceptions – Buyers use this to get a lower price or it is another inspection.
Real Deal – Buyers have no control over the amount of the appraisal and it is not another inspection. Most of the time appraised values reflect the amount the buyer is willing to pay for the home. Appraisals sometimes come in too low; this is more apt to happen when there is a lack of comparable sales in the area. If the appraisal does happen to come in too low we will advise accordingly depending on circumstances.
MORTGAGE CONTINGENCY DATE:
Definition – A provision in the Purchase and Sales Agreement which specifies the date and time by which the buyers must have their mortgage commitment. Commitment dates are typically 7-10 days prior to scheduled closing date.
Common Misconception – If the buyers do not get their mortgage by this date the seller can keep the buyers’ deposit.
Real Deal – If buyers notify the seller prior to the contingency date that they need additional time to obtain their mortgage or that they were unable to obtain a mortgage, they can terminate the sale and get their deposit back. However, if the buyers are denied a mortgage
after the commitment date, and the buyer’s counsel failed to protect said deposit, the seller may be entitled to keep the buyer’s deposit. Please keep in mind that the Escrow policy with regard to the deposit would apply under these circumstances and each case is handled differently.
CLOSING DATE:
Definition – The date on which the deed is executed and ownership is transferred to the buyers. Upon signing the buyer now is the new homeowner and funds are transferred immediately.
Common Misconceptions – Seller can remain in the home after this date or schedule movers for the day of closing. This closing date can be easily changed after signing a contract.
Real Deal – The closing date is a firm date that cannot be altered unless there are unforeseen circumstances. Unforeseen circumstances could be classified as delays with the buyer’s financing or title issues that may prevent a seller from conveying “clear title”. In order to ensure a smooth closing a seller should always plan to move out at least 1 day prior to closing to allow the buyers an opportunity to complete a final walk-thru before signing the closing papers. The final walk through is typically scheduled for the night before or morning of the closing.
This document is for informational/educational purposes only and is not a predictor or guarantee of anything. | https://www.lamacchiarealty.com/what-to-expect-with-an-offer-nh/ |
Compulsory licensing (CL) has been one of the most important concepts in the new Turkish IP Law which entered into force in 2017. Although the concept is not new, the new Article 129, among others, provides the following possible conditions for granting a CL:
(i) failure to work or insufficient working that does not meet the national market needs before the expiration of a period of four years from the date of filing of the patent application or three years from the date of publication of the grant of the patent (EPO Bulletin), whichever period expires later;
(ii) for reasons of public interest.
After the Law came into force, the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office published a list of patents for which no use declaration was made within the time period referenced in (i). The list implied that a CL opportunity may exist for those patents. A CL for reasons of non-working or insufficient working must be demanded from an IP court in Turkey. Even if the term mentioned in (i) has expired and justification for not working is not submitted, it does not lead to an automatic CL as the patentee may prove working or justify not working during court proceedings.
While the focus has been on failure to work or insufficient working criteria, the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency has issued, for the first time, a letter to a pharmaceutical company regarding a CL for reasons of public health. While the letter talks about the reasons that may be considered under public health, it also opens the door for a voluntary licence. Therefore the letter is vague in terms of whether a CL will ultimately be implemented or not.
In circumstances where a CL is sought due to failure to work or insufficient working, the person seeking a CL must request a voluntary licence under reasonable commercial conditions and a licence must not have been given within a reasonable period of time. However, there are no such requirements in cases where CLs are a result of public interest. The Law provides that for reasons of public health or security, if starting, increasing or extending/generalising the work of the invention is a matter of great importance or lack of working or insufficient working in terms of quality and quantity causes serious damage to Turkey’s economic or technological development, the President of Turkey shall decide on a CL, upon a proposal from the relevant ministry. In these circumstances, the IP Law does not provide any chance for the patentee to justify its reasons for not working or insufficient working of the invention. | https://gun.av.tr/insights/articles/is-a-public-interest-compulsory-licence-on-the-way |
On April 3, Petro-Victory announced its intent to complete a non-brokered private placement offering of common shares of the Company ("Common Share") at a price of $0.01 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering").
The offering has now closed and Petro-Victory is pleased to announce that the offering was over-subscribed, and that 50,000,000 shares have been subscribed for by qualifying investors under the offer. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of closing.
The Offering was made pursuant to a waiver expected to be granted by the TSX Venture which permits the Company to offer the Common Shares at a price below the TSX Venture's $0.05 minimum pricing requirement.
Upon final approval, the Company's total outstanding common voting shares will increase from 122,377,650 to 172,377,650, of which 1,591,200 are pending cancellation pursuant to the previously announced cancellation of the 2014 Purchase and Sale Agreements. In addition, there are 70,535,000 restricted voting shares held by insiders for a total net outstanding of 241,321,450.
After the offering, the interests of all officers, directors and other known insiders of Petro-Victory in the issued shares of the Company are as follows:
|
|
Investor Category
|
|
Number of Voting and
|
|
Percentage of Total
|
|
Richard Gonzalez, CEO
|
|
72,533,334
|
|
30.1%
|
|
Harvison Capital Management
|
|
57,991,111
|
|
24.0%
|
|
Directors and Officers
|
|
3,737,778
|
|
1.5%
|
|
Total
|
|
134,262,223
|
|
55.6%
Shareholder Exemptions:
A portion of the Offering was made pursuant to the existing shareholder exemption (the "Existing Shareholder Exemption") contained in Multilateral CSA Notice 45-313 and the various corresponding blanket orders and rules of participating jurisdictions (the Existing Shareholder Exemption is not available in Ontario or Newfoundland and Labrador). In addition to conducting the Offering pursuant to the Existing Shareholder Exemption, the Offering was conducted pursuant to other available prospectus exemptions, including sales to accredited investors and directors and officers of the Company.
A portion of the Offering constitutes a Related Party Transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") and Policy 5.9 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). The Corporation is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements available under MI 61-101.
Early Warning Requirements
Upon completion of the financing, Mr. Gonzalez will hold 40,397,588 Common Shares and 32,135,746 Restricted Voting Shares of the Corporation representing approximately 23.4% of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the Corporation on a non-diluted basis and 35.5% of the issued and outstanding securities of the Corporation, assuming conversion of the Restricted Voting Shares.
Mr. Patrick Yeghnazar also participated in financing, purchasing a total of 25,000,000 Common Shares of the Corporation. This purchase will result in Mr. Yeghnazar holding approximately 14.5% of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the Corporation.
The participation of Messrs Gonzalez and Yehnazar in the financing was completed for investment purposes, and both may acquire additional securities either on the open market or through the financing or private acquisitions and both may sell the securities they hold either on the open market or through private dispositions in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors, in each case in accordance with applicable securities laws.
A copy of the early warning reports relating to the participation in the financing of Messrs. Gonzalez and Yeghnazar will be available under Petro-Victory's profile on SEDAR.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless an exemption from such registration is available.
Cautionary Note
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Advisory Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
In the interest of providing Petro-Victory's shareholders and potential investors with information regarding Petro-Victory, including management's assessment of Petro-Victory's future plans and operations, certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "intend", "may", "objective", "ongoing", "outlook", "potential", "project", "plan", "should", "target", "would", "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, events or performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date thereof and are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Specifically, this press release contains forward-looking statements relating to but not limited to: the offering, our business strategies, plans and objectives, and drilling, testing and exploration expectations. These forward-looking statements are based on certain key assumptions regarding, among other things:, the completion of the Offering; our ability to add production and reserves through our exploration activities; the receipt, in a timely manner, of regulatory and other required approvals for our operating activities; the availability and cost of labour and other industry services; the continuance of existing and, in certain circumstances, proposed tax and royalty regimes; and current industry conditions, laws and regulations continuing in effect (or, where changes are proposed, such changes being adopted as anticipated). Readers are cautioned that such assumptions, although considered reasonable by Petro-Victory at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.
Actual results achieved will vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. These and additional risk factors are discussed in our Final Prospectus dated July 11, 2014, as filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com.
The above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking statements in this press release has been provided in order to provide shareholders and potential investors with a more complete perspective on Petro-Victory's current and future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. There is no representation by Petro-Victory that actual results achieved will be the same in whole or in part as those referenced in the forward-looking statements and Petro-Victory does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.
Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws.
SOURCE Petro-Victory Energy Corp. | https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/result-of-petro-victorys-proposed-500m-private-placement-620346783.html |
1. These conditions apply to every tender, offer and agreement between Moutontrading B.V and all its other group companies, shareholders and authorised representatives of this subsidiary, hereinafter referred to as: “Moutontrading” and any Counterparty in respect of whom Moutontrading has declared that these conditions apply, to the extent that these conditions are not expressly excluded in writing by the parties.
2. The present conditions are equally applicable to any agreements with Moutontrading, the performance of which requires the involvement of third parties.
3. The present conditions apply equally to the employees and directors of Moutontrading.
4. The application of any purchasing or other terms of the Counterparty is expressly excluded.
5. If one or more of the provisions of these general terms and conditions should be void or be nullified, then the remainder of these general terms and conditions shall continue to apply in full. Moutontrading and the Counterparty shall in that case enter into discussion in order to agree new provisions to replace the void or nullified provisions, whereby the intention and tenor of the original provisions shall be taken as far as possible into account.
6. Should there be uncertainty regarding the meaning of one or more provisions of these general terms and conditions, then they are to be interpreted in the spirit of these provisions.
7. In the event of an occurrence not covered by these general terms and conditions, then the situations shall be considered in the spirit of these general terms and conditions.
8. Any failure by Moutontrading to strictly enforce these general terms and conditions shall not render them unenforceable and shall not in any way diminish Moutontrading’s right to insist on strict compliance with these terms and conditions on other occasions.
Article 2. Offers and tenders
1. All offers and tenders by Moutontrading remain open in the absence of any stipulation of a period for acceptance in the offer. An offer shall end if the product which was the subject of the offer is no longer available. In the absence of any specified period of acceptance an offer shall end no later than 15 days after the date of the offer.
2. Moutontrading shall not be bound by its offers or tenders if the Counterparty can reasonably be expected to understand that the offer or tender, or any part thereof, is obviously based on a mistake or contains an error.
3. Prices stated in an offer or tender do not include BTW (VAT) and other government taxes and duties, and they are stated exclusive of costs related to the agreement, such as travel, accommodation and administration costs, unless otherwise stated.
4. Contrary to the terms of article 6:225, clause 2 of the Burgerlijk Wetboek,
Moutontrading is not bound by any changes to the offer or order confirmation made by Moutontrading, which may be contained in the acceptance given by the Counterparty.
5. A combined price proposal does not bind Moutontrading to supply a part of the proposal for a similar proportion of the stated price. Tenders and offers do not automatically apply to future orders.
Article 3. Delivery
1. Unless otherwise agreed, delivery takes place ex factory. If one of the Incoterms is incorporated as a delivery term, the Incoterms ruling at the time of entry into agreement shall apply.
2. The Counterparty is bound to accept the product at the moment it is delivered or, under the terms of the agreement, it is placed at the disposal of the Counterparty.
3. If the purchaser refuses delivery or is negligent in providing information or instructions that are necessary for delivery, the goods will be stored at the expense and risk of the Counterparty. In that case the Counterparty shall be responsible for all additional costs, including in any case the storage costs.
4. Products may vary from the displayed version in model and in packaging. Moutontrading guarantees that the properties of the goods delivered conform to the product that was originally offered. A variation in the product delivered that is within the stated variation tolerance does not afford the Counterparty the right to reject the product purchased, neither does it create any right to seek damages or right of replacement of the product
Article 4. Delivery period
1. Delivery periods and other performance times stated by Moutontrading in offers and agreements are estimates and purely for information, and are not fundamental terms; failure to meet them affords the Counterparty no right to damages or termination.
2. In the event of late delivery the Counterparty shall inform Moutontrading of the breach in writing, and shall permit Moutontrading a reasonable period of time to fulfil its obligations.
3. The period stated by Moutontrading for delivery only commences from the moment Moutontrading possesses all necessary information.
Article 5. Partial delivery
1. Moutontrading has the right to deliver goods sold in instalments. This does not apply to any partial delivery that has no separate value. If goods are delivered in instalments, Moutontrading has the right to invoice each instalment separately.
2. Moutontrading has the right to delay performance of its obligations until the Counterparty has complied with all legitimate demands of Moutontrading.
Article 6. Technical requirements
1. If the goods are to be delivered in the Netherlands but are to be used outside the Netherlands, Moutontrading is not responsible for compliance of the goods with the technical requirements, standards and/or legal and other regulations of the land in which the goods are to be use. This does not apply if at the time of entering into agreement the use of the goods is expressly referred to and all necessary information and specifications are discussed.
2. All technical requirements of the Counterparty in relation to the goods to be delivered and any departure from the requirements that generally apply must be expressly stated by the Counterparty before completion of the purchase agreement.
Article 7. Samples, models and examples
If Moutontrading displays a model, sample or example, this is assumed to be displayed as an indication: the qualities of the goods delivered can vary from the sample, model or example, unless it is expressly stated that the goods delivered should conform to the sample, model or example.
Article 8. Termination of Contract
1. A contract between Moutontrading and the Counterparty can be terminated immediately, without recourse to legal proceedings, in the following circumstances:
- if after entering into the contract Moutontrading becomes aware of circumstances giving Moutontrading good reason to fear that the Counterparty will not comply with its obligations;
- if Moutontrading has asked the Counterparty at the time of entering into contract to provide security for performance of its obligations (for example a bank guarantee) and this security remains outstanding or insufficient, in spite of summons.
In the stated circumstances Moutontrading is entitled to delay further performance of the contract, or to choose to terminate the contract, without diminishing the right of Moutontrading to claim for damages.
2. If circumstances emerge relating to persons and/or materials that Moutontrading uses or is accustomed to using in performance of the contract, which are of such a nature that performance of the contract becomes impossible or so burdensome or unreasonably expensive that performance of the contract can no longer reasonably be demanded, then Moutontrading is entitled to terminate the contract.
Article 9. Guarantee
1. Moutontrading guarantees that the goods it delivers are free of faults in development, material or manufacture for the period of one month following delivery.
2. If goods display evidence of faulty development, materials or manufacture, the Counterparty is entitled to repair of the goods. Moutontrading can choose to replace the goods if repair is problematical. The Counterparty is only entitled to replacement if repair of the goods is impossible.
3. The guarantee does not apply to damage resulting from improper use or failure to follow instructions correctly.
4. Improper use includes:
- incorrect storage, packing and transport of the goods
- careless/inappropriate use of the goods.
5. If the guarantee relates to a product that is produced by a third party then the guarantee is limited to the guarantee given by the producer of the goods.
6. The Counterparty cannot make any use of the stated guarantee provisions until full payment has been made for the goods delivered, in compliance with the invoice from Moutontrading.
Article 10. Reservation of title
1. All goods delivered by Moutontrading remain the property of Moutontrading until the Counterparty has complied with all its obligations under all purchase agreements entered into with Moutontrading.
2. Goods delivered by Moutontrading, which under the terms of clause 1 are subject to reservation of title, can only be resold in the normal course of business and may never be used as a means of payment.
3. The Counterparty is not entitled to pledge goods which are subject to reservation of title, nor in any other way to subject them to any impediment.
4. The Counterparty hereby unconditionally and irrevocably authorises Moutontrading and its appointed agents, in the event that Moutontrading wishes to exercise its rights of ownership, to enter any premises where the property of Moutontrading is situated, and to remove the goods from there.
5. In the event that third parties should seize goods sold subject to reservation of title or should seek to make or enforce any claim on them, the Counterparty is bound to inform Moutontrading of this as quickly as can reasonably be expected.
6. The Counterparty is obliged to insure goods sold subject to reservation of title and to keep them insured for all risks such as fire, explosion, water damage and theft, and to make the insurance policy immediately available for inspection upon request.
7. If Moutontrading enforces its rights of ownership on goods subject to reservation of title under clause 1, and recovers these goods and delivers them to a third party, then the total amount that Moutontrading shall be entitled to recover from the Counterparty in enforcing its rights under this agreement shall be reduced by the market value of the goods recovered at time of recovery. The market value is in any case equal to the sale price realised by private or public sale of the goods recovered to third parties, this at the choice of Moutontrading. The Counterpart is accountable for recovery costs.
8. Moutontrading is entitled to recover from the Counterparty such goods as shall realise sufficient sale proceeds via the intended private or public sale, to recover the entire claims of Moutontrading, including costs, interest as determined by the law, and any damages.
Article 11. Breach; period of claim
1. The Counterparty shall inspect or arrange inspection of the goods purchased within 3 hours following delivery. The Counterparty is hereby responsible for checking whether the goods comply with the contract, namely:
- whether the correct goods are delivered;
- whether the goods delivered comply with the agreed quantity;
- whether the goods delivered comply with the agreed quality standards or, in the absence of agreed quality standards, with the requirements for normal use and/or business requirements.
2. If visible defect or shortage is detected, the purchaser must immediately notify Moutontrading of this in writing, within 24 hours.
3. Defects which are not visible must be reported by the Counterparty in writing to Moutontrading within two days of detection, and in any case no later than 1 week following delivery.
4. Even if the Counterparty makes a claim within the time permitted, it remains bound to make payment and to accept delivery of orders made.
5. Goods may only be returned following written permission from Moutontrading.
6. Claims against Moutontrading in respect of any failure to perform its obligations under the contract expire one year after completion of the contract.
Article 12. Packaging
1. The purchaser is bound within 14 days to return in an empty and undamaged condition, all packing materials which are on loan, meaning pallets and other material intended to ensure safe delivery, not including cardboard and other protective strips etc. The purchaser is responsible for all costs resulting from a failure to comply with its obligations in respect of packaging. Such costs include costs resulting from late return and costs of replacement, repair or cleaning.
2. If the Counterparty fails to return loan packaging following a warning, within the time period stated in the warning, Moutontrading is entitled to opt for replacement and to recover the cost of this, provided Moutontrading has announced these steps in its warning.
Article 13. Price/ price increase
1.Unless expressly otherwise stated prices given by Moutontrading are stated:
- in Euro’s
- excluding BTW (VAT)
- on the basis of the minimum order quantities traded by Moutontrading
- excluding transport costs
- ex factory/warehouse
2. If Moutontrading and the Counterparty have agreed a price Moutontrading is nevertheless entitled to increase the price if it can demonstrate that between the time of offer and delivery, significant price changes have occurred in respect of raw materials, exchange rates and/or wages, or otherwise unforeseen circumstances.
3. If the price increase is greater than 10% the Counterparty is entitled to terminate the agreement.
Article 14. Payment
1. In the absence of other agreement payment is due within 30 days of invoice date in a manner to be determined by Moutontrading, in the invoiced currency.
2. Following the elapse of 30 days after invoice date the Counterparty is legally in breach; from the moment of becoming in breach the Counterparty is liable for interest on the amount due at the rate of 1% per month, unless the interest rate fixed by law is higher, in which case the rate of interest fixed by law shall apply.
3. In the event of liquidation, bankruptcy, or an arrangement with creditors of the Counterparty, the claims of Moutontrading and the obligations of the Counterparty in respect of Moutontrading shall become immediately enforceable.
4. Payment is due without deduction or bank charges.
5. Payments made by the Counterparty will be applied firstly in settlement of all interest and recoverable costs, and secondly in settlement of invoices that remain unpaid the longest, even if the Counterparty states that the payment relates to a later invoice.
6. Moutontrading is at all times entitled to request advance payment from the Counterparty. If advance payment is requested, Moutontrading will only commence ordering goods for the Counterparty once the advance payment has been made.
7. For orders of € 15.000,-- or more the Counterparty shall arrange a bank guarantee in favour of Moutontrading for the value of the goods ordered.
Article 15. Settlement costs
1. If the Counterparty is in breach or neglects to comply with one or more of its obligations, then the Counterparty is responsible for all legal and out of court costs incurred in obtaining settlement. In any case the Counterparty will be charged:
- on the first € 6.500,-- : 15%
- on the excess up to € 13.000,-- : 10%
- on the excess up to € 32.500,-- : 8%
- on the excess up to € 130.000,-- : 5%
- on the excess up to € 130.000,-- : 3%
2. If Moutontrading demonstrates that it has incurred higher costs, which are reasonably necessary, these are also recoverable
Article 16. Responsibility
Moutontrading is only responsible to the Counterparty in respect of the following:
1. For damage resulting from faulty goods delivered, the only responsibility is as described in Article 9 (Guarantee) of these terms and conditions.
2. Moutontrading is exclusively liable for damage caused deliberately or through gross misconduct of the company or its subordinates;
3. The responsibility of Moutontrading is limited to the amount that Moutontrading’s insurance pays out in the present case.
4. If the insurance offers no cover in a particular case or fails to make payment then Moutontrading’s responsibility is limited to the invoice value of the transaction, at least that part of the invoice value of the transaction that the responsibility relates to.
5. Moutontrading accepts no responsibility for damage arising during assembly by Moutontrading of its products, which is caused by the state of repair of the premises where the Counterparty is located. Moutontrading also expressly excludes responsibility for damage that may occur during assembly in relation to the construction of the building of the Counterparty, or parts of it, if this is not visible to Moutontrading or its subordinates. The Counterparty undertakes first to inform Moutontrading fully and in detail in respect of the construction of the building or the parts of it where assembly of the purchased products is to take place.
By not providing Moutontrading in writing with information, or by providing incomplete information, the Counterparty expressly accepts all responsibility for damage which arises from the failure to provide information, or complete information.
Article 17. Acts of God
1. In these general terms and conditions Act of God means, in addition to the general meaning given to the term in jurisprudence, all external causes, foreseen or unforeseen, which are beyond Moutontrading’s influence, but which prevent Moutontrading from performing its obligations, including interruptions to supply and industrial action within the business of Moutontrading.
2. During an Act of God the delivery and other obligations of Moutontrading are suspended. Should the period during which Moutontrading is unable to perform its obligations due to Act of God last longer than 3 months, both parties are entitled to terminate the contract, without giving rise to any claim for damages.
3. If Moutontrading has fulfilled a part of its obligations on the occurrence of an Act of God, or is only able to partially perform its obligations, it is entitled to invoice the part already delivered or the part that can be delivered separately, and the buyer is bound to honour this invoice as if it were a separate transaction. This does not however apply if the part already delivered or the part that can be delivered is of no separate value.
Article 18. Cancellation
1. Upon cancellation of an order 90 days or more before the agreed delivery date 25% of the gross order amount is payable.
2. Upon cancellation of an order between 60 and 90 days before the agreed delivery date 50% of the gross order amount is payable.
3. Upon cancellation of an order up to 60 days before the agreed delivery date 100% of the gross order amount is payable.
Article 19. Applicable law and jurisdiction
1. Dutch law shall apply to all contracts between Moutontrading and the Counterparty. The Weens Koopverdrag (CISG) is expressly excluded.
2. Any dispute between the Counterparty and Moutontrading shall be laid before the competent judge of the court in the district of Moutontrading’s registered office.
3. The place of performance of the contract shall be deemed to be the place of establishment of Moutontrading.
Article 20. Variation and location of the terms and conditions
These terms and conditions are deposited at the office of the Chamber of Commerce in Tilburg. The most recently deposited version always applies. | https://www.moutontrading.com/en/service/general-terms-conditions/ |
Ontario, Canada, does not require ‘dismissals’ to be fair. No reason or procedure is required and termination pay is capped at 8 weeks. Notice is forfeited for gross misconduct. In other words no need for any ‘just cause’. Read the full article: Termination of employment.
The Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) does not require an employer to give an employee a reason why his or her employment is being terminated. There are, however, some situations where an employer cannot terminate an employee’s employment even if the employer is prepared to give proper written notice or termination pay. For example, an employer cannot end someone’s employment, or penalize them in any other way, if any part of the reason for the termination of employment is based on the employee asking questions about the ESA or exercising a right under the ESA, such as refusing to work in excess of the daily or weekly hours of work maximums, or taking a leave of absence specified in the ESA.
employees who [engage in] wilful misconduct, disobedience, or wilful neglect of duty that is not trivial and has not been condoned by the employer.
Other examples include construction employees, employees on temporary layoff, employees who refuse an offer of reasonable alternative employment and employees who have been employed less than three months.
There are a number of other exemptions to the termination of employment provisions of the ESA.
An employee is entitled to notice of termination (or termination pay instead of notice) if he or she has been continuously employed for at least three months. A person is considered “employed” not only while he or she is actively working, but also during any time in which he or she is not working but the employment relationship still exists (for example, time in which the employee is off sick or on leave or on lay-off).
if two separate periods of employment are separated by more than 13 weeks, only the most recent period counts for purposes of notice of termination. It is possible, in some circumstances, for a person to have been “continuously employed” for three months or more and yet have a period of employment of less than three months. In such circumstances, the employee would be entitled to notice because an employee who has been continuously employed for at least three months is entitled to notice, and the minimum notice entitlement of one week applies to an employee with a period of employment of any length less than one year.
Amount of notice required if an employee has been continuously employed for at least three months, from 1 week notice to a maximum of 8 weeks for 8 years or more period of employment.
In most cases, written notice of termination of employment must be addressed to the employee. It can be provided in person or by mail, fax or e-mail, as long as delivery can be verified.
There are special rules for providing notice of termination if an employee has a contract of employment or a collective agreement that provides seniority rights that allow an employee who is to be laid off or whose employment is to be terminated to displace (“bump”) other employees.
In that case, the employer must post a notice in the workplace (where it will be seen by the employees) setting out the names, seniority and job classification of those employees the employer intends to terminate and the date of the proposed termination. The posting of the notice is considered to be notice of termination, as of the date of the posting, to an employee who is “bumped” by an employee named in the notice. However, this notice of termination must still meet the length requirements set out in the ESA.
There are also special rules regarding how notice is provided when there is a mass termination.
The rules under the ESA about termination and severance of employment are minimum requirements. Some employees may have rights under the common law or other legislation that give them greater rights than notice of termination (or termination pay) and severance pay under the ESA; because such rights generally cannot be enforced under the ESA, some employees may want to sue their former employer in court for “wrongful dismissal” or pursue other options. Employees should be aware that they cannot sue an employer for wrongful dismissal and file a claim for termination pay or severance pay with the ministry for the same termination or severance of employment, an employee must choose one or the other. Employees may wish to obtain legal advice concerning their rights. | https://www.gilesfiles.co.za/ontario-just-because-termination/ |
The risk rated most likely was large- scale involuntary migration, with last year’s top scorer – interstate conflict with regional consequences – giving way to the environmental risks of extreme weather events and the failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation and followed by major natural catastrophes.
Geopolitical concerns remain prominent in the minds of respondents to the Global Risks Perception Survey for the second year in a row. The Report therefore delves into the international security landscape and explores what drives this evolution and, in particular, how it could be affected by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and climate change. The three scenarios for possible futures developed in this context inform new ways of building resilience to security threats through public-private collaboration.
Global risks that remain serious because of their combined impact and likelihood involve some economic risks, including social crises in key economies and high structural unemployment and underemployment. These are complemented by cyberattacks and profound social instability. Their assessment reflects the potentially profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the economy and society and emphasizes the need for safeguarding future benefits.
Respondents were also asked which risks were related and could give rise to cascading risks. Three emerged strongly: the potential for climate change to exacerbate water crises, with impacts including conflicts and more forced migration, calling for improved water governance to adapt to climate change and accommodate a growing population and economic development; the need to address the global refugee crisis, adding emphasis to policies that can build resilience in addition to responding to the immediate crisis; and the risks of failing to fully understand the risks around the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how this transition will impact countries, economies and people at a time of persistently sluggish growth.
Risks in Focus
Key to building resilience is the stability of societies. The first Risk in Focus therefore looks at the complex dynamics of societies in the age of digitization and discusses the phenomenon of the (dis)empowered citizen, which is a result of the interplay of varying dynamics: as technology empowers citizens to send information, connect with others and organize, those citizens feel disenfranchised by distant elites. It explores the risk of social instability if both governments and business embark on either repressive actions or non-action out of uncertainty about how to deal with a more informed, connected and demanding citizenry, which could lead to an escalating downward spiral of broken trust and harsher response on either side. The chapter also, however, explores the bene ts governments and business stand to gain by proactively looking for ways to engage with concerned citizens.
Food security risk in the context of climate change is the second Risk in Focus. Building upon the climate-water nexus discussed in Part 1, the chapter looks at how changing climate and weather patterns could jeopardize food security and agricultural production across geographies. The most climate- vulnerable countries often heavily depend on agricultural productivity to sustain economic growth and development. But the recent years have also shown the climate vulnerability of G-20 countries such as India, Russia and the United States – the breadbasket of the world – and other large industrial producers of agricultural commodities. The chapter discusses how climate change–resilient crops and supply chain networks, as well as financing and insurance schemes, can help mitigate the social, economic and environmental aspects of food security risks related to climate change.
Drawing lessons from the Ebola crisis, the third Risk in Focus discusses global disease outbreaks. It warns that population growth, rapid urbanization and increasing transnational flows of commodities, people and animals intensify the risk of infectious transmission across geographies while equally diminishing the ability to respond – all at a time of growing resistance of microorganisms to today’s most effective medicines. Preparedness and response measures range from the behavioural, such as fact-based communication and education campaigns, to the need to invest in diagnostic, drug and vaccine R&D and in its enabling environment, especially advancing a regulatory framework. It raises the imperative for public-private sector collaboration across areas such as data availability and analysis, a joint research agenda, regulatory frameworks, long-term financing and ways to promote responsible media engagement as part of effective crisis management communication.
For each Risk in Focus, examples are given of three practical mechanisms that can build resilience against the identified threats.
Risks to Doing Business
Private sector respondents to the World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey were asked to identify their risks of highest concern for doing business in the next 10 years. The responses, from 140 economies, reveal patterns of concern at country and regional levels that can usefully inform initiatives to engage the private sector in building resilience to global risks.
On a global scale, two economic risks – unemployment and underemployment and energy price shocks – are mentioned as the top risks of highest concern for doing business in half of the 140 economies. These are followed by the failure of national governance, social crises, asset bubbles and cyberattacks.
Economic risks predominate in responses from Europe, including social crises, unemployment, asset bubbles and energy prices – the latter also being the top concern in Canada – while executives in the United States are most concerned about cyber-related risks and attacks. Respondents from Central Asia and Russia worry about social crises and unemployment, along with the risks of unmanageable in inflation and interstate conflict. Environmental risks worry business leaders in East Asia and the Pacific, alongside energy prices, asset bubbles, and cyber attacks.
In South Asia concerns also include energy prices, together with fiscal crises, unemployment and failure of national governance – which is the top concern in Latin America and the Caribbean
– followed by energy prices shock and unemployment. Executives in the Middle East and North Africa likewise worry about energy prices, together with unemployment, terrorist attacks and interstate conflict. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the business community’s top concerns include unemployment, energy prices, the failure of national governance and the failure of critical infrastructure. | https://globalipaction.ch/news/globale-risiken-2016-wef-global-risk-report/ |
Data_Sheet_1_Functional Wetland Loss Drives Emerging Risks to Waterbird Migration Networks.pdf
Migratory waterbirds (i.e., shorebirds, wading birds, and waterfowl) rely on a diffuse continental network of wetland habitats to support annual life cycle needs. Emerging threats of climate and land-use change raise new concerns over the sustainability of these habitat networks as water scarcity triggers cascading ecological effects impacting wetland habitat availability. Here we use important waterbird regions in Oregon and California, United States, as a model system to examine patterns of landscape change impacting wetland habitat networks in western North America. Wetland hydrology and flooded agricultural habitats were monitored monthly from 1988 to 2020 using satellite imagery to quantify the timing and duration of inundation—a key delimiter of habitat niche values associated with waterbird use. Trends were binned by management practice and wetland hydroperiods (semi-permanent, seasonal, and temporary) to identify differences in their climate and land-use change sensitivity. Wetland results were assessed using 33 waterbird species to detect non-linear effects of network change across a diversity of life cycle and habitat needs. Pervasive loss of semi-permanent wetlands was an indicator of systemic functional decline. Shortened hydroperiods caused by excessive drying transitioned semi-permanent wetlands to seasonal and temporary hydrologies—a process that in part counterbalanced concurrent seasonal and temporary wetland losses. Expansion of seasonal and temporary wetlands associated with closed-basin lakes offset wetland declines on other public and private lands, including wildlife refuges. Diving ducks, black terns, and grebes exhibited the most significant risk of habitat decline due to semi-permanent wetland loss that overlapped important migration, breeding, molting, and wintering periods. Shorebirds and dabbling ducks were beneficiaries of stable agricultural practices and top-down processes of functional wetland declines that operated collectively to maintain habitat needs. Outcomes from this work provide a novel perspective of wetland ecosystem change affecting waterbirds and their migration networks. Understanding the complexity of these relationships will become increasingly important as water scarcity continues to restructure the timing and availability of wetland resources. | https://frontiersin.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_Sheet_1_Functional_Wetland_Loss_Drives_Emerging_Risks_to_Waterbird_Migration_Networks_pdf/19335476/1 |
Date of Award:
12-2013
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Committee Chair(s)
Jagath J. Kaluarachchi
Committee
Jagath J. Kaluarachchi
Committee
Ronald C. Sims
Committee
Gilberto E. Urroz
Committee
David E. Rosenberg
Committee
Chu T. Hoanh
Abstract
The Nam Ngum River Basin (NNRB) in Laos has received attention of foreign investors due to high hydropower development potential and low per capita electricity consumption. The NNRB is rapidly developing due to its hydropower generation potentials while water demands will increase for agricultural and domestic purposes due to population increase and land-use changes. Water availability conditions will be affected with the increasing water demand and climate change may worsen the water availability conditions. Climate is often defined as the weather averaged over time whereas weather describes atmospheric conditions at a particular place and time in terms of air temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and rainfall. On regional scale, climate change impact assessment is crucial for water resource planning, management and decision making. First part of this study, reliable estimation of climatic variables is performed under climate change. Second part assess the changes in water resources regimes and sustainability conditions of agricultural and domestic water user sectors under climate change for “do nothing” option that are critical for strategic planning and to minimize the negative impacts. Third part assesses the long-term climate change trends, water allocation challenges and appropriate adaptation measures to minimize watershed impacts to achieve sustainability and long-term management goals. The major findings of this study shows (1) wetter and warmer climates especially in the latter part of the century indicating less water availability, (2) sustainability in meeting the water demands for agriculture and domestic use is affected under “do nothing” option, and (3) watershed scale adaptation measures improve the (1) hydropower generation, (2) sustainability conditions in agricultural and domestic water user sectors, and (3) flow regimes.
Checksum
f85a17bf0ea44610a35980d83ab865de
Recommended Citation
Jayasekera, Dumindu Lasitha, "Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources and Corresponding Adaptation Strategies of the Nam Ngum River Basin, Laos" (2013). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 2031.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2031
Included in
Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at . | https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2031/ |
Climate Change may displace more than 140 Million Peopleby Yash Saboo March 26 2018, 6:40 pm Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins, 47 secs
The world is in trouble. For years, scientists have carefully accumulated data that confirms what we hoped wasn’t true: The greenhouse gas emissions that have steadily spewed from cars and planes and factories, the technologies that powered a massive period of economic growth, came at an enormous cost to the planet’s health. Today, we know that absent any change in our behaviour, the average global temperature will rise as much as 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Global sea levels will rise by up to 6 feet. Along with those shifts will come radical changes in weather patterns around the globe, leaving coastal communities and equatorial regions forever changed—and potentially uninhabitable.
Climate change will force more than 140 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America to become internal “climate migrants” within their countries’ boundaries by 2050, a new World Bank report has said.
Source : Time Magazinen
The report titled Groundswell – Preparing for Internal Climate Migration warns that unless urgent development action is taken, people in these three “hot spots” could be pushed out by lower water availability, decreasing crop productivity, storm surges and rising sea levels. Nearly 86 million people are expected to be internally displaced in sub-Saharan Africa, about 40 million in South Asia, and around 17 million in Latin America.
However, the situation can be controlled and the displacement reduced by 80% if governments take action in time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and engage in “robust development planning”, the report said.
“Climate change-driven migration will be a reality, but it does not need to be a crisis, provided we take action now and act boldly,” said John Roome, a senior director for climate change at the World Bank group.
He laid out three key actions governments should take: first, to accelerate their reductions of greenhouse gases; second, for national governments to incorporate climate change migration into their national development planning; and third, to invest in further data and analysis for use in planning development.
Within countries, the effects of climate change will create multiple “hotspots”: made up of the areas people move away from in large numbers, and the areas they move to.
“Local planners need to make sure the resources are made available, and to make sure it takes place in a comprehensive and coordinated manner,” said Roome.
Globally, many tens of millions more are expected to be similarly affected, creating huge problems for national and local governments. Nearly 3% of the population was judged likely to move owing to climate change in the areas studied – a proportion that might be repeated elsewhere.
“We have a small window now, before the effects of climate change deepen, to prepare the ground for this new reality,” said Kristalina Georgieva, the World Bank chief executive officer, according to the National Geographic. “Steps cities take to cope with the upward trend of arrivals from rural areas and to improve opportunities for education, training and jobs will pay long-term dividends.”
The report presented Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Mexico as its case studies. It warned that the fast-growing countries will have to create climate-resilient jobs to tackle population growth. Climate change is likely to immensely affect the poorest and most vulnerable regions, the report said. | https://thedailyeye.info/priorities/climate-change-may-displace-more-than-140-million-people/eaa7e46a9c750f72 |
Agriculture uses approximately 70% of the world’s freshwater supply. Agricultural water use is under growing pressure as demands for water increase; competition among cities, farmers, and the environment grows; and as concerns grow over large-scale overdraft of groundwater and water contamination from agricultural runoff. New threats include the challenges of climate change, which is likely to alter both water availability and agricultural water demands.
In the twentieth century, the primary objective of water policies was to simply make more “new” water available for human use. In this traditional paradigm, the best measure of success was total water delivered or used. Yet, total water use is now understood to be a poor indicator of the value or productivity of water, and a poor indicator of true efficiency. New thinking suggests that greater emphasis is needed on the goods and services provided by that water use, e.g., water-use efficiency and productivity. The Pacific Institute has produced a series of studies that address improving the water productivity of agriculture, including: Sustaining California Agriculture in an Uncertain Future; Water-Use Efficiency and Productivity: Rethinking the Basin Approach; and Potential Water Savings Associated with Agricultural Water Efficiency Improvements: A Case Study of California.
Work on the considerable untapped potential to save water in the face of the California drought highlights Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency in California, and a fact sheet and infographic illustrate The Multiple Benefits of Water Efficiency for California Agriculture.
Many farmers have already adopted innovative water management strategies. The Institute seeks out those individuals, organizations, and institutions that are interested in collaboration, shared learning, and the identification and testing of innovation. As part of this effort, we identify and evaluate farm water “success stories,” and present case studies and videos that share these practices. In addition, the Pacific Institute has partnered with the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply to develop an interactive database of sustainable agricultural water management practices at www.agwaterstewards.org. The database is searchable by region, crop type, and irrigation technique to help farmers find context-appropriate solutions.
The agricultural sector is particularly vulnerable to climate change because it is directly tied to land and water resources. Even modest changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, the length of growing seasons, or the frequency of extreme events will have large consequences for many farmers. The Pacific Institute has conducted a number of studies on the impact of drought on California, including its agricultural sector. In addition, the Institute is working on how to help farmers understand and plan for climate impacts at the local level.
Strong partnerships are key. The Institute works with others to build knowledge and effective strategies for policy by actively participating in a number of stakeholder-driven processes, including the Agricultural Water Management Council, California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply, and the California Department of Water Resource’s Agricultural Stakeholder Committee.
Over the next three decades, threats to water and food security will grow as the global population continues to climb, dietary preferences change, and the climate becomes more variable. The Pacific Institute conducts research and works with innovative agricultural partners to identify ways to ensure clean water and sufficient food for current and future generations. | https://pacinst.org/issues/water-food-and-agriculture/ |
Migration patterns in the study sites are diverse, ranging from seasonal/circular migration to international migration. However, most migration is internal and international migration is limited mainly to South-South movement. Migration is mostly male-dominated; however, female migration is increasing with women getting more educated and seeking employment opportunities in urban destinations. The major driver of migration decisions is economic, but environmental displacement was also prevalent in the study sites. The reasons for migration were consistent across the study basins, but differed between different streams of the same basin.
The adaptive capacities of households in four key sectors are analysed – agriculture, livestock, forestry, and water. The capacity of households to adapt to the negative effects of environmental changes and shocks in the study sites was low, and the adaptation measures undertaken mostly autonomous, except in the case of the water sector. The linkage between migration and household adaptive capacity was found to be positive, but statistically significant only in the agricultural sector. Thus, migration helps households’ adaptive capacity by spatially diversifying household income sources, but this potential is limited at present as remittances are small and mostly invested in meeting basic requirements. Thus, at present, migration is more a response strategy of the households to various changes, including environmental changes and their effects on local livelihoods
We call the moment at which a decisive change in performance is reached an ‘adaptation turning point’. The assessment of turning points shows there is an imperative to act, and it aims to help proactively and timely plan alternative strategies. In cases with a development or implementation deficit and where the performance of the existing policies and practices is already unsatisfactory, the turning point lies in the past. If, in these cases, changes can be attributed to climate change, the assessment of turning points helps identify the adaptation gap.
With respect to new practices, the assessment of turning points shows when these practices become viable in order to facilitate a smooth transition to alternative systems and practices. For development policies, an adaptation turning point assessment asks whether development goals are achievable under climate change and can be sustained.
By introducing this approach in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region we want to ascertain whether the assessment is a meaningful addition to adaptation approaches by allowing, in particular, for a substantial dialogue between stakeholders and scientists about the amount of change that is acceptable, when conditions could be reached that are unacceptable or more favourable, how likely these conditions are, and what adaptation to consider. The approach is not to be understood in isolation, but connects to other work in the HI-AWARE project, in particular the development of adaptation pathways and the assessment of critical moments. | http://lib.icimod.org/search?f=author&p=Bhadwal%2C%20S.&ln=fr |
The majority of people are influenced the most by what fills our souls. The thoughts and feelings we experience determine our lives. People fall into a variety of states, depending on what thoughts and feelings have been superimposed on them. Gloomy and painful states are caused by an excess of negative thoughts and feelings causing a mental deficiency. Positive states of harmony and happiness are the result of positive thoughts and feelings. In the course of our development, we inevitably pass through both types of states. We have to go through the negative first to get to the positive. The negative represents the lower stage of development, and the positive represents the higher. Our essence is made up of mutually intertwined positive and negative aspects. The former are on the undeveloped parts of us, and the latter are on the developed. We become good or bad, depending on what aspects of our personality are provoked in a given situation.
Many people have weaknesses that they cannot control. That is what mental deficiency is. Our weaknesses express our inner deficits. For example, when a person abuses a psychotropic substance such as alcohol, it can mean that there are deficits in harmony and joy of life. This occurs when negative thoughts and feelings significantly outweigh positive ones. The former are inherently toxic and therefore create painful conditions in the soul. The more negative the thoughts and feelings, the more painful they are because they lack the warmth and light our souls need. Warmth and light represent love and harmony, without which we cannot feel good.
Human evolution starts from the most negative sphere of life and over time must reach the most positive. Looking back into the past, we see how much darker people, conditions, events were than they are today. Today’s time is also filled with a lot of negativity, but it is far better than the dark ages, as historians call it, the period of the Middle Ages. If then, people’s thoughts and feelings were mostly negative, today they are in the spectrum of dark gray. Human development is usually not uniform, i.e. while in one respect a person may develop, in another he may degrade. Many people are intellectually developed but not emotionally, or vice versa.
The negative spectrum represents the negative forces of nature, and the positive spectrum its positive forces. The former are destructive and the latter are constructive. In the past, we see a series of many bloody wars, which shows that destructive forces were dominant in humanity. Today, more is being built than destroyed. This means that the constructive forces have begun to take precedence over the destructive ones. Destructiveness is a consequence of negative thoughts and feelings, and constructiveness is the result of positive ones. Little by little, people are beginning to enter the positive spectrum of life. This happens slowly and painfully, it’s like peeling off old skin to let new skin take its place. The negative spectrum represents selfishness, malice, hatred, aggression, greed, resentment, and the positive spectrum expresses their opposites – love, altruism, harmony, joy, empathy, generosity, gratitude. The two spectrums are intertwined in the human ego, when it grows, the negative spectrum increases, when it decreases, the positive spectrum in us increases. The deeper we sink into the negative spectrum, the greater the dissatisfaction we feel, which is often expressed in various forms of destructiveness. When we begin to rise from the negative to the positive spectrum, the spiritual light and warmth within us increases and we begin to experience more love, joy, harmony. In this state we experience desires for constructive action.
Soul deficiency occurs when the soul sinks into the negative spectrum because it lacks the vitally important positive energies of nature. It is expressed primarily as heart failure, in a spiritual sense, it is felt as tightness and emptiness in the heart. Negative thoughts and feelings create blockages in the mind and heart, so that not enough light and warmth can enter them. This creates mental deficiency and emotional and painful disturbances. Mental deficiency is also expressed in underdeveloped positive values, qualities and mentalities. When there are undeveloped aspects in the personality, they are filled with negative qualities, because nature does not tolerate a vacuum. The greater the mental deficiency, the more susceptible a person is to unhealthy temptations, the pleasures of which are a kind of pain reliever. This is often accompanied by states of evasiveness, hesitation, instability, depression, anxiety, obsessiveness, aggressiveness. In a state of mental insufficiency, the negativity from the environment and the world is much more painful for the person. Deficiencies make the psyche unstable, which is why stressful factors are felt more acutely. A state of apathy, in which a person lacks sufficient motivation, is also an expression of mental deficiency. This is also a consequence of being stuck in problematic thoughts and feelings, which are like black holes into which life energy sinks. The lack of motivation for healthy activities is actually a lack of enough positive energy. | https://www.baba-vanga.com/what-is-mental-deficiency-and-how-it-affects-our-lives/ |
Why You Never SEE WHY BAD RELATIONSHIP CAN CHANGE WHO YOU ARE?
Relationships are fluid and altered with the changes and new situations. But are humans complex in relationships too?
We have heard of friend(s) who never liked partying, drinking or going late nights but suddenly starts engaging in late nights and drinking because she met a great guy or something alone that line, but she says it has nothing to do with her new party animal boyfriend?
He says it has nothing to do with his new party animal girlfriend....
I remember when I was 24 years and had a girlfriend who was a party animal and liked going out so much that just because I loved her in no time I started to do the same...
Are these pure coincidences, or is there something at work?
True relationships are fluid and altered with the changes and new situations. But are people complex in relationships too?
We humans are most affected by other people around us and our environment plays a vital role in how we think and act.
You might say how did your partner change your behaviour and habits, it is because the negative environment influence your thoughts which affects your mindset and subconsciously changes your behaviour patterns and actions.
The law of cause and effect.
We cannot change our circumstances, but we can change our mindset even before the deed is done.
The reason why your friend or I changed was that because falling in love changes oneself and lead to self-constriction.
Just as a new love can imitate bad habits, so it could cut off some good qualities... we subconsciously change without even realizing we have.
Are you going to leave a bad relationship or try to fix it?
Related Blog: What Are The Best Relationship Advice For Women?
My suggestion is you need to weigh the level of changes especially negatively and how much sacrifice you're willing to make it work without it taking the worst of you.
A man is what he thinks about, your thoughts is the flow of ideas either positive or negative and when the thoughts are repeated over and again, the power of your subconscious mind helps your thoughts come true.
Related Blog: Mindset: My Mind And My God
Hey, keep in mind that just as much as you are under your partner's influence your partner is also under your influence.
So if you as a person as mastered the act of calmness, act of positive thinking and mastery of destiny, you can change your partner's negative mindset and habits. Even if you can't, it will be hard for your partner to change yours.
Related Blog Post: What are the five things you can learn in life?
Hmm, lets be positive here right? In a relationship both partners are under influence of each other. So, if you have mastered the act of thought it is possible to over power your partners negative thoughts.
Use your power of thought wisely, and choose a partner who is already what you need and are looking for, so you can devote your energies to enjoying your time together, instead of trying to change that person into someone else.
Negative thoughts subconsciously result to bad habits in a relationship. | https://www.lifecoachwriters.com/post/why-you-never-see-why-bad-relationship-can-change-who-you-are |
Understanding ambivalence in relationships
Ambivalence or uncertainty of any kind can be an anxious experience which can make us feel that our sense of safety and security has been threatened. Due to the nature of the human connection, we can become psychologically, emotionally or even biologically connected to those we love.
The mechanisms which drive human connections are powerful, and uncertainty puts them in a state of flux. This can lead to internal alarms being raised, and both body and mind seek a resolution and desire to feel secure and attached. Ambivalence both invites us to desire closeness whilst also avoiding becoming too detached.
Bouts of ambivalent feelings are to be expected within a relationship, and it is important to note that when we find ourselves questioning our relationship, it does not mean the relationships are falling apart; instead, it is important to recognise ambivalence as a sign that feelings have surfaced which require attention.
What causes relational ambivalence?
There are many reasons for ambivalence to appear within relationships and each relationship will contain its own set of difficulties, triggers and experiences which may lead someone to ambivalent feelings. Maybe you fear losing the relationship despite not being totally happy with your partner, or maybe you find it too painful to admit that your relationship may not be as it once was.
Ambivalence by its very nature contains negative and positive emotions and feelings, which jostle for space in our minds. It is painful to hold in our minds exclusively negative thoughts about those we love, or to think that we don’t love or care for our partner, or even that we’d prefer to be with someone else. We find ourselves switching between different feelings because settling on either one is too difficult or painful.
Below I have listed some common reasons why relationship ambivalence can occur and why it can continue without being addressed.
Fearing consequences
It can be common to have fearful anticipation of what could happen if you took action and addressed your relationship concerns. You may worry a conflict could arise if there is a history of explosive arguments, or feel apprehensive you may start something which could be worse than the ambivalence itself. Or even that you may open yourself up to ridicule, anger or mistreatment from your partner.
Naturally, people fear losing their relationship, connection and bond, so there can be a sense that it is not safe to disrupt the status quo of the relationship, despite not being totally happy with it. Even admitting a relationship may be experiencing difficulties feels terrifying enough for people to remain silent or to minimize or dismiss their ambivalent feelings. This can lead to people being stuck due to becoming continually focused on trying to avoid the inner discomfort they are experiencing rather than acknowledging and addressing it.
Torn between values or beliefs
Throughout the duration of a relationship, we will inevitably change and grow as individuals, and sometimes that means our values or beliefs shift. It is great when you and your partner both shift and find ways to exist with different values or ideas, but this is not always possible. For example, one individual may realise that they do not want children, while their partner is very settled on the idea and feels very strongly about having children.
A difference in values or beliefs can be pivotal in creating relational ambivalence and can contribute to the struggle for compromise or the desire for one person to shift their ideas. Although making sense of the exact values in conflict may not alleviate the ambivalence entirely, the act of naming them and discussing them will help ease the pressure, which can make it easier to come to decisions about the relationship.
Self-esteem
Often the tensions we experience are related to either wanting or needing something from the other, and not being able to ask for it. People, who have a healthier level of self-esteem, may find it much easier to understand their needs matter and have value. This should not be seen as selfish, but instead that you are aware of your needs and require attention from your partner. Relationships require the renegotiation of our needs, desires and wants, for the relationship to effectively grow and flourish.
In closing
By understanding what underlies relational ambivalence, you can more fully take steps toward to resolving conflict. This is by no means an easy task, and requires time, effort and potentially the help of an external mediator, such as a psychotherapist, or counsellor. Facing these difficult parts of the relationship may be hard, but no more so than living with ambivalence and not expressing it.
Ultimately, our close relationships hold much sway over how we feel and influence and impact on our decisions. Nothing can activate intense, powerful and also potentially destructive feelings like our relationships with those we love and care about.
Find a therapist dealing with Relationship problems
All therapists are verified professionals. | https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/understanding-ambivalence-in-relationships |
You are a sinner who deserves to die because you have violated God’s law. Because his holiness requires someone to die for sin, God sent Jesus Christ to die for you on the cross. If you accept Jesus Christ God welcomes you to heaven. If you reject this offer, you will be tormented forever in hell.
When I first became a Christian, the statements above outlined my basic understanding of Christianity. Thinking over my early beliefs all these years later, the many difficulties of Christian belief are clear to me in a way they were not clear at that time. If I was to defend the rationality of my choice to become a Christian in 1994 in the light of my current understanding, I would not try and defend my limited understanding of Christianity at all. Rather, I would argue that at the time I had come face to face with the fact of my own inadequacy and accepted God’s offer of help to become a loving person. What can be more rational than to accept God’s help when you cannot live a love-based life on your own strength? What can be more rational than to start a journey of truth by recognizing your own weakness, fallibility and flaws?
The reason I would not defend the rationality of these early beliefs is that these statements are phrased in such a way as to be repellent to modern people. Telling modern people that they are sinners who are going to burn in hell unless they accept Jesus Christ and believe that the Bible is the Word of God sounds entirely alien to them. It sounds as if we are saying that they must believe that Tinkerbell actually flew around Neverland and that 2 + 2 = 5 if they want to eat pie in the sky with flying unicorns. Christian theology sounds ridiculous to the modern mind and we must present a more sophisticated understanding of the Bible if we are to appeal to our contemporaries. The relationship between the irrational sounding version of Christianity above and this more refined Christian vision is the relationship between the negative of a photograph and the photograph itself. Both the photograph and its negative share the same information, but one is much more comprehensible to the human eye.
How do we translate from the negative image of Christianity outlined above to the positive image that we need to appeal to modern people? We examine difficult Christian doctrines one at a time and attempt to make sense of them from a human perspective. To see the basics of how this works, let us consider the positive and negative formulations of a few statements from Christian theology.
You are a sinner and God has pronounced you worthy of death.
Now this statement seems very harsh, negative and brutal. Not only that, but a person presented with this truth will immediately respond defensively. “Sure, I am not perfect, but I haven’t committed any capital crimes. Why is God so harsh?” But the positive statement that corresponds to this statement is much more reasonable and does not cause the defensive response. “You have not loved God or others perfectly and God has determined that you are not worthy of the incomprehensible amount of work that he does on your behalf on a daily basis.” (See my post “Examining God’s Provision” for a longer discussion on God’s provision.)
These two statements sound radically different, but the important thing to understand is that both the negative and positive statements are conveying the same basic truths. “You do not deserve the immeasurable amount of divine labour necessary to allow you to live because you have loved imperfectly.” is equivalent to “You deserve to die because you are a sinner.” The positive phrasing requires a better understanding of God’s provision and the nature of sin, but it will be fairly easy for anyone who is interested to demonstrate that the positive and negative statements are Biblically equivalent. (See “The Nature of the Law” for more on sin being imperfect love.) While the negative statement is harsh and brutal and horrible, the positive statement is perfectly reasonable.
You will burn in eternal fire if you reject the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now this is the most harsh and negative Christian statement that is possible. If we understand that eternity is a long time and have an honest view of how horrible the imperfect love of this world really is, on the other hand, it becomes clear that God is warning human beings of the consequences of rejecting his help to love other human beings and the unimaginable gifts he offers us in Christ. (see “An Artifact of Eternity“, “The Nature of Hell” and “Hell: Punishment or Consequences” for more thoughts on the issue of hell.) Once again, the negative statement sounds brutal and harsh, but the positive statement is reasonable and makes sense.
Jesus was tortured to death for your sins that you might live.
Why is God so harsh as to require an innocent to be tortured to death in order to forgive sins? The negative formulation of this Christian truth makes God sound terrible. If we consider that what God was doing through the Atonement was reconciling his loving nature to our horrific failures, on the other hand, the gospel is revealed to be exceptionally beautiful. (see my post “The Nature of the Atonement” for more on this idea.)
While Christians are rightly leery of compromising the basic truths of Christianity, if we are to appeal to modern people we simply must refine our presentation of Biblical truth. The only way to do this is to replace the negative image of Christian beliefs with the positive image as described above. As I have attempted to demonstrate on this site, once we do this Christian beliefs are the most rational and beautiful beliefs that are available to human beings. | https://athoughtfulchristian.com/2016/04/09/the-negative-image-of-christian-beliefs/ |
1. What you think matters; it has consequences that can be positive or negative depending on the nature of your thoughts. Remember also that thought precedes action. Check your belief system: is it life enhancing or life destroying?
2. Hatred only begets hatred. Contempt begets contempt. The best definition of love is acceptance. If you want peace and love in the world, then send out thoughts of peace and love. Besides, hatred is...
September 1, 2014
We should go out in a blaze of glory after a life well lived.
Instead of aches and pains we ride a glorious chariot into the sunset
Instead of dimming eyesight we see the beauty of the earth
Instead of duller sound we hear the music of the spheres.
Instead of the rush of duties we enjoy a well-earned rest.
Instead of pain and sorrow we only remember the lessons.
I know it’s a long good bye
But we shall meet again
And we shall meet friends...
April 16, 2013
I WROTE THIS POEM IN THE WAKE OF THE BOSTON MARATHON MASSACRE AND KENYAN MASSACRE.
I have looked into the face of evil
The dismemberment of spectators at a joyous springtime run
Human beings jumping to their death from a burning inferno on a glorious fall day
Crowds blown up in busy markets in distant places
People dehumanized, poisoned, burnt to ashes
I have seen the face of evil.
What dark recesses of the mind harbor such visions of he... | https://www.edithcord.com/musings |
What comes first; actions, thoughts or feelings? Most people believe that feelings drive thoughts and then actions.
FEELINGS → THOUGHTS → ACTIONS
It seems that way because feelings are intense, and likely the first thing we are aware of. In fact, thoughts are what drive our feelings.
THOUGHTS → FEELINGS → ACTIONS
Thoughts happen in a split second, so we are not generally consciously aware of them. Learning to catch those thoughts before they develop into feelings is a challenging but vital tool for helping us control our feelings, rather than letting our feelings control us. It takes a lot of practice and persistence, but over time, it is possible to develop a strong awareness of, and to start to filter out a lot of the unhelpful negative self talk.
Imagine having both a self doubt monster and a personal coach on your shoulders, whispering into your ears. As we already know, we are hardwired to pay more attention to the negative thoughts. Below are a couple of situations that could easily produce negative thoughts and feelings in tweens…
“I volunteer an answer in class that I think is really clever but it is wrong and people laugh.”
OR
“I ask to go out with me, and they say no. I hear giggles from their friend.”
THOUGHT
“I’m an idiot and I wish I had just kept my mouth shut”
FEELING
embarrassed, dumb
ACTION
disengagement, not willing to take that risk again
Catching self talk is really hard at first, because it happens so quickly. It is usually easier to begin by thinking about the last time you had a strong emotion (positive or negative) and ‘walk it back;
What did I say to myself that led to that feeling? What else could I have said to myself that might have altered that feeling?
Try playing out the above scenario with a more optimistic thought; Think of this as the inner coach on your shoulder cheering you on.
THOUGHT
“OK that didn’t work out the way I hoped, but it isn’t that big a deal. People giggling doesn’t mean they are laughing at me. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I am stronger than this and THIS happens to everyone sometimes.”
FEELING
hopeful, determined, resolute
ACTION
willing to try again
What Can You Do?
Regularly ask kids to think/write down the last strong emotion they remember.
Ask them to see if they remember what led to the feeling (exterior trigger).
Ask them to remember what they said to themselves in response to that trigger.
If they could go back, what are more optimistic thoughts that may have reduced the negative feeling.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS to help kids shift the negative self talk:
Is my response logical/rational?
Am I exaggerating the importance of the situation?
Is this a last chance, or a one of many opportunities? | https://www.kidcalm.ca/post/getting-a-grip-on-self-talk |
Watching your thoughts without judgement is the key to becoming self-aware and unlocking your potential to create the life that you truly desire.
It is very common for people to confuse their thoughts with who they are, when in reality thoughts are nothing more than conditioned mind patterns that operate spontaneously.
You can choose to change the nature of your thoughts at any time, and in doing so, you will dramatically change the external circumstances of your life. Lack of money, confidence, freedom, influence, and whatever else you desire but don’t have, is nothing more than a product of your inner world and how you think.
Cultivating heightened awareness will allow you to change your core beliefs to ones that support rather than hinder you in achieving your goals and living your dreams.
Daily freehand journaling is a wonderful practice for increasing awareness, because it is a tool that allows you to watch your thoughts and analyze them more closely.
You would be very wise to spend 5 to 10 minutes every day, preferably before you go to sleep, to write in a journal of some sort. Reflect on your day and write down every thought as it comes to your mind.
Do not stop to analyze what you’ve written and do not edit or censor yourself in any way. Simply let the words flow out of you until you feel as if you have cleared your mind.
After you are done writing, you can then re-read what you’ve written and analyze the nature of your thoughts. Does what you’ve written reflect a hopeful, optimistic attitude? Or does it reflect a more negative and self-critical attitude? Perhaps it is a mixture of the two. Whether your current attitude is positive or negative is not important.
What is important is that you have put your thoughts out in plain sight where you can look at them more objectively. If you had not done so, those thoughts would have passed through your mind without you really noticing them at all.
You would have lacked awareness, but through writing your thoughts down, you will have gained a heightened sense of awareness, and that is the foundation for all positive change.
To enhance this practice, you can do what I like to call “thought restructuring.” While re-reading what you’ve written in your journal, take notice of anything you’ve written that could be considered negative in any way and underline it.
Then, at the bottom of the page, re-write it in the form of a more positive statement. For example, you may have written, “A man at work today made a disrespectful comment and really made me upset.” You could then rewrite that statement as, “I got upset today over a comment that someone made, but I realize that the man may have just been having a bad day, and I am ultimately responsible for how I react to him anyway.” You see, you can put a positive spin on absolutely anything.
There is always a way to reframe seemingly negative situations into positive ones, and your ability to do so will determine your levels of success and happiness. The practice of meditation is another powerful tool that you can use to cultivate a higher awareness and thus an ability to change and improve yourself.
Meditation is sometimes confused with being a religious practice of some sort, but it is not at all. Meditation is simply a tool for connecting with yourself on a deeper level. Meditation involves being alone with your thoughts and feelings and simply “watching the mind.”
Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be bothered and just try to focus on the sensation of your breathing. Feel the air as it enters your nostrils and goes into your lower lungs. Breathe deeply into your lower abdomen.
Relax your abdominal muscles and allow the air to expand your belly on the inhale. Relax your entire body and allow the air to naturally escape through your mouth on the exhale.
Thoughts will come to you as you do this, but simply go back to focusing on your breath whenever you notice them. Very quickly, you will realize the incessant chatter of your thoughts. You may feel powerless to control them, but that is only because you have likely never attempted to. Daily
meditation will help you become the master of your mind, and that is a skill of utmost value. Meditation and daily journal are similar in that they both allow you to become extremely aware of the nature of your thoughts. You will quickly notice whether your thoughts lean more on the positive or negative side.
Even if you are a relatively optimistic person, it’s very likely that you still have many mental blocks. Your success in life and your current levels of happiness are always an accurate indication of the nature of your thoughts. The more satisfied you are with life, the more positive your mindset is. But remember that the circumstances don’t create the attitude; your attitude creates the circumstances.
Describing the practice of meditation and all of its benefits could take up an entire book of its own, but my goal here is to simply make you aware of the tools at your disposal.
I cannot stress enough the importance of daily introspection and self-awareness, and I hope that you consider incorporating at least one of the two practices mentioned.
The changes that will occur as a result will be subtle at first, but over time they will compound and create major change in your life. | http://buzzvibs.com/2021/10/09/watching-the-mind/ |
While much of the focus of anthropogenic effects on cetaceans is on lethal effects to animals, concern has grown over recent years that cumulative non-lethal effects on the behaviour of individual animals might have consequences at the population level. My research has been focusing on this problem at two different time scales. The first approach is to use behavioural response studies at sea to attempt to quantify over what geographic scales the behaviour of free-ranging cetaceans is potentially altered by an anthropogenic source of disturbance, military sonar. In the 3S research collaboration we have conducted experiments with several species of whales in Norway, using a dose-escalation procedure designed to enable estimation of a dose-response function for defined responses. The second approach is to develop new methods to quantify the body condition of cetaceans at sea using high-resolution acceleration tags to measure body density, which varies depending on fat content. We have calibrated 3 data analysis techniques for estimating body density with trans-located elephant seals, and are currently using this approach to quantify the body density of toothed and baleen whales. Understanding how body condition is both affected by short-term disturbance and influences vital rates is a promising research avenue to link short-term disturbance to long-term consequences for individuals and populations. | https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=126776&tid=3622&cid=126909 |
Social support is one of the most important variables in the study of wellbeing and psychosocial functioning. The role of social support is recognized also in public health studies, as it is one of the significant predictors ...
Validity and reliability of single-item self-report measures of meaning in life and satisfaction with life
(Sciemcee Publishing, 2015)
Health, subjective well-being and many other fields of research require large surveys that often include repeated measurements, and involve a multitude of crucial variables. This results in a demand for effective, valid ...
Further validation of single-item self-report measure of satisfaction with life
(Sciemcee, 2017-03)
Valid, reliable and easily applied measures of well-being are essential in large surveys concerning public health, education and psychology. General satisfaction with life is often measured in such surveys. Previous studies ... | https://depot.ceon.pl/handle/123456789/61/discover?rpp=10&filtertype_0=license&filtertype_1=dateIssued&filter_relational_operator_1=equals&filter_relational_operator_0=equals&filter_1=%5B2010+TO+2020%5D&filter_0=Uznanie+autorstwa-U%C5%BCycie+niekomercyjne-Bez+utwor%C3%B3w+zale%C5%BCnych+3.0+Polska&filtertype=subject&filter_relational_operator=equals&filter=single-item+measure |
An illusory sensation of ownership over a surrogate limb or whole body can be induced through specific forms of multisensory stimulation, such as synchronous visuotactile tapping on the hidden real and visible rubber hand in the rubber hand illusion. Such methods have been used to induce ownership over a manikin and a virtual body that substitute the real body, as seen from first-person perspective, through a head-mounted display. However, the perceptual and behavioral consequences of such transformed body ownership have hardly been explored. In Exp. 1, immersive virtual reality was used to embody 30 adults as a 4-y-old child (condition C), and as an adult body scaled to the same height as the child (condition A), experienced from the first-person perspective, and with virtual and real body movements synchronized. The result was a strong body-ownership illusion equally for C and A. Moreover there was an overestimation of the sizes of objects compared with a nonembodied baseline, which was significantly greater for C compared with A. An implicit association test showed that C resulted in significantly faster reaction times for the classification of self with child-like compared with adult-like attributes. Exp. 2 with an additional 16 participants extinguished the ownership illusion by using visuomotor asynchrony, with all else equal. The size-estimation and implicit association test differences between C and A were also extinguished. We conclude that there are perceptual and probably behavioral correlates of body-ownership illusions that occur as a function of the type of body in which embodiment occurs.
1
Targeting clinician concerns about exposure therapy: A pilot study comparing standard vs. enhanced training
- Behaviour research and therapy
- Published almost 3 years ago
- Discuss
Owing to concerns about the safety and tolerability of exposure therapy, many clinicians deliver the treatment in an overly cautious manner, which may limit its effectiveness. Although didactic training in exposure reduces clinician concerns about the treatment to a moderate extent, improved training strategies are needed to minimize these concerns and improve exposure delivery. The present study compared the effectiveness of a standard (i.e., didactic) exposure therapy training model to an “enhanced” training paradigm encompassing strategies derived from social-cognitive theory on attitude change. Clinicians (N = 49) were assigned to one of the two training approaches. Relative to standard training, clinicians who received enhanced training showed: (a) significantly greater reductions in concerns about exposure from pre- to post-training, and (b) superior self-reported delivery of the treatment. Reduction in concerns during training mediated the effects of training condition on clinicians' self-reported exposure delivery. These findings underscore the importance of addressing clinician concerns about exposure therapy in training contexts.
0
Of two minds or one? A registered replication of Rydell et al. (2006)
- Cognition & emotion
- Published over 1 year ago
- Discuss
Evaluative conditioning (EC) is proposed as a mechanism of automatic preference acquisition in dual-process theories of attitudes (Gawronski, B., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2006). Associative and propositional processes in evaluation: An integrative review of implicit and explicit attitude change. Psychological Bulletin, 132(5), 692-731. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.692). Evidence for the automaticity of EC comes from studies claiming EC effects for subliminally presented stimuli. An impression-formation study showed a selective influence of briefly presented primes on implicitly measured attitudes, whereas supraliminally presented behavioural information about the target person was reflected in explicit ratings (Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., Mackie, D. M., & Strain, L. M. (2006). Of two minds forming and changing valence-inconsistent implicit and explicit attitudes. Psychological Science, 17(11), 954-958. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01811.x) This finding is considered one of the strongest pieces of evidence for dual process theories (Sweldens, S., Corneille, O., & Yzerbyt, V. (2014). The role of awareness in attitude formation through evaluative conditioning. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18(2), 187-209. doi:10.1177/1088868314527832), and it is therefore crucial to assess its reliability and robustness. The present study presents two registered replications of the Rydell et al. (2006) study. In contrast to the original findings, the implicit measures did not reflect the valence of the subliminal primes in both studies.
0
Repeated evaluative pairings and evaluative statements: How effectively do they shift implicit attitudes?
- Journal of experimental psychology. General
- Published over 2 years ago
- Discuss
Six experiments, involving a total of 6,492 participants, were conducted to investigate the relative effectiveness of repeated evaluative pairings (REP; exposure to category members paired with pleasant or unpleasant images), evaluative statements (ES; verbally signaling upcoming pairings without actual exposure), and their combination (ES + REP) in shifting implicit social and nonsocial attitudes. Learning modality (REP, ES, and ES + REP) was varied between participants and implicit attitudes were assessed using an Implicit Association Test (IAT). Study 1 (N = 675) used fictitious social groups (NIFFs and LAAPs), Study 2 (N = 1,034) used novel social groups (humans with long vs. square faces), Study 3 (N = 1,072) used nonsocial stimuli (squares vs. rectangles), and Study 4 (N = 848) and Study 5 (N = 958) used known social groups (young vs. elderly; American vs. foreign). ES were more effective than REP and no less superior than ES + REP in producing implicit attitude change. Results were robust across social and nonsocial domains and for known and novel groups. Study 6 (N = 1,905) eliminated time on intervention, levels of construal, and expectancy effects as possible explanations for these findings. Associative theories of implicit evaluation posit that implicit attitudes should shift piecemeal over time; yet, in these experiments, one-shot language-based learning led to larger shifts in implicit attitude than exposure to stimulus pairings. Moreover, the redundancy observed in REP + ES suggests that attitude acquisition from repeated pairings and evaluative instructions may rely on shared mental representations. (PsycINFO Database Record
0
Explicit and implicit attitude toward an emerging food technology: The case of cultured meat
Cultured meat is an unfamiliar emerging food technology that could provide a near endless supply of high quality protein with a relatively small ecological footprint. To understand consumer acceptance of cultured meat, this study investigated the influence of information provision on the explicit and implicit attitude toward cultured meat. Three experiments were conducted using a Solomon four-group design to rule out pretest sensitization effects. The first experiment (N = 190) showed that positive or negative information about cultured meat changed the explicit attitude in the direction of the information. This effect was smaller for participants who were more familiar with cultured meat. In the second experiment (N = 194) positive information was provided about solar panels, an attitude object belonging to the same sustainable product category as sustainable food products such as cultured meat. Positive information about solar panels was found to change the explicit attitude in the direction of the information. Using mood induction, the third experiment (N = 192) ruled out the alternative explanation that explicit attitude change in experiment 1 and 2 was caused by content free affect rather than category based inferences. The implicit attitude appeared insensitive to both information or mood state in all three experiments. These findings show that the explicit attitude toward cultured meat can be influenced by information about the sustainability of cultured meat and information about a positively perceived sustainable product. This effect was shown to be content based rather than merely affect based. Content based information in a relevant context could therefore contribute to the commercial success of cultured meat.
0
Modeling stimulus variation in three common implicit attitude tasks
- Behavior research methods
- Published about 3 years ago
- Discuss
We explored the consequences of ignoring the sampling variation due to stimuli in the domain of implicit attitudes. A large literature in psycholinguistics has examined the statistical treatment of random stimulus materials, but the recommendations from this literature have not been applied to the social psychological literature on implicit attitudes. This is partly because of inherent complications in applying crossed random-effect models to some of the most common implicit attitude tasks, and partly because no work to date has demonstrated that random stimulus variation is in fact consequential in implicit attitude measurement. We addressed this problem by laying out statistically appropriate and practically feasible crossed random-effect models for three of the most commonly used implicit attitude measures-the Implicit Association Test, affect misattribution procedure, and evaluative priming task-and then applying these models to large datasets (average N = 3,206) that assess participants' implicit attitudes toward race, politics, and self-esteem. We showed that the test statistics from the traditional analyses are substantially (about 60 %) inflated relative to the more-appropriate analyses that incorporate stimulus variation. Because all three tasks used the same stimulus words and faces, we could also meaningfully compare the relative contributions of stimulus variation across the tasks. In an appendix, we give syntax in R, SAS, and SPSS for fitting the recommended crossed random-effects models to data from all three tasks, as well as instructions on how to structure the data file.
0
Categorization and Prediction of Crimes of Passion Based on Attitudes Toward Violence
- International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology
- Published about 3 years ago
- Discuss
The present study explored implicit and explicit attitudes toward violence in crimes of passion. Criminals (n = 96) who had perpetrated crimes of passion and students (n = 100) participated in this study. Explicit attitudes toward violence were evaluated using the Abnormal Personality Risk Inventory (APRI), and implicit attitude toward violence was evaluated using the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Results indicated that APRI scores of the perpetrators were significantly higher than that of the control group (p < .05), suggesting that explicit attitudes toward violence could discriminate between the criminals and the control group. There was a significant IAT effect demonstrating a negative implicit attitude toward violence in both the control group and in the criminals (n = 68); whereas there was a significant IAT effect manifesting a positive implicit attitude toward violence in the criminals (n = 16) only. These results suggest that combining explicit and implicit attitudes could provide an empirical classification of crimes of passion.
0
Self-Injury Implicit Association Test: Comparison of Suicide Attempters and Non-attempters
- The Psychiatric quarterly
- Published over 3 years ago
- Discuss
Given the weaknesses of self-report measures, there has been an increased interest in alternative methods of suicide risk assessment, primarily the implicit measures of suicide risk. This study aimed to determine differences in implicit identification with self-injury and implicit attitude towards self-injury between attempters and non-attempters using the self-injury implicit association test (SI-IAT). The SI-IAT is a computer test designed to measure the implicit associations about self-injury. Participants were 100 forensic and civil inpatients at three psychiatric hospitals. A history of attempted suicide was very common in this sample. All participants completed the SI-IAT. Attempters and non-attempters did not significantly differ with respect to implicit identification with self-injury and implicit attitude towards self-injury. Implications are presented for assessment of suicide risk and future research.
0
Uninstructed BIAT faking when ego depleted or in normal state: differential effect on brain and behavior
- OPEN
- BMC neuroscience
- Published over 3 years ago
- Discuss
Deception can distort psychological tests on socially sensitive topics. Understanding the cerebral processes that are involved in such faking can be useful in detection and prevention of deception. Previous research shows that faking a brief implicit association test (BIAT) evokes a characteristic ERP response. It is not yet known whether temporarily available self-control resources moderate this response. We randomly assigned 22 participants (15 females, 24.23 ± 2.91 years old) to a counterbalanced repeated-measurements design. Participants first completed a Brief-IAT (BIAT) on doping attitudes as a baseline measure and were then instructed to fake a negative doping attitude both when self-control resources were depleted and non-depleted. Cerebral activity during BIAT performance was assessed using high-density EEG.
0
Stigmatization and social impacts of epilepsy in Turkey
- Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
- Published about 4 years ago
- Discuss
Stigma associated with epilepsy has negative effects on psychosocial outcomes, affecting the lives of people with epilepsy (PWE). Obtaining basic social rights can be difficult compared to the general population. The aim of our study was to evaluate the perceived stigma among PWE and social attitude towards the disease and to compare the social measures with the general population in Turkey. | http://scicombinator.com/concepts/attitude/articles |
This edition of Keeping Up With… was written by Candice Benjes-Small, Maura Seale, Alex R. Hodges, and Meg Meiman.
Candice Benjes-Small is the Head of Research Services at the William & Mary Libraries, email: [email protected].
Maura Seale is the History Librarian at the University of Michigan, email: [email protected].
Alex R. Hodges is the Faculty Director of the Monroe C. Gutman Library at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, email: [email protected].
Meg Meiman is the Head of Teaching & Learning at Indiana University-Bloomington Libraries, email: [email protected].
What is critical assessment?
In academic libraries, we assess people and programs in order to demonstrate how well we are achieving our goals. Often, we focus on the quality of user experiences, growth in student learning and success, and measures of institutional improvement. Critical assessment pushes us to consider the roles of power and privilege in the design of our learning measurement methods, and to give voice to the people involved with the assessment. Assessment is often motivated by a sense of accountability; libraries need to prove their worth to others. Critical assessment deplores such a perspective, as it can treat the students, faculty, and staff as a means to an end. Instead, critical assessment perceives everyone involved with assessment--from the people designing and performing the assessment to those who are being assessed--as individuals affected by social, political, and economic drivers, and seeks to account for those factors in societal change. For example, job placement statistics among college graduates may be more closely linked to their socioeconomic status than to graduating from a particular college. Student use of the library might be similarly connected to economic class.
According to DeLuca Fernández, critical assessment:
● Exposes and addresses structures and systems of power and, privilege and structures;
● Considers thoughtfully the histories and contexts of everyone involved with the assessment;
● Makes explicit assumptions and intentions; and
● Eschews colorblind and ideological neutral claims.
We like to think of assessment as being neutral and objective, but critical assessment helps us realize that this is not possible. Fallible humans create the assessments. The selected tools and methods reflect our positionality. As Ebony Magnus recently stated, a critical assessment framework “incorporates mindful practice in which power and positionality are at minimum laid bare if not actively questioned, and the agency and authority of participants is respected and held paramount. This means accepting that assessment is not neutral, nor are mechanisms of data creation and collection.”
What can librarians do?
When designing and implementing assessment tools such as surveys or rubrics, we can include students and colleagues who share the identities of the population being studied. According to Ciji A. Heiser, Krista Prince, and Joseph D. Levy, this “helps practitioners challenge power dynamics, be more inclusive of diverse identities, address assumptions, disrupt ideological neutral claims, and acknowledge implicit biases throughout the assessment process.”
When using survey tools developed by external entities, consider how they fit (or don’t fit) into critical assessment. As a profession, we depend on existing survey tools because many are tested for reliability and validity, allowing us to trust their design as well as the results. But we also need to consider how such surveys fit into the critical assessment paradigm. Who develops the surveys? They may be highly credentialed, but do their identities reflect the assessed population? Are the questions they create examined for implicit bias? What ideologies or belief systems inform the assessment instruments we currently use, and how might we critique them?
For example, Ebony Magnus, Jackie Belanger, and Maggie Faber argue that library surveys like LibQual+® follow the accountability narrative, with an emphasis on quantity (“how many” and “how often”) and avoid considering the reasons why people answer the way they do. The focus on customer service also frames people who use the library as consumers who must be pleased, rather than active participants in shaping library services.
Finally, librarians involved with instruction may have other opportunities to pursue critical assessment. Lyda Fontes McCartin and Rachel Dineen advocate for moving away from surveys and using more authentic assessments like rubrics, journals, and portfolios. While the authors admit that achieving the true mission of critical assessment--transformative social justice--may be beyond the library’s abilities, they nevertheless advocate for breaking down the barriers between teacher and student, between librarian and user, in order to make the library and the classroom more democratic spaces.
Conclusion
In a presentation at LILAC 2018, Kyle Feenstra asked, “How can the library make space for the voice of the learner, ensuring that it is visible and validated as a meaningful expression alongside the privileged voices of academics and dominant university discourses?” This thought-provoking question is relevant to how we assess our work. Critical assessment reminds us to intentionally involve others in our assessment practices, giving them equal weight to our own efforts; to critique existing survey tools; and to use more authentic forms of assessment. By doing so, we can uncover systemic inequities and start to effect real change in higher education.
Notes
Torche, F. 2011. "Is a College Degree Still the Great Equalizer? Intergenerational Mobility across Levels of Schooling in the United States." American Journal of Sociology 117(3), 763-807.
DeLuca Fernández, Sonia. "Critical Assessment." Webinar delivered for Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) Structured Conversations series. December 9, 2015. Retrieved from: http://studentaffairsassessment.org/files/documents/SAAL-SC-Critical-Assessment-sdf-9-dec-2015-FINAL.pdf.
Magnus, Ebony. “Critical Assessment Practices: A Discussion on When and How to Use Student Learning Data.” 2019. Webinar sponsored by ACRL ISMLC. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/TCPKf_Kf9q0.
Heiser, Ciji A., Krista Prince, and Joseph D. Levy. 2017. “Examining Critical Theory as a Framework to Advance Equity Through Student Affairs Assessment.” The Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, 3(1). Retrieved from https://jsai.scholasticahq.com/article/1621-examining-critical-theory-as-a-framework-to-advance-equity-through-student-affairs-assessment.
Magnus, Ebony, Jackie Belanger, and Maggie Faber. 2018. “Towards a Critical Assessment Practice.” In the Library With the Lead Pipe. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/towards-critical-assessment-practice/.
McCartin, Lyda Fontes and Rachel Dineen. 2018. Toward a Critical-Inclusive Assessment Practice for Library Instruction. Sacramento, CA: Library Juice Press.
Feenstra, Kyle. 2018. “The Process is the Outcome: A Framework for Student ‘Research as Praxis’.“ Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/infolit_group/the-process-is-the-outcome-a-framework-for-student-research-as-praxis-feenstra.
Recommended Reading
Badia, Giovanna. 2017. “Combining Critical Reflection and Action Research to Improve Pedagogy.” Portal : Libraries and the Academy 17 (4): 695–720. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2017.0042.
Graf, Anne Jumonville and Benjamin R Harris. 2016. “Reflective Assessment: Opportunities and Challenges.” Reference Services Review 44 (1): 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-06-2015-0027.
Gregory, Lua and Shana Higgins. 2017. “Reorienting an Information Literacy Program Toward Social Justice: Mapping the Core Values of Librarianship to the ACRL Framework.” Communications in Information Literacy 11 (1): 42-54. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2017.11.1.46. | https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/critical_assessment |
Marianna’s experiences over the last couple of years has resulted in a shift in her artistic practice. These oversize pieces chart her reflections on human emotions and how they influence our perceptions.
By representing how contrasting feelings can coexist in our day to day lives, she has created beautiful aesthetic patterns. Each piece is a product of precisely worked individual moments combined to create a snapshot.
Klaaske Greenwood
Abstracted response to Tasmania’s bush and headlands. Watercolour and ink brush strokes convey the energetic yet calm experience of being in the landscape.
In contrast detailed studio drawings juxtapose man made and natural objects in a way that makes logic superfluous, a chance to relax the mind.
Martin Blackwell
Featuring numerous works in various media—paintings, calligraphy, and textile
“3 x 3” will demonstrate how Martin has transformed subliminal philosophical narrative into new modes of expression, through the medium of conceptual art. Also, the narrative for a new collection of textile works, not yet exhibited, is eco-sustainability.
EXHIBITION DATES: | https://tasmanianartsguide.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/meta-matters/ |
“The Contour Fantasy Period”
In this composition, the use of multi-layered curved strokes are used to create a sense of animation to convey movement and dance. This painting displays a stylistic influence of both Impressionism and Fauvism. Although the subject matter is entirely different to that of French Impressionist, Paul Signac, although the liveliness of brush stroke is quite reminiscent. Over the meadow, we see a band of gypsies coming, as the female dancer commands the attention in the foreground. | https://www.lordtophart.com/portfolio-items/contour-fantasy-period/a-gypsy-dance/ |
Subsets and Splits
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