text
stringlengths 124
652k
|
|---|
Here's why coronavirus is not as lethal as SARS
Tuesday, 18th February 2020, 3:54 pm
Updated Tuesday, 10th March 2020, 9:55 am
The World Health Organisation has announced that the most recent outbreak of coronavirus, known as Covid-19, is not as lethal as severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS.
The SARS outbreak began in 2013 and infected 8,000 people, killing 773 people worldwide.
Covid-9 began in late 2019 and has so far infected over 114,573 people, and has killed over 3,800 people worldwide, with most from the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province of central China where the disease escalated over the new year.
Why is Covid-19 not as bad?
SARS infected fewer people than Covid-19, just like its cousin Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012, but it had a devious nature. However, both of those coronaviruses affected children, whereas Covid-19, the most current strain, does not.
In fact, WHO reports that coronavirus may spread faster and it may have a longer, symptomless incubation period of 14 days - but four out of five people infected only suffer mild symptoms.
Dr Tedos Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said, “It appears that Covid-19 is not as deadly as other coronaviruses, including Sars and Mers. Officials are starting to get a clearer picture of the outbreak.
“More than 80 per cent of patients have mild disease and will recover, 14 per cent have severe disease including pneumonia and shortness of breath, five per cent have critical disease including respiratory failure, septic shock and multi-organ failure, and two per cent of cases are fatal.
“The risk of death increases the older you are.”
Are children safer?
So far evidence suggests that this strain of coronavirus does not affect children the same way as MERS and SARS, but it is too early to rule out a potential mutation.
Viruses can mutate to adapt to different hosts in order to survive, and there are gaps in our understanding of this new disease.
But it seems that children are not as at risk as the older generation are. It is still extremely important that all people - adults and children - continue to use strict hand-hygiene procedures and implement these at work and schools.
What is Covid-19?
Officially, this latest outbreak is called Covid-19, not 'coronavirus'.
A coronavirus is a family of viruses including SARS and MERS, which after cause acute flu-like symptoms but the word has been used to describe this new disease until scientists could identify that it was a unique strain. |
Miami River Forest Management provides the following services to both private woodland owners and public land stewards.
Wild Path
Individualized Management Plan
Identify landowner objectives and then develop a plan that meets the owner's vision for the land that will accomplish a combination of income, insect and disease control, forest health, wildlife habitat, soil and water quality maintenance, desired tree species composition, tree stocking control, invasive plant species control, and aesthetics. Ohio landowners can gain huge property tax reductions with our plans meeting requirements for Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) & Ohio's Forest Tax Law (OFTL) programs.
Wildlife Habitat Improvement
Determine the wildlife species of interest, and then plan and implement a series of treatments that will favor those species. Examples include: cut openings in the tree canopy to create "edge" or diversity, promote mast-producing tree species, plant annual grains, and develop water sources.
Fire Wood
Timber Inventory and Appraisal
Calculate the board foot or cubic foot volume of timber and determine its value for a sale of timber, cost basis, the sale of land, or an estate settlement.
Honeysuckle Photo.jpg
Invasive Species Control
Survey and map locations of invasive species such as bush honeysuckle and multiflora rose, develop a plan to treat them, and pursue funding from government assistance programs.
Timber Stand Improvement
Improve the forest composition of desirable tree species and improve the health and vigor of younger trees by thinning and vegetative release treatments.
Image by Daiga Ellaby
Tree Planting
Species selection recommendations for tree planting projects and securing government assistance, if eligible.
Street Trees, Parks, and Other Public Areas
Inventory and map trees by species. Hazard tree identification and mapping. Tree maintenance and management recommendations.
Natural Area Restoration
Recommendations and plans for restoring areas to a vegetative species mix that would exist under natural conditions. |
What Are the Benefits Of Vaping Weed?
Cannabis vaporization came into popularity when users began to realize the benefits of vaping weed versus smoking. Traditionally cannabis has always been combusted but now we have the technology to vaporize. In fact, there are portable, desktop and oil pen vaporizers for added stealth on the market now. When comparing the differences between smoking and vaping we’ll focus on dry herb vaporizers.
Smoke vs. Vapor: What Are You Inhaling?
The greatest distinction between smoking and vaping is combustion. If any combustion occurs, you’ll be inhaling more than just cannabinoids.
In fact, a study that was designed to evaluate the efficacy of herbal vaporizers illustrated it. The study used the same type of cannabis to both vaporize and smoke. What they found was the vaporized cannabis consisted of mostly cannabinoids with a trace of three other compounds. On the other hand, combusted smoke had over 111 compounds including a wide range of toxins.
One of the only advantages to smoking over vaping is it won’t cost you much up front. However, a vaporizer used over a long-term will save you weed and money. Another advantage of smoking is simplicity. To many packing a bowl or rolling a joint comes easier than packing a vaporizer.
Another study found that cannabis users who vaporize were less likely to report respiratory symptoms. So what are the benefits of vaping? Users can still get the benefits of cannabinoids without the pyrolytic smoke compounds.
Finally, research from Leiden University found that the effects of using a vaporizer gave similar results to smoking with less harmful side effects. “The final pulmonal uptake of THC is comparable to the smoking of cannabis while avoiding the respiratory disadvantages of smoking.”
Avoiding combustion also drastically reduces the lingering smell of cannabis. Vaporizers will have an easier time going unnoticed after and during the consumption of cannabis.
Why Do Some People Still Prefer Smoking?
When it comes to your health, vaporization seems like the best method of inhalation. Despite the growing awareness of the benefits of vaping, many people that have tried a vaporizer still choose to smoke regularly. This is because vaporization comes with a few deterrents.
Some vaporizers have learnings curves that make it hard to use and share with beginners. Others have to be repacked in order to be shared. Passing a joint is an easier and more universal way of sharing cannabis.
Another thing that deters people from vaporization is the initial cost. The best portable vaporizers for dry herbs cost up to $300 but they bring out the best qualities from your cannabis. Anything under a hundred dollars is unlikely to effectively vaporize your herbs. Consider purchasing one of the top portable vaporizers a long-term investment.
A large downside is the cleaning process. When smoking a joint you can just toss it when it starts to taste more like paper than weed. However, a dry herb vaporizer needs to be cleaned regularly for optimal function.
You’ll have to brush the chamber out whenever you’re done vaporizing. Some people move onto the next pack when the weed turns yellowish-brown while others will cook it until it is dark brown. It will also require a deep cleaning every once in a while because oils will build up wherever air travels from the chamber to the mouthpiece.
When it comes to desktop vaporizers, they come in many different styles. Some have a whip for a mouthpiece, a water attachment or the fillable balloon. There are just more pieces to clean and take care of when you compare it to smoking.
Portable vaporizers need to be charged. If you forget to charge it and don’t have a charger or a place to charge you’re stuck with a temporary paperweight. In those situations, it is much easier to find papers and a lighter if you don’t already have them handy.
The benefits of vaping weed are mostly health and stealth related. There are many cons to vaporization that have kept many people from fully adopting the method of consumption. As vapor technology becomes more accessible and more people realize the benefits, will people will abandon papers and pipes in search of a cleaner high?
The post What Are the Benefits Of Vaping Weed? appeared first on High Times.
from https://hightimes.com/news/what-are-the-benefits-of-vaping-weed/
Leave a Reply
|
Close Menu
What are Pennsylvania’s Implied Consent Laws?
There are many myths surrounding the DUI laws in Pennsylvania. One of the biggest is that you can refuse to take any test, at the side of the road or at a police station, if you’ve been pulled over for a suspected DUI. Under Pennsylvania’s implied consent laws however, refusing these tests is a mistake. All states have implied consent laws, under the reasoning that driving is a privilege, not a guaranteed right. It’s also the responsibility of law enforcement to keep drunk drivers off the road. As such, implied consent gives them certain authority to ask things from you, such as taking certain tests.
Implied Consent Laws in Pennsylvania
Implied consent refers to the consent you give to submit to tests, when asked by law enforcement, even if you don’t provide it at the time you are pulled over. You provide your implied consent when you sign your driver’s license and so, every driver in Pennsylvania is subject to the state’s implied consent laws.
In Pennsylvania, implied consent laws are also known as the O’Connell Warnings. Under the law, drivers have given implied consent to:
• Provide law enforcement with a driver’s license and proof of insurance when asked.
• Consent to a breathalyzer test, and blood and urine tests when asked by law enforcement to determine your blood alcohol level.
• Participate in a field sobriety test, if asked by law enforcement.
Refusal to do any of these things is a refusal to comply with the law. Those who do refuse can face harsh penalties for that refusal, even if they are not found guilty of a DUI.
Penalties for Failure to Comply with Implied Consent Laws
While many people think drivers have the right to refuse the tests law enforcement requests, they don’t. When motorists refuse to take these chemical tests, they will have their license suspended. That suspension is enforced regardless of whether a person is ultimately convicted of a DUI or not.
A first offense for refusing testing is a license suspension of one year. Second and third offenses have a license suspension of 18 months.
With such harsh penalties, it’s important to always comply with any request for a test law enforcement asks for. An attorney can challenge the results of these tests later in court. For example, they may prove an officer did not have probable cause to pull someone over. When that is the case, any evidence obtained is inadmissible in court, including test results.
However, it is much more difficult to defend a refusal to testing, as all drivers in Pennsylvania have already given their implied consent to have these tests taken.
Contact a Pennsylvania DUI Attorney for Help with Your Case
If you’ve been charged with a DUI, or have had your license suspended for refusing a test, you need the help of an experienced Allentown DUI attorney. At van Der Veen, Hartshorn, and Levin, we know how to successfully fight DUI charges and give you the best chance of success in court. Call us today at 215-515-6892 so we can begin reviewing your case.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn |
Cookies on this website
African trypanosomes have complex life cycles comprising at least ten developmental forms, variously adapted to different niches in their tsetse fly vector and their mammalian hosts. Unlike many other protozoan pathogens, they are always extracellular and have evolved intricate surface coats that allow them to obtain nutrients while also protecting them from the immune defenses of either insects or mammals. The acquisition of macromolecular nutrients requires receptors that function within the context of these surface coats. The best understood of these is the haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor (HpHbR) of Trypanosoma brucei, which is used by the mammalian bloodstream form of the parasite, allowing heme acquisition. However, in some primates it also provides an uptake route for trypanolytic factor-1, a mediator of innate immunity against trypanosome infection. Recent studies have shown that during the evolution of African trypanosome species the receptor has diversified in function from a hemoglobin receptor predominantly expressed in the tsetse fly to a haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor predominantly expressed in the mammalian bloodstream. Structural and functional studies of homologous receptors from different trypanosome species have allowed us to propose an evolutionary history for how one receptor has adapted to different roles in different trypanosome species. They also highlight the challenges that a receptor faces in operating on the complex trypanosome surface and show how these challenges can be met.
Original publication
Journal article
PLoS Pathog
Publication Date
Animals, Biological Evolution, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Life Cycle Stages, Models, Molecular, Primates, Protozoan Proteins, Receptors, Cell Surface, Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Trypanosomiasis, African, Tsetse Flies |
29.1 C
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Home Entertainment Learn How Entertainment Works in Your Business
Learn How Entertainment Works in Your Business
ENTERTAINMENT – a word that basically means any activity that generates income. It is very broad but as it was once said “A penny saved is a penny earned.” It means different things to different people.
Entertainment is not just about entertainment industry but has a lot more to do with how you use entertainment in your business. Entertainment meaning any activity or product that generates income.
This is why entertainment is so important in business; it is used in all business activities. Entertainment is not something that will simply go away once the business is done; it is an important part of any business. And since every business has its own entertainment business it becomes crucial that you know how entertainment works in your industry.
There are many different types of entertainment business. But they can be divided into the following: live events, radio shows, television shows, stage shows, comedy night, and film events. All of these activities can make money, but some of them are considered high impact. These activities are usually highly priced.
However, these are some examples of a type of entertainment business, not the only ones. For example there are people who go into the theatre as entertainers. This means they are hired by theatre companies to be in their shows and perform for their audiences. Other examples include actors, dancers, and singers.
Entertainer is another term for entertainment meaning any activity that generates income from the use of your talent. This can include acting, singing, dancing, doing theatre, writing, etc. and also encompasses your hobbies and passion. For instance, if you are a writer, you can create short stories, novels, poems, or other literature as an entertainment, which could even become an industry.
However, some of the professionals in this industry are professionals in another field, like stand up comedians, actors, and actresses. They have their own profession and are also entertainers. Professional entertainers are very important in the entertainment industry because they generate lots of income from what they do.
Most businesses that offer entertainment have websites. You can look on these websites to find out if they have something for you. Some of these businesses offer their services for free.
So if you want to start a career in the entertainment industry you need to understand that it is a business and not a hobby. This means that you have to learn how entertainment works in your business and then you can start using it effectively to generate income in your business.
Latest News |
Studying OverseasStudying Overseas
What to consider when studying abroad in the US
From amazing coastlines and breathtaking mountains, to exciting cities and quaint rural areas, there really is something for everyone in the U.S. So it's no wonder that many students opt to study abroad in America to take advantage of an opportunity to explore and meet new people.
Taking the time to do some research in advance will make everything from filling out your application to applying for scholarships much easier, with fewer surprises along the way. Key considerations include:
• How much it costs to study abroad in the US
• How to save money as a student living overseas
• What to see while you're abroad and
• How to apply to a university in the US
How much does it cost to study in the USA for international students?
If you're an undergrad student at a private four-year college, you might need a yearly budget of $51,000 USD to cover everything.1 However, the type of program that you enroll in, and the caliber of school that you plan to attend, will influence how much it will cost to study abroad in the U.S.
For example, a public four-year college might cost, on average, almost $21,000 USD annually when you factor in tuition and fees, as well as room and board. On the other hand, a private, non-for-profit four-year college might cost, on average, nearly $47,000 USD per year for tuition, fees, and room and board.1
Public college Average price of $21,000 USD annually
Private non-for-profit college Average $47,000 USD annually
And let's not forget that there are other living expenses that come with being on your own in another country. It's important to include these additional costs in your budget.
Tip: Use OFX's handy currency charts to see how your home currency will convert into U.S. dollars, and to gain a clearer perspective on just how much money you’ll need to fund your studies abroad.
Students on the grass
How to save money while studying in the United States
Don't let the cost of education dissuade you from following your dream of studying in the States. Although the government of the United States might not provide assistance in the form of scholarships, grants, and loans to international students, you could ask the university that you're currently attending to point you in the direction of assistance programs.
Grants and scholarships
You can also contact the U.S. school that you're planning on attending to ask their international admissions office about financial aid options. There might be grants and scholarships that you qualify for, and these might be offered by businesses, non-profits, and private foundations, as well as schools.
Transfer tuition using an international money transfer provider
In addition to financial aid, there are other smart ways to save money by leading a frugal lifestyle and implementing smart strategies. One such strategy involves using OFX, an international money transfer service, to transfer funds from your home bank account to your school's account. This is an efficient and secure way to pay your tuition and fees on time.
Things to do while studying abroad in the United States
There are a host of benefits that come with studying abroad, many of which extend beyond the classroom. For example, the U.S. has its own holidays, such as Thanksgiving and the 4th of July, that you can celebrate while studying there. These alone are great opportunities to immerse yourself in the culture and festivities of the country.
Another one of the best things about the U.S. is that it's such a big country, with so many ways to explore everything from natural spaces and big cities, to amusement parks, museums, and sports arenas. Take it all in while you can by making plans with friends to see as much as possible, even if you have to go on a short road trip to see a special place.
New York
How to apply for overseas study in the United States
What are the requirements to study in the U.S.? Well, first off, there are many colleges and universities to choose from throughout the country, many of which are considered top schools for students pursuing a variety of degrees.
Compare programs
You can begin by comparing schools based on the programs that they have to offer, where they're located, and how much they cost.
Narrow down your choices by searching for colleges and universities that are certified as Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) schools.
Then, once you've found a school that you're interested in, and they accept international students, you can submit the application for enrollment.
Read the application requirements
Different schools might have different application requirements, so be sure to read through the information carefully to ensure you submit all of the necessary documents.
For example, you might have to submit information on your academic coursework and degrees. You might also need to complete one or more standardized tests, as well as what's known as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Once you receive your scores for these tests, you can add them to your application.
Register for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVP)
After you've been accepted by a school that's SEVP approved, register for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, also known as SEVIS. At this point, you'll be charged a SEVIS I-901 fee. Also, the school will give you form I-20, which you can use to apply for your student visa.
Apply for a student visa
Next, it's time to apply for your student visa to reside in the U.S. There are two types of student visas, known as an M visa and an F visa. No matter what, you'll need Form I-20 for your interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate when applying for your visa.
What's the difference between F and M student visas? Basically, if you're planning on attending a college, university, high school, private elementary school, seminary, conservatory, or other academic institution (including language training programs), you'd need an F visa. On the other hand, you'd need an M visa if you're planning on attending a vocational or other nonacademic institution (other than language training programs).2
After filling out Form DS-160 online and uploading a photo, you'll be able to schedule your interview and pay the appropriate application fee.
Then, gather all of the necessary documentation that you'll need for your interview. This might include things like your passport, transcripts, test scores, and information on how you'll cover the costs of your education, travel, and living in the U.S.
Studying abroad in the U.S. can be a thrill!
From New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, the United States can be a wonderful place to grow as a student. Regardless of where you choose to study in the USA, by taking advantage of top study abroad programs for college students, you'll be able to live, learn, and make memories in an unforgettable place.
Stay up-to-date with USD exchange rates
When you use OFX you gain access to a host of tools that allow you to stay on top of market movements and save on your global money transfers.
• Required
• Not valid
Currency pair
• Currencies cannot be the same
• Required
• Not valid |
Amish woodworking
Randy L. McKee photo
Just a few decades ago, if you mentioned livelihood in the rolling hills of Amish Country, bathed in sunlight and pastures, and most anyone’s thoughts would have turned immediately to farming.
Farming has been the absolute staple of Amish Country in Ohio for quite some time, so it would seem appropriate to think farming when it comes to the market which drives the area’s economy.
However, times have changed over the years, and farming has fallen on tougher times, especially over the past two decades.
Farming was and still is a tough, demanding job. It is long hours, with sometimes questionable yields for farmers who are far too often at the mercy of the weather. Droughts and downpours can wreak havoc on a farmer’s crops.
As Amish and Mennonite farmers began to realize that it was becoming harder to earn a living farming, the attention of the community turned toward finding more profitable solutions.
Rather than turning soil for a living, many Amish farmers instead turned toward a new career... in wood.
Over a relatively short time period, Amish handcrafted furniture became synonymous with Holmes County.
Furniture business became a booming industry in the heartland of Ohio’s Amish Country. All over the countryside, the wood-making industry was driven by Amish families who had formerly called farming their livelihood.
A huge benefit of the industry is that farmers who opted to turn to woodworking as a way of making a living could remain on the farm, building businesses and incorporating their offspring into the family business.
The beauty and elegance of those products would become known as second to none.
Today in Amish Country, the furniture industry has moved right to the forefront in terms of importance to the economic growth of the county. Wood is now the king of the crop in Amish Country, and finding quality pieces is not a difficult chore.
What proves to be the toughest is choosing between the numerous quality stores offering handmade, handcrafted Amish items. From north to south, east to west, there is no shortage of divine, quality furniture and collectibles. |
It is important to protect peafowl from the weather. Peafowl hate the rain and wind, they will run to get out of the rain! Consequently adequate shelter should be provided for them to perch out of the rain and other elements.
This protection could be trees for them to roost in or provisions made in barns or other outbuildings. Outbuilding may need to have perches installed for the peafowl to perch on. Remember where the peafowl are perching there will be peafowl droppings on the floor. A perch inside a garage where cars are regularly parked would not be suitable. You would need to protect the paintwork on your car!
Protect peafowl from the weather
protect peafowl from the weatherIn cold weather some breeds such as Java green peafowl will need protection from the frost as they are less hardy than other breeds of peafowl. During frost Java peafowl should be inside a building for protection which will be warmer. Java peafowl can freeze so in colder climates some owners will use heat lamps during the winter.
Peachicks need protection from the weather too
If peachicks are reared naturally with the peahens, the peahens will keep the peachicks warm under her wings on colder nights.
Incubated peachicks will need heat lamps during cold weather during the first winter. This is because the peachicks have not grown enough downy feathers by the first winter to keep them warm.
Back to Keeping Peafowl |
Introduction to Functional Fitness
The dead lift movement is done every time we pick something up off the ground. When done correctly it causes the greatest contraction of the muscles of the core.
Functional fitness is a term that has been bandied about quite a bit lately.In many circles, it incites images of inflatable balls, balance boards and cable-type machines. However, I will paint a slightly different picture for you.
Fitness itself means many things to many people but,for the purpose of this article, we will say that our fitness level is relevant to how it either positively or negatively affects our ability to carry out the functions of our daily existence. We will also assume for the time being that very few of us are professional athletes. If that is true, then it becomes understood that we need to accomplish several different types of tasks throughout the day, very few of which involve isolating one muscle group from another.
This concept is more readily applied to the population on a large scale. Housewives/mothers have to carry babies, chase kids, do laundry, shop, clean house, and accomplish various other tasks. Law enforcement officers have to be spry on their feet, may need the strength and endurance to engage in lengthy foot pursuits of suspects, and potentially have to defend themselves or the public with their hands or perhaps their firearms. Hunters need to be able to hike in and then, if they get lucky, pack out their quarry. Office workers …oh, that’s right, they pick up those five-gallon bottles of water for the water dispenser. We all fall somewhere on the spectrum.
Considering all the facts, does it then make sense to spend our limited training time frolicking around the gym on inflatable balls like a circus performer? How about the more commonplace biceps curl—where does that fit in? While there is a place for gym training, I would say that for the overwhelming majority of us, we would be better served by moving our bodies in space, picking things up, throwing things and developing skills like balance in the types of patterns that we use during the course of our day.
Regardless of what we call our pursuit of fitness (I utilize a program called CrossFit, which can be further investigated here:, we want it to develop our fitness capacity in a way that makes our daily lives easier. The movements that we use in the gym (or out of it, if you tend toward long-distance style workouts) should exist outside of the gym, and the equipment that we use should allow us to properly mimic the movements that we use outside of the gym. These are functional movements, and this is the essence of functional fitness.
CrossFit defines these movements as having the “unique ability to move large loads (relative to non-functional movements) long distances, quickly.” Ironically, these are movements that are quickly recognized in places like construction sites, grocery stores and even homes. They are compound (involve more than one joint), complex (more nuanced than the aforementioned biceps curl), and will cause changes both in muscularity and neurological function.
One such movement is the dead lift. This is a movement that is used by each and every one of us on a daily basis. It happens each time we pick something up off the ground, or at least it should. The human body can be looked at as a series of pulleys and levers, and just like that Erector Set that a lot of us had as children, it can be put into positions that allow for efficient movement.
With the dead lift, this positioning should happen without respect to the weight being lifted. In other words, it doesn’t matter if we are picking up our car keys, a bag of concrete, or our children. Certain things should happen each and every time if we are going to move efficiently, get strong and hopefully avoid injuries.
Capture11 Most of us have heard the phrase “Lift with your legs, not your back.” This concept has been spread far and wide and is unfortunately incomplete at best. Whenever we pick something up from the ground, we use our back to some degree. In fact, the dead lift has the singular distinction of causing the greatest contraction of the muscles of the core (the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen). When we pick something up properly, we use most of the muscles in our body, and since we know that we’re going to pick things up, let’s learn the right way to do it, both for training purposes and even some of the concepts for applying that strength to our daily life.
When learning the dead lift, start with as little weight as possible. Use a broomstick or PVC pipe and focus on getting your body into the correct position for executing the dead lift.
In training the dead lift, we want to use a barbell and training plates. While we are learning, however, it makes sense to get our bodies into position using as little weight as possible. I recommend a broomstick, dowel or length of PVC pipe.
The first step is to place your feet directly under your hips. This is a fairly narrow position for most people, but it is a position of great power. Your toes should be ever so slightly pointed out. Grip the broomstick with both palms facing behind you at about three inches outside of your hips. Bend over so that the stick comes to about the middle of your shins. Lower your backside so that the angle at the back of your knees is about 45 degrees (keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, so don’t get too wrapped up in measuring angles). Now leave your butt where it is and begin to elevate your chest by arching your back.
I’m now going to rant a bit: This flat or neutral back position is one of those things that should be present each and every time you pick something up. At the point at which your back rounds out, you are no longer doing a dead lift and are putting yourself at much greater risk of injury. This is the point that is missed by the “legs, not back” concept, and missing it has caused thousands of back injuries and countless thousands of dollars in workman’s comp costs. If you know you are going to pick things up, learn how to do it right.
Your eyes should be looking at the ground about 10 feet in front of you. At this point, your shoulders should be over or slightly in front of the barbell. Take a deep breath and fill your abdominal area with air. From here, stand up, keep the stick in contact with your legs the whole way and DON’T lose that arch position in your lower back.
dead-lift-progressive-weight To replace the weight, push your backside and knees back, keep your arms long and, when the bar is level with your knees, bend them and put the stick back where it started.
Once you have learned how to accomplish the movement safely, you can start to add some weight. Move the weight up progressively until you start to feel your form fall apart. At this point, it is time to stop. In time you will become stronger and be able to lift more weight. More importantly, if you apply these same techniques to picking things up from the ground in life, you are a lot less likely to injure yourself and will probably be able to move more efficiently throughout the day.
This is the first in a series on functional fitness. In future installments I’ll take you step by step through other movements and exercises that will positively impact your ability to do the tasks you perform in your daily life. Functional fitness is simple, smart and will make you stronger in ways you’ll see every day. Don’t waste time with anything else!
• (will not be published)
4 Responses to “Introduction to Functional Fitness”
1. la bla
la bla
• Customer Service
Customer Service
Hi Jon. We are overdue for some updated fitness info! Keep an eye up for updates in 2017.
2. Edward Minor (ED)
Edward Minor (ED)
I’m 71 years old and after many years of body abuse I don’t have too much still working properly but my back is the only thing still good because I learned young and have always tried to not abuse it. The trouble is: the rest of me couldn’t fight my way out of a paper bag. Is there any hope for me? Otherwise I’ll leave your fabulous training to someone who can get the best of it and keep on working on my shot placement. |
Running with weights: Good for cricket? | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips
Running with weights: Good for cricket?
Filed in:
"If i wanted to increase my speed and strength for bowling, would it be odd if i ran on a treadmill with 5KG weights in both of my hands at about 15kph?"
This question was emailed to me recently by a reader.
While the only odd question is one that is not asked, I have to say that training like this would not be the most effective method. Mainly because it wouldn't work, but also because there are many better ways to get the same result.
Creative Commons License photo credit: maHidoodi
Running on a treadmill
Treadmills are useful tools to allow you to run when the weather isn't so good. The problem with them is they are very different to running outside.
• On a treadmill the ground is moving while you run on the spot. That's the opposite of real running you do on the cricket pitch. This reduces the crossover effect. It also teaches you to run differently, which may actually slow you down.
• Treadmills encourage steady exercise over longer periods. While this will improve the efficiency of your heart and lungs it will not improve either your speed and strength, even if you crank the treadmill up to something that feels fast. It's more cricket speed specific to sprint on the ground in shorter intervals.
• Treadmills by their nature cannot teach you how to stop and change direction quickly. Even for bowlers this is an essential skill. You follow through is essentially stopping your momentum after the ball is released and you may need to turn or dive if the ball is hit straight. That's not to mention fielding.
• Treadmills can't teach you how to jump and land properly, something every bowler with injury prevention in mind must consider.
While a treadmill is a useful tool for bad weather training, if you want cricket specific speed you need to run fast on grass as much as you can. You must include training that teaches you how to stop and change direction quickly and you need to learn how to jump and land with proper mechanics.
Using 5kg weights
Creative Commons License photo credit: ladyb
Running with 5kg weights is not beneficial at all to bowlers. Here is why:
• To gain strength you need to overload your muscles. Most people can lift 5kg weights without much of a struggle so any overload they do provide will quickly vanish.
• Holding weight while running will fatigue the arms more quickly. This will breakdown your running technique as your body tries to compensate for the unusual weight at the end of your arms. When you go back to running without weight you may keep that compensation. Slower arms means slower legs.
• Holding weights in no way reflects what a bowler does on their approach to the wicket. Yes the bowler has the ball but that will never weight more than a few ounces even if you unlucky enough to get a wet ball to bowl with.
In summary, if you want strength you need to overload your muscle in cricket specific ways. That means general strength and power training based on these principles.
If you want a question answered, drop me a line. If I don't know the answer I can always Ask the Readers.
© Copyright miSport Holdings Ltd 2008
Broadcast Your Cricket Matches!
Click here for details.
Thank you David, I appreciate your rapid response. Was talking with my friend on isometric power, as you've said, it wouldn't apply for cricket.
Thank you again.
I read somewhere that running with weights is bad for your joints.
Ty, I must admit I had not heard that but either way it's certainly not a good idea for cricket.
My pleasure Faris.
Hi David, Very good article. I have read that ankle weights are counter productive and actually slow the movements down ( Mel Siff said it in his Facts and Fallacies book) so is doing High Knees around the ground with the Batting Pads bad as well? Or is this functional training for a batsman? Some coaches advice this.
Newbie, when you say high knees do you mean technique drills?
Not sure what you mean by technique drills, but it is running around the ground with alternating high knees. This according to some coaches will help build leg strength and endurance. But sounds like an ankle weight work out?
I can see it as a way of improving running technique if done in small amounts (20 yards drills 2-3 times a week). I would not use it for conditioning or strength puropses.
So ankle weights are okay to use for running technique in small amounts? Its akin to pads and will not break down the coordination between arms and legs
I meant to ask "will it NOT break down the coordination between arms and legs."
I have never tried that newbie. If I wanted to train running technique in pads I would get players to wear pads.
What do you mean running technique in pads? Thats akin to using ankle weights and training technique, its well established by scientists like Mel Siff that it will slow movement down and its a poor way to train. Do you see my point?
Yes it does slow you down, but you play in pads so the best way to train is in pads. I'm not suggesting going for a 20 minute jog in pads, just to do 1-2 sessions a week of technical work in pads if you are a batsman.
Train with pads when you bat and run between wickets. But not high knees runs with pads right? Because its a poor way to train. That was my original question. |
Diabetic management cat food
What is type 2 Diabetes?
All of us need insulin to live. It does a necessary task. It enables the glucose in our blood to enter our cells and fuel our bodies.
For some people with type 2 diabetes this can ultimately tire the pancreas out, implying their body makes less and less insulin. This can cause even higher blood sugar level levels and suggest you are at risk of hyperglycaemia.
Is type 2 diabetes major?
Managing type 2 diabetes
Knowing how to deal with type 2 diabetes can be difficult, however we’ll assist you to find what works for you. Some individuals can handle it through much healthier eating, being more active or slimming down. However ultimately the majority of people will need medication to bring their blood sugar level down to their target level.
Can type 2 diabetes be cured?
Treatments for type 2 diabetes
There are a number of various ways you can treat type 2 diabetes, such as making healthy lifestyle options, using insulin or taking medication. Your health care team will help you to find the right treatment for you. This can minimize your risk of establishing complications and assist you to live well with diabetes.
Signs and signs of type 2 diabetes.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can develop more gradually than the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, making the condition harder to identify. That’s why a lot of people don’t get any signs, or don’t notice them.
Some people also do not believe the symptoms are very important, so do not request assistance. This implies some individuals can live for approximately ten years with type 2 diabetes prior to being identified.
Risk factors of type 2 diabetes.
There are several aspects that can impact your threat of developing type 2 diabetes. Because the signs of type 2 diabetes are not constantly apparent, it’s actually essential to be mindful of these danger aspects. They can include:
• your age
• your ethnic background
• hypertension
• being obese
Recently detected with type 2 diabetes.
Whether you are newly diagnosed, looking to improve your diabetes management, or in need of info to support others, we are here to help. We’ve got lots more details about:
Avoiding type 2 diabetes
Did you understand that around 3 in 5 cases of type 2 diabetes can be avoided or delayed? Our information about avoiding type 2 will reveal you the actions you can take to minimize your threat of developing the condition.
Examining your blood sugar levels
Living with type 2 diabetes
We have actually also got more details for different age groups, such as young people and older individuals, in addition to useful school suggestions for parents of children with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is also related to other health conditions, such as thyroid illness and dental problems. It is essential to be familiar with these, so ensure to read our details about diabetes related conditions.
Your emotions
Type 2 diabetes is a complicated condition, and it may appear like there’s a great deal of information to take in. If you’re feeling concerned or stressed, we have actually got psychological support and advice that you may discover valuable.
Diabetes innovation
For some individuals, handling their diabetes with innovation can be life-changing. But we also know it can be frustrating if you’re unsure where to start. Our info and guidance about diabetes technology will help you comprehend what the different kinds of tech do and how to access them, so you can find what works for you.
Research study into type 2 diabetes
|
What Is Functional Testing? title image
What Is Functional Testing?
Functional tests are processes designed to confirm that all of the components of a piece of code or software operate correctly. Functional testing focuses on testing the interface of the application to ensure that all user requirements for a properly working application are met.
Types of functional testing include:
What is rainforest?
|
Recent Posts
No tags yet.
The Freedom of Universal Design
Think about the peace of mind you have with knowing you are safe at home. It improves your quality of life which in turn improves your physical health. Aging in place, which the CDC defines as “the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” Studies have shown that aging in place increases life span and overall quality of life. Universal design is one tool that can allow people to age in place.
Universal design is the concept of designing a building or residence to fit the needs of any person in any given physical state. It allows someone to continue using their home with ease and decreases the risk of injury or the barriers caused by old age or physical disability. Here are a few examples.
Wide Hallways:
Homeowners typically like to maximize the square footage in their living spaces, but don’t underestimate the value of wide hallways. Imagine the luxury of personal space as you pass by your partner/child/pet through an adequately sized hallway. Maybe you had a leg injury or had to use a wheelchair, now that luxury becomes a necessity. Wide hallways can benefit anybody of any physical ability.
Lever Handles:
Nothing beats the ease of opening a door with a lever handle. This is by far the easiest and least expensive way to make universal design a part of your life, even my dog can open our back door with the lever. The difference between the lever and a knob might not seem very significant, but having a lever handle can make a world of difference for opening doors. Whether it’s an injury, arthritis, or your hands are full of groceries, a lever can be easily operated.
Zero-Entry Showers:
How is this beautiful shower different from a traditional shower? No climbing into a tub, no curb to trip over in the early morning hours. This design is not only elegant, creating a more spacious feel, but also accessible and more functional. A wheelchair can even roll into this space. A properly designed shower like this, contains and drains the water efficiently, without the use of a curb.
These are just a few examples of universal design that you can incorporate into your home. Universal design is accessible to everyone and makes a space more functional and comfortable. Having a more accessible home will improve productivity and enable the space to be used throughout the lifespan. Now imagine how you could improve your home to better suit yourself years from now.
#architecture #envisagearchitecture #universaldesign #accessibility #sustainability |
Empire Figural Architectural Bracket - 19th Century
retail: $6,000.00
Originally an early 19th century French design movement that included art, architecture and decorative arts, the Empire design indicated a return to the luxury and regality of the old French courts. Though many pieces from the period achieved an understated version of sumptuousness through simplicity – for instance, smooth surfaces created through exotic wood veneers – others were extensively ornamented with gilded motifs such as laurel leaves and wreaths, cornucopias and sheaves of grain. Additionally, there were consistent references to ancient civilizations through classical Greco-Roman and Egyptian silhouettes and motifs. Empire furniture and décor pieces were largely symmetrical and prioritized comfort equally with aesthetic; seating was often lushly upholstered and proportioned as well as decorated with ornate carvings. The success of the Empire aesthetic in France led to its adoption abroad, including in America, where it was modified to suit its own national preferences. (text by Sotheby's Home)
Molded plaster brackets.
Rocaille design supported shelf.
Previously restored. Various chips and cracks on paint and plaster. Natural aging and wear.
W: 15.50"
D: 10.50"
H: 13" |
Ten Keys to Reality <small>by Frank Wilczek</small>
Ten Keys to Reality by Frank Wilczek
By Jennifer Chu
In the spring of 1970, colleges across the country erupted with student protests in response to the Vietnam War and the National Guard’s shooting of student demonstrators at Kent State University. At the University of Chicago, where Frank Wilczek was an undergraduate, regularly scheduled classes were “improvised and semivoluntary” amid the turmoil, as he recalls.
It was during this turbulent time that Wilczek found unexpected comfort, and a new understanding of the world, in mathematics. He had decided to sit in on a class by physics professor Peter Freund, who, with a zeal “bordering on rapture,” led students through mathematical theories of symmetry and ways in which these theories can predict behaviors in the physical world.
In his new book, “Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality,” published today by Penguin Press, Wilczek writes that the lessons were a revelation: “To experience the deep harmony between two different universes — the universe of beautiful ideas and the universe of physical behavior — was for me a kind of spiritual awakening. It became my vocation. I haven’t been disappointed.”
Wilczek, who is the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at MIT, has since made groundbreaking contributions to our fundamental understanding of the physical world, for which he has been widely recognized, most notably in 2004 with the Nobel Prize in Physics, which he shared with physicists David Gross and David Politzer. He has also authored several popular science books on physics and the history of science.
In his new book, he distills scientists’ collective understanding of the physical world into 10 broad philosophical themes, using the fundamental theories of physics, from cosmology to quantum mechanics, to reframe ideas of space, time, and our place in the universe.
“People wrestle with what the world is all about,” Wilczek tells MIT News. “They’re not concerned with knowing precisely what Coulomb’s law is, but want to know more about questions like the ancient Greeks asked: What is space? What is time? So in the end, I came up with 10 assertions, at the levels of philosophy but backed up by very concrete facts, to organize what we know.”
A rollercoaster reborn
Wilczek wrote the bulk of the book earlier this spring, in the midst of another tumultuous time, at the start of a global pandemic. His grandson had been born as Wilczek was laying out the structure for his book, and in the preface, the physicist writes that he watched as the baby began building up a model of the world, based on his observations and interactions with the environment, “with insatiable curiosity and few preconceptions.”
Wilczek says that scientists may take a cue from the way babies learn — by building and pruning more detailed models of the world, with a similar unbiased, open outlook. He can recall times when he felt his own understanding of the world fundamentally shift. The college course on mathematical symmetry was an early instance. More recently, the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning has prompted him to rethink “what knowledge is, and how it’s acquired.”
He writes: “The process of being born again can be disorienting. But, like a roller- coaster ride, it can also be exhilarating. And it brings this gift: To those who are born again, in the way of science, the world comes to seem fresh, lucid, and wonderfully abundant.”
“Patterns in matter”
Wilczek’s book contains ample opportunity for readers to reframe their view of the physical world. For instance, in a chapter entitled “There’s Plenty of Space,” he writes that, while the universe is vast, there is another scale of vastness in ourselves. To illustrate his point, he calculates that there are roughly 10 octillion atoms that make up the human body. That’s about 1 million times the number of stars in the visible universe. The multitudes within and beyond us are not contradictory, he says, but can be explained by the same set of physical rules.
And in fact, the universe, in all its diversity, can be described by a surprisingly few set of rules, collectively known as the Standard Model of Physics, though Wilczek prefers to call it by another name.
“The so-called Standard Model is the culmination of millenia of investigation, allowing us to understand how matter works, very fully,” Wilczek says. “So calling it a model, and standard, is kind of a lost opportunity to really convey to people the magnitude of what’s been achieved by humanity. That’s why I like to call it the ‘Core.’ It’s a central body of understanding that we can build out from.”
Wilczek takes the reader through many of the key experiments, theories, and revelations that physicists have made in building and validating the Standard Model, and its mathematical descriptions of the universe.
Included in this often joyful scientific tour are brief mentions of Wilczek’s own contributions, such as his Nobel-winning work establishing the theory of quantum chromodynamics; his characterization of the axion, a theoretical particle that he named after a laundry detergent by the same name (“It was short, catchy, and would fit in nicely alongside proton, neutron, electron, and pion,” he writes); and his introduction of the anyon — an entirely new kind of particle that is neither a fermion or a boson.
In April, and then separately in July, scientists made the first observations of anyons, nearly 40 years after Wilczek first proposed their existence.
“I was beginning to think it would never happen,” says Wilczek, who was finishing up his book when the discoveries were made public. “When it finally did, it was a beautiful surprise.”
The discovery of anyons opens possibilities for the particles to be used as building blocks for quantum computers, and marks another milestone in our understanding of the universe.
In closing his book, Wilczek writes about “complementarity” — a concept in physics that refers to two seemingly contrasting theories, such as the wave and particle theories of light, that can separately explain the same set of phenomena. He points to many complementary theories of physics throughout the book and extends the idea to philosophy and ways in which accepting contrasting views of the world can help us to expand our experience.
“With progress, we’ve come to consider people and creatures as having intrinsic value and being worthy of profound respect, just like ourselves,” he writes. “When we see ourselves as patterns in matter, it is natural to draw our circle of kinship very wide indeed.”
Purchase on Amazon
This article was first published on MIT News |
Factors Affecting Digital Map Reading
Digital maps are common place in our modern lives and mapping software is constantly improving with frequent feature additions and design adjustments. Given how ubiquitous they are, it is important to research and understand how end-user cognition can impact the ability to learn from these maps. Are there cognitive factors that can aid (or hinder) our ability to learn digital maps? How is the user experience impacted by 1) interface design choices, and 2) cognition of the end user? Specifically, we are interested in whether cognitive load and sex of the user can affect map reading.
Our data suggests that increased cognitive load impacts males and females differently when learning map-based information. The literature posits an evolution of sexually dimorphic navigation strategies and our research supports this hypothesis. While males and females are both negatively impacted by an increase in cognitive load, the detriment is selective and highly dependent on the type of information being learnt.
Overall, this line of research suggests that cognitive and personological factors should be taken into account when designing mapping software, as these factors can impact our ability to learn map information in unexpected ways.
Eye Gaze in Real-time Dyadic Interactions
Eye-tracking technology has frequently been used to study social gazing behaviour. However, most experiments have studied said behaviour using computer-based paradigms, which lack many of the qualities found in true social interactions between live participants. We addressed this problem by utilizing dual eye-trackers to study social interactions in live, dyadic settings. Furthermore, we turned to signal anaylsis techniques to uncover the temporal relationships between eye gaze signals in these natural environments.
Our data shows that both eye gaze and speech information can be quantified as discrete binary signals, and that they are both key to regulating turn-taking behaviour during interactions between live participants. Temporal analysis of these signal pairings indicate that maximal alignment can occur at multiple time points, and the specific temporal offset of that alignment can signal different intentions during turn-taking.
Role of Vocal Features in Social Hierarchies
How do humans form social hierarchies? Rank assignment in social groups is contingent upon multiple factors. For example, our perception of a person’s leadership style can depend on their sex, physical size, and testosterone level. These physical features are of little use under conditions where visual information is difficult to obtain (e.g. when it is dark). This line of research explores whether rank assignment can occur in the absence of visual cues, and whether vocal information can act as a supplementary cue to aid the formation of social hierarchies.
Signal analysis techniques were used to extract features from vocal signals (e.g. fundamental frequency, formant dispersion) obtained from natural group interactions. Our results indicate that the most important feature for predicting an individual’s rank/leadership style is the change in fundamental frequency during early parts of the interaction. |
The Electric Match: To Ignite Your Fireworks Remotely
This project shows you how to make an electric match.
The electric match gives you more control over how your fireworks appear in a display. And having invested a significant amount of money and time in a fireworks display, you might just want to enjoy watching it yourself.
That's when electrical firing starts to look like a really tasty alternative to matches, lighters, torches, and fusees.
Today, there is a wonderful proliferation of electrical firing systems. From the very simple, $15 manual-switch, single shot devices from China to highly complex software-driven systems that can be tightly synched with music to created musically choreographed fireworks extravaganzas that move you to, even some first-timers can create artfully designed fireworks shows that are simply stunning.
We've come a long way in electrical firing. And even more advances are looming. But a lot goes into an electrically fired show. It takes careful planning, higher costs, and more work than a manually-fired show.
Even so, I personally find the results to be a lot more pleasing. And, for me, the epitome of fireworks art can be found in today's wonderful and emotionally moving musically choreographed shows.
Whatever level of electrical firing you're embarking upon, the one common denominator in all electrical shows is electric matching your fireworks.
Ematches as they are most commonly called, or "squibs" by old timers, are simply a little pyrotechnic composition on the end of a chip that is ignited by an electrical current. The little pyrotechnic pop from the ematch ignites either a fuse or a firework directly.
So, when you peel all the tech stuff away from an electrically fireworks show, it's just a bunch of ematches, wired up to a circuit, ready to be fired.
An ematch can be used one time only. After doing their job once, they are thrown away.
Currently in the US, you will not find an electric match for sale to you, unless you have a Federal license. If you have months of lead time to go through the process, this is certainly a viable option.
But you can legally make your own ematches without a Federal license. In fact the US BATF will sometimes refer you to Skylighter to buy your own ematch-making components, if you don't have time to wait for an ATF license.
So, even though you cannot buy electric matches without a license, a homemade electric match is completely legal. You do not need an ATF license to make, own or use them.
So, if electrical firing is going to be a part of your future, take a look at this article, very well-written as usual by Ned Gorski. If you decide you want to make ematches, you can order everything you need at the end of this project. Skylighter also has electric match kits for making ematches, as well as firing systems, wire, extra fuse, and other components that make up a complete electrical firing system.
Skylighter's latest second generation electric match dip kit, designed by a long-time commercial ematch manufacturer, makes the whole process quick, easy, and fairly foolproof.
Harry Gilliam
By Ned Gorski
Over a series of articles, we will show you how to plan and set up a consumer fireworks display. We will include tips on firing portions of the show electrically, and we'll discuss electric firing systems and electric matches.
You may be familiar with small firing panels and electric matches from experimenting with model rockets. Small versions of electric matches (called "igniters" in the model rocketry community) are used to remotely fire those motors.
Why would one want to fire some or all of a fireworks display electrically?
• First, it's safer to fire a device electrically from a distance than it is to light it by hand. This is especially true if the item is in the middle of a field full of similar fireworks.
• Precision timing is enhanced by shooting with an electrical firing system.
• Electric firing also enables the display operator to sit back and enjoy the show along with the rest of the crowd.
What is an Electric Match?
From Wikipedia:
"In pyrotechnics, an electric match is a device to ignite the end of a fuse under control of an externally applied electrical current. They are widely used in professional fireworks displays to control firing from a panel of manually operated switches, or from a computer interface. Electric matches typically consist of a pair of 22-gauge wires joined at the end with a smaller-diameter "bridge wire" that has been coated with a pyrotechnic initiator mixture formulated to ignite at relatively low temperatures."
Quite a long time ago I made some electric matches (or "ematches") using a kit which instructed me to just dip the bare ends of some wire into a liquid composition, followed later (after drying) by a second dip into a finish coating. I was disappointed in the performance of these electric matches, and ended up having to fire them with a high-voltage system just to get them to ignite.
Reliable, commercially made electric matches are a regulated explosive and require an ATF license to purchase. I later obtained an ATF license, and now have access to commercial electric matches.
Commercial electric matches for fireworks
Commercial Electric Matches (One with Shroud Pushed Back to Expose the Match Head)
But what if you don't have a license and don't wish to obtain one? Fortunately, making electric matches yourself is legal and does not require an ATF license. Also, since those early days of my experimentation, improved materials and techniques have become available. These permit do-it-yourself manufacture of electric matches that rival commercial products in performance and reliability.
In this paper I will discuss two basic methods of producing high quality home-made electric matches, and one additional variation.
Parts of an Electric Match
The electric matches I'll be discussing have five basic parts:
Insulated, two-conductor wires called "leads" connected to the electric match head. The insulation is stripped back for about an inch at the opposite ends of the wires from the match head. These bare wire-ends are twisted together (shunted). This prevents a current from passing from one end of the wire, through the match head, and out the other end, which could accidentally fire the match.
The match head consists of a small chip of circuit board, which has a metallic conducting surface on both sides, separated by an insulating material.
An extremely thin (48-51 gauge) strand of nickel-chromium (nichrome) bridge wire is soldered to the chip, with one end soldered to each side, and with the exposed wire spanning the end of the chip and crossing over the insulated core.
The tip of the chip containing the nichrome wire will be coated with a pyrotechnic composition, or pyrogen, in one or more coats. In some cases it will then receive an outer coating creating a hard, smooth finish layer.
Finally, a plastic protective-shroud covers the match head to prevent friction or mechanical shock from accidentally igniting the sensitive pyrogen.
Functioning of an Electric Match
When enough current is passed through the match leads, the nichrome wire heats up. The heat ignites the pyrogen, producing a flame. This flame, in turn, ignites the flammable materials that the electric match head is in contact with. This happens in milliseconds. The nichrome wire burns through and is consumed, which (usually) breaks the electric circuit.
Home-Made Electric Match Materials
Skylighter sells pre-assembled electric match blanks. Each blank consists of the wire "leads" already soldered onto match heads. The match heads have bridge wires and protective shrouds already in place. In other words, most of the hard part of electric match assembly has been done. All that remains to turn these blanks into fully functional electric matches is the application of the pyrogens (combustible compositions).
Skylighter electric match blank GN5040
Electric Match Blank, with Nichrome Wire Pre-Installed across the Tip of the Head
We will be using these blanks in all of the projects described below.
Testing the Electric Match Blanks
After I purchase new pre-soldered electric match blanks, and before going any further, I like to test each blank electronically to ensure it is properly assembled and operating correctly. I do that in two ways. I use Skylighter's Ematch Tester (GN5005) and make sure it lights up when the untwisted bare wires of the electric match are pressed to each side of the tester. This ensures that the nichrome bridge wire is properly attached to the tip of the blank.
Skylighter electric match tester GN5005
GN5005 Electric Match Tester Lighting Up when Testing an Electric Match Blank
I also use a Radio Shack digital multimeter to check the resistance of the match blank. All of the blanks I've been working with have a resistance of 1.1 to 1.5 ohms. If the reading is significantly different, I discard the blank. This test ensures that there is no excess solder or other material causing a short, or "bridge," between the conductive surfaces on the match blank chip or between the lead wires.
Note: It is important to use a digital meter to check electric matches. Test your meter on a finished electric match first in a safe location to ensure it uses a test current small enough that it does NOT fire the match. The test current in analog meters with needle-readouts is most often high enough to accidentally fire electric matches if that type of meter is used to test them.
Testing electric match blanks, GN5040
Testing Electric Match Blanks with a Digital Meter
Coating the Tip of the Match Head with Pyrogen
Now, with the tested match blanks, we have assemblies that are ready to have their ends coated with pyrotechnic compositions.
I am going to try two different approaches to doing this, with one additional variation to the second method.
Coating Electric Matches Blanks with Skylighter Dip Kit
For the first method, we'll be using the Skylighter Electric Match Dip Kit, which comes with all the necessary chemicals, materials, and tools to create the pyrogen. It also includes detailed and important instructions on how to use the pyrogen to coat the electric match blanks.
Note: This dip kit will coat hundreds of match blanks, so it's a good idea to prepare all the blanks you want to coat before starting the coating process.
These instructions, which include very complete safety precautions, are reproduced here for convenience. I have found that if I follow them precisely, I get very good results. (I've added some additional photos and notes.):
Making electric matches is a dangerous activity. If you do it wrong, you could hurt yourself very badly or start a fire. Before you start read the instructions completely. They can save your life.
• First and foremost, think safety. The attitude to have is that there could be an accident. Vs. thinking and acting as if there won't be an accident. Think about what could go wrong. Think about what you could do to prevent that from happening and what you would do if you something did go wrong. For instance, if there were a fire, where would you go? What would you put it out with? Etc.
• You should only mix these chemicals in a well-ventilated area away from any heat source or sparks.
• Your kit comes with several jars of chemicals. To maintain a good seal on the jars keep their lids screwed on tightly. Keep the inside of the lids and the lips of the jars clean and free from any unused pyrogen.
• Wear a long sleeve cotton shirt, and long cotton pants. In the event of a flash fire, cotton garments will protect your skin. Do NOT wear synthetics. In a flash fire, they will melt to your skin.
• Use eye protection. Glasses or slip-on plastic goggles will protect your eyes in the event of a flash fire.
• Do not allow small children near these chemicals.
• Never stare directly at a burning electric match without the aid of welding goggles.
• Do not store any mixed chemicals or finished electric matches in an inhabited building.
• Store this product in an environment that will be maintained at a temperature between -20 to 140 degrees F.
• Wash hands thoroughly after each use.
• Dispose of any leftover or unwanted pyrogen in accordance with all applicable laws. We recommend that you burn it. Storage life of unused pyrogen has not been determined at this time.
How to Make Electric Matches Using Skylighter Electric Match Dip Kit
This kit should contain:
1-Bottle "A" Fuel (wet)
1-Bottle "B" Oxidizer (dry)
1-Bottle "C" Solvent (wet) 1-Plastic Pipette
5-Wooden Flat Toothpicks
2-Wooden "Stir Sticks"
1-Heavy Paper Shop Towel
1 Instructions Sheet
Please check the contents of the package for all seven items, in addition to the instructions.
Skylighter electric match dip kit contents
Contents of Dip Kit
If you are using Skylighter's electric match blanks (#GN5040), first test each one for continuity prior to dipping them into the pyrogen. Discard any, which do not show continuity. We recommend you use only Skylighter's Ematch Tester (#GN5005) for this purpose. Using Skylighter's Ematch Tester, the test light should come on when it is connected to the two electric match blank lead wires. If it does not, discard your electric match blank assembly or replace the match head.
Note: The next thing I do, BEFORE mixing the pyrogen, is to either remove the plastic shrouds from the match heads on the pre-soldered blanks. Or slide the shrouds 2 or 3 inches up the wire away from the match heads. It's much easier to move or remove all the shrouds before the pyrogen-coating process is begun. Once the pyrogen dip is dry on the match heads, I reinstall the shrouds on the electric matches.
Mixing the Pyrogen
Critical: Mix all of the contents of Bottle "A" and bottle "B" at one time. The contents of these bottles are pre-measured to yield exactly the right proportions necessary for your ematches to function correctly. If you try to mix only a portion of each bottle's contents, your ematches will probably not function correctly. If you're trying to economize, the best way is to mix all the contents at one time, the tightly seal the mixed pyrogen. After tightly twisting the cap on, seal it with electrician's tape to further prevent its drying out.
Place Bottle "A" Fuel on a stable flat surface in a safe place for working, away from any source of flame or anything flammable. Remove the cap from the bottle and stir the wet fuel with one of the wooden stir sticks until it is smooth and uniform. Make sure to get all of the fuel from the bottom of the bottle included in the mixture. Never use anything metallic to stir the fuel.
Stirring bottle A from Skylighter ematch dip kit
Stirring the Contents of Bottle "A"
Shake Bottle "B" Oxidizer vigorously and transfer all of the contents into Bottle "A." Be sure to completely empty Bottle "B" into Bottle "A." The mixture of the oxidizer and fuel is now a sensitive pyrogen. Using the stir stick blend the pyrogen mixture until it is smooth and uniform.
Stirring bottle A from Skylighter ematch dip kit
Adding the Contents of Bottle "B" to Bottle "A"
The pyrogen will be rather thick until it is completely mixed. It should end up being the consistency of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. If necessary, add 20 drops from Bottle "C" Solvent to adjust the viscosity. Repeat as needed until the pyrogen drips very slowly and smoothly from the stirring stick as it is withdrawn from the bottle. Do not use anything but Bottle "C" Solvent for thinning. If any pyrogen gets on the top of the glass bottle, gently push it back into the bottle, and wipe it clean. Do not allow any of the pyrogen to remain on the rim or threads of the bottle or to be caught under the cap. The mixed pyrogen is friction sensitive.
Adding solvent to mixed ematch dip kit pyrogen
Adjusting the Pyrogen Viscosity by Adding Solvent from Bottle "C"
The viscosity of the pyrogen must be adjusted to produce a coating that is approximately the same thickness as the match head chip--1/10-inch (2.5 mm).
Optimum thickness of electric match pyrogen
Optimum Thickness of Pyrogen
Before beginning to dip your match blanks, dip a flat toothpick into the pyrogen to check the thickness of the coating. The pyrogen should coat smoothly and produce a rounded shape. If a "tail" or point is produced, the viscosity is too high/thick. Add 20 drops of Solvent and stir until smooth. Repeat if necessary to further reduce the viscosity. If the viscosity is too low the coating will be too thin. There are two ways to correct this problem: either leave the cap off the pyrogen for a while, stirring occasionally to evaporate some of the solvent, or dip each match repeatedly until the coating looks like the match in the center of the photo above. Dispose of the dipped toothpicks by carefully burning them in a safe place.
Dipping the Match Blanks
When you are certain that the pyrogen is uniformly mixed and smooth, and has the proper viscosity, take an Ematch Blank (#GN5040) and make sure the plastic shroud is not covering the ignition chip. Kink the wire to hold the shroud back while dipping. Then, dip the narrow end of the chip (the end without wires) into the pyrogen about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch (3 to 4.5mm). The coating on your match should look like the center "Optimum" match in the photo below.
Optimum length of electric match pyrogen
Optimum Length of Pyrogen
Note: Having a light directly overhead as you dip the matches into the pyrogen will help you see exactly how far the match head has been inserted into the slurry.
Note: As you are working with the wet pyrogen, don't allow any dry "crusties" to form on the edge of the bottle top. Push them back with your finger and stir them into the wet mix.
Dipping electric match blank into mixed pyrogen
Dipping an Electric Match into the Pyrogen Slurry
While this may not seem to be much pyrogen, no more is necessary. This small amount of pyrogen will produce a 1.5-inch fireball from the end of the plastic shroud. The best way to get the correct coating is to dip the match blank into the pyrogen slowly and withdraw it very slowly (taking 2-3 seconds) from the pyrogen to allow the excess to flow from the match without leaving a "tail." Hang the match, head down, to dry for at least 15 minutes before firing.
Note: I found the recommendation to remove the dipped match from the slurry very slowly to be very helpful. Counting to 2-3 seconds while removing the match from the pyrogen produces a nice rounded coating without any "tail" on the head.
Hanging electric matches out to dry
Hanging the Dipped Electric Matches Up to Dry
The shelf life of the mixed pyrogen, with the cap screwed tightly on, can be more than a year. The mixed pyrogen is an explosive and must be stored in compliance with BATF rules. To dispose of any unused, mixed pyrogen, dilute the pyrogen with lacquer thinner, pour it on a paper shop towel and while still wet, burn carefully outdoors in a safe place.
Making Electric Matches without the Dip Kit
Note: Although this pyrogen has a potentially long shelf life, once mixed, it is uncertain how long it will last. Meantime you have an explosive slowly setting up in a glass bottle. I recommend mixing it, using all of it relatively quickly, and then disposing of any leftovers. This is best accomplished by thinning any excess with more thinner, then pouring it on some newspaper or a shop towel and burning it.
Following the above instructions carefully, I decided to test-coat a dozen of the blanks first, re-seal the pyrogen jar tightly, and let the matches dry for 15 minutes. I would then test fire them in a safe location to make sure the process is working before committing to producing the rest of my ematches.
The test matches worked perfectly, throwing out a nice fireball when a battery was applied to the match leads. I then coated the rest of my electric match blanks with confidence. Once these matches were dry, I reinstalled the plastic shrouds over the match heads.
Brian Paonessa, one of the Skylighter's primary pyro experts, has experimented extensively with homemade electric matches. He says that the most common causes of failure when using this dip kit are applying the pyrogen too thickly or too far up the match head. Make sure the mix is thinned as per the instructions, and that the heads are only dipped about 3/16" into the pyrogen-- about one third of the way up the chip. It's also very important to thoroughly mix the components, and then mix them a bit more. Under-mixing of the ingredients is another common cause of match failure.
Coating Electric Matches with Home-Made Pyrogens
For the next method, I wanted to try the dip coating process described in the instructions for making electric matches using Skylighter's electric match blanks. This process details the mixing and sequential application of two home-made pyrogen coatings. These are followed by a final application of a nitrocellulose lacquer finish coating.
Note: This process uses two sensitive compositions--dark flash and H3. The directions must be followed precisely to avoid accidents. These compositions are mixed in a wet state. I can't emphasize enough that these comps become very powerful and sensitive when they dry out. Work with these compositions only while they are wet. Thin and dispose of any excess (as described above) while it is still wet.
Note: Mixing these compositions in HDPE photo-film canisters using a Popsicle or coffee-mixing stir-stick (free at every 7-11), works well.
The first ("primer") coat is 50/50 composition of potassium chlorate and antimony sulfide. To make this composition, screen five grams of potassium chlorate through a 100-mesh screen. Add a little 5% nitrocellulose (NC) lacquer at a time to the potassium chlorate and mix until a syrup is formed. Next weigh out and mix in 5 grams of -325 mesh, dark-pyro antimony sulfide. Add more NC lacquer to thin the mix until it can be used as in the directions for the dip kit cited above. Then dip some electric match blanks into this comp and allowed them to dry completely.
Note: Skylighter sells NC lacquer, which is a 10% solution of nitrocellulose in solvent. To make a 5% solution, weigh out some of the 10% lacquer into an empty, clean, one-quart paint can (from Home Depot or similar), filling it about one-eighth full. Then add the same amount of acetone (by volume) to the can, close it, and shake to mix thoroughly.
The primer layer on the ematch is then coated with the H3 composition. To make the H3 composition, screen 7.5 grams of potassium chlorate as above and dampen with 5% NC lacquer. Then add 2.5 grams of airfloat charcoal to that mix and stir thoroughly. Add more lacquer as needed until the thin chocolate syrup consistency is achieved.
Dip the electric matches into this second-coat composition and allow to dry once again.
Finally, dip the dry match heads into 5% NC lacquer, completely coating all the pyrogen layers. Coat the matches about half way up the match heads with NC lacquer to create a protective final paint job on each match. Once again, allow the matches to dry completely (anywhere from a couple of hours if it is warm to overnight).
One More Experiment
I've recently heard about a fellow pyro using regular PVC plumbing cement rather than nitrocellulose lacquer to dampen compositions. I decided to repeat the above process using the PVC cement in place of the NC lacquer.
Using this cement produced easy-to-use compositions and nice, hard, shiny, black match-heads when they were dry.
PVC plumbing cement
Regular PVC Cement for Plumbing
Testing the Finished Electric Matches
All three production methods produced nice, very hard, durable match heads.
Finished homemade electric matches
Finished Electric Matches
The photo above shows the finished electric match heads made with (left to right) Dip Kit (with red lacquer final coating -- but not needed), home-made pyrogens/NC lacquer, and home-made pyrogens/PVC cement.
I wanted to see how much electric current it takes to fire these three types of home-made electric matches. I also wanted to see how effective they are at igniting a quick match fuse. I first installed the plastic safety shrouds on all the matches.
Using a little testing apparatus, I determined that the matches will begin to fire once 0.5 - 0.7 amps of electrical current is passing through them. This specification is similar to commercial electric matches and a good rule of thumb out in the field is to maintain at least one amp of firing current in your firing circuits.
Note: The above info can be used to derive a few additional rules of thumb for use out in the field when setting up the wiring for fireworks cues. Using a Skylighter 12 cue wireless firing system, which puts out about 4.5 volts with each cue, you'd want a maximum of 100 feet of the double-stranded yellow copper shooting wire (also called "scab" wire) between the panel and a single match. If you use a 12-volt firing system, the maximum length of these scab wires would be 300 feet and 180 feet respectively for use with a single match. Using a Skylighter GN6010 Electric Firing Box, which generates 300 volts, you can use a virtually unlimited length of firing cable.
I fired each type of match several times. The matches made with the dip kit really pop and throw out a fast flame, similar to commercial electric matches. The matches made with NC lacquer and homemade pyrogens burn less violently and a bit longer and throw out quite a few orange sparks. The similar matches, made with the PVC cement, burned nicely and even a bit longer. They throw out a nice flame for about a half second, like a regular kitchen match would.
I figured that any of these matches would effectively ignite quick match if they were installed in contact with the internal black match. I wanted to experiment with one additional step, which I hoped would reliably ignite the visco safety fuse on any cake or device out in the field.
I cut 1" lengths of the super-fast fuse, which is similar to quick match, but which (unlike quick match) can be shipped. I then used 2" long pieces of one-inch wide masking tape to secure the fast fuse into the ends of the electric match plastic shrouds. Then I installed a piece of visco fuse with the freshly-cut end of the visco in contact with the outer end of the fast fuse. I then secured this joint with another length of masking tape.
Attaching fuses to homemade electric matches
Installing Fast Fuse and Visco Fuse into End of Electric Match
Electric matches made using all of the above methods performed flawlessly and ignited the visco fuse easily. I was very pleased with their performance and with the opportunity to learn more about how reliable electric matches can be home made for one's own personal use. |
Your Cart is Empty
Training Techniques To Hold Your Breath Longer
have fun
Training tips and advice
Caution: learning how to hold your breath can be fun but be careful and always have a buddy on hand to watch out for you. A great pre-read to this article is Breathing 101.This takes you through the fundamentals of learning to breath properly.
In this article we are going to take a look at training technique to hold your breath for longer periods. Hopefully you will never have to suffer a two-to three-wave hold down however as a waverider it is very possible and preparing for the inevitable will help you cope with the overwhelming sense of panic that can set in as you run out of oxygen when 20 feet under the surface.
This is why it is important to learn how to hold your breath longer
Top Tips Before You Start
Improve The Length You Hold Your Breath In One Day With Some Simple Techniques.
There are various methods out there. The following technique has worked really well for me and will have you holding your breath longer in not time. To Increase your lung capacity. Practice deep breathing and follow the next three steps to increase the amount of air your body can accept when you inhale. Deep breathing will also help you develop control of your breathing.
Top Tips Before You Start
Determine your base time
You need to know your starting point so get out the stopwatch and time yourself as you hold your breath. Time your breathing three times then calculate the average of the three. This is your starting point and you base time you need to better.
Top Tips Before You Start
Start each day with deep breathing
Each morning take a few minutes to work with your breathing. While laying flat on your back, place one hand flat on your stomach and the other just above so that it rests on your chest. Inhale slowly as much as you can, hold for a count of three, then exhale all of the breath. You should feel your chest expand on the inhale and contract when you exhale. Concentrate and practice so that your lungs take in a lot of air and expand with the breath.
Top Tips Before You Start
Loosening and relaxing
Inhale then relax. Concentrate on loosening and relaxing your muscles while inhaling and holding your breath. When you tense, your body wants to inhale. It is the carbon dioxide in your lungs that wants to exhale which causes you to tense up and feel panic when holding your breath. By relaxing you give your body more time to hold the breath.
Top Tips Before You Start
Slowly release carbon dioxide
Practice controlled exhaling. Holding your breath doesn't mean you cannot exhale. If you allow the carbon dioxide to slowly leave your body through slow and controlled exhalation. During your practice sessions, as you are holding your breath, be prepared to exhale a little at a time.
How to Hold Your Breath Longer While Exerting Energy
Hypoxic training
Hypoxic training is the name given to exercise that involves swimming or exertion in short bursts while holding your breath.
learning to Hold your breath while standing or sitting calmly on land is way different to trying to hold your breath 20 feet under the water after a bad wipeout. Hypoxic training is a great way to prepare your body for conserving energy while you are exerting energy.
tips Mark Healy's
Mark Healy says "My favorite breath holding exercise is to find a good stationary bike that shows resistance level, RPMs, and time.
How Mark Healy Trains To Hold His Breath For Longer
First, I'll find a medium/high resistance level and get it going up to an RPM rate that is high but at the same time is a level that I know I can keep up for 45 minutes. I'll do a five-minute warm-up, and then start my breath-hold. I can do 30 seconds holding my breath, then a minute breathing, 30 sec hold, one minute breathe. The whole point is to keep the resistance and RPM's the same the whole time. So if there was a print out of your workout on the bike it would not show ups and downs, just a constant even pace.
I'll do this for half an hour breathing only through my mouth. This exercise teaches my body to deal with oxygen and carbon dioxide more efficiently and to 'recover on my feet'. When I'm done with the exercise I will have held my breath for 10 minutes out of 30.
Other Great Ways To Train Using Hypoxic Training
1. Find a training pool
2. Swim a warm-up 400 meters or so. follow up with
3. 25 meters freestyle, no breathing! Head down all the way. Do 10 sets of these, with 15 seconds gap in between each set.
Follow this with
1. Swim a warm-up 400 meters or so. Then :
2. 25 meters underwater swimming. If you have fins, use 'em. Do 10 sets, and chase each set with 25 meters nice slow, breathing freestyle.
3. 20 seconds gap on these ones.
Bodysurfing as a form of breath Training
bodysurfing and handplaning for fitness and breathing excersizes
Best Advice for your training from Mark Healy
Bodysurfing is an excellent form of cross-training for larger surf it's essentially hypoxic training at its purest form, and has the advantage of being fun to do in surf you'd never paddle out to ride.
Need help choosing a board? + |
Fish Sauce: An Ancient Vietnamese Condiment
The purest form of fish sauce has two ingredients: salt and fish. In most cases, the fish in question are anchovies but mackerel or salmon are used in some variations.
Fish sauce dates back to Ancient Greece and Rome. In Ancient Greece, it was known as garos; it was called garum in Ancient Rome. Mentions of garum have been found in Roman literature from the 4th century BCE. Archaeologists have found the ruins of ancient garum factories all over the Mediterranean region. They can be found in what is now Spain and Portugal. Pompeii was famed for its garum.
Fish sauce isn’t much in modern Italian cooking, except for the sauce known as colatura di alici, which is still made in the Salerno region. One theory among historians is that the Romans stopped making garum after the Roman Empire’s fall because salt became too difficult to source. The cost of salt and the loss of trade routes resulted in fish sauce’s decline alongside the empire’s.
Asian fish sauce appears to have developed independently of the European version. It most likely originated in Vietnam and was influenced by Chinese soy sauce, which originally included fish among the ingredients. Researchers who have examined garum from preserved containers in Pompeii and compared them to modern Asian fish sauce found that they were almost identical.
Fish sauce is a staple in Vietnam and has been for centuries. However, the US imposed an embargo on trading with the country for 20 years after the communist takeover. As a result of the embargo, Vietnam could no longer sell fish sauce to Europe or America. Thai manufacturers stepped in to meet the demand. Vietnam’s 20-year absence is why the market is dominated by Thai brands.
Fish sauce flavor profile
Fish sauce has a smell that can only be described as acrid and fishy. However, its flavor is intensely savory. It brings a strong umami character to any dish in which it is used. Because of the smell, you should use it in moderation in any dish where you don’t want an overly fishy flavor profile.
Health benefits of fish sauce
Fish sauce is not normally considered a rich source of nutrients but it does contain important compounds that can help to improve your health. Those include:
• Protein: Fish sauce is a decent source of the protein your body needs to build tissues.
• Calcium: Fish sauce isn’t exactly rich in calcium, but there is enough in it to consider it a worthwhile source.
With fish sauce in your diet, you may be able to treat or prevent multiple health problems including:
• High blood pressure: Despite the condiment’s high sodium content, animal studies have found that a diet that includes fish sauce tends to lower blood pressure. Researchers found the same enzymes used in ACE inhibitor medications to be present in fish sauce.
• Diabetes: The amino acids in fish sauce help to stimulate insulin production and make insulin more effective.
• Inflammation: The fermentation of fish sauce produces enzymes that boost your immune system and help to relieve inflammation. As a result, fish sauce may help to treat arthritis and similar inflammatory conditions.
Common uses
Most Vietnamese households use fish sauce quite often. Vietnamese cooks use fish sauce in marinades for meat dishes and soups. It’s also used to make seafood and noodle dishes. |
An Aside on Time
Author: James West
Consider the sheer force of the human mind on its circumstance: time itself is shown to bend in response to the exertion (or lack thereof) of a wandering mind. This is, simply put, a result of a fascinating quality of the human mind: oblivion. We can, in effect, “ignore” time.
Suppose, then, that time is so directly in our control. To properly apply thought to such an idea, we must first understand the basic concept of linear time: simply put, all events, regardless of how they might be changed, fall in a line in which elements farther left (or “earlier”) on the line directly affect those farther right. While this particular view on time is easily the strictest in relation to our ability to generate hypothetical possibilities, it is still the most productive theory to expand upon. As long as the direct line of time forward remains intact, there isn’t any particular reason for us to measure its rate, and in this lies the key to the idea of a temporal dilation. Because time itself is the human perception of a human concept, it could fall within our realm of control.
While temporal dilation seems like a term one might find in a science-fiction novel, it is a legitimate and fairly explainable phenomenon. Common examples go by common names: “spacing out,” disassociating, and even sleep. Each exhibits a state in which the human consciousness allows itself to ignore time and provide the illusion of instantaneity. This is controlled by the level of active conscious thought, energy, and familiarity of context. The latter has the most easily observable effect. Often, we feel that driving to a new place feels like it takes a longer time than returning. On the way, one might observe countless details subconsciously and reflexively store them. But having processed these details, the brain is less active on the return trip. Factoring in energy level, it will often skip bits and pieces of time around itself while phasing in and out of focus. This is essentially the brain’s temporary reduction to a primitive state or a low-energy mode. This is a temporal dilation.
The implications of mastering such a concept are as incredible as they are terrifying: our brains have the ability to stop paying attention to the world around us. This is a state of incredible vulnerability, and it doesn’t stop at spacing out during class or meetings: what obstacle stands between us and larger dilation? Due to our ability to auto-pilot in this state, it is quite possible that one could forget to be present and skip their own life! It would take nothing more than a little slip of the brain or a misfired neuron to bring about a permanent state of continuous motion forward in time. And because temporal dilations are confined to perception, there would be no way to tell if such a thing happened. And what a terrible thing it would be: to be catapulted forward in individual time, unable to stop or gain control, experiencing life far too fast until it stops.
8 views0 comments
Related Posts
See All |
Activity Overview
The most important concept for beginning fraction masters to understand is parts of wholes or parts of sets. Students see and hear parts and wholes in use daily, but representing those values numerically can be challenging. Begin first with shapes that have been divided up into equal shares (circles, squares, hexagons, etc.), and then once students have grasped the concept, move on to fractions of sets. Fractions of a set is a far more useful concept for world problems and real-world application.
One example might be:
1/4 of the class is 6 students, how many students are in the class?
In this activity, students will create different examples of fraction sets by creating equal groups of simple shapes or objects and color coding the groups. The template that comes with the assignment is blank, but the example above can be modified in order to meet the needs of your students and added as a secondary template. Make it more challenging by adding rows and/or columns, providing less guiding information in the description boxes, or having students choose the number and types of objects. Don't forget to update the instructions so students know what is expected of them!
Template and Class Instructions
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that gives examples of fraction sets using colored shapes.
1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Change the colors of the shapes to match the sentence in the description box.
3. Change the blanks to numbers to match your picture.
4. Save often!
Lesson Plan Reference
Grade Level 3-4
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group
Common Core Standards
• [Math/Content/3/NF/A/1] Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.
More Storyboard That Activities
Introduction to Fractions
© 2021 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved. |
Skip to Content
An Engine that Harnesses Sound Waves
The device uses thermoacoustics for greater efficiency.
February 4, 2011
A startup company has developed a new type of engine that could generate electricity with the efficiency of a fuel cell, but which costs only about as much as an internal combustion engine.
Sound barrier: This prototype engine uses thermacoustics to turn heat into electricity.
Etalim, based in Vancouver, Canada, says its engine, roughly the size of a basketball, could improve the economics of electricity production for the cogeneration of power and heat in homes, and as a way to harness the heat produced at concentrating solar collectors. The company has created a prototype, but has yet to achieve the kind of efficiencies—in excess of 40 percent—that its computer models indicate are within reach.
The device shares some principles of a Stirling engine, in which an external heat source is used to expand a fixed amount of working gas (usually helium), which then contracts when it is pushed into a cooler space. This expansion-contraction cycle repeats itself, turning heat into mechanical work by driving a piston.
Etalim’s CEO Ron Klopfer says a fundamental problem with Stirling engines is that they need to run at very high temperatures and pressures to be efficient, making it difficult to keep the gas sealed inside the cylinder that encases the piston. “At these temperatures, you can’t use traditional methods of sealing,” he says. “You can’t use rubber, lubricants. It must be dry metal on metal, and those are very expensive, high-precision parts that lead to high costs.”
• See how the engine works.
Etalim’s founder and chief scientist, Thomas Steiner, saw an opportunity to eliminate all the rubbing parts and seals that are prone to wear and leakage by using a design based on thermoacoustics—which employs heat to control the intensity of sound waves within a sealed cavity.
The vibration of the plate only moves the shaft two-tenths of a millimeter per cycle, so not much helium is being moved with each cycle. But the engine achieves a rapid 500 cycles per second. “If you go to high-frequency, you can get more power out of it,” says Greg Swift, a thermoacoustics expert at Los Alamos National Laboratories who saw an early version of Etalim’s engine. “Steiner has really done a good job of taking a different [design] direction and not making any mistakes.”
The company has ambitious goals. A first prototype, completed last year, demonstrated that the concept works, but relatively low heat was used, so its efficiency was only 10 percent. A second prototype that aims for 20 to 30 percent efficiency at 500 °C is expected this spring.
A commercial product with 40 percent efficiency running at 700 °C is targeted for 2012. It will initially be sold as a cheaper and longer-lasting competitor to fuel cells used for residential cogeneration. The company believes it can manufacture the engine for less than $1 per watt, and has a long-term target of 15 cents per watt, which would make it less expensive than a comparable internal combustion engine.
“Everything to get us to 40 percent efficiency is right in line with what we’ve seen from our prototype so far,” says Klopfer, adding that 50 percent is the longer-term target. “To get from 40 percent to 50 percent, we need to raise the temperature to 1,000 °C, and that requires some use of ceramics.”
Mike Hayden, a professor of physics at Simon Fraser University, says Etalim’s design is promising, but a lot of engineering works lies ahead to prove that the device can handle high temperatures and achieve the kind of efficiencies that would make it stand out. “But there’s no doubt these guys have something interesting,” he says. |
Printer Friendly
Twenty First Century Needs Harmony and Peace: A Case Study of Rumi's Masnevi.
Byline: Faiz Muhammad Brohi and Dr. Muhammad Khan Sangi
The aim behind this research is to find out the solution for the issues of today's society that lacks harmony and peace. It helps in finding the parameters and the causes of destruction in the society. On the one hand, man has reached the moon; on the other hand, people are dying of poverty and hunger. The postmodern world of today lacks harmony and peace that lies in the service of humanity. This article highlights the spiritual revival that brought harmony and peace in the past, but if applied in our twenty first century with the same approach then, it is hoped, it can bring the same results again. The solution lies in investigating the parameters which are discussed in this paper with special reference to Rumi's Masnevi in order to show the path towards peace. In the article, the qualitative research is applied and the tool used in this research is textual analysis.
This study may motivate towards newness and the revival of spiritual growth that leads us towards twenty first century that really demands progress in the outer and inner realm.
Keywords: Spiritual revival, harmony and peace, rise and fall of humanity, justice and injustice, mortal and immortal, Quran and Sunnah.
Moulana Jalal-ud-din Rumi (1207-1273) has inspired millions of people. He was born in the era which was caught by political crises: before his birth crusades brought destruction in the age; the invasions of Mongols was another step to destroy Moslems and their territories; millions of the inhabitants of Baghdad are said to have been massacred. Sa'di's elegy on the age of Rumi reflects that heaven should rain tears of blood on earth (Afzal, 2004, p.29). Before the birth of Rumi, the age of Ghazali was the period of fraud, hypocrisy, hatred and bloodshed. On the other hand, the ages gave birth to the spirit of Islam, and the spiritual people like Ghazali, Bahauddin (Rumi's father), the famous sufi poet Farid-ud-din Attar in Nishapur (Rumi's contemporary) and Rumi too. These religious, spiritual people wanted to bring harmony and peace in their times and their spiritual growth inspired people a lot. Rumi's father was known as King of Scholars and Rumi was called the scholar of scholars (Afzal, 2005, pp.66-67).
The age of Rumi is considered the seed of knowledge in the east and west, as Dante was a young boy at the time of Rumi's death; another great humanist of West, Petrarch, was born after a century of Rumi's death, and Erasmus came more than two centuries after Rumi' death. These writers inspired people of their times. Dante's Divine Comedy is the best example of spiritual allegory in the west, similarly, Rumi's Masnevi, is the popular spiritual allegory in both East and West. Rumi, the seeker of knowledge went to Konya at the age of twenty four when his father was alive. In Konya, Rumi translated the Quran in Pahlvi; from onward he preached it to the whole world. Persians regard the Quranic spirit in Masnevi because Quranic stories are elaborated with spiritual interpretation. Rumi's fame and reputation, his sermons and preaching inspired million of people, even the King and ministers came to listen to his sermons in Konya (Afzal, 2004, 46-47).
His Masnevi is the spiritual book which compels us towards the real success and gives a way to follow the Quranic stories, refers the Sunnah of the Prophet. The people of his time were inspired and motivated. Our twenty first century needs harmony and peace. Though our age lacks spiritual people, but we have book like Masnevi that can bring spiritual revival and the solution towards harmony and peace. His "Diwan and Masnevi are the equally immortal" (Afzal, 2004, pp.xviii-xx).
Research Methodology
The qualitative research is applied in literature that helps this study in order to read and interpret a piece of literature. The researcher on the given parameters follows the units to themes that he needs from the text. It will be helpful to the researcher in finding the text or the writer's work in order to carry the research (Vanderstoep and Johnston, 2009, p.7). In this research article, the researcher would follow the parameters of the qualitative research in which the tool will be textual analysis in order to carry out the research. In the textual analysis, the units or components of the given topic would be analyzed from Rumi's Masnevi which is translated by Nicholson and his two translated versions which would be observed in analysis.
Literature Review
In today's world, people have drawn towards the growth of materialism which has given birth to double standards, jealousy, hypocrisy and hatred among people. Further this era moves toward different cultural identity and awareness of the ideological roots which is inclined towards progress, but have not brought harmony and peace in the world except hustle and bustle in life. Instead of serving humanity, people entered into the world of chaos and unrest. Evil becomes more and more dominant that leads towards hypocrisy, hatred, jealousy and seven deadly sins which kill the inner transformation that leads soul towards the spiritual growth. To this, modern observers have realized the solution towards harmony and peace is the spiritual growth and the reforms of revival of spiritual growth. Meanwhile, various Sufi teachers or spiritual teachers are busy in focusing the Islamic heritage that was the forgetfulness of God (Chittick, 2000, pp. 36-37).
The solution to bring harmony and peace motivates towards goodness that comes through the spiritual journey. In today's world evil has become stronger because people have become materialist. We need to make an effort to crush evil from the society through goodness that is lacking within people. As the Quran says, "Good and Evil can never be equal so repel evil deeds with good ones" (41: 34). In today's world, people are inclined towards progress but lacking the spiritual growth among themselves. In the competitive world, people have become jealous, hypocrite which is the root cause of evil. It is observed that Sufi literature and approach stresses the nearness, prescience and immanence of God rather than His distance and transcendence. Sufis regard that God is within and nearer. Therefore, their literature and approach bring people towards the spiritual growth.
They quote the Quranic verse, as "And we are nearer to him than the jugular vein (50: 16), at another place the Quran says, "And He is with you wherever you are" (57: 4). If we keep the spiritual approach, we would bring harmony and peace in the society. One who fears from God, he never does injustice with people. This develops love among humans and harmony and peace would exist in today's society (Chittick, 2000, p.41).
The Importance of Mysticism
The need of spiritual revival has been noticed in the every corner of the world. The writer traces the old history of mysticism with the views of different schools of thought on its development. He refers to the mystic philosopher, Heraclitus, who introduced central idea of "Logos". Logos prefers the symbol for that free and living Spirit of Becoming that leads the mystic to the Absolute truth. This idea does not only mingle in the Hellenic period, but also in a Christian system of thought. The same preferable thoughts were quoted by Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. In this regard, it was accepted that the knowledge that mystics is not perceived by the ordinary people. The act of gazing into the inner realism by mystics helps them purify their hearts. Their journey towards the Absolute is the journey of spirituality. The writer illustrates that the mystic system of reality is ignored by other people.
The writer supports the view of Heraclitus who says every age needs the spiritual development in order to nourish people towards the Absolute Reality. He also says that everything is in a state of flux and in every age, the good and evil is found. Mystics pay heed on spiritual growth that is the way to save people from the evil and its consequences (Underhill, 2006, p.29). The writer elaborates the doctrine of mysticism that the evil is mere appearance, an illusion produced by the division and oppositions of analytic intellect. Further, he adds that mystics never maintain cruelty, as it is maintained by other people. They deny cruelty, but adopt the good. They not only refrain from evil practices, but also motivate people to be and to do the good. The nature of mystics is found peaceful and their life motivates people towards spiritual life and leads them towards harmony and brotherhood. They belong to the lower world of phantoms from which we are to be liberated by the insight of vision.
This attitude is a direct outcome of the nature of the mystical experience with its sense of unity associated with feeling infinite peace (Russell, 1923, p.11).
The Quranic Sufism
The writer describes the steps of spiritual journey towards God. The first step of the Sufi is journey on the path how to get released from the clutches of desire or lust. They teach how to emerge out of his own individual sphere of knowledge and enter into the knowledge of God. In this step Sufis' performance and actions seem as imparted by Shari 'at. The Sufis regard God alone as their Lord, Helper, Master, and separate him from worldly desires. The writer expresses that those who walk on the right path, God saves them. Sufis regard it as the self-sacrifice, and their journey towards the Eternal. The second step is to praise God through repeating a word/a phrse/a Quranic verse (and remain busy in this practice. The writer quotes the Quranic verse as, "Thee (alone) do we worship and Thee (alone) do we ask for help". Sufi regards himself the true worshiper and praises God.
As the Quran says (35: 15), "O mankind: ye are the supplicants in your relation to Allah! He is the All sufficient, the owner of Praise" (Waliuddin, 1993 p.8). Miller (2009) illustrates spiritual revival and its ways. He brings the solution to achieve the blessings of God. It comes through the mentor who will lead his disciple towards God. He also refers to Al-Ghazali who narrates that man's relation with God comes through the guide. God has revealed the Holy Quran in order to find the ways of God. The disciple learns the good and the evil and follows the right path. If he does not get the guide, he will not find the path. Al-Ghazali has laid master (Shaikh) and disciple (murid) relationship as a facet of Sufism.
The story of the pearl and its significance
Once in the company of king Mehmood, a pearl was brought up. Many people were sitting there. Besides the king Vizier was sitting, the king gave the pearl and ordered the vizier to break the pearl. The vizier took the pearl into his hand and started kissing it and praised it highly. He regarded himself the intelligent man and replied to the king. This pearl is precious one I could not break it. Next to vizier, the chamberlain was sitting, the same pearl was given to him, he also praised it and imitated the vizier and said, "It is the most precious and valuable". He said, "I cannot break it". Beside the chamberlain, another courtier was sitting; the same reply was given to the king. The same pearl went from one hand to another; the king got the same reply. When it reached to Ayaz, the king Mehmood commanded and said to Ayaz. "O Sultan, take the pearl and break it". He took the pearl and broke it. People were amazed and said to Ayaz what did you do with the pearl.
He replied to people and said to me the more valuable is king than pearl. He said, "Is the king's command more valuable than the pearl?" The king ordered his guards to remove these fools in front of him. To them the more important thing is pearl not the king. The allegorical interpretation leads us to God and His commands. God has sent man the caliph or the Messiah on the earth in order to fulfill his commands in order to serve humanity and to crush evil from the society. Hypocrisy, hatred, jealousy and double standard have destroyed people from the eternal path that leads people towards the spiritual path.
People have not followed the command of God, but have become worldly people who praise materialistic world like the pearl. To them worldly pleasure is important than God. When we serve the humans, God becomes happy. Here injustice and double standard kills inner realism (Chittick, 2005, pp.98-99).
Divine and human love:
The supreme path is human love that uplifts us towards the absolute reality means God. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran and Hadith, you can achieve God through the Sunnah or the path of the Prophet. To love humanity means loving God. Therefore, Sufis stress the quest of God in the language of love, the most intense and profound of the human experiences. The same context is found in the Quranic verses and Hadiths, the verse is quoted. "Say [O Mohammad!]: "If you love God, follow me, and then God will obey you" (3: 31). The prime concern is the human love that is lacking in today's society. This love is found to possess a kind double standard which can never bring harmony and peace. The only way is to follow the path of God, then harmony and peace would exist (Chittick, 2000, p.45).
A Sufi's teaching is based on two terms: annihilation and subsistence. In the regard of annihilation, Sufis annihilate their lower-self for the will of God and remain for the pursuance of God. This leads people to the right direction in order to pursue God; people find the ways of God. Before reaching the target, one has to annihilate one's lower-self and desires for pursuance of God. If this is done in today's society, there would be harmony and peace would be found. The term annihilation on which Sufis focus is also mentioned in the Holy Quran, as "Everything upon the earth is undergoing annihilation, but there subsists the face of your Lord, Possessor, of Majesty and Generous Giving" (55: 26-27). The Quranic verse ends with divine names like "Possessor of Majesty and Generous Giving". These two terms are observed in the view of spiritual journey. The same context of spiritual journey is noticed in the Sufis and in their literature.
In the eyes of Sufi, God is Great, Distant, Wrathful, Vengeful, King and Transcendent. Therefore, Sufis' literature and approach is a lesson for people to bring harmony and peace in the world (Chittick, 2000, p.44).
The Analysis of Rumi's Masnevi
The Evil is in us
Rumi's Masnevi directly addresses man and points out him that evil exists in man. He quotes the story of lion and hare in Masnevi in order to show man and his image. The story of lion and hare shows that the lion daily used to get prey at his place. Once, the turn of hare came and he went late to lion and said I was late because of another lion came to your territory and ordered animals. Today onward I would take prey from you. The hare led the lion toward a well. Lion and hare went to well. There lion saw his image in the well. Both saw their image, but actually it was the image of the same lion that brought hare to the well. When the lion approached to the well there his image was similar. The lion jumped into the well and hare was released. Here Rumi elucidates that O readers how many an evil would you find in others. Actually it is your evil that appears into others. Man is known by the company that he keeps. In others you find hypocrisy, iniquity, double standard and insolence.
Actually these forms of evil are possessed in you. In others you can find evil, but it would be difficult to recognize one's fault. You hate others means you have the same nature. Rumi calls, O fool pay attention on your own image you would see the real reflection in yourself. Here evil represents lower-self (nafs) that is present in everyman. Evil always tempts man towards desire but we should overcome our desires. Then you would bring goodness in the society. If you are already the victim of evil, goodness never comes in the society, but ruins the society (Nicholson, 2003, p.76).
The mystery of evil
Rumi depicts the mystery of evil in Masnevi volume I and shows the evil nature of Pharaoh and spiritual nature of Moses. Both were the worshiper of truth. Pharaoh had pride that just stands for God and he proclaimed himself god in the public, but at the midnight he would begin to moan. While Moses used to cry in day time and used to preach God and His commandments. Pharaoh used to cry in the night and used to say God. On the same earth you made Moses to be illumined and on the same earth you made me to be darkened. Pharaoh said "I know you are our Lord", but I pray in the night but I can say God is one who is the God of Moses. In the public, I would rather say, "Pharaoh is your god". Suddenly, in the night time Pharaoh said in surprise, "Am I not praying all night long"? He used to pray in the night time, but his pride destroyed him from the eternal path. Rumi point out that evil nature remains evil.
He further elucidates different colors of evil appear in the shape of pride which deviates us from the eternal blessings of God. Hypocrisy ruins nations and destroy man from the spiritual path. Jealousy is a disease like cancer; it would make man null and void in the shape of human. Hatred keeps distances in human beings. Therefore, Rumi brings humans at one platform that is the message of harmony and peace that lies on the path of Moses not on the path of Pharaoh. It is better to leave worldly tricks which ruin our everlasting path that leads towards the absolute reality. Once we act to follow spiritual path, there would we link a chain of harmony and peace in the world (Nicholson, 2003, p.145-46).
The love of Woman
Rumi highlights the status of woman in the Masnevi and says woman is ray of God: she is not the earthly beloved. She is creative; you might say she is not created. He endorsed the vision of woman and her beauty that is eternal. He also advocates that women are the sign of beauty to people. In Masnevi, Rumi quotes the Prophet who said regarding woman and the importance of woman: "woman prevails over the wise, while ignorant men prevail over her; for in them the fierceness of the animal is imminent". Rumi says that love and tenderness are regarded human attributes and lust and anger are regarded animal qualities. These four characteristics are found in people. Two of them like love and tenderness are positive and two like anger and lust are negative in men. He is the staunch preacher of goodness and tells the value of woman in our society. Further, he says if you rule your wife outwardly, yet inwardly you are ruled by her whom you desire.
This shows that the sincerity of man lies within man. Today's society lacks mutual understanding, mutual love and brotherhood. Rumi's literature reflects light within and the path of the Prophet and the Sunnah of the Prophet would bring us on the right direction that we need in today's society. Living in an advance society of 21st century, still we do not find peaceful place for women; everywhere we find crime and injustice. It needs revival of spirituality.
Rumi's concept of seven deadly sins in Masnevi
Rumi's Masnevi gives the best solution for how to bring peace and harmony in the society and gives a way and a hope towards eternal path. He says that seven deadly sins are the cause of destruction in the society. Living in 21st century, the modern age where peace has lost its significance because of seven deadly sins; how peace would prevail in the society? On the one hand man has reached at the moon, on the other; the poverty increases day by day. This is because of seven deadly sins. Today's world demands justice and concept of humanity. Injustice becomes the hindrance on the path of justice. People demand their rights; evil prevails in the shape of lust and pride. It shows that one struggles for goodness, there he finds hindrance from another person who strives for pride and greed. It is observed that in every good task hindrances block the way of man from doing virtuous deeds. Likewise, seven deadly sins are the hindrances or blocking in the way of spirituality.
One who controls or dominates over seven deadly sins he/ she would pursue the spiritual path. He indicates that Anger represents animal instinct. If it comes in a man then he remains no more the real man, and starts acting like an animal. This survey brings towards anger and lust. These two things bring a man's rage and carnal desires for wealth and sex. When one grows as greedy and selfish, he/she loses spiritual sight and love for God and His people: "Cut off the heads of these four lively birds and make your mortal being immortal. The duck is greed, the cock is lust, rank (reputation) is the peacock, and crow is the lover of self (of a materialistic man)" (Turkmen, 2005, p.126). Consequently, these sins compel man to live in the world of desires, happiness and luxury; but Rumi views that these will not bring us towards God.
Further, a Sufi perceives that Anger and Lust make a man squint eyed and force the spirit to go astray from its right path. When self-interest comes (overcomes), virtue disappears and hundred veil rise from the heart to the eyes.
The concept of worldly man in Rumi's Masnevi
Rumi explains the view of worldly man and his vision like the story of the Indian king and the elephant. In the company of the king, there were many soldiers and ordered them to not eat young elephants. Soldiers went against the order of the king and roasted young elephants except one soldier who followed the order of the king. When mother of young elephants came and smelt the smell of young elephants, then crushed the soldiers. Rumi similarly points out that God is observer and knows your plans. He says that the smell of pride, greed, concupiscence will appear like the smell of onion. This shows that our society needs the real counselor like the king who ordered the soldiers. We listen but we do not act. Everyone talks about humanity, but where is the smell of pity and fear. Rumi shows evil is dominant in its different shapes like greed, pride, injustice, bribery, double standards. Only few are the follower of spiritual path. Today's society needs justice and the concept of brotherhood.
Further Rumi calls worldly man or materialistic man as an immature. An immature man remains same as he is, because he follows his carnal senses, and is following his worldly tricks and never finds a path towards the Absolute Reality. Further, Rumi in Masnavi refers to two kinds of ladders which are the sources of achievement. The worldly senses are the ladder for this world and the religious (spiritual) senses are the ladder for Heaven. Seek the health of carnal senses from a doctor, but seek the health of the celestial senses from the Beloved (God). The health of carnal senses depends on the flourishing of the physical body; while the health of the celestial senses depends on the destruction of the physical body. Moreover, he refers to two directions. One the spiritual that leads to God, this ladder is based on the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Holy Scriptures which state the various ways through that man achieves his goal and becomes religious man.
The second is materialistic which leads to this world where path is not shown but worldly tricks rely on intellect or worldly tricks. He does not find the ladder that may lead him towards God. Therefore, he is called immature (materialistic person). His ladder leads him in the worldly concerns (Nicholson, 2003, pp. 12-13).
The inner shape of human beings
"If all human beings were man in the shape, Abu Jehil and Ahmed (Muhammad) would be just the same," (Turkmen, 2005, p.83). These two clear examples prove that Abu Jehil (the father of the ignorance) whose worldly tricks were not useful in front of Ahmed the Prophet of God. It is clear message for all. If you strive for another world you will be awarded. If you strive for this world or worldly life, obviously, there will be no place for you in the paradise. God has created two rewards: Paradise and Hell. Paradise is for those who strive for the pursuance of God, and those who strive for the pursuance of this world, will be in Hell. The wealth of Abu Jehl was just reputation for this world, and his pride ruined him from the eternal path, his intellect did not destroy the right path of the Prophet, but made him the example of ignorant, he lost both worlds, in this world he is regarded ignorant person and in the next world, there is no hope for paradise.
On the other hand, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the best example for all human beings. If we act on sayings or Sunnah of the Prophet in today's modern world, harmony and peace would exist. As Abu Jehl brought many hindrances on the path of the Prophet, but became useless. Because good is always upper hand. Rumi advocates the followers of the Prophet never go wrong, people like Abu Jehl may find at different places, but the true believer overcomes the worldly man.
A man is known by the company he keeps
In the previous discussion, I brought two aspects of choice: mortal and immortal. Good people always keep good company which is Divine Company to them. They always run on the spiritual path. Their concept of living is different from others. They live in good society and create a good society. They fight against injustice and bring goodness. They regard life to them is eternal gift and in return they purify their souls through doing good deeds. The second group of company is called bad company which brings into evil results. If a person who lives in the company of a thief, obviously, he will be affected by worldly tricks. Likewise, Divine Company comes by saints or spiritual people who preach the Divine light. If you add something with pure objects, obviously, there will be mixed up. It will mislead people from Divine Company.
Also, add the company of greedy people who are known by their sharing and giving. Those who are lost in greed for wealth cannot make friends with a holy man are shining like the sun. Further, I add the example of a cage. If we keep a nightingale and a crow in the cage, the crow will claim that melodious voice of the nightingales are hideous; and the crow will even try to kill them for "Birds of a feather flock together". The example of birds proves that good and bad cannot live together. Worldly man is caught by worldly reputation. While, spiritual man who goes way to keep him save from worldly reputation which is temporary and loses Divine Company that is achieved by religious people. In recent time, our world is known as global village, but has failed to bring harmony and peace. If we analyze which thing we lack in today's society, we would bring good result for the betterment of humanity.
We have modern knowledge, we don't find spiritual people like Rumi, Imam Ghazali, but we have literature of spiritual people like Rumi, this may help us in bringing the revival spiritual knowledge.
As to him, we start doing good deeds but ego of man looses every charm of deeds, when he becomes selfish. Man loses the deeds of a year within the seconds when selfishness overcomes. It betrays man from the blessings of God. Rumi's Masnavi (1/378-380), "Each time we collect wheat (corn) in this barn, we lose it. A mouse has made a whole to our barn, and by his tricks he is destroying our store. First of all, my friend, get rid of this mouse and set your heart on collecting corn," (Turkmen, 2005, p.80). Consequently, the concept of Nafs motivates man doing wrong things which kill man's spirituality. Therefore, Rumi calls Nafs the biggest enemy of man. One, who controls his Nafs, obviously comes in the Divine direction which leads him towards the Absolute Reality.
The revival of spiritual literature would be a step towards harmony and peace. It focuses on the man and his spiritual growth that leads him towards success that lies in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (P.B.U.H). In the spiritual revival, a Sufi's role focuses on the path of the Prophet and his Sunnah that is complete code of life to people. Rumi is known as scholar of scholars in the east and west. His Masnevi is the spiritual document that compels people towards harmony and peace. In the time of Rumi who used to deliver sermons, lectures on the harmony and peace, his age is regarded the best in harmony and peace. He loved humanity and the service of humanity lies in Masnevi. All people of his time loved Rumi, even non-Muslims, Jews, Christians, Communists, Atheists, Hindus, etc. on his death, people of all religions, sects, and even atheists came to attend the funeral ceremony.
Muslims asked from Christians and other people Rumi being Muslim and you are non-Muslims, they replied Rumi stands not for Muslims only, but for all. This is the best example in today's society to work on the Rumi's Masnevi that would be best document towards peace and harmony. Rumi says to crush evil in the society; actually it lies within us. First, it is better to kill one's own evil, then evil can be diminished. He says our biggest enemy is our lower-self (nafs) that brings hindrance in the path of service of humanity. It is the pride that gives birth to evil and evil is based on seven deadly sins. Injustice and double standards give birth to mortal things which are concerned to this world, because people have limited approach that is for physical world. Genius people have genius approach; likewise, Rumi's approach connects all and brings whole humanity at one place.
It compels towards service of humanity through that harmony and peace would exist. Our society needs the Messiah or the revival of spiritual literature like Rumi's Masnevi.
* Afzal Iqbal "The Life and work of Jalaluddin Rumi",the Oxford University Press, 2004.
* Miller, Eliot, "Sufis: Mystical Muslims", 2005.
* Pamela Maykut and Richard Morehouse, "Beginning Qualitative Research: A Philosophic and practical guide, the Falmer Press, London. Washington. D.C, 2005.
* Reynold A. Nicholson "The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi", Darul Ishaat, Urdu Bazaar Karachi, 2003.
* Reynold A. Nicholson "Rumi Mystic and the Poet", Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd, First Indigo Edition, 2003.
* Russell, Bertrand. "Mysticism and Logic and other essays." Otowa, Barnes and Nobel Books, New York (1917/1981), 1923.
* Scott W. Vanderstoep and Deirdre D. Johnston, "Research Methods for Everyday life: Blending Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches", published by Jossey-Bass, U.S.A, 2009.
* Turkmen, Dr. Erkan. "The Essence of Rumi's Masnev"i. Shanakht press, Lahore, Pakistan, 2005.
* Underhill, Evelyn. "Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness," One world Pub, Oxford, London, edi. 2006.
* Wiliam C. Chittick "Me and Rumi", Suhail Academy, Chowk Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan, 2005.
* William C. Chittick, "Sufism": A Beginner's Guide, One world Publications, Oxford, London, 2008.
* Waliuddin, Mir. "The Quranic Sufism," MotilalBanarsidassPubl, 1997.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Asianet-Pakistan
Copyright 2017 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Author:Brohi, Faiz Muhammad; Sangi, Muhammad Khan
Publication:International Journal of Arts and Humanities
Article Type:Case study
Geographic Code:9PAKI
Date:Dec 31, 2017
Previous Article:A Case Study on Leadership in a School Organization.
Next Article:Unveiling Women Power: A Feminist Study of Bapsi Sidhwa's Ice Candy Man.
|
An Overview of CBD Oil for the Treatment of Mental Health Issues
During the past few years, there has been a major shift in terms of society’s perception of people who suffer from mental health issues. In the past, a significant stigma followed people who sought treatment for their mental health. Even today, many people falsely believe that those struggling with their mental health simply need to find a way to push through. Many people fear that others will see them as weak for struggling with mental health issues.
These days, this stigma has been lessened if not lifted entirely. People are beginning to treat their mental health issues in the same manner that other medical issues are treated. As a result, new treatment options have become available to help those struggling with their mental health. One of those potential treatments for certain mental health issues is CBD oil.*
Mental Health Symptoms
Mental health issues can present themselves in a variety of ways. For example, people who suffer from depression may develop symptoms such as insomnia, changes in appetite, irritability, as well as a lack of pleasure regarding activities that used to bring them joy. Anxiety is another condition that stems from mental health issues. Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety include breathing difficulties, an elevated heart rate, and an unwillingness to participate in activities where crowds are present.
In the past, such conditions were treated with prescription medications and therapy. Even though these treatment options still have a significant role when it comes to mental health issues, CBD oil can also be effective. Many Americans now take CBD to help with their anxiety issues. Another promising area of research is the psychedelics-assisted therapy, in which substances like MDMA and psilocybin are utilized. Check out this page for more info on MDMA therapy.
CBD Oil for Mental Health Issues
Just like the shifting perceptions in mental health, the public’s perception towards CBD is changing in a positive way. This is partly because more research has been published showing CBD as a potential help for conditions like anxiety. Researchers have uncovered a wide variety of benefits that can be realized by full spectrum CBD oil
One of CBD oil’s greatest potential benefits revolves around mental health conditions. CBD is a non-intoxicating compound, but it is still considered psychoactive because it can have effects on a person’s mood and anxiety level. CBD works by interacting with endocannabinoid receptors inside the body to bring other systems back into balance. CBD oil binds to the cannabinoid receptors that exist within the body, including the nervous system. This could be why CBD users feel a sense of calm and relaxation from taking CBD.
On top of that, CBD oil may provide other advantages compared to traditional medical therapies because CBD is not addictive and the side effects of CBD, if any, are far more mild than many prescription drugs. People currently taking prescription drugs for their mental health should always talk to their doctor before starting CBD. That’s because CBD can interact with some medications, which could make their effects stronger or weaker.*
The Future of CBD and Mental Health
These are just a few of the most important points that people should keep in mind when considering adding CBD to the treatment of their mental health issues. As CBD oil becomes more widely accepted, more research will be conducted and more questions will be answered.
This will result in more CBD products being developed. Likewise, as more research is published, more information will become available regarding the use of CBD oil as a potential treatment of mental health issues.*
|
Best colored pencils
Writing Supplies
Some colored pencil sets come with a single non-pigmented pencil designed to help blend and soften lines.
Which colored pencils are the best?
Some people leave colored pencils behind as a kid, but you can create incredible artworks with the right colored pencils. Whether you’re buying them to complete coloring books or make fine art, choosing the best colored pencils for the task is essential.
Learning the difference between wax-based, oil-based, and water-based colored pencils is the first step to selecting the right ones for you, but there’s more to consider, including hardness and blend-ability. Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are the top choice for anyone looking to make art with colored pencils.
What to know before you buy colored pencils
Colored pencil types
You can find three types of colored pencils on the market: wax-based, oil-based and water-based. The difference between each is simply the type of binder used to hold the pigment together, but it gives each particular properties.
Wax-based colored pencils are the most common type. If you’re unsure what type of colored pencils you have, they’re probably wax-based. They can vary from reasonably hard to extremely soft, with the softest options being highly opaque, vivid and easy to blend.
Oil-based colored pencils are far less common than wax options. They have a harder consistency, making them easier to produce clean, definite lines, which is a benefit in certain types of artwork. You can use them to great artistic effect, but it requires immense skill.
Water-based colored pencils are also known as watercolor pencils. You can use them dry, and they’ll behave like other colored pencils, or you can add water for a similar effect to watercolor paints.
Colored pencils can have cores ranging from hard to extremely soft and buttery. The harder the core, the easier it is to draw fine detail, as this requires clean, decisive lines. Softer cores are better for coloring in large areas and blending, but working with them is messier. Depending on what you want from your colored pencils, you may need some soft and some hard.
Some colored pencils are highly opaque, so they only need one or two layers for full, vivid coverage. Others are more transparent, so you’ll need to layer them effectively for a greater degree of coverage. Options with a higher opacity are considered superior, but there are times when you might want more transparent results.
What to look for in quality colored pencils
Color range
Consider how many colors you get in your set of colored pencils. Small sets will only give you a limited range of colors, while large sets can feature more than 150 different shades, so you’re ready to draw anything.
For many art styles, you’ll want to blend different colors where they meet on the page, so the line is less harsh and more realistic. Softer pencils tend to blend more easily than harder ones.
Some colored pencils come in a tin or even a roll-up fabric case. This lets you keep your colored pencils organized, so it’s easier to find the right color when you need it.
How much you can expect to spend on colored pencils
You can buy small sets of colored pencils or more extensive sets of basic colored pencils for less than $5. On the other end of the spectrum, large sets of high-quality colored pencils can cost more than $100.
Colored pencils FAQ
Do you need different colored pencils for different uses?
A. Yes. There’s no one-size-fits-all colored pencil. If you’re buying colored pencils for kids or you want to try your hand at adult coloring books, basic hard wax-based colored pencils will do just fine.
Suppose you want to use colored pencils to create landscapes, portraits, still life drawings and so on. In that case, you may want soft wax coloring pencils as their buttery texture blends more easily, or you could experiment with watercolor pencils.
With their harder texture, oil-based colored pencils are great for fine detail work and can produce some wonderful results, but they can be hard to draw with, especially for less experienced artists. Some drawings for which you may choose to use a range of different colored pencil types, so don’t feel as though you must limit yourself to one variety only.
What are student and professional colored pencils?
A. Student colored pencils are decent but not exceptional, while professional colored pencils are high-end options suitable for serious artwork. Professional pencils have a greater concentration of pigment than student options, making their colors more opaque and vivid on the page. Very basic colored pencils are unlikely to be labeled either student or professional.
What are the best colored pencils to buy?
Top colored pencils
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
What you need to know: These professional-grade colored pencils are soft and buttery for easy blending.
What you’ll love: The colors are vivid and highly opaque. You have a choice from various set sizes, from 21-150 colors. The blender pencil is included.
What you should consider: Expensive
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top colored pencils for the money
Arteza Colored Pencils
Arteza Colored Pencils
What you need to know: These are decent mid-range colored pencils at an affordable price.
What you’ll love: The ergonomic triangular shape keeps you comfortable during long art sessions. They have a soft wax core, and the pack includes 48 colors.
What you should consider: The quality is inconsistent.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Castle Art Supplies Watercolor Pencils Set
Castle Art Supplies Watercolor Pencils Set
What you need to know: This is a set of 72 watercolor pencils for those who want to branch out from standard coloring pencils.
What you’ll love: These are suitable for both wet and dry use. They are easy to blend and layer, and they come in a quality storage tin.
What you should consider: They are not as vibrant as higher-end watercolor pencils.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Copyright 2021 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
Trending Stories
Don't Miss
More Don't Miss |
SMH: Drought Breaking Aussie Rain is a Catastrophe for Local weather Change
“That massive drop in agriculture was twice the emissions discount that got here from the report rollout of renewables. However it’s all constructed on the struggling of Australia’s farmers beneath drought,” Local weather Council senior researcher Tim Baxter mentioned.
The climate outlook is bettering and the livestock sector is poised to rebound swiftly when the drought breaks.
“A break within the drought might push our emissions so they’re once more trending upwards,” Australian Nationwide College Local weather Change Institute Professor Mark Howden mentioned.
READ How ESA-NASA’s Photo voltaic Orbiter Beats the Warmth
Professor Howden mentioned whereas Australia’s emissions have been “virtually flatlining”, when the drought lastly broke livestock emissions would possible rise by four million tonnes a 12 months.
“Farmers will as shortly as potential construct up their breeding herd and it will end in a speedy enhance in recorded greenhouse gasoline emissions,” he mentioned.
“Throughout drought animals’ feed consumption is more likely to have dropped and that additional reduces emissions. When it breaks cattle are more likely to eat much more and enhance emissions.”
Learn extra:
To not be outdone, the Dialog lead with a narrative concerning the drought breaking rain poisoning the nation’s river programs.
The candy reduction of rain after bushfires threaten catastrophe for our rivers
Hearth particles flowing into the Murray-Darling Basin will exacerbate the chance of fish and different aquatic life dying en masse
Paul McInerney Analysis scientist, CSIRO
Gavin Rees Principal Analysis Scientist, CSIRO
Klaus Joehnk Senior analysis scientist, CSIRO
When heavy rainfall finally extinguishes the flames ravaging south-east Australia, one other ecological menace will come up. Sediment, ash and particles washing into our waterways, significantly within the Murray-Darling Basin, might decimate aquatic life.
We’ve seen this earlier than. Following 2003 bushfires in Victoria’s alpine area, water full of sediment and particles (generally known as sediment slugs) flowed into rivers and lakes, closely decreasing fish populations. We’ll possible see it once more after this season’s bushfire emergency.
Massive areas of north-east Victoria have been burnt. Whereas this area accounts just for 2% of the Murray-Darling Basin’s total land space, water flowing in from north-east Victorian streams (often known as in-flow) contributes 38% of total in-flows into the Murray-Darling Basin.
READ Yale Local weather Connections: “Ask Sara… ‘How is local weather change affecting summer season climate?'”
Hearth particles flowing into the Murray-Darling Basin will exacerbate the chance of fish and different aquatic life dying en masse, as witnessed in earlier years.
Learn extra:
Clearly the waterways will quickly get well from any contamination, as rains wash the sediment away, as they’ve all the time recovered for hundreds of years within the wake of bushfires a lot bigger than the current day. Even the whole sterilisation of a waterway by air pollution can not stop its eventual restoration.
However you’ll be unlikely to study that by studying the general public statements of the CSIRO, or by studying The Dialog or the Sydney Morning Herald.
It appears tough to imagine there was as soon as a time, way back, when Aussie taxpayer funded scientists thought their job had one thing to do with bettering folks’s lives. They used to imagine elevated agricultural manufacturing or the breaking of a savage drought have been occasions to have fun, not alternatives to specific their distress and misery.
Like this:
Like Loading…
Leave a Reply
|
What Does It Mean to Truly Be Healthy?
wellness and health zuma nutrition
There are so many different dietary opinions and trends in the modern world—some of which completely contradict one another—and with all of this conflicting information, it can be hard to determine what exactly is the best way to lead a truly healthy life. Given these circumstances, perhaps one of the most important things we can ask ourselves is, “what exactly is health?” What does it mean to truly be healthy?
Whole Wellness
In the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, one of India’s oldest and most influential pieces of literature, it is written:
“Om purnamada purnamidam purnat purnamuda chyate purnasya purnamadaya purnameva avashishyate.”
Translated to English, it says: “That is the Whole. This too is the Whole. The Whole comes out of the Whole. Taking the Whole from the Whole, the Whole itself remains.” This statement conveys the essential principle of healing: Wholeness.
Essentially, we are already whole, as we are one with the Whole of Nature. We are multi-dimensional beings, so in order to heal and embody our essential wholeness, we have to bring all aspects of our being into balance—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, financial, etc.
To be healthy is to live in balance—to have balance of body, mind, and spirit. So, let us look at each one of these aspects of our being and see how we can create balance for ourselves, rather than disharmony.
The body is made up of the elements of nature. It is composed of earth, water, air, heat, and space, and without these elements, the body could not exist. Being completely dependent upon and interdependent with the natural world, the health of the body depends upon the health of these elements. If the soil that grows our food is deficient and full of chemicals, if the water we drink is polluted, if the air we breathe is toxic, how can we truly lead healthy lives?
First and foremost, the health of our bodies depends upon the health of the planet, which is one of the reasons why it is so important for us to preserve the health of natural ecosystems, and to remember our fundamental connection to them.
No matter what diet we consume, if we wish for it to be a source of health and not disease, we should do our best to consume foods that are as close to nature as possible, that are grown organically and sustainably, and that do not have a bunch of added chemicals and preservatives. We should drink water from clean sources, breathe fresh air, and spend time in nature whenever possible. It is also ideal to eat foods that are local and seasonal, as they are the most natural foods to eat in whatever climate and region we live.
To lead a healthy life calls upon us to be responsible for ourselves, and to really investigate what it is we are consuming, and what it is we are supporting through our consumption. Even if the food we consume is healthy, if the way it is produced causes harm to the natural world, then we are supporting that industry and its practices, and supporting the destruction of the natural world. Is that really healthy?
The modern agriculture industry is one of the greatest contributors to environmental destruction, which is why it is so important for us as consumers, and producers, to make wise decisions and know how our actions are affecting the health of the planet, for the health of the body is intricately tied to the health of nature.
If we wish to be healthy and happy individuals, we need to have an awareness of our minds, and observe whether our thoughts are creating happiness or misery.
The mind is similar to a garden with many dormant seeds laying in the soil—seeds of happiness, peace, joy, gratitude, compassion, and seeds of sorrow, suffering, anger, greed, hatred, and so on. Every thought that we think waters the seeds in our garden. Whatever seed we water most is the seed that will grow, meaning whatever thoughts we think most will become the things we experience most.
If we wish to be happy, we need to water the seeds of happiness within us. Choosing to think positive and constructive thoughts, rather than negative and destructive thoughts, can help us to experience more peace and well-being. Since, the body and mind are intimately connected, when our mind is calm and relaxed, our body functions better, and we are generally healthier.
The mind is the source of all our joy or misery, so awareness of our thoughts is essential for happiness; and when our mind is relaxed, we shift from the sympathetic nervous system of fight-or-flight, to the parasympathetic nervous system of rest-and-digest. Rather than releasing excessive amounts of stress-related hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, we release hormones like dopamine and serotonin, naturally increasing the health of our bodies, and the peace of our minds.
If there is anything as controversial as health and diet, it is the topic of spirituality. There are many different beliefs and forms of spirituality, and some choose to completely disregard this aspect of life.
Haile Selassie I, the last emperor of Ethiopia, said that:
Essentially, what Selassie is pointing out, is that true spirituality is not religious dogma, it is your personal connection with the Divine—whatever that means to you. The point is that we take time and space to acknowledge our connection to something greater than ourselves. This can be the whole of the Earth, as well as the Universe, that we are inseparable from. It can be the total field of energy that makes up the universe. It can be the Creator or Spirit. It can be your true Self, and finding out for yourself exactly what that is.
The purpose of connecting with something beyond our individual lives, is that it liberates us from the prison of ego—of being solely concerned with ourselves, our self-image, our success, our happiness, etc.—and it opens us up to the total field of existence in which we live. Naturally, this generates a feeling of intimacy with life, a sense of shared connection to all living things, and the wish to be a source of happiness for those that we share this existence with.
Being aware of what is greater than our small lives, invokes feelings of love, kindness, and compassion, and these are the true foundations of happiness—not an abundance of material wealth, sensual pleasure and financial security.
When we are happy, we can relax and enjoy the life we live. We make decisions that contribute to the health of our bodies and minds, and we act in ways that benefit and preserve life, rather than destroy it. This is what it means to truly be healthy, and the cultivation of health is a decision that only you can make.
Products mentioned in this post
True Health Starts with Feeding the Body
|
The Power Of A Child’s Voice
8-year-old Amar Sain used to migrate from his village in Karora Dang, UP, to Haryana for 8 months every year, to work in a brick kiln with his parents. His family could barely make ends meet. So, they pulled him out of school and he began contributing to the household income. While he felt proud of being able to help his parents, Amar often wondered what it’d be like to be able to study like other children.
In 2016, when YOUNGISTAAN held a children’s workshop in his village, Amar decided to go as well. Feeling different from the rest of the child participants, he silently observed as everyone discussed the importance of education. The next day, he surprised everyone by announcing that he has spoken to his parents about not working as a child laborer anymore and would like to continue his education. “Everyone else was more accomplished in studies than me,” he would remark later, “I wanted to study and gain knowledge as well.”
It wasn’t easy, but Amar managed to convince his parents to let him go back to school – even though it meant losing an earning member of the family. Today, he lives with his uncle in the same village, goes to school regularly, and dreams of pursuing higher education! |
A case study: In search of the Bottle Rocket Pattern in the stock market
Abstract - This is a case study on the use of machine learning to find the beginning of what we call the Bottle Rocket pattern in the stock market.
Keywords - machine learning, pattern recognition, stock market.
1. Introduction
An interesting day-trading pattern is observed in the stock market. We call it the Bottle-Rocket Pattern. The easiest way to describe the pattern is with an example. Figures 1 and 2 show charts of Teladoc, Inc. (TDOC) that traded on May 9, 2017. The chart on the left shows the trade data at the point that the pattern was classified as the launch of a bottle rocket. The chart on the right shows the trading pattern about 40 minutes later. At this point, the algorithm had detected that the trajectory had topped-out, and the pattern was complete.
In this case study we analyze various Machine Learning packages to classify (recognize) the start of the pattern. The study is written from the point of view of a user of machine learning packages, not as a developer of a package.
Figure 1
Figure 1. Start of the Bottle Rocket pattern
Figure 2
Figure 2. End of the Bottle Rocket pattern
Please play the following video to see how a typical Bottle Rocket pattern develops:
2. Statement of the problem
1. Is there enough information in the real-time trade data that foreshadows the beginning of a Bottle Rocket pattern, and can Machine Learning predict a successful outcome? We define a "successful outcome" to mean the altitude of the bottle rocket (i.e. price of the stock) continues upward for at least 2%.
2. Can a Machine Learning algorithm detect the pattern early enough, from the real time data, to take advantage of the pattern?
3. Approach to solving the problem
Four Machine Learning packages were used to find the starting conditions of the Pattern.
1. TPOT (click here)
2. Scikit-learn (click here)
3. H2O (click here)
4. Tensorflow (click here)
4. The Dataset
The database, from which the training and testing datasets were derived, contains all the stocks on the major exchanges that have the following:
1. a total volume of at least 500,000 shares.
2. a market capitalization of at least $50 million dollars.
3. and trade at least 600 times, in 10 second intervals, per day.
There are about 2,000 stocks in the database that meet this criterion, and the database is currently about 240 Giga-bytes.
The database starts on November 9, 2016 and continues to the present. The database contains all trades (summarized to 10 second intervals) for all the stocks that meet the minimum requirement, as well as day summaries (volume, open, high low, close). The trade data is captured in real-time from the IQFeed.net data service.
4.1. Training and Testing format
As new 10-second interval data comes in, five predictors (also known as “features”) are computed. The training and testing datasets consist of these predictor columns, plus a response variable column (actual outcome, a.k.a. ground-truth). Since we are doing “binary classification”, the response column (labeled “Altitude”) contains “1” for a successful pattern (the rocket proceeded upward for another 2%), and “0” for a pattern that failed (the rocket fizzled out). The first 8 rows of the training dataset are:
Table 1. Dataframe format
4.2. Cleaning the data
We clean the data at the end of the market each day with a custom computer program. Outliers are removed before the trade data is stored in the master database. Therefore, it is not necessary to do any outlier removal by a Machine learning algorithm.
5. The Candidate Filter
The Candidate Filter is used to weed-out patterns that are obviously not candidates for further analysis. We do this because the machine classification step is very compute intensive. We analyze about 2,000 stocks per day. Even though the trades come into the computer at a near real-time rate, we need a filter to quickly reject the stock for further analysis. Hence, the candidate filter is used.
There are five components to the filter, and each one is based on common sense. For example, if the volume is too low, or the price is falling, it is obviously not a candidate for further analysis. If all five of the filter components meet a minimum criterion, then the machine classification computation begins. If the start of a Bottle Rocket pattern is recognized, an alert is given in the form of a chart like Figure 1.
The design and implementation of the Predictor filter is very simple (and hence fast). Also, the filter must be course enough to not filter out a desirable pattern. This, of course, will result in letting a lot of bad patterns through the filter. This results in a training dataset that is out-of-balance by about a factor of 13.
Speed is everything. In all the models, the processing time is much worse than one second. The average is about 3.5 seconds! This puts extra importance on the accuracy of the prediction.
We propose using the components of the Candidate filter as features of the Bottle Rocket dataset.
Now, we will discuss the five components of the Candidate filter.
5.1. The BoxRatio predictor
The BoxRatio predictor is like the Equivolume box ratio that was developed by Mr. Richard W. Arms, Jr. of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Click here for more information.
Here is the pseudocode that describes the BoxRatio algorithm.
5.2. The Thrust predictor
The amount of fuel burning in a Bottle Rocket is analogous to the trading volume of a stock. This is best illustrated by the chart shown in Figure 3. The red line is the trading volume today that is summarized in 10-second intervals leading up to the classification of the pattern. There are 10 gray lines shown on the chart. These are the volume summaries for the preceding 10 days. The black line is the average of the 10 previous volume summaries.
The Thrust predictor is defined in algorithm 2.
The Thrust predictor is the percentage increase in today's volume, relative to the envelope formed by the previous 10 days. This computation is shown in the following pseudocode.
Figure 3 The Thrust predictor
The data in Figure 3 starts at 48 intervals into the market. This clearly show that today’s volume is a significant increase over the volume in the proceeding previous ten days.
5.3. The Velocity predictor
The Velocity predictor is the slope of the line through the proceeding 60 intervals. Algorithm 3 shows both the regression and velocity pseudocodes.
We define the velocity to be the slope of the linear regression that is fitted to the percentage change in the price data (blue dots). The regression line is shown in red in Figure 4.
Figure 4 The Velocity predictor
5.4. The OnBalRun predictor
This predictor is called "OnBalRun". Shown in Figure 5.4.1 is the pseudocode for the computation of this predictor.
Figure 5.4.1 The OnBalRun predictor Pseudocode
The blue dots on Figure 5.4.2 are the running total of the percent changes in the price. The value of the OnBalRun is the value of the last blue dot on the chart.
Figure 5.4.2 The OnBalRun predictor
5.5. The vwapGain predictor
This predictor is based on a modified version of the Volume Weighted Average Price curve (VWAP). Shown in Figure 5.5.1 is the pseudocode for the modified VWAP algorithm. Notice that we take the percentage change of the price, instead of the price, as is done in the regular VWAP equation. This is done to normalize the data across all stocks.
Figure 5.5
Figure 5.5.1 The vwapGain predictor Pseudocode
Figure 5.5.2 shows a plot of the VWAP data (shown as blue dots). The value of the vwapGain predictor is the sum of the volume Weighted percent price changes, divided by the total volume. Show in Figure 5.5.2 is the 60 previous summary intervals.
Figure 5.5.2 The vwapGain predictor
6. Summary of results - October 2017
Before discussing the current results, it is useful to compare the results that were obtained last year. Using these predictors, we were able to obtain the following results:
Metric TensorFlow sklearn H2O RF H2O NN
accuracy 0.6417
precision 0.6218 0.5846 1.0000 1.0000
recall 0.7823 0.6726 0.6742 0.6750
F1 0.6929 0.1255 0.3544 0.3903
AUC 0.6368 0.8580 0.8741 0.9203
logloss ---- 3.1555 0.2354 0.2772
Figure 6.1 Results of first analysis
When we began this analysis last year, we were warned that Machine learning analysis on financial dataset was very difficult. With this in mind, we had low expectations about obtaining good results.
This was our first attempt at analyzing the Bottle Rocket dataset, and we struggled to obtain only average results. At the time, we thought that the dataset was the problem. Surely our predictors were not the problem.
7. Summary of results - August 2018
The next six months was spent looking for a way to improve the results. Then, we decided to try AutoML, and that led me to TPOT, auto-sklearn and H2O's AutoML.
7.1. TPOT
The Jupyter notebook for the TPOT analysis (click here) was run under Windows 10 enterprise, release 17134.191, and Anaconda Python 3.6.5.
The first results from TPOT showed a great improvement. These Results showed that the Bottle Rocket dataset was not the problem. We noticed that TPOT created new predictors (features), and it also introduced a pipe-line model. We found that TPOT was very friendly to the sklearn package, and we could use many sklearn metrics to analyze the performance of the model.
7.2. Auto-sklearn
The Jupyter notebook for Auto-sklearn (click here) was run on bash, version 4.3.48(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu). This Lynux Shell is running Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS, under Windows 10 enterprise, release 17134.191, and Anaconda Python 3.6.5.
7.3. H2O AutoML
The Jupyter notebook for H2O-AutoML (click here) was run under Windows 10 enterprise, release 17134.191, and Anaconda Python 3.6.5.
Clearly, H20 AutoML is a work-in-progress. We could not compute all the metrics we wanted (e.g. "recall"), and we observed that there are "issues" requesting the missing metrics.
The results are as follows:
Metric TPOT auto-sklearn H2O-AutoML
accuracy 0.93925 0.91943799 0.88314970
precision 0.92127 0.89705603 1.00000000
recall 0.96143 0.94877461 -
misclassification rate 0.06075 0.880926 0.88092591
F1 0.940922 0.92219076 0.88748788
r2 0.75699 0.67773888 0.61682860
AUC 0.939108 0.91924997 0.95078805
mse 0.06075 0.08056201 0.09578897
logloss 2.09826 2.78255718 0.32046170
Figure 6.2 Results of second analysis
8. Conclusion
After seeing the results of the AutoML optimization we realized:
1. We wasted six months trying to use optimized hyper-parameter search (grid/random/Bayse) to improve the results, and the results were only average.
2. All the work we had done on creating clever predictors was in vain. TPOT showed that our predictors were not significant, and TPOT created much better predictors, and that is why the results were greatly improved.
We now regard the analysis we did last year as "first generation". Clearly, the results obtained by the AutoML packages are "second-generation".
The results obtained by TPOT are good enough to put into production. However, the production version is only used as an aid to an experienced day-trader (supervised). It is not good enough for "program trading" (un-supervised)
8. Future work
In day-trading, a false negative is not a disaster. It's unfortunate, but it doesn't affect the bottom line. However, a false positive does negatively affect profits. More work needs to be done on a scoring function that minimizes these trades.
AutoML packages that include feature engineering is where we will concentrate our efforts. |
Today he found more of a uniform raised patch on one of his knees, total size about that of a quarter, also skin colored. However, we recommend you consult your personal doctor before attempting treating the bumps on elbows and knees or around joints. For example, shingle is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, which is the varicella-zoster virus. The main symptoms are blisters or bumps that are filled with a watery fluid. It will usually go away on its own in a … Toothpaste is best used as a catch up to the icing to bring about the quickest comes about. When wearing a sleeveless or short sleeve shirt your elbow comes into contact with many different irritations during the course of a day. Ingrown Hair under Armpit, Lump, Bump, Cyst, Symptoms, Removal, Treatment. When the small raised bumps end up being unbearably itchy, you should see a doctor. They can be caused by a bunch of reasons. Some of these spots on elbows can be treated with home remedies while others may require a visit to your dermatologist or physician for treatment. Itchy bumps on elbows. This is a skin disorder that will often affect parts of your body where there is an accumulation of dry skin, such as your elbows. It is initiated by the introduction of some type of foreign matter like a sliver of glass, a wooden splinter, etc. You can prevent eczema from recurring if you discover those bumps are triggered by irritants, insects or allergen food sources. An itchy, blistering, burning skin rash, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a difficult condition to live with. The construct of the TeleDermViewPoint column is such that cases are presented in a standardized teledermatology reader format reflective of an actual teledermatology report. Let each layer dry before adding a new one, until the mask is the thickness that you want. Sometimes additional symptoms may go unnoticed. Exfoliation/Scrubbing Elbows are found to be very common areas, where scabies may occur. they do itch from time to time, and sometimes can be red, but tha … read more. You can have a reaction to a variety of insects such as mites, mosquitoes, fleas, bed bugs, spiders, and more. Red itchy bumps on elbows … The bumps are also itchy. 4. Small itchy bumps can also appear in all parts of the body after tanning. It is more common in women and men in their mid-teens to middle age. With persistence you can soothe your damaged epidermis back to soft supple smoothness. Such condition seems to be much infectious as spreads very fast with contact. Cysts Step 3 It is important to note that the white toothpaste must be used instead of the gel toothpaste to get rid of bumps. Lemon Juice Every few hours, very tiny skin colored bumps appear, and of course quickly turn red as I furiously scratch at them. When the area becomes irritated it will have a reddish hue along with tenderness in the area. If you have or occasionally get white or whitish small raised spots on your skin go for an evaluative diagnosis. It mainly affects young adults and children with girls being more affected than boys are. It is a type of rash that often affects children. Get insights on the causes, on palms, back of hand, itchy ones, small, big, how to treat and prevention mechanisms. These bumps quickly change into clear, fluid-filled blisters on a pink base, which eventually become dry brown crusts or scabs. Drug Rash. The itching will also depend on the underlying cause of the bumps … Granuloma annulare This condition resolves on its own without treatment. It can … This is a form of eczema and is a hereditary skin condition. What causes itchy bumps on elbows? An elbow lump is an abnormal protrusion or bump within the elbow joint or on the … Scabies Itchy Bumps on Elbows. Whereas symptoms accompanied should be a guiding factor, it is worth to note: treating skin conditions can be difficult if the causes are not identified well. What you may see: This condition begins with extremely itchy skin. Itching may also occur.In children, the bumps tend to appear on the face, arms, legs and middle of the body. Remedies prepared from natural ingredients and products can enhance healing and alleviate the conditions when symptoms associated are mild. Scabies is a highly infectious skin condition caused by mites that burrow under the skin. Harsh weather conditions. There are some common conditions that are very friendly on your elbows and some of them may even disappear without your intervention. Orange Peels They can develop if you have a hair that becomes ingrown in a hair follicle, a broken area on your skin such as having a splinter, or other infections. Where you have a reaction you will notice red skin blisters accompanied by intense itching. Getting rid of your prickly skin requires more moisture and a lot of gentle abrasion. "Areas of small, itchy red bumps that can occur anywhere on the body, but particularly the elbows and knees as well as the back of the hands and feet. Dermatologists mostly refer to symptoms when identifying skin problems. Step 4 Consultant Dermatologist. Scabies is caused by very tiny mites that burrows into top layer of human skin and inhabit. Your elbows, like other parts of your skin, are particularly subjected to scaling and dryness. These types of red bumps can become very itchy. Scabies and itchy bumps on elbow. It is twice more common in women than in men, and normally strikes between the ages of 50 and 60, although it may occur at any other age. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains. Thus, Granuloma annulare is chronic. Consider the following before trying any treatment for bumps on your elbows. Any number of medical conditions and ecological factors can add to the development of small red and white bumps on the elbows that can become rather uncomfortable and rather painful. Doctors don’t know what leads to the disease, but the genes can make you more susceptible to it. In many situations, these pimples are not typical of acne since they are caused accumulation of dead skin cells. Doctors or dermatologists do not understand the causes fully but it is thought to be closely linked to thyroid problems or diabetes. The condition called psoriasis is not contagious and normally runs in households. Not itchy. These kinds of bumps that form on elbows can be from variety of causes that can range from a skin rash to abscesses. Formation of scaly skin 4. However, this depends on the causes. Scratching can cause the itchy bumps to leak fluid and then crust over. They can range in size from very tiny to very large. Inflammation can also be aggravated by an infection. Itchy elbows causes. Beauty experts shed light and hint out that individuals with dry skin are more liable to developing pimples on the elbows or upper arms. Itchy bumps on elbow. Possibly allergic reaction to z-pack? Aloe Vera. Apply some toothpaste to the affected parts of the skin before quaint little inn overnight, wash using cold water in the morning to treat bumps. a) Boils on elbows. Lighter skinned people are also much prone to the formation of the itchy red bumps occurring on the elbow, knees and the areas where the skin will naturally crease. However, sometimes medication may be used but it times quite some time before the IgA deposits can be cleared. Also, wear loose clothes and use a powder to reduce friction. Itchy bumps on the arms is a condition in which small bumps develop on the skin and cause itching and irritation. Sharon E. Jacob, MD, Department of Dermatology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. Home remedies Had for approximately 6 days. The skin on bumps tend to turn red after itching or scratching due to the fact that the skin is irritated. Rash on Elbow. For the itchy bumps, try to avoid scratching them as it can cause a secondary skin infection. Some causes are abscesses and … Worldwide every year it affects almost three hundred million people. Growths can be either benign or cancerous in nature. Lyme disease is another condition that is characterized by bumps on elbows that are not itchy. Bumps on elbow not itchy As started earlier, bumps on elbow can be itchy or itchy less. When your child rubs or scratches the itchy skin, you may see small, raised bumps. I have much smaller (but just as itchy) red bumps appear on my elbow, a couple on my chest and stomach, and several (even smaller) on the backs of my hands. Are the bumps itchy or not itchy? The chances are less likely they are pimples. They include applying apple cider vinegar, extra virgin oil, coconut oil, vitamin E oil, oatmeal and aloe Vera gel. It typically affects people in their 40s or 50s, but it can occur at any age. The itching will also depend on the underlying cause of the bumps … Pat your skin dry gently using a towel just until most of the moisture is gone. These could be as a result of various causes, these include; 1. The common condition causing itchy less bumps will include skin cyst, Lyme disease caused by tick bites, granuloma annulare and shingles. This is a form of celiac disease characterized by intense itchy bumps and blisters associated with ingestion of gluten. Non-itchy bumps on elbows. Here are some of the conditions known to cause itchy elbows: 1. Mix about 1 tablespoon of milk or yogurt thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of honey. Common sources of gluten include wheat, rye, and barley. Itchy red bumps on arms hand or fingers can appear to your skin and cause a discomfort. At the site of the tick bite you may notice a small red bump and after a few days you will notice the redness increasing and start to form a bull’s eye pattern. This condition is extremely contagious and generally spreads through human contact. As shown by Cosmetic Dermatologist Principles and Practice that is expressed in the sense that the causticity and vitamin C substance in oranges makes it to become a flawless cure for acnes. The most common and mild heat rash is miliaria crystalline. Having bumps on your elbows is not very common but it does happen regardless of age, gender, or race. Stop it and call and let your prescribng physician know. Aloe Vera. Besides that, you can utilize some home remedies for the removal of bumps from knees and elbows as follows: Toothpaste is a very extraordinary way of treatment to get rid of bumps. Rash is a symptom that causes the affected area of skin to turn red and blotchy and to swell. This (exertion of pressure) together with scratching contributes to eruptions of the blisters. If infestation occurs the mites can spread hence causing bumps all over the body. Coconut oil can be mixed with brown sugar and honey. It is often a hard, raised nodule and mostly occurs below the surface of your skin. Mostly, they are an indication of various health conditions, some of which may require urgent medical attention. The bumps are also itchy. The plaques or patches are considered a rash on long-term. While inflammatory skin conditions are likely to cause itching, cystic bumps and granuloma annulare are not associated with itching. What causes this medical condition is not known. Aloe Vera gel can be used directly on the affected skin area to get rid of bumps. However, they are more usually found in the areas, such as the stomach, chest, the elbows and knees that are more exposed to the harmful ultraviolet rays for a longer period of time. 39 years old male. Rash It is twice more common in women than in men, and normally strikes between the ages of 50 and 60, although it may occur at any other age. Inflammation of the elbow can result from tendinitis, bursitis, sports injury, sprains, strains, arthritis, or infections within the joint. These products may also assist to control the level of itching, the swelling, and redness associated with the eczema. The infestation causes papules that constantly itch and that can become more intense at night. Also known as necrobic papulosis, the skin condition manifests itself in red non itchy bumps occurring in circular shaped rings. Rinse the scrub off well using warm water. Ensure that you apply only fresh lemon juice and not the packaged ones. Whether they are small, little, or tiny bumps itching can be a symptom of one or more of the cause factors we have looked at so far. These flesh-colored or pearly growths look somewhat like tiny pimples with a central crater. When the red bumps become unbearably itchy, you should see a doctor. It manifests itself in red bumps on elbows that are not itchy and occur in circular shaped rings. These are deep skin infections that are localized to one certain spot on your body. Elbow Rash, Healthgrades Editorial Staff. Whom do you want to treat – children or adults? Lyme disease Sometimes, you perhaps wear tight fitted clothes, and your elbows get the most stress. When the immune system is damaged or is otherwise compromised, skin cells do not constantly slough off as they ought to and small raised bumps might form on the elbows. It is easier to treat this skin condition than psoriasis or eczema. It can also be caused when your immune system is compromised or weakened, not allowing your skin cells to slough off more than they should. The elbows often become exposed to irritants from soaps, clothing or sun. It causes clusters of small blisters and bumps. The bumps are generally not an overly serious matter. Do they swell when triggered by scratching or skin irritation or when exposed to cold? Itchy bums on elbows can be painful and discomforting. Whereas some are flat, others may be raised and blotchy. Small red bumps and blisters on your elbow that have a relentless severe itch could be caused by scabies mites. Aug 10, 2012... Also, even more random, sometimes the itch is on my stomach. Utilize enough amount of aloe vera gel to mask the bumps while also doing spot treatment. Itchy elbows and knees, small bumps. If they are very large they could interfere with your life and may have to be medically drained or surgically excised. Not all bumps on elbows turn out to be itchy. Small Raised Bumps on Elbows, Reyus Mammadli. Scabies is a common cause of itchy bumps on skin including the elbows. Lump after a fall. Online dermatologist… Prurigo – are small blisters that are very itchy; Generally, the above skin conditions will develop in various location. Scabies is a highly infectious skin condition caused by mites that burrow under the skin. Elbow lumps can happen to anyone. Obtain and let yogurt or milk come to room temperature so that you don’t get a chilly shock when you put it on the skin. It mainly affects young adults and children with girls being more affected than boys are. It is treated with prescription medications. It is a contagious medical condition and is spread through human contact. You may as well develop white spots on your elbows that are not inflamed, or don’t cause you discomfort. Dr. S. Attili. The elbows are common spots on which scabies appears, and the mites cause tiny red bumps that become severely itchy. Many times when a person has an insect bite their skin will react to the toxins that were injected into their body by the insect that bit them, causing red, itchy, swollen skin bumps on the bitten site. Itchy bumps on the skin can cause discomfort, embarrassment, and confusion. For the scabies to be treated effectively, a dermatologist should diagnose it and then treat or refer you to a doctor for treatment. To help with the itching you can use an over-the-counter anti-itch medication. It will usually go away on its own in a few weeks, to several months but it can recur. Nose Bumps Causes Including Small, Big, Painful, Hard... Penile Bumps Causes on Shaft, Scrotum or Head Treatments, White, Red Tongue Bumps Causes, Treatments & Remedies. Just as the rest of your body’s skin, you elbows can be affected by those small raised bumps. The bumps usually appear in circular-shaped rings which is a distinguishing characteristic of this condition. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the condition scabies influences almost 300 million individuals worldwide every year. Rub banana peel over bumps. Adverse weather conditions such as high temperatures, reduced humidity are very capable of triggering dry skins around the elbow and other parts of the body. ... hey there i have small bumps on my right elbow, the are not red and spotty, they are not round, they are random shapes and skin color. Forming bumps on elbows is a common occurrence for mites. Atopic dermatitis (AD), which is often called eczema, is common in children. So, Jessica Kim; Jacob, Sharon E. Author Information . The red bumps may also appear on the wrist, hands or on the fingers, including finger joints, finger tips and between fingers. Below are some of the possible cause of these bumps. Also, it is found in every house and you do not need to go out to the supermarket. It also reduces... 3. After an abrasion, bacteria can enter your skin and cause an infection. There are various reasons for the development of cyst. Exfoliation is quite effective for treatment of skin conditions that do not cause blistering or open wounds. The elbows prevail spots on which scabies appears, and the mites cause tiny red bumps that become seriously itchy. DH is caused by an allergy to gluten. Step 2 It is due to the following in case they appear on an individual face: Chicken pox which starts out as small, itchy, red bumps. If the bumps on elbows do not respond to home treatment, or appear to become worse you should also seek medical treatment. Massage the cream over the bumps on elbows with your fingers, making small circular motions to help remove the dead, dry skin. If they are very large they could interfere with your life and may have to be medically drained or surgically excised. The condition causes redness, pain, and patches of small itchy, red bumps in response to sun exposure. It could be due to obstructed blood flow, chronic inflammation, tumor, or … 0. If itching is too much could result to sores. The medical term for hives is urticaria, and it describes a condition that produces raised itchy areas on the skin. When itching is horrible and unbearable, seek advice or see your doctor to give the right medicines. The banana peel will alleviate dryness and irritation. Usually, the only symptom of molluscum contagiosum is the tiny bumps on the skin. Contact dermatitis is when your skin gets in contact with an irritant, causing a dry-non-itchy eruption. Wash the affected area daily using a tablespoon of a moisturizing body wash that contains no fragrance. Eczema is irritating because of the severe itching it produces. The causes of these bumps are many and varied. Send thanks to the doctor. Dr. Tracy Lovell answered. Even though, they could still be acne-related bumps. Scratching any elbow bumps can lead to infection and possibly spread the disease to other parts of your body or to other people, in the case of contagious diseases. If this is the cause it can last for several days and then go away on its own. Despite the fact that it can lead to a touch of tingling, it assists to bring down inflammation and swelling. May be you are wondering if it is possible that the elbow bumps are pimples. These include irritant contact dermatitis such as poison ivy. Swelling and reddening of the skin around this area 3. The common sign of scabies is signified by small skin bumps (rash) and itching especially at night. You will notice a small red bump on the bite site and after several days, you will notice that the bite site becomes reddened, inflamed, and appear to have a bull’s eye pattern. Afterward, reduce exfoliation to once per week, but continue moisturizing daily. Below here are the possible causes: 1. The size varies from small to large. This rash likely indicates gluten intolerance, which may be related to a more serious underlying condition known as celiac disease. Toothpaste Natural sugar scrub is the best for skin exfoliation. If you do not scratch the bump it is possible to mild cases of itching or lack the itching completely. Raised bumps on elbows and knees Rashes or skin conditions are much easier diagnosed by seeing them. Atopic eczema on elbows Bumps on elbow can be due to a skin condition like eczema. Viral infections Scratching any elbow bumps can cause infection and possibly spread the disease to other parts of your body or to other people, when it comes to contagious illness. At the site of the tick bite you may notice a small red bump and after a few days you will notice the redness increasing and start to form a bull’s eye pattern. The rash and itching occur on the elbows, knees, scalp, back, and buttocks. Olecranon bursitis For instance, cherry angiomas are not itchy bumps on the skin and they look harmless. But over the years they've spread. These itchy bumps sometimes turn red or get inflamed Conditions like eczema (atopic dermatitis) are symptomatic of reddening due to skin inflammation. Bumps on elbows can be common in they are considered a type of skin rashes. The symptoms associated with bumpy skin rashes can vary. Small Bumps on Elbows Pictures Small Raised Bumps on Elbows Itchy Bumps on Elbows Image . This is a reaction to the oily allergen that is present in the stems, roots, and leaves of these plants. (3) Granuloma annulare/necrotic papulosis – Tiny bumps on elbows that form a circular shaped ring which is not itchy in nature. The best form of treatment is to take appropriate antibiotics, especially in the early stages so the infection does not spread. Continue massaging for 30 to 60 seconds, and then rinse the scrub off well using warm water. Even after you get over the chickenpox some of the strains of the virus remains in your body and when it flares up it can cause a burning rash that is made of many small red or white bumps that don’t itch. Massage the cream in well using your hands. This medical condition is caused by tiny mites that have burrowed under your skin where the skin folds or where you wear tight clothing. Eczema requires a proper diagnosis in order to find out the trigger causes. Bumps on elbow shouldn’t bother you much. Also, when the body is subjected to pressure, the bumps will still reappear. You can take the help of various natural home remedies to cure the problem of small itchy bumps on legs as well as other parts of the body. Bumps on Elbows Non-Itchy. Bumps, sores, rashes, dermatitis and anything that causes irritation to the skin around your elbows may result in itchiness. Read more. Many times an outbreak can be aggravated by smoking, alcohol consumption, and stress. Individuals with the gluten-resistance immune system should avoid taking the gluten sources of food. Various conditions may lead to red bumps on arms back of arms or on the elbow. Explore facts, pictures, causes, signs, and symptoms of red bump on skin. Take exactly three table spoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk powder as well as one tablespoon of honey, mix the ingredients together and scrub the mixture over the face for little number of minutes and rinse it off after about 15 minutes. Any number of medical conditions and ecological factors can add to the formation of small red bumps on the elbows that can become quite uncomfortable. These kinds of lumps may result from inflammation, poor healing of a broken bone, or a skin growth, such as a cyst or tumor. They are pinkish in color and turn red when scratched or popped. The gel of this plant can be applied directly to the skin to get rid of bumps on elbows. Banana Peel. This is also known as necrotic papulosis. However, if it persists experts can treat it using dermatological procedures like cryotherapy or steroidal medication. A prescription med may be needed. Contagious: No. Best ways to Cure Small Itchy Bumps Naturally. How to get rid elbow bumps Avoiding triggers. It is caused by a bacterial infection and is known to cause painful bumps filled with pus. Apply a tablespoon of moisturizing lotion to the bumpy areas immediately before your skin dries. Currently, there is no developed and effective method for prevention of bumps on elbows, but the signs and symptoms of the condition may be improved. If you have itchy red bumps on elbows a general home remedy that you can use is to make a paste of water and baking soda and apply it to the affected area. Atopic eczema can be easily treated using medications, including the over-the-counter creams and ointments that have the steroid hydrocortisone. |
What is a Grease Trap or Interceptor, and why are they necessary?
A trap or interceptor is designed to prevents grease and other undesirable waste from entering any municipal drain system. Communities are much more sensitive to preventing waste from entering the environment. Therefore, a properly installed and maintained collection system will keep you from having expensive emergency calls due to back-up’s, or worse, fines due to compliance standards not being met.
How does a grease trap work?
Depending on the nature of the food preparation and clean-up all that grease can fill up a trap very quickly. This image show’s how a grease trap works.
Why does it smell so bad?
The content of the trap comes from grease and food particles that are stored between cleaning intervals. The longer it stays in the trap the more it breaks down and decays creating odor. Odor is avoided when the lids/covers are properly fitted, installed and maintained. This is also one of the main reasons why we provide our service after hours to avoid any unpleasant odor for you and your patrons.
How frequently should it be cleaned?
This depends on the design of your grease and waste collection system and type of food prep. Smaller interior traps (10-50 gallons) with heavy food prep and grease utilization will require cleaning at least monthly or even every other week (bi-weekly). Larger exterior traps (100-5000 gallons) allow for greater time intervals between cleaning, quarterly or even semi-annually. However, the amount of grease and food that a kitchen releases into the trap is factored into the cleaning schedule. We work with our clients so that the cleaning schedule matches the systems ability to process the waste along with any municipal standards that need to be considered.
What can be done to make a grease trap work better, thus reducing cleaning and maintenance costs?
By not pouring grease or forcing food directly into the plumbing system during clean-up, that will reduce the amount entering the grease trap. Strainers will prevent food from going into the drains. Also even though it seems logical to pour industrial drain cleaning solutions into the drains, remember they are heavier than water and will collect directly in your trap…thus leading to a hole being eaten in the bottom of the trap and an expensive fix.
All you do is vacuum out the trap, right?
No. We pump out the contents of the trap, power-wash the side, clean the inlet and outlet, scrape any solids that have built up on the sides, and inspect everything to make sure it will continue to operate properly.
Grease Trap Inlet Before Service:
Inlet After Service:
We clean everything! |
What if Kallimos Existed Today?
As we ponder this question, a few things come to mind:
Kallimos is not regulated by governmental agencies, therefore, each person or their family would be able to decide who might enter their home.
Neighbors might even have a family member or other care partner move in with them for the duration of the imposed isolation.
Neighbors have their own home. They are far less exposed than those in congregate living designs. Infection control becomes so much easier.
Fewer people would be needed to interact with the neighbors. Those receiving home health services, would have fewer people entering their homes to provide care, lowering their risk of exposure.
Meals could be prepared in their own home or delivered from the common houses to their doors.
The elders in Kallimos would have many neighbors who would be willing to help.
Neighbors could share food and supplies among themselves.
Kallimos elders would have younger neighbors who could run to the grocery store or pharmacy for them as they needed.
There would be community gardens where fresh vegetables and herbs could be gathered and distributed, even when grocery stores are running short.
The community itself would have stores of food and supplies that could be shared with neighbors.
Both planned and spontaneous social distancing events would keep people in touch with their neighbors and provide respite from boredom.
Neighbors could get outdoors, maintain social distancing parameters and still enjoy nature, fresh air and exercise.
Elders could sit on their porches and still enjoy watching the neighbor children play.
It may seem ironic on the surface that a place like Kallimos that is intended to maximize social capital might also
be the best place to socially isolate; but it is true.
In our caring community, we shelter each other, equally managing safety and good health, with social and emotional well-being. |
Ischemic Strokes and TIA
Transient Ischemic Attack
According to the American Heart Association, around 600,000 Americans each year have either an Ischemic Stroke or a Hemorrhagic Stroke, either of which might be extremely serious as they each involve a reduction of blood flow to part of the brain. Stroke is the third leading cause of death. About 25% of those Strokes are fatal. If this reduction of blood flow persists for more than a few minutes, the deprivation of oxygen in the blood flow can cause brain cells to die. Such damage is irreversible and that brain tissue has permanent damage. Depending on which part of the brain that was impaired, paralysis of part of the body or many other important body functions can be lost. If brain tissue in some parts of the brain die, partial or nearly complete memory loss can occur, or major medical problems.
Approximately 80% of all Strokes are Ischemic Strokes. These are caused by an obstruction in an artery or in a blood vessel in the head or brain, which is most commonly a blood clot. The clot may have been caused somewhere else in the body but as blood proceeds away from the heart, the arteries and then blood vessels and then capillaries get smaller and smaller and narrower, and eventually the blood clot can get stuck. That artery or blood vessel or capillary then stops being able to carry oxygen-rich blood, FROM THAT POINT ON. If the obstruction occurs in a major carotid artery in the neck, massive blockage of blood can occur toward the brain and death might be an urgent danger.
However, if the blood clot is smaller, as most commonly are, it can make it through the carotid arteries and then continue into any of the various blood vessels which supply different portions of the brain.
During the past four years, I have experienced several dozen Ischemic Strokes, so I have gotten far more knowledge and experience regarding them than I would have preferred. I have been dismayed and surprised that Hospital Emergency Rooms seem to have limited capability regarding knowing whether a Stroke was in progress! Emergency Room Doctors seem to need to rely extensively on comments by the Patient!
One reason for that is that there are so many different possible symptoms of a Stroke, essentially depending on which part of the brain was being affected and was in the process of dying. So the Emergency Room initially makes an educated guess whether the Patient was correct or not in the claim of having a Stroke. I am sure that Lawyers were involved in their never neglecting such a claim outright, as if they did not quickly have a CATscan and a Patient actually had a Stroke. So the mere mention of the word Stroke seems to inspire Emergency Room Staff to immediately schedule a CATscan or an MRI analysis. Unfortunately, these tests involve multi-million dollar equipment so the tests are rather expensive to perform.
It is sad to realize that no one really knows whether a Stroke is occurring until such very expensive tests are done! I think I have another 'Tool' to provide to Emergency Room Doctors to enable better and quicker initial analysis.
The various areas of the brain have been 'mapped' over previous decades. The image here shows a crude example of such mapping, but far more comprehensive mapping has been done.
There are other 'maps' which exist which show the locations of the various carotid arteries, the blood vessels in the head and the capillaries which carry blood to specific exact locations within the brain.
My intention is to combine these two different mapping procedures. As far as I have discovered, no one has ever yet done this!
What I propose to do is to map EACH blood vessel and its branches, and list the specific functional regions in the brain that that specific vessel or branch passes through (and supplies with blood).
Say that a specific blood vessel is known to pass through TEN specific regions within the brain. I want to provide that information to all ER Doctors, including the SEQUENCE of areas that the vessel passes through.
So when a Patient arrives and announces a possible Stroke, with the claimed symptom being 'a numbness in the left little finger' (just an example here), the Doctor could consult this Tool to quickly see which blood vessel provides blood to the part of the brain which monitors the sensory input of the left little finger, and also the (possibly different) blood vessel which supplies the part of the brain which activates the muscles in that left little finger.
The Doctor would then immediately see WHERE along the blood flow path the possible affected brain tissues are. If that area happens to be the very last brain tissue supplied from that blood vessel, it might be an indication that the blood vessel had gotten rather narrow by that point and that NO OTHER SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES might be likely.
If instead, that area happened to be the very first brain tissue supplied by that blood vessel, either of two possibilities might exist. Either a much larger blood clot might exist in the main blood vessel, which might imply great urgency, as the other nine functional regions downstream in that blood vessel might also possibly also have restricted blood flow, which might be an extremely urgent problem. Or there might be a small branch vessel which only supplies blood to the one small area that the Patient was currently aware of.
My Tool would provide the Doctor with a listing of the nine other areas of brain tissue which may or may not now have restricted blood flow. The Doctor could ask the Patient whether there was anything unusual in 'the left thigh' or the other eight areas of brain tissue which are known to be supplied by that same blood vessel.
Very quickly and easily, the ER Doctor should be able to either narrow down the Stroke-affected area to that of just the left little finger, or to learn that additional areas of brain tissue might also be being affected or about to be affected.
Public Service
Self-Sufficiency - Many Suggestions
Environmental Subjects
Scientific Subjects
Advanced Physics
Social Subjects
Religious Subjects
Public Services Home Page
Main Menu
This presentation was first placed on the Internet in January 2013.
This page - - - - is at
This subject presentation was last updated on - -
Link to the Public Services Home Page
Link to the Public Services Main Menu
E-mail to:
C Johnson, Theoretical Physicist, Physics Degree from Univ of Chicago |
McKellogg Poverty Q3
Published by Paola Avendano on
City and County governments can replicate programs like the Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise (LA:RISE). LA:RISE is an innovative partnership that unites the City and County of Los Angeles to help people with high employment barriers get jobs, stay employed, and build a better life. LA:RISE connects employment social enterprises to the workforce system, supportive services, and employers, allowing all partners to bring their expertise and resources to the table. LA:RISE has employed over 2,800 individuals facing barriers since 2016.
Programs like LA:RISE allow City and County governments to diversify and leverage workforce dollars to serve those hardest to reach by providing wrap around supports and transitional employment as a pathway back into the workforce. Local governments also need to create systems that integrate employment and housing. For example, the City of Los Angeles, Employment Social Enterprises and A Bridge Home providers are partnering to help transitional housing residents find employment.
County governments can also choose public benefits policies that address the ‘benefits cliff’ and slow the decrease in benefits when the earnings of low wage workers start to rise. Local governments can also provide benefits like low cost housing, and health insurance through local plans that enable low wage workers to access better health care services if their employers do not provide it and commercial plans are unaffordable or limited in scope. Lastly cities and counties can establish procurement policies that favor employment social enterprises in public contracting, offering them a similar status to minority and women-owned businesses. |
Tomgram: Susan Southard, Against Forgetting
Let me tell you a little story about Hiroshima and me:
As a young man, I was anything but atypical in having the Bomb (we capitalized it then) on my brain, and not just while I was ducking under my school desk as sirens howled their nuclear attack warnings outside. Like many people my age, I dreamed about the bomb, too. I could, in those nightmares, feel its searing heat, watch a mushroom cloud rise on a distant horizon, or find myself in some devastated landscape that I had never come close to experiencing (except in sci-fi novels).
And my dreams were nothing compared to those of America’s top strategists who, in secret National Security Council documents of the early 1950s, descended into the charnel house of future history, writing of the possibility that 100 atomic bombs, landing on targets in the United States, might kill or injure 22 million Americans. And they were pikers compared to the top military brass who, in 1960, in the country’s first Single Integrated Operational Plan for nuclear strategy, created a scenario for delivering more than 3,200 nuclear weapons to 1,060 targets in the Communist world, including at least 130 cities which would, if all went according to plan, cease to exist. Official estimates of possible casualties from such an attack ran to 285 million dead.
An American obsession with global annihilation undoubtedly peaked when President Kennedy came on the air on October 22, 1962, to tell us that Soviet missile sites were being prepared on the island of Cuba with “a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.” Listening to his address, Americans everywhere imagined a nuclear confrontation that might leave parts of the country in ruins. Such fears, however, began to fade when the Cuban Missile Crisis was defused.
In 1979, however, after the reactor core of a nuclear plant at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania partially melted down, the bomb returned to me in an odd way. Then a book editor, I went to lunch with a potential author who had been on one of the panels set up by President Jimmy Carter to investigate that accident. She told me of a Japanese journalist who testified before them about interviewing the mothers of young children and pregnant women belatedly evacuated to an iceless ice rink in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. None of them had heard of Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
Shocked by this, I started searching for a book to publish on what had happened in those August days in 1945 when two Japanese cities were wiped out by a new weapon and the nuclear age began. With the help of a historian and friend, I finally came across a Japanese book of images drawn by Hiroshima survivors, few of them artists, sometimes with school materials borrowed from their grandchildren. Each drawing, accompanied by a personal description, caught a moment experienced on that terrible day when Hiroshima was wiped out. Many of the images were in pastels, or even crayon, and looked inviting until you read the horrific accounts that accompanied them. That book, Unforgettable Fire, played a small role in the massive anti-nuclear movement that arose in those years. Unfortunately — and this tells us something — it’s now long out of print.
A couple of years later, I was invited by Japanese publishers to visit their country. Only on arrival did I discover that the man who had shepherded Unforgettable Fire to publication — and who was shocked to discover that an American editor wanted to publish it in translation — planned to take me to Hiroshima.
As a former atomic dreamer who knew a good deal about the history of the dropping of the bomb, and who was the editor of possibly the only mainstream visual record in the U.S. of what had happened under that mushroom cloud, I was touched by the gesture, but somewhat bored by the idea. After all, it was the era of “Japan as Number One” mania and there was so much to see in a few brief days — and I, of course, already knew pretty much what was to be known about the experience of the first A-bombing. (That’s just how plain dumb I was!)
The trip to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum with its carbonized children’s lunchbox and permanently imprinted human shadows was, to say the least, horrifying. It left me literally speechless, so much so that, although I returned to New York babbling about Japan, I found, for a long time, that I couldn’t talk about what I had seen in Hiroshima.
And that, mind you, was only the museum, which means it was next to nothing compared to what actually happened on that now-distant day. When American strategists in the 1950s confidently began, in Herman Kahn’s famous phrase, “thinking the unthinkable,” they, too, undoubtedly had no idea what they were incapable of imagining. By and large, in the Trump years, they still don’t. As TomDispatch regular Susan Southard, author of Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War, indicates today, weapons so powerful that they put the ones that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki to shame are still deeply embedded in our world and should be a focus of our attention for all the grimly obvious reasons. Tom
Ground Zero Nagasaki
Living the Nuclear Past — and Future
By Susan Southard
Landing at Nagasaki Airport last November, I joined a line of Japanese men, women, and children waiting to disembark from our plane. Most were likely returning home on this holiday weekend or arriving to visit family and friends. I wondered how many of them remembered or thought about the nuclear annihilation of this city 73 years ago — within, that is, their own lifetimes or those of their parents or grandparents.
From the airport, I took a bus along the jagged coast through small mountain villages toward Nagasaki, entering the city from the north on a route used by rescue and relief workers on August 9, 1945, and by bewildered family members racing into the smoldering city to search for their loved ones. For months after the bombing, no public transportation could penetrate the ruins of this northern part of the city. My bus, on the other hand, moved seamlessly into a metropolis that showed no sign of its obliteration three-quarters of a century ago.
Much of Nagasaki and the world have, of course, moved on from that terrible morning when a five-ton plutonium bomb plunged at 614 miles per hour toward the city of 240,000 people. Forty-three seconds later, it detonated a third of a mile above Nagasaki’s Urakami Valley. A super-brilliant blue-white flash lit the sky, followed by a thunderous explosion equal to the power of 21,000 tons of TNT. The entire city convulsed. Within hours it was engulfed in flames.
Based on my book, Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War, I often give talks in America about that unforgettable (or now often-too-forgettable) day when, for only the second time in history, human beings deemed it right to assault their own species with apocalyptic power. At these book talks, I’ve learned to be prepared for someone in the audience to say that the Japanese deserved what they got. It’s still hard to hear. At its “burst point,” the Nagasaki blast reached temperatures higher than at the center of the sun and the velocity of its shock wave exceeded the speed of sound. Within three seconds, the ground below had reached an estimated 5,400 to 7,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Directly beneath the bomb, infrared heat rays instantly carbonized human and animal flesh and vaporized internal organs. Did the men, women, and children of Nagasaki really deserve that?
As the mushroom cloud rapidly ascended two miles over the city and eclipsed the sun, the bomb’s vertical blast pressure crushed much of the Urakami Valley. Horizontal blast winds tore through the region at two and a half times the speed of a Category 5 hurricane, pulverizing buildings, trees, animals, and thousands of people. The blazing heat twisted iron, disintegrated vegetation, ignited clothing, and melted human skin. Fires broke out across the city, burning thousands of civilians alive. And though no one knew it yet, larger doses of radiation than any human had ever received penetrated deeply into the bodies of people and animals.
Defining Terror, 1945-Style
“What about Pearl Harbor?” American supporters of the bomb write me, referring to the Japanese attack that began the Pacific War. “What about Japan’s atrocities in China?” a man screamed at me at a reading. “And,” veterans ask, “what about the Allied POWs who were tortured and killed by Japanese soldiers?”
Yes, I say to them. Yes, I understand your outrage, even so many decades later. I can fathom the courage of those who fought, the profound loss so many American families experienced during that long and costly war, and how desperately everyone wanted it to end.
But other truths exist as well. Japan did attack the United States and committed countless other military aggressions and horrific war crimes — and the United States bombed and incinerated all or parts of 66 Japanese cities, killing, maiming, or irradiating more than 668,000 civilians. In Nagasaki alone, by the end of 1945 when a first count was possible, 74,000 men, women, and children were dead. Of those, only 150 were military personnel. Seventy-five thousand more civilians were injured or irradiated. Today, this kind of indiscriminate killing and harm to civilians would be called “terrorism.”
Despite the history most Americans have learned — that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were military necessities that ended World War II and saved a million American lives by obviating the need for an invasion of Japan’s home islands — there is no historical evidence that the Nagasaki bombing had any impact on Japan’s decision to surrender. What we aren’t taught are the political and military complexities of the last few months of the war or how, in the post-war years, our government crafted this end-of-war narrative to silence public opposition to the atomic bombings and build support for America’s fast-expanding nuclear weapons program. What many don’t realize is that this misleading version of history allows us to turn away from what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and continue to support the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons without ever having to think about what those weapons do.
Still, so many decades later, in a world in which the Trump administration is preparing to withdraw from a key Cold War nuclear agreement with Russia and the U.S. nuclear arsenal is being modernized to the tune of up to $1.6 trillion, it’s worth recalling the other side of the story, the kind of suffering the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings caused in August 1945 and long after. Within weeks, people in both cities began experiencing mysterious symptoms: vomiting, fever, dizziness, bleeding gums, and hair loss from what doctors would later understand as radiation-related sickness. Purple spots appeared all over their bodies. Many died in excruciating pain within a week of the first appearance of such symptoms. Fear gripped Nagasaki. From one day to the next, no one knew when his or her time might come.
In those first nine months, pregnant women suffered spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, or the deaths of their newborn infants. Many of the babies who survived would later develop physical and mental disabilities.
Five years after the bombings, thousands more began dying from leukemia and other illnesses caused by high-dose radiation exposure, initiating cycles of higher than normal cancer rates that would last for decades. The bombs had, from the survivors’ perspective, burned their bodies from the inside out. Parents exposed to radiation feared possible genetic defects in their children and hovered over them year after year, terrified that what looked like a simple cold or stomach ache would lead to severe illness or death.
Even today, radiation scientists are still studying second and third generation hibakusha (atomic-bomb-affected people) for genetic effects passed down from their parents and grandparents, reminding us how much we still don’t understand about the insidious nature of radiation exposure to the human body.
Hibakusha Stories
It’s essential for us to remember such grim details, not just for the sake of history, but for our future, because nuclear weapons far more powerful and devastating than the Nagasaki bomb are now commonplace.
In a small area of Nagasaki that includes Hypocenter Park, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, and Peace Park, dedicated teams of Japanese men and women still work tirelessly to counter the world’s inclination to forget what happened. For the past 35 years, one organization, the Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace, has assembled cadres of hibakusha speakers — typically about 40 at any time — willing to tell their stories. They are now aging women and men with unique memories of the day of that bombing and the weeks, months, and years that followed.
Sixteen-year-old Taniguchi Sumiteru was delivering mail on his bicycle about a mile from the hypocenter when, a split-second after the bomb detonated, its tremendous force and searing heat blew him off his bicycle and slammed him face-down onto the road. His entire back was burned off. By all rights, he should never have survived. Three months later, he finally received medical treatment. Still in constant pain ten years after the bombing, he became one of Nagasaki’s earliest anti-nuclear activists.
Wada Koichi, an 18-year-old streetcar driver at the time of the bombing, decided to speak out when he held his first grandchild and flashed back to the charred corpse of a baby he’d stepped over as he searched for his missing colleagues. Do-oh Mineko, then 15, suffered critical injuries to her head and lingered near death for months. Though those injuries eventually healed, radiation exposure had caused all her hair to fall out. For nearly a decade, she hid in her house until her hair finally grew back. As an adult, she kept her identity as a hibakusha secret until, in her late sixties, she found new meaning for her life by telling her story to schoolchildren. Yoshida Katsuji, only 13, was looking up in the direction of the bomb at the moment it exploded. His entire face was scorched. Years later, as friends and colleagues told their stories publicly, he remained silent, afraid of looks of disgust from audiences due to his disfigurement. He finally began speaking out in his late sixties after deciding that being shy was not a good reason to keep silent when it came to the terrorizing impact of nuclear weapons.
These four and many others dared to cross boundaries in Japanese culture to tell their personal stories of suffering and help others grasp what nuclear war would mean for the world. Unfortunately, most hibakusha — at least those who were old enough to have vivid memories of the bombing and its aftermath — have died or are reaching the end of their lives. They are the only people capable of telling us firsthand about the experience of nuclear war, and each year their numbers diminish.
A David-and-Goliath Nuclear World
With that in mind, I returned to Nagasaki in November to participate in the city’s 6th Global Citizens Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Specifically, I was invited to present on a panel tasked with exploring ways to carry forward the hibakusha stories. What made the conference unique was the participation of both hibakusha and other citizens of Nagasaki, including high school and university students, scholars, activists, artists, musicians, writers, and interpreters. All of them were intent on exploring new ways to communicate stories of survival, from August 1945 to now, experiences that should remind us why the vision of a world without nuclear weapons matters.
Both panelists and participants again confronted the intensity of nuclear war. As hibakusha Kado Takashi, 83, prepared to stand before the assembly and tell his story for the very first time, he turned to me and pounded his heart with his hands to show me how terrified he was. Then, summoning his courage, he began to speak.
Yamanishi Sawa, 17 years old, tenderly told her grandmother’s story of survival and her own tale of teenage activism both at her school and in meetings with anti-nuclear activists in Geneva, Switzerland. Everyday citizens adopted the stories of hibakusha no longer with us, using the survivors’ own words to recall the hell — and humanity — of nuclearized Nagasaki. All of this, and more, reminded us of what those survivors have long known but the rest of the world seldom stops to grasp: that there’s nothing abstract about nuclear war and that nuclear weapons can never be instruments of peace.
They know what the world’s top nuclear physicists (and the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists with its doomsday clock) have been telling us for decades: whether by intentional use, human error, technological failure, or an act of terrorism, our world remains at high risk of a nuclear conflagration that could leave Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the shade. Rather than a great power war, even a regional nuclear conflict between, say, India and Pakistan could create a planetary “nuclear winter” that might, in the end, kill up to a billion people.
Keep in mind, as these Nagasaki activists do, that today there are nearly 15,000 weapons in the nuclear arsenals of nine countries. Of these, almost 4,000 are actively deployed across the globe. Theoretically, they are meant to deter another country from launching a nuclear attack, but the success of such deterrence policies relies, in part, on both technological invulnerability and relatively rational decision-makers. Need more be said in the age of Trump, Kim Jong-un, and others? Most important, for nuclear deterrence to work, a nation must be committed to — and believed by other nations to be committed to — the mass murder, injury, and irradiation of huge civilian populations. We rarely consider what this really means.
It was difficult to tell an audience like the one in Nagasaki that many Americans still wholeheartedly support both the atomic bombings of Japan and their country’s continuing development of its nuclear arsenal. To mitigate this discouraging truth, I cited something Wada KÅichi told me years ago.
Now 91, Wada was inside Nagasaki’s streetcar terminal when the bomb brought the building crashing down on top of him and his coworkers. If you can call anything about surviving nuclear war lucky, he was one of the lucky ones. He suffered only minor injuries and mild radiation sickness, and all of his family members survived. The rest of them evacuated Nagasaki after the bombing, but he stayed to work, day after day, on rescue and recovery teams. He watched his best friend die, lighting the match to the boy’s makeshift funeral pyre. In November 1945, when seven streetcars resumed operation on a few routes in the city, he drove the fourth one, thrilled to be a part of Nagasaki’s recovery.
Sixty years after the bombing, Wada would awaken every morning at 5:00 a.m., open his bedroom window, and look out onto the Urakami Valley, marveling at how the city had been rebuilt from those atomic ruins. “One person can’t do anything,” he told me, “but if many people gather together, they can accomplish unimaginable things. If it’s possible to rebuild this city out of nothing, why isn’t it possible for us to eliminate war and nuclear weapons, to create peace? We can’t not do it!”
Before I left Nagasaki, I visited the hypocenter memorial and looked up into the blue sky at the spot where, I imagined, the atomic bomb had exploded, changing human history forever. I spent 12 years writing Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War, and the stories of that city and its hibakusha remain part of every breath I take. The hibakusha of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the other anti-nuclear activists across the globe — including members of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their work in passing the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — are the Davids of our world. They face the Goliaths — those nuclear-weapons states that cling to arsenals capable of destroying humanity.
In the face of such resolute, immensely powerful Goliaths, the Davids are the next generation of energetic, passionate, creative thinkers who single-mindedly refuse to let us forget or rationalize Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and who believe in a world of mutually supported international safety without nuclear weapons. On behalf of Wada Koichi, all hibakusha past and present, and the entire human race, my bet is on them.
Susan Southard’s first book, Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War, received the 2016 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize in Nonfiction and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. It was also named a best book of the year by the Washington Post, the Economist, and the American Library Association. Southard’s work has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, TomDispatch, and Lapham’s Quarterly.
Copyright 2019 Susan Southard
Leave a Reply
|
Accompagnatrici Milano
What are the secrets of the accompagnatrici Milano? The Italian word “accompagnatrici” means a top class escort. The term was first used in 1820 by Luigi Galvani, a contemporary of Sixtus Vitelli. The character was invented to illustrate how Vitelli always managed to do things in the utmost perfection, even when things were not going as planned. The secret of the arrangement in this romance is the top class escorts whose company the main character, Complacati, always enjoyed.
The motif of the story is a rather ambiguous one. It can mean almost anything, but in fact the most suitable translation for the term is: “the princess is leaving.” In other words, according to most modern interpretations, the text implies that Milano is leaving for a trip abroad to visit her aunt and uncle, who are dead. The point is that she will be away from her home and that by the time she arrives there, things will have changed for the better.
Therefore, the text implies that the main characters, the princess, her uncle and Adelotti, her tutor and secret admirer, are all on transit to a faraway place. This idea was carried to new levels in literature when Alice saw the flowery garden of the Palace of the Princess in Verona, which is located close to the railway station of Turin. In this book, the motif of a garden with a white statue, looking like a modern replica of the White House, can be seen.
After reading the book, I realized that the phrase “the princess is leaving” in the transitive tense must mean “to leave (someone) behind.” However, in the causal or subjunctive, it can also mean “when (or if) something happens.” For instance, the phrase “The princess is leaving the city tomorrow” indicates that something bad is going to happen. Therefore, the transitive verbs for “to leave” can also mean “when” or “if.”
The phrase “the princess is leaving Milano” in the third person can mean “on the road leading to Milan.” On the other hand, “the princess is going to Milan” can mean “going to Milan with the rest of the court” (even though the third person has been omitted). In this book, the author uses “illi” for “I” and” Milano” for “house.” I prefer “milano” for “house,” but I guess that’s just a personal preference.
The book concludes with a set of aphorisms which deal mainly with love and relationships. I don’t quite understand how this section can be called an aphorism, since these were pretty much obvious from the start, what with the references to the princess and the “coming of age.” Perhaps these are intended to give teenagers something to look forward to in their romantic lives. I enjoyed reading about the characters’ aspirations for love and relationships, and the way Bevilacchi describes the different styles of Italian marriage. |
Tips For Men
Most Common Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) In The UK
Since the 1960s, society has become more comfortable with promiscuous sexual encounters, which has driven up the amount of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases. Some diseases require very little treatment to eliminate, whereas others are lifelong conditions. Educating yourself about the most commonly-occurring STIs is the first step towards prevention.
Anogenital Warts
Anogenital warts are small bumps that appear around the infected individual’s genitals and anus. Over 100 strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause warts, so you are very likely to come in contact with this STI at some point. Infection starts with sexual contact, but you may not see evidence of warts for weeks or months after the original interaction. Most of the time, warts will not cause discomfort, but they are very contagious. To treat warts, you can choose from a number of chemical or physical treatments, which will eliminate the outbreak for good.
Chlamydia is an infection that is caused by bacteria, called Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is transmitted through semen or vaginal fluids of a person who has chlamydia. Symptoms that men should watch out for include pain while urinating, penile discharge, and pain in relation to the penis. Treatment should begin quickly to avoid further spread, but you will also need to notify any sexual partners you have had within the last six months about your diagnosis, allowing them to be treated quickly. Once treated, chlamydia is cured, until you have sex with someone else that has the bacteria.
Herpes is spread through skin-to-skin contact with any area of the body of an infected person. There are two types of herpes strains; type 1 affects the mouth, genitals, and other parts of the body, whereas type 2 only causes genital herpes. Herpes never goes away, but outbreaks can be treated. If you are having an outbreak, avoid sexual activities with your partner. However, even without an outbreak, you can still pass along the virus to your partner.
How to Protect Yourself
With over half a million people in the UK suffering from some type of STD or STI, you should know how to protect yourself from becoming infected. First, you should have full disclosure with your partner, with an open line of communication about each other’s sexual history. Secondly, if you choose to take someone home for sexual activity, whether it is a one-night stand or a long-term relationship, wear a condom. In the event you think you may have contracted an STI, visit your local health clinic or doctor immediately for testing.
Scroll To Top |
Scientists find new evidences of the megaflood that ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the eastern Mediterranean
Localization and geometry of the "Unit 2" corresponding to the sediment body originated by the Zanclean mega flood.
Localization and geometry of the “Unit 2” corresponding to the sediment body originated by the Zanclean mega flood. Credit: Aaron Micallef (University of Malta)
A study conducted by an international team of scientists has found new evidence supporting the hypothesis of a mega-flood occurring during the Zanclean period, in which water from the Atlantic poured back into the Mediterranean sea and ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) 5 million years ago. The study, led by Professor Aaron Micallef from the University of Malta, has been published in the Scientific Reports journal.
Using seismic profiles and borehole data from offshore eastern Sicily, researchers have identified a large body of sediments buried in the subsurface of Sicily Channel which are characterized as being “extensive” and “chaotic.” They have named this mass of material Unit 2.
The study says that this huge mass of sediments is composed of materials eroded and transported by the great flow of water that flooded the Ionian Basin through the Strait of Sicily once the western basin of the Mediterranean was refilled with the contribution of water coming from the Atlantic Ocean that had poured in previously through the Strait of Gibraltar. This event is known as Zanclean megaflood.
The discovered sediments have been located over a layer of salts originated previously during the partial desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea during the MSC and under another layer of common marine sediments that were deposited after the flood and during the restoration of the normal marine conditions.
“The deposits identified in our study have little reflectivity of the seismic waves, they are seismically transparent, and present a disordered internal structure of the layers which is very similar to the sediments typically originated in catastrophic floods,” explains Daniel García-Castellanos, co-author of the study and researcher from Barcelona’s Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera of the CSIC (ICTJA-CSIC).
Recommended For You Chinese cave 'graffiti' tells a 500-year story of climate change and impact on society
The study indicates that the sedimentary body found next to the base of the Malta Escarpment, between the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea, is wedge-shaped, and its estimated thickness is up to 860 meters in some parts. According to the researchers, it would be the largest known megaflood deposit on Earth.
“According to the models of the paper that we published in Nature in 2009, the flood would have lasted only a few years, reaching discharges of up to 100 million cubic meters per second, about a rate thousand times the current flow of the Amazon River,” adds García-Castellanos.
Researchers have also identified a spot in the channel of Sicily as the most likely gateway for the eastern Mediterranean Zanclean flood across the Malta escarpment, the submarine canyon of Noto (southeast Sicily). The authors of the study explain that this canyon has a unique morphology—its amphitheatre-shaped head is 6 km wide and is “similar to that of bedrock canyons rapidly eroded by megafloods. “The researchers interpret the Noto submarine canyon as the collector of the cascading flow into the Ionian Basin.
The study points to the abrupt and catastrophic nature of the environmental changes that occurred during the Messinian period, the most important since the dinosaurs’ extinction 65 million years ago,” says Daniel García-Castellanos.
The Messinian Salinity Crisis: an unrecognizable Mediterranean Sea
About 6 million years ago, the connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea was interrupted. This event led to the partial desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea, which became a giant saline lake, with an estimated sea-level drawdown of 1300-2400 meters. This event is known as Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC).
Recommended For You Out of Africa: Did humans migrate quickly and all-at-once or in phases based on weather?
A major open question about this period is how normal marine conditions were restored. The hypothesis of the Zanclean megaflood proposes that there was a massive inflow of water through the Strait of Gibraltar that first flooded the western Mediterranean Basin. Then, through the Strait of Sicily, which was once the division between the eastern and western basins, flooded the Ionian Basin. Some studies indicate that this filling process lasted between a few months and two years.
Micallef, A., et al. (2018), Evidence of the Zanclean megaflood in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, Scientific Reports, 8(1), 1078, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19446-3
Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Institue of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera. |
Common Signs that Indicate a Clogged Drain
The drainpipe is a large pipe that runs under the ground. Wastewater from different plumbing fixtures in the house collects in the drain which, in turn, connects to the main sewer line running through the neighborhood. However, the drainpipe tends to get blocked quite frequently. That’s because most people throw solid objects in the toilet and flush them without thinking. There are many different ways that a drain can get clogged. Strands of hair might get stuck on the side of the pipe, which could eventually prove to be an obstacle in the free-flowing water. If the drain pipe gets clogged, it can eventually leak, causing damage under the floor. However, there are pretty clear signs that indicate a clogged drain.
Gurgling Sounds When You Flush
One of the most tell-tale signs of a drain that’s about to clog is when your toilet starts making gurgling sounds every time you flush. If the waste water takes a time to empty from the bowl, it might be because of a slight blockage in the drain pipe. Most people just take a plunger and use it in order to free up the blockage. However, this might not work if the blockage is further down the drainpipe. When you flush the toilet, try to observe how long it takes for the wastewater to leave the bowl. If it’s taking a long time, it might be due to developing blockage. If that’s the case, you should call in a professional Oldham drain and sewer clearance to take a look at the drains.
The Smells
Another clear indicator of a blocked drain is the foul smell that emanates from under the ground due to the blockage in the drain pipe. If there’s waste stuck in the drain pipe, it’s obviously going to start smelling after a while!
You Might Also Like |
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Phytochemicals, the color of your foods
Recently food topics wrap around radiation that affect the safety of the food. Well, after I did few research and study, I discover that it is co-related to the a topic which I am researching - Phytochemicals. At this moment, we may query what kind of food to be avoid and so on. Why not we just try to boost up self immune system and increase consumption of rich antioxidants foods to prevent from oxidative damage? The most common antioxidant which familiar to us included Beta-carotene (Phytochemicals), Vit C, Vit E and selenium (mineral). Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals which appear in oxidative environment, prevent cells destruction.
Lets back to Phytochemicals. Phytochemicals can be obtained from plants sources such as fruits, vegetables as well as grains. The deeper, vibrant color of the foods means more dense phytochemicals can be found inside. It plays an important roles in antioxidants (prevent oxidative damage), remove carcinogen compound (detoxify) from our body and prevent pathogens attach to cells. Color which exist in foods contain Phytochemical, for example, red, orange/yellow, green, blue/purple and white color. I will explain each color further and its phytochemical contain in the next few post. Hope all of you take good care of yourself.
1 comment:
1. Food intolerance is becoming much more of a household phrase these days. For those who haven't thought about it much or never had a reason to look into it, this is a basic guide to what it is, what some of the most common intolerances are, and some other related information. |
Posted on Leave a comment
Why Sleep Apnea is Dangerous.
Why Obstructive Sleep apnea is dangerous.
There are seven health problems linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea:
High blood pressure:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea can contribute to high blood pressure in people who have it.
Frequent night time waking that plague people with Sleep Apnea cause hormonal systems to go into overdrive, which results in high blood pressure levels at night. A CPAP Machine may be an option.
Low blood-oxygen levels, caused by the cut off of oxygen, may also contribute to hypertension in people with Sleep Apnea.
Some good news … some people with high blood pressure who are treated for Sleep Apnea can cut back on their blood pressure medications. CPAP Machines may help in this area.
Heart disease:
Stroke and atrial fibrillation:
A problem with the rhythm of the heartbeat is also associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The disrupted oxygen flow caused by Sleep Apnea makes it hard for your brain to regulate the flow of blood in arteries and the brain itself.
Type 2 diabetes:
Weight gain:
Adding weight raises your risk of Sleep Apnea, with up to two-thirds of people with Sleep Apnea severely overweight. Obstructive Sleep Apnea can often be cured if you lose enough weight, but that can be tough to do. Being overweight causes fatty deposits in the neck that block breathing at night. In turn, Sleep Apnea impairs the body’s endocrine systems, causing the release of the hormone ghrelin, which makes you crave carbohydrates and sweets. Also, people with Sleep Apnea who are tired and sleepy all the time may have a lower metabolism, which can also contribute to weight gain. Getting treatment for Sleep Apnea (CPAP Machine) can make you feel better, with more energy for exercise and other activities.
Adult asthma:
Although the link to Obstructive Sleep Apnea is not proven, people who are treated may find they have fewer asthma attacks. Acid reflux:
Car accidents:
Daytime tiredness can put people with Sleep Apnea at increased risk of falling asleep behind the wheel. People with Sleep Apnea are up to five times more likely than normal sleepers to have traffic accidents. A CPAP Machine may give you more restful sleep. |
To Home-School or Not to Home-School
To Home-School or Not to Home-School
To Home-School or Not to Home-School
I’ve been an educator for more than three decades. During my first job, at a charter school in Texas, I taught a students whose only opportunity for formal education was being home-schooled by her mother. The mother was an ordained Catholic priest, not Christian, yet still taught her children at home. The mother had the kids read everything from the encyclical on Christian unity, Deus Mysterium, to obscure biblical texts to explain divinity.
This extreme example of home-schooling, like many examples of home-schooling, was steeped in a very biblical vision of schooling, which said the children should have a firm grip on what they learned because they would be relying on it for the rest of their lives.
Luckily, I got to teach a different kind of home-schooling philosophy to this student’s peers, i.e., instilling real skills and knowledge for them to use in an academic environment and preparing them for a more practical education. What emerged was a set of goals and guidelines for learning that included science, religion, social justice, math, technology, and more.
Home-schooling was almost not an option because the students were so far removed from the classroom, and at times, the teacher would think, Why even bother? Their mother would remind her: If we want better outcomes, we must allow our children to take ownership of their learning, and we must let them explore and experiment within the context of their upbringing.
Most importantly, we emphasized literacy. We stressed the importance of using standards and assessments so that students could see how they were improving. While differentiating and diverting their attention from textbooks and standardized tests was critical to giving them a true appreciation of learning, there was a real responsibility and focus on the actual content of the school’s curriculum. There was no room for vague questions like, “What do I get to be remembered for?” Our students, in essence, became ongoing classrooms for teachers’ understanding of basic texts, the larger meaning of the story, and the scaffolding they would later apply to the theory and application of the content.
Leave a Reply
|
Kindergarten Readiness/Early Learning Basics: Letter Sounds
Parents and caregivers often ask what young children need to know before kindergarten; this is the 17th in a series of blog posts on kindergarten readiness and early learning basics. No matter the age of your little one, this will give you a general picture of what to do as your child’s very first teacher.Parents Serving Turkey
Kindergarten readiness fun and learning can happen anytime, even holidays. And a great deal of learning happens using language. Somehow, even though no one ever tells us, we figure out that language is a system of sounds. These sounds can be taken apart and put back together, kind of like a puzzle. The word pie is really 2 sounds, the “puh” and the “eye”. Words like tie, spy, my, bye, guy, hi, have the same “eye” sound but start with a different one. After reading lots of books to children with words that rhyme, the brain connections form, and kids gradually begin to expect words that sound the same. About the age of 4, they are able to guess what a word might be in a story. For instance, if they hear Jack and JILL went up the…they may be able to say HILL.
This skill of hearing and using sound bits is called phonological awareness. For it to develop, children need to hear lots and lots of words from books, stories, songs, and conversations. Besides words that rhyme, there are words that start with the same sound. Like pie and pants and purple. Or, if there will be turkey at your house, like turkey and two and tickle.
Having fun with words can piggy-back with other activities. When setting the table you could say “Oh, said the fish, here is another dish. Oh, said the moon, here is a ____.” If your child is not yet able to finish that with the word spoon, you can. Your child will still hear the rhyme and add it to the brain bank. When peeling potatoes notice that they start with the same sound and share that with your little one. What other learning and fun, with words and sounds, can you dish up for your little one?
Leave a Reply
|
Understanding Shore Hardness
Durometer or Shore Hardness is the scale on which the Density of Rubber and Polyurethane are measured. Although scarcely understood, for High Performance Rubber and Polyurethane Rollers it is worthwhile getting an understanding of how the scale works.
Defined by Albert Ferdinand Shore, who developed a device to measure Shore hardness in the 1920s. Shore developed three scales to measure a compounds density; Shore 00, Shore A and Shore D – we normally use the Shore A scale. It is critical to select the correct compound shore to ensure a high performance. We can supply you with a Durometer so you can determine the hardness of your existing rollers. This will assist our technicians develop a roller to match or outperform your current rollers.
Below is an informative chart |
Roulette Machine Facts
Roulette Machine Facts
Players all over the world have long been questioning the fairness of the newly introduced automatic roulette machine, otherwise commonly referred to as rapid or airmail or even more often called electronic roulette or even more widely called electronic roulette game. For those familiar with the favorite game: The setup typically includes an illuminated glass ball enclosed by an electrically charged leather wheel. There’s always a wheel cover to keep the balls from being scattered all over the table. A random number generator (RNG) then determines each spin and provides the ball a face value. Players place wagers in line with the upshot of the RNG.
roulette machine
Quite often the roulette wheel spins randomly or as designated by the dealer. However, in a few casinos and websites on the internet, the roulette ball is randomly chosen by the players themselves. This is often a daunting prospect to many who are not sure if they can beat the dealer at the roulette table. Therefore it is important for beginners to read the rules of the game before placing their bets.
Prior to the start of every game the dealers will announce the names of most players who have confirmed their bet by betting using gadgets or online applications. Then your dealer will spin the wheel and the names of most players who have crossed the starting line are announced individually. The number of players who have crossed the starting line is announced once again and the new number is called out. If more players have crossed the line compared to the ones who started the game, the initial person to win is the player who gets the most numbers or probably the most coins.
The traditional way of playing a roulette game involves the dealing of cards with two hands. It is often in comparison to bridge where one takes turns dealing the cards. Roulette, alternatively, makes use of three decks of cards that are dealt from the middle, over the wheel, and straight up. Therefore there are more cards to cope with than in the traditional bridge. A standard roulette procedure involves dealing seven cards to each player. The dealer will rotate the deck of cards in order that one card is dealt to each individual face down and another card dealt to the player in the front facing.
Roulette systems offer players an excellent opportunity to increase their likelihood of winning the roulette game. These systems can be purchased online or from any casino game shop. A number of these systems allow the players to choose a specific number of roulette spins that they desire to make on the machine. The quantity of spins that players desire to make on roulette systems depends on the outcome of previous spins made by the machine.
Once all players have been dealt their cards, the dealer will deal a single roulette ball to each one of these face down. The objective of this is to find out whether all the players have the same chance of winning the ball or not. The odds vary based on the rules of roulette itself. As a result, it is essential for each player to know how roulette works before placing their bets.
In roulette games, the payout that players receive would depend on the result of their last bet. For instance, a new player who betted five times would get his money back twice the value of his initial bet. Roulette machines have a system wherein the winning numbers are chosen randomly. There are roulette machines that be determined by the luck of the draw, but players shouldn’t rely completely on these machines. It really is smart to play these machines with a technique at heart.
You can find two forms of roulette: the American style and the European style. The American version of roulette runs on the revolving wheel while the European style uses an air-ball machine that spins a ball on a rail that’s passed by the ball player. The European style is more random and spins the wheel an entire time; the American style spins only once 넷마블 포커 while the air-ball machine can spin continuously for as long as it is used. |
Benign Factors and War Stress- on PTSD
“Happy Veterans Day! Coming up now is Kings of Leeeeeon!!” screeched the shrill, young voice at 10 am on the radio on Nov 11, 2010. Lounging in the comfort of a centrally air conditioned home, with hot drip coffee in the pot and pancakes for breakfast, the Average American enjoys his public holiday with very little understanding of what the American soldier’s day was like before he became a veteran.
Sleeplessness, fatigue, aching muscles, unfamiliar food, no cell phones, very little internet, water and electricity on good days, heat and stress on bad ones- that’s what every American soldier has had to live with while fighting for his country in the two recent wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. At the tender average high-school graduating age of 18-20 years, these former Dunkin Donut and video game junkies are now subject to an isolated life in conditions they would have only earlier seen in post-apocalyptic movies.
War is no bed of roses. It’s depressing and it brings with it death, loss, more death and more loss. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is defined by the ‘Wounded Warriors Project’ as “an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening”. This definition encompasses what most psychologists, psychiatrists and trauma specialists are trained to deal with in war zones. Symptoms of PTSD among soldiers in war zones, include agitation, anger outbursts, tunnel vision and the inability to solve problems and agonizing mental suffering. They talk to military men and women treated about the trauma they might have encountered and provide them skills to deal with it. But how often are these specialists trained to identify and cure symptoms arising out of the benign factors of war?
Psychologist Craig Bryan, Lead Consultant to the US Air Force for Psychological Health Promotion Initiatives and US Marines Suicide Prevention Programme describes his observations of mental anxiety among soldiers during his deployment to Iraq in 2009. “Most of the (psychological) attention given up to this point is to killing, seeing dead bodies, accidents and injuries. The other factors are taken for granted and don’t seem like a big deal but they add up over time. “ Limited food options, no laundry facilities, no internet access, 12-16 hours of military exercise every day, dehydration, no recreation and no days off, are some of these factors Dr Bryan identified as serious catalysts to PTSD in war zones. “It’s constantly unrelenting. When something big happens, you don’t have the psychological resources to deal with it.”
How do soldiers deal with this new life? “No one ever quits,” says Veteran Boyd Parker from his tenure in Iraq. “There were times when people overemphasized an injury to get out, but they never quit. The experiences are one thing but being dead tired, dealing with malnutrition, no sleep and the heat is pissing off and gets to you real bad.”
The military code of conduct teaches soldiers to toughen up. Admitting to their need for medical help is often viewed as weakness and invites stigma and insults from fellow soldiers. Without a specific ‘trauma’ or incident to identify their anxiety with, soldiers allow their stress to fester and unleash in sporadic bursts of anger or depression. Most lunch-room brawls have been allocated to this reasoning. Psychologist Craig Bryan says, “by definition a soldier would not have experienced PTSD if he did not see a threat to his life, or was exposed to trauma.” This limiting definition is the reason why soldiers refrain from therapy unless their mental health has deteriorated considerably. “Average soldiers generally wait till it’s so bad that they are in trouble, before they go in,” adds Dr Bryan.
Staff Sergeant Mike Fitz recalls his time spent in Iraq in 2003. “I went in as a boy and came out a man. Back home, trash gets taken every Tuesday, clean water comes out of the faucet, grandfathers die of old age. Normal Americans don’t get to see the life we lead. I felt like I was prisoner there.” Fitz identifies isolation from significant others as one of the main causes of stress among soldiers at war. He said that 30 percent of people deployed in his unit lost or divorced their relationships by the time they finished their term. “We had a lot of people committing suicide because of this.”
Minor steps are being taken to help soldiers deal with these stresses. Video games, movies and exercise are a common means of recreation. Soldiers with musical skills congregate and entertain themselves and the others. “What else can they do?” says Dr Bryan who is trying to promote strategic and customizable programmes which could target different military sub-cultures separately. His strategies are aimed at improving resilience in mental health and providing preventive methods as opposed to curative. “Mental health prevention is abysmal. Buying doctors in clinics is not enough. They need to live with warriors everyday to foster mental toughness so that when trauma hits, they are in better shape to deal with it.” He states that these strategies could not be demonstrated as funding for them was turned down, since they do not qualify as treatment for PTSD.
“We have failed our warriors cause we expect them to think like us, but truly we need to think like them,” says Dr Bryan.
“Despite all the publicity, combat stress and PTSD are just clinical words. For those of us who have served in a combat environment, our experiences never seem to fit into those tiny categories. All we know is nothing seems quite right since we came home.”
– John Melia-Executive Director WWP |
Uganda – Twice President Milton Oboto
President Milton Obote is featured on our banknote.
Milton Obote served as the second and fourth1 President of Uganda. Military might displaced his predecessor and enabled his entrance into the office both times. The military might of his successor forced his exit from the office, both times. Such were the times in Uganda following independence.
Obote’s 1st Presidency …
Obote had been active in Ugandan politics since his youth. He vigorously advocated for Ugandan independence. Prior to independence, he formed the UPC, Uganda People’s Congress, whose power base was in the North, and generally opposed the power based in the South and centered in the kingdom of Buganda under King Mutessa II. Upon independence in 1962, King Mutessa II became president and Obote became Prime Minister with a constitution that established a federation of 5 traditional kingdoms. By 1966, disputes between the President and Prime Minister were such that Obote sent a general selected from the loyal northern district, Idi Amin, to overthrow Mutessa. And thus Obote became the 2nd President of Uganda.
During Obote’s presidency, the independence constitution of federalism was abolished and a new constitution establishing a stronger executive was enacted. Obote moved the nation towards socialism. Corruption in government became widespread. Obote’s reliance upon the military alarmed Ugandans and his reliance upon the North cultivated resentments in the South.
During this time Idi Amin developed a following, and, in 1971, forced Obote to flee into exile in Tanzania and Amin became the 3rd president of Uganda.
Obote’s 2nd Presidency …
Exiled in Tanzania, Obote maintained a small army. This army assisted Tanzania’s forces in a war against Idi Amin, and Amin was overthrown in 1979. A series of three interim presidencies held power until the election of 1980 in which Obote was, once again, installed as President of Uganda.
Obote instigated a military venture known as Operation Bonanza. This operation displace myriads of Ugandans and was the occasion of the death of many more.
In 1985, Obote, again, was forced out of power.
Obote’s Legacy …
It has been said that he is responsible for the death of three hundred thousand Ugandans.
1. technically the 2nd and the 7th, as, following Amin, 3 interim presidencies served a combined total of 405 days . List of Heads of State of Uganda. |
Travel to Northern Australia – Episode 444
categories: australia travel
Hear about travel to Northern Australia (Northwest Territories) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam Guerra from
The “Top End” is “one of the more exotic parts of Australia for sure and it’s definitely the closest place you can go to get an authentic feel for the aboriginal culture which in my opinion is something that makes Australia unique. There is a lot of natural beauty and a lot of wildlife up there. It is nearly untouched.”
In Darin Sam recommends the Mindil Beach Sunset Market if you want to try eating some local “bush tucker” like emu, crocodile or kangaroo. There are also World War II history tours of some of the sites around the Darwin harbor.
“What makes the Top End shine is when you get out of the city and you go to the national parks around the area. It might not be exactly what you imagine when you go to Australia because there is a lot of water. It is very lush but at the same time, it still has that sense of outback. Tropical savanna is what the landscape would be.” Sam recommends a circular route from Litchfield National Park to Kakadu National Park to Nitmiluk National Park.
The waterfalls in Litchfield make a great place to relax. There is great hiking around the waterfalls as well as swimming. The area has a lot of flying foxes and “creepy crawlies”. Litchfield also has massive termite mounds up to 15 feet tall.
Kakadu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sam recommends a tour of the Mary River wetlands for great wildlife photography. “There is just an endless supply of birdlife. That’s where you are going to see the crocodiles as well. The lotus flowers were in bloom when we were there and that’s just incredible.” The aboriginal rock art sites at Ubirr and Nourlangie Rock are a big reason for the UNESCO designation. “Over the last 10,000 years, the aboriginal people have been painting on these surfaces.” Jim Jim Falls is the other main attraction in the park.
Nitmiluk National Park is mainly known for the Catherine River and is also a great place to relax. “The Leilyn Falls is further up the river. Once you get there you have a big waterfall and a big swimming hole. You can go do a lot of hiking around the area. If you go up to the upper pools, just that walk alone is worth it. It’s just like a rock pool playground”
subscribe: rss feed | Apple podcasts
right click here to download (mp3)
right click here to download (iTunes version with pictures)
This episode is sponsored by DK Eyewitness Travel Guides
Chris's collection of DK Eyewitness Travel guides
Chris’s collection of DK Eyewitness Travel guides
Show Notes
Escape from the Bay
Northern Australia
Holiday in the Northern Territory
Mindil Beach Sunset Market
Darwin Waterfront
Darwin’s Historical Attractions
Litchfield National Park
Florence Falls
Wangi Falls
Flying Fox
Magnetic Termite Mounds
Kakadu National Park
Mary River National Park
Nourlangie Rock
Jim Jim Falls
Twin Falls
Nitmiluk National Park
Leilyn Falls
Katherine Gorge
Berry Creek Retreat
Uluru / Ayers Rock
New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Jamie on Travel to Baltimore, Maryland – Episode 438:
Hi Chris,
I’m so sorry for my tardy, “thanks!”
I usually make a weekend breakfast/brunch for the family while listening to your latest show. I did quite a little dance when I heard you had already moved forward with the Baltimore Podcast!
Nancy Parode did such a great job – I really enjoyed the show and look forward to sharing. My husband and I are DC-junkies, so people often ask us what to do while visiting there. I will definitely include this episode in future suggestions. Hope you get a chance to kick back in B-more one weekend on a future trip out east 🙂 What Nancy said about people being super accepting is true, it’s as diverse as it is laid-back and accepting. And if you go in summer, there is ALWAYS a festival in some neighborhood we found. They just close off the streets, allow drinks on the street and everyone is welcome.
Thanks again! For this episode, specifically, but for all of them, too!
Best wishes from the Sunny Southwest (and Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta,)
Chris: Amateur Traveler Episode 444. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about waterfalls and gorges, rock art and crocodiles as we go to Northern Australia.
Chris: This episode of Amateur Traveler is sponsored by DK Eyewitness Travel Guides which are my guide book of choice. You can learn more about DK Travel Guides at
subscribe: rss feed | Apple podcasts | stitcher
Chris: Welcome to the Amateur Traveler. I’m your host, Chris Christensen. As I mentioned in the intro, I’m very pleased to have DK Eyewitness Travel Guides as a sponsor for Amateur Traveler. I approached DK because, as I mentioned before on the show, the Eyewitness Travel Guides are one of my favorite guide book series. The guides are filled with gorgeous pictures which I love, have great historic and cultural information, and also include great visual guides and have maps to museums, walking tours and neighborhoods. I mentioned on a recent episode we did on Paris that I loved the walk along the Canal Saint-Martin and I learned about that walk from the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Paris. I just checked my bookshelf and it looks like over the years I’ve bought 19 different guides from the series. Learn more about DK Eyewitness Travel Guides at
Chris: I’d like to welcome to the show Sam Gouveia from who’s come to talk to us about Northern Australia. Sam, welcome to the show.
Sam: Thank you very much for having me. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
Chris: And Sam, you understand you’ve been listening to the show for more than a few days.
Sam: Yes, and listening almost on a weekly basis since 2007. Part of the reason it inspired me to travel in the first place to be honest.
Chris: Oh, excellent. Well, I always like to hear that. And I say we’re talking about Northern Australia but you actually recommend we talk about northern Northern Australia. We leave the center which is Ayers Rock and Alice Springs for instance for another show.
Sam: Indeed. It’s quite far away. It took some 20 hours driving, at least.
Chris: And you did drive the distance between the two?
Sam: Yep. We did a lot of driving. Did over 17,000 kilometers in total.
Chris: Oh my, okay. And northern Northern Australia, why should someone go to what I understand they call the Top Half.
Sam: [laughs] The Top End.
Chris: The Top End, okay.
Sam: Yep, it’s one of the more exotic parts of Australia for sure and it’s definitely the closest place you’ll be able to go to to get an authentic feel for like Aboriginal culture which, in my opinion, is something that makes Australia unique. There’s a lot of natural beauty and a lot of wildlife up there. It’s pretty much, it’s nearly untouched in a way.
Chris: And you say it’s exotic. Having been to, say, Sydney which is not generally described as exotic, just cool.
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: What makes Darwin, for instance, which is the center of that area, different?
Sam: Well, Darwin per se is just a little city. There’s hardly much to it at all. I mean-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: It’s just a few blocks. Really, what makes the Top End is when you get out of the city and when you go to the national parks around the area.
Chris: Got it.
Sam: It might not be exactly what you imagine when you go to Australia because there’s a lot of water. [laughs] It’s very lush but at the same time it still has that sense of Outback.
Chris: Mm-hm. Well, we’re in the tropics at that point.
Sam: Yeah, yeah. It would be like tropical savanna is what the landscape would be.
Chris: Okay. Well, and what kind of itinerary would you recommend for somebody who has, say, a week to two weeks to explore this part of Australia?
Sam: You probably would wanna lean a bit more towards two weeks-
Chris: [laughs]
Sam: If you really wanted to take the trip at all because-
Chris: Sure.
Sam: Depending on where you’re flying from, jet lag. [laughs]
Chris: I think my sons slept through the first two weeks of our trip to Australia.
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Not the first two weeks, two days. [laughs] Sorry, it wasn’t that bad.
Sam: Well, on top of that then you have a 24-hour flight from almost anywhere. As far as itinerary’s concerned, I would say, I would probably stop in Darwin, just to kind of, I mean, cause you’re gonna be flying there anyhow-
Chris: Sure.
Sam: And if you don’t rent a car, which is what I would highly recommend, then that’s gonna be your point, your base. But-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Get out of Darwin as quickly as possible, generally I would say. There’s a few cool things to do there. There’s the Litchfield National Park, Kakadu or Kakadu National Park and Nitmiluk National Park, which is kind of like, they make a pretty convenient circle around the Top End.
Chris: And when you say circle, you mention how many miles you have driven so far, so how big a circle are you talking about? [laughs]
Sam: This is not so bad.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: But you’re still gonna be looking at between, I think Darwin to Litchfield is an hour and a half maybe?
Chris: Okay.
Sam: And Darwin to Kakadu is some two and a half hours. So the whole loop would probably at least take you, you wouldn’t wanna do it in one day, obviously.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: But, if you were going to just drive it straight it would probably take six or seven hours to drive around the circle.
Chris: Okay, and then why would we go to each one and what would we see?
Sam: All right, so Darwin, it’s a surprisingly cosmopolitan city for how tiny it is.
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Apparently it’s got a booming economy right now with some of the natural gas projects that they’re opening up up there, but the only things that I might recommend in Darwin would be the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, which are on Thursdays and Sundays. And those are pretty touristy but it’s a pretty good thing if you wanna go try some local bush tucker, as they call it, [laughs] If you wanna try to eat the emu or the crocodile or kangaroo.
Chris: And you say bush tucker, you mean bush food.
Sam: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: The native bush food.
Chris: I can translate. My cousin who is Australian lived with us for two years, so.
Sam: I tried a crocodile sandwich there. It was kind of like chicken, like they say.
Chris: But chewy.
Sam: But yeah, it’s much more, not as tender.
Chris: Right.
Sam: Yeah, it’s more rubbery, so wouldn’t necessarily prefer it over chicken. [laughs]
Chris: Right.
Sam: There’s quite a bit of military history and kind of historic buildings around the Esplanade loop along the Darwin Waterfront area. If you’re into World War II history there’s not that much to find there but they do have some tours. Mainly the World War II history sites are around the Darwin Harbour.
Chris: Mm-hm, which was bombed by the Japanese in World War II, as I recall. I mean, they got that close, basically.
Sam: Yep, it’s ostensibly the Australian Pearl Harbor.
Chris: Uh-huh.
Sam: Other than that, I would say there’s not much to see in Darwin. [laughs] I would highly recommend renting a car. You also might want to rent a four-wheel drive if you have any intention of getting to the cooler places.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Or, if you’re uncomfortable driving on dirt roads for long distances because that’s inevitably what you’re gonna have to do. The first place you could go, let’s say is Litchfield.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: As I mentioned, it’s like maybe an hour and a half drive depending on where you wanna go in the park from Darwin and it’s a pretty amazing park. It’s probably the underrated compared to Kakadu, which is what everyone else seems to always rave about. But Litchfield is much more laid back and there’s not as many tourists. It’s kind of, I mean there are tourists but you can go at your own pace a bit.
Chris: In all of these national parks are, we’re going there for the flora and the fauna.
Sam: Yep, and the waterfalls {laughs] I have to say.
Chris: And the waterfalls, okay, all right.
Sam: Yeah, and Litchfield National Park’s a perfect example. If you just wanna, like, kind of camp out and relax, the waterfalls there are pretty amazing. They have two of the bigger ones are Florence Falls, which I spent basically a whole day at. Nature makes the best swimming pools, I tell you.
Chris: [laughs]
Sam: It’s just a good place to relax is all. You have the giant waterfalls and they’re pretty much running year round if you… oh, speaking of which, if you intend on getting the most out of it I’d say you’d have to travel between late June and August.
Chris: Okay, so we’re travelling there in their winter?
Sam: Yes, but don’t let that fool you. It’s still very, very hot. When we were there it was early June and it was still pretty much averaging like 30 degrees every day.
Chris: In Celsius, obviously.
Sam: Which is great for me. I love the heat. My girlfriend didn’t necessarily like it that much. [laughs]
Chris: Right, and humid I would assume because of all of the water there? [laughs]
Sam: Yeah.
Chris: Cause we’re in the tropics.
Sam: Well, it’s supposed to be the dry season so it’s not as humid as it would otherwise be in, say, October when it’s supposed to be unbearable.
Chris: And then with that, for those who don’t think in Celsius, we’re still in the high 80’s, so.
Sam: Yeah.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: And it pretty much doesn’t change day to night. It’s pretty consistent.
Chris: [laughs] Okay.
Sam: [laughs] Yeah, the two waterfalls I’d recommend checking out in Litchfield is definitely Florence Falls, which is kind of hard to get down to, if you don’t . . . I mean, there’s a stairway, but it’s a very steep stairway that goes down to it, so it might be something to consider if you’re not too mobile.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: But, once you’re down there it’s awesome. And then, there’s another one, which is the bigger and more popular one is Wangi Falls which is further along the highway. That area, you can do a lot of hiking up and around the waterfalls and you can go swimming as well. There’s lot of flying foxes in the forest around there. It’s pretty interesting and tons of creepy crawlies as well.
Chris: And when you say flying foxes, I know exactly what you’re talking about-
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Because we saw them in Sydney at the Botanical Gardens there and they really creeped out my wife and my daughter, so we’re talking about really large bats.
Sam: Yeah, like the size of a fox. [laughs]
Chris: Right.
Sam: I found them pretty fascinating. I like, I love watching them. They’re very loud so you’re gonna hear them long before you see them.
Chris: Uh-huh.
Sam: You think that they’d be sleeping during the day but they seem pretty rambunctious. [laughs] Just to mention in case people are squeamish as well, like, there’s said to be sometimes freshwater crocodiles in the Wangi Falls, not in the Florence Falls, but the Wangi Falls which is the more popular one. But the freshwater crocodiles, apparently you don’t have to worry about.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: They’re not man-eating. Stay away from them and they will not bother you. They’re not gonna be in the center of the pool anyhow. They’re gonna be off on the side there.
Chris: Well, I heard an interesting stat. I don’t know if we’ve talked about it on the show but I heard this a few months back. People who go to Australia, they’ve read Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country-
Sam: Mm-hm.
Chris: And all the things that can kill you in Australia, and they’ve heard about the sharks and the saltwater crocodiles and the-
Sam: Mm-hm.
Chris: Seven of the top ten venomous snakes and the box jellyfish and the tunnelweb spiders and all of those things I was surprised to learn that the thing that kills the animal, that kills more people-
Sam: Yeah.
Chris: Than all those combined-
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Is-
Sam: The king toad.
Chris: No, no-
Sam: No?
Chris: Is the bumblebee. [laughs] From allergic reactions. I mean, basically they do have some deaths from saltwater crocodiles and box jellyfishes. It’s about one a year for most of those except for the venomous snakes-
Sam: Mm-hm.
Chris: And they haven’t lost anybody to venomous snakes in 20 years or something like that. I mean, really rather a long time since they invented anti-venom.
Sam: Mm-hm.
Chris: So it’s just not quite as dangerous as they told about in some of the books and The Crocodile Hunter-
Sam: No.
Chris: And some of those things. [laughs]
Sam: Yeah, I, to be honest all-
Chris: Unless, of course, you’re allergic to bumblebees in which case, you know. [laughs]
Sam: [laughs] Speaking of bumblebees, funny story. We were camping, not in Litchfield but near in one of the other national parks, and we had our windows down as we would have to in such heat and we had a hornet fly into our window that was, it was the largest flying insect I have ever seen in my life.
Chris: This is the flying fox version of the-
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Hornet family.
Sam: Yes, it was probably as big as the palm of my hand and it-
Chris: Oh my, okay.
Sam: Sounded like a helicopter when it came in and out. It was just, I had to tell my girlfriend in a very particular way so that she wouldn’t panic that we had to get out of the car.
Chris: Yeah.
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Well, you figure if the bats are larger then the insects probably are larger, that there’s-
Sam: Yes.
Chris: Probably a reason for that.
Sam: Everything is larger. If you don’t like creepy crawlies then, like you said, it is a bit overstated. They’re not everywhere, but this region of Australia is the home to them. Like-
Chris: Sure, yeah.
Sam: If you’re going to find them, this is where you’re gonna find them. And do I, we saw more than our fair share of large spiders and bugs of, and they have an infestation of king toads in some places as well which is an invasive species here.
Chris: Right.
Sam: Actually, they kill the snakes because the snakes try to eat them and they’re venomous.
Chris: Hm.
Sam: They even kill crocodiles when crocodiles try to eat them.
Chris: Oh wow, interesting.
Sam: Yes.
Chris: So when we’re eating the wild animals at the market-
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Stay away from the king toad, okay. [laughs]
Sam: Yeah, no one’s gonna try to sell you that.
Chris: Good to know that.
Sam: They hate them here. One more place I’d recommend checking out, just for a quick stop, in Litchfield is the termite mounds.
Chris: Oh, that’s excellent.
Sam: Yeah, they have massive termite mounds that are, can be 15 feet high.
Chris: Okay, I was picturing six feet high and thought that was pretty big, so.
Sam: Nope, they’re like, they can be 15 feet tall and you will no doubt see them if you’re going down the highway.
Chris: Huh.
Sam: They’re built, apparently, to, like, perfectly regulate the temperature so they’re kind of like a Phillips screwdriver.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: So that all of the thin ends are facing towards the direction that the sun is moving so that the sun never hits them-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Directly or on a flat surface and there’s just so many of them. Apparently, prior to the introduction of livestock into the Northern Territory, the termites actually served the same function.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: So they would clear the grass and the debris and, like, they, like, will prune the landscape, prune the environment.
Chris: Interesting.
Sam: And there’s so many of them. Like, I mean, each, I’m not sure exactly how many termites each one would hold but, well there’s millions of them probably cause you see them all along the highway as well and people [laughs] . . . along the highway if you’re driving, you’ll notice people put shirts over them so that they look like people and they’ll put like bonnets on the top and everything.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: I don’t know why they do this but never was able to figure out or get an answer to that-
Chris: [laughs]
Sam: But, so kind of the main attraction in the Top End is Kakadu National Park.
Chris: Mm-hm, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site too.
Sam: Yes, and it’s massive. It’s, you won’t be able to see hardly any of it. Even the mountain that’s accessible by road is so, such a small percentage. The first stop there, and this is probably one of the best highlights for us, was the Mary River Wetlands.
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: We took a tour. There’s plenty of providers to go cruising on the Mary River Wetlands. The region’s pretty set up for tourism, for the most part.
Chris: And we’d find them before we’d leave Darwin or we’d find them after we went to the national park?
Sam: Preferably before you leave Darwin because-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: The phone coverage, even if you have a phone you can use in Australia it’s pretty spotty once you get out of the city.
Chris: And, by the way, I did look the size of the national park and and it is 19,804 square kilometers 7,646 square miles, so large.
Sam: Very. The Mary River Wetlands cruise, the day before we did it actually, a man was fishing on the Mary River Wetlands, not on a tour but on his own, fishing in a local. And he was taken by a crocodile and it was all over the newspapers as often are crocodile-related things in the Northern Territory.
Chris: Well, and the good news is that it’s notable, that it doesn’t happen every day. [laughs]
Sam: Yeah. [laughs] Indeed. If you are into wildlife photography, that is the place to go because they take you out onto the billabong.
Chris: And billabong would be watering hole?
Sam: Yeah, it’s like a wetland or a swamp, I suppose.
Chris: Okay, I just remember that once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, so.
Sam: [laughs] Yeah, if you’re into wildlife photography, that’s definitely the place to go-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Because there’s just an endless amount of birds, bird life, that’s where you’re gonna see the crocodiles as well-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: If you, if that’s indeed that’s what you want to see. We did manage to see a few of the females which aren’t technically, aren’t usually as large as the males, but we went pretty early in the season so a lot of the . . . basically the later you go into the dry season, the more chances are that you’re gonna see larger crocodiles because the watering holes, they dry up.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: So, this will be the only source of water for them to live in.
Chris: Got it.
Sam: But yeah, we did manage to see a few six-foot crocodiles or so. They got, brought us fairly close to them, not uncomfortably close but-
Chris: Well, and as I recall from going to a zoo up in Queensland in Australia, the crocodile hunts by ambush and so if it can see you and you can see it, you’re relatively safe because it knows that-
Sam: Yep. [laughs]
Chris: You would be watching for it, so it’s swimming in those muddy creeks is where people usually get hurt.
Sam: Yep, the tour guide actually told us his friend had been down there not on the billabong itself but in another little kind of puddle, I suppose [laughs]-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Photographing the birds, and when he developed his pictures he actually saw that there was a crocodile in the puddle. He saw the little eyes poking up and he was probably closer than he should’ve been given that, he told us, for every one you see there’s twelve you don’t.
Chris: Huh.
Sam: But not to scare you, it’s definitely worth doing. I mean, just, they have the lotus flowers-
Chris: Uh-huh, sure.
Sam: Were in bloom when we were there and that was just incredible. You can actually take three different tours. You can either take like and hour, an hour and a half or like two and a half hours with dinner or something like that. We took the short one because we’re backpackers on a budget it would’ve been nice to really get to relax and see everything. But yeah, I would recommend as well you take a camera with a pretty good zoom because they don’t necessarily get you that close.
Chris: That’s sounds-
Sam: A lot of it is birds.
Chris: And what else did you do in the park?
Sam: Another one of the pretty amazing sites was the Aboriginal rock art sites at Ubirr and Nourlangie Rock. They’re two different sites at two kind of different ends of the park but, I mean, I haven’t seen much rock art to be fair, but I was really shocked at how well-preserved it is. Basically, they have these large overhangs and underneath them, they call them the rock art galleries. Over the last 10,000 years the Aboriginal people have been painting on these surfaces and then every generation will come back and paint over the previous generation’s thing. So you kind of see several layers going back just by looking at one wall.
Chris: Hm.
Sam: Some of the art is as recent as the 1960s. Very interesting artwork.
Chris: Yeah, I was looking at some of the pictures. It looks fascinating.
Sam: The main attraction in Kakadu, aside from the Ubirr and Nourlangie Rock sites are Jim Jim and Twin Falls-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Which unfortunately, we could not visit which is very disappointing because we got there quite early in the dry season so a lot of things were still flooded and they hadn’t had time to open up the roads again.
Chris: Oh, interesting, okay.
Sam: So, our only option of getting there was a very expensive tour to go to only one of the falls cause the other one hadn’t had the roadwork done yet, which we just chose to forego. But from the pictures I’ve seen, it’s [laughs], it’s quite amazing. The landscape itself is just, like, epic. It goes on forever. When you, like, when you go to Ubirr or the Nourlangie Rock site, when you get up on top of the escarpment-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: It just reaches forever. Just, it’s just endless wetland and savanna forest land.
Chris: Excellent.
Sam: The last place in the loop would be Nitmiluk National Park.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: And Nitmiluk is mainly known for Catherine River that flows through the park. Like, and it’s another good place to go just to relax-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: So the Leilyn Falls is further up the river and once you get there, again you have a big waterfall and a big swimming hole. You can go do a lot of hiking around the area, and if you just go up to the upper pools, just that walk alone is worth it. I mean, it’s just like a rock pool playground. It’s incredibly beautiful.
Chris: Now it sounded like you were saying that we should spend more than a couple days doing this whole loop and you had said budget more than a week to do the whole trip. But it doesn’t sound like the whole loop is taking us a week in the way you’re recommending we do it.
Sam: I suppose it just depends on how much you wanna relax.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Because I would recommend at least a full day in Litchfield.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: But then Kakadu you can easily take I would say four or more days probably just to do it because you have, depending on how busy you wanna be in one day . . . my travel style technically is a bit hectic. I like to see a lot and do it really quickly.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Cause we often don’t have a lot of time. So we ended up doing several things stacked up so that we were busy from the moment we got up to the moment we go to bed. But I know a lot of people who go on vacation don’t really prefer to spend their time like that.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Kakadu, yeah, like I managed three or fours days and then Nitmiluk I would say you’d probably spend another two to three days there as well.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: The most popular thing to do in Nitmiluk National Park is to go on a boat trip up the Catherine Gorge.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: Which is basically a big sandstone gorge that rises pretty precipitously on both sides of the river. I would actually recommend, instead of paying for the boat ride, you just rent a kayak and do it if you are fit enough to do so. The kayaking itself isn’t very difficult, especially in the dry season when the river isn’t flowing. Because of the way that it works, there’s kind of like natural dams at various points in the river-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: So that it just stops the movement of the water. But the kayaking looked like it would’ve been probably the better decision.
Chris: So it sounds like you did the riverboat cruise?
Sam: Yes.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: I did do the riverboat cruise, and the only reason I would suggest the kayaking is just because the riverboat makes a lot of noise-
Chris: Okay.
Sam: When it’s moving and towards the end of the second gorge which is probably the most beautiful part, easily, they turned off the boat and just let you sit and kind of take in ambiance and you can hear, like, condors shouting in the distance.
Chris: Hm.
Sam: And it, just, the way that it echoes down the canyon, just looking at the walls and, it kind of . . . the whole time you’re in the Northern, the Top End I would say, is, just feels like you’re in an ancient place. It just has this sense about it. With the kayaking as well you can stop and swim and there’s plenty of places to do so at your own leisure, which when you do the boat isn’t exactly the case. But, if you weren’t going to kayak I’d still recommend doing the boat trip. It’s definitely worth it.
Chris: Anything else we should see here before we head back to Darwin?
Sam: There are things that we didn’t go to but if we had time we could’ve-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Such as Berry Creek. I believe they have hot springs. If you feel like getting into a hot spring when it’s already 30 degrees outside, you can be my guest.
Chris: [laughs] What surprised you about Northern Australia?
Sam: Well, the distances [laughs].
Chris: Sure.
Sam: It feels like how maybe Australia would’ve been 40 years ago.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: There’s relatively little civilization as far as that’s concerned. You can easily drive for hours and hours and hours and not see a place to eat. I mean, they have gas stations and such.
Chris: Well, I know Australia is not very densely populated anyway and I was just seeing that Northern Australia has half the total area of Australia and a quarter of the population. So it’s even less densely populated.
Sam: Yeah, I mean, this kind of trip, to be fair, it takes a bit of planning. Unless you go on a tour, if you’re gonna do it by yourself, you should probably kind of work out the distances, work out-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: What you’re going to eat and make sure that you get gas when you can.
Chris: Okay. [laughs]
Sam: Don’t ever assume that there will be another gas station. We pretty much used a half tank rule. So as soon as we hit half tank, the next gas station we saw, that’s where we’re getting gas because you can . . . there’s plenty of signs, maybe not so much in the Top End but around Australia where you see, there is no gas for the next 200 kilometers.
Chris: Hm.
Sam: And another, actually, recommendation I would give is to take plenty of cash with you because apparently ATMs in Northern Territory do not work.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: I don’t know how many times I found myself in this situation where no one would take debit or credit and every ATM I went to was out of service.
Chris: Oh, wow. Okay.
Sam: So… [laughs]
Chris: That’s surprising.
Sam: I don’t know if it was just the season or what the deal was but it just could’ve been our luck. Another thing is, if you’re looking to buy any Aboriginal artwork-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Preferably do it at the cultural centers, which are, like, they have in Kakadu National Park.
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Because there it’s typically non-for-profit or less expensive than you would buy in, say, a gallery in Darwin where it’s primarily geared towards tourism.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: And obviously you might, you probably end up getting something a bit more authentic in that case anyhow.
Chris: What do the guidebooks recommend for Northern Australia that you would say, probably not worth the time?
Sam: Probably, like as mentioned, I would say just say stay out of Darwin for the most part. [laughs] There’s not much to do there. It’s not very interesting and take the kayak instead of the boat.
Chris: Okay.
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: And then, it sounded like, just because when we started talking about the Top End, that you’re gonna recommend, if we go down to Uluru or Alice Springs, that we fly. That that drive, you did-
Sam: Yes.
Chris: You’ve done the drive.
Sam: Yes.
Chris: You can say you’ve done it but you wouldn’t necessarily say that I should do it?
Sam: Exactly. There is a whole lot of nothing for a whole lot of hours. I think it was something like 20, 25 hours to get from Darwin to Uluru driving and obviously when you’re on a limited time frame in a vacation that’s not exactly how you wanna spend your time.
Chris: Well, and we should say, so, as long as we’re talking about Uluru or Ayers Rock, there’s some controversy about whether you should visit it. Whether you should go up into the rock because it is sacred ground for the Aborigines is my understanding.
Sam: Right.
Chris: So, what did you decide?
Sam: Well, to be honest, I didn’t have a choice at the time because the high winds prevented anyone. They closed it down but I would personally, I would’ve not gone up because you can just kind of see when you go look at where the people usually go up, the chain that’s running up the rock-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Just from the foot traffic that goes up there, I mean, it’s sandstone so it rubs away fairly easily. There is a pretty deep indentation going up the rock of where people are walking. So if you keep climbing the rock there will be no more rock eventually.
Chris: Might take a little time, but.
Sam: Yeah, just a little while but I was actually surprised, for speaking of Uluru, that apparently in the wet season there are waterfalls coming down on all sides of the rock.
Chris. Mm-hm, no I remember seeing pictures of that.
Sam: I was not expecting that, to be honest. I was not there during the wet season but there were still some trickles of waterfalls coming down from the top and you could definitely see all of the, where the water had worn away holes in the rock.
Chris: And besides making sure you keep the car filled up, any other warnings you would give?
Sam: Watch where you’re walking. Things like that, because there are spiders and snakes about. They’re generally not going to bother you but just-
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: Don’t antagonize them.
Chris: Now, the other thing I wanted to talk to you about that people should know about it you’ve been in New Zealand and Australia for more than just a few weeks because you’re taking advantage of an interesting legal opportunity in both the two countries. You wanna tell us more about the visa that you’re on?
Sam: Yeah, it’s called the working holiday visa. Americans can, American youth I should say, between the ages of 18 and 30, can travel in Australia or New Zealand for up to 12 months and they can, it gives you all the rights to work and everything so that you can just make money to keep the travels moving. It’s not a very difficult thing to obtain and it’s not even, I don’t even think there’ s a limit on the number that you can get, that we can get per year so. I mean, me and my girlfriend applied for New Zealand and Australia and probably had our answer within less than a week. And it was a just a short questionnaire basically making sure that we weren’t convicted felons of any kind and that we didn’t have children.
Chris: No, we certainly wouldn’t want convicted felons in Australia, which-
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: So, the language. Any time that you have been standing there speaking the same language as somebody in Australia and yet had no idea what they were talking about?
Sam: I would say no but I had the unfair advantage of having lived in New Zealand for a year before coming to Australia.
Chris: Mm-hm.
Sam: So, their lingo is pretty similar. When I first arrived in New Zealand I would definitely say it took me a moment to kind of adjust. But, once I was in Australia, it’s not so different from the New Zealanders to where I even could tell a difference other than they say no worries and meet.
Chris: They really do.
Sam: [laughs]
Chris: Well, that is a stereotype and what I love it is they don’t just say it, it really is an attitude.
Sam: Indeed.
Chris: Before we get to my last three questions, anything else we should know before we head off to Northern Australia?
Sam: Bring bug repellent and sunscreen.
Chris: Well, sunscreen, sure. The hole in the ozone there.
Sam: [laughs] Yeah. The bug repellent is an absolute necessity though because mosquitoes are absolutely ravenous.
Chris: The last three questions. One thing that makes you laugh and say, “Only in Northern Australia”.
Sam: It’s just when you’re driving along the highway and not only are you seeing termite mounts dressed in bonnets and shirts but they’ve also altered some of the signs in creative ways like the kangaroo sign. I remember I passed a lot of the signs and someone had pretty convincingly turned the black sign of like a kangaroo into a dinosaur.
[both laughs]
And it looked pretty authentic.
Chris: Finish this sentence for me, “You really know you’re in Northern Australia when…” what?
Sam: When you are surrounded by national beauty and aboriginal culture and the temperature never reached any 31 degrees Celsius.
Chris: And if you had to summarize Northern Australia in just three words, what three words would you use?
Sam: Ancient, exotic and untamed.
Chris: Our guest again has been Sam Gouveia, and Sam, where can people read more about your travels?
Chris: And the bay that you’re escaping from is?
Sam: The San Francisco Bay area.
Chris: You made some reference to that but we didn’t say it. Excellent, Sam. Thanks for coming on the Amateur Traveler and thanks so much for listening for the last, whatever, seven years or something like that.
Sam: My pleasure.
Chris: In news community, I heard from Jamie and Jamie had recommended an episode on Baltimore and in response to that episode said,
“I usually make a weekend breakfast/brunch for the whole family while listening to your latest show. I did quite a dance when I heard you already moved forward with the Baltimore podcast. NancyParode did such a great job. I really enjoyed the show and look forward to sharing. My husband and I are DC junkies so people often ask us what to do while visiting there. I would definitely include this episode in future suggestions. Hope you get a chance to kick back in Baltimore one weekend in the future trip out east. What Nancy said about people being super accepting is true. It is as diverse as it is laid back and accepting. If you go in the summer there’s always a festival going on and some neighborhood we found they just close off the streets, a lot of drinks on the streets and everyone is welcome. Thanks again for this episode specifically but for all of them too. Best wishes, from Sunny Southwest in the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, Jamie.”
And Jamie, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
With that we’re going to end this episode of the Amateur Traveler. Remember to check out our sponsor, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides at
If you have any questions, feel free to send an email to host at or better yet leave a comment on this episode at You can also check out the links for everything we talked about in the show notes and in the lyrics of this episode, and in a few weeks a transcript of this episode will go up. Thanks to Jay Way Travel from You can follow me on Twitter, @chris2x and as always, thanks so much for listening.
Share this:
by Chris Christensen
Leave a Reply
Tags: , , , , |
How does the 'double bubble' fuselage cross-section of the "Double Bubble D8" aircraft (developed by MIT for NASA) help improve overall efficiency by around 70%?
enter image description here
Image credit: NASA/MIT/Aurora Flight Sciences
• 4
$\begingroup$ Do you have a reference that shows that it actually does improve overall efficiency? $\endgroup$ – BSteinhurst Jun 3 '15 at 13:44
• $\begingroup$ nasa.gov/content/variation-on-a-theme The efficiency increase is claimed. I just wish to know if the fuselage cross section has any specific contribution to that $\endgroup$ – Victor Juliet Jun 3 '15 at 13:45
• 1
$\begingroup$ Please elaborate a bit on your question. Not every reader might know about this aircraft, and please include a clear/authoritative reference to the 70% in the question. $\endgroup$ – DeltaLima Jun 3 '15 at 13:53
• 2
$\begingroup$ @VivianjeetSinghSudan, you have to scroll through about 30 articles to find one on the D8. Got anything better? $\endgroup$ – egid Jun 4 '15 at 5:03
• 1
$\begingroup$ Efficiency improvement compared to what? $\endgroup$ – Manu H Nov 20 '15 at 16:10
The main advantage is its lower flight Mach number of 0.74. This allows it to use minimum sweep, which in turn reduces wing area, structural masses and thrust requirements. Now pick the right definition for efficiency (one that neglects speed), add the engine fuel consumption expected in 20 years, and the concept looks like a winner. If fuel prices go to \$200 or \$300 a barrel, this type of aircraft will lower the cost of flying substantially. The double-bubble fuselage will contribute only a little to the overall savings, though. Most will come from the (hypothetical!) engines and the high aspect ratio wings with little sweep.
Note that the lower flight speed is compensated by the claim of much shorter boarding times, so the double bubble comes out ahead in block times. The only reasoning is that passengers will board more quickly because they can choose between two aisles to get to their seats. Very questionable!
Below is page 105 from this report which shows the fuel consumption improvement of the separate steps from a Boeing 737 reference design to the D8.1 concept. The biggest contribution is from lowering cruise Mach (and increasing cruise lift coefficient, which allows to reduce wing area) and from engine optimization.
page 105: TSFC evolution
As it looks now, the marginal cost of fracking will keep oil prices below $70 for the next years, and airlines will keep ordering planes which look like those they operate today.
Looking through the proposals in the PDF linked in your comment, most of them make me cringe. Since the Seventies we see the same concepts for supersonic travel, and here they are again, only presented in different colors. Some subsonic designs are sound, but again we see hopeless concepts like the boxed wing which is kept alive by a stream of NASA grants, only because it looks so different. I am equally skeptical of those blended wing concepts which pop up with every new generation of aircraft designers.
• $\begingroup$ It sounds like a straighter wing, lower cruise speed and more efficient engines would get similar gains from a 'traditional' cross-section 737. Am I hearing you correctly? $\endgroup$ – FreeMan Nov 20 '15 at 21:16
• $\begingroup$ @FreeMan: Yes. Look at turboprops for proof. $\endgroup$ – Peter Kämpf Nov 20 '15 at 22:21
Looking at MIT's presentation, more specifically pages 13 - 15, they're counting on the fuselage being a lifting body, among other things.
For most aircraft, the fuselage encompasses the passenger cabin, cargo cabin, fuel tanks etc. and is designed to impose as little drag as possible in the process. With a lifting body, the fuselage actually provides lift, instead of just adding minimal drag.
The concept is also counting on
• cleaner aerodynamics
• advanced, lightweight materials
• higher-efficiency engines
• less wing area
• with the fuselage providing some lift, the lighter weight and less fuel needed for the projected mission, less wing area is needed
All of these, in combination, provide the estimated 70% greater efficiency.
• $\begingroup$ Due to the way induced drag works, fuselage providing lift will add more drag than if the lift generation is left up to the wings. $\endgroup$ – Jan Hudec May 20 '17 at 21:17
• The engines require less power, it requires less runway to take off on (about 5000 ft)
• flying shorter and more direct routes, for cost-efficiency.
overall it essentially improves most aspects of the aircraft, (I have oinly listed a few things, their are loads more on the NASA website)
D8 bubble aircraft
• $\begingroup$ I've edited the question, as my specific question is regarding the fuselage cross section contribution in improving the overall efficiency. Sorry for the inconvenience. $\endgroup$ – Victor Juliet Jun 3 '15 at 13:40
Their presentation on page 87 specifically covers reasons for the fuselage design.
Additional lift and more cabin room in a smaller fuselage seem to be the main reasons they give. But there are a lot of other details in the presentation too.
But note: the fuselage shape is only part of the overall claimed efficiency improvements. There are many other features such as a lower cruise speed, reduced sweepback of the wings leading to weight saving, etc.
Your Answer
|
The actual first Thanksgiving happened in 1621, but with the First Thanksgiving Project, AP United States’s History (APUSH) and AP English Language are bringing it to Avonworth in 2017 with a twist.
This is the first year this feast will be happening, as it was just suggested by junior Isabel Thompson a few weeks ago in her 6th period APUSH class. She said, “I like food days, and I had Puritans on my mind, so I said to myself, ‘How can I milk this in a way where we’ll get food before the break?’ and that’s how I came up with the idea.” Her idea was embraced by her classmates and Mrs. Chester, who helped turn this idea into a reality.
On Friday, November 17th, 11th grade students in APUSH and AP English sat down for a Thanksgiving feast during 5th period. Some students decided to go with authentic meals, such as smoked meat, which would have actually been eaten at the first Thanksgiving, while others have added a more modern twist. The only catch is that anyone bringing a dish has to write a short explanation of how it is related to the first Thanksgiving. For example, if someone were to bring pumpkin pie, they would have to explain that, while many ingredients for the pie would not have been available to the Pilgrims, they did have access to pumpkins. Other students are contributing non food-items, such as much needed utensils or decorations.
Beforehand, students seemed to be looking forward to the event for the most part, though they were certainly not overly enthusiastic. Erin Ove said, ““Yeeeaaaaaah.. I think this will be pretty chill.” When asked if he was looking forward to this, Wiley Bozada added, ““I’m not looking forward to the period 5 English class that is going to come and mooch all our food, but otherwise, yeah…” While this feast includes both APUSH classes and 5th period AP English, only the APUSH students are actually bringing things for the project.
At the actual feast, the room was packed full of juniors and the room was abuzz with chatter. Several of the students, explained the historical connection between their dishes and dishes from the first Thanksgiving, and then everyone happily flocked to the food, which was laid out on a side counter, and filled their plates.
After the feast, students certainly seemed to have enjoyed it. Erin noted, “I thought it was interesting to see how we’ve evolved from the very basics of food to this big spread that we had today and I think that it’s very cool to see people make connections to the traditional foods that were eaten at the first Thanksgiving and the foods we eat today,” showing the definite payoff of the educational aspect of this generally enjoyable project. Students and teachers alike seemed to admire was the fact that students had the chance to research and make something that they never would have looked into had they not done this project. One teacher who was involved with the feast, Mrs. Seabolt, added, “The pigeon pie was really cool! That’s something that you’d never make outside of this class and it was awesome that you could pull such an outdated recipe into modern times.”
Carolyn Abramowich, when asked about she felt about the feast, said, “I thought it was really fun… I feel like a lot of people tried stuff that was outside of the box.” Overall, it seems safe to deem this a successful project, that just may become a new Thanksgiving tradition for 11th graders.
Leave a Reply
|
Militarization’s Assault on Environment
The continuous environmental deterioration in many parts of the world has become the new trend of our planet’s environment, causing the coastal areas across the globe to gradually submerge under water. While such environmental deterioration is an adverse effect of global warming, the phenomenon of global warming is in turn caused by several contributory factors, including the increasing trend of worldwide militarization.
Militarization & the harmful gases
Worldwide military rivalries are pushing states to thrust for unprecedented and unchecked militarization of different geopolitical hot spots of our globe. Such rivalries are also pushing the states to propel for producing, acquiring and using destructive weapons and other military hardware for conflicts and wars.
Such production and utilization of military hardware, including weaponry and military vehicles, require heavy consumption of fuel energy like coal and oil.
The consumption or burning of fossil fuels release millions of tons of harmful and poisonous gases into the air that had been previously locked up in coal, oil and natural gas for millions of years. Such harmful gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and sulphur dioxide – all of which are immensely injurious to our planet’s environment.
Coastal areas are the major victims
The major environmental impact of growing worldwide militarization is the gradual rise in average global temperatures. Rise in global temperatures causes melting of mountain-ice and polar glaciers, making coastal areas across the globe vulnerable to the sea-level rise.
Because of the rise in sea-levels, many coastal areas around the globe have been gradually submerging under water. Perhaps it will not take decades for the existing global coastlines to disappear, turning millions of inhabitants living in those coastal areas into climate refugees.
An illustration
Here is an illustration of the connection among militarization, sea-level rise and disappearance of coastal areas into water:
The Syrian regime’s use of barrel and chemical bombs on civilian targets has been, in effect, releasing the harmful gases into the air, causing rise in temperatures. Similarly, harmful gases are being released into the air by the artillery firing and missile attacks in Yemen and Ukraine, which too causes rise in temperature. Such rise in global temperatures causes the melting of the polar ice in Arctic and Antarctic regions, making the coastal areas in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand vulnerable to the rising sea level.
Already Bangkok (Thailand) has been sinking 10 centimetres every year, placing the city at risk of submerging into the sea within a matter of few decades. There is the possibility that 6-8% of ‘flood-prone’ Bangladesh may be submerged under water by 2030. As for Myanmar, a substantial portion of the country’s coastal areas is predicted to be submerged under water by 2050.
The borders between states are unable to stop the effects of environmental deterioration from spreading from one country to another and from one region to another. Thus, the environmental impacts of militarization in one part of the globe easily reach the far away victim countries in another part of the globe, making the weather conditions of the victim countries deteriorate severely. Thus, the wars around the globe have been seriously impacting the natural environments of not only the war-torn countries, but also of the other countries around the globe.
German scholars from Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PICIR) warned that if incentives of the global warming are not reduced immediately worldwide, a series of unstoppable events will be triggered, causing dramatic rise in sea-levels and total annihilation of coastal areas inhabited by millions of people.
Therefore, taking the PICIR’s warning into consideration, it may well be suggested that the countries, which are the major victims of environmental deterioration, should make sure that the increasing trend of worldwide militarization is reduced, since militarization is one of the major incentives of global warming. Otherwise, millions of coastal inhabitants around the globe could face a survival threat.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Google photo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Connecting to %s |
Cone SnailConus ebraeus
• Rocky Shores
• Mollusc
• Gastropod
• Venomous
Cone shells (Conus sp.) are marine gastropods distinguished by their thick obconic shells with short spires and a smooth surface. They are extremely venomous and are predatory. Cone shells are also known for their modified radula tooth likened to a dart or harpoon which can be extended some distance, to inject venom into their prey to immobilize it. C. ebraeus is one of the smaller cone shells measuring around 5 centimeters[1]; although mature individuals can be found measuring up to 6.2 centimeters[2]. It is recognized by its white colour and pattern of black markings. They have a rounded and relatively short spire.
[1] Richmond, Matthew (ed.). 2011. A fieldguide to the seashores of Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean islands. Sida/WIOMSA.
[2] Kohn, A. 2013. Conus ebraeus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T192611A2127058. Downloaded on 23 July 2018.
Habitat and ecology
This species is present throughout the Indo-Pacific region and can be found between 1 and 3 meters depth. It usually dwells on sand, amongst or beneath dead on coral reefs, limestone platforms and under boulders. It feeds on polychaetes, otherwise known as bristle worms.
Conservation and management
Worldwide, Conus ebraeus is traded in the shell collector’s market and is popular amongst tourists. Even if there is no data on the number of shells removed or traded, their low price could indicate that they are abundant. In Mauritius, the collect of shells from the lagoon is prohibited, though some shells seen on the market may have been imported. No specific conservation measure exists for this species, although it is likely to be found within the marine protected areas of Mauritius.
Did you know?
The cone snails use their osphradium instead of their eyes to detect their prey with a high level of precision. The osphradium is an olfactory organ linked to the respiration system. |
Zombies: Exploring Exponential Growth
32 teachers like this lesson
Print Lesson
SWBAT generate an exponential function based on a set of data. SWBAT determine if growth is linear or exponential.
Big Idea
By acting out exponential growth students will realize how quickly the dependent variable can increase in an exponential model.
5 minutes
At the start of class, students will read through the scenario regarding the zombie attacks: exponential_zombies_launch
Once students have read through both slides, I will ask them to predict the way the zombie attacks will work. I plan to have students do a think-pair-share to determine how many days it will take to infect the whole class. One or two students will share out their ideas and justifications. But, I do not indicate if students are correct or incorrect in their thinking (MP3).
Then, I organize the class by having all students go to one side of the room while I, the one infected with Solanum, will go to the other side of the room.
27 minutes
Playing the Game: To begin with, I (the teacher) is the only one infected. This will be indicated by a red dot on my hand. I will shut the lights off and turn them back on to indicate the beginning of day 1. At this point I will choose one other student to infect. I put a red dot on their hand and give them a red marker. They then go to one side of the room with you, other students remain where they are. Repeat the process by turning the lights out and back on again to indicate the beginning of day 2. Both you and the student find one other student each to infect. Put a red dot on their hand and give them a red marker. Repeat this process until there are no other students to infect. The process should lead to an exponential sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16...
Analyzing the Game: Once all students have been infected, I will have them fill out the exponential_zombies_worksheet table using the values from the class. Each output should be a multiple of 2 with the exception of the last day when all students become infected (unless there are 16, 32, 64, etc. students in the class). Students will be generalizing their work to determine a function that models this particular scenario. Students will also be extending their work to solve for the number of days it would take to infect a larger group.
Next, students need to think about how the values and function would change if there were 7 infected people to begin with. Have them fill out the table and determine the common ratio (which is still 2). If students are having difficulty with the numbers have them make a diagram that would show the spread of the disease. This could be as simple as 7 dots with two branches coming off of each one. Then two branches coming out from each of those, etc.
When discussing the work, pay particular attention to question #3 where students discuss why the attacks seem to be exponential. There could be a wide variety of answers here but guide students towards the understanding that there is a multiplicative connection between the various outputs as opposed to an additive connection (MP2). Students may also need some guidance with writing the function for question #5. Have students check their answer to #5 by actually plugging the values from the table into their function and determining if the function holds true for all x-values (MP6).
8 minutes
I will ask my students to work on this ticket out the door with a partner. The first three questions provide a window on whether students are grasping the concept of writing and evaluating exponential functions. The final question is interesting because if part c is evaluated correctly the total number of people is greater than the number of people on the planet (MP2MP3). This could lead to an interesting discussion about how exponential growth works. The fact that even when a quantity doubles it does not continue to do so forever (as in the paper folding problem). The growth eventually slows down and levels off. The exponential model is good for showing how a quantity can grow over a certain domain. This concept will be explored more in future lessons. |
Are Soft Drinks Really Any Much Better Than Hard Drinks?
Drinks are probably the most ancient sorts of enjoy and food dating all the way up directly back to ancient situations. Their goal in everyday life always has been to quench our hunger and quench our starvation. They may have even been identified in archeological digs that were designed more than half a million years back. Consequently, beverages have experienced numerous changes and today and improvements they are available in various colors, flavours and kinds and designs.
A take in is often a fluid meant for consumption. Along with their key purpose of comforting hunger, sodas also participate in important functions in present day world. Common forms of drinks have green tea, normal water, caffeine and milk products coca cola, and hot cocoa. All of these drinks have one thing in common, carbonation.
Carbonated sticktails like soft drinks, beer, and lemonade are-recognized by cause a rise in sugar levels. Due to this, individuals usually reach for them when they feel hungry or exhaust your energy. Carbonation even offers an added benefit of revitalizing the circulatory process. Which means that through in carbonated drinks that include alcohol based drinks, we are able to support increase our beats per minute and increase our hypertension levels. Because of this , many people want to enjoy orange juice rather than a cup of coffee.
Another type of take in which contains significant degrees of carbonation is wine beverage. Wines have their possess distinctive attributes such as alcoholic beverages and phenols. speaking of is really a chemical that you can use to hold back our appetites. Phenols, in contrast, is often a chemical which makes a sedative outcome. The greater amount of phenol-for instance a drink is, a lot more it is going to sooth you straight down and help your entire body rest. This may cause red wine a well known option amongst those who are worried around others.
Although red wine and carbonated sodas are reputed to possess a diuretic result, you should know these particular two types of refreshments could also cause lack of fluids. Through taking your regular chilly products which has a big product of water, then you won’t be subjecting your whole body to dehydration. Consuming visit my web page of h2o can diminish the liquor in your metabolism, causing you to be far more not properly hydrated than ahead of, if you’re accomplishing the opposite. Therefore, be sure to stabilize your liquids.
Finally, fruit ingest drinks can be extremely prevalent. Nearly 90% of Americans take some sort of fruit juice beverage every single day. In drinking scavenger hunt , it has been found out that those who use up large amounts of liquor on a regular basis can also be having large volumes of juice liquids. They might be designed with a variety of different things as well, even if this is possibly mainly because that liquor has been discovered to activate a fruit’s natural sugar, even though the all natural sugars found in fruit drinks are exactly like individuals based in the brain.
Alcohol and also other really hard refreshments are not just made from yeast and various mixtures of yeast infection. As an example, drink is often fermented by several different approaches, which includes hot and cold unfiltered, fermentation and bretted drink, and carbonation. Although there are some variations amongst these different methods, the majority of them result in the introduction of highly carbonated refreshments that may be deemed alcoholic drinks or “more difficult” than their fruit juice cousins. Although hard liquor is typically additional bitter than most fruit juices, the visible difference in the quantity of carbonation may be noticeable to the inexperienced eyesight.
When it comes down to it, one of the most effective to determine which liquids are superior for your health is to find out what type of products you consume the most. Whether it be soft drinks, vitality products, wine beverage, or herbal tea, try to ingest mild quantities of every. scavenger hunt birthday parties should definitely lessen the level of one other liquids that you take likewise if you find that you might be taking a higher amount of one particular take in. The best way to keep the unwanted weight in balance is usually to feature a nutritious eating plan into your daily routine as well as to raise your intake of mild levels of all of the water supply alternatives that will be on the market. You should also improve your consuming vegetables and fruit on top of that. |
What is a Scraper?
Quick Links:
How do scrapers work?
Scrapers are somewhat similar to graders, but have a vertical movable hopper (or bowl) attached to the rear, which features a sharp front edge that is used to cut into surface soil. During operation, scrapers move forward while the front edge cuts into the ground, breaking up soil and dispersing it into the hopper or bowl. Once the scraper bowl or hopper is full of soil, it is then raised, sealed and transported to another area or disposal site.
What are the different types of scrapers?
Open bowl scrapers is the most basic type of scraper, featuring a hydraulically powered hopper that moves on a vertical axis. While the front part of the hopper can self-fill, dozers are also necessary for most projects.
Open bowl twin power scrapers or tandem-powered scrapers are typically used for large scale earthmoving projects. These scrapers have rear axles with an engine on the front with a capacity of up to 400kW.
Elevating scrapers, unlike open bowl scrapers, have aprons that cover the material to retain it. These scrapers are usually equipped with electric or hydraulic-driven elevators made up of two chains and a series of crossbars. Material is dumped from elevating scrapers when the floor of the bowl is slid backwards, and the elevator is also reversed to ensure that the load is evenly dumped.
Laser scoop scrapers, also known as laser bucket scrapers, are augmented scrapers with a laser-powered scoop trailer or laser bucket attached to the rear of the machine. These scrapers offer extensive field levelling capabilities with their advanced accuracy.
What are the typical scraper hire rates?
Scraper hire rates vary depending on location, hire-period and equipment selection. iSeekplant can get a few rates from scraper hire suppliers in your area to ensure you get the best rate possible for your project.
Hire a Scraper with iSeekplant
If you're not sure which type of scraper to hire for your project, get in touch with the iSeekplant on 1300 691 912 or use our get a quote tool now. Our directory offers a variety of scraper hire suppliers across Australia in all major cities including BrisbaneSydneyMelbourneAdelaidePerthCanberraHobart and Darwin, along with regional areas. These suppliers offer a diverse catalogue of trenching solutions to suit a variety of projects across the nation.
New call-to-action
To keep up to date with the current construction industry news and projects, subscribe to iSeekplant's Flapping Mouth Blog below.
Subscribe to receive news on projects as it happens
|
A brand new kind of a custom writing service
Sample Essay “The Breakout of the War in the Pacific”
marine corps war memorialAccording to different estimates, from 5.5 to 20 million people fell victims to Japanese soldiers during the Second World War. Pacific War was a major military conflict in Asia which, like Germany’s invasion of Europe, affected not just the countries directly involved in the war, but those economically and politically related, including the remote USA, Canada, or Australia. It all started about at the same time and ended altogether in 1945.
The term Pacific War itself refers to the war led mainly by Japan in Asia and the Pacific during the World War II. The beginning of the conflict, however, was in 1931 when Japan started its expansion to the West. First, it invaded Chinese Manchuria, and in 1937. The Japanese started a further attack on China and captured the capital, Beijing. The aim was to conquer a large territory and to move deeper into the continental Asia.
As a reaction to the unrest in the Far East, the Soviet Union signed a pact with China, in order to prevent Chinese from cooperating with Germany. While the Soviet Russia helped China in their struggle with Japan, the latter was continuing its war operations. This state of events served as a precursor for Japan to later search alliance with Nazi Germany.
Concerned by the state of things in the East of Asia, the US put an embargo first on fuel and oil, and then on mechanical parts and materials, such as iron and steel. That was in 1939, just about the time when the war started in Europe. The Second World War came in handy, as Japan had a chance to ally with Axis (national-socialist Germany and fascist Italy) on 27th September 1940. After the economic sanctions imposed on Japan by the USA, the Asian country occupied French Indochina to prevent the Chinese from importing fuel and arms.
The conflict in the Pacific spread beyond the region when the USA declared war on Japan following the Pearl Harbor attack on 7th December 1941. On December 8, the Pacific War set off in its full force when Japan invaded British Malaya. The States could not maintain neutrality in World War II and they declared war on Germany as well. The victorious hit in Pearl Harbor seemed to inspire Japan, and the country performed a series of fierce battles, which resulted in it claiming the territories, including the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, Burma, Malaya, and Philippines. Although the US managed to fight back, the Japanese forces controlled a significant part of China until 1943. The USA was not the only country which opposed the Japanese pressure on Asia. Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Canada contributed to the battles as well.
On August 6th and 9th, the USA dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. As a result of both explosions and their aftermaths, over 120 thousand people died. After having suffered severely from the attacks, and following the pressure from the US, Soviet Union, and Great Britain, Japan surrendered in mid-September completely. Americans occupied the country, marking the resolution of the war.
The Second World War left its deep trace in Asia as well where Japan was the main aggressor. It invaded China and a range of other countries, including Burma, Malaya, and a large part of Indochina. The Pearl Harbour accident was the event that forced the countries like the US, Great Britain, and others put an end to the Japanese tyranny using, however, a very questionable method — dropping two atomic bombs.
0.00 avg. rating (0% score) - 0 votes
Related Articles:
Our statistics
writers active
9.53 / 10
current quality score
writers online |
Cam Gives Incoming Frosh A Few Tips
Cam Gives Incoming Frosh A Few Tips
Cameron Chin, Staff Writer
For many, making the transition from middle school to high school can be a scary thing. There are many changes from switching. For one, middle school only has two grades–7th and 8th. Going into high school, there will be students as much as three years older. Everyone may seem bigger and scary, but it turns out that everyone in the school is very helpful.
To get somewhat used to the new and bigger school, teachers give freshman the first day of school to themselves so they can get used to the halls and where their classes all are. After a little while, it will start to feel like you have been at the school as long as anyone else because you get so used to it.
One way to easily become a big part of the school and be recognized is to be active and join clubs and after school activities. For one, it keeps you occupied and gets your name out there. Another reason is that it helps you make new friends that normally wouldn’t make. By participating in school activities, it makes school a more enjoyable place to be.
While first going to high school, it may seem like a long time before you finally graduate. Don’t take school for granted, because it goes by very fast, and before you know it, it will be your last day of high school and there is no going back.
And that is a strange feeling. |
Those Who Don’t Celebrate Christmas: What’s the Holiday Season Like?
Photos: Minah Mubasher and Harshitha Sayini / Words: Caroline Chu
Symbols of Christmas are everywhere. Blow-up figures of Santa dotting lawns, Christmas tree cookies sold at chain restaurants, and wreaths covering neighborhood doors are all commonly-seen images.
These symbols represent a vast majority of American beliefs. According to Gallup, 75% of Americans identify with a Christian religion. However, not everyone celebrates Christmas. This statistic seems to suggest that 25% of Americans, a sizeable portion of the United States, do not celebrate the holiday.
Members of this religious, or non-religious in some cases, minority may feel left out during the holiday season because of the fact that such an emphasis is placed on Christmas in American society.
Some of the people that fall under this blanket religious category are Amirah Elgendy, Jake Horen, and Zoha Fatima, all Centennial students.
Elgendy is a Sunni Muslim, and feels as though society is not as inclusive as it could be. She states, “[The holiday season] does not tie all religions together as well as it could because holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa aren’t given as much attention during this time.” Horen, who is Jewish, echos similar beliefs in that he interprets holidays other than Christmas as still represented, but not to nearly the degree Christmas is.
Fatima, a Shia Muslim, sees things in a harsher light, believing that Muslim holidays are not represented well throughout greater American society, but also believes that this representation will increase over time.
However, the period from late November to January 1 is still overwhelmingly positive through the eyes of a few non-Christian Centennial students. Elgendy points out the fact that many people who aren’t Christian still celebrate Christmas, and that therefore, many Americans are tied together through widespread celebration.
Horen is similarly convinced that the holiday season, a season in which he is able to be an individual and celebrate Judaism, “brings everyone together.”
To him, this feeling of unity may ironically spring from the differences between groups of people. He believes that “everyone does their own thing in the holiday season, and who am I to try and change things up?” After all, these differences in viewpoint are crucial for the formation of identity and individuality.
It’s important to remember that different religions still value many of the same principles, and time with family is an example of this. Because school is held during Eid, a Muslim holiday which can fall between November or December, Fatima is unable to visit Muslim family members living in London or Pakistan, which she wishes she could do.
During the same holiday, Elgendy does a special prayer with her family in the morning, and always celebrates with them by eating out. Like Elgendy, Horen uses a holiday he celebrates — Hanukkah — to connect with his family, lighting the menorah and saying prayers with his close relatives.
Concepts like closeness with family may allow for an expansion in recognition of winter holidays other than Christmas. Elgendy has a hope for the future of the United States of America: an expansion in knowledge of differences. She comments, “[Americans should] stay educated on the multiple other religious holidays during the holiday season, and recognize them.”
|
A review of Carl Schmitt: A Biography by Reinhard Mehring
In April 1933, Carl Schmitt, Germany’s most brilliant jurist and political theorist, joined the Nazi Party. The next month, he published a piece laying the groundwork for the forced expatriation of German intellectuals (including Albert Einstein). “Germany has spat them out for all time,” he wrote. Several months later, Hermann Göring, whom he had called “maybe the right type for these times,” appointed Schmitt to the Prussian State Council. Shortly thereafter, Schmitt became president of the Union of National Socialist Jurists.
A decade earlier, he had dismissed Hitler as “a hysteric.” But after “The Night of the Long Knives” in June 1934—the murderous purge that consolidated Hitler’s power—Schmitt published “The Führer Protects the Law,” a vindication arguing that Hitler’s act “was itself the highest justice.” “The Führer protects the law against the worst forms of abuse,” he explained, “when in the moment of danger, he immediately creates law by force of his character as Führer as the supreme legal authority.” He then celebrated the Nuremberg laws as a return to “German constitutional freedom. The National Socialist state is a just state, ” he announced.
Finally, to bolster his reputation as “crown jurist” of the Third Reich and further ingratiate himself with the regime, he convened in October 1936 a conference on purging German jurisprudence of Jewish influence. In his opening speech, he blamed the Jews for “the systematic hollowing out of the healthy, völkisch-German thinking of the state.” He also called for the “purification of libraries,” including a separate system of citation for Jewish authors.
* * *
In the first comprehensive biography of Carl Schmitt to appear in English, Reinhard Mehring inquires how a man—and by extension a society—comes by stages to turn law from a restraint on power into a tool of terror, a means of expulsion and ultimately of extermination.
A political science professor at Heidelberg University of Education, Mehring proceeds by shading in Schmitt’s enduring obsessions and drives, which bleed into one another like morbid watercolors. The first obsession fused the psychological with the juridical. In 1910, Schmitt, born to a conservative Catholic family of modest background, completed his doctorate in law with a dissertation, “On Guilt and Types of Guilt.” “The theme of ‘guilt,’” Mehring writes, “stood at the beginning of his work, a fact not without interest in the case of someone who became implicated in guilt and was later hardly ever able to admit it.”
Schmitt’s earliest guilt, in Mehring’s telling, swirled around his compulsive sexuality. His first wife, Cari Dorotić, was a vaudeville dancer who claimed to be a countess. His friends, dismissing her as a “Tingel-Tangel girl,” tried to dissuade him from marrying her. Only in 1922, ten years after meeting her, did he discover that she was an imposter, an illegitimate daughter of a craftsman who had faked her aristocratic background. He obtained an annulment of the marriage from the state authorities on the grounds of willful deceit and promptly fell in with the translator at his divorce proceedings (which involved evidence from Croatia of Dorotić’s imposture), a Serbo-Croatian 19-year-old named Duška Todorović, who would become his second wife. Living in what Mehring calls an “erotic state of exception,” Schmitt continued his hectic promiscuity with several mistresses, and kept a diary of his “ejaculations.”
Guilt and eros combined for Schmitt in Carl Theodor Dreyer’s silent movie The Passion of Joan of Arc. With an almost sadistic use of close-ups, Dreyer depicts the doomed heroine, a daughter of God charged with being a child of the devil, as she pleads that she has fought only for God and country. In 1928, Schmitt watched the film a dozen times. Mehring reports that on several occasions, in both Berlin and Rome, he picked up a prostitute to watch it with him. It seems that his longing for redemption from his own psychic turmoil fueled a need for a higher, absolute obligation, which could only come from a commitment to the law promulgated by God or by the state.
* * *
Schmitt’s second lifelong obsession compelled him to find in the state an answer to that need. Early on, he affirmed that the individual only attains dignity in the state, specifically in its demand for self-transcending self-sacrifice. His book The Value of the State and the Significance of the Individual (1914) comes down decidedly on the side of the former. He inverts the notion that “we the people” precedes and legitimates a state that exists to serve individuals.
As he launched a university career that would take him to posts in Greifswald, Bonn, Berlin, and Cologne, he began to examine what he called “the antiquated alliance between the throne and the altar.” His early works, like Political Theology (1922), were explicitly theological. “All significant concepts of the modern theory of state,” he writes there, “are secularized theological concepts.”
Given that “all genuine political theories presuppose man to be ‘evil,’” as Schmitt said, men need a strong (or theologically sanctioned) state. He took Thomas Hobbes to mean that it is authority and not truth that makes the law. As he made his name as a scholar of constitutional law in the Weimar era, Schmitt stressed that the legal order ultimately rests on the authoritarian decisions of the sovereign, who has “the power to decide on the exception,” and who alone can meet the needs of an exceptional time of emergency. Those decisions need not be justified themselves in rational or moral terms. He compared the sovereign ruler’s suspension of law (when “the power of real life breaks through”) to God’s interruption of natural law through miracle. Turning the liberal project on its head, he theorized not the creation of law, but its suspension.
* * *
Schmitt was far from alone in seeing Weimar as the paradigm of an enfeebled, sovereignty-less state. But he was well positioned to take advantage of the widespread proclamations of the death of the liberal democratic idea. (Mehring, accentuating Schmitt’s opportunism, calls him a Zeitgeistsurfer.) He had already attacked parliamentary government in The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy (1923). By the late 1920s he had come to admire Italian fascism. “The fascist state, with the honesty of the classical age, wants to be a state again.” (In 1936, he had a private audience with Mussolini in the Palazzo di Venezia in Rome to talk about the relationship between party and state. “The conversation with him was a great intellectual pleasure,” Schmitt reported without irony.)
But what exactly is a state, in Schmitt’s view? “The concept of the state presupposes the concept of the political,” he declared in The Concept of the Political (first published as an article in 1927, then significantly revised in 1932 and 1933). To understand the state is to understand the political, and, for Schmitt, at the essence of the political is the distinction between friend and enemy. He argued in Roman Catholicism and Political Form (1923) that the Catholic Church was inherently political and at least knew how to make alliances and declare enemies.
Political enmity (as inescapable as the enmity between God and Satan) culminates in war, “the most extreme realization of enmity.” And we can expect the most extreme manifestation of war, “the definitively final war of humanity,” to be necessarily brutal, because it will involve an enemy “that must be not only fended off but definitively annihilated.” What Schmitt expected to be annihilated is not only the external enemy, but the pluralism and individualism that stand in the way of internal homogeneity.
The political philosopher Leo Strauss, who corresponded with Schmitt, commented that “Schmitt restores the Hobbesian concept of the state of nature to a place of honor.” Schmitt turned Hobbes’s “war of all against all”the pre-political lawlessness of the state of nature (which Hobbes wished to escape)—into the inescapable essence of the political.
Hobbesian liberals, claimed Schmitt, have obscured or forgotten or repressed that essence. In assuming that man is perfectible, that humanity can overcome political enmity, they blind themselves to the antagonistic nature of politics, fail to distinguish properly between friends and enemies, and avoid fundamental political decisions. In subordinating politics to morals, law, economics, and entertainment, liberals deny what Schmitt called “the dignity of the state.” In seeking to subject political power to a system of moral norms, as for example codified in a constitution, they indulge in a fiction. Hence his belief that the passage from the state of nature to civil society had produced depoliticized, unserious, and uncourageous men. Liberalism, he concluded, is the negation of the political.
* * *
Which brings us to a third obsession, which cast its silhouette most sharply over Schmitt’s life. His abject anti-Semitism drew not from racial sources but from his anti-liberal convictions. Although Jews may not always be liberal, their historic lack of a state of their own had taught them to instinctively cloak their interests in universalist, egalitarian rhetoric. “[T]heir concrete situation among the other peoples forces them nevertheless to declare the ideas of 1789 as sacrosanct.” For Schmitt, Jews (as liberals par excellence) are not so much the political enemy as the enemy of politics.
Historian Raphael Gross, in an important 2007 book, Carl Schmitt and the Jews, already laid bare the profound affinities between Schmitt’s anti-Semitism and his political theory. Although Schmitt’s published writings show signs of explicit anti-Semitism only after 1933, Mehring draws on his early diaries, written between 1912 and 1915, to show that Schmitt suffered long before from what he himself called his “Jewish complex.” By the 1920s, this had curdled into delusions of persecution. In 1925, for instance, he complained about “the ridiculous situation that Wittmayer, Stier-Somlo, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, and Nawiasky—four Jews against one Christian—attack me in all the journals, and no one notices what is going on.” The same year, when a Jewish professor came up for appointment at the University of Bonn, Schmitt wrote a report to torpedo the hiring of the “disgusting, craven, dilettante Jew.” On meeting the renowned sociologist Karl Mannheim in 1931, Schmitt commented: “Horrible, wretched Eastern Jew.”
By the early ’30s, as he moved from scholarship into polemics, Schmitt no longer directed his counter-revolutionary fervor against Weimar anarchism. “He now interpreted the situation in openly anti-Semitic terms as a ‘battle against the Jewish spirit,’” Mehring writes. His friend-enemy distinction now fed into the contrast he drew between the homogeneous German Volk and the “alien” Jew. He hastily severed his friendships and associations with Jews, including his longtime publisher, Ludwig Feuchtwanger, and the young scholar of Hobbes and Spinoza, Leo Strauss (whom he had recommended to the Rockefeller Foundation for the fellowship that allowed Strauss to leave Germany a year before).
Mehring shows that Schmitt’s crude views on the Jews predated the Third Reich, and outlasted it. “Jews always remain Jews,” Schmitt writes in his Glossarium, an intellectual diary he kept between 1947 and 1958, “while a Communist can improve and change…. The true enemy is the assimilated Jew.” When his former friend Eduard Rosenbaum came out with a critical review of a book Schmitt published in 1950, Schmitt called it shameful “to subject a German Catholic to the categories of a Jewish emigrant.”
* * *
Schmitt needed the Nazis, as it turned out, more than the Nazis needed Schmitt. A casualty of bureaucratic infighting, his personal influence waned from 1936 on. “Totalitarianism in power,” Hannah Arendt wrote of him, “invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.”
He retained his prized professorship at the University of Berlin until the end of the war, but even those politically sympathetic to him thought he had discredited himself. “Upon the ascent of illegitimate powers,” his friend Ernst Jünger wrote, “the position of the crown jurist becomes vacuous, and the attempt at filling it is made at the expense of one’s good reputation.”
Schmitt was arrested by American forces in September 1945 and detained for more than a year. He told his wife that he refused to become “demoralized or dejected like so many of the others.” In March and April 1947, he was put into custody a second time; this time he was brought to Nuremberg by assistant U.S. chief counsel Robert Kempner, who interrogated him four times over five weeks. Schmitt presented himself not as an apologist for authoritarianism but merely as an “intellectual adventurer.”
“I wanted to give the term National Socialism my own meaning,” Schmitt said.
Kempner: “Hitler had a National Socialism and you had a National Socialism.”
“I felt superior.”
“You felt superior to Adolf Hitler?”
“Intellectually, of course. He was to me so uninteresting that I do not want to talk about that at all.”
“When did you renounce the devil?” Kempner asked.
After his release, Schmitt refused to let himself be questioned again about National Socialism. “[A]ppalled by public rituals of confession and repentance,” Mehring writes, Schmitt would maintain marmoreal silence about the Holocaust to his dying day.
In May 1947, the unrepentant and embittered Schmitt returned to his native Plettenberg to regroup, never again to set foot in Berlin. Comparing himself to “a U-boat that continuously rebuilds itself,” he attempted a comeback. Although he was permanently stripped of his professorship, editors of major newspapers, including Die Zeit and Der Spiegel, opened their pages to his contributions.
* * *
Beginning in the 1960s and ’70s, Schmitt’s home in Plettenberg became a kind of pilgrimage site. A generation of postwar political thinkers accorded him recognition as the 20th century’s most penetrating critic of the liberal state too frail to confront powerful illiberal enemies. Unlikely correspondents—including Raymond Aron and Alexandre Kojève—helped give his work a renewed lease on life and heralded a surge of fascination of which Mehring’s monumental biography is but the latest example. Some, like Jacob Taubes, took Schmitt as a forerunner of political theology. Others appreciated Schmitt’s prescience. Jacques Derrida, for instance, described him as a “terrified and insomniac watcher,” lucid enough to see the coming political storms. Still others took to Schmitt’s realism. Ulrich Preuss, one of present-day Germany’s foremost liberal jurists, argued that “no one has formulated the anti-liberal alternative to the modern constitutional state as clearly, tersely, and pitilessly.”
Since Schmitt’s death in 1985, Hans Morgenthau, Giorgio Agamben, Jürgen Habermas, and Paul Kahn have each engaged deeply with Schmitt’s thought.
By coloring in Schmitt’s overlapping obsessions, Reinhard Mehring aims to portray his subject’s life “as a paradigmatic story from a crisis-ridden time.” In describing “a theoretician of political myths,” as Mehring calls him, who succumbs to a most vulgar myth, the author unsparingly avoids the apologetic tones of Joseph Bendersky’s Carl Schmitt: Theorist for the Reich (1983), which credits Schmitt with valiantly trying to save the Weimar Republic. But he also dispassionately steers clear of the interpretive hostility that marks A Dangerous Mind (2003), Jan-Werner Müller’s look at Schmitt’s influence on postwar European political thinking.
In its thin-lipped, hyper-factual style, deftly translated by Daniel Steuer, Mehring’s biography, which originally appeared in German in 2009, is chiefly distinguished from its predecessors by the comprehensiveness of its scope and the attention it gives to the destiny of Schmitt’s psychological drives (what Sigmund Freud called Triebschicksal). It is the first to draw on Schmitt’s unpublished Weimar diaries.
Mehring never quite explains why Schmitt’s critique of liberalism still resonates today, 30 years after his death, particularly in elite faculties of political theory and cultural studies. But this book excels above all as a study of a critic of political romanticism caught up in the most ruinous political fantasy. |
Governments play a key role in drafting and managing just transition strategies in developing countries. A new Climate Strategies report based on case studies in Ghana, Colombia and Indonesia finds there is no one-size-fits-all approach to just transitions. Rather, each country needs to develop its own definition to respond to the needs of their citizens and economies.
Incorporating Just Transition Strategies Into Developing Countries NDCs and Covid-19 responses. Comparing Insights from Ghana, Colombia, and Indonesia finds:
• Developing just transition strategies in developing countries requires establishing and maintaining relationships with relevant stakeholders to enable ownership of the just transition process.
• Collaboration and co-production allow stakeholders to address current and potential inequalities.
• There’s a need to further develop the just transition framework to consider the situation of developing countries.
Collaboration with partners in Colombia, Ghana and Indonesia
Researchers from Colombia (Fedesarrollo), Ghana (University of Ghana) and Indonesia (Dala Institute) contributed to the report. The research teams also prepared reports for each country (Read the reports for Ghana, Colombia and Indonesia).
While the situation of each country is different, all three countries have a relatively high share of informal workers. This differentiates them from developed countries where all or most workers are formally employed and the just transition framework is more established. The three in-country research partners also found that none of the countries has so far considered integrating just transition strategies in their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, most government measures directly responded to the health crisis.
Guiding principles for governments
To support governments in defining and managing a just transition for their countries, the report lists several guiding principles. They aim to help governments build the institutional foundation for a just transition and ensure participatory decision-making.
The report, for example, recommends establishing a just transition working group with government officials and relevant stakeholders. Governments could also assign a dedicated department to coordinate their just transition work. By engaging relevant people, groups and communities, governments can uncover existing inequalities which they can tackle as part of a country’s just transition strategies.
The research is supported by the European Climate Foundation. In the next stage of the project, Climate Strategies will expand the research to six additional countries. |
I have seen that when preparing coffee without milk (just water and coffee), instant coffee (at least Nespresso) foams when stirring it just a bit. However, regular coffee grounds do not.
Does someone know the reason for this?
I have noticed the same thing. I believe it occurs because minute gas particles in the instant coffee, trapped during the production process, are suddenly released. This gas (air or something inert) rises to the top and bubbles or foams. It dissipates immediately, unlike crema.
I don't think it's caused by any physical chemistry stuff, like heat from dissolution or any actual reaction, though I do notice it more with very hot water.
Both instant coffee and regular ground beans "foam" when pouring hot water over them.
Here you can see a coffee cupping (quality assessment), where they pour fresh off the boil water onto coffee grounds:
Most of the gas released during any kind of coffee brewing is the CO2 created during roasting. While brewing filter coffee (in a V60 for example) this initial phase of degassing is called the bloom.
Instant coffee also degases a bit when brewing, here is an extreme example:
enter image description here
When either of those coffees is left alone for a while all of the trapped gas escapes, similar to a soda which is left open. When the gas has escaped and the "foam" disappeared you cannot create a foam on top again, unless you whisk it really really fast.
Your Answer
|
Story The Cask of Amontillado English homework help
Please read this story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Franz Kafka
Then choose any 4 questions from the 6 questions below:
each answer at least 120 words = total = 4 X 120 = 480 words at least
1. List three symbols from the story. What makes you think they are symbols? What do you think they mean?
2. What is the mood of Gregor’s family at the end of the story? Why? How does their mood at the end compare to the way they feel at the beginning?
3. Which characters grow in this story? How? Why?
4. As a man, how did Gregor define pleasure? How did he define it as a creature?
5. What is “comic” in this story? Why does it strike you as funny or absurd?
6. Why does Gregor turn into a bug? Why not a pony or a kitten? |
Closing Nigeria’s Toilet deficit
© BPS Direct
© BPS Direct
I love toilets! For one, a toilet is a place where I take care of my sanitary needs. Beyond this, it is a place where I find inspiration, the concentration required to derive some meaning (to life and other subjects) and where I am able to meditate. But this was not always the case. In my younger days living in ‘face-me-I-face-you,’ all we had was a bucket toilet and it was one of the most dreaded parts of the compound. This is not least because it smelled! Our toilet was also unpleasant because it was shared with reptiles of different shades (including snakes!).
In my vague recollection of those childhood years, sometimes the entire compound fell ill from ‘strange’ conditions, some of ‘our’ father’s died of these illnesses (I doubt that they were over 50 years old, and given my lack of remembrance of their exact illnesses, it is difficult to link their deaths to the condition of the toilet, but no doubts the poor sanitary conditions contributed a great deal to their poor health, especially given the close proximity between our piped water tap and toilet). Our toilet was certainly not the best place to go to at night because we feared witches inhabited the surroundings during those hours (and the place was dark!).
Poor sanitary conditions and absence of toilets sometimes lead to ‘littering,’ a situation where faeces is disposed in open, and even public, places. There are other situations such as the use of ‘shot put’ (also known as ‘flying toilets’) where faeces is disposed off in the bush or River or other flowing waters using non-biodegradable plastic bags which inevitably contributes to poor environmental conditions for human and aquatic life. These situations have implications for public health, security and safety. In relation to security and safety, James Wilson and George Kelling, postulate in their broken windows theory that norm setting and signalling have an effect of urban disorder. Their thesis suggests that one means of fighting crime is to ensure that particular locales are neat as a means to signal that the area is well ordered and disruptive behaviour is not welcome. This implies that if the reverse were the case, chances are, such a place will become a breeding ground for crime and law breaking (because the poor conditions signal that such is the norm).
Interestingly, in many cases, the parts of urban areas from which crime emanates are the ones with poor sanitary conditions. (I do not suggest causality, as I reckon that the causal direction could be as a result of several other confounding factors, for example socio-economic status, however, the role that poor sanitary conditions play cannot be underestimated). There is no doubt that walking 500m to 1km to access a toilet could have implications for personal safety. Studies in urban slums (such as Kibera in Kenya) suggest that women could be vulnerable to sexual violence and abuse in the process of walking such distances to access share/ communal toilets. More so, this creates a situation of fear (the 2007 state of the World Toilets report emphasises this much). Poor access to water in many urban slums (and even ‘regular’ houses) results in poor sanitary conditions of many toilets (at household, shared, communal and public levels).
Nigeria suffers what I call ‘severe toilet deficit’ (this is in spite of the fact that the World Bank considers its 23 per cent access to flush toilets as impressive among its ‘rich’ country peers on the African continent). I believe that the ratio of toilets to persons (or toilets per capita) could be as many as 1 to 100 (not empirically based. Nb: one way of calculating ‘toilets per capita’ could be household or census data, using number of users per household, shared, communal or public toilet). In many urban and rural areas, short put method is quite common and some toilets are potentially shared by as many as 100 or more households. The lack of toilets is easily noticeable around our beaches which are contaminated by faeces (in addition to other forms of human waste). Nigeria contributes her fair share to the estimated global population of over 2.6 million people who lack toilets, and as Water aid estimates, over 40 per cent of the world’s population who lack ‘safe, clean or private place to go to the toilet.’
Unfortunately, many public institutions like schools, civil service offices and private companies do not have functional and decent toilets. In some cases, the existent ones are either ‘flooded’, too dirty or reserved for the ‘big ogas and madams.’ This is a sad situation, and I believe that it has particularly depressing implications for productivity and learning. When I was in secondary school, we never had a toilet and even as boarding students, we had to make do with the shot put method or go down to the water side’s ‘hanging toilet,’ a journey no one dared make at night. The costs of discomfort this situation caused, the cost of ‘journeys’ to waterside toilet and ultimately the cost to our learning and productiveness as students can only be imagined.
It is my firm belief that we can achieve equity of toilet distribution and reduce the deficit through improved regulations, targeted policies and firm political commitment at local government, state and national levels. No doubts this will require massive investments in the development of an integrated sewerage system in many of our cities and delivery of piped water to homes (the World Bank estimates that ‘access to improved water in urban areas is 75 percent, versus 45 percent in rural areas’ in Nigeria). In addition, costs will be incurred in the strengthening of environmental regulation offices across the board as a means to ensure the enforcement of extant regulations (which could include an insistence on certain number of toilets for public facilities calculated on the basis of number of expected users). This should include the review and enforcement of regulations around the building of adequate toilets in schools (both government and private), churches, civil service buildings and all other public utility facilities like bars and restaurants.
The costs not withstanding, these measures apart from improving access to toilets could reduce the cost of private sewerage facilities (what we call ‘suck away’), create new jobs, potentially contribute to the reduction of young women’s vulnerability (one less contributory factor!), reduce crime and reduce mortality. Water aid estimates that 5 per cent of GDP is lost to illnesses caused by lack of adequate sanitation and water. This can certainly be saved by better investments in sanitation facilities. The gains in individual health, economic and psychological terms are immense and it will be a major mile stone towards achieving the Millennium development goal to halve poor sanitation by 2015.
Toilets are very crucial to our well-being, and it is my hope that many of our cities will grow, over the next couple of years, to the point where it will be taken for granted. A crucial indicator of this will be lower numbers of locked-up toilets in public places. I am looking forward, and will add my voice towards the realisation of this aspiration.
2 thoughts on “Closing Nigeria’s Toilet deficit
Toilets in the Nigerian context is not a place of convenience, it is where you go in and come out in a minute? if this is what we see the toilet as nobody cares how it should look like? until we see toilet as a convenience, it is only then that we can think of how it should be and what distance it should be from a living room and how many?
what is the standard distance between a toilet soak away and a source of portable water?.
I also want you to reflect that in the days you are talking about primary source of water was very far way from the living homes. I think if you say that as a result of poor maintainence sullages and sewages can percolate into the pipe supplying water to household which could endanger species.
Yes a lot of con founders could have resulted to death of the Nigerian populace given that as at then the life expectancy was less 50years, such as neonatal mortality, maternal mortality, road accidents mentioned but a few. These can be mentioned in addition.
I think that shot put is may be better than sharing toilets with hundred persons with shortage of water per household bearing in mind the minimum volume(50liter) of water per household and using pit toilets. however shot put in non bio-degradable material should be a cause for concern as their content do not bio-degrade in time and the material at all.
The write should also bear in mind number of toilets per household is a reflection of the communal life we share in Africa more especially Nigeria as sharing of properties reflects our togetherness, Number of toilets could also reflect fewer land space to build.
There are policies oooooooo, but implementation and monitoring is now a big deal in all sectors in Nigeria ooooo. Where are the sanitary inspectors? When I was a child these sanitary inspectors were moving from house to house checking sanitary conditions of homes and in the village people dread them, and then when they are coming you people shouting “san diki diki apu in boariiiiii” Sanitary inspectors are coming?. that will send a signal to others who will have to start cleaning if not you run to the mangrove to stay or else where far from your house until they are gone. what we have in Nigeria is many workers employed but nobody is working ” I meaning actually doing the jobs they are employed for.
A good job. Well done. keep it up. well they just my opinion and should not matter in your discussions.
2. Emmanuel Shall
Hi, your article is quit interesting, I found some very important fact in it. Yet I would like to know if you have an idea of how many toilets we have per states in Nigeria. Thank you.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Google photo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Connecting to %s |
Testosterone and its role in depression in men
Testosterone is not only a sex hormone but also plays a vital role in the health and disease of both women and men. What? Do women need Testosterone? Yes, not only men but also women need testosterone. Let’s dig deep into the roles of testosterone in men and women.
Testosterone deficiency is a common cause of depression in men and it can often go unrecognized. A depressed man who doesn’t get much improvement with antidepressants or the man who’s not particularly sad but instead he’s more angry, irritable, anxious, or even just negative indicates the low levels of testosterone.
Here are some of the other signs and symptoms of testosterone deficiency
1. Behavioral
2. Decreased assertiveness/increased submissiveness
3. Decreased stress tolerance
4. Irritability
5. Depression or lowered mood
6. Anxiety
7. Dermatologic
8. Loss of body and pubic hair (scalp hair is preserved)
9. Diminished beard growth
10. Thinning and drying of the skin (decreased sebum production)
11. Metabolic
12. Mild anemia
13. Diminished bone mineralization
14. Obesity or increased body fat (men)
15. Headaches
16. Reduced muscle volume and strength
17. Reduced general vigor and hardiness
18. Asthenia
19. Frailty (elderly)
20. Sexual
21. Decreased semen volume
22. Erectile dysfunction
23. Decreased sexuality (decreased libido, arousal, responsiveness)
if you suspect you may have this problem you would see your primary care doctor for evaluation and treatment.
To determine if you are testosterone deficient your doctor would get your blood levels and a useful screen is getting total serum testosterone concentrations before 9 in the morning. The reason for the early-morning level is because your testosterone Rises and falls over the course of the day and the highest levels are usually between 7 and 8 a.m. and the lowest levels are between 7 and 8 p.m.
So you want to get the level at a time when it should be at its peak and see if it falls within the normal range. what causes this problem you may ask, Well testosterone starts to drop after the age of 30 and but it’s usually a slow drop such that by age 60 about 30% of men have low testosterone. There are some things that have been linked to having low testosterone, They don’t necessarily cause it but we’ve seen a link.
The things that can cause low testosterone are
1. Having diabetes that’s been treated
2. Obesity
3. having chronic headaches
4. being over age 60
5. having asthma that’s been treated
6. sleeping less than 5 hours a night consistently
There are also some medications that can cause low testosterone
1. cholesterol-lowering agents such as Lipitor saw palmetto which is in the counter agent used to treat an enlarged prostate also called benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH.
2. Another agent that can cause low testosterone is flaxseed seed oil lots of it.
3. Zinc deficiency
If you take anti-psychotic drug-like risperidone, this drug can cause elevated prolactin levels. Prolactin is a hormone that produced in your pituitary which is in your brain and elevated prolactin levels can lower testosterone as well as cause breast development and this is not just extra fat on your chest, you could actually feel breast tissue and even get a small amount of milk production not always but sometimes.
The ED Clinic
As far as treatments go, if the problem is due to a drug you could potentially discontinue the medication if you can or you would need to check with your doctor if it’s a prescription medication and He or She may actually have a substitute for you to take instead.
If it’s due to a zinc deficiency you could supplement with zinc.
If the problem is due to your testicles not producing enough testosterone and this problem is called hypogonadism. The treatment is testosterone supplementation and the supplementation can come in the form of a patch, pills, a gel, or even an injection. If you get treated with testosterone supplementation and it raises your levels to the mid normal range, you can see an improvement in your depression and your anxiety within 4 weeks.
So that’s a pretty quick response, I mean it’s not overnight but in terms of how long it takes things to improve in general, that’s a pretty quick response. However, it could take a little time though for your levels to rise depending on how low they were, to begin with, and what form of the medication you take. An injection is going to work faster but it’s not convenient. so once you get your levels corrected you can see a big improvement and how you feel, including improving your self-esteem. Some men with low testosterone can become very self-loathing and hard on themselves.
If you feel that you have low levels of testosterone or low libido, Before coming to the conclusion on the causes of testosterone consulting a doctor helps you the cause and there are many testosterone boosting programs available and clinics like “The ED Clinic” are offering guaranteed testosterone boosting program.
Leave a Reply
%d bloggers like this: |
Lan Na
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Lan Na Kingdom
1292–15 January 1775[1]
The seal of the Lan Na Kingdom
Coat of arms
Extent of Lan Na's zone of influence (blue), c. 1540.
Official languagesNorthern Thai language
Spoken languages
• 1292–1311
• 1441–1487
• 1551–1564
• 1579–1607
Nawrahta Minsaw
• 1824-1856
Kyawhtin Nawrahta
Historical eraEarly modern period
• Capture of Hariphunchai
• Foundation of Chiang Mai
• Burmese rule
2 April 1558[2]
• Fall of Chiang Mai
15 January 1775[1]
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kingdom of Payao
Principality of Lampang
Kingdom of Chiang Mai
Today part of
The Lan Na or Lan Na Kingdom (Northern Thai: LN-Lanna.png, pronounced [ʔaː.naː.tɕǎk.láːn.naː], "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; Thai: อาณาจักรล้านนา, RTGSAnachak Lan Na, pronounced [ʔāːnāːt͡ɕàk láːn nāː]), also known as Lannathai, and most commonly called Lanna or Lanna Kingdom, was an Indianized state centered in present-day Northern Thailand from the 13th to 18th centuries.
The cultural development of the Northern Thai people had begun long before as successive kingdoms preceded Lan Na. As a continuation of the kingdom of Ngoenyang, Lan Na emerged strong enough in the 15th century to rival the Ayutthaya Kingdom, with whom wars were fought. However, the Lan Na Kingdom was weakened and became a tributary state of the Taungoo Dynasty in 1558. Lan Na was ruled by successive vassal kings, though some enjoyed autonomy. The Burmese rule gradually withdrew but then resumed as the new Konbaung Dynasty expanded its influence. In 1775, Lan Na chiefs left the Burmese control to join Siam, leading to the Burmese–Siamese War (1775–76).
Following the retreat of the Burmese force, Burmese control over Lan Na came to the end. Siam, under King Taksin of the Thonburi Kingdom, gained control of Lan Na in 1776. From then on, Lan Na became a tributary state of Siam under the succeeding Chakri Dynasty.
Throughout the latter half of the 1800s, the Siamese state dismantled Lan Na independence, absorbing it into the emerging Siamese nation-state.[3] Beginning in 1874, the Siamese state reorganized Lan Na Kingdom as Monthon Phayap, brought under the direct control of Siam.[4] The Lan Na Kingdom effectively became centrally administered from through the Siamese thesaphiban governance system instituted in 1899.[5][6] By 1909, Lan Na Kingdom no longer existed formally as an independent state, as Siam finalized the demarcation of its borders with the British and French.[7]
The Lan Na kingdom is known by a number of exonyms in neighboring languages. In Burmese chronicles and sources, it is called Zinme Pyi (Burmese: ဇင်းမယ်ပြည်, pronounced [zɪ́ɰ̃mɛ̀ pjì]), Zinme being a Burmese language transcription of Chiang Mai; or Yun Pyi (ယွန်းပြည်, [yʊ́ɰ̃ pjì]), Yun being the Burmese term for the Northern Thai people. In the Laotian language, it is known as Lao: ອານາຈັກລ້ານນາ.
The Pali chronicles refer to the kingdom as Yonaraṭṭha (Kingdom of the Yuan) or Bingaraṭṭha (Kingdom of the Mae Ping). In the Chinese History of the Yuan, it is called Babai Xifu (Pa-pai-si-fu) (Chinese: 八百媳妇; pinyin: Bābǎi Xífù), first attested in 1292.[8]
Early establishment[edit]
Mangrai, the 25th king of Ngoenyang (modern Chiang Saen) of the Lavachakkaraj dynasty, whose mother was a princess of a kingdom in Sipsongpanna ("the twelve nations"), centralized the mueangs of Ngoenyang into a unified kingdom or mandala and allied with the neighboring Phayao Kingdom. In 1262, Mangrai moved the capital from Ngoenyang to the newly founded Chiang Rai – naming the city after himself. Mangrai then expanded to the south and subjugated the Mon kingdom of Hariphunchai (centered on modern Lamphun) in 1281. Mangrai moved the capital several times. Leaving Lamphun due to heavy flooding, he drifted until settling at and building Wiang Kum Kam in 1286/7, staying there until 1292 at which time he relocated to what would become Chiang Mai. He founded Chiang Mai in 1296, expanding it to become the capital of Lan Na. Claimed territories of Mangrai's Lan Na include modern northern Thailand provinces (with exception of Phrae – which was under vassalhood of Sukhothai– and Phayao and Nan), Kengtung, Mong Nai, and Chiang Hung (modern Jinghong in Yunnan). He also reduced to vassaldom and received tribute from areas of modern Northern Vietnam, principally in the Black and Red river valleys, and most of Northern Laos, plus the Sipsongpanna of Yunnan where his mother originated.[citation needed]
Disunity and prosperity[edit]
Central Chedi at Wat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai
Around 1311, Mangrai died and was succeeded by his second son Grama, or Jayasangrama (Khun Hham). He soon retired to Chiangrai and appointed his son Saen Phu as the Uparaja (Viceroy) of Chiangmai. Mangrai's youngest son, ruler of Mong Nai returned to claim the throne, occupying Haripunjaya. Saen Phu and his brother Nam Thuem fled to their father in Chiangrai. Nam Tuam succeeded in driving out their uncle, restoring Saen Phu onto the throne in 1322 or 1324. Saen Phu founded the city of Chiang Saen in 1325 or 1328, before he died in 1334. His son Kham Fu replaced him but reigned only few years, before he was succeeded by his son Pha Yu, who restored the capital to Chiang Mai again. There he fortified the city and built Wat Phra Singh.[8]:226–227
Theravada Buddhism prospered in Lan Na during the reign of religious Kue Na who established the dhatu of Doi Suthep in 1386. Kue Na promoted the Lankawongse sect and invited monks from Sukhothai to replace the existing Mon Theravada that Lan Na inherited from Haripunchai.[citation needed]
Lan Na enjoyed peace under Saenmuengma (which means ten thousand cities arrive – to pay tribute). The only disturbing event was the failed rebellion by his uncle Prince Maha Prommatat. Maha Prommatat requested aid from Ayutthaya. Borommaracha I of Ayutthaya sent his troops to invade Lan Na but was repelled. This was the first armed conflict between the two kingdoms. Lan Na faced invasions from the newly established Ming Dynasty in the reign of Sam Fang Kaen.[citation needed]
Expansions under Tilokkarat[edit]
Map of Lan Na during the reign of King Tilokkarat (r. 1441–1487)
The Lan Na kingdom was strongest under Tilokkarat (1441–1487). Tilokkarat seized the throne from his father Sam Fang Kaen in 1441. Tilokkarat's brother, Thau Choi, rebelled to reclaim the throne for his father and sought Ayutthayan support. Borommaracha II sent his troops to Lan Na in 1442 but was repelled and the rebellion was suppressed. Tilokkarat conquered the neighboring Kingdom of Payao in 1456.
To the south, the emerging Kingdom of Ayutthaya was also growing powerful. Relations between the two kingdoms had worsened since the Ayutthayan support of Thau Choi's rebellion. In 1451, Yutthitthira, a Sukhothai royal who had conflicts with Trailokanat of Ayutthaya, gave himself to Tilokkarat. Yuttitthira urged Trilokanat to invade Pitsanulok which he had claims on, igniting the Ayutthaya-Lan Na War over the Upper Chao Phraya valley (i.e. the Kingdom of Sukhothai). In 1460, the governor of Chaliang surrendered to Tilokkarat. Trailokanat then used a new strategy and concentrated on the wars with Lan Na by moving the capital to Pitsanulok. Lan Na suffered setbacks and Tilokkarat eventually sued for peace in 1475.[citation needed]
Tilokkarat was also a strong patron of Theravada Buddhism. In 1477, the Buddhist Council to recompile the Tripitaka was held near Chiang Mai. Tilokkarat also built and rehabilitated many notable temples. Tilokkarat then expanded west to the Shan States of Laihka, Hsipaw, Mong Nai, and Yawnghwe.[citation needed]
After Tilokkarat, Lan Na was then subjected to old-style princely struggles that prevented the kingdom from defending itself against powerful growing neighbors. The Shans then broke themselves free of Lan Na control that Tilokkarat had established. The last strong ruler was Paya Kaew who was the great-grandson of Tilokkarat. In 1507, Kaew invaded Ayutthaya but was repelled – only to be invaded in turn in 1513 by Ramathibodi II and Lampang was sacked. In 1523, a dynastic struggle occurred in Kengtung State. One faction sought Lan Na support while another faction went for Hsipaw. Kaew then sent Lan Na armies to re-exert control there but was readily defeated by Hsipaw armies. The loss was so tremendous that Lan Na never regained such dominance.[citation needed]
In 1538, King Ketklao, son of Kaew, was overthrown by his own son Thau Sai Kam. However, Ketklao was restored in 1543 but suffered mental illness and was executed in 1545. Ketklao's daughter, Chiraprapha, then succeeded her father as the queen regnant. As Lan Na was plundered by the dynastic struggles, both Ayutthaya and the Burmese saw this as an opportunity to overwhelm Lan Na. Chairacha of Ayutthaya invaded Lan Na in 1545, but Chiraprapha negotiated for peace. Chairacha returned next year, sacking Lampang and Lamphun, and threatened Chiangmai itself. So, Chiraprapha was forced to put her kingdom under Ayutthaya as a tributary state.[citation needed]
Facing pressures from the invaders, Chiraprapha decided to abdicate in 1546 and the nobility gave the throne to her nephew (son of her sister), Prince Chaiyasettha of Lan Xang. Chaiyasettha moved to Lan Na and thus Lan Na was ruled by a Laotian king. In 1547, Prince Chaiyasettha returned to Lan Xang to claim the throne and ascended as Setthathirath. Setthathirath also brought the Emerald Buddha from Chiangmai to Luang Prabang (the one that would be later taken to Bangkok by Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke).
The nobles then chose Mekuti, the Shan saopha of Mong Nai whose family was related to Mangrai, to be the new king of Lan Na. It was said that, as a Shan king, Mekuti violated several Lan Na norms and beliefs.[9]
Burmese rule[edit]
The kingdom then came to conflict over Shan states with the expansionist Burmese king Bayinnaung. Bayinnaung's forces invaded Lan Na from the north, and Mekuti surrendered on 2 April 1558.[2] Encouraged by Setthathirath, Mekuti revolted during the Burmese–Siamese War (1563–64). But the king was captured by Burmese forces in November 1564, and sent to then Burmese capital Pegu. Bayinnaung then made Wisutthithewi, a Lan Na royal, the queen regnant of Lan Na. After her death, Bayinnaung appointed one of his sons Nawrahta Minsaw (Noratra Minsosi), viceroy of Lan Na in January 1579.[10][11]</ref> Burma allowed a substantial degree of autonomy for Lan Na but strictly controlled the corvée and taxation.
After Bayinnaung, his massive empire quickly unraveled. Siam successfully revolted (1584–93), after which all the vassals of Pegu went their own way by 1596–1597. Lan Na's Nawrahta Minsaw too declared independence in 1596. In 1602, Nawrahta Minsaw became a tributary of King Naresuan of Siam. However, Siam's control was short-lived. The actual suzerainty effectively ended with Naresuan's death in 1605. By 1614, Siam's control over Lan Na was at most nominal. When the Burmese returned, the ruler of Lan Na Thado Kyaw (Phra Choi) sought and received help from Lan Xang, not his nominal overlord Siam, which did not send any help.[12] After 1614, vassal kings of Burmese descent ruled Lan Na for over one hundred years. Siam did try to take over Lan Na in 1662–1664 but failed.
By the 1720s, the Toungoo Dynasty was on its last legs. In 1727, Chiang Mai revolted because of high taxation. The resistance forces drove back the Burmese army in 1727–1728 and 1731–1732, after which Chiang Mai and Ping valley became independent.[13] Chiang Mai became a tributary again in 1757 to the new Burmese dynasty. It revolted again in 1761 with Siamese encouragement but the rebellion was suppressed by January 1763. In the 1765, the Burmese used Lan Na as a launching pad to invade the Laotian states, and Siam itself.
End of Burmese rule[edit]
In the early 1770s, Burma was at the peak of its military power since Bayinnaung, having defeated Siam (1765–67) and China (1765–69), the Burmese army commanders and governors became "drunk with victory". This arrogant repressive behavior by the local Burmese government caused a rebellion in Lan Na.[14] The new Burmese governor at Chiang Mai, Thado Mindin, was disrespectful to local chiefs and the people, and became extremely unpopular. One of the local chiefs, Kawila of Lampang revolted with Siamese help, and captured the city on 15 January 1775, ending the 200-year Burmese rule.[1] Kawila was installed as the prince of Lampang and Phraya Chaban as the prince of Chiang Mai, both as vassals of Siam.
Burma tried to regain Lan Na in 1775–76, 1785–86, 1797 but failed each time. In the 1790s, Kawila consolidated his hold of Lan Na, taking over Chiang Saen. He then tried to take over Burma's Shan state of Kengtung and Sipsongpanna (1803–1808) but failed.
Nonetheless, the Kingdom of Chiang Mai, as a vassal state of Siam, had come into existence. Under Siamese suzerainty, Lan Na kingdom was divided into five smaller principalities, namely the Chiang Mai, Nan, Lampang, Lamphun, and Phrae. Lan Na ceased to be an entity on its own after it was incorporated into modern Kingdom of Siam.
Chiang Mai, under Burma's rule, lasted more than 200 years, but there were some periods that switched to Ayutthaya rule. The reign of King Narai the Great, and there were some independent periods, but was dominated and ruled by the Lao King called Ong Kham from the Kingdom of Luang Prabang for more than 30 years.
Lan Na language[edit]
Kham Mueang or Phasa Mueang (Thai: ภาษาเมือง) is the modern spoken form of the old Lan Na language. Kham Mueang means "language of the principalities" (Kham, language or word; mueang, town, principality, kingdom) as opposed to the languages of many hill tribe peoples in the surrounding mountainous areas. The language may be written in the old Lan Na script, which somewhat resembles that of the Thai, but differs significantly in spelling rules. Due to the influence of the latter, it also differs significantly from the modern pronunciation of Kham Mueang.[15][16]
Historical writings on Lan Na[edit]
• The Chiang Mai chronicles - Probably started in the late 15th century and enlarged with every copying of the palm leaves manuscript. Current version is from 1828, English translation available as ISBN 974-7100-62-2.
• Jinakālamāli - composed by Ratanapañña (16th century) an account of the early rise of Buddhism in Thailand and details on many historical events.
• Zinme Yazawin - Burmese chronicle of Zinme (Chiang Mai).[17]
See also[edit]
1. ^ a b Ratchasomphan & Wyatt 1994, p. 85.
2. ^ a b Wyatt 2003, p. 80.
3. ^ Roy, Edward Van (2017-06-29). Siamese Melting Pot: Ethnic Minorities in the Making of Bangkok. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. ISBN 978-981-4762-83-0.
4. ^ London, Bruce (2019-03-13). Metropolis and Nation In Thailand: The Political Economy of Uneven Development. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-72788-7.
5. ^ Peleggi, Maurizio (2016-01-11), "Thai Kingdom", The Encyclopedia of Empire, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1–11, doi:10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe195, ISBN 9781118455074
6. ^ Terwiel, B. J. (2011). Thailand's political history : from the 13th century to recent times. River Books. ISBN 978-9749863961. OCLC 761367976.
7. ^ Strate, Shane (2016). The lost territories : Thailand's history of national humiliation. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 9780824869717. OCLC 986596797.
8. ^ a b Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. Translated by Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
9. ^ Forbes & Henley 2012a, King Mae Ku (Mekuti): From Lan Na Monarch to Burmese Nat.
10. ^ Hmannan, Vol. 3, p. 48
11. ^ Forbes & Henley 2012a, Queen Hsinbyushinme.
12. ^ Hmannan, Vol. 3, pp. 175–181
13. ^ Hmannan, Vol. 3, p. 363
14. ^ Htin Aung, pp. 183–185
15. ^ Burutphakdee 2004, p. 7.
16. ^ Forbes, Andrew (2004). "The Peoples of Chiang Mai". In Penth, Hans; Forbes, Andrew (eds.). A Brief History of Lan Na. Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre. pp. 221–256.
17. ^ Forbes & Henley 2012c, The Zinme Yazawin.
External links[edit]
Media related to Lanna Kingdom at Wikimedia Commons |
How to improve your figures #6: Don’t use bar graphs to mislead
In a previous post, I argued that the y-axis can be misleading under certain conditions. One of these conditions is when using a bar graph with a non-zero starting point. In this post I will show that bar graphs can be misleading even when the y-axis is not misleading.
In brief, bar graphs do not only convey certain estimates or data summaries but also an idea about how the data is distributed. The point here is that our perception of data is shaped by the bar graph, and in particular that we are inclined to believe that the data is placed within the bar. For that reason, it is often better to replace the bar graph with an alternative such as a box plot. Here is a visual summary of one of the key points:
There is a name for the bias: the within-the-bar bias. Newman and Scholl (2012) showed that this bias is present: “(a) for graphs with and without error bars, (b) for bars that originated from both lower and upper axes, (c) for test points with equally extreme numeric labels, (d) both from memory (when the bar was no longer visible) and in online perception (while the bar was visible during the judgment), (e) both within and between subjects, and (f) in populations including college students, adults from the broader community, and online samples.” In other words, the bias is the norm rather than the exception in how we process bar charts.
Godau et al. (2016) found that people are more likely to underestimate the mean when data is presented in bar graphs. Interestingly, they did not find any evidence that the height of the bars affected the underestimation. There is even some disagreement about whether bar charts should include zero (e.g., Witt 2019). Most recently, however, Yang et al. (2021) have demonstrated how truncating a bar graph persistently (even when presented with an explicit warning) misleads readers.
This is an important issue to focus on. Weissgerber et al. (2015) looked at papers in top physiology journals and found that 85.6% of the papers used at least one bar graph. I have no reason to believe that these numbers should differ significantly from other fields using quantitative data. For that reason, we need to focus on the limitations of bar graphs and potential improvements.
A limitation with the bar graph is that different distributions of the data can give you the same bar graph. Consider this illustration from Weissgerber et al. (2015) on how different distributions of the data (with different issues such as outliers and unequal n) can give you the same bar graph:
Accordingly, bar graphs will often not provide sufficient information on what the data actually looks like and can even give you a biased perception of what the data looks like (partially explained by the within-the-bar bias). The solution is to show more of the data in your visualisations.
Ho et al. (2019) provide one illustrative example on how to do this when you want to examine the difference between two groups. Here is their evolution of two-group data graphics (from panel a, the traditional bar graph, to panel e, an estimation graphic showing the mean difference with 95% confidence intervals as well):
From panel a to panel b, you can see how we address some of the within-the-bar bias, and further show how the data points are actually distributed when looking at panel c. This is just one example of how we can improve the bar graph to show more of the data, and often the right choice of visualisation will depend upon what message you will need to convey and how much data you will have to show.
That being said, there are some general recommendations that will make it more likely that you create a good visualisation. Specifically, Weissgerber et al. (2019) provide seven recommendations where I find four of them relevant in this context (read the paper for the full list as well as the rationale for each):
1. Replace bar graphs with figures that show the data distribution
2. Consider adding dots to box plots
3. Use symmetric jittering in dot plots to make all data points visible
4. Use semi-transparency or show gradients to make overlapping points visible in scatter plots and flow-cytometry figures
Bar graphs are great, and definitely better than pie charts, but do consider how you can improve them in order to show what your data actually looks like beyond the bar. |
100% Original, Plagiarism Free, Tailored to your instructions
Order Now!
What Will Your Abraham Lincoln essay Look Like?
Write your Abraham Lincoln essay introduction
In the majority of the cases the Abraham Lincoln essay paper is the second essay of this kind students have to write since first they learn about George Washington. There are some things all people know about “Honest Abe”, such as him having to walk 12 miles uphill to reach the library, as he was born in a log cabin. He was the president during the Civil War and was killed in 1865. He delivered the Gettysburg Address along with the Emancipation Proclamation. However, aside from this, there is still a lot to know about the 16th president.
Did the president alter his political views during his presidency? When writing an Abraham Lincoln essay, it is simply impossible for you not to refer to his political views. Before becoming president, he was a Whig in Illinois and later he reached the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a firm believer in internal improvements, frontier settlement, and the national banking system. After he became president, he supported all these causes and used his political power to further them. In the same time, he firmly opposed to slavery.
His first bill against slavery didn’t have much success, but during his first term as president, he made it law. Generally speaking, when it comes to the internal affairs, the president’s actions were in line with his previous beliefs. However, this is supposed to be a generic essay, so there has to be more to the story. With regard to the executive and legislative branches of the government, power somewhat shifted his views. Mention in your essay of Abraham Lincoln that Lincoln, as a congressman, criticized the president’s executive privileges. Nonetheless, during his presidency he claimed Congressional authority, thus accessing more power than any other president before him.
The transformations of the federal government: After the Civil War, the Union had a much stronger federal government than before. This is partly the merit of Lincoln, who supported a policy and military campaign to make sure the rights of these states were under control. If you are writing short essays you might want to skip this, but otherwise you may want to mention that he achieved this through declaring martial law, banishing or imprisoning the traitors of the federal cause, and defending the policy that would make it impossible for some of the states to distance themselves from the Union.
The Confederate states were weakened and some of the governors were strong-armed by policies like Land Grant, Homestead, and the Pacific Railroad Act. His actions, such as introducing national currency and income tax made the country as powerful as it is today.
Lincoln’s role in ending slavery: During the 18th century several northern states took steps towards putting an end to slavery. The Civil War only found the Border States supporting slavery. The Abraham Lincoln essays say that at the beginning the president was very conservative about this matter and followed the law according to which the slaves needed to be restored to their owners. The Emancipation Proclamation, which is so often mentioned in regard to slavery, only applied to the freed slaves of the Confederacy and it didn’t affect the remaining states of the U.S. As a matter of fact, this proclamation brought freedom to very few slaves, most of them being freed by the power of war rather than political power.
Make sure not to mention in your Abraham Lincoln essay that he abolished slavery, as the abolition amendment wasn’t really signed by him. It was passed during his time, but it was signed by President Johnson after Lincoln’s death. This means that the abolition of slavery wasn’t as fast and clean as it is made out to be. It was a complicated and lengthy process. President Lincoln did support the abolition, but the truth is that his support was more theoretical than practical.
The honesty of “Honest Abe”
When it comes to a thesis proposal, you might be tempted to focus on the morality of the president. Before you do so, you should do a bit of research, though. You should know that he got this nickname during the time he was acting as a lawyer, which is very strange as a lot is being said about the morality of lawyers. Interestingly, this nickname was actually used by fellow citizens in Springfield and it wasn’t something made up for his campaign. Even as a lawyer, people were talking about his fairness, honesty, and integrity.
You shouldn’t focus much on his religious views in your Abraham Lincoln essay as he wasn’t really religious. However, he did believe that everything happened for a reason. He also stated once during the Civil War that God’s intentions might be different from the intentions of either parties. As honest as he may have been, he did know how to play the political game. He needed to choose a vice president and the presidential cabinet, but he limited their power so that he was able to make his own decisions.
There is no reason for you to bring criticism in your Abraham Lincoln essay. You could mention that although he had the intention of abolishing slavery, this was not his decision, but the decision of the Confederate states and he had very little power over them.
You could turn your Abraham Lincoln essay into a psychology paper, if you wanted to, taking a closer look at his motivations. If you want to make sure that your essay will look really professional, you might want to take a look at the mla essay format, just to be sure of the technicalities.
Our Service Charter
1. Excellent Quality / 100% Plagiarism-Free
2. Free Revisions
3. Confidentiality / 100% No Disclosure
4. Money Back Guarantee
5. 24/7 Customer Support
Excellent Quality
Zero Plagiarism
Expert Writers
Instant Quote
Instant Quote
Single spaced
approx 275 words per page
Urgency (Less urgent, less costly):
Total Cost: NaN
Get 10% Off on your 1st order! |
Preventing endophthalmitis: can we reach a consensus?
Assessing povidone-iodine as method for preventing endophthalmitis.
Identifying the source
The bacteria for this infection are thought to come from three main sources:1
1. Patients' conjunctival flora.
2. Surgeons and surgical team contamination.
3. Surgical equipment contamination.
Meticulous scrubbing of staff and good sterilization of both the equipment and surgical field can help to control the latter two sources but it is the patient's own flora that is thought to be the most common source of the infection.
Once clinical infection occurs, damage to ocular tissues is believed to be caused by the direct effects of bacterial replication as well as initiation of a fulminant cascade of inflammatory mediators. Endotoxins and other bacterial products appear to cause direct cellular injury while eliciting cytokines that attract neutrophils, which enhance the inflammatory effect. Recent work at controlling the damaging effects of endophthalmitis have focused not only on identifying appropriate antibiotics for control of the infectious agent but also on anti-inflammatory agents that might disrupt the immunologic events that occur after infection.3, 4, 5
We recently conducted a clinical study to compare the efficacy of using 0.5% chloramphenicol eye drops with 5% povidone-iodine drops in the conjunctival sac to reduce the number of viable colonies of bacteria isolated from the conjunctiva of patients undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Povidone-iodine is a solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone and iodine used as an antibacterial.
Putting povidone iodine to the test
We enrolled 100 patients, undergoing phacoemulsification in one eye under topical anaesthesia, to take part in the study. Each patient was admitted to the day case centre on the day of surgery and received topical medications for pupil dilation consisting of 1% tropicamide, 2.5% phenylephrine; and topical medications for anaesthesia in the form of 0.5% bupivacain. All medications were given three times in the operation eye.
On arrival at theatre, the patient was positioned on the operating table and a swab from both the operation eye [study eye; swab A] and from the non-operation eye [control eye; swab B] was obtained by the surgeon. The periorbital skin of the study eye was cleaned carefully with povidone-iodine solution, ensuring that it did not get into the patient's eye. Two drops of 0.5% chloramphenicol (Chauvin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.) were applied into the control eye and two drops of 5% povidone-iodine (Medlock Medical Ltd.) were used in the study eye. The operation was then conducted as usual. Swab C was taken from the conjunctiva of the study eye, and swab D was taken from the conjunctiva of the control eye before giving the sub-conjunctival injection in the operation eye.
Although the surgeon was not masked to the swabs, the microbiologist analysing these swabs was masked to all of them. The samples, obtained using sterile cotton-based conjunctival bacterial swabs, were sent straight to the microbiology lab for culture on blood agar and chocolate agar solid plates. Plates were incubated for 48 hours at 37° C.
Colony Forming Units (CFU) were counted and the results were examined using Analysis of Variance between groups (ANOVA) one way analysis with Mann Whitney test. The P-value was calculated; p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. |
Genome-wide association mapping reveals novel sources of resistance to northern corn leaf blight in maize uri icon
• Background: Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) caused by Exserohilum turcicum is a destructive disease in maize. Using host resistance to minimize the detrimental effects of NCLB on maize productivity is the most cost-effective and appealing disease management strategy. However, this requires the identification and use of stable resistance genes that are effective across different environments.
• Conclusion: An association panel including 999 diverse lines was evaluated for resistance to NCLB in multiple environments, and a large number of resistant lines were identified and can be used as reliable resistance resource in maize breeding program. Genome-wide association study reveals that NCLB resistance is a complex trait which is under the control of many minor genes with relatively low effects. Pyramiding these genes in the same background is likely to result in stable resistance to NCLB.
• Results: We evaluated a diverse maize population comprised of 999 inbred lines across different environments for resistance to NCLB. To identify genomic regions associated with NCLB resistance in maize, a genome-wide association analysis was conducted using 56,110 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers. Single-marker and haplotype-based associations, as well as Anderson-Darling tests, identified alleles significantly associated with NCLB resistance. The single-marker and haplotype-based association mappings identified twelve and ten loci (genes), respectively, that were significantly associated with resistance to NCLB. Additionally, by dividing the population into three subgroups and performing Anderson-Darling tests, eighty one genes were detected, and twelve of them were related to plant defense. Identical defense genes were identified using the three analyses.
publication date
• 2015
• 2015 |
Fruit salad: a scrum estimation scale
When I first joined Netlify over 2 years ago, I took over sprint planning for a while.
As many teams do, they were doing a sort of scrum-lite. They didn’t have an estimation scale and we all agreed at various times that the traditional scrum scales of t-shirt sizes or fun bucks didn’t really capture the concept of scoring complexity.
So, I came up with a scale I thought captured complexity better and used emoji. Fruit! The idea is that as the score increases, the complexity one might expect about how to prepare and eat the item of fruit increases. So, you declare a fruit for a task, and build up a fruit salad of a size the team can handle (eat!) for a sprint.
1 🍇 A grape. Trivial, very quick, no brainer.
2 🍏 An apple (green, specifically, so it stands apart from the tomato emoji). Most people know how to cut up or bite into an apple and eat it. You know generally what needs to happen for the task, but it might take a little bit of time.
3 🍒 A cherry. Pretty easy to eat, but sometimes has that troublesome pit in the middle you either need to extract or spit, and certainly try not to bite or swallow. So, you know most of what needs to happen, quite straight-forward, but there’s some unknowns.
5 🍍A pineapple. Does anyone really know how to cut up a pineapple? Cutting pineapples isn’t something I do often, so I’m a bit unsure about where I’ll start. There’s some parts of the task still to work out, no major unknowns, but it’s still meaty work.
8 🍉 A watermelon. OK, now this is a real wild card. Do I have to have a machete to cut one open? What about the seeds? Do they just get left in? There’s lots to work out, some unknowns, and it might get messy.
?? 🍅 A Tomato. Apparently you’re a fruit, but you certainly don’t belong in a fruit salad. Declare tomato when you really have no idea about the task and it needs more info/breaking down before it can be estimated.
🥑 An avocado. Also a fruit, but it goes bad really quickly. Work that’s not scope-able because it’s a chore or something that just takes a fixed amount of time. |
FII is now on Telegram
The immigration of caste-Hindu landlords, Christian missionaries, and the extension of British tax revenue system in the domain of indigenous Munda rulers during the nineteenth century became a great burden for its agrarian populace. The intervention had altered the socioeconomic and cultural spaces of the native Munda tribes. The indigenous livelihood system with a frail economic system of Adivasi Mundas trapped into indebtedness nurtured by caste-Hindu landlords/ Jagirs and the colonial administration.
The territorial stabilities, such as ancestral Khuntkatti ownership system were disrupted by the advent of outsiders who created an exploitative economic system. The emergence of class-rifts, and shifts in land ownership, enabled the encroaching colonisers (who were of the view that “the Mundas have lived for ages under conditions ill-calculated to develop good qualities”) to impose tax collecting regimes and then govern, police, and control the territories of indigenous rulers.
The enactment of the Forest Act of 1882, first implemented in the Madras Presidency and consequently covered various other provinces was a legislation of the colonial government that disenfranchised the Mundas from their natural resources. These are the various factors that contributed to the emergence of the Ulgulan or the Munda Rebellion led by Dharti Aba Birsa Munda. The rebellion was a struggle to maintain the indigeneity of the Adivasis, to fight the exploitation unleashed by landlords/ missionaries/ colonial administration and to overthrow the external intervention.
Birsa’s self-perception imbibed into ‘Politics of Assertion’ and ‘Revolutionary Activism’.
Born on November 15, 1875, Birsa had to spend much of his childhood in the multiple places of the Adivasi hinterlands as his parents were migrating frequently. He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chota-Nagpur plateau. He received his early education at Chalkad under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal Nag. On his teacher’s recommendation, Birsa joined in a German Missionary School and pursued his education from the year 1886 to 1890. During the schooling, Birsa learnt about the Jesuit’s attitude towards the Munda leaders and agitators.
The Jesuit mission of Chota-Nagpur was founded in the year 1869 by Augustus Stockman. They considered the demands and activism of Adivasis as a ‘real socialistic agitation’. The agitation contrasted the interests of the mission. The tribal converts’ radical approach and intentions contradicted with missionaries intentions. As a result, they repeatedly endorsed the view claiming Sardars-agitators as cheats in the missionary schools that raged Birsa Munda. Subsequently, he had given up on schooling. Birsa’s self-perception imbibed into ‘Politics of Assertion’ and ‘Revolutionary Activism’.
By 1890s he became a champion of Munda’s struggle against the external forces. Birsa’s followers with his persuasion stopped crop production that resulted into a reduction in the British Raj’s revenue from the region. Upon learning of his struggles the colonial administration warranted for Birsa’s arrest. He was imprisoned in the year 1895 for the first time. Further, the authorities arrested many of his followers in order to suppress Birsa’s active resistance. He was released from jail in the year 1897 after the two years of his arrest.
Become an FII Member
Also read: The Tale Of Mahishasur And Durga: The Missing Story Of The Tribal Hero
Birsa’s exposure to Christianity and Vaishnavism helped him to challenge the ‘traditional’ Munda order that was based on the ritual authority of the pahan and his intercourse with spirits or bongas. Birsa campaigned against the traditional consumption of hanria or rice beer vis-à-vis alcoholism.
On his release from prison, Birsa Munda started a new campaign which was radical in nature. The campaign intended to invoke sovereignty of Mundas in their homeland. The campaign, a famous Birsait Ulgulan or the Munda Rebellion began during the winters of 1899. A bloody confrontation with the colonial government ensued on January 9, 1900. Many of the Birsaits lost their lives during the uprising. Birsa Munda was again sent back to the Ranchi prison. He died in the month of June in 1900.
The official records issued by Capt. A. R. S. Anderson, the Superintendent of Ranchi Jail cited deteriorated health conditions as the actual cause of his death. However, the cited reason did not convince his followers and questioned by some who suggested it as a poisoning of the revolutionary leader. The Munda Rebellion though faded out after his death, forced the colonial officials to introduce the laws to protect the land rights of tribes and the indigenous social groups.
Also read: Chuni Kotal: First Woman Graduate From Lodha Tribal Community
Abua Raj Seter Jana, Maharani Raj Tundur Jana (“Let the kingdom of the queen end and our kingdom be established”), a famous slogan was given by Birsa that threatened the Raj is remembered even today in areas of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Bengal. Birsa Munda, a champion of the struggles of the Adivasis is very relevant in India today as this is the era of displacements in the name of development that is uneven. For the marginalised groups in India, Birsa Munda is their Dharti Aba (Father of the earth).
Featured Image Source: Roundtable India
Follow FII channels on Youtube and Telegram for latest updates.
Feminist media needs feminist allies!
Choose Your Plan! |
What’s the deal with food waste and climate change?
We know that food waste is a big problem—40% of the food we produce is never eaten—and we know it’s not good for our planet. Wasted food contributes to climate change in a number of ways, by using up resources like the land, water, and fertilizer it takes to grow food, and the energy needed to transport, process, and store food that is never eaten! Food waste also contributes to climate change when it ends up in landfills, which is what we’ll be exploring today.
The EPA reports that food is the biggest type of material in our landfills—contributing to 22% of landfill waste. So, why is all this food in landfills such a big problem? Well, despite the fact that all this food had the potential to be, well, food and nourishment for people, food waste in landfills creates methane. When food decomposes naturally, like in composting, microorganisms eat the organic material and break it down through a process called aerobic respiration. In this process, oxygen is an input and carbon dioxide is an output—similar to humans breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. But wait, isn’t carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas that’s responsible for climate change? Yes, it is—but compared to methane, it is far less harmful. (More on that later.)
On average, 22% of landfill waste is food. Food in landfills cannot organically decompose, leading to methane emissions.
When we put our food in landfills rather than in compost piles, for the first few months it undergoes aerobic decomposition, which creates very little methane. But within a year, anaerobic conditions in the landfill are established, and bacteria decompose the waste and produce methane as a byproduct. Methane is often described as more “potent” or “powerful” than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The “power” of a greenhouse gas to produce global warming is characterized by a number of qualities outlined by the EPA: concentration, longevity, and strength. So, let’s break down those elements for carbon dioxide and methane.
Concentration is the amount of a particular gas in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the most concentrated gas in our atmosphere, as it makes up about 80% of greenhouse gas emissions, while methane contributes about 10%. Next is longevity, or how long the gas remains in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has a high longevity, and can stay in the atmosphere for 300 to 1,000 years. Some carbon is absorbed back into our earth’s carbon sinks, like the ocean, soil, and wetlands, but because humans have created such an imbalance in the carbon cycle, most of the carbon dioxide we produce stays in the atmosphere. Methane, on the other hand, typically stays in the atmosphere for about 12 years, much less time than carbon dioxide. Now we get to strength, or warming potential—essentially, this is a measure of how effective a greenhouse gas is at trapping heat in our atmosphere. Here is where methane beats carbon dioxide: methane is about 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at creating warming over a 100-year timescale, and over a 20-year timescale, it’s over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
The amount and strength of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane in our atmosphere determine the level of global warming our planet experiences.
So, even though there is less methane in the atmosphere, and it doesn’t stay in the atmosphere as long, it traps a lot of heat, contributing to a significant amount of warming. This is why, even though composting does produce some carbon dioxide, it’s much better for our planet than the methane produced when food rots in landfills. Compost also contributes to healthier soils that can retain more water, are less likely to erode, and have improved soil biology. These factors all make the soil more effective at sequestering carbon dioxide. In this way, the carbon dioxide released and then sequestered by the composting process is part of the natural fluxes of the carbon cycle. Food in landfills, however? It’s unnatural, contributes significantly to warming caused by methane emissions, and takes up space on our earth that could be used for much better things.
Composting is much better for the climate—and supports healthy soils, which are better at sequestering carbon!
So, this Earth Day, we encourage you to take a look at your food waste—and specifically how much food you are sending to the landfill. See if there is a composting service or facility near you, like LA Compost in Los Angeles County. The best solution? Wasting less food overall, by preventing food waste at the source or donating your surplus food. Check out our other blogs for tips and tricks, and learn about donating produce to Food Forward. |
I want to get better at dealing with rejection so it doesn’t derail me
The Context
How do you show more resilience in the face of failure?
How do you process rejection in a way that makes you feel better? Here's our current cannon of advice.
Take some time to cool off. Feel all your feelings. Be more compassion for yourself. Express gratitude for the experience. Learn by reflecting on the failure. Channel difficult emotions into constructive projects. Call people who can talk you down off the ledge. Surround yourself with those who value you. Diversify your portfolio of happiness so you're less vulnerable to derailment in the future. And know that rejection is not personal, permanent or pervasive. Each of these strategies can be highly effective. The question is, what happens when they're not enough? What if you follow all the classic advice, and rejection still turns you to jelly? Perhaps you need a new tool.
The Tool
two color
BUFFERING -- An alternative regulatory strategy to negative feedback about your work
You need a different frame of reference that current solutions don't offer. Let's talk about a technique called buffering. This is a term that has wide application across many disciplines. A buffer in rail transport is a device that cushions impacts between vehicles. A buffer in metalworking is wheel that smooths a workpiece's surface. A buffer in geography is a country that prevents conflict two rival or hostile powers. A buffer in fitness is your body's ability to neutralize and eliminate waste that congests muscles during anaerobic workouts. A buffer in biology is a reservoir of molecules that counteracts fast disturbances and ensures more robust regulation. And lastly, a buffer in chemistry is an agent that help a compound maintain homeostasis value after a foreign agent has been introduced. Do you notice any commonalities among the use cases? Buffering is essentially an alternative regulatory strategy to negative feedback. And the good news is, anyone can develop a buffer for any experience of failure. Your response to rejection can become just as creative as the very work that was rejected. It just takes intention and imagination. Let's say you submitted a piece of work to potential client, prospective buyer or current coworker. You labored hard on it, you're proud of the final product and you're energized by the prospect of the upcoming project. But you soon discover that, for whatever reason, they ultimately gave it a hard pass. God damn it. That's bullshit. Those bastards would know good work if it bit them in the ass. Okay, fair enough. We can all admit how little it takes to activate feelings of rejection. But before this feedback sends you spiraling into a whirlpool of irrationality, try introducing a buffer. Counterbalance your negative experience by immediately overwhelming it with positive proof points. Make a mental list of all the value adds from your rejection. You felt competent during the process, you doubled your learning on an important subject, you didn't focus on your depression all week, you deepened a new professional relationship, you grew your skillset in a key area, you got paid money to do work you enjoy, you created value for others and captured value for yourself, and you now have a usable template that can be repurposed for future work. How is this a failure again?
To quote my brilliant therapist, if someone says no to you, respond by saying yes to yourself. Extensive positive psychology research reveals that humans need three positive thoughts to balance the power of one negative thought. This ratio is critical to happiness, productivity and effectiveness. Buffering triples that. It creates a stability boundary to counteract disturbances and ensure robust emotional regulation.
The Rest
Failure is just your judgment of an experience anyway. Use your intention and imagination to judge it more usefully. How will you deal with rejection so that when it happens again it saddens you less?
The Benefits
Increase your resilience and tolerance of failure
Build a stability boundary to counteract emotional disturbances
Deal with rejection so that when it happens again it saddens you less
Create responses to rejection that are just creative as the very work that was rejected
Table of Contents |
• Save
9 Shocking Differences Between American and British Grocery Stores
Whether you’re coming to the UK as an expat, study abroad student, or just for a visit, one of the must-do experiences is to visit one of the grocery stores in England to check out the differences between American and British grocery stores.
I mean, firstly, they don’t even call them “grocery stores,” they call them supermarkets, so there’s your first example already.
If you want to learn more about England and why they do the things they do, I highly recommend Watching the English – a must-read for anyone living in England or visiting.
Anyway, British grocery stores are completely different to our American ones in name and brand, so don’t come over here looking to find Publix in the UK or Kroger in the UK or Giant or your local favorite.
Instead, you’ll find ones like Waitrose (which is for fancy people), Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Asda.
I know some people buy their groceries at Target, so check out this article I wrote about Target in the UK to find out if your favorite store has made it across the pond.
There are even more brands in the UK like the Co-op which tend to be smaller stores instead of massive ones.
These are meant to be the place you drop in when you forgot the milk rather than somewhere you go to do your shopping for the barbecue you decided to hold for 17 people tomorrow and now regret.
That brings me to another point, actually, in that British fridges and freezers are smaller than American ones, and many people who live in flats only have a half-size one that would more closely resemble what we would have in an American college dorm.
Add to this the list of things that help contribute to culture shock for expats.
This means that people tend to make more frequent trips to the grocery store instead of the bulk buying process many of us in the States do.
It also cuts down on food waste.
Now, British food in general has a bad reputation for being, how should I say, horrible.
I’m not qualified to speak on this, as I’m a picky eater and think a lot of food is horrible.
To stick up for the UK, though, I have learned to enjoy quite a few ‘proper’ meals like fish and chips and roast dinners.
‘English breakfast’ is very good, and I have gotten into the habit of eating baked beans with things I never would have eaten baked beans with before.
I have had even had lasagna with baked beans and LIKED IT.
There are also breakfast buffets in the UK should you need endless amounts of hashbrowns.
Anyway, join me on this journey through British grocery stores so we can experience the highs and lows of American supermarkets vs UK supermarkets.
A Guide to UK vs US Supermarkets
As I take you on this journey of grocery shopping in the UK, let’s start in the produce section, where I see the word “salad” and instantly feel at home.
What could be so different about a bunch of vegetables?
In fact, there aren’t too many differences here, though it’s helpful to remember that zucchinis are “courgettes,” eggplant is “aubergine,” and rutabaga is “swede” (though who even knows what a rutabaga is to begin with?).
• Save
Swede is actually a really popular vegetable to have with a Sunday roast dinner, so my completely unfounded guess is that Swede/Rutabaga is much more highly consumed in the UK than it is in the US.
The next stop is the refrigerated section, which is relatively standard, but holds some secrets of its own.
(I literally just posted a picture of cheese. Am I doing this blogging thing right?)
Cheese is called grated cheese, not shredded cheese, but it means the same thing.
Also, British Cheddar cheese is white, not orange, and while there are a few places that stock what we think of as “American cheese,” they are few and far between because most British people like to make fun of Americans for eating what they assume to be fake, floppy cheese.
I can’t really argue, but there you go.
One of the similarities between American and British grocery stores is that orange juice is readily available in British grocery stores, which is heaven to my ears for a Florida girl.
However, “pulp” is referred to as “juicy bits,” and honestly the jokes just write themselves.
Navigating your way through grocery stores in England starts to get even more exciting when you start to look for the eggs in the fridge.
Oh, no. The eggs are not in the fridge.
They are stored casually, on the dry shelves, next to the bread like it’s NO BIG DEAL.
British pringles
• Save
One of the major differences between American and British Grocery Stores as evidenced by its Pringles.
This is jarring for an American who is used to the “eggs must be refrigerated” mantra, but it really isn’t a big deal since the eggs are processed differently than in America.
My British husband does prefer to store our eggs in the fridge at home, but I think that’s just for storage purposes and has nothing to do with food safety.
If you’re incredibly interested in the egg in fridge/eggs on shelves debate, here’s an article.
If you’re not, let’s carry on (isn’t this the most fun you’ve had all day? I BET!)
The snack aisle is one of my best friends, which is very apparent to anyone who sees me in a bathing suit. I can’t help it, I’m an emotional eater!
You should see my luggage when I’m coming back to the UK from the US.
It’s basically filled to the brim with all things oatmeal creme pie and Goldfish.
Thankfully, the UK has Oreos, but they’re sold in single sleeves instead of the 3 sleeved approach in America.
Sometimes I think they sell them in single sleeves here because British people control themselves and don’t want 46 Oreos at once, but that’s just not something I can commit to so I am pro-3 sleeved American Oreos all the way.
You can find both Original, Double Stuffed, and the Golden (vanilla cookie) ones, but British grocery stores don’t stock the crazier American flavors like Red Velvet Cake and Birthday Cake because they obviously don’t like fun.
You also might stumble across one of the favorite British chocolates, Freddos (Chocolate in the shape of a frog. IS THAT WHERE JK ROWLING GOT HER CHOCOLATE FROG IDEA FROM? This is blowing my mind).
Freddos are made by Cadbury, which you may think you have in America, but you actually don’t because Cadbury in America uses different recipes than Cadbury in England.
Cadbury in England is a national treasure, and while people do like to get angry about the decreasing chocolate sizes while still paying the same price, there is an entire theme park called Cadbury World so the brand is doing just fine.
Okay, still with me here?
Brits like to make fun of Hershey’s for tasting like, IN THEIR WORDS, ‘vomit.’ I would not agree to this necessarily, but Cadbury is definitely amazing and melts in your mouth.
However, you always must have Hershey’s for s’mores, I will not budge on that one.
Once you head into the snack aisle, the comparison of British and American grocery stores starts to get weird.
Like, really weird. I don’t even know how to bring up the next picture because it makes my stomach so uncomfortable.
Okay, yes, America has pizza Pringles and so I can hardly judge the UK for following their paprika-loving hearts, but roast chicken?
How does that even work?
If the chicken isn’t enough to tide you over, you can always follow it up with some flame grilled steak.
Or some bacon.
Now that we’ve eaten an entire week’s worth of meat in the snack aisle, we’ll continue our journey of UK food versus US food and take this competition to the breakfast aisle.
The cereals are pretty standard, though noticeably lacking in sugar. You won’t find Froot Loops, Captain Crunch, Cookies n Creme or any of the cereal I grew up stuffing my face with.
No, British grocery stores are the land of the sensible, the bran flakes, the plain cheerios, the breakfast options that are good for your cholesterol but not so much for your happiness.
What the UK lacks in sugary cereals, however, it certainly makes up for in beans. Need some beans with your toast?
Don’t worry, the UK takes its baked beans very seriously. Don’t be expecting BBQ flavored baked beans though.
Beans here come without the BBQ flavor, and are more…bean flavored.
We’ll go with that. And that makes sense because as mentioned above, beans go on everything here and no one wants a smoky BBQ flavor with every meal.
Here’s my guide on how to make beans on toast if you’re interested in following along as I almost burn my apartment down.
One of the saddest examples of the differences between British and American grocery stores is the Poptart section, which isn’t so much a “section” as a small sampling of the wonders that Poptarts can bring you.
Only strawberry and chocolate?
WHERE IS MY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH flavor? Brown sugar cinnamon? S’MORES?!?
Lately, I’ve started to find a few different flavors of Poptarts in the International Section of a few mega grocery stores and the American food stores in London, but these are imported and thus cost like 5 pounds a box which is far too much to pay for my fix of breakfast sugar rush.
Oh, also I’m pretty sure even the strawberry and chocolate flavors that you can find in most grocery stores here are only for the expats as well, as most British people I’ve spoken with still react in shock when I tell them we eat them for breakfast.
After we finish wiping our tears and texting all of our friends to send us cookie dough Poptarts ASAP, we’ll hit the frozen section.
Of course they’ve got the staple frozen items—ice cream, pizza, vegetables.
In British grocery stores, you can buy things like frozen yorkshire puddings, which is something we don’t see in the US.
A Yorkshire pudding isn’t actually pudding (go figure), but instead a doughy pile of goodness that is served with gravy and a “roast dinner.”
You can make them yourself, or you can buy them pre-made (shout out to all the lazy cooks out there like me), but either way, this is one joy of discovering the grocery stores in England that you won’t want to miss.
And now that we’re coming to the end of our culinary tour, I’d like to make up for the British food jokes I’ve made along the way and present to you one of the greatest achievements to have ever come out of the British empire: the potato waffle.
Is it a potato? Is it a waffle?
I was obsessed with these when I first moved to the UK, and my roommates and I spent hours discussing what we thought it would taste like.
We should have known from the box that specifically states it’s “made from real mashed potato,” but we had only ever experienced waffles made from dough and served with generous helpings of syrup and possibly some whipped cream.
We had a whole event dedicating to trying them and I believe we even had some friends over for the reveal.
Turns out, it’s literally a potato product shaped like a waffle.
Like a french fry, but in a waffle shape. Two of my favorite things in one.
Nice, move, England. Almost enough to make me forget about your roast chicken Pringles. Almost.
Can You Buy Potato Waffles in the USA?
Sadly, you can’t buy potato waffles in the US or find them anywhere that I know of in the US, which is a real shame for Brits who miss potato waffles while they’re traveling overseas or Americans who have gotten used to them and now want them day and night.
The Final Difference Between American and British Grocery Stores
Oh, and one final thing to mention that marks a major difference between American and British grocery stores: in British grocery stores, you often have to bag your own items.
This is one of the things that took getting used to when I first moved here, not because I wasn’t willing to do it myself, but because I sat there awkwardly staring at the cashier as she threw food down at the end while I should have been bagging it, which left me with a giant pile of food to bag after I had paid.
Oops. You’re supposed to greet the cashier, then take your spot at the end of the belt and start piling your own items into bags.
This can sometimes be super stressful because the expert cashiers are just flinging food down at you and you’re all, “Hold on two seconds while I catch my breath, the bacon got caught on the bananas!” and they’re like “No time! This is Britain, do as we do!” and the rest of the people in line are looking at you all huffy.
Also, one of the final differences between UK grocery stores and US grocery stores is that plastic bags in England cost 5 pence each, which is a minimal amount but everyone now tries to bring their own lifetime bags to avoid the 5p charge.
This in turn saves the environment and is part of why the charge was introduced in the first place, so hooray!
Have you been to grocery stores in England as an American?
What did you think?
Did you get lost in a sea of strange flavors or did you sail those culinary ships with ease? Let me know down below!
To save this post, hover over the pinnable image and pin it for later!
• Save
Enjoyed this? Share it!
27 thoughts on “9 Shocking Differences Between American and British Grocery Stores”
1. Thanks for the tour down memory lane! I remember shopping in England as a child! We even had a van that came to the village we lived in and brought the market to us!
2. This is hilarious and SO relatable. I literally went “I didn’t know that one, but who knows what a rutabaga is anyway” and then read your next sentence which said almost exactly that.
The eggs things is also so weird. My boyfriend just walked in as I was reading your article and I told him “this is why I took so long in the co-op the other day, I couldn’t find eggs.” And he said, “I wondered what you were doing in there all that time.”
I also cannot believe they have chip flavours like Prawn Cocktail, Roast Chicken, Marmite Yeast, Steak (which all taste exactly the same) and they don’t have the bloody best flavours like Dill Pickle and Ketchup!
Reading this article was like reading my own thoughts only funnier. Have you ever thought about writing a book? You should!
1. That’s so funny that you had the same problem with eggs. And then British people look at you funny when you ask because it’s just normal to them! I’ve been with my boyfriend for two years and sometimes we still have cultural misunderstandings like this and I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m an idiot half of the time.
Ketchup chips and dill pickle chips?! Even those sound weird to me, must be a Canadian thing! I do love ketchup though…
I would love to write a book, actually. One day! So glad you can relate and I’m not the only one who thinks these things! 🙂
3. Freddos were popular in the 60’s or 70’s, I think, and Cadbury brought them back for the nostalgia crowd. Cheese and onion crisps! Those are the best! Although the Walkers Roast Chicken is worth trying too. Open your mind.
I lived in England from 1992 to 1996. The mega-supermarket was still a fairly new thing, so I could not understand why people were dawdling so much in the aisles and so overwhelmed by the choices, when I was just the American tornado of activity of “get in, get my stuff, get out”. It wasn’t until my English/naturalized American husband and I were watching Back in Time for Dinner that I finally understood why people were just standing and staring at the shelves a lot.
In other words, yes, get used to being puzzled the rest of your life.
1. I have to admit that as much I as like to tease my British friends about their crisps flavors, I do enjoy most of them! Cheese and onion are amazing.
Really interesting to hear about your experience with mega-supermarkets in England. I didn’t realize they only started to become popular in the 90s.
Thanks for reading!
4. Love this. So funny! I love posts like these because it makes me feel like I myself had just gone on a little journey through a foreign supermarket in a far-away land!
5. From what I understand, it’s not that eggs are “processed differently” they come out of a chicken’s butt everywhere in the world; but the hens are vaccinated with the salmonella vaccine, while in the States they are not. So technically in the States you can leave your eggs to room temperature too, but it’s a bigger risk since the hens aren’t vaccinated.
1. Charlie Taylor
The other difference is that eggs get washed in the US which destroys the coating on the outside that stops bacteria getting into the egg.
2. I had a friend that worked at a chicken farm in Florida here in the US, he would bring eggs home straight from the farm, he told me the difference is, ONCE they have been put into the fridge, they have to stay there, but if you leave them room temp, they can stay that way till you eat them. I got eggs from him for years and didn’t ever put them in the fridge, they seem to last longer and keep the freshness at foom temp in my opinion.
6. I enjoyed this post! I embraced the change for a but because I love the abundance of veggies and fruit but now that I am pregnant I sorely miss all the American snack and fast food classics. Missing Chick fil A, Chipotle and Mexican food. The Latin America section is pitiful here and turns my Mexican blood cold. So there is a love/hate relationship with the food here. I hardly go to any restaurants which helps my waistline. But I live in Bath so London has probably a way better restaurant selection!
7. I have been here 14 years. You don’t know how much easier it is to find American food now. Things that werent here back then: Oreos, Reeses, Mt. Dew, Peanut Butter (that was edible), Hersheys, Papa Johns. Sadly, hot pockets came and went. There are several Chipotles. One near Liverpool Street.
1. Super interesting, Greg!! Sad to here hot pockets came and went! I’ve been to one of the Chipotles, I think the Soho one, and thought it wasn’t quite the same as back home for some reason, but I couldn’t put my finger on it…
8. I really want to try American waffles! Lol! As a Brit who loves all things american, I have noticed more American food in the shops in my area, lots of Hersheys varieties and I have seen fruit loops in Morrison’s but it was about £4 – £5 for an average size box so I havent been able to give them a try! We miss out on a lot of American food because of the sugar content, for example the starbucks unicorn frapichino wasn’t available in the UK because of the sugar, I don’t understand why they couldn’t of made a similar one with less sugar! So unfair!
1. That’s interesting on the Starbucks front, Alisha. I didn’t know that.
My husband will say you’re not missing out on Hersheys. A vast generalization, but British people tend to seem not to like the flavor of it and generally prefer English Cadbury’s (not American Cadbury’s, as that, I believe, is a different recipe!).
9. Iim from UK but have lived in America (still do) for 30yrs. I was recently back in England a few things I can’t stand: bagging my own groceries and supermarkets (Morrisons) comes to mind where they sell things pre-packed in 3’s or 4s or mushrooms and there’s no place to pick your own! BTW, you may not have noticed this but if you buy Gatorade or Oreos for example (the UK versions) and then go over to the US section in a large Tesco they taste very different! I think the only place you may find the UK version of Gatorade though is at a Subway sandwich or Etihad stadium in Manchester. Oh and I hate coins in UK, need less of them. Finding a good, thick marbled steak is a nightmare, usually have to go somewhere specialised and costs an arm and a leg and a hip..
1. Hi Martyn,
It’s funny how different countries do different things! My husband always says English and American versions of foods taste different, such as Heinz Ketchup, basic loaves of bread and Cadbury’s Dairy Milk.
I do rather think a mass Oreo tasting session is in order! Just for science….
10. There are no standard American flavors of Doritos either. can not get Nacho flavor or Cool Ranch or even sour cream and onion flavors. and Walkers which is same ogo and same company as lays in America can not get american flavors but do have strange flavors like Prawn or Worcestershire Sauce flavored and again no sour cream and onion and the onion ones walkers has tastes a bit off. Even had BBQ Racoon walkers which really don’t even have words. And can not find any where to get tater tots in the UK. Cheers
11. I found your post after trying to search for potato waffles in the US! I am moving to Ireland (ROI) and while on my many house hunting journeys found potato waffles in the grocery store and had to try them. One bite and I was hooked LOL So while stuck back in the US for short time to start packing for the move I dream of those dang waffles 🙂 Thank you for the post!
1. Forgot to mention – the salad dressing section! It is so tough to find salad dressings like in the US and I think I’ll have to start making my own ranch dressing. Oh the horrors LOL
12. Myfiance is American and I went to visit him and he bought mini pizza rolls. I think they were called something like Toastitos or something like that. OMG, delicious!! They gotta bring them babys over here and dipped in ranch sauce….. heeeeaven!
13. You actually CAN buy potato waffles in the US. Head over to a Lidl’s and search for a box of 12 Belgian potato waffles in the freezer section.
Believe it or not, I just had some today for lunch with Chick-fil-A sandwiches! Not as good as their waffle fries, I might say, but the experiment was considered a success.
Good luck, and enjoy!
Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published.
Copy link |
Understanding karma
Karma is understood in terms of the four laws of karma:
1. Karma is certain: There is no doubt that a negative action will lead to suffering and a positive action will lead to happiness. For example, if I intentionally set a mousetrap that kills mice and rejoice when a mouse was killed, then the result will inevitably be suffering for me.
2. Karma increases: Karma increases over time. For example, the result of killing a mouse will increase over time. This means that the amount of suffering that I later experience will increase, whether it is the severity of the suffering or the duration of the suffering.
3. You do not meet with karma you have not created: My karma is mine and mine alone to experience. This reminds me to consider whether my actions will have a positive effect or a negative effect. By focusing on my behaviour, it might influence other people to do the same. But there is nothing to be gained by judging the outward actions of others. For example, I should think twice before setting a mousetrap that could injure a mouse.
4. Karma you have created does not dissipate: Unfortunately, the suffering that I have created for myself does not go away on it’s own or by wishing it away. However, I can apply the 4 Opponent Powers. By applying the 4 Opponent Powers the result is rendered useless and I will not experience the suffering. For example, as part of the 4 Opponent Powers practice I might perform the ‘Confession to the 35 Buddhas’ or recite a text such as ‘Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ by Shantideva. |
There are some subjects, although we study them good enough, we used to forget it quiet often. I had the same problem. I think the problem will be solved if you understand the nature of the subject.
Inorganic is a subject where we have to remember hundreds of small pieces of data. So forgetfulness is a usual thing when coming to inorganic.
So never ever expect to remember the entire subject as you remember other subject.
Now we understood that, inorganic will often fade out from out minds.
So the problem now is how to imprint the inorganic data in the mind for the long term memory? or How to remember inorganic for a longer time?
Let me explain this with a very simple example. Now lets say that you are studying the following sentence "Copper solution is blue in color".
When you study that sentence, a new nerve pathway will be formed inside our brain within the neuronal network.
• If you use that new nerve path again and again, the path is going to be stronger & faster
• But if you don't use that path again for a period of time, that path is going to fade away or disappear.
That is what science says.
So how to use the new nerve path again and again?
There are lots of data's in inorganic. Primarily we have to remember the most important things that is usually asked in past papers.
So it is always better to do the past paper. When you do the past paper, you will have to recall the important things again and again. i.e Use every single important nerve pathway again and again.
Lets say that you have used 1000 nerve paths today while doing past paper & recalling your notes. And lets say that 80% of the nerve connections are stronger. That means the 80% of what you study are somewhat you knew very well.
So rest, 20% of the nerve connections are new/weak. If you can identify the weak connections, i.e the facts that you really don't know, then you can make the connection stronger by using some strategies.
One of the strategy what I used to follow.
1. Take an A4 paper and fold it paralel to long edge. (So it is easy to carry around and maintain for a ling period of time).
2. When you come across the 20% of the weak connections, just write one keyword that will lead you to recall the fact. (Don't write more than one keyword. Because you have to keep it simple and easy to use. Keeping it simple will help you a lot to recall everything very quickly.)
3. So now you have all your weak connections in a piece of paper. Now what you have to do is to use the nerve pathway again and again to make it stronger. So as usual when you finish studying or when you take a break. take the folded A4 sheet with keywords and go to the bed. Just by looking at the keyword try to recall the facts.
4. Do it again following morning as soon as you get up from the bed. If you still have some facts that you think you might forget, just recall it few times and put a red mark on it. So that you will identify it easily.
5. File it, and keep it in an order. So that you will be able to use it again.
6. After a week take it again and do the same procedure.
7. So when you collect every A4 sheets you made while you study inorganic, you have your entire weak connections in few A4 sheets. Now you can recall every single weak connections of yours prior to every exam very rapidly.
Note: You will have to use and recall the keywords in each of the A4 sheets at least 5 times. Otherwise when you take it after a long time, just prior to exam, you will not be able to recall the keywords. So please use it more than 5 times.
Log in to comment
Posted: 4 years 7 months ago by Munzira #16932
Munzira's Avatar
Same prb i hv got b4.nw nly saw ds post.jazakallahuhra .rly hppy
Posted: 6 years 2 months ago by Mohamed Rumaizan #8442
Mohamed Rumaizan's Avatar
Can u upload d block short notes |
Search engine optimisation made simple
Seen by some as a bit of a dark art, search engine optimisation (or SEO) is vital for any business in a world where pretty much everyone searches online for whatever they need.
Think about it. If you’re looking to buy something, you will usually look online to find what’s available, price, options etc. When you do that you will type the first phrase that comes into your head, and then refine it as you go along until you get what you want. It’s really frustrating when you get all sorts of irrelevant websites coming up.
Search engines want to help you find what you are looking for because that’s their job. The better the search engine, the more people use it, and the more they can charge for advertising. Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask are all examples of search engines competing with each other.
In its simplest form, SEO is simply ‘labelling’ or ‘signposting’ your website so that the search engines (like Google) can find it.
The big companies can afford to throw thousands of pounds at SEO and advertising campaigns to make sure that their products are at the top of the listings.
So how can you compete with them?
It’s basically about keywords and key phrases, and using them effectively. A keyword is one word that describes your product. A key phrase is a collection of words.
Let’s imagine you’re selling bags. If someone types ‘bags’ into a search engine, there will be hundreds and thousands of results and yours might (very unlikely) or might not (very likely) be amongst them.
But if you’re selling a certain type of bag e.g. blue handbags or spotty satchels then you can get a bit more specific, and the competition will be less. The more specific you can be, the more likely you are to come up in the search engine results.
There are various free tools available that enable you to look at how popular a phrase is, and similar phrases that are typed into the search engines. For example, spotty satchels might be related to satchels for school, spotty school satchels, satchels with spots etc. Google Adwords has a Keyword Tool that you can use that will suggest alternatives.
Once you know the key phrases your potential customers might be typing when they go online, you can ‘optimise’ your site accordingly. You need to make sure that your pages and the titles of the pages include these words, as well as the behind the scenes labelling.
This does take some technical know-how so it might be best to employ a professional to do it for you, but if you want your website to be found, it’s a vital investment.
I am NOT a SEO professional, but I do know some, so let me know if you want their details.
Leave a Comment
|
General Topics
Real Artificial Protein?
For years there have been artificial substitutes for meat, most often soya based. Some have been edible, especially when mixed with other foodstuffs. But none so far has come near to satisfying passionate meat eaters.
According to a recent report, real progress is being made to generate laboratory grown meat that tastes as good as the real thing without all the cruelty, ghastly side effects, expense, and waste of the present worldwide meat industry. “We could be seeing a future where huge quantities of high-quality meat are gown in vats, incorporating not only muscle fibers but layers of real fat and even synthetic bone. In 25 years real meat will come in a packet labelled, “An animal has suffered in the production of this product,” and it will carry a big eco tax. I think in 50-60 years it may be forbidden to grow meat from livestock. An animal does need to be killed to kick off the in-vitro process, but “in theory, a single specimen could provide the seed material for hundreds of tonnes of meat.”
This is perfectly acceptable halachically. After all, the Gemara tells us that R. Hanina and R. Oshaia spent every Sabbath evening studying the Book of Creation, and as a result they were able to create a fat calf and ate it (Sanhedrin 65b). So if you could conjure up a living being from a mystical source, then why not from a lab?
Yet you can bet there will be opposition. Whenever anything threatens the kosher meat trade the rabbis and dayanim who live by it, automatically cry foul because they will lose a major source of income. That also explains why those few rabbis who became vegetarians, like the Kamenitzer Maggid, or supported vegetarianism in principle. Men like Rav Kook, were excoriated and virtually written out of Charedi history (for other reasons as well such as supporting Zionism).
I am not an ideological vegetarian, but I welcome the possibility of scrapping the current meat trade.. But actually on purely economic grounds I find the current situation unacceptable. We spend more money raising one beef animal than would feed an Indian village for a month. Then there is the issue of cruelty. Most processes are offensive: the ghastly way most animals bred for slaughter are treated, the awful sights and smells hidden from consumers, the amounts of chemicals fed into animals reared for human consumption, not to mention the dangers of our modern diets. I am not opposed to eating meat, but I’d be delighted if there some way of doing it without subjecting animals to human cruelty.
This is not an attack on Shechita. I have seen virtually all officially sanctioned methods of slaughter, Jewish and non-Jewish. I don’t like any of them. But then I hate the sight of blood in general. Nevertheless I am utterly convinced that of all of them Shechita, when carried out correctly, is the least painful and disturbing. But, as Temple Grandin has shown emphatically, so much of the awfulness of slaughter has to do with the lead up, the corralling, the forcing of animals towards the fate they can smell and hear, not to mention so much cruelty involved in the rearing, the transportation, and the preparatory processes of meat production. If only we could have the taste without all that.
Let us assume that all the unemployed Shochtim could be trained to work in other areas of the kosher trade. Why do I still envisage opposition? One reason is simply the reluctance to countenance anything new or to allow science or modern values to challenge ancient traditions. A new concept of religious correctness is that “Masorah”, the way we have always done things, trumps innovation. My late father-in-law used to say (perhaps tongue in cheek) that there was something called “Jewish food”. Anyone who didn’t prefer carp gefilte fish or schmaltz herring to smoked salmon was not a proper Jew.
Finally there is in fact another issue. It is the tension that exists between the letter of halacha and the spirit. The Torah commands us to sacrifice animls and the priests to eat meat (although I do pray that when Elijah comes to usher in the Messiah he will tell us that only vegetable sacrifices will be accepted in the Temple). But the Torah is also full of laws concerning animals: not killing a cow and its calf on the day, not taking a fledgling or egg in front of the mother, not ploughing an ox with an ass together, not muzzling an ox while it threshes.
The rabbis are divided in their rationalizations. Some of course refuse to accept the idea of explanations altogether and emphasize only the significance of an act of obedience to a higher power. Some do indeed say it shows Divine mercy to creatures as a sign of greater mercy towards humans. And others do actually argue that the purpose is showing mercy to animals to imitate Divine qualities of caring. Of course I do not need to rehearse the very specific laws against cruelty to animals and the Noachide laws of “Ever Min HaChay” (not taking a limb from a living animal). Yet too often one hears these ideas dismissed as figments of non-Jewish moral relativism.
There is indeed a massive challenge to reconcile caring for animals with the meat trade. This is where meta-halacha plays an important part. Humans do indeed come first. But that does not mean we should not be concerned with animal welfare. Yet somewhere along the march of history we have lost the thread.
Take these narratives about Rebbi Yehudah Hanassi in Bava Metzia 85a:
Why did he suffer in life? A calf was being taken to the slaughter. It broke away, hid his head under Rabbi’s skirts, and began to howl. “Go,” he said, “because you were created for this.” Then they said (on High), “Since he has no pity, let us make him suffer.”
And why did his suffering end? One day Rabbi’s maidservant was sweeping the house; [seeing] some young weasels lying there, she was about to kill them. He said to her, “Let them be, for it is written, ‘He extends his mercy to all of his creation.’” Then they said, “Since he is compassionate, let us be compassionate to him.”
You could not have a more explicit expression of the significance of the issue in Jewish ethical terms.
5 thoughts on “Real Artificial Protein?
1. I would also add that Maimonides stated that animals have the same capacity for feelings that humans have. Which was his rationale for not slaughtering a mother and its calf on the same day, because if either one were to see it being killed, it would cause it immense emotional suffering. He also argued that animals don't exist just to serve us, but also have their own purpose.
Judaism also has the idea of tsar baalei hayyim. Though Rabbinic from how it is inferred from a Biblical verse, it's still a significant point.
There is also the custom of feeding one's animals before feeding oneself (although I do not recall its origins or how significant it is as a law or custom).
There was also the story about Rebecca giving water to the animals, and her compassion thusly made her a fitting wife for Isaac.
And these are only in addition to what you also stated.
I think it's very unfortunate that the Orthodox world doesn't pay enough attention to all the rules, customs and allusions which point towards compassion to living creatures being paramount in value within Judaism. Some of these rules even have a stronger biblical basis than the laws of shehitah itself, and certainly more so than the other things organizations like the OU concern themselves with.
Great post, as usual, Rabbi Rosen!
2. I agree with you that the way the animals are kept is wrong in any way and it definitely does not apply to Jewish laws. I heard those horrible stories from the USA but I am not sure how they keep larger animals like cattle and sheep in this country. Maybe it is better on the Jewish farms here. It supposed not to be better for fowls like chicken and turkey. I still support the Jewish Shechita as the most painless and humane one. It is done by a 6 year trained Shochet. Nobody else does it this way and is trained for so long. I agree the technical part should be corresponding with the ethical part. I am against cruelty of animals as much as you are. I am not sure if the fake meat that is now produced has the nutritions as the usual meat. I have to eat red meat like beef, lamb, goat or duck as lean and red as possible (not too much fat) that has the most iron. I am not sure if that fake meat will have iron, too. Do you know? It would also make it easier to keep kashrut. I would not need to worry about separating everything under the worst household conditions. My household is never equipped for so much Jewish observance and tradition. It drives me already crazy. I am always afraid when a non-Jewish or a secular one comes and mixes it up or puts things on the wrong surface etc. It already happened. I have non-Jewish family members or secular Jewish friends sometimes coming and visiting me. I can't keep them out all the time. That is not fair either.
I really like all your post. I am always reading it every week or whenever it gets into my mail box.
3. Thanks, Rabbi Rosen.
And those are only a few examples. I'm sure either of us could easily think of more which emphasize the point, but that would be beating a dead horse (or is that not beating a living horse?).
In any event, I think it's very important for Orthodox rabbis to make the kind of statements you have. The Conservative movement made a great statement with their Hechsher Zedek, but, as far as I know, it hasn't really amounted to much. Even worse is that it's so common for Orthodox rabbis to separate themselves from any possible affiliation with other denominations that they won't do similar practices, even if the value is universal among all religious denominations.
(not that I'm implying there aren't Orthodox rabbis who will stand up on these issues; just that there aren't nearly as many as I wish there were)
4. Thank you for your support. You re right, not enough in the Orthodox world are prepared to fight for these issues. Either because they are too preoccuppied with their own survival or because they are suspicious of any values that the non-Jewish world shares!!!
Leave a Reply |
Which magazines publish short stories
How to get your short stories published in journals and magazines
The idea of posting a short story can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Having a system and incorporating it into your writing routine will help distill the fear. An organized system will also help position you as a professional in the eyes of an editor, which is key to publishing, no matter how exemplary your work is.
If you are in doubt whether this is the right time for you to start this process, it pays to say "Are you ready to publish?" You can also test your knowledge of publishing with the Publishing Quiz. If journals and magazines are not near you and you want to publish a novel, see "How to Find an Agent."
• 01 Complete and proofreading multiple stories
Even if you're not in control of an editor's likes or preferences, this self-editing checklist can help ensure that your work is spelling and grammar free. You can also edit your stories in a class or writing group, all of which are available online. You should also have more than one piece ready to submit to a magazine or magazine just in case an editor asks to see more of your work.
• 02 Research the market
A little research goes a long way and will incrementally make your efforts publicly more successful. Start by researching the entire publication market to see which journals and journals are open to your work. Once you've narrowed down the market, you'll find the submission guidelines for the journals you selected.
• 03 Format your short stories correctly
Editors expect certain information to be part of every short story submitted. For example, editors want to know in advance if your story is the right length for their diary, so it is common to put the word count at the top of the first page. You also want to make sure your contact information is included in case your cover letter is lost.
• 04 Write a cover letter
Your cover letter doesn't have to be long, and most editors prefer short cover letters because they get ground up on time. That said, you need to add a brief biography listing all the publications that have accepted your work. If you haven't been released yet, don't worry, you have to start somewhere and if you stick to it someone will eventually give you a chance. To streamline the filing process, keep a generic cover letter on your computer, preferably your desktop, and customize the heading and salutation for each journal you access. For more information on how to write a professional cover letter, see Cover Letter.
• 05 Submissions
A spreadsheet is an easy way to keep track of submissions (see an example on the left), although some people go old school and use index cards. Whichever process you choose, you need to be able to see every submitted story at a glance to avoid facing a magazine more than twice a year or sending the same story twice. This will also help you keep track of simultaneous submissions. When you receive this letter of acceptance, it will be easy to contact the other magazines that want to publish your story as well.
• 06 Observe the simultaneous submission guidelines
Every journal has a guideline for simultaneous submission (i.e. whether they prefer exclusivity or not). If a story you submitted at the same time is accepted somewhere, write the others to withdraw your submission. If you haven't heard from a magazine in a year, it's acceptable to contact them again to either inquire about the status of your work or to withdraw your submission. Otherwise, do not email or call editors.
• 07 Keep the rejection in perspective
The best writers out there have a pile of rejection letters, so keep sending stories, especially after a rejection. It's easier to fend off rejections when you have multiple samples of your work out there and still have the opportunity to be accepted in the wings. On the other hand, if you've been around for a while and find yourself bitter about what is affecting your writing, take a break and just focus on writing for a while. |
Gotland-Russ Pony Origin and Characteristics
The Gotland-Russ Pony gets its name from the island where the breed is believed to have originated and the type of horse it happens to be. Although it is a pony, the original term for the breed was “ross,” which is an Old English term for a riding horse. In a comparison to modern English, the word “ross” is about the same as the German word “hros,” which is how we get to the word “horse.”
So, in a sense, the breed is called the Gotland Horse Pony in modern terms.
In the earliest days of this breed, it was still thought to be a wild horse. Domestication has come over the breed and the remaining herds on its island of origin are classified as semi-feral today. An enclosed area of Lojsta Moor keeps a herd on 650 acres of controlled land. They have been present in this state since the 19th century, but population numbers have declined as development on Gotland has increased.
Their size made them attractive to coal miners throughout Europe, with some Gotland-Russ ponies making their way to Belgium and England. To protect the breed, a society was formed in its homeland and a pedigree book was started in 1943. Since then, two Wales pony stallions have been accepted to help preserve the breed, but the pedigree has been closed since 1971.
About 200 Gotland-Russ ponies are currently living in North America and that number is steadily growing.
The History of the Gotland-Russ Pony
The Gotland-Russ Pony is an old Swedish breed, which are believed to be descendants of the Tarpans that originally lived on the island of Gotland. With a history that dates to at least the days right after the last Ice Age, this is the only pony breed that is native to Sweden.
Locally, this pony is often lovingly referred to as a “Forest Ram.”
Stone Age discoveries show that the ancestors of the Gotland-Russ pony were present at least 5,000 years ago. How they arrived on the island is still a mystery, though the best guess is that a land bridge once existed that allowed the pony herds to make their way there.
Another theory suggests that tamed horses were taken to the island by settlers who came from the Scandinavian homelands.
Although it is the most common breed of pony in Sweden, it is relatively rare outside of its home country. They are found throughout Scandinavia, along with Denmark and North America. This relative isolation has allowed the breed to maintain many of its ancestral characteristics, even though modern breeding efforts have been incorporated to maintain the breed.
It became popular to have these ponies as domesticated animals around the 2nd century BC, with show horses becoming a point of emphasis in origin. The oldest reference known for these horses comes from the 13th century when laws that mention the “wild horses” of the island were published.
They are primarily used for riding, especially in equestrian classes for young children. They excel in harness racing, dressage, and show jumping. It is quick to learn new skills, a willing learning, and an easy keeper. During the 19th century, the Gotland-Russ pony was popular as a working horse. It was a give-and-take relationship in the region. Farmers didn’t put up fences, but the horses returned every winter for food.
Meat rationing and food shortages in the early and middle 20th century caused poachers to hunt these horses, which put the breed at severe risk. By the end of the 1940s, an estimated 150 ponies were left. This is when the local community banded together, worked with farmers and the local agricultural society, and began to implement policies to save the breed.
Planned breeding programs have helped the breed to re-establish itself and lessen the threat of extinction. Every year, the semi-feral ponies are rounded up to have their health checked, hooves trimmed, and examined for well-being. It’s a festival of sorts for the island in the Summer, with other events coordinated around the foals weaning in the winter and judging that happens in the summer.
In 1997, a breed association was formed in North America to help support the continued development of the Gotland-Russ Pony. This association affiliated itself with the Swedish association and the strict guidelines for inspecting and breeding are followed around the world.
Characteristics of the Gotland-Russ Pony
The Gotland-Russ Pony is narrow and light in its built, featuring a tail that is set low and sloping quarters. Their hooves are remarkably solid and hard when compared to other breeds. Most of the ponies will stand between 11.1-12.3 hands high when fully grown, though there is a 3-year requirement of standing at least 11.1 hands high to qualify for registration. They are strong, hardy, and can be ridden by small adults.
Despite their strength, there is a lightness and elegance to their step.
Several solid coat colors are common to the breed, including palomino, buckskin, chestnut, black, and bay. All colors are allowed except for gray, dun, and pinto. Bay or black is usually the preferred coat color.
The Gotland-Russ is known for its gentle disposition. Even when living in a semi-feral state, these ponies are kind and approachable to humans. If you encounter them while walking along a trail, it is not an uncommon sight to have them come up to sniff you, especially if there are playful young ones around.
This breed is long-lived, with several individuals living well into their 30s. There are very energetic, highly intelligent, and friendly enough in herds or with people. They are a sociable horse, however, so any prolonged time of isolation can cause the horse to grow nervous and fearful, which can cause unwanted behaviors to form.
They make for an excellent trotter and jumper with their general athleticism.
About 9,000 Gotland-Russ ponies ensure that this breed will no longer experience the threats of extinction as they did in the past. These loving, hard-working, and approachable ponies have ancestral roots with humanity that have made it be one of the most popular pony breeds for those who have encountered it. Take the time to get to know this breed a little better and you’ll fall in love with them too.
Leave a comment
Please note, comments must be approved before they are published |
August 5, 2021
How to Play Games With Kids
Have you ever considered playing video games with your children? This is a trend that is quickly catching on with children. We have all seen the old games where the children sit on their hands and enjoy a virtual world that is not a part of the real world. They have learned to identify and control elements of the game through hand movements alone. Now, children are playing these games in an increasingly technologically advanced environment and the interaction is no longer limited to a keyboard and mouse.
There are now a wide range of video games available for children of all ages. In the past, games meant for adults were simply not as widely played by kids. But that is not true anymore. Many of the top companies now have interactive games available for kids to play on their computers. These games give kids a chance to learn without actually having to use the computer.
Most computer games are geared toward older children but that does not mean that there aren’t games that are meant for younger children. A growing number of companies now produce games that are suitable for younger children and this means that there are now games like Paintball and War that are finding a place on the gaming consoles and computers of younger children. In addition, some companies are releasing games that are designed specifically for younger children. You can get more information about bola88.
There are even a number of games that can be found that have simple characters that appeal to kids as well as more sophisticated ones. You can play games with kids that involve various characters such as Batman and Superman for example. There are games that can be played by teens as well as games that they can enjoy when they are younger. The important thing to remember when playing these games is that they do not require too much technological know how on the part of the children either.
The more fun that a child has played a game, the more they want to continue playing it. The more advanced the game, the more likely it is that they will want to try to complete it. Some of the more popular game titles that are being released for younger children include Dora, FarmVille and Mind Control. These titles not only teach them essential skills but they also help them have fun while they are learning.
The great thing about today’s video games is that the ones that are being developed for younger children are often much more interactive than the ones that were designed for teenagers. As a result, they can actually teach the skills that they need to learn from playing these games. You should look for titles that have sound effects that are easy to hear and also those that have bright colors. That way, your child can easily learn while playing the game. When you play games with kids today, they can learn about new technology and they can enjoy themselves as well.
Leave a Reply
|
What’s Responsible Leadership?
One year later since the beginning of the powerful #Metoo movement, at least 200 prominent men have lost their jobs after public allegations of sexual harassment. Wow. So what’s responsible leadership?
I recently attended the General Assembly of the Global Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI). The questions asked at this event sought to understand how to envisage the emergence of a new generation of responsible leaders. In context of #Metoo movement, I thought the concept could also have new implications.
The notion of responsible leader does not only refer to the CEO of a company by the way, but also includes more broadly the management, and the population of senior executives. I am very often asked by clients or cynical students to provide an answer to this question because the concept of responsible leadership seems so difficult to define. Remember Brutus contributing to the killing of Caesar: You become a leader because you kill the father…
I guess there is no definitive answer and contextual elements may shape different ways to define and encourage different kind of responsible leadership. But I’ve come to conclude with 3 questions, which I believe can be a good basis for reflection overall:
Context and Acceptability
Is the leader able to understand the socio-economic environment in which his / her organization operates? This includes what is acceptable and what is not, but also the non-financial factors (environmental, social, etc.) that impact financial performance. The leader must decrypt increasingly complex situations. For example, different tax practices may be quite legal but may have to be laboriously justified in a context of increasingly declining acceptability to them. A responsible leader is a decision-maker who pays taxes where he creates wealth. Digital companies, but also increasingly consumer brands, will have to fine-tune their understanding of these contexts in order to fully understand what will and will not remain acceptable from the point of view of their customers and stakeholders.
For #Metoo, there aren’t any grey areas in context and acceptability. Laws are very clear about harassment in general, and sexual harassment in particular. #Metoo is good to get the basics right: a responsible leader is first and foremost respectful of the law…
Ability of Management Systems to Incite Accountability
Exploring multiple #Metoo cases is fascinating. These cases have in common the multiplication of ethical abuses in the face of which close colleagues remain quiet. These cases also have overall in common the concentration of power with ineffective safeguards.
To what extent does the leader evolve in an environment that encourages him/her to be responsible? Does its Board of Directors question it? Do the manager’s performance measurement systems take into account his or her ability to act responsibly? Is he promoted and rewarded for his responsible performance? Management systems shape responsible leaders if the following conditions are met:
• Already, governance bodies need to have the expertise and resources to challenge, verify and amend leaders’ decisions on strategic and ethical issues. Today, despite the responsibilities on their shoulders, many Boards of Directors offer neither the diversity of expertise nor the operational relevance to carry out this critical element of their mandate. A responsible leader must be supervised by control bodies offering a diversity of points of view that allow the complexity to be deciphered as effectively as possible.
• Secondly, management systems and in particular operational decision-making processes must not only include a nominal responsibility of decision-makers (who is accountable for what), but above all associate it with factual monitoring to verify commitments. Monitoring indicators regularly verified by a third party ensure that the manager has not only exercised his responsibility to make decisions, but can also justify their proper execution. When the operational reality diverges, these systems make it possible not only to confront the leader with his/her responsibilities, but also to offer a space for dialogue to adapt decisions to an operational reality different from what had initially been imagined. A responsible leader must move in an operational environment that offers a clear framework of responsibility but also agility in questioning and adapting to different operational realities.
• Finally, it is essential that the performance measurement of the responsible leader includes a long-term dimension. It is not enough to reward a leader who completes a project on time and on budget. For example, this same leader must also justify that when the keys to the site are handed over, there will be no time bomb that will jump at the figure of the successor: bad construction that will collapse in the coming months, dissatisfaction among stakeholders that will pollute the daily lives of operational staff every morning, pollution that will be invisible to the naked eye and that will cost millions unfunded in a few years… And obviously, the ethical exemplarity that will shape the way teams continue to conduct themselves in the manager’s path.
Leadership and ability to build buy-in
A quality that is often forgotten, but essential in the case of a leader. To what extent does he or she embody the values of respect and exemplarity? We rarely see teams with impeccable ethics when the leader has behaved like a bad guy…
The responsible leader must create exemplarity and thus generate support. In “leader”, there is the notion of “leadership”. The responsible leader knows his or her business, sector and industry well. When he/she knows that sexual or other forms of harassment are common practices in the indusrey, the responsible leader questions the established order. He or she questions practices from another time that are just no longer adapted to his/her sector. He/she adapts the model. He/she is setting an example. It thus arouses the support of the sector. A responsible leader can accept to be a rebel in a way even if this may impact career badly. A responsible leader never regret to have breached the rules for ethical reasons. A genuine responsible leader find it difficult to keep the role building buy-in to maintain practices neither compliant with law nor aligned with the kind of image he/she wants to convey. A Responsible Leader has an ego to be nurtured with positive elements.
Leave a Reply
|
Posted on Leave a comment
Skin pH: a Bit About Skin’s Milieu.
Key Insights
• Skin Structure.
• Skin Function.
• What is pH?
• Importance of Skin pH.
• Factors affecting the Skin pH.
• Helping Your Skin do its Best.
Our skin acts as a barrier, both chemical, and mechanical to protect internal organs. How does it do this so efficiently? We will discuss it today. You may read more about the skin, facts, and myths in our previous blog post here.
The skin consists of layers of cells in various stages of life, the youngest ones residing in the deepest layer. The outermost layer of the skin contains older or dead skin cells that shed in a continuously. The chemical structure of the skin helps protect our body from harmful external factors. The skin achieves it by creating acidic pH.
What is pH?
pH stands for potential Hydrogen, literally! pH is expressed on a scale from 1 to 14 and refers to the acidity of the substance. The pH of 7 is “neutral”. Any number lower than 7 is considered “acidic”, and any number above 7 is considered “alkaline.”
Importance of Skin pH.
Our body adjusts the pH of individual organs to suit various needs. For example, our blood is generally alkaline for multiple purposes. The pH of the skin ranges from 4.7 to 5.7. The pH of the scalp, face, and rest of the body differ in an individual. The skin uses its acidic pH to fight various microbes and free radicals.
Factors Affecting the Skin pH.
Various bodily and external/environmental factors can affect skin pH. They may include:
• Lack of adequate sleep.
• Inadequate hydration.
• Chronic medical conditions.
• Illness.
• Air pollution.
• Excessive sun exposure.
• Sweat.
• Change in skin moisture levels (excessive heat, cold, or humidity).
• Acne and other skin conditions.
• Use of chemicals in cosmetics/soap.
• Frequent washing of the skin.
• Sebum secretion.
Helping Your Skin Do its Best.
You can help your skin do its best with avoiding or modifying factors discussed above. Besides, several simple adjustments can help big in taking proper care of your skin.
Choice of Skin Cleanser.
Cleanse your skin using a gentle, non-irritating cleanser. There are acidic and alkaline cleansers in the market, but pH is commonly adjusted using acids and alkaline. Selecting a pH neutral cleanser formulated from natural substances to achieve its pH is ideal to avoid irritation.
Pearls of Skin Cleansing.
Cleansing with Gentle Rolling Motion.
You are tempted to splash some water, soap, rinse and wipe the skin. However, cleansing with gentle, rolling motion can help the cleanser remove most of the dirt and other unwanted debris from your skin. A thorough rinse with lukewarm water will ensure the removal of the particles and cleanser. Use a dry pat method with soft towel for skin drying instead of a harsh rub. Now, you are ready to tone and moisturize your skin.
Correct Toning.
Applying a skin serum or toner helps you deliver nutrients (vitamins, minerals) in high concentrations directly onto the skin. Skin toning after cleansing allows the serum to be absorbed effectively.
Effective Moisturizing.
A moisturizer can be a lotion, cream, mask or similar product used to provide hydration. A natural moisturizer for your face, like Stem Cell Cream or for your body like Daytime Kindle Lotion, helps achieve proper hydration and protection.
The skin is a complex but delicate organ. The skin pH is slightly acidic (about 4.5 to 5.5), and can differ in various parts. The skin uses its acidic pH to fight various microbes and free radicals. Multiple factors, bodily and external, can affect the skin’s health and pH. Simple measures can help your skin do its job.
Leave a Reply |
What’s Really Behind the Vinyl Revival?
Music Matters
What’s Really Behind the Vinyl Revival?
Posted by on Jan 30, 2020
In an age where virtually any piece of music can be played on your phone at the touch of a button, young people are buying more and more vinyl records. Why?
By Jeff McCord
Edison wax cylinder phonograph c. 1899
Since the beginnings of recorded music, one consumer format has replaced another, each breathlessly promising a brighter future. There have always been holdouts – I have no doubt there were Edison Cylinder purists – but for the most part, music lovers have followed along in lockstep, gobbling up new technologies and trends, and never looking back.
Not any more.
Vinyl record albums were abandoned and left for dead by the record labels when CD popularity peaked in the late eighties. Yet, according to RIAA projections, 2019 vinyl sales will exceed the revenues of CDs for the first time in 33 years (once figures are in). And overwhelmingly, the buyers are under 30.
To paraphrase David Byrne, how did we get here? How is there nostalgia for something under-thirties have never known? Given vinyl’s evolution, there are no easy answers.
78 RPM vinyl album
Disc records came along in the late 1800s. For a while, they coexisted with Edison cylinders (records were played on ‘gramophones’, to distinguish from Edison’s ‘phonographs’), but by the 1910s, discs had edged out the cylinders. Recordings were primitive, and the thick discs, initially made of shellac, grabbed noise like a magnet. The music could barely compete.
There were various sizes and speeds, but by the 1910s, the 10” 78rpm was the standard, with a limit of two minutes per side. The 12” 78, introduced in 1903, lasted a leisurely 3 ½ minutes. Initially, 78’s were sold in brown paper sleeves. The first ‘albums’ were sets of 78’s packaged with some sort of artwork.
Lots of other materials, from cardboard to plastic, were tried for discs, but it wasn’t until post- World War II that vinyl, with its durability and lower surface noise, came into common use.
After the Depression killed a false start, the 33 1/3rpm 12” long-play album finally came along for good in 1948. The 7” 45rpm debuted around the same time. It would be 1958 before the first stereo records were being sold, a format already in use on pre-recorded reel to reel tapes (yes, that was a thing, especially before the portable 8-tracks and cassettes came along).
And for decades, the vinyl album reigned. Everyone had a record collection. Record stores and stereo shops were everywhere. Equipment got more and more sophisticated. Cassettes and eight-tracks eventually became popular for cars, portable players and mixtapes (and the subject of inane music biz campaigns like ‘Home Taping Is Killing Music’). But vinyl was the mother ship, the ultimate source material. Record prices, initially in the $3 to $4 range, rose higher and higher. By 1981, Tom Petty threw a tantrum, putting his foot down over plans by his label MCA to release his Hard Promises album at a new $9.98 list price. Times were good for the music business, if not for consumers.
They were about to get even better.
Early home computers, connected to nothing except an electric outlet, were little more than glorified typewriters. Yet they were turning data into 0’s and 1’s, and it wasn’t long before that included music. The first commercial compact discs appeared in 1983. At first, early CD players were bulky and expensive, but that would soon change. The format’s promise was enormous.
CDs seemed to solve all the limitations of vinyl we had come to accept over the years. They were lighter, easier to store and transport, not prone to warping, immune to surface noise. The discs had a much wider dynamic range than records – highs went higher, lows went lower – and because they were never touched by anything other than a laser during playback, they didn’t wear out. Vinyl records were limited to about 40 minutes of music. A CD doubled that.
John Kunz, Owner of Waterloo Records
Record companies and retailers saw dollar signs, and from the outset, CDs prices were 1/3 higher than LPs. It didn’t matter; everyone had to have them. Waterloo Records owner John Kunz describes this time as a real “ka-ching” moment for retailers. It was. As one of Waterloo’s early employees, I saw firsthand customers lining up to buy their favorite records over again.
Early CDs, with unreadable artwork shrunk over 50% from their album counterparts, and mastered directly from vinyl, were lacking. Still, CD sales shot up as vinyl sales dropped precipitously. Pressing plants began closing, turntable manufacturers were retooling or going out of business. Throughout the nineties, as CDs improved, most new releases weren’t being manufactured on vinyl at all. People were dumping their vinyl collections wholesale.
Musicians -who always seem left with a smaller piece of the pie of each new format – and vinyl lovers didn’t think so, but these were heady times for the music business. CD sales soared, and wouldn’t slow down until the year 2000. But by then, there were fins circling in the water, and storm clouds overhead.
CD burners, which made an exact digital copy of any CD, were popular and built into many computers, allowing fans to copy CDs for their friends. In the early days of the internet, “friends” grew exponentially. Napster, the peer to peer service launched in 1999 by Shawn Fanning, allowed millions to essentially swap their digital music files for free. Artists like Metallica and Dr. Dre, along with some labels, sued over copyright infringement and shut this thievery down, but it didn’t matter. The cat was out of the bag. Numerous imitators sprung up faster than they could be found and stopped, and as internet speeds grew, and YouTube and Bit Torrents came online, the young and savvy grew up thinking that music was something you found for free online. Record and hi-fi stores slowly began to melt away.
It’s been that way for two decades now. Component stereos have gone into the attic or the trash heap. The music experience for many has come down to badly compressed music played through cheap earbuds or mono Bluetooth speakers. While a few innovative indie record stores have managed to hang on, music retail giants like Tower and Virgin shut down, and other big box stores stopped carrying CDs altogether. Since 2000, CD sales have plummeted 94%. And with no new format in place, the music industry went into a tailspin.
There have been attempts to create a digital revenue stream – Apple’s popular iTunes store (launched in 2003) and line of iPod’s was among the first. But it didn’t reverse the trend. Only in the late 2000s would the industry find another stable way to monetize music, through the advent of subscription streaming services (there are many, but the biggest, Spotify, came along in 2008). While not necessarily profitable themselves, even though only paying artists a tiny sliver of their revenue, the services’ income has managed to stabilize and even grow things business-wise.
Even with their drastic fall, CDs are still being sold, but younger music fans aren’t the ones buying them. Over the past decade, physical music sales are on an upswing. But it’s vinyl, a format left for dead in the nineties, that is leading the charge. And the buyers are predominantly under thirty.
When I first started to hear that vinyl was selling again, it made sense to me. I have a large collection [though much to my regret, I sold about half of it during the CD boom, records that would now take four times as much to buy back, even if I could find them]. But I’m not one of those who ditched my turntable and stereo. I really never stopped playing records, even when new ones were not being made. For me, it was aural muscle memory for a format I grew up with, and an association for when and where I bought my favorite albums.
Plus, I love the sound of vinyl. Battered by the ‘everything loud’ creed of modern digital mastering, the best-sounding records seem more authentic, musical and alive. I was an early adopter of the convenience of digital music and its vastly superior specs. But on a decent stereo, something seemed lost in translation.
When I was a kid, records were relatively inexpensive and easy to find at any local record store. Listening to these albums years later, I ‘m transported back to my initial excitement and discovery, to what made me so passionate about music in the first place.
But seeing the young demographics involved in the revival, it occurred to me that NONE of these reasons really explained what was going on. In a day and age where virtually everyone uses streaming services that can pull up almost any song on their phone, when two decades have gone by for many without a physical format or even a stereo, what is causing them to suddenly seek out vinyl?
Don Radcliffe, Owner Ella Guru in Atlanta
Former Austinite Don Radcliffe, who owns the used record shop Ella Guru in Atlanta, has his theories. “I guess there’s some people that are doing it for the same reason that we did. You’ve got to put a little work in. You’ve got to spend money rather than just finding it for free and putting it on a hard drive, when basically all you have to do is press a button to make it go away. And some people enjoy the the the tactile part of it, the cover. Vinyl records don’t hold near as much music as a CD. So, in those 35 minutes or whatever, why did they pick those songs? Why are they sequenced that way? You know, the same dumb stuff that attracted us to it. And they read credits and they look at who produced it. What else did they produce? Or they discover some musicians on it. Jesus, this guy is awesome. What other bands was he in? The web starts getting spun a little bit and they’ve got to figure out where everything sort of fits.”
Spencer Smith, Vinyl Collector
Spencer Smith, 30, who bartends and is a projectionist at the Alamo Drafthouse, has been a vinyl fan since age fifteen, when he first asked his parents for a record player. “At the time, I was listening the way most kids do, downloading from the internet, mostly illegally. I think something about the process felt kind of cheap to me. I could download a thousand records a day, but I would never really listen to them. You take a kid and put him in the middle of a candy shop. There’s no clue where to go first. Something about having the music physically and listening to every song in order really appealed to me.”
“I didn’t start collecting records until I was in college,” KUTX host Taylor Wallace, 29, confesses. “I’m from a small town and didn’t know anyone who did. My parents grew up in the CD era. This was around 2009-2010, right when it was getting popular. All my friends, and these guys I wanted to date, they all had record collections. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is a thing.’”
John Kunz recalls it being about fifteen years ago when he first started seeing a vinyl sales uptick at Waterloo. Superstar artists with clout, perhaps disappointed in declining CD sales, began demanding limited runs of vinyl – because they could. Labels obliged. Stores generally had one shot at ordering them. But their scarcity added to their appeal.
Kunz remembers the advent of Record Store Day, started by a coalition of independent record stores in 2008, as the moment while vinyl sales really began to rise. “The record labels were giving every Circuit City, Borders, Best Buy and Wal-Mart exclusive bonus tracks. And we [independent record stores] were all here saying, you shouldn’t be messing with the core product. That’s really confusing to the customer. Give them the exclusive as a digital download. But we want an exclusive release on vinyl.” [It’s a tradition that continues to this day. Record Store Day 2020 is on April 18th.]
While Austin still mourns the loss of classic record stores like Inner Sanctum and Sound Exchange, it is fortunate to have some pre-2000 survivors – Waterloo and Antone’s Records – and numerous other excellent post-2000 vinyl shops across town, several of them also offering a wide assortment vintage hi-fi gear, including End Of An Ear, Sound Gallery, and Breakaway Records.
Gabe Vaughn (left) and Josh Larue (right), Owners of Breakaway Records
Breakaway, which is exclusively analog, is co-owned by Gabe Vaughn and Josh LaRue.
“It’s not a lot of people;” LaRue tells me. “Many young people are music fans but only a few go down the vinyl road. Some people get the nostalgia thing – they saw their parents play records or they saw it in a movie or something.”
“And for some people, it’s an identity. I remember being younger and wanting to be about something, you know, like I’m a collector.”
Not everyone who buys vinyl is a collector. Collecting most anything never makes a lot of practical sense. [If you want to know if you’re stricken with this malady, take this simple test. Read this recent New York Times article about the Archive of Contemporary Music’s collection of three million albums needing to find a new home. If your initial thought, like mine, was “I wish I had room for that”, you’re a collector.]
Other buyers seem to be, um, more casual. All three record store owners who spoke to me told me versions of the same story. When they asked certain young vinyl buyers how they were playing their records, it turns out – they weren’t. They owned no turntable at all.
“I have a conversation on a pretty regular basis where people are, you know, buying dollar records.,” explains LaRue. “Or even more expensive records, you know, like ten-dollar, 15 dollar used records. And I’ll ask about a turntable or what they’re doing right now. And they’re like, oh, I don’t have anything. So some kind of disconnect going on there. Maybe they’re listening to them at a friend’s house or maybe it’s easier to spend 20 bucks on used records than to spend hundreds of dollars on a turntable, or 400 dollars on a system. I get that. But I don’t understand what they’re doing with the record.”
“There are some kids that are buying them just to put the artwork on the wall,” says Kunz. “Others say I just want to support that artist.”
But these are odd exceptions. For the most part, young vinyl buyers are playing and enjoying their records. On what, though, varies widely.
Austin musician Scott Reigel with two recent favorites
It’s easy to see why. Turntable manufacturers have sprung back in action in the wake of the vinyl revival. But good precision gear, like the best of today’s vinyl pressings, can be expensive. One of the things fueling the vinyl revival was the emergence of low-cost, kitschy all-in-one record players made by companies like, er, let’s call them ‘Crosbys’. [To be fair, the same company also makes high-end turntables.] And at Waterloo, where they sell the portables, they are careful to describe them to customers as “the perfect record player for your eleven-year-old’s slumber party.” Nonetheless, some buyers aren’t getting the message.
Austin musician Scott Riegel, 26, who became a vinyl enthusiast at the age of 12, describes his beginnings. “My dad grew up in the ’70s, and had a pretty decent record collection for a guy his age. He bought me this cheap, all-in-one “Crosby’ player. So I started listening to stuff on that, and then I posted about it on a forum. They started roasting me for playing records on that cheap all-in-one turntable. So I dug my dad’s stereo setup out of the attic.”
Panasonic SL-800 turntable, Pioneer SX-535 receiver and Energy ESM-2 speakers for sale at Breakaway
Without such treasures hidden in the attic, though, the process gets tougher. New vinyl hopefuls go from “Hey, Siri, play the Beatles” to being told about all they need to make a physical record play. “It’s understandable,” says Kunz.”They start looking at a turntable and we ask them what they’re going to be pairing it with. They don’t know what a receiver is. An amplifier. When they say they’ll be hooking it up to their A V system, you say, does it have a phono input? And they don’t know what that is. Speakers? You got to have all this stuff.”
“There are people who just buy like a pretty lousy record player because they see it at Target. And there’s no way that sounds good,” says LaRue.
Yet despite the steep learning curve, many have pulled it off and are enjoying their vinyl on good gear. LaRue sees that happening. ”It’s hard for me to know what percentage, but there’s certainly a good number of people who are looking for quality pressings of records and buying real stereo equipment to hear it on. They’re aware of and paying attention to how good it can sound.”
LaRue describes vinyl’s audible aura. “There’s a certain human error vibe that’s very relatable. You know, it’s like a lot of hip hop. After a while, they started making the beats not totally perfect. They would still use a click track and drum machines and samples and all that, but they would make beats slightly more human-sounding. And I think people, even if you don’t notice it on a conscious level, [vinyl] feels a little more natural, it feels a little groovy.”
Yet vinyl’s distinct sound, a chief reason why long-time vinyl enthusiasts have put up with storing and lugging around record collections for decades, doesn’t come up as much among younger record buyers.
“I think people have a point when they say it,” says Spencer Smith, who estimates he owns two to three hundred vinyl albums. “But I question how true that is. People say there’s better quality or it sounds warmer. I’m inclined to say that since the streaming services are so good, it’s a hard argument to make.”
Vinyl Section at Waterloo Records
It’s true that new bands and releases, in this day and age of recordings being mastered for compressed mp3’s, streaming and earbuds, don’t really shine on vinyl. Yet this seems to be primarily what’s selling at Waterloo. Kunz estimates 75 to 85% of his new music is being sold on vinyl. “When they were doing all the digital mastering to put vinyl on CD, they were using an analog master person. The reverse was true going back the other direction. It was someone that didn’t know what they were doing, and the mastering was fucking everything all up.”
LaRue hears it, too. “Now that most people listen to super-compressed digital files on earbuds, they try to make recordings sound good for that format, which is hard. A lot of music that’s recorded digitally, straight into Garageband, can sound really great, except that it’s a different type of music and a different type of recording. It’s very different from the 60s and 70s, you know? There are so few pressing plants anymore. They have so much demand. They’re getting digital files like that are just getting emailed to them. They’re doing stuff as fast as they can. And the quality control has dropped.”
“I think a lot of the appeal for me and for some young people getting into records for the first time is the stuff that was, you know, recorded and pressed in the 60s, 70s, even through a lot of the 80s, when the goal was to make it sound good on a record on a turntable. Even like early hip hop and dance, it was about deejays and clubs like with sound systems and turntables, everything was geared towards that.”
New pressing of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumours
Which might explain why this era is now selling again. Don Radcliffe loves getting rare records in his store, but the 60’s and 70’s hit recordings are his go-to records for young buyers. Nestled among the new releases in Waterloo’s top vinyl sellers is Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, an album that looks exactly like it did when it was released with an $8.98 list price in 1977. It sells for $24.99. Waterloo keeps a six month supply on hand.
There’s a lot of mystery around the vinyl revival, but it does seem to be bridging generations. Parents and grandparents are gifting their kids their favorite albums, and discovery is starting all over again.
John Kunz imagines a father surprising his son or daughter, telling them “In the back of my closet, I’ve got all the Led Zeppelin records. All the Supremes records or whatever, they are owned by grandma. And suddenly grandma is not this little old lady that doesn’t know shit. She’s the coolest person on the planet. Music is doing exactly what it should do. It’s bringing people together.”
Years without physical product, with fans essentially renting music from streaming services, seems to have left listeners hungry for something more tangible. They like streaming for musical discovery, but it’s not enough.
KUTX Host Taylor Wallace with three favorite Austin releases
“I like owning the album,” says Taylor Wallace, “Especially when it’s about local bands, because that’s money in their pocket. And I like shopping. It gives me another reason to go out and buy something.”
In a world of multiple entertainment options, ownership seems to be adding value back for music fans. “I think that people pay more attention,” says LaRue. “They are literally invested in it. People like going to the store and buying something that they’re into. It’s not just food and clothing. This is something they really like. ”
Hanging out in record stores used to be the path to finding new music. For some, at least, that seems to be true again. But it’s not just the buying. It’s the process itself.
Scott Riegel finds it transporting: “A nice Zen day off for me is putting on a record, hanging out with a cup of coffee. You’re listening to it and appreciating the subtleties of the sound.”
“I think the physical motions of taking a record out of a jacket, putting in on, you know, the whole process, because it’s harder,” says La Rue, “makes somebody much more focused on the music. For me, it still does. My family, everyone has Spotify and all that. And but we play records all the time. My kids pay more attention, you know, just because they pick a record out, they go to the shelf. There’s a lot more to it. It’s a deliberate physical act that takes multiple steps to hear the music.”
Whether it’s the process of obtaining or playing vinyl, one thing is clear – there is no single answer to what is driving young people to buy and play a format that began a century ago. It’s puzzling for a lot of reasons. But discovering music, bridging generations, rediscovering the value of the album, listening more intently – all are big positives for music fans, artists and the industry. And for whatever reason it is happening, everyone seems happy that it is.
I was at a party over the holidays where my friend Andy was playing records. I started discussing the vinyl revival with him and asked if he had any explanation as to why young people were turning to a format that effectively ended before they were born. Without saying a word, he walked over to his records, pulled out his copy of ZZ Top’s 1973 album Tres Hombres and opened it up. And there it was, staring me in the face. An eye-popping 24”x12” gatefold photo, a technicolor burst of cheesy tex-mex gluttony. We both just stood there grinning. Maybe it really is as simple as that. |
How To Get Your Kids To Listen!
One of the most common questions I hear from parents is: How can I get my kid to listen to me? Kids have a lot on their minds, from the math test to the football tryouts to the newest video game. Parents can be dismally low on their list. Not to mention that when the brain is rewiring at age six, and again at age twelve, they can feel overwhelmed by outside stimuli and tune you out. Even toddlers are very busy exploring and tearing the house apart! Kids have other things to think about. They also have different priorities.
The parents who ask me how to get their child to listen aren’t really talking about listening. They’re talking about how to get their child to take in what they say and take action! Here’s how.
1. Don’t start talking until you have your child’s attention. Connect BEFORE you start speaking. That means you can’t bark orders from across the room and expect to get through. Instead, move in close. Get down on your child’s level and touch him/her lightly. Observe what your kiddo is doing and connect by making a comment about it. When we feel connected to another person, we’re more open to their influence, so you’re making it easy for your child to listen to you. Wait until your kiddo looks up. Make eye contact and then start talking.
2. Don’t repeat yourself. If you’ve asked once and received no response, don’t just repeat yourself. You don’t have your child’s attention. Go back to Step One, above.
3. Use fewer words. Most of us dilute our message and lose our child’s attention by using too many words. Use as few words as possible when you give instructions.
4. Look at things from your child’s point of view. If you were busy with something you liked doing and your partner ordered you to stop doing it and do something else that was not a priority to you, how would you feel? Might you tune out your partner? Your child doesn’t have to share your priorities, he/she just has to accommodate your needs. You don’t have to share your child’s priorities, but it will help immensely if you can acknowledge how much your kiddo wants to keep doing whatever he/she is doing. “I know it’s hard to stop playing, Honey. Now I need you to…..”
5. Engage cooperation. No one wants to listen to someone who’s giving orders; in fact, it often stimulates resistance. Think about how you feel when someone orders you around. Instead, keep your tone warm. When possible, give choices.
7. Set up routines. Most of parents’ communication to kids consists of nagging. No wonder children don’t listen. The more routines you have, the less you take the roll of drill sergeant. If you worked for someone who constantly badgered you with orders, would you feel like cooperating? You don’t want every interaction with your child to be an order. So maximize the loving, happy interactions, and minimize the orders.
8. If you stare at your screen while your child tells you about his day, you are role modeling how communication is handled in your family. If you really want your child to listen to you, stop what you’re doing and listen. It only takes a few minutes.
Open and comfortable communication with your kids develops confidence, self-esteem, good relationships with others, cooperation and warm relationships with you. Take the time and effort to foster your relationship and communication skills by talking with your kids as much as you can. Remember that talking with kids is a two way street. Talk with them and then hear what they have to say. Listening is just as important as talking.
phone number
• 720.234.0162
Office Locations
• 3401 Quebec St, #4500, Denver
WE Look Forward to your email |
Money as a Constitutional Medium
Christine Desan is Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and the co-founder of Harvard’s Program on the Study of Capitalism.
In 2017, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published a comic book on the origins of money. The story, called “Once Upon a Dime,” unspools sweetly. Far far away, on the planet Novus, a community of good-willed humanoids live together, trading what they have for what they need – mustard for fish, wheels for cakes. In good time, the inconveniences of barter push them to innovate. All agree to give and take artfully carved river stones as money. That eases their trade; they can “Do It More Efficiently” (thus the “dime”) and the little community prospers. People soon warehouse their rocks with a caretaker, who begins allowing customers to transfer rocks from one account to another by check. The caretaker also advances some of the funds he has “stored here at the bank.” Inter-bank loans follow naturally, as does a run on the banks. In the end, the group establishes a central bank to monitor the other banks and lend them money during emergencies. In short, “first money replaced barter,” then banks developed “as storehouses” and as lenders, then the group appoints a central bank to supervise the banks.
“Once Upon a Dime” does not stray from the conventional story about money. To the contrary, it reinforces the tale, teaching it at a primary level and in living color. That makes the comic all the more arresting: it makes a constitutional argument about the nature of money and its place in society even as it deflects attention by casting the medium as a mechanical fix for a private problem.
Consider, first, the way the comic locates money firmly within the sphere of individual choice as opposed to the political will: money is the product of entrepreneurial initiative (the proposal to use rocks as a medium), adopted by social acclaim (convention as opposed to public authority), and targeted at a technical problem (awkward exchange). Distribution is assumed; the river rocks somehow spread around society. Banks evolve from a storage mechanism, a phenomenon of convenience more than credit. As for credit, it simply shifts resources, rather than creating new value, a service like any other. The central bank is only ambiguously “public,” an institution that will enforce self-evident standards of practice and provide occasional rescue.
Consider, in turn, the way the narrative diverts our attention as lawyers. By locating money as an inert medium and banks as the mechanism that pools and shifts the medium, the story asserts them only and emphatically as technologies of exchange. Public authority surfaces only as a coordinating mechanism, occasioned to resolve a predictable collision of individual demand. If money operates on earth as it operates on Novus, there is really nothing much for us to see.
That is where the story falls apart.
We use a very different money, one rich in constitutional choice. The dollar, like every other sovereign money, is a public project. That project starts at the center where law creates a unit that holds value. It extends to the periphery where law enforces that unit as the means that will transfer property, pay obligations, and render damages. The dense legal composition of money and its dynamics suggests that its design matters profoundly to the way we distribute wealth, conceptualize “the market,” draw the lines between “public” and “private,” and constitute authority. Far from river rocks, money is a mode of material governance, a medium in which we work to shape relations at the elemental level of value, to define commodities, to condition exchange, and to configure obligation. Rather than the lesson that follows from the comic book, money demands our attention as an enterprise deeply constitutional.
The enterprise starts with the public determination to package value in a unit: federal law defines dollars, represented in Federal Reserve notes, as circulating units of sovereign debt. 12 U.S.C. §411; see also UCC §1-201. For anyone who owes the United States, holding a piece of its sovereign debt means holding a bit of material value that can be set off against payments due to the government. Taxpayers and those owing fines, dues, or fees would much rather pay in dollars than fork over goods in contribution. (Despite the raging debate over the fiscal policies that the dollar’s identity as debt makes possible, see Wray and Henwood, the identity of dollars as debt is a matter settled by statute.) In turn, the federal government adds value to its dollars by privileging them in private exchange: it pledges to enforce them in its courts, adding a premium to its dollars as a medium for everyday use between individuals. 31 U.S.C. §5103.
The strategy of making money in bits of sovereign debt — entailing value in a unit by agreeing to take it back for value — is widespread. According to the Bank of International Settlements it is the standard practice of its members that “the central bank issues its own liabilities for use as money” (p.1). The strategy is also age-old. Coin differed from bullion exactly in the government’s determination to make it the medium used for public and private obligations, as I have detailed in Making Money (pp. 70-97). The very prevalence of the strategy suggests another departure from the comic book: sovereign governments make money for reasons that are conspicuously public. Paying people in debt that holds value expands their capacity to govern. They can mobilize for war, pay civil salaries, finance transportation in roads and canals, educate their citizens, and provide for public health. In fact, they can develop legal systems to enforce exchange made in money; here as opposed to on Novus, the private use of money probably followed rather than preceded its deployment for public purposes.
Understanding money as sovereign debt exposes its legal composition. Like any contract, sovereign debt has content and peculiarity; it connects particular parties; it falls to different authorities to interpret; it can be modified, breached, and reconceptualized. Every decision matters to the way material value in the figure of money issues into society, circulates, and accumulates. A handful of highlights suggests the significance of the decisions we make.
Consider a world where sovereign debt carried collateral in every unit; we call it coin. Metal gave security to moneyholders where political authority was frail, but it also handicapped making the medium. People needed capital (the commodity) before they could produce money. The searing scarcities caused by coin shortfalls stratified exchange by income and informed usury prohibitions; they in turn shaped the instruments of credit that developed. European societies competed brutally for silver and gold, shaping political theories and voyages of exploration around that imperative.
A radically different political economy came to characterize early America, when settlers abandoned the commitment to a collateralized money. As they spent paper IOUs into circulation, they “sanctified” the civic obligation to pay taxes (to use Cotton Mather’s term), at once exhilarated and terrified by the transparency of the cash they could deploy, its Keynesian potential to stimulate economic development, and the inflationary specter that displaced the familiar deflationary scourge. Americans revised as well the party in charge of issuing money, cutting executive authorities out of that role and elevating the stature of provincial legislatures by assigning them the new and protean ability to make money. Money and its production became an electoral issue, one that directed settler attention to their political representatives and slowly strangled loyalty to the British metropole.
But the monetary populism of early America triggered its own redesign. According to Woody Holton (p. 35), the Federalists considered putting an end to state legislative money-making to be their most essential act, the very “soul of the Constitution.” And, in fact, the United States came of age at a moment of monetary transformation. In retrospect, we might call that experiment “the first financialization.” The idea was to drop investors into middle of the monetary contract between the government and its population: the government would borrow bank notes from appointed bankers (nascent central bankers), spend and tax in those notes. The bankers would hold the government’s long-term promises to pay, policing its compliance with the fervor and rights of creditors.
Modern commercial banks mimicked the logic. As central bank authority Walter Bagehot explains (pp. 75-90), they came into existence by issuing private notes (now deposits) that passed into circulation, credit machines for the retail enterprise of individuals rather than storehouses for their saving. The business model of commercial banks leaned from the start on public permission to promise the government’s unit in excess of their holdings, an accommodation carried out by recognizing those banks as the public payments system. (States organized those systems in 19th century America.) Central banks would learn to manage their commercial counterparts, eventually aiming to administer the economy through “monetary policy.”
In short, the modern redesign of money wrote the political economy of capitalism into effect. It is a head-spinning innovation, one that rearranged authority over the money supply, created a powerful industry out of modern banking, anchors investor activity with the safe asset of public debt, and determines the everyday distribution of credit. In fact, the modern redesign does that and more according to economic theory that casts money as a matter outside of legal concern; “Once Upon a Dime” teaches that lesson at the elementary level.
In other words, we have barely begun to understand money as a medium of constitutional decision. It awaits out commitment to make it the medium of a just legal order.
Christine Desan and a number of other scholars will be launching a website,, about law and money’s design in June 2019.
Related Content |
display | more...
High pressure injection injuries are caused by liquids or gasses entering the body from a source, such as a hydraulic hose, exhibiting pressures of 600-12,000 psi. Damage to these hoses or connections can result in pinhole leaks in the equipment, from which the pressurized substance can be ejected at speeds comparable to that of a rifle bullet. Due to the pinhole size of the leak, in many cases, the injury is so small as to be completely painless until delayed tissue damage makes it obvious that something has happened. This is usually when hidden damage below the surface of the skin becomes so severe that it finally appears through the skin, or involves damage to the skin, in addition to the innocuous pinhole which is the only previous external sign of injury.
These types of injuries mainly occur on the hands and fingers, when an operator is handling the high pressure equipment. Even thick leather gloves afford no protection from a sufficiently pressurized source. Once the high pressure material penetrates the skin, it opens up a number of possibilities for damage. Most obvious is the injection of dangerous substances into the bloodstream, such as corrosives or poisons. Most injuries of this type are from high pressure grease guns. High pressure paint guns and diesel injection follow in a very distant second and third. Other materials include water, wax, paint thinner, cement(!), plastic, oil, and hydraulic fluid.
Additionally, the high pressure can result in tissue damage, destroying muscles and tearing blood vessels underneath the skin without anything other than an external pinhole mark where it entered. Even in the best of cases, like any laceration to the skin in non-sterile conditions (such as a job site), there is the risk of secondary bacterial infection, made more insidious by the fact that the victim may not have felt the penetration.
High pressure injection injuries can be extremely dangerous if treatment is not rendered quickly. Due to the potential for internal tissue damage, amputation may be the only option, especially if treatment is delayed for more than six hours, due to hidden gangrene or tissue necrosis or injected material spreading into other areas of the body. Depending on the type of material injected and extent of the damage, the specific treatment can vary widely. In some cases, the injection can be treated like any other puncture wound. In others, surgery may be required to remove the injected material, such as paint, from the body or repair damage to the underlying tissue. The most important thing to remember is that the amount of pain felt at the time of the injury is a poor indicator of how much damage has been done. The true extent of the damage is never obvious in these cases. Seek professional treatment immediately.
To avoid high pressure injection injuries, it is important to inspect equipment thoroughly to ensure there is no damage, such as cracking or holes. Safety attachments such as leak detectors are standard on many types of high pressure equipment, but they must be inspected as well to make sure they are working properly. Never attempt to locate a high pressure leak by passing your hand over the equipment to feel for the leak, and always wear the protective equipment designed for the job.
Medical Uses
Although uncontrolled high pressure injections can cause extreme tissue damage, this same principle is being explored for administering drugs painlessly and without needles. Although such devices have been in use for some time, such as the Jetgun injector used by the military, there are concerns regarding dosage control. Additionally, the process is not quite as painless as the system could potentially be, and is inadequate for people who need regular injections, such as diabetes sufferers. Ideally, the technology will someday reach the point of truly painless injections with accurate dosage control and without fear of transmitting blood-borne diseases between patients.
karma debt adds that, far from being painless, the Jetgun actually hurts worse than a traditional needle injection. The main advantage is its speed. Without a needle, the risk of blood contamination is minimal and the device contains a reservoir of medicine holding many doses. Without needing to swap needles, slowly depress a plunger, or refill a syringe for every injection, it becomes an efficient assembly line procedure.
|
Lines Beyond y = mx + b
The suite of coordinate games should fill weeks, or months. But there’s a cheat code: y = mx + b. In my class, lots of students arrive already knowing this formula, and it means they can solve would-be-tricky problems (“See this line? Give equations for five more that never touch it!”) with boredom and ease (“Uh…. y = 2x + 1, y = 2x + 2, y = 2x + 3… do you want me to keep going?”).
Do they understand what the cheat code means, or why it works? Rarely. But that doesn’t bring my vanquished puzzles back to life.
So I need new puzzles. Ones that work for kids who have never heard of “y = mx + b,” but which also challenge students who have.
I’m still growing my portfolio, but here’s some of it:
How much of high school math would be easier if students understood that graphs express relationships between variables?
Answer: Basically all of it.
My hope is that questions like this can build the groundwork early.
It’s natural to see this and think, “Wait, a hyperbola? That’s way too hard. You’ve got to walk before you run. And you’ve got to run a mile before you run a marathon over hot coals.”
But I see it a different way: Before you make an earnest study of lines, you’ve got to study some non-lines.
If I were trying to teach you about animals, I might start with cats and dogs. They’re simple, furry, familiar, and lots of people have them lying around the house. But I’d have to show you some other animals first. Otherwise, the first time you meet an alligator, you’re gonna be like, “That wet green dog is so ugly I want to hate it.”
Equations aren’t etched in stone. They’re flexible and mutable as dry-erase marker. All those fun manipulations we use to solve equations can be used to reconfigure and redecorate them, too. And this quick task opens up two fun conversations:
Fun conversation #1: “Hey, check out how the same x-y pairs work in all these equations!”
Fun conversation #2: “Which of these equations is best for generating points on the line?”
Time has smiled on this little puzzle. Not only does it build intuitions about slope, but its room for freedom and ambition (“I’m going to do a point where the x-coordinate is a million!”) brings out interesting ideas and puts student conceptions on display.
Sometimes, I want puzzles with simple numbers. They’re more forgiving, inviting varied approaches and intuitions.
But sometimes, I want puzzles with hard numbers. These ones are rigid as brick. They demand greater technical competence, and usher students towards strategies that are more abstract and general – strategies they can carry forward.
14 thoughts on “Lines Beyond y = mx + b
1. What a wonderful philosophy. I hope to achieve something similar. It’s exceedingly difficult, though. We’re constrained by a few factors: The relatively-rigid “standard” math curriculum that does things largely from cultural inertia. (Radian measure before you’ve done calculus? Why?) The scattered pre-existing knowledge and skills. The overreliance of earlier teachers on talismanic reasoning and ritual performance. And looming over all of them, the lack of time to do it right.
But I do find it helps to keep the goal in sight, even knowing I’ll probably never quite get there.
1. I have found radians to very accessible and intuitive once students firmly “get” that the circumference of a circle is the same length as approx 6.28 (2pi of course) radii. Then you just need lots of examples of circular motion connecting the distance a point travels along the circumference to the rotation from the center. A key idea in computer animation, too.
2. I am a harpsichordist and I used to use your “ugly wet green dog” method when I taught Baroque continuo. Accompanying from a figured bass (a bass line and some numbers indicating chords) can be a challenge for classically trained keyboardists. (Good pop musicians do that kind of stuff all the time, though.) So I would say, fine, let’s learn using unfigured bass!
Teaches the ears a lot very fast! And they realize that Figures Are Your Friends.
3. I remember a being slightly blown away when I learned that with the equation of the line in “standard form” the coefficients of x,y were normal to the direction of the line. Once I learned this, slope-intercept seemed really boring.
Point-slope is probably more useful than slope intercept. And it gives an introduction to translations of the graph, with a singular method to do so. Better that than one algorithm for lines (adjust b) a second for parabola y = (x-h)^2 + v, and a 3rd for the rest of the conics (x-h)^2 + (y-v)^2 = r^2
I quite like the intercept-intercept form of a line.
Parametric form of a line… Vector form of a line… simultaneous equations of a line. You could spend a couple of weeks just talking about different equations of lines.
And the all have the same graph.
Regarding the graph of: {x,y|xy = 12}
How about “draw a set of triangles using the coordinate axes for two of the sides, one vertex at the origin and area 6.
4. Unfortunately I never got past the frustration phase of mathematics. Good philosophy and enthusiasm, perhaps things would’ve been different if I was in high school with this though lol
5. Love it. How do you keep students from falling into formulaic thinking once they are exposed to “standard forms” of lines and and such? My experience is that I can get students to think through these quite well in the beginning of a unit but then after they see things like y = mx + b and the like many of their reasoning brains fall off the cliff!
6. That’s great if you’re into stuff like that. I’m a 54 year old tax attorney and I never saw the point of it. That crap was only shoved down my throat in high school and is just as worthless to me now, 40 years later. Sorry.
Leave a Reply |
Now, think of a tube of toothpaste. Here are some of the more common causes of bloody stool in dogs: Colitis (inflammation of the colon) Parasites, such as hookworms. Is it normal for my puppy to poop 4 times a day?
Depth: Footings should extend to a minimum depth of 12 inches below previously undisturbed soil. Footprints. Healthy stool is dark brown in color, but not too dark, as blackish poop can mean blood in the stool. Healthy adult dogs can hold their bladders up to eight, and even ten hours, when trained. This is normal! As the legend goes Ms. Hines, a University of Michigan student at the time was self admitted “Guiness Book of World Record – Obsessed” individual with a flare for the more, unsavory. The Most Orgasms Ever In An Hour Is 134 For A Woman, What About Men? It will leave you speechless, to say the least.
88 sold. 90.
After three days, the stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass. If you find their waste in their unusual spot, there is a big chance that you'll find a watery and loose poop. Food may be moving through the large intestine too quickly, such as due to diarrhea. Treatment usually begins shortly after birth. Usually, you need not worry about seeing a small amount of mucus in your pet's stool. Is it normal for dogs to poop in their sleep? Vetstreet reports, "A panting dog can take 300 to 400 breaths per minute.". Dogs eat cat poop, not because, as some might think, to spite the cat. Bowel and poop habits are very personal; they can vary dramatically from person to person. As long as your dog has been pooping the same amount ever since you first got her, and you know she's healthy, then you shouldn't worry about quantities. Because the front leg bone does not grow properly, the femoral structure pushes the dog's foot outward or inward.
Canine clubfoot, also known as congenital talipes equinovarus, is a genetically defined deformation that has more to do with the leg bone than the foot. The hoax claims that the record for longest human poop was set in 1995 by a woman (that’s right, a woman) named Michelle Hines of Ann Arbor Michigan, USA. Porn Star Sunny Lane Is Managed By Her Parents, Emperor Caligula Didn’t Go To War With Poseidon, Man with Two Penises, It’s Not As Rare As You Think, A Woman, Ania Lewiska, Plans To Have Sex With 100,000 Men. a sensitivity to something in the mother's diet, such as cow's milk products. The streaks of bright red blood in stool most likely come from the dog's rectum or colon. 4.8 out of 5 stars 15. Is it normal for a cat not to poop everyday? It's very easy for puppies to quickly become dehydrated.
If you squeeze the paste out it will go a lot further than the length of the tube it was in. Color: may depend on the food you feed your dog. It’s just not a good idea. 2 should happen at least once each day to keep a dog on a healthy potty schedule. Is it normal for a dog to not poop for 3 days?
It came from a woman! Stools often come out the same color as the fluid that went in. Footprints was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. Neurological problems are another source of fecal incontinence in dogs. I can imagine some people reading this now saying, “I have had bigger,” well it wasn’t documented, so it doesn’t count. Most people have a regular bowel pattern: They'll poop about the same number of times a day and at a similar time of day. Mucus in the stool is normal but it is not usually visible. A dog's digestive system can be very sensitive to food, so if you are feeding him stuff with a new formula, his body may react to some of that newness as unusable waste and expunge it like other waste.
The color of a normal stool is brown due to healthy levels of excreted bilirubin and bile. FREE Delivery by Amazon. Is it normal for a dog to not poop for a day? Once it was done, she had set the record for the longest human poop ever at 7.92 metres (26 feet), which was the length of her entire colon (including intestine length obviously). After having a litter of babies, a mother dog will eat the puppies' feces.
Clearly some people will still be doubting this as even remotely possible. Disclaimer: This story is not only false but a terrible, TERRIBLE idea to attempt. The frequency of bowel movements is a common concern for many people. Is it normal for my dog to poop 4 times a day?
Constipation then occurs as bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. 26 Foot Poop Legend: The hoax claims that the record for longest human poop was set in 1995 by a woman (that’s right, a woman) named Michelle Hines of Ann Arbor Michigan, USA. Is it normal for a puppy to poop out live worms after Dewormer? However, you should take your dog outside more often than that, as holding for too long can cause incontinence and bladder stones. But treatment can go for several weeks or longer if the infection is more serious or affects the toenails. Is it normal for puppies to eat their poop? Baby's stool can be a wide variety of colors and textures , and not all of these are cause for concern. £3.90 delivery. Linear footage measurements do require a straight line measurement. Unfortunately there are no well-respected, accredited record keeping institutions that keep record of largest bowel movements. Sorry. NOT NORMAL. Coccidiosis or coccidia is a common parasitic infection in cats that can cause watery diarrhea, sometimes with a little blood – you might see kitten stool with red marks – in kittens. Some dogs will poop more than once per day. Is it normal for dogs to poop worms after deworming? Because this disease can be deadly, puppies suspected of having parvo should be seen by a vet promptly. Out in the wild, she needed to hide the scent of her puppies from predators. However, sometimes there are medical conditions that can cause mucus in stool, including infections, allergies, and more. |
Tooth Fillings
Tooth Fillings
Tooth fillings are used to fill a cavity or other dental trauma such as a chipped tooth. The earlier cavities are filled and prevented from getting bigger over time, the less likely you will encounter oral issues. That’s why regular check-ups are important.
If a cavity or chipped tooth is left untreated, it can lead problems such as bad breath, infection, toothache and even tooth loss.
In case you have any concerns about tooth fillings, please feel free to give us a call.
When Do You Need Tooth Fillings?
• Tooth decay Fillings is most commonly caused by tooth decay. After consuming food or drink, bacteria will feed on any sugar or starches that remains on your teeth and plaque will develop. The acids developed from the bacterial activity will disintegrate your tooth enamel, creating tiny holes which will get bigger over time.
• Enamel erosion – Enamel erosion can be caused by various factors such as consuming acidic drinks such as soft drinks and fruit juice, consuming foods high in sugar and starches and medical conditions such as acid reflux or dry mouth.
• Chipped Tooth – A broken or chipped tooth might occur due to dental trauma or when you bite into something hard. This can cause erosion if the inner parts of the tooth are exposed and left untreated over time.
• Abrasion and attrition – This occur when teeth get eroded. It could be due to using too much force during brushing or bruxism (grinding of teeth).
What are the Types of Tooth Fillings?
• Amalgam – These are silver-coloured fillings made from a combination of metals including silver, tin and copper. Amalgam is very durable and wear-resistant, so it’s ideal for fillings in your back teeth. Amalgam fillings can last for a few decades as long as there is proper oral care.
• Composite – Composite filling are not obvious and look natural since it is white in colour and can be matched closely to your teeth colour.
• Inlays and overlays – Your dentist may suggest an inlay or overlay is tooth filling is not possible in your case. Inlay or overlay are normally employed for teeth of larger chewing surfaces like the molar teeth. Inlays fit into the central part of the tooth while overlays cover the full biting surface of the tooth. These are normally made from metal, composite or porcelain.
Is Tooth Filling Painful?
One of the common worries for a filling procedure is how painful it will be. With the anaesthetic techniques nowadays, you can rest assure that the area around the tooth will be completely numb during the filling process.
The administering of anaesthetic can be slightly painful – normally a stinging sensation for just a few seconds. Numbing gel may be applied to the gum before the injection to reduce the pain.
In some cases, it is possible to conduct small cavity fillings without an anaesthetic injection if the decay is only on the surface of the tooth.
If you experience pain or discomfort after a filling, your dentist may need to check if the filling may have cracked or moved out of place hence exposing the nerves underneath. Or if you experience pain when you bite, the filling may have been placed too high and your dentist will need to polish it down a bit more.
Tooth Fillings Procedure
1) Check-up
During a dental checkup, your dentist will check for signs of decay and advise you if you have any teeth that need fillings or other treatment. An x-ray might be required at times.
2) Anaesthetic
In most cases, the dentist will inject a local anaesthetic to numb the area around the tooth. Numbing gel may be applied on the gum beforehand to reduce pain from the injection itself.
3) Removing Decay
After the anaesthetic has taken effect, the dentist will remove any parts of the tooth damaged from decay. This is done using a high-speed dentist’s drill, air abrasion tool, or laser.
4) Filling
The dentist will fill the cavity with an amalgam or composite filling and then check that your bite still feels right when you put your teeth together.
5) Shaping & Polishing
Once the dental filling is in place and the material has hardened, it’s time to refine the shape and polish it. The dentist will try match it to the original tooth as much as possible.
Tooth Fillings Aftercare
Normally, there is no need for a follow-up dental visit after a filling procedure. Your dentist will advise you on things to take note such as when you can eat and drink again, any temporary diet restriction, and which painkillers to take if you have any discomfort after your filling.
Before the anaesthetic wears off, be careful while talking or eating to avoid biting on your cheek.
After that, all you need to do is take good care of your teeth by maintaining a good oral hygiene routine.
However, you should contact your dentist if you notice any of the following in the days after a filling:
• There is a sharp edge on the tooth
• Your bite is uncomfortable and you can feel that the filing is getting in the way
• There is a visible crack in the filling material
• The filling has come loose
• You’re experiencing severe pain
• Your tooth remains sensitive 2-3 weeks after the procedure
Prevent Further Tooth Decay
After a filling, your dentist should advise you on how to maintain better oral hygiene and reduce the chances of requiring more fillings or other dental treatments in the future. This will include flossing daily and brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
Your diet can also affect the condition of your teeth. Reducing sugar intake in your diet, for example, can make a huge difference in both your oral and general health.
Book an Appointment Today! |
Remembering to Forget; Forgetting to Remember
You can’t pick up a magazine or view an online site these days without coming across some article or blog bemoaning the memory blips that plague the lives of 60 somethings. Recently I laughed over an essay called “Speak Memory” by Jenny Allen in the New Yorker. Her position is that instead of talking about what we are forgetting, we should be celebrating what we do remember.
Like Jenny, daily, I lose the names of cleaning products I have used for years, names of movie stars, telephone numbers, why I came into the room, etc. When I struggle to recall that slippery thing, there is a clear, blank space where that factoid ought to be. Google can help, as well as tricks like making the sound of each letter in the alphabet or combining letters to see what emerges. I also have a network of kind souls who will help me out in a recall “emergency.” Fortunately, the word will usually come back on its own— minutes, hours, days, or even weeks later, if I don’t try to force it.
But weirdly enough, I can easily recall the dress I wore to a Patty’s birthday party 56 years ago. I remember the name of my piano teacher in the second grade. I can still visualize the stained page in Dr. Spock that talked about colic in babies. I can still spout Longfellow’s “The Children’s Hour” and the preface to (I just had to look up the title which vanished temporarily) The Canterbury Tales in middle English. I remember whom I went with to see “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1962. I also, unfortunately, recall a host of icky things that I would much rather forget.
Psychologists explain this by saying that these memory bits and flashes from the past are part of our episodic or autobiographical memory that helps make us who we are. So it stands to reason that those quirky memories hang on despite the passing years. And do we really need to remember the name of our former boss’s wife? How about the female star of the old TV show “Thirty Something”? What about that cleaning product we have used for years?” Probably not.
So as Jenny suggests, we shouldn’t worry about forgetting useless tidbits of data that will eventually re-emerge; rather, we need to “take pleasure in what comes to us while we are sitting there not remembering math,” even though “ our memories are …now made up of a few odd, insignificant bits stuck there like chewed up gum to the underside of a classroom desk, and come to us unbidden and out of nowhere…”
By Billy Collins
The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.
Long ago you kissed the names of the nine muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,
something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.
Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue
or even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.
It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
Categories: wisdom
Tags: , ,
1 reply
1. Wonderful choice of a poem for you post.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Google photo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Connecting to %s
%d bloggers like this: |
Working With “Truth,” the Imperial Virtue
Working With Truth
Our third degree, as everyone knows, is the Degree of Truth. Odd Fellows are told that “truth IS the imperial virtue.” But how do we know what truth is? How do we arrive at “truth?” Is there anything that can be called “THE truth?” Your Conductor’s goal here is to simply raise questions about “truth” and start a dialog in your mind about it. By the way: your Conductor does not claim to be a philosopher.
Here are three observations about “truth.”635921159012437215962592692_Descartes Truth Quotes
The first one:
Examine the following sentence:
“This sentence is false.”
Can we say this sentence is true? Or is it as the sentence says: “false?” Or is it both at the same time? Actually, the sentence is a paradox. A paradox is a statement or situation that involves a certain tension between two claims that seem obviously true.
“This sentence is false” states that the sentence is clearly false. But the sentence also lays out a position that it must be true. So, which is it? Is the sentence partially true, or completely true? Or is it partially false or completely false?
Here’s the second one:
Experiences may be measured with a sliding scale. One end of the sliding scale is completely true. The other end is completely false. If we say, “today the wind did not blow.” Is this a true statement or can it be only partly true? If we think about it, the wind likely blew somewhere on earth “today.” So, this statement would not be completely true, and it would fall somewhere along the sliding scale, but not at the “completely true” end. On the other hand, if we say “It did not rain today,” but we collected a measurable amount of rain we might say the sentence is false. But, it may not have rained in other places and, why does it take a certain amount of water falling for us to call it rain? So, we can’t put our “rain” statement on the false end of the scale either.
So, at what point does true become false? At what point does false become true? At what point does true Friendship become true Love? At what point does red become orange? Is there an exact point we can all agree upon? Some would say that true and false are expressions of the same thing.
If we assume that ideas about truth follow along this sliding scale and nothing is necessarily true or false always, then why does humanity often search for a single universal truth?
Which is the MOST truthful view of Van Gogh in this video? As he saw himself or as the video maker sees him? And, what is the MOST truthful view of you? As you see yourself, or as others see you? (continued below video)
Here’s the third one, and it “is” about a simple word: “is.”
The word “is” may be problematic when discussing the present moment. It implies that something could be total, absolute, perfect OR absolutely true in that moment. “The Mountain IS beautiful.” “Today IS Tuesday.” “2+2 IS 4.” “This IS a table.” “She IS mad.” “This IS art.” “This IS a problem.” And so on down the line.
Someone once observed that the concept behind the word “is” limits our ability to search for solutions. The concept behind “is” meaning something solid, firm, unchanging—something we don’t need a solution for or something we don’t need to see differently. In truth 2fact, as this person observed, we might be better off using “could be,” or “might be” in place of “is”. “The mountain MIGHT BE beautiful,” “today COULD BE Tuesday,” “2+2 MIGHT BE 4,” “this COULD BE a table,” “she MIGHT BE mad,” “this COULD BE art,” “this MIGHT BE a problem.”
Heck, “Truth COULD BE the imperial virtue…”
Viewing the word “is” in this way opens an entire world of possibilities, solutions, and yes, more problems. It opens the mind to further inquiry and in this we can discover more about ourselves and others.
Scott The Conductor
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Google photo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Connecting to %s |
Water Quality
City staff testing water quality
Olympia's water quality
City of Olympia staff work hard to ensure that Olympia's drinking water, which comes from a variety of sources, exceeds State and federal regulations. Our annual Water Quality Report (WQR) includes Olympia's water quality test results and highlights the efforts and programs it takes to ensure we have great tasting, high quality water at a reasonable cost for generations to come.
Please note, the WQR is now online and will not be mailed to customers. If you would like a copy mailed to you, please contact Cheri Reimers at 360.709.2774 or [email protected]
Test results & information
Common water quality issues and solutions
Blue staining is caused by a reaction of water with copper pipes. This usually occurs in newer plumbing systems, and when water sits in copper pipes for an extended period of time, usually six hours or more.
Running the water for 15 to 60 seconds, or until the water becomes colder, clears out the pipes and brings fresh system water into your home. Keeping the fixtures dry and drip-free also helps keep the staining at a minimum.
The City of Olympia uses chlorine to disinfect the drinking water. We use the minimum amount necessary to keep the water safe to drink.
If you do not like the taste/odor of chlorine in your water, simply fill a pitcher with water and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The small amount of chlorine in the water will evaporate.
Copper is a naturally occurring metal found in the earth's crust. It is widely used in household plumbing materials. Since copper contamination generally occurs from corrosion of household copper pipes, it cannot be directly detected or removed by the water system. Instead, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water system operators to control the corrosiveness of the drinking water.
For corrosion control, the City of Olympia uses air strippers as a treatment technique at Shana Park Well 11 and the two Allison Springs wells. Air strippers work by bubbling air through the water to raise the pH, therefore reducing the acidity of the water.
The City of Olympia does not add fluoride to our drinking water. However, small amounts of fluoride may occur naturally.
Lead in drinking water comes from corrosion of brass faucets and lead-based solder used to join pre-1986 household copper pipe. Lead pipes and plumbing fittings have been banned since August 1998.
Lead may dissolve into water when it has not been used for six hours or longer. Running the cold water for 15 to 60 seconds or until the water temperature drops will remove the stagnant water and bring fresh system water into your home.
It is important to use water from the cold water tap for cooking and drinking to minimize lead exposure from your pipes. Hot water can contain higher concentrations of metals, including lead. Water is not the leading source of lead, although most lead exposure in household water comes from your plumbing.
A metallic taste in the water is usually caused by rusting of galvanized plumbing pipes or air bubbles in the water. See White/Cloudy Color and Yellow Color sections below.
Bright pink stains on fixtures, counter-top surfaces, and pet dishes are caused by the interaction of oxygen in the air with dissolved rust, resulting in iron hydroxide deposits on these surfaces.
If you have this problem, run the cold water for 15 to 60 seconds or until there is a drop in the water temperature. Keeping the surfaces dry also helps solve this problem.
Pale pink stains or black-gray stains around bathtubs or showers may be a form of mildew. Keep fixtures dry to help reduce this problem.
Rust particles in water (orange/brown water color) and spurts of air are caused most frequently when the City of Olympia shuts down the water main to make repairs. On galvanized steel pipe plumbing systems (typically found in older homes), air trapped in the system rapidly expands when a valve is opened. Then, large quantities of rust break loose from the plumbing system and orange/brown water appears.
Running the cold water for 3 minutes should provide clear water. Sometimes this problem goes on for several days before it clears up. Aerators on spigots should also be cleaned periodically to remove any accumulated rust particles. Use only clear water from the cold water tap for drinking and cooking.
Some City of Olympia water customers receive their drinking water from groundwater sources during the summer months. Small amounts of sand sometimes occurs in the drinking water because of this source. Running your water for a few minutes should clear the sand.
Sand-like particles, called grit, can occur in home plumbing systems as a result of rust particles from galvanized steel pipe. Grit can also occur from mineral scale sloughing off the pipe walls. A steel table knife or pocketknife blade will crush rust or mineral scale, while true sand will resist crushing.
Sometimes this grit causes premature failure of faucets, affects the operation of faucet aerators, accumulates in the bottom of hot water heaters, and causes washing machines to fill slowly. If you notice less water coming from your faucets remove any aerators or attachments and clean the screens. Also, flush your hot water heater to remove any grit or sand buildup. If your washing machine is filling too slowly, you should replace the screen filters where the hot and cold water hoses enter the back of the machine.
The City of Olympia's drinking water is considered "slightly hard" at 55-60 milligrams per liter (mg/L). The hardness scale is:
Classification mg/L or ppm Grains per gallon
Soft 0 - 17.1 0 - 1
Slightly hard 17.1 - 60 1 - 3.5
Moderately Hard 60 - 120 3.5 - 7.0
Hard 120 - 180 7.0 - 10.5
Hardness refers to dissolved minerals (calcium and magnesium) in the water. The hardness of the water can interfere with the sudsing action of soap. The harder the water, the lesser the sudsing action. The water you receive is slightly hard. You should refer to the owner's manual of washing machines, dishwashers, etc., to determine the amount of soap needed for the hardness of the water. This information is also important for fishtanks and other hobbies.
According to plumbing industry sources, up to 90 percent of residential water heaters built between 1993 and 1996 have a defective polypropylene "dip tube" inside the unit. Dip tubes are designed to deliver cold water to the bottom of the water heater so it does not mix with the already heated water in the upper portion of the unit. These defective dip tubes break down inside the water heater and cause plastic chips to flow to water faucets. The chips do not pose a health risk, but they can decrease water flow from household faucets and appliances and diminish water heater efficiency and effectiveness.
If you experience this problem, determine the make and model of your hot water heater and make arrangements to have the dip tube replaced.
Cloudy, milky, or white water is usually caused by an abundance of small air bubbles in the water. These harmless bubbles enter the water when air is drawn into the water transmission system.
Fill a clear glass with cold water and if the cloudiness clears from the bottom up, air is in the water line.
When the water clears, people usually report seeing a thin film on top of the water, an increased odor, and sometimes a metallic taste. The thin film is the micro-particles in the water, the odor is the gases stripped from the water, and the metallic taste is thought to be the bubbles' effect on the mouth.
Run the water for a few minutes to see if the water clears. If the water does not clear contact the City of Olympia Drinking Water Operations 360.753.8333.
Yellow-colored water, and sometimes an iron-like taste, is caused by rusting of galvanized steel pipe in home plumbing. Rust dissolves into the water when it sits in the pipes overnight or is unused during the day.
Running the cold tap for 15 to 60 seconds, or until the water temperature drops, will usually clear the problem. Aerators on spigots should also be cleaned periodically because rust flakes will accumulate on the screens. Use only clear water from the cold water tap for drinking and cooking.
Contact Cheri Reimers, Water Quality Specialist, at 360.709.2774 or [email protected] |
Thursday , August 5 2021
Almost zero gravity! The NASA spacecraft successfully encloses the aerodynamic Benu – Science Quest – cnBeta.COM
NASA, an asteroid to take samples from the spacecraft OSIRIS-Rex (a detector for identifying the source to identify the source of the source spectrum), began flying around the target asteroid, setting a new record for the smallest celestial spacecraft around the spacecraft.from
At 2:43 am EST on Dec. 31 (3:43 pm on January 1, in Beijing, time), the OSIRIS-Rex engine fired 8 seconds and began to enter the Earth's asteroid Bennu, which is about 500 meters in diameter. Song.
Osiris-Rex spacecraft schematic charts around orbit of Bennu
Dante Lauretta, chief researcher at OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, said in a statement: "The team perfectly completed the operation to enter the track and continue the previous glory. Entry into the Bennu trail is incredible Achievements, our team is preparing for that several years . "
OSIRIS-Rex officially arrived in Bennu on December 3, 2018. In the past 4 weeks, the task team conducted various measurements of Bennu, determined its quality, and drew detailed maps.
Heather Enos, deputy chief researcher of OSIRIS-Rex, told the media earlier in December that these measurements must be completed before attempting to enter Bennu because "around a heavenly body with little gravity is a very challenging task. Therefore, we must we get more information to complete the next mission. "
Earlier, the smallest object around the spacecraft was a 67-foot comet of 2.5 kilometers (4.1 km), and the space shuttle Rosetta from the Space of the European Space Agency flew around it between 2014 and 2016.
OSIRIS-Rex also set a record, with the lowest orbit around small celestial bodies. The members of the working group say that OSIRIS-Rex's summer orbit is only 1.6 kilometers from the surface of Bennu.
Source link |
Joos, F.; Roth, R.; Fuglestvedt, J. S.; Peters, G. P.; Enting, I. G.; von Bloh, W.; Brovkin, V.; Burke, E. J.; Eby, M.; Edwards, N. R.; Friedrich, T.; Fröhlicher, T. L.; Halloran, P. R.; Holden, P. B.; Jones, C.; Kleinen, T.; Mackenzie, F. T.; Matsumoto, K.; Meinshausen, M.; Plattner, G.-K.; Reisinger, A.; Segschneider, J.; Shaffer, G.; Steinacher, M.; Strassmann, K.; Tanaka, K.; Timmermann, A. and Weaver, A. J. (2013). Carbon dioxide and climate impulse response functions for the computation of greenhouse gas metrics: a multi-model analysis. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13(5) pp. 2793–2825.
The responses of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other climate variables to an emission pulse of CO2 into the atmosphere are often used to compute the Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Global Temperature change Potential (GTP), to characterize the response timescales of Earth System models, and to build reduced-form models. In this carbon cycle-climate model intercomparison project, which spans the full model hierarchy, we quantify responses to emission pulses of different magnitudes injected under different conditions. The CO2 response shows the known rapid decline in the first few decades followed by a millennium-scale tail. For a 100 Gt-C emission pulse added to a constant CO2 concentration of 389 ppm, 25 ± 9% is still found in the atmosphere after 1000 yr; the ocean has absorbed 59 ± 12% and the land the remainder (16 ± 14%). The response in global mean surface air temperature is an increase by 0.20 ± 0.12 °C within the first twenty years; thereafter and until year 1000, temperature decreases only slightly, whereas ocean heat content and sea level continue to rise. Our best estimate for the Absolute Global Warming Potential, given by the time-integrated response in CO2 at year 100 multiplied by its radiative efficiency, is 92.5 × 10−15 yr W m−2 per kg-CO2. This value very likely (5 to 95% confidence) lies within the range of (68 to 117) × 10−15 yr W m−2 per kg-CO2. Estimates for time-integrated response in CO2 published in the IPCC First, Second, and Fourth Assessment and our multi-model best estimate all agree within 15% during the first 100 yr. The integrated CO2 response, normalized by the pulse size, is lower for pre-industrial conditions, compared to present day, and lower for smaller pulses than larger pulses. In contrast, the response in temperature, sea level and ocean heat content is less sensitive to these choices. Although, choices in pulse size, background concentration, and model lead to uncertainties, the most important and subjective choice to determine AGWP of CO2 and GWP is the time horizon.
Viewing alternatives
Download history
Public Attention
Altmetrics from Altmetric
Number of Citations
Citations from Dimensions
Item Actions |
I have a friend, Jose, and occasional padel partner who always seems to have two padel rackets. One is a cheap racket that he bought years ago, while the other is invariably a shiny new carbon racket.
Time and time again he will hit his new carbon racket into a glass or wire mesh wall, shattering it to bits. He then reverts back to his old, trusted padel racket until he gets to splash out another shiny new carbon racket, repeating the cycle.
That leads me to wonder if there is a correct way to take care of a padel racket. It turns out that there is.
How to take care of your padel racket? Protect the grip of your padel racket by adding an overgrip. The frame of your padel racket can be preserved by adding a protective strip to the top edge. Don’t expose your padel racket to excessive heat and if it gets wet, be sure to allow the foam core to air-dry.
Padel rackets tend to have a shorter life span than tennis rackets due to impact with the metal mesh on the side walls. By comparison, tennis rackets last for many years, needing periodic string and grip replacements. However, some frustrated and angry tennis players make sure that their rackets have very short lives before getting smashed.
Technically, padel rackets have a normal life span of between 12 and 18 months based on what the manufacturers tell us. That is unless they get smashed against the walls.
Luckily there are a number of tips that you can apply that will extend the relatively short lifespan of your padel racket.
Taking Care Of Your Padel Racket
The Grip
Having a fully functioning grip on your padel racket is vital as this is your point of content with your racket during active play. The rubbery material of the grip can wear quite smooth fairly quickly. This can cause the padel racket to slip or spin in your hand while playing a shot.
My solution to this is to add an overgrip to my padel racket. Overgrips are reasonably cheap and can be replaced in just a couple of minutes.
Overgrips are much better at absorbing the sweat from your hands during the hot summer months. As an overgrip starts to wear a bit thin you will begin to feel it move slightly on the main grip of your padel racket while you are playing. When that happens you simply change out your overgrip for a fresh one you will keep in your sports bag as a reserve.
I have seen professional players at World Padel Tour tournaments change an overgrip in the 90-second break when they switch sides during a set.
To read more about the benefits of overgrips and the differences between the grip and an overgrip on a padel racket, here is the detailed article that I wrote about that here on World Padel Insider. That article also includes instructions on how to add an overgrip to your padel racket.
The Padel Racket Frame
The padel racket frame, especially the leading edge around the tip of the racket is the part of the racket that suffers most from both impacts with the floor of the court as well as the surrounding walls.
These impacts will chip and crack the frame of your padel racket over a period of time. Once one of those cracks extends all the way across your padel racket it will compromise the structural integrity of your padel racket and just hitting the ball will cause the racket to snap.
What I did with my padel racket is stick a protective strip around the tip of the racket as a way to guard against those small chips and cracks that eventually become something more serious.
You won’t see any of those protective strips on the padel rackets used by the professionals on the World Padel Tour. The strip would cover the brand logo across the end of the racket. For the sponsors, having the brand logo clearly visible is far more valuable than the cost of a replacement padel racket.
The Face Of The Padel Racket
The normal thing to do at the end of a game of padel is to put your racket in its cover, if you have one, and not think about it until the next game of padel rolls around. I know that is exactly what I do every week after my game of padel. I don’t give my padel racket a moment’s thought until I take it out the following week for another game.
It turns out that there are a couple of things that I ought to be doing, especially during the winter months.
Although I don’t generally play padel in the rain, because where we live our wettest months still have over 21 days of no rain at all. So if our padel day is wet and miserable, we know that within the following tow days it will be dry enough to play.
What I had failed to take into account is the high humidity and touch of dew that we have in the late evenings during winter as the temperatures drop.
The foam rubber that makes up the inner core of a padel racket apparently does a very good job of absorbing moisture when the humidity is high. Keeping the padel racket in a sealed bag when the core has been wet is not the wisest move. At best you will have a musty padel racket, but at the same time staying damp will shorten the life span of your racket’s inner core.
So if your racket has gotten damp, it will be best to let it air dry for a day or so before putting it back in its bag. This will be especially true if your padel racket has gotten really wet should you have been playing in the rain.
On the flip side, the foam rubber that makes up the core of your padel racket degrades really quickly in UV radiation, so leaving your padel racket out in the direct sun will be a bad idea.
In addition, high temperatures can cause the face of your padel racket to delaminate from the inner foam core. That will result in your padel racket cracking across the face next time you hit a padel ball. So don’t store your padel racket in the boot of your car, especially during the heat of summer. |
How your child’s challenging behaviour might affect you
Seeing your child’s challenging behaviour can be upsetting and confusing. Many parents have questions about why their child is showing difficult behaviour. It can feel exhausting to look for answers and solutions.
The most important thing to remember is you are not alone.
challenging behaviour: a child in a blue top hides their face with their hands
Feelings about my child's challenging behaviour
It’s natural to feel negative emotions about your child’s behaviour.
• Some parents feel ashamed to admit the struggles they face with their child. Only hearing positive stories from other parents can stop them from sharing their challenges. This can lead to feeling isolated. It can also stop parents asking for the help they need.
• Some parents feel hopeless. They feel like they have tried everything they can think of. When nothing seems to be working, it can feel like it will never get easier.
• Some parents feel guilty. It is common for parents to blame themselves for their child’s behaviour. Difficult behaviour is not as simple as deciding who or what is to blame. Instead, try to focus on understanding the triggers of challenging behaviour.
The impact of challenging behaviour
• In our 1:1 conversations with parents, many say “I love my child but I don’t like their behaviour.” It’s OK to feel like that. Actually, it is helpful to recognise that it is the behaviour that is difficult, and not your child.
• Responding to challenging behaviour can have a negative impact on your mental health. If you feel low or exhausted, it might have an effect on the way you respond to your child. You might feel like you have a shorter temper, or like you aren’t parenting in the way you would like to.
• It can also have an impact on other areas of your life such as your relationships or your job. Being a parent is already tiring. When your child’s behaviour is difficult, it can be even more exhausting.
Asking for help
• Try to be honest with your partner, friends or family about what is going on for you at home. They might have helpful advice or give you some emotional support. They might even be struggling themselves, but have been too worried about opening up.
• Asking for help might feel scary. But it can also be the first step towards things getting easier for you and your family. Try to speak to your child’s nursery, school or college about what is going on at home. You can also speak to your GP about how you are feeling or what you are dealing with. They may be able to link you to other local services that could help.
• You can read more advice on responding to challenging behaviour.
• You can also speak to one of our parenting coaches for free, non-judgemental advice.
Go back
Self-care ideas for parents
How can I manage my child’s challenging behaviour?
How should I respond to challenging behaviour?
How can I manage my toddler’s behaviour?
Talk to us
Chat icon on mobile phone |
Five wonderful uses of ‘f- Strings’ in Python
Learn about some of Python’s built-in methods that can be used on strings
Photo by Paul Volkmer on Unsplash
Before PEP 498 was introduced, Python had primarily three ways of formatting strings i.e. the %-formatting, str.format and the string.Template. In 2015, Eric V. Smith proposed a new string formatting mechanism known as Literal String Interpolation, which provided a simpler and effective way for formatting strings. These strings are referred to as formatted string literal or f-strings as they are prefixed with 'f' or 'F'.
To begin, we’ll quickly look at the different string formatting styles in Python and how f-strings shines above the rest. Let’s say we have the names and ages of three people, and we want to print them in the format given below:
The manager is [NAME] and his age is [AGE].
Let’s now look at the comparison between different string formatting styles in Python. We’ll see the same output but utilizing different formatting.
1. Using % Operator
2. Using string. format
The use of string.format did simplify the formatting to some extent.
3. Using f-strings
F-strings further simplify the formatting.
As seen above, the f-strings come in handy when formatting strings. No more figuring out the %s and the format keywords. They are straightforward, less ambiguous, and easy to understand. Since we now know about the usefulness of the f-strings, it’s time to look at some of their other capabilities too.
1. Formatting expressions with f-strings
F-strings allows you to put expressions between the brackets. The expression within the brackets is evaluated and displayed as a result.
Here the distance is calculated within the expression and this saves an additional step for the user.
2. Formatting datetime Objects
In Python, we use the strftime() method that returns a string representing date and time using date, time, or datetime object. Let’s see an example below where we print the current date.
Well, the same results can also be obtained by merely using f-strings. This eliminates the need to use srftime.
3. Adding separators: commas, underscores, and spaces
F-strings can also come in handy in case you want to include separators in long numbers i.e separate numbers at thousands’ place. You can add a comma, an underscore, or simply separate the numbers by space.
4. Justifying and centering strings
By default, the strings are justified to the left. However, it is possible to justify them to the right by using > or < characters followed by a number that denotes the padding.
Similarly, you can also center a string by using ^N after the string that has to be centered. Again N denotes the number of characters.
5. Using if-else Conditional in an F-String
Lastly, f-strings are able to evaluate if-else conditions. You can specify the condition within the curly braces and it outputs the result. Here is an example to print the greater of the two given numbers.
We have seen that f-strings are pretty useful when it comes to formatting strings. We have also seen some of the ways in which they can be used. There are some other great uses of f-strings and in case you want to dig deeper, the official documentation is a great place to start. If this article has piqued your interest in the string datatype, here is another article that you might enjoy which is about the string methods in Python and their uses.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Google photo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Connecting to %s |
Hoarding Electrical Items.
How many of us are guilty of hoarding old laptops, electric toothbrushes, kettles phones and cables collecting dust?
It is claimed that households across Wales are hoarding around 26 million small old electricals, rather than recycling them.
People instead of throwing away of these old or broken items are contributing to one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, estimated to cost the UK economy over £370 million of lost valuable raw materials such as gold, copper, aluminium and steel. Precious metals are used to make up compononents for everyday items we take for granted.
On average it takes a household about two years or more before they get rid of things.
Studies have shown that if all the old laptops hoarded across the UK if they were recycled could provide enough aluminium to produce 159,000 bikes; enough steel to make 12,000 playground swings; or enough plastic to make nearly 5 million life-saving defibrillators.
#recyclingelectricals #recycling #recyclingelectricalitems #oldlaptops #refurbising #hoarding |
Subsets and Splits