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Europe is around 11 million km². About 733 million Europeans live on the continent, which corresponds to 11.1 percent of the world population.
Overview of European Countries
Europe is named after the Phoenician king’s daughter of the same name from Greek mythology, the “woman with a wide view”. She was kidnapped to Crete by the god father Zeus. In the 5th century BC Herodotus referred to the country north of the Black and Mediterranean as “Europe”.
The most populous European states are the Russian Federation, Germany and France, the largest in terms of area are the Russian Federation, Ukraine and France.
Finding something beautiful or ugly is a strictly personal opinion, which constantly becomes discussion on the wheels of friends. But there are some places in the world that are unquestionable when it comes to beauty. See countries in Europe for a list of beautiful countries and cities in the Europe.
European History by Nation
Some Beautiful Countries in Europe
Faroe Islands – Northern Europe
The Faroe Islands are a self-governing and autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The capital of the country is Tórshavn. Around 48,000 Faroe Islands live on the Faroe Islands. The official languages are Faroese and Danish. The Faroe Islands cover an area of around 1,400 km².
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Southeast Europe
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state in Europe. The capital of the country is Sarajevo. Around 3.5 million people live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. Bosnia and Herzegovina covers an area of around 51,000 km². Neighboring countries are Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro.
Bulgaria – Southeast Europe
Bulgaria is a state in Europe. The capital of the country is Sofia. Around 7.1 million Bulgarians live in Bulgaria. Bulgarians of other nationalities. The official language is Bulgarian. Bulgaria covers an area of around 111,000 km². Neighboring countries are Turkey, Romania, Greece, Serbia and Macedonia.
Estonia – Central Europe
Estonia is a country in Europe. The capital of the country is Tallinn. About 1.3 million Estonians and Estonians of other nationalities live in Estonia. The official language is Estonian. Estonia covers an area of around 45,000 km² and is therefore slightly larger than the Netherlands. Neighboring countries are the Russian Federation and Latvia.
Iceland – Northern Europe
Iceland, the island of fire and ice, is an island nation in Europe. The capital is Reykjavík. Around 334,000 Icelanders live in Iceland, including residents of other nationalities, making Iceland one of the most sparsely populated regions in the world. The official language is Icelandic. Iceland covers an area of around 103,000 km² and is thus about three times the size of Belgium.
Most Beautiful Places in Europe
The Old World also has its beauties, many of them marked by their stories. However, Barcelona is an example of a charming city due to its unique and passionate architecture.
Capital of the Catalonia region, the city has a unique style due to the architects that made the city – mainly Antoni Gaudí. The Sagrada Familia, still unfinished work, is the landmark of a city that does not respect standards and knows how to leave tourists in love.
Beauty is almost synonymous with Paris. The light city is indescribable, both for its apotheotic Eiffel Tower and its pulsating culture. The French capital is a true landmark in the history of mankind and has for itself true beauties. The Arc de Triomphe, for example, is a gateway to live incredible moments in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
The canals of the Netherlands, which make the country below sea level, have made the city of Amsterdam one of the most beautiful places in the world. In spring, beauty multiplies with the many flowers that dot the bicycle-lined streets and cozy houses.
Prague, Czech Republic
Surviving over a thousand years of history is not for anywhere. The city of Prague is a perfect synthesis of these unique places, with latent marks on the events that preceded their present day. In the capital of the Czech Republic, Gothic buildings catch the eye and brighten the destination, which boasts great tourist attractions (and a good beer too).
Among villages that exude the culture of the region – blending past and present – Cappadocia is a place known worldwide for its stunning landscape admired in one of the many balloons that color the region’s sky. The destination is one more that has the union between natural and historical beauty, a must for adventure lovers.
The city of Venice is not just a romantic destination for couples in love. Venice is unlike anywhere in the world, being a city built between canals and where cars are boats and canoes. There is no way not to be impressed by the old buildings and houses that appear in the middle of the city waters.
Santorini is one of those places that doesn’t seem to really exist. Bathed by the Mediterranean Sea and crystal clear waters, the city takes advantage of this natural beauty with its architectural beauty, with small houses that are made on the slope of its hills and alleys that make you live in an unimaginable paradise.
U.S. Demographics by City | <urn:uuid:82906415-02fd-4585-b656-6aef838d31e3> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.holidaysort.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506481.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20230923130827-20230923160827-00429.warc.gz | en | 0.938033 | 1,179 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Acute food insecurity is likely to worsen in Kenya and 18 hunger hotspots covering 22 countries, a United Nations outlook report for June to November warns.
The report's findings show that, in addition to Kenya, Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic are other hotspots of very high concern, adding that the warning is also extended to Myanmar.
The findings also show that more than 5.4 million Kenyans (32 percent) living in arid and semi-arid areas are in urgent and severe food need.
"All these hotspots have high numbers of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life-threatening conditions in the coming months," warn the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme, adding that all these hotspots have high numbers of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life-threatening conditions in the coming months.
The UN explains that the worsening of acute food insecurity in the hunger hotspots is occurring in the context of a global food crisis.
"The countries and situations covered in this report highlight the most significant deteriorations in hunger expected over the outlook period, but do not represent all countries with high levels of acute food insecurity. The findings show that, in East Africa, average to above-average rainfall conditions are expected for the remainder of the current March-May season.”
“However, given the magnitude of livelihood losses incurred during the last five consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall, drought recovery will take many years.”
"The May 2023 forecast suggests an 82 per cent likelihood of El Nino conditions beginning in May-July 2023, with significant implications for several hunger hotspots. Continued monitoring of forecasts and their impact on production remains critical."
The UN is calling on governments to urgently scale up assistance in all 18 hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and increase access to food.
The outbreak of conflict in Sudan marks a new spike in global levels of organised violence and armed conflict, which have declined slightly since the last edition of this report," the UN says.
"Conflict will disrupt livelihoods, including agricultural activities and trade, as people are either directly attacked, flee the prospect of attack, or face movement restrictions and administrative obstacles. In addition, emerging conflicts, in particular the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, are likely to drive global conflict trends and affect several neighbouring countries.”
“The use of explosive ordnance and siege tactics in several hunger hotspots continues to push people into catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity, highlighting the critical role of humanitarian access in preventing the worst consequences of hunger," the UN says, while stressing that economic concerns continue to drive acute food insecurity in almost all hunger hotspots.
According to their findings, the global economy is expected to slow in 2023, raising the cost of credit. This is despite a year of easing international food prices, with domestic prices remaining high and low foreign exchange reserves in many countries limiting imports.
Experts predict that limited economic access is likely to be exacerbated by the overall reduction in donor support to alleviate global hunger.
The report further says extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, tropical storms, cyclones, floods, droughts and increased climate variability remain significant factors in some countries and regions.
“In the hotspots of greatest concern, humanitarian action is critical to prevent further hunger and death. However, humanitarian access is constrained in a number of ways, including insecurity due to organised violence or conflict, the presence of administrative or bureaucratic barriers, and restrictions on movement,” the UN says, noting that this is essential to prevent further deterioration of acute food insecurity and malnutrition. | <urn:uuid:689be9e2-a3d8-40b0-88d3-0a70b88558b3> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://nation.africa/kenya/news/extreme-weather-to-worsen-kenya-s-food-crisis-as-5-4-million-facing-hunger-un-says-4251150 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506421.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20230922170343-20230922200343-00873.warc.gz | en | 0.941882 | 766 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The Story of Purim:
The Book of Esther Abridged Version
In the third year of his reign, the King of Persia, Ahashverosh (also known as Ahasuerus and Ahashuerus) decided to have a feast. It was on the seventh day of these festivities that the King summoned his queen, Vashti, to appear before him and demonstrate her beauty for the King's officials. Vashti refused to appear. (According to the Talmud, G-d afflicted her with leprosy to cause her downfall and Esther's rise.) Incensed, the King asked his officers for a suitable punishment. One advisor, Memuchan (some think he was was actually Haman), argued that Vashti should be killed for her disobedience. The King took his advice and Vashti was killed.
As time passed the King desired a new queen. To find a suitable wife, a contest was initiated among all the eligible girls in the kingdom. One of those was Esther, a Jewish girl. Esther had been raised by her uncle Mordechai after her parents' death. Mordechai instructed Esther not to divulge her Jewishness when she went to meet the king. Each day Mordechai walked by the court and inquired as to her well being. Esther impressed all who met her, including the King, and she was elevated to queen.
Years later the King elevated Haman , a descendant of Amelak, the traditional enemy of the Jews, to the position of chief advisor. Haman was a wicked and vain man who expected everyone to bow down to him. Mordechai refused to bow because Jews are to bow only before G-D. Not content to just punish Mordechai, Haman wanted to destroy the entire Jewish people in Persia. He cast lots or PURIM to determine the day of annihilation.
Haman went to the King, slandered the Jews, and convinced the King to go along with his plans. Upon learning of the plot, Mordechai tore his clothes, wore sackcloth and ashes, and walked through the city crying loudly. When Esther heard of Mordechai's display she dispatched a messenger to discover what was troubling her relative. Mordechai recounted the details of the evil decree and instructed Esther to intercede on the Jews behalf. Esther agreed to appear before the King and instructed Mordechai to organize a three-day fast for all the Jews on her behalf.
After completing the three-day fast, Esther entered the king's inner court dressed in her most royal garb. The King inquired as to Esther's desires. Esther replied that she wished to invite the King and Haman to a banquet. After the feast Esther asked the King and Haman to a to return for another banquet the next night. Haman left the banquet consumed with self importance and pride, but these feelings were turned to anger when he saw Mordechai. Haman went home, and his wife, Zeresh, advised him to construct a gallows. Haman joyously acted upon the suggestion.
That night, the King discovered that Mordechai had never been rewarded for saving him from the assassination plot of two servants. When Haman appeared in the court, the King decided that his trusted servant should determine Mordechai's compensation. Haman , intending to obtain the King's permission to hang Mordechai, unwittingly answered the King's questions. The King asked Haman, "What should be done for the man the King wishes to reward?" Haman, believing that Ahashverosh intended to reward him, replied that the honoree should be dressed in royal clothing, ride upon a royal horse. And be led through the city streets by an official proclaiming "This is what is done to the man the King wishes to honor".
Ahashverosh agreed and instructed Haman to carry it out for Mordechai, Crestfallen, Haman followed the King's orders. Haman's daughter, mistakenly believing that her father was being led by Mordechai, dumped garbage on her father, the horses' leader.
At Esther's second banquet Haman's downfall continued. Esther revealed Haman's villainous plot and the fact that she was Jewish. She asked the King to "grant me my soul and my people." Ahashverosh consumed with anger ordered that Haman be hanged on the gallows intended for Mordechai. The King elevated Mordechai to a position of great influence and allowed him to issue edicts permitting the Jews to fight their enemies. On the thirteenth and fourteenth of Adar the Jews won tremendous victories and were saved from the threat of total annihilation.
Ever since, Jews have observered Purim. The day before Purim is a day of fasting, in memory of Esther's fast. The fast is then followed by two days of dancing, merrymaking, feasting and gladness.
*BTW - During the reading of the Book of Esther, Jews rattle graggers (noisemakers) at every mention of Haman's name. Look for the gragger through out the story. It will let you know when to "spin" your gragger.
The Megillah (Book of Esther) | Purim in Israel | What is a "Gragger"? | Drink 'Til You Drop
Mishloach Manot (Purim Gift Baskets) | Getting Creative with Purim Food Baskets (Mishloach Manot)
Costumes and Masks | Easy to Make Purim Costumes | Purim Crafts | Hamantashan Recipes
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As a parent, if you’ve asked this question once, you’ve asked it a million times. It’s only natural to worry about your child’s health.
Children and young adults should minimise the amount of time they spend doing stationary activities. This means getting their bodies moving outside the pushchair. It also means being very careful about TV and video games. If you can live without a television, go for it!
Children Below Five Years-Old
Surely a child under the age of five doesn’t need to worry about exercise? Wrong. Small ones need to spend as much time as possible moving around to the best of their ability. Three hours a day is the recommended guideline. This could be crawling around in the garden or going for a toddle in the local park. Keeping your child stationary stops his or her body from developing as it should.
Children Between Five and Eighteen
As soon as your children hit their fifth birthday, they should be getting one hour of aerobic exercise a day. There must be moderate and vigorous exercise included in this, as well as exercise that strengthens muscles and bones. Getting teenagers to take up physical activity can be tricky, so create good habits from a very young age.
How Can You Help Your Child?
The best way to encourage your child to exercise is to go along with them. Make physical activity a big part of family life. Also, encourage your kids to play with friends and join active sports teams. Ask them first what they’d like to do – if your son wants to dance, enrol him in the nearest ballet club; if your daughter dreams of being a martial arts expert, send her to jujitsu to learn some self-defence!
If your child has made friends at school, introduce yourself to his or her parents. Maybe you could invite them over for dinner to get to know them better. Once you’ve forged this bond, you can start encouraging your children to bring their friends over for games in the garden. It’s amazing how much fun they can have, with little effort on your part.
Be a role model. Practice what you preach. Start getting healthy and living the lifestyle you want your children to lead. They take inspiration from you as they grow up and it means that you can benefit from regular exercise too. A child will copy any lazy habits you have.
Praise your little ones as much as possible. If they’ve had a big day full of activities, reward them with a day-off from chores or let them play on their games console for the rest of the evening. The positive reinforcement will stick with them better than threats of punishment if they don’t go and run around outside after school.
Your recommended exercise is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and many parents aren’t getting even the bare minimum for a healthy lifestyle. If you can keep up with your children, you’re doing well! Chin up, trainers on, and get out there!
This post has been contributed for Playrite, who provide synthetic surfaces for multi-use game areas in universities, schools and health clubs. | <urn:uuid:03b77fb3-162e-4e7e-bcad-c59de0e71237> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://www.lovingyourchild.com/how-much-exercise-should-my-child-do/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250595787.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20200119234426-20200120022426-00480.warc.gz | en | 0.9707 | 653 | 2.75 | 3 |
While it is dangerous for humans to live in many parts of the world—Chernobyl being a prime example—the animal kingdom has not just survived, but flourished. In the absence of humans, nature has reclaimed itself.
There is an excellent series by PBS called "Radioactive Wolves" discussing how the animal kingdom has thrived in the exclusion zone. Even with the elevated levels of radiation causing twice the normal rate in birth defects—something that would be unacceptable for a human populace living there—the animals don't seem too disturbed. In fact, the land has become a haven for animals. Beavers, which had been wiped from the area due to the farming demands, have returned and restored one of central Europe's great marshlands.
Naturally, there are evolutionary consequences to living in this area for these animals. In Chernobyl in particular, there is a type of Radiotropic Fungus that eats the radiation. After the Japanese Tsunami, there was a discussion on how the fungus could be utilized in future radioactive disasters. So while living in these areas is less than suitable for humans, attention should definitely be paid to how these animals manage to live, adapt, and thrive. | <urn:uuid:1a19a5b9-5e28-41b8-b7d7-b35ed21d5e99> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://poetryofphysics.blogspot.com/2013/07/nature-to-exclusion-of-all-else.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818686034.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170919202211-20170919222211-00694.warc.gz | en | 0.96703 | 242 | 3.1875 | 3 |
What is Domestic Abuse?
Domestic Abuse refers to the victimization of an individual or individuals resulting from abuse, attacks, or assault undertaken by their respective partners within the realm of a romantic relationship or courtship.
Domestic abuse is somewhat of a broad definition, for it can include multiple acts, delivered in a variety of fashions; domestic abuse can be inflicted on the victimized party in a sexual, physical, emotional, verbal, psychological or economic nature. Regardless of the form; however, all acts of domestic abuse are debilitating and harmful to the sanctity of the relationship and to the health of the aggrieved party.
Although the typical notion attached to domestic abuse places the male in the aggressive role and the woman in the victimized role, acts of domestic abuse, in all fashions, can be administered between both genders.
The act of reporting abuse is crucial to limit the damages and side effects imposed by domestic violence situations. Reporting abuse simply means that the victim—or a loved one of the aggrieved party—notifies an organization aligned with Domestic Violence prevention to the ongoing turmoil present in a relationship.
Reporting abuse can also refer to the victimized parties reporting the acts of domestic violence to their local authorities or police department. This form of reporting abuse will formally include the police or law enforcement agencies into your particular domestic violence situation; by reporting abuse to the authorities, you will effectively initiate a prosecution of the aggressive party. This may result in the arrest or prosecution of the individual or the filing of a restraining order against the individual.
Regardless of the end result, reporting abuse is a fundamental necessity to mitigate the damages imposed by acts of domestic violence. Reporting abuse will allow the aggrieved party to seek aid, professional advice, and access to educational resources regarding domestic abuse. Additionally, reporting abuse will enable the individual to seek a legal remedy to their unfortunate situation.
Unfortunately acts of domestic violence are somewhat common throughout the world. That being said, the majority of domestic violence cases go unreported; the unwillingness to report a domestic violence case exists for a multitude of reasons, none of which are healthy or rational.
Reporting Abuse to the Domestic Violence Hotline:
The Domestic Violence Hotline is a national resource used to prevent acts of domestic violence. Furthermore, the Domestic Violence Hotline is one of the many places an individual can contact to report abuse; the hotline acts as the intermediary between the aggrieved party and coordinating law enforcement officers.
The Domestic Violence hotline can be accessed via the Internet at https://www.thehotline.org/ or via telephone at 1-800-799-SAFE(7233). The Domestic Violence Hotline offers an anonymous report feature, which enables a victim or a friend of victim to report an incident without giving their legal name.
Reporting Abuse Example:
In the event that you or a loved one has been made aware of an ongoing case of domestic abuse, or has been party to domestic abuse that has occurred in the past, you are encouraged to contact your local authorities or law enforcement department in order to report the details of the offense.
If you wish to report the actions in an anonymous fashion, you may contact the appropriate government department, such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline through their 24-hour telephone number: (800) 799-7233. Remember, no one deserves to be victimized by Domestic Violence; a multitude of resources and assistance exist to prevent these unfortunate acts. | <urn:uuid:535fc777-d484-4bc7-b081-5c2fdf220ea0> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://domestic-violence.laws.com/report-abuse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347390758.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20200526112939-20200526142939-00012.warc.gz | en | 0.94187 | 695 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Strong Trusts build collaborative structures and platforms for great schools to create more value for all children, over time. This trust dividend enables groups of schools to achieve more than the sum of their parts, and more than before. Strong Trusts are values-led, purpose-driven, learning organisations who establish the conditions for colleagues to create collaborative intelligence that becomes trust wisdom that strengthens great schools.
“Instead of seeing trees (schools) as individual agents competing for resources, she proposed the forest as ‘a co-operative system’, in which trees ‘talk’ to one another, producing a collaborative intelligence she described as ‘forest (trust) wisdom’. Some older trees even ‘nurture’ smaller trees.” (Robert Macfarlane)
There is now enough maturity in our system to identify how strong Trusts create enough value to sustain groups of great schools; school is Trust, Trust is school. Deepening this understanding will enable educators to take greater stewardship of the sector and build strong Trusts that work together for all children. The following identifies five functions of a strong Trust that, taken together, create a trust dividend that supports, empowers and sustains great schools.
The five functions of a strong Trust | in brief
One: Strong Trusts are values-led and purpose-driven, they understand why they exist, live out their values, achieve their purpose, tell stories of the future, create coherence and clarity to establish a climate where colleagues belong to something bigger and are empowered to add value.
Two: Strong Trusts standardise areas of provision that build platforms for colleagues to stand on and exploit, areas that are high dividend and rise the tide, particularly a shared curriculum, shared assessment and wider professional services. These are significant investments in high dividend areas, over time, that add future value.
Three: Strong Trusts invest in leadership, particularly of headteachers, so that there is a deep investment in relationships, setting direction and implementation within schools. Leadership that builds and sustains a strong culture and great teaching, hallmarks of great schools and areas that are largely empowered to and owned by schools.
Four: Strong Trusts create collaborative structures, an architecture enabling colleagues to collaborate across the Trust in networks and communities, creating, designing, developing and aligning approaches that add value. Trusts are risk-informed, distorting resource and expertise to tackle underperformance.
Five: Strong Trusts maintain high standards creating the conditions for healthy competition, great schools joined in the shared endeavour of raising standards, transparently using trust-wide data, building shared intelligence and using research-led approaches to inform implementation and school improvement.
+One: Strong Trusts act within and on the system, working together with other Trusts, to create a collective dividend and take responsibility for the education system, serving communities as anchor institutions and working with other civic partners to support all children.
The Five Functions of a Strong Trust, the next level of detail
One: Values-led, purpose-driven | building culture and belonging
Strong Trusts know and understand why they exist. They have a set of compelling values and clarity of purpose that galvanises colleagues into shared endeavour and collective responsibility. This clarity aligns colleagues, informs the strategic investments and paints a compelling future, that guides the big and small decisions made across the Trust by all colleagues every day. It is in these actions, over time, and not in the written words, that culture emerges.
“…understanding the “cultural magic” that makes an organisation feel truly human, and creates a sense of connection and belonging.” (Tracey Camilleri, et al.)
Without this clarity of purpose, colleagues struggle to place themselves and their work within the Trust. Strong Trusts create a sense of belonging, give status and build esteem, because the rules of the game are clear, colleagues understand the journey and are empowered to add value. This is a significant investment in people, actively building well-being to create psychologically safe, high trust, heart felt collegiality that holds people in the Trust.
“To feel a sense of belonging is to feel accepted, to feel seen and to feel included by a group of people… to not feel belonging is to experience the precarious and insecure sense of an outsider.”(Owen Eastwood, 2021)
Strong Trusts bring coherence and clarity on how we do things here, what is standardised, empowered, the routines and collaborative structures that secure school improvement at scale. Deepening understanding of the Trust’s Theory of Action empowers colleagues to build great schools on the platform of the Trust.
Two: Standardisation | creating a platform for colleagues
Strong Trusts deliberately standardise areas of provision, typically complicated areas, that add value and create platforms for colleagues to focus on the Main Thing(s). Amongst the most important to standardise: a shared curriculum, shared assessment, syllabi and professional services.
A shared curriculum where learning is progressive, sequenced, and coherent over time is one of the most important levers available to Trusts; being experts and collaborating on one curriculum, rather than many.
A shared assessment system across all year groups, based on the shared curriculum and shared examination syllabi create an accountability framework and the intelligence for raising standards. This provides the elements required for co-opetition and the transparent sharing of data for the purposes of school improvement; school is Trust, Trust is school.
Three: Trust Leadership | empowering leadersto build great schools
Strong Trusts invest in leaders, particularly Headteachers, as the key agents in building and sustaining great schools, investing in their knowledge, development and wellbeing. Great leadership builds relationships, sets direction and implements well. Strong Trusts seek to drive-up the quality of this leadership, they build a curriculum for it and create the conditions that empower leaders to lead great schools, within a strong Trust.
Strong Trusts understand where to standardise (complicated) and where to empower (complex). Whilst great schools are great at many things, two areas stand out. Firstly, great schools propagate a strong cultureof high expectation that is scholarly and builds character. Secondly, they secure greatteaching, through professional learning and developing individual teachers. Both areas are largely empowered to schools as they require contextualising and local decision making, to follow learning to meet need and to build culture in context.
Four: Deliberate collaboration I networks, communities and expertise
Strong Trusts create collaborative structures for colleagues to build collective intelligence and understanding; an investment in people. Networks and communities connect colleagues horizontally across the Trust and within and beyond phases to create the conditions for improvement, the sharing of practice and alignment; moving towards a self-improving Trust. Creating the architecture, time, artefacts and purpose of collaboration that empower colleagues to focus together on the Main Thing(s).
“…we can speed this process (trial and error) up by creating systems and platforms where we search for new knowledge systematically… integrate the result into our body of knowledge, and apply it into new ways of doing things.” (Johan Norberg)
Strong Trusts deliberately build expertise and improvement tools that support school improvement, particularly in areas of provision that are specialist and in high demand; one of the key advantages of Trusts. The accessibility and use of expertise commissioned and utilised by schools and headteachers creates the conditions for a self-improving Trust.
“The stars we are given. The constellations we make.” (Rebecca Solnit)
Strong Trusts are risk-informed, use information, intelligence and data to concentrate and distort the resources developed by the Trust to improve areas of underperformance. They develop expertise and capacity over time, commensurate with scale, and use school improvement teams and specific expertise to improve schools in a timely, proportionate and deliberate way.
Five: High Standards | competition and transparent performance data
Strong Trusts balance co-operation and competition to drive up trust standards; co-opetition. The transparent, deliberate use of data (democratised data) to understand performance and school improvement, in high-trust environments, builds intelligence and informs improvement. Great schools invest in quality assurance as part of strong implementation practices, supported by the trust and accessing trustworthy expertise, resources and tools.
Strong Trusts are research-led, often working in cognitive dissonance, holding opposing ideas in tension; resisting simplified swings based on trend; tempering influences and instead leaning on seminal readings and peer-reviewed research. They are learning organisations who use the Trust as a test-bed to understand performance and deliberately share intelligence.
+One: Sector engaged| all trusts working together for all children
Strong Trusts work within and on the wider system. They understand that the success of the Trust hinges on the success of other Trusts and that we all have a shared responsibility and stewardship for the education system as a whole; all trusts working together for all children. By working in partnership and with a sense of altruism, Trusts can better understand how to add value, achieve dividend, and take greater collective responsibility for our system.
By building strong, resilient Trusts that are connected as partner Trusts, we can seize our opportunity to serve communities, build partnerships and exploit the opportunities afforded by civic leadership, anchor trusts and investing in place. This creates a stronger education system, better able to secure equity through education, social mobility, justice and to reach those presently disadvantaged; disadvantaged even over.
Great schools, strong Trust |the five functions
The five functions seek to create a trust dividend, establishing a strong Trust with great schools. The functions create the opportunity for Trusts to be self-improving, with leaders empowered and connected to lead on the platform of the Trust. This long-term investment builds strong Trusts who can work with partner Trusts to add a collective dividend that transforms the life chances of children. All trusts working together for all children.
Dan Nicholls | February 2023
The thinking presented here is based on the work, experience and thinking of colleagues across Cabot Learning Federation.
As educationalists we still have an urgent, deeper problem; one that may already be irreversibly entrenched by a pandemic whose impact has not been felt evenly. It is more important than ever for us to work together to deliberately and systematically address deep-seated inequality and act now to slow the growing gulf between advantaged and disadvantaged children; so that children are not permanently defined by the pandemic, because they have the tools to choose what they become…
To give the power of choice is deeply embedded in our values as educators, but we will require the bravery to step into the light of the new normal and be the change that is needed, if only we’re brave enough to be it…
“When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” (Amanda Gorman, 2021)
Ten months after writing Urgent Action Required | addressing disadvantage we find ourselves still in the midst of a Pandemic, one which has touched our lives. The sad truth is that the stark asymmetry of society, education and opportunity, embarrassingly revealed by the pandemic, still dominates, condemns and limits the lives of disadvantaged children. It is very hard to under-play the steepness of the challenge that we as educators face.
“We must have a bold and comprehensive plan … a long-term strategy, fully funded, planned by educationalists with cross party consensus, that looks forward for the next five years to support those most impacted by COVID-19 over their educational lifetime.” (Sammy Wright, Social Mobility Commissioner, 2021)
There is increasing hope as we extricate ourselves from the pandemic, but the sickening reality remains, the impact of the pandemic and the deep economic and social cost will burden communities and individuals into the middle of this century. This piece of writing, however, is born out of optimism not pessimism, hope not futility. It offers a framework for understanding how we can support all individual disadvantaged children to thrive in our increasingly asymmetric society and acceleratingly complex future.
Accumulating disadvantage, the past, present and future | the asymmetry of life
“…what future?” (Enola Holmes) “There are two paths that you can take Enola, yours or the path others choose for you…” (Eudoria Holmes) “Our future is up to us!” (Enola Holmes, Film, 2020)
Accumulating disadvantage and advantage is founded in early life and is perpetuated through education to fundamentally influence and determine the opportunities that are available through adulthood. This accumulation cements and calcifies the asymmetries that are hard wired into our society and education system. The interaction and compounding impact of the factors that accumulate disadvantage and advantage are detailed below: (the table contrasts key factors that influence disadvantaged and advantaged children in the past and into their future)
“…with each new thing you learn, the better you’re able to absorb the next related fact.” (David Eagleman, 2020)
Life as a series of opportunities | those that we take and those we miss
Between life and death there are opportunities that we play going forwards through childhood and adulthood. For some this is a a joyous stroll through a land full of possibility for others it is a world that happens to them, a life that limits their opportunity to try another life…
“Between life and death there is a library,” she said. “And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices. Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?” (Matt Haig, The Midnight Library, 2020)
Considering life as a one way journey along routes punctuated by opportunities helps our understanding of disadvantage by pushing us to look forward and not just backwards to support disadvantaged children.
“…you possess only a single life, what you devote yourself to (or the experiences you have) send you down a particular roads, while the other paths will forever remain untrodden by you.” (David Eagleman, 2020)
Early experience and opportunity lay the ground (load the deck, build the foundation) for the future. Some individuals accumulate knowledge, understanding, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-belief, a set of tools that open doors and routes in their future (not initially foreseeable); the foundation for self-agency; picking and choosing and playing with opportunities as they present themselves.
The reverse is also true, if we consider life as a set of opportunities, disadvantaged children and individuals have had fewer opportunities in the past, now and in their future. Disadvantaged are, therefore, more likely to…
… have fewer opportunities (recognised or not) now and in the future, those that appear and those that are self-created.
… are far less likely to step forward when opportunities present; more likely to self-de-select themselves and step back.
… and have fewer tools to use, previous experiences or self-belief to exploit each opportunity.
Tackling our disadvantaged problem forwards (as well as backwards)
We remain very uncomfortable with the truth that…. however effective we believe our present education system is, it fails, year after year to address the disadvantaged gap; there is very limited evidence of attainment mobility in our schools; disadvantaged children at age 16 are 18.1 months behind their more affluent peers, and worse still “…we could be at a turning point .. we could soon enter a period where the gap starts to widen.” (EPI, 2019)
Whilst we need to assess the deficits in learning of disadvantaged children by looking back at what is missed or insecure (literacy, language being key levers), we should also look forward into their future and consider how we can load their dice and increase their (life) chances. Increasing the child’s chance of recognising, creating, stepping into opportunities in their future with a set of personal and academic tools and keys that will exploit the opportunities that life throws up.
How far do we consider the future and the specific tools that individuals need to thrive and make the most of opportunities that present themselves within the enigmatic variation of life (Michael Blastland, 2020)? Whilst academic qualifications act as a passport through future doorways, what else allows individuals to thrive? What is the balance of competence and character that supports progression? What secures a good quality of life? To be able to make their own choices? To be able to influence the world around them (directly and distantly)? How do we best support disadvantaged to be competitive?
A personalised approach that may also consider how best we build specialisms, areas of competence to accumulate advantage so that they are competitive with their more advantaged peers may prove a useful enablers for individuals. Essentially accumulating advantage for disadvantaged children (and in specific areas), to create character and competence so that their, “Childhood is not a destiny.” (Robert Sampson)
“… lives are lived forwards but can only be understood backwards. Though life is shaped by various forces, as we know, it is also shaped by living, by particular experience as it unfolds.” (Michael Blastland, 2019)
Present level of attainment, delayed attainment and attainment mobility
We must work harder to recognise a child’s present level of attainment as just that the present levelof attainment. This understanding of attainment removes assumptions, language (either conscious or unconscious) that attainment or ability is fixed. It usefully opens the door to discussions about delayed attainment (particularly pertinent now) and to attainment mobility the ability for children to progress from low to high attaining compared to peers (something that education does not achieve well). In this sense learning is a way of creating abilities; how far can we support disadvantaged to create their own potential...
“Learning now becomes a new way of creating abilities rather than bringing people to the point where they can take advantage of their innate ones … People are not born with fixed reserves of potential; instead potential is an expandable vessel, shaped by the various things we do throughout our lives. Learning isn’t a way of reaching one’s potential but rather a way of developing it. We can create our own potential.” (Anders Eriksson)
… it is also helpful not to be fooled into believing disadvantaged children are less ambitious and aspirational. This maybe how they present, but often the opposite is true, not having the means and being deeply influenced by our lived experience may tell a different story.
Talent identified in hindsight as the consequence of effort and practice over time
Creating the opportunity to bring innate talent to the surface for all individuals. Creating the opportunity for individuals to be inspired by, experience and persist long enough with something so that they become better than average; triggering something in their self identity that allows them to continue to develop confidence and competence in something over time that then in hindsight appears to be talent.
What we see as talent is almost always the product of practice (deliberate) over time. How then do we support disadvantage to develop competence that might in the future be deemed to be a talent?
Life chances turn on small things, moments and chance | an opportunity to sow seeds and load the dice for the future
“..we are each made up of numerous possibilities.. “We discover the possibilities by doing, by trying new activities, building new networks, finding new role models.” “We learn who we are in practice, not in theory.” (Herminia Ibarra, quoted by David Epstein, 2019)
The thing with disadvantage is that regardless of the present level of disadvantage we can accumulate advantage over time, at anytime, it is not something that starts when disadvantage is removed and it may well turn on small things as well as complex things, in seconds or years. How do we support children to fall helplessly in love with their future passion, perhaps in brief powerful encounters?
“Beneath every big talent lies an ignition story – the famously potent moment when a young person falls helplessly in love with their future passion. … Talent begins with brief powerful encounters that spark motivation (ignition) by linking your identity to a high performing person or group (or self image). This is called ignition, and it consists of a tiny, world shifting thought lighting up your unconscious mind: I could be them (or do that, or achieve that)” (Dan Coyle)
The path we take through life is influenced in complex ways as a journey of loadedchance and opportunity. How accessible the opportunities are depends on the level of advantage or disadvantage. The way that opportunities playout over a lifetime, in often unpredictable ways, means that increasing the future chances of success and accumulating advantage can arise in even the smallest conversation, some praise, meeting them there, asking how things went, building confidence, knowledge and understanding all have the ability to build a can-do identity and increase agency that unlocks opportunities. As educators we cannot see the future, but we can increase the chances of disadvantaged by creating a broader toolbox for these future opportunities and experimentation:
“… mental meandering and personal experimentation are sources of power, and head starts are overrated.” (David Epstein , 2019)
We are all responsible, there is no opt out | It is everyone’s problem
As educators we have significant influence on all individuals that we interact with; we leak our expectations and attitudes. Some of these will be inconsequential, but others may be life changing.
“Every day, we make each other smarter or stupider, stronger or weaker, faster or slower. We can’t help leakingexpectations, through our gazes, our bodylanguage and our voices. My expectationsabout you define my attitude towards you.” (Rutger Bregman, 2020)
The good and the bad news is that every interaction along life’s journey has an impact on us and informs our sense of self and our self identity. The good is that everyday there are multiple ways to influence those around us. The impact can be fundamental and is likely to bear little relation to the amount of time or investment it takes. Because we live life forwards there is no telling the impact the educators have on children on their journey through childhood into adulthood. Applying this underlines the importance of culture, the importance that it is everyone’s job, that we should not partition our disadvantaged work into time-limited strategies – it is an all the time thing. And we are all responsible.
“…who you are emerges from everything you’ve interacted with: your environment, all of your experiences, your friends, your enemies, your culture, your belief system, your era – all of it.” (David Eagleman, 2020)
The bad is that everyday in every interaction between educator and child we will consciously or unconsciously do one (or a mix) of the following. Underlining the complexity of addressing disadvantage we need to consider how far our culture, curriculum, teaching, culture, rules, routines, language, our assumptions, bias – condemns, confers, colludes, mitigates, or removes disadvantage?
Condemn: to assume fixed attainment and capability making disadvantage the defining feature of an individual. “That child’s disadvantage is permanent.”
Confer: to give someone the identity of disadvantaged. Applying all of the damaging stereotypes and generalities of disadvantage. “Yes, you are disadvantaged”
Collude: to act together in order to deceive through agreeing the extent and on going impact of disadvantage. “Yes, life is difficult because you are disadvantaged”
Mitigate: to support and reduce the impact of disadvantage “No, you have agency over what you do and where you go”
Remove: to undo disadvantage by accumulating advantage “This does not define you or pre-determine your future.” (could have been ‘reverse‘, but this does not fit with choices made going forward, and may inadvertently suggest unpicking the past, rather than adding to a character and competence toolbox that takes advantage of opportunities in the future, further this might be better termed as ‘adding advantage or accumulating advantage‘
Educators are not consciously the creators of disadvantage, but we do make choices, minute by minute, that can limit the impact of disadvantage on a child’s future, so that collectively, consciously, together, we enable our disadvantaged children to write their own stories, to grasp, shape and wrestle with their own future. Giving them access to the game and the rules and the tactics and the confidence and self-identity to have agency.
“It was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future … believing the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart …and that will make all the difference.” (Steve Jobs)
Keeping the main thing the main thing | Teaching as the key lever for accumulating advantage
One of the biggest levers for accumulating advantage for disadvantaged is to invest deeply in supporting and developing professionals to teach well; professional development that focuses on:
the key spine of what matters most in the curriculum, delivered with purpose and passion; making it unavoidable and compelling. Build curiosity and questioning in all children to secure their ability to make decisions, take chances and have agency now and in the future.
direct instruction, explanation, modelling. Investing deeply in explanation so that we scaffold understanding, based on a progression of key organising concepts and ideas brought alive by judicious selection of the most relevant and compelling knowledge. Building schema that provides the foundation and touch points that will come easier to advantaged children.
deliberate practice. To build confidence and success on meaningful and challenging tasks.
diagnostic assessment, high quality feedback. The biggest advantage that advantaged children have had and have are rapid, high quality feedback loops. From a young age advantaged children are corrected and encouraged; this matures into a self-directed search for feedback as a positive mechanism for growth and improvement. For disadvantaged it can be something that exposes, humiliates or offers confirmation that the world happens to them. Feedback has the potential to be transformational and comes in all forms, a glance, a smile, a comment, conversation, caring, valuing the person, simply repeating what has been said, questioning, pausing, motivating, (written feedback), comparison, modelling… again revealing the importance of human connection
Literacy and Language: the cornerstones of unlocking disadvantage. All teachers and wider colleagues have a role in both literacy (all aspects) and language (including vocabulary). Particular focus on oracy is leveraging for disadvantaged; again this is precisely what happens in the homes of the advantaged from an early age.
Teaching that has a strong narrative that is conceptually strong, relevant and feels important so that learning is irresistible supports the likelihood that we will accumulate advantage in disadvantaged students. Particularly where we are able to cumulatively support and expect individuals to complete meaningful and challenging work; building self-belief, self esteem and igniting the curiosity present in us all.
“This change-only-when-relevant feature reminds us that the brain is not simply a blank slate upon which the world scrawls all its stories. .. Experiences turn into memories when they are germane (to our lives).” (David Eagleman, 2020)
Teachers who, “foster rethinking cycles by instilling intellectual humility, disseminating doubt and cultivating curiosity,” (Adam Grant, 2021) are more likely to equip students for their future; to know what to do when they do not know what to do.
“Collecting a teacher’s knowledge may help us solve the challenges of the day, but understanding how a teacher thinks can help us navigate the challenges of a lifetime. Ultimately education is more than the information we accumulate in our heads.” (Adam Grant, 2021)
What if our connection with Education is elasticated to the point of failure?
In middle and long distance races athletes describe the rubber band that exists between themselves and the runner(s) in front. Once this extends too far there is a point of no return, the band snaps and it is impossible to catch-up.
Sadly this may also be true for disadvantaged children over time (and accelerated during the pandemic). There is a point when disadvantaged children increasingly self-deselect themselves from engaging, attending and trying; they become disenfranchised from education. The elastic snapping and the checking-out of education may sadly be the case for an eye-wateringly high number of disadvantaged children. Our challenge, for these individuals, will not be simply to close gaps, but to prove to those who are no longer in the game that education, itself, is worthwhile.
What you have (or have not) in your locker counts (you in or counts you out)
When advantaged children get good at something they stack their internal locker with evidence of success (their sense of identity or self). Numerous affirmations build up in their locker to reaffirm their ability and alter, enhance their self belief and agency. The number of affirmations and the amount of evidence is not compromised by odd failures or negative comments; their sense of self (worth) is unwounded and their agency undiminished.
For disadvantage, their lived experience can leave their locker for a range of aspects of their life sparse. This leads to a propensity to not try again and risk further weakening the locker that may lower self-agency and give a suffocating sense that the world happens to them. The downward spiral of which leads to on-going self de-selection from trying, risking failure, (that their locker will not resist). New opportunities are not seen as such (in fact the opposite) and the disadvantaged step back, not forward, further accumulating disadvantage.
The disproportionate impact of achieving meaningful and challenging work
Disadvantaged individuals (and all children) need to have the opportunity to wrestle with and succeed at meaningful and challenging work. This speaks directly to their identity as a learner. It gives a new sense of achievement, alters the self identity, contributes to their self-belief locker, accumulates advantage, loads the dice for the future, decreases the likelihood of self de-selection and strengthens agency. Bit by bit the more we, as educators, build these opportunities the more we mitigate disadvantage and accumulate advantage.
“Once a student sees that he or she is capable of excellence, that student is never quite the same. There is a new self-image, a new notion of possibility. There is an appetite for excellence.” (Ron Berger)
For a disadvantaged strategy, look within as much as out for answers, think in years not terms, reject initiatives, think systemic change, build culture not working groups
The scale of our disadvantaged problem is too big for short term strategy, initiative and short term interventions, it requires something deeper and systemic; our approach needs to become what we do (without trying), because it is in the culture, in the approach, owned by all. So…
… do look outside for inspiration, but build your approach on what you learn about disadvantage in your context; the answers and approach lie within you and your community; strategies do not travel well. Thinking deeply about disadvantage and context and ownership with strong execution matters.
… do not seek initiatives and short term interventions. Systemic change is required that is irreversible (not least because disadvantage holds on to individuals over time).
… plan to address disadvantage in the long term, think 3 to 5 to 10 years in terms of timeline. Resist the one year plan punctuated by short term interventions.
… do not think of disadvantage as one homogenous group; this issue is only understood by fully understanding each individual disadvantaged child and how best to accumulate advantage for them.
… do not just fixate on the past and gaps that exist, also consider the future for disadvantaged students, what do they need to thrive?
… do invest in teaching (the every lesson, everyday lever) and culture to accumulate advantage through the lens of competence and character (particularly self-belief and self-esteem) to give self-agency.
“Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities.”(Malcolm Gladwell)
This is personal | the need for human to human contact | post-pandemic rocket fuel
Children typically think in the now. Emphasising human contact and quality interaction between and adult and learner in the magical places we call schools may well be the best recovery from the pandemic. Dwelling and colluding on the impact may not serve children well; keeping the Main Event, every lesson, everyday as the focus will likely best serve disadvantaged children.
“It is difficult for us to realise how much information is socially transmitted. because the amount is staggering and the process is largely transparent.” (Pascal Boyer, 2018)
Human connection is perhaps the most important contributor to accumulating advantage; it is perhaps the key ingredient in early advantage before the age of 4. The pandemic significantly reduced socialisation and human connection; reducing the staggering amount of information that is socially transmitted. We all bear this responsibility, that young people watch, imitate and learn from us and that this shapes them over time. This human connection may be the biggest loss during the pandemic, but may well prove our greatest super power in the post pandemic.
“We have to see to be able to do. … You play a role in passing on cultural norms and nuances. …people who we connect with, who we trust and who we are exposed to. These are the three fundamental factors that underpin who we learn from or imitate … shaping us at each and every moment of our lives.” (Fiona Murden, 2020)
Seeking equity | giving disadvantaged what they need
“Fair doesn’t mean giving every child the same thing, it means giving every child what they need.” (Rick Lavoie)
We should not consider disadvantaged as a single homogenous group; considering them as a group has significant negative consequences and troublesome stereotypes that will mis-serve disadvantaged children. We must maintain the view that disadvantaged children are individuals and as such we should not confer or label as disadvantage, but understand each child and give them what they need; seek equity give individuals what they need.
But what about the post-pandemic? | gifts for disadvantage from the pandemic?
The advancement of and use of technology to support learning has the opportunity to supplement the main event (every lesson, everyday) to support learning and to deepen learning. There is also significant opportunity to democratise learning and increase accessibility to teaching and learning 24/7. Securing accessibility to technology needs to remain a key priority post pandemic.
Starker understanding of the role of assessment in leaning and the need for feedback to support progress; the significantly weakened or limited in distance learning.
Disadvantaged individuals are likely to have weakened their present level of attainment relative to more affluent, advantaged peers. We should avoid demoting disadvantaged down set or to allow the new attainment level to limit our expectation of them. Before our situational blindness kicks in and the new level becomes defining; we need to seek equity alongside teaching the Main Event (every lesson, everyday)
We need to understand the impact of the pandemic on the self-identity/self-esteem locker of each child. Actively encourage and secure early success on meaningful and challenging work; building self-esteem, filling their lockers and ensuring they increasingly step forward, not back.
The deeper connections with family that have developed through the pandemic provide a significant opportunity to support disadvantaged children: whilst children spend c.950 hours in classroom and well over c.1200 hours in school each year, accounting for sleeping, they spend closer to 4000 hours per year with parents and carers.
The So What? | How far are we meeting the following challenges?
The following is offered as a set of challenging questions for us to consider how we are accumulating advantage for individual disadvantaged children, so that they feel and are more successful now and in adulthood; how best do we gift each child with the self-agency that allow them to make choices, seize opportunities and thrive in life.
How far do we know, at an individual level, the nature of disadvantage in our context: how it accumulates over time to limit opportunity generally and specifically in our community?
How far are we able to recognise “present level of attainment” and “delayed attainment” so that we do not inadvertently assume fixed ability and reduce attainment mobility?
How far is addressing our disadvantaged problem everyone’s business? Understanding that we are all responsible and leak our expectations all of the time.
do we condemn, confer, collude, mitigate or remove disadvantage?
do we focus on our language, actual and body language?
How far do we believe and invest in human connection as the key to accumulating advantage. The lack of human connection may have done the most damage in the pandemic, by contrast it is likely to be our superpower to influence and gift choice to our disadvantaged children in the post-pandemic.
How far do we know that this needs to be an investment over the longer term, aimed at system change (teaching and culture). Initiatives and intervention are poor substitutes for systemic, irreversible change that influences how we educate over time to accumulate advantage?
How far do we focus on the main thing as the main thing for accumulating advantage: teaching well? How far is this focused on:
what matters most, building curiosity and questioning in all children,
direct instruction, explanation, modelling; progression of key organising concepts and ideas brought alive by judicious selection of compelling knowledge.
deliberate practice, building success on meaningful and challenging tasks.
diagnostic assessment, high quality feedback: rapid, high quality feedback loops.
Literacy and Language: the cornerstones of unlocking disadvantage.
How far are we looking not to just to fill the past gaps for disadvantaged, but equally seek to load the dice for disadvantaged children by looking into the future and equipping them with the tools required to recognise and step forward for opportunities with competence and character that allow them to thrive and influence their world (building self agency)?
How well do we prepare disadvantaged students to:
recognise and create opportunities for themselves? (including being curious and asking question)
have the agency to step forward for opportunities?
have the tools to be able to exploit their opportunities?
How far have we really considered what it is that allows individuals to thrive now and in the future? How far does the present education system set individuals up for success? How do we tip the balance, load the dice to give disadvantaged access to life and the rules?
How far do we understand that an individual’s self identity and motivation to continue is determined by their sense of self and what they have in the locker? How far do we build in affirmations and evidence of success for children to actively build this confidence?
How far are we exploiting the opportunities afforded by our deeper connection with families and communities and our use of technology to democratise learning?
How far would addressing the above make everything else in education either less important or not required?
We should remain optimistic and hopeful for the future; we have remarkable educators in all areas of our sector; with the right focus we can help all children to make something of their lives in a future that is unlikely to be dull.
“Our task is to educate their whole being so they can face the future. We may not see the future, but they will and our job is to help them make something of it.” (Ken Robinson)
It is probably true that Middle Leadership is the key role in an Academy for driving improvement. At its best it inspires children and staff to bring new light to what might be, improves quality of teaching, champions an enabling curriculum, drives up outcomes to deliver improved life chances for all (including the team members).
It is also probably true that Middle Leadership is most effective when those concerned can be considered to be true experts in their field, when they lead by example with an ethic of excellence, and when they act in concert with their senior colleagues, supporting whole school improvement through highly effective day to day management…owning their curriculum, championing knowledge and learning, actively improving teaching and being clinical about improving outcomes.
Which begs the question: what are the key elements of middle leadership that makes the difference? The following What ifs… are inspired by the strong middle leadership that exist across the Federation.
What if middle leaders consistently created a culture within their team where risks could be taken and individual talents recognised, without losing the ability to challenge, to support, to direct and to critique? …a culture that creates the conditions where team members inspire and are inspired by their colleagues.
What if middle leaders were respected and trusted in equal measure, so that their team members knew beyond all doubt that they would be receiving the best possible coaching and support to achieve outstanding outcomes through effective lessons? …where middle leaders are the champion of their teamand subject/area.
What if middle leaders were the first people in the organisation to offer feedback to their staff members, and the first to offer coaching to ensure the craft of teaching was honed and nurtured for each individual in their team? They are the agents of change who shift the quality of teaching.
What if middle leaders fully understood the crucial nature of their role in an Ofsted inspection, where the question on the Inspector’s lips might be ‘how is teaching more effective because of what this leader knows about achievement in this school?’
What if middle leaders championed the one chancethat children have. Understanding the deep moral purpose that exists and generating urgency so that all children fulfil and reach their potential…taking seriously the need to reverse accumulated disadvantage for our disadvantaged children.
What if Middle Leaders understood that the key strategy for accelerating a child’s progress and enhancing life chances was the consistent delivery of quality first teaching every lesson, every day.
What if middle leaders secured delivery of key elements of the signature pedagogy; where a depth of knowledge, an ethos of excellence, along with teaching that stretches and challenges, that questions to unlock understanding and delivers effective feedback, accelerates learning?
What if Middle Leaders were champions of their curriculum; understanding the need to develop a layered/spiralled curriculum that explores and revisits areas to depth and assesses knowledge, skills and understanding against age related expectations?
What if Middle Leaders were champions of their subject and pedagogy? Understanding the need to ensure a depth of knowledge inspires, understands the key concepts and mis-concepts and how pedagogy can be applied to accelerate knowledge, skills and understanding?
What if middle leaders knew about the performance of different student groups not only over the course of the year, but building on previous years in the same school, charting their progress and matching it to departmental interventions and foci over time? …targeting those children that fall behind and accelerating progress to close gaps in attainment.
What if middle leaders walked the line between the ‘statesman-like’ approach of the senior leader and that of a supportive family member to those in their team? …supporting and challenging improvements in performance overtime, both deliberately and compassionately.
What if middle leaders prepared each meeting as they might a lesson, taking into account the learning experience for their colleagues, their diverse needs, the best way to structure the experience, to have seamless transitions, and a judicious mix of action, discussion, reflection, and imparting of information?
What if middle leaders had the confidence and competence to highlight areas of strength and weakness within the course of a school year or term, without waiting for external validation but seeking to collaborate with others to improve at an accelerated rate?
What if middle leaders sought to achieve a discernible difference in areas that they identify for improvement?
What if middle leaders were at once confident enough to deal with emerging issues, and humble enough to ask for perspective, support, even validation from their senior colleagues?
What if middle leaders understood that they start to become organisationally blind after six weeks? What if because of this understanding middle leaders connected and collaborated deeply within and beyond their own Academy?
What if middle leaders were able to ask for feedback not only from their line managers but from their own team and from their peers, knowing that feedback enables growth?
Maybe then individual subjects would develop at a fast pace, with outcomes for all students exceeding national expectations, and reducing achievement gaps between groups.
Maybe then teaching, our core business, would be consistently outstanding within each department and across each school. Set within an owned and inspiring curriculum.
Maybe then a generation of leaders would emerge that would have impact and influence well beyond their role.
…and Maybe then we would have the deepest job satisfaction, knowing we have performed unusually well and that our students are the real winners.
“Seek marginal gains to outperform – small steps that create a contagious environment, where a philosophy of continuous improvement engages everyone.” (adapted from Sir David Brailsford, 2015)
Sir David Brailsford eloquently and concisely outlines the key characteristics of high performing teams in this great 2 minute video…click the photo below. It is probably true that there are some key principles that are at the heart of high performing teams that enable outperformance .. all of which are highly applicable and relevant to education.
Sir David Brailsford identifies a number of key principles that allow teams and organisations to over-perform or out-perform others. These are explored below…
1. “Recruit the best people that you can find”. What if we are really fussy over recruitment; ensuring that we recruit the very best to the team? What if we were also focused on this being a good behavioural fit … given that attitude is the key aspect in creating an over-performing culture? There are a number of organisation who largely recruit based on attitude – often gaps in core skills can be closed. What if we started with First Who Then What?…
“Good to great companies first got the right people on the bus (and in the right seats) –and the wrong people off the bus –and then figured out where to drive it.”
2. Seek out the “Podium people – ask, who is the best in the world?”What if organisations identified the best in the world? What if we then understood where they were, how and what they achieve? What if we then work out precisely where we are and then plot to close the gap? By setting direction for the “Podium People” in our field we set the expectation high. What if we habitually faced the brutal truths of our own performance?…
“have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” (Collins)
By aspiring to reach and exceed Podium People we commit to do “whatever it takes” and embark on a journey, an accumulation of steps…
“What we can do and what the best schools do already – is ask where they would like to be in five years time (aiming for the podium) and what steps they will take to get there” … ” the best schools accumulate these small steps and describe themselves as being on a journey.” (Tim Brighouse)
What if we time limit the drive for improvement?…
“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough-time.” (Leonard Bernstein)
3. Seek Marginal Gains, because small improvements in a number of aspects that we do can have a huge impact to the overall performance of the team.
What if we realised that impact, stickability and the effectiveness of any change is in the detail and that where change is planned, simple and purposeful big change and impact can follow? … often with unexpected benefits…
“We need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that sometimes big changes follow from small events, and that sometimes these changes can happen very quickly!” (Malcolm Gladwell)
What if we understood greatness was about the choices we make and the discipline to see them through?…
“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.” (Jim Collins)
“Leaders are only truly in charge when they inspire others to take charge.” (Simon Sinek, 2012)
4. Give Ownership, because with ownership comes motivation. What if we trusted that because we have set the destination … on exceeding our podium people/organisations and that we have the right people on the bus … then these people are best placed to lead and make decisions? That by giving ownership we increase autonomy and this drives-up motivation and performance that is widely owned and more likely to be sustained. – “pushing decision making to the action” (David Marquett)
What if this ownership was allied to responsibility and accountability – a measuring stick and evaluation that rewards and supports motivation? … so that individuals know they are doing a remarkable job.
What if we connected individuals to collaborate? … Seth Godin reminds that groups/teams need a clarity of destination and an ability to connect and communicate … collaboration and improvement follows…
“…groups of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group only needs two things to become a tribe: a shared interest (vision) and a way to connect and communicate.” (Seth Godin)
What if, as John Kotter identifies, we create and facilitate connection and collaboration (right hand side) alongside hierarchy that challenges, supports and delivers accountability (the left hand side)? It is balancing these that create a successful, agile team/organisation.
5. Absolute clarity of role – People need to own and absolutely accept the role they have, but importantly they need to believe it is the right thing to do. What if we understood that Individuals perform well when there is absolute clarity on what is expected of them? Too often leaders complain of poor performance only to realises that they have never been clear in the first place as to what was expected.
What if we also identify the standards and insisted on the highest of expectations – in all that you do? What if we create a positive, risk-embracing environment and culture so that we face the brutal truths and seek feedback and understanding to maintain continuous improvement?
Maybe then we would build teams in education from middle to senior to executive leadership that understand outperformance, borrow from other professions, sports and organisations to realise the leadership potential that exists.
Maybe then by asking…
…do we have the right people on the bus and in the right seats?
…do we know who the podium organisations are? – and how we close the gap?
…do we find marginal gains for continuous improvement?
…do we give and facilitate ownership for improvement and balance with accountability?
…do we have absolute clarity on roles and responsibilities and ensure that the standards and expectations are set high … within a feedback and risk-taking culture?
…we would would better understand our organisation and how we create the conditions for great teams to grow, succeed and out-perform. After all, in academies/schools leadership and the extent that leadership creates high performing teams directly relates to the success or otherwise of the organisation. | <urn:uuid:483d6e24-f794-405e-82aa-7d9415f2422f> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://dannicholls1.com/tag/culture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945242.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324020038-20230324050038-00006.warc.gz | en | 0.952107 | 10,793 | 3.28125 | 3 |
The Samaritan Pentateuch is the text of the the first five books of the Bible, also called the Torah or Books of Moses, that is used by the Samaritans. It differs from the traditional Jewish version of the Torah in its alphabet, linguistic usage, and its emphasis on Mount Gerizim, the Samaritan high place which competed with Jerusalem as the only authorized place for the worship of the Israelite deity.
The Samaritans share with Jews a belief in the Torah and its laws, but reject the rest of the Hebrew Bible. In the Bible, the Samaritans and Jews divided after the Babylonian exile because the Samaritans had intermarried with foreign women and refused to divorce them. The Samaritans, however, believe that they had formed a distinct tradition dating back to long before the establishment of the Israelite kingdoms and that their version of the Torah was copied by Abishah, the great-grandson of the high priest Aaron.
Written in the Samaritan alphabet, which is believed to be an ancient form of Hebrew, the Samaritan Pentateuch provides scholars with important information to determine the text of the original Pentateuch and to trace the development of text-families. Scrolls among the Dead Sea scrolls have been identified as belonging to a proto-Samaritan Pentateuch text-type.
Samaritans descend from the people who inhabited what the Hebrew Bible calls the northern Kingdom of Israel. According to the Bible, the political division between the southern Kingdom of Judea and Kingdom of Israel took place after the reign of Solomon, with the northern leader Jeroboam I becoming the king of Israel and Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, ruling Judah. The Samaritans, however, maintain that in fact Israel, the capital of which was the city of Samaria, never truly joined the "united" kingdom established by David and Solomon. They also contend that Mount Gerizim, located near the ancient town of Shechem, was the location ordained by God as the authorized site for the sacred altar and temple of Yahweh as described in the Torah. The Temple of Jerusalem was, therefore, never the true temple. Moreover, they rejected the Jewish priesthood as illegitimate, having descended from the false priest Eli of Shiloh, who, according to Samaritan tradition, was originally a priest at Gerizim. They also reject both the northern and the southern kings of Israel/Judah, believing that God did not approve of either royal tradition.
The northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians around 722 B.C.E., and the southern kingdom by the Babylonians c. 586 B.C.E. Today's Samaritans, by both Jewish and Samaritan accounts, are the remnants of those who were not exiled from the land during the Assyrian period, but who continued to practice a version of the ancient religion of Moses. However, when the Jews returned from Babylonian exile, they rejected the Samaritans because they had intermarried with non-Israelites. The nation of Samaria thereafter became Judea's rival with its own Temple of Yahweh on Mount Gerizim. There were several wars between the Jews and Samaritans in history, on the basis of both religion and politics. Today, only a few hundred Samaritans remain, located in Nablus near Mount Gerizim and in the suburban town of Holon, outside of Tel Aviv.
Samaritans accept the Torah—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, also called the Pentateuch—as authoritative, but reject the writings of the prophets and the other writings which are part of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Although they have their own supplemental oral and scriptural tradition, they also reject the oral law of the Jews, namely the rabbinical traditions which came to be written in the Talmud.
The views of scholars as to the antiquity of the Samaritan Pentateuch vary. Some maintain that the Samaritans inherited the Pentateuch from their Israelite forebears who were left in the country at the time of the Assyrian conquest of Israel in the eighth century B.C.E. In 2 Kings 17, evidence indeed exists for the continued presence of Israelite priests in the area: "Then the king of Assyria gave this order: 'Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.' So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord" (2 Kings 17:27-28).
Others, however, hold the view that the Samaritans did not come into possession of the Pentateuch until they were definitely formed into an independent community of the Babylonian exile. It is nearly certain that the Samaritans were already using some form of the Torah at the time of the establishment of their temple on Mount Gerizim, in the time of Nehemiah, but whether this was the Samaritan version or the Jewish version is uncertain.
The Samaritans themselves insist that their version of the Pentateuch is the oldest and most authentic. The most celebrated of the copies of the Samaritan Pentateuch is the Abisha Scroll, which is used in the Samaritan synagogue of Nablus. This scroll was allegedly penned by the high priest Abisha, great-grandson of Aaron, 13 years after the Israelites entered the land of Israel under the leadership of Joshua. Abisha claims for himself the authorship of the manuscript in a speech in the first person inserted at Deuteronomy 5:6 in the normal text. Modern scholars doubt that this could actually be the case, but the scroll is definitely of great antiquity.
The Samaritan version of the Ten Commandments commands the Israelites specifically to build a sacred altar on Mount Gerizim, which would be the site at which all sacrifices should be offered. The Hebrew Bible does mention Mount Gerizim as a sacred place, but in a different context: "When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses" (Deuteronomy 11:29). It goes on to describe the establishment of an altar on Mount Ebal, but not on Mount Gerizim.
In addition to the emphasis on Mount Gerizim, differences between the Samaritan and Jewish versions of the Torah include minor issues such as the ages of various personages, and important legal matters such as a Samaritan law requiring monogamy as opposed to the Hebrew tradition of allowing more than one wife.
The Samaritan Pentateuch is written in the Samaritan alphabet, which differs from the biblical Hebrew alphabet. It is considered by some to be the form in general use before the Babylonian captivity. However, comparisons between the Hebrew Masoretic text, the Greek Septuagint text, and the Samaritan version of the Pentateuch indicate that the Samaritan version is more closely related to Septuagint. In about 2,000 out of the 6,000 instances in which the Samaritan and Masoretic texts differ, the Septuagint (LXX) agrees with the Samaritan. For example, Exodus 12:40 in the Samaritan and the LXX reads: "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel and of their fathers which they had dwelt in the land of Canaan and in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years."
In the Masoretic text, the passage reads: "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years."
Other differences between the texts that scholar have noted include:
Scholarship since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the mid-twentieth century, however, have led to new insights and debates regarding the text's relationship to other versions.
In the early Christian centuries, the Samaritan Pentateuch was frequently mentioned in the writings of the Church Fathers and in marginal notes to old manuscripts, but in the course of time it was forgotten for more than a millennium.
Wider interest in the Samaritan Pentateuch commenced in 1616, when the well-known traveler Pietro della Valle purchased a copy of the text at Damascus. This copy, now thought to date from about a century earlier, came into the possession of the library of the Oratory at Paris and was printed in 1645 in the Paris Polyglot in an edited version by Jean Morin. A Jesuit convert from Calvinism to Catholicism, Morin believed that the Septuagint and the Samaritan texts were superior to the Hebrew Masoretic text. It was republished again in Walton's Polyglot in 1657. Since then many copies, some of them much older than della Valle's, have come to Europe and America.
Scholarly evaluation of the Samaritan Pentateuch—which earlier tended to view it as more modern than the Masoretic text—has changed after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some manuscripts of which display a text that corresponds closely to that of the Samaritan Pentateuch. This shows that, apart from the clearly Samaritan references to such issues as the worship of God on Mount Gerizim, the distinction between the Samaritan and Jewish versions was not as clear-cut as previously thought.
The first English translation directly from the oldest Samaritan text was expected to be published by late 2008 by Benyamim Tsedaka, an active member of the Samaritan community.
This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
All links retrieved August 12, 2015.
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Getting Your Child Ready for School
Are you ready to send your child to school? Is your child ready to go to school? Here are some things to think about as you try to answer those questions:
Getting Your Child Emotionally Ready:
- Be sure to reassure him that you will miss him and understand that he will miss you too. You may even want to gradually get him used to spending time away from you by having him spend more time with a babysitter or at a friend’s house.
- Also, keep your own anxieties in check. Your child will most likely pick up on any strong emotions that you have.
- If possible, let your child visit his school before classes start. Walk around and get him accustomed to the school grounds and his classroom.
- Let him meet his new teacher and principal. Work on developing self-confidence and independence in your child.
- Small things such as letting him choose from two different clothing options or having him put up his toys will teach him how to do things for himself.
- Be sure to praise your child when he accomplishes a task on his own.
If he’s experiencing anxiety over starting school, consider visiting your library or local bookstore for children’s books on the first day of school. Or perhaps an older sibling or friend can encourage your child and help him know what to expect. But, realize that maybe your child is not emotionally ready.
Research shows that most children who do not attend pre-school do fine once they begin kindergarten, so don’t let academic anxiety for your child cause you to start him in school before he’s ready. It’s easy to get caught up in what other parents are choosing for their children, but really, being with a loving parent is wonderful too.
Getting Your Child Physically Ready:
- You will want to check with your school district for any regulations regarding health check-ups and immunization records. You may need to show proof that your child is up-to-date on his vaccines.
- If your child stays up late at night, start getting him on his new sleep schedule a few weeks before school begins.
- You may also need to adjust naptime according to the school’s schedule. Remember, young children need 10 – 12 hours of sleep a day.
Getting Your Child Socially Ready: Good manners are essential to developing friendships.
- Teach and model the basics such as saying “please” and “thank you.” And be sure your child knows to treat people with respect, including those who are different from him.
- You may also want to make sure your child knows how to share toys, and that you have worked on any tattling issues he may have.
Getting Your Child Academically Ready:
- Beginning good study habits now will help your child down the line. For example, while your child may not have homework yet, help prepare him for the concept of nightly homework by starting a reading time each night.
- Help him learn organization and time management by preparing for school the night before. Develop a nightly checklist for him that includes tasks such as deciding what he will wear the next day, taking his bath and brushing his teeth.
- Be sure he is well-rested and he eats a nutritional breakfast in the morning.
- Invest in a few fun, educational games that you can play at home. Many educational games will help teach your children skills, such as decision-making and strategy, and others will teach them facts, such as colors or geography. You may want to talk with his teacher on recommended games that would complement the school’s teaching plan.
- Taking Additional Time In some cases, a child may just not be ready for school. In this case, an additional year of socializing and training may be needed before he enrolls.
- Talk with your child’s doctor and any other adults familiar with your child, as well as the school’s principal or teacher, and find out if they think your child is ready. Some areas of concern include the following: severe separation anxiety, extreme moodiness, short attention span, lack of fine motor skills (such as cutting or coloring), disruptiveness, lack of socialization skills and poor bladder control.
The Big Day:
On the first day of school, start the day off right with a special breakfast. Let him wear a favorite, comfortable outfit (make sure it is one he can easily unfasten when going to the bathroom). Take your child to his class and make sure he has been introduced to his teacher. Take along a camera to get a picture, and give him a big hug good-bye. Be sure to let your child know that you are proud of him. In order to keep his anxieties low, be sure to keep yourself calm and positive around your child, and don’t procrastinate or show worry over leaving the classroom.
This article is based on information from Focus on the Family (http://www.family.org). © 2006 iMom. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:2f9d5cf4-3e4c-4b2e-adee-0914415c07be> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://imom.com/getting-your-child-ready-for-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1405997872002.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20140722025752-00188-ip-10-33-131-23.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977983 | 1,053 | 2.625 | 3 |
How to write technical documents first depends on the kind of technical document you’re writing. This is the biggest factor in deciding tone, style, word usage, etc. Most of the technical documents I write are user guides (UG), or Best Known Methods (BKM). Both types of documents save your reader’s time and energy, and can make the difference when launching a product or training session.
How to Write User Guides/Manuals
User Guides or Manuals (UM), tend to be longer, more complicated, and have more references. They generally deal with product specs, building instructions, and the like. The longest UG I have worked on was over 4,000 pages, the shortest are less than ten. They all follow the same basic steps:
- Body of the Text
- Tools Needed (if applicable)
- Steps (usually with Images)
- Final results
- Appendix with resources (if applicable)
Then it is up to you, the writer, to take all that information that you have tested, or have been given, and make it into something that the end user is able to read.
How do you do that? You KISS* (Keep it Simple, Scribe**). Think about who your audience is, a skill that is always important when writing. When I write, I imagine that I am producing documents for my grandparents or my friends who are ESL speakers (English as a Second Language). English is a tricky language, and a technical document is complicated enough without translation issues. Avoid turns of phrase and spell out all acronyms the first time they are introduced. Don’t take for granted the things that you know, they may not apply in a different language.
Another neat thing about writing UG/UMs is the fact that you can get away with publishing a whole document without a single complete sentence. In fact, bullet points, numbered lists, and notes are your friends in technical documentation. Bring on the sentence fragments! Use tables and images to illustrate the instructions. This is a situation where a picture is really worth a thousand words, and visuals are easier to understand.
When it comes down to it, the document is a more detailed version of “put the thing in the other thing and turn it on,” or some variation of that idea. If you can get that message across to the users, you’ve done your job.
How to Write Best Known Methods/Internal Processes
I find that BKMs are easier to write. Usually, when you’re writing a BKM it is for an internal process that you work on regularly. Examples of BKMs are: instructions on posting a document to an internal portal, how to run a machine, or how to process software testing. Even if it isn’t something that you work on personally, you should work closely enough with the person giving you the instructions to complete the final project. If you feel like you don’t have enough information, talk with your manager/engineer to fill in the blanks.
BKMs work best with clear instructions, small words (unless they are process specific), and diagrams. Think about trying to put IKEA furniture together without the diagrams. My house would be filled with nightmarish semblances of furniture. These documents are often shorter than a UG, usually less than ten pages. The writing process is very similar:
- Quick introduction, less than a paragraph.
- Steps for the process, including sub-steps, diagrams, tools needed, and images.
- Conclusion/Summary of the final product.
Right now you may be wondering what the difference is between a User Guide and a BKM, which is understandable as they are similar. Think of a User Guide as the full explanation and possibly a little history of the project, whereas a BKM is a quick “how to.” Essentially, the two documents cover the same basic ideas, but the detail they get into differs. Remember: always keep your audience in mind. User Guides often go to external users (a wider audience) and BKMs tend to be internal (a smaller audience).
Final Tips and Notes
Technical writing is much like any other style of writing; you are passing along information to your readers in the clearest way possible.
- Bullets, notes, and number lists are your friends.
- Add images whenever applicable, the entire document can be images with minor text notes if that’s what works.
- Keep your audience’s technical knowledge in mind.
- Spell out acronyms the first time they are used, and consider adding a table of acronyms if the document contains more than ten.
- Use tables to keep track of test results.
- Don’t get fancy with your language. The document needs to be readable, not pretty.
- Commit to a positive relationship with your engineers/testers, this will make your job so much easier. Tech guys tend to like cookies, just an FYI.
- Most of all have fun with it. Even technical writing can be enjoyable if you keep an open mind. Proof-positive: I love my job.
*Tech Writers LOVE acronyms, seriously we can have whole conversations in them.
**Traditionally, this ends with Stupid, but I think that’s rude and ablest. | <urn:uuid:b6df3cb8-5cac-4f39-8fa7-e878138db315> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.portlandcopywriters.com/author/dylan-benito/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738878.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20200812053726-20200812083726-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.924142 | 1,118 | 2.671875 | 3 |
- Counter-Currents Publishing - http://www.counter-currents.com -
Introduction to Aristotle’s Politics
Posted By Greg Johnson On June 21, 2012 @ 2:12 am In North American New Right | Comments Disabled
Part 1: 4,099 words
Part 2: 4,933 words
The following introduction to Aristotle’s Politics focuses on the issues of freedom and popular government. It is a reworking of a more “academic” text penned in 2001.
Part I: The Aim and Elements of Politics
1. The Necessity of Politics
Aristotle is famous for holding that man is by nature a political animal. But what does this mean? Aristotle explains that,
even when human beings are not in need of each other’s help, they have no less desire to live together, though it is also true that the common advantage draws them into union insofar as noble living is something they each partake of. So this above all is the end, whether for everyone in common or for each singly (Politics 3.6, 1278b19–22).
Here Aristotle contrasts two different needs of the human soul that give rise to different forms of community, one pre-political and the other political.
The first need is material. On this account, men form communities to secure the necessities of life. Because few are capable of fulfilling all their needs alone, material self-interest forces them to co-operate, each developing his particular talents and trading his products with others. The classical example of such a community is the “city of pigs” in the second book of Plato’s Republic.
The second need is spiritual. Even in the absence of material need, human beings will form communities because only through community can man satisfy his spiritual need to live nobly, i.e., to achieve eudaimonia, happiness or well-being, which Aristotle defines as a life of unimpeded virtuous activity.
Aristotle holds that the forms of association which arise from material needs are pre-political. These include the family, the master-slave relationship, the village, the market, and alliances for mutual defense. With the exception of the master-slave relationship, the pre-political realm could be organized on purely libertarian, capitalist principles. Individual rights and private property could allow individuals to associate and disassociate freely by means of persuasion and trade, according to their own determination of their interests.
But in Politics 3.9, Aristotle denies that the realm of material needs, whether organized on libertarian or non-libertarian lines, could ever fully satisfy man’s spiritual need for happiness: “It is not the case . . . that people come together for the sake of life alone, but rather for the sake of living well” (1280a31), and “the political community must be set down as existing for the sake of noble deeds and not merely for living together” (1281a2). Aristotle’s clearest repudiation of any minimalistic form of liberalism is the following passage:
Nor do people come together for the sake of an alliance to prevent themselves from being wronged by anyone, nor again for purposes of mutual exchange and mutual utility. Otherwise the Etruscans and Carthaginians and all those who have treaties with each other would be citizens of one city. . . . [But they are not] concerned about what each other’s character should be, not even with the aim of preventing anyone subject to the agreements from becoming unjust or acquiring a single depraved habit. They are concerned only that they should not do any wrong to each other. But all those who are concerned about a good state of law concentrate their attention on political virtue and vice, from which it is manifest that the city truly and not verbally so called must make virtue its care. (1280a34–b7)
Aristotle does not disdain mutual exchange and mutual protection. But he thinks that the state must do more. It must concern itself with the character of the citizen; it must encourage virtue and discourage vice.
But why does Aristotle think that the pursuit of virtue is political at all, much less the defining characteristic of the political? Why does he reject the liberal principle that whether and how men pursue virtue is an ineluctably private choice? The ultimate anthropological foundation of Aristotelian political science is man’s neoteny. Many animals can fend for themselves as soon as they are born. But man is born radically immature and incapable of living on his own. We need many years of care and education. Nature does not give us the ability to survive, much less flourish. But she gives us the ability to acquire the ability. Skills are acquired abilities to live. Virtue is the acquired ability to live well. The best way to acquire virtue is not through trial and error, but through education, which allows us to benefit from the trials and avoid the errors of others. Fortune permitting, if we act virtuously, we will live well.
Liberals often claim that freedom of choice is a necessary condition of virtue. We can receive no moral credit for a virtue which is not freely chosen but is instead forced upon us. Aristotle, however, holds that force is a necessary condition of virtue. Aristotle may have defined man as the rational animal, but unlike the Sophists of his day he did not think that rational persuasion is sufficient to instill virtue:
. . . if reasoned words were sufficient by themselves to make us decent, they would, to follow a remark of Theognis, justly carry off many and great rewards, and the thing to do would be to provide them. But, as it is, words seem to have the strength to incite and urge on those of the young who are generous and to get a well-bred character and one truly in love with the noble to be possessed by virtue; but they appear incapable of inciting the many toward becoming gentlemen. For the many naturally obey the rule of fear, not of shame, and shun what is base not because it is ugly but because it is punished. Living by passion as they do, they pursue their own pleasures and whatever will bring these pleasures about . . . ; but of the noble and truly pleasant they do not even have the notion, since they have never tasted it. How could reasoned words reform such people? For it is not possible, or nor easy, to replace by reason what has long since become fixed in the character. (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1179b4–18)
The defect of reason can, however, be corrected by force: “Reason and teaching by no means prevail in everyone’s case; instead, there is need that the hearer’s soul, like earth about to nourish the seed, be worked over in its habits beforehand so as to enjoy and hate in a noble way. . . . Passion, as a general rule, does not seem to yield to reason but to force” (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1179b23–25). The behavioral substratum of virtue is habit, and habits can be inculcated by force. Aristotle describes law as “reasoned speech that proceeds from prudence and intellect” but yet “has force behind it” (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1180a18). Therefore, the compulsion of the appropriate laws is a great aid in acquiring virtue.
At this point, however, one might object that Aristotle has established only a case for parental, not political, force in moral education. Aristotle admits that only in Sparta and a few other cities is there public education in morals, while “In most cities these matters are neglected, and each lives as he wishes, giving sacred law, in Cyclops’ fashion, to his wife and children” (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1180a24–27). Aristotle grants that an education adapted to an individual is better than an education given to a group (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1180b7). But this is an argument against the collective reception of education, not the collective provision. He then argues that such an education is best left to experts, not parents. Just as parents have professional doctors care for their childrens’ bodies, they should have professional educators care for their souls (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1180b14–23). But this does not establish that the professionals should be employees of the state.
Two additional arguments for public education are found in Politics 8.1:
Since the whole city has one end, it is manifest that everyone must also have one and the same education and that taking care of this education must be a common matter. It must not be private in the way that it is now, when everyone takes care of their own children privately and teaches them whatever private learning they think best. Of common things, the training must be common. At the same time, no citizen should even think he belongs to himself but instead that each belongs to the city, for each is part of the city. The care of each part, however, naturally looks to the care of the whole, and to this extent praise might be due to the Spartans, for they devote the most serious attention to their children and do so in common. (Politics, 8.1 [5.1], 1337a21–32)
The second argument is both weak and question-begging. Although it may be useful for citizens to “think” that they belong to the city, not themselves, Aristotle offers no reason to think that this is true. Furthermore, the citizens would not think so unless they received precisely the collective education that needs to be established. The first argument, however, is quite strong. If the single, overriding aim of political life is the happiness of the citizens, and if this aim is best attained by public education, then no regime can be legitimate if it fails to provide public education.
Another argument for public moral education can be constructed from the overall argument of the Politics. Since public education is more widely distributed than private education, other things being equal, the populace will become more virtuous on the whole. As we shall see, it is widespread virtue that makes popular government possible. Popular government is, moreover, one of the bulwarks of popular liberty. Compulsory public education in virtue, therefore, is a bulwark of liberty.
2. Politics and Freedom
Aristotle’s emphasis on compulsory moral education puts him in the “positive” libertarian camp. For Aristotle, a free man is not merely any man who lives in a free society. A free man possesses certain traits of character which allow him to govern himself responsibly and attain happiness. These traits are, however, the product of a long process of compulsory tutelage. But such compulsion can be justified only by the production of a free and happy individual, and its scope is therefore limited by this goal. Since Aristotle ultimately accepted the Socratic principle that all men desire happiness, education merely compels us to do what we really want. It frees us from our own ignorance, folly, and irrationality and frees us for our own self-actualization. This may be the rationale for Aristotle’s claim that, “the law’s laying down of what is decent is not oppressive” (Nicomachean Ethics, 10.9, 1180a24). Since Aristotle thinks that freedom from the internal compulsion of the passions is more important than freedom from the external compulsion of force, and that force can quell the passions and establish virtue’s empire over them, Aristotle as much as Rousseau believes that we can be forced to be free.
But throughout the Politics, Aristotle shows that he is concerned to protect “negative” liberty as well. In Politics 2.2–5, Aristotle ingeniously defends private families, private property, and private enterprise from Plato’s communistic proposals in the Republic, thereby preserving the freedom of large spheres of human activity.
Aristotle’s concern with privacy is evident in his criticism of a proposal of Hippodamus of Miletus which would encourage spies and informers (2.8, 1268b22).
Aristotle is concerned to create a regime in which the rich do not enslave the poor and the poor do not plunder the rich (3.10, 1281a13–27).
Second Amendment enthusiasts will be gratified at Aristotle’s emphasis on the importance of a wide distribution of arms in maintaining the freedom of the populace (2.8, 1268a16-24; 3.17, 1288a12–14; 4.3 [6.3], 1289b27–40; 4.13 [6.13], 1297a12–27; 7.11 [4.11], 1330b17–20).
War and empire are great enemies of liberty, so isolationists and peace lovers will be gratified by Aristotle’s critique of warlike regimes and praise of peace. The good life requires peace and leisure. War is not an end in itself, but merely a means to ensure peace (7.14 [4.14], 1334a2–10; 2.9, 1271a41–b9).
The best regime is not oriented outward, toward dominating other peoples, but inward, towards the happiness of its own. The best regime is an earthly analogue of the Prime Mover. It is self-sufficient and turned inward upon itself (7.3 [4.3], 1325a14–31). Granted, Aristotle may not think that negative liberty is the whole of the good life, but it is an important component which needs to be safeguarded.
3. The Elements of Politics and the Mixed Regime
Since the aim of political association is the good life, the best political regime is the one that best delivers the good life. Delivering the good life can be broken down into two components: production and distribution. There are two basic kinds of goods: the goods of the body and the goods of the soul. Both sorts of goods can be produced and distributed privately and publicly, but Aristotle treats the production and distribution of bodily goods as primarily private whereas he treats the production and distribution of spiritual goods as primarily public. The primary goods of the soul are moral and intellectual virtue, which are best produced by public education, and honor, the public recognition of virtue, talent, and service rendered to the city. The principle of distributive justice is defined as proportionate equality: equally worthy people should be equally happy and unequally worthy people should be unequally happy, commensurate with their unequal worth (Nicomachean Ethics, 5.6–7). The best regime, in short, combines happiness and justice.
But how is the best regime to be organized? Aristotle builds his account from at least three sets of elements.
First, in Politics 3.6–7, Aristotle observes that sovereignty can rest either with men or with laws. If with men, then it can rest in one man, few men, or many men. (Aristotle treats it as self-evident that it cannot rest in all men.) The rulers can exercise political power for two different ends: for the common good and for special interests. One pursues the common good by promoting the happiness of all according to justice. Special interests can be broken down into individual or factional interests. A ruler can be blamed for pursuing such goods only if he does so without regard to justice, i.e., without a just concern for the happiness of all. When a single man rules for the common good, we have kingship. When he rules for his own good, we have tyranny. When the few rule for the common good, we have aristocracy. When they rule for their factional interest, we have oligarchy. When the many rule for the common good, we have polity. When they rule for their factional interest, we have democracy. These six regimes can exist in pure forms, or they can be mixed together.
Second, Aristotle treats social classes as elemental political distinctions. In Politics 3.8 he refines his definitions of oligarchy and democracy, claiming that oligarchy is actually the rule by the rich, whether they are few or many, and democracy is rule by the poor, whether they are few or many. Similarly, in Politics 4.11 (6.1) Aristotle also defines polity as rule by the middle class. In Politics 4.4 (6.4), Aristotle argues that the social classes are irreducible political distinctions. One can be a rich, poor, or middle class juror, legislator, or office-holder. One can be a rich, poor, or middle class farmer or merchant. But one cannot be both rich and poor at the same time (1291b2–13). Class distinctions cannot be eliminated; therefore, they have to be recognized and respected, their disadvantages meliorated and their advantages harnessed for the common good.
Third, in Politics 4.14 (6.14), Aristotle divides the activities of rulership into three different functions: legislative, judicial, and executive.
Because rulership can be functionally divided, it is possible to create a mixed regime by assigning different functions to different parts of the populace. One could, for instance, mix monarchy and elite rule by assigning supreme executive office to a single man and the legislative and judicial functions to the few. Or one could divide the legislative function into different houses, assigning one to the few and another to the many. Aristotle suggests giving the few the power to legislate and the many the power to veto legislation. He suggests that officers be elected by the many, but nominated from the few. The few should make expenditures, but the many should audit them (2.12, 1274a15–21; 3.11, 1281b21–33; 4.14 [6.14], 1298b26–40).
In Politics 3.10, Aristotle argues that some sort of mixed regime is preferable, since no pure regime is satisfactory: “A difficulty arises as to what should be the controlling part of the city, for it is really either the multitude or the rich or the decent or the best one of all or a tyrant? But all of them appear unsatisfactory” (1281a11–13). Democracy is bad because the poor unjustly plunder the substance of the rich; oligarchy is bad because the rich oppress and exploit the poor; tyranny is bad because the tyrant does injustice to everyone (1281a13–28). Kingship and aristocracy are unsatisfactory because they leave the many without honors and are schools for snobbery and high-handedness (1281a28–33; 4.11 [6.11], 1295b13ff). A pure polity might be unsatisfactory because it lacks a trained leadership caste and is therefore liable to make poor decisions (3.11, 1281b21–33).
4. Checks and Balances, Political Rule, and the Rule of Law
Aristotle’s mixed regime is the origin of the idea of the separation of powers and “checks and balances.” It goes hand in hand with a very modern political realism. Aristotle claims that, “all regimes that look to the common advantage turn out, according to what is simply just, to be correct ones, while those that look only to the advantage of their rulers are mistaken and are all deviations from the correct regime. For they are despotic, but the city is a community of the free” (3.6, 1279a17–21).
It is odd, then, that in Politics 4.8–9 (6.8–9) Aristotle describes the best regime as a mixture of two defective regimes, oligarchy and democracy–not of two correct regimes, aristocracy and polity. But perhaps Aristotle entertained the possibility of composing a regime that tends to the common good out of classes which pursue their own factional interests.
Perhaps Aristotle thought that the “intention” to pursue the common good can repose not in the minds of individual men, but in the institutional logic of the regime itself. This would be an enormous advantage, for it would bring about the common good without having to rely entirely upon men of virtue and good will, who are in far shorter supply than men who pursue their own individual and factional advantages.
Related to the mixed regime with its checks and balances is the notion of “political rule.” Political rule consists of ruling and being ruled in turn:
. . . there is a sort of rule exercised over those who are similar in birth and free. This rule we call political rule, and the ruler must learn it by being ruled, just as one learns to be a cavalry commander by serving under a cavalry commander . . . Hence is was nobly said that one cannot rule well without having been ruled. And while virtue in these two cases is different, the good citizen must learn and be able both to be ruled and to rule. This is in fact the virtue of the citizen, to know rule over the free from both sides. (3.4, 1277b7–15; cf. 1.13, 1259b31–34 and 2.2, 1261a32–b3)
Aristotle makes it clear that political rule can exist only where the populace consists of men who are free, i.e., sufficiently virtuous that they can rule themselves. They must also be economically middle-class, well-armed, and warlike. They must, in short, be the sort of men who can participate responsibly in government, who want to participate, and who cannot safely be excluded. A populace that is slavish, vice-ridden, poor, and unarmed can easily be disenfranchised and exploited. If power were entirely in the hands of a free populace, the regime would be a pure polity, and political rule would exist entirely between equals. If, however, a free populace were to take part in a mixed regime, then political rule would exist between different parts of the regime. The many and the few would divide power and functions between them. Not only would members of each class take turns performing the different functions allotted to them, the classes themselves would rule over others in one respect and be ruled in another. In these circumstances, then, checks and balances are merely one form of political rule.
In Politics 3.16, Aristotle connects political rule to the rule of law:
What is just is that people exercise rule no more than they are subject to it and that therefore they rule by turns. But this is already law, for the arrangement is law. Therefore, it is preferable that law rule rather than any one of the citizens. And even if, to pursue the same argument, it were better that there be some persons exercising rule, their appointment should be as guardians and servants of the laws. For though there must be some offices, that there should be this one person exercising rule is, they say, not just, at least when all are similar. (1287a15–22)
Aristotle’s point is simple. If two men govern by turns, then sovereignty does not ultimately repose in either of them, but in the rule that they govern by turns. The same can be said of checks and balances. If the few spend money and the many audit the accounts, then neither group is sovereign, the laws are. If sovereignty reposes in laws, not men, the common good is safe. As Aristotle points out, “anyone who bids the laws to rule seems to bid god and intellect alone to rule, but anyone who bids a human being to rule adds on also the wild beast. For desire is such a beast and spiritedness perverts rulers even when they are the best of men. Hence law is intellect without appetite” (1287a23–31). The greatest enemy of the common good is private interest. The laws, however, have no private interests. Thus if our laws are conducive to the common good, we need not depend entirely on the virtue and public-spiritedness of men.
Aristotle would, however, hasten to add that no regime can do without these characteristics entirely, for the laws cannot apply themselves. They must be applied by men, and their application will seldom be better than the men who apply them. Furthermore, even though a regime may function without entirely virtuous citizens, no legitimate regime can be indifferent to the virtue of the citizens, for the whole purpose of political association is to instill the virtues necessary for happiness.
1. All quotes from Aristotle are from The Politics of Aristotle, trans. and ed. Peter L. Phillips Simpson (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997). Simpson’s edition has two unique features. First, The Politics is introduced by a translation of Nicomachean Ethics 10.9. Second, Simpson moves books 7 and 8 of The Politics, positioning them between the traditional books 3 and 4. I retain the traditional ordering, indicating Simpson’s renumbering parenthetically. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from The Politics. Quotes from the Nicomachean Ethics will be indicated as such.
2. A useful commentary on these and other Aristotelian arguments for public education is Randall R. Curren, Aristotle on the Necessity of Public Education (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000).
3. For a fuller discussion of the value Aristotle puts on liberty, see Roderick T. Long, “Aristotle’s Conception of Freedom,” The Review of Metaphysics 49, no. 4 (June 1996), pp. 787–802.
4. One could add a third category of instrumental goods, but these goods are instrumental to the intrinsic goods of the body, the soul, or both, and thus could be classified under those headings.
5. As for the highest good of the soul, which is attained by philosophy, Aristotle’s flight from Athens near the end of his life shows that he recognized that different political orders can be more or less open to free thought, but I suspect that he was realist enough (and Platonist enough) to recognize that even the best cities are unlikely to positively cultivate true freedom to philosophize. I would wager that Aristotle would be both surprised at the freedom of thought in the United States and receptive to Tocquevillian complaints about the American tendency toward conformism that makes such freedom unthreatening to the reigning climate of opinion. A cynic might argue that if Americans actually made use of their freedom of thought, it would be quickly taken away.
6. On the complexities of the executive role in the Politics, see Harvey C. Mansfield, Jr., Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993), chs. 2–3.
Part II: In Defense of Popular Government
5. The Good Man and the Good Citizen
Having now surveyed Aristotle’s thoughts on the elements and proper aim of politics, we can now examine his arguments for popular government. When I use the phrase “popular government,” it should be borne in mind that Aristotle does not advocate a pure polity, but a mixed regime with a popular element.
Aristotle’s first case for bringing the many into government can be discerned in Politics 3.4. Aristotle’s question is whether the virtues of the good man and the good citizen are the same. They are not the same, insofar as the virtue of the good citizen is defined relative to the regime, and there are many different regimes, while the virtue of the good man is defined relative to human nature, which is one. One can therefore be a good citizen but not a good man, and a good man but not a good citizen. History is replete with examples of regimes which punish men for their virtues and reward them for their vices. Aristotle does, however, allow that the good man and the good citizen can be one in a regime in which the virtues required of a good citizen do not differ from the virtues of a good man.
The chief virtue of a good man is prudence. But prudence is not required of a citizen insofar as he is ruled. Only obedience is required. Prudence is, however, required of a citizen insofar as he rules. Since the best regime best encourages happiness by best cultivating virtue, a regime which allows the many to govern along with the few is better than a regime which excludes them. By including the many in ruling, a popular regime encourages the widest cultivation of prudence and gives the greatest opportunity for its exercise. The best way to bring the many into the regime is what Aristotle calls political rule: ruling and being ruled in turn, as prescribed by law.
Political rule not only teaches the virtue of prudence to the many, it teaches the virtue of being ruled to the few, who must give way in turn to the many. Since the few aspire to rule but not be ruled, Aristotle argues that they cannot rule without first having been ruled: “the ruler must learn [political rule] by being ruled, just as one learns to be a cavalry commander by serving under a cavalry commander . . . Hence is was nobly said that one cannot rule well without having been ruled. And while virtue in these two cases is different, the good citizen must learn and be able both to be ruled and to rule. This is, in fact, the virtue of a citizen, to know rule over the free from both sides. Indeed, the good man too possesses both” (3.4, 1277b7–16).
Aristotle names justice as a virtue which is learned both in ruling and being ruled. Those born to wealth and power are liable to arrogance and the love of command. By subjecting them to the rule of others, including their social inferiors, they learn to respect their freedom and justly appraise their worth.
6. Potlucks, Chimeras, Juries
Aristotle’s next case for bringing the many into the regime is found in Politics 3.11. Aristotle seeks to rebut the aristocratic argument against popular participation, namely that the best political decisions are wise ones, but wisdom is found only among the few, not the many. Popular participation, therefore, would inevitably dilute the quality of the political decision-makers, increasing the number of foolish decisions. Aristotle accepts the premise that the wise should rule, but he argues that there are circumstances in which the few and the many together are wiser than the few on their own. The aristocratic principle, therefore, demands the participation of the many:
. . . the many, each of whom is not a serious man, nevertheless could, when they have come together, be better than those few best–not, indeed, individually but as a whole, just as meals furnished collectively are better than meals furnished at one person’s expense. For each of them, though many, could have a part of virtue and prudence, and just as they could, when joined together in a multitude, become one human being with many feet, hands, and senses, so also could they become one in character and thought. That is why the many are better judges of the works of music and the poets, for one of them judges one part and another another and all of them the whole. (1281a42–b10)
At first glance, this argument seems preposterous. History and everyday life are filled with examples of wise individuals opposing foolish collectives. But Aristotle does not claim that the many are always wiser than the few, simply that they can be under certain conditions (1281b15).
The analogy of the potluck supper is instructive (cf. 3.15, 1286a28–30). A potluck supper can be better than one provided by a single person if it offers a greater number and variety of dishes and diffuses costs and labor. But potluck suppers are not always superior–that is the “luck” in it. Potlucks are often imbalanced. On one occasion, there may be too many desserts and no salads. On another, three people may bring chicken and no one brings beef or pork. The best potluck, therefore, is a centrally orchestrated one which mobilizes the resources of many different contributors but ensures a balanced and wholesome meal.
Likewise, the best way to include the many in political decision-making is to orchestrate their participation, giving them a delimited role that maximizes their virtues and minimizes their vices. This cannot be accomplished in a purely popular regime, particularly a lawless one, but it can be accomplished in a mixed regime in which the participation of the populace is circumscribed by law and checked by the interests of other elements of the population.
Aristotle’s second analogy–which likens the intellectual and moral unity of the many to a man with many feet, hands, and sense organs, i.e., a freak of nature–does not exactly assuage doubters. But his point is valid. While even the best of men may lack a particular virtue, it is unlikely that it will be entirely absent from a large throng. Therefore, the many are potentially as virtuous or even more virtuous than the few if their scattered virtues can be gathered together and put to work. But history records many examples of groups acting less morally than any member on his own. Thus the potential moral superiority of the many is unlikely to emerge in a lawless democracy. But it could emerge in a lawful mixed regime, which actively encourages and employs the virtues of the many while checking their vices. This process can be illustrated by adapting an analogy that Aristotle offers to illustrate another point: A painting of a man can be more beautiful than any real man, for the painter can pick out the best features of individual men and combine them into a beautiful whole (3.11, 1281b10–11).
Aristotle illustrates the potential superiority of collective judgment with another questionable assertion, that “the many are better judges of the works of music and the poets, for one of them judges one part and another another and all of them the whole.” Again, this seems preposterous. Good taste, like wisdom, is not widely distributed and is cultivated by the few, not the many. Far more people buy “rap” recordings than classical ones. But Aristotle is not claiming that the many are better judges in all cases. Aristotle is likely referring to Greek dramatic competitions. These competitions were juried by the audience, not a small number of connoisseurs.
A jury trial or competition is a genuine collective decision-making process in which each juror is morally enjoined to pay close attention the matter at hand and to render an objective judgment. Although each juror has his own partial impression, when jurors deliberate they can add their partial impressions together to arrive at a more complete and adequate account. To the extent that a jury decision must approach unanimity, the jurors will be motivated to examine the issue from all sides and persuade one another to move toward a rationally motivated consensus. A jury decision can, therefore, be more rational, well-informed, and objective than an individual one. The market, by contrast, is not a collective decision-making process. It does not require a consumer to compare his preferences to those of others, to persuade others of their validity or defend them from criticism, or to arrive at any sort of consensus. Instead, the market merely registers the collective effects of individual decisions.
7. Freedom and Stability
Another argument for popular government in Politics 3.11 (1281b21–33) is that it is more stable. Aristotle grants the Aristocratic principle that it is not safe for the populace to share in “the greatest offices” because, “on account of their injustice and unwisdom, they would do wrong in some things and go wrong in others.” But then he goes on to argue that it would not be safe to exclude the many from rule altogether, since a city “that has many in it who lack honor and are poor must of necessity be full of enemies,” which would be a source of instability. Instability is, however, inconsistent with the proper aim of politics, for the good life requires peace. The solution is a mixed regime which ensures peace and stability by allowing the many to participate in government, but not to occupy the highest offices. In Politics 2.9, Aristotle praises the Spartan Ephorate for holding the regime together, “since, as the populace share in the greatest office, it keeps them quiet. . . . For if any regime is going to survive, all the parts of the city must want it both to exist and to remain as it is” (1270b17–22; cf. Aristotle’s discussion of the Carthaginians in 2.9, 1272b29–32; see also 4.13 [6.13], 1297b6).
In Politics 2.12, Aristotle offers another reason for including the populace in government. Solon gave the populace, “the power that was most necessary (electing to office and auditing the accounts), since without it they would have been enslaved and hostile” (1274a4–6). Here Aristotle makes it clear that he values liberty, and he values popular government because it protects the liberty of the many.
8. Expert Knowledge
In Politics 3.11 Aristotle rebuts the argument that the many should not be involved in politics because they are amateurs, and decisions in politics, as in medicine and other fields, should be left to experts. In response to this, Aristotle repeats his argument that the many, taken together, may be better judges than a few experts. He then adds that there are some arts in which the products can be appreciated by people who do not possess the art: “Appreciating a house, for example, does not just belong to the builder; the one who uses it, namely the household manager, will pass an even better judgment on it. Likewise, the pilot judges the rudder better than the carpenter and the dinner guest judges the feast better than the chef” (1282a19–22). If the art of statesmanship is like these, then the best judge of the quality of a statesman is not the few political experts, but the many political laymen who are ruled by him. The judgment of the populace should not, therefore, be disdained.
9. Resistance to Corruption
In Politics 3.15 Aristotle argues that popular regimes are more resistant to corruption. Even in a regime in which law ultimately rules, there are particular circumstances which the laws do not anticipate. Where the law cannot decide, men must do so. But this creates an opportunity for corruption. Aristotle argues that such decisions are better made by large bodies deliberating in public: “What is many is more incorruptible: the multitude, like a greater quantity of water, is harder to ruin than a few. A single person’s judgment must necessarily be corrupted when he is overcome by anger or some other such passion, but getting everyone in the other case to become angry and go wrong at the same time takes a lot of doing. Let the multitude in question, however, be the free who are acting in no way against law, except where law is necessarily deficient” (1286a33–38). Aristotle’s argument that the many may collectively possess fewer vices than the few is merely a mirror image of his earlier collective virtue argument. Here, as elsewhere, Aristotle defends popular government only under delimited circumstances. The populace must be free, not slavish, and they must decide only when the laws cannot.
10. Delegation and Diffusion of Power
Politics 3.16 is devoted to arguments against total kingship. One of these arguments can be turned into a case for popular government. Aristotle claims that total kingship is unsustainable: “It is not easy for one person to oversee many things, so there will need to be many officials appointed in subordination to him. Consequently, what is the difference between having them there right from the start and having one man in this way appoint them? . . . if a man who is serious is justly ruler because he is better, then two good men are better than one” (1287b8–12, cf. 1287b25–29).
Since total kingship is unworkable, kings must necessarily appoint superior men as “peers” to help them. But if total kingship must create an aristocracy, then why not have aristocracy from the start?
This argument could, however, be pushed further to make a case for popular government. An aristocracy cannot effectively rule the people without the active participation of some and the passive acquiescence of the rest. As we have seen above, Aristotle argues that the best way to bring this about is popular government. But if aristocracy must eventually bring the populace into the regime, then why not include them from the very beginning?
11. When Regimes Fail
In Politics 4.2 (6.2), Aristotle returns to his list of pure regime types. The three just regimes are kingship, aristocracy, and polity; the three unjust ones are tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. Aristotle proceeds to rank the three just regimes in terms of the kinds of virtues they require. Thus Aristotle identifies kingship and aristocracy as the best regimes because they are both founded on “fully equipped virtue” (1289a31). Of the two, kingship is the very best, for it depends upon a virtue so superlative that it is possessed by only one man. Aristocracy is less exalted because it presupposes somewhat more broadly distributed and therefore less exalted virtue. Polity depends upon even more widespread and modest virtue. Furthermore, the populace, unlike kings and aristocrats, lacks the full complement of material equipment necessary to fully exercise such virtues as magnificence.
By this ranking, polity is not the best regime, but the least of the good ones. But Aristotle then offers a new, politically realistic standard for ranking the just regimes which reverses their order. Kingship may be the best regime from a morally idealistic perspective, but when it degenerates it turns into tyranny, which is the worst regime. Aristocracy may be the second best regime from a morally idealistic perspective, but when it degenerates it turns into oligarchy, which is the second worst regime. Polity may be the third choice of the moral idealist, but when it degenerates, it merely becomes democracy, which is the best of a bad lot.
Since degeneration is inevitable, the political realist ranks regimes not only in terms of their best performances, but also in terms of their worst. By this standard, polity is the best of the good regimes and kingship the worst. Kingship is best under ideal conditions, polity under real conditions. Kingship is a sleek Jaguar, polity a dowdy Volvo. On the road, the Jaguar is clearly better. But when they go in the ditch, the Volvo shows itself to be the better car overall.
12. The Middle Class Regime
Aristotle displays the same political realism in his praise of the middle class regime in Politics 4.11 (6.11): “If we judge neither by a virtue that is beyond the reach of private individuals, nor by an education requiring a nature and equipment dependent on chance, nor again a regime that is as one would pray for, but by a way of life that most can share in common together and by a regime that most cities can participate in . . . ,” then a large, politically enfranchised middle class has much to recommend it: “In the case of political community . . . the one that is based on those in the middle is best, and . . . cities capable of being well governed are those sorts where the middle is large . . .” (1295b35–36).
Since the middle class is the wealthier stratum of the common people, Aristotle’s arguments for middle class government are ipso facto arguments for popular government. Aristotle makes it clear from the beginning, however, that he is not talking about a purely popular regime, but a mixed one compounded out of a middle class populace and those elements of aristocracy which are not out of the reach of most cities (1295a30–34).
Aristotle’s first argument for the middle regime seems a sophistry: “If it was nobly said in the Ethics that the happy way of life is unimpeded life in accordance with virtue and that virtue is a mean, then necessarily the middle way of life, the life of a mean that everyone can attain, must be best. The same definitions must hold also for the virtue and vice of city and regime, since the regime is a certain way of life of a city” (1295a35–40).
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle makes it clear that the fact that virtue can be understood as a mean between two vices, one of excess and the other of defect, does not imply either that virtue is merely an arithmetic mean (Nicomachean Ethics, 2.2, 1106a26–b8), or that virtue is to be regarded as mediocrity, not as superlative (Nicomachean Ethics, 2.2, 1107a9–27). Here, however, Aristotle describes the mean not as a superlative, but as a mediocrity “that everyone can attain.” This conclusion follows only if we presuppose that the morally idealistic doctrine of the Ethics has been modified into a moral realism analogous to the political realism of Politics 4.2.
Aristotle then claims that in a regime the mean lies in the middle class: “In all cities there are in fact three parts: those who are exceedingly well-off, those who are exceedingly needy, and the third who are in the middle of these two. So, since it is agreed that the mean and middle is best, then it is manifest that a middling possession also of the goods of fortune must be best of all” (1295b1–3). Aristotle is, however, equivocating. He begins by defining the middle class as an arithmetic mean between the rich and the poor. He concludes that the middle class is a moral mean. But he does not establish that the arithmetic mean corresponds with the moral.
Aristotle does, however, go on to offer reasons for thinking that the social mean corresponds to the moral mean. But the middle class is not necessarily more virtuous because its members have been properly educated, but because their social position and class interests lead them to act as if they had been.
First, Aristotle argues that “the middle most easily obeys reason.” Those who are “excessively beautiful or strong or well-born or wealthy” find it hard to follow reason, because they tend to be “insolent and rather wicked in great things.” By contrast, those who are poor and “extremely wretched and weak, and have an exceeding lack of honor” tend to become “villains and too much involved in petty wickedness.” The middle class is, however, too humble to breed insolence and too well-off to breed villainy. Since most injustices arise from insolence and villainy, a regime with a strong middle class will be more likely to be just.
Second, Aristotle argues that the middle class is best suited to ruling and being ruled in turn. Those who enjoy, “an excess of good fortune (strength, wealth, friends, and other things of the sort)” love to rule and dislike being ruled. Both of these attitudes are harmful to the city, yet they naturally arise among the wealthy. From an early age, the wealthy are instilled with a “love of ruing and desire to rule, both of which are harmful to cities” (1295b12), and, “because of the luxury they live in, being ruled is not something they get used to, even at school” (1295b13–17). By contrast, poverty breeds vice, servility, and small-mindedness. Thus the poor are easy to push around, and if they do gain power they are incapable of exercising it virtuously. Therefore, without a middle class, “a city of slaves and masters arises, not a city of the free, and the first are full of envy while the second are full of contempt.” Such a city must be “at the furthest remove from friendship and political community” (1295b21–24). The presence of a strong middle class, however, binds the city into a whole, limiting the tendency of the rich to tyranny and the poor to slavishness, creating a “city of the free.”
Third, Aristotle argues that middle class citizens enjoy the safest and most stable lives, imbuing the regime as a whole with these characteristics. Those in the middle are, among all the citizens, the most likely to survive in times of upheaval, when the poor starve and the rich become targets. They are sufficiently content with their lot not to envy the possessions of the rich. Yet they are not so wealthy that the poor envy them. They neither plot against the rich nor are plotted against by the poor.
Fourth, a large middle class stabilizes a regime, particularly if the middle is “stronger than both extremes or, otherwise, than either one of them. For the middle will tip the balance when added to either side and prevent the emergence of an excess at the opposite extremes” (1295b36–40). Without a large and powerful middle class, “either ultimate rule of the populace arises or unmixed oligarchy does, or, because of excess on both sides, tyranny” (1296a3; cf. 6.12, 1297a6ff).
Fifth is the related point that regimes with large middle classes are relatively free of faction and therefore more concerned with the common good. This is because a large middle class makes it harder to separate everyone out into two groups (1296a7–10).
Finally, Aristotle claims that one sign of the superiority of middle class regimes is that the best legislators come from the middle class. As examples, he cites Solon, Lycurgus, and Charondas (1296a18–21).
Conclusion: Aristotle’s Polity and Our Own
If the proper aim of government is to promote the happiness of the citizen, Aristotle marshals an impressive array of arguments for giving the people, specifically the middle class, a role in government. These arguments can be grouped under five headings: virtue, rational decision-making, freedom, stability, and resistance to corruption.
Popular government both presupposes and encourages widespread virtue among the citizens, and virtue is a necessary condition of happiness. Middle class citizens are particularly likely to follow practical reason and act justly, for they are corrupted neither by wealth nor by poverty. Popular participation can improve political decision-making by mobilizing scattered information and experience, and more informed decisions are more likely to promote happiness. In particular, popular government channels the experiences of those who are actually governed back into the decision-making process.
Popular participation preserves the freedom of the people, who would otherwise be exploited if they had no say in government. By preserving the freedom of the people, popular participation unifies the regime, promoting peace and stability which in turn are conducive to the pursuit of happiness. This is particularly the case with middle class regimes, for the middle class prevents excessive and destabilizing separation and between the extremes of wealth and poverty.
Popular governments are also more resistant to corruption. It is harder to use bribery or trickery to corrupt decisions made by many people deliberating together in public than by one person or a few deciding in private. This means that popular regimes are more likely to promote the common good instead of allowing the state to become a tool for the pursuit of one special interest at the expense of another. Furthermore, if a popular regime does become corrupt, it is most likely to become a democracy, which is the least unjust of the bad regimes and the easiest to reform.
All these are good arguments for giving the people a role in government. But not just any people. And not just any role.
First, Aristotle presupposes a small city-state. He did not think that any regime could pursue the common good if it became too large. This is particularly true of a popular regime, for the larger the populace, the less room any particular citizen has for meaningful participation.
Second, he presupposes a populace which is racially and culturally homogeneous. A more diverse population is subject to faction and strife. It will either break up into distinct communities or it will have to be held together by violence and governed by an elite. A more diverse population also erodes a society’s moral consensus, making moral education even more difficult.
Third, political participation will be limited to middle-class and wealthy property-owning males, specifically men who derive their income from the ownership of productive land, not merchants and craftsmen.
Fourth, Aristotle circumscribes the role of the populace by assigning it specific legal roles, such as the election of officers and the auditing of accounts–roles which are checked and balanced by the legal roles of the aristocratic element, such as occupying leadership positions.
If Aristotle is right about the conditions of popular government, then he would probably take a dim view of its prospects in America.
First and foremost, Aristotle would deplore America’s lack of concern with moral education. Aristotle’s disagreement would go beyond the obvious fact that the American founders did not make moral education the central concern of the state. America has neglected to cultivate even the minimal moral virtues required to maintain a liberal regime, virtues such as independence, personal responsibility, and basic civility.
Second, Aristotle would predict that multiculturalism and non-white immigration will destroy the cultural preconditions of popular government.
Third, Aristotle would reject America’s ever-widening franchise–particularly the extension of the vote to women, non-property owners, and cultural aliens–as a sure prescription for lowering the quality of public decision-making in the voting booth and jury room.
Fourth, Aristotle would be alarmed by the continuing erosion of the American working and middle classes by competition from foreign workers both inside and outside America’s borders. He would deplore America’s transformation from an agrarian to an industrial-mercantile civilization and support autarky rather than free trade and economic globalization.
Fifth, Aristotle would be alarmed by ongoing attempts to disarm the populace.
Sixth, he would condemn America’s imperialistic and warlike policies toward other nations.
Finally, Aristotle would likely observe that since genuine popular government is difficult with hundreds of thousands of citizens it will be impossible with hundreds of millions.
In short, if Aristotle were alive today, he would find himself to the right of Patrick J. Buchanan, decrying America’s decline from a republic to an empire. Aristotle challenges us to show whether and how liberty and popular government are compatible with feminism, multiculturalism, and globalized capitalism.
To conclude, however, on a more positive note: Although Aristotle gives reasons to think that the future of popular government in America is unpromising, he also gives reasons for optimism about the long-term prospects of popular government in general, for his defense of popular government is based on a realistic assessment of human nature, not only in its striving for perfection, but also in its propensity for failure.
Notes to Part 2
1. For useful discussions of the arguments of Politics 3.11, see Mary P. Nichols, Citizens and Statesmen: A Study of Aristotle’s Politics (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1992), 66–71, and Peter L. Phillips Simpson, A Philosophical Commentary on the Politics of Aristotle (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998), 166-71.
2. On the potluck supper analogy, see Arlene W. Saxonhouse, Fear of Diversity: The Birth of Political Science in Ancient Greek Thought (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992), 222–24.
3. I wish to thank M. L. C. for suggesting the model of a jury trial.
4 . For a beautiful description of the deliberative process of a jury, see John C. Calhoun, A Disquisition on Government, in Union and Liberty: The Political Philosophy of John C. Calhoun, ed. Ross M. Lence (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1992), 49–50.
5. Friedrich A. Hayek’s classic essay “The Use of Knowledge in Society,” in his Individualism and Economic Order (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1948), argues that the market is superior to central planning because it better mobilizes widely scattered information. The market is, of course, larger than any possible jury and thus will always command more information. However, if one were to compare a market and a jury of the same size, the jury would clearly be a more rational decision-making process, for the market registers decisions based on perspectives which are in principle entirely solipsistic, whereas the jury requires a genuine dialogue which challenges all participants to transcend their partial and subjective perspectives and work toward a rational consensus which is more objective than any individual decision because it more adequately accounts for the phenomena in question than could any individual decision. It is this crucial disanalogy that seems to vitiate attempts to justify the market in terms of Gadamerian, Popperian, or Habermasian models and communicative rationality. For the best statement of this sort of approach, see G. B. Madison, The Political Economy of Civil Society and Human Rights (New York: Routledge, 1998), esp. chs. 3–5.
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Question: "What is Reform Judaism?"Recommended Resource:
Judaism is the traditional religion of Jews, although not all Jews practice it. Modern Judaism has three main “branches”: Orthodox (traditional), Reform (also known as Liberal or Progressive in Europe), and Conservative (which charts a course between the other two). Most synagogues are designated by one of the branch titles, similar to how churches use a denominational name.
Reform Judaism describes itself as follows: “Throughout history, Jews have remained firmly rooted in Jewish tradition, even as we learned much from our encounters with other cultures. Nevertheless, since its earliest days, Reform Judaism has asserted that a Judaism frozen in time cannot coexist effectively with those who live in modern times. The great contribution of Reform Judaism is that it has enabled the Jewish people to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt, and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship” (https://reformjudaism.org/what-reform-judaism, accessed 11/9/18).
The development of Reform Judaism is somewhat parallel to the development of liberal Christianity. With the scientific and philosophical shifts in culture and higher learning spawned by the Enlightenment, the supernatural element in religion and the concept of divine authority was gradually replaced with the supremacy of human reason. Many Jews began to reject the halakha and the Bible, although they still valued many of the ethics and principles found therein. Most of the ceremonies and rituals that had been central to Judaism were rejected as mere superstition.
Today, Reform Judaism most values doing good for family and for mankind. The idea of a personal Messiah has been replaced by the idea of a messianic age of goodwill that will be inaugurated by human effort. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead has been replaced by the concept of living on in the memories of descendants and society because of the good works that one has accomplished. As for the Bible, Reform Jews find much wisdom in (and tend to focus on) the Prophets because of those books’ calls for social justice. Ethical concerns and proper relationships with fellow human beings are viewed as more important than ceremonies designed to lead one into a right standing before God (the emphasis of the Torah). For instance, Passover is celebrated by Reform Jews with an emphasis on freedom. On Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Reform Jews acknowledge the need to be forgiven by God, but emphasize forgiving and seeking forgiveness from other human beings.
After the events of the twentieth century, Reform Judaism has also embraced Zionism, which it initially rejected. In more recent years, Reform Judaism has evolved to become more of an individual expression of religion rather than a unified “movement.” Adherents pick and choose those aspects of Judaism that they find meaningful or helpful while rejecting the rest. Many Reform Jews live their daily lives in the same way that their non-Jewish friends do, without concern for kosher requirements. In the end, the ultimate authority in Reform Judaism is the individual. As might be expected, Reform Judaism is strongest in North America, and approximately one third of Jews in the United States identify as Reform.
What is Reform Judaism?
What Do Jews Believe?: The Spiritual Foundations of Judaism by David Ariel
More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!
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I am Jewish, can I become a Christian?
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Do Jews believe in hell?
Was Jesus a Jew?
What is Reform Judaism? | <urn:uuid:f89870c5-cee9-4ca1-a9f5-85f294672afe> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.gotquestions.org/Reform-Judaism.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371880945.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20200409220932-20200410011432-00051.warc.gz | en | 0.952386 | 750 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Traditional handmade papermaking process in Ogawa begins with the harvesting of kozo plants (paper mulberry). Handmade Washi is made with the raw material from this plant.
Kozo trees in summer time.
And now waiting to be harvested.
From November to January, kozo is harvested after its leaves fall, then cut to a length of about 70-100 cm to fit into a cauldron.
Kozo (paper mulberry) is native to Japan and is primarily used for making washi. Ascribed a masculine quality due to its longer finber and strength, kozo is grown annually as a crop so no forests are depleted. | <urn:uuid:8db280f0-ec20-41e0-833f-3885112e204e> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.wanokaze-washi.com/post/harvest-time-for-kozo | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510697.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20230930145921-20230930175921-00310.warc.gz | en | 0.962506 | 133 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Bartonella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria gram-negative bacteria Bacteria which lose crystal violet stain but are stained pink when treated by gram's method. Bacteriology in the family Bartonellaceae. As a facultative intracellular Facultative intracellular Yersinia spp./Yersiniosis parasite, Bartonella can infect healthy people as well as act as an opportunistic pathogen Opportunistic pathogen Moraxella. Bartonella species are transmitted by vectors such as ticks Ticks Blood-sucking acarid parasites of the order ixodida comprising two families: the softbacked ticks (argasidae) and hardbacked ticks (ixodidae). Ticks are larger than their relatives, the mites. They penetrate the skin of their host by means of highly specialized, hooked mouth parts and feed on its blood. Ticks attack all groups of terrestrial vertebrates. In humans they are responsible for many tick-borne diseases, including the transmission of rocky mountain spotted fever; tularemia; babesiosis; african swine fever; and relapsing fever. Coxiella/Q Fever, fleas, sandflies, and mosquitoes. B. henselae is the most common of the 3 species known to cause human disease; it is a zoonosis that causes cat-scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis Bacillary Angiomatosis A reactive vascular proliferation that is characterized by the multiple tumor-like lesions in skin, bone, brain, and other organs. Bacillary angiomatosis is caused by infection with gram-negative Bartonella bacilli (such as Bartonella henselae), and is often seen in AIDS patients and other immunocompromised hosts. AIDS-defining Conditions (BA). The other 2 species are human-specific: B. bacilliformis causes trench fever Fever Fever is defined as a measured body temperature of at least 38°C (100.4°F). Fever is caused by circulating endogenous and/or exogenous pyrogens that increase levels of prostaglandin E2 in the hypothalamus. Fever is commonly associated with chills, rigors, sweating, and flushing of the skin. Fever and BA, and B. quintana causes Oroya fever Fever Fever is defined as a measured body temperature of at least 38°C (100.4°F). Fever is caused by circulating endogenous and/or exogenous pyrogens that increase levels of prostaglandin E2 in the hypothalamus. Fever is commonly associated with chills, rigors, sweating, and flushing of the skin. Fever, verruga peruana, and Carrion’s disease.
Last updated: Dec 12, 2022
Bartonellosis in humans is caused by 3 main species of Bartonella bacteria Bacteria Bacteria are prokaryotic single-celled microorganisms that are metabolically active and divide by binary fission. Some of these organisms play a significant role in the pathogenesis of diseases. Bacteriology and produces a wide range of symptoms and diseases depending on the species and the immune state of the infected individual.
Carrion’s disease, also known as:
Most cases of bartonellosis can be diagnosed through the detection of characteristic symptoms and physical findings and a complete medical history. Specialized laboratory tests are used to confirm the diagnosis.
Aside from supportive care, management is dependent on the specific species of Bartonella contracted and the severity of each case.
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Lecturio Premium gives you full access to all contents and features—including Lecturio’s Qbank with up-to-date board-style questions. | <urn:uuid:7aef2604-1d28-42dd-bfd8-3b4c977b03a7> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://wp-assets.lecturio.com/concepts/bartonella/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510130.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20230926011608-20230926041608-00583.warc.gz | en | 0.908268 | 885 | 3.765625 | 4 |
I recently finished reading Herbert A. Simon’s autobiography, Models of My Life. Simon was the 1978 Nobel Prize winner in economics and the father of artificial intelligence. Among economists, he’s best known for his theories of bounded rationality and satisificing.
Mr. Spock vs. Homer Simpson
Rather than man being a completely rational calculator always trying to maximize his utility, similar to Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame, it seems in many areas of life we act more like Homer Simpson of The Simpsons. It’s doubtful a Mr. Spock would need Alcoholics or Gambling Anonymous, or the idea of a self-control credit card that, in advance, voluntarily limits one’s spending in various categories automatically.
Not all economists are convinced by the research that man is not rational, let alone willing to forego their useful assumption of rationality. Ludwig von Mises refused to call bad decision making “irrational.” He stated:
Error, inefficiency, and failure must not be confused with irrationality. He who shoots wants, as a rule, to hit the mark. If he misses, he is not ‘irrational,’ he is a poor marksman.
David Friedman, in his book Hidden Order (highly recommended by the way), explains the assumption of rationality this way:
…the assumption describes our actions, not our thoughts. If you had to understand something intellectually in order to do it, none of us would be able to walk.
Economics is based on the assumption that people have reasonably simple objectives and choose the correct means to achieve them. Both assumptions are false—but useful.
Suppose someone is rational only half the time. Since there is generally one right way of doing things and many wrong ways, the rational behavior can be predicted but the irrational cannot. If we assume he is rational, we predict his behavior correctly about half the time—far from perfect, but a lot better than nothing. If I could do that well at the racetrack I would be a very rich man.
…rationality is an assumption I make about other people. I know myself well enough to allow for the consequences of my own irrationality. But for the vast mass of my fellow humans, about whom I know very little, rationality is the best predictive assumption available.
In short, I find both assumptions of rationality and irrationality useful. If Friedman is right, then we can predict 50% of human behavior with rationality, and perhaps some portion of the other 50% with irrationality.
And this is where I find Herbert Simon’s bounded rationality and satisficing concepts extremely explanatory. Bounded rationality posits that both elements of irrational and nonrational behavior bound the area of rational behavior.
Coupling the concept of satisficing to bounded rationality is how Simon explains how people really make decisions. Rather than attempting to maximize or optimize, people search for “good enough” actions. Simon writes:
Since my world picture approximates reality only crudely, I cannot aspire to optimize anything; at most, I can aim at satisficing. Searching for the best can only dissipate scarce cognitive resources; the best is the enemy of the good.
[Even Darwin's] natural selection only predicts that survivors will be fit enough, that is, fitter than their losing competitors; it postulates satisficing, not optimizing.
Could Simon’s satisficing concept explain why so many professional knowledge firms cling to their billable hours and timesheets?
It’s simply good enough, and certainly neither require much cognitive resources. Like driving, it’s an unconscious competence we don’t have to think too hard about.
If satisficing does explain it, then how do you overcome it?
What do you think? | <urn:uuid:5fb85005-e6a4-4509-ac71-9e872422ef8f> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://www.verasage.com/blog/mr_spock_vs_homer_simpson/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1409535921957.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20140901014521-00202-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956096 | 781 | 2.671875 | 3 |
A mathematical set has a fairly simple interface and can be implemented in a surprising number of ways.
There are several different ways to implement sets. The simplest, but in most cases least efficient, method is to simply create a linear list (an array, linked list or similar structure) containing each of the elements in the set. For the most basic operation, testing membership, a possible implementation could look like
function contains(List<T> list, T member) for item in list if item == member return True return False
To add new members to this set, simply add the element to beginning or end of the list. (If a check is done to ensure no duplicate elements, some other operations may be simpler.) Other operations can be similarly implemented in terms of simple list operations. Unfortunately, the membership test has a worst-case running time of if the item is not in the list, and even an average-case time of the same, assuming the item is equally likely to be anywhere in the list. If the set is small, or if frequently accessed items can be placed near the front of the list, this may be an efficient solution, but other options can have a faster running time.
Assuming elements can be ordered and insertions and deletions are rare, a list guaranteed to be in sorted order with no duplicate elements can be much more efficient. Using an ordered list, the membership test can be efficient to the order of . Additionally, union, intersection and subtraction can be implemented in linear time, whereas they would take quadratic time with unordered lists.
Bit array implementation
For certain data, it may be more practical to maintain a bit array describing the contents of the set. In this representation, there is a 1 or 0 corresponding to each element of the problem domain, specifying whether the object is an element of the set. For a simple case, assume that only integers from 0 to n can be members of the set, where n is known beforehand. This can be represented by a bit array of length n+1. The contains operation is simple:
function contains(BitArray array, Int member) if member >= length(array) return False else if array[member] == 1 return True else return False
To add or remove an element from this sort of set, simply modify the bit array to reflect whether that index should be 1 or 0. The membership runs in exactly (constant) time, but it has a severely restricted domain. It is possible to shift the domain, going from m to n with step k, rather than 0 to n with step 1 as is specified above, but there is not much flexibility possible here. Nevertheless, for the right domain, this is often the most efficient solution.
Associative array implementation
Associative arrays--that is, hash tables and binary search trees, represent a heavyweight but general representation of sets. Binary trees generally have time implementations for lookup and mutation for a particular key, and hash tables have a implementation (though there is a higher constant factor). Additionally, they are capable of storing nearly any key type. The membership test is trivial: simply test if the potential set member exists as a key in the associative array. To add an element, just add the set member as a key in the associative array, with a dummy value. In optimized implementations, instead of reusing an existing associative array implementation, it is possible to write a specialized hash table or binary tree which does not store values corresponding to keys. Values are not meaningful here, and they take up a constant factor of additional memory space. | <urn:uuid:2832fd88-2bbc-4db5-b8de-af6471e3b78a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Data_Structures/Sets | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00078-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.888539 | 731 | 3.84375 | 4 |
Forsyth County Tuberculosis Hospital
|Forsyth County Tuberculosis Hospital|
|Building Style||Single Building|
It opened in 1917 at a cost of $10,000.00. The hospital was located on North Liberty Street at the county farm, a poorhouse where needy people could live and work if they were physically able. Reports from 1919 stated that the tuberculosis hospital was full at all times. It was not until 1930, however, that a second Forsyth County tuberculosis hospital opened. Knollwood Hall, later a nursing home, was originally a $250,000.00 tuberculosis hospital for white patients. In 1939, the Bowman Gray, Jr. family built a new facility on the same campus for African American tuberculosis victims. Knollwood Hall ceased to be a hospital in 1955 when the state took over responsibility for tuberculosis patients. | <urn:uuid:561371af-b0a4-489c-bb06-efa364cab58b> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://asylumprojects.org/index.php/Forsyth_County_Tuberculosis_Hospital | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250591763.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20200118023429-20200118051429-00538.warc.gz | en | 0.953939 | 174 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Day Message, by John McConnell, founder of Earth Day
DAY AND ITS EARTH TRUSTEE IDEA
Earth Day and its Earth Trustee idea provides the best way for a
sustainable future. Every project seeking a better future
for people and planet can benefit by joining in observance of Earth Day.
This provides common ground and aids cooperation among people
seeking a better future for themselves and others.
Earth Day occurs on the first day of Spring - nature's moment of
equipoise, when night and day are of equal length all over the world.
Since early human history, it has been recognized and
observed in different ways as a beautiful symbol of new life and
featuring Earth Day as The Great Day of Earth and adopting the
Earth Trustee Idea, the global balance of good and evil will change more
and more to what is best.
While we live in the midst of a crumbling civilization, overwhelmed with
grave problems, Earth Day provides an event and agenda that given global
attention can save civilization and provide a new beginning for the
The Earth Trustee ideas that came from the Earth Day celebrated each
year at the United Nations, increased attention for peace, justice and
the care of the amazing web of life that covers our globe. It
helped end the Cold War and initiated efforts for environmental action.
(See Earth Day: Past, Present, Future, at www.earthsite.org
The Earth Trustee challenge contains the key elements that can
invigorate reforms in every area --- environmental, economic, social and
spiritual. With this new vision, we will choose to act as Earth
Trustees, help Earth's rejuvenation and enjoy its natural bounty.
As the Earth Trustee concept spreads worldwide, it will meet the
requirements for a peaceful, prosperous future all over the world.
Here are the key guidelines for environmental action and global
To further peaceful progress by humanity we urge resolution of conflict
be sought by carefully defining the nature of differences and the
important areas of accord in dealing with conflicting systems, creeds
and cultures -- ever stressing Earth Trustee goals.
The over-arching goals of Earth Trusteeship can diminish conflict and
bitter controversy and promote world peace. When there is more
money spent on education in peaceful resolution of conflict than in
money spent on bombs and military programs, we will have no more
It should be recognized that ultimate questions about reality are still
shrouded in great mystery -- leaving room for honest differences in
beliefs and interpretations about the meaning of life. This does
not mean a lesser belief in one's creed -- or less rejection of other
creeds, but a willingness to temper one's ideology or faith with a
tolerance of another person's belief -- so long as their adherence does
not infringe on one's freedom of choice; and so long as they foster the
nurture of Earth and fair benefits for Earth caretakers, i.e. Earth
The same Earth Trustee policy applies to political parties. People
to People cooperation is possible as long as there is acknowledgment of
differences and a careful avoidance on both sides of claiming that
cooperation means support of partisan ideas or ideologies. Enlightened
leaders must constantly expose any hidden conspiracies to win the minds
of people. But ever seek points of honest accord,
Think about it, talk about it. Forward this message to friends. Help
make Earth Day 2002 (March 20) the Great Day of Earth.
wish only well | <urn:uuid:7eb06155-48b0-4d3a-8786-28dcd371c52b> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.earthsite.org/2002ed.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609535095.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005215-00066-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893913 | 735 | 2.859375 | 3 |
When Madi was 15 months old, we were at a play area and we met a little girl who was 16 months old. This little girl was speaking at a toddler level! She was speaking in almost full sentences and knew her first and last name. At 15 months, Madi could only say “Mama,” “Dada,” “Boo-boo” (her nickname), “toys” and a few body parts. I had never worried about Madi’s speech as I knew that at 15 months she is only expected to have 5 words, so I thought her language development was right on track. However I will say I was very “shook” after meeting that little girl.
Once we got home, I started pointing to multiple objects around the house and tried to quickly improve Madi’s language. Within a week, I realized that I was over-reacting and that each child develops differently and that Madi was exactly where she should be.
Language development and literacy skills (the ability to read and write) in children occurs in stages, over time. It is an ongoing process. It is also normal, to some extent, for each child’s development to occur at different stages, different ages, and in different ways.
You might notice that when you go to your family doctor or pediatrician for a “check-up” that they ask about the abilities of your child to walk, talk, read, write, and do certain tasks. These are known as “developmental milestones.”
If your child is behind some of their peers in language development and literacy, this could be part of their normal development. To some extent, language development happens at each child’s own individual rate.
Important “red-flag” milestones in child language development.
Red flag milestones are developmental milestones that if your child does not reach, this may indicate a delay in development. It is important to be aware of these milestones, so that you can see your doctor if you are worried:
- Difficulty with hearing
- No babbling by 9 months
- No first words by 18 months
- No word 2-combinations by 24 months
- Speech is difficult for parents to understand at 24 months
- Speech is difficult for strangers to understand at 36 months
- Vocabulary is growing very slowly
- Regression or loss of speech
Furthermore, if your child is finding it hard to communicate, is getting frustrated by their communication difficulty, is being teased by peers for talking funny, or avoids having to talk, these could also be signs your child is struggling with language development, and may need to see a doctor.
This post was co-authored by Suzanne Black, MD, BSc and Stephanie Liu, MD, MSc, CCFP, BHSc. | <urn:uuid:6a9034e1-0cfa-4169-b2a8-817a4d25acfc> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://lifeofdrmom.com/child-development-warning-signs-if-your-childs-language-development-is-on-track/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371799447.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20200407121105-20200407151605-00183.warc.gz | en | 0.982871 | 592 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Built as the world's first deep-ocean submersible, Alvin has made more than 4,200 dives and can reach 63 percent of the global ocean floor (reaching depths of 14,764 feet/4,500 meters).
Credit: Mark Spear, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
A scientist in one of the deepest places on Earth connected with an astronaut in one of the highest Friday to chat about similarities and differences in their jobs and to field questions from the public.
Speaking from inside Alvin [image], a submersible two miles beneath the Pacific Ocean, marine biologist Timothy Shank [image] talked with Expedition 14 flight engineer Sunita Williams [image], who is currently flying high above Earth in the International Space Station (ISS).
"Greetings Alvin, this is the International Space Station Alpha, flying about 250 miles above the Earth's surface," Williams began.
During their approximately 15-minute conversation, the pair answered questions from students, educators and the public.
One questions was about what alien life forms each had seen so far in their separate environments.
"We haven't seen anything up here, but I'm sure you've seen stuff that looks pretty weird down there," Williams said.
"Yes, absolutely Suni," said Shank, a researcher with the Woods Hold Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). "Some of the life forms down here...I think of as being aliens."
Despite the many differences in their research-Shank works in a murky aquatic environment, beyond the reach of the Sun, whereas Williams sees 15 sunrises a day-the two found some common ground.
"We're both living life in the extremes," Shank said.
At times, the two showed signs of "status" envy.
"Hey, what do you think about switching jobs?" Williams asked. "I'd love to do your job and see what's living on the ocean floor. How about coming up here sometime?"
"I would love to do that," Shank said.
Astronauts aboard the ISS frequently make orbital calls back home to share their experiences with people on Earth. The ISS crew also recently talked to Martha Stewart about how to make their orbital laboratory seem a bit more like home. | <urn:uuid:56543d98-783a-484c-b915-89a440ae9b71> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.space.com/3390-space-station-seafloor-highest-lowest-humans-chat.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510270399.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011750-00026-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960543 | 451 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Difference Between FDM and FDMA
Frequency Division Multiplexing, or FDM, is a multiplexing technique for the physical layer that allows multiple low bandwidth signals to share the same high bandwidth frequency range. It is achieved by allocating a smaller frequency range to each signal that is using the same channel. FDMA stands for Frequency Division Multiple Access, a technology commonly used in mobile communications. It’s an access method for the data link layer, that uses the concepts of FDM to basically achieve the same goal. It is popular knowledge that FDMA is the use of FDM to enable multiple users to share the same physical channel for concurrent communication.
For further details, FDM is a technique that is used in many other technologies. A multiplexer modulates all the signals that is going to use the channel into a single signal. FDMA foregoes the use of a multiplexer, since it acts on the data link layer. All the information is combined prior to generating a signal, making the use of a physical layer multiplexer unnecessary.
The need for multiplexing is very prominent in mobile phone networks, where you have a limited number of channels that have a huge amount bandwidth. Each mobile phone user only needs very minimal bandwidth, and they are stacked together into the same channel with the use of multiplexing technologies like FDMA. Aside from FDMA, which divides the frequency range into smaller channels, there are also other technologies at work in mobile phone networks. TDMA is one such technology, and it divides each channel into time slots that can be occupied by different users.
The use of FDM, or FDMA alone, is quite inefficient, as it still dedicates the entire channel allocated to the signal. Even when there is no information that is being sent across the medium, no one can utilize the channel that is being used. Mobile networks use both FDMA and TDMA to maximize the number of users that can use the network. The main channel is divided into smaller sub channels using FDMA. Each sub channel is then divided with the use of TDMA to let multiple users use the channel in an alternating manner. This happens so fast that end users do not know that this is happening.
1. FDM is a physical layer multiplexing technique, while FDMA is a data link layer access method.
2. Using FDM to allow multiple users to utilize the same bandwidth is called FDMA.
3. FDM uses a physical multiplexer, while FDMA does not.
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Leave a Response | <urn:uuid:fc32f9e7-ebbb-4a52-a88b-c4503be5addc> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-fdm-and-fdma/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510261958.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011741-00094-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907305 | 558 | 4.125 | 4 |
Law and Literature Seminar
This seminar uses literature, commentary on literature, and legal writings to consider the ways in which law and literature intersect. The assigned materials deal with such issues whether law and morality are identical, whether justice is achieved in the legal system, how lawyers can achieve persuasiveness and even eloquence by using the techniques of great writers, and what relation exists between stories and legal arguments and theories. Grading and Method of Evaluation
Letter grade only. All students will write a paper in the course and make a half hour presentation to the class based on the subject of their paper. There is no exam. | <urn:uuid:b6a6e1bb-fb4d-4ada-a8af-d5902d70c415> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://brooklaw.edu/en/academics/curriculum/coursedescriptions/course.aspx?id=L_484 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510273874.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011753-00412-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916077 | 125 | 2.5625 | 3 |
In this essay based on research for her book, Aging: Demographics, Health, and Health Services (Greenwood Press), market research consultant Kris Hodges analyzes data from the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey to draw a portrait of American eating habits and the demographics of nutrition in this country. Although the DHKS was last conducted in 1994-1996, Hodges' analysis provides new insights into Americans' dietary self-perceptions. Nearly 6,000 adults age 20 and older participated in the DHKS, a subset of the USDA's nationwide Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. They were asked the importance of various dietary aspects, ranging from fat, sodium and cholesterol intake to fiber and calcium consumption, as well as the impressions of their diet on these aspects. Survey responses were then related to the respondent's actual food intake. As Hodges explains, the results of the survey are important in weighing the future of America's physical health.
Obesity is literally becoming a bigger problem in America and not only are the added health risks substantial, but many Americans aren't even aware they're part of the problem. Newly released data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that today's adults ages 20 to 74 are twice as likely to be obese than adults in the late 1970s (31 percent in 1999-2000 versus 15 percent in 1976-1980).
Considering the imperfect state of their health, Americans seem strangely confident about their eating habits, with 54 percent believing their diets are healthy enough that there is no reason for them to change. But according to the USDA's extensive Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS), major misperceptions lie in the areas of fat and calorie intake, and weight. For example, Americans place the greatest importance on maintaining a healthy weight with 73 percent saying that aspect is “very important� to them. Women of all ages place greater importance than men on maintaining a healthy weight. But, even among those respondents placing the most importance on maintaining a healthy weight, 26 percent are either overweight or obese by government standards. Despite their higher commitment, this group is just as likely to be overweight or obese as the people who place the least importance on maintaining a healthy weight.
Americans — especially men and black women — are not always the best judges of their own weight status: 45 percent of men and 48 percent of black women believe their weight is “about right� but are technically overweight or obese (compared with 12 percent of white women). Nearly 1 in 4 Americans (23 percent) is over-confident of their caloric intake, believing the number of calories they consume is about right, while in reality they're overweight or obese. Men of all ages are substantially more over-confident than women, and older Americans are more over-confident than younger people.
Americans also place great importance on consuming a low-fat diet with 58 percent stating it is very important to them. These more motivated people consume fat at levels about 10 percent to 15 percent lower than their less motivated counterparts. Yet, 27 percent are mistaken about their fat intake. Except for older Americans (age 60 and older), men are more over-confident than women.
The message that high cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease and stroke appears to have been heard, and is reflected in consumption statistics, serum cholesterol levels and DHKS data. USDA statistics indicate that between 1980 and 1999 fresh egg consumption declined 23 percent, whole milk consumption declined by 50 percent and the consumption of skim milk more than doubled. Not surprisingly, the proportion of today's adults with high serum cholesterol levels is more than one-third lower than it was in the early 1960s. According to the DHKS, a diet low in cholesterol is very important to 56 percent of Americans. Average daily cholesterol consumption is 24 percent lower among these most motivated people compared with the least motivated Americans. Still, while people are most realistic about cholesterol consumption, about 1 in 5 is over-confident, with men more over-confident than women (23 percent compared with 13 percent).
The DHKS indicates that 8 in 10 Americans realize that “choosing a healthy diet is just a matter of knowing what foods are good and what foods are bad.� However, the same percentage also say “There are so many recommendations about healthy ways to eat, it's hard to know what to believe.� And 41 percent of Americans believe “some people are born to be fat and some thin; there is not much you can do to change this.� Are Americans just confused and throwing caution to the wind? Or are we becoming more resigned to a heavier weight status?
Our weight-obsessed society abounds with weight-loss contraptions, pills, programs and their associated advertising campaigns; media images of thin people are ubiquitous. At the same time, restaurants offer mega-size portions and we respond. Given the burgeoning American waistline, everyone needs to become more aware of what constitutes excessive weight. While people can make dietary changes, further efforts can influence additional improvements. Food producers and purveyors can provide healthier products, as processed foods and restaurant meals provide much of our dietary caloric and nutritional intake. Not only do Americans need to exercise more restraint, companies can exercise more options to help us do so. | <urn:uuid:89a10c5d-e1a1-4603-b51f-590c5953067f> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/diet-time/44273/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128323801.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20170628204133-20170628224133-00328.warc.gz | en | 0.962163 | 1,099 | 3.078125 | 3 |
May 14, 1998
In a paper published in the May 14 issue of Nature, Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington explains that by looking for wobbles in young stars, a clear-cut test can be applied that will determine the mechanism through which giant planets form out of the disks of gas and dust that swirl around the youngest stars. Once a giant planet is formed in orbit around a young star, the star will wobble back and forth as the star and planet orbit around their common center. A wobbling star, therefore, implies the presence of an otherwise unseen planetary companion.
There are two ways in which giant planets are thought to have formed. One mechanism is very slow, and requires about a million years for a massive solid core to form from collisions between smaller ice and rock bodies, followed by about 10 million years during which the solid core gains a gaseous atmosphere from the disk and grows to its final, Jovian size. Boss has found that the second mechanism is much faster, and requires only about a thousand years for the disk itself to clump up directly into a large ball of gas and dust that will form the giant planet.
If giant planets form by the solid-core mechanism, then young stars will not begin to wobble until they are no longer adolescents, i.e., until after they are 10 million years old or older. However, if giant planets form by the disk-clumping mechanism, then even the very youngest stars will wobble. In fact, Boss shows, the youngest stars will begin to wobble appreciably even during the process where the disk begins to form clumps. NASA's planned Space Interferometry Mission (for launch in around 2005) will have the power to detect easily these tiny, infantile motions. By looking closely at a large sample of young stars in nearby star-forming regions (e.g., in the Taurus constellation), astronomers will soon be able to find the clues that will solve the puzzle of how giant planets form.
Alan Boss is a staff member at the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) in northwest Washington, D.C. DTM, led by Sean C. Solomon, is one of the institution's five research centers. In addition to astronomy, Carnegie conducts research in the earth sciences, plant biology, and developmental biology. The institution's administration building, housing the office of president Maxine F. Singer, is in Washington, D.C.. | <urn:uuid:ca59e694-7c5e-4ec4-8fe5-371b5569b673> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://carlkop.home.xs4all.nl/giant.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223206147.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032006-00443-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952874 | 503 | 4.03125 | 4 |
1.) The Amish religion states that “God loved the world so much that he gave his only son to dies on the cross and that through faith in the shed blood of Jesus people are reconciled to God”, according to the Amish People and their Lifestyle Website. They believe that the bible is the inspired word of god it is a part of their daily life. The Amish people dress conservatively because they believe that their clothing should encourage humility and separation from the world. Their clothing is an expression of faith.
2.) Amish people do not use electricity because they interpret linking with electrical wires as connection to the world, and the Bible tells them they are not to be conformed to the world. (Amish People and their Lifestyle Website) Therefore, the Amish decided it was best not to use electricity, not because it was evil or bad, but because it could lead to many temptations and the deterioration of church and family life.
3.) Amish men do not shave their beard after marriage, because a beard is a symbol of an adult Amish man. Amish men are not allowed to have mustaches because they are associated with the military.
4.) Amish roots can be traced back to Europe. In the 1600s they traveled to the United States to escape religious persecution for their beliefs.
5.) Amish people survive by compromising. They will only use electricity when they absolutely have to. For example, some Amish farmers will use tractors when it is absolutely necessary. They survive by finding other ways to do things. For example, Amish women churn butter by themselves to produce food. They also use the crops they get from farming to make food.
6.) Today there are over 25 different groups of Amish people in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (the state with the most Amish people).
7.) On October 2, 2006 in Lancaster City a school shooting took place in an Amish school house called, West Nickel Mines Amish School. These shootings took place because some people disagreed with the Amish culture, and way of life, and were very opposed to the Amish beliefs.
8.) Amish people insisted that school would end after 8th grade. But this idea was greatly opposed by the government and laws. So some Amish people moved to other states where the laws were more lenient.
9.) The horse drawn buggy is a very popular form of transportation among the Amish community.
10.) The Amish are mainly farmers, but some are carpenters, cabinet makers, and blacksmiths.
Final Blog Requirements
1 year ago | <urn:uuid:e346a9f4-efeb-4627-bc60-4ea98e9dfde7> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://eleanorigbyperspective.blogspot.com/2010/03/10-things-about-amish.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424060.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170722122816-20170722142816-00607.warc.gz | en | 0.977035 | 534 | 2.65625 | 3 |
[Note: This document is an advance copy of a new topic that will be released with the documentation for Visual Studio 2010 and ASP.NET 4. Comments are welcome and will be taken into account when the final version of the document is prepared for release.]
In Visual Studio you can create Web application projects or Web site projects. Each type has advantages and disadvantages, and you must understand the differences between them in order to select the best type. It is important to select the appropriate project type before you create a project, because it is not an easy task to convert from one project type to the other.
Note For some scenarios you do not have a choice. For example, if you want to create an ASP.NET MVC application, you must use a Web application project.
The primary factor in selecting between a Web application project and a Web site project is how you intend to deploy your project and how you want to maintain it after it is deployed. Scenarios in which Web application projects are the preferred choice include the following:
· You want to use MSBuild to compile the project. For example, you might want to add pre-build and post-build steps.
· You want the compiler to create a single assembly for the entire site.
· You want control over the assembly name and version number that is generated for the site.
· You want to refer to the code-behind classes of pages and user-controls from standalone classes.
· You want to establish project dependencies between multiple Web projects.
Scenarios in which Web site projects are the preferred choice include the following:
· You want to be able to update individual files in production by just copying new versions to the production server, or by editing the files directly on the production server.
· You do not want to explicitly compile the project in Release configuration in order to deploy it.
· You want the compiler to create multiple assemblies for the site, which can include one assembly per page or user control, or one or more assemblies per folder.
Summary of Differences
Web application projects
Web site projects
Project file structure
A Visual Studio project file (.csproj or .vbproj) stores information about the project, such as the list of files that are included in the project, and any project-to-project references.
There is no project file (.csproj or .vbproj). All the files in a folder structure are automatically included in the site.
· You explicitly compile the source code on the computer that is used for development or source control.
· By default, compilation of code files (excluding .aspx and .ascx files) produces a single assembly.
· The source code is typically compiled dynamically (automatically) by ASP.NET on the server the first time a request is received after the site has been installed or updated.
You can precompile the site (compile in advance on a development computer or on the server).
· By default, compilation produces multiple assemblies.
Explicit namespaces are added to pages, controls, and classes by default.
Explicit namespaces are not added to pages, controls, and classes by default, but you can add them manually.
· You copy the assembly to a server. The assembly is produced by compiling the application.
· Visual Studio provides tools that integrate with the IIS Web deployment tool to automate many deployment tasks.
· You copy the application source files to a computer that has IIS installed on it.
· If you precompile the site on a development computer, you copy the assemblies produced by compilation to the IIS server.
· Visual Studio provides tools for deployment, but they do not automate as many deployment tasks as the tools available for Web application projects.
Project File Structure
Web application projects use Visual Studio project files (.csproj or .vbproj) to keep track of information about the project. Among other tasks, this makes it possible to specify which files are included in or excluded from the project, and therefore which files are compiled during a build.
For Web site projects, all files in a folder structure are automatically considered to be included in the Web site. If you want to exclude something from compilation, you must remove the file from the Web site project folder or change its file-name extension to an extension that is not compiled and is not served by IIS.
An advantage of using project files in Web application projects is the following:
· It is easy to temporarily remove files from the site but still make sure that you do not lose track of them, because they remain in the folder structure. For example, if a page is not ready to be deployed, you can temporarily exclude it from the build without deleting it from the folder structure. You can deploy the compiled assembly, and then include the file in the project again. This is especially important if you are working with a source control repository.
An advantage of using folder structure without project files in Web site projects is the following:
· You do not have to manage the project's structure exclusively in Visual Studio. For example, you can copy files into the project or delete them from the project by using Windows Explorer.
For Web application projects, you typically build the project in Visual Studio or by using the ASP.NET batch compiler on a computer that is not the production IIS server. All code-behind class files and standalone class files in the project are compiled into a single assembly, which is then put in the Web application project's Bin folder. (The .aspx and .ascx files are compiled dynamically in a manner similar to what is done for Web site projects.)
For Web site projects, you do not have to manually compile the project. Web site projects are typically compiled dynamically by ASP.NET (on both the development computer and the production IIS server). You can choose between batch compilation mode, which typically produces one assembly per folder, and fixed compilation mode, which typically produces one assembly for each page or user control.
Advantages of the compilation model for Web application projects include the following:
· You can use MSBuild to create a custom batch-compilation process.
· It is easy to specify assembly attributes such as name and version.
· Compiling in advance makes sure that users do not have to wait while the site compiles on the production server. (If the site is very large, dynamic compilation of a Web site project might take a noticeable amount of time. Dynamic compilation occurs when a request for a site resource is received after an update to the site, and the request that triggers compilation might be delayed while the required resources are compiled. If the delay is unacceptable, you can precompile the site. However, then some of the advantages of dynamic compilation are lost.)
· You have complete control over where you put code files in the project folder structure, and how you how classes in the project refer to each other. (Dynamic compilation requires that the source code for any classes that are used throughout the site must be in the App_Code folder. You cannot refer to a page or user control class from a class in App_Code.)
· The Visual Studio Code Analysis feature works for Web application projects but not Web site projects.
Advantages of the compilation model for Web site projects include the following:
· You can test specific pages regardless of the state of other pages. This is because running an individual page does not require that the whole site compile successfully, only the page and any components it depends on, such as code in the App_Code folder or the Global.asax file. (In a Web application project, if there are compilation errors anywhere in the site, you cannot create the assembly and therefore cannot test even the pieces of the site that compile.)
· It is easy to update a Web site in production. You can update individual source code files on the production server without having to explicitly recompile the site. You can update individual files that are ready for deployment even if other files are not ready due to compile errors. You can also open the Web site on the production IIS server directly in Visual Studio and update the Web site in real time.
· Precompiling to multiple assemblies can have a performance advantage in some scenarios. A typical example is a site that has many pages with lots of code written for them. Most of the pages are rarely requested and only some are used frequently. If you compile a site like this into multiple assemblies, the production server can load only the assemblies that are required for the current requests. If a page is not requested, its corresponding assembly is not loaded.
Note There is no difference in performance between a Web site project and a Web application project. The only significant exceptions are the ones that have already been noted, and as a practical matter they apply only to very large sites. The first request to the Web site might require the site to be compiled, which can result in a delay. And if the Web site is running on an IIS server that is short on memory, including the entire site in a single assembly might use more memory than would be required for multiple assemblies.
To deploy a Web application project, you copy the assembly that is created by compiling the project to an IIS server. In contrast, to deploy a Web site project, you typically copy the project source files to an IIS server.
Advantages of the deployment strategy for Web application projects include the following:
· You can avoid deploying source code to the IIS server. In some scenarios, such as shared hosting environments, you might be concerned about unauthorized access to source code on the IIS server. (For a Web site project, You can avoid this risk by precompiling on a development computer and deploying the generated assemblies instead of the source code. However, in that case you lose some of the benefits of easy site updates.)
· Deployment often involves other tasks in addition to copying assemblies or code to a server. For example, database scripts might have to run in production, and connection strings in the Web.config file might have to be changed for a production server. Visual Studio provides tools such as one-click publish that work with Web application projects to automate many of these tasks. These tools are not available for Web site projects.
Advantages of the deployment strategy for Web site projects include the following:
· If you make a small change to a Web application, you do not have to redeploy the whole application. Instead, can copy just the changed file or files to the production IIS server. You can also edit files directly on the production server. (Because a Web application project's code files are compiled into a single assembly file, you must deploy the whole site even for small changes, unless the only change is to an .aspx or .ascx file.)
Give Your Feedback on the DocumentationHelp us improve the developer documentation by taking the Visual Studio and .NET Framework Content Survey. This survey will give us a better understanding of the type of applications you are developing as well as how you use Help and how we can improve it. The survey takes only 10 minutes, and we appreciate your feedback. | <urn:uuid:70d4ae1f-4f04-47b5-abb8-a04c89fa79c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/aspnetue/archive/2009/12/14/asp-net-web-application-projects-vs-web-site-projects-in-visual-studio.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163890759/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133130-00001-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909774 | 2,284 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Knee wraps may help you to use heavier weights for squats and leg presses in the gym, but regular use might not be such a good idea. According to British sports scientists, knee wraps alter how you move during a squat in such a way that you’re likely to cause more damage to your knee joints.
If you use knee wraps during strength training you can generate more power in your lower body. This has been officially known since 1990 [J Strength Cond Res 12: 30–35, 1990.], but long before this strength athletes had worked out that they could do heavier squats by using the things. It’s probably the elasticity of the material that helps.
Little was known however about the effect of wearing knee wraps on how you carry out a squat. That’s why sports scientists at the University of Chichester got 10 experienced male strength athletes to perform squats with [Wrapped] and without knee wraps [Unwrapped].
They discovered that there was a pronounced effect on how the movement is performed. During a squat the weight on your shoulder not only makes a vertical movement, but also a horizontal one. Wearing wraps reduced the horizontal movement considerably, the researchers observed.
As the weight was lowered [from a to b] the horizontal component of the movement decreased by 39 percent; as the weight was raised [from c to d] the horizontal movement decreased by a massive 99 percent.
As a result of the reduction in horizontal movement, the researchers suspect that friction in the knee joint increases, leading to more wear and tear.
This effect is reinforced because the knee wraps help the athletes to perform the movement faster: power increases.
“We therefore propose that knee wraps should not be worn during the strength and conditioning process and that if an athlete feels that additional support is needed for the knee, the integrity of the joint is thoroughly assessed and treated rather than relying on artificial aid that could exacerbate any underlying issues”, the researchers write.
Charles Poliquin agrees with the British researchers’ view of the matter. [charlespoliquin.com December 30, 2011] He also fears that strength athletes who always train their legs using knee wraps do not develop their hip muscles sufficiently.
Wearing knee wraps affects mechanical output and performance characteristics of back squat exercise.
Lake JP, Carden PJ, Shorter KA.
Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Chichester, Chichester, United Kingdom. [email protected]
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing knee wraps on mechanical output and performance characteristics of back squat exercise. Ten resistance trained men (back squat 1 repetition maximum [1RM]: 160.5 ± 18.4 kg) performed 6 single back squats with 80% 1RM, 3 wearing knee wraps, 3 without. Mechanical output was obtained from ground reaction force, performance characteristics from digitized motion footage obtained from a single high-speed digital camera. Wearing knee wraps led to a 39% reduction (0.09 compared with 0.11 m, p = 0.037) in horizontal barbell displacement that continued during the lifting phase. Lowering phase vertical impulse remained within 1% across conditions; however, the lowering phase was performed 45% faster (1.13 compared with 1.57 seconds). This demonstrated that vertical force applied to the center of mass during the lowering phase was considerably larger and was likely a consequence of the generation and storage of elastic energy within the knee wrap. Subsequent vertical impulse applied to the center of mass was 10% greater (192 compared with 169 N·s, p = 0.018). Mechanical work involved in vertically displacing the center of mass was performed 20% faster and was reflected by a 10% increase in peak power (2,121 compared with 1,841 W, p = 0.019). The elastic properties of knee wraps increased mechanical output but altered back squat technique in a way that is likely to alter the musculature targeted by the exercise and possibly compromise the integrity of the knee joint. Knee wraps should not be worn during the strength and condition process, and perceived weakness in the knee joint should be assessed and treated.
PMID: 22995993 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Avoid Wearing Knee Wraps When Squatting For Better Strength Development
Avoid wearing knee wraps when squatting for better, more complete strength development. Knee wraps are commonly worn by powerlifters and occasionally by athletes and trainees, but they should be avoided. Knee wraps are worn because they increase the amount of maximal weight that can be lifted by increasing the speed with which the lift is performed and storing elastic energy in the wrap. But new research shows they compromise the training of the hip musculature, which can have a negative effect on the integrity of the knee making it critical that athletes avoid them.
The study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, compared mechanical output and performance characteristics of squats performed with and without knee wraps at 80 percent of the 1 RM. Trained college-age men were used and they performed three single repetitions of a back squat. The knee wraps provided a mechanical advantage, which was represented by the fact that the reps performed with wraps were completed faster. This resulted in a very high amount of elastic energy to be stored in the wraps during the down phase of the squat. That energy is then released during the up phase, resulting in greater peak power output and is the reason more weight can be lifted with wraps.
There was also a large reduction in horizontal displacement of the barbell when knee wraps were worn; indicating that the participants’ traditional squat form was changed dramatically and different muscles were used. The knee wraps led to a restricted motion around the hip joint, which caused a more upright posture and forced greater flexion at the knee joint. The restricted motion meant that the powerful hip flexors and extensors were not activated to the same extent as in a normal squat, putting trainees at greater risk of injury and underdevelopment of these muscles. This could result in compromised integrity of the knee joint.
Another possible effect of knee wraps is the development of osteoarthritis and tendinitis. One study found that elite powerlifters had a 31 percent incidence of osteoarthritis of the knee compared to runners who had only a 14 percent incidence. Researchers suggest that although knee wraps are frequently worn to protect the knee joint, this may in fact increase the friction between the patella and the underlying cartilage because the wraps compress the knee cap into the thighbone, increasing the risk of injury and knee pathologies such as arthritis.
Take note that one reason given for wearing knee wraps besides the greater amount of weight that can be lifted is that they keep the knee warm, which increases the synovial fluid present, better lubricating them. Instead of wearing knee wraps you can get neoprene knee pads to keep the knee warm that do not alter movement mechanics or affect the amount of weight lifted. Unless you are a powerlifter, avoid using knee wraps and you will have a more balanced, stronger lower body.
Lake, J., Carden, P., et al. Wearing Knee Wraps Affects Mechanical Output and Performance Characteristics of Back Squat Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
Bogduk, N., Twomey, L. Clinical Anatomy of the Lumbar Spine. New York: Churchill Livingstone. 1991.
Baechle, T.R., ed. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 1994. | <urn:uuid:ea7346bd-980e-4b52-96fc-b4507a7b9e8f> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://www.ironmagazine.com/blog/2013/using-knee-wraps-for-squats-increases-wear-and-tear-in-your-knee-joint/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1408500821666.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20140820021341-00229-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951304 | 1,574 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Notes on the Geography of Malaysia: Melaka Take Two
The pictures in the previous set were taken in 1995 or 1996; here's the view 15 years later, in 2011.
An old postcard, from the British period, shows a Victorian clocktower, Christ Church behind it, and the Stadthuys or Town Hall on the right. Think it's like that now?
Here's the clocktower, along with visitors on a Sunday morning.
A Victorian fountain, missing from the postcard, has been added and still plays.
Christ Church, built in 1753, is little changed, apart from the added color of the garden and the tourists.
The interior is very simple.
Until the last line, you'd think that he enjoyed a long and venerable career.
Plenty of American parents don't want their kids inoculated; they should read plaques like this one. There are plenty more like it.
Here's the Stadthuys again.
The Dutch ruled here from 1641 to 1824. They were preceded by the Portuguese, who arrived in 1511, and were succeeded by the British, who held down the fort--pardon the pun--until 1957 (unless you count the brief period of Japanese rule).
Sometimes the British were masters of understatement; sometimes, not.
Dalhousie was one of the most energetic rulers of British India. He would have been just under forty at the time of this visit; he was dead before fifty.
Here's the Stadthuys seen from the side facing south, toward the church-topped hill.
The same building from the east end.
The bakery, with Dutch ovens.
One of the museum rooms shows Melaka's successive rulers: Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese.
A model in the museum shows the fortress in the Dutch period. Christ Church is there physically, though it is not yet Anglican, and the governor's office was already in its approximately final form.
A model of the British period adds the clocktower and a governor's house at the top of the hill but removes the wall. Safe in Penang and Singapore, the British wanted no fortresses where some other power might take refuge, so the wall here was demolished.
In 1997, the old governor's house was off-limits and marked by a fence with signs showing a policeman taking aim with a rifle. Now the same house is part of the museum.
On display, some Edwardian occupants.
On the summit of the hill the Portuguese built a church in 1521 and a larger structure--in ruin here--later that century. The Dutch took over in 1641 and used the same building as their main church in Malacca until the next century. The old church was then used as a storehouse but eventually lost its roof.
Cuthbert Woodville Harrison, writing in An Illustrated Guide to the Federated Malay States, 1923, waxes romantic: "An eerie place is this hill, known all over the Malay world as Kota Malacca; it sleeps and dreams now, the red roofs of the town below dozing in the sun, a hornet's nest hanging on the blank walls of its cathedral, the swallows screaming round the old high altar, the sun meeting no roof, beating down upon forgotten vaults, a lighthouse at the west end winking signals to ships which pass in the night but do not deign to speak Malacca in passing" (p. 113).
Dutch tombstones survive in the church.
One reads: "Here lies buried Hendrik Schenkenbergh, in his life head merchant and the second person of the fortress city Malacca. Died 29 June 1671."
Just below the church there's a small English cemetery.
To the south, Melaka grows.
And grows; the view here is west, across the busy strait separating Melaka from Sumatra.
You could easily overlook the one remaining bit of the Portuguese wall. (Yes, that's a Carrefour supermarket on the far side of the lawn.)
Here's the relic entrance, with its security-minded oblique passage. The seal overhead belongs to the VOC, the Dutch United East Company.
Busy destroying the wall, the British caught themselves just in time, saved this gate, and posted this plaque: "The only remaining part of the ancient fortress of Malacca built by Alfonso D'Albuquerque and by him named Famosa. 1511. Near this stood the bastion of Santiago."
Times moves on: along the seaward side of the vanished wall, Dunlop built this office. The company by 1926 had the largest acreage of rubber plantations of any company in the British empire.
A more traditional building along the same alignment.
The alignment of the old wall lurks.
A building designed to catch the least breeze.
We've come almost full circle around the old fort. Land has been added here, and on part of it there is now a boutique hotel.
The river has been much improved, with tour boats cruising up and down. Pity the iguanas of once upon a time. The traffic has driven them upstream and out of sight.
Reminds you of Singapore? Lifeless, you say? Of course, but very tastefully so.
To think that only 15 years earlier these streets were next to deserted. The antique shops were then full of treasures at bargain prices.
* Argentina * Australia * Austria * Bangladesh * Belgium * Botswana * Brazil * Burma / Myanmar * Cambodia (Angkor) * Canada (B.C.) * China * The Czech Republic * Egypt * Fiji * France * Germany * Ghana * Greece * Guyana * Hungary * India: Themes * Northern India * Peninsular India * Indonesia * Israel * Italy * Japan * Jerusalem * Jordan * Kenya * Laos * Kosovo * Malawi * Malaysia * Mauritius * Mexico * Micronesia (Pohnpei) * Morocco * Mozambique * Namibia * The Netherlands * New Zealand * Nigeria * Norway * Oman * Pakistan * Peru * The Philippines * Poland * Portugal * Romania (Transylvania) * Senegal * Singapore * South Africa * South Korea * Spain * Sri Lanka * Sudan * Syria (Aleppo) * Tanzania * Thailand * Trinidad * Turkey (Istanbul) * Uganda * The U.A.E. (Dubai) * The United Kingdom * The Eastern United States * The Western United States * Oklahoma * Uruguay * Uzbekistan * Vietnam * The West Bank * Yemen * Zambia * Zimbabwe * | <urn:uuid:2b644db4-c16d-4d10-912d-e26baf69a8ce> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?navid=1522&picid=0&picturesize=thumb | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655895944.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20200707204918-20200707234918-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.947001 | 1,364 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound released 10.8 million gallons of oil -- or almost 250,000 barrels of oil. But natural oil seeps off California release up to 80 times that amount. And natural seeps in the Gulf of Mexico release twice the amount as the Exxon Valdez every year.
The Transocean oil spill may eventually match that of the Exxon Valdez -- if it continues leaking at the current rate for the next month or two or more. Politicians and environmentalists are already declaring states of emergency, but better technology may yet break up the oil spill and allow natural forces to dissipate it.
Curious claims are being made from various sources regarding the origin of the oil platform fire, explosion, and sinking. But even if the oil platform was deliberately destroyed, as some are claiming, the well itself should have had some type of inbuilt mechanism -- a blowout preventer -- to stop oil flow in case of a catastrophic disruption in continuity of the piping. [Update 1 May 2010: Apparently the blowout preventer at the site failed to operate. At this time no one knows why the blowout preventer failed. Certain automatic safety switches that were not included in the operation may have been able to trigger the blowout preventer.]
Other offshore wells incorporate such safety features, which would likely have stopped the oil spill very early in its course.
So the problem is not offshore drilling so much as it is making sure the best technology is utilised when drilling offshore. And, yes, try to maintain a sense of perspective.
By Al Fin | <urn:uuid:4ec5299c-ee52-41ff-98b0-10ee7d1f772e> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Oil-Spills/Oil-Spills-More-Oil-Is-Released-Naturally-Than-From-Human-Errors.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886102309.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20170816170516-20170816190516-00554.warc.gz | en | 0.962758 | 324 | 3.25 | 3 |
THE ORIGINS AND THEORY BEHIND SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION AND
WHICH SCHOOLS EMPLOY IT AND WHO PAYS FOR IT
(August 29, 2011)
If you ask the average person on the street what social justice means and they
would probably tell you things like equality for everybody, not being racist, or what
Wikipedia says,” generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that
human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being.1
Social justice is based on the concepts of human rights and equality and involves
developmental economists refer to as more equality of opportunity than may currently
exist in some societies, and to manufacture equality of outcome in cases where
incidental inequalities appear in a procedural just system.2
Most people see it as some kind of moral cause and they like it because it sounds
Where Does This Theory Come From?
The theory probably always existed. In 1840, the concept “social justice” was
Aquinas . It is heavily imbedded in the teachings of many religions. The idea was
further propagated by John A. Ryan (a moral theologian who initiated the concept of a
living wage). A living wage is the minimum hourly wage necessary for a person to
survive.3 Another notable scholar “Father Coughlin” used the term quite heavily in
green parties worldwide.4 Iniatially, “social justice” was a part of religion. It was
religion that was supposed to teach this. In 2008, 32 % of evangelical Christians
between the ages of 18 t 29 voted for Barack Obama. Twice the percentage of whom
had voted for Kerry in 2004. 5 They did this in part because they thought it was the
moral thing to do. In order to understand what made them do this, we took a look at
the education system and where “Social Justice education” comes from.
THE TRANSFORMATION FROM RELIGION INTO THE SECULAR SOCIETY
From Jesuit Luigi Taparelli to Bill Ayers (Ultimately to you)
In order to understand this transformation and to understand Bill Ayers and Barrack
Obama one must acknowledge the works of socialist professor John Rawls (1921-
2002). He is of significance because he would become a leading figure in moral and
political philosophy, which the general theses is centered on “social justice.” It is his
works that have propagated to actual courses (and eventually social justice education
departments) being taught in Universities nation wide.
In 1950, this man earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University. Following, he was offered
a position and remained there until 1952. In 1952, he received a Fullbright Fellowship
to Oxford University (Christ Church) where he was heavily influenced by liberal
political theorist and historian Isaiah Berlin and legal theorist H.L.A Hart. He
returned to the USA and became an associate professor at Cornell and eventually a full professor of philosophy there. After receiving tenure at MIT, he then went on to Harvard and taught for 40 years. It was at Harvard where he became heavily influential in moral and political philosophy and trained some other notable activists including Martha Nussbaum, Thomas Nagel, Onora Oneill, Adrian Piper, Christine Korsgaard, Susan Neiman, Claudia Card, Thomas Pogge, and Paul Weithman.6
In 1971, this professor wrote a book called, “ A Theory of Social Justice.” In this book, he attempts to solve the problem of distributive justice by utilizing a variant of the familiar device of the social contract. Rawls argues for a principled reconciliation of liberty and equality. The resultant theory is known as “Justice as Fairness”, from which Rawls derives his two famous principles of justice: the liberty principle and the difference principle.7.
The first theory of “social justice” says, “Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.”8 According to Rawls, this first principle may not be violated. It is law.
The second principle centers on social and economical inequalities and say,
“They are to be of the greatest benefit to the least-advantaged members of society
(what he called the difference policy), and, “ offices and positions must be open to
everyone under conditions of fair equality of opportunity.”8 To achieve this, we must
redistribute the wealth from the wealthy via taxes and demonize them if they don’t go
along with this.
To develop these principles, Rawls places everyone in the original position. The
original position is a hypothetical state of nature used as a thought experiment to
develop Rawls’ theory of justice. People in the original position have no society and are
under a veil of ignorance that prevents them from knowing how they may benefit from
society. They lack foreknowledge of their intelligence, wealth, or abilities. Rawls
reasons that people in the original position would want a society where they had their
basic liberties protected and where they had some economic guarantees as well. If
society were to be constructed from scratch through a social agreement between individuals, these principles would be the expected basis of such an agreement. Thus, these principles should form the basis of real, modern societies since everyone should consent to them if society were organized from scratch in fair agreements. Since the late 60’s and 70’s Universities have offered courses in moral Philosophy and social justice. Berkeley, University of Saint Louis,, University of Missouri, Harvard to name only a few. At Harvard you can register for A710f: Social Justice in the Undergraduate Experience. At Rutgers, there is an entire Department called the Social Justice Education Department. You can also receive a minor in it. To view their courses go here: http://womens-studies.rutgers.edu/undergraduate/social-justice-mino. To see how they fund this, go to the funding section of the article below.
At the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the Social Justice Education Department falls under their Education Department. Their agenda includes indoctrinating teachers as well as everyone else. Here is their agenda.
Social Justice Education is an interdisciplinary graduate program of study with a focus
on social diversity and social justice education particularly as they apply to formal
educational systems, kindergarten through higher education. The masters program of
study focuses upon the use of reflective practice in Social Justice Education; the
doctoral program of study focuses upon research that is informed by the use of
reflective practice in SJE and the development on systemic approaches building and
maintaining socially just educational learning environments. Our goals are to
generate knowledge about social justice education and to apply new knowledge to the
design and delivery of effective social justice educational techniques and systems.
Social Justice Education’s central focus is the preparation of professional educators,
counselors, and change agents who are able to understand and work effectively with
social justice issues in formal educational settings. It provides graduate degree
programs of study for educational professionals who teach and practice at all levels of
the educational system, kindergarten through college. We hope to attract educational
professionals whose primary responsibilities include teaching, school guidance and
counseling, the supervision or professional development of teachers or school
counselors, education administrators, student affairs programmers, special educators,
or college residential educators.
Social Justice Education Bodies of Knowledge and Practice
The approaches to theory and practice taken by Social Justice Education are rooted in
the civil rights social movements of the past forty years, within which concepts such as
social justice, oppression and liberation are central categories for analyzing, evaluating
and transforming interlocking systems of discriminatory institutional structures and
cultural practices and social behavior.
Students in social justice education study the inequities that people experience on the
basis of their social group memberships, through systems of constraint and advantage
reproduced through the social processes of exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence.
Social justice education pays attention to the resources that individuals, families, social groups and communities bring to personal and social change and to the transformation of educational institutions and practices.
Social justice education also pays careful attention to process in educational and structural interventions and practices. This attention to process includes balancing the emotional with the cognitive; acknowledging and supporting the personal while
analyzing and intervening in social systems; attending to social relations within and
among families, schools and communities; developing competencies in collaboration
and interpersonal and intergroup relationships as well as education and advocacy.
The bodies of knowledge, research and practice that inform social justice education are
interdisciplinary, drawn from anthropology; Black and ethnic studies; cognitive,
developmental and social psychology; education; gay, lesbian bisexual, and transgender
studies; history; literature; Judaic and middle eastern studies; women’s studies; and sociology. It includes the following areas:
- Theories and research on socialization that inform the development of social identity and social group affiliations within families, schools, communities and other social institutions;
- The formation, maintenance, and interaction among in-groups and out-groups, and interventions that foster positive inter-group relations;
- Prejudice and discrimination, the dynamics of power and privilege, and interlocking systems of oppression;
- Forms of resistance and processes of empowerment and liberation created by individuals, families, and communities, and implemented within educational and other social systems;
- Socio-cultural and historical contexts for, and dynamics within and among the specific manifestations of oppression (ageism, anti-Semitism, ableism, classism, ethnocentrism, heterosexism, racism, sexism, ) in educational and other social systems;
- Socio-cultural and historical contexts for the Civil Rights Movement and other social liberation movements that found inspiration in it (such as the women’s liberation movement, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights movements, the disability rights movement, and liberation movements for communities of color);
- The interaction of students and families within multicultural schools and communities;
- Models for designing, delivering and evaluating curriculum-based social justice education;
- Models for designing, delivering and evaluating system-based social justice interventions within or among families, schools, school systems, and communities
- Social justice intervention strategies such as conflict resolution, collaboration, or advocacy10
These bodies of knowledge provide the basis for the core competencies included in the
masters, CAGS and doctoral programs.
Social Justice programs are spreading like a cancer. They continue to knock groups
such as heterosexuals, whites (particularly the white male), and those who are
achievers. It continues to mock capitalism in favor of socialism.
THE RESURGENCE OF BILL AYERS
In the upcoming months, we will see campuses and public school systems nation wide
adoptingsocial justice department and courses etc. Bill Ayers is a retired unrepentant
terrorist professor who taught at The University of Chicago. A colleague of his is
Martha Nussbaum-a student of Rawls. It is unclear if Ayers know Rawls. However, it
was here where he became a leading advocate of social justice. He gets student to
believe that they are victims of an unjust oppressive society and that America is
inherently racist. After a few years of this, he gets them ready for a revolution. Nowhere was this more evident then at Montclair (which is to come up again later in the article). Ayers, having received his P.H.D degree at Columbia Teachers College, has become a welcomed lecturer there and at other teacher training schools (once
again, Montclair). The idea here is to indoctrinate teachers so they can influence the
next generation. See the following sites: http://www.teachersforjustice.org/2007/09/about-tsj.html;
These are just to name a few. He does teacher training and professional development
for the Chicago Public Schools.
Overall, his policies have had a major effect on teachers who are using their courses to
promote socialist notions of wealth distribution, diversity, environmentalism, and to
punish students by giving them low grades or not passing them if they resist. The
Department of Education lists 15 high schools whose mission statements have their
curricula center on “social justice.” 11(Montclair is one of them-not the college, see below).
In the 1990’s Obama worked closely with Ayers on the Chicago-Annenberg Challenge. Obama headed it and Ayers co-chaired CACs Collaborative. CAC headed by Obama made fiscal decisions while the Collaborative set the education policy. In other words, Obama funded projects chosen by Ayers.
Ayers was the founder and developer of a project known as “small schools.” This was
basically a scheme that enabled Annenberg grants to be guided to “social justice”
themed schools built around specific political themes such as inequity, war, and
violence. This movement was heavily funded by CAC. In fact CAC gave 160 million in
grants to “school reform projects.” 12
Much of the money for these school reform projects was funneled through third party
organizations. The schools were required to affiliate with these groups and one was
called ACORN. How coincidental.
The National Association of Scholars reports that the term “social justice” means, “the
advocacy of more egalitarian access to income through state-sponsored
redistribution.”11 Another words, spread the wealth around.
David Horowitz of the Freedom Center states, “social justice teaching is shorthand for
the opposition to American traditions of individual justice and free market
economics.” He says, “It teaches students that “American society is an inherently
oppressive society systemically racist, sexist, and classist and thus discriminates
institutionally against women, nonwhites, and working class poor.”12
Education week defines “social justice teaching” as teaching kids to question whoever
happens to hold the reins of power at a particular moment. It’s about seeing yourself
not as a consumer, but as an actor and critic in the world around you.
RECENT MONTCLAIR INCIDENT DISCOVERY AND FOLLOW UP
MONTCLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADOPT SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION
On March 21 of this year, Mrs. Finkle (Campusteaparty group leader) and co –
buddy Dan Haggerty got the discovery and surprise of their life. Mrs. Finkle who was
working with some college personnel on recruiting conservative students and was
about to charter the group. During the Student Government Association encounter,
Mrs. Finkle was hauled in the office by personnel and told about the coming of Bill
Ayers. She then brought in co-buddy Dan Haggerty of Americans For Liberty who also
witness the event. Within minutes the entire state of NJ was notified of Bill Ayers. Bill Ayers gave a speech about education to approximately 70 SDS students and 75 teaparty.
What Mrs. Finkle did not know at the time was that Bill Ayers arriving might have had a dual purpose. Upon the tracing of which districts have their curriculum centered
around Bill Ayers “social justice education” Montclair high school is one of them.
Somewhere along the way the Board of Ed of Montclair approved this. For a complete
description and find of this please download the file or go to
http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPage.aspx?Id=442. The Course is called
“American Social Justice 11nth Grade English.” Its’ description is as follows,
“Course Description: American Social Justice (ASJ) is a two-year English and History
interdisciplinary program with a strong emphasis on the impact that social movements
have had on the development of history, humanities and the arts. ASJ is based upon
the Small Learning Community (SLC) model where students build close working
relationships with staff and fellow students. Students will actively engage in
curriculum that focuses on the themes of social justice and use their knowledge to
promote issues of social activism within their own community. Students will receive
individualized student mentoring, develop and implement community service programs and fundraisers, conduct extensive research and develop study, time-management and test taking (i.e. S.A.T.) skills. ASJ meets for three periods a day. English and History classes are conducted in two-period block on alternating days with the additional period used for program planning- community service, mentoring, study skills. Students receive a total of 15 credits a year: 5 English, 5 for History and 5 (pass/fail credits) for the program planning class.”13
FUNDING FOR THE UNIVERSITIES AND PUBLIC SCHOOL SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS.
Funding for the Social Justice Education courses offered at the university level comes
from student tuition and state aid such as grants. Rutgers is one of only a handful of
Universities that receive National Science Foundation (NSF) FUNDS. It is in part to
increase diversity and the number of women in what they call Stem (Science.
Technology, Education and Mathematics) Disciplines. Funding for this grant comes
from The Affordable Healthcare Act and will increase 100 million annually until the
year 2019.14 There are several things from this. These grants are for minority and
underrepresented students only. So, here we go again-another handout. And, if you
are of a particular skin color and gender, you are getting a double whammy because
you will have to pay for this when your health care goes. Up. Second, this $100 million
could be better spent elsewhere like creating employment opportunities. Because of
this money coming out of the new healthcare act, we will be seeing social justice
programs everywhere both in the public schools and universities. Rutgers and other
Universities have also required students take a certain amount of credits in this
department in order for students to graduate. In other words it is being forced on the students.
Funding for the k-12 has come also from universities, special grants (like CAC), and
you the taxpayer. The next school board date for Montclair is: 9/19/11. It is open to
the public. Location: George Innes Annex (Directly across from the High school
which is located at 100 Chestnut Street).
Public Portion begins 7:30
There are two members of the Board currently serving on the curriculum committee. The Board can be reached at 973-509-4000. To access the school board website go here: http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPage.aspx?Id=12.
2 “Social Justice,” Wikipedia Encyclopedia
9” Bailey W. Jackson & Ximena Zuniga, “School of Education Department of Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services (SDPPS) Social Justice Education Concentration,” Site created and maintained by The Social Justice Education Department of the University of Mass. Amherst. http://www.umass.edu/sje/
10 Phyllis Schlafly, “Social Justice, Code Word for Anti-Americanism”, January 2009, http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/2009/jan09/prsjan.09.html
11 Phyllis Schlafly,” Social Justice, Code Word for Anti-Americanism”
12 Phyllis Schlafly, “Social Justice, Code Word for Anti-Americanism”
13 ”Small Learning Communities and Social Justice Learning Center,” Site Maintained and created by the Montclair Board of ED of NJ. http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPage.aspx?Id=442. 8/20/11
14 In the STEM Fields, How Hispanic Students Pay for Their Education Affects Success,” The Chronicle, Site created by The Chronicle, 11/9/09 http://chronicle.com/article/In-the-STEM-Fields-How/125318/
Board of ED of Montclair, “Small Learning Communities, Social Justice Center,” http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPage.aspx?Id=442. (8/25/11)
Ashburn Elyse, “In the STEM Fields, How Hispanic Students Pay for Their Education Affects Success,” The Chronicle. http://chronicle.com/article/In-the-STEM-Fields-How/125318 (8/25/11)
Horowitz David, “Introducing George Soros,” Discover the Networks.Org . A Guide to the Political Left. http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individulprofile.asp? indid =977. (8/24/2011)
Jackson W. Bailey & Zuniga Ximena, “School of Education Department of Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services (SDPPS) Social Concentration Justice Education ,” University of Mass. Department of Social Justice Website. http://www.umass.edu/sje/. (8/24/11)
Langbert, Mitchell, “ Origins of Social Justice Education: Kohlbergs Moral Maturity Theory,” NAS BLOG. http://www.nasblog.org/2010/01/28/origins-of-social-justice-education-kohlbrgs-moral-maturity-theory. (8/24/11)
Schlafly, Phyllis.“Social Jusice: Code Word For Anti-Amercicanism,”Eagle Forum. http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/2009/jan09/psrjan09.html. (8/24/11).
Office and property of The Campusteaparty
Copyright date 8/25/11
Author: Doreen Finkle
“Social Justice,” Wikipedia Encyclopedia | <urn:uuid:7f9411a3-0ee1-4e8b-a20d-4cbf5950b0e1> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.studentsforabetterfuture.com/2011/11/21/the-origins-and-theory-of-social-justice-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320995.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170627050500-20170627070500-00164.warc.gz | en | 0.936513 | 4,713 | 3.5625 | 4 |
The present work reports the As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Fe concentrations of drinking water samples in Neyshabur Plain, Iran. This study aimed also to ascertain the potential consumers’ health risk of heavy metal intake. Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The highest and lowest average values in the analyzed water samples were observed for Fe (9.78 ± 5.61 μg/L) and As (1.30 ± 2.99 μg/L), respectively. These values were well below the limits recommended by the World Health Organization and the Iranian national standard. Heavy metal pollution index and heavy metal evaluation index were used to evaluate drinking water quality. The risk index was calculated by chronic daily intake and hazard quotient according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency approach. Heavy metal pollution index in all the samples was less than 100, indicating that it is a low-level heavy metal. The total risk of all heavy metals in the urban environment varied from 40.164 × 10−7to 174.8 × 10−7. In this research, the maximum average of risk belonged to lead and copper with the respective values of 60.10 × 10−7and 33.99 × 10−7from the selected wells. However, considering the toxic effect of some elements, including Pb and As, in the chronic exposure of consumers, we suggest a continuous evaluation and monitoring of drinking water resources.
|Titolo:||Carcinogenic and Non-carcinogenic Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Groundwater Wells in Neyshabur Plain, Iran|
OLIVERI CONTI, GEA MARZIA [Writing – Original Draft Preparation]
|Data di pubblicazione:||2018|
|Appare nelle tipologie:||1.1 Articolo in rivista| | <urn:uuid:73977a93-3daa-4ab5-af38-ba62f9282030> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://www.iris.unict.it/handle/20.500.11769/356450 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347424174.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20200602100039-20200602130039-00533.warc.gz | en | 0.907804 | 388 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Millions watched in terror as Ebola spread from West Africa, leaving thousands of hemorrhaging bodies in its wake. Despite the severity of the 2014 outbreak, a few lucky survivors pulled through — and they’re the center of a new effort to create a vaccine for the post-Ebola world.
A team of researchers led by Scripps Research Institute in California studied antibodies — the immune system’s weapons for finding and neutralizing viruses — in one particularly robust Ebola survivor. Finding that this individual’s antibodies were particularly good at shutting down the virus in Ebola-infected mice, the biologists looked closer at how the antibodies achieved this feat, and published the results today in the journal Science.
When the immune system senses an intruder, it reacts by sending hundreds of antibodies that bind to different regions of an offending molecule — in this case, the Ebola virus — to prevent it from carrying out its deadly mission. Unfortunately, many people affected by the epidemic weren’t able to produce the right kind of antibodies. Perhaps these molecular defenses bound the wrong region, or they weren’t able to stick. Unimpeded, the virus managed to take over.
The survivor from the Zaire outbreak, however, did have the right kinds of antibodies, the studies in mice demonstrated. These antibodies target a specific part of the Ebola molecule — the stalk — which appears to be its Achilles’ heel. Antibodies that go after this region, the researchers found, provided the most post-exposure protection, with survival rates of 60 to 100 percent.
The new study hasn’t led to a vaccine just yet — researchers still need to figure out how to elicit those robust antibodies from other people. But it has succeeded in narrowing the researchers’ targets down to a single region of the Ebola virus, eliminating a lot of time-consuming guesswork. If that happens, Ebola panic will be one step closer to history. | <urn:uuid:088c71d7-da27-46a8-a95c-ff8aa5ee73c9> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://www.inverse.com/article/11690-ebola-survivors-are-key-to-developing-vaccine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655886178.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20200704135515-20200704165515-00230.warc.gz | en | 0.94525 | 396 | 3.515625 | 4 |
What is Giftedness?
According to a 2008 article by Psychology Today, "giftedness is only a label." Well, if it is merely a label, why does it receive so much meticulous research and investigation? I agree that the term, giftedness, is indeed a label. But it is not just a label. We organize thoughts and ideas into schemas and give them names in an attempt to define the world around us. What do the following labels mean to you: Democrat, Native American, passive aggressive, obese, intellectual, working class, white collar crime? Obviously, labels have personal significance to us and giftedness is one such example.
Being gifted typically means possessing a very exceptional level of intelligence. While this type of intellect is not the majority, it a common occurrence. Statistically speaking, 1 out of every 50 people in the world will have an IQ between 130 and 135, or the 98th percentile. While this is fascinating, there are challenges whenever one deviates far from the norm. If a student deviates low they will receive special education opportunities. Thusly, it can be concluded that those that deviate high should also receive education opportunities that help them optimize their potential. While significant attention is given at the elementary level, middle school, and high school students receive less with each passing year.
There exist many myths and stereotypes regarding those with superb intellectual ability. Therefore, it is the goal of this site to educate, inform, advocate, and inspire others to do the same. No one should be ashamed of inborn talents and abilities and neither should anyone with a high IQ score, especially when that person is a child who still needs loving parental care. | <urn:uuid:f6b7f678-7c43-4d19-a4d5-157d39d22423> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://mygiftedchild.net/content.php?view=whatisgiftedness | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423716.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721042214-20170721062214-00432.warc.gz | en | 0.953633 | 341 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Sample assessment products
These products inform school-based decisions about the design of effective assessment and the appropriate application of standards when making judgments about student achievement.
|Extended field-based investigation||Geological mapping (PDF, 95.6 KB)|
|Extended laboratory-based and/or field based investigation||Interaction between Earth systems (PDF, 386.7 KB)||A & C|
|Short laboratory-based investigation||Global cycles (PDF, 248.5 KB)|
This advice assists and supports schools with designing and evaluating their assessment program and in implementing the assessment requirements of this syllabus.
- Assessment: From the syllabus to the classroom (videos)
- Implementing teaching, learning and assessment (videos)
Email [email protected] or phone (07) 3864 0375. | <urn:uuid:ab02cb8f-67b7-486b-b270-ef468a5ceae9> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/subjects/sciences/earth-science-2000/assessment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187822625.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20171017234801-20171018014801-00785.warc.gz | en | 0.846338 | 176 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bird FeedingIf you are interested in attracting birds into your garden but don't quite know where to start, this is the perfect book for you. The Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bird Feeding book describes common backyard feeders and the best seed to use in them, as well as other provisions that will aid in attracting birds, such as water, protection, and shelter. This work describes tray, tube, hopper, suet, and thistle feeders separately, discussing which birds may visit and what seed is appropriate for them. A section dedicated to baffling marauding squirrels is quite helpful, followed by a chapter of frequently asked questions. The final chapter includes photographs and descriptions of the bird species you are likely to see at your feeder and offers tips and fun facts about each. Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bird Feeding is a great resource for anyone wanting to create a bird sanctuary.
Note: For help finding bird feeders, check out our Bird Feeder Finder.
Authors: Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes
Details: 128 pages, paperback, 4.5"L x 7"W x 0.25"H
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Brand: Stokes Select
Item Number: STK-BGTBF
Availability: 24 in Stock. Ships from OH within 24 business hours
Shipping Weight: 1 lbs
Free Shipping Over $75
Shipping Cost: To see the shipping cost for an item, click "order item" to add it to your cart. For expedited or international shipping costs, you must begin checkout and enter address information. | <urn:uuid:629758b2-5fef-4433-a23f-e3c009d59c31> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | https://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=STK-BGTBF | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818686034.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170919202211-20170919222211-00356.warc.gz | en | 0.909673 | 338 | 2.53125 | 3 |
These are the first symptoms described in patients with the Omicron variant of covid.
The world once again turned on the alarms after confirming the presence of the omicron variant, a new strain of covid that it would be the most contagious so far and would cause some different symptoms to existing variants.
In accordance with Angelique coetzee, President of the South African Medical Association, the Omicron variant has several symptoms such as fatigue, headache and cut body, all of them similar to the other variants.
However, so far some other symptoms such as loss of smell or taste has not occurred in early patients of Ómicron so they would be discarded.
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) have indicated that there is no evidence of new symptoms in the Omicron variant, compared to the original SARS-Cov2.
Despite this, some countries such as the United Kingdom have reported that Omicron symptoms can present in different measure, some milder and in other patients it may be symptomatology More serious.
Symptoms of Omicron vs SARS-CoV-2 (parent virus)
Omicron variant symptoms
- Body ache
- Runny nose
- Night sweats
Symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 (original variant)
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of smell and taste
- Persistent cough | <urn:uuid:ffa209c9-e82d-4a19-b0c0-c497f26eec6f> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.americanchronicles.news/symptoms-of-the-omicron-variant-to-watch-out-for/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224649348.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20230603233121-20230604023121-00097.warc.gz | en | 0.933673 | 316 | 2.703125 | 3 |
A brayer is a rubber cylinder with a handle so that the rubber can be rolled on paper or other materials. They come in different widths and some allow the handle to be detached.
Here are some of the many uses for them.
A corrugator is a small device used to crimp paper, giving it a wavy texture like corrugated cardboard. The plastic variety were originally made for wringing the last bits of artist paint out of tubes.
Here are some tips for using them. (Some of these ideas are from Gingerwood.)
A roller wheel consists of a plastic handle, a stamp on a wheel, and an ink cartridge (available in many colors). The ink cartridge and stamp wheel are snapped into the handle. With a roller wheel, the stamp is automatically inked and you can stamp continuously.
A "T" shaped stamp positioner or other thick straight edge is a nice guide for stamping in a straight line.
Shaker cards are made with a piece of foam core board between two pieces of card stock. A window is cut through the center of the foam core board and also through the front piece of card stock. A piece of acetate (clear plastic) is placed between the front card stock and foam core so that you can see into the opening. Small objects such as confetti are placed in the opening in the foam core board so that they move around when the card is shook.
Shaker card adhesive - After looking for the ideal adhesive for assembling shaker cards, Mono Adhesive permanent bond by Tombow was recommended by another stamper.
Be sure to use a brand new craft knife (X-Acto knife) when cutting out the piece of foam core and the center of the foam core. Otherwise the foam core will have rough, messy edges.
Hold the craft knife blade at a right angle to the foam core when cutting to get straight edges.
When assembling, place the adhesive right next to the opening in the window without letting it show through the window. This will reduce the chance that confetti or other items inside will get stuck between the layers when the card is shook.
Apply the adhesive continuously, without any gaps around the opening in the foam core board in order to reduce the chance of "leaks."
Fill the inside of the foam core board window with confetti, store-bought snow, small seashells, sand, or anything else you might find.
To cover rough foam core egdes, cut strips of paper to fit and glue in place.
While my stamped pin collection is far smaller than those of many other stampers, I still don't like having to pin them on each time that I want to wear them to a stamp meeting.
Pin Vest - One way to solve this problem is to buy an inexpensive vest at Kmart or Walmart. You can then use fabric stamps to decorate the back of it and attach your pins to the front. If you get a denim vest, remember that a lighter denim will be easier to get the pins through. I have my vest hanging in my stamp room on a decorative hanger when I'm not wearing it.
Pin Ribbons - Another idea that I have seen friends use is to buy one inch thick ribbon and put a safety pin at one end. You then pin that end to your clothes and attach your pins to the ribbon. This seems to work well at conventions when you're rapidly acquiring pins from other stampers.
Here are some ways to find inspiration when you hit "stamper's block."
I have over a dozen pairs of paper edges. They have many uses and add a lot to stamp art. Fiskars is one of the companies that makes paper edgers.
Scallop edge scissors are my favorite. They can make two different types of corners. Use the curve of one scallop to round a corner. Or use the peaks on either side of a single scallop to cut an interesting corner. It would look something like ^U^ on a bottom corner. You may need to experiment with these two corners to get them to work.
A previous stamping area.
Having a place to work where you can leave works in progress until another time and where all of your supplies are organized, makes it easier to find time to stamp and make that time more productive.
Even if you don't have a rubber room to yourself, you can set up an area for your supplies. After thinking for a long time what the best method of organization for my supplies would be, I decided to put up shelves over my work table. I used particle board shelves and metal wall brackets to keep it as inexpensive as possible. (My set of eight shelves probably cost around $100.) My stamps are organized by subject in labeled cardboard trays from soup and juice cans, that I got from the local warehouse store. The lower shelves are only far enough apart for the trays to fit between them. In this way, you have make-shift stamp drawers. Having the stamps up on shelves keeps the workspace clear. In addition, the use of the shelving brackets makes the shelves flexile -- the upper shelves are farther apart to leave room for shoeboxes containing ribbon, and other supplies, and boxes of envelopes. I also have a desk organizer which I purchased from Sam's Club for around $30 which makes good use of the vertical space under the first shelf.
In my current work area, I have a six foot table and another table slightly shorter table arranged in an "L" shape. This gives me an ideal work area, with lots of work space and table top storage space.
I have two lamps which clamp onto the table top. I find it necessary to have two lamps in order to eliminate shadows while working.
In my previous stamp area, my collection of different colored papers were organized by color in a crate pendaflex filer that I got from The Container Store. This crate was stored under the table when I wasn't working. I bought casters (wheels) that are sold for these crates and found that this makes the crates much easier to pull out from under my work table when I need something from them.
In my current stamp area, I store my colored papers in a literature organizer which I bought from the warehouse store, Sam's Club, for $33. It has 24 shelves made to hold about a ream of paper each. These are also sold at office supply stores, but usually at a higher price. This is a great way to organize card stock and be able to see all the papers you have, if you have the space for this set up.
I also have a plastic storage unit with drawers to organize supplies, such as stamp pads and embossing supplies. These can be found at department stores such as Kmart, Target or Walmart.
Each of my different embossing powders is stored in a plastic sandwich container. These are stored on stacked letter trays. When I emboss, I can spoon powder on the card while holding it over the container and I don't lose any powder.
It's nice to have a notebook with images from all of the stamps in your collection. I keep a notebook like this in a loose leaf binder with dividers to separate the different sections. I recommend a looseleaf binder so that as your collection expands, pages can be easily rearranged and inserted. Either blank white paper can be used to stamp the images on and placed in the notebook, or the images can be stamped on paper, cut out and then placed in magnetic photo album sheets in the binder. The advantage of photo album sheets is that while they take up more space than regular paper, images may easily be rearranged when new categories are created in the notebook as your collection grows.
When I'm going on a trip and can't take my stamps, I take this binder and a notebook so that I can plan cards to make later. A stamp notebook is also good to have so that you can verify whether you have a particular stamp while shopping or to show other stampers your collection.
I have often found it difficult to keep my rubber stamp spending under control. Here are some ideas that I have found helpful.
Often I find a stamp that I really want and I can't be sure that it will be there next time. So I buy it and put it in my "stamp box." This is a shoe box that my family can choose stamps from to give to me for my birthday or for Christmas. Or I take a stamp from the box when I have money in my stamp budget again. This works well since stamps are usually too personal to have someone else choose for you for a gift, and the giver knows that it is something that you really want.
Discount Stamp Prices
See my list of Rubber Stamp Supply Sources for some stores/companies that sell stamps at discount prices, including Pearl Art and Craft and A Stamp In Time (mail order).
It is really fun and easy to carve your own rubber stamps.
You need the following items:
In the DC area, you can get RS carving supplies at Purrfect Stamps in Gaithersburg, MD and Pearl Art and Crafts.
The Speedball carving tools are great because they are "V" shaped so that they lift the excess rubber out as you cut. (Much easier than trying to carve with a craft knife!)
There are two different Speedball kits that I've seen. One includes a plastic handle tool and five different sized carving tips, including a "straight" blade. The other kit includes a wooden handle tool, about three different carving tips and a block of rubber. I would recommend the plastic handle set because the plastic handle is easier to change carving tips than the wooden handle sets, and you get the full set of carving tips. However the wooden handle set includes everything you need to start and so it is a nice starter set.
Once you have carved your own stamps, you may want to mount them on a wood block or by another method to make them easier to use. If you use a wood block, you can buy cushioning (see web sites below) or cut a piece of a computer mouse pad for cushioning. Rubber cement is one possible adhesive to use to put the mount, cushioning and rubber stamp together.
Another method of mounting rubber stamps is acrylic mounts. The benefits of this method is that you just buy one acrylic mount in each of a couple of sizes and then you can use them with all your stamps since they are a temporary mount. The acrylic mounting system uses an acrylic block, cling plastic to allow the stamp to adhere to the block temporarily, foam cushion (optional depending on thickness of stamp rubber), and the rubber stamp. Foam cushioning can be purchased with adhesive already applied to both sides to make assembly simple (see links below).
Web sites selling stamp mounting supplies:
Blockheads Rubber Stamps and Accessories
Make confetti with various shaped paper punches, using different colored paper. (see confetti flinger instructions web site below)
Tattoo stamp pads
These stamp pads can be used to make washable tattoos with your stamps. They're made by Stewart Superior, 1-800-558-2875, http://www.tattoopads.com.
When you get a set of notecards with an appeal for a donation to a charity, save the envelopes to use with stamped cards.
Crumpled tissue paper
Save the crumpled tissue paper from gifts. Crush it in your hands so that it is evenly crumpled. Then apply a complementary color of ink with a brayer. Gold and silver look great. Use it as a layering paper with stamping.
If you haven't already gotten into collage, here's a way to start. Create a collage box and add any items that could be used in collage work. A collage box will help inspire you by keeping all of your materials in one place. Examples are:
Save scraps of paper for use with paper punches.
If you find it impossible to remember what stamps you used on someone's card last time so that you don't give them the same card twice or need a list of ideas for cards when you're stuck, start a card log. In a spiral bound notebook, note the date, the person the card was made for and the occasion on one line; on the next line, note a description of the card and the stamps used. You'll end up with a resource of card ideas and list of to whom you've already sent them.
Rubber cement is a great glue to use in paper craft. Since it's not water-based, it won't warp your papers. In addition, acid-free rubber cement is now available. (Not known whether it was acid-free before.)
Dressed up doilies
Add some extra color to paper doilies used in stamping projects by adding color, gold or silver ink with a brayer. It will bring out the detail of the design more clearly also.
Gocco screen printer
Amazing! I saw a demo of this great gadget and had to get my own! The Gocco screen printer allows you to quickly make a large number of prints with multiple colors of ink. It basically works by making a screen from a photocopy. Ink is then applied to the screen and you start printing. The ink takes about 30 minutes to dry and during that time, you can even apply embossing powder to the wet ink and emboss! For more information about the Gocco printer, see the web page at http://www.gocco.com.
The Gocco printer start-up kit sells for around $100 and includes several colors of ink and enough supplies to make 5 screens. The printer and accessories are available in the Washington, DC area at Purrfect Stamps (Gaithersburg) and Pearl Art & Craft (Rockville and Alexandria). See RS books page for books on this topic.
Save scraps of paper for using in paper pulp for paper making. (Paper making kits available at many craft stores.)
Uses for old road maps
Kreate-a-lope Envelope Maker
These are great envelope making templates. They are made from light-weight acrylic, so you just tear the paper along the template and no cutting is necessary. They're made by Green Sneakers, Inc., P.O. Box 614, Bel Air, MD 21014. They come in several different sizes, including 4 3/8" x 5 5/8" (A2) and 5" x 7 1/8"(A7). A set of two costs about $10. Using these templates, you can quickly make envelopes from wallpaper, wrapping paper, newspaper/comics, magazine pages, etc. (Tip: If you don't like the slightly torn edge you get using these templates, use a craft knife to cut around the template -- just be careful not to cut the template with the knife.)
Marker Color Guide - I created a WordPerfect document for listing all the Marvy LePlume II marker numbers and color names. Then I printed it and marked each color next to its listing. I use this list to choose colors for stamping projects since the marker caps don't always represent the marker color very closely. You can download the WordPerfect 6.0 copy (for Windows 3.1), or download an ASCII text version.
Leaf rubbings for Fall cards
Try adding an extra something to your Fall cards by doing leaf rubbings. (Remember doing these with crayons in elementary school?) Choose a flat leaf with a nice shape (color is not important here). Since the veins are more prominent on the back, lay it face down. Place a piece of letter weight paper (same as printer paper) over top and color over the leaf with the side of a colored pencil. (As always, I highly recommend Berol Prismacolor pencils) Use good fall colors such as brown, orange, bright yellow, green, and deep red. You will need to hold the paper and leaf in place while coloring to prevent slipping. This is a great technique when you don't have many Fall-related rubber stamps.
Holiday Card-Making Tips
Save the cardboard backing from notepads. This can come in handy for sending with photos or a special card that needs protection. It can also be used to for the backing of a picture frame with a stamped border; cut a triangular piece of cardboard and attach to the back for a support.
Save your paper scraps for making bookmarkers (long strips), layering with stamped images, or adding to a collage.
Use lined or unlined 5x7 index cards for postcards. They come in many different colors.
Handmade paper edges
The Art Deckle by Design A Card gives paper a really nice deckled edge that simulates the edge of handmade paper. This product was also reviewed in the Rubberstampmadness May/June 1998 issue. It is a metal ruler with one side having an irregular edge. You place your paper face down and tear along the irregular edge of the Art Deckle. This gives you control over the tearing, and results in a torn/feathery edge that you don't get with deckle scissors.
The Art Deckle comes in lengths of 6" $15.00, 12" $21.95, and 18" $37.95. Each length has a slightly different depth to the deckle edge with the 18" being the deepest and 6" being the most shallow. (I have the 12" and really like it for cards.)
Contact Design A Card at P.O. Box 5314, Englewood, FL 34224 or (941) 475-1121
Child's birthday card
Decorate the outside of the card as usual and color. Inside, stamp a scene in black ink and leave for the child to color. You might include a small pack of crayons. (This almost seems like cheating!)
Removing lint and glitter from stamps
Tape works great for removing fuzz and glitter rom stamps before inking.
A piece of clear acrylic works great with a stamp positioner instead of tracing paper. It can be reused and doesn't slide under the positioner.
Heloise's Art & Craft Recipes Pamplet includes recipes for modeling doughs, glues (including envelope glue), paints and drying flowers. Write to Hints from Heloise Pamplets, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279, include a business SASE, a check for $3.50 and indicate that you want the Arts & Crafts pamplet.
Microwave Flower press
A great, new product is available for instantly drying and pressing flowers. It's the Microfleur by Art Quest. You just place flowers in the microfleur and put it in the microwave! Dried flowers are a great accent to rubber stamping. Ask at a local craft or stamp store.
RS Cleaning pads
For an easy way to clean your stamps, go to the hardware store or a discount department store (such as Walmart) and buy a painting pad. They are flat and their fuzzy texture easily removes ink from detailed stamps, as well as pigment ink from any stamp. Just wet and rub your stamp over it. These are just like the pads that RS companies sell, but much less expensive.
Save the free CDs that you get in the mail or at computer shows. You can decorate the CD and make an insert for the front of the case for a really different type of card.
Colorful packing material
To make colorful packing material for gift bags or boxes, accordian fold a piece of colored paper, unfold and then run it through a paper shredder.
Learn calligraphy so that you can write an appropriate message on a card for any occasion without buying tons of new word stamps. There are many calligraphy books available and most craft stores sell felt-tip calligraphy pens in a variety of colors. Just remember that it takes practice and don't get frustrated. With a bit of time invested, you can do "beautiful writing."
Berol Prismacolor Pencils
For really great colored pencils, try Berol Prismacolors. These pencils have a really nice soft lead and so you can get variations in color easily.
Rubber Mounted Stamps
To make your rubber mounted stamps much easier to use, pull the rubber die off of the mount, then carefully cut around the image. You can usually reapply the die to the mount without extra adhesive. This will eliminate the problem of the corners of the untrimmed die printing.
Dryer sheets for layering
Use used dryer sheets for layering instead of mulberry paper. Try tinting it by adding color with a brayer.
Removing stickiness from scissors
Goo Gone is wonderful for removing that sticky gum from your scissors after you've used them to trim rubber dies with adhesive on them (like rubber mounted stamps that need to be removed from the mount and trimmed before using or unassembled stamp sets.) You can find this in craft stores such as Joann's Fabric and Crafts, or The Container Store.
Simple Paper Casting
Press wet toilet tissue into a cookie press, press the water out and then let dry. The design can then be colored with chalks and added to a card.
Stamping with Kids
My friend, Marlene, in a rubber stamping club that I attend, says that whenever she wants to stamp, her kids want to stamp too. What she does to keep them busy so that she can get some serious stamping done is stamp some of her larger images on white paper for her kids to color with their crayons. This way they feel like they're "stamping" too.
Mouse pads for stamp cushion
I have found that the free mouse pads you can get from computer companies at fairs and conventions make great stamp cushion (and they're free!) Sometimes you have to peel a plastic layer from the top before using it.
Old wallpaper books are a great source of patterned papers to use with stamped art. You can get them by asking at a local hardware store for discontinued/old books.
Exchange sheets of stamped images with friends to collect new images to cut out and use with your own stamps.
Ask for extra envelopes where cards are sold. (I've had mixed luck with this, but it's worth a try. Sometimes you can really hit the jackpot.)
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Return to Stacy's Home Page | <urn:uuid:8f6a82d8-7fd6-4137-8cab-e0fcab084cbd> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://tealdragon.net/rs/rstips.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224643784.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20230528114832-20230528144832-00377.warc.gz | en | 0.947602 | 4,750 | 2.640625 | 3 |
On Tuesday of last week, Ananta Bijoy Das, 32, had just left his house in the northeastern Bangladeshi city of Sylhet when four masked assailants chased and then hacked the bank clerk to death with machetes. He was the third secular blogger hacked to pieces on the streets of Bangladesh this year. The targeted killing of minorities and dissenting intellectuals is part of what turned the country’s independence struggle from East Pakistan into one of the late 20th century’s genocides in 1971. The brutal theologically inspired murders in today’s Bangladesh mimic those gruesome pogroms. The worrying question asked of Bangladesh now is whether it is coming to resemble the quasi-theocratic state so many Bangladeshis fought to leave — Pakistan.
It’s not a new concern. Over the decades I’ve visited this young nation of 160 million people, the rise in religiosity has been a fiercely debated. The questions are many: Are there more veils worn on the bustling arteries of its cities and towns? How can the empowerment of the country’s women be balanced with their daily acts of religious submission? And, most controversially, what can be done to protect religious minorities and the country’s traditions of religious pluralism?
Rejections of faith, questioning and godlessness are as indigenous to this region as is the staple food, rice. As early as 600 BC the ideas of Carvaka, a philosophy that rejected then-predominant Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, was openly debated and contemplated. That former tolerance is being lost.
Despite being a nominally secular nation, Bangladesh has seen the proportion of religious minorities slowly bleed away. In just over 40 years, non-Islamic minorities have gone from around 30 percent of the population to around 10 percent now. Minority religious expression is now conspicuous by its absence. In the capital Dhaka, where I am based, reminders of this variegated society come seldom, for instance in the glimpse of a Hindu idol in my hole-in-the-wall barber shop. Low caste Hindus perform this traditionally “impure” profession, even in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
The current ruling Awami League party is nominally secular and has promised to try local collaborators of the 1971 genocide that accompanied the violent birth of the nation. The accused are largely ageing leaders from the largest Islamist party, the Jamaat-e-Islami. In the years since independence, military dictators rehabilitated these leaders, desperate for any legitimacy they could extract from their perceived piety. Some have even served as government ministers for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which ruled between 2001 and 2006. The powerful positions of the accused stirred concern that they could be spared justice.
In response, recently slain blogger Ananta Bijoy Das and fellow citizens roused the online community in spring 2013 and rare, long lasting popular protests ensued. These protests were named after the junction where the protesters gathered: Shabagh. The jubilant, liberal atmosphere of the protests was striking at time. It seemed that, perhaps, hanging the old Islamists who had spent their youths raping and murdering could purge the country of its many problems. Swap the “peace now” banner of an anti-war march in Washington DC with “faschi chai” — which means “we want a hanging” — and you get the picture.
The response to these protests was vengeful and aggressive. An opposition BNP leader, Mahmudur Rahman, and his tabloid news outlet, Amar Desh, which translates to “My Country,” ran a counter-campaign. Rahman sensed that the Shabagh protests had captured the national imagination and could threaten his party’s grip on power. The BNP’s ideological position is wedded to the inviolability of the country’s Islamic identity. Opponents of the protests ran a campaign erroneously claiming that those who had started the Shabagh protests were atheists, hell bent on destroying Islam.
Many who had rallied the Shabagh protests were atheists. But many at the protest were not. As I photographed the crowds, I noted that some of the most enthusiastic were dressed with the classic skull cap, beard and flowing robes, signifying they were practicing Muslims.
Regardless, the bloggers who had sparked the Shabagh protests were targeted. A list of some 80 people was circulated. The Amar Desh paper published lists of alleged atheists, including the real names of those writing under pen names and where they lived. They also published smear stories about the bloggers. For instance, the paper twisted bloggers’ criticisms of public spending on mosques to allege that these bloggers wanted to “destroy mosques,” says now exiled blogger Asif Mohiuddin.
The first name on the list to die was a young architect called Ahmed Rajib Haider, whose disfigured corpse wasfound near his house in February 2015. The previous month blogger Asif Mohiuddin was stabbed near-fatally and hospitalized. The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, initially appeared to offer sympathy. But the political costs of associating with atheists became too much. Instead of support, Mohiuddin and several fellow bloggers were jailed, for “offending religious sensibilities.” Meanwhile, members of the largest faith in the country were free to shout as loud as they could that people who disbelieve should be hung.
This is exactly what they did in Spring 2013 in huge protests calling for the death penalty for atheists. These were a response to the Shabagh protests and the prominence that they had achieved. The Islamist protests were organized by a group emanating from a network of religious schools (madrassas) known as Hefezat-e-Islam. Their march was a tightly packed crowd of perhaps half a million men. (I saw no females except two decrepit beggars Iphotographed on the outer edges.) The crowd was raucous in a way soccer crowds can be. Young men expressing hate with joyful abandon, reveling in camaraderie.
Many protesters were keen to know of my faith. I did my best to fake belief so no one would scent the absence of religion in me as I picked my way through the sweaty mass that afternoon. On the whole, those I met were welcoming and one member of the Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, whose leaders are on trial for war crimes, lent me his skull cap, which helped reassure all concerned.
This is not the first time Bangladeshi atheists have lived under the threat of violence. In 2005 the atheist writer Humayun Azad was attacked. His friend, the blogger Asif Mohiuddin (the one who was stabbed near fatally in 2013), remembers the last time he spoke with him. Azad didn’t believe that it was Mohiuddin on the phone. Azad, says Mohouddin, had been driven into a paranoid psychosis from the incessant calls and threats he was receiving. Azad would die a broken and disturbed man in exile in Germany.
Mohiuddin was fortunate to escape to Germany himself. The 2013 attack left him unable to move his neck. He says he has trouble sleeping. When Ananta Bijoy Das was hacked to death last week, Mohiuddin was trying to help him leave, he says. Mohiuddin’s three comrades who he was jailed with in July 2013, Mashiur Rahman Biplob, Russel Pervez and Subrata Adhikari Shuvo have not been so lucky. They have all disappeared from public life. One is fighting for permanent asylum abroad. The other two are still struggling to escape.
In Bangladesh, there is huge stigma attached to not being part of a religious community. It’s a much more extreme version of public opinion in the States, where atheists are, according to Pew, amongst the most reviled communities. Ironically, in the US Muslims are the only group viewed less favorably. But in Bangladesh the consequences of public atheism prevents all but the very brave criticizing faith, or standing up for those who do.
The Prime Minister’s son, Sajeeb Joy Wazed, admitted as much when interviewed about this year’s first blogger victim, naturalized US citizen Avijit Roy, who had returned to the nation of his birth to launch a book. Accordingto Reuters, after Roy was killed, Wazed said, “We don’t want to be seen as atheists…we can’t come out strongly for [Avijit Roy]. It’s about perception, not about reality.”
That perception was so strong that the government went as far as jailing their own minister, Abdul Latif Siddique, for saying, whilst in New York, that he thought the Islamic pilgrimage, the Hajj, was a waste of money. Islamists protested the benign comments and called for his death. He has now largely been forgotten in jail. But that’s unsurprising given how few in Bangladesh care for those who disbelieve. Atheists are, according to one very senior member of the opposition BNP, “sub-human.”
No one can object to the perceived piety of 90 percent of the population. Whenever someone questions dominant orthodoxy they are smeared as attacking the community itself. In Bangladesh, those smears now lead to public butchering. This is partly because religious institutions pick up much of the slack of schooling. This creates its own tyranny of consensus where individuals compete to be more “righteous” — where the unquestioned “goodness” of “our” faith becomes synonymous and interchangeable with a communal identity, one that is continually portrayed as under threat.
This narrowing of acceptable beliefs is as costly and chilling to the diverse, rich variety of Islamic traditions as to the non-believer. If Bangladesh continues to follow its current path, all notions of secular rights could soon be completely drowned out by resurgent, all-pervasive conservative Islam.
Joseph Allchin is a freelance journalist. He covers Bangladesh for the Financial Times, and writes for diverse publications such as the Economist, the New York Time, Foreign Policy & others. Follow him on twitter @j_allchin. | <urn:uuid:972e6efb-9069-4e32-a57b-7a216d5b5168> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.politico.eu/article/where-atheism-can-get-you-killed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510903.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20231001141548-20231001171548-00366.warc.gz | en | 0.976327 | 2,112 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a dominant grain legume in eastern and southern Africa, where it constitutes a major source of protein and microminerals in peoples’ diet. The current studies aimed at determining how initially promising genotypes of bean responded in terms of yield and grain element composition under farmers’ cropping conditions. It was found that variations between genotypes in the proportions of elements in the grain dry matter across a wide range of conditions could be linear with an additional 20% iron (Fe) or zinc (Zn) for some genotypes. However, this linearity was only identifiable under relatively favourable conditions. Further, a favourable season could enhance the proportion of Fe in the grains of the same genotypes by up to 20%, whereas Zn did not respond. Fe and Zn correlated only to some degree with P (r 2 > 0.35). It is concluded that the supply of elements in the diet may best be secured by selecting for high-yielding cultivars as the amounts of phosphorus (P), Fe and Zn in the grains correlated strongly (r 2 > 0.93) to the dry matter grain yield.
Hogh-Jensen, H.; Kamalongo, D.; Ngwira, A.; Myaka, F.A. Yields And Quality Of Phaseolus Bean Cultivars Under Farmers’ Conditions In Eastern And Southern Africa. Experimental Agriculture (2014) 50 (02) 178-190. [DOI: 10.1017/S0014479713000641] | <urn:uuid:0ac45bec-0e5c-4e25-9361-5aec6211e8d9> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.gov.uk/dfid-research-outputs/yields-and-quality-of-phaseolus-bean-cultivars-under-farmers-conditions-in-eastern-and-southern-africa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187824824.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20171021171712-20171021191712-00535.warc.gz | en | 0.906174 | 320 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Moody (2010) introduced many important concepts about aging in his textbook. The idea of aging as a subject is broached in many ways in this informative book, however there are some key aspects that suggest the most prominent and problematic concepts of aging that are highlighted when comparing this text to the film Gran Torino, directed by Clint Eastwood. This movie suggests that despite the portrayal as violence as a virtue, becoming elderly is a difficult and misunderstood time in one's life. The film depicted a man who, after a lifetime of resorting to violence, realizes he his misunderstood in a changed world that pays him no respect.
Moody wrote "the subjective experience of meaning is closely related to individual well being. The search for interpretive meaning in later life underscores the importance of cognitive functioning in old age," (p.23). Using this idea as a model for the main character of the film, Walt, it is clear that this film depicts an old man searching for meaning in his life. This problem affects the elderly more often because, many...
As the film portrays the death of his wife, and the necessary growing away from his children, Walt is left to find meaning in something in some way possible. Finding meaning is not encouraged in many aspects of society and this film documents a time in his life that he would actually be able to find meaning in his life through his stubborn and reluctant behavior. Aging is not a unique problem, it is merely the common human problem appearing at a later stage in life. Finding meaning in life appears to have some positive relationship on health and the ability to function in society. Walt's trials and tribulations, represent a violent, yet meaningful pathway to realization of his time spent living on earth. The recent death of his wife pushed Walt to become violent and hostile in an unnecessary way causing problems that did not need to exist. This self initiation into these problems is a sign that elderly people need healthy outlets to release their frustrations that accompany…
Albom, Mitch. (1997). Tuesdays with Morrie: An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson. New York: Doubleday.
Lorenz, R., Gerber, B., Eastwood, C., (producers) & Eastwood, C. (director). (2008). Gran Torino [motion picture]. United States, Germany: Warner Bros.
Moody, H.R. (2010). Aging: Concepts and Controversies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Elderly Care Case Study Discharging a patient from hospital is usually a complex process that is surrounded by many challenges. Therefore an appropriate discharge plan should be put in place so that there can be avoidance of re-hospitalization. As the case manager for Mr. Trosak case there are several healthcare issues that should be addressed when working with an interdisciplinary plan to determine the most appropriate discharge plan for Mr. Trosak. These
Many experience depressions and sudden mood swings. The abuse of drugs -- prescription or illegal -- can also lead to disorientation, memory loss and having new difficulties in making decisions (Blow 2003). Given these effects, the recognition of drug abuse among the elderly population is quite an important task. The recognition of these symptoms, however, is made more complicated by the fact that many members of the elderly population already
Elderly Care Adult Children and Elderly Care Comment by Sabina: Adult Children and Elderly Care What are some of the major problems caregivers face? With advances in modern medicine our elderly populations are living much longer. Family members who care for their elderly parents encounter many different problems. Some of the biggest problems that caregivers face are the financial strains and emotional strains involved with caring for an elderly parent. Medical care is extremely expensive,
Elderly Population With Diabetes AGE MATTERS Elderly Diabetes Epidemiology: Definition and Description Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and factors to health conditions in particular populations and its application to the control of these health conditions (NCCDPHP, 2004). The shortest description of the work of epidemiologists is that they count and compare data of cases of disease or injuries in a given population. Then they compare these data with those of another or
Elderly Stereotypes in the Media In Western society today, there has been an overwhelming tendency towards a concern with remaining as youthful as possible for as long as possible. Although this does extend towards the qualities of energy and vitality, the main focus of this drive is upon appearance. In American society particularly, the media has both encouraged and perpetuated this trend. Advertisements, greeting cards, and even cartoons often portray older
Elderly Diabetics Elderly Hispanic Diabetics Diabetes is a real problem that affects a significant amount of our population. The death rate associated with diabetes continues to climb yearly, while the death rate of other diseases continues to decrease (ADA, 2010). Diabetes is impairment in the human body that prevents the body from converting glucose to energy. According to the CDC nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million adults have prediabetes | <urn:uuid:939350ff-d662-4223-bb8e-651e5180b772> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.paperdue.com/essay/problems-with-elderly-2149618 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224649193.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20230603101032-20230603131032-00342.warc.gz | en | 0.958847 | 1,045 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Classical Mythology 101
The only concern of music history is music.
It almost sounds like the conspiratorial design of Romantic era music critics: Divorce classical music from its history. Erase all evidence that it sprang from a given time and place. Paint a picture of the musical world as a sort of bland creative haven untouched by politics, war, social movements, religious tides, commerce, science, literature, poetry, art or philosophy. Let music's only context be itself so that that music, though dated, might remain timeless. A work of art to be appreciated on its own merits by later generations, independent of the historical context and the outer world from which it arose.
That's exactly what classical music is to us today -- a stand-alone art form. We make some vague association between Beethoven and Vienna in the early 1800s, but we really have little idea of what it was like to live in that world. On the upside, we now listen to his Ninth Symphony and hear it as a living document for our own 21st century and not some museum relic associated with events whose day is long past. On the downside, we've lost something of our own connection to the richness of the past. Depth in music tends us toward shallowness in all other regards.
As a society, we're weak on history, weak on philosophy, weak on literacy. We still listen to Ballades by Chopin, but no one reads the novels of Georges Sand anymore. We hear Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" at the opera house but know nothing of Pushkin's play, let alone the historical Boris, who was a contemporary of England's Elizabeth I, France's Henri de Navarre and Spain's Felipé II. Program notes that point out the common melodic theme in Beethoven's Razumovsky Quartets and the Coronation Scene in "Boris" practically define Count Andrei Razumovsky by his minor role as Beethoven's patron but neglect to mention he was a key player in post-Napoleonic Europe (as Czar Alexander's second at the Vienna Congress, he wrangled unsuccessfully with Talleyrand of France, Metternich of Austria, Hardenburg of Prussia and Lord Castlereagh of England to win all of Poland's territory for Russia).
Classical music is the soundtrack of history. It was the music of popes, kings, princes and capitalist aristocrats. Its composers and performers have often moved among the rich and powerful, and they have always associated with some of the most brilliant minds of their time. Vincenzo Galilei didn't just help bring opera into the world; he was also the father of Galileo. Johannes Ockeghem was part of the entourage that travelled to Spain to negotiate a marriage between the Duke of Berry (Louis XI's brother) and Isabel of Castille. Organist Orlando Gibbons ~ "the best Finger of that Age" ~ entertained the French deputation that visited London to arrange the wedding of 17-year-old Henrietta Maria to the future Charles I. Incidentally, not only did Henrietta's Catholic faith alienate Parliament from her doomed husband, it probably sealed the fate of his court musician, William Lawes, who was killed (along with many of the other artists, poets and Royalist gentlemen in the King's Cavaliers) trying to defend Charles against Cromwell on the fields of Chester.
Try reading up on classical music history, and you may end up learning about little else than the music. That may not bother the narrow-band critics, writers and radio DJs who provide the public with much of its introduction and indoctrination to classical music. But when you divorce music history from music's history, what you're often left with is music trivia ~ something that's useful for playing a round of "Jeopardy!" | <urn:uuid:cf878874-680c-4066-81ee-11c0a4a53d9f> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://www.angelfire.com/music2/davidbundler/myth4.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187823168.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20171018233539-20171019013539-00379.warc.gz | en | 0.959031 | 790 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Whether disclosure of financial interest is a good or bad idea is the question. Many parties and companies have been debating over this very sensitive topic, and most of the time, a lot of people are against it. This is because this method involves more than just simple financial information, but even the smallest details on your financial information will be exposed. This includes bank statements, profit and loss statements, tax returns, pay stubs and many others.
As mentioned earlier, the creditor usually asks disclosure of financial interest to find out a person’s financial capability. This serves as a protection and both the debtor and creditor will benefit from it. If confidentiality is the primary concern of debtors, they have to understand that these types of information will not be used against anything except for that specific trade / transaction / application / sale that will be going on. The debtor’s total amount of owed money will be reflected, and it will also show whether that person was able to pay for the specific amount on time.
What are the other purposes of disclosure of financial interest? Unfortunately, there are a lot of debtors and people applying for loan who are trying to provide fraud bank statements. Some lenders require a bank statement of account for them to analyze the person’s capability of paying the borrowed amount. However, there are some people who have tried to come up with false bank statements, and unfortunately have gotten away with it. To avoid these from happening, stricter policies have been implemented, and the only way to get genuine papers and information is through disclosing these personal banking and finance information. This involves legal papers and other necessary steps to ensure that people will provide legit information and will not try to come up with falsified documents.
Is disclosure of financial interest a good idea? At first glance, it may seem like creditors are the only people who will take advantage of it – but in the long run, debtors will also benefit from it, and they can generally take this as a positive thing rather than as something that is being done against them. More about disclosure of financial interest can be found here: http://www.vdma.co.za/ | <urn:uuid:77a242af-7c66-4a18-bb4d-f1e895780a2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prlog.org/11911397-disclosure-of-financial-interest.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704933573/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114853-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970964 | 434 | 2.53125 | 3 |
In a report released by U.S. Census Bureau on March 3, the Asian alone or Asian in combination with or more other races has reached 15.2 million people in 2007 and from 2006 through 2007 the growth of Asians has increased by 2.9%, which is the fastest among all the ethnic groups.
In 2007, the largest group within the Asian population is the Chinese population, which has reached 3.54 million people. Also, 2.5 million Chinese uses Chinese at home, which makes Chinese the second most used language in the United States just after Spanish.
Furthermore, Asian takes up approximately five percent of the total U.S. population and according to its current growth rate Asian population will reach 40.6 million in 2050, which will be a 153 percent increase as compared to 2008. Then, Asian will be makeup approximately nine percent of the total U.S. population. At this moment, the average growth rate of groups in the U.S.A is only 44%.
Among the Asian ethnic groups, Chinese has the largest population, followed by Philippinoe, which has a population of 3.05 million people, then Indians has the third largest population of 2.77 million, then it is Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese.
This report again indicates that the Chinese churches in North America must not underestimate the need to share the gospel within their ethnic group and that mandarin ministries have a vast field to cultivate.
For the acutal U.S. Census report, go to U.S. Census Press Release | <urn:uuid:49317443-8429-4e8b-9635-2d65b2312e84> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://www.gospelherald.com/articles/45141/20090306/u-s-census-report-asian-ethnicity-are-fastest-growing-in-u-s-chinese-takes-lead.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655911092.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20200710144305-20200710174305-00558.warc.gz | en | 0.961049 | 313 | 2.5625 | 3 |
A lot of people don’t realize that our Drones for Whale Research program is a lot more than SnotBot; we have a number of iterations of our drones to meet different whale research goals. SnotBot has already been helping researchers understand more about long term whale health by collecting exhaled Breath Condensate (snot) that contains, DNA, hormones, ketones, and micro biomes. Now SnotBot is helping whales in a much more immediate way. The SnotBot team is ready and standing by to use our drones to help the Centre for Coastal Studies and NOAA disentangle whales that are caught in lines or nets!
To meet this goal in 2017 we put in a new 30-foot dock at our headquarters in Gloucester Harbor, we’ve acquired a 30-foot Bertram Mopie, we have 2 modified Inspire 1V2 SnotBot drones and we’ve got what might be the first NGO permit to fly drones over entangled whales. We are ready to go!
When a whale is entangled it is clearly stressed, to disentangle the whales the highly experienced CCS team can spend up to 2 hours trying to understand how the animal is entangled. This is where we will help SnotBot will be able to get aerial images of the configuration of the ropes or nets entangling the whale and send the images back live to the disentanglement team, who can be a distance from the whale. This gives the people doing the physical cutting of ropes and lines a much better idea of what tools they will need and what strategy they should use. This should make disentangling a whale safer for everyone involved. | <urn:uuid:4118c8c7-a110-442f-9175-7f851eee84e4> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://www.whale.org/2017/04/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187823360.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20171019175016-20171019195016-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.930148 | 342 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Here at The Sequal Trust, our role as a communication aid charity is the funding and supply of communication aids for people with disabilities, speech disorders or learning difficulties. It may not be obvious as of yet if you or someone you know requires a communication aid to get by in life, as some people are born with speech limiting conditions and others can develop speech issues over time.
Our communication aid charity specialises in funding a particular type of device known as AAC – Augmented and Alternative Communication. Another similar phrase used a lot by companies who create these devices is AT or Assistive Technology. These are both broad terms for devices that help people live more independent lives but there are some differences of what falls beneath each category.
AT covers a really broad range of things. It could be a device that offers a new way of accessing a computer such as a switch, or it could be an environmental control system that allows the user to turn off lights, turn on the television or even open a window.
AAC is a type of AT that covers electronic speech aids, which uses augmented voices to vocalise word selections, phrases or even sentences for those using the devices. These devices replace someone’s speech when they are non-verbal or can make communicating for those with incoherent speech, a bit easier. There are lots of different types of AAC including Grid pads, Eye Gaze Technology, Lightwriters and even software for iPads and computers, that act as communication aids for people with disabilities.
At The Sequal Trust we supply primarily devices that fall under AAC but we are also able to supply AT if it is necessary. Say if our member requires an eye gaze machine, we can fund this, but we may also supply a wheelchair mount to make it easier for them to use the communication aid. | <urn:uuid:b72409e1-8f90-4675-80f3-e4ee80627392> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.thesequaltrust.org.uk/what-is-aac | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370518767.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20200403220847-20200404010847-00011.warc.gz | en | 0.963372 | 362 | 2.703125 | 3 |
As you’ve probably noticed, this month’s theme has been courage.
One of the origins of the word courage is the Old French “cuer,” meaning “heart.” We have marked February by opening our hearts to love and history, and by asking our hearts to take small difficult steps towards something we have been avoiding.
We began the month by delving into the idea that fear, and not hate, is the opposite of love. We then looked to the science of courage, which showed us how to practice our “couraging” by connecting to our values and taking small do-able steps.
We will conclude the month by talking about the courage to be playful and how it can be another doorway into difficult conversations or reconnection.
Traditionally, at least in the midwest states where I do much of my work, February and March are two of the toughest months of the school year. One administrator calls this period “Funky February”, claiming that the days between President’s Day weekend and Spring Break are always the longest and hardest for both staff and kids.
This also appears to be true for our household. February and March seem so long and gray and dreary. That is why now – more than ever – we need to remember the importance of playfulness.
It turns out that play is a human need, much like touch. Remember those orphan babies that failed to thrive because they did not get held enough? It seems that humans, including adult humans, also need play.
Play helps adults be more productive and improves their mental health, while play deprivation in rats and monkeys has been linked to poor social development. Playfulnesshas even been shown as a preferable quality in romantic partners in one European study.
Incorporating play into education can also help middle-school and high school students learn content.
Just as importantly, playfulness can help us get over the hump of a rough day or turn a criticism into a connecting moment – by creating laughter or lightening the mood.
Although being silly or goofy is NOT natural to me, I have been trying to include playfulness in my work and home life this month in small purposeful ways. As you can see below, these playful actions built on each other, eventually shining their way into difficult conversations and making heavy things a bit lighter. Some examples from this month are below:
For some of you, being playful with your students, at home, or with colleagues is a natural way of being and you just need a reminder to do your thing (OK – GO DO YOUR THING!)
However, as I mentioned, I am not playful or goofy by nature. Sure – our family does “Full House” Appreciations and 180 Questions at meal times. However, even our “connecting activities” seemed to sag under the gray clouds of February.
It seemed that I needed a bit of en-courage-ment to bring more playfulness into my life. I needed to just start somewhere.
A couple of years ago I read an essay in the NY Times in which the author granted people permission to make a change they really wanted (based on a study by Freakanomics author Steven D. Levitt). It seems that many of us need a Permission Fairy – someone to grant us the permission to make our own wishes come true.
I have talked to teachers who say they long for the days when the curriculum was less confining and they could drop what they were doing (on a bad day) and just play a game with their students. I have talked to parents who wish they were having more fun with their kids or parenting was more joyful. I believe that we need those games and moments of lightness MORE desperately now than ever.
So please, consider this letter to be your permission to courageously begin injecting more play into your work and home life.
And yes – feel free to borrow any of our goofy dinner ideas as a start! | <urn:uuid:04bcca8e-3783-46f5-83f3-1900d1e945c4> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://conflict180.com/2019/02/27/the-courage-to-be-playful/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250608295.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123041345-20200123070345-00146.warc.gz | en | 0.9786 | 823 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Next time you think about ordering a salad at a restaurant, consider this: It's probably not the healthiest choice for either you or the planet, writes Tamar Haspel in the Washington Post. According to one nutritional value index, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, and celery are some of the lowest-ranking foods you can eat, thanks to the fact that they're almost entirely made up of water. And then, of course, there's the fact that many salads are just a bunch of "food that’s making us fat, but with a few lettuce leaves tossed in," Haspel writes. When you take the lettuce away, you're often left with a bunch of cheese, croutons, ranch dressing, and sometimes some "fried stuff" for good measure.
Salad is also not the greatest choice ecologically speaking—"it occupies precious crop acreage [and] requires fossil fuels to be shipped, refrigerated, around the world," not to mention it's incredibly wasteful (more than a billion pounds of salad veggies get tossed out per year). The same amount of money it would cost you to buy the fixings for a green salad could also buy you a lot of broccoli, sweet potatoes, collard greens, or other more nutritionally-dense veggies—and if we break our lettuce habit, we free up acreage to grow those instead. Haspel isn't planning to give up salad entirely, she writes, but with the world's population growing, we need to "start thinking about it as a resource-hungry luxury." Click for her full column. | <urn:uuid:530112b3-dea3-4847-b557-153d94cac3f4> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.newser.com/story/211786/dont-order-that-salad.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320227.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624064634-20170624084634-00689.warc.gz | en | 0.956796 | 328 | 2.515625 | 3 |
(Phys.org)—ESA's GOCE gravity satellite has already delivered the most accurate gravity map of Earth, but its orbit is now being lowered in order to obtain even better results.
The Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) has been orbiting Earth since March 2009, reaching its ambitious objective to map our planet's gravity with unrivalled precision.
Although the planned mission has been completed, the fuel consumption was much lower than anticipated because of the low solar activity over the last two years. This has enabled ESA to extend GOCE's life, improving the quality of the gravity model.
To be able to measure the strength of Earth's gravity, the satellite was flying in an extraordinarily low orbit about 255 km high – about 500 km lower than most Earth observation satellites.
Based on a clear preference from the GOCE user community, ESA's Earth Scientific Advisory Committee recommended lowering the orbit to 235 km starting in August.
Lowering the orbit increases the accuracy and resolution of GOCE's measurements, improving our view of smaller ocean dynamics such as eddy currents.
The control team began the manoeuvres in August, lowering GOCE by about 300 m per day.
After coming down by 8.6 km, the satellite's performance and new environment were assessed. Now, GOCE is again being lowered while continuing its gravity mapping. Finally, it is expected to reach 235 km in February.
As the orbit drops, atmospheric drag increasingly pulls the satellite towards Earth. But GOCE was designed to fly low, the tiny thrust of its ion engine continuously compensating for any drag.
The expected increase in data quality is so high that scientists are calling it GOCE's 'second mission.'
"For us at ESA, GOCE has been a fantastic mission and it continues to surprise us," said Volker Liebig, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes.
"What the team of ESA engineers is now doing has not been done before and it poses a challenge. But it will also trigger new research in the field of gravity based on the high-resolution data we are expecting."
The first 'geoid' based on GOCE's gravity measurements was unveiled in June 2010. It is the surface of an ideal global ocean in the absence of tides and currents, shaped only by gravity.
A geoid is a crucial reference for conducting precise measurements of ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics.
The mission has also been providing new insight into air density and wind in space, and its information was recently used to produce the first global high-resolution map of the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle.
Explore further: Some astronauts at risk for cognitive impairment, animal studies suggest | <urn:uuid:e776b993-5f70-4f4f-8a4e-e4467d77b5fb> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://phys.org/news/2012-11-goce-mission-gravity.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223206647.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032006-00306-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957573 | 564 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Learn About Being a Sheep Farmer explained by professional Forex trading experts the “ForexSQ” FX trading team.
Learn About Being a Sheep Farmer
Sheep farmers are responsible for the daily care and maintenance of sheep that are used for meat or wool production.
The duties of a sheep farmer may include feeding, shearing wool, giving medication orally or via injection, maintaining farm buildings and fences, monitoring the flock for any signs of illness or disease, assisting with difficult births, and managing waste. They also may be responsible for marketing their animals to meat or wool distributors, transporting animals to the sales or show ring, harvesting hay or other forages, and maintaining farm equipment.
Sheep farmers work in with large animal veterinarians to maintain the health of their flock through a health management program. They may also rely on advice from animal nutritionists or livestock feed sales representatives to develop nutritionally balanced rations for the flock.
As is the case with many farming occupations, sheep farmers may have to work long hours including time on nights, evenings, and weekends. The work is largely conducted outdoors, so extreme temperatures and varying weather conditions are possible. It is also important that sheep farmers take safety precautions when working with their livestock to reduce the chance of injury.
Sheep farmers may be involved in meat or wool production. There are two primary sheep farming options for meat production: stock sheep operations (which raise flocks on pasture land and sell their lambs to feeder lots) or feeder lamb operations (which purchase lambs and raise them to appropriate weight for slaughter).
Sheep leather has also grown in popularity and is proving to be a solid source of income. Wool receipts are accounted for only a quarter of total revenue.
Flocks may range from just a few animals to many thousands of animals, but the trend in the industry is towards consolidation of smaller operations into larger entities.
According to data collected by the USDA, the largest sheep producing states are Texas and California, with the majority of U.S. sheep farms concentrated in the Pacific, Southern Plains, and Mountain regions.
Many sheep farmers oversee their flock part-time and have a full-time position in another industry, but it is possible for larger farms to be self-sustaining.
Education & Training
Most sheep farmers have a high school diploma at minimum, though an increasing number have earned college degrees in animal science, agriculture, or a related field. Coursework for these degrees often includes studies in animal science, sheep production, meat science, reproduction, genetics, anatomy, physiology, nutrition and ration formulation, farm management, agricultural marketing, technology, and business management.
Many future sheep farmers get their start by participating in youth programs such as Future Farmers of America (FFA) or 4-H clubs. These organizations allow children to handle a variety of farm animals and to participate in livestock shows. Other aspiring sheep farmers gain hand on experience through their family farm.
Sheep farmers may find additional educational and networking opportunities through membership in professional organizations such as the American Sheep Industry Association (ASIA), various breed-specific organizations, and the many sheep associations affiliated with states or countries throughout the world.
A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) salary survey indicated that farm and ranch managers earned a median wage of $60,750 annually ($29.21 hourly) in May of 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $29,280 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $106,980. Income for farmers can vary widely based fluctuating feed costs, varying weather conditions, and the price of meat or wool at the market.
A recent survey by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS) estimated that there would be a marginal (3.8 percent) decline in sheep and lamb sales for 2012, which could have some impact on sheep farmer income.
The BLS predicts that there will be a slight decline in the number of job opportunities for farm and ranch managers (approximately 8 percent).
This trend is in line with the move towards consolidation in the industry, as small producers are commonly being bought up by large commercial operations.
The sheep production industry has remained stable despite current economic conditions, as consumption levels for its meat products have held steady. Other red meat products have shown a decline in recent years. Lamb prices reached a record high in late 2010.
Wool products also reached a record high in 2011, with the price per pound coming in at a healthy $1.67, accounting for $48.9 million in revenue for 2011 as opposed to the $35 million in revenue for the prior year.
Learn About Being a Sheep Farmer Conclusion
For more information about currency trading brokers visit TopForexBrokers.com Forex brokers comparison website, Tip ForexSQ.com foreign exchange trading experts please by share this article about Learn About Being a Sheep Farmer. | <urn:uuid:ee7dbde3-e3e2-4c76-9d34-993e01d43729> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.forexsq.com/learn-sheep-farmer-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510516.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20230929122500-20230929152500-00047.warc.gz | en | 0.948746 | 1,016 | 3.125 | 3 |
Joseph Lancaster is little known today, but in the first half of the 19th century his name was everywhere. He was described as ‘the poor child’s friend’ as he made education available for the first time to thousands, and hastened national education reform.
Download Podcast - Joseph Lancaster (Right Click and select Save Link As)
The British Schools Museum boasts the world’s last remaining purpose-built Monitorial schoolroom, which reflected Lancaster’s education system. You can see that in the image here to the left – and you can also see Andy the Interviewee as it happens. The grade II* listed building opened in 1837, but the school was founded in 1810, a full 80 years before the government finally provided free elementary education for all.
There are many other things to see too; the new History Makers exhibition, the Schoolmaster’s house, lovingly restored to its former Victorian glory, and there’s a Victorian classroom too. I was lucky enough to visit it and to be shown round by Andy, and absolutely loved it. It’s the kind of place that brings you face to face with real life as it would have been, and is a glorious example of our tradition of superb local museums. I heartily recommend it you you, but do visit the website first.
Above you can see the surviving schoolroom at Hitchin, and below you can see the description that the was produced to advise new groups looking to set up new schools. You can compare the theory with the reality. To the right you’ll see a more traditional classroom.
If you’d like to know more about Joseph Lancaster, there is a book written about his life, a good, and short read. It’s called “Joseph Lancaster, the Poor Child’s Friend: Educating the Poor in the Early Nineteenth Century” and it was written by
by Joyce Taylor.
The BFSS is a grant giving organisation. In a very British way, it finds a joy in its heritage and roots, and the legacy of Joseph Lancaster remains important in defining our objects and strategy. Which we interpret as a commitment to making education accessible to all, particularly to disadvantaged young people both in the UK and wherever they might be in the world. You can have a look at its very business-like website if you are interested – its a working charity so you know there’s not a lot of history, there’s more information about how to apply for a grant (!), but you can get an idea of the kind of education projects we fund…just for interest really! The BFSS is a membership organisation, so there’s also a description if you so wish of how to become a Member, if you have the kind of commitment to our cause and want to get involved. But that’s not really the purpose of my episode which was just to tell you all about a corner of British history.
The history of BFSS can be found in its Archives, which are looked after by Brunel University London. Visit the website, Lists of British Schools, alumni of Borough Road College, photographs and much more are available to view online, as is the archive catalogue and information regarding how to contact the archives, its remote enquiry service and opening hours. | <urn:uuid:543df21a-2eac-41a2-9f04-1ce8a76e0825> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/blog/2019/02/04/joseph-lancaster/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370507738.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20200402173940-20200402203940-00392.warc.gz | en | 0.970411 | 684 | 2.890625 | 3 |
MARRIAGE and WEALTH
Pop the question and see how her attitude changes
A marriage is a relationship between or among individuals, recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. Originally, marriage signified the intention to reproduce. It was thus a pre-reproduction ritual, as in a license by the church (authority) to reproduce. That is still the position with traditional weddings "Do you take this man? - do you take this woman," and so on.
Modern marriage has the dual purpose of a binding legal contract with a moral promise - but morals in the modern world are an outmoded concept where cash in the bank is more the target - as is plain from divorce statistics. Thus marriage is a Cinderella notion, save in lesser civilised societies, where bonding is typically for life, not based on money or social status, but love and practicality - because there is no readily transferable asset on the African plains, cows having already been exchanged, one mud hut is as good as the next.
scientific survey reveals that the majority of prostitutes say their own
sexuality and money
Kofod PhD (anthropology)
researcher at SFI – The Danish National Centre for Social
Research, conducted the survey and prepared the report, ‘Prostitution in
Marriage is different to prostitution, where a prostitute is not obligated to produce children, simply to provide sexual gratification on one occasion. Indeed, with marriage, there is no obligation to provide sexual gratification, just to produce offspring - which is termed consummation. Consummation being the first attempt after a ceremony, to produce offspring, thus signifying the intention of the woman to produce children.
In one form or another, marriage is found in virtually every society. The very oldest records that refer to it speak of it as an established custom. Despite attempts by anthropologists to trace its origin (such as the hypothesis of primitive promiscuity), evidence is lacking.
In Western societies, marriage has traditionally been understood as a monogamous union, while in other parts of the world polygamy has been a common form of marriage. Usually this has taken the form of polygyny (a man having several wives) but a very few societies have permitted polyandry (a woman having several husbands).
Once again, sex and reproduction is based on wealth and in times past wealth was almost exclusively for males; hence wives. Whereas today, a wealthy woman may take several lovers until her purse or looks run dry. True equality of the sexes.
Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures: modern understanding emphasizes the legitimacy of sexual relations in marriage, yet the universal and unique attribute of marriage is the creation of affinal ties (in-laws). Traditionally, societies encourage one to marry "out" far enough to strengthen the ties, but "close" enough so that the in-laws are "one of us" or "our kind". One exception to this rule is found in the marriage of royalty, who strengthen their aid through concentration of wealth rather than through affinal ties. Even in this case, the individual was often encouraged to marry "within" close family limits. (Further discussion and reference: Marvin Harris, late Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University)
Marriage remains important as the socially sanctioned bond in a sexual relationship. Marriage is usually understood as a male-female relationship designed to produce children and successfully socialize them. Historically, most societies have allowed some form of polygamy. The West is a major exception. Europe, the United States and Canada have defined themselves as monogamous cultures. This was in part a Germanic cultural tradition, a requirement of Christianity (after the sixth century AD), and a mandate of Roman Law. However, Roman Law supported prostitution, concubinage, sex outside of marriage, homosexual sex, and sexual access to slaves. The Christian West formally banned these practices.
Globally, most existing societies no longer allow polygamy as a form of marriage. For example, China shifted from allowing polygamy to supporting only monogamy in the Marriage Act of 1953 after the Communist revolution. Most African and Islamic societies continue to allow polygamy (around 2.0 billion people). Probably less than 3% of all Muslim marriages are polygamous. It is increasingly expensive in an urban setting, but more useful in rural areas where children are a future source of agricultural labor. Most of the world's population now live in societies where polygamy is less common and marriages are overwhelmingly monogamous.
Since the later decades of the 20th century many traditional assumptions about the nature and purpose of marriage and family have been challenged, in particular by LGBT social movements, who disagree with the notion that marriage should be exclusively heterosexual. Some people also argue that marriage may be an unnecessary legal fiction. This follows from an overall shift in Western ideas and practices of family; since WWII, the West has seen a dramatic increase in divorce (6% to over 40% of first marriages), cohabitation without marriage, a growing unmarried population, children born outside of marriage (5% to over 33% of births), and an increase in adultery (8% to over 40%). A system of somewhat serial monogamy has de facto emerged.
In modern times, the term marriage is generally reserved for a union that is formally recognized by the state (although some people disagree). The phrase legally married can be used to emphasize this point. In the United States there are two methods of receiving state recognition of a marriage: common law marriage and obtaining a marriage license. The majority of US states do not recognize common law marriage, and those that do typically were formerly under Spanish control, such as Florida and California. Many localities do support various types of domestic partnerships.
Since the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), marriage or holy matrimony has been a sacrament when practiced by Christians. (Marriages between non-Christians are regarded by the Catholic Church as "good and natural marriages.") Having always regarded it, in practical terms as a relationship between a man and a woman, in the 12th century that the Church (the Catholic Church ), as well as other Orthodoxies, formally defined marriage as such. (In Catholicism the Sacrament of Matrimony (Marriage) is between three people: God, the man and the woman). The Protestant Reformation reformulated marriage as a life-long covenant. Marriage of some kind is found in most societies, and typically married people form a nuclear household, which is often subsequently extended biologically, through children. In the West the nuclear family emerged after 1100. Most non-Western societies have a broader definition of family that includes an extended family network. Alternatively, people may choose to be "childfree". Finally, they may be childless due to infertility, and possibly seek treatment or consider adoption. The term wedlock is a synonym for marriage, and is mainly used in the phrase "out of wedlock" to describe a child born of parents who were not married.
In some societies, there is a growing debate about the form(s) that marriage should take. Two of the most hotly-debated variants are discussed below: same-sex marriage - legal, by 2005, in some countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Canada (as well as the US state of Massachusetts) - and polygamy, which is still practised (illegally) by some groups in th United States, such as splinter groups which branched off of the Mormon Church.
The participants in a marriage usually seek social recognition for their relationship, and many societies require official approval of a religious or civil body. Sociologists thus distinguish between a marriage ceremony conducted under the auspices of a religion and a state-authorized civil marriage.
In many jurisdictions the civil marriage ceremony may take place during the religious marriage ceremony, although they are theoretically distinct. In most American states, the marriage may be officiated by a priest, minister, or religious authority, and in such a case the religious authority acts simultaneously as an agent of the state. In some countries such as France, Germany, Argentina and Russia, it is necessary to be married by the state before having a religious ceremony. Some states allow civil marriages in circumstances which are not allowed by many religions, such as same-sex marriages or civil unions, and marriage may also be created by the operation of the law alone as in common-law marriage, which is a judicial recognition that two people living as domestic partners are entitled to the effects of marriage. Conversely, there are examples of people who have a religious ceremony that is not recognized by the civil authorities. Examples include widows who stand to lose a pension if they remarry and so undergo a marriage only in the eyes of God and the community, homosexual couples, some sects which recognize polygamy, retired couples who would lose pension benefits if legally married, Muslim men who wish to engage in polygamy that is condoned in some situations under Islam, and immigrants who do not wish to alert the immigration authorities that they are married either to a spouse they are leaving behind or because the complexity of immigration laws may make it difficult for spouses to visit on a tourist visa.
In Europe it has traditionally been the churches' office to make marriages official by registering them. Hence, it was a significant step towards a clear separation of church and state and also an intended and effective weakening of the Christian churches' role in Germany, when Chancellor Otto von Bismarck introduced the Zivilehe (civil marriage) in 1875. This law made the declaration of the marriage before an official clerk of the civil administration (both spouses affirming their will to marry) the procedure to make a marriage legally valid and effective, and reduced the clerical marriage to a mere private ceremony.
Types of marriages
Many countries regulate the age at which one can get married. Societies have always placed restrictions on marriage to relatives, though the degree of prohibited relationship varies widely. In almost all societies, marriage between brothers and sisters is forbidden, with Ancient Egyptian, Hawaiian, and Inca royalty being the rare exceptions. In many societies, marriage between some first cousins is preferred, while at the other extreme, the medieval Catholic church prohibited marriage even between distant cousins. The present day Catholic Church still maintains a standard of required distance (in both consanguinity and affinity) for marriage.
In the Indian Hindu community, especially in the Brahmin caste, marrying a person of the same Gotra was prohibited, since persons belonging to the same Gotra are said to have identical patrilineal descension. In ancient India when Gurukul was in existence, the shishyas (the pupils) were advised against marrying any of Guru's children as shishyas were considered Guru's children and it would be considered marriage among siblings (though there were exceptions like Arjuna's son Abhimanyu marrying Uttra, the dance student of Arjuna in Mahabharata). The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, brought reforms in the area of same gotra marriages. Before this act, the Indian constitution banned same gotra marriages. Now the Indian constitution guarantees any two consenting adults (Women 18 or older and Men 21 or older) from any race, religion, caste or creed to engage in the institution of marriage.
Many societies have also adopted other restrictions on whom one can marry, such as prohibitions on marrying persons with the same surname, or persons with the same sacred animal. One example is South Korea. Even today, it is generally considered taboo for a man to marry a woman if they both have the same family name. The most common surname in South Korea is "Kim" (almost 20%), however, there are several branches (or clans) in the "Kim" surname. (Korean family names are divided into one or more clans.) Only intra-clan marriages are prohibited, as they are considered one type of exogamy. Thus, many "Kim-Kim" couples can be found.
Anthropologists refer to these sorts of restrictions as exogamy. One exception to this pattern is in ancient Egypt, where marriage between brothers and sisters was permitted in the royal family -- as it was also permitted in Hawaii and among the Inca; this privilege was denied commoners and may have served to concentrate wealth and power in one family. The consequence of the incest-taboo is exogamy, the requirement to marry someone from another group. Anthropologists have thus pointed out that the incest taboo may serve to promote social solidarity.
Societies have also at times required marriage from within a certain group. Anthropologists refer to these restrictions as endogamy. An example of such restrictions would be a requirement to marry someone from the same tribe. Racist laws adopted by some societies in the past, such as Nazi-era Germany, apartheid-era South Africa and most of the southern United States and Utah prior to 1967, which prohibited marriage between persons of different races could also be considered examples of endogamy.
Cultures that practiced slavery might admit that slave marriages formed but grant them no legal status. This was the practice under the Roman empire, so that in the Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas, the freewoman Perpetua could be described as "a married matron" but Felicitas as the "fellow-servant" of Revocatus -- even though the Christians regarded, religiously, such marriages as binding. Likewise, slave marriages in the United States were not binding, so that many contrabands escaping slavery during the American Civil War sought official status for their marriages. Among the rights distinguishing serfdom from slavery was the right to enter a legally recognizable marriage.
The ceremony in which a marriage is enacted and announced to the community is called a wedding. A wedding in which a couple marry in the "eyes of the law" is called a civil marriage. Religions also facilitate weddings, in the "eyes of God". In many European and some Latin American countries, where someone chooses a religious ceremony, they must also hold that ceremony separate from the civil ceremony. Certain countries, like Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands even legally demand that the civil marriage has to take place before any religious marriage. In some countries, notably the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Spain both ceremonies can be held together; the officiant at the religious and community ceremony also serves as an agent of the state to enact the civil marriage. That does not mean that the state is "recognizing" religious marriages; the "civil" ceremony just takes place at the same time as the religious ceremony. Often this involves simply signing a register during the religious ceremony. If that civil element of the full ceremony is left out for any reason, in the eyes of the law no marriage took place, irrespective of the holding of the religious ceremony.
Whilst some countries, such as Australia, permit marriages to be held in private and at any location, others, including England, require that the civil ceremony be conducted in a place specially sanctioned by law (ie. a church or registry office), and be open to the public. An exception can be made in the case of marriage by special emergency license, which is normally granted only when one of the parties is terminally ill. Rules about where and when persons can marry vary from place to place. Some regulations require that one of the parties reside in the locality of the registry office. Because of Australia's very relaxed rules on marriage, many famous people, including Michael Jackson, have opted to marry in Australia, so as to have a private ceremony.
The way in which a marriage is enacted has changed over time, as has the institution of marriage itself. In Europe during the Middle Ages, marriage was enacted by the couple promising verbally to each other that they would be married to each other; the presence of a priest or other witnesses was not required. This promise was known as the "verbum". If made in the present tense ("I marry you", it was unquestionably binding; if made in the future tense ("I will marry you"), it would, by itself constitute a betrothal, but if the couple proceeded to have sexual relations, the union was a marriage. As part of the Reformation, the role of recording marriages and setting the rules for marriage passed to the state; by the 1600s many of the Protestant European countries had heavy state involvement in marriage. As part of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church added a requirement of witnesses to the promise, which under normal circumstances had to include the priest.
In most societies, marriages end at the death of one of the partners, and in monogamous societies this allows the other partner to marry again.
Many societies provide for the termination of marriage through divorce. Marriages can also be annulled or cancelled, which is a legal proceeding that establishes that a marriage was invalid from its beginning.
There are arrangements similar to fixed-term marriage contracts such as Nikah Mut'ah.
Rights and obligations relating to marriage
Typically, marriage is the institution through which people join together their lives in emotional and economic ways through forming a household. It often confers rights and obligations with respect to raising children, holding property, sexual behavior, kinship ties, tribal membership, relationship to society, inheritance, emotional intimacy, health care, and love.
Marriage sometimes establishes the legal father of a woman's child; establishes the legal mother of a man's child; gives the husband or his family control over the wife's sexual services, labor, and/or property; gives the wife or her family control over the husband's sexual services, labor, and/or property; establishes a joint fund of property for the benefit of children; establishes a relationship between the families of the husband and wife. No society does all of these; no one of these is universal (see Edmund Leach's article in "Marriage, Family, and Residence," edited by Paul Bohannan and John Middleton).
Marriage has traditionally been a prerequisite for starting a family, which usually serves as the building block of a community and society. Thus, marriage not only serves the interests of the two individuals, but also the interests of their children and the society of which they are a part.
In most of the world's major religions, marriage is traditionally a prerequisite for sexual intercourse: unmarried people are not supposed to have sex, which is then called fornication and is socially discouraged or even criminalized. Sex with a married person other than one's spouse, called adultery, is even less acceptable and has also often been criminalized, especially in the case of a person who is a representative of the government (e.g. president, prime minister, political representative, public-school teacher, military officer). It is against the governing law of the U.S. military.
Marriage and religion
Many religions have extensive teachings regarding marriage. Most Christian churches give some form of blessing to a marriage; the wedding ceremony typically includes some sort of pledge by the community to support the couple's relationship. In the Roman Catholic Church "Holy Matrimony" is considered to be one of the seven sacraments when performed by Christians, in this case one that a priest bestows upon the couple in front of members of the community as witnesses during a "Nuptial Mass". In the Eastern Orthodox church, it is one of the Mysteries, and is seen as an ordination and a martyrdom. In marriage, Christians see a picture of the relationship between Jesus and the Church.
In Judaism, marriage is viewed as a contractual bond commanded by God (Deuteronomy 24:1) in which a man and a woman come together to create a relationship, under the guidence of the Torah law, in which God is directly involved. This relationship is also expected to fulfill the commandment to have children (Genesis 1:28). Despite that children are not the singular goal of marriage, the rearing of children is an important aspect of it. The main focus centers around the relationship between the husband and wife. Kabbalistically, marriage is understood to mean that the husband and wife are merging together into a single soul. This is why a man is considered "incomplete" if he is not married as his soul is only one part of a larger whole that remains to be unified.
Islam also recommends marriage highly; among other things, it helps in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. The Bahá'í Faith sees marriage as a foundation of the structure of society, and considers it both a physical and spiritual bond that endures into the afterlife. Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. By contrast, Buddhism does not encourage or discourage marriage, although it does teach how one might live a happily married life.
Protestants believe that marriage is a lifetime commitment and should not be entered into lightly. They believe God created the institution of marriage when he gave the first woman to the first man. Marriage can only be the union of one man and one woman. The Bible states in Genesis 2:24 (ESV), “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Different religions have different beliefs as regards the breakup of marriage.
For example, the Roman Catholic Church does not permit divorce, because in its eyes, a marriage is forged by God. The Church states that what God joins together, humans cannot sunder. As a result, although acknowledging civil divorce may be required to protect one spouse or the children, people who get a civil divorce are still considered married in the eyes of the Catholic Church, which does not allow them to remarry, even if the state they live in allows a civil re-marriage. The Catholic Church recognizes marriages between non-baptized people as "good and natural marriages" and even in the event that one partner is baptized, does not allow their being divorced if the non-baptized person is willing to live peaceably with the Christian. However, if the non-baptized person refused to live with the Christian, or to do so peaceably -- as, for instance, interfering with the Christian's practice of religion -- the marriage can be broken. Currently, under some circumstances, Catholics can be permitted an annulment. With a nullity, religions and the state often apply different rules, meaning that a couple, for example, could receive a divorce from the state and not have their marriage annulled by the Catholic Church because the state disagrees with the church over whether an annulment could be granted in a particular case. This produces a situation of Catholics getting Church annulments simultaneously with state divorces, allowing the ex-partners to marry other people in the eyes of both the Church and the State.
Islam does allow divorce; however, there is a verse stated in the Qur'an describing divorce as the least desirable act allowed between people. The general rule is for a man to allow his wife to stay until the end of her menstrual period or for 3 months if she so wishes after the divorce. During this period they would be divorced in that they would simply be living under the same roof but not functioning as husband and wife. The Qur'an scholars suggest that the main point is to prevent any decisions by the woman from being affected by hormonal fluctuations as well as to allow any heated arguments or differences to be resolved in a civil manner before the marriage is completely terminated. However, there is no obligation on the woman to stay, if she so wishes she may leave. The man is also obliged to give his wife a gift or monetary sum equivalent to at least half her mahr (gift or monetary sum which is given to the wife at the commencement of the marriage). Specific conditions as to how a divorce is conducted also apply if a woman is pregnant, or has given birth just prior to the divorce.
Marriages are typically entered into with a vow that explicitly limits the duration of the marriage with the statement "till death do you part". However, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have a distinctive view of marriage called celestial marriage, wherein they believe that individuals that are worthy can enter into a marriage relationship that can endure beyond death. This is documented in their Proclamation On The Family.
Marriage and economics
The economics of marriage have changed over time. Historically, in many cultures the family of the bride had to provide a dowry to pay a man for marrying their daughter. In other cultures, the family of the groom had to pay a bride price to the bride's family for the right to marry the daughter. In some cultures, dowries and bride prices are still demanded today. In both cases, the financial transaction takes place between the groom (or his family) and the bride's family; the bride has no part in the transaction and often no choice in whether to participate in the marriage.
In some cultures, dowries were not unconditional gifts; if the groom had other children, they could not inherit the dowry, which had to go to the bride's children, and which, in the event of her childlessness, had to return to her family -- sometimes not until the groom's death, or his remarriage; often the bride was entitled to inherit at least as much as her dowry from her husband's estate.
Morning gifts, which might also be arranged by the bride's father rather than the bride, were given to the bride herself; the name derives from the custom, in Germanic tribes, of giving them the morning after the wedding night. She might or might not have control of this morning gift during the lifetime of her husband, but when widowed, is entitled to it. If the amount of her inheritance is settled by law rather than agreement, it may be called dower. Depending on legal systems and the exact arrangement, she may not be entitled to dispose of it after her death, and may lose the property if she remarries.
Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in morganatic marriage, a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. The morning gift would be to support the wife and children.
Another legal provision for widowhood was jointure, in which property, often land, would be held in joint tenancy, so that it would automatically go to the widow on her husband's death.
In many modern legal systems, two people who marry have the choice between keeping their property separate or combining their property. In the latter case, called community property, when the marriage ends by divorce each owns half; if one partner dies the surviving partner owns half and for the other half inheritance rules apply.
In some legal systems, the partners in a marriage are "jointly liable" for the debts of the marriage. This has a basis in a traditional legal notion called the "Doctrine of Necessities" whereby a husband was responsible to provide necessary things for his wife. Where this is the case, one partner may be sued to collect a debt for which they did not expressly contract. Critics of this practice note that debt collection agencies can abuse this claiming an unreasonably wide range of debts to be expenses of the marriage. The cost of defense and the burden of proof is then placed on the non-contracting party to prove that the expense is not a debt of the family.
The respective maintenance obligations, during and eventually after a marriage, are regulated in most jurisdictions.
Some have attempted to analyze the institution of marriage using economic theory; for example, anarcho-capitalist economist David Friedman has written a lengthy and controversial study of marriage as a market transaction (the market for husbands and wives) .
Romantic marriage and pragmatic marriage
The so-called "romantic" marriage is usually initiated by the participants themselves after realizing that a cathexic bond exists between them or that making a commitment to live together, share a household, and possibly raise children is mutually advantageous. Often it is a combination of factors.
A pragmatic (or 'arranged') marriage that is facilitated by formal procedures of family or group politics. A responsible authority sets up or encourages the marriage. The authority could be parents, family, a religious figure or a consensus. The former two often start the process with informal pressure, social pressure, whilst the latter two often start the process with a formal system or statement. In both cases, the authority has a compelling veto over the marriage, and this system is socially supported by the rest of community so that to deny it is extreme and drastic. Once declared, an engagement is implicit, which follows through with a formal marriage ceremony.
Arranged and 'pragmatic' marriages are typical of dowry-based inheritance systems. Women in these societies inherit male wealth at the time of marriage, causing the parents to have a particular interest in their daughters' marriages. These same societies demanded pre-marital chastity and kept a high degree of separation of the sexes until marriage. Modern Western marriage expectations and traditions are derived from this system of dowry-based marriage.
Pragmatic marriage contrasted to romantic marriage
Cultures that aspire to create relationships after couples marry are those with institutionalized practices of pragmatic marriage. Cultures that come to think that marriages should only be tried once a short-term compatibility already exists adopt romantic marriages.
Those who believe in romantic marriage will often criticize pragmatic marriage, considering it is oppressive, inhuman, sexist, or immoral. Defenders of pragmatic marriage disagree, often pointing to cultures where the success rate of pragmatic marriages is seen to be high, and holding that nearly all couples learn to love and care for each other very deeply.
Those who uphold pragmatic marriage frequently state that it is traditional, that it upholds social morals, that it is good for the families involved. They also have some traditional criticisms of romantic marriage, saying that it is short-term, overly based on sexual lust, or immoral. Defenders of romantic marriage would hold that it is preferable to achieve an emotional bond before entering into a lifelong commitment.
The arranged marriage and the romantic marriage are not strict opposites. In many cultures, a couple wishing to marry will seek the approval of one or both parents, and the parents are entitled to pragmatically investigate the social and economic position of the proposed spouse and withhold consent if they do not approve. In others, the parents may carefully inspect people before admitting them into the social circle where the unmarried may met, so as to prevent unsuitable romantic bonds from forming.
Same-sex unions have been recorded in the history of a number of cultures, but marriages or socially-accepted unions between same-sex partners were rare or nonexistent in other cultures. Same-sex marriage remains infrequent worldwide, especially as it is not offered in most countries. As tolerance of homosexuality has become more widespread in Western cultures, some governments allow and/or sanction marriage of same-sex couples.
Jurisdictions accepting same-sex marriage
Some countries recognize same-sex marriage, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and Spain. In the United States same-sex marriage is not protected by the U.S. constitution, and is banned in the majority of states, either constitutionally or by statute. It is currently legal in the State of Massachusetts, but only for residents. South Africa will soon have same-sex marriage.
"Civil Union" or "Registered Partnership" is operative in Denmark (including Greenland but excluding the Faroe Islands), Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Andorra, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czech Republic and the American states of Vermont, Connecticut and California, the Australian states of Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory and some regions of Italy.
"Domestic Partnership", which give less rights than a "Civil Union" or "Registered Partnership," is operative in Hungary, Portugal and Croatia and in the American states of Maine, New Jersey, and District of Columbia, in the Australian states of Western Australia and Queensland, and in the southernmost state of Brazil.
The State of Hawaii has "reciprocal beneficiaries relationship," which is a limited interpersonal status for same-sex couples. Vermont also has "reciprocal beneficiaries relationship," but this is a very different interpersonal status from the Hawaiian form. Pending legal challenges to marriage restrictions are aimed at expanding or reinforcing the recognition of same-sex marriages to California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington .
Likewise, pending legal and electoral challenges to recognition of same-sex marriages and civil unions are aimed at prohibiting such recognition in states such as Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin .
These developments have created a political and religious backlash, most notably in the United Kingdom, where the Church of England has, after long debate, officially banned blessings of gay couples, and in the United States, where several states have specifically outlawed same-sex marriage, often by popular referenda. The state of Mississippi passed a ban on same sex marriage with 86% of the vote, the highest percentage seen on a statewide level. On the other side, Lutheran churches in Netherlands, Sweden and some Lutheran churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany allow blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
At the United States federal level, the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, has created a federal definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, as well as allowing one state not to recognize a same-sex marriage recognized by another state. Arguments have been made that the DOMA conflicts with the United States Constitution, and could conceivably be overturned on this basis. To ensure this does not happen, some, including President George W. Bush, support amending the federal constitution to prohibit same-sex marriages.
The city of San Francisco in 2004 began sanctioning same-sex marriages despite them being explicitly illegal in California. The Supreme Court of California declared that the unions were null and void. In 2005, a bill AB19, changing California law to let same-sex couples marry, was passed by both houses of the California State Legislature and then vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. (See Same-sex marriage in California for more information.)
Criticisms of the institution of marriage
Some commentators have been critical of marriage, sometimes condemning individual local practices and sometimes even the entire institution. A good many of the criticisms are developed from a feminist viewpoint that claims marriage can be particularly disadvantageous to women. However, there are other viewpoints from which marriage in its usual forms is problematic. Father's Rights advocates claim that no fault divorce and a family courts bias toward giving women custody of children encourages divorce. Sacred marriage vows that are often entered into as an indissovable sacred contract of fidelity often turns into a unilateral debt instrument by men that women may 'cash in' at any time.
SOME PROMINENT SOCIAL MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE:
Call off an engagement and see what happens. Based on a true story.
This website is Copyright © 1999 & 2018. The bird logos and name Solar Navigator are trademarks. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are hereby acknowledged. Max Energy Limited is an educational charity. | <urn:uuid:7b0ea1b6-d061-4aec-a6b8-e323ac396dbc> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://www.solarnavigator.net/animal_kingdom/humans/marriage.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100599.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20231206130723-20231206160723-00214.warc.gz | en | 0.968846 | 7,221 | 2.578125 | 3 |
9. "Santa Claus!" Claus thought that none of the children would ever know where the toys came from which they found by their bedsides when they wakened the following morning. But kindly deeds are sure to bring fame, and fame has many wings to carry its tidings into far lands; so for miles and miles in every direction people were talking of Claus and his wonderful gifts to children. The sweet generousness of his work caused a few selfish folk to sneer, but even these were forced to admit their respect for a man so gentle-natured that he loved to devote his life to pleasing the helpless little ones of his race. Therefore the inhabitants of every city and village had been eagerly watching the coming of Claus, and remarkable stories of his beautiful playthings were told the children to keep them patient and contented. When, on the morning following the first trip of Claus with his deer, the little ones came running to their parents with the pretty toys they had found, and asked from whence they came, they was but one reply to the question. "The good Claus must have been here, my darlings; for his are the only toys in all the world!" "But how did he get in?" asked the children. At this the fathers shook their heads, being themselves unable to understand how Claus had gained admittance to their homes; but the mothers, watching the glad faces of their dear ones, whispered that the good Claus was no mortal man but assuredly a Saint, and they piously blessed his name for the happiness he had bestowed upon their children. "A Saint," said one, with bowed head, "has no need to unlock doors if it pleases him to enter our homes." And, afterward, when a child was naughty or disobedient, its mother would say: "You must pray to the good Santa Claus for forgiveness. He does not like naughty children, and, unless you repent, he will bring you no more pretty toys." But Santa Claus himself would not have approved this speech. He brought toys to the children because they were little and helpless, and because he loved them. He knew that the best of children were sometimes naughty, and that the naughty ones were often good. It is the way with children, the world over, and he would not have changed their natures had he possessed the power to do so. And that is how our Claus became Santa Claus. It is possible for any man, by good deeds, to enshrine himself as a Saint in the hearts of the people.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ross on Legal Communications and Imperial Governance in British North America and Spanish America
Posted by Mary L. Dudziak
Legal Communications and Imperial Governance: British North America and Spanish America Compared is a new essay by Richard J. Ross, former LHB guest blogger, of the University of Illinois College of Law and Department of History. It appears in the CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF LAW IN AMERICA, Vol. 1, Christopher L. Tomlins and Michael Grossberg, ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2008). Here's the abstract: This essay asks how the practices and assumptions of legal communications in the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Anglo-American world affected governance of the British North American colonies. Historians have long argued that the strengthening of English imperial oversight of the colonies in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries required the cultivation of an assortment of legal communications techniques. Yet the empire's communications practices had a double nature. While they facilitated greater imperial oversight, they also inadvertently shielded a significant measure of local control and diversity in the colonial legal systems. To pursue this claim, I will contrast legal communications in the English and Spanish colonial empires. Comparison with Spanish America reveals basic presuppositions of the English system. It also suggests several particularities, orientations, and limitations that made Anglo-American legal communications an unreliable and inconsistent agent of imperial centralization. Exploring the double nature of these communications practices in a comparative context is the central ambition of my essay. My article challenges the weak geographical determinism implicit in many studies of New World imperialism. This perspective assumes that the great distance between England, France, Spain, and Portugal and their American colonies gave settlers and officials in the colonies a degree of autonomy and initiative not enjoyed by subjects and magistrates back home. Imperial administrators, confronted by the Atlantic, could exert only an inefficient and episodic supervision of New World colonies. I try to show, by contrast, that while England and Spain both confronted the problem of distance, they addressed the problem in different ways. Distance provides (by itself) a weak explanation for the various systems of legal communications that the European empires created to span the Atlantic and facilitate imperial governance. These systems arose in empires with different assumptions about the purpose of colonies and the nature of proper government, with dissimilar legal cultures and metropolitan administrative institutions, and with disparate colonial populations, resources, trade patterns, and educational and religious establishments. In all cases, communication across the Atlantic linked metropoles to colonial groups with their own interests and normative assumptions. Colonists maintained their own highly variable local legal communications that magnified, suppressed, and reinterpreted commands and messages from the metropolis. The article contributes not only to the comparative study of New World imperialism, but to early American political history. Scholars have long observed that the large degree of local control of legal institutions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries decisively influenced the shape of colonial politics and the nature of the Revolutionary movement. The essay uses comparative history to explore how local notables in British North America exercised substantial control over the means of communication as well as the means of administration. Local notables embedded in social networks influenced which audiences would know what about imperial directives and about the legal heritage that supposedly united colonies and metropolis. They shaped the meaning of the shared heritage and of imperial directives in the process of disseminating them. Understanding the dynamics of Anglo-American legal communications helps explain the persistence of a significant measure of local control and diversity in the eighteenth-century colonial legal systems, a factor important in the course and aftermath of the Revolution. | <urn:uuid:336769e2-5ee6-4583-ab13-87d0f18f35f5> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/ross-on-legal-communications-and.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999675557/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060755-00060-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92111 | 722 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Robert Seppings and the Birth of Innovation in Shipbuilding
For most of the age of sail shipbuilding was a conservative affair. Naval architects began life as apprentices, learning their craft from shipwrights who used methods of construction unchanged for decades. Innovation, when it came, was slow and evolutionary. But towards the end of the 18th century the pace of change quickened as a new breed of innovators came to dominate the industry. The most significant of these was Robert Seppings.
The son of a cattle dealer, he was born in 1767 in rural Norfolk. Although his parents were relatively poor, their son showed considerable promise as a youngster. At the age of 12, for example, he organized a mail service from Fakenham to Wells carrying the letters on a mule. When his father died in 1781, he was sent to live with his uncle, a retired naval captain. It was through him that Seppings found work at the Royal Dockyard at Plymouth as an apprentice to the master shipwright in 1782. Although he had never previously had any connection with the sea, he took to his new profession with gusto.
The first sign that this new shipwright might look to break with tradition came in 1800, when Seppings devised a method for securing ships in drydock that saved considerable time. The innovation proved so valuable that his idea was quickly adopted throughout the industry, and he was awarded a prize of a thousand pounds by a grateful Admiralty. In 1803, when the post of Master Shipwright at Chatham became vacant, several veteran candidates were bypast to give the job to the 25-year-old Seppings.
Chatham was one of the most important of the Royal Dockyards – Nelson’s flagship Victory was built there, for example, but Seppings was untroubled with such a senior appointment. He took over at a period when Britain was locked in a naval arms race. Across the channel Napoleonic France controlled every shipyard from Holland to Venice, and was rapidly building warships at a pace that even the Royal Navy struggled to match. One of the key issues the new Master Shipwright had to deal with was a shortage of timber. A century of naval warfare had exhausted the supply of local oak trees, but Seppings addressed this issue by innovating in a way that none of his predecessors had done. When he discovered that the Tonnant (80) and Culloden (74) where lying idle for want of suitable oak for new knees (a particularly awkward shaped piece to source) he wrote to the Navy Board asking permission to have the parts made from iron – a startling idea at the time. The repaired Tonnant would go on to fight at Trafalgar, and Seppings would replace more and more of the structure of his wooden ships with iron as his career progressed.
As well as pioneering the use of iron to replace oak, Seppings experimented with other solutions to the timber problem. He reused old but sound wood from broken up ships for non-critical areas of new ships. He also experimented with different types of hardwood, such as oak from North America, Cape Yellow Timber, Mahogany, Teak and African Stinkwood – which despite its unpromising name he found worked very well. To get a warship back into service, almost any expedient would do, including once planking the deck of a frigate diagonally when he lacked the necessary long runs of timber to do it fore and aft.
But Seppings did much more than fire-fighting the timber problem. He also believed that the fundamental design of ships was wrong. The traditional method of ship construction was one of vertical ribs, called frames, attached to a keel and then covered over with horizontal planking, with internal decks providing rigidity. The centre of such hulls was strong, but the ends where much weaker, and as Seppings observed “partial strength [in a ship] produces general weakness.” This issue manifested itself in the problem of ‘hogging.”
Hogging is where the ends of a hull droop relative to the centre. Beneath the water, a hull has the greatest volume in the centre, providing plenty of support for the ship above, but much less support towards the ends, where the hull narrows to form the bow and the swim leading to the rudder at the stern. As warships grew in length over the course of the 18th century, carrying more and heavier armament, the hogging problem became worse.
In 1805 Seppings was supervising work on rebuilding the Kent, a particularly large 74 that suffered badly from hogging, when he came up with a novel solution. He introduced diagonal bracing in place of traditional frames, which transferred load across the hull, solving the problem. He likened his solution to adding the diagonal strut to a five-bar gate. Seppings’s new construction technique was soon being used in the design of all new ships as well, permitting them to be much larger and more heavily armed.
In 1813 Seppings was promoted again, this time to Surveyor of the Navy, a position he was to hold for the next twenty years until he retired. He was effectively in charge of all Royal Navy warship design, and under him change came quickly. 18th century warships were highly vulnerable to being raked by an enemy firing down their length through the bow and especially the stern. These weaknesses were dealt with by the new surveyor, who introduced much stronger round bows and sterns. The round stern proved unpopular with officers, as it robbed them of the spacious cabins they had enjoyed in traditionally designed ships. He also accelerated the introduction of iron in warship design, paving the way for the steam driven ironclads that would sweep away oak built ships altogether.
He died in 1840, having risen from rural obscurity to be the most prominent ship designer of his generation. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1819 he was knighted. He managed to combine all this with a happy marriage to Charlotte Milligen with whom he had ten children. | <urn:uuid:7ef39299-8c2c-49e5-a7b1-737c4f60ec44> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.philipkallan.com/single-post/robert-seppings-and-the-birth-of-innovation-in-shipbuilding | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510130.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20230926011608-20230926041608-00033.warc.gz | en | 0.98564 | 1,246 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Can You Walk Across the Humber ?
Is it possible to walk across the River Humber at low tide . . . ?
If you live in Yorkshire and gaze longingly across the Humber Estuary to the Golden Shire of Lincolnshire you could be forgiven for being so desperate to escape and find cultural shelter you’d even consider trying to get across on foot
The question is can it be done ?
Well, it can indeed . .. but please do not try this at home !
In 1953 Lord Noel-Buxton walked from Yorkshire to Lincolnshire at low tide, it was a 1¾-mile journey took him 70 minutes during which time he was never more than waist deep in water.
Here’s me checking to make sure there are no stray Yorkshire men trying to illegally enter God’s Own County . . .
Lord Noel-Buxton wasn’t an eccentric, indeed a sensible man, you’ll note in which direction he chose to make his historic journey, a man after our own heart really - he did it in the name of history.
His idea was to prove that the Romans could have forded the River Humber making the movement of troops very much easier n the area and he remained convinced that there was an accepted ford path from Lincolnshire to Yorkshire.
“I think this is the way Ermine Street carried on and this was the fording place for the Roman legions between Lincoln and York.” Lord Noel-Buxton said at the time.
So there you go, another burning question of the day answered - can you walk across the River Humber . . . Yes, you can !
Yours, already on the right side
PS. In the interest of Health & Safety we should stress that under no circumstances should Yorkshiremen try to walk across the Humber in an attempt to save the bridge toll | <urn:uuid:93a75da1-0028-4d6f-93e5-ca38ee5d0fd7> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/can-you-walk-across-the-river-humber | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609539705.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005219-00128-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960588 | 388 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, is the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. It was first celebrated in 1865 and received long-overdue recognition as a federal holiday on June 18, 2021.
For me, it is a time to educate myself on Black history and support Black-owned businesses and creators. I read embracerace.org. Their mission, Let’s Raise a Generation of Children Who Are Thoughtful, Informed, and Brave About Race.
Today, Juneteenth is a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and specifically focuses on our Black sisters and brothers in the United States of America.
“We are all one—and if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way.”
– Bayard Rustin | <urn:uuid:c64f09f8-acfc-4bd5-a25d-9fd2d391bc64> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://visionaryleadership.com/juneteenth-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510100.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20230925215547-20230926005547-00631.warc.gz | en | 0.936816 | 167 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Randomness could 'improve democracy'
Parliamentary duty Democracy can be better served by randomly selecting representatives, argue Italian researchers.
"We think that the introduction of random selection systems, rediscovering the wisdom of ancient democracies, would be broadly beneficial for modern institutions," write the researchers.
Pluchino and colleagues developed a computer simulation, in which they studied the behaviour of politicians when randomly selected independents were introduced to a model parliament.
Their model relied on four categories of people in the parliament. These were: 'intelligent' people (actions serve both personal and social interests), 'helpless or naive' (loss for self, but gain for others), 'bandits' (benefit themselves, but not others), and 'stupid' (actions produce a loss for everyone).
The model, involving a parliament made up of two parties, had 500 individuals who could each propose and vote for or against acts.
Pluchino and colleagues found that in all cases studied, adding random legislators improved the performance of the parliament. Specifically, there were more acts passed with social benefit.
"Most people think that democracy means elections," they write. "However ... in the first significant democratic experience, namely the Athenian democracy, elections worked side by side with random selection (sortition) and direct participation."
Pluchino and colleagues say the drawbacks of a system dominated by political parties have been well documented. These include the tendency for politicians to follow a 'party line' and the tendency of groups to defend their interests.
In recent decades, they write, there has been a rise in interest in choosing representatives by random selection.
Arguments in favour of this are that it can reduce corruption, prevent the dominance of a small group of politically active people, and ensure people of different incomes, races, religions and sex, are more fairly represented in parliament.
In 2010, Pluchino and colleagues won an IgNobel prize for showing mathematically that organisations could avoid the spread of incompetence - or the Peter Principle - and become more efficient if they promoted people at random.
Limits to random selection?
Australian politician, Andrew Leigh describes the new research on random selection as an "interesting contribution".
But he sees random selection as being useful in limited situations - such as in deliberative polling, prior to a referendum.
"In a country that struggles to get people to perform a couple of days jury service, the notion that randomly-sampled people would be happy to give up their day jobs and become legislators seems far-fetched," says Leigh.
Leigh, a member of the Australian Labor Party and, until recently a professor of economics with an interest in public policy at the Australian National University, says Pluchino and colleagues are using an approach related to game theory and political science. Game theory is a branch of maths that tries to model behaviour of individuals making choices.
But Leigh challenges some of the assumptions in the parliamentary model.
"I think it's a mistake to regard many politicians as having taken up the profession because they're self-interested," he says.
"[Pluchino and colleagues] speak about bandits in their model - bandits are there to enrich themselves. I don't see any bandits in Australian politics," says Leigh.
He says it is more appropriate to think of politicians as having different views about the world rather than some being good and some being venal.
Wisdom of the crowd
Professor Lyn Carson of the Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy at the University of Western Sydney says random selection can improve deliberation, as well as representativeness, in democracy.
But she says most political science models of sortition tend to assume the whole parliament is randomly selected.
Carson says Pluchino and colleagues' model is different because it is proposing the introduction of just a few randomly -selected independents.
"I like that idea," says Carson, who was involved with the 2009 Australian Citizens' Parliament.
But like Leigh, she is not persuaded by Pluchino and colleagues' categories of individuals in parliament.
She says these categories may exist in adversarial parliamentary systems, but not when there is a proper deliberation.
"There is a very dramatic shift at a point in the deliberative environment when people shift from self interest to public interest," says Carson.
She says random selection is used to ensure fairness in a diverse range of areas from the allocation of the US Green Card to social housing in Ireland.
"We do it because it's fair. Everyone has got an equal chance," says Carson. "It doesn't make sense to exclude parliaments from that."
She says good democratic deliberation is restricted by the homogeneity of politicians, and random selection would help tap into the "wisdom of the crowd".
Carson says even representatives who don't know much have an important role to play.
"They'll be asking really naive questions or playing the devil's advocate," she says. "It's all fodder for deliberation." | <urn:uuid:d2e474d0-80f8-4db7-9686-4bdd484932f9> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/03/18/3165708.htm?topic=tech | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145621.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20200221233354-20200222023354-00155.warc.gz | en | 0.969848 | 1,018 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Food Production and the “New Normal”
The following is an excerpt of the Browning Newsletter, a key source of information in describing the relationship between macro weather-related trends and their potential impact upon energy, commodities, and the wider global economy. To subscribe to her monthly newsletter, click here.
One of the major issues reported by the Browning Newsletter over the past two years is the huge impact of the changed Pacific on global weather and food supplies. Scientific research indicates a huge long-term cycle in the Pacific tipped in 2006 (some claim it changed in 1999), changing phases and changing the distribution of water temperatures throughout northern and tropical regions of the ocean. This, in turn, has changed air temperatures and air pressures, which altered global wind and weather patterns.
I recently gave a speech and power point presentation outlining some of the impact of these weather changes on food and agriculture. This article will show many of the slides. The changes in precipitation patterns created by the negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) have made some agricultural areas more productive and others more drought-prone. The maps will show which areas of the globe will be facing major changes.
When precipitation shifts, so do farm belts. For the period of time that it takes agricultural societies to adapt to the changes, agricultural production suffers and food prices go up. Notably, now that the Pacific is in a cooler (and therefore drier) phase off the coasts of North and South America, the disruptive weather impacts of cool Pacific La Niñas are even greater. The droughts and soaring food prices during the 2007 – 2008, 2010 – 2011 and 2011 – 2012 La Niñas have shown how disruptive these weather changes can be.
The problem is that each phase of the PDO lasts for decades. Societies grow used to the “normal” patterns of precipitation and adjust their settlements and agricultural practices accordingly. Take North America as an example. Throughout most of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, the Atlantic’s long-term Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) was negative, producing a cool Atlantic and the PDO was positive, producing a warm Pacific off the West Coast. The warm Pacific waters heated the air overhead and warm air holds more moisture. The prevailing westerlies carried the moisture inland. The result was several decades of abundant rain throughout the Great Plains and Midwest.
The AMO changed in 1995 and warmed. This increased warmth, if it follows historical patterns, will continue for another twenty years with very few interruptions. Eleven years later, the Pacific tipped and should remain cooler off the West Coast for another 15 – 20 years. This has created drier conditions for most of the United States and a higher risk that large regions of the nation would experience drought during cool La Niñas.
Unlike the Atlantic, the cooler trend in the Pacific is interrupted every three to five years by an El Niño, which creates a flow of warmer water along the American coastlines. This change shifts precipitation patterns, often bringing lush moisture to drier regions. In the past, areas like California and Texas created numerous reservoirs to store the waters from these wet El Niño years for later use. Unfortunately, these reservoirs will not supply enough water to allow areas like California to live in the same style as they did in the wetter era. Expect major competition between urban and rural water users. Remember also the old California saying, “Water flows towards the money.” This does not bode well for agricultural water resources.
Notice that one Midwestern region tends to remain wet whether the Atlantic is warm or cool. Parts of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota continue to have good rains except during the occasional times when the Atlantic is hot and the Pacific is experiencing a El Niño. (This is why the combination of last summer’s hot Atlantic and El Niño conditions were so devastating.) Notice that this is the heart of corn country and the Midwestern soybean crop. Notice, also, that the Southeastern soybean belt is located in areas that usually have adequate moisture under the new climate regime.
The cattle industry is the most affected by the new climate conditions. From Kansas to Texas, dry weather and drought tend to hit this region about 20 – 30% of all years when the Atlantic is hot and the cold Pacific curbs the summertime Southwest monsoon. However, El Niños tend to reverse the trend and saturate Texas and parts of Oklahoma (but not poor Kansas). During the 1950s, the Southern Plains invested heavily in reservoirs and cattle ponds, storing water in the good years for the occasional drought. They also ran less cattle per acre. Using these tactics and fewer resources than ranchers have today, they fed the world.
Like North America, South America is trapped between the growing heat of the Atlantic and the cooler waters of the Pacific. While the PDO is currently defined as a northern Pacific oscillation, it strongly affects the tropics and appears to magnify the impact of cool La Niñas and cool MJOs. This in turn, as shown by tree ring studies, has long-term effects on South American climate and agriculture.
The main impact is on the Andean Republics along South America’s west coast – the lands that originally discovered and named the El Niño/La Niña phenomenon and have a 500+ Spanish written history of the cycle. During La Niñas the land regions are drier while the off shore waters become cooler, more fertile and fish become more plentiful. Historically, the dry conditions are most prominent in December, disrupting snow deposits in the Andes in the tropical and northern countries and agriculture in Chile. For centuries, the agricultural response has been for traditional farmers to plant a huge variety of crops, particularly types of potatoes, so that whatever weather evolves, they will have something to harvest.
Brazil and Argentina are increasingly investing in commercial one crop farming, which leaves their fields more vulnerable to weather cycles. The current cycles in the Pacific are bringing more rainfall to Brazil and less to Argentina. (Notice history shows these countries tend to trade off as continental powers.) Now it is Brazil’s turn as rainfall becomes less reliable for Argentina, particularly for its cattle country, the southern pampas (grasslands). Notice also that both countries (as well as Uruguay and Paraguay) have concentrated their farmlands in the regions with the most consistent rainfall. Still, history shows that these climate conditions have historically been linked with times of unrest in Argentina.
Changes in the PDO also affect other continents. In particular, Asia, with the strength of its monsoon seasons linked to the contrast between land and water temperatures, is affected by the shifting PDO. Typically during the negative phase of the PDO, the waters off the coast of Asia, particularly East Asia, are warmer, increasing the strength of the monsoons affecting Northern and Central China and most of India, while the monsoon impact around the South China Seas and portions of western Asia including Pakistan and parts of the Punjabi wheat belt weakens.
Most rice regions are in areas that will either accept more rainfall or remain the same. Southeast Asia, the world’s major rice exporting regions are particularly immune from impact by the PDO (but not from El Niños). In China its corn, soybean and wheat areas are in areas that are receiving better moisture. (Indeed, one of their main problems is post-production – drying the crops sufficiently for storage. It should be noted that most of the northern regions of India that are drier during a negative PDO, experience most of their drier condition in winter. This is one of the reasons that there is reduced snowpack in the Southern Himalayas while most of India is producing enough crops for export.
*The drier weather in most of Northern India is less winter moisture. Historically, summer monsoons usually supply good rainfall for crops.
Remember, the Pacific is not the only major climate force shaping Asian weather. The Indian Ocean also goes through cycles that can temper or increase the impact of the Pacific. The same holds true of Australia.
The Indian Ocean Dipole, which switches warmer Indian Ocean temperatures east and west, interacts with the PDO’s impact on El Niños (which dry Australia) and La Niñas (which bring heavy rains and even floods.) Overall, the combination of the growing Indian Ocean warmth and the negative PDO, which weakens El Niños and enhances La Niña, brings more precipitation for Australia, which is excellent for the nation’s wheat crop and livestock. Unfortunately, this also enhances the danger of wildfires during dry seasons, since there is more brush growth. However, the overall outlook is good for Australian agriculture and its ability to feed Asian markets.
Europe is relatively immune from the impact of the PDO, but not the growing warmth of the Atlantic.
The general impact of the heating Atlantic has been to create more extreme summer and winter weather for the European continent. In particular, it has increased the probability of hot, dry weather for Southern Europe during the growing season. In other words, not only are these southern nations facing increasing economic woes, their agriculture is facing increasing difficulties. We saw this last year as the corn and oilseed crops of Spain, Italy and the Balkans took a hard hit due to heat and drought.
Africa is also affected by the Atlantic warming. As noted in February’s issue, the increased monsoons are improving agriculture in the Sahel south of the Sahara, while the desert heat is increasingly devastating most of the nations along the Mediterranean Sea.
Overall, the impact of the changed PDO and hot Atlantic on global climate is being reflected in food prices. Middle latitude grains, like corn, wheat, barley and oats, have reduced production and soaring prices during cool La Niñas. We see a similar pattern in middle-latitude oilseed crops, such as soy, canola and sunflowers. Meanwhile tropical crops, such as rice and palm oil show less impact from the changed PDO. But, as the maps show, the negative impact on middle-latitude crops are not evenly distributed. Some areas, like Northern China and parts of the American Midwest, prosper with the change in climate.
Typically, it takes about a decade for societies to adjust to the “new normal” created by the shifts in the Pacific. They migrate, originally to other farmlands and more recently, as a source of labor, to cities or other neighbors. They change crops or, with livestock, adjust acreage and breeds. During the 1970s, many traditional societies accepted the “green revolution” and currently some are increasing their use of genetically modified seeds. We are in the middle of one of these times of adjustment, but history can show us how to ease the transition.
Source: Browning Newsletter
About Evelyn Browning Garriss
Evelyn Browning Garriss Archive
|11/05/2015||El Niño Update – Separating Hype from Probability||story|
|10/16/2015||Shaping the Rest of 2015: Godzilla vs. The Volcano||story|
|07/02/2014||The Economic Consequences of El Niño – North America||story|
|09/11/2013||Floods and Droughts Causing Major Crop Problems in China||story|
|06/10/2013||Going to Extremes: Why Weather Patterns Are Becoming More Expensive||story|
|01/31/2013||The New Normal - Warnings||story|
|10/04/2012||Agriculture: A Comparison Between U.S. and China||story|
|04/13/2012||Record Tornadoes & Weather in US, Severe Drought in Mexico and Europe||story|
|02/09/2012||Strange Weather Phenomena, Meth Labs, and Increasing Drought||story|
|11/11/2011||It's Official - A Cold La Nina Winter!||story| | <urn:uuid:610b315c-21d0-441f-a6d9-53fa3995e48d> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.financialsense.com/contributors/evelyn-browning-garris/food-production-new-normal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187823255.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20171019065335-20171019085335-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.938027 | 2,473 | 3.25 | 3 |
The analysis of DNA sequences reveals the genetic heritage of modern humans. Using genetic evidence, scientists established that modern humans (Homo sapiens) originated from Africa. As groups of modern humans dispersed from Africa, they adapted to different environments around the globe. Genetic variations in human populations account for these adaptations, which continue to play a role in our lives. Examples of adaptations include what we choose to eat, what we are able to digest, and how susceptible we are to certain diseases. | <urn:uuid:9ab4fa4a-55ff-48b2-a814-339680462dd3> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/genetics-human-origins-and-adaptation?qt-biointeractive_landing_page_sear=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128323721.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20170628171342-20170628191342-00210.warc.gz | en | 0.93341 | 96 | 3.9375 | 4 |
What do you do when you notice bad breath?
For many of us, we break out mints or gum as a solution. In fact, it’s estimated that Americans spend over $10 billion on oral hygiene products like mints, gums, and mouthwashes to combat bad breath. Unfortunately, these products simply put a band-aid on a much larger problem.
Bad breath isn’t just an annoying and embarrassing problem to deal with — in many instances it’s a clear sign that your oral health is lacking.
What Causes Bad Breath?
There are several factors that can contribute to chronic bad breath, also known as halitosis. Some of the most common causes of bad breath include:
Certain Foods: There are certain foods like garlic or onions that are notorious for causing bad breath. While this isn’t a cause of halitosis, it can still leave an unpleasant odor for quite some time. The unpleasant odor is long-lasting for some foods because it’s absorbed by the stomach and excreted through the lungs.
Dry Mouth: Dry mouth can also be a common cause of bad breath because the lack of saliva encourages bacteria to thrive and hide away in pockets around the gums. Saliva acts as a natural mouthwash by clearing out excess bacteria and food particles in the mouth. Without saliva, food particles will continue to deteriorate and give off a foul odor.
Poor Oral Hygiene: If you notice chronic bad breath, it may be time to step up your oral hygiene routine! If you’re not brushing or flossing enough, bacteria will flourish and cause chronic bad breath.
Conquer Your Chronic Bad Breath
It’s important to determine the root cause of your bad breath before deciding on a solution. Some of the best ways to conquer your bad breath include:
- Avoid certain foods
- Brush and floss more
- Stay hydrated
- Avoid tobacco products
- Visit your dentist
Contact Herman Family Dentistry
If you notice you’re dealing with chronic bad breath, you may need to address problems with your dental health. Contact our office today to schedule your next appointment with Dr. Eric Herman. | <urn:uuid:bd1bc884-f42e-4d0d-97ba-b171490841e7> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://dentalimplantsvincennes.com/dental-health/discover-the-root-of-your-bad-breath/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439740848.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20200815124541-20200815154541-00049.warc.gz | en | 0.909074 | 453 | 2.71875 | 3 |
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A targeted, year-long, evidence-based intervention for children in KS1 who have a Speech, Language and Communication Need: Speech Bubbles supports 20 children in Year 1 and Year 2 in developing their Speaking, Listening and Attention Skills and enhances the skills of a member of school staff (a high-level TA, Learning Mentor or SENCo, for example) to run small group creative work. The programme was developed by London Bubble Theatre Company, and has had impressive results for participating children and schools.
We are always interested in speaking to schools about possible partnerships for this project. Please contact us to find out more. More information can be found in the download below:
Since we began delivering Speech Bubbles in 2012 we have worked with 19 primary schools (18 in Tower Hamlets and one in Brent) and over 960 children.
Find out more about the impact of Speech Bubbles by reading our 2018-19 Evaluation Report:
For further writing and research reports, please visit the Speech Bubbles website here.
Speech Bubbles was one of five projects chosen to be part of the Learning About Culture research programme led by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Royal Society for the Arts (RSA). We were thrilled to be part of this initiative, allowing us to contribute to national research on the impact of our work.
In 2018-2019, 9000 pupils in 400 schools across England took part in trials to find out if different cultural learning approaches can help boost primary pupils’ achievement. For further information about the research please click here. As part of this research programme we delivered Speech Bubbles in four new primary schools in Tower Hamlets.
Speech Bubbles is being evaluated by a team of independent evaluators led by the University of London – Institute of Education and the Behavioural Insights Team.
This trial will evaluate the effect of Speech Bubbles on the communication skills and reading abilities of Key Stage 1 children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs. The results of this project will make a valuable contribution to understanding the development of children and significance of drama and storytelling in improving pupil attainment.
The delivery and evaluation of the programme has been funded through a partnership between the RSA and the EEF, with support from Arts Council England, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Foyle Foundation and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. | <urn:uuid:177831cc-06e9-4fae-8a16-9ca1bb5db575> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://www.halfmoon.org.uk/participate/educators/early-years-primary/speech-bubbles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655896374.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20200708031342-20200708061342-00393.warc.gz | en | 0.944411 | 514 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Those familiar with the Holy Bible likely know the story of the crucified convict known as the Good Thief who, being crucified with Jesus Christ said “Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom”. Jesus replied “Assuredly I say unto you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23: 42-43). This account from the Gospels is often associated with Easter. Yet there is a Good Thief from the Twentieth Century to remember on this Veteran’s Day, a Korean War chaplain. One rarely associate the words “chaplain” and “thief” in the same thought, but in the matter of Father Emil Kapaun, he was both.
Father Kapaun served during World War Two as well as in the Korean War. Chinese forces captured Father Kapaun and the other survivors of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Calvary Regiment, 1st Calvary Division in the aftermath of the Battle of Unsan (Nov. 1-2, 1950). He volunteered to stay behind and care for the wounded, despite opportunities to withdraw to safety before the end of the battle. Marched with the other American POW’s to a brutal existence in a Chinese prison camp, Father Kapaun stole food to give to starving POW’s, thus earning the moniker “The Good Thief”. In addition, he ministered to the spiritual needs of the POW’S as well as tending to the sick. He resisted indoctrination by the enemy and suffered physical punishment for his disobedience. He further defied his captors by conducting a sunrise service on Easter morning 1951. Eventually, he began to show signs of the physical abuse he endured. Before being transferred to a primitive Chinese hospital, he urged the other POW’s to keep their faith and asked God to forgive his Chinese captors. Father Kapaun died alone on May 23, 1951.
To quote official records:
Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun repeatedly risked his own life to save the lives of hundreds of fellow Americans. His extraordinary courage, faith and leadership inspired thousands of prisoners to survive hellish conditions, resist enemy indoctrination and retain their faith in God and country. His actions reflect the utmost credit on him, the 1st Calvary Division and the United States Army.
Father Kapaun not only earned a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross, he also received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2013.
History does not record what the individual in the Holy Bible known as the Good Thief did to earn his death sentence, but we do know that Father Kapaun’s nickname was very apt. He was a Good Thief, not because he was skilled at theft. Instead he is called a Good Thief because of what he did with the purloined food. The members of the URG Chaplaincy might remind us of the words of Jesus Christ to the Apostles in Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” This description applies well to how Father Kapaun conducted himself while a POW. Perhaps Father Kapaun meditated and gained comfort from the words Jesus spoke in Luke 23:43 as he lay dying in the enemy’s hospital. On that May day, Father Kapaun joined Jesus in paradise, just as much as the Good Thief in the Book of Luke gained paradise by believing that Jesus was who He said He was on the day of the crucifixion. I like to think that when Father Kapaun entered Heaven Jesus introduced him to the Good Thief from the Book of Luke. Two men, one a chaplain, one a convict, two different millennia, yet they both gained eternal joy in Heaven the same way: Jesus Christ. The URG Chaplians might further remind us of the words in Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”. They would likely also inform us that the same salvation found by the Good Thief in Biblical days and by Father Kapaun in the 20th Century is the same salvation through Jesus Christ available to people in our modern world.
I do not believe Father Kapaun asked his fellow prisoners about their race, religion or income before he stole food and did other things to help them. He put hands and feet to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the benefit of the POW’s. Today our active duty military personnel do not ask you about your race, religion or income before they put on their uniform each day to help secure the freedoms you enjoy daily, just as the veterans before them did not ask such question before they choose to serve our country and her citizens. Both the active duty and veterans deserve the thanks of a grateful nation for their service, be it in the cold mountains of Korea, the steamy jungles of Vietnam, or the desert heat of Iraq or the barren areas of Afghanistan. Seeing all the divisions in our country today, perhaps the example of Father Kapaun and the sacrifices of other veterans before and after his time can be an antidote to the apathy and animosity we witness in America today.
THANK YOU VETERANS! Whether you marched into battle with the latest Earthly weapons or, like so many Chaplains past, present and future, go into battle with the Whole Armor of God!
William E. Plants
Chaplaincy Program Coordinator | <urn:uuid:8009029c-79eb-430b-8cfa-d37da89a8b77> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.rio.edu/chaplaincy/veterans-day-statement/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738595.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20200809222112-20200810012112-00109.warc.gz | en | 0.968705 | 1,115 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Spotlight on Responsivity
General responsivity calls for the use of cognitive-behavioral approaches to treatment as such approaches have been shown to be most effective with offenders as a whole.
Specific responsivity, however, acknowledges that non-criminogenic needs may help or hinder the provision of and response to treatment, thus they need to be addressed in order to maximize recidivism reduction.
A major factor in achieving responsivity is the dosage or intensity of programming and controls. Higher risk and greater needs require more intensive interventions. To guide responsivity, the RNR Simulation Tool matches offenders to a level of programming and controls based on their risk level and criminogenic needs.
The concept of RNR is considered a best practice for corrections (Taxman, 2006) and has been shown to effectively reduce recidivism by as much as 35% when implemented in certain settings (Bonta & Andrews, 2007). Research has shown that non-adherence to the RNR principles in service delivery is not only ineffective, but can also be detrimental to offender treatment outcomes (Lowenkamp & Latessa, 2005). One study examining the effectiveness of treatment programs reported a substantial negative correlation (r = -.28) between risk level and treatment effect size for a program that did not adhere to the RNR principles (Bonta, Andrews & Wormith, 2006).
Why do we need a Risk-Need-Responsivity Tool?
• Reducing criminal behavior and improving public safety can best be achieved by matching offenders to services that are consistent with the behaviors that drive their criminal activity.
• The current distribution of treatment services to offenders in prison, jail and community corrections is inconsistent with the needs of the offender. Significant improvements in reducing recidivism cannot be made unless this gap in services is closed.
• There is a pressing need to help jurisdictions develop guidelines as to how to allocate offenders into appropriate services including what services need to exist. | <urn:uuid:b84e7a93-4b3c-44a2-bdcc-0a749e6387a5> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.gmuace.org/research_rnr.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223205137.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032005-00642-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950218 | 395 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Hardly an earthshattering conclusion, I know. But it's a well-documented one: Attractive people grab our attention. Even babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces, suggesting to some that hardwiring in our brains automatically diverts attention to the good-looking others around us, much in the way moths are helplessly drawn to light. Or George Costanza to cleavage:
But interestingly, new research demonstrates that this gravitational pull to attractive others is controllable in certain circumstances. As I explore in my new book, Situations Matter, much of human nature is surprisingly context-dependent, and the allure of the attractive turns out to be little different.
In a paper to be published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology next month, researchers in Germany examined the attentional bias we usually pay toward attractive members of the opposite sex. They did so via a task in which adult respondents were shown a series of faces on a computer screen.
Earlier, half of the faces had been rated by other respondents as particularly attractive. The other half had been rated as average-looking. The computer program varied the precise location of each face on the screen, such that every photo popped up for the same half-second duration, but randomly appeared in one of the four corners of the computer monitor.
Immediately after each photo disappeared, a geometrical shape was presented, once again randomly in one of the four quadrants of the screen. Respondents' task was to identify as quickly as possible whether this shape was a circle or a square. When the shape showed up in the same location as the previous photo, the task was easy: participants were already looking in that vicinity and they quickly indicated what shape they saw.
When the shape appeared in a different quadrant of the screen, however, the task became harder. With their eyesight still fixated on the spot where the face had just appeared, participants now had to shift their visual attention to find the shape. This shift proved to be particularly challenging when the previous face was an attractive one–the tendency to linger and look longer at good-looking faces slowed down their shape identification.
But not all the respondents showed this bias to stare a bit longer at attractive faces. Who was more easily able to break the spell of the pretty face? Participants who had previously been asked to visualize that they had just learned that someone they had a crush on also had feelings for them.
Reciprocated romantic interest, as the researchers refer to it. It has a powerful influence on us, this finding out that someone out there has a thing for you. Many of you have had the experience: you find out that someone is interested in you, and it changes the way you think about him or her. Suddenly, that person seems just a bit more attractive. Becoming aware of someone else's feelings opens the door to new relationship possibilities, prompting you to see the admirer in a new light. I mean, at the very least, you've now discovered that this is a person of refined taste, right?
And it makes sense that this type of interest from someone else would disrupt our otherwise chronic focus on all the attractive alternatives out there. Think about it: if our attention were repeatedly interrupted and hijacked by every pretty face that passed by, then we'd never get the chance to turn initial interactions into more meaningful, sustained romantic relationships. We'd devolve into some sort of relationship version of ADD–you know, along the lines of this:
The results of the German research weren't limited to just imagining reciprocated romantic interest either. In a second study, the researchers created a heterosexual internet dating site. Each participant uploaded a photo, created a profile, and browsed through the profiles of other participants. They were asked to identify three opposite-sex students whom they'd be interested in dating.
One week later, participants were brought back to the lab. First, they completed the face/shape computer task described above; as expected, they were slower to identify shapes when those shapes were preceded by attractive faces. Next, each participant was given the name and photo of one opposite-sex participant who had reciprocated their dating interest. When they were then run through the exact same face/shape task a second time? Suddenly, there was no attentional bias. Basking in the glow of reciprocated interest from a fellow dating site member, participants' attention was no longer drawn to the faces of attractive others.
No doubt about it: we love to look at the good-looking. In fact, many a significant other has been chastised for being too easily distracted by the other pretty fish in the sea. But we aren't hopelessly and perpetually at the mercy of our wandering eye. In fact, in some situations we don't even notice that there are other fish swimming by. | <urn:uuid:679903c4-9e65-4bfa-a7b7-71ccddd54053> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-small-talk/201112/the-magic-spell-pretty-face | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510268363.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011748-00373-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981508 | 982 | 2.578125 | 3 |
St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in the USA by wearing Green, but did you know the number of Irish Americans are seven times larger than the entire population of Ireland?
According to Census data, there are 39.6 million American who claim Irish heritage including five million who say they are of Scots Irish heritage.
That number is almost seven times larger than the entire population of Ireland (6.3 million). After German, Irish is the most common ancestry of Americans.
With 12.9 percent of its residents claiming Irish ancestry, New York has the most concentrated Irish American population. At 20.4 percent, Boston has the most-concentrated Irish population for a city, while Miami, at 1 percent, has the least.
According to Kolko’s data, the one neighborhood in the entire U.S. that has the largest Irish American population is Breezy Point in Queens, where 54.3 percent of its population claim Irish ancestry.
“Eight of the top 10 metros where Ireland accounts for the highest share of foreign search traffic are also among the top 20 metros for the highest share of Irish ancestry,” he says. “In other words, people from Ireland tend to search more for homes in places where more Irish-Americans live.”
*Originally published August 5, 2013 | IrishCentral Staff Writers | <urn:uuid:95f58a12-fd2e-45c7-838b-85a590916383> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://purcolour.com/celebrate-irish-green-today/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949387.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20230330194843-20230330224843-00553.warc.gz | en | 0.954743 | 279 | 2.84375 | 3 |
NASA just released this GIF of Curiosity’s parachute in motion. Over the course of six months, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter kept an eye on the parachute which assisted in Curiosity’s landing.
When strung together, the seven images show the parachute moving as the wind sweeps over the landscape. Researchers may use this to help them understand wind patterns and how they affect the surface of Mars.
But this isn’t the first time NASA has utilized GIFS. | <urn:uuid:653ffd52-4c7b-415f-b480-c40661af176e> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/nasas-stash-of-fascinating-maritan-gifs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510273676.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011753-00158-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.834996 | 114 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Written by Eddy Hood
Nonprofits are organizations that exist primarily to improve society and provide specific services to the public. These organizations differ from for-profit businesses in many key ways. Nonprofits do not have owners, for instance, and while most businesses are subject to federal income tax, nonprofits can apply to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to become tax-exempt. While making a profit is not a nonprofit's primary function, it is important to an organization's health and continued success that revenues consistently exceed expenses. Therefore, non-profit accounting is an important part of any organization's operations. However, because accounting for non-profit organizations can be confusing to someone who isn't a certified non-profit accountant, many organizations choose to use outsourced financial reporting services similar to those offered by Ignite Spot.
The United States Generally Accepted Accounting Practices, or US GAAP, put into place and occasionally updated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), require that nonprofits issue certain kinds of financial statements. Whereas accounting for a small business or firm typically involves a balance sheet, in nonprofit accounting, there is something called a statement of financial position. Just like a business's balance sheet, the statement of financial position lists an organization's assets and liabilities. The structure of the statement is based on the basic accounting equation, expressed as Assets = Liabilities + Net Assets.
Another key component of non-profit accounting is the statement of activities. This statement reports revenues and expenses. Under revenues, the nonprofit will list any income from contributions, fundraising efforts, grants, membership dues, and other sources. In addition to a statement of activities, some nonprofits are required by the FASB to issue a statement of functional expenses. This statement reports a nonprofit's expenses, broken down by function and type. For instance, there will be a column listing the expenses for each separate program run by the nonprofit, another column for fundraising expenses, and so on. These expenses are further separated into rows according to what, specifically, the money was spent on, like salaries or rent.
Nonprofits also issue a report called a statement of cash flows. This statement reveals the changes in an organization's cash during a period, broken down into three sections: investing, financing, and operating. The investing section shows the amount of cash spent on purchasing or made from selling long-term investments, such as vehicles and other equipment. The financing section shows the amount of cash gained from borrowing from lenders, as well as the amount of cash used to repay them. The operating section includes any changes in cash that do not fall into the other two categories.
The explanatory notes that typically accompany these other reports are also an important part of nonprofit accounting. These notes could consist of many pages that include further information about the financial statements or the nonprofit itself. Because financial reporting of this sort may have very little to do with an organization's primary mission, they may opt not to hire a full-time accountant or download accounting software. Instead, many organizations choose to save time and money by using outsourced accounting solutions and online nonprofit bookkeeping.
Learn about our non-profit accounting support by clicking Online Bookkeeping Services.
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- What is Depreciation | <urn:uuid:ad8381a4-225a-4916-9144-71fe81702550> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.ignitespot.com/non-profit-accounting | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875143373.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20200217205657-20200217235657-00213.warc.gz | en | 0.932998 | 978 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Quick Assessment Tool
Dyslexia affects up to one in five individuals, many of whom remain undiagnosed and receive little or no intervention services.
For some individuals who have never been diagnosed, dyslexia is a hidden disability which may result in underemployment, difficulty navigating academic environments, difficulty on the job, and reduced self confidence. Even those who have been diagnosed are likely to struggle with reading or writing in some aspects of their lives. Dyslexia is a specific reading disorder and does not reflect low intelligence. There are many bright and creative individuals with dyslexia who never learn to read, write and/or spell at a level consistent with their intellectual ability.
Do you suspect that you, or someone you know, might have dyslexia? Answer with a “yes” or “no” to the following self-assessment tool below and see how you score.
- Do you read slowly?
- Did you have trouble learning how to read when you were in school?
- Do you often have to read something two or three times before it makes sense?
- Are you uncomfortable reading out loud?
- Do you omit, transpose, or add letters when you are reading or writing?
- Do you find that you still have spelling mistakes in your writing even after Spell Check?
- Do you find it difficult to pronounce uncommon multi-syllable words when you are reading?
- Do you choose to read magazines or short articles rather than longer books and novels?
- When you were in school, did you find it extremely difficult to learn a foreign language?
- Do you avoid work projects or courses that require extensive reading?
If you answered “yes” to seven or more questions, you may have dyslexia. Consider seeking consultation from a specialist or a formal diagnostic assessment from a qualified examiner.
Share this page with your friends… | <urn:uuid:cbc39ef7-dcb8-4c64-a90f-0575945d1c1c> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://umw.dyslexiaida.org/tools-information-resources/dyslexia-basics/what-is-dyslexia/quick-assessment-tool/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738723.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20200810235513-20200811025513-00010.warc.gz | en | 0.966778 | 395 | 3.125 | 3 |
Benefits to Children, Teachers and Society
- It is an innovative program of "Yug Nirman Yojna" which improves physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of our future generation.
- Children become familiar with our culture and human values.
- It is easy to mold children at young age.
- Teachers get self satisfaction of shaping the new generation.
- It is a noble cause of national/social service.
- All revolutions were initiated by cultured youth.
- Generation gap can be reduced through these workshops. | <urn:uuid:ce6360c0-9ba7-46ae-9154-bf1e83dbf486> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://diya.net.in/social_initiative/education/bal_sanskar_shala | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549425117.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170725082441-20170725102441-00200.warc.gz | en | 0.92747 | 108 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Now before we start, we must first acknowledge the fact that the “monkey” tag used on Black people by other races of this world, is derogatory and inhumane.
Now before we start, we must first acknowledge the fact that the “monkey” tag used on Black people by other races of this world, is derogatory and inhumane. Maybe that is why we sense that the use of Apes (monkeys) in the movie, and their revolt against oppression, subliminally indicate the awakening and near revolt going on in Africa and among Black people today.
Maybe someone is saying something – passing a hidden message to someone else or to Black people. We might be wrong. But we believe our observation and analysis of the storyline and plot, points to a Black revolution that is coming. Revolutions are first done mentally, before physically if there is a need for violence.
The movie is one that is captivating and filled with emotional moments and moments of heroism. To the average human, it is just another great movie, but to those who see beyond the physical, it means a whole lot. But they keep it to themselves for fear of sounding like mad people and being laughed at.
There are a few points and turns in the movie that will help us drive our point home. As you read further, you will understand better. This article does not in any way mean Africans are to be likened to Apes. No. This article is just trying to dig up hidden messages from uncommon scenarios.
Caesar’s Mother was Stolen from Africa With Other Apes – The Raiding of African Villages and Taking Of Slaves:
In the movie, local militia (Ape hunters) who were under the payroll of American scientists and scientific cooperation, attack the Apes in the jungle and kidnap many of them. Cage them up and hand them over to their American Masters.
These same actions, and even worse, were carried out against Africans for hundreds of years by slave hunters and traders, who raided the village, kidnapped Africans, put them on ships and took them to America, Europe and other parts of the world.
Slavery was for one specific goal and that was to use the African to better the lives of the Americans and Europeans. This is because enslaved Africans built the whole of America – from prestigious universities to industries and cities. In the movie, the scientists used the Apes in testing drugs that would better their lives – same purpose, similar stories.
The Apes Were Put in Cages in America And Used for Experiments – 400 Years of Slavery In America:
The Apes, taken against their will are locked up and experimented upon, for many years. Many of them produced offsprings in captivity, just like Caesar’s mother. Many of them were killed, just like Caesar’s mother. Their offspring grew up with bitterness and anger about the whole experience.
The Experiments carried out on the Apes can be mirrored and found in the numerous experiments which European and American scientists used the body of both living and dead Africans for throughout the course of slavery and beyond. A little research on google will show how much the research on Africans contributed to modern medicine. Follow these links to see a few posts on the experiments carried out on African slaves in America: How body parts of slaves were sold for experiments & How Reproductive system of Blacks was forcefully removed.
The Use of Brain Enhancements On The Apes, Which Backfired – The Teaching of English And Religion To The Slaves Which Made Them More Fierce And Awake:
The scientists in the movie wanted to create drugs that could enhance human brain activity, but first, they tested it on the Apes. The introduction of those drugs to some of the Apes, made them understand the ways, wickedness, and trickery of the Scientists and made them know how to revolt.
But all of that could not have happened without Caesar himself being courageous and demanding to lead the other apes to freedom. Caesar here represents the many civil rights movements and fighters such as Martin Luther, Malcolm X, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and their many counterparts in Africa who fought for African independence in the 1800s and 1900s.
Most of those who fought for the freedom of the Black man, both home and abroad, were trained in the white man’s ways. Most of the were trained to be used by Europeans and Americans for an indirect rule in Africa. But their training backfired on their captors/masters as they used the training to access more knowledge about the world, and form a unifying front against the enemy.
The White Couple Who Brought Caesar Up – The White People Who Have Not Enslaved and Brutalized Black People:
After Caesar was born, his mother was killed in the facility where she was being experimented on. One of the scientists who had some sympathy took him home and brought him up. Later he would be forced to take him to a facility for Apes for him to be taken care of. But they ended up maltreating him.
From the inception of slavery and Caucasian subjugation of the black man, there have always been a few white people who had no hate in their hearts towards the Black man. But because they are not in the majority, their acts and deeds are often suppressed by those of the oppressors and killers.
They might have tried to save a few Black people from slavery, and helped them in running away from harsh plantations, but their deeds were not enough.
The Scientist and his wife were kind-hearted, but they didn’t do enough to save Caesar or the other apes from the harsh reality of their slavery and imprisonment. Who could blame them? The bad outnumber the good.
The Black Man Who Was the Owner Of The Scientific Cooperation – A Few Black People Who Have Sold Their People Out:
No one needs to explain to the average black man how there has always been sell-outs, uncle toms, house niggas, thieving African politicians, and many more types of Black people who benefit from the suffering of their people.
The Black owner of the cooperation should have felt some remorse about the treatment of the Apes. This is because Apes are brought from Africa – they are a part of the natural habitat of his home. And if they continued to steal them, soon there will be no more Apes in Africa. But he didn’t care. He cared about money and serving his white colleague, business partners, and masters.
So also, for hundreds of years, there has always been Black men who would betray their people for a penny, in the hands of the Caucasian. So, the movie passed this subliminal message with great importance, as they made him very powerful.
That power and control he had points back to African leaders who would do anything to kill, oppress and sell the collective will and rights of the people.
The Final Rise and Revolt by The Apes – The New Awakening of Black People Worldwide:
The rise and revolt of the apes, led by Caesar, was not anticipated by their captors. Even though a few had a hint of the increased stubbornness of the Apes, the majority of the people did not expect a legion of apes to have so much coordination and attack the city.
Caesar and the other apes rose and took their fate into their hands. There is a time for everything on the face of the earth. And it was time for them to be free. The movie makers did a good job in stressing the anger of the apes and the reason why they had to be free.
There is no doubting that a revolution of Blacks in underway. All over the world, on social media and in the many communities, we see a rise in consciousness and self-awareness of Africans and Black people in general. It feels like a prophecy is being fulfilled, and not even the oppressor can stop it.
Africans are beginning to drop foreign religions and ideologies and are fast returning to the old ways of their ancestors. This wave of consciousness has been sensed by many in the “oppressive Caucasian world”, and it has increased the racism and oppression of Black people all over.
But we believe that Africa’s time for freedom has come. The seed of mental revolution we are planting will ensure the freedom of our people in many years to come. It might not happen so fast, but it will happen nonetheless. The revolution is here – the handwriting is on the wall. Let those who have eyes see them. Maybe the owners of the movie “Planet of the Apes” saw the handwriting, and have sent out a coded signal to the world.
We want to state clearly again that we do not liken Africans to Apes. Hell no. We don’t – we can’t do that to ourselves, knowing how that classification has been used against us for centuries. We are only trying to pick the brains of our people, to remove the Apes in the picture of the movie and put the Black man. When we do, we will find that we are under the same kind of scenario as Black people, and time has come for us to rise and take our freedom into our hands. | <urn:uuid:9e73907d-f445-4800-b683-4814d6e49996> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://saativamediallc.group/2019/12/02/how-the-movie-planet-of-the-apes-annoyingly-prophecy-black-awakening-revolt-subliminal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655896905.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20200708062424-20200708092424-00175.warc.gz | en | 0.977235 | 1,899 | 2.796875 | 3 |
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borders.Verbena bonariensis works well in a number of garden settings, such as cottage and contemporary gardens, due to its height and airy appearance. It's also beneficial for attracting wildlife, particularly butterflies.Growing tall on strong, wiry
, mixing it into the soil to the depth of the spade or fork tines.Tread the area, using your heels to firm the soil. Break up large lumps of soil with the back of a fork. Sprinkle fertiliser over the surface at the rate recommended on the packet, then use a
, and therefore a must for every garden.Designing your wildlife gardenWhen planting a nectar border or any selection of flowers to attract insects, think first of what's best for them and second, of what you want to look at. The two are not remotely exclusive
. Use them to fill gaps in summer borders or grow larger quantities in rows on the allotment or veg plot. Stagger sowings by a few weeks to give you a regular supply of blooms.Many of the best summer blooms are easy-to-grow hardy annuals and, with seeds
or modular trays. Once the risk of frost has passed (usually around the end of May) they will be ready to plant out. Use them to fill gaps in summer borders or grow larger quantities in rows on the allotment or veg plot. And don't forget to stagger sowings
in these conditions. You can even find plants that suit really difficult situations such as shady watersides or areas under large trees whose roots suck all the moisture out of the ground in summer. If you have borders of moist but well-drained and humus-rich soil
Learn how to grow sweet pea plants from seed with Monty Don's step-by-step video advice.springMore on growing flowers from seedPotting on sweet peasGrowing lupinsPlanting out cerinthesGrowing dahlias from seed
Follow Chris Beardshaw's step-by-step video advice on lifting and preparing dahlia tubers, for overwintering in a frost-free environment.autumnMore advice on growing dahliasVideo advice on planting dahlia tubersMore tips on lifting and storing dahliasHow to take dahlia cuttingsHo...
Sarah Raven demonstrates how to plant up dahlia tubers in trays indoors, to ensure a greater number of cuttings in summer.springMore advice on growing dahliasLift and store dahliasGrowing dahlias from seedTie in dahliasTaking dahlia cuttings video projectBrowse a variety of dahli...
Sarah Raven shows how to take cuttings from dahlia plants in her step-by-step video guide. She also gives a demonstration on how to make a simple propagation tent from a plastic bag, stakes and an elastic band.spring and summerMore advice on growing dahliasLift and store dahliasG... | <urn:uuid:291e3884-9a3d-4ad6-bcb5-366321770e0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gardenersworld.com/search/articles/mixed-border/page/6/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705939136/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120539-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90169 | 625 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Have you ever wondered what is ethics and is there any difference between ethics and morals? The short answer is: yes, there are important differences between the two, they are not synonymous with each other, although they are often used interchangeably in everyday discourse.
Both morals and ethics endeavor to answer the variety of questions related to how to lead a good and virtuous life, how to treat other living beings, and how to base decisions on the right values. Both have normative content, prescribing how we should behave in various contexts.
Morals include systems of values and beliefs that shape behaviour of an individual or a community and are usually derived from what is generally accepted practice. It ranges from personal conviction, values transmitted via formal and informal education, to values and beliefs about right and wrong that we share with members of our community based on tradition. Different historical periods and social groups have different morals.
For example, if I am a vegetarian because I believe that it is wrong to eat animals, this is a matter of my personal moral system of values. If my parents taught me that lying is wrong, and I adopt this as my value through education, this is also part of my morals that I share with my parents as well as with other members of my community.
On the other hand, ethics is a philosophical discipline that analyzes morals from a theoretical perspective. Simply put, ethics studies morals, seeking to establish the basic and most universal principles of human moral behaviour and form a coherent and rational system out of these beliefs.
The main branches of ethics include virtue ethics, deontological and utilitarian ethics. Virtue ethics originated in ancient Greece and deals with the question of what are the basic human virtues. Kant is usually taken as the founder of deontological ethics, which deals with the question of duty and obligation in morals. Finally, utilitarian ethics developed by Bentham and Mill suggests that there is a link between what is considered good and what brings more happiness to the greater number of people.
There is also applied ethics, e.g. in medicine, law, etc, seeking to apply general ethical principles to certain fields of human practice. Ethics is a theory, developed by experts who derive norms of behaviour from well-thought-out arguments and definitions.
To sum up, the most important distinction between ethics and morals consists in the fact that ethics offers a theoretical background for our moral judgements, and is based on rational arguments, whereas morals usually refers to a particular system of beliefs regarding right and wrong that is not theoretical, but rather inherited and spontaneously formed in the course of living within a particular community. | <urn:uuid:30f17239-4d45-4c78-be0c-ffeb73eabd77> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | http://www.dogmtnfarm.com/category/culture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370529375.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20200405053120-20200405083120-00415.warc.gz | en | 0.95913 | 524 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Guest Blog by Bernat Casanovas
In the coming years, we will see how technological innovations will change our educational models from top to bottom. No, I don’t have a crystal ball that predicts the future (I’d like one), I merely state this as I’ve been working in the education sector for many years and I’m seeing and experiencing major changes, changes that this time, are here to stay. It will be a revolution that will affect all those involved in the current system. Here I will review how these changes may affect them, one by one.
If we take into account that this disruption will have a technological starting point, we can see what is happening in relation to schools and education in general. Until recently, discussing technology in schools was to talk about computers, but I think we can agree, that we are now talking about tablets as the first thing that comes to mind.
The introduction of computers did not actually involve any radical change. In fact, computers only marginally displaced textbooks and we have witnessed the initial transition from paper books to digital books and from there to interactive digital books, and now to the super-interactive book but, in fact, they are still just books.
However, I have observed that the arrival of tablets is indeed causing a revolution in some schools. I’ve seen a natural science project (about the trees surrounding the students) made completely outside of the classroom, with only a tablet in hand. The children saw trees that caught their attention, photographed them, identified them from their leaves using the help of an app and geo-referenced them. They received explanations on-site (under the shade of a tree) not from a teacher but from botanists, ecologists, etc… The students recorded the explanations and took endless pictures and videos. They made spectacular presentations with all the collected material, in groups, in-situ. When the students finished these astonishing projects, they shared them with their teacher using a Dropbox folder.
My meaning is that tablets do not simply replace computers or textbooks: The revolution is far more radical. This happened in 2012 in South Africa. I ‘m not talking about the future; I am talking about the past. Everywhere that this route has been taken, it was found that technological changes ended up changing habits: students leave the classrooms; they work more on projects; they break with traditional routines and schedules etc…
If we review the objectives of the Vittra project at various schools in Sweden, one of the most innovative that I am aware of, we do not see any technological objective. Technology is only a means to serve the objectives of the project: to understand how each student learns; to be aware of how they’re learning (learning to learn); to encourage children’s self-confidence; their communication skills, learning based on experience and across multilingual and multicultural virtual environments. Who’s talking about tablets?
I have already spoken at length about Digital Natives; that today’s children have nothing to do with us. Their high level of technical skills and capacity to process information never ceases to amaze parents and teachers. The information reaches them in various forms and channels. Yesterday I told my son: “I was contacted by your teacher.” To which he replied, “Which way?” Sure, when we were children, we contact each other in person or by phone, but now…
Technology? My son has had a personal blog since he was 7 years old. He cannot understand how his teachers struggle so much to access content on the school’s blog. I listen to him and I’m simply just thinking that for him, going to school every day is like traveling back to prehistoric times.
I will not expand further on this point now but, one day, I’ll dedicate a post to talking about the kids of today. For now, I’ll end with a video to see if we can understand them a little more, a classic that I never tire of looking at: A Vision of K-12 Students Today
The video is from 2007. I’m not talking about the future; I’m talking about the past.
Governments and businesses
Many Western countries are starting pilot programs with new educational models. We talked about Sweden, but also in the Netherlands, UK, USA, etc. However, the great revolution is occurring in the emerging economies, especially in Asia (led by South Korea) and some Latin American countries (especially Brazil), where the government has announced the distribution of hundreds of thousands of tablets to schools). Also, keep in mind countries like South Africa. This may appear to be a large investment, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that the current production cost of an entry-level tablet is about $20.
To understand where this evolution is happening even faster, let’s look to where children represent a significant percentage of the population. The West is aging and there are fewer children every day, while in many countries in Asia, Africa or Latin America, the population under 18 years is between 30% and 50% of the total. This century, Europe will lose between 100 and 200 million people by declining birth rates but countries like Nigeria will increase from 150 million today to over 900 million.
Of course, tablet manufacturers will compete with each other in each market. There are fierce battles to win public competitions so their tablets are chosen for schools (millions of new users and devices to be sold). However, the tablets are often very similar, so the only differentiating factor is in the content included in such devices. Currently, Apple and Samsung are fighting to win the battle in countries like Brazil. They are not only fighting for who has the best device but above all, to show who allows access to the best educational content. The role of authoring tools such as ‘Make it’, serving teachers and education in general, can also play an important role.
The role of publishers is also very important. The sales of textbooks have been declining for years. Teachers have been gradually moving away from them as they are expensive and inflexible. They often prefer photocopying the best of each book (which may be illegal, but it’s impossible to control or prosecute).
The publishers have been reacting to decreasing sales in their traditional textbook business model by finding new business opportunities in digital. Now, we are starting to see 100 % digital proposals from publishers. It’s is probably not long until we see textbooks being given away for free (anyone wants to bet?)
Worldwide, it is estimated 7 out of 10 children is studying without using textbooks and this phenomenon is set to only increase.
This is fact in 2013. I ‘m not talking about the future; I’m talking about the past.
Teachers and parents
This will be the subject of the next post. We’ll analyze movements like Home Schooling, with the current boom in the USA, and the revival of Montessori. People continue to talk about today, not about the future 🙂
Author: Bernat Casanovas | <urn:uuid:ecfd6f3d-61e2-4dbb-ae3b-a770540b529f> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.teacherswithapps.com/disruption-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320736.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626115614-20170626135614-00374.warc.gz | en | 0.962422 | 1,475 | 2.625 | 3 |
The PPS was created to serve as a quick and easy assessment of general education exposure, experiences and growth skills that should be present or progressing in 3-5 year old children and can be administered by a classroom teacher in about 20 minutes. It is designed to be administered twice a year to see growth and how the student is progressing. The PPS total score will provide a developmental indicator of “OK” or “Recheck”.
The PPS screening activities include:
- Color Recognition
- Shape Recognition
- Body Part Recognition
- Name/Letter Recognition
- Following Two/Three Step Directions
- Verbal Reasoning/Analogies
- Counting Blocks
- Block Tower
- Book Handling Skills
- Gross Motor/Balance
Each screening activity will fall into one of three central areas of development:
- Motor Skills
Complete this form or contact STS at 1.800.642.6787 for more information about this new assessment. | <urn:uuid:0900a08a-27b0-46f5-b7e9-fee2234bb9d2> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://ststesting.wordpress.com/preschool-progress-screening-pps/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655892516.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20200707111607-20200707141607-00082.warc.gz | en | 0.914585 | 205 | 2.671875 | 3 |
4 Foods Cats Should NEVER Eat!
Cats are such picky eaters that we may not think much about what they shouldn’t be eating.Playlist
Cats are such picky eaters that we may not think much about what they shouldn’t be eating.
But there are a few common foods your cats should never eat. These come from Karl Jandrey, professor of small animal emergency care at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
- First: Tuna! Cats can actually be addicted to tuna. And while a little every now and then probably won’t hurt, a steady diet of tuna meant for human consumption can lead to malnutrition - because it won’t have all the nutrients a cat needs. Also, too much tuna can cause mercury poisoning, or lead to Yellow Fat Disease. This is an extremely painful and sometimes fatal disease that comes from a deficiency of Vitamin E. It’s the result of a diet that’s high in unsaturated fatty acid - and tuna’s usually the culprit.
- Next: Onions in all forms - powdered, raw, cooked or dehydrated - can break down a cat’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. And that’s true even for the onion powder that’s found in some baby foods. Onions can also cause gastrointestinal problems – the same goes for garlic and chives.
- Something else that’s bad for cats: Alcohol! Just two teaspoons of whisky can cause a coma in a 5-pound cat, and one more teaspoon could kill it. And the higher the proof, the worse the damage.
- And lastly: Caffeine in large enough quantities can be fatal for a cat - and there’s no antidote. In addition to tea and coffee, caffeine can be found in cocoa, chocolate, colas and energy drinks. So keep all of these away from your cats. | <urn:uuid:b49b08e9-1833-4203-b242-bc3db48580af> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.tesh.com/story/pets-category/4-foods-cats-should-never-eat/cc/11/id/24350 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510270399.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011750-00088-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923083 | 401 | 2.71875 | 3 |
If you think you have a color vision deficiency or also known as color blindness, you need to visit your eye doctor. To determine that you are color blind, a color-blind test is given to you. Two types of color blind test can be given:
- Screening tests that can see if there is a color vision problem
- Quantitative tests that are detailed to determine the type and severity of color blindness
Color Blind Tests Used for Screening
Ishihara Color Vision Test is a common test and widely used to screen color blindness. It is named after Shinobu Ishihara, a Japanese ophthalmologist who designed the procedure in 1917. The test is a booklet that has circular patterns on each page. Each pattern has dots that come in different colors, brightness, and sizes.
During the test, an individual who has normal color vision will see the number that is formed in the dots. On the other hand, a colorblind person will see a different number or unable to see the number.
In a comprehensive eye exam, 14 plates or 24 plates are used for screening tests but the complete test contains 38 plates. People who have prescription glasses view the Ishihara plates with normal room lighting. For young children, the Ishihara test may be less reliable to test their color vision.
Pseudoisochromatic plates is the term used to describe the color image in the test. Using these pseudoisochromatic plates, they developed a similar test to the Ishihara Color Vision Test called ColorDx.
ColorDx is a self-administered computerized color vision test. It is an app that is easy to use because it can be downloaded on tablet computers. It does not test for genetic color blindness only but it can detect color vision deficiency that develops later on due to associated vision problems such as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and others.
Color Blind Tests That Are Quantitative
To know more about the color blindness of an individual, a quantitative color blind test is done. A popular test used is the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test. It is done by arranging disks with different hues to create a continuum of disks changing hues. If the test sequence of the examiner is almost matching to the test sequence, the more accurate the color perception of a person is.
Farnsworth-Munsell D15 Test is the abbreviated version that consists of only 15 disks. The D15 test cannot detect the severity of color blindness, it is used for screening purposes only. | <urn:uuid:129176a0-dd96-4357-879a-8fd52daf74e1> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://theyenews.com/how-do-you-see-colors-during-a-color-blind-test/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510130.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20230926011608-20230926041608-00611.warc.gz | en | 0.917666 | 527 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Over the past few years, digital content has become a preferred way for the younger generations to receive information on a wide variety of subjects. Now, the preferences of today’s generation are fueling a paradigm shift in education. Education is slowly being reshaped by the demands of people in the digital age. This trend can be seen most readily in the rise of personalized learning.
Every student learns a little bit differently. Some like working in groups while others prefer to work on their own. Some learn better from reading the material while others absorb more information by hearing the lessons spoken aloud. Each student also proceeds at their own pace through the lessons. Personalized learning allows the teacher to assess each student’s learning style and adapt the lesson to that student’s particular needs.
Educational institutions and students that have embraced personalized learning have seen massive success. There are many benefits to this type of learning. Personalized learning allows students to shape their skills at a pace that they feel comfortable with. It also gives students the dedicated attention they need to thrive.
With schools having up to 3,000 students, it can be difficult for teachers to keep track of who students are, and what their strengths and motivations are. Personalized learning helps them monitor each student’s understanding of each topic, and provide them with a way to adjust the pace of instruction so the students are never forced to proceed before they are ready. Students who grasp a concept really quickly can move ahead, while students who find a concept particularly hard can have more time to learn it.
The road to universal personalized learning may be long with many bumps occurring along the way. However, with classroom sizes ballooning and teachers underpaid, communities have to find a solution that will increase the effectiveness and economy of learning. Every parent and teacher wants to see students succeed in their educational endeavors. Personalized learning just may be the best path forward for reaching this goal. | <urn:uuid:a18ce2f8-237b-4598-af5b-32ec07c7ce9e> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.com-unik.info/2016/05/06/personalized-learning-begins-takeover-of-the-education-world.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224650201.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20230604161111-20230604191111-00147.warc.gz | en | 0.968712 | 389 | 3.203125 | 3 |
America's farmers are aging. Averaging just under 60 years old, half of all current farmers are expected to retire over the next decade. And, despite scattered efforts to raise a new crop of agriculturalists, it is not at all clear who will fill the void these retiring farmers will leave behind.
Here's the thing: younger people are simply not interested in stepping into farmer John's work boots. The traditional farming lifestyle -- which is perceived as rural and isolated -- holds little attraction for them. Today's educated young people are searching for dynamic, exciting careers and the stimuli of contemporary urban life.
On another level, agriculture's idyllic, back-to-nature image has taken a hit in recent years. With controversial issues from GMOs to biofuels grabbing the headlines, farmers are no longer seen as the ultimate environmentalists. And with enormous agribusiness conglomerates dominating the industry, family farmers have increasingly been pushed aside.
Largely due to Big Agriculture, food safety and environmental issues have refused to go away. Meanwhile, soils are being depleted at an alarming rate, leading to heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And with food often traveling thousands of miles just to reach our plates, agriculture is also a heavy contributor to global warming.
Then, of course, there is the economics. The younger generation is not exactly eager to eke out a laborious existence on the land, without being guaranteed at least a decent living.
All of this raises the question: who will feed America as its aging farmers begin to retire?
I believe that the yawning gap between the generations presents us with an excellent opportunity to revitalize American agriculture, while vastly upgrading the image of the American farmer. We can do this by growing our food in the places where the vast majority of us live -- in cities.
New technologies and techniques are revolutionizing the way we grow our food, creating a new form of agriculture that is not only attractive and sustainable, but also profitable. This new agriculture provides income year round, demands little water and zero pesticides and can be practiced anywhere in the world.
Technologies that meet these requirements already exist. Rooftop gardens are an example of an old idea that has been rediscovered by modern green architecture. Taken a step further, vertical gardens, grown in hi-rise structures, have been suggested as a means to reduce the footprint of an industry that currently occupies an area the size of South America (and is continuously expanding).
Aquaponics is a technique for producing fresh, organic fish and vegetables year-round, anywhere in the world. A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponics allows farmers to grow fish and plant crops together in a single integrated, soil-less system. In these systems, fish waste fertilizes plants, while plants naturally filter water for fish.
Aeroponic farming, which uses mist to grow plants without soil, is another new technique. Grown indoors with LED lighting and without pesticides, aeroponic produce requires less than 10% of the water consumed by conventional agriculture. And because aeroponic farms are located in urban areas, transportation costs and carbon emissions are vastly reduced, as well.
Seen in this light, agriculture can become the solution to persistent urban problems. In every city in America, holes in the urban fabric contribute to the disintegration of communities. And while the world increasingly urbanizes, many mid-sized American cities are actually shrinking, with blight and crime filling in the gaps.
In cities like Buffalo, Detroit and Cleveland, urban agriculture has the potential to provide enterprising young people with a solid income, while strengthening communities and producing nutritious, affordable food. In larger cities, where space is at a premium, rooftops and spaces in hi-rise buildings could provide the "farmland."
Around the country, many people have already begun to realize the potential of urban farming. In New York, edible landscapes are appearing on green roofs, while in San Francisco, mulch is replacing highway exit ramps.
Even the First Couple have become advocates of urban agriculture, with Michelle Obama building an organic garden on the White House lawn and the President touting urban agriculture as a means to revitalize cities.
Let's face it -- in an age of heightened environmental awareness, our society can no longer afford the environmental side effects of conventional farming, symbolized by the infamous 3,000-mile Caesar salad.
Gone are the days when farming must consume vast amounts of land, transporting goods over long distances, drying up rivers, and making meager profits. Instead of the old flannel-clad curmudgeon, tomorrow's farmers will be young, enterprising entrepreneurs. Instead of living in the middle of nowhere, they will live in the center of town, growing produce that is healthy, tasty and sustainable.
Farmer John would be proud.
Dr. Ed Harwood is founder and CEO of AeroFarms, which builds aeroponic systems for urban agriculture. | <urn:uuid:561fb4f2-feb3-42e8-a6bd-3297aca804c3> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-new-american-farmer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999639954/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060719-00019-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940663 | 1,012 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Protecting our most valuable resource
Water flows freely, but only a limited amount is available for human consumption. Restoring groundwater contaminated by industrial, commercial, and biological operations is critical to maintaining a safe drinking water supply. Understanding the hydrogeology, contaminant migrations pathways, and regulations is imperative for a successful groundwater investigation and remediation project. Extensive measures, to include engineering and institutional controls, must be implemented to protect this natural resource as contamination can be highly mobile and widespread. The geochemistry and underlying geology influencing the fate and transport of contaminants in an aquifer must be understood to develop realistic conceptual site models, create accurate groundwater models, and design effective remedial strategies. At Element, we understand the complexities surrounding this important resource as well as the intricate structures governing water. Element ensures that the most cost effective remedy is applied to improve the quality of this valuable resource. | <urn:uuid:366fa54b-427c-4f64-a803-32c8864bef1d> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://e2s.us/services/water/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738950.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20200812225607-20200813015607-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.914567 | 177 | 2.8125 | 3 |
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- Biological theories of aging
- Natural history of aging
- Senescence in mammals
- Aging at the molecular and cellular levels
- Internal and external causes of aging
- External environmental agents
- Anti-aging and longevity research
Aging, progressive physiological changes in an organism that lead to senescence, or a decline of biological functions and of the organism’s ability to adapt to metabolic stress.
Aging takes place in a cell, an organ, or the total organism with the passage of time. It is a process that goes on over the entire adult life span of any living thing. Gerontology, the study of the aging process, is devoted to the understanding and control of all factors contributing to the finitude of individual life. It is not concerned exclusively with debility, which looms so large in human experience, but deals with a much wider range of phenomena. Every species has a life history in which the individual life span has an appropriate relationship to the reproductive life span and to the mechanism of reproduction and the course of development. How these relationships evolved is as germane to gerontology as it is to evolutionary biology. It is also important to distinguish between the purely physicochemical processes of aging and the accidental organismic processes of disease and injury that lead to death.
Gerontology, therefore, can be defined as the science of the finitude of life as expressed in the three aspects of longevity, aging, and death, examined in both evolutionary and individual (ontogenetic) perspective. Longevity is the span of life of an organism. Aging is the sequential or progressive change in an organism that leads to an increased risk of debility, disease, and death. Senescence consists of these manifestations of the aging process.
The viability (survival ability) of a population is characterized in two actuarial functions: the survivorship curve and the age-specific death rate, or Gompertz function. The relation of such factors as aging characteristics, constitutional vigour, physical factors, diet, and exposure to disease-causing organisms to the actuarial functions is complex. There is, nevertheless, no substitute for them as measures of the aging process and of the effect of environmental or genetic modifiers.
The age-specific mortality rate is the most informative actuarial function for investigations of the aging process. It was first pointed out by an English actuary, Benjamin Gompertz, in 1825 that the mortality rate increases in geometric progression—i.e., by a constant ratio in successive equal age intervals. Hence, a straight line, known as the Gompertz function, results when death rates are plotted on a logarithmic (ratio) scale. The prevalence of many diseases and disabilities rises in the same geometrical manner as does the mortality rate, important exceptions being some infectious diseases and diseases arising from disturbances of the immunological system. Although the life tables of most species are remarkably similar in form, even closely related species can differ markedly in the relative incidence of the major causes of death.
For humans in industrialized countries, life expectancy has increased significantly. Indeed, at the beginning of the 20th century, life expectancy in those countries was between 30 and 45 years. At the century’s close, life expectancy averaged about 67 years, thanks in large part to improvements in health care, nutrition, and standards of living. In the early 21st century, demographic projections suggested that life expectancy for men and women who maintained the healthiest lifestyle patterns would continue to increase. In the first decade of the 21st century in the United States, centenarians—those who live to age 100 or older—were the fastest-growing segment of the population.
Biological theories of aging
Aging has many facets. Hence, there are a number of theories, each of which may explain one or more aspects of aging. There is, however, no single theory that explains all of the phenomena of aging.
One theory of aging assumes that the life span of a cell or organism is genetically determined—that the genes of an animal contain a “program” that determines its life span, just as eye colour is determined genetically. This theory finds support in the fact that people with parents who have lived long lives are likely to live long themselves. Also, identical twins have life spans more similar in length than do non-twin siblings.
The genetic theory of aging centres on telomeres, which are repeated segments of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) occurring at the ends of chromosomes. The number of repeats in a telomere determines the maximum life span of a cell, since each time a cell divides, multiple repeats are lost. Once telomeres have been reduced to a certain size, the cell reaches a crisis point and is prevented from dividing further. As a consequence, the cell dies.
Research has shown that telomeres are vulnerable to genetic factors that alter an organism’s rate of aging. In humans, variations in a gene known as TERC (telomerase RNA [ribonucleic acid] component), which encodes an RNA segment of an enzyme known as telomerase, have been associated with reduced telomere length and an increased rate of biological aging. Telomerase normally functions to prevent the overshortening of telomeres, but in the presence of TERC mutations the enzyme’s activity is altered. TERC also appears to influence the telomere length that individuals possess from the time of birth. Persons who carry TERC variations are believed to be several years older biologically compared with noncarriers of the same chronological age. This accelerated rate of biological aging is likely also influenced by exposure to environmental factors, such as smoking and obesity, which increase a carrier’s susceptibility to the onset of age-related diseases relatively early in adult life.
Mutations of genes that affect telomere length lend support to another genetic theory of aging, which assumes that cell death is the result of “errors” introduced in the formation of key proteins, such as enzymes. Slight differences induced in the transmission of information from DNA molecules of the chromosomes through RNA molecules (the “messenger” substance) to the proper assembly of the large and complex enzyme molecules could result in a molecule of the enzyme that would not “work” properly. This is precisely what happens in the instance of mutations in the TERC gene. Such mutations disrupt the normal function of the telomerase enzyme.
As cells grow and divide, a small proportion of them undergo mutation. This change in the genetic code is then reproduced when the cells again divide. The “somatic mutation” theory of aging assumes that aging is due to the gradual accumulation of mutated cells that do not perform normally. | <urn:uuid:07a81ec3-ee8e-4bee-911d-cef27b5027f9> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.britannica.com/science/aging-life-process | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738960.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20200813043927-20200813073927-00350.warc.gz | en | 0.944336 | 1,425 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Adopting a positive attitude can go far in dealing with the changes associated with aging. In fact, according to Kaiser Health News, those who have a positive outlook on aging live 7.5 years longer. Studies show that older adults who hold negative stereotypes about aging tend to walk more slowly, experience memory problems, and recover less fully from a fall or fracture.
We may not be able to stop the aging process, but we can all do things to help us to age better. Many people fear aging, but there are things you can do now to help you feel better and to continue to live independently:
Tips for Better Aging
According to the American Psychological Association, here are some tips to optimize aging:
- Stay physically active –Try for 30 minutes a day. Aerobic exercise is good for brain function as well as the heart. Strength training can keep your bones and muscles strong, making everyday activities easier.
- Exercise your brain – Engage your mind by trying a challenging activity and continue to learn new things.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle – Strive to maintain healthy body weight, eat healthy foods in small portions, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and get enough sleep each night.
- Stay connected to other people - Relationships with your spouse or partner, friends, family, and neighbors need to be nourished. Stay involved with your community. It’s amazing what you can learn from young people!
- Create positive feelings for yourself – Experiencing positive emotions is beneficial for your body and mental health.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff – Don’t waste your time with useless worry. Focus on what matters.
- Set goals for yourself and take control – Being in control of your actions provides a sense of mastery and leads to accomplishments that make you proud.
- Minimize life stress – Learn to unwind and find pleasure in everyday things!
- Schedule regular medical check-ups – Take advantage of screenings and engage in preventive health behaviors. You can help to successfully manage many illnesses if you take charge and partner with your healthcare providers.
- It’s never too late to change your routine or adopt new habits.
Today’s baby boomers aren’t afraid to face the challenges of aging. They are prepared to take steps to enjoy their lives as they age. Research strongly suggests a positive relationship between healthy nutrition and a healthy aging process.
Simple changes to your diet can make you feel and look better. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Here are some tips:
- Drink more water – Eliminate useless calories in sodas and juices. As we age, we might not feel as thirsty as we once did. As a result, dehydration can occur. Stay hydrated!
- Fill up on fruits and vegetables – Studies show eating fruits and vegetables will help you to live longer. Grabbing fresh fruit over sugary snacks will make a big difference in the long run.
- Choose whole grains - Whole grains are a significant source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Whole wheat bread, pasta, and brown rice can reduce the risk of disease.
- Low-fat dairy foods – Are a rich source of calcium and Vitamin D, which is primarily crucial to women over 50.
Healthy Eating After an Illness
An illness or hospitalization can quickly derail the best eating habits. After returning home from the hospital, it may be difficult to prepare meals. Many Medicare Advantage plans offer a home-delivered meal benefit.
These meals can help to provide a faster, smoother recovery. Check with your health plan to see if you have a home-delivered meal benefit.
For tips on how to chose a home-delivery meal provider, down our eBook for more information. | <urn:uuid:8536a378-57bd-47e6-8366-1999d19439eb> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://blog.sunmeadow.com/be-positive-age-positive | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510326.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20230927203115-20230927233115-00618.warc.gz | en | 0.928275 | 774 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Evolution is change over time. Under this broad definition, evolution can refer to a variety of changes that occur over time—the uplifting of mountains, the wandering of riverbeds, or the creation of new species. To understand the history of life on Earth though, we need to be more specific about what kinds of changes over time we're talking about. That's where the term "biological evolution" comes in.
Biological evolution refers to the changes over time that occur in living organisms. An understanding of biological evolution—how and why living organisms change over time—enables us to understand the history of life on Earth.
They key to understanding biological evolution lies in a concept known as as descent with modification. Living things pass on their traits from one generation to the next. Offspring inherit a set of genetic blueprints from their parents. But those blueprints are never copied exactly from one generation to the next. Little changes occur with each passing generation and as those changes accumulate, organisms change more and more over time. Descent with modification reshapes living things over time and biological evolution takes place.
All life on Earth shares a common ancestor. Another important concept relating to biological evolution is that all life on Earth shares a common ancestor. This means that all living things on our planet are descended from a single organism. Scientists estimate that this common ancestor lived some 3.5 to 3.8 billion years ago and has since given rise to all living things that have inhabited our planet. The implications of sharing a common ancestor are quite remarkable and mean that we're all cousins—humans, green turtles, chimpanzees, monarch butterflies, sugar maples, parasol mushrooms and blue whales.
Biological evolution occurs on different scales. These scales on which evolution occurs can be roughly grouped into two categories: small-scale biological evolution and broad-scale biological evolution. Small-scale biological evolution, better known as microevolution, is the change in gene frequencies within a population of organisms changes from one generation to the next. Broad-scale biological evolution, commonly referred to as macroevolution, refers to the progression of species from a common ancestor to descendent species over the course of numerous generations. | <urn:uuid:57b4e358-c275-48cf-b06f-4e3475525159> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://animals.about.com/od/evolution/ss/evolution.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921614 | 443 | 3.84375 | 4 |
Florence Nightingale travelled to the war-zone when she heard men were dying. She had not been very well informed about the nature of conflict.
Conditions at the hospitals drove her mad.
The Lady with the Lamp
She had a fearsome right hook. This was the first anaesthetic.
She was also a pioneer of washing the hands. She had to – they were very bloody after a difficult anaesthetic
What many soldiers were forced to wear when hiding from her feared right hook.
What soldiers did to their jaws after one of her anaesthetics.
Modern anaesthetic injections are named after one of her punches.
Rose after she arrived. It would be some while before she learned to pull her punches.
Soldiers who cried while being anaesthetised.
Started with a bell and she came out fighting.
Normally “God, make her stop hitting me!”.
Typhus, typhoid, cholera and dysentery
If Florence didn’t get you, these would.
Nurse disliked by Florence because she managed to save people.
Florence was actually quite rich. This was the type of car she drove.
She and her husband, Albert Memorial, were big fans.
Valley of Death
Nickname for her hospital.
Notes on Nursing
Bestseller written by Florence Nightingale. It was eventually filmed with Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor, and Jim Dale.
After her return from the Crimea, her groundbreaking report to the Royal Commission showed fewer soldiers were killed in peacetime.
Two knockdowns and a submission. | <urn:uuid:7f6f6496-420b-4631-ab7f-7e5ec477ed30> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://thebeginners.net/n/florence-nightingale/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187825464.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20171022203758-20171022223758-00123.warc.gz | en | 0.983231 | 338 | 2.734375 | 3 |
William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the United States, and the fifth president to have been born in Virginia. Although I think of him more as a midwesterner (he spent most of his life in the Indiana/Ohio area) his family had a long history in the Commonwealth. And when I found out his birthplace was a thirty-minute flight from my home airport (and ten minutes from where my plane gets its annual “check-up”) you know I had to plan a trip!
Berkeley Plantation’s 1726 mansion is the birthplace of president-to-be William H. Harrison. It also happens to be the birthplace of his father, Benjamin Harrison V who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the fifth governor of Virginia. But wait – there’s more: this was also the ancestral home of William Harrison’s grandson Benjamin Harrison who became the twenty-third president of the United States.
Berkeley Plantation sits majestically on the north bank of the James River about seventeen miles as the crow flies, or a half-hour drive, southeast of the Virginia state capitol building. Although the house itself does not appear as grand or majestic as Jefferson’s Monticello and is less well-known than Madison’s Montpelier its grounds seem to be exquisitely maintained. Clearly visible in the photo are several gorgeous terraces with boxwoods.
From nearly 2,000 feet overhead, Berkeley Plantation appears to be a more interesting destination than any of the previous presidential estates I’ve overflown (except Monticello). And on the first Sunday in November each year the plantation takes part in the Virginia Thanksgiving Festival commemorating America’s first Thanksgiving which was held on these grounds in 1619.
You know where I’ll be on Sunday, November 2, 2014!
P.S. – for the fellow aviation geeks (sorry) who have asked me to show the location of my aerial photos, the aviation chart below marks the Plantation’s location. An arrow points to “X” which marks the spot, at bottom-center of the photo just southeast of Richmond’s Class C airspace. And yes, this really is how I navigated to the estate. The “X” to the right of Berkeley Plantation marks the location of former president John Tyler’s “Sherwood Forest Plantation” – but that’s a story (and photo) for another post…! | <urn:uuid:09b06c7a-f888-455f-ada6-4bdbbee63e44> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2013/12/21/berkeley-plantation-as-never-seen-by-william-henry-harrison/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424721.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724042246-20170724062246-00083.warc.gz | en | 0.964514 | 523 | 2.875 | 3 |
The Rock Pigeon is a member of the bird family Columbidae, doves and pigeons. It has a restricted natural resident range in western and southern Europe, North Africa, and into southwest Asia. Its habitat is natural cliffs, usually on coasts. Its domesticated form, the feral pigeon, has been widely introduced elsewhere, and is common, especially in cities, over much of the world. In Britain, Ireland, and much of its former range, the Rock Pigeon probably only occurs pure in the most remote areas. A Rock Pigeon's life span is anywhere from 3 to 5 years in the wild to 15 years in captivity, though longer-lived specimens have been reported.
Boo! Birdorable wishes everyone a fa-boo-lous, wand-erful and t-eerie-fic Halloween! Enjoy this spooktacular weekend and try to not eat too much candy! ... more | <urn:uuid:981923d6-1063-4521-b511-59ad0e934dc7> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.birdorable.com/meet/pigeon/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224651815.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20230605085657-20230605115657-00272.warc.gz | en | 0.961623 | 192 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Acne is an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands in the pores that can be caused by drugs, medications, chemicals but most often due to a genetic tendency. It is the most common skin disease. Acne is also known as retention hyperkeratosis or the abnormal build up and retention of cells and debris in the follicle. Normal pores shed about one layer of dead skin cells per day inside the pore. The acne-prone pore sheds up to five layers of dead skin cells per day and the body just can’t keep up. This forms blackheads or congestion under the skin which become pimples or papules; and if bacteria are present (to feed on the dead skin cells and oil), you will get inflamed pimples or pustules .Too much sebum and dead skin cells can clog pores, trapping bacteria. The bacteria thrive in this environment and acne starts.
Acne vulgaris, the medical term for acne, occurs when the pores become clogged with oil (sebum), dead skin cells and bacteria.
Acne affects 85 percent of population at some point in their lives. 25% will be left with permanent scars. It affects around 17 million people in the US alone.
The sebaceous glands produce skin oil or sebum and open up to a pore. The function of sebum is still up for debate but it primarily lubricates and waterproofs the skin. The overproduction of sebum, the overproduction of dead skin cells or the under shedding of these can combine to form a plug or comedone that clogs the pore. These plugs can turn into any of the following:
1. Comedo: a solid plug or impaction that clogs the follicle consisting of sebum and dead skin cells. Common in Grade I acne. It can present as open or closed:
-Blackhead: an open comedo with an oxidized exposed tip.
-Whitehead: a closed comedo commonly seen in Grade II acne.
2. Pimple: the plug becomes infected with Propionibacterium acnes, white cells congest the area to fight the bacteria creating an inflammatory response; the pressure can rupture the follicle and release the contents to adjoining follicles and tissue since it cannot be expelled from the pore. A pimple can present as a papule or pustule which are found in Grade III acne.
-Papule: the impaction breaks the follicular walls and white bloods cells attempt to repair it causing the pore to become inflamed, seen as a red bump or pimple.
-Pustule: after a few days, the pimple becomes further inflamed and the white blood cells migrate to the surface creating visible pus.
3. Nodule: formed when the break in the follicular wall is deep down in the follicle creating a sore red lump that is deeper, larger and firm to the touch. Unresolved nodules and cysts will often flare up again and again.
4. Cyst: a large inflamed and pus-filled lesion, often involving several follicles. Seen in Grade IV acne.
Types of Acne:
Acne can primarily be inflamed or non-inflamed or a combination of the two.
Appears red, blotchy, hot to the touch; can have pimples, postules, whiteheads, blackheads, cysts; tends to have excessive oil but often dehydrated; the skin is sensitive and reactive to products.
Skin appears dull and sluggish with bumps, blackheads, some pimples and postules; often with excess oil and congestion; skin is usually not sensitive or reactive.
Causes of Acne:
According to Dr. James Fulton, the acne cycle begins with the production of testosterone at puberty, an enzyme in the skin changes the testosterone to dihydrotestosterone which stimulates the production of sebum which causes retention hyperkeratosis or acne in the acne-prone follicle. The exact cause of acne is unknown but there are several aggravating or risk factors:
-Heredity: a tendency and/or predisposition has been attributed to genetics
-Age: more common in teenagers due to hormonal changes
-Gender: more common and severe in boys
-Hormonal: can be exacerbated by hormonal changes dues to puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause
-Diet: foods don’t cause acne but certain foods can cause flare-ups
-Drugs: can be a side effect of or aggravated by certain drugs
-Cosmetics: acne cosmetica caused by comedogenic ingredients in makeup and skin care products affects 1 in 3 women.
-Stress: activates the production of hormones that cause flare-ups
-Environment: humidity, industrial chemicals and oils
-Picking: can drive the inflammation deeper and cause scarring and spreading of bacteria
Effects of Acne:
-Depression and social withdrawal
-Poor self-confidence, self-esteem, body image
Acne cannot be cured but it can be treated and kept under control with the right combination of products used correctly. The clogged pores must be treated with products that unclog, control sebum production, maximize dead cell exfoliation and kill the acne bacteria.
-Increasing cell turnover with products such as tretinoin (Vitamin A), benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, glycolic or salicylic acid
-Acne bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, oxygen, sufur, azelaic acid
-Pores can be opened and unplugged with keratolytics vitamin A, alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid), adapalene, and resorcinol.
-Other drugs that have been used include Accutane, anti-androgens, and corticosteroids. The side effects of these drugs need to be seriously considered.
-Medical and Surgical treatments include extraction, chemical peels, freezing, punch grafting, and injections.
-Alternative treatments include supplements (i.e. zinc, fish oil) and diet modifications (e.g. avoiding dairy, iodine).
Steps to Successfully Treat Acne:
1.Recognize the problem
2. Avoid Aggravating Factors
3. Find a well-trained Acne Specialist
4. Stick to your skincare regimen
*Don’t pick at your skin — especially your pimples — or you can cause permanent scars
*Continue your routine even when cleared to avoid a breakout
*Don’t use comedogenic products
*Ice inflamed acne to help reduce inflammation
Acne Rx by James E Fulton Jr, MD | <urn:uuid:7cad89de-0169-4e42-9396-db94771ec92e> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://myperfectskinclinic.com/all-about-acne-part-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224646652.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20230610233020-20230611023020-00598.warc.gz | en | 0.894221 | 1,564 | 3.65625 | 4 |
According to the CDC, more than six thousand people are treated for drug misuse or abuse every day. That’s an incredibly high number and it makes us wonder: is the problem the drugs or is it the people? We set out to find the answer. Here is what we learned along the way.
Problem: The Drug Side
Most prescription drugs are created to dramatically alter the way the human body functions–at least for a while. They are designed to increase the body’s ability to form antibodies, to produce certain hormones, etc. The effects felt by the patient are nowhere near congruous with the amount of change that actually takes place within the body. It is the extreme nature of these changes that causes so many of the side effects that patients report when they first start taking a drug.
Doctors used to be hesitant to prescribe drugs like antibiotics or opioids to patients who were sick or injured. This has changed dramatically in the last few years as the perspective of doctors has shifted from “only as a last resort” to “better safe than sorry.” In fact, according to a NIH study, in 2010, enough painkillers were prescribed to treat every American every four hours for a whole month.
That shift in perspective, along with the high rates of antibiotics injected into factory farmed livestock has inadvertently led to the evolution of “super” diseases. Remember, bacteria and viruses evolve just like humans do and as we eradicate one strain, the other strains all get stronger and more adept at thwarting medicine’s efforts to heal us.
Another consequence of drug prescriptions is the permanent altering of a brain’s functioning, particularly with regard to painkillers and hormone production. Once the brain gets used to the hormones it makes naturally being supplied via other means, it simply adapts to the supply and stops making the hormone itself. If the supply is artificial for too long, the brain will “forget” how to create that hormone at all, meaning that the person truly does need the drug to function properly.
This is also how a tolerance builds up, says Black Bear Lodge (a rehabilitation facility). Their prescription drug page mentions that a body will physically build up a tolerance for the drugs that have been prescribed, resulting in the patient needing more and stronger doses of the drug to achieve the same level of treatment for a condition, but also often leading to prescription drug abuse.
Conclusion: Doctors, for a variety of reasons, are more likely to prescribe drugs than they are to run tests or wait and see how a patient reacts to other types of treatments. The supply is steady and easily available even for drugs like opioids.
Problem: The People
Often, if the drug is taken exactly as prescribed and the patient follows the guidelines offered up by his doctor exactly, that patient can be safely weaned off of the prescribed drug with no effects. Unfortunately, not all people will follow the directions exactly. Some will simply forget, others will willfully ignore instructions. Human error must be factored in to the creation of an addiction.
Genetics do play a role: a research done by the Laboratory of Neurogenetics finds that addiction can be inherited. The degree of genetic predisposition, however, can vary depending on the drug in question. For example, cocaine has a higher genetic factor than most hallucinogens.
Environment is an important factor. People who are exposed to addiction behaviors at an early age are more likely to develop their own addictions later in life, particularly if they are close to the person exhibiting those behaviors.
Addictions do not spring up out of nowhere, but it is rarely the result of completely controllable factors like environment (and to a lesser extent, personality type). Genetics, human biology and the nature of how the drugs are made and (too) readily prescribed plays a much larger role in the rate of addiction within the United States. | <urn:uuid:6c670246-765b-42bd-bbcd-1abe887836b0> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://healthblogs.org/prescription-drug-abuse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100593.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20231206095331-20231206125331-00255.warc.gz | en | 0.95516 | 793 | 3.078125 | 3 |
AMBOSELI (Austin Schessl & Jenna Sencabaugh)
Karibuni! In order to complete our core course we have a variety of field components throughout the semester here in Kenya. Most recently, we travelled to the Amboseli region!
Interviews with Farmers (Austin)
On our first full day in the area we left our camp to interview farmers in the area. We had split up into five groups each with the assistance of a translator. Each group was tasked with interviewing three-four different farmers asking questions as to what they grew, their time in the area, struggles with land and water availability as well as conflicts with wildlife (many of these farms are extremely close to the national park). After completing our interviews we all gathered to discuss our findings. To our surprise nearly every farmer was growing tomatoes and several were growing bell peppers as well. The farmers also agreed that the three animal species that cause the greatest nuisance are elephants, elands, and monkeys. If a single elephant comes into a farmer’s field it is likely that they will lose the entire crop for that season. Many of the farms are not fenced because the farmers are leasing or crop sharing and are unwilling to invest such a large sum of money to protect land that they may not be farming the following year. However, with Amboseli National Park being unfenced and the elephant population increasing uncontrollably it is becoming even more of a nuisance for farmers in the region.
Cultural Maasai Manyatta (Austin)
Later that afternoon, we were able to visit a Cultural Maasai Manyatta in order to see the way that the Maasai once lived. These manyattas consisted of several small cow dung houses arranged in a circle around their pen for cattle. In order to ensure the safety of the manyatta the entire compound was surrounded by a fence made from acacia branches. The acacia tree is one of the most abundant in Eastern Africa with multiple species, but all having severely sharp thorns covering every branch. Here we were able to learn more about the Maasai culture and daily activities. It is the men’s job to protect the homestead and herd the cattle while women are in charge of the cooking, gathering of firewood and water, as well as repairing the houses as it is the woman in the Maasai culture who actually owns the house. We also met with the manyatta’s medicine man and learned of the various barks, roots, and branches used by the Maasai to do everything from brush teeth to treat a heart attack. According to the individuals at the Cultural Manyatta much of the Maasai community still lives the traditional lifestyle such as this.
Nature Safari in Amboseli National Park (Austin)
The following day the 14 of us piled into two safari land rovers and drove to Amboseli National Park, which was just down the road from our camp. We spent several hours in the park that morning and were given the opportunity to go on another nature safari that afternoon if we chose to. While on the safaris we saw small herds of cape buffalo, hyenas, wildebeests, hippos, warthogs, herds of Grant’s gazelle and Thomson’s gazelle, a small pride of lions which had four cubs, ostriches, crested cranes as well as various other bird species, and multiple herds of elephants many of which had young calves and some herds that may have numbered near 100.
Prior to entering the park we had also spotted several small herds of giraffes and zebra, but we quickly came to realize that these species struggle to survive within the park due to the elephant populations. Amboseli National Park having around 151 square miles can sustain 400 elephants, but currently due to Kenya’s no culling policy, is now home to over 1,600 elephants. This causes a very clear destruction within the park to the trees and shrubs that these two species as well as others depend on. It also gave us a better understanding of the struggles with wildlife that the farmers had been expressing the day before. Regardless of this fact the nature safaris were the highlights for many of us during our Amboseli field component.
Homestay with Maasai families (Jenna)
At the end of the week and our time in Amboseli, we all spent a night with Maasai families in different manyattas. We traveled in pairs with a translator ready to learn more about the Maasai culture. After our experience at the cultural manyatta we were eager to experience life in with a Maasai family outside of a tourist setting. We were surprised to find many differences between the cultural manyatta and our homestays. We felt that the cultural manyatta did not fully show the development and current lifestyle of the Maasai. I was grateful along with the other members of the group to experience a day with a typical Maasai family. Along with the other females in the group, I participated in the women’s activities with my host mother. We fetched firewood and water, milked cows and goats, and prepared meals. We slept in cowhide beds in dung houses along with the family and some animals. We were also given beads to make bracelets with our host mothers. We all felt very welcome into their homes and had positive experiences.
With the help of the translator, we were able to learn from our host family and they were grateful to be able to learn from us as well. The homestay allowed us to experience their culture through conversations, participating in activities, and observations. Overall, we learned that they still follow some traditions of the Maasai but are developing in other ways. They are still pastoralists but are also using some agricultural practices due to the lack of ability to sustain a strictly pastoralist way of life. The traditional gender roles are still in place where women collect firewood, fetch water, and prepare meals while the men herd the cattle. Overall, the homestay was a positive learning experience that gave us a better idea of what life is like for the Maasai in Amboseli.
Interviews with Maasai Community Groups (Jenna)
Lastly, we got the opportunity to speak with different types of Maasai community members in groups. We met with groups of traditional women, educated women, pastoralist men, and elder male leaders. We asked them questions regarding tourism, farming, irrigation, group ranches, and modernization but also questions on their specific lives and experiences. The community members discussed ways that the culture has changed over time and their opinions on these changes. For example, they discussed women having more educational opportunities, the effect of climate change on farming practices, and how the presence of tourists is influencing their culture. These interviews were a great way to tie up everything we had done throughout the week and we were able to ask all of our remaining questions. After the interviews, we used the information we collected from the week to give presentations and discuss as a group some of the issues facing the Maasai. These discussions allowed us to reflect on the week and everything we experienced before moving on to the next component.
After a great week in Amboseli we went straight to our next destination. Check out our next post on our week in Mombasa!
“Have you gone on safari yet?” I can’t even count how many times this question has come up in conversations with my family and friends back home. In Swahili, ‘safari’ means journey, so indeed, this semester has been one big safari. KSP has taken us on journeys to rural Nyeri, beautiful Lake Naivasha, through the rift valley of Tanzania and across the busy city of Nairobi. However, our trip to Amboseli National Park in mid-March allowed us to experience a true tourist safari – in the Western sense of the word, complete with wildlife and traditional Maasai. Amboseli National Park is a relatively small piece of land, 151.4 square miles, located on the Kenya-Tanzania border, just north of Kilimanjaro. The park attracts tourists from around the world, to get the perfect shot of wildlife with a backdrop of the regal Mt. Kilimanjaro, as well as experience traditional Maasai culture in the surrounding area.
Our game drive through the park began just after sunrise. The sixteen of us filed into three Land Cruisers and entered the park, alongside tourists carrying cameras larger than a small child. We drove around the park for several hours. To put in perspective just how touristy we were, I ended the day with almost 400 new photos on my camera. On our relatively short one day game drive, we saw cheetahs, buffalo, zebras, impala, ostrich, hippos, hyenas, wildebeests, and herds of elephants. The park is also home to over 600 species of birds. Though parks attract tourists from all over the world to see the wildlife, there is also prominent human-wildlife conflict surrounding these protected areas. In Amboseli, we had the chance to speak with local farmers, who described how elephants, eland, and other species cross park boundaries looking for food. An elephant can destroy an entire farm, and the livelihood of the farmer, overnight. People are not allowed to kill elephants if they are on their land, so to protect their crops, farmers use flashlights to scare away wildlife, sometimes sitting out all night to watch over their land. A few farmers who could afford it had also built electric fences. It was incredible to be able to experience Kenya’s wildlife firsthand, but we also got the opportunity to learn about the complex human-wildlife conflict that spurs from this demand for tourism.
We continued to explore the tourism industry of Kenya by visiting a Maasai cultural Manyatta. The Maasai are a well-known pastoralist tribe, that are often posted as the face of East Africa for tourism purposes. Tourists that are drawn to the parks for wildlife often visit cultural Manyattas as well, hoping to experience different cultures. A traditional Maasai homestead is called a Manyatta. It consists of a series of Bomas – dung huts with grass roofs – situated in a circle. The animals are kept in the center of the circle, for their protection as livestock are a Maasai’s livelihood. A cultural Manyatta is designed specifically for tourism purposes. The Maasai welcomed us with a dance then showed us traditional medicinal practices, gave us a tour of their Bomas, and marketed their beadwork to us. We also had the opportunity to interview the Maasai about the cultural Manyatta. The men manage all income from tourism while the women have autonomy over the income from selling their beads. The cultural Manyatta was especially interesting knowing it was created for the purpose of tourism. We were very aware of the performance that the Maasai were showing us in contrast to contemporary Maasai culture. Later in the week, we were able to experience a more authentic Maasai lifestyle on our homestays.
At the Maasai homestay, we had the opportunity to learn from the Maasai by participating in multiple activities including cutting and collecting firewood, carrying water, milking goats, cooking meals, patching bomas, and beading bracelets. Since we had visited a cultural Manyatta before the homestay, we were able to compare the two experiences directly. The homestay was a much more authentic experience and allowed us to fully understand the ways in which Maasai culture is evolving.
After making observations and having casual conversations with everyone we interacted with during these experiences, we had the opportunity to conduct interviews with various groups of Maasai. We interviewed traditional pastoralist men, community leaders (whom were all men), traditional women, and educated women. From each group, we got an idea of their thoughts on tourism and development, and how it is impacting their lifestyles.
When discussing tourism, we focused mainly on the cultural Manyattas. After talking with the pastoralist men, we learned that the cultural Manyatta is not necessarily an accurate representation of their culture. There are multiple differences between a Manyatta and a traditional Maasai homestead. For one, there are no permanent houses in a cultural Manyatta. Male members of the community move back and forth between the Manyatta and permanent homes in other parts of the region. In the Manyatta, the Bomas are very squeezed together, with no space in between so there is very limited room to put livestock. Men also have to play specific roles at the Manyatta purely for tourism purposes. A committee determines the roles each man must play each day during tours. The men have to be dressed in all traditional wear (even though western clothing is becoming much more popular among the Maasai) and abide by what the committee assigns them to. All the men in the group expressed their disdain about this. However, each individual also agreed that the Manyattas were beneficial because of the income generated from tourism. The educated women also supported the cultural Manyatta because it provides revenue for the women that sell crafts. The money these women make from their crafts is their property. This allows the women to be more independent, especially because they do not receive any money from tourist fees and have no say in how it is used. Unlike the pastoralist men, the pastoralist women emphasized that the Manyatta was beneficial because it allowed them to preserve aspects of their culture.
We also had the opportunity to discuss development and the role that education plays in changing culture. The consensus among the groups was that the culture may be changing but education is valuable because of the benefits it brings to the community. The role of educated people is to enlighten the community on what is changing and to advise the community on how to better maintain their land. The traditional pastoralists were particularly adamant that no matter how much their culture changes, they would still retain important aspects such as the Shuka, the importance of cattle, and some of their inherent values.
We also spoke about group ranches as well as irrigation methods. Community ranches provide benefits for pastoralists because they are effective at curbing land loss in Maasai communities. There is also a community fund provided by the ranch that goes towards school fees. However, some members of the Maasai community wish to subdivide the land because group ranches restrict autonomy over the land. Lastly, on the topic of irrigation, there was controversy over the pros and cons of irrigation. Benefits of irrigation include increased crop yields, the ability to alter the environment depending on wet and dry seasons. The traditional women only saw the benefits in irrigation. However, there were also many downsides including water shortage, soil depletion, and negative impacts downstream due to pesticide contamination.
These interviews allowed us to culminate all our experiences throughout the week and gave us a holistic understanding of the issues as well as potential solutions in the Amboseli region. It was a great week!
-Maeghan, Maya, and Molly
For our last grand adventure/field component as a group, the ten of us hopped into safari vehicles to go to Amboseli, a national park about four hours south of Nairobi. The park was established in 1974 and covers 151.4 mi2 of traditionally Maasai land. As students going to an area largely economically supported by tourism, we experienced a variety of situations in which we adapted to, questioned, and debated our understanding of our experiences. Throughout the week, we had discussions and interviews with farmers and community members, we went on two game drives through the national park (lions and tigers and… ostriches[?] oh my!), visited a “cultural manyatta”, and did a 24 hour homestay with a Maasai family. Our experience was interspersed with hotel pool swims, tire shoe shopping, and DOOM!-ing all of our belongings. No adventure is complete without a little DOOM! Insecticide©, right?
As land availability has decreased, due to the breakup of group ranches and larger populations, Maasai have less land to graze their livestock on and many have turned to a mix of pastoralism and agriculture. We had an opportunity to learn about the challenges of agriculturists living in the area first hand. Most of the farmers we interviewed did not actually own the land, but were crop sharers. This means that the landowner leased out his land, many times to a middleman who paid for the lease, seeds, and pesticides and allowed the farmers to work the land in exchange for a certain percentage of the profit. The area we were in used generators to pump water from the small river to their crops, and never ran out of water because of their positioning so far upstream. The main challenge that farmers faced was ELEPHANTS. Being so close to Amboseli, the adorable elephants regularly go out of the National Park at night and feast on the delicious vegetables that the farmers had been so meticulously taking care of. If elephants do come, the farmers must resort to making loud noises, shining flashlights, and lighting firecrackers to scare away the elephants. Since there is no compensation program, these farmers can lose their entire income for the growing season (3-4 months). The most effective way of keeping the elephants out is by electric fence. The farmers discussed that the government should provide fencing for either the park or the farms because of the problems the government park has caused for them.
After a morning of interviewing farmers, we made our way down the road to visit a “Cultural Manyatta”. Cultural Manyattas are a site that the Maasai in the area have created to earn an income off of the tourist industry that is rampant in the region. These manyattas are a traditional homestead, consistent of approximately 15 cow-dung homes, and a boma to house cattle. The manyattas are set up in a circle with the homes around the outside, with the boma in the center. There are multiple reasons for this, two of them being protection from lions, and for health reasons because of how wet the center of the manyatta gets during the wet season. Who knew a barrier of acacia branches and dung homes would hold off the “king of the jungle”?
The Maasai in the manyattas create an experience for the tourist to learn about their culture and way of life, greeting you with a welcome dance and jumping competition, and then seeing you off with a market of their beaded goods. When we pulled in, the group of Maasai men and women welcomed us to dance with them, and challenged the boys to take part in their jumping competition. Our new Maasai friends joked about the boys’ lack of jumping ability- guess we’ve got something to work on, eh boys?!
After welcoming us to their manyatta and praying, we were brought into the homestead and taught about some of the natural medical remedies they have for everything from Malaria, to digestive issues, to low libido. After our medical lesson, we toured the homes, and had group interviews with the manyatta site members. On our way out, many of us bought beadwork from the women that we danced with in the beginning of the visit. Beading is something that only women do, and allows them to have a means of income to help support their households, and give them more economic autonomy.
While in Amboseli we had the chance to experience how most tourist’s live in Kenya. We stayed at the Kibo Safari Lodge and slept in “luxury tents” that were mostly filled with tourists from Europe and North America. When the safari’ers weren’t out enjoying Amboseli National Park, they were taking refuge from the hot sun and swapping stories about their quests to see The Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhino) which were the most sought after animals by recreational hunters, but has now transitioned into a fun sightseeing challenge.
On our second day in Amboseli we excitedly woke up with the sunrise, grabbed a quick breakfast and eagerly loaded into our two Safari style Toyota Land Cruisers and were on our way. Before we entered the park we were greeted by several grant’s gazelle and twigas, also known as giraffe, and many local Maasai selling souvenirs such as necklaces and animal carvings at the entrance. We spent the morning and afternoon in awe looking at countless numbers of elephants buffalo, wildebeest, waterbuck, reedbuck, baboons, ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, zebra, thomson’s gazelle, grant’s gazelle, hippos, flamingos, and birds that were completely foreign to us. We even saw several hyenas and a lion! It was picturesque seeing all of these animals in their expansive landscape with the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.
Our travels to Amboseli happened to be in the dry season, so there was not much vegetation in relation to the herds of animals, with a few exceptions of swampier areas where the Kilimanjaro snow melt collects. Much of the landscape was bare soil, and in some areas there was hardly more than a few trees or shrubs in eye sight. We learned that this is due to the large number of animals that the environment cannot sustain. The National Park can sustainably hold a population of 400 elephants, but the population has skyrocketed in recent decades to over 1600 (they are forced to raid the farmers’ fields so that they have enough food). An adult elephant can knock down five trees a day, which has converted the environment into a grassland. As a result, the grazers populations have increased and they have overgrazed the environment. All of this has led to a strain on the environment and topsoil erosion that causes the dust devils that vortex around the park.
Then the day came, and we went off roading to bush, eagerly seeking out our new families. We went to this homestay in groups of two and each group was given a translator since families mainly speak their ethnic language of Maa. We were dropped off at the entrance of the manyatta and were immediately welcomed by our Maasai homestay mother with a cup of chai and later to our homestay father.
Many rural Maasai practice polygamy as they have historically done and my homestay father had two wives. The wives each had their own house for themselves and their children in the manyatta and the father takes turns sleeping in between the two houses. Each of our homestay mothers cooked separately for themselves and their children and both worked together to complete tasks to keep the manyatta running.
At our homestay we were able to experience a day in the life of a traditional Maasai and help them with daily tasks. The Maasai have rigidly gender segregated duties, so the girls helped collecting water from a natural spring in the ground, gather firewood, cook, and clean. The boys spent most of their time herding cattle and finding new pastures. In the end we all were instructed on how to make the distinctive Maasai bracelets and necklaces and a couple lucky people even got to help reinforce a house by spreading the cow dung and ash mixture onto the house walls.
We finished out the week with interviews of community members. Groups of community leaders, educated women, traditional women, agriculturalists, and pastoralists answered our various questions about everything from irrigation techniques to thoughts about FGM.
Here are some of the most interesting things we learned from the groups:
- When asked about modernization, the group of pastoral men said that they would ideally be 50% pastoralist and 50% agriculturalist. They are not bitter or put out by the change in their traditional ways of livelihood, but rather are adjusting and finding new ways to live and be happy.
- The strong relationship between the Maasai and their cattle was/is amazing. No matter how “modern” the group becomes, everyone will always still have at least one cow. “We are not Maasai without our cows”
- Pastoralists who are also agriculturalist frequently hire out people to graze their cattle. Children now go to school at minimum through primary level, keeping them in the classroom rather than out with the livestock, leaving a gap in the labor force that must be compensated by changing work for the adults, or hiring out to graze livestock.
- When one sees images of the Maasai people, they frequently see an image of a bare breasted woman covered in beads. In reality, historically and modernly, women are always covered, and do not bare their breasts. This image was created by the western world, and is not actually representative of the Maasai people.
- The maasai shukas (blankets) were actually brought by the Scottish missionaries in the late 1800s.
- Another identifier of the Maasai is the circular or lined scars on their cheeks. This is a burn scar that was used as a technique to keep flies out of their eyes which could otherwise spread a disease that could blind them. The circular scars we have seen here in Kenya identify a Maasai as a Kenyan Maasai. If a Maasai has three vertical lines instead, he/she can be identified as Tanzanian.
-Laura and Aidan
Jambo! Ellory, Julia H, Meg and Sophie here! Following our trip to Kisumu, the KSP squad ventured in safari vehicles south to Amboseli National Park. Interacting with another Kenyan culture, the Maasai, we were again able to broaden our understanding of the diversity within Kenya. Guided by our Fearless Leader, Sinnary, we embarked on a weeklong exploration of issues surrounding Tourism, Maasai culture, and the environment.
This trip included tourist activities such as the accommodations at Kibo Safari Camp, the game drive in Amboseli National Park and the cultural manyatta visit. Unlike most of our other trips the Amboseli component felt more like a vacation than a field trip. While it was nice to feel like a tourist for a week our group did not fail to look critically at issues within the Amboseli region. Through interviews with various local communities we were able to get a better understanding of tourism and its affects on the region. Our week at Amboseli allowed us all to feel some negative and positive aspects of the tourism industry.
When we first arrived at Kibo Safari Camp we were blown away by the luxurious accommodations at the “camp”. We had been told we would be camping in tents for a week and expected a trip similar to Tanzania. What we found was a beautiful resort situated at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro complete with a pool, bar, dining room, and luxury canvas-walled villas. If there ever was a time the word “glamping” was appropriate, this was it.
The design and decorations of the resort screamed “tourist”. The walls were covered with Maasai artifacts and African paintings of tribal women and animals. There were hides and skins as carpets and gravel paths disguised as trails to connect the rooms. The “tents” had bathrooms, showers, electricity, beds with mosquito net canopies and a built in vanities. The resort was beautiful but also clearly trying to portray a “rustic” experience while sparing no modern amenity.
During our stay in Amboseli, we were lucky enough to go on a game drive in the National Park. As we all packed into the safari vehicles at 7am the KSP crew was excited and overwhelmed with pure joy to finally see wildlife. You could say there is a fair amount of “elephant enthusiasts” in the group and each one almost passed out when we saw the first heard of the majestic creatures. Rolling through the roads of the park, passing other tourists in safari vehicles with giant zoom cameras, we had become the epitome of the African tourist. As it was amazing to see: hippos, elephants, lions (very rare sight, but we saw three), a cheetah, wildebeest, zebras, hyenas, impalas, water buffalo, water bucks, baboons, and many exotic birds, it was a little disheartening to be invasive in the daily life of the wildlife. To us these animals are in their natural state, however it’s critical to acknowledge the fact that these animals are dangerous and destructive to the surrounding communities. Being students it was very easy to analyze this concept, but unfortunately to the common tourist this part of the safari is left out and the appeal of seeing wildlife is the main focus. After completing the two game drives, everyone was on such a high from the beautiful landscapes and views of wildlife, but at the end of the day it was difficult to accept that the tourism in the Amboseli region can negatively affect the wildlife and local communities.
Looking at tourism on a community based level, attractions such as the cultural manyatta appealed to just the tourist groups coming to learn about the traditional Maasai culture. These manyattas are made up of individuals who have left their family compounds in search of additional income through providing tourists with an “authentic” experience. When we first arrived we were greeted with a traditional dance and song, which included a jumping contest for the men. As we continued on into the manyatta we were surrounded with men and women dressed in traditional Maasai attire and enclosed in a ring of houses made of cow dung. Following our arrival, we were briefed on the traditional medicine used for sickness and ailments. Later we were brought into a house that included two rooms and a small kitchen area. Wrapping up the experience we were given the opportunity to interview young women and men, as well as elder women and men, about their life in the manyatta. Due to the language barrier and their perception of us as tourists, the answers given seemed to present an idolized representation of their life in the cultural manyatta. The cultural manyatta presented Maasai culture in its “traditional” form, while ignoring any steps towards development or modernity. From our view as informed students, it was hard to see the Maasai culture being exploited like this for tourist entertainment and money. Despite the obvious misrepresentation, the cultural manyatta provided an opportunity to see a tourist attraction in action.
Back at Kibo in our interviews with community members, we were able to gauge their opinions in the Amboseli region. Surprisingly, their responses were overwhelmingly positive. Every group cited that the income generated from tourist attractions such as the cultural manyatta, contributed to the communities well being. All groups that we spoke to saw cultural attractions as a way of preserving traditional dances and lifestyles and did not view them as a corruption of culture as we had expected. Additionally, it was surprising to hear that establishments such as Kibo Safari Camp provided the Maasai community with jobs and land compensation. Talking with these community members gave us a fresh perspective on tourism and a new way of conceptualizing the possible benefits to the community.
To further our understanding of the Maasai people in a changing world, we had the opportunity to spend twenty-four hours in the home of a Maasai family. The traditional manyatta was a drastic contrast to the cultural manyatta and the “tourist” activities that we had been doing. We had been briefed two weeks prior to our stay, causing a lot of anxiety among the group members due to hearing about the potential hardships we would face. We were imagining being covered in bed bugs, fleas, and lice, sleeping in a small, enclosed space with livestock on a cowhide with our Maasai siblings. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience and from the sounds of everyone’s individual homestays, this feeling seemed to be universal.
Lilly, Annie, and I were together with the second wife of our family’s manyatta. She was 28 and her five kids were running around all afternoon with the other kids of the manyatta. When we first arrived, we walked through the cow pen, made with acacia tree branches to keep the animals in and predators out. We entered the house and walked through a small front room into the back room where we found a single, cowhide bed. After settling in, we walked around the neighbor’s farms and watched one farmer irrigate his fields. The sun was hot and the cow dung house was a sauna on the inside so we helped our mom fetch water from a well near by. It was about a seven-minute walk to a very nice and established water pump. We filled our containers and carried them home on our backs with a kanga wrapped around our heads for support. Our mom made it look very easy!
When we got home, we played with the kids for what seemed to be hours. At first they were very interested in us, but were extremely shy. Little by little we pushed through those boundaries by chasing them around and playing games with them. We showed them how to play hopscotch and hand games we had learned in elementary school. They loved high five’s and I spun them around making sure to add the appropriate “whooshing” sound affects. Everyone was laughing and smiling from ear to ear. They sang us an English alphabet song with a dance to accompany it. It is amazing how communication can manifest itself in so many ways.
That evening, we met our father and watched our mom milk the cows. I tried but it was a lot harder than it looks. I completely missed the container! After milking the cows, we started to make dinner. We took turns cutting the cabbage and watched her make ugali. Kids were in and out all night long but at dinner we finally met all five of our siblings. After dinner, everyone headed to bed. The three of us played cards on our bed before trying to sleep. We did not quite fit in the bed, but we tried. Though we did not sleep a wink, the night was an experience in itself. The next morning we walked away with no bugs, no sleep, and some great selfies!
We woke up and did some of the same activities as the day before such as fetching water and milking the cows. We ate some porridge, drank tea, and spent the morning sitting under a tree beading with our mom. It was nice to know we had a shower to go back to and a meal without ugali. However, it was an invaluable experience that allowed us a realistic view of how the Maasai live today.
For a little background on the Maasai, they are an ethnic group of roughly 1.6 million people, split between Tanzania and Kenya. Historically, they are solely pastoralist. However, due to loss of land and a globalizing world, many Maasai have recently begun to engage in agriculture. Under colonial rule, they were pushed south giving way for the white settlers who took the best land. Since then, large plots of their land have been conserved for national parks and reserves or sold to other ethnic groups. With little land, the pastoralist lifestyle is extremely difficult. Thus, the shift resulted in a change in their way of life. Historically, they practice polygamy and both male and female circumcision. With the shift of their lifestyles, their cultural practices have also begun to change exemplified by their shift away from female circumcision. Additionally, due to the missionary’s stereotype of the Maasai as intimidating warriors coupled with their nomadic lifestyle, development struggle to reach Maasailand until recent years.
In addition to focusing on and discussing themes such as tourism and culture, we examined the role of our surrounding environment in the context of conservation efforts, local land usage, and relationship between the land and surrounding communities that interact with it on a daily basis. There is no denying that the most exciting component of this focus for many of us was the game drive within Amboseli National Park on the second day, where we encountered the Big 5 and other characters from the Lion King. The 22 of us were divided into four safari vehicles, all of which encountered lion, hippo, elephant, wildebeest, zebra, baboons, impala, gazelle, and various birds. Some of us were even lucky enough to have ‘spotted’ the elusive cheetah (lol get it?) and other rare animals such as an albino wildebeest that even our safari guides had never seen in their extensive careers working within the park.
After our exciting day living the stereotypical life of most tourists that visit East Africa, we hunkered down and talked specifics about the park regarding its role in conservation efforts and within the larger community. Amboseli National Park was initially established as a game reserve under British Colonialism in 1948, later becoming an official national park in 1974 under Kenya’s independent government. The park now stretches across a vast area of about 150 square miles and is one of the nation’s most popular tourist attractions, due in part by its close proximity to the impressive Mt. Kilimanjaro and the near-guarantee of seeing elephants in almost every corner of the park.
While exciting to tourists, such as ourselves, the overwhelming population of elephants (around 1200 in total) within the park exceeds almost three times its carrying capacity, becoming an increasing cause for environmental concern. Considering the sheer immensity of elephants and their strictly herbivorous diets, they become a threat to other animals within the already semi-arid ecosystem by depleting vegetation and therefore resources essential to the survival of many neighboring animals with the same eating habits.
Throughout the rest of the trip we continued our discussion regarding the role of environment by interviewing local community members that have an extensive history of living in the area. We had conversations with local farmers and members of group ranches, asking questions regarding their experiences living so close to the park and the environmental changes they have observed throughout their time in the area. Most farmers did not share the same enthusiasm we had for the inhabitation of many neighboring animals in the area due to the threat they pose to land cultivation. Although the perimeter of Amboseli National Park is lined with electrical fencing to protect humans and animals from each other, elephants are still more than capable of plowing through this protective measure, and crossing the fences with the help of both opposable thumbs and big toes by way of climbing and jumping through trees is child’s play to the agile baboons of the national park. Many of the farmers we spoke to consistently expressed concern and frustration regarding the destruction of cultivation because of the lack of viable solutions to combat the park-dwelling animals storming through their property or eating their crops. When asked what existing solutions they had to the issue they faced on a regular basis, some said they are able to receive help from local game wardens in and around the national park, while others rely on innovative scare tactics such as slingshotting or throwing rocks and torches at the encroaching animals.
Accessibility to water is another environmental concern that many local farmers and pastoralists regularly struggle with, especially during the dry season. Most farmers live upstream along the local river and use unsustainable methods of flood irrigation to water their crops while most pastoralists live downstream and experience insufficient access to water because of the wasteful farming practices upstream. In addition, many in the area are beginning to notice the river becoming increasingly dry because of implemented irrigation systems and the competition for water between the neighboring groups, subsequently causing conflicts between the two.
As much as we enjoyed our time within the scenic and surreal landscape of the Amboseli, it is important to recognize the interactions between the local communities and their surrounding environments, and the ways in which these issues can disrupt the social fabric and livelihoods of the people within the area.
Amboseli – Eliza and Thressa
Sopa! (Maasai for “Hello”)
A few weeks ago our small group had the pleasure of traveling to the Amboseli region, located in South-western Kenya. This area is comprised of Amboseli National Park as well as home to the Maasai people. This trip follows the ideals of the Kenya Semester Program, allowing us to learn through experience and interactions. We were lucky enough to be able to experience Amboseli from both a tourist as well as a local view.
On the first day, we woke up in our beautiful “tents” at Kibo Safari Camp and emerged to see an incredible view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kibo Safari Camp is located next to Amboseli Park so we were lucky enough to be awoken by monkeys and other exotic creatures most mornings.
After an amazing breakfast, we proceeded to go into the field, accompanied by our wonderful guides, Big Jackson and Little Jackson, to interview the local farming community. This community deals with issues regarding land, water, and wildlife conflict. While it took a few minutes to break the barrier, we were able to discuss these issues in depth throughout our conversations with land owners, lease farmers, and farm help. They expressed concern with a growing lack of water and lack of government aid to combat the issues concerning the impeding wildlife. They expressed the need for a fence to be used to keep wildlife inside the boundaries of Amboseli park, of which their farms are located next to. The government fears though that this will stop the necessary migration patterns of wildlife, and as a result, would hurt the tourism industry of Kenya.
In the afternoon we were able to visit a Cultural Manyatta, a popular tourist destination. These Manyattas have formed to capitalize on the continuous western interest and stereotypes of Maasai Warrior Culture and the image of “Wild Africa.” During this visit, we were introduced to the “medicine man”, taught to make fire using sticks, and were shown traditional Maasai homes. We were able to interview three different groups: Elders, women, and Warriors, to discuss some of the issues facing Maasai culture in terms of tourism.
Later in the week we were able to contrast this experience to a homestay with a Maasai family. Away from the bustle of tourism, Maasai families continue to preserve the important traditions of their culture while also being able to adjust to the changing world around. Here, we did not witness the traditional “drinking blood” but instead feasted on ugali and cabbage, a meal that reappears throughout Kenya despite ethnic and cultural differences. We slept on the customary cowhides and learned valued Maasai skills such as: collecting water and wood, feeding animals, and repairing Maasai homes with the use of cow dung. We also had the chance to interview our families on issues that they face. Many of the issues that appeared related to the international push to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation, an accepted practice among the Maasai.
Another highlight of the trip was the opportunity to experience Amboseli National Park through two different game drives. Here, we saw incredible animals including: Zebras, Ostriches, Hyenas, Lions, Wildebeest, Elephants, Cheetahs, Buffalo, Hippos, and other exotic animals. This proved to be our most “touristy” experience as we saw lines of Land Rovers filled with other visitors.
Overall it was an exciting and fast-paced week. Being the last trip of the semester before our Independent Study component (IDS), it was perhaps the most touristy and enjoyable. We made great friends at Kibo Safari Camp and during out overnights with Maasai families. As always, we are learning so much from our experiences with others – a type of learning that we may never find in a classroom. These experiences gave us joy and prepared us well for our Independent Study component where we will be fully immersed in another geographic and cultural area on our own.
Hujambo rafiki wangu! Ninaitwa MacKenzie Juda na mimi na Meera na Darcy na Simon tungependa kusema kuhusu safari yetu katika Amboseli!
We had just arrived back from our three-week long urban homestays the day before we left for our field component in Amboseli. Slightly exhausted from our choice of activities upon reuniting on the compound the previous night, we packed up the vehicles (three safari land rovers) and headed off for yet another week away from “home.” I was excited: we were told that after spending two months trying to prove that we did not come to Kenya for purposes of tourism, we would finally have the opportunity to be tourists. I can’t say any of us have ever thought it would be cool to be tourists in Kenya, but I, for one, took this to heart (see outfit in picture below).
After about four to five hours of watching the scenery go by and listening to my iPod (if you need expert advice, I highly recommend The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack for ANY road trip or long car ride that you take), we finally made it to Kibo Safari Camp! The first order of business was to find someone to share a tent with for the week and move in. These tents were unlike any tent I have ever stayed in in my entire life: firstly, they had floors. Secondly, they had beds. Thirdly, they had electricity (for certain hours of the day). Fourthly, they had indoor plumbing. Compared to our stay in Tanzania, we were living in luxury.
Normally I’m sure many of us would have stayed in our tents for a bit longer to relax and gush about how awesome they were or maybe even jump on the beds, but we were all on a mission: we were headed to the pool. To everyone’s heartbreak, however, the pool was closed for the night. To cope with such sadness, a couple of us ventured off to the bar where we met a man named Maurice who would become our friend for the week (DISCLAIMER: I’m 21 so I can legally drink in any country… OTHER DISCLAIMER: SLU did not cover our bar tabs). Thus began the start of a weekly ritual; we would sit outside at our favorite table looking out over Mt. Kilimanjaro because I forgot to mention that WE WERE RIGHT THERE. Along with Maurice, Samuel and Gona were serving us at meals all week, and they were incredibly hospitable. I don’t always gush about the places I sleep, but when I do, I mean it: if you ever decide to go on a vacation to a safari camp in Kenya, you won’t regret Kibo.
After an evening of luxury, it was time to get to work: when we woke up in the morning, we got ready to head out and interview some farmers. When I saw this activity on the itinerary, I was anticipating going to some sort of conference center where there would be farmers who had signed up and designated time to be interviewed by us. However, what we experienced was even more amazing. All of the vehicles parked on the side of the road after about a half hour of driving, and we met about six men who were our designated translators for the activity. We then split into groups of three, were assigned a translator, and headed off in different directions where we would look for farms where people were working and ask one of the workers if they were willing to be interviewed. I was amazed at how welcoming people were when a group of strangers approached them to ask about any hardships they may face with water, wildlife, etc. No one my group asked refused an interview, and one of the men said he wished he could talk to us longer. After each interview, we would hand the farmer a bag of sugar and tea leaves as a token of our appreciation and head off to the next farm.
Upon completing the interviews, we headed back to the camp for a quick lunch and then headed right back out for a visit to a cultural Manyatta, where we would learn about the Maasai culture. Cultural Manyattas are catered to tourists, and Sinnary warned us before heading there that our Maasai homestays would differ greatly from these (I’ll let Simon elaborate on that later). We were greeted by Maasai women singing and dancing and then each would grab a student or two to join in the circle. The women draped beads over many of the females, but we were told upfront not to get too attached to these beads as they were not gifts and we would have to pay for them if we wanted to keep them. A man wearing a Shuka led us into the Manyatta and discussed many cultural aspects of the Maasai. What I remember him saying was that the Maasai feed on meat, milk, and blood (which made me incredibly nervous for the homestay) and that they rely on traditional medicine, showing us some of the plants that are used to heal stomachaches and pregnancy woes. After that, half of us went to sit with the men for a question and answer session while the other half did the same with the women. Of course, we had questionnaires already prepared for us as a guide to what questions we should ask. Before we left, the women rushed us into the market to sell us their beadwork. We came to learn later on in the week that selling beadwork is the only source of income for the women of cultural Manyattas; the admittance fees for visitors go directly to the men. Because of this, every woman was trying to drag us to her shop.
To finish off a busy day, we had another evening watching the sunset and Big Kili, and the popcorn kept coming.
Darcy hapa, na ninasema kuhusu safari yetu katika Amboseli National Park! Our third day in the Amboseli region was dedicated to yet another classically “touristy” adventure: game drives throughout the National Park!!! As a Conservation Biologist major with a thing for lions and other large mammals, African fauna is what first got me interested in this continent. Needless to say, I was pumped out of my MIND. Of course, taking Sinnary’s Conservation and Management in East Africa course this semester has opened my eyes to the pros and cons of national parks and all the crazy conservation methods involved in saving species, often for the sake of tourism, so it was really interesting to be a tourist in Amboseli while simultaneously learning the effects of tourism… I was still super pumped, though.
We woke up early to increase our chances of sick animal sightings and drove the 1 minute journey to Amboseli’s gates; not only is Kibo great in terms of glamping facilities, but it’s conveniently located, too! After providing gate security with our passports and student ID’s, the SLU KSP rolled on inside, half our bodies popping out the open roofs on our three safari jeeps, sunscreen on and cameras ready to see some wildlife. The first thing I noticed was the vastness of the land within the park—it was all green scrubby grass atop an expanse of flat dry dirt, interrupted occasionally by trees and bushes, Big Kili dominating the left side of our far sighted vision, and perfect clouds distributed throughout the crazy blue sky. And within that vastness, almost immediately we spotted zebras, some birds, and Thompsons gazelles. As we continued driving, more zebras in larger numbers and with babies were seen, as well as grand gazelles, wildebeests, ostriches, cape buffaloes, and giraffes. Because about 70% of Kenya’s wildlife exists outside of park boundaries, we had actually already seen some of these animals prior to entering the park—including a giraffe family with a baby which crossed the road in front of us the day before. Still, seeing so many different species coexisting in such a space was definitely a unique and awesome experience.
After driving for a bit, we spotted a large mass of grey in the distance. Upon further inspection, we realized that a massive herd of elephants was walking our way, and it was freaking incredible. Never in my life did I think I’d actually be able to observe wild elephants from such a close distance, and right in front of freakin’ Kilimajaro no less. They were huge and wrinkly and slow and quiet and we loved every second of it.
We continued seeing more of the same, while adding grey crowned cranes, impalas, warthogs, and hippos (that were quite far away) to our list. Before leaving for a lunch break, we drove out to a more tree-heavy area of the park in hopes of seeing lions, which tend to stay away from open savannah as they have little opportunity to hide from potential prey in such places. After driving the loop and scaring a ton of zebras in the road (some of which farted in surprise and my 5-year-old self thought that was hilarious), my jeep came back to find the other two cars excitedly looking at something far off in between two palm tree clusters. They found a lion!!!!!!!!! She was real far off and basically couldn’t be seen without bino’s but STILL. I got to check another one off of Darcy’s list of life goals, so I’m not complaining.
We headed back to camp for lunch and had the option of staying to relax a bit or going on game drive round 2, so I did the latter. We saw more of the animals seen in game drive round 1, PLUS about 6 hyenas right next to the road. Those guys were SO cool to see, because they’ve got such a unique body structure and there was even a baby hyena who was the cutest thing I’d seen all day. Nerd fact: their feces are white due to all the calcium they ingest from eating so many bones. That’s pretty neat.
At the end of the drive when I thought life couldn’t get any better, a massive rainbow appeared over the area where the lion was, and I was proved wrong once again by Kenya’s awesomeness.
We drove back to camp, had a drink by the pool, and celebrated Lindy’s birthday with a cake made by the ever hospitable camp staff since she’d be at the Maasai homestay for her actual 22nd. All in all, I guess it was a decent day.
Simon hapa tuliishi katika Masaai kwa siku moja. We stayed with the Masaai for a night. Each of our groups had a translator because we weren’t good enough at Swahili and the Masaai weren’t good enough at English for us to get through the night. The translators were all either from the family we were staying with or from a neighboring Manyatta, our translators name was Mary. We got there in the afternoon and of course the first thing that happened was they offered us chai, like any good Kenyan would. It was strange staying with them after being at the cultural Manyattas because, surprise surprise, the Masaai are pretty much just like any other Kenyans. Most of the family that I stayed with wore western clothes and only the older generation wore the traditional dress.
That day we didn’t have that much to do because it was so late in the day. We herded the goats a little but it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, they kind of knew where to go and didn’t really need us to help. As we were waiting for dinner Jeff started to make friends with the family’s children, there were about ten of them. He showed them his binoculars and they were amazed, they looked at Kilimanjaro and for people who saw the mountain every day it was the first time they had seen in so close. The children were amazed by the binoculars and looked at everything they could. Even our translator who was 20 was amazed by them. After that we started to play soccer with the children. We tried to make teams and play an actual game but soon enough it just turned into everyone trying to get the ball.
A little bit later the animals got back from grazing and it was time to milk them. I tried and wasn’t the best at it, Jeff was much better than I was. We talked to our host mother about the animals and she said that they weren’t producing as much milk as they had in the past. Part of the milk was given to a calf whose mother had died shortly after childbirth. It was given the milk from a bottle by our Masaai mother. We talked to Mary about this and she said the cow saw our Masaai mother as its mother and would even go into the house to find her, the cow was adorable. We ate dinner a little bit later and looked at the stars as we did; they were some of the most beautiful stars I have ever seen. After dinner we went to sleep on the bed. Except it wasn’t a normal bed, it was a traditional Masaai bed which is a platform made of sticks with some dry bean plants, with some cow hides on the top. It wasn’t the worst sleep I have ever had but it wasn’t a good sleep by any means.
Jeff and I were woken up around 4:30 in the morning by the sound of a rooster crowing, the rooster was under the bed along with all of the other chickens. It kept crowing about every twenty minutes. Eventually we were able to get back to sleep and we woke up around 8:00. We had a breakfast of chapatti, although it was more similar to a very thick crepe, or very thick, very greasy Kenyan pancakes. After breakfast we went with Mary to fetch water from a nearby well which the government had made. After filling the jugs with water we headed back to the Manyatta. After that we went out herding again but the animals were already too far away for us to reach them. We went back to the Manyatta and then we worked on beading with the mother and Mary. I made a bracelet and a ring and Jeff made a bracelet. After that we ate lunch which was ugali and cabbage. All of the meals we had there were regular Kenyan meals that wouldn’t have been out of place at our homestays in Nyeri. After lunch Mary showed us how to plant in the field that the family owned. This didn’t last long as the car that came to pick us up arrived shortly after we started to plant. The stay with the Masaai was a very interesting, and enjoyable experience and one unlike any other experience we have had.
Meera hapa sharing the rest of our time in Amboseli: After an incredible week with animals, some amazing Maasai men and women, and Kilimanjaro we finished off our week by interviewing different groups of people of Maasai people. We interviewed groups of: Community leaders where there was a Vice Chairman and a committee member, Elders where we got the opportunity to chat with two older men, traditional women where the influence of modernity was evident because they had cell phones, handbags and weave however traditional culture was evident also because they wore shukas (a.k.a. Maasai blankets) and lots of beautiful beading, and last but not least, we had a group of educated women who shared the differences within their culture now in comparison to the past.
The Community Leaders group talked about how things are being done in the community to ensure that the community is safe and people are living in harmony together. Some of the duties they carry out consist of ensuring that bride wealth is paid and making sure that people who owe people are paying them.
The group of elders talked about pastoralism and the role that it plays in their culture. They told us about the importance of cattle in their culture and also how why they stopped being nomadic. In order for them to survive the Maasai people used to move from one area to the other to ensure that their cattle have enough to eat! This is why Maasai people used to build semi-permanent houses since they did not live in them all their lives. The elders said with the introduction of modernity, education and Christianity their culture is bound to change however the things that will remain the same are: one the wearing of their traditional Shukas, if it is not the everyday dress it will be worn at ceremonies. Two the scaring of the face will never change because it is a mark of identification and the people of Maasai society will always have cattle weather it is five or twenty, they will always have cattle!
The traditional women shed light on the improvement of access to medical services. They said that nowadays more and more women are using the hospitals for childbirth compared to the traditional methods where they do a homebirth and have their co-wives help them or their friends in the community. We were curious to know why they are using hospitals and what we were told is that the government has insisted that they use the facilities by making it more accessible to the population and also made the services free of cost.
The educated women shared some of the changes that have come to their culture which include the change in food they eat, farming as a way to gain access to different crops for domestic use and helping with providing food for the cattle also, permanent houses which are now being made for iron sheets and wood, education and the change for men to have only one wife which came about with the influence of Christianity.
While staying and traveling around Kenya we have meet so many different people and learned about their culture. While the Maasai people have for long resisted change and modernity our trip to Amboseli has taught us that culture will not change but only evolve with the different influences.
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Malaria affects over 3.5 million people in Bolivia each year. The Amazon basin regions of Beni and Pando have the country’s highest infection rates. In these regions, migratory worker populations, such as castañeros, or Brazil nut harvesters, run a high risk of malaria infection. Malaria is a great burden on the workers, their families, and even the country’s economy. When castañeros are sick with malaria, family income drops since workers do not earn their wages and family members stay home to care for them. In addition, the country’s Brazil nut market suffers. Bolivia supplies about 80 percent of the world’s Brazil nuts, with an annual market value of $48 million. At least 15,000 families from rural areas depend on this market for survival.
In coordination with USAID, Bolivia’s Ministry of Health conducted a pilot study that involved training local health providers and voluntary health workers in malaria-prevention and treatment techniques. They learned how to use a rapid diagnosis test to quickly identify individuals among migrant populations who had contracted malaria. They also learned how to administer treatment and treated all malaria-infected individuals prior to their return home.
About one-third of 2,400 castañeros tested positive for malaria and they received immediate treatment. The USAID-sponsored pilot test demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach among migrant populations and strengthened local capacity in early diagnosis and treatment of malaria. The Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Program have committed resources to continue this project, with the promise of improving the health and productivity of many more Bolivians for years to come.
Last updated: August 09, 2013 | <urn:uuid:d5f92956-aa42-4c06-8860-8d98117673b6> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.usaid.gov/results-data/success-stories/reducing-malaria-migrant-populations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1405997882928.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20140722025802-00070-ip-10-33-131-23.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941345 | 346 | 3.140625 | 3 |
The Valley will be under an ozone high pollution advisory Thursday.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issued the advisory because of expected high temperatures and light winds. Ozone is an invisible gas that is created when other pollutants in the air are heated – such as combustion. Thursday’s temperatures may flirt with 100 the next few days. An advisory is issued when ozone levels could exceed federal health limits.
Ozone can aggravate existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. Children and adults with respiratory problems should avoid outdoor activities Thursday. Everyone else should limit outdoor activity, the ADEQ recommends.
Because of the high pollution advisory, the Maricopa County Air Quality Department is enforcing the mandatory “No Burn Day” restriction for Maricopa County from midnight to midnight Thursday. This restriction includes individuals and businesses that have burn permits for open burning. Residents and employers are asked to use drive as little as possible, avoid using leaf blowers or conducting big painting projects.
Ground-level ozone is formed by a chemical reaction that needs heat from sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds to form. The months of April through September make up the Valley’s longer-than-normal “ozone season.” | <urn:uuid:01c8987c-b2fe-47a3-8d86-93416e731a22> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://eastvalleytribune.com/local/health/article_c655d52e-7691-11e0-ab92-001cc4c03286.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163791972/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204132951-00083-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946289 | 248 | 2.8125 | 3 |
According to a grouped study published in Denmark, 2019, in which the dietary and other habits of 56,000 participants at the age of 52-60 years were monitored for 23 years, the death rate of patients was approximately 15% lower if - instead of the 173 mg of flavonoids intake per day, rather - 500 mg of flavonoids was administered. The effect of flavonoids was more spectacular concerning the outcome the deaths of cancer: the at least 500-1000 mg of flavonoids per day meant 15-20% risk reduction as compared to the low (173 mg daily) dose.
The protective effect of flavonoids was higher among smokers or regular drinkers considering all causes of death, which means that the destructive effects of these harmful habits may also be offset by high daily intake of a minimum of 500 mg of flavonoids
The anti-cancer effects of flavonoids have been demonstrated in several animal experiments. The most prominent effect is linked to a flavonoid called fisetin. Treating prostate xenograft tumors (human tumor cells implanted in mice) both fisetin and cabazitaxel chemotherapeutic agent by itself had only slight improvement, but when the two were combined, they significantly increased the average survival of the mice, and the tumor growth decreased. In other studies, a flavonoid called quercetin slowed down the growth of liver, breast, and colon-type xenograft tumors, and increased the average survival of the animals. Although the effect of quercetin alone was significant, it did not completely cure the animals, but several other publications suggest that a much more pronounced anti-cancer effect could be achieved in combination with chemotherapy, just as with fisetin.
Based on experiments on isolated cancer cells, flavonoids may exert their anti-cancer effects through other mechanisms in addition to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Depending on the flavonoid type they may intervene in the survival, proliferation, and migration of cancer cells and signaling pathways responsible for the formation of new veins in such a manner that they inhibit the activity of cancer cells, or trigger the ‘self-destruct’ program of the malignant cells, with technical term: inducing apoptosis.
- Flavonoid intake is associated with lower mortality in the Danish Diet Cancer and Health Cohort. Nat Commun. 2019; 10: 3651.
- Fisetin Enhances Chemotherapeutic Effect of Cabazitaxel against Human Prostate Cancer Cells. Mol Cancer Ther. 2016; 15(12):2863-2874.
- Investigation of the anti-cancer effect of quercetin on HepG2 cells in vivo. PLoS One. 2017; 12(3):e0172838.
- Anticancer and apoptosis‑inducing effects of quercetin in vitro and in vivo. Oncol Rep. 2017; 38(2):819-828.
- Quercetin in Cancer Treatment, Alone or in Combination with Conventional Therapeutics? Curr Med Chem. 2015; 22(26):3025-39.
- Flavonoid-Based Cancer Therapy: An Updated Review. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2020; doi: 10.2174/1871520620666200423071759.
There are no reviews yet. | <urn:uuid:edcda307-1540-4118-9ba0-a0ebcec80dcd> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://navita.hu/en/product/flavita-8-cyto/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296950363.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20230401221921-20230402011921-00424.warc.gz | en | 0.925714 | 698 | 3.171875 | 3 |
The connection between what you wear and what you drive is being studied by Ford boffins to better integrate wearable devices and vehicles.
Gary Strumolo, global manager for vehicle design and infotronics at Ford said: “As more consumers begin to embrace smart watches, glasses and fitness bands, we hope to develop future applications that work with those devices to enhance in-car functionality and drivers’ personal safety.”
Researchers at the new laboratory, housed in the Ford Research and Innovation Center in the USA, are examining the potential to link vital health information to in-vehicle technologies, including Lane Keep Assist and Blind Spot Information System.
Lane Keep Assist, for instance, could become more sensitive if a smart watch sends data to the vehicle that infers the driver didn’t get enough sleep the previous night. Or, if a driver’s heart increases as traffic intensifies, the vehicle could increase the distance between vehicles for technology such as Adaptive Cruise Control or Blind Spot Information System.
“Wearable technology integrated with the vehicle allows for more accurate biometric data to stream continuously and alert active safety systems to become more sensitive if the driver is showing signs of compromised health,” added Strumulo.
Wearable innovations are part of Ford Smart Mobility, the plan to take the company to the next level of connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience as well as data and analytics. | <urn:uuid:787e1f94-4c7b-48c8-bac1-51a6b4ad853b> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://blog.perrys.co.uk/2016/01/12/ford-boffins-research-wearable-car-devices/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370521876.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20200404103932-20200404133932-00505.warc.gz | en | 0.936169 | 292 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Knights and Saints
The influence of St Edmund as the patron saint of Anglo Saxon England began to wane under the Normans. He was finally replaced after the English successes under the patronage of St George during the Crusades and victories on the battlefield in France during the Hundred Year's War.
While the veneration of St George as a soldier-saint can be traced back to the 7th century, the first depictions of St George the Dragon Slayer go back only to 10th or 11th century Cappadocia (Central Turkey). A dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil in the Middle Ages. A late legend claims that St. George killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill at Uffington, Berkshire, where the beast's blood spilled today no grass grows. However, many of the legends associated with St. George lack historical substance and are generally considered fictitious; indeed the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ is one of many stories of the saints preserved in the Golden Legend, compiled by Jacobus de Voragine in 1275 after being brought back to Europe by Crusaders in the 12th century.
|St George and the Dragon (Carpaccio, 1502)|
The person typically identified as St. George is an unnamed man martyred in 303 AD during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian (284-305) as recorded by Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea in the mid-4th century. This man is commonly thought to have been Georgios Gerontios, a tribune in the Roman Army who refused to renounce his Christian faith and tore down Diocletian's edict of persecution. He was subsequently imprisoned, tortured and finally beheaded on the 23rd April 303 in Nicomedia, an ancient Greek city in what is now Turkey.
However, the connection of the saint with Nicomedia is inconsistent with the early cult of St George at Lydda in the Roman province of Syria-Palaestina, also claimed to be the place of his birth and his martyrdom, an important cult site to the Crusaders.
The first Christian Emperor Constantine the Great is said to have constructed a basilica over the St George's tomb at Lydda, but this church was destroyed and rebuilt several times during the crusades. Between 1150 and 1170 a cathedral was said to have been built over the tomb by Richard I (the Lionheart) of England only to be destroyed by Saladin in 1191; yet there is little evidence to support this claim.
Richard the Lionheart is said to have received a personal vision of the saint at Acre during the Third Crusade. After these “appearances” St George was adopted as the patron saint of soldiers and many military orders.
The Cross of St George, was first recorded as the ensign of the Republic of Genoa, before it was used by the crusaders. From the time of the Second Crusade (1147–1149) the red Cross of St George became associated with the Knights Templar, a military order that emerged out of the ruins of Jerusalem after its capture in the First Crusade.
The English king Henry II and the French king Philip II used red and white crosses to identify their respective soldiers during the so-called “Kings' Crusade” of 1187. The red-on-white then became a recognisable symbol of the crusader from about 1190. Indeed, the banner of St George, the red cross of a martyr on a white background, was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers by the reign of Richard I (1189 – 1199). The flag of England is derived from St George's Cross.
In the 1270's the Red Cross was worn by English soldiers during the reign of Edward I. In 1348 Edward III established a premier order of Knighthood in England, with Saint George as its patron. At the “Battle of Agincourt” in 1415 many of Henry V's English soldiers believed they witnessed Saint George fighting alongside them as they routed the French. Shakespeare recorded the success of St George with Henry V ending his speech before the battle with the famous phrase, “Cry God for Harry, England and St George!”
The Order of the Garter
With such a fine military pedigree it was no surprise that Edward III chose Saint George as the patron saint of his Order of the Garter in 1348, the oldest surviving Order of Chivalry in the world, adopting the red-on-white cross for his Royal Standard. It was around this time that Edward proclaimed St George as Patron Saint of England; significantly, Edward created the Order of the Garter on St George's Day, 23 April.
|Edward III, the Order of the Garter|
Without doubt the creation of the Order of the Garter and the return to chivalry was inspired by the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with Edward III, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Edward I, actively promoting himself as the New Arthur. His son Edward, later the Black Prince, was raised on the traditions of Arthurian Romance.
As Edward I had visited Glastonbury in 1278, for the translation of King Arthur's relics to a new marble tomb in front of the high altar, Edward III also visited the Somerset town in 1331 in a intentional act planned to associate his reign to both the Arthurian tradition and the reign of his grandfather.
Edward III’s Somerset itinerary was remarkably similar, but not identical, to that of Edward I, travelling from South Cadbury to Glastonbury. He spent 19 December 1331 at at South Cadbury and Cadbury Castle, the potential site of Camelot, before travelling to Glastonbury between 20 December and 22 December. Finally he moved on to Wells on 23 December, where he spent Christmas. There are no records of any further visits by Edward III to Glastonbury Abbey, though in 1345 he granted permission for one John Blome to search the abbey grounds for the grave of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who buried Jesus and legendary founder of the Abbey, and through the Grail stories an ancestor of Arthur, and guardian of the Holy Grail.
This was the Golden Age of Glastonbury Abbey, a site of pilgrimage for the cults of King Arthur, whose bones were discovered there in 1191, and Joseph of Arimathea, whose bones were not.
King Arthur's Round Tables
At the end of the “Round Table” festival at Windsor Castle in January in 1343, Edward III announced his intention to found an Order of the Round Table with three hundred knights with St George as their Patron, with a corresponding building and chapel, "in the same manner and estate as the Lord Arthur, formerly King of England".
The Round Table is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his famous Knights would gather. The Table has no head, so that everyone who sits there has equal status. Yet Geoffrey of Monmouth does not mention this round table in his Arthurian epic The History of the Kings of Britain (Historia regum Britanniae), and there is no mention of it in the early Welsh texts.
The Round Table was first described in the Roman de Brut by the Anglo-Norman poet Wace in 1155, a chronicle based on Geoffrey's earlier work. The symbolism of the Round Table developed during the Arthurian Romances and came to represent the chivalric order of the Knights of the Round Table.
During the Middle Ages, festivals called “Round Tables” were celebrated throughout Europe in imitation of Arthur's court; the earliest known was held in Cyprus around 1220. These aristocratic festivals consisted of tournaments with jousting knights performing Arthurian roles, concluding in a great feast.
|The Round Table in the Great Hall, Winchester|
The iconic Round Table hanging in the Great Hall seems to have influenced Thomas Malory's identification of Winchester as the site of Camelot. Malory composed his Le Morte D'Arthur while in Newgate Prison, London, between March 1469 and March 1470 and published by William Caxton in July 1485. In 1934 the headmaster of Winchester College W. F. Oakeshott discovered a previously unknown manuscript copy of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur in the library of Winchester College that is closer to Malory's original than Caxton's printed edition.
It would appear that Caxton did not use the Winchester manuscript in preparing his printed text. Caxton divided Malory's original work of four sections into twenty-one books of roughly equal length and omitted the colophons found of the tales containing autobiographical information about the author, including Malory's reference to himself as the “knyght presoner”.
The legs were removed from the Winchester table in 1348 and the top hung on the castle wall as a symbol of the chivalric concept of the fellowship of Arthur's Round Table. Two centuries later Henry VIII had the table repainted with himself in Arthur's seat above a Tudor Rose.
By 1348, Edward III had abandoned his earlier plan for an Order of the Round Table consisting of 300 knights, and announced the creation of the Order of the Garter, with an exclusive membership limited to just 25 Knights, with the first places reserved for those commanders who had helped him to win the Crécy campaign; the exact same number of places around the Winchester Round Table.
The Garter and the Motto
Today, the official seat of the Most Noble Order of the Garter sits at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where its chapters have assembled since its creation by Edward III in 1348. The Sovereign and the Prince of Wales being permanent members, together with 24 Companion Knights.
The Garter Knights wear a mantle made from dark blue velvet fastened with blue and gold rope strings. Upon their shoulders the Knights wear the badge of the cross of St. George upon a shield encircled with the Garter.
The origins of the Order’s blue garter and motto, “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense” (Shame on Him Who Thinks Evil of It), are uncertain but shares much with the 14th century English Arthurian work “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”
In this anonymous chivalric romance Gawain resists the temptations of the Lady of the Castle of Hautdesert, accepting only kisses from her. On the third day after resisting her further advances she presents Gawain with a magic green girdle that will protect him from being slain. With his forthcoming duel with the Green Knight at the Green Chapel, Gawain takes the girdle but does not pass it on to the lord of Castle Hautdesert (Bertilak), with whom he has an agreement that whatever each of them wins during the day they will exchange that evening. Gawain's dishonesty is his sin.
When it is revealed that the Green Knight is actually Bertilak and that the attempted seductions were a test of Gawain's worthiness, the knight is shaken with guilt, but Bertilak praises him for never giving into sexual temptation by the Lady of Hautdesert
Bertilak invites Gawain to return to the castle but Gawain refuses and sets off for Camelot, wearing the girdle for his shame. On arrival he tells Arthur the story who then decides that all the knights of the Round Table will wear a belt of green as a badge of honour in support of Gawain and proclaiming as their motto “Honi Soyt Qui Mal Pense” (Shamed be the One who Thinks Evil).
Copyright © 2017 Edward Watson
* * * | <urn:uuid:ae60d672-7741-4acb-af00-237c62267fb3> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://clasmerdin.blogspot.com/2017/04/st-george-and-order-of-garter.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818687606.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170921025857-20170921045857-00406.warc.gz | en | 0.967511 | 2,434 | 3.265625 | 3 |
A story on state and federal accountability systems ("Accountability Conflicts Vex Schools") in the March 10, 2004, issue of Education Week incorrectly stated the goal schools must achieve under California’s system. Each year, every school must close 5 percent of the original gap between its starting point and the goal set for it by the state.
The name of Leonard Sax ("Rules on Single-Sex Education Allow Room to Experiment"), the executive director of the National Association for Single Sex Education, was misspelled in an article on such education in the same issue.
A story on water quality in schools in the March 17 issue ("Schools on Alert Over Water Quality") incorrectly quoted Claire Barnette, the executive director of the Healthy Schools Network. Ms. Barnette said: "No amount of lead needs to be in the water children drink. You can’t see it or taste it—you have to test for it, and schools aren’t doing that."
Vol. 23, Issue 28, Page 4 | <urn:uuid:2ffe639b-6354-4aa1-9612-a4bc03a9f92b> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2004/03/24/28correct.h23.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128319902.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170622201826-20170622221826-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.947041 | 207 | 2.765625 | 3 |
How Shamanism is used for healing
The ability to achieve and control a trance is the result of cumulative conditioning and mental training. There is a gradual progression from ordinary consciousness to deeper levels of fixation that must be learned, thus healing is only sucessful when a series of sessions is completed. Wide spectrums of trance levels exist ranging from slight detachment to a total removal of one's inhibitions. In deep hypnotic states, where most practical Shamanic journeying occurs, it is possible to control one's own body temperature, heart rate, blood flow, and digestion. People react differently to the sensations of shamanic flight; individuals may experience vivid imagery, events from their past, or utter relaxation. Physical, emotional, and spiritual crisis are parts of being terminally ill or having cancer that may be mitigated with shamanistic healing. There is evidence for the efficacy of therapies such as shamanism in improving the quality of life in the terminally ill and cancer patients. The active participation of the patient in the therapy promotes emotional healing and coping skills. Patients that suffer from hypertension or problems associated with stressful life styles can use shamanic methods to gain control over their physical and emotional wellness. Further, the mentally ill and sufferers of depression may find that shamanism is an ancient tradition that in modern times help them to live a normal lifestyle. | <urn:uuid:cdd64c6f-3e1a-4607-88ca-da34207af50d> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | http://spiritualage.org/shamanic-healing.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653930.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607143116-20230607173116-00795.warc.gz | en | 0.937607 | 270 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Designer dogs are a relatively recent breeding trend in the dog world. The term refers to breeding two different purebred dogs to create a third breed that combines the traits both. One such designer dog is the Goldendoodle, a combination of the Golden Retriever and the Standard Poodle.
The earliest known breeding of the Goldendoodle was in North America and Australia in the 1990s. Small poodle hybrids had become popular by that time and breeders decided to create a larger crossbreed between Golden Retrievers and Standard Poodles. Smaller hybrids were also created when breeders used a miniature or toy poodle as one of the parents, and these designer dogs are called Miniature Goldendoodles.
Although Goldendoodle, or mini Goldendoodle, is the most common term for this crossbreed, depending on its size, they also have other nicknames, including Golden Poos, Goldie Poos or Groodles.
The size of a Goldendoodle mostly depends on its parentage. To estimate the adult size of a Goldendoodle puppy, add together the weights of both the parents and divide by two. This helps breeders and owners get a rough estimate of what to expect.
Standard Goldendoodle sizes are the largest classification of Goldendoodle. These designer dogs are generally more than 45 pounds as adults, but they can grow to more than 100 pounds. Medium-sized adult Goldendoodles are usually between 30 to 45 pounds. The full-grown Miniature--or Mini--Goldendoodle most often reaches 15 to 30 pounds.
With the Mini Goldendoodle, owners get the friendly, obedient, outgoing personality of the larger Golden Retriever in a smaller, more manageable package. In addition to a smaller size, the Miniature or Toy Poodle side of the breed also brings with it intelligence and a low-shedding coat, which makes them a good choice for people with allergies.
- Golden retriever image by Han van Vonno from Fotolia.com | <urn:uuid:a3cf7a5c-8959-4342-b747-96cc41db5f01> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/mini-goldendoodle-sizes-3962.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1409535920849.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20140909052136-00344-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926869 | 416 | 2.734375 | 3 |
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The Elliot wave theory was developed by Ralph Elliot, a well-known German accountant and author, who spent years studying the financial market. He concluded that financial assets like stocks and indices tended to move in a series of waves, which are today known as Elliot waves. In this report, we will look at what the Elliot wave states, how to identify it, and the rules that govern the theory.
What is the Elliot wave theory?
According to Ralph Elliot, a financial asset whose price is rising or falling does so in a series of five waves. In an uptrend, the three waves are usually bullish while two waves are usually bearish or corrective. Similarly, in a downward trend, three waves are usually bearish and two of them are bullish. The chart below provides a simple illustration of a bullish Elliot wave chart.
How Elliot wave looks like
The reasoning behind the Eliot wave is relatively simple. The first wave happens when the price of an asset starts rising. In this period, the market is not all that focused on the price. After reaching a certain point, some buyers start to exit, which leads to the first pullback. As the price drops, some original and new buyers spot the opportunity and buy the asset. At this stage, the market is convinced of the rally and more buyers come back in.
The fourth wave, which is usually corrective happens as some buyers exit and take profit. After making a small decline, some buyers return and push the price higher. The same approach usually happens when the price of an asset is falling, as shown in the chart below.
Elliot wave live chart
In this chart, the main Elliot wave is shown in blue. As you can see, a common rule in Elliot Wave is that several waves tend to form during the overall wave formation.
Rules of an Elliot wave
For an Elliot wave to form, Ralph Elliot identified three main rules to guide its application. Fortunately, these rules are usually relatively easy to see.
- Wave 2 – A key rule is that the second wave should never retrace the third wave completely. This means that the tip of the second wave should always be above the origin of the first wave.
- Wave 3 – The rule that guides the third wave is that it is never the shortest of the five waves. This is because, as explained above, the number of participants in the direction of the wave is usually higher.
- Wave 4 – Like the second wave, this wave never retraces 100% of the third wave.
If one of these rules is broken, the Elliot wave pattern is invalidated. For example, in the chart below, the Elliot wave is invalidated because the third wave is not the longest.
How to invalidate the Elliot wave
There are other unwritten rules in the Elliot wave. For example, as mentioned, in a longer-term Elliot wave, there are usually several smaller waves. Another unwritten rule is about where the first wave starts. Ideally, the first wave starts at a point where the price has formed a solid bottom or top.
How to draw Elliot wave in forex trading
The process of drawing an Elliot wave in forex is relatively easy now that you have a good understanding of what it is and the rules that guide it. It is worth noting that a complete Elliot wave pattern takes time ranging from a day to years. For example, the first EUR/CHF example showed above started in May 2020 and is continuing to date. Therefore, it is not an ideal trading approach for day traders and scalpers, who have a very small horizon in the market.
The first step of drawing the Elliot wave pattern is to visually scan the market to find unique chart patterns. For example, it is almost impossible to use the waves in a ranging market. The most ideal point to start the Elliot wave is usually after a currency pair or any other asset finds a definitive bottom or top. In several periods, it is usually at a time when it has just formed a double bottom pattern.
After identifying a good starting point, a good approach is to use the Fibonacci retracement tool to predict where the first wave will end at. For starters, the retracement is derived from the Japanese mathematical concept of Fibonacci sequence. Ideally, this pattern is drawn by connecting significant highs and lows, as you can see in the example below.
In most cases, the first wave will go up to the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level. The second corrective wave tends to end at or slightly above the 23.6% retracement level while the third wave runs above the 61.8% retracement.
In the example below, we see that the EUR/USD pair was previously in a strong downward trend starting from February, 2018. It then bottomed in March, 2020. Therefore, we have drawn the Fibonacci by connecting the two points.
The first wave starts at this low point, moves to the 38.2% retracement, falls back to slightly above the 23.6%, and then rises above the 61.8%. The fourth wave ended at the 50% retracement, and the price is now in its fifth wave.
Example of Elliot wave (daily chart)
How to use Elliot wave in forex
Now that you know how to draw the Elliot wave, how do you use it in the market? A good option is to first identify the wave in a longer-dated chart like the daily one above and mark the specific points on the Elliot wave. After this, you should go back to the shorter timeframes and use the marked points as support and resistance points.
For example, using the EUR/USD pair, you know that the pair is in the fourth wave. So, you can narrow it back to the four-hour chart, with the lower side of the Elliot wave as the support. Therefore, you can place a buy limit trade at 1.1616. This will initiate a new buy order and ride the fifth wave.
Example of how to use Elliot wave
The Elliot wave is a relatively popular approach to trade the forex market. To use it well, you need to know how to identify the starting point and how to apply the three rules. Also, you need to know how to incorporate other strategies like the use of Fibonacci retracement tools. However, if you are a beginner, we recommend that you spend a considerable amount of time learning and practicing it before you use it in a live account. | <urn:uuid:1484445d-e103-4505-abaa-ce7e09442ce1> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://forex.best/using-the-elliot-wave-theory-in-forex-trading/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510334.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20230927235044-20230928025044-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.947757 | 1,337 | 2.703125 | 3 |
On Thanksgiving Day, November 28, Comet ISON will round the sun and soon after it may be visible in the predawn sky.
ISON is called a sungrazing comet because of how close to the sun it will be when it passes though—just 730,000 miles away from the sun.
“As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches, I am hoping many of you will take a moment to step outside and gaze up at the predawn sky starting next weekend,” Southampton High School astronomy teacher Ryan Munkwitz says in a school bulletin. “[ISON] left the Oort cloud at least a million years ago and is expected to make many headlines during December after finally reaching the Sun. Some news articles are being so bold as to label ISON as the ‘Comet of the Century.'”
Munkwitz says the comet is expected to have “an incredible tail” if it survives its journey past the sun and it will be visible during predawn in December through January. Though, he acknowledges, “If it does not survive, it may break apart and fail to meet all the hype.”
“This is ISON’s first trip around the Sun, so it is pristine with elements from the early Solar System,” he continues. “Studying the gases that boil off will give us clues about the days when Earth was still being born. Even if the sun-grazer doesn’t meet expectation, it may provide just one more reason to appreciate our short tenure on this blue marble.”
Munkwitz also offers these facts:
•It’s name is for the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON), a group of 10 countries organized to monitor and track objects in space. Managed by a Russian academy.
•It’s a little smaller than Southampton, 3-4 miles across
•Traveling ~48,000 miles per hour (meaning it would travel around Earth ~twice an hour, much faster than ISS)
•Shedding 112,000 pounds/minute and rising | <urn:uuid:4b8d5372-e10c-4ce2-b942-35d59f03635b> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.danspapers.com/2013/11/sungrazing-comet-ison-to-visit-on-thanksgiving/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144498.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20200220005045-20200220035045-00534.warc.gz | en | 0.937926 | 429 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Optimum timing of alfalfa harvest is critical to obtain high-quality forages for lactating dairy cows. Three methods used to estimate neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of alfalfa were evaluated in a field research project conducted during 2000 on 35 farms in Michigan. The three methods evaluated are growing degree-days (GDD), predictive equation for alfalfa quality (PEAQ), and scissors-cut samples. Predicted NDF based on the three prediction methods were compared to NDF of chopped alfalfa both before and after ensiling in laboratory silos. Based on results from this project and previous research, PEAQ and GDD methods adequately predict NDF of first cutting alfalfa; however, only the PEAQ stick should be used for second cutting. The GDD is not reliable when there is inadequate soil moisture, which often occurs during second cutting growth. Neither GDD nor PEAQ adequately predicted NDF for third cutting alfalfa. The scissors-cut method can be considered for predicting NDF for the third cutting.
Alfalfa is an important forage for dairy cows because it provides fiber that effectively stimulates chewing while also providing energy and protein for milk production. There is an optimum quality for alfalfa that should be fed to dairy cows. Quality can be too high or too low for maximum milk production.
The measure of fiber most commonly used to balance diets of lactating dairy cows is NDF. The optimum concentration of NDF for alfalfa is 40%. Alfalfa containing 40% NDF allows reasonable grain concentrations in the diet while maintaining adequate NDF concentrations. The protein concentration of alfalfa with 40% NDF is usually moderate (approximately 20% of DM), and additions of low-protein grains such as corn allow flexibility in diet formulation for ruminally undegraded protein while avoiding excessive protein concentrations (Allen, 1997).
Delaying alfalfa harvest increases NDF percentage and reduces protein concentration. More grain will be required to increase energy density and decrease the NDF concentration (and filling effect) of the diet. In addition, more supplemental protein will be required to meet the cows’ protein requirements, and DM intake and milk production will be reduced.
Several methods recently have been proposed to predict timing of first cutting alfalfa harvest based on NDF concentration:
At the farm level, procedures need to be easy to use, require minimal time, and provide relatively accurate predictions of the NDF concentration of the alfalfa that is to be fed.
The GDD calculation for alfalfa is based on the minimum and maximum daily temperature beginning on March 1 and using a base of 41°F. The daily calculation is:
[(max. temp. + min. temp.)/2] - 41
The total GDD is the sum of the positive daily growing degree-day values across days beginning March 1.
Based on research at Michigan State University (MSU) (Allen and Beck, 1996), alfalfa averages 40% NDF at about 750 GDD. An NDF concentration of 35% is approximately equivalent to 600 GDD. It takes a total of about 970 GDD to reach 45% NDF.
These GDD predictions of NDF concentration are for pure alfalfa stands. Grass matures earlier than alfalfa. Consequently, significant amounts of grass in alfalfa fields will result in higher NDF concentrations if the forage is harvested based on GDD estimates of NDF.
The GDD also is most effective in predicting harvest of first cutting alfalfa. Predicting NDF concentration using GDD cannot be done when there is inadequate soil moisture because GDD accumulates with little or no response in plant growth. Consequently, GDD has been used only for first cutting alfalfa harvest.
The PEAQ method (Hintz and Albrecht, 1991) is based on an equation that uses the length of the tallest alfalfa stem and the stage of the most mature alfalfa plant (will likely be two different plants) in the area sampled. The current modified PEAQ method uses a scale of three stages of maturity (late vegetative, bud, and flower). Measuring sticks, calibrated for the three plant maturity stages, are used to obtain estimates of NDF.
While obtaining PEAQ estimates of NDF, producers can scout their alfalfa fields for winter injury, disease development, insect damage, and weed encroachment (Sulc et al., 1999).Good sampling technique is critical to obtaining reliable NDF estimates. It is important to obtain NDF estimates from the PEAQ method at five or more locations across the field.
As with GDD, the PEAQ method was developed for pure stands of alfalfa. The NDF estimates from PEAQ will not account for weeds or grasses in the stands. The PEAQ is not reliable for estimating NDF when alfalfa is very short (longest stem is less than 16 inches) or very tall (longest stem is more than 40 inches).
Scissors-cut samples provide a direct measurement of NDF in the collected plant material. Sampling technique is critical. A representative sample must be obtained from across the field. Sample handling is also important in minimizing respiration losses prior to the sample arriving in the analytical lab. In addition, errors can occur with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis of scissors-cut samples because equations for fresh alfalfa are not generally available (Sulc et al., 1999).
In 2000, we conducted a field research project in Michigan to compare different methods of predicting alfalfa NDF concentrations over first, second, and third cuttings. The methods compared included GDD (base 41°F), PEAQ, and scissors-cut samples.
The project consisted of samples and data collected at alfalfa fields in 35 locations throughout Michigan, including five locations in the Upper Peninsula. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures were collected with electronic data loggers at each field. Temperatures were recorded every 10 minutes beginning on March 1 and continued through the duration of the project (approximately mid-August).
We compared the NDF predicted from these samples with the NDF analyses of chopped alfalfa both before and after ensiling in laboratory silos. Immediately prior to cutting the alfalfa field, the PEAQ stick was used to predict NDF and the scissors-cut sample was taken. The field-wilted alfalfa was sampled immediately prior to chopping. This sample was manually “chopped” and either dried within 24 hours or immediately ensiled in laboratory silos. The scissors-cut, chopped, and ensiled samples were analyzed for NDF concentration by wet chemistry procedures at the MSU Department of Animal Science.
The NDF concentration of the ensiled alfalfa ranged from 35 to 46% for first and second cuttings. Third cutting NDF ranged from 35 to 52%.
The NDF concentration of ensiled alfalfa samples was predicted adequately by all three methods for the first and second cuttings. Although there was little difference between GDD and PEAQ for first and second cutting alfalfa, we do not recommend using GDD for predicting NDF concentration of second cutting alfalfa. There is often inadequate soil moisture for second cutting growth, and we believe the GDD method is not reliable in these conditions.
The scissors-cut method was the only method that adequately predicted NDF for third cutting. It should be noted that these samples were handled under controlled conditions. The cut samples were chilled immediately and delivered to the lab within 24 hours of collection.
The error associated with the methods was slightly lower for PEAQ compared to GDD and the scissors-cut method for the first and second cuttings. When PEAQ was used to predict NDF, about two-thirds of the samples were predicted within +2.3 units of NDF for first cutting and within +2.8 units of NDF for second cutting. When GDD was used, about two-thirds of the samples were predicted within +2.6 units of NDF for first cutting and within +3.1 units for second cutting. The corresponding measurements of error for the prediction of NDF from scissors-cut samples were 2.4 units of NDF for first cutting and 3.0 units of NDF for second cutting.
There was good agreement between NDF concentration of the fresh chopped and ensiled samples. The regression equation is:
NDF%-ensiled = 10.8 + 0.72 * NDF%-fresh chopped, with an R2 of 0.55, RMSE (root mean square error) of 2.2, and P <0.0001.
Note, however, that these samples were handled under ideal conditions. It is likely that there would be greater differences in NDF between fresh chopped and ensiled samples with standard ensiling procedures on the farm.
The following recommendations are based on the results of this project and previous research:
We would like to express our appreciation to the 19 MSU Extension Agents and MSU Research Associates who diligently collected data and alfalfa samples. We also acknowledge the efforts of Dave Main who conducted the laboratory analyses. Lastly, we thank the 35 dairy producers across Michigan who cooperated in this project by allowing us to collect alfalfa samples and temperature data from their fields.
Kathy Lee, MSU Extension, Michigan State University
Mike Allen, Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University
Rich Leep, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University
Allen, M. 1997. Harvest alfalfa for optimum quality. Michigan Dairy Review. May issue, p. 11-13. Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Allen, M., and J. Beck. 1996. Relationship between spring harvest alfalfa quality and growing degree days. p. 16-25. In Proc. Twenty-sixth National Alfalfa Symposium, East Lansing, Mich., March 4-5, 1996. Certified Alfalfa Seed Council, Davis, Calif.
Hintz, R.W., and K.A. Albrecht. 1991. Prediction of alfalfa chemical composition from maturity and plant morphology. Crop Sci. 31:1561-1565.
Sulc, R.M., K.A. Albrecht, V.N. Owens, and J.H. Cherney. 1999. Update on predicting harvest time for alfalfa. p. 167-177. In Proc. Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conf., Fort Wayne, Ind., April 20-21, 1999. The Ohio State University, Columbus. | <urn:uuid:c0e4cbb3-e6df-4bc2-9fb2-988647b540ab> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://articles.extension.org/pages/25471/predicting-optimum-time-of-alfalfa-harvest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320685.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626064746-20170626084746-00526.warc.gz | en | 0.939606 | 2,251 | 2.625 | 3 |
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