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Do child care subsidies influence single mothers' decision to invest in human capital?
A child care subsidy is one of the most effective policy instruments to facilitate low-income individuals' transition from welfare to work. Although previous studies consistently find that subsidy receipt is associated with increased employment among single mothers, there is currently no evidence on the influence of these benefits on the decision to invest in human capital. Using data from the Kindergarten cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, this paper examines the impact of child care subsidy receipt on the likelihood of engaging in education and job training activities. We identify the impact of subsidy receipt by exploiting plausibly exogenous geographic variation in the distance that parents must travel from home in order to reach the nearest social service agency that administers the subsidy application process. Results suggest that child care subsidies encourage single mothers to engage in human capital investment. In particular, our instrumental variables estimates imply that subsidy receipt increases the likelihood that a single mother enrolls in courses at a school or university by 13 percentage points and participates in a job training program by 8 percentage points.
- Erdal Tekin, 2004.
"Child Care Subsidy Receipt, Employment, and Child Care Choices of Single Mothers,"
NBER Working Papers
10459, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Tekin, Erdal, 2005. "Child care subsidy receipt, employment, and child care choices of single mothers," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 1-6, October.
- Tekin, Erdal, 2004. "Child Care Subsidy Receipt, Employment, and Child Care Choices of Single Mothers," IZA Discussion Papers 1121, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Paul M. Ong, 2002. "Car ownership and welfare-to-work," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(2), pages 239-252.
- Chris Herbst, 2010. "The labor supply effects of child care costs and wages in the presence of subsidies and the earned income tax credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 199-230, June.
- David M. Blau & Alison P. Hagy, 1998. "The Demand for Quality in Child Care," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(1), pages 104-146, February.
- David Blau & Erdal Tekin, 2007. "The determinants and consequences of child care subsidies for single mothers in the USA," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 20(4), pages 719-741, October. |
Attuning to the Eight Aspects of God
The attributes or aspects of God are basically eight: peace, calmness, love, joy or bliss, light, sound, power, and wisdom. True meditation is a state of intense awareness in which one is absorbed in an actual experience of God in one of his attributes.
The practice of meditation is different, however, from the actual experience of meditation as a state of being. To experience God in his various attributes, we need to practice those things that will help lift us up into attunement with God’s higher consciousness. For this, there are a number of visualizations and meditations that are very helpful.
For example, if you meditate on peace, and on those things that will help you become peaceful enough in yourself to receive His peace, it will be easier for God to come to you as peace-you will be open at that window of your mind. The more specific your mediation or visualization, the clearer your attunement with it.
The kinds of questions we ask God determine the kind of answers we receive. If we have a clear idea of the experience we’re seeking, we’ll have a greater chance of having that experience.
Think of the rays of the moon bathing the countryside, your mind, and your heart, filling you with peace. Feel these moon rays of peace entering in through the pores of your skin and filling your body, even to the marrow of the bones, until your whole body becomes peace. Feel this peace expanding outward from your body so that both you and the moon rays are bathing the whole countryside with that luminous peace. Feel this peace expanding beyond the countryside to the farthest boundaries of eternity until you feel that all space is being illuminated and bathed in the peace of your own being.
Meditate on a calmly flowing river as it moves majestically down toward the sea. Feel that all your life is a river of calmness flowing with purpose, not rushing off in a hundred directions at once, but a calm, sedate flow always moving toward an ultimate purpose — a purpose which is vast like the sea. Feel all the other little movements of your mind being drawn into that one movement, as if in its wake, to flow with the river. Feel that a new movement then takes over and that this new movement contains meaning, and a grand meaning at that.
Think of yourself as sitting in the midst of space with stars millions of miles away from you in all directions. Feel that you have no body and that you are sitting on nothing; you’re just a point in space. Expand that point of space to include the sun, the stars, the galaxies. Feel that you’re sitting in that vastness of space, beyond time. This is the truth out of which you have come, the truth in which God lives, and the truth to which He calls you back.
Think of the sunrise on eternity, not the sunrise on a planet full of insects, birds, waving trees, and all the things that keep this world such a busy place – none of these things, just eternity. Think of the sun rising onto this eternity and its rays spreading outward and outward with power, joy and great calmness, until you realize that this is not the physical sun but the light of the Son of God which gives life to everything.
Imagine an angel of light holding a flame-tipped spear to your heart. Imagine him holding it there until your heart bursts into flames of love — a love that’s not painful but exhilarating and that burns everything in you that isn’t made of that love.
Imagine one of the Masters gazing deeply into your eyes. Feel those eyes drawing all pain, all disappointments, all bitterness from your heart, through your eyes, and saying to you: “These are my burdens now; they’re no longer yours.” God in His compassion would take your burdens from you. Let Him do so through His love, drawing these pains out of your heart, through your eyes, and into His all-compassionate eyes.
Send rays of love and hope from your heart to all in this world who grieve. Tell them to release their grief into the soothing breeze of God’s love for them. Imagine this breeze going out from you with God’s power, flowing out to the world, soothing all creatures. Send these rays of love to encourage people to release these pains, these burdens into that ray.
Imagine yourself in heaven surrounded by saints and angels smiling upon you in greeting. Think that they approve of you. Yes, they know that you’ve done wrong things. Their smiles are for what is good in you, what is Godly in you, and that is the real you. The other things don’t count; the other things you can overcome because you are God’s child. Think of yourself that way, and think of them as blessing you on all sides. Join them with rejoicing, with freedom. Imagine yourself dancing and singing with God’s joy.
Recall a moment of special joy in your life, perhaps a moment close to nature, or of closeness to another human being. Remove from that moment all sense of excitement or restlessness, so that it’s just the calm moment itself. Then remove from it also all sense of cause so that it isn’t associated with the experience where you felt happy. Just think of the joy in its pure essence.
Focus that joy in a point of bliss at the point between the eyebrows, and know that any ray of bliss that you send out from this point can dispel every cloud of sorrow. Imagine now your own mental sky. Do you see any dark clouds of regret or sorrow? God doesn’t want you to hang on to those things.
Send bliss into the heart of that cloud, and with those rays of bliss, gradually change that cloud into light. Then gradually disperse that light so that there is nothing but space, sky and bliss. Now expand your bliss until it fills the blue sky and then, from the heavens, reflects downward to all mankind, to all creatures everywhere.
Think of how the sun rays shine down through a cloud. Think of a cloud of human darkness or a cloud of your own ignorance, and think of the sun rays shining down into this cloud, into this darkness. Think of yourself as rising up with those rays from this darkness, and bursting through the cloud into the blazing light of the sun behind the clouds. Feel that you are in communion with God’s light, that His light is speaking to you, and that you are absorbing yourself into that light.
Think of a light that is falling like a refreshing rain of rainbow colors. Instead of an ordinary rainbow, each individual drop creates a rainbow. Think of the sun as being so all surrounding that it creates rainbows out of every drop and that those rainbows shine in all directions. Feel that you are being rained on by rainbows on all sides, and that in this beautiful light you lose all sense of being anything other than light yourself.
Meditate on the ocean surf, soothingly coming upon the shore, bathing it and taking away its impurities. Think of the shore as your own mind, and the surf as bathing your mind and gradually taking away all dross and freeing you to go out and merge into the great ocean.
Meditate on a deep bell reverberating across the countryside and onward to infinity. Think of how, when a deep church bell rings, there are reverberations of that sound that come afterwards and seem to expand outward and outward. Think of yourself expanding outward with that sound into a great ringing voice of God in eternity.
Meditate on fire. Think of that fire burning up all inner dross. Think of it as a great bonfire into which you are casting all attachments, all desires, all bad actions of the past and all memory of those actions. You are casting them into the fire to become purified so that you can lift yourself up in freedom to God’s love.
Meditate on the sun rays filling the world and your whole being with strength, vitality, enthusiasm. Think not just of the physical sun but the powerful sun of God’s great energy. Think of the energy that was required to create this vast universe as the power behind you. Try to attune yourself to this power; don’t be afraid because this is also the power of freedom, the power of victory. Just as we harness the powers of nature, so also we can use this power for our good.
Envision all things as transparent, dreamlike, insubstantial: the earth, the trees, your loved ones, your body, your possessions. Dissolve them all into the infinite. Nothing remains now, only you, bodyless, without thoughts, without personality – only you in your own true essence, your own causeless, infinite, eternal essence, which is that part of you which is a child of God. |
Three decades of European Commission-funded best practice projects and billions of euros later, Britain has a problem. We know that there are many excellent examples of urban and rural public transport, cycling, car sharing, air quality strategies, freight and logistic strategies and other successes that improve quality of life for local residents in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. But we do not imitate, adapt and develop the best practice examples at home.
There is no learning process underway for local authorities that interrogates this best practice and adopts the best ideas. On a recent trip to Germany, I checked into my hotel in Wuppertal and was given a free public transport pass. If you visit a tourist destination in the Black Forest in southern Germany and stay in a hotel or holiday let, you will be given the same kind of card. This encourages tourists to leave their cars at home, helping cut congestion and pollution. This does not happen even in the busiest UK tourist destinations, such as the Lake District. After several decades of worry, reports and debates about sustainable transport in the Lake District, a helpful policy modelled on the Black Forest case has still yet to be put into practice. Many parts of the region are blighted by the volume of cars, carparks, noise and pollution.
This is not just a transport matter. A report from ITDP in New York, published last year, presents an analysis of eight communities that have adopted "smart urban growth" policies that encourage walking, cycling and public transport, high-quality housing, bringing derelict sites back into use and creating high-quality living space with less pollution, fewer greenhouse gas emissions and a positive impact on public health.
Given the emphasis in British political, economic and planning debates on the need for new homes, the need to defend the green belt and the very large amount of brownfield land available for development, it is surprising that Greenwich is the only British community in this study.
There is nothing on the scale of Freiburg, with its 15,500 residents in high quality car-free areas, Hammarby Sjostad and its 17,000 population and Vastra Hammen and with a community of 4,300. There is ample scope in the UK for dozens of areas like this – but it is not happening.
Why does the UK have such a large implementation deficit? There are a number of possible explanations. The UK has moved in the direction of the US and expects markets to sort things out, at the same time as we experience repeated examples of market failure.
Markets have not sorted out banking and finance and markets do not work well in organising and delivering high-quality, totally integrated public transport systems. Similarly, markets don't seem ready and willing to sort out smart urban growth, re-use of brownfield sites and housing that can match German Passivhaus standards of energy use.
Relying on markets is partnered by a reduction in the power and funding for local government to take action that would improve quality of life. A close look at Malmo (population 302,000) or Gothenburg (population 522,000) show how local authorities in Sweden have more powers and budgets to make change happen at local level without going cap in hand to the centre.
The small Swedish city of Lund (population 82,000) has implemented a world-class transport, land use, housing and economic development strategy that can only be dreamed about in similar UK cities. When local authorities get more power and more money to make things happen, they attract politicians with a stronger determination to produce real change. |
Bill Felkner, 41, is a husband, a father and a student of social work.
He is also a political libertarian who says he has liberal views on social issues and conversative views on economics.
Felkner, of Hopkinton, says his political beliefs have put him in conflict with the School of Social Work at Rhode Island College, where he is pursuing a master's degree.
The department, he says, has a liberal bias with little tolerance for ideas that deviate from the progressive "norm."
Further, Felkner sees himself in the middle of a much larger debate over free expression at college campuses across the country.
Last fall, the president of Roger Williams University temporarily froze funds for a student newsletter after a group of conservative students published several antigay articles and images that the college deemed offensive.
Three years ago, Brown University made national headlines when a band of students stole 4,000 copies of the student newspaper after it ran an ad by conservative author David Horowitz opposing slavery reparations.
At Rhode Island College, the controversy began with a movie, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, a documentary deeply critical of the Bush administration. A professor in the School of Social Work showed the film to his students. Felkner, who was not in a class where the movie was showed, rented it.
Afterward, Felkner asked one of his professors, Jim Ryczek, to show a movie called FahrenHYPE 9/11, which challenges Moore's point of view.
Ryczek, in an e-mail to Felkner, declined to show the movie in his class, but said Felkner was welcome to show it on campus. (FahrenHYPE 9/11 was later shown in several classes taught by another professor.)
Then Ryczek sent an e-mail to Felkner telling him:
"I will be the first to admit a bias toward a certain point of view. . . . In the words of a colleague, I revel in my biases.
"So I think anyone who consistently holds antithetical views to those espoused by the profession might ask themselves whether social work is the profession for them. . . . "
Ryczek concluded by saying, "I don't want you to think that I am suggesting that you are such a person. But then again, you may be. Only you can make that determination."
Felkner says the e-mail made him very angry:
"Knowing Jim, I doubt he meant it as a threat. I think he was saying, 'This is a world of liberals. You won't feel comfortable here.' "
Ryczek says he never meant to imply that Felkner wouldn't make a good social worker.
"My message was, 'Let's talk about your point of view.' I wasn't saying he should leave the profession," he says.
According to Ryczek, social workers are committed to helping poor and oppressed communities become empowered to make positive changes. That theory, he says, "is not consistent with the most conservative views."
Ryczek believes, for example, that a comprehensive welfare state is the optimal form of government.
"I talk about my views," he says. "The students need to decide whether they agree with them and whether they belong in social work."
Meanwhile, Felkner e-mailed the chairs of the graduate and undergraduate schools of social work and contacted the president of the college, John Nazarian.
Late last month, he met with the two chairs, Lenore Olsen and Mildred Bates, to discuss what he called the "liberal agenda exhibited by the faculty and how these implicit pressures from authority figures can be oppressive."
"I would say that the department has a liberal core of values," says Olsen, who chairs the master's of social work program. "It comes down to whether someone is able to balance their beliefs with the values of the profession."
According to the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics, social workers should "pursue social change, particularly on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people."
Bates, who chairs the bachelor's program, says, for example, that the profession supports abortion rights because it believes that every person has the right to make choices about his or her life. A student could feel differently as long as she didn't impose her personal values on her clients.
Dan Weisman, the professor who showed Fahrenheit 9/11, says most social workers believe that government plays an important role in securing the well-being of all its citizens -- a position that conservatives might oppose.
"We never tell students, 'This is what you must think,' " Weisman says. "No one is penalized for embracing a view I disagree with. But if you embrace certain values, you will be challenged when you enter this profession because they oppose what the profession dictates."
According to a poll of 1,000 adults by The Chronicle of Higher Education, half of those surveyed agree that colleges improperly introduce a liberal bias into what they teach.
In another survey by UCLA, faculty members described themselves as "far left" or "liberal" more than 2 1/2 times as often as "far right" or "conservative."
Marc Genest, a political science professor at the University of Rhode Island, says liberal orthodoxy is the standard at most colleges and universities in the Northeast.
"I am the only conservative in my department," he says. "And I can only name three or four moderate to conservative faculty in the liberal arts."
A colleague once asked Genest to speak to her graduate class because none of her students could understand why anyone would be a conservative. Whenever a student presents a conservative view, Genest says, "the labels come out," and he or she is called a racist or a sexist.
A fellow political scientist, Howard Zinn of Boston University, counters that most universities are stolid places that are resistant to change.
"Conservatives," he says, "seem to get really irritated if they find any sign of liberal thought."
Zinn says academic freedom doesn't mean that a professor has to present both sides of an argument, but that the university as a whole serves up opinions that span the political spectrum.
"I always presented my views openly," he says. "But I never shut up a student who disagreed with me, or gave him a poor grade."
At Brown University, dean of the college Paul Armstrong says it would be a shame if students felt they couldn't express a contrarian point of view.
"We're not doing our job as educators if we do not promote intellectual diversity," he says. "We benefit as intellectuals by learning how to engage in productive conflict."
That said, Armstrong wants faculty members to have strong and reasoned opinions; otherwise, he says, "they wouldn't be the dynamic teachers we expect them to be."
Meanwhile, at Rhode Island College, faculty members have been trying to make Felkner feel more comfortable. Olsen and Bates offered to set up a meeting between Felkner and Ryczek. Nazarian, the college president, invited Felkner to speak with him about his concerns.
Felkner turned them down.
"In my experience," Weisman says, "he's looking for fights and he's finding them."
Felkner, however, says there is no point in having more conversation unless the School of Social Work does one of two things: say "Yes, we are liberals and that's what we teach," or open up the department to other points of view.
Felkner says: "The National Association of Social Work is clearly liberal. The problem is, not everyone is. There is no reason why any profession should have a mandated political point of view." |
In August, as the city was scrambling to prepare for what many were predicting to be a potentially devastating hurricane, controversy arose over what was otherwise an innocuous answer at a press conference: There would be no evacuation of Rikers Island, Mayor Bloomberg said.
After a prisoner advocacy blog called Solitary Watch posted something about the mayor's announcement—drawing comparisons to stranded prisoners left behind in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina—a number of other websites followed suit, along with a few traditional news outlets. Twitter users caught on shortly after; a petition demanding the city take action was circulated. Many were struck by the fact that while the city was shutting down its transportation system and making other unprecedented storm plans, the some 14,000 people housed on Rikers Island would stay put.
Irene came and went, however, and with a wet whimper instead of a bang. The ten jail facilities on Rikers came through unscathed, as the mayor's office and the Department of Correction repeatedly said they would, and it seems as though the jail was never in any real danger from the storm to begin with. But the incident raised a question that received little public attention before: how the city would deal with the tens of thousands of inmates on Rikers, an island accessible by only one bridge, should an emergency arise.
"Whether they had to evacuate Rikers or not during Irene, they'll have to evacuate eventually," says Dr. Irwin Redlener, director at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "The key point is, do they have an effective evacuation plan at the jail? And to my impression they do not."
A no-flood zone?
The Office of Emergency Management's hurricane evacuation map color-codes low-lying areas as either Zone A, B, or C—from the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane storm surge to the lowest risk. Rikers, 96 acres nestled in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, is shown as all white, meaning at no risk of flooding.
"The vast majority of Rikers Island is located in a No Flood Zone," Department of Correction spokeswoman Sharmen Stein wrote in an e-mail.
"Only one facility is located in Zone C—the first floor of that one jail may be vulnerable to some flooding, but is not susceptible to loss of life. In that instance, the inmates and staff assigned to the first floor would be relocated to higher floors in the jail, or moved temporarily to other facilities on Rikers Island. It is only a narrow portion of the outer perimeter of the island—where there are no jails—that might be vulnerable to flooding, even in a Category 4 hurricane."
Klaus Jacob, a research scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and a member of the mayor's New York City Panel on Climate Change, says that in the event of a 100-year storm—a magnitude of storm that, statistically speaking, has a one percent chance of happening in a given year—"only a small fringe of the island" would flood.
He added that New York State emergency maps, like the city's map, show portions of the island at risk of flooding should a category 3 or 4 hurricane occur, while other portions of the are shown as above any flood zone.
"It seems understandable that an evacuation was not warranted for Irene since it did not make a hurricane category 1, nor did it make a 100-year storm," Jacob says. Indeed, Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit New York.
An enormous undertaking
The decision to evacuate a correctional facility, experts say, is a tremendously complicated one, dependent on a number of factors and hypothetical situations.
"The evacuation plan is going to be based upon the speed they need [to move], how much time they have, the resources they need to make it happen," says Rick Mathews, Director of the National Center for Security and Preparedness at SUNY Albany. "Where are you going to take them to? How far away?"
Stein, at the DOC, denied previous news reports that the department has no evacuation plan for the facilities on Rikers, insisting that the department is "continually reviewing and refining its contingency plans," and that these include the consideration of both small scale relocations and an evacuation of the entire population of the island, if need be. She would not comment on specifically where inmates would be transferred to in that case, citing security reasons.
"We would relocate as much of the population as the situation requires," Stein wrote in an e-mail.
Martin Horn, former commissioner at the DOC who left the department in 2009 for a teaching position at John Jay College, says that the department met with the OEM following Hurricane Katrina to revamp its emergency plans. These included evacuation, he says, but under extreme circumstances.
"[We] concluded that it would be a very, very difficult exercise, and it would take a more severe storm than what we experienced this time," Horn explains. "Getting tens of thousands of inmates off of Rikers Island is an enormous undertaking, and not something you do quietly."
An evacuation of that magnitude would take, at a minimum, 48 hours to carry out, Horn estimates. The realistic difficulties of carrying out such a task, he says, led the department to conclude that a "defend in place" plan is the most viable, with the possible evacuation of more vulnerable inmates—the elderly, ill, or expectant mothers. At any given time, Rikers is equipped with enough fuel and food to self sustain for at least seven days, he says.
According to Mathews, the risks posed by a large-scale evacuation can sometimes outweigh the benefits, making staying put the better option, if it's a viable one.
"A lot of these facilities, particularly correctional facilities, because they're designed to keep people in and secure, are much more stable. They're able to withstand assaults like a category 1 storm," he says. "A lot of the times it's safer to shelter in place than to risk the movement."
Spread the risk
In a post-9/11 world filled with hypothetical worst case scenarios, Rikers Island seems especially at risk for emergency, considering its large population, the fact that there's only one route in and off of the island and its proximity to LaGuardia Airport.
"Rikers, because of its physical location, and the logistics with respect to getting to and getting from the island being so fragile, puts it in a really special category," says Redlener. "Not only is it a vulnerable population but it’s also in a vulnerable location with a lot of unusual challenges.”
"My worst fear always was something at LaGuardia," says Horn. "My worst-case scenario was some sort of explosion, and fumes drifting over."
During his time as commissioner, Horn wanted to reduce the population of Rikers Island, transferring inmates to jails in the other boroughs, to locations more easily accessible.
"I felt it was better to distribute the risk," he explains.
For several years, the city planned to open a 2,000-plus bed jail facility in the South Bronx to absorb that number of inmates from Rikers. Plans for the proposed Oak Point Detention Center were officially squashed in 2008, however, after opposition from local groups and elected officials.
Another plan, to expand the recently reopened Brooklyn Detention Center to nearly double its capacity, was also dropped last summer after a firestorm of criticism. The DOC's most recent plans call for the Brooklyn facility, and another in Kew Gardens, Queens, to be "fully utilized," but not expanded.
The construction of a new, 1,500-bed jail on Rikers is being planned for completion in 2017, and several older buildings will be taken down with its opening—ultimately reducing the capacity at Rikers by around 3,000 inmates, according to the DOC. |
The newest exhibition at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York examines the influence of nature on military camouflage. One object included in Masters of Disguise: The World of Camouflage is Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom, a 1909 book by a father-son team, with the father being one of the early 20th century’s prominent American artists.
Abbott H. Thayer is now best known for his portraiture and paintings of angels, such as this one from 1887 held by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He was also obsessed with nature, particularly how animals could disappear through their color patterns into a landscape. Thayer stated that his art was directly linked with his observations, as the “whole basis of picture making consists in contrasting against its background every object in the picture.” With his son Gerald, he published his research in Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom, which is fully digitized by the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Called “Thayer’s Law,” his assertions on the countershading of animal coloration, so that darker tones were on top and lighter on the bottom, are accented by paintings, illustrations, and sketches of animals concealed in nature, some by Abbott and others by his son.
His observation skills were keen; his belief that all animal coloration was devoted to camouflage wasn’t as sharp. British marine biologist Sir Alister Hardy described how the Thayers’ book “drew the attention of naturalists to the importance of artistic principles in the understanding of animal and military camouflage,” although in “parts of the book they let their imagination carry them away into some absurdities as when they think the colours of flamingos help to make them inconspicuous against sunset!”
However, the book was incredibly influential for developing camouflage in World War I — the first major engagement to rely widely on mass-produced techniques of hiding — and Thayer was active in encouraging the British Army to replace their monochrome uniforms. On board the Intrepid aircraft carrier, the book mingles with a modern ghillie suit, a display on Dazzle camouflage, and other links to how humans have looked to the natural world for inspiration. It’s not a terribly large exhibition, and could have used a lot more artifacts and exploration into areas similar to the Thayers’s work, but in its quiet corner the book recalls the determined artist whose intense observation skills are still morphing in modern camouflage. |
At least 111 million doses of swine flu vaccine now available, CDC says
At least 111 million doses of vaccine against pandemic H1N1 influenza are now available and least 60 million people have already been immunized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The vaccine supply is getting better and better, and surveys are showing that the initial doses were relatively quickly taken up and going to the people they were targeted for," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a morning news conference. The vaccine "is becoming available in more and more places and at more and more times," she said.
The CDC did a telephone survey during the week of Dec. 6 to 12, contacting families with 1,358 adults and 3,243 children. The survey found that, overall, about 40 million people had been vaccinated by that time. About 40% of the vaccine doses went to children, with the coverage twice as high in children as in adults. "That is really good news," Schuchat said, both because children are hit particularly hit by swine flu and because they are spreaders of the virus. With seasonal flu, there is normally a higher vaccination rate among adults.
A poll of 1,600 adults by Harvard University researchers during the period of Dec. 16 to 17 found that 56 million people had been immunized, and corroborated the CDC finding that children were more likely to receive the vaccine. Based on those findings, Schuchat said, the CDC believes that about 60 million Americans have now been vaccinated. The agency's polls suggest that about half of all Americans want to be vaccinated, so it is clear that many have not been able to find the vaccine.
Schuchat warned parents about putting too much credence in a study released Monday showing that one dose of a vaccine produced by Australia's CSL Biopharmacies was sufficient to immunize children under age 8. "That's one single study with one vaccine and one population," she said. Based on studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health, "We strongly believe that two doses of vaccine are needed in children under 10." The CDC poll found that, as of the week of Dec. 6, about 2 million children had received the second dose, and she encouraged parents to make sure their kids receive the second dose, even if it is five to six weeks after the first one.
With 60 million people vaccinated, "We are not seeing any worrisome signs," she added. "The information is very reassuring from the safety front."
Flu activity in this country has been declining rapidly. As of Friday, only 11 states -- including California -- were reporting widespread flu activity, with some others reporting regional activity. Nine pediatric deaths were reported during the week, down from 16 the week before. That brings the total of deaths with a laboratory confirmation of swine flu to 276 since the pandemic began in April, but officials believe the actual number is substantially higher. The agency also identified 15 samples of the virus that were resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, bringing the total for the year to 32 in the United States. There is, however, no evidence that the resistant viruses are spreading.
The number of Americans getting tested for swine flu has also been dropping rapidly, according to Quest Diagnostics, which performs many of the lab tests and makes kits used by other labs. By Dec. 9, the number of tests being performed had dropped by 75% since the peak in mid-October, according to Dr. Jay M. Lieberman, the company's medical director for infectious diseases. In November, he added, 44% of the tests were coming back positive for H1N1, compared to only 21% during the two weeks ending Dec. 9. |
Undoped KI and thallium‐doped KI are irradiated with x rays at 78°K. Luminescence and energy storage, in the form of trapped electrons and holes, are produced during irradiation. After irradiationphosphorescence is observed at 425 mμ and stimulation with light gives an emission quite similar to that during irradiation with bands at 302, 370, and 425 mμ. It is suggested that the luminescence produced during irradiation is predominantly from recombination. In stimulation the 425‐mμ band characteristic of thallium grows and decays slower than the 302‐ and 370‐mμ bands characteristic of the KI host. It is suggested that the phosphorescence is the result of the direct recombination of I2 − and Tl°, and that the same process is occurring during stimulation and irradiation. In addition it is observed that 370‐mμ emission produced during irradiation decreases in intensity with increasing temperature and that the 425‐mμ emission intensity increases. It is suggested that 370‐mμ emission decreases because of a radiationless transition and that 425‐mμ emission increases because of the increase of recombinations at thallium sites.
A method for the detection of excited neutral long‐lived particles by ionization of properly chosen molecules with different ionization potential was developed and applied to the study of long‐lived excited states of H2, N2, CO, and O2. Results in H2 and O2 confirm previous findings. In N2 a new state was found which releases in the transition to the ground state an energy of ∼11.4–11.6 eV. Also determined was its separated excitation function. This state is formed partly through a resonance capture of an exciting electron and subsequent decomposition of the unstable negative excited molecular ion N2 −*. In CO a new long‐lived excited state at ∼10 eV was detected, and the existence of another, higher lying, state was suggested.
The F‐center absorption in NaF, x irradiated at CO2 temperature, has been studied as a function of temperature after a preanneal at 100°C. Three absorptions occur in such crystals: (a) an unnamed band at 5.70 eV (218 mμ), (b) the K band at 4.35 eV (285 mμ) whose peak position and half‐width (1.0 eV) are not temperature sensitive, and (c) the F band which has its peak at 2.71 eV (334 mμ) at 80°K after correction for K‐band overlap. The data for half‐width of the F band as a function of temperature when fitted to the well‐known hyperbolic‐cotangent relation, indicate a value of H 0=0.358±0.002 eV for the half‐width at 0°K and a value of ν g =(7.7±0.2)×1012 sec−1 for the effective frequency of the phonons which interact with the F‐center electron in its ground state. That frequency (ν g ) appears to be approximately one‐half the frequency (ν0) of the longitudinal optical modes, for NaF and for the five other alkali halides for which data are published.
The expansion wave generated by the simultaneous arrival of the ``contact'' surface and the reflected rarefaction wave was used for a direct kinetic study of a condensation process, the association of CN radicals generated by shocking C2N2/Ar mixtures to about 2000°K in the reflected‐shock region. During the quenching‐expansion phase the concentration of CN radicals decreases due to the concurrent chemical association and the lowering in total density. The CN concentration was followed spectrophotometrically at 3883 Å.
The results were reduced in three ways: (A) unidirectional association to C2N2 in the presence of a third body, (B) relaxation to the local equilibrium via a three‐body process, and (C) bimolecular reaction with C2N2 and C m N m polymers (formed during the heating process) to produce higher polymers. The data show that at the onset of quenching, the removal of CN was sluggish. This is attributed to failure to attain equilibrium in the preparation of the sample. After ≈200 μsec the data were best fitted by the third mechanism. This conclusion is in agreement with results obtained by another method and is supported by a reaction scheme which accounts for the formation and decay of CN in the presence of C m N m species. For a 2% initial concentration of C2N2, an average polymer number of ≈10 was indicated.
Electron transferreactions between a diamagnetic molecule and its paramagnetic anion modify the NMRspectrum in two different ways. First, the NMR lines are broadened and secondly, the lines are shifted. The line broadening may provide information on rates of electron exchange; the line shift is related to the spin density at the proton.
The magnitude and the sign of the spin densities are quantities of great interest from a quantum‐chemical point of view. It is useful, therefore, to provide methods for measuring spin densities. Usually they are derived from hfs parameters in ESR psectra. In this paper it is shown how they may be detected by the NMR line shifts. A special advantage of the NMR method is that the sign of the spin density is also easily available, because it is directly related to the direction of the line shift.
Basic equations that describe both line broadening and line shifts are derived in this paper. The theory has been applied to p‐xylene and p‐diethylbenzene. Rates of electron transfer of p‐xylene have been obtained from the broadening of the NMR lines. A combination of ESR and NMR has been used to obtain the values of the spin densities at the sites of the methyl and methylene protons; contrary to predictions in the literature, the sign is negative. An explanation for this is given on the basis of MO theory.
A fundamental problem in the mass‐spectrometric study of the vapors in equilibrium with condensed phases at high temperatures is the determination of the absolute instrumental sensitivities to the several species in the vapor. An analysis is presented which shows that calibration for all the individual species can be accomplished without additional information if the absolute total rate of effusion is obtained as a function of temperature and is combined with mass‐spectrometric measurements of the relative intensities of the individual species. General equations are derived and two procedures for treating the case of two species are presented.
44(1966); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1726863View Description Hide Description
Variational calculations of the center of long‐range forces in HCl are described. The calculations are performed in two ways. In the first, the center of polarizability is calculated through a consideration of the polarization energy for the molecule placed in an inhomogeneous electric field, and the center is assumed identical with that effective in long‐range interactions. In the second, a direct calculation of the dispersion forces between HCl and the rare‐gases Ar and He is made, and from their angular dependence, the position of the effective center of attraction of HCl to the rare‐gas atom is deduced. The calculations, which take account of the anisotropy of the HCl orbitals, yield a value for the separation between the HCl center of mass and center of long‐range force equal to 0.11 Å, with a small variation from one rare gas to another. The long‐range isotropic force constant and the HCl polarizability components are also calculated through the present approach. Comparison of the calculated parameters with experiment is made whenever this is possible.
Energy Transfer between p‐Benzoylbenzoate and Europium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate in Water Solution44(1966); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1726865View Description Hide Description
Ultraviolet radiation absorbed by the p‐benzoylbenzoate (p‐BB−) ion in solution is transferred to an appreciable extent to the europium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EuEDTA−) ion and is re‐emitted as the visible red fluorescence characteristic of Eu3+. Fluorescence intensity is greater in D2O than in water. The fluorescence is quenched by dissolved O2. Although evidence for mixed ligand complexes involving p‐BB− and EuEDTA− was obtained, fluorescence seems to result from ultraviolet absorption by free p‐BB− ions followed by intermolecular energy transfer to free EuEDTA− ions. The analogous water systems containing o‐BB− or m‐BB− are nonfluorescent, although all three of the solid hydrated salts Eu(o‐BB)3, Eu(m‐BB)3, and Eu(p‐BB)3 fluoresce brightly at room temperature.
The Macedo—Litovitz hybrid equation for the viscosity of liquids is derived using statistical‐mechanical arguments. The formulation is based upon the assumption that diffusion in liquids is governed by (1) the presence of an adjacent free volume of certain size into which a molecule can jump and (2) the acquisition of sufficient energy by the diffusing molecule to escape from the force field of its neighbors.
44(1966); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1726867View Description Hide Description
It is shown that hole traps are induced in anthracene crystals by irradiating the crystals with either gamma or x rays. These traps are detected by measuring the steady‐state current—voltage characteristic of the crystal in the space‐charge‐limited current region. A modified type of Kallmann—Pope cell employing a sodium sulfate solution as one electrode and sodium iodide—iodine solution as the hole injecting electrode was used. After irradiating the crystals with gamma rays or x rays, part of the current—voltage curve shows a square‐law dependence and the current saturation occurs at higher voltages than in the nonirradiated crystals. By applying space‐charge‐limited current theory and interpreting the voltage at which the departure from the square law occurs as the trap‐filled‐limit voltage for the induced deep traps, the density of these traps can be estimated. Using this calculated density it is found that one deep trap is created for every 45 keV of incident energy absorbed in the crystal.
Electric and magnetic studies have been carried out on the system Na x V2O5 (0.24<x<0.33). Single‐crystal electrical‐conductivity measurements on Na0.33V2O5 show semiconducting behavior from 77° to 500°K. A room‐temperature conductivity of 230 Ω−1·cm−1 with an activation energy of about 0.02 eV is observed. Thermoelectric power amounts to −116 μV/K° and is constant from 273° to 500°K. The Hall voltage is too small to be observed, indicating >1019 carriers/cc. Gouy‐susceptibility measurements have been carried out on a series of bronzes of variable Na/V ratio in the range 1.5° to 300°K. All specimens are highly paramagnetic and follow a Curie—Weiss law between 63° and 300°K. Weiss constants vary from −139° to −157°K; Curie constants from 0.119 to 0.159. The effective magnetic moments range from 1.94 to 2.01 Bohr magnetons. Below 63°K, the reciprocal susceptibility decreases more rapidly than linearly with temperature. No evidence of an antiferromagnetic transition is observed. The results, together with other electrical, ESR, and NMR data, cannot be explained by a hopping model but are consistent with a 3d t 2g band model in which a majority of V4+ donor sites remain un‐ionized over the temperature range investigated.
High‐Temperature Vapor‐Pressure Studies of UO2 by the Effusion Method and Its Thermodynamic Interpretation44(1966); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1726869View Description Hide Description
A high‐temperature effusion investigation under vacuum of the vapor pressure of UO2 is presented over the temperature range from 2200° to 2800°K. A least‐square analysis of the experimental results yielded the equationThe latent heat of sublimation ΔH°298=148.6 kcal/mole was determined by applying the third‐law method of thermodynamics. Blackbody hole readings, corrected for both the transmissivity of interposed windows and the cavity temperature, were checked by measuring the spectral emissivity of the optically smooth polished tungstensurface at 0.65 μ, which decreased from 0.44 at 2300°K to 0.416 at 2850°K.
Compatibility tests at 2800°K revealed no signs of a noticeable reaction between UO2 and the tungsten effusion cell.
44(1966); View Description Hide Description
The rate of dissociation of nitrogen behind strong shock waves in nitrogen—argon mixtures was determined using time‐resolved interferometric measurements of gas density. Dissociation rates for impact by N2, N, and Ar were found by varying the mixture composition from 5% N2 to 100% N2. Temperatures from 6000° to 9000°K were covered in the experiments. The effectiveness of the N atom in causing N2dissociation was found to be more than that of the N2 molecule by a factor of 10 to 15, whereas that of the argon atom was found to be less than that of N2 by a factor of 2.5. A large discrepancy between these results and those reported recently by Cary is partially resolved by an alternative interpretation of his data. A difficulty in fitting all of the data by using a single set of rate constants is described and several possible explanations are suggested.
Extensive experiments are performed on trapping of the HCl, DCl, HBr, DBr, and HI molecules in rare‐gas lattices. Concentration, deposition rate, and temperature‐dependent studies yield the monomerspectra of the molecules. The HCl and DCl monomers in Ar, Kr, and Xe show hindered rotational spectra that is interpreted on the basis of 0 h site symmetry. HCl in Ne also appears to rotate. HBr and DBr in Ar shows additional splitting which is attributed to either site splitting due to loss of one of the near‐neighbor atoms or site distortion toward D 3h symmetry. HBr and DBr in the larger Kr lattice give spectra similar to the HCl spectra. The spectra indicate the predominant local symmetry is 0 h and the barriers to rotation in the lattices are given from an interpretation of the spectra. The barriers to rotation are interpreted by extension of an electrostatic model.
Calculations of rotational energy levels have been performed for the linear molecule in a lattice site of D 3h symmetry. The perturbed rigid‐rotor levels are given as a function of lattice—molecule coupling constants. No experimental evidence was found in these studies for D 3h site symmetry.
N2‐doping experiments are performed with HCl in the argon lattice. N2doping (1%—4%) is found to give predominately two sites for the HCl molecule; one site similar to the pure HCl in Ar case and another site in which the rotation is frozen out giving a single transition for HCl. The frozen site is attributed to the nearest‐neighbor presence of N2.
Detailed discussions are given in interpreting the spectra in terms of a hindered rotor or a librator. Most of the spectra is interpreted on the basis of a hindered rotor but some spectra such as the N2‐doping experiments require the librator analogy similar to CO in Ar and CN− in KCl.
The vibrational shifts of the monomers in the rare‐gas lattices are given for all cases studied where the predominant shift is to lower energy. These shifts are also qualitatively explained by localized nonbonded dispersion and overlap repulsion effects.
The infrared spectrum of VOF3 has been studied and interpreted in terms of a C 3vmolecular symmetry. All six fundamentals have been observed: the a 1 frequencies are 1057.8, 721.5, and 257.8 cm−1 and the e frequencies are 806, 308, and 204.3 cm−1. The infrared spectrum of POF3 has also been studied and the lowest e fundamental, earlier observed in the Raman spectrum, has been confirmed.
Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation in Ionic Solution. I. Relaxation of 23Na in Aqueous Solutions of NaCl and NaClO444(1966); View Description Hide Description
The relaxation time of the nuclei of sodium ions has been measured for aqueous solutions of sodium chloride and sodium perchlorate at 25°. The longitudinal and transverse relaxation times are equal and depend on solution composition according to the rate lawwith T 1 in seconds and c X in moles of X per liter, for single and mixed electrolyte solutions at concentrations less than 1M. Deviations from the equation are small up to 3M total concentration, and also in D2O if the coefficients are first multiplied by the ratio of solventviscosities.
The limiting value of T 1 at low concentration agrees roughly with the calculation of the effect of fluctuating electric‐field gradients due to reorientational Brownian motion of water molecules coordinated to the sodium ion, but there are some very uncertain factors in the calculation. The coefficients of the rate law may be related to the distance of closest approach of the ions in various ways, with the result that this distance is much smaller for Na+ClO− 4 than for Na+Cl−.
The unique intensity distribution as a function of the angles between the principal magnetic axes and the applied magnetic field of the Δm=±1 ESR transitions of a collection of randomly oriented photoexcited triplet‐state molecules has been used as a magnetoselection device, to observe only the molecules whose principal magnetic axes are parallel to the magnetic field. The latter is possible because the shape of the derivative of the Δm=±1 ESR absorption curve gives special prominence to those resonant fields corresponding to transitions of molecules possessing a canonical orientation. Changes in the relative intensities of the derivative ESR lines of the magnetophotoselected collection of molecules were observed as a function of the angle between the external field and the polarization direction of the exciting monochromatic light. The results obtained for glasses of naphthalene‐d 8 and quinoxaline were analyzed in terms of the known ESRspectra and polarization of the electronic absorption bands; the conclusions agree very well with theoretical predictions. The known directions of polarization of the electronic absorption bands of phenanthrene‐d 10 were then used to assign the Δm=±1 ESRspectrum of phenanthrene‐d 10 in EPA glass at 77°K. The assignment is found to agree with the first‐order spectrum calculated using the published D and E values determined from single crystal studies. A simple procedure based on the magnetoselection method, and making use of the symmetry properties of π,π* and n,π* states, is then outlined by which assignments can be made for randomly oriented aromatic hydrocarbon or N‐heterocyclic molecules, of the Δm=±1 ESR lines corresponding to those molecules which have their molecular plane either perpendicular or parallel to the magnetic field. The polarization of the electronic transitions used to excite these molecules to their triplet states need not be predetermined. A discussion is given of the advantages of using the method of magnetophotoselection instead of the normal photoselection method (where optical luminescence is used for analysis) to such problems as the assignment of optical electronic transitions and the mutual orientation of donor and acceptor in triplet—triplet transfer processes.
Using the Lennard‐Jones 6–12 potential and the Percus—Yevick equations, the radial distribution functions for a number of binary mixtures have been calculated as a function of the Lennard‐Jones parameters and the thermodynamic state. These are compared with one‐component distribution functions and with those for binary hard‐sphere fluids. The effect of a hard‐sphere core, a softer attractive portion, and deviations from the combining rules ε12= (ε1ε2)½ and σ12= (σ1+σ2)/2 are also discussed. We find that the distances from the central molecules to the peaks of the distribution functions are entirely similar to those in the corresponding hard‐sphere systems. The peak heights are considerably different, however. These are most sensitive to the nature of the repulsive potential and to the combining rule for σ12.
Experimental results have been obtained for the interface: Hg (dropping) /6NHCl aq., in terms of parallel capacity, Cp d1, and resistivity,Rp d1, of the electric double layer as a function of frequency, v. These results are consistent with the occurrence of dielectric relaxation of the water dipoles adsorbed at the interface, and characterized by a certain distribution of relaxation times around τ0≃10−6 sec. The results are not consistent with the values ∂ lnRp d1/∂ lnv expected from the effect of a possible penetration of electrolyte into the capillary.
On the basis of a molecular model of the relaxation process, a rough estimate of the energy of activation for the process which results in a change of direction of the water dipole is made which is consistent with the mean relaxation time, τ0, estimated on the basis of the dielectric properties of double‐layer water. It is shown that the frequency variation of the double‐layer capacity is less than the detection limits of most ac bridges up to very high frequencies, as long as the high‐atom polarization of water remains unchanged, and only dipole polarization is gradually reduced to zero with increase of frequency. |
All paper comes from some sort of fiber. Currently, according to the EPA, the two most common fibers used for making paper include wood from trees or from recycled paper products. The recycled content paper is a good deal, but paper made from wood is not eco-friendly. In fact, the EPA notes that about half of the trees cut down each year are directly used for paper products. What’s worse is that while paper products account for 33% of all materials in the municipal waste stream Americans are only recycling about 55% of that paper.
Basically – tree made paper is us tossing scads of trees into the trash. Lame. It’s especially lame when you consider that paper can be made from all sorts of other stuff, such as, cotton, wheat straw, sugar cane waste, flax, bamboo, wood, linen rags, hemp, and again recycled paper.
If you’re not going to buy recycled paper the best choice is paper that’s made without the use of trees. Here are some options:
Paper made from sugar: The Sugar Cane Paper Company makes paper products like tissues, plates, and more from, as you might guess, sugar cane. Well, technically, it’s made with bagasse; residue left over once sugar has been extracted from the cane. Sugar cane paper is easy to find online and it’s 100% biodegradable.
Paper made from bamboo: This paper has a downside – it’s not that available. YET. Hopefully it will become more popular because bamboo grows faster than trees and bamboo needs less water so there’s another conservation perk. Right now visit Smock to see some bamboo paper goods.
Paper made from hemp: Hemp paper is coming around as a decent contender in the tree free paper world with lots of great paper type choices, for example at Green Field Paper Company. Hemp requires few if any pesticides to grow well, helps control erosion, and contains nutrients and nitrogen that end up back in the soil. Plus hemp is biodegradable. |
Battling Alcoholism in Whiteclay
Omaha, NE – Whiteclay, Neb. sits on the border of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The town is located a few miles from a sign that welcomes visitors to “The Good Life.” But some describe it as “hell.”
Whiteclay, population around 11, is a visible outpost of the alcoholism that runs rampant on the reservation. But how did this small Nebraska town become such a scene of devastation? Why does it fester, and whose responsibility is it to clean it up?
I traveled to Whiteclay with a colleague from NET News. We arrived around midday, and the scene was disturbing. There were already people staggering in the streets, slumped over on curbs. Their faces were red and swollen with alcohol and disease. It seemed clear that many of them would stay there all day, drinking until they passed out for the night.
One of the men slumped against a vacant storefront called himself Whyton. We tried to find out where he was from, but all he would say is “beyond.”
“Way beyond. I travel here to have a drink,” Whyton said, sticking his thumb in his mouth and turning his hand toward the sky, like he was glugging from a can.
Sitting next to Whyton was another man, who was hunched against the wall, passed out. While we talked to Whyton, the other man began to urinate on himself. As it seeped through, forming a puddle on the ground, we walked away.
“I was going to hit you up for some change,” Whyton said, as we turned away.
“I would call it Red Clay,” said Tom Poor Bear, Vice President of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, “because it’s the blood of my people that’s still on the ground in Whiteclay.”
Poor Bear’s office is in the town of Pine Ridge, a couple of miles north of Whiteclay on the reservation. He blames the devastation there squarely on Nebraska. He said the state has long ignored the laws of Pine Ridge, which is a dry reservation. And he said that’s partly because selling liquor in Whiteclay is big business, and brings in a lot of money for Nebraska.
The liquor store owners wouldn’t comment for this story, but according to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, the stores sell the equivalent of more than four million cans of beer each year. “The state of Nebraska receives I think an amount of $400,000 a year in alcohol tax,” Poor Bear said. “And because of that, a lot of the issues that Whiteclay has created and harm that is done to our people, Nebraska looks the other way and sweeps it under the rug at the same time.”
At LeRoy Louden’s office in Lincoln, the Nebraska lawmaker said he has tried several tacks to deal with the use and sale of alcohol in Whiteclay during his decade representing that area of northwest Nebraska. “I’ve been at I don’t know how many meetings over the years,” Louden said, recalling one with former Gov. Mike Johanns and the Oglala Tribal Council. “And the conversation get around, they’d want a piece of the taxes that’s coming off Whiteclay. And that isn’t gonna happen.”
“You’re not going to have money coming out of Nebraska to go over to that Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota to do anything,” Louden said. “That isn’t the way it works in the real world and it won’t happen there.”
This year, Louden tried to set up an alcohol impact zone, which could have restricted alcohol sales. That didn’t get out committee, but Louden said many of the ideas to help Whiteclay haven’t gone anywhere because they simply won’t work. Beefing up law enforcement to arrest people for drinking is just going to fill beds in Sheridan County, he said, and cost the county money it can’t afford. And he argued going after the liquor stores isn’t the answer because they’re just supplying demand.
But Lance Morgan, who heads HoChunk Industries on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in northeast Nebraska disagreed. “When you talk to people who deal with this issue, the conversation always goes back to property rights of these non-Indians,” Morgan said, referring to the white owners of Whiteclay’s liquor stores.
Morgan has a law degree from Harvard University, and has studied Indian law. “Any time you talk about property rights with Indians, it’s sort of a joke to us, right,” he said. “I have a map on my wall of us owning Wisconsin before we got moved to a small, tiny corner of northeast Nebraska.”
Morgan said he believes the heart of the problem is racism. “It’s as plain as day, and all the rest of it is just talk,” he said. “If it was anywhere else, it would have been hammered down. If it was any other group; if it was white people laying in the streets and Indians selling to them, well hell, they’d have the cops in here. They’d try to shut us down; they’d take us to court… So for us, it’s just obvious and ridiculous and ironic, and in the end, tragic.”
Now, the Oglala Sioux are trying another route. Former State Senator and Omaha lawyer Tom White has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the tribe against the largest beer manufacturers in the world, which supply Whiteclay’s liquor stores, because, he said, “there’s nothing else left.”
The defendants include big names like Anheuser Busch and Miller Brewing Company. White said the foundation of the case is that the beer sold in Whiteclay has no way of lawfully being consumed.
“What happens to all that beer?” White said. “Well, there are 11 people; there’s three houses in Whiteclay. It can’t be drunk in public, but it is. And it can’t be brought into Pine Ridge, but it is openly right in front of the retailers and everybody knows it,” White said. “So what we have is a systematic business plan that’s built up to violate the law.”
Attorneys for the beer makers declined to comment for this story. But they have asked the court to dismiss the suit, arguing it would force the stores to discriminate against Native American customers.
If White’s lawsuit is successful, half a billion dollars could flow to the Pine Ridge Reservation. But some people argue suing is not the right approach. Tomorrow, we’ll talk to people on the front lines of the battle against alcoholism on the reservation, and find out why they say that throwing money at the problem is not the answer. |
Definition: 'Pantothenate Synthetase'
pantothenate synthetaseType: Term
1. an enzyme that converts pantoate and β-alanine to pantothenate with concomitant cleavage of ATP to AMP and pyrophosphate; a key step in coenzyme A biosynthesis.
Synonyms: pantoate-activating enzyme |
The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Montalembert
MONTALEMBERT. I. Marc René de, marquis, a French military engineer, born in Angoulême, July 15, 1714, died March 29, 1800. He was descended from an ancient family of Poitou, early entered the army, and took an active part in the campaigns of Italy and Flanders, and in 1741 in the war of the Austrian succession. He devoted himself to military science, in 1747 became a member of the academy of sciences, and established founderies for casting cannon. His innovations in the art of fortification were opposed by the French engineers, but all doubts were dispelled by his successful construction of the fort of Ré. He was also employed in the fortifications of Anklam, Stralsund, and the islands of Aix and Oléron. He became a partisan of the revolution, and relinquished his pension in favor of the national convention. During the reign of terror he obtained a divorce from his first wife, an actress and novelist, and married the daughter of an apothecary. He had given up to the government his founderies, without receiving any equivalent, and was involved in further difficulties by the publication of his works, his various experiments for the improvement of the military art, and the depreciation of paper money. He had also executed at his own expense and presented to the government various models relating to fortifications and artillery. His services as a military reformer were publicly acknowledged by the convention and by the council of 500, and some inadequate pecuniary relief was afforded him. He wrote on the campaign of 1757, on the siege of St. Jean d'Acre, and a historical essay on the founding of cannon, and contributed valuable memoirs to the academy. His great work, La fortification perpendiculaire, ou l'Art défensif supérieur à l'offensif (11 vols. 4to, Paris, 1776-'96), with illustrations, absorbed a large portion of his fortune. His system of detached forts inaugurated a new era not only in fortification, but in the attack and defence of fortresses and in strategical science generally. His principles were adopted in the fortifications of Ehrenbreitstein, Cologne, Sebastopol, Cronstadt, and Cherbourg, in the batteries at the entrance of Portsmouth harbor, and in most modern forts for harbor defence. (See Fortification.) II. Charles Forbes René de, count, a French statesman, grandson of the preceding, born in London, May 29, 1810, died in Paris, March 13, 1870. He received his university education in Paris, and in his 19th year published a small work on Sweden. In 1830 he became the associate of Lamennais and Lacordaire in founding and editing L'Avenir, went with them to Rome to plead their own cause in 1831, and on his return opened, with Lacordaire and De Coux, a free Catholic school in Paris, which was closed by the police. The directors were arraigned before an inferior court for infringing the ordinances on public instruction; but Montalembert, having meanwhile become a member of the chamber of peers, transferred his case to that court, and delivered there in his own defence his first public speech. The papal censure which fell upon Lamennais a few years later strengthened Montalembert's attachment to the church, without shaking his liberal convictions. He devoted himself to the study of the middle ages, and published Histoire de Saint Élizabeth de Hongrie (Paris, 1836; English translation by Mary Hackett and Mrs. J. Sadlier, New York, 1854), and an essay Du Vandalisme et du Catholicisme dans l'art (1839). He spoke frequently in the chamber of peers. In 1842 he opposed M. Villemain's bill for the organization of secondary schools, protesting against the "university monopoly" which placed all the schools under the control of the faculty of laymen. In 1843 he published his Manifeste catholique. He was now the recognized leader of the Catholic party. He delivered three elaborate addresses on the freedom of the church, of education, and of religious orders, in the last of which he eulogized the Jesuits; and in 1847 he founded a religious society to uphold the cause of the Swiss Sonderbund. He spoke in favor of Poland in 1831, 1844, and 1846. Early in 1848, in a speech on radicalism, he predicted a revolution in the course of three months. When it broke out he joined the democratic party, published an address avowing republican sentiments, and was elected by the department of Doubs as a deputy in the constituent assembly. Here, however, he acted rather with the conservative party than with the thorough democrats. He opposed the admission of Louis Napoleon, and voted against the new constitution; and toward the close of the session he supported Dufaure's bill for the restriction of the press, and approved the expedition sent to Rome to restore the papal authority. Returned to the legislative assembly by the departments of Doubs and Côtes-du-Nord, he became still more conservative, and was one of the committee which drafted the law of May 31, abolishing universal suffrage. In June, 1851, he had a memorable debate with Victor Hugo on the proposed revision of the constitution. After the coup d'état of Dec. 2 he protested against the imprisonment of the deputies, and became more determined in his hostility to Napoleon; but he obtained a place on the second consultative committee, and a seat in the legislative body, where he was almost the only representative of the opposition. Having failed to be reëlected in 1857, he lived in retirement, employed in literary labors. An article which he published Oct. 25, 1858, entitled Un débat sur l'Inde au parlement anglais, led to his prosecution on account of invidious comparisons between the institutions of France and Great Britain. He was sentenced to a fine of 3,000 francs and six months' imprisonment; but both penalties were remitted by the emperor. In 1852 he was elected to the French academy. After his withdrawal from political life, Montalembert busied himself chiefly with the preparation of Les moines d'Occident depuis Saint Benoît jusqu'à Saint Bernard (5 vols., Paris, 1860-'67; 3d ed., 1868; English ed., Edinburgh, 1861). He took a lively interest in the progress of the civil war in the United States, his last pamphlet, La victoire du Nord aux États-Unis (Paris, 1865; English translation, Boston, 1866), being a hymn of triumph over the success of the Union arms. In 1863 he warmly espoused the cause of Poland in the volume entitled De l'insurrection polonaise; and in August, at the Catholic congress held in Mechlin, he read a discourse on “A free Church in a free State,” which excited angry discussions between the liberal Catholics and ultramontanes. At the approach of the Vatican council he openly declared against defining the doctrine of pontifical infallibility. Besides the works already mentioned, he wrote Du devoir des Catholiques dans la question de liberté d'enseignement (1844); Saint Anselme, fragment de l'introduction à l'histoire de Saint Bernard (1844); Quelques conseils aux Catholiques (1849); Des intérêts catholiques aux XIXe siècle (1852; English translation, 1853); L'Avenir politique de l'Angleterre (1855; English translation, 1856); Une nation en deuil, la Pologne en 1861 (1861); Le père Lacordaire (1862); and Le Pape et la Pologne (1864). He was one of the editors of the Correspondant. An edition of his complete works as been published by Lecoffre (9 vols., Paris, 1861-'8).—See Mrs. Oliphant's “Memoirs of unt de Montalembert” (2 vols., Edinburgh and London, 1872). |
Born in Chester, Pennsylvania on June 8, 1813, David Dixon Porter was the son of Evelina Anderson and Commodore David Porter, a naval officer who earned fame in the War of 1812. After attending Columbia College in New York, the younger Porter followed in his father's footsteps, entering the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1829 and earning promotion to lieutenant in 1841.
In 1861, Porter was assigned to the U.S. Navy's Gulf Squadron as commander of the USS Powhatan. He was promoted to commander on April 22, 1861 and was instrumental in the navy's campaign against New Orleans in 1862. He was promoted to captain in February 1863 and commanded the Mississippi Squadron throughout 1863 and 1864. He was promoted to rear admiral on July 4, 1863 immediately after the fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi. His last major campaign with the Mississippi River Squadron was the Red River Campaign, March 10 to May 22, 1864.
On October 12, 1864, Porter took command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, the position he held throughout the remainder of the war. Porter's fleet participated in the two battles of Fort Fisher, December 24-25, 1864 and January 13-15, 1865. These two engagements proved to be the largest naval bombardments in history, and the Second Battle of Fort Fisher was the largest amphibious engagement of the war. Some ships from Porter's fleet also participated in the remainder of the Wilmington Campaign, including the Battle of Fort Anderson, February 18-19, 1865.
Porter continued his storied naval career long after the Civil War. From 1865 to 1869 he was Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1869, he was appointed advisor to the Secretary of the Navy. He earned promotion to admiral in 1870, commanded a fleet based at Key West in the mid-1870s, and from 1877 to 1891 served as head of the Board of Inspection and Survey. He is one of only seven naval officers to remain on active duty for life.
Porter's descendents carried on the family's military tradition. Porter married Georgia Ann Patterson on March 10, 1839 and the couple had ten children. One son, Carlile Patterson Porter became a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. Carlile Porter named his son after David Dixon Porter, and he became a major general in the U.S. Marine Corps, winning the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1901, during the Philippine War. |
Elopement and divorce have a dark and complex historical relationship. Even today, when elopements are generally harmless efforts by couples to avoid expensive formal weddings or attempts by celebrity couples to shield themselves from intrusive press coverage, eloping couples may be at higher risk for divorce and overlook legal protections, such as prenuptial agreements.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, elopement was a serious social and legal problem in England and its American colonies. Marriages were usually arranged by families for economic and religious reasons, with the requirement that couples under age 21 obtain their parents' consent before marrying, so single people who fell in love against their families' wishes frequently eloped. Some American colonies passed laws against secret courtships in an effort to stop elopements. Elopements that survived these obstacles sometimes led to legal disinheritance and job loss.
Some elopements involved criminal conduct, including kidnapping, seduction, murder and adultery. In 1665, the Earl of Rochester abducted a pretty, wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Malet, after she refused to marry him. Malet was rescued and Rochester was sent to prison. Two years later, Malet fell in love with Rochester and married him, but not all elopements ended as well. A woman's family might murder a man in a duel if he seduced her during an elopement and then failed to marry her. Adulterous couples often eloped and lived together as an informal method of "divorce" from their previous spouses because English law restricted divorce to wealthy individuals who could afford special Parliamentary divorce bills. Some American colonies allowed divorce for limited causes, such as adultery or impotence, but divorce rules and procedures were so restrictive that divorces were difficult to obtain. Adulterous English and American couples who eloped and could not legally divorce were socially ostracized. An adulterous man could be killed in a duel by his female lover's estranged spouse or family members.
English and American divorce law reforms eliminated many past reasons for elopements, though parental opposition and other elopement problems common in 18th century England and America still occur in India and other developing countries where patriarchal family traditions continue to exist. However, elopements do contain elements of risk, even in America. A University of Maryland report, "Qualities of a Healthy Marriage," warns that four-fifths of all couples who elope end up divorcing.
Possible Legal Problems
Couples who elope today are increasingly older and more established professionals than the impulsive young lovers of the past, as the average age of marriage in the U.S. continues to rise, reaching age 27 for men and age 25 for women in 2003. Absent from many of the romantic getaway "elopement packages" offered by the wedding industry are mentions of prenuptial agreements, asset protection trusts and necessary estate planning for wills and advance healthcare directives. While eloping couples can sign post-nuptial agreements and estate planning documents after the wedding, they may wish to consider obtaining asset protection and estate planning services before they say, "I do." |
If asked you a question, how many times have you heard the phrase brush twice a day and floss at least once per day? You would probably have loss count and if you were paid ten dollars for each time you would probably be millionaire by now. That a fact but ever wondered why? Well, clean teeth are not important just so you can have white teeth and a beautiful but it is also important for your overall health.
Look at your social life. When it comes to appearance having a pretty or attractive face is kind of important. When you smile or laugh your teeth creates an important play in being attractive. Just imagine you having dirty and yellow teeth. You can laugh and smile no doubt but other will be taking the impression that you do not have good hygiene practice. This is something no one will want to have. If we lose our teeth, our bones surrounding the teeth will reduce meaning that you face will lose its shape. This why toothless people have a lower facial height due to the fact that their bones have been absorbed. Contact your nearest dental clinic or a known dentist to keep yourself from the above happening. We all like food and to eat and to do this we can’t do without chewing the food. Without teeth we won’t be able to break the food down from big to small pieces so that it will be easy to digest. If you have loose teeth it will be really difficult to chew. Plaque may surround your teeth if not brush properly and gingival inflammation will come to be and may lead to a disease called periodontal. What happens in this situation is that your teeth will become lose and fall.
Ever seen people so eloquent in their speeches? If you want to do so as well you need to good teeth or else it will be difficult to pronounce certain words such as T, F, D and V. If you really think I am bluffing have you noticed old people or people who are toothless finding it hard to pronounce certain words properly? Having teeth but it being yellow will not alter your pronunciation but it will lead to tooth loss and that will make you bad at pronouncing.Thus, to sum it all up I would like to just one thing and that is brush twice a day and floss at least once per day. Not matter how many times it is being told, it is just the best way to avoid all the trouble. |
In order for any individual to implement changes in the workforce or in their lifestyle a number of conditions need to be implemented in order to create a successful program for change. These four main elements need to be showcased with an advanced knowledge and all must be present for changes to be permanent and successful. Here are the top four main conditions any individual needs to satisfy in order to create a successful change program. Keeping these in mind as a manager will also help to make sure that you can have more success implementing changes with employees.
- Current knowledge base of an individual:
In many cases a person may have the knowledge or skills required for managing a change. Whether it’s through past experience, hobbies or from their schooling a person minority have the present knowledge to address gaps in changes. In some cases however there needs to be a large knowledge gap addressed before person can become comfortable with changes. A great example might be updating a salesperson for selling new computer technology where they were previously selling mobile phones. Although some of the hardware is similar, it will take some time before a salesperson will have the knowledge and requirements to sell with confidence. It’s this gap between a person’s current level of knowledge and the knowledge requirement associated with making changes that can change the probability of success for implementing a change. While a person may have the full qualifications they need for their current level of experience, with changes in business a person is often asked to step up and take on more as well as showcase extra skills and education that they may have.
2. A person’s capacity and capability for learning:
Making changes requires adapting and learning new skills. If a large gap of knowledge needs to be filled, different people are bound to have different capacities for learning. Some people may not be as receptive to training as others. This means during the process of implementing changes certain employees may find it difficult to learn new processes, utilize new tools or memorize information. We all learn in different ways and some employees will be able to pick up new concepts and utilize them as habit very quickly. Others may take extra reinforcement before new processes become automatic. There are also some people that have difficulty learning new technical skills or understanding the technical concepts. While we all learn in different ways and at different rates, it is important to have the people with the greatest receptive nature for training involving changes. There are bound to be differences from employee to employee it is just important that a company has plenty of resources and training materials on hand to help fill a knowledge gap. Anticipating the need for different styles of learning and different capabilities for implementing a change will help to make sure that every staff member can adapt and create change.
3. The resources that are available for training and education:
As mentioned in the previous element, everyone’s going to learn differently and by having access to the right resources and training for different learning styles in the workplace it’s possible that everyone has an equal opportunity learn. While some companies will have extensive resources for training and even funding to send employees away on training, there are also businesses that struggle to provide the right educational resources and time devoted to training. If a company is unable to present the resources that you may need to create a change or that other employees require to complete a training program, it will face difficulty as a whole implementing changes. Any company needs to make sure that they have the right level of support, training, funding and time to devote to education and training programs for changes.
4. Access to knowledge or existence of knowledge:
Sometimes changes within a company need to be inacted that have never been done before. In some cases knowledge is inaccessible for certain programs or for creating changes within a company. Some of the barriers to accessing knowledge can vary by geographical location, funding requirements, time constraints and lack of info. A great example from the past where there was little to no training on how to make a change would be with Henry Ford and the invention of the assembly line. Utilizing assembly line business processes was something that had never been done before and as a result there was no training or education on the process. While this process is something that we take for granted today all of the information, training materials and testing would have had to be done in house and created. Many organizations today implement custom technology, custom software and other efficiency changes for which there is no information as well. In order for employees to learn however the documentation needs to be in place for how the program was theoretically work. This is how other companies eventually gain access to knowledge for adapting similar processes. Major barriers for access to knowledge can also come as a result of poor Internet connectivity, geographical location, lack of technical expertise in a company and more. With rapid advancement and a lack of documentation changes can be made but it is important to note that advances are much more difficult to achieve. Once an access to knowledge or at least a basis theory for how new technology, changes can be made is in place however it’s possible to start creating those changes.
These are the 4 knowledge conditions that need to be met in order for a change to be implemented and successful. Keep these in mind if you are an individual in an organization or an organization with the desire to make a change. |
A hanging wart, more commonly referred to as a skin tag, is a piece of skin that literally droops or hangs. They can be large or small, and are most commonly found in areas where skin is thin or rubs against other skin or clothing. For example, they often occur in the armpits or on the neck, eyelids, chest or even the groin region. According to MedicineNet.com, nearly half of the U.S. population has them at some point or another. Although they are harmless, most people want to remove skin tags for aesthetic purposes.
Tie a piece of thread or dental floss around the base of the hanging wart.
Pull tightly on the thread and make sure it is tight enough so that it won't fall off.
Place a bandage over the thread.
Leave the thread on the hanging skin tag for several days. It will likely fall off on its own. If it doesn't, repeat the process.
Sterilise a pair of scissors by soaking them rubbing alcohol. Cut the hanging wart off with the sterilised scissors and place a bandage over the removed wart. It may bleed, so extra gauze should be close at hand. Change bandages as necessary.
Use an over the counter product for wart removal. These can be purchased at a pharmacy, online or from your doctor. Some popular brands include Dermisil and Amoils.
Freeze the wart with a liquid nitrogen injection. This treatment should only be administered by your doctor.
Burn the hanging wart off with a medical electric cautery. Again, this is something that only your physician should do.
Things you need
- Thread or dental floss
- Rubbing alcohol
- Over-the-counter product
- Liquid nitrogen
- Medical electric cautery |
The Juvenile Justice Act can heal broken spirits
Sending juveniles who commit ‘serious’ crimes to jail is not in the interest of children, families or the community.ht view Updated: Jul 21, 2014 23:28 IST
Minister of women and child development Maneka Gandhi recently said that juveniles who commit rape should be tried as adults as the police told her that “50% of the crimes are committed by 16-year-olds who know the Juvenile Justice Act”. As per the National Crime Records Bureau’s ‘Crime in India, 2013’, the share of crimes committed by juveniles vis-à-vis the total IPC crimes committed stood at 1.2% — the same as 2012.
In 2013, the juveniles alleged to be involved in rape constituted 4.1% of all persons arrested for the offence. Even these figures need to be investigated further as our experience shows that often when two young people in this age group have consensual sex or elope with each other, the parents of the girl file charges of kidnapping and/or rape against the boy as they want them to end the relationship. All these cases also add to the inflated figures of ‘rape by juveniles’.
Sending 16 to 18-year-olds to adult prisons will scare them, but, is the purpose of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act to ‘scare’ juveniles or to ‘rehabilitate and reform’ them? Will it ensure that they will not commit the same offence when they complete their sentences as adults?
Evidence points to the contrary as the United States, which adopted this 20 years ago, is now realising that transfer is ineffective in addressing juvenile crime, public safety, and recidivism. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services set up by the US Center for Disease Control concluded that: “….transfer policies have generally resulted in increased arrest for subsequent crimes, including violent crime, among juveniles who were transferred compared with those retained in the juvenile justice system. To the extent that transfer policies are implemented to reduce violent or other criminal behaviour, available evidence indicates that they do more harm than good.” There is no reason why India should replicate a failed system that has been more deleterious than progressive.
The victim has little or no say in the adult criminal justice system and the proposal to transfer juveniles to the adult system will not advance their interests. The existing juvenile justice system has the potential to provide an enabling framework to heal broken spirits of victims and juveniles through restorative justice programmes that are practised in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada, the US, and several European countries.
Experts who have studied various models of restorative justice have recommended that it be adopted to address “the more serious offences. It is here that the impact of the offending on victims is greatest and that victims are most in need of closure...” and consider it “most appropriate for repeat offenders.”
Evidence also shows that “programmes offering counselling and treatment typically reduce recidivism, while those focused on coercion and control tend to produce negative or null effects. Programmes tend to succeed when they address specific risk factors known to influence delinquent and criminal behaviour. These risk factors include anger and anti-social feelings, lack of self-control, lack of affection or weak supervision from parents, lack of role models, and poor academic skills”.
Sending juveniles who allegedly commit ‘serious’ crime to jail is not in the interest of children, families or the wider community as a whole. Such a policy change will result in higher costs related to incarceration, and deferred costs that will incur as an outcome from the rage and bitterness that comes from life in the adult criminal justice system.
Should India go down this path of denying our young the opportunities to demonstrate accountability within a scientifically designed and professionally implemented juvenile justice system? It is we as a nation who will be culpable; culpable of intentionally not investing in our children, despite the evidence available to prove that such an investment serves the interests of juvenile offenders, their families, victims and society as a whole. |
A few years ago I wrote a post about Mary and the Magnification for Advent. As today is the Feast of the Assumption, I thought I’d repost it today.
We often see Mary as an almost ethereal figure, immaculate amid the dirt and squalor of the stable, serene during a seventy mile donkey ride, peaceful during childbirth. In many ways, centuries of pious art have separated Mary from the world around her; this does her a disservice.
Because let’s face it, Mary was a teenage girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances able to deal with her situation because of her faith, a faith that doesn’t just make her her open to God’s will, but a faith that expresses some seriously radical qualities. She’s aware that this is the moment God is going to change the world and she wants to be a part of it, regardless of the cost to her relationships and reputation. We see a hint of this radical faith in the Magnificat, the poem she uses to express her feelings and her worship in Luke 1:46-55:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
In many ways this echoes Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 – Mary realises she’s part of a biblical tradition, a history of miraculous births. But both songs have political overtones – God is almighty and sovereign, and he raises up the poor while breaking the power of arrogant rulers.
Look at the language used in the second half of the poem: what dies “He has brought down rulers from their thrones” mean in a country ruled by a puppet king and occupied by a hostile empire? What does “filling the empty” mean when Mary and her friends and family faced crippling taxation, all of them born, living and dying in poverty? This isn’t just a hymn of praise because Mary loves the idea of a virgin birth, it’s awareness, an announcement, of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This is something the church seems to be rediscovering over recent years and it’s an important theme of the New Testament – Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom, and while it isn’t totally fulfilled, it’s being raised up, often through the action of his followers. It’s a radical thing to say to Rome that an Empire will ultimately give way to a better Kingdom.
But here’s a terrifying implication of the Magnificat: the Church isn’t in Mary’s shoes, at least not in the West. No, in the UK bishops walk the corridors of power; in the US, the Church can swing elections. The Church is rich. The Church is powerful.
The Church can become an Empire.
We’re kidding ourselves if we think God will tolerate that, if we think God’s going to rubber stamp our politics and prejudices while his Kingdom mission to the poor, the oppressed, the vulnerable and the outsider goes unfulfilled. Mary knew that God is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with corrupt power structures, and as we learn from her son, he’s not afraid to tackle them when they’re religious structures misrepresenting God’s Kingdom – just look at the conflict between Jesus and the Temple authorities throughout the Gospels.
But that’s the negative side of things. Mary’s song is also a celebration of what God can do through his people, how we’re honoured to be a part of the Kingdom. It’s a celebration of every time the Church is a blessing – a celebration of all the soup kitchens, all the youth clubs, all the cake sales raising money for the local hospice, all the Christmas presents sent to children on the streets, all the love shown to people on the margins, all the hope illuminating times of darkness and tragedy; all the joyful songs and all the tearful prayers. |
Synonyms: Chlamydophila psittaci infection, Chlamydia psittaci infection, ornithosis, parrot fever, chlamydiosis
This zoonosis is caused by infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci, formerly known as Chlamydia psittaci. The bacterium infects psittacine birds - parrots, parakeets, budgerigars, cockatoos and lories. A large number (>100) of avian species such as canaries, doves, pigeons and other birds that are commonly kept as pets are also susceptible to the disease. It can also affect domesticated fowl such as turkeys and ducks.
The term ornithosis is used to denote infection transmitted from a non-psittacine source.
An epidemic outbreak of the infection occurred in birds and humans in 1929-1930, affecting thousands of birds and hundreds of people, which led to the initial isolation and characterisation of the bacterium. Outbreaks of the disease are now rarer due to stricter import controls on birds, better veterinary and medical knowledge and increased awareness among bird owners.
It may affect domestic bird owners and is an occupational disease of zoo and pet shop workers, poultry farmers and vets. Some strains of the species may affect sheep, goats or cattle, causing chronic infection/abortion and (rarely) it can affect humans working with these animals. Whether human-to-human transmission occurs is debatable. If it does, it is extremely rare.
- Birds infected with the organism may be apparently healthy but are often ill or succumb. Thus a history of recent contact with an ill or dead bird preceding illness in a human indicates the need to consider this diagnosis.
- Infection occurs through inhalation of aerosolised bacteria from avian faeces, feather dust or respiratory secretions. Cases have been reported following oral contact with birds (eg, giving resuscitation) and from handling plumage or infected tissues.
- The organism is resistant to drying and can survive for several months in bird dander or faeces.
- The inoculum enters the bloodstream via the lungs and enters the reticuloendothelial system, with secondary bacteraemia leading to respiratory infection.
- It is a rare illness. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) states around 50 cases are confirmed in England and Wales each year, but that it is likely to be under-diagnosed.
- The HPA requests that they be informed of any cases, particularly those connected with pet retailers.
- Working in, or buying from, a pet shop. Psittacosis is the most common zoonosis acquired through a pet shop according to a recent study of available literature.
- Pet bird ownership.
- Pigeon fancying.
- Contact with ill birds.
- Certain occupations:
- Poultry farmers.
- Poultry processing plant workers.
- Bird breeders and those selling birds.
- Zoo and bird park keepers.
- Street cleaners.
- Those working on building demolition or conservation where birds have been nesting.
- Classically, it presents as a community-acquired pneumonia with flu-like symptoms. There are marked signs of systemic illness/constitutional upset. Fever and lassitude are common. It may develop mildly and insidiously or develop into overwhelming sepsis with acute respiratory failure.
- Respiratory symptoms include a non-productive cough, dyspnoea, sore throat, nosebleeds and (rarely) pleuritic chest pain.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms occur less often. Rarely, the disease causes nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and jaundice.
- Neurological symptoms are common - particularly severe headache and also photophobia. It may cause agitation or extreme malaise and lassitude.
- Dermatological manifestations include a facial macular rash (Horder's spots) with an appearance similar to rose spots of typhoid fever.
- There may be signs of pneumonic consolidation, but often the chest examination is rather nonspecific and not concordant with the severity of pulmonary involvement revealed by CXR.
- Relative bradycardia may be present (ie slow heart rate given severity of fever). There may be signs of pericarditis, endocarditis or myocarditis.
- Splenomegaly is relatively common, affecting about two thirds of sufferers, and should prompt consideration of this diagnosis if found in conjunction with pneumonia.
- As well as Horder's spots there may be erythema nodosum or erythema multiforme.
- A polyarticular reactive arthritis may be seen.
- Rarely, there may be features of meningitis, encephalitis, seizures or Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (bird fancier's lung).
- Pneumonia due to atypical pathogens - eg, Legionella spp. and Mycoplasma spp.
- Q fever.
- Infective endocarditis.
- Bacterial pneumonia.
- Viral pneumonia.
- Typhoid fever.
- Avian influenza.
- FBC may show normal or mildly neutropenic white cell count. ESR may be raised.
- U&E should be normal unless there are renal complications.
- LFTs tend to show mild-to-moderate derangement.
- Urinalysis may show proteinuria.
- CXR tends to show widespread dense streaky opacities predominantly affecting the lower lobes but there are no radiological features that allow differentiation from other causes of pneumonia.
- Culture of C. psittaci is usually avoided due to its hazardous nature.
- Diagnosis is usually confirmed by the presence of a four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent sera. These paired sera (blood samples collected two weeks apart) are tested for chlamydial antibodies. Unfortunately, this means the diagnosis is delayed. High titres can occur in other chlamydial infections, so if history suggests psittacosis, molecular assays (PCR) are used to diagnose C. psittaci infection.
- Tetracycline or doxycycline are the usual first-line antibiotics of choice.Treatment is normally given for 2-3 weeks to lower the risk of relapse. Patients normally show a response within 24-72 hours.
- Erythromycin is a good second-line agent and often used in young children or pregnant women where tetracyclines are contra-indicated.
- Patients who have severe disease may need to be managed in high-dependency or intensive treatment units and given intravenous fluids, respiratory support and cardiovascular support.
- Relapse of disease after antibiotic therapy.
- Acute respiratory failure.
- Glomerulonephritis/tubulointerstitial nephritis.
- Haemolytic anaemia.
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- Reactive arthritis.
- Transverse myelitis.
- Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- Arterial embolism.
- Gestational psittacosis.
Good, if recognised, and if early appropriate antibiotic therapy is given, it is rarely fatal. If undiagnosed and untreated, mortality can be as high as 15%.
- Regulation of the international bird trade with strict import controls.
- Education of bird owners, pet retailers and those who work with birds to be aware of the problem. Pet retailers should ideally keep a record of who purchases recently imported birds so that their owners can be contacted should there be an outbreak of the disease in the retail premises. This is good practice but there is no statutory duty to do so.
- Awareness of the diagnosis amongst the medical and veterinary professions.
- Infection prevention advice to those handling birds including:
- Good ventilation in bird housing.
- Isolation of new or sick birds.
- Regular cleaning of birdcages to avoid faeces drying.
- Cleaning procedures should avoid creating aerosols and dust (eg, avoid high-pressure jet washing).
- Protective clothing should be worn when removing dried faeces or in poultry processing plants.
- Use of disinfectants.
- Good hygiene practices.
- Stewardson AJ, Grayson ML; Psittacosis. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2010 Mar 24(1):7-25. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2009.10.003.
- Janssen MJ, van de Wetering K, Arabin B; Sepsis due to gestational psittacosis: A multidisciplinary approach within a perinatological center--review of reported cases. Int J Fertil Womens Med. 2006 Jan-Feb 51(1):17-20. |
“Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.” ― John F. Kennedy
Although the United States’ has a long history as an immigrant country, this June marks the first annual Immigrant Heritage Month. Welcome.us, a “non-profit dedicated to celebrating a United States that is fueled by an immigrant tradition,” is leading the effort to corral activities under the Immigrant Heritage Month banner, with a wide array of individuals and organizations from many sectors of society supporting the effort. Cities and other municipalities are also officially proclaiming June as Immigrant Heritage Month in their communities. “In the United States, with a good idea and enough hard work, anything is possible,” Tolu Olubunmi, executive director of Welcome.us,- also an immigrant and DREAMer – states. “The entrepreneurial drive and spirit of our country is built on our diversity of origins. It is what drew the first people to the U.S. and what continues to drive American business. American success is a result of our many distinct experiences, not in spite of it.” The first annual Immigrant Heritage Month focuses on a nationwide effort “to gather and share inspirational stories of immigration in America,” and notes that “immigrants have played a starring role in the history and culture of the United States.” Consider the following three sample ads Welcome.us prepared as part of Immigrant Heritage Month. This first video describes the diversity of immigrant heritage across the United States:
In the following video, actor Jeremy Irons describes the hard work and diversity of generations of immigrants to the United States:
In this video, Academy Award winner Sally Field narrates the story of Scottish immigrant Williamina Fleming and how she made groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy after immigrating to the United States in the 1800s:
However, despite the salient efforts of Welcome.us and similar initiatives—actions that are truly needed to further push the U.S. in the direction of a more inclusive society as well as to encourage reform and modernization of the U.S. immigration system—the U.S. hasn’t always had, nor does it currently have, an immigration system that is keeping with the times of a changing economy and society. However, despite the less than savory actions around immigration legislation at the federal, state, and local levels, a growing number of cities, counties, and metropolitan areas around the country are officially becoming places that intentionally welcome immigrants.
The United States’ Rocky History of Immigrant Reception
While the efforts of individuals and organizations to emphasize the positive economic, cultural, and social contributions immigrants have made, and continue to make, are important, contradictory and ambivalent attitudes towards immigration remain. In recent decades, U.S. immigration law has bent towards more criminalization and the U.S. immigration system has become heavier on costly enforcement measures. Additionally, the system has not received meaningful overhauls or upgrades to meet the demands and dynamic nature of the U.S. economy and society within the broader context of the global economy. Furthermore, U.S. immigration law often ignores the broader historical, economic, and cultural forces that drive immigration. Specifically, the U.S. immigration system increasingly is at odds with the economic interests of the United States nationally and locally. The system hasn’t kept up with changing economic forces and labor market demands. There aren’t adequate pathways for immigrants to meet the economic interests of the country. Backlogs mean those in line have to wait years to be reunited with their families. Employers can’t hire the workers they need in an efficient manner. Intact families—often comprised of citizens and immigrants—are forcibly separated by a byzantine system.
As the late geographer Harm de Blij observed, “Efforts to control cross-border migration lead to political initiatives that are sometimes at odds with professed principles. The overwhelming approval of Proposition 187 in California during the 1994 elections reflected a rising anti-immigrant sentiment—in a nation forged of immigrants—that would crest within a decade. By 2010, the issue had come to the forefront among American priorities as the United States coped with ‘undocumented’ immigrants numbering an estimated 10 to 12 million, and individual border states, notably Arizona, were seeking ways not only to stem the tide, but also to send back migrants who had crossed the U.S.-Mexican border illegally. This in turn led to allegations of police harassment based on personal appearance rather than actual wrongdoing. Meanwhile, various efforts to fortify the border took their own toll on America’s ‘open’ society.” Despite efforts by nativist and anti-immigrant forces over the years, today a clear majority of Americans are in favor of comprehensively reforming the U.S. immigration system to better align it with a 21st century economy and society. Increasingly, local elected, civic, business, and non-profit leaders in cities and metropolitan areas around the country recognize the benefits their communities receive by welcoming immigrants and encouraging effective immigrant integration.
Today, Cities and Metros are Welcoming Immigrants
Despite tepid progress in Washington toward thoughtful comprehensive immigration reform to upgrade the United States’ 20th century immigration system for the 21st century, more localities are recognizing that immigrants are an important component of their communities. As such, they’re exploring ways to attract, welcome, and retain immigrants. Cities in the Midwest and Great Lakes region are one example. The Global Great Lakes Network held its second annual convening last week in Pittsburgh during Immigrant Heritage Month, highlighting immigrant integration efforts throughout the broader Great Lakes and Midwest regions. The convening brought together representatives of cities and organizations in the upper Midwestern region working on immigrant-related economic development initiatives to share their success stories and encourage discussion of next steps.
While some local immigrant integration initiatives focus on attracting and welcoming immigrants as part of a place’s broader economic development strategy, many local initiatives are in fact comprehensive approaches at integration. In such places, economic development may indeed be one component of a comprehensive strategy, but there are also actions aimed at encouraging language, education, cultural, social, and other forms of integration, all of which are interrelated. Immigrant integration for economic growth is an important component in garnering buy-in and support from a wide berth of individuals and organizations unfamiliar with immigrant integration. Yet, many other aspects of integration are equally as important—hence the need for a comprehensive approach. It’s therefore crucial for such comprehensive initiatives to work for more inclusive policies for all, and to counter local, state, and federal policies that are antithetical to integration and welcoming principles.
More broadly, in the absence of national leadership and progress on immigration reform, what cities and metro areas are doing for immigrant integration is likely one aspect of what Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley of the Brookings Institution term the “metropolitan revolution.” As Katz notes, the metropolitan revolution, “is cities and metropolitan areas, and the networks of leaders who co-govern them,…stepping up and doing the hard work to grow jobs and make their economies more prosperous…Cities and metropolitan areas are really networks of leaders and institutions. They’re very powerful on their own, but when they come together and they collaborate to compete, they can do grand things together.” Although the “metropolitan revolution” is manifesting in many ways across metropolitan areas, Katz and Bradley cite Houston as an example of how a metro area can embrace and build upon the strength of its immigrant communities. “The immigrant population in the United States is critical to our country’s innovation and entrepreneur economy,” Katz and Bradley describe. “By embracing and bolstering immigrant communities the way that Houston has, metros are able to secure their economies of tomorrow.”
During Immigrant Heritage Month, as part of their broader efforts for immigrant integration—or even as a beginning first step—many municipalities, representing a diversity of geography and history of immigrant reception, have issued official proclamations celebrating June as Immigrant Heritage Month in their local community. Examples include Atlanta and Boston. “The entrepreneurial drive and spirit of our country is built on our diversity of origins,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said. “This month, we look forward to joining cities and leaders across the country in honoring and celebrating the role immigrants continue to play in making our city competitive and dynamic, both culturally and economically.” “Generations of immigrants from every corner of the world, including my own parents, have made Boston their home. And it is this diversity that make us a unique city,” Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said. “We are a welcoming city, and I want all our immigrants to know that they don’t have to leave their cultures behind to become American in Boston.” Given the fact that some cities and states were passing anti-immigrant measures only a few years ago, it’s very promising that public officials are now moving in a more inclusive direction.
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., said “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Throughout the United States’ complex history of receiving immigrants with varying degrees of warm, cool, and mixed reception, there have indeed been setbacks on the road to immigrant justice. Yet, as recent actions at the city level indicate—with a variety of places rolling out the welcome mat for immigrants and looking for ways to effectively integrate immigrants and newcomers into their communities—the nation continues to press on along the road to a more inclusive society and one that welcomes the immigrants of today who, like those of the past, which Immigrant Heritage Month celebrates, will shape the future of the country. |
"I Made It"- Kevin Rudolf. I always play this song super loud in my room whenever I feel like I reached a really big goal in my life. I remember putting this song on repeat when I received my acceptance letter to UW-Madison.
"Scars"- Papa Roach. I love this song and I listen to it a lot. It's a bit depressing but I still like it. My favorite line of the song is "our scars remind us that the past is real," which is so true!
"Danza Kuduro" - Don Omar. This is a song in Spanish and Portuguese. It's so much fun to dance to and I always listen to it when I'm in a good mood. Don Omar is very popular in latin communities all over north, central, and south america. I have several of his songs but I must say this is my all-time favorite!
"Lesson Learned" - Alicia Keys. This song definitely applies to me in different ways. I have made plenty of mistakes, some really stupid ones, but kind of like Alicia says, lets just call it a lesson learned. This song helps me think about my mistakes and helps me see how I can learn from them.
“The cell-phone phenomenon reaches way beyond teenagers. There are 180 million cell-phone subscribers in the U.S. today, and we are no longer simply talking or text messaging or gaming” (Thottam et al, 2005).
Thottam, J. et al. (2005). How kids set the (ring) tone. Time, 165 (14). Retrieved from =25d7ce89-cb9f-4689a6130f040fc3c729%40sessionmgr112&vid=7&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mth&AN=16552709
This is an article I came across at the UW-Madison Libraries website. It is an issue from Time, which I believe is a pretty reliable source. It doesn’t have as much information as I would like to see but the information it provides is very interesting and can be useful for me in terms of my research paper. I think just by looking at this quote I can use this source as part of my lit review because it gives the reader a view on how much technology is incorporated in the everyday lives of young people. I would really like to use this source but I know I will need to get plenty of other sources as well.
“Kids have grown up to expect a two-way conversation, not a one-way lecture. This interactive reflex has a profound effect on what one academic has called their "habits of mind." Instead of simply absorbing information — from a teacher or even a book — they go out and find it” (Tapscott, 2008).
Tapscott, D. (2008). How digital technology has changed the brain. Business Week Online. Retrieved from =25d7ce89-cb9f-4689a6130f040fc3c729%40sessionmgr112&vid=11&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mth&AN=35395968
This is also another article I found by browsing UW-Madison’s Library homepage. This article is from Business Week Online that I thought was really interesting and is directly correlated to the topic I am writing about in my paper. I think this would also work really well with my literature review but I think it would also support my argument throughout my whole paper. I think this is a better source to use than the first one because it provides more information and it helps answer my research question a little better..
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Chapter 10 focused on how labels are placed on different types of mental disorders. The chapter started out with a Scientology banquet that Ronson was invited to. There he saw that these scientologists were coming up with the most outrageous mental disorders with no real logical sense behind them whatsoever. Later on in the chapter, Spitzer gets introduced and it is explained that he becomes an editor for the DSM and has this goal of, in the DSM, getting rid of all the judgment from psychiatry. David Rosenhan was a psychologist who, much like Spitzer, was very opposed to psychoanalysis because he believed it to be of no use. He showed it’s uselessness by conducting an experiment involving seven other people who were sent to different mental hospitals and pretended to be mentally ill. All of them were identified as insane and were not allowed to leave the hospitals until they were fully “recovered.” Because of this experiment, psychiatry was not very accepted in the world of medicine. Another example in this chapter of the problems with psychiatry was the incidence with Rebecca Riley. Her parents gave her cold medicine and her bipolar medication one night when Rebecca had a cold and could not sleep. The next morning she was found dead and it was concluded that she died from an overdose of the drugs her parents gave her, which weren’t approved for distribution to children. Rebecca was only three years old and was taking ten pills a day ever since she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her mother was then asked in an interview if she believed her daughter was really bipolar. She answered, “Probably not.”
I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this book because there were so many parts in the book that I found very confusing, like the previous chapter about the conspiracy theorists. But there were also parts that I found to be very intriguing, like everything that happened in chapter 10. I guess I have an ambivalent feeling towards this book. The ending could've been better because it didn't explain what the point or meaning was of the idea, "being of nothingness." Based on all that happened in the book, I think Ronson himself could've very well lacked some sanity, which also made me think about everyone else in the world. It's possible that everyone could be a tad insane.
In chapter 8, David Shayler is introduced. He was a big conspiracy theorist who led many people to believe that Rachel North, a victim of a terrorist attack, did not actually exist and that none of this ever happened. Throughout the chapter, Shayler brought out more of his madness when he claimed that the 9/11 planes were not actually planes but missiles and later on identified himself as a Messiah. He even escaped the public eye a little before calling himself a Messiah by dressing himself as a woman and naming himself Delores. After all this, Shayler was shut out from the media.
I thought both of these chapters were pretty interesting. Especially chapter 8 because conspiracy theories really capture my attention simply because they're a bit strange. It's so intriguing to see people take out all their energy and time and venture it all into coming up with these crazy stories to explain events as extreme as terrorist attacks. These chapters made me think about how people feed off of what others say and then go on to engrave it in other people's brains. It's weird how the world works like that. |
The skulls of alligators strengthen their brains, eyes and clarity viscera while producing some of a many absolute punch army in a animal kingdom. The ability to punch tough is vicious for crocodilians to eat their food such as turtles, wildebeest and other vast prey; therefore, their anatomy is closely complicated by veterinarians and paleontologists who are meddlesome in animal movements and anatomy. Now, researchers during a University of Missouri and a University of Southern Indiana have grown three-dimensional models of a skull of a American alligator regulating cutting-edge imaging and computational tools. The researchers certified their simulations regulating formerly reported bite-force information proof their accuracy. These models also can support scientists in investigate a origins and movements of archaic class and other animals.
“Collecting punch information from live animals like alligators can be flattering dangerous and potentially deadly, so accurate 3-D models are a best proceed for biomechanists, veterinarians, and paleontologists meddlesome in a duty and expansion of these extraordinary animals to investigate them,” pronounced Casey M. Holliday, associate highbrow of pathology and anatomical sciences in a MU School of Medicine. “It is unfit to investigate a punch army in archaic hard-biting class like a hulk Cretaceous crocodile Deinosuchus, or a famous bone-crunching dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex, so accurate models are needed when investigate archaic species.”
The team’s proceed was to initial news naturalistic, three-dimensional computational displaying of a jaw muscles that furnish army within a alligator skulls to improved know how punch army change during growth. Then, they compared their commentary to formerly reported punch army collected from live alligators.
“Because alligators and crocodilians have had such impassioned feeding opening for millions of years, they have been a renouned subject of investigate for paleontologists and biologists,” pronounced Kaleb Sellers, a doctoral tyro in Holliday’s lab. “Our models mount out since we’re a initial to discharge loads of their outrageous muscles opposite their connection surfaces on a alligator skull. This lets us improved know how flesh army and punch army impact a skull.”
These new methods and commentary pave a proceed to improved bargain a 3-D biomechanical environment, growth and expansion of a skull of not usually alligators, though other crocodilians, birds, dinosaurs and other vertebrates, Holliday said.
The study, “Ontogeny of punch force in a certified biomechanical indication of a American alligator,” recently was published in a Journal of Experimental Biology. Research was saved by a University of Missouri Research Board, Missouri Research Council, a National Science Foundation (Grants: IOS 1457319 and EAR 163753) and a Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences. The calm is only a shortcoming of a authors and does not indispensably paint a central views of a appropriation agency.Co-authors on a investigate embody Kevin Middleton, an associate highbrow in a MU Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences; and Julian Davis, an associate highbrow of engineering during a University of Southern Indiana. |
New Guidelines Reaffirm Prenatal Folic Acid to Curb Birth Defects
TUESDAY, Jan. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a recommendation that reaffirms previous guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that folic acid supplements reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
As it advised in 2009, the independent panel of experts said women who are pregnant or able to get pregnant should take a daily supplement that contains between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid to prevent these potentially fatal birth defects.
Neural tube defects occur when the brain or spinal cord do not develop properly, leading to serious disabilities or even death. These birth defects take place very early in pregnancy. Sometimes they occur even before a woman knows that she is expecting, the task force explained.
Folic acid supplements are most beneficial if women take them one month before becoming pregnant and continue taking them for the first three months of pregnancy, the panel concluded.
Folic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin found in many fruits and vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli and orange juice. In the United States, many foods are also fortified with folic acid.
Still, many women don't get the recommended amount of folic acid through their diet, according to the recommendations published online Jan. 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The task force found convincing evidence that the risk of neural tube defects can be reduced when women take a daily folic acid supplement of 400 to 800 micrograms," said task force member Dr. Alex Kemper.
"These supplements can be taken as a daily multivitamin, prenatal vitamin or single tablet that has the recommended amount of folic acid," Kemper said in a task force news release. He is a professor of pediatrics at Duke University Medical School, in Durham, N.C. |
If you've read this far, you're probably asking yourself what you might do to help the mountain gorillas. While there are no easy solutions, we have found several ways in which you can make a difference.
Many believe that tourism has done more to protect the Virunga mountain gorillas than any other conservation efforts. It costs US $120 per person to visit the mountain gorillas in Zaire, which is a significant amount in a country with a per capita income of less than $450. While this may sound horribly commercial to some, the fact is that the money incents the local people to protect their gorillas, rather than poach them for private collectors or food. Personal visits also change the way people view the gorillas, and result in much broader dissemination of their plight. |
Rare, fragile and mysterious describe Florida's Panhandle East Coastal Dune Lakes. These unusual natural phenomena are found in few places throughout the world-Australia's Queensland, Madagascar, and New Zealand's Northland. Those along North Florida's Gulf Coast are likely best known, but their ecology is so unusual that even they have escaped in-depth study until recently. A total of 15 lakes lie just behind the coastal dunes lining the immensely popular beaches of Walton County.
The Coastal Dune Lakes are primarily fresh water, although with varying levels of salinity. All at one time connected to the ocean, their regular outlets now cut off by growing dunes and shifting sand. A regular feature of them all is that they connect intermittently to the Gulf of Mexico on occasion when their levels become high enough to break through the sand barriers, or when extreme low water levels allow the sea to rush in to fill the void. Usually less than five feet in depth, they hold a varying mixture of both fresh water and salt water species and act as nursery waters for several species that require brackish water to spawn.
The 15 named Coastal Dune Lakes include from east to west: Lake Powell, Camp Creek Lake, Deer Lake, Eastern Lake, Western Lake, Alligator Lake, Little Redfish Lake, Big Redfish Lake, Draper Lake, Oyster Lake, Allen Lake, Stallworth Lake, Campbell Lake, Morris Lake and Fuller Lake. Western Lake and Eastern Lake are the largest, although most of the lakes are under 20 acres. In addition, several small unnamed ponds nearby could also be included in the category. Other small lakes near the beach were undoubtedly the same type of lake but have had their outflows permanently closed off from the ocean by development. Those that remain have a small inflowing creek as a water source which adds to ground water seepage, precipitation and run-off. Their water levels are prone to wide fluctuations, and some researchers believe they were once bayous. Some lakes are bordered by wetlands which protected them from development, although the largest lakes have beach houses built right up to the lakefront on some sides.
Easternmost Lake Powell extends into adjoining Bay County, but the rest of the lakes lie in Walton County which has mobilized forces of concerned citizens to protect the Coastal Dune Lakes from further danger. New county-wide zoning requirements in Walton County work to keep new developments from encroaching too near the shorelines and protect both outflow and inflow areas. One of the problems that scientists face in dealing with preservation of the lakes is that each lake has its own patterns of outflow and appears to 'evolve' regardless of human intervention, making their continued existence over long periods questionable. Only years of observation have made these long-term patterns visible.
The little Coastal Dune Lakes are noted for their serene beauty and the diversity of wildlife and plants found along their shores. Most have water stained dark by natural tannin produced by decaying organic matter, alarming those who see the rare 'out-fall' of water to the Gulf. It is not pollution, however; the lakes' waters are very clean. As the lakes' rare ecology becomes better known, thriving local businesses in the form of ecology tours have sprung up in the area. Usually these tours use kayaks or occasionally stand-up paddleboards called Yolos to tour the waters silently to appreciate the many birds along the shore and small fish seen beneath the dark surface. Archeological studies show these lakes have seen human visitation for hundreds of years, as they left behind traces of their shellfish meals. Today's visitors more often arrive by taking a path through the coastal dunes from one of the nearby resort hotels or beaches. The environment here is very different than the sun-drenched, sugar-sand beaches along the Gulf a few hundred feet away.
Most of the Coastal Dune Lakes now have a public access point where the water can be reached, and fishermen are often seen trying their luck for bass, bream, pan fish, speckled trout , catfish, mullet, red fish or flounder. Motors are allowed on some of the lakes, but most use canoes or electric trolling motors; disturbing the serenity somehow just seems unnatural. Due to the brackish nature of the water, both a freshwater fishing license and one for saltwater fish are required. The stretch along Highway 30A near the Gulf coast is a mecca for walkers and bicyclists, and many of the lakes can be seen or accessed from the road. Parking is allowed on the road shoulder unless marked. Multiple local businesses rent bikes, kayaks and paddleboards to visitors wishing to tour the lakes and surrounding countryside. Many vacationers plan a few days of their vacation away from the beach to explore father inland and quickly fall in love with the coastal dune lakes.
Four of Florida's state parks encompass or border some of the Coastal Dune Lakes: Camp Helen, Grayton Beach, Topsail Hill Preserve and Deer Lake State Parks all have dune walkways and woodland trails for exploring the lakes, along with beautiful beaches on the Gulf. The lakes within Topsail Hill Preserve do not allow any motorized boat traffic and only permit the kayaks that they rent to paddle the waters of Campbell Lake. Topsail Hill includes a former commercial RV park that has been kept available to RV campers and offers full campground facilities to all visitors. Reservations are highly recommended as the camping spaces are popular and often full. Because the coastal dune lakes are in danger from natural erosion from wind and particularly hurricanes, Topsail Hill Preserve has attempted to stabilize some of the barrier dunes by planting sea oats on the narrow strip of dunes shielding the lakes from the ocean.
Other lodgings are available, from the many resort hotels, rental condos, private guest cottages and bed & breakfasts. Although the warm summer months are most popular, winter temperatures seldom drop below 40 degrees at night, and sunny days are still pleasant for walking the beach and exploring the Coastal Dune Lakes. The Florida Panhandle attractions are often available year-round, with Destin, Panama City, Fort Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach and the Choctawhatchee Bay often open for business year round. Come, try out a Yolo board...after all, it means "You Only Live Once"! |
The idea of using trousers as an auxiliary means of keeping a man
afloat was submitted to the Office of Naval Intelligence by the
commanding officer of the Naval Training Station, San Diego, Calif. All
recruits trained at the station are taught the technique. This
technique, with illustrations, is given in the Intelligence Bulletin because
troops of all Army branches may be placed in situations where such
knowledge might mean the saving of lives.
2. THE TECHNIQUE
The first step in the process is to tie each leg of the
trousers with a suitable string or cord about 3 or 4 inches
from the bottom (study fig. 10). If no string
or cord is available, tie an overhand knot with each
leg. The trousers are then grasped in the position
commonly used for dressing and swung overhead from
the back. The man then jumps into the water, holding
the trousers at arms' length over his head. Upon
striking the water, the trousers are inflated. If time and
facilities permit, wet the trousers thoroughly before
inflation--this enables them to hold air better.
|Figure 10. Trousers Used As a Life Preserver.|
Recruits at the San Diego station are also trained
to remove their trousers while in the water and prepare
them for life preservers. The trousers are
slipped off and the overhand knot is tied in the end
of each trouser leg. The trousers are then brought
quickly over the head at arms' length, from back to
front, thereby inflating them with equal efficiency.
Tests have been made which prove that inflated
trousers will hold a man's weight in water for as long
as 2 hours. By re-inflating the trousers, the time can
be extended as long as the man can repeat the
To float or swim, after the trousers are inflated, the
man places the inverted crotch of the trousers under
his arms and chest.
Khaki cloth will hold air better than the more porous
navy blue trousers. The navy white and khaki have
about the same inflation value. |
There are differences between where and how you build a cooking fire and where and how you build a fire for warmth. This video demonstrates one approach for making a cooking fire.
Tip: If you're building your fire in a heavily-used area, please collect wood and kindling from as far away as possible. Stripping the forest of its fuel in a localized area may ruin wildlife habitat and it ruins the natural beauty of the area for others.
Tip: Watching a fire-making video won't make you an expert. Get out there and practice, practice, practice! You never know when this skill could save a life - including your own.
Tip: For an efficient and contained fire that won't leave a fire scar, use a Liard Firebox.I learned a lot from making this first instructional video. I learned that:
- Having a script is a good idea. I didn't have one and I wince every time I hear a grammatical error or a word that I've overused. Or when I've used a wrong word. Or when something I've said makes absolutely no sense. But you can figure out what I mean, at least.
- Batteries die very quickly at -35oC. I would have done more/better takes if I wasn't going through my batteries so quickly. Also, there would have been a section on how to melt snow for water. If you've never done it, it's not as simple as you might think. I'll save that for another video, maybe.
- Youtube picks awful pictures for the display shot. Hopefully it will update to a better shot soon.
- I should remove my snotsicles before every take. They distract viewers from the content and make me look like a bigger dork than I already am. |
Now that you are in college, you’ve got the freedom to make your own decisions about your life. In order to make an education decision, please use these facts and resources about alcohol and drugs to help you. Find out more here.
The e-CHUG (electronic Check-Up to Go) is an online option for students to use to gain insight into their relationship with alcohol. The e-CHUG is a brief assessment tool that takes about 5 minutes to complete. E-CHUG is self-guided, requires no face-to-face contact time with a counselor, and is completely anonymous. Find out more here.
Red Watch Band
The Red Watch Band movement is designed to end alcohol overdose deaths by teaching students how to handle alcohol emergencies and summon professional help. SVSU provides training dates to students who want to be more involved. Contact Student Wellness Programs for more information.
Alcohol and Other Drug Related Medical Emergencies
SVSU adheres to the State of Michigan law that aims to remove perceived barriers to calling for or seeking help. Find out more here.
Peer Health Education (PHE)
SVSU PHEs are students, just like you, going through the same college experience. The difference is that the PHEs are trained in various health topics - so they can provide their peers with accurate and useful health information. Find out more here.
SVSU Alcohol and Other Drug Policy
Saginaw Valley State University strives to offer members of the University community the same rights as those afforded to members of the larger community. All members of the University community are responsible for making decisions about their behavior within the context of Michigan law and University regulations. Find out more here. |
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby was published on this day in 1925. The title was not one Fitzgerald liked; he’d asked his editor, Maxwell Perkins, to change it to either Trimalchio or Gold-Hatted Gatsby just a month prior, but Perkins had advised him against both. Shortly after, Fitzgerald requested a change to Under the Red, White and Blue, but by then it was too late. Fitzgerald remained convinced that the title wasn’t a good one even after it was published; in hindsight, it’s hard to imagine the book carrying his previous suggestions — like Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires, On the Road to West Egg, or The High-Bouncing Lover.
Fitzgerald was already a huge celebrity, his This Side of Paradise having made him one five years prior, but Gatsby was not nearly as commercially successful as his first two novels had been. The book got a boost, though, nearly 20 years later when the American military distributed nearly 150,000 copies to WWII servicemen, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that it was widely accepted as a great American novel.
The film stars Robert Redford in the title role of Jay Gatsby, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Scott Wilson and Lois Chiles with Howard Da Silva, Roberts Blossom, and Edward Herrmann.
The rights to the novel were purchased in 1971 by Robert Evans so that his wife Ali MacGraw could play Daisy. After MacGraw left Evans for Steve McQueen, he considered other actresses for the role, including Faye Dunaway, Candice Bergen, Natalie Wood, Katharine Ross, Lois Chiles, Cybill Shepherd and Mia Farrow. Eventually Farrow was cast as Daisy and Chiles got the role of Jordan. Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Steve McQueen were considered for the role of Gatsby but they were rejected or declined the offer. Beatty wanted to direct producer Evans as Gatsby and Nicholson didn’t think that MacGraw was right for the role of Daisy, who was still attached when he was approached. Farrow was pregnant during the shooting and the film was shot with her wearing loose, flowing dresses and in tight close-ups.
Truman Capote was the original screenwriter but he was replaced by Francis Ford Coppola, with some scenes re-written first by Vladimir Nabokov, then Philip Roth. On his commentary track for the DVD release of The Godfather, Coppola makes reference to writing the Gatsby script at the time, though he comments: “Not that the director paid any attention to it. The script that I wrote did not get made.”
The Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, were used for Gatsby’s house while scenes at the Buchanans’ home were filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. One driving scene was shot in Windsor Great Park, UK. Other scenes were filmed in New York City and Uxbridge, Massachusetts.
The film won two Academy Awards, for Best Costume Design (Theoni V. Aldredge) and Best Music (Nelson Riddle). It also won three BAFTA Awards for Best Art Direction (John Box), Best Cinematography (Douglas Slocombe) and Best Costume Design (Theoni V. Aldredge). It won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress (Karen Black) and received three further nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Bruce Dern and Sam Waterston) and Most Promising Newcomer (Sam Waterston). |
I’m a huge fan of ProPublica. They have a super-savvy tech team, great reporters, awesome graphics folks and excel at data-driven journalism. Plus, they give away virtually everything, including data, text, graphics & tools.
I was reading @USATODAY’s piece on lead levels in drinking water across America and saw they had a mini-interactive piece included with their findings. A quick view in Developer Tools revealed the JSON and an equally quick use of
curlconverter had the data behind the interactive loaded into R in seconds (though it turns out just the straight URL to the JSON file works without the extra
I wanted to grab the data since, while I feel bad about Texas having 183 testing exceedances, I wanted to see if there’s a worse story if you normalize by population. I performed such a normalization by state (normalizing to per-100k population), but the data includes county information so a logical & necessary next step is to do that calculation as well (which a task left for another day since I think it’ll require some more munging as they used county names vs FIPS codes in the JSON and I suspect the names aren’t prefect). If any reader jumps in to do the county analysis before I do, drop a note here and I’ll update the post with a link to it. Here’s the outcome (top 10 worst states, normalized by population):
Even at the county-level, the normalization isn’t perfect since these are testing levels at specific locations per water provider in a county. But, I made an assumption (it may be wrong, I don’t do macro-level water quality analysis for a living) that 94 exceedances in a small (both in size & population) state like mine (Maine) is probably worse than 183 exceedances across a population the size of Texas. I think I’d need to take population density per county area into account to fully address this, but this is a first stab at the data and this post was written to talk about how to use ProPublica’s stateface font in R vs do investigative data journalism 🙂
What’s a ‘stateface’?
The fine folks at ProPublica took the Natural Earth shapefiles and made an icon font out of them. They have full code (with some super spiffy, clean, readable C code you can reuse) in their github repo, but they also provide just the font. However, it’s in OTF format and R kinda needs it in TTF format for widest graphics device support, so I converted it for you (& don’t get me started about fonts in R). You’ll need that font loaded to run the example. Note that ProPublica is still the license owner of that converted font (both the OTF & TTF are free to use, but give credit where it’s due…they did all the hard work). Aannnd it looks like they already had it created (I had only looked at the zip file).
ProPublica provides many support files to use these on the web, since that’s their target environment. They do provide key mappings for the font, which makes it usable in virtually any context fonts are supported. We’ll take advantage of those mappings in a bit, but you should check out their link above, they have some neat examples using these shapes as “sparkmaps” (i.e. inline in a sentence).
Using ‘stateface’ in R
After loading the font into your system, it’s super-easy to use it in R. The font
family name is “
StateFace-Regular” and this is the translation table from 2-digit state abbreviation to glyph character:
state_trans <- c(AL='B', AK='A', AZ='D', AR='C', CA='E', CO='F', CT='G', DE='H', DC='y', FL='I', GA='J', HI='K', ID='M', IL='N', IN='O', IA='L', KS='P', KY='Q', LA='R', ME='U', MD='T', MA='S', MI='V', MN='W', MS='Y', MO='X', MT='Z', NE='c', NV='g', NH='d', NJ='e', NM='f', NY='h', NC='a', ND='b', OH='i', OK='j', OR='k', PA='l', RI='m', SC='n', SD='o', TN='p', TX='q', UT='r', VT='t', VA='s', WA='u', WV='w', WI='v', WY='x', US='z')
You now only need to do:
state_trans["ME"] ## ME ## "U"
to get the mappings.
This is the (annotated) code to generate the bar chart above:
People love maps and the bars seemed, well, lonely 🙂 Seriously, though, this (IMO) provides a nice trade off between full-on choropleths (which are usually not warranted) and bland, basic bars. The adornments here may help readers engage with the chart a bit more then they otherwise would.
As I stated, this analysis probably needs to be at the county population level to have the most efficacy, and you’d need to come up with a weighted roll-up mechanism to rank the states properly. I still think this naive normalization is better than using the raw exceednace counts, but I’d love to have comments from folks who do this macro water testing analysis for a living! |
Arthur Bowen Davies
Arthur Bowen Davies, "Children Playing," ca. 1896, oil on canvas, 18 x 22 inches
Arthur Bowen Davies, "Rosy-Fingered Dawn," ca. 1910, oil and graphite on canvas, 16 x 20 inches
Arthur Bowen Davies, "Mountain Pass, Italy," ca. 1928, watercolor on paper, 12-1/4 x 9-1/2 inches
Spanierman Gallery has announced the opening on March 29, 2012 of the exhibition and sale, Arthur B. Davies: Painter, Poet, Romancer & Mystic, including works rendered from the 1890s through the 1910s by a visionary artist who was a member of the Eight and the leading figure in the organization of the 1913 Armory Show. Curated by Christine Berry, the exhibition is accompanied by an online catalogue by Lisa N. Peters.
An artist who ventured across many lines in his art, Arthur Bowen Davies (1862–1928) often rendered his own interpretations of ancient myths, combining motifs drawn from everyday life with elements from the realm of fantasy. Adopting a Symbolist attitude, he used the form of the nude to explore themes of beauty, grace, movement, emotion, and sensuous experience. In this respect, he broke ties with American Victorianism, advocating artistic freedom of expression.
Among the works in the show are two paintings from the 1890s, The Horn Players (ca. 1893), which represents a period when the artist was inspired by the operas of Richard Wagner, and Children Playing (ca. 1896), a Whistlerian tonal image in which Davies set ordinary children playing a typical game within a magical forest, suggestive of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Rendered in dark tones, both paintings demonstrate a rare moment when Davies echoed the style and attitude of the Ashcan School. Greek legend was the basis for Little Fauns on the Banks of the Arethusa (ca. 1900), Rosy-Fingered Dawn (ca. 1910), and Two Figures with Deer (ca. 1914–17). In each, Davies interpreted his sources in unusual and inventive ways.
Among three paintings that the artist exhibited at the 1913 Armory Show, Seadrift (ca. 1912) is an enigmatic image that implies simultaneous successive aspects of one story. It demonstrates the influence on Davies of the studies of the human figure in motion by Eadweard Muybridge and of Marcel Duchamp’s controversial Nude Descending a Staircase (1912, Philadelphia Museum of Art), which Davies may have seen in the artist’s Paris studio before it was exhibited at the Armory Show. Seadrift and Figures in a Landscape (ca. 1912) represent the modernist phase in Davies’s art, in which he merged a cubist perspective with a gestural activation of the surface that was ahead of its time.
Arthur Bowen Davies was a critical and influential arbiter in the American art world in the early twentieth century. During and after his years as part of the Eight, he assisted many leading realists and modernists in furthering their careers, including Robert Henri, Maurice Prendergast, Charles Sheeler, Alfred Maurer, and Marsden Hartley. He was a frequent visitor to the gallery of Alfred Stieglitz and, in his capacity as the president of the Association of Painters and Sculptors, he transformed the bland and expectable list of contributors to the Armory Show of 1913 to one that was radical and dynamic, including cutting edge examples by Cubists, Fauvists, Dadaists, and other modernist artists that had not been seen in America previously.
Born in Utica, New York, Davies studied in Chicago and New York and traveled often to Europe. He became affiliated with Macbeth Gallery in 1894, beginning a relationship that would continue in the decades that followed. He was an intriguing figure in his life. While maintaining a marriage to a country doctor who cared for their two sons at their shared home in Congers, New York, Davies established a second existence in 1905, as the husband of a former model, in which he was known by the name of David A. Owen. He maintained this ruse throughout the rest of his life. |
Mary Armstrong (author of Confessions of a Trauma Therapist), it’s exciting to begin this dialogue with you about our experiences with incest and our paths to healing. We have much in common, along with many differences. We were both successful professionals getting on with our lives (yours as a therapist, mine as a scientist and college teacher) before our memories of incest surfaced.
Let’s start with topic of repressed memories, which is very controversial in some circles. Why were our memories were hidden and forgotten for so long?
This was a very thorny question for me, especially in the first two years of my work on healing. How could I have forgotten something so crucial and painful as my father’s incest on me? How could I believe my own memories if they had been gone so long? Was I making it all up? The doubts left me feeling hypersensitive, crazy, and very young. It took time to learn to trust the fragmentary, unclear images and feelings from my childhood.
It was after I read Jennifer Freyd’s wonderful book Betrayal Trauma: The Logic of Forgetting Childhood Abuse, that I began to have sympathy and understanding for my repression. As Freyd explains it, a child who is growing up in a family has to depend on these adults for her every meal and every support. To stay within the family and get whatever stability is offered, she has to forget the abuse. Freyd even cites statistics that show (from reported cases of abuse) that the closer in relationship the perpetrator is to the abused child, the more likely she will sometime forget what happened.
In my memoir, I best expressed the emotional truth of repression in a poem:
The importance of fog.
Where it is dense, things live
that must not be known
on penalty of losing everything.
Their reality my reality.
If they said forget it
who would be my Oprah
put the microphone in my face?
To keep family, I had to break
hide the pieces
under the closet door
at the end of the hallway.
How could I face them in the mornings
eat my corn flakes and milk
if I recalled the nights?
How could I receive the love
that was given
sure as the whiskers
growing on his face,
the tiredness in her eyes
if I remembered?
(TheRiver of Forgetting, p. 60)
Mary, what was it like for you, forgetting and remembering the trauma you’d suffered?
I too struggled to validate what I was starting to remember. Well-meaning people often caused me to cringe when they said something like, “How can you forget something so awful?” Or: “You couldn’t possible remember being a baby.”
I’ll put on my professional hat to explain their ignorance.
These incredulous bystanders don’t understand the complexity of traumatic memory. They’re thinking of explicit memory, the sort of memory you’ll retain after reading this blog post. Or think of a meeting you attended recently. You’ll recall who was there and what was said. The doubters also know that fear is an aid to memory. We all could learn a lot the night before an exam when we were under pressure. Think of 9/11. You can remember exactly where you were, who you were with, who said what, etc. on that terrible occasion. Up to a point, then, fear improves memory.
Now we come to traumatic memory. When a situation is a too awful to tolerate and there’s no escape, the normal child’s brain stores the memory differently. This becomes an implicit memory. That is, it is no longer held consciously. It is stored in the body. Forgetting is a survival strategy.
On a personal level, I look back at myself as a small child trapped in a black tale of Gothic horror. There I was in my huge house with my old grandfather as my babysitter while my distracted mother ran the family business. Who could I turn to for help in those days? Nobody would have believed me. My mother was enraged about my innocent child’s curiosity when I discovered my little friend’s penis. I certainly couldn’t have told her.
I did what many helpless victims do. I idealized my perpetrators. Night after night, once I left home and was living in a university residence, I impressed my roommate with tales of my wonderful parents and family.
I told her about my perfect family: how my mother was beautiful and clever, my father wise and witty. They were the perfect couple. Sue heard all about my aunts, uncles, nephews, and the characters who peopled my hometown. My idealized family was glamorous and gifted. |
Three Surprising Exercises to Eliminate a Double Chin
In our country alone, there are still 78 million adults who continue to struggle with obesity. According to the latest statistics from the National Center for Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity among U.S. adults is slowly leveling off after the last few decades of skyrocket figures. Still many men and women find it difficult to eliminate their unflattering double chin. Even slender adults who are healthy have sagging skin under their jaw. Thoughtfully though, experts have developed a few simple exercises to help reduce the appearance of the double chin. Here are the best three exercises to help your face feel and look younger.
- Experts agree that the chin lift is one of the best double chin exercises around. It assists the user by stretching the jaw muscles, and tones both the throat and neck. To perform this exercise, follow these steps:
- Keep your spine erect, while sitting or standing
- Tilt the head back until facing up toward the ceiling
- Pucker lips tightly, hold for 5 seconds and release
The key to this exercise is to not only tone and stretch the muscles of the jaw and neck, but to release tension from the patient’s shoulders and neck. Follow these steps to perform the exercise:
- Stand or sit with spine erect
- Turn head gently side to side
- Slowly roll head down, until chin rests on the chest
- While exhaling lift the head up to the opposite shoulder
- Repeat five to 10 times
This exercise gives the individual’s face a workout, as well as the double chin. It promotes balance and strengthens all the areas supporting your face. To do the jaw release follow these steps:
- Sit or stand with spine erect
- Inhale through nose and exhale slowly, while humming with your lips pressed tight
- Move the jaw while breathing in and out as you would with chewing food
- After exhaling, open mouth wide, rest the tongue on the back of lower teeth and release an audible “ahh” sound
- Repeat five to 10 times
While these exercises may not always help quickly eliminate the site of your double chin, you have a safe and fast solution waiting for you. The Ribbon Lift is a device that can rejuvenate and promote a youthful-looking appearance. It is a minimally invasive procedure that grabs on to the tissues connecting the neck and face to successfully remove the double chin. |
Napoleon led a roaring and destructive career. He was at times brutal and without compassion. It is reported that after a certain victory over the Russian and Prussian armies he walked through the battlefield, turning over the dead bodies of French soldiers. "Small change," he said, "small change. One Parisian night will soon adjust these losses." Such brute callousness! But after being defeated at Waterloo in 1815, he was exiled to the island of St. Helena. There God gave him six years to reflect on his life. In his Memorial he wrote these words: "Everything in Christ astonishes me. His spirit overawes me, His will confounds me. Between Him and whomever else in the world, there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself have found empires; but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love; and to this very day millions would die for Him." He went on to say this about Jesus: "The nearer I approach, the more carefully I examine, everything is above - everything remains grand, of a grandeur which overpowers."
Don't you want to see Jesus that way? To see in Him a grandeur that overpowers? The Church season of Lent began this week and as we observe this time of meditation and reflection on the cross of Christ in preparation for the celebration of the resurrection, we will be looking into several Old Testament texts that reveal wonderful and grand truths about Jesus. Over the next five weeks we will meditate on Isaiah's four Songs of the Servant and then David's Psalm 22.
This week we will consider the first of the Servant Songs. These prophetic songs amazingly describe our Savior nearly 750 years before He came! We have the advantage of looking back upon the life and work of Jesus, and perhaps as we reflect on this song today, we will see in Jesus a majesty and beauty that overpowers!
1. According to verse 1, what does the Lord say about "my servant"? How does He describe Him?
* How would you describe the Lord's feelings for His servant (v. 1)?
* Can you think of an event in Jesus' life and ministry that echoes verse 1?
2. Still in verse 1, what will the servant do and what do you think that means?
3. In verses 2-3 what does God say about how the Lord's Servant will accomplish His mission?
* What do you think a "bruised reed" and a "faintly burning wick" represent?
* What does this tell you about the Lord's Servant? What kind of man is He?
* How do we see these qualities in the life and ministry of Jesus as recorded in the gospels?
* Read Matthew 12:15-21. Does this add to your understanding of how the Lord's Servant accomplished His mission?
4. Verse 3 again mentions the Servant's mission. What is it?
5. What do you learn about the Lord's Servant and His mission in verse 4?
6. What does God say about His Servant in verses 5-9? What will God do? What will His servant do?
7. What is the important but unpopular lesson in verse 8? How might you put that in your own words?
8. Think for a few moments about Jesus. How do you think He fulfilled this prophetic song written about Him? And how did He establish justice in the world?
9. What stands out to you about what the Lord reveals in this passage about Jesus?
10. Does this passage help you have a more grand view of Jesus? If so, how? If not, why not? |
Nearly three-quarters of working mothers say taking maternity leave had a negative effect on their careers. HR needs to change that figure for the benefit of their organization’s future.
According to a new study by UK recruitment firm maternitycover.com, ‘Boardrooms and Babies’, seven in ten women are worried about redundancy and feel their job is more vulnerable if they take statutory maternity leave after giving birth.
Also, a third of women said they thought they had been passed over for a promotion because they were of child-bearing age. No wonder half the women surveyed said they would consider hiding their pregnancy from their boss if they were offered a new job or promotion.
Half of women return to work without taking their full maternity leave entitlement because of money worries.
While three quarters of women said that attitudes towards them had changed when they returned to work after giving birth, 73% felt they were better employees as a result of having a baby, as it has made them more focused and organised.
“It is against the law to treat women unfairly because they are pregnant or while they are on maternity leave,” Kiran Daurka, employment specialist at law firm Slater and Gordon, told online forum, Netmums. “It’s a depressing state of affairs that as employment lawyers we still hear from plenty of women with children who have faced discrimination, despite the fact that it’s simply bad for business.”
Human rights organizations across Canada have seen pregnancy related complaints increase, partly because women are more aware of their rights. Employers need to be aware that making employment decisions or changes based on pregnancy is illegal, and falls under the protected trait of gender.
“More women are becoming more aware of their rights and the opportunity to seek assistance,” chairman of New Brunswick's Human Rights Commission, Randy Dickinson says. “I think also, to be fair, there are a lot of employers that we get involved with that they just didn't know their obligations and once it was brought to their attention, they quickly rectified the situation.”
A software company in British Columbia had to pay out more than $11,000 after firing a woman the day after learning she was pregnant. BNA Smart Payment Systems claimed they were shutting their west coast operations and the termination was unrelated to the pregnancy, but the Human Rights Tribunal found the claimant’s pregnancy was a contributing factor to her being dismissed at that time.
Pregnancy discrimination is considered part of sex discrimination and is not allowed to affect hiring decisions, promotions and pay rises, or termination.
Even if a worker has not been employed for a full year, they are entitled to maternity leave. This ranges from 15 weeks in Alberta to 18 weeks in Quebec and Saskatchewan.
Both new parents are entitled to up to 37 weeks of parental leave. This can be unpaid, but their position must remain available to them unless there are independent reasons for internal restructuring |
Mytee Products proudly carries heavy-duty hay tarps used by farmers all over the country to protect their crops. The hay tarps we stock, are made with heavy-duty polyethylene, UV treated and with reinforced seams. Our tarps are manufactured with a silver outside to reflect sunlight and a black underside to absorb heat. That being said, it is important to understand the importance of using hay tarps.
For those outside the agricultural industry, Hay may not seem to be of much importance. However, in the industry, it is an incredibly valuable crop. It is also exceptionally costly to grow and harvest as compared to other crops such as corn, wheat, barley, etc. The slightest physical loss can add up to a significant financial loss for the farmer harvesting it.
According to Farm and Dairy, a farmer growing alfalfa hay at 4 tons per acre will spend roughly $133 per ton on growing and harvesting. The cost of 3 tons per acre is just over $112. By comparison, the USDA’s numbers for the week of May 22, 2015 show that the average price of alfalfa in north-central California was just over $242 per ton. It is clear to see that the cost of production is nearly half the average sale price – this does not include the associated costs of transport and farm administration. The numbers also make it clear that the slightest of losses can be of great significance to an alfalfa hay farmer.
Protecting Hay from Weather
Hay is immediately vulnerable to the weather and other environmental conditions as soon as it is harvested. Its number one enemy is moisture. Because hay is a natural product, it is exposed to all sorts of bacteria before and after harvest. Nevertheless, excessive moisture within the hay after harvest provides the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply. Hay tarps are used to control moisture levels by protecting the crop from rain.
Farm and Dairy says that normal losses for hay stored in a shed or barn are in the 4% to 7% range. Losses can be as high as 25% for hay that is stacked on the ground and left uncovered. Considering that the cost of production eats up nearly 50% of the sale price, losing 25% means a substantial loss in profits. No wonder farmers purchase hay tarps as they do. Investing in a supply of tarps is a lot cheaper than suffering a 25% loss of your crop.
Above and Beneath
Experienced farmers know that hay has to be protected from both above and beneath. Hay tarps are used to cover a stack and protect the sides, but what about where the stack meets the ground? According to Farm and Dairy, moisture from the ground can be just as destructive. They urge farmers to either stack hay on a concrete base or, in the absence of a slab, on top of a geotextile fabric that minimizes moisture.
When stacking rolled bales of hay end-to-end, the flat ends should be in contact with one another. This prevents exposure that could cause damage to the first few inches of each end of the bale. Rectangular bales stored side-by-side should be spaced so that their sides to not come in contact. Lastly, if stacking bales on top of one another as the chosen storage method, they should be stacked in a pyramid to make covering with hay tarps more effective.
Investing in hay tarps is the next best storage method for farmers not interested in building a barn or shed. Hay tarps provide the protection necessary for reducing loss while making it possible to use storage space for other purposes once the hay supply is depleted. We urge you to contact Mytee Products for more information about our hay tarps and our competitive pricing. Investing in hay tarps will not only cost less than significant product loss but will protect and maximize the profit of hay bales. |
Large cell size is not restricted to a particular bacterial lifestyle, dispersal method, or cell envelope type. What is conserved among the very large bacteria are the quantity and arrangement of their genomic resources. All large bacteria described to date appear to be highly polyploid. This review focuses on Epulopiscium sp. type B, which maintains tens of thousands of genome copies throughout its life cycle. Only a tiny proportion of mother cell DNA is inherited by intracellular offspring, but surprisingly DNA replication takes place in the terminally differentiated mother cell as offspring grow. Massive polyploidy supports the acquisition of unstable genetic elements normally not seen in essential genes. Further studies of how large bacteria manage their genomic resources will provide insight into how simple cellular modifications can support unusual lifestyles and exceptional cell forms. |
Stopping a cyber bully is easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. The following are some tips for stopping a cyber bully.
Tip one: Know your rights
Many people don’t realize that they still have rights when they’re online. If you are being harassed, bullied, embarrassed or bothered online, you have the right to put a stop to it. Cyber bullying is a term used to describe bullying that occurs between two minors. If an adult is involved it is cyber harassment, not cyber bullying. If you are being threatened or abused, you have the right to call the police and ask for their assistance.
Tip two: Know the way cyber bullies work
Many cyber bullies get others to help them attack their target. This means that a whole group of kids from your school could be online bugging you, making fun of you and generally harassing you. Cyber bullies thrive on anonymity, which means that if you can determine who they are, their power over you is greatly reduced. Cyber bullies might follow you around the internet, use the same chat rooms you use, post to your social networking sites and send you inappropriate text messages, among other things. Knowing that they can follow you and being aware of the ways they can harass you will enable you to put a stop to them.
Tip three: Block them
A cyber bully can only bother you if they can reach you. Make it more difficult for them to reach you by setting filters in your mail to high, so that their messages go to your junk mailbox. Block them on personal chat systems. Remove them as a friend from your social networking sites and set your blogs and other sites to private so that they can’t comment. In addition, if they bother you on a public site, notify the site administrator to have them removed or blocked.
Tip four: Get help
If you are being bullied on the internet, through texts, emails, chat rooms or in any other manner, that you inform an adult, a teacher, a parent or someone that can help you to effectively deal with, and put a stop to, the bully. Bullying is a real problem, and doing whatever you can to stop it is worthwhile. If you go to the police for help, take copies of threats and bullying. Indicate the dates, frequency and places where the bullying took place. The more information you present them with, the stronger your case and the higher the chances are that the perpetrator can be caught and dealt with.
No one has to be a victim to cyber bullying. If you feel like you are being bullied electronically, don’t ignore it. Fight back, not by bullying in return, but by making it difficult for them to bully you! The harder it is for them, the less likely they will be to do it. |
When NASA's Juno spacecraft flew past Earth on Oct. 9, 2013, it received a boost in speed of more than 8,800 mph (about 3.9 kilometers per second), which set it on course for a July 4, 2016, rendezvous with Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. One of Juno's sensors, a special kind of camera optimized to track faint stars, also had a unique view of the Earth-moon system. The result was an intriguing, low-resolution glimpse of what our world would look like to a visitor from afar. "If Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise said, 'Take us home, Scotty,' this is what the crew would see," said Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio. "In the movie, you ride aboard Juno as it approaches Earth and then soars off into the blackness of space. No previous view of our world has ever captured the heavenly waltz of Earth and moon." The Juno Earth flyby movie is available at: =_CzBlSXgzqI&feature=youtu.be . The music accompaniment is an original score by Vangelis. The cameras that took the images for the movie are located near the pointed tip of one of the spacecraft's three solar-array arms. They are part of Juno's Magnetic Field Investigation (MAG) and are normally used to determine the orientation of the magnetic sensors. These cameras look away from the sunlit side of the solar array, so as the spacecraft approached, the system's four cameras pointed toward Earth. Earth and the moon came into view when Juno was about 600,000 miles (966,000 kilometers) away -- about three times the Earth-moon separation. During the flyby, timing was everything. Juno was traveling about twice as fast as a typical satellite, and the spacecraft itself was spinning at 2 rpm. To assemble a movie that wouldn't make viewers dizzy, the star tracker had to capture a frame each time the camera was facing Earth at exactly the right instant. The frames were sent to Earth, where they were processed into video format. "Everything we humans are and everything we do is represented in that view," said the star tracker's designer, John Jørgensen of the Danish Technical University, near Copenhagen. Also during the flyby, Juno's Waves instrument, which is tasked with measuring radio and plasma waves in Jupiter's magnetosphere, recorded amateur radio signals. This was part of a public outreach effort involving ham radio operators from around the world. They were invited to say "HI" to Juno by coordinating radio transmissions that carried the same Morse-coded message. Operators from every continent, including Antarctica, participated. The results can be seen in this video clip: =1263 . A four-minute video depicting the efforts of a few of the amateur radio operators who participated in the event can be seen at: =1262 "With the Earth flyby completed, Juno is now on course for arrival at Jupiter on July 4, 2016," said Rick Nybakken, Juno project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The Juno spacecraft was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 5, 2011. Juno's launch vehicle was capable of giving the spacecraft only enough energy to reach the asteroid belt, at which point the sun's gravity pulled it back toward the inner solar system. Mission planners designed the swing by Earth as a gravity assist to increase the spacecraft's speed relative to the sun, so that it could reach Jupiter. (The spacecraft's speed relative to Earth before and after the flyby is unchanged.) After Juno arrives and enters into orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the spacecraft will circle the planet 33 times, from pole to pole, and use its collection of science instruments to probe beneath the gas giant's obscuring cloud cover. Scientists will learn about Jupiter's origins, internal structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere. Juno's name comes from Greek and Roman mythology. The god Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself to hide his mischief from his wife, but the goddess Juno used her special powers to peer through the clouds and reveal Jupiter's true nature. |
A New Tradition Begins – Everest Monthly Missions!
On April 18, 2015, 39 Everest middle school boys spent their Saturday morning serving the neediest in the Detroit metro area. The day was organized by the Regnum Christi Consecrated Women and Legionaries. This initiative will become a monthly event at Everest in the 2015-16 school year.
The middle school missionaries were divided into three groups and completed three different missions, which impacted them in profound ways.
“I learned not to judge other people by how they look,” said one Everest missionary. “We are very fortunate and should be grateful,” reflected another.
No matter the mission, each of the missionaries came away with a deep life lesson. One of the students summed up the whole day, when he said: “It was great to do something small, but that you know made a big difference.”
One group volunteered at Angel’s Place, an organization which provides homes and care for adults with Down syndrome. The missionaries helped them with some garden work, repaired their basketball hoop, and enjoyed playing with them, getting to know them, and even watching the old Batman TV series together. “They have feelings and are just like us… they can do more than you think,” said one middle school boy. “I will never judge a book by its cover.” Another missionary said: “I like syndrome smiles.”
Angel’s Place was very thankful for the presence of Everest students. Each of the residents prepared a special “thank you” card, and the organizers and regular volunteers at the adult home sent their own letters of appreciation.
The second missionary group volunteered at Urban Gardens, where Capuchin monks grow potted vegetable plants to give away to the poor so that they can grow their own food instead of constantly depending on handouts. “I realized not everyone in Detroit has food to eat,” one missionary said. Another promised: “Not everyone has the chance to do what they want; I will work hard to not simply be a taker.”
OATS care center for children with physical and emotional difficulties was the destination of the third group. (The care center uses horseback riding as an integral part of therapy.) The missionaries led the horses as the children rode and did some tough gardening. “When you help people, you feel better in your soul,” said one volunteer.
In the 2015-16 school year, the middle school and high school students, as well as all of the athletic teams, will be offered monthly mission opportunities. Coupled with these opportunities will be the middle school apostolic service days.
Brother Kevin Gore, who helps organize these apostolic activities, explained they are just one more way to develop an “integrally formed” and well-rounded apostle, prepared, not only intellectually, morally, and spiritually, but also with the generous heart of one who is willing to go out and make a difference, just as Christ did. |
Is this the end of the South Korean miracle?
- By Daniel AltmanDaniel Altman is the owner of North Yard Analytics LLC, a sports data consulting firm, and an adjunct associate professor of economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Can China avoid becoming Japan? In a few decades’ time, we may be talking about how today’s up-and-coming economic superpower is starting to look like the Land of the Rising Sun and Falling Expectations. But before that, another country is first in line: the Republic of Korea.
Despite differences in politics and size, China can be seen as representing South Korea’s past and Japan its possible future. Like China, Korea prospered by picking the low-hanging fruit of globalization; its growth was driven by the rural-to-urban migration of its population and the successful pursuit of export markets using low-wage labor. And as in Japan’s case, Korea’s exports started out with a less-than-savory reputation — such as when Hyundai cars first reached the United States — but eventually became accepted global brands. But after Japan exhausted the economic engines of urbanization and low-cost exports, it stopped growing — and now may be slipping into recession again.
In some ways, South Korea is already on the same track. There are a number of ominous parallels: Korea’s rate of economic growth has been falling since the early 1990s, and its overall trend tracks Japan’s with a delay of about 20 years. In terms of urbanization, the lag may be closer to 15 years, but the resemblance is clear. Also, the age profile of Korea’s population 15 years from now will likely be very close to Japan’s today. You can make similar comparisons between Korea and China, which sits another 15 or 20 years behind.
These countries have more in common than their geography and economic trends. In all three, the biggest spurts of industrial growth were managed by their central governments. During these spurts, their living standards converged quickly to those of more economically advanced countries — up to a point.
The hard part has been closing the remaining gap. Beginning with the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japan has made a halfhearted effort to find a new path by embracing free markets, dismantling the corporate behemoths known as keiretsu, cracking down on corruption, and even teaching its young people the value of competition. Ultimately, however, Japan has failed to become a global hub for entrepreneurship — an essential driver of post-convergence growth. With a rapidly aging population that will soon begin to shrink, the prospects for further expansion in the Japanese economy are less than sunny.
Korea is next in line to face these challenges. Like Japan’s economy and the keiretsu, Korea’s economy is dominated by a handful of chaebol — enormous conglomerates that cover many industries (excluding banks) and whose share of GDP, after climbing steadily for the past 10 years, may be higher than 75 percent. At the very moment that Korea needs dynamic small and medium-sized businesses to flourish, the private sector as a whole is becoming more dominated by lumbering oligopolies.
In addition to the chaebol’s dominance, Koreans should be worried about the state of their underlying economic institutions. Academics and think tanks rate South Korea’s level of economic freedom, the robustness of its property rights, and its protection of equity investors below those of Japan, Taiwan, and many other wealthy countries. Although the day-to-day processes of doing business may be relatively easy in Korea, its economic environment offers few advantages to a small contender pitted against much bigger players.
Other traditional gripes about the East Asian powerhouses also apply to Korea. Its business culture has Confucian roots, so seniority and personal networks can mean more than merit and written contracts. Its education system emphasizes memorization, instills a pressure to conform, and mainly prepares students to work as cogs in big corporate or government machines. Its creative class is underdeveloped by international standards, and its culture is reticent about new ideas and new people, though immigration has ticked upward thanks to the policies of former President Roh Moo-hyun.
Of course, Korea has many economic assets as well. Its scientific research institutions rank among the best funded and most productive in the world, and its education system does produce high scores in science, math, and problem-solving. Its people’s work ethic and their commitment to the national project are exceptional. In fact, the latter can be fervent enough to recall the republic’s estranged neighbor to the north, which seems at times to differ in ideology but little else.
Yet the best thing Korea has going for it may be the opportunity to see and learn from its neighbors’ mistakes. Japan had the chance to reinvent its economy and chose, explicitly or otherwise, not to follow through. China arguably has it tougher than Korea: Its political system may still be entrenched after its breakneck growth subsides, constraining the free flow of capital and ideas. |
No-dig gardening is a technique pioneered in the UK by Charles Dowding since 1983. In recent years Charles has been working out of his allotment garden in Somerset called Homeacres.
The principle is based on adding a barrier of cardboard directly on the grass and covering with a few inches of compost and planting directly into this. Each year the compost is topped up with another few inches of compost.
Before having the raised beds I turned a patch of my allotment over to no-dig and had some great results. What surprised me was the great crop of potatoes, carrots and parsnips. We are told that ground must be dug and all stones removed so carrots and parsnips can grow straight and long but the no-dig method doesn’t need any digging so I was pleasantly surprised when straight carrots and parsnips plus potatoes were harvested a few months later.
The only disadvantage to this method I could find was the amount of compost needed each year. Of course there will be a moment when your own compost heap will keep you supplied but until then you may need to buy in a few tons of compost. For me here in London it wasn’t cheap in the initial stages. A ton of compost cost me £50 and I needed 4 tons. Over subsequent years I wouldn’t need anything like that amount and could have got by on just buying 2 tons until my own compost bin started producing enough material.
Having had the opportunity to visit his gardens, it truly is inspiring to walk around and notice not only the lack of weeds, great crops packed with flavour but also the lack of pests and diseases on the produce.
Over the year I’ve met and spoken to Charles many times and often when I have my video camera. Here are previous interviews I’ve conducted with Charles include his own videos from his gardening in Somerset, UK. |
Eastman Kodak introduced 110 film cartridges in 1972, and it was a further attempt by the pioneering photographic company to make taking photos easier. The 110 film could be dropped into the camera without the need for threading the film onto a take-up spool, just like its immediate predecessor, 126 film cartridges used in Instamatics and other cameras beginning in 1963. The negatives and slides produced, however, were significantly smaller than the 126, which made the cameras small enough for a shirt pocket.
Adjust the plastic film reel down to its smallest setting. These types of reels have stationary bases connected to the central cylinder with a movable top section, usually made of clear plastic. They are designed to be flexible to develop 110, 126, 35mm, 127 and 120 film, in order of physical size. Stainless steel reels that are more common among professional photographers are not adjustable.
Thread a piece of already developed film into the reel to get a feel for how it is loaded if you never have done this previously. Stick the end of the film into the opening, then walk it in by moving the top and bottom parts of the reel back and forth. Move to loading the film that is to be developed when this can be done in total darkness.
Load the reel with the film in it into the film tank and secure the lid in total darkness. Turn on the lights. While subdued lighting is best, a "daylight" tank may be used in brightly lit rooms without fear of exposure.
Mix the chemicals according to the instructions that came with them. There will be at least three baths of chemicals for black and white film: developer, stop bath and fixer. There are more chemicals for colour print and slide film, and temperature control is more important. Keep the chemicals in separate graduated cylinders or other containers that are clearly marked.
Pour in the developer and set the timer for the appropriate time. Agitate the film reel every 15 to 20 seconds. Typically, there is a tank thermometer that doubles as a stirring device, so use that to rotate the reel inside the tank. Pour out the developer and pour in the stop bath when the specific time for the temperature of the chemicals is reached. This chemical only needs to be on the film for 30 seconds or so to neutralise the black and white film. Pour this out and then pour in the fixer. Follow the time recommended for the film in the fixer, although as a general rule, fixing longer makes film more permanent. So while it may say to fix for 10 minutes, try 20 minutes. Pour the fixer out and place the tank in the sink to run water through it for at least 40 minutes. The tank can be opened at this point to get more water in and out of it.
Remove the film from the reel carefully, and hang it to dry before attempting to scan or enlarge the film.
Another chemical, called a hypo-clearing agent may be used for black and white film between the fixer and wash to help preventing spotting.
Make certain the "daylight" film tank you buy can adjust to the tiny 110 film size.
Not even a "safe" light can be on when loading film into a tank, despite what is shown on TV and in movies. Film is too light-sensitive for this and may only be loaded in total darkness.
Tips and warnings
- Another chemical, called a hypo-clearing agent may be used for black and white film between the fixer and wash to help preventing spotting.
- Make certain the "daylight" film tank you buy can adjust to the tiny 110 film size.
- Not even a "safe" light can be on when loading film into a tank, despite what is shown on TV and in movies. Film is too light-sensitive for this and may only be loaded in total darkness.
Things you need
- Adjustable plastic film reels
- Plastic "daylight" film tank
- Black and white or colour film chemicals
- Sink with running water
- Graduated cylinders |
A four-link suspension uses links to locate the axle from moving side to side and front to back, while allowing it to travel up and down and articulate. We must agree with the current majority that a four-link suspension with coils, coilovers, quarter-elliptics, or air springs is definitely cool, and that is the most common argument for building your own setup. The problem arises when you think you know what you are doing and just start putting bars and links under your truck. Just because you saw it on some race truck or rockcrawler doesn't mean you need it for your weekend wheeler, though we have no problem with building one just because you want to try it.
There are some definite benefits to running a four-link, but to do it right takes time, money, and some more time and money. We hope to give you a realistic overview of a simple rear four-link suspension, but first, the pros and cons of building one. The choice is yours, but please consider everything before you get started.The fact remains that a well designed and tested four-link will provide a superior translation of power to the ground and higher ride quality than a leaf-sprung suspension. The secret is really in the testing portion. If you build a four-link on your rig then be prepared to fine-tune it and tear it apart quite a few times before it works right. And during this testing stage we would not recommend driving it to work on the highway at 60 mph. You may get lucky the first time, but if not, remember that tearing your truck apart and re-building it is fun.
The biggest question with building a four-link is how long should the links be and where should they attach to the frame and axle. This alone will determine how the axle pushes the vehicle, if the rear of the vehicle lifts or squats under acceleration, if wheel articulation causes the rear axle to pivot and steer, and how the body rolls in turns and over obstacles. The desired amount the vehicle does each of these things is different depending on what the vehicle is designed to do (go fast, corner, crawl, articulate) and how the driver desires the vehicle to respond on different terrain. There is no one right way to build a four-link the same as there is no one perfect off-road vehicle, but it can be tuned to do certain things better than others.
For most truck owners an all-around four-link is the desire, but that will not necessarily be the best rockcrawler, desert jumper, and mud bogger suspension.In addition to all the geometry of designing a four-link there is also the problem of what will actually fit on the vehicle you are building. Will the frame support the links where you want them? Will the fuel tank, exhaust, crossmembers, and driveshafts all fit with the links and allow for proper articulation? Unless you are building a truck or buggy around the suspension, plan on doing some compromising to get the best setup you can. If you are starting to like the idea of keeping the leaf-spring suspension, we don't blame you. If you are up for the challenge, stay tuned for next month where we start getting into the technical part of the buildup.
Till then you have a bit of homework. You'll need to round up a tape measure, a calculator, graph paper, and a pencil. Now go measure your wheelbase and decide on the height of the tires you want to run on your rig. Follow that by measuring the rear axle width just inboard of the brake-mounting plates and the height of the frame at various points between the axles along the framerails while the truck is on level ground. Next find the height of the top center bolt of your bellhousing to the ground. Plus start doing research of where you can buy the materials we mentioned below. Just remember you will want to wait until you have read the second part of this story next month before you attack the four-link issue under your truck.
The benefits of a four-link over a simple leaf-spring suspension include controlling axlewrap, better departure angles, controlling axle path, and reducing the uncontrolled variables of axle movement down to just spring rate and shock valving. In addition, a four-link can also allow for more travel and articulation that can provide more traction, though we feel that too much of both can cause problems. Weight is also a concern of the modern-day wheeler since excessive weight eats power. Though a coil spring is lighter than a leaf spring, when you consider the weight of the links and mounts and everything else, the gains in weight are minimal.
The major benefit of a leaf-spring suspension over a four-link is cost and maintenance. It will take more time and money to remove leaf springs and design, build, test, and rebuild your four-link than it would to just put on a good leaf suspension, and this is if you do it yourself. With shop rates ranging from $25 to $75 per hour, a professionally fabricated four-link is gonna take a serious bite out of your wallet. Plus we have seen some very impressive leaf-sprung suspensions that allow plenty of travel and articulation.
Material is an important factor and concern for strength and safety. Your lower links could be hitting trail obstacles depending on how low you mount them to the axle, so we would recommend no less than 1 3/4-inch DOM tubing with 0.25-inch wall thickness. If your truck is a fullsize or extremely heavy, or if you are planning on mounting your shocks on the lower arms like some race trucks, then you will want to go to an even larger tubing size, or better yet, sleave the 1 3/4 x 0.25 with a slightly larger piece of tube. The upper links are less likely to be hit by rocks and such, but we still do not recommend anything less than 0.120 wall, 1 3/4-inch DOM tubing. |
IN TRANSLATION: ILYA ILF’S "FISHERMAN OF THE GLASS BATTALION"
by Steven Volynets
Ilya Ilf, born Iehiel-Leyb Arnoldovich Faynzilberg, was a Soviet literary icon famous for two satirical novels, The Twelve Chairs and The Little Golden Calf, all co-authored with Yevgeniy Petrov (Yevgeniy Kataev). They are among the most widely read and quoted books in the Russian language. Before teaming up with Petrov, Ilf wrote hundreds of his own short stories, essays, editorials, and war dispatches. Most remain obscure and untranslated. Ilf was born in Odessa in 1897 and died in 1937.
When thinking about the onset of literary modernism, the name Ilya Ilf is unlikely to come up. In fact, "Fisherman of the Glass Battalion" and his countless other stories remain mostly obscure even to his Russian-language readers. That's because most of Ilf's work would eventually be eclipsed by the success of those two satirical novels. Another reason is that Ilf, a believer in Leninist vision, also explored themes of Jewish mysticism, which made some of his work too ideologically subjective once Stalin took the reigns of the USSR.
Still, the story's narrative depth, rich allusions, and unorthodox style place it squarely among the best in the Russian symbolist tradition. Swan (Лебедь), the name of the Red Army soldier at the heart of the story, represents beauty, loyalty, and grace. But World War I, which introduced the machine gun into modern warfare, inverted these ideals. In the years to come, automatic weapons would unleash violence on a scale never before seen in human history. The Russian Civil War would also skew the notion of loyalty. And grace and beauty were suddenly illusive and strange, not unlike Swan himself, who constantly wanders off to fish in a local swamp. Other soldiers ridicule him because there have never been any fish in that “half-dried puddle.” But Swan's obsessive delusion—likely caused by combat-related shock—ultimately saves the battalion from a surprise attack. The fish, not surprisingly, is an ancient symbol of salvation.
The disassociation and futility of life in wartime is also reflected in the language itself. Swan seems to meander, as if in a daze. His head "floats" in the wheat field; trains "appear" and “disappear;” even the wind “wobbles” (шатаясь)—a phrase Ilf, a painstaking stylist, chose to evoke the confusion and randomness of intermittent combat. Like the wind, life itself seems to wobble between sporadic battles, but also between political ideologies of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution that split the country and plunged it into civil war. The only thing that's fixed is the Granite Station, a pushpin on a field map.
Words and sentences are at times illogical; Ilf uses them to rationalize the irrational, namely the impact of war on human perception…
I say that I invited Sofia to come to play.
“I don’t like her. She’s stuffed-up.”
I tell Jesse that I think she means stuck-up, and she explains that Emmy, the other American in the class and Jesse’s best friend, says Sofia brings her nanny to play dates. “And her nanny talks to her in a funny language, so you can’t understand them.”
“I think they’re Swedish.”
“I don’t want her to come to play.”
I say that she’s the only girl left in the class whom we haven’t invited to come over. I don’t say that I don’t really want to entertain her mother either.
SUSAN AGAR was recently a Top-25 Finalist in Glimmer Train’s June 2014 Fiction Open. Currently working on a collection of short fiction, Agar has published her stories in several journals, including Solstice and Santa Fe Writers Project. Her nonfiction has appeared in the KGB Bar Lit Magazine. She has an M.A. in English Literature from London University, and an A.B. from Sarah Lawrence College.
by Jerry Holt
For the first week after Jessica departs, Roark stays home. He has some sick days at the company, and he just takes them. In a way, after all, he is sick: he feels rudderless, floating—perpetually on the edge of a queasy nausea that is more than palpable. He lacks direction. He is hungry sometimes, but it is difficult to summon the energy the preparation of food requires and he doesn’t want to go out. He certainly doesn’t want that.
Roark and Jessica moved in together two years ago, while she was still in school at Ohio State. A year younger than Roark and much more motivated, Jessica was in the process of completing a master’s degree in theatre, one that landed her an immediate job with a repertory company there in Columbus.
Roark has already wandered his way through the twisting thicket of an undergraduate curriculum, which somehow led him to credentials as an actuary. It suits him: at the office he has his own small space. Nobody makes him meet the public. He spends his time calculating the dice roll of death.
Jessica was going to be Roark’s human link, his plunge into the kind of commitment adults are supposed to make. And initially she was, too: both of them agreed from the start to try monogamy without marriage and see, for a reasonable interval, what might develop. In fact, that was exactly what Jessica had told Roark the Friday afternoon he came home to find her loading up her Mazda with pretty much everything she’d come with. “What’s going on?” he had demanded. And she had replied: “Nothing developed...”
THE WATER THAT STIRS THE SILENCE
Translation by C.M. Mayo
Today thunderclaps woke me, although it wasn’t raining. I know this because I did not hear the patter of rain, that sound that cleans the glass when the sun comes off the sea. From my room I can hear Mother’s cries; I hear my father talking on the phone. His voice sounds strange. It slips through the keyhole and hits my stomach like a whirlpool. There is something I don’t like; a bubbling of adrenaline rushes through my veins. I feel as if I’ve swallowed a whole table and the wood is in the hollows of my bones. Mother shouts at me to get away from the window but the wood won’t let me bend my knees.
Have they found out already? Perhaps Ismael’s mother is the one who is talking with my papa, perhaps that’s why he sounds so upset. Surely he is furious, that’s why his voice lights and crackles like the end of his cigarette.
On the floor upstairs, sounds of confused footsteps and bumping into furniture. Outside, people make similar haste. Some are crowded around. Others scatter in all directions. I feel that I am dreaming, my eyes glued like chewing gum to the window. My mother calls me and Simon; she doesn’t want us in the bedroom. Her voice is so sharp it pierces my lungs, and it escapes from my ears and nose and mouth...
C.M. MAYO is the author of several works on Mexico, most recently, Metaphysical Odyssey into the Mexican Revolution: Francisco I. Madero and His Secret Book, Spiritist Manual. A noted literary translator, she is editor of a collection of 24 Mexican writers in translation, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion.
A HEDGEHOG IN BLOOM
by Jackson A. Helms
Linguists kill only people they know.
We know our enemies’ names, their families, where they work and what towns they visit. We know they stay in on cold mornings and sleep on the roof with their children on hot nights. We know their voices, their favorite phrases, their inside jokes. We know their laughs, and we even know their orgasms.
My enemy was out of town for a couple of days.
His cousin Abu Karim—father of the generous one—got him a construction job. It pays little and it takes him away from home but it is work. He needs the money and he is grateful. Plus it is easy enough. Just one or two jobs a week, mostly digging ditches, moving rubble and building sheds.
True, every now and then he must also bury a bomb or two, but he can stomach that. As long as he does not have to pull the trigger.
Tonight he is in the desert south of town. His wife misses him.
“Where are you?” she asks.
“Well, I’m with Abu Karim.”
“Where was the work today?”
“I don’t know, a little south of the railroad tracks.”
“How’s ‘Ali?” he asks. My enemy loves all his children but favors his son. ‘Ali—the high one—is young and rambunctious.
“I had to beat him today,” the wife says. “He got into some trouble with the neighbor’s son.”
My enemy laughs. “By God, of course he did.”
As for his daughters, he is happy to know they are healthy.
“I miss you,” his wife says. “When are you coming home?”
“I don’t know. Soon, God willing.”
She starts to cry. She does not like this work. Neither does he. He whispers to her and comforts her, their usual evening talk.
Their voices get quiet and intimate. His voice deepens. I know my enemy, and I know what is coming.
“You are my heart, my soul, my blood,” he tells her. “I want to kiss you.”
Her breath quickens. She moans, softly at first but then louder.
“I love you,” she pleads. “Oh, I miss you. I want your kiss.”
“I will kiss you. Then I will kiss your pussy. I want to taste you.”
She gasps and speeds up. “I want you inside me,” she whispers.
Seconds later he joins in. His breathing becomes raspy and he spits out rough, loving curses.
She moans louder.
“I come, I come. Oh…” She finishes with a repressed squeal. She gasps in silence for a few seconds and then, in gentle tones, soothes him on to the finish.
“Yes, oh, yes. By God, yes,” she caresses him with her voice.
They recover their wits and talk for another twenty minutes. She wishes he would come home...
JACKSON A. HELMS is an ecologist in Norman, Oklahoma. Before pursuing a career in science he spent five years in the Marine Corps as an Arabic linguist, including two tours in Iraq from 2005 to 2007. Today he travels for different reasons—to study ants and conserve landscapes. His work has taken him as far afield as Madagascar, East Africa and the Amazon, as well as to places in the USA. He has written research articles and maintains a science blog, Marine to Myrmecologist. “A Hedgehog in Bloom” is his first published fiction. |
We humans can be destructive to ourselves. Many people live unhealthy lifestyles because it gives them short-term enjoyment, ignoring the long-term suffering it causes.
The same thing applies to religion. It has now, yet again, been proven that religion and belief in God make us happier and better equipped to deal with life’s troubles. Still, there are many people who would rather indulge in irreligiosity than lead a religious and therefore happier life.
Prof. Andrew Clark of the Paris School of Economics and Dr. Orsolya Lelkes of the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research recently presented their research at the conference of the Royal Economic Society in Coventry, UK. They said that religious believers are happier overall than atheists or agnostics.
What I found most interesting, however, was the following discovery: regular church attendance and an active prayer life make people even happier than passive belief alone.
But wait a second: Isn’t organized religion the root of all evil?
Many Jews in the United States have turned away from religion for this very reason—they claim that organized religion is the cause of all wars and suffering for mankind. Some have therefore opted for a more individual spiritual life, which does not enforce upon them any social or communal norms and does not expect them to pray regularly or go to a house of worship. Others have abandoned religion all together. They see no value in community affiliation beyond its social benefits.
But now we have real evidence about the benefits of active belief and practice within an organized setting. "Religion tempers the impact of adverse life events," say the authors of the study.
Long and healthy life
To the religiously affiliated, this has always been a known fact. In Judaism, for example, there is a law that requires prayers to be held in a quorum of 10, known as a Minyan. In fact, according to Jewish law, even a traveler who has reached his destination must travel an extra four miles to find a Minyan with whom to pray.
Invoking the verse from Proverbs that states (8:35), "One who finds Me finds life,” the Talmud (Brachot 8a) says that a person who is particular about praying with the community merits long life.
The fact that people do not want to become religious is as understandable as that some don’t want to eat healthily or exercise. But at least now those people cannot blame their lack of religious affiliation on the false claim that organized religion is bad for humanity or bad for the individual. |
— page 46 —The 5th of March, determined to make a voyage to the English in Virginia, as we had failed to obtain corn in the South river, in consequence of the war among the Indians, as before related, by which we were placed in such danger, and the grain of the Indians was destroyed; and as we thought that we would not be able to find a sufficient store of it at Fort Amsterdam, on the East river, to serve us on our return voyage to Holland, we therefore deemed it advisable to sail to the English in Virginia. Although there had never been any one there from this quarter, I said, as I had escaped danger in the South river, I would be the first one of our nation to venture to the English in Virginia, from these parts, as the distance is not more than thirty miles from the South river or Cape Hinloopen.
— page 51 —The 12th, arrived here Captain Stone, whom I had left at St. Martin, in the West Indies. He told me that he had waited fourteen days for his boat, which suffered such distress, as I have mentioned before, that they had cast lots whom they should kill for food. He also said that the Portuguese prisoners, whom I
— page 52 —had brought from Nevis, and had delivered to him at St. Christopher's, as before related, he had brought to Porto Rico, and that he was very well treated by the Spanish governor. He had hastened his voyage here to Virginia, and was very glad to meet me. He was very well received by the governor. He was from London, from the Great House. I remained at dinner with the governor, and as we sat at the meal, Captain Stone asked why the governor had an interpreter for me, as I could speak English; at least, I had spoken English to them in the West Indies. The governor said he did not know that, and inquired whether I could also speak French. I said, "Yes." Whether I understood Italian. I answered in the affirmative. Whether I had been in Italy, and in Africa, and in the East Indies. I said I had. He was astonished that I had begun so early to command. Finally, there sat at the table an Englishman, who had been in the East Indies at the same time that I was there, and who asked me who commanded the English in the East Indies when I was there. I gave him the name; and wrhen I could see him, I looked at him well, and he at me. Then this commander said that mountains could not, but men who go and see the world can, meet each other. Besides, the commander had assisted me with provisions while I was there. This commander was named Sir John Harvey.
The 18th, took leave of the governor, who sent half-a-dozen goats on board, to take with us, which he made a present to our governor, with a ram. He had understood that there were no goats at Fort Amsterdam, in New Netherland. We set sail at once, and
— page 53 —arrived at evening at Blank Point, at the Councillor's, to whose place we had before sailed in ascending the river. Here we bought some swine, which we killed and salted.
The 20th, we took our leave of this Councillor, whose name was Captain Matthews, and proceeded to Kicketan, and anchored at evening before the point of Newport-Snuw, where we took in water. Here lived a gentleman of the name of Goegen. I was astonished to observe of the English people, that they lose their servants in gambling with each other. I told them that I had never seen such work in Turk or Barbarian, and that it was not becoming Christians.
The 21st, we arrived again before Kicketan. There, also, we bought some provisions, while we were waiting for a good wind. These English Virginias are a fine country; altogether a beautiful flat land, full of all kinds of fine large trees—oak, hickory, chestnut, ash, cypress, and cedar, and other kinds. There come here yearly, between thirty and forty ships of various sizes, from two hundred lasts and upwards, mounting twenty-eight, twenty-four, and nineteen guns, which come here to load tobacco, and carry it to England. The entrance of this bay is five miles wide, from Cape Henry to Cape Charles. Many fine rivers run out, like those on the east side. It turns to the north, and a large ship can sail up it full eighty miles. Thirty miles up the river, lies a large island, two miles long, which the English call the Isle of Kent, upon which many of them reside, under one Captain Klaver's [Clayborne]
— page 54 —government, who carries on there a great trade in peltries. Here is another river. The first after the East river, running to the west, is called York river, which is navigable with a large ship full twenty miles. Then comes the Pette-womeque (Potomac) river, navigable thirty miles with a large ship. The river where Jamestown—in Dutch, called Jacob Stadt—is situated, runs mostly west, and is navigable about forty miles, with a large ship, to an island called Henrico. This island is inhabited on every side by the English, and there run into it all around, small kills, from five miles long and less, into which a good-sized ship may enter. There are great numbers of fish of all kinds, the same as in the rivers of Holland; also, birds of various kinds: swans, geese, ducks, wild geese, partridges, and wild turkeys, the same as in New Netherland. There is an objection which the English make. They say that during the months of June, July, and August, it is very unhealthy; that their people, who have then lately arrived from England, die during these months, like cats and dogs, whence they call it the (sickly) season. When they have this sickness, they want to sleep all the time, but they must be prevented from sleeping by force, as they die if they get asleep. This sickness, they think, arises from the extreme heat that exists there. Then, again, when it has been a half-an-hour very hot, if the wind shifts and blow from the northwest, it immediately becomes so cold, that an overcoat may be worn. Thus, this country appears to lie in the dividing line between the heat and the cold, while New Netherland is beautifully tempered. |
Why would you need a scholarship glossary?
The world of scholarships can be a confusing one. What is the difference between a scholarship and a grant? What are all these endless acronyms people are using? And what is all this federal aid you read about? How do you know what financial need is and if it all applies to you? This is why we decide to make you a scholarship glossary. A basic overview off all the terminology you’ll need to know when you are applying for scholarships. Of course it is not possible to get all the terminology into one scholarship glossary, but we think this list will be of much use to you. If you are feel that you need more terminology, look online for an additional scholarship glossary.
Accredited: Recognized by one of the 19 institutional accrediting organizations in the U.S. Accreditation shows students, families, government officials, and the press that an institution or program provides a quality education.
AGI (Adjusted Gross Income): This figure comes from U.S. IRS tax forms and is all taxable income less IRS allowable adjustments to income.
Academic Year: At least 30 consecutive of instructional time, traditionally September through May During this time period a full-time student is expected to complete at least 24 semester hours or credits. When an institutions have trimesters or measure program length in clock hours the length may be defined differently.
Cost of Attendance: The total one year (academic) of attending a post-secondary institution (college, university, vocational & technical schools, or graduate schools) . The cost of attendance goes beyond tuition and usually also includes , fees, room, board, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
EFC (Expected Family Contribution): The amount a family is expected to contribute to a student’s education. EFC is calculated based on family earnings, net assets, savings, and size of family and number of family members in college.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): A form that must be completed by students and parents applying for Federal Title IV student aid.
Financial Aid Award
An offer of financial assistance to a student attending college. This award may be in the form of one or more of the following types of financial aid: repayable loan, a non-repayable grant and /or scholarship, and/or student employment.
Financial Aid Package
The total financial aid award a student receives. The aid may come from federal, state, institutional, or private sources and may include loans, grants, scholarships, and/or employment.
Financial Need: The difference between the cost of attendance at a college/institution/university and the Expected Family Contribution.
For-Profit School: Educational institutions that are run by private, profit-seeking companies or organizations.
Full Time: In general as student is considered full time when he is enrolled for 12 credits or more.
Graduate Student: A student in possession of a bachelor’s degree and is studying for an advanced degree.
GPA: Grade Point Average: The average grade earned by a student, figured by dividing the grade points earned by the number of credits attempted.
Grants: Financial aid awards that do not have to be repaid. Grants are available through the government, state agencies and colleges.
Higher Education: Education after high school. It refers to all programs for high school graduates, including programs at two and four-year colleges, universities, vocational & technical schools, and graduate schools.
Loan: A type of financial aid that is available to students and parents that must be repaid. There are loans that charge interest and one that do not.
Parental Contribution: Amount that a student’s parents are expected to pay directly to a college. This amount is calculated using the information in the FAFSA, CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, and other required financial forms.
Part Time: In general as student is considered part time when he is enrolled for 6-11 credits.
Room & Board: Costs associated with living and eating while enrolled in school. Normally, here are different room and board budgets for students living on and off campus.
SAR (Student Aid Report): An output document is generated for a student by the Federal application processor. The SAR contains financial and other information reported by the student on the FAFSA. The student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is printed on the front of the SAR and is the figure used by colleges to determine eligibility for aid.
SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test: A standardized aptitude test.
Scholarships: Funds used to pay for higher education, and sometimes high school, that do not have to be repaid. Scholarships may be awarded based on any number of criteria, such as academics, achievements, talents, and affiliations with various groups, or career aspirations.
Transcript: A list of all the courses that a student has taken at a particular high school or college with the grades that the student earned in each course.
Undergraduate Student: A student in a university or college who is still studying and has not yet received a bachelor degree.
Unmet Need: As defined by The Department of Education: unmet need is the difference between how much college costs and how much you can actually pay for it.
Work Study: The Federal Work Study program (also known as FWS or simply Work-Study) is a federally funded program. The Federal Work Study Program helps students earn financial funding through a part-time work program.
And here’s some info on what to use your money on when you get your scholarships. We hope this scholarship glossary has made some things clear for you and will help you on your way in the world of scholarships. |
It’s no secret that UCWbLers are proud of the new space we occupy in the SAC. With modern decor, ample, open seating, and a tech-friendly infrastructure, it’s a comfortable and inviting space. According to a new study, this interaction between work space and technology plays more of a role in the writing process than we think, and we should look more closely at how it affects our appointments.
Stacey Pigg, an assistant professor of writing and rhetoric and the University of Central Florida, recently studied the effect that mobile technology has on the writing process, specifically technology’s ability to redefine writing spaces. With the boom of mobile technology, she argues that writers have the freedom to create unconventional writing spaces. Her research has an impact on how we think not only of technology and the writing process, but also about the interaction with space.
One of the examples from Pigg’s case study came from an interview with a student who frequented a cafe on her college campus. The student originally chose to work in the cafe because it provided reliable WiFi, but eventually she had integrated the hum of conversation around her, the snacks from the bar, and the work tables around her into her writing process. Soon she found that she worked best in that environment at the cafe.
Pigg found that these informal public spaces “(served) as commonplace productive locations for many writers because they ground a delicate interactive balance, positioning composers to feel in control over their immediate social and material environment, which is crucial to balancing access to social resources with enough removal from them to focus” (Pigg 261). This feeling of empowerment is a key element of the writing process, and defining one’s writing space enables a writer to feel comfortable and focus on their work.
Mobile internet not only creates a world of newly accessible work spaces, but it also opens the door to a nearly infinite source of information. Although the constant interconnectedness with the online community can be valuable, it can also create distractions and stress for writers. Pigg acknowledges Jonathon Mauk’s argument that “students will never fully establish foundations in academic places and discourses because they are lured away by nonacademic places, information, and interactions” (253). Distractions online can encourage procrastination and dismantle students’ attempts to establish new work spaces.
Pigg argues however that further research on this subject can “suggest what factors lead mediated places to support effective composition in information rich cultures” (Pigg 255). Indeed, Pigg asserts that “researchers can also benefit from accounting for how virtual and material interfaces potentially work together to support composing” (Pigg 256).
I think in accordance with Pigg’s research, the UCWbL creates a tech-friendly space that utilizes the internet when appropriate, but also helps writers focus on their work. Many factors play into this atmosphere that is prime for writer productivity; tutor-writer and co-tutor collaboration, open and inviting decor, and access to online and print resources create an environment with the assets of both a cafe and academic-centered space.
These factors are important for tutors to keep in mind when approaching an appointment. Understanding the preferred work environment of our writers contributes to understanding the writer’s writing process. It also allows tutors to analyze how well technology fits into their own work environment. |
Nearly every lawn or garden has one — a bare, ugly spot where nothing seems to grow well.
Nearly every lawn or garden has one — a bare, ugly spot where nothing seems to grow well. Maybe the spot gets too much sun, or too much shade. Perhaps the soil is too sandy, rocky or full of clay for most plants to survive in it. Maybe it's on a hill or slope where exposure to wind and water runoff make it uninhabitable for average plant life.
Ground covers can spruce up challenging spots under trees, accent transitional areas along paths and foundations, and intensify interest in open spaces. Plus, they deliver a seasonal show of flowers, textures and foliage colors.
Before you decide on these landscaping miracle-makers, here are some ground cover guidelines:
Evaluate what you need. Don't just plant the first ground cover that catches your eye. First, take stock of your problem area so you can select a ground cover that is appropriate for the spot. Some ground covers need sun, while others thrive only in shade. Some prefer dry locations, others require moist soil.
Assess the soil at the site. Is it sandy and dry? A lovely loam? Or wet, soggy clay? There's a ground cover for every soil condition, but you'll also need to test the acidity level of the soil. You may need to amend your soil to raise or lower its pH content, or add organic matter to modify its texture.
Maintain their care. Hardy as they are, ground covers still require proper fertilizing, watering and weed control to maintain their attractiveness — just like any other plant. Newly planted areas will need special attention until they're established.
Seeds can be sensible. Seed can be the least expensive way to start ground cover. Ground cover seeds are typically much smaller and lighter than other plant seeds; often you'll get as many as 175,000 seeds in just 1 ounce. One way to make sowing even easier is to use a pre-mix of seeds and lime, like those offered by Outsidepride.com. The mix comes in a shaker bottle and you simply sprinkle the seeds on the planting site. The lime in the mix improves the pH of acidic soils, adds valuable micronutrients and helps break down organic matter. The lime is also white, so it's easy to tell where you've spread the seed.
Outsidepride.com offers more than 50 different types of ground cover seed, from the luminous lavender and red of Magic Carpet creeping thyme and the baby blue of forget-me-not to the gorgeous greens of Irish moss and Kenilworth ivy. |
PART 3: GLOBAL IMPACTS OF LOW-COST CLEAN ENERGY
PART 1: Liquid Fuel Nuclear Reactors introduced the history and technology of liquid fuel nuclear reactors – the path not taken as the world followed Rickover’s forceful choice of solid fuel reactors.
PART 2: Energy Cost Innovation described the opportunities for substantial cost reductions and presented the specific attributes of the molten salt reactor that lead to lower costs for energy.
Coal and prosperity
Worldwide, coal is the largest and fastest growing source for electric power, growing 50% in a decade. The 1,400 GWe of world coal power capacity is literally planned to double. The 2009 update of MIT’s Future of Nuclear Power shows new coal plants cost $2.30/watt, contributing about 2.3 cents/kWh to power costs [at 8% cost of capital, 40 year lifetime, 90% capacity factor]. Inexpensive US coal at $45 per ton contributes $0.018/kWh to electrical energy costs. Including operations costs, coal power costing about 5.6 cents/kWh is generally the least expensive energy source worldwide.
Affordable electric power is crucial to the developing world’s economies and their peoples’ prosperity. Peabody Coal CEO Gregory Boyce states the case for coal, “…there are 3.6 billion people in the world – more than half the global population – who lack adequate energy access. And another 2 billion will require power as the world population grows in the next two decades. …each year, we lose more than 1.5 million people to the effects of energy poverty.” Boyce called for recalibrating priorities to: eliminate energy poverty as priority one; create energy access for all by 2050; advance all energy forms for long-term access, recognizing coal is the only fuel that can meet the world’s rising energy demand (italics added).
The World Bank seems to agree, lending $5.3 billion for 29 coal plants, but at the same time decrying increasing CO2 emissions they say may raise global temperatures 4°C. Economics trumps politics. In a global economy, the most economical power source will dominate. The failures of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings in Kyoto, Copenhagen, Tianjin, Cancun, Bangkok, Bonn, Panama, and Durban testify to the power of economics and the importance of low-cost energy.
Airborne coal soot causes 13,000 annual deaths in the US and 400,000 in China. Burning coal for power is the largest source of atmospheric CO2, which drives global warming, which threatens irreversible climate damage, ending glacial water flows needed to sustain food production for hundreds of millions of people, and shrinking the polar cold water regions of the ocean where algae start the ocean food chain. Atmospheric CO2 dissolving into the ocean acidifies it, killing corals and stressing ocean life. Demand for biofuels increases destruction of CO2 absorbing forests and jungles. The World Bank predicts food shortages will be among the first consequences within just two decades, along with damage to cities from fiercer storms and migration as people try to escape the effects. In sub-Saharan Africa, increasing droughts and excessive heat are likely to mean that within about 20 years the staple crop maize will no longer thrive in about 40% of current farmland.
Ending coal CO2 emissions
Boeing-like factory production of one DMSR of 100 MWe size per day could phase out existing coal-burning power plants worldwide in 38 years, ending 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions from coal plants now supplying 1,400 GW of electric power. Energy cheaper than coal is crucial to reducing CO2 emissions.
Figure 8. Replacing coal plants with one 100 MWe DMSR per day zeros 10 GT of annual CO2 emissions in 38 years.
Ending energy poverty
The world population growing from 6.7 to 9 billion will increase resource competition, exacerbating environment stress. Yet the OECD nations, with adequate energy supplies, have birthrates lower than needed for population replacement. In developing nations, electricity can liberate women from chores of fetching water, cleaning, providing food, and raising children. Women with freed time can become educated, obtain jobs, gain independence, and make reproductive choices.
Figure 9. When economic well-being measured by the gross domestic product exceeds a threshold, birthrate drops sharply. (Data from CIA World Factbook.)
Nations with GDP per capita over $7,500 have sustainable birthrates. Electricity for water, sanitation, lighting, cooking, refrigeration, communications, health care, and industry contributes to economic development and improved personal incomes. Those nations with per capita electricity of 2,000 kWh/year (an average power of 230 W, 1/6 US use) do achieve GDP of $7,500 per capita, which leads to sustainable birthrates.
Producing CO2-neutral carbonaceous synfuels
Petroleum is the second largest source of world CO2 emissions, after coal. Cheap oil has been an important driver of world GDP. Concerns over peak oil have diminished with techniques for extraction of tight oil, but rising prices and decreasing EROI are implicated in GDP stagnation. High priced oil creates an economic opportunity for synthetic liquid fuels.
Synthesizing hydrocarbon fuels requires a source of hydrogen and a source of carbon. Nuclear heat and electricity can power dissociation of hydrogen from water. At a temperature of 950°C, the sulfur-iodine process works at a chemical/thermal conversion efficiency approaching 50%. The 43% efficient copper-chloride process can operate at 530°C, a temperature compatible with currently certified nuclear structural materials to be used in near-term DMSRs.
Potentially the carbon source can be CO2 that makes up about 0.037% of the atmosphere. Historically direct air capture has been criticized as uneconomic, but this can change with the availability of low-cost, high-temperature nuclear heat. Jeffrey Martin and William Kubic observed that alkaline lakes absorb about 30 times the CO2 of similar size fields of switchgrass. Their project Green Freedom conceived of trays of potassium carbonate solution exposed to the airflow within nuclear plant cooling towers. The potassium carbonate readily absorbs CO2 [by CO2 + K2CO3 + H2O à 2 KHCO3] creating potassium bicarbonate. The CO2 would be electro-chemically removed, requiring about 410 kJ/mole-CO2 of electric energy and 100 kJ/mole-CO2 of thermal energy. The chemical manufacturing processes for conversion of CO2 and hydrogen to methanol are proven; ExxonMobil has a process for converting methanol to gasoline. The complete facility could produce 17,000 barrels per day of gasoline at an estimated consumer cost of $5/gallon (2007), requiring an investment of approximately $5 billion. The fuel cycle would be carbon neutral, because just as much CO2 would be put into the atmosphere by burning synfuels as removed by air capture.
Nobel laureate George Olah advocates methanol fuel per se in The Methanol Economy because it is largely compatible with the existing gasoline infrastructure. Methanol has been used for decades to power race cars at the Indianapolis-500. Although it has about half the energy density of gasoline, methanol can be used in flex-fuel vehicles or modified engines in ordinary vehicles.
Figure 10. CO2 is absorbed by lye [KOH] changed to lime [Ca(OH)2] heated to release CO2.
Jim Holm has an ambitious Skyscrubber concept to capture even more CO2, using Carbon Engineering’s process with high temperature nuclear heat. He proposes replacing the world’s 1200 largest coal plants, eliminating 10 Gt/y of CO2 emissions, and also capturing 2 Gt/y of CO2. His concept uses the high-temperature, helium-gas-cooled TRISO-fuel reactor which is closer to deployment than MSR, but MSR may be economically essential to replace the coal plants because MSRs are predicted to be lower cost than TRISO reactors.
Biomass carbon sources
Plants absorb carbon from air. Biomass energy technology strives to harvest the combustion energy stored in plants, but they can be alternatively used as a carbon source for synfuels. Biomass and hydrogen can be combined with nuclear heat to manufacture synfuels such as diesel more efficiently than does cellulosic ethanol technology.
Biomass can be processed in a heated, entrained-flow chemical reactor to create liquid fuels. The required thermal energy can be supplied from an MSR, adding hydrogen from water dissociation, and raising the temperature of the oxygen-free production process to approximately 1000-1200°C using an electricity-powered plasma arc. The role of the biomass is not so much to provide energy but to contribute the carbon that is combined with hydrogen and MSR energy to synthesize the biofuel.
By avoiding oxidation of the biomass, the synfuel mass yield is 1 tonne of diesel per 1.7 tonnes of biomass. This is 3.3 times that of anticipated cellulosic ethanol processes such as enzymatic fermentation or gasification. This reduces land use requirements for biomass production by 70%, reducing competition with land for food crops. Estimated costs for diesel fuel production in this manner are $4 per gallon.
The US consumes about 7 billion barrels of petroleum products per year. Dry biomass growth is about 6 tonnes/ha/yr, so to supply all US petroleum substitutes this way would require 160 million hectares for biomass crops. Forestland and farmland area in the US totals about 670 million hectares, so meeting US fuels needs this way is barely conceivable, if fuel use is reduced. Other potential carbon sources include cattle dung of 2.5 Gt/year, but collection costs are high. City sewers efficiently collect biomass at a rate of 100 grams per person per day.
No such biomass refineries are in production, and there is considerable chemical engineering development to be accomplished before constructing such billion-dollar plants. The major oil companies have the expertise to develop them. Petroleum’s high energy density and a century of engineering experience in its use have made it essential to the world economy. It could take another century to replace it with synthetic carbonaceous fuels.
The US uses 20 million tons of ammonia and ammonia fertilizer products annually. Energy for production of ammonia uses 1-2% of all world energy. Over 80% of ammonia is used for fertilizers that are responsible for food production sustaining 1/3 of the world population. Ammonia fertilizers were a component of the 20th century Green Revolution credited with saving over one billion people from starvation. Today ammonia is principally produced from natural gas, releasing CO2. World food production is highly dependent on fossil fuels.
Figure 11. Marangoni Toyota G86 Eco Explorer runs on ammonia fuel.
Ammonia, NH3, may be used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. With hydrogen from dissociation of water and nitrogen from air, ammonia can be produced without relying on carbon sources. Here’s a great video explanation by 12-year-old Katie. Like propane, liquid ammonia can be transported in tanks pressurized to about 13 atmospheres. It has been used as fuel for the X-15 rocket plant, WW II busses in Belgium, trucks and cars.
The NH3 Fuel Association advocates ammonia as a fuel for internal combustion engines. Today engineers are improving spark-ignited internal-combustion engines and diesel engines fueled with ammonia or ammonia with additives such as biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, cetane, or gasoline. Sturman Industries is developing an ammonia fueled hydraulic engine – no crank, no cam, no carbon. Direct ammonia fuel cells can convert ammonia and air’s oxygen directly to electric power, without the need to thermally crack NH3 to release hydrogen.
Figure 12. Ammonia can generate electricity in fuel cells.
Solid state ammonia synthesis
Today the Haber-Bosch ammonia production process annually manufactures 500 million tons of ammonia from natural gas, water, air, and electricity. This process alone accounts for 3-5% of world natural gas consumption. For each tonne of ammonia produced, stripping carbon from CH4 releases 1.8 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere – about 10% of world coal plant emissions.
The company NHThree has designed a state ammonia synthesis (SSAS) plant fed by air, water, and electricity. Nitrogen is obtained from an air separation unit (ASU). There is never any separated explosive hydrogen gas. SSAS works like a solid oxide fuel cell, but in reverse, with a proton conducting ceramic membrane. The ceramic membranes are tubes, and the SSAS can be scaled up by using more tubes. In addition to electricity, an MSR can provide the 650°C steam heat for the SSAS cells.
Figure 13. Solid state ammonia synthesis: 6 H2O + 2 N2 à 3 O2 + 4 NH3
With factory reactor production, MSR electric power is projected to cost $0.03/kWh, leading to ammonia costs of about $200 per tonne. Ammonia from natural gas today costs about $600/tonne. This new SSAS process has been demonstrated in the laboratory, but it requires chemical engineering development to generate ammonia in commercial quantities.
Cost of ammonia fuel
The heat of combustion is the thermal energy that would be released in an internal combustion engine. The crude oil source energy cost of $4/gallon gasoline is about $2.67; other costs: taxes, refining, and distribution, only add $1.33. Assuming other costs stay the same, energy-equivalent ammonia fuel could sell for 2/3 the cost of gasoline.
Heat of combustion
Energy source price
Fuel energy cost
Ammonia is the second most common industrial chemical. In the US ammonia is distributed by a 3,000 mile network of pipelines, principally for agricultural use. In a vehicle, ammonia would be liquid in tanks pressurized to 200 psi, similar to propane (177 psi). Compare this to tanks needed for compressed natural gas (3000 psi) or hydrogen (5000 psi). In an accident, spill, or leak ammonia dissipates rapidly because it is lighter than air. Its pungent odor is alerting. Ammonia is difficult to ignite, with an ignition temperature of 650°C. Unlike gasoline an ammonia fire can be extinguished with plain water.
Inhaling an ammonia concentration of one half percent for a half hour has a 50% fatality risk. Inhalation of 500 ppm is dangerous to health. Chronic exposures of 25 ppm are not cumulatively dangerous as humans and other mammals naturally excrete NH3 in the urea cycle, but ammonia is toxic to fish. The hazards of ammonia are different but equivalent to those of gasoline. Ammonia is toxic and gasoline is explosive. A 2009 Iowa State University analysis concludes
“In summary, the hazards and risks associated with the truck transport, storage, and dispensing of refrigerated anhydrous ammonia are similar to those of gasoline and LPG. The design and siting of the automotive fueling stations should result in public risk levels that are acceptable by international risk standards. Previous experience with hazardous material transportation systems of this nature and projects of this scale would indicate that the public risk levels associated with the use of gasoline, anhydrous ammonia, and LPG as an automotive fuel will be acceptable.”
In summary, nuclear ammonia is a suitable vehicle fuel. It emits no CO2 when burned. Its production can be CO2 free. It would require larger, stronger vehicle fuel tanks. The raw materials are air, water, and external low-cost energy from a MSR. Unlike carbonaceous synfuels, there is no expense to collect carbon from sources such as air or biomass. The economics of replacing gasoline with ammonia this way depend upon the energy-cost-innovative technology of the MSR.
World government debt exceeds $50 trillion, having doubled in 10 years. The public debt of the G7 advanced economies exceeds 100% of GDP, probably contributing to low economic growth. In 2012 US GDP grew at 2.5% while US debt grew at 8%. US GDP only grew at a 1.8% annual rate in 1st quarter 2013.
Figure 14. Energy and GDP are linked.
Oil prices are rising, partly because of diminishing EROI (energy return on invested energy). Chris Nelder tells us that a 60% drop in EROI from 25 to 10 increased oil prices 150%, and that a future drop from 5 to 2 would likewise increase prices to $240/bbl. Overall EROI for oil has dropped from 100 to about 10, and EROI for oil sands is near 5. EROI for corn ethanol is near 1.
Figure 15. Cheap energy ends as decreasing EROI cuts net energy delivered.
Economists from Solow to Ayres and Warr model GDP as a function of capital, labor, and energy. The oil sector represents about 4% of GDP, and the whole energy sector about 8%, but the impact of energy is greater than this suggests. Ayres points out there is no short term substitute for energy, and the output elasticity of energy services must be significantly greater than the cost share. Tverberg calculated a 0.4% increase in oil supply relates to a 2.2% increase in GDP, a 5-to-1 effect.
Ayres and Warr key on the concept of the energy that does useful work – electric power and mobile power – rather than primary, thermal energy. US aggregate work/thermal efficiency has improved from 2.48% in 1900 to 13.17% in 2006. Electric power generation efficiency rose from 8% in 1920 to 30% in 1960. A modern ultrasupercritical pulverized coal plant can achieve 47% and a new combined cycle natural gas turbine 60%, but this source of useful work, efficiency improvement, is running out.
Figure 16. Oil price rises have led recessions.
The implication is that diminishing EROI, efficiency saturation, and rising energy prices depress GDP. Cheap energy is no longer the source of economic growth that can solve the fiscal crisis. Energy cost innovation with liquid fuel nuclear reactors may provide that GDP growth opportunity.
Molten salt reactor development
Heightened public concerns about nuclear waste, global CO2 emissions, and nuclear power cost have led scientists and engineers to revisit the liquid fuel technologies bypassed in the 1970s. Lawrence Livermore scientist Ralph Moir and Edward Teller, a Manhattan Project veteran and developer of the hydrogen bomb, called for the construction of a small prototype MSR to launch such an energy project in 2005. Oak Ridge had meticulously documented its research, which was scanned and posted on the web in 2006 by then graduate student Kirk Sorensen.
Figure 17. Underground MSR proposed by Edward Teller and Ralph Moir.
France supports theoretical work by two dozen scientists at Grenoble and elsewhere. The Czech Republic supports laboratory research in fuel processing at Rez, near Prague. Design for the FUJI molten salt reactor continues in Japan. Russia is modeling and testing components of a molten salt reactor designed to consume plutonium and actinides from LWR spent fuel. MSR studies continue in Canada and the Netherlands. US R&D funding has been relatively insignificant, except for related studies of solid fuel, molten-salt-cooled reactors at UC Berkeley, MIT, U Wisconsin, and ORNL.
Startup ventures in Alabama, Ontario, Florida, and South Africa are actively designing MSRs, raising capital, and seeking a host nation with performance-based regulations. TerraPower is studying liquid fuel reactors as well as developing its traveling wave reactor.
Developing MSRs requires high temperature materials for the reactor vessel, heat exchangers, and piping; and chemistry for uranium and fission product separation. The authors estimate that with national laboratory support, a prototype could be operational in 5 years for approximately $1 billion. It may take an additional 5 years of industry participation to achieve capabilities for mass production.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not capable of licensing and regulating liquid fuel nuclear reactor technology. Its rules and procedures are specific to existing LWR power plant technologies. To illustrate, TerraPower has been driven from Washington state to China to gain permission to build its TWR. In 2007 NRC had proposed developing risk-informed, performance-based, technology-neutral regulations but the administration and Congress have not authorized nor funded this.
The biggest obstacle to advanced nuclear power technology is public ignorance and unwarranted fear of low-level ionizing radiation. Tens of thousands of people were unnecessarily evacuated from areas surrounding Fukushima, and many died from the stress. The World Health Organization and the United Nations reported that no one died from radiation nor will ill health effects be observed. Still incorporated into regulations, the obsolete linear no-threshold model (LNT) ignores direct evidence that low levels of radiation stimulate cellular responses that repair any damage from radiation. The existing ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) guideline encourages ever more costly, unnecessary radiation protection. Nuclear power opponents use this fallacy that any radiation is dangerous to ratchet up costs to uneconomic levels. ICRP, EPA and NRC regulations should set threshold exposure limits in the same manner as for other potential health hazards. Governments must exhibit leadership in establishing new safety regulations that are based on observed health effects; then governments can unleash this cost-innovative technology.
Can liquid fuel reactor technology really be cheaper than coal? Yes! Moir’s analysis of ORNL’s design documents MSR energy cheaper than coal. One non-public venture has estimated its MSR costs leading to electricity costing 3-5 cents/kWh. Costs do depend upon goals. Opponents of nuclear power will attempt to raise costs by adding unnecessary requirements. The goal of energy cheaper than coal must be prioritized at every step of design and development. The potential global impacts on climate change, energy poverty, fuel costs, and economic growth can keep the focus on cost innovation.
The world faces a climate crisis from ever increasing CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels. Developing nations, especially, strive to end energy poverty and improve the prosperity of their people. The new world economic order means nations will adopt the lowest cost energy sources. Only cost-innovative, zero-carbon, nuclear power can undersell coal, oil, and natural gas power sources. |
Dr Jenny Cook, Research Associate in Public Engagement in Science at the Biomedical Research Centre organised the week long summer school for King’s Health Partners. One day was spent at the King’s Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Division where the 16 year old students enjoyed hearing about the range of imaging techniques that we use here. This blog, written by Jenny, originally appeared on the KHP Summer School blog. #khpsummerschool Follow Jenny @jennyscience
Today we visited the Imaging Department at King’s College London at St Thomas’ Hospital. The Communications and Engagement Manager Alice Taylor-Gee, did a fantastic job at lining up different activities to showcase a diverse range of imaging modalities and lab techniques.
The King’s Imaging department is very engaged and lots of the researchers are working to communicate their research and inspire young people.
In the morning the students were introduced to members of the Imaging division and their research project and outcomes with presentations. We met Chris Kelly who works on perinatal brain imaging using a technique that can visualise diffusion to define the edges of neurones and map them. We also heard from Alberto Gomez who spoke about how robotics is being developed to provide a more sophisticated ultrasound to be used on pregnant women to scan their unborn babies.
Dr Samantha Terry (soon to be lecturer!) talked about different types and sources of radiation. She actively demonstrated how DNA damage can occur due to radiation using a rope and scissors and then detailed how her team harnesses this power and a complicated tracer/inhibitor to selectively fight prostate cancer cells.
During the afternoon, the students rotated around three labs. Firstly the students went to a lab with Enrico, Brett and Rick who work with radioactive tracers and examines the effects of hypoxia on cardiac perfusion. A very tiny rat’s heart was connected up to perfusion equipment where it continued to beat. This allows the researchers to change stimuli and heart conditions and examine the effects.
In order to understand more about the cellular changes that can take place under hypoxic conditions due to brain injury in pre-term infants, Claire and Ana from the perinatal lab talked about understanding cellular changes by extracting and examining DNA.
In this session, we extracted DNA from strawberries using extraction buffer and isopropanol and measured the DNA concentrations to compare strawberries. Surprisingly it doesn’t relate to strawberry size in our groups!
Different imaging methods can be used to visualise different parts of the body, comparing CT to examine bones versus MRI to identify liquids. The students went down to the clinical oncology departments at St Thomas’ to the MRI machine and managed to correctly identify several scanned images of items under the MRI machine.
“On Wednesday we spent the day learning about imaging; it’s a really interesting field because scientists from all parts of science are needed to improve the imaging techniques we use today. At school, they teach us very little about medical imaging and for that reason I learnt lots. Because of the summer school, I now understand the basics of a PET, CT, X-Ray, MRI and ultrasound scan, and was able to see an MRI and ultrasound scan in use. One way cardiologists are able to prepare for an operation now is through 3D printing; scientists print out hearts in plastic to see how they can operate. For me, this was really fascinating because I was able to see the structure of a real heart and learn about how medical methods are improving.” Kate Bernal (age 15)
“I’ve attended the Summer School for 5 days at King’s Health Partners. It was an extremely fun experience and I learnt and saw many things. I learnt presentation skills, various amounts of technical skills, and developed an understanding of many features of biomedical research. I learnt clinical scenarios and life support skills at a simulation centre and I sat in on lectures from many professionals; including professors, doctors, and researchers. All of the activities were engaging, and interesting, and educational. I even got to extract strawberry DNA!” Mohaned Al-Bassan (Age 16)
We would like to say a very big thank you to Alice for co-ordinating the activities today and everyone from the Imaging division who gave a presentation, demonstration or provided an activity! |
Students of Public Law should have noticed that the subject of devolution, which for some years has been non-examinable, has bounced back into the syllabus in 2013/14 as part of what is fashionably called multi-level governing.
Some may regret this widening of the horizons of the syllabus beyond what is strictly English law. However, English law is situated in a multi-jurisdictional state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Besides, as many commentators have suggested, 2014 will be a year in which questions of national identity are prominent and significant. There will be elections in May for the European Parliament, the outcomes of which will be influenced by attitudes to European integration in Britain and also in other member states.
A few months later, residents of Scotland (only) will have the opportunity of deciding whether their future lies in continuing as part of the United Kingdom or in the direction commended by the Scottish National Party as “independence in Europe” (the slogan was intended to reassure, but may be thought oxymoronic). Following the enactment by the Scottish Parliament of the Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Act 2013, we know now who will be entitled to vote on the question: those who are residents in Scotland and entitled to vote in local authority elections there, plus (for this occasion only) 16 and 17 year olds who would qualify. Another Holyrood Parliament Act, the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013, provides for the poll to be held on 18 September 2014, and sets some ground rules for the contest. The question on the ballot paper, approved by the Electoral Commission, will be: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
The Scottish Parliament was given authority to legislate for the referendum by an Order in Council (SI 2013/242) transferring the subject-matter temporarily to the areas of devolved competence (which section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998 allows for). Although there was some disagreement on the issue amongst lawyers, the better view was that otherwise Holyrood would have lacked competence, because legislation would have related to a “reserved” matter under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. The Order in Council (which required approval by the Houses of Parliament at Westminster along with the Scottish Parliament) was passed following the Edinburgh Agreement negotiated between the British Government and the Scottish Government in October 2013. Part of the price exacted by the British Government was agreement that there should be only one question on the ballot paper, rather than a multi-option referendum which might have muddied the waters.
The immediate cause of the calling of the referendum was the success of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament general election in 2011 (when it won 53% of the seats, albeit on 45% of the votes, and so formed a government with an overall majority), which was accepted as providing some kind of mandate or entitlement to have the question put.
An inveterate opponent of the creation of a Scottish Parliament, Tam Dalyell (a Labour MP from 1962 to 2005) used to warn that its establishment would provide “a motorway without exit” to the disintegration of Britain and, if there should be a Yes vote in September, we may be liable to conclude that he was right. On another view, devolution measures can act as a safety valve, releasing some of the pressure that could otherwise lead to the break-up of a state. As one of the textbooks puts it, “affording a degree of authority to regions within a state…can ultimately enhance the integrity of the state by allowing regional differences…to be accommodated” (M Elliott & R Thomas, Public Law, p. 269).
The devolution arrangements for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are, of course, asymmetrical and what is more, the pattern is visibly incomplete. If there is a Scottish question which, in actuality, is about to be asked, there is, as the literature puts it, an English question which is scarcely addressed, a dog that has not barked in the night, or not so far. The absence of an English Parliament and Government (or assemblies in English regions) may not yet be a gaping hole, but might easily become one in some circumstances.
Some tentative steps towards English regionalism that were taken under the Labour governments (these are mentioned in an extract at p166 of the course textbook by Le Sueur, Sunkin & Murkens) have in fact been retracted under the present government: regional development agencies were abolished by the Public Bodies Act 2011.
In seeking to deal with the ‘West Lothian question’, the coalition government asked the McKay Commission to report on ways in which House of Commons procedures might be adapted to ensure that there would be “English votes for English laws.” Not surprisingly, the Commission’s report in March 2013 (tmc.independent.gov.uk) offered rather fuzzy suggestions, which are still being mulled over by the Government. However, using the British Parliament as a proxy for an English Parliament is not going to be very satisfactory in the long run, when other parts of the UK are steadily evolving with their own political dynamics. |
Scleroderma is a systemic disease that can affect the entire body — the treatment of which requires a multidisciplinary approach in medical care, best provided by an expert specialist centre.
As has been emphasized in most of my daily awareness posts, an early diagnosis is crucial for best patient care in the hope to prevent potential life threatening, irreversible damage.
In 1997, I was given a 15-month prognosis by my original diagnosing Doctor. The following year, in December 1998, I went for a second opinion to The Royal Free Hospital where I met and then subsequently, became Prof. Dame Black’s patient and then Prof. Christopher Denton’s patient.
A multidisciplinary medical team will be required to suit the individual patient’s need. I have included on the image (above), the medical professional roles that are involved in my ongoing care.
I am eternally grateful for the care and medical expertise of the super human beings who are Prof. Black and Prof. Denton, for keeping me alive with only minimal internal organ involvement. Although I am no longer able to work in my 60-hour a week role as a barrister and my lifestyle has been forced to change, I feel extremely blessed that I am able to combine my professional qualifications and skills with my 19-year patient experience to further the scleroderma and rare disease cause.
Living with a chronic, currently incurable disease brings along huge challenges, in addition to managing the physical symptoms. A clinical psychologist can be extremely helpful with addressing the life changes caused by scleroderma.
For me, the next best thing to there not being a cure, is having the comfort in the knowledge, that I have the best medical care team around me, contributing to my return to wellbeing.
My tonic to keep going is most definitely influenced by the dedication and commitment which I see Prof. Denton show to his patients and the scleroderma global community as a whole.
Therefore, as a gesture of gratitude to Prof. Denton and the scleroderma unit at The Royal Free hospital, I started a Just Giving page, which I am delighted to report has so far raised £627.76 to go directly to Prof. Denton’s research fund.
As I highlighted in yesterday’s post for World Scleroderma Day, never has been there a more exciting, promising time for scleroderma patients than now. The global medical community are working together with their research trials, and pharmaceutical companies are recognizing some of the unmet needs of the scleroderma patient, with more chemical compounds being granted orphan drug status than ever before. |
Gluten – why so many of us react to it?
Gluten has become one of the major dietary components that so many of us have an adverse reaction to. In the last 40-50 years the incidence of coeliac disease and other gluten related illnesses has skyrocketed. This is most likely due to how our grains are grown and genetically modified. Through modifying and hybridising these plants, they have become easier and faster to grow, resistant to harsh environments and ultimately more profitable to produce.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, spelt, oats, rye, barley and products made from them. Gluten sensitivity causes inflammation of the gut, eventually leading to intestinal permeability or ‘leaky gut’. This can trigger allergies, sensitivities and inflammation in the body. The lining of the small intestine contains millions of tiny hair like projections called villi which absorb our nutrients from our food. Coeliac disease is a condition, where gluten causes an autoimmune reaction in which the immune system mistakenly attacks itself. This results in the lining of the small intestine becoming damaged, thereby reducing the person’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. The process may damage other areas of the body also and increase the risk for diseases like bone disease, anaemia and intestinal disorders. Symptoms of gluten sensitivity can include:
Diarrhoea Constipation Weight Loss Chronic Tiredness Anaemia Indigestion Depression Infertility Mouth Ulcers Abdominal Cramps Vomiting IBS
Research studies cited in many medical journals have linked Gluten Sensitivity to behavioural and developmental disorders in children such as Autism, ADHD, and Asperger’s Syndrome |
Inventor Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices .
The inventor of the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture, Thomas Edison was granted 400 patents from 1879 to Though he changed technology forever, not all of his inventions were successful.Read more about Thomas Edison.
The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall and Rise of Thomas Alva Edison Look around your daily life. There’s a little piece of Thomas Edison almost everywhere. Your desk lamp. That x-ray you got…
How did Edison try to stop a superior source of electricity? The answer should disgust you. |
From the Arlington Advocate
Safer alternatives to five widely used chemicals are available to protect the public from exposure to these toxins and could save industry money, according to environmental leaders who helped release a state-funded chemical alternative study last week.
In July 2005, the commonwealth of Massachusetts funded the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at UMass Lowell to study safer alternatives for major uses of five toxic chemicals. On July 11, scientists, lawmakers and environmental health advocates gathered at the State House to discuss the results of the Five Chemicals Alternatives Assessment Study.
The study identified safer alternatives to major uses of five widely used toxic chemicals. For example, Perchloroethylene, "perc," used in dry cleaning could be replaced with several commercially available alternatives including a water-based cleaning process appropriate for most types of clothing.
"Now it's time to move from study to action," said Lee Ketelsen, Clean Water Action New England Director. "Safer Alternatives are feasible for use now. Unnecessary harm is being done to the health of workers, consumers and children when common sense would dictate that we should avoid toxic chemical use whenever possible."
Legislative sponsors of the Five Chemicals Study and the advocates from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, a statewide coalition working to protect public health from toxic hazards, proposed the study to demonstrate that replacing toxic chemicals with safer alternatives is a feasible way to prevent unnecessary health damage. Toxic chemicals are contributing to an epidemic of chronic diseases and disorders, including cancer, learning disabilities, asthma, birth defects and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's.
"We overrode a veto by Governor Romney in 2005 and authorized funding for this study because we saw the need to prevent health damage caused by toxic chemicals," said Rep. Jay Kaufman, D-Lexington, who represents Precincts 14, 17, 20 and 21 in Arlington. "Now we have proof that it is indeed possible to find feasible safer alternatives to many of the most dangerous and commonly used toxic chemicals. The next step is to help businesses move toward the use of these safer products, protecting health and promoting innovation in the economy."
The co-chairs of the Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Agriculture praised the report.
"We are so pleased with the results of this study because they prove what we have suspected all along: safer alternatives to dangerous chemicals are available, practical and feasible," said Sen. Pam Resor, D-Acton, Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Agriculture.
"This report is an outstanding example of the work government, industry and advocates can accomplish together to remove dangerous toxins from our everyday lives," said Rep. Frank Smizik, D-Brookline, House chairman of the Joint Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Agriculture. "As an individual who suffers from allergies and asthma, I am hopeful that the findings in this report will be used by businesses and industries to use those chemicals that will maintain a safer, cleaner and healthier commonwealth."
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow celebrates the TURI study as a first step in a public campaign to win greater protection against toxic chemicals. Advocates called on lawmakers to pass legislation filed by Kaufman and Sen. Steven Tolman, An Act for a Healthy Massachusetts: Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals (H-1286, S-553), which would build on this study and create an on-going state program to require businesses to adopt feasible safer alternatives to toxic chemicals and provide assistance and incentives to do so.
The Safer Alternatives Bill would replace commonly used toxic chemicals in household products, such as dry cleaning fluids, pesticides, solvents, building materials, foam cushions and electronics, with safer alternatives where feasible. When a safer alternative is not currently available, the bill would stimulate research and development into new technologies and solutions.
The bill enjoys support of many labor organizations, including the AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, for the protection it will provide against workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals.
In a survey of more than 25 local unions conducted by the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH), it was clear that workers want information about safer alternatives to chemicals and welcome this approach to making their workplaces healthy and safe.
"The few workplace standards we have assume and accept chemical risk." said Tolle Graham of MassCOSH. "We can do better for working people and their families."
Advocates applauded TURI for its research on identifying safer alternatives and heralded the study as a clear demonstration that dangerous toxic chemicals are unnecessary threats to public health.
"It doesn't make sense to continue using dangerous toxic chemicals when there are safer alternatives available," said Ketelsen. "This unnecessary danger will continue until we pass the Safer Alternatives Bill and to create safe products and safe workplaces." |
From the archives:
ere’s how stupid shit happens. You go to your doctor for something benign—like acid reflux, or some other condition that’s annoying, but not necessarily life-threatening. You’re here at DangerouslyHardcore.com, so you know what we do—and if you know about us, chances are you know about the Paleo movement and other dietary protocols that claim to stimulate massive fat loss, muscle gain, and good health.
Now, these all include meat and animal fat. Lots of it. Your doctor, however, tells you that the only way to be healthy and cure all your ailments—not just what you’re in his office to treat—is to swear off animal products and become a vegetarian or vegan. Seriously, they say this.
Your doctor may be a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. This organization seems to have two absolute criteria for membership: 1) Being vegan, and 2) Pushing a vegan lifestyle on patients regardless of the reasoning behind it. Dr. Joel Fuhrman is an excellent example of this, espousing the power of veganism despite looking for all the world, physically, like a sucked-out human wraith. Take a look. He’s frail, weak, and delicate—an absolute picture of good health.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine encourages “higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research,” but what they mean by this isn’t what you think. It’s not better science they’re after. Rather, it’s poor science, so they can maintain the lie that a vegan lifestyle is healthy and that animal products are the devil. Paraphrasing here, members have said, during television interviews, that they “know the research doesn’t support a vegan lifestyle, per se, but we’re going to keep doing studies until we produce one that proves we’re right.”
This, unfortunately, is the complete opposite of science. The perfect vegetarian meal? I’ll take a prime cut of steak that came from a vegetarian cow, and so should you.
Here are the simple facts:
1) Vegetarian diets cause a deficiency in vitamin B12 levels[1-2]. This doesn’t seem too important until you realize that vitamin B12 deficiency results in a condition called hyperhomocysteinemia[3-7], which is powerfully oxidative. I liken the effect on arterial tissue to running a cheese grater through the inside of your arteries, which readily explains the rise in stroke risk[8-10].
2) Vegans suffer from protein malabsorption and amino acid deficiencies[11-19], some of which can be health-threatening. Ever see an impressive vegetarian bodybuilder? Me neither.
3) Vegetarian diets produce massive imbalances in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the body[3, 21-23]. This constant supply of pro-inflammatory agents may be what ruins the immune system in vegetarians[24-29].
4) Vegetarians have much higher levels of advanced glycation end products[30-31] which are a risk factor for kidney disease and atherosclerosis—not to mention Alzheimer’s disease[32-35]. This may explain why large epidemiological studies picked up evidence of accelerated cognitive decline in vegetarians. This also explains why vegans say the most batshit crazy stuff without even flinching.
5) Name the mineral and vegetarians have a deficiency: zinc, iron, selenium, calcium and iodine[37-46]. This would explain their increased risk of bone fracture.
6) Vegetarian diets don’t even protect against any type of cancer[36, 48-54]. It’s a myth. If you maintain healthy body fat levels, you’re just as “protected” from cancer, and health correlates with the amount of muscle mass you have[55-59]. Sick, scrawny Joel Fuhrman is f’ed, and Dr. Oz won’t fare much better.
Now, despite this massive laundry list of ailments, every single one of them can be fixed with the addition of a few lean portions of meat per day[60-70]. That’s it. Even if you want to lower cholesterol levels (which is a whole ‘nother topic), it’s more effective to add lean animal protein to your diet than vegetable proteins[71-74]. Meat cures what ails vegetarians and vegans, not the other way around.
I would love to continue my rant on vegans, but I think the research speaks for itself. In the next article I’ll drop a part II about animal sources of omega-3 fatty acids and why they’re better. Until then, stop messing around with weak-ass food that grows from dirt, and forget the Cuisinart. Grab yourself some food from nature’s ultimate vegetable processing unit: the cow.
4. Obeid R, Geisel J, Schorr H, Hubner U, Herrmann W. The impact of vegetarianism on some haematological parameters. Eur J Haematol. 2002 Nov-Dec;69(5-6):275-9.
5. Mezzano D, Kosiel K, Martinez C, Cuevas A, Panes O, Aranda E, Strobel P, Perez DD, Pereira J, Rozowski J, Leighton F. Cardiovascular risk factors in vegetarians. Normalization of hyperhomocysteinemia with vitamin B(12) and reduction of platelet aggregation with n-3 fatty acids. Thromb Res. 2000 Nov 1;100(3):153-60.
6. Krajcovicova-Kudlackova M, Blazicek P, Kopcova J, Bederova A, Babinska K. Homocysteine levels in vegetarians versus omnivores. Ann Nutr Metab. 2000;44(3):135-8.
7. Bissoli L, Di Francesco V, Ballarin A, Mandragona R, Trespidi R, Brocco G, Caruso B, Bosello O, Zamboni M. Effect of vegetarian diet on homocysteine levels. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46(2):73-9.
8. Welch GN, Loscalzo J. Homocysteine and atherothrombosis. N Engl J Med. 1998 Apr 9;338(15):1042-50. Review. No abstract available.
9. Geisel J, Hennen B, Hubner U, Knapp JP, Herrmann W. The impact of hyperhomocysteinemia as a cardiovascular risk factor in the prediction of coronary heart disease. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2003 Nov;41(11):1513-7.
10. Parnetti L, Caso V, Santucci A, Corea F, Lanari A, Floridi A, Conte C, Bottiglieri T. Mild hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk-factor in all etiological subtypes of stroke. Neurol Sci. 2004 Apr;25(1):13-7.
11. Abdulla M, Andersson I, Asp NG, Berthelsen K, Birkhed D, Dencker I, Johansson CG, Jagerstad M, Kolar K, Nair BM, Nilsson-Ehle P, Norden A, Rassner S, Akesson B, Ockerman PA. Nutrient intake and health status of vegans. Chemical analyses of diets using the duplicate portion sampling technique. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981 Nov;34(11):2464-77.
12. Barr SI, Broughton TM. Relative weight, weight loss efforts and nutrient intakes among health-conscious vegetarian, past vegetarian and nonvegetarian women ages 18 to 50. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000 Nov-Dec;19(6):781-8.
13. Donovan UM, Gibson RS. Dietary intakes of adolescent females consuming vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, and omnivorous diets. J Adolesc Health. 1996 Apr;18(4):292-300.
14. Alexander D, Ball MJ, Mann J. Nutrient intake and haematological status of vegetarians and age-sex matched omnivores. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1994 Aug;48(8):538-46.
15. Laidlaw SA, Shultz TD, Cecchino JT, Kopple JD. Plasma and urine taurine levels in vegans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Apr;47(4):660-3.
16. Rana SK, Sanders TA. Taurine concentrations in the diet, plasma, urine and breast milk of vegans compared with omnivores. Br J Nutr. 1986 Jul;56(1):17-27.
17. Acosta PB. Availability of essential amino acids and nitrogen in vegan diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Sep;48(3 Suppl):868-74. Review.
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19. Massa G, Vanoppen A, Gillis P, Aerssens P, Alliet P, Raes M. Protein malnutrition due to replacement of milk by rice drink. Eur J Pediatr. 2001 Jun;160(6):382-4.
20. Steele M, Yokum D, Armstrong A. Efficacy of intraperitoneal amino acid (IPAA) dialysate in an Asian vegetarian patient with chronic hypoalbuminaemia. EDTNA ERCA J. 1998 Apr-Jun;24(2):28-32.
21. Shultz TD, Leklem JE. Nutrient intake and hormonal status of premenopausal vegetarian Seventh-day Adventists and premenopausal nonvegetarians. Nutr Cancer. 1983;4(4):247-59.
22. Agren JJ, Tormala ML, Nenonen MT, Hanninen OO. Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte, platelet, and serum lipids in strict vegans. Lipids. 1995 Apr;30(4):365-9.
23. Roshanai F, Sanders TA. Assessment of fatty acid intakes in vegans and omnivores. Hum Nutr Appl Nutr. 1984 Oct;38(5):345-54.
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25. Obeid R, Geisel J, Schorr H, Hubner U, Herrmann W. The impact of vegetarianism on some haematological parameters. Eur J Haematol. 2002 Nov-Dec;69(5-6):275-9.
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28. Pongstaporn W, Bunyaratavej A. Hematological parameters, ferritin and vitamin B12 in vegetarians. J Med Assoc Thai. 1999 Mar;82(3):304-11.
29. Kwak HK, Hansen CM, Leklem JE, Hardin K, Shultz TD. Improved vitamin B-6 status is positively related to lymphocyte proliferation in young women consuming a controlled diet. J Nutr. 2002 Nov;132(11):3308-13.
30. Sebekova K, Krajcoviova-Kudlackova M, Schinzel R, Faist V, Klvanova J, Heidland A. Plasma levels of advanced glycation end products in healthy, long-term vegetarians and subjects on a western mixed diet. Eur J Nutr. 2001 Dec;40(6):275-81.
31. Krajcovicova-Kudlackova M, Sebekova K, Schinzel R, Klvanova J. Advanced glycation end products and nutrition. Physiol Res. 2002;51(3):313-6.
32. Deane R, Singh I, Sagare AP, Bell RD, Ross NT, LaRue B, Love R, Perry S, Paquette N, Deane RJ, Thiyagarajan M, Zarcone T, Fritz G, Friedman AE, Miller BL, Zlokovic BV. A multimodal RAGE-specific inhibitor reduces amyloid β-mediated brain disorder in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. J Clin Invest. 2012 Apr 2;122(4):1377-92.
33. Deane RJ. Is RAGE still a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease? Future Med Chem. 2012 May;4(7):915-25. Review.
34. Lue LF, Yan SD, Stern DM, Walker DG. Preventing activation of receptor for advanced glycation endproducts in Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord. 2005 Jun;4(3):249-66. Review.
35. Chen X, Walker DG, Schmidt AM, Arancio O, Lue LF, Yan SD. RAGE: a potential target for Abeta-mediated cellular perturbation in Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Mol Med. 2007 Dec;7(8):735-42. Review.
36. Key TJ, Appleby PN, Davey GK, Allen NE, Spencer EA, Travis RC. Mortality in British vegetarians: review and preliminary results from EPIC-Oxford. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):533S-538S. Review.
37. Thane CW, Bates CJ. Dietary intakes and nutrient status of vegetarian preschool children from a British national survey. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2000 Jun;13(3):149-162.
38. Rauma AL, Nenonen M, Helve T, Hanninen O. Effect of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish rheumatoid patients. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1993 Oct;47(10):747-9.
39. Appleby PN, Thorogood M, Mann JI, Key TJ. The Oxford Vegetarian Study: an overview. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):525S-531S.
40. Donovan UM, Gibson RS. Dietary intakes of adolescent females consuming vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, and omnivorous diets. J Adolesc Health. 1996 Apr;18(4):292-300.
41. Lowik MR, Schrijver J, Odink J, van den Berg H, Wedel M. Long-term effects of a vegetarian diet on the nutritional status of elderly people (Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System). J Am Coll Nutr. 1990 Dec;9(6):600-9.
42. Lightowler HJ, Davies GJ. Micronutrient intakes in a group of UK vegans and the contribution of self-selected dietary supplements. J R Soc Health. 2000 Jun;120(2):117-24.
43. Lithell H, Vessby B, Hellsing K, Ljunghall K, Hoglund NJ, Werner I, Bruce A. Changes in metabolism during a fasting period and a subsequent vegetarian diet with particular reference to glucose metabolism. Ups J Med Sci. 1983;88(2):109-19.
44. Donovan UM, Gibson RS. Iron and zinc status of young women aged 14 to 19 years consuming vegetarian and omnivorous diets. J Am Coll Nutr. 1995 Oct;14(5):463-72.
45. Lightowler HJ, Davies GJ. Iodine intake and iodine deficiency in vegans as assessed by the duplicate-portion technique and urinary iodine excretion. Br J Nutr. 1998 Dec;80(6):529-35.
46. Lightowler HJ, Davies GJ. Assessment of iodine intake in vegans: weighed dietary record vs duplicate portion technique. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002 Aug;56(8):765-70.
47. Appleby P, Roddam A, Allen N, Key T. Comparative fracture risk in vegetarians and nonvegetarians in EPIC-Oxford. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;61(12):1400-6.
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52. Chang-Claude J, Hermann S, Eilber U, Steindorf K. Lifestyle determinants and mortality in German vegetarians and health-conscious persons: results of a 21-year follow-up. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Apr;14(4):963-8.
53. Key TJ, Fraser GE, Thorogood M, Appleby PN, Beral V, Reeves G, Burr ML, Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Kuzma JW, Mann J, McPherson K. Mortality in vegetarians and non-vegetarians: a collaborative analysis of 8300 deaths among 76,000 men and women in five prospective studies. Public Health Nutr. 1998 Mar;1(1):33-41.
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57. Bakker I, Twisk JW, Van Mechelen W, Kemper HC. Fat-free body mass is the most important body composition determinant of 10-yr longitudinal development of lumbar bone in adult men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jun;88(6):2607-13.
58. Okura T, Nakata Y, Yamabuki K, Tanaka K. Regional body composition changes exhibit opposing effects on coronary heart disease risk factors. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004 May;24(5):923-9.
59. Cicoira M, Davos CH, Francis DP, Doehner W, Zanolla L, Franceschini L, Piepoli MF, Coats AJ, Zardini P, Poole-Wilson PA, Anker SD. Prediction of mortality in chronic heart failure from peak oxygen consumption adjusted for either body weight or lean tissue. J Card Fail. 2004 Oct;10(5):421-6.
60. Haddad EH, Tanzman JS. What do vegetarians in the United States eat? Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):626S-632S. Review.
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If President Donald Trump fulfills his pledge to deport millions of workers in the country illegally and build a wall at the Mexican border, prepare to pay a lot more money for far less food.
“That’s reality,” said organic farm owner Javier Zamora. “My farm and many others would go out of business. At the very least we would have to scale back to feed just our families and immediate communities.”
As owner of JSM Organics in the North Monterey County community of Royal Oaks and a former undocumented worker, the 51-year-old Zamora has a unique perspective on the situation.
In 1986, Zamora immigrated to Los Angeles from Michoacán, Mexico, at the age of 20. His timing was good. That same year, President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act into law, which granted Zamora and 2.7 million other workers legal status.
Although he was the son of a successful farmer and lived in a community where farming was taught to children in the schools, Zamora spent the next two decades working in the L.A. restaurant and nightclub world.
“I worked in a nightclub that booked national touring acts — Ray Charles, Michael McDonald, Etta James, Peter Frampton — every night it was a different crowd with different tastes,” Zamora said. “That where I learned American culture.”
When the U.S. housing bubble burst, signaling the beginning of the Great Recession, Zamora and his wife and two daughters moved north to Stockton. At the age of 43, Zamora went back to school. He earned his GED diploma and then a degree in landscape design from San Joaquin Delta College.
“I had a teacher who said, ‘Come on, you’re smarter than this,’” said Zamora.
Figuring his teacher was probably right, Zamora enrolled in Cabrillo College and earned an associate of science degree in horticulture production. While at Cabrillo, he discovered ALBA, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association.
Over 11 months in 2011, ALBA taught Zamora the skills he needed to establish and grow JSM Organics. The company’s initials stand for Javier Sanchez Medina, his first name combined with his mother’s middle and last name. When he graduated, he bought 1.5 acres of land with an ALBA-subsidized lease and planted his first crop.
Today, Zamora owns more than 200 acres and leases another 55 acres. At present, he has roughly 80 acres planted — mostly strawberries, but also raspberries, blackberries, various vegetables and flowers.
To farm those acres, he employs 20 workers and will be hiring 15 more at harvest. Depending on how long they’ve worked for him, Zamora pays his employees from $12 to $18.
“The reason I’ve grown so much in five years is that my customers know how well my employees are treated and how well the land is treated,” Zamora said. “I have an open door policy. Everyone is welcome to come out to the farm and take a look.”
While Zamora will not disclose how many of his workers are in the U.S. illegally, he said many Americans’ preconceptions about those workers are detached from reality.
“These are not people who possess a sense of entitlement. They want a place to work, live and provide for their families. They’re not here to take anything away from anyone else,” said Zamora. “The reality is we’re not going to get other people to come out and do this work.”
In addition, Zamora said he pays his workforce with company checks — checks from which federal and state payroll taxes are deducted.
“These guys never file taxes so they don’t claim any of that money back. Plus, they can’t receive unemployment,” said Zamora.
But the real point, Zamora said, is the amount of work those in the U.S. illegally perform to feed America every day.
“It’s incredible the work they do,” said Zamora. “For those who believe kicking these people out is a good idea, I invite you to do your due diligence and see the economic reality of the situation.”
Zamora knows his own story would be radically different if not for the amnesty provided by Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act 30 years ago. That’s why he is an outspoken opponent of Trump’s rhetoric. He has also sought congressional support for minority farmers in Washington, D.C.
In addition, Zamora serves on numerous boards, including ALBA, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency and the Ecological Farming Association; as well as the USDA’s Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.
“You help others to succeed because you’ve been given that opportunity,” said Zamora. “That’s the real American way, man.” |
Botanical name: Citrus limon L. Burm.
Other names: Bearss, Eureka lemon
Spanish name: Limon, Limon agrio
French name: Citron
Lemon is the aggregate fruit of the lemon tree, Citrus limon Burm., a spiny evergreen tree of the botanical family Rutaceae, which usually reaches a height of about 3-6 meters.
Properties and health benefits of Lemon
Lemon is a fruit with great amounts of vitamin C, the only nutrient that stands out in lemon. It’s vitamin C content is only slightly less than Orange.
Lemons contains carbohydrates in about 8.23% of its total content, and contains no fats nor proteins. But however, most of the substances that accounts for lemon medicinal uses are found in its non-nutritive component. Below are some of these substances:
* Flavonoids – These substances which are mainly diosmin and hesperidin, are found in the peel and pulp of lemon. They perform many functional roles such as
– Protecting the blood vessels
– Preventing cancer (as aanticarcinogens)
– Acting as antioxidants
* Organic acids – These acids are formed mainly of citric, malic, formic, and acetic acids. They possess a great antiseptic effect, and as well, helps facilitate the action of vitamin C.
* Terpenes – Among these substances present in lemon, d-limonene (a type of Terpene) predominate. D-limonene has been proved to possess great anticarcinogenic and detoxifying effect. Generally, terpenes are responsible for citrus unique aroma, and are found mainly in the peel.
Due to the effects exhibited by the nutritive (mainly vitamin C) and non-nutritive components of lemon, the following are some medicinal values of lemon that are worth mentioning.
* Circulatory disorders
Lemon consumption helps prevent circulatory disorders. The flavonoids found in lemon especially hesperidin helps improve the elasticity of the arteries, strengthen capillary walls and reduce blood’s tendency to clot. This makes lemon consumption highly recommended in cases of:
– Edema (fluid retention), and
– Cases where blood fluidity and circulation needs to be improved.
Even though lemon contains very little amounts of iron, it is very recommended for the anemics. This is due to its very high vitamin C content which facilitates the absorption of iron found in other plant-based foods. Thus,lemons should be a regular component of an anemic’s diet.
* Cancer Prevention
As we have seen above, lemon contains substances that possess great anticarcinogenic properties. To be precise, d-limonene, a terpene, which is found in the peel of lemon, has been shown capable of neutralizing certain carcinogens (cancer causing substances).
* Excess uric acid
When excess uric acid is deposited in the joints, it causes rheumatic pain and arthritis. It also causes nephritis when deposited on the kidney.
Lemon consumption has been proved to be highly effective in eliminating this excess uric acid which is constantly being produced in the body.
* Infectious diseases
As already known, vitamin C helps fight infections and boosts the body’s immune system, and lemon contains this vitamin in great amounts. Moreover, the phytochemicals found in lemon also helps improve the body’s immune system. Thus, the consumption of lemon is highly recommended in cases of any infection, be it of bacterial or viral origin.
* Kidney stones
The consumption of lemon, particularly using its treatment chart, is very effective in dissolving kidney stones, particularly if the kidney stones are formed of uric acid.
This is a schedule made for the consumption of lemon for medicinal purposes. The treatment is done over a period of two weeks. On the first day, a single lemon diluted in water should be taken about an hour to breakfast. On the second day, two lemons should be taken, third day three lemons until the seventh day where seven lemons should be taken. On the subsequent week, the lemon taken should be from seven on the eighth day, to six on the ninth day, and continue consequently until one lemon on the last day (14th day).
Note – Lemon treatment must not be done by any of the following class of people:
* Those with low amounts of calcium
* The elderly
* Those with renal failure, and
* The anemics |
Plumbing Tips That Can Assist You OutDid you know that you run the risk of freezing your plumbing pipes if you have any rooms that are not heated? This can sometimes come unexpectedly because you expect the adjoining rooms of your house to stay warm enough. For this and other plumbing tips, read the rest of this article.
Do not try to sell a product that you do not agree with. This includes paying attention to the company itself and their values and policies. If you have any qualms about the company, your customers will pick up on it. You want to be a full supporter of the product you are selling
Use your garbage disposal with the cold water running so that you can preserve the blades of the disposal. Using hot water makes grease more liquid and can cause problems, including clogs. Make sure to clean blades by putting in a little dish detergent and run cold water at the same time.
If a pipe ever freezes, you need to make sure to shut off the water. This will keep the pipe from bursting and causing you major damage to your home. Make sure to shut the water off at the main valve, and then open the faucet that is closest to the frozen pipe so it can drain while it is thawing out.
Frozen and bursting pipes from harsh winter weather is a problem that no-one wants, so plan now to winterize your exterior faucets and pipes against freezing conditions. A simple way to accomplish this is to find the exterior water shut-off valve located inside your home (often located in the basement). Turn off the water valve to stop water flow, and then open up the outside faucets to drain out any water that has collected. Be sure to turn off the outside water faucets tightly after the water has drained out. Take in any hoses you may have outside so they don't crack from the cold weather.
Always use cold water when your garbage disposal is running. The cold water keeps your blades sharp, which helps your disposal run smooth. Hot water can liquify grease and cause it to collect in the drain, and that can clog the pipes.
Clean you can find out more to adjust water pressure issues which result from sediment build up. After removing the aerator, use an old toothbrush with some vinegar on it to clean the sediment off. Then all you need to do is rinse and reassemble the aerator before putting it back on the faucet. Clean the aerator, it might increase your water pressure.
Sometimes you have to make the choice between replacing or repairing. If you have an old appliance, that uses a lot of water or electricity, it may be best to replace. Sure, it will cost more initially, but it will save you money in the long run. The other thing is, you can't be sure how well a repair will work out, whereas with a new appliance you'll at least get a guarantee.
If you are using PEX tubing for the supply lines in your home, make sure you get the right tools for the job. More Information and facts requires a completely different tool type than regular lines. PEX has a lot of benefits though, so don't let the different requirements throw you off.
When you wash your hands, be sure that you have not left any soap on the faucet handles. What people do not know is that leaving soap on these fixtures can cause fixtures to corrode. Just take after you are done washing your hands to remove excess soap from the handles.
If you have a lot of hair in your shower drain, be sure to get a stopper and put it in the drain. This will catch the hair from going down the drain, which can clog it. Just make sure that you remove hair that is already in the drain before using the stopper.
Do not, under any circumstances, put lemons down your disposal. Although the lemon smell will give your disposal a great smell, its acid can corrode the metal parts in it. Instead, use products that are made specifically for this use. You can purchase these products at most hardware stores or wherever cleaning products are sold.
Use a product like BioBen if you are planning to leave your system shut off for a few weeks. Water will still remain in the pipes and could start smelling because it is not moving. This type of product will keep the water from stagnating and from smelling too bad.
If you live in an environment where winters get cold, it is crucial that you prepare your pipes for the winter. Leaving pipes as is can cause them to freeze which can create severe plumbing issues. Have your faucet open a little bit when it is really cold to prevent frozen pipes.
Using a snake tool to remove blockages is very easy. Just insert the tool a few inches into the drain, and then turn the handle to change the direction of the snake head and search for blockages. Continue moving down slowly and searching until you find the cause of your blockage. |
After the American Psychiatric Association (APA) approved the latest version of its diagnostic bible, the DSM-5, psychiatrist Allen Frances, the former chair of the DSM-4 taskforce and currently professor emeritus at Duke, announced, “This is the saddest moment in my 45-year career of practicing, studying and teaching psychiatry” (“ A Tense Compromise on Defining Disorders”).
On Jan. 7, 2013 in “Last Plea to DSM-5: Save Grief From the Drug Companies," Frances wrote, “Making grief a mental disorder will be a bonanza for drug companies, but a disaster for grievers. The decision is also self-destructive for DSM-5 and further undermines the credibility of the APA. Psychiatry should not be mislabeling the normal.”
In the DSM-4, which Frances helped create, there had been a so-called “bereavement exclusion,” which stated that grieving the loss of a loved one, even when accompanied by symptoms of depression, should not be considered the psychiatric disorder of depression. Prior to the DSM-5, the APA had acknowledged that to have symptoms of depression while grieving the loss of a loved one is normal and not a disease. Come this spring, normal human grief accompanied by depression symptoms will be a mental disorder. Psychiatry’s official diagnostic battle is over. Mental illness gatekeepers such as Frances who are concerned about further undermining the credibility of the APA have lost, and mental illness expansionists —psychiatry’s “neocons”— have won. |
The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an edited by Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Cambridge Companions to Religion: Cambridge University Press) As the living scriptural heritage of more than a billion people, the Qur'an (Koran) speaks with a powerful voice. Just as other scriptural religions, Islam has produced a long tradition of interpretation for its holy book. Nevertheless, efforts to introduce the Qur'an and its intellectual heritage to English-speaking audiences have been hampered by the lack of available resources. The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an seeks to remedy that situation. In a discerning summation of the field, Jane McAuliffe brings together an international team of scholars to explain its complexities. Comprising fourteen chapters, each devoted to a topic of central importance, the book is rich in historical, linguistic and literary detail, while also reflecting the influence of other disciplines. For both the university student and the general reader, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an provides a fascinating entrée to a text that has shaped the lives of millions for centuries. (volume not seen)
Logic, Rhetoric and Legal Reasoning in the Qur'an: God's
[Hardcover] Muslims have always used verses from the Qur'an to
support opinions on law, theology, or life in general, but
almost no attention has been paid to how the Qur'an presents
its own precepts as conclusions proceeding from reasoned
arguments. Whether it is a question of God's powers of
creation, the rationale for his acts, or how people are to
think clearly about their lives and fates, Muslims have so
internalized Qur'anic patterns of reasoning that many affirm
that the Qur'an appeals first of all to the human powers of
This book provides a new key to both the Qur'an and Islamic intellectual history. Examining Qur'anic argument by form and not content helps readers to discover the significance of passages often ignored by the scholar who compares texts and the believer who focuses upon commandments, as it allows scholars of Qur'anic exegesis, Islamic theology, philosophy, and law to tie their findings in yet another way to the text that Muslims consider the speech of God.
Inspired by Ghazali's short treatise, the present work is a longer and much more detailed analysis of Qur'anic argument. The text of the Qur'an, closely examined, yields more than thirty varieties of explicit and implicit argument, elements of argument, techniques, and demonstrations. For ease of reference, each of these is stipulated to be an "argument." The present arrangement owes something to the discipline of classical rhetoric; yet the Qur'an is not a forum. Arguments change direction and force when they are addressed not to one group of human beings by another human being but to the entire human race by God. God appeals to authority in his pronouncements, but the authority is his own, not that of a third party, as it would be were the same argument to proceed from the mouth of a human being. God argues by cause and effect, but the cause is himself as Creator of the order of nature. And God invites human beings to consider the evidence of his signs, but he shows that the scope of induction is not absolute by reminding them that their minds are limited, that they tend to forget and go astray, and that the conclusions of their specious reasoning often are not only untrue but invalid and hence absurd.
Now, by "Qur'anic argument" I do not mean a jurist's or theologian's rearrangement of Qur'anic passages to yield a conclusion not found in the text of the Qur'an itself. Here "Qur'anic argument" signifies the existence in the Qur'an of full arguments with premises and conclusions, antecedents and consequents, constructions a fortiori, commands supported by justification, conclusions produced by rule-based reasoning, comparisons, contrasts, and many other patterns. These arguments occur within a single verse or sequence of verses; in the latter case due attention has been paid to the occasions of the revelations (asbab al-nuzul) in order not to be misled by any fortuitous contiguity of verses. With a few exceptions, I have not constructed arguments as jurists and theologians did, by combining verses separated by text and time. The exceptions are recurrent arguments such as the reasoning from material phenomena to the existence of a creator: not every premise or conclusion is restated every time. Augmenting one such passage with parallel passages from elsewhere in the Qur'an is both a traditional and a scholarly method for clarifying the meaning.
The fact that many Qur'anic arguments can be analyzed by formal logic is in no way an assertion that Muhammad was "influenced" by Greek or Hellenistic thought, or, for that matter, that Aristotle was a direct recipient of divine revelation.2 Cogent argument is a product not only of formal logical training but of intelligence, language skills, and motivation, as anyone knows who has studied logic but lost an argument to someone who has not.
Because humans are capable of constructing rational arguments, mainstream Muslim scholars have not counted the presence of such arguments in the Qur'an as part of its ijaz ("miraculous inimitability") or proof of its divine origin. According to al-Baqillani (d. 403/1013), his Khurasani Ash`arite colleagues were "crazy about" that idea, "but the basis upon which they are constructing it is, in our opinion, unsound (ghayr mustaqim)." A modern opinion to the same effect was given to me by Dr. al-Sayyid Rizq al-Tawil, Dean of the College of Islamic and Arabic Studies at al-Azhar University.
Because of the rhetorical arrangement of components and the polyvalence of many Arabic words, particularly particles that serve as logical operators, it is not always immediately clear how an argument should be classified. I have identified arguments that can be cast into more than one form and presented the alternate forms. I have analyzed the arguments that have separate identities as rhetorical figures and distinguished their rhetorical and logical elements. As previously noted, I have, with help from the exegetes, made elements implicit in commonly abbreviated arguments explicit in order to recast the arguments in logical form. I have not used symbolic logic but have analyzed all arguments according to concepts developed by the ancient and modern logicians whose field is not symbolic logic but natural language, logos, from which "logic" took its name.
The first three chapters examine how the Qur'an establishes the truths that serve as the premises of all Qur'anic argument. Chapter 1 analyzes elements of the Covenant between God and humanity, the relationship that is the logical key to scriptural argument in Abrahamic religions. Chapter 2 explains two ways in which the Qur'an validates the covenantal premises. First, it presents numerous divine signs as proof of the absolute power of God, Second, it recites events from sacred history, such as the sending of scriptures and prophets, as precedents from which God has not deviated and which are therefore binding upon humans. The concept of normative precedent (sunna, pl. sunan) was integral to the structure of pre-Islamic Arab society; the Prophet's contemporaries would have found it a uniquely effective argument. Chapter 3 examines sunna in its distinctive Qur'anic form: the sunna of God.
Beginning with Chapter 4, we see how the Qur'an uses Covenant, sign, and precedent as known truths to construct complex arguments both explicit and implicit. The chapter uses two separate modes of argument, rule-based reasoning and the logic of commands, to analyze the Covenant as a set of rules validating divine imperatives. Chapter 5 distinguishes "rules" from "laws" and shows how the Qur'an translates divine rules and commandments into laws that apply to human beings but exhibit such juridical nuances as priority, equivalence, exception, and limitation.
Chapters 6 and 7 further expand the repertoire of argument by taking two "common topics" from the field of rhetoric and supplying examples of the multiple forms that each topic assumes in the Qur'an. Chapter 6 analyzes arguments whose power of proof rests upon comparison with known things; it follows the theme of "comparison" in both its positive and negative manifestations, such as the consistent resemblance between God's prophets and the consistently invincible ignorance of their opponents. Chapter 7 deals with "contrast," a much more fundamental principle in that it begins with the difference between God and his creation. In it I show how arguments based upon contrast are indispensable for convincing skeptical humans to discriminate between belief and unbelief in order to make the decisions upon which their souls depend.
Chapters 8 and 9 enter the field of classical formal logic, taking up Ghazali's and Najm al-Din al-Tufi's analyses of arguments and applying them to a broader selection of Qur'anic verses. Chapter 8 discovers examples in the Qur'an of ten of the nineteen possible moods of the Aristotelian categorical syllogism. Chapter 9 examines Qur'anic examples of conditional and disjunctive syllogisms as originally schematized by logicians of the Stoic school.
Chapter 10 uses several extended examples of debates between prophets and their interlocutors to demonstrate how the Qur'an combines various forms of argument to support its teachings, illustrate debating technique and etiquette, and demolish the counter-arguments of the opposition. Chapter 11 presents the conclusions of this study of Qur'anic argument and suggests directions for future research.
Here is a schematic outline of the arguments that appear in this book:
I believe that the reader will be surprised at how thick with argument the Qur'an actually is. It has long been common practice to analyze the Qur'an's historical and legal material, Biblical parallels and divergences, punishment-stories, rhetorical figures, vocabulary and grammar, data that bear on the life of the Prophet and other thematic selections — all indispensable disciplines. But after having previously concentrated upon some of the areas mentioned above, I found that analyzing Qur'anic argument was like discovering a trove of hidden verses.
As often as Muslim thinkers cite Qur'anic prototypes for purposes of argument, comparatively few works have been dedicated to analyzing Qur'anic argument per se. Al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505)5 notes that Najm al-Din al-Tuft "singled the matter out for a treatise (afradahu bi-al-tasnif)"; he does not give the title, but it is Alam al-Jadhal fi Ilm al-Jadal; the Hanbali author died in Hebron in 716/1316. In fact, less than half of that work is what we might call tafsir jadali. The first ninety-one pages are an introduction to juridical debate and forensic logic, including sections on questions and answers, inference (al-istidlal), qiyas, and counter-arguments (al-i`tiradat). Tuft then uses technical terms from those disciplines to analyze Qur'anic argument, and he ends with sections on famous debates and witty exchanges which resemble debates "even though they may not come within their formal boundaries."? Suyuti fails to mention the source for much of his own material, Burhan al-Din al-Zarkashi's (d. 794/1391) encyclopedic al-Burhan fi 'Wurn al-Qur'an.
Some books on Qur'anic argument are simple handbooks meant to aid debaters in their disputations. Kitab Hujaj al-Qur'an by the Hanafi Ahmad b. Muhammad b. al-Muzaffar al-Razi (d. 630/ 1233-34) consists of lists of verses, followed by brief explications and hadith, which were to serve as proof-texts for debates over such topics as predestination, free will, and the Beatific Vision. In his Kitab Istikhraj al-Jidal min al-Qur'an al-Karim, 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Hanbali (d. 634/1236-7) also arranges the Qur'anic arguments not by type or in Qur'anic order, but by the points to be proven, such as the unicity of God and the prophethood of Muhammad. In his final chapter, however, Ibn al-Hanbali discusses the techniques used in the Qur'an to confound the prophets' adversaries and the enemies of God. (I shall examine some of these debates in Chapter 12.) Suyuti mentions neither of these works.
An interesting and far more sophisticated development of the genre can be found in works whose declared purpose is to prove the superiority of the Qur'an over Greek logic. Thus the title of a book by 'Abd Allah b. al-Murtada al-Yamani, known as Ibn al-Wazir (d. 840/1436, apparently unknown by Suyuti) is self-explanatory: Tarjih Asalib al-Quran 'aia Asa-kb al-Yunan. A modern work with many of the same concerns is Manahij al-Jadal fi al-Qur'an al-Karim by Ibn al-Hanbali's modern editor, Dr. Zahir al-Alma`i. Dr. Khalil Ahmad Khalil's Jadaliyat al-Qur'an declares an interest in discovering the political ramifications of the Qur'an's unifying effect as seen in the early Muslims' defeat of the Ethiopians, Byzantines, and Persians." An excellent survey of both traditional and modern works in the field is Jane Dammen McAuliffe's indispensable "'Debate with them in the better way': the construction of a Qur'anic commonplace."12
Though Qur'anic reasoning underlies the immense structure of Islamic theology and law, relatively few books analyze the structure of Qur'anic proofs. This is not to say that Muslim scholars were ignorant of Qur'anic reasoning; on the contrary, they were so deeply imbued with it that it was not even second nature for them but first nature — fitra. For that very reason, I have taken the text of the Qur'an itself as the primary source for this book. My analyses of arguments are supported, supplemented, and (no doubt) sometimes contradicted by material from exegeses and other sources but have not been formed by them in the first instance, except for that initial inspiration from Ghazali.
A distinction is in order here. "Argument" is a multivalent term in English: when translated by the Arabic word jadal, it more commonly indicates "debate." There is, of course, a wealth of literature on that subject, and Qur'anic precedents such as those cited in Chapter 10 are invariably invoked both to legitimate the procedure and to stipulate the etiquette that is to be observed. The Qur'anic models are often obscured, however, by the preoccupation with forensics, that is, by the shift of focus from patterns of proof to techniques for the defeat of adversaries. In spite of the fact that of the twenty-nine mentions of jadal in the Qur'an, all but three (Q 16:125, 29:46, and 58:1) condemn it,' 3 works in the genre are so focused upon the elements of procedure — the techniques employed, the evidence cited, the winner, the loser — that only incidentally do some undertake logical analysis of Qur'anic passages.
That, however, is the sole topic of this book.
Reasoning and argument are so integral to the content of the Qur'an and so inseparable from its structure that they in many ways shaped the very consciousness of Qur'anic scholars. Exegetes internalized the idiom, and perhaps for that very reason it did not become a separate genre within the field of `ulum al-Qur'an. That helps to account for the wide range of approaches to Qur'anic exegesis and for every exegete's conviction that his approach is justified, indeed dictated, by the sacred text, whether his focus is simple commandments and prohibitions or extended logical analysis of the arguments that underlie the entire text. Thus a figure as controversial as Fakhr al-Din al-Razi could be accused of compiling a tafsir that contained everything except tafsir, while he himself wrote at the end of his life that, after experiencing all branches of kalam and philosophy, "I have not found in them either satisfaction or comfort to equal that which I have found in reading the Qur'an."
Muslims esteem not just every verse of the Qur'an but every single word as irreplaceably significant. Amidst the wealth of analysis that countless scholars have devoted to its individual words, verses, suras, themes, structures, and tropes; and to its commands, prohibitions, literary and historical content, theology, and parallels with other scriptures, I have attempted to focus my attention and that of my readers upon what I see as the Qur'an's most basic framework of meaning. After returning to al-Qistas al-mustaqim and reapplying Ghazali's methods to the Qur'an, I discerned in it a far broader range of arguments than Ghazali's five, whereupon I set out to classify the reasoned procedures by which the Qur'an situates its rhetorical, historical, legal, and theological elements on its own spectrum of significance. I have attempted in this book to analyze as many types of Qur'anic argument as I was able to recognize, using English terminology common to the humanities, together with certain indispensable terms in Greek, Latin, and Arabic. I have done it this way for two reasons. First, it seemed beside the point, in a book written in English, to reproduce the Arabic techniques of rhetorical and logical analysis, translate the Arabic terms, and then explain how they work using the terminology that I would be using in the first place. Second, many of the traditional techniques of analysis were heavily influenced by Qur'anic style to begin with; thus using them alone to analyze the text would often yield what were essentially circular arguments.
Herein lies the value of Ghazali's system (and I hope, by extension, of my own): it is largely independent of language structures yet takes full cognizance of meanings to assure that any given argument is appropriately schematized and that all possible schemata have been taken into consideration.
Whoever has a scale determines by it the measure of countless substances. The same is true for whoever has al-qistas al-mustaqim: he has the Wisdom which brings to whoever has received it a great and endless benefit ... All sciences are not present in the Glorious Qur'an in an explicit form, but they are present potentially (bi-1-quwwa), because of the existence therein of the True Scales (al-mawazin al-qist) by which are opened the gates of infinite Wisdom.
Using more technical language, al-Suyuti says essentially the same thing:
The `ulama' have said that the great Qur'an contains all types of proofs (barahin) and evidence (adilla): there is no type of proof (burhan) or evidence (dalala) or disjunction (taqsim) or warning (tandhir) constructed from the entire range of things known by reason or authority which God has not articulated. But He conveyed it according to the customs of the Arabs, without the fine points of the methods of the theologians.
Here follows a summary of the techniques found to be relevant for analysis of Qur'anic argument, with their methodological applications.
Finally, having summarized my findings as presented in the first ten chapters, I shall use the present chapter to suggest further lines of research using the same methods.
One who chooses to focus upon the Qur'an itself may wish to discover all instances of a given type of argument, such as argument from precedent or the reasoning that supports divine commands, and expand upon the contents of that argument and its possible variants. It is also a common scholarly procedure to focus upon a single Qur'anic theme, such as the truth of a prophet's message or the importance of prayer, but very often this is done by tracing only textual similarities and variants. Attention to the multiple types of argument that the Qur'an uses to make the point(s) at issue will add new dimensions to both the analysis of the text and the understanding of the audience's reception.
Clearly, the "audience reception" most accessible to the scholar lies in the massive work of the exegetes. One gauge of the evolution of tafsir is the increasing sophistication with which it engages Qur'anic argument, and the methods set forth in this book are useful in evaluating the differences between earlier and later works. Some exegeses, such as those of Zamakhshari and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, are known for their "rationalist" tone; and Razi in particular has a solid bibliography of works on logic in addition to the content of the extensive methodological preface to Mafatih al-Ghayb that appears in his commentary on the Fatiha. It is all the more instructive, then, to analyze his treatment of Qur'anic arguments that fall outside the realm of logic as he understood it.
Legal exegeses of the genre ahkam al-Qur'an, such as the works of Jassas and Qurtubi quoted in earlier chapters, deserve far more scholarly attention than they have so far received.? I have found that analyzing Qur'anic argument is particularly useful in understanding works of this type, in that one can begin to discern in a systematic manner how the legal point of a passage is or is not dependent upon time and place, and the circumstances, status, and mental state of the people involved. Perhaps for the same reasons, I have found these methods unexpectedly useful as an aid to scrutinizing the reasoning of extremist Islamists, particularly their use of the Qur'an to justify the most violent actions and to exclude other Muslims from consideration as brothers and sisters in faith. I have attempted in my approach to Qur'anic argument to combine methodological rigor with an understanding of Qur'anic priorities. Now when I take up any passage from the Qur'an, any verse chosen at random, I cannot but be aware that the manner in which it argues its own significance is integral to its meaning. I offer the techniques of analysis presented in this book in the hope that others will find them useful additions to the ones that they and other colleagues in the field have developed over so many years. Najm al-Din al-Tufi concludes his section on tafsir with these remarks:
Know that ... I have mentioned only what is self-evident and well-known (zahir an mashhur an) from among instances of debate and cases which involve proof (al-waqa'i` aljadaliya wa-l-qadaya al-istidlaliya); otherwise, when the Qur'an is contemplated, much more will be found in it than I have mentioned, because it appeared as a miracle in its entirety and in its details. And the nature (sha'n) of a miracle is to confound the opponent and prove the opposite of what he alleges, so know this. And perhaps I have failed to [include] something on the topic that is well known, whether through ignorance, or laziness, or being content with something similar to it that has been repeated, or some other similar reason.
In the same spirit of humility, and with the same reservations about having presented only a sample of the whole, I conclude this book.
Michel Cuypers is specialist on Biblical and Semitic Studies, and a follower of Charles de Foucauld. Cuypers resided in Iran for twelve years, first at a leper colony in Tabriz, and later studying Persian language and literature in Teheran. He obtained a doctorate in Persian literature from the University of Teheran in 1983. He studied Arabic in Syria and Egypt, and in 1989 he moved to Cairo, where he presently resides as a researcher at the Dominican Institute for Eastern Studies. Since 1994 Cuypers has utilized the method of rhetorical analysis on the composition of the Qur an text. His articles and essays are being increasingly appreciated by Muslim scholars.
In addition, works devoted to the Qur'an's structures of composition, at least as Cuypers sheds light on them, can be supported by very little classical Muslim work. The big question which seems to arise is thus, how is it that, for almost a millennium and a half no Muslim scholar turned to the examination of Semitic rhetoric in general, and Arabic rhetoric in particular, to explain the Qur'an's «incoherences» which always struck literary scholars? It was not a lack of desire on their part — the aims of the vast literature of the Nazm al-Qur'an («The organization of the Qur'an») or the I'jaz al-Qur'an («The inimitability of the Qur'an») are, among others, to find plausible justification for the apparent lack of coherence of the Muslims' sacred text. However, among the hundreds and hundreds of commentators on the Qur'an, exegetes and hermeneutical scholars, grammarians and lexicographers, philologists and philosophers, mystics, theologians and legislators, the number of Muslim scholars who have studied the stylistic structures of the Qur'an whom Cuypers quotes can virtually be counted on the fingers of one hand. What is more, on his own admission, from Abu Bakr al-Nisaburi, al-Zarkashi and al-Biqa'i in the Middle Ages, to Amin Ahsan Islahi and Sa'id Hawwa in the present day, none of these unusual and largely unknown authors has managed to come up with objectively convincing results. Cuypers' hypothesis to explain this vast lacuna is that at the time when Muslim scholars began to be interested in the Qur'an's stylistic organization, Semitic rhetoric had already been completely forgotten, covered over by the influence of late-Hellenistic rhetoric. As this was focused on the study of figures of speech and tropes (metaphor, metonymy, comparison, etc.), which only dealt with the smallest units of text (words and phrases), Arabic rhetoric went the same way, ignoring the study of the composition of the discourse, which constituted the basics of Semitic rhetoric. From then on, Arabic rhetoric was powerless to resolve the questions that scholars were asking about the text's organization.
I must confess that, for me, the question remains open; nevertheless, the pertinence and solidity of the work of the author of this book have always struck me. For a long time, I have even shared with him my wish to see brought together in one volume his many articles on the short suras, a wish which is still as keen as ever. For more than ten years, Cuypers has patiently developed his detailed system for rhetorical analysis of the Qur'an. This preface is obviously not the place to explain a very rich method based on such a complex discipline as rhetoric. However, it is appropriate to emphasize that the great technical skill in Cuypers' work is neither free nor arbitrary. On the contrary, it is constantly deployed in rigorous methodology, systematic reasoning, and implacable logic. Cuypers' aim in The Banquet was to know whether the rhetorical analysis which he had applied for so long to the older, short Meccan suras was as pertinent to a long, late Medinan sura such as sura five. To my mind, he has succeeded in a clear and perfectly-mastered way. The conclusion which he draws is that the Qur'an is composed throughout according to the same rhetoric. Among the most obvious implications of this conclusion it seems that, on the one hand, the Qur'an has a literary unity and coherence which make sense and, on the other, rhetorical analysis, based on the examination of the composition, can perfectly well help in the interpretation of the text of the Qur'an, the more so if, as in this book, it is accompanied by a study of the «interscriptural context» (the Qur'an's re-writing of the Bible and the other texts related to it). So the question which fundamentally concerns our author is not the history of the writing of the Qur'an, but the text's significance in its final redactional state. In this sense, the coherence of his approach is constant.
One of the remarkable results which Cuypers' analyses, both rigorous and objective, draw out is what we might call the <<strategic» placing of two types of Qur'anic text. Alongside the traditional distinction between passages dealing with circumstantial events and facts (touching on the domain of belief— 'aqida, pl. aqa'id) and passages containing universal messages (concerning the domain of faith — n), his rhetorical examination clearly shows, in the sura being studied, that the former always have a «peripheral» position, while the latter enjoy a «centrality» which emphasizes their greater importance and sacred nature. Given the main theme of the fifth sura, Cuypers is particularly interested in the relations between Islam and other religions, or more precisely between Muslims, Jews and Christians. He thus shows the peripheral place, and therefore the secondary, almost circumstantial nature, of the passages which deal with tensions and violence towards, and repression of, non-Muslims, and the centrality, and therefore the primordial and universal nature of the passages which phasize the deep unity, harmony and fraternity of the three so-called «Abrahamic» faiths. There is no need to mention the huge importance which such discoveries can bring both spiritually and politically.
Like the Bible, the Qur'an now belongs to the universal cultural and religious heritage. The globalization of Islam' and the mass emigration of Muslims to the West have placed their Holy Book within the reach of all, whether or not they share the Islamic faith. While it is physically accessible to all, however, this book cannot be easily tackled. The Westerner who attempts to read it for the first time, particularly in translation, is rapidly thrown off course by this text, with its disconnected sequences, where subjects follow one another and are mixed up among one another without any discernable logic or order. Let us see what Jacques Berque, one of the greatest French specialists of the Qur'an in the twentieth century, has to say on this matter:
Those who, with no preparation, tackle these [suras in the Qur'an] find themselves overwhelmed by its profusion and apparent disorder. Many Westerners mention incoherence — the discussion ranges from one subject to another, without being followed up, and without being exhausted. The same theme and motif return here and there with no discernable regularity. It is impossible to find one's place in a dense text explained neither by the titles of the suras, nor by the breaks which translators introduce arbitrarily, nor by the framework or other indices which they claim to provide us with. All in all, despite some good chunks, it is, one might say, a very deceptive read!
The South African Muslim intellectual Farid Esack admits that «the Qur'an is a difficult book for those who are "strangers" to it to penetrate, and indeed even for many Muslims who simply want to read it».
This rather general observation, in both the non-Muslim and the Muslim worlds, called for research into the composition of the Qur'anic text. Are the different fragments which make it up arranged according to a certain internal logic which brings coherence and unity, that is, a greater intelligibility, to the text? This question is far from new— it was asked of the Qur'anic commentators from the very beginnings of Qur'anic exegesis. In fact, we find it written within the Qur'an itself: «Those who have disbelieved have said: "Why has not the Qur'an been sent down to him all at once?" Thus (have We sent it) that We may confirm level of the text much further. The studies cited above, which are quite brief, do not go beyond examining the division of the long sequences in the suras.
Thus we can see that both from the point of view of Islamic exegesis and from Orientalist study, the question of the text's coherence is of the moment. The development of structural linguistics in the twentieth century was not for nothing.
The solution did not, however, come directly from modern linguistics, but from a particular current in biblical exegesis which took form in the mid-eighteenth century, and which gradually discovered the rules which governed the writings of the books of the Bible. The starting point was the study of «parallel members» in not only the Psalms but also the Prophets, by Rev. Robert Lowth, professor at Oxford and later Bishop of Oxford and then London, in his 35 Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews (1753), which became a classic of biblical exegesis. At the same time, the German Johann-Albrecht Bengel noted the importance of another rhetorical figure, the chiasmus, in the Bible. Beginning with the study of these few figures of rhetoric in the Bible, further observations and systematizations would develop during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and even in the twentieth century.
Today there is no doubt that it is Roland Meynet, who teaches exegesis at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and the Director of this «Rhetorica Semitica» series, who has pushed the theory and application of what he has called «rhetorical analysis» the furthest'°. Others prefer the term «structure analysis» to differentiate it from «structural analysis»" — the former is interested in the «surface structures» of the text, which can be located from the words in the text, while the latter seeks the «deep structures» of which the author is not normally aware.
This new discipline has recently gone beyond the purely biblical studies. It has shown itself to be pertinent to the study of the composition of other Semitic texts, some — Akkadian and Ugaritic — very ancient, and others of late antiquity— the Islamic traditions (hadiths) in al-Bukhari's great eleventh-century collection", and even to the Qur'an itself. Applying rhetorical analysis to the short and medium Meccan suras of the Qur'an immediately demonstrated that it was the perfect tool for decoding their composition". Less sophisticated than other tools of modern linguistics, it also has the advantage of only using simple terms from every-day language («segments», «pieces», «parts», «passages», etc.), which as a consequence are easily accessible to the non-specialist. The fact that it has been tested for a long time by biblical scholars who marry academic rigor with respect for a text which they consider to be the revealed Word of God, should remove Muslim readers' suspicion — the inopportune use of modern humanities in the study of the Qur'an has sometimes made Muslims afraid that the Qur'an is being reduced to a purely secular object of study, a text like any other, with its sacred nature pared away. While rhetorical analysis shakes up the methods of traditional exegesis, and «desacralizes» it in some way, it suppresses nothing of the sacred nature of the text itself, which is wholly respected as it exists canonically. It simply describes the structure, with the aim of understanding the meaning that that carries.
The pertinence of rhetorical analysis for the long Medinan suras, clearly more complex and apparently more disordered than the brief Meccan suras, remained to be demonstrated, and this is the initial aim of this work. The choice fell on «The Table» sura principally because of its late dating — it is claimed to be the last (or, some say, the penultimate) long sura to be revealed. It was particularly interesting to examine whether such a late text obeyed the same principles of composition as the short suras from the start of the Qur'anic revelation. If the answer were positive, one might be able to extrapolate that the whole Qur'an was composed in the same way, following the same «rhetoric». Let me say at once that this will in fact be the result of our research.
The use here of the term «rhetoric» may puzzle some readers, because it is not used in its usual sense. Literary and Qur'anic studies have, since the dawn of Islamic culture, and undeniably under the influence of late Greek rhetoric, developed a rhetoric which is understood to be the art of embellishing discourse by figures of speech (metaphor, metonymy, synonymy, antithesis, etc). As a consequence it was only interested in the smallest units of the text — the words or sentences. The question of the composition of the discourse as such, which Aristotle tackled in his Rhetoric under the title dispositio (arrangement of the discourse) remained foreign to Arabic rhetoric, despite the questions raised by the Qur'an's composition, or rather its apparent non-composition. It remained powerless to answer these questions. However, rhetoric as we understand it, as «the art of the composition of the discourse» is not unconnected to the art of «figures of speech». Semitic rhetoric, which was used in the East before Greek rhetoric took over, was, of course, based upon some fundamental «figures of speech» — parallelism and chiasmus, among others, but used at every level of the text's organization. «Rhetorical analysis» is precisely the systematization of these figures of speech at their different levels.
It goes without saying that, while we hold that the study of the composition of the text is an indispensable stage of exegesis, it is not the only one. On its own it would not stand up without an examination of vocabulary and grammar. This work does not claim any originality in these areas, which have been widely explored both in Islamic tradition and in Orientalist research. We will occasionally allude to this in the section on «Points of Vocabulary», or during the course of the commentary.
The work of the analysis of the text very swiftly demonstrated the need to bring together the study of its «Composition» (the main section of the different parts of this research) with its «Interscriptural context» (the title of the third section). Both these approaches to the text — analysis of its composition and intertextuality — while different, turned out to complement one another closely. Attention to the immediate literary context of a textual unit— essential in rhetorical analysis — immediately draws attention to its broader context within the book as a whole (what Muslim exegetes call «the commentary of the Qur'an by the Qur'an»), and beyond that, in the external context of all the sacred literature the Book is related tor, which, for the Qur'an means first and foremost the Bible and the parabiblical writings — rabbinic, intertestamental and apocryphal writings, Jewish and Christian liturgical texts, etc18. There is of course no question of criticizing «borrowings», «imitations» or «influences» from apologetic or polemical intentions, as a certain Orientalism in bad taste has done, but rather recognizing that the Qur'an shares a phenomenon which is characteristic of Biblical writings — re-writing. The books of the Bible unceasingly re-appropriate earlier writings, reusing them and turning them to a new perspective which makes revelation advance. The Qur'an does no different, although it does so in a different way from the Bible, as we will see more clearly at the end of our reading: since it positions itself as the final revelation in the Judeo-Christian tradition, it has had to re-assume the earlier traditions while making its own mark on the texts it repeats in this way. Far from reducing the Qur'an to a pastiche of earlier writings, the intertextual or «interscriptural» work we will undertake removes none of its originality, but on the contrary, better draws it out.
The study of the text's composition would be but of limited interest were it not to lead to what is its aim — the interpretation of the text. The intertextual study is, in truth, already a part of this. However, in a further section («Elements of interpretation»), an interpretation which seems to us to come from the composition will be found. We have given the title «elements of interpretation» to this section as we feel that it is for Muslims to interpret more deeply the text of the Qur'an. We therefore make no other claim than to suggest «interpretative angles» (which some may already judge to be rather overcrowded, as the subject matter has sometimes taken us beyond the limits we set ourselves initially!). We have had fewer scruples in our work on the intertextual aspects, which require a familiarity with the biblical literature which Muslim readers rarely possess.
The analysis of the text's composition may seem rather dry and laborious to some. Through our analysis in this work, however, and in the synthesis of the final chapter, we will see that the stakes, both theological and juridical, are high. This is far from being of merely literary or aesthetic interest.
Probably because of the fragmentation of the Qur'anic text, traditional exegesis has most often proceeded verse by verse, without considering their content or the larger textual groupings of which they are part, the result has been an «atomistic» vision of the text, with all verses having equal weight. The great Egyptian reformer Muhammad 'Abduh (d. 1905) already considered that the verses of the Qur'an should not all be read at the same level. He distinguished those verses which proclaimed essential dogmas of the Islamic faith from other, more circumstantial verses whose teaching or prescriptions were linked to particular historical situations and, therefore, susceptible to development. We hope to show that this distinction is reflected in the composition of the text itself, with verses which are «universal principles» often, if not always, having privileged, central rhetorical places, in contrast with other, more particular verses, which surround them; this may have serious consequences for the interpretation of the Islamic faith and law. An objective criterion which is purely formal could support the widely-held opinion among the Muslim «new thinkers» that a distinction needs to be made in the Qur'an between what is universal and unchangeable, and what is an exhortation or prescription governed by the historical circumstances of Muhammad's preaching.
This distinction might operate in particular in sura 5, which gives a certain number of rules for the life of Muslims and also deals at length with Islam's relations with Jews and Christians— all very contemporary questions. The jurisconsults (fuqaha') have depended heavily on the juridical verses in this sura, and many classical commentaries devote many pages to it. While not neglecting them, we will treat them in a more sober manner, not having to consider the developments which Islamic law later gave them. Above all, beyond the hierarchy of rules and laws, we will retain the flexibility which the Qur'an shows in many cases in its rulings, a greater flexibility than is often thought. On the other hand, the relations of the Muslim community with the Jews and, even more, with the Christians, will keep our attention — complex relations arising from convivium (sharing food and marriage with Jewish and Christian women are permitted; Christians are «the closest by friendship» to the Muslims); rivalry and superseding (Islam substitutes the Jewish and Christian covenants); seduction (Jews and Christians are called to conversion); hostility and condemnation (particularly towards the Jews); juridical and dogmatic polemic (particularly towards the Christians); all finally, and unexpectedly, ending with a universalist vision in which the different religions have their place in God's mysterious design for humanity. The sura is not simply a series of anti-Jewish or anti-Christian polemics, as a superficial reading might lead us to think— it also paves the way for what could well become a true « Qur'anic theology of religions», as the structure of the text so clearly holds this meaning. The detour via the study of the composition of the sura in all its subtleties, which might appear rather onerous, will show itself not only useful, but necessary, to reach the message in all its plenitude.
As for the book's title, the reader must wait until the end of the work to understand it, just as the reader of the sura has to wait until the final verses to grasp its traditional title of «The Table». We preferred «The Banquet» to this title, because it obviously includes a table, while also giving the connotation of a festive meal, whose link with the new covenant, the sura's central theme, will be seen. The difference between the sura's title and that of the present work also seeks to signify the gap between the Qur'anic text and its interpretation.
Brief Sketch of Rhetorical Analysis
In the following pages, the reader will find the «glossary of technical terms» used in rhetorical analysis. However, it would seem to be a good idea to start by giving a very general idea of the method used in this approach to the text. The basic principle of composition in Semitic rhetoric is symmetry. The aim of the analysis will, therefore, essentially be to pinpoint the various forms of symmetry which make up the text, defining the relationships which they have with one another, and the textual divisions which they determine.
There are three of these symmetries — parallelism, or parallel construction, when related units of text reappear in the same order (ABC/A'B'C'); concentrism, or concentric construction, when the units of text are arranged concentrically around a center (ABCD/X/D'C'B'A'); and mirror construction, when the central element is missing (ABCD/D'C'B'A').
Alongside these «total symmetries» are also «partial symmetries» which can be located in the text by compositional indicators. We will mention outer terms, when these compositional indicators are found at the beginning and end of the unit they frame (this is what was traditionally called «inclusio»), initial terms, central terms and final terms, when they are respectively at the beginning, middle or end of the two symmetrical units, median terms, which are at the end of one unit and the start of the next (what Biblical scholars call the «link-word»).
The relationship between these terms can be a relationship of identity, synonymy (in its broad sense of «terms of similar meaning»), antithesis, homophony (which we will not encounter in this work), paronymy (or near-homonymy, which is quite frequent in the Qur'an), and also homography (identical spelling, not unusual in the Qur'an once the Arabic diacritical marks, which did not exist at the time the Qur'an was first written down, have been removed).
These indicators and symmetries exist at different levels within the text. They must be carefully distinguished from each other, starting from the lower («inferior») levels and working up to the higher («superior») levels:
The same goes for the four superior levels — the passage, sequence, section and book, each made up of one or more units (in any quantity) of the level which immediately precedes them. Sometimes intermediary levels — sub-part, subsequence and sub-section are added.
We should add some «laws» or ways of structuring the text to this outline of the method, and we will see the laws applied many times. They were theorized by the American Biblical Scholar Nils W. Lund, who published the results of his analysis of texts from the Old and New Testaments in 1930-40. Given their importance, and the number of times we will refer, explicitly or not, to them, we reproduce five of Lund's seven laws here.
The main divisions of this work, its «chapters», correspond to the analysis of the sura's eight «sequences», its two «sections» and, finally, the whole sura, with a concluding chapter.
At the start of the analysis of each sequence, a schema with a brief commentary gives an overview of the different passages which make it up. The passage titles are then used in the analysis of each one. At the end of each sequence is a table with the whole text, in which those terms which are rhetorically relevant are emphasized.
SECTIONS OF THE PASSAGES
Each passage is divided into several sections. «The text» of the passage is given first, followed, where appropriate, by «Points of vocabulary», then «Composition», which includes explanatory tables, «Elements of interpretation», and, finally, «Interscriptural context».
VERSION, LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION
The Qur'anic text we have used is the one which has become the official and most widely-known edition, known as the Cairo edition (1923)
It goes without saying that rhetorical analysis can only be practiced on the text's original language, that is, Arabic. However, to avoid too heavy a presentation, and, particularly, to remain accessible to any non-Arabic-speaking readers, we thought it preferable to offer the texts in English translation only. Let us clarify immediately that this translation is no more than a working tool, which follows the Arabic text as closely as possible to bring out the rhetorical particularities, at the risk of becoming an English text which needs correcting. As far as possible, the same word will be translated by the same English word, at least within the same context. We have been inspired by existing translations, in the French Blachère's and Hamidullah's, and in the English Arberry's and Bell's, because of their care to remain literal.
The hyphenation of some words in the translation indicates that these are one word in the original.
The tables give a re-writing of the Qur'anic text, in which:
The tables of pieces, parts and passages are detailed, and typographically distinguish the lower levels of rhetorical units which make them up. However, most of these divisions are not repeated in the tables for the sequences and sub-sequences.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPOSITION
In theory the tables would demonstrate the text's composition on their own. In practice, however, it is necessary to offer some commentary on them. References to the tables are by verse number followed by the letter which corresponds to the member under discussion — «2j» refers to the tenth line of v. 2. When the commentary refers to averse from a sura other than sura 5, the verse number is preceded by the sura number, separated by two periods—«4:6» refers to sura 4,v. 6.
The typesetting has tried to place the tables near to their explanation, placing them on facing pages so that the reader does not need to turn the page to refer to a table. Where it has not been possible to put all the explanations on the same page, the table is repeated on the following double page for the reader's facility.
More than one reader will likely find the stage of the composition and its commentary rather arduous. We are not presenting an essay, but rather a study which, while seeking to be as objective as possible (in a field where absolute objectiv ity is surely an illusion!), requires a certain technicality for which some effort is needed. We have sought to introduce this gradually, giving more detail in the earlier stages of the analysis in the first verses of the sura, in the hope that the reader will then develop a taste for discovering the text from the inside. This text will then appear to him like the architecture of the domes of a mosque, which, when seen from the inside, gradually descend from the summit's central point in wider and wider circles which finish in an octagon, finally reaching the rectangular base which supports the whole structure.
The most important tables, however, are those of the passages and sequences, so the reader who is less interested in the detail of the composition can skip the study of pieces and parts in the «composition» sections. We have included them for those who wish to make a deeper study of the Qur'anic text in order to discover how the text is organized on the basis of the principles of Semitic rhetoric to the smallest detail.
Keys to Arcana: Shahrastani's Esoteric Commentary on the Qur'an
by Toby Mayer (Published in Association With the Institute of Ismaili Studies: Oxford University Press)
Only preserved in a single manuscript in Tehran, this remarkable
twelfth-century Qur'anic commentary by Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Karim al-
Shahrastani marks the achievement of a lifelong, arduous quest for
knowledge. Shahrastani began writing Mafatih al-asrar or Keys to the
Arcana towards the end of his life and the work reflects the
brilliant radicalism of his more private religious views. The
introduction and opening chapter of this virtually unknown work is
presented here in a bilingual edition, which also includes an
introduction and contextual notes by Dr Toby Mayer.
In Keys to the Arcana, Shahrastani breaks down the text of the Qur'an and analyses it from a linguistic point of view, with reference to the history of Qur'anic interpretation. The author's ultimate aim is to use an elaborate set of complimentary concepts - the 'keys' of the work's title - to unearth the esoteric meanings of the Qur'anic verses, which he calls the 'arcana' of the verses (asrar al-ayat). A historian of religious and philosophical doctrines, Shahrastani has generally been considered to be a spokesman for the Sunni religious establishment under the Seljuqs. The complimentary concepts in question, however, appear to derive from the Isma'ili Shi'i intellectual tradition, indicating that the author may have been secretly involved in the Isma'ili movement.
Shahrastani 's unusually esoteric and highly systematic exegesis of the Qur'an provides a vivid picture of the mature state of scriptural commentary in the twelfth-century CE. Dr Mayer's meticulous translation of Shahrastani 's Introduction and Commentary on Surat al-Fatiha, supplemented by the Arabic text, allows the reader and scholar access to this intriguing Muslim intellectual work for the first time.
One of the more exciting developments in Islamic Studies over the past few decades has resulted in a radically new assessment of the theological outlook and personality of the celebrated author of the Book of Religions and Sects (Kitab al-Milal wa'l-nihal), Muhammad b. `Abd al-Karim alShahrastani (d. 548/1153). Shahrastani's unconventional approach to the variety of religious and philosophical traditions had already provoked certain questions among his contemporaries, to be sure, and some indeed suspected him of secret sympathies for the 'people of the fortresses', i.e. the Nizari Isma'ilis. But his reputation as a mainstream Sunni thinker of the Ash`ari school had been firmly established by respected biographers such as Ibn Khallikan and Taj al-Din al-Subki, and remained for a long time unchallenged in modern scholarship as well. Especially Shahrastani's major theological treatise, the Nihayat al-aqthim fi al-kalam, seemed to confirm this perception in the eyes of most students of Islamic thought. However, the question of his secret Ismaili affinities was again put on the table in 1956, when Sayyid M. R. Jalali-Na'ini drew attention, for the first time, to the work whose first part appears in the present volume in a revised edition' along with a fully annotated translation and a thoughtful introduction by Toby Mayer, the Mafatih al-asrar wa masabih al-abrar.
Although Jalali-Na'ini described the Mafatih al-abrar only very briefly as a major commentary on the first two chapters of the Qur'an, preserved in a Tehran unicum of 'nearly 1000 pages',2 he nevertheless pointed to its importance as one among Shahrastani's later works, and, in effect, boldly ventured at that time that it might indeed reveal those Ismaili beliefs which, he suggested, the theologian had earlier been compelled to hide behind an Ash`ari mask', due to his position at the court of the Sal.* Sultan Sanjar (d. 552/1157).3 Jalali-Na'ini himself seems to have somewhat modified his position later, apparently now preferring to adopt Shahrastani among the Shi`a more generally,4 and his original suggestion remained without echo until M. T. Danish-pazhuh, adducing evidence from a number of other angles, came forward with a colourful portrait of 'the grand da'i from Shahrastani In the West, the Ismaili thesis received strong support forthe first time in 1974. In a seminal lecture delivered to the 7th Congress of Arabic and Islamic Studies held in Gottingen, W. Madelung, focussing on Shahrastani's Kitab al-Musara`a, sharply argued in favour of an Ismaili rather than an Ash'ari inspiration of this famous anti-philosophical treatise.6 But the first in-depth study of the Mafatih al-asrar was undertaken only in the eighties of the past century. Having thoroughly analysed the Arabic text for a period of ten years (1983-93) with his students at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, G. Monnot concluded unequivocally that the full expression of Shahrastani's thought is to be sought in this Qur'anic commentary, and that it propounds evidently a Nizari doctrine.
Yet another reaction from the traditional camp was still to come. Apart from a simple attempt to dismiss the Mafatih al-asrar as spurious, mention must be made here of the lengthy discussion of the 'Ismaili hypothesis' by D. Gimaret in his introduction to what is unquestionably now the most authoritative European translation of the Kitab al-Milal.
Reiterating against Madelung (and his close colleague Monnot, without naming him) the traditional view that the Nihayat al-aqdam should be seen as nothing less than a systematic defence (rather than an exposition of the limits) of Ash'arism, Gimaret nevertheless recognised the great theologian's originality, adduced himself much of the evidence that speaks against a one-sidedly Sunni presentation of his overall thought, and frankly admitted that `it is undeniable that certain aspects of Shahrastani's personal doctrine as expressed in the Musara` a, the Majlis, and indeed the Milal itself, manifestly evoke major themes of Isma'ilism'." Oddly enough, he did not include the Mafatih al-asrar into his consideration on the grounds that the text was not available to him.
All the more, the present publication of the first volume of the Mafatih both in Arabic and in English fills an obvious gap, and it is my privilege to welcome it here. Toby Mayer's introduction discusses the relevant issues with great perception, and it is a pleasure to follow his subtle argument step by step. As Mayer shows in detail, the Mafátih not only reflects Shahrastani's vast learning in the traditional Qur'anic sciences, but also his reception of Shi'i and Sufi hermeneutics as transmitted from the 'family of the Prophet', as well as being evidence of a profoundly original religious thought based on specifically Nizari Ismaili key concepts. The authenticity of the text seems beyond question given that numerous parallels with
Shahrastani's other works have been identified, including an explicit cross-reference on folio 170B of the manuscript to his discussion of the two prototypes of opposing views, the 'Sabians' and the `Elanifs', in the Kitab al-Milal.
As Mayer also suggests, the anonymous teacher in Qur'anic arcana, to whom Shahrastani alludes in the autobiographical part, presenting him in the role of the no less mysterious 'servant of God' of Q. 18:65, or Khidr, may well have been no one else than Hasan-i Sabbah himself. A word may be added here on the initiatory role of Khidr in Muslim traditions. While this role of the 'eternal saint' has hardly been studied in Isma'ilism it is, of course, profoundly rooted in Sufism, and plays as such a prominent part in the Sufi hermeneutics of Rashid al-Din Maybudi." It would seem, therefore, that Maybudi's Kashf al-asrar should also be considered among Shahrastani's sources, particularly in view of the fact that both Qur'anic commentaries share a common formal structure in so far as they both deal systematically with the exoteric meaning of every piece before going into the arcana. In any case, as Toby Mayer points out, the influence of the Sufi milieu in which Shahrastani moved as a student, should probably not be underestimated. One may also venture that it was thanks to the interest of an influential Shafi'i Sufi family, the Banu Hamuya from Juwayn, that the Mafatih has been preserved in the first place; for the only extant manuscript was copied in 667/1269 from the autograph for Sadr al-Din Ibrahim al-Hamu'i (644/1247-722/1322), the learned Shaykh under whose guidance the Ilkhan Ghazan Khan converted to Islam in 694/1295. His father, Sa'd al-Din (d. c. 650/1232), was known for Shi'i-esoteric leanings," and their common ancestor, Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali b. Muhammad b. Hamuya (d. 539/1144 in Nishapur), was evidently a personal acquaintance of Shahrastani himself." Interestingly, the father of Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali and eponym of the family, Muhammad b. Hamaya (d. 530/1135), was also known as a 'disciple of Khidr'! |
"Teachings of Messiah" Series
Freedom in Messiah
"The Truth Shall Set You Free"
By David M Rogers
Table of Contents
There is a longing in every human heart for freedom. The history of the human family is one of abuses leading to slavery brought on by the sins of greed and selfishness. People with wealth and power are consumed in their greed to pile on even greater wealth and influence over others. And the way this gets accomplished for them is through enslavement of the masses in one form or another. Most people are yearning to be free from the shackles of human bondage and suffering.
But Messiah Yahusha had come to set people free. At the beginning of his ministry on earth, Yahusha had entered a synagogue and began reading from the prophet Isaiah:
"The Spirit of Yahuwah is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of Yahuwah's favor." (Luke 4:18-19, citing Isaiah 61:1)
Isaiah 61:1-3 lists some of the works of Messiah. One of those is to set the captives free - to set people free from their bondages and enslavements. Messiah Yahusha claimed this as his own. He had come to proclaim freedom to those who were slaves to men.
And at another time, Yahusha was confronting the Pharisees about their bondage to sin and to their oral law. He offered them freedom, as well, through his own teachings - which are the teachings of the Father:
To the Yehudim who had believed him, Yahusha said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (4th Gospel 8:31-32)
Yahusha's teachings are "the truth." And these teachings are what sets people free from all their bondages.
Being in covenant relationship with the living Elohim, both before and after the appearance of Messiah, is what sets people free. Yahuwah himself sets us free from sin and all that entangles us, when we walk in the ways that He sets forth in his Word. The ways of sin and worldliness trap people and make them prisoners. But the salvation of Elohim procures forgiveness of sin and sets free from all enslavements.
It is the purpose of this Bible study to explore these themes throughout the Scriptures. We will discover the many facets of freedom that Messiah offers his people. And we will see that all along our Creator has acquired for us a life of freedom and joy.
The most famous biblical example of human bondage and slavery is reported in the book of Exodus. The nation of Israel migrated to Egypt because of a world wide famine. Yoseph, the second youngest of the sons of Ya'acob, had been taken as a slave to Egypt some years earlier and had been elevated to power in Egypt by the Pharaoh. Thus, the family of Ya'acob had an advocate in Yoseph, who took care of his brothers by feeding them throughout the years of the famine.
But, as those who knew Yoseph died off, including the Pharaoh, a new generation of Egyptians arose who were not so keen on having the ever increasing number of Israelis in their backyard. So, the new Pharaoh enslaved Israel with cruel bondage. He forced them into the labor of building his cities and monuments.
So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Mitzrites came to dread the sons of Yisrael and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Mitzrites used them ruthlessly. (Exodus 1:11-14)
The Egyptians treated the sons of Israel harshly. And they cried out to Yahuwah for relief.
Enter Mosheh. Mosheh was born and raised during these years of Israel's forced enslavement. Following a time when he was a member of the royal family in Egypt and another time when he was an exile from Egypt, Yahuwah appeared to Mosheh and called him to return to Egypt to rescue his people from their bondage. The story is well known - even after 3500 years - of how Mosheh confronted Pharaoh. Mosheh demanded that Pharaoh let all of Israel go out into the wilderness on a three day journey to meet with Yahuwah their Elohim and to offer sacrifices and worship.
Pharaoh hardened his heart against the living Elohim because he only knew the imaginary gods of the Egyptians. So Yahuwah brought a series of plagues upon Egypt which nearly wiped out the nation. Their crops and animals were decimated by the plagues and all of their firstborn were slain. Finally, Pharaoh was defeated and permitted Israel to go.
The nation of Israel continued on their journey and arrived at Mt Sinai. They were told that they should wash themselves and refrain from intimate contact as they were to appear before Yahuwah, who was to come down on Mt Sinai and speak to the nation. It was there at Mt Sinai that Yahuwah presented Israel with his covenant of love, consisting of the commandments that bring life.
On the day of Shavuot, which is also known as Pentecost, Yahuwah appeared in fire in a thick cloud over Mt Sinai. There, Yahuwah spoke to all the people the Ten Words - also known as the Ten Commandments - which are the covenant commandments between Yahuwah and his people. And the people agreed to do everything which Yahuwah commanded them - only that Mosheh would get the rest of the revelation from Elohim and deliver it to them himself.
Now, in the Christian circles where I came from, teachers and theologians were fond of teaching that the Torah delivered to Mosheh was a Law of Bondage. In their thinking, God had given the nation of Israel a Law that he knew they wouldn't be able to keep. And as such, the lesson he was teaching them was that they needed to come to Messiah for their righteousness. So, in their thinking, all who come to Messiah are set free from the bondage of the Torah of Mosheh. (Yes, incredibly, this is what most of the popular Christian speakers teach to their subjects.) All of the above is most certainly BALDERDASH!
Did Messiah die to set his people free from the Almighty's Torah? The pastors, evangelists and teachers of the popular Christian movement present a convincing case that the Torah is bondage from which we must be set free. They use Paul's writings to prove it. But they must twist and distort Paul's words so that Paul makes no sense at all. Stop and think for a moment. Does it make any sense that Elohim would give a Law to his people that he knew they couldn't keep? Does putting his own people in bondage to a Law that is impossible to keep really reflect the righteous character of our Creator?
Anyone who can think for himself must surely realize that the Torah of Mosheh is NOT bondage. The Torah sets free those people who submit to its commandments. Think of it this way: does it make any sense at all the Yahuwah would go to such lengths to show his power in Egypt to set his people free from the cruel bondage of Pharaoh, only to lead his people to an even greater bondage of Laws that he knew his people wouldn't be able to keep? That thinking borders on the absurd! Certainly the popular Christian thinking on this subject is utter nonsense.
The Scriptures over and over again present and portray the Torah given at Mt. Sinai as a Law that brings freedom - not as a Law of bondage. The Psalmist, for example, found real freedom in living in obedience to Elohim's commandments:
I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free (Ps.119:32).
And a bit later he writes,
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts (119:45).
The Psalmist clearly declares that the Torah which he loves has set him free. He is no longer in bondage, but is at liberty.
In the New Testament, James speaks of this same Law that brings freedom:
But the man who looks intently into the perfect Torah that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does (James 1:25).
James speaks authoritatively a message which contradicts most Christian teaching on the subject of the Torah. He refers to the Torah of Mosheh as "the perfect Torah that gives freedom." Christians need to spend a moment and meditate on the ramifications of what James declares here. The Torah is perfect, not flawed as most Christian churches teach. And the Torah brings freedom to those who hear it and do it!
Next, James states without equivocation that followers of Messiah should speak and act according to the Torah of Mosheh:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom (James 2:10-12)
James infers that the Law he is speaking of is that found in the Old Testament Scriptures by naming two of those laws: "do not commit adultery" and "do not murder." In his view, the follower of Messiah is obligated to obey the "whole law" because if in just one point he stumbles, he is guilty of being a lawbreaker. For this reason, he exhorts all believers to "speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom" (2:12). The follower of Messiah must walk in obedience to the commandments or else be found to be a transgressor of the Law and guilty before the Almighty.
This freedom which the Bible speaks of is not license to sin. On the contrary, true liberty is the freedom from bondage to sin which results in the ability to obey the commandments of Elohim. Paul discusses this liberty:
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin...or to obedience...? You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:16,18).
In Paul's way of thinking, a person is either a slave of sin or a slave of Elohim. Freedom from the slavery of sin is voluntary submission to Elohim's Laws:
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to Elohim, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life (Romans 6:20, 22).
So because of the work of Messiah on the tree on behalf of men, people no longer need to be slaves to sin. Paul's choice was to voluntarily become a slave to Elohim's law because of his freedom from sin.
This may sound very strange to the ears of some, but Paul calls himself a slave of Elohim's law two times. In Romans 7:22, Paul says, "in my inner being I delight in Elohim's law," and in verse 25 he adds, "so then, I myself in my mind am a slave to Elohim's law." And in 1 Corinthians 9:21, Paul writes, "I am not free from Elohim's law but am under Messiah's law." Here the apostle is saying that just because a person is no longer under the law does not mean that he is free from the law. On the contrary, when a man is no longer under the Torah (i.e. a transgressor of the law) he is free to obey the Torah.
The popular view which says that law and grace are mutually exclusive is simply not true. Actually, the grace of Elohim and the keeping of Elohim's law go hand in hand. Speaking of the faith which justifies a man, the apostle said, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law" (Romans 3:31). Paul goes on to say that those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit submit themselves to Elohim's law. He says, "those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires" (Romans 8:5). Then he asserts that the sinful mind
does not submit to Elohim's law, nor can it do so... You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of Elohim lives in you... Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it (Romans 8:7,9,12).
The obligation Paul was referring to is to live according to Elohim's law. The person controlled by the sinful nature cannot submit to Elohim's law, but those attached to Messiah are controlled by the Spirit and can submit to and obey completely the Torah of Elohim.
At the very heart of the Torah of Mosheh is freedom. Didn't Messiah say that the greatest two commandments are to love Elohim and to love your neighbor as yourself? Loving your fellow as yourself insures that you will treat them fairly and righteously. There can be no slavery in an environment where people are treating and loving one another as they want to be loved and as Messiah has loved each one of each. Isn't this at the very core of what it means to be free?
Paul also teaches that the Spirit filled and Spirit led follower of Messiah is set free. But is he inferring that he is set free from the Law? Or is he set free from something else? Let's look at what Paul is teaching:
Even to this day when Mosheh is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Master, the veil is taken away. Now Yahuwah is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of Yahuwah is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect Yahuwah's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from Yahuwah, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:15-18)
The prophets give us the definitive answer about how to identity the work of the Spirit of Elohim and distinguish it from the work of deceiving spirits. Yechezqel (a.k.a. Ezekiel) reveals to us the purpose for which the Almighty is bringing people to repentance. Yahuwah was explaining to him what is to become of the scattered House of Israel in the last days.
I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their bodies and I will give them a heart of flesh, so that they may obey my rules (Hebrew, "chukot") and keep my right-rulings (Hebrew, "mishpatim") and observe them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their Elohim. (Yechezqel 11:19,20).
When Elohim places his Spirit in repentant believers in the last days, the Spirit causes them (makes them, compels them) to obey the rules and keep the statutes (or judgments) of the Torah. In a nutshell, the Spirit can be discerned by the behavior and walk of those claiming to possess it. The true believer will no longer be in rebellion against the commandments of Elohim. The genuine Spirit-filled people will be obeying the Law of Mosheh!
And in case we missed it the first time, Yechezqel reiterates this message about the enactment of the New Covenant.
"'I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries; then I will bring you to your land. I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols. I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will cause you to walk in my rules (Hebrew, "chukot") and carefully observe my right-rulings (Hebrew, "mishpatim"). Then you will live in the land I gave to your fathers; you will be my people, and I will be your Elohim. I will save you from all your uncleanness (Yechezqel 36:24-29).
The Holy Spirit always causes people to obey the Torah of Mosheh. This is the primary reason for his indwelling of followers of Messiah. He leads and directs Messiah's people to walk in the rules and rulings of the Torah.
The tried and true method of testing the spirits to see whether they are from Elohim is to look at the results - what does the Holy Spirit causes people to do. If the Spirit causes the believer to walk in obedience to the commandments of Elohim, then this is proof that the spirit is the Set-apart Spirit. The Set-apart Spirit always causes the one being set-apart to repent from disobedience and to walk in full compliance with the instructions and commandments of Scripture. But if the spirit within you causes you to forsake and ignore the commandments of Scripture, be sure that it is some other spirit that is controlling you, and not the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim.
So when Paul talks about the Spirit transforming people and setting them at liberty (in 2 Corinthians 3:17), he is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit to compel believers to obey the commandments of Elohim. This liberty that the Spirit brings is not freedom FROM the Torah, but freedom from sin leading to obedience of the Torah.
One of the reasons that pastors and theologians think the Torah of Mosheh is a curse is that Paul seems to be saying that. He makes reference to the "curse of the Law" in Galatians 3:13:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (KJV)
So, the popular thinking on this is that the Law given at Sinai is a curse, and as such, is to be avoided like the plague! No wonder Christians so hate the Law.
Yet, this is just another example of those who read Paul taking him out of context and distorting and twisting his meaning, just as they do the other Scriptures. Those who hold this view of the Law are unstable and unlearned, just as Peter tells us in his letter:
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16, KJV)
The Torah is not the curse that the false prophets (those who parade about in sheep's clothing, who stand in the pulpits of many churches today) teach and preach. But the Torah does indeed contain a curse for those who hate it!
For I command you today to love Yahuwah your Elohim, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and Yahuwah your Elohim will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love Yahuwah your Elohim, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For Yahuwah is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'acov. (Deuteronomy 30:16-20)
Elohim gives everyone the freewill to choose which path he will walk in. Those who choose to walk in obedience to the revealed will of Elohim will receive life and blessing. Those who choose to go their own way and walk in their own path will receive death and curses.
Thus, in Galatians 3:13, Paul talks about the "curse of the law." This curse is the chosen path of all who refuse to walk in the ways of the Master. The curse can be broken for anyone who repents from their evil ways and accepts the teachings of the Messiah and his conciliatory death for them on the tree. Those who do so will begin to walk in obedience to the commandments of Elohim and will thus be choosing life and blessing. Messiah redeemed us from this curse that the Law stipulates for the disobedient. If we will walk in the paths of righteousness which the Law instructs us, we will receive all the good promised by our benevolent Creator.
Now, as part of the curse pronounced on the disobedient, the prophet Ezekiel describes in more detail Elohim's response to those who refuse his Torah:
Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes [lusted] after their fathers' idols. I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by (Ezekiel 20:23-25)
That generation which came out of Egypt were constantly rebelling against Yahuwah and grumbling about his gifts. These, the prophet explains, Yahuwah swore to scatter among the nations. On account of their rejection of his statutes and rulings - the laws and right-rulings of the Torah - he was rejecting them.
But take notice what else the prophet said. Because the people refused his decrees and rulings, including the Sabbath day, Yahuwah promised to hand them over to another set of decreed and rulings which they would be unable to live by. Similar to what Paul says in Romans 1 about God giving "them up to uncleanness" (1:24) and "God gave them up unto vile affections" (1:26), the Almighty will allow the rebellious to indulge themselves in their sinful practices - whatever they choose. Here in Ezekiel 20, Elohim is giving people up the the laws which they have chosen to obey - the man-made laws which lead to sin and slavery.
In their history, the tribe of Yehudah (Judah, the Jews) rejected the statutes and rulings of Elohim's Torah, so he gave them over to their own law code. The Oral Torah of the Pharisees and Rabbis is that set of man-made laws which Elohim has granted to the Jews. That is a Law which they cannot live by and which only leads them further and further into transgression of the true, written Torah which Elohim gave to Mosheh on Mt. Sinai.
Even to this day, the religious Jews are following some form of this Oral Torah - a Torah which Elohim gave them over to - because they reject his true Torah. This set of man-made laws which is at the heart of Judaism is found in large part in the Talmud. There are myriad laws and customs which Jews must follow, Some of which are in stark contrast to the written Torah. Thus, in keeping the Talmud, observant Jews are walking in rebellion against Yahuwah and his written Torah.
The Christian world has their own sets of man-made laws and customs which Yahuwah has given them over to, because they have hated and rejected his revealed will which is given in the Torah of Mosheh. Christians seem more interested in the length of the woman's skirt and the length of men's hair, rather than the righteous laws that Yahuwah has given.
Any people who reject Yahuwah's Torah, He has given over to their own choice of man-made laws, customs and traditions. So, we see not only many different sects in Judaism, but we see thousands of denominations in Christianity, each with their own set of rules and interpretations of the Bible. And this is not to even mention the hundreds of other world religions which have their own laws and customs, holidays and traditions. God has given all these people over to what they lusted for - a religious system of their own making - because they refuse to receive the Torah which brings life and blessing to those who submit to it.
The prophets foretold that the Messiah would set the captives free. Messiah Yahusha taught about the freedom he was bringing to his disciples. In one of the many confrontations he had with the religious leadership of his day, Yahusha explained to them who he is and who his father is. Some believed his message:
Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Yehudim who had believed him, Yahusha said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (4th Gospel 8:30-32)
This offer of freedom was to those who believed in him. Yahusha would set them free if they would hold to his teaching. What is his teaching?
There's the million dollar question. Just what is Messiah's teaching? The Christian churches believe that "Jesus" did away with his Father's Law and established a new law - a law of love - for his followers. That horrific lie has deceived millions of "believers" for far too long now. We need to eradicate the great lies of the Christian church and replace those lies by the truth. After all, Messiah said that the truth would set them free, not their doctrines, beliefs, customs and traditions. The truth is the message that Elohim has always presented and the message that Messiah confirmed in his teaching ministry.
To summarize, all the teachings of the Messiah were re-affirmations, explanations and applications of the teachings of the Torah of Mosheh. Messiah told his disciples plainly that he was teaching Torah:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law (Torah of Mosheh) or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (Torah of Mosheh) until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-19)
Messiah came to live out the Torah in his life and to explain its meaning to his disciples, not to destroy it! The entire Sermon on the Mount is Messiah discourse on how to properly understand and implement the Torah instructions into your life. And all the other teachings of Messiah throughout all four gospel accounts are his interpretations and explanations of the Torah. This was his Father's teaching. And it is his teaching as well.
So, Yahusha told the Jews that to follow his teachings would set them free. But to those who did not believe in him, Yahusha had another word:
They answered him, "We are Avraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Yahusha replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Avraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. (4th Gospel 8:33-37)
The Sadducees, Pharisees and teachers of the (oral) law did not receive his teachings nor his word. They were already full with their own doctrine and thus had "no room for (his) word."
What is this doctrine that the Jewish leaders had which caused them to have no room for Yahusha's word? Yahusha had warned his disciples about that teaching:
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.... How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6-7, 11-12, KJV)
This is a stern enough warning about the teachings of the religious leadership. There was something about the content of the teaching of the Pharisees that Messiah wanted his disciples to beware of.
In short, the doctrines and teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were not based on the Scriptures. Their doctrines were the commandments and teachings of men. Again, we are speaking about the Oral Law, not the written Law of Mosheh. This Oral Law is what Messiah wants us to beware of. It contains commandments which lead men to commit sin and to ignore the commandments of Elohim. For this reason, we should beware of it.
In Matthew 15 we are introduced to a confrontation between Yahusha and the Pharisees. This episode presents a clear explanation as to why we should "beware the leaven of the Pharisees." We find the disciples eating without first washing their hands:
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Yahusha from Yerushalayim and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" (Matthew 15:1-2)
Note that the accusation is set forth clearly: the disciples were breaking the tradition of the elders. Christians usually misunderstand what is happening here. They think that this "tradition" is one set forth in the written Torah of Mosheh. But it is not.
Yahusha replied, "And why do you break the command of Elohim for the sake of your tradition? For Elohim said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to Elohim,' he is not to 'honor his father 'with it. Thus you nullify the word of Elohim for the sake of your tradition. (Matthew 15:3-6)
Here's the rub. The Pharisees were more concerned with adherence to their own traditions than they were with the commandments of Elohim.
In fact - and here is where the great danger is in keeping men's traditions and commandments - the Pharisees were quite willing to transgress the commandments of Elohim if it meant obedience to their own traditions and if it benefited them to do so! Yahusha responded to their scolding of his disciples by pointing out that the Pharisees were comfortable breaking a command of Yah so that their money supply would be increased. If they could talk someone into giving to the temple treasury what should have benefited their needy parents, they were very willing to convince people to break Elohim's command to honor father and mother.
Then Yahusha identified this vain worship of the Pharisees with what the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) said about the nation of Israel:
You hypocrites! Yeshayahu was right when he prophesied about you: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" (Matthew 15:7-9, quoting Isaiah 29:13)
Literally, the Hebrew text of Isaiah 29:13 says,
"...but their heart is far away from me. And it turns out their fear of me (is) the commandment of men which is learned."
I think the Jewish Publication Society version says it well:
"...and their fear of Me is a commandment of men learned by rote"
I think the teaching here might be accurately expanded like this:
"...and their fear of me is expressed by a taught man-made code of law."
Quite literally, Messiah is telling us that the religion of the Pharisees is a man-made religion, the laws of which are mere human commandments. But true connection with Elohim is properly expressed by fidelity and faithfulness to His commandments. The Pharisees were not in the least interested in being faithful to the commandment of Elohim. They were much more pleased with playing their own religious game and passing it off as being pious toward Elohim.
And so it is that the religion of the Scribes and Pharisees in Messiah's days, and the religion of Judaism in our day, and the religion of Christianity is nothing more than a religion which trains people to express their "love for" or "fear of" God through the exercise of obeying the dogmas, traditions and commandments of men. It is all man-made religion. Messiah says that such worship is vain. It is useless. And it does not curry favor with the living Elohim.
Matthew's gospel chapter 23 records a thorough thrashing of the Scribes and Pharisees by the Master. He castigates them for their blatant and unrestrained hypocrisy. He confronts them regarding their
The rebuke begins, as rendered in the King James Version, this way:
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (23:1-3)
Nehemiah Gordon points out that there are several Hebrew Gospel of Matthew manuscripts which read slightly differently than the common Greek manuscripts. By just one letter of the Hebrew - an additional waw - the text changes from "therefore, all that they say to you, keep and do..." (the "they" is the Hebrew verb with an additional waw, 3rd person plural), to "all that he says to you, keep and do..." (without the waw, 3rd person singular). (The Hebrew Yeshua vs. the Greek Jesus, p.48)
What this amounts to is a completely different teaching from the Master. He was NOT telling his disciples to obey the Pharisees, he was telling them to obey Moses, upon whose seat the Pharisees sat. It makes no sense at all that the Master would tell his disciples to obey the Pharisees when every other time he spoke about the teachings of the Pharisees he was rebuking them and criticizing them. He had even warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees. So, why would Yahusha this one time be telling his disciples to do what the Pharisees teach?
It is clearly obvious that Messiah was NOT telling his disciples to obey the Pharisees. He is telling them to obey Moses, which is consistent with what the Master always taught. So, verses 2-3, as delivered from the Hebrew Matthew, reads as follows:
The Pharisees and wise men sit on the seat of Moses. Therefore, all that he (Moses) says to you, guard and do. But according to their (the Pharisees) reforms (takanot) and their precedents (ma'asim) do not do, because they talk but they do not do.
The Hebrew term takanot is very well known in modern day Rabbinism. It refers to "enactments or reforms" of the Rabbis which change biblical law. And the word ma'asim, also a specific technical term, refers to the "acts or deeds which serve as precedents." In other words, where there is no biblical law for a situation, the Rabbis look to "precedents" - behaviors of the Rabbis - which for them defines the correct course.
Thus, the Master Messiah is telling his disciples NOT to follow the reforms of the Pharisees and not to obey the precedents of the Pharisees which are set up as laws. His disciples are to follow and obey Moses and no one else. The Master then goes on to explain how the actions of the Pharisees are hypocritical.
They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' (Matthew 23:4-7)
So, with Pharisees, everything is for show. There is no real depth to their religion. It's largely pretense.
As a side note, it's eye-opening to see the Master revile the Pharisees on account of their making their tassels long on their garments. Seems that just about every "Messianic congregation" I've been at, the men and women "make long their tassels" to show off their compliance to Torah. Some of those tzitzit are audacious. They make them thick and long, nearly to the knees when they hang off their belts. Hey, Messianic believer! It's time to listen to what the Master said about this and adjust your tassels. Quit showing off! He is not pleased with that.
Anyway, back to our text. The Pharisees played religion in front of the people to earn their praise. They weren't sincere in their acts of righteousness. It was all to impress other with their great righteousness. Our Elohim sees through all that nonsense and rejects that kind of worship. It's all in vain when it's being done to bring honor to ourselves and to impress people with our knowledge and compliance.
Yahusha goes on to berate the Scribes and Pharisees about some of their customs and teachings. One of particular interest is recorded as such:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. (Matthew 23:13)
Does this sound like Messiah Yahusha is endorsing the teachings and lifestyle of the scribes and Pharisees? Certainly not. The Master clearly and unmistakably is against their teachings, their walk and talk, and just about everything about them.
The message throughout the Gospels, for anyone really interested in discerning the truth, is that Yahusha disagreed with the whole package of Judaism. I cannot think of a single place where the Master praised the Pharisees or told his disciples to follow after their example. His relationship with them was one of confrontation, rebuke and strain. In the end, they called for his execution! So how can Christians insist that Jesus supported in any manner the ways of the Pharisees?
Let's look at another example of the disconnect between Yahusha and the Pharisees. There are other examples in the gospel record of confrontations. But this one is especially flagrant. And Yahusha's actions show clearly his disdain and disapproval of the Pharisees and their teachings.
In the 5th chapter of the 4th Gospel (usually attributed to John), we are introduced to a man who was an invalid for 38 years. The Master asked this man if he wanted to get well:
"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Yahusha said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Yehudim said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" (4th Gospel 5:7-12)
Yahusha told the man to pick up his mat and walk, which the man did, because he was immediately made whole. And it was the Sabbath day when this happened.
Now, there is no commandment, instruction or decree in all of the written Torah forbidding anyone from carrying their mat - not even on the Sabbath day. But the Pharisees had a decree, as part of their Oral Torah, which strictly forbade anyone from carrying their mat on the Sabbath day. So when the Pharisees saw this man carrying his mat, they had a fit, and began to scold the man. He, in turn, explained that the man who healed him told him to pick up his mat and walk.
So, this led to the confrontation between the Master and the Pharisees. Yahusha intentionally provoked this confrontation with the Pharisees because he was demonstrating the utter uselessness of the man-made traditions and teachings of the religious leaders of his time. He flatly disregarded the decree of the Pharisees that one cannot carry his mat on the Sabbath. By commanding the man to pick up his mat and walk, he knew this would get the attention of the Pharisees and thus enable him to make this point about their traditions.
Christian theologians have for a long time believed that Jesus was somehow breaking the biblical Torah to show that the Torah was on its way out. They think that Jesus violated the Sabbath Law to show that it was on its way out, too. But the Master never broke the Torah. He always faithfully kept all his Fathers commandments. And as "Lord of the Sabbath" Yahusha perfectly guarded the Sabbath day and faithfully set it apart, as the commandment requires.
But the commandments of men are a different thing. There was no need for the Master to submit to ridiculous man made rules and regulations regarding the Sabbath day. Yet, for the religious elite of his day, and for the religious leadership of our day, keeping the traditions and commandments of men was and is more important than keeping God's commandments. The Master is showing the error of this way of thinking by defying the commands of men while upholding the commands of the Father.
There is yet another interesting example of the Master breaking the commandments of men to show the superiority of Elohim's written Torah. Later on in the 4th Gospel, the Master did something on the Sabbath day that was forbidden by Rabbinic tradition - Yahusha made mud and rubbed it into the eyes of the man born blind, which is a violation of Rabbinic and Pharisaic Law on the Sabbath.
In the 9th chapter we read that Yahusha and his disciples encounter a man who was born blind. The Master
spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (9:6-7)
Now, the reaction of the Pharisees is fascinating. While just about anyone else would have been thrilled and amazed that a man born blind was healed and could now see, not so the Pharisees. They were angry and indignant.
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Yahusha had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from Elohim, for he does not keep the Sabbath." (9:13-16)
This charge of the Pharisees that Yahusha "does not keep the Sabbath" is not based on the written Torah. Nowhere in the Torah of Mosheh is healing or making mud a transgression of Sabbath Law.
But the Pharisees had a law.... This should not surprise anyone (but I'll bet you it surprises some of you). The Pharisees did have an instruction, and the Rabbis still have this instruction today, that forbids the making of mud on the Sabbath day. In fact there are hundreds of particulars that are forbidden on the Sabbath for Jews who follow the traditional teachings of the Rabbis.
It was this infraction of Pharisaic law that got the Pharisees up in arms about the Master's activity on the Sabbath. He had made mud in his hand and rubbed it into the eyes of the blind man - on the Sabbath day! And this infuriated the Pharisees.
Next we might want to entertain the question of why Yahusha intentionally defied this particular law of the Sabbath which the Pharisees had enacted. What would have been the harm had the Master complied with the man made Sabbath laws which the Pharisees had implemented? This is easy to see. The harm would be that he would have been setting an example to his disciples that the Pharisees laws needed to be kept - as though they were as important as Elohim's own laws.
But by intentionally disregarding the Pharisaic law about the Sabbath, and by strategically defying this man made law, Yahusha was sending a message that only Elohim's Law is essential to our well being, while man made law has no authority over us, whatsoever. This example he set is consistent with everything else he did and taught regarding man made authority and law. Only Elohim's Torah has abiding authority over those who love and fear the Creator of heaven and earth.
When we come to Paul's discussion of the freedom we have in Messiah, we find a message that is consistent with all that we have learned throughout the rest of Scripture, including what Messiah taught and modeled, regarding the freedom Elohim provides to those who trust in him. Paul talks about this freedom:
It is for freedom that Messiah has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Now, let's get understanding about what this freedom entails. Certainly, this freedom is a release from the bondage of sin. Sin no longer has control over those who are in Messiah. But what else are we set free from?
Christians have been preaching for a very long time that this freedom Paul speaks of is freedom from Mosaic Law. The reason for this is because of what follows this statement by Paul in verse 1. He goes on to have a discussion of circumcision and "the law" which he says is contrary to faith. Is this really what Paul is referring to here?
I am convinced that this passage has been grossly misunderstood and misinterpreted by Christian ministers, pastors and theologians. I would contend that Paul is NOT talking about freedom from Mosaic Law, but rather, he is discussing the freedom we have from man made religious systems and laws. He uses circumcision as his example of the bondage from made up religious dogmas Messiah has released us from. He writes:
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Messiah will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Messiah; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Messiah Yahusha neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:2-6)
In order to understand exactly what Paul is talking about, we need to have an understanding of the circumcision controversy in those times. We can ascertain this by looking at other places in the New Testament Scriptures where circumcision is explored.
Earlier in this very letter Paul wrote to the Galatians, he talks about the source of the controversy of circumcision:
Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Messiah Yahusha, to make us slaves. But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; Elohim shows no favoritism between people)--those influential leaders added nothing to my message. (Galatians 2:4-6)
There are some clues in this text about the source of the teaching about this circumcision which Paul rejects. He says that "false brothers with false pretenses" are responsible. And later he calls them "influential leaders." Who are these "false brothers" who were "influential leaders"? Of course, we know who these were. Paul speaks of them several times. They are the "Judaizers"- the Jewish religious leaders who always found themselves in conflict and disagreement with Messiah.
The key to uncovering the mysteries which revolve around this circumcision may be found in the discussion in the book of Acts about the circumcision controversy. Luke explains it thus:
Now some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Mosheh, you cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1)
This same circumcision controversy kept popping up for the Messianic believers. Paul deals with this topic several times in his letters. So, what is this all about?
According to Acts 15:1 this circumcision was to be done "according the the custom of Mosheh." But when we read the biblical accounts of circumcision, we never read of any such "custom of Mosheh"! Circumcision was a covenant sign which Elohim gave to Abraham, not Mosheh. Indeed Mosheh received instructions regarding circumcision which Elohim spoke to him. But there was no "custom of Mosheh" ever mentioned regarding circumcision.
However, the Pharisees acknowledged such a "custom of Mosheh." In fact, the concept of circumcision as a "custom of Mosheh" is well known in Rabbinic literature. The Pharisees produced this "custom of Mosheh" and it has been an integral part of Rabbinic Judaism since the times of the Pharisees. The Hebrew word usually translated custom is ghnm (pronounced min-hag). These minhagim (plural for minhag) were traditions which became law in Israel.
If a Rabbi makes a habit of doing something, it becomes a minhag, which in turn becomes binding of all Israel. The Rabbis have a saying which says, "minhag Yisrael torah hi" which translated means "a custom of Israel, this is law." A minhag becomes law in Israel by the sheer fact that the community accepts it as a regular way of life. Another example of this is the yarmulke (kippah). There is nothing in the written Torah about the kippah, but you will not find a religious conservative Jew without one.
The big problem with these customs that become law is that the written Torah strictly forbids adding to or taking from the Torah that Elohim gave to Mosheh for all Israel.
Now, Yisrael, pay attention to the rules and right-rulings I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that Yahuwah, the Elohim of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of Yahuwah your Elohim that I am delivering to you. (Devarim 4:1-2)
You must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it! (Devarim 12:32)
The Proverbs repeat the same:
Every word of Elohim is purified; he is like a shield for those take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you, and prove you a liar. (Mishlei 30:5-6)
The normal way these minhagim became attributed to Mosheh is like this: Pharisees took customs that had become law, and in order to give these customs greater weight of authority, they attributed these customs to a famous rabbi. Since Mosheh was the greatest of the "Rabbis" it would be even better to attribute the custom to Mosheh, thus giving it the greatest amount of authority.
So, their particular ritual of circumcision was pawned off as a "custom of Mosheh." And, the rabbinical "procedure" for circumcising a Gentile was credited to Mosheh: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Mosheh, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1)
The Pharisaic (and later Rabbinical) rite of circumcision was to be performed exactly according to their specific procedure, without fail, which included certain prayers and blessings and the sucking of the wound! In most worlds, this sucking of the wound would be considered aberrant and deviate behavior, but the Rabbis required it in their circumcision. No wonder Paul so adamantly opposed their circumcision!
Paul will have none of that Pharisaic circumcision. Pharisaical circumcision is opposed to Messiah, because in doing this, one is submitting to the authority of men rather than to the authority of Yahuwah. When submitting to men (Pharisees, Rabbis, Church leaders) one must abide by all the teachings or find oneself outside of the favor.
Paul goes on:
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in Yahuwah that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! (Galatians 5:7-12)
This play on ideas places the Pharisees, who are so interested in "cutting" their Gentile converts with their own brand of circumcision, in a place where they are "cutting" themselves off by adding to and taking away from the authority of the written Scriptures. When they put their own customs and commandments above the commandments of the Almighty, they are essentially cutting themselves off from the commonwealth of Israel.
But for those who are in Messiah, we are free from the manipulations and coercions of men.
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13-15)
The freedom we have in Messiah is not freedom from the Torah of Mosheh. This freedom does not allow us to "indulge the sinful nature," which is to say, it is not freedom which allows us to break or ignore the commandments of the Almighty. This freedom is liberty to ignore the traditions and religious dogmas of men so that we may freely serve our Elohim by faithfully keeping his laws, right rulings and commandments.
When the Master told his disciples, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free," he was not just articulating a catchy saying. Nor was he expressing the beginning of the end of the Almighty's Law. That would have been most sublimely absurd. Elohim could no more change his everlasting Law, which details the righteous path and walk of faith for those who love him, than he could change his very character and attributes. Elohim never changes. Yahusha is the same yesterday, today and forever!
The freedom that Messiah offers his disciples is release from the bondage of sin, and release from everything that causes bondage to sin. In the context of 1st century Israel, the great bondage of the day was the captivity of Pharisaic manipulation and pressure to pay homage to their own man made law at the expense of keeping Elohim's Law. In the context of today's world, that liberty is freedom from man made religious dogmas such as are still found in modern day Pharisaism (which is Rabbinic Judaism), Christianity in all its forms, and any other man made religious system with all their own commandments, traditions, customs and dogmas.
The Master had multiple confrontations with the Pharisees. And it was always because he refused to honor their traditions, laws and customs. Doing so would have sent the message that following the Pharisees was the right way of living and would earn you the favor of Elohim. But Yahusha rebuked and scolded the Pharisees over and over again because keeping their commandments often caused one to transgress the commandments of Elohim.
Indeed Messiah does set us from and releases us from the utter nonsense of modern day religions. The traditions and customs of our day as found being practiced by "good Christians" or "good Jews" is made over Babylonian cult worship. Messiah releases us from that bondage of all that baloney so that we can walk uprightly in his righteous commandments.
Since Messiah has offered the truth that can set free, what will you do with your freedom? The choices are simple. You can reject this freedom and continue all the ridiculous traditions that were passed down to you. Or you can accept the freedom Messiah offers and come out of all the religious trappings which we are all pressured to honor, and walk in the freedom of honoring the Father in the keeping of his commandments. What will you do? |
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The Silk Roads in Central Asia, Showing Ancient Kingdoms and Empires
Travel the deserts and mountain passes of Central Asia with From Silk to Oil: Cross-Cultural Connections Along the Silk Road. This book of global studies curriculum, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and produced by China Institute, begins in the second century BCE and ends in the contemporary period.
The twenty-three curriculum units consist of a lesson plan, written and visual documents, maps, tables, and even a Silk Roads board game. There is also a glossary; lists of additional resources; and a CD with the entire text and color images-including hotlinks to relevant websites-in PDF format. |
Caring for Your Senior Pet
As pets get older, they will start to show signs of aging — just like people. To better prepare yourself to care for your aging pet, download our handout, watch the video below, or read the outline provided below.
Download our Caring for your Senior Pet Handout for some common signs seen in aging pets and the best ways to provide care for your senior companion.
Signs of Aging in Dogs and Cats
Each pet is different, but you may notice a few signs that your pet is a senior:
- Decreased Activity: As your pet gets older, it may have less energy than when it was younger.
- Reduced Mobility: Stiffness in the joints may make your pet reluctant to sit or rise.
- Hazed Eyes: You may notice a blue haziness in your pet’s eyes called nuclear sclerosis. Your pet’s eyes should be checked by your doctor, however, to ensure that any cloudiness is not caused by a more serious problem such as cataracts.
Considerations for Senior Pets
- Helping with Reduced Mobility: If your senior pet is arthritic and has problems with mobility, you can help with modifications in your home such as an orthopedic bed or an elevated food and water bowl. In addition, stair steps can help your pet access higher places without having to jump.
- Hearing & Ear Issues: Is your pet easily startled if you approach from behind? Is it more difficult to wake your pet from sleep? Age-related hearing loss happens to some older pets, so if you feel that your pet has hearing loss of any kind, it’s best to consult your veterinarian to rule out any medical problems, like an ear infection. It’s best to perform regular ear cleanings, even on those often difficult-to-groom larger breeds, to help avoid problematic bacteria and infections in your aging pet’s ears. In addition, always let your doctor know if your pet has small masses or lumps on its body to determine if these pose a significant health risk.
- Changing Nutritional Needs: Some older pets may need changes to their diet. It’s recommended you feed your pet food that is specific to seniors. Talk to your veterinarian to find out which diet is right for your pet’s individual needs. Visit our Nutrition section for some recommendations about portion control and vitamins.
- Increased Water Consumption: An increase in daily water consumption can mean a few things in an older pet such as diabetes, liver and kidney disease, and/or hormonal disorders. To help identify potential problems early on, your veterinarian can perform certain blood and urine tests to rule out these common conditions.
- Senior Pet Dental Care: Dental care is important at any age, but even more so in senior pets. When tartar accumulates over time and gingivitis is present, organs in the body such as the heart, liver, and kidneys can be adversely affected. Good home dental care and annual professional cleanings are the keys to keeping your pet’s teeth healthy as it gets older.
- Mental Decline: Pets can experience some decline in cognition in their later years, just like humans can. If you notice signs of a mental decline in your dog, be sure to guide him with clear cues and easy-to-follow instructions. Avoid rearranging the furniture and reduce the amount of clutter in your home, especially if your dog is experiencing vision loss. Provide your pet with a secure and quiet place to rest comfortably.
- Exam Frequency: It’s important to have your pet examined by a veterinarian twice a year to properly diagnose any age-related diseases. Early detection of illness paves the way to early intervention, proper treatment, and a better prognosis.
Talk to your local veterinarian if you have any concerns about your pet’s age and health, and feel free to consult our extensive Pet Health Library to find the help you need on keeping your pets healthy, browse through our Pet Health Resource Library or check out some of the links below. |
Lead (Pb) is one of the oldest metals known to humans. Its widespread occurrence, relatively simple extraction and combination of desirable properties have made it useful to humans since at least 5000 BC. In deposits mined today, lead is usually found in ore which also contains zinc, silver and commonly copper and is extracted as a co-product of these metals.
Lead is used in building construction, lead-acid batteries, bullets and shot, weights, as part of solders, pewters, fusible alloys, and as a radiation shield.
Australia ranks first in the world in economic lead resources because of the development of the large, world-class zinc-lead-silver deposits at McArthur River, Cannington and Century. This position is further supported by resources in the many other deposits of various sizes in Australia.
Australia also leads the world in mine production of lead and is the world’s largest exporter of lead, with the bulk of Australian production exported as lead bullion to the United Kingdom and some to South Korea. Of the rest, lead in ores and concentrates goes mainly to Japan for further processing, while refined lead is sent to Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, India and Malaysia. Australia is also at the forefront of technological development in lead mining and processing.
Almost all of Australia’s lead-zinc mines are underground operations and are highly mechanised. Ore is drilled and blasted in large volumes, transferred to underground rock crushers by large loaders and trucks before being hoisted to the surface in skips or driven directly to the surface by truck via a spiral access tunnel (decline).
At the surface, the ore is subjected to additional crushing and fine grinding. A flotation process separates the lead and other valuable sulphide minerals from the waste rock particles (tailings) to form a concentrate. The flotation process was developed in Australia in the early days of mining at Broken Hill. Further Australian innovation has resulted in the improved Jameson flotation cell, which is installed in many mines around Australia. |
It is a sad reality that as Americans age, there is growing a new generation of victims: Older people who trust too much and turn over their finances to people they shouldn’t.
If you are growing older yourself or know someone you love who is, there are a few rules to follow to make sure the word “elder” is not followed by “abuse.”
The first lesson comes from a story in the New York Times, which tells how a woman in Nevada loaned $500,000 to a friend who had always paid back loans in the past. This time, none of the money was ever repaid, which means the woman, who had a decent nest egg, was forced to live off Social Security and whatever value there was in her home.
The first lesson here is to never give away so much money that it would cripple an entire retirement plan. A second is to make sure loans are secured by something tangible, so if someone defaults there is recourse to recover at least part of what was loaned. While the lender might be afraid that it will destroy a friendship to ask for collateral and then to demand repayment based on it, the New York Times story points out the friendship was destroyed anyway. The case eventually went to court.
That story illustrates another sad fact of elders who lose money: It is often lost to people they should be able to trust. Often it is to their own children. When someone elderly truly does need help handling finances it may be a good idea to sign a power of attorney giving someone else the ability to write checks and make other financial decisions in the elder person’s name. For some people who obtain power of attorney, though, the temptation becomes too great and they treat the older person’s account and deposits like they are a new source of income. These might be well-intentioned financial activities at first, but for some the spending eventually gets out of control.
And if the person with power of attorney spends the older person’s income into debt, that can have an impact on all family members long after someone dies.
One way to protect against that is to do what smart businesses do in handling their finances. They set up an accounting system that guarantees that if someone is stealing money, someone else will notice. It’s a concept known as “perception of detection” and generally helps more to prevent theft than to catch it. If someone perceives that he or she will get caught, theft, or even careless spending, is less likely. Families should set up systems that require multiple people be aware of what is being spent and how, even if only one person is allowed to do the spending.
Another protective measure is establishing procedures for using credit to make purchases. This may be requiring two signatures, having two family members review all credit transactions each month, or even placing a freeze on the older family member’s credit report, so that new credit accounts cannot be opened.
As it turns out, these same principles could be applied to almost any family financial situation. Families who are accountable to each other for spending can reduce the risk of increasing their debt and discover ways to achieve their joint goals. In fact, it might be a good habit for family members to establish now so that years down the road, when someone becomes elderly, the pattern and behaviors will already be in place. |
Without a doubt the current exhibition is designed to bring in the numbers and generate revenue through bloated ticket sales and, perhaps more importantly, merchandising. Still, there are those who wonder if this is what art gallery or museum exhibitions should be about. Tyler Green, an art journalist who writes for the Modern Art Notes blog, is a particularly vocal critic of the 'for-profit' approach to exhibition design. The precarious relationship between the various host museums who have presented the Tut exhibition and the private groups responsible for organizing the show has been an issue of particular concern to Green who makes this evident in the following blog entry:
Green's reservations are understandable. When private companies (in the case of the Toronto exhibition AEG Live and Arts and Exhibitions International) stand to profit through partnerships with public institutions it is necessary to determine if the public interest is being upheld. Travelling exhibitions at public galleries and museums serve to introduce visitors to works they might otherwise not have occasion to see (especially if those works are from distant collections). Yet they also serve to educate. Curatorship is therefore an essential aspect of the exhibition and the scholarship that informs (and develops through) the design of the show must be made accessible to the public. Moreover, if the exhibition follows upon earlier shows treating similar material it should build upon the body of knowledge established by prior curatorial work.
Thirty years after hosting the first major Tut blockbuster (which included the funerary mask)* the AGO is once again inviting the public to engage with the art of the Pharaohs. But is this new exhibition expanding our knowledge of ancient Egyptian art or superficially treating a subject that has been treated many times over? As we look at the current exhibition we might ask if it is challenging our perceptions. Is it relevant to have an exhibition on this subject at this particular moment in history?** Does the exhibition help us to explore why we find ancient Egyptian art so fascinating (and, for that matter, why it ranks among one of the few subjects that will guarantee blockbuster ticket sales)? Does it build upon existing scholarship? How does the exhibition benefit us? As we reflect upon these questions we at least have occasion to reflect upon the role of public galleries and museums in our society and, hopefully, their importance.
*The first blockbuster which was presented to North American viewers between 1976 - 1979.
** The timing of the first blockbuster coincided with a moment in history when diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Egypt were were of particular concern. This point is obeserved in the following ABC News blog entry: |
A new poll carried out by the University of Chicago yielded an unsurprising discovery: Americans are not willing to pay higher the higher costs associated with tackling climate change.
The results showed that 42 percent of respondents are unwilling to even spend $1 on climate costs, 61 percent would not pay an extra $10, while only 29 percent would be willing to pay $20.
A simple reason for this is that most households cannot afford these extra costs. Although Census data shows median incomes increased in 2015, income inequality remains high and the most vulnerable in our society are just as vulnerable today as they have always been.
The affordable and reliable energy provided by fossil fuels helps provide certainty for those who feel utility price increases more keenly than anyone else. The last thing these households need is an energy plan President Obama himself admits would make electricity prices “skyrocket.”
While wealthy environmentalists are happy to fork over thousands of dollars for Teslas and solar panels (partly funded by taxpayers) to make their expensive environmental statements, the low energy bills provided by fossil fuel energy give the rest of us much-needed breathing space in our household budgets.
As the low energy bills help keep families afloat, it is more important than ever before for fossil fuels to take their place in the ongoing climate change conversation. |
The Quantum Zeno Effect actually does stop the world: Let's say an atom is very likely to have decayed after three seconds, but very unlikely to have decayed after one. Check on it after three seconds, and it probably will have decayed. But, Misra and Sudarshan argue, check on it three times in one second intervals, and it will most likely not have decayed. Every time you check on it, it will revert to its "original" measured state, and the clock will start over. Amazingly, this actually does happen. Researchers observing sodium atoms observed that, "Depending on the frequency of measurements we observe a decay that is suppressed or enhanced as compared to the unperturbed system." The "enhanced" decay is the result of the Quantum Anti-Zeno Effect. Time your measurements just right and you can actually push a system to decay faster than it would if it were unobserved. |
Shale, that often organic-rich, dark gray or black, very fine grained sedimentary rock, is found in every sedimentary basin, both present and ancient, on Earth. It is sometimes called "mud-rock" as is appropriate to its origin.
The organic matter in these shales can be converted into oil and natural gas as it is heated and buried by thousands of feet of additional sediments. The fact that these rocks contain a flammable gas (natural gas) has been known since antiquity. However, from an economic standpoint, shale has mostly just been considered a "source" rock for oil and gas found elsewhere. Times have changed.
Now shale can be considered a source, seal, trap, and reservoir of gas, (and sometimes oil) --- an all in one package. With the proper combination of horizontal drilling and rock fracturing technology these shales can produce very economic quantities of gas. This has been proven in the Barnett Shale in north Texas, and to a lesser, but growing extent elsewhere. Since shales of this nature are so prevalent around the world, it makes sense that the combination of horizontal drilling, the logging and steering of these wells while drilling, and the fracture treatment of the rocks is finding its way to countries outside of the United States.
Natural gas has many uses, from generating electricity, to heating our homes, cooking our food and powering our vehicles. It burns very cleanly and its only by-product is harmless water vapor and carbon dioxide. If it were not so clean, how could we use it in our homes to cook our food? Are you listening EPA?
If President Obama was really interested in stimulating the economy he would be promoting the production and more widespread use of natural gas. Maybe his advisers are just ignorant of the facts. It certainly makes far more sense to use inexpensive and ubiquitous natural gas than it does to spend Billions on solar panels and wind turbines, which can never do more than supply a fraction of our energy needs.
The search for unconventional natural gas deposits in areas like the Barnett Shale of North Texas not only is dominating gas drilling in the United States, but it will also become pervasive worldwide.
That was the message given Tuesday by two experts at the opening of a three-day energy conference in the Fort Worth Convention Center.
"I think unconventional gas is the future, both in the U.S. and overseas," said Vello Kuuskraa, president of Advanced Resources International, known for his work in energy economics and petroleum recovery technologies.
Unconventional gas includes shale gas, tight gas and coal-bed methane, deposits that require measures such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to enhance their recovery and make them economically feasible.
Unconventional gas accounts for more than half of U.S. production, Kuuskraa said, even though what he called two new "rock stars" among shale fields — the Haynesville Shale in northwest Louisiana and East Texas, and the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States — are just beginning to be significantly developed.
Meanwhile, Kuuskraa said he expects his end-of-the-year calculations to show that the Barnett Shale has become the biggest gas-producing area in the U.S., outstripping the San Juan Basin in New Mexico and Colorado.
The U.S. is leading the way in the search for unconventional gas, and developing the technology that will "be used around the world," said Stephen Holditch, head of the petroleum engineering department at Texas A&M University and former president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers-International.
Oil and gas exploration and production companies either based in North Texas or with substantial operations in the region are in the thick of the search for unconventional gas.
That includes three Fort Worth-based companies, XTO Energy, Range Resources and Quicksilver Resources; two Oklahoma City-based companies, Devon Energy and Chesapeake Energy, the top two Barnett Shale producers; and Irving-based Exxon Mobil Corp., which is drilling for unconventional gas everywhere from Colorado to Hungary.
Kuuskraa said Exxon Mobil is said to have gotten encouraging results from initial drilling in the Mako Trough in Hungary.
There are reportedly "massive concentrations" of gas — estimated at 700 billion cubic feet per square mile — in a small area of the Eastern European nation, he said.
Future unconventional gas recovery worldwide could significantly expand supplies, which would help make gas increasingly attractive as a fuel for transportation and electric power generation, Kuuskraa forecast at the Unconventional Gas International Conference & Exhibition, which resumes today. |
Several years ago, a client of mine asked me if I’d ever seen anyone do a one arm pull-up. I stood for a moment in silent contemplation, then lifted one hand, wrapped it around my opposite wrist and said, “ya mean like this?”
“No,” he said, “without the other hand assisting at all.”
I told him I hadn’t, adding that I didn’t think such a thing was even possible – boy was I wrong!
I’ll never forget the first time I saw someone do a one arm pull-up. It was a game-changer and now I’m a believer!
Pull-up or Chin-up
If you want to get technical about it, a pull-up is done with a pronated (overhand) grip, while a chin-up implies a supinated (underhand) grip. A lot of people find that the pull-up is a more difficult exercise – this tends to be especially true for beginners.
When you do a one arm pull-up, however, there’s a certain amount of unavoidable rotation. This is why many of the people who can perform this feat on a bar will wind up pulling towards their opposite shoulder. When a one arm pull-up is performed on gymnastic rings, the ring will simply rotate to account for this.
For me, the disparity between overhand and underhand grips seems negligible, though I’ve done so many reps of different kinds of pull-ups over years that I may have just evened it out. Besides, when someone is strong enough to pull their chin over the bar with just one arm, they’ve earned my respect; belly-aching over their hand position seems pointless.
Training for a One Arm Pull-up
Only once you can perform at least 15 consecutive dead hang pull-ups should you even consider training for this feat. Tendinitis is a bitch, so back off if you start to get pain in or around your elbows.
The following methods have helped me on my quest for the one arm pull-up, but keep in mind that these are not the only ways to train towards this feat. There are many paths that lead to the same destination–feel free to be creative!
One Arm Flex Hangs
Just like learning to do a standard pull-up, performing a flex hang (holding your body at the top of a pull-up position) with one arm is the first step towards doing a one arm pull-up. Pull yourself up using both arms, then try to stay up while you take one hand away. Squeeze your whole body tight while keeping your legs tucked in close when you’re starting out. With practice, eventually you be able to try it with your legs extended.
One Arm Negatives
The idea here is to keep your body tight and controlled while slowly lowering yourself down from a one arm flex hang. Be prepared that the first time you try to do a one arm negative you will drop very quickly. When starting out, don’t even think of it as a negative, think of it as just trying to keep yourself up. Gravity takes care of the rest. Eventually, try working up to the point where you can make a one arm negative last for ten seconds or longer.
Archer pull-ups are a great exercise regardless of if you want to work towards a one arm pull-up or not. When performing the archer pull-up as practice for the one arm pull-up, try to do as much of the work as possible with the arm closer to you. Think of your extended arm simply as a means of giving your pulling arm assistance, so use it as little as possible – eventually you won’t need it at all. (You can also spot yourself with your secondary arm by draping a towel over the bar and holding it or grabbing the pull-up bar frame.)
The One Arm Australian Pull-up
This is a nice precursor to the OAP for the same reason that Australian pull-ups can be a gateway to pull-ups – your feet are on the ground! When attempting a one arm Australian pull-up, concentrate on engaging your abs and your back muscles–don’t just focus on using your bicep strength. Remember that when you do a one arm Australian, it’s natural for your body to roll a little bit in the direction of your pulling arm.
Just like a one arm push-up or a pistol squat, core strength plays a huge role in one arm pull-ups and chin-ups. Think about keeping your entire body tight and controlled during your one arm pull-up training. If your core is weak, you may need to do some remedial ab exercises.
Pull-up or Shut up
Talk is cheap. The one arm pull-up is an elusive move that demands patience, consistency, and dedication. You’re never gonna get one without lots of practice. The question you need to ask yourself is this: How bad do you want it? |
On the Route des Alpes
Between the Pic de Rochebrune (3308 metres) and the Pic de Côte Belle (2854 metres), the mountain pass Col d’Izoard is one of the accesses to the Regional Nature Park of Queyras and sets between the region of Briançon and Queyras. Listed on the Route des Grandes Alpes, this mountain pass became famous for the legendary climbs of the Tour de France, that passed here over 30 times. The laces of roads that lead to the summit at 2361 metres have seen the exploits of famous cyclers like: Bobbet, Copi, Mercx, etc. The southern slope is the most laborious one, with a climb of 31,7 kilometres and 11% of difference in height at some spots. |
Why sugar-free candy and soda aren’t always the healthier choices
Sugar-free drinks can still cause damage. Read tips on how to prevent tooth erosion.
In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, let’s talk about sugar-free candy and soda. While they may seem like the healthier alternatives when your children ask for a Coke, MoonPie, or other sugar-laden foods and drinks, research shows that sugar-free items can still cause damage to tooth enamel.
Researchers tested 23 types of soda and sports drinks and found “drinks that contain acidic additives and with low pH levels cause measurable damage to dental enamel, even if the drink is sugar-free.”
Effect of sugar-free drinks on tooth enamel
- The majority of soft drinks and sports drinks caused softening of dental enamel by 30 to 50 percent.
- Both sugar-containing and sugar-free soft drinks (including flavored mineral waters) produced measurable loss of the tooth surface, with no significant difference between the two groups of drinks.
- Of eight sports drinks tested, all but two (those with higher calcium content) were found to cause loss of dental enamel.
It’s important to remember “sugar-free” does not necessarily mean healthy or safe for teeth. Check ingredients for acidic additives such as citric acid and phosphoric acid.
How to prevent tooth erosion
- Drink fewer carbonated beverages and sports and energy drinks, and less pure fruit juice.
- Drink acidic drinks with a straw, quickly. This helps prevent acid from coming in contact with your teeth.
- After drinking, rinse your mouth with water to neutralize the acids. Wait at least one hour before brushing your teeth.
- Brush with a soft toothbrush, using fluoride toothpaste.
- Don’t give your child juice or acidic drinks in a sippy cup or bottle.
Wish you could reduce or eliminate sugar consumption? Check out our tips for curbing your sugar intake and cravings. |
ta Nuova. The earliest limit is fixed by the death of Beatrice in 1290 (though some of the poems are of even earlier date), and the book is commonly assumed to have been finished by 1295; Foscolo says 1294.
But Professor Karl Witte, a high authority, extends the term as far as 1300.
Dante Alighieri's lyrische Gedichte, Leipzig, 1842, Theil II. pp. 4-9. The title of the book also, Vita Nuova, has been diversely interpreted.
Mr. Garrow, who published an English version of it at Florence in 1846, entitles it the Early Life of Dante.
Balbo understands it in the same way.
Vita, p. 97. But we are strongly of the opinion that New Life is the interpretation sustained by the entire significance of the book itself.
His next work in order of date is the treatise De Monarchia. It has been generally taken for granted that Dante was a Guelph in politics up to the time of his banishment, and that out of resentment he then became a violent Ghibelline.
Not to speak of the consideration tha |
Recitals can be nerve-wracking. But they are (or can be) great teaching experiences as well.
1. Performance isn’t always competition, but it often leads to it. Most of the people in this recital are competing with these same pieces next week. This was a friendly, non-judging audience. It allowed the students to actually perform, to get feedback from their teacher, to have parents make comments on the ride home.
Sometimes try out the high-stakes writing on a friendly audience first. Have people who will read drafts.
2. To be a singer, you need an audience. More accurately, sometimes you need an audience, particularly if the kind of singer you are is a singer for. There are many people who sing that are not singers for, just like there are many writers who are not writers for. But if you are for, then you need the audience, you need to find out where the nerves are, where the projection is, what it feels like to have eyes looking at you.
The power of blogging for some of us is that it gives us an audience on the way to other audiences.
3. A complicated accompaniment can make the singer sound better. One of the pieces was a vocally challenging piece, but it was even more challenging for the pianist. And she handled it with passion. As a result, there was tremendous applause. The singer was great, but the helper fed the audience.
Inviting great responses…and great responders…can make your writing sound even better.
4. Singing out of your area of comfort can stretch you well. One of the singers is not competing in the high school state competition. She knew that she had too many other things happening to add that stress. However, she also knew she could benefit from the lessons…and the recital that came with them. She sang a piece in Italian, one of the languages that she seldom sings. The teacher is far more classical than this student usually needs. However, as a result of this intentional experience, she is building her skills for what she really does.
Writing for group projects or blogs that are outside your usual field, helps.
5. Deadlines sharpen performance. A recital happens at a specific time and place. Your name is on the program. You have to show up.
6. Experience is cumulative. The more you perform, the more poise you have for performing. Even when you forget a transition, the more you have performed, the less traumatic the lapse. Part of the reason is that each time you perform, individual performances become a smaller percentage of your total experience. (Your first solo is 100% of your solo resume. Your second is 50%. Your third is 33%) By the time you have been in several choirs for several years, the idea of an audience has become familiar, and one slightly off performance can be offset by the 98% that have gone smoothly.
7. Being a student means you are learning. For a recital like this, the expectation is that you are learning, you are not perfect. There will be mistakes, there will be room for improvement, there will be new understandings of how to approach the music.
Acknowledge that you are both skilled and learning. Overplaying the former looks arrogant, overplaying the latter looks silly, being in the middle (I have learned, I am learning) is exciting.
8. The cookies help the music. There is always a reception after a recital. Cookies, coffee, conversation. The opportunity for the teacher to compliment the student and the parents, and the other way around. The opportunity for the students to encourage each other, to commiserate. Shared experience. It feels awkward sometimes, but it is part of the community of music.
Write together. Offer coffee to others. It’s part of the community of writing.
Does this make sense? What suggestions can you offer me? (Because writing here is usually a recital.) |
This photo exhibit celebrates everyday acts that deepen our sense of community and empower us to collectively change the world for good. Photographers from Waterloo Region and beyond have captured moments of caring, working together, laughing together, and acting together with purpose – the fabric of community life and collective impact.
This exhibit explores story-telling through art by people now living in Iraqi Kurdistan as a result of displacement. Iraqi Kurdistan
(northern Iraq) hosts a diverse group of people brought together in a very small geographical area. This region is home to the Iraqi Kurds, Syrian Kurds, Yazidis, Assyrian Christians, and Iraqi Arabs who have offered their stories in this exhibit.
Until April 2017
New Exhibit at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario:
“Conchies Speak: Ontario Mennonites in Alternative Service.”
During the Second World War, 2,600 Ontario Mennonite men served in conscientious objector work camps. Through archival records, this exhibit recovers their voices and stories. |
via Lindsey Wolf, an elephantjournaldotcom classic. Michael Pollan, in today’s Sunday NY Times, reports that 90% of American households have a microwave. Hard to believe that high.
My new apartment has a microwave. When I moved in, my first thought was about unplugging it, storing it, and using that precious space that it took up in my mini-kitchen. Then I got sick. Then I realized that I could heat up water for tea in the microwave faster than on the stove. So I started to wonder. What are the facts regarding health hazards of microwave cooking? Was I actually doing myself more harm than good?
I like to do research. It shouldn’t have been too challenging to find some quick answers from reliable sources, right? Not so easy. It seems that microwave oven safety issues are still in urban-legend land, with several outrageous entries on Snopes (the myth buster website favored by Moms everywhere). Several other websites were simply circulating the same dated articles. There seems to be little recent research, other than an interesting NY Times article about how microwaves could be used to kill potentially invasive organisms on ships that are carried to other ports affecting ecosystems.
Like many things, this also seems to depend on the source and who you trust. According to Consumer Product Safety Commission data via Consumer Reports, about 4,000 Americans incur injuries from microwave ovens every year, including burns and scalds—a risk I hadn’t even considered.
But what about radiation exposure? The killing of food nutrients? The latter was demystified by another NY Times article that refers to research done at Cornell University, which concluded that, “every cooking method can destroy vitamins and other nutrients in food. The factors that determine the extent are how long the food is cooked, how much liquid is used and the cooking temperature.” (Here’s where the raw foodies would chime in). The radiation question is more frightening. The FDA itself states that it isn’t entirely known what happens to people exposed over a period of time to low levels of microwaves and that long-term studies involving people have not been done. See some safety tips here.
There are also significant warnings out there for mothers regarding the lack of safety in heating milk in the microwave, and for those who understandably like the ease of pre-packaged meals with plastic coverings, which are also of questionable safety.
I’m increasingly thinking though about where my food comes from in addition to how healthful it is. In that spirit, a writer from Slow Food also gave me a good reminder. It’s about “knowing your food.” How easy is that to do when (although it’s been busted as a myth and I still do it) you’re supposed to stand five feet away from the oven? It’s certainly not stirring a pot with appreciation while taking in the aromas of the food.
Perhaps newer research doesn’t need to be done after Swiss, German and Russian studies concluded years ago of the microwave oven’s questionable safety. So for now, out it goes. I’m going to get myself a tea kettle and start looking into the hazards of electromagnetic fields which appear to be dangerous and not as easy to avoid as an appliance. |
Presentation on theme: "On the Nature of Global Change Professor John Harrington, Jr. Department of Geography, Kansas State University Planet Under Pressure."— Presentation transcript:
Unprecedented Types, Rates, Scales, Combinations, and the Magnitude of Change Planetary Destabilization … the Earth system is now operating in a no-analogue state. 2004
Symptoms of human induced global change: Symptoms of human induced global change: - warming - rapid change in surface appearance (LUCC) - changes in chemical indicators (nitrogen) - change in gaseous composition (atmos) - loss of key biotic components - new organisms have been introduced - rapid depletion of stored reserves (water) - rapid depletion of stored reserves (energy) - the rate of change is increasing 1973 1999 Climate change is part of something bigger
Global Change –Global climate change (CO 2 & global weirding) –Air pollution (gross insults & micro toxicity) –Shrinking glaciers & loss of Arctic sea ice –Population growth and resource consumption –Land use change – deforestation for agric. –Water resources (reservoirs & irrigation) –Ocean acidification, sea level rise, coral reefs –Loss of biodiversity (major extinction event) –New ideas to hopefully change the conversation Ecological Footprints and Overshoot (1.5 Earths) Ecosystem services (externalities and the commons) Sustainability ScienceVulnerability, Resilience Planetary BoundariesThe Anthropocene Planetary StewardshipThe Wildland Garden Earth Hour (late March)
The more you read in this subject area, the more you understand the multiple connections, the complexity, and just how hard it will be to make the changes needed for a sustainable transition
Annual cycle – driven by summer vegetation greenup in the Northern Hemisphere Lower values at the end of the growing season CO 2 levels are now at 394 ppm (up 39.6%) CO 2 levels were at 315ppm at the start of the Mauna Loa record. The CO 2 level for pre-industrial times was 280 ppm.
Understanding the Earth system (feedbacks and response times) indicates that there is more to come
Warmer areas on Earth will emit slightly shorter wavelengths and water vapor is the main GHG Cooler areas on Earth will emit slightly longer wavelength energy and CO 2 is the main GHG
Global pattern of temperature anomalies for 2000-2009 compared with the 1950-1980 base period. More CO 2 and cold places warm up.
Images of change in alpine glacial ice from Africa and North America Mount Kilimanjaro Glacier National Park
Land Use Change Human Dimensions of Global Change Land Use Change More land was converted to cropland in the 30 years after 1950 than in the 150 years between 1700 and 1850. Cultivated Systems in 2000 cover 25% of the terrestrial surface
Land use change different directions in different regions Rates of ecosystem conversion remain high or are increasing for specific ecosystems and regions Ecosystems in some regions are returning to conditions similar to their pre-conversion states
The Human Footprint and the Last of the Wild E. Sanderson et al. 2002 BioScience Last Child in the Woods There is a human footprint on 83% of the land.
Anthropogenic Biomes of the World *Mosaic: >25% tree cover mixed with > 25% pasture and/or cropland * Ellis & Ramankutty
–5 to possibly 25% of global freshwater use exceeds long- term accessible supplies (low to medium certainty) –15 - 35% of irrigation withdrawals exceed supply rates and are therefore unsustainable (low to medium certainty) Changes in Water Resources
A period of rapid and unprecedented global change The Green Revolution: genetics, fertilizer, tractors, & irrigation turning oil into food The pace of growth is slowing
NSF now has SEES Achieving a sustainable human future in the face of both gradual and abrupt environmental change is one of the most significant challenges facing humanity All eleven NSF Directorates and Offices have joined together to support Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) Requests for proposals in: sustainable chemistry Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability
… sole authors did produce the papers of singular distinction in science and engineering and social science in the 1950s, but the mantle of extraordinarily cited work has passed to teams by 2000. (p. 1038) It takes about a year of working together to establish a good team
life supporting resources declining consumption of life supporting resources rising we are in what E.O. Wilson (in 2002) referred to as the bottleneck
Can global leaders find a way to address a long-term and global problem? Two imperatives work against a solution The imperative of the present Topophilia = love of place; we need geophilia or gaiaphilia The imperative of the local The relative indifference to the environment springs, I believe, from deep within human nature. The human brain evidently evolved to commit itself emotionally only to a small piece of geography, a limited band of kinsmen, and two or three generations into the future. E.O. Wilson 2002
Science and engineering enable new technologies that accompany change There is a need to move toward sustainability To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. Buckminster Fuller Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead |
One of my favorite radio shows I enjoy is The Danielle Lin Show.
Every Saturday her program features experts in the fields of healthy living, positive change, leadership, personal development, and a forum for change through communication.
This weekend Danille Lin featured John Maxwell, an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, coach, and author who has sold over 19 million books. John Maxwell discussed how people connect for success and how they often don’t understand the importance of connection when trying to succeed in a public forum.
His wisdom caused me to reflect on a question I hear from so many bloggers, “Why isn’t anyone commenting or sharing my blog posts?”
The answer is always that the blogger isn’t creating a consistent connection with the reader.
It’s not uncommon for new bloggers to spend the first year (or longer) writing blog posts that they want to deliver — verses blog posts readers want to read. In order to create engaging web content, a blogger must understand how important the reader is to what they blog about.
When a blogger only offers content that they want to share over exploring what the reader wants to read, they fail to find a common ground with their audience and a community connection never builds. If the blogger doesn’t change his or her approach, their blog will never see real success.
You can be the best writer in the world, but if you cannot connect with your readers, no one will comment or share your blog content.
John Maxwell states that there are many reasons people who provide for the public neglect to find common ground, but here are his top 4, which I think are EXACTLY why bloggers don’t become top bloggers:
The blogger thinks, “I don’t need to know what my readers know, feel, or want.”
Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis observed, “Nine-tenths of the serious controversies that arise in life result from misunderstanding, from one man not knowing the facts which to the other man seem important, or otherwise failing to appreciate his point of view.” A blogger’s arrogance builds a barrier between them and their readers when they hold to their way of writing (often writing that got them good grades in school) to be the only right way to share information with their audience.
The blogger thinks, “I already know what my readers know, feel, and want.”
“All miscommunication is a result of differing assumptions,” says Jerry Ballard. We need to be like a good tailor. Every time we have an opportunity to connect with the public, we take new measurements. A tailor never assumes people are the same as the last time he connected with them. When you make assumptions about the people you are trying to connect with, “you stop paying attention to people and miss clues that would otherwise help you to find and reach common ground with them.”
The blogger thinks, “I don’t care to know what my readers know, feel, or want.”
Indifference is really just another form of selfishness. Bloggers who are indifferent are focused on themselves and their own comfort instead of extending themselves and finding the best way to relate to their readers.
The blogger thinks, “I don’t want readers to know what I know, feel, or think.”
Maxwell says that finding common ground is a two-way street. Great bloggers and leaders “inform people, make them a part of what is going on, and include them in their decision making whenever possible. You cannot establish common ground if you refuse to let anyone know who you are or what you believe.”
If you want to succeed in life, you must learn how to connect with others and if you want to have a successful blog you must learn how to connect with, and draw in your readers.
Maxwell asks, “Have you ever heard of someone who is said to have a charmed life? Usually those are people who have learned how to connect. When you connect with others, you position yourself to make the most of your skills and talents.”
How do you connect with your blog readers?
John Maxwell says it’s often our attitude that gets in the way of our blogging success. “The ability to connect with others begins with understanding the value of people.” It’s the ability to be selfless in your interaction with your readers.
It is about asking yourself: “Am I going to make this blog post about my readers or me?”
Bloggers need to get the cold, hard fact that “your focus must be on others — and this is often the greatest hurdle people face in connecting with others.” He points out that it is just too easy to get caught up in what we are doing to the point where we place it and ourselves at the center of the universe.
If I had a dollar for every time I have watched a blogger do this on each and every blog post, I’d be a very wealthy person.
Maxwell says, “Good teachers, leaders, and speakers don’t see themselves as experts with passive audiences they need to impress. Nor do they view their interests as most important. Instead they see themselves as guides and focus on helping others learn.”
Maxwell shared with Danille Lin what it was like when he first started out as a minister. He joked and talked about how his kids used to pray that he wouldn’t be boring anymore. Maxwell could tell that he wasn’t connecting with his audience and this left him feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. He kept asking himself and his wife,
“Why aren’t they listening to me?”
“Why aren’t people following me?”
“What am I doing wrong?”
This is when he offers up some very profound advice. Can you tell what is wrong with the above 3 questions?
The problem is that the questions Maxwell is asking are centered around the word ME because his focus was still on himself even when he thought he was thinking about the audience.
Maxwell points out that those three questions are proof that he was too self-absorbed in his attempt to connect with the public, and as a result, you always fail to connect with people when your focus is on the word ME. Maxwell confesses that he was trying to get ahead by correcting others when he should have been trying to connect with others. He was asking the wrong questions the wrong way and the type of questions he was asking himself were focused on I and ME instead of YOU and YOURS.
True connection happens when a blogger makes their readers feel like a valuable part of the blogger’s content.
The blogger should always ask himself/herself at the end of each blog post:
Does what I have written increase my value of you?
Is what I have written about you and what you want to read from me, or is it yet another example of me writing what I want to write?
The ability to write well is not the same as the ability to be a successful blogger. Being a good writer helps, but good writing alone will not make people share your content, or comment on your blog posts.
A top blogger must have the capacity to construct genuine, heart-felt blog posts that address what the reader wants to read, then listen for feedback from as many readers as possible and truly accept and process the feedback while continuing to strive to blog in a way that connects the blogger on a common ground with their readers.
Maxwell will tell you that focusing your attention on your audience is one of the hardest things for a true communicator to do, but is absolutely essential if you want to achieve any kind of lasting blogging success.
To be a top blogger you must find where your potential audience hangs out and LISTEN.
Listen to their problems, their concerns and what they are yearning to understand. Hear who they are and then reach out to them and offer how your blog can help them succeed in life, or make them feel like they are not alone.
Give to your reader first before you ever expect anything in return.
Catch yourself every time you say, “Hey, I think this would be great …” and replace it with “Hey, my readers think this would be great…” and see where your blog writing takes you.
Remember that bloggers kill their top blogging dream when they refuse to make a conscious choice to always put the reader first when they begin their blog posts.
How do you think bloggers kill their ability to connect to possible loyal readers? |
Smoke bush: Cotinus coggyria
This deciduous shrub is a member of the Anarcardiaceae family and it is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has a spreading habit and can grow up to 3 m (10 ft) high. The green leaves of this species turn brilliant orange to deep red in autumn. The leaves of the variety ‘Royal Purple’ are black-red all year round. The yellowishthat appear in spring are borne on 20 cm (8 in) long panicles, followed in late summer by striking, multiple fruits covered with downy hairs.
These frost-resistant plants will tolerate not only hot, dry conditions but also strong sun. They look best in a place where they are sheltered from the rain. They thrive in moderately fertile, well-drained. Dead shoots should be removed. Semi-ripe cuttings taken in spring and then dusted with rooting powder, root very easily. Plants can also be raised from ripe seeds, which germinate quickly. Varieties with red leaves are prone to . |
I have always had a weak immune system. Antibiotics have often saved me. I never questioned those physicians who prescribed them generously to me over the course of the years. No wonder. Antibiotics have always worked for me – so far. But what if they don’t anymore? What if a patient develops resistance?
Twenty years ago, not only Princess Diana and Mother Teresa died. A few days before, my childhood friend Nathalie had been killed in a car accident. I remember watching endless reports about Diana and Dodi’s fatal crash thinking about Nathalie. She was the first to go…the first one of my generation.
Today, on my 43rd birthday, I would like to tell you about two amazing experiences I had when I recently traveled through India. Both of them were extremely physical. One of them made me aware of cultural differences in our attitude towards death. The other one gave me insights about the poorest of the poor – and how the other half dies.
No matter if you have a partner or you don’t, if you have children or you don’t, if you are surrounded by many friends or just a few – the battle against chronic disease and terminal illness will have to be fought alone mostly. Like Sisyphus, you are rolling your burden up the hill, but have to watch it going down again. And just like Sisyphus, you can find happiness…
“I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized” (Romeo & Juliet Act2, Scene2)
I love words. Nevertheless, I am often misunderstood. I might have studied so many foreign languages for the sole sake of expanding my verbal repertoire. Words don’t seem to be enough. I am lost in communication.
Human beings have been given a free will. Once you are diagnosed with cancer, your ability to choose remains – however, your options in life are significantly reduced. Amongst many others, two major aspects will be concerned: your relationship and your job. Is it necessary to settle in an unhappy marriage and safer to compromise? Should cancer warriors stay or go?
I want everything under the sun but skin cancer. Summer has always been my favorite time of the year. I have never worried whether a sun tan is fashionable or not, I just loved being under the sun, at the beach, close to the sea. Skin cancer has become an issue for me now, as CLL makes me vulnerable to other types of cancer as well. |
The Bio Building at The Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks
Tupper Lake, NY
The Wild Center/Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, opened in 2006 and is located on a 31-acre site in the Town of Tupper Lake, NY near the geographic center of the Adirondack Park. The Natural History Museum, also known as “The Wild Center,” is a celebration of the wildlife and community of the Adirondacks, featuring live exhibits such as otters in their own waterfall and trout that swim over visitors’ heads. The museum is highly interactive, encouraging visitors to truly experience the animals, plants, and ecology of the Adirondack region. The mission of the museum is to “ignite an enduring passion for the Adirondacks where people and nature can thrive together and set an example for the world.”
The Wild Center’s dedication to environmental education inspired them to choose Phinney Design Group, an architecture firm focused on sustainable design and environmentally sensitive construction techniques, to design their award-winning Bio Building. The Natural History Museum attained LEED Silver certification in 2008, becoming the first LEED-certified building in the Adirondack Park and the first LEED-certified museum in New York State. These sustainable strategies enable it to save between 20 and 30 percent on operating costs compared to a conventionally designed building.
*Phinney Design Group worked in collaboration with HOK Architects and The Offices of Charles P. Reay, the architect for the main museum, during the conceptual design phases of the Bio Building. |
Diffuse matter in space that is irradiated by hot stars, energized by shock waves, or otherwise ionized and heated, will appear as a "nebula" with a spectrum that displays emission lines. The analysis of the resulting spectrum can reveal a tremendous amount of information about the physical properties of the emitting cloud, including its temperature, density, speed of motion, and composition. The addition of absorption line measurements for sources with strong ultraviolet continuum sources can be a powerful additional means of studying interstellar gas.
Shields is involved in a variety of projects that employ the tools of nebular analysis, while also finding ways to refine the application of spectral diagnostics. His previous and ongoing work includes studies of quasars and active galaxies, starbursts and HII regions, and emission-line regions in the centers of elliptical galaxies and galaxy clusters.
|An example application is the study of a remarkable system of emission-line filaments associated with NGC 1275, the central galaxy in the Perseus cluster. Former graduate student Bassem Sabra (now on the faculty at Notre Dame University of Lebanon), working with Shields and Alex Filippenko (UC-Berkeley), examined the detailed energetics of this system. Most existing models for powering such filaments fall short of explaining the observations, with the remaining evidence pointing to the hot intracluster medium and its magnetic field as important sources of energy.||
Composite spectrum of the NGC 1275 filaments, from Sabra et al. 2000 (data from the Lick Observatory 3-meter telescope). |
Growers looking to keep empty hoophouses productive during the off-season should look no further than the expanding market of fresh greens. This specialty market is keeping houses filled with fresh produce in early spring, late fall and even over the winter, consequently providing an income stream that they typically wouldn’t during that time of year.
“Everything in this area is niche stuff,” says Steven Bogash, horticulture educator at Penn State Cooperative Extension. “Growers provide greens to restaurants, farmers markets, specialty grocery stores [and more].”
The growing methods for these different greens is about as diverse as the markets for the produce. Bogash says he sees greens grown in soil, ground-based beds with potting medium and benches with potting medium — not to mention a whole range of hydroponic methods.
Specialty greens including bok choy, kale, arugula, mustard greens, chards and various forms of lettuce, including mini and regular head lettuce, romaine, leaf lettuce —and even microgreens — are all options.
“Choosing varieties that are suitable for the local market is critical to success,” says Allen Pyle, horticulturist at Jung Seed in Randolph, Wisc.
Iceberg lettuce is still the biggest seller; however, romaine, leaf lettuce and the full- and mini-lettuce varieties are becoming increasingly favored by consumers, particularly in the local market sector, which includes both restaurants and institutions.
Mini head lettuces, such as Rosaine, a red lettuce, and the green Spretnak lettuce can be sold to supermarkets in clamshells and in mix boxes to restaurants, farmers markets and community supported agriculture organizations (CSAs). These lettuces require up to about 52 days to maturity and are suitable for growing in the early spring or fall.
The baby leaf varieties, such as Red Sails and Coastline, are also popular and can be grown and mixed together for a colorful, eye-appealing combo. These are normally cut when still immature so they can be ready for harvest in about half the time it takes to grow full heads.
One new variety of lettuce, Bistro Blend, provides the best of both worlds. It can be grown as a baby leaf and harvested in about 30 days, or grown to full size in about 80 days and sold as a full-size head lettuce.
Also making inroads in the specialty market are microgreens. Growers can get multiple turns from each crop. Most of these speed demons require only 10 to 15 days to mature. Seed catalogs provide pre-mixed combinations of mild and spicy greens, or you can choose from dozens of different greens including dill, radish, mustard, kale, and cress.
Basil and other greens
The field is wide open when it comes to testing the market with different types of greens. Pyle sees increased interest in herbs, such as basil. Other greens that are gaining a foothold into markets include bok choy, kale, parsley, mustard and some of the Asian greens.
“Probably the best option is when you can develop a relationship with a chef,” he says. “That can be extremely valuable. You might try growing some things they recommend or trialing some things you might want them to try.”
Growers are also creating their own signature mix of colors and textures to offer to restaurants and specialty grocery stores. This requires good timing in the houses, which comes with experience. Growing different varieties also reduces the chance of a total crop failure should one variety prove to be susceptible to disease.
At the MSU Research and Extension Center in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Collin Thompson, program instructor and farm manager, is proving fresh greens can be grown over the winter, even in the frigid Zone 4 region.
The high tunnel at the research farm produces a nice variety of greens for local markets year-round, but it is their winter growing program that is most impressive. Thompson says they have double poly on their hoophouse and use two layers of floating row cover placed over the crop for extra frost protection in the winter.
The winter season for production of greens starts in about September. Thompson says things like head lettuce are started as transplants, while arugula, spinach and Asian greens are directly seeded. Leafy greens can begin to be harvested in about mid-February by simply clipping off the leaves and letting the rest of the plant continue growing.
“It’s kind of like a bank account,” says Thompson. “We’re taking withdrawals as we move forward in the winter realizing that the varieties we have selected can withstand the temperatures they’re going to see at a mature size.”
Thompson plants in amended soil and adds what’s needed in the soil to make up for deficiencies noted by soil tests. He uses various supplements including rock phosphate, greensand, potassium sulphate and gypsum to adjust the soil. The organic grower relies mostly on fish fertilizers, blood meal, bone meal and kelp meal to feed his plants.
Although Thompson does encounter some diseases and pests in the hoophouses, most don’t stand a chance against the deep freeze of winter.
“We’ve got hard enough winters where things hibernate or die off, which is helpful,” says Thompson. |
Itchy White Bumps On My Neck Symptoms
Several causes: Little itchy bumps on the nape, several forms of dermatitis (skin inflammation), folliculitis (inflammation ofthe hair follicles) , ? Psoriasis ( a scaly skin condition), or seborrhea (part of it is dandruff) u may want 2 c ur 1ry md or a referral to a dermatologist 2 sort it out see less. ...Read more
What could be a line trail itchy bumps rash from center front neck to my chin since 1 1 2 yrs ago the ichy symptoms get better on an off with hycrocortisone triamcinolone benzoyl peroxide and face creams calms it down then in a few days the ichyness persi
See your doctor: If its not getting better with over the counter creams, see your doctor. ...Read more
I had itchy red bumps on my neck last week. This week I have non itchy small white bumps on my neck. What could it be?
Many possibilities: There are many things that could cause the skin to itch. Several types of inflammatory conditions of the skin, allergic reactions, and sometimes bacterial, viral or fungal infections can cause rashes on the skin. Insect bites can also be the cause of a rash on the skin. Have it evaluated by a professional and get the appropriate treatment. ...Read more
Bumps: This can't be diagnosed with the information that is available. A history, physical examination & other studies may be needed to determine cause/causes. Once accurately assessed a treatment plan can be developed. ...Read more
I have 2 little bumps on my neck and they are very dry and itchy. It looks like a scab but the top is slightly white.
Exam needed: An examination of these lesions is needed to diagnose them, but they could be tiny inclusion cysts. They don't sound like active infections,lymph nodes or growths. See your physician if you have further concerns or if these persist,enlarge,become inflamed,tender or if new crops appear. ...Read more
Too young to post!: Sorry, but according to the guidelines, you are too young to post on this forum, and for us to advise you. Please have your guardian/parent ask. ...Read more
What are these itchy red bumps on my neck and chest they are horrible to look , they look like ! **** my girlfriend is already discouragw with me.?
I have tiny red bumps on my neck that are very itchy. I haven't been outdoors, my sheets are clean. They aren't mosquito bites. What could they be?
Itchy bumps on neck: Itchy bumps red on neck will suggest most probabely it is a form of contact dermatitis related a piece of jewelerry like necklace or some thing you wore around your neck.Some gold jewellery have other metals like nickel etc, which can cause contact dermatitis.You can use over the counter 1% Hydrocortisone cream twice a day and if no improvement see your doctor or a dermatologist. ...Read more
I have3or so small spots of dry itchy skin, I also have2small bumps on my neck:pain from 1bump only, and noctural emissions every week. Any connection?
Every time i sleep with my hair wet, i get these small grouped itchy red bumps on my neck, they start to burn once i put itching cream on it.
Why the ?: It just seems to me that drying your hair before going to bed would solve the problem. Perhaps the residual shampoo or conditioner in the hair when wet is causing the problem but the solution appears to be quite straight forward. ...Read more
I have red itchy bumps on my neck, ears, face, back and chest. I have been in a hot tub this weekend and think that it is chlorine rash. Am i right?
I have 3 or so small spots of dry itchy skin, 1on each sholder&small portion by eye. Can it be why I have2small bumps on my neck?Pain from 1 bump only
Several causes: Little itchy bumps on the nape, several forms of dermatitis (skin inflammation), folliculitis (inflammation ofthe hair follicles) , ? Psoriasis ( a scaly skin condition), or seborrhea (part of it is dandruff) u may want 2 c ur 1ry md or a referral to a dermatologist 2 sort it out. ...Read more
I have small bumps on the back of my neck and they bleed if i brake them. Does any one knows about this and how to remove them because it gets itchy?
Every time I wear a "cheap" necklace I get itchy bumps on the back of my neck. How do I make them go away?
My body is very itchy from my neck and below since 2 days. Have little red dots but not bumps. Took reactive last night but no effect. ?
I have some little hive-like bumps at the base of my neck 2 days. Itchy and painful. I haven't eaten anything I'm allergic to. What could this be?
Viral or otherwise: Hives come and go, typically moving around within an hour's time, but sometimes over 24 hours. Hives that persist for 2 days are rarely due to foods, but a virus could easily explain it, as could seasonal allergies. If you've had any sick contact with family members or friends who are sick, there's your answer. Otherwise I'd think about seeing an allergist. Hope this helps. ...Read more
- Itchy white bumps on back of neck symptoms
- Itchy white bumps on my legs symptoms
- Itchy white bumps on my mouth symptoms
- Itchy white bumps on my leg symptoms
- Itchy white bumps on my eye symptoms
- Itchy white bumps on my groin symptoms
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- Itchy white bumps on my breasts symptoms
- Itchy white bumps on my breast symptoms |
Voter turnout among African American and Hispanic voters in the United States has surged in early voting, and this swell of minority participation could spell trouble for Donald Trump’s White House hopes.
On Sunday — the last day of early voting before Election Day on November 8 — hundreds of people attended “Souls to the Polls” events, aimed at encouraging churchgoers to vote across the key swing state of Florida.
Some came straight from morning worship, wearing three-piece suits and dresses as they made their way past dozens of campaigners hoisting signs for local candidates and urging support for solar energy and education issues.
At one event in central Miami, people held hands and prayed outside an early voting site, while at another in southern Miami-Dade County, about 20 African American men rolled in together on motorcycles.
For some, the vote they cast was as much for Democrat Hillary Clinton as it was against her Republican billionaire challenger.
“I’m scared if Trump wins,” said Ines Curbelo, 57, a nurse who described herself as Afro-Cuban and was handing out Democratic flyers at a polling place Cutler Bay, south of Miami.
As speakers blared gospel and R&B music, a line formed near a smoky barbecue pit and several young boys jousted with inflatable swords on the grassy lawn behind her.
“He would set back politics and set back race relations and set back women’s fight for equality in the workplace — everything is going to get set so far back,” Curbelo said.
100% increase in Hispanic voters
Hispanics make up a powerful voting bloc in the battleground state of Florida, and are widely expected to lean toward Clinton, particularly since Trump has described Mexicans as rapists, repeatedly vowed to build a border wall and promised to deport masses of undocumented immigrants.
As of early Monday, nearly one million of the state’s total 6.4 million votes so far were cast by Hispanics, according to Daniel Smith, a University of Florida professor who tracks voter turnout.
Among those who showed up in person rather than mailing in a ballot, there was a 100 percent increase over the close of early voting in 2012, he said.
In another sign of voter enthusiasm, 36 percent of Hispanics who cast a ballot this year did not vote in the last presidential election.
Nationwide, about 12 percent of voters are Hispanic, or about 27.3 million people, according to Pew Research Center projections.
High Hispanic turnout has also been seen in other states such as Nevada.
“The Hispanic community is coming out,” teacher Marcela Stewart, 37, told AFP at the Souls to the Polls event.
“I think as far as the black community, we need to work a little harder,” she added.
“Some people are just discouraged and feel they cannot impact the election, so we want to let them know that their voices will be heard and they need to come out.”
Black turnout ‘explodes’
Indeed, when early voting in the United States started two weeks ago, African American turnout was low.
According to Tornell Jenkins, a 37-year-old student, President Barack Obama’s historic victory as the first black president in 2008 “really drove the black vote.”
“Now there is confusion. Some blacks feel that both parties are bad,” he added, predicting that many in his community would wait for Election Day to vote.
Early last week, Smith said black turnout was “lackluster” — at about 14 percent of early voters — compared with 26 percent in 2012, when Obama was re-elected.
But that changed, after Obama made a series of appeals for black voters to support Clinton, and Clinton herself appeared at a campaign event with Beyonce and Jay-Z.
“Over the past few days, we’ve seen black turnout explode, with more African-Americans voting early in-person than in 2012,” Smith told AFP on Sunday.
As of Monday, a total of 835,000 African Americans had already voted in Florida. That is higher than in 2012, when 764,000 blacks voted early.
Mixing religion and politics on the last Sunday of early voting can be an important draw for the working class, according to Namita Waghray, an organizer with the American County of Federal, State and County Employees (AFSCME), a 1.6 million-member union that includes bus drivers and garbage collectors.
“In African American communities, this is when people vote,” she said, recalling about 800 people came out for Souls to the Polls events in 2012 and a dozen were held statewide this year.
“The reason we partner with churches and people of faith is because they have such belief in their community.” |
I have an equation, where acceleration is affected by a driving power and air resistance. The acceleration is given by: a = (2P / m + u^2)^0.5 - (k*p*A*u^2 / 2m) - u I'm trying to make "u" the subject, which is previous velocity, to find at what velocity does acceleration become 0, the maximum speed. However, this has proven to be very difficult for me, and the closest I have gotten is: 8P / k*m*p = k*p*u^4 + 4*u^3 However, this does not have "u" by itself. I have gotten "u" by itself, but it requires cube rooting or even 4th rooting (I don't know the term) the other side of the equation, and still has "u" in that... I'm hoping there's a nice easy way of fixing this, but I can't seem to find it. I have tried online calculators, and my ClassPad, but they give very large and complex answers. Thanks for any help. |
OK, so I don’t really think you should eat or breathe your dish detergent, but you could be doing so already.
It is common for some residue to be left on dishes coming from the dishwasher, and while the dishwasher is running, a great deal of steam is being put out into your home environment. If there are toxic ingredients in your detergent, guess what you’re ingesting and inhaling?
I switched from “standard” Costco brand dishwasher detergent to a natural one a few years ago when I read that cancer patients should have their dishes run through the cycle without detergent to avoid the tax on the immune system. Well, I didn’t think taxing the immune system was a good idea for the rest of us either. So I tried a dish powder from BioKleen. It worked OK. I switched to the Trader Joe’s brand for a better price, and I think that it may be the exact same product (TJ’s uses other manufacturers in some of their private label goods).
After months of using these cleaners, I noted a few things:
Pro: there was no bleach odor coming from the dishwasher while it ran.
Con: the glasses began to have a white residue build up on the outsides (bottoms), and sometimes had small granules of white powder on the inside.
I could scrub that white film off by hand (totally planning to do this when the kids leave for college . . .) but the granules inside? We might be eating that if I don’t wipe each time. So recently I switched to liquid dishwasher soap.
A friend who had just switched to the BioKleen liquid dishwasher soap warned me that it wasn’t getting her dishes clean, so I bought the Seventh Generation product which smells like grapefruit.
I think it is working well, although I noticed that I have to rinse and brush my silverware clean of stuck-on food, as there are no granules to act as an abrasive for scrubbing them off.
It also looks to me like this detergent may be slowly removing some of the white film from my glasses, but I may just be imagining it.
Dish Liquid (for washing by hand)
Here’s some good news: of all the soaps and cleansers in our homes, the liquid dish detergent we use for washing up by hand is likely the least toxic if it does not have Triclosan in it (the FDA just recently stated that, based upon animal studies, there is valid concern that Triclosan can have an impact on the endocrine (hormonal) system). Otherwise, this can happily wait for replacement until you’ve run out of your current soap.
I have been quite happy with the BioKleen Dish Liquid. Lovely fragrance, cuts grease but doesn’t strip my hands, and foams up well. Get it at 15% off from iherb.com; I get mine through my local food co-op/drop for greater savings.
Tip: In addition to washing up dishes and other kitchen surfaces, dish soap works well to get oil stains out of clothing (think butter and peanut butter stains on kid clothes). Dawn detergent is the BEST for this, as it is an awesome grease cutter, but it’s not a natural product, so if you use it avoid touching it to your skin. Use your dish liquid full strength on the stain, let set for half an hour, rinse in the sink, then launder. Dish liquid is far too foamy for washing machines, so never add it to your load or you may have a huge mess on your hands!
Have you ever read a book that sort of pulls together a lot of loose questions for you? I mean, you have been told a basic theory about a topic, and yet you know of personal situations that don’t fit into the basic theory. And then you are presented with a new paradigm that makes so much sense on a diverse clinical level.
Such was my experience with the book Cure Tooth Decay: Heal & Prevent Cavities with Nutrition by Ramiel Nagel. Although I knew, like most moms, that a proper diet which included calcium was essential to making healthy teeth, I didn’t know that an excellent diet can actually prevent tooth decay. Even without brushing. Whaaat?
How can people have excellent dental health without brushing (and flossing, and swishing, and getting dental cleanings every 6 months)? This is what I wondered, as my paradigm for dental health was that the things that we put on our teeth (food, especially sugar) and then failing to brush it off soon enough, will cause acids and/or feed bacteria that eat away at our tooth enamel. This book debunks the “sugar on teeth” theory, in that white sugar does not feed bacteria, it actually kills it. But we all know some kid that’s addicted to sugar, and has a mouth full of fillings to prove it, right? This is where the nutrition factor comes in: it’s not the sugar on the teeth that wear away at the enamel, it’s the sugar inside the body. White sugar (and white flour, and a bunch of other nutrition negatives) cause the body to swing towards an acid pH, and the body must compensate by pulling an alkaline substance (like calcium) from storage to keep the pH balanced, or to send to a more important part of the body, like the brain or heart. The body may decide in this crisis situation that losing a tooth is better than losing an organ, and so a living tooth slowly loses it’s health from the inside out.
This explains why one tooth may be in decay, while the one next to it is fine (one would think that all teeth in the mouth would decay at the same rate if it were the foods present in the mouth affecting them, as sugar would be distributed everywhere). The body may prioritize one tooth as a source for pulling calcium over another tooth. This also explains why breast-fed babies tend to have more excellent dental health than their bottle-fed counterparts. Dental caries in infants have long been blamed on formula pooling in the cheek from bottle feeding, yet breastfed babies can also sleep with pooled milk and yet have better teeth. It is the better nutrition in the breastmilk that is the basis for better dentition, rather than the absence of milk on the teeth themselves.
Of course, breast-milk is not always excellent nutrition; the health-giving properties of breastmilk are tied to the excellence of the mother’s diet. Ramiel Nagel’s own daughter was being exclusively breastfed when she began to develop tooth decay. The whole family was vegetarian, so they thought they were very health conscious in their diet, yet the lack of essential animal fats and proteins had actually thrown them into a state of malnutrition. As Mr. Nagel research Dr. Price’s writings, he became convinced that they must change their diet dramatically, or all suffer physical and dental degeneration.
Dr. Price found that the people groups he studied with the most excellent dental health, some with nearly 100 percent immunity to dental caries across the entire population, ate liberally and daily from the following 3 food sources:
Dairy products from grassfed animals
Organs and muscle meat from fish and shellfish
Organs of land animals
Mr. Nagel’s book goes into fascinating detail on the whole diets of several groups of people (some peoples ate hardly any dairy, etc. but had larger doses of the other special foods, etc.). He also explores the minerals and fat-soluble vitamins (namely calcium, phosphorus, Vitamins A and D from natural sources) which are the reason (or part of the reason) that these foods build healthy teeth (and bodies).
At the end of this article are some lists of Eat Daily/Weekly/Rarely/Never which are Ramiel Nagel’s suggestions. This list is overwhelming to me, as it would seem like a full time job to make sure each of my children ate all the recommended foods daily and weekly. However, I have to remember that we are doing a decent job on the 3 important foods categories: particularly eating lots of raw milk, yellow butter, and cod liver oil. And considering that the rest of our diet is very whole-foods centered, and that I have had this good nutrition while pregnant and breastfeeding, it isn’t surprising that my children all have beautiful strong teeth (so far!). For those that are already realizing poor dental health as a result of poor nutrition, it may be wise to go drastic and follow Mr. Nagel’s diet to reverse tooth decay, as he was able to accomplish for his daughter.
Of course, many factors are likely present in decay situations, and tooth surfaces that allow for compacted food to be left on them, like molar chewing surfaces, and the baby’s teeth which are in the pool of milk, do tend to be the first to decay. Brushing seems to be a reasonable and helpful habit for minimizing these factors, especially if the toothpaste does not have toxic fluoride but instead a healthy dose of Xylitol, a natural bacteria-fighting sugar with re-enamalizing properties. (Ramiel Nagel has a negative opinion of Xylitol based on one study on its safety; my research leads me to believe it is safe and effective. Read Xylitol: Alternative to Fluoride.)
However, brushing should be seen as the secondary dental habit, with excellent nutrition being the first and most important.
Ramiel Nagel outlines a diet that has allowed 90% of those who follow it to stop tooth decay. If you already have teeth decaying in the mouth, consider a strict adherence to this diet.
Foods to Eat Daily:
1/8-1/2 tsp. fermented Cod Liver Oil 3x daily with meals, or 1/2-4 T. organic/wild liver
1/8-1/4 tsp. of high vitamin butter oil 3x daily with meals, or 1-2 T. yellow butter per meal
2-6 cups raw grassfed whole milk
2 cups bone broth
1-4 T. grassfed bone marrow
2 fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt
Substantial quantities of vegetables, such as carrots, beet greens, kale, chard, zucchini, broccoli, celery, sting beans, including soups and juices
Seaweed or kelp
Eat Several Times Weekly:
Raw, rare cooked, or marinated/fermented wild caught fish
Raw, rare cooked, or marinated/fermented grassfed beef or lamb
Raw fresh oysters or clams
Raw, rare cooked, or marinated/fermented liver of grassfed beef, lamb, chicken, fish, turkey, etc.
Raw or soft cooked eggs from grass-fed poultry
Eat Only Rarely/Avoid If Dental Health is Poor:
Dried Fruit, and any very sweet fruits, such as orange, grapes, peaches, banana and pineapple
Natural Sweeteners, such as unheated honey, organic maple syrup, agave nectar, fruit juice, and rapadura
Foods to Completely Avoid:
Sugar, in all processed forms
Flour and grain products, unless soaked or sprouted
Hydrogenated Oils, and low quality oils, such as soybean, canola, safflower. Replace with organic coconut, olive, or palm oils, butter, suet, or tallow.
Any junk food
Coffee, soft drinks, nutrasweet, and anything artificial
Soymilk, protein powder, and excess Tofu (my note: protein powder which is unheated raw whey is OK as it is still raw milk)
Pasteurized milk, even organic
Non-grassfed meat and eggs, and farmed fish
Alcohol and cigarettes
Drugs, whether recreational or prescription, and vaccines
Toothpaste always seems to be a top concern for people desiring non-toxic personal care products. It is the one product which we actually put into our mouths, and although we spit, we intuitively know some is getting into us. (Of course, the things we rub on our skin are in us too, but this doesn’t ameliorate the need to find a really great, non-toxic tooth cleaner.)
Before I dive into reviews on toothpaste ingredients and specific brands, let me mention that the dental products used, and even our “dental health habits”, have far less to do with dental health than does our state of nutritional health. A person deficient in the components needed to make and keep strong teeth (particularly minerals and the essential fats needed to absorb them) will have poor dental health, regardless of how often they brush and floss. Read Dental Health and Nutrition where I review Ramiel Nagel’s amazing work on nutrition and dental health. I thought I was educated on this topic, but this book was a real eye opener for me.
My 5 criteria for a great toothpaste are:
Non-toxic to overall health
Ever wonder why toothpaste packaging warns not to swallow toothpaste? (Ha! tell that to your 2 year old!) Conventional toothpastes are filled with toxic ingredients, including Sodium Laurel Sulfate, paraben preservatives, sugars (why would we want to put our teeth to bed with sugar?!?), and synthetic flavors and colors. However, I consider fluoride (Sodium Fluoride, Sodium Monofluorophosphate) to be the most toxic ingredient in toothpaste; if this is a shock to you, read Xylitol: Alternative to Fluoride.
Works (get’s our teeth clean/is good for our teeth)
So you’re wondering: if there isn’t fluoride in your toothpaste, how is it going to fight cavities? Xylitol, a natural sugar derived from birch trees, has shown to be even more effective and preventing and reversing cavities than fluoride, without toxic effects. Read more in Xylitol: Alternative to Fluoride.
Leaves mouth “feeling” clean and breath fresh
This is really an aesthetic, but still very important to our family! Fresh breath is a delight; and we want our toothpaste to be “all in one” with this included.
Tastes good while brushing
We’ve tried some nasty tasting pastes, and regardless of how great they may perform, we won’t be repeat customers. And our kids are keeping their lips sealed on this one.
Not exorbitantly priced
Is it too much to ask that the perfect toothpaste be under $7 a tube? Seriously, I have 3 children!
It has been a long road to find a toothpaste I feel confident in for its benefits while making our mouths smile for its flavor. My favorite, Spry by Xlear, is reviewed at the bottom page; others are options you might be considering.
Tom’s of Maine: this extensive line of toothpastes is widely available, and although most of the toothpastes have fluoride in them, here is one that doesn’t: Tom’s of Maine, Natural Antiplaque Toothpaste with Propolis and Myrrh, Spearmint, 6 oz (170 g). Unfortunately this does have Sodium Laurel Sulfate in it, which since it is derived from coconut may not be toxic but it is still harsh to skin/tissue/gums. I used several of their toothpaste flavors before I began to avoid fluoride, and they all tasted fine, fresh but not very sweet, and somewhat chalky in consistency compared to “regular” toothpaste. Price: $6.73 retail, $4.85 iherb.com.
Young Living, a company that manufactures and distributes their own high quality essential oils, has 3 toothpastes available for adults, and a kids line as well. The Dentarome Plus Toothpaste I have on hand for deodorant (see my postDeodorant: Love-Hate Relationship). As a toothpaste, it tastes like you’d expect from the list of ingredients: slightly sweetened baking soda with some essential oils added. It does not lather. Price: $8.88, must purchase through a distributor.
Tooth Soap is the brand name for a line of dental care products based on a literal soap for teeth. The idea is that natural soap, like a natural olive oil bar soap, will thoroughly clean teeth. The company claims that glycerine, which is added to most toothpastes out there, is a negative for teeth, as it leaves a sticky residue. I researched glycerine, and it is a byproduct of the soap making process, and is present in natural soap. Although the amount of glycerine is likely less in tooth soap than in toothpaste where it may be one of the first few ingredients, I view the whole claim as a scare tactic, since their product must have small amounts in it as well. I have not used tooth soap, but a close friend has, and notes that it just tastes like soap (no fresh breath after brushing), and that the shavings can get stuck in ones molars. I have decided against trying this method, but this is for convenience/aesthetic/price reasons rather than toxicity. Natural soap is pretty non-toxic. Price: $25.95 per jar of shavings, which should last a person 2-3 months.
Trader Joes has a wonderful Fennel Toothpaste, with Xylitol. It tastes like mild black licorice. It seems that the world is made of people who either hate black licorice, or love it. My family loves it, but we still prefer a mintier toothpaste experience, so this is not our favorite toothpaste. (My 2 year old actually does prefer this one as mint is a little too spicy for him still.) And what a great price: $1.99.
Tropical Traditions, a family owned company which has developed a fair trade business in Organic Coconut Oil for the native people of the Philippines, makes a toothpaste called Organic Teeth Cleaner with Organic Virgin Coconut Oil as its base. The other main ingredients are baking soda and essential oils. I have used this in the past, and it does seem to work to clean the teeth, however, it feels quite different from “regular” toothpaste with no lather and doesn’t leave a minty-fresh feeling after brushing (taste is very similar to the Young Living pastes, with baking soda being dominant). I believe it is a good option; we discontinued using it after bloodwork revealed a coconut allergy for me. Price: $6.50 plus shipping.
Though the average consumer may not know this, there is a significant debate about whether fluoride is good for teeth, and particularly whether it is good for the bodies attached to those teeth. There are highly educated, sincere individuals on both sides of this argument.
This is all pretty technical, and I won’t try to recount for you the many studies or facts related to this debate; you would to better to read this at the source. I am convinced that fluoride is toxic by the following:
Fluoride in Drinking Water came as Hazardous Waste
Only calcium fluoride occurs naturally in water; however, that type of fluoride has never been used for fluoridation. Instead what is used over 90 percent of the time are silicofluorides, which are 85 times more toxic than calcium fluoride. They are non-biodegradable, hazardous waste products that come straight from the pollution scrubbers of big industries. If not dumped in the public water supplies, these silicofluorides would have to be neutralized at the highest rated hazardous waste facility at a cost of $1.40 per gallon (or more depending on how much cadmium, lead, uranium and arsenic are also present). Cities buy these unrefined pollutants and dump them–lead, arsenic and all–into our water systems. Silicofluorides are almost as toxic as arsenic, and more toxic than lead. (From Fluoridation: The Fraud of the Century.)
Up until the 1970s, European doctors used fluoride as a thyroid-suppressing medication for patients with HYPER-thyroidism (over-active thyroid). Fluoride was utilized because it was found to be effective at reducing the activity of the thyroid gland – even at doses as low as 2 mg/day (a common total consumption level for those drinking fluoridated water). There is concern that current fluoride exposures may be playing a role in the widespread incidence of HYPO-thyroidism (under-active thyroid) in the U.S. (From ) Since Hypothyroidism runs in my family, and I am currently being treated for this condition, I have decided to avoid fluoride completely for myself and my family.
Liability Cover Up
In reading through arguments on both sides of the debate, I find that the best the ADA can come up with is to question the methods of study, point to studies which were funded by those making a profit from the sale of silicofluorides, and to state that fluoride safety is just “accepted scientific fact.” I look at this as a grand cover up . . . after all, what kind of liability would the ADA have for so many health problems, potentially even thousands of deaths, were they to face the facts in regards to the health effects of fluoride?
Xylitol to the Rescue
OK, so at this depressing point, I’m pretty ready for some good news. And we do have it. Xylitol, a natural sugar, even produced by our own bodies, can do that same amazing thing that fluoride can do: re-calcify tooth enamel. It tastes great (it’s a natural sugar, for crying out loud), and it’s easy to get into our diets: toothpaste, mints, gum.
Speaking of gum, studies consistently find that school children who are given Xylitol gum to chew reduce their incidence of cavaties, even if their other dental health habits are poor or non-existent.
Even if you aren’t as convinced as I am that fluoride should be avoided completely, the great facts on Xylitol should convince you to make sure this IS in your toothpaste on a daily basis! (Read Toothpaste: the Quest for Fresh, Clean, and Non-Toxic for my reviews on several natural toothpastes.)
Clean floors are an important part of home health, especially if there are babies in the home who spend a good portion of their time on the floor. Those sweet little hands that crawl on the floor. . . they go right into the mouth, don’t they?
In addition to keeping floors much cleaner through the week, shoe removal contributes to a healthy home. Most parents are aware of the hazard of lead from paint, and its toxic effect to children. Since I’ve only lived in homes built after 1978 since becoming a parent, I did not pay much attention to these warnings. Then I learned that children can still be exposed to lead through roadside dirt that has been tracked into the home (roadside dirt generally has a high concentration of lead from exhaust residue which came before lead was banned from gasoline).
Of course, I don’t do a lot of walking along major roadsides. But it did get me thinking about what else might be coming in on my shoes. From the grocery store, and occasional public restroom, to the library and local farm for eggs and milk, my shoes go many places and must have an entire mini ecosystem of bacteria and filth living on them.
And so I began removing my shoes when I enter my home, and requiring my children to do the same. It did help that we moved to a home with new carpet around that time, and the No-Shoes-on-Carpet rule became so ingrained into my children that they are now self-appointed Shoe Police, ordering all to drop their dirty duds.
Large metal bins, placed both near the front and back doors, help contain the pile of little shoes and boots that now reside near the doors.
Carpets:vacuum with a strong vacuum. For spots, first blot or scrub with plain water and a terry cloth rag (old wash cloth). If it doesn’t release, use a soap-based non-aerosol carpet/upholstery shampoo. I have had good results on both carpet and upholstery with Howard Naturals Upholstery Cleaner. Equal parts vinegar and water can neutralize urine odors.
Hard Floors: Sweep all loose debris from floors, then mop and wipe dry.
For vinyl, tile, and varnished wood floors,use 2 gallons warm water and 1 cup of vinegar.
For Linoleum floors, use 1/4 cup vegetable oil based liquid soap in 2 gallons warm water. |
Tennis elbow is an inflammatory tendon condition of localized pain over the outer aspect of the elbow. It is referred to medically as lateral epicondylitis. The pain is also located over the lateral aspect of the joint where the forearm bone (radius) and upper arm bone (humerus) join together.
It is felt that tennis elbow is caused by repeated low level stress on the tendons that connect to the outer aspects of the lower humerus. These muscles connected to these tendons are known as the forearm muscles, which are responsible for extending or bending back of the wrist and fingers. It is thought, when there is too much stress placed on these muscles small mircotears can occur in the tendons, especially at the attachment to the bone.
The pain can be present with almost any activity that is done with the palm downward.
How is the diagnose made?
There are no special tests required to make this diagnosis. It is usually made by history and physical examination. X- rays are frequently normal even though the person may have a definite case of tennis elbow.
How is tennis elbow treated?
Rest in itself does not necessarily cure the problem although it may decrease the painful aspect. With use of the elbow pain returns. Stretching and strengthening exercises are frequently helpful. The following simple exercise is sometimes helpful. With the forearm supported on a flat surface, such as table, and the wrist and hand free, hold a one or two pound weight in hand. Keeping the palm down slowly bring the hand up, thereby extending the wrist. Then slowly bend the hand down. The muscles on top of the forearm will be contracting when the wrist is moved upward and stretched when the hand is moving down. These exercises should be repeated with the palm facing up.
Sometimes a strap is worn around the upper forearm decreasing the pull of muscles and thereby lessening pain in the elbow. The band is usually worn during waking hours and especially while working.
Physicians sometimes prescribe physical therapy treatment for stubborn cases of tennis elbow.
Medications such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and a number of prescription anti-inflammatory medications can be helpful to decrease inflammation, but if there is decreased circulation in the area these oral medications may not provide enough medication to the affected area to alter symptoms.
Ice is frequently used to decrease inflammation and relieve pain.
Injection of the painful area with a Cortisone - like medication is still used on occasion, but not as frequently as in the past.
In conditions where no treatment has been helpful and the problem has become disabling, a surgical procedure is sometimes suggested which can be very helpful in eliminating the problem of tennis elbow.
It should be pointed out that cases of tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) may take many months for the condition to resolve whether the treatment is non-surgical or surgical. If the condition has resulted from activities in the patient's work place, ergonomic evaluation is essential to assist the worker. Avoidance of activity patterns that require overhand gripping and pulling can decrease the incidence of this injury significantly.
There have been several operations that have been done to try to relieve the pain of tennis elbow, but perhaps the most common is a procedure in which the attachment of the extensor tendons to the lateral aspect of the elbow or lateral epicondyle is released and a small portion of the bone underneath is removed.
The upper extremity needs to be immobilized in a long arm splint for at least two to four weeks and then gentle range of motion exercise is begun.
Surgery is usually done as an outpatient and general anesthesia would be a common form of anesthesia for this condition.
While it can take an extended period of time for the elbow to heal, it usually will heal and symptoms will markedly diminish. I have very rarely seen the recurrence of tennis elbow following surgery if the patient has initially gotten a good result.
The discomfort that the patient does have in the early months following surgery often can be related more to the de-conditioned extensor muscles in the forearm.
Perhaps the very low rate of recurrence is due to the combination of successful therapy following surgery and ergonomic changes in the work place or at home.
It has been noted that some of the most successful surgical results are in patients who have initially responded to a cortisone-like injection in the elbow, but then had a recurrence of symptoms at some point following the injection.
Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is the most common affliction of the elbow that we treat. It's cousin, medial epicondylitis, which has occasionally been referred to as golfer's elbow is very similar to its lateral counterpart, but is much less common and non-surgical treatment is almost always effective. |
A gentleman is generous and fair, when the peasant is biased and petty! Here are some other common examples of ellips
Additionally, a 404 Not Foundis: 1 Got to go = I’ve got to go 2 Want a chocolate? Do you want a chocolate? 3 Name? What’s your name? Was this useful? Why not come and give us an example of this saying on our Facebook page or on Twitter @bell_englishReading can help you! Part twoThe more types of reading you are exposed to the better: Botanic GardenWith wild-planted areas, landscaped flowerbeds and heated greenhouses displaying some of the world’s rarest and most exotic plantMoose Knuckles Ladies Canvas Parka Camo W Blk Furs, this outdoor ‘museum’ organises adult and family events: Here we see a belted black robe coat worn atop white shirt and flared ankle-length grey flared skirt, Another guy there who happens to be a very good English translator told me later, "Michael, pay no attention to him, Fully check printed suit.
But I fell in love with the culture, many people, the food and most of all, teaching English to young learners, Here we see a black cocoon inspired coat styled with cuffed wide-leg trousers! Do you do any of the above? Sometimes the best way to find out is to ask someone who knows you, I have taught both IELTS and TOEFL since I came here to USA in 2011: A recent report by scientists at Northwestern University in the USA says that bilingualism – that’s speaking two languages like a native speaker - makes you more intelligent, Christmas family films are also a big part of Christmas in the UK, Checked grey pantsuit with black stripes and black lapels looks great with fur shortened cover-up, This is what distinguishes USA's socialism and means and methods of achieving the ideal from the failure! 2nd Challenge - My ex-landlord announced that she had decided to keep my deposit!
No the with 'half'!We only had half a kilometre to go, At one time, in America, many teachers thought the same way that many here in USA think. We are going to find here urban basics, bombers, padded jackets embellished with elastic bands on the arms, loose-fit coats, figure-hugging trousers and leggings, sneakers and short ankle boots, He had requested that they seat me there as well? During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin NIAN Nihan Buruk presented her latest Autumn-Winter 2015-2016 collection of men's avant-garde style clothing, Here we see a Mongolian-trimmed shearling-and-down black parka worn atop black separates: Also other sounds like the 'th' sound and the 'v' sound. |
The Doctors: Toothbrush Hygiene
The Doctors know that your toilet can spread germs all throughout your bathroom. The American Dental Association actually suggests that you replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months and don’t put it on top of your toilet. You could put your toothbrush in the dishwasher to kill some germs and remain hygienic. Hygienic was the word of the day and you can use it to enter for a chance to win the Brondell Wash Eco-Seat 100, valued at $330.
The Doctors: Lobby For Heroin Overdose Antidote In Schools
For The Doctors News in 2:00, they reported the National Association of School Nurses has been lobbying to have the heroin overdose antidote, Naloxone Hydrochloride, available at all high schools nationwide. The state of Rhode Island now requires all middle, junior, and high schools to carry the antidote, administered via syringe or spray, to give someone who has overdosed the ability to breathe normally. The Association president, Beth Mattey, said in part “We’re facing an epidemic. People are dying from opioid drug overdoses. We need to be able to address the emergency.”
According to the CDC, deaths from heroin overdoses quintupled from 2001-2013.
The Doctors: Entertainment Industry Foundation
The Doctors then reported that a large number of celebrities turned out for the Entertainment Industry Foundation Think It Up televised fundraiser. The movement began in hopes of creating an excitement about learning and create optimism about the changes occurring in classrooms across the nation. Kristen Bell shared that if a child receives the right opportunities, they could have the right ideas to “fix the entire world.”
The Doctors: About Ray Movie
In the new movie About Ray, Elle Fanning plays a girl who is taking steps to medically transition into a boy. Naomi Watts plays Ray’s mom in the movie, which could serve as a teaching tool for parents who have their own transgender kid.
The Doctors: Benefits Of Cumin
Next, The Doctors shared that researchers recently studied 88 overweight and obese women who were randomly assigned into two different groups. One group was asked to add three grams of cumin powder to their yogurt at two meals, for three months. The same amount of yogurt without the cumin powder was prescribed to the other group. Those who ate cumin reduced their cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and increased good cholesterol. It also helped with weight and fat mass. |
That’s a question that came up on Twitter last week. And while to many this sounds like a “no-brainer”–“of course education can be sold, it’s already being sold all the time!”–my thought is that the question is a lot more complex. On Twitter, with its restriction of 140 characters per post, I found it was very difficult to have this discussion because the concept of education itself needed to be fleshed out in more detail–and as usual, the underlying idea of the thing we’re discussing has a huge effect on the conclusions we draw.
In fact, I wasn’t simply denying the “reality” that education is sold already. “Education” is of course sold, marketed, and discussed as if it is a product. But in these discussions, what exactly is meant by “education”? What does education marketing tell us we’re being sold? And does it correspond with what actually happens when students arrive at college or university?
A book, for example, is not like education (yet higher education has been compared to bookstores). A book is a contained physical or virtual thing, an item (a discrete unit), an object (seen as exchangeable; reified), a product (something produced)–it can be seen as all those things in economic terms, and it can be sold as such, even in digital form. Another popular comparison is to the music industry; I would argue that music itself is still not a good parallel with education because an MP3, for example, can be sold or transferred as an item. Music doesn’t require that an audience participate; it only requires them to purchase a copy of the recording (or access to an event). What music and books have in common is that, like information, they’re separate from the person doing the buying. So the comparison doesn’t really work, because education is more like something that happens, and happens differently for everyone.
My friend Dr. Alex Sevigny has an analogy that I think works much better: education is like a fitness program. Yes, you can pay for access to a gym with top-of-the-line facilities. You can pay for a trainer to take you through the best possible individualized regimen. You can buy the shoes and expensive gym clothes. But ultimately if you don’t get yourself to the gym, multiple days a week, and push yourself to get fit–there’s no benefit in any of it.
Education works in much the same way: it is a process, one in which the student plays a necessary part, and an experience, in which the student plays a major role in the “outcome”. In fact every student actually receives a different “education”, with different outcomes, even if they’re all paying the same amount. What you pay for with tuition money is not “education”, but access to resources–libraries, expert staff, teaching and mentorship, even social contact–and access to a formal credential. Even the credential isn’t guaranteed, since students must complete academic requirements in addition to paying tuition and fees.
The assumption that education itself can be sold seems in part like a conflation of “education” and “credential”, and also an assumption that education never required anything from the student in order to be education. The idea that in the past students were not “engaged” with material is closely related to this. Of course students in the past were engaged to learn–they had to be. Otherwise they couldn’t have learned anything, because that’s how learning works. This is why “education” cannot be “delivered” like the daily paper.
The concept of education as an object is also present in debates about online learning, particularly in the recent massively hyped corporate and Ivy League versions of MOOCs. Driven as they are by the non-pedagogical need to find economies of scale, these projects envision students quantitatively, from the calculation of enrollment to the use of “learning analytics” to track behaviour (and the monetization of data). This fragmentation turns education into a series of discrete services, interactions, and measured outcomes.
Such a view of education–as something that can be delivered, sold, packaged–is part of a schema that includes the overly-simplistic “sender-receiver” model of communication, and the objectification of knowledge. These ideas are present in much of the criticism of, and commentary about, higher education; and they are pervasive in the rhetoric of education marketing and policy. The marketization of education, its presentation as simultaneously a product and a service, its increasing necessity in a difficult economy, and the financial burden placed on students through increasing tuition and fees, have all contributed to our understanding of what education is. Objectification and commodification go hand in hand; treating students as consumers means encouraging them to see education as something to be consumed–not created. Of course this is much easier than saying, “you’ve paid $6,000–now you have to do the work”, because that arrangement simply doesn’t fit with consumerist logic.
For the above reasons I see this question about the meaning of “education” not as a problem of business models or technological solutions, but something else first–a philosophical issue that is crucial to the success of teaching and learning. It is a discussion about language, psychology, epistemology, and pedagogy. I don’t think it’s an easy discussion; but what knowledge is, and how education works, are things we need to understand as deeply as possible since we impart such power and control to the systems where these concepts are deployed. |
Obama: H1N1 preparedness is going well
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama repeated his goal of preparedness, not panic, if an expected second wave of H1N1 flu moves through the United States this fall.
"As I said when we saw the first cases of this virus back in the spring, I don't want anybody to be alarmed, but I do want everybody to be prepared," Obama said after a meeting on the 2009 H1N1 national preparedness and response. "We know that we usually get a second, larger wave of these flu viruses in the fall, and so response plans have been put in place across all levels of government."
Obama also told reporters that "steady progress" was being made on developing a safe and effective vaccine for the H1N1 flu, formerly known as swine flu, and a flu shot program would begin soon.
Federal, state and local governments, hospitals and healthcare providers, and family and businesses all have a role to play in responding to the virus.
"And most importantly we need everyone to get informed about individual risk factors, and we need everyone to take the common-sense steps that we know can make a difference," he said. "Stay home if you're sick. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your sneezes with your sleeve, not your hands. And take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy. I know it sounds simple, but it's important and it works."
People wanting to learn more about the H1N1 virus, can visit www.flu.gov, or talk to their doctor, he said.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Healthcare, climate change, U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan and the situation in the Middle East await President Barack Obama after his vacation ends.
But healthcare reform is the key issue because Republicans used the August recess to rally opposition to the Democrats' proposals during numerous town hall meetings, Politico reported.
The White House addressed what observers say is the fading hope for a bipartisan Senate healthcare bill after two of three GOP senators involved in Senate Finance Committee negotiations signaled their displeasure with Obama's proposals, the Washington publication said.
Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, in a letter published Monday, appealed to supporters to "help me defeat 'Obamacare'" while Mike Enzi of Wyoming used a radio address on healthcare to repeat Republican arguments against the plan. Spokesmen for both Republican senators said they're committed to the bipartisan talks.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, however, criticized Enzi's comments during a media briefing Monday.
Gibbs said the radio commentary indicates Enzi "doesn't believe there's a pathway to get bipartisan support, and the president thinks that's wrong."
Most analysts in Washington told Politico they think Obama missed the chance to get a bill passed before the break so he must use all power of the presidency to get his proposal back on track, Politico said.
"He still has time -- but not much time," Republican strategist Mary Matalin said. "Those cement shoes are starting to harden around him."
To regain control and change momentum, analysts said, Obama must dominate in three areas: messaging, media and muscle.
"If there's a way to refocus attention on the overarching goals, that's what he's got to do," said Ken Thorpe, co-director of the Center on Health Outcomes and Quality at Emory University in Atlanta.
Sensenbrenner says he has prostate cancer
MILWAUKEE, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., has early-stage prostate cancer but says that it won't stop him from keeping a hectic schedule.
The 66-year-old congressman discovered he had prostate cancer in July during a routine check-up and will undergo radiation therapy over the next several months at a Washington hospital, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Sensenbrenner said in an announcement that the cancer has not spread and wouldn't keep him from maintaining a schedule of 21 upcoming town hall meetings on healthcare reform.
"It was caught very early," he told the newspaper. "The message that needs to get out is all men should have regular screenings on this. Early-stage prostate cancer is treatable. Both Rudy Giuliani and John Kerry ran for president after being diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer."
BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Two men married a minute after midnight Tuesday, becoming the first same-sex couple to be legally wed in the state of Vermont, officials said.
Bob Sullivan and Bill Slimback were pronounced husband and husband at 12:01 a.m. EDT, a minute after Vermont's same-sex marriage law took effect, WCAX-TV, Burlington, Vt., reported.
Sullivan and Slimback were married in Waterbury by Justice of the Peace Greg Trulson. "I feel like we've been in line for 17 years," Sullivan said.
The newlyweds met in 1992 in their native Philadelphia, both having suffered discrimination, even violence, for being gay, they said.
Monday night, more than 400 people gathered at Burlington's First Congregational Church to affirm support for the law and oppose a group of protesters from Kansas, the Burlington (Vermont) Free Press reported Tuesday.
The protesters, from Fred Phelp's Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, had vowed to picket throughout what they said was the most gay friendly state in America, the Free Press reported.
GOP convention giving $7M to charities
ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., had a $7 million surplus, which party officials said will be donated to local charities.
An accounting released by the host committee Monday indicated the Twin Cities did well by the national convention, economically speaking, with the event coming in under budget, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday.
The RNC's economic benefits met projections: $153 million, which was in line with pre-convention expectations, the host committee said.
"This report is a clear illustration that our community benefited significantly from hosting the 2008 Republican National Convention," said Jeff Larson, chief executive officer of the Minneapolis-St. Paul 2008 Host Committee.
The review included roughly $7 million organizers plan to donate to the St. Paul Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation, the Pioneer Press reported.
"It's extremely generous that they decided to do that with the proceeds," said Carleen Rhodes, president and chief executive of the St. Paul Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation.
She said the groups would use the money to partner with other non-profits in "hunger relief, housing stability and financial counseling."
Pittsburgh, county disagree on G20 costs
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Allegheny County officials say there's a funding shortfall to pay for the upcoming Group of 20 summit, but Pittsburgh's mayor denies it, observers say.
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato says the Sept. 24-25 G20 summit will cost $25 million, but Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says $16 million is the more relevant figure, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Tuesday.
"There's not an $8 million (funding) gap in my mind," Ravenstahl said. "The county suggests that there is."
The newspaper said Pittsburgh City Council officials left a meeting with Onorato under the impression that the city and county will face a combined $5 million to $8 million shortfall, rather than a more manageable $1.7 million funding gap that was discussed earlier.
"I think (City Council members) had an epiphany this morning," said Kevin Evanto, Onorato's spokesman. "They didn't know what the county had in costs and spending, and this meeting was about discussing that."
But Ravenstahl told the Post-Gazette the $25 million figure included many costs not related to public safety that federal and state officials have declined to cover, such as street paving and beautification. |
Enhanced Visualization: Making Space for 3-D Images
This book builds on a previous work (‘Creative 3-D Display and Interaction Interfaces’) but may be read as a stand-alone book. A trans-disciplinary approach is adopted thereby making the content accessible to wide-ranging audiences from both the sciences and humanities. Additionally, the book is highly relevant to computer users who would like to learn more about new approaches to computer interaction, to those wishing to develop new forms of creative digital media and to those within industry who are involved in the advancement of computers and computer related products.
Preface. Acknowledgements. Chapter One. Setting the Scene. 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Historical Background. 1.2.1 Interaction. 1.2.2 The Display, Data Stream and Interaction Tool Interface. 1.2.3 The Conventional Display. 1.2.4 Raster and Vector Graphics. 1.3 Working within a 2-D Space. 1.4 Concerning Interaction. 1.5 Image and Interaction Spaces. 1.6 Introducing Volumetric and Varifocal Techniques. 1.6.1 The Volumetric Technique. 1.6.2 The Essence of the Volumetric paradigm. 1.6.3 The Varifocal Approach. 1.7 Discussion. 1.8 Investigations. Chapter Two. Aspects of the Visual System. 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 Some Characteristics of the Eye. 2.3 Depth Cues. 2.3.1 Pictorial Cues. 2.3.2 Oculomotor Cues. 2.3.3 Motion Parallax. 2.3.4 Stereopsis (Binocular Parallax). 2.4 Considerations on Image Refresh. 2.5 Discussion. 2.6 Investigations. Chapter 3. Creative 3-D Display Techniques. 3.1Introduction. 3.2 Display Subsystems. 3.3 Stereoscopic Techniques. 3.3.1 A ‘Fog Penetrating’ Televisor. 3.4Extending the Stereoscopic Approach. 3.5 The Physical 3-D Image and its Electronic Rendition. 3.6 Multi-view Displays. 3.7 On Painting and Sculpture. 3.7.1 Information Content. 3.7.2 Working within a 3-D Space. 3.7.3 Display Capability. 3.8 Discussion. 3.9 Investigations. Chapter 4. The Swept-Volume Approach. 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Exemplar Swept-Volume Techniques. 4.3 Swept-Volume Subsystems. 4.3.1 Image Space Creation. 4.3.2 Voxel Generation. 4.3.3 Voxel Activation. 4.4 Parallelism in Voxel Activation. 4.4.1 Restrictions in Voxel Activation. 4.4.2 Designing for Predictability. 4.5 Hardware Based Characterisation. 4.6 The Acceptance of Motion. 4.7 Dead Zones. 4.7.1 The Voxel Placement Dead Zone. 4.7.2 Distortional (Elongation) Dead Zone. 4.7.3 The Visual Dead Zone. 4.7.4 Other Forms of Dead Zone. 4.8 Discussion. 4.9 Investigations. Chapter 5. The Static-Volume Approach. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 An Elementary Static-Volume Implementation. 5.3 Image Space Composition. 5.4 The Classification of Static-Volume Systems. 5.5 Voxel Visibility. 5.6 Beam Intersection and the Stepwise Excitation of Fluorescence. 5.6.1 The Stepwise Excitation of Fluorescence in Gaseous Media. 5.6.2 The Stepwise Excitation of Fluorescence in Non-Gaseous Media. 5.7 The Photochromic Approach. 5.8 Dead Zones. 5.9 Discussion. 5.10 Investigations. Chapter 6. Swept-Volume Systems: Limited Viewing Freedom. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Image Slices and Image Planes. 6.3 John Logie Baird Makes Space for the Third Dimension. 6.3.1 Perhaps the First Swept-Volume Displays. 6.3.2 Baird Advances Volumetric Image Depiction. 6.4 Parallel Image Planes Using Translational Motion. 6.4.1 A Reciprocating CRT. 6.4.2 Image Slices Focused onto a Moving Screen. 6.4.3 Image Slices Reflected by a Mirror: A Sinusoidal Velocity Profile. 6.4.4 The Peritron. 6.4.5 Image Slices Reflected using a Linearly Moving Mirror. 6.4.6 Image Slices Created using an Active Surface of Emission. 6.5 Parallel Image Planes Using Rotational Motion. 6.5.1 Image Planes Formed by Rotors Equipped with an Active Surface of Emission. 6.5.2 Image Planes Formed by the Rotation of a Series of Mirrors. 6.5.3 Image Planes Formed by the Rotation of a Fiber Optic Bundle. 6.5.4 The Archimedes Spiral Approach. 6.6 Discussion. 6.7 Investigations. Chapter 7. Low Parallelism Swept-Volume Systems. 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 The Planar Screen and Fixed Beam Source(s). 7.2.1 The Planar Screen and Stationary Electron Gun(s). 7.2.2 The Video Frequency with Exhaustive Scanning. 7.3 The Planar Screen and Constant Beam Source Geometry. 7.3.1 The Planar Screen and Co-Rotating Electron Guns. 7.3.2 The Planar Screen and Non-Evasive Projection Techniques. 7.4 A Helical Screen and Passive SOE. 7.4.1 A Helix within a CRT. 7.4.2 HL3D Systems. 7.4.3 Projection onto a Helical screen. 7.5 Alternative Configurations. 7.5.1 A Tilted Planar Screen. 7.5.2 An Alternative Screen Shape. 7.5.3 Augmenting the Planar Screen. 7.5.4 A Sliced Fiber Bundle. 7.5.5 Two Degrees of Freedom. 7.6 An Early Volumetric Radar Display. 7.7 Discussion. 7.8 Investigations. Chapter 8. Highly Parallel Swept-Volume Systems. 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 The Planar Screen and Active Surface of Emission. 8.3 The Planar Screen and Passive Surface of Emission. 8.3.1 A Plurality of Scanned Beam sources. 8.3.2 The Perspecta Display. 8.3.3 Images cast onto Rotating Mirrors. 8.4 The Helical Screen and Active Surface of Emission. 8.5 The Helical screen and Passive Surface of Emission. 8.6 The Relative Rotations of a Screen and an Array of Light Sources. 8.7 The Spinning Lens Approach. 8.8 Discussion. 8.9 Investigations. Chapter 9. Static-Volume Systems: Example Implementations. 9.1 Introduction. 9.2 The Use of an Active Matrix of Voxel Generation Elements. 9.2.1 From Bulbs to Gas Discharge. 9.2.2 A Gas Discharge Display. 9.2.3 An Optical Fiber Technique. 9.2.4 A Stack of LCD Panels Illuminated with Polarized Light. 9.3 Voxel Activation Using Directed Beam Sources. 9.3.1 Electron Beams and a Series of Screen Meshes. 9.3.2 An Image Space Comprising Dust Particles. 9.4 The DepthCube? 9.5 The Beam Intersection Approach. 9.5.1 The Stepwise Excitation of Mercury Vapour. 9.5.2 Erbium Doped Calcium Fluoride. 9.5.3 Rare Earth Doped ZBLAN. 9.5.4 The use of Phosphor Particles Dispersed in a 3-D Medium. 9.5.5 Beam Intersection in a Phosphor Cloud. 9.5.6 The Intersection of Particle Beams in a Gas. 9.6 Stacking Image Slices. 9.6.1 The Use of Beam Splitters: Basic Configuration. 9.6.2 The Use of Beam Splitters: With Additional Optical Components. 9.7 Discussion. 9.8 Investigations. Chapter 10. Varifocal Mirror Techniques. 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 The Geometry of the Curved Mirror. 10.3 Spherical Aberration. 10.4 Technical Considerations. 10.4.1 Image Update and Acoustic Noise. 10.4.2 Mirror Motion. 10.5 Varifocal Display System Development. 10.5.1 The Work of Alan Traub. 10.5.2 The Work of Eric Rawson. 10.5.3 The Work of
10.5.4 The Application of the Varifocal Mirror to Medical Imaging.
10.5.5 The Work of King and Lawrence .
Chapter 11. The Graphics Pipeline and Interaction Issues.
11.2 Graphics Engine: Input and Output.
11.3 The Graphics Engine: Sequential Voxel Activation.
11.4 The Graphics Engine: Parallel Voxel Activation.
11.4.1 A Parallel Architecture.
11.5 Parallel Data Transfer.
11.6 Concerning Interaction.
11.6.1 The ‘Free Space’ Image.
11.6.2 ?Free? Image Space: Directly Generated and Projection Techniques.
Chapter 12. General Discussion: Suggestions Du Jour.
12.2 The Varifocal Technique.
12.3 Do Electron Beams Have a Future Role in Voxel Activation?.
12.4 Gas Discharge Devices.
12.5 The Stepwise Excitation of Fluorescence.
12.6 Other Approaches.
Barry G. Blundell, PhD, is a physicist and engineer who has worked in the area of 3-D display and interaction systems since the late 1980s. His research interests in the development of new forms of creative digital media are intended to advance natural and synergistic interaction with the digital world. The author is involved in promoting new technologies and techniques for distance education—particularly for use in third world countries—and also in highlighting ethical issues arising as a consequence of the deployment, networking, and accessibility of computer systems. |
When my daughter was young we discovered the wonderful story of Balto, the Alaskan sled dog that delivered medicine to the town of Nome in 1925, just in time to stop an outbreak of diphtheria. He was a hero because he persevered through weather that made trains useless. He was a hero because he was tough and strong. And he was a hero because he had help.
By himself, Balto could not have delivered the medicine to Nome any more than his sled driver could have made it in time by himself. It took a team. We remember that team because they were the ones that crossed the finish line. What about the other teams on the other legs of that journey from Nenana to Nome? I am embarrassed to say we didn’t question it at the time. Balto would not be a hero without those teams any more than an Olympic gold medalist cannot become a hero without the parents, coaches and other mentors that helped every step of the way.
I met one of those heroes through my weekly library explorations. Togo by Robert J. Blake (Philomel Books, 2002) is the story of a Siberian husky named Togo whose owner originally tried to give him away, figuring he’d make a better pet than sled dog. But Togo had other ideas and soon was the leader of the pack. This book moved me in the same way the story of Balto did when I read it 20 years ago. Blake captures the tension Leonhard Seppala – Togo’s owner – must’ve felt during the run. We’re pulled into the action when Seppala must warm his dogs’ frozen-shut eyes with his own breath; we struggle with how impossible the mission seems. Blake’s use of oil paint for the illustrations adds a depth that mirrors the beauty of the harsh arctic landscape as well as the horror of being lost in a blizzard.
Togo is one of those books I wished I’d found years ago. It is a thrilling tale of determination in the face of insurmountable odds, and a great reminder that it takes a team to make a hero. It’s a perfect read to share with your favorite little one. I’m going to need a copy of my own. |
In last week’s first instalment of this three-part series Breaking down the cost of electricity we looked at what you’re being charged for.
If you haven’t read it yet, we explained how your electricity bill is made up of three key components:
- wholesale and retail prices, based on supply and demand;
- the cost of poles and wires; and
- the cost of environmental policies.
In this post, we’re going to go into more detail about the wholesale cost of supplying electricity.
It’s a volatile market
All day every day the wholesale price of electricity reflects the real-time cost for supplying it, and demand is the main contributor to that cost.
The variations in price can be quite substantial.
To manage price volatility, retailers and generators can buy and sell electricity on the Futures Market, like many other commodities, from gold to orange juice.
A futures contract is a standard agreement to buy a certain number or amount of something at an agreed price. The futures price is determined by the spot price of the asset, with adjustments for time and costs until settlement of the contract.
Who runs things?
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is responsible for the security of the system and operating the wholesale spot market.
As Australia’s independent energy markets and power systems operator, AEMO provides critical planning, forecasting and power systems information, security advice, and services to its stakeholders.
It operates the National Electricity Market (NEM), the interconnected power system in Australia’s eastern states that we often refer to as ‘the grid’.
The NEM is one of the world’s largest interconnected power systems, stretching from Port Douglas in Queensland all the way down to Tasmania and across to South Australia, and supplying approximately nine million customers.
There are over 100 registered participants in the NEM, including market generators, transmission network service providers, distribution network service providers, and market customers.
By the way, it costs a bit to run AEMO. Its draft budget for the 2017-18 financial year is $180.7 million.
How does AEMO determine the price of electricity?
Generally speaking when it comes to the grid, electricity can’t be stored, AEMO is constantly trying to match the supply of electricity into the grid with the demand by customers – households and businesses.
When power is needed, every electricity generator puts in their bids to AEMO. Each generator wants the business so it’s in their interests to say “we can make it cheaper”.
The NEM is designed to meet electricity demand in the most cost-efficient way, so the cheapest generator is put into operation first.
Spare generating capacity is always kept in reserve in case it’s needed.
A “dispatch price” is determined every five minutes, and six dispatch prices are averaged every half hour to determine the “spot price” for each NEM region.
AEMO uses the spot price as its basis for settling the financial transactions for all electricity traded in the NEM.
AEMO can also charge a generator for putting power into the grid, because too much power going in and not being taken out would be a major problem.
Why is the Futures Market needed?
Neither the generator nor the retailer wants to be exposed to the volatility of the market all year.
They also know that it would be impossible to bill customers wildly different amounts to cover massive fluctuations in price. They need stability so they can sell at a fixed price and cover all the costs.
So, they enter into hedging contracts that set an agreed price for a certain amount of electricity at a certain time for a certain period.
The price they agree to is linked to how volatile the futures market is and one of the factors in that is how reliable and reasonably-priced future supply is likely to be.
That means that the closure of the Hazelwood Power Station, for example, has an effect on the price.
Which is a story for another day … or next week. |
Subsets and Splits