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Visualizing 1 + 1/x
Date: 10/10/2003 at 21:25:38 From: Mary Subject: logic How can I show that the sum of a positive number and its reciprocal is at least two?
Date: 10/11/2003 at 06:06:27 From: Doctor Luis Subject: Re: logic Hi Mary, Adding a positive number x > 0 and its reciprocal 1/x gives you the function f(x) = x + 1/x If you're familiar with calculus, you can see that solving for the extrema points gives you f'(x) = 1 - 1/x^2 = 0 1 = 1/x^2 x^2 = 1 x = 1 (reject negative root since x > 0) Since f"(x) = 2/x^3 is positive for x>0, we know that f(x) is concave upward. This means that the critical point x=1 gives you a minimum. This minimum value is f(1) = 1 + 1/1 = 2. In the following diagram, I've graphed the two functions y = x + 1/x and y = 2. Even if you are not familiar with calculus maybe you can follow the following chain of reasoning: The square of any nonzero real number is positive. As an inspired guess, pick x-1 as the real number to be squared. Then, (x-1)^2 >= 0 (True for all x. Equality holds only for x=1.) x^2 - 2x + 1 >= 0 x^2 + 1 >= 2x Now, let x > 0, since we are only interested in positive numbers. This means that 1/x > 0 too. So, we can multiply by 1/x without reversing the sign of our inequality: (1/x)*(x^2 + 1) >= (1/x)*(2x) x + 1/x >= 2 This proves that the sum of x > 0 and its reciprocal 1/x adds up to at least 2. I hope this helped! Let us know if you have any more questions. - Doctor Luis, The Math Forum http://mathforum.org/dr.math/
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Heartburn -- Overview
(Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease; Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease [GORD]; GERD; Reflux, Heartburn)
|Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.|
- Exercising or strenuous activity immediately after eating
- Lying down, bending over, or straining after eating
- Prior surgery for heartburn such as vagotomy
- Certain nervous system disorders
- In-dwelling nasogastric tube
- Alcohol use, especially in excess
- Caffeine drinks such as coffee or carbonated soft drinks
- Citrus fruits
- Fried foods
- Spicy foods
- Foods made with tomatoes, such as pizza, chili, or spaghetti sauce
- Calcium channel blockers
- Theophylline, bronchial inhalers, and other asthma medications
- Burning feeling that starts in the lower chest and moves up the throat
- Feeling that food is coming back up
- Sour or bitter taste in the throat
- Sore throat
- Chronic cough
- Feeling of a lump in the throat
- Waking up with a sensation of choking
- Difficulty swallowing
- Bleeding and ulcers in the esophagus
- Vomiting blood
- Black or tarry stools
- Inflammation and scarring of the esophagus
- Barrett's esophagus— precancerous condition that can lead to esophageal cancer
- Dental problems, which may occur because of the effect of stomach acid on tooth enamel
When Should I Call My Doctor?
When Should I Call for Medical Help Immediately?
- Squeezing or chest pressure
- Pain in the left shoulder, left arm, or jaw
- Trouble breathing
- Sweating, clammy skin
- Pain that starts during activity or stress
- 24-hour pH (acid) monitoring
- Manometry to test muscle strength in the lower esophagus
- Keep a food diary of what you eat and what the reaction is. Make gradual changes to your diet and record the results.
- Avoid foods that trigger heartburn symptoms.
- Eat smaller portions.
- Allow at least 2-3 hours between meals and lying down, and exercise.
- Lose weight.
- Quit smoking.
- Avoid belts and clothing that are too tight. This may increase pressure on the abdomen.
- Elevate head of bed 6-8 inches.
- Proton-pump inhibitors block acid production in the stomach
- H-2 blockers decrease the amount of acid secreted by the stomach
- Antacids neutralize stomach acid
American Gastroenterological Association http://www.gastro.org
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases http://www.niddk.nih.gov
Canadian Institute for Health Information http://www.cihi.ca
Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated April 25, 2013. Accessed April 26, 2013.
Heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux (GER), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd/. Updated April 30, 2012. Accessed April 26, 2013.
Heartburn. American Academy of Family Physicians Family Doctor website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/heartburn.html. Updated July 2010. Accessed April 26, 2013.
Understanding Heartburn and Reflux Disease. American Gastroenterological Association website. Available at: http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/digestive-conditions/heartburn-gerd. Updated April 25, 2010. Accessed April 26, 2013.
Warning signs of a heart attack. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Warning-Signs-of-a-Heart-Attack%5FUCM%5F002039%5FArticle.jsp. Updated March 22, 2013. Accessed April 26. 2013.
9/30/2008 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php: Jacobson BC, Moy B, Colditz GA, Fuchs CS. Postmenopausal hormone use and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1798-1804.
3/1/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance: Maalox Total Relief and Maalox liquid products: medication use errors. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm200672.htm. Published February 17, 2010. Accessed April 26, 2013.
- Reviewer: Daus Mahnke, MD; Brian Randall, MD
- Review Date: 04/2013 -
- Update Date: 04/26/2013 -
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Like other pulmonate land snails, most slugs have two pairs of 'feelers' or tentacles on their head. The upper pair is light sensing, while the lower pair provides the sense of smell. Both pairs are retractable, and can be regrown if lost.
On top of the slug, behind the head, is the saddle-shaped mantle, and under this are the genital opening and anus. On one side (almost always the right hand side) of the mantle is a respiratory opening, which is easy to see when open, but difficult to see when closed. This opening is known as the pneumostome. Within the mantle in some species is a very small, rather flat shell.
Like other snails, a slug moves by rhythmic waves of muscular contraction on the underside of its foot. It simultaneously secretes a layer of mucus on which it travels, which helps prevent damage to the foot tissues. Some slug species hibernate underground during the winter in temperate climates, but in other species, the adults die in the autumn.
In rural southern Italy, the garden slug Arion hortensis was used to treat gastritis, stomach ulcers or peptic ulcers by swallowing it whole and alive. Given that it is now known that most peptic ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori, the merit of swallowing a live slug is questionable. A clear mucus produced by the slug is also used to treat various skin conditions including dermatitis, warts, inflammations, calluses, acne and wounds.
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Old Devonian Wikipedia
||This proposal has been rejected.
This decision was taken by the language committee in accordance with the Language proposal policy based on the discussion on this page.
The closing committee member provided the following comment:
only living languages are accepted
Old Devonian is an emerging langauge which has begun to be revived after becoming extinct around the same time as Old Welsh and Old Cornish.
Arguments in favour
- 1. Almost nothing is known for sure about this language. Any reconstruction is likely to differ from the real unknowable language more than the sister Old Welsh and Old Cornish languages do.
- 2. It has no extant writings (it may indeed never have been written down, and certainly never had its own orthographical tradition).
- 3. At the time it became extinct it likely differed from Cornish no more than North and South colloquial Welsh differ now.
- 4. Biddulph's reconstructions have little credibility amongst linguists and even he was no more than tentative about them.
- 5. Unlike Cornish or Manx, there is no recent speech community from whom some sense of continuity can be gained.
- 6. In case it's raised, same points in spades refer to Cumbric. -- 19 March 2009 220.127.116.11
This is really a conlang based on one person's idea of what an extinct language might possibly have been like. It should be proposed and evaluated as a conlang. AnonMoos 12:46, 9 September 2009 (UTC)
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In the muted light of an open doorway and a rosette window, two Jewish men are shown walking through the entry porch of the Regensburg synagogue. Altdorfer made two etchings of the temple just before it was destroyed on February 22, 1519: this view and one of the interior nave. Emperor Maximilian had long been a protector of the Jews in the imperial cities, extracting from them substantial taxes in exchange. Within weeks of his death, however, the city of Regensburg, which blamed its economic troubles on its prosperous Jewish community, expelled the Jews. Altdorfer, a member of the Outer Council, was one of those chosen to inform the Jews that they had two hours to empty out the synagogue and five days to leave the city. The date of the demolition inscribed at the top of the print suggests that Altdorfer made the preparatory sketches, as well as the etchings themselves, with the knowledge that the building was to be destroyed. The prints appear to have been quickly produced, quite possibly during the five days prior to the temple's destruction: the plate was not evenly etched, particularly in the areas of dense hatching, where the individual lines lose clarity. In addition, the slightly tipsy vaults appear to have been traced freehand rather than with a compass. Despite the seemingly sensitive portrayal, the print was not intended as a sympathetic rendering of an aspect of Jewish culture, but rather as a much more dispassionate recording of the site. It is thus the first portrait of an actual architectural monument in European printmaking.
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The Wicked Queen
In The Wicked Queen, Chantal Thomas presents the history of the mythification of one of the most infamous queens in all history, whose execution still fascinates us today. Almost as soon as Marie-Antoinette, archduchess of Austria, was brought to France as the bride of Louis XVI in 1771, she was smothered in images. In a monarchy increasingly under assault, the charm and horror of her feminine body and her political power as a foreign intruder turned Marie-Antoinette into an alien other. Marie-Antoinette's mythification, argues Thomas, must be interpreted as the misogynist demonization of women's power and authority in revolutionary France.
In a series of pamphlets written from the 1770s until her death in 1793, Marie-Antoinette is portrayed as a spendthrift, a libertine, an orgiastic lesbian, and a poisoner and infant murderess. In her analyses of these pamphlets, seven of which appear here in translation for the first time, Thomas reconstructs how the mounting hallucinatory and libelous discourse culminated in the inevitable destruction of what had become the counterrevolutionary symbol par excellence. The Wicked Queen exposes the elaborate process by which the myth of Marie-Antoinette emerged as a crucial element in the successful staging of the French Revolution.
About the Author
Chantal Thomas is a researcher at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. She is the author of Marquis de Sade: L’Oeil de la lettre (1978) and Casanova: Un Voyage libertin (1985).
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|Clark, James Gardner (1922-2007)|
A notorious foe of the African American freedom struggle, James Clark served as sheriff of Dallas County, Alabama, from 1955 to 1967. After years of antagonizing local civil rights workers, Clark clashed with Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during 1965 voting rights protests in Selma, Alabama. Clark’s brutality became a rallying point for King, who said: ‘‘Until Sheriff Clark is removed, the evils of Selma will not be removed’’ (Herbers, ‘‘Dr. King Urges’’).
Clark was born in Alabama in 1922. Prior to serving as sheriff, he worked as an assistant revenue commissioner for the state of Alabama. In February 1963 the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee began a voter education and registration campaign in Selma, the seat of Dallas County, where a mere 242 of the 15,000 eligible African American voters were registered. By October 1963 Clark had arrested hundreds of civil rights activists. Frustrated by their limited success, in December 1964 local black activists asked King and SCLC to come to Selma. Aware of the violence that Clark and his officers routinely employed, King believed that a confrontation in Selma might attract the national attention necessary to pressure President Lyndon B. Johnson to call for voting rights legislation. On 2 January 1965, SCLC sent staff members to begin a protest campaign.
After initially refraining from violent confrontations, on 19 January Clark pulled Amelia Boynton, a local black civil rights activist, out of a voter registration line and pushed her down the street into a waiting patrol car. King denounced Clark: ‘‘It is a tragedy when a man becomes so depraved and so sick that he will grab a woman and push and shove and all but kick her in the process as if he were dealing with some wayward dog’’ (King, 20 January 1965). A week later, Clark’s violent behavior landed him on the front page of the New York Times, when a cameraman captured him beating a 53 year-old woman over the head with his nightstick as two officers held her down. Clark’s brutal tactics prompted a federal court to issue a restraining order prohibiting Clark from employing intimidation and harassment. Clark was fined later that year for violating the order by interfering with registration applicants.
In the weeks following Boynton’s arrest, King was also arrested, along with hundreds of black citizens seeking to exercise their constitutional rights. Commenting on how effective Clark’s racist aggression was at attracting popular attention, one SCLC staff member reportedly said: ‘‘We should put him on the staff’’ (Garrow, Bearing, 381).
The showdown between Clark and civil rights activists climaxed on 7 March 1965, when Clark and his men brutally attacked civil rights demonstrators seeking to march from Selma to Montgomery. National television coverage of Clark’s deputies using clubs, whips, and tear gas prompted Johnson to submit legislation that became the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The violent events of 1965 eventually turned Clark’s constituency against him, and in 1966 he lost his bid for reelection to as county sheriff to Selma’s public safety director, Wilson Baker, a moderate who had disapproved of Clark’s tactics. After losing the election, Clark became active with the John Birch Society, touring the country to speak about his experience in Selma.
Fager, Selma, 1965, 1974.
Garrow, Bearing the Cross, 1986.
Garrow, Protest at Selma, 1978.
John Herbers, ‘‘Dr. King Urges Selma Negroes to Wage a More Militant Drive,’’ New York Times, 18 February 1965.
King, Statement against Sheriff Clark, 20 January 1965, MLKJP-GAMK.
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Work continues on readying Curiosity for surface operations on Mars, with characterisation phase well underway.
The week has seen the rover’s Chemistry and Camera system – ChemCam – undergoing its calibration tests using a target system located towards the back of the rover, while scientists have been looking for candidates for the first full test firing of the system at a suitable surface target.
ChemCam is a complex system split between Curiosity’s mast and body. The mast unit is the large box-like unit at the top of the mast. It contains a laser unit, a remote micro-imager (RMI) and a telescope for focusing both.
The body unit carries three spectrographs for chemical analysis and has its own power supply and an electronic interface to the rover’s central computer system.
ChemCam has two main functions, split between the laser system (the Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), to give it its proper name) and the Remote Micro-Imager (RMI).
LIBS is designed to fire series of laser pulses at a target spot smaller than 1 millimetre on the surface of rocks and soils, vaporizing it. Light from the resultant plasma is captured by the telescope and sent via fibre-optics to the on-board spectrographs for analysis, which should provide information in unprecedented detail about minerals and micro structures in Martian rocks. Additionally, the laser can be used to remove dust from the surfaces of rocks, allowing the drill on Curiosity’s hand to obtain samples of the rock free from surface contaminants.
The RMI provides black-and-white images at 1024×1024 resolution in a 0.02 radian (1.1 degree) field of view – approximately equivalent to a 1500mm lens on a 35mm camera. RMI has two functions. In the first, it will be used in conjunction with LIBS to identify suitable targets and target locations (targets can be selected autonomously or via Earth-based selection and command). Working independently of LIBS, it will be used to obtain close-up images in support of robot arm-mounted experiments or provide images of very distant objects.
This week, ChemCam was calibrated using a target system mounted on the rear section of the rover, mounted below the UHF antenna. As a result of this, ChemCam was confirmed ready for operations, and is expected to make it first test-firing on an actual Martian rock sample on Saturday August 18th. The sample is provisionally designated N165, and sits a short distance from the rover.
ChemCam is a joint US / French experiment, with the US Los Alamos National Laboratory providing the body unit, the French national space agency (CNES) proving the mast unit (RMI, laser, etc.) and JPL the fibre-optic link between the two.
Use the page numbers below left to continue reading
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by Eleise Jones
In order to create linguistically and culturally competent speakers of Chinese, we must have innovative and effective programs in the early grades. The opportunities and challenges of teaching Chinese to early language learners are most clearly evident in language immersion programs, which offer the most intensive course of study available for early language learners. There are a number of pioneering schools and an active cohort of practitioners in this field, and clearly an ongoing need to develop and share models of excellence and best practices, and to create and disseminate resources for teachers, students, and leaders.
Earlier this month, Asia Society convened a meeting of language acquisition experts, practitioners, and program administrators from immersion and early language programs in Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Massachusetts, California, Wyoming, Washington, DC, and New York. This two-day intensive was chaired by Vivien Stewart and Mimi Met in preparation for a report on “what’s working in Chinese immersion,” which will be released in 2012 and will address best practices and key strategies in early Chinese language and immersion. The final report will be based on the recommendations of this working group, and will include a broader representation of schools and programs throughout the U.S.
When starting an immersion program, school communities have many questions and considerations. Some of the important issues identified by the task force include: What does immersion teaching look like? What is the fundamental mission of your program? How will you identify a model program that best meets the needs of your students? What are the qualifications of a Chinese language teacher? What are the similarities and differences between Chinese immersion and more commonly taught language immersion programs, such as Spanish and French? All of these questions, and more, will be addressed in the report – stay tuned!
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Fried rabbit was a staple in the hill country of West Virginia from the time the area became populated until the mid-twentieth century.
The hills and hollers are filled with an abundance of game, but rabbits are especially plentiful.
Young boys learned to catch this game before the age of ten using simple snares and box-traps.
These traps were simply constructed, and many times were the young boys first attempt at woodworking.
Game is lured into the trap by the scent of food [usually apples or carrots for attempting to catch rabbits].
As they enter, to reach the food, a prop is simply knocked out of place by the animal and the door to the trap slams shut, trapping the animal inside. An opening on the opposite end can allow for dispersing of the animal without even removing it, or it can be pulled out through the original trap opening and dispersed.
The carcass was then brought to the kitchen door for "Mom" of the house to clean and prepare for eating.
I won't go into the proper method of cleaning and butchering a rabbit carcass at this time... although we may look at that at a later date!
Once the animal was butchered, mother was left to either "put it up" [usually canning the cooked meat], or fixing it right away.
The animal would be allowed to soak for several hours in a salty brine to help take away some of the "gamey" flavor attached to it. [Believe it or not... if the rabbit has been eating wild onions... you'll know it when you bite into the meat!]
Then mother will par boil this meat to make it tender.
Simply placing the meat in a large pot of boiling salt water and allowing it to boil for about 30 minutes will remove any remaining gaminess, and tenderizes the meat should it be tough.
The pieces of meat [which strangely enough resemble the carcass of a chicken!] are then lightly disted with cornmeal or flour, dipped in egg and milk and rolled in flour. [The first dip allows the remaining two to adhere well to the meat.]
Next a large, heavy skillet is prepared with a generous amount of lard for cooking. When it is brought to a medium/hot heat, the pieces are then dropped into the fat and fried until golden brown.
A delicious brown gravy is then made from the pan drippings.
Served with biscuits, this is a meal unto itself! And it is highly favored, even today, in the hills!
Squirrels are caught and cooked in a similar fashion.
In this manner, young boys learned early how to provide for their families. They also provided their family with fish... but that is for another day!
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Are you having back pain with any of the following?
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Staying up to date on your important health screenings and immunizations can help protect your health.
One of the best ways to keep your child healthy is to stay up to date with your child's recommended immunizations (vaccinations).
Immunizations are given to prevent diseases that are still common in our communities but are preventable with vaccination. Timely immunizations prevent disease and keep your child, your family, and the community healthy.
A vaccine is made from weakened or killed bacteria or viruses that cause a specific disease. When your child gets a vaccine, his or her immune system will make antibodies to fight the disease. When children are later exposed to that disease, their antibodies will help their immune systems to prevent the bacteria or viruses from causing an infection.
Immunizations help children stay healthy, and they are safe and effective. In fact, serious side effects are no more common than those from other types of medication. Overall, it is more dangerous for a child to risk getting ill with the disease than it is to risk having a reaction to the vaccine.
Diseases like measles, whooping cough, and chickenpox are still common in our communities but are preventable with vaccination. Kids who are not immunized can become very sick from these diseases and infect others.
The single best way to prevent these and other illnesses, like the flu, is by keeping up with your child's immunizations. If you are Kaiser Permanente member, you can set up access to your child's immunizaton information online, making it easier to keep track of which shots your child has received and which may be due.
We recommend a series of vaccines for children between birth and 6 months of age, to protect them from 8 serious diseases. Children will also get at least one booster dose of most of these vaccines when they are older.
We follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended schedule for vaccines. For more information and a complete schedule, please see www.vaccines.gov. Young children need the following immunizations:
It is important to keep a personal record of your child's immunizations and remember to bring it with you to your child's next well check appointment with us. It helps us confirm the accuracy of your child's shot record.
If you are a Kaiser Permanente member yourself, you can also keep track of your child's immunizations, once you sign up to manage your child's health care online using our Act for a Family Member feature. If you are not a Kaiser Permanente member or aren't able to set up access on line, you can also contact our Appointment and Advice line for this information.
Many parents find it stressful to watch their child receive vaccination shots. Babies often cry and may be fussy after receiving shots. Talk to us about giving your baby acetaminophen to reduce pain and swelling from shots. Our Pediatric Dosage Guide can help you determine the right amount to give your child.
Most children do not experience any side effects from immunizations. Around 2 percent of babies do have mild side effects, which will clear up without treatment.
After receiving immunizations, there is a chance that your baby may have:
To help with the side effects, you can:
If your child has a fever or is uncomfortable after he or she receives shots, you can give your child acetaminophen drops once you return home. Do not give aspirin to anyone under age 20. Do not give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months.
More serious side effects are rare. If your child experiences a reaction to any vaccination, such as a high fever, trouble breathing, or any other unusual symptoms, or if you are worried that your child seems sick, contact us right away.
Remember, it is much more dangerous for a child to risk getting the diseases than it is to risk having a reaction to the vaccine.
Many parents have questions about immunizations. Are they safe and effective? Why so many shots?
Vaccines are held to the highest standard of safety. The United States has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history. Years of testing are required by law before a vaccine can be licensed. Once in use, vaccines are continually monitored for safety and efficacy.
Immunizations, like any medication, can cause reactions. However, a decision not to immunize a child also involves risk. It is a decision to put the child and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of contracting a disease that could be dangerous or deadly. Consider these key facts:
With so much information easily accessible through the Internet, it is difficult to know what sources to trust. I am here to answer your questions. Send me a secure e-mail with your concerns or questions about immunizations. I encourage you to talk with me.
Also, check out the list of dependable resources about vaccines I have gathered at the end of this article. These resources have the latest and most accurate information about vaccine safety and the recommended immunization schedule.
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.
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Beauty and the Beast, 1991
Beauty and the Beast was based on the traditional French fairy tale “La Belle et la Bête” by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. Walt Disney had discussed the possible animation of this classic tale in the late 1940s, but could not find a satisfactory way to deal with the tale’s imprisonment sequence. In 1989, producer Don Hahn took the project off the shelf and created one of the Disney Studio’s masterworks. As occurred in the case of several Disney animated productions, Beauty and the Beast was transformed into a highly successful stage adaptation in 1994.
View all items from Beauty and the Beast, 1991 »
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The headlines are wreaking of investments in algae – yes that yukky stuff that can actually be very toxic to sea life. Wouldn’t you know, the Swamp Thing is poised to have big value.
According to an article by ScienceDaily “Algae are tiny biological factories that use photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy so efficiently that they can double their weight several times a day.
As part of the photosynthesis process algae produce oil and can generate 15 times more oil per acre than other plants used for biofuels, such as corn and switchgrass. Algae can grow in salt water, freshwater or even contaminated water, at sea or in ponds, and on land not suitable for food production.”
This oil can be used for gas, diesel, and jet fuels. Algae biofuel is also compatible with existing engines, existing storage, distribution, and delivery infrastructure. However the most important aspect is that algae-based biofuels have a low carbon footprint as they do not require the use of forests or large areas of land for production.
Some other wonderful aspects of algae-based biofuels:
- Algae biofuel is carbon neutral; only emits C02 that it absorbs.
- Algae reproduces very quickly, maximizing biofuel yields.
- Algae biofuel can scale to even possibly replace oil.
- Algae biofuel is commercially viable on an industrial scale.
- Algae biofuel can become price competitive with oil.
- There are no soil requirements for algae biofuel.
- Algae can be produced locally for food and fuel.
- Algae biofuel does not damage food prices.
- The algae biofuel industry is growing quickly with a bright future.
- Algae yields much more biofuel per acre than other fuels.
- Algae photo-bioreactors require very little land.
- Algal fuels do not impact fresh water resources.
- Algae biofuel can grow in salt water, freshwater or contaminated water.
- Human waste and sewage can be used to grow algae biofuel.
- Algae can be used to filter C02 from coal plants and create biofuel.
- Algae biofuel is more practical than solar power.
- Algae does not compete with food resources like other biofuels.
Pulled from the headlines – look whose investing in algae biofuels:
“One of the nation’s wealthiest American Indian communities is a major investor in a start-up with the twin goals of making fuel from algae and reducing emissions.”
“Exxon to Invest Millions to Make Fuel From Algae”
“Dow Chemical’s long-term interest in the ethanol produced by the algae is as a replacement for natural gas to make plastic.”
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The first weekend of April brought a pair of Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) to Prairie Ridge Ecostation. What are Cattle Egrets? They are small white herons that hunt for insects and other small animals in pastures and along roadsides.
Why are they named Cattle Egrets? Their name refers to their habit of following cattle or other large grazing animals. They do this to catch any small animals the grazers stir up.
What do the egrets eat? Other than large insects, Cattle Egrets will eat many small animals including worms, frogs, and lizards.
Are Cattle Egrets rare? These egrets can be quite common in the Eastern United States. Curiously, they made their way here from Africa and were unknown in North America until the 1940's.
We have had fun watching the Cattle Egrets here at Prairie Ridge. Have you seen any Cattle Egrets recently? If you have, please e-mail us and let us know where and when.
For more information about Cattle Egrets visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Find out more about the natural happenings at Prairie Ridge at our What Time Is It In Nature Archive.
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New Work: Clock for an Architect
Privately commissioned to create a gift for an architect, Daniel Weil created a one-of-a-kind clock that is both simple and complex. Reducing objects to their component parts has long fascinated Weil. The Radio in a Bag he created for his degree show at the Royal College of Art three decades ago is an icon of 20th century industrial design. This clock is the latest demonstration of his interest in investigating not just how objects look, but how they work.
Constructed in ash and nickel-plated brass and silver, the clock is built of five separate elements. The numbers, both hours and minutes, are inscribed on the face and interior of a 9 3/4-inches diameter ring. The mechanism for setting the time connects with the central mechanism with visible rubber belts. A single AA battery provides power to the clock through visible power strips that are recessed in the assembly’s base. (Note the different screws that support the battery stand, keyed to the positive and negative poles of the power source.) And, befitting the object’s recipient, the housing for the central mechanism takes the form of, literally, a house.
“Objects like clocks are both prosaic and profound,” says Weil. “Prosiac because of their ubiquity in everyday life, profound because of the mysterious nature of time itself. Time can be reduced to hours, minutes and seconds, just as a clock can be reduced to its component parts. This doesn’t explain time, but in a way simply exposes its mysterious essence.”
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Examples of patterns of dyslexia in four different people
. ‘You don’t hear what is said, you hear something else’. This pattern causes sounds to be distorted in the ear.
. A pattern contains sounds and noises and the way in which they are perceived. This causes sounds and noises to be perceived in a distorted way.
. You can’t read.
. Not being able to distinguish letters, he perceives a group of letters as one block. He can’t clearly perceive the outlines of a separate letter. For example, the difference between ‘m’ and ‘n’, ‘b’ and ‘p’, ‘o’ and ‘a’ is difficult to see.
. If he wants to read a letter, it’s as if there is a barrier on his forehead, so that the information can’t get through to the brain. The process of taking in information stops at the forehead.
. ‘You can’t see letters’. This activates a pattern in connection with the functioning of the brain whereby the letter he thinks he is reading is retrieved from the brain. This letter is stored as chemical data. This reacts with substances so that the letter is distorted. The information retrieved becomes something unfamiliar and creates an additional confusion, so that a totally different letter is read or written. When this happens for various subsequent letters, we get bizarre words.
. He doesn’t see the space between the words. Consequently he will link up the words. He loses words, he simple doesn’t see them. For example, he sees the first and the third word from a series of three words. He doesn’t see the second. This pattern isn’t in the form of a concept, like for example ‘you don’t see spaces between words’, nor in the form of an image. However, when I sense the pattern, I do know the meaning of the contents.
. An inclination to make two letters into one whole, for example ‘kk’ in ‘bookkeeper’ becomes ‘k’, ‘nn’ in ‘nanny’ becomes ‘n’.
. You can’t write letters.
. ‘You can’t write’. This activates another pattern: the letters are not visible, the eyes don’t see how the letters are written. There is a signal from the brain that influences the movement of the hand during writing, so that a wrong letter is written.
. You may not see letters (the letters can be vaguely perceived).
. The letters belong together; everything is one block, there is no separation.
. You may not see a word. A word can only be perceived vaguely or isn’t visible, not seeing a word that is there, skipping it.
. When seeing a letter or a word, a signal is sent to the brain so that the eyes are influenced and perceive vaguely or perceive something else.
. ‘You make mistakes, you can’t write without mistakes, there are always mistakes’. This activates a pattern regarding the functioning of the brain that causes retrieved data from the brain to react with the substance, so that the data is distorted and a mistake is written.
. ‘Insecurity when reading or writing. A doubt crops up when reading or writing. Not being sure of the letters or the words. No longer knowing how something is written’. This activates a pattern regarding the functioning of the brain that causes the brain functions to stop when retrieving data, so that no information can be retrieved from the brain, so that he can’t know.
. The letters dance, the eyes don’t see. This activates a pattern that causes a signal to be sent to the brain, so that the eyes don’t perceive perfectly.
. A mistake occurs during the conversion of a letter into chemical data in the brain. Distorted data are stored in the brain when learning about letters and words and the structure of language.
. ‘You can’t remember words, you can’t remember spelling’. This causes information to be lost in the brain.
. ‘You can’t form words’. This causes an absence of feeling for language and it prevents an automatism from coming after the rules concerning the construction of words have been learnt for some time.
. You can’t distinguish letters (in a word), you see one whole.
. Everything is one block.
. Not being able to see a sharp outline. Not being able to perceive a letter in a clearly defined way, perceiving vaguely.
. The eyes don’t see, the eyes can’t distinguish.
. You can’t read, you can’t see, you can’t write.
. You can’t read, you don’t see the letters, it happens in a stumbling way. You skip parts, you don’t see the words.
. The letters stand close together, you can’t see the difference between them.
. Not being able to see a word, not being able to see a text. When she sees a text, then she doesn’t see some words and she sees other words instead of the ones that are there. The text is formed in the brain, the signal picked up by the eyes is formed in the brain, so that she sees something else.
. You may not be able to read, you have to be stupid, you may not read.
. When she has read a sentence, then she immediately forgets it, and she rereads the sentence.
. Not being able to distinguish words (or a sequence of letters), like for example, the word ‘block’ is seen by her as ‘bolck’.
. Not wanting to make an effort when the level of reading becomes more difficult (for example, she skips difficult words).
. ‘You can’t remember’. This prevents her from knowing the words she reads and then she just reads something at random.
. The brain can’t follow anymore. When a text is read, a signal is given to the brain as a result of which the brain functioning is briefly interrupted.
. When processing information in connection with language, a wrong chemical process in the brain starts so that data are converted into chemical compounds in a wrong way.
. Misinterpreting a letter. When seeing a letter, a signal is sent to the brain, as a result of which the formula of the chemical encoding of the letter is changed, so that another letter is perceived.
. The brain processes for converting data into chemicals are functioning randomly and don’t follow a fixed formula, so that mistakes occur.
. Not being able to remember a word. She keeps the word in mind and when she starts to write, she has forgotten the word.
. You can’t write, you can’t form letters. This activates a pattern that blocks the motor system of the hands so that she starts to write slowly and consequently loses words, because the writing can’t keep up with the thinking.
. There is a space of time between hearing and writing. In this space of time, the sound is changed in the brain, so that she writes something else or some letters aren’t heard correctly, hence writing wrong.
. You don’t know how you write something, therefore you just write something. You don’t think, you can’t think. You act on impulse, you just write something at random.
. When she reads something, there is a signal from the brain to the eyes, so that the view is interrupted for a moment, and she perceives another letter than the one that is there. The eyes perceive a letter in a distorted way.
. Hastily, quickly, quickly. Thinking too little before she writes something down, writing something at random as a result of which there are mistakes.
. You can’t learn a language, you can’t master a language.
. You may not know letters, you may not be able to write.
. You don’t have an insight in a language, you can’t remember spelling rules.
. Not being able to think when writing. The brain processes that normally occur when reasoning about language, stop.
. ‘You may not write’ combined with a signal to the brain as a result of which the processes for retrieving data are temporarily interrupted.
. When she sees or has to write a letter, then a signal is sent to a wrong location in the brain (where another letter is stored) so that wrong data is retrieved.
. Not being able to remember words, not being able to remember the sequence of words. A wrong formula of how letters are interconnected is stored in the brain (according to the rules of a language).
. Not being able to assess words correctly. Misunderstanding words, turning words around, hearing different words.
. Words in the sentences get lost. Words that don’t succeed are linked together so that a word in between is omitted.
. You can’t understand the words (i.e. difficult words).
. Not being able to understand special sounds (əɪ, ʊ, ɑʊ, …) sχ, χ, … or hear them correctly and therefore turning them into another sound or another spelling, namely writing them as you hear them.
. When a sound is heard, then it is looked up in the brain, but when it isn’t found, another sound is used.
. Not knowing what to do with long words. Not being able to overlook the whole and therefore splitting up compulsively. Not being able to understand a long word, not being able to understand too many letters linked together. Hence, a word has to be split up.
. When she sees or hears a word: doubting the meaning, not being able to place it immediately, and not being able to write it as a result.
. Not knowing how she has to write something, not being able to remember how she has to write something. This activates a pattern in connection with the functioning of the brain: the brain functions are interrupted briefly when retrieving data, as a result of which the information retrieved gets lost once more (she has forgotten once again) and hence she writes something different. Or there is a mistake when addressing the location of a word and another word is retrieved from the brain.
. ‘You can’t remember’, activates a pattern in connection with the functioning of the brain that prevents letters, words and spelling rules from being stored in the brain. The brain processes are briefly interrupted so that the information doesn’t get lost.
. Data are normally converted into chemical information and these chemical compounds react with other chemicals and the end product is stored in the brain. A pattern causes the data to be converted into a wrong chemical form and hence these substances react with wrong chemical compounds for storage so that they are stored at a wrong location. When a word has to be remembered once again, then the word can’t be found anymore because it is stored at a wrong location. Therefore words aren’t recognized when reading and she doesn’t know how to write words either, because she doesn’t remember. It’s as if it’s a new word and then she just writes something at random.
. The letters are linked together. There is no distinction between two or more letters. The letters are perceived as one block. The letters aren’t perceived separately.
. You can’t see.
. The letters dance.
. A pattern clouds the eyes: the eyes can’t perceive some letters sharply. There is a signal in the brain that causes the electrical signaling to the eyes by the nervous system to pass in thrusts, so that the letters are otherwise perceived differently, since the eyes don’t perceive continuously, but with very small pauses. Hence it’s difficult to distinguish letters that look alike.
. There is a catch in the eyes when writing (the transmission once again happens in thrusts, with interruptions) and in the motor system: the muscles of the hand are blocked and contorted, hence writing slowly and with difficulty due to an altered functioning of the brain.
. When writing, he can no longer see the letters that have already been written correctly due to the catch in the eyes. The letters that have already been written, become one block, so that he can’t trust this to write the next letters. He can’t perceive clearly what he has already written.
. The knowledge of the form of the letters comes through from the brain too slowly: the brain slows down during the process of retrieving information from the brain, so that he writes more slowly.
. Yet another memory blockage: the letters don’t emerge from the brain during writing. Hence doubting very much about the right letters.
. A pattern makes him lose parts of what is dictated: he doesn’t hear some parts. He thinks he has already written parts that are not there yet. He hears things that aren’t there, so that he writes things that aren’t dictated (this information is stored in the form of image in the pattern, not in concept form).
. You have to write mistakes.
. ‘It’s not like this, it’s different’. This makes him doubt about the spelling of a letter when writing.
. He has to deform the letters, he has to write another letter than the one it has to be (pattern in the form of an image).
. He can’t see the whole (pattern in the form of an image).
. He can’t remember. He can’t remember the spelling of a word. He can’t remember the rules of spelling. It confuses him. He can’t think logically with regard to the rules of a language. Hence he writes things as he hears them.
. When he has to remember or apply the rules, there is a very unpleasant feeling in his head and his thinking blocks. He simply writes what he hears in order to escape this.
. ‘You can’t write’ activates a pattern that blocks the brain when reasoning when he writes. The brain processes that normally take place when reasoning (retrieving and comparing data very quickly), are blocked.
Person 4: Patterns of dyslexia combined with poor language abilities.
. Letters belong together, letters are one whole. An image of letters that flow into one another. (This pattern will cause letters to flow into each other when looking at it, so that it’s difficult to perceive the separate letters of a word).
. A pattern with an image of a horizontal beam. This beam has to represent a collection of letters (a word), but the individual letters can’t be distinguished.
. ‘You can’t see’. It’s fixed in the pattern that it’s about letters that have become faint. The outlining of a letter has become faint as a result, so that the form of a letter is difficult to distinguish.
. The letters dance, you can’t see the letters.
. ‘You don’t write’ and the joint of the wrist going tense, so that it’s difficult to form letters.
. ‘You can’t understand’. It’s about writing, the writing of a language. ‘You can’t understand how the letters belong together’.
. A pattern with the formula of a chemical. This chemical has to do with the storage of letters in the brain. There is another variation of the chemical according to the kind of letter, so that it is stored at another address in the brain according to the kind of letter. The variant of the chemical isn’t present for some letters, so that some letters are understood with great difficulty.
. An image of a sentence that consists of separate parts (words). There is confusion about the words and how they belong together. Hence, he will split up the words the wrong way or link them the wrong way, or add or omit words.
. The letters of a words are not clearly visible, hence letters at the end and in the middle of a word are omitted or added, it is difficult to perceive whether there is an ‘i’, ‘ɪ’ of ‘ɛ’, or, for example, he doesn’t see whether there is a single or a double ‘n’ or ‘d’ or whatever, and whether there is an ‘e’ or ‘a’ or whatever at the end of the word.
. There is confusion about difficult combinations of letters. He can’t understand this, like for example, the sound ‘χt’. So, he’ll write a sound he doesn’t understand in the way he hears it. For example, he can’t understand the sound ‘əɪ’, and he’ll write something else.
. There is confusion about difficult combinations of parts of words. He has difficulty distinguishing between the separate parts, like for example ‘responsible’. So, he’ll write: ‘resonsile’.
. ‘You can’t learn a language’. Knowledge with regard to language is very poorly stored in the brain. Hence when having to remember language (when reading and writing), the knowledge isn’t an automatism and he has to think hard how to read and write time and again.
. When he sees or hears a word (for example in a dictation), it’s not immediately clear how he has to read or write this word. He has to analyze the word letter by letter, he has to think about it. Little or no knowledge of words and combinations of letters is stored in his brain (and in the energies around him). He has to analyze a word letter by letter time and again.
. You can’t understand the rules of a language. Hence writing something at random.
. You can’t learn a language, you don’t know how to write. Together with this, there is a feeling of confusion.
. In the same way he doesn’t see all the parts of a word, he doesn’t hear all parts of a word either. For example, he doesn’t see the ending, therefore he will write the word wrong.
. He can in fact understand the rules about the endings of verbs in Dutch (the dt-rule), but he has difficulty applying it because he has difficulty perceiving whether a ‘d’ or a ‘t’ or a ‘dt’ has been written.
. There is confusion about letters, there is confusion about words, there is confusion about language. There isn’t any feeling for language, for how a language is put together, both with regard to vocabulary and to grammar. Language is something confusing. He can’t understand the rules or the context of a language.
. ‘You can’t remember’. This is about difficult combinations of letters.
. ‘You can’t understand language’ and the rules concerning language aren’t or are insufficiently stored in the brain. The normal processes for storage are blocked.
. You can’t understand the words in the context of a language (= grammar). And a feeling of confusion, not knowing how it has to be done.
. Confusion about words. He can’t understand the structure of a word, he can’t understand the formation of words. Therefore he will write something at random.
. You can’t recognize words.
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Plants modified with protectant genes designed to kill resistant insects can extend the usefulness of currently used pest-control methods and delay the development of pesticide-resistant bugs, according to Purdue University scientists and their collaborators from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Monsanto Co., the University of Illinois and the University of California, Davis. The researchers' findings appear in this month's issue of the Journal of Theoretical Biology.
"We always thought that it would take a Michael Jordan of toxins - a superstar of toxins to effectively halt insect resistance to the current generation of insecticides," said Barry Pittendrigh, a Purdue associate professor of entomology and lead author of the study. "We found that moderately effective genetically engineered protectants used in plants in the buffer zone around the main crops can play a major role in insect control, and they should be easier to identify than highly effective protectants.
"You don't find a superstar very often, but it may not be difficult to find good players, or worthwhile insect-control agents."
Farmers who use bioengineered crop protectants also use a buffer, or refuge, around the outside of fields that contains plants lacking the high-toxicity genetic modification in the main field that kills most insects. The refuge, usually about 20 percent of the acreage planted, delays development of insects resistant to the main-field, high-toxicity protectants, but some individuals in the destructive insect group have genes that allow them to survive.
Using a computer model, the scientists determined that within a refuge, one could add a moderate plant protectant, or journeyman player, that kills 30 p
Contact: Susan Steeves
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According to the International Continence Society, overactive bladder is a symptom-defined condition characterized by urinary urgency, with or without urgency incontinence, usually with urinary frequency and nocturia (night-time urination). The term overactive bladder is appropriate if there is no proven urinary tract infection or other obvious pathology.
Overactive bladder was identified in 6.5% of Finnish men and 9.3% of women. In younger age groups the condition was more common among women, but among those over 60 years old it was more common among men. Urinary frequency and nocturia were generally more common than usual among those with an overactive bladder. However, most reported urinary frequency and nocturia was not overactive bladder.
The research is based on a questionnaire conducted 2003-2004 among 3,000 Finnish women and 3,000 Finnish men. Their ages ranged from 18 to 79. The subjects were taken from the population register.
Professor Teuvo Tammela and Professor Anssi Auvinen are in charge of the research group, whose members are from the University of Tampere, Tampere University Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and the South Karelian Central Hospital in Lappeenranta.
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Images courtesy Peter Vrsansky, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Published August 30, 2012
A glowing green cockroach would seem much easier to kill than our more familiar kitchen pests, but this particular insect evolved its own set of lights to avoid exactly such predatory attention, according to a new study.
Luchihormetica luckae glows to mimic the bioluminescent click beetle, whose glow warns predators of its toxicity.
For one thing, while many life-forms have evolved their own flashiness, most are found in the deep-sea—making bioluminescence a relatively rare trait on land. But L. luckae is particularly rare, in that it glows to mimic another insect.
Other uses of bioluminescence in the insect world, as in the case of the common firefly, are more attuned to attracting mates—lighting up to find love in the dark simply saves time.
Unfortunately, it also makes one much more visible to predators.
"Bioluminescence is like any evolutionary tool—there is no single use for it. It can attract, deter, or even be used as an invisibility cloak of sorts," said Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist and author of Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation.
Land Animals Glowed Later Than Thought?
The scientists studied an L. luckae cockroach collected in 1939 and housed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The team employed new technology to scan and analyze the biological mechanism responsible for the luminescence.
They determined that the wavelengths of light released from both the click beetle and L. luckae—though developed via distinct evolutionary processes—are precisely the same.
The new research may also provide evidence for a much later evolution of land-based bioluminescence, according to the study authors.
That's because click beetles evolved their predator-deterring glow only 65 million years ago—recently compared with the 400-million-year-old development of underwater bioluminescence. (See a prehistoric time line.)
Glowing Roach a Flash in the Pan?
L. luckae could prove to be a flash in the evolutionary-science pan.
The one specimen analyzed in the study had been collected from a very specific region recently decimated by volcanic eruption. Scientists now consider the creature so rare that collecting further specimens could cause its extinction.
So chances are you won't be finding these little glowing pests raiding your cabinets.
The glowing-cockroach study appeared recently in the journal Naturwissenschaften.
>>Look for Olivia Judson's writing on bioluminescence in a future issue of National Geographic magazine.
These six scientists were snubbed for awards or robbed of credit for discoveries … because they were women.
Scientists can control the self-assembly of molecules to build nano-size flowers in the lab, a new study says.
Global warming is causing more extreme weather. But when it comes to tornadoes, it could go either way.
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WHAT IS FREEDOM?
I did not understand President Bush’s inauguration speech. He used the word “freedom” twenty-seven times, but what freedom means to him was not clear. Words can mean different things to different people and freedom is an example of that. To some people freedom means no responsibility. To others it means having power and ability to assume responsibility. Is it freedom to be taken care of, or does freedom mean to be able to take care of oneself? Is a baby free before it is born when it has no responsibility for its own physical needs, or is it free when it has been released from the confinement of the womb and must begin to do for itself? Does freedom mean we are free to use the Bible as a guide to our behavior? Or does it mean freedom from God?
"Freedom" is a good word, but it cannot stand alone. It needs an implied or stated explanation and that was not evident in President Bush’s speech. When a prisoner is allowed to leave his place of confinement, he gains his freedom from jail. Those who knew that he was imprisoned would understand his new situation if they were told he gained his freedom, because jail is implied. A recently divorced man or woman might say, "I'm free!", but only those who knew the situation would understand that they meant free of the obligations of marriage. On the last day of school in spring the children shout that they are free. They mean they are free from the necessity of going to school. They are free to play and have fun. If a merchant gives you a gift with no strings attached you might say it was free of cost or obligation. If you no longer hurt, you have freedom from pain. When our country was born its first citizens said they were free. They meant their country was free from the political domination of England.
People use the words, "free" and “freedom” to mean many things. “Free” is even heard at funerals, especially when a person has suffered in his lifetime: "At last he is free!" In this case "free" means freedom from pain and suffering, but it also means dead. What about freedom from want and fear? Couldn’t that mean the same thing as freedom from pain and suffering? Couldn’t it also mean dead? What about being free to have an abortion? That certainly does mean freedom to make someone dead.
In the Western world we often speak of personal freedom, but here, too, the meaning is vague. The idea of personal freedom is a subjective concept. A situation of freedom to one person can seem like unbearable bondage to another. I have two relatives from one family whose ideas on personal freedom are totally different. The sister likes to travel, meet new people, participate in group activities, and face new challenges. She is married to a man whose work provides many such opportunities. She is happy and emotionally comfortable with her choice. If she had to live all her life on the farm where she was born, and see mostly the people she had known in her own community she would be miserable.
Her brother, no less intelligent, owns a farm and loves farming. He enjoys being in surroundings familiar to him since childhood. Even a single day's journey away from his beloved land is a chore and a burden to him. His idea of freedom is staying close to home. Both of my relatives live lives of freedom because they were able to choose the type of life they wanted to live. Their concepts of freedom involved choices, and those choices were personal and emotional.
How far does personal freedom go? Does personal freedom mean believing, doing, and saying whatever we wish to believe, do, or say, whenever or wherever we wish--having no obligations to anyone? Some would claim their right to total release from all laws, rules, and obligations. Living with those who have this total concept of freedom could be extremely unpleasant and perhaps dangerous.
President Bush seems to believe that democracy means freedom. He said it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world. Does this leave United States citizens in a state of freedom? Or has the President placed a perpetual burden on citizens of his own country? Does freedom mean we must accept every burden we are told to bear and every restriction that this all-encompassing concept of freedom demands?
In the Bush speech we were also told that there now is a broader definition of liberty. That also troubles me. What it seems to mean is that the government is always at liberty to give away, rather than sell public lands and public goods, as was done following the Homestead Act. It means that the government is at liberty to control citizens’ retirement savings since the passage of the Social Security Act. It means the government was at liberty to give veterans extra compensation for their service only if they used that compensation for education, as was the case with the GI Bill of Rights.
And I do not understand what President Bush meant when he said, “We will widen ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance.” Did he mean more individuals would own homes and businesses? Or did he mean that individual ownership would be widened and eventually give way to communal ownership? I don’t know. Do you?
The concept of self government was discussed in the speech, but not clarified. I know that there are philosophers and writers who sincerely believe there is no such thing as individual self government or human freedom because humans are merely biological automata or robots who have no real control over their own thoughts, feelings, and actions. These materialist thinkers believe that everything we do can be explained by material causes. Heredity and environment account for everything. They deny the directing and controlling power of the will. This materialist concept is used to justify the notion that environmental influences should be set up for the masses and controlled by social, psychological, political, and economic “scientists.”
President Bush used the word freedom twenty seven times and the word liberty more than a dozen. I have heard it said that he made a wonderful speech, but to me it seemed to be full of contradictions. I do not really know what freedom and liberty mean to our President, and it worries me.
© 2005 Erica Carle - All Rights Reserved
E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale
Erica Carle is an independent researcher and writer. She has a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin. She has been involved in radio and television writing and production, and has also taught math and composition at the private school her children attended in Brookfield, Wisconsin. For ten years she wrote a weekly column, "Truth In Education" for WISCONSIN REPORT, and served as Education Editor for that publication.
Her books are GIVE US THE YOUNG--$5 Plus $2.00 P&H WHY THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE--$16 PLUS $4.00 P&H BOTH BOOKS -- $25 Total. A loose leaf collection of quotes titled, SIX GENERATIONS TO SERFDOM is also available--$15 Plus $2.00 P&H. Mailing address: Erica Carle; PO Box 261; Elm Grove, WI 53122.
President Bush seems to believe that democracy means freedom. He said it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
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(Latin septuagesima, the seventieth).
Septuagesima is the ninth Sunday before Easter, the third before Lent known among the Greeks as "Sunday of the Prodigal" from the Gospel, Luke 15, which they read on this day, called also Dominica Circumdederunt by the Latins, from the first word of the Introit of the Mass. In liturgical literature the name "Septuagesima" occurs for the first time in the Gelasian Sacramentary. Why the day (or the week, or the period) has the name Septuagesima, and the next Sunday Sexagesima, etc., is a matter of dispute among writers. It is certainly not the seventieth day before Easter, still less is the next Sunday the sixtieth, fiftieth, etc. Amularius, "De eccl. Off.", I, I, would make the Septuagesima mystically represent the Babylonian Captivity of seventy years, would have it begin with this Sunday on which the Sacramentaries and Antiphonaries give the Introit "Circumdederunt me undique" and end with the Saturday after Easter, when the Church sings "Eduxit Dominus populum suum." Perhaps the word is only one of a numerical series: Quadragesima, Quinquagesima, etc. Again, it may simply denote the earliest day on which some Christians began the forty days of Lent, excluding Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from the observance of the fast.
Septuagesima is today inaugurated in the Roman Martyrology by the words: "Septuagesima Sunday, on which the canticle of the Lord, Alleluja, ceases to be said". On the Saturday preceding, the Roman Breviary notes that after the "Benedicamus" of Vespers two Alleluias are to be added, that thenceforth it is to be omitted till Easter, and in its place "Laus tibi Domine" is to be said at the beginning of the Office. Formerly the farewell to the Alleluia was quite solemn. In an Antiphonary of the Church of St. Cornelius at Compiègne we find two special antiphons. Spain had a short Office consisting of a hymn, chapter, antiphon, and sequence. Missals in Germany up to the fifteenth century had a beautiful sequence. In French churches they sang the hymn "Alleluia, dulce carmen" (Guéranger, IV, 14) which was well-known among the Anglo-Saxons (Rock, IV, 69). The "Te Deum" is not recited at Matins, except on feasts. The lessons of the first Nocturn are taken from Genesis, relating the fall and subsequent misery of man and thus giving a fit preparation for the Lenten season. In the Mass of Sunday and ferias the Gloria in Excelsis is entirely omitted. In all Masses a Tract is added to the Gradual.
APA citation. (1912). Septuagesima. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13721b.htm
MLA citation. "Septuagesima." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13721b.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Paul Soffing. In Memory of Frederick Geiger.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
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Licensing and Regulatory Boards and Commissions
Nevada Dairy Commission
Dairy Commission Administrative History
The Nevada Dairy Commission was established by the Nevada Legislature in 1955 for the purpose of ensuring that an adequate and continuous supply of nutritious, wholesome, fluid milk and dairy products is available to Nevada consumers. Laws and regulations allow the Dairy Commission to monitor the dairy industry through auditing and investigative activities. The Dairy Commission is dedicated to promoting a business climate that is economically viable for those who produce and process dairy products in Nevada.
The original legislation established that it is the policy of the state of Nevada to promote, foster and encourage intelligent production and orderly marketing of commodities necessary to its citizens, including milk; and to eliminate speculation, waste, improper marketing, unfair and destructive trade practices and improper accounting for milk purchased from producers.
The purpose of the act to establish the Dairy Commission was:
- To provide funds for administration and enforcement of the act, by assessments to be paid by producers of fluid mild and fluid cream or both, and from licenses issued to distributors.
- To authorize and enable the commission to prescribe marketing areas which are necessary due to varying factors of costs or production, health regulations, transportation and other factors in said marketing areas.
- To authorize and enable the commission to formulate stabilization and marketing plans.
- To enable the dairy industry with the aid of the state to correct existing evils, develop and maintain satisfactory marketing conditions and bring about a reasonable amount of stability and prosperity in the production and marketing of fluid milk and fluid cream.
The original legislation in 1955 established a Commission of five members: one producer, one distributor, one producer-distributor, one operator of a retail store, and one member a representative of the consuming public. The Commission appointed employees necessary to carry out the provisions of the legislation.
The Dairy Commission is funded from fees collected through licenses, permits, and assessments on regulated dairy products. It does not receive funds from the State General Fund.
The 1955 legislation classified fluid milk into three classes with class one being milk marketed as milk, class two being ice cream and class three being butter and cheese. It also directed the Commission to hold public hearings in the State Marketing Areas to determine Stabilization and Marketing Plans for these areas.
The legislation did not provide adequate funds for the Commission to operate so it returned to the Legislature in 1957 and received supplemental legislation. This included increasing the Commission to nine members. The new Dairy Commission had its first meeting on May 22, 1957 and employed as its first Secretary-Administrator Clarence J. Cassady.
The Commission established three Marketing Areas for Nevada which were the Western Marketing Area based in Reno, the Eastern Marketing Area based in Ely, and the Southern Marketing Area based in Las Vegas. Public hearings were held in these Marketing Areas in 1956 and 1957 to establish area Stabilization and Marketing Plans which set minimum prices necessary to accomplish the purpose of the legislation. The categories of these minimum prices established were producer, wholesaler, and retailer. This price fixing on the producer, wholesale, and retail levels became the most controversial of all the duties of the Dairy Commission. The Commission always emphasized that these were floor prices and it was very rare for a retailer to sell milk anywhere near the floor and that high milk prices could not be blamed on the Nevada Dairy Commission.
Over the years the nine member commission which was made up of members of the Dairy industry was thought to be an inadequate regulator of the industry as too many of the members had conflicts of interest. A climax came in the mid-1970s when scandal ran through the Nevada dairy industry involving illegal rebates and kick back payments. In 1976 a Nevada Legislative Bulletin recommended a large overhaul of the Dairy Commission; the 1977 Legislature followed through with the interim study recommendations to change the makeup and the purpose of the Nevada Dairy Commission.
The 1977 legislation reduced the number of the members of the Dairy Commission to three and decreed that one member shall be a public accountant or a certified public account, one member shall be an agricultural economist, and one member shall be experienced in banking or finance. The legislation for the management of the Commission was greatly rewritten and the way that the Dairy Commission did its business greatly changed. Public hearings and commission meetings became much less contentious and the number of applications that were rejected dropped. The price fixing powers of the Commission were greatly reduced as minimum retail prices could no longer be set by the Commission. This legislation and restructuring of the Commission led to only minimum wholesale prices being set by the Commission through a formula established by the staff and members of the Dairy Commission for each of the classes of fluid milk.
The Nevada Dairy Commission when established in 1955 was placed administratively under the Governor’s Office as one of the boards and commissions whose members were appointed by the Governor. In 1993 the Commission became a unit of the new Department of Business and Industry. The members of the Commission continue to be appointed by the Governor and the Executive Director of the Commission continues to function as the Secretary of the Commission.
Sources for further information:
Dairy Commission website
Biennial Reports of the Dairy Commission, available at the Nevada State Library 29-D14/1:-. Reports available for 1957-1976
Problems Confronting the Dairy Commission. Bulletin No. 77-12, Legislative Commission of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, State of Nevada, November 1976. Available as a pdf file.
Records 1956-2001 23.0 cubic feet
Commission Meetings 1976-2001 13.0 cubic feet
Meetings of the Dairy Commission are held monthly in each of the three marketing areas. The Marketing Areas are the Eastern, Western and Southern Areas.
Public Hearings 1957-1996 8.0 cubic feet
Public hearings are held in each of the three marketing areas, usually on the same day as Commission meetings. The purpose of hearings is to amend the Stabilization and Marketing Plans of the Marketing Areas, and in recent years for amending the Nevada Administrative Code.
License Files 1957-1972 1.0 cubic feet
Regulation Files 1966-1986 0.5 cubic feet
Correspondence Files 1956-1979 0.5 cubic feet
Top: dairy cattle at Reno, Nevada, ca 1911. From Agricultural Nevada by C.A. Norcross, Commissioner, Industry, Agriculture, and Irrigation. San Francisco: Sunset Magazine Homeseekers Bureau, .
Bottom: Governor Paul Laxalt promoting the dairy industry, ca 1967-1971. Courtesy of the Nevada State Archives.
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Senate Committee Passes Bill to End Shark Finning in U.S.All Press Releases…
November 19, 2009
Contact: Dustin Cranor ( firstname.lastname@example.org | 954-348-1314, 954-348-1314 (cell))
Oceana commends the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today for passing the Shark Conservation Act of 2009.
“Shark management in the U.S. has suffered for long enough,” said Beth Lowell, federal policy director at Oceana. “It’s time to enact this shark finning bill into law.”
The Act would require all sharks caught in U.S. waters to be landed whole with their fins still attached. This would put an end to shark finning, the wasteful process of cutting off the fins and discarding the carcass at sea.
Landing sharks with their fins still attached allows for better enforcement and data collection for stock assessments and quota monitoring. The Act would also close a loophole that allows the transfer of fins at sea as a way to get around current law. Additionally, the bill would allow the United States to take action against countries whose shark finning restrictions are not as strenuous.
“Finning is threatening shark populations worldwide,” said Elizabeth Griffin, marine scientist at Oceana. “The U.S. should be a leader in helping to solve the problem of shark finning.”
The Act was introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) in April. Similar legislation (H.R. 81), introduced by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), passed the House of Representatives in March.
Sharks have been swimming the world’s oceans since before the age of the dinosaur, but today some species face extinction. Each year, commercial fishing kills more than 100 million sharks worldwide – including tens of millions for just their fins. Sharks are especially vulnerable to pressure from human activities because of their slow growth and low reproductive potential.
Sharks can be found in almost every ocean and play a vital role in maintaining the health of the oceans. Many shark populations have declined to levels where they are unable to perform their roles as top predators in the ecosystem, causing drastic and possibly irreversible damage to the oceans. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, more than half of the highly migratory shark species are now considered overexploited or depleted.
For more information about Oceana’s campaign to safeguard sharks, please visit www.oceana.org/sharks.
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Our main goal here is to give a quick visual summary that is at once convincing and data rich. These employ some of the most basic tools of visual data analysis and should probably become form part of the basic vocabulary of an experimental mathematician. Note that traditionally one would run a test such as the Anderson-Darling test (which we have done) for the continuous uniform distribution and associate a particular probability with each of our sets of probability, but unless the probability values are extremely high or low it is difficult to interpret these statistics.
Experimentally, we want to test graphically the hypothesis of normality and randomness (or non-periodicity) for our numbers. Because the statistics themselves do not fall into the nicest of distributions, we have chosen to plot only the associated probabilities. We include two different types of graphs here. A quantile-quantile plot is used to examine the distribution of our data and scatter plots are used to check for correlations between statistics.
The first is a quantile-quantile plot of the chi square base 10 probability values versus a a discrete uniform distribution. For this graph we have placed the probabilities obtained from our square roots and plotted them against a perfectly uniform distribution. Finding nothing here is equivalent to seeing that the graph is a straight line with slope 1. This is a crude but effective way of seeing the data. The disadvantage is that the data are really plotted along a one dimensional curve and as such it may be impossible to see more subtle patterns.
The other graphs are examples of scatter plots. The first scatter plot shows that nothing interesting is occurring. We are again looking at probability values this time derived from the discrete Cramer-von Mises (CVM) test base 10,000. For each cube root we have plotted the point , where is the CVM base 10,000 probability associated with the first 2500 digits of the cube root of i and is the probability associated with the next 2500 digits. A look at the graph reveals that we have now plotted our data on a two dimensional surface and there is a lot more `structure' to be seen. Still, it is not hard to convince oneself that there is little or no relationship between the probabilities of the first 2500 digits and the second 2500 digits.
The last graph is similar to the second. Here we have plotted the probabilities associated with the Anderson-Stephens statistic of the first 10,000 digits versus the first 20,000 digits. We expect to find a correlation between these tests since there is a 10,000 digit overlap. In fact, although the effect is slight, one can definitely see the thinning out of points from the upper left hand corner and lower right hand corner.
Figure 1: Graphs 1-3
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Welcome to Apache OpenNLP
The Apache OpenNLP library is a machine learning based toolkit for the processing of natural language text.
It supports the most common NLP tasks, such as tokenization, sentence segmentation, part-of-speech tagging, named entity extraction, chunking, parsing, and coreference resolution. These tasks are usually required to build more advanced text processing services. OpenNLP also includes maximum entropy and perceptron based machine learning.
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Q: What does it mean if my cat has a cold?
A: When I was in veterinary school, I was taught to not call upper respiratory infections in cats a “cold.” The argument was that it gives the impression that they get the same disease we get. Throughout years of practice, however, I have learned that the easiest way to describe the upper respiratory complex to a client is to indeed call it a “cold.” The cat cold is akin to most aspects of feline living, though; cats are not humans in cat-suits and truly make up their own rules.
Feline upper respiratory disease is made up of a complex network of bacteria and viruses that are commonly found in the environment. Most, if not all cats, have been exposed to these pathogens at birth. Feline herpes virus is the biggest culprit for the development of chronic sinusitis and conjunctivitis in cats, with acute outbreaks commonly occurring during periods of developmental stress or transition (for example, during the first week of being placed in a new home). In this sense, the cat cold behaves very similarly to the human cold, but the bugs are different.
It is important to remember that cat colds are usually self-limiting, just like human colds. If you give a bright and alert sneezing kitten some time, the sneezing will likely go away. Veterinary advice or treatment should be sought, however, if any thick or yellow/green discharge appears from the eyes or nose, or if the cat or kitten stops eating or is lethargic. It is possible for more severe cases to develop fevers and/or pneumonia, but this is rare. Some cats need antibiotics if secondary bacterial infections are suspected. However, it is important to note that oral anti-virals in cats are reserved for refractory or severe cases due to expense and the potential for side effects. Ocular anti-viral therapy for concurrent conjunctivitis is much more commonly used but must be administered multiple times per day. Finally, another form of treatment is L-lysine, an important amino acid, which has been shown to decrease viral DNA replication thereby speeding up healing time and reducing the ability for cats to shed the virus in a multi-cat household.
Overall, prevention is the key. Regular visits to your veterinarian and completion of the core vaccination protocol in kittens and adult cats will lessen the severity of clinical signs associated with the cat cold for the life of the cat. Some cats may be predisposed to catching the cold, such as “smushed-face” kitties (for example, Persians) or cats that are constantly introduced to strays and/or environmental stressors. The cat’s ability to fight colds improves as the cat matures and many will never have a cold their entire life. Perhaps yet another reason cats have it better than us…
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[en] Hydrothermal vent environments, particularly those associated with the vestimentiferan Riftia pachyptila, are believed to be among the highest chitin-producing systems. In order to elucidate the chitin cycle in these environments, we estimate the in situ chitin degradation rates of tube-worm exoskeletons. Our in situ experiments show that the tubes of Riftia are highly stable structures. Comparative measurements of the degradation rates of Riftia tubes and crab shells immersed at deep-sea vents show that the tubes would be degraded within 2.5 years, whereas the time for the total degradation of the vent crab (Bythograea thermydron) carapaces would not exceed 36 days. The importance of the microbial participation in this degradation was estimated for Riftia tubes. Based on previous work, we calculated chitin production by a population of Riftia tubes of about 750 g m(-2) year(-1) (763). From our in situ experiments, we estimated a microbial chitinolysis rate of about 500 g m(-2) year(-1) (496) (65% of the chitin produced). Exoskeletons containing beta-chitin appear more stable in natural environments than those containing alpha-chitin and would thus be less available as carbon and nitrogen sources. In contrast, isolated beta-chitin was hydrolysed faster than alpha-chitin during in vitro degradation experiments; for instance, Riftia beta-chitin was degraded about 3- to 4-fold faster than Bythograea alpha-chitin. A stabilization process by disulfide bonds of the proteins-chitin link, rather than the crystalline form of the chitin (alpha/beta), accounts for the resistance of Riftia tubes to enzymatic attacks.
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When the joint surfaces of an elbow are separated, the elbow is dislocated. Elbow dislocations can be complete or partial. In a complete dislocation, the joint surfaces are completely separated. In a partial dislocation, the joint surfaces are only partly separated. A partial dislocation is also called a subluxation.
The elbow is both a hinge joint and a ball and socket joint. As muscles contract and relax, two unique motions occur at the elbow.
- Bending occurs through a hinge joint that allows the elbow to bend and straighten. This is called flexion and extension, respectively.
- Rotation occurs though a ball and socket joint that allows the hand to be rotated palm up and palm down. This is called pronation and supination, respectively.
Injuries and dislocations to the elbow can affect either of these motions.
Elbow dislocations are not common. Elbow dislocations typically occur when a person falls onto an outstretched hand. When the hand hits the ground, the force is sent to the elbow. Usually, there is a turning motion in this force. This can drive and rotate the elbow out of its socket. Elbow dislocations can also happen in car accidents when the passengers reach forward to cushion the impact. The force that is sent through the arm can dislocate the elbow, just as in a fall.
The elbow is stable because of the combined stabilizing effects of bone surfaces, ligaments, and muscles. When an elbow dislocates, any or all of these structures can be injured to different degrees.
A complex dislocation can have severe bone and ligament injuries.
In the most severe dislocations, the blood vessels and nerves that travel across the elbow may be injured. If this happens, there is a risk of losing the arm.
Some people are born with greater laxity or looseness in their ligaments. These people are at greater risk for dislocating their elbows. Some people are born with an ulna bone that has a shallow groove for the elbow hinge joint. They have a slightly higher risk for dislocation.
A complete elbow dislocation is extremely painful and very obvious. The arm will look deformed and may have an odd twist at the elbow.
The doctor will examine the arm. He will check for tenderness, swelling, and deformity. He will evaluate the skin and circulation to the arm. Pulses at the wrist will be checked. If the artery is injured at the time of dislocation, the hand will be cool to touch and may have a white or purple hue. This is caused by the lack of warm blood reaching the hand.
It is also important to check the nerve supply to the hand. If nerves have been injured during the dislocation, some or all of the hand may be numb and not able to move.
An X-ray is necessary to determine if there is a bone injury. X-rays can also help show the direction of the dislocation.
X-rays are the best way to confirm that the elbow is dislocated. If bone detail is difficult to identify on an X-ray, a computed tomography (CT) scan may be done. If it is important to evaluate the ligaments, a magnetic resonance image (MRI) can be helpful.
First, however, the doctor will set the elbow, without waiting for the CT scan or MRI. These studies are usually taken after the dislocated elbow has been put back in place.
An elbow dislocation should be considered an emergency injury. The goal of immediate treatment of a dislocated elbow is to return the elbow to its normal alignment. The long- term goal is to restore function to the arm.
Simple elbow dislocations are treated by keeping the elbow immobile in a splint or sling for two to three weeks, followed by early motion exercises. If the elbow is kept immobile for a long time, the ability to move the elbow fully (range of motion) may be affected. Physical therapy can be helpful during this period of recovery.
Some people will never be able to fully open (extend) the arm, even after physical therapy. Fortunately, the elbow can work very well even without full range of motion. Once the elbow's range of motion improves, the doctor or physical therapist may add a strengthening program. X-rays may be taken periodically while the elbow recovers to ensure that the bones of the elbow joint remains well aligned.
After surgery, the elbow may be protected with an external hinge. This device protects the elbow from dislocating again. If blood vessel or nerve injuries are associated with the elbow dislocation, additional surgery may be needed to repair the blood vessels and nerves and repair bone and ligament injuries.
Late reconstructive surgery can successfully restore motion to some stiff elbows. This surgery removes scar tissue and extra bone growth. It also removes obstacles to movement.
Over time, there is an increased risk for arthritis in the elbow joint if the alignment of the bones is not good; the elbow does not move and rotate normally; or the elbow continues to dislocate.
Treatment for simple dislocations is usually straightforward and the results are usually good. Some people with complex dislocations still have some type of permanent disability at the elbow. Treatment is evolving to improve results for these people.
One of the areas being researched is the best time to schedule surgery for the treatment of a complex dislocation. For some patients with complex dislocations, it seems that a slight delay for final surgery may improve results by allowing swelling to decrease. The dislocation still needs to be reduced right away, but then a brace, splint, or external fixation frame may rest the elbow for about a week before a specialist surgeon attempts major reconstructive surgery.
Moving the elbow early appears to be good for recovery for both kinds of dislocations. Early movement with complex dislocations can be difficult, however. Pain management techniques encourage early movement. Improved therapy and rehabilitation techniques, such as continuous motion machines, dynamic splinting (spring-loaded assist devices), and progressive static splinting can improve results.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
6300 N. River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
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Charles W. Gilmore was a prolific scientist. He was employed by the U.S. National Museum in 1903 where he worked until his death in 1945. Originally hired as a preparator to work on the extensive O.C. Marsh dinosaur collection that was transferred from Yale University to the U.S. National Museum in the late 19th century, Gilmore later became curator of fossil reptiles. He was in charge of mounting the world's first Triceratops skeleton for exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, as well as 23 other mounts on exhibit. He published 170 scientific papers including monographic studies on the osteology of Apatosaurus and Camptosaurus and the osteology of the carnivorous and armored dinosaurs.
The illustration on this page is a beautiful pen and ink line drawing of the USNM type specimen of the dinosaur, Ceratosaurus nasicornis Marsh, drawn by Rudolph Weber under the direction of Charles Gilmore.
Size of original illustration: 24.6 x 61.6 cm.
Gilmore, Charles W. 1920. Osteology of the Carniverous Dinosauria in the United States National Museum with Special Reference to the Genera Antrodemus (Allosaurus) and Ceratosaurus. Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, Bulletin 110. Government Printing Office, Washington, 159 pp. This illustration appears in Plate 30 and the skeletal reconstruction is discussed on text pages 114-115 of the publication.
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The Constitution of Sun and Stars
This site claims that the sun and stars are not balls of gas as most people believe, but are actually liquid.
Cosmic Rays from the Sun
Potentially dangerous cosmic rays are being generated by the sun, with increasing frequency and intensity.
Does Our Sun Have a Doomsday Twin?
The idea that our solar system is made up of the Sun and a shadowy partner, either a brown dwarf or a massive planet, in a wide binary system.
Venus, the Sun, and What?
Purports to show, through photos, that on Jan. 12-14, 1998, the sun and Venus exchanged energy by some mysterious process.
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The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870-1914
Immigration and the American industrial revolution from 1880 to 1920q
SCIENCE, INSTITUTIONS, AND THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
From Industrial Revolution to Electronic Revolution: The Postmodern Challenge to Catholic Social Thought in the Catholic University
Lesson 1: What is the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution and the Netherlands: Why did it not happen?
Immigration, Industrial Revolution and Urban Growth in the United States, 1820-1920: Factor Endowments, Technology and Geography
FX Game Changer Designed To Pull Cash From The Forex Market Like An ATM On Crack.pdf
Strategic HR - Understanding the Emerging Players in the Global Economy from an HR Perspective
The Radicals of the Industrial Revolution
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Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution
Computer Revolution: An Economic Perspective
Bengal Industries and the British Industrial Revolution (1757-1857)
Outlines & Highlights for Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution by Jane Humphries
Private Choices and Public Health: The AIDS Epidemic in an Economic Perspective
In this book the author approaches fundamental issues of contract law from an economic perspective, though the book is far from being overly technical and will appeal equally to economists, ...
The Dignity of Man: An Islamic Perspective provides the most detailed study to date on the subject of the dignity of man from the perspective of Islam. M H Kamali sets out the proclamations on ...
This book offers vivid insights into the islands' people, culture, history, and geography. From the BVI's national parks, to its beaches, activities, and wildlife, this lively and informative guide ...
The interrelation among race, schooling, and labor market opportunities of American blacks can help us make sense of the relatively poor economic status of blacks in contemporary society. The role of ...
Social Change in the Industrial Revolution: An Application of Theory to the British Cotton Industry
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On March 11, 2011, an earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale struck the coast of northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami that would kill more than 18,000 people and leave an estimated $180 billion in damage. The news media worldwide provided extensive coverage of the disaster and its aftermath, but millions of people also turned to the web to learn about the event on the video sharing website YouTube.
A new report from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism examined 15 months’ worth of the most popular news videos on the site (January 2011 to March 2012)—some 260 different videos in all-by identifying and tracking the five most-viewed videos each week located in the “news & politics” channel of YouTube, analyzing the nature of the video, the topics that were viewed most often, who produced them and who posted them.
Above is the most-watched news video that was shot by what appeared to be a fixed closed-circuit surveillance camera at the Sendai airport. Read our full report here: http://pewrsr.ch/ODl8U9
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One sauropod deserves another. After briefly profiling the as-yet-little-known Qiaowanlong last week, it’s only natural to follow up with Rapetosaurus krausei – another recently-named Mesozoic herbivore that altered our understanding of the forms some sauropod lineages took.
Paleontologists Kristina Curry Rogers and Catherine Forster named Rapetosaurus in 2001. As the researchers dubbed the dinosaur in the paper’s title, the sauropod was among “the last of the dinosaur titans.” At somewhere between 66 and 70 million years old, Rapetosaurus roamed Madagascar during what we can look back at and call the waning days of the Cretaceous. And the record of this dinosaur is particularly rich among its kind – scattered remains of multiple individuals, including articulated specimens, have been found within a ten square kilometers of Madagascar’s Cretaceous exposures.
Among the various sauropod lineages, Curry Rogers and Forster concluded, Rapetosaurus belonged to the titanosaur branch. This widespread group of long-necked leaf-munchers included some of the largest dinosaurs of all time, including the 100 foot plus Argentinosaurus, although adult Rapetosaurus stretched a more modest 50 feet or so. And unlike other titanosaurs, Rapetosaurus had a peculiar skull that superficially resembled those of diplodocid dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus and Diplodocus itself.
In a 2004 follow-up focused on the head of Rapetosaurus, Curry Rogers and Forster drew from two partial skulls to fill out the dinosaur’s anatomy and compare the sauropod to other titanosaurs. While closely-related dinosaur had relatively deep, stocky skulls, Rapetosaurus had a longer, more slender cranium with the nasal opening up between the eyes. Not all titanosaurs followed the same anatomical rules. Given the number of titanosaurs paleontologists have named, and how few skulls have been found, there may have been even more skeletal diversity than we presently understand. Despite being some of the largest and most impressive dinosaurs, titanosaurs are still prehistoric enigmas.
Previous entries in the Dinosaur Alphabet series:
Q is for Qiaowanlong
P is for Pelecanimimus
O is for Ojoceratops
N is for Nqwebasaurus
M is for Montanoceratops
L is for Leaellynasaura
K is for Kileskus
J is for Juravenator
A-I at Dinosaur Tracking.
Curry Rogers, K., Forster, C. 2001. The last of the dinosaur titans: a new sauropod from Madagascar. Nature. 412: 530-534
Curry Rogers, K., Forster, C. 2004. The skull of Rapetosaurus krausei (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) form the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24, 1: 121-144
Curry Rogers, K. 2009. The postcranial osteology of Rapetosaurus krausei (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29, 4: 1046-1086
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Deep within the labyrinth of Monash University's Clayton campus in Melbourne is a metallurgy laboratory so significant in what it is doing that it has attracted some of the biggest companies in the global aerospace industry from the other side of the world.
They are keeping close to the technology that could make this laboratory the genesis of the next generation of aerospace manufacturing. They are also keeping close to a scientist in whose hands their futures may well sit.
When Professor Xinhua Wu, recognised internationally as a leader in advanced light metals research, agreed to head the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, her research moved with her from the UK to Melbourne. Such is the importance placed on her work that the giants of European aerospace – Bombardier, Airbus, European Space Agency and SAFRAN-Microturbo – followed.
At stake for these European aircraft manufacturers is finding the technological means to ward off increasingly aggressive competition from new manufacturers in Brazil, Canada, China, India and Russia, while concurrently meeting stringent greenhouse reduction targets imposed by the European Union.
Manufacturers are looking for new materials that are lighter yet stronger, cheaper to manufacture, reliably safe and which will also help them halve aviation's overall carbon emissions by 2050.
For Professor Wu and her centre it means changing the very nature of metals such as titanium, aluminium and magnesium, modifying their fine-scale structures to give them new and improved characteristics. It requires advanced industrial research underpinned by fundamental science that is exploring new paradigms in metals and their properties.
A spokesperson for SAFRAN-Microturbo said the company followed Professor Wu to Australia because of her focus on the industrial applicability of fundamental research. This is a critical industry–academia link and for the European Union companies, an essential relationship through which to keep ahead of rivals.
One of the centre's projects is a new aluminium alloy that will make an aircraft 30 to 40 per cent lighter, twice as fuel-efficient and still structurally as strong.
It is already known this can be achieved by adding a tiny amount of a rare element such as scandium to the aluminium when it is alloyed. Just a fraction of a per cent of scandium or other rare earth element is enough to make aluminium stronger, less prone to corrosion and easier to weld. Russia used such an aluminium-scandium alloy for its MiG fighter planes during the Cold War era. But from a commercial perspective, the alloy is prohibitively expensive.
The scientific challenge that Professor Wu's centre has taken on is to determine how scandium works when added to aluminium alloys, and to then find a cheaper substitute.
"We are working at the atomic level. In metallurgy, just a few atoms in a million added to an alloy can influence engineering at the macro-scale; how we control the homogeneity of metal sheeting when it is rolled, or the integrity of the metal when it is fabricated into a component."
However, Professor Wu says the key factor with such industrial research is achieving this economically. "From just a materials research perspective, without worrying about costs, we can make the most wonderful metal and alloy materials. But the goal is not just to develop stronger, lighter, more durable and more stable metals. They must also be produced through more efficient and cheaper manufacturing with lower energy consumption, both during construction and during the aircraft's operational life over 25 or more years. We have to create new materials that not only have the best performance but are also the cheapest.
"This is what makes industrial science exciting. Yes, the fundamental science must be good, but it is the industrial science that has to deliver this material, functionally and cost-effectively, to industry. And it doesn't stop with developing the material; new manufacturing processes have to be designed for each new material developed."
Professor Wu's approach to science has been strongly influenced by the 20 years she worked with the Rolls-Royce aerospace division – "a technology-driven company and world leader in materials technology and manufacturing".
It has imbued her with a robust 'can-do' attitude, which is why other major European companies have set up collaborations with her and her centre. "It is because we deliver on the promise," Professor Wu says.
Her own special field of interest is titanium metallurgy. Aside from the offer by Monash to replicate her research facilities in Melbourne, the other attraction of moving from the UK was that Australia has 51 per cent of the world's known titanium ore deposits. She was keen to apply her metals science closer to its raw materials.
Professor Wu has been involved extensively in developing titanium and titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloys, and in advanced powder processing for titanium and nickel alloy powders.
Her most recent research has been into the development of innovative manufacturing technologies such as 'laser additive' manufacturing and net-shape hot isostatic pressing (HIPping), which are able to produce complex 3-D components from computer designs in a single step. It is anticipated that this alone will reduce material wastage by 90 per cent, cut overall manufacturing costs by 30 to 50 per cent, and reduce the lead time from 24 to three months for titanium, nickel, aluminium and steel components.
This is the advanced technology that Professor Wu has brought to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, which is a collaboration of six universities and more than 100 researchers. Professor Wu wants to build an Australian aerospace industry from this core research. "It is a global industry. It doesn't matter where you are," she says. "Industry will follow the delivery of innovation and science."
Already her team has developed several new engine components for one of the European aerospace companies, and these are undergoing early evaluation trials. "If they pass – if they are lighter, equally durable and cheaper to manufacture – this company is prepared to offer an exclusive six-year manufacturing deal for an Australian company to manufacture these components. This demonstrates the incentives on offer to encourage Australian manufacturers to take up the challenge, noting the preference for new technology manufacturing to be close to the innovation and science.
"We are delivering on the science and innovation, but so far haven't found a manufacturing partner. We realise there are no existing companies with the expertise, but that is what we are providing … in abundance. We need a far-sighted company willing to invest in this."
It is an interesting challenge, coming at a time when the traditional manufacturing sectors in many of the world's so-called rich countries are suffering a crisis of confidence. Professor Wu is trying to overcome this by articulating her belief in the 'third industrial revolution': the discovery of new materials and engineering these materials at the molecular or 'nano-structural' level. Coupled with this is the emergence of laser additive manufacturing and net-shape HIPping technologies, which she says set free the production of complex 3-D components from the shackles of dated manufacturing practice and can bring manufacturing from low-cost economies to the innovative, high-technology ones.
In her own work Professor Wu believes she has a two-year edge on rival researchers elsewhere. "If in this time we cannot establish manufacturing capability in Australia, the science will move on … and with it the industry that Australia could have had."
This is an industry, she points out, that globally generates US$539 billion of GDP per year and desperately needs revitalising. It was estimated by the industry's umbrella body, the Air Transport Action Group, that to reach the target of improving average fleet fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent per annum from 2010 to 2020, the world's airlines would have to buy 12,000 new-generation aircraft at a cost of US$1.3 trillion.
Further, it would take an investment of ˇ100 billion to deliver the technology required to meet the 2050 Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe target to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 75 per cent and nitrous oxide emissions by 90 per cent.
"These are the stark realities that these companies are facing," Professor Wu says. "And from these realities are the massive opportunities being presented to us."
Explore further: Research paves the way for accurate manufacturing of complex parts for aerospace and car industries
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Reading Shakespeare has dramatic effect on human brainDecember 18th, 2006 in Medicine & Health / Medical research
Research at the University of Liverpool has found that Shakespearean language excites positive brain activity, adding further drama to the bard's plays and poetry.
Shakespeare uses a linguistic technique known as functional shift that involves, for example using a noun to serve as a verb. Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands the function of the word within a sentence. This process causes a sudden peak in brain activity and forces the brain to work backwards in order to fully understand what Shakespeare is trying to say.
Professor Philip Davis, from the University's School of English, said: "The brain reacts to reading a phrase such as ‘he godded me' from the tragedy of Coriolanus, in a similar way to putting a jigsaw puzzle together. If it is easy to see which pieces slot together you become bored of the game, but if the pieces don't appear to fit, when we know they should, the brain becomes excited. By throwing odd words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain and catches it off guard in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity - a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things."
Experts believe that this heightened brain activity may be one of the reasons why Shakespeare's plays have such a dramatic impact on their readers.
Professor Neil Roberts, from the University's Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre, (MARIARC), explains: "The effect on the brain is a bit like a magic trick; we know what the trick means but not how it happened. Instead of being confused by this in a negative sense, the brain is positively excited. The brain signature is relatively uneventful when we understand the meaning of a word but when the word changes the grammar of the whole sentence, brain readings suddenly peak. The brain is then forced to retrace its thinking process in order to understand what it is supposed to make of this unusual word."
Professor Roberts and Professor Davis together with Dr Guillaune Thierry, from the University of Wales, Bangor, monitored 20 participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG) as they read selected lines from Shakespeare's plays.
In this initial test electrodes were placed on the subject's scalp to measure brain responses.
Professor Roberts said: "EEG gives graph-like measurements and when the brain reads a sentence that does not make semantic sense it registers what we call a N400 effect – a negative wave modulation. When the brain reads a grammatically incorrect sentence it registers a P600 effect – an effect which continues to last after the word that triggered it was first read."
Researchers also found that when participants read the word producing the functional shift there was no N400 effect indicating that the meaning was accepted but a P600 effect was observed which indicates a positive re-evaluation of the word. The team is now using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMI) to test which areas of the brain are most affected and the kind of impact it could have in maintaining healthy brain activity.
Professor Davis added: "This interdisciplinary work is good for brain science because it offers permanent scripts of the human mind working moment-to-moment. It is good for literature as it illustrates primary human thinking. Through the two disciplines, we may discover new insights into the very motions of the mind."
Source: University of Liverpool
"Reading Shakespeare has dramatic effect on human brain." December 18th, 2006. http://phys.org/news85664210.html
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Vol. 17 Issue 6
One-Legged (Single Limb) Stance Test
The One-Legged Stance Test (OLST)1,2 is a simple, easy and effective method to screen for balance impairments in the older adult population.
You may be asking yourself, "how can standing on one leg provide you with any information about balance, after all, we do not go around for extended periods of time standing on one leg?"
True, as a rule we are a dynamic people, always moving, our world always in motion, but there are instances were we do need to maintain single limb support. The most obvious times are when we are performing our everyday functional activities.
Stepping into a bath tub or up onto a curb would be difficult, if not impossible to do without the ability to maintain single limb support for a given amount of time. The ability to switch from two- to one-leg standing is required to perform turns, climb stairs and dress.
As we know, the gait cycle requires a certain amount of single limb support in order to be able to progress ourselves along in a normal pattern. When the dynamics of the cycle are disrupted, loss of balance leading to falls may occur.
This is especially true in older individuals whose gait cycle is altered due to normal and potentially abnormal changes that occur as a result of aging.
The One-Legged Stance Test measures postural stability (i.e., balance) and is more difficult to perform due to the narrow base of support required to do the test. Along with five other tests of balance and mobility, reliability of the One-Legged Stance Test was examined for 45 healthy females 55 to 71 years old and found to have "good" intraclass correlations coefficients (ICC range = .95 to .099). Within raters ICC ranged from 0.73 to 0.93.3
To perform the test, the patient is instructed to stand on one leg without support of the upper extremities or bracing of the unweighted leg against the stance leg. The patient begins the test with the eyes open, practicing once or twice on each side with his gaze fixed straight ahead.
The patient is then instructed to close his eyes and maintain balance for up to 30 seconds.1
The number of seconds that the patient/client is able to maintain this position is recorded. Termination or a fail test is recorded if 1) the foot touches the support leg; 2) hopping occurs; 3) the foot touches the floor, or 4) the arms touch something for support.
Normal ranges with eyes open are: 60-69 yrs/22.5 ± 8.6s, 70-79 yrs/14.2 ± 9.3s. Normal ranges for eyes closed are: 60-69 yrs/10.2 ± 8.6s, 70-79 yrs/4.3 ± 3.0s.4 Briggs and colleagues reported balance times on the One-Legged Stance Test in females age 60 to 86 years for dominant and nondominant legs.
Given the results of this data, there appears to be some difference in whether individuals use their dominant versus their nondominant leg in the youngest and oldest age groups.
When using this test, having patients choose what leg they would like to stand on would be appropriate as you want to record their "best" performance.
It has been reported in the literature that individuals increase their chances of sustaining an injury due to a fall by two times if they are unable to perform a One-Legged Stance Test for five seconds.5 Other studies utilizing the One-Legged Stance Test have been conducted in older adults to assess static balance after strength training,6 performance of activities of daily living and platform sway tests.7
Interestingly, subscales of other balance measures such as the Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment8 and Berg Balance Scale9 utilize unsupported single limb stance times of 10 seconds and 5 seconds respectively, for older individuals to be considered to have "normal" balance.
Thirty percent to 60 percent of community-dwelling elderly individuals fall each year, with many experiencing multiple falls.10 Because falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in older adults and a significant cause of disability in this population, prevention of falls and subsequent injuries is a worthwhile endeavor.11
The One-Legged Stance Test can be used as a quick, reliable and easy way for clinicians to screen their patients/clients for fall risks and is easily incorporated into a comprehensive functional evaluation for older adults.
1. Briggs, R., Gossman, M., Birch, R., Drews, J., & Shaddeau, S. (1989). Balance performance among noninstitutionalized elderly women. Physical Therapy, 69(9), 748-756.
2. Anemaet, W., & Moffa-Trotter, M. (1999). Functional tools for assessing balance and gait impairments. Topics in Geriatric Rehab, 15(1), 66-83.
3. Franchignoni, F., Tesio, L., Martino, M., & Ricupero, C. (1998). Reliability of four simple, quantitative tests of balance and mobility in healthy elderly females. Aging (Milan), 10(1), 26-31.
4. Bohannon, R., Larkin, P., Cook, A., & Singer, J. (1984). Decrease in timed balance test scores with aging. Physical Therapy, 64, 1067-1070.
5. Vellas, B., Wayne, S., Romero, L., Baumgartner, R., et al. (1997). One-leg balance is an important predictor of injurious falls in older persons. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 45, 735-738.
6. Schlicht, J., Camaione, D., & Owen, S. (2001). Effect of intense strength training on standing balance, walking speed, and sit-to-stand performance in older adults. Journal of Gerontological Medicine and Science, 56A(5), M281-M286.
7. Frandin, K., Sonn, U., Svantesson, U., & Grimby, G. (1996). Functional balance tests in 76-year-olds in relation to performance, activities of daily living and platform tests. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine, 27(4), 231-241.
8. Tinetti, M., Williams, T., & Mayewski, R. (1986). Fall risk index for elderly patients based on number of chronic disabilities. American Journal of Medicine, 80, 429-434.
9. Berg, K., et al. (1989). Measuring balance in the elderly: Preliminary development of an instrument. Physio Therapy Canada, 41(6), 304-311.
10. Rubenstein, L., & Josephson, K. (2002). The epidemiology of falls and syncope. Clinical Geriatric Medicine, 18, 141-158.
11. National Safety Council. (2004). Injury Facts. Itasca, IL: Author.
Dr. Lewis is a physical therapist in private practice and president of Premier Physical Therapy of Washington, DC. She lectures exclusively for GREAT Seminars and Books, Inc. Dr. Lewis is also the author of numerous textbooks. Her Website address is www.greatseminarsandbooks.com. Dr. Shaw is an assistant professor in the physical therapy program at the University of South Florida dedicated to the area of geriatric rehabilitation. She lectures exclusively for GREAT Seminars and Books in the area of geriatric function.
APTA Encouraged by Cap Exceptions
New process grants automatic exceptions to beneficiaries needing care the most
Calling it "a good first step toward ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have coverage for the physical therapy they need," Ben F Massey, Jr, PT, MA, president of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), expressed optimism that the new exceptions process will allow a significant number of Medicare patients to receive services exceeding the $1,740 annual financial cap on Medicare therapy coverage. The new procedure, authorized by Congress in the recently enacted Deficit Reduction Act (PL 109-171), will be available to Medicare beneficiaries on March 13 under rules released this week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
"APTA is encouraged by the new therapy cap exceptions process," Massey said. "CMS has made a good effort to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries who need the most care are not harmed by an arbitrary cap."
As APTA recommended, the process includes automatic exceptions and also grants exceptions to beneficiaries who are receiving both physical therapy and speech language pathology (the services are currently combined under one $1,740 cap).
"We have yet to see how well Medicare contractors will be able to implement and apply this process. Even if it works well, Congress only authorized this new process through 2006. Congress must address this issue again this year, and we are confident that this experience will demonstrate to legislators that they must completely repeal the caps and provide a more permanent solution for Medicare beneficiaries needing physical therapy," Massey continued.
The therapy caps went into effect on Jan. 1, 2006, limiting Medicare coverage on outpatient rehabilitation services to $1,740 for physical therapy and speech therapy combined and $1,740 for occupational therapy.
The American Physical Therapy Association is a national professional organization representing more than 65,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research and education.
New Mouthwash Helps With Pain
Doctors in Italy are studying whether a new type of mouthwash will help alleviate pain for patients suffering from head and neck cancer who were treated with radiation therapy, according to a new study (International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, Feb. 1, 2006).
Fifty patients, suffering from various forms of head and neck cancer and who received radiation therapy, were observed during the course of their radiation treatment. Mucositis, or inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth, is the most common side effect yet no additional therapy has been identified that successfully reduces the pain.
This study sought to discover if a mouthwash made from the local anesthetic tetracaine was able to alleviate the discomfort associated with head and neck cancer and if there would be any negative side effects of the mouthwash. The doctors chose to concoct a tetracaine-based mouthwash instead of a lidocaine-based version because it was found to be four times more effective, worked faster and produced a prolonged relief.
The tetracaine was administered by a mouthwash approximately 30 minutes before and after meals, or roughly six times a day. Relief of oral pain was reported in 48 of the 50 patients. Sixteen patients reported that the mouthwash had an unpleasant taste or altered the taste of their food.
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No for "dry", yes for "wet".
For "dry friction", such as a box on a floor, it is relatively constant. Why is this? Most objects are microscopically rough with "peaks" that move against each-other. As more pressing force is applied, the peaks deform more and the true contact area is increases proportionally. The surfaces adhere forming a bond that will take a certain amount of shear force to break. Since the molecules are moving much faster ~300m/s than the box they have plenty of time to adhere (so velocity is not an issue). However, static friction is sometimes be higher, in one explanation because the peaks have time to settle and interlock with each-other. Neglecting static friction, force is constant.
The simplest case in wet friction is two objects separated by a film of water. In this case there is zero static friction, as the thermal energy is sufficient to disrupt any static, shear-bearing water molecule structure. However, water molecules still push and pull on each-other, transferring momentum from the top to the bottom. The rate of momentum transfer i.e. "friction" grows in proportion to how much momentum is available, which in turn grows with velocity. Thus, force is linear with velocity.
However, interesting things happen when the bulk mass of the water gets important. In this case, bumps, etc on the surface push on the water creating currents that can ram into bumps on the other surface. If you double the velocity, your bumps will push twice as much water twice as fast for 4 times the force; force is quadratic to velocity. You can plug in formulas for the linear case (which depends on viscosity) and quadratic case (which depends on density) to see which one "wins" (this is roughly the Reynolds number), if there is no clear winner the answer is complex (see the Moody diagram).
Nevertheless these are approximations and the real answer could fail to follow these "rules".
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Major Section: HISTORY
Example Forms: ACL2 !>:puff* :max ACL2 !>:puff* :x ACL2 !>:puff* 15 ACL2 !>:puff* "book"where
General Form: :puff* cd
cdis a command descriptor (see command-descriptor) for a ``puffable'' command. See puff for the definition of ``puffable'' and for a description of the basic act of ``puffing'' a command.
Puff*is just the recursive application of puff.
Puff*prints the region puffed, using
To puff a command is to replace it by its immediate subevents, each
of which is executed as a command. To
puff* a command is to replace
the command by each of its immediate subevents and then to
each of the puffable commands among the newly introduced ones.
For example, suppose
"ab" is a book containing the following
(in-package "ACL2") (include-book "a") (include-book "b")Suppose that book
defuns for the functions
Now consider an ACL2 state in which only two commands have been
executed, the first being
(include-book "ab") and the second being
(include-book "c"). Thus, the relevant part of the display
pbt 1 would be:
1 (INCLUDE-BOOK "ab") 2 (INCLUDE-BOOK "c")Call this state the ``starting state'' in this example, because we will refer to it several times.
:puff 1 is executed in the starting state. Then the first
command is replaced by its immediate subevents and
:pbt 1 would
1 (INCLUDE-BOOK "a") 2 (INCLUDE-BOOK "b") 3 (INCLUDE-BOOK "c")Contrast this with the execution of
:puff* 1in the starting state.
Puff*would first puff
(include-book "ab")to get the state shown above. But then it would recursively
puff*the puffable commands introduced by the first puff. This continues recursively as long as any puff introduced a puffable command. The end result of
:puff* 1in the starting state is
1 (DEFUN A1 ...) 2 (DEFUN A2 ...) 3 (DEFUN B1 ...) 4 (DEFUN B2 ...) 5 (INCLUDE-BOOK "c")Observe that when
puff*is done, the originally indicated command,
(include-book "ab"), has been replaced by the corresponding sequence of primitive events. Observe also that puffable commands elsewhere in the history, for example, command 2 in the starting state, are not affected (except that their command numbers grow as a result of the splicing in of earlier commands).
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Hypertension is often diagnosed during a visit to your doctor. Blood pressure is measured using a cuff around your arm and a device called a sphygmomanometer. Your doctor may ask you to sit quietly for five minutes before checking your blood pressure.
If your blood pressure reading is high, you will probably be asked to come back for repeat blood pressure checks. If you have three visits with readings over 140/90 mmHG, you will be diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Some people’s blood pressure goes up when they are at the doctor’s office. If your doctor suspects that may be occurring, he or she may ask you to get some blood pressure readings at home. In some cases, he or she may recommend that you wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. This device measures your blood pressure regularly throughout the day as you go about your activities. It is usually worn for 24 hours, even while sleeping.
- Reviewer: Michael J. Fucci, DO
- Review Date: 09/2012 -
- Update Date: 00/91/2012 -
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C++ is the canonical example of a language that combines low-level and high-level features1. It doesn't simulate anything, it provides native support for almost every high-level construct you'll usually find in a common high-level language and almost every low-level construct you'll find in C.
But of course the terms are highly relative, there was a point in time (not that long ago2) where C was considered a very high level language. And there are quite a few other languages that offer considerable low-level functionalities while still commonly regarded as high-level, and vice versa, the lines are kind of fuzzy.
As for the syntax, that's something that naturally affected by the language's level of abstraction. Low-level generally means:
In computer science, a low-level programming language is a programming language that provides little or no abstraction from a computer's instruction set architecture. Generally this refers to either machine code or assembly language. The word "low" refers to the small or nonexistent amount of abstraction between the language and machine language; because of this, low-level languages are sometimes described as being "close to the hardware."
So naturally a low-level language adopts a syntax that's closer to machine code, which is inherently non human friendly. Quite a few languages, like C++, have adopted a wide variety of syntactic sugar, as a mechanism to make things easier to read or to express. But syntactic sugar is something that almost every high level language has opted for, C++'s sugar alone doesn't make it a low-level language.
As for the complexity of a low & high-level language, it's also natural: It's a tool with multiple goals, every single goal adds to its complexity. That's unavoidable regardless of the goal. High-level languages are not "better" than low-level one, they are just more concentrated on one goal. Languages that are designed with ease of use as a primary goal tend to be high-level, but that's only important if the necessary trade-offs to achieve the goal don't affect your applications.
Low or high level doesn't really matter, languages are primarily tools. You should choose the one that best fits whatever you're building in combination with what skills you have. Most popular languages are multi-purpose and Turing complete, in theory they are valid choices for building almost anything. There are no absolutes, of course, you may win in some areas if you opt for a high-level language and in others if you opt for a lower-level one, even within the same application.
Most large scale applications mix and match, following the "right tool for the job" mentality, and that's a more efficient approach, imho, than trying to have your cake and eat it too.
1 But please note that there isn't a definitive answer on what's considered a strictly high-level feature and what a low-level one.
2 In human years, in software years it was long ago...
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Individual differences |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
In psychology, biological psychology, also known as biopsychology and psychobiology, is the application of the principles of biology to the study of mental processes and behavior. A psychobiologist, for instance, may compare the imprinting behavior in goslings to the early attachment behavior in human infants and construct theory around these two phenomena. Biological psychologists may often be interested in measuring some biological variable, e.g. an anatomical, physiological, or genetic variable, in an attempt to relate it quantitatively or qualitatively to a psychological or behavioral variable, and thus contribute to evidence based practice.
The study of biological psychology dates back to Avicenna (980-1037), a Persian psychologist and physician who in The Canon of Medicine, recognized physiological psychology in the treatment of illnesses involving emotions, and developed a system for associating changes in the pulse rate with inner feelings, which is seen as an anticipation of the word association test. Avicenna also gave psychological explanations for certain somatic illnesses, and he always linked the physical and psychological illnesses together. He explained that humidity inside the head can contribute to mood disorders, and he recognized that this occurs when the amount of breath changes: happiness increases the breath, which leads to increased moisture inside the brain, but if this moisture goes beyond its limits, the brain would lose control over its rationality and lead to mental disorders.
Biological psychology as a scientific discipline later emerged from a variety of scientific and philosophical traditions in the 18th and 19th centuries. In philosophy, men like Rene Descartes proposed physical models to explain animal and human behavior. Descartes, for example, suggested that the pineal gland, a midline unpaired structure in the brain of many organisms, was the point of contact between mind and body. Descartes also elaborated on a theory in which the pneumatics of bodily fluids could explain reflexes and other motor behavior. This theory was inspired by moving statues in a garden in Paris.
Other philosophers also helped give birth to psychology. One of the earliest textbooks in the new field, The Principles of Psychology by William James (1890), argues that the scientific study of psychology should be grounded in an understanding of biology:
|“|| Bodily experiences, therefore, and more particularly brain-experiences, must take a place amongst those conditions of the mental life of which Psychology need take account. The spiritualist and the associationist must both be 'cerebralists,' to the extent at least of admitting that certain peculiarities in the way of working of their own favorite principles are explicable only by the fact that the brain laws are a codeterminant of their result.
Our first conclusion, then, is that a certain amount of brain-physiology must be presupposed or included in Psychology.
James, like many early psychologists, had considerable training in physiology. The emergence of both psychology and biological psychology as legitimate sciences can be traced from the emergence of physiology from anatomy, particularly neuroanatomy. Physiologists conducted experiments on living organisms, a practice that was distrusted by the dominant anatomists of the 18th and 19th centuries. The influential work of Claude Bernard, Charles Bell, and William Harvey helped to convince the scientific community that reliable data could be obtained from living subjects.
The term "psychobiology" has been used in a variety of contexts, but was likely first used in its modern sense by Knight Dunlap in his book An Outline of Psychobiology (1914). Dunlap also founded the journal Psychobiology. In the announcement of that journal, Dunlap writes that the journal will publish research "...bearing on the interconnection of mental and physiological functions", which describes the field of biological psychology even in its modern sense.
Relationship to other fields of psychology and biologyEdit
In many cases, humans may serve as experimental subjects in biological psychology experiments; however, a great deal of the experimental literature in biological psychology comes from the study of non-human species, most frequently rats, mice, and monkeys. As a result, a critical assumption in biological psychology is that organisms share biological and behavioral similarities, enough to permit extrapolations across species. This allies biological psychology closely with comparative psychology, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary biology. Biological psychology also has paradigmatic and methodological similarities to neuropsychology, which relies heavily on the study of the behavior of humans with nervous system dysfunction (i.e., a non-experimentally based biological manipulation).
Synonyms for biological psychology include biopsychology, behavioral neuroscience, and psychobiology . Physiological psychology is another term often used synonymously with biological psychology, though some authors would make physiological psychology a subfield of biological psychology, with an appropriately more narrow definition.
Research methods Edit
The distinguishing characteristic of a biological psychology experiment is that either the independent variable of the experiment is biological, or some dependent variable is biological. In other words, the nervous system of the organism under study is permanently or temporarily altered, or some aspect of the nervous system is measured (usually to be related to a behavioral variable).
Disabling or decreasing neural functionEdit
- Lesions - A classic method in which a brain-region of interest is enabled. Lesions can be placed with relatively high accuracy thanks to a variety of brain 'atlases' which provide a map of brain regions in 3-dimensional stereotactic coordinates.
- Electrolytic lesions - Neural tissue is destroyed by the use of electric run through.
- Chemical lesions - Neural tissue is destroyed by the infusion of a neurotoxin.
- Temporary lesions - Neural tissue is temporarily disabled by cooling or by the use of anesthetics such as tetrodotoxin.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation - A new technique usually used with human subjects in which a magnetic coil applied to the scalp causes unsystematic electrical activity in nearby cortical neurons which can be experimentally analyzed as a functional lesion.
- Psychopharmacological manipulations - A chemical receptor antagonist enduces neural activity by interfering with neurotransmission. Antagonists can be delivered systemically (such as by intravenous injection) or locally (intracebrally) during a surgical procedure.
Enhancing neural function Edit
- Electrical Stimulation - A classic method in which neural activity is enhanced by application of a small electrical current (too small to cause significant cell death).
- Psychopharmacological manipulations - A chemical receptor agonist facilitates neural activity by enhancing or replacing endogenous neurotransmitters. Agonists can be delivered systemically (such as by intravenous injection) or locally (intracebrally) during a surgical procedure.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation - In some cases (for example, studies of motor cortex), this technique can be analyzed as having a stimulatory effect (rather than as a functional lesion) .
Measuring neural activity Edit
- Single unit recording - The measurement of the electrical activity of one neuron, often in the context of an ongoing behavioral (psychological) task.
- Multielectrode recording - The use of a bundle of fine electrodes to record the simultaneous activity of up to hundreds of neurons.
- fMRI - Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a technique most frequently applied on human subjects, in which changes in cerebral blood flow can be detected in an MRI apparatus and are taken to indicate relative activity of larger scale brain regions (i.e., on the order of hundreds of thousands of neurons).
- Electroencephalography - Or EEG; and the derivative technique of event-related potentials, in which scalp electrodes monitor the average activity of neurons in the cortex (again, used most frequently with human subjects).
- Functional neuroanatomy - In which the expression of some anatomical marker is taken to reflect neural activity. For example, the expression of immediate early genes is thought to be caused by vigorous neural activity. Likewise, the injection of 2-deoxyglucose prior to some behavioral task can be followed by anatomical localization of that chemical; it is taken up by neurons that are electrically active.
Genetic manipulations Edit
- QTL mapping - The influence of a gene in some behavior can be statistically inferred by studying inbred strains of some species, most commonly mice. The recent sequencing of the genome of many species, most notably mice, has facilitated this technique.
- Selective breeding - Organisms, often mice, may be bred selectively among inbred strains to create a recombinant congenic strain. This might be done to isolate an experimentally interesting stretch of DNA derived from one strain on the background genome of another strain to allow stronger inferences about the role of that stretch of DNA.
- Genetic engineering - The genome may also be experimentally-manipulated; for example, knockout mice can be engineered to lack a particular gene, or a gene may be expressed in a strain which does not normally do so (the 'knock in'). Advanced techniques may also permit the expression or suppression of a gene to occur by injection of some regulating chemical.
Topic areas in biological psychology Edit
In general, biological psychologists study the same issues as academic psychologists, though limited by the need to use nonhuman species. As a result, the bulk of literature in biological psychology deals with mental processes and behaviors that are shared across mammalian species, such as:
- Sensation and perception
- Motivated behavior (hunger, thirst, sex)
- Control of movement
- Learning and memory
- Sleep and biological rhythms
However, with increasing technical sophistication and with the development of more precise noninvasive methods that can be applied to human subjects, biological psychologists are beginning to contribute to other classical topic areas of psychology, such as:
- Reasoning and decision making
Biological psychology has also had a strong history of contributing to the understanding of medical disorders, including those that fall under the purview of clinical psychology and psychopathology (also known as abnormal psychology). Although animal models for all mental illnesses do not exist, the field has contributed important therapeutic data on a variety of conditions, including:
- Parkinson's Disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech.
- Huntington's Disease, a rare inherited neurological disorder whose most obvious symptoms are abnormal body movements and a lack of coordination. It also affects a number of mental abilities and some aspects of personality.
- Alzheimer's Disease, a neurodegenerative disease that, in its most common form, is found in people over the age of 65 and is characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration, together with declining activities of daily living and by neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes.
- Clinical depression, a common psychiatric disorder, characterized by a persistent lowering of mood, loss of interest in usual activities and diminished ability to experience pleasure.
- Schizophrenia, a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental illness characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality, most commonly manifesting as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions or disorganized speech and thinking in the context of significant social or occupational dysfunction.
- Autism, a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old.
- Anxiety, a physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create the feelings that are typically recognized as fear, apprehension, or worry.
- Drug abuse, including alcoholism
Nobel Laureates Edit
The following Nobel Prize winners could reasonably be considered biological psychologists. (This list omits winners who were almost exclusively neuroanatomists or neurophysiologists; i.e., those that did not measure behavioral or psychological variables.)
- Charles Sherrington (1932)
- Edgar Adrian (1932)
- Walter Hess (1949)
- Egas Moniz (1949)
- Georg von Bekesy (1961)
- George Wald (1967)
- Ragnar Granit (1967)
- Konrad Lorenz (1973)
- Niko Tinbergen (1973)
- Karl von Frisch (1973)
- Roger W. Sperry (1981)
- David H. Hubel (1981)
- Torsten N. Wiesel (1981)
- Eric R. Kandel (2000)
- Arvid Carlsson (2000)
- Richard Axel (2004)
- Linda B. Buck (2004)
- Behavioural genetics
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Biological psychiatry
- Biopsychcosocial approach
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Developmental psychobiology
- Embodied philosophy
- Evolutionary psychology
References & BibliographyEdit
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).|
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Underfloor heating is a form of central heating that uses heat conductivity and radiant heat for indoor climate control. It can be used with concrete and wooden floors and with all types of flooring. It warms the lower part of both the room and the body giving off a feeling of natural warmth. Most systems are either warm water systems or electric systems. Systems can be a poured floor system, in which the system is encapsulated in a masonry mix, or it can be a sub floor system in which it is attached directly to the subfloor. While there are differences and similarities between the two systems, both are energy efficient, space saving, and fitter than conventional heating systems.
Water underfloor heating consists of warm water being circulated through pipes or tubes that are set into the floor. Since this system allows water to circulate by thermosiphon, it is prostrate to blockage by air bubbles that accumulate in the high spots and block the flow of water. A ticker will need to be used for purging to allow the water to circulate through the tubing fast enough to dislodge the air bubble. The heart will activate when the system stable and will shut off when circulation is restored. With the electric alternative, the heat is spread throughout cables placed in the floor. There is no need to be implicated about blockage or purging with an electric heating system.
With hot water heating, you will need a pressure reduction valve to reduce the city water pressure to the lowest point needed for the heating system, an air centrifuge to take the air out of fresh water, and an expansion tank to accommodate the change in water volume in the system as the water heats up and cools down. Electric underfloor heating does not require such advanced equipment. You will need cable or a cable mat, insulation, tile adhesive, and a thermostat to install the system.
Water underfloor heating systems can also be used in reverse with cold water being placed in the system to take the heat out of a building. When using this method, the surface temperatures mustiness remain above the air’s dew point temperature to prevent mold growth and slithering hazards. Electric heating systems ar not intentional to take the heat out of a building or room. However, if the sun is shining on an area that is heated by electric cables, the heat will turn off and allow the sun to naturally heat the area.
With water systems, soil can influence downward heat loss. Heated and cooled surfaces need to be isolated from vents, cold plumbing lines, and appliances. Dew point control is a major concern for wet systems. Another concern is control and expansion of the floor joints and crack suppression in concrete and tiled surfaces. With the electric heating systems, floor buildup is non a trouble because the electric cables are installed onto an insulation board or directly onto the subfloor with the floor covering placed directly over the heating system. Adhesive is applied between the layers and prevents cracks from forming in the floor.
Water systems are expensive to install but increase energy efficiency in the home from ten to forty percent. The piping can have a lifespan of up to one hundred years and is almost maintenance free. The central heating equipment, pumps, and controls will require periodic maintenance and replacement. Electric underfloor heating systems have a very low installation cost because they are easy to install and have a low start up cost. All that is required is a thermostat. All you need to do is start astatine your thermostat and roll the heating cable or heating cable mat out over the floor. They also need no maintenance and can be more easy controlled to run when they are needed.
Both hot water and electric heating systems can heat an entire room or heat particular zones in the room. For a hot water underfloor heating system to control specific zones, you will need zone valves on the heart to divide the hot water flow to each zone that requires heat. With an electric system, you will simply use more than one thermostat for zone control heating.
Both hot water and electric underfloor heating allows the lower part of the room and body to be warmed by heat. Since the heating is installed close to the floor surface, warming up a room is faster than conventional heating. The heat spreads over the entire area which reduces heat loss without overheating the surrounding area.
Since both hot water electric heating are buried under the floor, the floor is like one giant radiator. There are no hot spots creating large air currents that carry dust particles around the room. Since both underfloor heating systems cause less air movement, they reduce the circulation of pollution, dust, and allergens.
Both systems make it possible to lower the thermostat without any loss of warmth. Both systems provide a lower air temperature that lets you feel warmer at a lower temperature because the systems lower the heat loss from your body. However, the efficiency of a hot water system is slightly higher than an electric system. With a hot water system, the kettle hot water temperature can be set to the comparatively low temperature. With an electric system, overall efficiency is lower because electricity must be generated from heat in a power plant.
While there are advantages and disadvantages to both underfloor heating systems, both ar comfortable, healthy, space saving and energy efficient when it comes to heating areas in your home. There will be no air vents to worry about and no unsightly radiators taking up valuable space in your living area. Replacing a conventional heating system with either a hot water or an electric underfloor heating system can save you space while keeping you comfortably warm and healthy.
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Fundamental principles and objectives of Renaissance Artists and Writers Association (RAWA)
RAWA has been established for genuine artists and writers to inspire the society. It proclaims that all genuine artists and writers should unite and expand the consciousness of the public and move the society forward through their sympathetic endeavours.
The word 'renaissance' has not been used merely in the sense of revival of learning but in a wider context. A true renaissance is a renaissance in all fields, in all spheres of life: physical, mental, and spiritual. A spiritual renaissance without a renaissance in the mental and physical worlds would be one-sided and would retard the development of the physical and intellectual side of life. Spiritual development still requires the proper development of intellect and the provision of the physical necessities of life.
RAWA provides an outlet for our artists and writers to realize their innate spiritual potentialities. The supreme trait in art or literature is its spiritualizing quality. Whether art or literature is discursive, imitative, mechanical, organic, conceptual, anti-conceptual, representative or non-representative in nature, the touchstone of great works of art and literature resolves the psychic crisis of a particular civilization, nation or the whole world through its aesthetic creed.
In the world of today, we find the artist and writer driven more and more into isolation from the society. In the commercialized society, the mechanization of life has almost submerged the individual's talent. With the passing of the patronage of art and literatur into the hands of the business classes, the standards of artistic and literary excellence have come down. A commercialized society demands commercialized entertainments, and this has led to a degeneration and decadence of art and literature.
RAWA has the following objectives:
1) To promote the ideal of "service and blessedness" in art and writing. When one's motives of expression are directed towards the upliftment of society, there is, in return, a sense of fulfillment in the person that cannot be equaled by any level of meaningless creation. That sense of fulfillment is termed here as 'blessedness', and the sense of selflessness is termed here 'service'. RAWA rejects the idea of “art for art's sake”.
2) To improve the psycho-spiritual development of society through art and literature.
3) To suggest solutions to the outstanding problems of human society through art and literature.
4) To inculcate the ethical and spiritual values of life in the human society.
5) To create a proper psychological environment for the establishment of universalism by staging a powerful crusade against all sectarianisms.
6) To arrest the trend of excessive commercialization of modern art and literature, and to create a healthy trend of utilizing both art and literature for the growth and evolution of human civilization.
7) To create a strong moral movement through art and literature against all sorts of immoral forces responsible for the degradation of modern society.
8) To provide encouragement and opportunity to the new generation of artists and writers by creating a powerful artistic and literary movement based on the higher values of life.
9) To attend to the various social, political, and economic handicaps confronting talented artists and writers.
10) To inculcate a positive philosophy of life in the society, which is presently haunted by a negative and pessimistic outlook.
Structure of RAWA
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A Boeing Plant II Primer
ramp that these three historic airplanes roll across, and the building
they leave is one of the most historic aviation sites in the world.
First produced here are the Boeing 307 Stratoliner and the
Douglas DB-7 bomber (under license.) But Plant II became the home
of the B-17.
Here, in April 1944, are the 16
B-17 Flying Fortress bombers produced in this building - that day, and
every day! Click here for a Personal Note
about those B-17s.
October 1944, the first Boeing XC-97 rolled out of these doors - later
to become the C-97 transport, KC-97 Tanker, and B-377 commercial
Stratocruiser. (See the camouflage on the roof?)
WW II, the plant was completely camouflaged to look like a residential
area as protection against possible Japanese air attack.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, myriad B-50 bombers and
C-97 Transports are being produced in this factory.
On 12 Sept 1947, a radical new airplane - the Boeing B-47 six-jet
bomber Prototype is rolled out. This airplane is the direct
lineal matriarch for all the jet airplanes Boeing has produced since.
On 29 Nov 1951, in the darkness and wet of a Seattle night, the Prototype Boeing
B-52 8-engine Bomber is rolled out and across East Marginal
Way. She's shrouded in secrecy and covered by canvas and
tarps. This amazing airplane is still in front-line combat
to this day.
Here 277 B-52s are being produced where the earlier
airplanes once were assembled.
in 1966, the first Prototype Boeing twin-jet 737 was manufactured in
this building and rolled out of these doors on to this ramp. This
airplane (which I worked on - then, and which I still work on - now,)
is in the Museum's collection. She's the first of more than
8000 737s built or ordered since then.
This first 737, and 44 years later, the Super Connie, are
my bit of Plant II experience.
And so, today - History meets History as the last three airplanes roll
out of these doors.
Plant II is truly aviation Hallowed
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When faced with the possibility of cooperating for mutual gain, states that feel insecure must ask how the gain will be divided..
A state worries about a division of possible gains that may favor others more than itself. That is the first way in which the structure of international politics limits the cooperation of states. A state also worries lest it become dependent on others through cooperative endeavors and exchanges of goods and services... The world's well-being would be increased if an ever more elaborate divisions of labor were developed, but states would thereby place themselves in situations of ever closer interdependence...
In an unorganized realm each unit's incentive is to put itself in a position to be able to take care of itself since no one can be counted on to do so. The international imperative is "take care of yourself"! Some leaders of nations may understand that the well-being of all of them would increase in their participation in a fuller division of labor. But to act on the idea would be to act on a domestic imperative, an imperative that does not run internationally...Waltz's argument may not apply perfectly to the EU, since he claims that the fundamental impediment to cooperation is the threat of conflict. The era of European wars is long over, but there may nonetheless be something to Waltz's argument. In the midst of economic crisis, tensions between European countries have hardened, and the crisis has caused bickering among EU member nations.
On another note, a recent FT/Harris poll of the British public found that only one in three Brits wants to remain in the EU.
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|Noah Webster's Dictionary|
1. (n.) A change of place from higher to lower; as, a descent from a mountaintop.
2. (n.) Incursion; sudden attack; especially, hostile invasion from sea; -- often followed by upon or on; as, to make a descent upon the enemy.
3. (n.) Progress downward, as in station, virtue, as in station, virtue, and the like, from a higher to a lower state, from a higher to a lower state, from the more to the less important, from the better to the worse, etc.
4. (n.) Derivation, as from an ancestor; procedure by generation; lineage; birth; extraction.
5. (n.) Transmission of an estate by inheritance, usually, but not necessarily, in the descending line; title to inherit an estate by reason of consanguinity.
6. (n.) Inclination downward; a descending way; inclined or sloping surface; declivity; slope; as, a steep descent.
7. (n.) That which is descended; descendants; issue.
8. (n.) A step or remove downward in any scale of gradation; a degree in the scale of genealogy; a generation.
9. (n.) Lowest place; extreme downward place.
10. (n.) A passing from a higher to a lower tone.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
de-send', de-sent' (yaradh; katabaino, "go down"); (katabasis): Of Yahweh (Exodus 34:5); of the Spirit (Matthew 3:16); of angels (Genesis 28:12 Matthew 28:2 John 1:51); of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16 Ephesians 4:9). "He also descended into the lower parts of the earth" is variously interpreted, the two chief interpretations being the one of the incarnation, and the other of the "descent into hell" (1 Peter 3:19). The former regards the clause "of the earth," an appositive genitive, as when we speak of "the city of Rome," namely, "the lower parts, i.e. the earth." The other regards the genitive as possessive, or, with Meyer, as governed by the comparative, i.e. "parts lower than the earth." For the former view, see full discussion in Eadie; for the latter, Ellicott and especially Meyer, in commentaries on Eph.
H. E. Jacobs
DESCENT, OF JESUS
See APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Descent (22 Occurrences)
Luke 19:37 As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)
John 1:13 who were begotten as such not by human descent, nor through an impulse of their own nature, nor through the will of a human father, but from God. (WEY NIV)
Acts 4:6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. (See NAS)
Romans 1:3 who, as regards His human descent, belonged to the posterity of David, (WEY)
Romans 9:8 In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity. (WEY)
Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (KJV WBS)
Hebrews 7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. (KJV WBS NIV)
Hebrews 7:16 and hold His office not in obedience to any temporary Law, but by virtue of an indestructible Life. (See RSV)
Genesis 10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. (See NIV)
Joshua 7:5 The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them, and they chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water. (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)
Joshua 8:14 It happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn't know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. (See RSV)
Joshua 10:11 It happened, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, that Yahweh cast down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than who the children of Israel killed with the sword. (WEB JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)
2 Kings 12:20 And his servants rose up and made a conspiracy, and smote Joash in the house of Millo, at the descent of Silla. (DBY)
Ezra 2:59 These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel: (See RSV)
Nehemiah 7:61 These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel: (See RSV)
Nehemiah 9:2 The seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. (See NIV)
Nehemiah 13:3 It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. (See RSV NIV)
Esther 6:13 Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him." (WEB)
Isaiah 30:30 Yahweh will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the descent of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, storm, and hailstones. (WEB)
Jeremiah 48:5 For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction. (WEB ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)
Ezekiel 44:22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. (See NIV)
Daniel 9:1 In the first year of Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who hath been made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, (See NAS NIV)
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OWL (Our Whole Lives)
OWL is a values-based curriculum that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, OWL provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
In order for a child to participate in the program, parents must attend a mandatory orientation session. At the orientation session, the teaching team will introduce parents to the curriculum and the philosophy of the program.
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Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT) >
FCT Departamentos >
FCT: Departamento de Ciências da Terra >
FCT: DCT - Ciências da Terra >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Title: ||Dinossáurios Eocretácicos de Lagosteiros|
|Authors: ||Antunes, M. T.|
|Issue Date: ||10-Jul-2008|
|Abstract: ||According to an ancient folkloric legend, Our Lady, stepping down from the sea, would have rided on a mule to the platform above the cliffs named Pedra da Mua at Lagosteiros'bay, near Espichel cape. Mule's footprints, regarded by fishermen as evidence, would be clearly recognizable on exposed surfaces of the rocks.
Indeed there are footprints but from Dinosaurs of latest Jurassic, Portlandian age, this spectacular locality being specially rich in giant Sauropod tracks (that have seldom been found elsewhere in Europe).
As we proceeded to its study, another locality with Dinosaur footprints, Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian) in age, was found on the northern cliffs at Lagosteiros. It is probably the richest one in european Lower Cretaceous and the only of this age known in Portugal, so we decided to give priority to its study.
Dinosaur tracks have been printed on calciclastic sands in a lagoonal environment protected by fringing coral reefs. There have been emersion episodes; beaches were frequented by Dinosaurs. Later on, the marine barremian ingression restablished a gulf and such animals could not come here any more. Under a paleogeographical viewpoint, the evidence of a marine regression near the end of Hauterivian is to be remarked.
Five types of tracks and footprints have been recognized:
- Neosauropus lagosteirensis, new morphogenus and species, tracks from a giant Sauropod, perhaps from Camarasaurus; with its proportions the total length of the author would be about 15,5 m. These are the only Sauropod tracks known till now in Europe's Lower Cretaceous.
- tracks from a not so big quadruped, maybe a Sauropod (young individual?); however it is not impossible that they were produced by Stegosaurians or Ankylosaurians.
-Megalosauropus (?Eutynichnium) gomesi new morphospecies, four Theropod tracks most probably produced by megalosaurs.
- Iguanodon sp., represented by some footprints and specially by a set corresponding to the feet and tail from an individual standing in a rest position.
- problematical, quite small-sized biped (maybe an Ornithopod related to Camptosaurus).
Evidence points to a richer fauna than that known in barremian "Dinosaur sandstones" from a nearby locality, Boca do Chapim. Lagosteiros' association clearly indicates the predominance of herbivores, which required large amounts of vegetable food in the neighbourhood. This is an indirect evidence of the vegetal wealth, also suggested by associations of plant macrofossils, polen and spores found in early Cretaceous sediments at the same region.
The relatively high proportion of Theropoda is related to the wealth of the whole fauna, which comprised a lot of the prey needed by such powerful flesh-eaters. The evidence, as a whole, points out to a warm and moist climate.
All the tracks whose direction could be measured are directed to the southern quadrants, this being confirmed by the approximative direction of other footprints. Massive displacements (migration?) could take place during a brief emersion episode. This may result from the ingression of barremian seas, flooding the region and restablishing here a small gulf. Even if the arrival of the waters damaged certain footprints it has not destroyed them completely, thus allowing the preservation of such evidence from a remote past.|
|Appears in Collections:||FCT: DCT - Ciências da Terra|
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
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A look at why William Gibson's vision of a washed-up computer hacker navigating his way through a dystopian future is a vital piece of literature...
There are few books that have been published in my lifetime that have had such a profound influence on not only literature, but on the world at large, as William Gibson’s 1984 novel Neuromancer. In simple terms, Neuromancer, at its core, is a detective noir story set in a dystopian future. But this isn’t a novel that can be accounted for in simple terms.
Neuromancer is told from the perspective of our narrator, Henry Dorsett Case. Case is the novel’s reluctant anti-hero: a suicidal, drug-addled ex-hacker residing without work in Chiba City, Japan. Almost from the outset, we see Case as a world-weary cynic who bums around in bars trying not to let his past catch up with him. The last time he was caught, his captors destroyed his nervous system, making it impossible for Case to access Cyberspace, – a term coined by Gibson that has become part of our common lexicon:
“Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts… A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding.”
Though Gibson saw this through dystopian eyes, the word and the concept of Cyberspace is now an inescapable part of modern life. I’m not sure how true this is, but author Jack Womack argued that Gibson’s conception of Cyberspace inspired the structure of the World Wide Web, asking “what if the act of writing it down, in fact, brought it about?” If there is even a shred of truth to this assertion, then this alone surely secures Gibson’s legacy as one of the most important creative imaginations of the last century, and I say this without exaggeration.
The drama of the story begins when Case is tracked down by Molly, a “street samurai” who works as a mercenary for an ex-army officer who goes by the name of Armitage. Through Case’s drug-fuelled paranoia, he convinces himself that Molly works for his ex-employer; he outruns her through the sprawl of neon lined streets, only to be accosted by her in his hotel room, which is barely larger than a coffin. Molly had modified her body with all manner of cybernetic enhancements: a tweaked nervous system; retractable four-centimetre long razors that are hidden beneath her fingernails; and lenses implanted into her eye sockets which give her enhanced sight and allow her to be fed information about what she is looking at.
Prior to being a razor girl, Molly worked as a prostitute. Of course, this is the dystopian future, so she wasn’t your usual prostitute. Sex workers were given neural implants that turned off their memories and limited their ability to control and reason their actions. Thus prostitutes were nothing more than hired meat-puppets who acted upon the whims of their employers – no matter how dark or depraved. It was only when Molly began to experience and remember what she otherwise couldn’t that she was able to get out of prostitution by blackmailing a sadistic senator with a penchant for murdering women. The idea of women being turned into sex zombies I found very disturbing, mainly because it isn’t that far from the realms of possibility.
Molly takes Case to Armitage and a deal is struck: Case’s services in exchange for his neural problems to be fixed. Suffice to say, Case jumps at the opportunity. Armitage is an incredibly complex and ambiguous character: his identity, both physically and metaphorically, is merely of his own creation. Indeed, it seems as though the more Case gets to know Armitage, the more detached Armitage seems from not only reality, but his own personality. It is never made clear whether Armitage is the main man running the operation, or whether he is acting as another middleman (there are subtle suggestions of both possibilities throughout the book, but they are always in the guise of speculation and conjecture).
Beyond the techno-fetishism and the cybernetic-dystopia of Neuromancer, there is also oodles of charm and humour. Neuromancer is not a funny book: it takes itself quite seriously, but with this seriousness, the wit and personality of some of its characters can’t help but add an extra dimension to the proceedings. For example, when Armitage arranges for the repair of Case’s nervous system he says, “You needed a new pancreas. The one we bought for you frees you from a dangerous dependency.” To which Case responds, “Thanks, but I was enjoying that dependency.”
Beyond the techno-fetishism and the cybernetic-dystopia of Neuromancer, there is also oodles of charm and humour. Neuromancer is not a funny book: it takes itself quite seriously, but with this seriousness, the wit and personality of some of its characters can’t help but add an extra dimension to the proceedings
Though the novel is set in the future, there are many points in the story that give a direct nod to popular culture of the early 1980s. Indeed, the concept of cyberspace is simply Gibson’s speculative extrapolation of early video games. But it’s not just technology and science that Gibson draws on in his vision of the future. With the proliferation of Rastafarianism in the late 1970s, it is perhaps of little wonder that a band of Rastafarian outlaws are key to the development of Neuromancer’s narrative. Gibson draws on the imagery of the dreadlocked, dub-loving pot-smoker adorned with bright colours, and combines it with a space ship (called Zion, no less).
Case spends much of the latter part of the novel hooked up to the Matrix (sound familiar?). Sometimes he experiences the real-world, but from the perspective of Molly’s cybernetic lenses, at others, he’s interacting with Artificial Intelligence constructs, that end up forming a key part of the plot. One such construct is Wintermute, who spends much of the novel attempting to break its programme and develop a personality. It’s difficult to outline Wintermute without spoiling some key elements of the plot, but all I’ll say is that Wintermute adds a great sense of mystery and intrigue to the novel. Indeed, the inclusion of Wintermute (and other AI constructs) has a similar uncanny effect that Asimov and Dick capture, in that it raises questions about the nature of consciousness, intelligences, determinism and freewill – essentially, you empathise with Wintermute.
The novel is full of incredibly vivid descriptions that manage to capture a real sense of the world and its characters with a few well-chosen turns of phrase. “The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel”, as an opening line couldn’t be more perfect in conveying a feeling of the world. Or the description of a speed-freak’s eyes as “eggs of unstable crystal, vibrating with a frequency whose name was rain and the sound of trains, suddenly sprouting a humming forest of hair-fine glass spines.”
The importance and influence of Neuromancer cannot be underestimated, even if we dismiss completely the idea that Gibson’s creative imagination was the catalyst for the invention of the World Wide Web. The term Cyberpunk was coined by a critic in reaction to this novel. The imagery, ideas and concepts associated with Cyberpunk have become a frequently visited well for creative people from fashion designers to TV writers, from game designers to musicians. I am in absolute awe that the residue of one creative mind has left such indelible marks on our world. It is a humble man, indeed, who can create such an important work of literature, and resist the urge to shout arrogantly from the rooftops: “I created this!”
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Chroniclers of the game have rarely been kind to Andrew Freedman, principal owner of the New York Giants from January 1895 to September 1902. According to one team historian, Freedman was “naturally arrogant (with) a bad temper at the end of a very short fuse.” In much the same vein, Bill James memorably described him as “George Steinbrenner on Quaaludes with a touch of Al Capone” and “just this side of a madman” while another commentator has awarded Freedman the distinction of being “the most loathsome team owner in baseball history.” But Andrew Freedman’s stormy tenure as Giants owner was, in fact, only a chapter in the life of one of New York City’s most prominent turn of the century figures. To Freedman, ownership of the Giants was little more than a pastime, a diversion from the weighty business and political affairs that dominated his life. As a consequence, his stewardship of the team was mercurial, with frequent managerial changes, angry ultimatums to fellow magnates and battles with the sporting press alternating with periods of complete indifference by Freedman to his baseball interests. In short, team ownership did not show Andrew Freedman at his best.
The future Giants boss was born into a Manhattan family of middle-class German-Jewish immigrants on September 1, 1860. Father Joseph Freedman (1829-1903) was a prosperous grocer while his mother, Elizabeth Davies Freedman (1836-1916), tended to the children, of whom Andrew was the second of four. A precocious grammar school graduate, Andrew was enrolled in pre-admission courses at the College of the City of New York at the age of 14 but proved an indifferent scholar, dropping out of CCNY at the end of his freshman year. Freedman began his working life in the employ of a dry-goods house but soon gravitated to real estate, the field where he would make his first fortune.
To enhance his prospects, 21-year-old Andrew Freedman joined Tammany Hall, the corrupt political machine that controlled the Democratic Party in New York City. There he attached himself to Richard Croker, a rising Tammany star. In time, Freedman would become a financial adviser, business associate and lifelong friend of Croker. In 1886 Croker assumed control of the Wigwam and installed his protégé Freedman on the Finance Committee, Tammany’s all-powerful policy-making board. Combined with his native intelligence and a fierce energy, Freedman’s association with Croker all but guaranteed success in the real-estate world. Dealing extensively in tony Fifth Avenue properties and acquiring vast tracts of land in the then sparsely populated Bronx, Freedman quickly amassed a fortune via sale of property at inflated prices to local businessmen, city contractors, and others requiring the favor of his patron, Boss Croker. By the time he reached the age of 30, Freedman had become a very wealthy man.
Freedman’s interest in baseball is usually traced to his appointment as receiver of the bankrupt Manhattan Athletic Club in 1893. His administration of club affairs included management of Manhattan Field, the pre-Polo Grounds home of the Giants and still an important New York sporting venue. Freedman began taking in Giants games (Manhattan Field and the Polo Grounds sat on adjoining sites) and soon developed a liking for the game. With time on his hands following Tammany’s defeat in the city elections of 1894 and awash in money, Freedman quietly began acquiring blocks of Giants stock, at times using circus impresario James A. Bailey as a front. Then in January 1895, Freedman made his move, capturing majority control of the franchise by buying out de facto Giants boss E.B. Talcott and his allies.
Wealthy, politically connected, and a native son, the young (age 34) Freedman’s acquisition of the team was initially well received by the New York sporting press and the Giants faithful. Baseball luminaries joined in the well wishes for the new owner. A.G. Spalding, having only recently divested himself of his own ownership share of the Giants, stated, “…From what I hear, Mr. Freedman is a clever businessman and will prove successful. I hope he makes a lot of money.” Just retired star John Montgomery Ward, a minority Giants owner whose sale of his stock had made Freedman’s control of the team possible, also applauded the new magnate, particularly after Freedman ratified Talcott’s appointment of Ward favorite George Davis as Giants playing manager for the upcoming season. Overlooked in the glow of good feeling was a dubious opening move by the Giants’ novice owner: elimination of the post of managing director of the team. Despite limited prior contact with and understanding of the game, Freedman would exercise the duties of franchise commander personally as Giants president.
With the nucleus of the 1894 Temple Cup champions returning, great things were expected of the Giants, but the team started the new season sluggishly. Impatient New York scribes were quick to assign blame as did Giants fans, and the new team owner was not exempted from their censure. Although he was in many ways an able man, Freedman’s background had not conditioned him to public criticism. Combative and surprisingly thin-skinned, Freedman reacted badly. He began by firing his managers. Davis, Jack Doyle, and Harvey Watkins would all be relieved of duty during the 1895 season. Freedman also had trouble with his players, particularly star hurler Amos Rusie, who chafed under the owner’s disciplinary measures. Nor did Freedman enjoy cordial relations with his fellow magnates, most of whom found Freedman abrasive and impossible to get along with. Unwiser still, Freedman got into fights – at times, literally – with the writers on the Giants beat. In short order, Freedman managed to alienate most of the baseball world. In the meantime, his Giants team staggered home a disappointing ninth-place finisher (out of the 12-team National League).
But if Freedman had gotten off to a rocky start as Giants owner, his troubles in that role paled in comparison to his disastrous turn as a minor-league mogul the following year. Asserting territorial rights under the National Agreement, Freedman muscled his way into the newly formed Class A Atlantic League, gaining control of the Jersey City franchise, which he promptly relocated to Manhattan. In emulation of John T. Brush’s operation in Cincinnati, Freedman envisioned the team, renamed the Metropolitan of New York and installed in the Polo Grounds, as a developmental squad for the Giants. Stocked with the likes of Cy Seymour, Ed Doheny, Shorty Fuller, and other major-league-caliber players, the Mets were expected to dominate the Atlantic League but managed only middling play. The team also proved a financial dud, often drawing no more than 200 paying customers to home games. Frustrated by the franchise’s failings, Freedman turned soon petulant. Team assessments went unpaid, fines imposed on Mets players were ignored, and desired league expansion was blocked by Freedman.
Tensions between Freedman and fellow team owners reached the breaking point in early July. With the Giants on the road, Freedman took a seat on the bench for a Mets home game against the Wilmington Peaches. When Freedman strode onto the diamond to insert himself into a fifth-inning dispute with the umpire, Peaches captain Bob Berryhill yelled, “Go put on a uniform if you want to get into this game.” Finding such insolence from a player intolerable, Freedman thereupon had the police remove Berryhill from the park. The following day, Berryhill was barred from entering the Polo Grounds, resulting in forfeiture of the game to Wilmington. This proved the final straw for the other team owners. At an emergency meeting convened on July 10, the Metropolitan of New York team was expelled from the Atlantic League. Freedman departed the meeting room in a huff, vowing to sue, but soon thereafter he pronounced himself just as glad to be rid of the Mets operation.
Unhappily for Freedman, his fortunes fared little better with the Giants that season. Crippled by the absence of Rusie, who sat out the entire year rather than capitulate to tight-fisted salary terms, the Giants finished the 1896 season a distant seventh, 27 games behind pennant-winning Baltimore. In the offseason, the Freedman/Rusie impasse was finally resolved via the unsolicited intervention of fellow N.L. team owners who – without Freedman’s knowledge or approval – quietly induced Rusie to return to the Giants for the 1897 season by settling $5,000 on him. Indignant when he found out, Freedman refused to contribute to the settlement and fumed at the magnates’ intrusion into his running of the Giants.
Buoyed by Rusie’s return, the Giants surged to third place in 1897. The team also benefited from the inattention of its owner, now largely preoccupied with political matters. With Richard Croker returned from Europe and re-installed as Tammany chief, Freedman threw himself into the successful mayoral campaign of Tammany candidate Robert Van Wyck. After Van Wyck’s inauguration, Freedman declined appointment to office, choosing instead to remain a backroom power-broker in the new administration. At Croker’s urging, however, Freedman did accept the position of treasurer of the National Democratic Party. In 1898, Freedman expanded his business empire by becoming a principal of the Maryland Fidelity and Guarantee Company, a municipal insurance and bonding operation that proved a lucrative new source of income for Freedman. But as Freedman’s commercial interests flourished, his reign as a major-league team owner was about to enter a malevolent period that would beget serious repercussions for the game.
In late July 1898, Freedman paid a now infrequent visit to the Polo Grounds to take in a game against Baltimore. In the fourth inning, Ducky Holmes, a former Giant, struck out. On his way back to the bench, Holmes responded to the gibes of New York fans by referring to Freedman as a Sheeny, an anti-Semitic putdown. When umpire Tom Lynch refused an enraged Freedman’s demand that Holmes be ejected from the grounds, Freedman ordered the Giants off the field. Lynch thereupon forfeited the game to the Orioles. In the aftermath, Freedman insisted upon league action against Holmes, branding his remark not only personally offensive but “an insult to the Jewish people and the Hebrew patrons of the game.” The season-long suspension of Holmes thereafter imposed by the league provoked an ugly reaction. Boston players circulated a petition denouncing Freedman’s “spirit of intolerance, of arrogance and prejudice toward players, a spirit inimical to the best interests of the game,” while Sporting Life decried punishment of Holmes for the “trifling offense” of “insulting the Hebrew race.” Holmes’ lawyer, meanwhile, obtained injunctive relief from a friendly local judge and Holmes ended up spending only a few days on the sidelines.
Needless to say, Freedman bristled over the outcome, playing every Giants game versus Baltimore under protest for the remainder of the season. But what truly incensed Freedman was not so much the resolution of the Ducky Holmes affair but the position taken by his fellow owners. Branding the suspension illegal (because it had been imposed without a hearing), the other National League magnates had sided with Holmes and urged the league board of directors to lift the suspension. To Freedman, a proud man sensitive to slights, this stance and Holmes’s reinstatement represented nothing less than league countenance of a gross personal insult. And Andrew Freedman would not abide it.
Freedman’s revenge would take the form of a punishing financial lesson for the other N.L. owners. Although Freedman adversaries like Cincinnati owner John T. Brush, a clothing store magnate, and Baltimore boss Harry von der Horst, a brewery owner, were genuine sportsmen, their team ownership was essentially another business proposition and could not be conducted at a loss indefinitely. Andrew Freedman was different. While not in the plutocrat class of a Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, or Carnegie, Freedman was truly wealthy with a personal fortune that was likely the equal of those of his fellow magnates put together. In his eyes, owning a baseball team, like opera patronage and collecting French landscape paintings, was a pastime, not a livelihood. Thus, Freedman could well absorb the injury that would accompany his singular plan for retribution – ruination of the league’s most important financial asset, namely, Freedman’s own New York Giants franchise. By whatever methods required, Freedman would ensure that the Giants began fielding noncompetitive teams. Immediately thereafter, Giants fortunes nosedived. The 1899 season would see the Giants plummet to 60-90, a full 42 games behind pennant-winning Brooklyn. Repelled by the situation and with no end in sight, fans began avoiding Giants games in droves. As intended, the attendance falloff delivered a crippling blow to the finances of the league, particularly hurting the smaller market teams that had come to rely on healthy receipts from Giants contests. The league’s distress gave Freedman no end of satisfaction. As the Giants’ dismal season drew to a close, Freedman declared, “Base ball affairs in New York have been going just as I wished and expected them to go. I have given the club little attention and I would not give five cents for the best base ball player in the world to strengthen it.” And as even his detractors knew, Freedman meant it.
With their horizons bleak and certain of Freedman’s ruthlessness, the owners soon entreated for peace. But reconciliation with Freedman would come at a high price. First and foremost was submission to Freedman’s demand for reduction of the league to an eight-club circuit and the elimination of syndicate team ownership – the twin policy prescriptions that fig-leafed the deeply personal nature of Freedman’s bitterness toward the league. The owners also acceded to Freedman’s demand that the Giants receive the pick of the players available from the liquidated teams. In addition, the league agreed to reimburse Freedman the $15,000 that the annual rent of Manhattan Field cost him, lest the grounds be available for use by some future competitor. Last, but an important matter of principle to Freedman, the league refunded the $1,000 fine imposed on the Giants for forfeiting the Ducky Holmes game – with 6 percent interest.
Another ramification of the mollification process was the emergence of a wholly unexpected alliance between Freedman and principal antagonist John T. Brush, the league’s most influential magnate and heretofore leader of the Freedman opposition in National League owners’ ranks. Little immediate benefit from the Freedman/Brush collaboration accrued to their respective franchises, as the Giants and Reds alternated as the league’s cellar-dwellers for the 1900 and 1901 seasons. But both men had larger endeavors on their mind than the immediate pennant races. Freedman, in fact, had taken to almost entirely ignoring the Giants, his energies consumed by the task that would yield his most enduring legacy: construction of the Interborough Rapid Transit line, New York City’s first true underground railway system. Brush, meanwhile, was busy at work on a longtime pet project, a scheme to convert the independent franchises of the National League into a jointly held trust. As Brush envisioned it, the National League’s assets would be pooled into a holding company managed by a board of regents. Players and managers would be licensed by the board and assigned to various teams consistent with establishing competitive parity. Costs would be controlled by means of stringent salary caps and by the manufacture of baseball equipment by a Trust subsidiary. Apportioned profits to Trust shareholders would be meted out at season’s end.
When Brush broached the Trust proposal to him, Freedman, anticipating adverse press and public reaction, was skeptical, but in time agreed to bankroll the scheme. The fine details of the Trust were later hammered out by Brush, Freedman, and fellow owners Arthur Soden (Boston) and Frank de Haas Robison (St. Louis) during private meetings held at Tower Hill, Freedman’s secluded estate in Red Bank, New Jersey. Failure to secure a fifth magnate’s vote, however, proved fatal to the scheme as the Trust forces were stalemated during contentious N.L. owners meetings in December 1901. Legal proceedings pitting Freedman against anti-Trust champion A.G. Spalding ensued, with Freedman taking a battering on the public relations front even as his lawyers prevailed in court.
The rejection of the Trust was not the only setback being suffered by Freedman. Of far graver consequence was the ouster of the scandal-plagued Van Wyck regime in the New York City elections of November 1901. Shortly thereafter, Richard Croker resigned his post as Tammany chief and took up residence in the British Isles, far beyond the subpoena power of the incoming reform administration. As happily noted by most all, Croker’s departure drastically reduced the political power of Andrew Freedman, an insider sans electoral constituency whose influence was derived solely from his close personal ties to the fallen Tammany chief. Taking particular heart from this situation were those in the baseball world anxious to see a team from the new American League installed in New York. The most likely candidate for transplant to Gotham was the reincarnated Baltimore Orioles, then under the direction of player/manager/part-owner John McGraw. At least temporarily, however, American League moving plans were frustrated by an audacious counterstroke masterminded by Brush, now effectively in charge of the National League as chairman of a three-owner governing committee. Taking advantage of McGraw’s restiveness under the disciplinary yoke of American League President Ban Johnson and with the connivance of Freedman, Brush induced McGraw to force his release by the Orioles. Immediately thereafter, McGraw signed a four-year contract to manage the Giants. With major assistance from Maryland politico John “Sonny” Mahon, Brush then covertly maneuvered majority control of the stock in the cash-strapped Baltimore franchise into Freedman’s hands. Under its new ownership, the Orioles immediately set about releasing the team’s best players, all of whom then signed with the Giants (Joe McGinnity, Dan McGann, Roger Bresnahan, Jack Cronin) or the Reds (Joe Kelley, Cy Seymour). Only quick action by Johnson saved the franchise for the American League. Taking advantage of league charter provisions activated by an ensuing Baltimore game forfeiture (for lack of players), Johnson promptly stripped Freedman of title to the franchise and placed the club under direct presidential control for the remainder of the season.
The following spring, the American League, with new team ownership procured by Johnson, would transfer the Orioles to New York. But Andrew Freedman would not be there waiting to join battle. On August 12, 1902, Freedman, his interest in baseball near extinguished and besieged by the myriad demands of the subway project, announced that he had appointed John T. Brush managing director of the Giants and transferred day-to-day control of club operations to him (while Freedman retained the title of team president). A month later, Freedman severed his connection with the club, selling his controlling interest in the New York franchise to Brush for approximately $200,000, a purchase that Brush financed largely through the sale of his own Cincinnati team to local interests. Apart from an occasional day at the Polo Grounds, Andrew Freedman’s contact with baseball had come to an end.
The eight years of Freedman stewardship are generally adjudged the darkest in New York Giants history. The team had been a contender only once (1897) during that span and had reached bottom (a 44-88 last-place finish) by the time Freedman abandoned the game. But perhaps more enervating than the Giants prolonged poor play was the atmosphere created by Freedman. Essentially a dilettante when it came to baseball, Freedman periodically left the Giants directionless. But team fortunes routinely sank even further when Freedman’s attention returned to the club. Chronically impatient with his team’s standings, Freedman inflicted 13 managerial changes on the Giants during his tenure as club owner. Worse yet, Freedman’s peevish battles – with players, umpires, fellow owners, league officials, the sporting press – and his ferocious vindictive streak drained vitality from the National League’s flagship enterprise and hurt the game itself in the process.
Fortunately for baseball, Giants fortunes quickly rebounded under the new Brush/McGraw regime and a pennant winner was produced within two years. But Andrew Freedman also prospered. No longer distracted by baseball team ownership and largely relieved from duty in the political world as well, Freedman concentrated his energies on the complex financing and construction schemes that made the subway system operational by 1904 and Freedman an even richer man. Losses subsequently suffered in the Panic of 1907 were more than recouped by the sale of another Freedman insurance venture, the Casualty Company of America, for a handsome price in 1909. In addition, Freedman served as a director of various construction, rapid transit, waterfront, theater, and railroad companies while holding stock in numerous other going concerns including the Wright Brothers flying machine company. He also continued to reel in hefty fees from conservatorships and other court-appointed positions.
Although scorned by baseball, Freedman was held in high esteem by the business and social elites of the Gilded Age. His circle included 1904 Democratic presidential candidate Alton Parker, banker August Belmont Jr., theater owner Lee Shubert, Tammany powerhouse T.P. Sullivan, helmsman Cornelius Vanderbilt III, prominent political lawyer DeLancey Nicholl, financier Jacob Schiff and retailing giant Nathan Strauss, most of whom served on the board of a charitable foundation established by Freedman. Diversions included the opera, collecting art, yachting, and the ownership of racehorses. Freedman even took to raising purebred Holsteins at Freedmanor Farms, a livestock operation situated on his Red Bank estate. He also spent considerable time on golf courses near his properties in rural New Hampshire.
In late 1914, Freedman served as best man when Richard Croker, his long estranged first wife having finally died, married his mistress. The following year, Freedman’s tautly strung constitution began to unravel. He suffered from bouts of exhaustion before suffering a complete nervous breakdown in November 1915. Confined to his Manhattan apartment suite and attended by 24-hour medical care, Freedman suffered a stroke and died on the morning of December 4, 1915. He was only 55. A glowing New York Times obituary extolled his business and civic accomplishments, describing Freedman as the person “who did more than perhaps any other man to make possible the subway system in this city.” Freedman’s tenure as owner of the New York Giants was noted in passing.
A bachelor, Freedman bequeathed lifetime incomes to his aged mother and spinster sister, both of whom were comfortable in their own right, while personal mementos were left to Croker, Belmont, and other friends. The bulk of the $7 million Freedman estate, however, was designated for the erection and maintenance of a nonsectarian residence for the affluent fallen on hard times. First opened in 1925 and expanded six years thereafter, the Andrew Freedman House, an exquisite four-story limestone palazzo sited on the Bronx’s Grand Concourse, was declared a New York City landmark in 1992 and currently hosts civic and cultural events. Sadly, few entering the premises today are familiar with the mansion’s namesake.
As reflected above, Andrew Freedman was not the one-dimensional ogre portrayed by the game’s writers. He was an astute businessman and political operative but lacked the temperament and baseball expertise required for success as a team owner. In the final analysis, both baseball and Andrew Freedman would have been better off if they had never made acquaintance.
This profile is largely adapted from an article on Freedman and John T. Brush by the writer that was published in Base Ball, A Journal of the Early Game, Vol. III, No.2, Fall 2009, by McFarland & Company, Publishers.
Hardy, J., 1995, The New York Giants Base Ball Club, 1870 to 1900, Jefferson, NC, p.158.
James, B., 2001, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, New York, p.61, and 1994, The Politics of Glory, New York, p.197.
DiSalvatore, B., 1999, A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life and Times of John Montgomery Ward, New York, p.362.
Little is known of an elder brother named Jacob (born 1854). Andrew was followed by Isabella (1862-1927) and Daniel (1864-1944), per the Davies family tree chart provided to the writer by the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, Conn.
Per e-mail of CCNY archivist Samuel Sanchez, transmitted to the writer on Nov. 8, 2008. When he left CCNY, Freedman ranked 166th out of a class of 200.
According to the Freedman obituary published in the New York Times, Dec. 5, 1915.
See Hynd, N., 1988, The Giants of the Polo Grounds, New York, p.69; Alvarez, M., “The Abominable Owner,” Sports Heritage/ Nov. 1987, p.44.
See Sporting Life, Jan. 26, 1895, and Hardy, n.1, p.226. A majority stake in the franchise cost Freedman $48,000 (Reach Official Base Ball Guide, 1895) or $54,000 (Hardy).
The Sporting News, Feb. 5, 1895.
See Stevens, D., 1998, Baseball’s Radical for All Seasons: A Biography of John Montgomery Ward, Lanham, Md., p.183.
Late in the 1895 season, Freedman imposed a $200 fine on Rusie for being out of condition. Although the sporting press and Giants fans lined up solidly behind the pitcher’s refusal to pay, allegations made by Rusie’s wife during acrimonious 1900 divorce proceedings suggest that the grounds for the fine may not have been as capricious as originally supposed.
According to A.G. Spalding – a suspect source when it comes to Freedman – the Giants owner was “so obnoxious to most of those concerned with the game that nobody outside his own following could endure his eccentricities of speech or action. He would apply to other members of the league, in ordinary conversation, terms so coarse and offensive as to be unprintable.” Spalding, A., 1991 reprint, America’s National Game, San Francisco, p.192.
On October 12, 1896, Freedman was convicted of assault and given a suspended sentence for punching Edward Hurst, a critical sports columnist for the New York Evening World, per an unidentified newspaper clipping in the Andrew Freedman file at the Giamatti Research Center, Cooperstown, N.Y. Freedman, however, did not confine his aggressions to local sportswriters. He also had physical altercations with political correspondent Paul Theman, retired umpire Watch Burnham, theatrical agent Bert Dasher, fellow team owners John T. Brush and Harry von der Horst, and any number of Tammany adversaries.
In addition to the N.L. Reds, Brush also owned the Indianapolis Hoosiers, the premier team in the Western League and a useful proving ground for major-league prospects.
Affable in the company of political and business peers, Freedman condescended when it came to baseball acquaintances, haughtily insisting upon deference and the use of formal address (Mr. or President Freedman only) from those in the game. Taking its lead from the New York American’s Charles Dryden, the sporting press responded by referring to Freedman as Andy, a familiarity that Freedman detested. A railway club-car brawl was once triggered by former manager/umpire Watch Burnham’s friendly, if thoughtless, invitation to Andy to join the Burnham party for a drink (as recounted in The Sporting News, July 20, 1900).
For a more thorough rendition of Freedman’s travails as an Atlantic League team owner, see Sporting Life, July 18, 1896. Within a week, the Mets’ place in the circuit was assumed by the Philadelphia Athletics of the Pennsylvania State League.
Reportedly $100,000 per year. See Voigt, D.Q., 1998, The League That Failed, Lanham, Md., p.219.
The Sporting News, July 30, 1898.
As subsequently published in The Boston Globe, Aug. 20, 1898.
See Sporting Life editorial, Aug. 20, 1898. In keeping with the times, press criticism of Freedman was frequently expressed in repugnant Jewish stereotypes, with New York Sun sportswriter Joe Vila being the foremost exponent. Freedman responded by filing a blizzard of defamation-based lawsuits against the paper, all of which he lost.See Stevens, p.184-185. See also, Boxerman, Burton & Boxerman, Benita, Jews and Baseball, Vol. I, Jefferson, N.C., p.19-26.
For more detailed accounts of the Ducky Holmes affair, see Solomon, B., 1999, Where They Ain’t, New York, p.227-229, and Hynd, p.129-130.
According to McGraw, Mrs. J., 1953, The Real McGraw, New York, p.171.
Giants home attendance shrank from a league leading 390,340 in 1897 to 121,384 in 1899, per http.//www.baseballchronology.com/Baseball/Teams Background/Attendance.
As reported in Sporting Life, Sept. 30, 1899.
See Seymour, H., 1960, Baseball: The Early Game, New York, p.304-306.
Said Freedman, “I have patched up the differences I had with John T. Brush and acknowledge it with pleasure. We will now work on the most friendly terms and will work in harmony for the best interests of the sport.” Sporting Life, Oct.14, 1899. For more on the Freedman/Brush rapprochement, see Lamb, W., “A Fearsome Collaboration: The Alliance of Andrew Freedman and John T. Brush,” Base Ball, A Journal of the Early Game, Vol. III, No.2, Fall 2009.
Initially, Freedman acted as liaison between John D. McDonald, the subway’s general contractor, and the bankers who financed the project. Thereafter, Freedman was active in virtually every phase – property acquisition, tunnel construction, railway car manufacture, etc. – necessary to make the subway system operational.
Although often ascribed to Freedman, the National Base Ball Trust was almost entirely the brainchild of Brush, who as early as the 1892 season had proposed to Chicago President James Hart that the minor Western League be operated as a trust. See unidentified Jan. 30, 1892, newspaper clipping in the John T. Brush file at the Giamatti Research Center.
As outlined by Brush in a letter to Freedman, later obtained and published in the New York Press, Dec.11, 1901. For a comprehensive exposition of the Trust, see Hardy, p. 171-191.
In March 1902, New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles Truax sustained Freedman’s position on virtually every issue during preliminary proceedings. Shortly thereafter, Spalding resigned his putative position as National League President.
See Durso, J., 1986, Baseball and the American Dream, St. Louis, p.64-67; Solomon, p. 227-231.
From his manor in England, Croker attempted to maintain control of Tammany via trans-Atlantic direction to Freedman and other Finance Committee loyalists. After new Tammany boss Lewis Nixon resigned in protest, his successor, the astute Charles Murphy, cut off this back channel through the simple expedient of abolishing the Finance Committee and redistributing its responsibilities to Tammany organs under Murphy’s control. With Croker’s influence now stifled, Freedman was reduced to ceremonial posts and attending Tammany banquets. See the New York Times, May 22-23, 1902, for more details on the abolition of the Finance Committee.
Notwithstanding the substantial fees charged by Freedman, his administration of the trusts assigned to him was exemplary. The estate of Freedman’s most prominent charge, the mentally disturbed millionairess Ida Flagler, posted substantial revenue increases annually under Freedman’s care, drawing the commendation of both Mrs.Flagler’s legal guardian and the court. See the New York Times, July. 14, 1914.
As per an Andrew Freedman Foundation pamphlet, c.1965, provided to the writer by CCNY archivist Sanchez.
As noted in The New York Times, Feb.15, 1915, and various Freedman obituaries.
Essentially a high-handicap hacker, Freedman once managed to win an 18-hole tourney at White Mountain Golf Club posting a 100-30 = 70 net score, as per the New York Times, Sept.13, 1913.
New York Times, Dec. 5, 1915. Similar sentiments were later expressed by prominent New York lawyer and Freedman friend Samuel Untermeyer, who stated, “It is due more to the courage and enterprise of Andrew Freedman than to anyone else that the first subway was built.” Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1924.
A brief 1905 engagement to Elsie Rothschild fell through. Like Andrew, neither Isabella, a benefactress of various Jewish causes, nor Daniel Freedman, a wealthy realtor and minor Tammany functionary, ever married. Shadowy elder brother Jacob, however, may have been survived by an heir named Adelaide. See Surrogate’s Notice published in the New York Times, Jan. 27, 1916. Jacob predeceased Andrew and no connection of his ever came forward to challenge the will. Thus, nothing more is known of Adelaide Gwendolyn Freedman, aka Adelaide Archer.
For more on the Freedman will, see the New York Times, Dec. 9, 1915.
Once known derisively in the neighborhood as the Home for Poor Millionaires, the Andrew Freedman House is featured periodically in the real-estate section of the New York Times, see e.g., July1, 2008.
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Beautiful, pious and virtuous daughter of the 5th century Welsh king, Brychan of Brecknock. A certain Maelon fell in love with her, and wished to marry her. Though Dwynwen returned his love, her heart was set on becoming a nun, and she rejected him. She dreamt she was given a sweet drink which saved her from his attentions, but which turned the poor young man to ice. Realising that Maelon couldn’t help his love for her, she prayed that he be restored to life, that all lovers should find happiness, and that she never have the desire for marriage. Dwynwen became a nun and lived on Llanddwyn Island on the western coast of Ynys Mon (Anglesey), an area accessible only at low tide.
Her well, a fresh-water spring called Ffynnon Dwynwen, became a wishing well and place of pilgrimage, particularly for lovers because of the story above. The tradition grew that the eel in the well could foretell the future for lovers – ask questions and watch which way they turn. Women would scatter breadcrumbs on the surface, then lay her handkerchief on water’s surface; if the eel disturbed it, her lover would be faithful. All this led to her connection with animals, which eventually led to the tradition that her intercession could heal injured animals.
There are churches dedicated to her in Wales and Cornwall. In recent years, her feast day has become increasingly popular among the Welsh with cards being sent just as on Valentine‘s Day, and her well continues to be a place of pilgrimage.
- c.460 of natural causes
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Happy Saint Dwynwen’s Day, Oxford Dictionary of Saints
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
- Wales Online: Church of Saint Dwynwen restored
Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness. - Saint Dwynwen
- “Saint Dwynwen“. Saints.SQPN.com. 24 January 2013. Web. 24 May 2013. <>
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Caecilians are amphibians that lack limbs. They look a bit like earthworms or snakes and can grow up to 1.5 m (5 ft) in length. As they generally live underground, they are the most under-studied group of amphibians.
No. Some caecilians give birth to live young and some salamanders have larvae that essentially resemble the adult stage, but with external gills. There are many terrestrial frog species that emerge as froglets directly from the egg, bypassing the tadpole stage altogether. This adaptation allows them to live far from water bodies (on mountain tops for instance), and provides the parents with an increased ability to guard their eggs, which are laid on land. It also removes a serious risk that aquatic larvae must face: predation by fish or dragonfly larvae. Many terrestrial salamanders employ this strategy as well. (Photo credit: Fogden).
Amphibians are the oldest land vertebrates. Ichthyostega was an amphibian species that lived in Greenland 362 million years ago.
The Northern & Southern Gastric Brooding frogs Rheobatrachus vitellinus and R. silus lived in eastern Australia. These amazing frogs could actually shut down their gastric juices while rearing their young inside their stomachs! They therefore held great promise for advances in human medicine, as research on these frogs may have resulted in a cure for ulcers.
Unfortunately, the gastric-brooding frogs vanished within a few years of being discovered by scientists--the health of humans and frogs is clearly intertwined. On the right you can see a tiny R. silus froglet emerging from its mother's mouth. (Photo by D. Sarille; top photo of R. vitellinus is by M. Davies)
The smallest frogs are the Paedophryne dekot and Paedophryne verrucosa from Papua New Guinea, sizing in at only only 9 mm in length. Next up is the critically endangered Cuban frog Eleutherodactylus iberia. These frogs measure only 10 mm (0.4 in) when fully grown. They are threatened by pesticides, and by large-scale mining operations that destroy their habitat (Photo of E. iberia by M. Lammertink)
Izecksohn's Toad Brachycephalus didactylus from southeastern Brazil reaches full size at only 10mm (0.4 in). It is known in Brazil as "sapo-pulga" -- the Flea Toad.
The world's largest frog is the Goliath Frog Conraua goliath, which lives in western Africa. They can grow to be over 30 cm (1 ft) long, and weigh over 3 kg (6.6 lbs). This species is endangered, due to conversion of rainforests into farmland, and due to their being used as a local food source.
The strawberry poison dart frog Dendrobates pumilio has an extraordinary reproductive strategy. Females lay their eggs in the leaf-litter or on plants. When the tadpoles hatch, they climb onto the mother's back. She then transports them to small pockets of water in bromeliads or other vegetation, often high in the trees. She returns intermittently through their development to lay unfertilized eggs in the water. These eggs serve as the tadpoles' primary food source. Dendrobates pumilio occurs throughout the Caribbean coast of Central America. Other poison-dart frog species carry their tadpoles around as well. Note the tadpoles in the photo to the right. (Top photo of D. pumilio taken at Red Frog Beach, Bocas del Toro, Panama. Bottom photo is the Gulfo Dulce Poison Dart Frog Phyllobates vittatus on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula)
Assa darlingtoni, commonly called the marsupial frog, lives in the rainforests of eastern Australia, where it lays its eggs in moist leaf-litter. Both parents guard the nest of about 30 eggs, and when the froglets emerge, they crawl into the father's two hip-pockets, where they hang out for several weeks. The adult in the picture is about the size of a thumbnail, imagine how small the froglets are!
The word amphibian is derived from Greek and means 'two lives', referring to the fact that most amphibians spend their larval stage as aquatic, herbivorous tadpole, and their adult stage as terrestrial carnivore. However, some amphibians spend virtually their entire lives in the water (i.e. African clawed frogs Xenopus laevis, and mudpuppies Necturus). Others, like the Puerto Rican coqui Eleutherodactylus coqui or Dunn's salamander Plethodon dunni from Oregon, spend their entire lives on land: they lay their eggs in moist leaf-litter, bypass the tadpole stage and may never enter a water body. (Photo is of Whistling Treefrog Litoria verreauxii)
Tadpoles have gills like fish, and most adult frogs have lungs like yours. However, amphibians have permeable skin that allows them to absorb both water and oxygen directly from the environment, right through their skin. Plethodontid salamanders have no lungs: they breathe solely through their skin and through the tissues lining their mouths. The world's first known lungless frog, Barbourula kalimantanensis, was recently found in the jungles of Borneo. The largest lungless amphibian is an 80 cm (2.5 ft) caecilian Atretochoana eiselti from Brazil. (Photo by D. Bickford of the Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Lab).
The Australian stony creek frogs Litoria wilcoxii and Litoria jungguy occasionally build a sand nest for their eggs. In the photo at right, eggs are in the center of the nest, which is immediately beside a stream. Thus the eggs are kept in a moist environment, safe from fish for the time being. The next large rain will wash them into the stream and they will emerge as tadpoles.
Not much. True toads (bufonids) tend to have short legs and dry 'warty' skin, though there are plenty of frog species that fit this description as well. Toads tend to have toxic secretions, but so do poison dart frogs. However, toads do have significantly higher chances of resembling that alien who lives down the street from you. (Photo of American toad Bufo americanus, our national toad).
Those are the paratoid glands, which hold a cocktail of toxic secretions. Since toads are pretty slow they need to defend themselves from predators. The cane toad Bufo marinus has 20 bufotoxins, some of which are potent enough to kill a snake many times its size. Contrary to urban legend, if you lick one, you'll probably just throw up. The Sonoran Desert Toad Bufo alvareus has secretions that can cause hallucinations.
Most toxic amphibians (like cane toads or poison dart frogs) accumulate their toxins from the insects they eat. But Australia's critically endangered Corroboree frogs Pseudophryne corroboree and P. pengilleyi manufacture their own toxins. They may be the only vertebrates capable of such a feat. (Photo credit unknown)
A batrachologist is a person who studies amphibians. While "batracho" has been used in science for over 150 years to denote amphibians, the term batrachologist has only come into recent usage. Formerly, the term herpetologist was used, but this name encompassed those who studied amphibians and/or reptiles.
Frog deformities have caused alarm since the early 1990's, when high numbers of frogs in the Midwest were found with missing limbs, extra limbs or other developmental abnormalities. Many of these deformations are caused by a trematode parasite Ribeiroia ondatrae that burrows into tadpoles' hind limbs. Why did the malformation rate increase so dramatically in the last two decades? This is unknown, but it may be due to increased levels of eutrophication (an un-natural state caused by excessive amounts of fertilizer entering a water body), which allowed snails that are used by the trematode as an intermediary host to increase in numbers, thus providing optimal breeding conditions for the trematode. Furthermore, pesticides have been shown to weaken frogs' immune systems and make them more vulnerable to trematode infections. The photo on the right is a 6-legged Spotted Grass Frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis. Kind of cool, but in a not-so-cool kind of way. (Photo credits unknown).
Some frogs breed in ephemeral pools that form after heavy rains. To ensure that their tadpoles do not die when their puddle dries, the tadpoles are often adapted to metamorphose quickly, perhaps within a week or two. Other frogs, however, like the Tailed frog Ascaphus truei from the Pacific Northwest or Australia's Barred Frog Mixophyes live in permanent ponds or streams and can remain in the tadpole stage for 2 or 3 years.
Speaking of Barred Frogs, the eyes of Fleay's Barred Frog Mixophyes fleayi actually change color as they get older. Juveniles have partially red eyes, but in adults, the red has changed to blue.
Wood frogs Rana sylvatica are the only North American frog that lives above the Arctic Circle. Frogs are ectotherms (cold-blooded) meaning they cannot internally control their body temperatures. Wood frogs are adapted to cold winters being able to survive a deep freeze: Their breathing, blood flow, and heartbeat stop, and ice crystals form beneath their skin. While ice crystals in human skin would result in serious problems (frostbite), wood frogs are safe because high glycogen levels in their cells act like anti-freeze, restricting the frozen areas to the extra-cellular fluid, where no tissue damage will occur. Cool frogs!
Some species only live a few years, but many live 6 or 7 years. The African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis and the Green Tree Frog Litoria caerulea can live about 30 years in captivity. Determining their life span in the wild is difficult, but if anybody wants to follow some frogs around for a couple decades, please let us know.
Frogs inhabit some of the driest regions on Earth. As frogs need to remain moist to survive, some frogs burrow underground to avoid the hot dry weather up above. They have specialized shovel-like pads on their arms or legs that let them to go up to 1.5 m (5 ft) down. If no rains come, that's fine. These frogs slow down their metabolism and enter a state called aestivation, which is similar to hibernation. And they shed layers of skin that surround them like a protective cocoon to retain moisture. Some frogs remain underground for 10 months. When the rains come, these frogs appear en masse on the surface for the biggest party of the year. (Photo: Ornate Burrowing frog Limnodynastes ornatus in New South Wales)
Check out this excellent video about burrowing frogs in Africa:
Skin secretions from at least three species of Australian frogs (the Green Treefrog Litoria caerulea, the Southern Orange-eyed Treefrog Litoria chloris, and the Green-Eyed Treefrog Litoria genimaculata) can completely inhibit HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
OK, so now that we know Southern Orange-eyed Treefrogs probably aren't going to get AIDS, this seems like the appropriate time to show the following video. This one's for the people who've gotten this far down the web page but still aren't sure if they think frogs are cool or not. Make sure your speakers are on...
Please embed this video on your web page if you like it. Note that frogs only party when the temperature and recent rainfall are just right. Climate change therefore would act a bit like the cops did when you were in high school and held that party at your parents' place.
Most frogs and toads have external fertilization (eggs are laid outside of the female's body and then fertilized by the male), but the Tailed Frog Ascaphus truei, which lives in the US Pacific Northwest, has internal fertilization. Many salamanders have internal fertilization as well. Males drop a spermatophore (a gelatinous mass of sperm, more or less) in their favorite location. The lucky female then comes along and pick up this spermatophore with her cloaca to fertilize the eggs inside her body. Caecilians are the only group of amphibians in which all species utilize internal fertilization.
Frogs have both a common name and a scientific name, which is in Latin. Thus the African Clawed Frog is also known as Xenopus laevis. The scientific name consists of a frog's genus followed by its species (this is called binomial nomenclature). Carl Linnaeus devised this system in the 18th century so that scientists could be certain they were always referring to the correct species. For instance, there is a 'Green Treefrog' in Europe, America and Australia, but they are all different species: Hyla arborea, Hyla cinerea and Litoria caerulea.
They do, and they also have a clear nictitating membrane, which allows them to protect their eyes without obstructing their vision. You can see the nictitating membrane on this partially submerged Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor from northern Virginia.
Australia's Striped Rocket Frog Litoria nasuta can jump a distance equivalent to 55 times its body length! That would be like you jumping a football field! How do they do that? Their legs are twice as long as the rest of their body, and their leg muscles are 1/3 of their overall weight. These frogs are so cool we had to put a picture of one on our Frogs of Australia poster! (Photo taken at the Booyal Crossing, west of Bundaberg, Queensland)
The cave-dwelling salamander Proteus anguinus (known as the Olm) has a body mass of just 15-20 g , but a predicted maximum lifespan of over a century. A new paper by Voituron et al. (2010) has analyzed years' worth of weekly records from a 400-animal captive breeding colony in the French Pyrenees. The average adult Olm lifespan was 68.5 years; sexual maturity was attained at 15.6 years, on average. In contrast, the next longest-lived amphibian is the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), weighing over 30 kg but with a maximum lifespan of only 52 years in captivity. This Cool Frog Fact is courtesy of AmphibiaWeb.
Darwin's frogs are characterized by a nasal prolongation and their unique brood system, named neomelia, in which males breed their offspring in their vocal pouch. In Rhinoderma darwinii the offspring leave the mouth as metamorphosed froglets. On the other hand, R. rufum has their tadpoles only for two weeks, after which they are released into water in a relatively early tadpole stage. Unfortunately, Rhinoderma populations have declines and R. rufum is no longer found in the wild. Contributed by Johara Bourke.
Technically, yes! Amphibians are ectotherms, which means they rely on the environment to regulate their own body heat. However, the term "cold-blooded" has a negative connotation and sometimes amphibians are perceived to not have concern for other members of their own species. Yet it should be known that there are some incredibly dedicated "cold-blooded" mothers and fathers in the Wild World Of Frogs!
In ephemeral marshes and ponds in Panama, the neo-tropical frog Leptodactylus insularum actively defends her eggs and tadpoles from predators. Here she is seen guarding her recently hatched tadpoles. There are about 3,000 of them! She will stay with them until the tadpoles metamorphose into little froglets. What a good mom!
Frogs in trees, Frogs in ponds.
Frogs on the ground, frogs all around.
Little prcious creatures helping nature in so many ways.
Just want to sit back and enjoy warm sunny days.
SAVE THE FROGS!
--Frog Poetry by Haley Summer Ford
If you have some amphibian expertise, feel free to submit a Cool Frog Fact below!
Be sure to hit the submit button!
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The photo above shows common monkey flower as seen on moist cliffs near Sherar's Bridge on the Deschutes River.......April 18, 2004. Note the large red spot on the lower lip of the corolla. This plant might at first sight pass for chickweed monkeyflower, but when one looks at the calyx, one can note that the upper tooth is much longer than the other calyx teeth, a characteristic of common monkey flower. Note also the palmately veined leaves and the angular stems.
Common monkey flower is a fibrous-rooted annual or perennial with stout stolons. Depending on moisture content of its habitat, it may be small to large in its stature. At its largest, its lax stems may arise as high as 1 meter. The stems are succulent and range from glabrous to lightly pubescent. The large leaves are palmately veined with 3-7 veins. The lower leaves are petiolate while those of the upper stem become reduced in size and sessile. Individual leaf blades are variable in shape, which range from kidney-shaped to ovate or rounded. The margins are irregularly toothed and the larger leaves may be up to 10 cm long.
The inflorescence is a terminal raceme of several to 2 dozen flowers. Smaller flowers may have only one terminal flower. The calyx is tubular with 5 short lobes, the uppermost being the longest. The tubular corolla is strongly 2-lipped with a wide flaring throat. Coloration is yellow with multiple reddish dots or marks in the hairy throat. Corollas range from 1-4 cm long.
Common monkey flower is a plant of moist seeps, springs, and ditches.
Common monkey flower is a widespread native species of western North America. It may be found from Alaska south to California and east to the Yukon and hence south through the Rocky Mts. to New Mexico.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 0'-4000' throughout the length of the Gorge.
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Waves and Hemispheres
In numerous studies, researchers have compared the physical "body signs" of hypnotic subjects with those of unhypnotized people. In most of these studies, the researchers found no significant physical change associated with the trance state of hypnosis. The subject's heart rate and respiration may slow down, but this is due to the relaxation involved in the hypnotism process, not the hypnotic state itself.
Do it Yourself!
You don't necessarily need a highly-trained hypnotist to induce hypnosis. With the proper relaxation and focusing techniques, almost everyone can enter a hypnotic state themselves and make their own suggestions to the unconscious mind (check out SelfHypnosis.com to find out how).
Some hypnotism experts hold that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. Whether a trance state is brought on by a long, boring drive down the highway or by a skilled psychiatrist, the subject is always the one who initiates the trance. In this view, the hypnotist is only a guide who facilitates the process.
There does seem to be changed activity in the brain, however. The most notable data comes from electroencephalographs (EEGs), measurements of the electrical activity of the brain. Extensive EEG research has demonstrated that brains produce different brain waves, rhythms of electrical voltage, depending on their mental state. Deep sleep has a different rhythm than dreaming, for example, and full alertness has a different rhythm than relaxation.
In some studies, EEGs from subjects under hypnosis showed a boost in the lower frequency waves associated with dreaming and sleep, and a drop in the higher frequency waves associated with full wakefulness. Brain-wave information is not a definitive indicator of how the mind is operating, but this pattern does fit the hypothesis that the conscious mind backs off during hypnosis and the subconscious mind takes a more active role.
Researchers have also studied patterns in the brain's cerebral cortex that occur during hypnosis. In these studies, hypnotic subjects showed reduced activity in the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, while activity in the right hemisphere often increased. Neurologists believe that the left hemisphere of the cortex is the logical control center of the brain; it operates on deduction, reasoning and convention. The right hemisphere, in contrast, controls imagination and creativity. A decrease in left-hemisphere activity fits with the hypothesis that hypnosis subdues the conscious mind's inhibitory influence. Conversely, an increase in right-brain activity supports the idea that the creative, impulsive subconscious mind takes the reigns. This is by no means conclusive evidence, but it does lend credence to the idea that hypnotism opens up the subconscious mind.
Whether or not hypnosis is actually a physiological phenomenon, millions of people do practice hypnotism regularly, and millions of subjects report that it has worked on them. In the next section, we'll look at the most common methods of inducing a hypnotic trance.
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In an increasingly wired and interconnected world, you may be tempted to access your online banking from public Wi-Fi, accept files from people you know only through social-media connections, try out numerous freeware smartphone apps and assume that password protection offers sufficient security for your wireless home network. In the real world of online crooks, scams and fraud, however, these practices can make you a sitting duck for keystroke logger scams.
How Keylogging Works
Keystroke loggers act as data recorders that compile a record of every keystroke you type on your computer. They can be used to obtain illicit access to usernames, passwords, social security numbers and other personally identifiable information, financial data, proprietary technical or business secrets, and formal or casual communications between individuals who use chat or text methods. Some keyloggers run as software programs in the background of your regular computer operations. Others hook directly into your operating system and take over the functions of keystroke interpretation. Finally, some run from hardware devices plugged in to your computer. These virtual or physical pieces of malware can store captured data for physical retrieval or transmit it through your Internet connection to a remote a location.
A scammer with physical access to your desktop computer can attach a device that contains a keylogging payload to one of the ports on your system. Designed to look like a dongle, plug or cable, these gadgets work most effectively when they attach to the back of your computer, minimizing the likelihood that you recognize their presence. The size and shape of a laptop computer reduces the chances of a keylogger attachment escaping your view, but a keylogger delivered through a USB flash drive could escape your notice. Alternatively, however, one of these devices plugged in to a public computer can bypass the awareness of everyone who used an unfamiliar system. Avoid flash drives of unknown origin and remain alert to changes in your computer's configuration. At the same time, restrict your use of public Wi-Fi to activities that don't disclose your personal and financial information.
Phishing email scams often include either an attachment that a message encourages you to activate by clicking on it or a link to a site you're encouraged to visit. These messages and their directly attached or indirectly acquired malware payloads can serve as an effective means of introducing software-based keyloggers onto your computer. If you've educated yourself about phishing scams and carefully resist the temptation to click on attachments in suspicious messages or those from unknown senders, you can limit your vulnerability to keyloggers, but maintaining an up-to-date anti-malware program in addition can halt an attack that comes from a dubious file or website destination.
Smartphones can act as pocket computers, providing unparalleled mobile access to your personal data and files as well as online destinations. Their power, flexibility and mobility also make them ideal targets for phishing scams that can install malware. Free apps can consist entirely of keylogging routines, activated when you install a product only to find that it lacks any business or entertainment value, and become infected in the process. Some freeware products incorporate keyloggers into routines that offer some actual value -- entertainment or otherwise -- but that also record the websites you visit or other aspects of your online behavior, reporting these details to a company that sells consumer-behavior information.
- Tompkins Trust Company: Trojans and Keystroke Logging
- Dark Reading: FBI Warns Of Scams Targeting Financial Industry
- Symantec: Introduction to Spyware Keyloggers
- Securelist: Keyloggers: How They Work and How to Detect Them (Part 1)
- Nedbank: Keystroke Logging
- eWeek: Police Foil $420 Million Keylogger Scam
- The Register: Hardware Keyloggers Found in Manchester Library PCs
- The Register: Police Cuff US Student Keystroke Logger
- SecurityFocus: Guilty Plea in Kinko's Keystroke Caper
- MSN Money: Your Smartphone May Be Spying on You
- CNET: FAQ: Demystifying ID Fraud
- Identity Guard Resource Center: Keylogging: Identity Theft Threat or Useful Tool for Employers?
- Western Australia Police: What Are Keystroke Loggers?
- Community Financial Services Bank: Fraud Security: Protecting Yourself from Online Banking Fraud
- MSN Money: Financial Privacy: Be Wary of These 9 Credit Card Scams
- Visa Data Security Alert: Key Logger Malware: Key Stroke and Screen Capture
- NerdWallet: Beware of Scams During the Holidays
- The Register: Mission Impossible at the Sumitomo Bank
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
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* Nitl - Pict.
* Rasas - Pict.
THE CHURCH OF ST. SERGIUS OF NITL
A CENTRE OF THE CHRISTIAN ARABS
IN THE STEPPE AT THE DOORS OF MADABA
Director: - Michele Piccirillo
Equipe: - Basema Hamarneh, Stefano De Luca, Vincent Michel.
Sections, prospects, plans: - Eugenio Alliata
Photographers: - Max Mandel, Fr. Michele Piccirillo
From the contemporary literature of the Byzantine period, written in Greek and Syriac, we know that the steppe to the east of the cultivated land was inhabited by the semi- nomadic tribes at the service of the empire. This stretch of land, which we improperly call desert, is known to the Arabs as badiah or barriyah. In 502, at the time of Emperor Anastasius, the group of the Banu Ghassan and the roman empire of the east signed a treaty, successively reconfirmed at the time of Justin and Justinian, with which the christianised Bedouin tribes were entrusted with the defence of the immense territory which extended to the Euphrates river, border with the Persian empire. All the sixth century was characterised by the feats of Jabala ben Harith ben Jabala (known to us by the name of Arethas), of al-Mundir (known by us with his Greek name Alamundaros) and those of his son Numan. With their mobile troops, mostly on camel back, they defended the limes stretching from Palmira to Aila on the Red Sea against the trespassing by the tribes of the Banu Lakhm who on their part were at the service of the Persian empire on the west bank of the Euphrates. The weakening of the christianised Bedouin tribes at the time of emperor Mauritius, towards the end of the century, made possible the Persian invasion of Syria-Palestine in 613. This was an anticipation of the definitive loss of the southern provinces to the invading Islamic armies in 636 who found unguarded the southern flank of the boundary.
The relationship of the tribal group with the empire started with Jabala ben Harith who died in battle in 528. They reached their apogee with his son Arethas phylarchos, or head of the tribe, who in 529 was honoured by Justinian with the title of King of all the Arabs. He was also given the title of Patritius thus becoming the first among the Arabs to receive this title which included being called "my father" by the emperor.
The confrontation with the group of the Lakhm in defence of the empire reached its apex with the victory of 544. This is seen by historians as the brilliant result of the imperial decision to concede the regality to Arethas. The neutralisation from the oncoming danger on the eastern flank led to the armistice of 577 and the "pax aeterna" with the Persian empire in 561 entered into for 50 years, the most important diplomatic achievement obtained by Justinian toward the end of his long career. These peaceful conditions favoured an impressive economic development in the Provincia Arabia as has been uncovered by the archaeological excavations of the last decades in today's Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The presence in the territory of these special auxiliary troops at the service of the empire was already archaeologically sufficiently documented by the inscriptions. In the upper mosaic of the Church of Kaianos in Uyun Musa valley at Mount Nebo, the mosaicist left us also the picture of one of these Christian soldiers remembered among the benefactors of the church. The Arab cameldriver is represented standing and half-naked, wearing a long loin cloth with a cloak thrown over his left shoulder. A large bow is held over his left shoulder, while he holds, with his left hand, the sword in its wide sheath. The exploration of the ruins at Umm al-Rasas in the steppe of Madaba, identified with the fortified suburb of Kastron Mefaa, begun by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Summer 1986 and of which the twelfth archaeological campaign has just come to an end, is bringing to light one of the Christian Arab centres of the diocese still active during the Islamic period.
An ecclesiastical complex of unusual characteristics is coming to light at Nitl, a village of the steppe 10km from Madaba on the road to Umm al-Rasas. After an attentive on-the-spot investigation we had started the archaeological exploration in summer 1984. The short sounding limited to the apsed area of a church was sufficient to make us understand that the building formed part of a complex built during the sixth century and remained in use for at least three centuries. Civil use of the area resulted during the Mameluk and Ummayyad periods. The patronal character of the edifice has been outcoming since the resumption of the excavations in 1996 and the last two campaigns carried out by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in '97 and '98. It is clear that the complex is made up of two large parallel churches. They were intercommunicating and each had only one nave which was covered by arches and stone slabs. A chapel and a diaconicon where later added to the south. A linking narthex in the façade, in relation to the main entrance, gave the possibility to enter in the two churches and in the south-west chapel. To date the chapel, the diaconicon and the southern church have been completely excavated. All these had mosaic floorings. The mosaics have been sufficiently preserved. This notwithstanding the prolonged use of the buildings with their flooring before the definitive fall of the roof. This took place quite recently judging from the pottery found under the stones of the fall which was found under a thick layer of ashes. The ashes came from various fireplaces and tawabin used to bake bread which were present both on the mosaic and on the intermediate and definitive fall.
The remains of the mosaic permits us to affirm that the decorative pattern was carried out by Ammonis, a name which can be read in an inscription written in one of the vine shoots scrolls. These vine shoots spring forth from four handled jars placed in the corners of the eastern panel of the mosaic carpet, a carpet laid down keeping in mind a stone slab opening for a hypogeum multiple tomb. This tomb lied in the central nave of the church slightly off centre towards the south thus resulting in a privileged prominence.
The reading of the other preserved inscriptions permits us to formulate a first hypothesis regarding the persons buried in the tomb whose remains we could see by opening the stone trap door or "pellaikon" which still had the two metal hooks. In one of the inscriptions we read the name of the presbyter Saola during whose time the holy place was built and finished. A name which we had already read in 1984 in an inscription in the south service room of the church. In a second inscription partially tampered by an ancient restoration we could read, after the title of "illustrious", the beginning of the Arabic name of a high ranking personage (Thalaaba, the fox) followed by the closing title of "phylarchos", head of the tribe, a title which the Byzantine administration conferred on the nomad leaders subjected to the empire. We have ample witness of these in the sources and epigraphy of Syria-Palestine. In another inscription the contribution of a high ranking officer, John the Adiutor, is remembered with the Latin term which had entered the Greek of the imperial administration.
Three other inscriptions had been completely destroyed. The main surprise came from a one line inscription which accompanies a geometric motif decorating the space between two pillars of the arches on the southern wall: "Arethas son of al-Arethas". A name rendered famous in the Byzantine world by Arethas king of all Arabs. A name which was carried by two inhabitants of Nitl which we are tempted to place in relation with the Arab auxiliary troops who were stationed in the steppe.
The inscriptions give us also the name of the saint for whom the church was dedicated: Saint Sergius, the martyred soldier during the persecution of Deocletian and whose tomb was particularly venerated at the sanctuary church of the Holy Cross at Resafa on the eastern limes by the nomad Christians and by Alamundaros - al-Mundir their king, son and successor of Arethas.
After three excavation campaigns we are only half way through the exploration. The continuation might clarify the interpretations given to date to a monument which in the region finds parallels of equal importance only in the big ecclesiastic complexes of the Memorial of Moses on Mount Nebo and St. Stephen complex at Umm al-Rasas.
Keeping in mind the practically isolated location of the vast complex on a hill of the steppe at the doors of Madaba, I believe that the pointing to a patronal church of an influential family of "phylarchoi"/Christian tribe leaders of the region is only a possibility which awaits only further confirmation from the excavation of the other nearby church.
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|Born||Charles John Huffam Dickens
7 February 1812
Landport, Portsmouth, England
|Died||9 June 1870 (aged 58)
Gad's Hill Place, Higham, Kent, England
|Resting place||Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey|
|Notable work(s)||Sketches by Boz, The Old Curiosity Shop, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, Barnaby Rudge, A Christmas Carol, Martin Chuzzlewit, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, Hard Times, Our Mutual Friend, The Pickwick Papers|
Early life [change]
At age five, Charles moved to Chatham. When Charles was ten years old, his family moved to Camden, London. He worked in a blacking factory there while his father went to prison for debt. Dickens's hard times in this blackening factory served as the base of ideas for many of his novels. Many like Oliver Twist soon became famous. When his uncle died and transmitted money, Charles's father paid off his debts and was released from prison. Charles did not like working and wished to stop working after his father was released. However, his mother said that the family needed the money so Charles was forced to continue working. Charles then finished his schooling, and got a job as an office boy for an attorney. After finding that job dull, he taught himself shorthand and became a journalist that reported on the government.
His first book was Sketches by Boz in 1836, a collection of the short pieces he had been writing for the Monthly Magazine and the Evening Chronicle. This was followed by the The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club in 1837. Both these books became popular as soon as they were printed.
Charles Dickens' books include:
- Sketches by Boz (1836)
- The Pickwick Papers (1837)
- Oliver Twist (1838)
- Nicholas Nickelby (1838)
- The Old Curiosity Shop (1840)
- Barnaby Rudge (1841)
- Martin Chuzzlewit (1843)
- Dombey and Son (1846—1848)
- David Copperfield(1849—1850)
- Bleak House (1851—1853)
- Hard Times (1854)
- Little Dorritt (1855—1857)
- A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
- Great Expectations (1861)
- Our Mutual Friend (1865)
- The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1869—1870), not finished.
He also wrote a number of Christmas books including:
- A Christmas Carol (1843)
- Lansbury, Coral. "Dickens, Charles (1812-1870)" (in English). Australian Dictionary of Biography On Line Edition. Australian National University. http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040065b.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
- Dickens Family Tree website
- Cousin, John W. (1910). "Charles Dickens (1812-1870)" (in English). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. University of Adelaide. http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/d/dickens/charles/. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
Other websites [change]
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A V12 engine often just called a V12 is an internal combustion engine with 12 cylinders. The engine has six cylinders on each side called banks. The two banks form a "V" shaped angle. In most engines, the two banks are at a 60° angle to each other. All twelve pistons turn a common crankshaft. It can be powered by different types of fuels, including gasoline, diesel and natural gas.
Each cylinder bank is basically a straight-6. This set-up has perfect balance no matter which V angle is used. A V12 engine does not need balance shafts. A V12 angled at 45°, 60°, 120°, or 180° from each other has even firing and is smoother than a straight-6. This provides a smooth running engine for a luxury car. In a racing car, the engine can be made much lighter. This makes the engine more responsive and smoother. In a large heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower, and prolonging engine life.
The Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 powered the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters that played a vital role in Britain's victory in the Battle of Britain. The long, narrow configuration of the V12 contributed to good aerodynamics, while its exceptional smoothness allowed its use with relatively light and fragile airframes.
Road cars [change]
In cars, V12 engines are not common because of their complexity and cost. They are normally found only in high-end sports cars and luxury cars. For these cars, they are desired for their power, low vibration, and distinctive sound.
Before World War II, V12 engines were found in many luxury cars. In the 1930s, V8 engines started to replace the V12s. The V8 engine design was improved to make it lighter and produce more power than the V12. Since World War II, only a few car manufactures have used V12 engines.
In 1997, Toyota equipped their Century Limousine with a 5.0 L V12, making it the first Japanese production passenger car with a V12. In 2009, China FAW Group Corporation equipped their Hongqi HQE with a 6.0 L V12, making it the first Chinese production passenger car so equipped.
Auto racing [change]
In the past, V12 engines were common in Formula One and endurance racing. Ferrari used V12 engines in 1950, the first year of Formula One. Several factors made teams stop using the V12 engine. Improvements to the V8 engine, in particular Ford Cosworth engine. Small, lightweight turbocharged engines were developed that produced more power for the weight. And finally rule changes that limited the size of engines and the power they could produce.
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Analog Input Channels
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a sample of matter expressed in units of degrees on a standard scale. You can measure temperature in many different ways that vary in equipment cost and accuracy. The most common types of sensors are thermocouples, RTDs, and thermistors.
Figure 1. Thermocouples are inexpensive and can operate over a wide range of temperatures.
Thermocouples are the most commonly used temperature sensors because they are relatively inexpensive yet accurate sensors that can operate over a wide range of temperatures. A thermocouple is created when two dissimilar metals touch and the contact point produces a small open-circuit voltage as a function of temperature. You can use this thermoelectric voltage, known as Seebeck voltage, to calculate temperature. For small changes in temperature, the voltage is approximately linear.
You can choose from different types of thermocouples designated by capital letters that indicate their compositions according to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) conventions. The most common types of thermocouples include B, E, K, N, R, S, and T.
For more information on thermocouples, read The Engineer's Toolbox for Thermocouples.
Figure 2. RTDs are made of metal coils and can measure temperatures up to 850 °C.
A platinum RTD is a device made of coils or films of metal (usually platinum). When heated, the resistance of the metal increases; when cooled, the resistance decreases. Passing current through an RTD generates a voltage across the RTD. By measuring this voltage, you can determine its resistance and, thus, its temperature. The relationship between resistance and temperature is relatively linear. Typically, RTDs have a resistance of 100 Ω at 0 °C and can measure temperatures up to 850 °C.
For more information on RTDs, read The Engineer's Toolbox for RTDs.
Figure 3. Passing current through a thermistor generates a voltage proportional to temperature.
A thermistor is a piece of semiconductor made from metal oxides that are pressed into a small bead, disk, wafer, or other shape and sintered at high temperatures. Lastly, they are coated with epoxy or glass. As with RTDs, you can pass a current through a thermistor to read the voltage across the thermistor and determine its temperature. However, unlike RTDs, thermistors have a higher resistance (2,000 to 10,000 Ω) and a much higher sensitivity (~200 Ω/°C), allowing them to achieve higher sensitivity within a limited temperature range (up to 300 °C).
For information on thermistors, read The Engineer's Toolbox for Thermistors.
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Salone Special: Welcome, Guardians of Biodiversity
24 Sep 12
Almost 2 million of the world’s plant and animal species have been formally described, probably just a fraction of the total number. The health of our environments and the quality of our lives depends on this incredible wealth of biodiversity, yet in recent decades the rate at which species are becoming extinct has risen rapidly. According to entomologist Edward O. Wilson, who coined the term “biodiversity,” an estimated 27,000 species disappear every year.
Since 2003, the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity has been protecting and promoting agricultural varieties and food products at risk of extinction, working with 10,000 farmers, fishers and food artisans in over 50 countries. Slow Food is working to fix the problem of poor coordination between various protective initiatives, often too narrowly focused and unable to properly promote the role of small-scale producers.
One of the association’s new projects is the narrative label, which is currently being tried out on selected Presidia. This new type of label gives consumers more exhaustive information than regular labels and highlights the choices made by producers, the ones that truly make the difference between a mediocre and a quality product. The Presidia involved include Monreale White Plums in Sicily and Mondovì Cornmeal Biscuits in Piedmont, Italy; Fadiouth Island Salted Millet Couscous in Senegal; Pozegaca Plum Slatko in Bosnia and Wild Palm Oil in Guinea-Bissau. The narrative labels will be presented at the “Say It on the Label” events organized at the Biodiversity House in the Oval on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2.30 pm.
In addition, a number of new international Presidia will be presented at the 2012 Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre. Here is a taster from around the world…
Guinea Bissau - Wild Palm Oil. Throughout Guinea-Bissau, and especially in the northern region of Cacheu where the climate is humid and the soil is sandy, the fruits of wild palm trees are pressed into a dense, orangish-red oil with scents of tomato, fruit and spice. The large bunches of red fruits are harvested by the men, while the women make the oil following a process that can take up to four days.
Guinea Bissau - Farim Salt. Around Farim, along the Cacheu River, local communities catch fish, grow a few vegetables and harvest salt. The river is actually a marine inlet over 100 kilometers long; when the water retreats at low tide and the wind blows from the east, a crust of salt forms on the surface of the ground. The women who collect the salt spread it out on cloths, wash it with salt water and filter it, then dry it in rectangular pans set over a fire.
Mali - Timbuktu and Gao Katta Pasta. Women in Timbuktu and Gao prepare a sophisticated dish for important guests and ceremonies: katta, thin, short threads of pasta made from wheat flour. To make these traditional noodles, the women mix flour and water into a dough then form it into a ball. They tear off small pieces of dough and roll them between two fingers, almost like spinning wool. The pasta threads are left to dry for a day, then toasted in a frying pan until they turn golden brown. Traditionally katta is cooked for a few minutes in a sauce of dried fish, tomato, meat and spices, diluted with water.
Senegal - Fadiouth Island Salted Millet Couscous. The Serer people, the indigenous community that lives on Fadiouth Island, have long been the main growers of the local Sunnà variety of millet. The women use the millet to make an unusual salted couscous. They husk the grain, sift it and wash it in the sea, then grind it and use the flour to make couscous. The couscous is stored in traditional gourds and left to ferment overnight. In the morning they add powdered baobab leaves, which serve as a thickener. The couscous is then cooked and typically served with a sauce made from mangrove flowers, peanuts and meat or shellfish.
Sierra Leone - Kenema Kola Nut. Native to the tropical forests of West Africa, kola belongs to the same family as cacao and still grows wild in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. The nuts, white or dark red in color, contain oblong fruits, which are cut in two and opened with a machete. They are eaten during ceremonies or to welcome guests. A piece of kola chewed after a meal helps digestion, while the caffeine contained in the fruit improves concentration and reduces hunger. Presidium Kenema Kola Nuts are now being used as an ingredient in a natural cola, a “virtuous” version of the world’s most globalized beverage.
Tunisia - Lansarin and Gaffaya Ancient Durum Wheat Varieties. In northern Tunisia, two ancient varieties of wheat, Mahmoudi and Schili, are still grown at altitudes between 500 and 800 meters in the Lansarin and Gaffaya hills. The wheat is characterized by long straw and glassy amber grains. The wheat is ground into semolina for use in couscous and bread and the dried, crushed grains are steamed to make burghul. Threatened by the introduction of more productive hybrids, these two varieties, grown using traditional techniques and without the use of chemicals, are now at risk of extinction.
Uganda - Luwero Robusta Coffee. Uganda is Africa’s second-largest coffee producer, after Ethiopia. While the Ethiopian highlands are the birthplace of Coffea arabica, Central-East Africa’s equatorial forests are home to Coffea canephora, known as robusta. This species is appreciated around the world in espresso blends, and it represents 85 percent of the coffee produced in Uganda. At altitudes of 1,200 meters, not far from the banks of Lake Victoria, the ancient robusta varieties of Kisansa and Nganga are grown under shade trees, like the banana. In the local culture, coffee has a strong symbolic value: the coffee cherries are not just toasted, but also eaten fresh, in soups or simply chewed for their stimulating properties.
Brazil - Licurì. With its bunches containing thousands of green fruits and imposing presence, the licurì palm is an integral part of the landscape of the caatinga, the characteristic ecosystem of northeastern Brazil. Birds love to eat the outer flesh of the fruit, which surrounds a shell which in turn hides a kernel with a very intense coconut-like flavor. The fruits can be eaten unripe or ripe, raw or toasted, or they can be pressed into milk or oil. They are an essential ingredient in traditional Easter dishes, served with fish or chicken, while the milk is used to flavor rice.
Honduras - Camapara Mountain Coffee. The Copán area, in the west of the country near the border with Guatemala and El Salvador, is known for the quality of its mountain coffee. Today the mountain is home to around 500 small-scale coffee growers organized into cooperatives who traditionally cultivate arabica plants of the Typica, Bourbon and Caturra varieties in the shade of native trees at altitudes between 1,200 and 1,600 meters above sea level. They produce a washed coffee that produces a brew with strong aromas of peach and amaretto and notes of fruit and chocolate.
Mexico - Puebla Sierra Norte Native Bees Honey. The Sierra Norte is a mountain chain reaching heights of 2,300 meters, stretching across the northern part of the state of Puebla. The indigenous Nahuat and Totonaca people who live here have developed the “productive forest” system. This centuries-old method allows them to live off wild and domesticated species without cutting down the forest. The native bee Scaptotrigona mexicana has a fundamental role within this system as a pollinator and protector of biodiversity. The collected honey is left to ferment and then used by families not only as a food but also as an essential ingredient for traditional medicine.
Turkey - Siyez Wheat Bulgur. In the farms of Kastamonu (a province in northern Turkey), amongst large forests and the smell of the Black Sea, farmers continue to cultivate the oldest existing type of wheat, Triticum monococcum, or seyez in Turkish. It is grain that differs both from common and durum wheat as it is high in protein and free from gluten, so is tolerated by celiac sufferers. The whole grains are immersed in boiling water for about twenty minutes, then cooled with cold water and spread out to dry in the sun. Once dried, they are ground in a millstone to clean and split the grains. The bulgur is used for many pilaf recipes, cooked in broth and flavoured with butter and chopped onion.
Bulgaria – Meurche. Meurche is one of the rare unsmoked cured meats from the Balkans. In Gorno Draglishte, a small town in the valley that separates the Vidin mountains, the highest in Bulgaria, from the Rila massif, the women would traditionally mix the more noble cuts of the pig—fat, leg and shoulder—with salt, pepper and spices (cumin, dried dill seeds and leaves, coriander). The mixture would be packed into the pig’s bladder and stomach and the resulting sausage would be hung up to dry in the attics of the traditional wooden houses, then aged for up to 16 months in a special wooden container, completely buried in ashes. Today only one producer still regularly prepares meurche.
Switzerland - Furmagin da Cion. Despite its name, Furmagin, which means cheese, is actually a pork pâté typical of the Val Poschiavo. It is made from liver, fresh pork and a number of seasonings including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, marjoram, onion and wine flavored with fresh garlic. The mixture is wrapped in caul fat and baked in the oven for around 40 minutes. The Presidium has revived a small production chain involving a local organic pig farmer, a charcuterie maker who makes the Furmagin, and a butcher in the valley.
Switzerland - Alpziger. Produced in the Fribourg, Bern and Obwalden Alps, Alpziger is a cow’s milk ricotta made from the whey left over after the production of raw milk butter, cream and Sbrinz. Eaten fresh, aged or smoked (especially in Bern), it is also used to fill cakes and breads such as the delicious Zigerkrapfen, little fried pastries filled with Alpziger. The Presidium wants to bring together producers in the historic area and protect the production of this ricotta.
Details of the program and entrance tickets are available here.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter #SaloneDelGusto
Photo: Timbuktu and Gao Katta Pasta Presidium, by Paola Viesi
The Salone Internazionale del Gusto and Terra Madre 2012 App is available free. Download it here.
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Anguispira alternata angulata from MNRA. Both shells were from an area about 40 m X 10 m.
One of the abundant species in Monocacy Natural Resources Area where I did a land snail survey was what Pilsbry1 called Anguispira alternata angulata, a keeled or carinated morph of Anguispira alternata. According to Pilsbry's synonymy, this morph was first described by Férussac in 1822 as Helix alternata var. carinata. In 1896, Pilsbry & Rhoads changed the name to Pyramidula alternata carinata and then in 1948, Pilsbry came up with the new name Anguispira alternata form angulata.
Figure from Pilsbry1.
According to Pilsbry1, the shell of angulata differs from the typical A. alternata "by the distinctly to strongly angular periphery". Although he makes the point that the periphery is "hardly to be called keeled", to me "carinated", "angular" and "keeled" all mean more or less the same thing, especially when the degree of carination is variable.
Pilsbry also notes that the prominent ribs on the upper surface of the shell "are much reduced (or sometimes subobsolete)" below the periphery, that is on the bottom of the shell. Leaving aside the question of what he might have possibly meant by "subobsolete", I will point out that the prominence of the ribs on the bottom of my shells are indeed quite variable even in specimens collected from the same location. For example, the photo below shows the bottoms of the 2 shells from MNRA shown in the first picture. The one on the left in the first picture is the one on the bottom in the picture below. Its bottom is smoother than that of the other shell. And these shells were from an area about 40 m X 10 m. So speculating that there may have been differences in their habitats is not justified in this case. I don't know if shell size is a factor that contributes to shell sculpture (the shell with the smoother bottom is smaller).
Bottoms of the shells in the first photo. The one on the left in the first picture is the one on the bottom here.
Pilsbry gave records of angulata from several eastern states including, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Maryland. Earlier, F. C. Baker2 had noted that in several counties of Illinois "a form of Anguispira alternata occurs which has a carinated periphery and a low spire...It is not so abundant as the typical form. In the southern part of Illinois there is a tendency for the shell of alternata to become carinated on the periphery, even when the spire is high". The drawing on the left, from Baker, shows A. a. alternata (A) and A. a. angulata (B).
It appears that A. a. angulata is a widespread morph whose exact relationship with A. a. alternata is not yet clear. Angulata is also the dominant, if not the only morph of Anguispira alternata, in wooded lots along the Maryland side of the Potomac River at least up to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia from where Pilsbry gives a record. (There is also Anguispira fergusoni, which is indeed a separate and easy to distinguish species.) I have several alcohol specimens of angulata collected during my survey of MNRA. Their internal anatomy—if and when I get a chance to dissect them—will hopefully offer some clues as to whether A. a. angulata is distinct enough to be considered a separate taxon.
1Pilsbry, H.A. 1948. Land Mollusca of North America . Volume 2, part 2, p. 573.
2Baker, F.C. 1939. Fieldbook of Illinois Land Snails. p. 85.
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Scientific Linux 6.0 (2011/x86/x64) | 5.05 GB
Scientific Linux (SL) - distribution of the operating system Linux, which was created jointly by Fermilab and CERN, with support from various laboratories and universities from around the world. Its original purpose was to reduce duplication of laboratories and have a total installed base for the various experiments and other research projects.
The base SL distribution is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, recompiled from source.
The main purpose of the base distribution - to provide full binary compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux with a few to make minor additions or changes. Examples of such additions are Pine, and OpenAFS.
Scientific Linux uses' yum to download and install updates from the repository, such as Fedora, unlike Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which receives updates from the servers, Red Hat Network.
Scientific Linux can be used to create a working environment of the user, developer, administrator. The distribution package includes components to support virtualization Xen. The distribution includes a complete set of software components for server infrastructure for both internal network and the Internet. On its base can be created a file and print server, mail server, web server, database server (MySQL, PostgreSQL), or metadirectory LDAP, etc. The kit includes components to create a cluster infrastructure for various purposes: computing clusters, clusters of high reliability and clusters with load balancing.The main differences from RHEL 6.0:
* Added icewm;
* Supported by openafs - distributed file system;
* There is yum-autoupdate, allowing every day automatically update distribution;
* Supplied revisor, livecd-tools, liveusb-creator - the tools to create LiveCD / LiveUSB;
* Available for additional yum-repository.
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I always hear the “nuclear power is very dangerous” argument, and I realize whenever people hear the scary word “nuclear”, the think big bad explosions.
Did you know that the biggest nuclear meltdown in American history (there have only been two), the three mile island incident, happened very close to a crowded city. Number of deaths…….ZERO. Number of injuries…….ONE.
Now consider how many thousands of people die annually from coal mining, drilling, hell there are fatalities from setting up solar panels and falling off the roof.
Power plants are safe, pollute much less (and none if they properly dispose of the waste), and can power the hell out of out country (nearly 30% of the U.S’s power already comes from nuclear power).
So why do most people have a such an ignorant stigma against this method of energy production?
- Solar Producer: Why Not Supporting The Nuclear Energy? (7/26/2011)
- are Nuclear Power Plant considered “green energy”?
- Solar Producer: When Will America Use Nuclear Energy To Produce Needed Electricity? (7/14/2011)
- Solar Power: Do We Realize That When We Gear Up To Build The Next Generation Of Power Plants We Will Be Short Of Skills? (7/22/2011)
- Solar Power: What Are Some Differences And Similarities In Solar Power And Nuclear Power? (7/29/2011)
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|project overview > introduction
Solar MURI is a collaborative project studying magnetic eruptions
on the Sun and their effects on the Earth's space environment.
("MURI" stands for Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative,
a research program funded by DoD.) The aim of the project is to improve our
ability to predict space weather from solar observations.
The project will construct a series of physically connected,
observationally tested models of the Sun and its interplanetary
environment. These models will allow us to use observations
of the Sun's atmosphere and magnetic configuration to determine:
|A Solar Prominence Observed by the EIT Instrument on SOHO
Ultimately, our goal is to provide several extra days of notice prior to
an SEP event or geomagnetic storm.
- When a magnetic eruption is imminent
- If that magnetic eruption will impact the Earth's space environment
- Whether this will result in a Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) bombardment
and/or a geomagnetic storm
A number of intermediate goals must be achieved to complete the Solar MURI
project. These are summarized below:
- Measure the solar magnetic field with sufficient accuracy and coverage to
discern which magnetic properties are the key to determining whether
eruptions will occur
- Understand the physics governing magnetic eruptions on the Sun sufficiently
well to construct realistic numerical simulations
- Simulate the interplanetary propagation of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) out
to 1.0 AU with sufficient accuracy to construct accurate models of conditions
upstream of the Earth
- Couple models of the Sun's magnetic lower atmosphere, lower corona,
upper corona, and solar wind in such a way that a model of an unstable
magnetic configuration on the Sun can be propagated out to the Earth
- Verify the performance of these coupled models with test
cases based on observed magnetic eruptions, their interplanetary disturbances
(Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections - ICMEs), the SEP events, and the general
levels of geomagnetic response
- Years 1 - 3: Collect the necessary observations. Develop the numerical
modelling codes and the interfaces between these codes.
- Years 4 - 5: Apply the coupled simulation codes to a set of observed
CMEs. Evaluate their performance in determining the consequences
of solar observations.
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17 December 2012
The Do: The Principle of Full and Empty Space
The following is an excerpt from the book Taekwondo: The Spirit of Korea (2000) by Steven D. Carpener, Jae Sik Suh and Edward H. Kim, from the chapter "The Technical Philosophy of Taekwondo" (p. 23-25). I'm sharing this excerpt as it very effectively explains the very important Princple of Full and Empty Space. Interestingly, while this book was published by Korea's Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a type of glossy coffee table book rather than an official reference book, this is one of the few English sources that so succinctly explains this core principle in Taekwondo.
. . .
Taekwondo's Taoist philosophy is expressed in the Tao (or Do in Korean) character found in taekwondo's name. The Do is generally understood as a way, path, or process one follows in anything one attempts. Do, as an Eastern philosophical concept is difficult to express in words. However, in describing taekwondo training it is possible to demonstrate how the Do elevates taekwondo from merely a spirited combat sport or self-defense technique to a way of expressing harmony between one's mental and physical states, and with one's environment.
The way the Do operates in taekwondo training must be understood in Asian philosophical terms. The general understanding of the Do is that it is a proper way to do something. In physical terms, this means when the body moves there is a proper way or path which that movement should follow to be most efficient, graceful, or appropriate. In taekwondo training, especially in sparring, this means that there is one most correct way to execute techniques in any given situation. This is the stage of skill. When one teaches a point where the body moves naturally according to the proper way or path, we say that one has mastered a particular skill. In taekwondo sparring, when one's movements are performed correctly according to the demands of the situation, one has experienced a moment of harmony between oneself and the opponent.
One of the key principles of the Do that makes this harmony possible is the principle of empty and full space. According to this principle, when two bodies interacts, the relative positions of those bodies in space and time create a continuous flowing exchange of full and empty space. Due to the limited number of ways the legs and arms can be used within the restrictions (rules) of sparring there are a fixed number of possible techniques. The result of this is that for every attack there are one or more perfectly complimentary counterattacks. And for every counterattack, there are one or more perfectly complimentary re-counterattacks. This means that each person knows what the likely responses to any given attack or counterattack will be. Therefore, the superior player is the one who can take advantage of the empty space created in the opponent's position by using speed, timing, and strategy.
The strategic aspect of taekwondo is especially fascinating. No other martial art uses kicking techniques with such finesse and accuracy. The superior player's body is able to predict or sense the moment when his or her opponent will surrender an instant of empty space which, if “filled” with the appropriate technique, results in a scoring strike that has the symmetry of two perfectly meshing gears. This moment, when a point is achieved by manipulating the principle of full and empty space, is not only the goal of sparring and competition, but can also be a moment of physical and mental harmony: the harmony of one's own spirit and body resulting in right action, and the harmony of one's fullness with the opponent's emptiness.
When approached in this way, taekwondo sparring is ripe with the potential for philosophical (educational) value. The moment of right action is very important not only in the sense that one's technique and spirit are correct but also because this is the instant when one has entered the level of the Do. It is the ultimate moment when one's body has found the way to fill the opponent's emptiness in the midst of fierce resistance. When one repeatedly experiences this harmony, the doors to higher understanding can be flung open. In fact, it may seem as if the secrets of the universe are being revealed through these quick, precise movements. The taekwondo practitioner then comes to see the opponent not as an adversary but rather, as the potential medium for creating a work of art, much as the sculptor does not merely see a piece of stone but, rather the creation waiting to be liberated.
Just as there is a technical or physical aesthetic in taekwondo, so also is there a spiritual aesthetic. In order to teach the level where one's techniques and movements approach the ideal, a great deal of training is needed. This training is a process which brings about mental and spiritual change.
. . .
The authentic practitioner understands that taekwondo is a way, a process, and not just a means to an end such as fighting skill or medals. This is the paradox of the Do; the authentic practitioner who values the internal process of development more than external rewards usually develops the best skills.
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US (11/11/2012) - When temperatures drop, humans are not the only ones who feel the chill. Cold weather also can take its toll on animals, including dogs, cats and birds. Protecting pets when winter arrives involves modifying care tactics.
A major winter snowfall or simply a snap of cold weather can cause many problems for pets. Much like humans, dogs and cats can experience frostbite on extremities when subjected to cold temperatures. Ears, noses and paws all may bear the brunt of cold weather, increasing the risk of injury.
Provide warm shelter
Although it may appear that pets are well insulated against cold temperatures, fur or feathers do not make pets impervious to the cold. According to the ASPCA, fur wetted by snow may not dry quickly, putting animals at risk for a chill or even hypothermia. As a precautionary measure, keep companion animals inside when temperatures drop below 30*F.
If yours is an outside dog, be sure that he or she is equipped with dry, draft-free shelter. A dog house that is too large will not retain heat, so keep this in mind. Reduce wind chill by placing the dog house where it will not be in the direct line of wind. You may want to think about keeping the dog in an insulated shed or garage if you prefer not to move the pet inside.
Cats can easily freeze while outdoors; therefore, it is safer to keep them inside. Also, outdoors a cat may seek unsafe shelter, such as under the hoods of cars where they can be injured or killed if the car is started.
A mammal's system for regulating heat can be compromised when there is excessive cold. No matter its type of fur, a dog or cat may not be able to tolerate long periods of cold weather, unless it is a breed that was specifically bred for remaining outdoors in the cold, like a Malamute or Husky. When venturing outside, consider the use of a sweater or vest on short-haired dogs, but keep an eye on the pet. Wearing a coat doesn't mean he should be left outdoors unattended.
Cats probably will not tolerate any type of clothing. If going outdoors to a vet appointment, use a carrier that is insulated from the cold with thick blankets.
Address drafts around the house, which will increase your comfort and that of your companion animals. Dogs and cats lie on the ground, where colder air tends to collect. It may be several degrees cooler near the floor where they reside. Check windows and doors for drafts. If repairs or replacements aren't financially possible, consider the use of draft guards or insulating curtains.
These measures also will protect pet birds. Most birds that are kept as pets are from tropical climates and cannot tolerate severe colder temperatures. Reduce risk of illness by keeping birds away from drafty windows and doors that open and close frequently during the winter.
Keep them leashed
Many dogs like to frolic in the snow, but snow can cause a pooch to lose his scent on the ground and get lost. A dog also may run off and get smothered by tall snowdrifts or slip through thin ice when not being able to gauge its surroundings. It is best to keep dogs on leashes during any type of inclement weather.
Be mindful of pets young and old
Puppies and kittens as well as older dogs and cats may be less tolerant of colder weather. Young animals are lacking the fat stores and thick coats of their adult counterparts that can help protect them against the cold. Housebreaking a puppy during the cold weather could be challenging.
Senior dogs may feel aches and pains from the cold, which can irritate existing conditions like arthritis. Limit their time outdoors to bathroom breaks.
Remove chemical poisons
Antifreeze and specialized nonicing window cleaners used in automobiles are commonly used in winter. These chemicals are often sweet to the smell and taste and very attractive to curious pets. But only a few laps of antifreeze can be deadly.
Keep any dangerous winterizing chemicals -- even salt used to melt snow -- away from pets to avoid accidental ingestion.
Provide extra food and water
Pets need extra calories in order to keep their bodies warm in the cold weather. You may need to feed them a little extra during the winter. Extra water may also be necessary when the pet's metabolism is working harder.
If a pet is kept outdoors, be sure to check if its water has frozen and replace it frequently.
Watch for symptoms of hypothermia
Even well-meaning pet owners may be unaware if their pet is suffering from the effects of too much cold. Here are some symptoms of hypothermia.
* violent shivering, followed by listlessness
* weak pulse
* muscle stiffness
* problems breathing
* lack of appetite
* rectal temperature below 98*F
* cardiac arrest
Companion animals may experience anything from discomfort to serious problems when cold weather arrives. Take precautions to keep pets safe and healthy all winter long.
Copyright © 2012 SurfKY News Group, Inc. all rights reserved. SurfKY.com is an eNewspaper providing local news FREE to Kentucky 24/7. Read Statewide Kentucky News, Sports, Obituaries and more from the following Kentucky Counties: Calloway, Christian, Daviess, Fayette (Lexington), Henderson, Hopkins, Logan, McCracken, Muhlenberg, Warren, and Webster Counties as well as the Kentucky Lakes Area.
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there is a book called "the Statistics Problem Solver" for $4 (used) on amazon. Buy it! These problem-solver books are great for math & science classes. With thousands of solved problems and the steps for solving them shown, its like having a grad student tutor at your elbow.
You have to use the book correctly, though. The wrong way is to look at your homework problem, thumb thru the book until you see a similar one, then apply it blindly to your HW. A 5th grader could do that. Instead, use the book as a way to get practice until you understand the concepts. Go to the chapter matching your current classwork, cover up the answers and start working problems. If you get it wrong, read the correct steps, cover them up, do it again. Keep working problems until you get it. When you get midterms in class you'll almost be laughing because you know you can do them all.
Keep in mind that a standard expectation for a college class is 2-3 hours outside of the class for every hour in it. Your class will meet 3x a week for an hour, which means you ought to be putting in 6-9 hours outside of class for it. Do this, and use your time effectively, you'll do well in the class.
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Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students
Using the premise of a mystery to solve, elementary students act as history detectives as they explore a historical question and analyze carefully chosen clues to formulate and test hypotheses.
This strategy depends on our need to solve mysteries. Students are given an opportunity to be active learners as they solve a historical mystery. This strategy relates to what historians do and the process of historical inquiry. Students must work with evidence, form hypotheses, test those hypotheses, and report their findings.
The goals of the mystery strategy are to learn to:
1. gather, organize, and process information;
2. formulate and test hypotheses;
3. think creatively and analytically to solve problems; and
4. develop, defend, and present solutions to problems.
1. Choose an topic that contains a mystery such as “Why did the American beaver almost become extinct in the 1840s?” Other examples of appropriate historical mysteries include: “How did flooding in Mississippi in 1931 hinder the Civil Rights Movement?”; “Who really invented the cotton gin?”; and “Was the Boston Massacre really a massacre?”
2. Gather primary and secondary sources that will serve as clues for students such as letters, diary entries, maps, statistical tables, political cartoons, images, artifacts for students to touch (in this case beaver fur or felt), and web articles. These sources should pique students’ interest and provide them with clues that will help them generate theories. For example, if students are given a clue regarding the habitat and species characteristics of the beaver and then also told John Jacob Astor was the wealthiest man in America in 1848 it is hoped they conclude that Astor’s wealth had something to do with the beaver. Maps indicating trade routes should confirm this conclusion. Though they may be encountering names in the clues for the first time, making educated guesses is an essential ingredient to the mystery strategy. Students should not be afraid of making guesses or presenting ideas to the larger group. The learning goal is about what it takes to arrive at a hypothesis rather than ending up with a right answer.
3. Decide student grouping. If using small groups, keep individual needs in mind such as reading levels, ability to work with others, and Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
4. Decide how to present the clues to students (strips of paper within envelopes at stations, single sheets of paper for them to cut apart, etc.). See examples of clues for additional clues. Teachers should read through materials to pull clues that fit students’ needs and abilities.
1. Students read through clues and sort them according to common elements. Once the clues are sorted, students begin to work on their hypothesis.
2. As students analyze the clues and arrive at a hypothesis, use guiding questions such as, “Tell me how the two things relate” and “What’s your reason for thinking that?” to keep students focused on solving the mystery. Avoid guiding them in a direction. The goal is for students to work with the clues and arrive at their own hypothesis. Students can use the Mystery Writing Guide Worksheet to record ideas.
3. In a whole group, have small groups share their hypotheses and evaluate them. Are they logical based on the clues? Do they make sense? Write group responses on the board so students can track their findings as they move through the evidence. The goal is to test each group hypothesis and arrive at the best conclusion. For example, if one group understands there is a connection between the mountain men and the beaver yet they also think the railroads had a role in the problem, do the clues support or refute these ideas? Remind students they are like historians looking at information to form a hypothesis, test it, and arrive at a conclusion.
4. Assign each student a written reflection piece on the content learned and the process used to uncover the mystery. This is the most important part of the mystery strategy and should go beyond merely reporting content. Prompt students with questions such as: What happened in the activity? What things did you do well? Most importantly, ask, Which hypothesis best answers the mystery question? Why?
- Data should tease the student without revealing too much.
- Data should hone inference skills.
- Clues should provide information not an explanation (see Mystery Strategy Clues Worksheet).
Students are presented with the following problem: Why did the American beaver almost become extinct in 1840? Write the question on the board so it is visible throughout the activity.
Anticipatory Set: Begin by employing a student’s knowledge of science and ecosystems learned earlier. Give a short presentation about the American Beaver. This would include the fact that beavers maintain dams that create ponds. The water level in these ponds is constant, encouraging the growth of vegetation that supports many other types of animals. The dams also keep summer rains and resulting erosion in check. The presentation could end with figures about the number of beavers estimated to be in North America from European settlement to today (see links below). Students would see a significant decline in the population during exploration and settlement. This decline leads students to the essential question and they can begin working with the clues to make hypotheses.
Clues: Clues can be obtained from….
- facts on the American Beaver species – including habitat and life cycle;
- maps indicating beaver habitats and population centers in the 1840s. Scroll down through the page for a fur trading route map;
- images from fashion catalogs from the mid-1800s;
- real beaver pelt and/or beaver trap, scraps of commercial felt, or images of beaver fur and hats;
- short biographical sketches of mountain men such as Kit Carson, John Liver-Eating Johnston, and William Sublette;
- Advertisements for beaver products such as top hats and ads from trading companies seeking hunters. Scroll down through each page for the aforementioned images.
- newspaper accounts regarding skirmishes/battles between the Iroquois Confederation/other tribes in the Great Lakes region in the Beaver Wars;
- Quotes from all parties involved in the fur trade (Native American chiefs, trading company owners such as Manuel Lisa, mountain men, etc.)
- Pictures of people wearing beaver hats;
- John Jacob Astor.
Be sure to use some visuals!
Reflection: Students reflect on the original question by presenting their hypotheses in written form. Along with their response about the disappearance of the beaver, students are asked to think about the process of historical inquiry and how it relates to the steps they followed to arrive at a hypothesis.
Osborne Russell and Aubrey L. Haines, Journal of a Trapper and Maps of His Travels in the Rocky Mountains
Fred R. Gowans, Rocky Mountain Rendezvous: A History of the Fur Trade, 1825-1840
Silver, Harvey.F., et. al. Teaching styles & strategies. Trenton, NJ: The Thoughtful Education Press, 1996.
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Telnet Server Overview
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
Telnet is an Internet-standard utility and protocol based on Request for Comments (RFC) 854. This RFC specifies a method for transmitting and receiving unencrypted ASCII characters (plaintext) across a network. You can use a Telnet client running on one computer to connect to a command line-based session to run applications. Only character-based interfaces and applications are supported. There is no graphics capability in the Telnet environment.
The RFC documents that define Telnet can be found at the Internet Engineering Task Force Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=121). On that page, click RFC Pages, and then type 854 in the RFC number text box and click Go.
Telnet consists of two components: Telnet Client and Telnet Server.
Telnet Server hosts the remote sessions for Telnet clients. When Telnet Server is running on a computer, users can connect to the server with a Telnet client from a remote computer. Telnet Server is implemented in Windows as a service that can be configured to always run, even when no one is logged on to the server.
When a Telnet client connects to a computer running Telnet Server, the remote user is asked to enter a user name and password. The user name and password combination must be one that is valid on the Telnet Server. Telnet Server on Windows supports two types of authentication: NTLM and Password (or plaintext).
Once logged on, a user is presented with a command prompt that can be used as if it had been started locally on the server console. Commands that you type at the Telnet client command prompt are sent to the Telnet Server and executed there, as though you were locally logged on to a command prompt session at the server. Output from the commands you run are sent back to the Telnet client where they are displayed for you to view.
Telnet does not support applications that require a graphical user interface. However, Telnet Server and Telnet Client understand special character sequences that provide some level of formatting and cursor positioning within the Telnet client window. Telnet Server and Telnet Client support the emulation of four types of terminals: ANSI, VT-100, VT-52, and VT-NT.
Installing Telnet Server
Telnet Server is a feature included with Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 and Windows Vista®.
On Windows Server 2008, you can install Telnet Server by using the Add Features Wizard in Server Manager. Although Server Manager opens by default when a member of the Administrators group logs on to the computer, you can also open Server Manager by using commands on the Start menu in Administrative Tools, and by opening Programs in Control Panel. On Windows Vista, you can install Telnet Server by opening Control Panel, then Programs, then Turn Windows features on or off.
For more information about installing or using Telnet Server, see the Telnet Operations Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=86992) on the Microsoft Web site.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE — August 6, 1945
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese Army base. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British “Grand Slam” which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare.
The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold. And the end is not yet. With this bomb we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces. In their present form these bombs are now in production and even more powerful forms are in development.
It is an atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East.
Before 1939, it was the accepted belief of scientists that it was theoretically possible to release atomic energy. But no one knew any practical method of doing it. By 1942, however, we knew that the Germans were working feverishly to find a way to add atomic energy to the other engines of war with which they hoped to enslave the world. But they failed. We may be grateful to Providence that the Germans got the V-1′s and the V-2′s late and in limited quantities and even more grateful that they did not get the atomic bomb at all.
The battle of the laboratories held fateful risks for us as well as the battles of the air, land, and sea, and we have now won the battle of the laboratories as we have won the other battles.
Beginning in 1940, before Pearl Harbor, scientific knowledge useful in war was pooled between the United States and Great Britain, and many priceless helps to our victories have come from that arrangement. Under that general policy the research on the atomic bomb was begun. With American and British scientists working together we entered the race of discovery against the Germans.
The United States had available the large number of scientists of distinction in the many needed areas of knowledge. It had the tremendous industrial and financial resources necessary for the project and they could be devoted to it without undue impairment of other vital war work. In the United States the laboratory work and the production plants, on which a substantial start had already been made, would be out of reach of enemy bombing, while at that time Britain was exposed to constant air attack and was still threatened with the possibility of invasion. For these reasons Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt agreed that it was wise to carry on the project here. We now have two great plants and many lesser works devoted to the production of atomic power. Employment during peak construction numbered 125,000 and over 65,000 individuals are even now engaged in operating the plants. Many have worked there for two and a half years. Few know what they have been producing. They see great quantities of material going in and they see nothing coming out of those plants, for the physical size of the explosive charge is exceedingly small. We have spent two billion dollars on the greatest scientific gamble in history – and won.
But the greatest marvel is not the size of the enterprise, its secrecy, nor its cost, but the achievement of scientific brains in putting together infinitely complex pieces of knowledge held by many men in different fields of science into a workable plan. And hardly less marvelous has been the capacity of industry to design, and of labor to operate, the machines and methods to do things never done before so that the brain child of many minds came forth in physical shape and performed as it was supposed to do. Both science and industry worked under the direction of the United States Army, which achieved a unique success in managing so diverse a problem in the advancement of knowledge in an amazingly short time. It is doubtful if such another combination could be got together in the world. What has been done is the greatest achievement of organized science in history. It was done under high pressure and without failure.
We are now prepared to obliterate more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the Japanese have above ground in any city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, and their communications. Let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan’s power to make war.
It was to spare the Japanese people from utter destruction that the ultimatum of July 26 was issued at Potsdam. Their leaders promptly rejected that ultimatum. If they do not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen and with the fighting skill of which they are already well aware.
The Secretary of War, who has kept in personal touch with all phases of the project, will immediately make public a statement giving further details.
His statement will give facts concerning the sites at Oak Ridge near Knoxville, Tennessee, and at Richland near Pasco, Washington, and an installation near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although the workers at the sites have been making materials to be used in producing the greatest destructive force in history they have not themselves been in danger beyond that of many other occupations, for the utmost care has been taken of their safety.
The fact that we can release atomic energy ushers in a new era in man’s understanding of nature’s forces. Atomic energy may in the future supplement the power that now comes from coal, oil, and falling water, but at present it cannot be produced on a basis to compete with them commercially. Before that comes there must be a long period of intensive research.
It has never been the habit of the scientists of this country or the policy of this Government to withhold from the world scientific knowledge. Normally, therefore, everything about the work with atomic energy would be made public.
But under present circumstances it is not intended to divulge the technical processes of production or all the military applications, pending further examination of possible methods of protecting us and the rest of the world from the danger of sudden destruction.
I shall recommend that the Congress of the United States consider promptly the establishment of an appropriate commission to control the production and use of atomic power within the United States. I shall give further consideration and make further recommendations to the Congress as to how atomic power can become a powerful and forceful influence towards the maintenance of world peace.
[Cross-posted at RedState]
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Co-founder of the National Speleological Society Bill Stephenson once said of the stunning environment found in the Caverns of Sonora that “…its beauty cannot be exaggerated, even by Texans”. It’s a wry comment on our propensity to make everything seem bigger in Texas but in this National Natural Landmark’s case, the statement happens to be true. The Caverns of Sonora formed approximately two million years ago when underground sulfuric gases rose through faults in limestone. Water percolated into the caverns over millennia creating some of the most beautiful, known cave formations in the country. A two-mile interpretive tour takes visitors 155 feet deep into the earth through narrow passageways layered with stalagmites and stalactites of innumerable shapes and sizes. The caverns remain seventy-one degrees year-round and 95% of the formations are considered active, meaning the processes that created the formations continue to add to existing forms as well as creating new ones. The Caverns of Sonora site, located on private ranchlands, was first discovered when a dog chased a raccoon into a twenty-inch opening in the ground. The site offers group and specialty tours of the caverns as well as other activities like gemstone panning, orienteering, and rope techniques. Camping, both tent and RV, are also available…above ground, of course.
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Question by Alexis: chemistry reaction problem?? about mass? please help! thanks!?
An experiment that led to the formation of the new field of organic chemistry involved the synthesis of urea, CN2H4O, by the controlled reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide.
2 NH3(g) + CO2(g) CN2H4O(s) + H2O(l)
What is the mass of urea when ammonia is reacted with 100. g of carbon dioxide?
Answer by jreut
Use dimensional analysis and stoichiometry:
100 g CO2 x 1 mole CO2 / 44 g CO2 x 1 mol urea / 1 mole CO2 x 60 g urea / 1 mole urea =
100/44*60= 136. grams of urea produced.
The first term, 100 g CO2, is your starting amount.
The second fraction, 1 mol CO2 / 44 g CO2, is a conversion factor that equals 1, since there are 44 g CO2 in a mole of CO2.
The third fraction is the stoichiometric ratio in the chemical equation: for every one mole of CO2 consumed, 1 mol of urea is formed.
The fourth fraction is the conversion factor back to grams.
Add your own answer in the comments!
- Installing Virtue OLED Board & Laser Eyes in Dye DM9 Paintball Gun
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CONGRESS OF THE ODD
CHARLES TRIPP – The Armless Wonder
During his time, Charles Tripp was not only the most well known armless wonder, he was also one of the most famous Canadian entertainers of his era. Born in Woodstock, Ontario on July 6, 1855 Charles Tripp owed much of his fame to his performance partner and dear friend Eli Bowen.
Charles Tripp was born without arms. But, as a young boy, he quickly adapted and became phenomenally adept at using his legs and feet as competently as a fully formed man would use their arms and hands. He was never exhibited during his youth but was well known locally for performing rather mundane daily tasks in extraordinary ways.
As a young man, Charles Tripp grew restless in his small hometown. As fortune would have it, at the age of seventeen, Charles heard of a showman in New York who exhibited special people with unusual talents. Seeing this as his opportunity for fame and fortune Charles Tripp packed his bags and headed to New York determined to meet the showman.All he had was a name, but that proved to be more than enough. The showman was P.T. Barnum.
Upon his arrival in New York, Tripp located Barnum’s office and marched in unannounced. Barefoot, he demonstrated his morning routine by combing his hair, folding his clothes and putting his socks on. Barnum hired Tripp immediately. His career would last more than fifty years.
Tripp performed many feats during his various exhibitions. Initially, most were of the daily mundane variety. His daily shave was always a crowd pleaser.But as Tripp grew into a learned and well traveled man his repertoire reflected his maturity. Eventually Tripp became well known for his elegant penmanship, woodcarving, paper crafts, painting and photography.
Charles Tripp spent the bulk of his career touring with Barnum and eventually Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey shows. Tripp was able to command as much as $200 a week during these tours, a figure supplemented by sales of his autographed cabinet cards.
It was during his partnership with Eli Bowen that Charles Tripp was truly able to attract public attention. Pairing an armless man with a legless one was surely a stroke of showman brilliance but it was a moment of jovial playfulness that would cement Tripp and Bowen into history. While the pair posed for promotional photographs one of them spotted a tandem bicycle. In no time at all the two gents not only mounted the bicycle-built-for-two, but rode off together laughing as boys would. The photographer quickly snapped the pair mid-ride and the resulting surreal photograph still draws perplexed smiles.
Tripp married late in life, in his early seventies. Following the marriage he limited his touring to North American dates. Aided by his wife, Charles Tripp toured until the day he died. In January of 1930 Tripp passed away due to asthma in Salisbury, North Carolina.
He was seventy-four years old.
image: Photo of Charles Tripp circa early 1890′s by Eisenmann. Signature on reverse.
image: Eli Bowen and Charles Tripp’s famous tandem bicycle photograph.
© 2008 – 2012, J Tithonus Pednaud. All rights reserved.
J Tithonus Pednaud has dedicated this site to highlighting the remarkable lives of those born exceedingly different. These so-called freaks and human oddities stand as uplifting testaments to human spirit and serve as inspiring examples of human tenacity.
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The Pew Research Center has recently come out with its “Internet’s Broader Role in Campaign 2008” report. This report’s findings are based on the results of a survey the Center conducted in December 2007 amongst 1430 American adults. The data is fascinating and I wanted to share of its most intriguing findings with you.
Summary of Findings:
1) The internet is becoming one of the leading sources for news about the presidential campaign for all Americans. 24% of Americans say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage from respondents in the 2004 campaign (13%) and almost triple the percentage found in the 2000 campaign (9%).
2) The internet has become a leading source of campaign news for young Americans. 42% of those ages 18 to 29 say they regularly learn about the campaign from the internet. In 2004, only 20% of this demographic group said that they got such news from the internet.
An interesting side note, since young Americans find their campaign news online as opposed to older Americans who are more likely to receive their news from traditional sources, it’s definitely worth examining how these trends may affect the different age groups’ voting decisions and opinions.
3) Amongst those Americans who rely on the internet for their news, MSNBC, CNN, and Yahoo News are the most popular sites. However, it’s interesting to note that 3% turn to MySpace and 2% turn to YouTube. Roughly four-in-ten people under age 30 (41%) have watched at least one campaign video online, compared with 20% of those ages 30 and older.
4) 27% of Americans younger than age 30 – including 37% of those ages 18-24 – have said that they received campaign news from social networking sites. This fact is true only when we look at the young demographic; 4% of Americans in their 30s, and 1% of those ages 40 and older, have received information about the campaign in this manner.
TV Still #1 Information Source But Slipping
26% of Americans mention the internet either first or second as their main source of election news. Among young Americans, the internet is gaining popularity as a main source for election news while television is losing its popularity. In 2004, 75% of those ages 18 to 29 cited television and only 21% cited the internet as their main source for campaign news. Today those numbers have changed. 60% of this age group cite Television and 46% cite the internet as their primary source for election news.
Top Three Election News Sites and the Long Tail
While 54% of American users get their campaign news from MSNBC, CNN and Yahoo, there is also a very long tail of other such online sources. While only 13 individual websites were named by 1% or more of the people who get campaign news online, hundreds of individual websites were named by fewer than 1%.
29% of those Americans who get news online cite one of these smaller websites as a source of campaign information. This means that for every person getting campaign news from a site like MSNBC, there is a person getting campaign news from one of these long tail websites. Such websites may represent local newspapers, TV stations and radio stations sites. However, according to the findings, a large percentage of these sites are internet news sites – politically oriented or otherwise.
Perhaps many of these sites are political blogs written by citizens. It would be interesting to examine how the emergence of such blogs has changed the way we view politics and what kind of effect this has had on our political opinions and voting decisions.
Younger Americans cite more election information sources than older Americans. MySpace is cited by 8% of the 18-29 age group, less than 1% of those ages 30 and over, and the pattern for YouTube is almost identical.
Online Campaign Activities
As we have seen, all the candidates used the Web in order to communicate their political messages to the public.
About one-in-six Americans (16%) have sent or received emails with friends and family regarding candidates and the campaign, and 14% have received email messages from political groups or organizations about the campaign.
Most candidates also used social networks to communicate with their audiences.
Social Networking Sites
Since about one-in-five Americans (22%) (and two-thirds of Americans ages 18-29) is a member in an online social networking site such as MySpace or Facebook, candidates needed to use such networks to deliver their messages to the public. These findings emphasize the relevance and strength of such online communities.
27% of younger Americans (including 37% of those ages 18-24) say that they have received information about candidates and the campaign from them on social networking sites. Nearly one-in-ten of people under age 30 (8%) say that they have become a friend of one of the candidates on a site. The numbers are even higher for each of these activities amongst young registered voters.
Older voters have been found to be less politically active on social networks. About one-in-five Americans ages 30-39 (21%) use social networking sites, but just 4% in this age group say that they have received campaign information from those sites; 3% have become friends with a candidate.
The Strength of Online Videos
Online videos have played a huge part in this election campaign. 24% of Americans say they have seen either a speech, interview, commercial, or debate online. 41% of those under age 30 have viewed some sort of video online. The percentage goes down as the age groups get older, but even amongst those ages 65 and older, 7% have seen an election video online.
Views of Political Bias on the Web
13% of web users say there are more news websites and blogs that favor the Democrats, while 6% of users say more sites favor the Republicans. However the general view (45%) is that there about equal numbers of news and opinion websites on both sides.
Since 36% of web users didn’t even respond to the question, it seems that about 81% don’t perceive of any general political tilt on the internet. These same findings were found amongst those respondents who get most of their campaign news online.
It’s good to see that people, especially those who use the internet as their main news source, feel that they get an equal amount of information on the Web regarding both sides. This presents the Web as an increasingly relevant source of news.
Overall I think these findings show the increasing importance of the Web as a news source and the significance of social sites as a tool for politicians to deliver their messages to the public. There is incredible power vested within sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. When making voting decisions, people will take into account how the candidates are represented on each of these platforms. To illustrate this point, the findings even tell the story of Senator George Allen who had lost the the 2006 race for the U.S. Senate seat in Virginia due to a YouTube video which circulated at the time showing him mocking an Indian-American campaign worker. Today we are able to receive more news from more sources than ever before and hopefully this should also allow us to make more calculated and intelligent voting decisions.
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The countries of northern Europe have agreed to build a huge network of renewables that will connect offshore wind farms in northern Scotland to solar panels in Germany to wave power and hydroelectricity in Scandinavia.
Offshore wind projects in Europe are expected to generate more than 100 gigawatts of energy, about ten percent of the continent’s demands, in coming years, roughly equivalent to a hundred large coal plants. But unpredictable weather patterns can hamper their ability to deliver reliable energy, and national power grids are too weak to overcome fluctuations in production and demand.
Nine nations, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK, have joined forces to lay undersea cables beneath the North Sea in the coming decade. The grid will act as a gigantic battery, storing electricity when demand is reduced.
The North Sea grid could connect to a much larger renewable plan that was launched in Germany last year. The Desertec Industrial Initiative is a $400 billion scheme that aims to deliver 15 percent of Europe’s electricity by 2050 from southern Europe and North Africa. Concentrated solar power will be delivered by power lines that stretch across the Sahara and the Mediterranean. Scientists in the European Commission estimate that just 0.3 percent of the light falling on the deserts of the Sahara and Middle East would be enough to meet all of Europe’s energy needs.
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This is the century of the economic boom. India itself has seen a growth rate of 9 per cent in the previous fiscal. There is a hurry to reap as many benefits in as little time as possible. We want our production capacity to escalate and our profits to skyrocket in the industrial sector, infrastructural sector, manufacturing sector, etc.
We want the fastest, most efficient and convenient sources of transport to facilitate our development. We want the best machines to churn out goods at the speed of sound. We require the best communication facilities, the best buildings, the best bridges. Growth, development and profit – these are the motivational forces in today’s fast paced world.
All the demands of developing and developed nations require the manipulation of natural resources. No economy can survive without coal, petroleum, electricity, wood and steel. Industries cannot run until they are fed these precious and stealthily depleting resources. It is in demanding times like the present that the world has become aware of how these resources are fast depleting. If these resources are not utilized efficiently, soon a day will come when our future generations will not even have drinking water, let alone all the other facilities we take for granted.
Fossil fuels, which satiate the hunger for resources in most economically progressing nations, are non-renewable and unsustainable. Already, their production has declined and they are moving towards exhaustion. Although fossil fuels are being generated continuously, we are using them at a rate 100,000 faster than they are renewed. Mother Nature can definitely not enhance her production capacity to meet our ever-increasing need of these elixirs of industrial era. In the twentieth century, the use of fossil fuels saw a twenty-fold increase. Countries like USA, Germany, Japan, China, Canada etc consume the maximum energy from these resources. The energy consumption of the USA is approximately 11.4Kw per person, and that of Japan and Germany is 6Kw per person, while that of a country like India is a megre 0.5Kw per person.
The world is now confronted with the challenge of optimizing the use of the currently available resources in a way to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising on the requirements of the future generation. To add to this, now it is also imperative that our fragile environment suffers the least damage possible. In more technical terms, sustainable development is the need of the hour.
Sustainable development is the only way we can keep mother nature, our growth hungry economies and our very demanding present generation and future lineage happy and smiling.
Sustainable development is defined by the Brundtland Commission as “development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The field of sustainable development is broadly categorized into the following dimensions: social, economic, environmental and institutional. The future of our planet depends on our use of the available resources. This does not mean that we stall all progress to save the resources for our future generation. This calls for efficient use of non-renewable resources. Wastage of such resources must be minimized and alternative sources should be made more feasible for even the common man. By shifting the energy burden from non-renewable to renewable resources, we can stand up to the challenges of the future.
A lot can be done using Biomass, biofuels, hydroelectric energy, tidal energy, nuclear energy, fusion power, wind power, solar power, and geothermal energy. These are welcome options to ease the burden on our over pressed fossil fuels. These very inviting options are, infact, keeping our scientists busy as they try to find out different ways in which we can use these inexhaustible powerhouses of energy to our advantage.
Hydroelectric energy serves as an alternative way of generating electricity. The gravitational descant of a river is compressed to a dam or flume. At high pressure, this is used to turn gigantic turbines which in turn produce electricity. This way we can spare some of the coal which would have otherwise been used for this very process.
Who would have thought that that stinky, disgusting garbage would be such an amazing friend to us in the time of need? Biomass involves using garbage, vegetable matter to produce electricity. On decomposing, garbage releases methane (the root cause of all the stench) which is captured in pipes and can later on be used to produce electricity. Garbage can aptly be called a blessing in disguise!
Nuclear energy is the king of all alternate sources of energy. By using nuclear fission, electricity can be generated. In fact, by using 1kg of uranium or thorium energy, equivalent to 3.5 million kg of coal can be produced. This is an area in which extensive research and development is being carried out. Since nuclear energy does not release any polluting gases like carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide, hence no acid rain or global warming. The limiting factor, which is keeping nuclear energy from being the mother of all energy sources, is that setting up a nuclear plant which meets the safety norms requires huge capital investments. Disposing off the toxic nuclear waste is also a problem. It will still be some time before the world can confidently rely on nuclear energy.
Wind energy is also being harnessed to produce electricity. But this form also has its shortfalls. The wind is rather unpredictable. Also, a large land area is required to set up the windmills. The location and type of turbines used in this process can adversely affect bird migration patterns.
The sun god has also not stayed behind. Its power is also being used to generate electricity and on a smaller scale, to cook food, heat water etc. The development of photovoltaic and solar cells is quite an expensive operation. Yet, solar energy is being seen as a very attractive source of energy.
There are many other sources which are contributing in their own way to save us from the day of doom. In addition, many new experiments are being carried out to minimize the use of fossil fuels and save the environment from degradation. Battery powered vehicles are being created. In fact in Agra, only battery powered locomotives are allowed in the vicinity of the Tag Mahal.These vehicles use a battery which is charged from a grid when the vehicle is not in use.
Many more such innovations are under way every hour of the day. Man, the sublime being, will not give up so easily. He plans to face the threat of depleting resources which looms large by innovating, experimenting and manipulating alternative energy sources so that we don’t have to halt either our progress or compromise on that of our progeny.
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The following treatment approaches are often effective for treating social anxiety disorder . You can learn these techniques during counseling or treatment by a mental health provider.
Cognitive-behavior therapy is very useful in treating social anxiety disorder. The central component of this treatment is exposure therapy or systematic desensitization, which involves helping you to gradually become more comfortable with situations that frighten you.
The exposure process often involves three stages.
- The first stage involves introducing you to the feared situation.
- The second stage is to increase the risk for disapproval in that situation. This builds your confidence that you can handle rejection or criticism.
- The third stage involves learning techniques to cope with disapproval. In this stage, you imagine your worst fears and are encouraged to develop constructive responses to those fears.
Cognitive-behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder also includes anxiety management training—teaching you techniques such as deep breathing, relaxation exercises, or meditation to help control your level of anxiety. Another important aspect of treatment is called cognitive restructuring, which will help you to identify unrealistic thoughts and develop more realistic expectations about the likelihood of danger in social situations. The duration of this treatment varies from one to four months. Approximately 50% of the patients show symptomatic improvement.
Other Types of Therapy
You can also benefit from supportive therapy, such as group therapy , which helps you learn how to interact comfortably with other people. Couples or family therapy can help to educate your significant others about the disorder. You may also benefit from social skills training.
The idea behind this type of psychotherapy is that symptoms of social anxiety disorder may be the result of mental processes which the patient is not aware of. The psychiatrist or clinical psychologist could help the patient clarify these mental processes, thus relieving their symptoms. The duration of treatment is approximately 12 weeks.
Any program to relieve stress and anxiety (such as yoga , meditation , exercise , hypnosis , learning to delegate work) and assertiveness training will help to relieve the anxiety that is felt in various social situations. These stressing relief techniques could be added to cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 11/2012 -
- Update Date: 11/26/2012 -
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April 29, 2011 > There be fossils here
There be fossils here
By William Marshak
Yes, there really is a natural history museum in Fremont. Although it exists on the periphery of consciousness of many Tri-City area residents, each year the museum attracts thousands of visitors including children from a wide swath of Northern California school systems. The Children's Natural History Museum is a testament to the perseverance of its director, Dr. Joyce Blueford and houses the efforts of a group of "Boy Paleontologists" who helped make fossils found in the Fremont area famous. In fact, a geologic "stage" of about 1.8 million - 300,000 years BP (Before Present) is named for Irvington... the Irvingtonian North American Stage (Era).
For over a million years, fossils of mammoths, sabertooth cats, mastodons, sloths and other large mammals lay buried in the Fremont foothills. A group of "Boy Paleontologists" under the direction of a science teacher, Wesley Gordon, created a national sensation in the 1940s as they uncovered bones from the beginning of the Ice Age (Pleistocene epoch) near the community of Irvington. These "finds" eventually found their way to the museum within a few miles of their discovery.
Managed by Math/Science Nucleus, the Children's Natural History Museum has recently expanded in size and includes exhibits that display fossils, a "stardome" and "walk though time," shells, rocks and tools of early humans. And in the "Hall of Small Wonders," visitors can peek into a micro world of sea creatures. A museum shop allows visitors to expand their experience with mementos of their visit and continue exploration of the natural world through books, games, gadgets and experiments.
Leadership Fremont is a "class" formed annually by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce to learn more about their community and take an active role in its progress. Speaking for this year's group, Dr. Vera Packard noted, "It's been an amazing ride!" Each class picks a project to "engage and enhance" the community. A brainstorming discussion, moderated by Team Manager Kathy Hunt, resulted in a desire to work on something that involved children, education and created a legacy for future generations.
This year's Leadership Fremont class selected the Children's Natural History Museum as its work project, designing and supporting the construction of a patio adjacent to the museum building for lunch/snack breaks and outdoor activities. Blueford said that attendance at the museum could double if a safe and comfortable place for snacks and lunch could be found on the museum grounds. That was all that the Leadership group needed to hear; they got to work planning, organizing, fundraising and finding a construction partner. Amazed at the community's response to appeals for assistance, Packard was overwhelmed by the generosity of local companies and individuals proving the adage, "The first attitude we need in life is the attitude of gratitude."
Some of those who supported the project were acknowledged at a ribbon cutting event Wednesday, April 20. They include: Cargill Salt, Leadership members, Washington Hospital Healthcare, Fremont Police Association, Kaiser Permanente, Allied Waste of Alameda County, Advanced Micro Devices, Fremont Firefighters Association, Kevin & Ellen Woods, William Jennings, Corbin Willits Systems, Inc., Royal Ambulance, Wesley Liu and Stahl Companies. A special "Thank You" was extended to Greg Robillard of Robillard Construction for his generous assistance building the patio. Additional funds are still needed to install a floor of recycled material for the patio.
One of the Boy Paleontologists, Phil Gordon interrupted a trip to Southern California, driving all night to attend the ceremonies marking completion of the project. Blueford noted, "This is the first time I have allowed an outside group to do everything." Although hesitant at first, standing under the trellis of the new area, she concluded "I am totally convinced that the community is ready to help the Math/Science Nucleus provide even more services; I want to applaud the Leadership Fremont Class of 2011."
California Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski was present to issue a proclamation recognizing the accomplishments of the Math/Science Nucleus. Other dignitaries in attendance included Fremont Unified School District Boardmember Lara York and Superintendent Dr. Jim Morris, Chamber of Commerce CEO Cindy Bonoir and chamber representatives Nina Moore and K.K. Kaneshiro. Bonoir spoke of the commitment of the business community, especially members of Leadership Fremont classes, to reach out and help make their community successful. She summarized class efforts saying, "All individuals in Leadership Fremont make a big commitment - a nine month commitment - to this program. This year, they have put a lot of time and effort into what has created an environment where kids can learn, expand their knowledge and grow as individuals."
Members of the 2011 Leadership Fremont class include: Walt Birkedahl,
Mike Engle, Michelle Griese, Hasieb Lemar, Kathy Hunt, Toni Lyons, Chris Jung, Mike Moore and Vera Packard
Children's Natural History Museum
4074 Eggers Drive, Fremont
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The Town of Troy, like the rest of Montgomery County, was settled primarily by Scottish immigrants. In 1852, Angus McCaskill, one of the early settlers, donated a tract of 50 acres to the community to serve as the town proper. Until a legislative decree changed the name, the community was know as West's Oldfield. That same decree also located the courthouse in the new community and made Troy the business center of a thriving county.
The town takes its name from John B. Troy, a popular attorney and solicitor of the judicial district. Legend has it that the streets of Troy are paved with solid gold. When the streets were being paved, fill dirt was brought in from the gold mines in Eldorado, a once thriving mining community north of the town. Local citizens with a sharp eye found gold nuggets in the streets of the city. Even today, Troy still represents a golden opportunity for its citizens and visitors.
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|Home / Headlines / Why a Water Crisis Exists in Gaza|
Why a Water Crisis Exists in Gaza
"With current, desperate conditions and the violence that has caused severe damage to Palestinian infrastructure why should Palestinians have to pay for a natural resource that should already be available to them?"
Gaza has a water crisis. Most people in the international community do not know the details as to why it exists and the root causes of the resource deficiency.
For the more than 1.4 million Palestinians who live in Gaza water shortages and water deterioration affects their health. Moreover, the water crisis creates agricultural, economic, social, and political instabilities that have regional ramifications. Most of the existing problems are a direct and indirect result of Israeli policy.
If the resource inequalities are not rectified soon, the Middle East will be facing an irreversible human and environmental disaster.
Water Resources, Consumption and Distribution – Facts and Figures
Gaza has a sub-Aquifer, which is a part of the Coastal Aquifer (that lies along “…the Mediterranean coastline of Israel and the Gaza Strip.)” One estimate shows the people of Gaza over abstract (over-pump) between 120 – 140 million cubic meters (MCM) of water from the coastal aquifer per year, but the sustainable yield of the Gaza sub-aquifer is between 50 – 60 MCM/yr. One way to interpret sustainable yield is that it is the amount of water that can be extracted from the aquifer annually, while still maintaining ground water levels and chemical composition (quality). Scientists such as hydrographers, hydrogeologists, hydrologists, and ecologists perform volumetric and qualitative measurements of water resources to not only make scientific determinations but future projections.
Another estimate states that the water exploitation (over-pumping) is around 155 MCM/yr, but the natural (such as rainwater) and anthropogenic (agricultural return flow and waste water) replenishments total 87 MCM/yr. All of these scientific figures reveal that Gaza has a current water deficit of approximately 68 – 90 MCM/yr.
In addition, population density determines how much water is needed within a geopolitical area, even if the hydrogeological and topographical landscape does not have the natural resource capacity to satisfy the number of people living there. “The Gaza Strip is also one of the most densely populated areas in the world…” and there are approximately 3,500 people per square km.
With a growing population expected to exceed 2.3 million by mid-2010 there will be over 5,800 people per square km. As a result of population increases the water deficit will be more exacerbated if more water and resource infrastructure are not in effect within the next year.
“The present situation concerning water availability and quality in Gaza is little short of catastrophic,” Dr. Shaddad Attili explains. Attili is the Palestinian Authority’s policy advisor for water and environment. “As a result of such concerns the water situation in Gaza has been recognized for some years as a critically important issue, but the situation continues to worsen inexorably over time.”
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for minimal water consumption of 100 liters per capita per day (l/c/d) for a quality level of health ; Attili shared that Palestinians average 50 -70 liters (l/c/d). Moreover, Israeli capita usage averages 400 l/d and Israel settlers in the Palestinian Occupied Territories average 800 l/c/d. Thus, Israelis average almost five times more water consumption than Palestinians.
For the 3.7 million Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank they consume approximately 260-290 MCM/yr; and this figure includes domestic, agricultural and industrial consumption. However, 6.4 million Israelis have a total water consumption of 2,129 MCM/yr.
“A large groundwater aquifer basin underlies the West Bank and supplies high quality water to both Israelis and Palestinians. It is composed of three sub aquifers: the Western, the Eastern and the North-eastern Aquifer Basins.” Since Israel controls the water, they allow Palestinians in the West Bank 114 MCM/yr only – they have to purchase another 30-40 MCM/yr for the West Bankers and 4 MCM/yr for Gazans from Mekorot, the Israeli water company.
The Palestinian Hydrology Group established the Water and Sanitation Hygiene Monitoring Project where people conducted field surveys from over 640 Palestinian communities. Their reports reveal that Mekorot “…has seriously reduced the quantities. In many cases Mekorot has completely stopped the provision of water to them altogether. Many of the surveyed Palestinian communities that still get some water from Mekorot receive insufficient quantity, and have expressed their fear that Mekorot will completely stop providing water to them.”
When these communities cannot rely on Mekorot water service, they depend on other options, such as rainfall in community water cisterns - if they are available and accessible.
In Gaza, Palestinians consume roughly 150 MCM/yr of which around 85 MCM is due to over abstraction of the Gaza Aquifer. How are Palestinians over-pumping the aquifer? Attili reports there are over 4,200 wells within Gaza. Although most of the wells are used for agricultural purposes, there are 2,400 illegal wells. Moreover, illegal welling drains the already stressed aquifer.
How is the exploitation of the water table affecting the Coastal Aquifer? It is increasing the rate at which saline ground water naturally flows from the eastern part of the Coastal Aquifer toward Gaza, which is salinizing the freshwater in the western part of the aquifer at an accelerated pace. Moreover the study concluded: “If pumping continues at these unsustainable rates, it will destroy the aquifer’s capacity to resist sea water intrusion from the west and saline ground water from the east, thereby making it totally unsuitable for human consumption or for irrigated agriculture with the next few decades.”
The exploitation of the aquifer has damaged the water’s quality already. Attili reports 70 per cent of the aquifer’s water is brackish water: saline water due to over-abstraction.
Unfortunately, as there is no alternative, Palestinians are drinking this water and they are experiencing health problems.
Water Chemical Composition and How it Impacts Human Health
WHO established international standards for salt levels of chemical compounds in water, such as nitrate and chloride. For safe and healthy human consumption of drinking water these salt compounds cannot exceed the WHO guidelines. For nitrate, the WHO standard is 50 mg/l and for chloride it is 250 mg/l. The Gaza aquifer has nitrate levels over 100 mg/l and chloride levels averaging 1000 mg/l. How are these unsafe levels affecting the health of Palestinians?
The following are some of the findings by an author who compiled health problems from numerous publications. The health problems are: 50 per cent of Gaza’s children have a parasitic infection; children and adults suffer from diarrhea; high chloride levels causes kidney disease; consumption of saline water leads to salt levels in humans that causes kidney dysfunction, heart failure, neurological symptoms, lethargy, and high blood pressure; excessive levels of fluoride are toxic, causing gastritis, ulcers, kidney failure, bone fluorisis (bone fractures and crippling), and teeth fluorsis (black lines around gums and tooth decay); and high nitrate levels causes “blue baby” syndrome, also know as methaemoglobinaemia and gastric cancer.
Since people do not have other water alternatives they consume the brackish water for daily survival. Palestinians have no other options currently and the current numerical figures show the demand for water exceeds the water supply. As long as the Middle East and the international community does not address the root causes of the water crisis and the impact it is having on the health of 1.4 M people; then the Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the people living in neighboring Arab states who share co-riparian rights to natural water resources in the region will continue experiencing escalating geopolitical instability.
When the shared aquifers can no longer meet the future needs of the Israelis and Palestinians using it, then regional civil war is inevitable.
Before exploring the expert’s solutions that could prevent future civil war a brief examination into the effects of military occupation on Palestinians’ access to water will help readers understand the obstacles Palestinians face for this vital, life need.
How Occupation Affects Palestinians Access to Water
Palestinians access water from wells, but they also have water springs, tankers, roof tanks, cisterns, and reservoirs. Unfortunately, over 70 per cent of the people in Gaza live in poverty , so most people cannot afford to replace damaged tankers, let alone have money to pay water bills. In fact, “numerous families suffer from a lack of funds to pay for wastewater evacuation tankers. The resulting pollution is having a direct negative effect on the state of sanitation and hygiene.”
How much waste water is in the aquifer? More than 30 MCM returns to the aquifer without any prior treatment, therefore polluting it. When open waste water and water containing fertilizer for irrigating crops and pesticides has not been subjected to purification it drains into the ground water. Hence, it contaminates the existing water supply.
As a sidebar to the health ailments discussed in the previous section, human consumption of water with “…pesticides can lead to paralysis, heart failure, and gradual damage to the nervous system.” These problems illustrate the importance of ground, roof and wastewater tankers to people living with an archaic water network in the Mediterranean region.
Moreover, what compounds Palestinian health problems is the violence they are subjected to by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers. For example in December 2004, The Khan Younis and Rafah Governorates experienced an Israeli incursion that resulted in: “destruction of rainwater harvesting ponds and agricultural well near Morag settlement. This includes eight green houses and 24 dunums that were damaged…” and throughout the incursion “…four wells located near Gosh Katif settlement compound were maintained with difficulties by the maintenance team….were risking their lives since the Israeli forces were prohibiting any one from reaching the area.”
This violence is not isolated to incursions because the field survey went on to explain that a municipal well in Al Naser that served two communities with a population of 13,000 had been closed for three months. As a result, “…the communities are forced to buy water from the nearby agricultural wells.” When Palestinians approached Israeli forces to arrange for access to the well “…Israeli forces forced them to go back after firing on them.”
Since Israel transferred the Israeli settlers out of Gaza and into the West Bank during the Gaza Withdrawal in August 2005 some people may think that problems with violence between Israelis and Palestinians no longer exist in Gaza. However, Palestinians still live under occupation because Israeli forces still control all entry points (checkpoints), borders and border crossings, as well as sea and air space. In essence, Israeli soldiers decide who and what flows in and out of Gaza.
The other dimension of occupation that may not come to mind immediately is the fact that 38 years of occupation left a path of destruction in Gaza. A recent survey by a well-known Palestinian political figure and doctor explains there are “…charred and uprooted palm and fruit trees, acres of fields and dozens of kilometers of roads and infrastructure bulldozed, water mains ploughed out and electric lines torn down.” In addition, the tons of sand Israelis removed before leaving the settlements will intensify the sea water intrusion of the aquifer already taking place. Therefore the Gaza Withdrawal caused considerable environmental damage that Palestinians have to take into account when rebuilding the area.
By the way, the 7.9 MCM/yr of water the former Israeli settlers of Gaza were consuming consisted of 4.1 MCM from the aquifer and another 3.8 MCM transported by Mekorot at a subsidized price. Palestinians have the opportunity to purchase the 3.8 MCM at 3 NIS (.67 U.S. cents) per cubic meter. How much is the annual cost? The Palestinian Water Authority would have to spend NIS $11.4 M or U.S. $2.6 M for the transport of Mekorot water to Gaza’s borders.
With current, desperate conditions and the violence that has caused severe damage to Palestinian infrastructure why should Palestinians have to pay for a natural resource that should already be available to them?
The next and final section will explore briefly other, viable solutions to Gaza’s water crisis.
Water Solutions from the Experts
When internecine, political entities are trying to reestablish diplomatic relations, financial compensation acknowledges committed crimes and demonstrates a commitment to peace building. The facts illustrate that Israeli policy has caused severe damage to Palestinian infrastructure and Palestinians should receive reparations for this destruction. Payment for these damages is sine qua non if there is going to be resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
With regards to equipment relating to Palestinian water networks the Israeli Government should pay the P.A. to replace what damage has been done to water sources. If an Israeli military base dumped its sewerage onto Palestinian farmland, then Israel is responsible for clean-up costs. Regardless of where they live now if settlers destroyed wells and cisterns then the Israeli Government should pay for the repairs. If an Israeli soldier fired gunshots that destroyed a Palestinian family’s water tanks, then the Israeli Government should give them compensation for damages to their personal property.
With regards to water solutions, an article published recently that I quoted earlier states that the Coastal Aquifer “…could serve as a source of environmental peacemaking” since Israel is the upstream user of this aquifer and the P.A. is the downstream user. Their proposal is that Israel continues pumping the groundwater because it will decrease the salinization in the western part of the aquifer: Gaza. Moreover, they explain that Palestinians should cease pumping the aquifer because over-pumping it causes sea water intrusion. They suggest desalination plants as alternative water sources.
According to Attili this is not the shortcut way to solve the problem. Water rights should be solved based on international standards. Gaza is not part of the moon; it is the integral portion of the Palestinian state that is composed of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Reallocation of the available resources including the Jordan River Basin is the solution.
This will enable both Israelis and Palestinians to sustainable management of these shared resources. It will then enable the Palestinians themselves to proper of water between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Attili further explained that it is inevitable that the Gaza water crisis solution on the medium term consists of transferring part of the Palestinian rightful share from the Jordan River to Gaza.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) began building a regional desalination facility in Gaza costing US $70 M and the project allocated another $60 M for a future North-South carrier, which would run throughout Gaza. In 2003, the project halted because three American personnel were killed.
Yet Attili emphasizes “…they (the plant and carrier) are critically required and construction must be recommenced without delay.” He explains that the proposed water carrier for construction will address the 60 per cent network loss of water they are experiencing presently. For instance, water leakages in conduits and pipes. Moreover, the P.A.’s Ministry of Planning map, which is a summary of the Coastal Aquifer Management Program (CAMP), a project funded by the USAID, the CAMP project is proposing the construction of three wastewater treatment plants that will address water consumption for agricultural and industrial purposes. Although there are nine existing ground tanks the CAMP sees the need for an additional 16 ground tanks. The construction of the water carrier will connect all ground tanks, booster pump stations and cities throughout the Gaza Strip. However, without funding from the international donor community, construction is at a standstill. The end result is that the postponed projects prevent viable solutions from resolving a dire situation.
One major water source in the region is the Jordan River Basin. The co-riparians of the Jordan River are: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. According to Attili, Palestinians have not had access to the Jordan River since 1967 and they are the most stressed co-riparians in the region. Jordanians are not far behind. He further explained that “…Israel violates the international law by diverting the river through the national water carrier.”
Some experts agree that joint management of the water in the region will enable government leadership to meet the needs of their people. Moreover, they concluded that international law with regards to water distribution should be based on “…the equitable and reasonable allocation of share watercourses; the avoidance of significant harm; and the need of prior notification of any development plans which could affect shared watercourses.”
It is in the best interests of the riparian parties to manage water resources through a cooperative approach. If political entities work together then they can develop the most innovative, efficient and effective strategies to meet the needs of people while avoiding water exploitation and deterioration of water resources. The probability of environmental damage increases when a co-riparian user has no outside controls in place to balance its usage. Israel is an example of this real-life scenario. When co-riparians manage water together then they have shared responsibility and liability for what happens to the region’s society and environment.
By 2010, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) predicts the demand for water in Gaza will be a minimum of 300 MCM/yr, but the sustainable yield is 50 – 60 MCM/yr. The math reveals there is a 75 per cent gap of water to be had. What will people drink? Whether the Middle East will survive this impending human and environmental disaster is up to the political entities involved and the international community who can provide the much-needed funding to rectify this water crisis.
Some people say that life problems sometimes require that we look at situations from different angles. In this case, the reality in Gaza and the people’s future is not just above ground.
by courtesy & © 2005 Sonia Nettnin
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Fri August 17, 2012
When Pronouncing A Case Is Harder Than 'Roe V. Wade'
Originally published on Fri August 17, 2012 4:03 pm
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block. Now, a story about Supreme Court cases and how you pronounce their names. Some are easy enough, like Roe V. Wade, but others aren't so clear cut. Is it Bachy or Bachy, Padilla or Padilla? Many a case name has been mangled, so as we hear from NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, law professor Eugene Fidell set out to set the record straight.
NINA TOTENBERG, BYLINE: Fidell and his students at Yale Law School have published a pronunciation dictionary of Supreme Court cases. They've examined all of the case names going back to the beginning of the Republic and they've figured out - or tried to figure out - the correct pronunciations.
EUGENE FIDELL: It's been a marvelous sort of cook's tour of American legal history and also very reaffirming of the melting pot nature of our country because you see cases arise with American Indian names and every single ethnic group that's immigrated to our country.
TOTENBERG: In addition to Fidell, the project included six Yale law students and two linguistic experts. Their task combined all kinds of research skills. Take, for example, the 1916 case of Straus versus a company that spelled its name N-O-T-A-S-E-M-E. Notaseme, maybe? Italian? No. It was a hosiery company and the name was Notaseme, as in there are no seams in this hosiery.
Or how about N-O-F-I-R-E versus United States? No. It's not Spanish. It's Nofire versus United States. Mr. Nofire was a Cherokee Indian. The guiding principle for the Yale dictionary was the pronunciation used by the litigant if he or she were still alive. If not, in addition to other source material, the researchers would call up five people with the same name in the same region.
Take the name B-L-O-U-N-T. Was it Blount or Blount? Three pronounced it Blount, two Blount, so both pronunciations are listed. If the case was argued in the last half century, there's tape of the oral argument. The Supreme Court actually has forms that litigants are asked to fill out giving guidance as to how their name should be pronounced in court, but the forms are routinely destroyed and, in any event, the justices seemed to follow the guidance - shall we say - irregularly.
Here, for example, is Chief Justice Rehnquist introducing a major affirmative action case in 2003.
WILLIAM REHNQUIST: We'll hear argument now in number 02241, Barbara Grutter versus Lee Bollinger.
TOTENBERG: That's Barbara G-R-U-T-T-E-R. She actually pronounces it Grutter, but has long since accepted that the case name is known in the legal world as Grutter. And then there's the rare litigant who changes the pronunciation of his name. Accused terrorist Jose Padilla fit into that category. As far as can be determined, he was originally Padilla, then said his name should be pronounced Padilla and, by the end of his litigation, was back to Padilla.
Nina Totenberg - no, that's wrong. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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JACKSON, Tenn. – Dec. 3, 2002– In a classroom on Union’s campus, a biology professor is teaching students on the various types of insects found in the West Tennessee region. Down the hall, another class is learning about the different forms of bacteria that exist in the area. Still another class is learning how to put it all together in the form of genetic engineering – learning how to control insect populations with various bacterial methods while conserving the resources around us. Research biologists are being born.
Science, seen and unseen, plays a huge part in how we eat, work, travel, the clothes we wear, and even the furniture we sit on. In an increasing technological age that demands our dependence on the sciences, Union University is building for the future – designing a high-tech new science building that will serve the needs of future research chemists, pharmacists, nurses, doctors and engineers for decades to come and in turn, serve the West Tennessee community and beyond.
In a recent meeting in November with the university’s newly formed Board of Regents and science building advisors, the university announced the projected design of the new building which is the final piece of the first phase of Union’s campus master plan set in motion back in 1997. The groundbreaking, which will occur Friday, Dec. 6 across from the new performing arts building, Jennings Hall, is a significant event representing two years of hard work and thought which went into the initial planning of this important building.
Made initially possible by a $2 million gift from Roy White, $500,000 from Jackson-General Hospital and an anonymous pledge of $1.4 million, the two-story science building will house biology on the first floor and chemistry on the second – with other science areas such as physics, engineering and computer science to be added later. Project completion is scheduled for 2005 with classes to begin in the new building in August of that year.
“The sciences as much as anything else we do at Union symbolize the university’s commitment to excellence,” said Union President David S. Dockery at the meeting. “We are very excited about where this process is going and we are very hopeful for the next two years.”
According to TLM Associates, who were awarded the architectural and engineering aspects of the campus master plan, a science building is one of the more difficult buildings to design due to the complexity of the laboratories and the ventilation challenges. Union science faculty and administrators have spent many hours visiting other science facilities on other university campuses, and a nationally known consultant was hired who specializes in designing science buildings.
“We want to provide a space where serious learning can take place among science majors as well as an appropriate place for Union students who are taking the required science core classes,” said Union Provost Carla Sanderson.
Barbara McMillin, dean of Union’s College of Arts and Sciences, spoke highly of the work that the science faculty in particular has done so far in planning the building to meet class and curriculum specifications
“I cannot estimate the number of hours that this faculty has invested in getting us to this point,” said McMillin.
Thinking ahead for the future has also been an important part of the process, examining what equipment will be needed both now and later.
“If it’s a piece of equipment that sits on a counter, we need to know so that we will have the counter space for later down the road when we finally obtain that particular piece of equipment,” explained McMillin, pointing out the complicated details that must each be thought through one by one.
Special features of the 42,000 square foot building include a green house for the biology area, bulk storage areas for hazardous chemicals, large state-of-the-art lecture rooms, a microbiology/immunology lab, as well as lab areas for physiology and human gross anatomy, with storage for human cadavers that are used by the human gross anatomy class in the summer. The roof also has unique features for the special ventilation needs of the chemistry labs.
“Union has always been good as an academic resource and as an important part of this community,” said Madison County Mayor Jerry Gist. “Any addition can only serve to benefit West Tennessee. The latest figures, particularly showing the university’s economic impact on this region rang loud and clear – we’re looking forward to great things.”
Sara B. Horn,
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A calf muscle strain is a partial or complete tear of the small fibers of the muscles. The calf muscles are located in the back of your lower leg.
A calf muscle strain can be caused by:
- Stretching the calf muscles beyond the amount of tension they can withstand
- Suddenly putting stress on the calf muscles when they are not ready for the stress
- Using the calf muscles too much on a certain day
- A direct blow to the calf muscles
Factors that increase your chance of developing a calf muscle strain:
- Participation in sports that require bursts of speed. This includes track sports like running, hurdles, or long jump. Other sports include basketball, soccer, football, or rugby.
- Previous strain or injury to the area.
- Muscle fatigue.
- Tight calf muscles.
Symptoms may include:
- Pain and tenderness in the calf
- Stiffness in the calf muscles
- Weakness of the calf muscles
- Pain when pushing off the foot or standing on tiptoe
- Bruising on the calf
- Popping sensation as the muscle tears
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Muscle strains are graded according to their severity:
- Grade 1—Some stretching with micro-tearing of muscle fibers.
- Grade 2—Partial tearing of muscle fibers.
- Grade 3—Complete tearing of muscle fibers. This may also be called a rupture or avulsion.
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Recovery time ranges depending on the grade of your injury. Treatment steps may include:
Your muscle will need time to heal. Avoid activities that place extra stress on these muscles:
- Do not do activities that cause pain. This includes running, jumping, and weight lifting using the leg muscles.
- If normal walking hurts, shorten your stride.
- Do not play sports until your doctor has said it is safe to do so.
Apply an ice or a cold pack to the area for 15-20 minutes, four times a day, for several days after the injury. Do not apply the ice directly to your skin. Wrap the ice or cold pack in a towel.
To manage pain, your doctor may recommend:
- Over-the-counter medication, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen
- Topical pain medication—creams or patches that are applied to the skin
- Prescription pain relievers
Compression can help prevent more swelling. Your doctor may recommend an elastic compression bandage around your calf. Be careful not to wrap the bandage too tight.
Elevation can also help keep swelling down. Keep your leg higher than your heart as much as possible for the first 24 hours or so. A couple of days of elevation might be recommended for severe strains.
Use heat only when you are returning to physical activity. Heat may then be used before stretching or getting ready to play sports to help loosen the muscle.
When the acute pain is gone, start gentle stretching as recommended. Stay within pain limits. Hold each stretch for about 10 seconds and repeat six times. Stretch several times a day.
Begin strengthening exercises for your muscles as recommended.
If you are diagnosed with a calf muscle strain, follow your doctor's instructions.
To reduce the chance of calf muscle strain:
- Keep your calf muscles strong, so they can absorb the energy of sudden physical stress
- Learn the proper technique for exercise and sporting activities to decrease stress on all your muscles
- Reviewer: Kari Kassir, MD; Brian Randall, MD
- Review Date: 04/2013 -
- Update Date: 04/26/2013 -
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Vortex street off Revillagigedo Archipelago, North Pacific (afternoon overpass)
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
A braid of eddies behind the Revillagigedo Archipelago in the North Pacific have created the fanciful swirls in the clouds seen in these Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images, acquired by the Terra (morning) and Aqua (afternoon) satellites on May 13, 2004. The eddies form as air moving near the surface of the ocean is forced up and around the islands. The pattern became more distinct through the day, with the afternoon image showing a much clearer vortex street.
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As a boy, Joe like many kids of his age wanted to be a fighter pilot and at age 22 Joe was doing just that, storming through the skies of Germany with the 86th Fighter Bomber Squadron. It wasn’t long though before Joe was called upon to bigger things. Even before there was a space program he was planning for it, volunteering himself for experiments which would make even Bruce Banner wince with fear, most notably the human decelerator where he went from over 600 mph to zero in just a few feet, blistering his body and making his eyes bleed from the 41g he pulled in breaking.
Thankfully not all the experiments were as life threatening as the human decelerator. One of Joe’s early tests for example was investigating zero gravity which involved him swooping and diving in his plane with a golf ball attached to a piece of string “When the golf ball floated, that was zero gravity”. Some of course were far more grand in scale and with ‘Project Man High’ Joe took a balloon up to the dizzying heights of 96,000ft paving the way for the NASA’s human space flight program ‘Project Mercury’. Not bad for a 29 year old but his real challenge was still to come.
On Aug. 16, 1960, Joe, now Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger, rode a helium balloon to the edge of space, 102,800 feet (32 km) above the earth.
Wearing just a thin pressure suit and breathing supplemental oxygen, Joe jumped from his gondola into the 110-degree-below-zero, near-vacuum of space. Within seconds his body accelerated to 714 mph in the thin air, breaking the sound barrier. After free-falling for more than four and a half minutes, his descent finally began to slow due to the friction of the heavier air below. He felt his parachute open at 14,000 feet, and he floated gently down to the New Mexico desert floor.
Joe’s feat proved to scientists that astronauts would be able to survive the harshness of space with just a pressure suit and that man could eject from aircraft at extreme altitudes and survive if properly equipped.
More than four decades later, Joe’s two world records, the highest parachute jump, and the only man to break the sound barrier without a craft and live, still stand, and the retired colonel and Aviation Hall of Famer, now 75, still rides the sky above Altamonte Springs in Florida as often as he can.
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MIT professor’s book digs into the eclectic, textually linked reading choices of people in medieval London.
The glitter of gold may hold more than just beauty, or so says a team of MIT researchers that is working on ways to use tiny gold rods to fight cancer, deliver drugs and more.
But before gold nanorods can live up to their potential, scientists must figure out how to overcome one major difficulty: The surfaces of the tiny particles are coated with an uncooperative molecule (a byproduct of the synthesis process) that prevents researchers from creating nanorods with the features they want.
"The surface chemistry is really key to everything," said Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, assistant professor of biological and mechanical engineering at MIT. "For all of these nifty applications to work, someone's got to sit down and do the dirty work of understanding the surface."
Hamad-Schifferli and her colleagues published two papers this month describing ways to manipulate the nanorods' surface, which could allow researchers to design nanorods with specific useful functions.
As their name implies, gold nanorods are tiny cylinders of gold, about 10 billionths of a meter wide and 40 billionths of a meter long.
They differ from traditional, spherical gold nanoparticles in one very important respect -- they can absorb infrared light. That means they can theoretically be activated by infrared laser without damaging surrounding cells, which do not absorb infrared light.
Before that can happen, scientists must figure out how to deal with an organic molecule known as CTAB that coats the outer surface of gold nanorods and tends to detach from and reattach itself to the surface. The molecule, a byproduct of the synthesis reaction that produces the nanorods, makes it difficult to attach other molecules for delivery, such as drugs or DNA.
The team's two recent papers describe how the CTAB influences heat dissipation and how to remove the CTAB and replace it with another organic molecule.
In the first paper, published online Aug. 12 in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C, they found that a low concentration of the CTAB in the surrounding solution accelerates heat dissipation after the nanorod is hit with infrared light. When the concentration of CTAB is high, heat is dissipated more slowly.
That information could help scientists design nanorods that fight cancer agents by burning away tumor cells when activated with infrared light.
In the second paper, published online Aug. 22 in the journal Langmuir, the team demonstrated how to replace CTAB with a more useful molecule -- a sulfur-containing group known as a thiol. This molecule binds more strongly to the nanorod, so it doesn't detach and reattach like CTAB. In addition, other molecules, such as DNA, can be easily attached to the end of the thiol.
These surface chemistry studies are critical to lay the groundwork for development of gold nanorods, according to Hamad-Schifferli.
"People have dreamed up all of these cool applications for nanorods, but one of the biggest bottlenecks to making this a reality is this interface," she said.
In the future, Hamad-Schifferli and her colleagues hope to build gold nanorods that carry DNA designed for a specific function in the target cell. For example, the DNA could shut down production of a protein that is being overexpressed.
Lead author of the Langmuir paper is Andy Wijaya, a graduate student in chemical engineering.
Lead authors of the JPCC paper are Aaron Schmidt, a postdoctoral associate in mechanical engineering, and Joshua Alper, a graduate student in mechanical engineering. Other authors are Matteo Chiesa, a visiting scholar in the Technology and Development Program, Gang Chen, the Rohsenow Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Sarit Das, a visiting professor in mechanical engineering.
The work was funded by the Norwegian Research Council, the Ford-MIT Alliance and the National Science Foundation.
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People with dementia such as Alzheimers Disease may become verbally abusive or become aggressive to the point of physical violence. This usually occurs when the person feels misunderstood or provoked.
Prevention can include:
- Have a doctor check for a medical condition
- Avoid confrontation, distract them with a suggestion like – a nice cup of tea etc.
- Try to avoid putting the person in a situation which may produce anxiety, fear or disorientation
- Prepare the person by explaining what is going to happen or where you are going
- Try to use encouragement, praise and affection rather than criticism or frustration
- Ensure your own protection. Leave the room until the outburst is over.
Management may include:
- Make no attempt to restrain the person – stay out of reach
- Try to avoid making the situation worse by shouting or touching the person
- Try reacting with a calm voice or reassuring words
- Give the person time to settle down
- Seek professional help
- Expect to be upset.
Remember it is the illness and not the person that is causing the behaviour.
Reference: Harvard Health Letter Special Report, Commonwealth, Dept., of Health & Family Services, (The Carer Experience)
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I hold onto heredity. Genes must be present in order to be passed along.
This is true.
Randomness ignores heredity, claiming that changes come by chance.
Hmm, no, not really. The changes do come by chance, but the random mutation aspect of it does not ignore heredity at all. In fact, its an integral part of the process.
You see, we know random mutations happen. They are errors in the copying process. How do we know they happen? Because of genetic disorders and how they present. There are lots of them to chose from.
But let me show a little bit about how it works. Lets say we have a strand of DNA that looks like this....
There are a few ways we can get things to happen here. First, we can have a single letter change... for example the third letter somehow (randomly, by chance. As an error in the copying process) is changed to a T. Now, when that DNA strand codes for a protein, (or is part of the on / off sequencing of the coding), that random mutation gives a certain characteristic that is different than it would have been previously. (For the sake of understanding, lets say it is... fur pigmentation in a rabbit or something). If that particular difference makes a change that is beneficial to the individual (for our rabbit, if they live in the arctic, lets assume that maybe the fur is a bit more white than that of his neighbors), then that particular individual will be more likely to pass on its DNA (new and improved) to the next generation simply by being better adapted to survive in that particular environment. You've already agreed to heredity, so that's not up for discussion.
Another way it can happen is to have an ADDITIONAL letter added in. Maybe add a T in between the first 2 G's up there. In that respect, everything on down the line is going to be effected (pushed down one), and depending on where this addition is, this can have massive effects on the DNA sequence. If the addition is late in the DNA strand, the effects might be less noticeable than if it were early in the sequence pushing everything on down the line.
There are a few other ways that I can't remember off hand right now, but you get the point here. These random changes (errors in the copying process for whatever reason) can be either good, bad or completely benign to the organism. Do you see that now?
Which ignores natural selection, which claims that whis is is better than that which was.
Really? So with our rabbit in the previous example... if his random mutation gives him fur that is a bit more white than other individuals of his species... and he's living in the arctic; does that offer him it a better chance at survival? Of course it does. That one tiny copying error just happened to give the rabbit less fur pigmentation, and therefore an increased chance of survival over its neighbors. What is the deciding factor between passing the genes on or not? It's whether the rabbit gets killed (maybe by a wolf with good eyesight) before it mates. In the arctic, does a white rabbit or an off white rabbit have a better chance to pass on it's genes? The white rabbit does, obviously.
Now that one tiny error MIGHT have given the rabbit increased muscle length, or better vision, or better hearing.. or it might have made it slower, or darker in color, or decreased it's sense of smell. Natural selection determines whether or not it was beneficial simply by whether or not the new trait helps the individual live or die. That's it. It's as simple as that, really.
which ignores heredity which claims that the genes of a progeny must be passed by the parent.
which ignores randomness through the claim that what is has been passed by one who has it already
No, and no.
Evolution has taken these thrown them in the soup of the past, and said it is how we were made.
Because it offers the very best explanation as to how all life came to be. Not because we like it, or because it's super cool and all we want to do is mash any silly creationist nonsense. It's because it explains in great detail how all the facts fit together.
Really, its not a conspiracy against you. Even if evolution wasn't true, creationism or ID would still be utter bullshit. It just so happens that evolution IS true. It would be true regardless of what invisible sky man you or anyone else thinks exists.
Not scientific. Not rational, not logical.
You're absolutely wrong here. It's all 3. Very much all 3.
Faith. That is all evolution is.
No, it's not. Faith is belief in the absence of evidence. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming. You may claim what you like, but you're just wrong here. Evolution happens. Sorry.
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Viticulture - n. : the cultivation or culture of grapes
Enology - n. :a science that deals with wine and wine making
The V&E Department combines the sciences of viticulture and enology in a single research and teaching unit that encompasses all of the scientific disciplines that impact grape growing and winemaking. For over one hundred years the University of California has maintained an active and productive program in research and education in viticulture and enology. The continuing excellence of the Department has enabled California growers and vintners to develop practices that have allowed the Golden State to achieve its potential and become a premier wine-producing region.
The Hilgard Project and the Future
The Hilgard Project:
Web-based, Automated Wine Fermentations at UC Davis Winery.
Scott Professor of Enology
And Chemical Engineering
The University of California is in the design and construction phases of a building complex that will be known as the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food (RMI). The generous gift of $20M by Robert and Margrit Mondavi and the matching funds from the State of California, will establish a unique centre that is home to the Departments of Viticulture and Enology and of Food Science (see: http://robertmondaviinstitute.ucdavis.edu/).
Some of the greatest limitations to small-scale research winemaking are irreprod...
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Viticulture - n. : the cultivation or culture of grapes
Enology - n. :a science that deals with wine and wine making
The V&E Department combines the sciences of viticulture and enology in a single research and teaching unit that encompasses all of the scientific disciplines that impact grape growing and winemaking. For over one hundred years the University of California has maintained an active and productive program in research and education in viticulture and enology. The continuing excellence of the Department has enabled California growers and vintners to develop practices that have allowed the Golden State to achieve its potential and become a premier wine-producing region.
The Rhone Rangers Scholarship
The Rhone Rangers is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the advancing the knowledge and understanding of traditional Rhone grape varieties and the wines produced from those grapes. The Rhone Rangers has adopted the French government's list of approved varieties allowed in the Cote du Rhone as the criteria for winery membership. Today, membership consists of over 125 wineries from California, Washington, and Virginia.
This scholarship is given with a preference to students interested in research involving Rhone grape varieties or Rhone wines produced in the USA. The Rhone Rangers desire to see a deserving student be supported during their studies at UCD.
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Thu August 9, 2012
Uncovering Secrets Buried At A Neglected Cemetery
Originally published on Thu August 9, 2012 10:07 am
At most cemeteries, hearing weed cutters and lawn mowers trimming grass around graves would seem normal enough. But at Lincoln Cemetery in Montgomery, Ala., these are the sounds of progress.
Lincoln Cemetery was established in 1907 for African-Americans. But with no one in charge of the cemetery or keeping up with burial records, abuse, vandalism and neglect became rampant and the cemetery is in disrepair. Grass and weeds grew three feet high. People picked apart old, crumbling graves and took bones of the deceased.
And no one is quite where people are actually buried.
"When somebody would be buried here, they were burying people on top of people. See these two markers? They laid them up on this grave. So we're not sure which one of these spaces that person is in," says Phyllis Armstrong, a volunteer helping to clean up Lincoln.
Lincoln was designed for 700 graves. So far, volunteers have recorded more than nine times that amount — a total of 6,700 graves, some of which are actually under nearby roads.
Phillip Taunton heads the local group overseeing the cleanup.
"It's immoral and it's unethical for anything like this to be taking place, especially here in the city of Montgomery," Taunton says.
City leaders agreed. Two years ago, officials created an authority to restore the cemetery. Now, volunteers like Armstrong come out almost every day to cut grass, rake leaves and pick up litter. But the problems underscore a darker part of Southern history. Lee Anne Wofford of the Alabama Historical Commission says Lincoln is a direct result of segregation.
"What people don't understand is that it also applied in death. Not just at bus stations or restaurants or bathrooms, but in death also. So, you have separate cemeteries for whites and blacks," Wofford says.
Wofford walks to the grave marker of a woman who was key in the civil rights movement. Aurelia Browder-Coleman was a friend of Rosa Parks and was lead plaintiff in a historic court case. Browder v. Gayle ended segregation of Montgomery city buses in 1956. But Browder-Coleman's major contribution to the civil rights movement didn't keep her from segregation in death. Her marker was found leaning against a tree in Lincoln, and Wofford says no one even knows where she's buried.
"So you have prominent people who are just forgotten, lost. Where are they? But they were so significant in what they did in overturning long-standing laws," Wofford says.
This fall, a judge in Montgomery is set to decide who owns Lincoln Cemetery. hundred years. Until then, volunteers like Phyllis Armstrong will continue to clean and document graves and try to uncover the secrets that have been kept hidden for more than a hundred years.
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Thu February 21, 2013
Pretty Picture: Mount Etna Boils Over; NASA Adds Color To Shot From Space
Sicily's Mount Etna has been blowing off steam, and lava, this week. NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite flew over it on Wednesday and took an image that "combines shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green light in the red, green, and blue channels."
The result: "Fresh lava," NASA says, "is bright red — the hot surface emits enough energy to saturate the instrument's shortwave infrared detectors. ... Snow is blue-green, because it absorbs shortwave infrared light, but reflects near infrared and green light. Clouds made of water droplets (not ice crystals) reflect all three wavelengths of light similarly, and are white. Forests and other vegetation reflect near infrared more strongly than shortwave infrared and green light, and appear green. Dark gray areas are lightly vegetated lava flows, 30 to 350 years old."
We think it's pretty.
(H/T to NPR.org's Wright Bryan.)
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December 3, 2012 | Politics and Leadership
The Dilma Effect: How Brazil’s Groundbreaking President is Inspiring Other Women to Run
By Maya Popa
“In Portuguese, the term presidente applies to both men and women, and presidenta to women only. When Dilma was elected, people asked her which term she preferred to use and she said presidenta, with the feminine ending.”
“Dilma,” it almost goes without saying, is Dilma Rousseff, voted into office in 2010 as the first woman to lead powerhouse Brazil, the world’s sixth largest economy. For the woman telling that anecdote, thirtysomething Veronica Marques of Rio, it illustrates one of Rousseff’s greatest accomplishments in office: Her ability to motivate other women to succeed, especially in public life. “For me, this simple gesture shows how having a woman as a presidenta can inspire other women not only to seek more space in the political arena, but also through their daily lives,” says Marques, an executive at ELAS, the Women's Social Investment Fund, a nonprofit that invests in women’s empowerment and education.
The Dilma Effect starts at the top: After promising in her inaugural speech “to open doors, so that in the future many other women can also be president,” Rousseff put together a cabinet with three times as many women as the previous administration, giving women nine of the 24 minister-level positions--including such key jobs as ministers of planning, social development and the environment.
And in this macho, macho country, thanks to Rousseff, more women are getting into politics than ever before. "Dilma took several high-profile media opportunities to encourage women to run in the last elections,” says Heather Arnet, CEO of the Women and Girls Foundation of Pennsylvania, which is partnering with ELAS to study the effect of governmental policies on the lives of Brazilian women. The result: A record 48 women sought the chance to head Brazil’s 26 states, a 60 percent increase over the previous contest.
But the fight for gender equality is hardly won. Although Brazil has a 30 percent rule—requiring that 30 percent of candidates for elective office be women—females hold only nine percent of positions in the lower house of parliament and only 36 percent of lawmaker, senior official and managerial jobs, according to a 2011 report by the World Economic Forum. “There is a long way to go to have more women in politics, but we are building step by step,” says Marques. “Maybe, in some years we will have at least 50 percent of women in political positions in Brazil.”
Politics, though, isn’t the only area where Brazilian women are breaking glass ceilings. Earlier this year Maria das Graças Silva Foster was named CEO of Petrobras-Petróleo Brasil--the first woman in the world to head a major oil-and-gas company. According to a recent survey, 80 percent of Brazilian women now aspire to top jobs (compared to 52 percent in the U.S), while 59 percent consider themselves “very ambitious” (compared to 36 percent in the U.S.) Arnet praises government-funded social programs for providing the right conditions for women to succeed: inexpensive, over-the-counter birth control, six months paid maternity leave, efforts to connect rural women to education and healthcare, and the bolsa familia program, compensation for poor women to keeping their children in school. "All of these policies and cultural practices together are creating an environment where women can be more economically sufficient and can take on increasing corporate and political leadership," says Arnet.
Marques, though, has the most personal take on her country’s leader: “When I see myself represented by a woman as presidenta, I see that things are changing. I see that our generation of women and the next generation of women will have more space in the political arena because of her. Achieving in the political arena is not simple. Brazil has to give us—the new generation of women—the space and the opportunity for it. We want to do it, we can do it, we will do it.”
SOLUTIONS FOR BRAZIL: Let’s Go Girls!
The Women and Girls Foundation of Pennsylvania, led by Heather Arnet, is partnering with Veronica Marques at ELAS, on a project called Vamos Meninas! (Let's Go Girls!) to "explore the role that Brazilian voting practices, economic policies, and policies regarding family planning and child care have in fostering a culture for female advancement."
In January 2013, Arnet and ELAS will visit Rio, Sao Paulo, Brasilia and other cities, to better understand the changes occurring in Brazil and their impact on women’s leadership. As Arnet explains: "Together we hope to capture stories of transformation that provide Americans insight into this emerging world economic leader, and inspiration to continue our own pursuit towards gender equity."
Explaining what seems an unlikely pairing, Arnet says that “Brazil and Pennsylvania, historically, have a surprising amount in common. We are both economies which used to rely mainly on coal mining. We are traditionally macho cultures where women stayed home, and had children, and men went to work in the factories. We have had significant racial and class segregation and gender segregation in the workplace. And yet look at Brazil now. From an economic revitalization perspective and gender leadership perspective things are changing in Brazil dynamically.”
A documentary about Vamos Meninas! will premiere on PBS station WQED/Pittsburgh later in 2013. Says Arnet, "We have a lot to learn from Brazil, its people and its leaders, regarding how to transform our culture and our economies for a new century."
Maya Catherine Popa is a writer for the Women in the World Foundation. She is currently completing a Master's in Creative Writing at Oxford University under a Clarendon Scholarship, as well as an MFA in Poetry from NYU. She co-leads a weekly writing workshop for veterans of Iraq & Afghanistan. Her writing appears in The Huffington Post, Locustpoint, and elsewhere.
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Key: "S:" = Show Synset (semantic) relations, "W:" = Show Word (lexical) relations
Display options for sense: (gloss) "an example sentence"
- S: (n) abscission, cutting off (the act of cutting something off)
- S: (n) cut, cutting, cutting off (the act of shortening something by chopping off the ends) "the barber gave him a good cut"
- S: (v) interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off (make a break in) "We interrupt the program for the following messages"
- S: (v) cut, cut off (cease, stop) "cut the noise"; "We had to cut short the conversation"
- S: (v) cut off, chop off, lop off (remove by or as if by cutting) "cut off the ear"; "lop off the dead branch"
- S: (v) cut off, cut out (cut off and stop) "The bicyclist was cut out by the van"
- S: (v) chip, knap, cut off, break off (break a small piece off from) "chip the glass"; "chip a tooth"
- S: (v) amputate, cut off (remove surgically) "amputate limbs"
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Key: "S:" = Show Synset (semantic) relations, "W:" = Show Word (lexical) relations
Display options for sense: (gloss) "an example sentence"
- S: (n) guard (a person who keeps watch over something or someone)
- S: (n) guard (the person who plays that position on a football team) "the left guard was injured on the play"
- S: (n) guard, safety, safety device (a device designed to prevent injury or accidents)
- S: (n) guard (a posture of defence in boxing or fencing) "keep your guard up"
- S: (n) guard (the person who plays the position of guard on a basketball team)
- S: (n) guard (a military unit serving to protect some place or person)
- S: (n) precaution, safeguard, guard (a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.) "he put an ice pack on the injury as a precaution"; "an insurance policy is a good safeguard"; "we let our guard down"
- S: (n) guard duty, guard, sentry duty, sentry go (the duty of serving as a sentry) "he was on guard that night"
- S: (n) guard ((American football) a position on the line of scrimmage) "guards must be good blockers"
- S: (n) guard (a position on a basketball team)
- S: (v) guard (to keep watch over) "there would be men guarding the horses"
- S: (v) guard, ward (watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect) "guard my possessions while I'm away"
- S: (v) defend, guard, hold (protect against a challenge or attack) "Hold that position behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks"
- S: (v) guard (take precautions in order to avoid some unwanted consequence) "guard against becoming too friendly with the staff"; "guard against infection"
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SITUATED AT THE MOUTH of the Mississippi River
on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana and its people have long been influenced by the intersection of these two major water features. The physical geography of Louisiana can be examined in terms of its five natural regions: the Coastal Marsh; the Mississippi Flood Plain; the Red River Valley; the Terraces; and the Hills. Each has played an important role in the history of the state. The southernmost of these regions is the Coastal Marsh, which serves as a transitional area between land and sea. Characterized by fresh and saltmarsh vegetation as well as peat soils, this natural region serves to provide rich fishing grounds that support the second-largest seafood industry in the United States
today. Heading northward away from the coastal areas, rivers dominate not only the physical landscape but also the economic geography
of Louisiana. The Red and Mississippi rivers are distinguished as separate natural regions because of soil and drainage differences, however, they are inherently interconnected and provide an extensive waterway transportation system upon which the Louisiana economy has been built. Combined with five deepwater ports and proximity of the Gulf of Mexico, the river system of Louisiana serves as natural gateway for the exchange of not only goods produced in the state but much of the U.S. midwest as well. While the petrochemical and mineral resource industries are most often associated with the importance of waterway transportation today, the fertile flood plains of the Mississippi River have long been a source of agricultural wealth for the state by producing large quantities of cotton, soybeans, and rice. Rising above the river floodplains into the Terraces and Hills, the forest industry prevails because of the availability over 13 million acres (5.2 million hectares) of hardwood and pine forests. Natural resources alone do not provide all of the state’s economic foundations. Louisiana has also developed a strong tourism industry premised upon its unique cultural heritage. The idea of “cultural gumbo” is often used to describe the people of Louisiana, as they are like the famous gumbo dish created out of many separate ingredients that blend together to create a delightful experience. Throughout its history, the territory that now encompasses Louisiana has been governed under 10 different flags. Although originally claimed by Hernando de Soto for Spain
in the early 1540s, Louisiana remained largely ignored by Europeans until Robert de La Salle claimed the territory for France
in 1682. The first permanent settlement was finally established in 1714. Despite the strong French and Spanish presence in the territory, other Europeans, including Germans farmers, began to arrive, each adding their own influences to the Louisiana culture and landscape. With a military victory over France and Spain in 1763, Great Britain also laid claim to the portion of Louisiana east of the Mississippi River basin. While European nations struggled with each other for control of Louisiana, other cultural groups continued to arrive. The rich soils of the river lands fostered the growth of a plantation economy that depended upon the importation of African and Afro-Caribbean slaves who contributed to the formation of the culture in south Louisiana. This area was also settled by Creoles, the French-speaking Acadians who fled British control of Nova Scotia and made their way into south-central Louisiana and are today recognized by the name Cajuns. Even after the Louisiana Purchase
in 1803 and its incorporation into the United States in 1812, portions of Louisiana would be governed under a foreign flag. In 1810, a controversy arose between the United States and Spain over the control of portions of eastern Louisiana, resulting in the declaration of the shortlived independent Republic of West Florida. Finally, in 1861, Louisiana seceded from the Union and after only a six-week period as an independent republic joined the Confederacy and its efforts in the Civil War. After the conclusion of the war, Louisiana was readmitted to the Union in 1868. Despite the passage of over 130 years of continual U.S. control, the people of Louisiana have seldom forgotten their past and continue to draw upon it today to create a diverse cultural experience blended from a unique history and environment.
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The Mill is one of those few paintings that are significant not only because they are beautiful but because they have profoundly influenced the history of taste. As part of important eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections, The Mill was well known to connoisseurs and artists who valued it as one of Rembrandt's greatest creations. The romantic aura of the scene, with the dramatic silhouette of the mill seen against the stormy sky, captured their imagination. Many stories and myths circulated about the painting, among them that this was a picture of Rembrandt's father's mill. The dark, threatening sky seemed to others to portend the severe financial difficulties that Rembrandt had in the mid-1650s.
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|The Surprising Appearance of Nanotubular Fullerene D5h(1)-C90|
The previously undetected fullerene D5h(1)-C90—with a distinct nanotubular shape—has been isolated as the major C90 isomer produced from Sm2O3-doped graphite rods and structurally identified by single-crystal x-ray diffraction. Fullerenes are well-defined molecules that consist of closed cages of carbon atoms and distinct inside and outside surfaces. They tend to form very small crystals; consequently, high-resolution data was collected using small-molecule crystallography at ALS Beamline 11.3.1. The discovery of nanotubular D5h(1)-C90, which is a fullerene with 90 carbon atoms and D5h symmetry, opens a bridge between molecular fullerenes and carbon nanotubes.
In recent years, the well-known solid allotropes diamond and graphite have been joined by new allotropes: fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene. Diamond consists of four-coordinate carbon atoms with tetrahedral geometry, while the other allotropes involve three-coordinate carbon atoms. In graphite, these carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal sheets that are stacked upon one another. Graphene is simply a single hexagonal graphitic sheet with a thickness of only one atom.
Carbon nanotubes can be conceived as hexagonal graphene sheets rolled into cylindrical shapes. These tubes may consist of a single wall of carbon atoms (single-walled carbon nanotubes) or may consist of multiple layers of tubes nested inside one another (multi-wall carbon nanotubes). Carbon nanotubes are produced as mixtures in which the individual tubes can vary in length, width, precise alignment of the component hexagons, and the chemical nature of the unique carbon atoms at the two ends of the tube. Graphene is likewise produced as sheets of varying size with generally less well-defined structures for those carbon atoms at the outer edges.
Fullerenes of varying sizes (from 60 to more than 500 carbon atoms) have also been observed, and individual molecules such as C60 and C70 have been isolated in pure form. Each fullerene is constructed of 12 pentagonal rings of carbon atoms and a number of hexagonal rings. For example, the prototypical C60, the most readily prepared fullerene, has 20 hexagonal rings in addition to the 12 pentagons.
Isolating higher fullerenes in an isomerically pure form is challenging, especially since the number of isomers increases as the size of the fullerene cage expands, as per the isolated pentagon rule (IPR). The IPR requires that each pentagon be surrounded by five hexagons to avoid strain-inducing pentagon–pentagon contact. There are 46 isomers of C90 that obey the IPR, but none of these isomers had previously been obtained in pure form. Indeed, in the absence of Sm2O3, no D5h(1)-C90 has ever been detected.
The oblong fullerene D5h(1)-C90 belongs to a set of nanotube-like fullerenes with the formula C60+10n, which have alternating D5h symmetry (when n is odd and the end caps are eclipsed) or D5d symmetry (when n is even and the end caps are staggered). The structure of D5h(1)-C90 (n = 3) is thus closely related to that of C70 (n = 1). However, within this family only C60, C70, and D5h(1)-C90 have been isolated in pure form and characterized crystallographically.
The isolation of D5h(1)-C90 provides a unique molecular model for carbon nanotubes that will allow scientists to explore the chemical and physical properties of a distinctly cylindrical fullerene. The armchair-style belts that are found at the waist of D5h(1)-C90 are a unique feature of this particular fullerene, but are the fundamental building block of carbon nanotubes.
Research conducted by H. Yang, A. Jiang, Z. Wang, and Z. Liu (Zhejiang University, P.R. China); H. Jin (Jiliang University, P.R. China); B.Q. Mercado, M.M. Olmstead, and A.L. Balch (University of California, Davis); and C.M. Beavers (Berkeley Lab).
Research funding: National Science Foundation and the Natural Science Foundation of China. Operation of the ALS is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences.
Publication about this research: H. Yang, C.M. Beavers, Z. Wang, A. Jiang, Z. Liu, H. Jin, B.Q. Mercado, M.M. Olmstead, and A.L. Balch, "Isolation of a small carbon nanotube: The surprising appearance of D5h(1)-C90," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 49, 886 (2010).
ALS Science Highlight #217
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A study by Consumer Reports Magazine says eating rice once a day can drive up arsenic levels in your body by 44 percent. A second portion could lead to a 70 percent increase.
Researchers say the worrisome levels of inorganic arsenic are linked to lung and bladder cancer.
Nutritionists say what's important is to eat rice and rice-products in moderation.
"This doesn't mean people should stop eating rice,” said nutritionist Trish Kazacos, “or even quinoa or barley."
Consumer Reports indicated that it's important for young children and infants not to eat more than one serving of rice or rice products per day.
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Luetzen, Memorial, Frank Ellmerich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
L tzen is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 14 km northeast of Wei enfels, and 18 km southwest of Leipzig.
The town was the scene of two famous battles:
The Battle of Lützen (1632) in the Thirty Years' War, in which Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden defeated Albrecht von Wallenstein. However, Gustavus Adolphus himself died on the battlefield, resulting in the battle being a Pyrrhic victory for Sweden. There is a statue in L tzen in his memory. Also, there is a stone, called Schwedenstein(Swedenstone), covered by a gothic-style monument on the spot on the battlefield where he died. Close to this there is a memorial church in his honour.
The Battle of L tzen (1813) in the Napoleonic Wars, in which Napoleon defeated combined Russian and Prussian forces in nearby Grossgoerschen.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaL tzen is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anha...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaLützen is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anha...
Unterstand im südlichen Teil des Kuhrparks in Bad DürrenbergDie Stadt Bad Dürrenberg liegt an der Saa...
Südlicher Kuhrpark in Bad DürrenbergDie Stadt Bad Dürrenberg liegt an der Saale zwischen Leipzig, Mer...
Der Borlachturm mit Witzleben-Turm an der schönen Saale zu Bad Dürrenberg.Johann Gottfried Borlach (*...
Nova Eventis in Günthersdorf. HDR 6 x 3 Bilder (4 Portrait l 1 Zenith l 2 Nadir) l Photomatix l PTGui...
Sand-Design Weltmeisterschaft in Nova Eventis 1.Platz, rechts 3. Platz 4m Pole
Eine einsame Schleuse des alten Saale-Elster Kanals in Wüsteneutzsch.
Study tour to waterways in Bohemia and Saxony, april 2011.
Street around the settlement. Some properties are still undeveloped so that the settlement isn't comp...
Germany? Before the beginning there was Ginnungagap, an empty space of nothingness, filled with pure creative power. (Sort of like the inside of my head.)
And it ends with Ragnarok, the twilight of the Gods. In between is much fighting, betrayal and romance. Just as a good Godly story should be.
Heroes have their own graveyard called Valhalla. Unfortunately we cannot show you a panorama of it at this time, nor of the lovely Valkyries who are its escort service.
Hail Odin, wandering God wielding wisdom and wand! Hail Freya, hail Tyr, hail Thor!
But it is to the mighty Thor that the Hammering Man gives service.
Between the time of the Nordic old ones and that of modern Frankfort there may have been a T.Rex or two on the scene. At least some mastodons for sure came through for lunch, then fell into tar pits to become fossils for us to find.
And there we must leave you, O my most pure and holy children.
Text by Steve Smith.
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