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How AP reported in all formats from tornado-stricken regionsMarch 8, 2012 When the first serious bout of tornadoes of 2012 blew through middle America in the middle of the night, they touched down in places hours from any AP bureau. Our closest video journalist was Chicago-based Robert Ray, who dropped his plans to travel to Georgia for Super Tuesday, booked several flights to the cities closest to the strikes and headed for the airport. He’d decide once there which flight to take. He never got on board a plane. Instead, he ended up driving toward Harrisburg, Ill., where initial reports suggested a town was destroyed. That decision turned out to be a lucky break for the AP. Twice. Ray was among the first journalists to arrive and he confirmed those reports -- in all formats. He shot powerful video, put victims on the phone with AP Radio and played back sound to an editor who transcribed the interviews and put the material on text wires. He then walked around the devastation with the Central Regional Desk on the line, talking to victims with the phone held so close that editors could transcribe his interviews in real time. Ray also made a dramatic image of a young girl who found a man’s prosthetic leg in the rubble, propped it up next to her destroyed home and spray-painted an impromptu sign: “Found leg. Seriously.” The following day, he was back on the road and headed for Georgia and a Super Tuesday date with Newt Gingrich’s campaign. The drive would take him through a stretch of the South that forecasters expected would suffer another wave of tornadoes. To prevent running into THAT storm, Ray used his iPhone to monitor Doppler radar, zooming in on extreme cells and using Google maps to direct himself to safe routes. And then the journalist took over again. “When weather like that occurs, a reporter must seize the opportunity to get the news out and allow people to see, hear and read the power of nature so that they can take proper shelter,” Ray says. So Ray now started to use his phone to follow the storms. He attached a small GoPro camera to his steering wheel in case a tornado dropped down in front of the car somewhere, and took video of heavy rain and hail with his iPhone. Soon, he spotted a tornado and the chase was on. He followed an unmarked emergency vehicle to Cleveland, Tenn., where he was first on the scene of the storm's aftermath. Again, the tornadoes had struck in locations that were hours from the nearest AP bureau. Damage and debris, as well as a wickedly violent storm that made travel dangerous, slowed our efforts to get to the news. That wasn’t a problem in Tennessee, where our customers were well served by an all-formats report that included this text story. “CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) _ Fierce wind, hail and rain lashed Tennessee for the second time in three days, and at least 15 people were hospitalized Friday in the Chattanooga area.” The byline? Robert Ray. For being adept with technology, chasing after news as it literally dropped from the sky and setting a standard for all-formats reporting that put the AP ahead on the most competitive news story of the day, Ray wins this week’s $300 Best of the States prize. © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Terms and conditions apply. See AP.org for details.

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Did you know you have two little yellow, nine-volt-battery-sized adrenal glands in your body, just chilling out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool on top of your kidneys? Someone told me this and I checked it out. Turns out it’s true. It seems as though your adrenal glands are kind of like those British Royal Guards with the big, black fuzzy hats who stand like statues in front of Buckingham Palace. They just stand there quietly, not doing much really, just enjoying the brown, slippery beach that is your kidneys. However, if anything startling should happen that requires your attention — like say you’re about to give a speech at a wedding or your hear a twig crack outside your tent or your doorbell rings in the middle of the night — then they leap into action, jumping out of their peaceful slumber to squeeze out a big dose of adrenaline right into your body, pumping you up, and turning you into a primal, warrior-like version of yourself. When tension runs high and adrenaline is secreted into your body some crazy things can happen — sometimes called the fight-or-flight response: - Your heart rate increases. And specifically, your body starts sending blood to all your big muscles and diverts it away from “non-critical” parts of your body, like your brain, immune system, and digestive system. I guess someone figured you could digest the sandwich after you killed the bear. - Your pupils dilate and you get tunnel vision. Quite literally, adrenaline also reduces your peripheral vision, which together with your big, wide pupils helps you focus on what lies ahead. You can’t quite see through walls, but if a crow is diving at your eyes you might be able to swat it away better. - Your body gets ready to boot it. In addition to the rising heart rate, your body starts turning lots more stuff into sugar, raising your blood sugar level and filling you with energy. You might not even feel pain as easily, so the raspberry bushes that shred your legs when you’re running out of the forest won’t slow you down. But what’s also great about adrenalin is that, first of all, you don’t have to control it. It just sort of kicks it into high gear when it figures you could use a boost. I think it’s kind of cool knowing that your body will help you out when you need it most. Punch me in the face and suddenly my internal British Royal Guard tosses away his fuzzy, black cap, cracks his neck, and rolls up his sleeves. And really, isn’t it that little dose of adrenalin that helps you do a better job when you need it most? It’s a natural upper, helping you nail the big speech, ace the final exam, or perhaps flee both of those scenes. There’s a reason some people become adrenaline junkies. The boost you get from your adrenal glands waking up and getting out of bed is intoxicating. Sure, it fuzzes up your thinking a bit and sends your intestines on sabbatical, but it sure does pump you up. And remember: when something important in your life is about to happen, you can count on your good pal adrenaline to be there, juicing you up, helping you fight the good fight. Jian Ghomeshi is the host of my favorite radio show. It’s called Q and broadcasts across North America every morning. Jian is a big friend and fan of 1000 Awesome Things and The Book of Awesome and I’m really excited because he just released his first book. It’s called 1982 and is a beautifully written memoir about growing up in the suburbs of Toronto and trying to fit in. (My kind of book!) For those of you who love reading, I think he’s a fantastic writer and am really excited to recommend this book.

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In Suzanne Collins’s wildly popular Hunger Games books, children are chosen by lottery to serve as gladiators who fight to the death. The Games are televised for the entertainment of the general population. Collins models her games on ancient Rome, where gladiators fought to the death and slaves were fed to the lions. She even names her dystopian world Panem, after the Latin word for bread, as in bread and circuses, panem et circenses. Bread and circuses refers to the cheap trick of persuading the masses to cheer for a lion or a slave, for one gladiator or another, rather than participating in or observing or acting to change the political arena. Keep the general population fed with the most basic of food and keep their minds off of rebellion with the distractions of entertainment. As I read through Lenore Skenazy’s blog and watched her appearances on various chat shows, I kept thinking, “Bread and circuses.” There is so much air time to fill, so television producers and headline writers make news of the Mommy Wars. Free Range Parenting vs. Helicopter Parenting. Stay-at-home Mothers vs. Working Mothers. Breast vs. Bottle. Sleep Training vs. Attachment Parenting. Blah, blah, blah. In one blogger’s take on the issue, she asks, “Free range parenting versus helicopter parenting: which team are YOU on?” Really? We have to pick teams? These issues are so much more complex than x vs. y, but so much easier to digest if packaged in a familiar us vs. them format. In one clip, Skenazy and another parent appear on Anderson Cooper to replay how Skenazy was able to help this woman who is so much of the helicopter persuasion that in public washrooms she feels it necessary to go right into the bathroom stall with her daughter. “Doesn’t everybody?” this mother quips, when the audience gasps. They feed this woman to the lions, then they rescue her, undo her public shame with a public reformation of her extreme and errant ways. Unless it’s extreme, it’s not entertainment, so we have thown up on the screen all kind of wild and wacky folk on reality shows who hoard or dumpster dive for coupons for hundreds of free sticks of deodorant, saving up against Armageddon. What good does any of this do? Silly distractions from the reality lived in the murky middle ground. I respect Skenazy and her husband’s decision to let their son ride the subway alone. I respect her desire to move away from a culture where kids are kept bubble wrapped. I respect her initiative to create a television show that capitalizes on the buzz that her son’s subway ride generated. But I resent the circus atmosphere of telling the stories of bubble wrapped or free range kids. Why do mothers keep feeding each other to the lion of artificially polarized public opinion?

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40th Parliament, 3rd Session March 3, 2010 - March 26, 2011 About this Committee Like other standing committees, the Standing Committee on Health is appointed under the Standing Orders of the House of Commons for the life of a specific Parliament. It was first established in this form in 1994 to reflect the fact that the Department of Health and Welfare had been separated into two components: Health and Human Resources Development. By November 1995, this departmental restructuring was formally recognized in Bill C-95 (Department of Health Act). The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health is empowered to study and report on all matters relating to the mandate, management, and operation of Health Canada. This includes its responsibilities for the operations of the internal body called the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The Committee is also responsible for the oversight of five agencies that report to Parliament through the Minister of Health: - Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); - Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB); - Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission (HMIRC); - Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); - Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC) The mandate of the Standing Committee on Health also includes reviewing and reporting on matters referred to it by Orders of Reference from the House of Commons relating to Health Canada and its associated agencies.

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Chang-an Jiang, Kim-leng Poh, and Tze-yun Leong It is a frequently encountered problem that new knowledge arrived when making decisions in a dynamic world. Usually, domain experts cannot afford enough time and knowledge to effectively assess and combine both qualitative and quantitative information in these models.Existing approaches can solve only one of two tasks instead of both.We propose a four-step algorithm to integrate multiple probabilistic graphic models, which can effectively update existing models with newly acquired models. In this algorithm, the qualitative part of model integration is performed first, followed by the quantitative combination. We illustrate our method with an example of combining three models. We also identify the factors that may influence the complexity of the integrated model. Accordingly, we identify three factors that may influence the complexity of the integrated model. Accordingly, we present three heuristic methods of target variable ordering generation. Such methods show their feasibility through our experiments and are good in different situations. Finally, we provide some comments based on our experiments results.

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No. 24; Updated March 2011 Click here to download and print a PDF version of this document. Parents are usually the first to recognize that their child has a problem with emotions or behavior. Still, the decision to seek professional help can be difficult and painful for a parent. The first step is to gently try to talk to the child. An honest open talk about feelings can often help. Parents may choose to consult with the child's physicians, teachers, members of the clergy, or other adults who know the child well. These steps may resolve the problems for the child and family. Following are a few signs which may indicate that a child and adolescent psychiatric evaluation will be useful. - Marked fall in school performance - Poor grades in school despite trying very hard - Severe worry or anxiety, as shown by regular refusal to go to school, go to sleep or take part in activities that are normal for the child's age - Frequent physical complaints - Hyperactivity; fidgeting; constant movement beyond regular playing with or without difficulty paying attention - Persistent nightmares - Persistent disobedience or aggression (longer than 6 months) and provocative opposition to authority figures - Frequent, unexplainable temper tantrums - Threatens to harm or kill oneself - Marked decline in school performance - Inability to cope with problems and daily activities - Marked changes in sleeping and/or eating habits - Extreme difficulties in concentrating that get in the way at school or at home - Sexual acting out - Depression shown by sustained, prolonged negative mood and attitude, often accompanied by poor appetite, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of death - Severe mood swings - Strong worries or anxieties that get in the way of daily life, such as at school or socializing - Repeated use of alcohol and/or drugs - Intense fear of becoming obese with no relationship to actual body weight, excessive dieting, throwing up or using laxatives to loose weight - Persistent nightmares - Threats of self-harm or harm to others - Self-injury or self destructive behavior - Frequent outbursts of anger, aggression - Repeated threats to run away - Aggressive or non-aggressive consistent violation of rights of others; opposition to authority, truancy, thefts, or vandalism - Strange thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or unusual behaviors See other Facts for Families: #25 Where to Seek Help for Your Child #52 Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation #57 Normal Adolescent Development, Middle School, and Early High School Years #58 Normal Adolescent Development, Late High School Year and Beyond #00 Definition of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) represents over 8,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in general (adult) and child and adolescent psychiatry. Facts for Families© information sheets are developed, owned and distributed by AACAP. Hard copies of Facts sheets may be reproduced for personal or educational use without written permission, but cannot be included in material presented for sale or profit. All Facts can be viewed and printed from the AACAP website (www.aacap.org). Facts sheets may not be reproduced, duplicated or posted on any other website without written consent from AACAP. Organizations are permitted to create links to AACAP's website and specific Facts sheets. For all questions please contact the AACAP Communications & Marketing Coordinator, ext. 154. If you need immediate assistance, please dial 911. Copyright © 2012 by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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Previous abstract Next abstract Session 40 - The Interstellar Medium. Display session, Tuesday, June 09 Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) explosions can make kpc-size shells and holes in the interstellar media (ISM) of spiral galaxies if much of the energy heats the local gas to above 10^7 K. Disk blowout is probably the major cause for energy loss in this case, but the momentum acquired during the pressurized expansion phase can be large enough that the bubble still snowplows to a kpc diameter. This differs from the standard model for the origin of such shells by multiple supernovae, which may have problems with radiative cooling, evaporative losses, and disk blow-out. Evidence for giant shells with energies of \sim10^53 ergs are summarized. Some contain no obvious central star clusters and may be GRB remnants, although sufficiently old clusters would be hard to detect. The expected frequency of GRBs in normal galaxies can account for the number of such shells. Program listing for Tuesday

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Everyone wishes for something. And lots of people believe they know how to make their wishes come true with magical thinking. What is it? "Magical thinking is a belief in forms of causation, with no known physical basis," said Professor Emily Pronin of Princeton. "So, for example, there's no known physical basis for how carrying a fluffy pink rabbit's foot in your pocket is going to increase your odds of winning the lottery." For magical thinkers, it's more about the power of their wishes, their feelings and their positive thinking to affect their lives directly. Twenty-seven-year-old aspiring actress Lindsay Lioz relies on magical thinking to further her showbiz career -- starting with visualizing every audition in advance. "It makes me feel like I've had rehearsal," she said. "It makes me feel prepared." Lioz also uses magical thinking to improve her love life. She's written a list of the qualities she wants in a man -- and she sleeps with that list under her pillow every night. How has it worked so far? "I have great men in my life, I do. I'm very happy with how it's working out." Magical thinkers call that idea "the law of attraction." It's a key element of the bestselling book "The Secret," which has been hailed by Oprah Winfrey and bought by millions worldwide. "'The Secret' is telling people that if you think positive thoughts, positive things will happen, even at a very specific level," Pronin said. "If you visualize getting a parking space, you will get one. If you want to get thin, just stop having fat thoughts." Magical thinking is not a religion. It's a different kind of faith -- a faith in the power of positive thoughts and feelings. Yet as unscientific as magical thinking sounds, Pronin said studies have shown there are times when it seems to have a real effect: "There was a study where people in their mid-20s were measured in terms of their optimism," she said, "and then, 50 years later, those who were more optimistic, were actually more likely to still be alive. So it's not always magical to believe that your positive thoughts are having a positive effect." Magical thinking starts in childhood. At the University of Texas, Professor Jacqui Woolley has examined how children who know the difference between what's real and what's not believe that wishing can cause a penny to appear in what has just been shown to be an empty box. "We find that, by about the age of 4, most of the kids we test seem to really believe that wishing works," said Woolley. "So that would be an example of magical thinking." Nick Barber spent his childhood wishing for riches, focusing on something his father gave him. "I was about 8 or 9 when my dad came home and gave me a fake million dollar bill," he said. "And that became something that represented my goals. I've hung on to it every since." Barber would even sleep with the bill under his mattress. Now, at 27, he runs a multimillion dollar real estate company in Dallas called UMoveFree, and he still has that million dollar bill in his wallet. How did that bill help him get to this point? "It allowed me to believe in myself at a very young age," Barber said, "not to pay attention to those that said you can't, and to always believe that I can."

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Do you drive a picop? Eat sándwiches de rosbif? Do you still own any cederrones? If these words don't sound familiar to you, that's because yesterday, the Associated Press released their first-ever Spanish language style guide, and set us all straight on the proper usage of some of Español's newest words. In case there's any confusion, picop is AP's official Spanish-language word for what many call a camioneta or pick-up truck, rosbif is their official spelling for "roast beef" in Spanish. And cederrón? That means CD-ROM. Duh. Gathered in the auditorium of the prestigious Columbia Journalism School, some of the leading Spanish-language journalists sat down on Monday evening to discuss the finer points of the "language of Cervantes" and the AP stylebook -- which they describe as the "journalist's bible." Debate over the AP's continued use of term "illegal immigrant" dominated much of the event. But the most lively part of the evening was the presentation of words with roots in modern-day English -- or "estadunidismos," as the new Stylebook calls them. If the Spanish-language style guide is to be our bible, then Monday evening's Moses was surely Argentine journalist Jorge Ignacio Covarrubias who has worked with the AP for more than 40 years and helped put together the new stylebook. The white-haired Covarrubias handed down to us such words as zapeo for channel surfing, cibersitio for website, pipermín for peppermint, ofimática for computer system for office management (like Word), and vermú for vermouth -- all in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. (Can we please call it a Powerrpoín?) But not all Spanglish words are fair game, according to Covarrubias. For example, the AP recommends against using parada to mean parade. The word "parada" has historically been used to mean "stop", but many modern-day Spanish speakers have started using it to also mean parade. The AP suggests that writers instead use "desfile." Many regionalisms are also discouraged. Autobús is the preferred term for bus, although some countries use guagua and others say colectivo. But, after lengthy discussion of the Spanish word for "drinking straw," (pajita vs. popote vs. canuto), no consensus has yet been reached, said Covarrubias. Not everybody was happy about all of the AP's decisions. Laura Martínez, a bilingual blogger who writes about Hispanic media, tweeted "Cervantes is probably revolcándose en la tumba tras escuchar el tema ése del "cederrón"," which translates to "Cervantes is probably turning over in his grave after hearing the thing about the 'cederrón'"

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Question: How is bipolar disorder different from unipolar depression or 'regular' depression? Answer: Both bipolar disorder and major depression are typically associated with depressive episodes. So both illnesses are accompanied by depressions. The difference is that in bipolar disorder people also have periods of elevation -- or severe irritability. We call these manic or hypomanic episodes.

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Nine people in South Korea have committed suicide in three separate incidents within two days. The latest was a 72-year-old man who hanged himself at a construction site in Hoengseong, Kangwon Province, Thursday, police said. Four women and one man -- in their 20s and 30s -- were found dead Wednesday in Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, after sealing a passenger car with plastics sheets and inhaling toxic fumes from burned coal briquettes. They left suicide notes saying, "I have no more hope and no more dreams" and "please find my identification card in my back pocket." Police were investigating their motive but assumed that the man recruited the four women on the Internet to participate in a group suicide. Earlier in another city east of Seoul, Chuncheon, three men in their 20s were also found dead at a private room-for-rent lodge using the same method and sealing the door and windows with dark masking tape from inside the room they were sharing. Police assumed that they, too, were driven by group suicide pacts cultivated online. Such news is common here where the suicide rate is the highest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group of developed countries. An average of 35.1 people killed themselves everyday in 2008, according to the health ministry. That's 24.3 for every 100,000 South Koreans, followed by 21 in Hungary, 19.4 in Japan, 16.7 in Finland and 15.8 in Belgium. The National Statistics Office reported that the suicides are related to the economic downturn, as well as rapid social change within the family and the community. Korean society in recent years has been plagued by continuous cases of suicide among celebrities, high-profile politicians and businessmen, teenagers and the elderly. Analysts say the most common cause is depression stemming from social and academic pressures or family troubles. "There's a huge gap in this country because the speed of materialism spreading is much faster than the speed of cultural maturity that must grow together. It all comes from stress of rapid modernization," said Jeung Taek-Hee, an expert and consultant at Lifeline Korea. Korean parents are having fewer children -- on average one per couple -- and more women are going into the workforce, which leaves the child alone. Although some corporations and government ministries are campaigning for workers to go home by 6 o'clock at least once a month to spend family time, Korean corporate culture still requires employees to participate in work-related dinners and stay late hours. "Naturally, these busy parents end up spoiling the child who ends up self-centered and incapable of dealing with competition," Jeung said. "But the reality is that this society is very, very competitive." Along with the miraculous rate of economic growth in the past decades, many South Koreans have become driven by materialism that has been passed on to their kids, Jeung said. He noted that most of the people who commit suicide, especially the young teenagers, find themselves dangerously distressed by not being able to keep up with others materialistically and eventually become anti-social. "The easiest place where they can meet friends who share the same pain is online through suicide communities or chat sites," Jeung said. Once they find each other, they become, "eternal comrades" who "must accompany each other to death," he said. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 28.4 percent of young teenagers committed suicide in 2008 because of "disturbed family relations," mostly the result of parental divorce, 19.6 percent from pessimistic depression and 10.1 percent from academic pressure.

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World leaders from 47 nations convene this week in Washington, D.C., for the Nuclear Security Summit, a gathering that the Obama administration hopes will raise awareness about the threats of nuclear arms getting into the hands of terrorists or "rogue" nations. President Obama said Sunday the goal of the nuclear summit is to discuss the terrorist threat and getting countries to lock down their nuclear weapons in a specific time frame. The Obama administration itself has pledged to try to "secure all vulnerable materials" within four years and is hoping the summit will spark a case for preventive action among others. "If there was ever a detonation in New York City or London or Johannesburg, the ramifications economically, politically, and from a security perspective would be devastating," Obama said on the eve of the summit. "And we know that organizations like al Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure a nuclear weapon -- a weapon of mass destruction that they have no compunction of using." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week that the nuclear summit would be the largest of its kind hosted by a U.S. president since the U.N. conference in 1945. But even as Obama brings the issue of nuclear security and disarmament into the spotlight -- first with the release of the new U.S. nuclear policy, and then the U.S.-Russia arms reduction agreement -- he faces significant challenges from two fronts. Internationally, U.S. allies such as India, Pakistan and Israel have been resistant to signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, citing national security concerns. The view in many countries is that this week's treaty signing aside, if the United States and Russia -- which together account for 95 percent of the world's nuclear arsenal and material -- cannot cut their nuclear stockpile, why should they be forced to? "No one is willing to step up and say, 'Yea, I'm part of the problem here," said former national security official Ivan Oelrich, now vice president of the Strategic Security Program at the Federation of American Scientists. The "U.S. and Russia have to lead the way in major reductions." Participant countries will also likely be looking to the United States for accountability. Henry Sokolsi, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, argues that if the United States is going to try to persuade other countries, it needs to shift its own policy at home too. "I just think it's disrespectful to these countries," he said. "Each country has its own problems. If we're not helping them on that, how can we expect them to not rely on them [nuclear weapons] to feel secure? We rely on them. Why should they be any different?" Domestically, the partisan rift on Capitol Hill means possibly a tough fight ahead for Obama's nuclear agenda. Critics of the new nuclear policy released last week complain that it gives a free pass to countries such as Iran and North Korea, and Republican senators are already taking aim at the U.S.-Russia arms treaty that was signed last week, saying it hurts U.S. security interests. The general consensus is that the treaty will eventually be ratified by the end of the year, but the issue is likely to be the subject of a heated political debate for much longer.

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Recently I've been taking a deep dive into the Reactive Extensions for .NET. This is a wonderful project that comes out of Cloud Programmability Division at Microsoft. Rx helps do to really wonderful things with asynchronous and parallel programming in unreliable distributed world. Do you remember what LINQ did to the collections (and much more)? Well, Rx is going to do (and doing) the same to events, asynchronous and distributed programming. So if you have to deal anything that requires more than a single thread, process or machine to run - you'll be impacted in some way or the other. The thing I love the most about what Eric Meijer and his team are doing - the underlying logic which is simple plain and so beautiful. Even the entire IObservable/IObserver thing could be logically derived from IEnumerable by inverting the concepts logically. Just watch these videos, if you are interested in the details here (highly recommended): What does this have to do with CQRS, Domain-Driven Design and Event Sourcing? When I'm building some complex interactions and systems, I'm trying to follow the same principle. System design and evolution are not guided by the intuition or creativity. Pure logic and mathematical reason are the most reliable advisors here (it feels like proving a theorem). It's really hard to explain in words, but logically solid design can handle a lot of things with really little effort (and code) just because of it's nature. Basically it allows to say to new challenges: "we did not code for this, but since this is logical, it already is in the design, you just need to enable this". While I'm just learning CQRS/DDD/ES I want to do it in the logical way that will prevent me from doing bad and illogical things (which will impact my systems later in their lifecycle). Way of thinking that Eric Meijer shows, seems to help here. Besides, it helps to merge the ideas of Pat Helland (almost infinitely scalable systems) into the overall CQRS concepts. Reactive Extensions benefit a lot from the marble diagrams representing parallel processes and their interactions. So I've tried to re-apply these principles to my understanding of CQRS/DDD/ES. By mechanically reflecting the logic, here's what I've got for the command handler: Essentially this picture reflects the flow of commands (marked with D for Do) incoming into the handler. Commands can come as a single or as a batch (that's the marble or tick in this reality). Commands coming together either succeed or fail together. Each incoming tick translates into a new parallel reality for an aggregate (just like SelectMany in Rx, where you get observable of observable of T). Then we flatten successful commands onto the change stream (each change is a unit of work), while errors are flattened into the failure stream. There is a message dispatcher that catches up upon these streams and sends domain events, command failures and confirmations back to the message bus. This way subscribers will have logically complete information about what's happened in the business logic. Subscribers could include sagas and event handlers working with read models (which will be used to provide clients with feedback that includes potential command failures). Note a few differences upon the traditional CQRS with event sourcing approach as advocated by Greg Young: - Aggregate Root can react to incoming commands by providing a finite stream of events, optionally terminating with error (there is a direct translation from Rx observers here: OnError and OnComplete). - We save successful change (command(s) and resulting events) atomically as unit of work. Persisting commands will actually let us ensure command idempotency in the cruel world of scalable message queues (with "at least once" deliveries). Essentially this is reflection of Helland's activities that we need to have in the same scope with the aggregates that own them. - Command failures are also saved (although the stream could be different from the event source). We don't need to save the intermediate events though - just command(s) and the resulting failure. - Message dispatcher runs upon the failure and change streams, publishing domain events into the message bus. We have logically complete information here, that could eventually be provided for the client (sender) for the retrieval. - theoretically we can easily process commands for a single aggregate in multiple threads, serializing access to the change and failure streams. Things that do not fit in, yet: - In CQRS practice there are cases, when there would traditionally be a call to the domain service (in the command handler and before the aggregate root). This does not fit in here. In a Rx world this would probably be a separate async command handler. Yet this would require an additional layer of translation (another command handler and event handler). - events and commands are some sort of duals. They are both messages that bring along different intent and help to organize CQRS architecture (this comes from the DDD realm). Yet, this duality (and the rules coming out of it) brings additional complexity, when you need to chain multiple operations (first call unreliable operation, then pass the result to the aggregate, then do something else). I think I'm missing some aspect of commands and events that would help to lay out interactions in a clean and logical way. That's a theory and logic as I see them today. This means: - tomorrow perception might evolve into something different that better brings together known patterns and constraints. - in theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice - there is a difference. If I could bring in sagas, view event handlers and domain services into the picture in a logical way (and without breaking any existing scalability and consistency constraints), I'd be a happy man. We'll see how it goes (see xLim 4: CQRS in Cloud series for any latest materials on this topic). Meanwhile I'm really interested in your thoughts on this subject.

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If Superman had explored these issues instead of bashing unions and promoting charters, moviegoers might have walked away understanding a great deal about why the families it profiled and so many similar families across America face a bleak educational future. The movie certainly showed scenes of poverty, but its implications and the structural inequalities underlying that poverty were largely ignored. Devastating urban poverty was just there -- as if that were somehow the natural order of things but if we could only ‘fix’ schools it would disappear. While you’re reading it, keep this chart in mind (from Alex Knapp at Outside the Beltway): I’ve complained before about our schools’ obsession with behavior management at the expense of thought and inquiry. But I can see why the people in the blue slice above might be more interested in teaching the kids in the yellow slice to behave than in teaching them to question things. (h/t Balloon Juice)

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|HOME SCHEDULE AUTHOR INDEX SUBJECT INDEX| Partitioning of carbon, water, and energy fluxes between understory and canopy in a North Central Florida mature uneven aged pine flatwoods forest. Starr, Gregory*,1, Powell, Thomas1, Martin, Timothy1, Gholz, Henry1,2, 1 School of Forestry Resources and Conservation, Gainesville, FL2 National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA ABSTRACT- Of the 5.93 million ha of timberland within the state of Florida, only 19% are maintained under conditions classified as "natural" pine forest. While considerable attention has been focused on the carbon and water dynamics of managed pine plantations in the region, little attention has been given to these natural forests, which are an integral part of the complex mosaic of lands in the region. Based on this importance, it was our intention to quantify how environmental conditions affect ecosystem carbon, water, and energy exchange within a mature pine flatwoods forest and determine how specific components of the system, (i.e. leaf physiology, soil respiration, understory composition and canopy structure), contribute to these exchange rates. During the 2000-2001 field season, the natural pine flatwoods was a carbon sink with an annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of 183 g C m-2. The largest portion of this carbon was sequestered during the winter and spring when temperatures were cooler and canopy LAI was lowest. This could be attributed to a reduction in ecosystem respiration losses and a slight increase in understory photosynthetic rates caused by a larger portion of total radiation reaching the understory. Approximately 90% of the respiratory losses from the system could be accounted through soil respiration, which is highly correlated to soil water potential (r2=0.77, p<0.001). Comparison of eddy covariance measurements above and below the pine canopy indicated that 37% of the ecosystemís carbon, 51 % of its latent energy, and 56% of its sensible heat fluxes could be attributed to the understory. Preliminary results show that two species, Serenoa repens and Ilex glabra, comprise 95% of the understory vascular and both have relatively high leaf nitrogen concentration and photosynthetic capacities (~1.4% nitrogen and Amax ~ 4.0 mmol m-2 s-1) and account for ~ 90% of the carbon sequestered by the understory community. These initial assessments provide evidence that natural pine flatwood forest of Florida may be a small regional carbon sink. KEY WORDS: pine flatwoods, carbon and water exchange, eddy covariance

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Pneumonia is a common cause for ED visits. How do you decide on whether the patient can be managed as an outpatient or inpatient? To supplement your clinical judgment, many clinicians use the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) score. Have you heard of CURB-65, supported by the British Thoracic Society? What about SMART-COP, which is meant to help you predict if your patient will need Intensive Respiratory or Vasopressor Support (IRVS)? It's worth a quick review. Feel free to download this card and print on a 4'' x 6'' index card. Presentations are traditionally given using Powerpoint. Keynote is prettier alternative to Powerpoint but is only Macintosh-compatible. Both have the same antiquated structure such that content is presented only linearly. The hottest presentation tool now is Prezi, a web-based tool, which allows the viewer to zoom in and out of sections. The visuals are more of a conceptual map of the content, where the viewer or speaker can zoom around any desired topic. Because it's online, you can easily embed YouTube videos. Take a look at this Prezi demo advocating it as a tool for teaching. To navigate, you can click on the gray arrows at the bottom to advance forward or backward, as pre-programmed. Alternatively, you can drag the display using your mouse. Or you can zoom in/out using the + or - tools on the right. Google Docs is constantly improving and growing. One of the cool features is that you can embed any document within your blog. Whenever you edit the Google Docs document, it automatically updates in your blog. How do I do this? Within your document in Google Docs, click on the upper right "Share" button and select "Publish to Web". In the pop-up screen, select "Start Publishing". Copy and paste the provided HTML code in your blog. With a little HTML editing, you can make the optimize the margins bigger than the teeny preset dimensions. To change the margins to 440-pixel width and 500-pixel height, add the extra text (in bold) into your code as follows: And ta-da! Embedded is my handout from a recent talk on mobile apps in Medicine. A new CME publication has emerged from the publishers of Emergency Medicine Practice and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice called EM Critical Care. This new publication is specifically geared towards manging critically ill patients in the ED. There will be 6 issues per year with each issue offering 3 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Although it has not yet been released, it appears to have an impressive editorial board including Emanuel Rivers, Michael Gibbs, Benjamin Abella and Robert Arntfield. Oh, and did I not mention Scott Weingart from the EMCrit Blog? If it is anything similar to it's predecessors, it is guaranteed to be a hit! In a Research Letter in JAMA, Dr. Chretien et al describe the profile of physicians in the Twitter universe, specifically focusing on professionalism. Self identified physician At least 500 followers during May 1-31, 2010 (Whew, I only have 309 followers.) Posted a tweet within last 6 months A total of 260 physicians were studied. 6.2% were from Emergency Medicine. 15% (most) were from Surgery and its subspecialties. 76% were from the United States. Three physicians independently coded the 20 most recent tweets from each account (total n= 5,156) for unprofessional content. There were 144 (3%) unprofessional tweets from 27 users: 55 (1%) - possible conflict of interest, advocating for non-standard therapies 38 (0.7%) - potentially violation of patient privacy 33 (0.6%) - profanity 14 (0.3%) - sexually explicit material 4 (0.1%) - discriminatory statement 25 of 27 (92%) of users were identifiable The authors conclude that, although rare, there should be more physician accountability and guidelines in the age of social media. This is even more true, since I just discovered that all tweets are archived by the Library of Congress! Take a look at your most recent tweets. How would they have performed if you were included in this study? Reference Chretien KC, Azar J, Kind T. Physicians on Twitter. JAMA: The journal of the American Medical Association. 2011. 305(6), 566-8. PMID: 21304081 . Dr. Rob Orman of ERCast blog fame emailed me last week about creating a pocket card on Suicide Risk Stratification. In many community ED's, risk assessment is done by the emergency physician. I'm lucky where I work, because we have a 24/7 psychiatric ED, which consults on suicidal patients in the "medical ED". In the end, assessment is primarily based on physician judgment, because there's no great clinical decision tool, rules, or scores to assess risk. Rob has created his own mnemonic to help you ask the right questions in assessing a suicidal patient. This is a sneak peak into a larger article that Rob is planning to unleash on the world on suicide assessment. Based on his review of the literature and own clinical experience, the mnemonic is: TRAAPPED SILO SAFE. "Risk factors" which increase a patient's risk for committing suicide in the near future. "Protective factors"which decrease a patient's risk for committing suicide in the near future. Feel free to download this card and print on a 4'' x 6'' index card. * Updated 3/8/11: Added extra "A" to include "Access to Means" as a risk factor. Ever since my post about the top medical apps, I have been inundated with people asking me to review their apps. One has stood out. Medibabble is a real-time medical translation app and is now available for FREE. It was created by two innovative UCSF medical school graduates, Dr. Alex Blau and Dr. Brad Cohn. This app contains an extensive preset list of history questions and physical exam commands. When you click on a sentence, the app will translate and speak the sentence in one of 5 languages (Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, and Haitian Creole). Take a few minutes to download all of the free languages onto your device. It only comes with Spanish pre-installed. There is a FAQ page at www.medibabble.com. The app is only available for the iOS platform currently. Does your Emergency Department have computerized spectrophotometric catheters to measure continuous central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) in early goal directed therapy (EGDT) for severe sepsis? That's what was used in the original Rivers' EGDT study. I've never even seen one before. Many emergency physicians are getting around not having the specialized equipment issue by obtaining intermittent venous blood gas measurements off of a central venous line. But what if you had a 30 y/o woman with early pyelonephritis/urosepsis who has severe sepsis by definition? She's got 10 peripheral lines (I'm exaggerating, of course), a normalized blood pressure with early IV fluids, and appears non-toxic. Her lactate, however, is 9! Do you really need a central line? My gut says no, but the EGDT protocol says yes -- for the purpose of CVP and ScvO2 measurements. Trick of the Trade: Use a less-invasive approach where bedside ultrasound and serial venous lactate levels replace central venous lines and ScvO2 measurements, respectively. Last year, JAMA published a landmark study showing that lactate clearance of ≥10% over the first 2 hours is "not a worse measurement" than ScvO2≥70%. This double-negative statistical speak came about because it was a non-inferiority study. So how does this affect the original Rivers protocol? To review, here's the original protocol, which I posted about earlier: (click to view larger image) In the less invasive model: Fluid resuscitate through peripheral IV access instead of a central line. Follow volume status either with a bedside ultrasound or urine output. Follow venous lactate levels at time 0 and 2 hours. If the lactate clearance is ≥10% over these 2 hours, you should follow the algorithm as if the ScvO2≥70%. That means no need for immediate transfusion or vasopressor agents. How do you know when you have adequately volume-resuscitated a patient using bedside ultrasound? Measure the IVC diameter about 1-2 cm from the right atrium junction. If the IVC diameter ≤1.5 cm and has ≥50% collapse with inspiration, the patient has a very low CVP. If the IVC diameter is at least 1.5 cm and has minimal collapse with inspiration, the patient is euvolemic. Move to the next step -- assessing the MAP. This doesn't mean that all EGDT patient should have ONLY peripheral lines. Persistent hypotension, a non-clearing lactate level, and/or clinical toxicity warrant more invasive monitoring and management. Scott Weingart has an in-depth, 21-minute podcast about the JAMA article and noninvasive approach to sepsis: Podcast link. Scott also briefly interviews Dr. Alan Jones (Carolinas Medical Center), the first author of the study, in the podcast. Reference Jones AE, et al; Emergency Medicine Shock Research Network (EMShockNet) Investigators. Lactate clearance vs central venous oxygen saturation as goals of early sepsis therapy: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association.2010, 303(8), 739-46. PMID: 20179283 . In its third official year, the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) organization is still growing strong. It all started with six of us at an informal dinner in Boston about 5 years ago. And now the organization has grown so large that it is now for the first time offering annual awards to its members. Know an award-worthy educator? Nominate him or her! CDEM Clerkship Director of the Year Award This award recognizes an Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director that has made significant contributions to either a 3rd or 4th year EM rotation. To be eligible for this award, the nominee must currently be a Clerkship Director of a mandatory, selective or elective rotation and have served in that role for a minimum of 5 years. This award is presented at the annual CDEM meeting. CDEM Young Educator of the Year Award This award recognizes a medical student educator at the Clinical Instructor or Assistant Professor level and less than 10 year from residency completion who has made significant contributions to teaching and educating medical students. This award is presented at the annual CDEM meeting. CDEM Distinguished Educator Award This award recognizes a medical student educator at the Associate Professor or Professor level who has made significant contributions to and has demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching and educating medical students for 10 or more years. This award is not presented annually; rather, it is bestowed on special occasions. CDEM Award for Innovation in Medical Education This award recognizes a medical student educator at any faculty rank who has made a significant and innovative contribution to undergraduate medical education. This award is presented at the annual CDEM meeting. By learning about our differences, we can learn to appreciate and better communicate with those who are different from us. The same falls true for working with residents and faculty from different "generations", as defined as traditionalists, baby boomers, generation Xers, and millennials. This literature review and consensus document is quite extensive and even comes in 2 parts in Academic Emergency Medicine. There is a great summary table of the generational differences in personal, work, and educational characteristics, communication styles, and technology. Think of faculty who fit in these age groups. Do they fit their generational stereotype? Traditionalists (born 1925-1945) Personal characteristics: Loyal, reluctant to change, dedicated, value honor and duty, patriotic Work characteristics: Value hierarchy, loyal "company man", job security Education characteristics: Process oriented Communication style: Formal Technology: Tend not to understand Baby Boomers(born 1945-1964) Personal characteristics: Optimistic, desire for personal gratification, highly competitive Work characteristics: Workaholic, competitive, consensus builder, mentor Education characteristics: Learner depends on educator, lecture format, process-oriented Communication style: Diplomatic Technology: Not particularly techno-saavy Generation Xers (born 1964-1980) Personal characteristics: Independent, self-directed, skeptical, resilient, more accepting of diversity, self-reliant Work characteristics: Value work-life balance, comfortable with change, question authority Education characteristics: Independent learners, problem-solvers, desire to learn on the job, outcome-oriented Communication style: Blunt Technology: Interested and facile Millennials (born 1980-1999) Personal characteristics: Optimistic, need for praise, collaborative, global outlook Work characteristics: Team-oriented, follows rules and likes having structured time, career changes Education characteristics: Team-based learning environment, turn to Internet for answers, outcome-oriented Communication style: Polite Technology: Very saavy, technology is a necessity The authors give multiple examples where generational differences come to light but none more so than in mentorship within the academic department. Traditionalists view mentorship as a more formal process, where feedback is necessary only to provide criticism or suggestions for improvement. Baby boomers also view mentorship as a "top down" process. They are ok with infrequent interactions. Generation Xers and Millennialsprefer mentorship as a more "peer to peer" process with more frequent interactions. They value the personal relationships and the opportunity to collaborate in creative solutions. Because of their stereotypical distrust of authority, however, they may inadvertently sabotage their relationship with their mentors. Distrust sometimes is misinterpreted as a general lack of respect. To overcome these differences, mentor-mentee pairings should take into consideration gender and shared views about goals, work/life balance, and experiences. Early discussions in a mentorship relationship should discuss generational differences and how each envisions the ideal mentor-mentee relationship to be. The pair should agree upon and adopt a collaborative, shared communication approach with frequent feedback. So much more in this article... Take a read. Mohr NM, Moreno-Walton L, Mills AM, et al. Generational Influences in Academic Emergency Medicine: Teaching and Learning, Mentoring, and Technology (Part I). Acad Emerg Med. 2011, 18:190-9, 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2010.00985.x . A 50 year-old woman, who presented to the ENT clinic for followup check of a facial fracture, has a blood pressure of 210/100. She is asymptomatic and in no pain. She gets referred immediately to the ED for care. Now you see her in your ED. What next? There is a lot of controversy whether you should treat or not treat asymptomatic hypertension in the ED. The ACEP Clinical Policy says that there is no need to immediately reduce an asymptomatic patient's blood pressure. With "close followup", they can be referred to their primary care physician. With so many patients being uninsured or unable to access their primary care physician on short notice, many emergency physicians like myself are slowly moving towards starting antihypertensive medications for them. If you do decide to start an antihypertensive, which medication do you choose? This Paucis Verbis card is based on a 2009 Cochrane Review, and summarized in American Family Physician in 2010. The blue numbers denote a Risk Ratio (RR) which cross 1, meaning that there is no benefit. The red numbers denote a RR < 1, meaning that there IS a benefit. A low-dose thiazide, such as hydrochlorothiazide 12.5-25 mg po daily, is a safe and effective choice. Feel free to download this card and print on a 4'' x 6'' index card. References Quynh B. Cochrane for clinicians. First-line treatment for hypertension. Amer Fam Phys. 2010, 81(11), 1333-5. Mensah G, Bakris G. Treatment and Control of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Cardiology Clinics. 2010, 28(4), 609-22. .. EMCast - Monthly podcast interviews with Dr. Amal Mattu through Emedhome.com ($99 annual subscription) CDEM Curriculum - Resource put together by CDEM for medical students which includes essentially an online textbook in EM (free). Rob even put in a plug for my Digital Instruction in Emergency Medicine (DIEM) online simulation cases. I'm not actually done with all the cases, as Rob suggests! Only the first case on Chest Pain is done thus far... Ack! I better get crackin' now. Spend a high-yield 25 minutes listening to Rob's take on need-to-know educational resources in EM. A health care worker hurried in to the ED after being poked with a needle. 'It was an old 18G needle with dried blood', she said. Her puncture had drawn blood. You discussed the very low risk of contacting HIV and the side effects of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). She asked, 'What does very low risk mean?' Is there another way to covery risk for patients? Trick of the Trade: Convey probabilities with everyday risks. This article uses a risk stratifying tool to convey probabilities that compare to everyday risks such as flying, cancer diagnosis, having an MI, etc. Below is the calculation tool from the paper. Using this tool, the risk of contacting HIV for this patient would be: 5/ (1000 x 100 x 100) = 1/ 2,000,000 According to the everyday risk table in the article, this is similar to the risk of dying in the next 12 months from lightning. You left her to decide on PEP. As the author pointed out, the risks cited are probabilities instead of exact measurements. This is an important caveat. I find this helpful to provide context, especially for those who have difficulty deciding on PEP. Vertesi L. Risk Assessment Stratification Protocol (RASP) to help patients decide on the use of postexposure prophylaxis for HIV exposure. CJEM : Canadian journal of emergency medical care. 2003, 5(1), 46-8. PMID: 17659153 Many academic Emergency Departments are staffed by non-EM residents. Dr. Amer Aldeen and his super-star team from Northwestern created NURRC Modules (Northwestern University Rotating Resident Curriculum). These modules allow the off-service residents, who all have different schedules, to learn key EM-based topics at their own leisure and convenience. The positive effect of the curriculum on the off-service residents' medical knowledge was recently published in Academic Emergency Medicine: Read my review. NURRC Video Modules: ENT and Ophthalmology Emergencies Obstetrics and Gynecology Emergencies Trauma and Wound Care Thanks to the team for agreeing to make these videos free for everyone to use. I hope I wasn't too pushy or forward in asking for the videos... and then asking if I could post then all on YouTube! Such a great resource shouldn't live behind closed doors. I'll post the other 3 videos once I receive them from Amer. It is 2 a.m. You, the resident, have just spoken to your staff/attending, who told you to do a task. You have seen one, but don't feel comfortable doing one independently. Will you tell your staff/attending about how you feel? What if the patient did poorly after that? This study examines the perception of EM trainees of their competence and adverse events and how they feel about reporting them. Anonymous web-based survey sent to all trainees from 9 EM programs in Canada outside Quebec. 37.3% trainees responded. 40% trainees felt they had minimal supervision when doing a task that they did not feel safe about. Most 'unsafe' tasks included providing care overnight, admission decision or procedures. When feeling incompetent, a third of trainees will not report this to their staff. Barriers include worry about loss of trust, automony or respect. 64% trainees felt responsible for contributing to adverse events. Most relate to procedures - chest tubes, central lines, paracentesis. Majority, but not all, reported the most serious events to the staff. Barriers include fear of appearing incompetent and humiliation. How would I change my teaching practice Ensure trainees feel safe. Maybe do a dry run of central line insertion/break bad news prior. Encourage trainees to voice their discomfort. They are learning, not just working. Discuss adverse events and medical errors with trainees. Reference Friedman S, Sowerby R, Guo R, Bandiera G. Perceptions of emergency medicine residents and fellows regarding competence, adverse events and reporting to supervisors: a national survey. CJEM: Canadian journal of emergency medical care. 2010, 12(6), 491-9. PMID: 21073775 Medgadget annually hosts a contest for the best medical blogs. It's the Superbowl of blogs. Our blog was nominated for the Best New Medical Blog last year, but got our butt kicked. This year, we're honored to be a finalist in the Best Clinical Sciences Blog category. That's the great news. Unlucky for us, we are in the same category as the juggernauts EMCrit (also nominated in the overall Best Medical Blog category) and Resus.M.E. I do love the fact that the EM specialty is dominating with 3 finalists in this list of 5. With all of the amazing, sunny weather here in California, I feel (briefly) terrible for all those braving the snowpocalyptic conditions across the United States. So, in honor of all those bundled up and shivering, I wanted to review the management of accidental hypothermia. Tip: Avoid jostling the hypothermic patient too much because of myocardial irritability. Don't send your patient into an arrhythmia. Feel free to download this card and print on a 4'' x 6'' index card. In his talk (subtitled "School Sucks"), Northwestern University Physics Professor Dr. Tae describes how he would improve math and science education. While this is directed at college studies, some of the concepts are applicable to teaching Emergency Medicine. He shares a lot of great insight, but I wanted to focus on one concept in particular: The secret to learning = "Work your ass off until you figure it out." Dr. Tae demonstrates this as we watch him make 57 failed attempts trying to learn a new skateboarding trick before finally being able to successfully complete it on the 58th. In order to master this new skill, he had to actively struggle with it until he succeeded. He contrasts this with lectures where students "just sit there" passively, learning very little. Clinical decision making is a skill, much like skateboarding, and our job in teaching this may be to let the students do most of the work. We're only there to offer guidance and point them in the right direction when necessary. So how can we challenge our students to struggle and fail until they ultimately figure it out? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments. Thanks! Patients with a hairy chest may require little patches of hair to be shaved when applying EKG leads. This allows the leads to stick firmly to the chest. Loose leads will result in either an artifactual signal or no signal at all on the EKG machine. How can you obtain an EKG without shaving little patches on the patient's chest? Trick of the Trade: Cover EKG leads with damp gauze Water maximes the contact surface area between the EKG lead and the patient's skin. The water easily conducts the cardiac electrical signal. Generously soak gauze with water. Apply gauze over each EKG lead where it contacts hairy skin. He is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Clerkship Director at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Rahul has led the charge in building CDEM's educational site at www.cdemcurriculum.org, which essentially is a free online textbook for students on their EM rotation. His amazing technological saavy and passion for education in EM make him a perfect fit on our blogging team. I've been begging him to join us for over a year. We're lucky to have him! Wednesday's post is his first (of hopefully many). Well I finally took the leap and am primarily relying on my iPhone to look up medication doses, which I don't know off the top of my head. Gone are the days of purchasing Tarascon's pocket Pharmacopoeia every few years or so. I still haven't settled on which I like more. Both are free. Both are available on multiple platforms, including iOS, Blackberry, and Android. Both have some unique features which I find useful. Common strengths for both apps: Easy to find drug you are looking for. Epocrates has a Search screen as the home page. Micromedex has a Search screen and alphabetical list of medications as the home page. Dosing adjustments based on renal and hepatic function Adult and pediatric dosing recommendations Safety information with preganancy and lactation Unique strengths of the apps: Includes toxicology information for all the medications (what to do in case of an overdose) I have heard that this Thomson Reuters app has been more peer-reviewed and accepted as a very reliable resource, especially for pediatric dosing. Free from obvious advertisements (which is sometimes seen in Epocrates via the Doc Alerts) Has pricing information Allows user to identify unknown pill based on pill characteristics (color, shape, etc) Ability for you to take notes on the app They both will likely answer 99% of what you are looking for from a drug-prescribing perspective. So, which do you prefer and why?

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Acem Meditation is easy to learn. Personal instruction and guidance ensure that you get a good start. Group discussions help you to deal with beginner’s problems and to establish a meditation habit. A beginner's course usually consists of 2-4 sessions, each providing ample opportunity for personal practice followed by guidance and discussion. Groups of 5-15 participants meet for altogether 7-12 hours. Topics covered include: - Brief introduction and personal instruction - Applying the basic principles to your own practice - From stress relief to personal process - Scientific research and the psychology of meditation You learn how to use Acem Meditation for relaxation and stress management, and you lay the foundation for a fascinating process of personality development and self-understanding. The book Acem Meditation - An Introductory Companion is included in the course fee. While you cannot learn the technique from a book, a CD, or the Internet, the psychology of meditation stimulates your practice and provides a fuller understanding of the process. After the course, you can practise the technique on your own, whether you choose to become a regular meditator or to meditate whenever you feel the need. If you wish, you may continue to discuss your meditation practice with a qualified guide after the course. You may also choose between a number of follow-up activities, such as group meditations, talks and lectures, the follow-up courses M1 and M2, as well as weekend retreats where you can get away for a while and recharge your batteries. All instructors have been through several years of training and have long teaching experience. See details for each course in the right sidebar.

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Making the Case for Action This fact sheet(pdf) and slide deck provide essential state-specific information that addresses the economic imperative, the equity imperative, and the expectations imperative of the college- and career-ready agenda. These resources can be used on their own or serve as the foundation for a personalized presentation or fact sheet(word), which can be customized with state-specific details and examples. The PowerPoint, in particular, was developed with various users in mind and offers a wide range of case-making data that can be drawn from to support your own advocacy efforts. Advancing the Agenda As states continue their efforts to promote college and career readiness, Achieve regularly surveys the states to identify their progress in adopting critical college- and career-ready policies. Below is a summary of Idaho's progress to date: See Closing the Expectations Gap for more information State accountability systems focus the efforts of teachers, students, parents, administrators and policymakers to ensure that students and schools meet the established goals, including the goal of ensuring all students graduate ready for college and careers. Idaho has yet to begin to use any of the key college- and career-ready indicators in their accountability system. |Annual School-level Public Reporting||Statewide Performance Goals||School-level Incentives||Accountability Formula| |Earning a college- and career-ready diploma| |Scoring college-ready on a high school assessment| |Earning college credit while in high school| |Requiring remedial courses in college| For an explanation of the indicators, their uses and Achieve’s minimum criteria for college- and career-ready accountability, see here.

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Well, these are still some difficult questions to answer with pin-point accuracy, and at this point I don't believe anyone has the exact answer to all 3 of these questions. What I offer below is a mix of what I Think, What I know and what Appears to be.... Anyone currently attempting to answer these questions with some type of "Universal Knowledge" on the subject--is Full of BS--BEWARE! Yes, that includes Me. I don't have the Complete answer to these questions--and neither does anyone else. This is a subject that needs to be studied in-depth by someone that has all the resources to carry it out: Lab, veterinary knowledge/skills, Acrochordus snakes, What is it: At this point--I don't know, but here is what I believe based on experience, observation and research: The skin of the Acrochordus javanicus and arafurae is very impermeable. So, that makes it a very protective mechanism against the outside world. It is commonly understood that "Stress" causes a reduction in the ability of the immune system to do its job--in humans and other animals--including Acrochordus snakes. Stress appears to cause a decline in the immune system of Acrochordus snakes causing a decline in the effectiveness of the skin as a protective barrier against the outside world. This loss of effectiveness increases until Secondary Infections set in and ultimately kill the animal. Where does it come from: See the paragraph above and add: Improper Husbandry. Yes, it really is that simple. In the Wild, these animals have the ability to move from Habitat to Habitat--Microenvironment to Microenvironment. Even though the White Spot Fungus appears to be a "Captivity" Problem--the snakes in the Wild maybe be able to prevent it--not by some "Magical Bacteria", but, rather: by simply selecting Environments/Microenvironments that they are "Happy" with--i.e., minimum sustained stress level. In Captivity--the snakes don't have that choice. Plain and Simple. Additionally, it appears that the more acclimated to captivity that these snakes get--the more secretive and stress prone they become. How do We get rid of it: Proper Husbandry--Yes, it really is that simple. Reduction of "Stress" will reduce the Progression of the White Spot Fungus. I have seen it myself. Elimination of Stress will Halt the progression of White Spot Fungus. Note: I did not say anything about chemicals, medications, etc.--just eliminate the Stress and the progression of the White Spot will stop. What is there will remain until the next shed. After the next shed--the animal will be clean and remain that way--as long as all of the husbandry parameters are and remain in order. Its just that Simple. A new animal going through the acclimation process may need to shed 2, 3 or even 4 times before the White Spot relents completely. However, its progress should be visibly reduced with each So, what is "Proper Husbandry"? Well, that's what this website is about. No, I don't have all the answers right now, but I've come a long way in the last couple of yrs dedicated to these snakes. 1) If You are genuinely interested in these snakes--then read this website: Every page, every word, look at every picture. This website is not setup for those who are just mildly curious at best. Those folks are more then welcome here. But a lot of information is "Hidden" within the text for those who are serious about these animals. Nothing is truly "Hidden", but even this explanation is not sitting on the Front Page for the "Scanners" to see. 2) Spend the hours necessary researching these animals for Yourself. Right now, the more people that reach the same conclusions--based upon knowledge and experience--the Better. The Online Bibliography at the link is a Good place to start. 3) Acidic water (pH~6.0), Low TDSs (~200ppm), Low light--especially in the hide, Lack of vibrations, etc are Good key elements to the reduction of Stress and the furtherance of "Proper Recently (4/2007) I have seen a couple of "For Sale" ads for Acrochordus javanicus for one vendor that are wrought with misinformation--therefore: Misguidance on the keeping of these snakes. One ad was for CB Babies basically stating to put them in acidic water and because they are CB and White Spot free--You (the buyer) don't need to worry about any future "Bacterial Infections". Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. The current ad states: "I have adult specimens of Acrochordus javanicus, about 4' in length. Perfect specimens with no scrapes, scar, and most importantly NO SKIN BLISTERS! As many people know WC adult Acrochordus javanicus are very rarely offered for sale, primarily because of the high mortality rates due to improper packaging during transport which causes skin blisters (Pseudomonas bacteria which cause septicemia, aka "Blood Poisoning"). You won't have to worry about that here. These adults came in perfectly and there were transported correctly. I am only able to offer unsexed specimens. This species is usually female heavy. There are many reports of this species being able to be parthogenetic, with LTC females "cloning" themselves. A great display snake, they feed on fish. As with all Acrochordids, I reccomend great filtration and the regular addition of a product called "koi zyme." I am asking $250.00 per a specimen, quanities are limitied. Once these are gone I will be a few more years until such nice large animals come Information. Improper packaging/shipping is only one factor and most importantly: "You won't have to worry about that here." That's Pure Non-Sense. I am familiar with this particular individual. He claims to have "...many years of Experience with Aquatic Snakes." and apparently did a stint at a local zoo which I guess makes him a Guru in his own mind. His website is and has remained void of his Great claims of "accomplishments" (suddenly that's changing 6/07 LoL) and has been up for a few yrs now. Buy the snakes--just don't buy into the BS claims. Apparently this person thinks that you just need to buy the "Clean" animal from him, toss it into "acidic water" via peat moss, add Koizyme and Wha-La: Instant Acrochordus! Again, Sorry, it doesn't work that way. If it were that simple: Someone would have figured it out a Looong time ago. I have used Salt, Koizyme, Melafix and Pimafix. I have also researched those products and contacted the manufactures with any specific questions that I had. One thing that I can tell you is: None. Not One of those products are necessary to successfully keep an Acrochordus javanicus or arafurae, Or halt the White Spot Fungus. More importantly, in reference to the Ads,--Just because You receive a clean animal--doesn't mean that it is going to stay that way. That whole thought process is coming from a Total lack of Experience. If that were True--Plenty of people would be successfully keeping Javanicus. Am I being Hardcore: Maybe. But I don't think that I am. I am tired of seeing these snakes die--that's why I am working with them with the dedication that I am. That's why I put up this website--including all of the hours and hours of putting it together and the added expense. That's why I am willing to Openly call these so-called "Gurus" out here--and on the Forums. Sadly, they don't go "heads-up" with me in public any more. They just continue to hold onto their erroneous beliefs and pass along their Bad Information. These animals will always go to the skin trade. But let's get it together and get them established in captivity, so they will always be around, and so people will be able to experience and enjoy their unique presence. I'm no rocket scientist, but I am a guy that can do research and think my way through most problems. If Acrochordus husbandry was as simple as some make it sound: This website would not be here. And You can tell from reading this website that A) its not that simple, and B) its a lot more involved than the "Gurus" want You to believe. I have come across a number of individuals that all claim that they have kept Acrochordus snakes long-term. Notice: the Past tense of: HAVE! Strangely, None of them happen to be "Currently" keeping them. Always--Past Tense! Hmmm, I'll leave You to Your Own Conclusions on that one. Just Beware of the "Claims" out there. Follow the path that You feel is Best--but base it upon Research and, White Spot Fungus? Its caused by Stress and, basically, it appears to be a break-down in the skins ability to protect the animal from the Outside World, eventually leading to Secondary Infections that lead to the demise of the snake. There is No "Magical" Bacteria that Your snake was or was not exposed to in the wild--these snakes die in captivity from White spot all over the world--including captivity in Asia that contains water from their own natural environments. Improper Shipping is not the sole source of White Spot, Skin Blister, Whatever. Animals that Arrive in Your hands "Clean" Will develop White Spot if Housed Improperly and Will die from it if the Husbandry Parameters are not Corrected. Wild-caught, Captive Born, Captive Bred and Born--doesn't matter. Tolerance is the only difference between these animals--Environmental Imprints on their brain. Captive Bred and Born babies are always at least a bit easier then Captive Born babies. Captive Born babies are always a bit easier than Wild-Caught babies. Wild-Caught babies are always easier then Wild-Caught adults. Acrochordus snakes are no different. If You see White Spot fungus on Your animal--the First question is: Is it Progressing? If it is, then You probably need to fix something. If not, then the animal may just be acclimating (If new or just put into a new setup), or the source of stress was temporary and has already been corrected. Is it a "Death Sentence"? No, definitely Not. So, don't Freak-out and start adding Salt or any of that other stuff. Don't start ripping the snake out for Salt Baths, Melafix Dips or any of that non-sense. You will just be ADDING stress. Just step back and look at the Big Picture. Observe the snake's behavior. Try to calmly sort out what may be wrong. As stated in the Javanicus Caresheet: It could be something as simple as Your kid(s) or 150lbs Rottweiler bouncing around on the wood floor, or the Thumping from Your too cool Home Entertainment System. White Spot Fungus is just an indicator that let's You know that the snake is stressing about something. But it can kill Your snake--if You don't do Your Job. This Information is offered on the Acrochordus javanicus and Acrochordus arafurae Filesnakes as is. This Information is not offered in reference to any snakes other than the Acrochordus javanicus and Acrochordus arafurae Filesnakes and even so: use at You Own Risk! Additionally, this caresheet is obviously based upon admittedly limited experience! It is not intend to be a recipe of do this, do this, do this---Bam! You have a cake. It's intent is to offer more of a conceptual understanding of these fascinating creatures and their apparent needs both in the wild and in

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Society of Consumer Protection S.O.S. Poprad from Slovakia is organisation fighting for straitening citizen, consumer and patients´ rights. In order to make basic European rules of consumer and patients ´protection more accessible to blind and purblind people Society of Consumer Protection S.O.S. Poprad has published in cooperation with Slovak Library for Purblind People first Consumer Protection Dictionary in Braille. This unique publication is now available in thirty libraries and eleven regional branches of Union of Blind and Partially Sighted Slovakia. This would be the wished outcome of a project fulfilled by a joint venture of Pain Alliance Europe (PAE), Active Citizen Network (ACN) and Grünenthal. A project designed to show the community how chronic pain patients experience the help they receive for the government and the healthcare professionals. But it is more than this. After the presentation to the Senate of our dossier in terms of fuel poverty, "Energy and chronically ill", made with Acquirente Unico, the Authority for Electricity and Gas has shown not only to be able to act very quickly on important issues, but also to carefully consider the "civic" information produced by the associations. - FUTURE ACTIVE CITIZENS: VOLUNTEERING AS AN EXERCISE OF DEMOCRACY - The patients’ involvement on Health policies in Europe: the citizens voice in Cancer Care decision making process - PAIN PATIENT PATHWAY RECOMMENDATIONS - Summer School for civic leader in HTA: the Italian experience - The Engagement of Cittadinanzattiva in the Fight against Useless Pain - Programme - 6th European Patients' Rights Day - 6th EUROPEAN PATIENT'S RIGHTS DAY - 5th EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY - 4th EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY - 3rd EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY - 2nd EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY - 1st EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY - ASSESSING PATIENTS' RIGHTS IN EUROPE - MONITORING PATIENTS' RIGHTS IN EUROPE - EUROPEN CHARTER OF PATIENTS' RIGHTS Read all >

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Does Turkey offer a model that the Mideast can emulate? avril 13, 2012Posted by Acturca in Moyen Orient, Turquie. Tags: AKP, Arab Spring, foreign policy, Middle East, Neo-Ottomanism, Nora Fisher Onar, Turkey, Turquie The Daily Star (Lebanon) April 13, 2012, p. 7 Türkçe By Nora Fisher Onar * Turkey is often touted as an inspiration for the countries of the rest of the Middle East – a characterization it accepts and pursues. In recent years, Turkish policymakers have worked hard to establish “Turkey Inc.” as the model of a relatively free, stable and increasingly prosperous Muslim-majority country with great economic and foreign policy leverage. But what does the Turkish experience actually represent for the states of the Arab Middle East? How convincing is Turkey, Inc. – and as a model can it really be emulated? Perhaps the most attention has been paid to the free and fair rise to power of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which Islamist movements in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Syria have heralded as a symbol of Muslim majoritarian democracy – even explicitly referencing it in the names and platforms of their own parties, movements and factions. To both domestic and international observers, this might signal that, like the AKP in Turkey, Islamist parties elsewhere do not seek to dismantle their states’ secular framework – at least for the time being. But in spite of its appeal to both traditional Islamists and “post-Islamists” – that is, those who fully reconcile their particular politico-religious commitments with globalization – the Turkish formula may not be replicable. Civil-military relations in Turkey have undergone a double-sided transformation over recent decades. As a consequence of the intermittent censure by the army, political Islamists had to moderate their demands and practices; simultaneously, the Turkish army – accustomed to the barracks and aware that interference in government hurt Turkey’s international standing – increasingly relied on civilian allies to pursue its agenda vis-à-vis the AKP. Eventually, the military relinquished control of crucial institutions (such as the National Security Council), and the final showdown over control of the presidency in 2007 was fought not with bullets and tanks, but with Web declarations, public rallies and court cases. A similar tipping point regarding civilian control of the state is hardly a foregone conclusion in countries still under transition, where national militaries continue to exert a dominant presence in political life. Other countries in the Middle East also lack the trajectory that Turkey has followed with regard to its economic development. This is particularly true of the export-driven rise of the middle class that has been experienced by religious constituencies across the Anatolian periphery. Such a trend has underpinned the AKP’s moderation, political success and interregional presence. Indeed, Turkey’s recent economic trajectory is a central component of its appeal in the Arab world. Over the past decade, Turkey has tripled its Gross Domestic Product and – excluding a dip to minus-4 percent real growth in 2009 – has managed to ride out the global economic crisis with relative equanimity. Commentators have argued that Turkey may be part of a second tier of rising economic powers (alongside such countries as South Korea, Mexico and Indonesia) that is hot on the heels of the Big Four (Brazil, Russia, India and China). This holds two implications: On a symbolic level, the Turkish experience (along with that of Indonesia and Malaysia) has dramatically undermined theories of Islam’s incompatibility with modernization, especially in the arena of economic governance. More tangibly, over the past decade Turkey has actively sought out partners for sustainable trade-driven growth in a region that has been long addled by the heady cocktail of oil wealth and chronic underdevelopment. Although economic partnerships were in no way guided by Turkish concerns for democratic governance – a reality that was attested to by Turkey’s once cozy ties with authoritarian leaders – they have had unintended consequences with positive implications for political reform. For example, the influx of cheaper, better quality Turkish goods in Syrian markets may have undermined a backbone of President Bashar Assad’s regime: namely the interests of the regime’s business cronies. To understand the parameters of Turkey’s role in the region, we should also acknowledge the sensitivities that have arisen from the Ottoman legacy. Some believe that Ankara seeks to reclaim its historical leadership of the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans, something that can rub interlocutors the wrong way. Hence, Turkish foreign policymakers’ reluctance to employ Ottomanist frames of reference. However, at the domestic social level in Turkey, there remains a growing receptiveness to self-depiction as the benign heir to the Ottoman Empire. This is evident in the proliferation of cultural commodities that employ Ottoman referents. That is the case of the recent record-grossing film “Conquest 1453,” about what Western historiography calls the “fall” of Constantinople. In the film, Mehmet the Conqueror – played by an actor who bears a remarkable resemblance to a young Recep Tayyip Erdogan – is shown to be a forceful and compassionate protector of Muslims and Christians alike (though there is no mention in the film of Jews). The image of Turkey as a “big brother” to downtrodden Muslims in such places as Palestine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina – characterizes an emerging “neo-Ottomanist” national image that seems to drive Turkish aspirations of regional leadership within the country and amplify Erdogan’s profile abroad. Whether this is a matter of hubris or of genuine capacity remains to be seen. A final component that is crucial for evaluating Turkey’s example is that the country has yet to develop a framework for meaningful multiethnic, multisectarian co-habitation. Mounting violence on the part of militant Kurds and the Turkish state’s heavy-handed response has fueled hostility between ordinary citizens. For instance, recent court rulings suggest that vigilante terror toward prominent members of the Armenian and Alevi communities is permissible and will go unpunished. Disturbing numbers of journalists, scholars, and students who have expressed critical views on these fronts have been jailed. There is also deep concern in constituencies that embrace secular lifestyles that recent reforms in fields such as education will yield an ever more restricted Turkish society. Given the need to put its own house in order and the fact that inter-communal tensions across the Middle East are likely to become worse before becoming better, Turkey’s AKP government must take very seriously its mandate to write a new and inclusive Constitution. In the longer tem, Turkey must confront the standing challenge of the region – learning to live together despite differences – a challenge which also happens to be Turkey’s own. At the end of the day, the export of Turkey, Inc. needs stable and predictable conditions in which trade and investment can thrive; hence, the commitment to the “zero problems” policy that Turkey employed with neighbors in its economic and foreign agendas over the past decade. Due to last year’s upheavals in the Arab world, however, this policy is unsustainable. Once well-placed to broker a dialogue between Iran and Israel, Turkey is now more alienated from both countries than before as the two nemeses lock horns in what Graham Allison has called the “Cuban missile crisis in slow motion.” Should Israeli-Iranian antagonism spill over into war, the delicate balance in Iraq may unravel into protracted sectarian and ethnic conflict, just as Syria’s brewing civil war may spill over into neighboring Lebanon. But even without an Israeli-Iranian showdown and an intensified conflagration in Iraq and Syria, Turkey’s Kurdish question is, quite literally, kindling awaiting a flame, as attested to by recent clashes during Nevruz, or Nowruz, celebrations. All of this suggests that Turkey’s aspirations to regional leadership are tactically dependent on forestalling an Iranian-Israeli showdown – an end to which it should leverage all its diminished diplomatic capital in the two countries and in partnership with the United States. Before the AKP came to power and the Arab Awakening broke out, the received wisdom was that when it came to Islam, democracy and secularism, one could have any two but never all three. Similarly, doubts have long been expressed about whether political and economic liberalism can thrive simultaneously in a Muslim-majority setting. Taken together, it seems that if the purveyors of Turkey, Inc. can show that liberal economics goes hand-in-hand with liberal democracy in a country that is governed by pious Muslims, then the Turkish model-in-progress may achieve fruition and offer a timely example for the Middle East. * Nora Fisher Onar is an assistant professor of international relations at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul. She is also a Ronald D. Asmus Policy Entrepreneur Fellow with the German Marshall Fund and is a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for International Studies (CIS) at the University of Oxford. This commentary first appeared at Sada, an online journal published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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Serving diverse populations has never been a strong suit of the health-care system in general; there are huge disparities in the quality of care between whites and African Americans and Hispanics. The law calls for expanded initiatives to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the health-care profession, as well as improved cultural competency. But this will take time. Meanwhile, the existing force of health-care providers will have to adopt a more multicultural mindset -- and that includes increased multicultural intelligence in marketing communications. Insurance companies will face a different set of challenges. The law stipulates that by 2014 states must set up exchanges through which consumers can directly purchase health insurance, and all legal residents will be required to obtain insurance or pay a penalty. That will likely force a change in the traditional model of marketing health insurance from B2B to a more consumer-oriented approach. Several major insurers already are adding retail locations and kiosks in shopping malls, as well as sponsoring health fairs, The Miami Herald reports. Humana, for example, is offering its members a 5% savings at Walmart stores on purchases of fresh fruits, vegetables and other products that carry the retailer's "Great For You" label. Though many of the newly insured will be eligible for subsidized health insurance through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, to be successful, insurance companies, like providers, will need to be ready to address the unique needs of a very different demographic than what they are used to. Then there are the pharmaceutical companies. According to Gregg DiPietro, in a blog for Pharm Exec, before the new health-care law, "pharma built its positioning platform almost entirely on two dimensions: efficacy and safety." He adds, "With the approval of the health care law, the conversation has moved ... to one of overall 'value.' ... Efficacy and safety ... are not enough to carry a product's positioning platform." Dorothy Wetzel, former VP-consumer marketing at Pfizer, offers five questions in a recent blog that any pharmaceutical brand needs to ask itself when considering beefing up its efforts to multicultural consumers: What is the size of the business opportunity? Do multicultural patients approach health issues differently than the general-market patients in their disease state? - Do the current messages in your communications resonate with the multicultural patient? - Does your current media and tactical plan reach the multicultural patient? - Are there organizations that could help accelerate access and the impact of your efforts? "You can't standardize diversity and say that all of our diverse populations need this," says Russell Bennet, Vice President of Latino Health Solutions at United Healthcare. "Each population may need different things." If we are to count ourselves among the great nations of the world, then Americans have a moral imperative to increase the quality of health care for all. As multicultural marketers, we can help. There is a need to educate about disparities. There is a need to get the word out to medically underserved folks as to how they can take best advantage of the new health-care options. And there is clearly a need for more research that looks into the impact of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation on how one navigates -- and is navigated -- through the health-care system. Perhaps the greatest challenge faced by advertisers will be to make Americans -- in and out of the health-care profession -- aware that we do indeed have a disparities problem. A study conducted last year found that only 59% of Americans were aware of racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Before the ad industry takes on this issue -- and it's a tough one, given the current political climate -- its first job will be to educate health-care providers as well as the general public. Once that 's accomplished, the industry can tackle the challenge of how best to reach multicultural patients as important consumers.

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This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Supplementary Volume, (MUP), 2005 Eleanor Constance (Ella) Greenham (1874-1957), medical practitioner, was born on 15 April 1874 at Ipswich, Queensland, second child and only daughter of John Greenham, an English-born draper, and his wife Eleanor, née Johnstone, from Ireland. John later established a general store, Greenhams Pty Ltd, in the business centre at Ipswich. Ella attended Ipswich Central Girls' and Infants' School then Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, where she won the English and the natural history prizes. On 1 February 1892 she was the first pupil to be enrolled at Ipswich Girls' Grammar School. There she won the silver medal for the top girl in science and four other prizes. Passing the senior public examination next year and winning six more prizes, she proceeded to advanced studies for university entrance. In 1895 Greenham went to Women's College within the University of Sydney (M.B., Ch.M., 1901), entering the faculty of arts as a necessary preliminary to her medical studies. She was the first Queensland-born woman to graduate in medicine. Registered to practise in Brisbane on 2 May 1901 as medical practitioner no.711, she began work as resident medical officer at the Lady Bowen Hospital, Brisbane, probably becoming the first woman to receive a residential position in a Queensland hospital. Choosing to work in private practice, in 1903 she took rooms in City Chambers, Queen and Edward Streets, Brisbane, moving in 1907 to 284 Edward Street. Although she met opposition from some male colleagues, her bright personality and attentive care gradually attracted patients and she built up a successful practice. Greenham was dedicated to her profession and, like many early medical women, she did not marry. She was an accomplished pianist, enjoyed attending the theatre and visiting flower shows and was described as 'a large lady, fond of flowing, floral garments'; at the lady mayoress's 'At Home' in 1904 she wore an Assam silk gown and a hat of blue chiffon. One of the earliest women car-owners in Queensland, she drove a Darracq in 1907 and later a Hupmobile. Indeed, she became a shareholder in the Hupmobile agency, Evers Motor Co. Ltd, Brisbane. She also became chairman of directors of Greenhams Pty Ltd. In 1945 the Queensland Medical Women's Society elected her to honorary membership for her contribution to women's health and in 1953 she was made honorary member of the British Medical Association (Queensland Branch) for fifty years uninterrupted membership. In her eightieth year she retired to 85 Oxlade Drive, New Farm, but she continued to treat her old patients. Greenham was a pioneer and a skilful, caring doctor. By her persistence and expertise, she swept away difficulties and opposition, helping to shape the future for women in medicine in Queensland. She died on 31 December 1957 at New Farm and was cremated with Anglican rites. Lesley Williams, 'Greenham, Eleanor Constance (Ella) (1874–1957)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/greenham-eleanor-constance-ella-12951/text23407, accessed 18 May 2013. This article was first published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Supplementary Volume, (MUP), 2005

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Q&A Series: What are the Addicks and Barker Dams and Reservoirs?Read more... News Release: USACE Galveston District monitors Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirsRead more... News Release: USACE Galveston awards contract for road repairs at Addicks, Barker damsRead more... News Release: USACE awards small business contract for environmental assessment at Addicks, Barker damsRead more... News Release: USACE awards contract for soil sample lab testing at Addicks, Barker damsRead more... Dam Safety Electronic Press Kit Dam Safety Video Updated November 2010! Learn all you need to know about the Addicks and Barker Dam Safety Program in this 20 minute video. Review the USACE Planning Process Check the Water Level in Your Area The Addicks Project Office 1042 Highway 6 South Houston, TX 77077 News Release: USACE Galveston awards small business contract to survey Addicks and Barker HOUSTON (March 4, 2011) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, awarded a contract Feb. 17, 2011, to Landtech Consultants Inc., a small business, in the amount of $27,464.32 for a deformation survey of structures at the Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs located in Harris and Fort Bend counties, Texas.

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A land whose rich cultural heritage is discovered not only from within the walls of numerous museums, galleries and churches, many of which today, as zero category monuments are included in a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, but also in that magical place on the Mediterranean, where even the shortest stroll becomes a journey down a staircase thousands of years old, which takes one through a history that is at the same time turbulent, exciting and glorious. With as many as seven cultural phenomena- The Festivity of Saint Blaise, lace-making in Lepoglava, Hvar and Pag, the bell ringers from the Kastav region, the Hvar Procession Za Križem, (‘following the Cross’), two-part singing in the Istrian scale, in Istria and Hrvatsko Primorje, the spring procession of ‘Ljelje’ and traditional manufacture of wooden toys in the Hrvatsko zagorje region, Croatia is among the countries with the most protected intangible cultural heritage elements, recorded on the UNESCO List. The famous scientist Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), inventor of alternating current. Was born in Smiljan, Croatia, died in New York, USA. Dog breed Dalmatian originates from these areas? In a small Franciscan monastery in Zaostrog, there is a painting from 1724 which for the first time depicts a Dalmatian dog… Slavoljub Eduard Penkala In 1906, a Croat Slavoljub Eduard Penkala for the first time applied for a patent for a ballpoint (penkala) and a holder for a fountain pen. From time immemorial, the tie has been a part of the Croatian national costume, which was preserved by the Croats to the more recent times, who moved to central Europe in the 16th century. It was later taken over by the Croatian soldiers who were fighting in Europe, and a part of their uniform was assumed by the French in the 17th century. Under the leadership of the French „God of Sun" Louis XIV there was a horsemen unit, the so-called Royal cravate, who wore mostly red collar ribbons. The custom of wearing ribbons from the Croats dates back to this time, which was later expanded around Europe and the world, and today is inevitably the most important detail in men's fashion, and also an original Croatian souvenir. The word «kravata» (tie) originates from the word «Kroate»... The world traveler and explorer Marco Polo was born in 1254, most probably on the island of Korčula. Even today, there are people living on the island with the same last name.. Island of Vrnik is situated in the archipelago of the Pelješac canal in front of the east coast of Korčula island, widely known for its stone-pit of quality lime-stone (marble) from which Aia Sofia (Istanbul) and the While House (Washington) were partly built as were some palaces-town halls in Dubrovnik, Stockholm, Venice, Vienna. Visit to the fertile plains of Baranja where the grapes have been cultivated for centuries, is not complete if you do not taste the "golden drops" of Baranja's vineyards. According to the old manuscripts, vine was a usual drink at the royal court of Maria Teresa, and the ancient Romans, delighted with its bouquet and with the sun rises and sunsets of that region, called it the "Golden hill"... There is a Ulysses' cave on the island of Mljet. It was named after a story which says that a famous adventurer stranded on the nearby cliff Ogiron, where he met the nymph Calypso with whom he fell in love, and spent unforgettable moments in her company... Red-white coat of arms Recognizable all over the world, and related only to Croats - characteristic cube-shaped red-white coat of arms which is believed to originate from the Persian original homeland of Croats (red signifies south and white signifies north). That is where the name for two Croatias derives from, i.e. White in north and Red in south. When the Croats have selected Ferdinand Habsburg to be their King in Cetine in 1527, they confirmed that choice with some seals, and one of them was Croatian coat of arms, but with 64 fields, i.e. the complete chess-board. That is where the popular term „šahovnica" derives from, and Šah (chess) in Persian means the Ruler - Tsar. Did you know that there is a world rarity in the Archeological museum in Zagreb? Of course, we are talking about the Zagreb mummy. Nesi-hensu, the wife of Aher-hensu, „the divine tailor" from Thebes, is the name of a mummified woman who was wrapped in cut ribbons of Zagreb linen book which represents the longest preserved text in Etruscan language and the only preserved sample of linen book in the entire Ancient world. Top seven world getaways The American magazine "In Style" has included Croatia on its list of seven top world destinations ("Top seven world getaways"). The article authors recommend a visit to Croatia for its very rich historical-cultural heritage, natural beauties and clean sea. In addition to Croatia, the list of top seven places includes Kenya, South Africa, London, Greek island Santorini and three American destinations - Aspen, Napa Valley and Nantucket. Every day, for over hundred and ten years, the cannon fires from the top of tower Lotrščak exactly at noon in memory of an event from Zagreb history. According to the legend, exactly at noon, the Grič canon fired a discharge from Lotrščak to the Turkish camp located across Sava and blew out a rooster (or a turkey) which the cook was taking to Pasha on a platter. After this event, the Turks scattered and did not attack Zagreb...

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Rachid Khimoune grew up in a small mining town in Northern France where his Algerian parents had settled. It was there that he saw first hand the end of industrialisation: his father lost his job at the local mine and the family moved to the suburbs of Paris. The waves of urban immigration to the cities […] I wasn’t given very much information. Stumbling into the secretive meeting I’d been invited to, an all female brigade greeted me quickly as they pored over a hand drawn map of targets. Drawing on an apparently endless supply of cigarettes, peppered sometimes with wine, they debated logistics. It being Paris Fashion Week, they decided Gucci, […] Guest Post by Lara N. Dotson-Renta Paris has always been renowned for its culture and support of the arts. Yet, as France has grown into an ever more pluralistic society, the traditional image of what constitutes art in France must evolve as well. Younger generations of artists, many immigrants of African origin, are now reconfiguring […] What is there to say about that other African election, the one in France? Sunday was the first of two rounds in this presidential contest, which is a lot more about Europe—specifically Brussels, but also Berlin—than it is about Africa. Still, it will have real effects on both shores of the Mediterranean and of the […] You don’t stand in one place to watch a masquerade, as Chinua Achebe famously said. It moves. You move with it. Same goes for demonstrations. On Saturday a few hundred people marched in Paris for peace in Mali. Mostly Malians, as you’d think, but also a few dozen sympathetic observors, several journalists, a well-received Senegalese […] In the introduction to The World According to Bylex Filip De Boeck and Koen Van Synghel describe the Congolese artist Pume Bylex as “not interested in the day-to-day reality of Kinshasa. [He] turns his attention to what lies beyond the horizon of the visible and the tangible (…) a world with perfection and harmony at […] At the occasion of the recent publication of Senegalese philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne’s book ‘African Art as Philosophy: Senghor, Bergson and the Idea of Negritude’ (originally published in French in 2007) and listening to this interview where he speaks about his new book, ‘Bergson Postcolonial’, I intended to write a short post wondering why it […] Mokobe commentates on the actions of Rihannon, Naomi Campboule, Rachida Beckham and friends over a Coupé-Decalé riddim. The music production is pretty standard, but the video is at least funny. Update (3/19): Following heated reactions from fans, Mokobe took down the music video. In vague terms, he explains why he decided to do so here.

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Saturday, May 29, 2010 Jim, my personal library, recently gave me an American classic: "The Making of the President: 1960" by Theodore H. White. The book chronicles Teddy White's experiences along the campaign trail with Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential election. The writing is outstanding and the insights are second to none. There are countless political observations that are as true today as they were 50 years ago. However, none of those are what stand out for me. There are two paragraphs that are extremely eerie though the power of retrospection. The first is on Page 372, when talking about Kennedy and The Oval Office: "When the windows are closed, the sound of Washington traffic, which hums as it passes by outside, is entirely locked out, and one is reminded that these windows are three inches thick of laminated glass, thick enough to stop an assassin's rifle bullet from beyond the grounds -- if the assassin gets time enough to sight." The other disturbing reference is to a day in the life of John F. Kennedy. On page 375, Teddy White wrote: "Then the supreme and somber problem of war and peace: a long meeting of one and one quarter hours in the cabinet room with Secretary of State Dean Rusk; Secretary of National Defense Robert S. McNamara; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Lyman Lemnitzer; Admiral Harry D. Felt, Commander-in-Cheif, Pacific theatre; two personal advisers McGeorge Bundy and Walter Rostow; and Vice-President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson. Here at this meeting he considered, not for the first time but for the decisive [Whit's italics, not mine] time, American response to the newest thrust of Communist pressure on the changing world -- the movement of Communist guerillas over the jungles and ridges of Southeast Asia into the formless Kingdom of Laos. Could anything be done there, and if it could, should anything be done there? This was the ugliest of problems; and if his decisions were right the meeting would fade into history as unimportant; but if the decisions brought war, then this, indeed, was where the Americans chose war." I think we can say that the president decided wrong that day.

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adopt many methods to determine whether the unborn baby is a boy or a girl. The Chinese pregnancy calendar is an often used method to know about the gender of the new life in the mothers womb. is an ancient way for predicting the gender of the unborn baby It is also known as a Chinese conception chart, or the Chinese Conception Calendar. It is believed that this ancient method is highly accurate, although no clinical studies verify these chart is an ancient Chinese secret A Chinese scientist developed this calendar, 700 years ago. According to a legend, the Chinese is capable of predicting the baby gender based on two variables: the baby month of conception and the mothers age. chart was kept in a royal tomb, near the city of Peking in China in ancient times. Now this original Chinese chart is on display at the Beijing Institute of Science. Many people, especially the Chinese, believe that the original Chinese pregnancy calendar is almost 100% According to studies, the Chinese pregnancy calendar has been found to be 97% effective in predicting a baby gender. This accuracy is credited to the use of Chinese lunar calendar pregnancy calendar is dependent on the lunar calendar. It is based on the month a baby is conceived and not the birth month. The second factor is the mothers age at the time of conception, adding 9 months to her age to adjust the lunar calendar. conceived month from January to December is listed on the top row of the Chinese chart, and the left column of age during the conception. You need to follow the steps given below to get the most accurate result from the Chinese Pregnancy by the boy approaches more often , than pregnancy an girl. On statistical given beside young and sound parents more often birth boys, but beside of parents of more senior age on the contrary. 1. Note down your age at the time of conception. 2. Add 9 months to the age to adjust to the lunar calendar. 3. Also note down the month when the baby was conceived. 4. Now simply search for the conceived month across the top portion of the chart and the age on the left side of the chart. 5. Lastly, follow these two coordinates to the spot where they intersect, and that will show you either a box containing B boy, or G comparison to the Chinese pregnancy calendar, the ultrasound during the 7th or 8th month of is a more reliable method to know the gender of the child. In fact an ultrasound is use to monitor the week by week development right from conception till child birth. it is a boy or a girl, what does it matter? What matters is that you have fun guessing the gender of your unborn baby using the Chinese pregnancy All along use a journal to record your development week by week. More radio frequency to conceive aihe male sex is connected with that Spermatozoidum, carrying male Y-chromosome, several more movable, than carrying X-chromosome, and has more chances earlier to reach ovules. But healled Spermatozoidum with X-chromosome more viable and can more long to survive in wombs of pipe, and wait a period of One of the ways of planning of conceiving boy or girl is based on such abilities an Spermatozoidum. In the first place it is necessary exactly to define a date of ovulations. So, if beside you menstruations regular, the day of ovulations constant and possible produce an uncomplicated calculation. If you want conceive boy or girl, You must adjust last sexual contact before a data of ovulations. If You to planned conceive of boy or girl Study has shown that method efficient in 80% events aproximately. Used and other ways of planning conceive boy or girl, based on calculations "biological rhythms", astrological forecasts and etc. But from medical standpoints these methods not motivated. a sex of aihe during pregnancy. By means of the ultrasound during of pregnancy possible to define a sex of future child. This better and easier to realize at late terms of pregnancy, after 22-26 weeks. Then results will more

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Chinese domestic production of civil helicopters is set to grow, but not as quickly as the country’s authorities predict, according to a local market analyst. Matthieu Devoisselle, co-founder of Avia-Tek, a Shanghai-based aerospace consultancy firm specializing in emerging countries, regards government forecasts as unrealistic. But Chinese manufacturer Avicopter does have reason to be optimistic, he adds. Aérospatiale Super Frelon The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified the country’s “new” home-grown heavy-lift helicopter on January 9. Built at state-owned Avic, the AC313 tips the scales at 27,600 pounds, can carry up to 27 people and has a maximum ferry range of 485 nm and a service ceiling near 28,000 feet. The AC313 appears to be an outgrowth of the 14,000-pound Chinese Zhi-8. That medium helicopter is based on the 1970s-vintage Aérospatiale SA321 Super Frelon. Yesterday, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified the country’s “new” homegrown heavy-lift helicopter, the AC313. It tips the scales at 27,600 pounds, can carry up to 27 people and has a maximum ferry range of 560 miles and service ceiling of nearly 28,000 feet. The helicopter was built by state-owned Avic, the same company that recently made Chinese-market Sikorsky S-76 airframes under contract. China is expected to modify its low-altitude airspace restrictions over the next few years, a move that could trigger demand for more than 1,000 new civil helicopters there over the next two decades. Part of its strategy for meeting that demand appears to be leveraging current and future relations with established Western helicopter manufacturers to build its own helicopter industry. Last week China flew a new home-grown heavy-lift helicopter for the first time. The AC313 tips the scales at 27,600 pounds, can carry up to 27 people, has a maximum ferry range of 560 miles and was built at state-owned AVIC, the same company making Sikorsky S-76C++ airframes. The AC313 appears to be an outgrowth of the 14,000-pound Chinese Zhi-8. That medium helicopter is based on the 1970s-vintage Aérospatiale SA321 Super Frelon. Safran’s helicopter subsidiary Turbomeca could be back in the contest to provide the powerplant for the Z15 helicopter following China’s recent decision to re-evaluate the engine. Late last year, executives with Eurocopter’s EC 175 program indicated that discussions are under way for the possible launch of a new engine for the Chinese version of the medium twin. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is generally seen as the next big market for the helicopter industry–OEMs, operators, training schools and maintenance operations alike. But can we expect the skies over China to be black with whirling blades any time soon?

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January 28, 2013 Japan is heading for a catastrophe unless it reforms its social, welfare and economic systems to deal with the expected plunge in its population, a veteran demographic expert... January 02, 2013 Japan's population dropped to 127.47 million in 2012, marking the largest natural decline since statistics began in 1899, according to government estimates. - « Prev - Next »

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Priority diagnosis question from a first time poster.Register Today! This is a discussion on Priority diagnosis question from a first time poster. in Nursing Student Assistance, part of Nursing Student ... Hello All, I've been using AllNurses since I began in nursing school but this is my first post....by It's Just a Ride Nov 23, '12Hello All, I've been using AllNurses since I began in nursing school but this is my first post. I had a patient in clinical this week and my priority diagnosis isn't completely clear to me. This elderly patient was in the CCU after an AMI with CHF ~ 45 days prior, history of hypertension, diabetes, family Hx of heart disease. He has a trach/vent in place and appears to be unable to wean due to the potential for right side heart failure. His heart is the problem. He's on the vent because his heart can't handle the increased workload, SO, I'm thinking Decreased Cardiac Output as my priority, but they've drilled ABC's into our brains so many times a little voice is telling me "B comes before C," but it's the heart, not lungs, that are the real issue. Right? Also, could I simlpy use AEB AMI, and ventilator dependency? Your insights are appreciated. Print and share with friends and family. Compliments of allnurses.com. http://allnurses.com/showthread.php?t=799002©2013 allnurses.com INC. All Rights Reserved. - 584 Views - Nov 23, '12 by ImKosherWhat's your related factors? What is your A/E/B? Following your ABC, we need to figure out if the airway and lungs is contributing to his condition at all and if it priority. Tell us a little more about the pt. - Nov 23, '12 by It's Just a RideAside from the Hx I mentioned (HTN, diabetes, fam Hx of heart disease), the pt had no indication of CHF until he was braught in for the AMI. He was described as a stable, critical patient. Stable on the vent, critical off of it. I was thinking Decreased Cardiac Output or Inneffective Tissue Perfusion, but he is stable currently so those would be "risk for" at the moment, right? A therefor wouldn't be used as primary diagnoses. He's on bedrest, NPO, trach/vent, and was in between an NG and PEG tube placement when I was work with him. He is dependent, alert and oriented, and denied any pain although he had a nasty ulcer on the posterior left wrist from dopamine infiltration. His airway has some mucus production so I could go that direction. He required suctioning twice while I was there. His breathing is controlled by the vent. His heart is stable provided his lungs have assistance from the vent. These diagnoses usually make sense to me but after my first day on CCU I'm not sure what direction this should be going. - Nov 23, '12 by fireballnursieInsufficient gas exchange related to decreases cardiac function as evidence by inability to ween off artificial life support. - Nov 23, '12 by It's Just a RideI can see this connection. Thank you very much FireBall. And thank you Kosher for the input. - Dec 1, '12 by GrnTeaThat would be "decreased," "wean," and we don't say "artificial life support" for something like this. Let's back up here. How do you know he's on the vent because his right heart might not be able to manage without it? It may be that the work of breathing is just more than he can handle, and if he isn't ventilated mechanically he will not be able to move enough air to stay alive. He is old and has a bad heart, and that resulting weakness may be the reason he's on the vent. The vent doesn't decrease right heart workload per se. However, decreased cardiac output itself would certainly cause him to be weak. Seems to me that he has at least two priority problems: he can't move enough air to support himself, and his heart is too weak to support any activity. Now, go to your NANDA-I 2012-2014, which every nursing student should have even if his/her faculty neglected to put it on the bookstore list (free 2-day shipping from Amazon), and see what nursing diagnoses fit these defining characteristics. That's how you determine nursing diagnoses-- you identify the defining characteristics by your own assessment, then see what diagnoses they point to. It's just like checking a hematocrit to help make the medical diagnosis of anemia. I hope you haven't already turned this in, because in my opinion you're a little confused about cause and effect here. Hope we hear back from you.

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Israel (מדינת ישראל) is a small yet diverse Middle Eastern country with a long coastline on the eastern Mediterranean Sea and a small window on the Red Sea at the Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba). Israel was established as a state for the the Jewish people, following the Second World War. Israel is considered part of the Holy Land (together with areas of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Territories). The three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—all have historical ties to the region. Israel thus contains a vibrant modern history and culture, based in part on the diverse, immigrant origins of its inhabitants returning from the Jewish Diaspora. These aspects make Israel a fascinating destination for many travellers and pilgrims. For Singaporeans, many of us have a warped perception of Israel as a dangerous place to visit because of the frequent news reports of conflicts in the Middle East. When I told my friends and family that I was travelling to Israel, the most common comment I get from those who have not been there is that I should be very careful for my safety. The worries are unnecessary. I had a great one week stay at Israel, thanks to the wonderful team from Dig Israel who hosted me there. For the uninformed, Israel is a safe place to visit (excluding the West Bank and Gaza Strip which are not tourist destinations). It is like many other cosmopolitan cities around the world, but with it’s own quirk, diverse culture and people. I will share more about my Israel trip in my subsequent blog posts. This post is to share some travel tips for Singaporeans who are planning to visit Israel on your own without going through a package tour: 1. Israeli currency – New Israel Shekel This currency is not easily available outside of Israel, but fret not, you can go to any money changer in Israel to do the exchange. There are counters available at the airport too, but the service fee or “commission” they charged are quite steep (about S$10+ depending on how much you change). The fee varies from one money changer to another, hence get a few quotes before settling on one to change. The fee charged is a flat fee, hence try to change as much currency as you need just once. 2. Singaporean Passport If you are holding a Malaysian passport, sorry, you cannot enter Israel. For Singapore passport holders, we do not require a visa. However, request for the Israeli custom officers to stamp on a special piece of immigration paper available at Israel airport instead of stamping directly on your passport. This is because an Israel passport chop may cause difficulties getting into and/or be refused visas to Islamic countries, such as Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan for your subsequent travels. 3. Clearing Israel Custom The security check is really tight when travelling to Israel. I find it fair enough as it is for our own safety too. You will be asked some profiling questions at the luggage check-in counter travelling to and from Israel. Some of the questions may get a little personal – eg. I was asked questions like why did I only took leave from work one week before my trip; asked to recount my day by day itinerary during my stay in Israel; went through some of my personal photos in my digital camera to check if what I said about my itinerary was true; reasons why I travelled to Malaysia since I been there twice this year and also whether I know anyone there. The questioning may take quite a while and will make some people uncomfortable. My advice is just to answer as honestly as possible if you have nothing to hide. Do not lie to speed up the questioning as they are very thorough and you may end up having to tell another lie to cover a previous harmless lie, increasing the chance of being exposed as a liar and getting detained. You will get to fly. Be patient. Do not take stuff like soil from Jerusalem and salt from the Dead Sea to pack home on your own. All baggage going out of Israel are screened and opened up for checking. Do not pull stunts like these. Do not take photographs of the security counter and officers either. The ultra-orthodox Jews are easily identifiable with their curly side burns, black suits and tassels. Tourists like to take pictures of them because of their interesting appearance which we are not familiar with. However, do bear in mind that they are not animals in the zoo and as much as you would get pissed off with strangers taking random pictures of you, they feel the same way too. Do accord them due respect and try not intrude in their personal space. 6. The Sabbath Be aware of the Sabbath: from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, train and bus services are not available in Israel (except in Haifa, Nazareth and Eilat, and limited sherut services – shared taxis). Unless you have a car, or are willing to pay for a taxi (not shared), if you’re day tripping on a Friday, you should start thinking about how to get back by noon at the latest, and you should plan on staying near your lodgings on Saturday. Attractions, shops and malls are also closed during the Sabbath. I made the mistake of staying for an additional day in Tel Aviv during the Sabbath and ended up wandering the streets alone with nothing to see or do. I also had to specially advance book a taxi to the airport. 7. Gay and Lesbian Travel Israel is one of the most “gay friendly” countries in the world. Seriously. All three major cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa) have an annual “Pride” parade, and the annual Love Parade in Tel Aviv gets cheering spectators too. Look out for many hotels, cafes and restaurants with rainbow flags hanging outside. These are all gay-friendly places. Israel is not a cheap country. I find it more expensive than Sydney and the United States in terms of food, lodging and shopping. On average, a meal cost around S$20 for a simple meal at a cafe. A bottle of 500ml water cost around S$5. Taxi from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv one way cost about S$100. Street food is safe and clean. Israeli cuisine is as diverse as the population which makes up this gastronomic country. Food in Israel is generally of a very high standard. I really enjoyed the food during my stay. Not tipping in sit-in restaurants that have waiters is frowned upon, but is accepted for signalling atrocious service. It is standard to give 10%-15% (or more for exceptional service). 20% tip is considered generous. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel. Hebrew is most commonly spoken. 20% of the population are Israeli-Arabs who speak Arabic as well. English is the most popular foreign language. Israelis study English in school from an early age, and it is commonly understood in Israel. Nearly anyone you meet on the street will be able to communicate with you in English. All street and road signs (and many others) have English names, as well as the Hebrew and Arabic names. Ten easy tips! Have a safe and fun trip to Israel!

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Average life span in the wild: 12 years Size: 21 in (50 cm) Weight: 14.4 oz (408 g) Did you know? Chameleons don't change colors to match their surroundings. Each species displays distinct color patterns to indicate specific reactions or emotions. The Meller's chameleon is the largest of the chameleons not native to Madagascar. Their stout bodies can grow to be up to two feet (two-thirds of a meter) long and weigh more than a pound (one-half kilogram). Meller's distinguish themselves from their universally bizarre-looking cousins with a single small horn protruding from the front of their snouts. This and their size earn them the common name "giant one-horned chameleon." They are fairly common in the savanna of East Africa, including Malawi, northern Mozambique, and Tanzania. Almost one-half of the world’s chameleons live on the island of Madagascar. As with all chameleons, Meller's will change colors in response to stress and to communicate with other chameleons. Their normal appearance is deep green with yellow stripes and random black spots. Females are slightly smaller, but are otherwise indistinguishable from males. They subsist on insects and small birds, using their camouflage and a lightning-fast, catapulting tongue, which can be up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) long, to ambush prey. Exotic pet enthusiasts often attempt to keep Meller's chameleons as pets. However, they are highly susceptible to even the slightest level of stress and are very difficult to care for in captivity. In the wild, they can live as long as 12 years.

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Nuclear Energy in France Nuclear energy is the cornerstone of french energy policy. In the ‘70s France chose to develop nuclear as its base load electricity source as a response to the oil crisis and assure its energy independence. Nuclear Electricity Production: France currently counts 58 commercial nuclear reactors in operation responsible for producing 80% of French domestic electricity. As a comparison, the 104 US reactors produces 20% of US electricity.Despite scarce natural resources, France has reached an energy independence of 50% thanks to its strategic choice for nuclear energy. Environment: As well as providing safe and reliable energy, nuclear helps to reduce French greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding the release of 31 billions tones of carbon dioxide (contrary to coal or gas generation) and making France the less carbon emitting country within the OECD. As a leader in nuclear energy, France has developed clean technology for radioactive waste disposal. Reprocessing currently allows France to recover valuable elements from spent fuels and permit a significant reduction of high level waste and lead to safer and optimized containment, for final radioactive waste disposition. French nuclear power plants produces only 10 g/year/inhabitant of highly radioactive waste. International Cooperation and research: France is one of the forerunner in nuclear research and participates in numerous international cooperation programs alongside the United States such as the development of the next generation of nuclear power plants (Gen IV) and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) that will be built in Cadarache, South of France. The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) The French Atomic Energy Commission is a public body established in October 1945 by General de Gaulle. It constitutes a power of expertise and proposition for the authorities. A leader in research, development and innovation, the CEA is involved in three main fields: It develops and acquires the technological building blocks necessary to the development of the nuclear reactors of the future (Contribution to Generation IV and GNEP research), It contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emission with its research on hydrogen, fuel cells, biomass, energy storage…, It supports the nuclear utilities in France by optimizing the nuclear power plants of the French nuclear fleet and by optimizing the fuel cycle, It offers safe and economically viable technical solutions for managing nuclear waste, It conducts fundamental research in climate and environmental sciences, high energy physics, astrophysics, fusion, nanosciences… Information and Health technologies: It tackles micro and nano-technologies for telecommunication and nuclear medicine for radiotherapy and medical imaging, It researches programs on biotechnology, molecular labelling, biomolecular engineering and structural biology, It shares its knowledge and know-how through education and training through the National Institute for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (INSTN), It manages over 300 priority patents and is active in the creation of clusters. Defense and National Security: It conceives, builds, maintains then dismantles the nuclear warhead of the French deterrence force, It helps to fight against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons (NRBC program). The missions of the CEA are similar to the Department of Energy in the United States. The CEA has a network of counselor or representatives in French Embassies around the world (see joint map). The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) Created in 2006, from the former DSIN (Directorate for the Safety of Nuclear Facilities), the French Nuclear Safety Authority is an independent administrative authority which is tasked with regulating nuclear safety and radiation protection in order to protect workers, patients, the public and the environment from the risks involved in nuclear activities. It also contributes to informing the public. Like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the United States, it carries out inspections and may pronounce sanctions, up to and including suspension of operation of an installation. French Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) Created in 2001 by merging the Protection and Nuclear Safety Institute (IPSN) and the Ionizing radiations Protection Office (OPRI), the Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety is a public establishment of an industrial and commercial nature placed under the joint authority of the Ministries of the Environment, Health, Industry, Research and Defense. It is the expert in safety research and specialized assessments into nuclear and radiological risk serving public authorities whose work is complementary to the ASN. Its scope of activities includes: environment and response, human radiological protection, research on the prevention of major accidents, power reactor safety, fuel cycle facility safety, research installation safety, waste management safety; nuclear defense expertise. National radioactive Waste Management Agency (ANDRA) Created in 1991, the French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management is a public industrial and commercial organization that operates independently of waste producers. It is responsible for the long-term management of radioactive waste produced in France under the supervision of the French Ministries for Energy, Research and the Environment. It can be compared to a certain extent to the Office for Nuclear Waste of the Department of Energy in the United States. Andra also pursues industrial, research, and information activities as it designs and implements disposal solutions suited to each category of radioactive waste: the collection, conditioning, disposal of radioactive waste from small producers (hospitals, research centers, industry), specification of waste packages for disposal, disposal in suited sites, monitoring of closed disposal facilities, research programs for long-lived and high level activity waste, especially through the operation of an underground research laboratory in a deep clay formation… General Directorate for Energy and Climate (DGEC) The General Directorate for Energy and Climate represents the government and is part of the Office of the Department for Ecology and Sustainable Development. It defines the French nuclear policy. The DGEC takes care of the energy supply, the security of supply, oil refining and logistics, nuclear industry, and coal and mines. Consequently, its activities include: the design and implement energy and raw material supply policy, to ensure opening of electricity and gas markets, track key energy and raw material sectors, to oversee enterprises and public institutions in energy sector, to ensure compliance with rules and regulations governing energy sector, to participate in European and international energy projects and working groups, to provide economic, environmental, and fiscal expertise on energy matters. The Rise of Nuclear Power Generation in France.

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American Progressives United Party Promotes Worker Cooperatives Submitted by Joe on Thu, 02/03/2011 - 10:34 The recently-formed American Progressives United Party has made cooperatives part of their program and hosts articles on Valley Green Feast and the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives. email / post to social media 734 reads Add new comment Your name E-mail The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Homepage Comment * More information about text formats Text format Full HTMLFiltered HTMLPlain text Full HTMLWeb page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.Lines and paragraphs break automatically.Filtered HTMLWeb page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>Lines and paragraphs break automatically.Plain textNo HTML tags allowed.Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.Lines and paragraphs break automatically. CAPTCHAThis question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. What code is in the image? * Enter the characters shown in the image.

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Mexican America - Introduction "Mexican America" is a sampling of objects from the collections of the National Museum of American History. The stories behind these objects reflect the history of the Mexican presence in the United States. They illustrate a fundamentally American story about the centuries-old encounter between distinct (yet sometimes overlapping) communities that have coexisted but also clashed over land, culture, and livelihood. Who, where, and what is Mexico? Over time, the definitions and boundaries of Mexico have changed. The Aztec Empire and the area where Náhautl was spoken—today the region surrounding modern Mexico City—was known as Mexico. For 300 years, the Spanish colonizers renamed it New Spain. When Mexico was reborn in 1821 as a sovereign nation, its borders stretched from California to Guatemala. It was a huge and ancient land of ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse regions that struggled for national unity. Texas, (then part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas) was a frontier region far from the dense cities and fertile valleys of central Mexico, a place where immigrants were recruited from the United States. The immigrants in turn declared the Mexican territory an independent republic in 1836 (later a U.S. state), making the state the first cauldron of Mexican American culture. By 1853, the government of Mexico, the weaker neighbor of an expansionist United States, had lost what are today the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. In spite of the imposition of a new border, the historical and living presence of Spaniards, Mexicans, indigenous peoples, and their mixed descendants remained a defining force in the creation of the American West. “La América Mexicana” es una muestra conformada por objetos provenientes de las distintas colecciones del Museo Nacional de Historia Americana. Estos objetos reflejan la historia de la presencia mexicana en los Estados Unidos e ilustran una crónica fundamentalmente americana acerca del encuentro centenario entre comunidades diferentes que han coexistido, pero que también se han enfrentado, en la pugna por la tierra, la cultura y el sustento. ¿Quién, dónde y qué es México? Con el transcurso del tiempo, las definiciones y los límites de México han ido cambiando. Se conocía como México al Imperio Azteca y toda el área donde se hablaba náhuatl —actualmente la región circundante a la ciudad de México. Durante 300 años los colonizadores españoles se refirieron a ella como Nueva España. Cuando en 1821 México resurgió como una nación soberana, sus fronteras se extendían desde California a Guatemala. En ese entonces era un antiguo e inmenso territorio conformado por regiones étnica, lingüística y económicamente diversas que luchaban por adquirir unidad nacional. Texas (en ese entonces parte de los estados mexicanos de Coahuila y Tejas) era una región fronteriza lejos de las densas urbes y de los fértiles valles de México central, donde se reclutaban inmigrantes de los Estados Unidos. En el año 1836 este territorio mexicano se declaró como república independiente (y más tarde, estado de EE.UU.), convirtiéndose en el primer calderón de la cultura mexicoamericana. Hacia 1853, el gobierno de México, el vecino débil de un Estados Unidos en expansión, había perdido el territorio de los actuales estados de California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Nuevo México, Texas y partes de Colorado y Wyoming. A pesar de la imposición de un nuevo límite fronterizo, la presencia histórica y ocupacional de los españoles, mexicanos y pueblos indígenas, junto a sus descendientes mestizos, constituiría a lo largo del tiempo una influencia determinante para el desarrollo del Oeste Americano. "Mexican America - Introduction" showing 1 items. - This print depicts American forces attacking the fortress palace of Chapultepec on Sept. 13th, 1847. General Winfield Scott, in the lower left on a white horse, led the southern division of the U.S. Army that successfully captured Mexico City during the Mexican American War. The outcome of American victory was the loss of Mexico's northern territories, from California to New Mexico, by the terms set in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It should be noted that the two countries ratified different versions of the same peace treaty, with the United States ultimately eliminating provisions for honoring the land titles of its newly absorbed Mexican citizens. Despite notable opposition to the war from Americans like Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams, and Henry David Thoreau, the Mexican-American War proved hugely popular. The United States' victory boosted American patriotism and the country's belief in Manifest Destiny. - This large chromolithograph was first distributed in 1848 by Nathaniel Currier of Currier and Ives, who served as the "sole agent." The lithographers, Sarony & Major of New York (1846-1857) copied it from a painting by "Walker." Unfortunately, the current location of original painting is unknown, however, when the print was made the original painting was owned by a Captain B. S. Roberts of the Mounted Rifles. The original artist has previously been attributed to William Aiken Walker as well as to Henry A. Walke. William Aiken Walker (ca 1838-1921) of Charleston did indeed do work for Currier and Ives, though not until the 1880's and he would have only have been only 10 years old when this print was copyrighted. Henry Walke (1808/9-1896) was a naval combat artist during the Mexican American War who also worked with Sarony & Major and is best known for his Naval Portfolio. - Most likely the original painting was done by James Walker (1819-1889) who created the "Battle of Chapultepec" 1857-1862 for the U.S. Capitol. This image differs from the painting commissioned for the U. S. Capitol by depicting the troops in regimented battle lines with General Scott in a more prominent position in the foreground. James Walker was living in Mexico City at the outbreak of the Mexican War and joined the American forces as an interpreter. He was attached to General Worth's staff and was present at the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, and Chapultepec. The original painting's owner, Captain Roberts was assigned General Winfield Scott to assist Walker with recreating the details of the battle of Chapultepec. When the painting was complete, Roberts purchased the painting. By 1848, James Walker had returned to New York and had a studio in New York City in the same neighborhood as the print's distributor Nathaniel Currier as well as the lithographer's Napoleon Sarony and Henry B. Major. - This popular lithograph was one of several published to visually document the war while engaging the imagination of the public. Created prior to photography, these prints were meant to inform the public, while generally eliminating the portrayal of the more gory details. Historians have been able to use at least some prints of the Mexican War for study and to corroborate with the traditional literary forms of documentation. As an eyewitness, Walker could claim accuracy of detail within the narrative in his painting. The battle is presented in the grand, historic, heroic style with the brutality of war not portrayed. The print depiction is quite large for a chromo of the period. In creating the chromolithographic interpretation of the painting, Sarony & Major used at least four large stones to produce the print "in colours," making the most of their use of color. They also defined each figure with precision by outlining each in black. This print was considered by expert/collector Harry T. Peters as one of the finest ever produced by Sarony & Major. - Currently not on view - Date made - associated date - Currier, Nathaniel - Scott, Winfield - Sarony & Major - Walker, James - ID Number - catalog number - accession number - Data Source - National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center

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Few things have been more poorly understood about the Obama administration than its foreign policy. Partisan and ideological blinders have tended to obscure and distort how critics and supporters have interpreted his policy decisions and his reactions to events around the world. More hawkish interventionists have fixated on Obama’s diplomatic overtures to authoritarian states, his condemnation of Manuel Zelaya’s deposition, and his slightly firmer line on Israeli settlements as proof of weakness and perfidy, while realists and liberals have great confidence that the same represents a significant positive departure from past policy, but both are finding more in these moves than is really there. This has led to a number of misconceptions about how to classify the Obama administration’s foreign policy inclinations, and it has created confusion in how we should judge the administration’s performance in improving relations with much of the rest of the world. What continues to confuse observers on both sides is the remarkable—or perhaps depressing—continuity between the Obama and Bush administrations in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, which is usually acknowledged only when it suits the rhetorical purposes of an argument. Critics and supporters alike would rather emphasize a dialectical relationship between the two administrations in which Obama is the antithesis of Bush for good or ill, which permits discredited neoconservative interventionists to describe any Obama failures as the repudiation of realism, their traditional bête noire, and allows realists and liberals to rediscover the virtues of U.S. hegemony by confusing change in management with change in policy. This continuity necessarily thwarts any attempt to find a consistent theme or pattern to the administration’s actions, and it renders criticisms of a lack of consistency moot. That has not stopped critics from trying to find grand, unifying explanations of Obama’s actions, such as perceiving a “pro-dictator,” “anti-democratic,” or “anti-American” pattern in Obama’s responses to the Honduran constitutional crisis and Iranian elections, but these are unsupported claims. No administration will ever pursue any policy with anything like perfect consistency, and Obama’s predecessor was no exception, so we should expect the same consistency or lack thereof from an administration that has largely followed in its predecessor’s footsteps. Indeed, the difficulty of pursuing a policy consistently draws more attention to the flaws of the policy than to an undesirable lack of consistency. No matter how idealistic and ideological an administration may be, there are structures and interests that limit how any administration can act: Every ‘freedom agenda’ must have its exceptions for Arab dictators and anti-Russian demagogues, every non-proliferation regime must have its exceptions for allied nuclear states outside of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and every ‘war on terror’ must make room for or at least overlook the sponsorship of terrorism by allied governments. For that matter, there may also be longtime allies that find themselves at odds with major multilateral organizations, as the Honduran transitional government recently has, in which case Washington may end up siding with the latter as part of its regional or global “leadership” role. So a lack of consistency in administration policy by itself is neither praiseworthy nor damning—it is what the reality of international affairs imposes on even the most zealous ideologue. Inasmuch as Wilsonian idealism has permeated both parties especially since the end of the Cold War, the criticisms that partisan opponents level at a given administration will typically be framed in terms of the administration’s failures or disinterest in promoting democracy, and the administration’s defenders will stress its overriding democratist goals. Once again, we have debates over means rather than ends. We have seen this nowhere more clearly than in the domestic reactions to Obama’s handling of the Iranian elections. Whether or not Obama’s domestic critics were genuinely interested in the plight of Iran’s reformers, whom many hawkish interventionists had previously derided as fundamentally no different from their hard-line rivals, they took up the cause of the Iranian protesters and demanded more forceful rhetoric and action from the president, who resisted calls to insert himself into what was an entirely internal Iranian matter. When Obama did not heed their calls, hawkish critics were furious about the “betrayal of democracy” that this represented. However, even as he said little and did less in response to Tehran’s crackdown, Obama wanted to emphasize that his restraint was the best means of aiding Iranian dissidents. This may be true, given past U.S. interference in domestic Iranian politics and the regime’s mockery of the protests as a phony U.S.-backed “color” revolution, but the crucial point is that Obama felt compelled to explain his restraint in these terms. More than that, his aides reportedly wanted to credit the president’s earlier speech in Cairo with sparking the apparent late surge for Moussavi as a way of emphasizing the importance of soft power in shaping public opinion. In other words, the new administration wanted it known that regime change in Tehran and democracy promotion in Muslim countries, two ideas for which the previous administration was quite properly criticized as overly ideological and detached from reality, were still very much a part of U.S. policy despite any apparent changes to the contrary. Classifications of foreign policy schools or inclinations are never precise, whether they are applied to the thinking of individuals or entire administrations, as most policymakers combine elements from different schools and will tend to adapt their use of diplomatic, political, and military tools to changing circumstances. As we recall from the preparation for the Iraq war and the slight shifts made during the second Bush term, even inside the Bush administration one would find conflicting views and changes in the president’s own thinking over time. It is also important to bear in mind that these classifications tend to bleed into one another in practice, which is a function of the broad bipartisan consensus about the legitimacy and necessity of the projection of American power around the world, the preservation of U.S. military and political supremacy, the promotion of liberal democratic values, and the inevitability of American global leadership. Most foreign policy debates take place within these fairly narrow boundaries, and the points of contention are questions of means rather than ends. This practical blurring of lines between foreign policy schools is also the result of widely shared cultural-political convictions that Andrew Bacevich has called the “ideology of national security,” which is the belief that expanding freedom (however vaguely or loosely defined) is the purpose of history and the mission of the U.S., that American actions abroad serve this purpose, and that both American freedom and security are bound up in ensuring universal freedom. While such ideas are normally associated today with neoconservatives or “hard Wilsonian” idealists, it is fair to say that this ideology is the foundation of the bipartisan consensus just described, and most internationalists—which is to say most Americans who spend any time thinking about foreign policy—partake of it to some extent. Obama sympathizers have fixated on superficial changes in style and tone in the hopes that they represent some significant shift in policy, and enemies have discovered proof of sinister plots in the same ultimately trivial gestures. Thus Obama’s ‘recognition’ of the Iranian government by using its formal title of Islamic Republic, or the initial gestures connected with “resetting” the relationship with Russia, or even something as unremarkable as acknowledging the American role in the overthrow of Mossadegh in 1953 are taken as powerful signals one way or the other: as exciting openings to rapprochement or pathetic instances of weakness and capitulation. As it happens, the truth is far simpler than either of these interpretations allows. For all of the praise—and abuse—the administration has received for its greater realism, it clearly remains committed to halting Iran’s nuclear program by any means available and to unnecessary, provocative NATO expansion into former Soviet space, even though both policies expose the U.S. to many more costs and risks rather than fewer. For all of the talk of engagement and “reset,” the substance of our Iran and Russia policies has not changed under the new administration, and it never was going to change greatly. The administration believed that it could extract concessions and aid from these states through negotiations, but it never intended to alter its behavior toward them. The president still presumes to dictate the security and energy policies of other states, and he still insists on extending our sphere of influence to Russia’s borders in the name of eliminating spheres of influence. Whichever name one wants to give to this sort of foreign policy, it remains inexplicably aggressive, hegemonic, and dangerous to U.S. interests, and it is all the more so because it comes wrapped in a veil of diplomatic gestures and the pretense of repairing damaged relations. Daniel Larison is contributing editor at The American Conservative, where he blogs at Eunomia, and an online columnist for The Week. He has recently completed a Ph.D. in Byzantine history at the University of Chicago. Source: AFF Doublethink Online | Joseph Hammond Source: AFF Doublethink Online | Angie Picardo

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Three years ago Karen and I headed north up the Hudson River to check out the ice. This winter has been so mild, I doubt there’s much ice to look at on the Hudson. So to find ice we had to go farther—to Québec City and the St. Lawrence River. The evening we arrived we climbed up to the Plains of Abraham for a big-picture view of the river. I don’t think you can see how cold it was, but you can see the wind on the water: The next day we decided to get a close-up view of the ice, and we took the ferry across to Lévis. You can see the ferry at the bottom of the picture above. The ice was pretty thick, and the ferry had to push through the floes. Some of them were big enough that the boat would shudder as it crashed into them: Looking back toward Québec: Looking at this view, I pretended I was on the deck of an Arctic icebreaker: Québec and the Château Frontenac: Back on the Québec side, we looked across to Lévis. Here you can see both ferries cutting paths through the ice: A few miles to the east the St. Lawrence splits around the Île d’Orléans. The shipping channel runs to the south of the island, and the north side is allowed to ice over completely:

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[Lowfer] ARRL Letter, VLF Mon, 22 Mar 1999 23:01:26 -0500 William Cantrell wrote: > Hi Andre', > Sounds like you would fit nicely into our little group of experimenters. how about you guys fitting in _our_ group ??? :-) > We are primarily a group of electrical engineers, physicists, and technicians, who > fled ham radio to get back to "real" experimentation. Many of us (I being one of them) consider that LF may be one of the last frontiers of _experimental_ ham radio . Lots of (if not most) things have been done in HF and VHF. In Microwave, most experiments may have to do with using either old Navy or Air Force equipment, and very expensive test equipment.LF, on the other hand, has the advantage of needing only very simple equipment. Any old 'scope will do, almost any bulb will work as a test load, and almost any amplifier will perform at 136 kHz. It remains that one really has to reconsider everything one does. How does an antenna which is << lambda really work? How do we reduce the QRM to a minimum? > I find it a little puzzling that your experimenters are bunched together in > northern Va. as I said, this happens to be where we live...

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Audio length: 47:30 minutes Transcript published: September 22, 2010 Enter once again into the rustic cell of Fr. Seraphim Rose with Kevin Allen as he talks with Fr. Damascene, the biographer and spiritual child of Fr. Seraphim. This is part 2 of a 3 part series and provides a unique glimpse into the life of a man who many say will someday be venerated as a Saint. The interview that follows is Part 2 of a three-part series commemorating the 25th anniversary of the repose of Fr. Seraphim Rose who left this world on September 2, 1982. The interview was conducted by Illumined Heart co-host, Kevin Allen, with his biographer and spiritual child, Fr. Damascene, conducted in Fr. Seraphim’s rustic cell in the forest in Platina, California. Today’s program is titled “Fr. Seraphim Rose: The Man, the Struggler”. If you’d like information on the books published and distributed by St. Herman of Alaska Monastery, their website is www.sainthermanpress.com. Let’s return now to the rustic cell of Fr. Seraphim Rose with Kevin Allen. Kevin: Father Damascene, thank you again for joining me on this edition of The Illumined Heart. Fr. Damascene: Thank you, Kevin. Kevin: It’s a blessing to be back in the monastic cell of both yourself and your mentor, Fr. Seraphim Rose, for our interview—in this edition—“The Man, the Struggler”. We’ll talk a little about Seraphim Rose as an individual. You mentioned and you’ve written in your book, Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and His Works, that a large number of figures and writers influenced Eugene Rose first and Fr. Seraphim Rose. In a brief interview, it would be impossible to go through all of the influences. But one sticks out and that one is John Maximovitch. So I thought we’d start this interview talking about St. John the Wonderworker of San Francisco, John Maximovitch, and his relationship with Fr. Seraphim Rose. Fr. Damascene: Archbishop John was his guiding star, and he’s our guiding star. He was many things to Fr. Seraphim. He was his Hierarch when he was San Francisco’s ruling bishop. The St. Herman of Alaska brotherhood was founded with a blessing by St. John. He was the guide of the brotherhood during those early years and a personal guide and spiritual father of Fr. Seraphim. He was an example to him of what an Orthodox Christian should be. He was a living saint, as Fr. Seraphim recognized as such from the very beginning. Fr. Seraphim saw the spiritual power and grace of the Orthodox Church embodied in St. John. Fr. Alexi Young told me something that Fr. Seraphim told him back in the early days of our monastery here. He said that before Fr. Seraphim became Orthodox, he was attracted to Chinese philosophy, which he studied in depth, because it had a very noble conception of man. Later, when he became Orthodox, he found in Orthodoxy the most noble conception of man—the fulfillment of what was prefigured in Chinese philosophy. He said that he found in St. John a man more noble than any person he had met before. Kevin: It strikes me that they were really different sorts of men in some ways. It seems to me that Fr. Seraphim was highly intellectual, almost a genius. He knew many languages and studied theology and Eastern religions. On the other hand, St. John has even been called—I hope this isn’t irreverent—a fool for Christ in some ways. They were just very different sorts of men. Do you find that ironic or striking? That a man that came from where Fr. Seraphim was coming would be so impacted by someone who had maybe a very different demeanor and orientation? Fr. Damascene: I think that there were more similarities than differences. Obviously, they have very different backgrounds. Fr. Seraphim was raised in San Diego in an American Protestant family, and he went through this whole period of searching and struggling to find the truth. Archbishop John never went through that. He was raised in a pious, Orthodox home. So their backgrounds are very different. Where they are similar, of course, was their single-minded determination to really live out the Orthodox faith to its fullest and to really fully enter into the heart of the Church, experience the grace of the Church, and, as Fr. Seraphim said, “To find Christ in the Orthodox Church.” They were both selfless servants. Especially in Fr. Seraphim’s later life, he took on that cross of pastorship that St. John bore so nobly. In that sense they were very similar. In terms of Fr. Seraphim being an intellectual and Archbishop John not being known as an intellectual, actually even in that they weren’t so different. St. John was a very intelligent person and Fr. Seraphim had this genius level IQ, but Fr. Seraphim consciously, deliberately humbled his mind. If you remember in the last talk we had, I said that Fr. Seraphim said, “I crucify my mind.” So he became like St. John. In fact, I said that St. John was a model for him. Well, he was a model for him in all ways. In presenting the theology of the Church, Fr. Seraphim was very much like St. John. Fr. Seraphim took as his example for presenting theology St. John. In fact, in an article he wrote for the 10th anniversary of St. John’s repose in 1976, he talked about the theology of St. John and began by relating a service that he had attended in San Francisco in the convent of Abbess Ariadna which was under St. John. Abbess Ariadna was a close disciple of St. John. It was the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and Fr. Seraphim, at that time Eugene Rose, was of the mindset “do we have to believe these accounts about all the Apostles being brought from the ends of the earth to attend the burial of the Mother of God? It sounds a little bit hard to believe”. Then he heard from the Abbess, during her sermon, who said, “We must believe the teaching of the Church. We must believe it simply and not doubt.” Fr. Seraphim was struck in his heart like that. He understood that we have to be simple, we have to believe simply what is handed down to us in the Church. Fr. Seraphim wrote in this article that he found that simple faith, that simple childlike faith, in St. John. That became his model for believing in the Church, believing in the theology of the Church, and presenting the theology and teaching of the Church to others. Kevin: You wrote in your book, quoting Fr. Seraphim, where he said, “If you are an Orthodox Christian, you can do this [constantly thinking of higher things] and have people call you crazy or say that you’re a bit touched, but still you lead your own life and get to heaven.” Fr. Damascene: Yes, I’m glad you brought that up, because that’s another aspect of St. John’s influence on Fr. Seraphim. Fr. Seraphim saw in St. John a man who lived for the other world. He was already in another world. He had his feet firmly on earth, as Fr. Seraphim said, and at the same time his mind and his heart were constantly in heaven. That’s where his heart was - as Christ said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” St. John’s treasure was in heaven, so he was constantly looking above. That’s one of the main things that Fr. Seraphim learned from St. John—to always be looking above. Fr. Seraphim had many struggles—after he became Orthodox and after he became a monk. There were many struggles in the monastery. Any time he would be tempted to get discouraged, and there were many times that he did, he would always be thinking of the example of St. John and how he was constantly always looking above. Fr. Seraphim would pray to St. John, “Help us out.” He knew that St. John was with him, with the brotherhood, with the monastery, as the monastery’s heavenly protector, guiding and protecting the monastery just as if he was alive and on the earth. Kevin: So, clearly, he considered St. John Maximovitch a saint before he was officially recognized, because Fr. Seraphim reposed before that happened. Fr. Damascene: Oh, yes. Fr. Seraphim considered him a saint while St. John was alive. At that time, in the Russian Church abroad, there were two different schools of thought on who St. John was. Some thought he was crazy—sometimes you really couldn’t depend on him; he was a little too odd, strange. And there were other people, many, many people, who regarded him as a living saint. Fr. Seraphim, from the very beginning, was in the latter group. Many of the former group repented later and acknowledged him as a saint, even at his funeral. Kevin: St. Ignatius Brianchaninov and St. Theophan the Recluse were also important influences on Fr. Seraphim, correct? Fr. Damascene: Yes. Kevin: I believe somewhere he called them “the link to the Patristic Age” for those of us are in the contemporary world. How are we to understand that? Why were they considered by Fr. Seraphim to be such significant links? Fr. Damascene: Fr. Seraphim said that if we’re going to be linked to the saints of ancient time, the Early Fathers of the Church, we have to be linked to the saints of our own time. He had that connection with St. John. And we also have to have the links to saints of recent times who transmit this Patristic wisdom from ancient times to our modern times. He said St. Ignatius (died in 1867) and St. Theophan (died in the 1890s), although they didn’t live in the 20th Century, dealt with many modern problems. Many of the issues that we face in our modern times were already known in their day. They dealt with these issues straight on and help us to know the Patristic mind as it views these various modern issues and problems. Kevin: Moving to a different topic, from reading your book I understand that Eugene Rose prayed the panagia prayer—“Most Holy Mother of God, save us”—even before he knew the Jesus Prayer. Some might find that shocking or surprising, especially if there are any non-Orthodox out there—that he would have prayed to the Mother of God before he even prayed the Jesus Prayer formally. Can you put that in context and talk a little bit about Fr. Seraphim’s piety to the Mother of God—how it was formed in him, how he understand the place and role of the Mother of God in the life of the Orthodox Christian? Fr. Damascene: Concerning that statement about him praying the panagia prayer before the Jesus Prayer, Fr. Seraphim prayed that prayer before he became Orthodox. He was still preparing to become an Orthodox Christian. It might have even been before he met an Orthodox priest. I don’t know, but it was definitely before he became Orthodox. He had this piety, this veneration, for the Mother of God from the very beginning. Really, this is a mystery. We just know that he was praying to the Mother of God and had this great devotion for her. Of course, he was also praying the Jesus Prayer and this was the main prayer for him, as for any Orthodox monk or Christian. But he also had this piety for the Mother of God. Every day he would say the Optina 500. That comes from the Optina Monastery. The Optina elders would have this prayer rule that they would give to people where you say 300 Jesus Prayers, then 100 prayers to the Mother of God, 50 to one’s guardian angel, and 50 to all saints. He prayed much more than that and also prayed frequently akathists and canons to the Mother of God. Our former abbot, Fr. Herman, said that, especially at the end of his life, Fr. Seraphim was frequently doing these canons and akathists to the Mother of God either in the church or in his cell. And he published a book on St. John on the Orthodox veneration of the Mother of God. He understood the proper veneration. That’s really between Fr. Seraphim and the Mother of God. It’s kind of a mystery. Vladimir Lossky, in his book The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, even said that the Most Holy Mother of God is a mystery of the Church, and it’s really hard to explain to those outside the Church. We don’t believe that she is our Redemptress. Christ is our only Redeemer. But she’s a heavenly intercessor, a helper, and close to us. Fr. Seraphim had that veneration. It’s very interesting that he died in the Afterfeast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Perhaps she took him and helped him to the other world. In our Church’s prayers, we even ask the Mother of God to help us, and, at the hour of death, to help us in the passage to heaven. Kevin: Former Abbot Herman once called Fr. Seraphim a hesychast, and I asked this question of Abbott Gerasim when I interviewed him. For those who are listening who don’t know what that word means, it is one who prays constantly. Would you describe him as a hesychast? Fr. Damascene: Well, Fr. Herman once told Fr. Seraphim, “Fr. Seraphim, you’re a hesychast.” Fr. Seraphim became indignant. He said, “I don’t know what that means.” He knew intellectually, but he didn’t want to pose in any way as some holy hesychast. He was not a person who stayed in his cell all the time and prayed. He prayed his cell rule at night, he said special prayers at night, and he’d be kneeling at the altar in the church in addition to attending all the daily services of the Church and serving the Divine Liturgy. He labored in the monastery. They had to labor in order to support the monastery, because they were publishing books. He was always busy and never wasted time. I would say that he was a hesychast in this sense: he was in a constant state of keeping his mind directed toward God and heaven, keeping his mind and his heart in the other world. He was in that constant state of watchfulness, that state of prayer. People would talk about how they would see him at the table in trapeze, saying the Jesus Prayer quietly to himself or silently. That was when people would happen to see him. What he was doing when people were not watching him, I can’t say. But from knowing him and from what other people have said, it was evident that he was in that constant state of prayer and watchfulness. Kevin: I’d like to talk about some of the personal attributes, characteristics, and virtues of Fr. Seraphim that have been described in your book and in other places. I find it so interesting that you write that he struggled really hard to work on these. Maybe as we go through them you can highlight or give a story or give an example of each of them. I would like to quote you here for our listeners: “As Fr. Seraphim knew, transfiguration doesn’t happen of itself. He did not wait for the virtues to come naturally; but, seeing their lack in himself, he would consciously labor to acquire them, hoping on Christ to strengthen them and each day entailed constant, unseen warfare watching and fighting against the interior movements of the fallen man.” One of them, and you’ve kind of mentioned it a couple of times, is this kind of deadness to the world. Now, we tend to understand the world not as just the world we live in but the passions. Can you talk about your experience with Fr. Seraphim in that virtue? Fr. Damascene: Definitely in terms of cutting off the passions, he was always in this watchful state. He was a dedicated, true monk. He took his monastic life seriously and the fact that he was an Orthodox Christian. He talked frequently about this struggle that the Christian life entails. He talked about how in our modern American society we don’t like struggle. He called our Modern American society “pampered”, a self-worshiping generation, the Me-Generation. He realized that we have to fight against that in ourselves—the state of always wanting to pamper ourselves, to gratify our egos and so on. So he was always in that state of putting himself to death, putting the fallen man, the old man, to death, so that Christ could live in him. He didn’t have idle moments, but was constantly laboring, praying, or somehow working for the Kingdom of God every minute of his life. He talked a lot about the virtue of constancy, that we have to be constant in our daily practice of our spiritual life, constantly giving ourselves to daily spiritual injections—reading the lives of the saints, reading the spiritual literature, the Holy Scriptures, going to the services of the Church, our daily prayers, etc. He lived that life of constancy and stability, staying in one place, laboring with one’s salvation and not floating around from place to place. All these things helped him to die to the world of the passions. But in addition to that, he was dead to the world in the sense of dead to any kind of intellectual modern fashions. He saw the modern world as an anomaly. Even before he became Orthodox, he understood the modern world to be an anomaly, turned away from the wisdom that was known in ancient times and more engrossed in materialism, sensuality, and so on. Kevin: …and the philosophies that come out of that. Fr. Damascene: Yes, the philosophy of the 20th Century is nihilism, quoting from Nietzsche. The other side of nihilism is chiliasm which is the belief that since there is no God and no heaven, let’s make the kingdom of God on this earth. That’s where this whole pampered, self-worshiping generation comes out of. He says that we have to realize that that is in ourselves—we have this nihilism in ourselves, this unbelief in ourselves, and we have to war against and struggle against it. That’s why he was able to see through the deceptions of the modern times, whereas many contemporary Orthodox Christians kind of go along with the spirit of the times. We can kind of mix Orthodoxy with the mind of the times, with the contemporary world view and cosmology. Fr. Seraphim was able to cut through that deception. Where the teachings of the Holy Fathers, for example, were at variance with the modern world view and cosmology, modern scientific theoretical models, Fr. Seraphim openly taught that these were incompatible, and this is the teaching of the Fathers. He did not try to make some artificial combination and force the teachings of the Fathers into the modern cosmology. He didn’t want to view Orthodoxy and the teachings of the Fathers from the point of view of a modern mind looking at them. He wanted to look at the modern world from the point of view of the Holy Fathers. In order to do that, he had to acquire the mind of the Fathers. In order to acquire the mind of the Fathers, he had to put to death his own mind. That’s why he said, “I crucify my mind.” That’s what makes him so special. He was this great intellect, but he crucified that mind, humbled it. He had that simple faith of St. John and all saints. Kevin: You’ve written that he was a discerner of the times. I think we’ve kind of covered that one. He saw the times for what they were. He didn’t buy into the nonsense that most of us buy into. He was able to separate the wheat from the proverbial chaff and know what the Patristic mindset was. Is that correct? Fr. Damascene: Yes. Even before he became Orthodox, he was involved with that whole nihilistic mentality. He kind of lived through that and emerged out of it, so it gave him kind of an edge to understand the nature of the times. He was also on the vanguard of that whole movement toward Eastern religions that occurred in the West, beginning in the late 50s and early 60s. He was able to show the way out of that as well. Kevin: You’ve spoken about this but maybe you can just highlight on his humility and the fact that there is “no spiritual pretense or affectation on him” (your words). Fr. Damascene: He didn’t think much of himself really. He knew what he was about, and he knew what Orthodoxy was about. In that sense, he was very firm in his conviction and belief. But personally he didn’t think much of himself. He didn’t want to exalt himself in any way or think of himself highly. That’s why, as I said earlier, when Fr. Herman called him a hesychast, he didn’t like it at all. I remember that I was at a lecture at St. Herman pilgrimage in 1981, and I was sitting in the audience. Fr. Seraphim was giving a talk and asking for questions and answers. Some person stood up in the back and said, “Fr. Seraphim, I perceive you are a holy man.” Fr. Seraphim did not like that and said, “Get to the question. What’s the question?” That’s just one example. In knowing him and with people telling me about him, I know that he really cultivated that virtue of humility. And certainly whatever intellectual power he had, he had no pride in that. It meant nothing in the scheme of things in the Christian life. Kevin: You write that love was something that was important and you experienced that. Tell us about that. That’s a virtue that, with someone like him, maybe you wouldn’t expect with his intellect and ascetism. Can you talk about how that manifested itself? Fr. Damascene: I mentioned before that he went through this spirit of intellectual elitism before he became Orthodox. I don’t think he was very loving there. I think deep down he had a loving heart, but it wasn’t opened up. Through the grace of the Church, when he was received into the Church and received the sacraments of the Church and living the Orthodox life and had such examples before him, like St. John, that love blossomed out in him. It just grew as time went on, especially as he grew as a pastor. His faith matured right up to the time of his death. His love was manifested in his concern and care for people and his suffering for and over them, praying for them. We had these young men sing in the monastery and some of them came from troubled backgrounds. Fr. Seraphim would be praying in the altar at night, weeping over these people. Many people would talk about how he would sacrifice for them. It would be snowing outside, and he would have to walk several times up and down the hill to get people’s cars stuck out of the road. So there were many ways that he sacrificed himself, and that’s where we see most of all that love. He talked about that a lot. He saw that one of the main dangers of Orthodoxy in our times is this “head knowledge”—we become Orthodox in order to be better than the Protestants or Catholics, or we know more than them, or we have the right teaching, etc. It’s a temptation because Orthodoxy means “right glorification”. So people have this temptation to be correct, to be intellectually superior to others. Kevin: Hyper Orthodox. Fr. Damascene: Yes. It’s all in the head, and he would say that’s not going to save you. You have to develop your heart. You have to have a Christian heart. He would say that you can be Orthodox without being Christian, in the sense that you can intellectually have these right beliefs but you’re not really living a Christian life. We have to develop, make the heart more supple and warm, and we have to pray for that. Kevin: Speaking of heart, that’s a great lead in on this aspect of his personality—pain of heart and suffering. I know that his monastic partner and former Abbot Herman wrote, “Above all, Fr. Seraphim knew how to suffer.” You also refer to the pain of heart. Can you talk a bit about how Fr. Seraphim understood the pain of heart and suffering in the life of an Orthodox Christian? Fr. Damascene: He said that the main key to enter into the mind of the Holy Fathers was precisely that pain of heart. I think he meant different things by that. It’s the suffering that all Christians must endure in this world, because we’re not of this world. We’re living for another world, so we’re not going to fit in totally with the world. We’re going to have to suffer in some way in the world, if we’re really living an Orthodox life. If we feel totally comfortable in the world, then something’s wrong. That kind of suffering is one aspect. Secondly, pain of heart is repenting over one’s sins. There is pain of heart in praying for others and caring for other people. Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos talks a lot about feeling pain in one’s heart when praying for others. He said, in order for one’s prayers to really be effectual, you really have to feel that pain. Another aspect of pain of heart is a literal pain of heart. The Holy Fathers, including Elder Paisios, talk about the literal pain of heart where the mind descends into the heart—the heart is the center and pious part of the soul, the nous—and a person can literally feel pain in the physical organ of the heart. Fr. Seraphim said that the heart is not just a pump—it’s an organ that knows God. The Holy Fathers, including St. Silhouan the Athonite, talk about how we have the physical heart in addition to the metaphysical heart, which is the center of our being and the place where we feel that repentance and pain of suffering over others and our praying for them. Kevin: For those of us who are not in a vocational place where we can really approach that level of understanding (I’m tempted to go there, but I know it’s above my head), would pain of heart be just caring deeply for others, putting others above self and sharing in the suffering of others and the world and over one’s sins? Fr. Damascene: Yes, absolutely. We pray with all our heart, and that’s a kind of pain of heart. Nobody is without suffering. Suffering is the reality of the human condition since the fall. God has allowed that in order to remind us that we’re not God, and we have to return to God. This fallen world is not our final home, but the Kingdom of heaven is our final home. So we’re going to suffer. The question is what are we going to do in that suffering? Are we going to seek distraction… Fr. Damascene: Drugs, Valium, or some technological device where we can entertain ourselves and tune everything out… Kevin: Entertain ourselves to death… Fr. Damascene: Yes, exactly. What are we going to do in that suffering? Are we going to try and escape from it? There are so many ways. The world is perfecting the art of escaping from suffering. Each year new things come out to escape from suffering. But instead of escaping from it we have to face that suffering and endure it. As St. Mark the Ascetic said, “Endure it in the spirit of devotion to Christ.” That’s what pain of heart is. Are we going to lay that suffering before God in prayer, in the spirit of devotion? Are we going turn away from God, tune him out, and seek distraction? Each person, whether or not he can enter these deep levels of prayer of the heart, can enter into that experience of pain of heart. Kevin: Thank you for clarifying that. I appreciate that and I know our listeners will too. I think I read in one of your interviews that said you always felt deep stillness in his presence. Fr. Damascene: Yes. First of all, literally. When I would sit and talk with him—I remember sitting on a little log outside the church, and I would be talking about things going on at the campus, and he would just listen. Then I would say something, and he would just say a few words. He wouldn’t say much and then he would become silent. He would be waiting for me to say something. Then I would say something and he would say something. If he had something to say, he’d say it. There would be these moments of silence. Fr. Seraphim didn’t want to say an unnecessary word. You can read the writings of the Holy Fathers, like St. Joseph of Optina. People said he really didn’t say too much. It’s because he didn’t want to speak an unnecessary word. He didn’t want to offer his own ideas. He wanted it to come from the Holy Spirit. If he was asked a question, then it meant that he was called upon to answer. So oftentimes, Fr. Seraphim would just be silent. I have a friend who is an Orthodox Christian who became Orthodox just about the same time that I did, in fact she was at Fr. Seraphim’s first lecture at UC Santa Cruz. She remembers talking with Fr. Seraphim. She would be talking away, and Fr. Seraphim kind of had his hand near his mouth, and then she noticed that she was crossing his mouth. Her understanding of that was that Fr. Seraphim didn’t want to offer any words from his own wisdom, his own opinion. He wanted to offer something that came from God. In that sense, he had that silence. That was a literal sense of silence. Also, there is that spiritual sense. Many people have talked about this, and I myself have experienced it. Fr. Vladimir Anderson is a close, spiritual godson of Fr. Seraphim, as was Fr. Alexi Young who is now Hiermonk Ambrose. They both talk about when they were in Fr. Seraphim’s presence, there was a stillness that kind of radiated from him. They would come with these problems, and they were kind of agitated, coming from the world, and they were in the presence of Fr. Seraphim. Even though he didn’t have to say many words, that stillness was contagious. They caught that stillness and walked away feeling it. Another spiritual daughter of Fr. Seraphim, Barbara Murray, says that she would come to Fr. Seraphim with all kinds of perplexities, and she would wonder, “How am I going to deal with all these problems that I am facing in my life?” She would leave Fr. Seraphim and go to church and suddenly all the problems didn’t seem important at all. He had that stillness. Also, Fr. Alexi said that at the end of Fr. Seraphim’s life, right before he died (it was the last time he saw Fr. Seraphim before he got sick), he sat outdoors with Fr. Seraphim talking and he felt that very profoundly, that stillness that came from his being totally at peace. Right before he died, he had really entered into that deep stillness, that peace. Fr. Damascene: Palpable stillness, yes… Kevin: …that could be communicated to others almost. Fr. Damascene: It’s like what Christ said, “My peace I give you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.” It’s Christ’s peace. It’s not the peace of the world. This is what Fr. Seraphim had. Kevin: Again, I’m quoting a lot of former Abbot Herman from your book, but he said that he learned patience from Fr. Seraphim. Fr. Damascene: Yes, that was a virtue that he had and cultivated. I mentioned earlier that he talked about these virtues of constancy and stability. Even before he became a monk, there was another friend of the brotherhood from the very early days, when Fr. Seraphim was still a layman and working in the Orthodox bookstore—a friend named Anthony. He was a layman, and Fr. Seraphim (at that time, Eugene Rose) would talk to him about stability. He would say that if you go to a parish and you find that there is better chanting in another parish, or perhaps the spiritual father spends more time with people in confessions or maybe the spiritual level seems higher in another parish, whatever it is that seems more spiritual, don’t go, don’t leave your parish. Stay in one place. If you jump around from place to place, you’re not really putting down roots, and you can’t really grow spiritually. In order to grow spiritually, you have to put down those roots. Fr. Seraphim did that very much in his own life. When he came to the monastery, he just wanted to stay here. He didn’t even want to travel. Fr. Herman would say to him, “Don’t you want to go to Mt. Athos?” Fr. Seraphim would say, “No, we have to find Mt. Athos in our own hearts.” Kevin: Father, you wrote in the eighth chapter of your book, Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and His Works, entitled “The Taste of Hell”, the “forbidden deeds” that, at that time Eugene Rose, had “disgusted him even at the time he was committing them”. You don’t go into details and I’m not asking for the details. But I’m assuming that they were of a sexual or fleshly nature. I’m wondering how and what did Fr. Seraphim counsel on these sorts of struggles. Fr. Damascene: Well, he gave the teachings of the Fathers on dealing with sexual temptations and passions. Of course, he recognized that this was a very prevalent problem in our times. I think it’s more prevalent today since his repose, with Internet pornography. It’s a new thing the devil has invented to tempt people. In one letter that he wrote to a spiritual son he said, “Flee quickly to the prayer of Jesus,” quoting from Abbot Barsanuphius of Gaza which he translated. He says, “Flee quickly to the prayer of Jesus and you will find repose. Pray ceaselessly, saying ‘Lord Jesus Christ, deliver me from shameful passions.’” So he would counsel to turn to God in prayer. If we turn to God in prayer, first of all, we can’t be indulging in these sexual passions in our mind or physically if we’re in the presence of God and conscious of God’s presence. Fr. Seraphim constantly had God in his mind. His mind and heart were directed toward heaven and God. If we have our mind in heaven like that, then we won’t be going down to the earth to these sinful passions. So, first of all, raising the mind to God in that way is a major help. Secondly, God does help. We pray to God, and it’s not just the fact that we’re turning our mind to him. It’s not just psychologically, but we are receiving God’s grace and help. There were other counsels he gave concerning avoiding over familiarity with people with whom you might be tempted to have a sinful relationship with. Just being constantly on guard in the spiritual life. Kevin: Father, you commented to me in your book. You mentioned that Eugene Rose had written in a letter some suicidal thoughts. Former Abbot Herman mentioned that he definitely had a death wish. What would you say to those who might comment that, because of his psychology, Fr. Seraphim represents a Christianity which somewhat overplays morbidity. Fr. Damascene: We have to distinguish between the “old” Eugene Rose and the “reborn” Eugene Rose and Fr. Seraphim. Fr. Seraphim was literally reborn when he entered the Orthodox Church. He wrote about this. He said that he had been reborn in the Lord and he had felt such joy that he had never known. All the goodness that was already in his nature just blossomed out and was multiplied by the grace of God which united with his soul. He became a new being. It was that old Eugene Rose that had those suicidal thoughts. As you mentioned, in one of Fr. Seraphim’s letter, during a very dark period of his life before his conversion, he does mention having suicidal thoughts. He was in despair of not finding the truth. They said that he experienced the torments of hell even while he was alive. He had consciously turned away from God, because he had not found him in the religion in which he was raised. He was looking for something more, looking for that truth. He encountered that truth in Orthodoxy. When he became Orthodox, he became a new person. Of course he had no suicidal thoughts after he became Orthodox. There’s no record of that, and I certainly would doubt it, knowing of his true rebirth in Christ and the Orthodox Church. But he had a healthy remembrance of death, as the Fathers talk about, and wanted to continue working. He felt that we had a limited time in order to do the work of God. He said, “It’s later than you think; therefore, hasten to do the work of God.” He had that awareness. He had a limited number of years, and he wanted those years in order to come closer to God, to find God. He told Fr. Alexi young that if you don’t find God in this life, you will not find him in the life to come. He wanted to draw closer to Christ and have that closer experience of Christ in the Church—the deeper experience of the Church. And an important part of his life was to bring that Orthodox faith and grace of the Church to others, to the non-Orthodox, to be a disseminator of grace. He wanted to bring the truth that he had discovered in the Orthodox Church and over which he had suffered so long to find. He wanted to give that truth to others, and that truth was Jesus Christ. He said that, when he became Orthodox, he understood that truth was a person. So he had that desire to live and bring forth fruit in the time God gave him. Therefore, I don’t think he was morbid. He definitely had a healthy understanding of Christian struggle and the place of suffering in life. Maybe that’s what some people might consider morbid. He was a monk and just lived the life of a true monk. I don’t think he was extreme. Kevin: Which raises a question, as we’re leaning toward the wrap up of this interview, and that is this: Since his work is so missionizing and evangelical in orientation, and since he was a discerner of the times and talked about topics which are so important in the modern world we live in (therefore, a lot of people will read them), do you think that there is a temptation perhaps, for those of us who are not monastics and who read the work of one whom you’ve just described as being a maximalist, to perhaps confuse his vocation and calling as a monk with the normal or appropriate non-monastic life for those who are reading his work? Is there some way you can respond to that? Fr. Damascene: Well, he did write his works for the non-monastics as well as the monastics. He wrote for the general readership and trying to reach out to everyone. He wrote a lot about putting the monastic texts of the Orthodox Church in their proper context, according to one’s own spiritual state. He said that we should not, either as monks or lay people, be proud and think that we can apply some very lofty teachings in the line of Divine Ascent or the Philokalia to our own spiritual state as if we are on the level of a saint. We have to realize that we’re starting our spiritual life at the lowest step, whether we’re monks or lay people. We have to have a down-to-earth, realistic understanding of our own low spiritual state, and the low spiritual state of our times. As I mentioned before, he said we have to understand that we come out of the self-worshiping, pampered generation. So, I think his writings are applicable to everyone, because he meant them to be that way, and he has many warnings in his writings against misapplying spiritual texts to one’s spiritual condition. Kevin: So he didn’t expect obviously everybody who would read his works to come to the wilderness and live in a ten by fifteen foot, rustic cell. Fr. Damascene: Absolutely not. He would not expect that. His constant teaching was that we are to apply the teachings of the Church, the writings of the Fathers and the monastic saints, etc. to our own condition. Kevin: Father, as we wrap up, I have one final question, and it’s a tough one because it’s so broad. What in your opinion about Fr. Seraphim’s life and writing has inspired and fascinated so many people all over the world. You mentioned Russia. They may have read more about him than people in the States. What is it about his life and his work? Fr. Damascene: There are many aspects and many things that can be said about that. First of all, he was a discerner of the times. He understood the modern times very deeply, and he also understood the Orthodox faith very deeply. So he was able to cut through the deceptions of the times and give the Orthodox teaching, the teaching of the Fathers, straight. When you go to Fr. Seraphim, you find the pure teaching of the Fathers, the pure water of grace that come from those writings. It’s not distorted or twisted or artificially molded to conform to the modern mentality. You find a basic honesty in his writings, which I think is very refreshing for many people. Some people can kind of fudge a little bit. If there’s a teaching of the Church that’s a little bit too hard for our self-worshiping, pampered generation to take, they can kind of fudge a little bit, kind of soften it around the edges. Fr. Seraphim didn’t do that. I think some people get turned off by that and have a hard time with it. But there are many people who want that. I really appreciate that. I should say, also, Fr. Seraphim can be very hard-hitting in his writings, because he was writing for everybody and this was going out to the world. He didn’t want to compromise or sugarcoat anything. But pastorally, when he was dealing with people on a one-to-one basis, he was different. You see that in his letters. Therefore, you’re dealing with a soul, and the soul has these various burdens and obstacles. He understood as a pastor that you have to reach out to a person where there are and not expect too much. As Christ said you don’t want to put new wine into old bottles. So he was very careful with that. For example, when he talked with people who were involved in Eastern religions, he would take a different tone than when he was writing about Orthodoxy and the religion of the future. When he was writing to people coming out of a Charismatic background, he would be different. Kevin: That’s an important nuance of reading him, that as a pastor he was applying that warm-heartedness and love, whereas here had to deal with a movement or large issue of the times. It might come across a little on the strong side or the hard-hitting side. Father Damascene, again, thank you very much for this wonderful interview. It’s very much appreciated.

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The Idea of the Classic in English 560, Spring 2001 Office: (973) 353-5279x516; 516 Hill Hall. Hours: Monday, 2:30-4:00, and by appointment (appointments Home: (609) 882-4642 (before 10 p.m.!). E-mail: [email protected] (the best way to Listserv: lynch560 @ andromeda.rutgers.edu (for the whole English 560 involves the following responsibilities on your part: - Written Assignments: There will be two argumentative and analytical papers, the first of eight to ten pages, the second either a new paper of eight to ten pages, or an expansion of your first paper to fifteen to twenty - Annotated Bibliographies: Each student will prepare an annotated bibliography on one day's reading or another apropos critical or historical topic. - In-Class Reports: You'll be expected to give a brief presentation on the reading the same day you present your annotated bibliography. Details are below. Virtually all the readings will be available on-line on the World Wide Web; copies of most pieces will also be available on reserve in Dana Library. For easily available works too long to print or read on-screen (Paradise Lost, Tom Jones, &c.), you're encouraged to find your own edition. A few pieces will be available as photocopies from Print Media Services at 160 Reports and Annotated Bibliographies Each student will be particularly responsible for the readings on one day of the semester, producing and distributing (on paper or by E-mail) a short annotated bibliography of relevant criticism and then beginning class with an oral report of between ten and fifteen minutes. The report should begin with a very brief discussion of the annotated bibliography the student has prepared, giving a quick overview of the major scholarship on the topic. Thereafter, the topic is anything relevant to the day's reading material. A good report will raise as many fruitful questions as possible and get discussion rolling. Anything that will help -- handouts, short readings for the rest of the class -- is welcome and encouraged. Schedule of Class Meetings - 18 Jan.: - Introduction (class business, &c.). - 25 Jan.: - Aristotle, Poetics; Art of Poetry. - 1 Feb.: - John Milton, Paradise Lost, front matter and books I-III; Richard Bentley's edition of Paradise Lost, Preface and Book I; Samuel Johnson, selections from Life of Milton. - 8 Feb.: - Milton, Paradise Lost, books IV and IX; John Dryden, selections from The State of Innocence; Joseph Addison, selections from The Spectator; William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, plates 4, 5, and 6; Percy Bysshe Shelley, selections from A Defence of Poetry. - 15 Feb.: - Dryden, The Æneis of Virgil, books I and IV; Alexander Pope, The Iliad of Homer, book I; Walter Jackson Bate, selections from The Burden of the Past and the English Poet - 22 Feb.: - Jonathan Swift, The Battle of the Books; Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism. - 1 March: - Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock. - 8 March: - John Dryden, selections from An Essay of Dramatick Poesie; John Dryden and William Tempest; or, The Enchanted Island. First Paper - 15 March: - No Class: Spring Break. - 22 March: - Alexander Pope, Preface to The Works of Shakespear; Nahum Tate, King Lear; Samuel Johnson, notes on King Lear. - 29 March: - Samuel Johnson, "Drury-Lane Prologue" and selections from the Preface to Shakespeare; Elizabeth Montagu, Introduction to An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear; selections from Michael Dobson, The Making of the National - 5 April: - Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, books 1-5. - 12 April: - Fielding, Tom Jones, books 6-10. - 19 April: - No Class: I'll be galivanting in New - 26 April: - Fielding, Tom Jones, books 11-18. Second Paper Due.

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- Action research (6 posts) - Artist CPD (11 posts) - Barriers to participation (2 posts) - Change management (8 posts) - Co-construction (3 posts) - Community cohesion (12 posts) - Creative curriculum development (13 posts) - Creative teaching and learning (28 posts) - Cross-curricular working (21 posts) - Developing school ethos (6 posts) - Disability awareness (4 posts) - Diversity (3 posts) - Exchanges and trips (4 posts) - Experiential learning (6 posts) - Extracurricular work (3 posts) - Learning outcomes for artists (23 posts) - Learning outcomes for teachers (27 posts) - Learning outcomes for young people (37 posts) - Learning styles (13 posts) - Mentoring (2 posts) - Outdoor learning environment (1 post) - Parent engagement (4 posts) - Participation and engagement (29 posts) - Partnerships (37 posts) - Role of the practitioner (32 posts) - School networks (2 posts) - Teacher CPD (17 posts) - Whole school working (13 posts) - Young people in decision making role (9 posts) - Youth leadership (5 posts) - Youth voice (16 posts) Select from the categories above, and scroll over the thumbnails to view information about each resource. You can download many of the resources as PDFs, view film or listen to audio. A New Direction Schools Forum: Effective Partnership WorkingThis resource summarises key ideas from schools and arts & cultural organisations from a series of discussions around six different… A Personal Journey through Preferred Learning StylesAn essay written by a creative practitioner who undertook action research into students' preferred learning styles and creativity. Artists and Teachers PartnershipsAn essay exploring partnerships between creative practitioners and teachers from an Early Years setting and a Secondary school. Arts Beyond the ClassroomA film documenting the experiences of the pupils and parents in the Arts Beyond the Classroom project. Beneath the HoodA pack including a poignant film portrait of students at a PRU, poetry cards and a resource guide for similar… Building PartnershipsAn essay describing three effective partnership projects delivered in two primary schools and one FE College. Co-construction of LearningA case study exploring examples of creative projects which supported young people to guide school change through 'co-construction'. Connecting Countries: London to VancouverA film of a group of Secondary School students who journey to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. Creative Interventions in the English FacultyAn essay providing an arts organisation's perspective of creative teaching strategies within an East London school's English curriculum. Creative Teaching and LearningA case study discussing the ways creative programmes have supported the development of creative teaching and learning. Creativity and ChangeAn essay exploring structural and institutional change through creative programmes in three primaries and one special school. Cross-Curricular Creative ProjectsAn essay describing cross-curricular approaches in 3 primary schools and 1 secondary school in East London. Developing a Learning Strategy for ArtsadminA paper detailing the development of an arts organisation's education programme in partnership with artists and local schools. Engaging Parents Creatively in the Foundation StageA paper presenting two examples that aimed to increase parental engagement and community involvement in the pupils' work. Forensic Science Murder MysteryA film documenting a cross-curricular drama project with secondary school students inspired by a TV crime series. Grove Park Special School Takes Over the Borough of BrentA film made by students with a range of physical and learning disabilities who investigate their local area. ImagiNationA film charting an 18 month whole school cross-curricular project culminating in a community carnival. Imagine NationA short film of a poem and set of accompanying activities for literacy lessons exploring creativity and imagination. Institutional ChangeA paper exploring two different approaches to whole school change in a Special School and a Secondary School. IPC Media Schools Design ProgrammeAn essay describing the IPC Media Schools Design Programme, a graphic design work-related learning programme initiated in 2005. Learning about Learning: Preferred Learning Styles and CreativityA publication exploring education approaches to preferred learning styles. Essays and a toolkit of lesson activities are included. London to Beijing - a Dance TravelogueA film about dance students from a Further Education college who visit a dance school in Beijing, China. Making Things Happen - HereA project case study and two films. A group of Primary Schools imagine something extraordinary for their community. Olympics Literacy ResourceA set of classroom resources for all year groups for creating poetry around the theme of the Olympics.

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White-throated Magpie-Jays (Calocitta formosa) are beautiful big jays that travel the North Pacific slopes in small flocks. Their songs and calls are quite varied - this is one of the typical calls, recorded on the road to Monteverde (Costa Rica). Douglas Von Gausig (recordist; copyright holder), Naturesongs.com This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To cite this page: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2013. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org. Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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Octodon degus is generally considered endemic to west central Chile, where it inhabits the lower slopes of the Andes. Although some have argued that its range may extend north into Peru, this is not well supported. It is common in the international pet trade, however, and is often used in laboratory studies outside of its native range. (Contreras, et al., 1987; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Octodon degus inhabits a mediterranean-type semi-arid shrubland ecosystem called "matorral", which is found on the western slopes of the Andes between 28 and 35 degrees south latitude. Further north the climate becomes too arid to support this plant community, and further south it is too wet. Degus appear to be limited to elevations below 1200 meters, both by the distribution of their habitat and by their intolerance of low oxygen partial pressure. Degus are well able to inhabit lands influenced by cattle grazing, and are agricultural pests in some areas. (Contreras, et al., 1987; Fulk, 1976) Octodon degus superficially resembles a gerbil, but is much larger. Degus typically weigh between 170 and 300 g, and measure between 325 and 440 mm in length, including the tail. The fur is yellow-brown on the back and head, and the underparts and feet are cream colored. There is a pale band around the eye and, in some individuals, the neck. The tail is moderately long and conspicuously tufted. The ears are large and darkly pigmented. The fifth digit is reduced, and on the forefeet it has a nail instead of a claw. The cheekteeth are hypsodont and their biting surfaces resemble a figure of eight. Sexes are difficult to distinguish, but males tend to be about 10% larger than females. Pups are born furred and able to see, and begin exploring within hours of birth. Octodon degus can be distinguished from the two other members of the genus Octodon by slight differences in dental morphology. It is also smaller than its relatives and its tail is said to be more noticeably tufted. (Fulk, 1976; Lee, 2004) During the annual breeding season, male-male aggression temporarily increases. Males exclude other males from their burrow and monopolize the females (usually 2 to 4) who live there. Dustbathing and urine marking may be used in the defense of territory by both sexes, but these behaviors particularly increase in the male during the breeding season. Courting males often engage in mutual grooming with females, and frequently perform a courtship ritual which involves wagging of the tail and trembling of the body. The male then raises a hind leg and sprays urine onto the female. This may serve to familiarize her with his scent and perhaps make her more receptive to his advances in the future. Receptive females may sometimes enurinate males in a similar fashion. Related female degus may nurse each other's young. (Ebensperger and Caiozzi, 2002; Fulk, 1976; Kleiman, 1974; Soto-Gamboa, 2005) In the wild degus tend to breed once per year. The breeding season usually begins in late May (autumn in Chile), and the young are conceived in late winter to early spring (September to October). In wet years, degus may produce second litters. It has been suggested that degus may be induced ovulators, but this has not been established for certain. There is also some evidence that male reproductive organs may be sensitive to changes in photoperiod. The gestation period is 90 days, and litter size is typically 4-6 pups. The young are precocial. They are born with fur and teeth; their eyes are open and they are able to move about the nest on their own. Pups are weaned at 4 to 5 weeks, and become sexually mature between 12 and 16 weeks of age. Degus do not reach adult size until about 6 months of age, however, and they generally live in same-sex social groups until they are about 9 months old and their first breeding season occurs. It has been reported that pups raised in isolation in the laboratory experience severe neural and behavioral abnormalities. (Ebensperger and Hurtado, 2005; Lee, 2004; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Before conception can occur, the male degu must invest considerable energy in the defense of his territory and harem from other males. The female subsequently expends considerable energy in gestation and lactation. The pregnancy is relatively long for a rodent, and the young are born well developed. After birth, both parents protect and provision the pups. Degus nest communally, and groups of related females nurse one another's young. In the laboratory, the female remains close to the pups until two weeks after birth, and males have been observed to huddle with the young during this period without instances of infanticide. In the wild, male degus may spend as much time feeding and huddling with the young as females do. Pups begin to eat solid food at about two weeks of age, and venture out of the burrow at three weeks. Upon weaning at four to six weeks, the pups are able to live independently of the parents and form same-sex social groups until their first breeding season. (Ebensperger and Hurtado, 2005; Fulk, 1976; Lee, 2004; Woods and Boraker, 1975) In laboratory conditions, degus typically live five to eight years. Degus are social and tend to live in groups of one to two males and two to five related females. Females participate in rearing on another's young. Groups maintain territories throughout much of the year. Degus are semi-fossorial, digging extensive communal burrow systems. These burrows are often shared by Bennett's chinchilla rat (Abrocoma bennettii). Degus feed exclusively above ground, however, and have been observed climbing into the low branches of shrubs while foraging. Dustbathing is an important social behavior among degus. Groups repeatedly mark favorite wallows with urine and anal gland secretions. This may help the group identify each other by scent as well as delineating territorial boundaries. Degus are mainly diurnal, and are most active during the morning and evening. (Ebensperger, et al., 2004; Fulk, 1976; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Fulk (1976) estimated that social groups of degus occupy home areas of roughly 200 square meters, and that their density is about 75 degus per hectare. This may be an underestimate, however, due to the trapping methods used. (Fulk, 1976) Degus have well-developed sight, smell, and hearing. They are highly vocal and use various calls to communicate with one another, including alarm calls, mating calls, and communication between parents and young. Vision is very important in avoidance of predators and in foraging. It has been shown that degus are able to see ultraviolet wavelengths, and that their urine reflects in the UV range when fresh. It has therefore been suggested that degus' urine scent marks are also visual cues. These scent marks are also used as dust wallows, allowing members of a social group to identify each other by scent. (Chavez, et al., 2003; Fulk, 1976; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Degus are generalist herbivores. They feed on the leaves, bark, and seeds of shrubs and forbs. Among their favorite foods are the bark of Cestrum palqui and Mimosa cavenia, leaves and bark of Proustia cuneifolia, Atriplex repunda, and Acacia caven, annuals such as Erodium cicutarum when in season, green grasses, and thistle seeds. Degus choose food items that reduce fiber and increase nitrogen and moisture in the diet, and thus prefer young leaves and avoid woodier shrubs. Degus rely on microbial fermentation in their enlarged cecum (they are "hindgut fermenters") to digest their food. They reingest a large percentage of their feces, usually during the night. This allows them to maximize their digestion. Degus store food in the winter, and it has been reported that they occasionally eat meat in old age. (Gutierrez and Bozinovic, 1998; Kenagy, et al., 1999; Veloso and Kenagy, 2005; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Octodon degus is subject to predation by larger mammals such as culpeo foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus), and from the air by raptors such as barn owls (Tyto alba), short-eared owls (Asio flammeus), and black-chested buzzard eagles (Geranoaetus melanoleucus). Degus use vigilance and cover to avoid predators. Their pelage is also counter-shaded and matches the soil color, which reduces visibility to predators. Degus live socially and use alarm calls to warn others of danger. When a predator is spotted, they take cover in shrubby areas and may retreat to the communal burrow. (Ebensperger and Wallem, 2002; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Octodon degus affects the plant community in its habitat by selective browsing. Degus behaviorally reduce the fiber content of their diet, preferrentially eating shrubs such as Adesmia bedwellii, Baccharis paniculata, and Chenopodium petioare, which are less fibrous and less thorny than others. These species have been shown to increase their foliage area upon exclusion of degus. As degus are very common, they are themselves an important food source for their predators. (Gutierrez and Bozinovic, 1998) Degus often live in association with Bennett's chinchilla rats (Abrocoma bennettii). The two species are known to share burrow systems and have even been observed in the same chamber within a burrow. This is believed to be a mutualistic relationship, but it is not well understood. (Fulk, 1976; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Degus are frequently kept as pets, and are used extensively in laboratory research. Because they are largely diurnal, they are useful in research on circadian rhythms, and their intolerance of sugars makes them ideal models for diabetes research. (Lee, 2004) Degus are significant agricultural pests in some areas. They take advantage of cultivated prickly pear cactus, wheat, vineyards, and orchards as abundant food sources, and can do considerable damage. They are also known to host three species of parasites that can infect humans. (Fulk, 1976) Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web. Mary Hejna (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor, instructor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America. uses sound to communicate living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture. having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. Found in coastal areas between 30 and 40 degrees latitude, in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Vegetation is dominated by stands of dense, spiny shrubs with tough (hard or waxy) evergreen leaves. May be maintained by periodic fire. In South America it includes the scrub ecotone between forest and paramo. uses smells or other chemicals to communicate helpers provide assistance in raising young that are not their own an animal that mainly eats the dung of other animals active at dawn and dusk having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect. animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds. an animal that mainly eats leaves. Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing. an animal that mainly eats seeds An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants. offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes). having the capacity to move from one place to another. the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets. having more than one female as a mate at one time specialized for leaping or bounding locomotion; jumps or hops. communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them breeding is confined to a particular season remains in the same area reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female associates with others of its species; forms social groups. places a food item in a special place to be eaten later. Also called "hoarding" uses touch to communicate that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle). Living on the ground. defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement uses sight to communicate reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female. young are relatively well-developed when born Chavez, A., F. Bozinovic, L. Peichl, A. Palacios. 2003. Retinal spectral sensitivity, fur coloration, and urine reflectance in the genus Octodon (Rodentia): implications for visual ecology. Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science, 44/5: 2290-2296. Contreras, L., J. Torres-Mura, J. Yanez. 1987. Biogeography of Octodontid rodents: An eco-evolutionary hypothesis. Fieldiana: Zoology, New Series, 39: 401-411. Ebensperger, L., F. Bozinovic. 2000. Energetics and burrowing behaviour in the semifossorial degu Octadon degus (Rodentia: Octodontidae). Journal of Zoology, 252: 179-186. Ebensperger, L., A. Caiozzi. 2002. Male degus, Octodon degus, modify their dustbathing behavior in response to social familiarity of previous dustbathing marks. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 75: 157-163. Ebensperger, L., M. Hurtado. 2005. On the relationship between herbaceous cover and vigilance activity of degus (Octodon degus). Ethology, 111/6: 593-608. Ebensperger, L., M. Hurtado. 2005. Seasonal changes in the time budget of degus, Octadon degus.. Behaviour, 142: 91-112. Ebensperger, L., M. Hurtado, M. Soto-Gamboa, E. Lacey, A. Chang. 2004. Communal nesting and kinship in degus (Octodon degus). Naturwissenschaften, 91: 391-395. Ebensperger, L., P. Wallem. 2002. Grouping increases the ability of the social rodent, Octodon degus, to detect predators when using exposed microhabitats. Oikos, 98: 491-497. Fulk, G. 1976. Notes on the activity, reproduction, and social behavior of Octodon degus. Journal of Mammalogy, 57/3: 495-505. Gutierrez, J., F. Bozinovic. 1998. Diet selection in captivity by a generalist herbivorous rodent (Octodon degus) from the Chilean coastal desert. Journal of Arid Environments, 39: 601-607. Kenagy, G., R. Nespolo, R. Vasquez, F. Bozinovic. 2002. Daily and seasonal limits of time and temperature to activity of degus. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 75: 567-581. Kenagy, G., C. Veloso, F. Bozinovic. 1999. Daily rhythms of food intake and feces reingestion in the degu, an herbivorous Chilean rodent: optimizing digestion through coprophagy. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 72/1: 78-86. Kleiman, D. 1974. Patterns of behaviour in hystricomorph rodents. Symposium of the Zoological Society (London), 34: 171-209. Lee, T. 2004. Octodon degus: A diurnal, social, and long-lived rodent. ILAR Journal, 45/1: 14-24. Soto-Gamboa, M., M. Villalon, F. Bozinovic. 2005. Social cues and hormone levels in male Octadon degus (Rodentia): a field test of the Challange Hypothesis. Hormones and Behavior, 47/3: 311-318. Soto-Gamboa, M. 2005. Free and total testosterone levels in field males of Octodon degus (Rodentia, Octodontidae): accuracy of the hormonal regulation of behavior. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78/2: 229-238. Tokimoto, N., K. Okanoya. 2004. Spontaneous construction of "Chines boxes" by Degus (Octodon degus): A rudiment of recursive intelligence?. Japanese Psychological Research, 46/3: 255-261. Veloso, C., G. Kenagy. 2005. Temporal dynamics of milk composition of the precocial caviomorph Octodon degus (Rodentia : Octodontidae). Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78/2: 247-252. Woods, C., D. Boraker. 1975. Octodon degus. Mammalian Species, 67: 1-5.

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Details of Glycemic Index (GI) The GI Scale The glycemic index uses a scale from 1 to 100, which indicates the rate at which 50 grams of carbohydrate in a particular food is absorbed into the bloodstream as blood-sugar. The main reference food (rated 100) is glucose. GI Rating Categories The glycemic index divides carbohydrate foods into three categories: GI Food Testing is Ongoing Not all foods have been given a GI value, although most food-types are covered. However, due to the way GI is measured using volunteer subjects, results can vary, so GI values for some specific foods are not yet uniformly established. GI - Diabetes and Weight Control Although the glycemic index was first designed to assist diabetes patients manage their blood-sugar levels, dietitians and weight experts now use it as a tool to help treat obesity, food cravings and appetite swings, and improve eating habits. Both the type AND quantity of carbohydrate in our food influence the rise in blood glucose. But the glycemic index only rates a standard 50 gram serving size of digestible carbohydrate in a particular food, which may not be appropriate for all foods. For example, foods whose serving size contains only a small amount of carbohydrate may in practice be better for blood sugar control than foods whose normal serving size contains a large amount of carbs. Therefore, to provide a more meaningful GI-rating system, researchers at Harvard University invented the term Glycemic Load, which applies the glycemic index to normal food serving sizes. OBESITY, OVERWEIGHT and

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By Jim Hopf Owners of the (556 MW) Kewaunee nuclear plant in Wisconsin recently announced that they will be closing the plant, because it was losing money and they were unable to find another company willing to buy it. The reason the plant is losing money is that it is in a “merchant” power market, in which the price of electricity is governed by the cost of electricity from natural gas plants (those plants being the last, highest-variable cost, incremental supplier). Due to the current very low cost of natural gas, as well as weak demand due to a sluggish economy, the market price for electricity in those regions is very low. On top of this is the fact that small, one-unit plants like Kewaunee have relatively high operating costs, since many costs (including many of those associated with regulatory compliance, site security, etc.) do not scale down with plant size. Unfortunately, it is possible that Kewaunee may not be the last plant to close for purely economic reasons. Many experts are saying that several other small plants in merchant power markets (including Vermont Yankee, Fitzpatrick, Nine Mile Point, Cooper, Ginna, Indian Point, and Clinton) are at risk of closing, due to weak demand and continuing low natural gas prices. In addition to plants that may close for economic reasons, a few other reactors will or may close due to equipment problems. Based on estimates of $2–$3 billion to repair the Crystal River plant’s containment dome, Duke decided to close the Florida plant. Low natural gas prices almost certainly factored into that decision. Meanwhile, the San Onofre plant in California has been offline for over a year due to tube failures in recently-installed steam generators that were based on a new design (that turned out to be problematic). Apparently (and surprisingly) it will take 4-6 years for new stream generators “that could pass regulatory muster” to be fabricated and installed. The utility is seeking Nuclear Regulatory Commission permission to run one of the two idled reactors at 70% power, based on analyses that show additional tube wear will not occur under those conditions. Low gas prices likely temporary Although many voices are saying that low natural gas prices (not much higher than current levels of $3–$4 per million BTU) will last for a long time, there are many reasons why this is unlikely to be true. The four main reasons are summarized below: - The price of natural gas is 4-6 times lower than that of oil, on a per unit energy (BTU) basis. Given that oil and gas are interchangeable for many uses/applications, such a difference in energy-equivalent price is unsustainable. In fact, plans are underway, as we speak, to use natural gas in the transport sector, mainly for large trucks and fleet vehicles. There are also plans to build Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) refineries that convert natural gas into clean diesel fuel. - The price of US natural gas ($3-$4/MBTU) is a factor of 3 to 4 times lower than what gas (LNG) sells for abroad, with Europe paying over $12/MBTU and Japan/Asia currently paying over $16/MBTU for LNG imports. Plans to export US gas are being made as we speak. Such exports will even out worldwide gas prices, and lead to significantly higher US prices. - The price of natural gas is very sensitive to the balance between supply and demand, and demand should increase measurably in the coming years as the economy recovers. - Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the current price of natural gas is actually much lower than the raw cost of gas production for most US shale fields. This is clearly unsustainable. In fact, there has recently been a major shift in drilling activity (and drilling equipment) from gas to oil, since oil production is so much more profitable, given the much higher price for oil. Given the high decline rates for shale gas wells, any let up in exploration or the drilling of new wells will soon lead to declining production. In addition to the above four reasons is the likelihood that increased (tightened) requirements will be placed on shale drilling operations, either by the Environmental Protection Agency or the states themselves, in order to protect groundwater and reduce air pollution. Such requirements would also result in somewhat higher production costs. Of course, if a price or limit on CO2 emissions is ever imposed, it would make existing nuclear plants more competitive vs. gas plants. Finally, it must be noted that new EPA pollution regulations are leading to a significant number of coal plant closures. Most of this coal capacity will be replaced by gas generation. The resultant increase in US gas demand will also put upward pressure on gas prices. Given this, it seems likely that the unprofitability of the nuclear plants in question will be temporary; probably only a few years. For this reason, many nuclear plant owners (e.g., Exelon) have stated that they are not currently planning to close any plants. Thus, some of the plants listed earlier may not close, despite a negative short term situation. Given the likely short term nature of the situation, any such closures would be very unfortunate, and shortsighted. Can anything be done? The closure of nuclear plants like Kewaunee and Crystal River will have a devastating effect on the local economy, due to lost local jobs and a greatly reduced local tax base. As a result, some political efforts are being made to avoid closure. In Kewaunee’s case, a local legislator is proposing that nuclear qualify under the state’s renewable (or clean energy) portfolio standard. Depending on the details, and their design, however, many such proposals may not provide the assistance that the plant needs to remain open. As stated by the Kewaunee utility, what the plant really needed was a long-term power purchase agreement at an adequate price. It would seem that the best solution would be to develop a means to either support the price or reduce operating costs, over the next few years, or somehow arrange (or incentivise) a power purchase agreement that would last for at least a few years. Power price supports One option would be for the government (federal, state, or local) to provide a minor level of price support for the plant’s power, with the understanding that such support would be only temporary (i.e., a few years). Given the current financial state of the federal government, any such support may be unlikely. However, given the negative local impacts of the plants’ closures, it may be in lower-level governments’ interest to offer some limited support, if it were enough to keep the plants open. Such governments would have to weigh the cost of any support against the permanent loss of local employment and tax base. The situation is analogous to how local areas offer economic incentives to attract large employers in the first place. As for how a “price support” would work, one could take a cue from the support given to renewable energy over the years. Such government support has often taken the form of above market prices paid to renewable suppliers, or using “renewable energy certificates” to attain a renewable generation goal, and allowing renewable generators to sell those certificates (at a price determined by the market). In one way or another, the (local) government would pay off the difference between the market price for power and an agreed-upon price that the plant needs. Another option would be to arrange for some type of power purchase agreement. Either the government would add some type of incentive for a private power consumer to enter into such an agreement with the plant, at least for a few years, or the government itself could enter into such a power purchase agreement with the plant. If the government’s own power demand is not large enough to use all the plant’s output, it could sell off any remaining power to private consumers at market rates (presumably at some loss to the government, that is, until gas prices go back up). Many may say that such measures would be too expensive, that governments can’t afford it, or that any such interventions in the free market are not justified. It seems to me that the support these plants need is smaller in both magnitude and duration than the support that has been given to many renewable energy projects, in the form of operating subsidies or mandates for their use, regardless of cost (with power consumers being forced to pay the higher costs). In terms of securing cost-stable, reliable, domestic, pollution-free, CO2-free base load generation for the long term, these may be among the most cost effective measures ever taken. In addition to preserving local employment and tax base, they would reduce the region’s vulnerability to natural gas price swings/spikes in the future. Call it a (temporary) subsidy on all (new or existing) emissions-free generation. It should be easier to justify than much larger renewable generation subsidies. Another option for keeping plants in operation would be measures to reduce their operating costs (or at least prevent them from increasing) for at least the next few years. Such measures could be removed in a few years, after the market price for power has recovered, and the plants can afford higher costs. One example would be to delay any expensive Fukushima-related upgrades for plants that are currently barely profitable or (temporarily) unprofitable. After a several-year grace period, the plant would be required to make the upgrades. If the market price for power has still not recovered (due to gas prices not going up), then the plant would close if the upgrades would render it unprofitable. As I discussed in my last post, requirements that result in the closure of nuclear plants, and their replacement by fossil-fueled generation (even gas) does not reduce public health and environmental risks; it actually increases them. Also, it’s not as though there is no precedent for such policies. After the Clean Air Act passed in 1970, the coal industry managed to get many (if not most) of its existing plants exempted (grandfathered) from the new law’s much stricter requirements. The argument was that it would not make economic sense to retrofit old plants that would only be operating for a few more years anyway. It turns out that they kept operating those older plants (whose emissions of various pollutants are many, many times that allowed by the 1970 Clean Air Act) for 40 more years, and counting…. Note how there is no such thing as a “grandfather clause” for the nuclear industry, with respect to Fukushima upgrades or requirements in general (anything that NRC thinks is important). At a minimum, backfits are required if justified by cost-benefit analysis (something that is not required for grandfathered coal plants, where the benefits of CAA-mandated pollution controls greatly exceed any costs). Another difference is the fact that the overall public health and environmental risk/harm from the grandfathered coal plants is orders of magnitude larger than any from a nuclear plant without Fukushima upgrades (especially given the lack of earthquake and tsunami potential at all the sites in question). On a more general note, with respect to Fukushima, I definitely agree that many intelligent, cost-effective measures should be taken in response to the lessons learned from the event. However, we’ve also learned that even a worst-case plant accident event (with multiple meltdowns followed by essentially a failure of containment) caused no deaths and is projected to have no measurable health impact. In other words, the public health impacts are FAR smaller than what had been previously assumed, as the basis for current regulatory policy. Given this, while I agree that some specific upgrades should be made in response to Fukushima, I’m wondering what requirements we should also consider paring back, given the much smaller potential impacts. Are any new cost-benefit analyses being performed? To my knowledge, the NRC isn’t considering taking any steps in that direction. This is unfortunate, since some carefully-considered, strategic paring of certain requirements could possibly prevent plant closures, and may make nuclear more competitive in general, resulting in reduced use of (harmful) fossil fuels in the future. (Note that this would not be analogous to EPA relaxing pollution requirements so that coal plants could remain open, in that any replacement generation for old coal plants would be environmentally superior, whereas when a nuclear plant closes, its [fossil] replacement is environmentally inferior.) In a similar vein, aside from Fukushima upgrades, one could explore other ways to reduce operating costs at small, vulnerable plants. Apparently, the operating cost for some of these plants (e.g., Ginna) is $40/MWh; much higher than the under $20/MWh operating cost that I was always told applies to existing nuclear plants. This must be due, in part, to their small size and single-unit nature. That said, one still has to ask why their operating costs are so high. I’m guessing that their staffing, per MW, is extremely high; higher than most nuclear plants and much higher than that of fossil plants (the 556 MW Kewaunee plant employed 655 people). In my personal opinion, the industry (e.g., INPO), Kewaunee plant operators, and the NRC should sit down and figure out why the staffing (and operating costs) are so high, and try to figure out a responsible way to reduce them. At least that much effort should be made to keep these plants open, given the impacts on the local economy and the long-term impacts on the environment, energy costs, and energy security. The industry needs to make more of an effort on this. The Kewaunee plant is only ~5 miles from the larger, two-unit Point Beach nuclear plant. Both are pressurized water reactors. One question I have is why the plants could not be effectively managed and operated like a three-unit site, given the proximity. Are there any jobs/tasks at Kewaunee that could be handled by Point Beach personnel, or vice versa? I realize that this would result in staff reductions and lost jobs, but losing some jobs is better than losing them all. I also wonder if Kewaunee plant staff considered any wage/benefits concessions, or if management considered offering them before closing the plant and laying everyone off. One other option for temporarily unprofitable plants would be to mothball them for a few years, then reopen them when the market price for power recovers. The problem is that, due to various requirements (regulatory, etc.), it’s expensive to maintain a shutdown nuclear plant. If the owners give up the operating license, and switch over to a (“possession only”) license that applies to a decommissioned reactor state, it would be very expensive to gain permission to restart the plant. As a result, no nuclear plant that has been formally shutdown has ever been restarted. This is one more thing that seems to be unique to the nuclear industry. Restarting a coal plant is much easier. In fact, while coal’s percentage of US generation has fallen from ~50% to ~32% over the last year or so, due to very low gas prices, utilities (e.g., Southern) have stated that they will switch many of those coal plants right back on once natural gas prices recover (i.e., once it is even slightly less expensive to run the coal plant, regardless of the much greater level of pollution). Some disincentive to pollute, which would at least raise the natural gas price at which utilities would switch old, highly-polluting coal plants back on, is clearly needed. This is another area where some review of current policies is in order, in my opinion. As things stand, it is far too difficult and expensive to pull a closed nuclear plant back out of mothballs, and/or to maintain a plant in a “mothballed” state. I don’t really understand why maintaining the option of restarting a nuclear plant should make it that much more expensive to maintain a plant in a shutdown state. It’s not as though the risks and potential for release (from stored spent fuel, etc..) are any greater. Reform/scrutiny in this area should be more palatable than my earlier suggestions about paring requirements for operating plants, given the lower potential risks present during the long-term shutdown state. Anyway, mothballing the plant is another option that should be studied by the local governments, the utility, and the NRC. If local governments want to keep the option of restarting the plant, they should try to find a way to make it happen (i.e., make it worthwhile for the utility). Crystal River and San Onofre Unlike plants like Kewaunee, the Crystal River plant is probably a lost cause given the (inexplicably) huge cost of repairing its containment dome. I still have to ask why no cost-benefit analysis is being done on the option of operating the plant in its current state. (It’s likely that the costs of repair greatly exceed any public health or economic risk reduction benefits.) I also feel compelled to point out that even if the plant were operated in its current (unrepaired) state, its overall risk to public health and the environment in the local area would be much smaller than that posed by the four coal units at the same site, that are going to continue to operate. As for San Onofre, I am not sure what “that pass regulatory muster” means. Does it refer to installing generators of the old design, or does it refer to years of analysis (paralysis)? I have to ask why it will take 4–6 years to replace the steam generators (a piece of industrial heat exchange equipment). Does the replacement of large heat exchangers in any other industry take anywhere near this long? Also, news reports are saying that the NRC is having some problem allowing the plant (steam generator?) to run at 70% because 100% was the design basis. I’m having trouble understanding how legal (licensing) issues could be a significant impediment. The engineering issues, i.e., the assertion that the steam generators can operate at that power level without further tube degradation, clearly need to be analyzed, but they should (expeditiously) perform the necessary engineering evaluations and move on. Whatever these issues are, the NRC (and the utility) need to do what it takes to resolve them, in months not years. This is especially true given that to make up for the loss of San Onofre’s generation, they are firing up two old, dirty fossil units in the area; units that had been retired due to the fact that they did not meet current air pollution requirements, among other factors. Thus, the longer they delay, the greater the (real) impacts on public health in the region (as well as CO2 emissions) from those fossil units. Is this beginning to sound like a theme? Going to the ends of the earth to avoid/reduce small nuclear risks, and ignoring much larger risks from fossil generation; fossil generation that is often being used to replace nuclear generation that is closed due to the relentless quest to reduce nuclear risks to zero. Jim Hopf is a senior nuclear engineer with more than 20 years of experience in shielding and criticality analysis and design for spent fuel dry storage and transportation systems. He has been involved in nuclear advocacy for 10+ years, and is a member of the ANS Public Information Committee. He is a regular contributor to the ANS Nuclear Cafe.

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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2010 August 12 Explanation: Each August, as planet Earth swings through dust trailing along the orbit of periodic comet Swift-Tuttle, skygazers can enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower. The shower should build to its peak now, best seen from later tonight after moonset, until dawn tomorrow morning when Earth moves through the denser part of the wide dust trail. But shower meteors have been spotted for many days, like this bright Perseid streaking through skies near Lake Balaton, Hungary on August 8. In the foreground is the region's Church of St. Andrew ruin, with bright Jupiter dominating the sky to its right. Two galaxies lie in the background of the wide-angle, 3 frame panorama; our own Milky Way's luminous arc, and the faint smudge of the more distant Andromeda Galaxy just above the ruin's leftmost wall. If you watch for Perseid meteors tonight, be sure and check out the early evening sky show too, featuring bright planets and a young crescent Moon near the western horizon after sunset. Authors & editors: Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply. A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC & Michigan Tech. U.

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Elmer is such an adorable book, and it is always a crowd pleaser with the little ones. We are going on a zoo field trip in a couple of weeks, so I am trying to squeeze in as many zoo animals as I can before we go! Today was elephant day in the lovely world of Kindergarten. The kids really wanted to make an Elmer craft, but I didn't have any time to... A. Make the craft B. Prep the craft C. Actually do the craft So instead, I googled "directed drawing of an elephant" and we went to town on drawing one and writing sentences. I lead the class, shape by shape, of how to draw an elephant. Once we finished, they traced their pencil lines with a marker. Then I asked them to draw vertical and horizontal lines to make the patchwork, to then color in. Once they colored Elmer in, they wrote a couple of sentences to accompany their drawing. I think this little guy is adorable! Look how cute he turned out... Sometimes kids can get overwhelmed when you ask them to draw something specific (aka, an elephant...) so I took the directed drawing route to practice listening and following directions, AND to make them all feel successful in their drawing ability.

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Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, convocation audio files are archived separately from video files. View the audio archives. - Created 15 October 2010; Published 1 November 2010Convocation: R. Dale Guthrie Professor emeritus at the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, R. Dale Guthrie is a renowned paleobiologist and artist. His many books and papers have covered a wide range of interests, including evolutionary dwarfing, social anatomy, causes of extinctions, climatic change and human evolution. In the past few decades his lifelong hunting experience and hobbies of painting and sculpting have dovetailed with his scientific interests, leading to his landmark study, The Natural History of Paleolithic Art. Prior to Guthrie's book there was no widespread practice of using information and ideas from natural history and studies of human universals in approaching the thousands of art images made by members of Eurasian Ice Age bands. The cave paintings and other preserved remnants of Paleolithic peoples shed light on a world little known to us. With a natural historian's keen eye for observation, and as one who has spent a lifetime using bones and other excavated materials to piece together past human behavior and environments, Guthrie demonstrates that Paleolithic art is a mode of expression we can comprehend to a remarkable degree and that the perspective of natural history is integral to that comprehension. He employs a mix of ethology, evolutionary biology, and human universals, along with innovative forensic techniques, to access these distant cultures and their art and artifacts. The title of Dr. Guthrie's presentation was "Evolution of Art, Morality, and Romantic Love in the Ice Age Human Band." - Created 1 October 2010; Published 6 October 2010Convocation: Rudolph Byrd The Goodrich C. White Professor of American Studies at Emory University, Rudolph Byrd began his academic career at Carleton College where he was a member of the Department of English and Chair of the Program of African and African American Studies. He joined the faculty of Emory University in 1991 and is the founding director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, established in 2007. Named for James Weldon Johnson, author, composer, educator, lawyer, diplomat, and pioneering leader in the modern civil rights movement, the Johnson Institute is the first institute at Emory University established to honor the achievements of an American of African descent. One of the premiere sites in the nation for the study of the modern civil rights movement, the work of the Johnson Institute is to offer a framework for understanding the history and legacy of civil rights, and to provide a context to explain the ways in which the civil rights movement continues to have relevance. The Johnson Institute is the home of the Alice Walker Literary Society, of which Byrd is the founding co-chair. An engaged scholar committed to service and scholarship at the local and national levels, Byrd is also a consultant to the United Negro College Fund/Andrew W. Mellon Programs. The title of his presentation was "Regarding James Weldon Johnson." - Created 24 September 2010; Published 25 September 2010Convocation: Steve Poskanzer The eleventh president of Carleton College, Steven G. Poskanzer assumed his new role on August 2. Originally from Central New York, Poskanzer attended Princeton University as an undergraduate, where he studied International Relations with a concentration in African Studies. He subsequently received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, after which he launched his career into higher education. Formerly chief of staff to the president at the University of Chicago for four years, Poskanzer served for the past 12 years in the SUNY system, the New York state system of higher education that encompasses 64 campuses. He held associate and senior associate provost positions in the main SUNY office, the final two years as head of the office of academic affairs. He became vice provost for academic affairs in 2000 before moving to the SUNY–New Paltz campus in October 2001 as that institution’s president, serving first on an interim basis until being named permanently to the position in 2003. Having served leadership roles at both public and private institutions of higher education gives Poskanzer a unique perspective as the new president of Carleton College. The title of his convocation address was "Setting Prairie Fires." - Created 13 September 2010; Published 23 September 2010Opening Convocation: Jimmy Kolker '70 Carleton’s opening convocation is an annual all-college assembly celebrating the beginning of the academic year and recognizing academic achievement. This year's address will be given by Jimmy Kolker (Carleton Class of 1970), Chief of the HIV/AIDS Section at UNICEF's New York headquarters. In this position, Kolker provides leadership and coordination of UNICEF's work on HIV and AIDS at the global level. Prior to joining UNICEF, Kolker served as Deputy Global AIDS Coordinator in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, which leads implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. He served in numerous political reporting and management assignments during his 30-year diplomatic career with the U.S. Department of State, including positions as U.S. Ambassador to Uganda and Burkina Faso, as Deputy Chief of Mission in Denmark and Botswana, and additional posts in Britain, Sweden, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In his address, Kolker reflected on his experience of living an international life, and about the liberal arts as preparation for a career that doesn't yet exist (since there were no AIDS experts when Kolker graduated from Carleton 40 years ago). The title of his address was "Why Carleton Is a Good Place to Start Your International Career." - Created 28 May 2010; Published 1 June 2010Honors Convocation: Robert A. Oden, Jr. The Honors Convocation is held each year on the last Friday of spring term to recognize faculty and students for their accomplishments and their service to the community. This year's address, titled "Listening to Ancient Voices," was delivered by Robert A. Oden, Jr., President and Professor of Religion. - Created 14 May 2010; Published 24 May 2010Convocation: Kevin Clements Kevin Clements is the Foundation Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of the New Zealand Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand, and Secretary General of the International Peace Research Association. Prior to taking up these positions he was the Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Foundation Director of the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Queensland in Australia. He had previously served as Secretary General of International Alert, one of the world’s largest NGO's working on conflict transformation in Africa, the Caucasus, Asia and Latin America. He has also been Professor of Conflict Resolution and Director of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in Virginia and head of the Peace Research Centre at the Australian National University. Clements' career has been a combination of academic analysis and practice in the areas of peace building and conflict transformation. He was formerly Director of the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva and a member of the New Zealand Delegation to the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. Clements has been an advisor on defense, security and conflict issues to a range of governmental and non-governmental organizations in Australasia, the United States and Europe. Over the past two decades, he has served as chairman, facilitator and keynote speaker at many international peace and conflict resolution conferences. The title of his presentation was "Enlarging Boundaries of Compassion: Opportunities and Challenges for Peace Research in the 21st Century." - Created 7 May 2010; Published 24 May 2010Convocation: Oliver Wang Oliver Wang writes on pop music, culture, and politics for a variety of publications and outlets including: NPR, Vibe, Wax Poetics, LA Times,Oakland Tribune, Village Voice, SF Bay Guardian, URB, LA Weekly, Scratch, SJ Metro and Minneapolis City Pages, amongst others. He also maintains a separate site, Chasing Chan, for his writing on Asian American cinema. In 2003, he edited and co-authored the book, Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide. Wang has a PhD in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley. His dissertation, a social history of the Filipino American mobile DJ community in the Bay Area, has since been turned into a community research project called "Legions of Boom" and currently being adapted into a manuscript to be published by Duke University Press. As Assistant Professor of Sociology at CSU-Long Beach, Wang teaches courses in popular culture, social issues and race/class/gender. The title of his presentation was "Something Borrowed, Something New: Asian American Popular Culture." - Created 30 April 2010; Published 24 May 2010Convocation: Richard Moss '77 Richard Moss (Carleton Class of 1977) works at the intersection of climate science and policy as Senior Scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute at the University of Maryland. He directed the U.S. government's climate research program from 2000-2006 (spanning the Clinton and Bush administrations) and led preparation of a number of reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 1993-1998. He also led climate change programs at the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations Foundation. Moss remains active in the IPCC and attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in 2007, when IPCC shared the award with Al Gore. He is also active in the climate research committees of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. An English literature major at Carleton, Moss received his Ph.D. in public policy from Princeton before delving into climate change research. Moss’ experiences demonstrate the value of a liberal arts education and Carleton's distribution requirements! The title of his presentation was "What Do We Need to Know to Act on Climate Change?" - Created 23 April 2010; Published 27 April 2010Convocation: Cheryl Klein ’00 Cheryl Klein (Carleton Class of 2000) is the senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, where she has worked since her graduation from Carleton. She has edited an extensive list of picture books and novels for young readers, including Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Teens; A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, winner of the ALA's William Morris Award for a Young Adult Debut Novel; Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano, winner of the Mildred Batchelder Award for Translation; and My Senator and Me: A Dog's Eye View of Washington, D.C. by Senator Ted Kennedy, illustrated by David Small. She also served as the continuity editor for the last three books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Assuming the role of the series' chief "Potterologist," as Time magazine dubbed her, Klein was responsible for ensuring that the elaborate world J.K. Rowling had created—with a complex cast of characters, a thorough set of magical rules, and a language of its own—was as consistent as possible. A former Carletonian copy editor, Klein is in her dream job, working with a diverse and talented group of authors and illustrators on an equally diverse array of projects. The title of her presentation was "The Wand Chooses the Wizard: On Carleton, Children’s Books, and Creating Yourself." - Created 16 April 2010; Published 22 April 2010Convocation: Ronald Heifetz Ronald Heifetz is one of the world's leading authorities on leadership. In contemporary America, a traditionally respectful and idealistic view of people in positions of power is changing. High-profile scandals and abuses of power have undermined the public’s perception of his leaders in both the political and business worlds, realigning the very ideal of leadership. What sort of behavior makes for effective leadership in today’s world? The work of Heifetz provides insight into this question. The founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Heifetz is renowned worldwide for his seminal work on both the practice and teaching of leadership. Co-founder and principal of Cambridge Leadership Associates, Heifetz consults extensively in the United States and abroad, with clients who include senior executives at major corporations, leaders of non-profits, and heads of nations. His widely acclaimed book, Leadership Without Easy Answers, is currently beyond its thirteenth printing and has been translated into many languages. - Created 9 April 2010; Published 12 April 2010Convocation: Norma Ramos Norma Ramos is a longstanding public interest attorney and social justice activist. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, which is the first organization to fight against human trafficking internationally, now in its twenty-first year. She writes and speaks extensively about the sexual exploitation of women and girls as a core global injustice. An eco-feminist, Ramos links the worldwide inequality and destruction of women to the destruction of the environment. The title of her presentation was "Ending Human Trafficking in Our Lifetime." - Created 2 April 2010; Published 12 April 2010Convocation: Daniel Seddiqui Daniel Seddiqui has recently completed his mission to work 50 different jobs in 50 states. He has been everything from a rodeo announcer in South Dakota, a model in North Carolina, a marine biologist in Washington, to a border patrol agent in Arizona. Why would anyone put themselves through such a grueling experience? Seddiqui's goal was to help Americans understand each other's lives, respect each other's hard work and stimulate peoples' curiosity about different lifestyles. Unaware of what life was like outside his "bubble", he was on a mission to explore the many careers, environments, and cultures that America has to offer. To explore the lifestyle that each state has to offer, he chose one career per state – a career that is popular and represented that state. Through his website Livingthemap.com, Seddiqui chronicled his cross-country adventure, as he worked as an insurance broker in Connecticut, a golf caddie in Hawaii, a sugar maker in Vermont, and an auto mechanic in Michigan, just to name a few of his many 'professions'. The title of his presentation was "Crossing Borders." - Created 26 February 2010; Published 5 March 2010Convocation: Patrice Gaines Patrice Gaines is an award winning journalist and former Washington Post reporter who has proven that you cannot judge a book by its cover. She grew up a self-hating young woman, entering one abusive relationship after another. She became a heroin user, went to prison for possession of the drug and was raped and beaten before she began her long contemplative journey to change. She later began her journalism career at the Miami News, and worked for sixteen years as a reporter with the Washington Post, where she carved a niche for herself focusing on human-interest stories that reflected current issues. During this time she spent six years researching a notorious Washington, D.C. murder for which eight young men remain incarcerated. Her work on the story raised serious doubts about the guilt of the youths and showed readers the absolute power wielded by police and prosecutors. This story plus her own experience with the judicial and penal systems sparked her to begin speaking on the states of those systems today, including the high rate of incarceration among minorities and the poor, questionable police practices, prosecutors with too much power, and the weeding out of bad lawyers. She also offers an engaging look at the power of the press, told from an insider point of view. The title of her presentation was "How We Can All Be Free: Prison Reform in the 21st Century." - Created 19 February 2010; Published 5 March 2010Convocation: Lisa Dodson A research professor in Boston College’s Department of Sociology, Dr. Lisa Dodson has spent the last twenty-five years listening to everyday people talk about their lives and their place in the society. She is widely known for her policy research on low-wage families and has testified in U.S. Congressional hearings and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, arguing for better work and family policies. Her newest book The Moral Underground examines the profound harm of a deeply stratified economy. - Created 5 February 2010; Published 12 February 2010Convocation: E. Patrick Johnson E. Patrick Johnson is Professor, Chair, and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Performance Studies and Professor in African American Studies at Northwestern University. A scholar and artist, Johnson has performed nationally and internationally and has published widely in the area of race, gender, sexuality and performance. His book Appropriating Blackness: Performance and the Politics of Authenticity has won several awards, including the Lilla A. Heston Award, the Errol Hill Book Award, and was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. The title of his presentation was "In Search of My Roots/Routes: Researching and Performing Sweet Tea."

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Late Night Trivia What is LNT? Late Night Trivia is a four-hour student-organized trivia and activity-based competition broadcast on KRLX 88.1 FM on the first day of Reading Days each winter term. The format is the same from year to year but changes minute to minute. LNT will be held on Tuesday, March 12th, 2013 from 7:00PM to 11:00PM this year! Here's what happens: - A trivia question is asked over the radio, and then a song is played. - Teams have until the end of that song to answer the question asked before the song and identify the song and artist. - Fourish "Action Trivias" are announced throughout the night; they involve sending a contingent from (or all of) your team to a specified location and performing a specified task, usually involve acting something out, building something, or consuming something. - Fourish "Medleys" (a series of sounds spliced together) are also played throughout the competition; your job is to identify the correct elements from these compilations, elements that can range from who's talking, who's singing, or what's happening. - The Stumper is the crème de la crème of LNT; a series of clues (usually with a relatively simple answer) which gradually decreases in difficultly. The Stumper is worth major points but its worth scales down with each team that gets it right. Translation: the first team to get The Stumper gets the most points, the 2nd team to get it gets the 2nd most points, 3rd team 3rd most points, and so on. - The headquarters of LNT this year is Sayles 251. How do you win? - The first team to correctly answer each question gets a prize as does the first team to identify the song and artist. - Each question, song, "Action Trivia," "Medley," The Stumper, and bribe is worth points and at the end of the night top teams win mediocre / absurdly thrilling prizes. - The most spirited team according to The Gods wins the privilege to sign their team name on the LNT Spirit Trophy. - Bribes will be requested by The Gods over the air throughout the competition in Sayles 251; the teams who can deliver the desired item(s) to them will receive bonus points. - To see the official scoring rules go here. Have some important phone numbers: - To register and find out your very important team number in the hour before LNT starts, call x5622 - During LNT, to answer a question or identify a song or artist, call x4127 - During LNT, to answer The Stumper or a "Medley," call x5622 A note about competitive spirit: - While the Gods have no way to control how you choose to identify and discover the songs that we play, in the spirit of LNT, we encourage you to partake in the thrill of the hunt and work actively with your own knowledge and with the tools that can aid that knowledge instead of letting some device or program steal the fun from you. - Teams can be any size. - Teams can be any combination of students. Floor teams tend to do well but so do clubs that play together or just a group of friends. - You must register your team during the hour (6 P.M - 7 P.M) before LNT begins by calling the phone number above and giving your team name and a contact phone number in order to get your official team number. This official team number must be used to identify your team when calling in answers, performing "Action Trivias," giving The Gods gifts, or answering The Stumper so make sure your whole team knows this official team number. Email holewind for more information.

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This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter. Members Announced for the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee The members of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee were announced on January 15th by DOE's Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Acting Secretary Chuck Conner. The Committee assists DOE and USDA in meeting national goals that support energy security and rural economies. The chosen committee members, of which six are new and seven are reappointed, will serve three year terms. For a list of all of the newly appointed and reappointed members, see the DOE press release. The Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee was founded as part of the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000. The Committee encourages closer collaboration among federal and state agencies, industry, and growers and provides expert advice on strategic planning; the technical focus of requests for proposals, and procedures for reviewing and evaluating funding proposals. Its members meet quarterly and come from varied academic, federal, environmental, and commercial backgrounds. Their next meeting is scheduled for February 6-7, 2008, in Washington, D.C. See the Biomass Research and Development Initiative Web site.

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One of the problems with life is dealing with change. Nothing is static. Everything is constantly changing. While that has always been true, the pace of change has accelerated in modern times. The volume of changes that seem to have some impact on us has gone up, and the awareness of change has intensified. We are constantly told that newer and better stuff is now available, to replace the stuff we just bought yesterday, which we may not have had a chance to use yet. We live in an era where we now measure things in internet time. Stability and constancy are old-fashioned virtues. This is a hallmark of technology and is particularly true when dealing with computers and software. Open source software is no exception; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Drupal and WordPress have different schemes for how they drive change into their user communities and offer different facilities to their users to comprehend and administration change. These differences are not inconsequential. In this post I’m going to discuss a new viewpoint on requirements that I haven’t mentioned before: architecturally significant requirements (ASRs); and I’m going to cover a few hot button elements on my evaluation of Drupal and WordPress for architectedfutures.net. What Are Architecturally Significant Requirements (ASRs)? Architecturally significant requirements are those requirements that play an important role in determining the architecture of the system. Such requirements require special attention. Not all requirements have equal significance with regards to the architecture. ASRs are either functional or non-functional requirements (see part 1). What makes them significant is the impact they have on the architectural solution. If the ASRs aren’t satisfied the customer, the user, isn’t just inconvenienced, the solution doesn’t work; it doesn’t do the job. The architecture is wrong for the problem. It doesn’t provide a solid and stable solution, or it fails to please the user in how it achieves its function. Deciding what is architecturally significant is a matter of skill and judgment. Determining how well a particular solution fills requirements, especially before the fact (a priori), is again a matter of skill and judgment. ASRs are typically defined in terms of key requirements that are the motivating factors in the design of the architecture for the system. Some of these requirements are functional. A lot of these requirements are qualitative. But what does that mean? In the architecture of buildings there is a significant difference between a church, an office building and an airplane manufacturing facility. That’s functional. But the difference between a church, a chapel and a cathedral isn’t so much functional (putting aside the aspect of scale), it’s qualitative. Or compare the differences between a half-dozen major office buildings, or compare a half-dozen architect designed 3 bedroom, 3 bath, two car garage houses. The differences in the architecture of the office buildings, or the houses, isn’t functional so much as qualitative. The same is true of other systems, including software systems and social systems. “What is it?” tends to be about function. The way it gets done, the style, the attitude, tends to be qualitative. And quality matters. Quality can drive durability. Quality can drive satisfaction. Architected Futures Community of Practice ASRs For my evaluation of Drupal versus WordPress (versus whatever) as the technology platform for the Architected Futures Community of Practice (AFCoP), the object being architected is AFCoP, not WordPress or Drupal. I am not writing the specifications for, nor am I designing, Drupal or WordPress. So, I am not trying to define, nor am I overly concerned with WordPress or Drupal ASRs. I am concerned and focused with AFCoP ASRs. What I’m saying is that things exist in layered, compositional hierarchies. At some point we draw a line around something and that becomes the object of focus. The architected object. The environment it exists in is outside of the object. It may have interactions with other things in that environment, but they are external to the object of concern. You don’t really design your environment. You come to grips with it; you learn to deal with it. As you look at what is inside you decompose the object into parts. If the parts are novel, you may need to design (architect) them. As you do that, you decompose those parts into other parts. If the parts aren’t novel, you can either design new parts, if you feel the need, or you can obtain pre-fabricated parts from a catalog; or you can do a little of each by making adjustments to catalog parts. This is the internal mechanics of the object. However, at some point, you become unconcerned with the details of how the remaining parts work. It stops being a primary issue with respect to operation of the object you are concerned with. The parts just need to do a job. Catalog parts are fine. You don’t want to design how they do that job, as long as the job gets done. If one part doesn’t work to your satisfaction, you swap it out and get another part. There are two layers of architected entities that I am primarily concerned about in the creation of my community of practice. - The first, outer layer, is AFCoP – the community of interacting people. This is essentially the architecture of a social system, a Community of Practice. That community will exist in an environment of planet Earth, human beings, the internet, etc. The components involve topics, interaction policies, the involved people, groups and sub-groups, technology for communicating, etc. - The inner layer of concern to me is the architecture of the technology platform to support the Community of Practice. The technology platform architecture is a part of the Community of Practice architecture. The platform will be architectedfutures.net. The environment for architectedfutures.net will be the AFCoP community, a hosting service, the internet, external support services, etc. The components of architectedfutures.net will include a lower level (nested) technology platform (WordPress or Drupal), a particular set of add-on modules, etc. The AFCoP technology platform, architectedfutures.net, is an ASR for AFCoP. How well the community is able to interact is critically dependent on the facilities provided by the technology platform. To meet that ASR architectedfutures.net is being designed specifically to meet the needs of AFCoP. This won’t be a social network site for a church group or a book club. It has special requirements to support the mission and focal interest of the Architected Futures™ community. If certain features, some functional, some qualitative, aren’t there, then the success of the community will be jeopardized. In a similar way, the choice of base platform (Drupal, WordPress, some other package, custom code, etc.) is an ASR for architectedfutures.net. The structure, the support requirements and the way the functional capabilities are provided by the infrastructure is a critical factor in the success of architectedfutures.net. But it isn’t all or nothing. The Drupal and WordPress platforms are being evaluated as candidate components to provide the base for architectedfutures.net‘s architecture. Some tasks can be done with either platform, although they may vary somewhat in how they are done. Other tasks or functions aren’t so benign. Their presence or absence may be critical to the community, or the way they are achieved may have a major effect on the community. That impact makes those qualities of the infrastructure architecturally significant to the community of practice. Those are the key qualities I want to focus on in terms of my decision.

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1. Why is extremism an issue in prisons? Extremist groups often pose special security risks in prisons. They may encourage the overthrow of the government, and prison officials can be targeted as agents of "illegal" government authority. Further, their literature often encourages ethnic hatred, promoting a violent and racially charged prison atmosphere. Since the 1980s, white supremacist organizations have spread throughout the American prison system, beginning with the growth of Aryan Brotherhood.1 Aryan Nations, although not permitting inmates to become members, has engaged in "prison outreach" since 1979. In 1987, it began publishing a "prison outreach newsletter" called The Way to facilitate recruitment. Aryan Nations also disseminates its literature and letters to inmates. The World Church of the Creator and some Identity Church groups engage in similar outreach activity, as do other racist groups, such as Nation of Islam. The situation is further complicated by the fact that nonideological criminal prison gangs are often organized based on race, which increases racial polarization. Imprisoned extremists also pose a security threat by continuing their activities while incarcerated. They recruit inmates, and teach other inmates extremist tactics. Some imprisoned extremists also have attempted to continue to influence adherents outside of prison by, for instance, publishing newsletters from the prison to maintain their outside following. Prison officials have responded in various ways, reflecting the fact that each state has its own prison system (as do cities, counties and the federal government), and that prisons have varying populations. At times, prison officials have tried to limit access to extremist literature, and these responses have occasionally given rise to litigation because they potentially impinge upon inmates' First Amendment rights. The questions are especially complicated when the censored material comes from a group that claims to be religious. 1 Aryan Brotherhood, at one time associated with Aryan Nations, began as a virulent racist and anti-Semitic prison gang, and has since developed into a crime gang associated with extortion, drug operations and prison violence. 2. Do inmates have the same First Amendment rights as everybody else? The United States Supreme Court has said that "prison walls do not form a barrier separating prison inmates from the protections of the Constitution." Nevertheless, inmates' First Amendment rights are less extensive than other citizens' and their rights can be limited due to security or other penological concerns. Because of the particular challenges administrators face running prisons, the Supreme Court has acknowledged there is a compelling government interest which warrants limiting prisoners' rights. Courts have been deferential to prison officials' assessments of security threats, and sensitive to their related regulatory decisions, even if such decisions impact inmates' First Amendment rights. A prison regulation that impinges on an inmate's constitutional rights will be upheld in court if that regulation is reasonably related to legitimate penological objectives. This means that, generally, prison officials can ban extremist materials from prisons because of concerns that the distribution of such material will undermine prison security. Extremist books, leaflets, and magazines have been forbidden to prisoners on this basis. Such material has not been allowed through the mail and has not been kept in the prison library. However, prisons have less discretion to limit inmates' religious practices than other First Amendment rights due to a new federal law. Because of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), prison officials' discretion in limiting access to extremist material may depend in part on whether such material is related to an inmate's religious exercise. Therefore, prison regulations that affect religious exercise, including access to religious literature, will be reviewed carefully if challenged in court. 3. What legal standard is used to determine the constitutionality of prison regulations? The Supreme Court announced the standard under which it would review the constitutionality of prison regulations in Turner v. Safley, a case involving a challenge to a complete prohibition on inmate marriage. As noted earlier, a prison regulation is constitutional if it is reasonably related to legitimate penological objectives. Under this standard, courts have upheld regulations based on the consideration of certain factors: - Is there a valid, rational connection between the prison regulation and the legitimate governmental interest put forward to justify it? - Are there alternative means of exercising the assert- ed right that remain open to inmates? - How great a negative impact will accommodating the inmates' rights have on guards, other inmates,a nd on the allocation of prison resources? Courts will consider the existence of obvious and easy alternatives to a challenged regulation as evidence of a regulation's arbitrariness. 4. Is the same legal standard used to determine the constitutionality of prison regulations that implicate an inmate's right to free exercise of religion? No, the same standard is not applicable to determining the constitutionality of prison regulations alleged to violate inmates' free exercise rights. The constitutionality of such regulations is determined under the more stringent standard set forth in RLUIPA. RLUIPA says that the government cannot impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of an inmate, even if the inmate's religious exercise is being limited by a generally applicable rule. However, an inmate's religious practices can be limited if the prison official demonstrates that the regulations in question (i) further a compelling interest and (ii) the same interest cannot be served in a manner that is less restrictive of the inmate's free exercise rights. Since RLUIPA was enacted in September 2000, it has not yet been interpreted by the courts. Therefore, how this statute will impact prison regulations that affect inmates' religious exercise remains unclear. 5. How should prison officials evaluate whether particular material can be withheld from inmates? Generally, the First Amendment does not allow speech to be censored by the government because of the content of that speech. The government can only limit the time, place, and manner of speech. However, because inmates have more limited First Amendment rights than other citizens, some content-based discrimination is allowed for security reasons. For example, the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld a prison official's decision to withhold entire issues of the magazine, Muhammad Speaks, because certain articles in the magazine created a danger of violence by advocating racial, religious, or national hatred. This decision was prior to the passage of RLUIPA, and therefore the Court's analysis might be somewhat different today. Under current law, if having the entire magazine withheld was determined to be a substantial burden on inmates' free exercise rights, the Court might require that the offending material be removed rather than the entire issue being withheld. Regulations that exclude publications from a prison because of security concerns have been found constitutional when the regulations have required individualized review of any material before it is banned, notification to inmates that the material has been denied, and the possibility of review of such decisions. Courts have tended to find prison regulations that ban all literature from particular groups unconstitutional. However, the determination of the constitutionality of a given regulation or the implementation of the regulation has tended to be very fact-specific. Courts look not only at the regulation at issue but also consider the nature of the prison (high, medium, or low security) and the particular administrative challenges faced by the prison (such as crowding and quantity of incoming mail) in determining reasonableness, or the practical existence of less restrictive alternative measures. 6. Can prison officials apply the same restrictions to outgoing prison material? The Supreme Court does not allow content regulation with respect to outgoing mail from inmates. While outgoing mail can be searched for contraband,2 content regulation of outgoing mail is also more restricted because it implicates the First Amendment rights of non-prisoner addressees.3 In addition, outgoing material does not pose a threat to internal prison security; therefore content limitations have been considered less urgent. However, regulations can limit the content of outgoing mail categorically. For example, escape plans, threats, running a business, and blackmail are categories that have been disallowed. Therefore, correspondence from prisoners to extremist groups cannot be banned outright because of its content. However, inmates can be prevented from distributing a newsletter from prison when doing so constitutes running a business. 2 Special rules exist with respect to attorney-client correspondence or mail that implicates an inmate's right to access the courts that are beyond the scope of this discussion. 3 However, prison officials can forbid all correspondence between incarcerated individuals. 7. Can extremist "missionaries" be prevented from visiting prisons? Prison officials can ban categories of prison visitors, such as former inmates or visitors who have previously broken visiting rules. An extremist "missionary" can be barred from a prison because of generally applicable rules. In addition, prisons can create procedures for requesting visiting ministers, and impose conditions on the selection of the ministers, such as sponsorship by an outside religious organization. Prison officials can also exclude prison "missionaries" if they are advocating violence or otherwise fomenting prison unrest by encouraging racial tension. However, under RLUIPA, the prison would have to show that any restrictions on visiting clergy are the least restrictive means of achieving its end. Prison officials do not have a responsibility to hire a minister for each religious denomination represented in the prison population. However, if visiting ministers of one denomination are compensated, visiting ministers of other denominations must be equally compensated. Security limitations can be placed on inmate-led prayer or services, but again, under RLUIPA, the prison would have to show that any restrictions on such gatherings is the least restrictive means of achieving its end. For example, it is more likely that the prison could limit the frequency of such meetings, the number of attendees and require supervision than that such gatherings could be banned outright. 8. Under what circumstances must prisons accommodate prisoners' religious dietary requirements? Accommodating religiously based dietary rules has become an issue when dealing with extremists because incidents have raised concern that extremists "adopt" religious practices that are not based on sincere beliefs in order to obtain special privileges, such as specialized diets. Generally, if an inmate's request for a special diet is because of a sincerely held belief and religious in nature, the inmate has a constitutionally protected interest. Under RLUIPA, a request for a special religious diet can only be refused based on a compelling prison interest and if it is the least restrictive means possible for the prison protecting that interest. Prisons may offer more limited food selection to prisoners with religious dietary limitations, such as providing only cold kosher meals rather than hot food. In the past, when determining whether a prison was required to provided a special diet for a prisoner, courts have considered whether the dietary restrictions were central to the prisoner's religious observance. Under RLUIPA, such a determination would probably not be relevant. The threshold question in evaluating the prison's obligation to accommodate a request would still be whether the inmate's dietary request arose out of sincerely held beliefs that were religious in nature.

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Michigan could end 'spoiled' elections with instant runoff voting By Douglas Campbell Published November 14th 2006 in The Detroit News 'Tis November. Leaves are falling, Lucy snatched the football away from Charlie Brown, and Democrats are whining that the Green Party spoiled an election. In the election for the Michigan Senate, Republican John Pappageorge, Democrat Andy Levin and Green Kyle McBee each received a minority of the vote in District 13, which covers part of Oakland County. Pappageorge received a plurality -- more votes than anybody else -- and will be the district's senator. Democrats say that because Levin and McBee, combined, received more votes than Pappageorge, Levin should get the Senate seat. I understand their disappointment, after spending close to a $1 million campaigning for this one Senate seat, including $364,600 of soft money from the Senate Democratic Fund, a similar amount from political action committees and much of the remainder from lawyers and chief executives (for a job that pays $79,650 a year). Minority votes don't win Correct me if I'm clueless here: Which part of receiving a minority of the vote entitles you to expect to win? Some are howling that the election was "spoiled" because "the left" was divided between Democrats and Greens, and "the right" won the Senate seat. I don't see it as spoiled so much as the inevitable outcome of our first-past-the-post style of elections. Somebody wins, everybody else loses. If you earn a minority of the vote, you should expect to lose. Our system doesn't allocate 3 percent of the seats in Congress to parties that receive 3 percent of the vote, or there would be three Green senators and 13 Green representatives in Washington, D.C. McBee accepted no soft money, corporate contributions or PAC money. It's the Green Party way - we have unilaterally implemented campaign finance reform and remain 100-percent lobbyist-free. Almost everyone wants to see obscene sums of money out of political campaigning and we have formed a new political party that does precisely that. But because McBee spent less than 1 percent of what Levin did advertising in media outlets, he encountered a near-perfect news blackout from those media outlets. Green's campaign reforms Yes, the Green Party has a plan for campaign finance reform. We may be best known for protecting and restoring the natural environment, but becoming active in politics is necessary to achieve that. Wangari Maathai, recipient of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, probably says it best: "It is very, very important for the world to recognize the linkage between good management of the environment, sustainable and efficient management of our environment and resources, and equitable distribution of these resources on one side, and democratic space and peace. If we are going to manage our resources sustainability, efficiently, if we are going to share them equitably, we need democratic space. It is impossible to manage resources responsibly and sustainably in a dictatorship, because in such a situation you have a few people controlling the resources at the expense of the many, and therefore, you cannot have peace. Sooner or later, you have conflict." Try new voting system The United States may not be a dictatorship, but we do have a few people controlling the resources at the expense of the many. We have a plan for eliminating spoiled elections, too: Instant Runoff Voting, which we've been promoting since day one. Under this system, you mark both your first and second choices. It makes it unnecessary to choose the lesser of two weasels, enables you to mark both your true preference and your fallback choice, mathematically eliminates the possibility of spoiled elections, eliminates the need for primary elections and assures no candidate is elected without a majority. We just haven't found anybody in the Legislature who's interested in preventing spoiled elections. The Green party is not going away, and we're not giving up. We're trying to bring true democracy to America, not just a pendulum swinging between Democrats and Republicans. A nation accustomed to 31 flavors of ice cream needs much more than just two bipolar political parties. Ideally, we'd have at least five strong political parties, no two of which can form a majority. But just having one or two strong minor parties, which could prevent one traditional party or the other from gaining and abusing a majority, would be a great start.

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One way to do it is change your existing configuration to use SSL then add a new section to listen on port 80 and put in Redirect Permanent / https://idocket.com From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Hightower Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2012 15:15 To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion' Subject: RE: How do I configure HTTPS on System i v6r1? I like the idea of using https for the whole site, it would make configuration a lot easier, though there are A LOT of macro changes that would need to be made. But it brings some questions: - suppose someone enters http://idocket.com as the URL; how do I get that to auto-route to https://idocket.com -- would that be a change in our DNS host config setting, or a web server config directive change? [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rich Loeber Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2012 10:59 AM To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion Subject: Re: How do I configure HTTPS on System i v6r1? I ran into this a little while ago and slogged through it myself. I ended up posting a blog about the process that you might find helpful: Rich Loeber - @richloeber Kisco Information Systems On 12/13/2012 11:34 AM, Tom Hightower wrote: I have the following website, hosted on the System i: Clicking Register now on that homepage takes you to: As you can infer from the .asp, the https is hosted on a Windows server on our internal network. Management wants to move the https from the Windows server onto our System I, and I'm all in on that. But it's been quite a long time (10 years?) and many OS releases since I've done that. Can someone point me to a guide that walks me thru getting that up and going? This email is confidential, intended only for the named recipient(s) above and may contain information that is privileged. If you have received this message in error or are not the named recipient(s), please notify the sender immediately and delete this email message from your computer as any and all unauthorized distribution or use of this message is strictly prohibited. Thank you.

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Myocardial infarction (MI) is relatively infrequent in infants and children, although its association with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery and other congenital cardiac anomalies that result in coronary hypoperfusion is well known.1 Although MI has also been reported in some congenital heart defects without coronary artery abnormalities,2-4 massive MI of the left ventricle in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) has not, to our knowledge, been reported. Report of a Case.—An 8-month-old girl had been followed up elsewhere with the clinical diagnosis of TOF. Although moderately cyanotic, she had no history of hypoxic spells. On the morning of admission, she had an hypoxic spell. Because of poor response to conventional therapy, ie, knee-chest position, sodium bicarbonate, and morphine, she was transferred to our institution. On arrival, she was cool and blue-gray; heart rate was 150 beats per minute; respirations, 80/min; and blood pressure, 60/40 mm Hg. There

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We recently reported on the extensive uncontrolled experience at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, suggesting the possible efficacy of cingulotomy for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).1 Recent evidence suggests a familial link between OCD and Tourette's syndrome (TS),2 yet there is only one previous report regarding the effects of cingulotomy on the symptoms of TS (in two patients at MGH who underwent surgery to treat concomitant severe OCD).3 We now report the case of a man who had concomitant OCD and TS. He underwent two separate bilateral radiofrequency cingulotomies via burr holes, first in December 1989, and again in June 1991, to reduce his OCD symptoms. This patient's experience is instructive because his OCD symptoms appear to have improved following these cingulotomies, while his tics were unchanged or worse. Report of a Case A 35-year-old man had been followed up in our OCD clinic between 1987 and 1988

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To determine the morbidity and mortality of surgical treatment of false (anastomotic) aneurysms, we analyzed the results of 158 consecutive surgical procedures for repair of false aneurysms that were detected as a result of a surveillance program after aortic reconstruction with a prosthesis. Retrospective analysis of patient data from a vascular registry that included information on the long-term follow-up of our patients. A university hospital (tertiary referral center) in the Netherlands that has been performing vascular reconstructive surgery since 1958. We performed 158 surgical procedures on 135 patients with 220 noninfected false aneurysms. Using a yearly surveillance program, the false aneurysms were detected at a mean interval of 8 years after the initial reconstruction. Most patients (60%) were asymptomatic. The operation was performed as an emergency in 25 instances (16%). The mortality rate of patients receiving nonsurgical treatment was very high (61%) owing to documented rupture (11 of 18 patients). The intraoperative death rate was 7.6% per procedure. This was higher for emergency (24%) than for elective procedures (4.5%). Conservative follow-up carries a very high mortality rate, as does emergency surgery for a false aneurysm. However, the intraoperative mortality rate of elective reconstruction of a false aneurysm can be in the same range as that of elective primary aortic reconstruction. Therefore, we advocate a surveillance program, including yearly ultrasound studies, after prosthetic aortic reconstruction for the timely detection and elective repair of all false aneurysms.

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Wikipedia sobre física de partículas Rapidinho. Me falaram que a definição de física de partículas da Wikipedia era muito ruim. E de fato, era assim: Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary particle|elementary subatomic constituents of matter and radiation, and their interactions. The field is also called high energy physics, because many elementary particles do not occur under ambient conditions on Earth. They can only be created artificially during high energy collisions with other particles in particle accelerators. Particle physics has evolved out of its parent field of nuclear physics and is typically still taught in close association with it. Scientific research in this area has produced a long list of particles. Mas hein? Partículas que só podem ser criadas em aceleradores? Física de partículas é ensinada junto com física nuclear? A pesquisa produz partículas (essa é ótima!)? Em que mundo essa pessoa vive? Reescrevi: Particle Physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles, which are the constituents of what is usually referred as matter or radiation. In our current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics. Most of the interest in this area is in fundamental fields, those that cannot be described as a bound state of other fields. The set of fundamental fields and their dynamics are summarized in a model called the Standard Model and, therefore, Particle Physics is largely the study of the Standard Model particle content and its possible extensions. Eu acho que ficou bem melhor. Vamos ver em quanto tempo algum editor esquentado da Wikipedia vai demorar para reverter. Atualmente está um saco participar da Wikipedia por causa dessas pessoas.

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- published: 19 Mar 2013 - views: 42 - author: T.A. B possibly testing on weans, that worries me http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21849808. A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters. Vaccines can be prophylactic (example: to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection by any natural or "wild" pathogen), or therapeutic (e.g. vaccines against cancer are also being investigated; see cancer vaccine). The term vaccine derives from Edward Jenner's 1796 use of cow pox (Latin variola vaccinia, adapted from the Latin vaccīn-us, from vacca, cow), to inoculate humans, providing them protection against smallpox. Vaccines do not guarantee complete protection from a disease. Sometimes, this is because the host's immune system simply does not respond adequately or at all. This may be due to a lowered immunity in general (diabetes, steroid use, HIV infection, age) or because the host's immune system does not have a B cell capable of generating antibodies to that antigen. Even if the host develops antibodies, the human immune system is not perfect and in any case the immune system might still not be able to defeat the infection immediately. In this case, the infection will be less severe and heal faster. Adjuvants are typically used to boost immune response. Most often aluminium adjuvants are used, but adjuvants like squalene are also used in some vaccines and more vaccines with squalene and phosphate adjuvants are being tested. Larger doses are used in some cases for older people (50–75 years and up), whose immune response to a given vaccine is not as strong. The efficacy or performance of the vaccine is dependent on a number of factors: When a vaccinated individual does develop the disease vaccinated against, the disease is likely to be milder than without vaccination. The following are important considerations in the effectiveness of a vaccination program: In 1958 there were 763,094 cases of measles and 552 deaths in the United States. With the help of new vaccines, the number of cases dropped to fewer than 150 per year (median of 56). In early 2008, there were 64 suspected cases of measles. 54 out of 64 infections were associated with importation from another country, although only 13% were actually acquired outside of the United States; 63 of these 64 individuals either had never been vaccinated against measles, or were uncertain whether they had been vaccinated. Vaccines are dead or inactivated organisms or purified products derived from them. There are several types of vaccines in use. These represent different strategies used to try to reduce risk of illness, while retaining the ability to induce a beneficial immune response. Some vaccines contain killed, but previously virulent, micro-organisms that have been destroyed with chemicals, heat, radioactivity or antibiotics. Examples are the influenza vaccine, cholera vaccine, bubonic plague vaccine, polio vaccine, hepatitis A vaccine, and rabies vaccine. Some vaccines contain live, attenuated microorganisms. Many of these are live viruses that have been cultivated under conditions that disable their virulent properties, or which use closely related but less dangerous organisms to produce a broad immune response. Although most attenuated vaccines are viral, some are bacterial in nature. They typically provoke more durable immunological responses and are the preferred type for healthy adults. Examples include the viral diseases yellow fever, measles, rubella, and mumps and the bacterial disease typhoid. The live Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccine developed by Calmette and Guérin is not made of a contagious strain, but contains a virulently modified strain called "BCG" used to elicit an immune response to the vaccine. The live attenuated vaccine containing strain Yersinia pestis EV is used for plague immunization. Attenuated vaccines have some advantages and disadvantages. They have the capacity of transient growth so they give prolonged protection, and no booster dose is required. But they may get reverted to the virulent form and cause the disease. Toxoid vaccines are made from inactivated toxic compounds that cause illness rather than the micro-organism. Examples of toxoid-based vaccines include tetanus and diphtheria. Toxoid vaccines are known for their efficacy. Not all toxoids are for micro-organisms; for example, Crotalus atrox toxoid is used to vaccinate dogs against rattlesnake bites. Protein subunit – rather than introducing an inactivated or attenuated micro-organism to an immune system (which would constitute a "whole-agent" vaccine), a fragment of it can create an immune response. Examples include the subunit vaccine against Hepatitis B virus that is composed of only the surface proteins of the virus (previously extracted from the blood serum of chronically infected patients, but now produced by recombination of the viral genes into yeast), the virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) that is composed of the viral major capsid protein, and the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits of the influenza virus. Subunit vaccine is being used for plague immunization. Conjugate – certain bacteria have polysaccharide outer coats that are poorly immunogenic. By linking these outer coats to proteins (e.g. toxins), the immune system can be led to recognize the polysaccharide as if it were a protein antigen. This approach is used in the Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine. A number of innovative vaccines are also in development and in use: While most vaccines are created using inactivated or attenuated compounds from micro-organisms, synthetic vaccines are composed mainly or wholly of synthetic peptides, carbohydrates or antigens. Vaccines may be monovalent (also called univalent) or multivalent (also called polyvalent). A monovalent vaccine is designed to immunize against a single antigen or single microorganism. A multivalent or polyvalent vaccine is designed to immunize against two or more strains of the same microorganism, or against two or more microorganisms. In certain cases a monovalent vaccine may be preferable for rapidly developing a strong immune response. The immune system recognizes vaccine agents as foreign, destroys them, and "remembers" them. When the virulent version of an agent comes along the body recognizes the protein coat on the virus, and thus is prepared to respond, by (1) neutralizing the target agent before it can enter cells, and (2) by recognizing and destroying infected cells before that agent can multiply to vast numbers. When two or more vaccines are mixed together in the same formulation, the two vaccines can interfere. This most frequently occurs with live attenuated vaccines, where one of the vaccine components is more robust than the others and suppresses the growth and immune response to the other components. This phenomenon was first noted in the trivalent Sabin polio vaccine, where the amount of serotype 2 virus in the vaccine had to be reduced to stop it from interfering with the "take" of the serotype 1 and 3 viruses in the vaccine. This phenomenon has also been found to be a problem with the dengue vaccines currently being researched,[when?] where the DEN-3 serotype was found to predominate and suppress the response to DEN-1, -2 and -4 serotypes. Vaccines have contributed to the eradication of smallpox, one of the most contagious and deadly diseases known to man. Other diseases such as rubella, polio, measles, mumps, chickenpox, and typhoid are nowhere near as common as they were a hundred years ago. As long as the vast majority of people are vaccinated, it is much more difficult for an outbreak of disease to occur, let alone spread. This effect is called herd immunity. Polio, which is transmitted only between humans, is targeted by an extensive eradication campaign that has seen endemic polio restricted to only parts of four countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan). The difficulty of reaching all children as well as cultural misunderstandings, however, have caused the anticipated eradication date to be missed several times. In order to provide best protection, children are recommended to receive vaccinations as soon as their immune systems are sufficiently developed to respond to particular vaccines, with additional "booster" shots often required to achieve "full immunity". This has led to the development of complex vaccination schedules. In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommends schedule additions for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends routine vaccination of children against: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, HiB, chickenpox, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and pneumonia. The large number of vaccines and boosters recommended (up to 24 injections by age two) has led to problems with achieving full compliance. In order to combat declining compliance rates, various notification systems have been instituted and a number of combination injections are now marketed (e.g., Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and MMRV vaccine), which provide protection against multiple diseases. Besides recommendations for infant vaccinations and boosters, many specific vaccines are recommended at other ages or for repeated injections throughout life—most commonly for measles, tetanus, influenza, and pneumonia. Pregnant women are often screened for continued resistance to rubella. The human papillomavirus vaccine is recommended in the U.S. (as of 2011) and UK (as of 2009). Vaccine recommendations for the elderly concentrate on pneumonia and influenza, which are more deadly to that group. In 2006, a vaccine was introduced against shingles, a disease caused by the chickenpox virus, which usually affects the elderly. Sometime during the 1770s Edward Jenner heard a milkmaid boast that she would never have the often-fatal or disfiguring disease smallpox, because she had already had cowpox, which has a very mild effect in humans. In 1796, Jenner took pus from the hand of a milkmaid with cowpox, inoculated an 8-year-old boy with it, and six weeks later variolated the boy's arm with smallpox, afterwards observing that the boy did not catch smallpox. Further experimentation demonstrated the efficacy of the procedure on an infant. Since vaccination with cowpox was much safer than smallpox inoculation, the latter, though still widely practiced in England, was banned in 1840. Louis Pasteur generalized Jenner's idea by developing what he called a rabies vaccine, and in the nineteenth century vaccines were considered a matter of national prestige, and compulsory vaccination laws were passed. The twentieth century saw the introduction of several successful vaccines, including those against diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. Major achievements included the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s and the eradication of smallpox during the 1960s and 1970s. Maurice Hilleman was the most prolific of the developers of the vaccines in the twentieth century. As vaccines became more common, many people began taking them for granted. However, vaccines remain elusive for many important diseases, including malaria and HIV. ||The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (October 2011)| ||This article is missing information about Scientific rebuttal to the attacks. This concern has been noted on the talk page where whether or not to include such information may be discussed. (October 2011)| Opposition to vaccination, from a wide array of vaccine critics, has existed since the earliest vaccination campaigns. Although the benefits of preventing suffering and death from serious infectious diseases greatly outweigh the risks of rare adverse effects following immunization, disputes have arisen over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and safety of vaccination. Some vaccination critics say that vaccines are ineffective against disease or that vaccine safety studies are inadequate. Some religious groups do not allow vaccination, and some political groups oppose mandatory vaccination on the grounds of individual liberty. In response, concern has been raised that spreading unfounded information about the medical risks of vaccines increases rates of life-threatening infections, not only in the children whose parents refused vaccinations, but also in other children, perhaps too young for vaccines, who could contract infections from unvaccinated carriers (see herd immunity). One challenge in vaccine development is economic: many of the diseases most demanding a vaccine, including HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, exist principally in poor countries. Pharmaceutical firms and biotechnology companies have little incentive to develop vaccines for these diseases, because there is little revenue potential. Even in more affluent countries, financial returns are usually minimal and the financial and other risks are great. Most vaccine development to date has relied on "push" funding by government, universities and non-profit organizations. Many vaccines have been highly cost effective and beneficial for public health. The number of vaccines actually administered has risen dramatically in recent decades.[when?] This increase, particularly in the number of different vaccines administered to children before entry into schools may be due to government mandates and support, rather than economic incentive. The filing of patents on vaccine development processes can also be viewed as an obstacle to the development of new vaccines. Because of the weak protection offered through a patent on the final product, the protection of the innovation regarding vaccines is often made through the patent of processes used on the development of new vaccines as well as the protection of secrecy. Vaccine production has several stages. First, the antigen itself is generated. Viruses are grown either on primary cells such as chicken eggs (e.g., for influenza), or on continuous cell lines such as cultured human cells (e.g., for hepatitis A). Bacteria are grown in bioreactors (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae type b). Alternatively, a recombinant protein derived from the viruses or bacteria can be generated in yeast, bacteria, or cell cultures. After the antigen is generated, it is isolated from the cells used to generate it. A virus may need to be inactivated, possibly with no further purification required. Recombinant proteins need many operations involving ultrafiltration and column chromatography. Finally, the vaccine is formulated by adding adjuvant, stabilizers, and preservatives as needed. The adjuvant enhances the immune response of the antigen, stabilizers increase the storage life, and preservatives allow the use of multidose vials. Combination vaccines are harder to develop and produce, because of potential incompatibilities and interactions among the antigens and other ingredients involved. Vaccine production techniques are evolving. Cultured mammalian cells are expected to become increasingly important, compared to conventional options such as chicken eggs, due to greater productivity and low incidence of problems with contamination. Recombination technology that produces genetically detoxified vaccine is expected to grow in popularity for the production of bacterial vaccines that use toxoids. Combination vaccines are expected to reduce the quantities of antigens they contain, and thereby decrease undesirable interactions, by using pathogen-associated molecular patterns. In 2010, India produced 60 percent of world's vaccine worth about $900 million. Many vaccines need preservatives to prevent serious adverse effects such as Staphylococcus infection that, in one 1928 incident, killed 12 of 21 children inoculated with a diphtheria vaccine that lacked a preservative. Several preservatives are available, including thiomersal, phenoxyethanol, and formaldehyde. Thiomersal is more effective against bacteria, has better shelf life, and improves vaccine stability, potency, and safety, but in the U.S., the European Union, and a few other affluent countries, it is no longer used as a preservative in childhood vaccines, as a precautionary measure due to its mercury content. Although controversial claims have been made that thiomersal contributes to autism, no convincing scientific evidence supports these claims. There are several new delivery systems in development[when?] that will hopefully make vaccines more efficient to deliver. Possible methods include liposomes and ISCOM (immune stimulating complex). The latest developments[when?] in vaccine delivery technologies have resulted in oral vaccines. A polio vaccine was developed and tested by volunteer vaccinations with no formal training; the results were positive in that the ease of the vaccines increased. With an oral vaccine, there is no risk of blood contamination. Oral vaccines are likely to be solid which have proven to be more stable and less likely to freeze; this stability reduces the need for a "cold chain": the resources required to keep vaccines within a restricted temperature range from the manufacturing stage to the point of administration, which, in turn, may decrease costs of vaccines. A microneedle approach, which is still in stages of development, uses "pointed projections fabricated into arrays that can create vaccine delivery pathways through the skin". A nanopatch is a needle free vaccine delivery system which is under development. A stamp-sized patch similar to an adhesive bandage contains about 20,000 microscopic projections per square inch. When worn on the skin, it will deliver vaccine directly to the skin, which has a higher concentration of immune cells than that in the muscles, where needles and syringes deliver. It thus increases the effectiveness of the vaccination using a lower amount of vaccine used in traditional syringe delivery system. The use of plasmids has been validated in preclinical studies as a protective vaccine strategy for cancer and infectious diseases. However, in human studies this approach has failed to provide clinically relevant benefit. The overall efficacy of plasmid DNA immunization depends on increasing the plasmid's immunogenicity while also correcting for factors involved in the specific activation of immune effector cells. Vaccinations of animals are used both to prevent their contracting diseases and to prevent transmission of disease to humans. Both animals kept as pets and animals raised as livestock are routinely vaccinated. In some instances, wild populations may be vaccinated. This is sometimes accomplished with vaccine-laced food spread in a disease-prone area and has been used to attempt to control rabies in raccoons. Where rabies occurs, rabies vaccination of dogs may be required by law. Other canine vaccines include canine distemper, canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, adenovirus-2, leptospirosis, bordatella, canine parainfluenza virus, and Lyme disease among others. Vaccine development has several trends: Principles that govern the immune response can now be used in tailor-made vaccines against many noninfectious human diseases, such as cancers and autoimmune disorders. For example, the experimental vaccine CYT006-AngQb has been investigated as a possible treatment for high blood pressure. Factors that have impact on the trends of vaccine development include progress in translatory medicine, demographics, regulatory science, political, cultural, and social responses. |Modern Vaccine and Adjuvant Production and Characterization, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News| The World News (WN) Network, has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to user privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for wn.com, as well as e-mail newsletters. We do not collect personally identifiable information about you, except when you provide it to us. For example, if you submit an inquiry to us or sign up for our newsletter, you may be asked to provide certain information such as your contact details (name, e-mail address, mailing address, etc.). We may retain other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. 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If we make material changes to our e-mail practices, we will notify you here, by e-mail, and by means of a notice on our home page. The advertising banners and other forms of advertising appearing on this Web site are sometimes delivered to you, on our behalf, by a third party. In the course of serving advertisements to this site, the third party may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser. For more information on cookies, you can visit www.cookiecentral.com. As we continue to develop our business, we might sell certain aspects of our entities or assets. In such transactions, user information, including personally identifiable information, generally is one of the transferred business assets, and by submitting your personal information on Wn.com you agree that your data may be transferred to such parties in these circumstances.

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http://article.wn.com/view/2013/01/16/Vaccine_timetable_for_children_is_safe_US_experts_say_t/

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en

Wars have given us the Jeep, the computer and even the microwave. Will the war in Iraq give us the Tiger? Military scientists at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground hope so. The machine - its full name is the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery - combines a chute, an engine, chemical tanks and other components, giving it the appearance of a lunar rover. It's designed to turn food and waste into fuel. If it works, it could save scores of American and Iraqi lives. Among the biggest threats that soldiers face in the war in Iraq are the roadside bombs that have killed or maimed thousands since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Because some military bases lack a landfill, transporting garbage to dumps miles away in the desert has become a potentially fatal routine for U.S. troops and military contractors. The Tiger would attempt to solve two problems at once: It would sharply reduce those trash hauls and provide the military with an alternative source of fuel. It is the latest in a long line of wartime innovations, from can openers to desert boots. The conflict in Iraq has produced innovations such as "warlocks," which jam electronic signals from cell phones, garage door openers and other electronic devices that insurgents use to detonate roadside bombs, according to Inventors Digest. "In wartime, you're not worried about making a profit necessarily. You're worried about getting the latest technology on the street," said Peter Kindsvatter, a military historian at Aberdeen Proving Ground, who added that money is spent more freely for research when a nation is at war. "Basically, you find yourself in a technology race with your enemy." The Tiger, now being tested in Baghdad, would not be the first device to turn garbage into energy - a large incinerator near Baltimore's downtown stadiums does it. But it would be among the first to attempt to do it on a small scale. Its creators say it could one day become widely used in civilian life, following the lead of other wartime innovations. During World War II, contractors developed the Jeep to meet the military's desire for a light, all-purpose vehicle that could transport supplies. The development of radar technology to spot Nazi planes led to the microwave, according to historians. The World War II era also gave birth to the first electronic digital computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC. Funded by the Defense Department, the machine was built to compute ballistics tables that soldiers used to mechanically aim large guns. For years it was located at Aberdeen Proving Ground. This decade, the Pentagon determined that garbage on military bases poses a serious logistical problem. "When you're over in a combat area and people are shooting at you, you still have to deal with your trash," said John Spiller, project officer with the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, which is funding the Tiger project. "How would you feel if somebody was shooting at you every other time you pushed it down the curb?" He and other Army officials said they could not recall any specific attacks against troops or contractors heading to dumpsites.For years, large incinerators have burned trash to generate power. Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Co., the waste-to-energy plant near the stadiums, consumes up to 2,250 tons of refuse a day while producing steam and electricity. The process is so expensive that it has only made sense to do it on a large scale, scientists say. The military has spent almost $3 million on two Tiger prototypes, each weighing nearly 5 tons and small enough to fit into a 20- to 40-foot wide container. The project is being developed by scientists from the Edgewood, Va.-based Defense Life Sciences LLC and Indiana's Purdue University. The biggest challenge was getting the parts to work together, said Donald Kennedy, an Edgewood spokesman. Because the Tiger is a hybrid consisting of a gasifier, bioreactor and generator, much of it is built with off-the-shelf items, including a grinder. Another big challenge: expectations. "When we would initially talk to people about the Tiger system, a large percentage would refuse to believe it could actually work," Kennedy wrote in an e-mail. "Alternatively, a similar percentage would be so intrigued by the idea that they would demand to know when they could buy one for their neighborhood." The Tiger works like this: A shredder rips up waste and soaks it in water. A bioreactor metabolizes the sludge into ethanol. A pelletizer compresses undigested waste into pellets that are fed into a gasification unit, which produces composite gas. The ethanol, composite gas and a 10-percent diesel drip are injected into a diesel generator to produce electricity, according to scientists. It takes about six hours for the Tiger to power up. When it works, the device can power a 60-kilowatt generator. The prototypes are being tested at Camp Victory in Baghdad Initial runs proved successful. The prototypes have been used to power an office trailer. At their peak, they could power two to three trailers. In recent weeks, the scientists suffered a setback: The above-100 degree temperatures caused a chiller device to overheat and shut off occasionally. A new chiller from Edgewood just arrived at the site, Kennedy said. After the 90-day testing phase that ends Aug. 10, the Army will decide whether to fund the project further. Its developers envision the device being used to respond to crises such as Hurricane Katrina, when there is no lack of garbage but a great need for electricity. Spiller, of the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, said he is optimistic. "The mere fact we wrote a check means we think it's got a high chance of success," Spiller said.

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http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-07-21/news/0807200131_1_garbage-aberdeen-proving-ground-war-in-iraq

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en

Governor O'Malley touts Maryland's many educational successes — top rankings from Education Week and Newsweek and in the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests — but he has been reluctant to embrace the reforms that will be necessary for us to expand on that success and to eliminate disparities in educational quality. It took him months to accept that any changes were necessary to shore up Maryland's application for the federal Race to the Top competition. That said, he did eventually endorse reforms to the teacher tenure process and the linking of student test scores to teacher evaluations. Mr. Ehrlich has been stronger so far on the issue of charter schools, but Mr. O'Malley has demonstrated that he can actually get education reforms the teachers unions don't like through the legislature. Rather than bristling at Mr. Ehrlich's effort to steer the governor's race toward a discussion of what the candidates would actually do if elected, the governor should take the chance to unveil a comprehensive education reform agenda of his own.

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http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-06-23/news/bs-ed-ehrlich-charter-schools-20100623_1_charter-schools-local-school-districts-school-board/2

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en

Then and now, there is ample proof that Americans do take Supreme Court nominations seriously. With good reason. Sooner or later, the nation's most vexing disagreements over our most vital issues wind up before the Supreme Court. None quite penetrates to the core of our democratic being more than those involving First Amendment rights and values. Each term, the nine justices must grapple with profound questions involving freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom to participate in political discourse: Just how free is freedom of speech? What is the role of religion in public life? Does national security trump the public's right to know? During the Court's last three terms, the First Amendment has not fared well. The high court has accepted for review far fewer free-expression-related cases than usual and it has been unusually stingy in recognizing First Amendment claims. In only two of the 15 decisions rendered in free-expression cases did the Court sustain those claims. How the First Amendment will fare in the future depends on how Chief Justice John Roberts differs from his predecessor, William Rehnquist, and how Miers, if confirmed, differs from O'Connor. During his 33 years on the Court as an associate justice and chief justice, Rehnquist consistently voted against free-speech and free-press claims. O'Connor, however, played a pivotal role during her time as justice, frequently casting the decisive fifth vote in religion cases and occasionally in expression cases. The justices over the next 12 months will hear arguments, review briefs and render opinions in several cases that have direct bearing on whether we have full or constricted freedoms when we wish to play a role in the crucial political, cultural or religious issues that confront us. In five cases, the Court will once more take up the question of whether state laws regulating campaign contributions and expenditures pose an unconstitutional threat to political expression: Is money speech? The issues of compelled speech and government funding of speech are raised in another case. A coalition of university law schools which object to the military's ban against acknowledged homosexuals contends that requiring them to allow military recruiters on campus violates their rights. Another case tests the limits of the free exercise of religion. The justices will decide whether the federal government can prohibit a small group of followers of a Brazilian religious sect in New Mexico from importing a banned substance, a hallucinogenic tea, for use in its ceremonies. In a case involving anti-abortion protests appearing before the Court for the third time since 1986, the justices' ruling could affect protest and picketing rights and practices. And a Los Angeles deputy district attorney wants the Court to declare that his free-speech rights were violated when he was disciplined for informing a defense attorney about ethical problems in a pending case. The confirmation process for Miers should be complete by the end of the year. At present, chances seem good that she will be confirmed. Since 1789, the Senate has rejected only 34 of 155 nominations to the Supreme Court. Not much is known about Roberts' views on these issues; even less about Miers'. First Amendment advocates, of course, hope they set the new Court on a new course as far as free expression is concerned. In that regard, Justice Brandeis set a great example as a First Amendment champion during his 23 years on the Supreme Court. "Those who won our independence," he wrote in 1927, "believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. They believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth." The cause of liberty would be better served if this Court's future rulings transcend individual temperament and ideology to embrace the freedom for speech and the tolerance for belief that define a vital democracy. Editor's note: Paul K. McMasters is First Amendment ombudsman at the First Amendment Center, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22209. Web: www.firstamendmentcenter.org. E-mail: [email protected].

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en

LENINGRAD — Imagine George Washington as hateful. Imagine a campaign to rename Washington, D.C., as the most cherished political hope of residents in the nation`s capital. Imagine the Founding Fathers discredited and in disgrace, blamed rather than praised for the American Revolution, while the new president and his Congress scurry to rewrite the Constitution and the history books to keep the country from disintegrating into 50 independent states. Imagine National Guard tanks already on patrol in several state capitals to keep the peace. Then imagine trying to grow up in this atmosphere of shattered ideology and faith, and you might just be able to understand why I see a crisis in Soviet youth. It is a quiet crisis, because its manifestation is apathy and studied indifference toward everything but the most personal concerns. Living in Leningrad for the past half-year, I have spent a great deal of time with teenagers and young adults, going to school with them, hanging out after school with them, and talking, talking, talking with them. They are the Soviet ``Lost Generation.`` At a Leningrad high school, I was talking about belief with a 16-year-old who immediately responded that her age group ``could best be described as nihilists.`` Her parents` generation grew up with a comforting belief that dictator Joseph Stalin saved the nation from the Nazis and rebuilt its economy. But youth raised during glasnost know the truth about his labor camps, show trials and mass executions. ``For us, there was no way we could believe in Stalin, since I, for instance, began hearing the truth about Stalin when I was 7-my father told me,`` she said. Indifference is the primary characteristic of contemporary teenagers, as one parent related to me. This indifference is selective, protective, directed at Soviet society, politics and economics, which have never evinced any interest in improving young people`s lives, but only in complicating them. Thus, young Leningraders` indifference toward their own society is paired with a thirst not only for information about the West but also for the life there. Nearly without exception, Soviets aged 16 to 26 hate politics and only want a better life. One variation of this attitude manifests itself in a desire to emigrate, mostly seen in those over 18 and out of school. They distrust their political system and its politicians, and thus have no desire to participate. Recent bloodshed in the Baltics and the insulting monetary reform, in which people`s life`s savings were wiped out overnight, only reinforced this distrust. Those who do participate in political life are a small minority. They join such fringe groups as the Monarchists-who call for the return of the czarist autocracy-or Anarchists-who believe that having no system is better than having one. There are several preservationist movements, with more wholesome platforms, in which young people participate, one dedicated to the architectural renaissance of Leningrad and another whose politics parallel the West European Greens Party. The Komsomol, or Young Communist League, like an ideological Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, has a dwindling cadre. Participation once was a prerequisite for future professional standing, but today its members remain more from inertia than interest. A 16-year-old told me she is still a komsomolka, but only because she retains a membership card. There are rarely meetings these days, and she never attends. Steps toward a market economy and private property also brought changes in Soviet youth. Some young Leningraders doubt the value of finishing their higher education at technical or professional institutes, or of ever working officially at all if they have obtained their decrees. Thanks to the current inflation, they have seen their parents` salaries becoming laughably insufficient, and realize they would be better off at semi- legal biznes-or even plying the illegal black market-than trusting the system that betrayed their parents. Young speculators who bribe their way into possession of scarce consumer goods at government prices resell them at a price 10 times higher, netting in one day more than an honest worker makes in a month. One 25-year-old told me he dropped out of an engineering institute because he can earn more as a private car mechanic in the shadow economy. And black marketeers, who often earn their profits in Western currencies, live the most golden life of all, even if it is totally illegal. These are the new hero-workers of Soviet society. The cultural effects on Soviet teenagers of the current social transformations tend to be more subtle. For ethnic Russians, their identity is reinforced by joining the recently unfettered Orthodox Church; last January, the Russian Orthodox Christmas was officially celebrated for the first time in 74 years. One teen told me she even was christened last fall-at her own intitiative.

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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-02-26/news/9101180458_1_soviet-youth-leningrad-quiet-crisis

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en

It would be a cinch for retirees to figure out how much money they can spend without running out if they could count on their investments growing at a set rate each year. But as the past 18 months have reminded investors, the market is not only unpredictable, but can go down, too. Calculating how much money to draw out of a retirement nest egg each year is complicated. It can even be harder than saving for retirement, experts said. "You have more variables to contend with," said Christopher L. Jones, executive vice president with Financial Engines. How much to withdraw depends on the amount saved, taxes, life expectancy, what portion is in stocks or bonds, and whether the money is in tax-deferred accounts or not, he said. And there's timing. Retire just as a bear market hits and your nest egg will shrink a lot faster than the portfolio of someone lucky enough to retire in a bull market. Financial planners say people often assume that they can safely withdraw 8 percent to 10 percent a year from invested assets throughout retirement, excluding what they receive from pensions and Social Security. That's about twice the rate generally recommended. Christine Fahlund, a senior financial planner with T. Rowe Price Associates in Baltimore, said she's often greeted with skepticism at seminars when she suggests a 4 percent or 5 percent initial withdrawal rate from a portfolio, with slight increases thereafter to keep up with inflation. Her audience tends to become more accepting when she explains the huge hit that their portfolios will take if they withdraw 8 percent from a portfolio that's fallen 3 percent. "We are getting a lot of believers now that the market is down," she said. So, how does a retiree figure a realistic withdrawal rate? Fortunately, planning in recent years has become more sophisticated than just basing withdrawals on a projected average annual return and average inflation rate. Computers now run portfolios and withdrawals through hundreds and thousands of economic scenarios and tell retirees the likelihood of their money lasting in retirement. Price offers its free online version, the Retirement Income Calculator, at www.troweprice.com. Financial Engines next year will launch technology that shows retirees how much to invest, how much to draw down and from what accounts based on assets and income, including Social Security and pensions. If you are trying to determine a withdrawal rate, here are some factors to consider: - Life expectancy. This depends on a person's health, gender and family history of longevity. Generally, people are living longer and need to plan for that. Rockville, Md., financial planner Marvin Burt said a decade ago that he would use a life expectancy of 85 when developing retirement plans. He later upped that to 90 and recently started using 95. Couples must factor in the life expectancy of each partner, especially if one is much younger than the other, he said. - Asset allocation. Retirees should have at least 25 percent of their portfolio invested in stocks to help keep up with inflation, but probably no more than 70 percent in equities, Fahlund said. Stocks add volatility to a portfolio, and investing too heavily in them can exacerbate the effects of a down market. "You'll find the volatility can work against you over time," Fahlund said. "You might have to withdraw a little less than you can if you are well-balanced." Also, avoid the mistake of trying to make up for a lack of saving by aggressive investing, which can backfire, warned Jack Brod, head of Vanguard Advisory Services in Malvern, Pa. Some retirees with long life expectancies also may want to consider buying an annuity as part of their portfolio to provide a lifelong income stream, suggested Jones. - Timing. Not only how much you take out each year matters, but whether you start tapping into your nest egg in an up or down market can be critical. "The worst thing is to have a big market downturn early on in your retirement. That will affect all future years," Jones said. Take the case of a retiree who assumes an annual return of 9 percent on a $500,000 portfolio and withdraws about 7 percent the first year, increasing that yearly for inflation. Based on a portfolio of 60 percent stocks, 30 percent bonds and 10 percent cash, the retiree would run out of money in 25 years if the market performed according to plan, according to a calculation by Price. But what if that person retired in 1973, just as the market headed into two years of negative returns? Using actual market returns, Price found that the retiree would run out of money about six years ahead of schedule if no adjustment to withdrawals was made. However, if the retiree started out with a more conservative withdrawal rate or reduced withdrawals after the bear market, he or she would have wound up with a hefty portfolio balance after 23 years because of the bull market.

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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-11-20/business/0111200175_1_withdrawal-rate-thousands-of-economic-scenarios-retirement-income-calculator

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en

TURTLE BAY, Hawaii — The surf rolls in with tumbling white crests over the sculptured coral on the far north coast of Oahu, capital island of Hawaii. Kuilima Point, a finger of land reaching out into the Pacific Ocean, catches the surf and keeps a small private bay serene for quiet snorkeling. The warm sands along the beach invite sunbathing. Out on the point, 400 guest rooms and suites in three low-rise wings overlook the challenging surf. Guest cottages are nested in tropical greenery above the surf, with a tennis club in its own greenery behind the cottages. Surrounding the resort is the 18-hole Arnold Palmer golf course. Honolulu and Waikiki are an hour's drive away, across north Oahu's fields of sugar cane. In 1972, Oahu's only North Shore resort opened as the Del Webb Kuilima Hotel on Turtle Bay, encompassing 808 acres of ocean-front land near the town of Kahuku. In 1984, after a $17-million renovation, the resort reopened as the Turtle Bay Hilton & Country Club. New Hotels Planned Asahi Jyuken, an investment and development company based in Osaka, Japan, paid about $127.5 million to buy the resort from Prudential Insurance Co., which has been the owner since the Del Webb era of the 1970s and early 1980s. Hilton Hotels will continue to operate the resort. The Japanese firm intends to build another hotel on adjacent Kawela Bay, a project that had received all necessary permits before the sale. Two more hotels, another 18-hole golf course and a second equestrian center also are planned, along with 2,000 condominium units. Will Turtle Bay continue to seem area codes away from Honolulu and Waikiki? The same kind of question was being asked by local people and environmentalists when we first came here 16 years ago, when the Kuilima Hotel was less than a month away from its grand opening. Later we heard that Del Webb had reached out from Las Vegas to north Oahu with the belief and hope that casino gambling would soon be legalized in Hawaii. It never happened. Kuilima is no longer a destination name. The postal address is still Kahuku, but the resort area has come to be known as Turtle Bay, which is the wide bay open to the sea, not the private bay protected by the point. As we arrived from Waikiki, surfers were out waiting for the big waves. Some of the best surf in the world is found at the "Pipeline," just beyond Kawela Bay and off Sunset Beach. The golf course is home of the Arnold Palmer Golf School and is managed by the Arnold Palmer Golf Management Co. The Arnold Palmer/Sam Snead "Legends of Golf" tournament is held here in January; top women pros compete in February. For guests there are complimentary golf clinics Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Greens fees with carts are $45 for guests. The Turtle Bay Twosome golf package is $95 per person per night, double occupancy; it includes ocean-view accommodations and a round of golf. The Peter Burwash professional tennis organization manages the tennis club and has complimentary clinics for guests three mornings a week. The Tennis Holiday package is $77.50 per person per night, double occupancy, for accommodations, court time and a private lesson. Other sports on the North Coast include horseback riding, windsurfing and scuba diving. Quilting, lei-making and leaf weaving are quieter options. Dining is in the Cove restaurant and out on the Palm Terrace, with Sunday champagne brunch in the Sea Tide Room. Evening entertainment can be found in the Bay View Lounge. Construction of the next hotel on Kawela Bay is scheduled to start in 1 1/2 years and will take about two years to complete. Two others, plus the condos, will follow in the mid-1990s. View of Growth The Hilton people believe that the three additional hotels and condos will not overdevelop an 808-acre resort area that is more than 200 acres bigger than all of Waikiki. A short drive eastward and south along the coastal Kamehameha Highway is the Polynesian Cultural Center, one of the island's biggest attractions, with a cast of more than 125 islanders performing the songs and dances of the South Pacific in a setting of old Polynesia. About the same distance westward and south along the coastal highway, Waimea Falls Park preserves nature and historical sites in its 1,800-acre valley and presents entertainment that includes the daring cliff divers. Guest rooms for two at the Turtle Bay Hilton & Country Club start at $120. You can make resort reservations through your travel agent or by calling toll-free (800) HIL-TONS.

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http://articles.latimes.com/1988-05-01/travel/tr-2945_1_turtle-bay

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en

The vaunted protection that intellectually active adults get from Alzheimer’s disease has a dark downside, a study released Wednesday has found. Once dementia symptoms become evident and Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed in such patients, their mental decline can come with frightening speed. That finding, published in the journal Neurology, comes from a study of 1,157 Chicago-based seniors who were followed for an average of just over 11 years. Six years after gauging the extent to which the study participants engaged in activities that challenged their mental capacities, researchers from Rush University Medical Center Alzheimer’s Disease Center made periodic assessments of the study participants’ cognitive health and traced the trajectories of their brain health. All told, 148 of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease during the follow-up period, and 395 were found to have mild cognitive impairment—intellectual problems that are less severe than Alzheimer’s disease, but which often precede such a diagnosis. While all participants’ mental function showed yearly declines, the steepest downward trajectories belonged to those who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but who had reported high levels of mental engagement at the outset of the study. Fellow Alzheimer’s sufferers who had not sought out much intellectual stimulation at the study’s outset showed a more gradual decline in their function. “In effect, the results of this study suggest that the benefit of delaying the initial appearance of cognitive impairment [in Alzheimer’s disease] comes at the cost of more rapid dementia progression,” the author wrote. The findings support a common observation of those who treat intellectually minded patients who go on to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease—that once diagnosed, their decline is rapid. It also underscores a growing body of evidence that the bright and mentally-active may not beat Alzheimer’s disease, but can hold off its ravages for months or years longer than those who are not so engaged. Dr. John M. Ringman, a UCLA neurologist and assistant director of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, said he sees regular evidence of the phenomenonen in his clinical work, as well as in brain-imaging scans that can detect the physical signs of Alzheimer’s disease while a patient is still alive: Patients with a history of intensive mental engagement seem to develop a “cognitive reserve,” said Dr. Ringman. That mental strength frequently allows them to function almost normally, he said, even as the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are the hallmarks of the disease have advanced upon the brain. By the time such a patient comes to his office complaining that his memory and mental function are not what they used to be, the disease has progressed significantly, said Ringman. The decline from that point can be precipitous. In a disease that evidence now suggests takes years, perhaps decades, to show up in everyday behavior, Ringman said “it’s hard to quantify this cognitive reserve.” The strength of the study published Wednesday is that it gathered copious evidence of participants’ mental status and activity at the outset and followed them for more than a decade, he added. --Melissa Healy/Los Angeles Times

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en

Belgian physicist Francois Englert, left, speaks with British physicist… (Fabrice Coffrini / AFP/Getty…) For physicists, it was a moment like landing on the moon or the discovery of DNA. The focus was the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that exists for a mere fraction of a second. Long theorized but never glimpsed, the so-called God particle is thought to be key to understanding the existence of all mass in the universe. The revelation Wednesday that it -- or some version of it -- had almost certainly been detected amid more than hundreds of trillions of high-speed collisions in a 17-mile track near Geneva prompted a group of normally reserved scientists to erupt with joy. For The Record Los Angeles Times Friday, July 06, 2012 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 4 News Desk 1 inches; 48 words Type of Material: Correction Large Hadron Collider: In some copies of the July 5 edition, an article in Section A about the machine used by physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research to search for the Higgs boson referred to the $5-billion Large Hadron Collider. The correct amount is $10 billion. Peter Higgs, one of the scientists who first hypothesized the existence of the particle, reportedly shed tears as the data were presented in a jampacked and applause-heavy seminar at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. "It's a gigantic triumph for physics," said Frank Wilczek, an MIT physicist and Nobel laureate. "It's a tremendous demonstration of a community dedicated to understanding nature." The achievement, nearly 50 years in the making, confirms physicists' understanding of how mass -- the stuff that makes stars, planets and even people -- arose in the universe, they said. It also points the way toward a new path of scientific inquiry into the mass-generating mechanism that was never before possible, said UCLA physicist Robert Cousins, a member of one of the two research teams that has been chasing the Higgs boson at CERN. "I compare it to turning the corner and walking around a building -- there's a whole new set of things you can look at," he said. "It is a beginning, not an end." Leaders of the two teams reported independent results that suggested the existence of a previously unseen subatomic particle with a mass of about 125 to 126 billion electron volts. Both groups got results at a "five sigma" level of confidence -- the statistical requirement for declaring a scientific "discovery." "The chance that either of the two experiments had seen a fluke is less than three parts in 10 million," said UC San Diego physicist Vivek Sharma, a former leader of one of the Higgs research groups. "There is no doubt that we have found something." But he and others stopped just shy of saying that this new particle was indeed the long-sought Higgs boson. "All we can tell right now is that it quacks like a duck and it walks like a duck," Sharma said. In this case, quacking was enough for most. "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably at least a bird," said Wilczek, who stayed up past 3 a.m. to watch the seminar live over the Web while vacationing in New Hampshire. Certainly CERN leaders in Geneva, even as they referred to their discovery simply as "a new particle," didn't bother hiding their excitement. The original plan had been to present the latest results on the Higgs search at the International Conference on High Energy Physics, a big scientific meeting that began Wednesday in Melbourne. But as it dawned on CERN scientists that they were on the verge of "a big announcement," Cousins said, officials decided to honor tradition and instead present the results on CERN's turf. The small number of scientists who theorized the existence of the Higgs boson in the 1960s -- including Higgs of the University of Edinburgh -- were invited to fly to Geneva. For the non-VIP set, lines to get into the auditorium began forming late Tuesday. Many spent the night in sleeping bags. All the hubbub was due to the fact that the discovery of the Higgs boson is the last piece of the puzzle needed to complete the so-called Standard Model of particle physics -- the big picture that describes the subatomic particles that make up everything in the universe, and the forces that work between them. Over the course of the 20th century, as physicists learned more about the Standard Model, they struggled to answer one very basic question: Why does matter exist? Higgs and others came up with a possible explanation: that particles gain mass by traveling through an energy field. One way to think about it is that the field sticks to the particles, slowing them down and imparting mass. That energy field came to be known as the Higgs field. The particle associated with the field was dubbed the Higgs boson. Higgs published his theory in 1964. In the 48 years since, physicists have eagerly chased the Higgs boson. Finding it would provide the experimental confirmation they needed to show that their current understanding of the Standard Model was correct. On the other hand, ruling it out would mean a return to the drawing board to look for an alternative Higgs particle, or several alternative Higgs particles, or perhaps to rethink the Standard Model from the bottom up. Either outcome would be monumental, scientists said.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/05/science/la-sci-higgs-boson-new-particle-20120705

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en

Where to put special education students in Lehighton Area School District buildings has been a longstanding problem for district officials. As with most districts throughout the area, Lehighton has an increasing number of special education students and not enough space to put them. Although the School Board ended one space problem with a move made at this week's meeting, members learned that another problem has arisen. According to acting Superintendent Robert Nagle, the district must provide three classrooms as part of a fair share program with the Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit. The fair share program allows Lehighton to send its special education students to another district for instruction. As part of the agreement, however, Lehighton must return the favor sometime. Nagle said a current special education classroom at the Franklin Elementary School has been found to be substandard because it can only hold six students instead of 15. One room in the high school is substandard and a resource room in the East Penn Elementary School is moved around as rooms become available, Nagle said. In addition, Nagle said, the district must find two classrooms for Lehighton students presently attending classes in the Palmerton Area School District. Palmerton has informed the intermediate unit that it will need the classrooms next school term for its own students. "What we're finding in the Lehighton School District is that we simply don't have the room," Nagle said. Robert J. Klucharich, director of curriculum and instruction in the Lehighton district, briefed the board on several ways of creating more classroom space. Klucharich said a former school building in the Packerton section of Mahoning Township could be used to house the district's administrative offices. Klucharich said the move would open up space in the Shull-David Elementary School, the present location of the administrative offices. Portable facilities could also be used to increase available space for classrooms, Klucharich said. A long-term solution to the problem, according to Klucharich, would be to integrate or mainstream special education students into regular classrooms. The School Board took no action on Klucharich's suggestions, but did authorize district officials to continue a study on how to solve the problem and to make a recommendation at a future meeting. The board did, however, improve the junior high special education situation by agreeing to allow nine seventh-grade students to be inte grated into regular classrooms on a full-time basis. James Smith, the junior high school principal, called the move a "compassionate alternative to isolation." The nine students, composing an entire class, are termed self-contained, and have some degree of learning disability or are classified as mildly emotionally or mentally retarded. Under the plan, the students will attend all classes with regular education students. Intermediate unit personnel and junior high teachers will meet to discuss an educational program for the students. Each student will receive a grade from the intermediate unit teacher, who will continue to teach English and reading to the nine students. Smith has said the move will have no effect on classes attended by regular students, and will help improve the self-esteem of the special education students. "Children will no longer be isolated from other students and all students will have a chance to participate in experiments, view quality educational media, and socialize with all of the other students in the junior high," Smith said. The special education students had previously been integrated or mainstreamed into classes such as art, shop and physical education. The students will now be taking course such as science, social studies, math, geography and skills for adolescence while sitting next to regular education students.

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en

/* Style Definitions */ mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; Have you ever thought about what it would be like to loose someone so close, like a partner or a direct family member or a worse thought, what they would do if you weren’t around anymore?? Insurance Helpline – Life Insurance NZ company, is a simple, affordable way to help make sure your family’s life can go on even if you’re not around. Surely having this piece of mind makes total sense. Life Insurance will pay out in the event of death of your breadwinner. You can find Insurance helpline as a best online life insurance broker in different domains like… NZ Life Insurance, Life Insurance NZ, Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Medical Insurance, Funeral Insurance, Life Insurance Quotes, Insurance Brokers. Life insurance, life cover, life assurance. Whatever you call it, life insurance is about leaving money for loved ones on your death. Very few people are fortunate enough to have no need for life insurance. Life Insurance NZ provides a lump sum payment on a tax free basis upon your death. This is the best way to offer your family a sense of security if you are unable to be there for them. Every personal situation is unique. Each individual has different needs. When it comes to choosing a life insurance policy that is right for you and your family, there are several factors that need to be taken into consideration. Think about your age, your general health and the financial needs of your family. Anyone can apply for life insurance, especially those under the age of 68-70. Two major factors affect Life insurance premium rates. The foremost influence is the policy holder’s personal health or family health history. The next is the age of the insured. There are three parties in life insurance – the insured person, beneficiaries, and the insurance company. Initial interview will be conducted by the insurer to check blood pressure, weight draw blood and collect a urine sample as well as ask dozens of health related questions. These questions often include specific queries regarding family history with high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other serious health risks. Death is a reality of life. Hence, one should be prepared all the time. This is the reason most people are availing Life Insurance. Once you have spent a moment entering your requirements, you are immediately presented with a list of quotes from all the different NZ Life Insurance providers including the big name companies like Sovereign Insurance, One Path, TOWER Insurance, Accuro Health Insurance, Southern Cross Healthcare, Pinnacle Life, Dorchester Life, AIA Life, Fidelity Life, Southern Cross Travel and others. Exact life insurance rate is determined by the health examiner depending on the result of health examination. There are different terms involved in paying your premium. You can have onetime payment. You can also make it once a year, twice a year, quarterly, or monthly depending on your agreement with the insurer. Basically, life insurance covers the funeral expenses, mortgages, taxes, debts, and many more. You also need to think of your family. You have to consider their basic needs, education, expenses, and adjustment cost. Insurance Helpline handles Life Insurance NZ together with Health Insurance, Medical Insurance, Funeral Insurance…Insurance Helpline is a free service that is always at hand to assist you with your Life Insurance enquiry. You will receive personalized, one on one service from highly experienced, fully accredited and helpful insurance advisors with absolutely no obligation.

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en

In the basement studio of Crumb's home in Media (where he barricades himself away from the six household dogs), you can pick up a cylinder resembling a sawed-off mailing tube, pull the string hanging out of the bottom, and hear the sound of a cavernous exhalation. It's typical of Crumb's otherworldly ominousness, heard most famously in his settings of Garcia Lorca poems, titled Ancient Voices of Children. As with his six previous songbooks, the new one builds phantasmagorical sound environments around hymns, spirituals, and folk songs, many of which he heard during his upbringing in Charleston, W.Va. His daughter, Ann Crumb, is again a featured soloist, along with baritone Patrick Mason. Though the huge battery of percussion is used with spare precision - there are only four players - the voices have to be amplified, especially in passages inspired by the flocks of crows in the composer's backyard. Crumb flips through the score: "Here I use a low-pitch siren. It's in a very soft range, like a disembodied human voice. Here's the African-Brazilian berimbau," a stringed instrument that makes a buzzing sound. "I knew about it long ago. A percussionist found the crazy thing and I thought of a way to use it. . . . " Though Philadelphia has surprisingly extensive percussion rental agencies, baritone Mason is bringing American Indian rattles in from Boulder, Colo., where he lives. One new feature of Voices From the Heartland is the presence of Navajo and Pawnee chants, the words of which are similar in tone to the Chinese poems Gustav Mahler used in his Das Lied von der Erde. How Crumb came to do this is hard to say: His process is too intuitive for self-analysis. "I hardly know any facts about the construction of my music," he says. "I'm sure there is some rational process involved. . . . " Certainly, he's remarkably easygoing about how his music is reincarnated. At last year's Ojai Festival in California, director Peter Sellars staged one of Crumb's songbooks, a collection of Civil War songs titled The Winds of Destiny, with soprano Dawn Upshaw costumed as a traumatized Afghan-war veteran. Hasn't he ever been curious to analyze what's really going on in his music? Though he was on the University of Pennsylvania faculty for more than three decades - analyzing scores by students such as Osvaldo Golijov and Jennifer Higdon - Crumb won't consider subjecting his own music to that kind of scrutiny. "That's a form of suicide. If you get too analytical about your music, it becomes more like a textbook illustration. . . . something that looks good on a blackboard," he said, citing Paul Hindemith as an example. Crumb does take a certain delight in how his music looks on the page. He loves inventing new time signatures that look like hieroglyphics. In years past, his manuscripts have sometimes come in different colors of ink. An eccentricity? An aesthetic priority? Whatever the case, Crumb has turned out to be a durable survivor of the American avant-garde, perhaps because he was never really a part of it. Such now-deceased contemporaries as Milton Babbitt spent the 1960s producing ever more tightly controlled music with scores that looked more like complicated blueprints. John Cage went to the extreme opposite by declaring that even silence was music. Crumb crafted a sound world of his own with what are often called "extended techniques" - drawing unusual sounds out of conventional instruments and then moving on to unconventional instruments. The impracticalities of such pieces only temporarily deterred their performance. His string quartet Black Angels, in which players shout and play tuned water glasses, inspired the formation of the Kronos Quartet - one sign of the lasting recognition that composers often don't have until after they're dead. Yet for a decade or so, Crumb's compositional life seemed not to survive his fame. Throughout much of the 1990s, he was silent. The rumor in new-music circles was that he had had to give up his multi-pack-a-day smoking habit, and that that had somehow derailed his intuitive gifts. Typically, Crumb won't say anything definite on the subject. But he does quote Alban Berg, who supposed asked a prospective student, "How can you compose if you don't smoke?" Ultimately, nothing truly excited him until his daughter, Ann - who has starred in several Broadway shows and will head the cast of Media Theatre's production of Wings - suggested he write a piece based on folk songs. The silence was broken in 2002 with the first of his songbooks, Unto the Hills, which had her singing "I am a poor wayfaring stranger" amid percussive explosions that suggested the song's protagonist was navigating land mines. Crumb routinely claims the latest songbook is his last, but often he has a few outtakes from the "last" piece, and they grow into the next one. Any future pieces, he says this time, will involve returning to Lorca. When that happens, Orchestra 2001 is likely to be the first to know - since Swarthmore-based founder/music director James Freeman has been a close collaborator with Crumb (along with Bridge Records, which records the new pieces soon after the premieres). Though Crumb's orchestral works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Freeman assures the composer that he need not settle for secondhand sounds. "And it's so handy," the composer muses. "Only five miles down the road!" Orchestra 2001 performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Center in Philadelphia and at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College. www.orchestra2001.org or 215-893-1999. Contact music critic David Patrick Stearns at [email protected].

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://articles.philly.com/2012-01-24/news/30659551_1_george-crumb-ancient-voices-percussion

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en

Discrimination against citizens because of their sexual orientation or their youth is just as unfair as discrimination based on race, religion or gender. Access to housing, hotels, theaters and restaurants should be equal to all, as a matter of plain fairness. The Palm Beach County Commission recognized this truth in passing an ordinance protecting homosexuals, unmarried couples and young people from discrimination in renting or buying housing and in public accommodations. The ordinance also bans discrimination based on race, religion, gender, ethnic origin or disability, but it was the protection of gays that generated opposition and demands for a countywide referendum on the issue. No other Florida county protects homosexuals against housing discrimination. In the 1970s, Dade County passed a similar ordinance but it was repealed in a voter referendum after a bitter fight. A Broward County effort to revise the human rights law to protect homosexuals is more complicated. The Broward law was adopted through the Florida Legislature, so a revision must get legislative approval and be ratified in a public referendum. Palm Beach County`s ordinance passed 4-1; commissioner Ron Howard dissented. The other four commissioners demonstrated courage by refusing to buckle under to opponents or to pass the buck to the public in a referendum. Commissioners were elected to make tough decisions; this time they did. The ordinance provides exceptions: A landlord who lives on his property of four or fewer housing units and rents the rest won`t have to comply. Nor will a seasonal resident who rents his home to someone else part of the year and lives in it himself the rest of the time. Also exempt are religious organizations that own housing units. Those sensible exceptions leave the vast majority of housing covered under the new ordinance. Violators will face fines of up to $50,000, but it may be difficult to prove a violation. Early decisive action against violators by law enforcers, prosecutors and judges could make a clear statement that the county means business and won`t tolerate further discrimination in housing and public accommodations.

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http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-01-19/news/9001190945_1_ordinance-public-accommodations-housing

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en

In the spirit of patriotism, authorities in Broward County are drafting a program that would link veterans facing criminal charges with specialized veterans' services. The Broward County VA Outpatient Clinic, in Sunrise, and the Miami Department of Veterans Affairs also are involved in the project, with organizers aiming to complete a blueprint by Veterans Day. "The idea is not to treat veterans differently, just if they need services and are eligible for services we can get those to them," said Judge Melanie May, of the 4th District Court of Appeal. Its organizers were inspired by a similar initiative in Buffalo. Judges there started the country's first veterans' court in January 2008. Local officials don't want to go so far as to establish a separate court for veterans. The organizers instead want to develop a partnership between the criminal justice system and veterans' mental health and medical providers. Officials estimate that as much as nine percent of the Broward jail population may be veterans. They pose a different set of challenges for the justice system because some return home with post-traumatic stress disorder, develop substance abuse problems or face other mental health problems that contribute to them winding up in the criminal justice system, project organizers said. Many veterans also might not be aware of the services available to them. Also among those involved in the collaboration are social workers, doctors, and nurses, and members of the Broward State Attorney's Office, the judiciary and the Broward Sheriff's Office. Sofia Santana can be reached at [email protected] or 954-356-4631.

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http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-07-04/news/0907030104_1_veterans-day-veterans-affairs-justice-system

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en

Nikhil Agarwal uses his mobile phone to search Google maps more than to make calls. The 29-year-old marketing professional has to travel extensively in the course of his job and needs to find his way around strange cities and unknown towns. For Nikhil, the map in his palm is a blessing. He says this was why he upgraded to a GPS-enabled mobile. He knew it would simplify life. Nikhil's experience illustrates a truth now universally acknowledged. A mobile phone is no longer merely a portable alternative to a landline. It can have so much more. Reasonably priced feature-rich handsets may have qwerty keypads, wider screens, touch interfaces. The mobile is increasingly becoming the multi-tasking workhorse of the 21st century: enabling the user to surf the net, access emails, get directions, shop or stay in touch with friends on social networking sites. According to Opera, a popular mobile web browser, page viewing on Indian mobiles has grown 322% from May 2009. It says the number of unique users has grown 324% in the same period. That's not surprising, considering Vinay Goel, Google India products' head, says, that "the number of mobile users in India with data plans (that allow you to use the internet) has increased 10-fold, from 2.5 million to 25 million in the last two years." Goel says that almost all phones sold in India today are GPRS-enabled. GPRS or General Packet Radio Service, allows internet access at speeds of anywhere between 56 and 114 kbps. "Besides the 25 million data plan users, there are an additional 70-80 million using GPRS-enabled phones to download operator applications like ring-tones and wallpapers," he says. But the phone is handy in other ways too. BOOK TICKETS: Thulasidaran M, a Bangalore-based tech writer, confesses he has quite forgotten the long queues he stood in for years at railway reservation counters. Today, he uses his mobile to book tickets on the Indian Railways website. "I can even book my tickets while travelling," he says. HOME SHOPPING: Then there is the shopping. Mobile purchasing is still a nascent phenomenon, but it is undoubtedly catching on. The mall has literally come to your phone as companies tie-up with stores, allowing you to buy almost anything from the comfort of your home. There are a slew of players – Ngpay, mChek, Obopay, Atom Technologies, Paymate – that enable the purchase of airline, railway, bus and movie tickets, pay utility bills and insurance premiums and make hotel bookings. TUNE IN: The mobile has also put music at everyone's fingertips. Shubha C S works at Bengaluru International Airport and says FM radio is a boon. "I spend three hours travelling daily. The only time I relax is when I shut my eyes and listen to music on my mobile," she says. MOTHER'S HELP: The mobile has become an extraordinary help for the harassed mother. Geetanjali S says she regularly searches the mobile's web browser for new games to amuse her six-year-old. "When his friends are not around to play, he throws a tantrum. He is bored of the games I have on my mobile. So I keep finding new ones," she explains. CHEAP INTERNET: Mobile internet has become fairly affordable, with costs coming down almost 300% over the last couple of years. Goel says that Aircel's monthly internet plan for Rs 95 triggered a revolution. "India is now among the top five countries for data traffic. Data plans here are cheaper than anywhere else. And only a tiny fraction of internet traffic is through high-end phones." Now, Airtel offers internet vouchers starting at just Rs 7. "I was surprised when the 15-year-old son of a farmer in Dharwad told me that he uses his pocket money (Rs 100) for phone internet. The cost has influenced rural penetration too," says Venkatesh V, CEO of mobile services for Bharti Airtel's Karnataka operations. BSNL has made it still more attractive. "Customers purchasing a 3G data card from BSNL are given free data usage of 6 GB per month," says D M Ezhil Buddhan, director (southern region) in the Department of Telecommunications. 3G will further marginalize voice on the mobile phone, given the extremely high internet speeds it promises. Already, BSNL 3G offers TV on the cellphone. Videos will catch on too. Unsurprisingly, app stores have become treasure troves. There are more than 2.25 lakh apps in the iPhone store and 60,000 in Google's Android store. Some are severely useful, helping track daily calorie intake. Some are fairly barmy, reproducing, say, the moo of a cow (Hello Cow) or tricking people into believing your phone can detect smells (Smell Scanner). Now, Indian telecom operators are creating their own app stores. When Bharti Airtel opened its mobile application store – Airtel App Central – earlier this year, it clocked over 2.5 m downloads in just one month. "Now, we have over 1,500 apps for downloads and these are as low as Re 1 per day," says Venkatesh of Bharti Airtel. The apps range across 25 categories, including business, games, books and social networking. The future seems bright. Micromax has introduced phones that double up as a remote for the TV, DVD and AC. Texas Instruments has helped build what is called a DLP Pico projector into cellphones, which allows one to take a picture or a video and share them instantly on any surface that can take a big projected image. In short, that little device in your hand is becoming the way to achieve almost anything and everything.

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24/7 culture, autogenic training, befriend, brainstorming, change, condition, get worse, grieving process, heal, insomnia, lavander, patterns, recharge your battery, rhythms, shiatsu, silence, sleep tight, sleeplessness, speep problem It’s funny how little things can throw us off course. Our body gets so used to its rhythms and patterns that any changes to our daily routine can have a big impact. I really noticed the phenomenon after the clocks went back at the weekend. Just the difference of an hour can affect how we sleep, and our feelings about ourselves as a result. Sleep problems are increasingly common, thanks to the hectic pace of life today, and the 24/7 culture that expects us to be available whenever, wherever. There are some sleep problems that are largely unavoidable, such as the fatigue associated with parenting babies and small children, nighttime shift work and international travel. But many people still struggle to drop off and sleep soundly, even without intervening factors. It was problems with sleeping that led me to discover Autogenic Training (AT) in 2004. Despite the severity of my insomnia, it disappeared in a few short weeks as I learned how to take my body and mind into a deeply relaxed state. About a year later I began to experience sleeping difficulties again, and was worried that I had relapsed, or that the AT had somehow ‘worn off’. However, I was reassured to discover that it was just another layer of my development, and that I had several more to go in order to help my body and mind to truly heal. A few things I learned from that experience were: - It takes time to develop a condition, and will take some time (but not as long) to heal it. There is no quick fix, whatever we might like to believe. - It can help to befriend your condition, rather than view it as an enemy. This will help you to understand what it needs. - Things might temporarily get worse before they get better, as if to remind you of your problem’s existence before you can let it go. - Your condition might flare up again from time to time, but less severely and for shorter periods. This is all part of the healing process. One of my clients had suffered from insomnia for 50 years, but after five weeks of AT training could sleep for five hours instead of the usual two to three. Another client admits that he does his best business brainstorming when he’s not able to sleep. He actually enjoys these creative times. I’ve observed this with other people too – we may experience a condition for years and wish to change it, but on another level we’re kind of attached to it. We actually need to go through a grieving process and say goodbye to the nights when we enjoyed the silence and mystery of the darkness. You may also find you buy into the ‘romance’ of insomnia, or the competitive sleeplessness that pervades our society. People often boast about working into the small hours and still hitting the gym at 6am. Margaret Thatcher was well known not only for surviving but thriving on four hours’ sleep a night. It’s important if you do hold some positive’ associations with insomnia, that you let them go so you can truly relax. Sleeplessness should not become a lifestyle. However you choose to treat your condition, it’s important to regularly recharge your battery. I’ve written about the importance of ‘me time’ in a previous post , and that you enjoy what you are doing. Autogenic Training (AT) has been proven to help with insomnia. If you would like to come for a trial session, please get in touch. Anyone can learn AT. It’s simple, you can practise it anywhere, and the results can be life-changing. You’ve nothing to lose but your insomnia.

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en

China's Africa Strategy China's Africa Strategy China's Rise Series NEW YORK - In its effort to secure oil and other resources, China has set its sights on Africa, increasingly attracting the world’s attention. While state-owned companies sought out exploration and supply contracts, Beijing courted African governments with trade, investment, debt reduction, and aid packages. There are strongly divergent viewpoints on how this economic diplomacy has impacted China’s efforts to promote a positive image abroad, and what the overall impact of China’s strategy has been on the African continent. On May 5, three experts came to the Asia Society to share their thoughts on this issue. With a range of both complementary and opposing viewpoints, one thing was certain: the effects of China’s Africa strategy are not black and white. Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, China and North East Asia project director at the International Crisis Group, noted that China’s role could be both positive and negative in Africa, but that “China’s investment puts the ball in Africa’s court”; in other words, it is up to African leaders and corporations to take proper advantage of China’s capital and resources. Harry Broadman, economic adviser for the Africa Region at the World Bank, concurred, admitting that a lack of national leadership in Africa made it difficult to take advantage of China’s unconditional investment strategy. Victor Gao, director of the China National Association of International Studies and a former vice president at the CNOOC, was more defensive of China’s investments and position of non-interference. At one point, he noted that the CNOOC had not invested in Africa until the Unicom deal was derailed by US protectionism, complaining that the West cannot “have your cake and eat it too.” Despite differences in the overall effect of China’s investment, there was consensus that China’s approach to investment—unconditional, and frequently including human capital training, infrastructure development, and worker benefits—had successfully wooed African corporations and governments. However, China may have to transform its strategy as Africa develops a stronger consumer culture and civil society. Excerpt: Why is China grateful to African nations? (5 min., 43 sec.) Victor Gao discusses China’s relationship with Africa over the past 50 years, the country's indebtedness to Africa in the diplomatic realm, particularly regarding African support of China in the UN, and how this has furthered the relationship. Listen on Demand (1 hr., 30 min.)

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http://asiasociety.org/new-york/chinas-africa-strategy

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en

We've all heard it and we all love it, but what exactly is Gangnam Style and what makes it so popular in your opinion? The Korean tried. He really tried to avoid the fad. He thought this was going to blow over in a few days, and everyone will feel a bit silly afterward. But no . . . Gangnam Style just kept coming on -- 273 million views and counting, appearances on network televisions shows, continuous climb up the charts and numerous homages to the original. (The latest one: from the Ohio University marching band.) Questions about Gangnam Style just kept coming also, even though the Korean has been slower with blog updates. So, FINE. Let's discuss Gangnam Style. First, what exactly is "Gangnam Style"? "Gangnam" literally means "south of the river." But generally, Gangnam refers to a specific area in Seoul located south of the Han River that bisects the city. The area generally encompasses the northern half of (confusing name alert) Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu, covering neighborhoods like Apgujeong, Sinsa and (confusing name alert, again) Gangnam. It is an area with posh malls, expensive dining and swanky clubs. People who populate those areas are rich, stylish and beautiful, carrying all the appropriate status symbols like imported cars and fancy handbags. They are often celebrities or heirs of Korea's magnates. The Korean was raised in Apgujeong, so he is the original Gangnam man. And it has been a little bit funny to see his old home described breathlessly as some place that "has no real equivalent in the United States. The closest approximation would be Silicon Valley, Wall Street, Beverly Hills, Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and Miami Beach all rolled into one[,]" according to the Wall Street Journal (quoting this clueless blogger.) Finding the U.S. equivalent of Gangnam is quite easy: it's West Hollywood / Beverly Hills. It has celebrities, style, money, and nice homes and good schools just behind those flashing lights. (Aside: This "no equivalent in U.S." trope is really overused, and in this instance, the comparison is clearly hyperbolic and incorrect. Gangnam is obviously not a Silicon Valley, since there is no huge concentration of tech companies in Gangnam. Nor is it Wall Street -- that would be Gwanghwamun / City Hall area, north of the river, where all the major banks have their headquarters. Gangnam is not Upper East Side either, since Gangnam is decidedly nouveau riche. The old money of the kind that occupies the Upper East Side of New York is found in Yeonhee-dong of Seoul, north of the river. The Miami Beach comparison is too dumb to address.) So when PSY speaks of "Gangnam Style," he means to invoke the trendy, stylish image. But of course, what PSY ends up doing in the music video is a parody of such image. He is wearing a ridiculous suit and dances a ridiculous dance. He appears in decidedly un-Gangnam areas: children's playground, on a paddle boat, riverside park, a bus with a disco ball, etc. A couple of times, PSY does encounter what might be fairly close to a Gangnam-type occasion -- a man driving a fancy car (a cameo appearance by the legendary comedian Yoo Jae-seok,) and a beautiful woman (cameo by Hyuna from the girl group 4Minute) flirting. But those moments quickly dissolve into another round of ridiculous dancing. (Aside: If you immediately understood the relevance of the bus with a disco ball, you have a black belt in Korean culture. The "party" bus is usually for older Korean men and women, who would like to dance away from the public view. To release their urges to shake it, they would charter these buses with total strangers and have a mobile dancing session. By the way, those old Korean folks dance about as well as your parents. It is probably the most un-hip mobile party in the world -- which fits perfectly with Gangnam Style's aesthetics.) Having said that, what made Gangnam Style so popular? (More after the jump) Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at [email protected]. At bottom, Gangnam Style is popular because of the same reasons why any pop music is popular. The song is catchy, the music video is interesting and funny (and full of hot girls to boot,) and the dance is distinctive. (One recent example that replicates this pattern: Teach Me How to Dougie by Cali Swag District.) But of course, there is more to it, since plenty of Korean pop music that never sees the light of the day still satisfy those criteria, even as a lot of Korean pop musicians deliberately market themselves in the U.S. So what made Gangnam Style stand out? Broadly speaking, there are two reasons. First, Korean pop music has been laying a solid groundwork for PSY to succeed. It is true that, thus far, efforts by Korea's pop stars to break into the U.S. market resulted in a flop. Top stars like Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation and 2NE1 never made a dent on America's public consciousness. Nevertheless, the groundwork that these groups laid remains important. Because Korean pop music at least got on the radar screen of the insider players of American media market, PSY's music was easily accepted by those insiders. This is a crucial point that separates Korean pop music and pop music from other, non-Anglophonic countries. Through repeated contacts with American media, Korean pop music had a ready audience among American media insiders. |The Twitter network map that traces the connection between | the first appearance of Gangnam Style and T-Pain, from a study commissioned by YG Entertainment, PSY's production company Second, Gangnam Style is popular in America because Gangnam Style is familiar to Americans in multiple ways. The song's electro-pop tune fits right in with the current American music trend, in which LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It is one of the favorites. (Try listening to Gangnam Style right after Sexy and I Know It -- the similarities are enough to think that the same person composed both.) Because the tune of the song is so familiar, it matters less that most Americans have no idea what PSY is singing about. (Aside: But do not over-interpret this point and think that PSY was copying LMFAO. PSY has been around for 11 years, and he can be heard composing this self-satirical, electro-pop music pretty early on in his career. For example, check out PSY's 2002 song, Champion.) Similarly, it is not enough to say that Gangnam Style is popular in the U.S. because Gangnam Style is hilarious; Gangnam Style is popular in the U.S. because it is hilarious in a way that is familiar to Americans. The code of humor embedded in the music video -- awkwardness punctuated by bouts of ridiculous non-sequitur (like the guy in a cowboy hat doing pelvic thrust, another cameo appearance by comedian Noh Hong-cheol) -- is very common among American comedy. Ultimately, it is the same type of humor latent in, say, Napoleon Dynamite -- an embarrassing train wreck in which the main character is somehow vindicated through sheer obliviousness and irrational self-confidence. There is a dark side of this code of humor as well. In the current day American pop culture, it is ok to laugh at Asians doing strange things. (Think Ken Jeong's character in the Hangover series.) On a certain level, PSY -- a pudgy, funnily-dressed Korean man -- is a comfortable target to laugh at. This is not to say that people who enjoy Gangnam Style all have a sinister, racist motive. This is only to say that people's motives as they approach a certain phenomenon are complex and multitudinous, and not all of them are necessarily positive. There are certain occasions in which such non-positive motives reveal themselves in a really ugly way. In the Creators' Project concert held in Seoul a few days ago, Korean rap legend Drunken Tiger took the stage. According to Tiger JK, leader of Drunken Tiger, the "white people" toward the front of the stage hollered their demands that Drunken Tiger do PSY's horse dance. This led to an angry tirade from Tiger JK: "Just cuz I don’t dance when i spit. Don’t mean I’m frontin. I salute my homie PSY success.But I don’t have to dance for you cuz I’m Asian." In the hands of ignorant people, Gangnam Style will become the new "ching chong." A few leftover thoughts about Gangnam Style, and the attention surrounding it: 1. While the Korean is quite happy that PSY's music is receiving international attention, he cannot believe the ridiculousness of the commentary surrounding this piece. In fact, reading the commentary regarding Gangnam Style was a good way of finding out who knows what he was talking about, and who is simply full of shit. The most frequent type of ridiculousness has been over-analysis. People who otherwise knew little about Korea hung onto every little bit of Gangnam Style, and interpreted every aspect of it as if Gangnam Style were the Bible. The worst offender of this was The Atlantic article on Gangnam Style, which had this gem: One of the first things Hong pointed to in explaining the video's subtext was, believe it or not, South Korea's sky-high credit card debt rate. In 2010, the average household carried credit card debt worth a staggering 155 percent of their disposable income (for comparison, the U.S. average just before the sub-prime crisis was 138 percent). There are nearly five credit cards for every adult. South Koreans have been living on credit since the mid-1990s, first because their country's amazing growth made borrowing seem safe, and then in the late 1990s when the government encouraged private spending to climb out of the Asian financial crisis. The emphasis on heavy spending, coupled with the country's truly astounding, two-generation growth from agrarian poverty to economic powerhouse, have engendered the country with an emphasis on hard work and on aspirationalism, as well as the materialism that can sometimes follow. Gangnam, Hong said, is a symbol of that aspect of South Korean culture. 2. Another brand of over-analysis: connecting Gangnam Style to some obscure Korean tradition that has very little bearing in modern Korea. This is from the Wall Street Journal article linked earlier: PSY belongs to an established genre of entertainers that pop pundits there have dubbed “gwang-dae,” after a caste of performers traditionally attached to royal households. “Gwang-dae are more clown or jester-like,” says Kang. “They don’t have to be sexy idols to be popular. Their songs are either very humorous, or can sound serious, but with silly lyrics.” . . . The original gwang-dae were given a certain amount of license to critique the aristocracy, offering up satirical commentary on society through their dance, music and repartee. Or maybe it makes more sense to focus on Korea's robust modern pop music history. Just a suggestion. 3. It was also refreshing to see the tired old stereotypes about Korea that get trotted out in the commentary. (The Korean tends to miss them sometimes.) Again, from The Atlantic article: "Social commentary is just not really done in mainstream Korean pop music"?? Anyone with the most basic knowledge of Korea's pop music history knows this is not true. Off the top of his head, the Korean can name several dozen songs by indisputably mainstream, chart-topping K-pop artists that explicitly made social commentaries, often in a satirical manner. As a quick example, this is how a song from 2000 called 포조리 [Pojori], by DJ Doc, begins. (Note that "dirty bird" [짭새] is a Korean slang for police):None of this commentary is particularly overt, which is actually what could make "Gangnam Style" so subversive. Social commentary is just not really done in mainstream Korean pop music, Hong explained. "The most they'll do is poke fun at themselves a little bit. It's really been limited." 새가 날아든다 왠갖 짭새가 날아든다So this song, in pretty explicit terms, criticizes Korean police. (And trust me when the Korean says -- the lyrics get worse.) Oh by the way, DJ Doc's album containing this song (which was the second headlining song) topped the sales chart for three weeks. But nooo -- let's quote the guy who clearly has no idea what he is talking about. We cannot possibly ruin the stereotype about how Koreans are these meek, subservient and humorless automatons, can we? Birds fly in, all kinds of dirty birds fly in 새중에 넌 씨방새~ 날지 못하는 새 짭새 Among the birds you are a fuckshit bird, a flightless dirty bird 새가 날아든다 짭새가 날아든다 Birds fly in, the dirty birds fly in 문제야 문제 우리나라 경제 좆같은 짭새와 꼰대가 문제 It's a problem, it's problem, the economy is a problem, the dickhead dirty birds and the assholes are the problem 새가 날아든다 짭새가 날아든다 Birds fly in, the dirty birds fly in 짭짭짭짭짭짭 짭새가 문제 D-d-d-d-d-dirty birds are the problem 4. While the Korean wishes PSY well, he cannot help but wonder if PSY can achieve a sustainable success. Although the Korean laid out several factors for PSY's success, he cannot tell just how much each factor is weighed. If PSY's musical merit is the greater factor, he will find sustained success. But if catchiness plus being an easy target of laughter are the greater factors, Gangnam Style could simply be another Macarena. Although Gangnam Style is undoubtedly a huge success story for Korean pop music in general, the Korean is still waiting for the true, genuine breakthrough of Korean pop music in the United States. -EDIT 9/26/2012- The Korean fixed up some sentences here and there to make the post a bit cleaner. Also, this post about the term oppa might be helpful for those who are curious. Before Gangnam Style took off, that post was one of the first Google search results for "oppa." Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at [email protected].

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Alright, so, I’m a fifteen-year-old girl currently doing grade ten. I eat far too much in the way of carbs, but other than that, I’m not too unhealthy. I procrastinate; I’m not the best friend to have due to my laziness; and I’ve never felt like I belonged anywhere. My problem is this: why do I get so utterly furious so often? Sure — teenage girl, raging hormones, blah, blah, blah — but the tiniest things can set me off, then I’m crying and yelling, often with a mixture of utter rage and guilt boiling in my gut. If this were ‘normal’, the world would have torn itself to shreds by now. There is no history of abuse of any kind in my family, no alcoholics, nothing. I can’t be myself around my family, but then again, can anyone? However, with my father sometimes the sound of his voice literally makes me want to hit him. I love him dearly, but he makes me so mad at the tiniest comment, it’s ridiculous! Is there anything I can do to control my rage (especially with my father!)? Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply You began your question by mentioning a few things: a tendency to procrastinate, a sense of not fitting in, an idea of yourself as lazy, and the sense that you cannot be yourself with your family. I understand that these are not the issues you are concerned about, but I mention them because I wonder if they contribute to the bigger picture of your mood and reactions. Procrastinating can create stress as the deadline approaches. And I wondered if you have gotten negative feedback from peers about being “lazy.” Conflict with peers, feeling as if you do not fit, and feeling as if you cannot be yourself with your family: these things put together seem to me to leave you with few places or people with whom you are at ease or even happy. If academic stress, a lack of satisfying social relationships, and disconnection within your family do not leave you feeling irritable and/or angry, I would be surprised! For teenagers especially, school and friends are two very important arenas that contribute to both how you feel and how you think of yourself. If you are feeling less than successful with friends, as well as with schoolwork, it would make sense to me if this was spilling over into your mood and temper. Now, with that said, while it could be these experiences causing you to have a short or intense temper, it may be something else. Without ruling out more concrete medical or mental health causes for your anger and rage, we would not be able to say for sure. You stated that you have not been abused or had to deal with alcoholism in your family. This is good. But I wonder about other ways that your experiences and your family’s mental health history could be playing into what you are experiencing. You did not mention whether mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder) or other mental health problems (such as ADHD or other impulse control disorders) run in your family. So, I have mentioned circumstances as well as biological causes. However, most often it is not either/or. Typically, it is both/and. What I mean is, what is inside you (neurochemistry and hormones) and what is going on outside you (situations and relationships) interact together to cause behavior. For example, if depression runs in your family, you might be predisposed to have a low or irritable mood. This may never occur, but if you were to add in an ongoing stressful situation at school, conflict with friends, or a culture of perfectionism and criticism in your family (just as an example), you might find that depression symptoms are triggered. So, regardless of the cause, you are wondering what you can do to control your temper. Sometimes it can be helpful to identify a pattern with regard to what is making you angry. For example, when your father says X, Y or Z, it really sets you off. If you can start to see how certain kinds of comments he makes or ways that he interacts with you trigger you, then you can consider speaking with him about it. Often in these situations, it is best for people to approach a sensitive topic when they are feeling calm, rather than mentioning it in a moment of anger. For example, one might say, “I’ve noticed that when you comment about X, Y, or Z, I feel really frustrated.” Often when approached calmly, people are willing to discuss ways of changing the problem together. However, sometimes they are not! Let’s imagine that your father is going to continue to say the things he says that make you mad, no matter what. There are a few strategies you can use in the moment. Deep, abdominal breathing can help your body move from the physical agitation that anger can bring, over to a more relaxed state. Breathe, filling your belly with air, as you count to three. Hold the breath for three counts, and then blow it slowly out as you count to three again. If you do this several times, you might find that you feel more calm. Another anger management technique is to “talk back” to your anger in the moment to avoid acting out in a way that will worsen the problem. For example, you might say something in your head to yourself such as, “I am feeling really angry, but I can wait to say what I need to say.” You can also search online for additional information about anger management for teens. It is absolutely normal to have feelings of irritation, anger, even rage at times. However, if these feelings are beginning to feel like the norm instead of the exception, you might find that speaking to an adult and obtaining help is a next step. For some kids, parents are the first people in whom they want to confide. If you are not comfortable talking to your parents or other family members, your pediatrician or school counselor might be a neutral, safe adult who can offer ideas or point you in a direction to get some help.

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en

By Elaine Orr Few studies about labor force growth and change have captured the nation’s attention as did the Hudson Institute’s1987 report, Workforce 2000. Part of it was the fascination of a new millennium and our need to examine where we were and where we are going — witness books such as Megatrends and its sequel– and part was the style of Workforce 2000. There was no need for a degree in labor economics to understand it. But the media’s misinterpretation (or at least mis-presentation) of parts of the report also catapulted it to prominence. Headlines blared that by 2000, white men would make up only fifteen percent of the American workforce. In fact, the report said that the number of white men in the workforce would grow more slowly than women or nonwhite men, and white men would comprise approximately fifteen percent of new entrants to the workforce by 2000. This was a big change from the 1950s-1970s, but not unexpected given that society had become less biased about women and African Americans or Hispanics going to college, and baby-boomers were not going to inhabit the one wage-earner world of their parents. Government and private companies sought a more diverse workforce, and while some complained that there was reverse discrimination, over time the workplace ultimately did what it has always done — employers tried to get the talent needed for the best price. Lately, employers have had quite the pickings. In 2004, the RAND Corporation (for the U.S. Department of Labor) examined what it saw as three major factors that were “expected to shape the world of work in the coming decades: shifting demographic patterns, the pace of technological change, and the path of economic globalization.” It concluded, among other things, that technological advances would continue to increase demand for a highly skilled workforce. The report saw this as one factor that would support higher productivity growth and change the organization of business and the nature of employment relationships.” The Hudson Institute’s Workforce 2020 addressed how companies needed to adapt to an aging workforce and change jobs to accommodate technology changes, and how trends such as telecommuting, temporary staffing, and employee leasing affect the workplace. Boston College’s Sloan Center on Aging and Work issued Engaging the 21st Century Multi-generational Workforce (prepared for Met Life), which examined levels of “employee engagement” and how it might vary by age. The themes of technological change and age were everywhere. College students looked at those studies (or at least articles about them) and considered them as they picked majors. While technology and aging baby boomers continue to resonate in reports about the workforce and potential careers, what no one could have predicted even five years ago was that the Great Recession would make many reports outmoded before they had time to accumulate dust on a library shelf. (A shelf? Don’t you mean the digital files would be corrupted?) Baby boomers, who were expected to retire in such droves that there would be excruciating talent shortages, have watched retirement nest eggs shrink and many remained at work — at least those who have kept pace with newer workplace technologies. However, those same boomers paid for the education of their children and grandchildren and now must open their doors to let them back in when the economy did not seem to want the skills of recent graduates — or the jobs just plain end. Grandparents and parents don’t like that anymore than the unemployed graduates. Those who find work relatively quickly are graduates of specialized programs whose curricula relate directly to specific skills employers need. Many nursing and laser manufacturing programs at community colleges turn away students by the bushel. The Great Recession may have done us one favor. We appreciate our jobs more, and more people consider two-year degrees that lead to profitable careers. This hardly makes a master’s degree in public administration obsolete, but the skills used after graduation may be those that deal with budgeting more than public policy. The economy seems to have enough thinkers, it’s looking to doers to set the pace for the next decade. There is not truly a dichotomy between graduates who are thinkers or doers, of course, and not everyone needs to be a database manager, pharmacist, or physical therapist (gotta love those aging baby boomers). If graduates with a public sector management perspective cannot find a job quickly there are some strategies that may help. - Take a tip from young actors. No one will think less of you for doing part-time or volunteer work in your field while you make a living doing something outside of your hoped-for career field. And yes, it can be typing, table waiting, or sales. - Acquire more skills. Can you build a web page or maintain a small network? As web design or management moves beyond a discipline to a skill, if you can spend five hours a week updating a web page you will be a more attractive candidate than the job-seeker who still sees web work as a separate field. Community college courses are reasonably priced, and your Internet provider may provide free hosting, so practice is free. - Learn the ins and outs of public sector budgeting. Emphasis now is on making cuts, but even as tax revenues increase again, states and municipalities will continue to confront rising costs to maintain infrastructure or pay for employee pensions. See if you can be an intern for a local city or county as it prepares its budget. There is a major crunch (and no more staff) to draft the annual budget for a city council or county board of supervisors to approve, and even in a small town the city manager or budget director could appreciate your time. Even if you don’t go into public budgeting, what you learn will be useful throughout a career. - Ask currently employed workers in your hoped-for field to give you a fifteen-minute interview to describe what they do and the skills needed. You will learn something and it gives a potential employer a chance to know you without having to tell you there is no job. - Start a blog that deals with the area in which you want to work. You can write some, but you can also ask others in the field to write guest posts. You learn more and you are known as committed to your field. - Keep reading. Who would have thought Workforce 2020 would be read on a Kindle? - If all else fails, ask your parents or grandparents to stop postponing retirement. You may not get their job, but a friend might. Let the older generation stay home and start a blog.

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21 Lower Freeborn The Pantry project is a direct response to the growing need among the UC Davis student population for more aid and resources to help offset the Financial burden of the current economic climate in combination with rising fees, textbook costs, and living expenses. It is becoming increasingly difficult for students to juggle the costs of living while working to obtain a University degree, and thus many students are finding themselves choosing between basic essentials such as food and toilet paper and the required costs of college. It is for this reason that The Pantry has been established to help offset these financial burdens and ensure that students may continue on to successfully complete and obtain their degrees from the University of California, Davis. The Pantry is the result of a campus-wide collaboration between the Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD), the Community Advising Network under the umbrella of Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. The Pantry has also received an outpour of positive support from various centers, staff members, and student organizations on the UC Davis campus, as and amongst the Davis Community. Director: Rosa Gonzalez-Juarez

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"Helplessness" and "confusion" are words that easily come to mind when the issue of sick building syndrome is mentioned. It is a problem that does not have a regulatory solution, and is bound with engineering, medicine and emotions that will challenge the best of school administrators. A careful management style and knowledgeable use of technologies in medicine, toxicology and property maintenance are a school administrator's best allies in preparing to deal with or prevent this new generation of health and safety challenges. Defining sick building syndrome There is no regulatory definition for sick building syndrome. Although it often relates to indoor-air-quality problems, it simply means that the environment of a building is inspiring complaints of discomfort and/or disease. Fundamentally, the causes of sick buildings relate to architecture and engineering patterns institutionalized in school construction following World War II. Schools of glass, rock and wood, with high ceilings, cross-ventilation via a transom over the door, and windows and radiators that could be adjusted by teachers no longer were built. These schools were being replaced with new, factory-like buildings featuring a temperamental, eccentric system of master controls for indoor environment. Buildings were constructed with no regard to the environment around them or to people within the property. Today, allowing for the ambiguity in defining sick buildings, somewhere between 1-in-5 and 1-in-15 school facilities are in a situation where discomfort and disease can be attributed to operations of the building. Health symptoms in a sick building are highly variable, but generally split into three categories: -Radical reaction--a number of people clearly and suddenly ill. This usually involves limited air exchange combined with a "smoking gun," which can include a new chemical cleaner, misbatched chlorine in a pool area, a weather inversion preventing a kiln from venting properly or a failure of a mechanical air-exchange system. -Unhealthy atmosphere--many people experiencing ongoing subtle illness or discomfort. The most common symptoms involve the dehydration of sensitive tissue, including sore eyes, throat or nasal membranes; a feeling of lethargy; a higher incidence of upper-respiratory infection; asthmatic reactions; low-grade headaches; and a continuum of muscle pain and general discomfort among building occupants. Much of this relates to oxygen deprivation typically caused by oxygen being displaced by other compounds, and occasionally by infestation of microbes as a result of excessive moisture remaining within the property. -Hypersensitive reaction or multiple chemical sensitivity reaction--one or two individuals extremely ill. This can result if even tiny exposures occur to anyone that has a highly sensitive reaction to certain chemicals. Typically, these complaints should be viewed as warnings that some low-level toxin is in the area. Although sick building syndrome usually relates to the general nature of the building itself, there are some specifics that account for most indoor-air problems: *Combustibles; any possible introduction of carbon monoxide. *Moisture as it may relate to mold (look for growths on drywall). *Moisture as it may relate to airborne infectious agents (standing water and consequent growths). *Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), usually cleaning agents or building materials, which may give off unpleasant, sometimes toxic gases. *Formaldehydes in new carpet, pressed wood or other building products. *Any new or newly exposed particleboard. *Applied poisons (pesticides, insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides). A proactive approach Administrators are dealing with a generation of post-World War II properties prone to indoor-air-quality problems, particularly buildings constructed or remodeled during the 1970s energy crisis. A school district should take several steps before a problem strikes. First, initiate patterns for preventing air-quality problems. Second, establish baseline information that will profile the building to facilitate an efficient, inexpensive and confidence-inspiring response. Building occupants and the community need to see a clear and confident administrative approach should a problem arise in the future. The proactive investigation of the building should involve a limited amount of basic testing, particularly a professional review of the microbial matrix within the building--the number of colony-forming units or what kinds of microbes presently are nesting in the building. Understanding what is living in the ambient air can help administrators understand if there is a problem or, more importantly, can help to quickly isolate the exact nature of a problem. Similarly, administrators should consider hiring an outside contractor to review how air-handling and mechanical-engineering systems are managed. A knowledgeable person should walk the area and observe the mechanical systems to see how the filtering system, the air-dispersion system and the air-dilution patterns of the building are operating. Finally, a reliable epidemiological profile of comparative absenteeism should be archived. Administrators also need to be ready to implement a smooth, confidence-building reporting system for occupants regarding air-quality or sick-building concerns. How fast and capably the district responds can be the key to getting the issue under control. The costs for responding to indoor-air problems decrease dramatically if there is baseline data and a plan in place.

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Ethiopian kids hack Zoom tablets in five months. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project recently tried a new approach to distributing computers to developing countries, by leaving boxes of tablets in remote Ethiopian villages with no instructions. The Motorola Zoom tablets had a custom English language OS, a solar charger, and tracking software to monitor how they were used. To the surprise of the organization, not only could the kids who started using the tablets easily figure out how to switch on and use them, but they also learnt to hack into the OS and enable features - amazing especially seeing as most of the kids had never seen a printed word before, let alone in English. “We left the boxes in the village. Closed. Taped shut. No instruction, no human being. I thought, the kids will play with the boxes! Within four minutes, one kid not only opened the box, but found the on/off switch. He’d never seen an on/off switch. He powered it up. Within five days, they were using 47 apps per child per day. Within two weeks, they were singing ABC songs [in English] in the village. And within five months, they had hacked Android. Some idiot in our organization or in the Media Lab had disabled the camera! And they figured out it had a camera, and they hacked Android.” OLPC used the experiment to see whether kids can teach themselves to read and write English. Research shows that 100,000,000 kids worldwide don’t even make to to first grade, often because there are no schools or teachers available. For the cost of a tablet, that could all change. Previous OLPC studies have also shown that the kids will also teach their parents to read and write as well.

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May 7, 2012 § 2 Comments The Last of a Half-breed / on The Death of Jim Loney by James Welch Welch’s sad book is set in mid-70’s rural Montana somewhere on the outskirts of the Fort Belknap Indian reservation. In this tragic story, cheap alcohol fuels a prevailing sense of alienation and longing for an imagined elsewhere—life should be better somewhere else. A perennial overgrowth of American Indian under-education, alcoholism and infighting captures the reader in a depressive continuity of life’s potential for hopelessness. Welch gives us a masterful retelling of boredom amidst the desolation of failed dreams. This is an American Indian story of existential angst that goes far beyond a clichéd and ghettoized other. Welch leaves us with a narrative that calls into question the very real confrontation with Jim Loney’s identity as a so-called half breed (Gros Ventre/Anglo), his broken family, his restless love life, and his hard-to-place value as a fallible man. James Welch’s The Death of Jim Loney soberly regards the plight of the American Indian, troubled personal identity, and the existential problems that arise from filial neglect and societal estrangement. We always have to be cautious when confronting racial issues and how they are addressed, especially with regard to the personal bias we bring to such matters. Although Welch does write about an American-Indian, he tells the story from the uneasy perspective of Jim Loney and his immediate relationships. This story is one of human identity, an identity that’s become displaced, and then broken. We already come to the novel knowing that American-Indians have been displaced in their own land, but in The Death of Jim Loney existential problems of belonging lie underneath the poverty of Loney’s day to day circumstances. If any American-Indian issues are politicized in the book, they are carefully implied and are not overt. In fact, such issues of displaced identity are suggested by Welch with graceful subtlety. For example, when Welch writes about Loney’s half-breed status, he has Loney’s girlfriend Rhea suggest to him that to be a half-breed is to be lucky to choose from one set of ancestors or the other: “Oh, you’re so lucky to have two sets of ancestors. Just think, you can be Indian on one day and white the next. Whichever suits you” (2008, p. 13). The naïve irony of his girlfriend’s comment does little to comfort us (and him) since we know that society doesn’t give us this choice. Here in America, if you are born half white and your other ethnic half is a minority group, you must identify as that minority group, if you don’t, you’re flatly dismissed as being in a state of self-hating denial. If you happen to belong to a minority group, any resulting problems of racial and personal identity are left for you to sort through openly, or not. If you don’t have the tenacity to deal with it, this can lead to strong feelings of displacement and a general sense of not belonging. But is this is somehow a uniquely American-Indian dilemma? We already know that it’s not; we don’t have to be American-Indian to question our place in the world. One doesn’t need to be a minority to contemplate one’s existence. However, with this said, we’ll have to acknowledge that a minority status can lead to feelings of alienation. Displacement from the larger group can lead one to feel like an outsider. This takes us to the philosophy of Existentialism. The general focus of Existentialism is on the existence of the individual and the choices he makes from there, if he is able to recognize that his existence relies on his own self-determinism and not on an external morality, or objective standards of living. In the strictest sense, he always has the freedom to choose one way or another. Let us be sure to make the point that Welch’s Loney never tries to philosophically solve his existential dilemma, we’re only left with his broken family life, his semi-romantic love life, his tenuous friendships, his alcoholism, his violence, and his eventual demise. We are matter-of-factly presented with all these unresolved problems of his existence that lead Loney to a self manipulated death. In Colin Wilson’s first book The Outsider he covers the Existentialism of the alienated outsider from the philosophical perspective of many authors and thinkers, including Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche wrote at length about overcoming the status quo, about questioning existence and the power of the individual to forge a new path above and beyond the prevailing norms. Welch’s Jim Loney is precariously at the precipice of this kind of rejection of the way things are—he is on the very edge of transcendence—yet he never gets there, he just doesn’t know how. “He [Loney] tried to think of all the little things that added up to a man sitting at a table drinking wine. […] all the people and events were hopelessly tangled as a bird’s nest is his mind” (Welch, 2008, p. 18). Loney inadvertently shows us that personal growth can’t flourish if we absent-mindedly drink away our thoughts. In The Outsider, Wilson speaks of the way Nietzsche had to reject the complacency of traditional values in a society that stifles free thinking: “Unless he can evolve a set of values that will correspond to his higher intensity of purpose, he may as well throw himself under a bus, for he will always be an outcast and a misfit” (1956, p.142). Loney never gets to a higher purpose. His goal is not to challenge tradition. Loney’s choices are (self) limited. Loney’s existence awkwardly stares at him, and by extension we try to think of how this reflects our own lives. It’s only by his inability to squarely lift himself up from his plight, do we confront a desire to do this for ourselves. This problem of Loney’s is carefully expressed by Welch when Loney watches a neighbor hanging her laundry. He does this while contemplating where his life should lead from here. “He wasn’t ready to do anything but sit on his step and think, and so he watched the two shirts twist and knot around each other and he thought, not of Seattle, but of the blue veins on the backs of his neighbor’s legs” (2008, p.42). This kind of contemplation with the bare facts of reality recall Jean Paul Sartre’s character Antoine Roquentin in the book Nausea, and his famous existential epiphany with a chestnut tree, yet with one critical distinction: Loney can’t see a way to transcend his basic choices. He can’t grasp his own basic existential freedom. In Nausea Sartre writes: “Existence is not something which lets itself be thought of at a distance: it must invade you suddenly, master you, weigh heavily on your heart like a great motionless beast—or else there is nothing more at all” (1964, p. 177). For Sartre man’s very confrontation with nothing and of existence impels him to grow into what he wants to be. Loney doesn’t know he can change, therefore Sartre would say he was acting in ‘bad faith.’ When we’re acting in bad faith we are not acknowledging our freedom to choose another way, we’ve blindly accepted our so-called fate. In bad faith we are the victims of circumstantial fatalism. Welch’s Loney is opaque and inaccessible to himself, he “…couldn’t sleep because if he slept he would dream, so he stared into the blackness of the small bedroom” (2008, p. 94). A few lines later, Loney thinks of the next day where he’ll be hunting bear with his sometime friend Myron Pretty Weasel, where he blankly thinks: “After tomorrow’s slim purpose I will simply exist” (Welch, 2008, p. 95). These are frightening thoughts when we learn later that Loney will shoot the curiously named Pretty Weasel, presumably mistaking him for a bear in the cattails. In Julia Kristeva’s psychoanalytic/philosohical work Strangers to Ourselves, she details the complex ways an outsider is perceived and how they perceive themselves. It’s made clear that the foreigner internalizes much of their perceived self-identity and hatred, as much as society imposes these insecurities onto the other. We’ll be safe to suggest that American-Indians have been a kind of native foreigner, sadly thought of as foreigners on their own homeland. This becomes a kind of self-exile enacted by Loney’s futile escape from belonging to his family or anywhere else as he eventually runs headlong unto his death at Mission Canyon. Kristeva writes: “…according to the utmost logic of exile, all aims should waste away and self-destruct in the wonderer’s insane stride toward an elsewhere that is always pushed back, unfulfilled, out of reach” (1991, p. 6). Although Kristeva is not an Existentialist, her views on foreigners, the stranger, the other do coincide with Loney’s lack of belonging that leads to a feeling of being exiled within his own family and community. Loney is never ‘at home’ in the world. We never really understand where Loney’s going except down. The rambling intensity of his actions are magnified by the coldness of his estranged father Ike, especially when Loney suggests that their situation could’ve been better. Ike ignorantly questions this: “Shit, what would we have done but drink ourselves to death?” (Welch, 2008, p. 132). After this, Loney walks away from his dad’s trailer and shoots into one of the windows with the shotgun his dad gave him minutes earlier. If we return to the very first page of the story, we find Loney recounting an odd Biblical passage that sticks itself in us because of its bald pessimism. “Turn away from man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” (Welch, 2008, p. 1). We’re not told that this is from Isaiah 2:22, but that doesn’t matter when we think of what it means, and what it might mean for Loney. Turn away from a breathing man, because there is not accounting for him because he’s mortal. This has to be a Biblical way to emphasize the fallibility of man against an all perfect God. Yet, for our secular use here, the haunting phrase speaks to a darker message: no one living is to be trusted. Loney came from the chaos of a broken home. As we witness his confused adult life, his options are few. Loney in his depressive complacency barely trusts anyone. Midway in the book, a little boy named Amos After Buffalo watches Loney cut his dead dog from the frozen mud on Thanksgiving day—a day that’s not really an American-Indian holiday. This little boy is recalled before Loney dies where Loney talks to a stray black dog in Mission Canyon. “You tell Amos that Jim Loney passed through town while he was dreaming. Don’t tell him you saw me with a bottle and a gun. That wouldn’t do. Tell him you saw me carrying a dog and that I was taking that dog to higher ground. He will know” (Welch, 2008, p. 147). James Welch’s The Death of Jim Loney carries us over to a deep sense of sadness. This in-depth sadness is brought about by Loney’s inability to maneuver his circumstance to even a slightly better place. His displaced existence glares at him and it hurts us to have read about it. It is in this liquor-fuelled alienation that we can learn to empathize with people, as we can recognize such tendencies in ourselves. It is as the philosophers show us, that it is our choice to blindly accept fatalism, the status quo, the norms, the way-it-should-be, or not. If we can’t do this hard work of liberating ourselves nobody else can do it for us. This ultimately reveals how James Welch has helped us, by showing what life looks like when we refuse to see ourselves as full of potential, and when we fail to see ourselves as living with pure possibility. Kristeva, Julia. (1991). Strangers to ourselves (Leon Roudiez, trans.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press. Sartre, Jean-Paul. (1964). Nausea (Lloyd Alexanader, trans.). New York, NY: New Directions. Welch, James. (2008). The death of Jim Loney. New York, NY: Penquin Classics. Wilson, Colin. (1956). The outsider. New York, NY: Dell Publishing.

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These wise words from Tolstoy seem even more relevant 100 years on. Matt Ridley has published a great essay in WIRED SCIENCE today. Ridley nails an issue that has plagued humanity since time immemorial. Some supposedly intelligent human beings become so convinced that Doomsday is upon them that nothing will persuade them to the contrary. Ridley’s essay is a must read for everyone interested in Doomsday predictions that have failed to materialise and why we should dump the Climate Scare in the same basket. When the sun rises on December 22, as it surely will, do not expect apologies or even a rethink. No matter how often apocalyptic predictions fail to come true, another one soon arrives. And the prophets of apocalypse always draw a following—from the 100,000 Millerites who took to the hills in 1843, awaiting the end of the world, to the thousands who believed in Harold Camping, the Christian radio broadcaster who forecast the final rapture in both 1994 and 2011. Religious zealots hardly have a monopoly on apocalyptic thinking. Consider some of the environmental cataclysms that so many experts promised were inevitable. Best-selling economist Robert Heilbroner in 1974: “The outlook for man, I believe, is painful, difficult, perhaps desperate, and the hope that can be held out for his future prospects seem to be very slim indeed.” Or best-selling ecologist Paul Ehrlich in 1968: “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s ["and 1980s" was added in a later edition] the world will undergo famines—hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked on now … nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate.” Or Jimmy Carter in a televised speech in 1977: “We could use up all of the proven reserves of oil in the entire world by the end of the next decade.” Predictions of global famine and the end of oil in the 1970s proved just as wrong as end-of-the-world forecasts from millennialist priests. Yet there is no sign that experts are becoming more cautious about apocalyptic promises. If anything, the rhetoric has ramped up in recent years. Echoing the Mayan calendar folk, theBulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock one minute closer to midnight at the start of 2012, commenting: “The global community may be near a point of no return in efforts to prevent catastrophe from changes in Earth’s atmosphere.” APOCOHOLISM IS GROWING Over the five decades since the success of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 and the four decades since the success of the Club of Rome’s The Limits to Growth in 1972, prophecies of doom on a colossal scale have become routine. Indeed, we seem to crave ever-more-frightening predictions—we are now, in writer Gary Alexander’s word, apocaholic. The past half century has brought us warnings of population explosions, global famines, plagues, water wars, oil exhaustion, mineral shortages, falling sperm counts, thinning ozone, acidifying rain, nuclear winters, Y2K bugs, mad cow epidemics, killer bees, sex-change fish, cell-phone-induced brain-cancer epidemics, and climate catastrophes. So far all of these specters have turned out to be exaggerated. True, we have encountered obstacles, public-health emergencies, and even mass tragedies. But the promised Armageddons—the thresholds that cannot be uncrossed, the tipping points that cannot be untipped, the existential threats to Life as We Know It—have consistently failed to materialize. To see the full depth of our apocaholism, and to understand why we keep getting it so wrong, we need to consult the past 50 years of history. Ridley takes the reader through a modern day analogy of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The classic apocalypse has four horsemen, and our modern version follows that pattern, with the four riders being chemicals (DDT, CFCs, acid rain), diseases (bird flu, swine flu, SARS, AIDS, Ebola, mad cow disease), people (population, famine), and resources (oil, metals). Let’s visit them each in turn.Read it all here

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The Independent Jane For all the love, romance and scandal in Jane Austen’s books, what they are really about is freedom and independence. Independence of thought and the freedom to choose. Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins offer of marriage showed an independence seldom seen in heroines of the day. Her refusal of Mr. Darcy while triggered by anger showed a level of independence that left him shocked and stunned. The freedom she exhibited in finally accepting him in direct defiance of Lady Catherine and knowing her father would disapprove was unusual even for Austen. In her last book Anne Elliot is persuaded to refuse Captain Wentworth at Lady Russel’s insistence. Although Jane played by the rules of the day, all of her writing is infused with how she wanted life to be. She ‘screams’ her outrage at the limitations for women in Emma. When accosted by Mrs. Elton, Jane Fairfax says, “Excuse me, ma’am, but this is by no means my intention; I make no inquiry myself, and should be sorry to have any made by my friends. When I am quite determined as to the time, I am not at all afraid of being long unemployed. There are places in town, offices, where inquiry would soon produce something — offices for the sale, not quite of human flesh, but of human intellect.” “Oh! my dear, human flesh! You quite shock me; if you mean a fling at the slave-trade, I assure you Mr. Suckling was always rather a friend to the abolition.” “I did not mean, I was not thinking of the slave-trade,” replied Jane; “governess-trade, I assure you, was all that I had in view; widely different certainly, as to the guilt of those who carry it on; but as to the greater misery of the victims, I do not know where it lies.” That same sentiment is emphasized in Emma’s shock when Mrs. Weston tells her of Frank Churchill’s secret engagement to Jane. “Good God!” cried Emma, “Jane actually on the point of going as governess! What could he mean by such horrible indelicacy? To suffer her to engage herself — to suffer her even to think of such a measure!” I find it interesting that at the moment of Austen’s birth or there about, John Adams left his farm in Massachusetts for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Doesn’t sound particularly interesting, I know but consider this. John Adams left his home in mid-December 1775 to attend an unprecedented meeting of colonial representatives to consider severing ties with their mother country and her monarch; a decision that culminated in a document unlike any ever written. In the mother country, one day in that same cold December a baby girl was born at Steventon Rectory. Her cry was heard by only the people in the house but the years to come would see her pen create works unlike any the world had ever seen. Comparing Austen’s words with Thomas Jefferson’s may seem a trivialization but I believe that Austen’s impact on the world is no less important than Jefferson’s. The effect of Jane’s writing maybe more subtle than that of the Virginian but it is no less influential. Jefferson’s words instigated and promoted a revolution, a war of independence. Jane’s words had no such excessive consequence. Still in her own quiet, genteel yet powerful way she declared and promoted the same principles of freedom and self-regulated independence as our American forefathers. In all her novels Jane advocates independence of person and thought, the rights of all and acceptance of responsibility for those rights. Jane may not have incited military action as Jefferson did but even as an avowed royalist, I doubt not that Jane Austen firmly believed in his declaration of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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Bohn, M. S. (1977) Response of a subsonic nozzle to acoustic and entropy disturbances. Journal of Sound and Vibration , 52 (2). pp. 283-297. ISSN 0022-460X http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20101213-104516314 - Published Version Restricted to Caltech community only See Usage Policy. Use this Persistent URL to link to this item: http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20101213-104516314 The one-dimensional response of a subsonic nozzle flow to small pressure and entropy disturbances is calculated. The response is expressed in terms of transmitted acoustic waves (which propagate from the nozzle in the same direction as the disturbance wave) and reflected acoustic waves (which propagate from the nozzle in the direction opposite to that of the disturbance wave) for three independent disturbances: a downstreampropagating acoustic wave impinging upon the nozzle inlet, an upstream-propagating wave impinging upon the nozzle exit, and an entropy wave convecting through the nozzle. The solution for high frequency disturbances is discussed and used with the compact (long wavelength disturbance) solution to normalize several numerical calculations. The normalization shows that the transmitted waves created by the two acoustic disturbances may be represented by the same function offrequency for a given inlet and exit nozzle Mach number. The same is seen to be true for the reflected waves created by the two acoustic disturbances. The normalization allows results for a wide range of nozzle Mach number distributions and disturbance frequencies to be presented concisely. |Additional Information:||© 1977 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Received 22 June 1976, and in revised form 13 January 1977. Available online 29 July 2003. The author wishes to express his appreciation to Dr N. Cumpsty of Cambridge University for suggesting this problem, and to Professor F. E. Marble of the California Institute of Technology for his many helpful discussions of the problem.| |Group:||Guggenheim Jet Propulsion Center| |Other Numbering System:| |Official Citation:||Bohn, M. S. (1977). "Response of a subsonic nozzle to acoustic and entropy disturbances." Journal of Sound and Vibration 52(2): 283-297.| |Usage Policy:||No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.| |Deposited By:||Ruth Sustaita| |Deposited On:||14 Dec 2010 17:15| |Last Modified:||26 Dec 2012 12:45| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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Thomas, J. and Vogel, P. (1990) Testing the inverse-square law of gravity in boreholes at the Nevada Test Site. Physical Review Letters, 65 (10). pp. 1173-1176. ISSN 0031-9007 http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:THOprl90 See Usage Policy. See Usage Policy. Use this Persistent URL to link to this item: http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:THOprl90 Stacey et al. have reported evidence for a breakdown of Newton’s law based on measurements in a deep mine. We have tested the reproducibility of this result by analyzing gravity data from boreholes in Nevada. One interpretation of our resuls suggests a breakdown of the Newtonian theory which is much larger than the effect previously reported. But the lack of consistency between the results suggests that it is not fundamental physics that has failed, but rather the experiments are subject to large systematic uncertainties which are caused by mass anomalies at intermediate distances from the holes. |Additional Information:||©1990 The American Physical Society Received 26 September 1989 This work was supported in part by grants from the Department of Energy (No. DEAC-0381-ER40050) and by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Individual Research and Development fund. We acknowledge stimulating discussions with Eric Adelberger, Richard Feynman, and Val Telegdi. And, in particular, we thank Paul Kasameyer, Frank Stacey, and Gary Tuck who were instrumental in guiding us through the analysis of these data. Erratum: J. Thomas and P. Vogel, Testing the inverse-square law of gravity in boreholes at the Nevada Test Site, Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 2478 (1990).| |Usage Policy:||No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.| |Deposited By:||Archive Administrator| |Deposited On:||04 Dec 2006| |Last Modified:||26 Dec 2012 09:20| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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"GOT NOTHING BUT BLUE SKIES" It is September 19,1783. The place, Lyons, France. Preparations are being made for a journey. A journey that will eventually take man from his secure environment of terra firma, and place him in a hostile environment called the atmosphere. The vehicle to be used is a hot air balloon. The brainchild behind this trek is a wealthy paper maker named Joseph Montgolfier. There has been much speculation over just how Montgolfier made the discovery of the hot air balloon. The most commonly-believed story is that his wife was standing too close to a fire and that the smoke caused her skirt to be inflated and lifted above her knees. This caused Montgolfier to wonder-if this smoke, and its magical lifting powers, could be captured in a very large container, it might rise and lift a passenger along with it. So, Montgolfier went about building the first hot air balloon. In 1783, not much was known about the atmosphere and its effects on human beings. Upon examination of the occupants for any ill effects caused by this lofty height, it was discovered that the duck had a broken wing. Could this have been an effect of exposure to altitude? Actually, several observers noted that as the balloon left the ground, the sheep had an anxiety attack and kicked the duck. Montgolfier reasoned that it would be safe for humans to ascend to altitude. So on November 21, 1783, Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier (a surgeon) became the first aeronaut and flight surgeon. Over 200 years have passed since that first flight. Technology has allowed us to ascend through the atmosphere and into space, but the hazards of high altitude flight (hypoxia, altitude-induced decompression sickness, and trapped gases) will always be present. That is because humans are best suited to live in what is known as the "physiological efficient zone". This zone extends from sea level to 12,000 feet. When humans are exposed to altitudes above this zone, they are subjected to physiological hazards beyond their natural ability to adapt. One thing to keep in mind is that everything that occupies space and exerts weight is considered to be matter. All matter is made up of atoms and molecules in varying densities. These particles within the matter are kinetic and in constant motion. The slower the motion of the particles, the more dense the matter becomes. Also, as the particles are pushed closer together, the matter also becomes more dense. The best way to slow down kinetic molecules is to cool the matter. The best way to get them to move closer together is to add pressure to the matter. Inversely, when you remove the pressure or heat any material, the molecules within the material moves faster and further apart, thus making the material less dense. The least dense form of matter is, of course, gas. If a gas is cooled and compressed, at some point it will become a liquid. If that liquid is then cooled further, then at some point it will become a solid. Also, when you take the pressure off any gas or liquid, that material will grow less dense and expand. This is essentially what happens to the gaseous molecules of our atmosphere. Our atmosphere contains approximately 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, a constant ratio until you reach an altitude of about 270,000 feet. So the question that always comes up is; "If I have 21% oxygen at sea level and 21% at 40,000 feet, why do I succumb to the effects of hypoxia within 20 seconds at that altitude?" The answer is, ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE! If you could picture all the gaseous nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere, they would stack up from the surface of the earth to the fringe of space. All these molecules stacking on top each other create a great deal of weight, or pressure. At sea level, one square-inch of any surface has about 15 pounds of air sitting on top of it. At 18,000 feet, that same square inch has only 7.5 pounds per square-inch (psi) exerted on it. What has caused this atmospheric pressure drop? The answer is simple: There is more air stacked up at sea level than above 18,000 feet, and therefore, more weight. As you recall, when molecules are subjected to this pressure, they are going to move closer together. This will make the air more dense with oxygen and nitrogen molecules. For example, if at sea level you take in a breath of air that has an atmospheric pressure of 15 psi, then that air may contain 500 billion molecules of oxygen (this a fictitious number to be used only as an example); if you go to 18,000 feet and take the same breath where atmospheric pressure is 7.5 psi, then you will pull in only 250 billion molecules of oxygen. But, you require 500 billion per breath to function normally, and you're getting only half of what you need. That's HYPOXIA! Not only do gaseous molecules in the atmosphere expand with reduced total pressure, gases in the human body are also subject to the same expansion. There are several areas in the body- ears, sinuses, lungs, gastro-intestinal tract, and teeth - where these gases can expand and cause a variety of problems. As long as the gas can expand and escape, there will be no problem. But if the gas becomes trapped, then pain will be the usual result. As we have discussed earlier, the air we breathe contains about 79% nitrogen. Nitrogen is inhaled into the lungs and distributed and stored throughout the body. According to gas laws, gases of higher pressure always exert force towards areas of low pressure. When you inhale nitrogen, it will be stored at a pressure of about 12 psi (79% nitrogen) of 15 psi (total atmospheric pressure), equal to about 12 psi). When you ascend to altitude and the pressure around your body begins to drop, this creates a pressure gradient (higher nitrogen in the body than outside the body) and the nitrogen will try to equalize and escape outside the body. Sometimes this nitrogen can leave so quickly and in such quantify that it may form a bubble. If this bubble forms at a body joint, the pain it causes is know as "the bends." These are just a few of the problems that can occur when the human body is exposed to high altitude conditions. These problems will always be there for aviation. But through education and knowledge of the mechanisms that cause these problems, we can take steps toward protection and prevention so that your BLUE SKIES won't give you a case of the blues. by J.R. Brown |ŠAvStop Online Magazine Contact Us Return Home| Grab this Headline Animator

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In my previous post about the command pattern, I gushed about how much I loved it. That doesn’t mean that the command pattern as originally envisioned is still completely in fashion. In particular, the notion of “Undo” was one of the major features in the command pattern’s cap. Today, that is almost never the case. Sure, if you are building an application such as an editor. Something like Photoshop or a text editor would find the notion of commands with the ability to have an undo stack very compelling. Other than that, however, that is a very rare need. In most business scenarios, there really is no good way to undo things. How would you implement SendEmailCommand.Undo(), for example? But even something like PlaceOrder.Undo() is a lot more complex and hard to do than you would think. The mere notion of undoing the operation assumes that this isn’t going to have any side affects. But cancelling an order may result in cancellation fees, require you to ship back things you got back, end. It is not “Undoing PlaceOrder”, rather that is a whole different and distinct business process, usually represented by another command: CancelOrder. Another common issue that people have is the degeneration of the entire architecture to something like: To that I answer, more power to you! I love code that is composed of a lot of small classes all doing things about the same way. There is no easier way to look at a system, and that allows you to quite easily add additional functionality to the system easily. That said, mind how you handle routing in that scenario. I have seen people go into the “when a request comes to this URL, let us invoke the following commands” in XML. One of the reasons that people dislike this approach is how you actually call this. If just getting to the command executer is hard and involved, you lose a lot of the advantages. This popped up in the mailing list, and I really dislike it. The notion of Composite Command. A command that can execute multiple commands. Now, from a programming point of view, I can easily see why you would want to do that. The PlaceOrderCommand operation is composed of a lot of smaller commands. But, and this is important, the notion of Composite Commands basically mean that you get the same thing as the PlaceOrderCommand, but you just lost the name. And naming is important. Almost as important, error handling is quite different between different business scenarios, and you sometimes end up with something like: And this is simple, how do you handle an error in the ShipOrderCommand after you already charged the card, for example?

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To first make sure we're on the same page, here's how peer review works today. You write a manuscript and submit it to a journal, where it is assigned to an editor. Exactly what happens then depends somewhat on the journal. In some cases the editors sort out a lot of submissions already at this stage. At very high impact journals like Science and Nature, editors reject the vast majority of papers not because they're wrong but because they're not deemed relevant enough, but these journals are exceptions. In the general case, your manuscript will be assigned a number and be sent to one or several of your colleagues who (are thought to) work on related topics and who are asked to write a report on your paper. That's the peer review. The assignment of people to your paper doesn't always work too great, so they have a chance to decline and suggest somebody else. At least in my experience in most cases the manuscript will be sent to two people. Some journals settle on one, some do three. In some cases they might opt for an additional report later on. In any case, the reviewers are typically asked for a written assessment of the manuscript, that's the most important part. They are also asked whether the manuscript is suitable for that particular journal. And typically they'll have to judge the manuscript on a 5 point scale on how interesting the content/good the presentation is etc. Finally, they'll have to make a recommendation on whether the paper is suitable for publication in the present form, whether revisions should be done, have to be done, or whether it's not suitable for publication. The reviewer's judgement is anonymous. The author does not generally know who they are. (That's the default. There is in principle nothing prohibiting the reviewer from contacting the author directly, but few do that. And in some cases it's just easy to guess who wrote a report.) In most cases the report will say say revisions have to be done. You then revise the paper, reply to the queries and resubmit. The exchange is mediated by the editor and can go back and forth several times, though most journals keep this process to a few resubmissions only. The whole procedure can take anything between a few weeks and several years. In the end your paper might get rejected anyway. While in some cases one learns something from the reports, the process is mostly time-consuming and frustrating. The final decision on your manuscript is made by the editor. They will generally, but not always, follow the advice of the reports. On the practical side, the manuscript- and review-submission is typically done through a web interface. Every publisher has their own labyrinth of usernames, passwords, access codes, manuscript-, article tracking-, and other -numbers. The most confusing part for me is that some journals assign different author and reviewer accounts to the same person. I typically write reports on one or two papers per month. That's more than ten times the number of manuscripts I submit. There are very few journals who pay reviewers for their report. JHEP announced some while back they would. Most people do it as a community service. There are several well-known problems with this procedure. Most commonly bemoaned is that since the reviewers are anonymous they might abuse the report to their own advantage. That might be in the form of recommending the author cites the reviewer's papers (you're well advised to do that). In the worst case they might reject a paper not because they found a mistake but because it's incompatible with their own convictions. One can decline to review a paper in this case due to "conflict of interest," but well. We have all conflicting interests, otherwise we'd all be doing the same thing. What happens more often though is that the reviewer didn't read or at least not think about the paper and writes a sloppy report that might accept a wrong or decline a right paper mistakenly. I have written many times that the way to address these community-based problems - to the extend it's possible - is to make sure researchers' sole concern is the advancement of science and not other sorts of financial pressure, public pressure or time pressure that might make it seem smart to down-thumb competitors. But that's not the aspect I want to focus on here. Instead I want to focus here on the practical problems. One is that the exchange between the author and the reviewers is unnecessary slow and cumbersome. Submitting a written report and having it passed on by the editor must be a relic from the times when such a report was carved in stone and shipped across the ocean. It would be vastly preferable if journals would instead provide an online interface to communicate with the author that preserves the anonymity of the reviewer. This would allow the reviewer to ask some quick, clarifying questions and not only make their task easier, but also prevent misunderstandings. Typically, if the reviewer has misunderstood something in your manuscript you have to do a lot of tip-toeing to tell them they're wrong without telling them they're wrong because, you see, the editor is reading every word and knows who they are. The idea isn't that such a communication interface should replace the report, just that it could accompany the review process and that a written report is submitted after some determined amount of time. Another practical problem with today's peer review process is that when your paper gets rejected and you submit it to another journal, you have to start all over again. This multiplies efforts on both, the authors' and the reviewers', sides. This is one of the reasons why I'm suggesting to decouple the peer review process from the journals. The idea is simply that the author would submit their manuscript not for publication to a journal, but first to some independent agency to obtain a report (or several). This report would then be submitted with the manuscript to the journal. The journal will still have to assess whether the manuscript is suitable for this particular journal, but the point is that the author has a stamp of legitimacy independent from a journal reference. It's up to the author then what to do with the report. You could for example just use the report (in some summarized form) with an arxiv upload. There could be several of such peer review agencies, and they might operate differently. Eg some might pay the reviewer, some might not. Some might ask for a fee, some might not. One would see which works best. In the long run I would expect the reports' relevance to depend on the reputation of the agency. This would address several problems at once. One is the by the open-access movement frequently criticized "power of journals." That's because in many, if not most, fields a journal reference is still considered a sign of quality of your work. But journal subscriptions are very costly, and thus the pressure to publish in journals often means scientific studies are not freely accessible for the public. The reason is simply that today subscription journals are the main providers of peer review. But there is actually no reason for this connection. Decoupling publication from the review process would remove that problem. It would also address the above mentioned problem that when your manuscript gets rejected from one journal you have to start all over again with the peer review. Finally, it would add more diversity to the procedure in that the reviewers and authors could chose which agency suits them best. For example, some might have an anonymous, and some an open review process. Time would tell which in the end is more credible. There is the question of financing of course. Again, there could be several models for that. As I've said many times before, I think if it's a public service, it should be financed like a public service. That is to say, since peer review is so essential to scientific progress, such peer review agencies should be eligible to apply for governmental funding. One would hope though that, as today, most of the time and effort would be carried by the researchers themselves as a community service.

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Here to There: A History of Mapping From the 16th to 18th centuries, many European mapmakers were convinced that California was an island — an Edenic paradise populated by black Amazons. The error persisted for over a hundred years after expeditions had proven that California was, in fact, firmly attached to the mainland. The idea of California as a fierce paradise appealed to Europeans, who were reluctant to let the mundane reality interfere with their vision of the world. So in that spirit, we’re devoting this episode of BackStory to maps — asking what they show us about who we are and and where we want to go. How do maps shape the way we see our communities and our world? What do they tell us about the kind of information we value? And what do they distort, or ignore? Please help us shape this show! Share your questions, ideas and stories below. Have opinions on New York vs. D.C. subway maps? On the merits or shortcomings of Google Maps? And do you even still use old-fashioned, ink-and-paper maps? Leave us a comment!

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Fisheries regulators voted Wednesday to reduce by more than one-third the harvest of menhaden, a small fish that plays a big ecological role in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the fish that swim in its waters. Meeting in Boston, the menhaden board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to cut the annual harvest by 37 percent, according to calculations by the Pew Environmental Group. The new harvest limit, which is subject to a vote by the full commission in one year, would be effective in 2013. Approximately 460 million pounds of Atlantic menhaden were caught in 2010, primarily by trawlers that scoop up the fish in nets in the bay and along portions of the coast. Lobstermen in Maine and Massachusetts and bay crabbers also use the oily fish to bait their traps. Environmentalists, scientists and sports fishermen have lobbied for years for the more stringent catch limits. The forage species is eaten by prized game fish such as striped bass, or rock fish, and filters the Chesapeake Bay, improving its water quality. “They did the right thing today,” said Peter Baker of the Pew Group. “I think they heard the public loud and clear.” The commission held 13 public hearings on menhaden and received nearly 92,000 comments, the vast majority seeking to limit the harvest. The reduced catch is intended to allow menhaden stocks to rebound. The lower catch limit could be felt the hardest in Reedville, Va., home to a menhaden fleet that has made the tiny bay town the No. 2 fishing port by weight in the U.S. More than 400 million pounds of the menhaden were hauled in last year by Omega Protein Inc. trawlers. Omega processes the catch into Omega-3 capsules popular among Americans for the fish oil’s vaunted health benefits. It is also used in an array of food and commercial products, from feed for swine, poultry and cattle and to meal for fish farms. Omega spokesman Ben Landry said a new stock assessment was due within the next year. “There’ll be a lot of new data presented to the board over the next year and hopefully the population will improve,” he said. Omega, a Houston company that also operates a menhaden fleet in the Gulf of Mexico, employs about 300 people at its Reedville plant during the May-to-December season. The company has said limits could trigger job reductions. “I think we’re going to have to take a real close look at our current operations to see how it’s going to be affected,” Landry said, stopping short of saying there would be job cuts. Menhaden, pudgy fish that typically are less than 1-foot in length, have no value as a food fish. But the fish so coveted by Americans as a dietary supplement is also a primary source of nourishment for sea life and birds. “That same Omega-3 fatty acid is really important for fish that eat menhaden and the other animals that eat menhaden,” said Baker, director of Pew’s northeast fisheries. “It’s the most nutritious food that they can eat.” Scientists have linked lower weights in stripers to declines in menhaden. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation called the vote a victory for the coastal ecosystem and the fish that feast on menhaden. “This is great news for jobs, for our economy and for a society that values wildlife,” said Will Baker, president of the Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley praised fisheries regulators for their actions. “The new, more conservative fishing threshold and target are significant steps in ensuring a sustainable future for menhaden, an essential food source for striped bass, bluefish, dolphins, osprey and bald eagles and other fish and wildlife species,” he said in a statement. Vast schools of menhaden used to range from Maine to Florida, supporting a thriving fishery along the coast. Omega is the last so-called “reduction” fishery along the Atlantic. “The abundance of menhaden and the number of menhaden in the water, over the last 30 years, has been reduced by more than 80 percent,” Baker said. He called the vote a “watershed moment.” (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Most of you, especially those from the midwestern United States, may be familiar with mazes cut from corn fields. But have you seen one with a QR code? For a family in Canada, it's business as usual, as they create their annual summer corn field design. And courtesy of the Kraay Family Farm, located south of Edmonton, Alberta, we may be seeing the largest QR code in the world. (They've submitted the corn field QR code design to the Guiness Book of World Records for consideration.) This forward-thinking group saw the growing popularity of QR codes in the marketing world and decided to increase the level of difficulty of their yearly project. But it didn't work perfectly the first time. Rachel Kraay admitted the QR code didn't scan properly the first time, but she and her family were undaunted. Finding that the contrast between light and dark was not quite right, they went back in with a rototiller and made the paths cut through the field much darker. When you scan the QR code from above, you'll be taken to the Kraay family's website. Planning to see this massive QR code for yourself? Don't forget your smart phone, as once you get inside the maze, you can scan 2D code landmarks within the structure, helping you find your way and find out more about the farm. Have you seen anything like this in your neck of the woods? Tell us more by leaving a comment below (and sending pictures, if you can). It appears that bar codes have become an instrument for social change in a new and dramatic way. A new app for iPhone and Android helps you more effectively boycott companies b... Looking for help getting your warehouse, delivery business or supply chain service automated? Or perhaps upgrading your current system to the latest techno... Barcoding, Inc., a leader in enterprise-wide mobility solutions, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Miles Technologies, Inc., in order to increase its presence in the central ...

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9 Ways to Use Patch During Storm We’ve got Barrington covered … with your help. With the Blizzard of 2013 whacking Barrington this weekend, the need for up-to-the minute information is important. At Patch, we'll be working to cover the storm. But the more interaction we get from users, the more comprehensive the coverage will be. Hey, Barrington Patch is your site after all. So, here’s how you can use Patch: 1. Get the news. When we know about storm-related news, so will you. From important town announcements, damages, power outages and floods, we’ll have all the news covered as much as we can. Check out our information center article for all the latest news and updates. 2. Comment. Have relevant information to add to the information center or to an article? Jump in and make a comment. Or post photos. These storm stories will continue to evolve as we speak to more officials and locals. You can be a real-time source by commenting and sharing what you're seeing. 3. Connect with the editor. Email Editor William Rupp at [email protected] if you don't want to post directly to the site. If you have tips, call, email or text to conserve cell phone power. 4. Get the iPhone app. If the power goes out, your smartphone may end up being your only tool for getting the info on what’s going on in your community. Click here to get the Patch app for free on iTunes. Not only can you read news on it, but post photos and videos as well. Show us what you are seeing. 5. Take photos. Please, stay safe during the storm. But any photos you take of the aftermath we will prominently display on Patch. Email them or upload them directly to articles. 6. Shoot videos. Same goes for video. Our smartphones have put high-powered video cameras in our pockets. Send clips our way to help us report on the effect of the blizzard in your backyards. 7. Ask a question. If trees are down in your neighborhood but you want to know if your neighbors a few blocks away have the same damage, or if you want to ask someone in a flood-prone area how they waterproofed their house, post the question to our information center article. Questions normally surround natural events like a blizzard. You can look to your community for answers. 8. Ask for Volunteers. Our Announcements section lets readers post requests for volunteers. Use it. Depending on the scope of the blizzard, volunteers could be crucial to the community. Any announcements posted on the site asking for volunteers will be featured on the home page. 9. Blog about it. When the snow stops, scores of your fellow community members will have “I was there” stories to share. Don’t keep them to yourself. Sign up to be a blogger and let your neighbors know how you fared during the storm.

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Effective leaders pay attention to structure and organization to insure the structure continues to benefit the organization’s mission. Read Deuteronomy 1:1-15. The universe has overwhelming evidence of God’s use of structure and organization in the intelligent design of creation. Even the simplest living organism is more complex and subtle than the most sophisticated computer. The Bible gives insight into God’s instructions concerning structure and organization to Moses, the leader He chose to lead His people from a time of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. When carrying total responsibility for leadership of the people of Israel overwhelmed Moses, God encouraged him to change the organizational structure so as to channel more of Israel’s human resources to fulfill the leadership needs. Wisely Moses accepted God’s counsel. Effective leaders create structure that addresses the methods by which resources flow through the organization to accomplish work. Read Numbers 11:1-35. When Moses couldn’t handle all of the responsibilities of leading Israel, God told him to enlist seventy qualified persons, empower them and allow them to help to carry the burden. Moses was overwhelmed and the people under-served so God took action. The existing system wasn’t working so He changed it. It wasn’t about “who’s the boss”, it was about who would serve the people. Structure and organization has a way of turning chaos into an effective use of resources. Read 1 Corinthians 14:40. This verse, in a chapter on worship structure, furnishes a valuable glimpse into the public worship of the first-century churches. It stresses that order, structure, form, unity, like mindedness and mutual regard should prevail when believers gather together. Well-led organizations can accomplish more than any individual can hope to accomplish. Read Exodus 18:1-27. Moses was overwhelmed by the problems of leading a large number of people. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, helped Moses to see that organization and structure are essential to effective operation. Not only is work accomplished more efficiently, but people are better served and supported in doing the work. Effective Christian leaders make long range plans and give God room to actively direct or change those plans. Read Romans 15:22-29. In today’s verses the Apostle Paul is in process of taking a love offering from the churches in Macedonia to the church in Jerusalem that had fallen on hard times. While on his way to Jerusalem, Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome discussing some long range plans to visit their church on his way to preach the Gospel in Spain.

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Nursing a critically ill state back to health |Indranill Basu Ray highlights the core problems that afflict Bengal's health sector and suggests a few ways to improve the situation| Despite many technological and other achievements that have propelled India from being a developing nation to one of the top economies of the world, one field that India continues to lag behind in is health. This is why stories of babies dying in large numbers haunt newspaper headlines. India is behind Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in life expectancy at birth or under-five mortality level. India accounts for about 17 per cent of the world population, but it contribute to a fifth of the world's share of diseases. A third of all diarrhoeal diseases in the world occurs in India. The country has the second largest number of HIV/AIDS cases after South Africa. It is home to one-fifth of the world's population afflicted with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A common excuse that I often hear is that we have limited resources to tackle the huge and burgeoning health problems. But even the richest country on earth, the United States of America, has failed to provide appropriate health services to a large section of the populace. The problem in India is quite different. Apart from being a poor nation with limited resources, it also has a sizeable population in need of basic health services. Furthermore, the lack of appropriate sanitary measures and education ensures an ever increasing presence of communicable disease that have been controlled and even eradicated in the developed nations. India's list of woes does not stop here. Lack of foresight on the part of successive governments and selective and fragmented strategies to counter daily problems without a definite public health goal have been the mainstay of India's health policies. Resource allocation to this sector is influenced by the prevailing fiscal situation as well as by the priorities of the reigning government. Unfortunately, in Bengal — a state that faces a dismal fiscal situation — the government's priorities have been skewed as a result of political necessities. Although we have a new government at the helm, it is important to realize that gross changes at the practical level cannot be initiated without having a team with experience and knowledge define a well-thought-out strategy. It is also essential to have a government that is willing to fulfil the financial needs necessary for the strategy to work. It is difficult, if not impossible, to paint a picture of the present state of public health in West Bengal and to suggest measures to rectify the same in a short article like this. My intention is to highlight the core problems plaguing the system and to suggest solutions based on accepted principles of public health and healthcare management. The steps that need to be taken are as follows: reducing disease burden, including infectious diseases as well as non-communicable epidemics like diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease; restructuring the existing primary healthcare system to make it more accountable; creating a skilled and professional workforce which is quality driven; financial planning to bring more investment to the health sector. Reducing disease burden is the cornerstone of any good health policy. The factors that help reduce communicable diseases are clean drinking water, improved sanitation and an effective vaccination programme. A paradigm shift, from the prevalent curative approach to a preventive approach, including health promotion by inculcating behavioural changes, is imperative to reduce disease burden. West Bengal is one of four states that urgently needs high investment in safe drinking water and toilet facilities. It is estimated that Rs 18,000 crore is required to provide effective drinking water and sanitation facilities for the entire country. Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha would account for more than 60 per cent of the total outlay. Similarly, a huge investment is required to provide nutritional supplements to malnourished children and pregnant and lactating mothers living below the poverty line. According to a report by the national commission on macroeconomics and health, West Bengal would need to harness an additional resource requirement of rupees (in crore) 1,286, 2,459, 4,693, 13,811 and 8,485 in sectors such as health, water and sanitation, nutrition, primary schooling and roads. It has been projected that in the next five years West Bengal will spend a large portion of its revenues on wages and salaries, interest payments and pensions, leaving very little for discretionary expenditure in the field of health. It is imperative that the present government rethink and strategize in collaboration with the Centre to ensure the appropriate funding necessary to make the state healthy. Restructuring the present healthcare delivery system is also equally important. Most primary healthcare centres are old, dilapidated buildings with few or no facilities. Some do not even have basic resources like healthcare workers or pharmacists. What is required is a radical overhaul of the existing system. There are differences in health systems of different countries. A State-run health system, such as the one in Canada, suffers from delayed medical care. A privately-run health system like the one in the US provides only limited health services to its poor. India's healthcare should carve out the best of both systems. Private healthcare is thriving in India. It is uncontrolled and aimed at profit-making. Government-run hospitals are poorly managed, providing few or no facilities to those living below the poverty line. Different models have been suggested to take care of this disparity. While private investment will always be geared towards profit-making, it is mandatory to rein in these bodies under well-defined rules. Large private hospitals in the US are non-profit bodies, which have to follow stringent rules in patient care. At the other end of the spectrum is the National Health Service in Britain in which small, medium and even a few large hospitals are making way for a more competent and accountable government-controlled health system with fewer hospitals. Human resource management is very important in running an effective health system. One of the biggest lacunae of government health service is its poor human-resource management. Many physicians are not paid appropriate salaries or are posted in places that are not of their choice. Political intervention and favouritism play a big role in posting physicians. Consequently, dedicated physicians who want to serve the public or work in the academic setting found in government hospitals are forced to remain in private hospitals. To boost morale and efficacy, discipline needs to be instituted in the system and a transparent posting policy adopted. The doctor-population ratio needs to be improved by filling up vacancies in the West Bengal health service. It is important to free postings from the grip of bureaucrats to ensure the registration of quality candidates. Physicians failing to report to duty or indulging in indiscipline must be punished. Doctors who do sign up need to provide relevant and quality medical care. This can only be done if some form of recertification of doctors is made mandatory once every 10 years. Physicians' salaries in the state health service must be made on a par with those of the Central government to make sure that it remains a lucrative option. Senior physicians providing exemplary public service must be rewarded for the same. A commonly-held notion is that most physicians run after the lucrative salaries that are offered in private hospitals. Hence it is difficult to retain them in the government sector. This, however, is true of a minority. The majority of physicians are willing to work in a healthy, progressive and academic environment if there are appropriate non-financial incentives. Let us take the example of Christian Medical College, Vellore. Most of the faculty there are paid salaries that are much lower than those of the private sector. However, physicians are provided with other facilities such as good housing, free schools, free-to-highly-subsidized college education and, most importantly, a progressive and research oriented work environment. West Bengal lags behind many other states when it comes to medical education. There is an urgent need to increase the number of medical colleges in the state. Private investment for the same should be welcomed but appropriate laws must be instituted so that huge capitation fees are not charged for seats. Furthermore, selection should be made through competitive examinations. A certain percentage of seats can be reserved for the economically weaker sections. Students passing out of such medical colleges must be given postings in rural hospitals. This has been true on paper for many decades now, but the rule has been poorly implemented even in government-run medical colleges. Innovative schemes ought to be thought of to involve the cash-rich private sector to service the medical needs of the state. Private institutions using government money or land must be asked to provide free service to 20 per cent of their capacity. Appropriate punitive measures — such as temporarily withholding or cancelling licences — can be taken when a private institution fails to honour this commitment. Institutions willing to set up large hospitals, particularly around Calcutta, must be helped through the provision of low-cost land. But in return, promises to set up satellite hospitals in far-flung district headquarters have to be met. The biggest challenge to the rejuvenation of the healthcare system is the garnering of funds. West Bengal is financially broke, thanks to the misrule of the communists. Unlike most other communist rulers, our home-grown variants failed to provide basic sanitation, good roads, a working healthcare system and appropriate nutritional supplements to women and children. The lack of social services resulted in poor health and in increased mortality among the vulnerable sections of society. Government efforts to improve basic health services must fund programmes that provide sanitation, nutritional supplements, and daily meals for school-going children. Substantial investments in these sectors can reduce mortality in children. It is popular to blame doctors for not being able to save severely ill, malnourished children. But things won't change unless determined steps are taken to root out the problems, such as poor funds, minimal resources and an incompetent workforce, that affect the West Bengal health service. In the next five years, in collaboration with the Centre and the non-government organizations involved in public health, the state government must chalk out a definitive strategy to improve the supply of clean drinking water, provide better sanitation and one full meal to school-going children and arrange for nutritional supplements to pregnant women. Private investment should be wooed in the health sector to set up hospitals in large metropolitan areas as well as in small district towns. While government land is needed at an appropriate price to help investors build hospitals, steps must be taken to bring about the inclusion of the deprived sections in their service plans. Strong regulatory bodies that can monitor private hospitals and nursing homes must be instituted. Many of the profiteering health institutions do not provide basic facilities, lack trained nurses and paramedical staff, and some are even run by quacks without medical degrees. It is of utmost importance that a regulatory body conducts surprise checks on these institutions, registers complaints and takes remedial steps. Many NGOs have been able to set up large projects benefiting thousands of people. They have also succeeded in bringing foreign aid to tackle malaria and HIV. The state government should help these NGOs achieve their goals while exercising control to prevent financial irregularities. Their services ought to be applauded and single-window processing of applications instituted to help them tackle bureaucratic delays. Health is a service industry and not a lucrative business. Unfortunately, in Bengal, most large hospitals are owned by corporates. Only a few are owned or run by doctors. There is thus a sustained effort to make profit. Poor consumer protection makes the man on the street vulnerable to substandard service at high prices. These are trying times for Bengal, after years of mismanagement in the health sector. It is important for the present rulers to rectify the situation by laying down the stepping stones for a better tomorrow. Tuesday, November 22, 2011 Nursing a critically ill state back to health Indranill Basu Ray highlights the core problems that afflict Bengal’s health sector and suggests a few ways to improve the situation

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If you want to really enjoy your fly fishing experience then you must consider river fly fishing. It is a great way to angle and your time by the banks of a river can be made more enjoyable if you ensure using the right kind of river fly fishing tackle. This means that you must [...]Read More... Bass Fishing and Fishing - Looking For Some Fun Fishing Tips? Check These Out! - Tips on Fly Fishing - The Basics of Fly Fishing Tackle - The Basics of Fly Fishing Rods - Practical Tips: Fly Fishing for Beginners - How to Fly Fish Tips - Fly Fishing Vacation Spots - Fly Fishing on Saltwaters . - Finding the Right Fly Fishing Store - Familiarize yourself with Fly Fishing Equipments . - Different Fly Fishing Techniques - Buying Your Tuna Fishing Gear - Choosing Tuna Fishing Lures - Finding Tuna Fishing Charters - How to Get a Permit for Tuna Fishing

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Harry Jerome Awards On October 21, 1982, a meeting was held where a decision was made to form an association and a steering committee including Al Hamilton, publisher of Contrast Newspaper, Denham Jolly and Bromley Armstrong. Incorporated in July 1983, the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) is a non-profit charitable organization that serves to address equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development. Following the October 1982 meeting, it was decided to honour the six Black Canadian athletes who excelled at that year’s Commonwealth Games: Angela Taylor-Issanjenko, Ben Johnson, Mark McKoy, Milt Ottey, Tony Sharpe and Desai Williams. A dinner was suggested at which Harry Jerome, Canada’s premiere track and field athlete of the 1960s would be invited to be the keynote speaker. However, before he could be invited, Harry Jerome died suddenly in December 1982. The group then decided to turn the celebration into a tribute to Harry Jerome and an awards ceremony to honour the six athletes. The name “Harry Jerome Awards” was proposed by Hamlin Grange and so the first Harry Jerome Awards was held on March 5, 1983. The Harry Jerome Awards is now a national event that recognizes and honours excellence in African Canadian achievement. In addition to the Harry Jerome Awards, the BBPA sponsors the Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund, providing financial support to African Canadian youth pursuing higher education. The idea for the Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund was provided by Hamlin Grange and realized through the efforts of Kamala-Jean Gopie, Pamela Appelt, Sheila Simpson and Beverly Mascoll. Journalist Cynthia Reyes was the BBPA’s president at the time. Under the leadership of Verlyn Francis, in 1996 the scholarship fund established an endowment fund and attracted corporate sponsorship. Today the Fund awards some thirty scholarships each year. For more information, please visit our website at The Harry Jerome Awards Website

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A “magic” herb, Carissa Edulis, that drew thousands of people to a remote Loliondo village in Tanzania was identified by Kenyan scientists a few years ago as a cure for a drug-resistant strain of a sexually transmitted disease, gonorrhoea. This herb also is believed to cure many other diseases besides gonorrhoea. The Kamba refer to as mukawa or mutote and use it for chest pains, while the Nandi boil the leaves and bark to treat breast cancer, headache and chest pains. Researchers discovered the plant could be used for the treatment of the herpes virus. Led by Dr Festus M Tolo of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), the team from the University of Nairobi and the National Museums of Kenya found the herb could provide an alternative remedy for herpes infections. “An extract preparation from the roots of Carissa edulis, a medicinal plant locally growing in Kenya, has exhibited remarkable anti-herpes virus activity for both wild type and drug resistant strains,” they reported in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

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ASL 195 Special Topics in American Sign Language • V1-5 Cr. Allows specialized or in-depth study of subjects related to American Sign Language and deaf culture. Topics are announced in the quarterly class schedule. Prerequisite: Current ASL students. After completing this class, students should be able to: - Special topics course. Outcomes dependent upon selected topic each quarter.

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