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Another semester, another academic paper on one of my all time favorite topics, Japanese popular culture. This time, it deals with the relationship between Japanese popular culture and Soft Power, the ability for one country to control another country's wants and values through non-traditional means.
By now, it really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that my interest of Anime and Japanese popular culture extends beyond the boundaries of a mere hobby. Right now, it's also a big, big part of my academic life. As the old adage goes: "Do what you love, love what you do, and you'll never have to work a day in your life".
Well, technically speaking, that's complete bull because, believe me, writing this paper was not an easy task to accomplish. Hours of research, sleepless nights and sweat went into this paper and I'm ecstatic to say that all that effort was not in vain as I got quite a good grade for it.
As with all the other papers on my blog, the rest of this post will be sans pictures.
With that, I present to you the final draft of my work, untouched, for your reading pleasure. It can get rather technical at times, but I do hope you enjoy reading it. (^.^)
Japanese popular culture has gained significant popularity in the international market in recent years, especially in the Asian market. Such popular culture products range from pop music, television dramas, anime and manga to all the derivative merchandise that these media products spawn. The demand for and consumption of anime and other Japanese popular culture products is at an all-time high. In Singapore, for instance, the anime industry has been projected to grow 5% annually (CNN, 2010). There is also an increased awareness of Japanese popular culture thanks to the proliferation in the number of internet users in recent years. Not to mention, the opportunities for fans of Japanese popular culture to meet and purchase various merchandise has increased as well. This can be seen from the multitude of conventions and cosplay events celebrating Japanese popular culture around the world.
With this increased consumption and sales of Japanese popular culture and cultural products all over the world, the Japanese government is hoping to utilize the soft power that is brought about thorough Japanese popular culture to improve its own image and to influence the opinions of other countries such as China to gain diplomatic power. This can be seen from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' numerous initiatives to look into the connection between popular culture and diplomacy (Otmazgin 2008). However, despite the Japanese government's faith in soft power, does Japanese popular culture actually give Japan more diplomatic and political power?
As mentioned briefly in the introduction, Joseph Nye originally invented the term 'soft power' in his 1991 book Bound to Lead. This term was used to explain the increasing spread and influence of American popular culture overseas. The term is most commonly defined as a non-traditional way in which a country can influence another country's wants or its public's values (McGray 2002) and in so doing, gaining political and diplomatic power – the traditional way being 'hard power' or power through military and political strength.
Many scholars have conducted research into the issue of soft power and Japanese popular culture. While not denying the popularity of Japanese popular culture overseas, David Leheny (2006) believes that the effect of Japanese popular culture on consumers is minimal and that liking Japanese popular culture does not equate to liking any other aspect of Japanese culture. This is a view that is shared by Douglas McGray (2002) as he notes that consumers "thought little of studying or working in Japan…". Nissim Kaadosh Otmazgin (2008), however, proposes that Japanese popular culture is effective in improving the image of Japan in the eyes of popular culture consumers, but not its political influence and hold on other countries. Similarly, Peng Er Lam (2007) feels that it would not be easy for the Government to utilize soft power, given its limitations and how hard it is to connect support for Japanese cultural products and support for the state.
First hand research has also been done on the influence of Japanese popular culture on the Singaporean students by Hao Xiaoming and Teh Leng Leng (2004). However, the scope of the project was restricted to only the changing perceptions of the Japanese people and products and the demographic was limited to Singaporean students. The research did not cover fandom or perceptions of other aspects of Japanese culture, society and state.
It is agreed upon by the above mentioned scholars that Japanese popular culture does create a more favorable image of Japan or a 'Cool Japan', but popular culture has very little soft power when it comes to other aspects of Japanese culture, politics and diplomatic power. Some of the reasons that were cited include the lack of unique Japanese values, ideals and "Japaneseness" present within Japanese popular culture and the lack of control that the state has over these cultural products and their consumption.
The Japanese government, however, believes that there is potential in soft power. In 2007, then Minister of Foreign Affairs Aso Taro adopted Japanese popular culture as a diplomatic tool and mentioned that, "We have a grasp on the hearts of the young people in many countries…" (Lam 2007).
This paper aims to take an in-depth look at Japanese popular culture itself, its consumption and its effects to see if it actually gives Japan any soft power. Some further areas that are investigated in this paper include: What the Japanese government hopes to achieve with soft power and Japanese popular culture, the "Japaneseness", or lack thereof, in Japanese popular culture, challenges that Japanese popular culture and soft power faces and possible benefits that Japan can yield from popular culture other than soft power.
The paper consists of a literature review focusing on materials relevant to the study of soft power. This will include academic writing on Japanese popular culture and soft power and information on the Japanese government's interest in soft power. One of the limitations of this paper is that it is based solely on secondary sources as there is a lack of resources and time. Thus, I will not be able to conduct any primary research.
Some limitations that I faced during the research for this paper is that there was an insufficient amount of conclusive first-hand research done dealing with the link between soft power and Japanese popular culture products. There was also a lack of a clear way of defining, quantifying and measuring soft power.
1. The Traditional Definition of Soft Power
The concept of soft power itself has been subject to criticism as a concrete definition has remained somewhat elusive. Aside from the definition of soft power as described in his 1991 book Bound to Lead, in a future article, Nye defines soft power in numerous other ways as "the ability to shape the preferences of others" (p.5), "the ability to attract, and attraction often leads to acquiescence" (p.6), "A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries – admiring values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness – want to follow it" (p.5) and "a key element of leadership. The power to attract – to get others to want what you want, to frame the issues, to set the agenda" (Nye 2004).
In this paper, I will be taking the definition of being able to shape a country's wants and public values to gain political and diplomatic power as the traditional definition as it is the most commonly recognized and accepted definition by scholars.
So, in terms of this traditional definition of soft power, does Japanese popular culture in today's world actually give the Japanese government more diplomatic power? In other words, is it able to affect "another county's wants or its public's values" and in so doing, translating to more diplomatic and political power for the Japanese government? The Japanese government certainly seems to think so.
1.1 The Japanese Government's Hopes for Soft Power
Japanese popular culture: "fashion, telecommunication, entertainment and in particular the multimedia culture of anime, manga and computer and video games, including all related merchandising, collectibles and toys – became the fastest growing components and among the most successful export industries of Japan's recession-stricken economy" (Machiyama 2004, p.15).
The government did not pay much attention to popular culture, which was already an extremely lucrative domestic industry, until the 1990s. The reasons for increased interest would be because of the realization of the economic value and increasing popularity of popular culture products. However, an even more important reason would be the strong positive reception that overseas markets had to these Japanese popular culture products (Daliot-bul 2009).
The appeals of soft power for the Japanese government are numerous. One of the main hopes for 'Cool Japan' is to improve Japan's image from a country that is associated with many 'Uncool' images such as "lifetime employment, examination hell, rigid gender differentiation, and obsessive deference to authority" (Leheny 2006, p.222). Soft power also represents "a way for nonmilitary Japan to have an effect on global politics" by making Japan seem more "trustworthy" and, in so doing, "increasing international friendship and trust".(Leheny 2006, p.223).
The Japanese government has already made a number of efforts and set up initiatives to capitalize on Japanese popular culture and any potential soft power that can be gained. For example, they hope to harness Japanese popular culture in order to improve its international image when threatened with a rising China power. In April 2006, Foreign Minister Aso Taro proposed that manga and anime could be the way to China's heart and that they have a grasp on the hearts of young people in many countries, commenting on the multitude of anime shops in China. (Lam 2007) Aso also said in his policy speech to the Diet in January 2007 that he had adopted Japanese popular culture as a diplomatic tool, using anime and manga as novel instruments of global outreach and appeal.
In terms of initiatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication established the Japan Media Communication Center (JAMCO) which subsidizes the export of television programs to developing countries. Initiatives like the featuring of an article entitled 'Japan Brand: How to Convey the Qualities the Nation has to Offer' in an issue of Gaiko Foramu which discussed the role that Japanese popular culture could play in Japan's diplomacy indicates MOFA's increasing interest in the potential soft power that Japanese popular culture products had to offer\ (Otmazgin 2008). To increase its international competitiveness, the Japanese government introduced a new national policy in 2002 that "focuses on intangible intellectual property in the form of innovative and creative products, spearheaded by Japanese media content such as anime, manga and game software" (Daliot-bul 2009, p.248). In April of 2003, Japan Foundation's 'International Exchange Research Committee' published its annual report on the prospects for Japan's diplomacy. This report placed a heavy emphasis on the "potential of Japanese culture to draw a sympathetic 'national image' of Japan and assist its overseas diplomatic aims, extensively emphasizing the rising importance of new powers in today's diplomacy, characterizing them as 'soft power' and 'Gross National Cool'" (Otmazgin 2008, p.81).
The initiatives mentioned above are but some of the many moves that Japan has made and are making to explore this relatively new area of commercial export in the hopes of channeling the popularity of Japanese popular culture into diplomatic and political power. Unfortunately, it would seem that the Japanese government is also abusing the terms 'Cool Japan' by using them for the proposals and marketing slogans of other "unrelated government-led policies and projects" (Daliot-bul 2009). Dailot-bul also goes on to say that such an act will only result in the trivialization and exhaustion of the term.
1.2 Lack of "Japaneseness" in Japanese Popular Culture
In the past, Japanese popular culture products, such as anime, J-Pop and video games, however, are said to lack any distinct Japanese traits. This practice of culturally neutering products that were meant to be exported overseas originated after the Second World War. Producers felt that it was necessary to mask their identity to avoid the stigma that the products will ultimately have due to their legacy of war time brutality (Allison 2002). She sites the example of Sony who, during the post war period, designed their export products to be global "sekai no" as opposed to Japanese "nihonrashii" (Allison 2000). This was, according to Iwabuchi (2002), a mukokuseki quality, "products whose attractiveness for the consumer has little to do with images associated with the country of origin", that most Japanese popular culture products carry. He also says that these popular culture products do not "market the Japanese way of life" (Iwabuchi 2002, p.55).
While not directly influenced by the Japanese producers, the mukokuseki quality and international appeal of Japanese popular culture was certainly evident in the popular 1990s American remake Power Rangers, which was originally based on a Japanese tokusatsu or special effects television show. American networks felt that changes to the show to remove its "Japaneseness", also known as the process of Americanization, were necessary for an American audience to accept it (Allison 2006). The Japanese cultural elements were removed and scenes were re-shot with American actors. Some people in the children's entertainment business felt that that the original was 'too foreign' and needed to be 'translated' to suit American tastes. The popular opinion at the time was that "no show with Japanese actors could achieve wide popularity in the US" (Allison 2000, p.76). Despite this removal of the "Japaneseness", Power Rangers was a smash hit in America, outranking all other children's television programs in the United States and becoming an international success. The "Japaneseness" is also blamed by Bandai of Japan for Sailormoon's failure in the US as they felt that the show, which contained Japanese writings, places and food was just 'too different'. (Allison 2000) Allison herself, however, believes that its (mis)marketing was to blame for the failure.
As these Japanese popular culture products do not depend exclusively on their "Japaneseness" for their popularity and lack unique Japanese traits and values, they have little soft power as they are not able to attract consumers of Japanese popular culture to Japan itself.
There are scholars such as Aoki Tamotsu (2001) who lend credence to this claim and deny any link between Japanese popular culture and interest in Japan, citing the example of a shrinking Japanese studies center in Europe, despite the fact that children there are watching Pokemon, a highly popular Japanese media-mix franchise consisting of games, toys and more.
One explanation for the consumers' lack of interest in Japan would be that the consumers of such products do not even know that the items that they consume are derived from Japan.
Anne Allison (2003), however, begs to disagree. While it was indeed true that most American youths she interviewed in the 1990s did not know that Power Rangers was originally from Japan (2006), a survey that she conducted with a group of American children regarding Pokemon almost two decades later revealed that all of the children knew that Pokemon came from Japan. As Anne Allison's survey was conducted in the later 2000s, one cannot be certain if the proliferation of internet usage has led to the greater awareness of the origin of Pokemon. In another article however, Allison (2002) also acknowledged the fact that knowing that Pokemon was from Japan was not a main reason in explaining its popularity. The main attracting factor for children and fans of Pokemon "comes down to a consumer good: a much-loved, interactive, cute play-thing" (Allison 2002, p.9) and the attractiveness of this imaginary world that Pokemon is able to create for children.
Still, I believe that there has been a change in the reasons for consumption and consumption habits of the older and newer generation of youths. Possibly due to the increase in computer and internet literacy, youths today are more active and knowledgeable about Japanese popular culture. Anne Allison (mill) notes this change in the way that Japanese programming is handled now on television in the United States. A stark contrast to the previous practice of censoring and whitewashing Japanese cultural flavor from anime, anime that is broadcasted today in America has their "Japaneseness" not only retained, but emphasized and presented as the very thing that attracts audiences. Many fans who desire the authentic unadulterated Japanese product go to the extent of studying the Japanese language in their high schools and universities. It is also worthy to note that unlike the mukokuseki popular culture of the past, the recent Japanese popular culture products such as anime are now "positioned in a detailed way within the specific Japanese cultural context" (Yoshitaka 2011, p.11) that do indeed have Japanese cultural elements such as traditions and customs within them. Then again, anime today might be becoming too Japanese. As Yoshitaka Mori continues, recent anime like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Lucky Star, K-On! and Puella Magi Madoka Magica do indeed contain a lot of "Japaneseness", but they may be "too sophisticated" (Yoshitaka 2011, p.11). She argues that, while they are indeed extremely popular, these anime are only popular within a niche group of foreign anime fans or otaku. For Japanese popular culture to allow the Japanese government to wield any significant soft power, anime and Japanese popular culture must be able to appeal to a large audience.
Not only that, Allison is careful to emphasize that this increase in the interest in Japanese popular culture for its "Japaneseness" and the increased "Japaneseness" in popular culture products does not translate to an increase in soft power for Japan. She goes on to further explain this by citing the results of the reviews that she conducted with some of the anime watching audience. The most common sentiment of fans as to why they like Japanese popular culture is because 'Japanese Cool' is essentially different from American popular culture products and entertainment. While the youths do consume anime and other popular culture products for their "Japaneseness", they do not do so because they find Japan itself as a "compelling culture, power, or place that gets signified" (Allison 2006, p.18). They do so simply because of its difference from American popular culture and view Japan as more of a "cool" brand that signifies this difference, nothing more.
Not to mention, this interest in Japan does not fit with the traditional definition of soft power, in the sense that it does not alter the public values nor does it give the Japanese government any diplomatic or political power.
Interestingly enough, Iwabuchi (2002) explains in his paper that cultural proximity is a big reason as to why Japanese dramas have taken hold in Taiwan, the complete opposite of Allison's explanation of the popularity of Japanese popular culture in America. He explains that in Taiwan, American popular culture such as Hollywood movies and television shows are seen as being very foreign and Japanese dramas being relatable. As a watcher of Japanese dramas in Taiwan put it "The distance we feel between us and Japan is comfortable. Americans are complete strangers" (Iwabuchi 2002, p.67). Again, while the Taiwanese viewers can relate to Japan better, Iwabuchi does warn us that that does not make the values that they can relate to uniquely Japanese as qualities like 'romance' and 'trendiness' are culturally odorless.
Yet, in interviews conducted by Nissim Kadosh Otmazgin with Japanese popular culture fans, only two of the sixty-five interviewees (from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Seoul) suggested that the success of Japanese popular culture hinges on the products' embodiment of an 'Asian cultural substance', which the local audiences can relate to. (Otmazgin 2007) Instead, some of the main claims as to why they liked Japanese popular culture products was because they felt that Japanese popular culture products were "'creative', 'interesting', 'funny' and of 'high quality' (in comparison to the other American, Korean or local made products)" (Otmazgin 2007, p.94). This finding is consistent with Lisa Leung Yuk Ming's (2002) finding as her interviewees, from Hong Kong, found Japanese dramas to be "generally better produced, with better developed story lines" and their "high quality compared to similar Hong Kong productions" (Leung 2002).
Another possible reason raised by Iwabuchi for the positive reception of Japanese dramas in Taiwan is because they see Japan, or more specifically, Japan as portrayed in popular culture, as mirror or reflection of their own country and lifestyle in the future. To the viewers of Japanese dramas in Taiwan, "things 'American' are dreams to be yearned for and conceptual forms to be pursued, but things 'Japanese are examples to be emulated and commodities to be acquired" (Iwabuchi 2002, p.72).
The above point is supported by Nakano Yoshiko and Wu Yongmei (2003) in their research that was conducted in five different cities in China. Like the Taiwanese, many Chinese also see the Japan that is portrayed in Japanese dramas and popular culture as a "mirror and crystal ball" (Leheny 2006, p.230).
So, in a sense, because these people see Japan as a country to emulate, a possible future and symbol of modernity that they can strive to achieve, this theory does prove to a small extent that Japanese popular culture does have soft power in the sense that the Japanese dramas were able to "shape the preferences" (Nye 2004) of the watchers in Taiwan and China. Still, this does not give Japan any increase in diplomatic or political power.
1.3 Other Challenges and Limitations Facing Japanese Popular Culture and Soft Power
As argued by Bruce Russett (1985), America's popular culture products in the 1980s such as blue jeans and rock and roll gave America soft power as the people from other countries who were consuming these popular culture items wanted to emulate America. But it was not only the style and fashion of America that they wanted to follow. They also wanted to emulate the values that these American popular culture products embodied – values such as freedom, liberalism, openness and tolerance of other cultures. These values and cultural synonymous that create an American identity, according to David Leheny (2006), are what truly gave American popular culture products its soft power.
Peng Er Lam (2007) claims that Japan itself does not have any universal values and ideals as opposed to the US in which its values are desired and globally accepted – values such as the ones mentioned above. Peng Er Lam cites Japan's "poor treatment of its ethnic minorities (Japan-born Koreans and the Burakumins) and memories of wartime atrocities among the Chinese and Koreans" as an example.
The above point is also shared by Joseph Nye as he states that a country that is likely to gain soft power in the information age must be one "whose dominant culture and ideas are closer to prevailing global norms (which now emphasize liberalism, pluralism, and autonomy)" (Nye 2002, p.6). Otmazgin, however goes one step further and says that the "idea of culture as carrying and disseminating subliminal values and ideals is strikingly missing in the Japanese discourse" and that "there is no obvious intention to disseminate subliminal Japanese values or ideals through popular culture" (Otmazgin 2007 p.82).
To add on to that, Otmazgin (2007) says that one weakness of Japanese soft power is that it is up to the consumer to decide how and if they want to be affected by Japanese popular culture. Otmazgin, in his research, concludes that admiration of Japanese society and culture is "not the result of conscientious coercion on the part of the state, but is rather cultivated through consumerist choice" (Otmazgin 2007, p.97) He goes on to say that any effect that Japanese popular culture has on its audience is not within the control of the Japanese government and that it does not create any new 'spheres of influence' for the state, hence, getting soft power from Japanese popular culture products is not practical. Asahi also stated that "only other countries can decide what soft attributes will make Japan attractive as an ally" (Lam 2007, p.355), coinciding with Otmazgin's view.
Other limitations of Japanese soft power brought up by Peng Er Lam (2007) include how easy it is to undermine any soft power that the Japanese government has managed to amass with clumsy and insensitive behaviors and statements made by nationalistic leaders. He cites the example of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo who denied that Tokyo's wartime government's usage of Asian women as sex slaves. This could result in the loss of any of its 'attractiveness' that Japan has built up. In another case, anti-Japanese sentiments erupted in China, South Korea and Singapore over the acceptance of a school textbook in Japan that ignores its wartime atrocities (Otmazgin 2008).
Dal Yong Jin (2003) believes that Japanese popular culture does not have any significant cultural power as, at the time of his research, there have only been a small number of super-popular cultural products in foreign countries, namely Sailor Moon and Pokemon. He then brings up three significant challenges that Japanese popular culture faces.
Firstly, due to Japan's past of wartime brutality, colonialism and military occupation, Japanese popular culture products have found it difficult to gain acceptance in counties like "Taiwan (population 22.1 million) and Korea (47.3 million), (which) were former Japanese colonies where, until the 1990s, policies against Japanese cultural products were in place." (Nakano 2002, p.234).
Not only do the policies affect the ability of Japanese popular culture products to penetrate these countries, some people find it difficult to separate Japanese popular culture products from Japan's past actions. In an interview conducted by Hiroshi Aoyagi with a Filipino female, she stated that Japan needs to reflect on their past actions during the Second World War so as not to make the same mistake with the Cool Japan initiative (Aoyagi 2010). Indeed, there have also been similar fears of cultural imperialism expressed by South East Asians, "especially those who are not willing to forget history" (Aoyagi 2010, p.10) .
As mentioned in the previous sections, the Japanese government is hoping to use Japanese popular culture as a means of improving its image in East Asia and to rid itself of the sigma of its wartime actions. However, this can easily backfire if 'Cool Japan' were to become too political as Japan would then have to deal with an "uproar sooner or later against (a) not so small portion of approximately 30 million overseas Chinese" (Aoyagi 2010, p.10).
However, in interviews with youths from Hong Kong and Bangkok, Otmazgin found out that Japan's occupation period played a very small and insignificant role in the way that they viewed Japanese popular culture and Japan. In Seoul, youths "chose to describe Japan in both positive and negative terms, differentiating between their criticism of the Japan state and their admiration of contemporary aspiring aspects of Japanese society and culture" (Otmazgin 2007, p.95).
This difference in opinions expressed here could be related to the difference between the ages of Aoyagi and Otmazgin's interviewees. Of course, this could also be a result of a geographical difference or a difference in personal opinions. All in all, while Japan's atrocities have not been forgotten nor overlooked, there seems to be a consensus that the youths of today do not associate Japanese popular culture with Japanese politics and the Japanese state. While this might be a good thing for the spread and acceptance of Japanese popular culture it is precisely because the youths view politics and popular culture as separate that Japan does not get any political or diplomatic power from popular culture.
The second point brought up by Dal Yong Jin is that the Japanese language has lost "its grip as the lingua franca of the region" (Jin 2003, p.341). He notes that language popularity and fluency is tied together with the exportability of cultural products and says that the younger generation prefers to study Chinese and English due to the fact that such languages have more economic viability (Jin 2003). Douglas McGray (2002) concurs by saying that "most foreigners will never penetrate the barriers of language…". (McGray 2002, p.9) Allison (2006) is quick to point out that this might be changing in recent times as the more dedicated fans of Japanese popular culture are actually going out of their way to learn the language in order to enjoy the unadulterated product straight from Japan.
Finally, the last major challenge that Japanese popular culture faces, according to Dal Yong Jin (2003), is the dominance of America's popular culture products in East Asia. This might definitely have been the case during the time of his research. However, as evidenced from the research done by Iwabuchi and Lisa Leung Yuk Ming, the cultural power is slowly starting to shift away from America as more and more Asians start to watch more Japanese Dramas and anime.
While the situation has improved significantly from the time of his research, it is undeniable that the above challenges do hinder Japanese popular culture from being even more popular and widely accepted than it already is.
2. Soft Power? The Positive Effects of Popular Culture
As discussed in the previous sections, when defined in the traditional sense, the link between Japanese popular culture and soft power is tenuous at best and is still up for debate – the lack of hard evidence, conclusive research and a multitude of varying opinions being partly to blame. But that is not to say that Japanese popular culture has absolutely no positive effects for Japan.
One of the most immediate positive effects of the increased popularity and consumption of Japanese popular culture is its economic benefits. It is a known fact that Japan is the world's second biggest producer of content in culture (Otmazgin 2007). As quoted from the Marubeni Economic Research Institute, Japan's global cultural export value, including "the media, copyrights, publishing, fashion, and other related entertainments and fine art has tripled in the last 11 years" (Otmazgin 2007, 79), totaling as much as 10.5 trillion Japanese yen. This is no mean feat as Japan's manufacturing sector's exports only increased by 20 percent during the same period. This is especially crucial in helping Japan's "recession-stricken economy" (Machiyama 2004 p.15).
Next, as we have already discussed, the Japanese government wants to create a favorable image of Japan, or 'Cool Japan', through Japanese popular culture. While definite effects of Japanese popular culture on Japan's diplomatic and political power are unclear, it is undoubtedly creating a more favorable image of Japan itself. Regardless of whether "Japaneseness" exists in Japanese popular culture and whether or not audiences are consuming Japanese popular culture for its "Japaneseness", it is an undeniable fact that audiences are now more aware than ever that the entertainment they consume originates from Japan. To many youth audiences, the simple fact that Japan is the producer of the content that they enjoy makes Japan 'cool' in their eyes. As one of Allison's interviewees, a ten year old boy, told her, "Japan is cool because it is the producer of cool things for American kids: Nintendo games, Sony Walkman and Pokemon". (Allison 2002) She notes that even though the idea of Japan is disconnected from the games and products that they consume, many of these children are showing a greater interest in Japan. Some of them even saying that "they now want to visit Japan or learn the language or study more about it in school" (Allison 2000).
This finding is supported by Otmazgin's interviewees as they have also stated that their exposure and consumption of Japanese popular culture products have interested some interviewees in other areas of Japan such as food, customs, sports and fashion. Many also said that they would like to visit Japan. Fabian Jintae Froese and Yasuyuki Kishi (2011) conducted first hand research to find out if media exposure affected the attractiveness of prospective employers. A survey was done on a group of 2400 university students from six Asian countries, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines. The results they obtained indicated that media exposure had a significant impact on applicant attraction. For instance, those who had "more Japanese exposure were more attracted to Japanese prospective employees" (Froese and Kishi 2011, p. 16).
While this is definitely not indicative of an increase in political and diplomatic power, this improved image of Japan has the potential to increase the number of tourists and foreign workers going to Japan, which will be of significant aid to the struggling Japanese economy.
Still, the Japanese government hopes that Japanese popular culture can increase its diplomatic power. Whilst we have seen that Japanese popular culture itself does not inherently contain nor produce soft power, the Japan Foundation stresses that such cultural and educational exchange programs are important for Japan's diplomacy and that the improving of its "national image" can strengthen its global hand (Leheny 2006). However, as Otmazgin put it, "This (distribution of new images of Japan) is effective in attributing Japan with a new, friendlier appearance in the region, but its tangible use to wield political influence is doubtful" (Otmazgin 2007, p.97).
3. Conclusion
Even though Japanese popular culture is exceedingly popular overseas, by comparing and contrasting various secondary sources and first-hand researches conducted by scholars on the topic, I have shown that Japanese popular culture has very little soft power in the traditional sense of the definition – meaning that popular culture translates to very little diplomatic and political power for Japan.
This could be attributed to the fact that the consumers of Japanese popular culture do not think of Japan as they consume said products, whether it is due to the lack of "Japaneseness" in Japanese popular culture or a disconnect between Japanese popular culture products and Japan itself.
This lack of soft power in Japanese popular culture products can also be explained by the challenges and limitations that said products and soft power face when being exported to other countries. These limitations include the absence of any uniquely Japanese values within Japanese popular culture products and the resistance that is met by Japanese popular culture products in countries whose people have a feeling of animosity towards Japan due to Japan's past atrocities.
Yet, despite all of this, the youth of today are paying more and more attention to Japan and consuming more and more Japanese popular culture products. This could possibly be the result of a change in the consumption habits of youths – consuming Japanese popular culture because they find it culturally different or similar, depending on the country.
In conclusion, I can say that while there is little diplomatic and political power that can be gained from popular culture, its massive popularity is certainly beneficial for Japan. Not only does the increased consumption lead to an increase in export revenue, the improved image of Japan as a 'cool' creator of entertainment products has been attracting tourists and foreign workers which can help to bolster its struggling economy.
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Mori, Y. 2011. "The Pitfall Facing the Cool Japan Project: The Transnational Development of
the Anime Industry under the Condition of Post-Fordism," International Journal of Japanese Sociology. Volume 20, Issue 1, pp. 30–42
Nakano, Y. 2002. "Who initiates a global flow? Japanese popular culture in Asia," Visual
Communication 1:299 299-253
Nakano. Y. 2007 "Shared Memories: Japanese Pop Culture in China," In Soft Power
Superpowers: Cultural and National Assets of Japan and the United States, p. 236-258. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 200
Nye, J. S. 2002. "Hard and Soft Power in a Global Information Age," in, M. Leonard, ed. (2002)
Re-Ordering the World, London: Foreign Policy Centre, pp. 2-10.
Nye. J. S. 2004. "Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics," Public Affairs, New
York, NY, pp. 7-8
Otmazgin, N. K. 2008. "Contesting soft power: Japanese popular culture in East and Southeast
Asia," International Relations of the Asia-Pacific 8: 73-101
Peng, E.L. 2007. "Japan's Quest for "Soft Power": Attraction and Limitation," East Asia 24:
Russett, B. 1985. "The mysterious case of vanishing hegemony; or, Is Mark Twain really dead?,"
International Organization 39 : pp 207-231


text:
Status: Open
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Labor Finders can be found at Broadway Ave 300. The following is offered: Employment Services. The entry is present with us since Sep 10, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Summerdale there are 1 other Employment Services. An overview can be found here.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Abbate Primatist
|Azimut Yachts
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An increase in velocity moreover gives greater energy to the flow which will tend to separate from the rudder surface with increasingly higher values of incidence, as demonstrated by increase of the CLmax (maximum lift coefficient) and the critical incidence (Figure 1).
However, apart from these advantages, installation of the rudder behind the screw introduces numerous side effects, essentially connected with the non-stationary nature of the slipstream created by the screw and its interaction with the appendage. In particular: the propeller slipstream is characterised by strong cross-flow velocity elements due to the rotation effect imposed by the propulsor. In this way the rudder, even if it is constructed with symmetrical profiles and in cruising trim, will be working with non-zero values of hydrodynamic incidence and consequently with the possible increase of depression peaks on the dorsal edge and the triggering of cavitation, from speeds of around 20 knots (Figure 2).
The presence of cavitating zones leads to progressive erosion of the rudder surface with considerable repercussions both in economic terms - the need to periodically repair or replace damaged parts - and in terms of hydro-acoustics and comfort aboard for passengers and crew (Figure 3).
The impact of blade extremity vortices with the surface of the rudder causes a complex impulsive type stress at blade frequency (given by the product of the number of screw blades by rotation velocity in Hz) which contributes to heavy structural vibrations, sound emission and stresses of structure fatigue (Figure 4). This effect is increased as the thrust of the propulsor increases, due to the greater intensity of the whirlpool structures from the propeller;
The rudder may cause a general reduction in propeller performance and efficiency, in some cases accompanied by cavitation also on the prop blades themselves (configurations with the rudder very close to the propeller or pulling-POD type drives).
With view to giving an idea of how best to interpret the response of the rudder to the perturbing action of the propulsor it is worth pausing for a moment to look at the hydrodynamic features of flow upstream and downstream of the appendage.
The fluid-dynamic field around a rudder installed behind the propeller is manifested through a complex phenomenology that arises from the non-stationary and three-dimensional nature of the flow in which there coexist great vortex-filled structures (blade extremity vortices, rudder extremity vortices), powerful velocity gradients and high turbulence values.
Upstream of the appendage the flow is periodic and not uniform due to the effect of the slipstream created by the propulsor.
Distribution of velocities at the leading edge of the appendage modifies the distribution of hydrodynamic incidence with regard to nominal functioning conditions (rudder in uniform flow), with variations both in spatial terms, along the rudder opening (Figure 5), and in temporal terms, due to the highly non-stationary characteristics of incident flow (Figure 6).
All this has direct repercussions on the characteristics of the slipstream downstream, in particular:
The periodic nature of the screw slipstream determines a non- stationary progress of the angle of incidence along the leading edge of the rudder, which is manifested through a complex creation of vortices triggered by modulation of circulation to the variations in load (Helmholtz's theorem);
The presence of cross-flow velocity components in the propulsor slipstream induces high hydrodynamic incidences on the rudder, even in cruising trim. This circumstance determines the creation of intense vortex-filled structures, in correspondence to the sections at the root and at the extremity of the appendage, which interact with the slipstream created by the rotor, contributing to extreme distortion and destabilisation of the blade extremity vortices.
Interaction between the vortex-filled structures of the propulsor and the rudder is accompanied by a palpable increase in turbulence and consequently by a general drop in appendage efficiency. The energy absorbed by the turbulent movements is in fact an important indicator of the propeller-rudder system's hydrodynamic efficiency inasmuch as it represents that part of energy transferred from propulsor to flow which does not actively contribute to development of lift but is unfortunately dissipated or converted into noise and vibration. So in this sense the regions of flow where the peaks of turbulent intensity are found constitute potential sources of "noise" and cavitation (Figure 7).
The value of hydrodynamic incidence on certain sections of the rudder may in some cases reach critical value, causing detachment of the fluid vein with consequent loss of appendage efficiency (condition of hydrodynamic stalling).
Most directional rudders adopted in the shipbuilding field have symmetrical profiles with progressively increasing thicknesses from the extremity sections to those of the root and, in some cases, tapering with view to reducing hydrodynamic load in the extremity sections. This solution of course, while resulting in lower costs of design and construction, produces modest performances in hydrodynamic terms since it sets aside any implication deriving from interaction with propulsor slipstream.
Palpable improvement in performances may be obtained by aligning the profiles with the local direction of incident flow in such a way as to make up for the variations of the leading edge angle induced by the propulsor slipstream.
Of course the non-stationary nature of the hydrodynamic load on the rudder makes this condition wholly ideal since in practice it is not possible to modify the twist of the appendage at the same time as the variations of hydrodynamic incidence. A practically viable solution is rather to align each rudder profile with average flow direction during rotation of the propeller.
Alignment of the rudder profiles with the incident flow direction has a positive repercussion on the hydrodynamic efficiency of the appendage, and in particular:
minimising the local value of hydrodynamic incidence there is a reduction of peaks of depression on the dorsal surface of the rudder, thus delaying cavitation triggering conditions. On this subject, Figure 8 shows a diagram with the triggering limit in function of rudder angle and the cruising speed of the hull, with conventional rudder and twisted rudder: adoption of a twisted configuration produces an increase in speed and therefore cavitation arises at about 20%.
Reduction of hydrodynamic incidence determines a lower intensity of the vortices created by the rudder and therefore reduces the effects deriving from interaction with the vortex-filled structures of the screw.
Alignment of the profiles with the average direction of incident flow on the leading edge during rotation of the propeller consequently minimises problems linked to the non- stationary nature of the incident flow.
Experimental studies have demonstrated a slight performance increase in manoeuvres with regard to traditional configurations. In particular one may observe that alignment of the profiles with the local flow direction produces two positive effects on the lift coefficient, on the one hand increasing the critical angle of incidence and, on the other hand, producing greater response to the variations of rudder angle, as a consequence of the greater inclination of the lift line (Figure 9).
Twisted rudders are therefore the best compromise between the opposing needs of setting the appendage in an accelerated flow and of minimising the negative effects triggered by its interaction with the propulsor slipstream.
The availability of powerful diagnostic techniques of an experimental type and advanced instruments for numerical simulation and hydrodynamic optimisation have paved the way to the design of twisted rudders with a high degree of accuracy regarding objectives of comfort and manoeuvrability of the vessel. On this subject the National Institute for Naval Architecture Study and Experiment (INSEAN) has recently set up a programme aimed at fine- tuning a methodology that integrates skills acquired in the development of innovative numerical and experimental techniques for design and verification of new-concept high-performance rudders. The aim is to suggest and offer to shipyards an instrument that could become an integral part of boat design, guaranteeing a return both in terms of performance and financial profit.


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Sub-Total: $0.00
Exergen Smart Glow Thermometer Featured on Hello Jack Blog
The Exergen Smart Glow Thermometer was recently featured on the Hello Jack blog. The blogger went on to share that she was "was referred to the Exergen TemporalScanner as the best thermometer around," and that the Smart Glow "offers a safe, convenient, accurate and comfortable way take your child's temperature." The review also shares numerous product images and retail information.
To read the complete feature click here.
For additional product information please visit the Exergen website.


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1128 2nd Avenue South | Edmonds, Washington 98020
H: 425-759-8267 | C: 425-757-1326 | email@example.com
October 23, 20—
Mr. John D. Macomber
Presidential Search Committee
The Americas Society, Inc.
1280 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10021
Dear Mr. Macomber:
Please include my name on your list of persons interested in succeeding Russell Martin.
Last week in New York, Edward Page--who knows me well from my years with ASARCO--indicated that you hope to attract a major figure from the U.S. corporate world or a significant and highly-respected public official.
If you determine that the person you seek should function basically as:
then you should find my records interesting.
Having dedicated most of my working life to Latin America, including 15 years of residence in four countries, the strengths I would bring to the Society are:
My participation in the activities of the Americas Society goes back to the early 70s, and I am well known to some of your senior staff. Also:
I have become acquainted, through the good offices of his former general counsel, with Mr. William Davidson.
Thank you for considering me. I expect to be in New York in early November if you wish to schedule a meeting.
I'll call you,
Richard P. Ruby


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Creating briquettes from biomass is a brilliantly efficient way to save on your energy bills and get rid of waste products and biomass waste. Briquettes are a form of sustainable energy and biomass briquettes, such as wood, sawdust or charcoal briquettes, made by specialist briquette machines, are widely used in both industrial and domestic settings for heating as a substitute for conventional fossil fuels – especially coal. Biomass briquettes are usually made from sawdust, straw, animal waste, grass and wood.
A briquette is produced by a briquette machine, also known as a briquette maker. For more information on buying your own Briquetting Machines, visit https://iwmachines.co.uk/en/products/briquetting-machines
So, how does the biomass briquette machine work? Take for example the manufacture of wood briquettes, under high pressure and temperature, lignin, which is a kind of polymer in wood, which originally functioned as a wooden cell wall support, will turn into a kind of plastic material attached to the briquette. This means no glue is needed in the briquette process, and also leaves the exterior of the briquette shiny and smooth.
The benefits of briquettes?
Briquettes, known as compact heating fuels, have several advantages over traditional fossil fuels: Better combustion efficiency – The heating is highly focused in briquettes due to the compact size, meaning more thermal heat can be generated compared to other fuels of the same size.
Small size – Biomass briquettes can be made to be very compact with a high mass density, meaning they offer space-saving and far greater efficiency.
Smoke and ash free – An advantage of burning biomass or wood briquettes on a stove or fire at home is that they do not produce very fine smoke or ash based on what specific ingredients are used to make briquettes. As a manufacturing technology advances and fuel energy sources are re-evaluated, burning biomass briquettes will likely become even more clean and friendly to the environment.
Briquetting machines are easy to source, purchase and install, as well as being simple to use, store and maintain as well. If you currently struggle with the amount of biomass by-products you are producing, whether you have a furniture business, farm or sawmill, for example, the easy solution is to incorporate a briquetting machine into your workshop and turning all your biomass waste into useful briquettes. It matters not what form of briquettes that are produced: rectangle, hexagon, square or round, for example. They are always convenient to load and transport to different locations.


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Seeking a niche? Its not all dollars and cents
A niche is commonly defined as a product or service that appeals to a small or specialized market sector. In the broadest sense of the definition, if you work in the woodworking industry, you are already in a niche market.
Woodworking, like every other specialized craft, caters to a relatively small portion of the available market. To an outsider, your work is probably viewed as niche-esque, but to the insider you have an understanding of how the different nuances of the craft lead to specialization. Figuring out your specific niche can be daunting, but if you follow the money you'll usually discover what your niche market is. A true niche is one that creates a comfortable or suitable position for your company or even for yourself as an individual.
View from the top
Many years ago I worked for what was, at the time, the largest architectural woodworking company in North America. The company boasted five locations across Canada and the United States. There appeared to be no job the company couldn't handle. Hotels, corporate offices and large government projects oozed from the job book like a melted cheese sandwich. Each subsidiary not only served the local building industry, but could also be used as a subcontractor to other branches helping to meet production schedules. And even though each branch was totally self-sufficient, they all possessed a specialty niche that set them apart from the other divisions.
For instance, one branch was well-equipped to do veneering, while another was the leader in CNC technology. Even location was a niche. I worked in the lone U.S. branch, which provided the company with better inroads into the Lower 48. Being a lowly project manager, I was certainly not privy to upper management's philosophy or business plan, but it seemed fairly apparent that the company direction was designed with the purpose of carrying out a plan of North American dominance.
During my tenure at the company, I was provided with the opportunity to receive training at their British Columbia branch. Even though they called me the "Southern Yank" (a sarcastically demeaning term, yet with a hint of puppy-dog affection), I was able to find their soft spot and work my way upstairs. It was there that I was provided insight on how the company ran its day-to-day planning and long-term business objectives. While spending time with their chief estimator, I was given a crash course on how large projects are estimated and what it takes to keep them profitable. I mentioned a recent trade article about the "top dogs" in the architectural woodworking industry. The article went into great detail about the type of work each of these companies specialized in, their sales volume, years in business, number of employees, etc. And there at the top of the list (by a fairly significant margin) was the company for which we worked. The chief let out a hearty laugh and said, "Those numbers don't tell the whole story. By sales volume we are clearly No. 1, but half of those sales come from a very profitable tenant-improvement business where we act as the general contractor."
It was at that moment a light bulb went off in my head about the importance of niches. Although, on the outside, this company was a leader in the woodworking industry, the numbers on the inside revealed a different story. Custom woodworking appeared to be the niche that set them apart from the competition, but it was the general contracting that created the bread-and-butter of the books. So the question that rattled around in my brain was: what is their niche? Woodworking or contracting? Were they employing the use of two niches to carry out their business plan or was the unseen general contracting their true niche since it appeared to be the driving force behind their sales and profit?
Profitable and sustainable
I believe finding a niche is not as simple as diverting all your energy into one differentiated or technical market. It certainly can be that, but for small, custom makers it's not so simple. A specialized niche only works if it provides you with enough work to remain profitable.
Geographic location also plays a key role in how you set up your niche market. As a small maker you can probably do quite well focusing on a single type of job if you work in a large metropolitan area. But if you live in a small town or rural part of the country, you're going to need to specialize in many different things just to put food on the table. Don't think of niches as having to be one specialized craft only. A niche can be a multitude of things you do well. Again, the best measure of a niche is how profitable and sustainable it can be.
Awhile back I had a visitor to my shop. He was a friend of a friend. He and his wife were moving to the area and asked if I could show them around. Curious about what I did, he came to my shop to see exactly what kind of business I was in. His very first comment was that I needed to hire more employees so that I could really start making money. I was so unimpressed by his insight into my life and business after spending a total of six minutes with me that I just had to know how it was he could exude such confidence in the direction my business needed to go. Surely he must be an industry expert, a successful businessman or perhaps a life coach to have such intrepid insight. When I inquired of his background, he said he was between jobs. In other words, unemployed with no credentials.
The point? A niche in business is not necessarily obvious and sometimes even following the money trail won't get you there. A niche is first and foremost personal. You might be able to find a niche for your business that is profitable, but if you don't like doing it, it will not really be your niche.
A sustainable niche is twofold; it must address the ability of a business and the humanity of the person. Craft markets rely heavily on the skill of the individual. Therefore, in order to have a successful niche, you must find the balance between what you're good at and what makes you happy.
David Getts is a certified kitchen designer and owner of David Getts Designer Builder Inc. in Seattle.
This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue.


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A week that began with a big storm accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds that caused power outages will end with another potent system that will push through the region.
Unlike the storm that hit the area on Monday, Nov. 30, this one has the potential to bring a mix of snow and rain north of I-84 in New York and Connecticut and accumulating snowfall in areas farther north and inland. (See image above.)
"The exact storm track remains uncertain which will be an important factor when determining precipitation type and amounts," the National Weather Service said in a Hazardous Weather Statement issued Thursday morning, Dec. 3. "However, wintry precipitation is possible, especially in the higher terrain areas east of the Hudson Valley and in western New England."
The amount of snowfall farthest inland depends on "how strong the storm becomes and how quickly that strengthening process occurs," AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
Thursday will be a bright, breezy, and sunny day with a high temperature in the upper 40s. The wind-chill factor will make it feel more like it's between 25 and 35 degrees. It will be partly cloudy overnight with the low in the mid 30s.
There will be mostly cloudy skies on Friday, Dec. 4 with a high in the mid 40s.
As a new storm system nears, there will be a chance for rain after noontime and continuing through the evening.
As the storm system moves through Saturday, Dec. 5, there will be periods of rain throughout a mostly cloudy day with a high temperature in the mid 40s. The rain will continue at times through the evening and overnight with up to 1.5 inches of precipitation possible.
Areas north of I-84 in New York and Connecticut could see scattered snow showers both early Saturday morning and then again overnight.
Precipitation will continue Sunday, Dec. 6 into the mid-morning with rain mixed with snow north of I-84 and all rain until about 10 a.m. Sunday, which will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature in the mid 40s.
There is still uncertainty surrounding the track and strength of the storm.
Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Nassau and receive free news updates.


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They open their yards for the Patchogue Garden Tour
By Michael White in Great Ideas, Patchogue Village · July 11, 2015
Laura Lap never thought too much of the lush garden that surrounds her Lee Street home in Patchogue, a kaleidoscope of purples, oranges, reds and blues that shifts with the seasons."I never knew what I was doing," she said. "I just did what I liked."That's why she was somewhat surprised to get a knock on her door this spring from Paula Murphy of the Patchogue Garden Club, which wanted Lap's handiwork to be featured in the club's annual Garden Tour. She agreed. And on Saturday, her garden was the second stop on the self-guided driving tour, now in its 15th year.
Lap didn't mind having dozens of people mulling around her property all day."I'm from a big family," she said.
The tour included six gardens from Patchogue Village to East Patchogue, and kicked off at the club's community garden at Terry Street and South Ocean Avenue, where the participants began. Those who didn't pay early plunked down $20 for a yellow tour guide that was their ticket onto the gardeners' properties.
The club then uses the proceeds to help beautify Patchogue Village.
"Each year, Paula and her committee literally drive around Patchogue, and if they see something that has potential, they either stop at the person's home, or they'll leave a letter asking them to please call because we may consider their house for the tour," said Mark Jeffers, the club's president. "Many people don't ever respond. Some people do. She also solicits suggested homes from club members and others."
Jeffers said prepping a garden to showcase is "a lot of work," but that's not all the gardeners have to do. "Each homeowner is responsible for writing some kind of story about the development of their garden," he said. "Their ideas. Why they place things where they did. Their love of gardening. Something about their adventure that is interesting to read for those people who are going on the tour."
Those stories are then compiled in the tour guide, along with directions to each stop.
Josephine Miller, who founded the club in 1996 and came up with the idea for the tour in 2000, said she had gone on a lot of garden tours in the Hamptons before bringing the concept to Patchogue."You can just imagine the gardens in the Hamptons are absolutely spectacular," she said. "My thought was that people would enjoy seeing gardens that were put together by those who had more modest resources. A garden that you would look at and say, 'Oh I can do this.' And you wouldn't need a fortune to do it."
For Murphy, she actually featured the garden at her own Smith Street home this year, after two other homeowners had backed out."I took this over 14 years ago and I've loved every second of it," she said of the tour. "Because we get to show all these wonderful little places that Patchogue has to offer and the kinds of people that live here and have an investment in the community. The people who come are happy. The gardeners get such positive feedback from the visitors."
Since this was a fifth-year anniversary, pieces of art were also displayed at the properties.
Lap said any stress leading up to showcasing her garden Saturday didn't come from having to weed or prune. She wanted the rest of the house to look nice, too.
So, she had some handy work to do before the visitors arrived.
"I was looking around and noticing everything, like with the foundation," she said. "There was peeling. So I was doing a lot of work around the house. But that was all self-imposed pressure."


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Direct product
From Online Dictionary of Crystallography
Produit direct (Fr). Direktes Produkt (Ge). Прямое произведение групп (Ru). Prodotto diretto (It). 直積 (Ja). Producto directo (Sp).
In group theory, the direct product of two groups (G, *) and (H, o), denoted by G × H, is the set of the elements obtained by taking the Cartesian product of the sets of elements of G and H: {(g, h): g ∈ G, h ∈ H};
For abelian groups which are written additively, it may also be called the direct sum of two groups, denoted by [math]G \oplus H[/math].
The group obtained in this way has a normal subgroup isomorphic to G [given by the elements of the form (g, 1)], and one isomorphic to H [comprising the elements (1, h)].
The reverse also holds: if a group K contains two normal subgroups G and H, such that K= GH and the intersection of G and H contains only the identity, then K = G × H. A relaxation of these conditions gives the semidirect product.


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Mirror games
SYMMETRY has been a source of fascination since ancient times. In Plato's "Symposium", Aristophanes argues that the origins of love lie in the search for symmetry, while Pythagoras and Theaetetus—who discovered the icosahedron, the geometric shape with 20 triangular faces—explored the symmetries of geometric figures.
But it was not until the 19th century that mathematicians such as Evariste Galois, an unhappy French genius, discovered symmetries hidden in the solutions to mathematical equations. In his new book, Marcus du Sautoy, a professor of mathematics at Oxford University, gives a fascinating account of the long quest to unearth the mathematics of symmetry.
Geometric symmetry can be understood as a property of shapes that remain unchanged despite being twisted or flipped—the letter H looks the same after being given a half turn; Y looks the same in a mirror. Other, more abstract objects—the shuffle of a pack of cards, the forces that govern our universe—can likewise be thought of as symmetrical if they remain unchanged after mathematical operations analogous to twisting and flipping. But studying such symmetries required a whole new language. A crucial step here was made by Arthur Cayley, a Victorian mathematician who showed that the symmetries of any object could be described by a mathematical structure known as a symmetry group.
This was the beginning of an important mathematical quest: to understand and classify all possible types of symmetry. Much as every integer can be broken down into a product of prime numbers, the symmetries of any object can be constructed from a collection of basic building blocks known as simple groups. The challenge for mathematicians became how to classify the complete set of these simple groups. For a while it looked as if almost all of them would fall into a few straightforward families, leading Leonard Dickson, an American mathematician, to declare in the 1920s that group theory was dead. This turned out to be premature.
In 1965 a new simple group (with 175,560 symmetries) was discovered which did not fit into any of the standard families. This kicked off a mathematical gold rush. Over the next ten years 26 new simple groups were found. These did not seem to belong to large families, but were isolated examples, and so became known as sporadic groups. The largest is called the "Monster" and is impressively huge: a number with 54 digits, describing the symmetries of a 196,883-dimensional "object".
In the 1980s the quest was finished. All the sporadic groups had been found, and the classification was shown to be complete. This huge accomplishment resulted in a proof running to some 10,000 pages across 500 journals. It is still being checked.
Alongside the mathematical story is an equally fascinating personal one. Mr du Sautoy's own work involves the study of symmetry, and he gives an illuminating account of the life of a mathematician. Each of the 12 chapters charts a month in his life, detailing the joys of mathematical discovery and the frustrations of mathematical research. He describes how he became a mathematician, and talks about the challenge of interesting his nine-year-old son in the beauties of mathematics.
"Finding Moonshine" is full of insight into the nature of symmetry and the people who study it. It makes for a fascinating and absorbing read.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline "Mirror games"
From the February 2nd 2008 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
More from Culture
Teresita Fernández's ways of seeing
In both large-scale installations and smaller pieces, the artist challenges the viewer's perception
A poignant new documentary follows two midwives in Myanmar
Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing's characters come from different sides of a sectarian divide
The divorce of FIFA and EA Sports marks the end of an era in gaming
The future of football video games is uncertain


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Definition: Courtesy of Wikipedia, A hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest or codefest) is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development, including graphic designers, interface designers, project managers, and others, often including subject-matter-experts, collaborate intensively on software projects.[1] The goal of a hackathon is to create usable software or hardware with the goal of creating a functioning product by the end…
Tag: .Net
Coding Concepts – Reflection
Reflection is a term thrown around every now and again, but do you really know what it means? Why and when it should be used, and what are its main strengths?
Moving from .Net to Salesforce. My thoughts and the challenges so far.
Having spent nearly a decade in the Microsoft eco-system, I decided it was time for a change. Read about my journey here.
#CodeTalk – Writing Secure .Net Web Apps, Maintainable JavaScript & C# Factory Pattern
Web Developer & Web Design Articles You Need to Read It's been a little while since the last CodeTalk but this one is back bigger and stronger with more great code examples and articles that have been making the rounds recently. The articles below will be discussing how to keep your .Net Applications secure, an interesting…


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Bottle Depot
The Sturgeon Lake Bottle Depot provides the residents of Sturgeon Lake First Nation and surrounding communities with a needed service providing benefits such as reduced travel time and associated costs convenience in terms of location and hours of business.
"When returning bottles, make sure all bottles and cans are properly cleaned out, needles are properly placed in the needle disposal located behind the mail boxes on the left side of the store. Store staff have the right to refuse service if any of the following is found when opening the bags:
Needles within the bottles or cans
Dead rodents
Any sort of chemicals or mixture in the bottles/cans
Please Keep Us Safe!!
Thank You
Sturgeon Lake Bottle Depot"


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Wordplay Writing Club gets wild
Sometimes the best place for a writer to find inspiration is outdoors. That's where our Wordplay Writing Club went earlier this summer.
They visited our Read House yard and wrote in nature journals like John James Audubon, William Thoreau, and Walt Whitman.
Each month, the writers in our Wordplay Club finds different ways to boost their creativity. For example, sometimes they use randomly selected words to create a story or create poems with refrigerator magnets.
Our club is open to all writers in third through sixth grade.
Wordplay Creative Writing Club meets at 4:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of (nearly) every month at our Main Branch. We took a brief hiatus in July and will return Aug. 8.
You can register your child for Wordplay online by calling us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.


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Here are a few alternatives to the Tidal Basin chaos:
~ National Arboretum has a splendid and more varied display and LOTS or parking. Stroll around Fern Valley and the other gardens as well while you are there.
~ The Bethesda neighborhood of Kenwood for their stunning display. Park and walk in for an immersion in cherry tree lined streets.
~ Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown has a marvelous orchard of cherries. There is an $8 admission feee that goes to support the gardens. Parking is also a bear in that neighborhood -- walk or take the bus.
~ Grow your own. In the very first issue of Washington Gardener Magazine, we did a PlantProfile column on the selection and cultivation of cherry trees for our area. Ever since getting my weeping 'Higan' cherry, I feel no need to rush downtown. I keep a daily watch on my baby tree and celebrate loudly when the buds finally burst open. I highly recommend it.
I took this cherry blossom photo towards the end of last year's festival.
*I define "tourist" as anyone who does not regularly visit the Mall or downtown DC. No matter what your home zip code may be, if you haven't been down there since last year's blossoms, you are a visitor too and have given up your rights to kvetch about all those annoying out-of-towners.
I received the following release from Brookside Gardens a few days ago and then went to vsit them myself yesteday. It is free to visit and I can attest that there are many picturesque views and plenty of gorgeous specimens. You may have to wait your turn behind a few bridal parties jockeying for the best photo ops, but it is nothing compared to the Tidal Basin crowds and is well worth a leisurely stroll around the grounds during any season.
>>Brookside Gardens also has beautiful cherry blossom trees and many other flowering trees like plum, apricot, magnolias, and quince in bloom right now, and you don't have to fight the crowds to see them. The gardens are also full of flowering bulbs like hyacinths, tulips, and hillsides of daffodils. If you come this weekend you'll also see one of the largest and oldest daffodil shows on the east coast sponsored by the Washington Daffodil Society. The show runs from Saturday, April 5, 2-5pm and on Sunday, 6, from 9am-4pm. Of course, you won't want to miss our spring conservatory display featuring orchids, jasmine, lilies, camellias, tulips and more, but hurry because the display ends on the 13th. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902. For more information, call 301-962-1400 or visit us online at http://www.brooksidegardens.org/.<<


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Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
A Community Resource for Identifying and Understanding Attacks
Presentation Filter:
An adversary crafts a request to a target that results in the target listing/indexing the content of a directory as output. One common method of triggering directory contents as output is to construct a request containing a path that terminates in a directory name rather than a file name since many applications are configured to provide a list of the directory's contents when such a request is received. An adversary can use this to explore the directory tree on a target as well as learn the names of files. This can often end up revealing test files, backup files, temporary files, hidden files, configuration files, user accounts, script contents, as well as naming conventions, all of which can be used by an attacker to mount additional attacks.
This table shows the other attack patterns and high level categories that are related to this attack pattern. These relationships are defined as ChildOf and ParentOf, and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as CanFollow, PeerOf, and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar attack patterns that the user may want to explore.
This table shows the views that this attack pattern belongs to and top level categories within that view.
This table specifies different individual consequences associated with the attack pattern. The Scope identifies the security property that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in their attack. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a pattern will be used to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.
A Related Weakness relationship associates a weakness with this attack pattern. Each association implies a weakness that must exist for a given attack to be successful. If multiple weaknesses are associated with the attack pattern, then any of the weaknesses (but not necessarily all) may be present for the attack to be successful. Each related weakness is identified by a CWE identifier.
More information is available — Please select a different filter.


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Data management
Data management comprises all disciplines related to managing data as a valuable resource.
The concept of data management arose in the 1980s as technology moved from sequential processing [1] (first punched cards, then magnetic tape) to random access storage. Since it was now possible to store a discrete fact and quickly access it using random access disk technology, those suggesting that data management was more important than business process management used arguments such as "a customer's home address is stored in 75 (or some other large number) places in our computer systems." However, during this period, random access processing was not competitively fast, so those suggesting "process management" was more important than "data management" used batch processing time as their primary argument. As application software evolved into real-time, interactive usage, it became obvious that both management processes were important. If the data was not well defined, the data would be mis-used in applications. If the process wasn't well defined, it was impossible to meet user needs.
Topics in data management include:
- Data governance
- Data architecture
- Data modeling and design
- Database and storage management
- Data security
- Reference and master data
- Data Integration and inter-operability
- Documents and content
- Data warehousing and business intelligence and Analytics
- Metadata
- Data quality
|Part of a series on
|Library and information science
In modern management usage, the term data is increasingly replaced by information or even knowledge in a non-technical context. Thus data management has become information management or knowledge management. This trend obscures the raw data processing and renders interpretation implicit. The distinction between data and derived value is illustrated by the information ladder. However, data has staged a comeback with the popularisation of the term big data, which refers to the collection and analyses of massive sets of data.
Several organisations have established data management centers (DMC) for their operations.[2]
Integrated data management[edit]
Integrated data management (IDM) is a tools approach to facilitate data management and improve performance. IDM consists of an integrated, modular environment to manage enterprise application data, and optimize data-driven applications over its lifetime.[3] [4][5][6][7] IDM's purpose is to:
- Produce enterprise-ready applications faster
- Improve data access, speed iterative testing
- Empower collaboration between architects, developers and DBAs
- Consistently achieve service level targets
- Automate and simplify operations
- Provide contextual intelligence across the solution stack
- Support business growth
- Accommodate new initiatives without expanding infrastructure
- Simplify application upgrades, consolidation and retirement
- Facilitate alignment, consistency and governance
- Define business policies and standards up front; share, extend, and apply throughout the lifecycle
See also[edit]
- Open data
- FAIR data
- Pseudonymization
- Information architecture
- Enterprise architecture
- Information design
- Information system
- Controlled vocabulary
- Data curation
- Data retention
- Data management plan
- Data mesh, a domain-oriented data architecture
- Computer data storage
- Data proliferation
- Digital preservation
- Document management
- Enterprise content management
- Hierarchical storage management
- Information repository
- Machine-readable documents
- Performance report
- System integration
- Customer data integration
- Identity management
- Identity theft
- Data theft
- ERP software
- CRM software
- ^ Hoare, C. A. R. (2004) [1985]. Communicating Sequential Processes. Prentice Hall International. ISBN 978-0-13-153271-7.
- ^
For example: Kumar, Sangeeth; Ramesh, Maneesha Vinodini (2010). "Lightweight Management framework (LMF) for a Heterogeneous Wireless Network for Landslide Detection". In Meghanathan, Natarajan; Boumerdassi, Selma; Chaki, Nabendu; Nagamalai, Dhinaharan (eds.). Recent Trends in Networks and Communications: International Conferences, NeCoM 2010, WiMoN 2010, WeST 2010,Chennai, India, July 23-25, 2010. Proceedings. Communications in Computer and Information Science. Vol. 90. Springer. p. 466. ISBN 9783642144936. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
4.4 Data Management Center (DMC)[:] The Data Management Center is the data center for all of the deployed cluster networks. Through the DMC, the LMF allows the user to list the services in any cluster member belonging to any cluster [...].
- ^ Integrated Data Management: Managing data across its lifecycle
- ^ lly Hayes
- ^ Organizations thrive on Data by Eric Naiburg
- ^ integrated IBM Data Management information center
- ^ Enterprise backup solutions
External links[edit]
- Media related to Data management at Wikimedia Commons
- Data management at Curlie


text:
Freedom Comes From Within- Secrets Of Greater Personal Development
If the notion of personal development has become a growing concern, you then are on the right track. A confident outlook as well as the continual assimilation of brand new information are two key factors that improve your power to succeed in your individual development plan. Utilize the tips on this page to expand your understanding and assist you to achieve your goals for private development.
Find self improvement books which can be appropriate for your real age and situation. You can well derive some good, life-changing ideas from your right books within the field. Select a self improvement book that is certainly well reviewed because some books are just no good.
Try and make best use of your time and energy at the office and get more done. One important thing you should do is to take frequent breaks out of your tasks. Taking constant breaks, while appearing counterproductive, can enable you time and energy to relax to be able to come back to work and acquire more done.
Accept your limitations before participating in self improvement. When you realize your home inside the universe, you realize that you will have a lot to learn. When you are aware this deep inside, you'll have got a craving for all of that knowledge and experience that you just lack.
When building a self improvement plan, you should consider your own personal values. Devoting attention to stuff that undermine your value product is foolish. Instead of this, you should focus your power on the things that you want to develop which go together with your own values. By expending period in these specific areas, you could make the adjustments within the areas that matter and possess these changes stay with you.
Your personal development will be more successful by taking good care of the body. Just simple things, for example exercise, getting enough rest plus a healthy diet, will all keep the energy level up consequently making you feel good enough to become successful within your personal development journey. It might seem simple, but sometimes the easiest things in life are in fact by far the most difficult.
Talking with a pastor or a professional counselor are often very rewarding. These professionals are trained and proficient in helping you understand and manage the difficulties you may have. They are willing to talk things through along and present valuable insight. Talking from the troubles with a specialist could make you much happier and healthier.
Ignore social status and instrumental gain and treat everyone equally, unless they may have actually done something to earn your scorn. How you will act toward others says something regarding your character, not theirs.
Do you consume alcohol more than you should? Do you use tobacco products or other harmful things? You must treat your body as when it is a temple. You can increase your life by replacing improper habits with good ones. Have a look at a few of the habits you might have and evaluate when there is anything you may change to the better.
As you now have the right information, working towards your own private development will probably be much simpler. Constantly seek new knowledge which you may employ inside your efforts, altering your life and bettering yourself!.


text:
« AnteriorContinuar »
matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve, is able to
o The
" With what a noble fortitude were the Apostles inspired, in bearing witness to the name of Jesus ? When Peter and John were commanded by the Sanhedrim," not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus ; they answered, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. And they said, We ought to obey God rather than men". " The same unshaken firmness was conspicuous in the Apostle Paul :" I am ready, said he, not only to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus'.
And when he appeared before Felix and Festus, " With undaunted boldness, he says," This I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers'. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets
k Dan.iii. 16, 17, 18.
Dan. vi, 10. Acts, iv. 18, 19, 20, with chap. v. 29. P Acts, xxiv. 14.
m Jer. xxvi. 12, 14.
Acts, xxi, 13.
and Moses did say should come; that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles'.
Secr. 1. The institution of the Sabbath day.-2. The
people of Israel are solemnly charged to observe that holy day with the utmost strictness.-3. Our Lord and Saviour's instructions on this head.-Note, concerning the Lord's day.
Sect. 1. The institution of the Sabbath day. The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, on the sixth day. And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made ; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made". Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it". Sect. 2. The people of Israel are solemnly charged to
9 Acts, xxvi. 22, 23. § 1. * Gen. ii. 1, 2, 3.
observe that holy day with the utmost strictness. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord, that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore ; for it is holy unto you. Every one that defileth it, shall surely be put to death. For whosoever doth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from amongst his people`. Six days may work be done, but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord; whosoever doth any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath day, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth ; and on the seventh day he rested". Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may rest; and the son of thine handmaid, and the stranger may be refreshed.
Thus saith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers". And it shall come to pass, if
ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to hallow the Sabbathday, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city, kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots, and on horses. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from
b Exod. xx. 8—11. $ 2. • Ex. xxxi, 12, 13,
14. Jer. xvii. 21, 22.
• Exod. xxxi.15–17.
C Exod. xxiii. 12.
the places about Jerusalem, bringing burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and meat-offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise unto the house of the Lord. But if ye will not hearken unto me, to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath day from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing evil'. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in mine house, and within my walls, a place and a name better than of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off* ; and also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer". If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob, thy father'. Sect. 3. Our Lord and Saviour's instructions on
this head. Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn, and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were him, how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for thein which were with him, but only for the priests ? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless ? But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltlessAnd he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. And when he was departed thence, he went into the synagogue. And behold there was a man wbich had his hand withered ; and they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days ? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand; and he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole like as the other.
• Jer, xvii. 24-27.
Isa, lvi, 6,7.
i Isa. lvi. 2.
Isa. Iviii. 13, 14.
* Isa. Ivi. 4, 5.
And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in nowise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work ; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. The Lord then answered him and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you, on the Sabbath, loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
§ 3. a Matt. xii. 147.
Mark, ii. 27, 28.
© Matt. xii. 9-13.


text: In episode 3 of Fortification, Caitlin is joined by Reina Gossett. Gossett is an activist, writer, and filmmaker. Along with Sasha Wortzel, Reina wrote, directed and produced Happy Birthday, Marsha! a short film about legendary trans activist Marsha P Johnson. She is co-editor of the forthcoming New Museum anthology on trans art and cultural production to be published by MIT Press in 2017.


text:
There're numerous virtual reality (VR) meetup groups available for enthusiasts of the technology to join around the world. Some deal with VR in general while others focus on more specific sections of the industry. Founded this month for the UK is Kaleidoscope LDN a new group that celebrates the pioneers of VR filmmaking.
Kaleidoscope LDN aims to bring together leaders from the film industry, videogame industry, and tech world to explore VR as a cinematic medium. It wants to discuss the technologies possibilities as a community and develop the workflows and conventions that will help define a new chapter in film history.
Organised by René J. Pinnell a filmmaker & designer interested in developing cinematic VR and Sam Friedman, the group currently has over 50 members and invites anyone with a creative background to join. There aren't any events planned as of yet on Kaleidoscope LDN's meetup page, but the group is likely building up members first.
VR filmmaking is being experimented by a host of different studios, from Oculus Story Studios with Henry, Canadian filmmakers Felix & Paul with Cirque du Soleil Inside the Box of Kurios and Vrse.works' 11-minute short, The Displaced, created in collaboration with New York Times VR (NYTVR).
Samsung's Gear VR mobile head-mounted display (HMD) has the ability to stream movies off Netflix, and services like YouTube and Facebook now offer 360 degree video playback.
VRFocus will continue to report on cinematic VR, and Kaleidoscope LDN's future meetups as they're announced.
The post Kaleidoscope LDN VR Filmmaking Group Launched appeared first on VRFocus.


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Tropicalia Natives: Bald cypress
Some quick facts about the bald cypress:
• The bald cypress tree lives up to its name during our dry season, but this conifer does not stay bald for long: New, bright green needles will catch your eye in early spring. The fall of cypress needles becomes even more intriguing when one realizes most conifers are evergreen.
• Bald cypress trees provide many natural services in our environment. They produce globular cones full of seeds that provide food for diverse wildlife, such as squirrels, wading birds and waterfowl. Bald cypress trees provide erosion control around bodies of fresh water. These trees may be welcome additions to yards that are prone to flooding. When growing under inundated conditions, these trees produce "knees" from the root system that help stabilize the tree, even during hurricanes.
• Its wood is valuable for construction: fence posts, boat planks, river pilings, doors, floors, shingles, etc., according to the USDA plant website.
• The tree can reach 100-120 feet in height and 3 to 6 feet in diameter. The trunk is usually massive, tapered and buttressed.
• Bald cypress trees can be viewed at the Naples Botanical Garden in the Children's Garden and Rain Garden, which is a component of NBG's award-winning rainwater management system.
— The News-Press archives, Naples Botanical Garden, plants.usda.gov