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Two of the most normally studied and applied direction theories are those of Taylorist and Fordist direction theories. Taylorism or more normally known as Scientific Management Theory is the name of the methodological analysis to direction, industrial and organisational psychological science, which was introduced by Frederick Winslow in 1911 in his monograph ‘The Principles of Scientific Management’ . Taylorism is often studied alongside the theory of Fordism. The ground behind this is that it was about connected with big scale industry schemes is piecing production lines. Taylor ‘s name for his methodological analysis was Scientific Management. This sort of assignment turned promotion of work errands is about ubiquitous today in modest commercial ventures, most eminently in consecutive building systems and speedy nutriment eating houses which is otherwise known as the construct of Mcdonaldisation. His contentions started from his perceptual experience that, as a regulation, labourers in dull employments work at the slowest rate that goes unpunished. This moderate rate of work – which he assigned the term “ soldiership ” , nevertheless may these yearss be referred to as “ buming ” , “ skulking ” or “ shirking ” , he opined, was a mix of the intrinsic apathy of persons and the perceptual experience that, when paid the same amount, labourers will hold a inclination to make the step of work the slowest around them does. He in this manner suggested that the work done that had been created in most work state of affairss was created, intentionally or accidentally, to be highly uneconomical in its executing. From this he set that there was one best scheme for executing a specific assignment, and that presuming that it were taught to specializers, their net income might travel up. Taylor presented legion thoughts that were non loosely acknowledged around so. Case in point, by watching labourers, he chose that work may every bit good integrated remainder interruptions so the labourer has clip to recover from fatigue. He demonstrated this with the errand of emptying metal. Laborers were taught to take remainder throughout work and output went up. In today’s clip, this construct is used by the ground forces in a manner that the soldiers are requested to bask a respite of 10 proceedingss for each hr of walking. This takes into consideration an any longer constrained walk than nonstop strolling. There are four basic rules of the Scientific Management or Taylorist direction theory. These rules include, foremost, trading work by “ regulation of pollex, ” or basic leaning and the ability to believe, and instead use the deductive technique to analyze work and concentrate the most productive attack to execute peculiar assignments. Second, as opposed to fundamentally apportion labourers to merely any employment, lucifer specializers to their businesss dependent upon competency and inspiration, and develop them to work at greatest proficiency. Third, screen specializer executing, and give guidelines and supervising to vouch that they ‘re using the most productive methods for populating up to outlooks. Last, denominate the work between managers and specializers with the end that the supervisors invest their clip set uping and fixing, allowing the labourers to execute their projects fruitfully. Taylorism is frequently considered in context of pay or attempt exchanges ( Littler, 1978 ) . The sociological importance of Taylorism in connexion to wage/ attempt trade does non lie in a basic motion to piece-work. Criticism of Taylorism The critics had been reasoning that, in fact, Taylorist theory of direction does non take to effectual direction. Harmonizing to the employees, the direction diminishes occupation chances from them through reinstatement of work forces by machines and by spread outing human net income lupus erythematosus specializers is required to make work motivating throwing out from their employments. They feel that they are exploited as they are non given due part in spread outing benefits which is because of their expanded benefit. Wagess do n’t mount in extent as acclivity in readying. Wage installment makes questionable affair & A ; infirmity. Because of over the top specialisation the labourers are non fit to set about their ain. Their position is decreased to being unimportant dentitions in wheel. Occupations get dull. Specialists detached investing in employments and deduce small delectation from work. To everything is altered & amp ; decided in front of clip by disposal. So it leaves no infinite for exchange brotherhoods to cover as everything is institutionalized, standard output, standard working conditions, standard clip and so away. This farther debilitates exchange brotherhoods, makes a cleft between productive & A ; in effectual specializers consistent with their rewards. The fact-finding disposal lays standard output, clip so they need to billow up and finish the work in clip. These have unfriendly impact on soundness of labourers. The specializers accelerate to that standard output, so deductive disposal drives the labourers to billow towards output and completion work in standard clip. Fact-finding disposal is an expensive model and a enormous funding is needed in station of set uping dept. , institutionalization, work survey, fixing of labourers. It may be far-off of small houses. Significant nutriment guess prompts build in operating expense disbursals. Fact-finding disposal requires mental alteration and complete rearranging of association. A considerable step of clip is needed for work, survey, institutionalization & A ; specialisation. Throughout this updating of association, the work endures. Consistent with analysts this hypothesis has specific loads – , for illustration, it disregards human constituents as workers are acknowledged as machines. It overlooks human requirements, demands and ends. It includes divider of set uping and making. It may motivate letdown in visible radiation of contrasting executing and others. Likewise, experimental disposal does non supply for one most ideal way for taking attention of issues ( Jawad, 2014 ) . Fordism and its unfavorable judgment Fordism, on the contrary, was introduced with the scene of the assembly line in the early 20th century as it prompted an agreement of processing that came to be reputed to be Fordism. It turned into the prevailing industrialisation criterion of the created states of North America, Europe and Japan. With advanced and administrative alterations that occurred after the 1970s, Fordism was basically supplanted ( or stretched ) by Post-Fordism, which is more brooding of the world-wide economic system and the drawn-out portability of the variables of managing. The centre of Fordism is the thought of extended industries supplying nutrient the promotion of a mass concern. Generation is greatly organized with a pyramidic charge construction. It typically benefits a national concern sector with a keep check on supply ( managing ) and the desire that the concern sector will consume the output. This is connected with readying procedure continuances that use hebdomads if non months to acclimatize to the hesitation of the involvement, and in add-on informations watercourses that are abate and slacking ( Jawad, 2014 ) . Fordism alludes to the agreement of extended industries and use normal for unusually created economic systems throughout the 1940s-1960s. Under Fordism, mass use consolidated with extended industries to treat maintained budgetary development and wide stuff headroom. The 1970s-1990s have been a clip of slower development and spread outing wage prejudice. Throughout this period, the agreement of association of processing and use has, possibly, experienced a 2nd alteration, which when grownup guarantees a 2nd blast of fiscal development. This new model is on a regular basis alluded to as the “ adaptable agreement of creative activity ” ( FSP ) or the “ Nipponese disposal model. ” On the processing side, FSP is portrayed by sensational lessenings in information disbursals and operating expenses, Total Quality Management ( TQM ) , in the dent of clip stock control, and leaderless work Bunches ; on the utilization side, by the globalisation of shopper merchandises markets, quicker point life rhythms, and far more terrific product/market division and separation ( Thompson, n.d ) . Fordism – as enhanced over 40 old ages – offered a wonderfully effectual agreement of mass production ( Tylecote and Vertova, n.d ) . Ford connected to the handling of engine vehicles the impairment of projects, the specialisation of instruments, the assemblage of setups into the machine, and even of machines into the machine model. These were all platitude of the transition of forte managing into huge scale mechanical creative activity, a methodological analysis which had as of late moved in front further in the US than anyplace else, impelled on particularly by the deficiency and organized quality of gifted labourers ( Clarke, 1990 ) . It is contended, nevertheless, that for Fordism tremendous individual funding required. Notwithstanding this, there is susceptibleness to breakdowns- if one topographic point of the works heads off you need to endorse everything up. Likewise, conveyance of natural stuffs binds you to a peculiar geological venue else it gets overly dearly-won. There is to boot less flexibleness sing end product. British Air passages British Airways ( BA ) is a full disposal worldwide air hose, with a wide manner system i¬‚ying from its Heathrow and Gatwick centres and to boot to and from legion territorial and cosmopolitan set downing strips. Since uniting with Iberia to construction the IAG clump, British Airways has turned into the universe ‘s 3rd biggest bearer. British Airways is known to concentrate more on the construct of Scientific Management by Taylor. However, the job with the Terminal 5, on the twenty-four hours of its launch in March 2008, could hold been prevented if the directors had used appropriate constructs of scientific direction. Terminal 5 is a standout amongst the most innovatively progressive landing field terminuss on the planet ; nevertheless Mps portrayed its gap as a “ national embarrassment ” . Throughout the initial five yearss, BA lost more than 23,000 pokes, crossed out 500 flights and made bad lucks of ?16m ( Computer Weekly News, 2008 ) . British Airways disposal broke the criterions at the exact centre of the experimental disposal hypothesis all around the arrangement and for certain on the twenty-four hours the project was expected for launch. Some staff told intelligence editorialists that the issues had been known of for rather a piece nevertheless the disposal decided to ignore them and travel in front with the gap of the terminus without giving echt respect for the issues. Logical disposal is a loosely examined and celebrated criterion in disposal and any top decision maker peculiarly one taking a shooting at an intricate undertaking like T5 and a multi-billion lb co-operation like BA might hold gone over this hypothesis and its significance, so there could be no ground that BA CEO Willie Walsh and those around him did n’t cognize of the hypothesis so accordingly could n’t count.The point when rearranged the operations at an airfield terminus are candidly consecutive forward: get travellers and their cogwheel good and done with flights efficaciously and firmly. British Airways ( BA ) finished everything except for that. Had the criterions of “ Taylorism ” been connected the dislocation in correspondence and deficiency of common sense could hold been dodged. On the twenty-four hours a BA agent faulted ‘staff acclimatization ‘ ( Rayner, 2008 ) with the new model when inquired as to why they were issues in acquiring staff screened in for work. Had the disposal connected their acquisition of the hypothesis they could hold distinguished these issues and put up together precise classs in which the staff could travel about the projects, in this manner decreasing the step of perplexity confronted on the twenty-four hours? There are legion samples of organisations taper offing monetarily or at projects, much the same as on history of BA on the evidences that the disposal ‘s letdowns to turn to issues that originate from the precise base of the organisational order. In the event that the disposal do n’t remain in touch with the lesser parts of staff so it gets troublesome to go through messages and guidelines down the pecking petition. Disappointment to make this has distressing results since when issues do emerge there is deficient clip to construct that association with get to the manner of the issue and discover replies for hole it. The point when there is a great concatenation of correspondence messages are swimmingly passed on from senior disposal to staff, as senior disposal are the 1s who make the kind of picks that experimental disposal impacts so they need to presume ownership over their letdown to put to death one of the centre criterions of disposal to such an expansive graduated table and complex undertaking. However there are a few damages to see that may hold impacted the senior disposal at BA to non use explorative disposal, one of these being that it’s non functional when pull offing collections or groups. It was critical that the staff working at Terminal 5 cooperated upon the reaching of the gap nevertheless a methodical methodological analysis might non hold restricted those options had it been received. Despite the fact that it was a hapless pick to non encompass fact-finding disposal there are different methodological analysiss possibly that ought to hold been taken a gander at, one of these being Elton Mayo ‘s Human Relations hypothesis. The Human Relations hypothesis dressed ores on connexions between patterned advances in an association, specialist fulfilment and profitableness ( Sapru, 2006 ) . It is a by and large examined and utilised hypothesis as a portion of concern pattern and preparation so the chance is that the disposal at BA might hold been acquainted with this hypothesis. However the precise cardinal criterions at the centre of the hypothesis were evidently ignored. For case, specializers were non given far making fixing in the assemblages they might hold been working with on the twenty-four hours which implied they were so new to both their milieus and the persons they were working with. This can halfway clear up why there was a dislocation in correspondence when trying to travel to client grudges and letdown to show the bad lucks of cogwheel. Had the labourers been acquainted with one another they might hold known the portion that others ‘ were finishing and to boot the commonalty with the person to hold the ability to match with them viably? The human dealingss approach similarly lays a emphasis on persons and their inspiration ( Pardeep, 2010 ) . In malice of the fact that it was an extended graduated table extend and something perchance stimulating to be included in, staff was unmistakably non spurred on that specific twenty-four hours. This may be down to the absence of agreement, with some staff stating the BBC that the occasions on the twenty-four hours were “ certain ” and they saw it approaching. Some staff ended up unable to acquire into the edifice in position of issues with the security showing model and despite the fact that they knew alternate representatives were fit to travel in ; they basically merely went place without endeavouring to try and acquire into the edifice. This absence of inspiration and absence of assurance in the agreement that was placed and set up by disposal indicated precisely how inadequately socially composed and the lacks of control which was the aftereffect of the letdown to separate and put to death these cardinal criterions. However there is a parturiency as to the Human Relations attack ‘s significance to the gap of Terminal 5. The methodological analysis infers that solid specialist connexions are a aid for expanded profitableness ( Montana and Charnov, 2008 ) nevertheless the framing of such connexions is non faithfully imaginable predating persons collaborating as showed by this instance. In malice of the fact that throughout test tallies representatives may hold been acquainted with one another, the conditions might non hold been the same as it was on the twenty-four hours and the weight might hold been typical admiting the test tallies were basically seeking and any miscues would n’t be expensive nevertheless the amassing of these by and large small issues advanced to do the black consequence. It affirms that there is no all-round stuff methodological analysis to an disposal issue nevertheless that the necessities of the specific circumstance focus the best attack to the organisational issue. British Airways reveals what went incorrect with Terminal 5. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.computerweekly.com/news/2240086013/British-Airways-reveals-what-went-wrong-with-Terminal-5 [ Accessed 24 February 2014 ] . Clarke, S. ( 1990 ) . What in the name is Fordism? Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //homepages.warwick.ac.uk/~syrbe/pubs/Fordism.pdf. [ Accessed 24 February 2014 ] . Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_Taylor.htm [ Accessed 24 February 2014 ] . Jawad, C. ( 2014 ) . Critical Positions on Management Assignment. Montana, P.J. & A ; Charnov, B.H ( 2008 ) . Management ( Fourth Edition ) . Barron ‘s Educational Series. Hauppauge, New York. pp. 30-39. Pardeep, S. ( 2010 ) Administrative Theory. PHI Learning. New Delhi, India. pp. 296. Rayner, G. ( 2008 ) . Heathrow Terminal 5: ‘It was a shambles every bit shortly as doors opened ‘ . Telegraph [ Online ] , ( UK News ) 28 March. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.telegraph.co.uk [ Accessed 24 February 2014 ] . Sapru, R.K. ( 2006 ) . Administrative Theories and Management Thought. PHI Learning. New Delhi, India. pp. 144. Thompson, F. ( n.d ) . Fordism, Post-Fordism and the Flexible System of Production. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.willamette.edu/~fthompso/MgmtCon/Fordism_ & A ; _Postfordism.html [ Accessed 24 February 2014 ] . Tylecote, A. and Vertova, G. ( n.d ) . The Rise and Decline of Fordism and the Sea-Change in the Technological Advantage of Nations.

Have you ever gotten really drunk and committed to doing something that you have no idea how to do? Maybe you downed a few beers and told your friend that you’d build a website for his artisanal jerky startup. Or maybe you took one too many shots at the office holiday party and told your boss you’d have 3,000 words on the history of fusion technology by Monday. Well, this weekend, the world got drunk on a strong cocktail of fear and solidarity and semi-promised itself to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees C. Now, it’s the morning after, and everyone’s frantically Googling “How to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees C.” One result that seems to keep coming up is nuclear power, aka the Walter Sobchak to solar power’s The Dude. Unlike fossil fuels and natural gas, it has zero emissions, and unlike some renewables, it provides lots of energy on demand, not just when the sun is shining or when the wind is blowing, making it an attractive option to hold us over until energy storage technology catches up with the rest of the renewables boom. But much like your friend’s artisanal jerky, it’s crazy expensive. Here’s more from Gizmodo: Every type of electricity generation has associated costs, but to build a nuclear power plant in most states, companies need to put the capital expenditure upfront and absorb that cost for however long it takes to complete construction. That’s usually five to seven years, on average, although even the latest designs have been plagued by significant delays and cost overruns. And we’re talking about a big investment: between $8 to $10 billion for a single large plant. Once built, nuclear plants don’t cost that much to operate. They basically turn into “cash machines,” one nuclear physicist told Gizmodo. But according to Greg Jaczko, former chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it would take roughly the entire Department of Energy budget to build just five nuclear power plants in a year. And with natural gas so cheap, there’s no incentive to do that. Currently, there are more than 100 nuclear plants in the U.S., providing about 19 percent of electricity needs, Gizmodo reports. But most of those will probably shut down in the next few decades if the government doesn’t opt to pay for upgrades. Other countries are doing more with nuclear. Saudi Arabia, for example, has plans for 18 new reactors, according to Gizmodo, which would add to the 437 currently in operation worldwide. And China is looking to spend $1 trillion on nuclear power by 2050. According to the International Energy Agency, the world’s nuclear capacity will have to double by 2050 if we’re going to avoid even 2 degrees of warming. But without the right economic incentives, the outlook for nuclear in the U.S. is not looking good, Jaczko told Gizmodo: “There are a lot of climate scientists talking about how we need nuclear power or we can’t solve climate change. … I hear that and I think, well, then we’re never gonna solve climate change, because nuclear power is not gonna do it. We’re not doing today what would need to be done to maintain that massive fleet of reactors in the future.” One way or another, we’ve gotta do something to make good on our climate goals, because as drunk and as crazy as things got on Saturday (do you guys remember waving around that toy gavel?), this is one promise that we should’ve made a long time ago. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to Google “How to make a Death Star replica out of marshmallows and peanut butter.”

Here were my starting points: 1. Mary Haggerty Kellington’s father John Haggerty lived at some point in Northeastern Pennsylvania before moving to Crabtree in Western PA. Mary’s notes refer to McAdoo and Honey Brook. The historian Kevin Kenny tells us that Honey Brook (which no longer exists) was a coal patch, that is, a mining area with company housi ng for workers. Honey Brook and McAdoo, a borough that was incorporated in 1886, are both in Kline Township, Schuylkill County, just a few miles from Hazleton, a town in Luzerne County that was itself established as a coal patch in the mid-1830s. According to Kevin Kenny, the Irish comprised the overwhelming majority of mine laborers in this area until about 1880. There were of course Germans, English, Scottish, and Welsh mine laborers in PA at this time, as well as some Southern and Eastern Europeans. But it wasn’t until the last two decades of the 19th century that miners of other ethnicities began to make a dent in the Irish majority. 2. According to Mary Kellington, John Haggerty’s father (Mary’s grandfather) was named James Haggerty, and his mother was Mary Castle. (More likely her name was Castles). Based on Mary’s notes and my own research, I came up with this list of James and Mary Haggerty’s children, all born in PA (birth years are not necessarily exact): Elizabeth 1864; Mary A. 1866; James P. 1868, Ellen 1870, Margaret 1873, Kathryn 1875, Michael 1877, Hugh 1879, and John 1884. Either Mary or Margaret died at quite a young age, probably Margaret. 3. Mary Kellington notes that James Haggerty had a brother, “Great-Uncle Connel.” (More likely his name was Cornelius, and he was called Connel.) [See elsewhere for more on Connel]

Jacob Bruce, a 12-year-old student in the 7th Grade at Kingston Junior High School, won second place in the 2007 History Day competition with this essay on Native American fishing rights. Trust in Treaties Native Americans and Caucasians in the Puget Sound area have been in conflict over fishing rights since the time of the first treaties. Native peoples gave up much to the white men, and gave generously, because they wanted to live in peace with the white settlers moving on to their traditional lands. In signing the Medicine Creek and Point No Point Treaties of 1855, the Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and other tribes received guaranteed rights to continue to fish on-reservation and in other usual places. In return they ceded large tracts of land to Isaac Stevens, the newly appointed governor of Washington Territory. However, over the next hundred years, the tribes lost many of their treaty rights through state and locally imposed restrictions. The battle to retain their fishing rights seemed destined to end in tragedy as the tribes challenged the infringements in court and lost their cases. But by the 1970s, protests, “fish-ins,” and the challenges of the tribes attracted the notice of the United States government, who joined the tribes in suing the State of Washington. Tragedy changed to triumph when Judge George Boldt handed down his decision in U.S. v. Washington, permanently improving the lives of the tribes by giving them a greater percentage of the annual catch, and by returning to them many of their traditional fishing spots. The Salish peoples of the Puget Sound region lived in tribes that sometimes intermarried and shared similar languages. The Nisqually, Clallam, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Suquamish, and Skokomish, in addition to many others in the greater Pacific Northwest, have always understood the value of the area’s natural resources: The Puget Sound basin is a large and fertile watershed, and is home to much wildlife, particularly salmon. When Natives heard white men talk about heaven, they did not understand. All they needed to live and remain happy was in their surroundings (Johnson). Six kinds of salmon swim in Puget Sound waters, as well as the migratory steelhead trout, a staple of the tribal diet. Native culture featured salmon in rituals, mythology, and constellations. As the United States extended its land claims westward, fur trappers, followed by missionaries and settlers, moved into the Northwest and claimed large tracts of land. Natives understood concepts of ownership. However, they held different ideas about ownership than did the white settlers. The Natives already had a tradition of where an individual could or could not fish: they could fish near their village, a relative’s village, or near the village of their birth (Cohen 24). The settlers’ land ownership ideas were much more precise and they protested when Natives attempted to fish at usual and accustomed places now that the lands were claimed by whites. President Franklin Pierce appointed Isaac Stevens first Governor of Washington Territory in 1854 with the purpose of surveying the territory for the railroads and, as Superintendent of Indian affairs, negotiating treaties with the local tribes. In 1854-1855, Stevens set out to make treaties with the Natives to legally secure the territory he controlled and had already given to settlers, which limited Natives’ fishing rights and took much of their land. The Medicine Creek and Point No Point Treaties were two such agreements. The Natives’ paramount objective in the negotiations was to reserve their fishing rights, which they did (NWIFC "The Truth ..." 6). Stevens, as a representative of the United States government, also offered things such as healthcare, supplies, a school system, and money, many of which the tribes never received (Zischke). Stevens had many reasons to try to make treaties (Pevar 33). He tried to move Natives to reservations to obtain land for white settlers (Harmon 82). Stevens also tried to slowly shift the Natives from hunting, fishing, and gathering to farming, a more civilized lifestyle in his opinion. Finally, he wanted to give Natives individual ownership of land. Even though Stevens was trying to get the Natives to agree with his treaties, he liked and respected them (Treaty Indian ...). Part of the problem with the negotiations was an inability to communicate. The whites and the Natives used the Chinook Jargon, a trade language, to communicate, which made for difficulties in translation and needed interpreters from both parties (George). The fact of the Natives’ illiteracy compounded the problem. They could barely sign Xs (Stevens, 9), let alone write the Chinook Jargon. They did not speak or understand English. The treaties created other problems as well. Being a matter of executive order, the government did not grant all tribes formal treaties (Deloria, 67). These non-treaty tribes missed out on any recognition or rights at all. They had to deal with prejudice against them without any additional rights. In addition, the Natives and whites did not understand each other’s concepts of ownership. At first, fishing rights were not much of a problem. Settlers were not much interested in fishing, as they concerned themselves with logging, farming, and other such things as they settled down. However, around the turn of the twentieth century, as the population grew, more and more commercial fishermen started competing with the Natives for fish (Zischke). Subjected to state and local regulations that placed restrictions on their fishing rights, Natives appealed arrests, and sought legal representation. The state and federal courts decided many Native fishing cases before 1920. In the way of cases, there were two main questions: Where can the natives access the then seemingly infinite salmon, and, later, How much of this dwindling resource should the Natives hold a right to fish? Some of the decisions bolstered the Natives’ rights, some of them kept the Natives’ rights as they had been, and some of them restricted the Natives’ rights. The 1887 “Fence” case held that the Natives’ treaty rights overruled personal property claims. Frank Taylor, a resident in Washington Territory, built a fence to protect his crops. However, natives of the Yakima Tribe had always fished there, making it a “usual and accustomed ground or station” (Cohen 38). The District court, which originally decided the case, ruled against the Natives. The Natives appealed to the Washington Territory Supreme Court, which reversed the decision of the District Court and ordered Taylor to take down the fence so as to let the Natives at their fish. This decision made Native treaty rights legally superior to personal property rights asserted by a white citizen (Cohen 54), a triumph for the tribes. The 1905 “Wheel” or Winans case held that superior equipment does not mean superior rights. The Wheel case made its way to the United States Supreme Court before any other Native fishing-rights cases. Winans owned property and operated a licensed fish-wheel on one of the Yakima Tribe’s usual fishing spots. Winans argued that he had more sophisticated fishing technology, and also that since Washington had become a state, the treaties between the federal government and the Natives no longer held validity in Washington. Justice Joseph McKenna rejected both points, and further affirmed that judges must interpret the treaties as the Natives would have understood them, that judges should remain guided in these matters by justice and reason, and that because the United States government held greater power than the tribes, it was obliged to treat them with fairness. McKenna made another important point: that in entering into the treaties, the Natives had granted territory and rights to the United States (Cohen 54). The 1916 “Towessnute” and “Alexis” cases restricted Natives’ rights by making them subject to state regulations. Towessnute and Alexis, both Native American fishermen, violated state fishing regulations, and the court found them guilty. The court held that the treaties gave the Natives only an easement, making Natives subject to state fishing regulations. Justice Bausman, a state Supreme Court Justice, also wrote that Natives, when compared with white men, looked “incompetent,” stood as a “child” to the white men, and that “the premise of Indian sovereignty we reject” (Cohen 57). The Natives retained an easement to access off-reservation fishing sites, but lost the power to regulate their own fishing. The state could regulate it as much as it wished. In 1925, the Department of Game decided that steelhead trout were game fish, not salmon. This meant that no one but sports fishermen and Natives could catch them. In 1927, the state extended the ban to Natives as well for the purpose of conservation. In 1934, the state banned fixed gear, such as nets, from use in catching salmon. The 1939 “Tulee” case held that while the state could regulate Native fishing, it could not do so by imposing license fees. Sampson Tulee, a Yakima Native, obtained federal support when authorities almost arrested him for fishing and selling salmon without a license. Tulee, cited for fishing without a license, lost in the county court and in the Washington State Supreme Court. When he made his way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the court decided that Washington State made licenses and fees for regulation as well as for revenue. Concluding that it was unfair to impose fees upon rights their ancestors reserved in treaties, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that while the state had the ability to regulate, it could not do so with license fees (Cohen 62). The 1951 “Makah” case held that Washington State should not impose bans on fishing not essential for conservation. The Makah Tribe did not want the state interfering with their fishing when the state banned net fishing. The resulting case made its way to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which did not think the ban necessary for conservation, and promptly abolished it (Cohen 63). In the 1950s and 60s, Natives saw the success of African Americans’ nonviolent resistance and applied their strategies to their own cause. Fish-ins featured Natives fishing in forbidden places or ways, in an effort to regain their rights. Fish-ins occurred in cities and on rivers, sometimes drawing the support and participation of famous people. People such as actor Marlon Brando and Episcopalian Canon Jon Yaryan fished with Natives, speaking for the cause when arrested. State enforcers arrested the Natives, and there were increasingly numerous attacks on Natives by sports fishermen, commercial fishermen, and even police officers (Cohen 73). In 1965, game wardens raided Frank’s Landing, a spot where Bill Frank Sr. and Bill Frank Jr. lived with their children and grandchildren. In October, game wardens first spilled a boat, then attempted to raid the landing, and finally tried to arrest the Natives for illegal fishing (Johnson), resulting in a “pitched battle,” as reporter Robert Johnson put it, of paddles, sticks, stones, flashlights, and clubs. Even before these events, wardens had chased Natives up and down the river and hid in the bushes, looking for activity. The United States government joined 14 plaintiff tribes in suing the State of Washington on behalf of the fishing losses and treaty violations. The Ninth Federal District Court heard the case of United States v. State of Washington, and handed down what has commonly been called the Boldt Decision in 1974. A triumph for the tribes and their way of life, the Boldt Decision changed Natives’ fishing rights forever. Judge George Boldt considered two main issues in making his decision, and classified them as phases in the case: (1) whether Natives had greater rights to fish off-reservation than did non-Natives; and (2) whether Natives had any claim to hatchery-bred fish, as Stevens did not mention these in the treaties because they did not exist at the time. Judge Boldt did not consider either Natives’ rights to fish on reservation (Pevar 216), or Natives’ rights to fish off-reservation on the same terms as non-Natives. The different groups involved in the dispute took three main positions. The Washington State Department of Game’s argued for Natives to have no more rights than whites, and none to steelhead. The “Fair Share” position, made by the Washington Department of Fisheries, would have guaranteed Native fishermen a third of the fish traveling through their usual and accustomed places. This position was fair when considering relative population bases. The position taken and argued by the Natives would have given them enough to meet their needs and to build an economic base, and define how much that was. Boldt undertook a re-interpretation of the Native treaties, issuing his final decision on February 12, 1974 (“Indians Coast Upheld in Fishing,” 1). Judge Boldt decided that “in common with” meant that Natives should be entitled to catch up to 50 percent of off-reservation catches (IiC “Fish…” 2). Judge Boldt decided that Natives could fish for hatchery bred fish, as long as they helped to breed the fish. The court decided that at the time the treaties were negotiated, people considered steelhead trout no different from salmon. This defeated the Department of Game’s argument that steelhead trout had been classified as a game fish restricted to licensed sports fishermen ("U.S. vs. State…” 399). For Natives in Washington, the Boldt Decision split tribes into three basic categories (IiC “Tribes…” 2): the plaintiff tribes, the non-plaintiff benefiting tribes, and the non-benefiting tribes. All of the tribes which benefited had signed one or more treaties (U.S. “Boldt” 1). Non-treaty tribes gained no benefit. The Boldt Decision changed Natives’ rights — and not only in theory. When Washington State sought reversal of Boldt’s decision in the United States Supreme Court, the Court dismissed the appeal (“December 1978-February 1979” 1). With the backing of the Supreme Court, Boldt had created strong legal precedent. And in his landmark decision, Judge Boldt told law enforcers to make sure that these new laws became concrete. Boldt’s decision forced the people who had beaten, robbed, and arrested the Natives to work with them to manage the fisheries, even though some white fishermen were given immunity (George). Before the decision, all but the tribes with a river running through their reservation had been banned from fishing. Even to start fishing again, tribes had to prove where they had previously fished (Charles). In 1974 tribal fishermen established the Northwest Indians Fisheries Commission, (NWIFC) to represent 19 tribes soon after the Boldt Decision. It has members from tribes ranging all over Washington, including the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam. The NWIFC has destroyed myths about native fishing and chronicled events under the leadership of Bill Frank Jr. The Boldt Decision changed white fishermen’s lives and incomes for the worse. Their share of the catch has declined dramatically in the years since the Boldt Decision. Before the decision, white fishermen had 95 percent of the catch. Afterward, in 1983, they only had 56.2 percent of the catch, showing that the Boldt Decision has indeed caused an impact, not just created a standard (Cohen 94). But with greater rights to exercise, the Natives have greater responsibilities as well. In the first few years after the Boldt Decision, there was not much change besides a little more fishing. But, as the negotiations went on, tribes started up fish hatcheries and enhancement centers, though under no legal obligation to do so (Freedman), and hired staff who specialized in areas that would help them move forward (Zischke). Even today, the questions are being asked: Can native treaty rights can prevent any land that might affect salmon runs from being developed? What does the treaty right mean if the fish run out? Whites and Natives have argued over Native fishing rights since Isaac Stevens negotiated the first treaties in 1855. Disagreement and tragedy for the tribes continued through the twentieth century in many forms. Though the triumph of the 1974 Boldt Decision has not ended the conflict between whites and Natives over this issue, it has given Natives back most of their rights, provided definitive legal precedent to support them, and secured for the Natives the backing of the United States Government. WORKS CITED Primary Sources Charles, Ron. Personal interview. May 7, 2007. Mr. Charles is the Chairman of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and also fished for twenty five years before and after the Boldt Decision. He corrected some mis-understandings from the native perspective, such as that Bill Frank Jr. did not, as I had assumed, participate in the founding of the NWIFC. Freedman, Bart. Personal interview. May 10, 2007. Mr. Freedman is an attorney who specializes in this area of litigation. His law partner is Slade Gorton who was the Attorney General who argued the Boldt Decision for Washington State. Mr. Freedman helped me to gain the perspective of the non-native’s position, assisted in my classification of the cases, clarified what the tribes are legally obligated to do, and described the direction that case law is taking today. George, Ted. Personal interview. May 15, 2007. Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Elder Ted George gave me a look at the big picture behind the fishing rights issue. He also told me about the horrific boarding schools where his parents were forced to attend, he described the General Allotment Act that parceled out the natives’ land, and he gave me an overview of his tribes’ culture prior to contact with white settlers. He has been on presidential committees including the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, the Indian Education Task Force, and has been a Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Indians into Communications. “Synopsis Fish Decision Summary.” Northwest Indian News 1979:2. “Synopsis Fish Decision Summary,” gave me a good understanding of the Native’s positive perception and beliefs about the Boldt Decision. Indians into Communications, Inc. “Tribes which Benefit from the Court Decision.” Northwest Indian News 1979:2. “Tribes which Benefit from the Court Decision,” gave me a much better understanding of which tribes benefited, which were plaintiffs, and which might benefit from the decision. “Indians on Coast Upheld in Fishing.” New York Times. 13 February 1974. “Indians on Coast Upheld in Fishing,” gave me an idea of facts at the time of the event in addition to precise dates and important numbers. Johnson, Lawrence, dir. Remembering Medicine Creek. Videocassette. Lawrence Johnson Productions, Inc, 1998. Remembering Medicine Creek was interesting because much of it was an interview with Bill Frank Jr., a key participant in the time around the Boldt Decision, who explained much about the Frank’s Landing attack. Northwest Indians Fisheries Commission. “The Truth About Indian Fishing.” NWIFC News 1987: 6-7. “The Truth About Indian Fishing,” showed what natives believed years after the Decision. It also showed what whites thought about the whole thing, such as they thought that natives caught hatchery fish but did not help to produce them. Northwest Indians Fisheries Commission. NWIFC News December 1978-Feb. 1979: 1 The December 1978-Feb. 1979 issue of the NWIFC News showed native opinions a few years after the Decision, still positive as they fished more and more, and it also gave opinions on the follow-up case, such as that the Supreme Court rightfully turned down Washington’s appeal. Stevens, Isaac. “Treaties made at Walla Walla Valley, June 9, 1855.” University of Washington Special Collections. Box 7/20, Isaac I. Stevens Papers. This source gave me an idea of what issues were addressed in treaties and what format/style was used, such as the lines of signatures at the bottom. Unlike the Constitution, the signatures were organized into columns. Treaty Indian Fisheries and Salmon Recovery. Videocassette. Northwest Indians Fisheries Commission, 1999. Treaty Indian Fisheries and Salmon Recovery gave me a first-hand look at methods for catching salmon, lies refuted, and what is being done to save the salmon. United States. “Boldt Decision.”12 February 1974. 7 January 2006. <http://www.ccrh.org/comm/river/legal/boldt.htm>. This site gave me the full text of the Boldt Decision from a third party. It was long, but it gave me an idea how many people this helped. United States. United States V. State of Washington: United States District Court, Western District of Washington. St. Paul: West Pub. Co., 1986. This book, with misleading page numbers, gave me the Boldt Decision in book form, and gave me an idea of the language used. Zischke, Jay. Personal interview. 26 February, 2006. Mr. Zischke gave me a general overview of the topic after I had researched it. He works for the Suquamish Tribe as the Marine Fish Program Manager. He filled me in more on what happened immediately after the treaties, and more about the treaties themselves. He also gave me more knowledge of the salmon hatcheries, and information about shellfish rights. He has also given me better understanding of where the effects of the Boldt Decision are to this day. Cohen, Fay G. Treaties on Trial. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1986. Treaties on Trial was by far my most useful source. It gave me a broad overview on all of the matters involved. Deloria, Vine, Jr., and David E. Wilkins. Tribes, Treaties, & Constitutional Tribulations. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1999. Tribes, Treaties, & Constitutional Tribulations gave me a good idea of the treaties and their follow-up movements and how the government treated natives. Harmon, Alexandra. Indians in the Making. Los Angeles: University of California, 1998. Indians in the Making, though not directly on my topic, gave me a sense of some of the cultural changes involved. Pevar, Stephen L. The Rights of Indians and Tribes. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002. The Rights of Indians and Tribes told me in no uncertain terms what rights natives (nation wide) hold today, and especially rights to hunt and fish. Porter, Frank W. The Coast Salish Peoples. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. The Coast Salish Peoples gave me a general overview of many of the tribes involved in the Boldt Decision, and their lifestyles.

Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans) is named for its shiny green leaves and woody stalk that mimic the look of an actual corn plant. As it matures, it develops a solid stem, and the leaves concentrate at the top of the stems. It can grow as tall as your ceiling if you let it! Older plants may even produce a spray of fragrant, white, pink, or purple flowers if the conditions are right (although this is rare when they’re grown as houseplants). In this post, we’ll cover all aspects of corn plant care to keep this lovely foliage plant thriving in your home. Corn Plant Care Corn Plant is extremely easy to care for. I would rate it up there with Snake Plant in its ability to tolerate neglect, low light, and even under-watering. With a little care, however, this plant will thrive and produce beautiful foliage (and sometimes flowers) for years. Due to its growth habit, Corn Plant is often considered an exceptional indoor tree that can grow in low light. It’s also a great houseplant for allergy sufferers due to its effectiveness at removing toxins from the air. Here’s a brief run-down of corn plant’s care requirements: - TEMPERATURE: 60 – 75 degrees F (16 – 24 degrees C) - LIGHT: Low to Bright, Indirect - HUMIDITY: Moderate - SAFETY: Toxic to cats and dogs when ingested - DIFFICULTY: Easy Keep reading for more in-depth care information, including feeding, propagation, potting, maintenance, and troubleshooting. If you’re the kind of houseplant parent who forgets to water occasionally, Dracaena fragrans will forgive you. Although it prefers the soil to be kept slightly moist (never wet or soggy), it can tolerate under-watering from time to time. Water when the top 1-inch of soil becomes dry. I insert my finger into the soil up to the first knuckle. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water. My plant tends to require watering about once a week, but this may vary for you depending on the conditions in your home. When watering, it’s important to water evenly over the entire surface of the soil to avoid rotting the canes. Corn Plant needs slightly higher humidity levels than the average home provides. Mist your plant at least once a day with a spray bottle of water on the mist setting, or use a handheld mister. You can also place the plant on a humidity tray (a tray filled with pebbles and water) and/or place it near a high-quality humidifier. See my favorite houseplant humidifier review (the one I’m using right now), or click here to view it directly on Amazon. Feed your Corn Plant twice a year – once in early spring and once in summer – using a balanced houseplant fertilizer. My favorite is Jack’s All-Purpose Fertilizer, but any all-purpose food will work. Read my review of Jack’s Fertilizer to see why I love it so much. I use it on almost all my houseplants except those that require special nutrients – like cacti and succulents. Corn plant doesn’t need feeding during the colder months. I usually feed mine once in March and again in June. Although Corn Plant prefers bright, indirect light, it can survive in low light conditions too. It’s one of my favorite houseplants because of this (I live in a darker house). An east-facing window is the ideal location for this plant, but it can survive almost anywhere as long as it’s not in total darkness. If placed in bright light, it likes a break from the sun in the afternoon. If it gets too much sun, brown spots will start to appear on the leaves. Keep in mind that variegated cultivars will need more light than non-variegated cultivars. This plant performs best when temperatures remain between 60 – 75 degrees F (16 – 24 degrees C). However, it can survive temperatures as low as 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) for short periods. Plant in a commercial potting soil formulated for houseplants. I like this one by Happy Frog because it contains mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial soil microbes, but any high-quality and well-draining potting soil will work fine. When your Corn Plant outgrows its current pot, replant in a container 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter larger. It’s a slow grower, so avoid re-potting in too large a pot. The easiest way to propagate Corn Plant is to take a cutting from the cane. I would do this when you’re pruning the plant down to a smaller size anyway. Allow the cane to dry, then plant it in moist potting soil. Make sure the bottom or cut part of the cane is touching the soil and roots should form. If your Corn Plant starts to grow too tall for your liking, just lop off the top six inches or so. The plant will keep on growing, unbothered by the pruning. Over time, the woody stalks can become top heavy and cause the plant to fall over. You may need to stake very tall plants to prevent this. Here are some common problems indoor gardeners encounter with Corn Plant and suggestions for how to fix them: - Brown Leaf Tips – If the leaf tips are turning brown, this typically means the plant is getting too much sunlight. Place in a location that receives no more than bright, indirect light, and give the plant a break from the sun in the afternoon if necessary. Avoid direct sunlight. - Brown Patches on Leaves – This is usually caused by temperatures that drop too low for too long. Make sure you’re keeping the temperature above 54 degrees F (12 degrees C) at night, and preferably above 65 degrees F (16 degrees C). Where to Buy Corn Plant This is one plant that I’ve had difficulty finding in local nurseries and stores with garden centers. If you really like this plant but can’t find it locally, I always recommend looking for your houseplants on Etsy. I love buying from Etsy because the sellers are individuals who really care about the quality of their plants and their reputation. I’ve had great luck getting exotic or hard-to-find plants from sellers on the site. Click here to see the current listings for corn plant on Etsy. Additionally, you can always check Amazon for hard-to-find plants. Many of the larger nurseries sell through the site. Click here to see the current Amazon listings for corn plant.

Jul 26, 2018 In today's podcast episode, Eric Mele walks us through the components of water source heat pumps, how they work, and what to look for. Water source heat pumps use water to transfer heat to and from the outdoor unit; the water takes the place of outdoor air in an air source heat pump. These units have heat exchangers and water lines, but they otherwise operate exactly the same as any other heat pump. These units have reversing valves, which are commonplace on heat pumps, and they are energized by a typical O call. Water source heat pumps almost never have defrost boards, unlike air source heat pumps. However, these units may also have auxiliary heat, such as electric heat. Capillary tubes are the typical metering devices on water source systems; the refrigerant flow can reverse through the metering device and doesn't require a second metering device, unlike air source heat pumps. Some larger water source systems may have TXV systems, and the bulb goes very close to the compressor. Water temperature will affect the cooling capacity of water source heat pumps. However, pressure and flow rates are also important factors to measure. You can measure the temperature differential across the heat exchangers and liquid line temperatures to determine if you have water flow issues. The refrigerant and water counterflow; the water and refrigerant move in opposite directions. Piping quality is an extremely important concern in a water source heat pump. If the piping fails or is supported poorly, all of that water can flood out and cause a lot of damage. Eric and Bryan also discuss: Learn more about Refrigeration Technologies HERE.

Post by: Kim Stephens Currently, I am helping the Department of Education develop training on social media for their 2011 REMS Grantees (Readiness in Emergency Management for Schools). Since my interest in this area is already piqued, I found this recent story from Texas interesting: “State Sets Social Media Ethics Rules for Educators“. ‘On Dec. 26, new state rules take effect that say educators must refrain from inappropriate communication with a student, including use of cellphones, text messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, blogging or other social networking.’ …Many Texas school districts, including Birdville, Keller, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Mansfield, are changing their policies and procedures to give educators more guidance.We understand and recognize that social media tools are tremendous assets in education,’said Richie Escovedo, Mansfield schools spokesman. ‘It’s a situation where the technology has outpaced the laws and everybody is still trying to get caught up. Everything we can do to help our teachers recognize the potential pitfalls will help us be in good shape.’ This story demonstrates that social media can be a very personal medium, so people should be careful who they invite into that space. I have advised teachers not to “friend” students–ever. But, on the other hand, social media can be used in a fully professional manner if implemented correctly. This might be a case where the State was caught off guard by not having implemented a policy in the first place and therefore, have thrown the proverbial baby out with the bath water. (This story is from TX so a few colloquialism should be permitted.) I believe schools should use social media to connect with their community because it’s where the people are: pew research indicates 81% of adults with school age kids use social media. Some goals schools might set when using social media are: - Increased two-way communications - Improved responsiveness to parents needs/concerns - Improved engagement with community, which might lead to increased awareness of school programs and activities, and potentially even increased volunteerism - and finally, improved flow of information to the community during an emergency. Regarding the last point, people will turn to social media for information during a crisis whether or not the school or district is posting in that medium. (See this story where people turned to social media for information about a hostage situation in a school because “most of major news networks didn’t pick up the story until 8pm.”) In other words, don’t be left out of the conversation during a crisis or others will fill the void. But as important as I think it is to be engaged in social media, I don’t think any institution should just get a Facebook page and call it a day. It is key to think through the following first: - How will social media complement your institution’s current communications strategy? - What types of information do you want to provide? - What types of information might you receive? - What will you consider markers of success? - Who will be delivering messages through social media platforms: schools, district or both? - Who will be responsible for clearing content posted on sites? - Who will be allowed to contribute non-crisis information? (processes and procedures should be spelled out) - Who will be responsible for monitoring social media? - How will information obtained through social media be fed back to those administrators or incident commanders that will need to react/respond or take action? One additional item, comment policies that establish expectations of parents and students should be written and posted. I would recommend providing information about those expectations to students and parents during orientations and assemblies, not just through written policy statements online. (Lather, rinse, repeat.) Although this might seem like a lot of work–an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! - Resources to Help Schools Understand Social Media (freetech4teachers.com) - Building a Social Media Framework (socialmediatoday.com) - Yes, Mr. CEO – Social Media is Your Friend (level343.com) You have to be very careful with social media. Besides cyber-bullying, which is an ever increasing problem , there is also cybersafety issues as well. Any school that encourages social media use has to be careful. The legal implications are quite pronounced. I’m not suggesting that schools “encourage social media”, I’m suggesting that schools participate in social media in order to complement their current communications strategy. Yes, cyber-bullying occurs, but schools could use SM platforms as another way to continue educating students about the ramifications of such behavior. I highly doubt students would bully someone on the School’s facebook “wall”; but if that did occur, the student should face the consequences outlined in the school’s posted policies. Cyber safety is also a concern, but it shouldn’t be so overwhelming that it prohibits use altogether. Almost every federal agency, including the US Army, uses social media platforms and although they are mindful of cyber security issues, it does not prohibit them from participating. It is easy to dismiss the medium altogether as too hard to use, too dangerous, too legally precarious, but I bet 10 years ago there were similar arguments made against schools getting websites.

What are Ancillary Rights? How do you legally define it? What are the essential elements you should know! In this article, we will break down the legal definition of Ancillary Rights so you know all there is to know about it! Keep reading as we have gathered exactly the information that you need! Let’s dig into our legal dictionary and legal knowledge! Are you ready? Let’s get started! What Are Ancillary Rights Ancillary rights is a term referred to all rights a person or entity can exercise in connection with the exploitation of property. For example, in the film industry, the term “ancillary rights” or “allied rights” in contracts to refer to other rights associated with the creation of an original feature film, such as: - Creating sequels - Merchandising the film - Creating television series - Writing books based on the film - Creating soundtracks - Publishing content on the web In essence, “ancillary” rights refers to “supplemental” rights or other rights that are connected to the primary right to the property. The fact that the right is ancillary means that the “other” rights depend on the primary right or are closely linked to one another. The term “ancillary” is defined as something that is “subordinate” or “aiding” something else. Ancillary Rights Definition Ancillary rights are rights that are “supplementary” or “derived from” the primary right. In entertainment law, an author will have primary rights on the script it writes for a movie. Based on the author’s primary right, the author can expect to receive a share of the profits if the script of the movie is used to publish a book, create video games, make T-shirts, posters, action figures, or other rights deriving from the primary right. In entertainment law and in the film industry, ancillary rights are quite significant. Authors, actors, writers, filmmakers and other stakeholders will often consider the terms of their contract carefully to ensure they do not lose out on ancillary rights they may normally expect. An author writing a story for a movie may be solicited to provide its content for television shows, books, screenplays, newspaper articles, or other uses such as the creation of video games. In such instances, it’s important to evaluate the scope and extent of the “allied rights” or “ancillary rights” in the ancillary rights agreement to fully understand the author’s rights when making a movie, merchandising it, making shows, or other work products. If the author retains its rights on what’s ancillary, then it can expect to receive a share of the profits for the movie (the original purpose of the work) and all ancillary commercial endeavors (TV shows, video games, books etc). Ancillary rights can also be seen in the context of legal proceedings. For instance, imagine a plaintiff wins a lawsuit against the defendant in the context of a negligence lawsuit. The plaintiff is therefore entitled to get compensatory damages from the defendant. If the defendant fails to comply with the judgment rendered against it, the plaintiff will have ancillary rights in filing for a writ of attachment to seize the defendant’s property and legally sell it. The seizure proceedings and sale of property is considered ancillary rights to the initial award of damages in a judgment. Ancillary Right Clause Contracts may specifically address ancillary rights in an ancillary rights provision. Generally, the clause is drafted in such a way that the primary right and the ancillary rights are defined between the parties. Let’s look at some sample contract clauses. Example 1: Share Pledge Agreement As long as no Enforcement Event has occurred which is continuing, the Pledgor shall retain and exercise its voting rights in respect of the Shares to the extent that the Pledgor in exercising those rights does not: (i) cause an Enforcement Event to occur, or (ii) materially prejudice the validity or enforceability of the Pledge. Example 2: Sale and Purchase Agreement The Sold Shares are sold together with all ancillary rights attaching to the Sold Shares, in particular the right to participate in any dividends or other distributions and any subscription or pre-emption rights. The Purchaser is exclusively entitled to any profits accruing for the present financial year, as well as to all profits accrued and not yet distributed for any previous financial year. Ancillary Right Takeaways So, what is an Ancillary Right? Let’s look at a summary of our findings. Ancillary Rights Meaning If you enjoyed this article on Ancillary Rights, we recommend you look into the following legal terms and concepts. Enjoy! You May Also Like Related to Ancillary Right Ancillary rights agreement Ancillary rights clause Easement in gross Film rights agreement Related to Law And Copyrights Above the line costs Intellectual property rights

This region existed on September 1, 1970, when the empire was divided into three states. The isolated regional headquarters was in Udaipur. The new South Tripura region was opened on January 6, 2012, by Manik Sarkar, former Prime Minister, of Tripura. The South Tripura region with its headquarters in Udaipur was created in 1970. Udaipur, Tripura is best known as a lake city and was the capital of Tripura until 1760. km away from Udaipur in Matabari. What is your reputation? It is famous for its ancient Buddhist monastery. It is located in the southern part of Tripura, 95 kilometers from the capital Agartala by Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. The region has an area of 1514 km2. There are less than 3 total districts in South Tripura. There are 270 villages in the region. There is only 1 city in the region. Dadra and Nagar Haveli are situated in western par India... |Ladakh||Lakshadweep||Andaman and Nicobar| |Andhra Pradesh||Arunachal Pradesh||Assam| |Daman and Diu||Delhi||Goa| |Jammu and Kashmir||Jharkhand||Karnataka|

Ph.D. Student, Remote Sensing Eng. Dept., KN Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Associate Professor, Remote Sensing Eng. Dept., KN Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran In recent years, extraction of atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles from thermal bands of satellite images is a common practice. The most deployed images for this task have been acquired by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This sensor which is onboard of Terra and Aqua platforms consists of a spectroradiometer with 36 bands in visible (VIS), near infra-red (NIR) up to thermal infra-red (TIR) region (0.405 – 14.385 ( )). The combination of sixteen infrared spectral channels is suitable for sounding temperature and humidity profiles in the atmosphere with a relatively acceptable precision. Different daily atmospheric products of MODIS images are in access on MODIS site. Atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles are two of these products that were used in this work. These products are named MOD07 and MYD07 for Terra and Aqua platforms respectively. Other MODIS products used in this work were MOD35 and MYD35. These products are mainly used for detection of pixel cloud contamination as well as for detection of aerosol concentration in pixel. Presently, maps of temperature and humidity isopleths from MODIS images are being extracted by applying some global algorithms. In these algorithms, global profiles of temperature, moisture, and ozone are being used in the calculations, where it is believed that these algorithms are not usually valid in regional scales. It is believed that the regional algorithms can boost the precision of aforementioned maps. In this work, 5 MODIS images of 8 and 11, June 2004 and 8, 15 and 22 June 2007 and their corresponding temperature and moisture profiles were used for modeling and 4 MODIS images of June 2, 6, 7 and 21 of 2007 were used for evaluation. In order to prepare a temperature and moisture profile as an initial guess in model, a 5 year (2004–2008) radiosonde data set consisting of 240 temperature profiles all interpolated for the times of satellite overpass in June were averaged. The aforementioned radiosonde measurements were acquired from the vicinity of synoptic station. This station is located at 51o, 21’E and 35o, 41’N in the south of Tehran at an altitude of 1191 (m) from mean sea level. Also some data from other synoptic stations including Kermanshah, Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahwaz, Bandarabbass, Zahedan and Mashhad stations were used for model evaluation. A practical method for extraction of temperature from MODIS measurements is to use the predefined statistical relationship between measured or modeled radiance flux densities and the corresponding temperature and moisture profile in the atmosphere. In statistical extraction method, the regression between flux density radiated from CO2 and water vapor in corresponding absorbing bands are modeled. This method is usually used in producing the first guess profile to be used in physical models later on. A method named Localized Statistical Regression Profile Retrieval (LSRPR) for extraction of temperature profiles from MODIS images based on statistical regressions is introduced in this work. In this method an approach for improving the clear sky temperature profile calculation is presented, where using local atmospheric profiles collected by Radiosondes and corresponding MODIS images, some regression coefficient matrix is calculated locally. Then by applying this matrix to other MODIS images, one can calculate temperature profiles with a precision better than what is achieved by MODIS research team i.e. MOD07/MYD07. Here radiosonde data along with concurrent MODIS images were used and the relevant regression coefficients were calculated. The average RMSE between temperature profile calculated from LSRPR and the one measured by radiosonde in the selected stations around the country was about 3.43K. This for MODIS products was 4.66K. The average RMSE between humidity profiles calculated from LSRPR and the one measured by Radiosonde in the selected stations was 1.27 g/kg and this value for MODIS products was 1.41 g/kg. As can be seen LSRPR model shows improvement in the isopleths of temperature compared to MODIS products. This improvement for humidity isopleths was not as good as for temperature. This could be due to the low amount in humidity in June. On the other hand considerable improvements in the precision of temperature isopleths extraction can be due to the use of local temperature profiles as the first guess in extraction algorithm. Moreover the results show that in the stations other than Mehrabad airport, the RMSE between temperature and humidity profiles extracted from LSRPR algorithm and those calculated from radiosonde measurements is increased. Based on the achievements in this research, it seems that LSRPR algorithm can enhance the precision compared to MODIS and the values calculated by this method are well comparable with the radiosonde collected data. So this algorithm can be used as an efficient method in regions such as Iran with relatively low number of radiosonde stations and irregular radiosonde measurements for producing temperature and humidity isopleths maps at different pressure levels in the atmosphere. It is hoped that by using these maps the accuracy of weather and climate prediction in the regional scale can be increased.

It is not uncommon for a female hamster to eat her babies. A female hamster will be pregnant for 16 days before giving birth to 4 to 10 babies. If the female senses danger in her area or her cage isn’t clean, she may eat her babies to protect them. Signs of Pregnancy Before giving birth, the female hamster’s body will change to accommodate her pregnancy. She will gain weight, and her nipples will become swollen. During the last few days of her pregnancy, the female hamster may be restless. She may run in circles in the cage or rub against objects in the cage. She will dig a small hole during labor and deliver her babies before eating them. Possible Reasons for Eating Babies The most common reasons for a female hamster to eat her babies are stress and lack of proper nutrition. If you notice your hamster acting restless, she may be pregnant and preparing to give birth. Make sure to provide your hamster with plenty of food, water, and fresh vegetables during this time. Before giving birth, she should have plenty of space in her cage and nesting material such as shredded paper or cotton towels. If you aren’t around when your hamster gives birth, make sure a family member is there to keep an eye on things while you are away so they can remove any babies that don’t make it out of the nest box unharmed by their mother or other siblings looking for food. Normal Hamster Nesting Behavior Normal hamster nesting behavior is an instinct as the days get colder and as the winter season approaches. This is a process where a hamster saves up food to eat during the winter months. The more food they have, the better chance they have of surviving the cold winter months without starving. A hamster’s nest is its bedding area, usually located in a corner or under furniture. Female hamsters are the ones who tend to nest more often than male hamsters. Hamsters will choose these nesting locations because it’s a place they feel safe and secure. Why Do Hamsters Nest? Hamsters have the instinct to nest to ensure they have enough food to survive winter. It’s not uncommon for a female hamster to have as many as four nests during the nesting season. The first nest is where she will give birth to her babies and nurse them. When she’s nursing her babies, she doesn’t need to be eating much and can live off her body fat reserves stored in her abdomen during this time. Once the mother has weaned her babies, she will begin collecting food to store in each of her nests so that if one of them has been stolen or destroyed, she will still have enough food for herself and her babies for the next few months until spring arrives again. Why Do Hamsters Create Multiple Nests? Hamster nests look like balls of twigs, hay, shredded paper, and other materials that are glued together with saliva from their mouths. Hamsters generally build them under a piece of furniture like a couch or underneath your bed or dresser because that is their territory, and no one else should be able to enter it without permission. Some hamsters are more territorial than others and may attack another pet or human if they enter their territory uninvited. That’s why it’s essential to know your hamster’s personality before bringing them into your home – so you can choose one that won’t be aggressive toward other pets or humans in your home. Hamsters are commonly fed a diet of various seeds, oats, fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. They are typically fed a variety of high fiber and protein foods. Hamsters who are given a diet of mainly fruits and vegetables can become obese, so it is crucial to provide a variety of foodstuffs. Hamsters typically eat one or two tablespoons of food per day. Food is usually only given once a day, usually in the evening. Hamsters only need to be fed as much as they consume within 3 hours. A running wheel should always be available to the hamster, as exercise is essential for their health. Should I Feed My Hamster Fresh or Dried Food? Fresh food is always preferred over dried food, as it provides more vitamins, minerals, and water than dried food does. However, if fresh food is unavailable, dried food may be used as a substitute. Dried dog or cat kibble may also be used if fresh or canned food is unavailable. Reasons Why Hamsters Eat their Babies Hamsters are a popular pet in many households. They’re small, cute, and don’t require a lot of space. However, hamsters’ behavior can be troublesome to owners: eating their young. First, it’s essential to understand that female hamsters have been known to eat their young when they have more than three babies in a litter. A hamster will generally have three litters of three babies each before she stops reproducing. This is because the mother may not have enough resources available to care for all of her babies. In addition, female hamsters will often kill the male babies in a litter to protect them from being eaten by other males. In nature, it is typical for males to kill each other over territory or females. Female hamsters expecting more than one litter at a time may also eat their younger offspring from her first litter as she prepares for her next group of babies. In addition to the mother hamster eating her young, the father may also eat his children if he is not neutered. The male hamster produces hormones that make him more aggressive towards the babies in his nest and cause him to be more territorial. Neutering the male hamster will help reduce this behavior. Even with a female hamster not expecting another litter, she may still kill her babies and eat them. This can happen if she feels that the babies are sick or deformed. It can also happen if the babies are born in an area where there is not enough food available for all of them. The mother will often kill off one or two of her babies so that the others will have enough food to survive. Female hamsters are very protective of their litter and can become aggressive towards humans who come near their nests. They may also become aggressive towards their owner when a new pet or baby is in the house. This is because they feel threatened by these new additions to their territory, invaded by a predator (the human). How to Prevent a Hamster From Eating its Babies? Hamsters are generally clean animals, but sometimes they may eat their own young. There are many reasons why this might happen, including stress, illness, or an improperly sexed hamster. To prevent this from happening to you, make sure your hamster is healthy before mating them (if you’re not sure whether they’re male or female), and make sure the mother has plenty of food and water in her cage. Make sure to offer your hamster plenty of treats to keep them happy and healthy. Hamsters can be happy in a few ways. One way is to have a lot of things to play with, chew on, and explore. This will give them something to do and keep them entertained. Another way is to have a lot of space to run around in. They need to have room not to get bored or lonely. It’s also vital to have spots to hide because it makes them feel safe. Hamsters are social animals, so they need to have another hamster or two that they can play with. It would be best if you also gave your hamster friends plenty of space, so they don’t feel crowded or stressed out by all the other animals around them. - How to Give Your Hamster a Proper Bath? - Why Do Babies Spit Up? - Let’s Discover Low-Maintenance Pets! - Why Do Ants Suddenly Appear? - Do Ants Have Brains? - How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live? - Best Picks For The Breeders’ Cup Distaff 2022 - How to Get Rid of a Baby’s Hiccups? - Why Do Babies Get Hiccups in The Womb? - How Long Are Dogs Pregnant? Gestation Period

Hello Goal Setters, Its my pleasures to facilitate our February self-connective session. I would like to highlight the following important discussion we had in the class. They are - Self-Confidence – Self-Confidence is the key to attracting the life you want. - (Limiting) Fear Self confidence is really a feeling or belief in your powers and abilities. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed. To gain self- confidence, do self-confidence exercise to challenge yourself to take a risk to confront a situation you’ve been avoiding. For example, if you have been avoiding social situations because you tend to be awkward and shy, challenge yourself to attend one event and meet one person. Be sure to include your own observations of your progress. If you deal with a stressful event in a positive or successful way, write it down. Fear! We always have it. Fact is, there is always somebody somewhere who is afraid of something at any given point in time. Sometimes our fears could serve as a natural way of protecting us from hidden or unseen dangers even as the world we live in continues to grow more and more dangerous and the things and people we are afraid of continues to multiply but if the truth must be told, sometimes our fears are completely baseless or unfounded. Here are a few time-tested approaches you can take to master your fears so that they do not seem larger than what they really are: - Did anyone say Change is the ONLY CONSTANT? Acceptance of change as the way of life. - Dissolve fear with knowledge. If fear of the unknown is a shadow, then knowledge is the light that illuminates it. Rather than taking your fears at face value and believing in them, verify whether they are truly justified. - Trusting yourself (instincts) – You have what it takes! Believe it or not, all of us already have what it takes to handle most, if not all, life situations that come our way. But often fears as well as ignorance and self-limiting thoughts get in our way and prevent our innate abilities from showing through. - Take the First Step: Muster enough courage to take the first step. Be willing to stretch your comfort zone, realizing that is how we grow. When you are feeling discomfort in a situation, you know you are growing. It is the process that is more important than the ultimate destination. Self-Importance (Self Love) Many of us interprets Self-importance with Ego or an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others. I would like to share another perspective of this word. Self-important is also link with Self-Love. Only if you feel that you are important, then you can feel the importance of others. You must have know how to love yourself before you can love others, otherwise one would experience “sacrificial love” which in my opinion doesn’t exists. Giving and Receiving is the cycle of continuing energy. Only when you have something then you can give It. Desire is an emotion. It is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. Desire can be positive or negative depending on its roots. We have definitely shared more in the class and some sharing are meant to be private so i will not elaborate more here. This planet requires an abundance of love, especially unconditional love, to heal and restore the beauty contained in every moment. Love is the only Way to create the Balance Energy in our Universe. Love is a chemical state of mind that’s part of our genes and influenced by our upbringing. That’s why we, Human are make up of Love. We need to be a complete Being by orbiting in love. Ok, that’s it. We will continue to explore below topic in our next class on March 7th at 4pm. - Enlightened Relationships Take a look at this video on : How to Know What Love Feels Like…

The electrifying power of K Think fast: what’s the eleventh letter of the alphabet? Now think about your chemistry class: what element does this letter of the alphabet correspond to? K for potassium. K like Keevo. It's just good math! Beyond your chemistry class, potassium is pretty jolting as it ranks high on the list of essential minerals for the human body. In fact, potassium is involved in several important body functions on the daily. Whether it’s working out, at rest or at work, or even during happy hour or way after the party, you need good K. All jokes aside, potassium is a mineral that our body does not produce. It is therefore necessary to source it through a thoughtful and complete diet. Potassium is also an electrolyte, which means it conducts the body's electrical impulses for key functions such as muscle contraction, digestion, heart rate, the nervous system and more. Running out of potassium is like a flower fading from lack of water. Muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and other unpleasant and sometimes fatal metabolic consequences are felt quickly. Sources of Potassium Oh K so, how do you ensure your daily intake of K? (we’re really milking it, eh?) Bananas are oh k, but you can find several surprising and versatile alternatives that contain much more potassium. Take bran, an ancient cereal perfect for breakfast or pinto beans which go well on burritos. And what about baobab? Well, this superfood is in a league of its own when it comes to mineral nutritional value: it contains 6x more potassium than a banana! The best mineral K that electrifies your metabolism is hence in the baobab, oh K? :)

Recently I came across a recipe that called for masa harina. It got me wondering if corn flour could be substituted for masa harina. So I decided to compare masa harina vs corn flour. I did some digging and here’s what I found out: While Masa harina and cornflour look similar, they are completely different products. Generally, cornflour is just finely ground corn. Masa harina, on the other hand, is ground corn treated with alkali. While corn flour is fine for breading and frying foods, it won’t work at all if you’re making tortillas. They sure look similar. So, are they the same thing? What is the difference between masa harina and cornflour? Can they be used interchangeably? Keep reading to learn more! Are corn flour and masa harina the same thing? Corn flour is a type of flour that is milled from dried whole corn kernels. It is very fine with a smooth texture. Corn flour gives structure to baked goods and is often used with a binder like eggs. Just like white or wheat flour, it doesn’t taste very good raw. It is delicious when cooking with it, whether it’s baking, frying, or grilling. Corn flour is extremely versatile and can be used in recipes for bread, muffins, battered and fried foods, and much more. (source) Corn flour, however, is not a replacement for all-purpose white flour. In many cases, it can be mixed with whole wheat flour to make noodles or bread. But you may not want to use it to bake cakes unless you have an affinity for that corn flavor. Experiment with corn flour in small batches until you find a flavor you like. Masa harina is a staple flour used in Mexican cooking. It literally translates to “dough flour.” Like corn flour, it has a fine, smooth texture and is made from dried whole corn kernels. The primary, and most important difference, is that masa harina is cooked in limewater. Limewater is a solution made with calcium hydroxide, not the green citrus fruit. The calcium hydroxide completely changes the chemical makeup of the corn flour by infusing it with calcium and niacin. This makes it easier for the body to digest and gives it a very distinct flavor. (source) Masa harina is naturally gluten-free. In fact, gluten is never added or occurring in any corn masa product. Another common question is whether or not corn masa or masa harina contain gluten. Luckily, I did the research for you and came up with some slightly surprising answers! Check out this recent article to learn more if you’re worried about gluten. Just click that link to read it on my site. My corn masa is made from Masa Harina, corn flour–100% organic, Non-gmo. I’m lucky to afford it, want to grow it #nongmoCorn pic.twitter.com/NlEjMGKY8o — Adán Medrano (@AdanMMedrano) September 21, 2017 Can you substitute corn flour for masa harina? Masa harina is the traditional flour used for corn tortillas, tamales, and other Mexican dishes. It has different properties than cornmeal or corn flour. The difference is that masa harina is cooked with an alkaline solution, usually limewater. The process of cooking corn in an alkaline solution is called nixtamalization. This alkaline solution changes the flavor and aroma of the final product. It also increases the nutritional value and removes the hulls from the kernels. Additionally, the process softens the corn, making it easier to grind into the dough. If you are making tortillas, you must use masa harina. What happens if you try to substitute corn flour? You will end up with a tortilla that either won’t stay together or will be rubbery if it does stick together. If you are making tortillas, you might also want to look into purchasing a tortilla press. While you can make tortillas without a press, it’s much easier to make large batches of tortillas by using a press. It’s also a lot harder in my experience to get tortillas flat enough if you’re just using a rolling pin. Read more about how to use a tortilla press in this recent article. What really surprised me was how much easier it is to make flour tortillas than corn. But there is 1 ninja trick you must know if you love fresh corn tortillas as I do! Just click the link to read it on my site. Yep. Most corn meal is augmented with wheat flour. Only a few brands are gluten free. pic.twitter.com/FuvlM5pAbt — All Aboard The Coltrane 🌹 (@Norris_Agnew) July 9, 2020 Is cornmeal the same as corn flour? While they are both made from milled, dried corn, they have completely different textures. Cornmeal is much coarser and feels very gritty. It is the main ingredient of any good cornbread recipe. It may also be called polenta and is very much like grits. Corn flour is finely ground and smooth in texture. Corn flour is made from grinding cornmeal into a fine powder. It is commonly used in baking or coating foods for frying. The primary difference between cornmeal and corn flour is texture. While in some contexts, like breading chicken, they are interchangeable, you will get different results from a texture standpoint. Generally, you should use whatever product is called for in a recipe. For example, corn muffins and cornbread are normally made with cornmeal. If made with corn flour, they would be much denser and would not have the same texture in your mouth. Think more cake-like than cornbread. Essentially corn flour is made from cornmeal. So, if you have cornmeal on hand, you can grind it until it’s superfine like flour. we made tamales (with blue corn masa harina) and they came out sooooo gooooood omgggg pic.twitter.com/kezOGvyqUr — JERRY BILLIONS (@JarrettB) December 26, 2019 How do you make masa harina? Unfortunately, you can’t make masa harina from corn flour or cornmeal. The calcium hydroxide needs to be added to the whole corn kernel before it’s processed into cornmeal or flour. However, it can be made from scratch, but it is certainly a labor of love. It is typically made from dent corn, which is yellow field corn. This is NOT the sweet, delicious corn that you enjoy at summer barbeques. Dent corn has a thick outer skin that can be cooked for hours and still not get soft. It is also not readily available for purchasing. Because dent corn can be hard to come by, the next best thing is whole grain corn by Great River Organic Milling (click to see the current price on Amazon). Fair warning – it’s a 25-pound bag of corn! You’ll be able to make more tortillas than you can shake a stick at! The good news is that dried corn, when stored in warm temperatures and kept dry, will last a year or more. Just keep it sealed tight to keep the bugs out. The next step in making masa harina is to treat the corn with calcium hydroxide This step is crucial. It’s what makes masa harina masa harina. It can be purchased from Amazon and the best one to get is Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime (click to see the current price on Amazon, but it’s cheap!). Bring the corn to a boil in a water and calcium hydroxide mixture and then let it simmer until the outer skin of the kernels slips off. Remove the corn from the heat, cover it, and let it sit overnight. After rinsing it several times, you’ll process it in a food processor until it combines into a thick dough. Now you have masa harina! For a more in-depth, step-by-step process, I found an excellent recipe on this website. While it is a labor of love, it’s not too difficult, and the results will be superior to masa harina you purchase at the grocery. Did I answer all of your questions about Masa harina and Cornflour? In this article, we took a look at masa harina and corn flour. Masa harina is a staple in Mexican cooking. It’s a dried dough used to make fresh tortillas and other delicious Mexican dishes. We explored the differences between the two and whether they can be used interchangeably. We also looked at how to make masa harina from scratch. Because the kernels must be treated with calcium hydroxide before they are ground, it can’t be made from cornmeal or corn flour. But the results will be worth it! While corn flour is an excellent gluten-free coating for fried foods, masa harina should be used for making tortillas. Once you’ve made you masa harina, you can also make masa, which is the prepared dough. It will only last about 3 days in the refrigerator, but it should be kept at room temperature if you are making tortillas. To read more about masa, how long it lasts, how to know when it’s gone bad, and how to extend the shelf life, check out this recent article. Just click the link to read it on my site. Photos which require attribution and were modified by me: eatme by Rebecca Siegel and Bobs Red Mill Masa Harina by Alex Juel are licensed under CC2.0

What is CI/CD Pipeline in DevOps? DevOps is evolving rapidly and has become one of the demanding skillsets for developers who like automation and make a successful career in the software development field. Cloud is the new oil for companies and now every company is regarded as a software company, hence, the cloud has become not an option anymore but a must to be factor. DevOps being the center of the software development today, CI/CD (Continuous Integration & Continuous Delivery) approach makes most of the things easy. What is CI/CD? CI/CD is a practice in DevOps that allows developers to quickly and automatically test, package, and deploy their applications. Most commonly, it is often achieved by leveraging a server called Jenkins, which serves as the most common CI/CD orchestrator. Jenkins listens to specific inputs given by the developer and, when triggered, kicks off a pipeline flow. Want a quick introduction to DevOps CI/CD? Watch this video. Continuous Integration (CI) It is a software development method in which the developers’ code gets integrated several times a day. Whenever a developer checks-in the code, each time the change is verified by an automated pipeline(server) and gives early feedback, in case if there are any bugs. Continuous Delivery (CD) It comes after CI and it is the ability to introduce changes with every commit, making the code ready for production so that it can be deployed to production on demand and as a routine activity. Code changes can be like new features, bug fixes, updates, configuration changes, etc. One important thing to note here is to ensure safety checks, so the bugs get detected before they get promoted to the production. What is a pipeline? A pipeline consists of code written by development and, in some cases, operations teams, too, to instruct tools like Jenkins which actions to take during the CI/CD pipeline process. This pipeline is often goes through something like building the code, testing the code, and if the tests pass, deploy the application to the various environments like development, test, or production environment. A pipeline is a series of events or jobs that happen in a flow in the software delivery pipeline from start to the end. The pipeline can be visualized as a sequence of stages shown below: Image source credits: OpenSource.Com What are the benefits of CI/CD? - Improved developer efficiency - Faster time to market - Faster software builds - Improved collaboration between the teams - Easy to find and fix bugs - High-quality code Things to consider while building a CI/CD pipeline - Peer code review Honest peer code reviews play a vital role in the pipeline. For a piece of feature functionality to be set as complete, it requires the developer to have another developer do the code review and check thoroughly for any disturbances in the code. Group code reviews also work amazingly well, but it doesn’t scale when there are many developers contributing a large amount of code. Peer code review can happen easily and the lead of the team should make sure this is followed by all within the team. One important dimension to do this is to catch bugs before they get into production or to the end-user. - Build in a containerized environment. For easy pipeline configuration, using tools like Docker is a must because it creates an environment that supports the pipeline in all aspects of creating, packaging and shipping your application. It also helps in debugging the specific container if something goes wrong instead of checking the whole pipeline. One important thing is to have separate containers for each build from the beginning and they’re really easy to implement too. - Shorten the feedback loop In order to shorten the feedback loop, run the quickest tests first in the testing suite. An example of a proper flow could be: code quality → unit tests → build → staging deployment → e2e test. - Do CI first Focus on implementing CI first. After the CI is proved to be stable and reliable, then only move on to set up the CD part. This gives confidence to developers and makes their work easy to go on to the next phase of implementing CD. - Compare efficiency After you implement monitoring, compare the productivity and velocity of the team before and after setting up the CI/CD pipeline. This will surely let you know if the new approach has improved the efficiency or any changes are required - Insert security checkpoints in the pipeline. Shifting the focus of security to the far left is one of the important aspects of DevOps. Making sure security is every developer who checks-in the code is very important. - Implement an easy way to rollback One important part of a successful CI/CD pipeline is an easy, one-button click, option to rollback to previous changes/state in case if something goes wrong. Usually, this in many cases just means re-deploying a previous release to be on the safer side. - Proactively monitor your CD pipeline No matter how careful we are, sometimes a faulty algorithm, dependencies, or any unknown events can cause the software to behave unpredictably. It is very difficult to troubleshoot within the CD pipeline and debugging can be a nightmare and may not be even possible in a production environment. So, proactive monitoring throughout the pipeline is a great approach and a better way to catch any bugs or problems before they reach the production stage. A good pipeline should always produce the same output for any given input, with no uncertainties in runtime. Any breakdowns, intermittent failures or slowdowns can create frustration among developers. Some Important CI/CD tools - Travis CI In the age of advanced cloud computing and ever-increasing complexity, CI/CD provides your team and the entire organization, the speed, and confidence it needs to deliver software to your customers reliably. CI/CD approach facilitates building great applications with more stability and faster time to market. Having good automation throughout allows for a more streamlined development pipeline, thus enabling developers to get the feedback more quicker, fix things fast, learn fast and build better, more consistent apps regularly. Want to learn and build a career in DevOps?

Stefan Krattenmacher examines a bass by the Swedish luthiers Johann Öhberg Snr and Johan Öhberg Jr, dating from around 1778 Johann Öhberg Senior was probably born in Stockholm, Sweden around 1723, although this is unconfirmed. He started his apprenticeship in the 1750s, at around the age of 30, at the best workshop he could find in Stockholm – that of Sven Beckman. It is also not known how Öhberg earned a living before becoming a luthier at this comparatively old age. He was urged to produce cellos at an early stage in his career, as he had a family to support. His archings and body contours have often been associated with Italian masters of the Florentine school such as Gabrielli. One of Öhberg’s cellos was repeatedly issued certificates as Gabrielli’s work, as well as later being granted a certificate as having been made by Carcassi. Öhberg Snr produced a large number of instruments: some 100 cellos and more than 270 violins, among them a large number of cheaper fiddles without purfling, which have injured his reputation. He also produced 16 violas and many other plucked instruments, which is quite remarkable considering his late start and his death at only 56. In 1764, after the death of his wife, he became responsible for bringing up their only son, Johan, who probably spent a lot of time in his father’s workshop, growing up among workbenches, wood shavings and half-finished instruments. In 1775 Gustav III, King of Sweden commissioned the original Stockholm Opera House, the work of architect Carl Fredrik Adelkrantz. The king was a strong adherent to the ideal of an enlightened monarchy, and as such was a great patron of the arts. The first Opera House performance took place in 1782. Coincidentally, it was in this very building that the king was to meet his fate, during a masquerade at the opera. On 16 March 1792, he was shot by Jacob Johan Anckarström, and died several days later. This event inspired Eugène Scribe when writing his play Gustave III, which in turn became the basis for Verdi’s opera Un Ballo in Maschera. A year after the Opera House opened, Sweden introduced a ban on the import of musical instruments. Following this, many Swedish makers became affiliated to the Inspectorate of Hallmarking, which would put a seal on the scroll of each instrument to be sold. The seal would bear the year and a profile of St Erik, saint and patron of Stockholm. Although examples of this seal exist, very few of Öhberg’s instruments still bear them. In 1778, the musical instrument import ban was lifted, and instruments made after that date therefore show no hallmarking. Gustav III ordered the bass pictured here to be built for his Opera House and it is still the property of the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. Although there is another bass mentioned [?where?] as being made by the Öhbergs, the instrument here is – to date – the only bass clearly identified as the work of the Swedish masters. It doesn’t bear any label, brandstamp or hallmarking of the type mentioned above. This is most likely an indication that the instrument was started by Öhberg Snr just before he became very ill with dropsy (of which he died in 1775), and subsequently completed by his son Johan Jr. Johan Öhberg Jr was born in 1753, and was trained by his father whom he succeeded in 1776. In the same year, he was granted the title of Court Instrument maker. But Öhberg Jr had other interests in addition to continuing his father’s work, and one year after Öhberg Snr’s death he got the high profile job of organist at Stockholm cathedral. His versatile talents led him to design and build a clavecin, which was rewarded by the Swedish Royal Academy of Music. He died in 1781, aged only 28. Among the few instruments that we are able to ascribe to him, there are three cellos and his part-completion of this bass. In this instance, he finished his father’s work by making the scroll and the table. This instrument convinces straight away with its very well-balanced outline.The open and beautifully designed middle bouts and the Staineresque curved upper and lower bouts are very similar to the shape of his cellos. Since this instrument shows traces of being altered from a pure cello shape with round shoulders to a bass player-friendly sloping upper bout, it seems logical to conclude that Öhberg Snr or didn’t try to make anything other than a rather large cello. The royal luthier mainly used imported wood from Switzerland and he continued the practice for this instrument. Looking at Öhberg Jr’s work, we find a lot of Stainer’s influence. The table arching raises steep from the edges and is full all over. The f-holes are set straight to the grain and wide apart giving a large platform for the bridge. Although Öhberg Jr didn’t find the time to lay a purfling into the table, he did cut the f-holes with care and elegance and they show a great talent at work. The upper and lower wings of the f-holes are parallel to each other and rather large, but Öhberg Jr left only a small gap at the narrow gateway connecting the shaft with the balls. The balls are cut circle round. The nicks marking the position of the bridge are cut small. Öhberg Snr took great care when sculpting the scrolls of his instruments. His cello heads are especially handsome, and became a trademark of his work. Unfortunately, his illness in later years seems to have weakened him so much that he could not make the scroll of this royal commission. So, the younger Johan had to make it, clearly without much enthusiasm. In comparison to the elegance of his father’s work, this head looks stubby and lacks the harmony of a well-balanced scroll. The side-view shows a pegbox running in a strong curve from the top nut into an open mouth at the scroll. The scroll itself is a bit square-looking with big champfers and hardly any fluting. The pegbox looks long and narrow from the front. A very good woodcarver in Stockholm probably did the carving at the back of the pegbox, showing a Gustav III monogram. The back seems to be the work of Öhberg Snr, who carved it from a two piece half slap-cut narrow flamed maple. In contrast to the table, the back is beautifully purfled. The three stripes are placed in a channel close to the edge, and at the worn corners their meeting is narrow. The black stripes of the inlay seem to be stained pearwood and the white could be from poplar or a similar wood. On the button at the back we see the brand stamp of the Royal Opera House. The table’s arching is as full as the back’s. The light yellow-coloured varnish lays on a golden ground. It is of medium hardness and very attractive. Although this Öhberg bass is not the most powerful instrument in the Opera House’s collection, its soft and dark sound character makes it a very special instrument, which the bassists there relish playing. Table length 113.5 cm Rib height at bottom block 17 cm rib height at upper block 16 cm string length 107.3 cm body width: upper bout 49 cm middle bout 34.5 cm lower bout 65.5 cm Originally published in Double Bassist 28, Spring 2004 For further information, please visit www.doublebassist.com or contact [email protected]

The first confirmed cases of avian flu in Los Angeles County this year were recently found in three birds near El Dorado Park, the Long Beach Health Department announced Thursday. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A H5—otherwise known as avian flu or bird flu—was found in two Canadian geese and one black-crowned night-heron, city health officials said in a statement. Other sick and dead wild birds were also found in the area, according to health officials. Avian flu is highly contagious among birds and can sicken and kill domesticated bird species, such as chickens, ducks and turkeys, according to city health officials. Domestic poultry, waterfowl, raptors and certain shorebirds are most at risk of the virus. The current avian flu outbreak occurring in the U.S. began in February and has so far affected more than 47 million wild birds and poultry, say health officials. Though avian flu can be transmitted from birds to people, the risk of transmission is “very low,” according to health officials. Transmission of the disease from person to person is also “very rare,” the Health Department said. Even so, health officials recommend the following to minimize the risk of avian flu transmission: - Avoid contact with wild birds, even if they don’t look sick. - Avoid surfaces that may be contaminated with saliva or feces from birds. - Keep dogs and other pets away from wild birds. - Do not handle sick or injured birds. - Report sick and injured wildlife, including birds, to Long Beach Animal Care Services personnel (562-570-7387) for care and disposal. - Bird owners should seek veterinary attention for their own animals if they seem sick. - People with backyard chickens, ducks or other poultry should remove water and food sources that feed wild birds like bird feeders and bird baths. - People with backyard flocks should keep poultry feed away from wild birds and rodents. - People who handle pet birds or backyard poultry should thoroughly wash their hands and clean and disinfect footwear before and after coming into contact with their birds. - If you come in contact with a sick or deceased bird and develop flu-like symptoms within 10 days, isolate from others and contact your doctor. The city is currently renovating the El Dorado Park Duck Pond. To ensure that avian flu doesn’t spread within El Dorado Park, Animal Care Services may euthanize sick birds that are suspected of carrying the virus “to protect the overall bird population,” health officials said. The Health Department is also reaching out to veterinarians and pet stores and is currently developing more detailed information for backyard poultry owners and the general public. Information will be posted and updated at longbeach.gov/hpai. Construction on the El Dorado Duck Pond is about to begin; here’s what you need to know

In addition to one of the country’s greatest feats of public works, the construction of the U.S. Interstate Highway System was the largest cause of urban displacement in American history. But freeways forcing families from their homes is not just a relic of the past. In a first of its kind analysis, our investigation showed that the past three decades of highway building, widening and expansion, has displaced more than 200,000 people across the country. And, like in the heyday of interstate construction a half-century ago, we found that some of the largest modern freeway projects disproportionately displaced residents living in Black and now Latino communities as well. Our nationwide investigation showed that highway planners’ decisions in recent decades to widen interstates in cities — from Los Angeles, to Houston, to Tampa — drove the racial inequities in displacements. In essence, the choice to expand on the racist highway architecture of the past has led to continued racially disparate outcomes. In one case, we found a family that was displaced by the original construction of Interstate 275 in Tampa was then forced from their new home when I-275 was expanded 40 years later. Our highway displacement coverage also included a brief history of how the nation’s freeway network divided Black communities and an explanation of how we did our reporting. The investigation prompted new California state legislation that would block highway expansions in underserved communities. Additionally, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called our reporting “very concerning” and has promised to increase oversight of federal highway funding to ensure projects do not violate civil rights laws. The story: https://www.latimes.com/projects/us-freeway-highway-expansion-black-latino-communities The history: https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2021-11-11/the-racist-history-of-americas-interstate-highway-boom The reporting explanation: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-11/how-we-reported-the-story-on-freeway-displacements Proposed California state legislation: https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2021-12-12/freeway-expansions-in-underserved-communities-could-be-banned-under-proposed-state-law Nearly 2,000 cities across the United States and elsewhere have approved a collection of policies that have expanded the power of the police to decide who can and can’t live in their communities. The municipal programs, called “crime-free housing,” empower landlords to evict or exclude tenants from their apartments based on prior convictions or new arrests. We completed the first comprehensive examination of these policies in California and found that at least 147 cities and counties — more than a quarter of local governments in the state — have approved a crime-free housing program. We also found that crime-free housing efforts in the state have disproportionately affected Black and Latino renters. Most of the cities with growing Black and Latino populations have adopted them and tenants of color are more likely to be evicted. The story: https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2020-11-19/california-housing-policies-hurt-black-latino-renters Every year, tens of thousands of heirs across California not only inherit their parents’ homes, but also their parents’ low property tax bills. This system, unique to California, has given substantial financial advantages to some of the state’s most prominent families at a cost of billions of dollars in revenue to cities, counties and schools. This investigation was the first detailed journalistic examination of this decades-old inheritance tax break and it found that inheritors don’t need to live in their parents’ homes to receive the benefits — or even in California. We found that in Los Angeles and a dozen other coastal counties, adult children were predominantly using their parents’ properties as rentals or second homes. Two years after this investigation published, California voters approved a state ballot measure that eliminated the benefit for heirs who planned to rent out their parents’ homes. The story: https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-property-taxes-elites-201808-htmlstory.html The follow-up: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-11/prop-19-property-tax-breaks-final-results California has some of the least affordable housing in the country — a problem driven by an extreme housing shortage. For decades, a state law aimed at increasing the housing supply has failed because it requires cities and counties to plan for homebuilding without any accountability for actual production. This story was the first comprehensive look at California’s housing supply law. It revealed local governments’ hatred toward the law — they’ve asked state legislators to count prison beds as low-income housing. It also showed how state lawmakers ignored the law’s weak accountability provisions, instead forcing more onerous and ineffective planning rules onto cities. Later in the year, the governor signed legislation that for the first time forced all cities to provide homebuilding data to the state and implemented penalties for cities where construction lagged growth targets — addressing two key problems that my story highlighted. The story: https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-pol-ca-housing-supply/ This three-part investigative series examined the town government of Ave Maria. The series revealed that Ave Maria’s developers, including the founder of Domino’s Pizza, wrote and lobbied for a state law that allowed them to control the government forever. The developers’ power, which had never been reported previously, so departed from prior Florida development law that it might be unconstitutional. Day one: https://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/may/09/town-without-vote-now-and-forever/ Day two: https://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/may/10/town-without-vote-taxation-without-representation/ Day three: https://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/may/11/town-without-vote-residents-control/

The purpose of keeping archives is to collect, preserve, and make available records of enduring value to the public. Records are kept for their usefulness to society, and tend to have one or more of the following: Enduring value means the items are worthy of permanent (insofar as it is possible) preservation. Sometimes it is the only the content that needs to be preserved, which can be transferred to another medium. Sometimes archives contain records with intrinsic value. Intrinsic value refers to qualities of an item that make it necessary to keep the original, even when copies exist. Possible characteristics of records that have intrinsic value: For records that are not 'born digital,' creating accessible digital versions of original records requires a lot of time and effort. Find out what goes into making records available online at the National Archives and Records Administration. Explore collections of archival materials freely available online. Boston University Primary Source Guide More information on primary sources and archival collections available online.

In response to the need to connect maker educators with one another and with the experiences of colleagues in their field, Maker Ed contracted with SRI International (SRI) in early 2016 to conduct research aimed at better understanding educators engaged in maker-centered learning communities, and to provide insight into promising approaches for professional learning. This work aims to support the development of robust supports for both formal and informal educators working in maker-centered learning environments. “A Study of the Communities and Resources that Connect Educators Engaged in Making” investigates maker-centered learning communities for educators, and documents the needs of maker educators in terms of access to shared resources and connections with peers. Toward this end, this study includes analysis of interviews with leaders (N=16) and participants (N=17) of teacher-centered and maker-centered communities and survey responses (N=492) from maker educators. The goals of the study were to: 1) identify both short- and long-term needs of maker educators in terms of access to resources and connections with peers, 2) determine the reasons for joining online and blended maker-centered communities, and 3) highlight common ways educators participate in these communities. Explore Making and Maker Educators in the U.S. This interactive map shows the group of U.S. based individuals who responded to the survey. The map can be sorted in two ways, either by respondent’s work environment (school, library, museum, etc.) or setting (urban, rural, suburban). [iframe src=”https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1VzKkMRBk2oW3J4y1cjRUIpi1aK4″ width=”640″ height=”500″] Click on the button in the top left of the map to open a sidebar and sort the data. Data points can be clicked to reveal more information about the respondent, including information about how they’ve incorporated making into their practice. The report titled “A Study of the Communities and Resources that Connect Educators Engaged in Making,” published September 2016, was produced by SRI International for Maker Ed. SRI makes no representations or endorsements with respect to the use of any excerpt of the full report.

December 17th. Solomon. Read in 1 Kings. This son of David is revered in part because in his youth when God asked him what he desired most he chose wisdom. An example of this was his judgement in the case of two mothers and two babies. The babies had become mixed up and one had died. The women were arguing over whose baby was alive. To test them Solomon said, “cut the baby in half.” Then they could see the true mother who loved the baby and didn’t want it harmed because she said, “no, rather let the other woman have the baby.” Solomon was a good king at first, built the temple for God and also a palace for the king. He gradually became obsessed with power and wealth and had many wives and hundreds of concubines as was common practice in those days among other nations. Because eventually he valued his earthly possessions over his relationship with God he was told by God that his line of descendants would gradually be destroyed over the next generations. The Lord said,’ if you walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness doing all that I have commanded you, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever.” 1 Kings 10: 4 “The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord. 1 Kings 11:9. For reflection and discussion. Solomon began as a wise and righteous man. Why does wealth and power go to people’s heads? How is it possible to remain a person of integrity? Is it true that power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely?

History of the Martin Brothers and Martinware Pottery The four Martin brothers, Wallace, Walter, Edwin and Charles, were pioneers in the production of studio pottery. They became famous for their eccentric, grotesquely modeled ‘Wally Birds’, wheel-thrown and sculpted face jugs, vases and other items reminiscent of art and architecture of the Middle Ages. Some beautifully formed and expertly decorated and some eccentric. They produced a distinctive type of stoneware and specialized in salt-glazed stoneware, a strong, non-porous pottery with a distinctive ‘orange-peel’ texture. Robert Wallace Martin (1843-1923), the eldest brother, had worked for a while for the architectural sculptor J. B. Phillips of Vauxhall Bridge Road, and later took drawing classes at the nearby Lambeth School of Art. By the late 1860s he had set up his first workshop, making terracotta sculpture. Walter and Edwin Martin also studied there, and both worked for a time at Doulton’s Pottery, also in Lambeth. Having trained as a sculptor, Robert Wallace Martin started producing pottery in Fulham in 1873. In 1877, the brothers moved to a disused soapworks on Havelock Road on the canal in Southall, London. Walter Martin became the firm’s specialist on the wheel, Edwin Martin’s work included most of the fish and flower designs, and Charles Martin ran the shop. They worked mainly with a saltglaze stoneware, a high-temperature firing method where salt was thrown into the kiln, in order to fuse to the clay and give a rough surface. The colours included browns, greens, greys and blues, and this subdued palette is distinctive of Martinware Pottery. They were best known for their bird sculptures and bowls, vessels decorated with sea creatures, and tiles. The brothers regarded themselves as artists and each piece of their work is unique. It was popular with collectors and the brothers had a number of wealthy patrons and the family continued making pottery until various difficulties, including a fire in 1910 and family deaths. The company closed in 1915 and Robert Wallace Martin died in 1923. Today, pieces made by the Martin Brothers are extremely collectable and valuable.

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a self-help book by Dale Carnegie, published in 1936. The book is a guide to improving interpersonal relationships and communication skills, and has become a classic in the personal development genre. The principles outlined in the book are based on Carnegie’s experiences in teaching public speaking and human relations courses. The book is divided into four parts each covering a different aspect of human communication and interaction. Part one, titled “Fundamental Techniques in Handling People,” focuses on the importance of treating others with respect and understanding. The key lesson in this section is that people are motivated by their own desires and interests, and it is important to understand and appeal to those interests in order to influence them. Part two, “Six Ways to Make People Like You,” offers practical advice on how to build positive relationships with others. This section emphasizes the importance of showing genuine interest in others, listening to them attentively, and finding common ground. The six principles outlined in this section include becoming genuinely interested in others, smiling, remembering and using people’s names, encouraging others to talk about themselves, How to win friends and influence people being a good listener, and making the other person feel important. Part three, “How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking,” focuses on the importance of persuasion and effective communication. The key lesson in this section is that it is possible to influence others by appealing to their interests and using persuasive language. The principles outlined in this section include avoiding arguments, showing respect for others’ opinions, admitting when you are wrong, and presenting ideas in a way that appeals to the other person’s interests. Finally, part four, “Be a Leader How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment,” offers advice on leadership and influence. This section emphasizes the importance of leading by example and inspiring others to follow your lead. The principles outlined in this section include leading with praise, giving sincere appreciation, and making the other person feel valued. One of the key themes throughout the book is the importance of empathy and understanding in interpersonal relationships. Carnegie emphasizes the importance of putting yourself in others’ shoes and considering their perspectives in order to build trust and rapport. Overall, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their communication and relationship-building skills. The principles outlined in the book are timeless and applicable in any context, whether it be personal or professional. The book’s emphasis on empathy, respect, and understanding is particularly relevant in today’s interconnected and diverse world. The book has been criticized by some for promoting a “manipulative” approach to communication and relationships. However, the author himself emphasized that the principles outlined in the book should be used ethically and with the goal of mutual benefit. Carnegie believed that the principles of effective communication and relationship-building could be used to create win-win situations that benefit all parties involved. In conclusion, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a classic self-help book that provides practical advice on improving interpersonal relationships and communication skills. The book’s emphasis on empathy, respect, and understanding makes it a valuable resource for anyone looking to build positive relationships with others. While some may criticize the book for promoting a manipulative approach to communication, the principles outlined in the book can be applied ethically and with the goal of mutual benefit.

Engineers share 3-D-printed ventilator adapter design to help during COVID-19 pandemic Engineers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have made their designs for 3-D printed ventilator adapters available to the public to help during the coronavirus pandemic. This project was initiated because of the possible shortage of medical ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several studies have shown that a single ventilator could be used for multiple patients simultaneously to meet disaster surge. Engineers at Binghamton University designed three ventilator adapters and used 3-D printing to create them. The adapters are made from PETG, a glycol-modified version of polyethylene terephthalate known for its chemical resistance, durability and formability. Interested parties can download the designs for 3-D-printed ventilator adapters designs free of charge. Those with 3-D printers can sign up to make adapters, and healthcare providers can say if they need adapters. To learn more, visit https://www.binghamton.edu/watson/covid-19-response/index.html.

Researchers identify how microglia promote spinal cord repair in mice A first of its kind study, led by researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, identifies how microglia, a type of cell found in the brain and spinal cord, promotes repair after spinal cord injury in mice. Microglia express immune factors and become activated in response to neural injury or disease and this study shows it facilitates repair via specific genes, pathways and cellular interactions. Lead author, Phillip Popovich, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the Ohio State College of Medicine and director of Ohio State’s Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, and his interdisciplinary research team study the complexities of central nervous system injury, inflammation and tissue repair. “We found that microglia promote endogenous repair processes that are essential for spontaneous recovery from experimental spinal cord injury,” Dr. Popovich says. “By sequencing the RNA of whole spinal tissue and individual cells in the spinal cord, we discovered novel genes and pathways that are controlled by microglia that help promote recovery.” Study first author Faith Brennan, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at the Ohio State College of Medicine, says the findings are important because they identify specific microglia-dependent repair processes that could be co-opted to repair the injured or diseased central nervous system. “This research indicates that microglia-dependent repair processes could be a new therapeutic target for spinal cord injury,” Dr. Brennan says. Further, the current discovery could serve to improve research and promote drug discovery for multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury and other devastating neurological diseases. Read the full study findings in the journal Nature Communications (external link). Collaborators for this study include Qin Ma, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the Ohio State College of Medicine, Zhigang He, PhD, Harvard Medical School, Dana McTigue, PhD, professor of Neuroscience, Andrew Fischer, PhD, professor of Neuroscience and Jonathan Godbout, PhD, professor of Neuroscience, at the Ohio State College of Medicine. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Ray W. Poppleton Endowment, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation and the Wings for Life Spinal Research Foundation.

Once the child has learned about the different types of invertebrates, particularly the Sponges, they might be interested in learning about the parts of the sponge. Sponges are called “sessile” animals, which means that they do not move around. They feed by filtering tiny organisms and organic particles of food out of large volumes of water that they pump through their bodies. Before learning about their parts, have the child observe an actual sea sponge or photos to help them have a more concrete grasp on the subject. - Materials to Support Learning the Parts of the Sponge - Printable Activities to Learn the Parts of the Sponge - Explore Other Parts of Invertebrates - Explore Other Parts of Vertebrates Materials to Support Learning the Parts of the Sponge Ocean Anatomy Book This includes lots of interesting information about invertebrates. Watch the flip through here. These sea sponges are reusable, “sustainably and responsibly harvested from renewable resources.” You can also provide printable materials to support this learning and help the child know the different parts of the sponge. Printable Activities to Learn the Parts of the Sponge 1. Montessori Zoology 5-Part Nomenclature Cards The Parts of a Sponge Activity helps kids read better and learn the right names for animal parts, which helps them learn more words. This learning material have a dull green border around each card and include a set of cards with 5 parts including the definitions and a booklet with descriptions about each part of the sponge. This is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 6. Zoology Nomenclature Cards are unique to Montessori classrooms and provide an engaging alternative to textbooks and worksheets. They are a beautiful resource that encourages children to learn concepts, rather than rush through to “finish” a worksheet. 2. Control Chart and Fill-in Posters After learning the individual parts of the sponge, display the wall chart and invite the child to make her own wall chart of the parts of the sponge with these printable poster sheets of 3 different charts: - With color and label - Without color, with label - Without color, without label *Sign-up to our newsletter and get the control charts for free! Or get these in a bundle with other vertebrates control charts HERE at $2/set! 3. Montessori Zoology Definitions Booklets For further work on the Sponges, you can introduce another animal in the class and study the different parts with nomenclature cards as well. - Match pictures with labels. - Create pictures, labels, and definitions. - Create a booklet of animal parts nomenclature. - Create a wall chart of animal parts nomenclature. - Repeat the same procedure for other animals in the class. Explore Other Parts of Invertebrates - Arthropods: Parts of the Butterfly - Mollusks: Parts of the Snail - Worms: Parts of the Earthworm, Flatworm, Roundworm - Echinoderms: Parts of the Starfish - Cnidarians: Parts of the Jellyfish Explore Other Parts of Vertebrates - Fishes: Parts of the Fish - Amphibians: Parts of the Frog - Reptiles: Parts of the Turtle - Birds: Parts of the Bird - Mammals: Parts of the Horse

- Minnesota Breeding Bird Distribution - Breeding Habitat - Population Abundance - Literature Cited A regular breeding resident and migrant; the Loggerhead Shrike was a rare species during the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas (MNBBA). Distributed across the southern half of the United States, the Loggerhead Shrike extends its range northward throughout the Great Plains to western Montana and east through the grasslands of the Upper Midwest. It also is found in the southern Prairie Provinces and in central Washington and central Oregon. It is absent from the mountains of western Montana, Idaho, eastern Washington, and eastern Oregon. To the south, it is found throughout central and western Mexico. Sparsely distributed throughout their range, Loggerhead Shrikes are most abundant along the Gulf coast of eastern Texas and Louisiana (Figure 1). Assigned a Continental Concern Score of 12/20 and identified as a Common Bird in Steep Decline by Partners in Flight; officially listed as an Endangered Species in Minnesota and designated a Species in Greatest Conservation Need by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In the northern portion of its range, including Minnesota, the species is a short-distance migrant that winters in the southern United States and Mexico. Farther south, breeding populations are year-round residents. Primarily large insects, such as grasshoppers and crickets, as well as some small birds, reptiles, mammals, and carrion. Well-known for attacking larger prey behind the head and paralyzing them following pursuit; large invertebrates and vertebrates are also impaled on a thorny bush or barbed wire fence before consuming. Open-cup nest placed in a dense and often thorny shrub or small tree. Roberts (1932) described the Loggerhead Shrike as an “abundant” summer resident throughout southern Minnesota, becoming “increasingly less common northward through the Red River Valley”. The shrike was frequently seen perched on telephone wires in the early 1900s, and Roberts provided a metric of the shrike’s former abundance that present-day birders can easily relate to. During a 12-day automobile trip through southwestern Minnesota in June 1926, he counted 89 Loggerhead Shrikes as he traveled along nearly 500 miles of roadways. A similar trip two years later, which originated in Douglas County in west-central Minnesota and ended in Kittson County on the Canadian border, resulted in a count of 41 shrikes. Today, birding enthusiasts would be delighted if, upon taking similar road trips, they sighted just a couple of shrikes! At the time, Roberts had compiled confirmed nesting records (nests with eggs) from 9 counties (Rock, Pipestone, Martin, Mower, Fillmore, McLeod, Hennepin, Traverse, and Polk) and inferred nesting records (e.g. adults with juveniles) from 3 counties (Marshall, Sherburne, and Stearns). When Green and Janssen provided an updated account of the species in 1975, there was little in their description that suggested the species had experienced any change in its status. Although they noted it was very scare in the northeastern region and in adjacent counties in north-central Minnesota, they still described the Loggerhead Shrike as a statewide resident, with nesting records as far north as the town of Chisholm in St. Louis County. But change was well under way by the early 1970s. The shrike was added to the National Audubon Society’s Blue List in 1972, an early-warning system designed to bring attention to declining species. And when the federal Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was begun in the mid-1960s, the Loggerhead Shrike demonstrated a 50% population decline in the first 15 years of the survey (Coffin and Pfannmuller 1988). Indeed, these changes led to the official classification of the species as state Threatened in 1984. Only 12 years after Green and Janssen provided their updated account in 1975, Janssen’s 1987 update described the shrike as “a rare and very local resident in the state.” Its distribution was narrowly restricted to western Minnesota, from Clay County south to the Iowa border, to the Minnesota River valley, and to eastern Minnesota, from Morrison County south. Breeding had been confirmed in 18 counties since 1970. Hertzel and Janssen (1998) later added 5 more counties to the list. Classification as a state Threatened Species spurred an increased emphasis on survey work and field investigations. Most significant was the initiation of a two-year assessment of the shrike’s statewide distribution, population dynamics, and habitat selection from 1986 to 1988 (Brooks 1988). The statewide survey, conducted during the study’s 1986 field season, identified 32 nesting pairs in 12 counties that ranged from Clay County in the northwest to Fillmore County in the southeast. Fifty-six percent of the pairs, however, were located in just 3 widely dispersed counties: Sherburne (8 pairs), Clay (6 pairs), and Goodhue (4 pairs). When Brooks compared her results with Loggerhead Shrike reports compiled from seasonal reports published by the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, it appeared that little had changed in the past 10 years (Brooks and Temple 1986). In 1989, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) launched a Loggerhead Shrike monitoring program built on the outcomes of Brooks’s field studies. Eight road transects were established in areas with the highest nesting concentrations. Conducted annually from 1989 through 1994, the monitoring indicated further declines in the species’ abundance. Concern regarding the effectiveness of the survey, however, prompted the department to launch a new study in 1995 and 1996 designed to assess the most effective and efficient method for monitoring population trends (Eliason 1996). During the 1995 field season, 24 nesting attempts were observed in 13 counties; during the 1996 field season, only 13 nesting attempts were observed in 8 counties (Eliason 1996). Additional studies confirmed that the road transects surveyed from 1989 through 1994 did not provide as accurate an assessment of the population as a more in-depth survey of known territories. Unfortunately, the amount of personnel time required to implement the latter approach was not considered cost-effective. In subsequent years, targeted survey work was limited. Field work conducted by the Minnesota Biological Survey identified 33 breeding season locations for the Loggerhead Shrike, all within the primary breeding range described by Janssen (1987). Nearly one-third of the records, however, were restricted to Clay and Dakota Counties. Then, in 2008, DNR staff conducted a survey in Dakota, Goodhue, and Rice Counties and in several counties in the Anoka Sandplain that had previously supported nesting pairs. Loggerhead Shrikes were observed at only 7 locations (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2012). The continued decrease in the number of reports led to the reclassification of the shrike as a state Endangered Species in 2013 (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2013). During the MNBBA, observers reported 50 Loggerhead Shrike records in 0.7% (33/4,737) of the surveyed atlas blocks and in 0.6% (13/2,337) of the priority blocks. Breeding evidence was confirmed in 14 blocks (Figures 2 and 3; Table 1). The birds were observed in 18 of Minnesota’s 87 counties and were confirmed breeding in 7 counties: Anoka, Clay, Dakota, Goodhue, Olmsted, Yellow Medicine, and Wilkin. Wilkin and Yellow Medicine Counties were new additions to a list of counties with confirmed nesting published by Hertzel and Janssen in 1998. Breeding was reported as possible in Polk County, where a family of birds was observed perched on a telephone wire. The young, however, were fully capable of flight, so the exact block where nesting occurred could not be determined. In addition to the records compiled by the atlas, 1 nesting record was reported to the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union during the atlas period in Otter Tail County on August 7, 2011; unfortunately details were insufficient to assign it to an atlas block (Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union 2016). An atlas observation from southern St. Louis County was particularly interesting, although this was not the first time shrikes had been reported in the vicinity; summer reports from the county date back to at least 1966 (Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union 2016). Although Loggerhead Shrikes continue to be reported from widely scattered sites throughout the state each year, the majority of confirmed nesting reports remain restricted to Dakota County. This is a notable shift from the mid-1980s, when Brooks and Temple (1986) documented 12 of 32 nests from the central Minnesota counties of Benton, Morrison, and Sherburne. That same year, 1986, only 2 nests were reported in Dakota County. By 1995, the 3 central counties supported only 1 nest, while there were 9 nest attempts in Dakota County (Eliason 1996). The Loggerhead Shrike clearly has become a very rare and vulnerable species in Minnesota. Despite its rarity, an analysis of suitable habitat by the MNBBA illustrates that a large portion of western and southern Minnesota still provides habitat potentially conducive to supporting breeding Loggerhead Shrikes (Figure 4). The reasons for their absence over much of the suitable landscapes are not well understood (Yosef 1996). Elsewhere in its breeding range, the species has experienced declines similar to those documented in Minnesota. As eastern forests were cleared, small farm fields bordered by woody plantings provided ideal habitat for the shrike in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Similar range expansions occurred in the northern Great Plains and north into southern Canada as farm shelterbelts provided new nesting habitat (Cade and Woods 1997). As agricultural practices intensified, the large, unbroken fields of wheat and corn became less suitable habitat for the shrike. Declines were noted in many regions as early as the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s (e.g., Cade and Woods 1997; Rodewald et al. 2016; Chartier et al. 2013). Not only did the species’ abundance decline dramatically, the overall extent of its breeding range receded “well south of its maximum known breeding distribution” earlier in the 20th century (Cade and Woods 1997). *Note that the definition of confirmed nesting of a species is different for Breeding Bird Atlas projects, including the definition used by the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas, compared with a more restrictive definition used by the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union. For details see the Data Methods Section. |Breeding status||Blocks (%)||Priority Blocks (%)| |Confirmed||14 (0.3%)||5 (0.2%)| |Probable||6 (0.1%)||3 (0.1%)| |Possible||13 (0.3%)||5 (0.2%)| |Observed||0 (0.0%)||0 (0.0%)| |Total||33 (0.7%)||13 (0.6%)| An inhabitant of open country interspersed with shrubs and small trees, the Loggerhead Shrike can be found in a diversity of habitats, ranging from upland native prairie, oak savannas, and riparian areas to pastures, old orchards, golf courses, and cemeteries (Kaufman 1996; Yosef 1996). Across the Upper Midwest, the shrike’s habitat has been broadly characterized as open, agricultural sites interspersed with grasslands (Brooks and Temple 1990a). Studies in the eastern United States have shown a correlation with pasture lands, water sources, and landscapes that provide fences, overhead utility lines, and rights-of-way. Active pasture lands are more likely to be reoccupied than idle grasslands where the vegetation grows in height during the course of the breeding season (Luukkonen 1987; Novak 1989). The significance of a nearby water source is not clear. In Minnesota, the species is frequently found in upland prairies, grasslands, and agricultural fields where suitable perches are available to search for prey and scattered trees and shrubs are available for nesting. Small farmsteads that still include hedgerows and fence lines are especially suitable, as are planted shelterbelts (Coffin and Pfannmuller 1988). One of the most reliable sites for finding Loggerhead Shrikes in the state is a stretch of unpaved roads in central Dakota County. The roads border agricultural fields interrupted by scattered homes that are landscaped with small trees and shrubs (Figure 5). Red cedar has been reported as the most frequently used nest tree (44%) in Minnesota. A variety of other species that have a very shrubby or bushy growth with thorns or spines are also used, including American plum, hawthorns, and Russian olive. Nests are usually placed in isolated trees or within narrow hedgerows or windbreaks that are located adjacent to agricultural fields or within grassland habitats or pastures (Brooks and Temple 1990a). Data gathered by the federal Breeding Bird Survey have been used to generate a population estimate of 4.2 million birds in 2016 (Rosenberg et al. 2016); just a few years earlier the estimate was 4.8 million birds, at which time the statewide estimate for Minnesota was 1,000 birds (Partners in Flight Science Committee 2013). The statewide estimate seems particularly high given the rarity of recent observations. The Loggerhead Shrike is sparsely distributed throughout its breeding range; breeding densities are especially low in Minnesota (Figure 1). Rarely observed along BBS routes in the state, across the entire BBS survey area in North America, an average of just 2 birds are observed per BBS route each year (2,036 total routes). The Gulf Coastal Prairie Region, a narrow strip of coastal habitat in southern Louisiana and Texas, supports the highest breeding density of shrikes in North America (Figure 1). Here the average number of birds along 42 BBS routes in the region is 13 (Sauer et al. 2017). BBS data clearly document the species’ significant and steady population decline. Since 1966, the continental population has declined an average of 2.78% per year (Figure 6), resulting in a cumulative decline of 74% from 1970 to 2014 (Rosenberg et al. 2016). The rate of decline shows some hint of abating in recent years. Numbers are too low in Minnesota to generate a statistically reliable population trend, but available data certainly suggest a precipitous decline (Sauer et al. 2017). Nationwide there are only a few locations, primarily in the western United States, where populations are increasing (Figure 7). Given the shrike’s significant decline, biologists estimate that the amount of time before an additional 50% of the population is lost could be as little as 24 years (Rosenberg et al. 2016). As noted earlier, in addition to a decline in numbers, the species’ range has also contracted. Cade and Woods (1997) suggest that its distribution is retreating to what they speculate it may have been prior to European settlement. Numerous hypotheses have been suggested to explain the shrikes’ steady population decline, including habitat loss, low reproductive success, pesticide contamination, interspecific competition, and vehicle collisions (Yosef 1996; Pruitt 2000). A grassland dependent species, the impact of pesticide use may be particularly significant. Studies on organochlorine pesticides, however, concluded that although former pesticide use had a small impact on eggshell thickness of Loggerhead Shrikes, it did not decrease overall reproduction. Since then, many of the organocholine pesticides in use during the 1970s and 1980s are either banned or their use significantly restricted. Nevertheless, new classes of pesticides are always being introduced and can potentially impact grassland species in many other ways including direct mortality on adults and negative impacts to food supplies. While the contribution of agricultural chemicals to the shrike’s decline is not well understood, biologists do consider habitat loss to be a major contributor. More intensive agricultural practices in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest and reforestation of areas in the Northeast are thought to be responsible for much of the decline, but further study is clearly warranted (Cade and Woods 1997; Pruitt 2000). In Minnesota, changes in agricultural practices have certainly had a noticeable impact on habitat suitability. Conversion of pastures to row crops, the loss of hedgerows and windbreaks that provided nesting cover, and the absence of hunting perches or nesting trees in grassland habitats have all had local impacts on nesting shrikes (Eliason 1996). Many biologists have noted, however, that habitat that appears “visually suitable” still remains unoccupied (Eliason 1996; Brooks and Temple 1990b; Pruitt 2000). Overwinter survival may be another key factor negatively influencing northern populations. Not only do the northern migrants need to contend with habitat loss in southern states where they winter, they must compete for resources with those shrikes that remain in the region as year-round residents (Brooks and Temple 1990b). In light of its steady population decline and northern range contraction, the Loggerhead Shrike has been assigned a Continental Concern Score of 12/20 and has been designated a Common Bird in Steep Decline by the 2016 Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plan (Rosenberg et al. 2016). In Minnesota, the shrike was officially listed as a Threatened Species in 1984 and upgraded to Endangered in 2013 (Coffin and Pfannmuller 1988; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2013). It also has been designated a Species in Greatest Conservation Need (Minnesota Department of Natural Resource 2015). Specific conservation plans and management recommendations are limited and challenging to carry out in part because much of the currently occupied and suitable habitat occurs on private lands. Suggestions include leaving fence lines for shrikes to use for perching and impaling their food, maintaining brush along fence lines, and leaving scattered trees in pastures and fields. Programs that provide financial incentives for farmers to retire highly erodible croplands and maintain them as permanent grass cover also are beneficial. These guidelines are included in a brief landowner’s guide for maintaining and encouraging Loggerhead Shrikes prepared by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (1996). Although the species’ response to warming temperatures has not been intensively investigated, a preliminary assessment has ranked its vulnerability as low (North American Bird Conservation Initiative 2010). Perched on the northern periphery of its North American range, the Loggerhead Shrike in Minnesota has a precarious future. Interagency landscape initiatives, such as the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan (Minnesota Prairie Plan Working Group 2011), designed to maintain a matrix of diverse agricultural lands interspersed with protected grassland habitats, are encouraging. However, the species’ future is clearly dependent on the cooperation and support of private landowners in conservation efforts. - Brooks, Bonnie L. 1988. “The Breeding Distribution, Population Dynamics, and Habitat Availability and Suitability of an Upper Midwest Loggerhead Shrike Population.” MS thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison. - Brooks, Bonnie L., and Stanley A. Temple. 1986. “The Breeding Distribution of the Loggerhead Shrike in Minnesota: A Preliminary Report.” Loon 58: 151–154. Brooks, Bonnie L., and Stanley A. Temple. 1990a. “Habitat Availability and Suitability for Loggerhead Shrikes in the Upper Midwest.” American Midland Naturalist 123: 75–83. Brooks, Bonnie L., and Stanley A. Temple. 1990b. “Dynamics of a Loggerhead Shrike Population in Minnesota.” Wilson Bulletin 102: 441–450. - Cade, Thomas J., and Christopher P. Woods. 1997. “Changes in Distribution and Abundance of the Loggerhead Shrike.” Conservation Biology 11: 21–31. Chartier, Allen T., Jennifer J. Baldy, and John M. Brenneman, eds. 2013. Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas II. Kalamazoo, MI: Kalamazoo Nature Center. Coffin, Barbara A., and Lee A. Pfannmuller, eds. 1988. Minnesota’s Endangered Flora and Fauna. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Eliason, Bonita C. 1996. Statewide Survey and Habitat Protection for the Loggerhead Shrike in Minnesota. Final report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partnerships for Wildlife Program. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/projects/consgrant_reports/1996/1996_eliason.pdf Green, Janet C., and Robert B. Janssen. 1975. Minnesota Birds: Where, When and How Many. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Hertzel, Anthony X., and Robert B. Janssen. 1998. County Nesting Records of Minnesota Birds. Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union Occasional Papers, no 2. Minneapolis: The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union. Janssen, Robert B. 1987. Birds in Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Kaufman, Ken. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. - Luukkonen, David R. 1987. “Status and Breeding Ecology of the Loggerhead Shrike in Virginia.” MS thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 1996. Landowners Guide for Maintaining and Encouraging Loggerhead Shrikes. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/rsg/shrikeflyer.pdf Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2012. Statement of Need and Reasonableness: In the Matter of Proposed Amendment to and Repeal of Rules Governing Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species in Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: Endangered and Threatened Species. State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological and Water Resources. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/rules/ets/SONAR_all_species.pdf Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2013. Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological and Water Resources. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/ets/endlist.pdf Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2015. Minnesota’s Wildlife Action Plan 2015–2025. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological and Water Resources. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mnwap/index.html - Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union. 2016. “Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus).” Seasonal Report Archive for The Loon – Shrikes. http://moumn.org/loon/reports/?family=Shrikes Minnesota Prairie Plan Working Group. 2011. Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan. Minneapolis: Minnesota Prairie Plan Working Group. https://www.fws.gov/midwest/hapet/documents/mn_prairie_conservation_plan.pdf North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee. 2010. The State of the Birds 2010 Report on Climate Change, United States of America. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior. http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2010/pdf_files/State of the Birds_FINAL.pdf - Novak, Paul G. 1989. “Breeding Ecology and Status of the Loggerhead Shrike in New York State.” MS thesis, Cornell University. Partners in Flight Science Committee. 2013. Population Estimates Database. Version 2013. http://rmbo.org/pifpopestimates - Pruitt, Lori. 2000. Loggerhead Shrike Status Assessment. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/soc/birds/losh/LOSHSA_entire.pdf Roberts, Thomas S. 1932. The Birds of Minnesota. 2 vols. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Rodewald, Paul G., Matthew B. Shumar, Aaron T. Boone, David L. Slager, and Jim McCormac, eds. 2016. The Second Atlas of the Breeding Birds in Ohio. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. Rosenberg, Kenneth V., Judith A. Kennedy, Randy Dettmers, Robert P. Ford, Debra Reynolds, John D. Alexander, Carol J. Beardmore, Peter J. Blancher, Roxanne E. Bogart, Gregory S. Butcher, Alaine F. Camfield, Andrew Couturier, Dean W. Demarest, Wendy E. Easton, Jim J. Giocomo, Rebecca Hylton Keller, Anne E. Mini, Arvind O. Panjabi, David N. Pashley, Terrell D. Rich, Janet M. Ruth, Henning Stabins, Jessica Stanton, and Tom Will. 2016. Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plan: 2016 Revision for Canada and Continental United States. Partners in Flight Science Committee. http://www.partnersinflight.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/pif-continental-plan-final-spread-single.pdf Sauer, John R., Daniel K. Niven, James E. Hines, David J. Ziolkowski Jr., Keith L. Pardieck, Jane E. Fallon, and William A. Link. 2017. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2015. Version 12.23.2015. Laurel, MD: U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/ - Yosef, Reuven. 1996. “Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus).” The Birds of North America, edited by Paul G. Rodewald. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved from the Birds of North America: https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/logshr doi: 10.2173/bna.231

For children between the ages of one and five, play is one of the ways they learn many crucial life skills, pick up information about the world around them, and begin to learn basic academic skills in preparation for school. BASIC IS BETTER According to early childhood education expert Professor Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, basic toys are better than complex ones because they are ‘open-ended’, meaning that they encourage children to use them in creative ways. Besides developing creativity, research indicates that play also encourages other important skills, like language and fine and gross motor skills.All the toys on this list provide a great balance of play behaviours across all areas of crucial development: creative, intellectual and social. 1. Finger Paint Finger painting helps aid your tot’s fine motor development while strengthening their finger and hand muscles, thereby developing pre-writing skills. It also introduces your child to colours, and stimulates their imagination and creativity. Pro tip: Dress your child in a waterproof apron, spread a plastic mat on the floor and let them make a mess! 2. Shape Sorter The shape sorter allows toddlers to test their fledgling problem-solving skills, teaches them about object permanence, and helps improve their fine motor skills. Pro tip: Sit with your toddler and introduce the names of shapes and colours 3. Stacking Cups Learning how to stack, nest, or snap cups together introduces toddlers to numbers, sizes and shapes, and teaches them about spatial eye-hand coordination and spatial awareness. Pro tip: Unlock even more learning fun with water. Play stacking cups in the bath, teaching concepts like volume and the behaviour of liquids. A simple mirror can aid your toddler’s cognitive development, and develop self-awareness. Hold the mirror in front of your child, and encourage them to say ‘Hi!’. Then, take the mirror away and ask, ‘Oh no, where did you go?’. Then bring the mirror back. You are teaching your little one about object permanence. Pro tip: Teach your child about emotions – ask them to make a happy face, a sad face, and so on. Sand play gives your little one sensory experience through the texture of sand and encourages the use of the senses to boost cognitive learning. In group play situations, it also helps your child to develop social skills like problem solving, sharing, and communicating. Pro tip: Let your child experience and learn how to play independently, but observe and supervise from a short distance. 6.Pegs and Pegboards Pegboards help build hand-eye coordination, enhance fine motor skills, encourage colour recognition, and develop early math skills. They also encourage creativity as children sort and match the different coloured pegs to form their own designs. Pro tip: Start with bigger pegs and advance to smaller pegs. 7. Bath Toys Bath toys teach tots about cause and effect and object permanence. By dropping the toys into the water and picking them up again or squeezing them to produce sounds, children learn that their actions lead to a response Pro tip: Introduce your little one early to scientific concepts like density and buoyancy by providing toys that both float and sink. 8. Stuffed Animals When toddlers talk to, cuddle and take care of their stuffed toys, they are practising language skills and social skills. Through forming ‘friendships’ with their stuffed toys, they learn to be more empathetic and form relationships more easily in the future. Pro tip: Show children how to lift their stuffed toys’ arms andlegs using gentle movements. This helps teach them to be respectful and caring towards others. Ball play improves your child’s motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and reflexes, while working their arm and leg muscles. In addition, ball play with other kids aids your child in developing social skills like sharing, following rules, and negotiating. Pro tip: A ‘wiffle ball’, or any ball with an irregular texture, will help your child get a good grip. Puzzles boost a child’s cognitive and memory capabilities, as well as their visual spatial awareness. They also hone their logical thinking and problem solving skills. Pro tip: Find puzzles that appeal to your child’s interests, such as animals, trains or rockets! 11. Toy Train Sets Assembling the tracks in the correct order helps enhance your child’s logical thinking skills and develops their fine motor skills. Composing and creating the landscape around the tracks further encourages creativity. Pro tip: Introduce other toys. For example, place toy dinosaurs around the track to excite their imagination! 12. Dress-up Costumes Unleash your child’s creativity as they take on the role of a favourite character through dressing up. Role-playing builds language and literacy skills as a child interacts with others. Pro tip: Look for ‘props’ your child can use as they develop their stories. Painting builds self-confidence and encourages decision-making as your little one selects their subject matter, plans their composition and chooses their colours. It also helps to develop motor skills. Pro tip: Never say ‘I can’t draw’ in front of your child. 14. Picture Books Reading aloud with a parent encourages verbal interaction and helps to develop a child’s confidence, especially before ‘reading aloud’ lessons at school. Verbal dexterity complements literacy. Pro tip: Allow your child to turn the pages on their own. 15. Toy Food and Play Kitchen ‘Play cooking’ develops your child’s fine motor skills as they ‘chop’ and ‘stir’, while teaching them about household chores and the importance of a balanced diet and healthy food. Pro tip: Point out the main nutritional benefit of each food in real life – for example, milk makes your bones strong because it contains something called ‘calcium’. Article courtesy of Wyeth. This article is taken from our My Alvernia Magazine Issue #45. Click here to read the issue on our website.

What is Armagnac? Armagnac is a brandy produced in the Gascony region of southwest France. It is distilled using wine made from a combination of four grapes: Ugni blanc, Bacco 22A, Colombard, and Folle blanche. Unlike its cousin Cognac, which uses the standard pot still for distillation, Armagnac is distilled using a traditional Alembic still, which is mobile, upright, and must continuously operate by burning wood. History of Armagnac Armagnac’s roots date back to the very beginning of the history of distillation – it is the oldest liquor on record to ever be distilled. Like many other liquors have been in the early days of distilling, it was first used for its medicinal benefits. It was first written about in 1310 when Cardinal Vital du Four wrote of its 40 virtues in his text, “To keep your health and stay on top form.” Many of Armagnac’s key differentiators can be attributed to its distillation method. The spirit is only run through the Alembic still once, removing less of the “impurities” that create unique and complex flavors when given time to interact with the wood grain. Cognac, and most other spirits, are double-distilled, producing a more-refined, higher-proof spirit. Armagnac usually has a lower alcohol content than most other spirits because of this single distillation, and it does not need to be diluted with water. Aging in Gascon oak barrels imparts flavors and colors from the wood grain, and reactions with the impurities in the spirit. Armagnac is aged anywhere from 1 to 25 years before being transferred to large glass bottles called “bonbonnes” or “Demi Jeanne” to halt the aging process. Once a spirit leaves the wood barrel and is transferred to glass, its chemical make-up remains the same for however long it is stored.

Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multil) is a tapeworm that lives in coyotes, foxes, and sometimes dogs and cats. It is spread in the environment by the stool (poop) of infected animals. What is alveolar echinococcosis (AE)? People can be infected by by accidentally swallowing tapeworm eggs from contaminated food or water, or from handling infected animals. This can cause a rare disease called alveolar echinococcosis (AE). What is the risk in Alberta? The risk of people getting AE in Alberta is very low. Since 2013, there have been a small number of reported cases in the province. Research in Alberta has shown that many coyotes and foxes can have the E. multi tapeworm. They often live close to houses and parks, which can put people and their pets at higher risk of exposure to this tapeworm. But even in places in North America where the tapeworm is common in animals, it’s rare that people get it. How is E. multi spread in the environment? The tapeworm has a complex life cycle that involves coyotes, foxes, and the rodents they eat (like mice and voles). Dogs and cats can also become infected by hunting and eating rodents. The tapeworm's eggs are spread in the environment by the stool of infected coyotes, foxes, dogs, and cats. The eggs can live in the environment for up to a year. When rodents eat the eggs in the environment, the rodents can then be infected. When coyotes, foxes, dogs, or cats eat an infected rodent, the larvae grow into the adult tapeworms in the animal's intestine. The adult tapeworms make new eggs. These leave the animal in their stool, starting the lifecycle all over again. Adult tapeworms do not cause any symptoms or health problems in the coyote, fox, dog, or cat. How can people get AE? AE does not spread person-to-person. Although it is not known how most people with AE became infected, the most common ways of getting AE appear to be: - Eating foods (usually wild berries and herbs) or dinking water that has been contaminated with the stool of an infected coyote, fox, dog, or cat. - Touching, petting, or handling a household pet infected with the tapeworm, then accidentally swallowing the tapeworm eggs by touching your mouth. Infected pets can have tapeworm eggs in their stool and their fur may be contaminated. - Handling animals like coyotes, foxes, or dogs as part of your job or hobby (e.g., trappers, veterinarians, veterinary technicians). What are the symptoms? When a person accidentally swallows the tapeworm eggs, they may get cyst-like damage, most often in their liver. This damage grows slowly and may not cause any symptoms for years. When symptoms appear, they may include: - pain or discomfort in the upper belly - weight loss - symptoms that may look like liver cancer or liver disease How is AE treated? AE is complicated to treat and can cause death if not treated. Surgery is the most common form of treatment for AE. After surgery, you may need medicine to keep the cyst from growing back. How can people prevent AE? The best ways to prevent AE are to: Where can I get more information? For more information on AE, see:

In our every day lives, we run into others that someday may change our lives or the government and become a hero by doing so. A hero can be someone who goes around saving others, but a hero can also be someone who wants to accomplish a certain goal, and face some obstacles on the way and yet conquer them and never giving up to get to their goal. A hero needs courage, perseverance, hope in themselves and others, and a strong sense of leadership, in order to achieve their goals in their life. Heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, and Thomas Edison were great heroes in their times of existence and had terrific dreams of many things, and they stuck to their dreams until they succeeded in it. "Four score and seven years ago…" is known as the beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Lincoln, born in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Kentucky in 1809, along with an older sister and a little brother who died at birth. As the son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham would soon grow up to make many changes to our government and our country. In 1818, Lincoln’s mother died and Lincoln’s dad re-married a Kentucky widow in 1819. Ten years later, Lincoln made his first trip to New Orleans by sailing down the Mississippi River. From his birth in 1809 to 1816, the Lincoln’s lived in Kentucky, but then moved to Indiana. In all of their time in Kentucky and Indiana, Lincoln said he attended some schools, so called, but for less than a year altogether. Still, he said he could read and write very exceptionally, but that was all. Although Lincoln loved learning, his father hated learning and wanted Abraham to become more of an outdoors man, which is why they had a bad relationship. Abraham had impressed others in his hometown because he took on the town bully and that is where he got the nickname "Honest Abe." Lincoln first became interested in being a leader when his military leader put him in a high command position. In Lincoln’s life, he faced many difficulties. These difficulties included having to support his family after they were forced out of their house in 1816. Then Lincoln failed out of schools and jobs several times in both 1831 and 1832. Lincoln then payed off bankruptcy for fifteen years, borrowing money from friends to do so in 1833. Lincoln had been defeated for legislature three times in a row. Lincoln was once engaged to be married, but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken in 1835. Finally, Lincoln had to spend six months in bed after a meltdown in 1836. After facing these obstacles, Lincoln married Mary Todd Lincoln and had four children. Then, Lincoln became a successful attorney and bought a home with his family. When in office as President, Lincoln addressed many proclamations, speeches, passed many laws, and created a network of national banks. On Good Friday of April 14 in 1865, Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth and later died the next day in a bed in someone’s house. Lincoln was 6'4", weighed 180 lbs., had gray eyes and black hair, and wore a size 14 shoe, before he died! Abraham Lincoln has inspired me to never give up on my goals because I now realize that no matter how many problems I face in my life, and no matter how many times I get turned down, I can still make my way to my goals one by one. I know that even if I can't be the best at something, and get turned down, there is no reason why I can’t keep fighting for what I want. It is always shown by others' attitudes that they will never give up on something until they get to it through their attitude and their perseverance in themselves. As it was once said by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody." That is how you know if you have persistence or not. If you are persistent, than you are like Abraham Lincoln, who was a very persistent man. Page created on 1/19/2008 12:00:00 AM Last edited 1/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

The department of heterogeneous catalysis is focused on the development of technologies for the production of synthetic hydrocarbons from various feedstocks: natural gases (GTL technology), coal (CTL technology), biomass (BTL technology). Currently, GTL technology is considered as an alternative method for obtaining motor fuels and raw materials for chemical production from natural and associated petroleum gas. In the world, industrial GTL technology has been implemented by Sasol (Sasolburg, Secunda, South Africa), Shell (Bintulu, Malaysia, Qatar), Sasol/QP (Ros-Laffan, Qatar), PetroSA (Mossel Bay, South Africa). In Russia, this technology existed from the late 1950s to the early 2000s at the Novocherkassk Plant of Synthetic Products (NZSP) and has now been lost. The staff of the Research Institute "Nanotechnologies and New Materials" has been dealing with this topic since 1980, during which time considerable experience has been accumulated in the field of improving this technology, synthesizing high-performance catalysts, and processing synthesis products. The team includes leading employees who managed the industrial production of synthetic hydrocarbons at ZAO Novocherkassk Plant of Synthetic Products. The research institute has developed two variants of the GTL technology: - Production of synthetic waxes and isoparaffin oils based on them (Heavy GTL); - Production of light synthetic oil and high-quality fuels (gasoline, kerosene, diesel) based on it (Light GTL). Technologies are being developed to convert coal (CTL) and biomass (BTL) into synthetic hydrocarbons.

Peter Hawkins, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative to Nigeria, says Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is detrimental to the development of the girl-child. The UNICEF country representative identified Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as one of the most profound abuse of rights as a form of GBV. NAN reports that FGM is a procedure performed on a woman or girl to alter or injure her genitalia for non-medical reasons. It involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organ. Hawkins, however, acknowledged that incidences of FGM had dropped in the country, attributing the decrease to efforts toward tackling it from geographical perspective. NAN also reports that the Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 6) 2021 inaugurated in August revealed that 15 per cent of women aged 15-49 years in Nigeria had undergone FGM, down from 18 per cent in 2016. The Survey also found that eight per cent of Nigerian girls aged 0-14 years underwent FGM in 2021, down from 25 per cent in 2016. MICS is a household survey developed by UNICEF to assist countries in filling data gaps for monitoring human development indicators in general and the situation of children and women in particular. It has evolved over the years to respond to changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators in the first round in 1999 to 200 in its current sixth. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) implemented MICS, which provides data on child mortality, health, nutrition, education, child and social protection, women’s health care and empowerment, water, sanitation and hygiene. The UNICEF country representative said “the engagement of governors on this very serious issue has been very good and they have taken it forward, but as long as one child is abused in this sense, it is one child too many. “One of the good indicators is the domestication of the Child Rights Act that was passed at the national level in 2003. “So, that is starting to have a profound effect on how state governments are responding to situations like FGM because it is enshrined in the law and it is illegal. “But the major challenge is around social and behavioural change and shifting social norms from what they have been to what we require them to be under a rights-based framework and those social norms will take a while. “It is still unacceptable, but we need to move slowly.” Hawkins, however, expressed optimism that with social and behavioural change, the improvement would be sustained. On the issue of sexual harassment against the girl-child, he said getting communities to report incidences to relevant authorities had been the most difficult part. He said it was not about the communities and institutions of learning alone but also about the homes too. He added that “it is all within the immediate environments of the homes in ccommunities, and it is about reporting it. “It is when we stop it there that we are in a much better position to stop it in schools and institutions of learning. “There has to be a social change around respect to young girls and protection of young girls.” Hawkins said that teenagers being pregnant is a violation in itself, adding that “the pregnant girl cannot go back to school, so there’s a triple whammy and her aspirations are immediately curtailed.” He advocated for the Child Protection Information Management System which ensures that the judiciary, the police and social services departments specifically focus on the protection of the rights and wellbeing of children. According to him, there is nothing more important than the protection of a child because the child will become an adult, and if abused, he or she may perpetrate same on others.

El Niño exerted powerful effects around the globe in the last year: eroding California beaches; driving drought in northern South America, Africa and Asia; and bringing record rain to the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southern South America. In the Pacific Ocean off the West Coast, however, the California Current Ecosystem was already unsettled by an unusual pattern of warming popularly known as “the Blob.” New research based on ocean models and near real-time data from autonomous gliders indicates that the Blob and El Niño together strongly depressed productivity off the West Coast, with the Blob driving most of the impact. The research published in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters by scientists from UC Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography is among the first to assess the marine effects of the 2015-2016 El Niño off the West Coast of the United States. “Last year there was a lot of speculation about the consequences of ‘the Blob’ and El Niño battling it out off the U.S. West Coast,” said lead author Michael Jacox, a project scientist at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center. “We found that off California El Niño turned out to be much weaker than expected. The Blob continued to be a dominant force, and the two of them together had strongly negative impacts on marine productivity.” “Now, both the Blob and El Niño are on their way out, but in their wake lies a heavily disrupted ecosystem,” Jacox said. Unusually warm ocean temperatures that became known as the Blob began affecting waters off the West Coast in late 2013. Warm conditions – whether driven by the Blob or El Niño – slow the flow of nutrients from the deep ocean, reducing the productivity of coastal ecosystems. Temperatures close to 3 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) above average also led to sightings of warm-water species far to the north of their typical range and likely contributed to the largest harmful algal bloom ever recorded on the West Coast last year. “These past years have been extremely unusual off the California coast, with humpback whales closer to shore, pelagic red crabs washing up on the beaches of central California, and sportfish in higher numbers in southern California,” said Elliott Hazen of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, a coauthor of the paper. “This paper reveals how broad scale warming influences the biology directly off our shores.” The research paper describes real-time monitoring of the California Current Ecosystem with the latest technology, including autonomous gliders that track undersea conditions along the West Coast. “This work reflects technological advances that now let us rapidly assess the effects of major climate disruptions and project their impacts on the ecosystem,” Jacox said. Separate but related research recently published in Scientific Reports identifies the optimal conditions for productivity in the California Current off the West Coast, which will help assess the future effects of climate change or climate variability such as El Niño. The research was authored by the same scientists at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA Fisheries. “Wind has a ‘goldilocks effect’ on productivity in the California Current,” Hazen said. “If wind is too weak, nutrients limit productivity, and if wind is too strong, productivity is moved offshore or lost to the deep ocean. Understanding how wind and nutrients drive productivity provides context for events like the Blob and El Niño, so we can better understand how the ecosystem is likely to respond.” Both papers emphasize the importance of closely monitoring West Coast marine ecosystems for the impacts of a changing climate. Although the tropical signals of El Niño were strong, the drivers – called “teleconnections” – that usually carry the El Niño pattern from the tropics to the West Coast were not as effective as in previous strong El Niños. “Not all El Niños evolve in the same way in the tropics, nor are their impacts the same off our coast,” said Steven Bograd, a research scientist at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and coauthor of both papers. “Local conditions, in this case from the Blob, can modulate the way our ecosystem responds to these large scale climate events.” In addition to Jacox, Hazen, and Bograd, the coauthors of the paper include Christopher Edwards and Andrew Moore in the UC Santa Cruz Department of Ocean Sciences, and Katherine Zaba and Daniel Rudnick at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. –From University of California Santa Cruz Categories: Climate Change, Condition of Oceans, El Nino, Fisheries, Pacific Ocean, Research, Toxic Algae Blooms, Warming Oceans Leave a Reply

Contusions are a form of bruising or mild bleeding. In the event of head injuries resulting in TBI, a contusion typically accompanies a concussion, and when it does not heal on its own, it may become a hematoma. The severity of a contusion on the brain depends on its location and size. 3. Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury As the French words coup, meaning blow, and contrecoup, meaning counterblow, imply, a coup-contrecoup brain injury is actually two separate injuries. These are most common in car accidents where a person’s head hits a hard surface, such as the steering wheel or window, and the brain collides with the skull at the place of impact before bouncing back and hitting the other side of the skull. The coup injury is the initial injury from the point of impact, and the rebound causes the contrecoup injury. 4. Diffuse Axonal Injury A diffuse axonal injury (DAI) occurs when a violent shake or twist of the brain causes cerebral tissue to slide back and forth until the axons, or connecting fibers, tear. Medical professionals refer to these tears as axonal shearing, and it can result in a loss of brain function. The severity of a DAI depends on the size and location of the tears. Larger, more numerous tears result in more serious effects. DAIs are among the most serious traumatic brain injuries. 5. Intracranial Hematomas An intracranial hematoma is the collection of blood outside of the blood vessels. These sometimes take days or weeks to develop and are potentially deadly if left untreated. The most common types of hematomas are: - Intracerebral hematoma, which occurs in the brain - Epidural hematoma, which occurs between the brain and skull - Subdural hematoma, which occurs between the brain and the thin layer surrounding it A hematoma usually shows up in the medical imaging an auto accident doctor orders following a collision. 6. Penetrating Brain Injury A penetrating brain injury occurs when an object penetrates the skull and brain. These are less common in auto accidents, but people who have suffered penetrating head wounds have a higher likelihood of developing epilepsy and needing long-term treatment for traumatic brain injuries. Uncontrolled bleeding in or around the brain is brain hemorrhage. The two types are subarachnoid hemorrhages, which occur outside of the brain in the surrounding area, and intracerebral hemorrhages, which occur inside the brain. 8. Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury Second impact syndrome, or recurrent traumatic brain injury, occurs when a person suffers two brain injuries within a short period of time. The second injury typically causes more damage and is sometimes overlooked if the person did not lose consciousness after the second.

145 Broadway, Newark, NJ 07104 Phone: 973-485-2609 | Email: [email protected] On the eve of crossing the River Jabbok (nowadays, Zarqa River in Jordan), Jacob wrestled with a man, presumably an angel. Jacob bested the angel, and the angel pleaded with Jacob to let him (the angel) go. Jacob responded, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” The angel bestowed a blessing of sorts: the angel changed Jacob’s name to Yisrael, meaning, “you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” Some time later (and we don’t know the time lapse), God told Jacob (the Torah uses Jacob’s old name) to go to Bethel (the site of the ladder dream). Jacob and his household went to Bethel and Jacob erected an altar. God appeared to Jacob (the Torah uses the phrase “on his arrival from Paddan-Aram [which was many years ago]”) and God repeated the angel’s blessing: you whose name is Jacob, you shall be called Jacob no more, but Israel shall be your name.” The Torah acts like God did not know that the angel bestowed an exact same blessing a couple of months (years?) ago. An interesting article by Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh addresses that paradox. You can find it at https://www.thetorah.com/article/jacob-is-renamed-israel-twice-why-does-the-name-jacob-remain. That is not what I am addressing in this column. I am addressing the three times that Jacob took advantage of a weaker opponent. Jacob extracted Esau’s rightful blessing from a father who was blind. Jacob padded his arms with pelts so he could resemble Esau, but the deception worked because Isaac was blind. The angel was fairly bested (not including weakening Jacob’s hip, analogous to Isaac’s blindness), but the angel was in a vulnerable position: he needed to flee before the dawn. Jacob extracted the angel’s blessing because the angel was blinded by the dawn. Jacob deceives Laban about the sheep, because Jacob uses his superior knowledge as a shepherd. Laban is blinded by ignorance, so he doesn’t see Jacob’s ploy. Jacob takes advantage of his blind adversary. Blindness is a theme for Jacob’s struggles, and his adversaries’ blindness rewards Jacob.

Lavender Is A Tough Crop For ‘Muggy’ Missouri. Meet The Couple Giving It A Go While Missouri is known for many crops, lavender is not necessarily one of them — but one couple in mid-Missouri decided to give it a try. Katie Lockwood and her husband both work for the University of Missouri System's IT department but have also been hobby farmers for 20 years. So, when they moved to Centralia in 2011 and had a small plot of land beside their house, they weren’t sure what to do. Katie said, for her — it was simple. She had always wanted to try and grow lavender. But, as they quickly realized, it was a different kind of crop than they were used to. “Here in Missouri, it is rather difficult to grow lavender,” Katie Lockwood said. “So, we did a lot of research before we planted our first plant, worked very closely with MU extension because they do soil analysis and make recommendations around how you can improve your pH levels and texture and so on, to make it more suitable for growing lavender.” Katie said the idea for the lavender farm was born in 2016 and their first planting was in 2018. She added that they got help from people outside of the state before planting, as they realized lavender is not a native Missouri crop. Kelly McGowan is a field specialist in horticulture for MU extension, and she said there isn't a lot of data about what it takes to grow the crop in Missouri successfully. McGowan said that lavender plants grow to about 1-2 feet tall, and its flowers are light purple and arranged in spikes. McGowan added that, in a lot of ways, Missouri couldn’t be more different from the plant’s Mediterranean origins. Instead of an arid, dry climate - Missouri is wet, muggy, and sometimes has harsh winters. So, she started a series of small lavender farms around the state - in Springfield, Ste. Genevieve and Kirksville - with a $39,274 grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Through these farms and conversations with active lavender farmers like the Lockwoods, McGowan hopes to gather data and standardize growing practices over the next few years. According to a press release from MU Extension, they will focus on “growing practices such as plant establishment and soil preparation, winter protection, cultivar selection, plant phenology, insect and disease issues, optimal flower and oil production parameters, and fertilization.” And by standardizing these practices, she hopes lavender will become a more attractive and viable crop option - especially for small farmers. “Diversifying, growing lots of different things is sometimes helpful, and, you know, including lavender is really my goal. I want people to not be afraid of growing it,” McGowan said. “Because you can make pretty good money off of it — it isn't cheap to go to a lavender farm and pick lavender or buy products or essential oils. I just want to see our farmers be successful with it.” McGowan said the great thing about lavender is the variety — both in products and in the crop itself, which creates opportunities in agritourism. Back at Lockwood's farm, all the rows of lavender look exactly the same. As you get closer, you realize they’re different scents and colors. While there are 14 varieties at the farm, there are more than 450 in the world. Lockwood said there’s more than that, but those are the ones that have names. “So, we actually don't grow from seed because lavender cross-pollinates really easily, and it's hard to get the true strain,” Lockwood said. “You're not necessarily going to get the same plant with the same scent or the same oil content with the same color, and so on.” She said they planned to open up a “You-Pick'' season for customers in 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to adjust their plans. This year, once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, they were able to offer the opportunity to the community. Katie said bringing people to rural Missouri was one of the reasons they started the business in the first place. “They could learn more about the battlefield nearby and see some of the historical places even in town and just introduce people to an area they might not normally come,” she said. While their you-pick season ends with the summer, Katie said their business doesn’t stop there. They plan to be at the Columbia Farmer’s Market and sell their lavender merchandise all year long. This year’s season began at the beginning of April, and the farm is now open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., as well as 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays. Copyright 2021 Harvest Public Media. To see more, visit .

Stop plastic pollution, the second world summit is underway In March 2022, when in Nairobi 175 countries signed the UN resolution to tackle plastic pollution on an international scalethus paving the way for a two-year negotiation process, the Unep executive director, Inger Andersenhe said: “This is themost significant multilateral environmental agreement since Paris in 2015». On the eve of second phase of the negotiations, which will open on May 29 in Parishowever, the goal of creating a legally binding treaty, which considers the entire plastic cycle, from production to packaging, products and business models, seems far away, precisely, like that of keeping temperatures below 1 .5 degrees Celsius. The first negotiating session in Uruguay last December was attended - as will happen in Paris - by delegates from over 150 countries, representatives of the plastics industry, environmentalists, scientists, waste collectors, tribal representatives and the populations most directly affected by the pollution. Some countries have lobbied for equal mandates for all, others for national solutions and be it reaffirmed the political goal of ending plastic pollution by 2040. Now, ahead of the second session, 52 countries, including the EU, have gathered in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC EPP), once again to aim for the most ambitious outcome possible and underline the need for a text including binding measures. The coalition supports the inclusion in the future treaty of obligations and control measures on the entire life cycle of plastics, to limit the consumption and production of plastics to sustainable levels, promote a circular economy that protects the environment and health and ultimately ensure effective collection, management and recycling of plastic waste. How to reduce plastic use by 80% by 2040 As we now witness every United Nations Conference on Climate Change, the differences concern above all the times within which the measures will become binding, how to support the countries of the South in the world to achieve the objectives and how to apply the "polluter pays" principle. Against the background of the treaties, then, one consideration weighs: global plastic production is steadily increasing, estimated at 390.7 million tons in 2021, with an annual increase of 4% and is expected to triple by 2060. Nor can we count on its recycling: today, 81% of products made of plastic end up in waste within a year, of this waste, only 9% is recycled worldwide, 20% is incinerated, almost half ends up in landfills and more than 20% is abandoned in nature. The damage mainly concerns the oceans, where 15 tons of plastic are released every minute and its debris constitutes 85% of the polluting materials present in the sea.

The National 9-11 Memorial The National 9-11 Memorial & Museum are a memorial and museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed 2,977 victims, and the World Trade Center bombing of 1993, which killed six. In addition, Access Programs and Services for Visitors with Disabilities. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum commits to ensuring access to the Memorial and Museum for all visitors. It seeks to provide an equal opportunity for every individual to honor and remember the nearly 3,000 people killed. Furthermore, this dedication is for people lost in the terror attacks. Traveling to National 9-11 Memorial By Car: On-street parking in lower Manhattan is extremely minimal. The Memorial does not provide parking. Furthermore, in Manhattan the Battery Parking Garage, which hosts the annual Tribute in Light installation, is at 70 Greenwich St. Click here for directions. Finally, alternate entrances at 81 Washington St. and 20 Morris St.

Today, the name Cousteau is synonymous with ocean exploration, and for good reason. Jacques Cousteau was a pioneer of the underwater realm, marine conservation, and film-making. His life and discoveries changed the way we see the ocean and all it has to offer. Who Was Jacques Cousteau? Cousteau was born in June of 1910 in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde, France. He was one of two children born to Daniel and Elisabeth Cousteau. He learned to swim when he was only four years old and as he aged, he developed an interest in mechanics. As a young man, he was educated at the College Stanislas. He did not do well in school and later enter into École Navale and became a gunnery officer and then joined the French Navy’s information service. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, his career was cut short when he broke both his arms in an automobile accident in 1933. While he was working on regaining his strength, he spent time swimming in the Mediterranean. It was this upset to his plans that led to him indulging his true passion, a love for the ocean. Cousteau married for the first time in 1937, to Simone Mechoir. Together, the couplet had two songs. Jean-Michel and Phillipe, both of whom accompanied their father on his research trips. Cousteau remarried after Simone died to Francine Triplet, a woman he’d kept as a mistress throughout his first marriage. Unfortunately, Cousteau’s son Phillipe was killed Cousteau sought to reveal to the public the secrets of the ocean throughout his life. He took his first step on this path when he carried out his first experiments in 1936. During WWII, Cousteau was part of the French Resistance and spent time spying on Italian forces and photographing their movements. He was awarded for his efforts, receiving several medals including the Legion of Honor. Over the following years, Cousteau and his companions created several award-winning films including Par dix-huit mètres de fond or 18 Meters Deep and Épaves or Shipwrecks. The first was created without a breathing apparatus and the second with the first prototype of the Aqua-lung. The success of Épaves led to Cousteau being able to set up the Groupement de Recherches Sous-marines or the Underwater Research Group of the French Navy. It eventually evolved into CEPHISMER. The team worked together to explore the Roman wreck of Mahdia, the first operation that used autonomous diving. Cousteau along with Duma, authored The Silent World, one of his best-known books, during this period. The publication of this book, and the movie that was created from it, allowed Cousteau access to the finances he needed for an expedition to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. One of the most memorable periods in Cousteau’s career of ocean exploration began when he modified a former minesweeper with research equipment. Calypso, as the vessel was called, explored seas and rivers for forty years. In 1974, Cousteau created The Cousteau Society in the United States and then created Fondation Cousteau in France in 1981. He petitioned to saved Antarctica in the 1990s and was successful, preserving the continent. What is Jacques Cousteau Known For? A better question might be what is he not known for. Cousteau is remembered as an explorer, scientist, author, filmmaker, conservationist, and naval officer. In 1943, along with Emile Gagnan, he developed the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, or “scuba”. It was with the development of the aqua-lung that Cousteau solidified his reputation in the history of ocean exploration. It was the first self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, known now as “scuba”. Previously, diving had required explorers to wear bulky and dangerous suits into which air was continually pumped. With the development of the “scuba” divers were granted the ability to explore the ocean much more freely than they had in the past. Later, with the help of a wealthy financier, Cousteau was able to set up and 400-ton ex-mine sweeper and use it as a research lab and film studio. This ship was his life for the next four decades. The Legacy of Jacques Cousteau Cousteau is also remembered for his film and television programs. Some of these include The Silent World and the series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau a program that ran for nine seasons. The program allowed viewers insight into the underwater world that so many know so little about. It documented Cousteau’s team as they traveled the world and revealed the secrets of marine life. He won Oscars for The Silent World, The Golden Fish, and World Without Sun. He also won two Cannes Film Festival Awards. Cousteau also published more than 40 books. Cousteau was one of the first to popularize theories of conservationism and the undeniable fact that human beings are damaging the planet. Cousteau was granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Regan in 1985 and 1989 and awarded membership to the French Academy in 1988. Jacques Cousteau died of a heart attack in June of 1997, only two weeks before his 87th birthday and approximately a year after the wreck of the Calypso. He was buried in Saint-André-de-Cubzac. Since his death, the two societies he founded, l’Équipe Cousteau and The Cousteau Society are still active. Attempts are underway to turn the Calypso, which has been salvaged, into a museum.

Classroom Talk in EFL Classes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Keywords:Classroom talk, EFL classes, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia This study sought to examine the patterns of talk and other patterns that emerged in the classroom talk and aimed to investigate the level of questions, the syntactic structure of questions, and the initiated repairs used by teachers in classroom interaction. There were 10 English teachers from 5 colleges who were randomly selected as participants. The instrument used in the study was the recorded teaching observation of the teachers. The verbatim transcriptions of the video materials were used as the main instrument in examining the teachers’ patterns of talk; their syntactic and cognitive level of questions; and the other-initiation repairs used by them to resolve the issues and to sustain the smooth flow of conversation. The study made use of the qualitative and quantitative approaches and revealed that teacher Initiation-Response-Feedback pattern was mostly used by teachers which signify the restricted adherence of teachers in a one cycle turn of asking questions by the teacher, providing response by student and giving feedback by the teacher. Whereas on the emerging patterns of talk, Initiation-Response pattern emerged which was predominantly used by teachers. This shows that there are deviations on the IRF pattern of eliciting verbal responses from the learners. Teachers used low level type of questions both in the cognitive level and syntactic structure of questions posted by teachers. This means that questions used were not intended to develop students’ creativity. Most teachers preferred to use the hearing repair which is the least sensitive approach in resolving issues. This provided the teachers more opportunities to address the problems in the course of the conversation. The teachers have to accept the responsibility of providing solutions to the identified problems instead of delegating the responsibility to the students to solve the problem.

West Virginia and Landsat - Document: Report (5.33 MB pdf) , HTML , XML - Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core Many may recall “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” made famous by John Denver, leads with the lyric “almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.” The descriptors are apt. Nicknamed the “Mountain State,” West Virginia inspires thoughts of coal mining or logging in the Appalachian Mountains and valleys, or the leaping trout in the winding waters of Shenandoah National Park. West Virginia is second only to Wyoming in coal production nationwide. Its mines produced more than 67 million tons of coal in 2020. Logging pumped about $3.4 billion into the State’s economy in 2019; tourist spending added another $4.6 billion. Those industries are key for West Virginia, but agriculture and fisheries also play a role in the State's economic fortunes. Peaches and apples are major drivers of food production, as are beef and poultry. Trout, meanwhile, are caught and sold commercially, and are stocked throughout the State's rivers for local and visiting anglers. Scientists, land managers, and others use imagery from the U.S. Geological Survey Landsat satellite program's deep historical archive to better understand and manage West Virginia’s storied forests, fields, mountains, and foothills. U.S. Geological Survey, 2022, West Virginia and Landsat: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2022–3044, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20223044. ISSN: 2327-6932 (online) ISSN: 2327-6916 (print) Table of Contents - Monitoring Surface Mines - Tracking Forest Change - Managing Aquatic Ecosystems - Landsat—Critical Information Infrastructure for the Nation - References Cited |Publication Subtype||USGS Numbered Series| |Title||West Virginia and Landsat| |Series title||Fact Sheet| |Publisher||U.S. Geological Survey| |Publisher location||Reston, VA| |Contributing office(s)||Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center| |Online Only (Y/N)||N| |Google Analytic Metrics||Metrics page|

Kadwaya is a small village in the Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh. The village was somehow surprisingly skipped by Alexander Cunningham though he visited many sites in the vicinity such as Chanderi, Terahi, Ranod, Mahua, etc. Though in his report of Terahi, he does mention Kadwaha village where remains of four standing temples and ruins of nine others were located.1 As the village possesses more than a dozen temples, a matha (monastery), a few tanks, and a medieval garhi (fortress), it would have enjoyed considerable importance during its heydays. The villages of Kadambaguha and Mattamayura, mentioned in a few medieval inscriptions, are generally identified with modern Kadwaya. It was Keilhorn who identifies Kadwaya with Kadambaguha, the latter is mentioned in an inscription from Ranod.2 The inscription tells that Shiva once pleased Brahma by offering him a sacrifice, the result of which was the origin of the family or line of sages. In this family was Kadambaguhadivasin or “inhabitant of Kadambaguha”. After him came Shankhamathikadhipati (the superintendent of Sankhamathika), Terambipala (the protector of Terambi), Amardakatirthanatha ( the lord of Amardakatirtha), and Purandara, etc. The Chalukya king Avantivarman, in his desire to be initiated in the Shaiva faith, went to Upendrapura and induced sage Purandara to come to his city, Mattamayura. Purandara initiated the king and in return got sponsorship for the construction of a matha (monastery) at Mattamayura and Ranipadra (Ranod). Upendrapura is mentioned in the Kadambapadraka grant of Naravarman and R D Banerji opines that the Upendrapura of that grant is the same as the Upendrapura of the Ranod inscription, however, he says he could not identify Kadambapadraka.3 Mirashi opines that whether Kadambapadraka of this grant is identical with Kadambaguha of the Ranod inscription cannot be determined at present, however, it is certain that it must be sought for in Malwa region.4 Mirashi suggests Mattamayura, the city of Avantivarman, where Purandara initiated the king and set up a monastery can be identified with modern Kadwaya.5 After the Chalukyas, Kadwaya came under the Gurjara-Pratiharas and a Pratihara king Hariraja was initiated by the pontiff of the Kadwaya matha. After getting royal patronage, the branches of the Mattamayura sect spread far and wide to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu, and their saints built mathas and temples at various places. Monasteries at Chandrehe, Gurgi, Ranod, Surwaya, and Terahi are a few mathas of importance belonging to the Mattamayura saints. Saints of this line gained much prominence with the Kalachuri kings of Tripuri. King Yuvarajadeva I (915-945 CE) invited saint Prabhavasiva to his capital and get initiation from him. His son, Lakshmana-raja II (945-970 CE) invited saint Hrdayasiva from Madhumati for his initiation.6 The influence of the Mattamayuras over the Kalachuris of Tripuri can be credited to Nohala, the wife of Yuvarajadeva I and the granddaughter of the Chalukya king Avantivarman.7 Nohala would have witnessed the initiation of her grandfather by the Mattamayura saints and when she was married into the Kalachuri family, she invited Mattamayura saints to the Kalachuri domain in order to receive initiation for her as well as for others. On the Mattamayura-Kalachuri ties, Misra says it reflects a phenomenon in which patronage was appropriated, serialized, distributed, and redistributed, and in all these operations it unabatedly strengthened the ruler-pontiff ties.8 Taking cues from a few inscriptions at Kadwaya and other places, Misra suggests that militancy seems to have been an essential ingredient of matha’s existence and function and in this process of helping out the Kalachuri rulers this militant monachism seems to have succeeded in carving out for itself “a State within a State”.9 Tamara Sears10 seems right in attributing Kajarra (or Kajwara) of Ibn Batuta with the present village of Kadwaya. Traditionally, Kajarra is equated with Khajuraho however Sears explains that Khajurano was not popular during the time of Ibn Batuta and it did not lie on the route taken by Ibn Batuta. This also supports the identification of Kachwa (or Kachwaha), a stop before Chanderi, of Baburnama with Kadwaya. Beveridge, who translated Baburnama into English, identifies Kachwa with Kadwaya stating that Kachwa of Babur and Kajwarra of Ibn Batuta should be the same as both the towns were said to be situated at the bank of a large lake.11 Monuments – The town has more than a dozen temples, all constructed in sandstone, a monastery, and a few tanks. These temples are under the protection of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and are named in various groups i.e. Ekla, Pachhali Marghat (A, B), Chandla, Bag Group (A, B), Talao Group (A, B), Akhati (A, B, C), Khirna Group (A, B), Murayat and Garhi. Matha and Bhuteshvara Temple – This matha represents the primary seat of the Mattamayura saints. The Mattamayura clan was founded by saint Kadambaguhadivasin (inhabitant of Kadambaguha) however no mention is made if he constructed a matha. The first reference to the establishment of a matha comes from an inscription from Ranod stating Purandara, fifth in the lineage from Kadambaguhadivasin, built a matha at Kadwaya and Ranod. This matha is the earliest structure at Kadwaya and it soon became a focal point of all future constructional activities. It is an impressive double-story building measuring 93 feet square.12 It has a central courtyard lined with cells on all sides. The main entrance is provided from the north and windows are placed on each story to allow sunlight. At a later stage, the monastery was enclosed within a fortress with battlements built around the site. The temple standing next to the matha faces west and consists of a mandapa and garbhagrha. It is built in pancha-ratha plan and is dedicated to Shiva. The temple is built on a low plinth with inverted lotus decoration. The vedibandha (adhishthana) is built of five regular moldings. On all the projections of this vedibandha, provisions are made for niches to house images. Jangha has two registers of images on all the rathas. Images of dikpalas are present over the karna niches. Images of apsaras, vyalas, and various other deities are adorning the niches of pratiratha and recesses. Bhadra niche in the south has Ganesha and the north has Chamunda, while the niche in the east is empty. Kapili niche in the south has an image of Kshemenkari and in the north has Parvati. When the town was taken over by the forces of Alaud-Din Khalji (1296-1306 CE), a mosque was constructed next to the temple, and the platform of the former buried the latter underneath. The garbhagrha doorframe is built with five shakhas (bands). Shiva as Natesha is present on the lalata-bimba while Vishnu with Lakshi is on one terminal and Shiva with Uma on another terminal. The recess portion in between is filled with images of nava-grahas. Over the architrave are the dvadash-Adityas (twelve Adityas) with Surya in the center. Ganga and Yamuna are present over the door-jambs with dvarapalas on their side. Inscriptions: Many loose inscriptions are found in the debris of the monastery, below are a few important inscriptions. Many of these loose slab inscriptions are records of pilgrims providing their names and dates etc. From these, we find that the matha was in use and frequented by pilgrims till the 16th century CE. - Fragmentary stone inscription13 – dateable to the 10th century CE on paleography – The inscription consists of 29 lines and mentions sage Purandara as the first in the lineage of the Mattamayuras. He came from Malwa at the invitation of king Avantivarman of the Chalukya family. He chose Aranipadra (Ranod) for his penance. The name of his disciple is not legible, and he is told to be filled with rage at the death of a person when king Gobhata visited the monastery with his army of elephants. The sage, like Tripurantaka, conquered the whole army of his foes by means of a bow and arrow acquired by his own miraculous powers. The name of his disciple is not legible, and he was told to initiate king Hariraja. The king offered rutting elephants however the sage declined and agreed to accept a few villages. - On a slab in the pavement of the Bhuteshvara temple in the garhi14 – dated in Vikrama-samvat 1366 (1309 CE) – mentions sage Bhuteshvara worshiped the Shivalinga of the mulayatana when the world was harassed by the mlecchas. He did severe penance after the Mlecchas committed sins nineteen times and he made a new jaladhara when the previous one was broken by the Mlecchas. The record was written by Pandita Vatsaraja and Kshemdhara. - On the door-jamb of the Shiva temple in the Garhi15 – dated Vikrama-samvat 1626, corresponding 1569 CE – the inscription consists of 34 lines however it is legible only partially. After the regular invocation of Shiva, a mention is made of king Jayantavarmana for Lord’s blessings. Then is mentioned the reign of Gopala and Kshitipala. - On a loose stone slab found in the debris of the monastery16 – records the name of a pilgrim named Pandita Gangadhara, but the name of his father is obliterated. The record was written by Shemandhara, son of Gangadhara. Two dates samvat 84 and 735 engraved separately, seem to be irregular. - On a loose slab found during clearance of debris near the ruined temple17 – As this is only a fragment of a large inscription, therefore, the main purpose of the inscription is lost. The inscription gives a genealogy of a line of Shaiva ascetics, but only the name of Isvarasiva has survived. The inscription mentions the planting of a garden and the construction of a few mansions. Names of three Brahmanas are found, Gangadhara, Vamana, and Sripala Mishra, however, their mutual relationship cannot be ascertained. Sripala is referred to as a mahatma and a great poet and he probably composed this inscription. The writer was Mangalaraja. - On a stone slab found during clearance of debris near the Shiva temple in the premise of the Hindu monastery18 – The first four verses are benedictory offering salutations to Narasimha, Shiva, and Surya. A Pratihara branch is mentioned naming Ranapala, Vatsaraja, Svarnapala, Kirtiraja, and his brother Uttama. Then follows the genealogy of certain Brahmanas of the Talarashtra race, Lohapala, and Govinda. Chandla Temple – This temple is located in the northwest part of the village and is the only temple constructed with a pyramidal phamsana shikhara. It is dateable to the ninth century CE and is the earliest structure after the matha (monastery). The temple faces east and is dedicated to Shiva. It consists of a garbhagrha and a mandapa. The garbhagrha doorway has three shakhas (jambs) and at the bottom of the jambs are Ganga and Yamuna. The lalata-bimba carries an image of Shiva as Natesha and the rest of the lintels are left plain. In the bhadra niches are Surya, Chamunda, and Ganesha. Over the sukanasika is an image of Shiva. The pillars of the mandapa have ghata-pallava motif at the bottom and top and the rest of the shaft is left plain. Above the pillars, the capitals are resting without bharavahakas (weight-bearers), a feature generally witnessed in many medieval temples of the region. On the basis of its simpler adhishthana (vedibhandha), pillar styles, and decoration over the garbha-grha doorway, the temple is generally considered to belong to the initial temple construction phase at Kadwaya, assignable to the late ninth century CE.19 Ekla Temple – The Ekla Temple is built over a high-rising jagati (platform). It faces east and has a pancha-ratha plan. It has survived only with its garbhagrha, its mandapa and shikhara are lost. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu and inside the garbhagrha are found sculptures of Yashoda nursing Krishna, Vishnu lying over Shesha, and a standing lady holding a child. A Shivalinga has been placed inside, however, it is a later installation. The garbha-grha doorway is composed of three shakhas (jambs). The middle shakha (jamb), or mithuna-shakha, has panels carrying amorous couples. Over the lalata-bimba is Vishnu riding over Garuda, and at the terminals are Brhama and Shiva. The recess portion is divided into two friezes. The lower frieze has standing images of Nava-grhas while the upper niche has Ashta-matrikas including the regular Sapta-matrikas groups with Vinayaki. Over the architrave are eleven figures, which may represent the ekadasa-Rudras. The vertical elevation of the vimana consists of a vedibandha, jangha, varandika, and shikhara. The vedibandha is composed of three regular moldings. The jangha is divided into two unequal tiers, separated by a broad molding. Niches are provided on both tiers, on all the projections. The bhadra (central projection) niche on the lower tier is provided with a chajja (awning). Dikpala group adorns their respective positions on the karna-niches (corner niches) while images of various apsaras and damsels are present over the pratiratha-niches. The bhadra-niches are empty at present. The upper tier of the jangha is decorated with images of amorous couples. The recesses are also decorated with images of vyalas and damsels in various postures. The kapili-niches are also provided with a chajja and it has Brahma in the south and Parvati in the north. Akhati Group of Temples – This group has three temples. All these temples have lost their shikharas. Temple A is the largest and best-preserved among these and it has survived with its garbhagrha and mandapa standing in the west of the complex. It faces east and is built over a low jagati (platform). The garbhagrha doorway is built with five shakhas (jambs). It has Vishnu riding over Garuda over the lalata-bimba, while Brahma and Shiva are present on the terminals. The frieze in the recess has images of the nava-grahas. The architrave over the lintel has images of Vishnu dashavataras. Over the door-jambs are Ganga and Yamuna standing over their respective mounts. The mandapa pillars have bharavahaka (weight bearers) above the capital. A label inscription over the chandrashila at the entrance reads “Pratihara”.20 Similar to the Ekla Temple, the lateral walls of the garbhagrha are adorned with images, Yashoda with baby Krishna sucking milk, Vishnu lying over Shesha, and a standing lady holding a baby. She may be identified as Yashoda as the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, however, the ornaments over her body and her coiffure contrast the village-woman character of Yashoda. A pedestal with a Garuda image is placed inside the garbhagrha suggesting there was once an image of Vishnu placed over it. The temple is built in pancha-ratha plan. The jangha is divided into two unequal tiers, a larger lower tier, and a smaller upper tier. The upper tier is decorated with images of vidyadharas over the karna and apsaras over the partiratha. The lower tier has images of dikpalas over the karna and apsaras over the partiratha. The bhadra niches would have carried some form of Vishnu, however, only one such image has survived in the north, a mutilated image of Narasimha. The niches over kapili have Parvati in the north and Vishnu as Vaikuntha in the south. Temple B faces west and is built over a low jagati (platform). It is built in pancha-ratha plan. The jangha has a single register of images, except the pratiratha where a second smaller register for images is provided. Dikpalas are present over the karna niches. The lower register on pratiratha has images of apsaras while the upper register has images of ascetics. In the bhadra niches are found Varaha in the south, Vamana in the east, and Narasimha in the north, the last is very much damaged. The garbhagrha doorway is composed of three shakhas and its lintel has an image of standing Vishnu on the lalata-bimba and Brahma and Shiva on the terminals. In the recess are Saraswati and Ganesha. Ganga and Yamuna are present on the bottom of the door-jamb. The kapili niche in the south has Bhairava and the image in the north is much mutilated. Temple C faces east. The entrance doorway has not survived therefore posing difficulties in understanding the dedicatory deity of the temple. However, the presence of Ganesha, and Parvati in the bhadra niches suggests that the temple was dedicated to Shiva. Krishna Deva21 suggests that the temple was dedicated to Shiva however A K Singh22 suggests that the presence of Garuda image inside the temple indicates its Vaishnava character. However, Singh does not indicate whether this image is original or a later appropriation as it could be the latter case as witnessed in a few temples at Kadwaya. The temple is built in pancha-ratha plan however there is no recess space between the bhadra and pratiratha. Bhadra and pratiratha have two registers for images, while only one register is present on the karna. Images of dikpalas adorn the karna niches which are topped with a vimana structure. Pratiratha has apsaras on the lower register and warriors on the upper register. Over the bhadra, in the south, we find Ganesha and Saraswati, and in the north are Parvati and Gaja-Lakshmi. The recessed space is filled with vyalas, apsaras, and warriors. Bag Group of Temples – This group is referred to as Nahalvar group by Krishna Deva.23 There are two temples in the group, the larger, A, faces west and is dedicated to Vishnu. It is built in pancha-ratha plan and is consisted of a garbhagrha and mandapa. It is built over a jagati (platform) approachable by a flight of steps. Vishnu riding over Garuda is present over lalata-bimba of the garbhaghra doorway which is built with five shakhas (bands). Brahma and Shiva are present on the terminals of the lintel. The lower recess portion is carved with images of the sapta-matrikas accompanied by Ganesha and Veerabhadra at the left extreme end. The upper recess portion is carved with the nava-grahas. Over the architrave are depicted Vishnu dashavataras. In the bhadra niches are, Vamana in the east, Varaha in the south, and the niche in the north is empty. The kapili niches have Brahma in the north and Vishnu in the south. Temple B faces south and is dedicated to Vishnu. It is built in pancha-ratha plan and has survived only with its garbhagrha, the mandapa is lost. The jangha has two registers for images, the lower register larger than the upper register. Bhadra niche in the north has an image of Shiva-Natesha, in the east has an image of Surya and in the west is an image of Lakshmi-Narayana. Kapili niche in the east has an image of Brahma and in the west an image of Vishnu. Garbhagrha doorway consists of five shakhas (bands) with Vishnu at the lalata-bimba. Brahma and Shiva are at the terminals. In the recess are carved nava-grahas. Ganga and Yamuna are present over door-jambs. Krishna Deva24 suggests that it is affiliated with Shiva but not with Vishnu. Marghatia Temple – This temple faces east and is dedicated to Shiva. It is built in pancha-ratha plan and consists of a garbhagrha and a mandapa. The garbhagrha doorway is composed of five shakhas (bands) with Shiva at the lalata-bimba and Brahma and Vishnu at the terminals. The recessed space is adorned with the images of nava-grhas and ashta-matrikas comprising the sapta-matrika group and Vinayaki. Inside the garbhagrha, on the rear wall, is an image of Uma-Maheshvara. The jangha is divided into two tiers separated by a broad molding. Niches are provided on all the projections while the recess portion is decorated with vyala images. The bhadra niches are topped with a chajja (awning). Dikpalas occupy their respective positions over the lower and upper tiers of the karna niches, in the lower tier they are shown standing while in the upper tier they are shown seated. The bhadra niches in the north have Lakulisa (?) and Parvati, in the west Surya and Natesha, and in the south Saraswati and Shiva-Andhakantaka. Parvati is shown holding two standards, one is topped with a linga while another has an image of Ganesha. The upper tier of the pratiratha is occupied by the sapta-matrika group. The lower tier of the pratiratha has various forms of Shiva. The sukanasi over the mandapa has an image of Surya riding a chariot driven by seven horses. Khirna Group of Temples – This group has two temples, both dedicated to Shiva. Temple A has survived with its garbhagrha and shikhara but its mandapa is lost. Temple B has survived with its garbhagrha and mandapa, but its shikhara is lost. Temple A is built in pancha-ratha plan with its jangha carrying two registers of images. Bhadra niches in the north have Uma-Maheshvara and Shiva-Natesha, in the south Uma-Maheshvara and Kartikeya, and in the east Brahma and dancing Chamunda. Kapili niches have celestial couples, in two registers, Uma-Maheshvara, Ganesh-Vignheshvari, Brahma-Savitri, and Lakshmi-Narayana. Dikpalas are present over the karna niches. The rest of the niches are adorned with apsaras, vyalas, and various Shaivite figures. The garbhagrha doorway is composed of five shakhas with Shiva at the lalata-bimba. On the terminals are Brahma and Vishnu and in the recess are nava-grahas and sapta-matrikas in two friezes. Ganga and Yamuna, riding over their respective mounts, are present over the door-jambs with their attendants. Temple B is also built with pancha-ratha plan however its jangha has only one register of images. Over the bhadra are found Surya in the east, Ganesha in the south, and Parvati in the north. Kapili niches in the north have Natesha and in the south have Parvati. Garbhagrha doorway is composed of five shakhas with Shiva at its lalata-bimba. Brahma and Vishnu are present over the lintel terminals and the recess space is filled with nava-grahas and sapta-matrikas. The architrave over the lintel has ekadasa-Rudra images. Inside the garbhagrha, on its rear wall, is an image of Parvati. Pacchali Marghat Group of Temples – This group has two temples, A & B, both facing west. The bigger temple, Temple A, is dedicated to Vishnu, and the smaller temple, Temple B, is dedicated to Shiva. Temple A has survived with its garbhagraha and mandapa, but its shikhara is lost. Though it has a linga inside the garbhagrha however it was originally dedicated to Vishnu as evident from the iconography of the doorway. The garbhagrha doorway is composed of five shakhas with Vishnu riding over Garuda present over its lalata-bimba. Shiva and Brahma take positions at the terminals. The recess portion of the lower lintel is decorated with nava-graha. The recess portion of the upper lintel has sapta-matrikas accompanied by vinadhara-Veerabhadra. Interestingly, the figure of Chamunda is not depicted in its usual iconography. The positions of images in these two friezes are reversed, as navagraha panel starts with Rahu, and Ketu on the right side and ends with Surya on the left side. Similarly, the group of matrikas starts with Chamunda on the right and ends with Veerabhadra on the left. Was there a special objective behind this arrangement is not very clear. The architrave above the lintel is decorated with Vishnu dashavataras. The temple is built in the pancha-ratha plan. The jangha is divided into two unequal tiers. The lower tier of the karna has dikpalas in their respective positions while the upper tier is occupied by vidhyadhara couples holding garlands or by warriors engaged in a fight. The lower tier of the pratiratha has images of apsaras while the upper tier has images of Kubera in his eight different forms. The bhadra niche in the north has Varaha, in the south Narasimha, and the eastern niche is empty. The kapili niche in the north has Vamana and in the south Brahma. Temple B is composed of a garbhagrha and a mandapa and is built over a low plinth. The garbhagrha doorway consists of five shakhas with Shiva-Parvati as Kalyanasundaramurti present over its lalata-bimba. Brahma with Savitri and Vishnu with Lakshmi take their place over the terminals of the lintel. The recessed space, in two friezes, is occupied by nava-grahas and vidyadharas. The architrave above the lintel has ekadasa-Rudras. The temple has pancha-ratha plan however no recess portion is left between bhdara and pratiratha projections. Bhadra niches in the north have Chamunda, in the south have Ganesha, and in the east has an image of Hariharahiranyagarbha, a composite image of Surya, Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. Dikpalas occupy their respective places over the karna niches. Niches on the pratiratha are occupied by apsaras. The lower tier of salilantara (recess) between the karna and pratiratha has images of vyalas while the upper tier has images of warriors. Murayat Group – This group has two temples. Krishna Deva opines Murayat as a corrupt form of Mattamayura. The bigger temple of the group is known as Toteshvara Mahadeva. The temple faces east and is entered through a flight of steps. This is the most developed and advanced temple at the site, dateable to the eleventh century CE. It is built in pancha-ratha plan and consists of a garbhagrha, an antarala, and a mandapa. Garbhagrha doorway is composed of seven shakhas and has an image of Ganesha over the lalata-bimba. The architrave above the lintel has Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, all with their consorts. The jangha has two registers of images all over its various rathas. The shikhara is executed in the Nagara order of shekhari variety. Many images embellishing the jangha niches are broken or mutilated. Images on the niches above the jangha are more or less intact. Inscriptions: A few inscriptions are found on the mandapa and the garbhagrha of the temple. Many are single-line pilgrim records, and a few mentions gifts. Details of a few inscriptions are provided below. - On the south kakshasana in the mandapa of Toteshvara Temple25 – It records some gifts to the Brahmana Bhagohara belonging to Gautama gotra by Pandita Ramadasa, son of Pandita Dhanudeva, and grandson of Mujaladeva. - On the garbhagrha of the temple26 – dated Vikrama Samvat 1512, corresponding 1454 CE – Obeisance to Ganesha, mentions the reign of Maharajadhiraja Sri Sultan Mahamud Sah. The writer of the inscription was Mahipala, the son of Sri Thirapala. Sutradhara was Gagumata. Temple B of the Murayat Group is a unique temple, as it has two garbhagrhas, one in the east and one in the west. The temple is built in pancha-ratha plan and is dedicated to Shiva. The eastern garbhagrha doorway has Shiva on the lalata-bimba and Brahma and Vishnu at the lintel terminals. Bhadra niches in the north have Shiva-Natesha and Parvati and in the south an image of dancing Ganesha. The front portion of the shikhara is exposed due to missing sukanasika. Food and Accommodation – Chanderi is the nearest town where you will get proper accommodation. MP Tourism runs the hotel Tana Bana which is the best place to stay. I would recommend you contact Mr. Kalle Bhai who works as a guide in Chanderi. He is very reasonable and adequately knowledgeable about Hindu temples and nearby sites. He can be contacted at +91-9425381065. 1 Cunningham, Alexander (1885). Reports of a Tour in Bundelkhand and Rewa in 1883-84; and of a Tour in Rewa, Bundelkhand, Malwa, and Gwalior, in 1884-85, vol. XXI, parts I & II. The Superintendent of Government Printing, India. Calcutta. p. 177 2 Epigraphia Indica, Vol. I. pp. 351-360 3 Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XX. pp. 105-106 4 Mirashi, V V (1950). The Saiva Acaryas of the Mattamyura Clan published in the Indian Historical Quarterly, vol. XXVI, No 1. p. 3 5 Mirashi, V V (1950). The Saiva Acaryas of the Mattamyura Clan published in the Indian Historical Quarterly, vol. XXVI, No 1. p. 7 6 Mirashi, V V (1950). The Saiva Acharyas of the Mattamyura Clan published in the Indian Historical Quarterly Vol. XXVI, No. 1. pp. 1-16 7 Mirashi, V V (1950). The Saiva Acharyas of the Mattamyura Clan published in the Indian Historical Quarterly Vol. XXVI, No. 1. p. 9 8 Misra, R N (1993). The Saivite Monasteries, Pontiffs and Patronage in Central India published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay volume 64-66 for 1989-91. p. 108 9 Misra, R N (1997). Pontiff’s Empowerment in Central Indian Saivite Monachism published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay volume 72 for 1997. p. 72 10 Sears, Tamara I (2015). Following River Routes and Artistic Transmissions in Medieval Central India published in Ars Orientalis, vol. 45. ISSN 05711371 11 Beveridge, A S (1921). Babur-nama Vol. 1. Low Price Publications. New Delhi. ISBN 9788175364257. p. 591 12 Singh, A K (2015). Kadwaha Temples published in Art Icon and Architecture in South Asia: Essay in Honour of Dr. Devangana Desai, Anila Verghese and Anna L. Dallapiccola (eds.). Aryan Books International. New Delhi. p. 363. 13 Epigraphia Indica Vol. XXXVII, pp. 117-124 14 Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy for 1975-76. p. 97 15 Annual Administration Report of the Archaeological Department, Gwalior State for year 1939-40. pp. 19-20. 16 Annual Administration Report of the Archaeological Department, Gwalior State for year 1939-40. p. 40. 17 Annual Administration Report of the Archaeological Department, Gwalior State for year 1939-40. pp. 44-45. 18 Annual Administration Report of the Archaeological Department, Gwalior State for year 1939-40. pp. 45-46. 19 Singh, A K (2015). Kadwaha Temples published in Art Icon and Architecture in South Asia: Essay in Honour of Dr. Devangana Desai, Anila Verghese and Anna L. Dallapiccola (eds.). Aryan Books International. New Delhi. p. 363. 20 Singh, A K (2015). Kadwaha Temples published in Art Icon and Architecture in South Asia: Essay in Honour of Dr. Devangana Desai, Anila Verghese and Anna L. Dallapiccola (eds.). Aryan Books International. New Delhi. p. 367 21 Deva, Krishna (1998). Kacchapaghatas of Gopadri: Phase I published in Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture, North India: Beginnings of Medieval Idiom, Vol. II, Part 3. Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts. New Delhi. ISBN 8173042268. p. 22 22 Singh, A K (2015). Kadwaha Temples published in Art Icon and Architecture in South Asia: Essay in Honour of Dr. Devangana Desai, Anila Verghese and Anna L. Dallapiccola (eds.). Aryan Books International. New Delhi. p. 368 23 Deva, Krishna (1998). Kacchapaghatas of Gopadri: Phase I published in Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture, North India: Beginnings of Medieval Idiom, Vol. II, Part 3. Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts. New Delhi. ISBN 8173042268. p. 23 24 Deva, Krishna (1998). Kacchapaghatas of Gopadri: Phase I published in Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture, North India: Beginnings of Medieval Idiom, Vol. II, Part 3. Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts. New Delhi. ISBN 8173042268. pp. 22-23 25 Singh, A K (2000). Inscriptions from Kadwaha, Dist. Guna (M.P.) published in Pargdhara No 10. pp. 231-32 26 Singh, A K (2000). Inscriptions from Kadwaha, Dist. Guna (M.P.) published in Pargdhara No 10. p. 232 You are one of a kind explorer Sourabh. Thank You for bringing these unsung places to light. Temples Nos.4 to 9 seem to be matching with the earliest temple architecture. I was unaware of this ancient site. Thanks and kudos for the missionary zeal. kindly consider dispensing with the CAPTCHA Code requirement for posting comments. This does not augur much but sometimes inhibiting. वाह. मंदिर क्र 4, 5 और 7 गुप्तकालीन आरंभिक मंदिरों (सांची-17) का विकास देखने के लिए अच्छे उदाहरण हैं. CAPTCHA Code अब भी विद्यमान है. very fascinating stuff.. this website is very rich in its content.. and not even half of the website I have browsed through… and very impressive that you share these… Very good information are given in this blog.This area was anciently known as Kadamb guha.i think the Sas-bahu temple inscription of Gwalior is the main source of genealogy of Kachchhapaghata dynasty.They were sub ordinate fo Pratiharas and Chandellas.Initially stages they followed the ideas of Guptas and Gurjara Pratiharas and then they introduced their own style.All most all structures are of Nirandhara which comprising garbhagriha and a short Kapili preceded by mukhachatuski.Their temples of Kadwaha is in no way less than Khajuraho in the matter of the elegant edifices.They also excavated large number of water bodies. This might be the best documentation of this site on the net. Excellent Post ! The 3 faced Vishnu idol you have mentioned is actually four faced and called as Vaikunth Vishnu. These idols are quite common in Himalyan region of Chamba, Nepal and Kashmir. The famous Laxmi-Narayan temple at Chamba, Himachal Pradesh has a Vaikunth Vishnu idol. Not just for this one article, but your continued work. I had travelled to Guna seeking some “buddhist” site, that turned out to be Shiva mutt/matha. Furthering my research in to Shiva matha in the regions I narrowed to few of these places. I did not imagine you would have been here too 🙂 And discovered this article, and as always (with you!): seriously and carefully taken photos, in depth resources listed, sites covered in full, and detailed descriptions. Comments are closed.

What is kidney disease? Kidney disease, also called chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a serious condition that affects millions of people in the United States–many of whom do not know they suffer from the disease. If you suffer from CKD, it means that your normal kidney function is no longer working due to damage. This means that your kidneys no longer keep you healthy in the way they used to. While kidney disease symptoms may not be obvious in early stages, it progresses over time and may cause other health issues like heart disease. Am I at risk for chronic kidney disease? There are certain factors that can increase your risk of developing chronic kidney disease. The risk factors for kidney disease include: - High blood pressure - Family history of chronic kidney disease - Family history of kidney failure - Being over the age of 60 How can I prevent kidney damage? The best way to prevent further kidney damage is by detecting CKD early. At Rogosin Institute, we strive to identify chronic kidney disease as early as possible in order to help stop the disease progression. Visit one of our many New York Metropolitan Area locations to speak with a knowledgeable medical expert about kidney disease diagnosis. Your physician may recommend one of the following tests to diagnose kidney disease early: - Urine testing/Urinalysis/Urine output testing - Blood testing - Creatine testing - Urea testing - Ultrasound image testing/CT scanning - Kidney biopsy How is kidney disease treated? In many cases, disease progression can be slowed down or stopped completely by using one or more of the following treatment options: Other services that may be used during your CKD treatment include: If you are experiencing symptoms of kidney disease, visit the Rogosin Institute, recognized as one of the country’s premier centers for the diagnosis and management of kidney disease. Our doctors lead the way in kidney disease advances and supply the latest treatment options for patients in the New York Metropolitan Area and beyond. Call our office at 888-ROGOSIN or schedule an appointment with us any time.

DML (data manipulation language) is a computer programming language which is used for manipulating data in a database. In Salesforce, DML operations can be used to insert, update, merge, delete, and restore records. They play a key role both in Apex and Flow. DML operations can be performed both on a single sObject and a list of sObjects. There is a governor limit of 150 DML statements per transaction. Therefore, it is recommended to perform bulk DML operations using a list of records. Complete this Trailhead module to learn more about DML operations. You can read this post to learn how to work with collections in flow. DML Operations in Flow Create Records, Update Records, and Delete Records are the three DML operations that you can perform using Salesforce Flow. These are the standard data elements of flow. However, the remaining DML operations can also be performed using an Apex code in flow. Read this post to learn more about the available elements in the Toolbox of Salesforce Flow. You can use these elements to create, update, or delete records in a variable. It is also possible to update or delete records according to a condition. However, in some cases, there might be no records in your variable (it can be a single or collection variable) or no records that meet your criteria. Let's see what happens if there are no records. Create an Empty List of Records Let's say that you have a single record variable for the Account object. At one point of the flow, you want to create this record, but for some reason, it is empty. As you can see, flow doesn't fail, it just doesn't create the record. It has the same behavior with an empty record collection variable. As you can see, the result is the same. No records were created. It is important to note that even though it does not create any records, it consumes from DML statement governor limits. Because this limit is about statements and not the successful operations. Consequently, it might be the best practice to add a Decision element before performing this DML operation. Update an Empty List of Records Updating a single record or a collection of records has the same behavior as the create DML operation. Let's update all the accounts that meet a condition like shown below. What will happen if there are no accounts that meet this criteria? Nothing. As you can see, the flow doesn't fail, it just doesn't update any records. Unlike the create operation, it does not consume from the DML limits if there are no records to update. Delete an Empty List of Records Unlike creating and updating an empty list of records, the delete DML operation actually needs a non-empty variable. As it is also written in the Delete Records element, you have to make sure that there is a record to delete. Otherwise, flow can't find the record to delete and it fails. As you can see, flow failed because it couldn't find any records to delete. How to Prevent Getting This Error Since Delete Records operation needs a record, you have to make sure that there is at least one record to delete. In order to do so, you have to put a decision before performing the delete DML operation. There can be two options. 1. If you are already using a record variable or a record collection, add a Decision element to check if it is null. As you can see in the picture below, flow doesn't try to delete the records since there are no records to delete. 2. If you are using the Delete Records element to delete records that meet a criteria, first you have to add a Get Records element to find those records. After getting these records, use a Decision element to check if they exist. Let's say that you want to delete the accounts that meet this criteria. If there are no accounts that meet this criteria, then flow will fail at this step. To avoid this, add a Get Records element to find the accounts. After getting the account records, add a Decision element to check if they exist. As you can see, since the flow failed to find any records, it didn't try to delete them. To sum up, before trying to delete records in flow, you have to make sure that there are records to delete. However, it is not required to do so for create and update DML operations. Leave a Reply

Dartmoor NP, England On August 3rd, 2016; I had the opportunity to explore Dartmoor National Park in south-west England. Swept by the most extreme elements of England’s weather, Dartmoor’s granite tors provide a marked contrast to the rich and gentle contours of Devon which surround them. Born in the primeval melting pot beneath the earth, they are the remnant core of an ancient range of mountains, their weird and wonderful stacks shaped over the millennia by heat and cold, wind and rain. For several thousand years, man has inhabited the moor and granite from the tumbled stacks which litter the hillsides has been used in the construction of homes. Remnants of hut circles from 2000 to 3000 BC are numerous. However, the most striking aspect of the Dartmoor lanscape is the tors themselves. It is a land full of legend and mystery but a land made accessible to all in the last decades through the creation of the Dartmoor National Park. This park has inspired many artists and writers, perhaps most famously Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Sherlock Holmes adventure “The Hound of the Baskervilles” was set on the moor. For instance and pictured below, I’m standing near the “Great-Hound Tor”. Viewed from a distance its shape is said to resemble a pack of hounds chasing over the hill. Pictured below; the Dartmoor Pony is a breed of ponies that live in here. The breed has been in Dartmoor for centuries and is used in a variety of roles. Because of the extreme weather conditions experienced on the moors, the Dartmoor Pony is a particularly hardy breed with excellent stamina. The geology of the Dartmoor national park consists of a 625 km2 core of granite intruded during the early Permian period into a sequence of sedimentary rocks originating in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. These rocks were faulted and folded, sometimes, intensely, during the Variscan Mountain Building Episode, (collision between the Gondwanaland & Laurasia). There are numerous prehistoric standing stone circles found within the park. Pictured above, on Soussons (Southsands) Common, near Postbridge, is a spherical circle 10 m in diameter. The stones are 22 in number, – not large stones, – the tallest is about 75 cm above ground-level. On digging in the centre a fine kistvaen was uncovered. The cover stone was gone, but side stones of thin, shapely slabs remain. The north end of the kist was built up of small stones, and the south end was formed of a stone which did not reach the floor of the kist by some 6 cm. It, however, acted as a blocking stone and “spreader” to the side stones. Between Soussons Stone Circle and “The Hound Tor” I found a little nature park called the “Ancient Woodland Park”. It’s main attraction is Becky Falls. Since my wife’s name is Becky, I had no choice but take the path and check-it-out. Becky Falls first opened to the public in 1903 and has been attracting and inspiring poets, writers and painters ever since, including Rupert Brooke and Virginia Woolf. But it’s history goes much further than that. Becky Falls have been sought out for centuries. Firstly, by the inhabitants of the local Bronze and Iron Age settlements and medieval villages who came in search of water, wood and shelter. The arrival of the railways and horse-drawn carriages in the mid 1800s heralded the advent of tourists to Dartmoor. Presently, visitors come here to sit on a carpet of bluebells and ponder a magical, mystical, spiritual place of whispered fables and pixie tales of old to inspire the senses and imagination.

"In the Navy Yard of Puget Sound", in Seattle and the Orient (1900). Two ships are shown in drydock; the two circular insets are titled "Iowa coming up the Sound" (upper) and "Torpedoboat Rowan" (lower). Bremerton is within the historical territory of the Suquamish people. The land was made available for non-Native settlement by the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855. Bremerton was planned by German immigrant and Seattle entrepreneur William Bremer in 1891. In that year, Navy Lieutenant Ambrose Barkley Wyckoff purchased approximately 190 acres (77 ha) of waterfront land on Sinclair Inlet. This land was owned by the Bremer family. Three years earlier, a U.S. Navy commission determined that Point Turner, between the protected waters of the Sinclair and Dyes inlets, would be the best site in the Pacific Northwest on which to establish a shipyard. Recognizing the large number of workers such a facility would employ, Bremer and his business partner and brother-in-law, Henry Hensel, purchased the undeveloped land near Point Turner at the inflated price of $200 per acre. In April 1891, Bremer arranged for the sale of 190 acres (0.77 km2) to the Navy at $50 per acre. This land became part of the initial footprint of the Puget Sound Navy Yard. Bremerton was incorporated on October 15, 1901, with Alvyn Croxton serving as the city's first mayor. Progress in the new city soon faced a major crisis, as Assistant Secretary of the Navy Charles Darling moved all repair work to the Mare Island Navy Yard in California in November 1902. Darling cited reports from commanders that the Bremerton waterfront was rife with prostitution, opium houses and frequent strongarmed robberies of sailors. Politics were probably also at play, as local newspapers reported that the city's incorporation left the shipyard essentially landlocked without room to expand. A dispute ensued between Mayor Croxton, who wanted to shutter all saloons in Bremerton, and three members of the city council, who attempted to block his efforts. Croxton eventually won out, and the council voted to revoke all liquor licenses in June 1904. With the ban, Darling reestablished the navy yard as a port of call. Saloons had begun to return to business within two years, however. In 1908, the city library and Union High School were established to serve the educational needs of the 2,993 residents recorded in the 1910 U.S. Census. During World War I, submarine construction and the addition of a third drydock caused the shipyard's workforce to balloon to over 4,000 employees. Growth due to the war effort and the 1918 annexation of the city of Manette, east of Bremerton on the Port Washington Narrows, can be seen in the 1920 census, which reported a population of 8,918. Bremerton absorbed Charleston, its neighboring city to the south in 1927. The population reached 10,170 in 1930. Manette was linked to Bremerton by the Manette Bridge, a 1,573-foot (479 m) bridge constructed in June 1930. Prior to this time, the trip could only be made by ferry or a long trip around Dyes Inlet through Chico, Silverdale, and Tracyton on mostly unimproved roads. This wooden bridge was replaced with a concrete and steel structure in October 1949. It was replaced by the new Manette Bridge in 2011. At the shipyard, the 250-foot tall (76 m) Hammerhead Crane No. 28 was completed in April 1933. One of the nation's largest, it is capable of lifting 250 tons and continues to dominate the Bremerton skyline. Bremerton's Admiral Theater opened in 1942 as a cinema; in the 1990s it was remodeled for performances and banquets. At the peak of World War II, the Bremerton area was home to an estimated 80,000 residents due to the heavy workload of shipbuilding, repair and maintenance required for the Pacific war effort. Most of the relocation was temporary, though, and only 27,678 citizens were left in the city by 1950. During the 1940s, presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman both visited Bremerton. Roosevelt made a campaign stop at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on August 12, 1944, giving a national radio address in front of a backdrop of civilian workers. During the course of his 35-minute speech, it is believed the president suffered an anginaattack, experiencing severe chest and shoulder pain. An electrocardiogram was immediately administered once he left the podium, but it showed nothing abnormal. President Truman took a two-day tour of Washington state in 1948, speaking from the balcony of the Elks Club on the morning of June 10. Local legend has it that a man in the large Pacific Avenue crowd yelled the infamous "Give 'em hell, Harry!" line for the first time. This is a matter of dispute, however, as local newspapers quoted the man as having shouted "Lay it on, Harry!" Despite this, there is a bronze plaque attached to the corner of the building declaring that spot to be the place where the phrase "Give 'em hell, Harry" was first uttered. With the return of World War II GIs to the homefront, the need for post-secondary education became evident to officials of the Bremerton School District. Olympic Junior College (now Olympic College), a two-year institution, opened its doors to 575 students in the fall of 1946. Initially, it operated in the former Lincoln School building, gradually moving operations to World War II–surplus Quonset buildings at its current 16th & Chester site. About 100 students received associate degrees at the first commencement exercises held June 10, 1948. President Truman was in attendance and received the college's first honorary degree. Operation of the college transferred from the school district to the state of Washington in 1967. The 1950s and 1960s were a period of stability for the city. A second high school opened in 1956, and two comprehensive high schools operated in the city until 1978. Growth in East Bremerton necessitated the construction of another span across the Port Washington Narrows in 1958. The $5.3 million, four-lane Warren Avenue Bridge allowed for increased traffic on State Highway 21-B (now State Route 303). The battleship USS Missouri, site of the Japanese surrender treaty signing that ended World War II, was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at PSNS in 1955. For 30 years, she served as the city's primary tourist attraction. Hundreds of thousands of visitors walked the "surrender deck" before the ship was recommissioned in 1985. She was decommissioned on March 31, 1992 (final), and her name was struck off the register on January 12, 1995. In 1998 "Mighty Mo" was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Population growth was flat, with 26,681 enumerated in the 1960 census, leading Bremerton leaders to annex the shipyard the following year in an effort to include stationed sailors in those figures. While the Vietnam War spawned protests and sit-ins on the Olympic College campus, the city was relatively free of civil disorder during the 1960s. With the 1973 selection of the Bangor Ammunition Depot 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Bremerton as the Pacific home of the new Trident submarine fleet, residential and commercial development began to move north, closer to Silverdale, and farther from the Bremerton downtown core. Numerous failed proposals were made at redevelopment beginning in the early 1970s, including discussions of a waterfront hotel and the erection of a large canopy over the central business district. Meanwhile, most of the city's office and retail space remained in the hands of Edward Bremer, son of William Bremer and the sole remaining heir to his wealth. (In order to receive their inheritance, William Bremer's three children were honor-bound to never marry.) Bremer began to neglect his properties, never increasing decades-old lease rates and failing to make necessary maintenance upgrades. In 1978, the Bremerton City Council passed an ordinance declaring the entire downtown a "blighted area". In 1985, Safeco subsidiary Winmar Corporation developed the Kitsap Mall in Silverdale. With lower taxes and minimal planning regulations in the unincorporated town, Silverdale achieved virtually unfettered growth. Sears, J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Nordstrom Place Two, Woolworth and Rite Aid all closed their downtown Bremerton stores in the 1980s and '90s. Upon the death of Edward Bremer in 1987, the Bremer properties were placed under the complete control of a trust held by Olympic College. Not being in the real-estate business, the college did not actively market its holdings, and the downtown was composed almost entirely of very large empty storefronts. As of January 2010, many buildings remained vacant. The Norm Dicks Government Center In recent years Bremerton has seen its share of community setbacks. Like many other West Coast cities, Bremerton school teachers were pitted against their district's administration for nearly a month in September 1994 during a contentious strike. Four elderly residents were killed in an enormous three-alarm fire that destroyed the 165-unit Kona Village apartment complex in November 1997. Damages were estimated at $7.5 million. A replacement senior apartment building has since been built. Despite a hard-fought battle throughout the mid-1990s by local politicians to have the decommissioned and mothballed USS Missouri, already in the Bremerton Navy Yard, stay in Bremerton as a museum ship and tourist attraction, Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton awarded the ship to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, in 1998. It now sits near the USS Arizona Memorial to demonstrate where U.S. involvement in World War II started on December 7, 1941, and where it ended by the signing of the instrument of surrender by the Japanese on board the USS Missouri, on September 2, 1945. Beginning with the building of a waterfront boardwalk and marina in 1992, Bremerton had begun the process of revitalizing its downtown community. That same year, the Bremerton Historic Ships Association opened the destroyer USS Turner Joy (DD-951) to public tours at the end of the boardwalk; the ship was built in the Puget Sound area in 1958, commissioned in 1959, and had played a back-up role in the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident that further escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War with the Congressional passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing President Lyndon B. Johnson to send fighting troops in addition to the "advisors" already on the ground in Vietnam. In 2000, Bremerton saw the opening of the waterfront multimodal bus/ferry terminal and a hotel/conference center complex in 2004. The high-rise Norm Dicks Government Center also opened that year, housing City Hall and other government offices. The Waterfront Fountain Park and Naval History Museum adjacent to the Bremerton Bus/Ferry Terminal opened in 2007, and a newly expanded marina with more boat capacity was completed in 2008. Plans to build an extension to the current boardwalk from the USS Turner Joy to Evergreen Park is in the litigation stage. Even though the boardwalk extension project is fully funded, opposition to the extension by the Suquamish Tribe concerning the impact to treaty fishing rights threatens the project. Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott, a 132-room hotel, opened in March 2010 on the site of the old City Hall building made obsolete by the new Norm Dicks Government Building. Condominiums were built on the waterfront to lure more people to live and shop in the downtown area as part of the revitalization effort. However, construction delays and economic downturn forced the builder of the publicly funded Harborside Condominium complex, the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority, to fall $40.5 million in debt. That debt later was taken on by Kitsap County, which hired a marketing firm to sell the remaining units at a lower-than-anticipated price. The privately built 400-condominium complex north of the Harborside complex opened shortly before the Harborside complex and also didn't sell as well as projected. The remaining empty condos were eventually sold at auction for a lower cost. The 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) Harborside Fountain Park opened on May 5, 2007. Located on the waterfront just steps away from the Kitsap Conference Center, the park features five large copper-ringed fountains, wading pools, and lush landscaping. The park will also be home to the Harborside Heritage Naval Museum. A tunnel underneath downtown, traversing from the ferry terminal to Highway 304 (Burwell Street), has been newly opened that allows for a smoother egress for vehicles exiting the car ferry and makes for a more pedestrian friendly downtown. A new fountain park above the tunnel blends water and art, along with the bow of a ship and the conning tower of a submarine as a tribute to the workers at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard over the years. The stations along the walk include pictures of the shipyard, workers, and shipbuilding and repair statistics. The popular Blackberry Festival is held annually during Labor Day weekend on the waterfront boardwalk to celebrate everything blackberry. Local residents, shopkeepers and growers bring their blackberry ice creams, pastries, pies, jams, jellies, candies, and even ciders and wines to this annual event. Free entertainment includes music by local musicians and entertainers performing throughout the three-day festival, the Berry Fun Run, and the Blackberry Criterium Bike Race. Bremerton National Airport sponsors the annual Blackberry Festival Fly-In, with shuttle service provided by Kitsap Transit to the festival. As the festival's background story goes, the downtown waterfront of Bremerton where the festival takes place was a massive overgrowth of wild blackberry bushes that were removed to build the waterfront Fountain Park, Boardwalk, Marina and Bus/Ferry Terminal. The city of Bremerton, home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, was founded in 1891 by German immigrant William Bremer. The main part of the city is on the Kitsap Peninsula's Point Turner, approximately 15 miles west of Seattle. The history of Bremerton and that of the navy base have always been inextricably entwined, with the fortunes of the former highly dependent on the activities of the latter. Bremerton made it through the ups and downs of a military-dominated economy for most of the twentieth century, but barely survived the 1980s when almost every major business enterprise moved to Silverdale, and significant military spending was diverted to the new Trident submarine base at Bangor. The city managed to hold on through the 1980s and 1990s, and in more recent years took steps to reinvent itself and revitalize its economy. The Suquamish, or "people of the clear salt water" in the Lushootseed tongue of the Coast Salish linguistic group, established permanent winter camps on the islands and peninsulas of the central Puget Sound as long ago as 5,000 years. During the summer months they would decamp from their permanent settlements and travel by canoe to seasonal grounds to fish the rivers, hunt, and gather berries and other edible plants. Their primary settlement was Old Man House at present-day Suquamish, about 12 miles north and a little east of Bremerton. The Suquamish had two great nineteenth-century leaders whose names live on today. The first was Kitsap (1780?-1860), a war chief who won renown in 1825 by leading an attack against the warlike Cowichan Tribe of Vancouver Island. Kitsap County and the Kitsap Peninsula honor his memory. The other was Seattle (178?-1866), a nephew of Kitsap who was chief of both the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes when the full Denny Party arrived at Alki Point in 1853. Chief Seattle also had proved himself in battle against Native enemies, but was considered a true friend of the white settlers. At the urging of early settler David "Doc" Maynard (1808-1873), the hardscrabble little village of Duwamps on Elliott Bay was renamed after Chief Seattle in 1853. Today there are approximately 950 registered members of the Suquamish Tribe, and about half of them live on the Port Madison Reservation. Although they still exercise their treaty rights to fish and gather shellfish at their traditional grounds, the tribe also operates the luxurious Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort on the Kitsap Peninsula near Agate Passage. Exploration and Exploitation The first official American survey of the waters around present-day Bremerton was conducted in 1841 by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) of the United States Exploring Expedition. It was Wilkes who named Point Turner, the peninsula where much of Bremerton and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard are now situated, and he was struck by the suitability of the area for naval use: "There is not in the world nor could there be a harbour superior to Port Orchard — Good anchorage, protected from every point with many little basins about the size of a Dry Dock but hard sandy bottom, into which a ship of the line may be hauled & left dry at low water. A pair of floodgates & a foundation would make a dry dock without any other expense or trouble" (Charles Wilkes and the Exploration of Inland Washington Waters, 176). In the years following Wilkes's survey, white settlers started appearing in Puget Sound in increasing numbers. Among the first to homestead near present-day Bremerton were William Littlewood and Daniel J. Sackman, the latter of whom fathered four children by a Suquamish woman. Another early arrival was Captain William Renton (1818-1891), who built a sawmill on Alki Point in 1853 but relocated it to the Manette Peninsula the following year. His was the first industry of note in the area and the first sawmill, but many more were to follow, drawn by the seemingly endless expanse of virgin timber. A Northern Navy Base In 1877, Ambrose Barkley Wyckoff (1848-1922), a sickly young lieutenant with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, piloted the schooner Yukon on a hydrographic mapping voyage in upper Puget Sound and Commencement Bay. Wyckoff, like Wilkes, recognized the region's military potential. Upon returning to the East Coast in May 1880 he started what would become a long campaign to establish a naval base in the sheltered but roomy inland waters of Sinclair Inlet at the southern end of Port Orchard Bay. Studies by two presidential commissions, one of which included Ambrose Wyckoff, concluded that the southern shore of Point Turner had everything necessary for a naval base: sheltered but deep water close to shore; abundant supplies of timber; unlimited fresh water from the region's many rivers; and huge fields of bituminous coal within just few miles of Seattle, itself easily accessible by water. The merits of the place overwhelmed all objections by advocates for other sites, and Congress, albeit with some reluctance and a pinched purse, finally allocated $10,000 for the purchase of land and an additional $200,000 to begin construction of a dry dock. A Quick Buck or a Longer View Within just a year or two of Wyckoff's 1877 visit, rumors were circulating that there would be major federal land purchases made in the area for a naval base. Homesteading loggers who had struggled for years to eke out a living now hoped that their property was worth many times what it would have brought just months earlier. The rumors came true, but the hope of a windfall generally did not. Ambrose Wyckoff was sent to buy the land, but with strict instructions to pay no more than $50 an acre. The chasm between what the settlers thought their property was worth and what the government was willing to pay created opportunities for men who had a longer view of things. William Bremer (1863-1910) and Henry Paul Hensel (1871-1935), both of Seattle, reasoned that once the navy base was established -- indeed, even while it was being established -- it would need a town to support it, and that was where the real money would be made. Bremer had the plan and Hensel, a Seattle jeweler and Bremer's soon-to-be brother-in-law, had the money. In February 1891, one month before Wyckoff arrived on his land-buying mission, the two purchased the original homestead claim of settler Andrew Williams, agreeing to pay close to $200 an acre for nearly 170 acres of land that Williams had sold to his son for $3 an acre not too many years earlier. The property was logged-off waterfront bordering Sinclair Inlet, right at the heart of the proposed navy base. When Wyckoff came calling, Bremer and Hensel sold him 81 acres of the Williams property for $50 an acre, losing, on paper, over $12,000, but keeping property inland from the planned facility and on the point of the peninsula where Sinclair Inlet met Port Washington Narrows. On September 16, 1891, Wyckoff was appointed the first commandant of what was then called the Puget Sound Naval Station, and by June 1892 he had completed the purchase of a little more than 190 acres at the prescribed price of $50 per acre. William Bremer's Town While Wyckoff was busying himself buying up land for the naval base, Bremer, having obtained Hensel's interests, set about building a town next door. In September 1891 the navy raised the American flag over its land, and three months later, on December 10, Bremer filed a 25-acre plat for a new town named, somewhat immodestly, "Bremerton." The navy base and the town thus came into the world together, and their fortunes have been linked, in good times and bad, ever since. One year later, in December 1892, work began on the station's first dry dock, a 650-foot-long "graving" dock capable of handling the navy's largest ships. While that was going on Bremer nurtured his new town by donating or selling at discount prices land for schools and churches. He also built Bremerton's first wharf at his own expense and helped numerous businesses get off the ground. But the financial Panic of 1893 slowed progress on the naval base, and this in turn slowed Bremerton's development. Dry Dock No. 1 was finally completed in 1896, but things only got worse. Federal funding dried up, and both the base and the town staggered through the remaining years of the nineteenth century. Wyckoff to the Rescue Health problems forced Ambrose Wyckoff's early retirement in July 1893, but he returned to the area in 1899 as a civilian, disturbed by reports of plans to close and relocate the naval base. Wyckoff enlisted the help of the Seattle business community, and the city's Chamber of Commerce prepared and submitted to Congress a persuasive report stressing the yard's importance to the regional economy. This had the desired effect; federal funding was greatly increased in 1900 and 1901, and the workforce at the base quickly grew from fewer than 150 to more than 600. As the base prospered, so did Bremerton. Soon the town was sprouting businesses of all kinds. A weekly newspaper, The Bremerton News, started publication on June 8, 1901, and its first issue claimed that 24 new businesses and 70 homes had been built in the previous three months. The workforce at the navy yard supported a half-dozen general stores, at least 15 saloons, and a post office. There were rooming houses, a barber shop, a hotel, a laundry, two cigar stores, even a "shooting gallery." Culture was served as well, with the nearby Charleston Social Club featuring a performance by the "Bremerton Orchestra" (The Bremerton News, June 8, 1901). Just a month later, in July 1901, a group of the town's citizens petitioned the Kitsap County Commissioners for incorporation. The lengthy list of voting-age residents who signed the petition did not include William Bremer, who continued to reside in Seattle. On October 2, 1901, the voters approved the incorporation of Bremerton as a city of the fourth class. The town's first mayor was Alvyn Croxton (1869-1941). An election in January 1902 returned Croxton as mayor and seated A. P. Stires, Thomas Driscoll (1845-1934), J. J. Kost, F. W. Coder, and C. Hanson as the town's first full five-member council. In July 1902 a private company brought in Bremerton's first piped water through wooden mains. In August the first official volunteer fire department was formed, and the following December phone lines came in. William Bremer's plans seemed to be proceeding smoothly, but some serious trouble was brewing on the town's rowdy Front Street. An Often Uneasy Affair It was inevitable that Bremerton would attract businesses that catered to the less-savory inclinations of young sailors and transient workers. Prostitution, gambling, drunkenness, opium, muggings -- the panoply of human temptation and weakness -- were present from the beginning. By late 1902 Bremerton had a population of about 1,700, and there were 16 saloons, all within a short walk of the navy's front gate. It was a wide-open town, and less than a year after Mayor Croxton was elected the navy threatened to shut it down, warning that it would boycott its own shipyard in order to save its sailors from Bremerton's "gross immorality." An Olympia newspaper, under the headline "Too Bad for Them," reported: "An official report received today from Rear Admiral Yates Stirling ... details a deplorable state of affairs in Bremerton, and Acting Secretary of the Navy Darling today issued an order that will have the effect of keeping naval vessels away from that station in future until the nuisance is abated. Gambling resorts and disorderly houses, the report says, flourish just outside the yard, especially when one of the war vessels is in port ..." (Morning Olympian, December 31, 1902). Mayor Croxton was quick to respond, issuing a statement on January 1, 1903, that said, in part: "The report regarding Bremerton is an unqualified falsehood ... . There are no card sharks, bunco men, or bawdy houses in the town" (Morning Olympian, January 1, 1903). With no apparent sense of irony, Croxton two days later announced that he would close all public gambling in Bremerton. This decision was not met with universal approval, even among members of the city council, nor was the navy overly impressed. It continued to issue threats and broadsides, and expanded the circle of blame to Seattle, describing it as "a harbor for all of the bad elements of lumber camps, mining camps and seaport towns, and ... a degree of immorality exists there that is equal to that of any city in the United States, and much of this element works in Bremerton ... " (Morning Olympian, January 8, 1903). The battle over vice pitted the U.S. Navy against Bremerton's gambling houses and saloons, with the mayor and council in the middle and fighting among themselves. Resolution seemed possible on February 2, 1903, when the council, at the persistent urging of Mayor Croxton, doubled the licensing fee for saloons and rescinded the licenses of the five or six drinking and gambling houses located nearest the base on Front Street (which was south of today's 1st Street). But a pro-saloon faction on the council managed to rescind the Front Street ban within weeks, and a short game of tit-for-tat was on. Mayor Croxton next pushed through an ordinance that would cause all liquor licenses to expire on April 1, 1903; the council responded by automatically extending all licenses for an additional year. The navy chimed in, again threatening to pull out "unless every saloon is moved from Front Street" (The New York Times, May 25, 1903). This time the threat worked -- the pro-saloon coalition collapsed, and the council went the navy one better by revoking every liquor license in town, effective June 8, 1903. The ban of course did little to stop either drinking or gambling, but it did make it a little less obvious and a little more distant. This Town for Sale The navy's overbearing attitude and charges of rampant immorality really bothered William Bremer, who had put his money and his good name into the town, and by early fall of 1903 he'd had enough. His reasoning was simple: If the U.S. government wanted to dictate how Bremerton should be run, then the U.S. government should buy the damn town and run it. By September 4, 1903, Bremer had obtained powers of attorney from nearly all of Bremerton's commercial land owners and disclosed that his asking price was $350,000. Later that month he traveled to Washington, D.C., and offered Bremerton lock, stock, and barrel to the navy at the discounted price of $300,000. But the navy thought the price was still exorbitant; Bremer came home disappointed, and never tried again. Nor did his widow, or his children. Even today, a significant part of downtown Bremerton is owned by a trust established by William Bremer's sons, John and Edward. The ban on saloons and legal liquor sales stayed in place for about two years without significantly reducing Bremerton's overall sin quotient. But the navy was pacified, and quietly allowed a handful of liquor licenses to be issued. The entire state went "dry" in 1916, and nationwide Prohibition started in 1919. Sailors still got drunk in and around Bremerton, and gambling and prostitution did not disappear, but the city's leaders were no longer accused of being complicit. Despite its somewhat raucous reputation, or perhaps because of it, Bremerton continued to attract new residents and businesses. The February 1909 issue of Coast magazine described the town: "Bremerton has a population of about 3,000 souls, and is daily adding to its numbers. The business interests are large and increasing. On every hand is seen the widest activities in all lines of business. A large saw mill, ice and cold storage, lumber yards are located here and groceries, dry goods stores, boot and shoe stores, bakeries, restaurants, hotels, saloons and all kinds of business departments are numerous and thriving. New, substantial brick and concrete business blocks, public halls, several hotels, one of which is a large three-story structure, and countless numbers of residences of a lasting and permanent nature are now under construction or just being completed" (Coast, p. 112). The Second Decade and World War I William Bremer died young, at age 47. On the day of his burial, December 30, 1910, Bremerton's businesses closed for two hours in the afternoon and the town's flags were flown at half-mast. His widow, Sophia Hensel Bremer (1872-1959), took over management of the family properties and with the three Bremer children she would continue to play an influential role in Bremerton for many years. One of the family's signature projects was the construction in 1914 of the Bremerton Trust and Savings Bank building on the northeast corner of 2nd Street and Pacific Avenue, one of three buildings in Bremerton designed by noted Seattle architect Harlan Thomas (1870-1953). Employment at the yard reached 1,620 by the early summer of 1909, but the roller-coaster nature of an economy based on military needs became clear two months later when work slowed. The labor force was reduced by more than half almost overnight, only to grow to 1,500 again within a year, a pattern of ebb and flow that would be repeated with varying intensity for decades. And, of course, the population of Bremerton saw huge temporary spikes of military personnel -- in 1912 the Bremerton YMCA reported that it had been visited by 57,272 enlisted men. World War I started to affect Bremerton two years before America's formal entry, when the navy yard began building submarines for Imperial Russia in 1915. (They were not completed before the Bolshevik Revolution, and were bought by the U.S. government to prevent them falling into communist hands.) By the time U.S. troops were sent overseas to fight in 1917, the yard employed 4,000, and that year money was allocated for a third dry dock. By 1918 employment at the yard stood at more than 6,500, most of whom lived on-base and all of whom spent money outside its gates. Bremerton annexed the town of Manette, just across Port Washington Narrows, in 1918, but the two would not be connected by a bridge until 1930. The 1920 census showed that Bremerton's population had almost exactly tripled in 10 years, growing from 2,993 to 8,918. And although it had refused Bremer's earlier offer, the federal government in 1918 decided to buy up what had been Bremerton's "tenderloin" district, from Front Street down to the waterfront. Front Street disappeared behind the base perimeter, and it and its riotous days came to an end. Heading for Depression With peace went the booming prosperity of the second decade of the twentieth century, and Bremerton settled into a period of slower growth. Employment at the base tapered off from the wartime high of 6,500 to bottom out at fewer than 2,500 by 1927, but the town itself had grown to a point that many businesses could survive by serving the area's civilian population and the lessened needs of the military. Homes were being built, car dealerships opened, services expanded, and optimism prevailed. Bremerton absorbed the next-door community of Charleston in 1927, further increasing its population and tax base. In 1928, construction began on the light cruiser USS Louisville, and employment at the naval yard jumped by 1,000, providing additional flotation to the local economy. In June 1929, just four months before the stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression, Bremerton voters passed an $835,000 bond issue to improve the city's water system and to build an electrical plant. In November, after the bottom fell out of the world economy, work began on a bridge linking Bremerton with the former Manette, now East Bremerton, financed almost entirely by public subscription. When the full effects of the Depression set in, Bremerton, perhaps inured to some degree by the previous economic ups and downs of the naval yard, actually managed better than most towns and cities. Surviving the Thirties The Manette Bridge opened to great fanfare in June 1930, and with that completed the people of Bremerton tackled the Great Depression. A Puget Sound Navy Yard Stabilization Bureau was established to lobby in Washington D.C., for shipyard work, and each worker at the yard pledged $5 a year to support its efforts. They also agreed to regular payroll deductions to help support Kitsap County's unemployed, and all employed workers in the county were asked to give up one day's pay a month for the same purpose. The federal government did its part too, and the shipyard actually expanded during the Depression years. Concerns over Japan's actions in the Pacific led to orders for several new ships. County projects funded by the Works Progress Administration also helped. So successful were these combined efforts that Bremerton experienced record growth in 1934 and 1935, and by the end of the decade its population had increased by half, to over 15,000. By 1940, when the national unemployment rate was still well over 14 percent of the labor force, Bremerton's stood at just 6.9 percent. Bremerton was doing well, and in 1937 its incorporated status was upgraded to city of the second class. Business was good enough that the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce, which had been in existence since 1907, saw fit to formally incorporate in March 1938. The incorporation papers were signed by its treasurer, William H. Gates Sr., grandfather of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. And during the late 1930s and early 1940s, Bremerton was also home to the controversial founder of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. More War, More Work The global disaster that was World War II was a huge boon to Bremerton almost from day one. Five of America's warships damaged during the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941, were towed or limped under their own power into what was then called Navy Yard Puget Sound for repair. Soon the city fashioned itself "Home to the Pacific Fleet," and its population ballooned to as many as 80,000, including more than 32,000 shipyard workers. With most working-age men being sent off to fight, they were replaced in the shipyard by wives and girlfriends, marking a major cultural shift and helping give rise to World War II icon "Rosie the Riveter." Bremerton during this era was filled with young people, and with the shipyard running three shifts, dances were held at all hours of the day and night, including afternoon USO-sponsored affairs on the decks of dry-docked aircraft carriers. But housing all these new people was a challenge that was never fully met. Two housing developments, Westpark and Eastpark, were built early in the war by the federal government and a third, Sheridan Park in East Bremerton, somewhat later, but they didn't nearly fill the need. Tents and trailers abounded, and people lived in converted garages and chicken coops. "Hot-bedding," in which workers on different shifts would alternate sleeping in the same bed, was common. By the end of the first full year of war Bremerton had 69 apartment houses, four hotels, three hospitals, six theaters, six dance pavilions, and nearly 6,000 students enrolled in its schools. Also in 1942, Bremerton's incorporation status was upgraded again, to city of the first class. With this latest boom, and with Prohibition no longer the law of the land, alcohol, gambling, drugs, increased crime, and other social ills again became more visible. The city's police force increased from 12 officers to 54 during the course of the war. But this time there were no threats to pull work away from the shipyard; it was simply too critical to the war effort, and a certain tolerance took hold during those years of crisis, especially for the occasional indulgences of sailors on leave. One controversy that did cause friction with the federal government was the Bremerton Housing Commission's practice (which it denied at the time) of separating black and white workers and families in allocated housing. The federal census counted only seven "negroes" in Kitsap County in 1940, but by 1945 the number exceeded 4,500. Although Bremerton had largely shunned the resurgent Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s, there was still a deep strain of white fear and bigotry. During the war years, most African Americans, and virtually no whites, were assigned to live in the Sinclair Park area of West Bremerton, and many downtown businesses posted "Whites Only" signs. Well-known Bremerton activist Lillian Walker (b. 1913), the wife of a shipyard worker, started her long career in civil rights in 1941 by organizing protests at the navy base against such discrimination. Despite these actions and steady pressure from the federal government, the practice of de facto segregation persisted after war's end, and it took until the 1960s for the last vestiges of overt racism to recede. On December 1, 1945, the name of Navy Yard Puget Sound was changed to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and with the end of World War II Bremerton had reason to worry about its future. A labor force that had peaked at 32,000 was reduced to 9,000 by the end of 1946, and the estimated 80,000 peak population of the war years dropped to 27,678 in the 1950 census. But there were a few bright spots. In 1946 the Bremerton School District opened Olympic Junior College (now Olympic College) and admitted 575 students to its inaugural class, and in 1948 its first graduates were honored with a visit by President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). The state took over operation of the college in 1967 and still runs it today. Then, once again, Bremerton was helped by war. North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, and the yard was put to work recommissioning mothballed warships. The respite was temporary -- when a truce was signed in July 1953, Bremerton entered an extended period of stasis, to be followed three decades later by a steep decline. Doing Without War With the huge population decrease after the war, Bremerton found itself with too many buildings for too few people, and it showed. The economy was not particularly bad during the 1950s, but the city took on a somewhat desolate and semi-abandoned air simply because it had been overbuilt during the war years. City tourism got a boost in 1955 with the coming of the famed USS Missouri, on the deck of which the Japanese had signed their formal surrender on September 2, 1945. The Iowa-class battleship stayed in Bremerton as part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet before being reactivated in 1985. Bremerton fought to get the "Mighty Mo" back when she was again retired in the 1990s, but the venerable battleship ended up in Honolulu. By the 1950s the Manette Bridge, despite being partially rebuilt in 1949, had become totally inadequate for the traffic volumes across Port Washington Narrows. In 1958 the four-lane, $5.3 million Warren Avenue Bridge was completed about a half mile to the northeast of the old span. (In 2011 the 1930 Manette Bridge was demolished. Its replacement span was completed in 2012.) The days of wars fought with vast navies seemed over, and the government's demand for new ships diminished. The Puget Sound yard did build two guided missile frigates in the late 1950s and kept fairly busy refurbishing existing ships. But it was not enough to fuel growth, and the 1960 federal census showed that Bremerton's population shrank slightly in the preceding decade. Years of economic ups and downs had made city leaders quick on their feet, and one of their most ingenious moves was the annexation of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 1961. This was done by simply extending the city's eastern boundary to the center of Sinclair Inlet, thus encompassing the base. Mayor H. O. Domstad (1909-1991) was not at all coy about the reasons for the annexation. With 10 ships due to arrive at the base by April 1961, the mayor calculated that the move would add at least 10,000 military personnel to the city's official population. Since the state distributed $13.18 per person per year to its cities, Bremerton would reap more money at a time that it was badly needed. A Series of Unfortunate Events At the end of the 1960s, Bremerton could be proud that it had survived and largely prospered for seven decades, through war and peace. But in the last three decades of the twentieth century the town hit a patch of bad luck that almost brought it to its knees, and from which it has yet (2010) to fully recover. An indication of how bad things were can be found in the population figures. In 1970, Bremerton's population was 35,301. Thirty years later, it had increased by less than 2,000, to 37,259. Even at the start of the 1970s, thing were not rosy: The unemployment rate in King County was 6 percent; Bremerton's was almost double that, at 11.9 percent, and every slight downward tick in that number represented not a new job, but the migration of another working family. William Brenner's son John, who had managed the family's extensive holdings in downtown Bremerton, died in 1969, and his younger brother, Edward, was a poor manager. Leases expired and weren't renegotiated; necessary upkeep and repairs went undone; even the valuable waterfront property owned by the family sat largely unused except for parking cars. A major blow came when the federal government selected Bangor, located on Hood Canal about 12 miles north of Bremerton, as the home port for the first squadron of Trident nuclear submarines. The Bangor facility, which had served as a humble ammunition depot from 1942 until 1973, suddenly became the new center for military construction and spending on the Kitsap Peninsula. The demand for labor to convert the old depot to a modern submarine base drew workers and their families away from Bremerton and towards Silverdale, which stood about half way between Bremerton and Bangor. After adding nearly 10,000 residents between 1960 and 1970, Bremerton grew by less than a thousand over the next decade. At Silverdale, a sleepy little unincorporated community in central Kitsap County, a subsidiary of the Safeco Insurance Company started building the huge Kitsap Mall. It opened in 1985 and quickly replaced Bremerton as the dominant commercial center for the entire Kitsap Peninsula. The J. C. Penney store was first to pull out of downtown Bremerton and move to Silverdale, and this led to more defections. Sears, Montgomery Ward, Nordstrom Place Two, Woolworth, and Rite Aid all closed their downtown Bremerton stores in the 1980s and early 1990s, and soon the commercial core of the city consisted of street after street of empty windows staring out from empty spaces. Edward Bremer died in 1987, and the properties were placed in a trust controlled by Olympic College, which seemed equally unable to do anything to break the downward spiral. The death of Bremerton's commercial district had many causes, but to many the primary blame belonged to the family that gave the city its name. Wally Kippola, a past president of the Kitsap County Historical Society and former director on the Central Kitsap School Board, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1998: "What drove people to Silverdale and out of Bremerton was the parochial attitude of (the late) Bremer brothers (John and Ed), whose father founded Bremerton and who owned most of the property there" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 20, 1998). That may have been a harsh judgment, but it was more than a little true. It is a sad irony that a city started through the initiative of one generation of Bremers was nearly destroyed by the ineptitude or inaction of the next. Signs of Life In June 1977 the Bremerton city council passed a resolution designating virtually the entire urban core of the city a "blighted area," a first step to obtaining expanded powers for urban renewal under state law, including enhanced powers of eminent domain and taxation. Much of the "blighted area" was still in the hands of the Bremer family, and Bremerton clearly was fed up with Edward Bremer's unwillingness or inability to make better use of his holdings. Twenty-five years later, little had been done. The J. C. Penney building and most of the downtown core still sat vacant. In January 2003 a city ordinance acknowledged that "conditions have not changed since those designations (of blighted areas) to warrant repeal of said designations ..." (Bremerton City Ordinance No. 4830). In 2000, Bremerton voters had rejected a ballot proposal to create a recreational center in the downtown area, and the Bremer Trust, established by the brothers, had maintained for years that it wasn't economically feasible for it to subdivide large commercial buildings for rental to multiple small businesses. But the logjam was actually loosening. In 2001 the city adopted a Downtown Revitalization Plan. The following year, the city council appointed the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority to oversee the city's community renewal efforts. In 2003, ground was broken for the Norm Dicks Government Center and City Hall, and it opened its doors in November 2004. In that same year, the adoption of a Comprehensive Plan gave additional impetus to the city's revitalization efforts. Also in 2004, a conference center with a hotel, restaurant, offices and shops opened next door to the ferry terminal, and another hotel and a tunnel to redirect ferry traffic from downtown streets were under construction. The arts are being seen to, as well. In July 2005, Bremerton's city council passed an ordinance establishing the Bremerton Arts Commission and enacting a "1% For Arts" program which requires all city-funded capital improvements to allocate 1 percent of their construction cost to support public art projects. A downtown Arts District centered on 4th Street and Pacific Avenue hosts monthly "First Friday Arts Walks," and there are also "Last Saturday Arts Walks" in the Charleston district of West Bremerton. The downtown Arts District features several fine galleries, three museums, two performing art stages, unique shops, various restaurants and cafes, and clubs featuring jazz and other live music. Among the art on permanent display are the sculptural fountains of Harbour Fountain Park and at least four other public sculptures, one of which, a two-part piece entitled "Fish and Fisherman," has not been free of criticism since its installation in 2010 on diagonal corners at 4th and Pacific. But disputes about the merits of individual art works aside, the welcoming civic atmosphere, city-sponsored programs, relatively low prices for commercial space, and a core of established artists, galleries, and workshops should ensure that Bremerton's art scene continues to make major contributions to the city's eclectic personality. A major boost came in late 2007, when the Bremer Trust agreed to sell the long-vacant J. C. Penney building to Ron Sher, a Seattle developer. Sher announced plans to create a new downtown commercial center, with a bookstore, health facility, restaurant, residential units, and a large commons area for community use. Also in 2007, the city opened the 2.5-acre Harborside Fountain Park as part of its Harborside Redevelopment Plan, and in May 2008 the Port of Bremerton dedicated a greatly expanded 300-slip marina. Once again, however, events much larger than Bremerton's local concerns conspired to hamstring the city's economy and stymie its redevelopment plans. The global financial crisis that started in 2008 slowed or halted progress on several proposed projects, including the redevelopment of the J. C. Penney building, and many slips at the new marina remained unfilled. But there was one big difference this time, and reason for optimism. Bremerton had to look beyond its historical reliance on the military and by 2010 the city had on its books a detailed blueprint for urban revitalization and a more durable and stable economic footing. History of Bremerton Chamber of Commerce Serving Bremerton for over 100 Years! Although the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 100th birthday in 2007, most people would be surprised to know that chambers of commerce existed in this country before we even became a country! The first chambers of commerce were formed in the colonies in the 1760's. And they've been growing stronger ever since. The Bremerton Improvement Club began in the year 1902. The Bremerton Board of Trade was started in 1904. The Board of Trade absorbed the BIC, and was organized to promote PSNS and the affairs pertaining to the well being of Bremerton. The name was changed to Bremerton Chamber of Commerce in 1907. Early history shows the Board of Trade/ Chamber helped to secure the US Navy staying and growing in Bremerton. In 1903 the Navy almost moved from Bremerton due to the 'shadiness' outside it's gates, which included Bremerton business selling alcohol, and other colorful activities. Also the Chamber in 1908 aided by getting outside investors from Seattle to supply the capital for building housing for the military and their families. Airport and Incorporation In 1935 the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce proposed the plans for a landing field in Gorst which grew into today's Bremerton Airport. In 1938 the Chamber incorporated. It's interesting to note that the Treasurer of the Board of Directors was William Gates, grandfather of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The Gates family owned a furniture store in downtown Bremerton and William Gates signed the Chamber's Articles of Incorporation. *Photos courtesy of Kitsap Historical Society and Smith Western Postcard Co. aug 1933 - bremerton lumber yard fire cassius gates - chamber of commerce for seattle ??? Pier 5 is somewhat famous, because it is where the steamer Spokane, carrying President Theodore Roosevelt, landed in Seattle, with great fanfare, on May 23, 1903. Early on the pier was known, along with Pier 4, as one of the two Arlington Docks. The Arlington Dock Company operated as an agent for steamships carrying passengers from several West Coast cities to Alaska, Asia and Europe. The pier is best known, however, as the base of operations for Frank Waterhouse and Company, which began to thrive during the Klondike Gold Rush. According to Clarence Bagley, during the 1900s, Frank Waterhouse and Company was already one of the major Seattle steamship lines. Frank Waterhouse was considered one of the waterfront’s most successful and energetic entrepreneurs. The firm not only provided transportation to the Yukon and Alaska, including a Bering Sea service, but also delivered U.S. Army transports to Manila, during the Spanish American War of 1898-1899. Frank Waterhouse’s firm, which also provided service to Hawaii, the Mediterranean and Russia, endured through the end of World War I. Birds' eye view of Seattle and environs, King County Wash., 1891, eighteen months after the great fire / drawn by Augustus Koch. to, Print, Drawing Birds' eye view of Seattle and environs, King County Wash., 1891, eighteen months after the great fire / drawn by Augustus Koch. During World War I, the Navy dug the original 90-foot tunnel under Burwell Street to create a shipyard access point for workers who were staying at a hotel that had once stood at gate's access point. Original 190 acres were nearest Sinclair Inlet A leading firm which has been intimately identified with the development of Seattle as a port is that of Frank Waterhouse & Company, first established in 1898 by Frank Waterhouse as president, Messrs. Neal H. Begley vice-president, R. D, Smalley secretary, and J. Richard Lane treasurer. Besides the general offices at Seattle the company has branches in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, Kobe, Singapore and Calcutta. The firm is especially prominent in the transportation of cargoes between Seattle and other Pacific Coast ports and the Far East, including Japan, China, and the various colonies and presidencies British India. The opium trade through Puget Sound IMAGE : 2020-07-31-twitter-com-housatonicits-received-dm-agentrevolt-11-45-am-v55XMkJY.jpeg 1893 ~ Asiatic Steamship Line—About the time of the completion of the Great Northern railway Messrs. Samuel Samuel & Co., of London and Yokohama, sent a representative to America to confer with President Hill, of the railway company, relative to putting on a trans-Pacific steamship line in connection with the Great Northern railway. The mission was entirely successful, and the Great Eastern Steamship Company is the result. The Crown of England, the first ship of the new line to make the voyage, arrived at Seattle early in the present month with a cargo of tea and other Asiatic products for Puget Sound and the East, and there will be a vessel every three weeks. The return cargoes will consist mainly of flour from the flouring mills of Seattle, as flour is already largely consumed in China and Japan and is supplanting rice as the staff of life in those countries. The vessels of the new steamship line, with their American terminus at Seattle, touch at the principal ports of China and Japan, and arrangements are now being made for them to call at Vladivostock, the chief port of Siberia. The new line has an advantage over all other trans-Pacific lines in that its connecting road, the Great Northern, is the shortest trans¬ continental road in existence and has the easiest grades, and besides, there is a large saving over competing lines in the distance between Seattle and the Asiatic ports, as the following table of distances in miles and the map will show:

Modules for Traders Executing Futures Trading Translate the power of knowledge into action. Open Free* Demat Account Glossary of Executing Futures Trading 3 Mins Read 1. Margin: It is the money borrowed from a broker to purchase an investment and is the difference between the total value of investment and the loan amount. 2. Margin Intraday Square off (MIS): MIS is a product type which as per RMS system is for intraday trade. 3. The stop loss: What is the amount of loss you will have to incur as a stop loss in case the trade moves against your goals. 4. The Cost of Carry Model: It assumes that markets are perfectly efficient and removes the opportunity for traders to take advantage of price differences in two or more markets which is also called arbitrage. 5. Expectancy Model of futures: It explains the future price of an asset is technically the spot price of the asset which is expected to be in the future. 6. Initial margin: the minimum amount which is calculated as a percentage of total investment is called initial margin the broken will use initial margin to fulfil the full settlement obligation. 7. Maintenance margin: the minimum amount which the client is required to maintain in the margin account is called the maintenance margin. It is calculated as the percentage of market value as per the latest closing price of the securities which are forwarded as collaterals. 8. Open interest: It is the total of outstanding derivative contracts which are not settled for an asset. 9. Hedging: It acts as a fundamental way by which you can save your investment portfolio. To counterbalance the potential losses in an investment, hedging works as a risk management strategy. 10. Index futures: They are contracts to buy or sell a financial index at a set price today, to be settled at a date in the future. 11. Futures contracts: They are financial derivatives that oblige the buyer to purchase some underlying asset (or the seller to sell that asset) at a predetermined future price and date. How would you rate this chapter?

This article originally appeared in the July 3, 2017 issue of SpaceNews magazine. U.S. military and commercial satellite operators are eager to hand off some of the jobs large spacecraft perform to small satellites and even cubesats. Before that can happen, though, small satellites need their own propulsion systems because most of the widely used chemical and electric propulsion technologies don’t fit well on shoebox-size satellites and they are difficult to scale down. Natalya Bailey is well aware of this problem. While working toward her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bailey and fellow graduate student Louis Perna developed and prototyped tiny microsatellite thrusters that MIT later delivered to the Aerospace Corp. in Los Angeles for integration in two cubesats, called AeroCubes. By the time the AeroCubes were launched, Bailey and Perna had founded Accion Systems, a Boston-based company focused on electric propulsion systems for small satellites. Since 2014, Accion has raised $10.5 million in venture capital and $6.5 million from unnamed U.S. Defense Department agencies. Bailey spoke recently with SpaceNews correspondent Debra Werner. What made you think the time was right to found Accion? I tried to start another microsatellite propulsion company around 2008. Around then, and it remains true for Accion, there was starting to be a lot of pull and demand from the market. When I was at MIT working on this technology with my cofounder, the Department of Defense was very interested in it and was funding some of the early research. Some of the big primes were either trying to buy flight systems from MIT or trying to license the intellectual property. A pull from the market was our main sign. It seems like that pull is allowing you to go from laboratory test to flight quickly. That’s right. The promise of small satellites and cubesats hinges on being able to scale down a few key systems like propulsion and power. Not everything follows Moore’s law. So these gaps are getting a lot of attention right now and pushing us to move faster. When do you expect to test your technology in flight? The technology itself has flown a couple times when we were still at MIT. In terms of proving out the technology on orbit, that’s been done with MIT and the Aerospace Corporation and my cofounder and myself when we were still grad students. We are delivering our first flight hardware this fall for a first quarter 2018 launch. What spacecraft will that fly on? I would love to say but can’t yet. What’s unique about your technology? We are building what is essentially an ion engine, but there are two main differences. We use a liquid propellant and completely new manufacturing techniques. The liquid propellant allows us to produce thrust and create ion engines on a very small scale. Our smallest complete ion engine is about the size of a pack of cards. More traditionally they’ve been the size of a Prius. That’s all due to using liquid instead of a pressurized neutral gas like xenon or argon. As for the manufacturing techniques, aerospace was previously characterized by very bespoke, one-off processes. Given the trends in the industry, we thought it would be wise to look to other applications and manufacturing techniques across industries and pull from some that are mature and amenable to high-volume throughput to drive down our costs. We’ve adapted some of the same processes used to make computer chips in silicon to make our engines. For other components, we rely on proven processes like conventional machining. We basically tried to find the most mature, standard, mass-producible processes that we could and used those. Are those processes designed to keep costs low enough for cubesats? Yes. As we are starting out, the costs for some of our first runs are not as low as they will be in the future so it is easier to partner with folks with slightly larger satellites. We are targeting everything from three kilograms up to about 200 kilograms with our products. There is definitely always going to be a race to the bottom in terms of prices for cubesat propulsion. Are you on a cubesat for your first flight? A lot of new propulsion technologies are coming into the market. Yes. When we started out, people would ask about the competitive landscape. There was no one except Busek. Now we hear about a new competitor every week. It’s a great motivator and we are focused and moving quickly. It’s definitely a popular area. Do you think that once you fly there will be more demand for your technology? Yes and no. The people building and operating satellites have risk profiles all over the place today. For a certain batch of them, propulsion is critical to their business model. They are ready to adopt something that seems like it will work once you launch it. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who want to see things fly for five or 10 years before they will adopt them. We are on the former part of that spectrum initially. I don’t think flying will change the market, but it will let us address a wider swath of customers. What was challenging about miniaturizing the ion engine? With traditional designs, the way you generate thrust is by injecting a neutral gas, say xenon, into a chamber. Then you inject a beam of high energy electrons into the same chamber and you have to guarantee that those electrons will collide with the neutral atoms and create ions. You accelerate those ions out the back of the chamber to produce thrust. But as you start trying to decrease the size of the chamber, all of those particles you inject in will leave much more quickly before they have a chance to collide and create an ion. You end up just emitting neutral gas and electrons out the back and not producing any thrust. The way to solve that is to inject more and more high energy electrons to guarantee that you will create ions from that neutral gas. The problem is a materials one. You inject more and more high-energy electrons and you start melting the walls of any material known to man that’s manufacturable and that could be launched into space. There is a point where you couldn’t shrink it down anymore because it would heat up too much and would melt the material. Rather than trying to solve that problem, we looked at a completely different way of producing ions. We take a liquid propellant that is just positive and negative ions and apply a strong electric field to the liquid and pluck individual ions out of the liquid and accelerate them out the back. Does the flight heritage on AeroCubes make your technology unique? You have to differentiate between chemical or cold gas and electric propulsion. It is quite easy to launch a can of air on a cubesat, open it and get little puffs of thrust. You may need more than one hand to count the number of times that has been done. As far as efficient electric propulsion where you can actually perform operational missions, there are very few propulsion technologies that have flown.

Sangihe Black Tarantula (Lampropelma Nigerrium) The Sangihe Black is a moderately sized arboreal tarantula that is native to the Indonesian Island, Sangihe. While the species was initially presumed to be extinct, it was later revived from the same island in November 2007. As evident from its name, this tarantula features a black carapace which has a slight brownish tinge to it. However, unlike the other tarantulas from the ornithoctoninae subfamily, the Sangihe Black doesn’t have any tiger pattern along the abdomen of its adult females. At first glance, they appear to be fuzzy little creatures with robust legs and clustered fringes. While their male species feature an ash colored carapace with a slight yellowish striation along the legs, the females do not display any such coloration. The Sangihe Black tends to grow pretty fast and within just two years you’d find them maturing into full grown adults. The Sangihe Black is indigenous to the Indonesian island, Sangihe. Preferred natural habitat These tarantulas are arboreal in nature and are primarily found in lowlands and rain forests. While most of them inhabit the hollows and corks of trees, there are many others who prefer taking refuge in the creeks of rocks. When you visit an Indonesian rain forest, you’d find the adult females lining up in the big, mature trees. Alternatively, the younger species are found around loose barks, board walks or along the crevices of rocks. Preferred food in the wild The Sangihe Black is usually shy. But once it gets accustomed to its surroundings, it’ll immediately start devouring its prey. Typically, these spiders thrive on small crickets, cockroaches, earthworms and katydids. This tarantula is semi-aggressive in nature. Although they tend to be shy in the beginning, they won’t think twice before biting you if you end up annoying them. Their bite is much more toxic than your regular tarantula. So we wouldn’t recommend beginners to pet this species. Feeding as a pet If you’re planning to pet a Sangihe Black, start feeding it baby crickets and small earthworms. Once it starts maturing, introduce medium sized cockroaches and grasshoppers. This tarantula is usually a slow eater in the beginning. But once they start liking their food, they’d voraciously devour it in a minute. Life span both male and female Both the male and female species are likely to have a lifespan of more than five years. Pet enclosure type Since this tarantula is arboreal in nature, you should make it a point to create a small hide-away for it. Your hide-away can feature a hollow log or small bark which is installed to their entrance hole. Since they prefer living a quiet, stress free life- it is really important to create this hiding spot. These species tend to thrive in a temperature around 22-26 degree Celsius during the day and around 20-22 degree Celsius at night. The humidity level should be moderate. If you need help buying an enclosure why not check out our enclosure review. Click here for the article. Pet enclosure habitat layout Fill the vial of your tarantula with plenty of loose substrate. Once you do this, the spider will team it up with silk for making a small, snuggly home. The substrate should be at least five to ten cms deep. Likewise, you should also make it a point to keep it moist. Mating / reproducing The ideal time for mating your Sangihe Black tarantula is during the Spring or the Summer. Like most cases, the female will immediately devour the male right after the mating. Don’t be intimidated by this behavior because it indicates a proper, successful mating. Once you’ve mated your spiders, dry the cage for a couple of months. You can then follow this up with proper flooding. This will automatically induce the egg laying behavior in the female. Usually, the female tarantulas lay their eggs after fall. Their egg sac is going to hatch after two to three months and one sack will contain around 120-150 spiderlings. Like I already mentioned, the Sangihe Black grows pretty fast. Within just two years, you’d find them maturing into full-grown adults. However, their entire growth depends on your frequency of feeding. If you manage to be patient and feed them well, these fuzzy little beings can assume a legs span of around 15-17 cm.

Natural indigo has complex undertones and an unmistakable aroma that synthetic blues do not. As many blues as indigo can be, it is clear what indigo is not. Earlier this year, author Jamaica Kincaid, art historian Cheryl Finley, and visual artist Rosana Paulino participated in a talk on art museums and the legacy of the Dutch slave trade. I “zoomed in” for their presentations and the conversation that came after. But the most striking moment, to me, was a brief exchange off to the side. A moderator made what they might’ve believed to be a passing comment, suggesting that cotton was a conspirator in European slavery. Kincaid paused to deliberately revisit it. Botany – cotton, sugarcane, spices – did not conspire, the Europeans did. A few months later, I was in Harlem, on the second floor of a gallery operating out of a slender walk-up. I was there to see works from the True Blue series by Adebunmi Gbadebo. The gallerist, Ian, directed me upstairs to four framed artworks. They were resting on the hardwood floor, three leaned against the wall, and one against the back of a chair. I had shown up without notice. But still, Ian took his time, carefully peeling away the bubble wrap on one work that was ready to go somewhere else. True Blue refers to at least two plantations in South Carolina: the True Blue Plantation on Pawleys Island, which is currently a golf course, and the True Blue Plantation deeper inland in Fort Motte, where Gbadebo can trace her mother’s side of the family, the Ravenells. They were both rice and indigo plantations, where enslaved people cultivated indigo plants and processed those plants into blue dye. Archival documents identify 185 people of African descent enslaved on Pawleys Island – Mildred, Dolly, Little Anthony – but not much else about them. Gbadebo responded by creating abstracted portraits – ways to reconstruct their likeness using materials that can be connected to them: cotton, indigo dye, human hair donated by Black people. Blue appears in these works as a source of color, a knowledge held by skilled workers, a part of the region’s history. One work – the one on the wall all the way to the left, and the first one my eyes settled on – had hardly any blue. Frozen in a sheet of cotton paper were mounds of kinky-curly and curly human hair in a color that I can best describe as 1B (if you know, you know). The two works on the wall just to the right had several blues. A block of mottled electric blue divided one artwork into two. And with its alternating bands of deep blue-black and white, the other artwork reminded me of tie & dye. At the boundary between the bands, the blue bled briefly, so it was never really white. I wondered which blues came from indigo and which from later, synthetic dyes. Because it’s a vat dye, where color is layered on in multiple dips, a knowledgeable dyer can make indigo’s blues anything from an icy blue to a night sky. But I was sure that electric blue wasn’t from indigo. Natural indigo has complex undertones and an unmistakable aroma that synthetic blues do not. As many blues as indigo can be, it is clear what indigo is not. Gbadebo and I spoke in a video call the day after my visit. We spoke about kinks and curls being an artistic medium of their own. Short naps swept up from the barbershop floor are just right for paper-making. The resolute spirals and z-shaped kinks of 4b and 4c hair are just right for sculpting. And the looser, slack curls – well, she’s still learning that language. Gbadebo showed me a video of a recent trip to Forte Motte, only possible with the guidance of her cousin, Jackie Whitmore, one of several family members still living there. The video was thick with the colors of the place. There was the green brush in the family cemetery, springing up almost past their heads; and the burnt-orange silt under their feet. The cemetery is a sanctuary – land the Ravenell family inherits, hallowed ground where enslaved ancestors were buried, a place of safety in Fort Motte. Jackie stewards this land, devotedly. And of course, we spoke about blue. The color palette has indigo blues, like I’d thought, but also synthetic blue hair dyes with names that held Gbadebo’s attention: “Royal Blue,” “Blue Black,” and even “True Blue.” We talked about how indigo connects her not only to her mother’s lineage in South Carolina, but also to her father’s lineage in Nigeria, where there are proud histories of indigo-dyeing from Kano all the way south to Abeokuta. We talked about the things she is still learning – connections between indigo dyeing practices in the American South and in West Africa, what the indigo production process looked like on colonial plantations, whether to work with different forms of indigo. She’s been creating vats from indigo dried and ground into powder, dipping the cotton pulp into the vat before forming it into paper. We spoke for almost two hours, but I was struck by something that happened early in our interview. Gbadebo noticed that the silk scarf wrapped around my head, with its tail trailing from my nape down to the crest of my back, was an indigo blue. She loves the color, still, she marveled. Through the artworks in the True Blue series, Gbadebo calls out the devastating colonial and imperialist history surrounding indigo in her family; in two South Carolina plantations; and in European, then American, slavery. Is there still room for her to love indigo’s blues? Well, the way I see it, Gbadebo sees indigo and its beautiful blues just as Kincaid described. At times, an instrument, but never an accomplice. To hear more about the True Blue series, directly from Gbadebo, check out the True Blue short film produced by the Jon Andre company and filmed by Scott Seldon. If you’d like to experience these works in person, they’re in these public collections (though check with the institution about when it’ll be on view): - I Sang the Blues Black at Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (grid of 9) & National Museum of African Art (grid of 9) in Washington, DC - True Blue 18th Hole (grid of 21) at the Newark Museum of Art, in Newark, NJ - True Blues (grid of 18) at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis, MN For more on that talk, where Kincaid, Paulino, and Finley address the legacies of American and European slavery through literature, artwork, and scholarship, the video is published online via the event sponsor, Harvard Art Museums. The 300+ year history of indigo in connection to American slavery is one part of a bigger picture, at least thousands of years old, of indigo plant species, uses, and techniques across the globe. For more indigo histories from various regions and times, refer to the lifelong work of indigo dyeing masters, educators and preservers, such as Aboubakar Fofana (who contributed a piece to this Blue issue), Chief Mrs Nike Okundaye / Nike Art Centre, Takayuki Ishii / Awonoyoh, Botanical Colors, and Threads of Life Bali. This list is not comprehensive; just a few suggestions based on my own learning experience. Lastly, thank you for taking the time to read this piece. If you have feedback, please email it to the Tatter staff, who will communicate it with me. Interviews and research conducted November – December 2021. Written by mary adeogun, with thanks to Helen Polson, the Claire Oliver Gallery, and Tatter editorial staff. Adebunmi creates sculptures, prints, ceramics, and paper using historical and cultural imbued materials. Currently focused on her “True Blue and Land for Sale” series, Adebunmi investigates the complexities around land, erasure, and value in the American south. Born in New Jersey and based between Newark and Philadelphia, Adebunmi earned her BFA at the School of Visual Arts, NY. Gbadebo’s work is included in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, and the Newark Museum of Art. Gbadebo’s work has been presented in numerous exhibitions in the United States, Asia, and Europe, including the Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh; 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London; Untitled Art Fair, Miami; Rutgers University, New Jersey; College of Saint Elizabeth, New Jersey; amongst others. Adebunmi is a current resident at the Clay Studio. Philadelphia and represented by Claire Oliver Gallery in New York. To learn more about the work of Adebunmi Gbadebo visit adebunmi.carbonmade.com / @adebooms

This view looks from Auckland across the Hauraki Gulf towards the Coromandel Peninsula and lands occupied by the Marutūahu confederation of tribes. It was drawn by Frederick Stack and published in a book of lithographs in 1862. Using this item Alexander Turnbull Library Tinted lithograph after a drawing by Frederick Rice Stack Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image. Add new comment

Women socialise together both in formal organisations and in informal groups of friends, acquaintances, neighbours and relatives. Some aspects of women’s social networks have changed over time, but opportunities for female friendship remains important to many women. Friends and family Nineteenth-century women often spent their spare time with female relatives. It was common for unmarried women to develop particularly strong bonds with their sisters. However, some women were distant from their families, so female friends and neighbours became vital for support. Until the later 20th century, women might be close to their brothers but did not usually have male friends – men were potential marriage partners only. Family of friends In 2003 Jane Westaway, a first-generation New Zealander, wrote of the importance of her female friends: ‘When others declare that family are always there for you, I don’t think of those on the far side of the world in whose company I spent the first lonely eighteen years of my life; I think of my family of friends. I see a circle of faces all the more dear because what they offer – affection, empathy, laughter (so much laughter), comfort, teasing, respect, kindness, advice, all kinds of support, companionship, and, from time to time, some straight talking – comes untainted by expectation of duty.’1 In the early 21st century many women still rely on female friendship networks. Friends can become substitute family, especially for immigrants, or women without partners or children. These relationships may be formed while they are students, through employment, sport, church attendance or participation in ante natal groups. Book groups or networks formed among parents with children at the same school are also important ways of getting to know other women. Women are increasingly involved in online friendships with other women. Women and the home The belief that a woman’s place was in the home was widespread from the 19th century. To venture outside the neighbourhood or go into male preserves such as pubs was socially unacceptable. After marriage, some women, especially in rural areas, rarely went out alone. Few had independent transport. Childcare often kept them at home – for example, some women did not attend church because they had to look after small children, who were unwelcome at services. Groceries were usually delivered. Attitudes changed slowly during the first half of the 20th century as women took up walking, cycling, driving and sports, went from school to higher education, and entered the workforce in greater numbers. The boundaries between labour and leisure were often blurred for housewives – for example, when relaxing they did domestic tasks such as sewing, mending and knitting. A woman with young children could not go out in the evening, and during the day only if they could bring their children. These constraints still affect many women. Few places to meet Until the 1900s there were not many public places where women could meet. There were few tearooms until the 1890s, and going to town was difficult because of the lack of public toilets for women. In contrast with men’s organisations, hardly any women’s groups could afford to have their own clubrooms. Churches were approved meeting-places, and many women belonged to church women's guilds and associations. However, home was the venue for most women’s social activities. While limitations on when and where women can gather have disappeared, many still hold meetings or entertain friends at home. For the upper classes, the English tradition of paying or returning formal calls on days when the lady of the house was ‘at home’ continued from the 1840s. New immigrant Charlotte Godley wrote, ‘There is as much etiquette about visiting, and so on, at Dunedin as I ever saw anywhere at home [the UK]’.2 Other women made more casual visits to the homes of female friends and family. Happy birthday to you In the early 1900s women friends observed social proprieties. Palmerston North neighbours Helena Monro and Ethel Russell were so friendly that they shared the same birthday celebration each year. But they never called each other by their first names. It was always ‘Many happy returns of the day, Mrs Monro. And many happy returns to you, Mrs Russell.’3 Morning and afternoon tea Home calls and visits evolved into morning and afternoon teas (and, by the 1950s, coffee mornings), when a woman could show off her baking skills to an appreciative and knowledgeable audience. Savouries, cakes and biscuits were served on the best china with embroidered tablecloths and napkins. On these occasions talk (sometimes dismissed as ‘gossip’) was extremely important as a way of keeping up with current events in the neighbourhood or town, acquiring general knowledge and forging social networks. Uninhibited conversation remains a key part of many women’s social activities. Although morning and afternoon teas diminished in importance after more married women entered paid work in the 1970s, fancy baking and associated entertaining have remained popular. From the 1960s American-influenced social events such as baby showers, kitchen teas, and Tupperware, lingerie and other parties were hosted at home. Serving alcohol became more acceptable when women socialised with friends. Demonstrations of domestic arts, with a tinge of competitiveness, extended to get-togethers beyond the home. These increased as more women’s organisations were set up. While some organisations, such as the National Council of Women of New Zealand, connected women in a range of different social groups and advocated for women, children and families, others operated mainly as social support groups. As well as encouraging familiar rituals, these gatherings provided opportunities to explore novel ideas, learn new skills and push back the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

How to Screenshot on Mac Taking How To Screenshot On Mac is a simple yet powerful way to capture and share information visually. Whether you need to save an image, record an error message, or demonstrate a process, knowing how to effectively take screenshots can greatly enhance your productivity. In this article, we will explore various methods to screenshot on a Mac and discover useful tips and tricks along the way. Introduce the concept of taking screenshots and its importance in various scenarios. Mention the versatility and usefulness of screenshots for both personal and professional purposes. 2. Understanding the Mac screenshot options Explain the different screenshot options available on a Mac, such as capturing the entire screen, a selected portion, specific windows, or menus. Highlight the flexibility of Mac’s screenshot capabilities. 3. Capturing the entire screen Provide step-by-step instructions on how to capture the entire screen on a Mac. Explain the keyboard shortcut and the alternative method using the Screenshot app. 4. Taking a screenshot of a selected portion of the screen Explain how to capture a specific portion of the screen using the Mac’s built-in screenshot tools. Guide the reader through the process of selecting an area and capturing the screenshot. 5. Saving screenshots to the desktop or clipboard Explain the options available for saving screenshots on a Mac. Discuss the benefits of saving screenshots directly to the desktop or copying them to the clipboard for quick access. 6. Using keyboard shortcuts for efficient screenshotting Introduce commonly used keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots on a Mac. Provide a list of shortcuts and explain how they can streamline the screenshotting process. 7. Taking screenshots of specific windows or menus Explain how to capture screenshots of specific windows or menus on a Mac. Describe the steps involved in selecting the desired window or menu and capturing the screenshot.How To Screenshot On MacHow To Screenshot On MacHow To Screenshot On MacHow To Screenshot On MacHow To Screenshot On Mac 8. Utilizing the Grab application for advanced screenshot options Introduce the Grab application, which provides additional screenshot options on a Mac. Explain how to access and utilize Grab for more advanced screenshotting needs. 9. Annotating and editing screenshots with built-in tools Highlight the built-in tools available on a Mac for annotating and editing screenshots. Explain how to add text, shapes, arrows, and other elements to enhance the screenshot. 10. Sharing and exporting screenshots Provide instructions on how to share and export screenshots on a Mac. Discuss different sharing options, such as email, messaging apps, social media, and cloud storage services. 11. Troubleshooting common screenshot issues Address common issues that users may encounter when taking screenshots on a Mac. Provide troubleshooting tips for resolving problems related to file formats, saving locations, or capturing specific elements.How To Screenshot On MacHow To Screenshot On MacHow To Screenshot On Mac 12. Using third-party screenshot tools for additional functionality Discuss third-party applications that offer additional screenshot functionalities on a Mac. Highlight the benefits of using these tools for advanced editing, screen recording, or cloud syncing. 13. Enhancing productivity with screenshot shortcuts Explain how utilizing screenshot shortcuts can improve productivity on a Mac. Discuss the importance of customizing shortcuts to suit individual preferences and workflow. 14. Best practices for utilizing screenshots effectively Provide best practices for using screenshots effectively in various contexts. Discuss the importance of organizing and naming screenshots, resizing images, and considering privacy concerns. Summarize the key points discussed in the article. Emphasize the value of mastering screenshotting techniques on a Mac and the potential it holds for enhancing productivity and communication. - Q: Can I capture a screenshot of a specific application window on a Mac? A: Yes, you can capture a screenshot of a specific application window by using keyboard shortcuts or the Mac’s built-in screenshot tools. - Q: How do I change the default save location for screenshots on a Mac? A: You can change the default save location for screenshots by adjusting the settings in the Screenshot app or the Grab application. - Q: Can I edit screenshots after capturing them on a Mac? A: Yes, you can edit screenshots using the built-in tools provided by macOS. You can add annotations, crop images, or make other modifications as needed. - Q: Are there any third-party screenshot applications recommended for Mac users? A: Yes, there are several third-party screenshot applications available for Mac users, such as Snagit, Skitch, or Lightshot, which offer additional features and functionalities. - Q: Can I take screenshots of specific menus or dropdowns on a Mac? A: Yes, you can capture screenshots of specific menus or dropdowns on a Mac by utilizing the screenshot shortcuts or the Grab application.

By: Carl Romito In 2002, the Energy Star program helped Americans save enough energy to offer utility service to 15 million homes. The decrease in greenhouse gas emissions was the amount of energy that 14 million cars used, saving $7 million, in the process. The Department of Energy (Energy.gov) explains that 56 percent of utility costs come from energy used to heat and cool homes. Since you are spending more than half of what you pay out in utilities each month on heating and cooling, the first place to look for lost or wasted energy should be spaces where warm air escapes during the winter. Look in your attic, at exterior walls in your basement and elsewhere in your home, such as crawl spaces. If you have unfinished spaces in your home, look for the R-value that appears on the insulation. Knowing this is helpful in figuring out whether your insulation is adequate for your local weather. The Home Energy Yardstick is a tool you can use online. It will look over your utility bills for the past 12 months to compare your energy consumption with other similar homes. It isn’t meant to replace a professional home energy audit, but it can be useful in helping you find ways to lessen your in-home energy usage. The yardstick uses a scoring system of 1 to 10, and score analysis is based on an algorithm that considers the size of the home, the number of people living there, and local weather. If nothing else, the results may motivate you to make improvement in your home’s overall energy efficiency. The technician will come into your home with a checklist and an arsenal of tools that he/she will use to go through every room in your home. They will look for every possible way that your home may be losing or wasting energy. The results of an audit may ultimately help you lower your utility bills by as much as 5 to 30 percent. The Home Energy Audit Info-graphic outlines exactly what a home energy audit involves and what it is designed to do for you, according to Energy.gov. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) will help you see state programs to help you make your house more energy-efficient. You will find information about getting help to have a professional home energy audit. Residential Energy Services Network helps people find qualified professionals in your area to do a home energy audit or you can have a Home Energy Survey (HES) Rater do an energy-efficiency analysis, comparing your home to other homes. One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to lower cooling costs is by adding attractive window treatments. Just Blinds encourages homeowners and renters to think of blinds as more than mere window covers. By choosing the proper shades or blinds, you benefit from their dual function — giving you privacy and keeping cool air in. Solar shades are especially effective for blocking heat during the summer, helping you reduce cooling costs without sacrificing appearance. Cellular shades give you the beauty of honeycomb, single or double cell shades with insulating, sound absorbing and light blocking features in one product. Consider replacing your heating and cooling system with more efficient Energy Star rated products. Products that bare the seal undergo stringent government testing to prove that they are much more energy efficient. Overall, these products save you money on your utility bills, while allowing you to decrease your overall carbon foot print, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Energy Star Heating and Cooling Guide will give you specific advice on ways you can decrease your energy use to lower utility costs. If you live in a home where the cost of installing duct work for a new heating and cooling system may not be as cost effective as alternatives, consider going with Energy Star rated ductless heating and cooling. You get the benefit of a more energy-efficient heating and cooling system, greater comfort control, and a potential annual savings of about 30%. If you spend $1000 a year on heating and cooling alone, a system like this could save you $300. Geo-Thermal heating and cooling offers even greater energy-efficiency, and newer technology incorporates water-to-water features by using in-home refrigerant to water-heat exchangers. The greatest benefit of energy-star rated Geo-thermal heating and cooling is the 45 percent increased energy-efficiency over older models. By replacing your home’s older, energy-guzzling heating and cooling systems with new energy star rated systems, you get the advantage of tax break incentives, and of course, the long-term monetary savings on your utility bills. About the author: Carl Romito Carl shares his insight on auto, life and home insurance after spending more than a decade in the industry.

God could have created sufficient light to make Day constant and universal, but he chose not to do so. He left some darkness, reducing it by half at least. He had plans for the remainder. He made it serve his system that he imposed upon the darkened, deluged earth of verse two. Why? Scripture, as Genesis bears out chapter three, will tell us. Before we turn to his making use of darkness in a special way, redemptively (used in regard to the process and the final result, not in regard to the evil that arose from the choices of free moral agents and a certain tempter), we see in verses six and seven that God created a "firmament" or atmosphere, dividing the waters that enchained the world, and made a lower waters and an upper waters through this division. This makes little sense, perhaps, to human conception, but this is what God did. An atmosphere, clearly, was necessary to a restored earth--that we can see. Also, it demonstrated God's power over the waters as well. Where before they enchained the world, now they were broken in power and divided by a layer of atmosphere, or "firmament". This firmament God called "heaven." Meanwhile, the system of Day and Night still operated upon the earth and its new firmament, while the waters now were divided, with the lower waters lying, presmably, upon the earth, and the others lying above the firmament. As for the earth, with perhaps half the waters, if not gone, at least diminished in depth considerably. For, verse nine, "God said, Let the waters under the heaven (firmament: atmosphere) be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so." God not only subdued the waters, but separated them, and then went on to further containment and use of them. Now waters were a form of destruction and disaster (and, clearly, evil). Yet God demonstrated in these verses just how he could make them useful (and even productive) servants. From uncontrolled monster-forces he turned the waters into obedient servants, just as he made the darkness, in part and in whole, subservient to Him in preceding verses. "Exodus: Types of Christ in Moses, the Tabernacle, and the Passover Lamb," by Ronald Ginther (c) 2006, Butterfly Productions, All Rights Reserved

- Love This - Yahoo Mail - Facebook Messenger - Copy Link Cancer is a general term that refers to diseases caused by the abnormal multiplication of body cells. This leads to the formation of a tumor, which is a mass that consists of abnormal cells. These tumours can affect the functioning of the immune system and cause impairment of the body’s affected area due to swelling. Let’s take a closer look… Types of Tumours There are two types of tumours: benign and malignant. Benign tumours are non-cancerous tumours.Benign tumours grow for a number of different reasons. With any tumour, go see your doctor right away for a diagnosis. Malignant tumours are cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. Cancer is a mortal disease that affects millions every year. We also have premalignant tumours that are not cancerous but can become cancerous in the future. You will learn about the several types of cancer, diagnosis, and multiple treatments available to cancer patients in the below article. Types of Cancer Cancers are named depending on the part of the body where they develop. Below mentioned are the most common types of cancer. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide. It’s a type of cancer that affects the breasts. It affects both women & men but is mostly diagnosed in women. According to Breast Cancer Network Australia, breast cancer affects approximately 55 people every day in Australia as per the 2020 statistics and projections. There has been a high survival rate among breast cancer patients over the past five years. Early diagnosis plays a huge part in the treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer usually appears as a new lump in the breast area, armpit, or collar bone. The inflammation may be painless in some instances. Skin cancer can be classified into melanoma & non-melanoma. It’s the most diagnosed type of cancer in Australia every year. Skin cancer is caused by exposure to UV rays, which causes the skin cells to multiply excessively. UV rays are essentially produced by the sun. It can also be artificially created by solariums, which are now banned in Australia. It is important to apply sunscreen before basking in the sun. Lung cancer is caused by the growth and multiplication of abnormal cells in the lungs leading to the formation of a tumour that can be cancerous. You are likely to have a persistent cough or pain as some of the early symptoms of lung cancer. Symptoms might vary from patient to patient, and it is advisable that you visit a cancer doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. Tobacco smokers are the highest victims of lung cancer. However, you can develop lung cancer from inhaling second-hand smoke, genetic mutation, or inhalation of toxic dust such as asbestos. Other common types of cancer include: - Cervical cancer - Colon Cancer Treatments for Cancer According to the type of cancer & the location in the body, your oncologist may recommend one of the following forms of treatment. Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses medication to target the cancerous cells hence shrinking the cell. Chemotherapy is, however, known to have severe side effects such as drastic weight loss, loss of hair, and pale skin. Hormone therapy is a type of treatment that aims to alter the way hormones work. This is mostly used on breast cancer and prostate cancer patients as hormones play a significant role in these types of cancer. As the name suggests, radiotherapy involves the use of radiation in high doses to kill cancerous cells. Radiation can be used to shrink a tumour. Other common treatments of cancer include: Other treatments include precision medicine, immunotherapy, surgery, and stem cell transplant. Cancer diagnosis can be scary, however, don’t let this stop you from living life. Thanks to many advancements in the field of cancer treatment and additional research being performed across the globe, the outlook isn’t always a death sentence. Keep that in mind. If you have a tumour, be sure to visit your doctor right away to get a proper diagnosis. The sooner you figure out what you’ve got, the sooner you can take an appropriate course of action, whether your tumour is benign or malignant.

NGC 6801 - Spiral Galaxy in Cygnus NGC 6801 is a Spiral Galaxy in the Cygnus constellation. NGC 6801 is situated north of the celestial equator and, as such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere. NGC 6801 is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom . See also NGC 6801 rise and set times. Given its B magnitude of 14.8, NGC 6801 is visible with the help of a telescope having an aperture of 20 inches (500mm) or more. Photometric information of NGC 6801 The following table lists the magnitude of NGC 6801 in different bands of the electomagnetic spectrum (when available), from the B band (445nm wavelength, corresponding to the Blue color), to the V band ( 551nm wavelength, corresponding to Green/Yellow color), to the J, H, K bands (corresponding to 1220nm, 1630nm, 2190nm wavelengths respectively, which are colors not visible to the human eye). For more information about photometry in astronomy, check the photometric system article on Wikipedia. The surface brightess reported below is an indication of the brightness per unit of angular area of NGC 6801. Apparent size of NGC 6801The following table reports NGC 6801 apparent angular size. The green area displayed on top of the DSS2 image of NGC 6801 is a visual representation of it. Digitized Sky Survey image of NGC 6801 The image below is a photograph of NGC 6801 from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2 - see the credits section) taken in the red channel. The area of sky represented in the image is 0.5x0.5 degrees (30x30 arcmins). NGC 6801 - Spiral Galaxy in Cygnus morphological classification NGC 6801 - Spiral Galaxy in Cygnus is classified as Spiral (SAc) according to the Hubble and de Vaucouleurs galaxy morphological classification. The diagram below shows a visual representation of the position of NGC 6801 - Spiral Galaxy in Cygnus in the Hubble de Vaucouleurs sequence. Credits for the background image: Antonio Ciccolella / M. De Leo / CC BY Celestial coordinates and finder chart of NGC 6801 Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox of NGC 6801 are provided in the following table: The simplified sky charts below show the position of NGC 6801 in the sky. The first chart has a field of view of 60° while the second one has a field of view of 10°. Rise ans set times of NGC 6801 from your location Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E NGC 6801 - Spiral Galaxy in Cygnus is circumpolar and transits at 02:10 UTC (altitude: 87.1°)

Although not spending as much time in our wonderful library with #bestteachingpartnerever, the use of literature to inspire and motivate students to ‘have a go’ at technology activities is still #1 in my eyes! Following on from previous posts on Books to Inspire Creating with Technology, Technology Themed Picture Books, Bringing Books to Life with AR, Books to Inspire Coding & Robotics, Books for Coding and Books for a Makerspace It is time to add more recent titles: Hello Ruby Series The first book in the series on Coding was a huge hit with my younger students a few years back. The new books are now giving support to teachers with some fun activities to do from the books and the website. Plenty of practical and hands-on activities. Hello Ruby: Journey inside a Computer What exactly is a computer? How does it work? What is it made of? In Ruby’s world anything is possible if you put your mind to it…..even fixing her dad’s broken computer! Ruby, with her friends, journey through the insides of a computer in search of the missing cursor. From bits and logic gates to computer hardware, Ruby and readers will learn the basic elements of the machines that power our world. Hello Ruby: Expedition to the Internet. What exactly is the Internet? Is it a cloud? A network of wires? How does the information travel online? Building the internet out of snow Ruby knows you need to understand how things work and so the story is a quest to build the most amazing Snow Internet ever, by learning real life facts in doing so! Nick and Tesla’s Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove: A Mystery with a Blinking, Beeping, Voice-Recording Gadget Glove You Can Build Yourself Einstein is running amok! Darwin is losing his head! The science museum in Half Moon Bay is in big trouble because its robotic replicas of history’s greatest scientists keep going kablooey! As 11-year-old amateur inventors Nick and Tesla Holt try to uncover the cause, they’ll need to keep adding all-new gadgets to their latest creation, a customized super-cyborg glove. Follow the action, and then follow the illustrated instructions to build your own gadget glove with four incredible functions: LED signal light, emergency alarm, sound recorder, and UV secret-message revealer! Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles and catastrophes. After all, engineering is all about perseverance! But this time, Rosie has a really important project to tackle—one that feels much bigger than herself.Rosie’s beloved Aunt Rose and her friends, the Raucous Riveters—a group of fun-loving gals who built airplanes during World War II—need help inventing something new. And Rosie is just the engineer for the job! After one flop . . . then another . . . and another . . . Rosie starts to lose hope. But thanks to some help from her fellow Questioneers Iggy Peck and Ada Twist, Rosie gets the job done. And, along with the Riveters, she rediscovers the meaning of home. Secret Coders: Monsters & Modules From graphic novel superstar (and former computer programming teacher) and bestselling author Gene Luen Yang, Secret Coders: Monsters & Modules is the sixth and final volume in a wildly entertaining series that combines logic puzzles and basic coding instruction with a page-turning mystery plot! The Coders always knew their programming skills would take them far, but they never guessed they would take them to another dimension! Or to be accurate, one dimension less—to save humanity, Hopper, Eni, and Josh must travel to Flatland, a dangerous two-dimensional world ruled by polygons. If they can return home safely with a turtle of light, they might just stand a chance in their final showdown with Dr. One-Zero! Rubber Band Engineer Lance Akiyama has written a number of books to engage ‘makers’ in engineering activities. Lance is the Science Curriculum Manager for Galileo Learning (STEAM camps for Pre-K to 8th grade), for which he designs STEAM-based lessons and projects for K-8 students. He has been developing hands-on engineering projects for kids since 2011. This book has 10 projects which would suit upper primary and lower secondary students! Plenty of ideas and instructions. Rubber Band Engineer by Lance Akiyama is a step-by-step guide that will teach readers to create their very own rubber band launchers and gadgets. With suggestions for alternative designs and materials, creativity is encouraged. Make 10 projects that fly, shoot far, fly high and deliver amazing results using rubber bands, paper clips and paddle pop sticks. Engineering: The Riveting World of Buildings and Machines How does a 3D printer work? What stops a skyscraper from falling over? Where does a smart phone store information? Welcome to the world of engineering! Discover how the familiar machines and buildings in today’s world are constructed, and how they function. How do scientists choose the right materials for the right job? Which scientific principles lie behind each machine or structure? After spending a term working with Year 7 students on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, I loved some of the books to get the discussions going! Artificial Intelligence for Kids (Toddlers) What is artificial, and what is intelligence? From the Tinker Toddlers series, Artificial Intelligence for Kids is a great way to introduce basic concepts about the meaning of intelligence and also the different types of artificial intelligence. The vibrant, beautiful, and visually stimulating illustrations with easy to understand text encourage the child’s sense of wonder and curiosity, with follow up activities. How can engineers teach a robot to think? Will machines ever be smarter than humans? With simple text, diagrams, comic strip stories and stunning photographs, this introduction to AI uncovers how intelligent machines can explore space, play games, create works of art, help surgeons and the armed forces, and lots more. Perfect for reluctant readers. Artificial Intelligence for Kids To help kids get up to speed, Michael Milford said the earlier they get started, the better. He has aimed his guide at a primary school audience, although he has also received positive comments from older readers. His book is a kid-friendly book to spark early interest and understanding of the concepts, My Cell Phone Can Think This book is a perfect introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) for children. Preparing children for a future where AI controls all devices—and even buses and cars. From voice assistants to self-driving vehicles, AI is showing up everywhere. As AI applications expand to more fields, it is becoming more and more important for children to know about this innovation. “My Cell Phone Can Think: A Textbook on Artificial Intelligence” is a fun-to-read book on AI. “My Cell Phone Can Think” is not just another AI introduction book. Rather, it is designed for children to use as a textbook. In addition to many full colour pictures and anecdotes, the book contains history, technical information, and Q&A sections. There are so many wonderful books being published to promote and engage students with technology……there will have to be another post!! 🙂 You could definitely see your expertise within the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. All the time follow your heart.

Battles always beget consequences. The Battle of Ball’s Bluff was a small battle by Civil War standards. Yet this devastating defeat for the Union affected the conduct of the war for years to follow. A visit to Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park in Leesburg, Virginia helps clarify how inexperience, miscommunication and a lack of planning all contributed to the Union defeat. At the same time, the natural setting adjacent to the Potomac River offers beautiful views and is a popular site for local residents to walk their dogs and explore nature. Today, the NOVA Parks (formerly the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) maintains much of the battlefield. Ongoing efforts have restored the land to a resemblance of its wartime appearance as an open meadow surrounded by woodlands atop a shale and sandstone bluff, some 100 feet above the Potomac River. The location is notable too as the site of the third smallest national cemetery in the United States. Leesburg, Virginia, the county seat of Loudoun County, is a vibrant community with a historic downtown surrounded by residential districts. As an exurb of Washington, DC, the town’s population has grown steadily over the past several decades. When the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority first acquired the battlefield land outside the cemetery in 1986, it likely preserved the land from the development that has enveloped much of Northern Virginia. Through the years, adding adjoining parcels brought the current park area to over 200 acres. In 1861, as it is today, Leesburg was an important crossroads. The Confederates garrisoned a brigade at Leesburg commanded by Colonel Nathan “Shanks” Evans – a hero of the First Battle of Manassas. On October 17, 1862, Colonel Evans completed an unexpected withdrawal from Leesburg. His departure caught the attention of the overall Union commander, Major General George McClellan. However, word of his brigade’s return several days later did not reach McClellan. Brigadier General Charles P. Stone -Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Civil War Photographs On October 20, 1861, McClellan ordered Brigadier General Charles P. Stone to verify if rebel troops were still in Leesburg. McClellan suggested a “slight demonstration” by Stone’s men might determine if the Confederates had returned. Stone ordered artillery fire and an infantry patrol, but there was no sign of Confederate troops. Finally, around dusk, he sent a detail of about 20 soldiers from the 15th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment across the river to establish if there was indeed a rebel presence in Leesburg. Leading the effort was a newly commissioned officer, Captain Chase Philbrick. Captain Philbrick used three small boats to cross the rain-swollen Potomac River below Ball’s Bluff. Once on shore, he led his men up a steep, narrow trail to the top of the bluff. Marching about a mile through the darkness, Philbrick saw a row of trees he thought to be a confederate camp. Without further confirming his suspicions, the patrol returned across the river and relayed a report of an enemy encampment to General Stone. This incorrect report would precipitate the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. The Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Park is accessed on the aptly named Ball’s Bluff Road, which quickly transforms from a neighborhood street to a gravel road as it enters a wooded area. The Battlefield Park sign is assurance you are indeed in the right location. Ball’s Bluff Road continues through the woods and terminates at the parking area. An orientation station adjacent to the parking lot provides a seating area and signage to familiarize the visitor with the early days of the Civil War, period life in Loudoun County and details on the origins of the battle. From the orientation station an old road known as the Cart Path leads through the woods and into the open meadow towards the cemetery. This Cart Path was likely the route Captain Philbrick’s patrol took in search of the rebel camp. It is not hard to imagine what these soldiers could have felt as they made their way through the Virginia darkness. Being far from home, only recently in uniform and now in Confederate territory, it probably seemed rebel soldiers were behind every tree. The Cart Path is only one of seven different trails that lace through the park. The main Battlefield Interpretive Trail is a .8 mile loop that circumvents the open field and provides access to principal historical features found in the park. Access the Interpretive Trail where it intersects the Cart Path at the entrance to the open meadow. Abundant signage along the trail provides background on the leaders and units who engaged at Ball’s Bluff. As the trail approaches the edge of the bluff, it passes an overlook with vistas (depending on the foliage) over the river and into Maryland. From the overlook, a water tower in the distance marks Poolesville, Maryland where General Stone had his division headquarters. During the battle, Stone moved much closer to the river, but he would never have timely information on what was happening on Ball’s Bluff. The Interpretive Trail then leads down to river’s shore. The climb down to (and back up from) the river can be a bit strenuous. Sturdy shoes are essential, but the trek is well worth it. At the river’s edge, the geographic challenge and its ramifications for the Union Army at Ball’s Bluff becomes quite apparent. Harrison’s Island, viewed from the shore below Ball’s Bluff. About 80 yards from the Virginia shoreline is Harrison’s Island. The island served as a staging area for Union forces moving to Ball’s Bluff. Union forces crossing the river here needed to rely on boats. Unfortunately for the Union, a courier’s inaccurate report to a battalion commander led to the use of the Harrison Island crossing rather than more shallow fording areas in the vicinity. Since the amphibious river crossing was unplanned, boats were in very short supply. Additionally, the Potomac River has swift moving currents not always visible on the surface adding difficulty to any river crossing. After receiving Captain Philbrick’s report of an enemy camp, Stone ordered Colonel Charles Devens to prepare a raiding party. Devens and approximately 300 men from his 15th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment crossed the Potomac River early on the morning of October 21st. At about 6:00 AM, Devens’ soldiers completed their river crossing and began climbing the same steep and narrow path as the Interpretive Trail up to Ball’s Bluff. They marched to the supposed camp location but soon discovered no rebel camp existed. While awaiting further direction, they encountered a Confederate patrol around 8:00 AM and the battle was soon underway. Skirmishing between Union and Confederate units continued through the morning. Colonel (and U.S. Senator) Edward Baker -Photograph ca 1861 by E. & H.T. Anthony Throughout the afternoon, troops deployed in a rather disjointed fashion, further hindered by delayed and sometimes confused communications. The limited number of available boats and the narrow trail up and down the cliff also limited the movement of the Union soldiers. Returning onto Ball’s Bluff, the trail winds away from the cliff’s edge and into the meadow. It passes a memorial marker to Colonel Edward Baker. After the initial reports of combat, General Stone selected Colonel Baker to take command of the Union forces engaged on Ball’s Bluff between 9:00 and 10:00 AM. Baker seemed a natural choice. He was a longtime friend of President Lincoln and a sitting United States Senator from Oregon. He had served in the Black Hawk War and commanded at the Brigade/Regiment level during the Mexican-American War. He also raised a volunteer regiment for Union service. However, it would take Baker over four hours to make his way to Ball’s Bluff as he set about procuring additional boats to support the river crossing. Once on Ball’s Bluff, Baker displayed great nerve under fire. However, his maneuver plan failed to suppress the enemy and opportunities to take the initiative during the fight were lost. Baker was killed by enemy fire at about 5:00 PM. The marker denoting the death of Colonel Edward Baker at Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park. As evening was drawing in, Confederate units began surrounding the Union troops who were caught with their backs to the cliff. There were several attempts to break through the rebel lines towards the south, where the river crossing would be simpler, but they were unsuccessful. Union troops began withdrawing down the cliff en masse. Several units valiantly slowed the Confederate advance, but the withdrawal became a rout. Panicked soldiers ran down the cliff. Some surrendered, others jumped into overcrowded boats or directly into the water. Rebels pursued the Union soldiers to the cliff’s edge keeping them under fire. Boats capsized and many Union soldiers drowned. The swift river currents carried the deceased away, some even beyond Washington to Mount Vernon. Union losses at Ball’s Bluff were considerable: 223 soldiers were killed and 226 wounded. An additional 553 were captured or missing. Confederate losses were notably less, at about 36 men killed, 264 wounded and 2 missing. Numerous accounts of the Union defeat at Ball’s Bluff were carried in newspapers across the North and the South. The coverage was extensive given Leesburg’s proximity to Washington and its occurrence only 90 days after the defeat at Manassas. The stinging defeat and high number of casualties, including the very popular Senator Baker, led to Congressmen and Senators forming the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War to investigate several Union Army defeats, including Ball’s Bluff. After several hearings, the committee identified General Stone responsible for the loss. He was suspected of disloyalty and arrested. He was imprisoned without a trial and held for 189 days. Stone’s ordeal was a warning to other Union generals, who then became overly cautious in their decision making and planning of combat operations. After the battle, Confederate troops removed their dead to Leesburg. A Union burial detail temporarily interred Union remains in a mass grave on the battlefield. Both sides returned many identified remains to their hometowns for burial. After four years, the U.S. Army established a national cemetery on Ball’s Bluff and buried the last 54 remains still interred on the battlefield. Within the cemetery’s stone wall, 25 markers are arrayed around a flagpole. Only one soldier is identified, Private James Allen of the 15th Massachusetts. Gravestones surrounding the flag pole at the Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery Today, Ball’s Bluff Battlefield is a National Historic Landmark. NOVA Parks strives to maintain the park as a natural setting, while at the same time providing the visitor with the means to understand the tragic events of the battle, their causes and their consequences. That work goes beyond the park’s signs, monuments and markers. A NOVA Parks sponsored organization, the Friends of Ball’s Bluff, provides volunteer guides to lead tours of the battlefield on weekends from April until November. Each year around the battle’s anniversary, the park hosts a heritage day with re-enactors and living history displays. An annual dinner recognizes the efforts of the Friends of Ball’s Bluff and their commitment to the park while raising funds for park restoration work. There are many Civil War historical sites throughout the Washington DC area. However, in a short visit of only a few hours, Ball’s Bluff’s excellent conversation and interpretation of the battle provides valuable insights for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the American Civil War. Coupled with other historical and cultural attractions in Loudoun County, a visit is well worth the time on anyone’s travel itinerary. Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park is located on Ball’s Bluff Road in Leesburg, Virginia. Please note there is no visitor center, restrooms or trashcans at Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Park. Find more information about the park, park activities, hiking trails and the Friends of Ball’s Bluff at the NOVA Parks Website. Command Reading List These three resources provide extensive background on the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. A Little Short of Boats; The Battles of Ball’s Bluff & Edwards Ferry – By James A. Morgan III James Morgan was a local resident and volunteer guide at Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Park. His book examines McClellan’s strategy regarding Leesburg, the unique personalities among the leaders involved and the unintended consequences of many of the command decisions. Battle at Ball’s Bluff – By Kim Bernard Holien This book uses extensive historical resources and first person accounts to describe the battle. Published in 1985, it describes the rugged condition of the battlefield before the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority assumed control of the land. U.S. Army Staff Ride Guide, Battle of Ball’s Bluff – By Ted Ballard The U.S. Army’s official staff ride guide provides an extensive account of the battle, leaders, and decision making, with an emphasis on the lessons learned in small unit actions, tactical planning and leadership.

Facial recognition technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in various aspects of daily life, and airports are no exception. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now testing facial recognition technology at 16 major airports across the country, stirring up controversy and raising questions about its implications for civil liberties, privacy rights, and efficacy in improving airport security. Advocates of the technology argue that it has the potential to enhance security measures and streamline the screening process for passengers. However, critics raise concerns about potential bias in the technology, as well as the management and protection of personal data collected by the system. The TSA maintains that the program is voluntary, but this has done little to quell the apprehension surrounding it. As facial recognition technology continues to advance and its implementation becomes more widespread, it is crucial to strike a balance between improving security and preserving the rights and privacy of individuals. The outcomes of the TSA’s tests at these airports will undoubtedly influence future policies and the adoption of this technology within the transportation industry and beyond. TSA’s Facial Recognition Technology for Air Travel Explained The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) use of facial recognition technology is currently being tested in airports across the United States, sparking controversy and raising concerns about privacy and security. In this section, we’ll explore how the technology works and how it is being used in airports, why the program was created, and provide more information about the TSA’s facial recognition technology. How the Technology Works and Is Used in Airports Facial recognition technology utilizes advanced algorithms to identify a person by analyzing their facial features. Camera systems in airports are designed to capture images of travelers’ faces, which are then compared to their identification documents, such as passports, to verify their identities. The technology is being tested in locations such as Dallas, Los Angeles, and Orlando, among others (source). Although the use of facial recognition technology is voluntary, travelers can opt out by notifying the TSA officer at the security checkpoint. As the technology becomes more prevalent, the TSA aims to increase efficiency in screening and improve security measures. Airports using it: |Participating Airport’s Code||Airport Name| |ATL||Hartsfield International Airport| |BNA||Nashville International Airport| |BOS||Boston Logan International Airport| |CID||Cedar Rapids airport| |CVG||Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport| |DCA||Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport| |DEN||Denver International Airport| |DFW||Dallas Fort Worth International Airport| |DTW||Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport| |GPT||Gulfport Biloxi International Airport| |HNL||Daniel K. Inouye International Airport| |JAN||Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport| |LAS||Harry Reid International Airport| |LAX||Los Angeles International Airport| |MCO||Orlando International Airport| |MIA||Miami International Airport| |MSY||Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport| |OKC||Will Rogers World Airport| |PHX||Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport| |RIC||Richmond International Airport| |SFO||San Francisco International Airport| |SJC||San José Mineta International Airport| |SLC||Salt Lake City International Airport| |SJU||Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport| |BWI||Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport| Why the Program Was Created The program was created in response to concerns about security and efficiency in airports. By utilizing facial recognition technology, the TSA aims to enhance identification processes, reduce human errors, and facilitate smoother operations. The technology is a part of the Department of Homeland Security’s broader efforts to implement biometric identity management capabilities. Information about TSA’s Facial Recognition Technology The TSA’s facial recognition technology has faced criticism from privacy advocates and civil liberties groups (source). Some concerns include potential biases in the algorithm due to gender, ethnicity, and age differences, as well as the collection and storage of sensitive biometric data. In response to such concerns, the TSA has reiterated that participation in the facial recognition program is voluntary, and the technology is implemented to enhance airport security and efficiency. As the technology continues to develop, it is expected that the TSA will work with stakeholders to address privacy concerns and ensure the responsible use of the facial recognition system. Worries about Privacy Invasion of Privacy Facial recognition technology has been raising concerns about the invasion of privacy for travelers at airports. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing facial recognition technology in 16 major airports across the United States, aiming to enhance security and improve efficiency. However, this technology has been criticized for potentially infringing on individuals’ right to privacy. Misuse of Data Another concern with facial recognition technology is the potential misuse of personal data. As airports increasingly use biometric surveillance, privacy rights and the safety of biometric data become significant issues. Racial and ethnic minorities, in particular, face the risk of negative consequences from inaccurately identifying their identities through facial recognition technology algorithms. Lack of Transparency and Accountability There’s also a lack of transparency and accountability surrounding the implementation of facial recognition technology by TSA and airport authorities. As reported by the Washington Post, experts have called for more transparency on how the technology works, the measures in place to protect individuals’ data, and how airports plan to address potential errors and inaccuracies. Legal issues surrounding facial recognition technology have also arisen, with critics arguing that it violates privacy rights and poses potential threats to civil liberties. A group of senators, including Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, expressed their concerns in a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske about the “alarming use of facial recognition technology” at American airports. What the TSA and Supporters Say in Response The TSA and supporters of facial recognition technology argue that it helps streamline airport security processes, ultimately making travel more convenient for passengers. They claim that the technology can speed up identity verification, reduce the need for human intervention in security checks, and even help prevent the spread of pandemic by minimizing physical contact during the screening process. What Critics and Concerned Parties Say However, critics argue that the benefits of facial recognition technology do not outweigh the privacy risks and potential civil rights issues. Organizations like the Electronic Privacy Information Center have raised concerns about the technology’s accuracy, particularly for individuals with darker skin, and the lack of transparency in how the technology is implemented. The potential misuse of personal data and the absence of clear legal guidelines surrounding facial recognition technology continue to fuel privacy concerns, making the TSA’s increased usage of this technology a controversial topic in airport security. Do You Have to Participate? The TSA’s decision to test facial recognition technology in 16 airports across the country has raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties. Critics argue that the technology is a risk to civil liberties and privacy rights, while the TSA claims it is a voluntary and accurate method for identifying passengers. One of the key issues revolves around the potential for bias in facial recognition technology. Some studies have shown that these systems can be less accurate for certain demographic groups, leading to potential discrimination or misidentification. Furthermore, proponents of privacy rights question the repercussions for passengers who choose to opt-out of this technology during their airport experience. Despite these concerns, the TSA maintains that the use of facial recognition technology is in the best interest of airport security. Testing in numerous airports across the nation is intended to assess its effectiveness in increasing the accuracy of passenger identification. The agency also emphasizes that participation in this pilot program is voluntary, providing passengers with the option to decline if they wish to do so. Navigating the balance between security measures and protecting individual privacy is a complex topic. As the facial recognition technology pilot program continues, it will be crucial to monitor its impact on both security and the rights of travelers. Only then can a final judgement be made on the role of facial recognition in our airports and transportation systems. 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Washing your hands is one of the best ways to avoid sickness and prevent the transmission of germs, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) virus. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and clean water can be a crucial defense against diseases that spread easily from person-to-person, and keep you, your loved ones, and the community healthy as a result. However, handwashing is only effective when done correctly and consistently. When Should You Wash Your Hands? Hands should be washed often. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following are key times when handwashing is especially important to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses: Before, during, and after food preparation Before eating food Before and after coming into contact with a sick person who has vomiting or has diarrhea Before and after treating a cut or wound After using the bathroom After changing a diaper After cleaning a child who has used the bathroom After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing After coming in contact with an animal, animal feed, or animal waste After touching pet food or pet treats After handling garbage If you don’t have immediate access to soap and water in these circumstances, you should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. How to Properly Wash Your Hands Turn on the Water: Clean, running water is more important than temperature. Turn on the water and get your hands wet. You can turn the water off or leave it running, depending on your preference. Turning it off saves water, but it will increase the number of times you touch the faucet, which will expose you to germs that are on the faucet handles. Lather Up: Soap is important. It helps lift the germs and microbes off your skin while you wash your hands and makes the whole process more effective. Studies have shown that it’s no better to use antibacterial soap than regular soap, and the overuse of triclosan, a commonly used ingredient in antibacterial soap, could actually contribute to antibiotic resistance. Scrub for at Least 20 Seconds: Most people don’t scrub their hands nearly long enough. Twenty seconds doesn’t sound like a long time but it is much longer than you would imagine. How do you make sure you are washing the proper amount of time? Sing the Happy Birthday song to yourself (or out loud) twice. Make sure you are completely covering your hands with soap and water. Scrub between your fingers, under your nails, all over your thumbs and up your wrists. There are germs all over your hands, not just on your palms and fingertips. Rinse the Soap (and Germs) Away: Rinsing is ultimately how you get the germs off of your hands, so it’s really the most important step. Again, it’s important to use clean running water. Dipping your hands in a stagnant pool of water (or even standing water in the sink) is not the same as rinsing the soap off with clean, running water. If all you have is a pool of water—for instance, you are outside and have no access to running water—it is better than nothing and certainly preferable to not washing your hands at all. Many people don’t realize that washing your hands doesn’t typically kill germs, it is simply the most effective way to get them off of your hands so you don’t spread them to yourself or others. Rinsing allows you to wash the germs and microbes away, drastically cutting down the chances that you will spread disease. Dry Your Hands: Using a paper or cloth hand towel, dry your hands completely. If you are using cloth hand towels, they should be washed frequently—especially if they are in a shared household where they could become contaminated easily. Turn Off the Water: If you want to save water, go ahead and turn the water off after you get your hands wet and then on and off again when you need to rinse them. According to the CDC, “While some recommendations include using a paper towel to turn off the faucet after hands have been rinsed, this practice leads to increased use of water and paper towels, and there are no studies to show that it improves health.” Use your best judgment here. You also might want to consider using your paper towel to open the bathroom door as you’re leaving if you’re using a public restroom.

(Impact) -459 KG CO2 P/Y (Author) Loudi Langelaan (Illustration) Jelle van Bouwhorst About 70 percent of Dutch households have a contract with so-called green energy. Yet sustainably generated energy remains below 10 percent. This puts the Netherlands at the very bottom of the EU rankings. Instead of the energy suppliers here having invested in generating renewable energy, they are buying certificates from Norway, where hydroelectric power plants have been supplying the country with green energy for decades. Yet Norwegian green energy is not being supplied to the Netherlands. In fact, in 2015 and 2016, there have been three large coal-fired power plants added here. These provide our power. And of the ‘sustainable’ energy that is generated in the Netherlands, the vast majority comes from the co-firing of (woody) biomass. On paper this is CO2-neutral, but experts say it causes deforestation, air pollution and CO2 emissions. It takes years for growing forests to absorb the amount of CO2 released by (wood) combustion. And then there’s gas. The other half of the energy bill. For the boiler and the stove. A big polluter and a huge issue due to shortage in our world. By taking gas from Russia, we’re actually investing in the war in Ukraine. Importing Lng from the United States is not environmentally friendly due to the high risks of methane leakage. The EU wants agreements to be made to reduce leakage, but that comes at the expense of speed. Even though stopping all contracts with Russia seems like the right thing to do, it would give Gazprom the power to resell their gas for higher prices. It’s hard to predict how these situations will develop. Hopefully green (hydrogen) gas, heat networks (from geothermal energy) and electric heat pumps will replace natural gas in the future, but that’s still a huge road ahead. Read here what you can do until then to save energy and gas. Computers, phones, the espresso machine, the refrigerator, the lights, the kettle, the heater. These are the energy consumers in the office. Which we really need after all. u-inc has moved to a new studio. A smaller space, so the heating can be used less. By turning the thermostat down a degree, from 19 to 18 degrees, we can save 6 percent of gas consumption on average. We can get used to wearing an extra sweater. Also taking out the plugs in the socket of appliances that we do not use. Secretly the ‘standby consumption’ of all those devices can really add up. To make it easy on ourselves, we put the computers we use during the day in a multiple socket and unplug them when we go home. We turn on the dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded and run the eco-program. Unfortunately it has energy label F, so maybe the landlord wants to replace it some time. The fridge has label A++, and the oven A+. We choose LED lighting and make sure that we never have any unnecessary lights on. The energy we do use, we want to use as green as possible. We switch from Green Choice to Pure Energie, which is at the top of the rankings of sustainable suppliers. The suppliers who score high are actively working on the transition to a sustainable energy supply: for example, they produce green energy themselves, and don’t buy it through shady certificates. Pure Energie develops sustainable energy projects in the Netherlands together with local energy cooperatives: 100 percent sun and wind, no biomass. Natural gas is ‘Co2-compensated’. This remains a tricky construction: money goes to a project to save CO2 elsewhere, and that ‘compensates’ emissions here. Net, of course, that still means emissions. Another modern addiction: electronics. To make our energy consumption as sustainable as possible, we do two things: we choose a green supplier, and we start saving energy. #rerere is our action program to rethink, repurpose and redesign our social and ecological footprint for the better. you can find all our #rereres here. We hope that it inspires you to take action. Because the only way to create a future that includes you plus new generations to come is when we all take action. #timeisup

A transistor is a device that directs current or voltage flow and goes about as a switch or gate for electronic signs. Transistor comprise of three layers of a semiconductor material, each equipped for carring a current. It was made by three specialists at the Bell Laboratories in 1947, and it immediately replaced the vacuum tube as an electronic sign regulator. A semiconductor manages current or voltage flow and goes about as a switch or gate for electronic signal. A transistor is made up of three layers of semiconductor material, each of which is capable of carrying current. A semiconductor is a material, for instance, germanium and silicon that behaviors power in a “semi-anxious” way. It’s some place near a certified course, for instance, copper and a defender (like the plastic collapsed over wires). The semiconductor material is given uncommon properties by a compound cycle called doping. The doping achieves a material that either adds extra electrons to the material (which is then called N-type for the extra negative charge carriers) or makes “holes” in the material’s valuable crystal structure (which is then called P-type since it achieves more certain charge carriers). The semiconductor’s three-layer structure contains a N-type semiconductor layer sandwiched between P-type layers (a PNP game plan) or a P-type layer between N-type layers (a NPN arrangement). A little change in the current or voltage at the internal semiconductor layer (which goes about as the control anode) delivers a huge, quick change in the current going through the whole part. The part would thus be able to go about as a switch, opening and shutting an electronic entryway frequently. The present PCs use hardware made with integral metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) innovation. CMOS utilizes two integral semiconductors for every door (one with N-type material; the other with P-type material). At the point when one semiconductor is keeping a rationale state, it requires practically no force. Semiconductors are the essential components in integrate circuits (IC), which comprise of exceptionally enormous quantities of transistor interconnected with hardware and prepared into a solitary silicon microchip. The primary business applications for semiconductors were for portable amplifiers and “pocket” radios during the 1950s. With their little size and low force utilization, semiconductors were alluring substitutes for the vacuum tubes (known as “valves” in Great Britain) at that point used to enhance powerless electrical signals and produce perceptible sounds. Semiconductors additionally started to supplant vacuum tubes in the oscillator circuits used to produce radio signs, particularly after specific constructions were created to deal with the higher frequencies and force levels included. Low-recurrence, high-power applications, for example, power-supply inverters that convert rotating current (AC) into direct current (DC), have likewise been transistorized. Some force semiconductors would now be able to deal with flows of many amperes at electric possibilities over 1,000 volts. By a wide margin the most well-known utilization of semiconductors today is for PC memory chips—including strong state interactive media stockpiling gadgets for electronic games, cameras, and MP3 players—and microchips, where a great many parts are implanted in a solitary incorporated circuit. Here the voltage applied to the door cathode, for the most part a couple of volts or less, decides if current can move from the semiconductor’s source to its channel. For this situation the semiconductor works as a switch: if a current streams, the circuit included is on, and if not, it is off. These two unmistakable states, the lone prospects in such a circuit, compare separately to the paired 1s and 0s utilized in computerized PCs. Comparative utilizations of semiconductors happen in the unpredictable exchanging circuits utilized all through current broadcast communications frameworks. The potential exchanging velocities of these semiconductors currently are many gigahertz, or in excess of 100 billion on-and-off cycles each second. see more about sensors

For guppy breeders, one question frequently asked is: Why do guppies give birth to dead fry? Well, to be fair – there are numerous reasons why your guppies are giving birth to a random dead fry. One main reason for the cause of death would be stress and I’ll tell you why. In this article about guppies giving birth to dead fry, I’ll be covering: - The basic information about guppies - Breeding your guppies - Learning how they breed - The reasons why they give birth to dead fry(s) Disclaimer: This guide may contain affiliate links, which means that I’ll earn a commission when you purchase from it. This won’t cost you anything. By purchasing from these affiliate links, the commission will help keep this blog running with free information. Basic Guppy Information Guppies are tropical freshwater fish, which are native to South America and belong to the Poeciliidae family. There are more than three hundred varieties of Guppies, and they come in various colors, shapes, and sizes. Did you know? 💡 Their name is derived from Robert John Lechmere Guppy, who found these fish in 1866 in Trinidad. Guppies are also known by a few other names such as “The Rainbowfish“, because of the variety of colors they are found in. These fish are also called “The Millions Fish” because of their fast breeding rate. Breeding Your Guppies Having a decorative glass provides a unique space for the guppies to give birth to their young ones and for the fry to hide in a safe area. Generally, the guppies breed a lot. They are not shy, and they produce with or without your input. There are various ways a fish can reproduce. Did you know? 💡 Guppies are ovoviviparous, which means that the females grow the baby fish inside their bodies in an egg. The egg sac is then used for nourishment by the baby fish. Once the fish is about three to five months, they are ready to start breeding as well. That’s how quick it is! There are a few telltale signs in them, such as: - Coloring: the males are much brighter and more vivid looking as compared to the females - Modification of the anal fin: there is a modified anal fin in males known as a gonopodium. It is narrower and longer than a female’s anal fin. Some of the species even have a pair of claws on the tip. - Size: the females are larger than the males. - Spot: Sometimes, the females have a gravid spot just behind the anal fin, which is a dark spot, and it gets darker during their pregnancy. Four Reasons: Guppies Giving Birth To A Dead Fry It is possible at times for you to notice that the fish has given birth to healthy and alive looking fish and after a few days give birth to a dead fry. This is common with the guppy and can be caused by a few possible reasons. It may be due to environmental stress, which could have caused it to abort the fry, or for the fry to have become stillborn. In such a case, it is best to check the water parameters and maybe add some medications in the water for the fish during her pregnancy term. Giving birth to a dead fry can also happen if the fish is being harassed by other male guppies or other fish in general who want to get more babies in. Moreover, there are other possible reasons, as well: Reason 1. The fish could have conceived the dead fry at the same time as the other fish, but they may not have been born right away because they had already died in the womb. There is usually more emphasis on the alive ones from the mother’s body and to give birth to them safely and then get rid of the dead ones. Reason 2. The other scenario could be that the fish may have conceived the dead fry later as compared to the alive ones. It might have been a near abortion or full-term or less than full-term abortion of the dead chip. It is possible that they were genetically defective or could have been some other problem as well. Reason 3. It is possible for the guppies to give safe birth to some fry and a few others the next day and so on. Usually, they give birth to all of them in one go, within a span of a few hours. Then the fish fertilizes more eggs and then is pregnant once again for about a month, and then gives birth again. Reason 4. Stress can also be one of the factors due to which a guppy can give birth to a dead fry. It also depends on the water quality as well as factors like social stress. Moreover, experts also believe that if the pregnant guppy was moved in the last week of her pregnancy, by holding it in a net, then this could have been a problem as well. Usually, a pregnant guppy is quite significant in size, and the holding net cannot hold the fish comfortably. If you do want to catch her, it is best to do so in a net and then keep it underwater and then move it in a cup, and it is better to do so in the early stages of her pregnancy. In case you would want to move the pregnant guppy to a “maternity tank” for a safer birth and to keep the newborn fry safe, then you should fill the tank with water, which is from the main tank so that there is no water chemistry stress. In fact, you can also add in proper salt to the water, which will be suitable for the fish and the fry. Thoughts on Guppies Guppies are peaceful and colorful fish and are ideal for beginners as well as for experienced fish keepers. They are available in a wide range of colors and make the perfect first time fish as they are appealing with their different shapes and sizes. It is essential to ensure that the water is always kept clean for them so that they are provided with a well-balanced diet to be happy and healthy in your tank. Usually, the process of breeding the guppies is quite a simple task, and many times you may experience the females giving birth to a dead fry as well as alive and healthy ones. The above reasons can help you prevent that in the future. If you enjoyed reading, “Why Do Guppies Give Birth To Dead Fry,” you might also like: - The Complete List of 163 Corydoras Species - What Can I Use Instead of Distilled Water For My Ecosystem? - Do Kuhli Loaches Eat Snails? - Do Shrimps Eat Poop? - How Many Shrimp Does It Take To Start a Colony? For resources, you can find communities and forums that I’ve compiled together into one list. If you enjoyed this article, don’t forget to comment and share to help support this blog! 🙂

Giáo án Tiếng Anh lớp 4: Short story: Cat and Mouse - 4 Giáo án môn Tiếng Anh lớp 4 Giáo án Tiếng Anh lớp 4: Short story: Cat and Mouse - 4 được VnDoc sưu tầm và giới thiệu để có thể chuẩn bị giáo án và bài giảng hiệu quả, giúp quý thầy cô tiết kiệm thời gian và công sức làm việc. Giáo án môn Tiếng Anh 4 này được soạn phù hợp quy định Bộ Giáo dục và nội dung súc tích giúp học sinh dễ dàng hiểu bài học hơn. Giáo án Tiếng Anh lớp 4 Unit 20: What are you going to do this summer - Lesson 3 Giáo án Tiếng Anh lớp 4 Unit 20: What are you going to do this summer - Lesson 4 Giáo án Tiếng Anh lớp 4: Review 4 - By the end of this lesson, students will be able to PRACTICE all the knowledge they have learn. Develop speaking, reading and writing skills. - Ss look after, solve problems and study themselves. - Studious and obedient students and love their friends. II. Teaching methods: - Communicative approach. - Techniques: Ask and answer (say individually);Work in pairs/ groups;Discuss. III. Teaching aids: - Teacher’s aids: student’s and teacher’s book, word cards, pictures, puppets. - Students’ aids: books, notebooks, workbooks. IV. Languages focus: Vocabulary: about Cat and Mouse Warm up: Chatting about what did people do. 1. Read and listen to story - Guide Ss to read the story. 2. Work in pairs. Put the words in the correct order. - Guide Ss to put the words in the correct order. - Check and correct. 3.Correct the wrong sentences (two are correct) - Guide Ss to correct the wrong sentences. - Offer the help when necessary. 4. Unscramble these words from conversation - Guide Ss to complete the words. - Ss look at the picture and read the story in individual. - Read the text and guess the words to replace the red words. - Ss look at the picture carefully & listen to the tape and correct the words. - Read in group (Ss role play among the class) . Others give comments - Ss do the task, write down the sentences independently. - Ss check each other their answers in pairs for correction. - 4-5 pairs read aloud the conversation. Others give comments. - Ss read the sentences and see if they are right or wrong and then correct the wrong ones. - Do the task independently. Then check each other for correction. - 4-5 Ss respond the answers. The rest of class give comments. - Ss unscramble in individual. - Some Ss to write on the board. The rest of class give comments. - Review all for the test

Following on from the analysis of urban well-being, the data on these pages shows the result of a new mapping exercise that covers the same 129 ‘extended metropolitan regions’ across the world, with a total population of 1.2 billion people, representing 35 per cent of the world’s urban population in 2010. From Cotonou in Benin, with just more than 1.5 million people, to the Tokyo metropolitan region, with more than 42 million inhabitants, our study both measures and illustrates density patterns in urban regions across all five continents, expanding LSE Cities’ longstanding interest in the links between physical and social form. Using Google Earth satellite imagery, we captured a ‘snapshot’ of where people live and estimated ‘net densities’ by systematically tracing the built-up area of each metropolitan region – including central zones, satellite towns and the peripheral areas (a detailed methodology can be found online). The fact that 23 million people in Manila occupy a space one eighth the size of the same number of New Yorkers, or that Atlanta in the USA is 25 times larger than Hong Kong with roughly the same population, says something about the capacity and resilience of urban form as well as physical and geographical constraints. Excerpt from a study by Antoine Paccoud, at LSECities. Continue HERE

Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by Tabraiz A workplace is a chaotic place. With so much going on, it’s easy to forget the hazards of working at any given time. A potential emergency can happen anytime, anywhere. Many types of emergencies can occur in a workplace, from minor ones like spilled coffee to major ones like a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Emergencies can disrupt work and cause costly property damage, injury, and loss of life. They can also hurt productivity, reduce morale, and even affect the company’s reputation, so it is essential to be prepared. Here are five common types of emergencies that can occur in your workplace. 1. Chemical Spills Chemical spills can happen in any workplace, even if your business deals with less hazardous materials. When a spill occurs, the first step is to stop the flow of any material by using absorbent towels or other absorbent material and then removing it immediately to prevent further damage. Notify your supervisor as soon as possible and get medical assistance if anyone has been exposed to the chemical. You should also stay calm, wear safety glasses, and wear eye protection if necessary. Storage areas for hazardous materials should be locked and identified. You should also have handy spill cleanup kits and all the required safety equipment. 2. Gas Leaks Air conditioning units, gas stoves, and refrigerators are just a few causes of natural gas leaks. Natural gas is odorless, making it difficult to detect when there is a leak. A small leak can lead to an explosion, while a larger one can result in death or severe injury. If you smell the distinct odor of natural gas, evacuate the area and call 911 immediately. For small leaks, turn off the gas at the main valve and open windows for ventilation. Do not attempt to use a portable gas detector if you suspect there is a major leak because it could cause an explosion. Temporary HVAC units should be installed in the building until the leak is fixed. 3. Electrical Shock Electricity has become necessary in many work environments, and electric shocks from nearby electric wires are not uncommon. The workplace should be equipped with the appropriate safety measures for electrical shorts, surprises, and burns. It is essential to realize that electrical injuries can occur in any workplace regardless of whether or not any work is being done on the equipment involved. Even if there is no electricity present, a worker can still get electrocuted by touching the live wires of an electric power source. Workers should know and follow the appropriate safety precautions when working with electrical equipment, especially those jobs requiring electric saws or drills. 4. Major Power Failures A power failure affecting an entire building or a particular department within a business will cripple operations. In the event of a power failure, you must be prepared to carry on as smoothly as possible without electricity. Depending on the size and scope of your organization, you should have plans for power outages. Organize employees, so they know what to do in the event of a power failure. If you have specific operations that require uninterrupted power, explore options such as generators or uninterruptible power systems. In case of a blackout, use flashlights and light sources that are not fire hazards to ensure employee safety. The darkness can also cause slips, trips, and falls. Try to keep employees focused until the power is restored. 5. Water Leaks Every year, millions of gallons of water are lost due to leaks in industrial buildings, computer rooms, and offices. Water damages can be caused by pipes bursting or storm damage, mechanical failure or malfunction, burst or frozen water lines, and even employee error. Depending on the amount of damage incurred, it may require you to replace expensive equipment, make severe repairs to the structure, and even call a restoration company to clean up the mess. Water leaking from pipes in walls can damage drywall, insulation, and ceiling panels that are not water-resistant. It increases your risk of mold growth, which could quickly spread to other parts of your building if not dealt with properly. Leaks also restrict airflow in your facility and increase the risk of fire. Emergencies in the workplace can be disruptive and costly. Some of these emergencies can cause injuries and even death if not handled correctly. Being well prepared for everyday emergencies can minimize injury and property damage and keep your company running smoothly during an emergency. Apart from this, if you want to know about Hybrid Office Party for Your Workplace then please visit our Business category

7+ Easy Ways How Do Credit Cards Calculate Interest. Some lending institutions may exclude holidays and weekends. Multiply that number with the amount of your. For example, if your account has a 25% apr, then your monthly percentage rate. How to calculate your monthly apr. $400 + $160 + $40 = $600. Interest = D * A * I * 12 / 365. This helps you get an idea of how much you’ll be charged so you can compare your various offers. Each month you carry a balance over from the previous month, you’ll have a finance charge added to your balance. For credit cards, the interest rate is calculated on a daily basis. This Is Known As The Periodic Interest Rate Or Daily Interest Rate. To avoid interest on credit cards, either pay the full statement balance by the due date every billing period or maintain a $0 balance by not charging any purchases to your credit card account.there is no revolving balance for a credit card's interest rate to apply to in either case. Imagine your credit card’s apr is 20%. Divide your current apr by 12 (for the twelve months of the year) to find your monthly periodic rate. Credit Card Companies Generally Advertise Interest Rates As An Annual Percentage Rate Or Apr. If the rate is 24%, the daily rate becomes 0.088%. If your credit card apr is 21%, your daily rate is 0.21/365 = 0.00058. Multiply your average daily charge ($600) by your dpr (.00054%) by the number of days in your billing cycle (30). If You Have A Balance Transfer Or Instalment Plan, The Interest Rate We Use Will Be Shown When You Apply. For example, if your account has a 25% apr, then your monthly percentage rate. So, you can discover your daily rate based on the apr advertised with your credit card. More specifically, it's impossible to owe interest without buying anything, and even a. To Calculate Your Credit Card Interest, Start By Dividing Your Annual Interest Rate (Apr) By 365, Or The Number Of Days In A Year, To Get Your Daily Periodic Rate (Dpr). The resulting figure represents the interest accrued in one day, which is then multiplied by the number of days in the billing period. Here's what you need to know about how credit card interest works. The number of monthly payments until your balance.

Sansevieria canaliculata Carrière Sansevieria pfennigii, Sansevieria schimperi, Sansevieria sulcata, Sansevieria sulcata Sansevieria canaliculata is a stemless succulent with cylindrical leaves that grow from underground rhizomes. The leaves are solitary or sometimes in a group of two, pale to dark green, erect or slightly curved, with 5 to 6 shallow longitudinal grooves and rounded rib-like spaces between them. They are up to 3 feet (90 cm) long and 0.8 inches (2 cm) in diameter. The inflorescence is simple, spike-like, and up to 6.4 inches (16 cm) long. Flowers are long, tubular, and white with a faint green tinge. USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11b: from 35 °F (+1.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C). How to Grow and Care Place Sansevierias in moderately bright or filtered light. Good locations include a spot in front of a north-facing window or front of a bright, sunny window covered by a sheer curtain. Although the plant tolerates low light, bright light brings out the colors in the leaves. However, intense light may cause the edges of the leaves to turn yellow. Allow the soil to dry completely before watering and then water deeply until water drips through the drainage hole. Allow the pot to drain, and then discard the water that remains in the saucer. Never let the soil become soggy, and never let the pot stand in water. Water sparingly throughout the winter. Like most succulent plants storing water in their leaves, Sansevieria rots quickly in excessively wet soil. Place Sansevieria in average room temperatures. Protect the plant from drafts and cold temperatures as it is damaged below 50 °F (10 °C). Feed the plant once every three weeks throughout the summer. Use a general-purpose fertilizer for houseplants diluted to one-half of the strength suggested on the container. Sansevieria is a light feeder, and too much fertilizer makes the leaves fall over. See more at How to Grow and Care for Sansevieria. This species is native to Madagascar. - Back to genus Sansevieria - Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus Click on a photo to see a larger version.

Solutions to Global Warming Argumentative Essay by Nicky Solutions to Global Warming An overview of current global warming issues and potential solutions. # 149234 | 1,987 words | 7 sources | MLA | 2011 | Published on Nov 30, 2011 in Hot Topics (Global Warming) $19.95 Buy and instantly download this paper now This paper examines how much of the controversy surrounding global warming (also known as climate change) revolves around whether humans are the cause of the current climate situation. It discusses how many scientists believe that global warming began at the start of the industrial revolution, when massive amounts of fossil fuels began to be emitted into the atmosphere, while others believe it is a natural occurrence that happens periodically throughout the Earth's long history. The paper argues that who is right or wrong remains to be seen and that the problem of global warming needs a solution, no matter the cause, because without a coherent solution, life on Earth only has so much more time. It also suggests potential solutions such as replacing coal plants with nuclear power plants and reducing CO 2 emissions. From the Paper:"First, it is important to define global warming and climate change. This is much more than a shift in temperatures, such as the rise in temperatures that occur each winter to spring. Instead, global warming is the phenomenon of a slowly rising temperature on Earth, which is leading to all kinds of climate changes, such as a gradual reduction of the global ice pack, warmer oceans, and climate abnormalities, such as more rain in some areas, less rain in others, and increased weather incidents, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. A weather expert notes, "So that's the signature of greenhouse warming: a disproportionate warming of dry air. And that signature appears to have begun in the early 1970s" (Michaels 14). Indeed, it is increasing faster than ever now, putting the Earth and its people at risk for slow extermination. Greenhouse gases (GHGs), like carbon dioxide and methane, are helping act as "insulation" for the planet, and they increase the temperature, and these gases have increased since the Industrial Revolution. " Sample of Sources Used: - Behreandt, Dennis. "Global Warming Too Hot or Not?" The New American 18 Sept. 2006: 10+. - Dolan, Edwin G. "Science, Public Policy, and Global Warming: Rethinking the Market-Liberal Position." The Cato Journal 26.3 (2006): 445+. - Hogue, Michael S. "Global Warming and Religious Stick Fighting." Cross Currents Spring 2007: 116+. - Jordan, Stuart. "The Global Warming Crisis." The Humanist Nov.-Dec. 2005: 23+. - Mank, Bradford. "Standing and Global Warming: Is Injury to All Injury to None?." Environmental Law 35.1 (2005): 1+. Cite this Argumentative Essay: Solutions to Global Warming (2011, November 30) Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/argumentative-essay/solutions-to-global-warming-149234/ "Solutions to Global Warming" 30 November 2011. Web. 10 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/argumentative-essay/solutions-to-global-warming-149234/>

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) What it is: The Environmental Product Declaration ® (EPD) is a report resulting from a life cycle assessment (LCA) based on standardized product category rules (PCR). An EPD is initiated by a product manufacturer, and documents the ways in which a product, throughout its lifecycle, affects the environment. The LCA informing an EPD details product information related to resource use, greenhouse gas and other emissions, waste generation, and other environmental impacts throughout the product’s life cycle. EPDs may also include other environmental data, including information about the company’s overall work in the environment and social responsibility, or on product development. Application to practice: EPDs provide a window into the environmental impacts of a product, allowing consumers and designers the opportunity to reference these factors when selecting materials. Utilizing products with EPDs can help to meet requirements of certain building performance certifications, such as LEED v4. EPDs also contribute data for professionals to calculate a whole-building LCA. Understanding how that material contributes to the building’s carbon footprint can help architects and designers evaluate the impacts of a single material and relevant alternatives. AIA offers a Guide to Building Life Cycle Assessment in Practice to help practitioner through the process. The Carbon Leadership Forum will publish their own whole-building LCA guide in early 2018. An EPD is an important disclosure document. AIA’s white paper on materials risk recommends that practitioners reference disclosure documents, but that they refrain from interpreting them without the guidance of an expert. Designers should either consult with a materials science professional to evaluate the information, reference guidance to meet standards included in the Applicable Certifications section below, or qualify products based on whether they do, or do not, offer an EPD. Governing organization: LCAs are performed by expert LCA Practitioners. EPD Program Operators verify the LCA and produce the EPD document. There are multiple EPD program operators, all of whom must operate in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14025 standards. A good starting place to identify North American program operators and EPDs is the Program Operator's Consortium. Standards used: ISO 14025 for a Type III EPD Verification levels and availability: Details publicly available for: - First-party verifications, or claims made by the manufacturer: Companies compile the information for an EPD themselves, or can work with independent expert consultants. - Second-party verifications, in which the party has a financial interest in the transaction: Not applicable to EPDs. - Third-party verifications, or an independent assessment that specific requirements have been met: Before registration and publication by the International EPD System, EPDs must be verified by either an accredited certification body or a recognized individual verifier. Product CSI division and types: EPDs are applicable to all product CSI divisions and types, though a product category rule (PCR), which sets standards for the life cycle assessments and EPD requirements for a defined category of products, must exist before an EPD can be developed. PCRs allow for review and comparison of different environmental product attributes among products in a defined category. They define the parameters for conducting a life cycle assessment for a product group and include requirements for the resulting report, the EPD. Costs: Costs involve performing the life cycle analysis (LCA) for the product, compiling data into the EPD format, and verification of the data. Scope: Limited to the product level, and to information related to environmental impacts. - Applicable to: LEED v4, BREEAM, Green Globes. EPDs can also contribute to LBC indirectly by informing embodied carbon calculations - Not Applicable to: WELL, LEED 2009 Building Green’s EPD FAQ article provides insight into common questions on the reporting format. The International EPD System provides information on using EPDs, how they are compiled, and resources, such as directories of LCA consultants and independent verifiers. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sponsored an independently conducted examination of EPDs and other environmental transparency programs.

The history of the region starts in the 9th century when Norse Viking Helgi magri (Helgi the lean) and his wife, Þórunn hyrna, settled there. The name Akureyri isn’t mentioned until several hundred years later, in 1562. Akureyri started developing in the 16th century when Danish merchants established a summer trading post. At the time, Icelandic law practically forbade urban living, requiring people to make their living farming their own land or work for someone else. Therefore, merchants were not permitted to live in Akureyri year-round until 1778. A few years later, Akureyri was recognised as an official marketplace, along with a handful of other burgeoning towns in the country, marking the beginning of urban development. Still, Akureyri had a rocky start and didn’t start to blossom until the mid-19th century. Since then, Akureyri has become a vital hub of commerce, production, arts, culture, and education in North Iceland. The town has produced poets and artists, politicians, and businesspeople who have put their stamp on Iceland as it transformed from a Danish colony to a prosperous independent nation. Akureyri’s history is embedded in the town itself. From the charming houses of the oldest neighbourhood, through the more modern centre to its more recently developed north side, Akureyri’s architecture showcases the different periods of its development. If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Akureyri, a trip to Akureyri Museum is a must. The homes of notable local poets from different periods have been preserved, so you can visit the house of poet Davíð Stefánsson or that of children’s author Jón Sveinsson, known as Nonni, the author of several autobiographical books about growing up in Akureyri. Finally, taking a historical walk through the town centre and the oldest part of town is a great way to get to know the spirit of Akureyri. Last updated: 8 May 2023.

Why Gender Equity Women face historical and social disadvantages that can affect almost every aspect of their lives from educational and economic opportunities to health outcomes. This systemic gender bias goes beyond outright discrimination and includes stereotypes, assumptions, and expectations that prevent women from living and working in the world on a level playing field with men. Gender inequity affects all of us; when women face unequal opportunities and outcomes, it negatively impacts our children, our families, and our economy. To achieve gender equity, we must also acknowledge the role that race plays in gender bias. Black and minority women face even greater inequality than their white peers due to the intersection of racial and gender biases. Gender equity and racial equity are inseparable. If we are to successfully achieve gender equity, we must address both issues and how they are interconnected. Our Gender Equity Mission AISJ works to achieve meaningful and sustainable systems change that advances equity at the intersection of race and gender. Gender Equity Policy Agenda Valuing Women’s Work Value the work that women do and acknowledge its importance to our society and economy by ensuring that women — especially minority women — receive equal pay for equal work; address occupational segregation by increasing wages and securing benefits for careers predominantly filled by women; and support women-owned businesses through equitable access to funding, capital, and other business supports. Valuing Women’s Lives Improve health outcomes for women by implementing systems to eliminate bias and discrimination in health care and support advancements in health equity that improve health care access and women's health outcomes. Valuing Women’s Voices Elevate women’s voices by promoting their lived experiences and leadership, and provide data and educational resources highlighting the impact of gender bias and inequity on Alabama’s women, children, families, and economy. AISJ is proud to partner with Judge Tiffany B. McCord to implement The Judge Tiffany B. McCord “Just Like You” Empowerment Program. “Just Like You” empowers and encourages girls to reach their full potential by bringing local career women into Title I elementary schools to interactively discuss how they pursued the path to success in their fields. Each girl also receives a career guide and a Barbie Doll of her very own that both represents that career and portrays the diverse ethnic background of the girl receiving it.

- Full Name: - Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola - Short Name: - Alternative Names: - Francesco Mazzola, Parmigiano - Date of Birth: - 11 Jan 1503 - Date of Death: - 24 Aug 1540 - Oil, Wood, Other - Figure, Scenery - Art Movement: - Parma, Italy Parmigianino Early Years Pope Clement VII Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, also known as Francesco Mazzola or more commonly as Parmigianino (a nickname meaning 'the little chap from Parma') was born in Parma, Italy, in the year 1503. Born into an artist's family, Parmigianino's talent for painting was nurtured from an early age. His father, Filippo Mazzuola, was a painter, but died from the plague when Parmigianino was just three years old. Parmigianino and his surviving siblings were then brought up by their uncles, Michele and Pier Ilario. Also painters, they saw to Parmigianino's early artistic education and made sure that he was trained in the necessary techniques. The young Parmigianino showed a precocious talent, and he often assisted his uncles on their commissions. He even took over and finished one of their later commissions from Nicolo Zangrandi to decorate a chapel in San Giovanni Evangelista. As his 16th century biographer, Vasari commented that Parmigianino seems to have been a prodigy 'born with brushes in his fingers'. In 1521, following the outbreak of war in Northern Italy between King Francis I of France and the combined armies of Charles V and Leo X, Parmigianino's uncles persuaded him to flee to Viadana. War and turbulence were to be a constant backdrop to the artist's life. In Viadana, he painted two panels, depicting Saint Francis for the church of the Frati de' Zoccoli, and The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine for San Pietro. Parma did not fall to French hands and so Parmigianino returned to San Giovanni in late 1521 where he met and worked with Correggio on the fresco decorations of the cupola. By the age of twenty Parmigianino had completed a staggering amount of work, including several frescoes in the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma. He was a daring artist and longing to study the masterpieces of Raphael and Michelangelo, he set out for Rome in 1524. Parmigianino's move to Rome was perhaps also motivated by mercenary ambitions. Clement VII had just been elected Pope and so it was the perfect time for up and coming artists to gain favor and commissions. Parmigianino presented a self-portrait, one of his most renowned works, to the Pope and was immediately celebrated at court as being the new Raphael. Parmigianino Middle Years Unfortunately, this bright start for the young artist in Rome abruptly ended when the city was sacked by German troops in 1527. It is said that even after his colleagues fled Parmigianino stubbornly carried on working and, apparently, when the pillaging soldiers broke into his studio they were so impressed by his paintings that they moved on, without destroying the place. Eventually, Parmigianino was force to flee Rome and he escaped to Bologna. It was here that he was most productive and completed a huge amount of works, including his masterpiece Madonna and Child with Saints. Parmigianino Advanced Years Alchemy and Magic: Many critics blame Parmigianino's downfall upon his supposed obsession with alchemy and magic. They claim that this became such a huge distraction upon his time, money and health that he was unable to fulfill his duties as an artist. Another explanation could be that Parmigianino was simply interested in alchemy because of his printmaking activities, which would have involved various acids. After three years, Parmigianino returned home to Parma, where he was very much loved. He easily gained commissions from local aristocrats, such as the Baiardi family, for whom he painted his famous Madonna with the Long Neck and several portraits. He was also awarded an important commission to paint frescoes in the Santa Maria della Steccata. After the rush of creative energy during his years in Bologna it seemed as if Parmigianino was less productive on his return to Parma. He only completed some of the frescoes in the Santa Maria della Steccata and did not finish all of the work planned. After a decade of waiting for the frescoes, the Steccata Confraternity, having paid Parmigianino upfront for the work, decided to sue him. Parmigianino was prosecuted and eventually imprisoned in 1537 for breaking his contract. Released on bail after promising to finish the work Parmigianino instead left town and escaped to Casal Maggiore. It was here that the painter died of a fever a year later in 1540 at the age of 37. He was buried in the church of the Servites. Some say that in his final years the disgraced Parmigianino descended into melancholy and had some kind of mental collapse. However, even up until his death, Parmigianino still kept up his drawings, leaving behind 1000 of them, and his later paintings show no sign that his talent had diminished in any way. He had led a tumultuous, nonconformist life and, as is the fashion of most geniuses, died young.

In my practice, I notice that families in which the adults make efforts to eat healthy and stay active are the ones who are most successful in fostering healthy habits in their children. The words and actions of parents reflect directly in their children. Children absorb so much from the world, and parents are their most influential role models. While you can’t be there for every choice and decision your child makes, teaching them good habits and explaining the “why” behind everything will help ensure your child thrives. Focus on the basics The most important thing is to focus on the basics: good nutrition, daily structure and play time outside are the bedrock to raising healthy kids. My suggestion is to remember when you were a kid yourself! School can be a challenging environment for kids, even in the best circumstances. The stress that children face is real, so we encourage parents to stay aware of how their children are feeling. Make time after school to talk with your children to hear the good and the bad about their school day. Kids are tough and can handle change better than we give them credit for, so rather than focusing on the difficulties of a new school year, remind them of the positive aspects of seeing their peers and learning new things from their teachers. Spending time outdoors during these late summer days can serve as a wonderful break from computer screens, headphones and virtual learning. Schools are under tremendous pressure to keep their students safe. If you are ever concerned about your child being sick, consider contacting your pediatrician’s office for help. Doctors and teachers both want kids to remain healthy so they can make the most of this school year. At Aspen Valley Primary Care, we offer our patients a 24/7 phone line so they can get their concerns answered any time of day. Oftentimes a little reassurance goes a long way to easing parental concerns, just knowing that someone will be at the end of the phone when they are unsure. Prepare your child for changes that may occur so that any local public health advice will not come as a total surprise. Communication is key to helping your child feel included in the process. Should parents have concerns about having eligible children vaccinated against the coronavirus? The vaccine is perhaps the most effective tool we have against the virus. Fortunately, it has been shown to be impressively safe after over 25 million doses administered in the U.S. pediatric population. It is disheartening to see pediatric vaccination rates lag behind other age groups. The risk of COVID has only grown since the beginning of the pandemic, while our tactics for battling it have stayed largely the same. I encourage parents to discuss any vaccine concerns with their pediatrician. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity is a serious problem. How can parents help children maintain a healthy weight? The most practical advice I can offer is to have family mealtime together at home and to include children of all ages in cooking to help them develop a positive relationship with food. In my practice, I notice that families in which the adults make efforts to eat healthy and stay active are the ones who are most successful in fostering healthy habits in their children. How can AVH and its broader Network of Care support children and parents? Aspen Valley Primary Care is poised to take care of your whole family — thanks to our team of family medicine physicians, pediatricians, physician assistants and pharmacists. Our clinic accounts for individual patient needs rather than taking a cookie-cutter approach to healthcare. AVH also has ear/nose/throat specialists, eye specialists, behavioral health specialists, rehabilitation services, after-hours care and nutritionist services all practically under one roof. These teams are all equipped for and, more importantly, enthusiastic about pediatric care.

Romitorio di Sant'Angelo in Lacu The ruins of a thousand-year-old hermitage are tucked away deep in the sloping forests of Albano Lake. The steep slopes of Italy’s volcanic Albano Lake hide a number of archaeological, historical, and natural wonders. Among these wonders is a nearly inaccessible hermitage: the Romitorio di Sant’Angelo in Lacu. The trail to the site on the Castelli Romani hiking maps is steep and rocky, making the journey challenging. The site is located above a small canyon on the side of the lake opposite the town of Castel Gandolfo and below the Palazzolo nunnery. The earliest record of the site is from 1116, from a Papal bull (charter) that mentioned the remote hermitage. It was later restored, in 1282, by Cardinal Savelli, who in turn gave it to the Guglielmini fathers of Montevergine. They occupied the site until the 17th century. In 1773, Cardinal Colonna gave orders to destroy the hermitage—after nearly a century of abandonment, it had become a popular place for highwaymen to hide out. Nowadays, the ruins of the bell tower, chapel and an unusual structure identified as a meditation chamber that is dug in the local volcanic rock are still visible. There are also a number of deep tunnels and underground storage rooms. In the recent past the site has often been associated with satanic rituals and on the shore below the hermitage, a woman named Antonietta Longo, was murdered and beheaded in an unresolved murder case from the 1950s. Know Before You Go Hiking maps are available at the park headquarters in Rocca di Papa. The trail to the site (511) is steep and poorly marked, and should only be hiked by experienced adventurers with appropriate hiking shoes. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook

The coast is one of our greatest assets in New South Wales, and home to nearly 85 per cent of the state’s population. It is a diverse landscape with considerable natural, cultural, and economic value. The NSW Government has established a new framework to manage the coastal environment in a sustainable way for the wellbeing of the people of New South Wales. This framework includes the Coastal Management Act 2016, the State Environmental Planning Policy (Coastal Management) 2018, and support and funding to local councils for their coastal management programs. A performance audit on this topic could assess how effectively the department has overseen and implemented key elements of this reform package, and how effectively coastal councils have delivered coastal management programs.

See More Stars This Summer By Learning to Navigate the Night Sky Clear nights in the backcountry offer prime views of the heavens. Catch the best show with these stargazing tips. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app. Mind the moon Plan your trip around a new moon to take advantage of darker skies. This lunar phase occurs roughly two weeks after each full moon. Up the awe-factor by checking for meteor shower peaks close to a new moon at timeanddate.com. Find a clearing Lakeshores are ideal spots to stargaze, providing unobstructed views as well as a reflective surface to mirror the heavens. A hilltop or rocky outcrop can offer a great alternative, especially on humid, windless nights when fog can form over water. Let your eyes adapt Move away from the campfire, put your phone in your pocket, and use the red setting on your headlamp 30 minutes before stargazing to let your vision become dark-adjusted. Look for a pair in the 7 to 10x magnification range, with objective lenses of 40 to 50 milimeters (like 7×50 or 10×42). Use an app like Stellarium or SkySafari to see which constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects will be visible from your observation site. Take special note of objects with the M prefix (“Messier objects”) which are some of the most striking celestial sights. (Scroll down for a breakdown of some of the most spectacular. Keep a record Describing celestial objects and star patterns will make your eyes more receptive to subtle detail. Jot down notes or use a voice recording app to log your observations. Better still, try making a pencil sketch What to Look at When You’re Stargazing There’s nothing wrong with just gazing up at the Milky Way and basking in the magnificence of it all. But go a little deeper, and there’s a whole galaxy of things to see—literally. The better the magnification on your binoculars or telescope, the more you’ll be able to see. These three picks are visible from the Northern Hemisphere in Summer with even modest equipment. Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) To the naked eye, the Hercules Globular Cluster is just a faint, fuzzy point of light, like a faraway star. In reality, however, that light is a collection of hundreds of thousands of stars. Look for it in the Hercules constellation, roughly halfway between Vega and Arcturus, two of the season’s brightest stars. Swan Nebula (M17) This star-forming cloud of hydrogen is vast—roughly 11 light years in radius, or 17,500 times the distance from Earth to Pluto. Spotting it with the naked eye is difficult at best, but its hazy form shows up well through binoculars. Andromeda Galaxy (M31) Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to our own, and it’s only getting closer: Most astronomers believe that the two will collide in roughly 4.5 billion years. Through binoculars, Andromeda appears as a fuzzy patch of light with a slightly brighter center.

There is more to investing than just purchasing a stock and wanting to earn a quick return. Rather, investing should be considered as part of a long-term strategy; one that aligns with your financial goals. Investment planning is one element of a financial plan and begins with a proper understanding of your current financial situation and future goals. The purpose of investing is to put your money to work with the goal of building wealth over time. To capitalize on investment opportunities, risk tolerance and time horizon are important considerations. The longer your time horizon, the longer your money has to grow. This is often referred to as the power of compounding effect – providing the benefit of time in the market. Playing the long game has historically yielded higher returns on investment in stocks. But the stock market isn’t the only asset class you might consider. Investors can achieve diversification benefits and target their preferred risk tolerance by varying their portfolios to include real estate, bonds, commodities, and other securities. Your financial goals shape your investment plan. Applying tried-and-true principles will help you achieve your financial goals. One basic investment principle revolves around one’s time horizon. As is often said, time in the market is better than timing the market. That’s because history shows that the longer one’s time horizon, two distinct advantages emerge – the probability of loss goes down dramatically and the return predictability goes up significantly. Financial advisors recommend that investors keep their money in the market for at least five years to weather any storms and achieve acceptable returns. For investments that compound annually, apply the “rule of 72.” Investors use this rule to calculate the time required for an investment to double. Simply divide 72 by the expected annual rate of return. The result is an estimate of the number of years required for your money to double. For example, imagine a bond’s rate of return is 3%. Dividing 72 by 3 results in 24, the number of years it will generally take for your original bond investment to double. The rule of 72 is an approximation, but it provides a general expectation of how long it takes to double one’s wealth. Investors should employ a consistent, disciplined strategy to earn acceptable returns over the long term. Selecting a combination of different asset types can help you achieve your goals while insulating you from market disruptions. With both return and risk as the focus, investment planning should account for your personal goals, financial knowledge, and investment expectations. Consider your objectives. Are you nearing retirement? Planning to buy a house soon? These decisions inform the types and combination of investments that may be best for you. If retirement is in the next 10 years, having some exposure to lower risk vehicles such as bonds is common. These securities allow you to protect your nest egg while realizing slow-and-steady gains generated from the coupon payment. Investing requires controlling one’s emotions. Market volatility can bring out emotional extremes, including fear and greed. Investment strategies are numerous and can differ widely. While one approach might include a broad emphasis on Diversification another might be more narrowly focused on Momentum or Value style investing. No matter which strategy you implement, controlling your emotions is key. Allow yourself to remain objective so you can make clear long-term investment decisions. Choose an investment method that you’re comfortable with and that you know you’ll stick to through thick and thin. Working with a trusted partner to implement a cohesive investment strategy is essential. Our wealth advisors at Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group start by taking inventory of your goals, preferences, and risk profile to develop a customized financial plan, which serves as the foundation upon which your investment plan is built. Working hand in glove with our wealth advisors, our Yellow Cardinal Portfolio Management Team is dedicated to implementing our proven long-term investment approach in client portfolios. This team works tirelessly to combine the right top-down allocation with the right bottom-up securities in order to achieve outcomes that help our clients live their lives on their terms. Learn more about Yellow Cardinal’s investment philosophy and process. Rule of 72 graphic: Adapted from “The Rule of 72,” by Elizabeth Aldrich, Business Insider; https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/rule-of-72. The information on this page is accurate as of July 2022 and is subject to change. First Financial Bank and Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group are not affiliated with any third-parties or third-party websites mentioned above. Any reference to any person, organization, activity, product, and/or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement. By clicking on a third-party link, you acknowledge you are leaving bankatfirst.com. First Financial Bank and Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group are not responsible for the content or security of any linked web page. You are about to go to a different website or app. The privacy and security policies of this site may be different than ours. We do not control and are not responsible for the content, products or services. Online banking services for individuals and small/medium-sized businesses. Login to continue your application for new checking, savings, and money market accounts. f1RSTNAVIGATOR is where our business clients can access tools to help manage day-to-day account activity.

Chapter One – The Falkland Islands marine ecosystem: A review of the seasonal dynamics and trophic interactions across the food web The Falkland Islands marine environment host a mix of temperate and subantarctic species. This review synthesizes baseline information regarding ontogenetic migration patterns and trophic interactions in relation to oceanographic dynamics of the Falkland Shelf, which is useful to inform ecosystem modelling. Many species are strongly influenced by regional oceanographic dynamics that bring together different water masses, resulting in high primary production which supports high biomass in the rest of the food web. Further, many species, including those of commercial interest, show complex ontogenetic migrations that separate spawning, nursing, and feeding grounds spatially and temporally, producing food web connections across space and time. The oceanographic and biological dynamics may make the ecosystem vulnerable to climatic changes in temperature and shifts in the surrounding area. The Falkland marine ecosystem has been understudied and various functional groups, deep-sea habitats and inshore-offshore connections are poorly understood and should be priorities for further research. Authors: van der Grient, Jesse, Morley, Simon ORCID record for Simon Morley, Arkhipkin, Alexander, Bates, James, Baylis, Alastair, Brewin, Paul, Harte, Michael, White, J. Wilson, Brickle, Paul

![if !IE]> <![endif]> · Puffer fish: globe fish, balloon fish, blowfish, toad fish. In Japan, a variety of puffer fish called “fugu” (Fig 33.16) is considered a delicacy, but special licensing is required to prepare this extremely toxic fish. · Newts: taricha, notophthalmus, triturus, cynops. Salamanders. · Blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) (Fig 33.17): of Australia and Japan is the only known species in which tetrodotoxin has been found in extracts of venom glands, in contrast to being found in the skin, muscle, liver, ovaries, and eggs of other species. · Snails: In a study of several outbreaks of tetrodotoxin- associated snail poisoning in Zhoushan city, China, the following snail species were identified as culprits: Zeuxis samiplicutus, Zeuxis siguinjorensis, Zeuxis variciterus, and Z. succinctus. In all the cases, the snails were steamed, boiled, or fried. The incubation period ranged from 5 minutes to 11 hours, and the time from a patient’s inges-tion of snails to full recovery ranged from 30 minutes to 48 hours. · Horseshoe crab eggs. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent, heat-stable, water soluble, non-protein aminoperhydroquanizole neurotoxin concen-trated mainly in the skin, liver, ovary, and intestine of the fish. The highest concentration is found in the ovaries, and hence the female is most poisonous, especially if eaten during the spawning season. Tetrodotoxin affects myelinated nerve fibres throughout the entire length of the axon by lowering the conduction of sodium currents at nodes of Ranvier. It is a selective and potent sodium channel blocker. TTX blocks the action potential without any effect on resting membrane potential, or the resting membrane resistance. It blocks nerve and muscle conduction. Its action is thought to interfere with the increase in sodium permeability associated with nerve excitation, with changing potassium permeability. Onset is usually within 4 to 6 hours, but may be delayed. Oral paraesthesia is usually the initial symptom of puffer fish poisoning. Death may occur within the first 6 to 24 hours. Prognosis is good if the patient survives the first 24 hours. · Poisoning is caused by ingestion of the flesh, viscera, ovaries, or skin containing tetrodotoxin (TTX). The highest concentration is in the viscera. Body musculature is usually free of poison. · Main features of poisoning include headache, sweating, dysaesthesias, and paraesthesias of lips, tongue, mouth, face, fingers, and toes. Circumoral tingling may include the tongue and inner surface of the mouth, and generally occurs within 10 to 45 minutes of ingestion. · Later, the following are seen: salivation, dysphagia, dysar- thria, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, ataxia, weakness, fasciculations, and ascending paralysis in 4 to 24 hours. · Blurred vision, aphonia, and dysphagia may be seen as muscle paralysis progresses. Miosis is an early effect of TTX poisoning, but later there is mydriasis. · Hypotension, bradycardia, and fixed and dilated pupils indicate severe poisoning. Mortality may approach 50%. Death is usually due to respiratory depression and respira- tory muscle paralysis. · Some cases of seizures have been reported in TTX poison-ings. If at all they occur, seizures generally manifest only in the course of severe TTX poisonings A rare “locked-in” syndrome has been described with tetro- dotoxic poisoning, in which the patient appears completely flaccid, but remains conscious. · Mouse bioassay: Laboratory determination of tetrodotoxin (TTX) is not commonly available. Potency of TTX must be done by bioassay; identification may be done with thin layer chromatography. · Fluorescent spectrometry. · Use of electrophoresis, HPLC, LC/MS, etc., have also been reported by various investigators. A relatively new immunoassay method, using a highly specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) and immunoaffinity column chromatog- raphy, has recently been developed for the isolation and identification of TTX from urine samples of poisoned patients. This method is performed in combination with fluorometric HPLC. Because of the differences in susceptibility, and unpredictability of an individual’s course, at least 24 hours of observation is recommended in every patient. · Decontamination: Activated charcoal may be useful. · IV edrophonium (10 mg) or IM neostigmine (0.5 mg) may be effective in restoring motor strength. · Artificial ventilation should be implemented if necessary. · Assisted ventilation may be necessary for 4 to 6 hours, and in some cases up to 12 hours. · Haemodialysis may be effective in the treatment of tetro-dotoxin poisoning, because the toxin has low molecular weight, is water soluble, and is not significantly bound to protein. Copyright © 2018-2023 BrainKart.com; All Rights Reserved. Developed by Therithal info, Chennai.

Learning about Instruments Learning about Instruments – Tutorial part 4 Here is a concise tutorial, consisting of seven parts and therefore divided over seven individual posts, about the composing, orchestrating, and recording/production process of music. It is intended for beginner composers, orchestrators, sound-engineers, home-studio owners. And it is not intended merely for making electronic music. It is intended as a good place to start with music and to learn a few tricks that will save time and help them along the learning music composition. Overview individual posts of this tutorial - Introduction making Music - Musical Synthesis - Learning about Instruments - Home Studio - Mixing and Editing - Really useful Links Learning about Drums - In most basic drum beats, the hihat or the ride cymbal plays on every crotchet beat, or every quaver beat. - The snare plays on the 2nd and/or 4th beat of the bar. - The kick plays on the 1st and/or 3rd beat of the bar. You can loop (repeat) the drum beat. NOTE: the drummer only has 2 hands and 2 feet; what this means is that they can only play 2 drums at a time plus the kick plus the hihat pedal. Try to avoid writing parts where a real drummer would have to use more than two hands. You can then add in open hihat notes. These create diversity. Diversity is the key to an interesting drum beat. When composing a drum loop, you should make at least 2, or preferably 4, bars of drum music. This will create the necessary diversity. If you’re stuck with a boring 1 bar loop and don’t know how to jazz it up, try adding percussion (tambourine, shaker, bongos, congas), claps, rim shots (snare), toms, cymbals, or any other percussive sounds that you can record (e.g. shoes brushing through a shoe buffer). All these things will make the drum beat more interesting. If there is anything rhythmically significant happening in the other instruments, it is sometimes effective to also have the drums mimic that rhythm. Learning about Bass Guitar The most common purpose of the bass instrument is to provide HARMONIC FOUNDATION. What this means is that the bass instrument plays the notes which define the harmonic structure of the piece. If you have already planned out the harmonic structure (which chords you are going to use) then as a basic beginning for laying down the bass part, you can record the bass part as just playing the root notes of each chord. This is the most basic bass part. However, in most cases, this will not be enough. NOTE: As a general rule, if there is a drum kit playing, the bass instrument should play a note at least whenever the kick drum is played. This will fortify the kick drum and the bass instrument making them more powerfully connected. Not doing this is an immediate sign of bad bass writing. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. You will want to add more than just the root notes at the start of each chord. Here you can try several things. - Try adding passing notes e.g. if you were going from a C chord to an F chord in the overall harmony, the bass guitar might play a C and then D, E, F; the D and the E are passing notes; the C and the F would be slightly accented because they would (probably) be on a strong beat of the bar (beat 1 and 3). - You could add octave notes e.g. C, then C an octave higher, then F, then F an octave higher. - Similarly, you could add 5th notes: alternating between C and G for a Chord and alternating between F and C for an F chord. You could add slides, where the bass instrument slides from one note to the next. Try to add dead notes; dead notes are when the bass instrument plays a note which is muted so it has no pitch; this is a purely percussive feature, however, it is good for diversity. You could add a walking bass line; this is not a particularly easy technique for an inexperienced composer/arranger, however, it is doable. If you’re writing for a real bass player, just write out the chords and tell them to play a walking bass line. Learning about Piano and Orchestra Piano can be considered the most versatile instrument. It is one of the most difficult instruments to write for, for someone who doesn’t play it. The piano should be treated like a mini orchestra. It can play almost as low as the human ear can hear and the highest note is the highest in an orchestra. Moreover, a piano can play at least 10 notes at the same, and with a sustain pedal, the limit is the amount of keys it has. So, what can you do with a piano? - A piano can play the melody. Simple. - A piano can play chords. - One key rule to keep in mind for chords in general is the lower down the piano you go, the further apart the notes should be. - Below C3, the notes of a chord should be about an octave apart. - Some techniques to consider: glissandos, tremolos, trills, movement in 3rd, movement in 6ths, movement in octaves, ostinatos, repetition, doubling. Learning about Guitar in Music The guitar can be considered one of the most versatile instruments in terms of the roles it can play. Sometimes guitar will play a purely rhythmic role, sometimes purely harmonic, sometimes purely melodic, and other times it will be any combination of the three. When writing a guitar part it is vital that you decide what role the guitar will be playing. There are also three basic types of guitar: - nylon string acoustic guitar (classical), - steel string acoustic guitar, - electric guitar. Each type has its pros and cons. stereotypically, nylon string acoustics are used for classical guitar, steel acoustics are used for strumming chords, and electrics are used for solos, power chords and grunge, and in jazz. If you are writing a purely melodic guitar part then it is fairly simple: - Just write out the notation. - Keep in mind that the lowest note on a guitar is E1 (almost 3 octaves below middle C). - The highest note is approximately C6 (depending on the guitar and skill of the musician… 2 octaves above middle C). Some techniques you might consider in order to make the part more interesting are: - glissandos (slides), - pizzicato (muted), - portamento (bends), - use of plectrum (pick). If you are composing a purely harmonic guitar part then it is also not too hard. Writing for a guitarist to play, unless you want some specific sound, it is better to just compose the harmonic structure of the piece and let them decide how best to play it. If you are writing a purely rhythmic guitar part, then you need to consider the fact that a guitar has up strokes and down strokes, where down strokes will generally be the stronger ones which land on the strong beats of a bar. If there is anything interesting going on in the piece in terms of rhythm, you may want the guitar to mimic the rhythm using stroke direction. If writing for a guitarist, write out the rhythm and which chord should be played, and tell them to figure out a strumming pattern using that rhythm. NOTE: When writing for a guitar you need to keep in mind the tuning of a guitar – it has six strings (low | E A D G B E | high), which means is that it is more difficult for a guitar to play minor seconds within chords than any other interval. Ross Unger, www.rossunger.com Leave us a comment No comment posted yet.

The winter solstice 2022 Date of acquisition: December 22nd, 2022 | 10:09:09 UTC Sensor: Sentinel-3B SLSTR Coordinates: 67°N, 14°E On the day of the winter solstice, the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is at its minimum. On the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice shifts annually between December 21st or 22nd because the length of the solar year does not exactly coincide with a calendar year. In 2022, the winter solstice occurred exactly on December 21st at 21:48 UTC. For a few days before and after the moment of the solstice, the sun will “hold that altitude” as if standing still for a while. In these December days, beyond the Arctic Circle (66.5°N), the polar night sets in, which does not necessarily mean complete darkness throughout the day, but also twilight. Its main feature is that the sun does not rise above the horizon. At that moment, while moving along the ecliptic, the sun reaches the furthest position from the celestial equator to the world’s South Pole. An astronomical winter has arrived in the planet’s northern hemisphere. A satellite image acquired by the Sentinel-3 SLSTR shows part of Scandinavia (67°N, 14°E) covered by pink clouds lit from the south by the low sun. A part of the Norwegian coast of the region between latitudes 65°N and 69°N was cloud-free at twilight and therefore visible.

The Tomatometer ranking – primarily based on the revealed opinions of a whole bunch of film and tv critics – is a trusted measurement of film and TV programming high quality for hundreds of thousands of moviegoers. Exploration of chosen historical durations and cultural contexts of drama (e.g. Greek, Medieval, Elizabethan). In 1995 the family of impartial filmmaker, Beth Kotler, (BA ’95, Drama Honours) generously donated $5,000 to the Drama Department. This Drama programme is for passionate people taken with exploring drama, theatre and performance in its many forms. To some He offers the ability to specific emotions and wrestle via the dramatic arts. In a sequence of tutor led seminar/workshops, the students will think about the historic contexts that gave rise to changing conceptions of dramatic character, dialogue and motion. This module is an choice for full, main and half field Drama and Creative Writing college students at Level 5 and runs all through the tutorial 12 months. Parts of Drama: focus, pressure, timing, rhythm/movement, contrast, temper, house, language, sound, image, battle, climax, improvisation, characterisation and function play. The primary options of the module are the investigation of how wherein drama expresses cultural and important perspectives in practice, and the exploration of theories resembling put up-colonialism, feminism, and materialism as artistic and analytical tools. The division of Drama gives a program balanced between sensible theatre and academic study of dramatic literature and theatre historical past. By pursuing such qualities, he accepts Shakespeare because the Homer, or the father of dramatic poets, and Jonson is accepted because the Virgil, or the pattern of elaborate writing.

Right answers are great, but when students talk about their process, teachers can better gauge what they know...and what they still need to learn. With the traditional method of math instruction -- the way many of us were taught -- the goal was to get the right answer. Our instructional model, however, requires students to explain and show their thinking. Today we'd like to share some of the cognitive and learning science research behind this approach, and why it's so important that students explain their reasoning. 1. Teachers need to know how students arrive at their answers. Right and wrong answers don't reveal much about student thinking. We also need to be able to connect what students do with what they know. For example, let's look at a real piece of student work: If the only information the teacher had was this answer, they might think the student doesn't know anything about fractions. Click here to hear the student explain his thinking. He said, "I have to find a multiple of 10, so half would go to 5/10 and 1/5 would go to 2/10, and multiply that to make one whole." Now we know that he worked to find the common denominator and knew right away that it was 10. He also quickly found that 1/2 = 5/10 and 1/5 = 2/10. So we know that this student knows how to find a common denominator (but not when to find a common denominator). We also know that the student understands equivalent fractions. His mistake was in applying the process for adding fractions to multiplication. Why would a student do this? The answer is the next advantage of having students explain their reasoning. 2. Explanations encourage students to explain the why and not just the how. This student likely learned to add fractions by following a rote procedure: find common denominators, add (or subtract) the numerators, and simplify. If you learn that procedure without knowing why to find common denominators in addition or subtraction, you might, like this student, assume that all operations with fractions require common denominators. Asking students to explain their reasoning can make a connection between the procedure and the underlying conceptual knowledge, and that connection helps students know when to apply procedures like common denominators. In addition, students solve problems in different ways, and if you don’t know the way they’re solving it, you don’t know what the student is capable of doing. For example, one student might use a formula to solve a problem while another uses context clues from the word problem. If a test question only asks for the answer, all you know is that they got it right, and you might assume that they all have the same knowledge when they don't. 3. Students learn better when they self-explain. Several studies have shown that self-explaining can have a positive impact on student learning. In one study, students who were prompted to self-explain demonstrated a more robust mental model of what they learned than students who were not.* Self-explaining establishes connections between conceptual and procedural knowledge. These connections both contextualize the knowledge (providing the why) and make it easier to remember. Self-explaining can be a powerful tool for students both when they learn new concepts and when they access that knowledge while solving a problem, so giving them chances to explain can have an impact on their success. The simplest way to start having your students explain their thinking is to ask them questions like: You can also build a student’s ability to explain their thinking by providing opportunities for students to analyze the work of their peers and explain what's correct or incorrect about their thinking. You can, for example, provide several samples of student work and ask students to figure out the reasoning process in each sample. We want to improve not just test scores, but real understanding of mathematics, which is why our textbook, MATHbook, provides countless opportunities for students to demonstrate their thinking, and MATHia, our 1-on-1 tutoring software, analyzes and adapts to how students solve problems, not just the answers they give. *"You Got Some Explaining to Do! Self-Explaining," Dr. Bob's Cog Blog Carnegie Learning is helping students learn why, not just what. Born from more than 30 years of learning science research at Carnegie Mellon University, the company has become a recognized leader in the ed tech space, using artificial intelligence, formative assessment, and adaptive learning to deliver groundbreaking solutions to education’s toughest challenges. With the highest quality offerings for K-12 math, ELA, literacy, world languages, professional learning and more, Carnegie Learning is changing the way we think about education, fostering learning that lasts.Explore more related to this author

The human civilization as a whole is indebted to ancient China in many respects. You will probably lose your count if you attempt to make a list of contributions made by this age old civilization. In addition to the valuable inventions in the sector of natural science and medicine, the greatest gift of ancient China to the world was the rich philosophy propounded by wise Confucius, who lived during 551-479 BC, but still revered all over the world for his teachings that is relevant even in this new millennium. Confucius was among those rare and few human beings who struggled to make the world a better place for living. His preaching was basically meant to give right direction to the ways people of ancient China lived, behaved and survived. This astute thinker not only enriched the Chinese philosophy, he also contributed to the theory of law, politics and rules of the governance that acquired a universal acceptance in the later course of history. The golden rule of life that “A man should practice what he preaches, but a man should also preach what he practices” was coined by none other than this sage of great insight and knowledge about the nature. His political foresight is also something to learn from. It was Confucius who first talked of the value of good governance; that a well governed kingdom never loses any war and an oppressive government is even fiercer than a dreaded tiger. Confucius’ teachings were far ahead of his time, and it was probably due to this fact that he was always denied his rightful participation in the administration. But the common people of china always adored the monumental wisdom of this otherwise simple and noble man and so even thousands of years after his demise, people acknowledge the worth of Confucianism.

CHALLENGER’S LOST LESSONS In 2007, the space shuttle mission STS-118 launched with Christa McAuliffe’s back-up Teacher in Space candidate, Barbara Morgan. Over 20 years has passed since the loss of the Challenger’s crew on January 28, 1986. That mission, had it been completed, would have brought Christa McAuliffe’s six science lessons to children around the world through two live and four filmed lessons to be conducted in space. The lessons, prepared for the nation and the world’s children, were never performed. A NASA educational specialist, Bob Mayfield, wrote a narrative description of the six planned activities in the 1980s, focusing on the science and engineering performed in the conception and planning of the lessons, and describing related earth-based exercises. Mock-up planning practices of the activities and zero gravity demonstrations on video were collected with Mr. Mayfield’s narratives and are now made available to help teachers understand and teach Christa’s lessons. All six scripted experiments include a materials list, set up and step-by-step instructions for teachers to use in the classroom with students. Using these activities, teachers can replicate that which Christa was not able to share from orbit. Christa’s wonderful teaching gift and spirit are captured on the videos, and her remarks and actions in training accomplish most of her lessons plans. Her often quoted remark “I touch the future, I teach” is validated through the distribution of the materials by Challenger Center, the organization formed to carry on the educational mission of the crew. Students experiencing the six lost lessons will be the future touched by Christa’s teaching gift.

The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. The Universal Waste Awareness course from ClickSafety is an introductory level online training designed to teach participants the purpose, applicability, and provisions of the EPA’s Universal Waste Program to ensure Universal Waste is properly identified and managed. Participants can expect to learn how to work safely with and around universal waste throughout this training. ClickSafety’s Universal Waste Awareness course teaches participants what falls under the classification of universal waste, as well as how to work with and around it. Specific course topics include the following: Information about the different types of universal waste Explanations of some of the ways in which universal waste is different from other types of hazardous waste Easy-to-understand descriptions of actions you can take to safely collect and recycle universal waste according to regulations, at work and at home Practical tips to put your learning into context Knowledge checks throughout to measure your understanding ClickSafety’s Universal Waste Awareness course is ideal for individuals of all employment levels who may work with and around universal waste. Individuals from the following industries may find this course most applicable: Trade and Transportation Warehousing and Distribution If you have any concerns as to whether this course is appropriate for you or your industry, please browse our full selection of Online Courses and Safety Packs, call 800-971-1080, or Contact Us online. ClickSafety’s Universal Waste Awareness course is an introductory level training designed to be taken at the participant’s own pace in about 30 minutes. Participants can expect to learn what falls under the term “universal waste,” as well as how the universal waste program encourages proper collection and recycling. Upon successful completion of this course, individuals can expect to: Recognize the effects hazardous waste may have on the environment and the benefits of the EPA’s universal waste program Identify the purpose, applicability, and provisions of the EPA’s universal waste program Describe each regulatory requirement in a universal waste program Identify proper strategies to manage universal waste in accordance with best practices Recognize benefits of recycling universal wastes at home

There are few foods that decreases the life span if consumed at the time of breakfast, says dietitian Eating few of the breakfast foods on regular basis may lead to unwanted health conditions and also leads to shortening of life. Breakfast is the healthiest food consuming part of the day. It makes a day better or worse depending on what one plates with at the time of breakfast as it is first meal of the day one should make sure what is being consumed to keep the health better and make the food nutritious. What one consumes in the breakfast should be packed with full of protein, fiber and healthy carbohydrates and fats. If these are included in the breakfast plate then one is not required to have a look on what is being consumed till afternoon as it makes one feel full till the lunch time. However, it might result in adverse effects if consumed badly. Foods that are rich in high sugar or saturated foods that lack with protein or fiber. When experts approached to dietitians for the best choices of food which may enhance the life span and what are the food that may lead to the shortening of life span people were restricted to follow these food patterns to avoid the risk of shorter life span. The first thing was to avoid eating sugary cereals in the breakfast time as they are highly refined hence may lead to shortening of life. They have less protein which may increase the hyperglycemia in the body and may also increase type 2 mellitus. Eating too much of bacon should be eliminated as it may cause major health issues as bacon is a processed food with leading hypertension. Donuts and pastries should be stopped in the diet as they are the best regulators of the sugary food. Eliminating sugary coffee in the morning time of the day may also show adverse effects increasing the inflammation.

Sustainability - First and Foremost The concept of sustainability as a term began to form since 1950, through a discussion about the interrelationships between the availability of Natural resources, population growth and environmental preservation. However, the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs )Launched by the United Nations created the practical program for countries to implement the concepts of sustainability on the ground . That is why we find the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations as the most popular definition, which defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” There is also agreement among researchers that the primary goal of sustainability should be the promotion and improvement of three basic pillars which are known as the pillars of sustainability and include: the environment, society, and the economy. Accordingly, sustainability as a concept is achieved by the degree of harmony and integration between these pillars. Eng. Abdulla AlAbbasi, Research Fellow

Also vs As Well Communication is a complex matter as the world we live in is diverse in various ways. There is a multitude of languages spoken in countries all over the world. However, there is one language that is considered as universal; English. English in itself is quite complex considering the number of similar sounding words involved. It is easy to get confused between such words as well. Also and as well are two such English words people often use interchangeably. However, it is important to note that these two words while sometimes can be used interchangeably, cannot be used as such on all occasions. What does Also mean? Also is used as an adverb. It can modify a verb, adverb, adjective or even another adverb. As an adverb, this word may mean moreover, in addition, too, besides, or in the same manner. Ex– Since you will attend tonight’s party, I’ll also be there. The word also could be used as a conjunction as well. It can be used to connect two words, phrases or sentences together. This word may or may not stand between the words that need to be connected. Ex-You are mean, also selfish. Also can be used at the beginning of the sentence, in the middle or in the end, depending on how the sentence is constructed. Ex– Also, I want to be with you. I also want to be with you. However, the tone of the phrase or its meaning could change according to the place where also is used. What does As Well mean? As well can be considered as one of the phrases that is most commonly used in both verbal and written conversations.No textbook has defined this word neither as a part of speech nor an adverb nor a conjunction. However, this is widely used in sentences and may mean ‘with a similar result’, or ‘equal to.’ ‘In addition’ is another sense in which ‘as well’ can be used. Ex– This film presents its audience with a great story, it has outstanding music as well. This film presents its audience a great story as well as outstanding music. As well can be used at the middle or end of the sentence. What is the difference between Also and As Well? Also and as well may imply the same meaning but they are different from each other in the way they are used in a sentence. Knowing these differences would help greatly in using the two words in the correct context. 1. Also and as well are both used as connectors in a sentence. 2. Both also and as well may mean too, in addition, besides, moreover or equally. 3. Also has been agreed to be an adverb, but as well is not. It is neither an adverb nor a conjunction. 4. Also is defined to be a conjunction but even if as well is used as a conjunction,English grammar does not define it in that manner. 5.You can use also at the beginning of the sentence, but you can only use as well either at the middle or the end and not in the beginning. Leave a Reply

Sure, he looks cute — just don't let him near your broccoli. Photo by J. Ogrodnick The diamondback moth catterpillar (Plutella xylostella) may not look like much, but don't be fooled by its generic caterpillar-y appearance; these larval lepidopterans are one of the world’s worst insect pests. Diamondback caterpillars gorge their way through cabbages, canola, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, costing farmers $4-5 billion annually worldwide. The worst part is that these hungry beasts always seem to be a step ahead of pest management strategies, readily evolving resistance to every organic and synthetic chemical that farmers attempt to wipe them out with. But now, scientists have created a secret weapon that the bugs cannot resist: genetically modified males whose genes kill their female offspring. "Diamondback moths are one of the most destructive insect pests in the world," says Anthony Shelton, an international professor of entomology at Cornell University and one of the world's experts on diamondback moths. "I've seen fields, both domestically and internationally, that were destroyed by this insect. The caterpillars will just skeletonize the leaves, causing the plant to die." The extensive damage caused by these pests coupled with their reputation for rapid resistance has left farmers with little to work with, Shelton explains. "So we're always looking for new strategies to control it." A 'skeletonized' host plant in India, completely eaten away by diamondback moths. Photo by A. M. Shelton Enter Oxitec, a British biotech company whose goal is to create environmentally friendly ways to control insect pests that spread disease and damage crops. Oxitec scientists genetically modified these problematic moths to create ones that carry a 'self-limiting gene'. The way it works is elegant and straightforward: the modified moths carry a gene that produces a non-toxic protein that gums up the insect's cellular machinery, thus killing the modified moth. But the new gene is only expressed in females, thus males survive and reproduce like there's nothing different about them. The gene has a built-in off switch, and thus doesn't cause problems if the caterpillars are fed a diet supplemented with tetracycline, allowing mass rearing in the lab. But once released, any offspring produced by these moths will die without the scientist's special food. Theoretically, if enough males carrying this gene are released and mate with the females in a wild pest population, those females will lay eggs that are doomed to die or be male, controlling the population effectively within a few generations. Or, in Shelton's words: "It's birth control for insects." "Depending on how you spray [with pesticides], you'd be lucky if you get 50% control," Shelton explains. But the Oxitec solution has the potential to drive pest populations down dramatically and even eliminate them locally. In other cases, such self-killing modified insects have resulted in >90% declines in the targeted species. And, Shelton points out, the idea of introducing what are effectively sterile individuals for population control isn't new. USDA scientists have been using the Sterile Insect Technique for decades, releasing individuals unable to reproduce (usually irradiated) into infested areas in large numbers to effectively "waste" the reproductive energy of the pests and lower population sizes. "It's basically using modern biology to solve old pest problems." Modern technology indeed; scientists can even track the GM moths in the population because the gene also encodes for a fluorescent protein. Video provided by Oxitec. "What's great about this technology is that it's specific to diamondback moths, so it doesn't affect the other species that are out there," he adds. But while most technologies are great in theory, it was Shelton and his colleagues' job to test the GM moths in practice. "I'm an independent evaluator in this case. My job is to make sure that it really works." And that's exactly what Shelton and his team did. In greenhouse conditions, they released Oxitec moths with non-modified moths and kept track of the population size. According to Shelton, "they were able to drive down the population in just a few generations." Then, the team took the study one step further. Because these pests commonly become resistant to pesticides, they raised pest moths on a special non-commercial GM variety of broccoli that produces the organic pesticide Bt. They were able to tract which moths in the population were resistant over time in addition to monitoring overall population sizes, and the results were astonishing. "We found that the Oxitec moths would not only drive down the pest population, they also drove down the resistance allele frequency to Bt insecticidal proteins in the pest population, so it was a double benefit." For the research team, the greenhouse studies were a huge success. "The goal of this research, and the overall goal of my program, is to try and manage insects more effectively with less environmental impact," says Shelton. Without a single pesticide or toxin, the GM moths nearly took out the pest population in as few as two generations. “The Oxitec moths are an improvement on the traditional sterile insect technology, and I think it's pretty exciting improvement." This promising study comes on the heels of another Oxitec success story, a similarly-modified mosquito, which was recently found to reduce populations of dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti in Brazil by 95% . The company is awaiting word from the FDA for trials of GM mosquitos in Florida , but in the meantime, scientists can't seem to praise their technologies enough. According to Shelton, the GM moths have no downsides. "From an environmental standpoint, we only see benefits." The making of a GM moth: this video shows the a moth egg as it is injected with the special sauce that alters its genome. Video provided by Oxitec. But, he cautions, those benefits depend on the technology working as well as it seems to in the lab. "We're still in that investigative stage," he noted. "We need to do further testing." “We’re taking it one step at a time." This summer, the Cornell team will be running caged field trials, which will help determine if the modified moths really can compete for reproductive opportunities against the wild males. If they do, then the Oxitec moths will be another big step closer to commercial release. "As a society, we need to reduce our reliance on pesticides, and this is a promising technology that may help us do that." “Certainly, this is a product that, if it works well, should be taken to the next step." Citation: Harvey-Samuel et al. (2015). Pest control and resistance management through release of insects carrying a male-selecting transgene. BMC Biology 13: 49. DOI 10.1186/s12915-015-0161-1

- Laura Wang Ethical Considerations of Gestational Surrogacy In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is an individual who did not provide the egg for contraception and who carries the fetus and gives birth to a child for another individual or couple. In the US, the frequency of gestational surrogacies has increased from 738 births in 2004 to 2807 births in 2015 by a gestational surrogate (1). Gestational surrogacy has provided individuals with infertility, single individuals, and LGBTQ individuals with an additional option for parenthood. However, the surrogacy process and current legal regulations in the US bring about several ethical considerations for the intended parents and the surrogate. As there are no federal gestational surrogacy laws, regulations vary by state: 3 states deem compensated gestational surrogacy illegal, and 11 states permit gestational surrogacy for all parents, including married or unmarried heterosexual or same-sex couples and single parents (2). The remaining states have varying restrictions for the intended parent(s) based on marriage status, whether an egg/sperm donor is used, whether the intended parent is a single parent, and whether the intended parents are a same-sex couple. As evidenced by the inequity in access to gestational surrogacy, its availability is subject to political motivations and discrimination against the intended parents. In states where the law does not address gestational surrogacy entirely, biases among surrogacy agency providers may also act as a barrier to access. In the US, the overall cost of gestational surrogacy through an agency can range from $80,000 to $150,000 (3). Particularly in light of the monetary transaction involved, opponents of gestational surrogacy state that surrogacy contracts bring unequal bargaining power and hinder accurate assessments of potential physical and psychological risk by the surrogate. In addition, concerns arise regarding a heightened lack of autonomy among those more impoverished. Meanwhile, proponents highlight the increased autonomy that gestational surrogacy provides women (4). Research profiling the demographics of surrogate mothers “[does] not support the stereotype of poor, single, young, ethnic minority women whose family, financial difficulties, or other circumstances pressure her into a surrogacy arrangement” (5). However, further qualitative research focusing on the surrogate population is needed to better understand the driving variables involved. The current differences in the legal status of gestational surrogacy and parental rights within the US reveal ways in which discrimination in surrogacy access for intended parents and potential inequities and ethical concerns for surrogates require additional attention, research, and advocacy driven by ethics rather than politics. Edited by: Caroline Palmer Graphic Designed by: Libby Gough

Step 20: For a more finished look, carefully go over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Step 21: After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing. Final Step: Color your BB-8 drawing using color pencils, markers or even crayons! Use yellow-orange for part of the head and the circles in the body. Add gray to the metallic sections on the head and inside the circles. Use red and green for some of the lights on BB-8. Color the lenses and the opening in the body black. BB-8 is white but is a little dirty, so add a liberal amount of peach or light brown randomly all over the body. Add some gray to the right side of the body for a shadow and to make the shapes more three-dimensional. Color the flame blue. Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the EasyDrawingTutorials YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every Sunday. To learn how to draw animals, visit How2DrawAnimals.com.

Many wildlife species are habitat specialists, which means they have very specific needs for habitat for their survival. It is these species that are most vulnerable to extinction, and many of them are already listed as threatened or endangered. Other species are generalists, and are able to survive in many habitats, even those dominated by human development. While this adaptability is good for generalist species since there is very little remaining habitat that has not been impacted by human action, the world would be a very boring place if the only remaining wildlife were these generalists. Imagine a world where the only wildlife was the gulls in the Walmart parking lot, Starlings, House Sparrows, cockroaches, racoons, opossums, and white-tailed deer. These are just a few of the species who have become quite comfortable in our environments. Yes, a very boring place indeed. On a recent visit to Florida, I was on a mission to find just one bird. Yes, the sight of flocks of herons, Sandhill and Whooping Cranes, migrating warblers and shorebirds, raptors, and pelicans is a truly amazing and wonderful thing, and I appreciated every one of those birds that I saw. Florida Scrub Jays need specific habitat elements But the Florida Scrub Jay is an endangered bird that can only be found in very specific habitats in Florida. It cannot be found anywhere else in the U.S., making this endemic species much sought after by birders from around the world. I searched for 6 days and had almost given up hope, when we found several families of Florida Scrub Jays on our last day in Florida. The Florida Scrub Jay is dependent on upland scrub habitat, which is characterized by nutrient poor , sandy soil, frequent wildfires, and occasional drought. These conditions were prevalent for millions of years and created many species which thrived in this harsh environment. Plants include: Myrtle Oak, Sand Pine, Sand Live Oak, Sandhill Oak, Florida Rosemary, and Prickly Pear. The Scrub Jay feeds on the acorns from these oaks and caches them in the sandy soil. Those that are not eaten germinate well, ensuring the maintenance of this habitat community. This was all well and good until development in Florida proceeded unabated. It seems we thought this upland habitat was great for something else–condos and endless Walmarts. This development and destruction of this specialized habitat came very close to wiping out the Florida Scrub Jay and it is now listed by the IUCN as vulnerable to extinction. Florida Scrub Jay Habitat is Dependent on Fire Now it is only through the herculean efforts of the State of Florida Wildlife Conservation Service and other environmental groups that the populations of Scrub Jay have been kept from further decline. Many state parks have been created to protect what remains of the necessary scrub habitat. Prescribed burns have been initiated to mimic the natural conditions that maintained this habitat in the past. Florida Scrub Jay Habitat Regeneration This habitat regenerates quickly after a fire. The trick is in managing which plots are burned on a cycle that allows maximum available habitat for the remaining families of Florida Scrub Jays. Florida Scrub Jay in Native Habitat The Gopher Tortoise is dependent on this habitat as well, and is also in danger of extinction. We had worked our way almost to the end of the trail in blazing, 99 degree Florida sunshine, and I had given up hope of seeing the Gopher Tortoise, when one ambled across the path in front of us, stopped and looked at us for what seemed forever, then ambled into the scrub at the side of the trail. Gopher Tortoise needs same habitat as Florida Scrub Jay There is a very important lesson here: protecting a species is not possible without protecting it’s habitat! It seems a much smarter plan to think about the outcomes of our actions BEFORE we destroy another habitat, because the cost of restoration and protection is enormous. And by now you’re thinking, what does this possibly have to do with my garden? Here’s the thing. Each of us needs to become familiar with the endangered wildlife in our own regions, and their specific habitat requirements. By recreating these conditions as much as possible in your garden, you will be providing much needed habitat for wildlife. Begin by calling your state’s wildlife conservation organization, such as the Department of Natural Resources, your local National Wildlife Refuge, or other local conservation organization to discover out which species need the most help in your area. Any of these organizations should be able to tell you how you can help wildlife in your garden. When we make the effort to provide habitat for specialist species, we will be helping many other wildlife species as well. More From Ecosystem Gardening: Submit your review

First Aid for Focal Impaired Awareness (complex partial) Seizures Focal impaired awareness seizures were formerly called complex partial or psychomotor seizures. This means that the person may look awake but they aren't able to respond fully, may be confused, or not remember events. They are not fully unconscious though. The word focal means that they start in one area of the brain or one group of one side of the brain. Many focal seizures have some type of automatic behaviors, called automatisms, during them. The chance of seriously hurting yourself during a focal seizure with impaired awareness is small. Single and brief focal seizures do not damage the brain. Long or repeated ones may cause slight but lasting memory loss. More serious brain injury is rare, unless the seizure leads to seizure emergencies, such as status epilepticus. What to Do - Speak quietly and in a reassuring manner. Some people may be able to hear during a seizure. - Do not yell at the person or restrain them unless absolutely necessary to keep the person safe. They may be confused and react differently to emotional or physical stimulation. - Keep the person safe. For example: - Keep them away from hot objects, surfaces or fire. - Keep them away from dangerous situations, equipment or places. - Keep them from wandering or running in dangerous places. - Other behaviors during these focal seizures may cause worry, but are usually not dangerous. These include screaming, kicking, ripping up papers, disrobing, sexual-like movements, and, rarely, masturbation. Stay next to the person when these occur and prevent injury. - If someone is known to have unusual automatic movements, guide them in a quiet and reassuring manner to a more private place if possible. - Work with your health care provider about specific ways to lessen embarrassing effects of a focal seizure. - The greatest danger of an unexpected seizure occurs when the person is driving a car or operating dangerous equipment. - People with seizures that impair consciousness or control of movement should avoid these activities as directed by their physician or state driving laws. - In some cases, potentially dangerous equipment can be used safely if adequate precautions are taken. What else can be done? - If the person has a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS), use the magnet to help stop the event. - Follow the person’s Seizure Action Plan on what to do and when to give rescue medications for clusters or repeated seizures. - Seek medical help according to the person’s Seizure Action Plan. - If the plan isn’t available, get emergency help if: - If the seizure is prolonged (more than 5 to 10 minutes of impaired consciousness with automatisms), - If there are two or more impaired awareness seizures without return of consciousness between seizures. - If the person is injured. - If the seizure occurred in water. - If the person doesn’t return to their usual state. Epilepsy centers provide you with a team of specialists to help you diagnose your epilepsy and explore treatment options. Find in-depth information on anti-seizure medications so you know what to ask your doctor. Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline Call our Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline and talk with an epilepsy information specialist or submit a question online. Tools & Forms Download our seizure tracking app, print out seizure action plans, or explore other educational materials.

Why Some Return Home to Rural America and Why It Matters Continued population loss in rural communities is caused as much by low in-migration as by high out-migration; in remote rural communities lacking natural amenities, return migrants make up a large share of total in-migration. Return migrants potentially play a critical role in rural areas in slowing population loss, rejuvenating the population base, generating jobs, and increasing human, social, and financial capital. Family ties, increased opportunities for outdoor recreation for the whole family, and fuller participation in school sports for their children were often mentioned as motivating factors for moving back to rural America. Persistent population loss is a fact of life for hundreds of small communities across the country. In nearly half of today’s nonmetropolitan (rural) counties, more people have moved out than moved in during every decade since 1950. The clustering of these counties in regions such as the Great Plains and Corn Belt illustrates that population loss is associated with low population density, low urban accessibility, and few natural amenities. Communities in these areas face challenges adjusting to aging populations, fewer workers, and declining revenues. Rural population loss is generally characterized by policymakers and others as young people leaving. Net out-migration caused an average (median) 28-percent decline among 20-24 year olds in nonmetropolitan counties during 2000-2010, compared to just an 8-percent decline in metropolitan counties. However, stemming rural population loss and spurring economic development may depend less on retaining young adults after high school than on attracting them back as they settle down to start careers and raise children. Median net migration rates in nonmetropolitan counties are highest among adults age 30-34 and children age 5-9. Return migration likely plays a large role in these life-cycle migration trends. Return migrants potentially play a critical role in their rural home communities by slowing population loss, generating jobs, and increasing human, social, and financial capital. However, little is known about rates of return migration to different types of places, the timing of moves back home, or the socioeconomic characteristics of returnees compared with other groups. Most migration data sources cannot adequately identify return migrants, especially those moving back to rural areas. To answer questions about the causes and consequences of rural return migration, researchers traveled to 21 communities in 17 States and interviewed over 300 individuals at high school reunions during the summers of 2008 and 2009. Reunions are the only venues that allow for simultaneous interviews with stayers (who never moved away), return migrants (who moved away and later returned), and nonreturn migrants (who moved away and still lived elsewhere at the time of the interview). Researchers also spent time interviewing business and community leaders outside of reunion events to learn about aspects of community life affecting return migration decisions. Community visits took place in a subset of rural counties that experienced net outmigration between 2000 and 2007. This subset of counties had moderate to low levels of natural amenities and were located in geographically isolated areas. These geographically disadvantaged counties were chosen not because return migration is unimportant elsewhere, but because communities in these counties do not attract many newcomers and thus depend much more on attracting returnees to offset population loss. Most counties in the Great Plains and Corn Belt fall into this study area, with other clusters in the Intermountain West, the Great Lakes region, the lower Mississippi Valley, and Appalachia. Open-ended interviews at reunion events included questions exploring reasons for staying, returning, or not returning. Returnees were asked why they moved away in the first place and why they returned. They were also prompted to describe the impact they had made on their home communities after returning, such as by starting businesses and hiring employees, assuming leadership positions, or volunteering. Nonreturnees were asked if they had ever considered moving back and, if so, what prevented the move. Questions about education, occupation, marital status, presence of children, and parental ties were also included. Family-related Reasons Motivated Most Return Moves The presence of family members and the desire to raise children back home were primary motivators among return migrants interviewed. Most came home with spouses, brought young children with them or started families soon after returning, and had one or both parents still living in their home community. Conversations about returning home centered on the value of family connections for child raising in a small-town environment: “I wanted to raise a family with my wife … It isn't anything much more complicated than that. I just wanted to be in a good place to raise a family and be close enough ... to extended family that they can be a part of that. So our kids have been around both sets of grandparents and that’s been a positive thing for them.” Many returnees described shifts in their personal attitudes in favor of living at home after becoming parents. For others, moving home was not a question of whether, but when: “My husband … always had the desire and the want to come back here and raise a family and … didn’t want to come back here unless he was married and [in] the process of having a family.” Almost all returnees had parents still at home, whereas many nonreturnees did not. If parents no longer lived in the home community, the incentives to return diminished. Nonreturnees were also more likely than returnees to be single or to be married but not planning to have children: “We're not planning on having kids. So the kids and education, and idyllic life I was talking about—the Norman Rockwell—is really not a big factor.” Relatively few moves back home among those interviewed were motivated by the need to care for aging parents, most likely because of the relatively young age of many interviewees. Most returnees were in their late 20s or 30s, with relatively healthy parents. However, several returnees described moving back to help parents with family-run businesses: “Mom and Dad live on a farm and he's 68 and he needs help … This felt like the right place to be.” School Quality and Community Investments Influenced Return Migration Decisions In addition to family ties, return migrants described other positive aspects of their home community that bolstered their decision to move back. For some, it was simply a strong sense of familiarity. After living in larger cities, people from small towns often missed close connections with neighbors. For others, it was the slower pace of life: “I love it here ‘cause it’s so peaceful … I told my mom it’s like … you don't realize it till you leave here and come back just how quiet it is and how friendly everybody is.” Just as school quality determines many residential moves within cities, decisions to return or not return to rural communities hinged heavily on evaluations of local school systems. Nonreturnees expressed reservations about the academic standards of hometown schools and valued the broad range of activities offered in larger, urban schools. Conversely, returnees touted smaller class sizes, closer relations with teachers, and better chances for kids to play for school teams: “It’s a smaller school system, you know the teachers by their first names, you see them in the grocery stores, you see them on the streets.” Physical aspects of rural home communities also influenced decisions to return back home or not. The physical compactness of small communities made for shorter trips for work, shopping, and visiting family. Proximity to natural landscapes was highly valued. Many parents wanted to pass on experiences they had growing up, so opportunities for camping trips, hunting, fishing, and hiking were strong draws. Community leaders readily pointed out recent recreational investments and understood their importance in making their towns more attractive to newcomers and returnees alike. Interviews with returnees also revealed a high level of value placed on the availability of municipal parks, community centers, bike paths, and other recreational infrastructure: “We have a country club in this community. You can go play golf. We have a nice community center. We have a swimming pool.” “Kids get to ride their bikes and go to the swimming pool, and you don't really have to worry about that kind of stuff.” Low Wages and Career Limitations Were Cited as Primary Reasons for Not Returning Home Roughly half of nonreturnees made it clear they had never considered moving back home and probably never would. For some, this reflected a strong preference for city living, especially the cultural amenities. For others, it was a career-based decision; many pursuing higher end technical and professional careers described the need to be located in a large city. Other nonreturnees who had considered moving back cited low wages and lack of career opportunities as the primary barrier: “There would be nothing for my husband to do as far as a job here. He’s an electrical engineer and there’s no opportunity probably for what he does.” “There is no money to be made here. There is not any way to really support yourself unless you would want to make minimum wage. To provide a better life for me and my daughter, you have to be in a bigger area.” Dual-earner families felt especially challenged relocating to smaller towns. For returnees, career and financial sacrifices were recurring themes. Benefits gained by moving home, such as closer family ties, often came with lower earnings in the short term and limited career options in the long term. “We lived in Arizona in a very large city and ... even though it treated me and the wife well financially we just thought it was the right time and it was a realistic decision for our kids.” Migration researchers distinguish between situations in which “people follow jobs” and others in which “jobs follow people.” Returnees interviewed for this study were generally not drawn back home by career opportunities. As one community leader put it, “You have to want to live here. This must be the kind of lifestyle you want.” Returnees Bring Home Education, Work Experience, and Leadership Skills Overall return migration numbers are believed to be small compared with initial outmigration. However, return migrants do replenish the population to some extent, and those with families add more people back into the population than were removed when they left on their own. Children of returnees are typically quite young, giving them a better chance to establish strong friendships and other ties to the community. Both returnees and community leaders noted positive benefits from increased school enrollment coming as a result of return migration, since small increases in school enrollment can sometimes make the difference between retaining or cutting programs. By adding back to the population, return migrants also boost the demand for local services and lower per capita costs of providing public services. In addition to adding population, return migrants usually increase average levels of education and technical skills. Most attended college, then spent time working or serving in the military. To some extent, the education, skills, and experience gained while away can alleviate the effects of the rural “brain drain,” the outmigration of the most talented among high school graduates in these communities: “I got my degree, I got 10 years of practical experiences and I want to apply that here. [I want] to bring ideas and some business back.” “I went to cooking school and I am really interested in culinary history … I have been proposing … that we start some culinary tours and things that we will end up bringing in tourism into this part of the State.” Returnees who left home for education and training came back to fill positions as doctors, pharmacists, accountants, bankers, lawyers, hospital administrators, teachers, business managers, and entrepreneurs. They moved into family businesses—insurance companies, newspapers, real estate agencies, restaurants, retail stores, manufacturing plants, farms—or took over businesses from retiring owners. By expanding an already sizeable business and deciding to keep the headquarters in his hometown, one return migrant contributed significantly to the employment base, in part by drawing on his social networks and recruiting other returnees. Returnee businesses sometimes capitalized on recent renovation and beautification projects and made these community investments pay off by occupying storefronts in prime locations and adding to the range of local services. Returnees added various social benefits through office-holding, charity work, and participation in school activities, recreation projects, and business associations. Returnees also filled leadership roles in a broad range of organizations, some dealing with economic development (such as Chambers of Commerce or regional development councils), others with community governance (such as school boards and city councils), and some covering resource issues (including land-use planning and water protection). Volunteer work by migrants benefited schools and recreation groups in particular, because returnees derived satisfaction from involvement with their children. Conversations revealed feelings of belonging and social connections that promoted community involvement and motivated returnees to get involved: “I am very involved because in a small town that’s what you are expected to do. I am on a city council and a variety of boards and people just take turns. That comes with the turf.” Promoting Return Migration May Be More Effective Than Retaining Youth or Attracting Retirees Return migration plays a vital role in rural America, but information about rates of return migration, the timing of moves back home, and the potential economic impacts of returnees is not available through standard quantitative assessments. The interview-based research reported here shows that decisions to move back to rural communities are grounded in social relations that promote civic engagement. While returnees mainly move back for their children and parents, they also value involvement in familiar social networks and the opportunities to make a difference. Investments in college and job training made elsewhere by these young adults translate into valuable community assets down the road. They raise the ability of rural towns to sustain community functions in the face of limited financial and human resources. Return migration strategies may prove more effective than attempts to retain young people in the years right after high school. For talented and motivated youth, leaving rural communities is a necessary, inevitable, and highly encouraged rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood. Several community leaders wanted to modify this mindset to make them feel welcomed and encouraged to move back: “… So it creates a culture, right from the beginning of people saying hey, you don’t stay around here if you’re young, you go someplace else and figure out what life’s all about. Well, if we’re going to be successful at maintaining … our rural communities … we’re going to have to change that perception, that culture so that people understand that it’s OK to come back and that there are opportunities here.” Many States and rural communities invest in strategies to attract retirees, whose migration tendencies and economic impacts have been thoroughly scrutinized. The potential for younger return migrants to replenish rural populations and revive struggling economies is arguably higher, because they add more to the labor force and to school enrollment. People who return home in their 20s and 30s are especially well positioned to take on long-term entrepreneurial and leadership roles. As one participant put it, “I like this community. I think it’s given me a lot so I wanted to come back and give back to the community.” Repopulating rural communities is an explicit aim of the current USDA Strategic Plan for 2010-2015. However, economic development strategies geared towards recruiting return migrants remain underdeveloped in the United States compared with other countries, partly due to limited knowledge of return migration trends. Policymakers in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and other States have promoted campaigns designed to encourage return migration. For several years, congressional sponsors called for a New Homestead Act, which would have provided small-business loans, housing subsidies, college debt relief, and other incentives to individuals and families agreeing to move to geographically disadvantaged counties. Interviews with return migrants to these counties provide evidence that specific types of family-oriented investments in schools and community facilities could also be used to enhance population potential and economic growth. Factors Affecting Former Residents' Returning to Rural Communities, by John Cromartie, Christiane von Reichert, and Ryan Arthun, USDA, Economic Research Service, May 2015 “Returning Home and Making a Living: Employment Strategies of Return Migrants to U.S. Rural Communities', Journal of Rural and Community Development, Vol. 6(2), July 2011 “Reasons for Returning and Not Returning to Rural U.S. Communities', Professional Geographer, Vol. 66(1), February 2014 'Impacts of Return Migration on Rural U.S. Communities', Rural Sociology, Vol. 79(2), June 2014 Coming Home: Why Some Return to Rural Communities and Some Do Not, and What Difference It Makes (Webinar), USDA, Economic Research Service, July 2015

Cholesterol is one of the more confusing aspects of health to understand. Many individuals view the word with only negative connotations and are not completely aware of cholesterol’s mechanism within the body. While cholesterol can harmfully impact your health, there are types of cholesterol that are essential for our health and perform important jobs in the body, such as hormone formation. What is the Impact of Cholesterol on our Overall Health? Lipoproteins are the molecules that carry cholesterol throughout the body. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are referred to as “bad” because they are more likely to build up in our blood vessels and develop plaques. Plaques can cause vessel narrowing which may lead to eventual disruption of blood flow to and from the heart and other organs. On the other hand, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are referred to as “good” because they carry cholesterol back to the liver, which will then work to excrete this from the body. A lipid profile refers to the level of different cholesterols and triglycerides in your blood; maintaining an optimal lipid profile can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke. Since society seems to be straying from the conventional form of medicine and returning to its roots, you may be asking yourself, “what is the best natural cholesterol-lowering supplement?” Medicinal Mushrooms to Support Lower Cholesterol There are several mushrooms, namely Maitake, Shiitake, and Reishi, that have demonstrated the ability to improve lipid profiles by directly acting on the mechanisms that control cholesterol transport and excretion, but also by acting as antioxidants and reducing lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation is when lipids degrade within the cell membrane, leading to cell damage and death. Oxidative stress and increased cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) are linked to increased risk for development of cardiovascular risk factors. Extracts of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi also known as "the mushroom of immortality") were studied on their affect in ameliorating cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol levels . The study found that Reishi was able to decrease total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol . It also exhibited powerful antioxidant effects by improving our body’s antioxidant enzymatic activities . Other benefits of Reishi mushrooms include reducing stress and improving sleep quality, both of which would benefit the foundations of health and lead to a bodily system more equipped to promote health. The Benefits of Shiitake Mushrooms Shiitake is commonly recognized as a culinary mushroom, but the fruiting body’s medicinal properties and nutrient content are far more impressive. It contains fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidant compounds, and polysaccharides, all of which are beneficial to our health . One study found that after 66 days of Shiitake use, the participants in a double-blind randomized clinical trial illustrated an average 10% reduction in triglyceride levels . Shiitake was also found to increase the levels of reduced glutathione, which is the main endogenous antioxidant in the body, and decreased levels of lipid peroxidation . The Benefits of Maitake Mushrooms Maitake is another mushroom commonly used to improve lipid profiles, but also has functions in the treatment or support of diabetes, blood pressure, the immune system, and cancer. Maitake exhibited the ability to improve lipid profiles by inhibiting accumulation of lipids in the liver and inhibiting elevation of lipids in the blood . Maitake was able to increase the level of cholesterol excretion by 1.8 and bile acid-secretion by 3-fold . This is significant as bile is used to carry away waste, break down fats during digestion, and is involved in the excretion of excess cholesterol . This was also illustrated in another study that found treatment with Maitake to increase levels of cholesterol in feces, meaning a higher volume was excreted . As mentioned, Maitake works well to improve excretion of excess cholesterol and this was exhibited in a study which found that Maitake was better at decreasing total cholesterol levels, compared to Shiitake . However, Shiitake was found to decrease levels in the blood more than Maitake . This exhibits how important it can be to use multiple mushrooms together as they can work synergistically. Four Medicinal Mushrooms Combined into one Mushroom Extract Blend Eversio Wellness carries many mushroom supplements containing singular mushroom extracts, but sometimes we want the synergy of several mushrooms working together, and this is where their extract mushroom blends come into play. The Balance Blend contains Maitake, Shiitake, Reishi, and Lion’s Mane. This powerful antioxidant blend will not only assist you with balancing cholesterol levels, but it can strengthen your immune system, act as an anti-inflammatory, provide stress relief, help lower high blood pressure, boost mental health, sleep support, and, thanks to Lion’s Mane mushrooms, improve cognitive abilities. The formulation is full of health benefits, has 45% verified beta d glucans, and comes in powder (extract) form, so it is excellent to be used in drinks, or even food! By Silvana Jakupovic — BSc and 4th Year Student of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM-Boucher) Rahman MA, Abdullah N, Aminudin N. Evaluation of the Antioxidative and Hypo-cholesterolemic Effects of Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes), in Ameliorating Cardiovascular Disease. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2018;20(10):961-969. doi: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2018028370. PMID: 30806268. Spim SRV, Pistila AMH, Pickler TB, Silva MT, Grotto D. Effects of Shiitake Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Lentinus edodes (Agaricomycetes), Bars on Lipid and Antioxidant Profiles in Individuals with Borderline High Cholesterol: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2021;23(7):1-12. doi: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2021038773. PMID: 34375514. Kubo K, Nanba H. The effect of maitake mushrooms on liver and serum lipids. Altern Ther Health Med. 1996 Sep;2(5):62-6. PMID: 8795938. Kubo K, Nanba H. Anti-hyperliposis effect of maitake fruit body (Grifola frondosa). I. Biol Pharm Bull. 1997 Jul;20(7):781-5. doi: 10.1248/bpb.20.781. PMID: 9255420. Fukushima M, Ohashi T, Fujiwara Y, Sonoyama K, Nakano M. Cholesterol-lowering effects of maitake (Grifola frondosa) fiber, shiitake (Lentinus edodes) fiber, and enokitake (Flammulina velutipes) fiber in rats. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2001 Sep;226(8):758-65. doi: 10.1177/153537020222600808. PMID: 11520942. Back to Wellness Blog

”Gendering The Cyber World: Women and Girls Safety online” Like in the real world, women are more often exposed to cybercrime than men. Cyber-violence and exploitation in Lebanon is becoming increasingly more serious; more than 100 cases of online violence have been reported to the authorities monthly by women and girls. Harassment, bullying, sexual abuse, and stalking are all issues that are as real online as they are offline. How to stay safe online? Prevention is always the best medicine! Social behavior is key! What is Cyber Security? It is an online process, culture and system designed to prevent all types of online threats. These dangers might be caused by humans, by technological challenges or by malware or viruses when logging in to unsafe websites, logging in to a publicly accessible internet connection (Wi-Fi), suspicious links, phishing links, unsecured apps or documents. Different people call it different things, such as: digital safety, e-safety, online safety or internet safety. They all mean the same thing. That is a series of safe practices which we follow while surfing the internet to protect us from various online attacks and/or criminal activities. Cyber Safety Teaches Us: How to use information and communication technologies (ICT) responsibly; How to be secure and protect ourselves online; How to protect our emotional well-being; How to back up and secure our information or data such as research and personal details. Ada Lovelace, a British mathematician from the 19th century. She is nicknamed the “first computer programmer” because she was a pioneer in drafting coding technology. Elizabeth Feinler AKA Jake! Was one of the pioneers of the ARPAnet. She led the team that organized the information system. Among her achievements is the development of top level domains known as schemes: .com; .edu; .org; .net; .gov; .mil. Radia Perlman is called the “mother of the internet” for her tremendous contribution in the development of the network and holds more than 80 patents in her field. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the worldwide Internet user penetration rates are higher for men than for women in all regions of the world. According to Intel, 25 percent fewer women than men have access to the internet. The internet can generate tangible benefits for women in developing countries, such as jobs and education opportunities. Social norms can block women from accessing and using information communication technology (ICT). Female online gamers are equal in number to male gamers, but they face more sexism and sexual harassment. Studies show that doubling the number of women and girls online would create an estimated additional USD13 to USD 18 billion in GDP across developing countries. According to UNESCO, 34-57% of STEM graduates in Arab countries are women, which is much higher than in universities in the US or Europe. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will witness a higher need for female professionals in the field of cybersecurity by 2022. The cybersecurity field has a massive labor shortage. Women represent only 20 percent of the global cybersecurity labor force. Most of the cybercrime braches are caused by human error. The most severe cybercrime concerns in the MENA includes data exposure, cyber terrorism, hacking and ransomware, with a lack of proper understanding of what InfoSec is. Cherish your privacy, do not share personal or sensitive information on social media. Protect your password and make it random, using different signs; a different password for each social media platform or online accounts. Change it every two to three months, avoiding children’s, spouse, or pet names and significant dates in your password; do not share it with anyone and do not use it on other people’s devices. Update all operating systems on your computers, laptops, tablets and smartphone regularly. Beware of phishing links which can be sent via emails, SMS, inboxes and VoIP apps (voice & video communications). In the time of Corona, numerous scams and malicious links re being sent. Always check the spelling of the link and ask the senders about it if you know them. Avoid any contact with people you don’t know on social media. Activate the Two-Factor Authentication. Use encrypted apps such as signal and jitsi for communication. Remember nothing is really for free online. Cover your camera with tape all the time. Do not connect to public, open Wi-Fi without a proper virtual private network (VPN). Do not click on websites if there is no ‘s’ in the hypertext transfer protocol (https) or link. S stands for secure and a lock symbol is added next to it. Avoid infodemics by checking the credibility of the website, the source of the information and always rechecking the validity of its content. Clean your digital finger print and delete unnecessary data from your device. Use a parental guidance application for your smart phones and the ones of your children. The Internet can have a positive and empowering digital impact on our life, it is made easier within one click and knowledge is made more accessible for all. But this dynamic environment can also be harmful for girls. Internet safety or “e-safety” for children can be an unexpected challenge, especially if your girls are native learners with well-developed skills in using their devices and navigating online in ways that we as parents never even imagined possible when we were kids. Questions to ask yourself Are you familiar with which online apps your girls are using; have you tested them? Do you know if your girls have ever been bullied or harassed online? Do they visit porn sites with their electronic devices? Do you use a parental guidance application? Do you allow them to be on social media platforms if they are under 13; or under 16? Do you know who your girls are talking to online? What Can You Do? As of a certain age, Respect your girls right to access internet and emphasize this right to them while advising about the importance of their cyber safety and security. Start by talking to your girls about concerns and risks they might face in their online lives. Remind them, they should not talk to strangers. Explain why privacy matters and which pictures and other material are safe to be posted online. Most of the women and girls do not know that online privacy matters for their safety. Review together their privacy and security settings. Advise them not respond to bullies and stalkers emails and messages. Teach them to ignore them, block and or delete them from their lists. Make them trust you and let them know that they can share any problem they are facing online by praising their willingness to talk. Whatever happens online, remember not to be angry with your girls. Explain that good friends will not force them to fulfill unpleasant tasks. Educate yourself digitally. You should know as much as your girls! Link your device with a parental guidance application. Such apps aim to protect and not to censor. Unplug! Have a day or designated period of time without computers or smartphones. This is not a punishment and you should also do it. Dating apps are increasingly becoming the meeting place of choice. This was accentuated during the Corona lockdown. Millions of users worldwide go to online dating platforms. Numerous powerful tools can match you with your potential significant other. Some search for and find long-term commitment. Others look for short-term friendships. But the number of tragic outcomes is also on the rise. Remember, these apps and sites can lead to love or match you with an ominous other, the digital harasser. Data algorithms claim to have a more accurate compatibility level when finding you the partner of your dreams than you might have in real life. But they have a dark side, which is similar to violence in the real world. Online dating scams are on the rise! Protect your right to romance by taking simple precautionary steps. Online dating companies are currently working on developing new tools to help combat harassment and threats while using their platforms. These mechanisms provide features for the victims to report abusive behaviors (such as offensive name-calling, physical threats or harassment over a sustained period of time, sexual harassment, purposeful embarrassment, and stalking). Reports show that in the US alone people lost around 201 million USD through online romance scams in 2019. Victims quite often experience emotional distress and huge financial losses. Scammers might ask you to deposit money or send it as a gift or they might send you money dragging you into a money laundering scheme. Be sure to read safety measures provided by the dating app or website: Most women and girls underestimate the importance of online privacy measures for their safety. Women represent the majority of those affected by romance scams. Do your online research, check the messages being sent to you by conducting reverse image searches of your partner’s pictures. Don’t automatically click on pictures or links sent to you before you verify them and never share your personal credit card information. Young female users of online dating sites are twice as likely as men to report that someone on a dating site or app has called them an offensive name (44% vs. 23%) or threatened to physically harm them (19% vs. 9%). Social media platforms are the most common venue for online dating harassment. It is also common via text messages or messaging apps like WhatsApp. Unfortunately many men stereotype women who open online dating accounts as someone ‘just looking for sex’. Be safe and protect your right to romance from these predators! Online romance imposter scams occur all the time and they are rarely reported because of shame. Being taken advantage of is not shameful; not protecting yourself is.