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So I decided to participate in a fellow blogger NerdExp's challenge, and write about a character in media who uses his brain over his brawn; a character that's not built to be one of the chess pieces, but instead is the player himself. After thinking about it, there's one pretty well known character that comes to mind.
*WARNING: SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD FOR CODE GEASS SEASON ONE*
Geass: a type of psychic power that manifests itself differently in each separate individual. Lelouch's power is the ability is make an individual do whatever he says. The catch is, it cannot be used on the same person twice. The day Lelouch received this power, he massacred a Britannian squad with it.
When you think about Lelouch's army The Order of the Black Knights and the battles he fought with them, each and every fight ends up like a game of chess. Lelouch uses his pieces and orders them at will, going into certain spots, ambushing foes and coming up with battle strategies. One on one fights with a KnightMare? He almost certainly ends up losing. Even in the battle with Cornelia near the end of the first season, his Gawain was not able to outmaneuver her. Instead, it was the appearance of Darlton, who under that influence of his Geass, that saved him.
In the Battle of Narita, Lelouch uses a bomb that releases radiation waves and causes a gigantic landslide taking out half the KnightMares being used by Cornelia. In the end, however, he is chased down by the Lancelot and almost captured, if it were not for C.C.'s help. When he wanted to save C.C. from Mao, he used tricks like recording and taking advantage of Mao's Geass. Even when Mao took his sister captive, he used Kuruguri as a chess piece, one that captures brawn, in order to save her, going as far as using Geass on himself. He is the perfect example of mind over matter, and brains over brawn. | <urn:uuid:a401dbf7-f972-4ea6-9941-fe98787c33ac> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ign.com/blogs/bladesymphony/tag/brains-over-brawn/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00541-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981654 | 437 | 1.546875 | 2 |
While obviously people in the strata of income discussed in this piece won't be coming to visit the website for investing tips or as potential mutual fund investors, anyone talking about the American economy should not be dismissing (or ignoring) what is happening in a great (and growing) part of the population.
- The U.S. poverty rate rose to the highest level in 11 years in 2008 and household incomes declined as the first full year of the recession took its toll, government data showed.
- The poverty rate climbed to 13.2 percent from 12.5 percent, and the number of people classified as poor jumped by 2.6 million to 39.8 million, according to a Census Bureau report released today.
- Real per capita income for the U.S. as a whole declined by 3.1 percent last year to $26,964, the report showed.
- The poverty threshold in 2008 was defined as $22,025 in income for a family of four.
- The rise in poverty is putting a strain on social services and charities. At the Atlanta Community Food Bank, demand in August was up by about 20 percent from a year earlier, said Bill Bolling, the founder and executive director.
- “There are a lot of people who have never needed help that need it now,” he said. “It is quite a different environment.”
[Jun 22, 2009: WSJ - Numbers on Welfare See Sharp Increase]
[Feb 20, 2009: NYT - Newly Poor Swell Lines @ Food Banks Nationwide]
[Nov 14, 2008: Wall Street Journal - A Run on (Food) Banks] | <urn:uuid:d46beab4-b845-4f01-9272-6a2e0849b0ee> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.fundmymutualfund.com/2009/09/us-poverty-rises-to-11-year-high-but.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281069.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00266-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967964 | 340 | 2.296875 | 2 |
PHIL. 134: COMPUTERS, ETHICS & SOCIETY
In a short writing of roughly 500 words, please respond to all of the following questions:
1. Now that you’ve been introduced to a variety of normative ethical theories, how do you now understand the relationship between ethics in general and computers in particular? Next, reconsider Moor’s paper, “What is Computer Ethics?”; what does Moor mean by claiming that computers are logically malleable devices? Furthermore, how does this claim about logical malleability lead to what Moor calls the invisibility factor (of which he offers three kinds)? Please be sure to define your terms and give examples.
Write a short essay that addresses the questions above. When you respond to these questions, you should be specific and cite specific details from the class readings and your own research. You may provide references from your own research, but only in addition to material provided by the course. Also, you MUST make sure to cite your sources in your response and include a reference list at the end of your essay. Citations must be from reputable sources. Sites like Wikipedia, about.com, etc. are NOT considered acceptable sources.
Higher credit will be given for responses that show evidence of a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the topics involved.
Standard font, preferably Arial in either 11pt or 12pt. Be sure to structure your paper in proper paragraph form. Do not write one, long run-on paragraph.
MLA, APA, or any other format is acceptable provided that it is consistent through the entire paper. Please, no cover sheets. | <urn:uuid:698fce15-adb3-4732-891b-21dfe0084fe8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.essay-writing.com/blog/computer-ethics-reflection-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571190.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810131127-20220810161127-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.923704 | 345 | 2.875 | 3 |
Drifter and conman Lino Espos y Mina came to the Chapmans’ Pennsylvania home in 1831, seeking a place to stay. And it was love at first site for the doctor’s wife Lucretia Chapman, an overworked, mother of five.
The night after Lino purchased arsenic from a drug store, Dr. William Chapman (pictured above) became ill. To help her sick husband through a suspected bout of food poisoning, Lucretia made him chicken soup—which only made him more ill.
When Dr. Chapman died on June 22, his autopsy revealed that he had been poisoned. Lino and Lucretia were immediately targeted, and given separate, highly publicized, trials. Lino was convicted, while Lucretia was found not guilty—but key witnesses gave damning evidence against the doctor’s wife.
A neighboring poultry farmer, Benjamin Boutcher, described how over 20 of his ducks dropped dead after consuming the leftover chicken soup that was thrown out on the Chapmans’ lawn. The same chicken soup had been given to Dr. Chapman by his wife before he died.
Linda Wolfe’s well-researched and highly detailed account The Murder of Dr. Chapman immerses readers in the case, providing all the evidence, and leaving it up to you to decide the real killer.
Keep reading to see how the crime played out. Then download The Murder of Dr. Chapman on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
Lino requested black trousers, a vest, and a costly black frock coat from Watkinson, and on Thursday, June 16, he went into town with Lucretia to pick up the clothes. After he got them, he put them on, then he and Lucretia separated. She went to attend to some personal chores, and he went into a pharmacy on Chestnut and Sixth, across the way from Watkinson’s.
It was the handsomest drugstore in the city, the creation of Elias Durand, an émigré from France. Durand had studied his profession in Paris and served Napoleon as a pharmacist in the Grand Armée, and he still bought all his medications and chemicals from France, which led the world in the manufacture of drugs. His taste for things French was also evident in his shop’s sophisticated decor, its array of polished mahogany cabinets, marble-topped counters, and etched-glass windows and doors.
Lino had a friend at the fancy shop, a clerk named Alfred Guillou. He’d met Guillou a few weeks earlier when he’d stopped in the pharmacy to ask for street directions. The young clerk, who knew some Spanish, had considerately supplied the directions in that language, and since that time Lino had paid him several other visits. He’d chatted with Guillou about his origins and told him he was the son of the governor of California, but he hadn’t given him either his true name or his adopted name of Espos y Mina. Instead he’d said he was called Estanislao de Cuesta, just like Mexico’s consul to Philadelphia.
Today he dawdled among the shiny cabinets and finally mentioned to Guillou that he was planning to stuff and mount some birds. Arsenic was a principal ingredient in taxidermy. Lino followed his statement by asking if the shop had any of the popular arsenical soap he wanted to use.
“We haven’t,” Guillou said. “But we might prepare it.”
That wouldn’t be necessary, Lino demurred. “If you have plain arsenic powder, that would answer.”
Guillou wasn’t sure whether he ought to sell Lino arsenic itself. He said he’d ask the boss, and called over Durand.
Durand was a clever man, the inventor of an apparatus for carbonating water who would soon open the first soda bottling company in America. More, he was scientifically astute, so knowledgeable about drugs that Philadelphia’s top physicians were in the habit of asking his advice before they prescribed medicine to their patients. But he was a poor judge of intent. After peering down his long Gallic nose at his clerk’s impeccably dressed friend, he averted his gaze, turned his heavy-lidded eyes toward his shelves, and took down one of his French porcelain jars. Then he scooped some powdery salt onto his brass scale and sold Lino two ounces of arsenic.
The following night William was seized with stomach cramps and nausea. He wasn’t worried about it. Assuming that something he’d eaten had been a little spoiled, he reviewed what he’d had. Roast veal, hot boiled pork, and green peas at the midday meal. Cold pork in the evening, topped with smearcase, the creamy cottage cheese that he relished. No one who’d dined with him had a stomachache, not Lucretia or Lino or any of the children or boarding students. But none of them had eaten any of the pork, his favorite, even though he’d urged it on them, told them how very tasty it was. It must be the pork that was making him feel so bad.
A little brandy would calm his stomach, he decided, and asked Lucretia to fetch him the bottle. But even though he drank a hearty swallow, his stomach continued to feel queasy, so he asked her to get him the peppermint. Alas, she couldn’t find it, which was unfortunate, because without the mint, he stayed up most of the night vomiting, and the next morning, Saturday, he still felt sick.
That was when Lucretia suggested they send for Dr. Phillips. William didn’t want Phillips. He didn’t want any doctor. “The doctor will only give me medicine,” he grumbled. “I have drops for stomachache in the house. I’ll take those.”
Lucretia gave him the drops, but he continued to throw up. He threw up all day, and all night, too, and on Sunday morning Lucretia insisted on getting Dr. Phillips. She didn’t consult William, just sent Lino over to Bristol, and next thing William knew, Phillips was there examining him. “You’ve had a mild attack of cholera morbus,” he said when he was done, and advised eating lightly for the next few days.
Doctors! “A beefsteak would do me more good than anything else,” he’d groused at Phillips.
After Phillips left, Lucretia went into the kitchen. She’d hired new help to replace Ellen, who’d finally quit. She’d hired Juliann, a local woman, as cook, and Ann Bantom, a black woman from Philadelphia, as part-time housecleaner and laundress. But it was Sunday, and neither Juliann nor Ann was in that day. She herself would have to cook William a meal, a light meal as Dr. Phillips had recommended. She decided on rice gruel, boiling the grains until they were soft and letting little Lucretia, who liked helping out in the kitchen, pound them in the mortar until they formed a smooth, gluey porridge.
The next morning Ann came to work but Lucretia still had no cook—Juliann had sent word she was sick. There was nothing for it but to do the cooking herself again. What to make for William? Going across the road to the poultry farm of her neighbors, the Boutchers, she bought a chicken, then hurried home and set about making the chicken soup Dr. Phillips had recommended.
She made a bland concoction, simmering the bird merely in salted water. But by the time the chicken was cooked through, its flavor had transformed the liquid into a rich broth. She added some seasoning, poured her soup into a pretty blue bowl, placed the fowl on a separate plate, carried both dishes to the parlor, and asked Mary to take the meal upstairs to her father.
Little Lucretia was keeping William company when Mary arrived with the food. The two girls got him up, sat him in the rocking chair, and made his bed. Then Mary took advantage of her position as elder sister and assigned Lucretia to help their father eat.
Lucretia didn’t mind. Her father was feeling a bit better, the little girl noticed. He wasn’t vomiting anymore.
Still, he ate slowly at first. He started with the gizzard—he was partial to gizzard. But he said this one was tough, so he gave the rest to her, and soaking a cracker in the soup the way her little brother John used to do when he was a baby, gummed the broth-drenched biscuit. The sucking made his appetite return and soon he was ignoring the soup and tackling the chicken again. He seemed very hungry—he ate all of the breast and part of the back.
When he was done with his meal little Lucretia hefted the heavy blue bowl and the plate of leftover chicken, carried her burden gingerly down the stairs, and set it on the kitchen table. Then she skipped back upstairs to her father.
He didn’t seem so well now, she thought when she scuttled into his room, not so well as he’d been before he’d eaten. | <urn:uuid:4290101b-60eb-4584-9d9d-225490eef592> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://explorethearchive.com/killer-con-poisoning-of-dr-chapman | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00677.warc.gz | en | 0.986333 | 2,018 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A celebration naming College of Marin’s (COM) basketball court after trailblazing basketball player Don Barksdale will be held Friday, April 29, 2022, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at COM’s Kentfield Campus.
Barksdale was one of the first African Americans to break the color barrier and play professionally in the NBA. He is considered one of the most significant alumni to have attended the College.
In June 2020, COM’s Board of Trustees made a unanimous decision to name the basketball court at the Kentfield Campus after the renowned alum. The pandemic delayed the ceremony for almost two years because of limitations and safety concerns for inside gatherings.
Born in Oakland in 1923, Barksdale loved playing basketball from a young age. He was frequently cut from school basketball teams that only allowed one Black player per team and took to playing at local parks. This is where his skills caught the eye of COM’s basketball coach who offered him a scholarship to play for the College, making COM his first school team. Barksdale led COM’s team to two state championships and was named most valuable player. He played at COM from 1941-43, a time when segregation, Jim Crow, and lynching were still legal throughout the United States.
His success at COM launched Barksdale’s basketball career and started a long line of firsts. Barksdale went on to be the first African American to play on the U.S. Olympic team, and at 28 years old, he was one of the first Black men to play in the NBA and one of the highest paid players in the entire league. His career spanned the return of African American troops from World War II, the racist implementation of redlining in housing, and the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954. He would later be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
After his basketball career ended in 1955 from an ankle injury, he became a very successful Bay Area radio host and pioneering entrepreneur well into the 1980s. In the 80s, he founded Save High School Sports, a successful nonprofit organization in Oakland that helped support local athletics threatened by a budget crunch.
Barksdale is the only COM athlete inducted into the Community College League of California COA Hall of Fame. Enshrined three years after his death in 1996, he joined the likes of Jackie Robinson, Warren Moon, and Valerie Brisco-Hooks. In 2007, he was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.
COM is honored to name the College’s basketball court after such a legendary figure.
Register to attend and find out more about the Court Dedication, Jersey Retirement, and Celebration in Honor of Don Barksdale at: https://barksdale.eventbrite.com
This event is cosponsored by COM’s Umoja Equity Institute, COM Athletics, Play! Marin, and Associated Students of College of Marin (ASCOM). | <urn:uuid:ca65bdd0-6634-4303-a0b5-f147be79753e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www1.marin.edu/news/don-barksdale-court-dedication | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.975127 | 622 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Tube Rental Rainbow River Tubing
Images of Tubing down The Rainbow River
Let them stay at home and toil in the yard on a sun-burned summer day (or fight the lines at …. Our River Trips: Relaxing, refreshing, and sometimes invigorating, tubing allows you to put your feet up and breathe easy. We need a POC for this event. There will be no need to paddle or tread. Sep 26, 2018 · The Rainbow River. The Rainbow River, located in Marion County, FL, is a 5.7-mile-long river that is fed by natural springs. Tubing the Rainbow River is something so easy even a dead fish can do it. The Rainbow River in Dunellon is one of our favorite waterways in Florida. Tubing season runs April to October. The park offers tube rentals and a shuttle service to the tubing entry.
The camp site is along the tubing part of the river and there is a dock and steps into the river …. A large, aggressive alligator has caused officials to shut down swimming and tubing on the Rainbow River at KP Hole Park in Marion County. Tubing down the Rainbow River One night talking with some of Duane’s family they had said that they went tubing down the Rainbow River and it was a blast. The Rainbow River boasts crystal clear water that is a constant 72 degrees. Jun 03, 2013 · Reply Amity June 3, 2013 at 10:11 am. Tubing on the Rainbow River is very popular, especially in the summer. The history of Rainbow Springs dates back centuries to a time when native peoples regularly visited this lush spring. The KP Hole County Park in Dunnellon and Rainbow Springs is open daily for recreation. The river is immaculate and beautiful because of. We have kayaked, canoed, taken a paddle board, swam, snorkeled, and tubed down this river.
The State Park’s Tubing Entrance to the park is located at 10830 S.W. 180th Ave Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432 on the east side of the river. Rent a regular tube for the 4 hour Rainbow River tubing trip down Rainbow River. Or get one of our cooler tubes. If you are coming to The Rainbow River to tube down the river a better alternative to the K. P. Hole is the new State Park facility on the east side of the river. The State Park’s Tubing Entrance to the park is located at 10830 S.W. 180th Ave Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432 on the east side of river. Rainbow River tubing has never been so easy and stress-free. Ride and Tube will rent you a tube, and provide shuttle service to the KP hole the starting point and pick you up 4 hours later at the end point at Blue Run. Ride and Tune also provides parking while you enjoy floating down the Rainbow River. Apr 15, 2016 · Canoeing, Kayaking & Tubing on the Rainbow River. 400 – 600 million gallons of fresh water per day. The most significant natural feature is the first-magnitude headspring basin which produces between 400 – 600 million gallons of fresh water per day, forming the Rainbow River. Tubing the Rainbow River in Florida. Tubes can be put in at K.P. Hole County Park, off Highway 41. This is a great tubing experience in the crystal clear waters of Rainbow River in Rainbow Springs Florida. Nov 07, 2017 · Tubing is king on Rainbow River in summer. To minimize the impact of so many people, the Rainbow puts extensive limits on what you can bring on the river – no coolers, no alcohol, no food or beverages in disposable containers, no paper towels or bags. Well, the beauty of tubing down the Rainbow River is that you won’t have to anything at all. You’ll be gently pushed along by the same natural springs that pump 500 million gallons of water down river each day. You can take a moment to sit back & relax. This got me thinking that this would be something fun to do with the kids and so I started checking into it. Aug 12, 2005 · No plastic bags, ziplock or water bottles are allowed. You can and will need to bring water, but it must be in a rubbermaid like plastic bottle or cooler. We went tubing down the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida in July 2005 with our 2 kids ( 6&11). Jul 15, 2019 · Welcome to Rainbow River Kayak Adventures. We are the premier kayak, paddleboard and tube rental outfitter in the historic boomtown of Dunnellon, located in Marion County, Florida. We have high-quality kayak, paddleboard and tube rentals that include kp hole shuttle transportation to and from the Rainbow River. From wading in the crystalline headwaters to canoeing, kayaking, and even lazily floating a tube down river, Rainbow Springs is a priceless jewel in the Florida park system. Crystal clear water of the Rainbow River. ENJOY THE CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS OF THE RAINBOW RIVER Rich in natural beauty and cultural history. This page is for friends of the KP and Rainbow River, Present, Past and Future. About KP Hole Park: Since 1953, KP Hole® Park has been the year-round family destination for spending the day on the spring-fed Rainbow River. While on the 72 degree crystal-clear river, you may encounter a variety of wildlife including alligators, turtles, otters, birds and fish. Jun 01, 2019 · 10 Activities to Do at Rainbow Springs State Park. The tubing entrance is located on S.W. 180th Avenue Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432. Park your car for $5, then Nature’s Quest will drive you up the river and drop you and your tube (tube rentals are $15) off to float back down the river to your car. We will tie up our floats and tubes together and float down the Rainbow River. + Add to Google Calendar + iCal export; Date 08/03/19. Location Rainbow River 11463 N Williams St, …. What To Do On My Rainbow River Tube Ride. Jul 18, 2016 · The Rainbow Springs, near Dunellon Florida, form the Rainbow River, which then flows into the Withlacoochee River. Tubing on the Rainbow River is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day. Tube Rental at Rainbow Springs State Park. There are several facilities where you can rent tubes, kayaks, or …. Away, then, with the petty morality of those petulant scolds whose scruples are offended by going with the flow. We went camping over spring break at Rainbow Springs. Tubing the Rainbow River is a refreshing experience; however tubing is not allowed in the Rainbow River headsprings areas of the park. Tubers can launch at the Rainbow River Tube Entrance on SW 180th Avenue Road or the KP Hole. It is crisp, clear, deep, and the river is wide. Each activity provides a different, fully enjoyable experience. Headwaters at Rainbow Springs State Park. The Rainbow River State Park in Dunnellon has a large roped off swimming hole right at the headsprings of the river, where millions of gallons daily of pure clean water naturally flows. We have a two and a half hour tubing trip from Parmalee Bridge to the Whirlpool Landing. The Rainbow Resort Canoe Livery uses only dual-chambered commercial rental tubes – with and without bottoms. The KP Hole on the Rainbow River is a great place to swim, tube or relax. Aquatic Wilderness Adventures We offer Kayak, and Stand Up Paddle Board rentals and a 4hr Tubing trip on the beautiful Rainbow River located in Dunnellon Florida. Choose our shuttle service or launch from site also our boats are not limited to the Rainbow River so load em’ up and. K,P, Hole County Park. K.P. Hole County Park (marioncountyfl.org) is 1.5 miles downriver from Rainbow River State Park. Located just over an hour away from The Quarters apartments, tubing down the river is a fantastic and relaxing way to enjoy a day. | <urn:uuid:e29beac1-3272-40b7-af2a-cd5ce1830501> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://forumg.org/2020/03/26/tubing-down-the-rainbow-river-ride-and-tube-rainbow-river-tubing-co-tube-rentals/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.929196 | 1,703 | 1.5 | 2 |
China Seeking Canadian Oil
22 December 2004
The New York Times reports that Chinese energy companies are maneuvering to strike ambitious deals in efforts to win access to Canadian oil.
Canada, the largest source of imported oil for the United States, has historically sent almost all its exports of oil south by pipeline to help quench America’s thirst for energy. But that arrangement may be about to change as China, which has surpassed Japan as the second-largest market for oil, flexes its muscle in attempts to secure oil, even in places like the cold boreal forests of northern Alberta, where the oil has to be sucked out of the sticky, sandy soil.
“The China outlet would change our dynamic,” said Murray Smith, a former Alberta energy minister who was appointed this month to be the province’s representative in Washington, a new position. Mr. Smith said he estimated that Canada could eventually export as many as one million barrels a day to China out of potential exports of more than three million barrels a day.
“Our main link would still be with the U.S. but this would give us multiple markets and competition for a prized resource,” Mr. Smith said. [...]
Chinese companies are also said to be considering direct investments in the oil sands, by buying into existing producers or acquiring companies with leases to produce oil in the region. In all, there are nearly half a dozen deals in consideration, initially valued at $2 billion and potentially much more, according to senior executives at energy companies here.
Canada’s oil production from the sands surpassed one million barrels a day this year and was expected to reach three million barrels within a decade. The bulk of output is exported to the Midwestern United States. That flow pushed Canada ahead of Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Venezuela this year as the largest supplier of foreign oil to the United States, with average exports of 1.6 million barrels a day.
Even so, there is the perception among many in Alberta’s oil patch that Canada’s rapidly growing energy industry remains an afterthought for most Americans. That might change, industry analysts say, if Canada were to start exporting oil elsewhere.
Competition for oil is starting to hit closer to home. (Earlier post.)
Here’s a breakdown of the top 6 exporters to the US in October 2004, according to data from the EIA. (Actual imports, not average daily rate.) Canada, which was number one in September, slipped behind Mexico to number 2.
Total actual imports from September 2004 to October 2004 increased 10%, from 290 million barrels to 320 million barrels.
|Top Petroleum Exporters to the US, Oct 2004|
|Country||Barrels (millions)||% total US Imports|
TrackBack URL for this entry:
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As America continues to grow, we are seeing a few patterns develop in terms of how and where people are choosing (or settling) to live. As the decades have passed, we've witnessed the transition from cities, to suburbs, back to urban centers, and into redeveloped
Whether republican, democrat, green, or independent, American’s from one end of the spectrum to the other are voicing their concern about one important (and growing) issue.
This issue is centered squarely on the trend towards ever larger gaps in income inequality and what that will continue
There are a number of rights that may or may not be separated from land ownership. Before you purchase a piece of land, you should look into whether or not you will have the following rights:
A landowner has a right to occupy the surface
Land ownership is something that has become safer for individuals and families, and also continues to be more difficult to accomplish in the United States. These two trends converge in a document, required of all "subdivisions of 100 or more parcels" by the Federal Government.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail spans fourteen U.S. states during its journey that is 2,185 miles (3,516 km) long, including Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Let's take a look at America's
American's ability to finance real estate purchases is something that bends and sways withe the ever-changing climate of the global and national economy. There is one thing that remains constant, though, which is that when interest rates on Land are low, people tend to buy
If you have ever been to the Redwood forests of the American Northwest, then you know how incredible it is to be among such majestic and ancient trees. If you haven't yet visited, you must.
For those who have been, it may surprise you to know
100k or less
, 2-5 acres
, Location Based
If you live in the Houston, San Antonio, or Austin areas, you've got to find the time to check out Cape Shores on the Texas Coast. This property is home to sandy beaches, and deep, dockable waters.
Locals and vacationers alike know this part of the | <urn:uuid:6172b45e-06a4-4375-9780-96576babed9b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://land-ownership.com/2016/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.943219 | 514 | 1.734375 | 2 |
S&P managed to capture the headlines yesterday when it announced that it had a negative outlook for the credit rating of the United States. After all, an actual credit downgrade for the United States government would be big news. While the immediate response was a boost to the deficit hawks’ efforts to cut programs like Social Security and Medicare, it is worth asking a few questions before we surrender these programs to the Wall Street numbers mavens.
The last time S&P was in the headlines it was for giving investment grade ratings to hundreds of billions of dollars of securities that were backed by subprime and ALT-A mortgages. These mortgages were used to buy over-priced homes at the peak of the housing bubble. Many of these mortgages not only carried high risks, but were fraudulent, with lenders having filled in false information to allow homebuyers to qualify for loans that their assets and income would not justify.
Serious people should ask what S&P has done to improve its ratings systems. Have they changed their procedures? Did the S&P analysts who gave AAA or other investment grade ratings to toxic junk get fired or at least get demoted? If not, should we assume that S&P used the same care in assigning a negative outlook to U.S. government debt as it did in assigning investment grade ratings to toxic assets?
Of course it was not just bad mortgage debt that stumped the S&P gang. It gave top quality investment grade ratings to Lehman until just before it imploded in the largest bankruptcy in history. The same was true of AIG, which would have faced a similar fate without a government rescue. Bear Stearns also had a top rating until the very end, as did Enron. In short, S&P has a quite a track record in missing the boat when it comes to assessing creditworthiness.
The markets seem to recognize S&P weak track record in assessing creditworthiness. It downgraded Japan’s government debt in 2002. The interest rate on 10-year government debt in Japan is currently under 1.5 percent, the lowest for any country in the world. Does S&P think that investors are mistaken in being willing to lend Japan money at such low rates?
It is worth noting that interest rates on U.S. bonds fell yesterday, suggesting that S&P’s negative outlook did not scare people who actually have money on the line. (Not to get too technical with our friends at S&P, but it is not even clear what a default on U.S. government debt would mean. After all, the debt is issued in dollars and as a practical matter we can print as many dollars as we want. But, we’ll leave that one for another day.)
Finally, we must remember that S&P is first and foremost a corporation that is run for profit. This is why they rated hundreds of billions of toxic trash as investment grade during the housing bubble. They were paid tens of millions of dollars to do it.
S&P and the other bond rating agencies had their lobbyists working overtime in the financial reform debate. The Senate had approved an amendment by Senator Franken, which would have taken away the power of the issuer to select the agency that rated its bonds. Under the Franken amendment this power would instead be given to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This amendment removed an obvious source of corruption. If the company issuing debt gets to pick the agency that rates the debt, then the bond-rating agency has an obvious incentive to give the debt a positive rating. Otherwise they will lose business. This likely explains how hundreds of billions of subprime mortgage backed securities got investment grade ratings.
However, the Franken amendment never took effect. In the conference committee, Representative Barney Frank, who was then head of the House Financial Services Committee, got language that delayed the implementation for at least two years. In the mean time, the current system, in which the issuer picks the rating agency, remains in place.
This should raise the obvious question: does S&P hope to influence the final resolution of the Franken amendment with its negative outlook on U.S. debt? It’s a terrible thing that we have to ask if the umpire is taking payoffs, but we do have to ask.
After all, this is Washington and Wall Street, a truly toxic combination. And we all know that S&P’s first commitment is to its bottom line, not to provide accurate information to investors. So who is S&P serving in its negative outlook on U.S. government debt? | <urn:uuid:c6ccb177-f6cb-426b-bfbb-94c0f6b051d2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://cepr.net/blogs/cepr-blog/questions-for-sap-on-its-potential-downgrade-of-us-debt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00234-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976016 | 939 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Legends & Sagas
48: Young Andrew
48.1 AS I was cast in my first sleepe,
A dreadffull draught in my mind I drew,
Ffor I was dreamed of a yong man,
Some men called him yonge Andrew.
48.2 The moone shone bright, and itt cast a fayre light,
Sayes shee, Welcome, my honey, my hart, and my sweete!
For I haue loued thee this seuen long yeere,
And our chance itt was wee cold neuer meete.
48.3 Then he tooke her in his armes two,
And kissed her both cheeke and chin,
And twise or thrise he pleased this may
Before they tow did part in twinn.
48.4 Saies, Now, good sir, you haue had your will,
You can demand no more of mee;
Good sir, remember what you said before,
And goe to the church and marry mee.
48.5 Ffaire maid, I cannott doe as I wold;
. . . . .
Goe home and fett thy fathers redd gold,
And Ile goe to the church and marry thee.
48.6 This ladye is gone to her fathers hall,
And well she knew where his red gold lay,
And counted forth five hundred pound,
Besides all other iuells and chaines:
48.7 was well counted vpon his knee;
And brought itt all to younge Andrew,
Then he tooke her by the lillye white hand,
And led her vp to an hill soe hye.
48.8 Shee had vpon a gowne of blacke veluett,
(A pittyffull sight after yee shall see:)
Put of thy clothes, bonny wenche, he sayes,
For noe foote further thoust gang with mee.
48.9 But then shee put of her gowne of veluett,
With many a salt teare from her eye,
And in a kirtle of fine breaden silke
Shee stood beffore young Andrews eye.
48.10 Sais, O put off thy kirtle of silke,
Ffor some and all shall goe with mee;
And to my owne lady I must itt beare,
Who I must needs loue better then thee.
48.11 Then shee put of her kirtle of silke,
With many a salt teare still from her eye;
In a peticoate of scarlett redd
Shee stood before young Andrewes eye.
48.12 Saies, O put of thy peticoate,
For some and all of itt shall goe with mee;
And to my owne lady I will itt beare,
Which dwells soe farr in a strange countrye
48.13 But then shee put of her peticoate,
With many a salt teare still from her eye,
And in a smocke of braue white silke
She stood before young Andrews eye.
48.14 Saies, O put of thy smocke of silke,
For some and all shall goe with mee;
Vnto my owne ladye I will itt beare,
That dwells soe farr in a strange countrye.
48.15 Sayes, O remember, young Andrew,
Once of a woman you were borne;
And for that birth that Marye bore,
I pray you let my smocke be vpon!
48.16 Yes, fayre ladye, I know itt well,
Once of a woman I was borne;
Yett for noe birth that Mary bore,
Thy smocke shall not be left here vpon.
48.17 But then shee put of her head-geere fine;
Shee hadd billaments worth a hundred pound;
The hayre that was vpon this bony wench head
Couered her bodye downe to the ground.
48.18 Then he pulled forth a Scottish brand,
And held itt there in his owne right hand;
Saies, Whether wilt thou dye vpon my swords point, ladye,
Or thow wilt goe naked home againe?
48.19 Liffe is sweet, then, Sir, said shee,
Therfore I pray you leaue mee with mine;
Before I wold dye on your swords point,
I had rather goe naked home againe.
48.20 My father, shee sayes, is a right good erle
As any remaines in his countrye;
If euer he doe your body take,
Your sure to flower a gallow tree.
48.21 And I haue seuen brethren, shee sayes,
And they are all hardy men and bold;
Giff euer th doe your body take,
You must neuer gang quicke ouer the mold.
48.22 If your father be a right good erle
As any remaines in his owne countrye,
Tush! he shall neuer by body take,
Ile gang soe fast ouer the sea.
48.23 If you have seuen brethren,"] he sayes,
If they be neuer soe hardy or bold,
Tush! they shall neuer my body take,
Ile gang soe fast into the Scottish mold.
48.24 Now this ladye is gone to her fathers hall,
When euery body their rest did take;
But the Erle which was her father
Lay waken for his deere daughters sake.
48.25 But who is that, her father can say,
That soe priuilye knowes the pinn?
Its Hellen, your owne deere daughter, father,
I pray you rise and lett me in.
48.26 . . . . .
Noe, by my hood! quoth her father then,
My [house] thoust neuer come within,
Without I had my red gold againe.
48.27 Nay, your gold is gone, father! said shee,
. . . . .
Then naked thou came into this world,
And naked thou shalt returne againe.
48.28 Nay! God forgaue his death, father, shee sayes,
And soe I hope you will doe mee;
Away, away, thou cursed woman,
I pray God an ill death thou may dye!
48.29 Shee stood soe long quacking on the ground
Till her hart itt burst in three;
And then shee fell dead downe in a swoond,
And this was the end of this bonny ladye.
48.30 Ithe morning, when her father gott vpp,
A pittyffull sight there he might see;
His owne deere daughter was dead, without clothes,
The teares they trickeled fast from his eye.
48.31 . . . . . .
Sais, Fye of gold, and fye of fee!
For I sett soe much by my red gold
That now itt hath lost both my daughter and mee!
48.32 . . . . . .
But after this time he neere dought good day,
But as flowers doth fade in the frost,
Soe he did wast and weare away.
48.33 But let vs leaue talking of this ladye,
And talke some more of young Andrew;
Ffor false he was to this bonny ladye,
More pitty that he had not beene true.
48.34 He was not gone a mile into the wild forrest,
Or halfe a mile into the hart of Wales,
But there they cought him by such a braue wyle
That hee must come to tell noe more tales.
* * * * *
48.35 . . . . .
Ffull soone a wolfe did of him smell,
And shee came roaring like a beare,
And gaping like a feend of hell.
48.36 Soe they fought together like two lyons,
And fire betweene them two glashet out;
Th raught eche other such a great rappe,
That there young Andrew was slaine, well I wott.
48.37 But now young Andrew he is dead,
But he was neuer buryed vnder mold,
For ther as the wolfe devoured him,
There lyes all this great erles gold.
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Title: The Mysterious Spaniard Author: Anonymous * A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook * eBook No.: 0606731h.html Language: English Date first posted: August 2006 Date most recently updated: August 2006 This eBook was produced by: Richard Scott Project Gutenberg of Australia eBooks are created from printed editions which are in the public domain in Australia, unless a copyright notice is included. We do NOT keep any eBooks in compliance with a particular paper edition. Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this file. This eBook is made available at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg of Australia License which may be viewed online at http://gutenberg.net.au/licence.html To contact Project Gutenberg of Australia go to http://gutenberg.net.au
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THE Chevalier Franval, and his sister Amarylla, were the only children of a French General of great reputation, who died at the beginning of the last century, at an elegant villa to which he had retired in the evening of his days, at the distance of a few leagues from the city of Paris.
At the time of her father's death, Amarylla was receiving her education in the convent of St. Ann at Aurillac. The Chevalier watched the death-bed of his parent with the most anxious and tender affection; and the most solemn injunction which that parent bestowed on him, was, to supply his place, by every care and attention in his power, to his orphan sister; a command so congenial to the feelings of the Chevalier, that it was a satisfaction to himself to pronounce a vow to this effect on the ear of his expiring father.
Six months after the death of the General, was the time appointed for Amarylla to quit her convent; and the period being arrived, her brother set out for Aurillac, resolved himself to be her protector on her journey home. He travelled leisurely, and stopping one evening in a small town, where he was informed that the church was a handsome structure, he strolled towards it, intending to amuse an hour by viewing it. On his return to his inn, he perceived loitering before it, a gentleman whom he had seen examining the beauties of the church at the same time that he had been engaged in observing them himself; and concluding that he was a stranger in the place, and his fellow lodger at the inn, addressed himself to him. The young man (for he did not appear above twenty years of age) met Franval's advances towards an acquaintance with evident pleasure, and entered into conversation with him in a manner which displayed him to have added a liberal education to a good natural understanding. He proved (as Franval had supposed) to be a lodger at the same inn, and they agreed to sup together. The stranger informed Franval, that he was a Spaniard by birth; his name Don Manuel di Vadilla; and that he was travelling, attended by only one servant, solely for his amusement and improvement. After an evening pleasantly spent by both parties, they separated for the night; and on the following morning, took a friendly leave of each other previously to pursuing their respective journies.
The conciliating manners of Don Manuel had made a very favorable impression in his behalf on the mind of the Chevalier; and often, as he rode along, did he reflect on the agreeable hours which he had passed in the society of the young Spaniard. At length he reached the convent of Saint Ann, where a meeting of the most joyful and affectionate nature took place between him and his sister.
Amarylla had always been handsome whilst a girl; but during the four years that her brother had been separated from her, he beheld a great augmentation of her charms to have taken place. She was become tall and graceful; her eyes were of a sparkling blue, and expressive of the sweetness of her disposition; her cheeks, twin roses; her lips a bed of coral, within which reposed a double row of pearls.
After remaining three days at Aurillac, the Chevalier and his sister commenced their journey towards home. As they travelled, he remarked that Amarylla, notwithstanding the sweetness of her temper, which was never for a moment interrupted, appeared to have some object, either of regret or melancholy, for her private thoughts. She would frequently fall into short fits of absence, and heave sighs, which appeared to be accompanied with some tender emotion. The Chevalier entreated her, by the love which he bore her, as the only remnant of his revered parents, to confide to him the secrets of her heart. For some time Amarylla, with blushes, evaded a direct reply: at length she confessed that a young man, of whom she had a few weeks before caught an accidental view from the seat appointed in the chapel of her convent for the boarders, had made an impression on her heart, which she could not obliterate from it.
Her brother smiled at the warmth of the innocent Amarylla's first sensation of the imperious passion of love, and told her, that as her acquaintance with society increased, which it would do as soon as she was introduced, on her return home, to the world, she would herself laugh at the serious manner in which she now treated a recollection of this nature.
In apologizing for her confession, Amarylla urged that the youth had beheld her, not withstanding her retired situation; and that his eyes had beamed with an expression which had eloquently declared his wish of approaching her; and that he had left the church with a last gaze, which she had understood as entreating her to remember him. Still the Chevalier continued to smile, and Amarylla to sigh.
A journey free from all disasters brought them to the Chevalier's villa: it was the family mansion, a house of considerable elegance, and furnished in a style of magnificence which rivalled those of most of the nobles: in particular, one of its saloons, and a breakfast apartment on the second story, which were ornamented with paintings of so great value and excellence as frequently to attract strangers to inspect them; an indulgence which was always readily granted to persons of a respectable rank.
On entering the house, the Chevalier was met by his housekeeper, who informed him, that he had a gentleman, a stranger, lodging in one of the chambers. Franval requested an explanation of her words. She answered, that the gentleman of whom she spoke, had come to the villa about a week before, to view the pictures; that his foot having slipped as he was descending the stairs, he had had the misfortune of breaking one of his legs, and that she had been compelled by humanity, to offer him a bed in the house. The Chevalier, with the natural generosity and feeling of his heart, commended the conduct she had pursued; and, after a short time, went to visit the stranger, and make him personal offers of his services, when, to his great surprise, he beheld in the invalid, Don Manuel di Vadilla.
The nature of their remarks on this extraordinary meeting may be easily imagined: nor can it be doubted, that the Chevalier caused every attention to be paid to the recovery of a young man, his first acquaintance with whom had created for him a favorable prejudice in his heart.
Franval passed many hours in each day by the bedside of his guest; and as their acquaintance increased, he learnt from him the following particulars of his history: that he was an orphan; that the few relatives whom he possessed, were all distant ones; that Spain was a country of which the manners and the inhabitants were not congenial to his feelings, and that he had therefore quitted it, and resolved to settle in France; but he had not yet fixed on any spot as a residence: that his fortune, which was ample, he had placed in the hands of a banker in Paris; and had a servant, who was his only attendant, a man apparently about forty-five years of age, named Rodalvo, to whom he expressed himself particularly attached, as he had been in his service from the hour of his birth.
In their conversation, one day, it chanced that Franval mentioned to Don Manuel, his having brought home his sister from the convent of Saint Ann at Aurillac. At the name of the convent the Spaniard smiled; and when Franval enquired the cause of his doing so, he confessed to him, that, having one evening attended vespers in the Chapel of that convent, he had been particularly struck by the beauty of one of the boarders; that, at the time, he had not believed the impression made by her charms on his heart to have been so deep as he had since found it; but that with each succeeding day, he now desired more earnestly to see her again.
The Chevalier recollected the confession which his sister had made to him, of her having beheld with the eye of partiality, a stranger in the church of Saint Ann, who she believed had viewed her with the same emotions as she had seen him; and from the similarity of her account to that of the young Spaniard, he doubted not that they were reciprocally the hero and heroine of each others' adventures. He buried his suspicions in his breast but the progress of time proved them to have been correct.
When Don Manuel was sufficiently recovered from his hurt to quit his chamber, and descend into the apartments in the daily use of the family, the first moment of his encountering Amarylla, was attended with an emotion of joy and surprise on the part of each, which clearly explained to Franval the justice of his conjectures. The enamoured pair were in raptures at this unexpected introduction to each other; and when the perfect use of Don Manuel's limbs was again restored to him, he still lingered at the villa of the Chevalier Franval, unable to quit the adorable object who possessed his heart.
Thus passed on six months, at the expiration of which, Amarylla requested her brother's permission to bestow her hand on Don Manuel. The Chevalier saw that her affections were placed on him, and that he appeared devoted to her. He had now gained, he believed, a thorough knowledge of Don Manuel's heart and principles; he regarded them calculated to ensure happiness to his beloved sister; and their union was accordingly sanctioned by his approbation.
Never were two amiable hearts more happy than were those of Don Manuel and his Amarylla in the possession of each other; and the Chevalier Franval, unwilling to lose the pleasure of their society, invited them to make his villa their abode. Two years rolled on in happiness uninterrupted, during the course of which two lovely infants strengthened the bond of affection between their parents. Shortly after the birth of their second child, Don Manuel, one morning at breakfast, expressed an intention of riding that day to Paris, and returning again in the evening: this was by no means an unusual thing either with him or his brother-in-law Franval; and when the coffee was removed, he set out for the metropolis, attended by his servant Rodalvo.
The evening closed without the return of Don Manuel; the night advanced, and still he did not arrive. His wife consoled herself with the idea that some engagement, which he had been unable to decline, might have detained him to sleep at Paris, and that the morning would bring him home; but alas! her hope was fallacious; the morning came unaccompanied by Don Manuel; and once more the veil of night descended to the earth, without witnessing his return to his disconsolate Amarylla.
The Chevalier Franval was not less anxious for the fate of his brother-in-law, than distressed at beholding the misery which Don Manuel's mysterious absence caused his sister; and immediately repaired to Paris, to make enquiries concerning him. But in vain were all his attempts at discovering the truth; not a breath of intelligence could be obtained by him, either of Don Manuel, or his servant Rodalvo. The endeavors of the Chevalier to gain some light upon this dark occurrence, were unabating, and utterly unsuccessful. The days crept on; these grew into weeks, and still the adored husband of Amarylla did not return; and her grief and despondency were almost raised to madness.
At length a vague account reached the Chevalier and his sister, that her lost husband had been seen travelling in a carriage, which was moving at an extremely swift pace, upon one of the high roads at the southern extremity of the kingdom which led across the Pyrenees into Spain. From the first moment of his disappearance, Amarylla had constantly repeated her conviction, that not infidelity to her, but some misfortune, which he had not been able to counteract, had torn him from her; and she now declared her intention of endeavoring to trace his steps. With much entreaty and persuasion, her brother over-ruled her purpose, and prevailed upon her to remain the guardian of her children, whilst he undertook the office of following the track that had been described to them as the one pursued by Don Manuel.
Instant preparation was accordingly made for the Chevalier's journey, and, after a most melancholy scene of separation from his sister, he set out, accompanied by a friend named Montreville, whom he had requested to become the partner of his undertaking; and attended his Henri, a confidential servant of his own.
Their journey was pursued with the greatest alacrity till they reached the southern extremity of the kingdom: here they proceeded more slowly, being frequently delayed by their uncertainty of what road to take, and by the inquiries which they made after the object of their search. Not a gleam of success smiled on them, but still they pursued their way with unabating energy. About noon of a gloomy and uncomfortable day, they reached the foot of the rugged Pyrenees. Franval had already determined to proceed into Spain, and accordingly having refreshed themselves at an inn upon the borders of the kingdom they were about to quit, they began to ascend the rough path which led across the mountains.
They rode on till the shades of evening, which were beginning to fall on the earth, warned them to seek shelter for the night. The gloom of an overclouded sky, rendered the coming darkness more rapid than usual in its approach; and the light of day was almost entirely expelled from the Heavens, when the Chevalier Franval was so fortunate as to descry a light in a distant habitation.
"See there," he cried, on observing it, "a light at length appears! Thank Heaven, we shall now get housed for the night; for it is doubtless a post-house from whence it shines."
The light appeared in view till they were arrived within a short distance of the house, and it then vanished in a sudden manner, as if it had been blown out.
They rode up to the door: Henri applied the butt-end of his whip to it in lieu of a knocker; at the same time remarking, 'That if the inhabitants were in bed, every one could scarcely be asleep, except the lamp they had seen had gone out of itself.'
For a time they were led to conjecture that this had been the case, for no reply was returned to their repeated knockings: but at length, after another salute on the part of Henri with his leaden-headed whip upon the hollow door, which was loud enough to have raised the dead, if they were ever to be raised by mortal means, a window in the upper part of the house was opened, and a head thrust out. "What is it you want?" asked the voice of a female.
"Meat, drink, and repose," replied Montreville; "have you them to sell?"
"I am no conjurer, to sell sleep," replied the woman, in a tone between pleasantry and sulkiness. "If you mean that you want to lodge here, I have not a pallet in my house that is unoccupied;" and with these uncourteous words she drew in her head again, and shut the window.
"I wish we had not travelled so late," said Franval.
"Phoo, nonsense," cried Montreville, who was a young man, and whose good spirits, and gaiety of heart, never forsook him, "they must at all events allow us to sit up in the house, if they can't put us to bed in it. I'll be satisfied with a chair to repose in, if they will but open the larder to me."
"And the cellar, Monsieur," said Henri.
"And the cellar, as you say," replied Montreville. "So, at them again, Henri; beat another rattatatoo upon the door, and let us learn if we can't come to terms, now we agree to put beds out of the question."
Henri had again recourse to his leaden-headed whip and in about ten minutes the same casement was again opened, and the rough voice of a man called out, "Whoever ye are, if ye do not go quietly about your business, and cease to disturb the peace of my house, I'll find means to make you answer for your behaviour."
"Our business, friend, is here," replied Montreville. "We are three half-starved travellers, who request to be allowed to shelter ourselves in your house during the night."
"Half-starved travellers, indeed," grumbled out the host: "it is worth while raising a man out of his sleep, to attend to half-starved travellers, truly."
"But my friend only means," said Franval, "that we are very hungry travellers, not very poor ones; and I add in his name, and my own, that we will reward you very liberally for any accommodation you may grant us."
"Upon the word of a Christian," said Henri, "there is gold in the saddle bags of both these gentlemen."
"All the better for them," returned the host, "but as I am no robber, nor can admit them into my house, none of it is likely to fall to my share."
"Why can you not admit us?" enquired Franval. "We are not robbers any more than yourself."
"It cannot be," returned the host.
"So you have told us before," replied the Chevalier; "and still do not inform us by what motive you are actuated, in refusing us shelter beneath your roof."
The host was silent.
"Yours is a post-house, is it not?" continued Franval.
"Yes," was the reply.
"Then let me tell you, friend," rejoined Montreville, "that as you live by keeping open house, the travellers upon whom you shut your door, have a just right to receive a very good reason, for your conduct, or to open the door for themselves."
"Are ye Catholics, gentlemen?" demanded the landlord.
"Yes, we are," both answered.
"Do you respect an oath as sacred?" enquired the host.
"Yes, yes; we do, we do," replied all three; imagining that some terms for their entrance into the house were about to be proposed to them.
"Then know," replied the host, "that I have already once to-night sworn by Saint Francis not to open my door; and I now swear by him a second time, to keep my first oath sacred."
Montreville was beginning to fly into a passion. The host stopped him, by raising his voice and continuing to speak; "But if I can render you any other service; if a flask of wine, a loaf of bread, or a lanthorn to light you on your way, are of any use to you, you shall have them."
"Let us taste the wine," said Montreville, whilst Franval sat meditating on the strangeness of the host's conduct.
A flask of good wine for the production of a post-house was handed out to them, and with it some cakes of newly-baked bread. Hunger is a keen sensation, that requires much less parade in its gratification than custom usually assigns to it; and, seated upon their saddles, they found the bread and wine very refreshing and comfortable.
"You have dealt so far honorably by us," said Franval, "and shall experience the same honor from us. Here," added be, throwing a demi-louis d'or at the window as he spoke, "this for your bread and wine, and twenty more shall follow it, if you will let us in."
"It is a good price, Messieurs; but I am better paid to keep you out," said the host.
"Us!" cried Montreville, "to keep us out?"
"Not you in particular," returned the man; "for I know you not; every one, I mean."
A woman now advanced to the window with a lanthorn, which had a lamp burning in it; the man received it at her hands, and lowering it out of the casement, asked if they chose to have it?
Henri received it; and the host then drew in his head, and was upon the point of shutting the casement.
"Stay, hear us an instant, I beg," said Franval. "Cannot you direct us to any cottage, any dwellings, where we might pass the night?"
"There are stray cottages scattered about," answered the host; "but you would find it impossible to gain admittance into any one of them: their inhabitants would take you for robbers, and nothing you could say would convince them to the contrary, at this time of the night: they live in so great fear of banditti, that they might even, perhaps, fire upon you without enquiring your business."
"To cut the matter short at once," exclaimed Montreville, "tell us how much you have received to keep out visitors, and if our purse is rich enough, we will outbid your guests."
"Gentlemen," said, the host, gravely, "you said you were Catholics, and respected an oath. Remember mine--You shall not come in."
"But if the inhabitants of cottages are afraid of three men, probably those of castles will not have the same apprehensions, as they are provided both with numbers and arms; so cannot you direct us to one of them?" enquired Franval.
"Why this is a part of the country where there are but few buildings of that description," answered the host; "there is but one within ten leagues of us, and that is at the distance of nearly four from this spot; and were you near it, I would not by any means advise you to attempt to enter it."
"Why so? who inhabits it?" asked Montreville.
"He is known by the name of Don Bazilio," replied the host, "and is by some reputed to be a nobleman of great wealth; others believe him to be Belzebub himself."
Montreville laughed at the manner of the host's expressing himself; and Franval's eye was at that moment attracted by a faint light which proceeded from an upper casement of the house, at which he perceived standing, a tall, lank form, of a swarthy and terrific countenance, which almost corresponded with his idea of the being which the host had just named, and caused him an undescribable sensation for the moment he beheld it; and it was but a moment that his eye had fixed on it, ere the shutter was pulled up, and closed it from his sight.
Franval made no observation on what he had seen to his companions; and Henri, addressing the host, said, "I suppose you mean to let us understand that it is haunted."
"Dreadfully, dreadfully haunted, is the Castle of Virandola," replied the landlord; "at least so it is reported. I never went to see, nor ever intend it."
"What shall we do in this cursed dilemma?" exclaimed Montreville.
"I have done all it is in my power to do for you," said the host; "and so I wish you safe travelling; and a good night, Messieurs;" and with these words he shut the casement.
Montreville was again on the point of calling him back, when Franval stopped him, by saying, "Come, let us ride on."
"Ride on! but whither?" cried Montreville.
"We can have no choice; the road lies before us," replied Franval; then, in an under tone, he added, "I'll explain myself to you presently;" and as he spoke, he clapped spurs to his horse, and set forward; and his companions followed his example.
"Why did you so suddenly leave the house which you were a quarter of an hour ago as eager as myself to enter?" enquired Montreville of his friend, before they had ridden an hundred yards away from the post-house.
Franval did not slacken his horse's pace till Montreville a second time urged his enquiry; and Franval then replied, "I have no doubt but that the reason of our being refused admittance into that house, is, that a gang of banditti, or at least some members of a lawless community of that nature, are concealed within it; perhaps in the very act of flying from justice;" and he then described the terrific visage which he had seen peeping through the window, and which, he said, if it had been a human countenance, he could only suppose to be that of a savage and bloodthirsty plunderer.
"Thank Heaven, I did not see him," cried Henri.
"We all owe our thanks to Heaven, that we were not admitted into the house, if such are its guests, as I conjecture them to be," said Franval.
"But in my opinion," returned Montreville, "we are far from safe now: don't it appear likely to you, that we were turned from the house, in order that these fellows, of whom you saw one, might pursue and plunder, perhaps murder, us? The rascal of a host would not lose the credit of his house, by suffering us to be assailed in it, lest any of us should have the good fortune to escape from their clutches, and relate the story; so he artfully takes a deeper share in the plot, by sending us forward."
"I have no fears of that kind," rejoined Franval; "our horses are fleet-footed, and will outstrip many animals."
"Of what use is their fleetness in this gloom?" said Montreville: "don't you perceive that the night is become so dark, that when we are half a dozen paces before or behind Henri and his lanthorn, we cannot discover the road? Thus, in such an emergency, the fleetness of their feet would, in all probability, only serve to carry us headlong down a precipice. The farther we get away from the post-house, however, the better, I think; so let us lose no time in debating."
This was agreed to by Franval; and they again spurred their horses into a trot, which they continued for about half a league, when a rocky break in the ground obliged them to move with caution, and at foot's pace. Whilst they were crossing this uneven track of ground, "Hark! Messieurs, hark!" cried Henri.
"What! what do you hear?" asked Montreville impatiently.
"The trampling of horses, Messieurs: don't you?" was the reply.
"I do, I do," cried Montreville: "they are coming upon us! Franval, don't you hear them?"
A pause of silence ensued: Franval broke it: "I did hear them," he said, "but they are no longer audible."
"They have stopped," said Montreville, "perhaps till some more of their comrades have joined them."
"Or, perhaps," said Henri, "they have turned out of the road upon the grass, that we may not hear their approach: they must judge that their horses hoofs cannot escape our hearing on the beaten pathway, as our lanthorn informs them exactly at what distance we are from them."
"Oh, curse the lanthorn; blow it out," cried Montreville.
"No, no," interrupted Franval: "in the course of our necessities this night, its light may prove as beneficial to us, as we now consider it injurious to our safety; therefore give it to me, Henri, and I'll hide it under my cloak."
"The sounds do not return," said Henri.
"It is as dark as pitch," cried Montreville.
"I can distinguish a knot of trees to our right," said Franval: "my plan is, that we ride in amongst them, and keep ourselves concealed there for a short time, during which period it is not improbable that they may pass us, supposing us to be gone on.--What think you of my scheme?"
"I do not disapprove it," said Montreville; "but we will load our pistols."
"Undoubtedly," replied Franval; "but the expedient I have proposed may save us from the necessity of spilling human blood, or suffering our own to be spilt."
They rode swiftly up to the trees, which were not above two score in number, planted in a shallow declivity at the mouth of the valley. Partial clumps of underwood formed a tolerable screen between them and the road they had just quitted, and they sat scarcely allowing themselves to respire, lest the suspiration of their breath should prevent their hearing any other sound which it might be important to them not to lose.
Nearly a quarter of an hour was thus spent, without the least noise of any kind meeting their ears, when they heard a sound resembling the leaves of a bush, when pressed upon by a person who is endeavoring to force himself a passage through them.
"There, there!" whispered Montreville.
Franval cocked his pistol, but did not speak.
Several minutes again passed away in silence. "It was only the wind," again whispered Montreville; but scarcely had he spoken, ere the noise was repeated; and in the following instant a voice exclaimed, "Proceed to the Castle of Virandola."
Montreville immediately discharged his pistol towards the spot from whence the voice had proceeded, and Henri fired off his in the same direction.
When the report of the pistols had died away, universal silence again prevailed; no groan announced the bullets to have inflicted a wound: no flying step discovered the discharge of their tubes to have inspired any object with fear. "What can this mean?" exclaimed Franval.
"It is, doubtless, a lure to draw us into the power of some enemy. Ten to one but the Castle of Virandola is the residence of a banditti, who hope by this stratagem to inveigle us into their power," replied Montreville. "A likely story, indeed, that we should proceed to a place we have the account of, which the landlord gave us of this castle, upon such an obscure invitation. You would not certainly be so rash as to think of it?"
"The voice appeared more than human," said Franval.
"Nonsense," exclaimed Montreville; "I say it is some trick; and whatever your opinion may be, I swear that if I go to the castle"--
"Swear not, but go," interrupted the voice which had before been heard; and it now spoke from the opposite direction to that whence it had before proceeded.
"There again," cried Franval.
"'Tis solemn, I confess," said Montreville; "but still, I think it is mortal."
"Let us search whether we can discover some one hidden amongst the bushes," rejoined Franval, drawing the lanthorn from under his cloak; and as he spoke, he vaulted from his horse. Montreville followed his example; and Henri taking the bridles of their horses, they proceeded towards the spot where the speaker had appeared to be concealed the second time they had been addressed by him.
Nothing was to be seen; nothing was to be heard. They moved on towards the place from whence the voice had proceeded the first time of their hearing it. Equally unsuccessful was their pursuit.
After a considerable time thus spent in fruitless researches after the mysterious speaker by whom they had been addressed, they returned to their horses. "Nobody is to be found," said Montreville, addressing Henri.
"I feared as much, Monsieur," returned the valet.
"Feared!" echoed Montreville.
"Yes, Monsieur: I cannot help thinking that the voice resembled one that was heard the night before an old lady I once lived with in Alsace died," was the reply.
Franval had already said that the voice had appeared to him to be more than human. Henri's opinion strengthened his; and the light of the lanthorn was just sufficient to shew each that his companions' minds were occupied with unpleasant and undefined sensations.
The temper of Franval was steady, firm, and cool; and although transactions of an unexplained nature had lately occurred in his family, such as might also prepare him for a voice of warning or instruction, he did not choose to let it appear to his friend and servant, that he was moved by the occurrence just past; and therefore, with as much composure as he was able to command, he mounted his saddle, and said "As we appear to have no immediate cause to apprehend the approach of banditti, let us ride on; let us return to the road, and pursue our way."
Montreville was a young man not deficient in courage, but his disposition was tinctured with a dislike to forming acquaintance with any of the members of the world of spirits. Henri resembled him in this particular; and therefore they joyfully followed Franval's proposition of quitting the spot, where they firmly believed one of the members of the aerial community to have been flitting around them.
They continued to ride on for a considerable time without interruption; their conversation consisting merely of occasional remarks on the extraordinary adventure which they had encountered that night. When they had proceeded about a league and a half, Montreville said, "My horse knocks up; he can't go much farther without rest, I am certain; indeed, I expect that our beasts and ourselves will all be material sufferers by our want of repose, and shelter from the night air. If we could discover any habitations I should be tempted to knock at the door, in spite of what the master of the post-house said."
This observation had not been long made on the part of Montreville, ere a vivid flash of lightning passed before their eyes.
"I have foreseen a tempest some time," said Henri, "and a heavy one I think it will be; only look at the awful blackness of the clouds over our heads, Messieurs."
Franval and his friend raised their faces to the sky and felt upon them a few partial drops of rain, which announced a shower at hand. Again the lightning flashed its resplendent brilliancy upon the earth, and the thunder rolled in solemn grandeur through the sky; with each flash the tempest appeared to gather strength; with each succeeding moment the rain fell in greater quantities: and the situation of our travellers became of the most pitiable kind.
"Can we espy no cavity in the earth, no rocky dell, no place of any kind which may afford us a temporary shelter?" said Montreville; "not only the clothes we have on, but those in our saddle-bags likewise must be drenched with this heavy rain."
The mingled hail and rain, driven along by the current of a powerful north-east wind, met them full in the face; and the horses of our travellers kept continually turning to the right and to the left, in order to avoid it. At the moment Franval's horse was making a movement of this nature, a sudden flash of lightning enabled his master to descry what he could merely distinguish to be part of a wall. He communicated the observation he had made to his friend, and they immediately turned their horses towards it, in the hope of its forming part of a building which might afford them the enviable blessing of shelter from the inclemency of the weather.
As they moved on, they observed many fragments of stone scatted upon the ground, which appeared to be the ruins of a building that had either fallen into natural decay, or been crumbled by the hand of violence; and when they gained the wall which had been descried by Franval, their conjectures were confirmed, for they found that it formed a part of the ruin of an ancient monastic building.
A considerable part of the front of the edifice was still standing; but, on looking through the archway in which the gate of the entrance had once been swung, the observations which they were enable to make by the momentary illumination of the passing lightning presented them only with a long perspective of gloomy ruins.
It appeared, however, probable that these ruins might afford some nook to protect them from the weather; and in this hope they dismounted; and leading their horses through the gateway, they tied them by their bridles to the remains of a massive pillar, by the side of which the wall was sufficiently high to protect them, in some measure, from the driving blast; and by the help of the lanthorn, they then proceeded to seek out for some spot which was supplied with a covering for their own heads.
A high and narrow door-way attracted them towards it: they passed through it, and found themselves within a passage partially sheltered by a roof. On one side appeared three steps of a dark marble; these they ascended, and entered an apartment which had in all probability, been the chamber of the superior at the time that the mansion had been in a state of habitation; its walls were now bare; the floor of a black oak, and in many parts broken through; and the hearth filled with fragments of stone, which had fallen upon it from the chimney.
From this apartment a single step led into a small closet, formed in the shape of an alcove, of which the floor corresponded with the former; but the walls were intersected by niches and slender pillars of stone, surmounted with compartments in fret-work, which now exhibited a striking picture of former elegance sinking under the ravaging hand of decay.
The thunder still rolled in hoarse and awful peals; and the refulgence of the forked lightning blazed at intervals through a narrow arch in the wall, which had once been the frame of a gothic and spiral window, and of which no remnants, but the iron bars, which had intersected the glass, were now remaining.
At length, after full an hour had passed in tedious expectation, the lightning became scarcely visible, and the thunder receded in gentle murmurs to the distant mountains. "Shall we return to our horses, and proceed?" said Franval.
"It still rains violently," replied Montreville; "and the darkness appears almost impenetrable."
"It is quite so, Monsieurs," said Henri. "If I might take the liberty of advising, I think it would be infinitely better, now we have a roof over our heads, to keep under it till day begins to dawn."
"But this is a sad, uncomfortable place," resumed Franval; "and if we could reconcile ourselves to enduring it in preference to being exposed to the pelting of the merciless elements, our horses must remain suffering in the wet and cold."
"They will not be the worse for that, Monsieur," returned Henri; "they are used to all weathers when they are out at pasture; and I left them bridle-room enough to enable them to pick up the grass as they stand."
"Upon my life," cried Montreville, "I am very much of Henri's opinion about remaining here till dawn of day. We are now become tolerably dry again; and should we issue out from this retreat, we shall be certain of getting wet through once more; and perhaps, after all, may not be lucky enough to find a house to refresh ourselves at. I think it would be very possible to get a comfortable nap here, wrapped up in our cloaks."
After a good deal of debate upon the subject, it was agreed that any shelter was preferable to encountering the heavy rain which continued to fall; and Montreville having wound his horseman's cloak tightly around him, lay down in one corner of the apartment with the intention beguiling an hour or two in sleep, and advised his companions to do the same.
"Had you not better, Monsieur, endeavor to compose yourself to sleep?" said Henri to his master; "this place seems to be perfectly quiet, and free from danger; and a little repose will render you the better able to bear the fatigue of travelling tomorrow."
"No," replied Franval; "I don't feel inclined to sleep; but lie you down, and take a nap, if you please." Henri availed himself of his master's permission, and stretched himself out by the side of Montreville, placing the lanthorn at his head.
Franval continued for some time to wander about the apartment where his friend and servant lay locked in the arms of sleep, till the wind, beginning to blow from another quarter to what it had before done, pierced through the stone arch of the window with chilly gusts, that induced him to seek a more sheltered situation in the adjoining closet.
In spite of those anxieties of mind which rendered him less impressive to the attacks of sleep than his companions, Franval began to feel rather weary; and seating himself upon the floor, he rested his head in niche between two of the pillars of the stone-work.
The minute he desisted from bodily exercise, the influence of sleep began to steal over his senses, and ideas to fade away under its advances. Suddenly a momentary crash made him start, and this was followed by a rumbling noise, which he had no hesitation in supposing to be caused by some mouldering fragments of the building, which had been precipitated upon the ruins below by the violence of the wind; and he again leant back his head, and closed his eyes.
Again his thoughts were wandering from the world into that confusion of ideas which accompanied the approach of sleep to a mind ill at ease within itself, when he was startled by the sound of a lengthened sigh. He sprang upon his feet; but instantly recollecting how near to him were Montreville, and his servant, he made no doubt that the sound he had heard, had been an exclamation uttered by one of them in his sleep.
He approached the door of the room where they lay, and, by the light of the lanthorn, he perceived them both still extended on the floor; and as he stood observing them, he heard Henri exclaim, "Oh, Marie! Marie!" which he knew to be the name of a little peasant girl in Brittany, who had won his heart and not doubting that the sigh he had hears, had been one which Henri had addressed to her image, which had appeared to him in his dreams, he returned to his resting place, and a third time composed himself to sleep.
He sunk to repose; but how long he had slept he was uncertain, when he was awakened by a noise resembling a gust of wind rushing through a narrow aperture; he hastily opened his eyes, and beheld object, at the sight of which the blood ran cold and trembling through his veins--He beheld the very countenance of savage expression, which he had seen through the window of the post-house; its eyes were fixed upon him, and assisted in their observation by a lighted firebrand, which the terrific form held in one of its hands. The figure of the unknown was tall and lank: the long black cloak in which it was enveloped was insufficient to hide the sharp angles of its bony stature; a hat of dark brown fur pulled down below its ears, gave a very finish of horror to its savage aspect; thus the horrible being appeared, bending forward as it stood, to gain a better view of Franval's person.
Franval started, but had not power to rise, or to speak. Instantly upon this motion on his part, with one rapid stride, the figure vanished from his sight. Its disappearance was followed by a loud clap, resembling the echo which runs through a hollow passage, after a door at its extremity has been hastily closed.
Franval attempted to call to his friend and Henri, but his tongue clove to his mouth, and refused its office. He staggered to the door of the apartment where he had left them asleep; the light which had been burning by their side, was now extinguished, or the lanthorn gone. A few minutes recovered to him the power of speech, and he called upon them both by name. Henri immediately replied to his call; and very soon after, Montreville enquired "what was the matter?"
Through an arched window, Franval had a view of the Heavens; and he perceived that the light of day was already beginning to streak the sky. "Be not alarmed," he replied, in answer to their enquiries; "follow me into the air; I stand in need of its refreshment; and I will then explain to you what agitates me."
He darted out of the apartments and they followed him as quickly as the darkness of the place would permit; for their lamp had died in the socket, and the light of day was still so feeble, as to render objects scarcely discernible.
They found him leaning against a broken pillar, which stood in an open space apart from the mass of ruins. They approached him, renewed their enquiries; and he satisfied them with an account of what he had witnessed.
Montreville heard him with patience, but persisted in endeavoring to persuade him that the whole had been a dream, caused by the impression which had been made on his mind by the strangeness of the voice that had addressed them when amongst the trees, and the ghastly countenance which he had seen peeping through a window of the post-house. But Franval replied, "that he was certain that the figure which he had seen standing over him with a firebrand in its hand, and which he knew to be the same that he had beheld with a sensation approaching to horror when looking through the window of the post-house, had been a reality.
"Well," returned Montreville, "it is possible that this ruin may be the haunt of a banditti, of which he is one."
"I do not believe him to be a robber," replied Franval.
"Why not? What has changed your opinion of him?" asked his friend.
"I cannot say why," answered Franval; "and yet I feel my sentiments utterly changed with regard to him."
"Your ideas are bewildered by the events of the night," said Montreville.
"And then that strange voice commanding us to go to the Castle of Virandola," said Henri; "it rings in my ears yet."
"Strange indeed!" breathed forth Franval in solemn accents; and he added, "Can it be connected with him whom we seek?"
"Whithersoever we go," rejoined Montreville, "I think we had better be jogging from hence; this is not a place favorable to the combating of gloomy reflections, whether they proceed from imagination, or fact."
"No," resumed Franval; "I can't, I will not quit this spot, till I have made some investigation of the closet where I slept: I must examine whether there is a door in that particular part of the wall, at which the strange figure, whose countenance rests so forcibly on my memory, could have departed from the place: if I find any outlet, my ideas of its mortality will be confirmed."
"And if you do not?" said Montreville
"I shall still be very much tempted to believe that there is some mode of egress from the place which is not discernible to me, though known to that person, whoever he may be," answered the Chevalier.
Franval could not be argued out of his resolution of examining the closet in which he had passed the night, as soon as the light of the day should be sufficiently powerful to assist him in his investigation. Indeed, Montreville had promised to accompany Franval on his present journey from motives of pure friendship, and therefore was easily won to desist from any opposition to such plans as his friend conceived to be for his happiness.
A drizzling rain was still falling to the earth; and although the wind had much abated in strength, it still blew cold and cheerless through the long avenues of ruins; and as Franval was unwilling to return to the shelter of the apartment they had just quitted, they wandered about in order to preserve themselves from the ill effects of the cold.
After some time, Henri was, in the course of their movements, separated from his master and Montreville; and scarcely had they noticed his absence, ere they heard a pistol fired at a short distance from them. Supposing Henri to be attacked, they flew to the spot where they had parted from him, and observed him standing with his arm extended into the air, and his pistol still in it.
"Was it you who fired?" asked Franval.
"Yes," replied Henri; "and I have either brought him down, or he is run away."
"Who? who?" Impatiently demanded Franval and his friend.
"A tall fellow, wrapped in a black cloak," answered Henri, "exactly corresponding with the description my master gives of the rascal who stood gazing upon him with the firebrand in his hand. The moment that you had turned the angle of the range of pillars behind us, I observed him mounted upon the high wall; and the instant I observed him, I saw him stretch his arm towards me, and was ignorant to what end, till I saw some sparks, which convinced me that he had directed at me a pistol that had missed fire. I immediately drew mine from my girdle, and fired it at him in my own defence; and he directly disappeared; but I cannot tell whether he fell by my bullet or fled from a repetition of my fire."
"We will go to the spot, and ascertain," said Franval boldly; and immediately began to climb a pile of the ruins which led to the wall whereon Henri had seen the form. Nothing that had motion, was visible to any one of the party, when they had reached the height, which had once been a terrace projecting from the second range of windows on the side of the monastery. Many delusive shapes were to be seen, which, on close investigation, proved to be only broken arches, and decapitated pillars, which, beheld at a short distance in the twilight of the morning, appeared in certain directions to assume the form of men.
They did not relax in their search, because many disappointments attended it; but it proved wholly unsuccessful; no human being was to be discerned in any part of the ruins; nor did it appear probable that Henri's pistol had wounded the one he had beheld; for as the light of day rose, they found that no spots of blood stained any part of the stone-work upon which he had appeared.
They again descended to the lower range of dilapidated grandeur, which presented itself in the romantic fragments of the mouldering abbey; and judging it now to be sufficiently light for the examination of the closet upon which Franval had resolved, they returned to that part of the building where they had passed the hours of sleep.
Montreville was the first who entered the chamber leading to the closet, and directly on stepping into it, he exclaimed, "Why, what have we here?--See--behold--characters traced upon the floor!"
Franval darted hastily forward, and beheld upon the black oak floor, these words, "Quit this place." Wrapt in astonishment and thought, he stood with his eyes fixed on the letters.
"Surely, Monsieur," cried Henri, half trembling, "it can only be a devil who plays these pranks with us."
"It is a friendly devil, however," returned Montreville, "for he warns us to get our of the way of danger; if there is any in staying here."
"I will not quit this place," cried Franval sternly, after a pause of reflective silence. "This command is to my senses, a sufficient conviction that there is some mystery to be developed by staying; and I feel impelled by a stronger sentiment than curiosity, to exert myself in order to make that discovery."
Franval rubbed one of the letters on the floor with his finger, and found that they were only written in chalk, and could easily be effaced.
"Come, pray, let us depart," said Montreville, after another pause.
"Not, at all events, till I have examined the walls of the closet," said Franval, and moved forward to the investigation. His companions followed him, and assisted in the scrutiny; but it produced only disappointment; there were an infinite number of cracks in the stone-work of the walls, but none of sufficient regularity, or length, to flatter them with the idea that it could form any part of a door, or an opening of any kind.
"I would wager my life," said Franval, "that these words were written by that horrible figure which I twice beheld in the course of last night. Surely this ruin cannot be the Castle of Virandola, of which the host spoke."
"I should imagine not," replied Montreville: "this place does not bear the appearance of ever having been a castle; every thing about it denotes it to have been a religious building."
A silence ensued; Montreville broke it: "Franval," he said, "I am certain you cannot doubt my friendship; prove to me that you have not lost that respect for the admonitions of your friend, with which you have so frequently received them at my lips: let us for the present quit this abode of mystery; let us seek some house where our bodily necessities may be attended to; and let us also employ some time in making enquiry into the report which this ruinous fabric bears in the world; and should you then still have any cause, or merely feel any wish, to make a future investigation of its secrets, I pledge my honour, that I will return with you to it, and even risk my life in assisting you through your adventure."
For a considerable time the entreaties of Montreville, seconded by those of Henri, produced no effect upon the mind of Franval: at length, after he had received a renewal of his friend's promise to return with him at some future period, if it should be his desire to make a second visit to the place they were now in, he agreed to accompany them in quest of refreshment; and information, if any were to be gained, which could assist in throwing light upon the strange adventures which had marked the last twelve hours.
Having mounted their horses, they turned into the road, and pursued the path along which they had on the former evening been journeying: at the distance of rather more than half a league from the ruin, they descried a cottage apart from the high road, and immediately rode up to it.
Before they reached the humble dwelling, the door was opened by a peasant girl of about twelve years old, who, it appeared, had seen them through a window, and been attracted by curiosity to behold travellers of so different an order of beings to those amongst whom she was accustomed to live.
Montreville called to her, and enquired whether there was any body in the cottage besides herself, and whether they would sell them any milk and bread.
The girl replied that her mother and grandmother were both within; and directly called the former, who quickly made her appearance. Having heard our travellers wants, she readily agreed to supply them in the best manner she was able; and invited them to alight, and walk in: this Montreville and Franval did: and Henri, conducted by the girl, led the horses to a stable behind the cottage, where he found a welcome of sweet, although coarse provender, for his beasts.
Franval and his friend took seats. The woman, with the garrulity natural to her sex, and her rank in life, began to inform them of her own family affairs: her husband and her sons, she said, were gone to labour on a distant part of the mountains, and she was anticipating their return with much pleasure, because they had promised to beg some grapes of the master of the vineyard for her mother, who was particularly fond of them, and who being now far advanced in years, and totally blind, had no enjoyment left her but that of the palate, which she had the least opportunity of gratifying.
This decripit old female sat in one corner of the cottage, with her feet rested on a large stone, in order to shorten the distance at which they would else have hung from the ground, and with her chin nearly bent upon her knees.
The peasant's wife having finished the little history of her family, began to speak of the tempestuous night which was just past; and to enquire whether our travellers had rested in any part to which the tempest had extended?
"We had, indeed, a most uncomfortable lodging," replied Montreville, and informed the good woman where they had passed the night.
"It must have been uncomfortable lodging in the ruins of Saint Luke's Abbey," said the woman.
"Extremely so, I assure you," returned Montreville; "but on what account do you particularly mean?"
"The want of accommodation for sleep," she answered; "I should imagine there is scarcely a nook about it furnished with a roof."
"Yes, there is," replied Montreville, and gave a short account of the apartment they had found, with this necessary appendage for comfort against the peltings of a storm.
"But is there no other account on which you consider that it might be an unpleasant resting place?" enquired Franval.
"I dare say it is full of night birds, that shriek and scream, and make it dismal enough," replied the woman.
"Is it never disturbed with those spirits which, like the birds you speak of, do no leave their retirement, except in the shades of night?"
"What, haunted, do you mean, Messieurs?" cried the woman. "O no, blessed be the Virgin, I never heard that of the Abbey of Saint Luke. I am sure, I hardly durst live here, if such were the case;" and she crossed herself as she spoke. "No, no; one house possessed by the Devil is enough for any district."
"And have you a house of that description in your district?" asked Franval.
"You must be a stranger in these parts to ask that question, I am certain," she returned. "The Castle of Virandola, about half a league from this house, is, as I may say, a very receptacle for Satan's legions."
Franval drew his chair nearer to the woman's, and enquired of her who was its possessor.
She replied, that his name was Don Bazilio; that he and his castle were the terror of the neighbourhood; that not an individual durst approach within a considerable distance of it after dark; and that Don Bazilio was by some supposed to be a Frenchman, by some a Spaniard, and by others a Moor. Farther information on the subject she was unable to give him.
A comfortable meal was now set before them. Franval scarcely tasted it; and the perturbation of his mind appeared to increase with every minute; at length, drawing aside his friend Montreville, he told him, that he could not divest himself of the idea of the voice which had warned them to proceed to the castle of Virandola, having some connexion with the fate of Don Manuel; and that he could not satisfy himself without approaching the edifice, over which hung the impenetrable veil of mystery with which they had on the preceding evening become acquainted.
Montreville had promised to second every endeavor of his friend towards the development of Don Manuel's fate, and accordingly agreed to accompany him. As the castle was but a short distance from the cottage, they resolved to walk towards it. Franval had not yet determined to ask admittance; his present design was confined to inspecting the outside of the building, and proving whether he should receive any intimation of his being expected at it by the person whose voice had admonished him to approach it. The friends informed Henri of their design, and bade him prepare to accompany them; and Franval pretending to the cottagers, that curiosity impelled him and his companions to take a view of the outside of the castle of the mysterious Don Bazilio, they asked Ricardo's grand-daughter to conduct them into the road to it. She readily complied with their request; and as they proceeded, they learnt from her replies to the questions which they had advanced to her, that there was no idea existing of Don Bazilio being himself a robber, or his castle the haunt of banditti; but that he had the repute for dealing in the black art, and that midnight was the preferred hour of his orgies, at which period strange lights had been seen flitting about the castle, and dreadful noises heard within it, by those few who at that solemn hour had ventured to approach it; but that no one, of whom she had heard, had ever attempted to gain admittance.
When the towers of the castle, rising above a rocky eminence of the rugged mountains, rendered a guide no longer necessary to the travellers, the girl ran back to her cottage; and Franval and his companions pursued their way. As they advanced towards the castle, they perceived that it had once been strongly fortified, but that its bulwarks were now fallen to decay: it presented to their view a huge pile of ancient stonework, black with age, and partially mouldering under the destructive hand of Time: gloom and awfulness were its characteristic features, and not any sign of its containing inhabitants was to be discovered about it: the drawbridge appeared no longer capable of being raised; and the moat was nearly choked up.
Our friends walked several times round its gloomy walls, and were on the point of quitting the spot, when a key, thrown from some considerable eminence, fell at the feet of the Chevalier Franval. He picked it hastily up, for he perceived that there was fastened to it a paper, on which he could distinguish the marks of hand-writing: with the most tremulous agitation he read the following words; "This key opens the door in the western turret; enter it at the return of night." If these words excited the astonishment of the Chevalier Franval, what was the emotion with which he beheld the paper signed by the name of Rodalvo, the faithful and respected servant of Don Manuel!
The paper fastened to the key, by directing them to return at night, appeared to warn them to retire for the present from the site of the castle, which they accordingly did.
The emotion of Franval's soul was so great at the belief that he had discovered the retreat of his beloved sister's husband, that he was incapable of expressing his feelings. Equally tongue-tied by astonishment were his friend Montreville, and his servant Henri. They returned to the cottage, and seated themselves on a bench by the door, where some degree of composure gradually returning to their minds, they at length began to give expression to their ideas: but to form conjectures was all they were still able to do; it was impossible for them to decide by what power Don Manuel was detained an inmate of the Mysterious Castle of Virandola, as his servant's being an inhabitant of it seemed to bespeak that he was; or to ascertain what connexion there could be between him and the universally dreaded Don Bazilio.
They now doubted not that the voice which had on the preceding evening admonished them to proceed to the Castle of Virandola, had been that of Rodalvo; but they were at a loss whether or not to suppose that the terrific being who had twice been seen by Franval, and once by his servant Henri, was the owner of the castle.
The agitation of mind in which the day was passed by them all, especially by the Chevalier Franval, may be easily conjectured. They were entertained with hospitality and kindness at the cottage, but the attentions of their hostess and her family were often unheeded by them; and the natural impatience of their minds, rendered the day, in appearance, the longest they had ever known.
When the shades of night had fallen to the earth, Franval and his companions set out on their mysterious expedition. The night was cloudy, scarcely a star gemmed the face of Heaven; the crescent of an infant moon rising above the distant mountains, threw a faint and silvery light upon partial spots of the landscape. Having reached the castle, they sought out the western turret, of which the situation could not be mistaken; and Franval applied the key to the lock: with little difficulty the door was opened by him, and they all three entered. Total darkness prevailed within, and they stood debating, how to proceed. Suddenly a distant light gleamed upon the scene, and they perceived that it was reflected through a spiral window of stained glass, at the extremity of a spacious hall in which they were standing. The light was no sooner beheld, than it again vanished: it had, however, been sufficient to shew our adventurers that they might proceed for a considerable space without the danger of falling, as the momentary illumination had been sufficient for them to perceive that there were no intervening steps between the door which they had entered and the opposite wall. Franval drew his sword; and extending before him the arm which bore it, as a protection to his person, he moved cautiously on. He continued his progress for some time, till a flaming firebrand, carried in the hand of some being whose pace was so swift as not to give him time to behold its person, darted across his path; and he observed, by the temporary influence of the light, that he had wandered into a lofty and narrow passage.
He stopped a moment, and listened; no sound met his ear; and he concluded, from the silence, that he had strayed from his companions. He, however, resolved not to suffer his courage to forsake him, or to relax in his attempt at developing the mystery of the place, to which act he had been summoned by one connected with a man whom he did not esteem less on his own account, than as the nearest relative of his beloved sister: using, therefore, every precaution which his perilous situation permitted him to do for guarding against accident, he still proceeded.
Suddenly a deep groan struck his ear; it was followed by a stifled shriek; and these sounds were succeeded by several voices, uttering such tones as might have been expected from demons uttering expressions of delight. Again all was still; and the next moment the Chevalier, moving a step or two from the spot where he had been standing, found himself upon so rapid a declivity, as obliged him to move on, whether it met his inclination or not.
This declivity continued, as nearly as Franval could conjecture, for at least the space of an hundred feet; and whilst descending it, he heard a repetition of the dreadful sounds to which he had before listened.
At length he felt himself again upon even ground; there was now no longer any pavement under his feet, but a loose and crumbling earth. Here he paused an instant: he wished for the society of his friend and Henri, but the wish was in vain: it was now evident that the darkness of the place had separated them from each other. An infinite satisfaction would it have been to his feelings, had Rodalvo now appeared to him, and either directed his progress, or given him some explanation of the existing mystery. Whilst he stood debating thus with his own mind, he heard the voice of some one either in solemn prayer, or reading emphatically aloud; which of the two he could not distinguish; and turning his eyes around on every side, a faint light, playing on a distant wall, met his sight; he moved towards it, and pursuing the direction in which it shone, ascended a few steps, cut, as it seemed, out of the rugged earth, which led him to an eminence, from whence he looked down upon a scene which almost froze his blood in its current to his heart.
Some few feet below the surface of the spot on which he stood, was what appeared to him a spacious cavern; it was illuminated by several firebrands, which were stuck into the earth at certain distances from each other, and of which the pitchy tops sent forth darting flames, which climbed like fiery serpents towards the dusky roof. At the extremity of the place, in letters which appeared the colour of transparent blood, was decyphered the word "VENGEANCE;" and immediately under this inscription, in a chair, on the back of which were fixed three human skulls, and on either side of which stood a ghastly skeleton, sat the very being whom Franval had on the preceding evening beheld, first through the window of the post-house, and next bending over him with a lighted firebrand in his hand, amidst the ruins of Saint Luke's Abbey; the being whom, from the account which he had heard of the possessor of the castle, he could not doubt to be Don Bazilio himself nor were his suspicions incorrect.
On either side of him, seated around a table of a semi-circular form, were several other persons, habited like himself, in loose garments, with hats of dark fur, of which the brims were drawn down around their faces, and added to the terrific appearance of their countenances, already sufficiently dreadful to the view.
Before the table, and immediately opposite to Don Bazilio, knelt a human figure, nearly naked, and whose limbs were shaking with a violent trembling, produced either by cold or apprehension; and judging, from his own feelings, at the scene before him, Franval could not doubt it to be the latter. Around him were placed six familiars, in the habits of demons, each directing at him an instrument of death, which they were prepared to thrust to his heart, if a signal were given them to that effect.
A few moments observation clearly proved to Franval, that the kneeling man was a recipient, about to be admitted a member of some secret community, the lawless transactions of which he was to be terrified from divulging. The solemn voice which he had heard on his approach to the spot of terror which he was now contemplating, he found to have been that of Don Bazilio, who was still reading from a volume, extended before him on the table, the obligations to which the novice, at that moment initiating into the mysteries of the community, was called upon to swear observance.
The first of these obligations to which Franval heard Don Bazilio call upon the recipient to subscribe, contained these words: "Swear to divulge no secret with which you are made acquainted by the community, to any being unconnected with it; and to report every one with which you may be entrusted by other persons to it."
"I swear," replied the recipient: and the expression of satisfaction with which the assembly received his acquiescence, explained to Franval what had been the shouts of joy that had before heard when at a distance from the cavern.
Again Don Bazilio read; "If thou refuse to comply with any command issued to thee by the authority before whom thou kneelest, recollect that the sword of their revenge will fall on thee quicker than the lightning; remember this; and swear that, in assisting the vengeance they are leagued to perpetrate, neither the life of thy father, mother, wife, nor child, of thy dearest friend, or nearest connection, shall be regarded by thee."
The recipient did not immediately reply. "Swear instantly," cried Don Bazilio, "or I pronounce the signal that shall seal thy death." He raised himself upon his seat as he spoke. Franval believed the last moment of the kneeling man to be at hand, and the exclamation of "Oh, merciful God!" burst from his lips.
His voice was heard by the members of the assembly; and turning their eyes to the spot from whence it had proceeded, they no sooner beheld him, than several of them sprang from their seats, and flying up to an ascent which led to the eminence where Franval stood, they seized his person, and dragged him down into the centre of the cavern.
"Who art thou?" exclaimed Don Bazilio, "who hast dared intrude upon our privacy? and by what means hast thou gained access to this spot?" Whilst speaking, he advanced towards Franval; and when he had approached sufficiently near to him to distinguish his features, he added, "Ha! I have beheld thee before in a situation to which I cannot doubt thou camest as a spy upon my actions. The ruined Abbey of St. Luke is the spot to which I refer. Under the impression which thy conduct has raised in my mind, thou can'st not live." Then turning to the familiars around him, he cried, "Bring the cord, and do your duty."
No sooner had Don Bazilio issued this command, than the recipient, moving forward, threw himself on his knees before him, and, in a voice of the humblest supplication, he exclaimed, "Oh spare him! I entreat, I implore you, for my sake spare him; he is the brother of my beloved wife!"
The tones in which the kneeling man spoke, were familiar to the ear of Franval; he turned his eyes upon him, and, to his utter astonishment, beheld in him Don Manuel di Vadilla!
After a few instants of private conversation with another member of the occult community, Don Bazilio commanded Franval to be led to the grated cell. The familiars immediately seized his arms, and, preceded by one of their fellows, who lighted them with a torch which he had torn up from its station in the floor of the cavern, they forced him along several winding passages, which ultimately brought them to the grated dungeon, into which they thrust him, and then departed, taking away with them the light.
The torturing and perplexing sensations which at this period filled the breast of the Chevalier Franval, may be easily imagined. What could he suppose would be the event of his present situation? what could be the mystery which bound together the community before whose authority he had beheld the unfortunate Don Manuel, kneeling an apparent victim? Where now, he wondered, were his friends Montreville and Henri: had they, like himself, fallen into the power of the mystic band by whom the castle was habited, had they escaped their toils?
About the midnight hour, through the grating of his prison, he beheld a light approaching: in a few minutes it drew sufficiently near to him for him to distinguish that it was borne in the hand of Don Bazilio; he placed himself opposite to the grated window of Franval's cell, and thus addressed him: "Stranger, having beheld as much as you have done of the mysteries of this place, there is but one point left for you to decide upon; you must either forfeit your life to our safety, or bind yourself by the vows which connect our community."
"Your terms," replied Franval, "appear as extraordinary as your mysteries; you must inform me what the latter are, and to what purpose they are maintained, ere I can consent, or refuse, to subscribe to them."
"I intend to do so," returned Don Bazilio. "I fear not to entrust to you the secret, because within the next twenty hours, you must, as I have already declared to you, become one of us, or cease to exist. Had it not been for the intercession of the young man who is known to you by the name of Don Manuel, you had not at this moment been alive to receive my offer. Now then attend: I am not a Spaniard, as my name implies me to be; I am by birth a Frenchman. My elder brother was the Marquis de la Croix; myself the Chevalier of the same name. It is now about eighteen years since by brother, and another gentleman, were alike suppliants to the crown for the permission of acceding to a Duchy which at that moment lay dormant; and, in the line of succession to which, they both stood with apparently equal rights; it rested consequently on the breast of the monarch on whom the honor should be conferred; and, after having deceived my brother with false hopes, the King bestowed the contested title on his competitor. Was not this a disappointment sufficiently strong to drive almost to madness a man of proud spirit? for such was my brother; and whose pride was supported by a consciousness of having devoted not only his active services, but his purse, to his King and his country. He immediately quitted the course, vowing never to return to it again.
"My brother was, at the period of which I am speaking, a widower; from his wife, who had been a Spanish lady of considerable distinction, he had inherited this castle of Virandola; and hither he retired, accompanied by myself, and three other friends, peculiarly attached to his interests.
"We had not been here many days ere he thus addressed us. 'My friends, I am sufficiently well acquainted with your attachment to me, to be conscious that I may disclose to you the inmost sentiments of my hear in full assurance of your secrecy. Listen, then to my words: as we have not in our power any present means of revenging the failure of my just and high-raised expectation, let us have the glory of founding a sect, which shall grow by our rearing, privately and unsuspectedly, from the small number here collected, into a magnitude which shall eventually crush the exercise of such unlimited power as I have been a sufferer from."
"We applauded his idea, and entered with fervor into his plan: we immediately bound ourselves by the most solemn oath which could pass the lips of man, to act by every exertion of our ability towards the subversion of every earthly power, by the possession of which one man is raised to a superiority over his fellows: we swore that not even the peace or safety of our dearest connections should obstruct us in the progress of our design; and moreover, that we would use every means of adding members to our secret community."
"From that instant we became a sect of Illuminati; we frequented lodges of masonry, and all public societies; we probed the hearts of their members, and when we found individuals suited to our purpose, we conducted them hither; and in the cavern which you have this night beheld, we initiated them into our mysteries.
"At the expiration of twelve years, my brother died; he fell the victim of a disorder which was slow in its progress; and as he was conscious of the approach of death, he appointed me the guardian of his only child, who was a son named Lewis, at that time in his fifteenth year; and concerning the future conduct of whose life he gave me the most particular and impressive directions.
"For many reasons, my brother and myself had for some time assumed the name of Vadilla, and professed ourselves to be Spaniards; and that of Lewis had, for the sake of accordance with our own, been changed to Manuel. Thus you perceive that the husband of your sister is my nephew."
Franval did not reply, and Don Bazilio continued thus:
"My deceased brother had enjoined me to initiate his son into the mysteries of our society when he had attained the age of twenty-one years, and to inform him that it had been the dying request of his father, that he would never form any connections in life, above all, that of marriage; but devote himself entirely to the forwarding of those views which had been planned by his parent; and which that parent conceived he might be less strenuous in pursuing, if he were bound by any other ties, which might claim at least an equal share of his feelings.
"At the age of eighteen, I informed him of his father's wish that he should lead a life of celibacy; and informed him that, at the age of twenty-one, a secret of the utmost importance would be entrusted to him, and business of the most interesting and peculiar nature placed in his hands; for devoting himself entirely to the services of which, I wished him, in the intermediate time, to prepare his mind, as it had been the dying request of his father that he should do so. He was become accustomed, by habit, to behold an air of mystery pervading the countenances of such inhabitants of the castle as were in my confidence, and had been in that of his deceased father; and my words did not appear so much to surprise him, as I had expected they would. He had hitherto not been the distance of more than four or five leagues from the Castle of Virandola, and he petitioned me to suffer him to travel for two or three years: to this request I consented, on condition of his promising to return to me against the period of his completing his twenty-first year, and of his forming no connection, or engagement, in the world, upon which he was about to enter. He gave me his promise to this effect. I furnished him with a most liberal supply of money, which I was with the greatest ease enabled to do, from the wealth of my deceased brother; and placing him under the care of a man named Rodalvo, the only domestic in my brother's service who had been admitted into our secret community, I permitted him to depart.
"By mutual agreement, I was not to receive any letter from my nephew during his absence. At length arrived his twenty-first birthday, and he was not returned. Several months passed on, and still he came not. I felt dissatisfied at the apparently ungrateful use which he had made of my indulgence; and I employed spies to discover for me where he loitered. Judge my disappointment and anger, when I learnt, in the course of time, from these persons, that he had broken through every injunction which I had given him, and was become a husband and a father. Against Rodalvo, also, was my rage excited, for not having withheld him from forming ties so opposite to the will of his late father.
"Having gained the knowledge of his retreat, I commissioned some of the inferior members of our occult society to lie in ambush for him and Rodalvo, to seize their persons, and to reconduct them to this castle. On their way to your villa, my emissaries were so fortunate as to meet them in Paris; where, having hurried them into a closed carriage, they set off with them, without delay, for the frontiers of the kingdom.
"Several accidents, which they met with on the road, so materially delayed their progress, that they did not till the afternoon of yesterday, reach the post-house before which you and your companions stopped last night.
"Impatience to behold my nephew, and reason with him on his disobedience to my injunctions, had brought me to the post-house to meet him; and as I found that he could not be prevailed upon, although in my power, by gentle means, to proceed to the Castle of Virandola, I resolved not to conduct him to it till the dead hour of midnight, when we should not be liable to encounter any observers of his conduct; and having resolved to remain till that hour at the post-house, I bound the host by a handsome bribe, and an oath, not to admit any one into it whilst we continued his inmates: how faithfully he performed his trust, you are already acquainted.
"Whilst we remained in the post-house, I questioned my nephew on the reason which had induced him to act in opposition to the conduct I had marked out for him to follow; and he confessed to me, that he had, by his supplications and entreaties, won Rodalvo into confessing to him, the cause for which he had been so earnestly enjoined to return, at the age of twenty-one, to the Castle of Virandola; and that abhorring, as he expressed himself, the nature and object of our community, immediately on having gained this knowledge, he determined never to accede to the plan which had been proposed for his future life, but to strike out one which he himself deemed more capable of producing his happiness. Having done this, he procured Rodalvo's promise never to quit his service; and in the course of time, he became the husband of your sister. Sufficient honor, however, was still left to him to resolve never to betray the secret of our community, out of respect to the safety of me, his uncle.
"In the Ruins of Saint Luke's Abbey, where you last night found shelter from the storm, is the entrance to a subterranean passage which leads into vaults beneath the Castle of Virandola; and this passage is in constant use by the members of our secret community, in order to protect them from being seen, and recognised, in entering or quitting the castle, as might chance to occur were they always to pass through its gates. By this passage I had last night resolved to reconduct my nephew; and having seen him safely guarded through it's entrance, I was about to follow him, when, hearing the sound of a voice amidst the ruins, I judged it not impossible that it might proceed from some brother of our society, who might have lost his way in the darkness amongst them. Lighted by the firebrand which I carried in my hand, I proceeded towards the spot from whence the sound had proceeded, and discovered you and your companions stretched on the ground asleep. The moment I beheld you, I believed you to be one of the travellers whom I had before seen refused admittance into the post-house: and as I bent over you, to ascertain if my conjecture were just, you awoke, and turned upon me your eyes. To avoid, as much as possible, your observation, I darted precipitately through a concealed door in the wall, which led to a branch in the subterranean passage of which I have already spoken to you.
"When I had quitted your sight, I began to doubt whether you and your companions were really weary travellers, or spies upon me, or the place ye were in, and counterfeiting sleep, the better to cover you purpose: I accordingly determined to watch your actions. From the spot of my concealment, I heard your footsteps quitting the dilapidated chamber, and I followed you amidst the ruin. Your servant beheld me turn an angle of the walls: I levelled my pistol at him, and it missed fire: my aim had not been to wound him, but to alarm you all, and send you away from the spot. I was foiled in this attempt: but still I pursued your steps unseen by you, and hearing you express a desire of returning to the apartment where you had slept, I resolved to repair thither before you and to mark the floor with the words of warning which you found upon it. 'Quit this place,' was the sentence I wrote; and seeing you shortly after mount your horses and depart, I congratulated myself on having procured the end I desired, by means which, probably, appeared to you of the greatest mystery; and having done so, I immediately proceeded to the castle.
"I thought of you no more throughout the day: it was passed by me in preparations for the admission of Don Manuel into our secret community; to be present at which ceremony, I had invited all the principal members of our society. The initiation was proceeding successfully, though I confess with evident reluctance on the part of the recipient, when the exclamation you uttered assailed our ears. I instantly recognised your person; and another minute would have sealed your fate in death, had not Don Manuel, to my utter astonishment, pleaded for mercy to be shewn to you, as the brother of his wife.
"A request made to the community by one of its members, is never refused to him without due deliberation being first given to it; and as we deemed Don Manuel to have proceeded so far in his initiation, as to be entitled to rank as one of us, his petition was heard, and you conveyed to prison.
"My immediate concern was then to examine by what means you had gained admittance into this castle; and to cause a diligent search to be made for your companions, who I supposed might also have entered it: they could not be discovered; but a paper, tied to a key found in the door of the western turret, directing you to return at night, and signed Rodalvo, explained at once how you had gained entrance, and who was the traitor that merited the vengeance of the community.
"I caused him instantly to be dragged by my familiars to my feet: the fact of his own handwriting he could not deny; his every nerve appeared to be unstrung with terror; and instead of attempting to exculpate himself, he increased my knowledge of his guilt, by confessing, that, having recognized your voice last night on the outside of the post-house, his desire of informing you where to find Don Manuel, of whom he could not doubt that you were in search, led him to steal out of the post-house, and to pursue you on a mule, which he took from one of the stables; and that, having overtaken you, he enjoined you to proceed to the Castle of Virandola; but durst not stay to converse with you, lest his absence from the post-house should have been discovered by me, and punished with death."
"Whatever my fate may be," exclaimed Franval, "let me entreat your mercy to that kind old man."
"It is too late," returned Don Bazilio; "he had twice been faithless to his trust: my poniard has drunk his blood."
"Unhappy man!" replied the Chevalier: "he will be rewarded in Heaven; for his errors were on the side of Virtue."
Don Bazilio uttered an exclamation of contempt, and, after a momentary pause, spoke thus:
"Now, to my most important business with you, Chevalier: by the interference of my nephew, your life has hitherto been miraculously preserved to you; it now rests entirely with yourself, how long you wish to retain that blessing of yours. To-morrow night you must either become a member of this community, or share the fate of Rodalvo: the intervening twenty-four hours will be give you for forming your determination."
"I require not an instant," returned Franval: "the vows which bind your infamous society can never pass my lips: truth and loyalty to my sovereign, and his adherents, glow with true fervor in my breast. Beneath the authority which sways this land, my father prospered; he conducted the battles which upheld it: and his son will sooner expire on the rack, than nourish a thought towards its destruction."
"The hour of proof will come," replied Don Bazilio. "To-morrow night at twelve--Remember!" and he departed.
No one again appeared to disturb the silence of Franval's prison throughout the night; and the rugged earth, barely covered with a lock of straw, was his resting-place. In the morning Don Bazilio again appeared; he was followed by an attendant, who, through the gratings of Franval's prison, placed upon a shelf immediately below the opening a small loaf of coarse bread, and a cup of muddy water.
"Under the resolution by which I left you swayed last night," said Don Bazilio, "this wretched fare must be yours; if you are become a proselyte to my opinion, you may command whatever your please."
"I am not become so, nor shall I ever," returned Franval.
"Remember what is to be the issue of the approaching night," said Don Bazilio emphatically, and again retired.
In the utmost wretchedness passed the hours of the Chevalier Franval: he had no other fate to expect from the merciless beings into whose hands he had fallen, than a death of savage torture; and no consolation under his affliction, except that which he derived from the conviction that it was better to die, than to lay a load of guilt upon his conscience.
At last arrived the hour of Franval's trial; it was announced to him by the beams of torches playing on the walls of his prison, and numerous footsteps approaching towards it. Several men, dressed in similar habits to those whom he had beheld on the preceding night, led him forth, and conducted him into the cavern of horrors, where he found the blood-thirsty community over whom Don Bazilio presided, assembled: He looked anxiously around, in the hope of espying amongst the number Don Manuel, but he saw him not.
Savageness, horror, and malignancy, were portrayed on every countenance; and each appeared to grin with exultation, and a mixture of contempt, on Franval. The place was lighted by firebrands, as on the preceding night, and every regulation appeared the same. After a short pause, Don Bazilio spoke; he repeated to Franval, that his life could only be preserved to him by his accepting the vows of the society; and concluded by informing him, that three questions were about to be proposed to him, and that if his replies to them all were unsatisfactory to the community, his death would immediately ensue.
Franval still answered with the same firmness and resolution which his conscience had before dictated to him.
Warning him once more to consider well his intention ere he drew upon himself the sword of vengeance, Don Bazilio proposed to him the first question; pointing, as he spoke, to the inscription above the chair upon which he sat.
"Wilt thou," said he, "bend thy body in obedience to the attribute of our society, Vengeance?"
"I will not," Franval replied.
"Wilt thou kneel, and pray for the approach of that day which shall give equality to men?" was the second question.
"I will not," again replied Franval.
"Hadst thou rather submit to death thyself, than cause the death of one placed in a situation of power over thee?" was the substance of the third question.
"I had," replied Franval firmly.
"Take then the reward of thy stubbornness," cried Don Bazilio. "Familiars, do your duty."
Instantly Franval felt himself seized by many hands: a cloth was thrown over his head; and he expected immediately to feel the steel piercing his heart; when, at the very instant, a crash like thunder rent the castle: it was repeated a second, a third, and a fourth time, with increased violence.
"We are betrayed!" cried Don Bazilio. "Comrades, defend yourselves."
"The hands which held Franval, were now withdrawn; and, snatching the cloth from his head, he beheld the cavern entered by a band of soldiery, who, rushing upon the Illuminati, made them in a few minutes their prisoners; and the next instant Montreville and Henri were by the side of Franval."
The tide of joy which rushed into the heart of the Chevalier Franval, every breast of feeling must be capable of estimating; but it is necessary that we should give a detail of the happy cause which led to this unexpected event.
When Montreville and Henri had, on the preceding night, been separated by the darkness in the castle hall from Franval, they wandered about for a considerable time, without being able to make any progress into the building. Franval did not return to them. Strange noises met their ears: their sight was started by one of the familiars of the secret community in his demon's dress, passing before them with a lighted firebrand in his hand; and their apprehensions being raised, not only for their companion, but for themselves, they resolved to seek assistance for enquiring into the fate of him from whom they had been separated.
Thus determined, they precipitately quitted the castle, and returning to the cottage where they had been entertained throughout the day, they took their horses from the stable, and having mounted them, rode with all speed towards the nearest garrison town on the frontiers of France: they reached it early in the morning, and having laid an account of their adventure before the police in terms which excited them to an immediate investigation of the truth, they selected fifty of the soldiery, under the command of a trusty officer, to accompany Montreville without delay to the Castle of Virandola. They marched with as much expedition as a body of men bearing arms were able to do, and reached the castle about the hour of midnight: they immediately forced themselves an entrance into the building; and dispersing different ways, a considerable number of them met in the cavern of horrors, as has already been related, at the critical moment of Franval's fate.
As soon as the members of the infamous community of vengeance were secured, and Franval convinced of his safety from the mouths of his friend and servant, a search was made in the castle, in order to ascertain whether it contained any unhappy beings suffering beneath the inhumanity of the terrific horde by which it had been infested: the first object of horror which was discovered by the scrutineers, was the body of the unfortunate Rodalvo, who had fallen the victim of his affection for his master: the next was Don Manuel himself, who was chained to the walls of a flinty dungeon, where he had been fated by his relentless uncle to remain till the Chevalier Franval had either pronounced the vows which were to constitute him a member of the society, or paid the forfeit of his refusal in death.
The grief which Don Manuel had experienced at being torn from the arms of his beloved wife, and dragged to the execution of a purpose at which his soul revolted, could only be equalled by the ecstacy with which he beheld himself and Franval again at liberty, and dwelt on his return to his adored Amarylla, and his infant children.
The rage of Don Bazilio's disappointed soul expressed itself solely in sullen silence. By the command of the police in the town from whence Montreville had procured military assistance, the band of Illuminati were conveyed in chains to Paris, to take their public trial; and on their arrival there, the Chevalier Franval, Montreville, and Don Manuel, whom we must now know by his real name of the Marquis de la Croix, were detained to give evidence against them.
Before the day of trial arrived, Don Bazilio gave a most unquestionable proof of his consciousness of his past guilt, and of the present wretched state of his mind, by putting an end to his own existence in prison. By the voice of the law, his associates in iniquity were adjudged to die beneath the hand of the executioner; which sentence was put into effect on the third day after their condemnation.
On the Chevalier Franval, and the Marquis de la Croix, the King, in addition to other high marks of his favor, bestowed an immense pecuniary reward from the coffers of the state. And the united voice of a rejoicing people bestowed on them the tribute of public applause, for having been the instruments through which retribution and punishment had been inflicted on a set of beings, sufficiently depraved and worthless, to have been brooding the subversion of a prosperous state, and the fall of a virtuous monarch.
Happy in the consciousness of having acted as it became virtuous and loyal subjects to have done, and grateful to Providence for its invisible interposition in the fate of the excellent young Marquis, they returned to the Chevalier's villa crowned with triumph and delight, where the caresses they received from an affectionate sister, and adored wife, rendered them the most enviable men whom the kingdom of France could boast. The society of vengeance being scattered to the winds, the Chevalier and his brother instituted a community of Benevolence to celebrate its destruction. Great was the honor of being admitted a member, and unsullied the virtuous principles of those who became so.
The children of de la Croix, as they grew to manhood, considered it their glory to be descended from those who had sown the seeds of so praiseworthy a society; and their lovely mother, stretching over them in affection and joy, appeared the earthly representative of that goddess of Benevolence, to whom a temple was raised in all their hearts.
This site is full of FREE ebooks - Project Gutenberg Australia | <urn:uuid:1201921b-9aed-440c-ab99-4e8ca36d58b0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0606731h.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00328-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989476 | 21,463 | 1.648438 | 2 |
“I wish also to express my deep concern that for the fourth time the Human Rights Council is compelled to convene a Special Session to discuss the situation in Syria. I would like to echo the calls of the Secretary-General and of the Joint Special Envoy, Mr. Kofi Annan, for an immediate end to all forms of violence and human rights violations by all parties,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told the Human Rights Council.
She emphasised the need to end impunity, to ensure accountability for perpetrators, and to provide adequate and effective remedies for the victims.
“I take this opportunity to call again on the Government of Syria to assume its responsibility to protect the civilian population in the country. I reiterate that those who order, assist, or fail to stop attacks on civilians are individually criminally liable for their actions. Other States have a duty to do all they can to prevent and prosecute perpetrators of international crimes. Once again, I urge the Security Council to consider referring the case of Syria to the International Criminal Court,” Pillay said.
Pillay reiterated her call to the Syrian government to grant the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria full and unimpeded access to the country so as to carry out investigations into all human rights violations, including the El-Houleh killings, during which at least 108 people including 49 children were killed.
She said: “In this context, I regret that, despite the Human Rights Council’s repeated calls on the Government of Syria to cooperate fully with the Commission of Inquiry, the Commission still has not been granted access to Syria. I have taken note of the Security Council’s call on the UN Supervision Mission in Syria to continue its investigations into the El-Houleh killings, and I urge the Government of Syria to cooperate fully with UNSMIS.”
Meanwhile, UN Independent Experts to the Human Rights Council in a joint statement said: “We deplore the fact that since the last special session and after more than one year of widespread violence, the situation has alarmingly deteriorated. The killings which have occurred over the past few days have again alerted us to the imperative for immediate action from the highest level, in particular President Assad.”
The statement read on behalf of the UN Independent Experts by Christof Heynsthe Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said: “the use of indiscriminate and disproportionate use of artillery and tank shelling against residential areas is unacceptable.”
The Human Rights Council heard that livelihoods and access to medical care, food, and water have been affected across the country.
UN Independent Experts urged the Syrian authorities to ensure” unhindered access to humanitarian assistance, including to internally displaced persons,” adding that this must be a priority for all parties and be provided irrespective of other efforts to resolve the crisis.”
They also expressed concern over the impact of the violence and the growing number of internally displaced persons; they noted that more than 61,000 people are seeking shelter in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
The Council voted a resolution condemning the recent killings in the village of El-Houleh, near Homs, describing it as “an outrageous use of force against the civilian population, which constitutes a violation of applicable international law and of the commitment of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic…”
Forty-one members of the council voted for the resolution, three states voted against and there were two abstentions.
The Human Rights Council has previously convened three special sessions on Syria to address the human rights violations unfolding on the ground since violence erupted in the country in March 2011.
1 June 2012 | <urn:uuid:13a9273c-aa87-47ce-9c1b-637cb122f956> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/UNHRCholdsafourthSStodiscusstheSyriancrisis.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284405.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00041-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948294 | 762 | 1.773438 | 2 |
All businesses must address the three main workplace security concerns – staff safety and asset security as well as the protection of confidential information and data. These security concerns require a strong workplace security system in order to minimize any risks to the business. This could include theft, robbery, system hacking, and physical damage. The most important aspect of workplace safety is physical security.
This article will examine the importance of security guard and physical safety in the workplace. It will also discuss some of the most important elements.
Physical access control can be described as determining who has access to buildings, grounds, equipment, or sensitive areas.
This is an important aspect of preventative security measures at workplaces all over the world. For both crime prevention and emergency response, it is important to know who is on and inside your buildings.
Unauthorized access to the workplace’s assets and workplace must be strictly controlled using ID-based physical restrictions.
No employee should have access to restricted areas if a company has sensitive data, equipment, and chemicals. They could not only damage equipment or cause harm to themselves but could also share information that they shouldn’t have.
There are many physical security access control options that can be used to provide strong security at work, such as computer-based automated controls or manual controls.
Every business has a duty to ensure that their employees have a safe working environment. This includes keeping a close eye on what is coming in and going out using security systems such as CCTV.
For maintaining high levels of security, physical surveillance at work is an effective tool. It can be used to track incidents and is a great preventative security measure.
Workplace security and safety can be improved by having reliable, real-time video surveillance systems. An up-to-date CCTV surveillance camera system should monitor all exit and entry points as well as other areas such IT rooms and critical data centers.
A well-thought-out security plan is essential to your business’s success. It reduces insurance claims, liabilities, closures, and any other expenses that can impact your bottom line.
Your security policy should include information about identity authentication, employee access and alarm systems.
Alarm systems are crucial to prevent malicious activity and security breaches. High-quality security lighting is also important for workplace safety.
Exterior lighting that is not adequate or insufficient can lead to dangerous night-time conditions. Poorly lit spaces can lead to accidents and encourage crime.
Only then can proper surveillance and monitoring be effective. These are where badges or tokens come in. They are especially useful for larger areas of workplace security.
Larger workplaces today require employees to have an identification card. This will usually include their name, title and photo as well as your logo.
These ID cards are used to verify identity. Access control badges for employees ensure that everyone is safe. It also makes it easier to protect restricted areas within a company.
Why are these Physical Aspects so Important in Security?
A business must protect its employees and valuable information against theft, damage, and loss.
Small Biz Trends recently conducted a survey that found that a 5% retention rate could help increase a company’s profit margins by between 25% and 95%.
These figures are significant because they show that a secure and productive workplace environment can improve productivity and efficiency, which directly impacts customer satisfaction and leads to customer retention.
A business’s workplace security system must be reliable and effective. This reduces the costs of insurance, compensation, and other expenses it has to pay its stakeholders. It ultimately leads to higher business revenues and lower operational costs.
How To Implement a Strong Physical Workplace Security System
These steps will create a safe and reliable working environment for all employees in your company.
- Assess and evaluate the security needs of your workplace.
- Next, create a policy that covers all of the safety aspects.
- Request recommendations from regulatory agencies by consulting contractors or regulatory consultants.
- Third-party contractors can be hired to install your physical security system. The scope of work will be determined.
- Verify that your security system meets all regulatory requirements.
- You should commission your system for real-world operations.
- Follow your workplace security policy to maintain your security system.
Hear from our clients...
The Security Guard’s Role
Security guards are responsible for protecting people, property, and information. They have different obligations to different groups.
As a security guard, your employer has a responsibility for ensuring the security and protection their property. This includes:
-Making every effort to protect property and premises from natural and criminal threats in a proper and effective manner. This covers vandalism, theft, and any other damage to the property. A single burst pipe or fire can cause more damage than a burglar to a business.
-Detection, prevention and response to any criminal or other damaging acts on or against client property.
Security guards are required to conduct their duties professionally and with thought. This allows clients to feel confident that they won’t lose business or face a civil suit.
The public is also responsible. A security guard is frequently assigned the responsibility of protecting the public against injury or loss while on client premises. This includes:
Keeping the public safe by directing them to avoid dangerous work areas and areas where they could hurt themselves.
-A duty to cooperate with law enforcement officials when necessary and appropriate. For example, detaining someone who is convicted of a crime. A security guard might be able to complement the efforts of the police by either performing preliminary investigations, preventing a crime from being committed, or securing the crime scene until police arrive. The police can also use security personnel to provide valuable information about building layouts, entry and exit points, and dangerous conditions.
Security guards can sometimes be viewed as leaders and guides in emergency situations.
Security guards are able to assist other emergency personnel because of their authority and knowledge. This knowledge can help firefighters and emergency medical teams arrive faster and safer on the scene.
-A security guard who has provided information to police to enable them to make a criminal arrest will be required to give professional testimony to the court.
A security guard must also accept responsibility for their actions. Security guards need to realize that they are professionals and have a lot of responsibility. Protection and Security agents often have to protect thousands or even millions of items and property. Guards must be professional and responsible at all times.
Observe, prevent and record. Report, assist, and report. While the daily routine of a security guard may change, there is one constant. The primary responsibility of a security guard is to protect the personnel, property, and information of clients.
What’s the purpose of a security officer?
Five Top Responsibilities for Security Personnel:
Be a visible deterrent to crime
A security guard will make it less likely that criminals commit theft, vandalism, or assaults. Shoplifters, muggers, and burglars will be stopped by the presence of security personnel.
Identifying suspicious behavior
Your employees may be busy working, but criminals could also be there. A dedicated team that monitors suspicious and irregular behavior is a great asset for businesses. It is unrealistic to expect employees to be able to spot suspicious behavior. Security guards are trained and skilled to recognize abnormal smells, sounds or sights and get immediate attention.
Contacting the authorities and communicating with them
Security guards can be a point of contact and a resource for authorities in an emergency situation. Security guards are trained in observing and gathering the necessary information for law enforcement or fire departments to complete their work. Security guards are partners with the business owners, fire and police services.
Access control to properties
Unauthorized access to property is one of the greatest threats to businesses. Hospitals, construction sites and schools, as well as other prominent organizations, understand the importance of monitoring their exits and entrances. Security guards are able to check credentials and keep logs of visitors and vendors.
In emergency situations, take action
Security guards are equipped with the necessary skills and training to handle any emergency that may arise. Security personnel act as a watchdog and are often the first ones to notice a security emergency and to respond. They can assist with evacuations and other serious security incidents.
Get In touch
Leave us a message | <urn:uuid:5248e22e-d846-4130-8994-4fdfd321ec28> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sassecurity.co.za/security-guard-security-is-more-important/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.949381 | 1,703 | 2.515625 | 3 |
RE:QUESTA space for resources to help RE teachers and their students explore the Christian faith
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People: Lord Shaftesbury
What was so special about Lord Shaftesbury?
Anthony Ashley Cooper was born on 28 April 1801, in London, in the house of his uncle, the fifth Earl of Shaftesbury. His uncle died in 1811, so Cooper's father became the sixth earl. Cooper became the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury in 1851, after the death of his father.
Over his lifetime he became famous for the social reforms he brought about for children and the poorer members of British society. Although born into a rich and privileged family, Cooper did not have a happy childhood; his parents did not show him much love, and his father was quite unkind. However, he had a nurse, Maria, who he afterward described as his best friend. She loved him, told him stories, read the Bible to him, and taught him her simple Christian faith. Although she died when he was only ten and away at school, he always kept the faith she passed on to him, and it became the driving force of his life's work.
After gaining a degree at Oxford University, Cooper became involved in politics and was elected as a Tory Member of Parliament in 1826. Early in his political career, he was asked to join a committee that heard evidence about the treatment of ‘lunatics’ ( a common term in those days). What he heard was so appalling that he resolved to see for himself if the report was true. The depths of cruelty, filth, and degradation he saw so affected him that he continued to work on behalf of these people all his life.
He was chairman of the Metropolitan Commissioners on Lunacy for fifty-seven years. He also promoted two bills 'for the Better Treatment of Lunatics.' Cooper became aware of the terrible plight of working children in the textile mills, coal mines, brickworks and chimney sweeps. This was the time of the industrial revolution, and the workforce consisted partly of children. He was asked to support a bill to limit the hours worked by children to ten. Children were working impossible hours; up to 18 per day.
Cooper's first attempt at introducing legislation to prevent this abuse of children was thrown out by Parliament in 1833. The very men he had to convince were often the landowners or mill owners that exploited the children. He kept trying and little by little he managed to get laws passed to lessen their suffering. However, it was not until 1875 that the Shaftesbury Act to abolish the practice of climbing boys sweeping chimneys was finally made law. Cooper devoted his life to helping the poor, underprivileged and helpless, especially children. During his life, he became the leading evangelical layman of the time and campaigned successfully for church reform as well as social reform. Cooper puzzled about how to improve the literacy of ordinary, working people.
Then he discovered the "ragged schools", which were springing up in various places, usually begun by London City Missionaries and other volunteers. Convinced that these schools were the best way of helping children to "climb out of the gutter", Cooper supported them enthusiastically, soon becoming president of the 'Ragged School Union', an organisation that still exists, though now known as the Shaftesbury Society. The Committee for Refuges (an offshoot of the Ragged School Union) also bought or leased houses for training boys and girls. These became known as 'Shaftesbury Homes'.
Cooper, seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, died at his home, Wimborne St Giles on 1 October 1885.
Representatives of 196 missions attended the funeral, in Westminster Abbey, every one of which had been his personal concern. The crowds (at least 7000), which lined the streets as the procession passed, were mainly poor people. It seemed that the slums of London converged on the Abbey in spontaneous mourning such as England had never seen before.
Cooper's son, Cecil, wrote:
'When I saw the crowd which lined the streets as my father's body was borne to the Abbey - the halt, the blind, the maimed, the poor and the naked standing bareheaded in their rags amidst a pelting rain, patiently enduring to show their love and reverence for their departed friend, I thought it the most heart-stirring sight my eyes had ever looked upon...’ | <urn:uuid:86faf96e-d471-4b7a-b926-b3a0b55f9062> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://request.org.uk/resource/people/significant-people/anthony-ashley-cooper/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.992447 | 947 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Medical marijuana has been legal in Minnesota for a little more than a day and already lawmakers and advocates are looking to the future of the program.
In the first month of the program, 98 patients have been approved to get the drug at one of two patient clinics that opened Wednesday – the day the drug became legal in the state – according to figures released by the state Department of Health Thursday morning.
More than 30 families picked up medical marijuana prescriptions in the first day, the Pioneer Press reports, as the clinics saw a "steady trickle" of patients who showed up by appointment to get their medication.
“Qualified patients now can receive cannabis medications in a controlled, healthcare-like environment, and Minnesota is poised to be a research leader as we expand our understanding of how various medical cannabis formulations may help patients with qualifying conditions," Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger said in a news release Wednesday.
Expanding the program
On the first day of the program there was already talk about expanding it to add more conditions that would help qualify more patients for the program.
Gov. Mark Dayton said at a news conference Wednesday that he may consider supporting the addition of chronic pain to the list of qualifying conditions if people can medically benefit from the drug, the Pioneer Press notes.
House Speaker Kurt Daudt also spoke about the program, saying the 2016 Legislature will likely see bills seeking to expand it, but he noted that the state has to give the new law a chance to work before changing it, the newspaper adds.
Patrick McClellan – a patient-advocate for Minnesotans for Compassionate Care who was one of the first people to pick up a legal dose of medical marijuana – joined other advocates in describing Wednesday as "a huge day for Minnesota," but also noted they need to continue their fight in order to get more people qualified for the medication, according to Forum News Service.
McClellan is among those who are hoping Minnesota's medical marijuana program – one of the strictest in the nation – will become a model for health insurance companies so they'll eventually cover the cost of the medication.
Currently, eligible patients have to pay hundreds of dollars a month in out-of-pocket costs for the prescriptions because Minnesota health insurance companies do not cover medical cannabis, MDH notes.
MinnMed and LeafLine Labs – the state's two licensed medical marijuana manufacturers – each opened their first patient clinics Wednesday in Minneapolis and Eagan, and in the coming months they will open three more apiece. Eventually the state will have eight patient cannabis centers located around the state. | <urn:uuid:e479428d-a595-4511-b104-e2028965a0a8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/as-patients-get-first-medical-marijuana-doses-officials-look-to-the-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96679 | 525 | 1.507813 | 2 |
By: Suzanne Canada, Ph.D.
Tanager Medical Writing
An ongoing barrage of information and mis-information has been dispersed through various media about the dangers of toxins in our environment. Although everyone agrees that you certainly should avoid ingesting, inhaling, or absorbing toxins into your body; your body has natural ways of removing toxins. Some new fads claiming that you need to “detox” to assist in the process may actually harm you more than help.
There are certainly many pollutants in the world today that should be minimized or avoided1. Naturally occurring sources of toxins in the environment include:
- Other people: who can carry human pathogens
- Food poisoning: due to contamination with E. coli, Salmonella, or even Botulism
- Wild animals: that may carry typhus, viruses, cholera (e.g., rats in Manhattan were recently surveyed by researchers at Columbia University and were found to carry many bacteria and viruses)
- Bacillus and Clostridial bacteria, the spores of which exist naturally in soil
- Plant toxins (lectins, tannins, alkaloids) that limit herbivore ingestion and damage
- Air pollution: dust, pollen, fungal spores such as mold and mildew
However, hype about the prevalence of toxins in our homes for the purpose of selling extreme detoxification products and procedures could hurt people both physically and financially. Misinformation has been widely promoted, claiming that these toxins are the source of many health problems such as ADD, autism, chronic fatigue, and even cancer. In fact, detoxification is sometimes appropriate when prescribed by doctors in the healthcare setting:
“In the setting of real medicine, detoxification means treatments for dangerous levels of drugs, alcohol, or poisons like heavy metals. Detoxification treatments are medical procedures that are not casually selected from a menu of alternative health treatments, or pulled off the shelf in the pharmacy. Real detoxification is provided in hospitals when there are life-threatening circumstances.” 3
Increases in the use and promotion of “Detox” diets, products, and procedures has brought them under scrutiny of some health researchers. In one case, researchers from Georgetown University Medical School looked at 20 studies published in the last decade and found no evidence of benefit to colon cleansing.4 An investigative article by Consumer Reports reported that their medical consultants questioned the need for detoxification at all! 5 Another evaluation published at WebMD concluded that you could quickly lose a weight using a detox diet, but you will have to endure hunger, weakness, and could experience side effects of low energy, low blood sugar, muscle aches, dizziness, and nausea. Other health authorities point out that the human body has natural processes to handle the elimination of toxins, no matter what you eat.6
How Does Your Body Get Rid of Toxins?
Far from being helpless, the human body has developed many ways to defend itself against toxins in the environment. 8 The body defends itself through three major organ systems:
1. The skin and gut, which act as a physical barrier.
2. The kidneys and liver: The primary function of the liver, kidneys, and urinary system is to expel toxins that result from the body’s metabolism of food and drink 7.
3. The immune system: Organs including lymph nodes, bone marrow, thymus, and white blood cells resist or eliminate potentially harmful foreign materials or abnormal cells. Their major targets are bacteria and viruses. White blood cells (Lymphocytes: B-cells, T-cells, macrophages, etc) are highly specialized cells which recognize and destroy specific targets.
The innate immunity and the complement system consist of 11 plasma proteins produced by the liver, usually activated by pathogens and antibody complexes, which help to eliminate pathogens. This mechanism includes inflammation, which is the human body’s first defense that destroys invaders, and prepares affected areas for healing and repair.
- US EPA website: www.epa.gov
- Paul T., (2014) New York’s Rat Population Hosts Dangerous Pathogens. Columbia University Medical Center.
- Gavura S., (2014). The Detox Scam: How to spot it, and how to avoid it. Science-Based Medicine.
- Raymond J., (2011). Detox danger: Trendy colon cleansing a risky ritual. NBC News.
- Do you really need to detox? Consumer Reports, Jan 2009.
- Zelman K., (2016). The Truth About Detox Diets. WebMD.
- Liver, Kidney and Urinary System. NetDoctor, 2016.
- Ritchison G., Blood and Body Defenses II. BIO 301 Human Physiology. | <urn:uuid:5a4f8c12-55d1-433b-b219-15034cda2b1f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://listlabs.com/tag/toxins/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573876.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820012448-20220820042448-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.934103 | 976 | 3.0625 | 3 |
“My son, age 11, has had bedwetting his whole life. Our pediatrician gave him a prescription for desmopressin pills. We were hoping these would solve his bedwetting, but even 3 pills have not enabled him to have a dry night. We’re at our wits end. What should we do now?”
Bedwetting pills, namely desmospressin, do not work for everyone. Their method of action is to decrease the amount of urine produced in the 10-12 hours after the pills are taken. The urine is more concentrated and has less volume. Less volume means that the bladder has less to hold and in many children, enables them to have a dry night that night. This is a temporary solution because the nights that the medication is not taken, the body returns to making more dilute urine. Special occasion sleepovers are possible in the children who stay dry with these pills.
There is another solution to your son’s bedwetting, however. Using a bedwetting alarm provides a permanent cure. Once your son learns how to wake up to the feeling of a full bladder, he will no longer wet. Older boys are happy to use the Rodger wireless alarm, which senses wetness and then alerts them using a loud sound. The receiver that sounds is plugged into a wall outlet and requires that your son get out of bed to turn it off. The moisture sensing underwear is like regular cotton underwear, and is comfortable and easy to use. Over time, as your son gets used to getting up when he is wetting, his body will begin to wake him before he wets.
Many older children have become dry when using an alarm. There is no reason to wait any longer for him to “outgrow” his problem when you have a permanent solution. Don’t be discouraged just because the pills did not work for him. | <urn:uuid:11c46aec-5624-45fb-b178-85ba777f8f32> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://bedwettingstore.com/blog/bedwetting-pills-did-not-work-what-next/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281649.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00446-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973879 | 392 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Schools can be a place of community, growth, and learning. Extracurriculars, like school clubs and sporting groups, can foster these things in ways classrooms oftentimes can’t. But what happens if you have multiple identities, where neither intentionally cross paths in programming?
That’s exactly what Youth Alliance for Intersectional Justice is trying to correct. In an education system where specific support can be found for students who are racialized or disabled, but not racialized and disabled, co-founder Carolyn Tinglin is trying to connect the two.
“School is just quite an isolating place for a lot of youth. It's tough on most youth, but particularly for racialized youth who have disabilities,” she said.
Tinglin, a Black mother of an autistic son who is also currently undertaking a PhD in education, was at various points over the last few years looking to connect her son, Jantz, to a school group or club where he could be entirely himself.
“I was looking specifically at programs or organizations that offered entrepreneurship opportunities to youth with varying abilities, and or with neuro-variety, who were also from the Black community and from Indigenous nations and could not find a community-based organization that did that,” she said.
Having conversations with Jantz about what such a program could look like, they both knew that the solution needed to be “actionary.”
“We wanted it to be a safe space. I wanted to specifically focus on Black youth as well as Indigenous youth who have been pushed to the margins more so than other youth have,” Tinglin said. “And who, when it comes to research, whether it's autism research, whether it's FASD [fetal alcohol spectrum disorder] research, or Down Syndrome research, you don't hear from racialized youth in those communities.”
Currently operating at West Vancouver’s Rockridge Secondary School, Kimberly Jung, YAIJ advisory council member and English teacher at the school, was able to implement the program that runs every Monday during lunchtime.
“She literally took it and ran with it,” Tinglin said of Jung, adding, “That is the purpose of YAIJ, to take ideas that are relevant and meaningful, and inspired by or directly coming from youth, and bringing them to life.”
According to the West Vancouver School District, 121 students identify as Indigenous; however the district does not collect other data regarding race. The district told the North Shore News approximately 10 per cent of its student body has an Individualized Education Program but could not provide numbers regarding how many of those students are also racialized.
Tinglin notes that often, racialized and disabled youth are not envisioned as people with hopes or aspirations, and more frequently, not thought of at all.
“That's really what we're about, amplifying their voices, facilitating, supporting ideas and projects, and research that they're interested in doing and learning about,” she said.
Incorporating intersectional justice theory, including the principles of history of racism and supremacies, into teaching and education is something Tinglin is passionate about.
“When we talk about intersectional justice, from an educational standpoint, we're really talking about understanding who students are, what their lives are, who they are as people, what their lives are like, and what's relevant to them and teaching with that with those understandings in mind,” she said. “So really pushing for equitable opportunities for youth based on intersectional justice.”
Tinglin said teachers and schools are in a unique position to question the socially constructed categories of race and disability and can “exercise the tools of social justice.”
Practically, Tinglin said the program centres issues that are relevant and important to Black and Indigenous students with disabilities, including entrepreneurship, economics, and harnessing skills for long term financial independence.
“There are young people who don't have parents or adult support, they're literally on their own. And so, they're on their own, but what happens if they're underemployed and they're not able to find consistent work that's meaningful to them?” she asked.
“There is nothing wrong with being a Walmart greeter, if that's what you choose to do. But there are many who don't especially choose to do that, and those are the only options they are offered. So, we see that as being a bit problematic,” she said. “If you choose to do that, that's very different from being pushed into that position simply because of the labels that are attached to you, or that you've been designated.”
Tinglin is hoping to expand YAIJ across the country, not only in schools, but into policy development and economics.
“When a youth finishes high school, typically youth who have either a special education label or they have an IEP are kind of streamed for certain types of jobs. Very low paying, service oriented jobs. So, we're wondering, what are the supportive avenues for youth who don't want service oriented jobs and want to be part of the post-secondary community?” she said.
“If I am a young person and I have FASD, or I have an intellectual disability and I'd like to see what it's like to be in a college botanical course, who makes that happen?” | <urn:uuid:f5fcb230-afd2-486e-bb88-282d4e03465e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/west-van-school-racialized-disabled-students-4837325 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.980865 | 1,147 | 2.765625 | 3 |
What Cathie Black’s resignation means for school reform is the title of Valerie Strauss’ latest piece in the Washington Post. Black, of course, is the publisher who had zero experience with public schools when she was appointed by New York City Mayor Bloomberg as head of the New York schools a few months ago. She resigned today.
The Drucker Institute also had a short post about the departure of Cathie Black from the New York Schools. They suggested that Mayor Bloomberg might have made a better decision if he had seen a short animation the Institute created on the importance of “domain knowledge” prior to her appointment. It’s a similar position many of us have made about the importance of having experienced educators as Superintendents. The film makes some good points, though, after the recent revelation that GE didn’t pay any taxes last year, I wish it didn’t point to Jeffrey R. Immelt from GE as such a model person.
As most of this blog’s readers know, Joel Klein has become the third big-city school superintendent to resign in the past month) Michelle Rhee and the Superintendent of Chicago Schools were the two others). Klein is leaving his position as head of the New York School District.
Amazingly, Mayor Bloomberg has proposed replacing him with Cathleen Black, a publishing executive with no prior experience in education and who sends her children to private schools.
There have been an enormous number of articles and blog posts written about this — in my opinion — absurd move by the mayor. I read a lot, but even I have been intimidated by their quantity. I’ve created this “The Best…” list, though, because I believe the issue of placing people with no experience in the classroom in charge of our schools (beginning with Education Secretary Arne Duncan) is a critical one.
In this list, I’ve tried to include blog posts and articles that speak more broadly to that concern, and that are less focused on New York only (though I have included some of them for background.
Since I know I’ve missed good posts and articles, please leave them in the comments section.
Here are my picks — so far — for The Best Blog Posts & Articles About Joel Klein’s Departure & The Question Of Who Should Be Leading Our Schools:
Choosing School Chancellors the Wrong Way is a piece in Education Week by Walt Gardner.
Coincidentally, the week before Klein’s departure, I wrote a post about this very same issue — This Is A Great Explanation Of One Of My Biggest Concerns About “School Reformers.” It primarily discusses an excellent article that had appeared in Forbes and how it related to my concern about non-educators being in put in charge of schools. And, no, I’m not clairvoyant…
Dana Goldstein has written a good commentary about the situation.
Who’s Qualified to Run New York City Schools? is a forum on this question published by the New York Times.
A narcissistic approach to education reform comes from The Answer Sheet at The Washington Post.
New York Schools Chancellor Ends 8-Year Run provides some basic background on what’s going on in New York and also appeared in The Times.
Big School Problems Await New Chancellor is another Times article.
Mayor Takes Idea of Education Outsider to New Level also comes from The Times.
And The Times ran a tongue-in-cheek column titled If You Were Asked About Chancellor’s Job, Tell Us.
Interviewing the New NYC Schools Chancellor is a fun animation created by Dan Brown showing a made-up interview with Ms. Black.
The corporate takeover of American schools is an article appearing in the British Guardian newspaper, and it’s one of the best pieces on school policy that I’ve read all year. Its subtitle is “The trend for appointing CEOs to the top jobs is symptomatic of a declining commitment to public education and social justice.”
Feedback is welcome. | <urn:uuid:40fe8138-bbe9-4c8a-a306-7eddc37e4516> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/11/13/the-best-blog-posts-articles-about-joel-klein%E2%80%99s-departure-the-question-of-who-should-be-leading-our-schools/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719027.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00303-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962803 | 843 | 1.539063 | 2 |
HNMS Van Kinsbergen (U 93)
Sloop of the Van Kinsbergen class
|Navy||The Royal Dutch Navy|
|Built by||Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, (Rotterdam , Holland)|
|Ordered||10 Dec 1936|
|Laid down||11 Sep 1937|
|Launched||5 Jan 1939|
|Commissioned||24 Aug 1939|
|End service||29 May 1959|
Decommissioned on 29 May 1959.
For this ship's service record see this website (offsite link).
Commands listed for HNMS Van Kinsbergen (U 93)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
|1||kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) John Louis Karel Hoeke, RNN||29 Aug 1939||18 Aug 1941|
|2||kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Cornelis Hellingman, DSO, RNN||18 Aug 1941||26 Apr 1943|
|3||kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Johannes Jacobus Lukas Willinge, RNN||26 Apr 1943||19 Aug 1943|
|4||kapitein ter zee (Capt.) Jan August Gauw, RNN||19 Aug 1943||20 Sep 1945|
You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.
Notable events involving Van Kinsbergen include:
14 Oct 1939
HrMs O 20 (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Bussemaker, RNN) and HrMs O 15 (Lt. H.M.L.F.E. van Oostrom Soede, RNN) and their escort HrMs Van Kinsbergen (Cdr. J.L.K. Hoeke, RNN) arrived at Ponta Delgada, Azores.
20 Aug 1940
On 20 August 1940 observers from the US Navy attended a demonstration of the Bofors 40 mm AA gun in the triaxial twin-mount Hazemeyer configuration aboard the Van Kinsbergen. The performance convinced them to adopt the gun as US Navy standard. (1)
27 Sep 1940
In the evening, HMS Caradoc (Capt. J.S. Bethell, RN), fuelled from the chartered tanker San Adolfo (7365 GRT, 1935) off Castries, St. Lucia.
HMS Caradoc then departed to patrol 100 miles to the east of Martinique with the Dutch sloop HrMs Van Kinsbergen (Cdr. J.L.K. Hoeke, RNN) to intercept the Vichy-French transport Mont Agel (4572 GRT, built 1920).
The Vichy-French ship was however not sighted as it first had proceeded to Guadaloupe and then to the east into the Atlantic. (2)
11 Dec 1940
HrMs Van Kinsbergen (Cdr. J.L.K. Hoeke, RNN) intercepts the German merchant vessel Rhein (6031 GRT, built 1926) west of the Florida Strait in position 24°55'N, 83°15'W. Unfortunately before the German ship can be captured it is set on fire by her own crew. The wreck is sunk later that day by the HMS Caradoc (Capt. J.S. Bethell, RN).
HMS Caradoc took over the patrol duties in the afternoon of the following day. (3)
- Personal communication
- ADM 53/111710 + ADM 53/367
- ADM 53/113817 + ADM 199/402
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London. | <urn:uuid:a9075dc7-2bc5-424f-af33-2789eb47a2a0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://li178-61.members.linode.com/allies/warships/ship/2871.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817001643-20220817031643-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.766612 | 892 | 1.78125 | 2 |
[Python-ideas] Cofunctions PEP - Revision 4
greg.ewing at canterbury.ac.nz
Thu Aug 12 01:17:28 CEST 2010
Paul Du Bois wrote:
> Perhaps it's the "cocall" keyword that could be removed, rather than
> "codef"? A revised semantics for "codef" could cause the body to use
> the most recent PEP revisions's "__cocall__ or __call__" mechanism for
> all function calls, perhaps at the expense of some runtime efficiency.
Thinking about it overnight, I came to exactly the same
conclusion! This is actually the idea I had in mind right
back at the beginning.
I think there are some good arguments in favour of it.
If cocall sites have to be marked in some way, then when
you change your mind about whether a function is a
generator or not, you have to track down all the places
where the function is called and change them as well. If
that causes the enclosing functions to also become
generators, then you have to track down all the calls to
them as well, etc. etc. I can envisage this being a
major hassle in a large program.
Whereas if we mark the functions instead of the calls,
although some changes will still be necessary, there
ought to be far fewer of them. Generally one tends to
call functions more often than one defines them.
Also, it seems to me that changing 'def' into 'codef' is
a far less intrusive change than sprinkling some kind of
call marker throughout the body. It means we don't
have to invent a weird new calling syntax. It also means
you can read the function and think about it as normal
code instead of having to be aware at every point of
what kind of thing you're calling. It's more duck-typish.
So now I'm thinking that my original instinct was right:
cofunctions should be functions that call things in a
More information about the Python-ideas | <urn:uuid:dbf4f1bd-3bea-4b6b-b152-d46cc64f5706> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/2010-August/007954.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720468.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00489-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936953 | 444 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The Nepal Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives and ordered the government to summon the House session within the next 13 days, dealing a setback to Prime Minister K P Oli on his 70th birthday.
Nepal plunged into a political crisis after President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had on December 20 dissolved the 275-member lower House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) between factions led by the Prime Minister and by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Madhav Kumar Nepal.
On Tuesday, a five-member constitutional bench, headed by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, in a unanimous judgement said that the provisions of the Constitution cited by Oli and Bhandari were not relevant as Nepal’s Constitution has made a special provision against the dissolution of Parliament mid-term without exhausting all options to forming an alternative government.
The bench, also consisting of Justices Tej Bahadur Karki, Bishwambar Shrestha, Anil Sinha and Sapana Pradhan Malla, also instructed Oli and Bhardari to convene the House within 13 days.
What next for Oli?
With a loss of face, Oli is left with limited options like proving majority in the House, or to stall efforts the NCP’s rival faction from taking leadership of the government. There are speculations that Oli may even support Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the main opposition Nepali Congress party and prop up a government on a power-sharing basis. However, this is an approach that could also be explored by the Prachanda-Nepal faction of the NCP.
Before the verdict was announced, there was heavy police deployment around the Supreme Court. Oli summoned the chiefs of security forces, including the Nepal Army chief, to assess the likely political response and resultant law-and-order situation in the face of his defeat.
Soon after the verdict, Prachanda called on the PM to resign. “If Oli has any bit of shame left, he must resign now,” he said.
Earlier in December, Oli, facing infighting from within the NCP, made the unilateral recommendation to dissolve the House to Bhandari, blaming his opponents within the Party of not cooperating with him or letting the government function smoothly.
He argued that going to the people for a fresh mandate is the biggest democratic exercise and said that he took the decision to dissolve the House as he enjoyed the inherent power as the leader of a majoritarian government.
The dissolution of the House sparked protests from a large faction of the ruling NCP led by Prachanda and Nepal. The move was immediately challenged in Supreme Court by 13 different petitioners, including the chief whip of the NCP.
In the last general elections, the NCP had won a nearly two-third majority. However, after Oli’s move to dissolve the House, the two factions – one led by Oli, and the other led by Prachanda and Nepal – have both been claiming to be the “real” NCP – an issue that the Election Commission is yet to settle.
While Oli continues to be the chairman of the NCP that unilaterally controls the government, the Prachanda-Nepal faction of the NCP has more MPs and enjoys a majority within the party’s central secretariat, steering committee and the central committee. | <urn:uuid:42063b8b-9d34-421f-a528-f33e18a2f9b5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://businessnation.co.in/blow-to-oli-as-nepal-top-court-reinstates-dissolved-house/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.972731 | 743 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Story by Jerry Osborn and photos by Kristen Cart
The summer of 1954, before my senior year, I started working at the Hormel plant again, but after a few weeks my dad asked me to work on the elevator his company, Mayer-Osborn Company, was building at Blencoe, Iowa. This would be a different experience. Since I had no transportation of my own he took me to Blencoe and set me up in a motel near the site. He also took me to a shoe store to buy work shoes so I would be set to go to work. The wages weren’t great. They were $1 an hour just like all the other grunts on the job. No nepotism on this job. My job was to select the correct steel and see that it was laid properly as the slip forms were filled and jacked. Fortunately, I had enough engineering drawing work that I could read the blueprints. The slip operation had just begun when I arrived, so it was learn-on-the-run for me.
Things seemed to be progressing nicely until we were about twenty feet in the air. At that point it was noticed that some of the exposed concrete was crumbling and falling to the ground. This can’t be good. The operation was shut down immediately to determine what the problem was. It became obvious that the mix ratio of cement to sand and gravel was too low. The work to that point had to be torn down. The demolition was done over the weekend, and we were setting up to slip again on Monday. The concrete was mixed on the job and the appropriate mix weights were to be locked into the scales. Somehow the proper amount of cement was not designated. My brother, who had been on a lot of these jobs, was a supervisor on this job and should have checked the setting for the proper mix.
When operating properly, the concrete was mixed next to the elevator; each mix was dumped into a bucket hoist, which was lifted to the deck level. The mud was fed into two-wheel mud buggies. The buggies were then wheeled to and dumped at the place needing concrete. As this process took place another mix was in process, so when the hoist bucket was returned, it was once again filled and the whole process was repeated over and over until a height of more than 100 feet was reached. As the forms were filled, steel was laid and other features such as portholes were laid in place as the forms were jacked upward, exposing freshly set concrete at the bottom of the forms and providing more space at the top for more mud. A scaffold was built below but connected to the forms so men with trowels could smooth the fresh concrete as it was exposed below.
I had hoped to work until the slip was finished, but the restart didn’t leave enough time prior to football practice.
- A contemporary view of Mayer-Osborn’s Blencoe elevator (ourgrandfathersgrainelevators.com) | <urn:uuid:bcb0202f-10c0-4679-9399-ced921beb8bf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ourgrandfathersgrainelevators.com/2012/06/09/jerry-osborn-recalls-blencoe/?replytocom=4312 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.994226 | 623 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Date Of Execution: 4 Aug 1873
Execution Place: Derby
Benjamin Hudson murdered his wife Eliza Hudson at Handley, Eckington in a field with a hedge stake.
They were married with 2 children but were also cousins. Benjamin Hudson was a collier.
On 20 April Eliza Hudson summoned her husband for using threats against her but he never appeared before the magistrate because he agreed to a seperation and to pay his wife 5s a week towards her maintenance. A while before he had been in prison for 3 months for assaulting her and had been bound over to keep the peace for 6 months.
Shortly after he killed her in a field. | <urn:uuid:07d3efac-7c8d-4c12-948c-10290ef0dff8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=1120&termRef=Benjamin%20Hudson | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817001643-20220817031643-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.98997 | 160 | 1.609375 | 2 |
BRASOV, Romania, Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Mondly, one of the world’s leading online language platforms, and Oxford University Press (OUP), the world’s largest university press, today announce a new suite of custom English progress tests via the Mondly app.
The collaboration between Mondly and OUP enables English language learning, assessment, and testing in 33 languages, including less common languages like Danish, Persian, or Hebrew. The new module offers easily accessible learning support with access to 3,500+ different questions and 108 different English language progress tests for each of the languages included in the partnership.
As part of this module, Mondly will now have lessons based on Oxford Practice Grammar tests and the Oxford 3000, and that are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for reporting at levels B2, B1, and A2. These tests are based on CEFR guidelines and integrated into Mondly’s pre-existing topics.
“We’re very excited to partner with OUP to offer content and testing from their world-renowned English-learning resources,” said Mondly CEO, Alexandru Iliescu. “There are over 1.5 billion people around the world currently learning English, including over 25-percent of our users. Mondly and OUP are the ideal team to comprehensively support and enable their learning journey.”
“We’re delighted to collaborate with Mondly, who have been pursuing innovative solutions for language learning for several years,” said Harry Cunningham, Partnerships and Innovation Manager at Oxford University Press. “Improving education around the world, and working alongside partners by providing our leading expert content to help more learners access the resources they need, is fundamental to achieving our mission.”
For more information, visit https://www.mondly.com.
Mondly Press Kit
Mondly is a leading online language learning platform that enables over 60 million people from 190 countries to learn 41 languages. Launched in 2014, it quickly became a leading app in the mobile space, reaching #1 in Education in most European countries, Latin America and Asia.
Internationally acclaimed by outlets like Business Insider, CNN and Forbes, it’s the first app to launch VR and AR experiences for learning languages, featuring innovative speech recognition and chatbot technologies. Mondly was also awarded “App of the Year” by Facebook, “Best New App” by Apple, and “Editors’ Choice” by Google Play.
About Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP is the world’s largest university press with the widest global presence.
It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing program that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, children’s books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and academic journals.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1252691/Mondly_Oxford_University_Press.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1252692/Mondly_Logo.jpg
+40 733 969 116
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mondly-partners-with-oxford-university-press-to-introduce-an-enhanced-english-language-learning-module-supporting-33-languages-301148509.html | <urn:uuid:e3937ce1-5951-493e-a903-86cc47e474a3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ghosts-uk.net/mondly-partners-with-oxford-university-press-to-introduce-an-enhanced-english-language-learning-module-supporting-33-languages.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.915673 | 819 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The benefits of teambuilding
Over a decade ago I walked away from a successful career in banking because I recognized a niche in the marketplace for personal development to train people to become better professionals.
It was a big risk, but my mantra is “Change the world, don’t just play the game.” So I launched a new career in professional development, teambuilding, and DISC personality training.
My initial focus was on corporations and small companies. I taught and trained in communications skills, leadership styles, management, and presentation skills based on an understanding of personality types.
Charity and the Return-on-Investment
But my passion is teambuilding with a purpose and that purpose is philanthropy at the corporate level. When I signed on to the company my one proviso was that we had to develop a philanthropic arm to the whole operation.
When I became the CEO, I developed charitable teambuilding workshops based on the notion that while you’re giving back to your community you can still have fun. We partner with companies to train their workers in professional development techniques, but the major component is charitable giving.
Our donations run the gamut from bikes, wheelchairs, and wagons to stuffed animals, school supplies, and hospital care packages. We partner with food banks to whom we donate dry goods, canned foods, and water. Magnovo works with animal shelters to provide forever-homes for pets. We work with disabled veterans and a variety of other organizations to give back to local communities in the cities where our clients are based.
The business of kindness
In today’s marketplace, corporate social responsibility is now part of most company business models. Progressive companies recognize the benefits of being good corporate neighbors.
Magnovo Training Group helps with this goal and our approach is turnkey. We customize each workshop to suit the goals of our clients. Our facilitators coordinate every aspect of the workshop including the liaison with the charitable organization chosen to receive the donations.
Our workshops are usually at least a couple of hours long. We divide large groups of employees into small teams each of which engages in a bit of friendly competition to “earn” the different components or parts they need to assemble their donations.
For example, during our stuffed animal workshop, also known as Rescue Buddies, each participant literally stuffs and shapes the toy animals. The toys are then donated to traumatized kids in need of emotional rescue [after a car accident or house fire].
At the end of each workshop, a representative from the charity talks to the group about the potential impact their donations will have. Their constituents include low-income families, disabled veterans, deployed personnel, and the like.
It’s usually at this point that the company employees have an epiphany. They realize that the workshop they enjoyed wasn’t just about fun and games and teambuilding. They understand that what they spent the afternoon doing will change many lives in a tremendously positive way.
The Magnovo brand
Many of our clients are Fortune 500 companies. And our reputation is such that our facilitators travel across the country and around the world. One of our recent assignments involved a leadership development workshop for a cruise line in Italy. And one of our most hair-raising adventures occurred in Hawaii after an earthquake. We arrived in time to experience quite a few aftershocks!
Our teambuilding and professional development training couldn’t happen if I didn’t have a phenomenal team of facilitators. We usually get requests 1 to 2 months before the main event, but we’ve also delivered the goods with just a few hours notice.
We operate like a well-oiled machine and hit the mark every time. And that’s not just about our professionalism–it’s about our commitment to charitable giving. It’s the fuel that keeps us fired up. We’ve proven time and time again that giving back makes you and your company move forward. | <urn:uuid:9e04ba9b-f3de-44de-b4bf-55a27f8025cb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://magnovo.com/rob-jackson-teambuilding-with-a-purpose/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.963928 | 820 | 1.664063 | 2 |
By Yen T. Cam
Assistant Ethics Counsel
For many lawyers, navigating the trust accounting rules can be daunting. Many in the profession are just not “numbers people,” and others, rightly so, are intimidated by the gravity of the task of safekeeping others’ money. On February 1, a few amendments to the trust accounting rules, which seek to clarify and simplify the requirements, went into effect.
Lawyers must hold all funds and property being held for clients or third persons in connection with representation separate from the lawyers’ own property. Client or third-person funds must be held in a trust account. Rule 5-1.1(a)(1) Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The dilemma is in what kind of trust account should those properties be held?
Contrary to the belief of many Florida attorneys, not all funds held for clients or third persons should be held in an IOTA account. Many lawyers incorrectly assume they are required to use the IOTA account for all funds they hold in trust. However, trust funds should only be deposited into an IOTA account when they are so small or are expected to be held for such a short period of time that the cost to generate income for the client or third person exceeds the income earned.
Under IOTA, lawyers and law firms aggregate all of their nominal or short-term trust funds into one or more IOTA accounts. It is because such funds are aggregated that they can earn interest in excess of financial institution service charges and generate net interest. The net interest is sent by the financial institution to The Florida Bar Foundation, which uses the interest for the Florida Supreme Court approved purposes of funding legal aid for the poor, improvements in the administration of justice, and loans and scholarships for law students (visit the Foundation’s website for more information about IOTA and how the funds are used: www.flabarfndn.org).
Funds that are “nominal or short-term” used to be defined as those that the lawyer has determined cannot “practicably be invested for the benefit of the client or third person.” Of course, what seems “practicable” to one person may not be to another. In order to dispel any confusion on the matter, a more objective definition has been adopted. The term has now been amended to define “nominal or short-term” funds as those that a lawyer has determined cannot “earn income for the client or third person in excess of the costs to secure the income.”
If trust funds can earn more income than the cost to secure that income, then, as the fiduciary for those funds, the lawyer should invest such funds for the benefit of the client or third person.
It is the lawyer, not the client or third person, who must use his or her own best judgment to determine whether funds should be deposited into an IOTA account. Factors lawyers should consider when exercising such judgment can be found at 5-1.1(g)(3), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Lawyers cannot be charged with an ethical violation for such good-faith judgment.
One of the reasons why some lawyers resist the idea of opening additional trust accounts is the record-keeping requirements that go along with the maintenance of a trust account. In order to simplify that process somewhat, the rules have been amended to allow lawyers to store trust accounting records in digital media “as long as the copies include all data contained in the original documents and may be produced when required.” Rule 5-1.2(b), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Furthermore, authorized records of deposit slips and cancelled checks are no longer restricted to originals but now include copies as long as they are “clearly legible” and include “all data on the originals” and “all other data and tracking information.” Rule 5-1.2 (b)(2) and (3), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. As to cancelled checks, “all other data” includes the endorsements on the back of the checks.
However, the allowance of alternate forms of records retention should not be mistaken as a sign that trust accounting is being taken any less seriously by The Florida Bar. A lawyer’s duties regarding funds held in trust are significant, and when there is even a chance that something has gone wrong, The Florida Bar wants to be informed. For that reason, there has long been a requirement that lawyers authorize and request the bank to notify the Bar when a trust account check is returned for insufficient or uncollected funds (Rule 5-1.2(c)(4), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar). The rule is often overlooked by lawyers, so it has been amended to clarify that the authorization must be made at the time the account is opened. Also, in addition to the instances when a check has been returned, the notification must now be sent every time the trust account is overdrawn or a check is dishonored due to insufficient or uncollected funds. Furthermore, attorneys are now prohibited from authorizing overdraft protection on trust accounts (Rule 5-1.1(k), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar). Overdraft protection undermines the safeguards set up by the requirement that the Bar be notified when the trust account is overdrawn, and prohibition of overdraft protection prevents commingling of the lawyer’s own funds with client funds.
Finally, demonstrating just how serious The Florida Bar is about trust accounting, the rule regarding failure to comply with a subpoena for trust accounting records has been amended to make the failure a “matter of contempt” that can be processed under subdivisions (d) and (f) of Rule 3-7.11 (Rule 5-1.2(g), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar). Under the prior version of the rule, the Bar had to address the failure to comply through the ordinary grievance process. The amendment to the rule streamlines the course, allowing the Bar to summarily deal with the failure to comply.
Whether or not an attorney feels comfortable with trust accounting procedures, it is an aspect of the practice of law that is unavoidable for many lawyers. Hopefully, the recent amendments to the rules will serve their purpose in making the rules more clear and effective.
For questions about these and other ethics issues, call (800) 235-8619. The Ethics Hotline is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | <urn:uuid:31541a16-ed46-43e7-b1ab-9e1557632ab4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/cb53c80c8fabd49d85256b5900678f6c/93cbe01445e7f7178525771b004bbd30!OpenDocument&Highlight=0,overdraft,protection* | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00373-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957631 | 1,332 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Five years ago, state agencies were in an uproar over New Mexico’s new online accounting system, known as SHARE. They blamed it for financial misstatements, unaccounted-for federal funds and other mistakes. In one high-profile case, the Federal Highway Administration threatened to cut off crucial funding when the New Mexico Department of Transportation failed to properly reconcile its federal funds with SHARE data.
According to an audit released in February, those accounting errors and misstatements continue to plague state agencies—to the tune of millions of dollars.
“Here we are 2012,” Evan Blackstone, chief of staff for State Auditor Hector Balderas, tells SFR. “Agencies should be aware of what [the] problems are.”
Balderas’ office recently audited the Public Education Department, reavealing a $6 million discrepancy between federal and state accounts.
Part of the audit focuses on the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, which seeks to give disabled people the proper amount of support and training to help them enter and succeed in the workplace.
Although DVR uses state money, the vast majority of its funding comes from the federal government. In 2006, for instance, the federal government provided $24 million for DVR in New Mexico—the bulk of its nearly $29 million budget. Because DVR is part of the Public Education Department, it’s scheduled to be audited every year.
But the state auditor’s office recently discovered that DVR wasn’t properly reconciling the federal money with its state accounting, prompting “errors in draw down amounts for federal funds.” Those errors add up to a total of $6 million, encompassing fiscal years 2007-2011.
Anthony Barela, who until recently worked in the DVR, says he’s concerned about the discrepancy’s unanswered effect on disabled New Mexicans expecting services.
“Every disabled citizen is going to potentially be affected in this state if those things aren’t corrected,” he tells SFR.
The audit also considers DVR’s financial misstatements a “material weakness,” the most severe type of finding, and one that signals a high likelihood that an agency has a significant mistake in its finances.
In the audit, DVR blames the $6 million misstatement on SHARE, which most state agencies began using in 2007. Deputy State Auditor Carla Martinez says the bulk of the problem comes from SHARE’s lack of a module, or component, for state agencies to truly track the federal grants they receive.
“What happens is agencies are having to track outside of the system,” Martinez tells SFR.
In DVR’s case, it’s not a case of missing money. It’s a case of writing down the budget incorrectly.
“They may have overbilled the federal government,” Martinez says. “They were anticipating receiving funds from federal government that they may not be entitled to.”
DVR isn’t the only state agency still blaming SHARE for sloppy accounting. Last summer, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service conducted a financial management review of the New Mexico Department of Health’s Women, Infants and Children program, which uses federal Medicaid money to provide food and nutrition services for the state’s neediest population.
The review, which was conducted amid accusations of fraud by DOH employees, found $500,000 in federal funding unaccounted for in the WIC program for fiscal year 2008. DOH officials attributed the variance to an error caused by SHARE.
“When you’re looking at a $45 million program and a new system, this is common,” Deanna Torres, the WIC program director, told SFR at the time [news, Sept. 21, 2011: “Cashed”].
But Blackstone says his office is concerned that agencies are still attributing errors to an accounting system that’s been in place for half a decade.
New Mexico mandated SHARE in 2006 as a means to streamline state government by unifying agencies’ various accounting systems. Estevan Lujan, a spokesman for the Department of Information Technology, says SHARE is still a work in progress. Many of the problems over the years resulted from agencies’ adjusting to changing policies, he says.
“It’s growing pains more than anything,” Lujan tells SFR. “[We’re] constantly having to adjust and change it.”
Some agencies foresaw those problems, pushing back against SHARE before its launch, but the state implemented the multimillion-dollar system anyway. In fiscal year 2012, according to the New Mexico Sunshine Portal, the state approved close to $1 million in purchasing orders from Oracle, the company that created SHARE.
The DVR audit isn’t available online; Antonio Corrales, director of operations and compliance at the state auditor’s office, says it’s simply too big.
“The [PED] report itself is seven volumes,” Corrales tells SFR. “We’ll have problems internally if we post it on the website for download.”
Barela obtained it through a public records request after he was “apprised that things were not correct” with the budgeting at his old workplace. He says it should be more accessible to the public. But Barela’s concern for how money allocated to disabled people is spent is also personal: In 2005, while carpooling home from work on Interstate 25, he was a passenger in a car that veered off the highway and flipped off the road.
Barela survived, but sustained significant injuries to his back and vision, causing him to take early retirement disability last year.
Per the report, DVR did make the necessary adjustment for FY 2012. But preventing future errors is another question.
“We have asked for a corrections plan from the division as well as solutions to fix the issue as soon as possible,” PED spokesman Larry Behrens writes in an email to SFR.
Blackstone says the state auditor’s office will stay concerned until it gets a clean audit from DVR.
“When you have those kind of control issues that have occurred in the past and keep occurring, it’s definitely a problem,” Blackstone says. | <urn:uuid:fa2763f1-dca8-4347-8292-d32b61baec8c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://sfreporter.com/santafe/article-6650-learning-to-share.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283301.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00508-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94704 | 1,360 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Established in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, APIC has spearheaded the annual effort to highlight the importance of infection prevention among healthcare professionals, administrators, legislators, and consumers.
Over the years, this week of recognition has vastly expanded to every corner of the globe, including Australia, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. As the reach of IIPW widens, more patients benefit from safer healthcare practices and reduced threat of healthcare-associated infections.
Join your friends, family members, and healthcare professionals in celebrating International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), October 16-22, 2016. IIPW, which takes place the third week of October each year, raises awareness of the role infection prevention plays to improve patient safety. The 2016 theme is Break the Chain of Infection. | <urn:uuid:ea1739ee-e5dc-49ea-87b8-92f2e9b6a229> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://professionals.site.apic.org/iipw/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00155-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942048 | 163 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Those born on June 13 are seekers, absorbed in dreams of far-off places and adventures. Usually, beginning in their youth, their readings and/or fantasies fuel a passion for exploration of foreign worlds that stays with them for a lifetime. These adventures may involve actual travel to distant lands or be an investigation of mythology dealing with metaphysical worlds, with the past, or with the future. More highly developed June 13 people often realize their fantasies, whether in business, scientific research or art; the less ambitious born on this day nurse Walter Mitty-like secret desires, and though they don’t actually pursue them, such dreams bring color to their lives. They must beware, however, that acute frustration may build up due to the disparity between what they want to be and what they are.
Those born on the 13th ANY month are ruled by are ruled by the number 4 (1+3=4), and by the planet Uranus which is both erratic and explosive. Since June 13 people are so often involved in far-reaching activities, whether of fantasy or reality, they must learn to keep the Uranian part of themselves under control, following their logical Mercury (Gemini’s ruler) instincts.
The planet Uranus indicates change, often violent, and sometimes erratic, unconventional behavior, underlining the extreme nature of June 13 desires. Although the number 13 is considered unlucky by most, it is rather, a powerful number which carries the responsibility of using its power wisely or inviting self-destruction.
The most misunderstood card in the Tarot is the 13th card of the Major Arcana. Death, which very rarely is to be taken literally; but signifies a letting go of the past in order to grow beyond limitations, as a metamorphic transformation. Both this card and the number 4 suggest that June 13 people must guard against discouragement, disillusion, pessimism, and melancholy.
Daily Meditation: The grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side . . . .
See The Secret Language of Birthdays (reissue) for more information on TODAY!
- Uranus Has Gas of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)
- Today’s Tarot Card for June 12 is The High Priestess (witchesofthecraft.wordpress.com)
- What do scientists believe happened to Uranus (wiki.answers.com)
- Today’s Horoscopes for June 12th (witchesofthecraft.wordpress.com)
- Generational Planets: The Roots We Share Across Time (cosmictuesdays.wordpress.com)
- Why is Uranus such a unique planet (wiki.answers.com)
- The Planets Now 4/9 (witchesofthecraft.wordpress.com) | <urn:uuid:2524d98f-8c86-4986-a8d4-4f7fd66506e5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://bchq33.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-day-of-far-off-adventure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00122-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946639 | 576 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Outstanding text, oriented toward computer solutions, stresses errors in methods and computational efficiency. Problems some strictly mathematical, others requiring a computer appear at the end of each chapter.
This is an unabridged republication of the second edition of a work that was first published in 1965 by McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. It treats numerical analysis with mathematical rigor, but presents a minimum of theorems and proofs. Oriented toward computer solutions of problems, it stresses error analysis and computational efficiency, and compares different solutions to the same problem. Following an introductory chapter on sources of error and computer arithmetic, coverage includes approximation and algorithms, interpolation, numerical differentiation and numerical quadrature, and the fast Fourier transform. Ralston is affiliated with the State University of New York; Rabinowitz with Weizmann Institute of Science. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) | <urn:uuid:6f5dd7f0-1c3d-47da-a8bf-2c1e972d4c1b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.cheaptextbooks.org/9780486414546 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00188-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.889797 | 190 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Back Stretch: With your arms by your side soften the front of the hips to allow the torso to fold forward over your legs. Hold for 10-20 seconds.
Lower Back Stretch: Cross your legs with left leg on top, gently twist to the left, using right hand to deepen the stretch. Repeat on the right side with the right leg on top. Hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds
Hip Stretch: Sitting in your chair cross one leg over the other so that ankle rests just above the knee. Lean forward to feel a nice stretch in your hip and buttocks. Over time this one exercise can help with lower back problems and sciatica. Hold for 10-20 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Lower Back Stretch: Place palms in hollow of lower back focus on a point straight ahead while keeping chin down. Bend backward using hands to support lower back. Hold for 5-10 seconds and return to starting position.
If it is painful, or your neck just doesn't feel right, stop immediately. The start position for the neck roll: Your head is straight, and your gaze is forward. From the start position, very gently tip your head to your left. Then very gently, roll your head back into an extended position (eyes are facing the ceiling). This part of the neck roll challenges and strengthens the muscles on the back of the neck. With your head back, very gently roll your head to your right. Return to the start position with your head straight and your gaze forward. Repeat the stretch in the opposite direction.
Shoulder Shrug: Shrug or lift the tops of your shoulders up toward your ears. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds and then relax your shoulders and lower to the starting position. Repeat 5 times
Arm and Rib Cage Stretch: Interlace fingers then reach above your head with arms as straight as possible. Think of elongating your arms as you feel a stretch through arms and upper sides of rib cage.
Shoulder Stretch: Straighten left arm and with your right arm under the elbow pull your left arm across your body until you feel a good stretch in your shoulders.
Arm and Shoulder Stretch: Interlace fingers, and then straighten arms in front of you. The palm should be facing away from you as you do this stretch. Feel stretch in arms and through the upper part of the shoulder blades. Hold stretch for 10-20 seconds. Repeat at least 2 times.
Upper Back and Shoulder Stretch: With fingers interlaced behind head, keep elbows straight out at sides with upper body in a good aligned position. Now pull your shoulder blades toward each other to create a feeling of tension though upper back, shoulder blades and neck. Hold for 8 seconds and then repeat several times.
Back Scratch Stretch: With your left hand reach for your right shoulder blade using your right arm gently pull at the elbow until tension is felt. Repeat on the other side. Hold for 10 seconds.
Wrist Stretch: Extend arm in front, palm facing away from your and your fingers pointing to the ceiling. With opposite hand gently pull the fingers toward you. Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat on both sides.
Hand Stretches: Separate your fingers until tension or a stretch is felt. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and bend your fingers at the knuckles and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat first outward stretch once more.
Wrist and Forearm Stretch: Press hands together in front of chest; make sure your forearm is parallel to the floor. Gently bend wrist to the right and left. Hold for or 10 seconds.
Thumb Stretches: Place hand on desk, palm up. Touch thumb to little finger keep your hand and remaining fingers flat on the desk and hold for 5 seconds. Relax and repeat 5 times with each hand.
Resting eye breaks help prevent the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). The American Optometric Association's list of CVS symptoms include: fatigue, headaches, dry eyes, tearing eyes, neck and shoulder discomfort, pain in and around the eyes, inability to maintain focus, progressive refractive changes, changes in color perception, and others. In addition to readjusting the setting of your monitor and lighting, it's also important to rest your eyes. Move your eyes off the screen and refocusing them on a distant object for several seconds, and also, blink frequently to keep the eye surface lubricated.
Eye stretches: Keeping head straight, look out of the corners of your eye to the right, then to the left, then down and finally up. Don't move your head, just your eyeballs. Don't hurry. Incorporate relaxation breathing. (Example: Breathe in deeply through your nose as you look right, breathe out through your mouth as you bring you eyes back to forward or neutral position). Keep your neck and shoulder relaxed throughout the stretching session.
Hip Flexion: Sit tall with the abs in and lift the left foot off the floor a few inches, knee bent. Place a hand on the knee and push downward while the upper leg and knee push upward. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat for 10 reps. Repeat on the other side.
Leg Extension: Sit tall with the abs in and extend the left leg until it is level with hip, squeezing the quadriceps. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat for 10 reps. Repeat on the other side.
Ankle Rotation: Sit tall with one foot off the floor circle ankle to clockwise and then counter clockwise. Do 10 circles in each direction and repeat with other ankle.
Side Bends: Hold a water bottle with both hands and stretch it up over your head, arms straight. Gently bend towards the left as far as you can contract the abs. Come back to center and repeat to the right.
Abs Twist: Hold the water bottle at chest level and, keeping the knees and hips forward, gently twist to the left as far as you comfortably can, feeling the abs contract. Twist back to center and move to the left for a total of 10 reps. | <urn:uuid:f89c41b3-440a-483f-91f3-2905d4e4e0d3> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.uvm.edu/hrs/healthy/archive/deskstretchhowto.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720238.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00190-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91354 | 1,247 | 1.804688 | 2 |
It’s 99 years since the war to end all wars ended on November 11, 1917 on a rail car in in the forest of Compiègne, France. Veterans Day, known originally Armistice Day, which began in 1919 and became a legal holiday in 1938. It was after WW2 when a campaign was started to change the name of the holiday to Veterans Day to honor all American veterans of all wars, living and dead. The campaign led to President Dwight Eisenhower signing a law in 1954 to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
In a rant this week on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” comedian and all round curmudgeon, Lewis Black breaks down how politicians shower veterans with sanctimonious praise while also denying them adequate health care and creating endless military conflicts. | <urn:uuid:0f69176c-7589-4c5d-ac4a-a1b73d8fa518> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.docudharma.com/2017/11/rant-of-the-week-lewis-black-how-to-honor-veterans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.963098 | 165 | 2.421875 | 2 |
No, Queen Can’t Sue Donald Trump For Using Their Music
“Performing rights organizations exist to make life easier for both venues and artists… If you had to secure the rights to each song individually… you’d have to get a list of songs in advance and then spend hours, perhaps days, on the phone negotiating for rights with dozens of musicians. The process would be so cumbersome that most organizers wouldn’t bother, which would mean less money for musicians…
To solve this problem, copyright holders organized themselves into broad performing rights organizations…
… Securing licenses from these organizations is a standard step for a major political campaign… Queen’s “We Are the Champions” is part of the BMI catalog. And because BMI operates under close antitrust scrutiny, it’s required to license its music to all comers on a nondiscriminatory basis. That means the band doesn’t have the option of licensing its music to BMI with a “no Donald Trump” or “no Republicans” restriction. If the Republican Party paid for a BMI license, it can use any music Queen has licensed to BMI whether Queen likes it or not.”
— Writer Timothy Lee discussing whether or not Queen can sue Donald Trump or the Republican National Committee (RNC) for playing Queen’s “We Are the Champions” at last night’s Republican National Convention. Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was an HIV-positive queer from a Muslim country. Considering that the Republican party is rabidly Islamophobic and queerphobic, it’s no wonder that the Mercury’s surviving bandmates issued a tweet after last night’s convention stating, “An unauthorised use at the Republican Convention against our wishes.”
Lee adds that the Rolling Stones, Adele and Aerosmith have all asked the Trump campaign to stop using their music, but that musician tweets against conservative politicians using their music are more for sending political signals to fans rather than getting politicians to actually stop using their songs. “Filing a lawsuit is expensive and time-consuming,” Lee writes. “Posting an angry tweet is easy and free.”
Lee has asked the RNC if they purchased a license from BMI; they have yet to respond, but he (and we) will update our respective posts if they write back. | <urn:uuid:0f047eea-b64d-474c-8bdf-568ba090a3b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://hornet.com/stories/no-queen-cant-sue-donald-trump-using-music/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571869.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813021048-20220813051048-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.942978 | 490 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Many studies have noted an association of ambient aeroallergen levels with exacerbation of asthma.
This study was undertaken to amine the relationship of aeroallergen levels with asthma-related mortality in Chicago.
The association of environmental aeroallergen levels with death caused by asthma among 5-to 34-year-olds in Chicago was examined for the period of 1985 through 1989.
Logistic regression analysis was used to compare the probability of a death caused by asthma occurring on the basis of environmental tree, grass, or ragweed pollen and mold spore levels.
Mean mold spore levels but not tree, grass, or ragweed pollen levelswere significantly higher for days on which asthma-related death occurred than for days on which no death occurred (z=2.80, p<0.005).
The odds of a death caused by asthma occuring on days with mold spore counts of 1000 spores per cubic meter or greater was 2.16 times higher (95% confidence interval=1.31,3.56, p=0.003) than on days on which mold spore counts were less than 1000 spores per cubic meter.
Although death caused by asthma also involves personal, social, and medical access factors, these data suggest that exposure to environmental molds may play a role in asthma-related mortality and should be considered in prevention strategies.
Mots-clés Pascal : Asthme, Allergie, Moisissure, Fungi, Thallophyta, Saison, Pollen, Allergène, Mortalité, Epidémiologie, Illinois, Etats Unis, Amérique du Nord, Amérique, Homme, Appareil respiratoire pathologie, Bronchopneumopathie obstructive, Immunopathologie
Mots-clés Pascal anglais : Asthma, Allergy, Mould, Fungi, Thallophyta, Season, Pollen, Allergen, Mortality, Epidemiology, Illinois, United States, North America, America, Human, Respiratory disease, Obstructive pulmonary disease, Immunopathology
Notice produite par :
Inist-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique
Cote : 95-0343622
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Where in the world do you want to go? Study Abroad opens doors to academic experiences beyond our borders.
Studying abroad can be one of the most beneficial experiences for college students. Through this experiential travel opportunity, students have the opportunity to take in the allure and culture of a new land. Students also have the opportunity to practice and study a foreign language, find new activities and interests, expand their future career opportunities, and truly experience personal growth through this exciting life experience. There are hundreds of programs around the world during the semester, year, summer, and winter- there is a program to match each students’ needs.
Start your study abroad adventure by exploring all the programs UALR has to offer. After you explore, attend an information session or set up an appointment with the Director of Study Abroad to begin your journey! | <urn:uuid:e19fb102-7b91-47ea-a426-6411ac0c5fa8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://ualr.edu/studyabroad/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282935.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00243-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952122 | 173 | 1.804688 | 2 |
In recent years, there has been a much greater awareness of the important role that patents play in legal, technology and business environments, with high profile patent battles between technology giants playing out in the courts (and the media) on a regular basis. As well as monitoring any infringement on a corporation’s novel ideas, knowing and studying global patent data is also an effective tool to avoid parallel developments and wasted R&D efforts in overcrowded research fields. With this in mind, Minesoft has designed a suite of patent information products and a global, searchable patent database. Users can easily search, review, analyse and share patent information across a corporation; effectively harness the knowledge found in patents, gain competitive intelligence and build on the ideas of others to drive innovation forward in all technology areas. Today, we will be looking at the patent landscape for avalanche rescue technology.
To understand the ‘big picture’ that can be painted from an analysis of a set of patent data, it is worth first taking a step back to look at the individual patent. A glance at the anatomy of a patent reveals key information to be extracted. Firstly, technical information is available from the description, drawings & classification codes which describe in detail the technologies covered by the patent and can indicate a competitor’s research and development focus or the fields of expertise of their inventors for example. Secondly, business-specific information can be found in bibliographic or reference fields included on the patent document, such as the applicant name and filing data. Looking at geographical status – designated states for example – can provide insight into foreign markets of interest that sit outside restricted geographies and are therefore in the public domain and open for IP development.
A study of innovations in rescuing avalanche victims
Lawinenschnur (avalanche cord)
During the first world war, Austro-Hungarian mountain troops were given an avalanche cord as part of their personal mountaineering equipment. Usually around 20+ metres long, the rope was often made of red cotton for maximum visibility with direction arrows positioned at metre intervals. If there was a risk of avalanche, the soldier would throw the ball out and pull the cord along the snow behind him. If he was buried by an avalanche, there was a relatively good chance that part of the avalanche cord would still be visible on top of the avalanche slide, thanks to its length. Rescuers could then determine from the direction arrows, in which direction and how many metres they had to dig and follow the cord to the victim.
A patent for the avalanche cord or Lawinenschnur was published by German & Austrian patent offices in 1930, view it in PatBase here. (non-users can also view the patent in the PatBase folder viewer)
Radio locating unit for persons in distress
Thanks to more recent inventions, such as avalanche transceivers, the classic avalanche cord is rarely used today. This patent for a transponder for use in locating avalanche victims was invented by Swedish & Austrian engineers and first published at the beginning of1980.
A transponder would be carried on the body of the skier, designed to be used in tangent with a search-transmitter. Originally based on a Swiss patent for protection against theft in shops – for use in locating avalanche victims lower frequencies were used as they were more effective at transmitting through snow.
By the 2000s, a variety of avalanche rescue inventions had been published, such as inflatable airbags to provide buried people with oxygen for as long as possible. Such a German patent, published in 2001, for avalanche protection clothing. Consisting of an inflatable waistcoat with oversize inflatable helmet hood to be filled with oxygen with a nozzle for the wearer to use to breathe.
An overview analysis
Running an analysis on patent information in this technology area reveals relationships and trends that would be hard to discern when working on a patent-by-patent basis alone.
Before running the analysis, PatBase classification finder was used to identify relevant codes for this technology area. For example, A63B29/00 (apparatus for mountaineering) and A63B29/02 (Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropes; means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons). PatBase Thesaurus was used to identify additional synonyms and translate into Latin languages and the non-Latin search was used to search across Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Thai languages. Optimise search was used to refine the search results and improve accuracy before scanning through the result set to ensure that important patents in the technology area had been identified.
The refined search consisted of 255 patent families, for which an analysis was run in Analytics V2.
Using the integrated Analytics engine, PatBase Analytics V2, to assess the obtained results from our search, information was successfully retrieved about the key players within the technology field. To date, the key jurisdictions in this technology area are Germany, EPO, USA, Austria & France.
The top assignees include mountaineering equipment companies, scientific & technical research centres. The company Orvotox, which has been developing safety equipment for mountain sports and invented the first dual frequency transceiver in 1980, has the most relevant patent families. Followed by ABS Peter Aschauer GmbH, a company which invented the avalanche airbag over 30 years ago and is still considered a market leader today.
Countries like Germany, USA and Austria are key jurisdictions in this market, unsurprising as they all have mountainous regions popular with skiers and at risk of avalanches.
Studying the forward citations show that ABS Peter Aschauer GmbH is the most frequently cited and therefore most influential assignee in the result set. This also suggests that the avalanche airbag is a crowded area within this technology field. The second most cited assignee is Bengt Enander who was in charge of the team of engineers who invented the first transceiver for rescuing avalanche victims.
In just a few minutes, PatBase and integrated PatBase Analytics V2 can be used to identify key players in the space for licensing agreements, locate expired IP that is open for use. Whether you have a practical problem to solve, valuable IP you wish to keep track of or competitors to monitor, Minesoft’s solutions have you covered.
Contact Minesoft today to request a free demonstration and two-week trial, call us +44 (0)20 8404 0651 or email us at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:ad7c9f73-9216-40ec-867d-44bf4b2f86e4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://minesoft.com/researching-innovations-in-a-technology-area-avalanche-rescue/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00675.warc.gz | en | 0.949184 | 1,336 | 2.671875 | 3 |
A damaged roof decking requires immediate attention since it can collapse any moment, especially it is if is continually subjected to strong winds and rain. One of the first signs that your roof decking needs to be repaired is when it is already sagging, which will eventually lead to leaking and a collapse in the foundation. Don't wait for the foundation to collapse. Address the problem before it reaches that stage by making the necessary repairs to restore the roof decking to a functional state. Fixing the roof decking is easy and does not require advance skills in carpentry. Here are some tips on how to do DIY repairs on your roof decking.
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Wood boards for the decking
- Hand saw or power saw
- Tape measure
- Hammer or nail gun
Step 1 - Assess the Damage to Your Roof Decking
Before you can make any repairs, it is important that you assess the damage of the roof decking first. You need to go to the attic and inspect the rafters and the decking if there are any chips or rotten posts that need to be mended. There are a lot reasons why the roof decking may get damaged such as termite infestation or water damage. You must assess the cause of damage correctly to follow with the appropriate repair. If the damage is caused by termite infestation, you need to treat the entire house for termites first before you can proceed to the next procedure.
Step 2 - Remove the Damaged Roof Decking
Before you remove the damaged roof decking, you need to make sure that you securely prop the area before you even think about removing the damaged roof decking. This prevents the entire structure from collapsing. Once the area has been secured with enough propping, pry loose the damaged roof decking using a hammer. Pry the damaged roof decking carefully so that you will not damage the other parts of the underside of the roof.
Step 3 - Replace the Damaged Roof Decking
Once the damaged roof decking has been removed, you need to replace the damaged roof decking with a new one. To do this, make sure that you pre-measure the wooden boards that you will be using. In order to replace the damaged roof decking, you can use a nail gun to drive nails quickly into the roof decking or you can use a hammer to drive nails to the wooden boards in order to attach the roof decking to the roof. | <urn:uuid:4e6aa9d5-ac11-4b0e-810d-17d7c2a77232> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-repair-roof-decking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.935796 | 507 | 1.539063 | 2 |
It is well-known that a transfer function method is useful to predict the profile of a pulse after it propagates through an intracavity fast-light medium. However, by using this technique, a behavior of the pulse inside the medium cannot be determined. In this paper, we describe a new theoretical approach to deal with this constraint. In the new method, we find an analytical solution for a monochromatic field of infinite spatial and temporal extents, and add the waves with the weighted amplitude and with the tailored phase to embody a Gaussian input pulse moving toward the cavity. At different time frames, the sum of these waves produces a spatial profile of the pulse before, inside and after the cavity. In particular, the pulse profile can be visualized during a superluminal propagation through the intracavity fast-light medium with zero group index. This model allows us to understand the physical process behind the superluminal propagation through a white light cavity, which is significant to realize a high bandwidth data buffer system overcoming conventional delay bandwidth product(DBP) problem. | <urn:uuid:613b8bb0-2e6c-421f-b80d-f24643cc17cd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.scholars.northwestern.edu/en/publications/visualization-of-pulse-propagation-through-an-anomalously-dispers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573163.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818033705-20220818063705-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.898909 | 220 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Difference between revisions of "Tips for flying"
Revision as of 00:00, 7 December 2012
This article is a travel topic
Commercial aeroplane flight is one of the most common forms of international travel. These are some tips for making your flights safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable.
For a guide to the standard procedures, rules, and other basics of travelling by air (some of which have changed in recent years), see Fundamentals of flying. See also First and business class travel, Discount airlines and In the aircraft.
Choosing an airline
There are several airline quality ratings (like ) that can help you understand how different airlines operating on your chosen route compare in levels of service, timeliness and comfort. Such ratings are one indicator, but some ratings have come under criticism by air travel insiders, e.g., the Cranky Flyer, or where user comments/ratings disagree with an overall star rating. Look at a range air travel expertise if airline selection is important and you have no recent experience with one under consideration.
Also be aware that if your ticketing airline uses code-sharing, you may actually fly one or more segments on another airline using substantially different aircraft.
Many major cities have more than one airport. Try checking flights from all airports to find which have cheaper fares. For example, if you wish to depart out of the Bay Area, consider checking Oakland International Airport (OAK) as well as San Francisco International Airport (SFO). In cities like London, larger airports like Heathrow cater for full service carriers, with lounges and airbridges, whilst the newer Luton and Stansted airports serve short haul budget carriers, with less shops, paid lounges and are further away from downtown. Often, more budget carriers operate out of these smaller airports. Some ticketing systems allow you to search using a code that covers more than one airport: see Metropolitan Area Airport Codes for more information.
If you're not sure what time you can make it to the airport, book the last flight of the day. This way you can always try to fly "standby" on earlier flights if you get to the airport earlier than expected, as long as the conditions on your ticket permit this (budget tickets may not).
Domestic vs International Flights
As domestic flights are usually significantly cheaper than international flights for the same distance travelled, if you are in a city near an international border and wish to get to a destination in a neighbouring country, you can usually save quite a bit by crossing the border by land and flying from that country. For example, if you're in San Diego and need to get to Mexico City, you can cross the border to Tijuana by land and take a flight from Tijuana. Similarly, if you are in Hong Kong and need to get to Beijing, you can cross the border to Shenzhen and fly from there. People in Ottawa and Montreal can use Syracuse N.Y. for flights to American cities and Toronto residents can fly out of Buffalo instead of Lester B. Pearson. And cruises departing Vancouver carrying U.S. residents frequently fly them to Seattle, to be bussed to the port.
Trade-offs of budget flying
While it is a good idea to save on air fare, you need to take care as you consider budget carriers or the cheapest tickets offered by mainline (or "legacy") carriers. Some issues include:
Virtually all carriers everywhere charge fees for amenities and services for economy class, even if you've purchased a full-price economy ticket. Pre-paying services or amenities on-line (when possible) may lessen extra costs somewhat. If an on-line promotion or point-of-sale is based outside the U.S., the advertised price often will not include taxes (by law, it must in the U.S.). Other charges may not be reflected in the initial price nor obvious on the "page" when an offer is made from anywhere, e.g., baggage charges, fuel surcharges, seat selection fees. Your full cost for a flight can be quite different from that initially touted. For more advice on budget traveling, see Discount airlines.
Many airlines offer a frequent flyer loyalty program, rewarding patrons who fly regularly with them or who fly long distances. The loyalty schemes work on a segments or miles basis: you get rewards after you fly a certain number of trips ('segments') or after the total distance of your flights exceeds a certain amount. Business and first class passengers may receive bonus miles for each journey; sometimes there are available credit card and hotel bonuses for economy class tickets as well. If you are not a member of a frequent flyer program, consider joining one - especially if you travel to an intercontinental destination or plan to take additional trips. You may get something out of it, at the price of having your data profiled and used for advertisement. To join a frequent flyer program, brochures are handed out at the airport, an airline's lounge or an airline's ticket office. Submit them to the ground staff and your frequent flyer number becomes effective immediately. You can also join online. Most frequent flyer programmes don't charge a fee to join but some such as Cathay Pacific's Marco Polo Club do (in exchange for a few perks such as dedicated check-in counters and priority boarding at the base level).
The frequent flyer rewards typically include:
Not all fares are eligible to earn miles so ask the ticketing agent or read the fare rules at the time of booking. You can usually claim miles for flights up to 12 months after you've taken them, as long as you were a member when the flight was taken, but you will need to keep your boarding pass stubs. It's easier to log-in using your frequent flyer number prior to booking.
Currently only Travelgrove's meta search engine is showing the miles that can be earned for each flight. In cooperation with MileBlaster, extras like Credit Card bonuses, Hotel bonuses, special offers are also available, and the results can be ordered by the percentage of the free flight that can be gained by booking the given flight, so it is definitely a good choice for frequent flyers looking to collect enough miles for a free flight.
Your airline of choice may be a member of an airline alliance, which allows you to earn and use your miles on other airlines in the same alliance as well. The big three alliances are Star Alliance , oneworld and SkyTeam . With the many frequent flyer programmes out there, it will be ideal to be a member of one programme per alliance at most.
Being a frequent flyer programme of a particular carrier somehow makes it more convenient to make bookings with that carrier. When you log-on using your frequent flyer number and book a flight, your details (such as name, passport details etc.) are automatically filled-in whether the flight is mileage accruable or not.
You may also be able to claim points from other sources. Credit cards affiliated to a program are particularly useful, as you'll typically get miles every time you use them and this can quickly rack up to a free trip per year, but hotel stays, car rentals and even mobile phone bills may garner you points.
The major disadvantage is that your flight details are in one specific airline's computers, so other airlines cannot access them. This is not a problem 99% of the time, but can be a major headache if a flight cancellation requires you to switch to a flight with another airline. If this happens, get an "endorseable" paper ticket from the original airline as backup before heading over to the other airline's counter. Likewise, for complex itineraries involving multiple airlines (like round the world flights), you should opt for a paper ticket, especially since inter-airline e-ticketing agreements are not that common yet.
Not all destinations offered by major airlines are e-ticket eligible. But for the destinations that are e-ticket eligible, your airline may levy a surcharge if you choose to purchase a paper ticket. Airlines generally no longer issue paper tickets for most journeys.
Carry-on only travel
If you do not really need loads of luggage and will be away from home for a very short time, it may be worth considering taking carry-on only. This saves time at your destination because you don't have to wait to claim your checked luggage, and certainly carry-on luggage is less prone to getting lost or stolen. It might also save you money because many airlines charge a fee for each checked bag. Check with your airline to make sure that your bag fits within their size/weight restrictions for carry-ons, and whether your purse or laptop counts toward the limit of how many bags you can carry (or see our List Of Airline Baggage Limits to help you compare airlines). Also, with tight security restrictions on what kinds of items you can take with you into the passenger compartment (particularly nothing that could be used as a weapon and liquids in anything except small bottles), a carry-on-only strategy may not be practical so it is also useful to check the airport which you will departing out of to see restrictions in addition to the ones implemented by the airline you will be using. It is worthwhile to carry all critical items in the carry-on luggage, such as underwear, extra clothes, toothbrush etc.
If you want to travel with carry-on only but also have luggage that should be checked-in, you can use a company that provides a luggage delivery service. Alternatively, you can use a wardrobe management company like The Traveler's Closet that not only stores and ships your luggage belongings, but provides you with a database to 'virtually pack' your items, and cleans them for you between trips. You can even arrange to have clean pressed apparel awaiting your arrival.
Besides the traditional check-in at the airport (see the Checking In section), your airline can allow you to check-in online from anywhere with internet access. They usually open at least 24 hours before your scheduled flight. By checking-in online, you can select your preferred seat in advance, quote your frequent flyer number for mileage accrual, inform the airline how many bags you are intending to check-in thus saving time at the airport. Furthermore, everybody else who is part of your traveling party can also be checked-in along with you.
Online check-in procedures, features, benefits and requirements vary per airline and possibly per airport of departure. For instance, some airlines may offer only online check-in and only if you are departing from certain airports so be sure to check with your airline if online check-in is available from your departure airport. In relation to that, some airlines will allow the printing of a boarding pass at home while other airlines will still require passengers to claim it at the airport. Another example is that for some airlines such as Southwest that do not assign seats, passengers are allowed to board earlier if they have checked-in in advance. Also, some airlines will make this option available only to electronic ticket holders while others will invite paper ticket holders to take advantage of this option as well.
If your airline does not let you print your boarding pass from where you are, be ready to note down or print all the other pertinent information given to you at the end of the online check-in process as they will be used to facilitate the rest of the check-in process at the airport.
The airline will usually provide a special lane for those who checked-in online; be sure to use it for faster service.
Don't know where to print your boarding pass? An emerging trend in the issuance of boarding passes is having electronic boarding pass. Some airlines such as American Airlines, Air Canada and KLM already offer this service to passengers flying selected routes. All you need is a WAP or WiFi-enabled mobile device (such as a Blackberry, iPhone, iTouch) and depending on the airline's system, you can check-in online or via your mobile device. You will receive a link to your electronic boarding pass or sometimes the boarding pass itself via SMS, MMS or e-mail on your mobile device (consult your mobile device manual on how to save SMS, emails). The boarding pass will contain a barcode which will be scanned at the checkpoints and gate. If you are on a "domestic" flight, you will only need to bring the mobile device containing the boarding pass in addition to your ID as required documents.
Other remote check-in methods
Some airlines and stations also offer alternative ways to check-in. Singapore Airlines for instance will allow you to check-in via self-service kiosk, SMS, mobile phone application or at Marina Bay Sands. Lufthansa also offers SMS check-in. If you use a kiosk, you can either manually input information, swipe your cards or scan the 2D barcode located in your printout or sent to your mobile phone for faster check-in.
If you are departing out of Hong Kong and taking the MTR Airport Express train, you can enjoy the convenience of a typical check-in (see the Checking In section) at the Hong Kong or Kowloon station. However, you will need to have already purchased an Airport Express ticket to enter the check-in area as there are faregates used for entry. Once you are done, you can just take the train and proceed directly to passport control upon arrival at the airport. This is very useful if you still have a lot of things to do in downtown Hong Kong but don't want to worry about carrying and transporting your luggage by yourself to the airport or leaving them somewhere. A similar system exists in Kuala Lumpur, with the KLIA Ekspres train leaving from KL Sentral Station.
Choosing a good seat
In addition to the choice of window seats (good views), aisle seats (more freedom to move) and middle seats (lacking the advantages of either window or aisle seats) there are several other considerations for choosing a slightly more comfortable economy class seat.
How close you sit to the front or back end of the plane is a mixed bag of benefits and drawbacks. In most jet aircraft, seats in the back experience more cabin noise; the difference can be significant enough to cause discomfort, and it's one of the reasons why first class is always located in the front. In wide-body aircraft, rear economy window seats will provide you with a better view than in the front of the economy section, where the view is obstructed by the wings. The effects of turbulence are weakest near the leading edge of the wing, in the middle of the aircraft. Finally, US National Transportation Safety Board data from accidents in which some passengers survived and others did not, indicate that seats at the rear of the plane are statistically safer.
Airplanes also have "ordinary" seats that are less or more desirable for some reason:
It is possible to simulate the comfort of first class by securing a row of unoccupied seats in the middle section of larger aircraft, and raising the armrests to form a makeshift bed. Be on the lookout for these rows as you get on the plane, and be aware that others will be too. The flight attendants are also aware of these rows, and will also use them to relocate people.
Try to be one of the first ones to board, and "secure" the seats with open newspapers or magazines--the object is to make the row seem uninviting until the doors close and seat assignments are more-or-less frozen.
If you want to sleep, fasten your seatbelt over your blankets so that it's visible; otherwise, you'll be pestered by the flight attendents should the "fasten seatbelt" sign turn on mid-flight. Seating arrangements vary greatly between airplanes and airlines, so you'll need to consult detailed seat maps to figure out the good and bad ones. There are a few online sites that provide detailed maps for in-service aircraft and can help when choosing the best seat:
If you know what type of aircraft you are traveling on, you can look up the seat map on all of these sites. SeatExpert also offers a unique feature that allows you to find a seat map by entering your flight information (airline, flight number, date of departure). SeatGuru also helps to find out what aircraft type you'll be flying (although it gives little help beyond US airlines).
Sometimes aircraft scheduled to fly on a certain day for a certain flight may be substituted for another aircraft at the last minute. Therefore it is a good idea to take a look at all possible aircrafts and their respective configurations to find out the number of your preferred seat. Furthermore, an airline may have a certain kind of aircraft with different configurations. For example, the front row in one of Airline X's A330s may be row 1 but in another kind of A330 of Airline X it could be row 11 even if the front row of both A330s are of the same service class. It is also worth knowing if the an airline's aircraft is 2nd hand or leased from another airline as the seat design may have significant differences from in-house aircraft.
If there is something wrong with your seat, say the electronics don't work, or if you are sitting next to someone who takes more than their share of the seat, or who is obviously ill, then bring this to the attention of the flight attendant. Usually they can reseat you if they know about the problem early enough.
To save time, please ensure that you pack only what is absolutely necessary for your trip as having really bulky or plenty of luggage can cause a security hassle, as well as induce additional, avoidable costs.
Most airlines/flights allow you to bring your own food. If you have a feeling food isn't going to be available, tasty or will cost you too much, consider bringing your own home made meals (or snacks). And your airport terminal may offer light meals/packaged sandwiches to carry on your flight. Ask the agent at the airline ticket counter if they're permitted.
However, if you are traveling internationally (especially to Australia, New Zealand or the U.S.) and you still have any "fresh" food (purchased/ carried-on or even part of an in-flight meal, e.g., fruit) that is not fully consumed when your flight is done, you must declare it, and you may face a significant fine.
At the airport
In the aircraft
Special meal requests
Special meals are a variation from the standard food offered by the airline. They generally match a variety of dietary or religions requirements, such as kosher, halal, vegetarian, diabetic, Low salt etc. Children's meals are often also available as special meals.
Special meals are offered by some airlines, often they can be ordered as part of the online booking process, or subsequently by managing the booking online. Special meals always need to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance, and the chances of getting one at check-in or when on the plane are slim (although it can never hurt to ask, as occasionally there are special meals on the plane from people who failed to board).
Special meals are usually served before other meals, this can be especially useful for children's meals. They can be of higher quality, but can also be lacking in some aspects, for example it is not uncommon for people ordering a vegetarian meal to get a vegan meal such as plain vegetables and rice (rather than that spinach and ricotta pasta they may have been hoping for).
Jet lag is a form of disorientation and fatigue caused by abruptly switching to a different sleeping/waking schedule and different daylight hours. Some people are affected more than others, but it tends to happen when crossing two or more time zones in a single flight (which first became commonplace with the development of commercial jet air travel, hence the term).
It doesn't follow that the greater the time difference between your origin and destination, the greater the jet lag. Often a short 4-5 hour difference that causes you to wake at 2am can be more fatiguing, and take longer to overcome than a complete reversal of day and night.
For places near the International Date Line (IDL), a time difference of 23 hours (eg. Hawaii and New Zealand) would not cause much jet lag (only an hour). The maximum possible time difference between two points is 12 hours. For anything higher, subtract that number from 24.
The basics to remember without going to too much effort, are to get a good night's sleep before your plane trip, and to sleep as much as possible during your plane trip. Ignore timezones, movies and entertainment, and just sleep whenever you can. When you arrive at your destination, forget your origin timezone and exist solely by the destination time.
Attempt to have a normal day in terms of the time zone you've flown into. If you land at 7AM, for example, you will probably have been served breakfast on your flight, so head to your accommodation (ask if they can mind your luggage (if you aren't travelling light), and go and see some of the sights, making sure to get daylight and fresh air. You'll feel tired, particularly by the mid-afternoon, but keep pushing on until an early dinnertime. Eat dinner and then go to bed. You should be tired enough for a good night's sleep.
New scientific research suggests that fasting (not eating) can help to overcome Jet Lag by resetting the body's circadian rhythm (biological clock). Not eating 24 or more hours prior to arriving at your destination contributes to feeling less tired once arrived. The light/dark cycles of the earth affect our circadian rhythms, but so do our eating patterns. Rebooting our feeding cycles can mitigate the time warp.
Check your airlines baggage restrictions carefully. Airlines are increasingly strict on size and weight limits for both carry-on and checked-in baggage, and charges for excess baggage can be steep.
Make sure you always check the actual rules of the airline and aircraft you'll fly. With codeshare flights, luggage allowance may not be the same as the airline you are booked through, or the airline indicated by the flight code. The rules of the actual airline operating the flight apply. If you are a frequent flyer with status be particularly careful, as any increased baggage allowance you have when flying with your airline will usually not apply to the codeshare flight.
Unless you own a business that does a lot of shipping, you probably won't have a scale able to weigh baggage and large packages. The easiest alternative is to purchase a cheap luggage scale that consists of a handle, a small electronic scale, and a large hook...not bar. Hook the scale to the handle of the bag, and lift it up totally off the ground using the scale's handle. The weight will be shown on the display. Avoid buying any scale that won't measure up to the airlines' surcharge limit (e.g. 50 lbs.), or can't switch between pounds and kilograms. You can also indirectly weigh items using a bathroom weight scale. First weigh yourself holding your bag completely off the ground, then without the bag, and calculate the difference. Unlike luggage scales, this method can be inaccurate if the scale is placed on a carpet or other soft surface. Also, be sure to "zero" the scale when it's empty, and step onto the scale a few times after it's been picked up and moved to another location. It may then need to be reset to zero again.
If you find you are taking more baggage than allowed, check with the airline to see what the cheapest way of carrying it is. Sometimes additional baggage allowances can be pre-purchased, especially online where discounts may be given. Excess luggage fees are heftier if the excess weight is detected at the airport than if pre-arranged and pre-purchased.
Many airlines offer discounted cargo rates to passengers, but this must be arranged prior to departure, and destination of the goods your want to ship as cargo must match the destination on your ticket. You will need to deliver your excess bags to the cargo terminal, and you may incur duties and other charges.
Postal services or sea freight can be much cheaper than air freight or excess baggage charges. But check rates thoroughly. It may be a good way to get some baggage back home when you don't need it any longer, or even to send some baggage ahead for longer trips. However, see individual country listings for information on reliability and shipping times of such services.
Luggage delivery services provide an alternative. Luggage is delivered by a specific date, normally between 48hrs and 5 days, with door-to-door service to an address you specify. You don't have to go to the cargo terminal before or after you drop-off or pick-up your checked luggage. All paperwork is provided to you and customs procedures are managed. The price is cheaper than airline cargo rates, but still expensive.
If you have a lot of baggage, consider flying business class or even first class. Domestic tickets may not cost that much more. International flights will cost considerably more and may not be recommended. With most airlines, those seat classes will you get a larger luggage allowance.
Flying with children
Children can get restless and irritable while flying and in airports. There are strategies you can follow to ensure your children enjoy the trip.
Consider safety. If you are traveling with a child who is less than three, have them sit on an approved child carrier, not on your lap. In the unlikely event of an emergency, a lap child may impede your ability to brace. Be aware of whether there is an oxygen mask for infants on the aircraft/row.
Anticipate delays. Even the shortest flights can be delayed, involving additional time both in the terminal and on the aircraft. Ensure you have sufficient food, clothes, nappies, entertainment, to avoid turning a couple of hours delay into a nightmare. | <urn:uuid:9b37d20b-8f70-4feb-9a81-076c4b2da44f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://wikitravel.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=Tips_for_flying&curid=144&diff=1964282&oldid=1964277 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280900.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00003-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951464 | 5,321 | 2.703125 | 3 |
by Daniel Bennett
A new report by Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education was recently released. The researchers conducted a poll of more than 1,000 Americans to help determine the public perception of college education. The highlight of the report was a divergence of public sentiment concerning the necessity of a college education to succeed and college access. The results suggest that the percentage of Americans that believe a college education is necessary to succeed has increased from 31 to 55 percent since 2000, but that the percentage of Americans who believe qualified high school students have the opportunity to go to college has declined from 44 to 29 percent during the same time period.
The report suggests that college has become increasingly important, but access has declined. I certainly would agree that post-secondary education (whether vocational, trade or academic) is nearly essential for a successful career and that access is hindered by the upward spiraling costs of attending college, especially for students from low and middle income families. A recent IHEP report examined why qualified high schools students failed to attend college and found that the issues included a lack of encouragement and financial burdens. These disincentives are likely strengthened by misguidance and a lack of knowledge about the college application and financial aid process. But before we go clamoring to the government for a bailout to throw money at the problem (an ineffective approach), let's consider what solutions non-governmental organizations (i.e. the private sector) has to offer.
I recently met with Michael Carter, an outstanding and highly motivated young man, who has started a non-profit organization called Strive for College, which is dedicated to improving college access by developing community mentor relationships between college students and motivated low-income students. Carter's vision is to build a nationwide network of chapters on college campuses that reach out to local high schools to mentor low-income students through the college application, selection and financial aid process. Strive has already established chapters at four colleges (in as many states) and has plans to expand to 10 chapters by the end of the year. This sort of grassroots approach is much more effective (than expending taxpayer dollars on unsuccessful government programs) at extending a hand to the motivated, yet financially disadvantaged, high school student. I look forward to seeing this project flourish in the years to come.
This country's success and ability to overcome obstacles throughout its history has been made possible by innovative solutions from entrepreneurial individuals. This provides reason to believe that the problems facing higher education today can be solved by the same sorts of innovative minds and entrepreneurial spirit, without a desperate call for big brother to ride to the rescue with saddles full of taxpayer dollars. | <urn:uuid:5d075946-cbeb-4576-8be2-142fdfe7abb9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://collegeaffordability.blogspot.com/2009/02/addressing-college-access.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00177-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972978 | 535 | 2.171875 | 2 |
That was the provocative, if somewhat dated, question Smart Money used as a headline on a story this week based on a consumer survey conducted by Morgan Stanley analyst Mark Wiltamuth. He initiated coverage of Walmart with an ambiguous “equal weight” rating and was quoted as saying, “Many consumers no longer think Walmart has the lowest prices.”
Ironically, pricing studies conducted by Wiltamuth’s peers repeatedly show Walmart’s prices are the lowest in market basket comparisons. Unfortunately, the gap while in double digits with most competitors other than Target, isn’t enough to earn the company clear distinction as the overwhelming low price leader.
Three-fifths of the shoppers surveyed by Wiltamauth think that compared with a couple of years ago, Walmart’s prices, while still better than most stores, are no longer the lowest. The survey consisted of 1,513 consumers, 1,149 of who had shopped at Walmart during the previous three months.
According to the Smart Money article, the survey showed only one-in-four shoppers believed Walmart’s everyday prices are “significantly lower” than grocery stores while another quarter of survey respondents believed the company’s prices were equal with supermarkets.
Having prices that are viewed as slightly lower is not good enough, according to Wiltamuth, who noted that Walmart’s pricing lead over the grocers had narrowed to a range of 15% to 20% compared with 30% when he conducted a similar survey in 2008. | <urn:uuid:2a3bdce4-a716-4fae-a171-1dedb3f4f9cd> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/walmart-losing-its-pricing-edge?ad=walmart-news-now | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00379-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970297 | 316 | 1.789063 | 2 |
to make or become confused.
to make or become rotten, as eggs.
mentally confused; muddled.
Or to assume that he believes in the addled and simplistic economics of austerity that would drive the nation back into recession.
The Right-Wing Backlash Against John Roberts Robert Shrum July 2, 2012
It seems that we will not know how to treat our transgressors humanely until we unlock our addled consciousness.
Our Sick Passion for Execution Lee Siegel September 21, 2011
If David is a yapping terrier, Pete is an addled golden retriever.
‘Family Tree’ Brings Christopher Guest’s Mockumentary Style to HBO Jace Lacob May 7, 2013
People worked all hours, often addled with booze and drugs, and casual sex was readily available.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul’s Tabloid Terror Machine Clive Irving August 24, 2014
Whereas my female English friends are far more reserved and addled with shame.
Feeling Good About Yourself? A.J. Jacobs April 22, 2010
Hit Bob a crack over the head and addled him so he ain’t at himself yet.
Old Ebenezer Opie Read
Come, tell me in what decent tavern you have addled your brain?
If the eggs are addled or sterile, she will often continue to sit beyond the normal period.
Ways of Nature John Burroughs
“That his wit’s just addled; may be wi’ unbelief and heathenry,” quoth she.
The Water-Babies Charles Kingsley
“No, and nobody said it would,” Henley managed to fish from his addled brain.
Dixie Hart Will N. Harben
to make or become confused or muddled
to make or become rotten
(in combination) indicating a confused or muddled state: addle-brained, addle-pated
(Northern English, dialect) to earn (money or one’s living)
1712, from addle (n.) “urine, liquid filth,” from Old English adela “mud, mire, liquid manure” (cognate with Old Swedish adel “urine,” Middle Low German adel, Dutch aal “puddle”).
Used in noun phrase addle egg (mid-13c.) “egg that does not hatch, rotten egg,” literally “urine egg,” a loan-translation of Latin ovum urinum, which is itself an erroneous loan-translation of Greek ourion oon “putrid egg,” literally “wind egg,” from ourios “of the wind” (confused by Roman writers with ourios “of urine,” from ouron “urine”). Because of this usage, from c.1600 the noun in English was taken as an adjective meaning “putrid,” and thence given a figurative extension to “empty, vain, idle,” also “confused, muddled, unsound” (1706). The verb followed a like course. Related: Addled; addling.
. Historical Examples Not only was he direfully cursing the trio, but also the addlepated Medcroft and his own addlepated self. The Husbands of Edith George Barr McCutcheon He wrote to Zio Giacomo, who said he was an addlepated and clot-headed imbecile. The Devourers Annie Vivanti Chartres Seldom have I read such a ridiculous, solemn, […]
to make or become confused. to make or become rotten, as eggs. mentally confused; muddled. rotten: addle eggs. Historical Examples They are a bad mixture of French freedom and Spanish haughtiness which addles our brains. The Memoires of Casanova, Complete Jacques Casanova de Seingalt The irresolute man is lifted from one place to another; so […]
to make or become confused. to make or become rotten, as eggs. mentally confused; muddled. rotten: addle eggs. Historical Examples And what in the world do you want to be addling your brains with a Latin grammar for, when there’s other need for your eyes? Clementina A.E.W. Mason She read feverishly all she could find […] | <urn:uuid:930ec021-11ba-44f4-b5ec-bd53a6b997dc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://definithing.com/define-dictionary/addled/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00208-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929051 | 947 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Succeeding John Bull: America in Britain's place 1900-1975
by D. Cameron Watt
D. Cameron Watt (or plain Donald Watt as some of us used to know him) is a most respectable fellow. A pillar of Chatham House and holder of the Stevenson Chair of International History in the University of London, he would no doubt hate to be mistaken for a British Gaullist or a radical critic of the Atlanticist consensus. But such is his honesty and integrity as an historian that he has now given us an analysis of the history of the Anglo-American relationship that is certain to produce chortles of sardonic delight in Paris should a translation be issued (as I trust will happen).
Largely based on the Wiles Lectures delivered in 1981 by the author at Queen's University, Belfast, this book is international history at its best. Against all his instincts Professor Watt is driven to acknowledge how little substance there has usually been to the 'Special Relationship' and how strikingly self-serving and unsentimental most American policy-makers were when they contemplated the future of the British Empire. The common language evidently did not help much. For Presidents as different as Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower refused to show any preference for London over Paris and indeed, maddeningly, tended to bracket them together. For example, Professor Watt quotes Wilson as having written in July 1917: 'England and France have not the same view with regard to peace that we have by any means. When the war is over we can force them to our way of thinking, because by that time they will, among other thing, be financially in our hands'. | <urn:uuid:56727d94-e7de-4ff8-9f9e-8fc6a60473bd> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.historytoday.com/david-carlton/succeeding-john-bull-america-britains-place-1900-1975 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720962.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00385-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965515 | 335 | 2.109375 | 2 |
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee advances human rights through grassroots collaborations.
Reflections on the Honduran Election, One Year Later
By on November 28, 2018
If “[t]he history of Honduras could be written on a rifle, on a gunshot, or rather, inside a drop of blood,” as the Honduran poet Roberto Sosa wrote, then the 2017 presidential election in Honduras is one of the more recent flashpoints in that history. The election, which took place one year ago, was marred by electoral fraud, a violent government crackdown on protesters, and U.S. complicity in human rights violations in the region. Yet, it also served as a fresh reminder of the courage of the citizens of Honduras, for whom the violent crackdown is not an anomaly or aberration, but a lived reality.
There were concerns about the election, even before it began. The incumbent, Juan Orlando Hernandez was the first Honduran president to seek re-election – until 2015 there was a constitutional article that prohibited an incumbent president from seeking re-election. It bears noting that this constitutional article served as the justification for a 2009 coup d’état that removed President Manuel Zelaya from office, who was seeking a referendum on the article. Zelaya’s opponents at the time claimed that he was seeking to change the constitution. The irony is that the subsequent post-coup government has taken aim at these same constitutional term limits in order to remain in power, including by replacing several members of the Honduran supreme court in 2012 with judges more sympathetic to the ruling party.
Although the U.S. initially called the 2009 coup illegal, it worked behind the scenes to prevent Zelaya from returning to power and refused to suspend aid to Honduras, as is required in the wake of a coup. The 2009 coup, and the U.S. response, helped lay the groundwork for the 2017 political crisis.
Once the election was underway, however, the concern shifted to electoral fraud. Opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla led Hernandez by a significant margin with almost 60% of the votes tallied. However, during the count, the electronic voting system went down. Once the system was up-and-running again, it showed that Hernandez was narrowly leading Nasralla.
The announcement by the Honduran electoral commission that Hernandez had won the election set off waves of protests across the country. The government’s response was to crack down on the protests, impose a 10-day curfew, and declare a state of emergency. Overall, the crackdown left at least 30 people dead and 60 people injured by Honduran security forces during the protests and resulted in the arrest of over 1,300 people.
As highlighted in UUSC’s recent report, many of those who were arrested for their participation in the protests were rounded up at their homes, often in the early morning in front of their families, and accused of crimes they did not commit. They faced beatings, torture, and threats of extrajudicial execution. Some were placed in solitary confinement and given rat feces and stones to eat.
In many of these human rights violations, the United States was complicit. Several individuals who were detained and tortured identified the TIGRES and COBRAS, Honduran special forces units receiving support and training from the United States. Additionally, despite the initial calls by the Organization of American States for a re-election due to the “poor quality” of the election process and the violent response to the protests, the U.S. State Department certified that the Honduran government was “making progress on improving human rights and tackling widespread corruption” just two days after the election. By late-December 2017, the United States had recognized Hernandez as the winner.
As I prepare to head to Honduras with the Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice (UUCSJ) later this week, I will be carrying with me the weight of the history of U.S. policy in Honduras and how it has worsened the human rights situation in the country. Through our responses to the 2009 coup and 2017 elections, and our support for the militarization of Honduras, the United States has helped fuel human rights violations and forced migration.
But, I will also be reflecting on the courage of the protesters, activists, and human rights defenders in Honduras. They, and their families, face death threats, arbitrary detention, and torture in order to defend human rights in Honduras. Their effort to protect human rights is a beacon of hope. I hope to learn from their courage and be in solidarity with their work.
While the 2017 election may in many ways be a reminder that the history of Honduras is written on a rifle, the courage of the Honduran people is a reminder that its future doesn’t have to be. | <urn:uuid:e8bddb76-5bef-4143-ae70-a9b15c8d13a4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.uusc.org/reflections-on-the-honduran-election-one-year-later/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.975607 | 977 | 2.25 | 2 |
Genesis 1:14-18: “And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to … Continue reading the story "How could there be days in Genesis when the sun was not created until the fourth day?"
Post Archives tagged ‘day’
Genesis Chapter 1 is a chronological order of events, starting with the first day of creation and ending on the seventh day of creation. Each creative event is recorded for each of the … Continue reading the story "Are Genesis Chapters 1 & 2 contradictory?"
Before we begin, please read the article about the word “yom”. This is one of the Hebrew words for “day,” and it was the word used during the … Continue reading the story "How long were the days in Genesis?"
There are twelve words in Hebrew that can mean “day,” but the word that was used when referring to the days in the Creation week was “yom.” The Hebrew word … Continue reading the story "What was the Hebrew word used for “day” in Genesis Chapter 1?"
The age of the Earth is important to know, and we can calculate the age by using the Bible. Generally speaking, from Adam to Abraham, there was a time span of about 2,000 years. From Abraham to Jesus, there was another 2,000 years. Finally, from Jesus’ birth to the present, we have another 2,000 years. Adding all … Continue reading the story "How old is the Earth according to the Bible?"
This question can be answered by going back to the original language that Genesis was written in: Hebrew. The Hebrew word for “day” in Genesis Chapter 1 is "yom" (Strong's #3117). We know that in English, day can have multiple meanings even in the same sentence. For example "Back in my father's day, it took 12 days to cross the country in a … Continue reading the story "How Long were the Days of Genesis?" | <urn:uuid:62629c80-66ef-47d8-a873-ab92f653db37> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.rtgmin.org/tag/day/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285001.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00310-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970305 | 455 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Last Updated 3 weeks Ago
The “blackout challenge” is once again popular on social media as a result of two families suing TikTok for the deaths of their children.
The deadly challenge, which encourages participants to choke themselves until they pass out, has gained popularity on several social media platforms recently and has been connected to several child fatalities and major injuries.
Both the 9-year-old Milwaukee girl Arriani Jaileen Arroyo and the 8-year-old Temple, Texas, girl Lalani Erika Walton passed away in 2021.
The two girls “dead of self-strangulation after being offered with and encouraged to accept the “TikTok Blackout Challenge” on [the company’s] social media platform,” according to the wrongful death lawsuit, which was brought by their families and the Social Media Victims Law Center.
The Social Media Victims Law Center’s founder, Matthew Bergman, told ABC News that the goal of the civil process was “protecting kids.” Added him: “Let’s be clear: TikTok’s algorithms send kids to these challenges. This is not a mistake or an accident.”
The case was filed on July 5 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court of California.
TikTok and the Social Media Users Law Center have been approached by Newsweek for comment.
What Is the Blackout Challenge?
The blackout challenge often referred to as the “pass-out challenge” or “choking challenge,” among many other titles, urges participants to rob themselves of oxygen by using belts, ropes, or other similar objects.
It precedes social media apps; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued advisories about it as early as 2008; but, in 2020 and 2021, TikTok saw a resurgence in popularity.
The CDC projected in 2008 that 82 kids in the US have died while trying the challenge between 1995 and 2007.
The organization published a list of side effects and indications to watch out for parents and other people worried that someone they know might be doing the challenge. These comprise:
- Having red eyes
- neck tattoos
- severe headaches
- Behaving confused when alone
Why is Blackout Challenge Harmful?
The challenge has the potential to do serious injury, according to doctors from all over the world. General practitioner Dr. Nick Flynn of Cork, Ireland, discussed the risks in an interview with the Irish Examiner. According to him, the shortage of oxygen in the brain causes symptoms comparable to those of drowning, choking, or cardiac arrest.
“Brain damage can occur if there is low oxygen to the brain for longer than three minutes, and death can occur if there is low oxygen to the brain for longer than five minutes.”
Flynn also emphasized the risk of someone hurting themselves by falling down as they lose consciousness.
He advised parents to talk to their kids about these matters and to keep on guard.
TikTok’s Comments on the Blackout Challenge
The firm informed The Washington Post in May that this “disturbing ‘challenge,’ which individuals seem to hear about from sources other than TikTok,’ long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend,” after another grieving family sued TikTok and its parent company ByteDance.
According to the statement, TikTok would “stay attentive in our commitment to user safety and would quickly remove similar content if detected.” It also stated that users were prohibited from looking for the challenge via hashtags. | <urn:uuid:775e6def-2316-445b-85c2-3d804b527db3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://thecurrent-online.com/social-trend/tiktok-blackout-challenge-videos/18144/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572192.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815145459-20220815175459-00073.warc.gz | en | 0.961167 | 746 | 1.929688 | 2 |
The antiviral medication platform developed by ViroBlock at Hebrew University has had some early success.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) professors started the company ViroBlock, which has made a new pharmaceutical platform for quickly making antiviral drugs that target viral proteins.
The antiviral medication candidates of ViroBlock block two viral targets: the E (envelope) protein and the 3a protein. The E protein is an ion channel, a protein family found in practically all living cells, and a popular target for pharmacological treatments because of its shape. For instance, the spike proteins of the viruses from 2003, SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1, are around 75% identical, but their E proteins are approximately 95% similar. It means that even if the virus changes, it’s likely that the ViroBlock medicines will still work.
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CEO and Founder and CEO of ViroBlock, Isaiah (Shy) Arkin, who is also a professor of biological chemistry at the Institute of Life Sciences at Harvard University, explains “With our exclusive technique, ViroBlock can discover targets in a new viral threat (or variation), build inhibitors against it, and analyze the resistance potential of the virus against the new medicine, all at a breakneck speed.”
According to a recent study conducted by the pharmaceutical research firm Evotec, ViroBlock’s innovative technology platform can deliver speedy solutions for treating existing and upcoming viral threats, such as COVID-19 and its variations, Hepatitis B, Zika, influenza, and West Nile. The study showed that the channel blockers it found could protect cells from dying from viruses and cut down on viral offspring.
Arkin adds that “currently, there are no efficient, proven platforms for rapidly producing antiviral medications. Without the capacity to forecast how a virus will evolve resistance, scientists must design new agents and a unique technique to combat each new infection. ViroBlock is developing a potential treatment candidate for COVID-19 using a strategy that can apply to most significant viruses.”
The next step of clinical studies will examine the human effects of this antiviral strategy. In addition to the antiviral medications now undergoing testing, the business has antiviral pharmaceuticals developed by the platform in development. | <urn:uuid:ceec7a64-abf1-4a81-a42e-cb95089cb415> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2022/07/06/new-antiviral-medication-targets-viruses-incl-covid-influenza/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571056.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809155137-20220809185137-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.928018 | 558 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Author Zhang Lijia discusses at CriEnglish the moral crisis of China, after the death of toddler Yueyue was overrun and ignored by bypassers triggered of a fierce debate. Is it time for a law to force citizens to rescue others, she wonders, among many other issues.
Legal enforcement, to start with. I am strongly in favour of introducing a law which imposes the duty to rescue – the only way to make people to take action. Of course it is not enough. There should be education.
Sure, China places so much emphasis on propaganda. But what the kids get at school have been political education instead of moral education. And the young people often find the heroes they are introduced to irrelevant, such as semi-fictionalized Lei Feng who supposedly went out every Sunday to do good things for strangers. Some call Lei Feng rudely shabi, stupid c..t.
In the long-run, the state-sponsored and enforced laws may not work that well. Look at Mao era, only an authoritarian aberration. The incentive to become a Samaritan has to come from each individual. To reach that level, China needs to vigorously develop a civil society where the government can retreat a little bit and slowly and gradually plays a smaller role. And we need to introduce the idea of
humanitarianism – to show compassion to all fellow human beings, regardless of race or class，friends or strangers. Only in doing so that we can rise above the narrow confines of our net of guangxi.
- A nation of 1.4bn cold hearts – Zhang Lijia (chinaspeakersbureau.info)
- You: How can I be proud of my China if we are a nation of 1.4bn cold hearts? | Lijia Zhang (guardian.co.uk)
- Dealing with identity – Zhang Lijia (chinaspeakersbureau.info)
- Why the Chinese read less books – Zhang Lijia (chinaspeakersbureau.info)
- Most popular stories of October 2011 (chinaspeakersbureau.info) | <urn:uuid:9a752999-4802-43b8-9a70-f4d681e5d72a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/2011/11/07/chinas-moral-crisis-zhang-lijia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.933622 | 439 | 1.929688 | 2 |
One would expect Willis Essenbach, an articulate critic of the global warming canard who posts often at WUWT, to strongly concur with those calling for the UN IPCC to be disbanded. It is, after all, a political organization that has done more harm to science than the Catholic Church ever did circa 1600. Be that as it may:
Here on WUWT, Ron Cram has provided an interesting overview of a number of people’s ideas about desirable changes to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC). He proposes that the IPCC provide us with a majority and a minority view of climate science, rather than just a single Assessment Report.
I’m here to propose something very different. Some people think the IPCC should be disbanded. I’m not one of them.
I think disbanding the IPCC is a bad idea. Instead, I think that we should take the IPCC to the crossroads at midnight and pound an aspen stake through its heart, stuff its head with garlic, and scatter the remains to be disinfected by sunlight so it can never, ever rise again.
Let me give you a list of my reasons why this is the preferable outcome, in no particular order: . . .
Heh. Do see his post for the full bill of particulars. | <urn:uuid:6664da18-658b-4db1-8970-89e839e38639> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://wolfhowling.blogspot.com/2011/02/essenbach-dont-disband-ipcc.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00082-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95286 | 271 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Is there "a difference between a 'student' and a 'learner,' between a 'teacher' and an 'educator.' Teachers want their students to be responsible and curious. They expect their students to follow class rules and do their homework. But what about the reverse? What do students want from their teachers?"
Psychology incorporates all of these "things": You should be in the classroom when Freud's 5 psychosexual stages are put forward (humour, lively environment and wonder!).
Start the class with pop music which links to the topic (understanding their world).
At the first lesson when I have asked students to write on the board what they want from the lessons (the only one of the above they have ever written down was humour). When I asked them to give me examples of what they meant, they could not. When I explained that they needed to tell me what they meant by "fun classes", as I was I trained to teach and tutor, not to make jokes, they were unable to tell me.
When I conducted conformity research by having a group of students walking down the corridor dancing to music played over the intercom to see whether other students would conform by joining in, I demonstrated what they meant by fun.
I have learnt from more enlightened others that a Tutor / Educator guides by pointing out where to find the relevant information plus discussion questions which allows learners to share information, analyse and evaluate during class. After more questions which stimulate arguments, the learners are given a question to answer.
Children today want quick answers and do not take the time to think things through. This is probably the result of living in today’s age of technological instant gratification. It is becoming increasingly challenging for teachers to successfully grab and hold students’ attention long enough for them to process the information they receive using critical thinking skills.
This is why homeschooling is so crucial. If children are given the tools: educational games, toys, books and resources at home, from they get up in the morning they are interacting with a variety of learning resources which develop their brain. Games such as: *Mathlink Cubes an interactive and visual way to get to grips with mathematics - a hands-on manipulative kit can be used to teach a range of maths concepts to all ages;
*Homeschoolsource's classic game of charades is designed especially for children to help them play and learn. This educational game will help children express themselves by acting out a charade.
*Help develop their creativity with geological material such as crystals and gemstones. Or what about the ecology of the solar system or Uncle Milton’s Star Theatre for creating light like Halley’s Comet?
*As they get older you provide word games, lateral thinking puzzles, dictionaries and thesaurus's to develop their verbal thinking and expression and challenge existing views (critical thinking).
*Microscopes and Binoculars illustrate different views of the world. They encourage lateral thinking, leading children to question: “What if?”
With these home resources children will learn to get their own answers and develop critical thinking through interaction with learning tools. At school the teachers will be the ones rushing out to find these homeschoolsources!!!!
The benefit to the children will be the amount of learning they will absorb from the practical events created by engineers and scientists. Children will get the opportunity to practice using their brains. The adults will discover new ways of experiencing and explaining phenomena sparked off by the children's curiosity.
Therefore we need to use 21st century strategies: home school learning, starting with pre-schoolers being given educational toys, games, books and resources which they are able to interact with in their own time without the pressure of classrooms, some of these strategies can be examined at http://www.homeschoolsource.co.uk
There is some very useful information for educators: The Montessori approach: mixed age classrooms, students’ choice of activities, constructivist / discovery learning rather than direct instruction. Homeschooling where students are given freedom to follow their own interest with a rich assortment of resources; Multiple Intelligences: where resources encourage students to use different ways of learning.
In TESpro this week (via @teachtolearn_) they produced a list of 10 items that all teachers should have in their classrooms to aid differentiation stretching those at the top and supporting those a...
Dictionaries, Thesauri, model answers, keyword displays, list of List of command words linked to Bloom’s Taxonomy, A variety of books linked to your subject, Computers, Scrap paper to write /plan on, Thoughts box, Newspaper or website articles. These are the items produced by TESpro.
In addition; how about getting students to teach parts of the lesson. They can use the whiteboard, powerpoint and note cards which can be passed around. This could be a very effective way of memorising.
Using video and podcasts to flip your classroom is a big task that could yield big results if done properly. Here are some quick tips.
Some tips: Put some of your lessons on powerpoint or give your students access to your lesson booklets by email so that they can read the contents before the lesson. This means that they can take part in classroom discussions. To be successful, students must contribute to the class therefore changing teaching methods should be discussed with the students beforehand. The understanding that comes from using the material, rather than being lectured to can be very enjoyable for students.
During your lifetime you have probably experienced inspirational educators, or witnessed inspiring lectures. But, what about you? Are you such an educator? If not, why not? In this talk, I [Zaid Alsagoff] explored some of the ingredients top educators in the 21st century have, and how we can learn from them to reinvent ourselves to reach our true potential as an educator. This talk was given on the 9 February (2013) at Jazan University (Saudi Arabia).
I am taking this a bit further. How do you programme someone to become a potential 21st Century Educator? Start from the home by educating pre-schoolers. The Piagetian and Montessori idea of presenting children with a variety of educational toys and games suitable for their age and helping them to assimilate new learning is basically simple. This is just the beginning..........
In today's economic reality, it is more important than ever that we help children and young adults learn about managing money. While this is not a typical
Children can learn from home starting with a multiple of educational games and toys, leading to applications such as Savings Spree. This is a game that illustrates the choices related to making financial decisions. It also demonstates some of the uncontrollable factors involved when managing your own money.
These early learning games are fun experiences and children are more likely to remember what they are seeing, hearing and doing.
"Here, kids watch the needlessly controversial Cheerios commercial featuring a biracial family and comment on it. None of them can tell the interviewer what’s wrong with the spot. The video is part of a Fine Bros. series that has kids, teens, and elderly people react to viral videos, news stories, or trends."
Robin Good: Must-read article on ClutterMuseum.com by Leslie M-B, exploring in depth the opportunity to have students master their selected topics by "curating" them, rather than by reading and memorizing facts about them.
"Critical and creative thinking should be prioritized over remembering content"
"That students should learn to think for themselves may seem like a no-brainer to many readers, but if you look at the textbook packages put out by publishers, you’ll find that the texts and accompanying materials (for both teachers and students) assume students are expected to read and retain content—and then be tested on it.
Instead, between middle school (if not earlier) and college graduation, students should practice—if not master—how to question, critique, research, and construct an argument like an historian."
This is indeed the critical point. Moving education from an effort to memorize things on which then to be tested, to a collaborative exercise in creating new knowledge and value by pulling and editing together individual pieces of content, resources and tools that allow the explanation/illustration of a topic from a specific viewpoint/for a specific need.
And I can't avoid to rejoice and second her next proposition: "What if we shifted the standards’ primary emphasis from content, and not to just the development of traditional skills—basic knowledge recall, document interpretation, research, and essay-writing—but to the cultivation of skills that challenge students to make unconventional connections, skills that are essential for thriving in the 21st century?"
Brilliant. This is an example of what is known as "flipping" where the student is directed to where information can be found, e.g. Youtube, websites, powerpoint, etc and set critical evaluative questions.
Home School Learning is an ideal example of students as curators of their learning. It is essential for children to learn to be in charge of their learning from pre-school in order to develop essential evaluative and critical analytical skills. firstname.lastname@example.org.
This must be a good idea. The earlier we start children learning about the world in which they live, the easier it will be for them to make their own decisions about what they will want to do later on in their lives. Ideas on toys linked to engineering can be found on homeschoolsource.co.uk
Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences proposes that when you judge someone's level of intelligence you should not base your analysis on one general ability, but on a range of abilities.
Multiple Intelligences mean that we have the ability to learn in different ways. Every child should have the opportunity to explore how they learn different concepts, ideas, games, skills, language, music,etc, etc, etc... Gardner's Theory can be exploited in many ways. One way is to examine a website such as http://www.homeschoolsource.co.uk where a vast array of educational toys, games and reading material can be purchased for all children from pre-school up to university.
There are dozens of great brainstorming and organizing tools available on the web to help students prepare for writing assignments and develop their
There are graphic organisers such as concept mapping, webbing and mind mapping. These can be used instead of note taking, where the main concepts, ideas and information is presented on one piee of paper. These are examples of visual learning.
Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.
How to integrate my topics' content to my website?
Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.
Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy. | <urn:uuid:211aa2ab-e53c-40b0-90fb-5df949340fab> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.scoop.it/t/www-homeschoolsource-co-uk?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00538-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954345 | 2,355 | 3.265625 | 3 |
How can I get colorful flowers all summer in shade?
Most perennials that grow in shade flower in spring when the shade is still not too heavy. For color from June onward, the choices are fewer. Some of the bleeding hearts, such as Dicentra eximia ‘Snowdrift’, ‘Burning Hearts’, ‘Candy Hearts’, and ‘Ivory Hearts’ will continue to produce flowers through the summer. Annuals such as Impatiens and Begonias are reliable stand-bys for flowers, and Coleus provide brightly patterned leaves until frost. Hostas with blue, green, or variegated foliage are the mainstay of most full shade gardens, while selections of Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum pictum) and Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) bring silver and yellow foliage to shade. Astilbes will flower in early summer in part shade (four to six hours a day of direct sun).
Flowers give a landscape color, zip, and a feeling that it is a special place. Flowers come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. Some bloom a long time while others grace us with their beauty for just a few days or a week. Some flowers bloom in the spring, others in the summer, and even some in the fall. Annual flowers need to be planted every year; they don't come back year after year as do the perennials. Bulbs are not just for the spring as the summer bulbs can add major pizazz to any yard's look.
Remember, there is no such thing as an ugly flower garden. Some just look better than others. | <urn:uuid:061be733-a32b-4ec8-bbea-3ef40bcfd455> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gardening.yardener.com/Files-About-Flowers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570741.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808001418-20220808031418-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.93243 | 352 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Define employment benefits and expectations
Protect your company's proprietary information
Govern how phones can be used on site
Communicate company guidelines and rules
Keep your workplace safe and respectful
Obtain consent to drug test employees
Set out the rules for using a corporate card
Set guidelines for the use of company email
Document your policy for time off
Establish policies for a day care center
Give your workers a formal way to complain
Set guidelines for social media use by employees
Protect your company's reputation
Prevent discrimination in your workplace
Establish ownership of workplace inventions
Set guidelines for internet access at work
Establish expectations for employee's remote work
Plan for emergencies and keep business operating
Establish a plan of action for emergencies
Protect proprietary business information
Set your policy for vaccines including COVID-19
Document vaccination of employees and others
Document company policies FAQs
An Employee Handbook, at the minimum, should include government supported policies such as discrimination, harassment, at-will and safety policies. Most employers also include vacation, sick and personal time off, benefit and pay information. Larger companies (with over 50 employees) also usually explain how to apply for Family and Medical Leave (FMLA). Our Employee Handbook document building tool can help you write a customized handbook easily. You can save your original version online and change it as needed.
Beyond the basics, many companies also include in their handbook:
There are two types of Social Media Policies, those that govern your company's social media accounts and those that guide your employee's posts to their own accounts. You can 100-percent control what is posted to your company pages, but you have limited control of your employee's posts to their own profiles.
Your marketing team or the person that posts to your company's social media pages should be closely guided in order to carefully reflect how you want your company viewed by your customers and the public. Unless you fully trust your social media person, you should review every post before it is posted online. You should also carefully craft social media and branding guidelines.
Your employee can post any type of personal information to their own accounts: however, you can guide what they reveal about your company. Before writing your Social Media Policy, you should review any laws that may prohibit you from violating your employees right to free speech. For the most part, your governing policy should only include things that might violate Confidentiality Agreements. You should also tell them how you plan to monitor their activities. In your employee social media guidelines, you can include the restriction of:
You can change company policies at any time based on new government requirements or for your own reasons. To change a company policy, you do not have to reissue new Employee Handbooks to your employees, but you should notify them of the change.
To change a company policy: | <urn:uuid:d40adaad-107e-4ca7-b2c1-434650958fa7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/employers-and-hr/company-policies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.937776 | 578 | 1.757813 | 2 |
I'm not 100% sure about the meanings of the four Hebrew letters on the Dreidel in terms of "all", "nothing", and so on, but traditionally they stand for:
נ - Nes
ג - Gadol
ה - Haya
ש - Sham
Together it makes Nes gadol haya sham, "A great miracle happened there."
In Israel, instead of a ש they have a פ (for "Poh"), which makes it rather, "A great miracle happened here", because the miracle of Hanukah took place in Israel. | <urn:uuid:e5e1aa05-76fd-41de-83fe-34fe45b253a6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://everything2.com/title/Dreidel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285001.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00310-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926436 | 121 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Clubhouse: a room against violence against women
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Clubhouse gathered the most authoritative Italian creators on this dramatic topical issue to turn on a light and give voice to a very complex and impressive social problem whose knowledge is still very partial.
The social audio platform will host the “Love is not a Killer” room within Anthropology of Mind, the Club founded by Alessandro Bertirotti, anthropologist of the mind and professor at the University of Genoa. The event aims to bring together the Italian Clubhouse community in an open, free and clear dialogue to remove most of the shadows that surround the theme of violence against women. The goal is to create a “new awareness” for a more civilized society based on respect and firm opposition to sexist violence which, as the title of the
room, never has a valid excuse.
LOVE IS NOT A KILLER: on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Clubhouse hosts a room to break the silence
And just to give more strength to this intent, the room will remain open between 21:30 and 23:30 on November 25: the time slot in which most of the acts of violence against women are perpetrated. We will start with Alessandro Bertirotti who, together with Laura Merli Lavagna, doctor specialized in psychotherapy and Serenella D’Ercole, philosopher, trainer and writer, will provide a first psychoanthropological framework of the topic. We will continue with Ilaria Baldini, a Feminist Resistance activist. With her we will address the issue of prostitution and trafficking in women, followed by the testimony of Elisabetta Aldrovandi, lawyer, Guarantor for the Protection of Crime Victims of the Lombardy Region and President of the National Victim Support Observatory.
We will close with a chat between Gabriele Isman, journalist, and Luca Schifanella, doctor and scientific researcher from Minneapolis for a “living” testimony from the city that has sadly become a symbol of a “new culture of violence” all over the world. An appointment, therefore, not to be missed. Why important. And as such it only happens on Clubhouse. The link for the link is here. | <urn:uuid:148abcd0-f4ea-453a-b349-6e1aa2a03b30> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://zazogame.com/en/clubhouse-a-room-against-violence-against-women/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572221.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816060335-20220816090335-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.928237 | 474 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Pontius Pilate would feel very much at home in our culture. His cynical question — “What is truth?” (Jn 18:38) — captures the prevailing mindset of our day. It provides a three-word summary of relativism — the view that objective truth does not exist, that there is not objective “right” or “wrong” about human behavior. Relativism refuses to limit or define human behavior. All is relative and depends on the situation, the culture, the person, etc.
Although often depicted as a courageous rebellion against forces of intolerance and persecution, relativism is really cowardice. Because truth requires something of us. Pontius Pilate knew this. To acknowledge the truth would demand that he release Jesus and incur the crowd’s wrath. So he chose to avoid the truth. Then he dressed up his cowardice in a pseudo-philosophical inquiry: “Ah, but what is truth?”
So also today. Truth requires something of us. It requires humility to admit that we do not define reality, self-denial to reject our disordered desires, repentance to confess our errors. The truth about language demands that we speak honestly and not lie. The truth about sexuality means that we strive for chastity and defend marriage. The truth about human life requires that we protect the unborn. Many find it easier to deny truth than to take up these challenges. And, like Pontius Pilate, they dress up this moral cowardice in pseudo-philosophical questions: “Ah, but who is to say what marriage is … what sexuality is … what words mean? After all, what is truth?”
Cowardice is a dangerous thing. Physical cowardice gets men killed in battle. Moral cowardice destroys the foundations of society. It has produced what Cardinal Ratzinger famously termed the “dictatorship of relativism.” Not content to live their own lives without meaning, relativists insist that the entire society reject any objective truth about life, sexuality and marriage. Moral cowardice can be lived comfortably only when no one else announces truth.
In the face of such cowardice and dictatorship stands Christ the King. He summarizes His life in reference to the truth: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (Jn 18:36). Similarly, John Paul II remarked that the most important word in the Gospels is “truth.” Not love, peace, or joy, but truth. Truth is the context, the atmosphere — the operating system, if you will — that makes the others possible. It is the stable environment that enables the others to flourish.
Love depends on the truth because it seeks to be definitive. The language of love — always, forever, completely, entirely — must rest on a solid foundation, not shifting sands. Without the bedrock of truth love becomes mere sentimentality, subject to the vagaries of situations and emotions. Without truth you cannot have true love.
Likewise, genuine peace cannot exist without truth. Peace comes about by a common adherence to something impartial and objective — when disputing parties reconcile by acknowledging an authority independent of them. If we cannot refer to objective truth, then disputes can only be settled by power — fiscal, political or military. If there is no such thing as “right,” then we have only “might” to end disagreements.
Finally, joy cannot exist without truth. It always comes from the outside — from something beautiful and real that is unbidden and unexpected. The relativist never experiences such joy because he has defined all reality according to his small mind and even smaller heart. The one in love with the truth finds true joy — the joy of finding something more than oneself, more than our minds can construct themselves, more than our hearts can hold.
A bit of the relativist lurks in each of us. We all labor under a fallen human nature and tend to compromise the truth so that life might go a little more easily. To the extent we imitate Pontius Pilate in this way, our love becomes colder, our peace disturbed and our joy dreary. To the extent, however, that we submit to the King of Truth our love increases, our peace deepens and our joy radiates. | <urn:uuid:b1ff3d37-5dfb-4e35-97a1-150d937442f2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://catholicexchange.com/cowardly-relativism-kingly-truth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00296-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945939 | 893 | 2.90625 | 3 |
How schools can help students in poverty?
How schools can help students in poverty?
Schools can address poverty through teaching social justice, offering equal academic opportunities, and discreetly providing school supplies, snacks, clothes, and other basic necessities.
What strategies can teachers use to make socioeconomic differences between students less visible in the classroom?
5 Ways Teachers Can Address Socioeconomic Gaps in the ClassroomTeach with their social needs in mind. Students from low-income families are more likely to develop social conduct problems. Address health concerns. Students who live in poverty are more subjected to health issues. Be creative. Include. Challenge them.
How will you help the teacher address diversity in the classroom?
Since diversity is something that needs to be fostered in the classroom, here are a few tips that teachers should keep in mind:Understand your students. Incorporate different teaching styles. Equal Access to Opportunities. Celebrate diversity. Encourage Differing Perspectives. Include diverse learning materials.
How do you teach students tolerance?
5 Tips for Teaching Tolerance in Your ClassroomConsider Your Classroom Walls. Acknowledge Student and Teacher Emotions. Explain Terms and Concepts Related to Current Events. Foster a Sense of Empathy in your Classroom. Lead by Example.
How do you teach students to diverse in the classroom?
Cultural Diversity in the ClassroomLearn about your own culture. Learn about your students’ culture. Understand your students’ linguistic traits. Use this knowledge to inform your teaching. Use multicultural books and materials to foster cross-cultural understanding. Know about your students’ home and school relationships.
How do teachers respond to the needs of diverse learners?
To ensure effective learning for all students in the classroom, teachers need to develop sensitivity to individual students’ needs and respond to them by flexibly adapting their teaching strategies and content. Teachers can then give their students opportunities to develop their potential.
What are the 7 pillars of inclusion?
What are the 7 Pillars of Inclusion?ACCESS. Access explores the importance of a welcoming environment and the habits that create it. ATTITUDE. Attitude looks at how willing people are to embrace inclusion and diversity and to take meaningful action. CHOICE. PARTNERSHIPS. COMMUNICATION. POLICY. OPPORTUNITIES.
How can teachers learn about students cultures?
Interviews with family members, assignments asking students to write about learning experiences that occur outside of school, and assignments involving family stories and traditions all can play a significant role in discovering information about a students’ cultural heritage.
Why is teaching culture in the classroom important?
When working and learning with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures present in the classroom, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. It also teaches students how to use their own strengths and points of view to contribute in a diverse working environment.
How does culture affect teaching and learning?
Cultural tendencies impact the way children participate in education. To engage students effectively in the learning process, teachers must know their students and their academic abilities individually, rather than relying on racial or ethnic stereotypes or prior experience with other students of similar backgrounds.
What are the 5 core components of culturally responsive teaching?
Culturally Responsive TeachingPositive perspectives on parents and families.Communication of high expectations.Learning within the context of culture.Student-centered instruction.Culturally mediated instruction.Reshaping the curriculum.Teacher as facilitator.
What are the 7 principles of culturally responsive teaching?
7 Principles for Culturally Responsive TeachingAffirming students in their cultural connections.Being Personally Inviting.Reinforcing Students in Their Academic Development.Creating Physically and Culturally Inviting Learning Environments.Accommodating our instruction to the cultural and learning differences of our students.
What is an example of culturally responsive teaching?
Empowering students to share thoughts. Integrating diverse work and study practices. Understanding student learning needs and styles. Emulating culturally-significant instruction styles, such as oral storytelling.
What is responsive teaching?
Responsive teaching is the moment-to-moment decisions that you make as you observe and analyze your students’ behaviors. It is the observation and analysis of the students’ reading behaviors that informs your next teaching moves. It’s up to you to know the readers through observation.
How can a teacher be responsive?
5 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies for EducatorsActivate students’ prior knowledge. Make learning contextual. Encourage students to leverage their cultural capital. Reconsider your classroom setup. Build relationships.
How do you implement a responsive classroom?
Design lessons that are active and interactive Use effective teacher language to promote academic and social growth. Encourage engagement by giving students meaningful choices. Start each day in a way that sets a positive tone for learning. Set high expectations and teach students how to meet them.
Who started responsive classroom?
Ruth Sidney Charney
What is a responsive learning environment?
A responsive learning environment engages all students by providing a respectful climate where instruction and curriculum are designed to respond to the backgrounds and needs of every student.
How do you do a morning meeting?
Developed as a part of the Responsive Classroom (RC) model, morning meetings have four key components:Greeting: Students and teachers greet and welcome each other.Sharing: Students share something about themselves or their lives, and the rest of their peers listen, then ask follow-up questions or offer comments. | <urn:uuid:6ff32ec9-005f-4aca-b7bc-d71c2898806e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ids-water.com/2021/05/10/how-schools-can-help-students-in-poverty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.93436 | 1,142 | 4.21875 | 4 |
Panelists Jonathan Grand; Peter L. Salgo, MD; Philip Barbour; Jac A. Charlier, MPA; and Joshua D. Lee, MD, PhD, highlight the political and personal side of drug abuse, and discuss examples of success in approaching opioid abuse in several states.
Panelists Jac A. Charlier, MPA; Peter L. Salgo, MD; Phillip Barbour; Joshua D. Lee, MD, PhD; and Jonathan Grand describe the role of pilot medication-assisted treatment programs and how they are funded.
Scott Sigman, MD, discusses recent study results that show more people become dependent on prescription drugs following surgery than previously thought – which is why his involvement in the Choices Matter program is so important.
Veterans who misuse painkillers often next turn to heroin, according to a study conducted over 10 years that included nearly 3,400 military veterans. Soldiers, due to their unique experiences, are at particular risk for addiction.
Panelists Peter L. Salgo, MD; Jac A. Charlier, MPA; Phillip Barbour; Joshua D. Lee, MD, PhD; and Jonathan Grand outline the decision making process for substance abuse treatment and its effect on treatment decisions for re-entry programs for recovering substance abuse patients.
“We have shown for the first time that the correlation between ADHD symptoms and binge eating in women depends mainly on a common hereditary susceptibility for the two disorders,” Johansson Capusan explained. “Much of the correlation between alcohol dependence and ADHD can also be explained by genetic factors." | <urn:uuid:dfb796ac-4bf2-4cde-8d8e-b476b59e5351> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.hcplive.com/conditions/addiction-medicine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721355.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00013-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93229 | 320 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Category:1968 in Canada
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|Canada in the 1960s: ← 1960-1961-1962-1963-1964-1965-1966-1967-1968-1969 →|
English: Media pertaining to Canada and/or Canadians in 1968
Français : Médias relatifs au Canada et / ou les Canadiens en 1968
Canada-related events during the year of 1968
|Point in time|
This category has the following 12 subcategories, out of 12 total.
- 1968 in sports in Canada (2 C)
- 1968 in transport in Canada (3 C, 5 F)
- 1968 works in Canada (5 C, 1 F)
Media in category "1968 in Canada"
The following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. | <urn:uuid:5f012842-fa40-495f-9fe7-1637b8c7a610> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:1968_in_Canada | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572033.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814113403-20220814143403-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.720772 | 210 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The following ideas, writers, activities, and products have influenced The MYW (Mindfulness, Yoga, Writing) Method: Löwenmensch, Lao Tzu, Buddha, Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jon Kabat-Zinn (8 week MBSR course for using Method), Eckhart Tolle, Michael Singer, Andy Clark, Embodied Cognition, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Bessel van der Kolk, Journaling (Writing Functions in The MYW Method), Stephen Hawking, Brian Greene, Neil Shubin, David Eagleman, Bernie Roth, PBS, Physiotherapy, Anatomy (Essential Anatomy 5 app for using Method), Yoga (Teacher Training course for using Method), Functional Mindfulness and Yoga (The MYW Method), Tai Chi, Standing, Walking, Jogging, Running, Climbing, Swimming, Vibrams (Five-finger barefoot-shoes for using Method, “V-Trail”, EU42USA9-9.5), and Engineering.
Warnings: If you are thinking about Mindfulness, try a weekend retreat first. 10 day silent retreats are the target, but can be too much for the Mind to deal with unless you build up to it. Understand Anatomy, it’s your Body and it carries your Mind, know it. If you are thinking about Yoga in-person at a studio, aside from COVID risk, be aware that there is a sexual predatory characteristic to some things in life, but Yoga studios are a place that fosters physical touch in class as teachers push a limb into place (they should ask first), and hugging is part of the culture these days, so don’t let someone “groom“ you by pretending they are just being nice. If you try Vibrams, then use them just a little at first – if you jog 5 miles, use them for only the last mile, or if you go out walking, try them for 15 minutes first, come home, reevaluate. The risk is pulling on an Achilles that hasn’t seen much action recently, or in forever. And get the ”V-Trail” because the sole is best suited for every day use and the other sole configurations are too soft or too hard for city-outdoor lifestyle, in my opinion. | <urn:uuid:88d18bf4-9f32-4283-afd9-7a9f88e85376> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://supersapientheory.com/sources/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572127.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815024523-20220815054523-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.884905 | 487 | 1.851563 | 2 |
49. 1 Corinthians: The Troubled Church
The Origins of the Church at Corinth
On Paul’s second missionary journey, he had been divinely directed to Philippi, where a church was founded (Acts 16:11-40). From there Paul went to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9), and then on to Berea (17:10-15). Next Paul journeyed to Athens (17:16-34), where his ministry was not as fruitful as it had been elsewhere, so after a time he moved on to Corinth, where he had a lengthy and fruitful ministry (18:1-18a).
When Paul arrived in Corinth, Silas and Timothy were not with him (18:5), but he did find a couple who were Jewish refugees from Rome – Aquila and Priscilla.388 Aquila was a tentmaker, like Paul, and so the two worked together at their trade. This seems to have limited the time and energy Paul could devote to preaching the gospel. Every Sabbath he would go to the synagogue and seek to persuade those attending to trust in Jesus as their Messiah. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia (18:5), they must have brought a contribution from the saints there (Philippians 4:15-16) because Paul was now able to devote himself completely to preaching the word.
Opposition to Paul’s preaching seems to have increased proportionately with the time he spent at the synagogue, and with the number of Jews and God-fearers who were coming to faith. When the Jews strongly opposed Paul’s teaching at the synagogue, he shook the dust from his garments and moved next door to the house of Titius Justus, a Gentile God-fearer, who seems to have come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Even so there were a number of Jewish converts, including Crispus, the president of the synagogue, who believed, along with his entire household.389
As the opposition to Paul and his ministry became more intense, the apostle must have wondered when it would be time to leave Corinth and to press on to other cities. It was at this critical moment in time that God gave Paul direct guidance by means of a night vision. This vision must have been similar to the night vision God gave to Paul in Troas, when He directed him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). In this “Corinthians vision,” God encouraged Paul and instructed him to remain on in Corinth:
9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, 10 because I am with you, and no one will assault you to harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them (Acts 16:9-11).390
Luke’s account of Paul’s ministry in Corinth is not strictly chronological. Verses 12-17 of Acts 18 come earlier in Paul’s 18-month ministry, rather than at the end. The incident with Gallio does not necessitate Paul’s departure (which occurs some time later, see 18:18); rather, it is the means by which God fulfills His promise in the night vision to protect Paul and to give him a fruitful ministry in Corinth. Gallio’s ruling enabled Paul to remain on in Corinth without being harmed, under Rome’s protection. I believe this is why Luke includes this historic decision in Acts.
Because of the success of the gospel in Corinth, the Jews were beginning to feel threatened. No doubt a number of them severed their ties with the synagogue and identified themselves with Paul, who had moved his headquarters next door. Finally, the Jews determined to solve their problem legally, taking their case before Gallio, ruler of the province of Achaia. Their strategy was to persuade Gallio to make a legal distinction between Paul’s gospel and Judaism, in effect declaring Christianity to be a cult. If Christianity were to be divorced from Judaism, then it would no longer enjoy the protection of the Roman government. Christians could then be persecuted and driven out of Achaia, with no interference from the Roman government.
It all seemed like a brilliant scheme. The Jews brought Paul before Gallio and accused him of preaching a gospel that was contrary to the law, presumably Jewish law (see verse 15), but if so, then also contrary to the protections afforded by Roman law. The charges against Paul were similar to the charges the Jewish religious leaders brought against our Lord (see Luke 23:1-2, 13-14). The case against Paul was formally presented, and the time had come for Paul to speak in his defense. But before Paul could speak a word, Gallio interrupted. He is a man who seems to dislike Jews, and so Paul’s accusers found no favor with him. Gallio could see through the whole scheme, and he wanted to have no part of it. To him this was just one more squabble among Jews about the interpretation of their laws. He refused to take sides or to give a ruling; he just drove them out of his court. In effect, he refused to hear the case, albeit not until after the prosecution had its chance to make its case. Frustrated and angry, the Jews turned on Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue. It must have been his idea to seek a ruling from Gallio, and it had completely backfired. The Jews had lost ground by this maneuver. As Sosthenes was being beaten by the others, Gallio looked on, without any sympathy for Sosthenes or for the rest of them.
Gallio’s refusal to grant the Jews’ request established a very important legal precedent. It was similar to the United States Supreme Court refusing to hear a case on appeal. The effect of refusing to hear a case is to uphold the decision of the lower court. Thus, Gallio’s decision established the gospel Paul preached as a sect of the Jewish faith, a religion approved and protected by Roman law. Paul was a Roman citizen, and one who practiced (and preached) a religion Rome recognized and protected. Consequently Paul and others who went about preaching the gospel did so with Rome’s protection. Notice how Paul’s Roman citizenship protected him later on in Acts:
22 And they [the hostile Jewish crowd] listened to him [Paul] up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” 23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 And when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” 29 Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains (Acts 22:22-29).
Isn’t it amazing the way God fulfills His promises? He promised Paul that he would not be harmed, and that there were many souls in Corinth who would come to faith. Who would have ever imagined that God would fulfill His promise by allowing the opposition to take Paul to court, and by the legal ruling of a Gentile ruler who despised Jews? This is nothing other than the handiwork of a sovereign God:
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water;
he turns it wherever he wants (Proverbs 21:1).
Luke tells us in Acts 18:18 that Paul remained on in Corinth “many more days.” It was this ruling that enabled him to do so.
The Occasion For Writing 1 Corinthians
Paul spent at least 18 months in Corinth (Acts 18:11). When he left Corinth the apostle to the Gentiles made his way to Ephesus, where his initial ministry was very brief (Acts 18:19-21). Paul later returned to Ephesus where he stayed for three years (Acts 19:8-10; 20:31). It was during Paul’s second stay in Ephesus that he seems to have received a report that things were not going all that well in the church at Corinth. In response, Paul wrote his first (“lost”) letter to the church at Corinth, but it was never recorded in Scripture.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 In no way did I mean the immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person (1 Corinthians 5:9-11, emphasis mine).
While still in Ephesus, Paul heard from “some of Chloe’s people” (1:11) that there were divisions and quarrels in the church at Corinth. Paul also heard that there was a serious case of immorality in the church (5:1), and that some of the Corinthian saints were taking their brothers to court (6:1ff.). In addition, Paul received questions concerning marriage (7:1), virgins (7:25), foods sacrificed to idols (8:1ff.), spiritual gifts (12:1ff.) and more. While still in Ephesus (16:8), Paul wrote this first preserved letter to the Corinthians. It seeks to address some of the major problems in the church.
10 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together, to end your divisions, and to be united by the same mind and purpose. 11 For members of Chloe’s household have made it clear to me, my brothers and sisters, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, “ I am with Paul,” or “ I am with Apollos,” or “ I am with Cephas,” or “ I am with Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:10-12, emphasis mine).
It would appear from Paul’s words here that the schisms actually involved some the apostles, or at least their followers. I believe that this is not the case at all. We can see this from Paul’s words in chapter 4:
6 I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other (1 Corinthians 4:6, emphasis mine).
Some of the other translations make this more apparent:
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other (1 Corinthians 4:6, NASB, emphasis mine).391
Paul supplied the names of his fellow-apostles to make his point without naming the real culprits at the moment. He may have decided to do this for several reasons. First, Paul wanted the Corinthians to identify these men themselves. Secondly, there might be others that Paul did not know of, or who might emerge after Paul wrote this letter. Perhaps, too, he was giving some of these folks the benefit of the doubt at this time.
Paul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who think of themselves as the spiritual elite. They are proud and smug because of their associations, especially with their leader, and they look down upon those who are not in their group. The elitism evident in Corinth was based upon two things: (1) who they followed – who their leader was; and, (2) the message and method of their leader.
So then, no more boasting about mere mortals! For everything belongs to you (1 Corinthians 3:21).
I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other (1 Corinthians 4:6, emphasis mine).
Note the element of pride here and also the element of divisiveness. The Corinthians were boasting of their close association with certain men, men they considered superior to others. By associating with them, the Corinthians felt superior to those who followed others. Taking pride in mere men was evil. If there was any boasting to be done, Paul reminded his readers that their boasting should be “in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
The Corinthians had come to think too highly of themselves and of their newly discovered gurus with their sophisticated message and methods. In their elitist snobbery, they had begun to look down upon Paul and the other true apostles:
8 Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you! 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed, brutally treated, and without a roof over our heads. 12 We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure, 13 when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now (1 Corinthians 4:8-13).
It was not just the men (and their magnetic personalities) in whom the Corinthians boasted; it was also their message and their style of presentation. From the broader context we can infer that these charmers proclaimed a modified message, one that would eventually be exposed as a false gospel (see 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Corinthians 11). In stark contrast, Paul’s message was simple: Christ crucified. His method was to proclaim in clear and simple words the truths of the gospel, rather than to use sophisticated trickery or manipulation:
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. 22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, 23 but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:21-25, emphasis mine).
1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God. 2 For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, as one who had been crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
In contrast to Paul’s message, method, and motives, the “charmers” attracted their followings by employing very different methods than those used by Paul and his fellow-apostles:
For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God (2 Corinthians 2:17).
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, we do not become discouraged. 2 But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).
The Corinthians would do well not to prematurely appraise themselves and others, and wait until the coming of the Lord:
1 People should think about us this way—as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful. 3 So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord. 5 So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God (1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
If the Corinthians thought of themselves as “the elite,” then they had certainly forgotten their origins and the true source and object of their boasting:
26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were members of the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
How could one boast in anything or anyone else? Whatever we are or have, we have received it from Him:
For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)
Paul ends this first section by informing the Corinthians that he is sending Timothy to them, who will remind them of Paul’s ways and teaching (1 Corinthians 4:16-17). Soon, Paul will also be coming to Corinth. They would do well to deal with these matters before he arrives, so that he will not have to correct these problems himself:
18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. 21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness? (1 Corinthians 4:18-21)
There is one thing about these sinful divisions that can be positive. Divisions provide the occasion for those who are wise and godly to stand out. Divisions may be caused by corrupt leaders, but they also tend to expose true leaders:
For there must in fact be divisions among you so that those of you who are approved may be evident (1 Corinthians 11:19).
The Corinthians divided when they should have preserved Christian unity, and they were united when they should have divided. The main topic in chapters 5-7 pertains to sexual conduct. In chapter 5, Paul calls the church’s attention to the man in their midst who is living in an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife. This situation called for separation, for a kind of division. The man carried on his sin publicly, before the church (Did he bring this wife to church?) and before the unsaved in Corinth. The heathen Corinthians were shocked by this kind of conduct, and yet the man did not repent. What is even worse, the saints in the church had apparently not even rebuked him. Somehow, instead of grieving over this terrible sin, they were puffed up with pride about it:
1 It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you? (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)
Paul exercises discipline from a distance, and then reminds the church that separation is not to be from the world, but from those who profess Christ while persisting in the willful practice of sin (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). In short, the Corinthians were not responsible for judging unbelievers outside the church, but they should have judged this sinner in their midst.
It is no accident that Paul moves from the man who went unjudged in chapter 5 to those saints who were taking each other to court in chapter 6:
1 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! 4 So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians? 6 Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian, and do this before unbelievers? 7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters! (1 Corinthians 6:1-8)
The Corinthian church would not fulfill its responsibility to pass judgment on a man whose conduct shocked the pagan Corinthians (chapter 5), and yet they were going to court with one another, before the eyes of unbelievers. In both chapters 5 and 6, sin in the church was being practiced before the eyes of the unbelievers in Corinth. Here were divisions that reached the level of civil suits. Paul indicates that these differences between believers could have, and should have, been settled privately in the church. If that could not happen, it would have been better for the brother who was wronged to take the loss, rather than to seek compensation in court.
The hypocrisy in Corinth is mind-boggling. In chapter 5, sin is boldly practiced in church and in society, and no one bothers to rebuke or correct this man. Indeed, the Corinthians are proud of themselves for doing nothing about it. But when one saint takes the least advantage of another, they are quickly taken to court to be judged for their wrongdoing. It is not that the Corinthians refused to judge; it is that they only sought judgment when it served their own interests.
Paul reminds the Corinthians saints of the severe eternal consequences of sin and of the fact that when they were saved, they were cleansed and delivered from their bondage to sin (6:9-11). He now lays down a very important principle:
“All things are lawful for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me”—but I will not be controlled by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
Paul cannot be saying here that everything is lawful. He is not saying, for example, “Murder is lawful, and so is robbery and using cocaine.” He has just given a list of some of the sins which condemn the one who persists in practicing them:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Certainly these things are not right! I believe that Paul is saying, “True, everything that is lawful I could (in theory) practice within the law. I could drink alcohol, and I could smoke a cigarette.” The question the Christian should ask is this, “Is this practice beneficial? Will it prove to be spiritually profitable?” Or, put another way, “Will this practice bring me under bondage?” Just because I can do something (legally, or biblically) does not mean that I should do it. Even marriage, Paul will soon show, is something that some saints might choose to forego, for the sake of God’s kingdom.
In the remaining verses of chapter 6, Paul mentions some of the bodily appetites which we all have. Humans desire and require nourishment. We should remember that both food and our bodies are temporal, and thus temporary. Just being hungry is not a compelling reason to eat, especially if it is not profitable. This is why our Lord refused to yield to Satan’s temptation to command stones to become bread:
3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:3-4).
Humans also have a built-in sexual appetite. This appetite does not mean that we are right to satisfy it any way we wish. Specifically, we are not free to practice immorality. This is a sin against our body, and a sin against the Spirit Who indwells us. It is also a sin against Him Who bought us with the blood of His Son:
18 Flee sexual immorality! Every sin a person commits is outside of the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
If the last part of chapter 6 deals with sex and immorality, in chapter 7 Paul answers questions concerning sex and marriage. Apparently there were those who concluded that sex was dirty, no matter what the context. He begins by warning married couples about unnecessary sexual abstinence, because it will become a source of sexual temptation. Their lack of self-control will get them into trouble, Paul says. Unnecessary abstinence will become a source of temptation for us to engage in illicit, extramarital sex. Sex in the confines of marriage is healthy and advantageous; sex outside of marriage is sinful and dangerous.
4 Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for sexually immoral people and adulterers God will judge (Hebrews 13:4).
Paul then moves to the subject of divorce. Apparently there were those who were tempted to pursue happiness by seeking to change their circumstances, in this case by changing their marriage partner. Paul gives married couples clear instruction to remain in their marriages, with only rare exceptions (7:10-16). In general, one should stay in the circumstances in which Christ found them and saved them (7:17-24). Given the difficult circumstances of that day, Paul encourages the saints not to be so distracted by earthly matters (including family) that heavenly things are given second place (7:25-31). There may be some who have sufficient self-control that they will be able to remain single and sexually pure. If so, Paul encourages such people to remain single, so that they may be free to devote themselves more fully to serving Christ (7:32-35).
Chapters 8 through 10 of 1 Corinthians deal with the question of meats offered to idols. In truth, there is no question at all. That matter had been settled at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, and this decree would have been conveyed to all the churches, including Corinth:
28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: 29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from doing these things, you will do well. Farewell (Acts 15:28-29; see also 21:25).
Nevertheless, we find that the issue does come up at Corinth:
1 With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If someone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know to the degree that he needs to know. 3 But if someone loves God, he is known by God. 4 With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol in this world is nothing,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 If after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live (1 Corinthians 8:1-6).
Here is an example of the kind of “wisdom” that was prized and practiced by the would-be elite in the Corinthian church. Their reasoning went like this:
There is but one God, and no others. Thus, idols, which represent other gods, are really nothing. Therefore meats sacrificed to idols can hardly be contaminated, so I am free to eat these meats.
The argument sounded profound and compelling to some of the Corinthians. For one thing, it sounds so spiritual. They are professing faith in only one God, and acknowledging that all the other Greek gods are not gods at all. Better yet (for the meat-loving Corinthians), it is an argument that seems to skillfully set aside the decree set down by the Jerusalem church leaders.
Why doesn’t Paul squelch this line of reasoning immediately? Why does he let their argument stand? Paul allows their reasoning to stand momentarily to show how the “wisdom” of some in the church worked itself out. It sounded good. It justified eating forbidden meats. And it seemed to set aside the very “narrow” ruling of the Jerusalem church leaders. But in the end, it was merely sophisticated reasoning which justified disobedience.
It is not until chapter 10 that Paul exposes this error for what it is. For the moment, however, he allows their reasoning to go unchallenged. They have concluded that it is acceptable for them to eat meats offered to idols.
“Fine,” Paul responds, “let’s grant your premise for a few moments.” “Even if you had the right to eat meats offered to idols, that right should not be exercised if doing so would cause a weaker brother (who believes eating these meats is sin) to stumble.” “Even if this practice were lawful (which, in truth, it is not), you should not do it because of others.”
I wonder here if Paul is taking up the principle he set down in chapter 6, and which is taken up again in chapter 10:
12 “All things are lawful for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me”—but I will not be controlled by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
23 “Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds others up (1 Corinthians 10:23).
Using the fancy logic of the all-wise teachers they have chosen to follow, everything does seem to be lawful, even the things that are clearly not lawful (like eating meat offered to idols). Even if something were lawful, it is not necessarily beneficial, for the one who does it, or for the one who sees it done.
Now, in chapter 9, Paul seeks to illustrate the kind of spirit the Corinthians should have toward their “liberties.” He demonstrates how a Christian can sacrifice his liberties for the sake of the gospel, and for the sake of others. Paul chooses himself and Barnabas as examples, and uses the right to be supported in ministry as the right they will surrender. The Bible clearly teaches that those who devote themselves to ministry have the right to be supported in their ministry. The other apostles – except for Paul and Barnabas – chose to exercise that right. Paul sets his right to support aside, not because it is wrong, but because it will further the cause of the gospel. (No one can ever accuse Paul, or Barnabas, of preaching for their own gain, thus giving credibility to their message and ministry.) The Corinthians should imitate Paul and Barnabas in surrendering their liberties when it will benefit others and advance the cause of the gospel.
It is not until chapter 10 that Paul challenges the Corinthians’ “right” to eat meat offered to idols. He does not cite the decree of the Jerusalem Council. Instead, he points out the incompatibility or incongruity of the “table” of the pagan ritual with the Lord’s Table:
14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say. 16 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread. 18 Look at the people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything? 20 No, I mean that what people sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is? (1 Corinthians 10:14-22)
For the “liberated” Corinthians, to partake of meats offered to idols was to participate in the heathen ritual – the worship of heathen gods – in which the meat was sacrificed. Paul reminds us that while there may not be other gods, there are demons, and they are very much involved in heathen worship. Christians who sit weekly at the Lord’s Table should have no part in the heathen rituals in which meat is offered to idols. The “liberty” so cleverly reasoned out in chapter 8 is no liberty at all. Eating meats offered to idols is strictly forbidden if it involves participation in the heathen ritual itself.
But what about merely eating meat that was offered to idols, without attending or participating in the heathen worship ritual? Paul tells the Corinthians that they are not to be obsessed with the fear of unwittingly eating such meats, either (1 Corinthians 10:25-30). Eat what is sold in the marketplace, without interrogating the butcher about the origin of the meat. If you go to a neighbor’s house and meat is served, eat it without raising agonizing questions. But if someone troubles himself to tell you that the meat was offered to an idol, then abstain from eating it, more for that person’s sake than for your own.
In chapters 11-14, Paul deals with problems in Corinth that have to do with the gathering of the saints for church. In chapter 11, Paul deals with two major problems. The first has to do with the different roles of men and women in the church. The second has to do with misconduct at the Lord’s Table.
I believe that the Corinthian culture, like our own, resisted and rejected the roles that were assigned to men and women in the church. The main principle in the first 16 verses of chapter 11 is that of spiritual headship. Just as God is the head of Christ and Christ is the head of every man, so the husband has been given headship over his wife. The wife is not to conduct herself in a way that draws attention to herself and thus deprives her husband of his glory. The wife is to be her husband’s glory, and she is not to seek glory for herself. In the context, she is to cover her head, which is her glory.
The second half of chapter 11 deals with misconduct at the Lord’s Table. When the early church met to observe the Lord’s Table, they did so in the midst of a shared (potluck?) meal. It would seem that the rich arrived at church earlier than the poor. Instead of waiting for the poor to arrive before beginning the meal, some of the Corinthians began to gorge themselves with food and wine. By the time the poor arrived, the food was gone, and those who arrived early were drunk. The result was that the Lord’s Table – the most solemn event of the church’s gathering – was conducted in a way that must have been similar to the heathen rituals the Corinthian saints were forbidden to attend. Because of the seriousness of this sin, a number of the Corinthians had become ill, and some had died (11:30). Paul instructs the Corinthians to wait for one another, to search their hearts, and to commemorate the Lord’s Supper in a manner befitting the body and blood of our Lord.
Chapters 12 through 14 focus on the subject of spiritual gifts. In chapter 12, Paul teaches that every Christian is given at least one spiritual gift. These gifts are sovereignly bestowed, as He wills (not by our manipulation, or in accordance with our fleshly desires). No one possesses all of the spiritual gifts, and no gift is possessed by all. These gifts give every Christian a unique and vital role to play as a member of the body of Christ. Each gift is designed to contribute to the health and growth of the body, so that whenever anyone fails to exercise their gift(s) the whole body suffers.
In the Corinthian church, certain gifts were valued above others. In particular, the gift of tongues seems to have been viewed as the greatest gift, so that all were striving to get it, and those who did not have it felt inferior and useless to the body. Paul turns the tables on those who sought to elevate the gift of tongues above all others by declaring that it was the lesser gifts that were given “more honor” to compensate for their apparent insignificance. In so doing, Paul turned their spiritual scale of values upside-down. It is the less visible gifts that are the most valuable, just as it is the invisible organs of our bodies (kidneys, liver, heart, brain) that are most valuable to us.
In chapter 13, Paul turns to the essential ingredient of love. It is love that makes our gifts and service beneficial to others. Gifts that are not exercised in love are not only useless, but annoying (“a clanging cymbal” – 13:1). Love causes us to seek to employ our spiritual gifts for the edification of others, rather than for the exaltation of self.
Chapter 14 returns to the subject of spiritual gifts and their use in the church meeting. Paul shows that the gift of prophecy is superior to the gift of tongues, unless tongues are interpreted. Unless tongues are interpreted, their value is minimal to the speaker personally, or to the church. If tongues are uninterpreted, then those who hear cannot understand what was said, and thus they cannot be edified. Only the speaker is edified, and if he or she cannot interpret what was said, they gain little as well.
Paul now lays down the guiding principle for the exercise of spiritual gifts in the gathering of the church, the principle of edification:
12 It is the same with you. Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, seek to abound in order to strengthen [edify] the church. . . . 26 What should you do then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all these things be done for the strengthening [edification] of the church (1 Corinthians 14;12, 26; see also Ephesians 4:29).
There is another guiding principle set down in 1 Corinthians 14:
And do everything in a decent and orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:40; see also 14:33).
An orderly meeting is one in which there is a balance of participation and a decorum that is maintained. There is to be no interrupting or clamoring for the podium. There is not to be an imbalance in the kinds of participation (two or no more than three in any category of speaking). There is to be silence when the saints will not be edified (as in the speaking of tongues without an interpreter, or when the same gift has been repeatedly exercised). The women are to remain silent in the church meeting. They are not to exercise headship, and thus they are not to “take the floor” to speak or to lead.392 They are to remain quiet. And if any would quibble with these restrictions, Paul wants his readers to know that this is his consistent teaching and practice:
17 For this reason, I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some have become puffed up, as if I were not coming to you (1 Corinthians 4:17-18).393
If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God (1 Corinthians 11:16).
As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says (1 Corinthians 14:33b-34).
The doctrine of the resurrection, as Paul shows, is an essential part of the gospel. You cannot set aside this doctrine without undermining the entire gospel. It is one of the essentials we must believe in order to be saved:
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; see also Romans 10:9-10).
Paul goes to great lengths to show that the resurrection of Christ was a historical reality. Jesus literally, bodily, rose from the dead. If the first Adam brought on mankind the sentence of death, the last Adam has triumphed over death. This is the basis for our hope as Christians.
Paul’s lengthy treatment of the doctrine of the resurrection also points us to the core of all the problems of the church at Corinth – human pride and fleshly self-indulgence. What are the practical implications of believing that there is no resurrection of the dead? Paul tells us:
If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Sober up as you should, and stop sinning! For some have no knowledge of God—I say this to your shame!
To deny the resurrection of the dead means that there is no future hope; it also means that there will be no future judgment. If this were the case, one should certainly not live dangerously, as did Paul and the true apostles. To the contrary, one might as well “eat, drink, and be merry” because there may be no tomorrow. If “we only go around once,” as the television commercial used to put it, “then we’d better grab all the gusto we can get.”
Smug pride and self-indulgence is found everywhere in the Book of 1 Corinthians. Chapters 1-4 dealt with divisions in the church. What was the basis of these divisions? People sought to indulge themselves with status and significance by identifying with leaders who made them feel good, and proud. They boasted in men, rather than in God. They found the teaching of these men to be more exciting and attractive than the simple message of the cross. They loved the appearance of worldly wisdom through philosophical reasoning and homiletical rhetoric. Their new cliques puffed them up, and they indulged themselves in their newly found status (4:7, 18). The problem is that they looked with pride on false apostles, while they looked with disdain on the sufferings and humble service of men like Paul (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).
Smug self-indulgence was also the underlying factor in chapters 5-7. The Corinthians did not hesitate to take one another to court in chapter 6, but they failed to discipline one of their own for living in a way that shocked the heathen. Paul tells us that they were proud of the fact that they were not disciplining him (5:6). What was there to be proud about? All we need to do is to look around today. Some churches are proud that they have cast aside the fetters of apostolic teaching, and they revel in the feminism they have embraced in its place. Some churches boast that they perform homosexual marriages along with heterosexual unions. Their “new theology” permits them to “practice what they preach,” and what they preach is self-indulgence. No wonder Paul condemned divorce and immorality, while churches then and today support people in their sin, and as they sin.
Self-indulgence is at the center of the issue concerning meats offered to idols in chapters 8-10. Knowing the apostolic decree that the Gentiles should abstain from meats offered to idols, some of the Corinthian “new school of wisdom and rhetoric” concocted the teaching we see in chapter 8 that permitted (in their minds) the eating of meats offered to idols. Paul responded by reminding them of their responsibility to set aside their rights for the sake of their weaker brother. He then pointed out that even the heathen denied certain bodily appetites for some goal like winning a race:
24 Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. 25 Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. 27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
Then Paul followed up with a brief review of Israel’s failures in the Old Testament in the early verses of chapter 10. God was displeased with most of the Israelites because they resisted self-denial and pursued self-indulgence:
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness. 6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did. 7 So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twenty-three thousand died in a single day. 9 And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall. 13 No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried too much, but with the trial will also provide a way through it so that you may be able to endure (1 Corinthians 10:1-13).
The problems in the church meeting described in chapters 11-14 were also rooted in self-indulgence. Look, for example, at chapter 11. The first half of the chapter deals with the roles of men and women. The reason Paul had to reiterate his teaching on the conduct of women is because women sought to indulge themselves in glory that should have gone to their husbands, and ultimately to Christ. The last part of chapter 11 is clearly a problem of self-indulgence. Some of the saints refused to wait for others, so that they gorged themselves with food and drink, and the Lord’s Table began to resemble a heathen idol-worship ritual.
The same self-indulgence can be seen in the practice of spiritual gifts, which is described in chapters 12-14. Certain gifts attracted more attention and were more highly esteemed then others, so the Corinthians all sought to abandon their sovereignly bestowed gifts in order to acquire the “better gifts.” The problem is that they did not understand which the better gifts were. The better gifts were not those that made them feel better and look more spiritual than others; they were the unseen gifts that edified the whole body. The church meeting was chaotic because of the frantic efforts of the Corinthians to indulge themselves by their attention-seeking participation in the church meeting. No wonder Paul devoted one chapter of the epistle (13) to the essential ingredient of love. It is love that prompts one to deny himself and to serve others sacrificially.
Finally, as we noted, a denial of the doctrine of the resurrection inclines us to cease to live for eternity and to endeavor to fill the cup of earthly pleasure to the brim: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.”
What does Paul’s letter to the Corinthians have to say to Christians today? It is difficult not to see that the church today (at least in America) is a very self-indulgent church. There are many divisions in the church, and a great deal of boasting in things other than our Savior. People choose the church they attend for very self-indulgent reasons. We tend to find our status and our identity in terms of the leader we follow, all the while looking down on those who follow another.
As we leave this great epistle of 1 Corinthians, let me underscore some of the guiding principles which Paul has highlighted in the course of this letter:
(1) No teaching, no matter how amazing it may seem, should ever take us outside the boundaries of the Word of God:
I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “ not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other (1 Corinthians 4:6, emphasis mine).
(2) Our boasting must never be in men, but only in God.
So that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
(3) We should not seek our own glory, but the glory of God.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
(4) We should not seek our own good, but the good of others.
Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person (1 Corinthians 10:24).
32 Do not give offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but that of many, so that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:32-33).
12 If you sin against your brothers or sisters in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them to sin (1 Corinthians 8:12-13).
(5) Just because something is lawful, does not mean that it is profitable, to me or to others.
“All things are lawful for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me”—but I will not be controlled by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
“Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds others up (1 Corinthians 10:23).
387 This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 98 in the From Creation to the Cross series prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on October 13, 2002.
388 Priscilla is also called Prisca in 1 Corinthians 16:19.
389 See Acts 18:8. It is interesting to notice that in Acts 18:17 it is Sosthenes who is the president of the synagogue. It would appear that Crispus was replaced by Sosthenes. Perhaps this was because Crispus became a believer and chose to continue to associate with Paul.
390 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org.
391 See also KJV and NKJV. The term is used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:13 and 15 to describe the false apostles who disguise themselves as true apostles, and in 2 Corinthians 11:14 to describe Satan, who disguises himself as an angel of light.
392 In 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4, women are instructed not to dress in a way that makes them the center of attention. This is also dealt with in 1 Corinthians 11, where Paul gives instructions regarding head coverings.
393 There are those who would assert that Paul’s words to women in 1 Corinthians are addressed only to these “Corinthian women,” and not to women in general. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 4:16-17; 11:14; and 14:33b-37 indicate otherwise, in the clearest of terms.
Related Topics: Bibliology (The Written Word) | <urn:uuid:5fdf761e-a0a8-4616-acaf-8b6f1461eeac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bible.org/seriespage/49-1-corinthians-troubled-church | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.97678 | 12,240 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Study finds nearly 13 per cent increase in excess deaths in Ontario during COVID-19 pandemic
TORONTO -- An analysis of cremation data in Ontario has found a nearly 13 per cent increase in the number of deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the average based on previous years, and that COVID-19 deaths cannot account for all of the excess mortality.
The data was presented in a report released Wednesday afternoon by the province’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.
According to the report, there was an overall 12.8 per cent increase in the number of cremations per week compared to a baseline average from data taken between 2017 to 2019. The report describes these deaths as “excess mortality,” or rather the number of deaths beyond what would have been expected under normal conditions.
The greatest increases in excess mortality took place in April and May of 2020 and in January 2021—months that correspond with peaks in the first and second pandemic waves in Ontario.
The increase in deaths can be attributed to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related causes, the report specifies.
The largest increase in mortality due to non-COVID-19 causes took place between March and May 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic, something the science table says could suggest that COVID-19 was “underdiagnosed as a cause of death” at the time in part due to lack of readily available testing.
“The subsequent increase in mortality due to non-COVID-19 causes could reflect the impact of delays in care for conditions other than COVID-19, including cancer, cardiovascular care, in addition to other indirect effects of the pandemic, such as the increase in opioid-related deaths,” the report said.
The science table also cites “several studies” that have shown a decline in the number of patients seeking emergency care during the pandemic due to hesitancy or fear.
“This trend is supported by data showing that Canadian emergency department volumes dropped by 50 per cent during March and April 2020,” the report says. “Further, deaths due to acute drug toxicity, suicides and violence secondary to the economic and social disruption of the pandemic have also been suggested as contributors to the increase in non-COVID-19 deaths.”
Of the 3,505 excess deaths between March and May 2020, 43.5 per cent were confirmed to have been caused by COVID-19, the science table said.
Between August and December of last year, when more testing for the novel coronavirus was available, confirmed COVID-19 deaths accounted for about 29 per cent of the 3,812 excess deaths. That percentage increases drastically in 2021, with 73.1 per cent of the 2,337 excess deaths between January and March being attributed to the disease.
The data also showed that excess mortality spanned across all age groups during the pandemic.
Last year, the majority of the excess mortality can be found in people between the ages of 65 and 84. According to the data, there were 4,084 more cremations in 2020 than expected, representing a 12.6 per cent increase from the 2017 to 2019 average.
The largest increase in cremations, however, was in the youngest age group—people aged 44 and under. The data shows that in 2020 there was 848 deaths more than expected, accounting for a 27.8 per cent increase compared to the baseline.
That 65 to 84 age group continued to see the most excess mortality between January and March 2021, with 1,236 more cremations than expected. The aged 44 and younger demographic again saw the largest increase compared to previous years, with a 44.2 per cent jump (315 more deaths) compared to the same period in 2017-2019.
Cremations are chosen by about 70 per cent of Ontarians and according to the science table, there has been no change in the percent of people who chose to be cremated throughout the pandemic. That determination was made by comparing 2020 cremation data with 2020 mortality data from Statistics Canada. | <urn:uuid:dc4d5443-5937-47ee-b829-59443d720ea4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/study-finds-nearly-13-per-cent-increase-in-excess-deaths-in-ontario-during-covid-19-pandemic-1.5434985?cache=mxzpofjaup%3FclipId%3D89578%3FcontactForm%3Dtrue | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.975029 | 855 | 2.078125 | 2 |
As a young child growing up in Massachusetts, Dr. Douglas Kane struck up an admiration for his grandfather, Earle F. Richards, a 1st Lieutenant with the 13th Aero Squadron in World War I. "There was a real war mentality (back then)," said Dr. Kane, a pulmonologist in Cookeville. "It was glamorized in the movies, being able to fly, shoot things down and be a hero."
Although his grandfather died when Kane was just in the third grade, he left a lifelong impression on his grandson. And just three years ago, in his parents' attic in Purcellville, Va., Kane discovered the centerpiece of his granddad's legacy. "I found it in the attic underneath some cardboard," he said. "It was loose, like junk." But it wasn't junk at all.
In March 1918, the 13th Areo Squadron acquired SPAD XIII pursuit planes from the French. The SPAD had a gross weight of 1,863 lbs., 26'6" span and a length of 20' 8", and was powered by a Hispano 8 cyl. engine of 235 hp. It had two Vickers 7.7mm machine guns firing though the prop and could climb to almost 22,000 ft. Capable of reaching 139mph, the SPAD was the fastest Allied during WWI.
What Kane found was the stencil his granddad used in designing the insignia of the 13th Aero Squadron his granddad had been a part of, also known as the "grim reaper" or "Oscar." "It was like the holy grail to me," Kane said. "I knew my granddad had designed that."
The stencil was a little piece of history significant during World War I when each aero squadron in the U.S. Air Force was responsible for designing its own insignia and labeling all of the planes within that squadron. "He eventually presented his "grim reaper" logo to the squad, and the 13th's insignia was born and is still alive today and is affectionately known as 'Oscar,'" Kane said in a written statement.
The 13th Bomb Squadron Grim Reaper logo--affectionately known as "Oscar"-- first rode into combat on the side of a SPAD XIII of the 13th Aero Squadron in 1918. The official emblem description reads, "Against a dark, blue field a white skeleton mowing with a yellow scythe with a reddened blade." The Secretary of War finally approved it as the official 13th logo on February 14, 1924.
Kane had collected a variety of things from his granddad over the years including a flight coat, helmet and leggings, but none appears to be as significant as the tin stencil. "The 13th Bomber Squad still exists, and they still have the insignia," he said. "That's my granddad's legacy."
In Oscar's first appearance on the SPAD he was running to the left. However, in the official emblem Oscar is running to the right. Through the years Oscar has been jazzed up and toned down (shown here is Oscar, ca. 1953), depending upon the talents and inclination of various artists.
Kane's collection as well as some other memorabilia is the subject of a new exhibit opening Tuesday at the Cookeville (Tennessee) History Museum. Museum director Judy Duke said she learned of Kane's collection from Dr. Sam Barnes, who is also a military history enthusiast. "We're thrilled to have it as our first visiting exhibit," Duke said. Museum exhibits specialist Pam Philpot design the exhibit, and Duke said they plan to have it on display for a couple of months. The exhibit can be seen during the museum's operating hours, Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | <urn:uuid:f6ed6c66-0409-4542-a5d1-b532a85c47b5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.militarytrader.com/militaria-collecting-101/13th-aero-squadrons-oscar-is-centerpiece-of-exhibit | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572127.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815024523-20220815054523-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.98766 | 789 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Hey look, Jesus is green after all! Like the Message "bible" embellishes, "Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy!" (not originally found in Romans 15:13, but oh well, lame it on Rio.) Here's the story:
Green guru James Lovelock was right. He warned last week that “the green religion is now taking over from the Christian religion.”
Now at the U.N. Earth Summit, even the image of Christ has been made a forcible convert to the eco-faith, as the city of Rio is bathing the iconic statue of Christ theRedeemer (Christo Redentor) in green light:
This comes on the heels of a Rio+20 side summit in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where Naomi Tsur, Jerusalem’s deputy mayor for planning and environment, led a discussion about how holy sites around the world can be used to indoctrinate pilgrims visiting venerated places like Bethlehem, Calvary, and the burial site of King David.
The workshop on “Green Pilgrim Cities” took place at the World Congress of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the group responsible for implementing the U.N.’s “Agenda 21” sustainable-development plans at the local level.
The left-wing National Religious Partnership for the Environment has been working for years in the U.S. to make green tenets a staple of religious life in America. A bizarre eco-version of the Ark of the Covenant is making its way around the globe. And a “Green Bible” is now available at your local Christian bookstore.
So maybe it won’t be long before recycling, carbon-footprint reductions, and riding bicycles to work become the new religious duties of the faithful.
- Agenda 21 in one easy lesson (standupforthetruth.com)
- U.N. Global Environmental Program Gets a Boost at Rio+20 Conference (cnsnews.com)
- Oh, goody: Yet another crucially important, last-chance climate conference (hotair.com)
- Alabama Takes a Stand Against Soros-Backed 'Agenda 21' (theblaze.com)
- EXCLUSIVE: Godfather of global green thinking steps out of the shadows at Rio + 20 summit (foxnews.com)
- National Association of Evangelicals proposes code of moral ethics for pastors (standupforthetruth.com)
- Evangelicals and climate change. (christianpost.com)
- Press Release: NAE Applauds Prison Rape Standards (nae.net) | <urn:uuid:71fb6167-c80d-489b-85ab-4b3942975542> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.piratechristian.com/berean-examiner/2012/06/22/a-green-jesus-perhaps-he-took-ill-at-the-u-n-earth-summit-in-rio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00311-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.882294 | 553 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Constitutional culture can be understood as the interactions between citizens and state officials regarding the meaning of the Constitution. It refers to the belief that the exercise of state power is limited by the Constitution, a document that derives its legitimacy from the will of the people.
Court challenges to legislation – such as public interest litigation – and public engagement in the legislative process through petitions and protests can all be seen as examples of constitutional culture.
The Supreme Court noted that “the mere existence of a Constitution…does not guarantee constitutionalism or a constitutional culture. It is the political maturity and traditions of a people that give meaning to a Constitution that otherwise merely embodies political hopes and ideals.
Constitutional culture can be assessed by examining the traditions, norms, and institutional arrangements that shape the resolution and enforcement of constitutional disputes.
The Constitution of India explicitly grants powers to the judiciary – specifically the High Courts and the Supreme Court – to review and strike down legislation in the event of inconsistency or violation of constitutional provisions.
This tradition of citizen-led constitutional litigation has been hailed as evidence of India’s vibrant constitutional culture, notably by legal historian Rohit De.
However, De himself admits that there is a systemic failure of the state and the very citizens who institute constitutional disputes to adhere to constitutional principles in daily and political life.
Therefore, the assertion of a robust constitutional culture is only partially true: constitutional traditions and provisions are rarely referenced in political speeches, parliamentary debates or election manifestos, while politicians are rarely held accountable. violation of the Constitution.
India’s political history has been marked by an institutional power struggle between the political branches of government and the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. Combined with the lack of public confidence in the executive after the emergency and the legislative deadlock in parliament caused by coalition governments, the political atmosphere after 1980 was ripe for the judiciary to extend to policy-making. and governance.
An example of this is the use of the writ of mandamus to issue policy directives to the executive and guidelines that have the force of law in areas where the legislature has been slow to act.
Although this expansion has been heralded as part and parcel of expanding the full range of human and basic rights available to Indian citizens, it has also been criticized for reasons such as: lack of political accountability; lack of constitutional and democratic legitimacy; ineffective or inefficient decision-making due to lack of institutional capacity; and an increase in the backlog of cases.
A common thread in critiques of judicial activism is that it forces the judiciary to ruminate over decidedly political issues, and therefore the judiciary has assumed a political character by engaging in policy-making and the governance.
Creating new avenues of constitutional review that prioritize dialogue between branches of government can lead to a more effective and efficient legislative model. This is not without precedent: in several countries – Ireland, Japan, Finland, Sweden and France being notable examples – there are provisions for pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation, either by a council independent, a commission, or by a political figure such as Attorney General.
Pre-legislative scrutiny is a process by which a bill is reviewed by the political branches of government prior to its enactment to assess its constitutionality or compliance with rights, thereby increasing the constitutional commitment of the political branches of government.
This can strengthen constitutional culture in three ways: first, pre-legislative review provides better protection of constitutional rights than independent judicial review because it encourages political branches to legislate in a more rights-conscious way; second, it democratizes access to constitutional rights and values by placing them beyond the range of an unelected judiciary and into the political realm; thirdly, review offers broader possibilities for constitutional scrutiny of legislation, since it is usually complemented by judicial review.
Moreover, pre-legislative control helps to overcome the limitations of judicial control. Expanding the scope of oversight by an unelected judiciary raises concerns about constitutional and democratic legitimacy.
For example, judicial oversight, unlike the legislative process, results in limited public participation in the policy-making process since the diverse views of affected stakeholders are not taken into account before the judicial stage.
Even when views are taken into account by the courts, the number of participants in legal proceedings is usually limited. Thus, the outcome is an equally likely negative or positive outcome for stakeholders throughout the legislative process. Pre-legislative scrutiny mitigates these limitations since it is integrated into the legislative stage itself.
At present, the only means for the political branches to engage on the constitutionality of legislation is during parliamentary debates, or more formally, during consideration by a parliamentary committee. This last method is quite comprehensive and often involves the consultation of legal experts, is neither mandatory nor binding; studies indicate that committee recommendations are rarely accepted.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 illustrated the flaws in this process. The JPC specifically raised the question of the constitutionality of the bill before the government and issued recommendations against the adoption of several provisions. However, the recommendations were ignored and the bill passed through parliament.
Pre-legislative scrutiny should ideally be done in a way that encourages the political branches of government to legislate while being more aware of constitutional rights. Bearing in mind that existing procedures for pre-legislative constitutional review are optional and, as demonstrated by the JPC on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, relatively powerless, we propose that a new pre-legislative review process – legislation along the lines of the following suggestions should be launched in India.
First, the review process should be integrated into the legislative process through a constitutional amendment. This will ensure that the process cannot be easily reversed or changed.
Second, the review should be mandatory for all bills, even if it should be limited to a review of fundamental rights. It should be mandatory to avoid disputes and debates over whether the review process should be initiated and to limit the possibilities of reversing the review process entirely. The review should be limited to a review of fundamental rights as a comprehensive constitutional review would be excessively long and cumbersome; moreover, a review of fundamental rights would be sufficient to achieve the objective of strengthening constitutional culture, since constitutional disputes by citizens are mainly related to violations of fundamental rights.
Third, the review committee’s recommendation must be non-binding to avoid encroaching on the judiciary’s power of review. However, the reports could potentially be cited at the judicial review stage.
Fourth, the review should be conducted by a diverse group. Representatives of the government, the opposition, eminent jurists and legal luminaries as well as civil society organizations should be included to ensure that diverse views and interests are taken into account. It would also ensure the impartiality of the review by preventing the government from exercising a monopoly on the process.
Fifth, the review must be closely associated with public consultation procedures, which give citizens the opportunity to engage and criticize proposed legislation. While public consultation is not yet mandatory in India, it is increasingly adopted in the legislative process.
Pre-legislative scrutiny could then be conducted after this consultation to enable the review committee to review the legislation with a full understanding of its impact on relevant stakeholders, including marginalized and underrepresented sections of society. population. It could also confer an increased degree of legitimacy on the legislation, since such legislation would be less likely to be subject to judicial review at a later stage.
Sixth, the review board must issue a detailed report assessing the constitutionality of a law in the public domain. This will improve public confidence by making the process transparent and holding the committee accountable.
The proposed review process is neither perfect nor comprehensive, but it is intended to encourage discourse on the importance of a stronger constitutional culture in India. Not only does it have the potential to encourage more rights-conscious legislation in India, but also to embed respect for the Constitution in the legislative process.
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Anatomy Research International
Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 378431, 17 pages
Anatomical Correlates to Nectar Feeding among the Strepsirrhines of Madagascar: Implications for Interpreting the Fossil Record
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, MN210 Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
2Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA
Received 16 December 2010; Revised 7 April 2011; Accepted 7 July 2011
Academic Editor: Anne M. Burrows
Copyright © 2011 Magdalena N. Muchlinski and Jonathan M. G. Perry. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
One possible ecological scenario for the origin of primates is the archaic pollination and coevolution hypothesis. Its proponents contend that the consumption of nectar by some early primates and the resulting cross-pollination is an example of coevolution that drove adaptive radiations in some primates. This hypothesis is perhaps ecologically sound, but it lacks the morphology-behavior links that would allow us to test it using the fossil record. Here we attempt to identify cranial adaptations to nectar feeding among the strepsirrhines of Madagascar in order to provide such links. Many Malagasy strepsirrhines are considered effective cross-pollinators of the flowers they feed from, and nectar consumption represents as much as 75% of total feeding time. Previous studies identified skeletal correlates to nectar feeding in the crania of nonprimate mammals; from these, nine cranial measurements were chosen to be the focus of the present study. Results indicate that Cheirogaleus, Varecia, and Eulemur mirror other nectar-feeding mammals in having elongated crania and/or muzzles. These strepsirrhines might be effective cross-pollinators, lending support to the coevolution hypothesis.
Several traits distinguish primates from other mammals, extant and extinct. Foremost among these are orbital convergence, divergent first digits, and the possession of flattened nails instead of claws (at least on the hallux and pollex) [1–4]. The consensus of decades of debate appears to be that this suite of traits evolved as a means to more effectively forage in the small-diameter, terminal branches of trees (perhaps especially angiosperms) at night [1–4]. However, there is still disagreement about the object of the foraging activities. Cartmill [2–4] proposed that the earliest true primates were hunting insects and that convergent orbits were useful not only in guiding locomotion in the fine-branch environment but also in guiding the limbs as the primate seizes its mobile prey. Since its initial publication, the visual predation hypothesis of primate origins has received substantial support from many different lines of evidence [3, 5, 6]. Nevertheless, competing hypotheses exist and some are ecologically compelling.
Sussman and Raven proposed that, although early primates may have been looking for insects in the terminal branches, they were also pursuing fruits, flowers, and especially nectar. This model stresses the symbiotic relationship between fruits, flowers, and insects, as well as the primates that were attracted to them. The evidence for the model includes the observation that nectar-feeding primates are present where there are angiosperms that produce large, tough, odorous, drab flowers with copious nectar and where there are also few species of nectar-feeding bats. This is also true of environments where nectar-feeding marsupials thrive . Thus today, most nectar-feeding primates live in Madagascar. It is possible that nectivory was common in early primates, but, outside Madagascar, nectivorous bats largely replaced these nectivorous primates.
Unlike the nocturnal visual predation hypothesis, the angiosperm coevolution hypothesis lacks strong anatomical backing. The objective of this study is to determine if the anatomical adaptations for nondestructive nectar feeding, as identified in other mammalian orders, are found in nectivorous Malagasy strepsirrhines. Results of this work could provide the needed anatomical evidence to test Sussman and Raven’s hypothesis using the fossil record.
There are currently two definitions to describe this form of interactive evolution: coevolution and diffuse coevolution. Coevolution is reciprocal evolution. In strict coevolution, there is a change in the genetic composition of one species in response to a genetic change in another [9–14]. Diffuse coevolution, however, includes the selective pressures exerted between one broad animal taxon and one broad plant taxon, which are linked by mutualistic interactions (e.g., cryptic Figs and M/L cone polymorphism among primates ) [12, 16, 17]. Diffuse coevolution may explain many of the anatomical specializations seen in primates today. Because we are unlikely to detect true cases of coevolution in the fossil record, we will consider mainly the concept of diffuse coevolution for the remainder of this study.
Primates can diffusely coevolve and strictly coevolve with angiosperms. These two mutually beneficial interactions are nectar feeding/cross-pollination and fruit eating/seed dispersal. Anthropologists studying coevolutionary processes generally focus their attention on fruit eating and seed dispersal [18, 19]. Exclusive coevolution between a single plant species and a single vertebrate species is unlikely to occur within such a complex and multi-perpetrator interaction as frugivory [9, 18, 20, 21]. Fruiting trees do not receive an immediate reward from the dispersers because there is no guarantee that the seeds will (1) be dispersed and (2) germinate [22, 23].
Nectar feeding/cross-pollination is a more likely example of a true coevolved relationship. Nectar produces immediate rewards for both the animal and the plant [24, 25]. Nectar feeding is a two-step, reciprocal coevolutionary process. Flowers produce nectar to attract potential cross-pollinators. When a mammal feeds on nectar, pollen accumulates on hair of the face and muzzle. Immediately rewarded with nectar, the animal is enticed to visit more nectar-producing plants of the same species, in turn cross-pollinating each new flower they visit. Additionally, nectar-feeding is more likely to be seen in the fossil record, since extant cross-pollinators have a suite of anatomical features associated with a reduction in jaw robusticity and muscle attachment sites (likely accompanied by reduction in jaw muscle size).
Primate nectar feeding and cross-pollination of flowers is well acknowledged today [7, 26–33]. The strongest evidence of cross-pollination is documented among the strepsirrhines of Madagascar. Nectar appears to be the second most important food item in the annual diets of most Malagasy strepsirrhines and provides substantial nutrition (proteins, sugars, and seven essential amino acids) for the whole troop [29, 35–39]. Malagasy strepsirrhines that regularly or seasonally feed on nectar are Cheirogaleus major, Microcebus rufus , Eulemur mongoz [7, 32, 41, 42], Eulemur rubriventer [34, 43], Eulemur fulvus rufus [34, 44, 45], Eulemur fulvus sanfordi, Eulemur coronatus , Eulemur macaco [45–47], and Varecia variegata variegata [36, 37]. Eulemur mongoz mongoz has been observed spending 80% of its foraging time feeding from the nectar-producing parts of four species of plants [7, 42, 48]. Eighty percent of this time was spent on the nectar of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) [7, 48]. Similar feeding behaviors are observed year-round for Eulemur mongoz. Varecia variegata variegata spends approximately 25% of its feeding time exploiting nectar, making nectar the second most important food item in its diet [36, 37]. However, during periods of fruit scarcity, the Traveler’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis) is in bloom. During this period, over 72% of Varecia’s feeding time is spent on this one plant; thus Ravenala is Varecia’s primary source of caloric intake . It is important to note that neither Eulemur mongoz nor Varecia variegata is destructive to any part of the plant. Nondestructive nectar feeding, when combined with the morphology of some “lemur-loving” plants (e.g., large durable flowers) [36, 37], implies a possible mutualism between certain Malagasy strepsirrhines and Malagasy plants. The circumstantial evidence suggests that many Malagasy plant species may actually depend on animals as important cross-pollinators [31, 32, 36, 37, 48].
Here we propose that Eulemur, Lepilemur, Microcebus, Phaner, Varecia, and possibly Cheirogaleus can be considered cross-pollinators. The monophyly of strepsirrhines offers an excellent opportunity to study adaptations in skull shape and tooth morphology in potential response to diet, given that we find frugivores, folivores, insectivores, and nectivores in the group. Different adaptive pressures, unique flora and fauna, and the abundance of vacant niches have allowed this group to diversify in relative isolation.
1.1. Anatomical Modifications for Nectar Feeding
Nectivorous marsupials and bats have several anatomical modifications that assist in nectar feeding [38, 49–51]. Nonprimate nectar feeders generally have one or all of the following traits: small conical projections on the tongue that appear feathered or ribboned, laterally scaled muzzle hair, the ability to see ultraviolet light, skeletal modifications such as an elongated snout, and/or diminutive dentition. These traits promote nondestructive nectar feeding and cross-pollination.
Several Malagasy strepsirrhines appear to parallel nectar-feeding bats and marsupials in their soft-tissue anatomy. Convergent with many other nectar-feeding mammals, Eulemur rubriventer , Allocebus trichotis , and Varecia variegata are documented to have brush-like, feathered, or ribboned tongues. These modifications are purported to increase nectar uptake while feeding . Moreover, the Malagasy strepsirrhines Varecia variegata, Eulemur mongoz, and Microcebus murinus have laterally scaled muzzle hairs . Hair is described as laterally scaled when the outermost layer, the cuticle plates/scales, attach to the innermost layer (medulla and cortex) at an angle (e.g., cuticle attaches at a 45 degree angle relative to the cortex). Laterally scaled hair is proposed to aid in cross-pollination of flowers because more pollen can be captured in these hairs than in regular hair or fur [51, 55].
In a craniometric study of 28 extant marsupials, bats, and primates, Dumont demonstrated that it is possible to discriminate among fruit, gum, and nectar feeders with an 88–94% success rate. Nectar feeders have significantly longer skulls and dentaries and relatively lower coronoid processes than fruit and exudate feeders . Nectivores also have narrower skulls, perhaps representing a reduction in the masticatory system [49, 50].
No prior study has evaluated the skeletal anatomy of Malagasy strepsirrhines for nectar-feeding correlates. Malagasy strepsirrhines converge in many aspects of their soft-tissue anatomy and in many cases behaviorally with other nectar-feeding mammals. Based on these homologies, one can expect to see skeletal similarities. If there are cranial variables associated with nectivory among primates, then it will be possible to infer nectivory in the fossil record.
In general, we expect that the more important the nectar is in the diet, the more likely that a primate will avoid damaging the plant during feeding (e.g., destruction of the flower petals). Therefore, we can divide nectivores into two categories: those that are generally nondestructive to the flower (ND) and those that are destructive to the flower (D), with members of the former category expected to show more/greater adaptations toward nectivory. The nectivorous suite of adaptations is predicted to include features associated with muzzle elongation and narrowing (for greater access to nectaries with less risk of damage to surrounding structures). This condition is also expected to be associated with features that reflect masticatory strength reduction (e.g., decreased chewing muscle size and cross-sectional area) and a reduction in the need for gape (e.g., decreased chewing muscle fiber length). This assumes that a greater dependence on nectar implies less reliance on foods that are resistant to mastication or that require wide ingestive gapes.
Data were collected on 19 Malagasy strepsirrhine species representing four families: Lemuridae, Cheirogaleidae, Lepilemuridae, Indriidae (; Table 1). Using the recent literature, general dietary categories were assigned to each species in this sample (Table 1). Malagasy strepsirrhines traditionally have been categorized as frugivorous, folivorous, and/or insectivorous . Nevertheless, all feed on at least some nectar. In this study, we put aside traditional categorizations and focus on the mode of nectar consumption (Table 1). In some species, the flowers are damaged and/or consumed, and we label those species as destructive flower feeders (D). In others, the animal appears to avoid damage to the plant while harvesting only nectar; these are labeled nondestructive (ND). Finally, some feed on nectar, but it is unknown whether or not they damage the plant in the process; these are labeled unknown (UN). Most of the nocturnal strepsirrhines (members of the family Cheirogaleidae) are reported to forage on flowers; however, whether these animals consume the flowers or just feed on nectar within them is still unclear [57, 58]. Thus, we labeled most small nocturnal strepsirrhines as unknown (UN).
2.2. Morphometric Variables and Predictions
Of 22 linear cranial variables studied, Dumont selected nine traits that effectively discriminate nectar feeders from members of other dietary categories. Nectivores were found to have anatomical features associated with a reduction in masticatory strength, narrow and long palates, and relatively longer skulls than animals in other dietary categories. A description of each variable and its relationship to dietary preferences are detailed in the section (Figure 1).
2.2.1. Cranial Variables
Minimum skull width is usually directly posterior to the postorbital bar in strepsirrhines. Therefore, a measurement of minimum skull width is generally reflective of the degree of postorbital constriction. When scaled to body size, this is a rough estimate of anterior temporalis thickness . However, to more accurately estimate the thickness of the anterior part of the temporalis muscle, minimum skull width was subtracted from bizygomatic width. This reflects the fact that, in every strepsirrhine studied, the temporalis nearly fills the space between the lateral side of the cranium and the medial side of the zygomatic arch at the level of the zygomatic arch . Dumont reported that nectar feeders have relatively weaker masticatory muscles than non-nectar feeders, and; therefore, we predict that nondestructive nectar feeders will have relatively greater minimum skull width or a relatively thin temporalis muscle (bizygomatic width—postorbital constriction) than animals that must employ more masticatory force in food processing (Figure 1).
In previous studies, nectar feeders demonstrated an increase in total skull length, total palate length, and total dentary length as well as a decrease in total palate width [49, 50, 68]. However, a concrete functional explanation has not been suggested for this pattern. Having a longer, narrower muzzle and skull reportedly aids in nondestructive nectar feeding by allowing the rostrum to penetrate more deeply into flower nectaries without affecting the surrounding flower petals [47, 48, 57]. Therefore, we expect that nondestructive nectar-feeding lemurs will have longer and narrower palates.
2.2.2. Mandibular Variables
Mandible depth was taken at M3. Vertically deep mandibular corpora appear to be signal of adaptation to counter increased sagittal bending stress on the balancing side of the mandible during unilateral mastication [69, 70]. Nectar-feeding marsupials and bats have relatively shallower mandibles for their body size, perhaps as a result of diminished masticatory (and bending) loads . We expect strepsirrhines that rely on nectar to a greater degree to have relatively shallower jaws than, for example, their more folivorous counterparts.
The coronoid process is the insertion site for the temporalis. Animals that have reduced masticatory strength tend to have relatively lower/shorter coronoid processes than expected for their body size . We expect more specialized nectivorous strepsirrhines to have shorter coronoids than those that rely less on nectar . We recognize that the height of the coronoid process might be affected, in principle, by adaptations for gape. Therefore, selection for a low coronoid because of overall masticatory reduction (in a nectivore) might be dampened by a reduction in the need for gape. However, it is unclear that coronoid height is directly affected by gape apart from its relationship to condyle height [71, 72]. Nevertheless, the comparative work on nectivores (that of Dumont) suggests that coronoid process height is related to the size (and insertion) of temporalis.
2.2.3. Dental Variables
Two dental measurements were taken, upper second molar area (i.e., the product of the tooth’s maximum mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters) and maximum tooth row (i.e., postcanine tooth row) length. These measurements were taken because animals with smaller molars and shorter postcanine teeth tend to have less folivorous diets [56, 73]. According to Dumont , nectar feeders and frugivores share a reduction in dentition; however, nectar feeders are reported to have relatively smaller teeth than their frugivorous counterparts. The most dedicated nectar feeders in this sample (i.e., nondestructive foraging ones) are predicted to have an overall reduction in molar area and postcanine tooth row length.
2.3. Sexual Dimorphism
Body weight data are not available for many of the museum specimens used in this study. Table 1 lists published species mean weights (kg) calculated as a surrogate for individual body weights . The data collected for this study are characterized by unequal sample sizes both among species and between sexes within a species. The strepsirrhines of Madagascar are widely accepted as being monomorphic based on living body weights [74–76]. Morphological tests confirm that there were no significant differences between the sexes or between wild/captive osteological specimens. Therefore, to maintain variance, values for all individuals of a species were pooled to generate each species mean.
Allometric analysis investigates the relationship between shape and body size. Regression analysis allowed us to identify associations between cranial morphology and diet across a wide range of body sizes, while accounting for the effects of body size variation on morphological variation. Reduced major axis (RMA) is the most appropriate regression technique used when error is expected of both the (e.g., body mass) and (e.g., cranial length) variables equally; here, no assumption is made about the dependence of one variable on the other. Furthermore, we are not using the regression equations for prediction, but rather we are only interested in the biomechanical relationship between a cranial measurement and body size [77–79]. For the sake of comparison and completeness, both least squares and reduced major axis models are employed throughout this allometric investigation.
Body mass (kg) was selected as the “independent” variable for the allometric analysis. Some researchers prefer to employ palate length as a body size surrogate [80, 81]. However, palate length appears to have its own unique functional parameters that could vary independently of other cranial features . Given that palate length has been described as an informative character for the identification of nectar feeders, palate length will not be used for any allometric analysis here. The data were not normally distributed, and; therefore, we transformed them into natural logs. Simple bivariate plots were then made for the natural log of each variable against the natural log of body mass. Confidence bands were places around each regression line. The 95% confidence band can be used to evaluate the allometry of the regression line and, thus, the scaling relationship between the two variables. We also tested to see if there were significant differences between the observed slope and the predicted slope of isometry. For the least squares regressions, analyses were calculated by hand following standard statistical procedures as outlined by Zar . SMAT(R) was used to test for differences between the observed reduced major axis regression slope and that of a hypothesized slope. Table 2 lists the RMA and the LS regression parameters. Results of the regression analysis indicate that the two regression methods yield similar results.
Some variables showed a pattern associated with nectivory categories (destructive, nondestructive, unknown) when examined using regression analysis. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out on these variables to explore how each one varied between destructive and nondestructive nectivores. A Tukey post hoc test (significance set at ) was used for each pairwise comparison (e.g., nondestructive nectivores versus destructive nectivores). All analyses were run using size-adjusted variables. The two most frequently applied size adjustment methods used in morphological analyses are ratios and residuals . As many of the variables scale nearly isometrically with body mass, ratios and residuals should produce similar results (Table 2). For completeness, each variable was size-adjusted using residual- and ratio-based techniques. A least squares regression was used to provide residual values that are statistically uncorrelated with the independent variables. However, adding or removing species to an interspecific analysis can affect the regression slope. Thus, in addition to the residual analyses, ratio analyses were also performed (e.g., ln (cranial variable/cube root of body mass)).
Because closely related species are more likely to share ecological and anatomical characteristics than distantly related species, phylogenetic information was incorporated into the analyses. Phylogenetically independent contrasts (PICs) were calculated using PDAP : PD-TREE module of Mesquite version 2.72 [86, 87]. The phylogenetic branching sequence used in this study is provided in Figure 2. The phylogeny used reflects the topology for the major clades of extant strepsirrhines generated by Horvath and colleague . All branch lengths were set to one for this analysis. Contrasts were not correlated with contrast standard deviations .
Results of the bivariate regression analyses (RMA and LS) for the entire strepsirrhine primate sample are reported in Table 2. All comparisons show high correlation coefficients (). The RMA regression analyses indicate that coronoid process height and maximum tooth row length scale isometrically with body mass. Molar area, total dentary length, total palate length, and maximum palate width scale with slight negative allometry, but the 95% confidence intervals for the slope include isometry. Total skull length, temporal muscle size, and minimum skull width scale negatively, and in no case does the confidence interval include isometry. Results from the least squares regression analyses followed a similar pattern to reduced major axis regression results: dental variables scaled with slight negative allometry, but confidence intervals include isometry mandibular variables scaled isometrically, while cranial variables scaled negatively (Table 2). When the observed regression parameters were compared to theoretical isometric slopes, results were similar (Table 2). Reduced major axis regression slopes for minimum skull length, total palate length, palate width, temporal muscle size, all mandibular variables, and maximum tooth row all scaled isometrically. Least square regression slopes for minimum skull width, total palate length, all mandibular variables, and maximum tooth row were not statistically different from a theoretical isometric slope (Table 2).
In this study, five of the nine variables used were useful for distinguishing nondestructive nectivores from destructive nectivores. These variables are total skull length (residual: , ; ratio: , ), total palate length (residual: , ; ratio: , ), total palate width (residual: , ; ratio: , ), total dentary length (residual: , ; ratio: , ), and maximum tooth row (residual: , ; ratio: , ). These five variables, with the exception of total palate width, perhaps represent a character complex because they are all associated with muzzle elongation. Each variable is discussed individually below.
Total skull length appears to be an informative variable segregating the nondestructive nectivores from destructive flower feeders (residual: , ratio: ; Figure 3). Residual-based size-adjusted total skull length did not separate the nectivores with unknown feeding behavior from destructive flower feeders or nondestructive flower feeders. These results did not change when phylogeny was considered (nondestructive versus destructive, residual: ; ratio: n/s). However, ratio-based size-adjusted total skull length did separate the nectivores with unknown feeding behavior from destructive flower feeders and nondestructive flower feeders (Table 3). It has been proposed that nectivorous animals should have relatively longer skulls than expected for their body size. Allometric regression analysis indicates that V. variegata and nondestructive nectivorous Eulemur species all plot above the upper 95% confidence band, suggesting that they have relatively longer skulls than animals of similar size. Two small-bodied omnivorous nectivores with unknown degrees of flower destructiveness, C. major and M. coquereli, appear to have slightly elongated crania. Destructive flower feeders L. mustelinus, Avahi, and P. diadema have relatively shorter crania than expected for their body size. Just as with total skull length, muzzle length in M. murinus plotted alongside destructive flower feeders (Figure 3).
Total palate length is a rough estimate of muzzle length. Nectivores are predicted to have long palates. Total palate length distinguishes between nondestructive and destructive flower feeders (residual: , ratio: ; Figure 4). These findings did not change when phylogeny was taken under consideration (residual: , ratio: ). With total palate length, the ratio-based size-adjustment method differed from residual-based analyses by showing a significant difference between nectar feeders with unknown feeding behavior and destructive nectar feeders (ratio: ; Table 3). Regression analysis shows that V. variegata, M. coquereli, and nondestructive Eulemur species have longer muzzles than anticipated for their body size. Destructive flower feeders such as Avahi sp., L. mustelinus, and P. diadema have shorter muzzles than expected for their body size. Just as with total skull length, muzzle length of M. murinus clustered with that of the destructive flower feeders (Figure 4).
Nectivores were predicted to have narrower palates than animals in other dietary categories. Total palate width does separate nondestructive from destructive flower feeders, but the results differ from original predictions. Ratio- and residual-based analysis yielded similar results (Table 3). Nondestructive flower feeders were found to have relatively wider palates than destructive flower feeders (residual: , ratio: 0.04; Figure 5). Correcting for phylogeny did not alter findings (residual: ; ratio: ). These animals have relatively wider palates than expected for their body size. Conversely, L. mustelinus, Avahi sp., P. furcifer, and M. murinus all fall significantly below the lower 95% confidence bands. Other destructive nectivores fall near or on the lower 95% confidence band (Figure 5).
Nondestructive nectivores are expected to have relatively longer dentaries than animals of similar body size. Not surprisingly, total dentary length yields similar results to those for total skull length and palate length. Nondestructive nectivores had longer dentaries than destructive nectivores (residual: , ratio: ; Figure 6). Correcting for phylogeny did not alter residual findings (residual: ). However, ratio size-adjusted values were different when phylogeny was considered (ratio: ), but neared significance. Regression analyses revealed that V. variegata, C. major and most nondestructive nectivorous Eulemur species have long mandibular corpora compared to animals of similar size. L. mustelinus, P. diadema, Avahi sp., M. murinus, and P. furcifer plotted below the lower 95% confidence band, indicating shorter mandibles. The majority of these animals are destructive nectivores (Figure 6).
Nectivores are expected to have an overall reduction in postcanine dentition due to a reduction in tooth use during nectar feeding. Nevertheless, in this sample, the nondestructive nectivores tend to have long tooth rows relative to body size. This feature shows a general trend of elongation among the nondestructive nectar feeders (residual: , ratio: 0.05; Figure 7). This finding is barely significant and is the opposite of the original prediction. When phylogeny was considered, the difference between nondestructive and destructive foragers lost its statistical significance using residual size-adjusted values (residual: ), but not with ratio size-adjusted values (ratio = 0.05). Regression analyses highlight V. variegata and all nondestructive nectivorous Eulemur species again. These species plot above the upper 95% confidence band of a least squares regression. P. diadema, L. mustelinus, Avahi sp., P. furcifer, and M. murinus have a relatively shorter postcanine tooth row, plotting below the lower 95% confidence band.
3.1. Summary of Results
Results show that five cranial variables associated with muzzle elongation discriminate nectivores from other strepsirrhines. The nondestructive nectivores (e.g., Varecia and Eulemur) consistently show a pattern of muzzle elongation. In most cases, the omnivorous nectivores with unknown flower-feeding behavior (e.g., family Cheirogaleidae) also have longer muzzles than destructive nectivores. Conversely, destructive flower feeders such as members of the families Indriidae and Lepilemuridae have a reduction in muzzle length. P. furcifer and M. murinus are two nectivores that might or might not be destructive to flowers. These two species appeared to converge with destructive flower feeders in anatomical design by having shorter muzzles than expected for their body size.
Anatomically, nectivores are described as having an overall reduction in masticatory strength, an elongation of the cranium and muzzle, and a narrowing of the palate. In Dumont’s intertaxonomic analysis of nectar feeders, she pinpoints nine variables that are informative for identifying these anatomical trends. Our analyses indicate that traits associated with a decrease in masticatory strength were unsuitable for discriminating the Malagasy strepsirrhines into distinct dietary classes. By contrast, traits linked with muzzle and cranial elongation unified the nondestructive nectar feeders. The nondestructive nectar feeders in this sample were all highly frugivorous; thus, it is possible that muzzle/cranial elongation may be linked to frugivory (or to both nectivory and frugivory) rather than to nondestructive nectar feeding alone. However, because these traits sort along categories of nectivory and not along frugivore/non-frugivore lines in our sample, the expression of these traits among nectivorous strepsirrhines is more likely associated with an adaptive response to nondestructive nectar feeding rather than fruit feeding.
The degree of dietary overlap seen in primates adds an increased level of difficulty when investigating anatomical correlates with observed foraging behaviors, given that primates are generalized in their cranial morphology relative to many orders of mammals. Malagasy strepsirrhines overlap significantly in their dietary preferences; most exploit a wide variety of food resources . Traits associated with a decrease in masticatory strength are likely uninformative due to the possible overlap in resource use: although diets vary in the percentages of their constituents, it may be that the ranges of food material properties consumed by different species overlap considerably. Dumont also found it impossible to discriminate based on traits related to reduction in masticatory strength: three out of five primate species used in her analysis were consistently misclassified on the basis of their anatomy. Despite the lack of specialization among the strepsirrhines of Madagascar, results for this project indicate that a distinct trend can be identified among animals that preferred particular dietary resources but this trend relates to elongation of the rostrum.
There have been no compelling biomechanical analyses of cranial shape and nectivory in primates. However, the morphological correlates of nectivory identified in this analysis possibly aid in nondestructive nectar feeding, which in turn facilitates effective cross-pollination of flowers [49, 50, 68]. The reasons being that an elongated, narrow muzzle (also reflected in a long skull) would allow penetration of the muzzle deeper into a flower corolla, with less risk of damage to surrounding flower petals and nectary.
The pattern of cranial and muzzle elongation is observed more often among the members of the genus Eulemur and Varecia, to the exclusion of the small-bodied omnivorous nectivores in many instances (e.g., family Cheirogaleidae). Although the small-bodied omnivorous nectivores did not perfectly parallel the large-bodied nondestructive nectivores in cranial shape, they did, however, follow a similar trend. Despite minor differences in cranial shape and size, it appears that some of the small-bodied omnivorous nectivores may in fact be nondestructive flower feeders converging anatomically because of similarities in feeding behavior.
When dealing with size-related differences, it is important to consider how these trends correspond to observed foraging patterns. Recent work on Old World fruit bats (suborder Megachiroptera) describes differences in nectar-feeding behaviors among small- and large- bodied species . Nectar-producing flowers vary in color, shape, size, and overall anatomical construction. It appears that nectivorous animals frequent different types of flowers depending on body size. Many flowers have superficial nectaries, meaning nectar is produced close to the entrance of the corolla, while others have deeper nectar chambers. Large bodied nectar feeders tend to exploit flowers that are large and sturdy in construction and have deep nectaries. On the other hand, small-bodied nectar feeders prefer smaller and more delicate flowers, many of which have superficial nectaries [36, 37, 91, 92]. Differences in flower preference among small- and large- bodied animals may have affected cranial trends in this study, as discussed below.
Figure 8(a) depicts a long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae) feeding on a saguaro cactus flower. Like a lock and key, this large nectar-feeder’s head is closely matched in shape to the flower on which it is feeding. The elongation of the muzzle and cranium that is seen in nectar feeders is reported to assist these animals in reaching the base of a flower where the nectar is located . When the head is withdrawn from the deep corolla of the flower, pollen collects on the muzzle and head. The pollen that sticks to the foraging animal is then transferred to other flowers. This flower-feeding technique has been observed in several species of Varecia and Eulemur [7, 36, 37, 45, 47]. It is highly probable that extreme cranial and muzzle elongation assists these two genera when they are nectar feeding on large flowers with deep nectaries.
Figure 8(b) portrays a blossom bat (Syconycteris australis) feeding on the nectar of the swamp banksias flower (Banksia dentata). This flower has superficial nectaries. S. australis is a small-bodied fruit bat (~15 g) whose diet is composed primarily of nectar and fruit, supplemented with other vegetation and insect prey. S. australis is a member of the subfamily Macroglossinae. This subfamily contains six genera whose species are much smaller in body size than other nectar-feeding bats. The chiropteran subfamily Macroglossinae and the primate family Cheirogaleidae share similarities in feeding behaviors and body size, and they appear to favor similar plant types. The Australian swamp banksia parallels many Malagasy flowers in overall anatomical construction. Malagasy flowers such as Ceiba pentandra and Parkia madagascariensis, which are proposed to be cross-pollinated by small-bodied omnivorous nectivores, have converged with the swamp banksias in their delicate construction, relative size dimensions, and, most importantly, their possession of superficial nectaries.
Syconycteris australis was included in Dumont’s nectar-feeding analysis, but based on its anatomy it was classified into an incorrect dietary class. This small-bodied nectivorous bat was misidentified as a frugivore because its muzzle and cranial lengths did not match the larger-bodied nectivores in Dumont’s sample. A similar sort of misclassification occurred among the small-bodied nectivores (classified as nectar feeders of unknown destructiveness) in this study. Since small-bodied bats and primates can exploit both smaller and larger flowers with superficial and deep nectaries (resp.), these animals might not require the same types of cranial modifications as their larger-bodied counterparts. If a small-bodied nectivore has the chance to exploit relatively large flowers with deep nectaries, exaggerated cranial and muzzle lengthening may not be needed because it may be that the entire head—not just the muzzle—fits comfortably inside the flower without any risk of damage to supporting flower structures. Thus selection for a tight fit between muzzle and flower would be relaxed in smaller nectivores.
It is important to note that although feeding technique varies among large and small animals, it is apparent that muzzle and cranial lengthening is at least advantageous to both size groups and is probably especially important for large-bodied nectivores. A long muzzle not only assists these animals in reaching nectar chambers but also houses an important nectar-feeding tool, the tongue. Nectivores are described as having long “prehensile” tongues that often have modified papillae.
Cranial and muzzle elongation characterize all but one proposed primate nectivore. In this study, Microcebus murinus did not plot with the nectivores; rather, it consistently grouped with the destructive flower feeders. M. murinus shares with destructive flower-feeding strepsirrhines a marked reduction in cranial and muzzle length and a narrowing of the palate. Based on its anatomy alone one would predict that M. murinus is feeding on resources that are either difficult to harvest or masticate. M. murinus was included by Dumont but was also misclassified based on its anatomy. Rather than grouping with the frugivores (as classified by Colquhoun ), M. murinus clustered with the gumnivores.
Narrow palates are documented in the destructive flower feeders, the gumnivore Phaner furcifer and M. murinus as a group. This finding is contrary to the original prediction linking a narrow palate with nondestructive nectar feeding. The majority of the destructive flower feeders are primarily folivorous (Table 1). Biomechanical research on the mandible shows that folivores experience midline mandibular bending during mastication [69, 93]. This loading regime likely causes loads to be transmitted to the palate (via the food), favoring evolutionary alterations in the shape and width of the palate. Unlike Dumont’s finding regarding palate narrowing among mammalian nectivores, results from this project suggest that palate width is related to folivory (and possibly gumnivory, given Phaner) because of mid-line bending stresses in the face during mastication or gouging. Narrowing the palate may be one means of increasing bite force from the balancing-side chewing muscles while avoiding increased risk of temporomandibular joint dislocation [93–95]. This remains to be tested experimentally from the standpoint of nectivory.
Nectivory is likely not the only dietary factor acting on the distribution of cranial traits in our sample. Many of our nondestructive nectivores are primarily frugivorous, and many of our destructive nectivores are primarily folivorous. Therefore, it is important to note that the differences between fruit and leaves might influence the pattern of cranial variation observed here. Because leaves are flat, but generally tough, folivorous strepsirrhines ingest at small food sizes and have relatively great jaw adductor muscle cross-sectional area [97, 98] compared to like-sized frugivorous strepsirrhines. Jaw length and skull length follow a similar trend .
If the locations of the jaw muscles are unchanged, increasing jaw/face length increases the moment arm of the bite force (decreasing bite force), and if corpus shape is unchanged, it also increases bending loads. Thus, long jaws and faces are generally not expected when bite forces are high. However, they increase linear gape at the incisors (which relates to the sizes of foods that can be ingested) relative to angular gape (which relates to stretch in the jaw muscle fibers if the attachments are unaffected). The increased need for gape and the relaxed need for powerful chewing muscles may have selected for long faces in frugivorous strepsirrhines. This is not to say that frugivory was necessarily the original adaptive context for the evolution of long faces in strepsirrhines.
It may be that nectivory was an important part of that context, along with frugivory. Alternatively, adaptation to consuming one of those food sources might have preadapted some strepsirrhines for exploiting the other. Until we perform finer grained studies of dietary behavior and food properties in these strepsirrhines in the wild, it will be hard to distinguish between these hypotheses. Furthermore, a better understanding of the diets of the earliest primates (and the earliest strepsirrhines) would help enormously.
4.1. Future Avenues of Research
Despite the circumstantial evidence for Sussman and Raven’s hypothesis of coevolution between primates and angiosperms, there is still very little morphological evidence to support their supposition. To further test the archaic pollination hypothesis, we recommend three steps. First, detailed studies on nectar-feeding behavior need to be done on the small-bodied omnivorous nectivores of Madagascar. Second, Malagasy flower shape and dimensions need to be studied to further investigate the proposed one-to-one relationships between particular flowers and their proposed mammalian pollinators. Finally, data on fossil primate cranial and muzzle dimensions are needed to investigate whether nectar-feeding trends can be identified among these early primate forms.
Results for this study do support a diffuse coevolutionary relationship between the Malagasy strepsirrhines and flowers they feed upon, where animals that share similar foraging behavior appear to have similarities in anatomical structures. However, it was not possible to identify whether these trends are related in a strict one-to-one coevolutionary relationship. To investigate coevolutionary trends, one needs to identify whether flowering plants, and their pollinators are working together to exclude nonadapted intruders. With the use of the data collected for this study and flower morphological data (e.g., corolla depth and corolla width), it would be possible to test one-to-one coevolved relationships between flowers and the animals that pollinate them.
Despite the abundance of long-term studies detailing the foraging and dietary specializations of the extant strepsirrhines, there are still gaps that need to be filled. Further research on how Malagasy strepsirrhines exploit nectar as a resource would be tremendously informative. Small-bodied omnivorous nectivores sampled for this project appear to be exploiting nectar differently than large-bodied nectivores. Understanding how small-bodied nectivores are exploiting flowers would be informative for understanding the unique size-related trends identified in this project. Additionally, research on soft-tissue anatomical changes that are associated with nectar feeding may be informative for understanding how these animals may go about cross-pollination. Examples of soft-tissue anatomical features that appear to be linked to cross-pollinating animals include laterally oriented papillae on the tongue, laterally scaled muzzle hair, and visual sensitivity to ultraviolet light [53, 100, 101]. These specializations are seen in some Malagasy strepsirrhines; however, the information regarding these traits is largely anecdotal. Detailed documentation of these features among all proposed nondestructive nectivores is obviously needed. Finding soft-tissue anatomical changes associated with nectar feeding among the Malagasy strepsirrhines would not only strengthen the findings in this study, it would also add support for the hypothesis that Malagasy strepsirrhines act as effective and nondestructive nectar feeders.
Lastly, now that five traits have been correlated to patterns of nectivory in the strepsirrhines of Madagascar, variation in these traits could be studied in fossil primates in hopes of inferring degrees of nectivory. Although results for this project partially support Sussman and Raven’s hypothesis, evidences from fossil primates are needed to evaluate its temporal aspects.
The authors would like to thank Bill Stanley (Field Museum of Natural History) and Robert Randall (American Museum of Natural History) for their hospitality and for specimen access. They appreciate Suloni Robertson’s time in creating beautiful illustrations of nectar-feeding bats. They appreciate Drs. Liza Shapiro, Deborah Overdorff, Robert Sussman, Matt Ravosa, Stacey Tecot, Laura Alport, and Katherine Whitcome for their feedback on earlier drafts of this paper. They would also like to thank Drs. Anne Burrows, Kathleen Muldoon, and Adam Sylvester for inviting them to submit to this special issue on evolutionary morphology. Last, but not least, they also wanted to express our gratitude to the anonymous reviewers who dedicated their time and energy to improve this paper.
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- M. J. Ravosa, “Mandibular form and function in North American and European Adapidae and Omomyidae,” Journal of Morphology, vol. 229, no. 2, pp. 171–190, 1996.
- R. J. Smith, “Degrees of freedom in interspecific allometry: an adjustment for the effects of phylogenetic constraint,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 93, no. 1, pp. 95–107, 1994.
- J. Zar, Biostatistic Analysis, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA, 1999.
- M. N. Coleman, “What does geometric mean, mean geometrically? Assessing the utility of geometric mean and other size variables in studies of skull allometry,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 135, no. 4, pp. 404–415, 2008.
- P. Midford, T. Garland Jr., and W. Maddison, PDAP Package of Mesquite. Version 1.07, 2005.
- W. Maddison and D. Maddison, “Mesquite: a modular system for evolutionary analysis, Version 2.72,” 2009, http://mesquiteproject.org/.
- J. Felsenstein, “Phylogenies and the comparative method,” American Naturalist, vol. 125, no. 1, pp. 1–15, 1985.
- J. E. Horvath, D. W. Weisrock, S. L. Embry et al., “Development and application of a phylogenomic toolkit: Resolving the evolutionary history of Madagascar's lemurs,” Genome Research, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 489–499, 2008.
- T. Garland, P. Midford, and A. Ives, “An introduction to phylogenetically based statistical methods, with a new method for confidence intervals on ancestral values,” American Zoologist, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 374–388, 1999.
- J. Ganzhorn, “Leaf chemistry and the biomass of folivorous primates in tropical forests—test of a hypothesis,” Oecologia, vol. 91, no. 4, pp. 540–547, 1992.
- D. Wilson, Bats in Question, CSIRO, Washington, DC, USA, 1997, Photos taken by Merlin D. Tuttle.
- V. Turner, “Banksia pollen as a source of protein in the diet of two Australian marsupials Cercartetus nanus and Tarsipes rostratus,” Oikos, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 53–61, 1984.
- W. L. Hylander, “The human mandible: lever or link?” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 227–242, 1975.
- M. Spencer, “Force production in the primate masticatory system: electromyographic tests of biomechanical hypotheses,” Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 25–54, 1998.
- R. J. Smith, “Mandibular biomechanics and temporomandibular joint function in primates,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 341–349, 1978.
- J. M. G. Perry and A. Hartstone-Rose, “Maximum ingested food size in captive strepsirrhine primates: scaling and the effects of diet,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 142, no. 4, pp. 625–635, 2010.
- J. M. G. Perry and C. E. Wall, “Scaling of the chewing muscles in prosimians,” in Primate Craniofacial Function and Biology, C. J. Vinyard, M. J. Ravosa, and C. E. Wall, Eds., pp. 217–240, Springer, New York, NY, USA, 2008.
- J. M. G. Perry, A. Hartstone-Rose, and C. E. Wall, “The jaw adductors of strepsirrhines in relation to body size, diet, and ingested food size,” Anatomical Record, vol. 294, no. 4, pp. 712–728, 2011.
- C. J. Vinyard, Temporomandibular Joint Morphology and Function in Strepsirhine and Eocene Primates, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill, USA, 1999.
- E. C. Kirk, J. F. Deeganii, and G. H. Jacobs, “Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence for lack of ultraviolet sensitivity in strepsirrhine primates,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 32, p. 90, 2001.
- M. N. Muchlinski, “Using SEM to qualitatively identify structural differences in the hairs of nectar-feeding prosimians,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 38, pp. 149–150, 2004. | <urn:uuid:b94ad695-9233-4c96-bf84-904035543217> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ari/2011/378431/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00293-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.889705 | 15,994 | 2.203125 | 2 |
As traffic congestion continues to worsen, the time required for a given trip becomes more unpredictable, and researchers now have a way to measure that degree of unreliability, introduced for the first time as part of the annual Urban Mobility Report (UMR), published by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI).
The Planning Time Index (PTI), a measure of travel reliability, illustrates the amount of extra time needed to arrive on time for higher priority events, such as an airline departure, just-in-time shipments, medical appointments or especially important social commitments. If the PTI for a particular trip is 3.00, a traveler would allow 60 minutes for a trip that typically takes 20 minutes when few cars are on the road. Allowing for a PTI of 3.00 would ensure on-time arrival 19 out of 20 times.
PTIs on freeways vary widely across the nation, from 1.31 (about nine extra minutes for a trip that takes 30 minutes in light traffic) in Pensacola, Florida, to 5.72 (almost three hours for that same half-hour trip) in Washington, D.C., according to the study by TTI, a member of The Texas A&M University System.
“We all understand that trips take longer in rush hour, but for really important appointments, we have to allow increasingly more time to ensure an on-time arrival,” says Bill Eisele, a TTI researcher and report co-author. “As bad as traffic jams are, it’s even more frustrating that you can’t depend on traffic jams being consistent from day-to-day. This unreliable travel is costly for commuters and truck drivers moving goods.”
Rankings of the nation’s most congested cities vary slightly from year to year, and many of this year’s top 10 are repeat performers. Washington, D.C. tops the list, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland, New York-Newark and Boston. The second five include Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle. The report provides a detailed illustration of traffic problems in a total of 498 U.S. urban areas.
In addition to PTI, the 2012 UMR also debuts an estimate of the additional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions attributed to traffic congestion: 56 billion pounds – about 380 pounds per auto commuter.
“Including CO2 emissions into the UMR provides another dimension to the urban congestion problem,” says researcher and co-author David Schrank. “It points to the importance of implementing transportation improvements to reduce congestion.” The analysis of CO2 was made possible by funding from the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE).
Traffic congestion in U.S. cities has remained relatively stable in recent years and continues to underscore the link between traffic and the economy, according to the UMR. As the nation’s job picture has slowly improved, some congestion measures in 2011 were generally comparable to the year before.
Fuel wasted in congested traffic reached a total of 2.9 billion gallons – enough to fill the New Orleans Superdome four times. That’s the same as 2010, but short of the 3.2 billion gallons wasted in 2005. The Travel Time Index (the difference in time required for a rush hour commute compared to the same trip in non-congested conditions) remained steady at 1.18, still short of the 1.23 level in 2005.
The total financial cost of congestion in 2011 was $121 billion, up one billion dollars from the year before and translating to $818 per U.S. commuter. Of that total, about $27 billion worth was wasted time and diesel fuel from trucks moving goods on the system.
The methods and measures developed by TTI and used in the Urban Mobility Report have been successfully implemented for policy making and prioritizing congestion-mitigating projects,” says report co-author and researcher Tim Lomax. “In light of the recent signing of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, there is greater importance on using such measures to prioritize transportation improvement spending to get the highest investment return for the public.”
Researchers say that the most effective way to address traffic congestion varies from one urban area to another, but that in all cases, a multi-faceted approach should be used, relying on more efficient traffic management and public transportation in addition to new construction. Travel options such as flexible work hours and telecommuting should also be part of the mix.
The 2012 installment of the study includes 30 years of trend data with which TTI has measured and analyzed traffic congestion and its impact on life in urban America. The report is the third prepared in partnership with INRIX, a leading private-sector provider of travel time information for both commuters and shippers.
TTI, a member of The Texas A&M University System, seeks solutions to the problems and challenges facing all modes of transportation, as well as helping prepare students for transportation-related careers. | <urn:uuid:dbe3fed9-615e-4430-b785-dc6399889b08> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://tti.tamu.edu/2013/02/05/as-traffic-jams-worsen-commuters-allowing-extra-time-for-urgent-trips/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00203-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946351 | 1,057 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Surface and Homework Help
Surface chemistry is a subfield of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes and nuclear properties. It is the chemistry of Adsorption, Adsorption from Solutions, Catalysis, Activity and Selectivity, Adsorption Isotherm, Characteristics of Catalysis, Enzyme Catalysis, Theory of Catalysis, Zeolite, Application of Colloids, Charged Colloids, Coagulation, Colloidal State, Emulsion, Gels, Gold Number, Phases of Colloids, Preparation of Colloids, Properties of Colloids, Purification of Colloid. This includes the corrosion of surfaces and the behaviour under conditions of both normal and abnormal operation (such as during an accident). An important area is the behavior of objects and materials after being placed into a waste store or otherwise disposed of.
Email Based Homework Assignment Help in Surface Chemistry
Transtutors is the best place to get answers to all your doubts regarding surface chemistry. You can submit your school, college or university level homework or assignment to us and we will make sure that you get the answers you need which are timely and also cost effective. Our tutors are available round the clock to help you out in any way with chemistry.
Live Online Tutor Help for Surface chemistry
Transtutors has a vast panel of experienced chemistry tutors who specialize in surface chemistry and can explain the different concepts to you effectively. You can also interact directly with our chemistry tutors for a one to one session and get answers to all your problems in your school, college or university level chemistry homework. Our tutors will make sure that you achieve the highest grades for your chemistry session and get answers to all your problems in your school, college or university level chemistry homework. Our tutors will make sure that you achieve the highest grades for your chemistry assignments. We will make sure that you get the best help possible for exams such as the AP, AS, A level, GCSE, IGCSE, IB, Round Square etc. | <urn:uuid:e9bebc46-0c8d-4487-a5ce-c49043ff3d34> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.transtutors.com/chemistry-homework-help/surface-chemistry/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00218-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932835 | 417 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Scottish – Irish – Celtic
Celebrations recognizing Celtic origins and traditions have long been prominent. From the stirring cry of the bag pipe to the gown of formal tartan and kilt, wedding events based on aspects of Celtic tradition can provide enduring memories. Facets of these wedding celebrations could consist of part or every one of the following:
Anam Cara - Actually, the Hearts other Half, this practice is a unique event commemorating the production of a classic love forever more. This event of the components; to the Celts the four aspects Earth, Fire, Water and Air were the structures on which an effective relationship were built.
This custom was adapted as Christianity moved into the Celtic lands and also remains to be a fantastic way to include friends and family in your event.
Handfasting - An event dating back right to antiquity, Handfasting is a custom of marriage before the accessibility of rings as well as rare-earth elements. The couple would take an item of cloth or rope and before their friends and families, proclaim their love and intent by reciting a couple of words and binding themselves together symbolically with the rope. It is from this custom we still describe marriage as "tying the knot".
Oathing Stone -- What better location to put the promises of a life time as well as eternity than in the heart of a stone? The oathing stone is held by the couple while their promises are stated, after that in some practices is tossed right into a deep body of water to hold those guarantees for evermore. Today that stone might be kept as a remembrance of this special day.
The Quaich - Initially crafted from timber the double handled Quaich was a Scotsman's canteen, mess kit as well as drinking vessel rolled into one. King James of Scotland provided his betrothed Anne of Denmark a Quaich as a symbol of his love for her during the marriage, from that point on the Quaich has been know as the "loving cup". This gorgeous event communicates the true blessings of Kith as well as Kin to the couple.
Pinning of the Tartan
Pinning of the Tartan - A bride is officially settled for right into the bridegroom's family through this event. Usually the oldest woman participant of the groom's family offers a swatch of the household 's Tartan to the new bride signifying she is currently interwoven into all the doings of the clan.
The presentation of the family sword - The martial origins of the Celtic peoples revolved around the defense of hearth and home. This event is the acknowledgement of the male participants of the bride's family members that they also currently have a brand-new connection and also a new brother in arms.
At Life's Moments wedding celebrations we can offer extensive support on Celtic/Scottish/Irish ceremonies, from building of the event to the last blessing in Gaelic we can assist you create the day of your desires ...
We Love to Travel! (however our accountant says we have to cover little things like gas, tires and maintenance), so to keep them from chewing our ears off our travel rates are as follows;
Albuquerque/Rio Rancho Metro Area (includes Corrales, Bernalillo, Isleta, Tijeras)
Fee per trip mileage is one way
30 – 60 miles
Over 175 miles
Please call for details
Rev. Bruce Byers | <urn:uuid:b62227cb-735c-42db-96e1-0b699e869bd2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://lifesmomentsnm.com/new-mexico/cubero/wedding-minister/celtic-wedding.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00382-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957682 | 702 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The Move Your Feet Before You Eat!® Foundation proudly supplies Mileage Club kits by Fitness Finders to local schools. These kits are a great incentive for fitness milestones. We will provide shoelaces for every 50 miles ran in your school program. We also provide subsidies for the lap tracker system that now has a free scanning application that can be downloaded on to your cell phones or ipads. Motivation reports and certificates of achievement are provided as part of the program. Below you’ll find other resources for youth. Click on each tab to expand.
30 minute Run / Walk Program
Here’s a free 8-week program to get started:
30 minute Run / Walk Program 3 days per week
Week 1 Run 30 sec., walk 1 min. for 25 minutes
Week 2 Run 1 min., walk 1 min for 25 minute
Week 3 Run 2 min., walk 1 min. for 25 minutes
Week 4 Run 3 min., walk 1 min. for 30 minutes
Week 5 Run 5 min., walk 30 sec. for 30 minutes
Week 6 Run 7 min., walk 30 sec. for 30 minutes
Week 7 Run 3 x 8 min, walk 1 minute rest in between
Week 8 Complete a 5K!
We recommend static stretching/breathing after the first 7 minutes of total exercise and after the 25 – 30 minutes of activity are complete.
You can start out walking fast for the same time the runners are running then walk slow during the rest period.
Cross Training – 2 days per week
Cross training is a very important part of your running program. It involves doing another activity (not running) that will help improve you running performance, while minimizing impact on your body. Examples of good cross training exercises are swimming, biking, calisthenics, and weight training (upper and lower body including core). You can cross train 1-2 days per week during this program.
Active Rest – two days per week
Rest days are built into your training schedule. You must rest a minimum of one full day per week to allow your body to get stronger and prevent injury! You may use 1-2 of your other rest days to cross train if you choose. This program is designed to prepare you to complete a 5K with 3 days per week of race-specific training.
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 PM.
Variety is an integral part of every training activity. Therefore, we will occasionally venture to new venues. Contact us via email to join our running group.
- Get Active
- Ways to Be Active
- Exercise for Children
- Girls’ Track (Video)
- Why Kids Should Eat Healthy and Exercise (Video)
- How Much Activity Do Kids Need?
- Active Children and Adolescents
- Healthy Kids, Healthy New York: After-School Initiative Toolkit (PDF)
- Fitness for Kids Who Don’t Like Sports (PDF)
- Physical Fitness and Sports: 14 Ways for Kids to Increase Physical Fitness and Awareness
- Fit for Life
- Kids Walk and Run to Fitness
- New Evidence on Kids and Exercise
- How to Learn to Like Running
- Strength and Conditioning for Kids: How and Why?
- Helping Young Runners Develop (PDF)
- A Parent’s Guide to Fitness for Kids Who Hate Sports (PDF)
- Running Tips for Children and Adolescents (PDF)
- Children and Marathoning: How Young Is Too Young? (PDF)
- Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents (PDF)
- Youth Movement
- Sharing the Thrill of Running
- Is Running Good for Children?
- Make Running Fun
- Tips From the Centre for Children’s Running (PDF)
- Running and Dodging (PDF)
- Run for Something Better Training Guide (PDF)
- Drills and Techniques to Develop Cross Country Athletes in Practices and Meets (PDF)
- Fun Fitness Ideas for Kids (PDF)
- Training Guide and Activities Booklet (PDF)
- ABCs for Fitness Teacher Manual (PDF)
- Why Exercise Is Cool
- Kids Marathon Training Packet (PDF)
- Focus on Fitness (PDF)
- Youth Running: Keep it Simple, Make it Fun (PDF) | <urn:uuid:66be241c-328b-44af-b65e-e3254a5bb885> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://moveyourfeetfoundation.org/resources/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573667.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819100644-20220819130644-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.850449 | 892 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Blossman Gas and Alliance AutoGas will be participating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new refueling station on Sept. 29 in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Alliance AutoGas is a national coalition of businesses founded by Blossman Gas to provide the fuel, technology and ongoing support to autogas fleets across the country. The coalition’s autogas refueling location is part of Northeast Tennessee Rural Public Transportation (Net Trans).
Net Trans began implementing an autogas program with help from Alliance AutoGas in 2016, and supports the surrounding community with a fleet of autogas transit vans. The regional public transit system serves numerous counties in the northeast region of Tennessee, according to Alliance AutoGas, along with urbanized areas outside the city limits for Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City. As part of the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency, Net Trans is a non-profit, which contributes to improving the quality of life for the people of northeast Tennessee through social services.
The Kingsport refueling station will be the third refueling center in the region for Net Trans, and will be located at the city’s U-Haul location.
“It is exciting to see how far Net Trans’ autogas program has progressed since coming on board with Alliance AutoGas,” says Happy Fox, an alternative fuel consultant for Alliance AutoGas. “The East Tennessee region has emerged as a leading area in the movement towards alternative fuel use. Alliance AutoGas looks forward to helping more fleets make the transition to operating on autogas.”
“We continue to see a need for our service, and autogas is helping us fulfill that need,” says Candace Gump, director of Net Trans. “Net Trans is proud to be adding a refueling location in Kingsport.”
According to Alliance AutoGas, Net Trans was named the 2017 winner of the annual Propane Autogas Fleet Award from the Propane Education & Research Council. This award recognized the program’s strong commitment and successful transition to propane use in fleet transit.
The East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, part of the Clean Cities coalition network, has helped foster the relationship between Alliance AutoGas and fleets in the region. See the original article here. | <urn:uuid:7002c118-1e7a-48ef-a420-a5c5b4169f66> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://superiornrg.com/lpgas-alliance-autogas-blossman-gas-add-new-refueling-station/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.930244 | 470 | 1.601563 | 2 |
"Driving alone at night, in the darkened car, reassured by the night-light of the dashboard, or lying in bed tuned in to a disembodied voice or music, evokes a spiritual, almost telepathic contact across space and time, a reassurance that we aren't alone in the void."
-- Susan J. Douglas, Listening In: Radio and the American Imagination
Every night, after my sons have fallen asleep, I sneak into their rooms and quietly switch off the radio. My son Teddy is generally tuned in to a rock station at medium volume. Aaron prefers his nighttime radio fix switched to oldies, barely audible. I am compelled to turn off the radio because I fear nocturnal brainwashing. The stations, with their prefab formats, blast far more advertising than music, and the disc jockeys come across generally as a bunch of horny, sexist overgrown adolescents.
Sometimes Teddy nods awake when I switch off his radio and quietly negotiates with me. He agrees to tune in to the classical station if I'll allow him to keep the radio on. I turn the knob down to the lower call numbers, assured that this variety of brainwashing is good for him as opposed to the crass, commercial other. When I go to wake him the next morning, however, I inevitably find the radio turned back to his head-banger station.
I am uncomfortable with the self-imposed role of radio police and am considering giving it up. Just as I can no longer control my kids' choices of activities or friends, I am gradually losing the last vestige of parental authority -- the ability to control their media intake. I can express my opinion, as I do every morning driving them to school when disc jockeys crack the quiet morning air with their off-color drivel and inane commentary. But their musical choices are personal and, I understand, important to their autonomy.
Struggling with my tendency to be a radio Nazi, I recently came across a review of media critic Susan Douglas' new book, Listening In. Though critical of the reduced choices offered by today's conglomerate-owned stations, and concerned over the "models of masculinity" on contemporary radio, Douglas reaffirms the value of radio. "We want -- and need," she says, "to listen."
My children crave the musical backdrop afforded by radio, just as I crave the gentle voice that delivers to me news of the world. And when I was their age, I lived by radio, measuring popular trends, keeping up, learning to dance.
On January 1 of 1968, when I was 14, my favorite radio station staged a listening marathon over a weekend. "The greatest 68 songs of all time!" screamed the announcer in promos repeated over and over the previous week. I planned my life around the broadcast and sat for most of twelve hours on my bedroom floor, listening to the countdown. I wrote down the entire list which consisted mostly of early Beatles and Rolling Stones, Motown tunes and R&B classics. No. 1 was "Yesterday."
On a recent road trip to Texas, my sons and I spent two Sunday mornings listening to Casey's countdown. They were transfixed waiting to see which tunes would enter the sacred heirarchy. They argued loudly between tunes, spouting off arcane anecdotes about the lives of the featured recording artists.
Throughout our trip, the radio played. Bouncy Tejano tunes, wailing country, slammin' rock. We sang along to oldies, laughed at lyrics, fought over the controls. When the radio was off, the car felt like a moving tomb, wrapped in fuzzy silence.
I thought of all the times I had traveled alone over thousands of miles, the radio my only companion. I remembered the comfort gleaned on a dark night, gliding through the middle of nowhere toward an unknown motel in the Midwest, hearing the enthusiastic voice of a sportscaster from Chicago, the buzz of the crowd in the background, tuning in to a baseball game as I negotiated foreign roads.
I won't switch off my sons radios any more, I've decided. I'll relinquish my power to the voice in the dark, speaking to them in mystery tones while they sleep.
-- First published in April, 1999
Frigging priceless, dude.
deplorables were only 50% of Trump supporters but Ryan fits in that 50% , morons,…
Do you support city council's tentative decision to not place the parks funding measure on… | <urn:uuid:5a911944-9e11-46f1-aaad-7eccce58d949> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/domestic-bliss/Content?oid=1108000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00146-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963515 | 924 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Cambodia’s Royal Palace complex was begun by King Norodom I (ruled 1860-1904) in 1886, when the capital was moved to Phnom Penh. Most buildings were completed before World War I, with involvement by French administrators and Thai designers and architects. French influence can be seen in the formal gardens which enhance the palace, and there are some European-style buildings on the grounds. Now Royal Palace is a home to His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.
Royal palace has four gates. The eastern Victory Gate leads directly to the entrance of the throne hall and is used only by royalty and VIPs. The northern or funeral gate is only opened after the death of a monarch. After being embalmed, the monarch’s body is kept in state at the palace for three months, with the face hidden by a one-kilogram solid gold mask, before being taken out via this gate. The west or executing gate was used by condemned prisoners exiting the palace to be killed. The southern gate is reserved for use by commoners and it is through this gate the public reaches the Silver Pagoda.
At the top of palace’s throne hall, note the four pale, almost clown-like faces, which represent the all-seeing king. The hall itself is painted vivid yellow, a symbol of Buddhism, and white, for Hinduism, the two main faiths of Cambodia until they were combined into one by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. The central door of the five at the front of the throne hall are reserved for royalty and VIPs. Inside, note the 1913 ceiling mural telling the story of the Ramayana. The thick carpet supplied by China in 1993 matches the lotus-bud floor tiles. | <urn:uuid:0a086a60-e31f-4c62-b656-bfd882912cdc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.explorow.com/tag-city/palaces/17/male/2859 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.960337 | 372 | 3.09375 | 3 |
This post is about the computing server platform called as AS400. I have been working on this for last 3.5 years and decided to come up with a post about this.Also I am planning to start an AS400 tutorial series.
AS400 or the System I
AS400 also known as the System I is a powerful midrange computing system from IBM. Initially when this was introduced way back in 1987 it was called the AS400. Later it was renamed as the eServer i Series in 2000 .IBM was not yet done with the naming that they finally gave its name System I as part of the Systems Branding Initiative in 2006. | <urn:uuid:400e05ee-7582-47df-8e6c-912671a5b7f4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://anilsownblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/as400-or-sytem-i.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00212-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987861 | 130 | 1.859375 | 2 |
The Faculty of Liberal Arts offers a wide range of programs, from traditional arts disciplines such as English and history to new and interdisciplinary fields of study like User Experience Design and Work and Employment. In all of our programs you’ll get both knowledge and know-how; all our programs offer you opportunities to apply what you learn in the classroom to the real world – what we call experiential learning. A degree in Liberal Arts provides you with many opportunities to explore different fields while developing essential skills in critical thinking and communication. Additionally, you’ll gain a greater understanding of the world around you – and how you can positively influence it.
Many of our undergraduate programs offer opportunities for students to include related postgraduate certificates from Conestoga College through either concurrent or Year 3 delivery in a unique campus partnership that permits shared student services with the college in Brantford. Two of our programs, Human Rights and Human Diversity and Law and Society, are part of a program partnership with the University of Sussex in the UK, which began in 2016/17. Through this pathway, you can receive both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a law degree (LLB) in six years – and have a significant international experience.
Our Master of Arts program in Social Justice and Community Engagement is unique in Canada. It combines in-class and community-based experiences to bridge the gap between social and environmental justice theory and practice.
We see you are accessing our website on IE8. We recommend you view in Chrome, Safari, Firefox or IE9+ instead.× | <urn:uuid:9901df65-74d2-415a-b7a3-5390464011bd> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-liberal-arts/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280900.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00002-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935403 | 317 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Written by: Emma Brice
As we continue the journey of working to preserve the land we live and play on, we are excited to share a big step towards our sustainability efforts as a mountain community.
To all of the electric vehicle drivers out there, you can now charge your car on the mountain! We have 8 new universal EV charging stations located on Crystal Mountain Boulevard just past upper C lot on the left-hand side. They have the capacity for two cars to be plugged in at once and are compatible with any car. During the summer, the chargers are free for guest use and are first come, first serve. During the winter, they will continue to be free of charge, but will have a reservation system in place.
The addition of EV charging stations is big news for Crystal guests and Mount Rainier National Park visitors alike. Now, you can drive your electric vehicle further with your mind at ease. Stop by Crystal on your way back from the park for a quick recharge and take a scenic gondola ride to for a late lunch at the Summit House, and up-close views of Mount Rainier. Walk the summit ridgeline or explore the variety of hiking trails while you recharge your mind, and car at the same time.
The EV chargers are level 2 Flo CoRe+, with a charging range of 1.2kW to 7.2kW. The average time it takes a Tesla to charge with the 7.2kW charger is up to 8 hours, the perfect amount of time to get a full day of hiking, skiing, or riding in; charging your car while you charge the slopes.
While this initial introduction of EV chargers is a big step in the right direction, it is only the beginning as we continue the journey towards a more sustainable future. We encourage everyone to do what they can to take electric vehicles or other environmentally friendly methods of transportation such as the free shuttle in the winter, or carpooling with friends so we can work together to reduce our carbon footprint. | <urn:uuid:39bcaa99-df1e-40f4-af09-f90ccc01141e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.crystalmountainresort.com/introducing-ev-charging-stations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.94077 | 413 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Between 29 June and 1 July, 2015, the Open Dialog Foundation represenatatives took part in a conference organized by Cambridge Polish Studies and Cambridge Ukrainian Studies departments, entitled: “Past as Prelude: Polish-Ukrainian Relations for the Twenty-First Century” and devoted to the Polish-Ukrainian relations. Both the President of the Open Dialog Foundation, Lyudmyla Kozlovska and the Head of the Open Dialog Foundation Board, Bartosz Kramek were amongst the speakers at the event.
During four panels, participants discussed the current Polish-Ukrainian relations and their historical perspective, along with the doctrines and paradigms that have dominated relations between the two countries over the years. The conference was opened by Prof. Frank Sysyn of the University of Alberta. Other speakers included i.a.: Slawomir Sierakowski (“Krytyka Polityczna”), Pawel Kowal (MP), Karolina Wigura (“Kultura Liberalna”) and Andrzej Szeptycki (International Relations, University of Warsaw). Bartosz Kramek from the Open Dialog Foundation focused in his speech on contemporary relations between Poland and Ukraine, while Lyudmyla Kozlovska spoke about the challenges in relations between the countries, focusing on the problems of students and refugees. | <urn:uuid:8cbf945f-a441-48e2-9071-872a402bb5cf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://en.odfoundation.eu/a/6996,past-as-prelude-on-polish-ukrainian-relations-at-the-university-of-cambridge-uk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.921461 | 294 | 1.632813 | 2 |
If your child is eligible for special education services, you may worry he’ll be placed in a different classroom than other kids his age. But most kids might be place in classrooms that are known as inclusion (or inclusive) classrooms.
In an inclusion classroom, the general and special education teachers work together to meet your child’s needs.
This is key. As Carl A. Cohn, Ed.D., executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, points out, “It’s important for parents to realize that special education students are first and foremost general education students.”
Many schools have inclusion classrooms. In part, that’s because the IDEA says that kids who receive special education services should learn in what’s called the “Least Restrictive Environment” (LRE). That means they should spend as much time as possible with students who don’t receive special education services.
Inclusive classes are set up in a number of ways. Some use a collaborative team teaching (or co-teaching) model. With co-teaching, there’s a special education teacher in the room all day.
Other inclusive classes have special education teachers “push in” at specific times during the day to teach (instead of pulling kids out of class to a separate room). In either case, both teachers are available to help all students.
Studies show that inclusion is beneficial for all students—not just those who receive special education services.
Benefit #1: Differentiated Instruction
All students learn differently. This is a principal of inclusive education. One key teaching strategy is to break students into small groups. By using small groups, teaching can be tailored to the way each student learns best. This is known as differentiated instruction.
Teachers meet everyone’s needs by presenting lessons in different ways and using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and multisensory techniques.
Some classrooms may have an interactive whiteboard. On it, kids can use their fingers to write, erase and move images around on the large screen. This teaching tool can also be used to turn students’ work into a video, which can be exciting for kids and help keep them engaged.
Benefit #2: Supportive Teaching Strategies
In an inclusive classroom, teachers weave in specially designed instruction and support that can help students make progress. Kids may be given opportunities to move around or use of fidgets. And teachers often put positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in place.
These strategies are helpful for all students—not only for students with learning and attention issues.
Benefit #3: Reduced Stigma
Inclusive classrooms are filled with diverse learners. That lets kids talk about how everyone learns in their own way. They may find that they have more in common with other kids than they thought. This can go a long way in reducing stigma for kids with learning and attention issues. It can also help kids build and maintain friendships.
Benefit #4: Effective Use of Resources
In more traditional special education settings, many kids are “pulled out” for related services, like speech therapy or for other specialized instruction. An inclusion class often brings speech therapists, reading specialists and other service providers into the classroom.
These professionals can provide information and suggestions to help all students. If your child isn’t eligible for special education, but still needs some extra support, it can provide him with some informal support.
Benefit #5: High Expectations for All
If your child has an IEP, his goals should be based on the academic standards for your state. Those standards lay out what all students are expected to learn in math, reading, science and other subjects by the end of the school year.
Differentiated instruction and co-teaching in a general education classroom make it easier for students with standard-based IEPs to be taught the same material as their classmates.
In some schools, only certain classrooms are inclusion classes. In that case, schools may assign general education students randomly to inclusive or non-inclusive classes. Other schools may choose students who benefit from the emphasis on meeting the needs of all learners at all ability levels.
This article is from Understood.org, a great resource for information on learning and attention issues. The Understood Team is composed of writers, editors and community moderators, many of whom have children with learning and attention issues. | <urn:uuid:d342328f-672b-4418-849c-dd751bf04e97> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://prntexas.org/5-benefits-of-inclusion-classrooms/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.958973 | 914 | 4 | 4 |
You've probably heard it a hundred times that soccer training tips and drills are vital to keep the interest of the players at a higher level in the game.
Soccer drills, when allow players to have fun while participating in the game, make great drills as they teach players many new things. Yet, this can never match up to the level of importance that a coach’s experience and learning brings to the team.
Soccer training drills allow the coach to find out those weak areas where the players are required to improve upon. These drills should be planned in such a way that the participation of all players is guaranteed. These drills should have the potential to create an environment like that of a live match.
Good soccer training drills should be able to promote a feeling of trying new things to develop themselves as professional players. There is a specific aspect, whether strategic or technical, attached to every drill. It must be well thought-out so that all kids can gain something from the experience.
There must be a link between the need for particular soccer skills on field and performance of the drill.
Soccer training drills are either carried out either in close quarters, a given area of the field, or covering the full playing ground while performing. These areas are defined my marking them with the help of cones to promote better use of the ball and control.
Soccer training tips advocate that drills should be encouraging growth.
It’s the job of a coach to ensure that players keep moving as fast as possible just as they are required to do in a live tournament. This means that the players can also benefit from physical training which is a very important part of this sport.
The coaches ought to make a general observation for promoting of the game. For instance; if the team has been constantly making the same mistakes in trapping a ball, then the next practice session should be planned in such a way that it is devoted to improve this technique and its variations.
Likewise, if the passes are not straight, or fail to reach a targeted area and player, then you can decide on a soccer drill on passing for next session.
While you are training for soccer and a drill does not help, stop practicing it and return to the basics. Be as critical as is possible. Make an effort to discover if the training drill was too tough, or the explanation inadequate, or if the explanation was too difficult?
In short, identify and resolve the issues affecting player’s performance one at a time, with a view to improve the overall standard of the team.
This will allow you to easily identify the soccer training tips which you should apply to guarantee the success of your coming training sessions. You can also subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and dig deeper into the subject through numerous articles, videos, podcasts, and newsletters available at the site.
Andre Botelho is an expert in Soccer training tips. He influences over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his coaching philosophy, and makes it easy to explode your players' skills and make training fun in record time. Download your free Soccer Training guide at: Soccer Drills. | <urn:uuid:af31c33a-e361-4490-88fc-026ea4a3dc84> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://coachingyouthsoccerdrills.blogspot.com/2010/07/soccer-training-tips-learn-ways-to-get.html?showComment=1335316276380 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00146-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968398 | 633 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Increasingly, global financial markets compete on speed, so much so that high-speed trading capabilities have become a performance differentiator for the largest financial services firms and some investment funds. Transmitting messages with quotes, prices and trade data is a core capability for currency dealers. Informatica recently introduced Ultra Messaging, which is designed to offer global currency traders an efficient, high-throughput, lower-latency (that is, faster) and more secure method of linking their worldwide operations.
Currency trading, like much of the financial services landscape, has been transformed by IT. When I worked on a small currency trading desk in 1978, the two most sophisticated pieces of technology the traders used were the fax machine (in those days, before it became a consumer electronics item, a fax machine cost $10,000, or about $35,000 in current dollars) and a Monroe desktop financial calculator. Back then, a one-day movement of 50 “pips” (0.0050 of any currency unit or a half-cent) was considered a huge move in the market. Today, in an era when currency swings of several cents in a day are common and daily trading volumes are measured in trillions, computers and the networks that connect them are integral components of any dealer’s operation, helping to manage trades, searching for arbitrage opportunities and enabling financial institutions to carefully monitor their risk exposure to their customers. Traders, when they are involved, must have up-to-the-split-second information. Those that are charged with managing counterparty risk must be certain that they have real-time information about their global exposure to individual credits.
The worldwide currency market operates around the clock, and major trading centers (Tokyo, London and New York, for example) have normal working hours that overlap over the course of the day, so it’s important that the individual trading desks around the world have the exact same information simultaneously. If they don’t, they risk having competitors arbitraging their bids or otherwise trading against themselves.
Ultra Messaging is designed to optimize performance across wide area networks (WAN). Managing the flow of quotes and trade information is less difficult on a local area network (LAN) since bandwidth can be enormous, distances are short and messages on the network cross a limited number of nodes. When networks must span the world, though, latency develops because of the sheer distances involved, the sometimes complex routing a message takes between two points and potential bandwidth limitations in the technology that’s employed to handle the message. WANs also pose problems of lost data because of the relatively high number of nodes between the sending and receiving points.
Ultra Messaging optimizes the path across a WAN by continuously monitoring the network topography and using algorithms to select the optimal routing of messages for each specific moment, an approach that seeks to achieve an “as soon as physically possible” (ASAPP) latency. It is designed to offer graceful failover capability because it also has calculated the next best routing if that becomes necessary. Informatica claims it can regularly save tens of microseconds compared to other solutions on the market.
The software is available in three versions to address different optimization requirements. The Persistence Edition focuses on guaranteed messaging with zero-latency failover to address the need for institutions to have an accurate global record of all of its trades. The Queuing Edition is designed for guaranteed “once-and-only-once” delivery with low-latency messaging and automatic load balancing for constrained bandwidth environments. The Streaming Edition is designed to achieve the lowest possible latency by using “nothing in the middle” methods that eliminate daemons and brokers.
Global financial services companies have options when it comes to managing their WAN-based messaging and communications. They should investigate whether Ultra Messaging will improve their network performance.
Robert Kugel – SVP Research | <urn:uuid:9e440fae-56bb-4c52-87ab-5c7db58133f4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://robertkugel.ventanaresearch.com/robert-kugel/2012/12/20/saving-microseconds-with-informaticas-ultra-messaging | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00309-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942995 | 801 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The former Nursing Sisters of the Sick Poor/Congregation of the Infant Jesus, the old convent buildings at the corner of Henry and Kane in Cobble Hill—sold a little while ago for $5.4 million—is getting a major renovation as its being converted into apartments. The tall, wooden front doors are being sanded and stripped and repaired. The long, cast-iron fence around the property is being stripped of all rust. But, most important, the back yard, which for many years has been filled with weeds and appalling array of junk, is being cleared. A mini-bulldozer was busy leveling the brush and dumping loads of crap into a nearby dumpster. (See below)
Looking through the old door, I got a glimpse of the remaining weeds, all dead, left in the lot.
I also saw the lovely detailing on this old window. I hope they restore it.
These properties, long in disrepair, are old, old South Brooklyn. The Nursing Sisters of the Sick Poor/Congregation of the Infant Jesus was an order which began in France. They devoted their time to caring for the sick, looking after their homes and giving them medicine. The nuns used to hold dances to raise money. According to my records, the buildings were built in the 1850s and are among the oldest in the area. One they, plus the building to their right, stood alone, surrounded by land. The nuns moved in in 1906 and it became a convent. | <urn:uuid:d4b232d6-054e-4b92-9956-7b651212ac73> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2011/05/cobble-hill-convent-gets-big-clean-up.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281069.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00273-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981097 | 304 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The United Arab Emirates, with help from Korea Electric Power Corp., finished building the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear reactor, a milestone in the oil-rich U.A.E.’s effort to curb its reliance on fossil fuels and develop cleaner sources of energy.
Unit 1 of the Barakah complex plans to begin loading fuel in May, South Korea’s energy ministry said in an emailed statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a ceremony on Monday to celebrate the facility’s completion, the U.A.E.’s official WAM news agency reported.
It wasn’t clear when Unit 1 in Abu Dhabi, capital and largest emirate of the U.A.E., will begin generating power. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation will issue an operating license for Barakah Units 1 and 2 “when the operator meets all regulatory requirements,” Christer Viktorsson, the regulator’s director-general, said in an emailed response to a request for comment.
Barakah Unit 1 is the first of four nuclear plants that the U.A.E., with about 6 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves, plans to bring into operation by 2021, the Persian Gulf nation’s Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said in September. The plants are estimated to cost $25 billion and produce a combined 5,600 megawatts of power. Other Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also announced nuclear projects to help provide power to their growing populations and industries.
The U.A.E. government expects the four Barakah plants to contribute almost 25 percent of the nation’s electricity after they’re all operating, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Al Hammadi told a conference in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 28. The U.A.E. currently depends on imported natural gas to generate much of its electricity.
“The U.A.E. Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program will play a strategic role in the growth of our nation by enhancing our energy security, diversifying our economy, and creating employment opportunities for our people,” said Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, according to WAM.
Barakah, located on a sparsely populated strip of desert on Abu Dhabi’s Gulf coast, is the first commercial nuclear plant in the Middle East outside Iran. Unit 1, originally scheduled to begin operating in 2017, was delayed until this year “to ensure sufficient time for international assessments and adherence to nuclear industry safety standards, as well as a reinforcement of operational proficiency for plant personnel,” ENEC said in a statement on May 5.
With construction of Unit 1 complete, “the project now shifts its focus to completing operational readiness preparations required to obtain the approval of the operating license,” WAM reported. “The accomplishment is even more notable, given the complete absence of any previous nuclear industry of infrastructure within the U.A.E.”
In 2009, a group led by Korea Electric won a contract to build four nuclear plants in the U.A.E. Kepco, as the utility is known, and unit Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power co-developed the reactors being built in Abu Dhabi, known as the APR-1400. The reactor, a so-called generation III unit, incorporates advanced design features that meet safety standards in developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. The first APR-1400 started in South Korea in December 2016, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Construction of the Barakah complex began in 2012. Units 2, 3 and 4 are 92 percent, 81 percent, and 66 percent complete, respectively.
Korea Electric and U.A.E.’s ENEC are partners in the venture responsible for operating and maintaining the Barakah complex. The companies also on Monday said they plan to jointly expand their nuclear business overseas, which includes their ambitions to develop reactors in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter, plans to build at least 16 nuclear reactors over the next 25 years at a cost of more than $80 billion. The Saudis also see atomic energy as a way to ease their reliance on finite fossil fuels, but they’re also driven by competition with their regional rival Iran. Opposition to a possible deal for the U.S. to provide nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia is growing after Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said the kingdom would develop a nuclear weapon if Iran did. | <urn:uuid:92aee65c-7d0e-4173-a6fb-5c1d8ca9c11b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.energyvoice.com/renewables-energy-transition/nuclear/167242/uae-completes-first-of-four-korean-built-nuclear-reactors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.936293 | 959 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Cognitive Issues: How Does the Mind Respond to New Media?
Below, you see a diagram of the human brain. But the brain is not an immutable object. Its development is strongly affected by stimuli in the first years of childhood, and it continues to evolve throughout life. How does the rapid and massive introduction of computer use affect the cognitive processes of different populations? This session provides an introduction to topics worthy of consideration.
image : The_Brain.gif | <urn:uuid:80e5e7c6-d1b8-4ff8-9061-e26b5ac0efb8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.columbia.edu/itc/sipa/nelson/newmediadev08/Cognitive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281649.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00445-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902776 | 93 | 2.640625 | 3 |
SLOVAK-SLOVENIAN CONTACTS IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY
The present essay deals with Slovak-Slovenian contacts from the beginning of 1860s to the end of the 19th century. Cultural and political situation of two nations during the mentioned period is compared. The author describes their cultural collaboration through the national Maticas (national advancement leagues) as well as through the Slovak Museum Society. He presents life of the pharmacist family Ubald Trnkóczy coming from Slovakia. He pays attention to the articles published in Slovak periodicals which brought the information about a national movement of Slovenians. The contacts of several Slovak personalities with representatives of the Slovenian national movement are dealt with and a special attention being focused on Ondrej Bella, the first known translator of Slovenian belles-lettres into Slovak. Finally, a review of articles about Slovaks published in the Slovenian political journals 'Slovenski narod' and 'Slovenec' is presented.
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The Center for Political Beauty's Holocaust memorial replica built next to AfD's Björn Höcke home maddened the far-right party — but it pleased many others, including the initiator of the original memorial in Berlin.
The replica of Germany's national Holocaust memorial outside the home of Björn Höcke, Thuringia's leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), installed by the artist collective Center for Political Beauty ("Zentrum für Politische Schönheit") attracted media attention worldwide — and provoked strong reactions.
"It's psychological warfare," said Stefan Möller, the AfD's spokesperson in Thuringia, in a press conference on Wednesday evening.
But the initiator of the actual Holocaust memorial in Berlin, Lea Rosh, described the project as "a wonderful idea" and an "exquisite punishment" for the politician.
Earlier this year, Björn Höcke caused outrage by describing the memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame." He had also called for a "180-degree turn" in Germany's attitude to World War II.
Aggressive mobs and death threats
A press release from the the Center for Political Beauty said that Saxony's AfD deputy Jens Maier had falsely claimed that the activists had taken photographs of Höcke's children. When it initially publicly presented the action, the artists' group said it had been spying on Höcke since January, when it rented the property neighboring to the politician's house. However, the center declared that children were in no way part of its activist art installation and plan to file a claim if Maier repeats his statements.
Meanwhile, a mob threatened the artists and journalists who were on the site of the Holocaust memorial replica in Bornhagen on Wednesday. Several death threats were posted by Björn Höcke's followers on Facebook and not deleted by the account owner.
The Center for Political Beauty activists had to leave the site on Wednesday night for security reasons. The Holocaust memorial replica will be under constant police surveillance. On Thursday, Christian Carius, Thuringia's state parliamentary speaker and member of the CDU party, asked the region's interior minister to put the artists "under surveillance." The Center for Political Beauty thanked the authorities for the security.
'Deal' or 'extortion'?
Within one day, the activists had already met their expected crowdfunding goal of € 69,000 (nearly $82,000) for the upkeep of the memorial. The group estimated the costs at €8,400 a year, and they are now covered at least until 2022.
The artists say that they will remove the installation of 24 cement stelae if Höcke accepts to fall to his knees in front of the Holocaust memorial and begs for forgiveness for Germany's actions during World War II — repeating the famous gesture of penance former Chancellor Willy Brandt had done in Warsaw in 1970.
State parliamentary speaker Carius described this as extortion: "Having been through two dictatorships, we Germans know such methods all too well," he said. Philip Ruch, artistic director of the Center for Political Beauty, countered that they weren't blackmailing the politician, but that they were rather offering him a "deal."
Police investigations have been launched against the group of activists, on claims of stalking, coercion and theft, a spokesperson for the regional Landhausen police department told press agency EPD on Thursday.
The Center for Political Beauty is renowned for its ambitious and controversial performances, which have often taken European refugee policies as a target. | <urn:uuid:a3d6adba-215b-4a08-95d1-2dd6787b8d2f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dw.com/en/holocaust-memorial-outside-afd-leaders-home-provokes-accusations-of-blackmail/a-41501061 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.962609 | 776 | 1.773438 | 2 |
UITBB is proud of its long history of struggles for the rights of the workers in its sectors. The guidance it has offered to the workers of the world in the construction sectors, is characterised by the main principle that nothing is given away; rather, everything is earned through organized, class-based struggles and many sacrifices.
The workers, regardless of their colour, language and religion, must move forward united in these class-based struggles, without ever forgetting the main goal which is the creation of a new, just society, free from the exploitation of humans by other humans.
The leadership of UITBB commits itself to always be at the forefront of the workers’ struggles in the construction sectors and, through its daily guidance and action, to constantly fight until the final vindication.
Fatalism, disappointment and fear do not characterise us; on the contrary, faith and optimism for the future must be our daily companions.
Long live the workers’ struggles around the world!
Long live UITBB!
UITBB General Secretary | <urn:uuid:e2c60aed-29d5-4eca-bae0-993049ba7789> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://uitbb.org/message-from-michalis-papanikolaou-uitbb-general-secretary/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.944886 | 223 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The moths in the orchard squeal
with each pass of the mistral wind.
Yet the reapers and their scythes,
out beyond the pear trees, slay wheat
in sure columns. Christ
must have been made of shocks
of wheat. When they lashed him,
four bundles of fine yellow burst forth from each welt. And the women,
tarrying as they do now behind the swing
and chuff of the reapers' blades,
gathered and plaited the stray pieces
of wheat falling from his hips into braids,
long braids that would bind a tattered sail-
cloth over his yellow mouth, yellow feet.
Oh to be bound by one's own blood
like a burlap sack cinched around the neck
with a leather belt. Father forgive me
for the moths shrieking in the orchard
of my mouth. Forgive the rattle and clatter
of wings inside the blue of my brain.
Even if these iron bars queer a field,
queer a woman standing too close to a reaper's blade,
a half-moon hung and wholly harsh,
even if this woman, burdened like a spine
carrying a head and a basket of rocks,
forgets the flaw of a well-sharpened tool,
let her not mistake my whimper and warning
for the honk of a goose in heat. Father,
she is not made like our savior,
of straw, of a coarse tender. Nothing will stop
when her blood runs along a furrow.
The sun will not sag with a red scowl.
The field will not refuse water. Father,
I am unsure of what I am--
a fragrant mistral wind or a pile of moths' heads
at the foot of a pear tree. Father,
give me a scythe. Father, let me decide.
Added: Sunday, April 19, 2015 / From "King Me," (Copper Canyon Press, 2013). Used with permission.
Roger Reeves's poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Best American Poetry, Poetry, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, Boston Review, and Tin House, among others. Reeves was awarded a 2014-2015 Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, a 2014 Pushcart Prize, a 2013 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship and 2008 Ruth Lilly Fellowship, King Me, his first book of poems, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2013. King Me has been awarded the 2014 Larry Levis Reading Prize by the creative writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. He is an assistant professor of poetry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. | <urn:uuid:28e22f84-fce4-44f9-93de-21a3a30e12af> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.splitthisrock.org/poetry-database/poem/self-portrait-as-vincent-van-gogh-in-the-asylum-at-arles | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570868.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808152744-20220808182744-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.924501 | 571 | 1.648438 | 2 |
| Izah Azahari |
SOCIAL issues remain as one of the main concerns as the nation moves towards realising the Brunei Vision 2035, particularly so with the ongoing modernisation and development of the country. To address this, the National Social Issues Council has rolled out a number of policies and action plans.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman noted this in her speech yesterday during the official opening of the Social Issues Seminar at the Goldstone Ballroom of the Centrepoint Hotel in Gadong.
The council has identified 11 social issues that exist in Brunei. To address these issues, committees have been/are being established, among them are the Special Committee for Issues of Poverty; Special Committee for Issues of Women and Family Institution; Special Committee for Issues of Senior Citizens and Special Needs People; Special Committee for Social Mentality; Special Committee for Immoral Acts; and Special Committee for Crime (Prevention).
With this, a number of action plans have been approved and are currently being implemented, and in place are 43 strategic moves being taken by the each special committee. Meanwhile, issues of dilapidated houses, unemployment and social security are being dealt with by other government agencies.
“Efforts to control social issues require concerted actions from all parties concerned,” she said, adding, “All parties should work together and cooperate not only in efforts associated with treatment, but also in programmes relating to prevention.”
The deputy minister stressed on the fact that social issues are unavoidable, thus making it crucial that we face the matter by strengthening and stabilising family institutions with practices based on Bruneian values of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB). | <urn:uuid:29aa0bb4-87fb-4862-8252-294852c30c3a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://borneobulletin.com.bn/policies-action-plans-iron-social-issues/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281419.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00486-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949421 | 358 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Your Property Tax Home Appraisal Online Guide
"The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward."
- John Maynard Keynes, economist
"The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality." - Andrew Jackson
Many properties are over-assessed and over paying in property taxes. Yours might be as well. When properties are not reappraised on a regular basis, values get distorted resulting in homeowners of similar properties paying significantly different property taxes.
Your local government uses a mass appraisal process to value a large range of properties. They obtain valuation quickly and usually inefficiently. While cost effective to the tax collection authority, it is not fair to a large portion of homeowners. Often previous house tax assessment information is erroneous rolled over into the next year.
Why Do I Need a Helping Hand Preparing for a Property Tax Appeal?
Most people don't appeal their house tax assessment because they don't know how. Because over 95% of people have no idea how to determine if they are being overcharged, taxes remain unchallenged. It's not taught in our schools, not learned in college. And, if no one is going to show you what to expect and how to do it, it can be mighty irksome, intimidating and confusing. Our aim is to demystify this process, make it easy to understand and to put you in control of your property taxes. Once you own this book, the guesswork of reducing your property tax will end.
You'll be hard pressed to find a book on this subject or of this caliber in a library or bookstore. We have browsed the shelves of Brentanos, Walden Books, Barnes & Noble, etc. and found nothing available to the public. We found most college libraries' shelves bare because of stolen or "missing" home appraisal texts. The few books that are in print are not geared for implementing action for the tax-abused victim.
First Class House Tax Reduction Information
We will teach you about the house tax assessment and how it relates to market price. With the aid of this book you can accurately determine the correct house tax assessment for your home. Use our easy-to-use forms to champion a successful property tax appeal.
This is why you would want this incredible book:
4 Make the appeal process understandable and under your control.
4 Show you how to prepare for an appeal and what to adjust for in scrutinizing land value and residential property value.
4 Show you what specific information to gather and where and how to get it.
4 Supply the necessary forms for you to use in order to make an accurate and favorable impression.
4 Suggest to you what to say and what not to say to the tax authorities before whom you are appealing.
Provide a proven format to make your presentation appear top notch.
First impressions count!
What Amount of Property Tax Savings Are We Talking About?People that appeal their property tax and win are never disappointed. Did you know that a recent average property tax appeal settlement in Washington D.C. was $1,273 saved per year? In Colorado it was $1,513. Other states are similar. Just think:
4$1,500 yearly tax savings in 10 yrs. @ 8% interest = $23,468
4 a nominal $500 yearly tax savings in 10 yrs. @ 8% interest = $7,823
4 a paltry $200 yearly tax savings in 10 yrs. @ 8% interest = $3,129
Progressive corporations, shopping centers, and businesses of all types routinely appeal their property tax. Shouldn't you also know if your home tax assessment is unfair? There may be a good chance your home value is out of line with the house tax assessment. Championing a property tax appeal serves to bring about an equalization of value between your property and those within your tax district. The property tax appeal is the means to ensure that fairness, not over payment, just contribution, not arbitrary assessment, result.
From a study in New York, NYPIRG (the Washington based Tax Reform Research Group publication People & Taxes) concluded that about half of the residential neighborhoods were assessed too high. "A (New York) city homeowner who should pay a $1,000 tax bill had an equally good chance of paying $530 or $1,470 instead," People & Taxes reported.
As mentioned previously, in Colorado, for instance, the average tax appeal resulted in a $1,513 savings to 29,586 people appealing their property tax (in a recent Annual Report submitted by the Colorado Department of Taxation on page 11). According to another Annual Report to Hawaii Department of Taxation's on page 10, the average appeal was settled for $19,264 in the taxpayers favor. Mind you, this is a savings to them every year! Property home value may be extra-expensive in Tom Selecks' Hawaii, nevertheless, if you decide not to appeal your property tax, what could that decision be costing you? If your property tax savings were $1,500 and each year you placed them in an IRA account yielding 8% interest for ten years, what would your results be? Could there be a treasure chest in the form of a property tax appeal buried in your back yard?
Property Tax Savings + Compound Interest Could Be Put In Your Purse or Wallet or in the Bond Market
year yearly saving saving plus interest year yearly savings savings plus interest year l $1,500 $1,620 year 6 $1,500 $11,884 year 2 $1,500 $3,696 year 7 $1,500 $14,455 year 3 $1,500 $5,259 year 8 $1,500 $17,231 year 4 $1,500 $7,299 year 9 $1,500 $20,230 year 5 $1,500 $9,504 year 10 $1,500 $23,468
The graph shows that in ten years one would have saved $23,468 with an average $1,500 tax appeal reduction. How much extra are you giving away because of an improper house tax assessment?
4$1,500 yearly tax savings in 10 yrs. @ 8% interest = $23,468
4 a nominal $500 yearly tax savings in 10 yrs. @ 8% interest = $7,823
4 a paltry $200 yearly tax savings in 10 yrs. @ 8% interest = $3,129"I'm proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." - Arthur Godfrey
Some Home Appraisal Valuation Areas Covered in This BookThis book shows how to value conventionally-built homes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, waterfront houses, shore homes, log homes, condominiums and co-ops. Mansions, house boats and historic homes are the only categories of homes not addressed in this book.
Price/Gross Living space, Sales or Financing Concessions, Date of Sale adjustments, Locational adjustments, Types of Lots corrections, Leasehold/Fee Simple, Site adjustments, Land Valuation Tables, Slope, Additional Site Criteria, Environmental Factors, Toxic and Environmental Contaminants, View, Design and Appeal, Various House Descriptions Categories, Quality of Construction adjustments, Age of house adjustments, Condition of house adjustments, Check List of Repair Items, Above Grade Room Count, Gross Living Area adjustments, Basement and Finished Rooms Below Grade, Functional Utility, Minimum Standards for Room Size, Heating and Cooling, Special Energy-Efficient Items, Garage/Carport, Porches, Patio, Deck, Fireplaces(s), Etc., Fence, Pool, Etc., Net Adjustments, Adjusted Sales Price of Comparables and the Final Indicated Value of Subject explained in full. We make it easy to understand and for you to plug in the right figures.
Location of the building, type of lot, shape, slope and view has much to do with its valuation. Off-site or on-site environmental considerations such as water pollution, nitrates, PCP's, oil storage tanks, asbestos, lead paint, lead solder used for household drinking water, urea foam, electromagnetic radiation contamination from nearby transformers or high tension wires, radon, noise, odors, traffic patterns are well covered. Areas of flood zones, seismic activity and fire prone regions are addressed.
Every different quality of construction, whether a low-quality to a very good quality of construction, is addressed and scrutinized for tax reduction consideration. Valuation on estimating depreciation for a shed, a deck or any other structure is covered and clarified by simple, easy-to-apply examples.
Often a structure or part of a building is deteriorating or needs replacement in the near future. The effective age of a building may differ from the actual age of a building. A deck, roof or driveway that is aging provides immediate reductions in value. An easy-to-understand effective age depreciation procedure for any building, roof, driveway or any structure is provided.
Hundreds of easy-to-understand examples are given. Also learn seldom used but effective props to embellish your presentation. Learn select reliable techniques to reinforce the final market value calculation for your home. You need not to know it all, just what applies to you.
Other Home Value Issues You May Want to Consider when Appealing Property Taxes.With the new Real Estate Disclosure Laws, all aspects of any property come into full view and scrutiny at the time of sale. A knowledgeable buyer will discount any negative areas and offer you less money for your house; that's your house's fair market value. It would be foolish to overpay your property tax by not taking your properties liabilities into consideration.
You will be reminded of every area to take advantage of in the various house tax reduction categories open to appeal using this book. We upgrade PROPERTY TAX APPEALS: HOW TO WIN YOUR CASE. How to Determine the Market Value of Residential Property with additional information as it becomes available for FREE."Tax reform means, ‘Don't tax you, don't tax me. Tax that fellow behind the tree." - Lussell Long, U.S. Senator
House Tax Reduction Advice from Leading Property Tax Experts.
We include advice from leading experts. Authoritative footnotes are referenced to underscore principles used by experts. Once you apply the rules to the categories in which your home qualifies you have an iron-clad case for a property tax appeal. With the shared advice from leading experts PROPERTY TAX APPEALS: HOW TO WIN YOUR CASE. How to Determine the Market Value of Residential Property will give you an edge few have.
Unlike your federal income tax where you need to buy the current Federal Income Tax guide book or tax program every year (if you use the long form), you need to purchase only one guide book to stay on top of your property tax situation. The rules and techniques house tax reduction and land tax reduction do not change from year to year; this is the only text you will ever need.
"Taxation without representation is tyranny." - attributed to James Ohs
"Taxation with representation ain't so hot either." - Gerald Barzan
Why Should You Order This House Tax Reduction Book?4 You'll know what crucial items the tax assessor will not inform you about
4 Your house tax assessment is based on a fraction of market value. You'll learn exactly how your house tax assessment relates to market value!
4 You'll understand an accurate and simple calculation technique to convert your house tax assessment to market value.
4 You'll be provided everything from A to Z in simple language to enable you to complete a winnable, defensible market analysis.
4 Learn whether environmental issues such as radon, water quality, air quality, lead solder, proximity of high EMF transformers or wires, flood zone etc. lower the value of your home.
4 Bypass expensive appraisers, property tax consultants and lawyers
4 Be provided complete home appraisal valuation forms using a time proven approach.
4 Find the property tax appeal process simplified with a fill-in-the-blank routine
4 Be shown 13 different pieces of information that, as attachments to your home appraisal analysis, will pay off.
4 Uncover any of 56 possible home tax assessment mistakes that you may find on your property record card
4 Be provided with home appraisal valuation techniques for conventionally-built homes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, lakefront and shore homes, log homes and condos.
4 Receive hundreds of easy-to-understand examples with simple step-by-step illustrations.
4 Learn how to adjust for varying types of home construction qualities.
4 Understand how to validate and account for various degrees of depreciation, dilapidation, wear and tear for any type of structure.
4 Be taught easy-to-learn methods with accepted home appraisal practices which are authoritatively footnoted by leading valuation experts.
4 Learn minimum standards for room size that indicate adjustments in your favor
4 Be shown winning strategies, reliable payoff techniques.
4 Bonus forms that cause a favorable impression available for free.
Do You Want to Win Your Property Tax Appeal?Purchase PROPERTY TAX APPEALS: HOW TO WIN YOUR CASE. How to Determine the Market Value of Residential Property and if you have a case - and win - you'll have the satisfaction of turning over a hidden asset that will save you money over and over again, year after year. The filing date to register your property tax appeal is growing closer; the odds to win can be in your favor with this book. Are you in that 60% over-assessed category? Do not be hoodwinked any longer. This book will lead you by the hand. It will show you precisely what to do without the huge time investment and learning curve.
This invaluable book can be yours Submit your order today.
FREE SPECIAL OFFER: Free: professional appearing forms that will gain an advantage. Free extra Residential Market Analysis Forms. Free Subject Photographic Addendum Forms. Free Comparative Photographic Addendum Forms.
Have the perspectives and observations of leading home valuation experts at your disposal. PROPERTY TAX APPEALS: HOW TO WIN YOUR CASE. How to Determine the Market Value of Residential Property will show you how to maximize your win. Become a smart, independent, prudent homeowner... click here to order. Don't delay... Order Securely right now.
"It is a national outrage that in an age of computer technology, most governments fail to administer property taxes fairly.... the average taxpayer in most states still is at the mercy of inexpert local officials, arbitrary bureaucracies and privileged interests. Antiquated administrative practices and insufficient commitment of resources prevent even responsible officials from protecting the public interest." -Senator Edmund S. Muskie | <urn:uuid:75cda7d2-1c0b-45c5-8cc8-e8101fda69c3> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://propertytaxax.com/reasonstoappeal.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00256-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935035 | 3,075 | 1.585938 | 2 |
You have always wondered if you can put baker’s yeast into your septic system. The answer is YES. But experts say that you really don’t have to do this to improve your septic system’s performance. Rather than using harsh chemicals. Yeast can be a very helpful aid in maintaining your septic system.
Baker’s yeast is a type of bacteria that doesn’t need oxygen to survive. This is why it’s ideal to place in septic tanks. It helps in efficiently breaking down the starches, which are part of the solid wastes that reach the septic tank.
Baker’s yeast is very helpful in degrading complex waste materials into much simpler components. It accelerated the decomposition of the solid wastes present in the wastewater. But if you’re thinking to use it to eliminate the clogs in the system, better change tactics because baker’s yeast cannot do that. It also cannot replace pumping out to eliminate the accumulated sludge.
Adding yeast into your septic tank with the hope that you will never need to maintain it for as long as it exists, is not the way to care for your system. It is just one of the biological additives that could help improve the breakdown of the solid wastes but not exempt you from your duties as a septic system owner. If you are decided to try and add baker’s yeast, here are some steps that you could follow:
1. How water should be run into your drain. The temperature should be warm and not piping hot.
2. Pour about three cups of lukewarm or tepid water into a bowl.
3. Place four and a half teaspoons or about two packets of baker’s yeast into the bowl of water and stir it with a wooden spoon.
4. Add 2 cups sugar and 2 cups cornmeal into the yeast mixture and stir well.
5. Cover the mixture with a small towel and place in a warm area. Wait for the mixture to froth.
6. Pour out the mixture into a toilet that is nearest to the septic tank.
7. Flush the toilet two times.
This process should be repeated every 3 to 6 months. Frequency depends on how much human waste your household produces. After flushing the yeast mixture into the septic system, refrain from using the system for at least two hours to allow the yeast to take action. It can be quite inconvenient as you wait for the yeast to work but you should understand that the activity in the septic tank needs time to accelerate at the pace of the microorganisms that you just added.
You are not obligated to add in baker’s yeast into your septic system. This is just something that you can do to aid the performance of the anaerobic bacteria that is already present in the tank. Take note that even if you do treat your septic system with baker’s yeast, you still have to step forward and maintain the septic system as a responsible homeowner.
Like other additives, using too much baker’s yeast in maintaining your system is also harmful. The frothing action that happens once you activate the yeast gives a profound change in activity inside the tank. To the naked eye, it might be nothing but at a microscopic level, everything is hyped up and this may cause the unsettling of the solid wastes into the bottom of the tank. If the solid particles do not settle, they may not be degraded by the anaerobic bacteria. So just keep the yeast treatment at a moderate level. As usual, anything in excess can be bad.
Be a responsible homeowner and do your best in maintaining and caring for your septic system. Do not let fads and beliefs set how you should treat your system. If you are unsure of adding baker’s yeast, talk to a septic professional so that you may be properly guided about biological additives and your septic system. While yeast may help a little, nothing can take the place of a professional septic tank treatment additive to break down waste and sludge, to keep your septic tank system sparkling clean. | <urn:uuid:66634b45-e8c4-4162-aef2-e2ae2e55a015> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://septictankcare.net/tag/yeast-in-septic-systems/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00192-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947154 | 850 | 2.765625 | 3 |
This white mineral is found in prismatic crystals. It is said to have the energy of the sublime and to activate and clear the heart chakra. It is said to enliven the holder and create a happy attitude. Valentinite is said to bring love and to sustain loving relationships, allowing further bonding. It is used to assist with meditation and to inspire time to practice it. This stone is believed to allow a psychic connection with those we love.
This red, orange, yellow, or brown mineral is found in globular masses, hollow prismatic crystals, and barrel shaped crystals. It is said to assist the mental process and to provide a bridge between intelligence and thought. During meditation, vanadinite is said to bring a deep sense of emptiness and inner peace. It is also believed to enhance the psychic abilities. This mineral is sad to bring order to life and to allow greater definition of goals.
This blue mineral is found in radial aggregates and tabular crystals. It is used in the settling of arguments and is said to smooth irritable characters, annoying attitudes, and emotional trauma. Vauxite allows one to overlook annoyances and to be unaffected by them in life. This mineral is said to discourage others from putting their troubles onto the holder and enables a feeling of freedom. It is said to stimulate the third eye and give rise to psychic visions.
This green mineral is occasionally mottled with yellow, red, white, or lighter green. It is similar to serpentine. It is used to gain access to ancient information and to make connections with the spirit plane. It is believed to increase fortitude and consistency, allowing a reliable reputation in the physical realm. It is believed that verdite is stimulating to the Kundalini energy and also works to dispel abrasiveness of character.
This green to blue mineral is found in granular aggregations and prismatic crystals. It is used to release one from trivial matters and can work to provide harmony to sexuality and emotions. Verzelyite is believed to work well in acting careers and promotes the ability of mathematicians. It is said to bring a truthfulness to situations and allows a desire for correctness. It is believed that verzelyite is able to allow fluent expression of the self and to encourage detailed recounting of visions and dreams.
This blue, green, or colourless mineral is found in prismatic crystals, stellate crystals, incrustations, fibres, and globules. It is said to provide for love and inspiration and allows a glowing energy to life. Vivianite is said to bring wisdom regarding to crop circles including the symbolic meaning and the methods of creation. It is said to promote the setting of personal targets and the energy to achieve them. It is said to grant an optimism and a strong attitude towards obstacles. | <urn:uuid:b560ac9f-06d0-4e67-99f7-d29c94f10875> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://rowanblaircolver.weebly.com/crystal-lore/category/v | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571190.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810131127-20220810161127-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.946328 | 598 | 1.625 | 2 |
Born on June 7, 1848 in Paris, France, Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. Gauguin’s father was a French journalist and his mother was Peruvian. The family left Paris in 1851 for Peru, however Gauguin’s father Clovis, died on the voyage over. Gauguin’s early life experiences in Peru would later have a great influence on the imagery in his paintings. At the age of seven, the family returned to Orléans, France to live with Gauguin’s grandfather.
Though Gauguin had been interested in art since childhood, he held several jobs before turning to painting full-time, including fulfilling his required military service as a pilot’s assistant in the merchant marine. Gauguin also joined the navy, held a job as a stock broker, a sales representative for a canvas manufacturer, and other odd jobs that sustained his painting career.
In 1873, Gauguin married Mette Sophie Gad, a Danish woman with whom he had five children. In his free time, he began painting and became friends with Camille Pissarro and met other artists including Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh. Gauguin received little formal artistic training, though he was tutored by some of the professionals in his community.
As he became more involved with his art, Gauguin rented a studio, and showed paintings in Impressionist exhibitions in 1881 and 1882. In 1885, with a growing desire to paint full-time, Gauguin left both his job as a stock broker, and his wife and children in Copenhagen, and returned to Paris.
In 1886, Gauguin began his lifelong migration between regions of French Polynesia and Paris often surviving on little or no money. Disappointed with Impressionism and influenced by folk art and Japanese prints, Gauguin evolved towards Cloisonnism and then Synthetism and Primitavism. Gauguin is considered to be the first artist to achieve broad success using the Primitive technique.
In the autumn of 1888, Gauguin traveled to Arles France where he stayed with Vincent van Gogh for two months, working together and discussing artistic theories. The tension between the artists grew and they quarreled often. Van Gogh was vulnerable and hyper-sensitive, and a bullying and egocentric Gauguin often threatened to leave. It was during this time that van Gogh lost a portion of his left ear though whether Gauguin was directly involved in this incident in still debated to this day.
From 1891-93, Gauguin lived in Tahiti where he spent considerable time working on his sculpture and woodcuts. In 1893, he returned to France where he prepared for his exhibition at Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris which was not considered to be a success.
Gauguin returned to Tahiti in 1895 : “it was a period of intense creativity, during which he painted and sculpted a great deal and seemed to go further in his metaphysical questioning, obsessed by the thought of death”. In April of 1897, he learned of the death of his daughter Aline, to whom he was deeply attached. “Gauguin tried unsuccessfully to kill himself by taking arsenic. Physically and morally shaken, he took an office job in Papeete, which allowed him to earn a living for a while. He seemed to become detached from his own work. When Maurice Denis wrote to him asking if he would participate in an exhibition of the Nabis in Paris, he replied in June 1899 ‘I no longer paint except on Sundays and holidays’.”
Gauguin’s paintings significantly influenced Modern art movements including Fauvism, Cubism and Orphism, and such artists as Matisse, Picasso, and Braque. Gauguin also created two- and three-dimensional sculptures and functional objects ranging from portrait busts and architectural reliefs to objects such as vases, knife handles, and wine casks. He was also an influential supporter of wood engraving and woodcuts as art forms.
In the last years of his life, Gauguin succumbed to various illnesses, including syphilis. He died on May 8, 1903 and remains buried at Calvary Cemetery – Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. | <urn:uuid:dcbc3b04-84d0-4094-a782-6ae77df91615> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.dailyartfixx.com/2016/06/07/paul-gauguin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281331.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00224-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987658 | 913 | 3.40625 | 3 |
There are many situations in life that at first seem as if they are bad for us, but eventually we look back and see how we benefited from what happened. A basic Torah principle is that everything that happens is ultimately for our good (Talmud - Brachot 60b).
Since you would not get angry at someone who helped you, do not get angry at others who "harmed you" -- as it is premature to make a judgment that this person has actually harmed you in the long run.
(Erech Apayim, p.93; Rabbi Pliskin's Gateway to Happiness, p.202)
We're human. We need food. We need meaning and connection. And we most definitely need encouragement.
Now, in this wise and charming new volume, we learn how to effectively use the massive power of encouragement,
to encourage ourselves and others, particularly when we feel overwhelmed or depleted.
In Encouragement, Rabbi Pliskin shares meditations and affirmations, inspirational true stories, and his trademark
wise, practical advice. He shows us how our words can help others - and ourselves -- become more confident,
optimistic, and upbeat people.
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is the author of 25 books with his specialty in mastering happiness and other positive inner resources.
His last 15 books include such titles as: "Taking Action", "Happiness", "Kindness", "Courage", "Serenity", "Building Your Self-image" "Conversations with
Yourself" and "Marriage." These books are available at: Artscroll.com.
Give Tzedakah!Help Aish.com create inspiring articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom. | <urn:uuid:57cbf698-7522-4dc1-84d0-ee1377e99cfc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.aish.com/sp/dl/46122537.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00355-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943472 | 357 | 2.1875 | 2 |
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In “The Invisible Workforce: Death, discrimination and despair in N.J.’s temp industry,” NJ Advance Media reporter Kelly Heyboer investigated conditions facing temp workers in New Jersey, which now has one of the largest concentrations of temp workers in the nation. She reports that growing demand for temp workers has led to the proliferation of “temp towns” — places with dozens of temp agencies and neighborhoods full of temp workers, many of whom report low pay, wage theft, racial and sexual discrimination, and unsafe workplaces.
The temp agencies in New Brunswick are easy to spot. They are the businesses lit before dawn year-round. Inside, there are rows of men and women sitting in folding chairs. Some look anxious. All look weary.
They are waiting for their names to be called for a job for the day. The stakes are high. If their names are not called, they don’t get paid. If they don’t get paid too many days in a row, they can’t pay their rent and they can’t buy food.
Some are lucky to score “perma-temp” positions, assigned to the same warehouse or factory every day for years. Others sit in the agencies daily, waiting for short-term assignments.
Reynalda Cruz said she spent nearly two decades working on and off for On Target, Delta, Olympus and a long list of other local temp agencies in her New Brunswick neighborhood.
Over the years, she packed flowers, boxed up candies, sorted packages, worked on an assembly line at a pharmaceutical company and did other jobs at a series of warehouses across Central Jersey.
If she complained that the agency vans were overcrowded or the warehouses were unheated, or questioned whether the chemicals she was breathing were dangerous, Cruz said she usually heard the same answer.
“All the jobs are the same. They say, ‘You don’t want it? There’s someone else,'” said Cruz. Frustrated with the treatment she received daily, she left temp work a few years ago to become a community organizer with New Labor, the worker advocacy organization in New Brunswick.
Read the entire investigation here.
In other news:
Journal-Patriot: Kaitlin Dunn reports that workers’ rights advocates are calling on officials in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, to demand that poultry processor Tyson Foods treat its workers better before the city invests money to facilitate the company’s expansion. Among its recommendations, the Western North Carolina Workers Center called on city council members to require Tyson to comply with all health and safety laws, refrain from punishing employees for taking sick leave, and provide adequate medical care to workers injured on the job. The article noted that OSHA recently fined Tyson more than $250,000 for repeat injury reporting violations.
Sacramento Bee: David Siders and Jeremy White report that earlier this month, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation giving farmworkers the same right to overtime pay as other workers in the state. The new law will raise overtime wages for workers incrementally, eventually providing time-and-a-half pay for more than eight hours in a day or more than 40 hours a week. Farmworkers currently have to work more than 10 hours in a day or more than 60 hours a week to earn overtime. Advocates are hailing the signing as historic, while opponents — not surprisingly — are predicting dire consequences for employers and workers. Siders and White write: “The bill’s enactment marked a major victory for the United Farm Workers union – and a setback for industry interests – six years after Brown’s predecessor, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed a similar bill.”
Reuters: David Bailey reports that two former Wells Fargo employees have filed a class-action suit in California on behalf of workers who attempted to meet sales quotes without engaging in fraud and were then demoted or fired. Previously, Wells Fargo fired thousands of workers for opening millions of fraudulent customer accounts to meet aggressive quotes — actions that financially benefited executives at the top. Bailey writes: “Employees with a conscience who tried to meet quotas without engaging in fraud were the biggest victims, losing wages, benefits and suffering anxiety, humiliation and embarrassment, the lawsuit said.”
Reveal: Shoshana Walter reports on sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking in California’s “Emerald Triangle,” a cluster of remote counties in the northern part of the state that’s home to the country’s largest marijuana-growing industry. The investigative article found dozens of accounts of sexual abuse and assault, with victims’ advocates reporting that the problem is far worse and growing. For example, Walter reports on college students who worked trimming marijuana plants (workers referred to as trimmigrants) who were forced to perform sexual acts on their employers, while one worker was locked in a box with breathing holes after she threatened to run away. She writes: “The number of trimmigrants who go missing alone is overwhelming for law enforcement, fueling an epidemic of the lost. In 2015, Humboldt County reported 352 missing people, more per capita than any other county in the state. When an artist from San Francisco disappeared in the Humboldt County town of Garberville last harvest season, her mother and roommate filed a missing persons report. Months later, she resurfaced to tell her family she had been held against her will on a marijuana farm, drugged and sexually abused. She never formally reported her abuse.”
Kim Krisberg is a freelance public health writer living in Austin, Texas, and has been writing about public health for nearly 15 years. | <urn:uuid:2828458d-4fc5-43cb-b4b9-d0ec6ac59748> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thepumphandle.org/2016/09/27/occupational-health-news-roundup-230/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.964382 | 1,178 | 1.851563 | 2 |
The Top Anti-Aging Skin Treatment Products
Skincare is definitely the wide variety of techniques that service body health and wellbeing, enhance its physical appearance and relieve skin disorders. They can incorporate suitable use of skin lotions, avoidance of excessive sunlight lighting and also over-being exposed to the dangerous sun nutrients and radiations. Additionally, it involves health and surgery therapy for skin disorders. Healthy skin care also encompasses protection against skin illness and earlier detection of skin conditions. The makeup industry also employs skin-care to reinforce the appearance of stars, other and products popular people.
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ACT public servants will be able to bill their business related Uber trips to taxpayers with federal departments also considering similar provisions.
The move would allow departments to reduce their annual CabCharge bills that cost one federal department more than $4 million last year.
On Wednesday, the ACT government announced planned changes to regulation to allow ride-sharing businesses to operate from next month. Uber said 3500 people had registered to drive.
The company is yet to say when it will begin offering rides in Canberra, but it is expected to be close to October 30.
An ACT government spokesman said the public service was determined to ensure the best use of public funds and staff would be able to charge Uber fares to their departments.
"The introduction of regulated ride-sharing will be an additional travel option added to the range currently available for ACT government staff," he said.
The Australian Taxation Office has refused to rule out using Uber after paying nearly $4 million for taxis for staff in the past year.
The ATO, which has paid $11.5 million in taxi fares for its employees in the past three financial years, says it is exploring "alternative and emerging modes of transport" as it strives to save money.
"The ATO currently does not include 'ride-sharing providers' as part of our official travel arrangements," a spokesman said.
Senator David Leyonhjelm said politicians and federal public servants could save taxpayers money by claiming Uber rides, which are in most cases cheaper than taxi fares.
Mr Leyonhjelm said he was surprised the ACT government had shown leadership on ride-sharing reforms although other states and territories should take note.
"It's a bit unusual for the ACT to be ahead of the pack as they are generally a bit backward in my opinion with a tendency towards nanny state policies, like we saw with banning certain advertisements on buses last week," he said.
"Their approach has been refreshing and basically acknowledges people have a choice and Uber is popular with consumers, although they have also acknowledged that taxis have an investment in their cabs"
Mr Leyonhjelm said the process of claiming Uber expenses could be streamlined to encourage politicians and public servants to seek cheaper modes of transport.
"If there was some sort of autocharge for Uber then I think a lot of us would use it and it could say money for taxpayers," he said.
While the ACT government's regulation of ride-sharing services has been welcomed by consumer groups, the taxi industry has continued to describe it as flawed and rushed.
"The ACT Government had the opportunity to show real leadership on this issue but instead they failed to work up comprehensive solutions with key stakeholders," said Australian Taxi Industry Association chief executive Blair Davies.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Roy Wakelin-King said the regulations would do little to level the playing field for taxi drivers and owners.
"The measures announced today seek to allow ride-sharing services to compete with taxis by lowering the standards for everyone," he said.
"History shows us there is a need for stringent regulatory frameworks to avoid a 'race to the bottom' for transport standards."
Mr Leyonhjelm said further competition was needed in the transport industry and he hoped new competitors to Uber would soon emerge. | <urn:uuid:200a3874-3d1d-43b5-a3e1-4a337539cf5f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/public-servants-set-for-uber-ride-sharing-in-canberra-20151001-gjz0cl.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00431-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981265 | 669 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Organizational Structure of Philanjalo in Tugela Ferry
The Yale program in Tugela Ferry, KwaZuluNatal, has been situated within the AIDS Program in the Section of Infectious Diseases and the Department of Medicine Office of Global Health. The Yale associated Tugela Ferry Care and Research Collaboration (TFCARES) was organized in 2006 and is currently incorporated as an umbrella organization supporting efforts in KwaZuluNatal directed at confronting the entwined epidemics of HIV and drug susceptible and resistant TB. Participating institutions include the Yale School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Philanjalo (a local HIV and TB oriented NGO), the KwaZuluNatal Department of Health, the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine and the University of KwaZuluNatal. As an international collaboration of healthcare professionals and researchers, Yale and TFCARES is committed to clinically relevant, ethical research, educational capacity building and high-quality, compassionate and comprehensive care and treatment for adults and children with and at risk for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Philanjalo, the primary local South African partner, serves as host organization for clinical and research activities and for all visitors. Philanjalo has developed and operates a 32-bed inpatient step-down facility for care of HIV and TB patients, supplies community based HIV and TB focused health care services, and employs all staff associated with research endeavors. Through the collaboration with Philanjalo, COSH and the provincial KwaZuluNatal government, Yale and TF CARES has provided senior and junior faculty, medicine and pediatric residents through the Johnson and Johnson Scholars Program, medical students through the School of Medicine and nurse midwife students through the School of Nursing.
The clinical care, educational, research, capacity building and technical assistance activities have been funded by charitable foundations and government agencies including, The Irene Diamond Fund, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Johnson and Johnson Foundation, The Gilead Foundation, The KwaZuluNatal Department of Health, PEPFAR (through Columbia University ICAP), the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Since initiating HIV and TB integration and the identifying of XDR TB in Tugela Ferry in 2005, Yale and TF CARES have made substantial progress in improving and strengthening TB and HIV care and in confronting the intertwined epidemics. But the challenges are great and remain to be met.
Clinical Care in Tugela Ferry is focused on the 350-bed Church of Scotland District Hospital (COSH), a rural government district-level 350-bed hospital, typical of many in rural Sub-Saharan Africa, The hospital, combined with the 15 outlying outpatient clinics, and clinical services provided by Philanjalo, the local South African NGO, forms the backbone of care for the 180,000 traditional and impoverished Zulu people who live in the beautiful Msinga area of KwaZulu Natal, 2 and ½ hours from the city of Durban. COSH inpatient services consist of male and female adult medicine and TB wards, pediatric, surgical and psychiatric and OB/GYN wards. Outpatient services consist of a modern HIV/antiretroviral (ARV) clinic and a TB DOTS program. Philanjalo’s step-down inpatient unit, a nearby specialized program and hospital dedicated to treating drug resistant TB, as well as an active community based home care program are all part of the clinical facilities and services the patients rely on. COSH medical staff consists of ~ 8-12 doctors all of whom are generalists and many, superb clinicians, teachers and extraordinary role models. The doctors who staff the hospital, along with hospital and clinic nurses serve as the primary health care for the people of the area.
The COSH ARV clinic was the first site providing antiretroviral therapy in the public sector in KwaZuluNatal province and has initiated treatment for more than 10,000 adults and children since 2004. Yale/Stanford J&J Global Health Scholars, representing institutions throughout the U.S., work in the adult and pediatric ARV clinic, casualty department, step down inpatient unit and TB and general hospital wards. For those interested in clinical work in Tugela Ferry, it is critical to appreciate that the South African medical organizations are very strict and clinicians must obtain a South African temporary license. Registration takes a long time, so submission of licensing forms is required no less than 6 months in advance of visiting and working in Tugela Ferry. The staff of the clinic, assisted by the efforts of the Johnson & Johnson scholars, actively manage all aspects of HIV care, including opportunistic infections (particularly TB), ARV initiation, and complications of therapy. Started in 2001, the Philanjalo step-down inpatient unit augmented the Philanjalo Home Based Care model in use from 1999. Prior to the national ARV rollout in 2004, the unit’s primary mission was to supply end-of-life care. Since the rollout, it has served as a step-down for patients who are too sick to return home, but not sufficiently ill to require hospital services. Often their patients are in the process of initiating ARV or TB medications and require education or observation prior to being discharged home. The Philanjalo Clinical Manager, rounds on the unit several times per week, often joined by the J&J scholars or other visiting physicians.
TFCARES has also played a key role in supplying technical assistance, enabling the development and implementation of the district decentralized Community Based Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB Treatment Program at nearby Greytown Specialized TB Hospital. This weekly clinic supplies follow-up to the ~200 patients in the district currently at various stages of treatment for MDR TB, most of which is provided at home with daily visiting nurses and other staff. The model is innovative and avoids lengthy hospitalization distant from homesteads and contrasts with other provinces that have often required forced detention for the duration of the patient's 24 months of care. The model emphasizes respect of the patient, and tries to balance their needs and well-being along with public health needs of the community.
Educational Opportunities in Tugela Ferry, South AfricaMultiple educational activities are available through the Yale and TFCARES programs on site in Tugela Ferry. For residents, J&J Scholars learn through a combination of hands-on clinical work and organized activities. Most generally work in the antiretroviral (ARV) clinic for the duration of their rotation. Residents work side-by-side with experienced clinicians who are immediately available to answer questions. A doctors meeting is held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and consists of informal educational exchange in a morning report style conference, where clinical case discussion and/or didactics take place. All doctors attend, so it is the main venue for administrative matters as well. Each Scholar is expected to prepare and present one formal talk during the stay in Tugela Ferry. The primary role of the visiting J&J scholars is clinical care. The bulk of the six week rotation time is filled with patient care and education although it is possible to learn about the research activities to determine future interest in such activities. Educational materials and internet access are available for use and self motivated learning is encouraged.
Research Opportunities in Tugela Ferry, South Africa
Yale and TFCARES research studies focus on the integration of HIV and TB care and treatment and have demonstrated the benefit of this strategy, as well defining and creating and testing innovative strategies to confront the convergent epidemics of TB, HIV and drug resistant TB. We provided the initial description as well as the most comprehensive clinical and epidemiologic characterization of XDR TB to date, including studies of transmission in hospital and community settings and clinical outcomes. We have performed studies of new TB diagnostic tests and strategies among adults and children and developed new community based strategies to treat MDR TB and to identify HIV and drug susceptible and resistant TB earlier in the course of disease through intensive case finding (ICF). In addition, we work collaboratively with basic and translational scientists at US and South African universities, to determine epidemiologic, mycobacterial and host immunologic factors impacting on disease transmission, incidence, prevalence, course and outcomes.
The research programs and staff are generally separate from staff providing clinical care and services. Students, and post graduate trainees and faculty interested in research activities are welcome and encouraged. Because of the nature of the research process, we expect a long duration of commitment to research projects.
Through rigorous on the ground and collaborative studies, we endeavor to provide new scientific and clinical knowledge and the evidence base for sound clinical and public health policies and practices directed against TB, HIV/AIDS and drug resistant TB. We have made numerous invited and submitted presentations at local, national and international meetings in the US, South Africa and other countries. We have published a large number of original research studies and reviews in the peer reviewed medical literature. The evidence provided by these collaborative efforts has resulted in improved health care programs that have been incorporated into provincial, national and international guidelines and health policies regarding HIV and drug susceptible and resistant TB. | <urn:uuid:fa8e0479-15b8-4f52-a58d-1b384198c245> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://medicine.yale.edu/intmed/global/sites/southafrica.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720026.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00456-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9439 | 1,894 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Persians are Iran’s largest ethnic group, but nearly a dozen other ethnicities represent well over a third of the 79 million population. The largest ethnic groups, which are major factors in Iranian politics, are Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Baluchis, and Lors. Others include Turkomen, Qashqai, Mazandarani, Talysh and Gilaki. They hold dozens of seats in the current parliament. Some of the revolution’s biggest names have come from ethnic minorities:
Mir-Hossein Mousavi—a former Prime Minister in the 1980s and a reformist presidential candidate in 2009—is an Azeri. He has been under house arrest since shortly after Green Movement protests erupted to dispute results of an election that his followers believed he had won. He comes from East Azerbaijan province.
Mehdi Karroubi— a former speaker of parliament and another reformist presidential candidate in 2009— is a Lor. He was born in Aligoudarz in western Lorestan.
Mohsen Rezai—former head of the Revolutionary Guards and a 2013 presidential candidate—was born in the Lor region of Khuzestan.
Ali Khamenei— current supreme leader is reportedly half Azeri, although his official bio does not mention any Azeri heritage and says he was born in Mashhad.
Sadeq Mahsouli—former minister of interior from 2008-2009 and minister of social security from 2009 to 2011—is also Azeri. He was born in the Azeri city of Urmia.
Rahim Safavi—former commander of the Revolutionary Guards from 1997 to 2007, is an ethnic Azeri.
cities and provinces,
But Azeris have faced political and cultural discrimination. The U.S. State Department reported that the government prohibited Azeris from speaking their language in schools, harassed Azeri activists, and changed Azeri town names.
Azeris share the same ethnic background with the majority population in neighboring Azerbaijan. These groups were divided in 1828 by the Treaty of Turkmanchai, which gave the northern portion of Azerbaijan to Russia and southern portion to Iran. Azeri involvement in Iran’s government was greatly reduced by the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1925. The Islamic Republic continued to suppress the Azeri population, notably during a brutal 1981 crackdown against an Azeri uprising in Tabriz.
Yet Azeris have played a larger role in the Iranian military and politics than other ethnic minorities. Yahya Rahim Safavi (left) was commander of the Revolutionary Guards—one of the most important military positions in Iran—from 1997 to 2007. Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was prime minister in the 1980s and a reformist presidential candidate in 2009, is Azeri. Sadeq Mahsouli, former minister of interior from 2008 to 2009 and minister of social security from 2009 to 2011, is also an Azeri.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is also believed to be an ethnic Azeri. His grandfather was born in the Azeri village of Khamane, but was raised in Najaf, Iraq. Khamenei’s official website makes no mention of an Azeri heritage.
Azeri nationalism has grown over the last two decades, although most Iranian Azeris are not openly in favor of separation from Iran. Nationalist publications aimed at Iranian Azeris have been on the rise. Many also have access to Turkish satellite television, so their knowledge of Turkey and Azerbaijan has increased. In 1996, Mahmudali Chohraganli—an Azeri nationalist leader—was elected to represent Tabriz in the Iranian parliament. The government did not allow him to take his seat in the parliament and detained him.
In May 2006, large-scale protests erupted in Tehran and northwestern Iran after a state-run newspaper published a cartoon depicting an Azeri as a cockroach. The newspaper was shut down, and the cartoonist and editor were jailed. The Supreme Leader blamed the protests on the West. “Azeris have always bravely defended the Islamic revolution and the sovereignty of this country,” he said.
Azeris mostly live in northwestern Iran, notably in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan. About one-third of Tehran’s population is also reportedly Azeri. Smaller numbers reside in Hamadan, Qazvin and Karaj.
After the 1979 revolution, Iran’s Kurds launched a failed separatist movement to break away from the Islamic Republic. They shifted in recent years to non-violent tactics, although occasional clashes with Iranian security forces continue. Persecution of Kurds who protest government policies has increased since 2000, particularly under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center.
Iranian Kurds also have mixed opinions about the new president. In the 2013 election, Hassan Rouhani promised to improve the status of minority groups, which made him popular among some Kurdish voters and activists. The president of United Kurds in Iran, a political group, urged Kurds to vote in the June 2013 presidential election. Kurdish Member of Parliament Salar Muradi also said, “This election is an opportunity to get Kurdish rights and, if any candidate has solution to Kurdish issues, we will support them.”
But other Kurdish leaders remained unsure about Rouhani’s proposed reforms, and some Kurdish groups boycotted the election. Following the election, Khalid Azizi, secretary general of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, a political group, said the election would not change things for Iranians. “These elections aren’t about human rights or the rights of the Iranian people,” he said. “It is a way for the Iranian regime to come out of its own crisis. People participate only to find a solution for the economic crisis the regime has got them into.”
Most Iranian Kurds reside in the mountainous areas bordering Turkey and Iraq, mainly in the provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah. West Azerbaijan, Hamadan, Ilam, Northern Khorasan, and Lorestan also have Kurdish communities. The majority practice Sunni Islam, although some are Shiites, Sufi, or Jewish.
Jundallah (Soldiers of God)—a Baluchi militant group—was established in 2003 to fight for Sunni Baluchi rights. Jundallah has reportedly organized suicide bombings and small scale attacks. In March 2006, Jundallah ambushed a government convoy, kidnapped eight soldiers, and executed a Revolutionary Guard. It also allegedly kidnapped an Iranian nuclear scientist in September 2010. Jundallah is part of a larger separatist conflict playing out in Baluchi inhabited areas of neighboring Pakistan.
The Iranian government has also cracked down on Baluchi journalists, and human rights activists have faced arbitrary arrest, physical abuse, and unfair trials, according to the U.S. State Department. Three political prisoners were tortured and forced to make confessions on television before being executed in 2012.
Baluchistan is significant to the Iranian government since the region borders Pakistan and is rife with drug smuggling, although the government has struggled to control the area. The Baluchis live in Iran’s arid southeast, which is a poorly developed area with limited access to education, employment, health care, and housing, according to the United Nations. Around ten percent of Baluchis are nomadic or semi-nomadic. The rest live in towns or on farms.
The member of parliament from Abadan, Mohammad Saeed Ansari, has repeatedly complained about high unemployment in the province of Khuzestan, despite the region’s significant oil reserves and its agricultural, ship-building, manufacturing, and petrochemical industries. Only half of those employed by these companies are local Arabs, he said, and less than five percent of the workers in Abadan are actually from the province. Ansari claims that racism towards Arabs has also denied them opportunities to work in local government.
Arabs reside mainly along the border with Iraq in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province. Most are Shiite Muslims. A minority are Sunni, and smaller numbers are Christian and Arabic-speaking Jews. Iranian Arabs fought on the Iranian side during the Iran-Iraq war.
Lors have been less vocal than other ethnic minorities about their plight. But in August 2013, a Lor member of parliament, Mohammad Bozorgvari, reportedly said that unless President Hassan Rouhani’s ministerial nominees paid special attention to his region, he would beat them up with sticks. A representative of Lorestan’s writers union, Ali Sarmian, called Bozorgvari’s remark “irresponsible.” More than a dozen Lors reportedly protested the comment outside parliament. | <urn:uuid:0b1b1368-628a-43e3-a7c5-79d2000685e6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2013/sep/03/iran-minorities-2-ethnic-diversity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279189.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00054-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966496 | 1,792 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Subsets and Splits