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The Centre for Kurdish Studies at the University of Exeter will be holding an inaugural international conference on 2-3 April 2009, on the theme of ‘The Kurds and Kurdistan: Identity, Politics, Culture’. The rapidly-growing area of Kurdish Studies exemplifies not only the tensions between region and discipline which are typical of ‘area studies’ in general, but is also affected by the multiplicity and heterogeneity of Kurdish experiences and identities. Who are the Kurds, what are ‘Kurdish studies’, and where can they lead us as scholars and practitioners? While the Kurds are implicated in many contemporary political developments in the Middle East, epistemological questions in the field of Kurdish Studies itself lie at a crossroads of disciplines and history. What then are the epistemological and political bases for our field?
In this first decade of the 21st century, the Kurds and Kurdistan have attracted attention from media and the international community, accompanied by a proliferation of scholarly attention on this rapidly changing society. With these realities setting the backdrop to our academic pursuits, the aim of the conference is to provide a historical review of the burgeoning field, identify gaps and challenges in contemporary research, and to consider emergent directions for scholarship at this pivotal moment in Kurdish history and society.
A plenary session is planned; we would welcome proposals for individual papers and for panels across the range of disciplines, which address any aspect of Kurdish Studies. The organisers wish to bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including literature, history, political science, linguistics, anthropology, ethnomusicology, religious studies, gender studies, peace and conflict studies, refugee studies, and others.
Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following broad themes:
*Politics and Kurdish national movements
*Gender dynamics in Kurdish society
*The transnationalisation of Kurdish populations and politics
*Ethics and knowledge production of the Kurds
While we have funds in place to pay the costs of some participants, these are limited and priority will be given to those who cannot find funding elsewhere. Participants are strongly advised to seek funding from their own universities or research bodies.
Potential participants are invited to send their proposals by 30th September, 2008, to firstname.lastname@example.org. Individual paper submissions should include the full details of the presenter and an abstract of 300 words (for a twenty-minute presentation). Proposals for entire panels should include at least three papers, a Chair and a suggested discussant. These should be submitted online from mid-September 2008.
Centre of Kurdish Studies,
University of Exeter,
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In a new study, researchers from Imperial College Business School, Columbia University and the University of Maryland found that wealthy individuals in the US can get in relative terms up to 70 per cent times greater returns on their investments than those with modest wealth, when the yields on assets such as stocks and bonds are calculated. The team say that this further widens the income gap between rich and poor and potentially creates disparities in society.
Income inequality in the US has been steadily rising. According to a report by Oxfam International released earlier this year, the wealthiest one per cent has captured 95 per cent of post-financial crisis growth since 2009, while the bottom 90 per cent became poorer in the US.
The research is the first to offer a consistent explanation of income inequality generated from financial markets.
In particular, the team suggest that rich investors have better access to resources and advice from professionals such as asset managers. This enables them to better determine where to invest their money on the stock exchange. In contrast, investors with a modest income are unable to afford the same access to information and expertise and they're also wary of being exploited by rich investors. This means that they're less likely to invest in riskier stocks and bonds that could provide them with a higher return on investments.
Professor Marcin Kacperczyk, co-author of the report from Imperial College Business School, said:
"Understanding how income from stock market activity can add to income inequality is something that has never been fully explored by economists before. Our research shows that some wealthy individuals are making substantial profits on stock markets because they have tools at their disposal that individuals from modest incomes don't. This further creates a widening income gap between rich and poor, which is bad for society, making it difficult to have equality of opportunity. "
Typically, economists have focused on inequality originating in labour markets by calculating the difference between the highest and lowest salaries of workers in the US. They also measure income inequality by determining the value of a range of different assets held by workers including homes, automobiles, personal valuables, businesses, savings and investments such as art and wine.
In the study, the researchers determine income inequality in the US, using data from Thomson Reuters that measured the income investors received from their stock market activity. They used this calculation to measure the income inequality between those from higher and lower wealth backgrounds.
In the future, the team aim to use the formula to shed more light on income inequality in the UK.
Explore further: Wealth inequality doubles among US households | 240 |
The Tiny Talker
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WhisperPhone Solo is a hands-free, acoustical voice-feedback tool that enables learners to focus and hear the sounds that make up words ten times* more clearly as they learn by processing language aloud. Simply use the Solo like a phone. It helps accelerate development in speech training by channeling the voice directly into the user’s ear. Whil...
Recordable Answer Buzzers, Set Of 4 by Learning Resources
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Ready, Set, ABC Flashcards (multi-sensory cards)
The Ready, Set, ABC touch and feel cards are double-sided multi-sensory flash cards used to build early academic skills like vocabulary and reading. Each card has two-sides, one side is a letter and the other side is a textured illustration for each letter in bright, fun colors. 13 cards come in a sturdy box for easy clean up and storage. The w...
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Original PenAgain (3 pack)
The Original PenAgain is a ballpoint pen designed with an ergonomic wishbone-shaped body with a finger cradle that allows for a more comfortable grip. The tripod design encourages a proper writing position while eliminating writer's cramp. The PenAgain is designed for both right and left-handed individuals, and it can be used by all ages. Stude...
Learning Resources Jumbo Tweezers (set of 12)
Use with various manipulatives, the Jumbo Tweezers act as a learning tool to strengthen hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills like grip, color identification and so much more. The design of the Learning Resources Tweezers features ergonomic depressions to guide a proper grip and build hand strength. The early developmental tool can be used i...
TalkTools® Straw Kit
The TalkTools® Straw Kit is an excellent supplement to traditional therapy techniques, and the best activity available to promote tongue retraction, grading, and controlled tongue movements. The Straw hierarchy promotes jaw-lip-tongue dissociation through twelve stages of development. This activity, like the Horn Hierarchy, is fun for clients an...
Ergo Stylus w/ Original Grip
- Works on ALL Touchscreens - Great for Kids & Adults - The ONLY Stylus with the #1 Ergonomic Writing Aid - Ideal for Drawing and Handwriting Apps - Writes as Easily as a Pen! The Ergo Stylus improves the touchscreen experience with the #1 ergonomic grip recommended by doctors, teachers and occupational therapists. The stylus works on all to... | 819 |
Be taught more concerning the new Healthy Ageing Technique, a vision and action plan for maximising health and wellbeing as people age in New Zealand. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Companies is attempting to unfold this message, there are different actions being taken as nicely. In whole, the Sutter Health community has donated $1.8 million over the past eight years to food banks in native communities. Celery has a ton of nutritional benefits, being packed filled with vitamins and water, bettering your health whereas hydrating you on the similar time.
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For most people, good health care means having a major-care doctor, an expert who assists you as you assume responsibility on your total health and directs you when specialized care is necessary. Discover assets and data for sufferers and healthcare providers affected by current ache clinic closures. The U.S. spends practically $three trillion a yr on health care, devoting an unsustainable degree of resources to medical care and solely probably the most limited funding to bettering health at the neighborhood degree. Affords a free on-line reference database of therapeutic foods, phytonutrients and plant-primarily based medicines that stop or deal with diseases and health conditions. At this invitation-solely event, rejoice JPM 2017 with the entrepreneurs, traders, and industry leaders making large impacts in healthcare—and meet the businesses and tools it’s essential know for a healthy 2017 with interactive demos.
You may back up knowledge saved within the Health app to iCloud, the place it is encrypted while in transit and at rest. You want to eat about every 3 hours which equates to three meals a day plus 2 protein snacks or 5 small meals a day. Our niche is objective non-partisan info on what is going on within the federal health policy debate and in the market. And, bear in mind, about half of these in the Obamacare compliant particular person health insurance coverage market aren’t subsidized This is not nearly poor people getting subsidies.
Kefir helps to normalize the healthy ratio of excellent to dangerous bacteria in the gut thereby bettering the efficiency of our digestive system. The Trustworthy Food Guide is a free, downloadable public health and nutrition chart that dares to tell the reality about what meals we must always really be consuming. | 692 |
Do you fantasise about being a celebrity? Perhaps you rely on Facebook to promote your successes and achievements? Or do you constantly tell your children how special they are to boost their self-esteem but really think you should be the one getting all the attention?
You could just be displaying the traits of a confident person with healthy self-regard but some might argue you have the more sinister characteristics of a narcissist.
Lisa Firestone, a psychology expert on relationships and parenting, writing in Psychology Today, explains the distinction. "Self-esteem differs from narcissism in that it represents an attitude built on accomplishments we've mastered, values we've adhered to, and care we've shown toward others. Narcissism, conversely, is often based on a fear of failure or weakness, a focus on one's self, an unhealthy drive to be seen as the best, and a deep-seated insecurity and underlying feeling of inadequacy."
Narcissists come in two forms, says Dr Doris McIlwain, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University. "The grandiose narcissist is out for themselves, pretty hopeless at empathy, likely to make any shame coming their way your problem rather than theirs. They are status-obsessed, unlikely to thank you or apologise. The thin-skinned narcissist is secretly resentful of being imposed on, feels like an unsung hero and, since they are unable to soothe their own ruffled emotions – they will outsource that need by getting others to bolster their ego."
If all this is starting to sound familiar, it's not surprising. Experts are warning of the dangers of narcissism - from celebrity culture promoting fame and wealth above ethics and altruism, to internet-enabled self-obsession and discipline-averse parenting styles.
Larry Rosen, Professor of Psychology at California State University in Los Angeles believes technology is affecting our emotional stability and exposing us to a range of psychological disorders including narcissism. The author of iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology And Overcoming Its Hold On Us, told ABC Radio National'sAll In The Mind program, "iDisorder is where technology is literally making us exhibit signs and symptoms of a whole bunch of psychological disorders including narcissistic personality disorder, depression, attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder even a little bit of schizoid personality."
"While people may not be exhibiting a full-blown narcissism, what they are exhibiting are more signs and symptoms of narcissism" said Rosen. "This narcissism might be manifested on Facebook by collecting friends. I have lots, and lots, and lots of friends; I have a thousand friends, look how wonderful I am. Or look at these photos of me that I'm posting on Flickr. Wow! Look at how much fun I'm having in my life."
"Researchers that have found looking at, say, even popular lyrics in songs that over the last several decades, the songs have become more narcissistic, songs instead of being about other people and love, are more about me, me, me – look at me," he added.
Last month singer Rihanna became the latest celebrity thought to be suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) after the UK's Daily Star said "a string of bizarre messages and pictures she put on Twitter revealed she could have a mental disorder". Relationship psychologist Jo Hemmings told the newspaper: "Rihanna's erratic behaviour could indicate that she suffers from NPD. Symptoms are an exaggerated sense of self-importance and a need for constant admiration, which Rihanna shows by posting semi-nude pics."
Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement believes young people are becoming increasingly narcissistic.
"Overall, we've seen a massive increase in narcissism among college students" she told the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology. The financial crisis may have dampened down materialism but "a lot of other cultural forces — the internet and parenting in particular — are still pushing in the direction of narcissism," she said.
Lisa Firestone highlights the role of parenting in the book she has written with her psychologist father, Robert Firestone, The Self Under Siege. "Vanity is a fantasised image of the self that is formed when parents substitute empty praise and a false build-up for the real love and acknowledgment they have failed to provide to their child," she says.
"Studies have shown that children offered compliments for skills they haven't mastered or talents they do not possess are left feeling as if they'd received no praise at all, often even emptier and less secure," she wrote in Psychology Today. "Only children praised for real accomplishments were able to build self-esteem. The others were left to develop something far less desirable — narcissism."
These arguments have found resonance in Australia where the question of whether young people today are more narcissistic than previous generations is a topic of debate.
Professor Johanna Wyn, director of the Australian Youth Research Centre at Melbourne University, has been conducting research through the Life Patterns project following two generations of Australians, Gen X born in 1973 and Gen Y born around 1989, in areas such as education, employment, health and family as well as learning about their aspirations and attitudes.
Wyn says she rejects the narcissistic label given to young people in Australia today.
"Jean Twenge can't speak for Australians" she says. "I don't see anything like that in the data we've got and we've been researching Generation X for over 22 years," she says. Young people today "have to be really good decision makers, they have to be self-aware and they have to be good navigators of complex times and I think you could be reading some of those traits as somehow being narcissistic because they have to be fairly aware of where they stand, who they are, how they connect, but I see it as a functional and probably inevitable way of operating."
Young Australians "really value family highly and friends and there's a really high rate of volunteering and I think it really doesn't paint a picture of that kind of narcissism or self-interested individual. As they get older volunteering increases so, instead of becoming more narcissistic, they are becoming more community minded in general and I think that's really important. I think there's a lot of evidence to paint a different picture."
Dr Helen McGrath a senior lecturer in the School of Education at Deakin University disagrees. "Parents and teachers always have the best interests of children at the heart of what they do and their involvement in the 'self-esteem movement' has reflected that. However, although well-intentioned, this movement is now seen by many researchers to have contributed to a stronger sense of entitlement and, in some cases, higher levels of narcissism."
So what does McGrath think can be done to protect children from these narcissistic tendencies? One approach, she says, is to place more emphasis on self-respect rather than self-esteem.
"We can work with parents to change their focus slightly and identify self-respect as a more useful goal rather than self-esteem," she says. "People who have self-respect have sound values that they use as a 'moral map' they treat others respectfully. They consider themselves equal to other people (neither inferior or superior) and work hard to try and achieve their goals. They are resilient, accept themselves as imperfect and continue to be self-accepting in spite of mistakes or failures. Although they enjoy receiving positive feedback and they are not dependent on it to feel okay."
In the meantime perhaps we can stop seeing celebrities as role models, take a break from Facebook and give our egos a well-deserved rest. | 420 |
Cutler's points are that, currently health care providers are not rewarded based on health outcomes. There is strong evidence that such incentives work and that they would actually reduce health care spending, since preventive medicine is highly cost effective.
In the late 90's, HealthPartners, a not-for-profit health plan in Minneapolis with 630,000 members, instituted a bonus system to providers. It paid doctors extra if their diabetic patients got blood sugar and cholesterol below certain levels, ceased smoking and took aspirin daily. [snip] Cutler and a team of colleagues analyzed the economic payoff. They found that the program reaped huge rewards. It cost $330 a patient and was expected to save roughly $30,000 over each patient's life.
The problem, as pointed out by Cutler, is that HealthPartners did not capture most of the benefits. Instead Medicare will get most of them. Now for starters, I think there is a very strong case that Medicare should reward doctors for convincing their patients to take care of themselves. Starting preventive medicine at 65 is not ideal, but better late than never. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if medicare could save money by paying for efforts to help uninsured people younger than 65 quit smoking, lose weight and diagnose and control diabetes and high blood preassure. I don't mean residential fat farms. I mean you can go to a doctor's office to get nagged.
Glastris is very impressed. His mild criticism is that Cutler is too politically pragmatic to note that the best way to implement this approach is to socialize medicine (as is shown by the experience of the Veteran's Administration). The point is that if people move from one provider to another, the benefits of preventive medicine do not acrue to the group that provided it. If people are all forced to use a single providor (or pay out of pocket) this problem would be resolved. Needless to say, Cutler must know that such a proposal is political poison.
I post just to add that rewarding HMOs and insurance customers because their clients are healthy would make the cherry picking problem worse. There is a big problem that everyone wants to provide health care to healthy people. Rewarding outcomes would almost certainly make this worse. In particular it would be almost impossible to distinguish between efforts to help people drop unhealthy habits and efforts to drive away people with unhealthy habits. Preventive care involves a lot of tough love and it is hard to distinguish that from just being nasty. Even if one rewarded changes in obesity or smoking one would reward efforts to find smokers who really want to quit and fat people who really want to lose weight. You could make a killing with a plan open to everyone, in which participants get health care but have to run a mile a day or pay.
The cherry picking problem, the benefits spill over problem and the interaction of cherry picking and rewards for outcomes all suggest the same solution which is to give people fewer not more choices about health care providers. posted by Robert
permalink and comments2:37 AM | 1,085 |
What's new at JCamp 180?
What can your camp learn from BB Camp's experience studying and implementing policies re: inclusion of transgender campers?
What will you do when the unexpected happens? Here are six lessons learned for preparing for and responding to emergencies at camp.
Every fundraiser should listen to this podcast from Seth Godin.
The Board's Executive Committee plays an important role. But what limits should be in place to ensure the effectiveness of the full Board?
Is your nonprofit in compliance with the Financial Accounting Standards Bureau’s (FASB) new standards for financial statements? Can you use your financials to tell your camp's story?
Does your camp make it easy for your campers and other constituents to ask for gifts in honor of special celebrations? Learn how the Cohen Camps have done just that.
Effective committees ease the burden on the Board. And happy committee members are the best pipeline for future Board members. So how can you make your Board Committees more productive?
Defining roles and responsibilities across staff and board members at your organization will help you do your work more effectively. This exercise may help.
3 lessons learned from re-reading your old strategic plan.
We often talk about cultivating a “culture of philanthropy” within organizations, but this research shows you can develop a culture of philanthropy in families, too.
JCamp 180 is a trademark of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation
Copyright © 2005-2022 Harold Grinspoon Foundation. | 1,998 |
Published: Sept 2009
€15 / $19 / £10 / ¥2 000
Bookmark this page: www.oecd.org/insights/migration
Almost 3% of the world’s population – or about 190 million people – live outside the land of their birth. These migrants bring energy, entrepreneurship and fresh ideas to our societies. But there are downsides, too: Young migrants who fail in education, adults who don’t find work and, of course, unregulated migration. Such challenges make migration a political lightning rod. But how can we move beyond the noise of debate to get to the facts?
OECD Insights: International Migration explores migration today, and asks this question: How can governments ensure it benefits immigrants, the societies in which they settle and the homes they leave behind?
Table of contents
Foreword by Anthony Gooch Director, Public Affairs and Communications Directorate, OECD
Chapter 1. The Migration Debate
Migration can be controversial, in part because it touches on so many areas of public life, including economics, demographics, national security, culture and even religion.
Chapter 2. Migration Then and Now
For almost as long as humans have walked the Earth, we have sought new homes. Today, that journey continues for many millions of people around the globe.
Chapter 3. Managing Migration
Our ability to travel is restricted by international rules and regulations. But, equally, international agreements give many people significant rights to settle abroad.
Chapter 4. Migration and Education
The track record of young immigrants in schooling is mixed – some do exceptionally well but others encounter problems that can hold them back throughout life.
Chapter 5. Migrants and Work
Migrants can be a key addition to the workforce, even if their presence may be resented and they are not always able to make the best use of their skills.
Chapter 6. Migration and Development
For developing countries, migration can be a blessing by providing remittances and overseas contacts, but a curse for taking away the brightest and the best.
Chapter 7. By Way of Conclusion…
Policies will need to go on evolving if migrants, the societies they leave and those they join are to continue benefiting from migration. Plus: How migration is measured.
Thank you for your interest in International Migration Getting hold of your own copy of this book from the OECD is the easiest thing to do. | 365 |
- AUTHOR, DATE
- Normal Usage
- Advanced Usage
- Expert Usage
- Other Documents
PDL::Course - A journey through PDL's documentation, from beginner to advanced.
This is written by David Mertens with edits by Daniel Carrera.
PDL's documentation is extensive. Some sections cover deep core magic while others cover more usual topics like IO and numerical computation. How are these related? Where should you begin?
This document is an attempt to pull all the key PDL documentation together in a coherent study course, starting from the beginner level, up to the expert.
I've broken down everything by level of expertise, and within expertise I've covered documentation, library, and workflow modules. The documentation modules are useful for what they tell you; the library modules are useful for the functions that they define for you; the workflow modules are useful for the way that they allow you to get your work done in new and different ways.
If you are new to PDL, these documentation modules will get you started down the right path for using PDL.
Modules that tell you how to start using PDL. Many of these
are library modules technically, but they are included when
use PDL, so I've included them for their documentation.
After the first three, most of the docs listed below are rather dry. Perhaps they would be better summarized by tables or better synopses. You should at least scan through them to familiarize yourself with the basic capabilities of PDL.
- PDL::Philosophy, PDL::QuickStart
A couple of brief introductions to PDL. The second one is a bit more hands-on. If you are new to PDL, you should start with these.
Covers basic piddle-creation routines like
logxvalsto name a random few. Also covers
Explains a large collection of built-in functions which, given an N-dimension piddle, will create a piddle with N-1 dimensions.
PDL came of age right around the turn of the millennium and NiceSlice came on the scene slightly after that. Some of the docs still haven't caught up. NiceSlice is the 'modern' way to slice and dice your piddles. Read the Synopsis, then scroll down to The New Slicing Syntax. After you've read to the bottom, return to and read the stuff at the top.
Defines a whole slew of useful built-in functions. These are the sorts of things that beginners are likely to write to the list and say, "How do I do xxx?" You would be well on your way to learning the ropes after you've gotten through this document.
- Selections from PDL::Core
Like PDL::Primitive, defines a large set of useful functions. Unfortunately, some of the functions are quite esoteric, but are mixed in with the rest of the simple and easy ones. Skim the whole document, skipping over the complicated functions for now. I would point out in particular the function
- The perldl or pdl2 Shell
The Perldl Shell is a REPL (Read-Evaluate-Print-Loop, in other words, a prompt or shell) that allows you to work with PDL (or any Perl, for that matter) in 'real time', loading data from files, plotting, manipulating... Anything you can do in a script, you can do in the PDL Shell, with instant feedback!
The main workhorse module. You'll include this in nearly every PDL program you write.
The sorts of modules that you'll likely use on a normal basis in scripts or from within the perldl shell. Some of these modules you may never use, but you should still be aware that they exist, just in case you need their functionality.
In addition to explaining the original slicing and dicing functions - for which you can usually use PDL::NiceSlice - this also covers many dimension-handling functions such as
reorder. This also thoroughly documents the
rangefunction, which can be very powerful, and covers a number of internal functions, which can probably be skipped.
This covers a lot of the deeper conceptual ground that you'll need to grasp to really use PDL to its full potential. It gets more complex as you go along, so don't be troubled if you find yourself loosing interest half way through. However, reading this document all the way through will bring you much closer to PDL enlightenment.
PDL has quite a few IO modules, most of which are discussed in this summary module.
A collection of some of Tuomas's ideas for making good use of PDL.
Explains what bad values are and how and why they are implemented.
- Selections from Inline::Pdlpp
Although writing PDL::PP code is considered an Advanced topic, and is covered in the next section, you should be aware that it is possible (and surprisingly simple) to write PDL-aware code. You needn't read the whole thing at this point, but to get some feel for how it works, you should read everything up through the first example. A copy of this documentation is contained in the PDL::PP-Inline manpage.
Explains how to subclass a piddle object.
This was discussed in the Preface. It is an automatically generated file that lists all of the PDL modules on your computer. There are many modules that may be on your machine but which are not documented here, such as bindings to the FFTW library, or GSL. Give it a read!
Complex number support. No, PDL does not have complex number support built into the core, but this should help you out.
PDL's own Fast Fourier Transform. If you have FFTW, then you should probably make use of it; this is PDL's internal implementation and should always be available.
PDL does not have bindings for every sub-library in the GNU Scientific Library, but it has quite a few. If you have GSL installed on your machine then chances are decent that your PDL has the GSL bindings. For a full list of the GSL bindings, check PDL::Index.
A somewhat uniform interface to the different interpolation modules in PDL.
Includes some basic bad-value functionality, including functions to query if a piddle has bad values (
isbad) and functions to set certain elements as bad (
setbadif). Among other places, bad values are used in PDL::Graphics::PLplot's xyplot to make a gap in a line plot.
A cool module that allows you to tie a Perl array to a collection of files on your disk, which will be loaded into and out of memory as piddles. If you find yourself writing scripts to process many data files, especially if that data processing is not necessarily in sequential order, you should consider using PDL::DiskCache.
A PDL subclass that allows you to store and manipulate collections of fixed-length character strings using PDL.
A whole collection of methods for manipulating images whose image data are stored in a piddle. These include methods for convolutions (smoothing), polygon fills, scaling, rotation, and warping, among others.
Contains a few functions that are conceptually related to image processing, but which can be defined for higher-dimensional data. For examples this module defines high-dimensional convolution and interpolation, among others.
Defines some useful functions for working with RBG image data. It's not very feature-full, but it may have something you need, and if not, you can always add more!
Creates the transform class, which allows you to create various coordinate transforms. For example, if you data is a collection of Cartesian coordinates, you could create a transform object to convert them to Spherical-Polar coordinates (although many such standard coordinate transformations are predefined for you, in this case it's called
This package states that it "implements the commonly used simplex optimization algorithm." I'm going to assume that if you need this algorithm then you already know what it is.
A collection of fairly standard math functions, like the inverse trigonometric functions, hyperbolic functions and their inverses, and others. This module is included in the standard call to
use PDL, but not in the Lite versions.
Provides a few functions that use the standard mathematical Matrix notation of row-column indexing rather than the PDL-standard column-row. It appears that this module has not been heavily tested with other modules, so although it should work with other modules, don't be surprised if something breaks when you use it (and feel free to offer any fixes that you may develop).
Provides many standard matrix operations for piddles, such as computing eigenvalues, inverting square matrices, LU-decomposition, and solving a system of linear equations. Though it is not built on PDL::Matrix, it should generally work with that module. Also, the methods provided by this module do not depend on external libraries such as Slatec or GSL.
Implements an interface to all the functions that return piddles with one less dimension (for example,
sumover), such that they can be called by suppling their name, as a string.
Enables Matlab-style autoloading. When you call an unknown function, instead of complaining and croaking, PDL will go hunt around in the directories you specify in search of a like-named file. Particularly useful when used with the Perldl Shell.
pxfunction, which can be handy for debugging your PDL scripts and/or perldl shell commands.
Suppose you define a powerful, versatile function. Chances are good that you'll accept the arguments in the form of a hash or hashref. Now you face the problem of processing that hashref. PDL::Options assists you in writing code to process those options. (You'd think Perl would have tons of these sorts of modules lying around, but I couldn't find any.) Note this module does not depend on PDL for its usage or installation.
Ever fired-up the perldl shell just to look up the help for a particular function? You can use
pdldocinstead. This shell script extracts information from the help index without needing to start the perldl shell.
The sorts of modules and documentation that you'll use if you write modules that use PDL, or if you work on PDL maintenance. These modules can be difficult to use, but enable you to tackle some of your harder problems.
- PDL::Lite, PDL::LiteF
Lite-weight replacements for
use PDL, from the standpoint of namespace pollution and load time.
This was mentioned earlier. Before you begin reading about PDL::PP (next), you should remind yourself about how to use this. Inline::Pdlpp will help you experiment with PDL::PP without having to go through the trouble of building a module and constructing makefiles (but see PDL::pptemplate for help on that).
The PDL Pre-Processor, which vastly simplifies making you C or Fortran code play with Perl and piddles. Most of PDL's basic functionality is written using PDL::PP, so if you're thinking about how you might integrate some numerical library written in C, look no further.
A script that automates the creation of modules that use PDL::PP, which should make your life as a module author a bit simpler.
Allows you to call functions using external shared libraries. This is an alternative to using PDL::PP. The major difference between PDL::PP and PDL::CallExt is that the former will handle threading over implicit thread dimensions for you, whereas PDL::CallExt simply calls an external function. PDL::PP is generally the recommended way to interface your code with PDL, but it wouldn't be Perl if there wasn't another way to do it.
%PDL::Confighash, which has lots of useful information pertinent to your PDL build.
Explanation of the PDL documentation conventions, and an interface to the PDL Documentation parser. Following these guidelines when writing documentation for PDL functions will ensure that your wonderful documentation is accessible from the perldl shell and from calls to
barf. (Did you notice that
barfused your documentation? Time to reread PDL::Core...)
A simple replacement for the standard Exporter module. The only major difference is that the default imported modules are those marked ':Func'.
Defines some useful functions for getting a piddle's type, as well as getting information about that type.
Simply defines the scalar
$PDL::Version::Versionwith the current version of PDL, as defined in PDL.pm. This is most useful if you distribute your own module on CPAN, use PDL::Lite or PDL::LiteF and want to make sure that your users have a recent-enough version of PDL. Since the variable is defined in PDL.pm, you don't need this module if you
Provides some decently useful functions that are pretty much only needed by the PDL Porters.
Explains how to make a piddle by hand, from Perl or your C source code, using the PDL API.
Explains the nitty-gritty of the PDL data structures. After reading this (a few times :), you should be able to create a piddle completely from scratch (i.e. without using the PDL API). Put a little differently, if you want to understand how PDL::PP works, you'll need to read this.
Copyright 2010 David Mertens (firstname.lastname@example.org) You can distribute and/or modify this document under the same terms as the current Perl license. | 1,022 |
- freely available
Sensors 2014, 14(1), 1740-1756; doi:10.3390/s140101740
Published: 20 January 2014
Abstract: Implantable devices have important applications in biomedical sensor networks used for biomedical monitoring, diagnosis and treatment, etc. In this paper, an implant intra-body communication (IBC) method based on capacitive coupling has been proposed, and the modeling and characterization of this kind of IBC has been investigated. Firstly, the transfer function of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling was derived. Secondly, the corresponding parameters of the transfer function are discussed. Finally, both measurements and simulations based on the proposed transfer function were carried out, while some important conclusions have been achieved, which indicate that the achieved transfer function and conclusions are able to help to achieve an implant communication method with the highly desirable characteristics of low power consumption, high data rate, high transmission quality, etc.
Intra-body communication (IBC) is a technology using the human body as transmission medium for electrical signals . In general, IBC technology has two application forms: on-body IBC [2–4] and implant IBC [5,6], in which on-body IBC is used for the data exchange among electrical devices which are worn on the body [2,7], while implant IBC is used for the communication among implantable electrical devices .
Like on-body IBC, the implant IBC provides benefits to many applications, such as biomedical monitoring systems [6,8] and other related application fields [9–11]. Compared with other implantable device communication methods [12,13], implant IBC has the advantages of low transmission power, small size, etc. . Implant IBC can be applied in monitoring patient's condition and in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, including heart disease, neurological disorders and cancer detection [5,13,14], etc. In a biomedical monitoring system based on implant IBC, biomedical data are collected by implantable biomedical sensors located at different parts of the human body and are transmitted to other sensors using the IBC techniques, as shown in Figure 1. Finally, the data can be received and transmitted to the hospital by a link sensor, which is attached on the body, and integrated conventional wireless modules. Therefore, implant IBC is particularly important for implantable biomedical sensors to communicate with each other in biomedical monitoring system.
However, the previous works in this field have some limitations, which can be summarized as follows: (1) Comparatively higher signal attenuation. Previous investigations on implant IBC mainly concentrated on the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling [6,15], which has comparatively higher signal attenuation. In implant IBC based on galvanic coupling, an alternating current is applied with a pair of transmitter electrodes to the human tissue and detected by a pair of receiver electrodes [16,17]. Due to the fact that the two coupling electrodes of the transmitter contact with the body directly, a primary current flow between the coupler electrodes is established and only a small secondary current propagates into the conductive body parts . As a result, the body effectively shorts the signal from the transmitter, which increases the signal attenuation and the power consumption, and greatly shortens the operation time of the implant [18,19]; (2) The lack of a corresponding mathematical model. As for the research of implant IBC, the corresponding mathematical model is very important for achieving the characteristics of implant IBC [16,20]. However, the previous works failed to develop the corresponding transfer function of the implant IBC. As a result, some of the implant IBC phenomena can 't be explained in theory, while other characteristics remain unrevealed so far.
On the other hand, it has been proved that on-body IBC based on capacitive coupling has comparatively lower signal attenuation. In the on-body IBC based on capacitive coupling, only the signal electrodes of the transmitter and receiver are attached to the body skin directly, while both the transmitting ground electrode and the receiving ground electrode remain floating [10,21,22]. As a result, this avoids the body shorting the signal from the transmitter and more signal energy can reach the receiver electrodes . Therefore, a comparatively lower power consumption can be achieved. However, the principle of IBC based on capacitive coupling has not been used in the implant IBC so far. In this paper, an implant intra-body communication method based on capacitive coupling has been proposed, while the modeling and characterization of this kind of IBC have been investigated.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows: In Section 2, a circuit model of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling was developed, then the corresponding transfer function was derived. Some important parameters of the transfer function were discussed and modeled in detail in Section 3. In Section 4, measurement experiments were carried out for verifying the reliability of the proposed transfer function, while some important characteristics of the proposed method were studied. Finally, Section 5 concludes this paper.
2. Transfer Function
2.1. Circuit Model
Firstly, the difference between the on-body IBC based on capacitive coupling and the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling is analyzed. In the on-body IBC based on capacitive coupling, as shown in Figure 2a, only two signal electrodes are attached on the human body (e.g., human arm), while an electric field AO forms between them though the body. Meanwhile, both the transmitting ground electrode and the receiving ground electrode remain floating, which results in an electric field BO2 between the ground electrode of transmitter and ground as well as an electric field BO1 between the ground electrode of receiver and the ground. Finally, the return path of signal is established by the electric field of BO1, the ground and the electric field of BO2, thereby signal transmission between the transmitter and the receiver can be achieved. On the other hand, there is also an electric field CO between the body and the ground because of the body potential, which affects the signal transmission of IBC to some extent .
In the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling, both the transmitter and receiver are implanted into human body, as shown in Figure 2b. In our investigation, each implant capacitive electrode contains a signal electrode made of a metal stick and a ground electrode made of a metal cylindrical casing. Meanwhile, the signal electrode contacts with the human tissue directly, and the ground electrode is insulated from the human tissue as well as the signal electrode by using an insulating shell, which avoids the body shorting the signal between the signal electrode and the ground electrode. Moreover, compared with the coupling between the signal electrode and the ground electrode, a comparatively bigger capacitive coupling between the two ground electrodes can also be achieved because of the comparatively bigger surface area of the two ground electrodes. Thereby, signal transmission between the transmitter and the receiver can be achieved with low attenuation.
In the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling shown in Figure 2b, there is an electric field AI between the signal electrode of transmitter and that of the receiver in human tissue, which is similar to electric field AO shown in Figure 2a. On the other hand, instead of locating outside the human body as shown in Figure 2a, the return path of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling locates inside the human body, which is the capacitive coupling represented as the electric field BI between the two ground electrodes through the insulating shell and human tissue. Therefore, signal transmission between the implanted transmitter and the implanted receiver can be achieved through electric field AI and BI. Additionally, there is also a coupling between the body and the external ground through the electric field CI, as shown in Figure 2b. Considering the fact that both the signal electrode and ground electrode couple with the ground through the human tissue, thereby the electric field CI affects the coupling between the ground electrodes (electric field BI) and that between the signal electrodes (electric field AI) synchronously.
According to Figure 2b, the circuit model of the implant IBC can be obtained, as shown in Figure 3. The electrical model of each unit block can be represented as an impedance Z, which is equivalent to the parallel connection of corresponding capacitance C and resistance R [2,18], as shown in Equation (1):
In the circuit model of the transmitter, as shown in Figure 3, R0 represents the output resistance of the transmitter, Za1 is the impedance between the ground electrodes and the signal electrodes, and Zk1 represents the impedance of insulating shell between the ground electrode and the human tissue. On the other hand, Zb11 and Zb12 represent the transverse impedance between the two signal electrodes, and Zb21 and Zb22 represent the impedance between the two ground electrodes. Meanwhile, the coupling capacitances between the human body and the external ground are represented as Cg1 and Cg2, which affect the coupling paths between the signal electrodes (Zb11 and Zb12) and that between the ground electrodes (Zb21 and Zb22), respectively. Additionally, in the circuit model of the receiver, Zin represents the input impedance of the receiver, while the other parameters are similar to that of the transmitter.
2.2. Derivation of the Transfer Function
The transfer function of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling can be derived by Kirchhoff voltage law (KVL) mesh equations [23,24], because the equivalent circuit of it is a linear system. In Figure 4, in (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) is the current of the corresponding mesh, then the following equation can be expressed as:
It is assumed that mesh impedance matrix Z contains the respective impedances in the circuit, which is a diagonal 4 × 4 square matrix as follows:
On the other hand, the column matrix of the voltage sources V and the matrix of the mesh currents I can be expressed as:
As a result, Equation (2) can be summarized as a matrix equation:
Furthermore, the mesh admittance matrix is determined by inverting the mesh impedance matrix as:
Therefore, the current i4 can be obtained by calculating the mesh current matrix I:
Then the output voltage of the implant IBC can be expressed as:
The following is the discussion with respect to the parameters of the deduced transfer function.
3.1. Transverse Impedance (Zb)
Due to the fact that the human body generally consists of five layers (skin, fat, muscle, cortical bone, and bone marrow), Zb can be expressed as the parallel connection of the impedances corresponding to the different layers :
3.2. Impedance of Insulating Shell (Zk1 and Zk2)
Zk1 and Zk2, which are the impedances of insulating shell between the ground electrode and the human tissue, can be obtained by Equation (1) using Ck1, Ck2 and Rk1, Rk2. The capacitances of Ck1 and Ck2 represent the capacitances between two coaxial cylinders, which are expressed by Equation (11):
3.3. Capacitance Between the Human Body and the External Ground (Cg1, Cg2)
It is assumed that if a person stands in an open space, and the human body is approximated as a conductive cylinder or sphere , then the capacitance (Cg) between the human body and the external ground can be represented as :
As a result, the capacitance between the object and the ground of infinity C∞, can be assumed as a sphere with diameter le in free space, which is calculated as follows :
In our investigation, the arm attached with the electrodes is abstracted as a cylinder, of which the diameter is d and the height is l. According to Equations (13) and (14), C∞ between the arm and the ground of infinity can be calculated by:
On the other hand, the capacitance of CP can be approximated as :
4. Experiments and Discussion
In order to verify the validity of the proposed models and parameters, the measurements of implant IBC and the mathematical simulations based on the proposed transfer function were carried out. Moreover, the characteristics of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling were also analyzed.
4.1. Experiment Setup
In our investigation, the experiment setup of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling was composed of a handheld signal generator, a ScopeMeter, a pair of implantable capacitive coupling electrodes and a rectangle tank, as shown in Figure 6. The handheld signal generator (DSO8060, R0 = 50 Ω) was used to provide the output signal at the transmitter terminal, and the ScopeMeter (Fluke 196C, Rin = 1 MΩ and Cin = 15 pF) was used to measure the signal at the receiving terminal. Both the handheld signal generator and the ScopeMeter were powered by battery for decreasing the influence of the external ground and simulating the actual application of implant IBC. Additionally, all the measurements were carried out at room temperature (298.15 K).
A rectangle tank with the size of 45 × 35 × 20 cm was used for simulating the human body, as shown in Figure 6. The tank was filled with physiological saline , which is assumed to be isotropic, as well as has the conductivity (σ) of 1.75 S/m and the relative permittivity (εr) of 80.4, as shown in Table 1. Therefore, the resistance and capacitance of the transmission path can be obtained by R = L/σA and C = εrε0A/L, where A is the cross-section area of the transmission path, and L is the length of the transmission path. C∞ of the measurement tank can be calculated by Equation (14), while its CP can be calculated according to Equation (16), which is equal to:
In our experiment setup, the ground electrode of the capacitive coupling electrodes is cylindrical casing and packed with insulating shell (σ = 1 × 10−14, εr = 3). The radius RA of the ground electrode is 0.55 cm, and the radius RB of the insulating shell is 0.6 cm. Meanwhile, the signal electrode with the radius of 0.1 cm, is contacted with the physiological saline directly, as shown in Figure 6.
Moreover, in order to verify the advantages of implant IBC based on capacitive coupling compared with the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling, the electrodes of the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling were also developed, which had two cylindrical copper endings (length 1 cm and diameter 4 mm) and the distance between them was 5 cm . Figure 7 shows the experiment setup of the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling.
4.2. Comparison of Implant IBC Based on Two Coupling Methods
In this experiment, the separation distance between the transmitter electrode and the receiver electrode was set as 30 cm. Meanwhile, the sine wave signals with the amplitude of 4 V (peak-to-peak value) were applied on the transmitter electrodes. On the other hand, the signal frequency range of 100 kHz–40 MHz was chosen in our measurement, due to the fact that the power spectrum of the electrical signals produced by the biological processes mainly covers the low frequency range (less than 100 kHz) and there is also the limitation of the circuit model in the high-frequency range .
Figure 8 shows the measurement results with respect to the frequency-dependent characteristics of the proposed method and the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling. We can find from Figure 8 that the attenuation of the proposed method is significantly lower (on average by 13.13 dB) than that of the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling. Meanwhile, both the two signal attenuation curves decrease gradually with the increasing of the signal frequency from 100 kHz to 2 MHz. However, the result of the IBC based on the galvanic coupling has comparatively bigger variation (the maximum deviation is up to 29.54 dB) in the frequency range of 2 MHz–40 MHz, while the result of the proposed method has comparatively smaller variation (the maximum deviation is only 3.90 dB) in the same frequency range. The above phenomenon can be explained that there is comparatively bigger coupling between the signal electrode and the ground electrode of transmitter in the IBC based on the galvanic coupling, thereby only lower signal energy can reach the receiver electrodes. On the contrary, in the proposed method, the mentioned coupling is weakened by using the insulating shell, thereby more signal energy can reach the receiver electrodes, which results in lower signal attenuation.
4.3. Verification of the Transfer Function
In order to verify the validity and the accuracy of the transfer function, both the measurements and the corresponding simulations with respect to the frequency-dependent characteristics of the proposed method were carried out under the conditions of the different signal transmission distances and heights.
Figure 9 shows the measurements and simulation results corresponding to the signal transmission distances of 20 cm, 30 cm and 40 cm, respectively. It can be seen from Figure 9 that the simulation results based on the developed transfer function basically coincide with the corresponding measurement results, while the deviations between the simulation and the measurement are limited within 3.93 dB. Meanwhile, both the simulation results and the measurement results decrease as the signal frequency increases from 100 kHz to 2 MHz, and have little variation within the frequency range of 2 MHz–40 MHz.
On the other hand, when the signal transmission distance increases from 20 cm to 40 cm, both the signal attenuations of the two results have little variation. For instance, an increase of 10 cm of the signal transmission distance only leads to an extra attenuation of 0.25 dB on average according to the measurement results. Similarly, the extra attenuation of the corresponding simulation is 0.14 dB on average, which indicates that both of them basically are not sensitive to the signal transmission distances.
Moreover, under the condition that the height between the tank and the ground was set as 1 cm, 50 cm and 80 cm, respectively, while the signal transmission distance was set as 20 cm, the implant IBC experiments as well as the corresponding simulations based on the transfer function were carried out. Figure 10 shows the comparison between the measurement results and simulation results corresponding to the different heights.
It can be observed from Figure 10 that the mathematical simulation results also basically coincide with the corresponding measurement results. Meanwhile, the attenuation of the measurement results corresponding to the height of 50 cm is 6.00 dB less than that of the height of 1 cm on average, while a similar decrease (5.27 dB) can also be found in the simulation results. In addition, the curve of the measurement corresponding to the height of 80 cm overlaps with that of the height of 50 cm, and the corresponding variations are limited in 0.28 dB. Meanwhile, the similar phenomenon can be found in simulation results, and the variations are limited within 0.12 dB, which indicates that both the measurement and the simulation results remain basically unchanged as the height increases from 50 cm to 80 cm.
4.4. Characteristics of the Implant IBC Based on the Capacitive Coupling
In order to determine the characteristics of the proposed method, the corresponding simulations of the proposed method were carried out under the conditions of the different frequencies, signal transmission distances and heights based on the transfer function which has been verified. In our simulation, it is assumed that the human body is in static state at room temperature (298.15 K), which means that the capacitance to the ground keeps unchanged, and the influence of temperature variation is ignored [29,30].
4.4.1. Characteristics of Frequency and Distance
In this simulation, we assumed that the implantable capacitive coupling electrodes were embedded in the arm, of which the diameter was 10 cm. The attenuation curves corresponding to the different distances (20, 30 and 40 cm) are shown in Figure 11, in which the distance between the arm and the ground is 50 cm and the capacitance Cg1 between the arm and the ground is equal to 7.99 pF.
It can be seen from Figure 11 that the attenuation becomes lower when the frequency increases from 100 kHz to 3 MHz, and it remains relatively stable when the frequency increases from 3 MHz to 10 MHz, which is similar to the results shown in Figure 9. On the other hand, the attenuation has a slight increasing when the frequency is higher than 10 MHz. Therefore, the comparatively lower signal attenuation can be achieved by using the proposed method in the case that the signal frequency range is within the range of 3 MHz–10 MHz. What's more, according to the results shown in Figure 11, the signal transmission distance has comparatively less effect on the signal attenuation. For instance, the mean deviation is only 0.06 dB in the frequency range of 100 kHz–40 MHz when the distance is increased by 10 cm. This phenomenon can be interpreted as that the impedance of the human body path (Zb) is much smaller than the other impedances of the return path (such as Zg1 and Zk1). As a result, the signal attenuation changes little with the increase of the transmission distance, which caused the increase of Zb.
4.4.2. Characteristics of Height
In our simulations under the conditions of different heights to the ground, the distance of transmission was set as 20 cm, while the simulation frequencies were set as 3 MHz and 10MHz, which were corresponding to the cases that Rb11 = 60.9 Ω, Cb11 = 116 pF as well as Rb11 = 54 Ω, Cb11 = 33 pF, respectively. The corresponding simulation results are shown in Figure 12. According to Figure 12, the signal attenuation basically decreases with the increase of the height, in which the decrease of attenuation corresponding to 3 MHz is 1.39 dB in the case that the height increases from 1 cm to 30 cm, while the value corresponding to 10 MHz is 1.43 dB.
This phenomenon can be interpreted as that the capacitive coupling between the arm and the external ground becomes smaller as the height of the arm increases. For example, Cg1 is equal to 22.83 pF when the height is 1 cm, while it is equal to 9.07 pF when the height is increased to 30 cm. Therefore, when the height decreases to some extent (such as less than 10 cm), the comparatively higher signal power is lost to the external ground through the capacitance betwe nen the arm and the ground, which leads to the comparatively bigger increase of signal attenuation. On the other hand, the attenuation becomes basically stable when the height is higher than 30 cm. For instance, the difference between the signal attenuation corresponding to 30 cm and the signal attenuation corresponding to 100 cm is only 0.12 dB when the frequency is 10 MHz. A similar phenomenon can be found in the results corresponding to 3 MHz. The main reason for this phenomenon can be interpreted as that the additional capacitance to the ground (CP_arm) decreases gradually with the increase of the height and finally reduces to zero, which is expressed as Equation (17).
In this paper, we propose an implant intra-body communication (IBC) method based on capacitive coupling, and investigate its transfer function and characteristics. Firstly, we derived the transfer function of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling. Secondly, the corresponding parameters used in the transfer function were discussed. Finally, both the measurements of the proposed method and the corresponding simulations based on the transfer function were carried out under different conditions.
From the measurement and simulation results, we find that: (1) The simulation results based on the developed transfer function basically coincide with the measurements; (2) Compared with the implant IBC based on galvanic coupling, the proposed method has comparatively lower signal attenuation and basically stable frequency response within the frequency range of 2 MHz–40 MHz; (3) In the proposed method, the signal transmission distance almost has no influence on the signal attenuation; (4) The signal attenuation of the proposed method decreases with the increase of the height between body and the ground, and it becomes basically stable when the height is higher than a certain value, such as 30 cm. The above conclusions indicate that the proposed method of the implant IBC based on capacitive coupling has the advantages of low signal attenuation, insensitivity to signal transmission distance and so on. It will help to achieve an implant communication method for e-healthcare or u-healthcare with the characteristics of low power consumption and high transmission quality, etc.
The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (60801050), the Excellent Talent Fund of Beijing, China (2011), Excellent Young Scholars Research Fund of Beijing Institute of Technology, China (2012).
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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|Table 1. The conductivity and relative permittivity of the materials.|
|Materials||Physiological Saline||Insulating Shell|
|Parameters||σ (S/m)||εr||σ (S/m)||εr|
|Values||1.75||80.4||1 × 10−14||3|
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). | 1,240 |
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Designing for kids is not an easy task. The design process is undertaken by adults, with children being the end-users and therefore, it is a huge responsibility to deliver high-quality designs.
Brief: The challenge of the competition is to design a play structure for children that can be installed in a public park.
Parks and playgrounds are hubs of social activity, especially for kids. Hence it is essential that these play areas are inclusive, accessible, and stimulating. The installation will foster a sense of community by creating a piece of equipment for the shared public land.
The design should ensure that the artificial landscape created is safe while giving the kids a chance to explore, learn and grow. The visual impact must be exemplary with standout features.
The aim is to create a structure that is inventive and would challenge the kids without any singularly functioning elements. The structure design must establish a connection or harmony with the natural surrounding it is placed in.
TitleChild Play - A Play Structure for a Public Park
TypeCompetition Announcement (Ideas)
Registration DeadlineDecember 14, 2021 03:00 PM
Submission DeadlineDecember 13, 2021 03:00 PM | 736 |
It’s been 31 years, but Oded Hirsch still remembers precisely where he was in the kindergarten when his mother told him that his father had been in a road accident. “I was 5, and I remember that it didn’t interest me because I was busy playing with a dog at that moment,” says Hirsch, during a visit to Israel this month.
His father, Yoel Hirsch, was critically injured in a truck accident in 1981, which necessitated him being away from home, in rehab, for two years. When he returned he was a different man, paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. His impaired mobility and other disabilities posed a daily challenge to everyone in the household, and left a mark on the young Oded. Wisps of pleasant memories of the father who used to stroll along the kibbutz paths with him or kick a ball around on the grass were completely wiped out.
“One winter a few years ago, I came up with the idea of photographing my father, in his wheelchair sunk deep in mud,” says Hirsch. “An allusion to his inability to get everywhere and, of course, also of my need to stress that we came from the muddy earth of the fertile Jordan Valley. It was winter. We left our kibbutz, Afikim, which is near the border with Jordan. I dragged him out to the open field near the border fence and planted him in the mud. I set up the camera and then an Israel Defense Forces patrol showed up all of a sudden. One of the soldiers yelled to us, ‘Are you out of your minds? Get out of here.’” In March 1997, a Jordanian soldier shot schoolgirls who were touring the area, killing seven of them.
“I couldn’t give up the photo shoot that easily,” Hirsch recalls, “but meanwhile a whole fiasco was unfolding. From the other side of the fence, Jordanian soldiers were peering through binoculars and reporting back on the radio. I told the soldiers, ‘Just give me a minute,’ and I took the pictures. And then, at that moment, I understood for the first time that I was fascinated not just by still photography but also by all the activity and interaction around it. For me, this was an act of art just as valuable as the still image itself.”
Since 2006, Oded Hirsch has been living and working in New York, where he earned his master’s in fine art from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute in 2008. His multidisciplinary works, all photographed in the Jordan Valley, were recently presented in Manhattan at the Thierry Goldberg Gallery − which also represents him − and received rave reviews.
However, Hirsch is barely known in Israel. In 2008 he had a photography exhibition at the Museum of Israeli Art, Ramat Gan, and he recently made a professional connection with Galia Bar Or, a curator and director of the Museum of Art, Ein Harod. The two are working on an exhibition for next year.
Films, not video art
In his video art pieces, Hirsch combines cinema and performance elements, but he prefers to describe them as films. He carefully documents the “behind-the-scenes” of his complex and spectacular productions, that over time have come to include numerous participants. Appended to each film is another film documenting the installation and, he says, “the show that exists for the sake of producing the movies ... I’m interested in the process as much as the final edit. This is why the documentation of how it was done is as artistically valid as the final piece.”
His four films − all surprising in their aesthetics and their personal, social and political significance − were shot in the region where he was born (in 1976). His first film, from 2009, is called “50 Blue” − like the name of the label marking the Hirsch family’s clothing in the Kibbutz Afikim laundry. The film originated with an image he had in his mind of a man in a wheelchair, sitting in a tower surrounded by water.
For 10 minutes, cameraman Eran Barak’s lens follows a young man (the director’s brother, Eli), who is pushing a wheelchair in which an older, disabled man is sitting (the director’s father, Yoel). The chair struggles to make its way toward a high cliff, its wheels get stuck in the mud and it flips over. After an arduous struggle, the man in the wheelchair is led to the edge of Lake Kinneret, where a 10-meter-high guard tower stands. The young man ties the wheelchair to a rope and, together with another eight men in yellow plastic raincoats, they hoist Hirsch, Sr., to the top of the tower, where he remains alone.
Hirsch’s second film, “Tochka” 2010)), follows a group of laborers toiling to prepare the ground for the construction of what turns out to be a large bridge to nowhere. “Tochka” is Russian for a settlement point and the name of a Soviet Hashomer Hatzair youth movement kibbutz that was founded in 1925 in Beit-Gan, near Yavne’el. It became a permanent community in 1932 but it wasn’t until 1939 that the founders gave up the name Tochka and renamed it Afikim.
Hirsch says the film depicts the boundless effort to achieve an unattainable utopian goal. “There’s something awkward about the kibbutz idea,” he says. “Admirable totality. People abandoned houses and families in Europe in order to build a new utopian world. The implementation of this totality included some peculiar practices.
Israeli video artist Oded Hirsch
“The idea that people didn’t have to specialize in any one occupation, for example, that a person could tend cattle, be a welder and also a babysitter, or that the children are part of the community,” he continues. “They didn’t encourage marriage, because it violated the equality. They took the utopian idea of equality to crazy and wonderful extremes. When I was planning ‘Tochka,’ I likened the film to a person out walking in nature who is supposed to get from Point A to Point B. He comes across a small crevice and instead of just skipping over it, he builds a huge construction − a bridge that leads nowhere. This construction symbolizes pipe dreams.”
Detached from the land
In another 2010 film, “Habaita,” the camera records a group of 20 kibbutzniks, women and men in their sixties, dressed in work clothes, standing on a boat that appears fixed in place on a lake. The expression on their faces is determined, they gaze straight ahead, and seem oblivious to the surroundings. This work is named after a novel by Assaf Inbari, who is also an Afikim native.
“If a person is a product of his childhood landscape,” Hirsch explains, “in the film I wanted to create an opposite situation − the person as detached from his childhood landscape and people that are stuck. Above them is the blue sky, and all around them are the waters of the Kinneret, but they aren’t moving anywhere. There is hardly any movement at all in the frame apart from a light ripple on the water.” This detachment, says Hirsch, returns them to their initial condition as immigrants.
“It’s a little trite to keep talking about the shattering of the kibbutz dream,” he says. “I see it as a dream that’s no longer relevant. You can’t update a dream that was solidified in the early part of the last century. The update it is currently receiving won’t last. The kibbutzim have become construction sites. Retirees take mortgages and expand their apartments, but their children live in New York or Tel Aviv and won’t come back to the Jordan Valley. This is the flight from the dream and the detachment that I depict in an abstract way in the film.”
The most recent film, “Nothing New,” produced this year, is based on the 1962 short story “The Way of the Wind” by Amos Oz (from the “Where the Jackals Howl” story collection), and the cast was comprised of approximately 200 kibbutzniks from the Jordan Valley area. “The hero of the story, a paratrooper who grew up on a kibbutz, jumps out of a plane with his comrades as part of a display for Independence Day,” Hirsch says. “He jumps last and gets tangled up in some power lines. The kibbutzniks run to the spot and his father, who has a classic Zionist activist look, tells him, ‘Jump! Jump!’ But the terrified paratrooper is unable to meet society and his father’s expectations to be brave and bold. Humiliated, he puts a hand out to touch the wires, is electrocuted and dies.
“The film relates to something that I felt as a teenager. The burden of expectations that I grew up with resonated with Oz’s story. The son who doesn’t fulfill the father’s expectations. In my films, the solution that society proposes is always an absurd solution.”
‘The Mad Lift’
We found Hirsch at the welding workshop at Kibbutz Regavim, dressed in work pants and boots, and standing in front of a large silvery metal chamber. The artist, who will soon become a father for the first time, spent a few jam-packed days here earlier this month, pushing ahead with preparations for his first environmental sculpture, to be shown from September 15 at the Liverpool Biennial − International Festival of Contemporary Art, in England. More than 60 artists from around the world will be presenting their works there, including Doug Aitken, William Kentridge, Sophie Calle, Mona Hatoum, Martin Parr, Fischli and Weiss, Thomas Hirschhorn, Gilbert and George, and many more; quite an impressive list.
Curator Lorenzo Fusi, who saw Hirsch’s films at Mass MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art), invited him to participate in the biennial. “Fusi saw my films and challenged me to think a little differently this time and show an outdoor sculpture at the biennial, a piece of public art,” Hirsch says.
In October 2011, Hirsch made his first trip to Liverpool, the northwestern port city best known as the home of The Beatles. Undeterred by the gusting wind and driving rain, he walked all over the city, admiring the red brick buildings. In 2004, Liverpool was declared a UNESCO world heritage site, and Hirsch, a cinema lover, was astounded to see dozens of abandoned movie houses there. Small shops and shopping centers had also closed in the wake of the construction of a fancy new downtown area. The city underwent a major facelift costing millions when it was declared the European capital of culture for 2008.
“There’s a huge area [Liverpool One] that became a pedestrian mall filled with shops,” Hirsch says. “In this escapist-capitalist space they also opened a big multiplex. The vast new mall drained the city of its special character, and life was drawn into the glittery new area.
“I decided I wanted to create a work that would respond to the new social reality that was created there,” he adds, “and in my head I had these images of a cityscape getting out of control. From there I got to the idea of a rebellious elevator, that bursts from the earth as if from some underworld beneath the shiny shopping center. This new architectural phenomenon just fascinated me.”
The sculpture, called “The Mad Lift,” cost NIS 200,000 and includes a metal elevator that Hirsch built at Regavim. “Electronic contamination that makes its presence known in the middle of the mall area,” he explains. “The idea led me to ‘Metropolis,’ the 1927 film by Fritz Lang, in which the city of the future goes out of control, and in one scene sewage pipes burst into an apartment.” In the center of the sleek shopping center, he will display his sculpture of the burned and scratched elevator with broken tiles around it; the elevator doors will tremble as if struggling to open, and a faint neon light will flicker from within.
In Hirsch’s films there is no dialogue. He says there is no need. The groups in his films, as in life, act as one, “according to an inner logic that seems absurd to someone from the outside, but to the collective all is clear. There are no questions and no distractions from the common effort.”
How does one of your films come into being? Where does it start?
“First comes the imagery. Then I write a detailed script, a storyboard with a list of the shots, the filming locations, the filming angles and the frames. When I’m filming, I’m concentrating on directing and I work without a monitor. I entrust the task to cameraman Eran Barak, and I am always pleasantly surprised.”
Hirsch says his films derive from a need to respond to a social problem. He likes to pry into the collective memory of the kibbutz movement and explore where the community ends and the individual begins.
Hirsch considers his first film, “50 Blue,” his most personal. It is rooted in his father’s accident. Yoel Hirsch was driving a tractor-trailer, hauling chemicals for the glue industry, when he lost control of the brakes. When the truck ran off the road, one of the tires exploded and it flipped over. Yoel was trapped in the cabin and, in the process of being extricated from the vehicle, his spine was severed.
Yoel Hirsch’s father was of Czech descent and his mother was born in Poland. He was born and raised in Tel Aviv. His father had a shop on Allenby Street that sold fountain pens, and the family lived in a two-room apartment on Gilboa Street, across from the Schocken family. Yoel shared a room with his sister, the composer-songwriter Nurit Hirsch.
As a child he was considered something of a rascal without much of a future. His mother pressed him to attend the Tichon Hadash High School, and he was registered there, but no more than that. His sister Nurit, meanwhile, excelled in her studies and went on to attend the Academy of Music and to join the IDF entertainment corps. “I volunteered for Sayeret Egoz [reconnaissance unit],” says Yoel. “That’s where I met Gila, who came from an old Safed family and went to school in Afikim.
“We got married and moved to the kibbutz,” he adds. “I didn’t have a higher education and it bothered me greatly. The most important thing to me was for my three children to get to study, no matter what. The eldest, Boaz, is working on his doctorate in history. My second son, Eli, finished a master’s degree in Arabic literature, and then he got into computers and now he works for a Swiss media company. And Oded, who studied photography, found his calling in filmmaking. None of my children has a television at home. We all give precedence to reading.”
According to Yoel, it was his mother, Leah, Oded’s grandmother, who is responsible “for the animating spirit” in the Hirsch family. At age 40 she enrolled in law school, and Moshe Dayan reputedly copied off her in the final exams. She had a law office for some years, and when she got older, she became a yoga teacher. At age 80, she completed a skydiving course and jumped out of a plane with one of her grandchildren.
Oded Hirsch describes a difficult childhood in the aftermath of his father’s injuries. “After the accident, Dad spent a year in the hospital and another year in a rehabilitation center, and when he returned to the kibbutz my parents divorced. My father had been an adventurer, a very active and dominant person, and after the accident his morale went way down. He and my mother separated. In the kibbutz it’s easy ... You load your things on a hand truck and move to the other side of the lawn.
“I was 7 and I remained with my mother. My two brothers, who were 13 and 15, lived with the kibbutz children.” Hirsch’s father remarried two years later, to a woman from the kibbutz named Daphna, and they had a daughter. His mother, Gila, did not remarry. “Everyone gets along great now, and that includes my mother and father, his second wife Daphna, and their children. They all take part in my productions .”
When Oded Hirsch was 14, he moved to the children’s quarters, which was called “the suburb” and was “a society like the one in ‘Lord of the Flies.’ Since my father was very frustrated by his lack of education, he pushed us very hard. When I grew up, it wasn’t the norm to push kids to study. At most, you went to work in the banana fields. I was a rebellious and impudent kid, and I wanted to work in the cattle barn. I was angry at him. I thought, ‘What’s he doing sitting in that wheelchair, he should get up and play soccer.’ I was lugging around this big sack of resentments, and, as I got older, it eventually blew up.
“My mother was a steady presence,” he adds. “Neither happy nor sad, but stable. She was my anchor. My father is more capricious. When they wanted to throw me out of high school, he came to the school every day and sat there in his wheelchair outside the classroom. When we moved to another classroom, he would roll behind us in the wheelchair. Talk about being mortified. He did all he could to keep them from throwing me out. He knew that if I left the classroom I would run into him. He was very stubborn, and that’s how I was forced to study.”
Hirsch says that he has no solid memories of his father walking. “The bigger I got, the more I looked down at him, because he was in the wheelchair and I was getting taller. I had this recurring dream in which I lifted him up and placed him on a big boulder, or on a tower, and looked up at him from below. ‘50 Blue’ grew out of a desire to deal with the baggage of the past and with the pain of the child who was ashamed of his father. It’s not easy to live in a closed and claustrophobic kibbutz society. As I child I felt different. Everyone else’s fathers were like big heroes who could walk while my father, whom I saw as a hero, wasn’t perceived that way by the collective. The film reaches a peak when he is hoisted up in his wheelchair to the top of the tower.”
This scene arouses different feelings. At first it seems that you are preparing to hang him. And then it turns out you are leaving a man in a wheelchair at the top of a tower, where there’s nothing around and he will never be able to get down.
“It’s the sacrifice of Isaac in reverse. I’m interested in the tension between the individual and the group, so in the film there’s a situation in which a group of people hoist him up to the tower. Essentially he’s dependent upon them, and they are not human but mechanized characters. I try to take the heroic ethos of the pioneer and to make it ridiculous to the point of being absurd.
“If the symbolic going up to Hanita in 1938 was a heroic act of settlement, and they were photographed carrying poles and ascending the mountain to establish a ‘tower and stockade’ settlement, then I’m taking the tower and sticking it in an absurd location and, instead of legendary pioneers carrying poles, my brother is rolling our father in the wheelchair along the muddy paths. Much ado about nothing.”
You weren’t risking his life?
“Not really, although there was an element of risk. I’m interested in live action, in doing something in real time in which there is an element of danger. Before we lifted him up in the chair, I sat there in his place and they lifted me to make sure that everything was okay. I sat there in his place and it was pretty frightening. It’s like bungee jumping. Very scary, but pretty safe.”
A campus like a kibbutz
After finishing high school thanks to his father’s close scrutiny, Hirsch did a year of national service at a boarding school for juvenile delinquents, in Kiryat Bialik. “I was going to fix the world,” he says casually. “I came out of the kibbutz and I felt like a salmon leaving the river for the first time and swimming in the ocean. I had no idea what a Mizrahi or an Ashkenazi was, and all of a sudden in the boarding school I found out.”
For his military service, he served in military intelligence in Lebanon for four years, until 1999.
“Today I’m not happy about that period,” he reflects. “I sat there in Marjayoun and we gathered intelligence. We did what’s called field intelligence. Maybe one day I’ll do a piece that’s related to my service in Lebanon. I’m a political person and my art is very political. It attests to the complexity of things and refrains from expressing a strong view. I try to focus on the problem and not the solution.”
You fled from here to America.
“It’s comfortable for me to be far away. Yes, I ran away because of my big ambitions. I felt that I could achieve them more fully there.”
After the army he traveled around South America for several months but says he didn’t touch drugs: “Once was enough for me. It was terrible. I have to be in control.” After returning to Israel he spent three years working for the Israel AIDS Taskforce. He lived in Be’er Sheva for two years, managing the branch there, focusing on the daily care of Israeli and foreign homeless AIDS patients. “I was young and idealistic,” Hirsch says, “and more than once I dragged people in off the street and brought them into the apartment we had there to shower.”
Hirsch then moved to Haifa and continued with the same charitable work. One day he passed by WIZO Academy of Design and Education in Haifa, and saw a sign advertising an open house. Up to then he’d only done amateur photography and was planning to enroll in college to study social work. At that moment he decided to apply to the college’s photography department. “When I look at the project I did − a series of informational photographs on how to avoid AIDS infection − it’s ridiculous,” he says now.
Micha Kirshner was the head of the photography department, where Simcha Shirman taught alongside Sheffy Bleier and Reuven Kuperman. “I came in as a blank slate, and since I’m the kind of person who doesn’t do things by halves, I decided to completely devote myself to it. For the first two years I only photographed in black and white and never left the lab, and then I decided that I wanted to really go for it with all I had. At the end of the third year I went to New York and chose to study at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, because the campus there reminded me of the kibbutz.”
As a student he took on any job that was offered him, in order to support himself and pay the high tuition fees. “I worked as a mover, I put flyers in mailboxes, I worked in clothing bazaars. My wife and I had some small savings and her salary from her job at the embassy paid our rent and living expenses. I financed the first film out of my own pocket, and for the second I obtained funding from various organizations. We’re talking tens of thousands of shekels.”
An army camp in the living room
At first, Hirsch concentrated on studying photography in an attempt to come up with a visual language. He worked with a heavy Linhof camera and large negatives, and photographed people − including his father, as well as himself − posing in their small apartment in Queens in various absurd situations.
He chose to combine his civilian New York life and Israeli military experience when he built a guard post inside the apartment with real sandbags. Amazingly, Liran, his wife of 12 years − who works at the Israeli Consulate in New York and is in charge of promoting Israeli art and literature − cooperated with him when he transformed their apartment into a filming site and built a military tent camp in it. For the earth, Hirsch traveled 100 kilometers outside the city and lugged the sandbags, weighing 30 kilos each, up the stairs to their fourth floor apartment.
He went onto the roof of the building opposite and photographed into his own apartment, wearing a helmet and with his face covered in military camouflage colors: like an ambush in Lebanon, in the middle of Queens. He says the educators at the Pratt Institute were very enthusiastic about these works.
Since his photographs are narrative-based and contain elements of performance, the transition to film was a natural one. And Hirsch was already a movie lover who felt his work was influenced by Russian filmmakers like Aleksandr Dovzhenko and Vsevolod Pudovkin. He also likes the American documentarian Robert Flaherty and German director Werner Herzog, as well as Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa.
“Another element that has influenced me are the Renaissance landscape paintings − Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hieronymus Bosch, and also the works of Jean-Francois Millet,” he adds. In the art world, he admires the American multimedia artist Doug Aitken, and the video works of Matthew Barney, and of performance artist Marina Abramovic. Among Israelis he feels a close affinity to the work of video artist Guy Ben-Ner.
Hirsch owes his Stateside success to The New York Times art critic Roberta Smith, who was the first to recognize his talent. “In the summer of 2010 I took part in a group show with 10 other artists at a small gallery [the Lesley Heller Workspace] on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Smith happened to come in, saw ‘50 Blue’ and wrote a glowing review that opened a lot of doors for me. I was invited to show my work at Mass MoCA, the Queens Museum of Art, and elsewhere.”
Reviews in New York Magazine and the Village Voice were also very positive and a year ago he started working with the Thierry Goldberg Gallery on the Lower East Side − where many galleries have been opening in recent years, positioning themselves as a bolder alternative to their swankier counterparts in Chelsea. The gallery is owned by the husband-wife team of Israeli Ron Segev and Frenchwoman Claire Lemetais.
You’re a big success in New York, but here − nada.
“I wrote to a number of curators at museums in Israel and to gallery owners, but they didn’t show any interest. Success isn’t something commercial, but rather the crystallization of your artistic vision. The artistic lifespan is short, just a few years. Right now I’m at my peak, but I’m aware that before too long something will go wrong. There are endless examples of artists who reached a peak and then started to recycle themselves, or to do works that were not as good.
“Selling well is not success,” he concludes. “You know what, I wouldn’t mind not selling anything, as long as I could continue to make meaningful works. By the way, I didn’t run away from Israel. My wife and I are building a house on Moshav Beit Hillel. We’ll be back.”
The family business
When Yoel Hirsch notices the look of discomfort on his son’s face, he immediately gets nervous. He says the situation forces him to almost blindly obey every request of the artist, his youngest child. “I’m a talkative type who likes to laugh a lot and nobody could believe that, under Oded’s orders, I looked so stern in ‘50 Blue’ and was so silent as they dragged my wheelchair through the mud and raised me up. I have nothing to do with art, I’m just doing the job. We are all Oded’s servants. We work for him 24 hours a day.”
Oded Hirsch describes working with his father as “a successful family business,” but his father puts it in more picturesque terms. “For ‘50 Blue’ I was asked to prepare a 10-meter-high iron tower. Later, when the tower was ready and Oded was away in New York, we didn’t know where to put it. Not to mention that the authorities don’t let just anyone stick a tower that tall in the waters of Lake Kinneret. I got a truck to transport it, but in order to get the tower from the beach into the water, my wife, Daphna, had to bring a tractor, and somehow we pushed it in there.
“Oded arrived back in Israel for the filming. When they lifted me in the wheelchair with a cable up to the top of the tower, I wasn’t afraid,” says Yoel, who calls himself an adventurer. “Even though I’m classified as 100-percent disabled, over the years I traveled with my children all over the world, and I also did a jeep tour in Peru for a month with Oded.
“Before the filming of ‘Nothing New,’ he asked us to gather 200 people to take part in the film. He came from New York, gave talks at kibbutzim and handed out flyers, but only a few responded for the film. My wife managed to convince 200 older folks to be in it, including some in their seventies and eighties, and one fellow who was 90. It was hot and somebody had to organize a rest tent with refreshments, so I was also the cook. Everything is based on communal connection and goodwill.
“This May, Oded came to work on the elevator sculpture. I barely saw him for the 10 days that he was working and sleeping at Regavim. Twice I went to the welder in Tiberias and brought perforated iron rods to him in Regavim. On Friday he was on his way to us in Afikim after giving the elevator four coats of paint. On the way, when he was around Wadi Ara, he kind of flipped out. On Sunday he was supposed to fly to New York and now it was Friday night and suddenly the color didn’t seem right to him. When I saw that expression on his face, I got nervous. But on Sunday evening the sculpture was set with new rods and before he flew he said that he was pleased. So now I’m happy.”
In August 2010, Roberta Smith, The New York Times’ tough art critic, visited the group show where Hirsch’s films “50 Blue” and “Tochka” were showing. She called them the best films in the whole exhibition. “Israel as a place of strange vistas and fraught history is intensely present in the work of Oded Hirsch, whose task-oriented videos are among the show’s most haunting,” Smith wrote. “Shot on or near the kibbutz where he grew up, and cast with people who live there, both works depict oddly pointless physical feats in spectacularly isolated landscapes. In his ‘50 Blue,’ (2009) he pushes a wheelchair holding his paralyzed father in a yellow slicker up muddy paths to a rocky palisade that evokes the battle of Masada. He then takes his father to the edge of the Sea of Galilee, where six more slicker-clad men hoist his father, wheelchair and all, to the top of an old watchtower.”
Citing the films’ unique aesthetic, Smith went on to say that a “medieval yet timeless mood prevails; the fragile predicament of Israel is enacted in terms that Bosch or Bruegel would recognize.” Hirsch also received glowing reviews from the art critics of the Village Voice and Artforum magazines.
In April this year, he had his first solo show at the Thierry Goldberg Gallery. It was reviewed in New York Magazine by Jerry Saltz, an influential figure on the Manhattan art scene. Saltz described the experience of watching “Nothing New” as captivating and was wowed by the richness of the film. “Hirsch evokes our eternal need to build towers of Babel to touch the gods,” he wrote.
Karen Rosenberg reviewed the show in The New York Times and praised Hirsch’s “mysterious narratives” in which he “manages to pay homage to his kibbutz roots while invoking larger and less predictable models of collective action, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street.”
Lorenzo Fusi, the curator who selected Hirsch for this year’s Liverpool Biennial, said the following in an interview conducted by email: “When I saw Oded Hirsch’s work for the first time, I was amazed by the palpable, warlike tension that exists within the silence that he was able to convey through his work methods. Most of his imagery alludes to progress, or to action that is hard to predict.
“The viewer doesn’t know which way things will go and this uncertainty generates a sense of anxiety,” Fusi added. “There is also a cheerful aspect to his work, and often a clearly representational element appears too.”
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These very rare prints of birds by J.G. Keulemans depict male and female pairs of the genus Moho from Laysan Island in the Hawaiian chain. Laysan Island was home to an astonishing array of bird species in the 19th century and now part of the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation. In 1890, the British natural history collector Lionel Walter Rothschild sent a sailor named Henry Palmer on a collecting expedition to Hawaii, then known as the Sandwich Islands, with special emphasis on Laysan. Palmer spent over two years accumulating almost 2,000 specimens, including 15 species previously unknown in the West, many of which have since become extinct. These served as the basis for Rothschild’s monograph The Avifauna of Laysan and the Neighbouring Islands, which included 83 plates, 55 of which were hand-colored lithographs, mostly by Keulemans.
The two Moho species pictured in these plates are now on the official list of extinct species, probably due to habitat destruction and introduction of disease-causing mosquitoes. In the 1890s, only four species of Moho were known in Hawaii, and Rothschild wrote in his monograph that the scientific community suspected that Moho apicalis, commonly known as the O’ahu ‘o’o, had already disappeared, given that the last three specimens had been collected in 1837. Concerning the other Mohos, Palmer reported that they were shy birds, difficult to shoot, and found at elevations of over 2,000 feet, where they lived high in the trees. Moho nobilis, known as the Hawaii ‘o’o, was last collected in 1898 and last seen in 1934.
John Gerrard Keulemans was the most sought-after bird artist in Europe from roughly 1870 to 1910, esteemed for his high standard of scientific accuracy. Working largely from bird specimens, he had a special talent for creating drawings that were both anatomically correct and aesthetically striking. A skilled lithographer as well, he was unusual among natural history artists in that he generally transferred his own drawings to plates. In his early twenties, the Dutch-born Keulemans was mentored by Dr. Herman Schlegel, a renowned zoologist and director of the natural history museum in Leiden, who brought him on an ornithological expedition to Africa and then hired him onto the museum staff and encouraged his artistic development. Soon Keulemans attracted his own commissions for natural history illustrations, mainly from England, a center for study of the zoological specimens arriving from farflung expeditions. In 1869, he received a major assignment from Richard Bowdler Sharpe of the Zoological Society of London to produce 120 lithographs for his Monograph of the Alcedinidae, or Family of Kingfishers and thereafter pursued his artistic career in Britain, illustrating monographs and scientific journal articles by leading ornithologists. He was one of several well-known artists who contributed to Lord Thomas Lilford's Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands (1885-1897), a seven-volume work contained 421 plates, representing late 19th-century chromolithography at its best. Keulemans illustrated many volumes of the British Museum’s Catalogue of Birds (1874-1898). He also illustrated other natural history subjects, including a book on monkeys.
Lionel Walter Rothschild, 3rd baronet and 2nd Baron Rothschild, was a member of British branch of the wealthy and influential Rothschild family. His position required him to work in the family business of banking and finance until he was allowed to give it up in 1908, and to serve as a member of the House of Lords in Parliament. In the meantime he used his wealth to pursue his true passion, collecting and researching zoological specimens especially in the areas of ornithology and entomology, building the largest such collection ever accumulated by an individual. While he did some of his own on site collecting, he also contracted with other people to acquire specimens for him, and employed a staff to mount, curate and document his collections. A respected authority in his own right, he published important scientific papers and monographs throughout his life. He was also active in Jewish causes and directed the Balfour Declaration in 1917 approving a Jewish homeland in Palestine on behalf of the British government. Rothschild was elected a Trustee of the British Museum in 1899 and elected to the Royal Society in 1911. Today his collections are housed in the American Museum of Natural History and the British Museum (Natural History).
The entire original publication of Rothschild’s The Avifauna of Laysan has been scanned and placed online by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries on the web site “Rothschild: Birds of Laysan. Full Text Edition,” edited by Leslie K. Overstreet. The plates related to the four species of Moho can be viewed at http://web4.si.edu/sil/rothschild/toc.cfm by selecting Plates 72-75, and the text by selecting Part III, pp. 217-228. The plate related to the Canada Goose is Plate 80, and the text is in Part III, p. 279.
Brooks, T. “Moho apicalis.” 2000. In: IUCN 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=13624 (1 November 2004).
Brooks, T. “Moho nobilis.” 2000. In: IUCN 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=13625 (1 November 2004).
Fontana, Elizabeth, ed. "John Gerrard Keulemans." Beautiful Birds: Masterpieces from the Hill Ornithology Collection, Cornell University Library. June 1999. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ornithology/exhibit/exhibit5d.htm (3 June 2002).
Overstreet, Leslie K. “Rothschild: Birds of Laysan.” Smithsonian Institution Libraries. February 2002. http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/nhrarebooks/rothschild/essays/overstreet_rothschild.htm (1 November 2004). | 941 |
Product Survey: Microplate Readers
by Harald Zähringer, Labtimes 05/2016
Assay detection in microplate readers is still dominated by light-based approaches. However, label-free plate readers based on resonant waveguide gratings offer new possibilities to creative researchers.
Light is reflected at the resonant waveguide gratings of this biosensor chip. The same phenomenon is utilised in label-free microplate readers to detect changes in surface mass. Photo: Greg Pluta, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Microplate (plate) readers are the archetypical jack-of-all-trades detection instruments in life science labs. From protein and nucleic acid quantifications, to UV-Vis absorbance, fluorescence and luminescence measurements, analysis of ELISAs, complex FRET, BRET, fluorescence-polarisation, Alpha-Screen or Time-Resolved fluorescence experiments: microplate readers can do it all.
Light-based microplate readers may be categorised into single-mode instruments, dedicated to only one measuring mode, usually absorption, fluorescence or luminescence, and multi-mode readers, integrating several detection technologies into one instrument, enabling researchers to rapidly switch between different assay formats. Multi-mode readers are equipped with different optical systems, each tailored to the special needs of the respective detection mode. At the heart of the optical (excitation) systems are filters and/or monochromators, separating white (multichromatic) light, coming from a tungsten, LED or Xenon flash lamp, into a monochromatic light beam that is channelled via mirrors or fibres to the microplate wells.
Optical filters are cheap and let pass the desired wavelength at a defined bandwidth, with minimal signal loss and light scattering. But filters must be changed every time the operator switches to another excitation wavelength. Besides that, plate readers usually contain only a limited set of standard filters for routine applications. Researchers must buy additional filters to perform experiments requiring non-standard wavelengths. And there is one more drawback of filter-based plate readers: they are not suitable for spectral scanning of cellular assays, which may be useful to characterise, for example, unknown fluorophores.
Hence, many manufacturers rather rely on monochromators for wavelength selection or combine both, filters and monochromators, in their instruments. Monochromators are basically moveable optical grids that split white light, entering the system via a narrow entry slit, into a spectrum that is projected onto a tight exit slit. Light of the desired wavelength passes the exit slit and is subsequently conducted to the microplate well. The wavelength can be adjusted almost continuously in tiny nanometre steps by simply rotating the monochromator grid.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch in optics – the flexibility of the monochromator grid is paid for with higher light scattering, leading to a lower signal-to-noise ratio. Plate reader manufacturers compensate the increased light scattering with a simple but effective trick: they connect two monochromator systems in series. The split beam, passing the exit slit of the first monochromator, is directly channelled into the entry slit of the second monochromator to keep out unwanted stray light. The very same principle is also applied on the emission side of monochromator readers: fluorescence or luminescence light irradiated from the microplate wells passes two monochromator systems, before entering a scientific camera or a photomultiplier tube. Hence, plate readers with two double monochromator systems are often dubbed quadrupole plate readers.
Monochromators may also be constructed with Linear Variable Filters (LVF), which are basically wedged filters with linearly varying spectral properties. LV longwave pass filters allow transmission of long wavelengths, LV shortwave pass filters let short wavelengths pass. Arranging both filter types in series leads to a band-pass filter, which may be tuned from 320 nm to 850 nm by simply moving the filters linearly against each other. LVF monochromators combine the spectral advantages of filters with the flexibility of moveable grids. And there’s another plus to LVFs that comes in very handy when flexible and sensitive measurements are needed: the bandwidth is adjustable in nanometre steps, enabling bandwidths ranging from a few nanometres to 100 nanometres.
Signal detection in microplate readers is almost exclusively based on light phenomena, originating from fluorescent or luminescent-labelled molecules. The only exceptions are label-free microplate readers, utilising resonant waveguide gratings (RWG) for measuring refractive index changes at the surface of a special microplate. Sounds a bit weird but the basic idea of RWG readers is simple. At the heart of a RWG biosensor is a periodic rectangular grating, embedded into a waveguide film that covers the surface of a microplate. The plate is angularly illuminated (usually from below) with polarised light. The light of a specific wavelength couples into the planar waveguide and shortly propagates along the grating before it is reflected. The coupling efficiency of the resonant wavelength into the RWG strictly depends on the local refraction index near the surface of the biosensor. Binding of molecules or cells to the surface (increasing the surface mass) alters the reflection index leading to a shift in resonance wavelength, which is detected in current RWG readers by elaborated sensors.
Recently, however, researchers centred around Martina Gerken’s Nanophotonics group at the University of Kiel, Germany, RWG pioneer Corning and the start-up company Byosens, Hamburg, came up with a new, “simple” RWG sensor technique that has been implemented in a portable mini-RWG-reader (Nazirizadeh et al., Scientific Reports, 6:24685). The mini-reader’s biosensor utilises changes in the intensity of the resonant wavelength, instead of wavelength shifts for detection. Alterations in resonance intensity have not been used in previous RWG sensors because of their ambiguous relation to refraction index changes. But this is not true for resonances close to the substrate cut-off wavelength: cut-off resonance wavelength intensity strictly depends on reflection index changes.
Measuring the resonance intensity is simply done with a photo diode that captures a LED beam, reflected at the waveguide grating. The intensity-based RWG sensor covers the RWG microplate similar to a lid and enables microplate-sized, label-free readers that can be integrated into robotic systems. But it’s not only the small size and the high-throughput possibilities that makes the mini-reader an attractive instrument for life scientists. The intensity-based biosensor may also inspire researchers from different fields to come up with their own ideas for label-free microplate reader applications.
First published in Labtimes 05/2016. We give no guarantee and assume no liability for article and PDF-download.
Table of Products as PDF-download: Formatted for Printout | 71 |
Value of the Guilder / Euro
Comparing the purchasing power of the guilder from 1450 to any other year.
To determine the value of an amount of money in one year compared to another, enter the values in the appropriate places below.
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If you are only interested in comparing the value of an amount of money in one past year in the prices of another year, you can use this sentence. | 1,407 |
April 29, 2011
OH, GOODY: Omega 3 Fatty Acids Increase Prostate Cancer Risk? “Analyzing data from a nationwide study involving more than 3,400 men, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men with the highest blood percentages of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, an inflammation-lowering omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fatty fish, have two-and-a-half-times the risk of developing aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer compared to men with the lowest DHA levels. Conversely, the study also found that men with the highest blood ratios of trans-fatty acids – which are linked to inflammation and heart disease and abundant in processed foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils – had a 50 percent reduction in the risk of high-grade prostate cancer.” People have often suggested that there’s a heart attack / cancer tradeoff. Perhaps there really is? | 259 |
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A respiratory illness that causes symptoms similar to those of the regular human seasonal flu. The symptoms include fever, fatigue, coughing, muscle aches, headache and sore throat. Some people with it have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.
Is it contagious?
Yes, Just like the seasonal flu virus. Influenza and other respiratory infections are transmitted from person to person when germs enter the nose and/or throat. Coughs and sneezes release germs into the air where they can be breathed in by others. Germs can also rest on hard surfaces such as counters and doorknobs, where they can be picked up on hands and transmitted to the respiratory system when someone touches their mouth and/or nose.
What can we do to protect ourselves from catching this illness?
Washing your hands often is the best way to prevent illness. Respiratory illnesses are spread by droplets that can stay viable on inanimate objects. If you cough or sneeze, protect those around you by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue. (Put your used tissue in the waste basket.) and wash your hands. Cough into your upper sleeve, not in your hands. Everyone should clean their hands often and thoroughly, either with soap and water or with the sanitizing gel that is available across our hospitals.
Who do I contact for more information?
If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your family doctor or other healthcare provider. | 51 |
Video - Space Needle Anniversary
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Updated Monday, Apr 23 at 4:52 AM
For 50 years the Seattle Center has served as a cultural and civic gathering place. The 74 acres of buildings and open space put Seattle on the map, drawing some 10 million visitors back in 1962 and changing the city forever. | 198 |
The Tokyo High Court on Monday expanded on a lower court ruling and ordered NHK and two production companies to pay damages to a women’s rights group for altering the content of a documentary on a mock tribunal over Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.
The lawsuit demanding 20 million yen was filed in July 2001 by the nongovernmental organization Violence Against Women in War-Network Japan (VAWW-NET Japan). It targets NHK, subsidiary NHK Enterprises 21 Inc. and subcontracted production firm Documentary Japan Inc.
The suit has been closely watched because the NGO claimed NHK censored or otherwise altered part of the 2001 program after being pressured by heavyweights in the Liberal Democratic Party, including Shinzo Abe, who is now prime minister, and Shoichi Nakagawa.
The defendants were ordered to pay 2 million yen.
The plaintiffs alleged that the TV program they cocreated was diluted by rightist and political pressure and modified significantly from what the NGO had earlier agreed to create.
At the center of the case is a segment that was deleted by NHK in which the tribunal found the late Emperor Hirohito guilty of allowing the institutionalization of sex slaves, known euphemistically as “comfort women.”
The focus of the high court ruling was on how to interpret NHK’s right to edit content in contrast with the responsibilities it holds toward collaborators, as well as whether it would find the alteration of the documentary a result of outside influence.
Although the court did not rule political censorship was involved, it acknowledged NHK altered the content of the mock tribunal after taking into account the remarks of politicians.
Presiding Judge Toshifumi Minami acknowledged the aired program differed from the original version because NHK “abused its right to edit their program” and breached its contract with the plaintiffs.
“The right of broadcasters to edit the content of their programs must be assured,” the judge said. But he added that VAWW-NET Japan was entitled to receive a prior explanation about the changes made to the program.
Rumiko Nishino, a corepresentative of VAWW-NET Japan who called the alteration “an insult to the (sex slavery) victims” and a “violation of freedom of speech,” praised the judgment, calling it a “complete triumph for the plaintiffs.”
“If such editing was to be judged as freedom of editing by the media, then any political censorship in the future would be approved,” she said.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs added that the verdict “basically ordered NHK to be self-reliant as a broadcaster” and not be intimidated by political pressure.
According to the suit, VAWW-NET Japan agreed to cooperate with NHK and the two firms in October 2000 to produce the documentary of the mock tribunal.
The program was created as part of a series on Japan’s wartime responsibilities and included testimony by surviving sex slaves as well as soldiers who admitted raping the comfort women.
The tribunal found Emperor Hirohito, known posthumously as Emperor Showa, guilty of crimes against humanity.
But prior to its January 2001 airing, the 44-minute program was shortened to 40 minutes after segments of the verdict and interview footage was edited out.
The plaintiffs claimed it was a result of media interference by LDP politicians, including then Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe and current LDP policy chief Nakagawa. Both were heading the LDP’s panel on history education.
The Tokyo District Court in 2004 ordered Documentary Japan to pay 1 million yen in damages to the Tokyo-based women’s rights group, claiming it “gave wrong expectations about the program to the NGO, when the subcontractor had no authority to determine its content.” The plaintiffs then appealed and demanded 40 million yen.
But the lower court did not find NHK or NHK Enterprises 21 guilty on grounds that as broadcasters, they were guaranteed the freedom to revise its programs.
The plaintiffs had claimed that if the program was altered because of outside pressure and NHK was not to be held responsible, it would make it taboo even to discuss sex slavery issues and would be tantamount to government control over the media.
The suit took an unexpected turn in January 2005 when one of NHK’s chief producers involved in producing the altered program revealed that editing was “made against the backdrop of political pressure.”
“It is obvious that it was altered to gain consent from Mr. Abe and Mr. Nakagawa,” the producer said at a news conference.
Despite the whistle-blower’s claim, however, NHK and the two politicians denied any censorship was involved. | 1,788 |
The Magical Sisterhood of Maria Berrio: Her New Show 'The Harmony of the Spheres'
Colombian artist Maria Berrio returns to Praxis Gallery with her second solo exhibition The Harmony of the Spheres, a series of stunningly, beautiful mixed-media collages focused on the celebration of women and nature. In this new show, Berrio follows the tradition of communicating themes of mysticism, mythology, and female solidarity throughout her several canvases, a territory she previously explored in her prior exhibit Dream Gardens from 2013. The works are comprised mostly of Japanese rice paper – Berrio’s medium of choice – and feature a bevy of regal female figures clothed in opulent garb emanating serene expressions. Influences from Klimt, Kahlo, and Schiele make discreet appearances in her work but don’t overwhelm, as Berrio’s style is distinctive and has a clear mission to uplift her muses.
In The Harmony of the Spheres, Berrio seems to evoke the heroines of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s iconic novels, whose work Berrio has cited as a huge inspiration. In Born Again, an Amazonian woman hoists a jaguar on her back while balancing an exotic bird at her fingertips, all the while surrounded by small children. This picture is quite reminiscent of the matriarchal figure Ursula Iguaran, one of the lead characters from Marquez’s classic multi-generational saga One Hundred Years of Solitude. In another piece, The Lovers 3 – The Kiss of the Butterfly, a young woman is found in a pensive state while caressing a butterfly, perhaps contemplating a romantic dilemma. The subject could be likened to Fermina Daza, the ravishing, impulsive, female protagonist of Love in the Time of Cholera. Scenes from the fictional town of Macondo are vividly translated onto her canvases – loaded with magic, mystery, and fantasy.
The sisterly tribe of women found in Berrio’s work share an intimate connection with nature and it’s remarkably evident in her work. Oceanic blues, earthy greens and sensuous reds beckon and enchant the viewer. There are deep bonds shared between earthly creatures and women, which are based upon harmonious living and emotional alliances. There seems to be an underlying purpose between these two groups that ultimately unites them, which is to be the protectors of the earth. These beliefs may stem from Berrio’s youth which were spent in the Colombian countryside. Although Berrio grew up in Bogota, she would escape to her family’s rural compound and ingest her pastoral surroundings which would have a profound impact on her work in the future.
Originally born in Bogota in 1982, Berrio moved to New York to study art and holds both a BFA and MFA from Parsons The New School for Design and School of Visual Arts, respectively, and is currently based in Brooklyn. She was most recently included in the current museum exhibit Cut N’ Mix at El Museo del Barrio, and this is her third exhibit with Praxis Gallery, her first being Of Dreams and Hurricanes in 2012. Berrio has also exhibited in numerous art fairs including Art Miami New York, Art Southampton, Downtown Art Fair, Art Toronto, Context Art Miami, Art Basel Miami Beach, etc. Berrio has also completed residencies with the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, Chashama, etc. The Harmony of the Spheres will be on view through November 7th at Praxis Gallery.
This article originally appeared in Arte Fuse. | 650 |
WOODSTOWN — The agricultural program at the Woodstown High School here is in danger of being discontinued because of low enrollment has shown a dwindling interest from students.
The end of the program would also mean the end of the local chapter of the FFA, part of the school community for decades.
At a school board meeting held here Thursday night, board of education members voted to discontinue 13 programs that had an enrollment of 10 or less students.
Among those considered to be terminated were the agricultural science and bio-tech and agricultural business courses, which are taken by students planning a career in agriculture and who form the local chapter of the Future Farmers of America.
Woodstown-Pilesgrove School District Superintendent Thomas Coleman said that the program is a long-standing tradition and that school officials would be sad to see it go, but that it is no longer reaching the enrollment status it requires to run.
“The agricultural program is a very strong and traditional program, and we have continued to run the classes out of respect for the program and its history, but we are soon going to have to make a decision,” Coleman said.
In the next year, only four students are expected to graduate from the program, a number that Coleman said is getting lower and lower each year.
“We will continue to run the program next year for the sake of the students that are currently enrolled, but we have to decide whether to somehow revitalize the program or just let it go,” Coleman said.
The program, which has been running for decades in the school district, was always a great option for students who planned to explore a career in agriculture.
In recent years, however, students have simply shown no interest in the program. “The FFA has always been a very good program here,” Coleman said. “It has won awards and had a reputation for being one of the best around.”
For teachers at the high school, the discontinued courses won’t make much of a change, as Coleman said that the impact would effect class size more than anything and would not force any staff or teacher layoffs.
“Students would simply have to choose a different elective to take,” Coleman said. “There may be two or three more students in some classes, but it would be no significant problem.”
School officials will soon be forced with the tough decision of whether to stop the program, or keep it for the sake of tradition.
“We can’t just continue to believe it’s okay,” Coleman said. “We have to do something or slowly but surely the program will die a natural death.”
Coleman said that the school will put effort into infusing the program with new energy and a better structure in hopes that it catches on with future students and will also call on the FFA community to help.
“We don’t want the program to die, so we will do whatever we can to revitalize it,” Coleman said.
Despite the changes, Coleman said that students, staff, and parents have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming school year.
“We have a lot of exciting new initiatives coming,” Coleman said. “There will be some interesting changes to curriculum and a lot of new developments.” | 332 |
Стюард бизнес авиация
Metrication in Canada began in 1970 and while Canada has converted to the metric system for many purposes, there is still significant use of non-metric units and standards in many sectors of the Canadian economy. This is mainly due to historical ties with the United Kingdom (before metrication ), the traditional use of the imperial system of measurement in Canada, proximity to the United States , and to public opposition to metrication during the transition period.
Until the 1970s, Canada traditionally used the Imperial measurement system , labelled as "Canadian units of measurements" under Schedule II, Section 4 of the Weights and Measures Act (R.S., 1985, c. W-6). These units have the same name and, with the exception of capacity measures such as the gallon , the same values as US customary units . For example, before metrication in Canada, gasoline was sold by the imperial gallon (about 4.55 litres ). In cross-border transactions, it was often unclear whether values quoted in gallons, etc. were referring to the US values (3.79 litres) or the imperial values of these units.
The election of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney in 1984 resulted in the abolition of the Metric Commission on March 31, 1985. This ended the process of affirmative metrication in Canada, and some regulations requiring metric measurements either have been repealed or are no longer enforced.
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Industrial and occupational changes have been well-studied. These changes of work are embedded in wider changes of economies and societies due to globalisation and rapidly developing communication and information technologies. However, changes in work are not limited to how work is being performed but also where work is being performed. Recent research has stressed that work is not only more fragmented in terms of when tasks are performed but this task fragmentation also relates to an increased spatial fragmentation of work (Alexander et al., 2010). Similarly, it has been suggested that work has become less fixed in one workplace and that workers in post-industrial economies more often combine workplaces (Ojala and Pyöriä, 2017). Although cities are regarded as centres of creativity, innovation and progress, little is known how spatial transformations of work play out in cities and shape mobility patterns in contemporary cities.
Work by Darja Reuschke in collaboration with Brendan Burchell (University of Cambridge) and Mary Zhang (University of Bristol) sheds new light on the spatiotemporal patterns of work in European cities. Based on the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey, we have derived a new classification of workplace locations for full-time workers in European cities that takes, for the first time, account of the complexity of patterns in terms of both space andtime. Findings show that almost half of men’s working patterns and one-third of women’s working patterns classify as ‘atypical’ as the work is not fixed at the employer’s or business premises. Findings further reveal stark gender differences in these workplace patterns, in particular, women’s working patterns are more spatially fixed in one place. Gender segmentation in cities thus appear to be much larger when explored through our spatiotemporal workplace approach than existing literature on occupational gender segregation suggested.
Interestingly, we did not find gender differences in homeworking. Only working from home and in no other place represents a small minority of work in European cities. However, in combination with employer or business premises, it is the most significant pattern after only working at the employer’s or business premises. The study will be published in Urban Studies in due course.
This is an interdisciplinary paper that investigates for the first time the spatiotemporal patterns of work in cities. A new classification is derived that relies on high quality European cross-sectional data using a rigorous methodology that combines the type of workplace people work at and the time they are performing work in these locations. This advances existing research on multilocational work that has little incorporated the time geography of work. The revealed patterns are investigated by gender and multivariate findings reveal a level of gender segregation in contemporary European cities that is much higher than expected from existing research on occupational gender segregation. | 593 |
Despite having a handful more of Release Time lessons for this blog, today I'm posting these Romans notes from a couple years ago. Most probably I've already posted them in long form on Desert Spirit's Fire, but I figured storing the short version here would be cool...as I'm listening to Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" on the radio. Does that song not relate well to the message of extravagant grace we find in Romans—and in Paul, in general?Miscellaneous Romans notes
Neither gospel nor law - innocence
Habits of the heart – 3 "heart" references in Romans 2:5, 15, 29
God's Word imprinted on the hearts of all, in "an echo of God's personality." As usual, I'll say that's love, creativity, community, passion, risk – somewhere else I've made a long Pauline-style list of our in-God-createdness. God's reputation? People I formed for myself...
Anders Nygren: Romans is about the "inward heart, not satisfied with works."
Heart: center or seat of emotions; also, an organic metaphor and a spatial one
Romans 2:12-16 Imperial particularism—along the lines of the taxonomy that came from, did I ever mention I consider myself a revelatory particularist?
Despite a lingering sense of Jew/Gentile, in Paul, as in Christ Jesus, chosen-ness has expanded way far.
2:29 "mercy, not sacrifice"
Righteous; justified; account-able; apart from the Law?!
Romans 3:18; Psalm 36:1 Upright in heart = God-seeking
1 – consumer/material – artifacts and antiquities
2 – extreme athlete – does all the sports and does all the sports well, defying human limitations
3 - scientist – knowledge: think of technologies out of crisis
4 – philosopher – post-modern, nihilistic existentialist: angry, cynical and sarcastic
5 – Paul, the Christian – also a legalist! Paul, the Jew, has lived the commandments as well as anyone every could. Blameless as to the Law! | 1,391 |
FORT COLLINS--Coastal dwellers could be in for as many storms during therest of the hurricane season as they've seen so far, if Colorado StateUniversity's hurricane forecaster William Gray's predictions for 1999 are on themark.
But there also may be some good news--Gray's predictions for this yearcalled for four major storms, and four have already occurred. The hurricaneseason officially runs from June 1 though Nov. 30, but the real heart of theseason is from mid-August through October.
Gray, who has been issuing hurricane forecasts for more than a decade,predicted an active year in 1999, with 14 named storms, nine hurricanes and fourintense hurricanes. As of today, just past the halfway mark for the season,seven named storms, five hurricanes and four intense hurricanes have formed. Thelong-term average for a season is 9.3 tropical storms, 5.8 hurricanes and 2.2intense hurricanes each year, based on an analysis of 1950-1990 storm activity.
"Our forecast for this season is based on the future being like thepast," Gray said. "Similar atmospheric and ocean patterns as this year occurredin 1950, 1955, 1961, 1964 and 1995. All these were very active seasons. If wedon't get an active year in 1999, it means the atmosphere for some strangereason has stopped behaving as it has in the past. We don't expect that tohappen."
As part of their research, Gray and his team also forecast theprobability of hurricane landfall along the U.S. coastline. For 1999 the teamhas predicted a roughly 54 percent chance that one or more intense storms (withwind speeds of 110 mph or above) will make landfall along the U.S. East Coast,including Florida. The Gulf Coast has an approximately 40 percent chance thatone or more intense storms will make landfall. For the Caribbean and Bahamasland areas, the rough probability of one or more major storm landfalls is 72percent and for Mexico the probability is 28 percent, according to the landfallforecast.
To date, Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd are the only storms to makelandfall along the U.S. Coast.
Hurricanes are rated on the Saffir/Simpson intensity scale, which rangesfrom 1-5. The scale reflects a hurricane's wind- and ocean-surge intensity.Hurricanes of Category 3 or higher are considered intense storms and havemaximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour or greater.
To issue his seasonal forecasts, Gray and his team rely on "climatesignals," or measures of the global oceanic and atmospheric circulation system.These signals have remained both consistent throughout the year and, in all butone case, are favorable for hurricane formation. Factors promoting hurricane formation include:
- La Niña, a mass of cold water in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Graynotes that while La Niña is an important indicator that more storms will form,it is far from the only one the team considers in its calculations. El Niño, thebetter-known converse situation, occurs when a mass of warm water forms in thissame region.
- Stratospheric equatorial winds, which are currently blowing from thewest. From that direction the winds tend to generate 50 to 100 percent morestorms than when the winds are easterly.
- Warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in almost all of the NorthAtlantic Ocean.
- West African rainfall, which began increasing in July and now isanticipated to be above average for this summer.
- Equatorial winds at 40,000 feet above the earth, blowing from the eastoff the African continent. These winds, occurring between five and 20 degreesnorth latitude, combine with easterly trade winds to create less vertical windshear (less difference between wind speeds at different heights in theatmosphere) and so cause less disruption to hurricane formation.
The period from 1995-98 was the most active, four consecutive years ofhurricane activity on record, yielding 53 named storms, 33 hurricanes and 15major hurricanes. This and certain other climate signals suggest to Gray and hisassociates that a period of more major hurricane activity and more intense-stormlandfalls along the East Coast and in the Caribbean Basin is now underway.
The periods 1900-25 and 1970-94 were relatively quiescent in terms ofmajor hurricane activity, Gray said, while seasons from the early 1930s throughthe late 1960s generally were more active, with more intense storms lashing theAtlantic coast. He attributes this to a phenomenon called the Atlantic Oceanthermohaline circulation system, or Atlantic conveyor belt, which moves watersnorth from the vicinity of the Caribbean to an area east of Greenland. There,the current sinks to deep levels, moves south and flows into the South AtlanticOcean and beyond.
Warm water and high salinity in the conveyor belt strengthen it,producing more active hurricane seasons and more major landfalling storms alongthe eastern seaboard, Gray said.
"This ocean circulation, a northbound current that sinks and then movessouthbound, tends to go through decades-long changes," Gray said. "Ourinterpretation of climate data suggests that the Atlantic conveyor belt becamestronger between 1994 and 1995, and this has led to more major storms since thattime."
The seasonal forecast, now in its 16th year, is prepared by Gray andco-authors Chris Landsea, Paul Mielke, Kenneth Berry and other projectcolleagues.
Cite This Page: | 1,800 |
According to the St. Bernardine Medical Center, a contractual adjustment is part of the bill that a hospital has agreed not to charge a patient because of billing agreements with the patient's insurance company. It is the most common type of adjustment made by medical providers.Continue Reading
A contractual adjustment shows up on a billing statement as an adjustment required, and it decreases the balance. When a medical provider accepts an insurance plan, the contract includes details such as the amount the insurance company pays the provider for certain procedures. Since the provider charges more than what the insurance company agrees to pay, the amount that is paid by the company is known as an allowable amount, and the amount above that is the reduction, made by the provider, called contractual adjustment. Providers that participate in this agreement believe that the broader access to members is worth the contracted rates on services. Additionally, it ensures that providers are paid a significant portion of the fee, which patients without insurance cannot afford.
Contractual agreements are only made on services covered by the insurance company. A patient who undergoes a procedure that is not covered must pay the full amount charged by the medical provider without any contractual agreement to limit the cost.Learn more about Health Insurance | 1,314 |
OAKLAND: A PLAGUE OF KILLING / QUILTING HELPS MOTHER COPE WITH PAIN OF HER SONS DEATHS / Shes using art to memorialize all the victims of citys killings
Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Ora Knowell loves making quilts, but the patterns she stitches arent flowers, birds or flags.
The subjects are her two dead sons and those who have been killed in homicides in Oakland in recent years, many of them youths. She began the quilts a few months ago and hopes to sew 100 of them each one in memory of a different person in time for a scheduled anti-crime rally in Sacramento in April.
Knowell, a 61-year-old grandmother, has been a community activist for more than a decade, attending support groups for relatives of homicide victims and speaking out against violence at a town hall meeting this year with Mayor Jerry Brown and Police Chief Wayne Tucker.
But the quilts shes making are by far her most personal expression of her loss and those of other victims in a year when the number of slayings in the city is the highest in more than a decade. While other residents are coping by staging candlelight vigils, launching new programs for youth and advocating for more police on the street, Knowell is turning to her craft.
On a recent day, she unfurled six quilts on a large table inside a West Oakland youth art center. They vary in size and color. Some quilts have photographs of faces sewn into them, while others have abstract faces. A few have puffy cloth hands attached to the outline of a body.
As Knowell described her work, a young girl with long dark hair walked over and looked intently at the images. Whats that? asked 12-year-old Ammara Om, as she considered the face on one quilt.
Thats my son, Knowell replied with a smile, looking at a picture of her son Daniel woven into one design. Daniel Knowell was 35 when his body was found in an Oakland park on May 5, 2002. Hed been shot multiple times.
As Knowell explained the quilts meaning, the girl revealed that her grandmother was Lath La, a 58-year-old Cambodian immigrant who was killed by gunfire intended for someone else as she stepped out of a van at the corner of Eighth and Adeline streets in West Oakland on July 14.
La, who fled Cambodia in 1988 to escape the violence there, died at the scene, becoming Oaklands 73rd homicide victim of the year.
Did it take a long time to make this? Ammara asked, brushing the fingertips of her right hand against the soft fabric.
No. I could make one if you like, Knowell said.
There have been 146 homicides in the city so far this year, an increase of more than 50 percent from last year, which ended with a total of 94 homicides.
Theyve had so many murders this year, Knowell said. This is happening to us every day. We just got to do more to say we need justice.
Knowell, who has lived in Oakland for 34 years, said shes seen firsthand how families can be torn apart by the pain that comes from losing a loved one to violence.
The effect on the community is just outrageous. I just feel like were neglecting people, said Knowell, who lives in West Oakland.
The idea for the artwork came from a group of students she has been teaching to sew as a volunteer at Millennium High School in Piedmont. Knowell says the 16 quilts shes made so far have had a powerful impact on her Piedmont students and on other young people who have seen them.
Most of them had not lived in the flatlands to see what our kids see, said Knowell. They can go out at night and go places and not have to worry about the gunfire that our kids do. Our kids live with the fear of looking over their shoulders when they go out.
Knowells youngest son, Christopher James, was 25 when he suffered a fatal gunshot wound in 1996. His body was discovered in the backyard of the familys home, and while his death was ruled a suicide, Knowell believes it was a homicide.
When her grandchildren had just lost their fathers, Knowell sewed together sock dolls with their fathers faces on them to help the children fall asleep without having nightmares.
She hopes her quilts will have a similar calming effect on the families of homicide victims, and move others to get involved in efforts to prevent killings on Oaklands streets.
Her goal is to finish 84 more quilts by April, in time for National Victims Month, when California stages a march and rally in Sacramento in honor of crime victims. Participants speak out on behalf of victims, support services and proposed legislation.
I wanted to share what people are going through down here, said Knowell. I want it to represent the high number this year who have been lost.
With homicides in Oakland at the highest count in more than a decade, The Chronicle is expanding its coverage with a multimedia project that tells the stories of those who have died and those who have been left behind.
The project is the result of more than four months of work, and dozens of people agreed to share their stories. They include a mortician who has handled the funerals of 40 homicide victims this year and, today, Ora Knowell, who is making quilts in memory of victims after her two sons were killed.
The online report
Podcasts, audio slideshows, videos and photo galleries with dozens of images at sfgate.com/oaklandhomicides/ :
-- Remembering the dead: A list of this year's homicide victims, with profiles, photos, links to articles and audio clips from family members and friends.
-- Mapping the homicides: Interactive graphics show where each of more than 550 homicides in the past five years has occurred, plus the locations of the city's 365 liquor stores, which residents and police have targeted as magnets for crime.
-- Living amid the killing: Residents tell how the violence has affected them, in audio and video reports.
-- Voices of concern: A variety of thoughts about the problem, plus possible solutions.
-- How to give help or get help: A list of resources. | 1,111 |
What is PCR?
PCR is a method of copying DNA molecules. DNA replication is common in life; for example it takes place inside your own cells every time they divide. An enzyme known as polymerase uses one strand of DNA as a template to create a complementary strand. The result is that one double stranded DNA molecule is converted into two, both identical to the first.
PCR, or the polymerase chain reaction, adds two components to this process. The initial reaction yields twice the number of starting molecules, but then is immediately followed by a subsequent reaction, which yields twice the molecules as the first reaction. This is why PCR is known as a chain reaction. Commonly 25-40 reactions are chained together, theoretically resulting in 225 – 240 more molecules of DNA then were initially present.
Additionally, the goal of a PCR reaction is commonly to replicate only a portion of the genome of interest. For example, somewhere between 75-1000 bases, instead of the entire human genome of 3 billion bases. As PCR produces billions of copies of only the DNA of interest, this process is known as “amplification”.
Why is PCR important?
The amplification provided by PCR is very powerful. For example, suppose we want to detect whether a dangerous E. Coli pathogen is present in a sample of meat. That meat sample contains a huge amount of DNA from the meat source, and many non-pathogenic bacteria. Looking for the DNA from the pathogenic E. Coli, is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
However a PCR reaction can be designed to amplify only the DNA from a portion of this pathogenic E. Coli. If the pathogen is present, we can make billions of copies of its targeted DNA, which will come to outnumber the overall DNA originally present in the sample, and allow us to easily detect it. If no such signal is amplified by a properly controlled reaction, we can conclude the pathogen was not present.
How is it used?
PCR and related techniques have many applications. Here are just a few
- Detecting viral infections (HIV, etc.)
- Detecting bacterial infections (Tuberculosis, etc.)
- Genotyping (detecting genetic variants, which can indicate predisposition to disease)
- Water quality monitoring
- Food safety testing
- Preparing DNA to sequence
- Monitoring gene expression levels
- Manipulating DNA in genetic engineering and synthetic biology
How does PCR work?
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, so check out this animation: | 1,006 |
The impact of Ed Miliband's speech on education at this year's Labour conference remains to be seen, but people in Westminster are still talking about last year's argument for responsible capitalism. The financial crisis in 2008 exposed some basic weaknesses in our capitalist system, but it was Miliband's speech that gave the first and most explicit recognition of the need for a more responsible form of capitalism, not only as an end in itself but as a means to achieving a more successful economy.
But was the Labour leader picking up a thread already out there?
In the Companies Act 2006, the previous government introduced a provision whereby a director must act in the way he considers would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members.
The director must have regard to various factors, including the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment. However, these provisions did not change the basic legal position of individual companies or of their directors. They are duties owed to the company itself, so are for the company (generally controlled by the directors) to enforce. So this duty of responsibility is not "outward-facing" and does not trigger direct enforcement by the public authorities.
So how does Labour take this forward?
It should be remembered that the main purpose of establishing a limited company with its own separate corporate identity is to limit the liability of the individuals involved, whether as shareholders, directors or otherwise.
The system rests on the assumption that, even if those involved in the ownership and management of companies act for their own selfish ends, the net result will, nonetheless, be for the benefit of the community as a whole.
Clearly the way forward cannot be to return to the pre-industrial era, when those involved in business remained personally responsible throughout. The right approach must surely be to develop mechanisms (if necessary through legislation, or at least non-statutory codes of guidance) which will prevent the harmful consequences of unrestrained business activity, while allowing such activity to continue to benefit the community through the production and distribution of goods, services, jobs etc.
So how might the law frame this?
Consider first the powers and responsibilities of shareholders. It may seem tempting to increase the powers of shareholders, to enable shareholders to control the composition and remuneration of the board of directors more effectively.
However, by itself, conferring greater control is unlikely to be sufficient, since shareholders are likely to be motivated primarily by the profitability of their own investment, and will not necessarily promote the long term success of the company, let alone the benefit of the community generally.
Consideration should therefore be given to imposing a minimum period between the acquisition and disposal of shares, though research is needed to evaluate what the effect of such a measure is likely to be.
Turning to the responsibilities of directors, a code of conduct like the Corporate Governance Code could be developed.
Miliband suggested that those in business, particularly in banking, ought to be bound by similar rules to those who work in teaching, medicine and the law. It now seems to be widely accepted that there should be greater involvement in executive pay by the company's owners/shareholders and by its employees, not least because they have an obvious financial stake in the way which the company's available resources are applied.
Steps to ensure greater transparency in relation to remuneration arrangements are already in hand. However, the time has surely come for society to take a more active role in relation to systems of payment. As the Labour leader has also pointed out, even the European Parliament is proposing that if your bonus is doubling your annual salary, that should be enough.
With regards to tax policy, incentives for particular kinds of economic or investment decisions are an obvious example. Some form of tax credit for child-care would be likely to have a positive impact on the diversity of the work force. More widely, it has been suggested that all tax proposals should be subject to a "sustainability audit".
Finally, a clear area for government action arises in relation to procurement decisions. For example, Labour has said that it would make it a condition that firms winning large government contracts should offer apprenticeships.
David Coats, associate director of the Work Foundation, in an article for Fabian Review, observes that another attractive step would be to ratify the International Labour Organisation's convention on labour clauses in public contracts, which requires the government only to do business with those who observe either the wages and conditions negotiated with trade unions or the prevailing wage in a sector.
No one would suggest that issues relating to the conduct of business should be subject to frequent direct legal or judicial intervention, but there are nonetheless legal improvements which can be made, both on the criminal and on the civil side.
By way of example, there seems to be scope for the creation of additional criminal offences, not necessarily involving proof of deliberate dishonesty. Thus the former Serious Fraud Office director Richard Alderman has recommended the creation of an offence of recklessly managing a company. The need for a tighter approach to prosecution in relation to financial crime has now been emphasised by the Treasury select committee in its initial report on Libor.
On the civil side, the biggest problem remains the funding of litigation, and there is considerable concern that reforms introduced by the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, by diminishing the profitability of the conditional fee agreement, will make it much harder for claimants to pursue civil claims, especially in group litigation.
What mechanisms might be available to guarantee that business activity in general works for the benefit of the community, and not to its disadvantage?
There is no doubt that greater transparency is a first step in this respect, and measures such as those requiring the directors' report to provide environmental information are to be applauded. However, what is lacking is any co-ordinated monitoring (let alone regulation) of the extent to which this kind of disclosure is made, or as to the longer term results.
It is increasingly clear that a "standing commission on responsible capitalism", which could carry forward such proposals, and build on the work of the various temporary inquiries referred to above, is what we now urgently need. As Keynes observed, a system which works for the collective benefit also tends to maximise individual profit, whereas, and this we have all observed, a system which fails to work for the collective benefit risks destroying individual profitability, and thereby destroying the system itself. | 1,326 |
NYC Parks Events Calendar
Get up, get out, and do something! Just about any day of the year, you can find something fun, informative, and healthy to enjoy at an area park. Feel free to browse the listings below, or use the search tools to find an event that matches your interests and location.
Viewing 8,271–8,280 out of 17,003 events
from May 21, 2013 (x) to April 25, 2026
Sunday, May 17, 2015
at Park House (in Soundview Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Volunteers are needed to help spring clean the Butterfly Mediation Garden and repaint the children's sprinkler area.
Category: Accessible, Arts & Crafts, Education, Kids, Volunteer, It's My Park, Waterfront, Seniors
at Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Yoga classes are free and designed for all experience levels. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and, for yoga, bring a mat or a towel. Kripalu Yoga is a system of Hatha…
Category: Fitness, Waterfront, Outdoor Fitness
at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
at Southwest Playground (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
?Bicycle Basics is a free three hour bike class for adults and mature teens who have recently learned how to ride a bike or who want to improve their core cycling skills.
Category: Education, Kids, Learn To Ride
at Margaret Corbin Circle (in Fort Tryon Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Be a great park steward. Give back to the park that gives to you by volunteering with the Friends Committee of the Fort Tryon Park Trust and NYC Parks for a It's My Park Day.
Category: Nature, Volunteer, It's My Park
at Charybdis Playground (in Astoria Park), Queens
at Payson Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Join Paul Sadowski at Payson Center to learn about the diverse array of mushrooms in NYC and then hike through Inwood's Forest to find fruiting species!
Category: Education, Nature, Tours, Talks | 426 |
The Center for Science in the Public Interest named Red Robin's "monster" meal the unhealthiest order of 2014 in their "Xtreme Eating Awards." The meal includes a "monster-sized" double burger, with bottomless steak fries and an extra large salted caramel milkshake, TODAY reported. The meal totals at 3,540 calories.
USA Today reported the CSPI reviews more than 200 chain restaurant menus before deciding on the winners. Categories such as fat, sodium, sugar and caloric content are considered when CSPI searches for possible award-winners.
The Cheesecake Factory's Bruléed French Toast, coming in at 2,780 calories, 93 grams of saturated fat, 2,230 milligrams of sodium and 24 teaspoons of sugar, followed Red Robin's "monster" meal as the second most unhealthy menu item, USA Today said. Other dishes from The Cheesecake Factory, such as the Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic (2,410 calories) and Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake (1,500 calories), were awarded by the CSPI.
Just to put things in perspective, The LA Times said the USDA recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, consuming less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day. In short, none of these listed food items should be consumed in order to meet these guidelines.
USA Today lists ways to burn off the food items, as suggested by the CSPI. They include:
- 12 hours of brisk walking for the Monster Burger meal
- 7 hours of lap-swimming for the French toast.
- 5 hours of jogging for the chicken pasta dish
- 4.5 hours of aerobics for the cheesecake.
Madelyn Fernstrom, TODAY's diet and nutrition editor, said consumers are known for incorrectly estimating calories. She believes these surprising numbers will assist restaurant-goers with their meal selections.
"Many of the chains already have calorie counts for the lower calorie options, so the information on high calorie options provides the consumer with the other end of the calorie equation."
However, Jane Burrell Uzcategui, who teaches nutrition at Syracuse University's David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said the occasional indulgence is healthy.
"I would say sometimes it's OK to enjoy," she said. "But don't get stressed out. Being stressed over what you eat isn't good for you, either."
What are your thoughts on these indulgent meals? Leave a comment below. | 1,558 |
In response to:
The 'Happy' and the 'Hopeless' from the February 7, 2013 issue
To the Editors:
Thank you for publishing Jerome Groopman’s review of Andrew Solomon’s Far from the Tree [NYR, February 7]. I have four additional comments based on half a century of experience with a deaf daughter, her friends, and the schools she attended.
The first is that there seems to be a major difference between those born profoundly deaf, as was my daughter, and those who had even minimal hearing for a short time after birth. My experience suggests that this is, at least in part, because the child born deaf takes a considerable time to understand what sound is. In my daughter’s experience, this meant that she missed what appears to be the crucial year or two during which hearing children begin to learn spoken language. While I am no expert, I have observed that after that period, we do not seem to be physiologically programmed to absorb a language so easily.
The second point is that much of what we learn early in life is “casual.” That is to say, children absorb what happens around them at a rate that appears to be far greater than (and different from) that resulting from education per se. The deaf child is thus cut off from knowledge that the rest of us get just by being there. In my observation of my daughter, I found that we both had to make a major effort to overcome this problem. My answer was to write her letters, illustrated with drawings, so that she could learn the things that other children learned casually such as what writing is, how airplanes fly, what earthquakes are, etc. As she got older, the range expanded so, for example, I retold in suitable language the Odyssey. Disturbingly, there is very little literature aimed at the deaf community.
The third issue is what to do about deafness. Like many concerned parents, I arranged for my daughter to have a cochlear implant. While it was of some value—at least as a safety device so that she could hear a warning noise—it did not give her “hearing.” It took me a long time to figure out what that meant and I find that today even many practitioners do not focus on it. To put it simply, “noise” is what happens, for example, when a computer is turned on; hearing is what happens when a program analyzes the noise. My daughter did not have the program whereas, if I today became deaf, I would carry into deafness the program I began to get at age one and have improved over the years. For me a cochlear implant would be a godsend; for her it was of little value.
Fourth, although deaf people (and their families) are often embarrassed by public use of sign language, it can be both beautiful and remarkably evocative. I witnessed a stunning example of this when my then organization, the Adlai Stevenson Institute of International Affairs, sponsored the twentieth Pugwash Conference on nuclear arms. We assembled 109 representatives of most of the Academies of Science from around the world, including a number of Nobel laureates. The exchanges were predictably difficult—the cold war was then in full blast—so in an attempt to relieve the tensions and to urge understanding, I arranged for the National Theater of the Deaf to put on two short skits: Anton Chekhov’s spoof “On the Harmfulness of Tobacco” in Russian and sign language and Dylan Thomas’s “Songs from Milkwood” in English and sign language.
I introduced the evening by saying that I hoped “that in our troubled times the direct visual language of the deaf can perhaps communicate more effectively across the world boundaries….” What I really meant, of course, is that if the deaf can manage to “hear” one another across the barrier of enforced silence, there is no excuse for the rest of us not to communicate. The plays changed the mood of the gathering and, many participants subsequently told me, their own approach to international understanding.
William R. Polk
The Adlai Stevenson Institute
Former Professor of History
University of Chicago Vence, France
Jerome Groopman replies:
Professor Polk may not see himself as an “expert,” but his observations as a parent of a child born profoundly deaf are both biologically and sociologically acute. Indeed, considerable neural patterning occurs during early development, and while the brain maintains a level of plasticity that allows for later adaptation, the earlier that sensory input is provided, the easier it becomes to interpret. This is, in part, why advocates of cochlear implants recommend intervention at the youngest age feasible. There has been considerable refinement of these implants over the past decade, and there is likely to be even more, lending hope to those who might benefit beyond the implants’ role as a “safety device.”
The determined commitment of a parent like Professor Polk to provide knowledge that “the rest of us get just by being there” is certainly crucial in facilitating learning and preparing a child for an independent and productive future. But this effort should not depend primarily on a family with the resources to undertake it; as Professor Polk indicates, customized literature and other sources of knowledge should be readily provided to all.
The integration of sign language into public discourse may lessen the unfortunate embarrassment that some deaf people experience. I noted that before the recent blizzard, the governor and other officials in Massachusetts spoke about measures that citizens should follow for their own safety and to facilitate the efforts of public workers plowing the streets and repairing the power lines. As the officials spoke, a person stood next to them and signed. By making such use of sign language routine, the stigma often accompanying it may wane and those with hearing may grow to appreciate how it is, in Professor Polk’s words, “beautiful and remarkably evocative.”
We can all draw inspiration from those who find ways to surmount their inborn barriers, as happened at the Pugwash Conference on nuclear arms. Andrew Solomon proposed in Far from the Tree that our differences paradoxically unite us, but after reading the book, I wondered whether he might be looking through the other end of the telescope: it is recognizing our similarities that forms connections—in the case of deafness, the shared human desire for expression and understanding. | 1,293 |
Judging the class reading areas
Our Reading Ambassadors recently had the very important job of judging our class reading areas. The children marked each area on:
- Selection of books
- Organisation of books
The winner is….
Reception’s Reading Area! Well done to Miss Harris and all of the children! Our Reading Ambassadors commented on how cosy and inviting it looked, they liked how the books were organised and the selection of story sacks available for the children to retell the stories.
Here are a selection of photographs of the reading areas. | 590 |
You don’t think you’re a bad person. As a matter of fact, you consider yourself nice.
But now that you’re a little older, you’re starting to doubt it.
Sometimes, you have a feeling that you’re just faking it, that deep inside you’re actually selfish and evil. Sometimes you wonder if you’re pushing people away by your behavior.
We’ve been taught to say “Please” and “Thank You” since we’re little, but they don’t necessarily make a person nice. It would’ve been awesome if we’re taught how to be genuinely nice but I guess we have to figure this out for ourselves.
In this article, I will give you 12 ways you can become a genuinely nice person.
1) Try to keep a level head
One of the most important things to being a genuinely nice person is to know how to keep a level head. That is why this is the very first point on this list.
There are many people who do good things but despite that, you really just can’t say that they’re nice because they get absolutely volcanic when they’re pissed or if they don’t get what they want.
No wonder we judge people who’re rude to waiters.
See, if you lose your calm at the drop of a hat and fail to keep yourself in check, then it doesn’t matter how hard you try to be nice in other aspects. If you explode over the smallest things, you aren’t nice.
It’s also very much possible that some people actually do mean well but they just have problems controlling their temper. Understand that this is usually the case.
If this is you, you can tell yourself “But I mean well!” but you see, it doesn’t matter. You gotta make that change even if it will take you a while.
Even if you exhibit many good qualities—let’s say you’re funny, generous, and all that—if you have a bad temper, it diminishes your niceness by a lot.
You have to do something about it before you ruin your relationships and reputation.
What to do:
- Remove unnecessary stressors from your life.
- Learn some anger management techniques.
- Try yoga and meditation.
- Surround yourself with mild-tempered people so you’ll somehow mirror them.
- Be patient with yourself. Controlling negative emotions is probably the hardest thing to do.
2) Avoid making threats and demands (especially subtle ones)
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to threaten and demand to be assertive. Most of all, don’t do them to manipulate people.
“Don’t break up with me or else I’ll tell everyone your secret.”
“Come with me to the café or else I’m not getting you anything!”
The first example is obviously a threat and obviously not something you’d call nice. But while the second sounds much more harmless — cute, even — make no mistake! It’s still not nice. It’s a manipulative way to get what you want.
Not only is it selfish, but you’ll also be hurting the other person’s feelings — at best they’d be mildly ticked off from having their agency violated.
Making subtle threats and demands when you’re the one in power is a kind of thing psychopaths do.
Don’t be around those people and do be one of those people.
You can’t really claim to be a good person if you think it’s okay to be bossy because you are in the position to do so.
What to do:
- Pay close attention to how you act towards those who are “under” you—your assistant, your child, your SO who earns much less than you. Awareness is the first step to improvement.
- Do you have manipulative parents or a boss that’s too demanding? Maybe you’re mirroring their actions. In this case, you have to go to therapy to rewire your brain.
3) Don’t give to get something in return
We all do this whether we’re conscious about it or not.
We give gifts to our bosses, family, and friends and we expect them to love us a little more. This is totally normal.
But if we blatantly use gifts as a strategy to get something we want, or if we expect to get something in return, that’s not being genuinely nice.
Don’t expect applause if you donate to charity.
Don’t give a free dinner to ask for a favor.
Most of all, don’t get in a bad mood if you’re not acknowledged for your nice gesture. If you’re genuinely nice, when it comes to giving, you care more about them than yourself.
What to do:
- Try donating anonymously and don’t talk about it.
- Give gifts and favors to people who can’t do anything for you
4) Be sincere when acknowledging your mistakes
People can pick up really fast on whether you’re sincere or not.
Be careful about abusing the word “but” in discussions.
“I know, I messed up hard. I should have prepared food for this trip BUT your boyfriend didn’t bring any food either.”
“Yeah, I know I made a mistake BUT you deserved that punch too because you yelled at me.”
You’re just passing the blame if you find yourself saying anything like the above.
You might think you’ve admitted to your part but by pointing out someone else’s shortcomings, you end up sounding insincere.
In fact, we all know that by doing this, you are not actually owning up to your mistakes.
Sure, you might feel rightly justified in thinking that others were at fault too, and feel that people are being unfair. But people are unfair, and it’s better to be kind than to be right.
What to do:
- You will have to work on being less defensive.
- Only say sorry for the things you’re truly sorry for.
- You might feel like you’re being oppressed or bullied or manipulated. You have to tell the difference.
- Learn conflict management techniques.
- If you’ve been blamed a lot before, seek a therapist. Chances are it has affected your self-image that’s why you feel attacked all the time.
5) Try to truly listen instead of making yourself heard
We all want to be heard. It’s incredibly agonizing when people don’t know and don’t care to listen to what we’re just dying to say.
And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be heard! And of course, even in casual conversations, it’s important to pipe up every now and then lest you make a statue of yourself.
But there’s a time and place for that. See, if you get too obsessed with making yourself heard at every turn, you can easily end up drowning out others when they try to explain their side or share their interests.
In short, you risk becoming that person who makes everything about them, the kind of person who butts into conversations and just straight-up steals the show every time.
Nobody likes those people. Nobody.
Good communication should have a back and forth, ideally in almost equal amounts of air time. Except of course, if one has something grand to share or has a problem, then give them the limelight.
Imagine if you need someone to talk to because your SO cheated on you but then your friend would change the topic that’s more about them? Don’t be that person!
What to do:
- If you want to be genuinely nice, be genuinely curious.
- Next time you’re with someone who steals the show, pay attention to how annoying they can be to remind yourself not to be like them.
- Ask questions and then listen with both ears.
- Don’t think of something else while they’re talking.
- Be comfortable when the conversation gets relaxed. You don’t need to think of a new topic every time there’s a 10-second silence.
6) Stop being so critical, you’re not their boss!
Or maybe you are, who knows… but the more you need to be a little nicer.
It can be incredibly easy to get annoyed if people aren’t holding up to the expectations you set.
“How can they be this incompetent?”
“Why does this cashier look so grumpy when it’s his job to serve?”
You have no idea what other people are going through. If they’re not committing something fatal, let it slide.
The disappointment and annoyance are going to come at you particularly strongly if you see people failing at something you have been doing for a long time.
It’s as easy as breathing—why are they messing it up?!
Now, hold up.
No two human beings are alike. We all learn at different rates, with different methods, and are smart at different things.
Moreover, people simply have different levels of experience or exposure and it’s easy to lose sight of that. Plus, let’s not forget moods. They affect how we do things.
I’m sure even you had your off days. You know, times when you don’t do so hot at things that would normally be a breeze to you.
What to do:
- Avoid assuming the worst out of people from the get-go.
- Try to ask people what’s up, and then try to listen and empathize.
- Be open-minded towards differences in opinion, experience, and perspective.
- Try to put yourself in their shoes and try to relate with them.
- Identify and remind yourself of your own flaws and weaknesses.
- Try to give to others what you want to be given to you.
- Remind yourself that no matter how good or informed you are, there will always be someone better than you.
- Look at Karen memes to remind yourself that it’s not cool to complain a lot about every little thing.
7) Don’t go around bursting people’s bubbles
But honestly, cynicism has a significant downside and it’s only going to drag you and the people around you down.
It traps your mind in a pattern where you always find yourself looking for the negatives in everything you see and the longer you indulge in cynicism, the harder it will be to break out.
Sure, you can be a good person at heart while being cynical, but you likely won’t be a pleasant person to hang around with.
As you grow older and the people around you grow out of the ‘Cynics are Edgy and Cool!’ club, you’ll find that less and less people want to hang out with you.
Someone who always has something negative to say about things other people find fun or enjoyable, you become a black hole sucking in all the joy and enthusiasm in the room.
You don’t want that.
It’s far, far better for everyone in the end if instead of being all gloom and doom, you instead try to raise the overall mood around you. Or just shut your mouth.
This is what being genuinely nice also is: not bursting people’s happiness even if you think they’re kinda stupid.
Don’t be that person who feels good by telling kids Santa isn’t real. Let them discover it on their own!
What to do:
- Stop thinking being dark and brooding and edgy is cool. What’s cool is letting people hope, imagine, dream.
- Try stopping yourself when you catch yourself being negative. Be aware of your pattern and try to tame the cynical voice in your head.
- Identify and stay away from sources of negativity such as in news and social media.
- Ask yourself why you have the tendency to look at the negative side of things. Are you scared? Were you hurt before? Maybe you have things to process.
8) Be truthful (even if it’s hard)
If you’re nice but you lie a lot, you’re not genuinely nice.
I’d rather be with someone who’s not the nicest person on the surface but is honest.
Sometimes you’ll lie because you felt like the reality is not as flattering as you wished it were. Sometimes you lie because you’re ashamed or scared or just plain lazy.
Sometimes you’re not even aware that you’re already lying. Instead, you might have simply thought to leave out some inconvenient details from the truth. But this is dishonesty, and it’s called lying by omission.
It can be tempting to lie and to keep lying especially because the more you do it, the better you are at it. By lying, you’re underestimating just how well other people can think!
And, well, people are actually smarter than you give them credit for. Sooner or later the truth will catch up to you.
You’ll end up losing the trust of the people around you. Even worse, you become more used to lying the more you lie and after a point it becomes as easy as breathing.
What to do:
- Ask yourself why you lie. Do you lie to please others? Because you’re scared? Address the root.
- Own up to any lies you might have said. This will give you a clean slate.
- If you ever feel like lying, assume that it WILL be exposed and ask yourself if it’s worth it.
- Acknowledge that it will take a while to get rid of the habit and that it can return if you’re not careful.
9) Avoid gossiping and talking ill of others
Gossip, sweet juicy gossip!
It can be fun to talk about all the latest rumors and hearsay with your friends. Talking about others will make your bond seem stronger.
But this is a dangerous habit. Not only is it a waste of time, you’ll be ruining other people’s lives with every gossip you spread.
These things can be extremely unpleasant and stressful for the person being talked about. Even if you hate the person being talked about, it is still not justified.
Give it some thought.
Gossip can kill. The sense of shame people feels when they learn that everyone knows and is talking about that one mistake they did a while back can drive people to commit suicide.
What to do:
- Surely there are better things to talk about other than all sorts of random things about other people. Talk about hobbies, weather, and even politics.
- If you need to vent, try to find a therapist or get a journal.
- If you find yourself talking about someone, try to imagine as if they were there to listen to you speaking.
- Ask yourself what the point of repeating or sharing gossip is, and what it can do if it becomes widely known.
- Try to do something about the problem. If you must have a personal one-to-one talk with the subject of gossip, do it.
- Try to imagine yourself as the person being talked about.
- Ask yourself often, “What business is it of mine?” and “Will this improve my life?”
10) Know when to hold your tongue
Do you really have to point out to your friend that her acne is getting worse and that she gained weight?
Do you really have to give “advice” to your brother on how to raise her children right?
No and no.
Don’t say you’re doing it to help them because sometimes we do this for our own pleasure. It’s sometimes nice to imagine we’re Dr. Phil and we’re trying to fix someone’s life.
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, you might as well not say anything.”
The above saying is, as a rule of thumb, worth abiding by.
Imagine talking to someone, and finding yourself getting sucked into what you thought was a good conversation… and then out of nowhere the person, you’re talking to begins complaining about your favorite artist’s newest album when they are well aware that you’re a diehard fan.
It’s as if they’re doing this to make you feel a little bit awful.
Then before you know it, they’re making your ears bleed by teasing on your other insecurities. You’re best friends, they say. They do it because they’re comfortable teasing you and you can tease them back.
Chances are you won’t like hanging out with people like these, especially when you get older and have little time for negative interactions.
What to do:
- Think before you speak or type.
- Don’t give advice unless they really ask for it.
- If you’ve been asked to give critique, start withsome positive ones.
- Try your bestto find something nice to say.
- If you seriously can’t find anything good to say, just keep quiet and listen.
11) Know when to be brutally honest and when to do some “tough love”
This one is tricky.
If you’re genuinely nice, you’d risk not looking nice to help others.
You can’t smile and act all nice if someone you care about is wasting their life away?
You’d rather that they hate you now as long as it could help them in the long run.
We are talking about the more obviously problematic cases here like a loved one using drugs, a friend who’s cheating on their spouse, a coworker who’s about to commit a crime.
Make sure you confront them and do it in the most loving way. Offer any kind of help and don’t shame them or make them feel less than for their flaws or situation.
You don’t want to be with someone who just lets you make stupid life decisions, would you? That would not be a nice person even if they’re kind and sweet.
What to do:
- Be gentle when you give “tough love”
- Don’t be scared of losing your relationship or being called cruel. Focus on their welfare but do it in the most loving way.
- Don’t just give your 2 cents, offer help.
12) Know that you’re not perfect but you can always be better
Last but not the least is introspection.
We all know nobody is perfect. That we are flawed is part of what makes us human.
But that doesn’t mean you can simply say “So what, nobody’s perfect” or “But this is me” if you are criticized for something you have done, or are doing.
To be a good person, you should learn to confront, acknowledge, and deal with your flaws instead of pretending they don’t exist.
Or, worse, staying willfully ignorant of them.
The person who insists that they are always right is going to blind themselves to the possibility that they are wrong.
The person who insists that they are good is going to blind themselves to the possibility that they might not be what they think they are.
But that person who listens to what others have to say and is willing to think deep and hard to identify their strengths and weaknesses?
They have the power to deal with their flaws.
They can either compensate for them, cover them up, know how to avoid bringing them to the fore, or you know… fix them little by little.
Choosing to acknowledge and improve one’s flaws is what makes them a better person overall than someone who doesn’t even try.
What to do:
- Acknowledge that you’re not perfect.
- Don’t use “nobody’s perfect” to dismiss any criticism directed at you.
- Identify your flaws and shortcomings and look for ways to deal with them.
- Make introspection a habit but do it the right way
- Reward yourself for the small changes you’re making about your life, especially when it comes to your behavior towards yourself and others.
It’s easy to be “nice”, but to be genuinely nice? It takes a lot of work!
Be patient with yourself in your journey to becoming a better version of you because you have to remember: in order for you to be nice to others, you first have to be nice to yourself first.
Don’t beat yourself up.
The fact that you’re reading this is enough proof that you’re on your way to becoming a more genuinely nice person. Some people never even think about this until they’re 60.
You can do this, one day at a time.
Did you like my article? Like me on Facebook to see more articles like this in your feed. | 1,957 |
How To Become One Of The Best Doctors
In life, some people get callings or inclinations to go into a certain field of work. Someone whose life is saved by a lifeguard for example might then go into protecting people in a similar fashion. If you suddenly find yourself feeling like you could best serve the world as a doctor of medicine, you will at the same time probably start wondering how you could accomplish that exactly.The 70/20/10 Career Model
I compare other 70/20/10 development models to the field of career development. I further propose how professionals enrich their careers through a proposed use of the model.Reasoning Ability Test 101
Reasoning ability tests are administered during a job interview to measure the logical ability and capacity of an individual in different situations. Those that fair well in this type of test are considered proficient in diagnostics and interpreting data.Create A Job With Meaning and Purpose
Whenever I tell people that I own my own business, work out of my home, and set my own hours, I inevitably get some variation of “Must be nice!” as a response. Actually, it is, but I don’t think what I find “nice” about my situation is what they mean when they say it. This response comes from a mindset that is all too prevalent that work and jobs are drudgery and toil – something we have to do – not something we choose to do that is a part of who we are – an expression of our natural strengths and talents.Color Consultant: Through the Eyes of an Expert
Color is the strongest visual stimuli there is. It has many applications especially in the business world. There are trained people who have an exceptional skill in determining the right colors to use for a specific purpose. Color consultants can analyze the effects of color to a person and use it in a practical way.Real Estate Marketing Consultant: The Virtue of Working Smart
Self-sufficiency is the secret to being a successful real estate marketing consultant. The race against time is a constant pressure that needs to be faced every day. Working hard may not be enough. Working smart and being time efficient are important skills to have in this career.Finding the Best Certified Nursing Assistant School
Studying to be a certified nursing assistant can be very demanding and so can the course of study that you must take. There are great rewards and benefits in becoming a part of the healthcare profession. Because of all responsibilities that must be learned and other thinks that you must know, you will need to enroll into a certified nursing assistant or CNA schools. This may cost you some money but it should be considered an investment in your future. Finding the right school for you will help you in achieving your training so that you can get on with your future.7 Tips to Creating a Successful Beauty Portfolio
If you are looking for work as a beauty professional it is key that you have a quality beauty portfolio. Read on for 7 tips to create a successful beauty portfolio.Beauty Portfolios – What Are They?
You are looking for work as a beauty professional? Then you need a beauty portfolio to showcase your skills to prospective employers and clients. Read on for more details on how to create a beauty portfolio and what to include within it.Which Beauty Portfolio Should I Have? 4 Types of Beauty Portfolio
There are Four Types of Beauty Portfolios to help you showcase your talents as a beauty professional and show prospective employers and clients. Read on to discover which type of portfolio is more suitable to you and your skills.Business Attire for Women on the Move
From zipping around the city from client meeting to partner lunch, to traveling cross-country or cross continent on a regular basis, business often requires women to be on the move. For women who need to look their professional best and want to maintain comfort through long hours and distances, this can pose a challenge. Not to worry: You can still look chic after spending days on the road or hours on the go, with a few extra wardrobe considerations.Five Myths About Freelance Work – Exposed!
You’ve heard them. The myriad excuses why one has considered freelance work, but rejected it. Or, perhaps you are considering freelance work, and are trying to sort out the fact from the fiction. Or, perhaps you have decided upon freelance work and are getting the rundown from your parents, or from a well-meaning friend. In any event, you are now no doubt left with some false impressions, and possibly with many questions. I hope to answer some of those questions here, while simultaneously offering up a realistic view of what you can expect if you are considering entering into the fray. So read up – and consider your decision well. | 1,976 |
What it does
Proposition H would provide additional relocation benefits to eligible tenants who are evicted in a "no-fault eviction." No-fault evictions are when a landlord evicts a tenant for reasons that are not the tenant's fault. Examples include the owner moving in to the unit, the need to undertake substantial rehabilitation of or capital improvements to the unit, demolition of the unit, or permanently removing the unit from rental use under the provisions of the state law known as the Ellis Act.
Current law requires $1,000 in relocation benefits per eligible tenant for several types of no-fault evictions. The proposed ordinance increases relocation benefits to $4,500 per eligible tenant (up to a maximum of $13,500 per unit). It also provides a new additional benefit to seniors, the disabled or households with children: $3,000 per tenant, with no limit on the number of eligible tenants. For each eligible tenant receiving $4,500, 50 percent must be paid when the eviction notice is served and the other 50 percent when the unit is vacated. The legislation proposes that all benefits be annually adjusted in accordance with regional urban residential housing indexes provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Additionally, the measure adds relocation benefits for three categories of no-fault evictions that do not currently require relocation benefits:
(1) Demolition or permanently removing the rental unit from housing use
(2) Capital improvements
(3) Substantial rehabilitation
For the purposes of this measure, an "eligible tenant" is defined as someone who has occupied his or her rental unit for 12 months ore more. "Disabled" means a person with a disability, as defined by California Government Code as someone with "chronic or episodic conditions such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, clinical depression, bipolar disorder, multiple sclerosis and heart disease."8
The legislation contains a retroactive clause that anticipates the passage of the legislation in November. The effective date of the legislation is Aug. 10, 2006, the date this proposition was placed on the ballot. This measure requires only a simple majority for passage.
Why it is on the ballot
The current tenant benefit for an owner move-in-evictions and capital improvements were set between 8 and 20 years ago. There have been no new adjustments since these benefits were first established.
An earlier form of this legislation was sponsored by Supervisor Matt Gonzalez more than two years ago. After Gonzalez left office, Supervisor Tom Ammiano chose to sponsor the legislation, although it never received enough votes to leave committee. The current measure before the voters was placed on the ballot with the signatures of four supervisors, although eight supervisors now have endorsed the measure.
San Francisco is one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. Although rents have flattened in recent years, they are beginning to climb again as the San Francisco economy recovers. Rental units make up almost two-thirds of the housing stock in San Francisco, creating a stark contrast with the national housing picture, where 60 percent of households are homeowners. Over the past decade there have been a number of ballot measures that have successfully asserted the rights of tenants. These include restrictions on owner move-in evictions, restrictions on passing through the costs associated with new taxes or bond repayments to tenants, limitations of rent increases per year on allowable pass-throughs, expansion of the protected-tenant status and limitations on condominium conversions. Supporters of these measures assert that tenant protections help preserve affordable housing without government subsidy and protect low-income renters who are being priced out of San Francisco.
The high cost of housing has many consequences for the overall diversity of San Francisco - Additionally, according to data from the U.S. Census Department's American Community Survey, 75 percent of people who are evicted relocate out of the city9 and particularly its racial and economic diversity. For example, over the past five years there has been a significant drop in the proportion of African-Americans living in San Francisco. Given that the high cost of housing provides an incentive to transition rental units to ownership units, many argue that tenant protections help to prevent or slow the loss of San Francisco's economic and racial diversity.
Since the late 1990s, the number of Ellis Act applications has steadily increased. The Ellis Act creates a legal mechanism that enables owners of rental property to withdraw their properties from the rental housing market by asserting that they are "going out of business." Under the Ellis Act, the property owner must then evict all tenants from the development and may not re-rent the units for five years after the eviction, unless the units are rented at the same price as that offered prior to the Ellis Act evictions. Since the Ellis Act was enacted, San Francisco has seen an increase in Ellis Act evictions leading to tenancy-in-common ownership conversions. Tenant-rights advocates have raised concerns that the overall number of rental units available in the city has continued to decline due to the fact that TICs provide a loophole to enable rental housing to convert to ownership housing. Additionally, due to a variety of factors, the vast majority of newly constructed units are ownership units, not rental units.
Those who support this measure claim:
- Tenants who are evicted are forced to move through no fault of their own and therefore deserve some compensation to mitigate the negative impact of their evictions.
- For many tenants, the costs of relocation are extremely high. Landlords typically require first month's rent, last month's rent and a security deposit before occupancy. For an apartment renting for $1,800, the move-in cost at a new apartment would be $4,400, not including the actual costs of moving. In addition, prior landlords have 21 days to return the deposit. Relocation benefits provide evicted tenants with the resources they need to secure a new apartment.
- Relocation benefits help protect vulnerable tenants from homelessness. In a hot housing market, if tenants are unable to find new housing, they are at risk of becoming homeless.
- Relocation benefits reduce the incentive for owners to use the Ellis Act to evict tenants in order to convert buildings to TICs, thereby protecting the city's rental-housing stock.
- In relation to the total cost of buying a new unit of housing, the additional amount of relocation benefits is a relatively small amount of money - whether it is borne by the seller or the buyer.
Those who oppose this measure claim:
- This provision would increase the cost of entry-level home ownership. Due to the fact that San Francisco does not encourage the construction of new ownership housing, converting existing rental units to ownership through the use of TICs is one option for providing relatively affordable ownership housing.
- The relocation benefits provided by this measure are not tied to the real cost of moving. Instead, they are set by an inflexible formula that assigns benefits based on the number of tenants being evicted and not the number of bedrooms in the unit from which the household is being evicted.
- The amount of the increase in benefits proposed by this ordinance far outweighs the increases in the consumer price index since the time the original relocation-benefit measures were passed.
- Relocation benefits should be provided to those who are the most economically vulnerable, not to any renter regardless of income. This measure does not include any means testing.
- Owners might try to avoid paying relocation benefits by keeping units vacant prior to selling their buildings, thus reducing the number of rental units on the market and thereby increasing the price of rental housing citywide.
- By characterizing families with children as a protected class along with seniors and the disabled, San Francisco is charting new territory. It is unclear what the implications of creating a new protected class would be. This could result in landlords not renting to families.
The proposed ordinance confronts the rising number of evictions and the impact of high housing costs by increasing the cost to landlords for no-fault evictions and the benefit earned by tenants. However, the calculation for the benefit amount is not based on a consistent or clear methodology and is not tied to the actual cost of relocation. Although relocation benefits have not been adjusted for a number of years and may be undervalued, this measure ties the calculation of the relocation benefit to the average rent burden for a market-rate replacement unit in San Francisco. Proponents of this measure argue that move-in costs to a new unit often exceed $6,000, not including moving costs (because of the cost of first and last months' rent, and a security deposit). They also argue that relocation benefits being proposed should not be tied to the number of bedrooms in the unit but to the number of tenants in the unit. However, this particular formula does not resemble traditionally accepted formulas of calculating relocation expenses that take into account unit size and the distance between the old unit and the relocation unit.
Further, the increase in relocation benefits proposed in this measure is not means tested, meaning that increases in relocation benefits are provided both to those who can afford to relocate and those who cannot. The size of the relocation benefits presumes that tenants have little savings and cannot afford the relocation costs for an average San Francisco apartment. Some argue that implementing a fair means test would be very difficult, if not impossible.
The Board of Supervisors had more than two years to take action on this measure but chose not to do so. Using the ballot box as a means to pass this legislation now is an inappropriate use of the ballot process. Some feel that the supervisorial endorsements for this measure constitute political posturing by some supervisors to gain favor with their constituents, allowing supervisors to support the measure without having to take responsibility for actually passing it through normal legislative means.
SPUR is also concerned about the methodology for calculating relocation benefits and the potential for over-subsidizing certain recipients. The relocation benefit does not take into account the financial situation of an evicted family or household. Some households could see relocation benefits of up to $30,000, an amount that far outweighs the real costs of relocation. This is because there is no limit to the number of eligible tenants receiving relocation benefits who are seniors or disabled, or who reside in a household with a child younger than 18.
Although SPUR believes there is a need to update and increase the City's existing relocation-benefit requirements, we feel this measure employs a faulty methodology that creates far-reaching consequences that could ultimately prove to be detrimental to San Francisco.
The real question we are facing as voters is about whether the amounts of relocation benefits laid out in this ordinance are reasonable. Our analysis is that by assessing relocation costs per tenant, as opposed to per unit, benefits potentially add up to far more than the real costs of moving. This measure would impose excessive costs on new homeowners and goes too far. Some would say that it is necessary to impose these excessive costs to reduce the incentive for speculation and evictions. But simply increasing relocation benefits does not solve the basic problem of competition between tenants and would-be owners (which is based on an imbalance between housing supply and demand). This measure sets those relocation benefits too high.
SPUR recommends a "No" vote on Prop. H.
8See State of California Government Code 12926.1. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html
9The American Community Survey is an annual survey that will be replacing the Census long form. | 1,132 |
John H. Dunning Prize
The Dunning Prize was created in 1927 by a bequest from Miss Mathilda M. Dunning, stipulating that a prize in American history be established in the name of her father, John H. Dunning. This biennial prize was first awarded in 1929, and has been awarded in odd-numbered years since 1991.
The Dunning Prize is awarded for an outstanding monograph on any subject relating to United States history. The general rules for submission are:
- To be eligible for consideration, an entry must be of a scholarly historical nature and must be the author’s first or second book. Research accuracy, originality, and literary merit are important factors.
- Only books with an imprint of 2013 or 2014 are eligible for the 2015 award.
- Nominators must complete the online Data Collection Form for each book submitted.
- No more than five titles from any one publisher may be submitted.
- One copy of each entry must be sent to each of the following committee members and clearly labeled “Dunning Award Entry.” Electronic copies may be sent only to committee members who have indicated they will accept them.
Please Note: Entries must be postmarked or transmitted by May 15, 2015, to be eligible for the 2015 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced at the January 2016 AHA annual meeting in Atlanta.
For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.
The deadline for this year’s submissions has passed.
Contact information for the next prize year will be posted by March 31.
2013 Dunning Prize
Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Ideas (Univ. of Chicago Press)
American Nietzsche is an original, compelling, and revelatory contribution to intellectual history that provides a model for scholars struggling to explain the reception and significance of important thinkers, particularly European ones. Vividly written and deeply researched, American Nietzsche reshapes our understanding of early 20th-century thought and feeling in the US by showing the many and varied ways in which Nietzsche’s work mattered to so many different kinds of people for so many different reasons over such a long period of time. | 985 |
"Being angry and wanting to be peaceful all of a sudden doesn't usually work. If we're about to blow up, the best thing to do is just sit there, settle, breathe. The best technique may well be patience." - Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
I have been contemplating the paramita of patience all week, as the facebook page for Parenting as Path attests. Patience (or ahem, a lack of patience) is a daily theme for me, felt more keenly with the care of young children. The teachings on patience in the buddhist tradition are rich, and often focus on the quality of forbearance, which I don't find necessarily useful. It is a word that has such negative connotations, with more than a hint of martyrdom. I prefer to see it as acceptance, radical acceptance, as teacher Tara Brach describes it. Being present to what is occurring, and instead of trying to manipulate, change or escape it, to relax, let go and open.
It can be so hard to do this with our children, particularly when they are pushing our buttons, not doing what we want them to do, or testing boundaries. Who knew that simply attempting to get a young toddler ready to go outside to play could be such a stressful experience at times?! Or getting your child ready for school, or to do their homework, to go to bed, or to be integrity with their curfew? So many things can trigger our impatience, but I have found that fundamentally, impatience has to do with an unwillingness to just be there, leaning into what is happening in the present moment, no matter how uncomfortable it is. When I am impatient with others, it is almost always because rather than opening to what is occurring, I am stuck in the past or projecting myself out into the future. How exhausting. No wonder I get snippy.
Cultivating patience with our children means that we notice when we are relating to them from the past or from the future rather than the now. We notice when we are speaking from anxiety and a sense of what should be happening, and then let it go and open to what is actually occurring. It means leaning into the discomfort, the fear, the aggression - leaning all the way until we can open to the still, tender spot that is always at the center of even these painful emotions. Cultivating patience also means nourishing ourselves so that we have the space to relate skillfully to others. Maybe this means going to bed earlier so you have more energy in the morning when things are more intense getting everyone ready for school. Or perhaps it means taking the time when your children are napping to rest yourself, or eat a nice snack, or watch an episode of a show you like. The other day, our schedule got really wonky and my children would not nap. My husband was working very late, so I knew I would not get any break until they were asleep that night. I was a bit at my wits end, as I can't get much done or relax when they are both up and grouchy from being overtired. I drew a bubble bath with some soothing lavender oil, and put them and myself into it. I let them splash and play while I also got to relax a bit. Then I let them help me make butterscotch pudding, which we ate together after our dinner. The kitchen and bathroom ended up being a total mess, but it was worth it. The bath and the pudding cheered all of us up and helped us enjoy the rest of the day together, although we were all very tired.
Part of being patient is being resourceful, creating space even in the most claustrophobic situation. That is why the recommendation for times when you are feeling impatient is to stop, get still, and just breathe. By bringing our minds back into our bodies in the present moment, we open to the vast space that is always available to us. It can be difficult to do this when we get caught up in impatience, feeling justified to keep pushing rather than stepping back. But the more we can just take a step back from our impatience, resynchronize our bodies and minds, the easier it will be to accomplish what needs to be done. I think another important aspect of this all is having confidence that you can do it - that you can actually let go, open and relax. That you can be patient. Sometimes, we get on such a roll with a habitual pattern that we begin to distrust we can do anything differently. I am here to tell you that you can! Every habitual pattern can be transformed. Every time we let go and relax, we are weakening the hold impatience has on us and our families. | 398 |
|Drivers have to be "on" all the time, like this tightrope walker|
at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Oct. 2012
Photo Credit: Charlotte Bray for Skirts and Scuffs
Sometimes NASCAR drivers have trouble with words. As celebrities, their comments are often recorded, transcribed or captured on video. Once in a while, even the remarks they make behind-the-scenes end up on-the-record. No matter what the scenario, drivers are expected to represent the sport well by what they say and do.
Can you imagine how much pressure it is to be “on” every time you set foot outside your motor home? Even when they’re filled with strong emotions, drivers are expected to be on their best verbal behavior. And if they’re not careful, a loose tongue can get them in more trouble than a loose racecar.
It’s so easy to criticize a driver’s comments from afar. But imagine if all of us were under that degree of verbal scrutiny. Could we drive the high line or would we get black-flagged for reckless words?
Being misunderstood is a terrible feeling. So is saying something rash that you end up regretting. Whether we’re talking on the phone, through a computer screen or face-to-face, spoken communication can be a tricky thing.
At one time or another, most of us have said something we thought was pretty clear, but someone who heard it misconstrued our words to mean something else. We said “ABC,” and someone else heard it as “XYZ.” It really stinks when you mean one thing and it is misinterpreted another way.
Worse yet, sometimes we phrase something awkwardly or utter inappropriate words without thinking. Someone gets offended and tells someone else, and things spiral out of control.
Can we avoid reckless words that lead to misunderstandings and harm?
Some misunderstandings can be prevented by using discretion and choosing our words wisely. People want quick answers, but it’s okay to pause and pray before speaking. Like the right adjustments on a racecar, a prayer for wisdom can do wonders for maneuvering through a delicate conversation.
But there are times when misunderstandings occur despite our best preparation and careful choice of words. That’s because people filter what they hear through their own set of perceptions and life experiences, which may be unknown to us.
One thing is certain though: God never misunderstands us. Thankfully He knows each of us down to the depths of our beings. When the motives behind our words are good, He knows. When our intentions are selfish or vindictive, He knows that, too.
It would be great if there was a “rewind” button that sucked loose words back into our mouths, erasing their sounds and making people forget. But spoken words can’t be taken back. When in doubt, pause, pray for insight and choose your words wisely.
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Want more racing devotions? When you donate $25 to Skirts and Scuffs, we’ll send you a complimentary copy of Beth’s book, Race Fans’ Devotions to Go, a month-long, pocket-sized devotional book for female racing fans.
“Faith on the Frontstretch” appears every 1st & 3rd Wednesday and explores the role of faith in motorsports. Comments or twitter follows welcome: @bbreinke. See you on the Frontstretch! | 1,511 |
Dark circles and shadows
There are several reasons for undereye discoloration, says Heidi Waldorf, MD, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Before you can figure out what to do about it, you have to know what's causing it. If you apply pressure to the circle or shadow and it disappears, your problem is due to visible blood vessels underneath the thin skin of the eye area. If the color doesn't disappear, the darkness is caused by excess pigment. And if the shadow forms at the inside corner of your eye, where a tear would flow, it's probably due to a deep tear trough.
To diminish the appearance of vascular discoloration, Waldorf suggests two to three treatments with a Vbeam laser, at $100 to $600 per treatment. For shadows caused by excess pigment, try a topical solution such as a prescription retinoid cream (Retin-A, Tazorac), a lotion containing the lightening agent hydroquinone, or one with soy, niacin, or licorice. A shadow from a tear trough is treated by filling in the area with injections of a hyaluronic acid filler such as Restylane or Juvéderm. | 436 |
A truck caught on fire on Interstate 45 in Leon County last summer forced the evacuation of parts of Centerville and Buffalo. Although emergency crews were successful if getting everyone to safety, there was no, and still is no, emergency system in place for such an event.
Bill Vest is the emergency management coordinator for Leon County. He's hoping to change that. As part of their emergency planning efforts...a special needs registry is being compiled to make sure those who can't help themselves, would get help should a disaster ever strike.
"We want to reach people who are homebound or who are not mobile in some way. So if we have an emergency situation we have the ability to locate them and go remove them from home if need be to protect them." says Vest.
This emergency database is a collaborative effort of the seven Brazos Valley counties. Those with special needs fill out a form with information about their medical condition and how to get in contact with them.
Leon County has a small percentage of residents who need special assistance, but those are the people emergency workers want to get to in case of an evacuation.
"Those people are handicapped, elderly; they may not have heard about homeland security. And when there's a disaster of any type we need to know where they are so we can go out and get them--either for transportation or make sure their evacuated." says Leon County Judge Byron Ryder.
He says since much of Leon County surrounds Interstate 45, there's a pressing need in to have an emergency plan in place that helps the elderly and disabled. There are places already allotted for shelter and food in case of an emergency.
"Ours is more of a fallout - where if something might happen in Brazos or Harris County, they come to our county for refuge and that's where we see our critical need." says Judge Ryder.
And because of the critical need, having the vital information could save lives in the end.
Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties all are compiling a special needs registry. You can pick up an application at any city hall or county judge’s office. | 192 |
For the last five days or so, I've had this weird twitching on the right side of my head. It's not painful and not associated with any headache or any other symptom, but it is very annoying. It happens frequently throughout the day.
I'm 25, in good shape and don't drink caffeine.
Any thoughts on what it could be or if I should see a doctor?
I had something like this once, back about 8 years ago. It felt like an artery or vein spasming, or a muscle contracting, but it's very unnerving, with the twitching.
Do you do work that involves strain on the eye muscles? Mine has gone away, but at the time, it lasted for about 2 months, off and on. I had figured it to be due to my job, which involved me using microscope and keeping my head in a fixed position while using my eyes to look sharply to the side at a moniter, and I did that constantly, for 8 hrs. a day. I think it was stress on the eye muscles, which resulted in the twinges, and although they were related to my eyes, they felt as if they were on the side of my head and sometimes behind the ear area.
Good luck. I'm sure it is probably nothing serious at all.
Copyright 1994-2017MedHelp International.All rights reserved. MedHelp is a division of Aptus Health.
The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Med Help International, Inc. is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. By using this Site you agree to the following Terms and Conditions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately. | 1,435 |
Bio-Clean is a blend of bacteria and enzymes. The bacteria are natural, not genetically engineered. The enzyme concentration is the most powerful on the market.
Is Bio-Clean Safe?
Bio-Clean is non-poisonous. It creates no heat, no fumes, no boiling. It does not attack live tissue nor inorganic materials, only organic wastes like grease, hair, food particles, paper, cotton, and sewage. This makes Bio-Clean safe for people, plumbing and environment. Bio-Clean changes the waste particles into water, carbon dioxide, and mineral ash which run harmlessly out of your waste system. These elements are then available for plant life.
Is Bio-Clean Effective?
Within an hour after pouring the bacteria into the drain, the bacteria begin to eat their way into the waste that has accumulated on the side and top of the drain pipe. This is their natural food. They digest the waste and spread throughout your system, cleaning it completely.
Where can Bio-Clean be used?
Residential and commercial applications.
All drains and sewer pipes, including:
- Kitchen sinks
- Bath tubs
- Floor drains
- Laundry Drains
- Septic Tanks and drain fields
- Garbage disposal odors
- Grease traps
- Sewage ejector pumps
- Grease traps
- Sewage ejector sumps
- Outdoor outhouses and cesspools
- R.V. and boat holding tanks
- Lift Stations
- Cat Litter boxes
How To Use Bio-Clean?
Most septic systems in operation today are not functioning well. The tanks need pumping frequently because of solids build up. All too often the fields stop absorbing water prematurely. The number one reason is the vast array of household chemicals which either inhibit or kill biological action. The coliform bacteria normally present in sewage are in no way equal to present day demands. They are used to warm body temperatures and are poor enzyme producers. They cannot handle synthetic materials present in detergents even under the best conditions.
BIO-CLEAN contains not only potent enzymes, but also contains bacteria that outperform the coliform species in very important ways. They are high producers of enzymes and they are acclimated so that they feed on a larger variety of materials in the waste such as fats and grease, vegetable oil, paper, detergents, fabric softeners, aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds as well as synthetic organics.
Chemicals, bleaches, detergents, food preservatives and bowl cleaners inhibit or kill bacterial action within your system. This lets solids accumulate in the tank, some of which flow out and clog the drain field. BIO-CLEAN will restore the necessary bacterial action and make your system work at full efficiency!
Odors come from waste that sticks to the disposal wall and slowly molds and rots. It is hurled there by the high speed rotating blades. By following BIO-CLEAN instructions this waste will be quickly digested by the live cultures, thus eliminating the odor.
Cleaning out a grease trap is the worst of jobs in a food service operation. After the horrible odorous muck is removed it still has to be disposed of. Unfortunately, we are running out of landfills to put it in. BIO-CLEAN will digest the grease, eliminating the unwanted task, as well as the disposal of the pollutant. Of course, the grease trap must be large enough to accomplish two things. The flow of the water through the trap must be 1) slowed and 2) cooled, so that the oils and fats can rise and be retained between the baffles while the water continues on down the sewer. Also, a garbage disposal should never discharge into a grease trap. If these criteria are met, daily treatment of the pot sink will maintain the digestive action. By eliminating the need to pump the trap a significant cost savings results.
Sumps With Pumps
When ground water accumulates in sumps, odors may be noticeable. This is especially true if household or sanitary waste is present. BIO-CLEAN eliminates the odor by quickly digesting organic material in the waste water. Pumps will require less energy when the rotor, housing and lines are free of build-up. Lower energy costs and longer pump life are added bonuses for using BIO-CLEAN.
R.V. and Boat Holding Tanks
As the waste water level increases in the tank some scum adheres to the sides and sensor. When the tank is drained, more scum is deposited. With continued use, this coating becomes odorous. It is additional weight and reduces tank capacity. There is no large access to the tanks and the build-up is so great that clean-up is difficult and time consuming that replacing the tank is often less expensive!
R.V. owners using chemicals in their tank are also encountering the new problem of not being able to dispose of their chemically treated waste at many dump stations. Waste water treatment plants do not want this chemical toxicity in their plants, so they charge dump stations large fines.
If BIO-CLEAN is used from the beginning, a tank will drain cleanly, including the sensor, if there is one. Using BIO-CLEAN in a tank previously treated with chemicals will take larger doses and some time to overcome the toxicity. It will, however, remove the old build-up. Waste from tanks treated with BIO-CLEAN is accepted anywhere because it is biologically active. | 614 |
Paint-by-numbers meets modern technology in this user-friendly and intuitive computerized program developed specifically for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Windows 2000.
Developed to challenge and engage you at every level – and with 120+ pattern sets and counting – this is the one game sure to hold the interest of everyone it touches.
Adapted both for artists and casual gamers, the serious and the silly, SegPlay® PC’s powerful features are simple to use. And with thousands of available patterns from an ever-growing collection of artistic themes, SegPlay® PC guarantees you and your family will enjoy endless hours of infinite variety, painting fun, and wholesome entertainment.
SegPlay® PC’s dynamic, clear user interface, fun sound effects, near-infinite zoom, and a host of other really cool features provide challenges from easy to expert. Race against the timer or work at your own pace. Use the texturing and graphics effects (like transparency – VERY cool!) to create customized effects. Find the colors yourself, or let the system show you where every red, blue, green or brown should be.
With SegPlay® PC, children of all ages can learn to touch images, and to let those images touch them. Watch the learning possibilities stretch as far as your own image-ination! | 1,493 |
Fulton Lodge Through the Ages:
- Fulton Lodge Charter: 1854
- Dedication of New Lodge Temple, June 29 1894
- Centennial Anniversary Program, 1954
In 1833, the first family moved to the present location of the village of Delta. By 1854 there were 200 citizens in the village. On February 22 of that year, a group of Masons residing in the area held a meeting in the home of Octavius Waters for the purpose of petitioning the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to start a Masonic Lodge in Delta.
The dispensation was granted and permission was obtained for Northern Light Lodge in Maumee, and from Superior Lodge in West Unity for the establishment of a new Lodge.
The brethren chose the name 'Fulton Lodge".
Daniel Knowles was elected Fulton Lodge's first Worshipful Master on March 1, 1854. Octavius Waters was elected Senior Warden and Robert Bloomfield, Junior Warden.
The early meetings of Fulton Lodge were held in the upper rooms of the Octavius Waters' residence. On May 17, 1854, the Lodge rented its first Lodge room from Brother J. N. Marsh for $75.00 per year. This room was on the second floor of the store building just west of the former location of the Peoples Bank (corner of Main and Monroe Street).
On October 19, 1854, a charter was granted to Fulton Lodge #248. Brother J. N. March, the Lodge Secretary, was presented the charter during the Grand Lode communication held in Chillicothe.
On December 20, 1854, the first election was held under the new charter. Octavius Waters was elected Worshipful Master. The new officers were installed the following evening.
In 1860 the Lodge purchased a lot and erected a two-story, wooden building at the present location at the corner of Main and Lincoln. The new building was dedicated on September 15, 1860.
Beginning in 1863, Fulton Lodge granted its consent, and gave up some of its members, to help establish new lodges in Wauseon, Lyons, and Swanton. Lyons and Swanton Lodges have since merged with Wauseon Lodge.
On August 18, 1892, a major catastrophe struck the village of Delta. The downtown area, including the Masonic Temple, plus many homes in the residential area, were destroyed by fire.
Fulton Lodge was left without a home. Permission was received from the Grand Master to hold regular meetings in the Odd Fellows Hall and to confer degrees in the Wauseon Masonic Temple.
Out of the ashes of despair arose many fine, new buildings. One of the most outstanding was the brick, three-story Masonic Temple. Those 95 members of the Fulton Lodge have passed down to the Brethren an outstanding memorial to Masonry.
The dedication of the new Temple on June 28, 1894 was an outstanding event. Several Grand Lodge officers and a number of nearby Lodges participated in the ceremonies.
On January 18, 1905 Fulton Lodge celebrated its 50 Anniversary with more then 200 Masons, their ladies and friends in attendance. This historic occasion was observed with special music, installation of Lodge officers, and distinguished speakers.
During and after World War I, the Lodge showed large gains in membership. Then the depression years took their toll. Many members were unable to maintain their affiliation.
The hard work of Worshipful Brothers Joseph Greisinger, Stanley Schrock, and Nelson Delano helped keep the Lodge going. The leasing of the first floor to the Post Office Department helped relieve the financial burden caused by the loss of members.
During the 1960's a Fellowcraft Club was formed. The diligent efforts of this group and the financial support of the Brethren have made possible many Lodge improvements at a fraction of the actual worth.
From 1854 to 1979, the individual members of Fulton Lodge have been leaders in our churches, our schools, and our community. Some have risen to prominence in political and military fields. Several have been chosen by Grand Lodge for positions of responsibility and service.
A tradition of excellence, a record of community involvement, and a firm belief in the value of Masonic teachings are the heritage we pass on to our Brethren of the future.
The members of Fulton Lodge have much to be proud of. | 576 |
Full Title: Muncy, Muncy Creek, Pennsville
Full Atlas Title: Lycoming County 1873
Location 1: Unattributed
Location 2: Unattributed
Publish Date: 1873
Publisher: A. Pomeroy & Co.
Number Maps in the Atlas: 39
Map Original Width: 23.48"
Map Original Height: 15.15"
Item Number: US12269
Collection: Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection
Image Quality: High quality scan of original that is perfect for printed fine-art quality reproduction.
Source Institution:Souce Media:
|This antique map (Muncy, Muncy Creek, Pennsville) and atlas (Lycoming County 1873) are part of the Historic Map Works, Residential Genealogy™ historical map collection, the largest digital collection of rare, ancient, old, historical, cadastral and antiquarian maps of its type. We currently have over 1,662,956 images available online. You can read about the collection or browse the entire collection. | 986 |
This is the time of year when the hot topic is about your new goals and your new resolutions. Yet have you ever thought about why you should or, dare I say it, should not set goals?
Goals are a tool.
When you are building something, different tools are needed for different results. A hammer serves one purpose. The saw, another. And while you can try to cut through wood with a hammer or drive a nail through a 2×4 with a saw, it’s easier if you use the correct tool for the job.
Here are some of the tools that are at your disposal when building a fulfilling life:
A habit is a set behaviour that is repeated consciously at first until it becomes ingrained and is then repeated unconsciously or with little intentional thought. Behaviours can range from a morning routine, to a thought pattern, to an unintentional tick (like biting your nails).
Right now, I am doing Chasing Sunrise’s 21 Damn Early Days – waking up at 4:30 am every morning for 21 days. Let me tell ya, that is a new habit!
Developing habits take what once took effort and make it effortless. What took focus and make it seemingly automatic.
While changing or creating new habits takes work, the end result of an established habit is more ease and efficiency in your life.
When set from a compelling vision of your future, goals help you elevate the level of success you experience in your life by a specific period in time (month and year). They clearly articulate a measurable condition for that success – something that will let you know you did or did not achieve it by that deadline. Goals are written down.
Chasing goals takes diligent effort from start to finish. The end result is a deeper understanding of yourself and your capacity/capabilities. Personally, I like to set out five WTF goals – goals I am Willing To Fail at each year. Goals I will chase with my whole heart, even though success isn’t guaranteed. Three of those are…
I run a half-marathon personal best by Nov 2017.
16 people come play with us at RECESS in Mar 2017.
We host a debt free wedding – with my best body and spirit in tow. #fullhealthfocus
Notice the different energetics between habits and goals. One creates ease and ingrained behaviours, the other creates elevation and intentional effort.
Commitments are personal ways of thinking and being that influence our actions and choices. A commitment to health, for example, may change how you choose to eat, move and stretch your body, or what time you go to bed. A commitment to learning may influence what projects you take on at work or your extra-curricular activities (maybe you finally learn how to play that ukelele).
Commitments help clarify the day to day choices we make. They help us say yes with intention and no powerfully.
They are intentional yet not time-bound. They are repeated practices yet require effort to remain true to.
The Perfect Cocktail
I don’t believe in goals being the silver bullet to creating a great life. I think a strong vision and goals create direction and focus to help you create something beyond your dreams. I think habits help create ease and remove the pain points in your life. And I think strong commitments allow you to build habits and stay on track with your goals by focusing on your day to day yes’s and no’s.
Different tools for different results. All required to build a great life.
In the name of sharing, my commitments for this year – the way of thinking and being I want to influence my actions and choices this year – are as follows: | 1,432 |
Published January 8, 2020 by Rebecca McDaniel | Share this post!
This video documents a 4-day residency partnership between Third Coast Percussion and The People’s Music School. This is a residency project TCP has offered a number of times over the past few years, both at home in Chicago and on tour.
TCP performed for the students at TPMS’s location at the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago’s Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, introduced three building blocks of music (melody, rhythm, and musical textures), lead the students in breakout sessions where all students create their own melodies, rhythms, and textures, then TCP lead the full ensemble of students in assembling the musical building blocks into a final piece.
This project was designed to give young students a creative outlet at a time when their instruction is primarily focused on learning their instrument and learning to perform music written by other people.
This project is ideal for students with some musical background, but students do not have to read standard Western musical notation. | 706 |
French composer Olivier Greif was born in Paris on 3 January 1950 to Polish/Jewish parents. His father was a survivor of Auschwitz, which had a great effect on the son.
He began writing music at the age of nine, then studied at the Paris Conservatoire and at Juilliard. To make a living he taught composition and directed music festivals.
Greif died in Paris on 13 May 2000.
A selection of M&V articles about Olivier Greif
Ensemble. A Fascinating Insight - Georg Tintner's 'The Ellipse' and music by other Viennese émigrés, heard by Malcolm Miller | 1,258 |
The MACD indicator is basically a refinement of the two moving averages system and measures the distance between the two moving average lines. MACD is an acronym for Moving Average Convergence Divergence.
MACD was developed by Gerald Appel and is discussed in his book, The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Trading Method.
The MACD indicator is primarily used to trade trends and should not be used in a ranging market. Signals are taken when MACD crosses its signal line, calculated as a 9 day exponential moving average of MACD.
First check whether price is trending. If the MACD indicator is flat or stays close to the zero line, the market is ranging and signals are unreliable.
Go long when MACD crosses its signal line from below.
Go short when MACD crosses its signal line from above.
Signals are far stronger if there is either:
- a divergence on the MACD indicator; or
- a large swing above or below the zero line.
Unless there is a divergence, do not go long if the signal is above the zero line, nor go short if the signal is below zero. Place stop-losses below the last minor Low when long, or the last minor High when short.
Microsoft Corporation chart with: MACD, and MACD signal line.
Mouse over chart captions to display trading signals.
- Go short [S] - MACD crosses to below the signal line after a large swing.
- Go long [L] when MACD crosses to above the signal line.
- Strong short signal [S] - the MACD crosses after a large swing and bearish divergence (shown by the trendline).
- Go long [L]. Flat MACD signals that the market is ranging - we are more likely to be whipsawed in/out of our position.
- Exit long trade [X] but do not go short - MACD is significantly below the zero line.
- Re-enter your long trade [L].
The default settings for the MACD indicator are:
- Slow moving average - 26 days
- Fast moving average - 12 days
- Signal line - 9 day moving average of the difference between fast and slow.
- All moving averages are exponential.
Captions and trendlines: Use MACD Histogram if you want to draw trendlines or place captions on the histogram. Otherwise, they are left "hanging in the air" if you zoom or change time periods.
The MACD indicator is calculated as the difference between the fast and slow moving averages:
MACD = 12 Day exponential moving average - 26 Day exponential moving average
The signal line is calculated as a 9 day exponential moving average of MACD.
Johnson & Johnson with a 12 day , and a 26 day exponential moving average (EMA) plotted on the price chart. MACD reflects the difference between the fast and slow EMA. The signal line is a 9 day EMA of the MACD indicator.
- MACD is furthest from the zero line when the gap between the two EMAs is widest.
- MACD is at zero when the two EMAs cross (the trading signal when using two moving averages).
- MACD fluctuates between 1.0 and -1.0 when the market is ranging. | 141 |
sciences po master english
For the academic year 2017-2018, first-level master programs taught in English (or another language different from Italian) areInternazionale del Lavoro (CIF-OIL e UNITO) Science PO Scientific and Disciplinary Sector: Juridical and Economic Sciences Language: French Deadline for registration / Programmes in English | Sciences Po. Dual Masters degree programmes. Sciences Po School of International Affairs These programmes are taught in English on the Sciences Po campus in Paris. There are three types of English masters degrees offered at NTNUInternational masters degrees are programmes taught entirely in English where the student studies for two years at NTNU. English (book IELTS). Language. Sciences Po.Masters in Strategy and Management, M.Sc. Strategic Management and Leadership, Extended Diploma. Sciences Po, France. The professional activity of the Master of Philology is humanitarian science that implies interpersonal, intercultural and mass communication in oral, written and virtual form. Theory and Practice of Translation Russian as a Foreign Language Theory and Practice of English. Emile Boutmy Master Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to International students from outside the European Union . The Emile-Boutmy scholarship is awarded to students arriving at Sciences Po for their first year of study.Required Languages. English. Eligible Countries. Sciences Po also accepts a large contingent of graduate students from abroad without written exams. With the addition of many masters degree programs almost exclusively taught in English, Sciences Po has widely globalized its student body and curriculum. For over 140 years, Sciences Po has educated decision-makers of the public and private sectors.
Sciences Po is differentiated by its strongly internationalProfessor and Scientific Advisor for the Master in International Energy. Many of our classes are taught in French, but its possible to study entirely in English. As a fully-fledged research and teaching university, Sciences Po isWe offer a three-year undergraduate program that includes a year abroad at one of our 350 partner universities. There are more than 20 Masters degree Im considering applying for the (very new!) masters of law at Sciences Po.There is additionally the requirement "(4) that the jurisprudence of such foreign country is based upon the principles of the English Common Law". Dual degree program: penn law / sciences po. Master Finance et Stratgie Institut dEtudes Politiques de Paris.
The Dual Masters degree program in International Finance and Law is a two-year full time Masters Program, taught in both French and English. Sciences Po Aix. Scholarship: none. Level of study: bachelor, master.Courses in English available in the three different sections: specific courses for international students, courses for 2nd year Sciences Po students and courses for 4th year Sciences Po students. Sciences Po (French pronunciation: [sjs po]), or Paris Institute of Political Studies (French: Institut dtudes politiques de Paris, French pronunciation: [s.ti.ty de.tyd p.li.tik d pa.i]), is a highly selective French university (legally a grande cole). Master in Corporate Strategy (eng) Master in Financial Regulation and Risk Management (eng) Courses held in: English or French Length of Courses: three semesters at Sciences Po in Paris and one semester away interning or studying in France or within our partner network abroad for a master Free movers can choose courses from any Sciences Po Grenoble Masters programs (most programs are in French, some classes are in English)(33)04 76 82 60 00 contact[at]sciencespo-grenoble.fr. Master courses represent one of the most rapidly developing directions of MGIMO activity.— Russian and French Division jointly with the Institut dtudes Politiques de Paris ( Sciences Po)Diplomacy and Diplomatic Service. Governance and Global Affairs (taught fully in English) including. Educational values. Masters degrees. Academic calendar. Programmes.Sciences Po Rennes proposes a programme in English for international students who have little or no prior knowledge of French. Master of Science (MSc) in Information Science and Computer Engineering (SPbPU).International Masters degree programs are performed entirely in English language. Informatik / Computer Science. Degree. Master of Science (M.Sc.) Type of program. Full-time program.120 ECTS. Language of instruction. Information Systems: English Software Engineering: German. Campus. PowerPoint Presentation Sciences Po Contact : Cindy Arnold Dlgue en Chine China representative Cindy.arnold sciences-po.fr Direction of International Affairs and Exchanges Retrieve Doc. Bocconi University - Wikipedia If they do not reach the required level in French and/or English, they must take advanced French and/or an English class at Sciences Po.Students will receive Sciences Pos Masters degree in International Affairs after completing their two years of studies and all requirements at the two All courses are taught in English.-> More information on how to submit an application for the master Cognitive Science in the PDF. -> The application form for the M.Sc. in Cognitive Sciences can be found in this PDF. English Masters Degree Programmes. Masters Courses in Detail. Graduate Schools.Download Flyer "English Masters Degree Programmes". Overview. Agriculture Science. This Dual Masters degree program is a two-year full time Masters Program, taught in both French and English.No proficiency in French is required to study at PSIA. After two years, students will earn both SIPAs MIA and Sciences Pos Masters degree. But Sciences Pos Master in Eco Law is entirely in english and that is a big advantage for those who want to study in Paris but do not have requisite language skills to study in other biggies of France! Once in France, you can definitely brush up your french. Applied Media Management in China New Media and Chinese Society Introduction to Chinese Language and Culture. SciencesPo.Tuition: 13, 820 Euro for Sciences Po, 80, 000 RMB for Fudan. 10. Fudan Master of Global Media and Communications in English. I do speak French pretty well (scored an Advanced-Low on the Oral Proficiency Interview), but Im not sure if I speak French well enough to join law schools like Paris 1 or 2. Sciences Po, on the other hand, has an English track "Master inShould I just go for the Sciences Po English Track program? English.Master (foreigners).Sciences Po or Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques Institut dtudes Politiques de Paris ( Sciences Po) - public higher education institution in France. Masters Programs in English. Advanced Materials Science. Innovative Software Systems: Design, Development Applications. Communications and International Public Relations. Nanotechnology and Materials for Micro- and Nanosystems. Sciences Po-Keio Double Masters Degree in Economics ProgrammeLinks to external sites.Courses and research activities are conducted in English, and the Ph.D. dissertation can be written in English. In order to recruit the best students from all around the world, Sciences Po offers Masters programmes taught entirely in English. No need to speak French to enrol in these programmes With Sciences Po, Paris: Dual German-French masters degree program in Political Science/Affaires Internationales/Af-faires Europennes.Application periods April 15 - May 31. Languages Degree Duration Contact. German, English Master of Science (M.Sc.) Sciences-Po Masters: - Masters of the PSIA (Paris School of International Affairs in English).The internship is also mandatory for SciencesPo. Thesis. Bocconi rules and final dissertation at Bocconi. One-year Masters programmes at Sciences Po deliver an intensive curriculum designed for young professionals seeking to take their career to the next level. These programmes are taught in English on the Sciences Po campus in Paris. (entirely in English). MGIMO-Sciences Po, France World Politics. MGIMO-University Masters Diploma Sciences Po, Paris Masters Diploma. Besides, they receive a Joint Diploma Supplement with all courses and ECTS listed. Masters Degree Programs in English. Ural Federal University offers a variety of programs for postgraduate students taught fully in English by leading professors and researchers of national and international level.Mathematics and Computer Sciences. System Programming. 2,853. The necessary knowledge needed in order for studies to be successful is determined in the respective exam regulations ( PO).Simulation Sciences SiSc is an interdisciplinary, accredited Masters program taught in English for graduates of a Bachelors program in science or engineering. This is a four-semester masters programme entirely in English leading to a masters degree in Journalism and International Affairs.All the informations about applications are here. >> Contacts. Ecole de journalisme de Sciences Po. Cold Climate Engineering (Nordic Master) English. Collaborative and Industrial Design English. Computer, Communication and Information Sciences - Acoustics and Audio Technology English. Phystech Schools collaborate with Russias leading industrial and IT companies, the research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and develop on-campus laboratories and research facilities, striving to provide students with the most relevant, in-demandEnglish-taught Masters Programs. Programs in English Registration fees / year (for information only) . Postal address . Sciences Po Foundation (FNSP) andBachelor - Master - PhD - Executive master Yes - Summer School: www. sciencespo.
fr/summer Yes - An application procedure for international students exists for each Arts and Sciences. Business.The required courses in the Master of Arts in English Education are: Fall Semester: ENG 501 Approaches to Research, ENG 506 Methods and Issues in Teaching Language ENG 507 Methods and Issues in Teaching Composition. The last semester of studies is dedicated to specialisation courses at Sciences Po with the writing of a master dissertation supervised by either a Paris 1 Professor or a Professor of Sciences Po. Taught entirely in English, it requires high command in English and quantitative skills. One-year Masters programmes at Sciences Po deliver an intensive curriculum designed for young professionals seeking to take their career to the next level. These programmes are taught in English. Because of the continued influx of immigrants and non-English speakers into the United States, online masters degrees in English language learning are becoming more and more useful to teaching professionals. These courses will be taught in English if there is reasonable demand. Furthermore, there is a Stud.IP generated list of English taught courses.5880 Dependable Distributed Systems 5881 Privacy Enhancing Techniques 5942 Network Science/Soziale und. Many of our classes are taught in French, but its possible to study entirely in English. As a fully-fledged research and teaching university, Sciences PoWe offer a three-year undergraduate programme that includes a year abroad at one of our 400 partner universities. There are more than 20 Masters degree Learn more about what makes the Master of Public Affairs at Sciences Po unique, from our highly international student body, to our renowned faculty.Youre viewing YouTube in English (US). You can change this preference below. The university offers a variety of master degree programmes that are taught in english.Notification of selection results. Start your Masters studies. 16 October. The application period for Masters programmes commencing 3 September 2018 opens. Since 2010, Sciences Po Bordeaux has offered an English track to students enrolled in the framework of its partnership agreements with English speaking universities.The programme also includes a course of French as a foreign language and various subjects at Bachelor and Master Level.
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In this two-part series, we look at some of the basic processes that occur in brain development beginning at the embryonic state, and how the brain functions in relation to childhood learning and development.
In this series:
The Learning Brain
By Kenneth Wesson
Guest Columnist and Education Consultant, Neuroscience
Albert Einstein said, Learning is experiencing. Everything else is just information, suggesting that we must experience learning by utilizing our twenty or more (not just five) sensory systems. Human beings have an innate need to see, touch, taste, feel, and hear (experience) the features of any new object in order to understand it better.
Over the course of ones early formal education, the brain continues to grow based on the same strategies that are used to build it at the outsetby creating linkages between neurons, that generate the vastly complex neural networks, which represent all acquired knowledge and skills. The emerging capabilities and talents that (1) receive significant amounts of time and attention, (2) have key emotional, personal, and/or survival linkages, and (3) are repeated often, are skills that have the greatest likelihood of developing elaborate neural connections that become almost impervious to destruction short of disease or regional brain trauma. Substantial amounts of nerve growth factor, the neuro-nutrients vital for brain cell growth and survival, are regularly carried to these essential circuits. Additional glial cells, the nursemaids to the neurons, are also produced giving still greater assurance of neuronal survival.
When the brain encodes new concepts through various learning modalities, (1) those concepts are processed and stored in several interconnected neural networks, thus enhancing the power of a specific memory, and (2) the cerebral cortex establishes an abundance of physiological access routes back to that specific concept and other ideas to which it is related. A single neuron can make as many as 50,000 connections with other neurons in their effort to dissect, decipher and encode the outside world.
The more frequently that neurons linked together fire together, the greater is the likelihood that they will fire in unison on a subsequent occasion, which results in permanently hardwiring together, a process we call learning. Since it often takes six exposures (hearing, saying, touching, seeing, etc.) before new information enters into permanent memory for storage, combining multi-sensory experiences with multi-modal teaching approaches will accommodate nearly all learning styles. Additional neural connections are made with the sub-cortical structures lying just beneath the two corrugated cerebral hemispheres, when multi-sensory experiences are available to developing learners.
Well-entrenched (practiced) behaviors later become centered in the sub-cortical and cerebellar regions freeing up the conscious cerebral cortex for new learning, as deep-rooted skills no longer demand a learners full attention for their execution. The more entrenched skills no longer demand a learners full attention for their execution. A right-handed individual is able to take notes and listen to a lecture simultaneously. However, listening and taking notes using his left-hand is dramatically more difficult, if not impossible. Subsequent learning opportunities are made possible based on what Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky referred to as zones of proximal development. There are more neural networks representing ones strengths than there are for deficiencies or weaknesses. Unfortunately, schools spend inordinate amounts of time ferreting out and correcting deficiencies, rather focusing on enhancing ones strengths. There is a greater amount of cortical real estate and complex learning networks invested in ones strengths, which provides considerably more resources to work with in performance improvements and advancements in skills.
Processing Preferences in the Brain
Most human beings find learning easiest when they begin a learning experience with a hands-on, minds-on activity coupled with whole-body integrative movements. Tourists are interested in experiencing Spain not just reading about it. If that were not so, purchasing the brochure on Spain would satisfy the curious interests of all tourists. However, it is the sights, the smell, the foods, etc. that we wish to experience, all of which can only come by way of a first-hand excursion to Spain.
Our brain and skin are initially part of the same primitive formation during prenatal development, but they are separated during neurogenesis. Thus, in a sense, our skin is the other half of our brain. This, perhaps, explains why at nearly all stages of life, one learns a great deal about his environment (objects, another person, etc.) via our universal human preference to touch to learn more about an object. While touching an object, most higher order mammals will also turn it, twist it, view it from a number of other positions, etc., as a means of drawing out the most meaningful clues, cues, and relevant information needed for arriving at conclusions concerning the object. (My 2-year old son, Tyler, provides me daily evidence of this important mammalian information-gathering technique, as he walks past a picket fence and feels compelled to touch each picket as he passes by. Similarly, school children are admonished for touching the hallway walls, schools should install paneled or burlap walls that children are permitted or encouraged to touch whenever passing. This tactile activity helps to turn on the brain).
Sustained immobility in the classroom is as incompatible with life as it is incongruous with human growth and human learning. Suppressing the natural excitement of human learning by preventing, ignoring, and even punishing the brain’s natural inclinations obstructs our mission for learners of all ages. While mobility separates plants from animals, the inherent need to communicate with others in various elaborate and complex ways serves as another significant characteristic that puts human beings into a category of our own. Combining mobility with hands-on learning in a cooperative learning setting, where learners communicate their ideas with one another appears to be the best equation for yielding the greatest learning results. It is the means by which most young children and adults deem the most comfortable and the most productive learning arrangement. All complex learning and consistent stimulation serve as the serious business of learning and the brains dynamic development.
Recognizing that early exposure to a wide range of learning experiences has a tremendous impact on the brain, we are taking a closer look at the critical role that early cognitive development should play in pre-school and child-care programs, as well as a truly foundation-building primary educational setting. These years are not just the developmental years. They constitute the most advantageous incubation periods for developing the fundamental skills vitally necessary for successful Kindergarten through college-level (and life-long) learning. No longer do we consider the first five years of life to be a vast cognitive wasteland, during which brain undergoes an arrested development. The neural networks by which all future complex learning will be based are forged during this crucial early period and by a specific series of vitally important brain processes.
The human brain is more than capable of creating trillions of interrelated neural networks rendering our capacity to learn virtually limitless and endless, if we choose to continue stimulating and challenging the mind on a steady basis. The human brain is the quintessential example of the use-it-or-lose-it principle.
Return to Part One: The Developing Brain
Kenneth Wesson works as a keynote speaker and educational consultant for pre-school through university-level institutions and organizations. He speaks throughout the world on the neuroscience of learning and methods for creating classrooms and learning environments that are “brain-considerate.” This series is posted with his permission. | 2 |
Koalas may seem like lazy marsupials, spending up to 22 hours a day snoozing, but when it comes to mating these lethargic animals can become vicious.
With a diet based on eucalyptus leaves that are very fibrous and low in nutrition and calories, koalas live a pretty lazy life, spending between 18 and 22 hours a day asleep. But does this lethargy also translate into the bedroom, or do koalas maintain an exciting sex life?
Found throughout the eucalypt woodlands of Australia, koalas are quite solitary animals. Each individual sets up a home range, which can span a few acres to hundreds of acres. Though these home ranges can overlap a bit, the marsupials rarely run into each other. If two territorial males do encounter one another, things can get ugly, but this happens infrequently.
"The fights that the males have are pretty ferocious up in the trees," said Bill Ellis, a koala researcher with the University of Queensland in Australia. "We think that, by and large, the fighting is a really significant biological event for them, and that's probably why they are not so common."
During the mating season, which occurs in the spring and summer, interactions between the animals do increase, but not by much, Ellis told Live Science. During this time, particularly at night between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m., males make loud mating calls, called bellows, while sitting comfortably in their home ranges. The bellows, researchers have found, are produced by a structure in the animal's larynx, provide information about the size of the koala and are unique to each individual.
Scientists once thought the largest, most dominant males got all the females, who would seek them out by zeroing in on their telltale bellows. But when Ellis and his colleagues looked at the paternity of newborn joeys in the wild, they found that size wasn't everything — turns out, the female koalas mate with a different male each year. "It seems that the females are actually using the bellows to look for a unique mate," Ellis said.
Though it's not entirely clear how things play out, scientists think when a female hears a bellow she likes, she will go on an excursion to find him in his home range. When a male finds a female in his territory, he will approach her in a tree, sniffing constantly as he gets closer to her.
Researchers don’t know how a female decides whether or not she's interested in the male, but she'll cry out if she doesn't want to mate with him. The male, being much larger, can try to force himself on her, but she'll bite and scratch him, climb away and even jump to another tree branch. "She'll do everything in her capacity to reject him," Ellis said, adding that females appear to reject males successfully more than they accept them in the wild.
When a female does accept a male, the pair quickly gets to business. "It's not a particularly gentle process," Ellis said.
The male climbs onto the female from behind, bites the back of her neck and briefly copulates with her. Like kangaroos and most other marsupials, male koalas have a double-headed penis and females have two vaginas (a third birthing vagina later forms to bring the new joey into the world, and then closes back up). [The 7 Weirdest Animal Penises]
The female then returns to her home range to gestate for a little over a month; she won't begin the mating game again until her offspring is fully weaned, about 12 months later. The male, on the other hand, may go on to mate again once or twice more that season. | 1,221 |
IT’S ESTIMATED THAT 30 per cent of private wells in Ireland are contaminated with E. coli arising from animal and human waste.
Meanwhile, a report by the Health Service Executive (HSE) has found that there is a growing number of VTEC – a particularly nasty form of E. coli.
Analysis shows that Ireland has the highest incidence of VTEC in Europe. Since 2011, the HSE has reported a doubling of the number of VTEC cases in Ireland from 284 in 2011, 554 in 2012 and 704 in 2013.
People treated for VTEC are four times more likely to have consumed untreated water from a private well.
VTEC infection is most common in children and in up to 8 per cent of cases patients go on to develop serious kidney complications.
“These can, on rare occasions, prove fatal. This is all preventable,” said Dr Una Fallon, Public Health Specialist in the HSE and Chair of the HSE National Drinking Water Group.
The EPA says rural families in Ireland are commonly affected and much of this is because of contaminated private wells. Consumers of water from private wells at much greater risk of VTEC than those who drink water from mains supplies, they said.
“It can take a long time for the bug to clear even after the child has become well,” said the EPA.
The EPA estimate that 50,000 private wells in Ireland are contaminated with human or animal waste which can cause significant threat to people’s health.
David Flynn, Programme Manager for the EPA said that ”people assume that because their water comes from a well or a spring that it’s completely pure and safe to drink, but that is not necessarily the case”.
“Sometimes, we find that people can develop immunity themselves, but visitors to the house, particularly children and the elderly are at risk of getting very sick,” he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have said that people have to do more to protect their well from contamination and have developed a new assessment tool ‘Protect your Well’.
The information on its website explains what well owners should do to protect their health and the simple things that can be done to reduce the risks.
A ‘Protect your Well’ assessment app is also available from the EPA website.
Well owners can assess whether their wells are at risk in less than ten minutes using the app, says the EPA. | 1,869 |
Current intelligence bulletin 30 - epichlorohydrin.
Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 79-105, (CIB 30), 1978 Oct; :1-13
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that as a prudent measure, epichlorohydrin be handled in the workplace as if it were a human carcinogen. This recommendation is based primarily on two recent studies: a long term epidemiologic study showing significant increase in respiratory cancer deaths of exposed workers, and an inhalation study showing an increase in nasal carcinomas in rats. In addition, cytogenic studies of human peripheral lymphocytes have shown a highly significant increase in chromosome abnormalities in exposed workers. Pending further evaluation of its carcinogenic potential, NIOSH believes it would be prudent to minimize occupational exposure to epichlorohydrin. NIOSH has prepared this Bulletin to advise you of these recent studies, their implications for occupational health, and precautions for handling products containing epichlorohydrin. We request that producers, distributors, and users transmit this information to their customers and employees, and that professional associations and unions inform their members.
Industrial-medicine; Exposure-levels; Humans; Toxic-materials; Occupational-safety-programs; Laboratory-animals; Drugs; Pesticides; Hazardous-materials; Carcinogens
Numbered Publication; Current Intelligence Bulletin
NTIS Accession No.
DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 79-105; CIB 30
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health | 1,622 |
MORAY’S own Spice Girl is looking to add extra flavour to cooking for busy people on the go.
Ghillie Basan is the author of more than 30 cookery books, all on different culinary cultures, and is the ‘world food expert’ on Radio Scotland.
She runs international cookery workshops from her Glenlivet home and these attract people from all over the world.
Now she is adding weekday spice classes to her culinary menu.
She hopes the classes will appeal to busy mums in particular, who want to give their home cooking a boost but don’t have the time to attend one of her intensive courses.
“There are lots of different things you can do with spices. People would learn about different cultures and how spices are used,” she said.
“A lot of people are afraid to use anything other than curry powder in cooking.
“This is aimed at people who maybe only have a morning a week to spare and are busy with family and other things at the weekends. It will be very relaxed and informal.”
Ghillie’s passion for spices originated from a childhood growing up in East Africa, and her time spent as a freelance journalist in the Middle East, writing for the Daily Telegraph, BBC World Service and English language newspapers.
“I have always written articles about food, even although I was covering terrorism in the Middle East.”
Cordon bleu-trained Ghillie gained her degree in social anthropology and she brings elements of that into her books.
She has two new books which are out now, ‘Vegetarian Tagines & Couscous’ and ‘Flavours of the Middle East’, and is working on another three.
Ghillie did a spice series on Radio Scotland’s Kitchen Cafe and have since had many requests to run short workshops on spices so.
With her new workshops she will invite people into her house to learn about spices and spice pastes and to produce one dish that they could enjoy before heading home.
More information and places on a spice workshop can be booked through Ghillie’s website which can be found at www.ghilliebasan.com
Look out on Friday March 28 in 'The Scot' print version for a chance to win a copy of ‘Flavours of the Middle East' by Ghillie Basan. | 339 |
Set high where they lord over the surrounding countryside, or tucked in wood nooks, or placed by elegant promenades, Himachal has an enormous range of heritage properties. Worth nostalgia and comfort skillfully interlaced, here is a window that invites you to share a bygone era & hold its enduring charms. Shimla, the state capital of Himachal Pradesh has some of the world's finest examples of British Colonial architecture. Colonial buildings can be found elsewhere in the state especially in the 'hill stations' of Kasauli and Dalhousie.
In addition, there are forts, palaces, temples, monasteries & residences that follow a much older tradition, to be found all over the state. The thousand year old Buddhist monastery of Tabo in Spiti with its fine wall paintings & stucco statues has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, We are proud to have them as a part of our rich heritage. These provide visitors an insight into local lifestyles, cuisine and culture. A turnover of over a million tourists per year in Himachal makes Shimla a good place to study in. HIHT has opened a Hotel Management Institute in Shimla so that their dream may take shape.
Eligibility: 12th passed /Appeared /Graduate/(Any Stream)
Eligibility: 12th Passed /Appeared /Graduate/(Any Stream)
Eligibility: Graduate (ANY STREAM)
Eligibility: 10th Passed & Above | 1,769 |
Now it's the Latimer Library in St. Paul
- Article by: Kevin Duchschere
- Star Tribune
- May 8, 2014 - 9:58 PM
After 97 years, St. Paul’s iconic downtown library is getting a new name: the George Latimer Central Library.
Mayor Chris Coleman announced Thursday that the beaux-arts library will be named next month after Latimer, a hugely popular and accomplished mayor who served from 1976 to 1990.
“His crucial work and legacy will outlive all of us,” Coleman said in a statement, “and it is only fitting that one of our most beautiful and historic buildings, committed to the education and enrichment of our residents, bear his name.”
Latimer, 78, said he was so moved he was speechless when he learned about the honor from Coleman. “The mayor said, ‘I always wondered what it would take to silence Latimer and now I found out,’ ” said the typically voluble Latimer.
“I’m hard put to think of a function in the city that I would be prouder to be attached to than learning and libraries.”
A ceremony will be held June 10 at the library, at which Latimer will speak. The nonprofit Friends of the St. Paul Library, which he once chaired, also will announce a fundraising campaign in his honor.
Latimer, a native of Schenectady, N.Y., was a labor lawyer who moved to St. Paul in 1963 and served on the school board before he was elected mayor in 1976.
In 2002, Latimer chaired a task force that proposed St. Paul separate its library budget and tax levy from other city funds to insulate the library from economic downturns and win more funding. The measure eventually passed.
On Thursday, Latimer reminisced about the wonderful librarians he knew as a boy in Schenectady and praised the splendor of the central library’s Rice Park setting. He noted that the reference library next door is named for rail magnate James J. Hill, joking that the central library’s new name will therefore link “two fat, bearded men.”
Regarding the library’s new name, Latimer said he told his son: “I’m kind of embarrassed by it, but on the other hand I think I’ll get over it.”
Kevin Duchschere • 651-925-5035
© 2016 Star Tribune | 1,536 |
Earth to Table is looking for volunteers to help educate the community about local agriculture, healthy eating alternatives, and how wellness dinners and health expos can raise funds as well as awareness.
Earth to Table's work offers a wide variety of opportunities for almost any age group (those under 18 should have a parent/guardian discuss any participation in the work). Examples of help needed are:
» Garden work in the Red Hook Community Garden (planting, maintenance, harvesting).
» Distribution of Earth to Table literature (flyers/brochures).
» Assistance with the setup, running, and breakdown of fundraising/public events (i.e., Red Hook High School Career Fair, Christmas Dinner for the Homeless, Kids' Expo, etc.).
» Writing articles for local publications (writing experience necessary).
» Photographing Earth to Table events for Facebook and the fund's archives.
» Assistance with preparation of proposals for fundraising grants.
» Outreach to organizations who might be interested in hosting Wellness Dinners.
» Attendance at local community meetings (i.e., Red Hook Together, Red Hook Bicentennial) to take notes and investigate how Earth to Table can contribute to ongoing community events.
» Speakers to represent Earth to Table's projects for classroom presentations.
For further information , contact Joe Baldwin at 845-635-9388, 845-723-4552 or firstname.lastname@example.org. | 483 |
Although some people might find maths deadly boring, very few of us would think it could ever be deadly dangerous. But deadly it was in 16th century England, and one of those who followed the dangerous and mystical path of a mathematician was John Dee, the subject of this book.
Sherman Stein's motivation for writing this book grew out of a course on the history of calculus for undergraduates he taught for several years. Before that, like most of us, he didn't know where Archimedes' reputation as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time had come from - and now he wants us to know too.
This book is by the same authors as "Why do buses come in threes?", which was reviewed in Issue 10 of Plus. Like its predecessor, it consists of entertaining and thoughtprovoking questions on topics not obviously related to maths, and a discussion of each. The authors say that "give us a topic that we care about, and we all become mathematicians", and set out to prove it.
As Tony Gardiner says in at the beginning of this book, "the last ten years or so has seen a remarkable blossoming of public interest in mathematics [but] most of the books produced have been for adults, rather than for students. Moreover, most are in prose format - for those who want to 'read about' mathematics, rather than those who want to get their hands dirty solving problems."
If "How to solve it" really contained an infallible recipe for doing so, mathematics would not be mathematics and the world would be quite different. Of course it doesn't - it can't - but it can - and does - contain a great deal of food for thought for the budding mathematician.
Like many other Central Europeans, Pólya relocated to the US at the beginning of the Second World War. There he worked at Stanford University and wrote this immensely successful book (more than a million copies sold) in 1945.
This book is built on an extended metaphor, which casts equations as the poetry of science. According to the editor Graham Farmelo (head of Science Communication at the Science Museum in London), great equations and great poems are alike in a number of ways. Both suffer if anything is added, changed, or taken away, both are a rich stimulus to the prepared imagination, and both draw much of their power from their conciseness. | 265 |
Indian Gaming: Background
The Indian gaming industry is a subset of the broader casino and gambling industry, but actually accounts for a healthy portion of the campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures made by the industry.
Casinos run by Native Americans occupy a special place in the overall casino industry, because Indian reservations are considered independent nations, and therefore, gambling is mostly unrestricted. Gaming is also a major source of desperately needed revenue for tribes struggling economically. Indian tribes' special status also means they are not bound by the same rules that affect other lobbying groups.
The industry's campaign contributions increased nearly tenfold during the past decade, from $1.6 million during the 1998 campaign cycle to more than $10.4 million during the 2008 cycle. Individuals -- and a handful of PACs -- associated with the industry tend to support Democratic candidates at the federal level, who consistently receive more than two-thirds of contributions. Democrats received 75 percent of all contributions during the 2008 cycle, with Barack Obama receiving the most: $116,000.
The National Indian Gaming Commission -- the federal agency that oversees Indian gaming -- was lobbied by more than 30 tribes or tribal confederations in 2009.
The industry spent nearly $17.8 million on federal lobbying efforts in 2009 as well. The top spender was the Gila River Indian Community -- located south of Phoenix, Ariz. - with more than $1.3 million in lobbying expenditures.
Unlike many industries, Indian gaming lobbying expenditures have been decreasing since 2004.
In 2005 and 2006 the industry became embroiled in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Abramoff, lobbyist whose clients included a number of Indians tribes, was eventually convicted of conspiracy and fraud -- including defrauding a number of Indians tribes millions of dollars in bogus fees.
He was eventually sentenced to prison along with a number of other lobbyists and congressional aides in one of the biggest lobbying scandals in history. He moved to a halfway house in 2010.
-- Steve Spires
Updated November 2010
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. | 376 |
In order to be constructive, feedback must be mindful, purposeful, well-informed, and well-intentioned. It must also be clearly understood and easy to act upon. The purpose of constructive feedback is not to reward or punish; it is to share valuable information and insights so the entire team will be in a better position to accomplish its goals.
Whether you’re giving or receiving feedback after an interview, portfolio review, annual employee performance session, or client presentation you can benefit from ideas in the highly regarded book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. This book offers a lot of insight, along with a helpful checklist to keep in mind, whether you want to share notes with your colleagues or want to listen more deeply to mutually uncover opportunities for improvement.
“Start With the Heart”
Your observations will be of more value if you practice seeing (and feeling) the world from the recipient’s perspective. Likewise, if you can hear the hopes, fears, and emotions behind the feedback you receive, you may be more able to appreciate it as a gift. If you struggle with compassion or often find yourself on the defensive, the toolkit of Nonviolent Communication can change your perspective.
“Stay in Dialogue”
For feedback to be constructive, both parties must talk to each other, not at each other. Our relevant content on active listening has workable ideas on how to keep the paths of communication open.
“Make it Safe”
Safety is one of the most fundamental human needs; if safety is in doubt, addressing higher-level needs is not as easy. Part of building strong relationships is giving colleagues space, to be honest with each other without anyone feeling threatened. The most constructive moments happen in a calm environment within an atmosphere of mutual respect and only after any tensions or distractions have been dealt with.
“Don’t Get Hooked By Emotion (Or Hook Them)”
Clear communication happens above the noise and static of aggression, manipulation, or games of status. To give and receive constructive feedback, you must work around any emotional tactics and triggers and maintain your focus on what is true, what is useful, and the objectives you share.
“Agree on a Mutual Purpose”
Make sure constructive feedback is shared on a common ground. This means setting your goals upfront, being transparent about what you hope to gain, and recognizing each other as allies on the same journey, headed in the same direction.
“Separate Facts from Story”
We, humans, excel at constructing narratives; we use this skill to find patterns in our experiences and to make sense of the world. To remain open to new information and wisdom, we must practice setting aside our stories and pay attention to things objectively, as they are, in a way both parties can understand and agree upon. Things are almost never precisely what they may seem!
“Agree on a Clear Action Plan”
Every transmission of constructive feedback should conclude with a set of concrete, realistic, shared goals. The best feedback often results in a plan of action, and once the plan of action is followed through to everyone’s satisfaction, then you know the feedback was constructive!
At Artisan Creative, we believe the surest path to professional growth is through better communication. Get in touch today and start the conversation!
We hope you’ve enjoyed the 480th issue of our a.blog. | 741 |
Submitted by gerrymerchant • March 8, 2005
Why do most Americans say “you all” instead of just the second person plural “you”? When and where did this originate.
I am expecting answers from you all.
March 8, 2005, 6:59pm
The word "you" has no plural form, which I think is the problem. I think "yous" should be a legitimate word.
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March 8, 2005, 11:34pm
It isn't that you doesn't have a plural form, but rather you *is* the plural form of itself. In most cases, I think the use of "you all" is just a result of poor grammar, and is often heard in more southern dialects. Although, in the sentence, "I am expecting answers from you all" I think it's ok, but in this case it is used to emphasize "*all* of you" instead of a more general plural "you".
March 9, 2005, 1:56am
The southernism is YA'LL (which spelling is the one usually insisted on by a southerner). A 2nd person plural is common in languages other than English, and it's not uncommon for English-speakers to adopt their own version of the 2ndpp to make up for its absence. Where southerners have YA'LL, others, including my fellow Liverpudlians, have YOUSE.
March 9, 2005, 2:03am
By the way, in my experience YOU ALL is universal -- in fact it's standard English. I was assuming you really had in mind the abbreviated YA'LL.
March 9, 2005, 9:08am
The proper spelling of the word, to the extent there is a proper spelling, is "y'all." "Y'all" is a contraction, like "don't" and "isn't." The apostrophe stands for the dropped letters "O" and "U."
"You" is either singular or plural, or usable when you don't know or don't want to specify singular or plural.
"Y'all" can sometimes be used in the singular, but I rarely hear the singular usage anymore, and I never hear it in Texas. It means the same thing as, and is interchangeable with, "you all" (depending on how slow your drawl is). It is plausible to me that sometimes "you all" in modern speech is actually a re-expanded "y'all."
"All y'all" is a "superplural" that you hear used in contexts like the following: "I can go with y'all in the car, or with y'all in the truck, but I can't go with all y'all at the same time." "All y'all kids get out of the mud and get some ice cream--it ain't waitin' on all y'all."
March 16, 2005, 1:19am
I know in michigan we simply use "you" or "all of you", not "y'all", except for people who moved here from the south.
March 16, 2005, 8:26am
Oh, yeah, "you" and "all of you" is the way I learned it growing up, part of which I actually did in Michigan. I didn't pick up "y'all" until I moved to Texas (the first time) when I was 12.
Since the subject hasn't really been addressed, I'll point out that the word "you," far from having no plural, *is* the plural. The singular form, no longer used in standard English, is "thou" or "thee" (depending on its grammatical function).
I learned from the Quakers that at the time of their founding, around 200 years ago, both "you" and "thou" were used in the singular in standard English. The choice between them was made based on how close or familiar your relationship was with the person you were addressing. Since Quakers wished to emphasize the status of every person as a brother or sister in Christ (as they saw it), they used only the more familiar form. They continued to speak this way even when 'thou" fell out of standard usage. It's rare to find a modern Quaker who still does this, though.
Persephone Imytholin (unregistered)
March 18, 2005, 12:00am
There's a good example of this in modern language, though. Modern German uses 'Sie' for a polite second-person singular.
March 18, 2005, 8:14am
Oh, yes, and it happens in Spanish too, with the "familiar" form "tu" and the "formal" form "usted" (plural, "ustedes"). Because the word endings of nouns that agree with "usted" resemble plural endings, I sometimes tease my Hispanic co-workers with this mock-innocent query:
"The Spanish word for 'day' is 'día,' right?"
"And if you wanted to talk about more than one day, you'd say 'días,' right?
"Yeah, that's right."
"So when we tell someone 'Buenos días,' we're actually talking about more than one day, right?"
(Look of utter confusion on my friend's face as they try desperately to articulate a grammatical principle they've taken for granted since they began to talk. Heh.)
Susan Coker (unregistered)
September 10, 2005, 12:07pm
I grew up in Mississippi, and in all our notes to each other as students in school, it was ya'll. That's just the way everybody spelled it. Several years ago someone pointed out to me that this is incorrect, and I agree, because you put the apostrophe where you leave out the letters, as y (ou) 'all. However, I've spelled it wrong all my life, and at my age I reserve the right to continue to spell it that way. I bet all my classmates from Vicksburg are still spelling it wrong, too!
October 26, 2005, 7:36pm
All sounds interesting, but I have to take issue with your basic premise. Most Americans do NOT say you all, or y'all. It is specifically a southern regionalism.
November 11, 2005, 2:38pm
I think you all are forgetting something important: the fact that language changes. We do in fact have a second person plural in english, and it is formed by saying the word "you" with a modifier, for example, you all, you three, you people, etc. Please do not subscribe to the professor's english, so strict and unchanging, and instead recognize the fact that "proper" english is the way that english is actually spoken, not the way some grammar professor says you must speak it.
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The historical part of the city will be surely the most interesting for travelers as all most important architectural and historical sites are located here. Palace of Parliament is the most striking architectural monument of the city. This is a beautiful building that amazes guests by its size. Inside the palace are located as many as approximately six thousand rooms. The total square of this huge building is second only after the Pentagon. Many old buildings have been destroyed during the construction of the palace, so nowadays it occupies a considerable part of the historic district of Bucharest.
The Arc of Triumph is located just nearby. This wonderful monument was erected in 1920 in the memory of Romanian soldiers killed during the First World War. Granite of a rare sort was used in the building of the arch. The monument is decorated with exquisite sculptures created by the best artists of the country. All visitors are welcome to climb up to the observation deck, which is built on top of the arch. From here you will be able to enjoy the magnificent panorama of the city.
This article about Bucharest is written by the orangesmile.com editorial team and is protected by the copyright law. The article can only be re-used with a direct link to www.orangesmile.com | 439 |
Mayo Clinic-linked device firm raises $5M
Remember NeoChord, Inc.?
It's a medical device company that licenses Mayo Clinic technology to make a non-invasive method for fixing a leaky heart valve AKA mitral-valve regurgitation. Mayo Clinic is also invested in an equity position in the firm.
I first started writing about this company back in the days before this blog. I wrote a full piece about this firm back in 2007.
A week ago, the Minnetonka-based company filed with the SEC that it had just raised about $5 million in financing and its working on lining up another $6 million.
In January, it locked down $1 million in funding. At that time, CEO John Seaberg told the Twin City Business Journal that Neochord was in “deep discussions” to raise $10 million more in funding that could happen within the next several months.
So this latest filing certainly looks like they pulled that off.
NeoChord's product is based on research by Mayo Clinic's Dr. Richard Daly and Dr. Giovanni Speziali that allows doctors to repair mitral-valve regurgitation without stopping a beating heart or cracking the chest open.
It began clinical trials on patients in Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic and Norway in October of 2009. | 271 |
Minors Snapshot - Environmental Science
The minor is a part of Cross Disciplinary Programs.The environmental science minor is a cross disciplinary program that can be elected by any student. Students pursuing programs ranging from the physical, natural or social sciences, to education, journalism, or business could benefit from this broadly-based environmental curriculum. The program draws from courses that focus on the application of scientific concepts and principles to the understanding of environmental problems and their solutions. The minor draws upon the expertise of faculty in the areas of biology, chemistry, geography, physics, and integrated science and technology.
The environmental science minor:
- provides a scientific background to those students interested in environmental law, environmental economics and environmental sustainability.
- broadens the student's understanding of how sciences are linked to environmental questions.
- complements any major by focusing on courses related to environmental issues.
Offering Academic Unit: Office of Cross Disciplinary Studies and Planning
Academic Unit Website: http://www.jmu.edu/environment/science.shtml
Undergraduate Catalog Website: http://www.jmu.edu/catalog/13/programs/cdm/environscience.html | 184 |
She has unearthed the possibility that there was a traveling horse and pony show in Sheboygan in the summer of 1900, and that a storm might have disrupted the show and allowed some of the horses to escape, she said.Someone else has suggested that the animal had been trained to play dead, or had been given an "elixir that calms the most nervous horses."
She also examined the appearance of the street in the picture and thinks there may have been some kind of natural disaster.
"I think … there is something wrong with the street," she said. "It looks like there's been a flood — it looks like the pavement has been removed." [Link] | 939 |
Danish researchers design virtual nano-catalystJanuary 28th, 2005 in Nanotechnology /
Research offers new opportunities in the fields of renewable energy, pollution control and in the chemical industry.
On January 28th 2005 Science features a paper by researchers from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Haldor Topsøe A/S. The paper demonstrates that by applying the quantum theory you can calculate the performance of catalysts to be used in everything from cars to the future production of hydrogen.
So far the development of new catalysts have been based on very expensive experiments where you test a myriad of different substances. The research now published in Science forms a whole new scientific basis for the understanding of catalytic processes, and consequently for the development of new technology.
”This research is a perfect example of how in the field of nano-technology the gap between basic research and industrial production is very short indeed.” says the Chairman of Nano•DTU, professor Jens Nørskov.
Catalysis forms the basis of more than 20% of the world’s industrial production as well as a whole range of technologies that work towards creating a safer environment. One example is the catalytic converters that remove most of the pollution from today’s cars. We still need to design even better catalysts to remove more pollution from e.g. the exhaust from diesel engines.
The results of the scientists open the way towards designing new effective energy technologies. The production of hydrogen and fuel cells are thus directly dependent on the catalytic processes that we can now create models for – atom by atom.
According to Director of Research, Jens Rostrup-Nielsen from Haldor Topsøe A/S the researchers’ discovery proves ”that by intelligently using the advanced calculations which we are able to perform today, we will soon be capable of reducing the number of experiments necessary to develop new heterogeneous catalysts”.
Professor Jens Nørskov and his group including Dr. Karoliina Honkala (now at the University of Jyväskylä, Finaland) and Dr. Ioannis Remediakis (now at the University of Crete, Greece) at the Department of Physics at DTU have developed new theoretic approaches based on quantum physics, enabling them to predict the catalytic activity for any catalyst. Together with professor Claus Hviid Christensen of the Department of Chemistry at DTU and researchers at Haldor Topsøe A/S, headed by Dr. Søren Dahl, the calculations have been tested in detailed experiments on technical catalysts made up of nanometer sized metallic particles.
Source: Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
"Danish researchers design virtual nano-catalyst." January 28th, 2005. http://phys.org/news2861.html | 244 |
The Redskins, as everyone who isn’t the media by now knows, got their name from their Native American players back in the day. Some of the surviving WW2 Navajo code talkers may know that, because unlike liberals, they weren’t born yesterday.
As a joint celebration of the NFL’s Salute to Service month and Native American Heritage month, the Washington Redskins recognized four members of the Navajo Code Talkers Association.
The code talkers were a group of Native American service members who transmitted secret communications beginning in World War II.
Four representatives — Navajo Code Talkers Association President Peter MacDonald Sr., Vice President Roy Hawthorne and members George James Sr. and George Boyd Willie Sr. — were recognized during a commercial break during the first quarter of the Redskins’ game vs. the San Francisco 49ers. They stood in the end zone nearest the tunnel that leads to the Redskins’ locker room and received a round of applause while a video tribute to the code talkers played.
The event got lots of snide remarks from white liberals, particularly the Deadspin crew, which is everything you expect from a Gawker franchise. Meanwhile the Navajo code talkers had no problem wearing Redskins gear.
Roy Hawthorne, 87, of Lupton, Ariz., was one of four Code Talkers honored for their service in World War II during the Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Hawthorne, vice president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association, said the group’s trip was paid for by the Redskins. The four men met briefly with team owner Dan Snyder but did not discuss the name, Hawthorne said.
Still, he said he would endorse the name if asked, and the televised appearance in which three of the Indians wore Redskins jackets spoke for itself.
“We didn’t have that in mind but that is undoubtedly what we did do,” Hawthorne said when asked if he was intending to send a statement with the appearance. “My opinion is that’s a name that not only the team should keep, but that’s a name that’s American.”
Sadly liberals are not American.
“It does not take a code talker to crack this particular code,” columnist Dave Zirin wrote in The Nation. “Dan Snyder is on the wrong side of history.”
That one is hilarious. Because it’s a fat white guy making a joke about WW2 heroes to uh fight racism. Also he’s the sports editor of The Nation. Did you know The Nation even had one? Neither did its readers.
Zirin has also published Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports, and A People’s History of Sports in the United States, a sports-related volume in the manner of Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States series for The New Press.
Zirin called for a boycott against sports teams from Arizona, in particular the Diamondbacks, to protest the Arizona SB 1070, the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act
On June 2, 2010, writing for The Nation, Zirin justified the decision of the Turkish U-19 soccer team to boycott a match against Israel. He described the Gaza flotilla raid as an act of state terror committed by the Israeli government and proposed a boycott of Israel
On October 6, 2011, during a live interview conducted on the sports cable television network, ESPN, Zirin referred to Hank Williams, Jr. as a racist and proslavery after Williams, the writer and singer of ESPN’s then-Monday Night Football theme song, made a political statement in which he seemingly compared multiracial US President Barack Obama to former German national socialist leader, Adolf Hitler
Just the guy you want to hear from. | 931 |
Definition of thumbsucker in English:
nounUS informal, often , derogatory
A serious piece of journalism which concentrates on the background and interpretation of events rather than on the news or action: the New York Times offered us a thoughtful thumbsucker on ‘The Psychology of Oil Pricing’
More example sentences
- The piece is less of a thumbsucker than it sounds.
- I'm not here to do a thumbsucker on this show, because I'm tired & it's all been said before.
- Anne Gerhart has a real thumbsucker trying to ‘puzzle out’ the logic of the crime.
Definition of thumbsucker in:
- US English dictionary
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed. | 445 |
TESTARD DE LA FOREST, GABRIEL, officer, commandant of Fort Bourbon, Hudson Bay; baptized 4 Aug. 1661 at Montreal, son of Jacques Testard de La Forest and Marie Pournin; d. 1697 in London.
In 1694, under Pierre Le Moyne* d’Iberville, he took part in the capture of Fort Bourbon (York Factory). Iberville left the fort at the beginning of September 1695, leaving La Forest there in command of a garrison of about 70 men. The following year the fort was besieged by five English ships, two of which were warships. Two French boats, which were bringing help too late, returned to France. After a three-day bombardment Testard de La Forest surrendered on 1 Sept. 1696. The commander of the English forces, Capt. William Allen, had granted very honourable terms: the honours of war, the right to keep the year’s furs, and the transportation of the whole garrison to Plaisance (Placentia, Newfoundland). However, violating the terms of surrender, Allen confiscated the furs and carried off the French to England as prisoners.
La Forest, when he reached Plymouth in October, referred his complaint to the Lord Commissioners of the Board of Trade, and a report was made to the Privy Council. But the affair dragged on. Testard died on 27 Aug. 1697 in London. His claims were communicated to the French plenipotentiaries negotiating the Treaty of Ryswick, who obtained a favourable decision thanks to its article on North America.
AN, Col., C11A, 14, ff.24–29 (mémoire touchant la capitulation du fort Bourbon en 1696); Marine, B2, 124, ff.3462–3465 (rapport de M. de Belleville Lestendart et Blondel . . . 14 nov. 1696).
Documents relating to Hudson Bay (Tyrrell). HBRS, XX (Rich and Johnson); XXI (Rich), 330f., 337–41, passim. [Nicolas Jérémie], “Relation du Détroit et de la Baie d’Hudson par Monsieur Jérémie,” Soc. historique de Saint-Boniface Bulletin, II (1912), 3–23; Twenty years of York Factory, 1694–1714: Jérémie’s account of Hudson Strait and Bay, tr. from the French ed. of 1720 with notes and intro. by R. Douglas and J. N. Wallace (Ottawa, 1926).
BRH, IX (1903), 188. Faillon, Histoire de la colonie française, II, 360f. “M. de la Forest à la Baie d’Hudson,” BRH, XII (1906), 220–23.
Revisions based on:
Bibliothèque et Arch. Nationales du Québec, Centre d’arch. du Vieux-Montréal, CE601-S51, 4 août 1661. | 596 |
- Status Report
- Jan 29, 2023
Cassini Weekly Significant Events for 10/04/01 – 10/10/01
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Goldstone
tracking station on Sunday, October 7. The Cassini spacecraft is in an
excellent state of health and is operating normally. Information on the
spacecraft’s position and speed can be viewed on the “Present Position”
web page, http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/where/ .
Recent instrument activities include the third in a series of Cosmic Dust
Analyzer noise evaluations, the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer
being placed in sleep mode, two Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) High
Frequency Receiver calibrations and an RPWS Periodic Instrument
Maintenance activity. Engineering activities taking place onboard the
spacecraft this week include an autonomous Command & Data Subsystem Solid
State Recorder Memory Load Partition Repair and further Attitude Control
Subsystem (ACS) deadband testing, which will provide more data for a trade
study on hydrazine consumption for two different Reaction Control
Subsystem deadband settings.
Sequence development for C29 is proceeding on schedule. The Sequence Team
Preliminary Sequence Integration and Validation phase continued with two
meetings held last week to review simulation coordination and preliminary
sequence change requests. The Huygens Probe team has submitted inputs for
the Probe Relay test in C29 and the corresponding minisequences are now in
The Project Science Group (PSG) met this week at JPL. Principal items of
discussion were Discipline working group activities, Target Working Team
status and progress, and Saturn dust models. In addition to the PSG
science planning work, Cassini JPL personnel are using this opportunity to
meet with the PSG science teams to work out various scheduling and support
The Instrument Operations team coordinated with several other groups to
provide training to Program personnel this week, especially for
out-of-town science team members who were present for the PSG meetings
anyway. Tutorials on the Planetary Data System and Events Kernel were
held, and the Spacecraft Operations Office (SCO) supported an overview of
the ACS. The Uplink Operations (ULO) office also completed the week-long
workshop for users of the newest versions of the Pointing Design Tool and
Science Opportunity Analyzer software.
ULO hosted a third meeting on Mission Sequence Subsystem (MSS) D8
priorities, with good support from SCO, Mission Support & Services Office
(MSSO), and Science Planning. Significant progress has been made in
defining the user needs and associated work to meet those needs.
System Engineering and MSSO examined how to best distribute
science-planning tools to the science team Co-Investigators. Various
options have been discussed with some of the science teams, and the
comments from that discussion are being integrated into an overall plan.
Cassini is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and
the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the
California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Cassini
mission for NASA’s Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. | 817 |
There's something more than a little disingenuous about the demands for Patrick Buchanan's political excommunication coming from several Republican presidential candidates, not to mention the former "Crossfire" host's media chums. Buchanan's sympathy for Nazi Germany's strategic predicament is hardly new and is certainly not a secret. For more than 20 years, he has been publicly ventilating his peculiar penchant for a revisionist assessment of both Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. And, during that time, he managed to secure high-paying work as the host of a leading chat show and as an official in Ronald Reagan's White House.
Buchanan's fixation with the not-so-bad side of Hitler (and the not-so-good side of President Roosevelt's opposition to him) is not just long-standing--it's practically lifelong. From William Baldwin Buchanan, his iron-fisted father, Buchanan absorbed a powerful Anglophobic and anti-Communist Weltanschauung. As Pat Buchanan writes in his 1988 memoir, Right From the Beginning, "Before Pearl Harbor, my father's sympathies had been with the isolationists, with Charles Lindbergh and the America First Committee.... Sending millions of American boys to fight and die in Europe a second time, to pull Britain's chestnuts out of the fire, was something he could not accept. A popular sentiment, `Let Hitler and Stalin fight it out,' would have summed up his attitude in the late 1930s." (Or Pat Buchanan's today.)
In his new book, A Republic, Not an Empire, Buchanan goes to great lengths to exonerate Lindbergh of the charge of anti-Semitism that has haunted his legacy ever since his notorious 1941 Des Moines speech, in which he blamed Jews in Hollywood and in the press for stirring up pro-war sentiment in the United States. Buchanan does not provide his readers with the exact anti-Semitic words, noting only that Lindbergh had begun his odious remarks by saying, "It is not difficult to understand why Jewish people desire the overthrow of Nazi Germany. The persecution they suffered in Germany would be sufficient to make bitter enemies of any race. No person with a sense of dignity of mankind can condone the persecution of the Jewish race in Germany."
Buchanan seems to think this shows what a broad-minded fellow Lindbergh really was. But, of course, this view of the Jews as a separate "race" within America pursuing their own racial agenda--not as loyal American citizens who might have had their own country's interests at heart--is simply a more-benign-than-usual repackaging of the old "dual loyalty" smear. It is revealing that Buchanan implies that it negates Lindbergh's other animadversions--to say nothing of the Lone Eagle's acceptance of a medal with four swastikas on it from Herman Goering (which, indeed, is something else Buchanan neglects to mention to his readers).
In Right from the Beginning, Buchanan chronicles how his uncles who had served in World War II returned to tell him that the Germans "they had encountered had been excellent soldiers ... the German people would come back." There's an allusion to Germans picking through the rubble left by Allied bombs, but it's untempered by any frankness about the German people's role in the genocide. (In childhood war games, Buchanan recalls, "the Japanese were the preferred enemy. We hated `the Japs.'") Now, Buchanan was all of seven years old when World War II ended. Thus, he would have only been old enough fully to comprehend--and, apparently, accept--such indulgent sentiments toward Germany, along with the rest of his father's America First ideology, after the Nazis had been defeated and the full extent of their barbarism became clear to all.
Buchanan's fascination with all things Nazi continued into his early adulthood. In his autobiography, Buchanan recalls attending the 1963 March on Washington with his brother Buchs. The Buchanan boys' first move upon arriving on the Mall was to seek out George Lincoln Rockwell, whom Buchanan describes as "the ex-naval officer and articulate Nazi, who had set up headquarters in Arlington, and whom I had never met." Buchanan claims his purpose in paying this spontaneous visit to the "articulate" Fuhrer of the American Nazi Party was to find out whether there was going to be any violence between the Nazis and the demonstrators. There wasn't. The reader is left wondering why Buchanan thought it so necessary to stipulate that "I had never met" Rockwell. Who said he had?
After leaving the Nixon White House, where he worked as a speechwriter, Buchanan presented his first, and still most extraordinary, piece of writing about the man who permanently defiled the German nation. In a 1977 syndicated newspaper column, Buchanan wrote: "Though Hitler was indeed racist and anti-Semitic to the core, a man who without compunction could commit murder and genocide, he was also an individual of great courage, a soldier's soldier in the Great War, a political organizer of the first rank, a leader steeped in the history of Europe, who possessed oratorical powers that could awe even those who despised him."
As communications director in the Reagan White House, Buchanan lobbied in favor of Reagan's plan to accept a 1985 invitation by German Chancellor Helmut Kohl to visit the military cemetery at Bitburg--despite what Buchanan's notes from one White House meeting on the subject referred to as the "pressure of the Jews." The visit had become a public relations nightmare for Reagan when it was revealed that the cemetery contained the remains of both Wehrmacht soldiers and Waffen SS troops, yet Buchanan wanted Reagan to speak of these dead soldiers as "victims" of the Nazi regime.
It was also during the Reagan years that Buchanan sought to exercise his influence on behalf of accused Nazi war criminals living in the United States. He supported efforts to shut down the Office of Special Investigations, a Justice Department agency that attempts to track down Nazis. He met, in the White House, with supporters of Arthur Rudolph, a former Nazi rocket scientist who was campaigning to regain American citizenship. He tried to get Attorney General Ed Meese to halt the deportation to the Soviet Union of Karl Linnas, an Estonian who was accused of being a guard in a Tartu concentration camp.
Buchanan justified these efforts as resistance to turning people over to Soviet justice, and, in one case, he had a point, of sorts. After his White House stint, Buchanan's pet cause was John Demjanjuk, the Ukrainian-born Cleveland autoworker who was accused by the Justice Department and Israel of being "Ivan the Terrible," the notorious sadist of the Treblinka death camp. An Israeli court ultimately exonerated Demjanjuk on appeal.
But, as usual, Buchanan pursued a valid point in the most inflammatory way possible. He referred to Demjanjuk's plight as "an American Dreyfus" affair, as though there were some parallel between the overzealous prosecution of a former Nazi camp guard and the European anti-Semitism of which Dreyfus was only a single, symbolic victim. And Demjanjuk was, indeed, a camp guard. Though the documents purportedly proving him to be Ivan the Terrible turned out to be KGB forgeries, the investigation did reveal that he had been a guard at the Sobibor death camp and had lied about it on his American immigration papers.
The effort to bring Nazis, any Nazis, to book has always rankled Buchanan. Nuremberg, the trial that most people today regard as a flawed but important precedent in establishing individual accountability for war crimes, was attacked after the war by the remnants of America First as Soviet-influenced "victor's justice." Buchanan has kept this flame burning brightly not only in his Demjanjuk crusade but in other cases as well. In a 1990 column, he described the decision of the court not to indict Hermann Goering for the terror bombing of Rotterdam, London, and Warsaw as a product of British hypocrisy. How could the authors of Dresden indict the air marshal when they had done the same thing first? "When Goering turned his bombers loose on London in September 1940, the British had been terror bombing since May 11," Buchanan wrote. (In fact, the British had unsuccessfully bombed a few industrial targets; Dresden lay five years in the future.) Buchanan added that "Admiral Erich Raeder went to Spandau for life as a war criminal for plotting an invasion of Norway designed to block a British attack. Before the German troops landed, Norway's neutrality had already been violated by British mines; and British marines were 24 hours away." Again, Hitler was only acting in self-defense.
Buchanan has not only sought to establish a moral equivalence between Britain's purported war crimes and Hitler's; he has even flirted with outright denial of Hitler's crimes. In a 1990 column defending Demjanjuk, he claimed that diesel fumes couldn't have been toxic enough to kill 850,000 Jews at the Treblinka death camp--as, in fact, they did. His proof? "In 1988, ninety-seven youths, trapped 400 feet underground in a D.C. tunnel, while two locomotives spewed diesel exhaust into the car, emerged unharmed after forty-five minutes," Buchanan wrote. The source for Buchanan's column is still unknown (he never revealed it). But similar canards have appeared in the literature of the Institute for Historical Review, an organization that openly advocates Holocaust denial.
Buchanan also has not hesitated to claim that the United States ran concentration camps that were practically as bad as Hitler's. In yet another 1990 column, Buchanan praised Canadian revisionist James Bacques's book Other Losses, which claims that one million German POWs had perished after the war at the hands of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was supposedly running POW camps in which Hitler's captured troops were systematically starved to death.
Buchanan also turned his Lindberghian rhetoric against the Bush administration's Gulf war plans and the support they enjoyed from the Israeli Defense Ministry's "American amen corner." Once again, his views seemed to be related to a sympathetic reading of Hitler's career. To insist that Saddam Hussein depart from Kuwait, Buchanan wrote in 1990, "is to demand that the Iraqi dictator commit suicide, that he resign himself to living in Arab history as a coward who caved in to the United States. Even Adolf Hitler preferred to die, a suicide in his bunker, than agree to such a disgrace." One might have thought that by April 1945 Hitler had already managed to disgrace himself and his nation. The real reason Hitler committed suicide, of course, was that he feared being put on trial by the Soviets.
This column was perhaps the ultimate homage to Buchanan's "individual of great courage." Having invented a palatable, if not exactly honorable, life for Hitler, Buchanan had invented a noble death for him, too. | 1,272 |
One of the main challenges of businesses today is controlling and avoiding IT and technology issues. Fortunately, a lot of these issues can be prevented by implementing smart and savvy technology usage that can save the IT team and system users frustration and valuable time.
Man repairing computer
As a savvy business leader, one of your top priorities in this day and age should be controlling (and mostly avoiding) IT and technology issues. There is simply nothing more frustrating than experiencing delays, enduring difficult cybersecurity issues, and even halting operations due to tech problems and annoying bugs. Unfortunately, these are issues that every business deals with, but can often be avoided with a few changes to the way technology is used and managed.
What is the Real Problem?
Most often when there is an issue involving a company computer, almost everyone is guilty of calling the IT department. Some might find it surprising that often the issue you are having with your computer isn’t an IT problem at all. In fact, the problem is typically due to technology that is being under underutilized, used incorrectly, or simply not organized enough to work efficiently.
Realizing that many, if not most computer issues are not really an IT issue is the first step in putting an end to your tech problems once and for all. Smart business leaders can take a few steps and make a few changes to see a big difference.
The first move should be to learn to use your IT department wisely. Each department in your Texas business uses some sort of technology that is different from the other. Accounting has the financial software, HR may use time management tracking, and the marketing gurus typically have at least 5 art programs at their disposal. Chances are the IT team didn’t install or isn’t even aware of many of these instances. This is a huge problem and a valid source for many tech issues. Any department that is obtaining any new software or considering making a system change of any kind should be working with the IT team from the very beginning and seek advice about the best solution for their need. Also, from a financial standpoint, this solution should come directly from each department’s budget, not at IT catch all account.
On the contrary, there are software packages and apps that everyone in the entire company utilizes. The most common issue with this type of technology is that not everyone is involved in the selection or daily use of this new acquisition, which can negatively affect the business. Strive to include utilization and knowledge of company technology as a requirement for employment and offer mandatory training for each employee.
Get everyone involved in the process and have a few individuals from each department evaluate your current systems and access any new needs. This allows for a more realistic assessment of the needs of the company and makes more sense when trying to satisfy a group of people
Take Control of Your Tech Issues
Technology is a necessity in today’s society, and it is the responsibility of those in charge of the company to ensure the business is secure, efficient, and most importantly – being used! It is crucial for success to keep technology in your goals, plans, and budget, as your company grows. Never underestimate the significance of monitoring usage and reporting issues so that problems can be identified early to avoid major tech disasters. Need help deciphering your IT issues? Contact us for more information via email at firstname.lastname@example.org or give us a call to discuss your needs at (866) 551-4628. | 1,676 |
FOR INDEED WHILE WE ARE IN THIS
TENT, WE GROAN, BEING BURDENED, BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO BE UNCLOTHED BUT
TO BE CLOTHED: kai gar oi ontes (PAPMPN) en to skenei stenazomen (1PPAI) baroumenoi, (PPPMPN) eph'
o ou thelomen (1PPAI) ekdusasthai (AMN) all' ependusasthai, (AMN): (we that: 2Pe 1:13)
(Groan: 2Co 5:2) (but: 2Co 5:3) (mortal: Isa 25:8 1Co 15:53,54)
A SECTION FILLED WITH
G M Burge sums up this section
Paul candidly describes the
eschatological tension Christians face as they examine their own mortality
(“this earthly tent that will be destroyed”) while looking forward to their
redemption (the building from God, not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens). Here the issue is reassurance in light of death, judgment and
eternal life (2Co 5:1-10). Believers groan and have anxiety as they look
forward longingly. But God gives the Spirit as the arrabōn, the guarantee of
their future destiny, namely, that their mortality will be swallowed up in
of Paul and His Letters or
As an aside, if you have not read the entire chapter,
2Corinthians 5, let me suggest you stop reading these notes and take
some time to leisurely, actively (not passively) read through the chapter
using a more literal translation such as NAS, ESV, NKJV. As you stroll
through the chapter, be careful to observe for the
key words Paul uses, stopping
long enough to question each key word with one of the
questions and using the results of your observations to summarize
Paul's major subject or subjects. Don't let yourself get bogged down on
details or difficult to understand verses. Then read the chapter a second
time with the goal being to give the chapter a title that uses some of the
major subject words in the title. Don't try to be too cute or too
alliterative, but give the chapter a title which would be distinctive enough
for that chapter that when you heard it, you would know exactly where to
turn in 2Corinthians. Then read chapter 5 a third time with the purpose of
trying to identify the points where Paul changes subjects and use these
change points to come up with an outline of the chapter. Now you are ready
to read the commentary notes with a Berean-like mindset (Acts 17:11-note).
you are interested in more hints on how to study a chapter or book
the Bible inductively.
If you have taken time to compose your
own outline of 2Corinthians 5, you might want to compare your results with
A C Gaebelein's Outline
2Corinthians 5. And remember that there is no "inspired" outline, so do
not be discouraged if your outline does not match someone else's outline.
And also remember that as you practice this simple exercise each time your
read a chapter, you will find that your skills of observation will begin to
2Co 5:1-8 The Earthly and Heavenly House
2Co 5:9-12 The Judgment Seat of Christ
2Co 5:13-16 The Constraint of Love
2Co 5:17-21 The Ministry of Reconciliation
The following outline is modified from
Hannah's Bible Outlines
on of this section of 2 Corinthians...
sacrifice for the ministry (2Co 4:7-12)
prospect of the ministry (2Co 4:13-5:10)
A) Present distress (2Co 4:13-15)
B) Future reward (2Co 4:16-5:10)
1) Present encouragement (2Co
2) Future life (2Co 5:1-8)
3) Future reward (2Co 5:9-10)
program of the ministry (2Co 5:11-6:10)
A) The motivation (2Co 5:11-16)
1) The fear of the Lord (2Co
2) The love of Christ (2Co
B) The message (2Co 5:17-21)
As we stated in the comments on 2Cor
5:1 (see notes), 2 Corinthians 5 (especially the first 8 verses) has a "bewildering
profusion of interpretations" and yet we know that there is only one correct
This is a poor chapter break and thus
it behooves us to keep the context in mind -- Paul
progresses from speaking of our physical body as the
to describing it as an earthly
contrasts it with our future resurrection body, a
house not made with hands...
2Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart,
but though our outer man
is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17 For (explaining why we do not lose heart) momentary, light affliction is
producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things
which are not seen are eternal (in context [see below] referring
especially to our future, eternal resurrection bodies where our eternal weight of glory will be manifested).
2Cor 5:1 For (see Dr. Johnson's explanation below) we know that if the
is torn down, we have a
from God, a house
not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.
2 For indeed in this house
we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
3 inasmuch as we, having put it
on, will not be found naked.
S Lewis Johnson asks the
question of 2Cor 5:1...
Paul, why did you say for?
(at the beginning of 2Cor 5:1-note) Well, his answer, I think would be something like this. I've been talking to
you about afflictions (2Co 4:17-note). I've been telling it you how they lead to the eternal
weight of glory. The dissolution of the body, the dismantling of this tent
does not bring annihilation, it brings translation to glory. And that's why
I look at the things that are not seen, not the things that are seen (2Co
4:18), for we
know that if that if the earthly tent,
which is our house, is torn down we have a building from God. (The "for"
explains) why the
apostle can experience those things that he is experiencing, why he can look
to the things that are invisible rather than the things that are visible,
and pass through all of these experiences with confidence and assurance,
because even if I lose my life in the midst of them, I know I have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. So
that little word for gives a clue as to what Paul is really concerned
Unclothed and Clothed Upon - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5)
As an aside when you encounter the "little word for"
in a passage, especially at the beginning of a verse
it is usually a
term of explanation,
always pause and interrogate it with the
questions. As you practice this discipline of a "questioning mindset"
you will find that
(1) You will be forced to slow down. Remember, the Bible is not designed
for speed reading. Far too often I fear one's "Thru the Bible in a Year" reading
program becomes a speed reading contest to make sure we do not fall too far
behind. Beloved, this Book is a love letter and should be lovingly lingered
over. In fact, tarrying over one verse can be of far greater value to our
spiritual lives, than rushing through one chapter in order to achieve a
goal, rather than to meet with our God. And one can even fall into the trap
of subtle legalism of "having" to read your 4 chapters each day. In a sad
sense, love for God's law becomes legalism for God's law. So to paraphrase a
popular commercial from past years, try the pause that refreshes!
(2) You will find that you are more actively engaging the text, the Holy
Word, and giving yourself more time to interact with your Teacher, the Holy
Spirit (1Jn 2:28). Speed reading promotes passive reading. Slowing down
promotes active reading.
(3) You will be far more likely to remember what you have just read (cp
(4) You will find yourself beginning to
practice the blessed spiritual discipline of
discussion on meditation).
Considering the spiritual dividends of meditation in Joshua 1:8 (note)
and Psalm 1 (read Ps 1:1-note,
as my old medical school professor used to say at 6AM rounds every morning -
"You can't not know" (to which I add)...how to meditate on the Scriptures!
Although 2Cor 5:4 is on a separate
page of these study notes, it should be interpreted in the
context of the preceding verses, 2Co
and 2Co 5:3-note.
In 2Co 5:2-4 Paul expresses his preference for the resurrection body
("clothed with our dwelling from heaven"). In 2Cor 5:2 he uses the metaphor
of a house and in verse 4 the metaphor of a tent. In verse 2 and verse 4 he
is groaning because of his present body (the burdens of life, the
limitations of the this body, the superiority of the body to come)
Simple Summary of Three Interpretations
(1) Intermediate State:
(2) Intermediate State:
(3) Intermediate State:
Scripture Not Definitive
The "Intermediate State" is what some theologians have termed
the time between a believer's death (at which time they go to be
present with the Lord) and the time the Lord returns, resurrects the
dead and gives believers their glorified, immortal, incorruptible
bodies which will last throughout eternity. The table summarizes the
possibilities of this "intermediate state" - no body, a temporary body
and status of the current state of believers in heaven as unknown. I
personally favor the last "interpretation", because Scripture makes no
definitive statement regarding the "intermediate state", which
suggests that speculation should be avoided.
David Lowery summarizes the
interpretative approaches to 2Cor 5:1-4...
A number of commentators and theologians
have seen in these verses reference to an “intermediate state,” a period
between death and resurrection. This view takes one of two forms:
Dead (though conscious) believers are without a body while awaiting their
resurrection bodies, or
(b) dead (though conscious) believers receive
an “intermediate body” that somehow differs from their forthcoming
resurrected bodies. (According to either of these intermediate-state views,
Paul was suggesting that he hoped to live till the return of Christ so that
he would not experience an “intermediate state.”)
These views, however, seem
unwarranted. Paul had only two conditions in view since 2Cor 4:16, the
temporal and the eternal. The introduction of a third is
therefore unlikely. It seems clear from 2Co 5:4 that being in this tent (cf. 2Pe 1:13-note), and unclothed describe mortality while being clothed and
possessing a heavenly dwelling depict immortality, without specifying
any intervening stages.
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor
For indeed - Paul is emphasizing
the point of the believer's groaning (just noted in 2Co 5:2-note),
a fact also mentioned in Romans...
And not only this, but also we
ourselves, having the first fruits (this means there is more to come!) of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan (stenazo
within ourselves, waiting eagerly (apekdechomai
which pictures the believer in a continual state of eager anticipation and
expectation to see our Bridegroom! Practically, such an attitude will serve
to motivate us to resist temptations and commission of sin. If we are
expecting Him any moment, we will seek to be ready - 1Jn 2:28) for our
adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Ro 8:23-note).
While we are in this tent - While
we are still alive in these physical bodies and in this present world.
Tent (4636) (skenos
skene ["from root ska = to cover" - A T Robertson] = tent, booth, cloth hut, habitation, tabernacle Mt 17:4 Mk 9:5)
refers to a temporary residence (tabernacle, tent, booth) but is used figuratively
(metaphorically) by Paul here and in the only other use (2Co 5:1-note) to refer to
the human body as the habitation of the spirit (some lexicons say "dwelling
place of the soul"). As Thayer says skenos pictures the body
as a "tent taken down at death." (Ed: And I would add "either at
death or the
whichever comes first! Maranatha [Our Lord come!]). Mounce refers to
skenos as our "corporeal tabernacle"!
Skenos is used figuratively by Paul to refer to
the human body as the habitation of the soul (the "tabernacle of the
soul" - As an aside,
beloved, recall that in the OT the "tabernacle" was where people met with
God (Ex 25:22)! Is that true of your "tabernacle"? More to the point, have
you met with Him yet today? This week? Remember you are under grace not law
- let that love of God [which has been poured out in your heart by the
Spirit -Ro 5:5-note,
1Jn 4:19] motivate your meeting with Him.).
Peter uses a similar word
describe his body writing...
And I consider it right, as long as I am
in this earthly dwelling (skenoma),
to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside (Used of
laying off old clothes, as the runners who participated in the Olympic
Games) of my earthly dwelling (skenoma)
is imminent (tachinos = near at hand, impending, used only here and 2Pe 2:1-note
= swift), as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me (When?
Some 40 years prior Jesus had prophesied the "taking down" of Peter's
dwelling - Jn 21:18,19). (2Pe 1:13, 14-note)
Comment: Dwelling is skenoma
from skenoo = to pitch a tent, this verb derived from the root word
skenos = tent. Peter's "dwelling" was actually a frail "tent"
(skenoma) erected just for a night. And so Peter, like Paul here in 2Co 5:4,
alludes to death as laying aside of one’s temporary, frail tent of our
mortal bodies. "Peter feels the nearness of death and the urgency upon him."
(A T Robertson)
Longman sums up the imagery of
tent in regard to the body noting...
In the OT a comparison is also drawn
between the human body and a tent. The body’s well-being is like a secure
tent (Ps 16:9), and its vulnerability through illness, age or death is like
a tent under siege or a tent whose cords are pulled up (Job 19:12; 4:21; Is
38:12). In the NT the impermanence of the body is compared to a tent that “I
will soon put away” (2Pet 1:13, 14-note). This happens most fully and eloquently
in the writings of Paul, himself a tentmaker, who emphasizes the burden and
longing of our earthly existence for heavenly permanence: “we know that if
the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an
eternal house in heaven” (2Co 5:1-note; also 2Co 5:2-5). Our future form will
be eternal, not something that can be easily destroyed like a vulnerable
man-made tent but rather firm and sure, built by God himself. (It should be
noted that nowhere here is the notion of an immortal soul in a temporary
body.) (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)
Murray Harris comments that...
The passage does not define the precise
nature of the “sighing” or “groaning,” but the immediate context and Paul’s
thought elsewhere (Ro 8:19-23-note; Php 3:20, 21-note) suggest it was his
sense of frustration with the limitations and disabilities of mortal
existence, knowing as he did that he was destined to possess a spiritual
body perfectly adapted to the ecology of heaven. Paul sought liberation only
from the imperfection of present embodiment, from “bondage to decay,” not
from any and every form of corporeality. After all, it is to Paul that
Christian theology owes the doctrine of the “spiritual body” (1Co 15:35-49).
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan
Groan (complain, sigh) (4727)(stenazo
from stenos = narrow or contracted
as when one is squeezed or pressed by circumstances) literally describes an
internal squeezing and thus denotes a feeling of inner sorrow. Stenazo
means to express grief by inarticulate or semi-articulate sounds. A groan is
an audible expression of anguish due to physical, emotional, or spiritual
to the utterances of a person who is caught in a situation (usually
dreadful) with no immediate prospect of deliverance. In the present context
the continual groaning (stenazo =
= continuous action) alludes to a condition which is unsatisfying and
sorrowful (certainly compared with our future hope of glory!). Thus the
groaning serves in a sense as a cry for deliverance from our physical
bodies. The pain and sorrow believers feel now is because of the fact that
we still live in mortal bodies indwelt by the
old sin nature inherited from Adam - Ro 5:12-note)
which causes us to daily stumble and grieve the Holy Spirit which in turn
We get a picture of the meaning of stenazo
with Luke's use of the noun form (stenagmos - used in Romans 8:26-note
of Spirit's prayers expressed to
God inarticulately) to describe the enslavement of Israel in Egypt...
(God declares) I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE
OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT, AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS (stenazo),
AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO
EGYPT.' (Acts 7:34 cp Ex 2:24, 25)
A VIVID PICTURE OF
A SAINT'S GROANING
Spurgeon gives a lengthy
exposition of our present groaning (this is a long note but
definitely worth reading slowly,
as you take time to ponder the picture that Spurgeon is painting as he
contrasts your present with your future)...
This earnest desire, of which the apostle
has been speaking in the preceding verses, is made up of two things —
a painful groaning and sense of being
burdened while we are in this present life, and a supreme longing after our
promised portion in the world to come.
Dissatisfaction with the very idea of
finding a continuing city here, amounting even to groaning, is the condition
of the Christians mind. “We look not at the things which are seen,” (2Co
they are not worth a glance; they are temporal, and therefore quite unfit to
be the joy of an immortal spirit.
The Christian is the most contented man
in the world,
but he is the least contented with the world.
He is like a traveler in an inn,
perfectly satisfied with the inn and its accommodation, considering it as an
inn, but putting quite out of all consideration the idea of making it his
home. He baits by the way, and is thankful, but his desires lead him ever
onward towards that better country where the many mansions are prepared. The
believer is like a man in a sailing vessel, well content with the good ship
for what it is, and hopeful that it may bear him safely across the sea,
willing to put up with all its inconveniences without complaint; but if you
ask him whether he would choose to live on board in that narrow cabin, he
will tell you that he longs for the time when the harbour shall be in view,
and the green fields, and the happy homesteads of his native land. We, my
brethren, thank God for all the appointments of providence; whether our
portion be large or scant we are content because God has appointed it: yet
our portion is not here, nor would we have it here if we might!
“We’ve no abiding city here,
Sad truth were this to be our home.”
No thought would be more dreadful to us
than the idea of having our portion in this life, in this dark world which
refused the love of Jesus, and cast Him out of its vineyard. We have desires
which the whole world could not fulfill, we have insatiable yearnings which
a thousand empires could not satisfy. The Creator has made us to pant and
long after Himself, and all the creatures put together could not delight our
souls without His presence.
“Hopeless of joy in aught below,
We only long to soar,
The fullness of His love to feel,
And lose His smile no more.”
In addition to this dissatisfaction,
there reigns within the regenerate heart a supreme longing after the
heavenly state. When believers are in their right minds, their aspirations
after heaven are so forcible that they contemn death itself. When faith is
weak, then the pains and the groans of dying make a black cloud of
forebodings which darken the spirit, and we shrink from the thought of
departing; but when we know that our Redeemer liveth, and look forward to
the resurrection and to the glory to be revealed, we cry-
“Oh, if my Lord would come and meet,
My soul should stretch her wings in haste,
Fly fearless through death’s iron gate,
Nor fear the terrors as she passed.”
Whatever the separation of the soul from
the body may involve of pain or mystery, the believer feels that he could
dare it all, to enter at once into the unfading joys of the glory-land.
Sometimes the heir of heaven grows impatient of his bondage, and like a
captive who, looking out of the narrow window of his prison, beholds the
green fields of the unfettered earth, and marks the flashing waves of the
ocean, ever free, and bears the songs of the uncaged tenants of the air,
weeps as he views his narrow cell, and hears the clanking of his chains.
There are times when the most patient of the Lord’s banished ones feel the
home sickness strong upon them. Like those beasts which we have sometimes
seen in our menageries, which pace to and fro in their dens, and chafe
themselves against the bars-unresting, unhappy, bursting out every now and
then into fierce roarings, as though they yearned for the forest or the
jungle; even so we also chafe and fret in this our prison-house, longing to
be free. As by the waters of Babylon the sons of Zion sat them down and
wept, even so do we. Dwelling in Kedar’s tents and sojourning with Mesech,
we long for the wings of a dove that we might fly away and be at rest.
“O my sweet home, Jerusalem,
Would God I were in thee!
Would God my woes were at an end,
Thy joys that I might see.”
Having thus seen that the groaning
wrought in us by God is made up of dissatisfaction with this world and
anxious desire for the world to come, we may profitably consider it yet a
What is it that makes the Christian long
for heaven? What is that within him which makes him restless till he reach
the better land?
It is, first, a desire for the unseen.
The carnal mind is satisfied with what the eyes can see, the hands can
handle, and the taste enjoy, but the Christian has a spirit within him which
has passions and appetites which the senses cannot gratify. This spirit has
been created, developed, enlightened, and instructed by the Holy Ghost, and
it lives in a world of unseen realities, of which unregenerate men have no
knowledge. While in this sinful world and earthly body, the spirit feels
like a citizen exiled from his native land; it stands upon the outmost
borders of its own region, and longs to penetrate into the center of
spiritual things. Hampered with this body of clay, the spirit, which is akin
to angels, cries after liberty; it longs to see the Great Father of Spirits,
to commune with the bands of the pure spirits forever surrounding the throne
of God, both angels and glorified men; it longs, in fact, to dwell in its
true element. A spiritual creature, begotten from above, can never rest till
it is present with the Lord. Oh! to see the things which we have heard of in
metaphor and simile, to enjoy them really with our spirits, the harps, the
crowns, the palms — what must it be to possess such joys? The streets of
transparent gold, the river of the water of life, the glassy sea, the throne
of the Great King — what must all these be? Until these joys and glories be
all our own our souls will ever cry and sigh.
Moreover, the Christian spirit pants
after holiness. He who is born again of incorruptible seed, finds his
worst trouble to be sin. While he was in his natural state be loved sin, and
sought pleasure in it, but now being born of God and made like to God, he
hates sin, the mention of it vexes his ears, the sight of it in others
causes him deep sorrow, but the presence of it in his own heart is his daily
plague and burden. If he could be clean rid of sin this mortal body might
not be to him a load, but because the tendencies of the animal passions are
always towards evil, he longeth to be rid of this vile body, that he may be
clothed upon with his house which is from heaven, from which all these
passions will be expelled. Oh, to be without the tendency to sin, without
the possibility to sin! What bliss the prospect affords! My brethren, if we
could be placed in the meanest and most destitute condition, and yet could
be perfect, we would prefer it to being sinful, even though we should reign
in the palaces of kings. Our spirit, therefore, crieth after the immortal
state, because sin will be for ever banished from it.
In the Christian’s spirit there is
also a sighing after rest. “There remaineth a rest for the people of
God,” as though God had put in us the longing for what he has prepared; we
labor daily to enter into that rest. Brethren, we long for rest, but we
cannot find it here. “This is not our rest.” We cannot find rest even
within ourselves. Wars and fightings are continuous within the regenerate
spirit; the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit warreth against
flesh. As long as we are here it must be so.
We are in the camp of war,
not in the chamber of ease.
The trumpet must sound, and the clash of
arms must be heard, and we must go to our watch-tower, and continue there
both night and day, for we are militant as yet, and not triumphant. Our soul
pines to be at rest. When shall the rowers of our spirit indulge themselves
to the full without the fear of falling into sin? When shall my memory
recollect nothing but what will glorify God? When shall my judgment always
rightly balance all events? When shall my desires be after nothing but my
Lord? When shall my affections cling to nought but Him? O when shall I
possess the rest of the sinless, the rest of the satiated, the rest of the
secure, the rest of the victorious? This longing for rest helps to inflame
the Christian’s desires for the house not made with hands.
This divinely-wrought desire is made
up of another element, namely, a thirst for communion with God. Here, at
the nearest, our state is described as being “absent from the Lord.” We do
enjoy fellowship with God, for “Truly our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son Jesus Christ,” but it is remote and dark. “We see through a
glass darkly,” and not as yet face to face. We have the smell of His
garments from afar, and they are perfumed with myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,
but as yet the King is in His ivory palaces, and the gate of pearl is
between us and Him. O that we could come at Him! O that He would even now
embrace us, and kiss us with the kisses of His mouth. The more the heart
loves Christ, the more it longs for the greatest possible nearness to Him.
Separation is very painful to a bride whose heart is burning for the
bridegroom’s presence; and such are we, longing to hear the most sweet voice
of our Spouse and to see the countenance which is as Lebanon, excellent as
the cedars. For a saved soul to long to be where its Savior is, is no
unnatural desire! To be with Him is far better than earth’s best, and it
would be strange if we did not long for it. God, then, hath wrought in us
this in all its forms, He has made us to dread the thought of having our
portion in this life, He has created in us a supreme longing for our
heavenly home, has taught us to value unseen and eternal things, to pant
after holiness, to sigh after sinless rest, and to yearn after closer
fellowship with God in Christ Jesus.
My brethren, if you have felt a desire
such as I have described, give the glory of it to God; bless and love the
Holy Spirit Who hath wrought this selfsame thing in you, and ask Him to make
the desires yet more vehement, for they are to His glory.
Bear with a word in praise of this
God-wrought groaning. This desire after the world to come is above ordinary
nature. All flesh is grass, and the grass loves to strike its root deep into
the earth; it has no tendrils with which to clasp the stars. Man by nature
would be content to abide on earth forever. If you long for a holy and
spiritual state, your desire is not of nature’s creation. God has wrought it
in you. Yea, I will venture to say that the desire for heaven is contrary to
nature; for as there is an inertia in matter which makes it indisposed to
move, so is there in human nature an indisposition to leave the present for
the future. Like the limpet, we stick to the rock on which we crawl. We
cling to earth like the ivy to the wall. We are afraid to set sail upon that
unknown sea of eternity, and therefore shiver on the shore. We dread to
leave “the warm precincts of this house of clay,” and hovel as this body
is, we count it dear. It is the Lord who forbids our lying among the pots,
and gives us the wings of a dove to mount aloft. As soon would a clod seek
the sun as a soul seek its God, if a miracle of grace were not wrought upon
While they are contrary to the old
nature, such aspirations prove the existence of the new nature. You may
be quite sure that you have the nature of God in you if you are pining after
God; and if your longings are of a spiritual kind, depend upon it you are a
spiritual man. It is not in the animal to sigh after mental enjoyments,
neither is it in the mere carnal man to sigh after heavenly things.
What your desires are,
that your soul is.
If you are really insatiably hungering
after holiness and after God, there is within you that which is like to God,
that which is essentially holy, there is indeed a work of the Holy Ghost
within your hearts. I shall detain you awhile to notice the means by which
the Holy Spirit quickens these desires within our spirits.
HUNGERING AFTER HOLINESS
AND AFTER GOD
This desire after a portion in the unseen
world is first infused in us by regeneration. Regeneration begets in
us a spiritual nature, and the spiritual nature brings with it its own
longings and desires; these longings and desires are after perfection and
God. Imagine an angel imprisoned in a stable: it is perfectly certain that
it would be discontented with the place where the horned oxen lay. If it
felt that the divine will commanded it to tarry there for awhile, I doubt
not that the bright visitant would contentedly put up with the confinement;
but if it had liberty to leave the society of beasts, how gladly would the
bright spirit ascend to its native place. Yes, heaven is the place for
angels, the true abode of holy spirits and we, too, since our spiritual
nature is born from above, long to be there, nor shall we be content until
These desires are further assisted by
instruction. The more the Holy Ghost teaches as of the world to come the
more we long for it. If a child had lived in a mine it might be contented
with the glimmer of candle light; but if it should hear of the sun and the
green fields, and the stars, you may depend upon it the child would not be
happy until it could ascend the shaft and behold for itself the brightness
of which it had heard and as the Holy Ghost reveals to us the world to come
we feel longings within us, mysterious but mighty, and we sigh and cry to be
away where Jesus is.
These desires are farther increased by
sanctified afflictions. Thorns in our nest make us take to our wings;
the embittering of this cup makes us earnestly desire to drink of the new
wine of the kingdom. We are very much like our poor, who would stay at home
in England and put up with their lot, hard though it be; but when at last
there comes a worse distress than usual, then straightway they talk of
emigrating to those fair and boundless fields across the Atlantic, where a
kindred nation will welcome them with joy. So here we are in our poverty,
and we make the best of it we can; but a sharp distress wounds our spirit,
and then we say we will away to Canaan, to the land that floweth with milk
and honey, for there we shall suffer no distress, neither shall our spirits
hunger any more.
Heavenly desires are still farther
inflamed by communion with Christ. The sweets as well as the bitters
may be made to increase our longings after the world to come. When a man has
once known what fellowship with Jesus is then he pines to enjoy it forever;
like the Gauls on this side the Alps who, when they had once drank the
Italian wines, said one to another, “It must be a fair land where they grow
such wine as this, come, brethren, let us draw our swords and cross the Alps
and take the vineyards for ourselves.” Thus does the love of Jesus set us
longing to be with him.
“Since I have tasted of the grapes,
I oft times long to go
Where my dear Lord the vineyard keeps,
And all the clusters grow.”
Communion with Christ sharpens the
edge of our desire for heaven. And so, to close this vein of thought,
does elevation of soul. The more we are sanctified and lifted above the
grossness of earthliness into conformity with Jesus, the more we long for
the world to come. A peasant at the plough is quite content to mix with his
fellow laborers, but suppose he forms a passion for the study of the stars,
feels a poet’s frenzy, or develops mathematical powers, or learns the
science of flowers, or in any way discovers the treasure hidden in the field
of learning, he will be sure to be uneasy in ignorance, and will pine for
books and education. He dreams of schools, and colleges, and libraries. His
fellow ploughmen laugh at him, and count him but a fool. If they have enough
to eat and drink and clothe themselves, they are content therein, but he has
wants for which the village has neither sympathy nor supply. His elevation
of mind has brought with it groanings, to which, has he grovelled like his
fellows, he would have been a stranger. So is it with the regenerated man,
in proportion as he is elevated by the Holy Spirit by growth in grace. The
higher he rises the more he longs to rise. To him that hath it is given, and
he desireth to have in abundance; with a sacred covetousness he panteth
after yet higher degrees of grace, and after glory itself. Thus have I
opened up to you the desire which the Holy Spirit works in us. “He that
hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God.” (2Co 5:5KJV) (2Corinthians
5:5 The Glorious Hereafter and Ourselves)
Ron Mattoon writes that...
The promise of a heavenly body caused
Paul and other believers to groan for it. What an appropriate description...
"groan." Doctors today make their living listening to groaning tents.
A dermatologist tries to keep the canvass of our tent in good shape. The
family doctor spends his life patching up and stitching up this tent of
ours. The orthopedic doctor tries to keep our tent legs from pulling loose.
Someone once asked John Quincy Adams how he was personally doing. Adams
"I am very well, thank you. However, the
house in which John Adams lives, is growing old. The thatch is wearing thin,
and it trembles in every gale. I think John Quincy Adams will have to soon
move out, but he himself is very well, sir."
We groan, especially as we get older. Why
do we groan? We groan today, as they did back then, because we feel the
pains associated with mortality, namely our physical limitations, sickness,
heartaches, and the increasing disabilities that accompany advancing age. We
groan also because of the stress, mess, tests, unrest, and distress of this
life. How many times in frustration or great stress have we said or felt,
"Lord, just go ahead and take me home!
Lord, please come today and get me out of here!"
The Christian does not groan in his or
her present body because he or she wants to get rid of it. We really are not
going around hoping, begging, or longing to die today! We groan because we
long to receive the immortal heavenly bodies that God has promised us. God's
promises of something better make us dissatisfied with what we have now. We
are yearning and pining for what we don't have right now, but what we will
have someday. Paul said he "earnestly desired" his glorified body (2Co 5:2-note).
He longed or pined for it. Having put on our heavenly bodies, we will not be
naked. In other words, we will not be spirits without bodies. In this body
that we have, we groan because we are burdened, weighed down or pressed by
the pressures of this life. We groan, not because we want to die and get rid
of these bodies that clothe us now. We groan because we want to put on our
new glorified body so that our earthly decaying body will be swallowed up by
life eternal in Heaven. Not only the promise of a glorified body, but pining
for it and the blessings of Heaven will help us to keep one eye on eternity.
from 2 Corinthians, Volume 1).
Matthew Henry comments that we
(1) A groaning of sorrow under a heavy
load; so believers groan under the burden of life: In this we groan
earnestly, 2Co 5:2. We that are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened,
2Cor 5:4. The body of flesh is a heavy burden, the calamities of life are a
heavy load. But believers groan because burdened with a body of sin, and the
many corruptions that are still remaining and raging in them. This makes
them complain, O wretched man that I am! Ro 7:24.
(2.) There is a groaning of desire after
the happiness of another life; and thus believers groan: Earnestly desiring
to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (2Co 5:2), to obtain
a blessed immortality, that mortality might be swallowed up of life (2Co
5:4), that being found clothed, we may not be naked (2Co 5:3), that, if it
were the will of God, we might not sleep, but be changed; for it is not
desirable in itself to be unclothed. Death considered merely as a separation
of soul and body is not to be desired, but rather dreaded; but, considered
as a passage to glory, the believer is willing rather to die than live, to
be absent from the body, that he may be present with the Lord (2Co 5:1), to
leave this body that he may go to Christ, and to put off these rags of
mortality that he may put on the robes of glory.
Because we do not want to be
unclothed - A T Robertson rephrases it as...
“For that we do not wish to put off the
clothing, but to put it on”. ...Paul does not wish to be a mere disembodied
spirit without his spiritual garment.
Being burdened (916) (bareo
from baros = weight, heaviness, figuratively a burden as in Gal 6:2)
means to lay on a heavy load; to encumber with weight, to weigh down, to
burden. Figuratively, to
oppress with any thing grievous; as, to burden a nation with taxes. The
effect of drowsiness = "Heavy eyes" (Mt 26:43, Mk 14:40) "Overcome (heavy)
with sleep" (Lk 9:32).
Bareo - 6x in the NT: Mt 26:43
Mk 14:40 Lk 9:32 Lk 21:34 2Co1:8 2Co 5:4 1Ti 5:16. NAS = burdened(3),
heavy(1), overcome(1), weighted down(1).
use of bareo is Ex
7:14 describing Pharaoh's heart as "stubborn" (English translation of
Septuagint = "made hard")
Here in 2Co 5:4 bareo describes
the present state of the regenerate soul confined in “the earthly house of
Paul used bareo
figuratively to describe afflictions earlier in this letter...
2Cor 1:8 For we do not want you to be
unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we
were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we
despaired even of life. (cp 2Co 11:16-33).
Giving instructions to Timothy
1Ti 5:16 If any woman who is a believer
has dependent widows, let her assist them, and let not the church be
burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.
Vincent comments: Holtzmann quotes
an inscription in the chapel of the Villa Albani at Rome: “To the good
Regina her daughter has erected this memorial: to the good Regina her
widowed mother, who was a widow for sixty years and never burdened the
church after she was the wife of one husband. She lived 80 years, 5 months,
and 26 days.” - Word Studies in the New Testament
Be on guard,
= calls for
continual attention = Be ready for His return at all times!
Are you ready? If not, why not?
another discussion on imminency.
Cp parallel warning in Lk 21:36 = both involve remaining spiritually alert,
prepared and faithful!) so that your hearts will not be weighted down
with dissipation and drunkenness and the
of life, and that day (The Day of Christ's Return - cp Lk 21:27 - cp
Second Coming) will not come
on you suddenly like a
Comment: It is important to note
that whenever Jesus discusses His Second Coming, He invariably enjoins
watchfulness (cf. Lk 12:37 38 39 40; Mt 25:13; Mk 13:33, 34, 35, 36, 37).
English the verb to burden means to cause worry, hardship or grief to
pictures this as a continuous burden.
Want (2309) (thelo)
refers to a desire that comes from one’s emotions. It involves an active
decision of one's will, and thus implies volition and purpose.
As an aside Jerry Bridges
reminds us that it is...
the will that ultimately makes each
individual choice of whether we will sin or obey. It is the will that
chooses to yield to temptation or to say "No". Our wills, then, ultimately
determine our moral destiny, whether we will be holy or unholy in our
character and conduct. (Ed: Compare Jesus' words on will - Lk
22:42, Jn 4:34, 17:4, Jn 5:30, Jn 6:38, cp Jn 8:29, Heb 10:7, 8, 9, 10 - may
God's Spirit enable us to fix our eyes on Jesus' pattern of a life that
pleases the Father.)
To be unclothed (1562)(ekduo
from ek = out + dúo = cause to sink, go or come) means
literally to go or come out of, to put off and especially to put off
clothing and thus to unclothe. To remove clothing, strip off garments (of
Jesus' before His crucifixion - Mt 27:28, 31, Mk 15:20), undress oneself (in
In 2Co 5:4 Paul uses ekduo
figuratively to described the laying aside of a body. In other words Paul is
saying we do not want to be in a disembodied state after death, but instead
desire to possess our resurrection body which God will give us (As alluded
to in 2Co 5:5 God "prepared us for this very purpose").
Ekduo - 6x in 6v in NAS - Mt
27:28, 31; Mk 15:20; Lk 10:30; 2Co 5:3 4. NAS = stripped(2), took...off(2),
Luke 10:30 Jesus replied and said, "A man
was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they
stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.
Ekduo - 21x in the
non-apocryphal Septuagint - Ge 37:23; Lev 6:11; 16:23; Nu 20:26, 28; 1 Sam
19:24; 31:9; 1Chr 10:9; Esther 5:1; Job 11:15; 19:9; 30:13; Song 5:3; Isa
32:11; 52:2; Lam 4:3; Ezek 16:39; 23:26; 26:16; 44:19; Hos 2:3 A majority of
the uses in the Septuagint refer to stripping off clothes.
Leviticus 6:11 'Then he shall take off
his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp
to a clean place.
Job 19:9 "He has stripped my
honor from me And removed the crown from my head.
Matthew Henry: "He has stripped me
of my glory, my wealth, honor, power, and all the opportunity I had of doing
good. My children were my glory, but I have lost them; and whatever was a
crown to my head he has taken it from me, and has laid all my honor in the
dust." See the vanity of worldly glory: it is what we may be soon stripped
of; and, whatever strips us, we must see and own God's hand in it and comply
with his design.
But (alla) is a strong
adversative (contrast) - not unclothed but clothed.
The first edition of the New Living
Translation paraphrases the passage...
We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be
swallowed up by everlasting life.
Here is the Amplified Version
to help us understand what Paul is saying...
For while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden and
sigh deeply (weighed down, depressed, oppressed)—not that we want to put off
the body (the clothing of the spirit), but rather that we would be
further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up
by life [after the resurrection].
Comment: Keep in mind that when you are "stuck" on the meaning of a
particular verse, first pray and examine the
context, but if you are still
"stuck", consider looking at another Bible translation (see chart
Bible Versions). The two I have found
most helpful are the Amplified (which is more literal to the original
language) and the New Living Translation (NLT), which is a paraphrase
but one which tends to be a relatively accurate interpretation of the
original Greek text. The discerning Berean (Acts 17:11-note) should be cautious
with some of the "loose" paraphrases such as The Message (a
version from which I do not quote), which in my humble opinion can stray
quite far away from the meaning intended by the original Greek text and from
God's intended meaning! And
remember if you are "off" on the interpretation, you are at risk of
inappropriate application which can have significant spiritual consequences.
Harry Ironside associates the
phrase we do not want to be unclothed with the Second Coming of
Christ noting first that...
we are not earnestly desiring to die, for
that would not be a natural thing for any Christian. The Christian should
not earnestly desire to die, and yet should be prepared for it, but he
should also be prepared to live for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul
says, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Php 1:21-note). And then he
says that he would rather live to be a help and blessing to other people.
And so we hope "not for that we would be unclothed," but we do long
to be "clothed upon." That is, we would like to live to the second coming of
our Lord Jesus to get our resurrection body in that wonderful hour of His
triumph, "that mortality might be swallowed up of life." And whether
we live or die this is the final goal.
John MacArthur discusses the
Greco-Roman dualistic philosophy (matter is evil and spirit is good - see
MacArthur's sermon for more
discussion of "dualism") that was prevalent in Paul's day and
even after addressing it (dualism) in
that letter (First Corinthians), it is still a problem. It was still a
present issue so here he points out,
"We are waiting to put on our
resurrection body not to be found naked."
He points to the truth that when his
earthly tent is dismantled and he dies, God's plan is not for him to exist
as some disembodied spirit, floating around in infinity somewhere as the
Greek pagans taught. Their dualism, their hatred of the physical, their
miscomprehension of creation, their seeing matter as evil led to the idea
that death released the immortal soul into the nebulous freedom of the
spiritual world. And they would be freed from the bondage of their body to
float throughout eternity freely.
For example, a Roman thinker said the body is a tomb, we need to escape from
it. Platonus could say that he was ashamed that he had a body. Another
writer, Epictetus, said of himself, "Thou art a poor soul burdened with a
corpse." No less than Seneca wrote, "I am a higher being and born for higher
things than to be the slave of my body which I look upon as only a shackle
put upon my freedom and so detestable a habitation dwells the free soul."
Paul wasn't looking for the release from his body, he was looking for the
next body, one that was perfect in the perfections of immortality. Paul
isn't looking for nirvana, some kind of unconscious extinction. He's not
looking for freedom as a disembodied spirit. He's not waiting for the day
when he's going to get absorbed into the infinite. He wants a body. He is a
person. He was designed by God and promised by God he would have a body and
he wants a body in which he can be like Jesus Christ. Jesus had a
resurrection body and he wants one because he wants to be like Christ and he
wants to serve God and glorify God and honor God and praise God through the
means of that glorified body....
Paul just throws it in to make it clear,
we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven inasmuch as we having
put it on shall not be found naked. We're not looking to be floating
spirits. The ancient philosophers may have longed for the nakedness of the
soul, but Paul didn't. The ancients may have felt that the soul needed to be
stripped of the body to enter its highest bliss, but Paul didn't. The
highest expression that we will ever know in the glory of God's eternal
heaven will be when we receive our bodies, our new resurrection bodies. And
body-lessness to Paul and to any thinking Christian is a repulsive thought.
We are to be a person, not a floating spirit lost in infinity.
In fact, Paul was so passionate about
this, follow this, that he didn't even want to experience the period of time
in which he would have to wait for his body. And I find that fascinating. He
so longed to be like Christ, he so longed to have the perfect vehicle for
expression of praise and service to God in eternity that he didn't even like
the idea of having to wait around to get his body.
You say, "Well now wait a minute, did he have to wait around?" Yes, that's,
you see, why I told you if he had his choice he would prefer to be
right? Remember we went into that last week. If he had his choice he'd like
to be raptured because at the Rapture there's a transformation of the body,
right? And he would rather, just like you would, live until Jesus comes for
His own. He comes and changes us and we don't experience death, we just get
our new body right like that, in a twinkling of an eye (1Co 15:52).
On the other hand, if he were to die, he would have to wait till the Rapture
to get his body because the bodies aren't raised until the
Well He hasn't come yet. So the saints
that have died, their spirits are in heaven, but they haven't received their
resurrection bodies yet. Their spirits are there. You say, "Well what are
they like?" I don't know, their spirits are there but they don't have a
form. Their presence is there without that resurrection body. You
say, "Do they have their earthly body?" No, you can check anybody's grave,
the earthly body is there, whatever is left of it. They don't have that.
They're in a spirit form. And Hebrews 12:23 says, "They are the spirits of
just men made perfect." Their spirits have been made perfect, they're
perfectly holy and righteous and virtuous, they just have not yet received
their resurrection bodies. That awaits the Rapture of Jesus Christ.
So there is a waiting period for those who have died and who will die before
the Rapture. If you live till the Rapture, you won't have that. If you die
before the Lord Jesus comes, there will be a period of waiting. Though the
sting of sin is removed, there is still a period of waiting.
You say, "Will we have the sense of "Boy, this is taking a long time?"
Paul's saying to himself, "I've been counting the days and do you realize
I've been here for two thousand years? Is it like that?" No, it's not
like that because you can't read time into eternity and a day with the Lord
is as a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day (2Pe 3:8, cp Ps
90:4). And when you get into that dimension you're not talking about time as
we know time, but you are talking about the realization that something has
not yet occurred....
But he said, "Look, we want to...we
want to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, we want to put it on so
we're not found naked." He wanted that glorified body which would bring
him to the perfection that was like his Lord, his risen Lord. He didn't want
the period of nakedness if he could avoid it. Though death and being with
Christ even in that condition was better than life here, he was groaning
for the perfection that his glorified body would bring. (Facing
Death Confidently, Part 2)
from epí = upon or
intensifier of +
enduo = to
clothe, English - endue, literally to enter into, as clothes) is a stronger
form of enduo and means to put on in addition, to put on one's self
as putting on a garment over existing clothing. "To be fully clothed" (UBS).
Here Paul is using the verb figuratively in reference to being clothed with
our resurrection body.
Barnett remarks that...
“The ‘clothed upon’ and ‘swallowed up by
life’ imagery (2Co 5:2 3 4), when read alongside 1Co 15:53 54, leaves little
doubt that this ‘house’ (in 2Co 5:1) is the individual’s resurrection body.”
Vincent notes that
ependuomai is used
Only here and 2Co 5:4. Compare
ependutes fisher’s coat, John 21:7. Literally = to put on over.
The metaphor changes from building to clothing,
a natural transformation in the mind of Paul, to whom the hair-cloth woven
for tents would suggest a vesture. (2
Corinthians 5 Word Studies in the New Testament)
S Lewis Johnson comments that
doesn't want to be naked. Jews have a
horror of that, and that -- in that sense, the apostle's thought should be
understood. the question with Paul is on the one hand dying and living in a
disembodied state for a time until the coming of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15
makes it very plain that the resurrection takes place when our Lord comes.
So the apostle, on one hand, has the option -- or shall I put it this way --
the alternative. The alternative is dying and living in the disembodied
state until the coming of our Lord or surviving until the coming of our
Lord, the parousia. And the apostle has simply expressed his viewpoint that
he wants to survive to the parousia if that should be within the will of God
in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. That's his hope,
mortal swallowed up by life. The change. No fear nor unmanly monkish wish to
die characterizes the apostle, but he looks forward to the future in that
Unclothed and Clothed Upon - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5)
James Denny says
Nothing could be less like the apostle
than a monkish, unmanly wish to die. He exalted in his calling. It was a joy
to him above all joys to speak to men of the love of God in Jesus Christ,
but nothing on the other hand could be less like him than to lose sight of
the future in the present and to forget, among the service of men, the glory
which is to be revealed. He stood between two worlds. He felt the whole
attraction of both. In the earnest of the Spirit (Ep 1:13, Ep 1:14KJV-note), he knew he had an
inheritance there as well as here. It is his consciousness of the dimension
of life that makes him so immensely interesting.
A little girl was taking an evening walk
with her father. Wonderingly, she looked up at the stars and exclaimed: "Oh,
Daddy, if the wrong side of heaven is so beautiful, what must the right side
SO THAT WHAT IS MORTAL WILL BE
SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE: hina katapothe (3SAPS) to thneton upo tes zoes.: (we that: 2Pe 1:13)
(Groan: 2Co 5:2) (but: 2Co 5:3) (mortal: Isa 25:8 1Co 15:53,54)
So that (hina) explains the
purpose for what Paul has just stated. Be alert to these
terms of conclusion
taking a moment to stop (the Bible was never meant to be a speed reading
exercise) and ask the
Only what is mortal perishes; the
personality, consisting of soul and body, survives.
R B Hughes writes that...
Paul foresaw the great event when, either
by resurrection from the dead or by living transformation, “we shall all be
changed” (1Co 15:51). Mortality must put on immortality, and “death will be
swallowed up in victory” (1Co 15:54, quoting Isa. 25:8). Paul echoed these
words almost verbatim in 2Co 5:4: “in order that what is mortal may be
swallowed up by life.” The present state of Paul and the church was that
which is mortal. To be swallowed up by life is to put on the
dwelling from heaven. Paul pictured the end of the age, when God will come
for His own. (Hughes,
R. B. Second Corinthians. Chicago, IL: Moody Press)
Mortal (2349) (thnetos
from thnesko = to
means that which is subject to death, destined to die (the destiny of
everyone because of Adam's sin -
It is interesting to note that in the ancient Greco-Roman "the basic
difference between humans and deities relates to the mortality of the former
and the immortality of the latter" (BDAG), except that their "gods" were
really no gods at all, demonstrating the utter foolishness of rejecting the
clear natural revelation of the Creator (cp Ro 1:22, 23-note).
Thnetos - 6x in NT - Ro 6:12 Ro
8:11 1Co 15:53, 54 2Co 4:11 2Co 5:4
from katá = down + pínō = to drink) means literally to
drink down, and so to swallow and to swallow up completely. Figuratively katapino
means to cause the complete and sudden destruction of someone or something,
in this case our physical, mortal bodies (which are decaying anyway! 2Co
4:16) are to be devoured. Normally one might expect Paul to say swallowed up
by death, which in a sense is true for unbelievers, but for believers Paul
can say our mortal existence will be swallowed up by life, because as Paul
explains in his first epistle...
this perishable must put on the
imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this
perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put
on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS
SWALLOWED UP (katapino) in victory."
Katapino- 7x times in
23:24; 1Co. 15:54; 2Co. 2:7; 5:4; Heb 11:29; 1Pe 5:8; Rev 12:16.
It is the crushing burden of sin and
affliction believers experience in their physical bodies that makes them
yearn for their spiritual bodies. Repeating his disdain for soul nakedness,
Paul emphasized again that he did not want to be unclothed as a disembodied
spirit, but to be clothed with his glorified body. Then, what is mortal will
be swallowed up by the fullness and perfections of eternal life, and
believers will be like their risen Lord. Like John, they “know that when He
appears, [they] will be like Him, because [they] will see Him just as He is”
J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press
Radmacher (et al) helps
us understand the meaning of the phrase clothed with life writing
The believer’s future experience is
called life, meaning the full experience of eternal life in
Christ. The life experience of the future is being determined by how
we invest this life today (2Co 4:17-note).
E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible
Commentary. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers)
can refer to (1)
physical life (cp Ro 8:38-note,
1Co 3:22, Php 1:20-note,
Jas 4:14, etc) but more often refers to (2) to supernatural life in
contrast to a life subject to eternal death (Jn 3:36). This quality of life speaks of fullness of
life which alone belongs to God the Giver of life and is available to His
children, those who have been born again (Jn 3:3, Ro 6:4-note,
In context zoe alludes to eternal life (Mk 10:30, Titus 1:2-note).
Zoe in classical Greek refers to natural
life--the principle that enables living things to move and to grow. In the
NT, zoe focuses on the theological meaning rather than on the biological.
From the perspective of the NT, in every respect life is the counterpart of
death. Each book of the NT speaks of zoe. In each, the principle of life
lifts our vision beyond our earthly existence to reveal a unique quality of
life that spans time and eternity and that has its roots in God. It is the
biblical use and meaning of zoe that most concerns us as we examine what the
NT says about life.
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
(in comments on 2Pe 1:3-note)
writes that zoe...
speaks of life in the sense of one who is
possessed of vitality and animation. It is used of the absolute fulness of
life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God. It is used to
designate the life which God gives to the believing sinner, a vital,
animating, spiritual, ethical dynamic which transforms his inner being and
as a result, his behavior.
(Comments on 1Jn 1:2 by Wuest)
Thayer indicates (zoe is) “the absolute fulness of life, both essential
and ethical, which belongs to God.” Thus, this life that God is, is not to
be defined as merely animation, but as definitely ethical in its content.
God is not the mere reason for the universe, as the Greeks thought, but a
Person with the characteristics and qualities of a divine Person.
ethical and spiritual qualities of this life which God is, are communicated
to the sinner when the latter places his faith in the Lord Jesus as Saviour,
and this becomes the new, animating, energizing, motivating principle which
transforms the experience of that individual, and the saint thus lives a
Christian life. (Recommendation:
You might want to re-read this
slowly, meditatively and with a heart overflowing with incredible gratitude!
I fear that I do not even begin to grasp the significance of the zoe with
which God has gifted us as His children by grace through faith! If I did I
think it would be a strong motivating, strengthening force in those moments
where my flesh begins to lure me to sin against so great a salvation gift
The message of John is that since the believer is a partaker
of this life, it is an absolute necessity that he show the ethical and
spiritual qualities that are part of the essential nature of God, in his own
life. If these are entirely absent, John says, that person is devoid of the
life of God, and is unsaved. The ethical and spiritual qualities of this
life were exhibited to the human race in the earthly life of the Lord Jesus.
His life thus becomes the pattern of what our lives should be in holiness,
self-sacrifice, humility, and love.
(Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
Spurgeon in his book "Power in
the Blood" discusses several points about what the saints are currently
The first is that these bodies of ours
are not delivered. Beloved, as soon as a man believes in Christ, he is no
longer under the curse of the law. (See Galatians 3:13.) As to his spirit,
has no more
over him, and the
has no further claims against him. His soul is translated from death to
life. But, the body, this poor flesh and blood, does it not remain as
before? Not in one sense, for the members of our bodies, which were
instruments of unrighteousness, become by sanctification the instruments of
righteousness to the glory of God. (See Ro 6:13-note)
The body that was once a workshop for Satan becomes a temple for the Holy
Spirit, wherein He dwells (1Co 6:19-note).
However, we are all perfectly aware that the grace of God makes no change in
the body in other respects. It is just as subject to sickness as before;
pain throbs quite as sharply in the heart of the saint as in the heart of
the sinner; and he who lives near to God is no more likely to enjoy bodily
health than he who lives at a distance from Him. The greatest piety cannot
preserve a man from growing old; although in grace he may be like a young
cedar, fresh and green, yet the body will have its gray hairs, and the
strong man will be brought to totter on the cane. The body is still subject
to the evils that Paul mentioned when he said that it is subject to
corruption, dishonor, and weakness, and is still a natural body. (See 1Co
15:42, 43, 44.)
These are not little things, for the body has a depressing effect on the
soul. A man may be full of faith and joy spiritually, but I would challenge
him to feel the same way under the ill effects of some diseases. The soul is
like an eagle, and the body is like a chain that prevents its mounting.
Moreover, the appetites of the body have a natural affinity to that which is
sinful. The natural desires of the human frame are not in themselves sinful,
but through the degeneracy of our nature, they very readily lead us into
sin. Through the corruption that is in us, even the natural desires of the
body become a very great source of temptation. The body is redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ; it is redeemed by price; but it has not as yet
been redeemed by power. It still lingers in the realm of bondage and is not
brought into “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Ro 8:21-note).
Now, this is the cause of our groaning and mourning, for the soul is so
married to the body that when it is itself delivered from condemnation, it
sighs to think that its poor friend, the body, is still under the yoke.
Suppose that you were a free man who had married a slave. You could not feel
perfectly content; but the more you enjoyed the sweets of freedom yourself,
the more you would mourn that she was still in slavery. So is it with the
spirit: it is free from corruption and death, but the poor body is still
under the bondage of corruption, and therefore the soul groans until the
body itself is set free.
Will it ever be set free? Oh, my beloved, do not ask that question. This is
the Christian’s brightest hope. Many believers make a mistake when they long
to die and go to heaven. That may be desirable, but it is not the ultimate
satisfaction for the saints. The saints in heaven are perfectly free from
sin, and, so far as they are capable of it, they are perfectly happy; but a
disembodied spirit can never be perfect until it is reunited to its body.
God made man not pure spirit, but body and spirit, and the spirit alone will
never be content until it sees its physical body raised to its own condition
of holiness and glory. Do not think that our longings here below are not
shared by the saints in heaven. They do not groan because of any pain, but
they long with greater intensity than you and I for “the adoption, to wit,
the redemption of our body” (Ro 8:23-note).
People have said there is no faith in heaven and no hope; they do not know
what they say. In heaven faith and hope have their fullest strength and
their brightest sphere, for glorified saints believe in God’s promise and
hope for the resurrection of the body. The apostle tells us that “they
without us should not be made perfect” (Heb 11:40-note);
that is, until our bodies are raised, theirs cannot be raised; until we get
our adoption day, neither can they get theirs. “The Spirit and the bride
say, Come” (Rev 22:17-note).
Not only the bride on earth, but also the bride in heaven says, “Come,”
telling the happy day to hurry, the day when “the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Co
15:52). For it is true, beloved, the bodies that have decayed will rise
again; the fabric that has been destroyed by the worm will suddenly form a
nobler being; and you and I, though the worm may devour our bodies, will in
our flesh behold our God (Job 19:26).
These eyes shall see him in that day,
The God that died for me;
And all my rising bones shall say,
“Lord, who is like to thee?”
Thus, we desire that our entire manhood,
in its trinity of spirit, soul, and body, may be set free from the last
vestige of the Fall. We long to put off corruption, weakness, and dishonor,
and to wrap ourselves in incorruption, in immortality, in glory, in the
spiritual body that the Lord Jesus Christ will bestow on all His people.
(See 1Co 15:42, 43, 44.) You can understand in this sense why we groan, for
if this body, though redeemed, is really still a captive, and if it is to be
completely free and rise to amazing glory one day, those who believe in this
precious doctrine may very well groan after it as they wait for it. | 486 |
As part of the "Made in Rural America" initiative that began in February 2014, the administration will put together resources to assist rural businesses and communities invest in new opportunities and access additional markets. The White House Rural Council has presented a list of executive actions to help businesses in rural America:
- "A series of reverse trade missions and outreach events for rural businesses to meet foreign buyers, partners and trade experts and facilitate access to additional foreign markets.
- "An effort to double the number of rural businesses attending international trade shows and missions with the help and sponsorship of partners, including the Appalachian Regional Commission and Delta Regional Authority.
- "A new National Rural Export Innovation Team to help more rural businesses access export-related assistance, information and events.
- "A new partnership with community banks to educate local lenders on the needs of rural exporters and the federal export resources available to them and their customers.
- "A new partnership with the United States Postal Service to host 'Grow Your Business' Day workshops at 75 U.S. Postal Service locations throughout rural America to provide rural businesses an opportunity to learn about exporting and e-commerce, learn how to file customs forms online and calculate and plan for export shipping costs.
- "An effort to develop better financial indexing and metrics for rural infrastructure projects. This will help underpin additional investments in roads, bridges, inland ports, water supply systems, information technology and community facilities that are vital to manufacturing and exports.
- "A new effort to promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem mentorship program for rural communities.
- "Launching an i6 Rural Challenge, which will focus on providing funding to rural communities to build capacity for commercializing technology by collaborating across agencies and providing funding to Challenge winners."
Through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, "We are seeking to cut red tape and bureaucracy for American small businesses and family farms, opening markets in the fastest growing region in the world to more American-made goods such as cars, trucks and crops," according to the release. Through TPP negotiations with Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, a regional agreement will be established to create new markets and address new issues. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will be a "high-standard trade and investment agreement that offers significant benefits for U.S. companies and workers through eliminated existing trade barriers and better enabling U.S. companies and workers to compete." | 680 |
I don’t consider myself a dinosaur, except when I am joking.
But being the age of those dinosaurs, I am able to marvel greatly at the changes I have witnessed in my time.
I remember, of course, life without computers. You looked things up in books. You wrote in cursive — which was still taught in schools — or on a typewriter. (Oh my gosh, I think I remember typing even BEFORE the invention of White Out and Liquid Paper!)
When I was a teenager, small portable tape recorders made their appearance and we could tape songs from the radio — often just holding the microphone up to a radio.
Then cassettes made an appearance and we learned how to use cables to record from other sources. How sophisticated!
Of course, we used word processors at work when I got here in 1984. We didn’t start using REAL computers until the mid-1990s.
I had a Sears word processor which allowed me to write on screen and print out what I’d written.
Then the newspaper invested in Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100 computers — a laptop that was almost three inches thick, displayed only eight lines of typed copy and could transmit data by way of telephone lines at a shocking 300 baud per minute. It once took me 45 minutes to transmit a 42-inch story to the Times from a hotel room in Las Vegas.
A friend once gave me a tiny word processor — more of a toy, really — a tiny keyboard and a printer that used thermal adding machine rolls.
My first home computer was an Apple Performa, with a 250 megabyte hard drive.
Somewhere along the line, I tried to forge my way into the future. I bought a used Psion — popular in England, not so here. It was a handheld mini-computer and you could transfer what you’d written to a full-sized computer with some software and a cable.
I was the first person in the newsroom with an Internet connection — this was great progress, even though I had to shut down the word processing functions and reopen it as a PC to use the dial-up Internet connection.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that I now use an iMac desktop computer, a MacPro laptop, an iPad and an iPhone. I write and edit and post to the Internet from just about anywhere.
The computing power of my iPhone dwarfs the power of that first Apple Performa. I can look things up much faster than I could if I went searching through books. I can read books, send messages to friends, read and send email, make video phone calls to friends or relatives! Just on that little phone!
What’s next? Well, Apple is attempting to perfect an iWatch. I think I will have no reason to use an iWatch.
However, I have, in the past, stated with great conviction that I would have no need for an iPhone and that I would have no need for an iPad.
So, I guess we’ll see. | 415 |
It’s Engineering Expo day at Oregon State, which means Kelley Engineering Center is teeming with hundreds of students, all eager to showcase their projects, research and ideas. One of them is Mikkel VandeBergh, a senior majoring in environmental engineering, whose mission at the expo – and beyond – is to talk about biodiesel.
The beauty of VandeBergh’s exhibit is how comprehensive it is. Not only can she talk about the benefits of biodiesel as an alternative energy source, a topic about which she is passionate, she can show you how to it’s made. The “biodiesel cart” she is demonstrating is a portable, mini-fuel synthesizer that can catalyze waste vegetable oil into something you can use to power a diesel engine.
It’s simple enough (it requires only a few ingredients) to demystify the process of making fuel, and gives VandeBergh a platform to talk about the environment at events like the Oregon Stater Awards and DaVinci Days, as well as the Engineering Expo.
“The mission of the cart is to spread awareness of biodiesel and how it’s made to everybody. It is a renewable fuel with limited emissions that can be used today,” says Vandebergh.
The cart is operated by the Biodiesel Outreach Project, which is housed within OSU’s Sustainable Energy Initiative, of which VandeBergh is vice president. Its focus is on outreach to the public as well as K-12 students.
When she makes biodiesel for people, VandeBergh tells them how quickly a new crop of biofuels can be grown and processed – one year – compared to the millions it takes to create fossil fuels. She also tells them that biodiesel has low emissions of toxic constituents, and, since it’s made from plants, is renewable.
Another notable benefit, VandeBergh says, is that most current diesel engines can work on biodiesel, and it’s possible to reuse waste frying oil from restaurants to process it.
Still, biodiesel isn’t perfect – it can damage rubber fuel lines and freezes at higher temperatures compared to typical fossil fuels, which makes it necessary to use synthetic hoses and to install fuel tank heaters for freezing conditions. Critics also say that biodiesel crop growth can interfere with food crops at the environment’s expense.
“There can be problems with land being cleared for oil crops, but this is a problem not just for oil but for food crops, cattle and more,” says VandeBergh. “Biodiesel is not the only solution, but part of the solution.”
A trajectory toward leadership
Although she’s always been invested in environmental issues, VandeBergh would never have been so vocal about it just a few years ago. “I was really shy as a freshman,” she says. “I was just going to class, doing my homework – that was it.”
A stint working for the 2008 Obama campaign during her sophomore year helped VandeBergh break out of her shell. “We had to talk to strangers. We had to knock on doors. We had to call people, and I had no clue who they were,” says VandeBergh.
VandeBergh also cites professors Skip Rochefort and David Hackleman as being important mentors. “Dr. Rochefort got me started on doing the classroom outreach and finds outreach opportunities for us to do,” VandeBergh says. “Dr. Hackleman does this too, but also acts as a source of information and lets us bounce ideas off him for our research and outreach.”
Today, VandeBergh is also the president of the OSU College Democrats and one of four national co-chairs on the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel, a group dedicated to biodiesel as an alternative source of energy.
In the future, she wants to use her experience in politics in combination with her dedication to the environment to make a difference.
She’s already on her way. VandeBergh recently got an internship with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, where she will work with policy process in Washington, D.C. “After I get some experience and background in what needs to be fixed, I want to go into environmental policy to fix the things that I see,” she says. | 273 |
Pentagon biofuels effort aids energy independence
Despite this impressive record, two criticisms of DOD investment in biofuels continue.
The first is that energy investments should be handled by the Energy Department, not Defense. But the Department of Energy is already heavily involved in sharing the burden of advanced biofuel development. It’s set to contribute half the funding to establish a biofuels production facility.Continue Reading
This criticism also fails to acknowledge the long-standing partnership of DOD and DOE in energy development. DOE already funds and maintains the nuclear reactors that power all Navy aircraft carriers and submarines. DOD should not be prohibited from securing our energy independence and, by extension, our national security simply because some tasks involved may overlap with DOE.
The second criticism of the DOD’s biofuels investment is that the cost still can’t compete with oil.
Though biofuel’s current cost is indeed higher than oil, the long-term savings from development of these fuels could be far greater. In the past two years alone, the price Navy paid for biofuels has plummeted by more than 90 percent.
The Defense Department has had success with next-generation investments before. In the 1880s, the United States was dependent on steel imported from foreign countries. To encourage domestic production, the federal government paid $486 per ton — more than three times market rate. It was an enormous cost.
But by the eve of World War I, the U.S. was the world’s dominant steel producer. Our country no longer relied on Europe for basic war materials, and our own suppliers provided steel to the government at competitive rates. Today, few would argue that DOD’s help in developing a domestic steel industry was not in our national security interests.
Opponents claim that given budget reductions, all available funds should be diverted to more ships, planes and tanks. But every time a barrel of oil goes up $10, the Defense Department pays $1.3 billion more in fuel costs. That’s roughly the equivalent of building a new destroyer — then sinking it in the middle of the ocean.
In fact, DOD was forced last year to redirect almost that exact amount from other accounts to cover increased fuel costs. This year, DOD is shuffling an additional $1 billion for fuel costs — this time from the Afghan security forces. A fully developed domestic biofuels market will not be subject to the same supply and price volatility, providing more stability for military planning.
Our nation needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Technological advances have now increased domestic oil and natural gas production. But we will never be energy independent if fossil fuels are the only option. The Navy now relies on oil, natural gas, wind, hydro, geothermal, nuclear and biofuels. It’s demonstrating what an all-of-the-above solution looks like.
Rather than placing roadblocks in front of the Navy’s plans, Congress should help it in its effort.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is on the Armed Services Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is on the Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee. | 1,471 |
Associate, Professor of Business Ethics
In the early '90s, as he was considering a topic for his doctoral dissertation, Kenman Wong
suffered a year-long bout with severe headaches of an unexplained origin. His experiences
trying to find effective medical treatment led him through the shifting new world of "managed
care." It wasn't
always smooth going, "but it did get me interested in the issues of business, medicine and ethics,"
As a graduate student taking courses in ethics and public policy, Wong knew the necessity of controlling spiraling health care costs in America. As a patient, he also knew the need for quality health services. Wong found himself asking whether managed care was truly the answer to the nation's health care dilemma.
The result was a lengthy scholarly investigation into the diverse systems loosely called "managed care" that developed in the 1990s. His conclusions, which even he describes as "controversial," were published in his 1999 book, Medicine and the Marketplace: The Moral Dimensions of Managed Care, published by Notre Dame Press. Reviewers have described the book as "engaging," "important" and "a first-rate contribution to the discussion of the intersection between business and medicine." Wong also co-authored Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics, which has spent almost two years on amazon.com's list of best-selling business ethics books.
Wong earned a bachelor of science degree from Biola University in 1986, followed by an MBA from the University of Washington in 1987. He was then employed by Andersen Consulting, where he specialized, in part, on working with health care organizations. In 1997, Wong received a Ph.D. in social ethics from the University of Southern California. He joined the SPU faculty in 1997 and won the School of Business and Economics' annual Scholar of the Year Award for 1997-1998.
Numerous accounts of cost-cutting practices have only contributed to our fears. Media reports have focused on the plight of desperate patients who have been denied access to expensive procedures of last resort because the needed treatments were deemed "experimental."
Less sensational, but much more common, is the practice of payment through capitation arrangements, or prepaying primary care physicians a fixed dollar amount for treating a designated load of patients. The fear is that these arrangements give doctors the incentive to possibly withhold needed care since additional time spent with the patient and/or procedures performed comes at a direct financial cost to physicians.
Given these types of practices, it seems quite natural to conclude that if we could only turn back the clock and abolish managed care, and especially corporate involvement therein, the problems in our health care system would be solved. After all, the traditional business ethic is characterized by profit maximization, while the primary aim of medicine is the healing of patients. Mixing the two motives will lead to insurmountable moral tensions, whereby patient health will likely take a back seat to financial interests.
Despite the presence of very good reasons to be concerned, I do not think there are sufficient reasons to abolish managed care. The real challenge is in transforming managed care into an ethics-driven system. I believe this is best accomplished through the infusion of sound ethical values, and through some degree of governmental involvement.
Let me begin by taking on the very risky and unpopular task of defending managed care. While I do have many reservations about specific policies and practices, I believe that it is an acceptable, though imperfect, model of medical delivery.
Although managed care organizations have been criticized for their cost-cutting practices, it is important to remember that no model of medical delivery can supply care without attention to fiscal concerns. This would be the case even if medical care were provided by the government, non-profit organizations, or through medical savings accounts.
In fact, the main forces behind the growth in enrollment in managed care plans were legitimate concerns over fiscal irresponsibility and fairness in maintaining accessibility to care. It is well-documented that under the older, fee-for-service model, which was the dominant arrangement prior to managed care, wasteful spending was prevalent. Physicians were reimbursed for each treatment provided, and as a direct result overtreatment was more common than we would like to believe.
Furthermore, the real costs of medicine were often hidden from patients because traditional insurance plans reimbursed expenditures without much scrutiny. This resulted in a situation in which neither patients nor physicians had to worry much about fiscal concerns. As a result, health care costs were being driven upward to the point where medicine was becoming increasingly unaffordable.
In contrast, managed care has altered the trajectory of medical costs, albeit not to the extent promised. By integrating health care delivery and removing incentives for wasteful spending, the rapid rate of increase in the total level of health care costs has been slowed for the first time in decades.
Accompanying these cost savings, there is also some evidence that managed care may not be as damaging to overall patient health as is popularly believed. Although empirical studies are still in the infancy stage, many have concluded that overall patient health has not suffered. In fact, some significant, though largely unpublicized, contributions have been made by managed care to the actual improvement of patient health. For example, preventative care and quality measurement initiatives are receiving far greater emphasis than ever before.
While managed care can be defended as a model, many of the specific practices used to cut costs are questionable. And, while overall patient health may not suffer, some cost reductions (and thereby, profit) may come at the expense of individual patients. For example, capitation arrangements can pit the physician's interests against the patient's if the set pre-payment amounts are too low to cover the costs of necessary care. This is especially true if an individual physician has a load of patients that require more care than actuarily set premiums cover. Furthermore, defining the category of "experimental" too narrowly can lead to the denial of legitimately necessary and effective procedures. These examples underscore the fact that ethical concerns, and not just economic ones, must be central driving forces in the health care revolution.
However, transforming managed care into an ethics-driven system is anything but an easy task. The business and medical obligations of the organizations involved do not neatly fit together. In fact, many observers have stated that the profit motive has no legitimate place in medicine.
A deeper examination, however, reveals that medicine and business may have more in common than is thought to be the case. In fact, medicine has never been exclusively focused on patient needs and has always had a strong profit-oriented dimension. Health care professionals are generally very highly paid for their services (deservedly so).
Medical history is also replete with financially self-interested behaviors. Self-referral, the geographic concentration of physicians in wealthier areas, and the practice of refusing to see patients who lack financial resources are but a few examples. Furthermore, organized medicine has often supported policies because they favored the financial interests of physicians rather than the health needs of patients.
While these facts do not justify the extent to which the profit motive now exists in health care, they do reveal that medicine has never been as pure and as exclusively patient-centered as is commonly thought to be the case. They also point to the fact that the eradication of current managed care arrangements will not eliminate the profit motive in medicine.
In addition to a more truthful picture of medicine, it is also important to see that business can be conducted in a manner that is far friendlier to patients. While many businesses do follow a profit maximization model, characterizing this as the business ethic is erroneous. In fact, a growing number of corporations make decisions along the lines of a more enlightened, stakeholder-oriented paradigm. For these firms, success is measured by serving the interests of key stakeholders, rather than just maximizing profits for shareholders.
If such a model were applied to the health care revolution, as it should be, managed care organizations would place much more emphasis on the interests of patients, physicians and the greater community. And, they would not harm patients in the name of legitimate self-interests. While it would be naive to expect that all managed care organizations will voluntarily operate under a more values-driven business approach, a number are adapting their practices to better serve the interests of patients.
However, health care is one arena in which an appropriate degree of governmental and/or third-party intervention is legitimate and necessary in order to ensure fairness. While some observers have suggested that minimal governmental interference in business is ideal since long-term financial interests provide incentives to keep customers (in this case, patients) satisfied, this may not always hold true in medicine. A laissez faire, free-market approach will not work well, even in the long run, given the significant knowledge and power differences between patients and health care plans. Thus, some policies, such as which treatments qualify as experimental, are best determined by parties other than executives of individual plans.
Recent changes in health care delivery do give us legitimate reasons for worry. However, the problems therein are not insurmountable. If managed care organizations work under a more values-driven paradigm, the current health care revolution can be shaped so that patient health needs are met, while a greater degree of fiscal accountability is achieved.
How Well Are Patients Served?
Response asked SPU graduates and faculty who serve as health and insurance professionals in the Seattle area to offer their opinions on the very complex issue of managed care. The following are excerpts from their comments:
Douglas Backous '84
"I'm not opposed to managed care, just leery of managed care as we know it. Managed care works very well for healthy patient populations. Let's say a company has 30,000 employees and that company gives an HMO a lump sum to serve those 30,000. The HMO makes money by not delivering care. If there's not much care, the HMO makes money; if there is, they lose.
"My main concern is that patients become 'consumers,' and I'm not a physician anymore, but a 'provider.' I don't take care of 'FTEs' or 'units'; I take care of people. The boards can decide they're not going to give a consumer a bone marrow transplant. That's a lot easier than denying a mother, a father, or the kids.
"The way I want to practice medicine is the way I want to take care of my own mother. But I'm being told I can't do that, that adequate care is enough. Well, I'm not going to take care of anyone just adequately.
"Ethics is a broad word. For me, it means my Christian belief. I don't always know what's right and wrong, but there's a moral base to guide me. I can consult with God. Managed care is not ethics-driven but instead is guided by the allocation of medical resources.
"Managed care is a concept that should be refined to focus on the needs of people, keeping in mind financial constraints. Thinking dollars first and fitting patient needs around them is where my disagreement begins."
"As both a patient and a health care provider in a managed care organization, I believe that the system is working. The strengths of managed care are numerous. Quality of care is monitored more closely than in the past, and continuity of care is emphasized.
"In addition, ethical principles are outlined and used by health care organizations in their decision-making. There's also been a major shift in thinking from cure to preventative care. Patients are more inclined to take better care of themselves with the promotion of wellness and the focus on disease prevention.
"There are weaknesses, however. Patients not enrolled in managed care may have reduced access to medical care, and there's limited access to experimental treatments because of their high cost.
"The alternative system - the fee-for-care model - has its own problems. It's fragmented, offers little emphasis on holistic care, and has financial rewards for using high-tech equipment.
"The principles of managed care are aimed at improving the overall health and well-being of society in a cost-effective manner through the judicious use of resources, while also assuring quality health care - a worthy objective."
Thomas Knudsen '66
"I, personally, have had a good experience with managed care. The reason it's gaining market share is because the person who sends patients to managed care is the person who pays for their insurance - the employer. The employer needs to control costs to be competitive. Managed care costs less. It's all economics.
"Until recent years, doctors embodied both the American ethic and the American dream. They undertook a long, costly education followed by years of long and inconvenient working hours. The reward was great wealth and unquestioned wisdom. By contrast, today's icon is just as likely to be the assistant manager at an 'amazon.com' who makes a million on stock options, retires at age 30, and goes off to save some endangered rat species. Times have changed.
"To accommodate managed care, doctors are being asked to submit to unprecedented restrictions and to accept reduced levels of compensation, so don't ask them to go quietly into the night. But managed care is here to stay and the reality is that doctors and insurance companies need each other. Leave them alone and they'll work it out.
"To believe that government involvement might bring enlightened resolution to the differences is to believe in the Easter Bunny and Bobby Ayala in the ninth inning."
Carrie Cady '84
"I think managed care is hit or miss. It works for some and not for others. For more complicated cases, it's difficult to get through the process. When everything goes as expected, managed care does work.
"I remember a one-year-old patient on managed care. He needed 24-hour nursing in order to go home but the insurance company refused to cover it. So he couldn't go home. He stayed in the hospital. He had a mother who knew how to advocate and she called her congressmen and her senators in Washington, DC. She was a squeaky wheel. It took a few weeks, but her son got to go home.
"In Medicaid, they give you a cap for all the kids in the clinic. If you have a child on intravenous nutrition, which is expensive, that blows the whole budget. And it's all about budget.
"It's true that managed care has brought costs down, and of course there should be limits to care. There's a lot of technology and it's expensive. But families need to have a say in this. They need to be told what's involved. It's unethical to deny treatment that can make life better just because it's expensive.
"We're asking, 'Why does this patient need expensive care?' when we should be asking, 'Is this what the patient needs medically?'" | 1,829 |
By AIMEE BENDER
Published: September 16, 2010
Emma Donoghue’s remarkable new novel, “Room,” is built on two intense constraints: the limited point of view of the narrator, a 5-year-old boy named Jack; and the confines of Jack’s physical world, an 11-by-11-foot room where he lives with his mother. We enter the book strongly planted within these restrictions. We know only what Jack knows, and the drama is immediate, as is our sense of disorientation over why these characters are in this place. Jack seems happily ensconced in a routine that is deeply secure, in a setting where he can see his mother all day, at any moment. She has created a structured, lively regimen for him, including exercise, singing and reading. The main objects in the room are given capital letters — Rug, Bed, Wall — a wonderful choice, because to Jack, they are named beings. In a world where the only other companion is his mother, Bed is his friend as much as anything else. Jack, in this way, is a heightened version of a regular kid, bringing boundless wonder and meaning to his every pursuit.
By Emma Donoghue
321 pp. Little, Brown & Company. $24.99
Donoghue navigates beautifully around these limitations. Jack’s voice is one of the pure triumphs of the novel: in him, she has invented a child narrator who is one of the most engaging in years — his voice so pervasive I could hear him chatting away during the day when I wasn’t reading the book. Donoghue rearranges language to evoke the sweetness of a child’s learning without making him coy or overly darling; Jack is lovable simply because he is lovable. Through dialogue and smartly crafted hints of eavesdropping, Donoghue fills us in on Jack’s world without heavy hands or clunky exposition. The reader learns as Jack learns, and often we learn more than he can yet grasp, but as with most books narrated by children, the gap between his understanding and ours is a territory of emotional power.
Donoghue’s ingenuity also soars as she animates the novel’s physical space through her characters’ rituals: they run around a homemade track; watch TV, but not too much, because “it rots our brains”; string eggshells together with a needle to make a kind of snake. Toys and books are treated like gold. A lollipop is a revelation.
Although I hate to reveal plot points, some are necessary to discuss the book, and early on, the story reveals that Room is actually a prison, with a villain holding the key, and that Ma (as Jack calls his mother) is being kept against her will. Fierce claustrophobia sets in — what had seemed an odd mother-child monastery is now Rapunzel’s tower or Anne Frank’s annex or a story from the news about a stolen child living in a hidden compound. Jack, interestingly, does not feel trapped; that the two live in Room against his mother’s will is not something the son knows right away, and this contrast creates the major fissures and complexities in the book: Room is both a jail and a haven.
Once it is known that Ma doesn’t want to be there, the careful, painstakingly constructed framework of the characters’ days takes on a new tenor. That Ma can engage and interest a lively, bright boy while enduring the despair of their situation turns her into a heroic figure. When, later in the book, someone mentions how “zeitgeisty” it is, in our thing-ridden times, to make do on so little, Ma is horrified, and we are horrified, yet we are riveted by her manner of coping — in the same way we’re riveted by Anne Frank’s bravery — and amazed by her capacity for adaptation.
Jack doesn’t need to adapt; this is his norm. Room functions like a big womb, the space in many ways a true extension of a mother’s body, a limited area of total closeness and care. It is a child’s heaven for a time and, were he to grow older there, would be his nightmare. At 5, Jack is somewhat delayed developmentally, still living wholly in the unity he feels with his mother. “Maybe I’m a human,” he thinks, “but I’m a me-and-Ma as well.”
Which brings up the one part I struggled with a bit. Very early on, we see that Ma breast-feeds her son. The book opens on his birthday, and she tries, halfheartedly, to wean him, but he loves this intimate connection to his mother’s body as much as he loves all the walls and objects and routines of Room. There’s a flicker of unease in the reader here — and it’s a good and interesting flicker. Room is a sanctuary for Jack, but where are the lines, the boundaries between mother and son? When does security go too far? | 1,454 |
by Eve Atton
(winnipeg, mb, canada)
Over night my cat, Ace, lost all but one claw on his front paws. I was able to located 3 out of the 7. Ace is an 8 year old, indoor, neutered cat.
No blood on his paw, no infection, no swelling. He didn’t eat today and is taking it easy, looking annoyed.
I put cold a cold compress on his paw, but he just won’t tolerate it. What causes that?
He is a vivid scratcher on wood and furniture and to clip his nail is a task that I avoid as much as I can.
Will the claws grow back? Is there an underlying medical condition that causes it?
I just recently got laid off and waiting for my first EI check, taking him to the vet right now is not an option for another 3-4 weeks.
Please help. thank you, I am very concerned.
Hi Eve… thanks for visiting and asking. My best to Ace.
It is possible for a cat to lose a whole claw under certain relatively extreme circumstances such as a jump that went wring or a fight. Perhaps a claw can be broken or even ripped out.
This would normally apply to one individual claw. But to lose a number of claws without blood and to find them as has happened here strongly indicates that Ace is simply shedding an outer sheath of claw during scratching.
Claw sheath – Photo by
Ivers McGraw (FLickr)
This is totally normal and is one reason why cats scratch. I often find the outer whole sheaths of my lady cat’s claws on the carpet.
The outer sheath of a claw looks like a claw but is hollow and about two thirds to three quarters of the entire length of a claw.
What goes against my assessment is that you positively say that Ace has lost his claws. Can you see claws? He may not like you fiddling around with his claws and as they are retracted it can be a little hard to see them sometimes.
Cat claw sheath
by Alice Wiegand (Lyzzy)
I would double check. All his claws should be in place and a little sharper!
If not please get back and make a comment. As there in no blood or infection, on the face of it, there is not need for a vet.
I have checked the best books on cat health that I have and there is no references to a cat losing its claws through an underlying medical condition in any of them. This supports my assessment.
As Ace is a passionate scratcher (good for him) it is likely that an outer sheath will be sloughed off from time to time.
All should be well but please make a comment if you think I am wide of the mark in my assessment. | 250 |
Scientists in the lab study diverse topics in bioorganic chemistry. These include:
- the development of conjugate vaccines from synthetic carbohydrate antigens;
- the pharmacology of receptors and the discovery of drugs that act as agonists or antagonists of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs);
- structural characterization of GPCRs;
- biologically active natural products (also known as secondary metabolites);
- the discovery of novel antibiotics;
- the design of peptide and protein inhibitors and probes of HIV-1 entry;
- novel carbohydrate-binding proteins from understudied sources; and
- the use of synthetic organic chemistry to create new molecules with unique biological activities.
Projects include studies on the mechanisms of interaction between pharmacologically active substances and biological systems. These include biological systems relevant to diabetes, cancer, inflammatory diseases, tuberculosis, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic pain. One of the lab’s goals is to discover and develop new chemical agents, including synthetic molecules and natural products, as tools for the study of membrane and cytosolic functions of cells. Researchers examine the mechanisms of action or metabolism of such agents and their potential use as therapeutics. An integral part of this research involves the development and application of modern techniques in organic and medicinal chemistry. Lab scientists use these techniques to synthesize, separate, and investigate the spectral and biological characteristics of new chemical agents, including bioactive natural products.
In addition, scientists design, develop, and carry out experiments in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to elucidate structures of both small molecules and macromolecules. One area of research involves the use of custom-designed peptide-nucleic acids as probes of protein and nucleic acid interactions. Our scientists are developing new bioorthogonal probes for the study of gene regulation through enzymes involved in histone modification. Utilizing the synthesis of complex carbohydrates, researchers have developed synthetic vaccines for application to infectious diseases. They also investigate new approaches to drug delivery, affinity labeling, enzyme catalysis, and receptor activation and new concepts of drug design.
Finally, lab scientists use modern techniques in molecular biology to study mechanisms of cell surface receptor activation and signal transduction. Of particular interest are adenosine, ATP, adrenergic, nicotinic, and muscarinic receptors and the ion channels and second messengers subserving such receptors. Researchers develop transgenic mice for in vivo investigations. Receptor mutagenesis studies and homology modeling—in conjunction with the use of recently determined X-ray crystallographic structures—have elucidated the requirements for molecular recognition in the ligand binding site and G protein interface, as well as structural aspects of receptor activation. Lab scientists are using these insights to design new drug analogues with superior pharmacological properties and potentially fewer side effects. | 413 |
Astronomy Day 2013
- Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
- Museum of the Rockies - view map
On Saturday, April 20th, the Museum of the Rockies will host Astronomy Day 2013. Events include talks by MSU alumnus Brian Larsen, who works on the NASA Van Allen Space Probe Mission at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Jaime Waydo, an MSU alumnus who is a mobility engineer for the Curiosity rover. Astronomy Day also features kids' activities, planetarium shows, solar viewing and more.
This event is free and open to the public.
Events and Presentations
1pm Opening Remarks: Dr. Angela Des Jardins, director of the Montana Space Grant Consortium
1:10 pm Brian Larsen, MSU graduate, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Larsen is part of NASA's Van Allen Probes Mission and will share information aboutl space weather and what it means to us, the mission, and recent results. Larsen is a Technical Staff Member in the Intelligence and Space Research Division, Space Science and Applications Group (ISR-1).
2:10pm Autograph Session with Brian Larsen and Jaime Waydo
3pm Jaime Waydo, MSU graduate and mobility engineer for the Mars Curiosity Rover team. Waydo will speak on "Curiosity's Science: What is the Mars Rover Doing, and What Have We Learned?"
Download Jaime's Fun Facts About Mars [PDF]
- Academic Technology and Outreach | 1,385 |
Charlie Morgan's hurrah becomes Ted Brewer's success story becomes today's pseudo-classic.
We receive many requests from readers to review certain boats. Almost without exception, the requests come from owners of the boat suggested. Few boats have been the object of more requests than the venerable Morgan 38. At first blush, it is difficult to determine which Morgan 38 we ought to address, as two distinct designs were built since the first one appeared 22 years ago. After some thought, we decided to trace the history of both as best we could, including also the Morgan 382, 383 and 384.
The Morgan 38 was designed in 1969 by Charlie Morgan. He had founded Morgan Yacht Company in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1965. The Morgan 34 was his first production model. A hometown boy, he had made a name for himself in the 1960 and 1961 Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC), winning with a boat of his own design called Paper Tiger. While not a formally trained naval architect, Morgan demonstrated his skill with a variety of designs. Many of these were keel/centerboard models, owing to the shoalness of Florida waters. Seventy-nine were built before production halted in 1971.
In 1977, the Morgan 382 was introduced, designed by Ted Brewer, Jack Corey and the Morgan Design Team. According to Brewer, the boat was loosely based on the Nelson/Marek-designed Morgan 36 IOR One Ton. The most obvious difference between the 38 and 382 was the elimination of the centerboard and the addition of a cruising fin keel (NACA 64 012 foil) with skeg-mounted rudder. They are two completely different designs from two different eras in yacht design.
In 1980, the 382 was given a taller rig and called the 383. About 1983 the boat underwent other subtle changes, now called the Morgan 384. The rudder was enlarged and the interior modified. In its three versions, the Brewer model registered about 500 sales.
The company changed ownership several times during this period. It went public in 1968, was later bought by Beatrice Foods and then Thor Industries. Presently it is owned by Catalina Yachts, who built just 24 38s (three were kits) before discontinuing production in 1986.
The first Morgan 38 was a development of the highly successful 34, which Morgan called a “beamy, keelcenterboard, CCA (Cruising Club of America)-style of yacht. We had a good thing going and didn’t want to deviate; we found little interest in those days in keel boats. Centerboards have their own sorts of problems, but there’s an awful lot of thin water in the world, and safe refuge and quiet anchorages are mostly in shoal water.”
The boat has a long, shoal keel drawing just 3' 9" with the board up. The rudder is attached and there is an aperture for the propeller. “Beamy,” in 1969, meant 11 feet. The waterline was fairly short at 28 feet, but the overhangs give the hull a very balanced and pleasing profile. The stern is pure Charlie Morgan—a finely proportioned shape that is neither too big nor too small. In profile, the angle between the stern (which interestingly is a continuation of the line of the backstay) and the counter is nearly 90 degrees. It’s a trademark look.
Sloop and yawl rigs were offered, which was typical of CCA designs. The rig has a lower aspect ratio (the proportion of the hoist to the foot of the mainsail) than later designs, including the Brewer-designed 382. Yet this is a very wholesome rig for cruising. Owners responding to our questionnaire said the boat balances very well.
Owners of the 382 and subsequent permutations seemed less pleased. They didn’t rate balance as highly, noting most frequently the difficulty in tracking (keeping the boat on a straight course) when sailing off the wind (not uncommon with beamy fin keel designs; it’s a trade-off with speed, pointing ability and maneuverability). Others said that they raked their masts forward to improve balance. One thought the problem was caused because the rudder was slightly undersized. Still, these owners liked the way their boats sail.
The rig, of course, isn’t the only difference between the Morgan and Brewer designs. The latter has a foot wider beam—12 feet—and a longer waterline. Two keels were offered, the standard five-foot draft and an optional deep keel of six feet. Displacement jumped a thousand pounds to 17,000 despite a reduction in ballast from 7,500 pounds to 6,600 pounds. Centerboard boats, naturally, require more ballast because it isn’t placed as low as it is in a deep fin keel boat.
The look of the 382 is much more contemporary. The rake of the bow is straighter, as is the counter, which is shorter than the original 38 as well. Freeboard is higher and the windows in the main cabin are squared off for a crisper appearance.
The hulls of the early 38s were built of solid fiberglass and the decks of sandwich construction. Some 382 hulls were cored, others not. A variety of core materials were used, mostly Airex foam. The lamination schedule was your basic mat and woven roving, with Coremat added as a veil cloth to prevent printthrough.
Both designs have internal lead ballast, sealed on top with fiberglass.
The early 382s did not have the aft bulkhead in the head fiberglassed to the hull, which resulted in the mast pushing the keel down. All boats “work” under load, and bulkheads bonded to the hull are essential to a stiff structure. Anyone who has a boat in which major load-bearing bulkheads are not attached to the hull should do so before going offshore. To its credit, the company launched a major recall program.
The owners of all Morgan 38s, as a group, note the strength of the boat. One said he hit a rock at 6 ½ knots and suffered only minor damage. Very few problems were mentioned. The owner of a 1981 model, however, said he “drilled through hull at waterline and was surprised at thinness of glass on either side of the Airex: 1/8” inside, 1/16" outside.” With the stiffness that sandwich construction provides, not as much glass is required; still, protection from collision and abrasion would recommend greater thickness outside. Brewer, incidentally, discounted the report.
Interestingly, Hetron-brand fire-retardant resin was used for a time, prior to 1984; if you recall, this was blamed for the many cases of reported blistering on the early Valiant 40s. About half of the 382 owners responding to our surveys reported some blistering, none serious.
The attached rudder of the early 38 is stronger than the skeg-mounted rudder of later models. But we do prefer the skeg configuration to a spade rudder, at least for cruising. A problem with skegs, however, is the difficulty in attaching them strongly to the hull. One owner said his was damaged in a collision with a humpback whale, but that is hardly normal usage!
Several owners of later models commented that the mast was a “utility pole,” recommending a custom tapered spar for those inclined to bear the expense.
Other problems reported in our survey were only minor and were corrected by the company. In fact, owners were nearly unanimous in their praise for Morgan Yachts’ customer service.
The layout of the Morgan 38 is quite conventional and workable. In both incarnations there are Vberths forward, private head with shower (separate enclosure in the 382), dinette in main cabin with settee, galley aft in the port quarter area and nav station with quarter berth opposite to starboard. Specifications for the first 38s included “attractive wood-grained mica bulkhead paneling, with oiled American walnut trim.” This was a popular treatment in the 1960s, and practical, but often done to excess. By the 1980s, fake teak didn’t play so well. Owners wanted real wood, and that’s what they got in the 382.
Owners of early 38s complained of poor ventilation (“I added six opening ports, and would like an additional center cabin hatch,” wrote one), short Vberths (“Could be 4" longer, but I’m 6' 2."”), and more closet space (from a live-aboard).
Owners of later models mentioned the need for a larger forward hatch to get sails through, a hatch over the galley, larger cockpit scuppers, and Dorade vents.
(Teak Dorade boxes were added on the 384.) They complained of not enough footroom in the V-berths and poor location of the main traveler in the cockpit. (The traveler was moved to the cabinhouse top on the 384.)
Despite these minuses, most owners cite the volume of the interior and many stowage compartments as major reasons for their satisfaction with the boat.
Performance Under Sail
As implied in our comments on balance in the “Design” section of this review, the centerboard 38 sailed beautifully. She is dry and seakindly, stable and relatively fast for her generation. Its PHRF rating ranges from 145 to about 150. The yawl rig is probably not as fast as the sloop, but for the cruising couple, the mizzen sail gives the skipper another means of balancing the boat, as well as a means to fly more sail when reaching if he’s prepared to fuss with a staysail.
The 382 rates between 128 and 150, about 137 on average. The Morgan 383 and 384, which are grouped together, rate a mite lower at 135, on average.
It is not surprising that Brewer’s redesign is faster, even though it’s 1,000-2,000 pounds heavier. This is due to it’s deeper fin and higher aspect rig with the ability to carry larger headsails. There is also less wetted surface.
Performance Under Power
The centerboard 38 was powered by the seemingly ageless Atomic Four gasoline engine, though a Perkins 4-107 or Westerbeke 4-107 was available at extra cost ($1,940 in 1969). The early 38s cruise at about 6 ½ knots.
A first-generation Yanmar—the 3QM30—was used on some 382s, and as owners of those engines know, they tend to be noisy and vibrate a great deal. Yanmar engines improved a great deal after the manufacturer redesigned and retooled the entire line. But the most common powerplant was the magnificent 50-horsepower Perkins 4-108. If we were looking for a Morgan 38 to purchase, we’d certainly lean toward one with this engine.
Both designs handle reasonably well under power, as well as most sailboats do, meaning that backing down with a two-blade prop is a necessarily cautious procedure.
A number of owners recommend changing to a three-blade prop, but that will affect sailing performance. One should examine his sailing style closely before making the move.
The Morgan 38, in any incarnation, is a handsome boat that sails well and is built strong enough for most people’s purposes. Some may pause before taking a centerboard boat far offshore, but it has certainly been done—recall, if you will, Carleton Mitchell’s hugely successful racer Finnisterre.
Both centerboard and fin keel versions seem to us to have advantages and disadvantages that are essentially tradeoffs.
On the one hand, we like an attached rudder for cruising, as it provides the best protection from collision with logs and other hard objects. On the other, we recognize the importance of placing ballast low, as in the fin keel version, and we appreciate
Brewer for giving a nice slope to its leading edge so that damage from hitting logs will be minimized. Brewer said that a 382 that passes survey is capable of cruising just about anywhere. “They’ve crossed oceans,” he said.
To our eye, we admit to being fond of the CCA designs with low freeboard and graceful sheer lines. The yawl is a versatile rig that is especially attractive, though it does require more in the way of tuning and maintenance.
An early Morgan 38, in good condition, should sell in the high 20s. Expect to pay a thousand or so more for the yawl. For sellers, considering that in 1969 the base price of the boat was $22,995, that’s not a bad return on investment.
Fifteen years later the price had jumped to $84,995 (1984 model). Those boats today are advertised in the mid to high 60s, and occasionally the low 70s. (What anyone is actually getting for these days is another matter entirely).
Considering the changes in the economy, that’s still not bad performance. What it means most to the prospective buyer is that the Morgan 38 and 382 are popular, much admired boats that should, we expect, hold their value as well as or better than most others. | 1,307 |
ACEA Tax Guide 2013
ACEA’s annual Tax Guide gives an overview of motor vehicle taxation in 31 European countries as well as other major world markets such as Brazil, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States
ACEA’s annual Tax Guide gives an overview of motor vehicle taxation in 31 European countries as well as other major world markets such as Brazil, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States. It is compiled with the help of the national associations of motor vehicle manufacturers or importers in these countries and describes in detail the taxes that are levied on the sale, registration, ownership and the use of motor vehicles in each country.
The highlights provide an overview of the various taxes and the revenue they generate at EU level:
- Taxes on acquisition
- Taxes on ownership
- Taxes on motoring
- Fiscal income from motor vehicles
- Overview of CO2 based motor vehicle taxes in the EU 2013
- Overview of incentives for buying electric vehicles 2013
- The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 16 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, and Volvo Group.
- Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.
- Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, firstname.lastname@example.org, +32 485 88 66 47.
Interested in ACEA press releases?
Receive them directly in your inbox!
About the EU automobile industry
- 13 million Europeans work in the auto industry (directly and indirectly), accounting for 7% of all EU jobs.
- 11.5% of EU manufacturing jobs – some 3.4 million – are in the automotive sector.
- Motor vehicles are responsible for €374.6 billion of tax revenue for governments across key European markets.
- The automobile industry generates a trade surplus of €79.5 billion for the EU.
- The turnover generated by the auto industry represents more than 8% of the EU’s GDP.
- Investing €58.8 billion in R&D annually, the automotive sector is Europe’s largest private contributor to innovation, accounting for 32% of total EU spending. | 715 |
As I wrote often in 2013, I believe tape remains a critical component of the datacenter, especially when it comes to the backup and archive processes. Thanks to the increased importance of economics, as well as the popularization of three tape technologies, 2013 was a very successful year for tape technology.
Success driven by growth
Despite many predictions to the contrary, tape continued to be an important part of the storage infrastructure in 2013. Part of the reason is that tape's extinction has been vastly overrated. Most enterprises continue to count on tape as a storage mechanism for backups and archive. While disk may have augmented tape, it has not replaced it.
[Why is tape still relevant in the cloud era? See 3 Roles For Tape In The Cloud.]
What makes 2013 particularly interesting is the return to tape we saw in tier-2 and midmarket datacenters. A catalyst for this is the rate that data continues to grow. The spike in growth rate is being driven by the "Internet of Things," like IP-based videocameras, smartphones, and tablets, as well as sensors that are being placed on just about everything.
All these "things" are generating data, and that data needs to be stored, inexpensively and often for a very long time. Tape is still the leader in cost per GB and power efficiency. Technologies that make disk more price competitive, like deduplication and compression, are not as effective on this machine-generated data, as it is often unique and precompressed.
Success driven by standardization
One of the challenges facing the continued adoption of tape was a lack of data storage standards. While linear tape-open (LTO) storage had become almost ubiquitous, the format that data was written to LTO media was not. Each backup and archive application wrote in its own proprietary tape format. This made users dependent on that application for the life of the dataset, and in the case of archives, that can be a very long time.
The first technology that made tape more attractive in 2013 was linear tape file system (LTFS), which I have written about before. While LTFS was not new in 2013, its adoption picked up considerably. Widespread use of LTFS allows for application independence, which means that if an archive tape needs to be read eight years from now, it can be read directly from the operating system.
LTFS started with built-in operating system drivers so that any tape inserted into a drive could be read and written to right from the operating system. As 2013 came to a close, there were numerous archive applications that support the format and a few backup applications.
Another tape technology that was not new in 2013 but became more approachable was network-attached storage (NAS) tape. This allowed tape to be accessed via a network file system (NFS) or common internet file sharing (CIFS) mount point just like any other file server. Usually these gateway types of technologies integrated a small disk frontend so that user response was instantaneous, then as data aged it was moved to tape for long-term retention. Finally these gateways also began to integrate LTFS, so the interchange between systems was possible.
The third tape-related technology which emerged in 2013 was the introduction of a RESTful interface thanks to Spectra Logic's Black Pearl initiative. In the past, if you wanted your application to directly interface with a tape library, you had to write complex SCSI commands or go through some sort of gateway type of device. Now with this technology, tape can be written to directly from the application via the RESTful API interface, which is becoming standard in the cloud provider datacenter.
Truly, 2013 was a good year for tape. Both the rate at which data is growing and the type of data created are natural fits for tape media. The addition of technologies that make tape more transportable and easier to access allowed users to overcome the biggest roadblocks to reintroducing tape into their environments.
Because data growth shows no signs of leveling off, 2014 could be an even bigger year for tape. But tape technology manufacturers must keep innovating for tape to continue being an attractive complement to disk.
George Crump is President and Founder of Storage Switzerland, an IT analyst firm focused on storage and virtualization systems. He writes InformationWeek's storage blog and is a regular contributor to SearchStorage, eWeek, and other publications.
Developments in object storage technology have made integrating inexpensive, flexible cloud storage easy for organizations of all sizes. As new options have arisen, we've seen improvements in performance, security, availability, and compliance. Yet in this competitive market, only good planning and careful implementation will yield a strong ROI. Join us for the Cloud Shift: Object Storage Services webinar on how to achieve maximum benefit and cost savings from object storage. It's available on demand. (Free with registration.) | 310 |
March 8, 2010
« More Economic Letters
Okun’s Law and the Unemployment Surprise of 2009
Mary Daly and Bart Hobijn
Okun’s Law and the Unemployment Surprise of 2009
Mary Daly and Bart Hobijn
In 2009, strong growth in productivity allowed firms to lay off large numbers of workers while holding output relatively steady. This behavior threw a wrench into the long-standing relationship between changes in GDP and changes in the unemployment rate, known as Okun’s law. If Okun’s law had held in 2009, the unemployment rate would have risen by about half as much as it did over the course of the year.
Economists have long known that the overall performance of the economy as measured by GDP has a direct bearing on unemployment. But the relationship between changes in output and changes in the unemployment rate deviated from expectations in 2009. Over the course of the year, unemployment rose rapidly, while GDP remained relatively flat, or near zero growth. This pattern was surprising because it departed substantially from a long-standing forecasters’ rule of thumb known as Okun’s law. Named for Yale University economist Arthur Okun (1962), the law describes the empirical relationship between changes in output and changes in the unemployment rate. Okun’s law tells us that, for every 2% that real GDP falls below its trend, we will see a 1% increase in the unemployment rate. Since real GDP was almost flat in 2009 while its trend level increased by 3%, the unemployment rate under Okun’s law should have increased by 1½ percentage points. Instead it rose by 3 percentage points, more than twice the predicted increase.
In this Economic Letter, we examine what might have disrupted the usually reliable empirical relationship described by Okun. We consider a variety of potential factors, including measurement errors in employment tallies, atypical changes in employer and worker behavior, and unusual surges in productivity, or the efficiency of producing output. Our results indicate that the main factor driving the unusual rise in unemployment relative to output was very rapid productivity growth, which allowed businesses to cut back sharply on labor while maintaining output levels.
Okun’s law: past and present
In his seminal 1962 article, Okun noted two important empirical relationships between the rate of unemployment and real output: quarterly changes in the unemployment rate were related to quarterly growth in real GDP, and deviations in the unemployment rate from its non-accelerating inflationary level (NAIRU) were related to deviations in GDP from its potential. (See Abel, Bernanke, and Croushore 2008 for a nice textbook treatment.) The first of these associations is known as the growth-rate version and the second is known as the gaps version of Okun’s law. In both expressions, the relationship between output and unemployment is roughly two to one. This “constant of proportionality” forms the basis for most large-scale macroeconomic forecasting models.
Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and Congressional Budget Office.
The regularity of the relationship denoted by Okun’s law is visible in Figure 1. The figure plots the relationship between deviations from trend of real GDP and the unemployment rate from the first quarter of 1949 through the fourth quarter of 2009. Trends are taken from the Congressional Budget Office’s (2010) most recent estimates. The dotted line plots a statistical relationship between the output and unemployment gap from the first quarter of 1949 through the first quarter of 2007. As the plot shows, the empirical association that Okun noted generally describes the data well. This is true across different points in the business cycle and across a long span of time.
Indeed, early in the 2007 recession there was little evidence of divergence from Okun’s law. In the second quarter of 2009, however, things went off track and a wedge began to emerge between changes in output and changes in unemployment. As shown by the red squares appearing above the line in Figure 1, the familiar two-for-one pattern broke down and unemployment went up by substantially more than expected. By the fourth quarter of 2009, the deviations in output to unemployment were the largest observed over the span of the data. The divergence of the current data from the typical pattern wreaks havoc with forecasters, but also leaves a puzzle: Why did unemployment rise so rapidly in 2009? We now examine that puzzle and discuss whether it is likely to persist in the coming year.
Accounting for the divergence
The simple rule-of-thumb relationship between output and unemployment hides more complex relationships that influence Okun’s two-to-one rule. One way to see this is to recall that total output, or GDP, reflects a combination of several variables, including number of workers, the hours they work, and the efficiency with which they produce output. Thus, a natural starting point for thinking about why Okun’s law failed to hold in the recent past is to ask which, if any, of the underlying variables deviated from normal cyclical patterns. To investigate this, we compare movements of each of these variables relative to GDP in this cycle with data from previous years. (See Figure 2)
A. Labor force participation rate
B. Hours per worker
B. GDP per nonfarm hour
Sources: BEA, BLS, and authors’ calculations.
Sources: BEA and BLS.
The first point to consider is whether changes in worker behavior have boosted the unemployment rate and disrupted the Okun’s law relationship. As the first panel of Figure 2 suggests, labor force participation, or the fraction of the working-age population reporting that it is working or looking for work, has bounced around during this downturn. Typically, labor force participation will fall in a downturn as potential workers realize their prospects are weak and withdraw from the labor force to pursue other goals or because they are discouraged. In the first year of the recession, this normal pattern failed as individuals remained in the labor force despite the weakening economy (Daly, Hobijn, and Kwok 2009). However, by 2009, this pattern had reversed and labor force participation dropped precipitously. Currently, the trend in the labor force participation rate is helping reduce, rather than boost, measured unemployment.
Another factor that might be contributing to the breakdown in Okun’s law is hours worked per employee. In recessions, the number of hours worked generally falls as firms cut back on overtime or regular hours in response to declines in demand. By reducing worker hours instead of reducing the workforce, firms lay off fewer workers. If this recession were different and firms laid off more workers and then worked the remaining ones longer, then we would expect some deviation in the normal GDP/unemployment relationship. However, the second panel of Figure 2 does not support this hypothesis. The hours worked per employee is roughly in line with previous periods and, if anything, is working to reduce, rather than increase, the wedge in Okun’s law.
The final panel of Figure 2 points to the factor that turns out to be the main driver of the recent departure from Okun’s law—average labor productivity, measured as GDP per nonfarm hour worked. The deviation in average labor productivity relative to the GDP gap is far outside the range plotted over time and is consistent with the rapid productivity growth recorded in 2009. The surge in labor productivity allowed employers to keep output steady while shedding workers and reducing hours of work in the economy. As such, it allowed unemployment to rise much more than expected given the change in GDP, breaking the normal pattern between the two measures observed over the past 60 years.
Beyond the three factors depicted in Figure 2, certain measurement issues related to accurately capturing the decline in employment might affect Okun’s law. However, in a separate analysis, we have found that such factors cannot explain the gaps in Okun’s law shown in Figure 1.
While the panels of Figure 2 provide a sense of which variables are likely to be driving the recent wedge into Okun’s law, they do not provide any evidence on the net effect of all these movements on the recent path of GDP. To do this, we turn to a GDP decomposition which breaks the recent path of GDP into its component parts. For simplicity of exposition, we show the decomposition in terms of output growth. This also serves as a robustness check on the gaps method which by definition relies on assumptions about potential output and the NAIRU. Figure 3 shows the results of this decomposition. The figure plots the contribution to the percentage change in output associated with each of the factors.
The decomposition of GDP growth yields similar results to those suggested by Figure 2, namely that the deviation from Okun’s law began in 2009 and was driven by rapid growth in average labor productivity. The decomposition also highlights the differences in the first and second half of the recession. The first phase was characterized by small deviations from Okun’s law mostly explained by unusual resilience in labor force participation. In 2009, the situation changed. Employment fell precipitously, hours per worker declined, and average labor productivity surged, allowing GDP to hold steady.
Interpreting the findings
The data presented here consistently point to unusually strong productivity growth as the main driver of the departure from Okun’s law in 2009. A key question that remains unanswered by this analysis is whether this pattern will continue in 2010. Most forecasters assume that the economy will return to its historical path this year, following Okun’s two-to-one ratio of changes in GDP and changes in unemployment. Under this scenario, unemployment would begin to edge down this year as the economy recovers and gains momentum. But there are clearly risks to this view. Some of the surge in productivity growth in 2009 was likely due to such cyclical factors as layoffs of least productive workers, greater intensity of work effort, and shifts away from producing intangible capital, which is not measured in output statistics. Anecdotal evidence suggests that efforts to contain costs and remain nimble in the face of uncertainty have become a fixture in business strategy. If productivity keeps on growing at an above-average pace, then unemployment forecasts based on Okun’s law could continue to be overly optimistic.
Abel, Andrew B, Ben S. Bernanke, and Dean Croushore. 2008. Macroeconomics, sixth edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Congressional Budget Office. 2010. “The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2020.” January.
Daly, Mary, Bart Hobijn, and Joyce Kwok. 2009. “Labor Supply Responses to Changes in Wealth and Credit.” FRBSF Economic Letter 2009-05.
Okun, Arthur M. 1962. “Potential GNP: Its Measurement and Significance.” Reprinted as Cowles Foundation Paper 190.
More Economic Letters
Opinions expressed in FRBSF Economic Letter do not necessarily reflect the views of the management of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This publication is edited by Sam Zuckerman and Anita Todd. Permission to reprint must be obtained in writing.
Please send editorial comments and requests for reprint permission to | 926 |
So she plunked down $78 for a round trip ticket on the Central Oregon Breeze bus line, left Bend at 11:30 a.m. and less than four hours later was at Portland International Airport boarding a Max train to Beaverton.
"I'm so happy that I found it," said Frese, a retired teacher from San Jose, Calif., who moved to Bend with her husband four years ago. "It's just been a Godsend. It's hassle free and I feel safer."
The Breeze is one of six rural, intercity bus lines in Oregon, but the only one not partially ticketed through Greyhound or substantially subsidized by the state. Once a day (twice on Fridays, Sundays and peak periods) it sends a nearly full 25-passenger bus on U.S. 26 from Bend to Portland and back.
In a country and wide-open state still very much in love with the automobile, the intercity lines provide an alternative for people without cars, people wanting to shed the hassle of driving themselves, or people not needing a vehicle once they reach their destination. And, for parts of rural Oregon, the bus provides a vital link in a statewide transportation network that Portland-area residents often take for granted.
The goal is two-fold, says Matt Barnes, manager of transit networks for the Oregon Department of Transportation – to connect rural communities with city transportation hubs and to make local connections within smaller regions of the state.
"Not everybody has the transportation or the ability to jump in a car and go 200 miles," says Joseph Widner, owner of Central Oregon Breeze.
Joe Widner was running the family taxi and shuttle business in the mid-1990s when he formed Central Oregon Breeze in Bend after recognizing a niche for daily service between Bend and Portland. When Greyhound dropped its route through Central Oregon in 1996, he picked up the slack.
Since then, Widner has competed with TriMet and other Oregon carriers for state grants to buy buses – including $185,000 in 2009 – and slowly expanded service. At its peak in 2008, Widner said the Breeze carried 15,000 people a year. With the recession that number has dropped 10 percent to 20 percent.
For 2009-11, the state gave the six intercity bus lines $2.4 million in contracts and grants, 70 percent of which was federal money.
"It's a business with a real low profit margin and with lots of equipment," says Widner, who employs a mechanic and 13 others. "The grants really make this service possible; without it the service wouldn't be affordable."
"I drove in November and it was a horrible experience," says Roylance, whose eye problems limit his night driving. "In the summer, I'd rather drive. But the bus seems easy and I can also read or study."
One-way fares are $49; $88 for a round trip. Senior and student fares are $5 less. Reservations can be made through the company's website two days before departure, otherwise a phone call is necessary.
The Breeze has four 25-passenger buses and two 55-passenger buses for charters and peak holiday travel when the line sees 300 passengers a day. Buses make the 172-mile trip over Mount Hood 362 days a year.
Personal service and flexibility is vital to survival. If a passenger is late at the Portland airport, for example, a phone call gets the bus to wait 10 more minutes. In addition to the airport and Union Station in Portland, the bus makes scheduled stops in Gresham, Madras and at Redmond Airport. But drivers will stop in Sandy, Rhododendron, Terrebonne and other spots along U.S. 26 if passengers ask.
The trip is also personal. Lyle Byler, a former buckaroo who leans heavily to cowboy gear, has driven the Breeze for 14 years and regularly narrates on the intercom little facts along the way. U.S. 26 is on the Warm Springs reservation for 33 miles. The historic Barlow Trail once charged a 5 cent toll.
"This is quicker and definitely cheaper than driving," Naron says. "And with the roads being bad in winter, this is a lot better for me."
Porter Stage Lines runs from Coos Bay through Eugene, Bend and east to Ontario. Valley Retriever links Newport, Corvallis, Salem and Portland with an optional loop to Bend. Both intersect Amtrak and Greyhound routes.
In 2009 and 2010, ODOT started to rename and subsidize regional bus lines. It renamed a Southern Oregon line as Southwest Point and kept it operating daily between Brookings and Klamath Falls. In 2010 it renamed a line between Astoria and Portland as Northwest Point, subsidizing a second daily bus. Also last year it renamed a shuttle between the Amtrak stop in Chemult and the Redmond Airport as High Desert Point.
On Feb. 1, Barnes says, Porter Stage will stop its Bend-to-Ontario run and the state will replace it with another company named Eastern Point. The next big step for ODOT, Barnes says, is to collect schedules and routes and get the data to Google so riders can simply click on the Website, put in their start and destination information, and see bus lines and schedules.
"It's a little spendy but I have no other way to get to Portland," Pinz says. "I like the steady schedule and even if I had a car I wouldn't want to drive if it was snowing."
Widner says he doesn't compete with airline service between Bend and Portland and he cooperates with the east-west routes of Porter Stage Lines and Valley Retriever. The 2-year-old recession has meant schedule adjustments, he says, and more efforts to "put people in seats."
Still, as the cost of travel rises, Widner is optimistic.
"As we get older a lot of people just don't want to drive over the mountain pass," Widner says. "And a lot of younger people don't have a car. While a majority of our passengers have alternatives, they just like our service and convenience." | 381 |
The Minnesota African American Museum (MAAM) has been designated as one of the official United States locations, by South Africa’s embassy, to host in Minnesota the Nelson Mandela International Day celebration on July 18, 2013, from 8:30am to 1pm.
The day annually remembers Nelson Mandela’s achievement in working towards conflict resolution, democracy, human rights, peace, and reconciliation. Nelson Mandela who is currently hospitalized in critical condition turns 95 on July 18.
The day seeks to empower communities everywhere in a day of service.
A press release from the museum says volunteers are welcome to come and plant a tree in Mandela at museum. Children will be attending the event from the Northside gardening task force made up of Summer Step-Up youth working with/for Project Sweetie Pie, Afro Eco, and Ejam and Northside Fresh. Also youth from the southside Blaisedell YMCA will be attending the event to plant along with children in the Stevens Neighborhood.
Program speaker at 10am will be Francie Cooper, Consul Political from the South Africa Consulate Chicago. Other speakers include Minnesota Honorary Consul for South Africa, Judge LaJune Lange (ret.) and Roxanne Givens, MAAM Founder.
The mission of the relatively new Minnesota African American Museum and Cultural Center (MAAM) is to increase understanding and appreciation for the contributions made by African Americans in Minnesota. One of the museum’s exhibits includes Minnesota North Star Pioneers which chronicles the journey of African Americans to Minnesota and documents the African American contribution to the settlement and development of the Midwest.
The event is free and open to the public.
Nelson Mandela International Day
@ Minnesota African American Museum
Co -Sponsored by the South Africa Consul General in Chicago
1700 3rd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN
Thursday, July 18 2013
1700 3rd Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55404 | 1,565 |
The Wage Gap: Women Still Make Less Than Men
Women have supported families; entered formerly male-only institutions and workplaces; and demanded better working conditions and pay, facilitated by a growing societal appreciation for gender equality. The insidious undercurrent to this progress, unfortunately, is our nation's persistent wage gap. Women still make less than men.
Data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau show that, on average, a female worker still makes only 77 cents for each dollar earned by a comparable male worker. Indeed, we've seen virtually no progress in closing the gap in the last three years, and the gap has remained stagnant over the last decade. The numbers indicate an even more distressing reality for many American women when race is taken into account: Compared to each dollar earned by the average white male, a white woman makes 77.6 cents, a black woman makes 62.3 cents, and a Hispanic woman makes 54 cents.
These pay disparities stem from an array of employment practices and social expectations that prevent many women from earning as much as a comparable male worker. Although the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ban pay discrimination, the protections provided by these longstanding laws are frustrated in practice.
Pay disparities often go unnoticed because employers either explicitly forbid or actively discourage employees from sharing wage information with each other. And the tools for detecting and addressing pay disparities under the Equal Pay Act have been limited by courts over time. For example, courts have opened loopholes in the defenses that employers are permitted to raise when seeking to justify a decision to not pay workers equal wages for doing substantially equal work. Some courts have said that an employer may justify paying unequal wages even if there is no business reason for paying men and women unequal salaries. And even when women are able to prove discrimination under the Equal Pay Act, the remedies are extremely narrow. Women subjected to sex discrimination currently can receive only backpay under the Equal Pay Act, and damages under the other law that protects against sex-based wage discrimination are set arbitrarily low.
The passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen equal pay legislation by prohibiting employers from retaliating against victims of pay discrimination; by improving remedy provisions to better deter employers who actively engage in pay discrimination and encourage victims of such practices to enforce their rights; and by closing the loopholes in prior equal pay legislation that has allowed gender discrimination in compensation to continue. After passing the House in the last Congress and falling just two votes short of beating a filibuster in the Senate, the bill was introduced in both the House and the Senate this year. After a decade of little movement on the wage gap, Congress must make this bill a priority.
Even if women receive equal pay, however, additional workplace barriers further exacerbate the wage gap:
- Glass ceiling. Women face a glass ceiling that hinders their advancement to more senior positions that can offer higher pay. A company's promotion policies, a lack of mentoring or support, the prevalence of gender and race stereotypes, and gender-based disparities in educational opportunities are all factors that contribute to the glass ceiling.
- Discrimination and sexual harassment. Women in workplaces around the nation face gender and race discrimination in hiring and promotions. Additionally, many women deal with harassment that frustrates their entry into and advancement in the workplace, especially in higher-wage, traditionally male occupations.
Furthermore, workplace policies and social expectations often force women to choose between family and work demands, reducing a woman's earnings over time.
Underlying all of this is the sobering observation that the wage gap has a profound effect on women and their families. Until we restructure the laws and policies underlying the wage gap — and address the social expectations that allow gender inequality in the workplace to continue — women and families will suffer from lost wages, and our economy will fail to realize the potential of a capable but still underutilized workforce.
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Join the Reproductive Health Campaign
Go to ThisIsPersonal.org to get the facts and tools you need to help protect women's reproductive health. | 425 |
On this day in 1552, in Cheapside, (the old market area of London) a man was pilloried for cheating the customers who bought his strawberries. He had filled out the pots with too much fern for the amount of berries.
“The furst of July ther was a man and a woman on the pelere [pillory] in Chepe-syd [Cheapside]; the man sold potts of straberries, the whyche the pott was not alff fulle, but fylled with forne [fern]”
Legislation to protect the customer from unscrupulous food merchants is not new, although the nature of the penalties has changed somewhat. The most regulated food, from earliest times, was the Staff of Life – bread. In 1266 in England, King Henry III revived an ancient statute that determined the price of a loaf of bread and a quantity of ale in relation to the price of wheat. This Assize of Bread and Ale remained on the statute books in England until 1863! The aim of the Assize was to fix the size (weight) of a loaf of bread, regardless of the cost of wheat (called ‘corn’ in those days). Loaves were sold at a farthing, a half-penny, or a penny. As the price of corn went up, the size of the loaf purchased for a particular price went down. The limits were set once a year at harvest time, after the Feast of St Michael on September 29, but were occasionally modified during the year if the price of corn varied significantly.
There are of course, unscrupulous members of every profession. Dishonest medieval bakers developed some creative ways of cheating both the public and the official Bread Examiners. An obvious technique was to keep the full-weight loaves on the shelves when the Examiners were due, and hide the low-weight ones out the back. Another method was to hide coins or bits of metal in the dough, which were presumably taken out once the bread was weighed. Even more creatively, in the sixteenth century there is a record of some bakers found to have been soaking stale bread in water and mixing it with the new dough 'to the great abuse and scandall of their Mysterie [their Trade] , and the wrong of his Majesties' subjects.'
I don’t need to give you a recipe for medieval bread – there is no essential difference from modern bread. Basic bread has always been made from grain plus a leavening agent plus water – all other ingredients are optional embellishments. Instead I give you a wonderful custard recipe from half a century before the strawberry offence which kicked off this story – and very nice indeed it would be with some of those berries. It is from A Noble boke off cookry ffor a prynce houssolde or eny other estately houssolde, a manuscript written in the year 1500. Basic custard hasn’t changed much either. This one is a ‘standing’ (thick, sliceable) version, made as it is today with cream and eggs and sugar – but marvellously coloured and flavoured with saffron and decorated with borage flowers.
To mak creme buyle.
To mak creme buile tak cow creme and yolks of eggs drawe and well bet that it be stonding and put
ther to sugur and colour it with saffron and salt it then lesk it in dyshes and plant ther in floures of
borage and serue it. | 1,874 |
CIC - Certificate of Intercultural Competence
As globalization proceeds apace on the labor market, intercultural skills grow in importance. This is true whether you are working in an international research group or in a multinational corporation or institution and is one of the reasons that we developed the Certificate Intercultural Competence (CIC). This certificate highlights your commitment to extracurricular and cross-cultural activities in addition to your standard academic pursuits when you begin, for example, applying for jobs. Instead of individual certificates for extracurricular activities or voluntary work, you can earn a single, comprehensive Certificate Intercultural Competence. This details your various skills and accomplishments.
Participation in our CIC program is free of charge! We hope it is understood as a reward for students particularly devoted to promoting intercultural awareness and understanding.
Why this certificate?
First, it recognizes your intercultural commitment and your willingness to keep learning.
Second, it broadens your horizons and deepens your understanding of other cultures.
Third, it confirms that you have gained intercultural skills.
Fourth, you can add this certificate to your application documents and demonstrate your soft skills. | 532 |
While bad breath is not a common topic of conversation around the dining table, if you’ve ever been to a dinner party in close quarters you’ll know that it can be an unwelcome guest. It goes by several names, including halitosis, foetor oris, and oral malodor. The American Dental Association estimates that about half of all Americans experience halitosis at some point in their lives, but for some, bad breath can be a more chronic problem than just spreading a whiff of your last tuna sandwich.
What is Halitosis?
Put simply, halitosis is exhaled air from the nose or mouth that just doesn’t smell so good. At a molecular level, bad mouth odors are caused by volatile compounds in the breath that are interpreted by the nose as a smell it wishes it hadn’t smelled.
Halitosis can make for an embarrassing social encounter although many people with bad breath don’t realize they have it. Conversely, there are people who are overly anxious about the thought but who have no detectable malodor, a situation known as halitophobia.
What Causes Halitosis?
Though bad breath can originate from either the mouth or elsewhere, 90% of halitosis cases are due to a problem in the mouth. Around 9% arises from elsewhere in the body and the remaining 1% is due to the diet or drugs. When we inspect it more closely, there are a multitude of specific reasons why your breath may be carrying a less than pleasant odor:
Poor dental hygiene – The American Dental Association doesn’t advise twice-daily brushing and regular flossing just for fun. Food particles trapped in the various spaces of the mouth are broken down by bacteria, which then release sulfur compounds, one of those volatile molecular compounds that offend the nose. Dental cavities, plaque, and gum disease provide extra hiding places for food and bacteria, further contributing to bad breath.
- Certain foods – apart from foods getting stuck between your teeth and causing a bad smell, certain foods with a strong odor contribute to halitosis by passing their oils through the bloodstream to the lungs during digestion, which are then exhaled on the breath. These foods include onions, garlic, and beverages such as coffee
- Dry mouth – also known as xerostomia, a dry mouth means there’s an underproduction of saliva. Saliva plays several important roles, including digesting food, cleansing the mouth, and helping to prevent tooth decay and mouth infections. As a dry mouth can be caused by several underlying reasons, including certain systemic illnesses and prescription medications, if you’re experiencing bad breath, it may be worthwhile considering xerostomia as a factor
- Other mouth, nose, and throat problems – these include tonsil stones, which accumulate bacteria, sinus infections, postnasal drip, or chronic bronchitis
- Smoking – the smell of tobacco on someone’s breath is not pleasant at the best of times. Add to that the fact that smoking is linked with an increased likelihood of a dry mouth and gum disease and you have a recipe for halitosis
- Other diseases – the rare 9% of halitosis cases originating from a source other than the mouth may be traced back to conditions such as disease of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, liver or kidney. Diabetes is also known to affect the smell of the breath, as can foreign particles lodged in the nose
- Deviated Septum – a deviated septum can reduce airflow, create more difficulty breathing, and can cause bad breath and tooth decay.
Treatments for Halitosis
Halitosis can be detected with a simple sniff. If it smells like garlic it’s reasonably straightforward what the culprit is but if it just smells generally bad all the time, it may be worth a visit to the dentist or physician to figure out what the underlying cause may be. Particularly unusual breath odors may be a sign of something unexpected; for example, poorly controlled diabetes can result in the breath smelling fruity, while liver or kidney failure can cause the breath to smell fishy.
Many of the causes of halitosis can be easily dealt with or prevented. Consider not eating that tuna sandwich just before you go on a date. According to the American Dental Association, brush and floss your teeth regularly to weed out those bacteria-attracting food particles and reduce plaque build-up. If you are a habitual or occasional smoker, fresher breath will be only one of the many benefits of quitting. Other steps you can take to improve bad breath include:
- Regularly clean your dental appliances, such as mouthguards, retainers, or dentures, as recommended by your dentist
- Schedule regular dental checkups to guard against plaque build-up and gum disease
- Investigate chronic dry mouth with your dentist or physician. Solutions may involve using mouthwashes to promote saliva production, modifying the diet, or reassessing your prescription medications
- Drink plenty of water to help rinse out the mouth and keep it moist
- Reduce your caffeine intake to avoid coffee breath and drying out your mouth
Persistent bad breath should not be ignored, and not just for the sake of your social life. After checking in with your dentist to rule out any oral-related factors, the next stop may need to be a visit to your family physician or even an ENT specialist to ensure that there aren’t any serious underlying conditions causing your halitosis. | 752 |
Healthy Baby / Wellness Exam
The Rourke Baby Assessment &
Nipissing District Development Screen
Parents often have questions about their child's health, growth and development. I use the Rourke Baby Record (RBR) and the Nipissing District Development Screen (NDDS) to guide my clinical assessment and examination of your child. Vaccinations are also included as part of the assessment.
The RBR and NDDS are evidence-based tools for health practitioners of children in the first six years of life. It contains comprehensive well baby / child care guides including:
growth and nutrition monitoring,
physical examination parameters,
anticipatory guidance on safety, family, behaviour and health promotion issues.
Both comprehensive tools are endorsed by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Canadian Pediatric Society. | 765 |
I made my annual pilgrimage to the "motherland" this past weekend so that I could attend my hometown's annual Spinach Festival. It is always a great time for seeing old classmates!
While making several trips to Crystal from the nearby town where I was staying, I had lots of opportunity to look at the country side.
The highway on the 40 mile stretch between the towns is lined with Mesquite trees; or to some, "Mesquite brush" as the trees are seldom very tall.
Those trees probably don't look like much to most folks but to me it's home. Not only that, the lowly mesquite has been a part of my entire life and a part of survival for ancient inhabitants of the area.
When I was a kid, we had a fair amount of the trees in our yard and one of the bigger ones had a horizontal bend to its main trunk. The bend was about 5 feet off the ground which made it the perfect climbing tree for a kid. My siblings and I spent many hours playing in that tree. I even remember when we first started trying our luck at climbing; we would get scared and not climb back down. There we were, stuck in the tree until we either got brave or Mom or Dad came to rescue us!
Mistletoe grows on Mesquite trees and we used to hang a sprig of mistletoe in the house at Christmas time.
Mesquites, in spite of their tiny leaves, do provide shade and give an illusion that makes an area seem somewhat cooler by virtue of their greenery.
In ancient times, the Coahuiltecan Indians used the Mesquite trees extensively, the wood provided fuel, the thorns served as crude sewing needles and the beans of the Mesquite tree was a food source for them.
Even today Mesquite tree wood makes wonderful fuel for cooking barbecue, and some of the most beautiful wood floors, cabinets and furniture I have seen.
Mesquite beans make a sweet, but low glycemic flour which is quite expensive but good. Those same beans also provide food for cattle.
With the incredible survivability of the Mesquite trees as well as their usefulness, I always hate to see people malign them or relegate them as some sort of "trash tree". They are in fact an important native plant in Texas and in many ways, a part of our heritage.
Not long ago, I was thinking about the foraging class I took about a year ago with instructor Amy Crowell and I remembered that she had made...
We still make this jelly from time to time even though it is a little labor intensive. It is really good. I got the recipe from my Dad who ...
So my Boston Terrier, ate my glasses a couple days ago. I wasn't happy about it but, 1. It was just as much my fault for leaving them o... | 1,356 |
China will limit the yuan's appreciation to 4 percent during the next 12 months because of a "super cautious" outlook on the global economy, according to New York University professor of economics Nouriel Roubini.
“It will be less than what they did in 2005 when everything was going right,” Roubini says.
“They will move by a token amount. The world is much cloudier in every dimension. They are super cautious,” he told Bloomberg.
Roubini’s forecast is 1 percent less aggressive than the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 20 analysts for the yuan, also known as the renminbi, to rise 5 percent to 6.50 per dollar by March 31, 2011.
“Most people are concerned about inflation,” Roubini notes. “I am worried about the export-led growth model … a weak currency and low interest rate is a massive transfer of wealth from household income to enterprises. It will take more than three, five years to change China’s model of growth.”
China’s central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan warned recently that China should be “very cautious” in exiting policies adopted during the global financial crisis, including the exchange-rate link, The New York Times reports.
He called China’s practice of pegging the renminbi to the dollar a “special foreign exchange mechanism” made to respond to the world financial crisis.
Such mechanisms will be abandoned “sooner or later,” the bank governor said, but “we must be very cautious and discreet in choosing the timing.”
© 2015 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved. | 408 |
Window Shades: For Playhouses and Workshops Too
Jan 31 2010
Window shadesare not just for the home. They work great in workshops and playhouses as well. If fact, a good window treatment can make the area more comfortable and easier to work and play.
Choosing Window Shades for Playhouses
Most playhouses have windows, but if you can remember, the houses don’t speak much for insulation. In the summer, the playhouse is too hot and in the winter, it is too cold. A perfectly nice playhouse is wasted due to the temperature inside.
- For playhouses in the south where it gets too hot, add a solar shade to block out the heat. The solar screen will keep the harsh sunlight out and still allow the light to filter in.
- For playhouses in the north where winter is the problem, insulated liners work well to keep the warmth in.
Choosing a Window Treatment for a Workshop
Men may not like the idea of lacy drapes and pretty blinds in their workshop, but you can add some rustic wood blinds to make the temperature more tolerable. When closed, wood blinds work as a great insulator. Open the blinds up, and nothing lets the breeze in like natural wood.
If blinds are too much for him, go with a sheer solar shade. The solar screen will block out the harsh UV light while still giving an open feel. The see through screen doesn't add privacy but it does allow you to look out at the view.
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The vast majority of wine is made between 30 and 50 degrees latitude, and then only in countries that have the right climate for it. But there are a few countries out there that try to eek out whatever wine they can, and you may be surprised. Here are a few:
- England. It turns out that the soil in southern England is nearly identical to the soil in Champagne and other regions of northern France. The tricky thing is all the cloud cover they get (not too much rain, as you might think. Actually southern England gets very little rain). But recently summers have been longer and warmer. Don't be too surprised if you start seeing English sparkling wine showing up in America one day.
- Denmark The Danes will tell you that their country is too cold to make wine, but somehow a little bit does get made. I once saw a Danish wine called "Viking's Blood". I didn't try it.
- China Chinese wine may one day be common. In parts of the country the climate is excellent for growing grapes. But they don't have a tradition of wine making. Now with all the newly rich in China and a growing taste for wine, some investors are hiring consultants from Europe to help them start growing grapes. In 20 or 30 years I wouldn't be surprised to see Chinese wine crack the market.
Uruguay - Why should Argentina and Chile get all the attention? We have an excellent Sauvignon Blanc from Uruguay available.
Israel - Many people are aware that Lebanon produces wine, but Israel does too in the Golan Heights region.
Slovenia - Actually, Slovenia produces a lot of wine, you just don't see it too often in American stores. And Slovenian oak is commonly used by Italian winemakers. | 694 |
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