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Busy Mum? I don't know one that isn't. Maybe you are a new mum with a baby that seems to need feeding all night or are a working mum who is doing an amazing job juggling everything. Maybe you just have no choice but to burn the candle at both ends, as my mum used to say. Grown ups need their sleep just as much as the kids but are often under more time pressure - so how best to get the best sleep when we get the chance? Perhaps you are even like me and running around to various medical appointments and are kept up at night because 'children with autism sometimes just don't need as much sleep'. Having a child with autism who doesn't sleep well has meant I've spent a lot of time learning about sleep and talking to sleep specialists. We've even been to an over night sleep clinic and study at Evelina's children's hospital. After talking to me at length about David's sleep the consultant nearly reduced me to tears by asking how much sleep I was getting. "If you aren't getting enough sleep either, then, it's harder for you to function and be the parent you want to be for David." Adults should be getting between seven and nine hours sleep to function at their best. Most people in the UK get at least an hours less sleep than they should. We are busy people and sometimes eight hours just isn't possible, sometimes it's not even nearly possible. When it is - I want to make sure it's the best sleep I can get. So how to make those hours really count? Here's my top three tips! "Shall we get ready for bed?" Honestly it can be an hour after I've said this before the lights go out. Ok, we all need to brush our teeth and get undressed but before I've spent 10 minutes looking for the iPads and 20 minutes by the dryer making sure the children's clothes are dry enough. Whenever you can, try to get tasks out of the way before you are getting ready for bed. Ok, so now I've found the iPads I think I can go to bed. Did I lock the car, where did I put my keys? How is my son going to cope with his therapy tomorrow? Did I tell my husband about parents evening - has he fallen asleep or should I wake him? I must print out that agenda! Everyone has their 'list'. But if like me you know you have to get up again shortly, this needs to be short. Where I can I create routines that deal with my questions so I don't need to worry about them. I try and look at what's coming up in the week ahead earlier in the day so I deal with worries before bedtime. If I have something going around in my head that I'm worried about forgetting then I have a pad and pen by my bed so I can write it down and forget about it again until morning. Even if you aren't worried about something, help yourself by telling your body it's time to sleep too. I bang on about this a lot with my kids but it's just the same for us grown ups. Do what works for you. Perhaps a relaxing bath, or read a few pages of a book if you have the time. Lavender scents in the bathroom or bedroom can help some people relax. A warm drink (decaf) before bed. It can help to keep your room dark at night - use low lighting and try not to have blue light before bed (you can set many tablets and phones to 'night mode' to take out the blue light on a timer). Calming neutral colours can also help your mind to relax. We can't all go out and buy a new mattress and bedding all the time but you can think about how you wash your sheets and arrange the bed. Some people prefer soothing sheets by using a scented fabric softener and others need to use natural washing liquids like Surcare if they have sensitive skin. Think about how you arrange your bed and pillows and keep your spine in line at night. If I'm staying away from home I know I usually need to put a pillow between my knees as the beds are usually harder than I'm used to. What things do you do to help you get a good night's sleep? I'm currently working on a similar wake-up alarm clock called Lark. Wake-up lights help curtail the production of melatonin prior to your alarm going off. This is why they make it easier to get out of bed. I can highly recommend one, especially in the winter. Great ideas everyone - thanks for sharing! Have you got more tips? Ooh I love a lavender product for good sleep...this loos like a fab bundle. I've entered! I find it always helps sleep to have a hot milky drink before bedtime. Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time everyday, get as much natural sunlight as possible, move vigorously during the day – don’t sit for more than an hour, limit caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and big meals at night, take time for relaxing activities before sleep and create a calm and restful sleep environment. Lie in your bed and stretch out. Start at your toes, stretch them, then relax. Then your feet. Then your ankles, calves and so on up the body until you are totally relaxed and sleep takes over. Sweet dreams. I'm terrible for getting to sleep on a night. My brain just won't switch off. It worries about everything. And honestly when it gets really bad I pop nytol tablets. Not sure if they actually work or if it's just the placebo effect but I end up feeling guilty about taking them which after a few days makes me stop and I go back to being a zombie. Tough cycle. I really struggle with sleep & having bipolar I've wanted a Lumie Body Clock for ages now to see if this could help with my low moods! I would love to try a Lumie body clock to see if it would help me wake up more easily. And my partner has real trouble sleeping so I wonder if it could help her with that. Even if it just felt nice. All in all, a fab prize, thank you! Great tips for getting a good sleep; but there is sleep and proper sleep in my life. Times where I feel I am not actually asleep yet I am, the morning I am groggy and moody because of it. This would be perfect to help me get some proper shut eye. Brilliant tips, i love the idea of the pad and pen as I'm always thinking of something at silly o'clock. I don't use tech before bed, I have no tv's in the bedroom. I find that reading a book before I go to sleep helps me to relax. Great sleeping tips, thank you. My sleep problems come mainly from worrying about things I have no way of controling come bed time. What I do to combat this is have a pad next to the bed and write down what's on my mind so that I can rest easy knowing I won't forget and can deal with it after a good nights sleep. I am a terrible sleeper and often suffer with insomnia! I will try and take these ideas to bed to see if they help me sleep, rather than lay awake in bed for hours! Try a relaxation CD when your in bed , relaxing all the muscles helps. Also a self aromatherapy massage using lavender & Roman chamomile in a base oil. Massage the knots out . Great competition. Sleep is so important. I try to read in bed and this tends to make me sleepy. I have to be honest, I never get a good night's sleep! I would love to try some new things to help, though, as I've been an insomniac since the age of 11! I can only sleep with earplugs to block out the ambient noise. I have chronic sleep apnea so sleep with a CPAP machine which has much improved my quality of sleep. I find that listening to an audio book sometimes sends me to sleep. Some great tips of yours, my sleep can be all over the place as I sleep in the day due to chronic fatigue. It's kind of hit and miss for me! I find it extremely difficult to get to sleep at night. Once I actually manage to get to sleep, I stay asleep but actually trying to fall asleep is a total nightmare. I can still be wide awake at 2.30, needing to get up again at 6.30 for work in the morning. I have tried all the remedies I can think off, and nothing seems to work!

Working well with others, especially those in a position of authority is a sought after characteristic for employers. However, disrupting the stagnant norm for good reason is essential for community and business growth, particularly when it concerns ethics. Leaders are created by the hard decisions they make that develops influence over others, regardless of the delegation of power. Describe what Mark Identified as being unethical. Mark was asked by the Asia office executives of a technology company, he desired to intern for, to conduct a project of gathering information on competitors in his area. Mark was told to identify himself as a Harvard Business School student, rather than admitting his affiliation to the technology firm, so that he could obtain more sensitive information. Mark believed that misrepresenting himself in this way was unethical, and he was not comfortable doing so. Were the actions Mark felt were unethical aligned with the corporate culture and values? Describe. Mark spoke with the CEO of the company in the U.S. on the topic of ethics corporate wide and he got the impression that the company valued a high standard of ethical behavior. For this reason I believe the answer is no, Mark felt that the Asia based firms ethics were not being held to the company’s expectations and that there was some miscommunications in multiple locations overseas. Analyze how Mark handled the situation. Did he explore all angles of this action to determine if it was unethical? Did the differences in countries, the U.S. versus Asia, impact the situation? As an intern, explain how you would have handled this situation. ...t or voice their concern in a uniformed and or unthoughtful manner, taking away from their credibility and influence. A leader must be able to tactfully address concerns, no matter their current position. Conflicts with personal morals and company policy arise for each individual in the workforce, no matter the title or position they carry. This case study encourages to stand up for good ethical behavior, making ripples in the uncontested waters, for good reason is influential conduct and should be considered an asset. People that never contest bad ethical behavior will quickly find themselves sinking in the quicksand of the easy wrong, having a difficult time pulling themselves back out on moral ground. Learning good business ethics before entering the workforce and cultivating those ethics throughout time is an essential practice to becoming a respectable leader.

How many earths would it take for everyone to live like an American? That’s the question answered by the Ecological Footprint, a method of measurement coined in 1990 by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees of the University of British Columbia. Ecological Footprint accounting essentially pits the productivity of natural capital against the consumption of human beings. It measures how much biologically productive land and marine area (as the source of natural resources) we would need to sustain a group of people. So, how many global hectares– that’s the normed unit of measurement– does it take? Let’s look more into how the Ecological Footprint is calculated: on the demand side, we account not only for the materials consumed, but also for the capital necessary to manage waste products. The waste management is especially significant because it includes carbon emissions. We measure the Footprint in terms of global hectares (gha), which is just a hectare of land with world average bioproductivity. Looking at supply, the land’s biocapacity measures its productivity and ability to remove that waste. The aggregate of available land multiplied by its yield and equivalence factors equals the biocapacity. Yield factor assigns a relationship between local and global productivity, while the equivalence factor is assigned based on what function the land serves. The categories of productive surface area include cropland, grazing land, fishing grounds, built-up land, and forest area (which doubles as a resource provider and carbon sink). Overshoot is so important to measure because environmental issues disproportionately impact people in poorer countries. The people who lead the most ecologically expensive lives tend to be in wealthy, industrialized countries. We contribute the most to climate change, but we are the least affected by any ensuing environmental disaster. This disparity explains in part why overuse continues. It’s also difficult to delineate the ecological limits; most of the time, depletion is time-delayed. And psychologically, it’s hard to imagine that we could ever use all the water in the Ogallala or kill all the passenger pigeons in the world. Why is it that industrialized nations have such a large footprint? Or, many people will ask, can we afford to let developing countries reach our level? If they fully develop, will they also contribute more to the footprint? That question highlights the worst of human hypocrisy. What right do rich nations have to tell those countries what they can or can’t do? Are we any more deserving of a higher standard of living than everyone else? The moral implications of any such claims are damning, yet the fact remains that the earth does have a carrying capacity. In a study, Daniel Moran cross-referenced countries’ United Nations Human Development Index (a measurement of how developed a country is, with emphasis on quality of life) with their Ecological Footprint. His data suggests positive correlation between development and sustainability. His ratio of national Footprint per capita to global biocapacity per capita provides a snapshot of a country’s sustainability. It’s a direct comparison of an individual’s usage to an equitably allocated share of available resources. (It’s also known as the earth-equivalents ratio, as it can be used to answer that hallmark question.) Critics of his work claim that this analysis lacks scalability, and uses arbitrary boundaries. These are not unfounded worries, as the Footprint varies extensively even within a nation. Certainly, the global measurement presents the most striking reality of human sustainability. However, the complex governance structures across these boundaries lend a certain pragmatism to considering countries as unique entities. Moran defines a country as sustainably developed if it falls into HDI>.8 and Ratio<1.0. Notice in the dataset that most nations with a sustainable ratio have too low of a development rating. The goal, then, is to move into the constraints — that’s the minimum to be called sustainable development (on the graph, the area inside the shaded gray box). At the time this was published, only one nation met the criteria. Lower-income countries should try and maximize development gains for environmental cost, while developed countries like the US need to reduce our consumption. Conservation’s two fronts must both be fought. At home, we have so much to improve. But the Footprint also speaks to a shared global responsibility for what happens here on earth. In order to protect the environment, we have to protect our fellow man, and to work to ensure a better future for everyone. The only logical course forward is to oversee better development. We need to make sure that growth is done right. You cannot say that it is a solution to just condemn people to poverty. Development is inevitable and necessary, and Moran’s study certainly should not be used to say that some countries shouldn’t develop. It’s quite the paradoxical opposite: in order to find a sustainable future, we need to improve the development process (yes, that does mean increasing the Footprint by aiding developing countries). Consider that some people in these countries fight daily just to survive. Sustainability really won’t be on their minds. But if they get to a position where the immediate future is secure, then that’s where we start talking about the long term. Only after fully realizing this potential can we begin discussion about transitioning to a wholly sustainable world. In our Ecological Footprint, carbon emissions sequestration is the largest land type. It’s not the direct resources needed for goods that costs us, but the energy to produce them and power our lifestyles. This is perhaps the most disputed aspect of the Footprint, as some people believe carbon is too heavily weighted. In recent years, the marine sequestration factor has been reduced in calculations, which makes land demands even greater. Considering what we have seen in Chasing Coral and our understanding of the impacts of global warming, what are benefits to making net-zero emissions the baseline? Note that America has one of the highest rates in the world of CO2 emissions per capita– more than China and India combined. Just for fun, check out Hans Rosling’s bubble time-lapse data! I didn’t reference it in this blog but 10/10 would recommend playing around with it. There’s a ton of variables to plot against each other. That article ^ is actually a response to this one \/. Which is also the Moran study. Quality overview of EF and some of its limitations. A beautiful look at carbon sequestration. This is interesting. I’ve heard before that developed countries purposely decide against helping developing countries because it would just contribute more to overuse of resources. However, the one place we really want to help is with access to birth control. Doesn’t seem to far fetched from the truth when you consider the contents presented above. Interesting article! Overpopulation has always been a concept that seems overwhelming and scary, but the ethics of dealing with it are so tricky. It’s not ethically appropriate to tell someone “hey you can’t have anymore kids”, but at the same time- we are going to run out of space eventually. The only think I could think of to reduce population growth is to provide more environmental health education and resources. This was such a cool article to read! I completely agree with allowing China and India and other developing nations a little leeway in order to develop and accommodate growing pains energetically and in turn through emissions, but I think it comes down to how we encourage their development. We have a great potential as a developed nation to help create solutions to reduce ecological footprint for developing countries and steer them towards these solutions before rather than after major growth takes place. Global population growth is eventually going to level off, but until that point we need to seriously start taking into consideration our output and ecological footprints and actively try to make them more sustainable.

and content, as well as performance standards are discussed. The United States Constitution assigns responsibility for education to the states. important federal impact on elementary and secondary education in the U.S. competitive" (U.S. Department of Education 1990, p. 1). 1992, Congress codified these goals in the "Goals 2000: Educate America Act" productive employment in our modern economy. a disciplined environment conducive to learning. conceived in response to widespread desperation over the state of education. graduates enrolled in college in 1991 (National Education Goals Panel 1993). comparisons, Goal 4 presents the greatest challenge: " By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world in science and mathematics achievement." officials, and four members of Congress, a goal rush was initiated. federal support, created by far the most public controversy. Even the U.S. critiqued for distortion of American history that work on revision has begun. language arts, mathematics, physical education, science, and social studies. 3. How physical and human processes together shape places." the physical and human processes that shape the characteristics of places." fundamental rethinking of what students should know and be able to do. curriculum development on the local level.

Disintegration Book Cover, June 8, 2011. Donald Earl Collins. Note the beat-up look of the cover, thanks to my wife, who had it for more than five months before I read it last week. I finally got around to reading Eugene Robinson’s Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America this week. Despite my doubts, I hoped that the famed Washington Post columnist, MSNBC rock star and Pulitzer Prize winner would say something profound, or at the least, provocative. Not only did I not learn anything new in the three and half hours it took for me to read Disintegration. I learned that Robinson, like so many accomplished Blacks of his generation, doesn’t see Black Generation Xers when talking about the state of African America. The generational divide, perhaps the greatest example of disintegration that Robinson should’ve discussed, he rendered invisible throughout his book. Over and over again in Disintegration, Robinson referred to the positions of Black Baby Boomers in a splintered Black America, as well as to the hopes, fears and aspirations of millennial generation African Americans (particularly on issues like the decline of interracial prejudice and educational attainment). I guess because Robinson mostly relied on his personal journey as a guide to understanding the history of African America’s disintegration — including using his sons as a time line template — it meant that folks born between ’65 and ’85 didn’t really count. Unless, of course, they were part of the Abandoned class, the ones who found themselves increasingly poor and isolated after ’68 in communities like Shaw and U Street in DC. Or, in my case, on the South Side and other pockets of Mount Vernon, New York by the late 70s and ’80s. Then Robinson’s sympathetic voice kicked in, one which acknowledged all of the ills that one in four Blacks face every day. Still, Black Gen Xers are only in the Abandoned in Robinson’s mind and words by proxy. There are far more obvious errors of omission in Robinson’s somewhat thought-provoking, 237-page column than leaving out an entire generation of post-Civil Rights era Black folk. Like Robinson stumbling his way into Thomas Sowell’s “model minority” argument like a punch-drunk boxer in the final round of a fight. Or, really, like a writer running out of steam at the end of a manuscript. Robinson’s fifteen-page chapter “The Emergence (Part 1): Coming To America” is all about a new immigration wave of Blacks from sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean who are more highly educated than any other immigrant group arriving these days (and are better educated than most Americans, for that matter). Yes this is true in the aggregate. But besides a few examples that serve to exaggerate more than enlighten, Robinson’s analysis sounds like Sowell’s arguments from ’72. Only without the conservative policy implications and with a generous lack of sophistication in understanding the diversity within these immigrant groups. There’s also the use of these troubling terms of Transcendent and Mainstream, both of which evoke a ’70s-style thinking about African Americans who’ve “made it.” How about “New Black Elite” and “Successful Yet Struggling Black Middle,” both of which are more accurate descriptors? I understand that Robinson’s purpose with Disintegration was to poke and prod readers, albeit in a light way. Still, the book seems written for what he would describe as aspiring Transcendents who are far too busy climbing social ladders to think about cultural and community disintegration post-1968, rather than those of us who do. Me and my generation of Blacks had been written off by Robinson’s gangs of elites and wannabe elites by the time I was a college freshman at the University of Pittsburgh in ’87. Our ideas about the disintegration of Black America and what that has meant over the past forty years are undoubtedly fresher. Yet we as a group aren’t asked about our ideas. Apparently when Black America disintegrated, we fell into a black hole. At least in Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood.

Calcium nitrate is a white crystal. There are two kinds of crystals. Hygroscopic. Heat to 132 ℃ decomposition. Soluble in water, ethanol, methanol, and acetone, almost insoluble in nitric acid. The relative density of α-type 1.896, β-type 1.82. Melting point of the α-type 42.7 ℃, β-type 39.7 ℃. Low toxicity, the median lethal dose (rat, oral) 3900mg / kg. Oxidation resistance, heat release oxygen, the case of organic compounds, sulfur, etc. which happened combustion and explosion. 1, calcium nitrate is a raw material for the manufacture of other nitrates, the electronics industry for coating the cathode, acid soil on agricultural use as fertilizer and plant quick fast calcium agents. 2, calcium nitrate can be used as analytical reagents and materials used fireworks. 3, the calcium nitrate is a nitrate in the manufacture of other materials. In the south area of Guizhou, Sichuan, Fujian, Calcium Nitrate Plant mainly on small Small Calcium Nitrate Plant-based. Most manufacturers use these areas Small Calcium Nitrate Plant configuration process is different, such as jaw crusher + fine jaw crusher; jaw crusher + Impact crusher + Sand; jaw crusher + cone crusher + system sand and so on. And different configuration Small Calcium Nitrate Plant in the late settlement of investment costs, maintenance costs, there are many differences in calcium nitrate product capacity also. First, the jaw crusher + counterattack crusher + Sand.This Small Calcium Nitrate Plant is currently the most common manufacturing process to produce calcium nitrate product grain shape is good. However, the traditional back-breaking performance from the whole to the wear parts technology is lagging behind, making the back-breaking hammer wear very serious, to the quarry adds huge investment costs, and Small Calcium Nitrate Plant productivity is not high. Hard Rock Crusher SBM superior performance, high chrome hammer so that the life of accessories to improve the 50-100%. Second, jaw crusher + fine jaw crusher.This Small Calcium Nitrate Plant due to the imperfections and lack of scientific guidance, so that the product produced by the needle-like calcium nitrate content is too high, a serious decline in calcium nitrate product quality, do not meet national standards for construction sand, Small Calcium Nitrate Plant production capacity is also the lowest so we generally do not recommend customers use this Small Calcium Nitrate Plant. Third, jaw crusher + cone crusher +Sand making machine.This Small Calcium Nitrate Plant and equipment configuration is best suited as Calcium Nitrate Plant. Experimental results show that the section line configuration is simple, applicable, yield, production out of high-grade calcium nitrate standard construction, became the highest capacity on the market Small Calcium Nitrate Plant. SBM engaged in the production and processing of calcium nitrate two decades, come Configuration features Small Calcium Nitrate Plant, and the advantages and disadvantages of various configuration process from years of experience in thin provisioning can be personalized according to the different needs of users, not only can guarantee production, and significant cost savings for the user, as many gravel Small Calcium Nitrate Plant manufacturer of choice.

A class where students learn the principles of making Seminole Patchwork bands which can either be used as quilt borders or as decorative patchwork on small items. Christmas ornaments, placemats, small bags, you name it. Seminole Patchwork is a technique developed by Indians living in Florida and they use it mainly in creating distinctive clothing. Since rotary cutters were invented we have been using many of these techniques for speed piecing but the Indians originally tore their cotton cloth to achieve the same accuracy. In a 1-day class one to 3 small items may be started (one or two possibly finished), in a 2-day class more bands would be made for further items or for the decoration of a garment. New Zealand Native Flowers -- In the Wild! This class is loosely based on techniques Ruth McDowell, among others, uses to design blocks based on nature. Rather than using templates however, I will show you how to analyse the structure of flowers and piece them “crazy fashion”. Each block will be slightly different, even though you may be creating the same flower. You will also be able to design your “patterns” for use in Foundation Paper Piecing. If you want something a little different and you want to try your hand at a little bit of design, this class is for you. (In theory you could use this technique for hand sewing as well, but it would be slow.) Rotary cutting experience required. This class is based on the series of NZ Native Butterfly blocks I developed for New Zealand Quilter magazine which ran in issues 64-70. There are six blocks in the quilt but students will choose either the Helm’s Forest Ringlet or Rauparaha’s Copper to do in class. These two blocks between them cover all the techniques used for the six blocks except for the satin stitch embroidery which will be demonstrated. One pattern will be supplied as part of the class. Others will be available to order. English Paper Pieced Hexagons are the rage at the moment and if you are looking for something a bit different using hexagons this class is for you. We will use photos or our surroundings, depending on where the class is held, and gather up some fabrics to create a colour impression of rock pools, a flower garden, you name it! An ideal technique for lazy summer days or while sitting in front of the TV. If you wish to work with shapes other than hexagons the class could be extended to two days in order to spend more time on design. This is a class based on quilts I have been making over the past five or six years. Exploration and experimentation with colour and fabrics of all sorts of styles and designs are the key words for this class. Be prepared to go beyond your comfort zone in combining fabrics and you will make a dramatic quilt. There will be some sharing and swapping of fabrics and I will bring fabrics from which I will cut and sell strips as students desire. I have a formidable collection to choose from! This class is based on the techniques used in my prize-winning quilt, STARNET (QNM:262, p43). Methods of planning a producible lattice will be discussed along with procedures for drawing up a design and drafting accurate templates. Students will construct a small wall-hanging using templates which I will supply for $10 for a set of 7. Each student will need a set. Patterns for these are also available in the book titled Class Act Quilts published by That Patchwork Place in the chapter titled Color Through a Lattice. We will use colouring sheets which will be supplied to try out colour schemes then students will assemble the strip pieced bands from which the templates will be cut. The finished wall hanging will give an impression of looking through an intricate lattice at colours beyond. For intermediate or advanced pupils only. Must have good machine sewing skills, be able to stitch an accurate quarter inch seam consistently and be experienced at rotary cutting. We will plan to do a piece about 60 or 70 cm (24-28 in) square which will contain one large 50 or 60 cm (20-4 in) block plus a border. The slowest pupils will have one quarter of the block assembled by the end of the day, most will have the block competed with the borders to be finished at home. Create a miniature medallion quilt by machine using no templates. Speed piecing techniques will be taught and used. Colour contrasts and blends will be examined. Have the quilt top finished by the end of the day with some idea of the quilt design. For students who feel at home with machine piecing and have some experience in rotary cutting. This was written up as an article in Miniature Quilts (USA), April/May 1995, pp10-11, 53, Miniature Medallion Magic. This workshop is based on a series of quilts I have made called African Fabrics. Basic instructions were given in New Zealand Quilter #20, July 1997. That was the first quilt and I have made a number of others over the years since. The workshop will use and extend these instructions, particularly in the use of colours and patterns. Although I have called this series African Fabrics, in fact very few honest African fabrics have been used in the making of these quilts. The point of the workshop will be to create a quilt which looks like the Kente cloth, fabric woven on a very narrow loom and stitched together to make wider cloth. Other ideas for African inspired quilts will also be discussed. You will need a sense of adventure but only basic sewing skills. This workshop is an exploration of "washing" two colour groups of fabrics past each other using a simple triangle block format. Matching or contrasting colour groups may be chosen. The purpose of the workshop is to discover how colours change appearance depending on what they are sitting against. You probably will not complete the sewing but you will do a lot of experimentation and extend your colour sense. You will have the layout complete at the end of the workshop. Some may have begun sewing. You will be working with 6 inch blocks to minimise size and there will be possibilities of a number of arrangements. You will need to make a piece at least 48 by 72 (120 x 180 cm) inches to get any effect. In this class you will learn to combine log cabin blocks of different sizes to create original quilt designs. Using the special grids provided (pack @ $2.00) you will colour in then cut and paste, creating designs which can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Various approaches to arranging the blocks will be discussed along with working with both two colour and multicolour designs. Expect to paste up at least three designs for future quilts. After pasting up several designs you will begin stitching one of them. We will discuss and have demonstrations on the best ways to stitch up various size log cabin blocks very accurately. You will be working with blocks which are ten, seven and a half, five and two and a half inches square (finished). All these sizes will be combined in one quilt so accuracy of the individual blocks is paramount. Must have some experience in machine sewing and rotary cutter use and be able to sew an accurate quarter inch seam consistently. Also, a reasonably large fabric collection will make the quilts more interesting. We may do some sharing of strips.

One major pitfall in business is group think. It can easily displace independent thinking and good decision-making. I remember being in a strategy meeting with an executive team. We were doing scenario planning for their AI product. I was a fan of the product, believing it had applications in both the private and public sector. It had functions that far out-paced anything in the market. The company was young, and while they had clients –enough to have landed fairly significant seed funding—they were not well-known or strategically diversified. My role was as a strategy consultant and executive coach. So, I was focused on ensuring that the conversation led to the development of a testable, executable strategy, based in reality — not hope or hype. The CEO proposed a very optimistic scenario about how the growth trajectory would look if the company expanded into the public sector market, especially city governments. The Vice President of Sales, charged with leading the penetration of markets, chimed in with his own, equally rosy projections, including numerous examples of opportunities he saw within specific cities for a variety of services. Pretty soon, the entire team was suggesting potential “prospects”, possible new features and myriad use cases for cities. • The company had done NO market research to determine any potential need that cities might want to solve (beyond their own experience as city-dwellers). Despite that, no one raised any objections, and no one voiced any skepticism about the rosy outlook or the concept of the initiative. That’s group think, and it’s not unusual. People tend to follow a strong voice, especially one in a leadership role, and even more so when that leader is their boss. That’s the nature of group think, and it’s a huge pitfall that trips up even the smartest teams. It usually happens in far more subtle ways than this scenario. But whether apparent or nuanced, without a concerted effort, groups will echo each other and a leader’s outlook — even increasing their fervency in an unconscious effort to be supportive or a “team player”. Whether the strategy would have worked or not, jumping into action plans based on this kind of unchallenged group think is problematic. Blue sky ideation definitely has a place in business and even in strategic planning. It can give rise to breakthroughs of all kinds, including creating markets and generating new applications of existing products or technologies. But until there has been some research to determine the real probabilities of success, investing time and resources in action plans is foolhardy. Nonetheless, the CEO’s idea had a place in the process, just not as an instant green light plan. As one of several possible scenarios it could seed an effective strategy. It needed to be unpacked, researched and eventually to win through genuine scrutiny. Given the wave of shared enthusiasm around the table, that kind of critical assessment was not forthcoming without intervention. There are lots of reasons that a team falls into group think. The most toxic reason is if team members are afraid to oppose the boss. I address the importance of avoiding that kind of culture and starting to fix it in several articles. But what if the team is just swept up in their unconscious desire to please? Then, how can you get the conversation to change and the attendees really to scrutinize the idea and refine it? One possible vehicle for examining the case is to request counterfactuals. Take the CEO’s proposal as the starting point and create a structure to argue against the idea. One approach is with a “pre-mortem” analysis. The idea is to do an analysis of the idea’s (hypothetical) future failure. To try it, choose a point in the future when the idea will have borne fruit if it succeeds. Ask the group to imagine it’s that month or year and that the initiative or idea has failed. Their job is to figure out how and why failed. This will facilitate the group beginning to imagine scenarios that may unfold and how they could impede success. • Product development takes too long and someone beats them to market. • It distracts the company from its core competency, selling to businesses, and it loses both markets. You can start to see right away that some of these issues, although very general and poorly fleshed out, will immediately suggest next steps. Those next steps may be attainable, like doing research to find out what technology cities really use and how integration would work. Other points are less approachable, like those that are pure predictions and call for speculation. But, these are just what can be imagined with NO knowledge of the public sector market. With experience and research there were many more issues that made this strategic initiative more difficult than the CEO initially imagined. Knowing those challenges allowed for an informed decision. In this setting, I usually ask the group to suggest additional scenarios to assess. It’s best to have several proposed scenarios before committing to strategy. For each of the scenarios that seems plausible the team should go through the same exercise of imagining ways it would fail. In this case, after several vetted scenarios, the team decided to first expand use cases for their current clients, while researching public sector opportunities. Pushing a team to generate counterfactuals and to do pre-mortems are two ways to fight group-think, but there are lots of others. When group think flourishes ideas go unexplored and bad ideas linger, using up precious resources. Never surrender when your team simply accedes the point to you. Always push for opposition and diverse opinion. Your team’s willingness to dissent, and their ability to think independently are critical to the organization’s success, regardless of its longevity or size.

A central issue in ecology is to determine how environmental variations associated with global climate change, especially changing temperatures, affect trophic interactions in various ecosystems. This paper develops a temperature-dependent, stage-based, discrete, cohort model of the population dynamics of an insect pest under pressure from a predator. Guided by experimental data, the model is applied specifically to predation of grasshoppers by rangeland lycosid spiders. The development rate of insect arthropods is strongly affected by temperature, and these temperature-dependent phenological effects couple with shifts in the daily activity periods for both prey and predator, thereby increasing or decreasing opportunities for interaction. The model addresses these effects quantitatively by introducing a temperature-dependent, joint-activity factor that enters the predator’s functional response. The model also includes a prey mortality rate that is temperature-dependent through the prey development rate. The model is parameterized using field and experimental data for spiders and grasshoppers. We investigate the effect of the solar power index (sunlight), mean temperature, and temperature variation, as measured by amplitude, on the developmental times and survivorship both with, and without, predation. We conclude that increasing variation in temperature results in a stronger relative effect on survivorship due to predation.

"Architecture begins where engineering ends." W.G. Instance and field continues to develop. My model consists of two different parts. My key concept is enclosure and openless overlapping. In general, two part have a contrast relations each other. In the left side, I created more closed spaces and instance shapes different overlaps also it has a particular core that affects surrounding spaces, and field contributes to instance in some spaces to create relation. In some space, field changes and has the same characteristic quality with intance. When talking about the middle part, it has different meaning apart from the other parts. It changes the rotation of the field as well as it creates a threashold in this model, but this linear piece is cut and instance created a relation with other part. In there, closed spaces pass through to open spaces. Unlike the left side, right side has open spaces and it has a particular core in the edge. This part named core because of the fact that all of the ropes and fields accumulated towards the core. This core just affects the own part, and core is cut in somewhere and in this part instance start to become effective. Field change rotation and appear like instance. This was the initial step to produce a 2D surface by using a series of strings streched along a frame. I made a frame which has properties of surface. I made relations in terms of frequencyi, correlationsi directions and angles of lines. There is a core and also there are there parts. Each part has different frequency and shapes and all of them connect each other. With this way, each part had interrelations with each other.

Apparently occurs commonly in waters along the north coast of Australia, but rarely found in Great Barrier Reef waters. Major Australian nesting records from the vicinity of Coburg Peninsula, with isolated records elsewhere. Lays about 100 large round, parchment-shelled eggs.

There is no such thing as completely objective-based journalism. While news outlets may attempt to cover a story and stay solely “to the facts,” humans are bias creatures. They base their opinions and views of the world on their own life, experiences and expectations. In journalism, the angle in which a story is covered by a reporter is where the bias brews, and eventually bubbles to the top. The three newspapers to be compared are the New York Amsterdam News, and two papers that many New Yorkers pride themselves in reading, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. All three papers re based and printed in the New York area, have each have rich and expansive history, and report on the news through their own filters. A topic that all three papers recently covered was the story of how the New York Police Department was the secret surveilling Muslim students at college along the Northeast (including Baruch College). The issue was typically met with both side of political parties fighting with the other for either too or too little concerned with homeland security or personal privacy. In the Wall Street Journal article titled, “NJ Muslims, officials discuss NYPD surveillance” dated March 3, 2012, the outlet takes a simple approach. Using the barebones news from the Associated Press wire service, they inform the reader of the situation, and how lawmakers and the NYPD respond to the scandalous news. From the lead of article, it is evident what type of article it is with a line that reads, “Muslim leaders in New Jersey are meeting with officials to discuss the state’s response to the New York Police Department’s secret surveillance program.” The lead does what it is supposed to do, it explained the story without giving enough away to be any more informative than is necessary. However, it’s also vague enough to not point fingers at any of these “Muslim leaders” or “officials” which still leaves the reader ignorant, and forced to read more in hopes to learn more about the story. However as the article continues, it does not add anything more. Later in the article is a line that reads, “Leaders representing a cross-section of New Jersey’s diverse Muslim population participated in Saturday’s session in the capital city.” Still, the reader does not know who these leaders are, but simply that they are “diverse Muslim” leaders. There are no names or faces associated with these groups, and the only name the article mentions is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who have spoken out against the surveillance. It is not ironic that the figureheads of the article are those who appear to be the heroes who were unaware of the situation, but now against it. The next article that grapples with the Muslim surveillance is from the New York Times and is titled, “Bloomberg Defends Police’s Monitoring of Muslim Students on Web” and was written by Al Baker and Kate Taylor and published on February 21, 2012. The article discusses how New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg responded to the surveillance, and unlike Christie who was against the program, Bloomberg fully supported it. Unlike the Wall Street Journal article which was barely half a page long, this article is extremely expansive and focuses on how Bloomberg’s views differ from Yale University’s president, Richard C. Levin, and between their views bouncing back-and-forth there are paragraphs explaining the reports and how the surveillance was conducted. Unlike both publications prior, Amsterdam News’ point-of-view as rather clear halfway through its leading line. The first line reads, “The NYPD is in the hot seat over reports that confirm the department participated in widespread surveillance of innocent Muslim,” and is filled with various trigger words. The term “hot seat” is used and gives the impression of the police, who are usually the ones interrogating suspects, being the ones in the interrogation room, sitting under a lap, as society plays good-cop-bad-cop. The term “innocent Muslim” is also eye-catching, even though there were no charges pressed or suspicious activity found during the surveillance, it shows Muslims not as targets, but victims. The article even sites an instance where a City College Muslim group went on a whitewater rafting trip, and were spied on by an undercover agent. The article also discussed Bloomberg’s support, much like the New York Times article had, but also has quotes from those of the Muslim community. Unlike the Wall Street Journal who vaguely referenced them, and the New York Times who dismissed them, the Amsterdam News shows the side and feeling of those whose privacy was intruded, and in effect humanizing them. This view is not something that was done in the case of the Muslim surveillance video, but in earlier editions as well. The front page story of the February 9 – February 15 issue of the Amsterdam News was titled, “NYPD kills again: Community outraged after police shoot unarmed man” – one does not even have to read the article to know what angle the article is covering. The article, written by Herb Boyd, focuses on the story of the shooting of Ramarley Graham, an 18-year-old man who was shot and killed in his Bronx apartment. The story discusses the protest which was held outside the 47th Precinct in the Bronx, where furious demonstrators chanted against Ramarley injustice, with such chants as “The NYPD is the KKK”. The article sourced the story from the New York Times, who unsurprisingly had their own take on the protest. The article titled, “A Raucous Protest Against a Police Killing” was published on February 6, 2012, and was written by Tim Stelloh. Unlike Amsterdam’s take, which showed demonstrated the hostility and rage that engulfed the Black community, the New York Times article showed the protest in a different light, calling it a “dramatic conclusion” and instead of speaking of the shooting itself, discusses the Graham family’s heartbreak. Most interestingly, however, is that the article does mention the “NYPD KKK” posters and chants from the protest. Though, unlike the prior article which mentioned the stunning accusation at the beginning of the article, it is snuck at the end, and merely mentioned instead of elaborated. The last Amsterdam News article to be is discussed is titled, “Opponents to Bloomberg school closures plan to face off on Feb. 9” and was written by Nayaba Arinde in the February 2 – February 8 edition of the paper. The article focuses on those against Bloomberg closing the schools such as teachers, parents, students, etc. The article starts with a quote from a technology teacher named Del Sledge, who encourages students to stand up in the face of adversity and fight against Bloomberg’s closure of their public schools. After the quote the article reads, “The countdown is on!” That sentence is not a quote, but a line from Arinde’s article. Exclamation points are something most journalists should avoid unless they are writing a headline, or using a quote from a source. It shows an excitement, and that leads to the reader seeing a bit of bias in a the writer, and publications find that to be unprofessional. The Amsterdam News does not appear to feel that way, as the author of the article is the paper’s News Editor, and their feeling of support for the protest and well as distain towards Bloomberg’s wish to close school are fuel to a fiery piece. A fire that is not evident in the New York Times’ take on the story. The article by the New York Times was published on February 10, 2012, and focused on Bloomberg’s decision to close 18 schools and eliminate the middle school grades at five others, citing the schools’ poor performances. The article is titled, “Amid Protesters’ Disruptions, City Board Votes to Close 18 Schools and Truncate 5” and an interesting aspect of the tile is the use of the word “disruptions” which has a negative connotation. The protestors, who the News Editor at the Amsterdam News felt were so important as to use their quotes as a lead for a front page story, is demoted to mere disruptions in a New York Times article. Much like the Muslim article, the New York Times means of reporting is to show two side of an issue, and between each’s views give a bit of background on the issue at hand. Again, a completely different angle than the Amsterdam News, who obviously picked a side, supported their side, and rooted for their side to be victorious. While the New York Times may have dismissed the protest, an article on the subject by The Wall Street journal barely even mentioned it. The Wall Street Journal published their article titled “NYC board votes to close 18 schools, shrink 5 more” on February 10, 2012, and was again, short, sweet and vague. The article took facts from the Associated Press, and described the protests that the Amsterdam News supported, and New York Times villainized as “the United Federation of Teachers and many parents oppose the strategy of closing failing schools.” The article is a true barebones rundown of the story, without the reporting that is found in the New York Times article, and the energy behind the Amsterdam News article. If there’s one thing journalism professors harp on to their students when it comes to writing news articles is the importance of being an objective journalist. The belief that the only way to accurately cover a story is to not take any side, report the facts, and inform the reader accordingly. Publications like the Wall Street Journal take this belief to the extreme, and for stories that do not require in-depth reporting, rely on the Associated Press to provide them information and they simply publish the facts on their site. Even though they’re simply presenting the facts, they’re hands-off enough to show that they as a publication, do not enjoy rocking the boat and getting their hands involved in issues that may cause controversy. The New York Times shares this ideology, not wanting to take a side, but instead of giving almost too little information, they give so much information that all their bases are covered. Also, as seen in the Bronx Shooting article, they do not enjoy upsetting their readers and rather hide controversial aspects of a story within the story instead of making it any more of a focus than necessary. This is also an angle, showing the irony beneath going so far to be objective that the paper’s own objectivity becomes subjective. The Amsterdam News kicks both ideologies to the curb, and instead prides itself as being “The New Black View” – its subjectivity is the paper’s slogan. The paper is not afraid to take on any issue, whether it be political, local, or international, as each article is filled with the each writer and editor’s original point of view. None of these views hold back punches, and though the paper is labeled as a “tabloid” when compared to other publications it bring up issues like why some things are printed and others things not. News outlets who pride themselves as being “the most trusted” or “the most hard-hitting” are usually ones who are the quickest the hold back on stories. The problem with mainstream media is that in the United States, the media is run by a handful of companies who fund their publications, and have in effect made the newspaper business less about selling news and more about selling papers. The Amsterdam News does not have to worry about that, as an independent paper with a low price point and weekly publication, it does not have those financial woes, and if it does the paper’s quality and means of reporting does not reflect it. As mentioned earlier, there is no such thing as objective journalism, as every paper has a voice even when it tries to hide it, and the only way to understand the real goings-on in the world is to be aware of not just one, but every outlet.

The Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean are minute contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, but are among the most vulnerable countries in the world to Climate Change. We are already experiencing its impacts. More frequent extreme weather events, such as the 2013 rain event in the Eastern Caribbean; the extreme droughts being experienced across the region, with severe consequences in places like Jamaica; the 2005 flooding in Guyana and Belize in 2010 are prime examples of the need for ambitious global action on climate adaptation and mitigation. Dr Leslie's address focused on the Caribbean's successes in tackling Climate Change in spite of significant challenges and urged greater partnerships to address Climate Change. Peruse Dr Leslie's "Partnering for success / Partnering for survival" speech and watch the Centre's Partnership Success Story feature video. In a region plagued by vulnerabilities, recognizing fragility is easy. However, addressing this fragility is not as straightforward. Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community group of Nations took the bold step in 2002 and established a regional Centre whose mandate was simple – help us to address the impacts of climate change. The Bahamas has become the latest recruit to Richard Branson's green energy drive for Caribbean islands. Branson's Carbon War Room NGO is aiming to help islands in the region transition from expensive fossil fuel imports to using their own renewable energy resources as part of its Ten Island Challenge programme. This week the Bahamas joined the push, committing to developing 20MW of solar PV generation in the outer Family Islands, bringing energy efficiency and solar solutions to a local high school, and replacing streetlights across the nation with energy efficient LED lights. Carbon War Room plans to support these goals by providing the country's government with a range of technical, project management, communications, and business advisory services. The Bahamas joins the islands of Aruba, Grenada, San Andres and Providencia in Colombia, Saint Lucia, and Turks & Caicos in the challenge, which aims to generate how small states can decarbonise in a cost-effective manner. While the focus to date has been on Caribbean islands, earlier this year Peter Boyd, Carbon War Room's chief operating officer, told BusinessGreen the programme could expand into the Pacific and to isolated communities, military bases, or mines. “There are island energy economies even if the 'island' isn't surrounded by water,” he said at the time.

1) Describe key stages in the process in a logical order, making comparisons where appropriate. 2) Use suitable words and phrases to structure and link the process clearly. 3) Remember to include an overview summerising the main features of the process. 4) Vary your vocabulary and use your own words as far as possible. The two diagrams show how electricity can be generated from the rise and fall of water caused by sea waves. The process involves a structure which is mounted on the side of a cliff or sea wall. This structure consists of a large chamber. One end is open to the sea, and the other leads into a vertical column, which is open to the atmosphere. A turbine is installed inside this column and this is used to generate the electricity in two phases. The first diagram indicates that when a wave approaches the device, water is forced into the chamber, applying pressure on the air within the column. This air escapes to atmosphere through the turbine, thereby producing electricity. The second diagram illustrates the next part of the process when wave retreats. As the water level falls, the air from outside the column is sucked back in through the turbine. As a result, electricity continues to be generated. The turbine rotates only in one direction, regardless of the direction of the air flow. In conclusion, we can see that this structure is useful as electricity is generated in both phases: entering and retreating of water.

Conventional drying is a commonly applied method of drying timber. The principle of conventional drying is forcing air across timber, which removes moisture from the wood’s surface. The warmer the air the more moisture is absorbed. The air is therefore heated and circulated through stacked timber. The temperature and relative humidity will both gradually rise. Once the desired temperature and humidity have been reached, the control system regulates the ideal combination of heat, humidity, ventilation and air valves. This removes excessive moisture and introduces fresh air. There are many advantages of forced circulation drying, especially compared to open air drying. The timber dries more quickly, the drying process is easier to regulate, the quality is more consistent and better, and the drying process kills fungi and insects. In addition, substantial savings can also be achieved in storage and transport costs as well as energy costs. Especially when a conventional drying kiln is used in combination with a biomass or wood burning system. A conventional drying kiln is suitable for all types and thickness of wood, which is a real bonus compared to other drying methods. It is important to ‘listen’ to the wood and that’s something we pride ourselves on at BES Bollmann. We know all there is to know about every type and thicknesses of wood. We go the extra mile with our drying solutions; we examine the whole logistic process together with our customers, and come up with creative ideas and innovative solutions. Not only in relation to the drying kiln but for the whole site.

All staff positions have a classification description that includes the SHSU position title, EEO skill category, position class, grade, FLSA status, education and experience requirements, nature and purpose of position, supervision given and received, primary responsibilities, and other specifications related to the position. The complete list of job duties for each position should be maintained at the departmental level. What are classification descriptions used for? • ensure compliance with related policies, procedures, guidelines and legislation. What is the importance of maintaining accurate job descriptions? A well-written job description is the cornerstone for many important people-management issues. It should outline the purpose of the job, what education/experience is needed to be successful in the position, what to pay and how to evaluate performance. A job description also helps to clarify who is responsible for what in the department. It should help employees understand the responsibilities of their position. Accurate job descriptions are the criteria by which employee performance should be evaluated. Job descriptions are a fluid document and should be reviewed and updated. The annual employee performance appraisal is a good time for this review. What should be included in the departmental Job Description? While there can be many sections to a job description, we have listed five (5) of the major sections that should be included. For assistance with writing job descriptions, please call your Human Resources team at 936-294-1070. We will be happy to assist you with this process. General Description/Summary – The general description should provide a brief summary of the job’s highlights and its general characteristics. It should include enough information to give a clear picture of the major functions and activities of the position. It describes the importance of the job as well as under what type of supervision the duties are performed. Essential Functions (Primary Responsibilities) – Separate the duties of the position into essential and non-essential functions. This section should include eight (8) to ten (10) of the most important responsibilities of the position. These responsibilities should be listed in the order of the percentage of time spent on the task. Non-essential Functions (Additional Duties) – This section should include marginal tasks/functions, those that are non-essential or primary to the position. Non-essential functions generally take less than 5% of the employee’s time, are considered non-critical parts of the job, and can easily be transferred to another employee. Education/Experience – This section should list the minimum education and experience required of the employee to be successful in the position. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) – This section should list what job-relevant knowledge, skills, or abilities are required to perform the job (e.g., written/verbal communication skills, supervisory skills, or the ability to create charts in a spreadsheet). A separate section on KSAs has been included in this Manager’s Toolkit to assist you.

Abstract: According to the Innovation Union Scoreboard, published by the European Commission every year, Sweden has been, and still is, an innovation leader within the EU and one of the most innovative countries in Europe. In the Innovation Union Scoreboard 2014 (European Union, 2014: 5), Sweden has the top position (ranked number 1) of all EU28 Member States in what is called “EU Member States’ Innovation Performance”. In the ranking there are 10 countries between Sweden and the EU average. This analysis is based on the ranking provided by one single composite indicator (SII or Summary Innovation Index), based on 25 separate indicators. In this paper we argue that the SII provided by the Innovation Union Scoreboard is highly misleading. The data (the 25 separate indicators) that constitute this composite innovation indicator need to be analyzed much more in depth in order to reach a correct measure of the performance of an innovation system. We argue that input and output indicators need to be considered separately and measured individually and as two groups of indicators. Thereafter we compare the input and output indicators with one another (as is normally done in productivity and efficiency measurements). The outcome of this is a relevant and better measure of innovation performance. In this paper, the performance of the Swedish national innovation system is analyzed by using exactly the same data as is used by the Innovation Union Scoreboard 2014. We analyze the relative position of Sweden regarding both input and output indicators, concluding that Sweden’s position as an innovation leader within the EU must be reconsidered. A theoretical background and reasons for selecting the indicators used is given and a new position regarding Sweden’s innovation performance compared to the other countries is calculated. Our findings show, that Sweden remains in a high position for the innovation input indicators, ranked number 1. However, with regard to innovation output, Sweden is ranked number 10. In other words, about a third of all European Union 28 Member States have a higher innovation output than Sweden. To estimate the efficiency or productivity of the Swedish innovation system, inputs and outputs must be related to each other. When doing so, we reach the conclusion that Sweden is ranked number 24 of EU28 Member States. This finding is then discussed and we also discuss which countries would be relevant for Sweden to compare (benchmark) its innovation system with. The conclusion is that Sweden, based on our calculations, can certainly not be seen as an innovation leader in Europe. This means that the Innovation Union Scoreboard is flawed and may therefore mislead researchers, policy-makers, politicians as well as the general public – since it is widely reported in the media.

The notion that you will most often hear in debates about a balanced, healthy lifestyle, especially for those who regularly workout are definitely proteins. They are the reason why people make serious groceries’ lists before going into the market, nutritional plans and schedules. Some people are so obsessed with their protein intake that they almost do not talk about anything else except a meal after training, or supplements that can provide an instant necessary amount of proteins. How much we actually know about them? What is their role in the body? Where do we find most of the proteins? Proteins are essential substances without which the body can not function normally. Together with fats and carbohydrates, they are called macronutrients. By chemical composition, they are long-chain amino acids, which break into millions of smaller parts, in many ways, building different types of cells, and they are also called “builders.” In its cycle, the body produces most of the amino acids, but there are some that need to be compensated. Their level increases with the intake of protein-rich foods. What are the best sources of protein and what are the dangerous ones? The best and most useful are the proteins of animal meat. It contains all the essential amino acids. And other foods, such as vegetables and fruit, have a similar composition, but not entirely. Therefore, it’s necessary to combine several vegs to bring in all the essential amino acids. Only meat contains everything in one. However, you must make a difference between healthy beef and processed products that carry many harmful effects. The truth is, with fast foods, you bring in the necessary proteins, but also excessive sugar or fat. Frozen or fast foods contain flavor enhancers, additives, and toxins that will have an adverse effect on your health. Also, the excessive amount of proteins from fast food can lead to complications in the kidneys. How to choose and prepare a meat meal? The meat is a desirable food if you have not decided to be a vegetarian. Purchasing and supplying meat is a big job, and you should be picky. Many meat producers use antibiotics and steroids that remain in the food we buy. Therefore, it is essential to select the supplier carefully, choose organic products and avoid GMOs. Procenutively, daily intake of proteins concerning the whole diet should be about 25%, balanced with intake of good fats and carbs. How will you prepare the meat – it is imperative. Avoid high temperatures because carcinogens and toxins are formed at the time. Use coconut or avocado oil. Olive oil is good in combination with meat because it does not contain protein by itself but is an excellent blend of antioxidants and good fats, such as omega9. Also, it will contribute to the tastes of every food. What are the alternatives for vegetarians and vegans? If you have given up of the animal meat, then you will have to combine a bit more. There are a lot of proteins in dairy products, also vegetables, but not enough amino acids. So, for example, you would have to make a eat beans and rice, hummus and pie for one meal. And you can always get healthy things like walnuts or cheese. You do not have to take proteins according to precise mathematical calculation, but yes, make sure to bring your daily needs.

Basics of Kraft Pulping & Recovery ProcessThe Kraft Pulping and Recovery. Process Flow Diagram. Power Plant. Caustic Plant. Pulp Mill. Black. Liquor. Green. Liquor. White. Liquor . The Kraft Pulping and. Recovery Basic Process Flow. Pulp Mill. Dale Proctor, 2003. White Liquor. •NaOH. •Na. 2. S. Pulp Mill. •Cooking. •Washing. Black Liquor. Turpentine pulp.mill flow diagram,Milling Flow Diagrams - Hippo Hammer MillsAC Trading - Hippo Mills : Milling Grain Moving Equipment Hammer Mills Shelling. See figure: 'Process flow diagram of Maruthi Rice Mill. ' from publication 'Husk-Fueled Steam Turbine Cogeneration for a Rice Mill with Power Export—A Case Study' on ResearchGate, the professional network for scientists. The flow diagram below shows a modern commercial mill catering to the higher end market. It has three basic stages,. the husking stage,; the whitening-polishing stage, and; the grading, blending, and packaging stage. In modern rice mills, many adjustments (e.g. rubber roll clearance, separator bed inclination, feed rates). The quality of the wheat going into the mill,. e.g. protein content, will determine the types of flour to be produced. By blending together the many different flour streams produced by the mill, a miller can create further variations in features such as flour colour. 3 The Milling Process. Fig. 8: Simplified diagram of the milling.

Nearly every activity leaves behind some kind of waste in the environment. Households create ordinary garbage. Cars, trucks, and buses emit exhaust gases while in operation. Industrial and manufacturing processes create solid and hazardous waste. Some wastes contain chemicals that are hazardous to people and the environment. Once these hazardous chemicals are present in the environment, people can become exposed to them. Exposure occurs when people have contact with a chemical, either directly or through another substance contaminated with a chemical. The place where the chemical originates is called the source. Chemicals can enter the environment from many different sources such as landfills, incinerators, tanks, drums, or factories. Human exposure to hazardous chemicals can occur at the source or the chemical could move to a place where people can come into contact with it. Chemicals can move through air, soil, and water. They can also be on plants or animals, and can get into the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. The different ways a person can come into contact with hazardous chemicals are called exposure pathways. There are three basic exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Inhalation is breathing or inhaling into the lungs. Ingestion is taking something in by mouth. Skin contact occurs when something comes in direct contact with the skin. Ingestion can be a secondary exposure pathway after skin contact has occurred, if you put your hands in your mouth and transfer the chemical from your hands to your mouth. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed informational summaries on selected chemicals to describe how people might be exposed to these chemicals and how exposure to them might affect their health. The summaries also explain what happens to the chemicals in the environment, who regulates them, and whom to contact for additional information. Water. Exposure can occur when people drink contaminated groundwater or surface water, or accidentally ingest it while swimming or showering. Direct skin contact also is an exposure pathway that occurs during activities like swimming and showering. For more information about water and hazardous chemicals, view the MDNR, CDC and EPA websites. Soil, Sediment, or Dust. People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals in soil, sediment, or dust if they accidentally ingest it, breathe it in, or have direct skin contact. Children are highly susceptible to these exposure pathways. In their daily activities, children have a tendency to have frequent hand-to-mouth contact and introduce non-food items into their mouths. For more information about hazardous substances, view the EPA webpages. Air. Exposure can occur when people breathe in hazardous chemical vapors or air that is contaminated by hazardous chemicals or dust. More information is available about chemicals in the air at the websites of MDNR, CDC and EPA. Food. People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals through the food they eat. Food contamination can occur if the food has come into contact with hazardous chemicals. It can also occur further down the food chain such as through eating contaminated fish. For more information, see the DHSS fish advisory. Exposure, the chemical getting into or on your body, has to occur to make you sick or cause adverse health effects, or have any affect on your health. If you are not exposed to the chemical, it cannot make you sick. Also, even if exposure has occurred, adverse health effects may not occur. the frequency (how many times the person was exposed). Also, the occurrence of adverse health effects can depend on the way the chemical enters your body. Some chemicals rapidly absorb through skin, others not at all. Health effects also depend on the toxicity of the chemical that entered your body. Some chemicals are very toxic in small amounts; others are only toxic in large volumes. Also, people respond to chemical exposure in different ways. Some people may be exposed to a chemical and not get sick. Other people may be more sensitive to chemicals and get sick more rapidly or have more severe reactions than others. Certain variables play a role in a person's susceptibility to exposure and adverse health effects such as age, gender, genetics, pregnancy or other health conditions. The human body has the ability to tolerate certain amounts of chemicals and the ability to excrete chemicals from the body. Once a person is exposed to a chemical, it may enter the blood stream, and eventually reach the liver. The liver attempts to detoxify harmful chemicals in the body by converting them to less toxic ones or ones that could be used by the body. The body naturally attempts to eliminate substances that are harmful or are not used. The kidneys filter substances out of the blood and excrete them in urine. Also, chemicals are removed from the body in feces, sweat and exhalation. However, the body may not be able to remove all the chemicals. The amount, type, and length of time you are exposed to harmful substances will determine if you are at risk for adverse health effects. Therefore, the state and federal governments have determined health-based comparison values for contaminants that when exceeded, exposure may result in an excessive health risk. The chart below contains levels used by agencies to determine if doses of chemicals may be harmful to human health. The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in public drinking water. These are federally enforceable standards. The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals. Standards for maximum levels of contaminants for ambient air. Used to evaluate short and long-term exposure to a variety of chemicals. Health-based screening values for contaminants in soil and water. This document is being developed and is in draft form.

Here are four rules that can be followed to help you live a happier life. Do not fear god: In some religions, gods are terrible punishers, and all bad things are thought to be punishments for not living a good life. If you do not fear the gods, you fear nothing. Imagine how much better your life would be if all your fears melted away. If you believe in gods, you can reframe them as your fearless supporters who take away your fears. Do not worry about death: Death will happen, whatever you do. Worrying about death does nothing to prevent it. Likewise, worry about anything does not change if or when it happens. What is good is easy to get: When we focus on what we cannot get, we forget how good are the things we can get. If we want what we have and can easily reach, and are grateful for these, then we worry less about things that are beyond our reach. What is terrible is easy to endure: We worry about the things that may hurt us and we create our own pain when we frame events in our world as terrible. Yet if we did not do this, choosing not to see things as terrible, then coping with the problems that the world throws at us is far easier to handle. These rules are the first four of the forty Epicurean Principal Doctrines from Diogenes Laertius and provide a useful overview of the keys to Stoicism. 'Tetrapharmakos' means 'four part cure', as tetra means 'four', and pharmakos means 'cure' (hence the modern 'pharmacy'). Do not fear god: Greek gods were seen as perfect and sublime beings. We should emulate their grace, not fear their anger. Do not worry about death: Epicurus described death as the greatest fear, both in duration and intensity. He noted that being dead and not existing was not a painful place. What is good is easy to get: Stoics view happiness as non-pain rather than joy. Desire creates pain. Removing desire hence creates happiness. What is terrible is easy to endure: Epicurus noted that when we are ill, it feels terrible, yet illnesses seldom last long. If we look beyond our current pain, even though it seems it may last forever, we can find relief in knowing that it will soon be over. Pleasure follows pain, so perhaps we should focus more on this. The four cures are all intended to reduce our most debilitating fears. If we can fear less, then by definition we will be happier. No fear does not automatically mean happiness, but fear certainly does negatively impact our happiness. How you think about yourself, the world and what happens changes how you feel about such things. You have control over what and how you think, so you have control over how happy or unhappy you are.

Most people would think that getting a new student with no bad habits would be the easier way to teach, but give us someone with a good gun mount and we can get them farther along in a shorter time. We can always refine a gun mount that may not be the best, but if you have no gun mount at all, a lot of time must be spent on making that right move. Our suggestion to everyone is to practice your gun mount before you have a lesson. Make it become subconscious so that you don’t have to think about it again. A beginner must not only think of all the good information he/she has received, but also must think about making a good mount, so as not to hurt themselves. If any conscious thought is on making a good gun mount, then you have taken part of your thoughts off of killing the target and put it on something else. 100% of your conscious thought must be on breaking the target. How to practice your gun mount to make it perfect and subconscious? The easiest way is to get a small flashlight, like a mag light, wrap it with tape so it wont scratch the barrel. Insert it into the barrel (top barrel of an over/under). Put the light to its smallest circle. Focus on something small in the room, a light switch or corner of a picture. Put the light on what you focused on and bring the gun up smoothly and be sure the light is still shinning on what you are looking at, at all times through the mount. If not, do it again becoming very aware that the front hand is pointing the gun to where you are looking. The front and back hands should work together, keeping the light where you are looking, as you mount the gun to your face. The second thing you can do is to focus the flashlight on the seam between the wall and ceiling of a room. Follow the light with your eyes while making the gun go from one corner to the other and mounting the gun at the 4 corners. You will notice that as the gun is mounted to your face that the light will probably go over or under the seam–not staying straight on the seam. The mount to the face must be smooth for the gun to go where you are looking and therefore your point to be perfect. Do this 7 days in a row, 50 times each night and gun mount wont be a problem. If you will do this before your shooting class, you will get more out of the class and less worry about your mount, because you will know it is perfect.

In the beginning of the Greek debt crisis, Greek hairdressers became one of the symbols of a badly managed country (they could retire at 50 with full benefits). But there is more and more interesting things to say about them. Take a look at inflation rates for hairdressing salons and personal grooming establishments in Greece. This is something that you can’t see anywhere else in Europe: two spikes each year, in April and in December. You can clearly see them before the Euro. After the Euro, they remain visible but prices in the other months went also up. Crisis came. Hairdressers resisted for two years. But apparently the number of people in Greece in the mood for party is not enough. Prices are declining faster than the all-items inflation rate and the last two years the only spikes are the ones made with gel or hairspray.

This page lists the references for our air pollution information and advice on this site. Our lungs develop in stages: in the womb, from birth until age three, and then up until adulthood. Because lungs are developing, exposure to air pollution in these stages has a more pronounced impact on children’s health. Avoid idling. Turning a vehicle’s engine off while stationary protects the health of people in the car behind and on the pavement. Service the car and central heating boiler regularly to help them run as efficiently and cleanly as possible. Save energy at home – using less energy, means less fossil fuels are combusted. Choose renewable energy tariffs to cut out pollution caused by fossil fuel power stations. Avoid open fires: instead of burning garden waste, try composting instead. Ask your child’s head teacher, your local councillor, or your employer’s HR director how you can help their plan to protect people from air pollution. If they haven’t yet got a plan, maybe you can help them to create one from these actions. Ask companies how they reduce air pollution. Some companies offer low-pollution services. For example, Great Ormond Street Hospital recommends only electric taxi firms for pick-ups for visitors and patients. Be physically active. The benefits of exercise outweigh the harm from air pollution you may be exposed to. Exercise also protects against poor health, and reduces pollution if it means leaving the car at home. On high pollution days avoid strenuous exercise outdoors if you suffer from lung or heart problems. High pollution days typically occur only 10 to 20 days a year. Forecasts and personal alerts for your area are free to access. Blocking out pollution helps – such as closing windows during rush hour in buildings that face busy roads. But ensure good ventilation indoors. Walk on the inside of the pavement, and avoid walking on the kerb. Stay as far away from exhaust fumes as you can. When stuck in traffic, close the car windows and turn on the air conditioning to stop some pollution entering the vehicle, but use it sparingly as recirculating air increases the build-up of carbon dioxide which can cause driver drowsiness. Travel outside rush hour to avoid peaks in pollution caused by traffic jams. Change or clean your car air filter regularly.

Chatteris is a large town, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The town has evidence of settlement from the Neolithic period. After several fires in the 18th and 19th centuries, the majority of the town's housing dates from the late Victorian period onwards, with the tower of the parish church the only medieval building remaining. Archaeological evidence has been found of Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements in the area, and Chatteris possesses what has been interpreted as the only upstanding Neolithic boundaries in Fenland. Saxon evidence is less well preserved, although in 679, Hunna, the chaplain to Æthelthryth of Ely built a hermitage on Honey Hill. More apocryphically, Chatteris is reputed to have been the last refuge of Boudica as she fled from the Romans. A = How many benches beside the sign (both sides)? B = Number of black street lights in Jubilee gardens? C = Number of crowns on the sign? D = Number of eels on the sign?

Nobody likes waiting for things anymore. It’s not that we’ve lost our patience, it’s just that we’ve become accustomed to getting things when we want them. You press a button, your computer turns on. You ask a question, Google Now gives you the answer. You want food, McDonald’s is right around the corner. The general idea is that we’re speeding up our society. Is that a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Only time will tell. Currently, pumping gasoline into your vehicle is the primary fuel source for the majority of our vehicles. For those few that have upgraded to electric vehicles, you know the struggle. Standing around for upwards of 20-30 minutes while your car charges can be a real hassle. Tesla Motors is doing their best to change that with their array of Supercharger stations that they plan to have spread across the United States in the next 2-3 years. That’s great and all, if you’ve got a Tesla Model S or comparable EV, but what about bikes? A new concept vehicle from Olegs Zabelins and Pavels Sevcenko, two vehicle designers, is a motorcycle that can charge itself in 10 minutes – the Nirvash Electric Motorbike. The system is totally different from anything else on the market, in that it utilizes six easy-to-replace batteries in the engine. Basically, once one becomes drained, you simply rotate the batteries to the next available one, and continue on your merry way. The actual batteries, when you charge them, only take about 10 minutes to become fully charged. This is great if you’re on a long trip, and have already rotated all your ready batteries. This concept, if it actually hits the market, would make manufacturing of bikes much cheaper and easier to accomplish, since a complicated engine system would no longer be necessary. It should also drive the price down, making the electric bike market a competitive environment for vehicle manufactures, and healthy competition is good for everyone.

This guide shows how to encode H.264 video using StaxRip. While the focus is on H.264 encoding, the instructions will be similar for all the video types supported by StaxRip (DivX, XviD ...), so this guide can be considered more of a "How to use StaxRip" guide. This guide assumes you already have some knowledge regarding video conversion, like how to decrypt a DVD (which this guide does not cover). StaxRip is an all-in-one conversion/encoding tool designed to convert DVD/DVB and other video file formats to DivX, XviD and H.264. It supports outputs in the container formats AVI, MKV, MP4, DivX and PMP (PlayStation Portable). It's designed to be used by people who may not be familiar with all aspects of video conversion, but have enough knowledge to know the process - this is why it doesn't require the user to have Avisynth knowledge and at the same time allows you to configure most of the advanced codec and container settings. The disadvantage is that StaxRip hasn't been updated for a while now (and may not work with the latest version of the software it uses). If you don't mind doing a bit of extra work, then you might want to try MeGUI, which is updated much more frequently - we've written a MeGUI H.264 Conversion Guide which might help you get started. In terms of H.264 encoding, StaxRip only features a sub-set of options available in the x264 encoder. This is due to the author's wish to simplify the interface of the software and to not have to support the functions that the average user may not need or understand. All of the important x264 options are still present though, the missing options include rate control, and manual quantizer adjustments. Technically, other software are required as part of the StaxRip installation process, but this will be covered in the next section. This section talks about how to go about and install StaxRip, which isn't 100% straightforward due to the number of support software needed by the tool (which is really a graphical user interface that combines a number of different tools, just like most all-in-one conversion tools). The first thing you need to do before you can even install StaxRip is to download and install Microsoft's .NET Framework version 2.0. It's a fairly large file and installation could take more than half an hour. Once you have it fully installed, you can now go on and download StaxRip. Once you have the files extracted (make sure the "Use folder names" option is selected), go to the directory you have extracted the files to and start the StaxRip program by clicking on the "StaxRip.exe" file (you may also want to create a shortcut to the program to place on your desktop, but that is up to you). The way StaxRip works is that when you load an input file (the file you want to convert to another format), it will tell you which external programs are needed and asks you to install them before you can proceed. My preference (and this is just me, and it also makes this guide easier to write) is to just make sure all the external programs are installed, whether you need it or not (but chances are, you will need it). From the StaxRip "Tools" menu, select "External Applications". This opens the External Applications download manager, where you can check the installation status of the required software and also download them without going to any websites. As I mentioned above, I will normally just select each and every program listed (on the left hand side, eg. "General -> AviSynth" as shown in the screenshot above) and then click on the "Download" button at the top to start the download and install the software. Please note that you may already have some software installed (eg. the DivX codec) so if the status of the programs is "OK", then you can skip downloading it. Sometimes you may actually have a version of a software that is newer than what StaxRip supports, and in this case, you may need to download and install the version that StaxRip requires. Once you have all the applications installed, press the "Close" button to close the External Applications window. We can now proceed with the actual conversion/encoding. The first thing we do is to load the input video into StaxRip. From the "Source" section, use the open button to load one of more files. The sample file I will be using is a DVD VOB file. StaxRip will load the file and at the same time process it to make it ready for encoding (this includes demultiplexing the audio, creating the D2V file, auto cropping, etc...). Once loaded, the "Source" section changes to display details about the loaded video. Selecting the right profile is quite important, as it will determine the encoding speed and the output quality. I will also go through some of the recommended profiles here. To see the full description for each profile, you should head on to the official forum thread for these profiles (produced by Sharktooth). If you require compatibility with standalone hardware, you should have a look at the "PD" (Portable Device) profiles, available for iPods, PSPs and even Xboxes. You should also look at either the "CE-QuickTime" or "CE-Baseline" profiles, as these offer Apple QuickTime compatibility (the "Baseline" profile being the most compatible). If quality is what you are after, and you don't mind the encoding speed, have a look at the "HQ" profiles. If you don't care about quality and just want the fastest encoding time, then look at the "1P-Maxspeed" profile, which can be useful for real-time video capturing. Lastly, if you are encoding animated content (eg. anime), use the "AE" profiles. The next step involves selecting the container. While we are using H.264 as the video compression, the container can actually be AVI, MKV, MP4, DivX or even the Sony PSP's PMP format. It really is a personal preference thing (although using DivX when the format isn't DivX compatible may be strange), but for H.264 video, the most common container format is MP4, so this is what I will use in this case. This step involves configuring the x264 encoder. Technically, we can skip this step because the selected profile should already have set all the options correctly. But we may need to modify at least one setting (the "Loop filter" setting), and there are always some settings you can tweak yourself (eg. the "Input/Output -> Threads" setting if you have a dual core and/or hyperthreaded CPU). If you like this kind of tweaking, please have a look at our x264 Options Explained Guide for information regarding every setting that can be accessed through StaxRip. To modify the codec setting, click on the "Codec Configuration" option. From the official forum thread for this profile, it is recommended that the "Loop Filter" setting be set to 0:0 for movies, and as the clip I'm encoding is clip from a movie, I will change the "Loop Filter" setting to 0:0 (Alpha = 0; Beta = 0). Again, please consult the x264 Options Explained Guide if you want to change more settings (and beware that compatibility may be affected if you deviate from a profile too much). When StaxRip loaded the source file, cropping has already been performed, so this step is optional. You can have a look at the cropping results by pressing the "F4" key or going to the "View" menu and selecting the "Crop" item. This opens the cropping tool. Assuming you are familiar with cropping (go to a bright scene and removing the black bars, if any), I'll describe what the cropping tool shows. The light blue bar shows the currently selected side of the picture that you are cropping, while the white bar shows the cropped area. The screenshot above shows that the top and bottom of the picture has been cropped, but the sides remain unchanged. You can adjust the crop by clicking on the white area and dragging it. Once you are satisfied with the cropping, press the "Close" button to close the cropping window. When the source was loaded, the audio from the source was demuxed and loaded into the "Audio Configuration" section. Here, you can adjust the compression/encoding settings for the audio, as well as add new audio tracks. Clicking on the button to the right audio track (marked in red above) will allow you to select which compress codec to use. Typically, H.264 clips using MP4 containers tend to have AAC encoded audio, as it is more efficient than MP3. Also, if the audio track has 5.1 channels, AAC supports 5.1 channel encoding as well (which is what I have selected). This step will run the compressibility check to give us some indication of what resolution and/or file size we should be setting in the next step, and to give us an estimation of the output quality. Click on the "Run Compressibility Check" option (just below the "Codec Configuration above") to start the compressibility check. This will start x264 and it will encode a portion of the video - you can have a look at the encoding framerate to give you an indication of how long the total encoding will take. Once the compressibility check has been run, the "Target" section will now display the estimate quality and the bitrate of the encoding. You can also change the output file name/path here. The aim here will be to increase or reduce the file size and/or resolution so that the "Quality" rating is at something acceptable. StaxRip recommends a quality setting of around 55%, and any higher, it will give you a warning about the quality being set too high. Decreasing the resolution and increasing the file size will obviously increase the quality rating, and the trick will be to get a good combination of resolution and file size to produce the right quality (55% being the recommended). To change the resolution, simply drag the resize bar or manually enter the values (any aspect ratio errors as the result of changing the resolution will also be shown). The container configuration allows you to add subtitle and chapter information for the container format you have selected. SRT subtitle files are supported and chapter information is to be in OGG format. You can preview the output video and also to cut the video by pressing the "F5" key or selecting "Preview" from the "View" menu. It's important to make sure the video has the right aspect ratio by using the preview. We are almost ready to start the encoding now. Press the "Next" button to step through the StaxRip wizard, which checks to ensure you have selected all the required settings. Take note of the message displayed in blue text next to the "Next" button for hints on what you may need to do - you can sometimes click on the blue text to perform certain functions (like opening the crop window or adding the current encoding to the job queue). One of the steps ask you to verify the filters. If you are resizing the video (please note that converting an anamorphic DVD to a non anamorphic video file is considered resizing), then you can right click on the resize filter to select the resize property (Sharp, Neutral or Soft). You can right click and add additional filters if needed. If a warning/error occurs, the affected options will be highlighted in red and the settings which can help fix the warning/error is highlighted in orange. Eventually, you'll get to a step where encoding will begin and after what could be several minutes to several hours, your encoding should be ready. And that's all there is to H.264 encoding in StaxRip. I even encoded an anamorphic version of the same clip (also with AAC 5.1 audio), and it was only 35 MB with the same video quality. Not bad when you consider the original MPEG-2 VOB file was nearly 110 MB. Hi admin. ok, I finally found the h.264 encoding forum. I saw STAXRip in the divx forum also. Is it still recommended to use for encoding to h.264 even though you mentioned it has slow updates to some of the software it uses? Or is it better to learn and use this ? Also is Super something like this also? I'm new to this part of conversion but I need to convert some format to h.264 to test my hd playback on my computer. Thnx. Take the suggestions and follow the directions. The results will speak for themselves. Google is definitely our friend. Then try MeGUI which is a bit more advanced, and is the one I like to use. Super works too, but I don't like the interface that much (too confusing, and too many options). Ok. Thnx. 1 ?. Since I'll be downloading these to my pc I won't need an hd/blu-ray optical drive correct? I almost 4got I don't have 1 yet and it doesn't make sense to endeavor into the hd revolution if I don't have all the toys to support it. I'm going to have to download MPC which I'm guessing is media player classic? WMP is windows media player? That 1 I just have disabled in xp home. If you want to play around with H.264/VC-1/HD, you don't need a Blu-ray drive. But if you do get one to play Blu-ray movies, just make sure you meet the system requirements first. And yes, MPC is Media Player Classic. It looks simple, but you'll grow to love it over the bloated players such as QuickTime or WMP (Windows Media Player). Thnx admin. I'm almost sure the build I put together w/chewy's help meets the requirements, but I'll check that out asaic. The Blu-ray drives are out of my reach right now, but testing my build w/h.264/vc-1/hd is something I need to do b4 I even think about purchasing a Blu-ray drive. I'll post back my progress and any ?'s that arise regarding this process. Admin is the latest MPC 6.4.9.0 ok? Also is it better to download it to the c:drive where xp is under program files or it really doesn't matter? I was going to put it under a folder in my d:drive which has more space. I also need this, ,right to be able to view them on MPC? Thnx. Please note that QuickTime Alternative is a codec pack of sorts, and I know many people don't like codec packs (but it's easy to uninstall). For the WMV-HD trailers, you don't need to download anything - the latest WMP version (or I think any version later than 9) will play it. Ok. Thnx. I'm new to the whole codec thing. I'm guessing that the WMV files can only be played w/WMP or QuickTime Alternative takes care of both formats? Probably both. I'm guessing the name says it all? QuickTime Alternative will allow you to play .mov files (either normal QuickTime, or HD ones) without the need to have the Apple QuickTime player installed (which is bulky and inefficient). WMP (version 9 or later) will play WMV and WMV-HD files without additional software.

Photo by Carlos Salcedo and Carlos Salcedo | The State Press Michael Shafer, PhD., the founding director of the ASU Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy, gives a tour of the new facility, located in the Westward Ho building, to the students of NUR 420, the Community Health Nursing Clinical, on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. In downtown Phoenix's historic Westward Ho, ASU students are taking the opportunity to apply their skills from the classroom in a collaborative setting while making a positive impact in the community. In late August, ASU opened Collaboratory on Central in the building to provide medical and psychological aid to its often elderly, disabled or low-income residents — all while providing students with hands-on experience. Nursing, nutrition, social work and recreational therapy students can participate in internships at the Collaboratory, where they are working together to create programs to support, educate and otherwise improve the quality of life for Westward Ho's tenants. Although the program is not currently funded, Shafer said each of the colleges involved in the Collaboratory are contributing the funds to support it while they search for donors and grants. As a part of the program, ASU is leasing 15,000 square feet on bottom floor of the historic building. For now, the lease and other supplies are being paid for with the college's funding. Previously, the Westward Ho was home to a smaller program called the Student Nursing Clinic; however, with the new space, the program has expanded to include nutrition, social work and recreation therapy students. The Collaboratory's nursing students offer nutritional guidance, blood pressure checks, disease prevention and other health services. With the addition of students from other majors, the program is able to be more accommodating to both the medical and psychological needs of the residents. With this new approach, the interns are better equipped to develop a comprehensive plan that will accommodate the more complex needs of tenants, including things that cannot be resolved by medical care alone. Interns are developing program components that provide tenants with educational enrichment, health and wellness information and community resources. An underlying goal is to develop a sense of community among tenants. “Each of those disciplines feels that it’s important that students have some real-world learning opportunity, and we have a real need literally across the street from us that makes it easy for students to get the kind of experiences they need,” Shafer said. ASU conducted a survey of 50 Westward Ho tenants in 2013 and discovered that many of their social and psychological needs were not being met, Shafer said. “We know that if people are active in their social life and their recreational life, they’re going to be a lot healthier physically, and they’re going to be a lot healthier mentally and emotionally,” Shafer said. Although collaboration is a key aspect of the program, she said, each discipline has a set agenda to learn skills specific to that area. Interns help residents with things like finding community services, and organize group activities such as chair yoga and community art projects, Vang said, although many activities are tailored to the tenants’ wants. Tenants are also provided with services such as counseling, vitals checks, nutrition information, disease prevention and health monitoring. “Right now, some of (the tenants) are expressing loneliness and a lack of a sense of community, so I’m hoping that through the activities and groups that we run here, and the supportive counseling that we do provide, that eventually, it starts to build a community among the tenants here,” Vang said. Although it is too soon to see much progress, Vang said, the tenants have shown receptiveness to the new program. “There is a lot of benefit to the Collaboratory being here for ASU students because they get the chance to have hands-on experience, and they call that experiential learning, really with individuals that they could possibly be working with when they go out into the job force,” she said. Tama Reily, a social work graduate student, has been working with Shafer on the development of the program since last spring, she said. Reily said Westward Ho tenants have a high usage of 911 and emergency services, which the Collaboratory hopes to remedy by providing more personal information and support. Continuing education and providing cultural enrichment is another major goal of the program, Reily said. The Collaboratory team hopes to implement things like financial literacy classes, educational seminars, lectures and recitals for the tenants, she said. Reily compared the program’s collaborative approach to the newest teaching methods in medical schools — where doctors and nurses are trained together. She explained that it is often helpful to see how other disciplines might approach the same problem. The program is supposed to be practical, especially for students who will likely go on to work collaboratively in a professional setting, Reilly said.

Hamburgers and fried chicken are in my culture. Fruit and vegetables are out. 1. Taste. 2. Price. 3. Convenience…1,204,895. Health. According to the recent newsletter from Food and Drink Europe, a survey of 200 Spanish consumers, published in Journal of Sensory Studies, showed that health and weight loss barely make our list of priorities when choosing what food to buy. Pretty obvious results but as we dig deeper in the newsletter we discover that what influences our choice of taste is predominantly culture. And one of the problems us fat and sugar addicted people have is that we don’t want to give up our culture to eat healthily. Well – we gave up eating healthily to eat badly didn’t we? In fact – if we go way, way, way back – one could argue that our one true culture of food consumption is raw fruits and vegetables. Carrillo and colleagues explained that fats and sugars provide major contributions to the sensory and palatable characteristics of foods, but the high availability of energy-dense foods in developed countries – particularly in the U.S and countries within the European Union – promotes preferences that are inconsistent with dietary guidelines and have a direct relationship to wider obesity problems. “Increased consumption of foods with high proportions of these components is mainly due to taste preference, aroma and mouth-feel characteristics,” they added. However non-sensory aspects of food choice, such as culture, can also have a major impact on food preference. This study initially frustrated me but on second thought it is inspiring. The solution to shifting our behaviours is simple – we just have to make healthy food sensorally attractive and culturally familiar.

Polish cuisine is a style of cooking and food preparation originating in Poland and now widely popular all over the world. Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to become very eclectic due to Poland's history. Polish cuisine shares many similarities with other Slavic countries. It has also been widely influenced by Central European cuisines. It is rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and beef , winter vegetables, and herbs. Generally speaking, Polish cuisine is hearty and uses a lot of cream and eggs. The traditional dishes are often demanding in preparation. The Polish national dishes are bigos, pierogi, kiełbasa, kotlet schabowy, gołąbki, zrazy, roast, sour cucumber soup, mushroom soup, tomato soup, rosół, żurek, flaki and barszcz. The main meal might be eaten about 2 p.m. or later. It might be composed of three courses especially among the traditionalists, starting with a soup like a popular rosół and tomato soup or more festive barszcz or żurek or other cured meats and vegetable salads. The main course usually includes a serving of meat, such as roast or kotlet schabowy, or chicken. Vegetables, currently replaced by leafy green salads, were not very long ago most commonly served as surówka – shredded root vegetables with lemon and sugar or sauerkraut. The side dishes are usually boiled potatoes, rice or more traditionally kasza. Meals often conclude with a dessert such as makowiec or drożdżówka. Bread and bread rolls makes the Polish cuisine and tradition complete. It has been an essential part of them both for centuries. Today bread remains one of the most important foods in the Polish cuisine. The main ingredient for Polish bread is rye or wheat, Traditional bread has a crunchy crust, is soft but not too soft inside, and has unforgettable aroma. Such bread is made on sourdough which lends it a distinctive taste. Traditional Polish alcoholic beverages include mead, beer and vodka. In recent decades beer has become very common, while wine is less frequently drunk, though in recent years the trend for its consumption is rising. Among the alcoholic beverages, Polish vodka is traditionally prepared from grain or potatoes – it essentially displaced the formerly widespread mead. In contemporary times, tea is perhaps the most popular, drunk sometimes with a slice of lemon and sweetened with sugar. Atletico Madrid are the third best team in Spain and are trailing behind the other favourites, Real Madrid, in the La Liga. Since 1903, Atletico have won La Liga on ten occasions, including a league and cup double in 1996; the Copa del Rey on ten occasions; 2 Supercopa de España and 1 Copa Eva Duarte; in Europe, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, runners-up in 1963 and 1986, were European Cup runners-up in 1974 and 2014, won the Europa League in 2010 and in 2012, won the UEFA Super Cup in 2010 and 2012, won the Intertoto Cup in 2007, as well as the 1974 Intercontinental Cup. Atletico's home kit is red and white vertical striped shirts, with blue shorts, accompanied by blue and red socks. This combination has been used since 1911. The club has been known by a number of nicknames, including Los Colchoneros ("The Mattress Makers"), due to their first team stripes being the same colours as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s, they became known as Los Indios, allegedly due to the club signing several South American players after the restrictions on signing foreign players were lifted. However, there are a number of alternative theories which claim they were named so because their stadium is "camped" on the river bank, or because Los Indios (The Indians) were the traditional enemy of Los Blancos (The Whites), which is the nickname of the club's city rivals, Real Madrid. Recently there has been very controversial loss against Real Madrid but who knows it could have gone either way but I’m liking how the table for La Liga is looking with Barcelona in front. On Friday night at 12:30 we met in the hall of the school, of course I was last to arrive. We had a quick chat and hopped onto the bus. We were very excited, so nobody got any sleep the whole night, we passed the hours in the airport by throwing a foam rugby ball around, until we got in trouble. Our flight was at 6:30 and I managed to get about half an hour sleep during the full flight, which was quite worrying at the time as I knew we wouldn’t be getting any sleep until 12 o’clock that night. Luckily the day passed very quickly and we had the pleasure of eating in one of the worst “restaurants” ever. They brought out to disgusting courses, so we got up and left for Burger King. They next day we collected James and Sean at the airport and got a bus to Warner Pargue, a Warner bros theme park, that was just outside the city, we spent the day there and headed back to the city for dinner. This time it was much nicer food and we got time to wander around the square for a while. The next day we got the metro to Las Ventas bullring and from there we went on to the Santiago Bernabeu, which was great to see. This was a truly unforgettable trip and was very enjoyable. On the 11th of April, me and the majority of the T.Y group arrived in Madrid. The first thing we did was go on a tour of the local tourist spots around the town of Madrid. Afterwards we then arrived at our hotel for the first time. It was not bad, better than I was expecting. We went to a disco that night, and it was easily better than the ones here in Ireland. The place had eight floors, and it was really cool. Overall it was quite good. The next day we went to Warner Brother’s park. We went on the rides, ate food that wasn’t very nice and I even bought a key ring of me on one of the rides. We went shopping for the rest of the day. The next day we visited the Bernebeu stadium. The tour itself was good, but what I didn’t like was how the store was so expensive. A jersey was ninety euros! Afterwards we went to TGIF and had easily the best food of the whole trip there. We then went bowling and then played pool before going back to the hotel by metro. On the last day we went to an art museum. It was really good. We then went to a park which was huge and looked amazing. Afterwards we went back to the place we went to on Sunday and got more time to shop. We then had to back to the hotel to get our luggage and then go back to the airport. Overall it was a great trip and one that we would all do again. On the second day of our trip we went the Parque Warner in San Martín de la Vega. There are over forty-two rides and six rollercoasters. When we got into the park we all separated and went off to different parts of the park which included a Cartoon Village, Old West Territory and Hollywood Boulevard. I didn’t go on any of the big rides but I did go on some of the water rides which were good craic. We also went for something to eat and looked in some souvenir shops. We also got a caricature drawn of myself and three of the lads. Unfortunately we lost it but it was funny. In the evening we went ice-cream and stuff. Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez is one of the most famous bull fighters in Spanish history. He was born on the 4th of July 1917 and died on the 29th of August 1947. He rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish civil war and is considered by some to be the greatest bullfighter of all time. His style was sober and serious, with few concessions to the gallery, and he excelled at the suerte de matar — the kill. Manolete's contribution to bullfighting included being able to stand very still while passing the bull close to his body and, rather than giving the passes separately, he was able to remain in one spot and link four or five consecutive passes together into compact series. He popularized a pass with the muleta called the "Manoletina," which is normally given just before entering to kill with the sword. He died in August 1947 following a goring in the right upper leg as he killed the fifth bull of the day, the Miura bull Islero, an event that left Spain in a state of shock. Manolete received his fatal goring in the town of linares. The new stadium got built at the same site of Campo de Chamartín. Construction began in 1945 and on the 14th of December 1947 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu officially opened with a match against Portuguese champions OS Belenenses. The stadium was initially still called Nuevo Estadio Chamartin, but received the name of the club-president eight years later. Real Madrid also known as los bloncos are the greatest football team in the world. They are the most decorated team in the world are were crowned the greatest team of the 20th century. Real Madrid are the only team to win the champions league 10 times. They have also set the record of getting to the semi-final five years in a row and have done this three times. Real Madrid are known los blancos because of there all white kit. Real have the likes of Ronaldo, Bale, James, Modrc and many more great talents in there squad. Real over the years have had some off the best players in their teams with the likes of de Stefano, Zidane, Puskas, Ronaldo form Brazil, Raul and Beckham. The Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas is a famous bullring in Madrid, Spain. Situated in the Guindalera quarter of the district of Salamanca, it was inaugurated on June 17, 1931. It has a seating capacity of 25,000 and is regarded as the home of bullfighting in Spain. The price of seats depends upon how close they are to the arena and whether they are in the sun or the shade (seats in the shade are more expensive). The bullfighting season starts in March and ends in October, bullfights are held every day during the San Isidro Fiesta, and every Sunday or holiday during the season. Bullfights start at 6pm or 7pm and last for 2-3 hours. From 1913-1920 the national passion gained such an important status that Madrid’s former main bullring in Carretera de Aragon was not big enough, and so the Las Ventas bullring was built. The construction of the bullring would cost 4.5 million euros. The Las Ventas bullring is also used as a concert venue, a theatre, a tennis court and it also hosted the Red Bull X Fighters FMX since 2002. We arrived in Madrid on the 11th of April. We were met by our tour guide at the airport, she told us about all the major tourist attractions. After that we checked in at our hotel before later heading off to a nearby disco, we were all very fatigued and weren’t in the best of form for a disco. The next day we headed to the Warner Brothers theme park where we were for most of the day. It was very enjoyable with lots of amusements and water rides to pick from, we got dropped off at a restaurant on the way back from the theme park which was a half an hour walk from our hotel. On Monday we used the metro system a lot, first we visited a bullring which was very interesting and secondly we went to the Santiago Bernabaeue home of Real Madrid football club. This stadium had some amazing views and was incredible to see the actual size of the stadium. On our last day we went to an art museum and just relaxed in the park and went for a look around the shops before eventually heading to the airport for our return flight to Ireland. Overall this trip was extremely enjoyable and I would definitely go again. On the third day of the trip we visited the Bernabeu which is Real Madrid’s stadium. It was a great experience and we saw some very interesting things. The outside of the stadium was well designed with the clubs crest at the front of it. We went into the trophy room which was big. It had many trophies no one new about. It had all the old jerseys and footballs. We then saw the 10 champion’s league trophies and the proposed new stadium design. Later we saw the changing rooms and then we walked onto the pitch and set on the subs bench which was good. We then went into the conference room and the clubs shop which was also fun. It was a good day.

Office challenge: You sorted a spreadsheet, but only half of the columns sorted. What happened? This week's Office challenge takes a look at a mysterious Excel sort behavior and offers solutions for counting blank cells in Excel. Sorting a range of values in a sheet is as simple as a couple of clicks. First, click in the column by which you want Excel to sort. We’ll call this column the sort column. Then, click one of the Sort icons on the Standard toolbar. Excel will extend the selection from the sort column to include all contiguous columns, automatically. Then one day, the sort doesn’t work as expected. It sorts the sort column and one or maybe even a few contiguous columns, but not the entire spreadsheet. Several columns fail to sort. What happened? How do you count the number of blank cells in an Excel spreadsheet? Kevaburg was the first to respond with the most efficient solution: Use Excel’s CountBlank() function. where rangeis a valid range. This function counts blank cells and cells with formulas that return an empty string. CountBlank() doesn't count cells that contain 0. Amasa and Topgun also mentioned CountBlank(). This function is the same as CountBlank() and is actually a few characters shorter than using CountBlank() — although technically, that’s not a good reason for choosing a function! AtCollege and Aaabdel suggested CountIf(). A special thanks to John, who offered a more complex solution, but one that does not count formulas that return an empty string. That’s a fundamental difference, so don’t throw this one out because it’s more complex. Someday, you might need it.

...Bad Grades for Many Children! "Dentistry has a huge effect on children's grades!" says the Office of the US Surgeon General in its report on children's dental health. This important report states that more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness. In fact, dental care is seen as the most prevalent, poorly-met health need among American children. Even more shocking is that about 37 percent of children have not had a dental visit before starting school and in some areas of the country dental disease is the number one cause of absenteeism among elementary school children. In the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, dentists and school officials noticed that children who saw a dentist on a regular basis took better care of their teeth and gums and had a better attendance rate than those who failed to see a dentist. Missed classes usually caused children to have poorer grades. Not only that, but dental problems lowered self-esteem for children and led to problems in eating, speaking and attending to learning. When cavities and gingivitis are not found early and treated, they can develop into more severe problems and cause unnecessary suffering for children. Fortunately, in most cases, oral problems are avoidable. To keep your children on track with their grades, make sure you include taking them to Kramer Kuhn Dental on a regular basis.

Travel up to the north of County Cork, into the high country which is still not quite part of the Kingdom of Kerry: make your way to the windings of the youthful River Lee just before it rises in the fastness of the Shehy Mountains, and you will find yourself in a magical place. You are in Múscraí (West Muskerry), one of the Gaeltacht districts of Ireland – areas where Irish is still spoken as the predominant native language. These districts were first defined when the Irish Free State was set up as part of the new government’s policy to restore the Irish language. Finola will confirm that everyone who grows up and is educated in Ireland today studies Irish in school. Sadly, the maps below show how native Irish speakers have declined since an Ghaeltacht was set up in 1926, partly through migration but mainly because of the predominance of the English language in public life. Our journey today takes us to Gougane Barra, a historical site where in the sixth century Saint Finbarr set up a collection of cells for his monastic community on a lake island in the mountains. Nowadays it is a centre for pilgrims and tourists. I was sent to Gougane Barra many years ago on the instruction of a client and friend, Father Sam Philpott, who had commissioned my architectural practice in the UK to reorder a church in the centre of Plymouth. The place proved an inspiration to me – as he had hoped – and the renewed St Peter’s now has a rill of water running around the worship area echoing the water surrounding Finbarr’s community in the mountains: a piece of West Cork in West Devon! Gougane Barra was also the home of The Tailor and Ansty – immortalised in a book of that name first published in 1942 and written by Eric Cross, a journalist from Newry who lived in the locality for many years and visited the couple on a daily basis. ‘The Tailor’ (Tim Buckley) was a storyteller: not a Shanacai who travelled around the country seeking hospitality, as he had a paralysed leg since his youth and could only walk with the aid of a crutch, but someone to whom the world came and sat with while he ‘minded the dairy herd’ (a single black cow) or ‘reddened his pipe’ while perched on an old butter box (which he called Cornucopia) beside the kitchen fire of an evening, and listened to his tales and his homespun philosophy. He and his wife Anastasia were both fluent Irish speakers, and perhaps the book loses something for being written in English. However, it is a goldmine for folklorists or students of Finola’s Cork Speak lessons, because of the expressions which The Tailor uses: Thon amon dieul – (T-anam an diabhal – your soul to the devil), Yerra, man alive and (my own favourite) Thamwirrashimfaina being just a small selection. …’In the townland of Garrynapeaka, in the district of Inchigeela, in the parish of Iveleary, in the barony of West Muskerry, in the county of Cork, in the province of Munster’ – as he magniloquently styles his address, lives the Tailor. His small whitewashed cottage, with its acre of ground, stands at the brow of a hill, at the side of a road which winds and climbs into a deep glen of the mountains bordering Cork and Kerry. In the summer you will usually find the Tailor himself leaning up against the bank of the road, minding his one black cow. As you pass up the hill he will have watched you come and sized you up in his shrewd and kindly way. As he stands talking to you, helping you, pointing out this and that to you, you will scarcely believe that he has seventy-seven years put over him. The vigour of his body, in spite of the handicap of his crutch, the firm tones of his voice, the smile of his lively eyes, the thick head of silver hair, all belie the fact of the years. He will most likely invite you inside for a glass of buttermilk or a heat of the tea. Go with him. Let the beauties of Ireland wait. They will still be there when he has gone. Be, as he is, prodigal of time, and sit and listen to him. Forget the rest of your journey as the Tailor forgets the cow. Humanity matters more than either cattle or scenery. You have met a man – finished. The book was published in 1942, when the Tailor was 83. He lived only two years longer. He was proud of the book – and of his celebrity: scholars, folklorists and writers flocked to his fireside to meet him and to hear his stories, his proclamations and his banter with the long-suffering Ansty. The situation led to a debate in the Senate which lasted four days! Only one public man – Sir John Keane – defended the book. He quoted sections from it and these quotations were struck from the public record ‘…in case they should lead to immorality of the nation…’ The motion was lost by 34 – 2, and the couple were ostracised within their own community. Thank you, Sean. Another classic, of course, is ‘Stone Mad’ – about the sculptor Seamus Murphy.

The manufacturing industry in the U.S. is suffering from a severe lack of skilled workers. It is anticipated that by 2025, there will be 2 million unfilled skilled openings; the largest gap in any job sector. In addition to a skills gap, the manufacturing industry faces a public relations obstacle: though Americans consider manufacturing important to the economy, they do not consider it as a desirable career path for themselves or their children. So, the manufacturing industry is pining for new, skilled workers, but the general public is not interested in entering the manufacturing industry. These facts contribute to the decreasing competitiveness of American manufacturing firms with international firms, particularly European ones, which have successful apprenticeship programs. The Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) is working to alleviate concerns of manufacturing executives through the development of its Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways Program (AMCP). AMCP introduces students to three potential pathways (Technician, Business, or Engineer) over the course of 5 semesters that incorporates both job training and coursework to educate students on technical aspects of manufacturing jobs and business and professional practices as well. FAME is unique because it is owned by employers. Employers design and curate coursework to fit their needs, so that students graduate completely trained and prepared for their careers. FAME companies also promote STEM at earlier stages of education with local schools and extra-curricular programs. FAME students work – and earn wages – for three days a week and attend classes at a local community college or university two days a week. The AMT (Advanced Manufacturing Technician) program, which is the basis for all three career pathways, has graduation rates between 70 and 90 percent. Also, 90 percent of graduates are employed full-time by their original sponsoring employer. Lastly, and most impressively, more than 90 percent of FAME graduates complete the program debt-free. The non-profit initiative would like to become a national organization that can better coordinate the cultivation of manufacturing workers across the country and extend STEM educational programs down into elementary levels of learning to promote interest in STEM industries in younger children. Pioneer Institute congratulates Stacey Hughes and Dennis Dio Parker of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, on their winning submission.

The lows of the year – and what lessons I learned from difficult situations. The highs of the year – and what momentum I gained from making progress toward my goals. Gratitude for the year — and for the human experience. Deepak Chopra reminds us that we are the only species who experiences full consciousness. The lows and highs are part of that experience. Ironically, my last blog post was about vulnerability. I must have subconsciously chosen to write about vulnerability before forgiveness because it is the appropriate pre-requisite. In order to forgive, we must get vulnerable enough to break down the emotional walls we’ve built to protect ourselves. We must stare anger or grief directly in the face and re-experience the pain. Dealing with the messy stuff is the first step toward forgiveness. You can’t go around it, you have to go through it. To understand forgiveness a bit more, I’m choosing to spotlight another one of my favorite thought leaders from this year’s World Happiness Summit. My third and final WoHaSu recap features Dr. Fred Luskin, researcher and Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project. Dr. Luskin applies his forgiveness methods to people suffering from deep resentment and anger. He has helped many people improve their lives including those who have experienced emotional trauma as a result of violence in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, and the September 11 attacks. The starting point of forgiveness, Dr. Luskin says, is to admit the inevitability of pain. Basically, there is no human who is exempt from getting hurt. So, his next question is logical: if we know people are going to hurt us, why have we not built the skill of feeling pain without having to make someone our enemy? “I had a close friend betray me and I was upset at him for years,” Luskin said. “It was in the midst of this, that I realized I had a real problem. There is something really troubling about not being able to get over something and being stuck in it for so long. Rather than looking at ourselves or our habits to try to ease suffering, we find reasons outside of ourselves to blame for our unhappiness,” he says. The explanation for this begins with our biological wiring. Neurologically, our initial instinct is to protect ourselves from harm. When we feel threatened, our defense mechanism is to attack, run away or shut down. But we can’t blame the brain’s threat response for what we put ourselves through during the days, weeks and years that follow. While it is normal to go through a brief threat response when someone hurts us, it transitions to abnormal when we allow that stress response to linger. We allow the pain to remain a prominent part of our lives by holding onto stories that reflect the worst parts of our experiences. If you have someone in your life that has caused you pain — a broken-heart, betrayal, abandonment, shame, violation or rejection, — you are allowed to feel angry, sad, anxious, jealous, insecure, or any of the other negative emotions that come as a result of being hurt by another person. Dr. Luskin isn’t saying that your feelings aren’t justified toward the other person. Rather, he offers this harsh truth: it’s not the other person’s fault that you’re not skilled at self-soothing. Therefore they can’t be blamed for your longer term unhappiness. Alter your expectation of trust in other people. He says the only thing we can trust other people to do, is to act like themselves. Once you remove expectations, you see people for who they really are. Know your deal breakers – in other words, the boundaries that you are unwilling to compromise on. The next time someone hurts you and it’s not in the deal breaker category, consider the choice you have to allow your mind to process the pain and move on, as opposed to allowing the pain to dictate your relationship with that person indefinitely. Going forward in your relationships, notice if you have a habit of looking for someone’s good qualities or if you gravitate toward the “negative” stuff that annoys you about them. Notice if you spend more time “armoring up” to make sure someone doesn’t hurt you or if you spend more time actively finding the things that are good about people. Notice how my summary of Dr. Luskin’s forgiveness advice doesn’t include saying, “I forgive you” to the other person. There is a reason for this. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. While saying “I forgive you,” is absolutely an option, Dr. Luskin says offering forgiveness is more of an internal process. “It’s the experience of finding peace for yourself,” he says. When we forgive for the goal of being at peace, we become empowered. We don’t automatically require better behavior from our offender because we are in charge of how we think about this person, and thus, in charge of the degree to which they impact us. We can make the choice to move on whether or not our offender changes. This is not to suggest that you can’t have a conversation with the person about what they did to hurt you and how you can repair the relationship. That is one option. But the larger point Dr. Luskin makes is that when you decide to forgive a person, it’s your chance to take back your own power rather than be victim to the situation. Your act of forgiveness provides you with a fresh start and new possibilities that are all in your control.

Teeth whitening is one of the easiest ways to improve your smile. It is quick, economical, and non-invasive. Though some of our patients at Mason Dental in Grapevine experience short-term sensitivity, most experience none. If you have looked into teeth whitening systems, you probably already know the fundamentals. The one thing they have in common is that they use a solution containing peroxide to remove the stains that have settled in the natural microscopic cracks in your tooth enamel. There are many do-it-yourself teeth whitening treatments available, and it seems like new varieties appear every day. Products like whitening strips and pens can sometimes whiten your teeth a few shades, but the peroxide concentration is much lower than the whitening solutions used by dentists. It may not be powerful enough for your tooth stains. Teeth whitening offered at mall kiosks is risky, too. Most of these businesses have no professional oversight, and the employees have little training (except instruction on how to take advantage of customer naivety). We recommend that you use extreme caution when considering a take-home tooth whitener. If you have tooth decay, gum recession, crowns, or veneers, you definitely need professional guidance. The portion of your teeth below the gumline, if exposed, may react differently to tooth whitener. Furthermore, the peroxide solution does not noticeably whiten crowns and veneers. If you use a DIY whitener on teeth with extensive porcelain restorations, beware – you may end up with a two- or three-tone smile!

What are the Characteristics of a Wire Rope? The wire rope used by an air winch is comprised of three basic components. First, steel wires form the strands of the wire. Second are the strands themselves, which spiral around the core. Third is the core, which serves as a foundation for the strands. Size refers to the diameter of the rope, and is always measured at the rope's widest point. Classification is given as two numbers, representing the strand and wire count. An example would be 6x37, which refers to a rope with 6 strands each made up of 37 wires. Higher wire and strand counts produce more flexible, but less durable ropes. Rope Lay describes the direction that the wires and strands spiral around the core. The Grade of Steel of a wire rope will be one of three types: Improved Plow Steel (IPS), Extra Improved Plow Steel (EIPS or XPIS), which is the most commonly used and manufactured grade, or Extra Extra Improved Plow Steel (EEIPS or XXIPS). There are also three different options for the Type of Core. Fiber core (FC) is made of synthetic material, is the most flexible and elastic, but is susceptible to crushing. Wire strand core (WSC) is made up of an additional strand of wire, is used in smaller ropes, and is ideal for suspension and tensioning. Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC) contains a smaller wire rope to serve as the core, is highly durable in all environments, and is preferred in offshore and construction environments. Finally, the nominal strength describes the minimum breaking strength of a new, unused rope.

When a person is physically out of balance or misaligned, treatment addressing the structure of the body may work alone or in combination with other treatments to speed up the natural healing process. Traditional acupuncture is a system of holistic healthcare that regards illness, whether physical or mental, to be a sign that the body is out of balance. Research at the University of Regensburg has shown that acupuncture is one of the most effective therapies for back pain. The researchers showed that acupuncture can provide significantly more relief from lower back pain than conventional therapies. Some of the applications of acupuncture are as follows: Electro-acupuncture — whereby a very low electrical current is applied to the needle; Cupping — whereby a flame is used to create a vacuum inside a glass cup, which is then applied to the skin; Guasha — vigorous rubbing of the skin with a smooth tool.; Heat Lamp — application of indirect heat to warm and relax areas of the body; Moxa — the burning of a herb on or around a needle to warm and invigorate the area; Electrical Microcurrent/Miliamp Therapy for pain and facial rejuvenation (without needles). Craniosacral therapy is a subtle and profound healing treatment. In a typical craniosacral session, you will usually lie (or sometimes sit) fully-clothed on a treatment couch. The therapist will make contact by placing their hands lightly on your body and tuning in. The body's own natural self-corrective mechanisms are activated. Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. It works with the structure and function of the body, and is based on the principle that the wellbeing of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and fluids functioning smoothly as a whole. Techniques using osteopathy in the cranial field, often called 'cranial osteopathy', can be applied to the head as well as other parts of the body. Osteopathy is suitable for people of all ages, including babies and children. Tuina is point pressure body work using a Chinese style of therapeutic acupressure (similar to shiatsu). Tuina includes varying depth of pressing, plucking and scraping on the skin (guasha). Private yoga classes can address personal goals and focus on a specific area or needs, such as alignment and core stability, at a time that suits you.

According to Transparency International's "2017 Corruption Perception Index," Malaysia was the 62nd "cleanest" (i.e., least corrupt) country out of the 176 countries surveyed. M alaysia is a multiracial society where Malays, Chinese, and Indians, as well as many other ethnic groups, live together in peace and harmony. This multiculturalism has made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise and home to hundreds of colourful festivals. Malaysians love celebrating all festivals and socializing. The people of Malaysia are relaxed, warm, and friendly. Geographically, Malaysia is almost as diverse as its culture. It has 11 states and two federal territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) that form Peninsular Malaysia. It is separated by the South China Sea from East Malaysia, which includes the two states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo and a third federal territory, the island of Labuan. Malaysia is a country that is different from other nations in Southeast Asia because of its unique combination of exotic, ancient culture and the highest level of development. The Petronas towers are two of the tallest buildings in Asia. Also, the biggest mosque in Asia is found in Malaysia, as well as the third longest bridge in the world, and much more. The sun shines year-round in Malaysia with almost no seasonal changes in climate, but the coolest days are from November to January when the temperature drops to 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit). The working environment in Malaysia is polite and friendly. People don't normally wear a tie or a suit for meetings. Because of its casual nature, meetings don't usually start on time. However, punctuality is a good way to show respect and politeness. A meeting usually starts with a handshake and the exchange of business cards. Then, small talk occurs before the main agenda is discussed. The host will start the meeting by stating its objectives. The national religion of Malaysia is Islam. As such, if the organization involved in the meeting is a government body or government-linked company, no pork or alcoholic drinks will be served as a business courtesy. However, smoking is allowed. When the meeting is over, all parties will again shake hands and thank each other. The host will normally accompany the guest to the main door or the lift. The legal profession is highly respected in Malaysia, and lawyers are seen as role models for business practices. Most in-house counsel also serve as ethics and compliance officers. During one's free time, socializing at sports events, fine dining, and drinking are among the top activities for most legal counsel in Malaysia, regardless of being in-house or external, or local or international. Sim Yen Lee is senior legal counsel for East Asia & Japan at Schneider Electric.

The first dry season during which the Igunga Eco-Village project started to take shape has come and gone. Staff from Igunga District Council, Heifer Tanzania and from the 3R consortium (including Aqua for All, Acacia Water, MetaMeta and Rain Foundation) extensively visited the nine target villages. In the nine villages the Village Development Councils were sensitized about the project, committees for the relevant components were established and the first steps in establishing the farmer field school were made. During this first dry season the people from the villages were familiarized with the intentions of the project and the project team was familiarized with major challenges and opportunities in the villages. Whereas Igunga district has 850 millimeters of rainfall during the rainy season the easy access to this water is limited to several months after the rainy season. This accessibility directly relates to the availability, as rivers run dry and groundwater levels drop the top of the earth dries out. Opportunities are however already being explored also by the villages to capture more of the water to be able to replenish groundwater, keep soils moist and avoid evaporation. Photo 1: Water is drawn from a scoophole in a dried up river bed. Photo 2: Water is drawn from the main canal of the Mwamapuli Rice Irrigation scheme, south of Igunga town. Photo 3: Woman scooping water from a hole dug into the slope of a hill. The villages around Igunga town grow cotton on the so called ‘black-cotton soils’, where as on the other soils including the Phaeozems and the Eutric Leptosols, crops such as maize, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, grounduts, and some sunflower and sesame. In and around the irrigation scheme of Mwamapuli however rice is grown, which is then also the major staple crop of the district and together with cotton an important cash crop for the farmers. Photo 4: Head end of the Mwamapuli Rice Irrigation Sceheme, 600ha within the scheme perimetre are irrigated and another 1500ha outside the Mwamapuli Rice Cooperative perimetre. Photo 5: In a dry river bed, collected Acacia is drawn by oxen to use it for protecting plots, water points or pens from other livestock or wild animals. Igunga is located along the main road between Dodoma and Mwanza or also from Dar es Salaam to Burundi, Rwanda and the east of Congo. A lot of heavy traffic passes through the town each day, and local restaurants and guesthouses run well on travelers that pass through and eat or stay for the night. The roads connecting the wards and villages with Igunga town, consist of gravel or unpaved roads that become dusty in the dry season, and particularly difficult to drive on in the wet season. Photo 6: Bicycles are well used in Igunga district, proving a valuable means of transport for people and goods. Photo 8: Even in the dry season dry river beds can be treacherous to cross. Photo 9: The coarse dry sand that accumulates in the river beds, is also useful resource that is excavated for building purposes.

How do you get food when there are no stores? At the beginning of everything, most of the people did not have any significant “stash” of food in their homes. In other words, the majority of common folks had food a or couple of days in their pantry and that was it. There were exceptions to that because the process of collapse did not happen in a few hours (in terms of suddenly there is no food in the stores). When the chaos started, people looted stores after a short period of everyone buying things in a panic. Still, the majority of folks did not manage to get a decent stash of food from stores. Some did not want to believe that they were gonna need a stash. Others did not want to go out and participate in looting because it was dangerous. But I think the most obvious reason was that all food from stores was taken very fast. Was gardening an option? If so, how did people protect their gardens? Yes, it was an option, but the percentage of food from a garden was low because of a few reasons. It was a city, without enough land for significant food growing, and the second reason is that even people who had some land (small gardens near houses) needed time to grow food there. People usually did not grow food there in normal times, flowers, tea, maybe some particular kind of tomato, salad greens, and similar. I remember going and checking gardens for tomatoes because people had tried some new sort of tomato close to their home, not as a way to have food, but as an attempt so they could see is if it was OK to have it somewhere before they had a bigger piece of land for growing (before SHTF in a peacetime). So yes, gardening was an option, people used every part of the available land, but that was not enough, and it was like you are checking every day how your tomato is growing and you wait for it, but then you pick it and realize you have food for only a couple of days. We were not prepared at the time to use every piece of land for food growing. It takes time to establish that. Still, it was precious, and it was protected of course, just like your home, in the same way. How often did MREs get dropped? There was no schedule for food drops, at least no real schedule because it was all based on rumors like, “Tonight they are gonna drop food from airplanes.” If you asked, “Who told you that?” the answer was “a guy who heard it from guy who heard…” So, of course, it was completely based on luck. Sometimes it was 3-4 times per week. Of course, they dropped it, but that does not mean we could find any of the food. Other people would simply grab it before you. Some folks headed for the hills every night in order to wait. People would choose one guy from family to go up every night and wait. If those food drops had any schedule there where they loaded planes (as I understand later, the place was in an air base in Italy) it was completely lost on us down in the city in the chaos and empire of rumors. You need to understand that in that time those planes were not the only ones to fly, so sometimes we were out waiting for food but actually other planes bombarded us. But very early we learned to recognize the low humming sound of food planes, distant but powerful. Now when I look back, it is weird how we trusted some of that information. For example, if we heard that food was gonna be dropped that night in some particular part of the city, some small area of some hill, people would go there. A reasonable man would have thought, “Oh, so some poor ragged guy in the middle of civil war and information blockade suddenly has info on where several huge military airplanes are gonna do some operation?” Not to mention the fact that the whole city together with all the hills looked to those people in the airplanes like small dots. It was nonsense. But we were hungry, scared, and in the middle of chaos without any real information, so people trusted in a lot of things, especially in good news. Do not underestimate the power of rumors in hard times. “Food drops” were performed for many cities in this area during the hardest part of the war. They helped on different levels. Even today I find one of the happiest sounds to be the sound of MREs raining on a hard surface. I did not know the technical details (and still don’t) of how exactly that worked, but most of the things that were dropped would break apart in the air, so on the ground, it would “rain”. It was like a lottery to be in the middle of that rain because the MREs were good stuff, and valuable, but some of the bigger stuff coming down could kill people. (It happened with bigger packages). MREs were meals all in one package: food, sweet stuff, matches, even that hot sauce that was pretty handy when we want to add taste to some weird food that we ate or to mask a bad taste.

In the Powerhouse Museum transport galleries, move among the kinds of vehicles that have shaped our way of life. You’ll see some grand and gracious objects including the Catalina Flying boat in which Captain P G Taylor surveyed an air route between Sydney and Valparaiso, Chile, in 1951; the luxuriously appointed Governor’s railway carriage of 1891; and a 1987 Toyota Supra, sectioned and powered to reveal its construction and operation. See the vehicles that carry us from cradle to grave including a pram, a penny farthing bicycle, boats, a hearse, and many more. Explore people’s connections and access to places through use of transport over time.

It could be a common dry skin rash called pityriasis alba. With pityriasis alba, the white patches of fine dry scale are usually located on the sides of the cheeks and the outer side of the upper arm. They’re more likely to occur when activities or weather conditions dry out the skin such as swimming in chlorinated pools or with the temperature extremes of a cold and dry winter. They also show up more when skin is tanned because the scaly patches stay white and contrast against the tanned skin. That means that towards the end of summer, they may well be in full bloom if you live in a dry climate. It’s a subtle form of eczema (also called dermatitis). It’s an unusual rash though because there really isn’t much, if any, inflammation. This means the involved skin doesn’t itch, it just looks funny. Most people mistake it for a fungus, which it isn’t. It’s just a form of dry skin eczema. What treatments will help get rid of the white spots from pityriasis alba? Hydrating gentle skin care – it works for both treatment and prevention. Hydrating skin care means doing things to increase the water content of the outer skin layers. Use only mild soaps (such as Vani Soap, Cetaphil Cleanser or my favorite glycerin soap which is the Whole Food’s 365 glycerin bar soap). It also means bathing in warm, not steamy hot, water and only soaping up the parts of the skin that are actually dirty (often just the armpits, groin, buttocks and feet). Remember, washing your skin is just like doing the dishes, the hotter the water and the harsher the soap, the more oils are removed. For dry skin, that’s just the opposite of what we want. Within 3 minutes after toweling the skin dry it’s essential to apply a thick and rich moisturizing cream. Good options include Vanicream, Cetephil Cream or Eucerin Cream (if there is no wool allergy). Avoid irritating ingredients like you would find in an anti-aging or acne product because the little white patches are actually more vulnerable to irritation than normal skin. As the pityriasis alba starts to improve, you’ll first see the scale disappear and then VERY slowly the color will normalize. Often a physician will prescribe a very mild cortisone cream for a few weeks to speed things along, but cortisone creams have side effects such as permanent skin thinning and this would be a treatment that required physician supervision. Why my kid? Who’s most likely to get pityriasis alba? People with dry, sensitive skin are most prone to pityriasis alba. Often there’s a personal or family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, keratosis pilaris or extremely dry sensitive skin. We call this constellation of conditions an atopic diathesis and they are genetically linked; if one or some of these conditions are in the family DNA then most family members are likely to show up with some or all of them too. Pityriasis alba happens because the ‘barrier function’ of skin in people with these conditions may be just a little less able to handle drying conditions – like swimming pool chemicals and harsh weather. That’s why hydrating skin care helps, both for treatment and prevention.

Museums are boring, a common complaint goes. If you are amongst those who agree with this thought, think again! Museums are, in fact, a very powerful and entertaining medium of learning. Perhaps you have not been to the 'right' museums yet, the ones that would appeal to you? Museums do not just deal with history, arts, or culture. They can actually be of literally anything. If you explore museums, you would sooner or later find one which you would love. Dhaka has more than a dozen museums. Some of them are prominent; some, relatively new or less known. This week, Star Lifestyle takes you on part one of a tour of the myriad museums in the capital. The saga of the Victory of Bangladesh in 1971 involves numerous revolutions, and of course, the War. And the glorious road to Victory will be cherished by its people forever. Hence, rightfully so, Dhaka boasts plenty of museums on the subject. They collectively beartestament to the struggles of the Bengalis. In celebration of the upcoming Victory Day, we present to you these museums and their depictions of those struggles through which a proud people emerged victorious. When 'Urdu and only Urdu' was the call, the Bengalis could not keep silent. 'Rashtro bhasha Bangla chai' was the demand.Students took to the streets in protest. And the police opened fire to silence them. It was 21st February, 1952. Abul Barkat, a Dhaka University student, was one of those who lost their lives. The cost of getting the Bengali language its due recognition was blood. There is a museum in the Polashi circle in memoryof this martyr:Bhasha Shahid Abul Barkat Shriti Jadughor O Shongrohoshala. The museumtells the history of the Language Movement at large, but also puts a focus on Barkat. So, along with exhibits such as newspaper reports about the movement and visuals of the processions, visitors can see a number of pieces related to Barkat, such as his Dhaka University certificate, letters, and the prestigious Ekushey Padak medal that was awarded to him posthumously. The Language Movement, one may say, was a foundation or a prologue of the series of events that was to follow in the coming years. In 1968 the historic trial State Versus Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Others - better known as Agartala Conspiracy Case - was commenced, where the leader and others were accused of sedition. The trial was held in a building in the cantonment, which is now a museum. Bijoy Ketan Museum, through display boards, a large selection of weapons that were used in the war, etc. gives glimpses of the liberation war in general. But the most attractive part of the museum is perhaps the room where the court used to sit. It has a unique feel to it, given the quintessential courtroom structure to the ambience that arouses nostalgia foran era long gone. The courtroom-turned-museum is soakedin history. After all, it was in this very place where Sheikh Mujib and the co-accused struggled for their freedom in the highly dramatictrial. The masses also demanded for their freedom. And the murder of Sergeant Zahurul Haque (one of the accused) infuriated the protesters further. On February of 1969, the case was withdrawn, with the release of the accused. On 23 February, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was honoured with the title of Bangabandhu. The Friend of Bengal had emerged. After Bangabandhu's overwhelming victory in East Pakistan at the general elections of 1970, the President of Pakistan postponed the National Assembly session for an indefinite period, thus angering the public. The idea of an independent Bangladesh was becoming clear in the face of oppression and violence. With that context, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed a mammoth crowd at Suhrawardy Udyan on 7th March, 1971. The fiery speech seared the desire of independence among the Bengalis. In commemoration of the historic speech, a museum has been established in Saat March Bhaban inside Rokeya Hall at Dhaka University campus. The museum tells many stories of Bengalis' struggles towards freedom, such as the role of women in the liberation war, and of course,it highlights the speech itself. After all, the legendary speech - a shining example of Bangabandhu's charisma - was a pivotal point for the Bengalis to prepare for the War that was brewing in a not-so-distant future. And a bloody war it was. From records of horrors to the epics of valiant freedom fighters, and from the administrative role of the government-in-exile to the campaigns to raise international support and awareness, there are many fascinating facets of the nine-month war. Located in Suhrawardy Udyan, the underground museumnarrates the Bengalis' struggles throughout the ages, mainly with the help of a large number of visuals. For example, a dark corridor - which houses several photographs of the massacres of the Pakistani army - complete with intelligent lighting - does not fail to impress the visitors. There is also an audio-visual hall for screening. It also highlights the episodes of the rebellion and heroism of the Bengalis. Galleries 37 to 40 narrate the chapters, stringing them together in one unified tale. The rich collection of artefacts, photographs, memorabilia et al make this section of the museum a treasure trove for anyone interested in Bangladesh history. Having moved out of Segunbagicha into the spacious premises in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Liberation War Museum is now housed in a splendid building. The galleries systematically reveal the story of the liberation, starting from history of ancient Bengal, and moving forward to the various revolts and uprisings this land has seen throughout. The route through the galleries has been smartly planned, thus giving visitors a clear understanding of the struggles of the Bengalis. With abundant use of imagery, footages related to the War, info-graphics, and the numerous war memorabilia on display, the museum keeps the narrative alive and absorbing for visitors. Much of it can be attributed to the presentation itself. Operation Searchlight, to illustrate, has been depicted in a dimly lit tunnel-like section. A military vehicle - with its headlights on - further adds to the ambience. One ought to pay a tribute to the leader with whose vision and dream the great victory was attained. Bangabandhu's residence in Dhanmondiis a must-visit. An annexe has been added in the premises, which focuses on the life of the great leader, and inseparably, presents the story of our freedom. And the home itself,one may say, gives intimate glimpses of Sheikh Mujib as a family man and brings forth the man behind the legend. The house also stands as a testament to the massacre that took place in 1975. Exhibits such as bullet marksand the solemn presentation at the stairway where Bangabandhu lay dying remind us of the assassination when he and most of his family were murdered. Museums depicting war and liberation provide us with solemn reminders of the sacrifices made and the glories of a proud people who refuse to succumb to oppression - a long, chequered road to Victory.

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is also the historical capital of Bohemia. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava River, the city is home to about 1.26 million people, while its larger urban zone is estimated to have a population of nearly 2 million. The city has a temperate climate, with warm summers. Prague has been a political, cultural, and economic centre of central Europe with waxing and waning fortunes during its 1,100-year existence. Its long history predispose Prague to be a perfect place for those who find joy in sightseeing, and its great cuisine and traditional beer make it a perfect place to spend some pleasant time. The main attractions include the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, the Petřín hill and Vyšehrad. The city boasts more than ten major museums and other historical exhibits, along with numerous theatres and galleries. Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. December also features the spectacular Prague Christmas Market. Surrounded by the festive decoration in the middle of the Old Town Square, you can soak up the festive atmosphere, browse the stalls, and enjoy Christmas carols, hearty food and local drinks. The approximate value of 100 CZK is 4 EUR/5 USD. - family members of EU citizens whose visa for a short-stay up to 90 days or transit visa has expired, provided he/she stays in the Czech Republic with an EU citizen and the period of stay does not exceed 90 days (3 months). Prague has a good network of health services, both state-funded and private, as well as pharmacies and emergency services. which will connect you to police, fire and ambulance services. This number can even be called from a mobile phone without credit or a SIM card. The operator, who can give advice in foreign languages, will be able to determine your present location. in the event of danger to life or health and wherever medical attention is required. The operator will give advice on first aid until an ambulance arrives. For Czech Republic there are two associated plug types, types C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin. Czech Republic operates on a 230 V supply voltage and 50 Hz.

Like La Goulue and the female clown Cha-U-Kao, Jane Avril was part of the night life and show business that Toulouse-Lautrec loved to portray. The daughter of a demimondaine and an Italian aristocrat, Jane Avril started to dance at the Moulin Rouge, continued her career at Les Décadents, then went on to Le Divan Japonais, before triumphing at Les Folies-Bergère. Although her fragile rather ethereal look made her a figure apart in this shady world, on stage she proved to be an acrobatic dancer, full of energy and grace. She was even regarded by her contemporaries as the 'incarnation of dance'. Using the fluidity of oil paint diluted with turpentine, the artist has caught the elegance of the dancing silhouette and the liveliness of her kicks. With the force and economy typical of his style, Lautrec sketched in broad strokes the essential of the dancer's movement and rendered a few elements of the setting in which she was performing her solo number. Two figures appear in the background, on a piece of the cardboard left almost blank. Although the woman in the hat is unknown, the man on her left is the impresario Warner who served as a model for the famous lithograph known as The Englishman at the Moulin Rouge. A lifelong friend, Jane was at the centre of several other works by Toulouse-Lautrec, and posters for Le Divan Japonais or Le Jardin de Paris, in 1893, which made the name of artist and model alike.

2b. Plug in or cordless? One of my favorite things about winter is sitting in front of the fire in my living room, with a heavy sweater and a warm beverage, and watching snow falling in my front yard. It is a very relaxing, cozy experience, and it’s one I hope all of my readers in more northerly areas also get to enjoy. And I have lots of fond memories of building snowmen and snow forts when I was younger, and enjoying winter fun like sledding and skiing with my family. There is also nothing quite like enjoying a white Christmas, with a quiet blanket of beautiful snow carpeting the outside world. On the other hand, I do not have such fond memories when it comes to clearing my driveway, however. For many years I used an old-fashioned snow shovel to clear snow from my property. While this was a great workout and was just fine when I was younger, it often left me with sore muscles and an aching back. Switching over to using a snow blower instead was one of the best decisions I made. Now I am able to clear my driveway in about half the time it use to take, and that means I am back indoors in front of that cozy fire all the more quickly. If you have a short, paved driveway, an electric snow blower can take a lot of the work out of keeping your property clear without costing too much money. Electric snow blowers are available as single-stage units only. That means that the auger – the piece that scoops up the snow – will make contact with the ground surface as it passes over it. So if your driveway is not paved, or if it is covered with gravel, an electric single-stage snow blower will not be right for you. There is a danger that the auger will scoop up gravel or other detritus as it passes over it and fling it along with snow out the chute. Electric snow blowers are also not particularly ideal for longer driveways, as they tend to be limited in their range as well as in the size of their auger and intake height. But for walkways and smaller driveways and decks, electric snow blowers can be just about perfect. And if you live in an area of the United States that does not receive very heavy snow storms during the winter, an electric snow blower will provide all of the snow clearing power you need to keep your driveway clear of snow. Electric snow blowers have auger widths that range from about 12 to 18 inches. While this will not be sufficient to clear bigger driveways efficiently, it is enough to get smaller areas cleared quickly. And they have intake heights of about ten inches, which will allow them to clear moderate accumulations of snow. They range in price from extremely affordable smaller models to more expensive, larger units. All electric snow blowers are single-stage, and their engines range from around 12 amps up to 20 amps. These days, more and more consumers are finding ways they can reduce their overall carbon footprint, as they become more aware of the effects carbon emissions are having on the environment. This is evident from the increasing popularity of hybrid cars in the driveway and energy efficient appliances in the home; many consumers are choosing to switch to electric lawn mowers as well. Gas powered appliances produce a significant amount of the carbon emissions and other pollution produced by households in the United States, and switching to electric appliances can go a long way to reducing your family’s environmental impact. For the same reasons that these are popular, electric snow blowers are becoming increasingly popular as well. If you do not have a particularly long driveway, or if you only need to keep walkways or a deck clear of snow, an electric snow blower can provide all of the snow clearing power you need without requiring gas or producing any harmful carbon emissions. These energy efficient machines also do not give off stinky gasoline fumes while you are using them, so your winter clothes will not smell after you are finished clearing your driveway or walkways with one. The fact that they run on electric power will not only help reduce your household’s carbon footprint, but will also reduce the amount of money you will have to spend clearing snow from your property. As gas prices continue to skyrocket, switching to electric power is a great choice if you are able to. The amount of money an electric snow blower can save you over the years on fuel costs is considerable, and after a few years you may find that it will have practically paid for itself. In addition, electric snow blowers require a lot less maintenance than gas powered snow blowers. There are no spark plugs that need changing or air filters that need cleaning. That also means more savings for your household budget. All you have to pay for once you have purchased an electric snow blower is the modest price of electricity. You will also never have to deal with changing the oil, which can be a messy and difficult process. And you will not have to keep smelly gas cans or oil rags in your garage. Furthermore, electric snow blowers are much easier to get started than many gas powered snow blowers. You will not have to rely on pulling a heavy recoil starter cord to get an electric snow blower: you simply plug it in, push a start button and you’re off. Electric snow blowers are considerably quieter than gas powered snow blowers, which can be very advantageous if you have neighbors. You can never predict when a snow storm is going to move into your area, and you may have to clear overnight snowfall early in the morning before you can get your car out of the garage and get on your way to work. A gas powered snow blower is going to be fairly loud, and so you may wind up disturbing your neighbors’ sleep if you are using one very early in the morning. But with a quieter electric snow blower, you can clear snow at any time of day or night without worrying about its noise level. That provides a significant amount of convenience in terms of keeping your property clear of snow whenever you need to do so. Electric snow blowers can typically clear a path from 12 to 20 inches wide. Depending on their engine and overall size, they can clear between two hundred and eight hundred pounds of snow every minute. And they can generally throw snow around 25 feet. That is more than enough snow removal ability and throwing distance to efficiently clear most walkways and decks as well as the average suburban driveway. Experts recommend that you clear your driveway in back and forth rows from one end to the other, with the chute facing to one side as you do so. Another technique is to clear the driveway in a diagonal pattern while throwing the snow in front of the snow blower as you do so. The method you choose will depend upon the size and shape of your driveway as well as how far your electric snow blower is able to throw snow through its chute in either forward or side settings. Not only does an electric snow blower save you money on fuel and maintenance costs over the long term, it will also tend to save you a lot of money on the initial purchase price. Single-stage electric snow blowers tend to be considerably less expensive than either single-stage or two-stage gas powered snow blowers, which can be as much as five times as expensive. If you do not have a very long or unpaved driveway, and if you are only responsible for about a two car driveway, a few short walkways, or a deck, a low-budget electric snow blower can be just right for your needs. By switching to an electric snow blower, you will not only be doing your part to help save the environment; you will be doing a lot to save your household budget as well. When you are shopping for a new electric snow blower, auger width and intake height are going to be two of the most important buying specifications to consider. The auger is the part of the snow blower that scoops up the snow and throws it through the chute. A wider auger will allow you to clear your driveway, walkway or deck in fewer passes. That means you will have to spend less time out in the cold and inclement weather while you are doing so, which is not only far more convenient but better for your health and safety as well. Intake height determines how heavy the snow accumulation that a snow blower can deal with will be. Higher intake heights mean a snow blower will be able to handle heavier snowfall. Of course, electric snow blowers are limited in the height of the intake they can support, which is why they are ideal for areas that do not get heavy snowfall too frequently. But if you can afford a higher intake height, you should opt for it, as it will increase the range of snow accumulation you can deal with. That will keep you from having to repeatedly clear snow as it accumulates. While the vast majority of electric snow blowers still require the user to find an outdoor outlet and plug in an extension cord, there are some models available that run on batteries. Most cordless models run on lithium ion batteries. There are advantages and drawbacks to both. Cordless electric snow blowers will help to extend the range of the machine, since you will not be limited by the length of your extension cords. You also will not have to worry about accidentally running over an extension cord that is hidden under the snow, which can be a considerable safety hazard if you aren’t careful. At the same time, you have to make sure that the batteries for a cordless electric snow blower are fully charged if there is any chance of a snow storm, which can be somewhat inconvenient. If there is a sudden snow storm and you have a plug-in electric snow blower, all you have to do is grab an extension cord and you’re ready to go. If you’re using a cordless electric snow blower and you experience heavy snow accumulation that forces you to make multiple trips to the driveway, there is a risk that the battery could die after repeated use. A number of plug in electric snow blowers have increased amperage loads these days, which has benefits as well as certain drawbacks. The increased amp load allows these snow blowers to support wider augers and taller intake heights, and it also gives them the kind of power necessary to scoop up and throw wetter snow. If you are using your electric snow blower on a medium sized driveway, the extra few inches of auger width will allow you to finish the job a lot more quickly, which can be considerably advantageous. And the taller intake height means you can let more snow accumulate before you go outside to clear your driveway. But increased amperage loads can be somewhat problematic depending on what kind of outlets you have in your yard or driveway. These days, most breaker boxes are designed to handle a 20 amp load, and dedicated breaker switches will trip if the box reaches 80% of its capacity. Because of this limit, an electric snow blower with more than a 15 amp load may run the risk of blowing a fuse, especially if you are running other appliances on that breaker. So be aware of what your outlets can handle when you are shopping for an electric snow blower. While it is often tempting to look for the most inexpensive product available, especially when you are shopping for new appliances that can run into the hundreds of dollars, the price tag is not the first – or even the last – aspect you should look for. What is more important is the overall design of the product and the durability of the materials that are used to manufacture it. Appliances that are cheaply made or poorly designed will tend to offer poor performance quality and may break down more easily. They will not be able to handle tougher jobs like deeper or heavier snow as well, and you may find that they force you to do more work than they help you with. Try to avoid electric snow blowers that are made with too many flimsy plastic parts, and if at all possible stay away from those that are made with stamped, rather than fabricated steel parts. Those electric snow blowers that have cast iron gear cases are going to be a bit more expensive than those made with other materials, but it will be worth the added expense in the long run as they will last much longer. These three buying specifications are the last but certainly not least that I will cover, as together they will affect your overall experience with the snow blower. Accessories like headlights are very useful, since winter days are very short and you very well may find yourself clearing snow in the dark. Halogen headlights are useful but LED lights work just as well and last longer. The control design will affect your comfort level while you are operating the snow blower. Some snow blowers have controls that are designed to be easy to use while wearing mittens, and snow blowers with easy startup sequences are always more convenient. The wheel size will affect the snow blower’s ability to handle uneven ground as easily. Bigger wheels will also offer a bit more traction to the snow blower, which will help it to maneuver over icy or slippery surfaces. Although the auger is typically what propels the single-stage snow blower forward, some more expensive models have wheels with drive systems that help propulsion. If you have a sloping driveway, or if you think you may have some difficulty maneuvering the snow blower around your driveway, opting for a snow blower with a drive system can be helpful.

The good ship Doha is well and truly stuck on the rocks. Let’s make no mistake – the rocks are substantial and there is no magic solution that will instantaneously get us off them. The choice now facing us is to salvage what we can and abandon ship, or to patch up the holes, wait for a high tide, and sail on. While the agenda is 10 years old and showing its age in some respects, few are currently advocating its abandonment. This is because the issues at the heart of the Round still matter – namely, market access and rules for trade in agriculture, industrial products, and services. The critical test for deciding on immediate next steps should be whether they would facilitate or complicate ultimate resolution of these difficult issues. With a ministerial conference coming up in December, attention has turned to what some call “salvage”. A salvage operation implies that the vessel is no longer seaworthy; we should just grab what we can and leave the ship to smash itself to pieces on the rocks. We would then have to look for another ship. One of the problems with this scenario is that it would take quite a while to design and construct a new vessel suitable for WTO negotiations. Even then, the new ship will have to negotiate its way around many of the same rocks. The problems we face in agricultural and industrial market access, for example, will not simply disappear. It’s tempting to think that we can simply salvage a few things, forget about Doha, and start all over again with a better chance of success. The reality would surely prove to be quite different. This leaves us with the option of repair-and-carry-on (though not necessarily in the same way as in the past). We would thereby acknowledge, as Ujal Bhatia Singh eloquently put it recently, that we are “lashed to the mast of Doha” (Bhatia 2011). This, however, should not be interpreted to mean that the WTO as an institution is locked in a death embrace with the Doha Round. “Deliverables” for the ministerial conference could constitute a patch to keep the ship afloat until the high tide comes. In this analogy the “high tide” would be a change in the global economic and political seascape, enabling the major trading economies to settle their differences and bring the ship safely into harbour. Admittedly there is an element of hope in this, but on balance it does not seem likely that the present, highly inimical environment (recession, unemployment, exchange rate issues, major domestic policy preoccupations, etc.) will persist indefinitely. Furthermore, as a result of intensive work in recent months, key members are now much clearer about the remaining gaps and what it would take to bridge them – a very useful position from which to restart at the right time. That the Doha Round persists after the vicissitudes of over nine years of negotiations is testimony to its robustness. The widely held view that it was launched off-the-cuff in reaction to the tragic events of 9/11 without substantive business or political backing is not borne out by the historical record, nor does it tally with my own experience as Chairman of the General Council at the time. In the first place, it is inconceivable that such a complex undertaking could have been agreed in the space of two months. Efforts to launch a round in fact began well before the ill-fated Seattle Ministerial Conference in 1999. These efforts received considerable reinforcement from the failure of the Uruguay Round “built-in agenda” negotiations on agriculture and services to deliver results. Recall that the Agreement on Agriculture refers to the “Continuation of the Reform Process”, a process to which many governments and industries were – and still are – strongly committed. Many services industries, stimulated by the WTO’s successes in moving forward in financial services and basic telecommunications in the late 1990s, were similarly champing at the bit. While it is true that there was also some opposition, the history of the preparatory process in 2001 shows clearly that, well before 9/11, the working hypothesis for the Doha Ministerial Conference was the launch of a new round. As the first chairman of the Doha agriculture negotiations commencing in 2002, I can also testify personally to the intense business and political interest at that time. If such interest has subsided, this could be ascribed to the apparent lack of movement in the negotiations and the changing political and economic dynamics since the Round was launched. Given the extremely strong commitment displayed by WTO members both in launching the Round and resolutely pushing it forward over an extended period, as well as the high-level political commitment restated only six months ago, a concerted effort to identify a decent number of “deliverables” for the eighth ministerial conference in December would certainly be welcome. Nevertheless it might be prudent not to invest too much expectation in this process. There is a danger that such an exercise would involve multiple “shopping lists” which would prove in a number of instances to be irreconcilable. The last thing the WTO needs at present is to have a lengthy and acrimonious discussion about “deliverables” culminating in a paltry agreement or, worse still, no agreement at all. Trade facilitation is most often mentioned, although substantive issues remain to be resolved, including technical assistance. It is questionable if an agreement should be rushed into if it involves too many compromises. However, if it can be delivered, this would be a major boost. An agreement on the export competition pillar in the agriculture negotiations would also be a very substantive contribution. Whether the political will exists to settle this in advance of the remainder of the agriculture package is a question that will need to be answered. Domestic regulation in services may be considered as another significant possibility. However this item is linked with market access and the stumbling block of the “necessity test” issue remains, so the chances may not be great. Non-tariff barriers: There should be a trawl through the negotiating issues in an attempt to identify possible “deliverables”. Realistically, an agreement on transparency may be the most likely. The least-developed country waiver in services is more feasible though its utility is limited without services commitments. Progress building on the “duty-free-quota-free” (DFQF) market access commitments for least-developed country agreed at the Sixth Ministerial Conference would be highly desirable. However, there are political issues to be overcome. Reviews of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) schemes in the US and EU may be a complication, and duty-free-quota-free raise the tricky issue of rules of origin; there is a very real issue to be resolved here and concerns over circumvention must be addressed. Cotton also falls into the highly desirable category. Political realities in the US may still prove to be an insuperable obstacle in 2011, although it may be possible to grapple with these at a later date with a new US Farm Bill and especially if the Round as a whole is concluded. Agreement on a monitoring mechanism for “special and differential treatment” would be useful. Though perhaps not in itself a major achievement, this would constitute a welcome confirmation that the development component of the Round is not sliding off the deck. Definitive implementation of the transparency/monitoring mechanism on regional trade agreements. This would be a strong signal that the WTO is developing its surveillance functions in this area. Considerable difficulties persist in the negotiations on fisheries subsidies. It seems highly unlikely that these could be resolved in time to deliver an agreement in December. One possibility may be to aim for a “standstill” arrangement so that existing levels of subsidies would not be increased pending an agreement. On trade and the environment, it should be possible to deliver on paragraphs 31(i) and (ii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration – the relationship between WTO rules and Multilateral Environmental Agreements including information exchange between the WTO and the Multilateral Environmental Agreements such as the Montreal Protocol. Desirable as it is, any agreement on reducing barriers to trade in environmental goods and services seems unlikely, since this is closely linked with negotiations on market access for industrial products. In trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS), the register of Geographical Indications for wines and spirits might be doable in isolation but linkages to the extension of additional protection to other Geographical Indications and to agriculture may prove to be a major complication. Overall, there is a reasonable prospect of constructing a respectable package, especially if trade facilitation and export competition can be included. Whether WTO members should have the gall to characterise any such agreements as “early harvest” is another question. In any case, the idea would be to activate the mechanism foreseen in the second sentence of paragraph 47 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration . Even if the eventual list were modest, it would be a positive contribution and a sign that Doha has not sunk. As regards the remaining issues – the great bulk of the Doha negotiations – members should once again recommit themselves to completion of the agenda as soon as possible. Iin practice, that is likely to be when the global economic and political climate is more conducive. While this might provoke yawns in some quarters, it is preferable to other alternatives such as formal suspension or attempting a fundamental reconfiguration, which could result in a complete unravelling. One might recall Winston Churchill’s frequently uttered response to repeated adversity – “we must just keep buggering on” (which he often shortened to the acronym “KBO”). Over the coming weeks and months, in my view, the WTO should not stop with a repair-and-wait strategy. While the non-negotiating functions of the WTO – usually described as dispute settlement and monitoring/surveillance – are in reasonably good shape, they are not sufficient in current circumstances, especially given the state of the Round, to convince sceptical outsiders that the organisation is as functional as it should be. If in 2012 (and possibly 2013) Doha is going to assume a lower profile, the opportunity should be taken to exploit some of the other strengths of the WTO that have fallen out of the limelight in recent years. Members could, for example, agree to reinvigorate and give higher priority to the deliberations of the regular councils and committees. These bodies were relatively vibrant in the period 1995 to 2000. Some still are, but others are no longer being as fully exploited. This might also offer an avenue to answer, to some extent, critics who argue that the WTO is locked in an outdated agenda and not addressing new areas of concern. Why should some of these “new” issues not be discussed in the regular (non-negotiating) machinery? This is already beginning to happen to some extent – for example the recent discussion in the working group on trade, debt and finance on the relationship between trade and exchange rates, and the agriculture committee’s discussions of food security. There are numerous other candidates for similar treatment, some controversial perhaps but others less so. Could relevant WTO bodies discuss some of the supply-chain issues frequently mentioned by businessmen? That might offer a welcome means of reconnecting the WTO with the business community. The Trade Policies Review Mechanism might also be overhauled. What has happened to the work programme on e-commerce? Discussion of current issues in the regular machinery might in some cases lead nowhere. In others, it could lead to some strategic thinking about the future shape of the multilateral trading system and prepare the ground for further developments. To summarise, it does not seem to be necessary to abandon the good ship Doha in order to start moving forward into as yet uncharted waters.

This study examines the intergenerational impacts of providing land to the rural poor. I use ID numbers to track applicants to the 1968 Colombian agrarian reform and their children in various administrative data. Exploiting discontinuities in the allocation of parcels, I find that the children of recipients exhibit higher intergenerational mobility. In contrast to the view that land would tie them to the countryside, today these children participate more in the modern economy. They have better living standards and are more likely to work in formal and high-skilled sectors. These findings appear driven by a relief of credit constraints that allowed recipients to migrate to urban centers and invest in the education of their children. This paper investigates the persistent impacts of colonial legal institutions (or Reales Audiencias) in Mexico. Using a spatial regression discontinuity design, I find that areas with stronger colonial law enforcement capacity have experienced higher economic prosperity after Independence. Consistent with a popular Latin American hypothesis, historical data suggests the formal legal system has been more widely used to resolve disputes and conflicts have been less prevalent. Today, citizens exhibit higher trust in the law and the state, indicating a crowding in of norms of rule following. I argue more secure property rights and contracts encouraged financial intermediation and industrialization in the long-run. This project uses discontinuities in the roll out of land titling policies to study the role of property rights in promoting rural development. I link information on more than two hundred thousand farmers living at the Colombian rural frontier in 1980s-1990s with contemporary administrative data. I estimate the causal impacts of receiving formal property rights and explore heterogeneous effects and theoretical mechanisms, including: risk of expropriation, gains from trade and support for financial markets. Finally, I also track the children of a subsample of farmers to characterize the geography of intergenerational mobility among formal and informal owners of land. We use the experience of Colombian paramilitary groups as a natural experiment to test and develop new hypotheses about the process of state building. In 2006, the majority of paramilitary groups, made up of hundreds of fronts, demobilized under the Transitional Justice System (Sistema de Justicia y Paz). There is a large variation in the way different fronts used violence, provided public goods, raised taxes, decentralized operations or developed bureaucratic organizations. For the past years we have been collecting front-level data and undertaking in depth fieldwork with one block, the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of the Middle Magdalena (ACMM), to study the state-like behavior of these groups.

Blog Should You Tell a Washington State Employer about Your Addiction Disorder? According to U.S. News & World Report, 76 percent of Americans with a drug or alcohol problem hold down a job. This can create a dilemma for addicted people who might be wondering if they should share their struggles with alcohol or drugs with their employer. What if they are about to enter Washington State drug rehab and are trying their best to get well? What about the people that need to take time off to get their life back together, but might be afraid it will ruin their career? This article discusses the pros and cons of telling an employer in Washington State about a substance abuse problem. What are some factors to consider? If you decide to let your employer know about your addiction, what might the consequences be? Where can you get answers to your questions about addiction treatment? The first thing to recognize is that your employer may already suspect there is a problem. The cycle of drug or alcohol addiction almost guarantees that subtle and not-so-subtle signs will create a red flag for employers and co-workers to notice. It is likely that a drop in productivity or the quality of your work may have already alerted employers to the issue. One of the most important parts of starting on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem in the first place. Sharing with your employer your desire to get better is an important step. Before having this difficult conversation, look closely at your company’s drug and alcohol policy, as well as any benefits they may make available to you. For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees that workers in companies with 50 or more employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a year to care for themselves or a loved one. Laws like FMLA help de-stigmatize mental and physical illnesses and protect people from discrimination. Before discussing Washington State drug rehab with an employer, find out your company policy and EAP or health benefits. Also, if your employer provides health insurance, review the coverage for Washington State drug rehab or any other benefits you may have. Many insurers will cover 30-60 days of treatment for substance abuse disorders. They may cover partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, or other forms of medical care or counseling of which you can take advantage. In larger companies, it may be helpful to sit down with a human resource (HR) or Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staffer to have a confidential conversation about your options under company policy and the law. Did you know EAPs were created specifically to help combat substance abuse in the workplace? These programs were put in place to help you, so consider them a resource. Once you are aware of the benefits available, have a candid discussion with your employer and talk with HR about mapping out a return-to-work-plan. These steps can help reinforce your courageous decision to seek treatment and begin the process of changing your life for the better.

Inventing new characters is a favourite pastime of mine. A young emperor’s son, a wise war general, a runaway, a secret agent. There’s just something incredible about crafting these brand new humans and giving them a story and a home and a voice. But then I sit down to write their story and I suddenly realise—how on earth am I going to write a battle-scarred war general realistically? Who am I kidding? I’m a teenage girl living in the 21st century, not a grown man from the 1300s. We could just forge ahead and try our best, but it’ll end with flat characters and stilted dialogue and action. But since no one is forthcoming with that TARDIS, what else can we do? When Tom Holland was cast as Peter Parker he’d never been to an American school, and only had personal experience with a boys-only, strict uniform school in London. So what did he do? He went (undercover) to a high school in New York City to find out what it felt like so he could bring a more realistic tone to his role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Viggo Mortensen—otherwise known as Aragorn, son of Arathorn—would camp outside under the stars, and take long hikes to filming locations, and keep his sword on hand as much as possible, all so he could be a more realistic and true Aragorn. Sure these guys are actors, but they both knew what they were doing. They made special effort to be their character in all ways they could even outside of the camera view. As writers, we should do no less. We need to put ourselves in our characters’ shoes as much as possible so we can understand them and write them more realistically. To imagine oneself in the situation or circumstances of another person, so as to understand or empathize with their perspective, opinion, or point of view. Before being quick to judge someone for their actions, you should always try to put yourself in their shoes. Even if we can’t time travel, we can still hop into our characters’ shoes in other ways. Like Viggo Mortensen, if you have a ranger-like character, you can go on hikes or out camping—bonus points if you do it in costume. Find out how it feels to be slogging through damp grass for a full day, the sun crawling past overhead and the road stretching ever before you. Find out how it feels to sleep outside with nothing but a thin cloak between you and the ground. Our job is our imagination. As the definition says, we have to try see from the character’s perspective, with knowledge of their past and personality and experiences. Delve deep into the story of the character. What are they like now? What happened in their past that made them this way? If I were like them, how would I view those around me? That battle hardened general might see everyone as naive or innocent. The runaway might see everyone as so much more lucky than he, maybe with regret, or maybe with envy. Imagine yourself as them and they will become so much more real to you. They’ll be a part of you in a little way, but unique and true to themselves still. When you can put yourself in the character’s shoes like this, they won’t just be more real to you, but consequently, they’ll be more real to the reader. Think of one of your best friends. You know a lot about them, you know a lot about their situation, their past, even the way they think. If you asked them “What would you do if you saw someone trapped on the other side of a burning room?” you might know them well enough to be able to guess their answer. Would they charge straight in to help? Would they call for someone else? Would they take the time to get some sort of safety plan before running in? That’s how it should be in with your characters. Look at situations from their point of view. You can practice all the time. Walking through the shops—what would Freddy be thinking about right now? What would Jason notice? What did Lucy come here to buy? Even small things like that help so much and it can get you into their head and into their shoes. To be a writer is to be an actor and director at the same time. You must be able to direct the overarching story, but also know each character intimately, as if you’re in costume on set and starring as every character. Ahh I hope it helps with remodeling your character! Definitely spend a lot of time with it. 😛 The more you can practice, the easier it will be. As soon as you’re finished, I’d love to borrow that TARDIS too…..as well as a few other people I know!! But seriously, this was such a good post, Jane. Being an empath, it’s somewhat easy for me to put myself in characters shoes, but sometimes I need a stronger stimulus to get me into their heads. Seeing characters on TV, music, and images sometimes helps, but sometimes I just need to be in that situation to really make sense of it all. another great post! I enjoy getting into my characters minds, thinking like they do, trying to experience some things they do in my stories. it’s a lot of fun! Thanks! I do too—it’s a heap of fun to explore their personalities. While I can’t say I have much experience wielding magic like some of my characters (although I wish I could!), I find acting out scenes as my characters, privately, really helps me put myself in their shoes. It allows me to realise how they use their bodies as they talk, as well as what they would say, even though I must look crazy doing it, haha! To answer your question, one of the ways I get into my character’s shoes is to pretend to be them, and walk around the room, and talk like them.

Middlesbrough, on the south bank of the Tees estuary, was a small fishing village of 40 people before a group of Quakers, including Joseph Pease and Joseph Gurney, associated with the Stockton & Darlington Railway, decided to turn it into a town in 1829. The original purpose of the railway was to convey coal from Auckland to the River Tees at Stockton. However, the depth of water proved insufficient for large vessels so it was decided to find a site for a better port down the river. Pease and his friends paid £35,000 for the 520 acre site and the Stockton & Darlington opened a line to it in 1830. The census carried out in 1831 showed the population had reached 383 but ten years later this had risen to 5,709. John Vaughan and a German entrepreneur, F. W. Bolckow, opened an ironworks in Middlesbrough in 1840. The discovery of workable ironstone in the nearby Eston Hills in 1851 helped their business expand. In 1879 the company became the first to make use of the new Bessemer steel-making method. In 1856 the South Durham & Lancashire Railway opened. High grade ironstone from Furness was now brought across the Pennines to Middlesbrough. This was a profitable railway line and in 1877 a new impressive gothic station was built in the town. The Stockton & Darlington Railway was taken over by the North Eastern Railway in 1849. They also purchased the dock area and an improvement in its facilities was finished in 1874. These developments stimulated economic growth and by 1881 the population of Middlesbrough had reached 56,000.

The Austria/Slovenia hub of FuturICT is constituted as a regional support team for the Flagship proposal. It involves a number of groups and institutions in the areas of ICT, Complexity Science and quantitative social science. In its constitutional meeting on July 1, 2011 it was stressed that the identification of concrete research visions on a regional level must be a primary goal at this stage, preferably in a bottom up manner. FuturICT Austria/Slovenia will play the coordination role for potential funding distributed within the region through FuturICT, including the handling of reporting, validation, call writing etc. It will represent the regional interests within the appropriate international steering committees of FuturICT. We identify the following specific strengths in the Austrian/Slovenian research landscape that directly relate to the aims and goals of FuturICT. Modern ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has developed a vision where the "computer" is no longer associated with the concept of a single device or a network of devices, but rather the entirety of situative services originating in a digital world, which are perceived through the physical world. It is expected that services with explicit user input and output will be replaced by a computing landscape sensing the physical world via a huge variety of sensors, and controlling it via a plethora of actuators. The nature and appearance of computing devices will change to be hidden in the fabric of everyday life, invisibly networked, and omnipresent. Applications and services will have to be greatly based on the notions of context and knowledge, and will have to cope with highly dynamic environments and changing resources. "Context" refers to any information describing the situation of an entity, like a person, a thing or a place. "Knowledge" refers to the memorized experience items aggregated across individuals in a society, like fact items, problem solving competencies or procedural knowledge. Interaction with such ICT rich environments will presumably be more implicit, at the periphery of human attention, rather than explicit, i.e. at the focus of attention. Socially Aware ICT (JKU/OFAI) A yet underexplored impact of modern ICT (like e.g. pervasive and ubiquitous computing) relates to services exploiting the "social context" of individuals towards the provision of quality-of-life technologies that aim at the wellbeing of individuals and the welfare of societies. This position paper therefore is concerned with the intersection of social behavior and modern ICT, creating or recreating social conventions and social contexts through the use of pervasive, omnipresent and participative technologies. An explosive growth of social computing applications such as blogs, email, instant messaging, social networking (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.), wikis and social bookmarking is observed, profoundly impacting social behavior and life style of human beings while at the same time pushing the boundaries of ICT simultaneously. We aim to investigate interface technologies for one important phenomenon in humans, namely that of "social awareness". We aim at providing human environment interfaces, which allow individuals and groups to sense, explore and understand their social context. Socio-Emotional Processes (OFAI) The study of collective emotional processes in Internet-based interactions provides rich evidence of their influence on the creation, formation and breaking up of online communities. The growing impact of these spontaneously evolving online communities -- in which emotional factors often play a crucial role, affecting events in the offline world and influencing opinion formation processes -- is widely acknowledged. Especially, the last years provided numerous examples of their eminence in the fields of politics, sports, entertainment, culture, economics and on tight coupling between collective emotions expressed in the Internet and their impact on the events reaching far beyond the online world. Thus it is indispensable for the creation of socially intelligent systems to go far beyond the current state-of-the-art and to be able to detect and categorize a complex set of semantic, pragmatic, stylistic and sentiment oriented dimensions of messages representing and predicting the complex behavior of users in the Internet, the process of formation of collective emotions and their multifaceted impact on user preferences, decisions and actions in the online and offline world. Socially Adaptive Interactive Tools significantly contribute to the creation of sustainable, socio-inspired ICT systems that socially adapt to users, their respective context, and to individual and collective needs. Socio-Technical Fabric (JKU) Ensembles of digital artifacts (appliances, tools and everyday objects with integrated electronics and communication capabilities) as compounds of huge numbers constitute a future generation of socially interactive ICT, to which we refer to as Socio-Technical Fabric, weaving social and technological phenomena into the 'fabric of technology-rich societies'. Indications of evidence for such large scale, complex, technology rich societal settings are facts like 1012 -1013 "things" or "goods" being traded in (electronic) markets today, 109 personal computer nodes and 109 mobile phones on the internet, 108 cars or 108 digital cameras with sophisticated embedded electronics - even for internet access on the go etc. Today's megacities approach sizes of 107 citizens. Already today some 108 users are registered on Facebook, 108 videos have been uploaded to YouTube, like 107 music titles have been labeled on last.fm, etc. Our research is thus going away from single user or small user group ICT research issues, and is now heading more towards complex socio-technical systems, i.e. large scale to very large scale deployments of ICT and the respective societal concerns. Socio-Technical ICT Foundations (JKU/OFAI) Issues arising from the creation, development, deployment and use of ICT at the societal level spawn a whole new research space, demanding foundational underpinning right from the beginning. We refer to the ICT grounded on societal considerations as socio-inspired ICT. From both theoretical and technological perspectives, socio-inspired ICT moves beyond social information processing, towards emphasizing social intelligence. Among the challenges are issues of (i) modeling and analyzing social behavior facilitated with modern ICT, (ii) the provision access opportunities and participative technologies, (iii) the reality mining of societal change induced by omnipresent ICT, (iv) the establishment of social norm and individual respect, as well as (v) the means of collective choice and society controlled welfare, e.g. by capturing human social dynamics, and by creating artificial social agents and generating and managing actionable social knowledge. Self-organizing networked embedded systems (KLA) are an important enabler for building large complex embedded systems, which are robust, scalable, and adaptive. The general economic advantages of such an approach will be shorter-time-to-market, reduced system cost, and lower maintenance cost. Such systems will penetrate society via different applications based on basic research results on complex and self-organizing systems. Examples are algorithms for coordinating robots (cooperative search missions for micro-copters, surveillance tasks, carpet cleaning robots) and self-organizing algorithms for robust sensor networks (e.g. air quality monitoring, water monitoring, structural health monitoring, health monitoring, agricultural environment monitoring, energy efficiency monitoring, mine monitoring). Smart Grid (KLA). The transformation of our energy system to a complex interacting system of all users (generators and consumers) promises a more efficient and robust provision of energy. To optimize the operation of the system, all its users (generators and consumers) will be integrated into a smart grid, where local interactions support balancing energy consumption and production based on demand and availability. Therefore, it is necessary to define interaction protocols, predict network effects and elaborate a model of the users' behavior. This topic connects traditional engineering research with complex systems and social systems. How to generate and make accessible as Linked Data ("triplify") data from heterogeneous information sources, e.g. sensors, databases, textual content, media content? How to extract "social information", e.g. sentiments, interactions between people? How to track the provenance of data, i.e. from which sources does the data come from on which decisions are based, how reliable are these sources? How reliable will the derived information be based on the reliability of the source datasets? This work is complemented with OFAI's longstanding expertise in the development and application of natural language processing and understanding tools being employed for ontology creation and population, as well as for quality and reliabiltiy assessment. How to ensure trust in data, e.g. via digital signatures, approved datasets, networks of trust, reputation systems? How to process and publish highly distributed real-time data, e.g. sensor data, as Linked Data (which is currently mostly static)? How to deal with inconsistencies and errors in the data sets and their transmissions, e.g. how to keep the error small in case some sources are unreliable or temporarily unavailable? Complexity in the Social Sciences - the macro-micro-macro link complexity and complexity science have become widely accepted frameworks because they provide concepts needed to investigate and understand systems composed from heterogeneous and interacting entities. Often systems are considered complex if some degree of unintended order is achieved as the result of interaction. In contrast to neoclassical concepts relying on an invisible hand ensuring that social systems converge toward a stable equilibrium, complexity science is the science of out-of-equilibrium systems. It takes into account individual and possibly conflicting goals and intentions and explains emergent properties arising from local interactions rather than well-advised interventions of a central planner. It is often criticised that social sciences suffer from a poor level of precision in the theoretical construction and a statistical modeling that is insufficiently theory-driven. Partially this is due to the inadequateness of the methodological toolbox to answer relevant questions. Empirical approaches typically assume a constant association of cause and effect. In real social systems information is transmitted via social networks imposing spatial and temporal constraints on social interactions. Individual behavioural decisions are the outcome of interactions with the partner, friends, colleagues and relatives. The social structure determines the timing and the topology of interpersonal communication and the institutional structure determines the non-personal environment. The institutional structure mostly limits the individuals' ability, feasibility and acceptability to pursue a certain type of behaviour. The inclusion of agent based modelling and systematic and comparative investigations offers new possibilities to develop cognitive valid behavioural theories and to speculate on the consequences of alterative micro-macro feedbacks in order to explain observed patterns. Modeling complex innovation systems (AIT/F&PD) The link between innovation in organizations and the performance of economies is a major unresolved issue in innovation economics. To address the issue, we will develop and implement an agent-based model of innovation that can serve as a computational laboratory for simulating innovation arising from knowledge production and exchange processes. The model will comprise both theoretical underpinnings - from knowledge economics, industrial economics, and social networks - and solid empirical validation to ensure applicability to specific sectoral and spatial contexts. Self-organization in oligopolistic (technology) markets shaping environmental innovation trajectories (AIT/F&PD) It is difficult to predict technology development and innovation in an oligopolistic market setting. The interdependence of decisions of the key market players usually leads to complex game-theoretic situations that have ambiguous outcomes. Agent-based modeling is one way to analyze such oligopolistic systems. We will apply agent based modeling to the field of environmental technologies. The research question is how oligopolistic settings shape the trajectories of environmental innovation processes, particularly focusing on critical bifurcation points and lock-ins that are suboptimal regarding the eventual effects on the natural environment. Analyses of the systemic feedback from self-organizing entities on infrastructure (AIT/F&PD) Interactive simulation has been used to support analyses of feedback-driven systemic changes. Using the concept of multi-agent system modeling combined with an interactive stakeholder involvement, we will explore the systemic feedback on infrastructure. These analyses will be established on different time and spatial resolutions accounting for the spatial as well as the time-dependent constraints shaping the system behavior. We will include analyses of spatio-temporal access patterns of selected infrastructure facilities, including transportation hubs (railway stations, airports …), shopping areas and recreation areas, applying analyses on GSM mobile device tracking data for spatial movement behavior to access those infrastructures. Investigating the dynamics of European R&D networks (AIT/F&PD) Research & Development (R&D) networks are widely considered to be crucial elements for successful innovation, and, thereby, for the economic competitiveness of organizations, regions and countries. Thus, the analysis of the dynamics of R&D networks is of central importance for enhancing our understanding on how such networks modify knowledge diffusion in complex innovation systems. For the European case, recent empirical studies have considered the evolution of R&D networks by focusing on their structure at different points in time. An extension to include richer dynamics may significantly further our understanding, providing into the evolution of R&D networks structures insight at the micro- and the macro levels. We will use systematic information from the EUPRO database, constructed and maintained by AIT, to capture the large-scale pan-European network of actors performing joint R&D. We will employ methods from (spatial) econometrics, including dynamic spatial panel data models, as well as methods from the statistical physics of complex networks, developing these further as necessary for the investigation of European R&D network dynamics. Complexity of social interactions (TU Wien) During the last decade a new sub-discipline of socio-economics has been developed which avoids the core paradigm of equilibrium theory and market forces. Nobody´s initiation into some good or bad habit is created in a Robinson Crusoe manner rather than by social interactions. The individual addiction to consume alcohol, to smoke, to use illicit drugs etc. crucially depends on the prevalence in a reference group. In a nutshell, social interactions mean that the individual behavior is strongly influenced by the macro-level (compare Tom Schelling´s crucial idea of micro-motives and macro-behavior). While it is well known that the inherent non-linearities of such socio-economic interactions generate complex behavior, including multiple equilibra, persistent limit cycles and chaos, further research is needed in the creation and solution of economic models. In particular, the economics of crime, and, more generally, of "deviant" behavior provides a field of applications par excellence. To mention only a few key topics: corruption, illicit drug consumption, violence, counter-terrorism etc. Systemic risk in economic systems (MUV) Starting on a decade background in agent based modeling and experience with institutions and policy makers, we design regulation mechanisms for financial markets. Aim is to increase systemic stability within an ever-evolving system. These models are based on new developments of co-evolutionary dynamics and fed with massive data from the real economy, the later posing nontrivial ICT issues. Artificial worlds - understanding collective socio-economic behavior (MUV) Human collective behavior is poorly understood. In particular experimental data on a multi-relational level is hardly available. Our aim is to use complete information of human (artificial) societies such as available in massive multiplayer online games to experimentally understand human behavior, herding behavior in particular. We plan to design role playing games as large scale human behavior laboratories. We aim to understand the minimum multi-relational data structures, necessary to make testable predictions in real world societies. Collecting behavioral electronic fingerprints poses highly non-trivial ICT challenges. Multi-relational data analysis in mass-health issues (MUV) Western public health systems become increasingly expensive, some even non-financeable. The availability of almost complete nation-wide data records of all medical treatments allows for systemic efficiency analysis which allows to base strategic decisions on fully rational and transparent grounds. These datasets further allow to design early warning and trend identification systems in public health, improving institutional preparedness to act. These analyses rest heavily on recent developments in network theory of time-varying graphs, community detection in particular. Theory of Complex Adaptive Systems (MUV) We continuously work on methodological progress of quantitatively understanding complex adaptive systems, especially the statistics of correlated and strongly interacting systems, network theory and multi-relational analysis. Evolution of complex systems (KLA, MUV) In order to design complex systems, we employ evolutionary algorithms to find the micro-behavior rules, which lead the overall system to the intended macro behavior. This approach is especially important for future networked systems, which are becoming more and more complex, leading to a breakdown of traditional methods for design, implementation and maintenance. Complex network dynamics driven by node and link properties (AIT/F&PD) The last decade has witnessed tremendous advances in understanding the structure and dynamics of networks, deducing important system properties based purely on the relations encoded in the network links. We anticipate that the next decade will manifest an equally great focus on the impact of characteristics of the system elements corresponding to the network nodes and links, with interest in both how those characteristics evince dynamic changes in the network structure and how relations in the network influence the system constituents. We will explore the interplay of node and link properties with dynamical changes in the network structure, with particular focus on development of the network community structure and of those nodes providing a unifying global backbone to the network. This will be applied to understanding politically induced changes in European collaboration networks. Predictive identification of emerging areas in knowledge markets (AIT/F&PD) The accelerating pace at which knowledge is created, accumulated, and spread has profoundly intensified the dynamics of scientific and technological progress in knowledge markets. Showing strong competition and interdependencies as well as "knowledge spillovers," the identification and monitoring of new growth opportunities for entering knowledge markets has become increasingly complex through a richly heterogeneous landscape of many institutions and through the continuous adjustment of actors to changing markets conditions. To this end, we will develop new information-theoretic methods for "digital foot-printing" and time-dependent visualization with limited or no evidence for the evaluation of emerging areas. We build upon a hybrid approach of both semantic clustering techniques and generalized relational maps between "co-occurrences" based on historical, contemporary, and simulated future data for respective data categories of input, output, or outcome in knowledge markets. Ultimately, this will directly contribute to illuminating characteristic routes to emerging areas and foster analyzing and discussing institutions, technologies, and social regulations that can facilitate the efficient production and use of knowledge. The Austria/Slovenia region finds itself in an ideal starting position for the intended FuturICT initiative due to a number of leading scientists and institutions with long standing traditions in complexity science, ICT and related fields. A particular strength is the diversity of research issues and at the same time the connectedness of scientists. There exist countless examples of scientific co-operations between the supporting institutions and the expressed willingness to grow together on project oriented science questions. A specialty of the Austria/Slovenia support team is the mix of academic (Medical University of Vienna, Josef Stefan Institute, University of Vienna, JKU, …), policy oriented (IIASA, Salzburg Research, …) and institutions with a strong focus on applications (JKU, Lakeside Labs …). There exist two supercomputing facilities which could be interested in supporting the initiative (TO CONTACT). Medical University of Vienna One of the world's leading medical universities. MedUni Vienna is a state-of-the-art research organization with historic track record of more than 600 years. Inter-disciplinary and transnational research are taken seriously by MedUni Vienna. International competition in relation to medical research and the development of innovative solutions to issues relevant to society are among MedUni Vienna's core priorities. In 2009 the MedUni Vienna has created a chair for Science of Complex Systems, which focuses not only on systems biology related issues but engages in a strong commitment to understanding human collective behavior. IIASA Since 1972 the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) has contributed to finding solutions to global problems by conducting independent and interdisciplinary systems analysis across a wide spectrum of environmental, social, technological, and economic issues. Entering the second decade of the twenty-first century, it must focus its research on the major global challenges, identify science-based policy solutions, respond to the interests of a broader membership, and compete and collaborate with new research organizations that have been set up to study global problems. IIASAs ambitious vision, for the next ten years include IIASA will be the world leader in systems analysis to find solutions to global problems for the benefit of humankind by providing insights and guidance to policymakers worldwide by finding solutions to global and universal problems through applied systems analysis in order to improve human and social wellbeing and to protect the environment. Science-based systems analysis at IIASA is based on the best research, databases, and analytical tools to provide the strongest possible foundation for modeling and analysis. IIASA's unique position as an international body that is independent of governments, commercial organizations, and other interest groups allows it to conduct research that is unconstrained by political or commercial vested interests. The three focal areas of IIASA are food and water, energy and climate change, and poverty and equity. IIASA was listed among the top 10 science think-tanks world wide. The Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (OFAI) is a non-profit research organization founded in 1984 with support from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research. Based in Vienna, OFAI has achieved international renown in several areas of artificial intelligence including natural language processing, data mining, intelligent music processing, agent-based systems and machine learning. OFAI is firmly established in the European research community as partner in and coordinator of numerous European research projects from FP4 to FP7and as member of several European Networks of Excellence (NoEs) including the European NoE in Human Language Technologies (ELSNET), the Network for Computational Logics (COMPULOG-Net), the NoE in Machine Learning (MLNet), the NoE in Inductive Logic Programming (ILPnet/ILPnet2), the NoE for Research on Emotions and Human-Machine Interaction (HUMAINE), the AgentLink III Co-ordination Action, the NoE for the Advancement of Artificial Cognitive Systems, Interaction and Robotics (EUCog). In addition to its scientific excellence, OFAI is a sought-after partner for enterprises, in particular SMEs, in bringing leading edge research to application solutions. Johannes Kepler University, Linz The Institute for Pervasive Computing (at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, JKU) is among the first research institutions worldwide to address the research issues arising from networked embedded systems being integrated into objects and environments of everyday life systematically and from different angles of perspective. Headed by Alois Ferscha since his start at the JKU in the year 2000, now more than 15 permanent researchers contribute to the lines of research at the department, ranging from Networked Embedded Systems and Architectures (pervasive, mobile, ubiquitous and wearable computing; autonomic computing and wireless embedded systems; ambient intelligence), to Coordination and Interaction (coordination models; cooperative and opportunistic sensing, goal oriented cooperative systems, ensembles of digital artifacts and "networks of things"; implicit and explicit interaction, spontaneous interaction; self-organization and self-management), to Distributed and Embedded Systems Software (programming paradigms, OO distributed software models, component technologies/frameworks, service oriented architectures, multi-agent systems, and embedded and real-time software) and Parallel and Distributed (Interactive) Simulations (parallel/distributed discrete event simulation, distributed interactive simulation, web-based simulation, real-time simulation, simulation-aided multiuser environments). The department has also focused research activities within the Pervasive Computing domain aligned along Awareness (identity management, localization and positioning, tagging, tracking and authentication), Intelligence (machine learning and pattern recognition, reasoning and planning), Appliances ("smart things", "smart environments", tangible interaction, wearable computers), Natural Interfaces (multimodal interaction, gestural interaction, haptics, olfactory interaction) and Software Architecture (middleware, service management, coordination architectures). The Institute with its core competencies and organizational bodies (IPC, RIPE, RSA PCA) has always implemented a "Pipeline of Innovation" from academic research to industrial applications. The research initiative of the department has lead to a consolidated research program also at the level of the whole University - the "Exzellenzinititative Pervasive Computing" (under the leadership of A. Ferscha). By pooling the competencies of about 12 departments at the Science and Engineering school, as for instance system theory and signal processing, integrated circuits (micro-processor techniques), system and software engineering, formal languages and compiler implementation, data analysis and biometrics, network engineering, communication and distributed systems, tele-media and tele-cooperation, computer graphics, augmented reality, knowledge-based systems, and information systems, an important step was set towards the development and establishment of an international scientific theme leadership. The Institute for Pervasive Computing is well interwoven with international EU funded projects (FET FP7: SAPERE, HC2, PANORAMA, SOCIONICAL, OPPORTUNITY; and FP6 BeyondTheHorizon, InterLink, CRUISE) and national (funded projects SPECTACLES, PowerSaver, WirelessCampus, MobiLearn) research, but also tight cooperations with industrial stakeholders (SIEMENS Project FACT, IBM Project VRIO). A. Ferscha is an active consultant for FET strategic programs (FP7) of the European Commission, on several Scientific Boards in Pervasive Computing, developer of the 1st International Master Program "Pervasive Computing" at JKU. He has raised € 11 Mio funds during 2002 - 2010. University of Klagenfurt is the prominent education and research institution in the southernmost Austrian state Carinthia. The university is situated on a campus in the Wörthersee region of Klagenfurt. It hosts four faculties: (1) Humanities and Social Sciences, (2) Management and Economics, (3) Interdisciplinary Studies and Continuing Education and (4) Technical Sciences. Among its research portfolio the University has defined "Self-Organizing Systems" as a strategic and interdisciplinary research topic, which will target complex systems from the view of ICT, social and economics. In the technical domain, University Klagenfurt cooperates closely with Lakeside Labs. Current projects in the complex systems domain cover design methods for self-organizing systems, bio-inspired synchronization algorithms, collaborative micro-drones, smart sensor networks, disaster management, energy management and social ecology. Lakeside Labs, Klagenfurt is a cluster for science, technology, and innovation in the area of information and communication technology. The focus lies on the topic of self-organizing networked systems. The Lakeside Labs have been founded in 2007 by an initiative of the University of Klagenfurt and the Kärntner Wirtschafts Förderungsfonds (KWF). The company Lakeside Labs GmbH, which was founded 2008, acts as the link between the University of Klagenfurt, other universities, research institutes, and industrial companies. It offers space for creative ideas, high-quality research on an international level, and industry-related application-oriented projects. Lakeside Labs currently funds an international team of 45 scientists, project managers, and assistants. In particular, current projects cover design methods for self-organizing systems, bio-inspired synchronization algorithms, collaborative micro-drones, smart sensor networks and disaster management. Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana. The Jožef Stefan Institute is the leading Slovenian scientific research institute, covering a broad spectrum of basic and applied research. The subjects concern production and control technologies, communication and computer technologies, knowledge technologies, biotechnologies, new materials, environmental technologies, nanotechnologies, and nuclear engineering. The mission of the JSI is the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge at the frontiers of natural science and technology to the benefit of society at large through the pursuit of education, learning, research, and development of high technology at the highest international levels of excellence. The JSI has a played a leading role in network theory and applications in many social and behavioral areas. Austrian Academy of Science: Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital. The VID strives for the combination of scientific excellence with proactive relevance in analyzing and projecting demographic trends and in evaluating the social and economic consequences of population ageing. Thus the VID combines innovative methodological work with empirical analysis and communication of scientifically based insights. It gives special attention to the demography of Austria and to European comparative analysis. The Institute is embedded in the structure of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The VID is one of three pillars (VID, World Population Program of IIASA, and WU - Vienna University of Economics) of the newly founded Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital which aims at merging the existing strengths in the Vienna area in the fields of demography, human capital formation and analysis of the returns to education in order to establish a globally leading centre in this field. The main goal of the Centre is to improve the analytical toolbox and the empirical data base for our understanding of the role of human capital (people and their changing structure by age, gender, place of residence, level of education, health status and cognitive skills) vis à vis financial and natural capital in our strive for sustainable development. Vienna University of Technology: Institute of Mathematical Methods in Economics Research Group ORCOS. The Research Unit for Operations Research and Control Systems of the Institute for Mathematical Methods in Economics at the Vienna University of Technology is highly qualified for conducting the research in non-linear dynamic economic models. The research unit includes a small but highly skilled group of scholars experienced in optimal control problems. This is attested by many publications in highly ranked journals and books. Furthermore, the group has organized ten Viennese workshops in Optimal Control, Dynamic Games and Nonlinear Dynamical Systems during the past twenty years as well as two workshops on Dynamic Drug Policy in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. We also hosted two workshops on the mathematics of public security and four Viennese vintage workshops. Research topics include optimal control of ODE-systems, dynamic optimization of heterogeneous systems, control models with hybrid dynamics, delays, stochastic inputs, differential games, discrete optimization. The list of applications covers optimal prevention, treatment and law enforcement of illicit drug epidemics, dynamic models for public security, hybrid control models in economics, endogenous growth in heterogeneous economies, global warming, emission restrictions, and behavior of economic agents, contagious and evolutionary phenomena in heterogeneous populations. Health economics: life-cycle dynamic optimization models regarding health care and retirement, control of demographic parameters of fixed-size populations. Current externally funded projects include: dynamics and control of age structured populations with fixed size, agglomeration processes in ageing societies, multi-stage modeling of market disruptions, endogenous heterogeneity and periodicity in dynamic optimization problems, modeling and control of contagious phenomena in heterogeneous populations. Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft is the non-profit research organization of the State of Salzburg, Austria. It conducts applied research in the areas of information and communication technologies with a focus on creating and managing digital content. Salzburg Research presently employs 55 researchers across four research areas. Salzburg Research has participated in many local, national and European projects, and a particular strength in interdisciplinary research, investigating not only technology, but also its socio-economic impacts. Contributions to the FuturICT FET Flagship are mainly provided by the following two research groups: First, the knowledge and media technologies group (KMT) working in the areas of social media, semantic technologies and media and content management with a considerable record track in all three areas. The vision of the group is to investigate and develop systems that connect these three areas and thus link people, content as well as data. Second, the Advanced Networking Centre (ANC), with its focus on planning, development and supervision of reliable networks, particularly stable Internet protocol networks. AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Foresight & Policy Development Department Foresight & Policy Development is one of five independent and performance-driven departments (Energy, Mobility, Health & Environment, Safety & Security, and Foresight & Policy Development) of the largest Austrian non-university research institution, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. The Foresight & Policy Development Department focuses on innovation and sustainability research concerning the grand challenges of the future, including resource scarcity, climate change, increasing complexity of social and natural systems, and globalization. F&PD uses its expertise for the sustainable development of regions, for designing innovative infrastructures, for the science-based assistance of RTI-policies, and for developing opportunities for business activities. The Foresight & Policy Development Department comprises three Business Units. The Business Units are specialized in the most important customer segments: Research, Technology & Innovation Policy; Regional and Infrastructure Policy; and Industry and Knowledge-based Services. Its forty-five employees come from different scientific disciplines and are members of numerous international research networks. Together with about 150 cooperation partners, the Department acts as an important think tank for both Austrian and European policy. It is a competence node for companies and an appreciated partner for universities.

Female soldiers who give birth within six months of returning from military deployment face twice the risk of having a preterm baby as other active-duty servicewomen, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found. The study, which examined 12,877 births to American soldiers from 2011-14, will be published online March 1 in the American Journal of Epidemiology. In total, 6.1 percent of births studied were premature, meaning the baby was born three or more weeks early. But among women who had recently returned from deployment, 11.7 percent of deliveries were premature. Women giving birth soon after deployment were, on average, younger than other military mothers, and with lower education and lower pay, the study found. "What's important is the timing of deployment," said lead author Jonathan Shaw, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine at Stanford. "Pregnancies that overlapped with deployment or the period of returning home were much more likely to end in preterm birth, which has impacts not only on the health of the infant, but also on the mother and family." Premature birth can cause problems for the infant's vision, hearing, breathing and digestion, as well as lifelong developmental and learning disabilities. Families face financial and caregiving burdens associated with meeting the child's needs. Shaw and his colleagues used the Stanford Military Data Repository, which contains de-identified medical and administrative data on United States Army soldiers. They identified pregnant servicewomen in the database for whom at least a year of medical data prior to the birth was available. The study examined only spontaneous premature birth, excluding early deliveries that were planned by physicians to preserve the health of the mother or infant. "This database allows us to explore the universal issue of healthy mothers and babies, and also the pragmatic issue of how scientific insights can support our servicewomen and contribute to military readiness," said Lianne Kurina, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Stanford and senior author of the study. In their analysis, the scientists considered many factors thought to potentially affect the risk of premature birth. They compared women with zero, one, two and three or more lifetime deployments; looked at the timing of deployment in relation to the timing of birth; and examined whether having a current or past diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder influenced the risk of preterm delivery. Half of the women studied had been deployed at least once. The overall rate of premature birth, 6.1 percent, was lower than that within the general U.S. population, which was unsurprising given that soldiers have low rates of known prematurity risk factors, such as obesity and advanced maternal age. The team found that having recently returned from deployment was strongly associated with a higher risk of preterm delivery, regardless of how many times the mother had been previously deployed. Women who gave birth within six months of returning home were twice as likely as mothers who had never been deployed to have a premature delivery, while women who gave birth seven or more months after returning from deployment faced no increase in prematurity risk. Among those who had recently returned, more lifetime deployments were linked to an increased risk of premature delivery: Recently returned soldiers were 1.6 times more likely, 2.7 times more likely and 3.8 times more likely than never-deployed women to deliver early if they had a lifetime total of one, two, or three or more deployments, respectively. Of the women who gave birth within six months of returning from deployment, 74 percent were deployed in the period seven to 10 months before giving birth, suggesting that conception occurred during deployment in many cases. Pregnancy during deployment is considered a medical emergency, requiring immediate evacuation from the combat theater. "The concerns raised by these findings are heightened in the context of prior research documenting high rates of unintended pregnancy in the military and emerging evidence that the most reliable forms of contraception (long-acting reversible contraceptives) are underutilized in the Army, especially around the time of deployment," the authors wrote in the study's discussion. "This study shows that the time around deployment is a period during which we should empower our soldiers to prevent unintended pregnancies," Shaw said. In addition, these findings could be used to help counsel soldiers who plan to have children during their years of military service. "It's reassuring that deployment itself is not a risk factor for having a premature baby," Shaw said. But soldiers should know about the risks of becoming pregnant around the time they are deployed, he added. "We could tell them, 'It's a pretty stressful time; consider returning home and settling in for a few months before you add to your family.'" Other Stanford authors of the paper are postdoctoral scholar D. Alan Nelson, PhD; Kate Shaw, MD, clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology; and Ciaran Phibbs, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics.

Discontinuation of methimazole (MMI) during early pregnancy may be advisable for women with Graves’ disease, according to a Japanese study presented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association. After evaluation of about 1,000 outcomes of pregnancies complicated by Graves’ disease, researchers found that use of the antihyperthyroidism drug during the organogenesis period may increase the risk for embryopathy. These data are from an interim report on the POEM (Pregnancy Outcomes of Exposure to Methimazole) Study presented at the annual meeting. The researchers said a final report will be available in 2015 to clarify whether cessation of MMI during the first 4 or 5 gestational weeks is safe. “The significance of our study is that it is the first prospective study to show high incidence of MMI embryopathy. Its rate may be more than 1.5% to 2%,” said study investigator Naoko Arata, PhD, who is with the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo. The Japanese investigators conducted a prospective study of women with Graves’ disease who became pregnant. Since 2008, they have been comparing pregnancy outcomes among women who took any dose of MMI or propylthiouracil (PTU) during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The primary focus of this ongoing study is to determine whether the prevalence of MMI embryopathy (single or multiple existence of choanal atresia, esophageal atresia, aplasia cutis, umbilical defects or omphalocele) increases with MMI exposure in the first 12 gestational weeks. For this investigation, the MMI group included women with Graves’ disease who took any dose of MMI and/or PTU during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The PTU group included women who took any dose of PTU but not MMI during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The non-antithyroidal drug group was composed of women who did not take PTU or MMI during the first trimester. Once the fifth case of MMI-related anomalies was reported in 2011, the investigators decided an interim analysis of POEM should be performed. The investigators confirmed that, in the MMI group, there were five cases of MMI-related embryopathy in 85 live births, which was significantly higher than the general incidence of 0.1%. Interestingly, there were no cases of MMI-related embryopathy found among 121 live births in the PTU group and 83 in the non-antithyroidal group. “Of course, this result was very surprising. Preconception care is very important. Disease should be well-controlled before pregnancy and patients should understand about the risks and benefits of medication. The risk of methimazole embryopathy is higher than ever thought, and preconception care and counseling is extremely important,” Dr. Arata told Endocrinology Advisor. The study showed that among the five cases of MMI embryopathy, the exposure to MMI occurred during the whole pregnancy period. Henry Bush, MD, who is Chair of the Endocrinology Division at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, said this study confirms previously described birth defects in infants born to mothers exposed to MMI during the first trimester of pregnancy. For this reason the 2011 ATA/American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) guidelines recommend switching from MMI to PTU as soon as pregnancy is diagnosed, Dr. Bush said. Dr. Bush noted that this past year a Danish group2 also described birth defects in women exposed to PTU in early pregnancy. However, the defects occurred at a lower incidence and affected different regions of the body. “The net effect of these types of studies is likely to be a greater push for definitive therapy with thyroid surgery or radioiodine in women with Graves’ disease interested in becoming pregnant in the near future,” Dr. Bush told Endocrinology Advisor.

The main events of meiosis include prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. A cell in meiosis goes through two divisions, meiosis I and meiosis II, in which each division consists of the same stages to produce gametes or sexual reproduction cells. Tetrads, a connected grouping of chromatids, develop with the breakdown of DNA that occurs in prophase. In metaphase, genetic recombination and spindle formation occurs. During anaphase, the tetrads split apart into two pairs pulling to opposite sides of the cell. In telophase, the nuclear envelope holding the chromosomes forms to create a haploid. The process repeats again, but the two opposite sides with the chromosomes develop a cleavage furrow between the two pairs, and the one cell eventually divides into two cells.

In gongfu tea brewing, it is common to decant the tea from a teapot or gaiwan into a pitcher, also called a fair cup, gong dao bei, or chahai. This allows you to use a teacup that is smaller than your brewing vessel but not have to worry about your leaves over-steeping. This pitcher matches our green ruyao gaiwans and teapot, and has the same glaze that will crackle over time.

PANAMA CITY � The meaning of nia, celebrated on the fifth day of Kwanzaa, is �purpose.� One local civil right�s organization challenged attendees to find their purpose during an annual holiday ceremony. Community members joined the youth wing of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to celebrate the seven principals of Kwanzaa � unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith � often said in the native East African language of Swahili. Kwanzaa was founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 and is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan.1. �All of the Kwanzaa principals are for our day-to-day living,� Clark said, noting the Nguzo Saba, which means Seven Principals, are to be planted in individuals and applied collectively. Throughout her childhood, Brittney Jackson was taught to celebrate Kwanzaa. As an adult, she keeps the tradition going. During the libation part of the ceremony, water was poured into a plant to recognize efforts made by African and African-American ancestors in the struggle for freedom, democracy and equality. Seven red, black and green candles stood in the candle holder called a kinara at the front of the room. And next to the kinara was a framed picture of Nelson Mandela. The final pour of libation was in honor of the late South African leader and the incessant anti-apartheid resistance movement he led in his native land.

A primary word; 'night' (literally or figuratively). From G5442; a guarding or (concretely guard), the act, the parson; figuratively the place, the condition, or (specifically) the time (as a division of day or night), literally or figuratively. Apparently a primary word (compare 'door'); a portal or entrance (the opening or the closure, literally or figuratively). From G1537 and G0071; to lead forth. See commentary on Acts 5:17-23. _ _ by night — the same night. See commentary on Acts 5:17-25. (4) Angels are made servants of the servants of God. Acts 12:7-11 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon [him], and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from [his] hands. ... And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and [from] all the expectation of the people of the Jews. Psalms 105:17-20 He sent a man before them, [even] Joseph, [who] was sold for a servant: ... The king sent and loosed him; [even] the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

As of 2007, % of babies born with birth defects remains at 7.8%. Significance of Indicator: Birth defects are associated with poor child outcomes, ranging from health and learning problems to death. Although many birth defects are due to unknown causes, some can be prevented with adequate maternal care, beginning with preconception and continuing through pregnancy. How we are doing on this Indicator: From 2002 to 2007, the percentage of babies born at a low birth weight has increased by nearly 1%. The most recent data for this indicator is from 2007, with low birth weight remaining at 7.8% from 2005. Definition: The annual number of children in Travis County with any monitored birth defects. United Way for Greater Austin- Success By 6 program's goal is for all Central Texas children to enter kindergarten happy, healthy, and ready for school success. The program focuses on three central strategies: Family Support, Quality Child Care, and Social Emotional Learning. Low birth weight is an indicator for the Family Support strategy. March of Dimes helps mothers have full-term pregnancies and researches the problems that threaten the health of babies. In Travis County, 40% of women in 2006 received late or no prenatal care. Definition: The percent of births to women who received no prenatal care, or care after the first trimester. Data Considerations: Texas introduced a new birth certificate in 2005, changing the categorization of the inadequate prenatal care data. Now, inadequate prenatal care is defined as receiving no prenatal care or only receiving prenatal care after the first trimester. Data from 2005 or later cannot be compared to earlier prenatal care data.

Anemia is a liver disease that affects both humans and dogs. There are several types of anemia, each with its particular characteristics and respective treatments. Autoimmune Hemolytic anemia affects dogs and is related to the immune system. This disease attacks and eradicates red blood cells in the body. If your dog is suffering from hemolytic anemia or is showing symptoms take a look at our article on hemolytic anemia in dogs, discussing what it is, its symptoms and treatment. What causes Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in dogs? Is there a cure for Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia? Canine Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) It is a type of anemia which is characterized by the early destruction of red blood cells that exist in the bloodstream. This destruction thus prevents these cells from functioning properly. These red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, however once released, are eradicated and therefore cannot provide their needed function. This is a rare but serious disease which requires a lot of care. If not treated, it can lead to death. Inheritance: like many other diseases, hemolytic anemia in dogs occur due to genetic inheritance. Symptoms in this case may show from birth or can appear later in life. Infections: this is when anemia is caused by bacteria and microorganisms that attack the red blood cells. Infections can also occur due to a wound or internal bleeding. Drug injuries: anemia can also occur as a side-effect of the ingestion of specific drugs or chemical agents. Excessive consumption of vitamin C: an uncontrolled consumption of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) can cause autoimmune hemolytic anemia in dogs. Fatigue: it is one of the most significant characteristics of this disease. It happens because there is a decrease in the number of cells that send oxygen to the brain. Tachycardia (accelerated heart-rate): takes place because the heart tries to increase the amount of pulsations so that blood can reach the tissues and brain. As oxygen-sending cells are diminished, a dog's heart rhythm is accelerated to counteract this decrease. Jaundice: is a very frequent symptom in this type of anemia, since there is a significant increase in bilirubin levels. Bilirubin is a yellow compound found in bile and is formed by the destruction of red blood cells. Dark urine: dark urine occurs when there is an excess of bilirubin in the blood. Hypersplenism: refers to an increase in spleen activity. When the spleen is more active than normal, it destroys its red blood cells thereby preventing the transit of oxygen to a dog's body. If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, we suggest consulting your veterinarian immediately. If your dog is presenting the already mentioned symptoms, we recommend taking it to the vet immediately. A professional will be able to analyze the causes and diagnose the dog correctly. Diagnosing hemolytic anemia includes, performing a physical examination of pressure point analysis. This physical examination will also aid in detecting any sensitivity or inflammation in the spleen. A veterinarian will then perform a blood test, measuring both hemoglobin and reticulocyte levels. If necessary, they might perform other tests in order to rule out any other; pathologies, infections or diseases, which can be caused by infections. Early diagnosis is crucial in the survival for a dog suffering from hemolytic anemia. Blood transfusions: aims to rapidly increase the number of red blood cells in the body by replacing the cells destroyed by the disease. Corticosteroids: a type of hormone used to prevent the immune system from forming new antibodies. Antiparasitics: when hemolytic anemia is caused by infections or parasitic agents, it is common for the veterinarian to prescribe deworming medicine. This is done with the aim of eliminating possible bacteria and microorganisms that may be affecting the dog's health. Surgery: Surgery is usually a last resort treatment, used in desperate measures when other treatments haven't worked. Surgery is usually recommended when the spleen becomes frequently inflamed, therefore it becomes essential that it is removed. A cure for hemolytic anemia in dogs will depend on the main cause of its presence. Depending on the degree of the severity of the anemia, emergency measures to restore the number of red blood cells in the body will have to take place.Once treatment is done, a specialist will determine following treatment.

Medications: Your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the pain and swelling. Foam Roller Myofacial Release- A foam roller is used underneath the tight iliotibial band to loosen it. Although this is painful, it is one of the most useful stretches to relieve the tissues. Your doctor suggests you to ensure that your child wears appropriate shoes while running to prevent further damage to iliotibial band.

Leave keys when parking in outer space. Bizarre sounds from outer space. Spitzer Space Telescope's View of Galaxy Messier 101. My creation using a 2009 NASA image in the public domain. This website created with Webs, which I find intuitive to use. Find out why we need Obama to be President of Space on this video. He is already the leader of the free world. Maybe he'll put more money into NASA's budget. Here is an image of Obama for President of Space. I don't know who originally created it. What is space and what does it look like? Simplistic answer: Everything above the top of Earth's atmosphere. Generally space is considered anything about 100 km or 62 miles.

Calling local or national BBS systems offers an opportunity to expand your horizons, make new friends, and interact, sometimes anonymously, with scores of other users. Going online can release your inhibitions, allowing you to take on a new personality and express yourself more freely. This has some real benefits, but it can also lead to lapses of good taste you may later regret. Even the way you use the BBS itself can be a source of concern. Do the wrong thing, and you could cause a systems crash - an unforgivable sin. Many sysops find themselves agonizing over what takes place on their systems. They don't want to deny access to users who abuse privileges, but sometimes they have no other option. Recent libel lawsuits have held sysops responsible for their users' actions. Fortunately, it's easy to avoid the most common online faux pas. Here's a set of basic modern manners that will make you welcome on any BBS. When leaving messages, public or private, on a BBS, use the same language you would use face-to-face with a friend. Obscenities are strictly bush league; there's always a better way to make your point. Similarly, avoid personal attacks against other users. It's OK to disagree with another user, but don't resort to name-calling or flaming others in your messages. Watch your private E-mail messages, too. Most BBS software doesn't allow complete privacy. Chances are the sysop can read all messages left on the system. Most sysops don't do this, but keep your E-mail within the bounds of decency. Keep your hormones in check as well. Sexual harassment in E-mail messages is an all-too-common problem in the BBS community. If you've ever wondered why there are so few women online, this is a major reason. Most systems have an unpopular member or two who use the message areas as forums for interminable diatribes on religious or political issues. Don't be tempted into responding - it only encourages them. Avoid sloppy spelling, grammar, and punctuation in online messages, too. Take the time to write clear, readable messages. Remember that you're putting your words on hundreds of computer screens. The sysop is the ruler of the BBS domain. In most cases, the BBS is an expensive and time-consuming hobby. Developing a good relationship with the sysop just makes good sense. Every BBS has a set of rules, which are usually spelled out in a bulletin somewhere on the system. In most cases, these rules make sense and are easy to follow. Break them regularly, and you may find yourself without access. The first time you call most systems, even those that allow nicknames (or "handles"), you'll be asked for your name and phone number. Don't give false information; the sysop will find out and deny you access to the BBS. Take the time to read bulletins and help screens on the system. Not only will this eliminate confusion. but it will also help you get more from your time online. Before sending a message to the sysop asking for help, try solving problems yourself. If you do need to ask for help with a problem, be sure to give all the details. Tell the sysop what communications program you're using and describe the problem completely, including any messages you saw on the screen. Simply saying I can't download any files isn't enough. When using a system's message tools, you have an opportunity to help the sysop. After you've read messages addressed to yourself, especially private ones, delete them. When it's time to hang up, always use the good-bye command in the BBS's menu. Using your communication program's hang-up command could crash the BBS software. Take a moment now and then to let the sysop know that you appreciate having access to the BBS. Exchanging public domain and shareware programs and files is the most popular BBS activity. Here, too, good BBS manners are important. When downloading files, don't abort the process unnecessarily. If you must stop a transfer in progress, use your software's command to end the transfer and then use the BBS's command (usually Ctrl-X) to signal the canceled transfer. Dropping the connection with your software's hang-up command could cause a fatal crash. Let the sysop know if there's a problem with a file you've downloaded. It's impossible for most sysops to run every piece of software uploaded. If you like a program, post a review on the BBS as a public message. Before uploading a file, make sure the program you're going to upload is recent and not already available on the BBS. Upload only those files you've tested and found useful. Above all, never, never upload a commercial program. In a number of cases, sysops have been prosecuted for software piracy after a user has uploaded a commercial program. If you're not sure of a file, keep it off the phone lines. Also, before uploading any program, use one of the many virus-detection programs, like Scan, to make sure you aren't accidentally passing along an infected file.

The Low Countries is the coastal region of north western Europe, consisting especially of Belgium and the Netherlands, and the low-lying Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. Much of the land is at or below sea level. Historically the term "low countries" was purely geographical and implied all land downstream the big rivers including parts of modern day northern France and western Germany, but today the term is typically fitted to modern political boundaries and used in the same way as the term "Benelux", which includes Luxembourg. The region politically had its origins in Middle Francia, more precisely its northern part which became the Duchy of Lower Lotharingia. After the disintegration of Lower Lotharingia, the Low Countries were brought under the rule of various lordships until came to be in the hands of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy. Hence, a large part of the low countries came to be referred to as the Burgundian Netherlands also called the Seventeen Provinces up to 1581. Even after the political secession of the autonomous Dutch Republic (or "United Provinces") in the north, the term "low countries" continued to be used to refer collectively to the region. The region was temporarily united politically between 1815 and 1839, as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, before this split into the three modern countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In English, the plural form Netherlands is used for the present-day country, but in Dutch that plural has been dropped; one can thus distinguish between the older, larger Netherlands and the current country. So Nederland (singular) is used for the modern nation and de Nederlanden (plural) for the domains of Charles V. The low countries were part of the Roman provinces of Belgica, Germania Inferior and Germania Superior. They were inhabited by Belgic tribes, before these were replaced by Germanic tribes in the 4th and 5th century. They were governed by the ruling Merovingian dynasty. By the end of the 8th century, the Low Countries formed a part of Francia and the Merovingians were replaced by the Carolingian dynasty. In 800 the Pope crowned and appointed Charlemagne Emperor of the re-established Roman Empire. After the death of Charlemagne, Francia was divided in three parts among his three grandsons. The Low Countries became part of Middle Francia, which was ruled by Lothair I. After the death of Lothair, the Low Countries were coveted by the rulers of both West Francia and East Francia. Each tried to swallow the region and to merge it with their spheres of influence. Thus, the Low Countries consisted of fiefs whose sovereignty resided with either the Kingdom of France or the Holy Roman Empire. The further history of the Low Countries can be seen as a continual struggle between these two powers. In 1477 the Burgundian holdings in the area, the Burgundian Netherlands passed through an heiress -- Mary of Burgundy -- to the Habsburgs. In the following century the "Low Countries" corresponded roughly to the Seventeen Provinces covered by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, which freed the provinces from their archaic feudal obligations. After the northern Seven United Provinces of the seventeen declared their independence from Habsburg Spain, the provinces of the Southern Netherlands were recaptured (1581) and are sometimes called the Spanish Netherlands. In 1713, under the Treaty of Utrecht following the War of the Spanish Succession, what was left of the Spanish Netherlands was ceded to Austria and thus became known as the Austrian Netherlands. The United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830) temporarily united the Low Countries again. Art of the Low Countries is painting, sculpture, architecture, printmaking, and other forms of visual art produced in the Low Countries, and since the 19th century in Belgium and the Netherlands. It includes the traditions of Early Netherlandish painting and the Renaissance in the Low Countries. During the 17th century Dutch Golden Age painting prominently represents the artistic culture of the northern Netherlands while Flemish Baroque painting and the art of Peter Paul Rubens is the cornerstone of art in the southern Netherlands. Paintings produced anywhere in the Low Countries during the 15th and early 16th century are collectively called Early Netherlandish painting (in Dutch Vlaamse primitieven, Flemish primitives—also common in English before the mid 20th century). Later art and artists from the southern Catholic provinces are usually called Flemish and those from the northern Protestant provinces called Dutch, but art historians sometimes use 'Netherlandish art' for art produced in both areas between 1400 and 1830. The term is not particularly current in modern contexts because the region does not very exactly correspond with the sovereign states of The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, for which an alternative term, the Benelux was applied after World War II. Before early modern nation building, the Low Countries referred to a wide area of northern Europe roughly stretching from Dunkirk at its southwestern point to the area of Schleswig-Holstein at its northeastern point, from the estuary of the Scheldt in the south to Frisia in the north. The Low Countries were the scene of the early northern towns, built from scratch rather than developed from ancient centres, that mark the reawakening of Europe in the 12th century. A collection of several regions rather than one homogeneous region, all of the low countries still shared a great number of similarities. Most spoke Middle Dutch out of which later would evolve Dutch. However some regions, such as the Bishopric of Liège, the Romance Flanders around Cambrai, Lille, Tournai and Namur, where French was the dominant language are often considered as part of the Low Countries as well. Most of them depended on a lord or count in name only, the cities effectively being ruled by guilds and councils and although in theory part of a kingdom, their interaction with their rulers was regulated by a strict set of liberties describing what the latter could and could not expect from them. All of them depended on trade and manufacturing and encouraging the free flow of goods and craftsmen.

INTRODUCTION. Show video that will make the class smile. “A smile. Isn’t being able to smile great? How do you guys feel about smiling? Do you think you can survive this world without being able to smile? A smile can do so many things. It can express your happiness, it can brighten up any person’s day, it can make you feel good and it can even make two complete strangers fall in love. Sadly, smiling is not the same for everyone. Every year all over the world, kids are born with harelips—without a smile. And this is where Operation Smile comes in. Operation Smile, as we all know, is a non-profit organization that gives kids, adults back the smiles that they should be radiating to the world. Operation smile, being an institution, needs a website of its own. This website would be where individuals like you and me can access all the information that we need to know about the institution. Now, this website can be broken down into different components or parts. We have, first and foremost, the way as to how the user ends up to your website. It can be through search engines like google, or keywords or the user can just type in the URL of the website itself. We also have the photos, the articles and everything else that can be found in the website itself. 1. Don’t Make your Users Guess!It is sometimes necessary to spoon feed your visitors with information. Make careful decisions as to where your navigation is placed, and make it stand out. Then your users won’t sit there aimlessly clicking the mouse as they search in vain for some kind of direction.2. Keep it highBroadsheet newspaper editors place their most important information — latest headlines, significant content, etc — ‘above the fold’, meaning in the top half of the newspaper itself. Consider your pages from the same perspective, and keep the significant information, including the navigation, as high up as possible. Not only will this mean the navigation will load first in the user’s browser, but it also ‘hits’ the user faster. However, read Tip 3 for a word of warning on this point!4. Consistency is KeyI cannot stress this enough. On each and every page of your site, whether it’s your forums, your links page, or anywhere else, locate your navigation in the same place, with the same styles, and don’t change anything! This way, your users know exactly where to look for it.5. Don’t be AdventurousIt’s always good to see your site stand out from the crowd, but please, when it comes to navigation, try and blend in with the rest of the flock. This way, regular Internet users will be used to your method of navigation to some degree — as they will have experienced, and learned on similar systems on other sites — and won’t need to be taught anything new. Using your navigation system will be easy!6. Add a ‘Home’ ButtonYour home page is the most important page on your site, so make sure your users always know how to get back to it. Not only will the ‘home’ button let people who clicked links on your site get back to where they began, but it also allows people who land on sub-pages within your Website to find your home page — potentially resulting in a new repeat visitor for your site.8. Quality, not QuantityBuild your navigation so that it ‘streams’ users into progressively more and more specific information. Internet users are a lot happier with a few choices (and navigation buttons) at each level than hundreds. Use subsections and subcategories with appropriate navigation to enable users to quickly locate the specific content they want. 11. Metatags Coding Program Description Keywords Special HTML codeSearch engines use the information stored in meta tags when they index Web pages. 13. Just to wrap it all up!• The effectiveness of the parts define the overall effectiveness of the whole. – Tags, keywords, photos, titles, content• Consistency is key.• Images are powerful—they can move• What you put in your website—what the users see in your website—is what makes up the users’ perception and image of your company. Perception is reality and image is everything.

The poet Vladas Braziūnas pays a lot of attention to folk creation, ethnic identity, he is always open to the mythical time, the archetypal beginning of time. Time has never stopped for him – it is infinite, therefore creation and the holistic history of all European nations is continuing. Historical Great Duchy of Lithuania embraced the lands of the Baltic tribes as well as South Slavs, Balkan regions. These parallels have always arisen in Braziūnas’s poetry not only as the signs of history and culture that links various nations. The core band is a common protolanguage, and mythical memory. In the poem “Yesterday is tomorrow” there is a vivid model of the mythological world, the archetypes of the horse and the bird, the image of a poet as a shaman. There are abundant historical details which connect Lithuania, Sweden, Germany, Belorus, and Poland. The author travels along historical time embracing the geographical sites which are associated with the Great Duchy of Lithuania. He mentions Lithuania, Belorus, Slovakia, the Prussians, Swedes and Germans. Braziūnas, Vladas. Vakar yra rytoj. – Vilnius: Lietuvių kalbos ir literatūros institutas, 2007.

Irrespective of whether the topic is cybersecurity, research on climate change, medicine or renewable energy, gigantic data volumes can only be successfully mastered using a supercomputer. The EU has now taken an important step and bundled resources from 25 European countries for the EuroHPC project, with the objective of doing something that one country on its own would never be able to achieve. High-performance computing, in short HPC, involves computer processing that is so complex it cannot be mastered using the customary all-purpose computers. These tools are called supercomputers and by 2021 they are expected to be able to compute on an exa scale, meaning one quintillion computer operations per second. At present, EU industry relies on more than 33 percent of the world’s supercomputer processing capacity, but only provides five percent of it. This is set to change with the EuroHPC (European High Performance Computing) project. The plan is to set up two computers at the pre-exa scale and at least two in the medium-size range. As many users as possible will be granted access to the computers. Moreover, the intention is by 2022-23 to have developed European exa-scale supercomputers and the first European microprocessor generation with low power consumption ratings. No less than one billion Euros will be injected into the EuroHPC project by 2020. Of that figure, just under half will come from the EU budget, with the EU member states and Norway providing the remainder. A total of 25 countries are participating in the project. The “Joint Undertaking” (JU) will be headquartered in Luxembourg. No country, no university, no company on its own could do what we are doing today. Climate research: Predicting natural disasters and simulating climate change. Energy: Designing renewable energy facilities and testing new materials for solar cells. Health: Researching the dynamism of biomolecules and proteins in human cells in the battle against auto-immune diseases, cancer or diabetes. Personalised medicine: Analysis of genes and environmental factors. Cybersecurity: Development of highly complex encryption technologies and defence mechanisms against cyberattacks. Urban planning: Efficient management of traffic infrastructures. Self-driving vehicles: Data exchange with traffic management systems and real-time synchronisation with the servers. Agriculture: Optimisation of food production. For these and other research tasks, experts require high-performance computers, which can only be realised as joint undertakings. “No country, no university, no company on its own could do what we are doing today,” explains EU Commissioner Carlos Moedas, describing the project planning phase. Thanks to EuroHPC, in future Europe will be on a par with the USA and China in the field of supercomputers.

A new analysis by researchers at Harvard and Tufts makes a disconcerting point: The revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (aka, the DSM, the internationally recognized guide to classifying mental health disorders produced by the American Psychiatric Association) is riddled with conflicts of interest. And, the researchers say, this latest edition of the DSM is no better than the previous one when it comes to members’ financial conflicts. There are 141 panel members on the 13 DSM-5 panels and 29 task force members. The members of these 13 panels are responsible for revisions to diagnostic categories and for inclusion of new disorders within a diagnostic category. Three-fourths of the work groups continue to have a majority of their members with financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. It is also noteworthy that, as with the DSM-IV, the most conflicted panels are those for which pharmacological treatment is the first-line intervention. For example, 67% (N = 12) of the panel for Mood Disorders, 83% (N = 12) of the panel for Psychotic Disorders, and 100% (N = 7) of the Sleep/Wake Disorders (which now includes “Restless Leg Syndrome”) have ties to the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the medications used to treat these disorders or to companies that service the pharmaceutical industry.

Minority Report, the film by famous Steve Spielberg, could very soon stop being a fiction to become an unavoidable reality in Dubai streets. A company in the United Arab Emirates has developed a software that predicts crimes before they occur. The company Space Imaging Middle East (SIME) has been able to create such a computer program that allows the police of that country to precede crime before it occurs. Without the use of precognitives, (the mutants of Minority report that predicted the future) the possible misdeeds are informed to the patrols that are in charge of verifying the early warning. The software is now implemented in the Dubai Police Command and Control Centre, developed by SIME and released in 2016, it consists of an analysis of the local police database, where complex mathematical and computational algorithms generate intelligent databases and a series of potential crimes to occur in the city of Dubai aimed at reducing the number of crimes. According to the authorities of the Emirates, the system began to be programmed in 2014 and in addition to Dubai’s police database, it uses BIG DATA as well as investigations of international organizations, collected during for 20 years. As in the movie, the software is not completely reliable as it does not foresee unexpected events, but so far it is able to report infractions, generate alarms and prevent actions. The police forces of that nation continue working to achieve reliability above 90%. However, an interesting question is that if these pre-crime programs work in small areas of highly developed countries and with citizen tranquility, what would it be like in turbulent cities with high rates of crime and vandalism? Let's say Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, New York, just to mention. What kind of processor would the computer need to run the algorithms? Actually, there is still much work to be done regarding artificial intelligence. It is likely that within a few years with the development of quantum computing the most important cities in the world can count on this predictive system of criminal activity. It could happen what like in Minority Report, that sometimes not all the mathematical data are enough for predictions. From the legal field it also imposes challenges, since until now it is a violation to imprison a person without having proof of the crime. So how would it be with Crime Prediction? The creators of the computer program comment that the intelligent engine Crime Prediction is quite accurate with data related to when and where the crime may occur, like in the movies! But no, it is a palpable reality that the patrol teams of the various districts of Dubai use as a police resource. Above all, it allows the patrols to act in advance and to have the necessary support if the incident requires it. Other countries also have similar software. In Switzerland, for example, there is an app through which users can obtain pre-criminal reports adapted to urban areas and report potential risks. Unlike in Dubai, the Swiss application “calculates statistics, time slots or environmental characteristics”. Spain has AlertCops that allows sending to the National Police and the Civil Guard a geographically and real-time alert about a crime or risk situation of which one is a victim or witness. Contrary to the previous ones, AlertaCorps allows the ipso facto action of the police forces. Through the application, you can report school bullying, beatings, and traffic. In addition, you can send geographical position and rescue centers data. Before Crime Precognition several US police departments already used similar systems: Predpol or HunchLab. However, so far they have obtained morally controversial results. Contrary to what the creators of Crime Precognition have said, HunchLab did not produce great results, according to the police of San Luis, where it has been employed. There is no doubt that quantum computing and artificial intelligence will take the life of the human being to other dimensions, but a question remains: what will be the dimension that the human being will have within that new society that is projected? What will be the regulations to follow?

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Ancient coins minted 2300 years ago were discovered in Kyzylkend village of Azerbaijan’s Imishli region. Villager Etiram Rzayev discovered nine coins with an image of Alexander the Great, ruler of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia. A group of specialists of Azerbaijan's National Academy have already visited the village and explored the found coins. According to the preliminary version, these are silver drachmas, issued during the reign of Alexander the Great (336-323 BC). Alexander the Great led a military campaign throughout the Middle East and parts of Asia. He is credited with founding some 20 cities that bore his name, including Alexandria in ancient Egypt, and spread Greece's culture east. He died in Babylon, the present day Iraq, in 323 B.C. The specialists also observed the territory where the treasure was discovered, and revealed here an ancient habitat and necropolis. In the near future, archaeological excavations will be carried out at the site. The ancient trade and caravan routes run through the territory of Imishli region, located in the Kura-Aras Lowland. Earlier, ancient coins have been discovered in Shamakhi (1958), Gabala (1966) and Agsu (1972) regions. Azerbaijan was on the path of the Great Silk Road bringing together two different worlds – the East and the West. The Silk Road in Azerbaijan passes several cities and settlements in the north-western direction, including, Baku, Shamakhi, Basgal, Lagich, Gabala, Sheki and others. Bilateral land and sea routes linked Azerbaijan with China, Syria, India, Asia Minor, Iran, Egypt, Russia, the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa and Europe. The British used to lay their routes to India via Azerbaijan, Indian merchants traded in spices and cashmere fabrics with Baku and Shamakhi.

Crew is a key component of the OWL school community. Every student is a member of a Crew – a type of advisory group that meets daily in groups of 12-15 students. During Crew time, we work to build an inclusive and cohesive group and set a positive and fun tone for student achievement through community-building activities. We also offer individual guidance, explicitly teach study skills, organization, and time management. Crew helps students learn to be agents of self-change, to take responsibility for their learning, and to develop supportive mentoring relationships with adults and peers. Crew provides each student a one-to-one relationship with an adult advisor. Crew provides a consistent small-group peer community—a family within the school. Crew leaders monitor and support student progress and serve as the student’s advocate in difficult academic and social situations. Crew leaders act as the primary contact between parents and the school. Crew meetings are frequently used for team-building exercises. Crews identify needs in the school and in outside communities and propose and develop projects to address those needs. Crew leaders keep track of service hours and guide students in their service-learning projects. Students use Crew to assemble, organize, and reflect on academic work portfolios for the year. Students present their work and reflect on their progress towards goals in fall and spring student-led conferences with Crew leaders and parents. Crew leaders advise students on their academic progress to ensure that students are taking challenging course loads and have strong records for college admission. Crew leaders assist in exploration of a variety of post-secondary options and ensure all students have a personalized post-secondary plan. Crew leaders support and coach students in their exploration of options for higher education, PSAT and SAT/ACT preparation, college visits, application processes, financial aid, scholarships and college selection.

In addition to the information provided here, the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) has addressed a number of frequently asked questions about informed consent. The answers to the informed consent FAQs can be very helpful in developing a consent process for your research and understanding the requirements. As you develop a consent process and form, consider reviewing the IRB members' HRP-314 WORKSHEET: Criteria for Approval to ensure that you have addressed issues related to the consent process and have included required elements of consent. Informed consent is a process, not just a form. Information must be presented to enable persons to voluntarily decide whether or not to participate as a research subject. It is a fundamental mechanism to ensure respect for persons through provision of thoughtful consent for a voluntary act. The procedures used in obtaining informed consent should be designed to educate the subject population in terms that they can understand. Therefore, informed consent language and its documentation (especially explanation of the study's purpose, duration, experimental procedures, alternatives, risks, and benefits) must be written in "lay language", (i.e. understandable to the people being asked to participate). The written presentation of information is used to document the basis for consent and for the subjects' future reference. The consent document should be revised when deficiencies are noted or when additional information will improve the consent process. Use of the first person (e.g., "I understand that ...") can be interpreted as suggestive, may be relied upon as a substitute for sufficient factual information, and can constitute coercive influence over a subject. Use of scientific jargon and legalese is not appropriate. Think of the document primarily as a teaching tool not as a legal instrument. Describe the overall experience that will be encountered. Explain the research activity, how it is experimental (e.g., a new drug, extra tests, separate research records, or nonstandard means of management, such as flipping a coin for random assignment or other design issues). Inform the human subjects of the reasonably foreseeable harms, discomforts, inconvenience and risks that are associated with the research activity. If additional risks are identified during the course of the research, the consent process and documentation will require revisions to inform subjects as they are recontacted or newly contacted. Describe the benefits that subjects may reasonably expect to encounter. There may be none other than a sense of helping the public at large. If payment is given to defray the incurred expense for participation, it must not be coercive in amount or method of distribution. Describe any alternatives to participating in the research project. For example, in drug studies the medication(s) may be available through their family doctor or clinic without the need to volunteer for the research activity or in an educational setting, there may be alternative assignments available. The regulations insist that the subjects be told the extent to which their personally identifiable private information will be held in confidence. For example, some studies require disclosure of information to other parties. Some studies inherently are in need of a Certificate of Confidentiality which protects the investigator from involuntary release (e.g.,subpoena) of the names or other identifying characteristics of research subjects. The IRB will determine the level of adequate requirements for confidentiality in light of its mandate to ensure minimization of risk and determination that the residual risks warrant involvement of subjects. If research-related injury (i.e. physical, psychological, social, financial, or otherwise) is possible in research that is more than minimal risk (see 45 CFR 46.102[g]), an explanation must be given of whatever voluntary compensation and treatment will be provided. Note that the regulations do not limit injury to "physical injury". This is a common misinterpretation. The regulations prohibit waiving or appearing to waive any legal rights of subjects. Therefore, for example, consent language must be carefully selected that deals with what the institution is voluntarily willing to do under circumstances, such as providing for compensation beyond the provision of immediate or therapeutic intervention in response to a research-related injury. In short, subjects should not be given the impression that they have agreed to and are without recourse to seek satisfaction beyond the institution's voluntarily chosen limits. The regulations provide for the identification of contact persons who would be knowledgeable to answer questions of subjects about the research, rights as a research subject, and research-related injuries. These three areas must be explicitly stated and addressed in the consent process and documentation. Furthermore, a single person is not likely to be appropriate to answer questions in all areas. Questions about the research are frequently best answered by the investigator(s). However, questions about the rights of research subjects or research-related injuries (where applicable) may best be referred to those not on the research team. These questions could be addressed to the IRB, an ombudsman, an ethics committee, or other informed administrative body. Therefore, each consent document can be expected to have at least two names with local telephone numbers for contacts to answer questions in these specified areas. The statement regarding voluntary participation and the right to withdraw at any time can be taken almost verbatim from the regulations (45 CFR 46.116 [a]). It is important not to overlook the need to point out that no penalty or loss of benefits will occur as a result of both not participating or withdrawing at any time. It is equally important to alert potential subjects to any foreseeable consequences to them should they unilaterally withdraw while dependent on some intervention to maintain normal function. By agreeing to this use, you should understand that you will give up all claim to personal benefit from commercial or other use of these substances. I voluntarily and freely donate any and all blood, urine, and tissue samples to the U.S. Government and hereby relinquish all right, title, and interest to said items. By consent to participate in this research, I give up any property rights I may have in bodily fluids or tissue samples obtained in the course of the research. I waive any possibility of compensation for injuries that I may receive as a result of participation in this research. Tissue obtained from you in this research may be used to establish a cell line that could be patented and licensed. There are no plans to provide financial compensation to you should this occur. This hospital is not able to offer financial compensation nor to absorb the costs of medical treatment should you be injured as a result of participating in this research. This hospital makes no commitment to provide free medical care or payment for any unfavorable outcomes resulting from participation in this research. Medical services will be offered at the usual charge.

put together(v = verb.creation) assemble, piece, set up, tack, tack together - create by putting components or members together; "She pieced a quilt"; "He tacked together some verses"; "They set up a committee" VB combine, unite, incorporate, amalgamate, embody, absorb, reembody, blend, merge, fuse, melt into one, consolidate, coalesce, centralize, impregnate, put together, lump together, cement a union, marry. VB assemble, collect, muster, meet, unite, join, rejoin, cluster, flock, swarm, surge, stream, herd, crowd, throng, associate, congregate, conglomerate, concentrate, precipitate, center round, rendezvous, resort, come together, flock get together, pig together, forgather, huddle, reassemble, assemble, muster, bring together, get together, put together, draw together, scrape together, lump together, collect, collocate, colligate, get, whip in, gather, hold a meeting, convene, convoke, convocate, rake up, dredge, heap, mass, pile, pack, put up, truss, cram, acervate, agglomerate, aggregate, compile, group, aggroup, concentrate, unite, collect into a focus, bring into a focus, amass, accumulate, collect in a dragnet, heap Ossa upon Pelion. VB produce, perform, operate, do, make, gar, form, construct, fabricate, frame, contrive, manufacture, weave, forge, coin, carve, chisel, build, raise, edify, rear, erect, put together, set up, run up, establish, constitute, compose, organize, institute, achieve, accomplish, flower, bear fruit, fructify, teem, ean, yean, farrow, drop, pup, kitten, kindle, bear, lay, whelp, bring forth, give birth to, lie in, be brought to bed of, evolve, pullulate, usher into the world, make productive, create, beget, get, generate, fecundate, impregnate, procreate, progenerate, propagate, engender, bring into being, call into being, bring into existence, breed, hatch, develop, bring up, induce, superinduce, suscitate, cause, acquire.

Be too young to articulate the abuse. Have no language or vocabulary to explain what happened to him. Have no emotional resource to draw from in order to go before strangers and tell about an event(s) which he does not understand, cannot articulate, and feels responsible for. Be overwhelmed with a sense of embarrassment and shame. If the child victim is too young to articulate the abuse, and the abuse is a one-time occurrence, the abuse consequences will not be understood by either victim or mother. Negative consequences will present themselves and may be mistaken for other things, including psychological disturbance in the child. Children are often diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or Bipolar Disorder when sexual abuse has occurred or continues to occur, and the child has not disclosed. The child victim has been told many things about the abuse and what will happen if the child does not keep the secret. The child feels helpless and has learned how to cope with thoughts and feelings about the abuse. The abuse may have become a part of the child's life, and the child both does not know that anything is wrong with the offender's behaviors or may think that this happens in all families. Many offenders do not physically harm the child, and the child may enjoy the attention and pleasure that comes from the sexual abuse. The child may be confused about telling. When the child or adolescent or even adult victim decides to tell, it takes a significant amount of courage to overcome the fear of telling. If the victim has support and has developed some emotional resources and coping skills, disclosure can occur. The victim then will face consequences related to the disclosure. This fear of consequences is what prevents many victims from telling. However, the longer the victim waits to tell and ask for help, the more devastating the consequences of the abuse may be. Children often provide small pieces of information and believe that they have told. When no protective action is taken, they may withdraw and not tell again. When children tell, and family life is disrupted or consequences occur to the perpetrator, children may retract the disclosure, stating that the abuse did not really occur. It is important to understand that the child's experience of the consequences and feelings of responsibility may motivate retraction. It is very important that mothers and other caregivers are knowledgeable about the signs of sexual abuse and take action when these are observed. It is also important that mothers and other caregivers are knowledgeable of characteristics and behaviors of perpetrators so that they can take action when they suspect their child is in danger.

The American National Election Studies (ANES) biennially conducts a poll of electoral attitudes and behavior. The ANES survey captures trends in public opinion through a series of questions about trust, efficacy and responsiveness of government. Between 1980 and 2008, the percentage of citizens who believed government benefits a few big special interests as opposed to everyone, ranged from 61 percent – 76 percent. Those who indicated that “quite a few” government officials are crooked ranged from 30 percent – 52 percent. The percentage of citizens who agreed that people don’t have a say in what government does ranged from 29 percent – 56 percent, and those who believed that public officials don’t care what people think ranged from 31 percent – 66 percent. The ANES survey results follow no particular pattern and citizen cynicism has not generally increased from year-to-year. However, the data indicate a persistent problem with public trust in governing officials and institutions. The consequence of low levels of citizen trust in public servants and public institutions can actually operate to hinder government performance, thereby aggravating perceptions of bureaucratic ineptitude. Public servants are increasingly constrained by strict rules and procedures that are intended to insure impartiality and accountability, yet they are denied the flexibility that enables them to address the individual needs of the citizens they serve. There are a number of reasons that citizens develop a mistrust of government. Citizens tend to become aware of government action during negative experiences, such as payment of a tax or fine or long waits for administrative services. Citizens are also likely to become aware of government or official action only in instances of failure. This is abetted by a media that thrives on sensationalism. Media stories, such as the latest corruption scandal or the complete breakdown of services following Hurricane Katrina, can fuel perceptions that government is corrupt and/or incompetent. The more mundane experiences, such as roads, schools, water, sewer and trash services, tend to be either ignored or taken for granted. Not surprisingly, the degree of public cynicism is correlated with general social and economic conditions. According to Evan Berman, in a 1997 Public Administration Review article, cynicism is lower in geographic areas with above average economic growth, lower crime rates and higher educational levels. Voting patterns, an indicator of citizen engagement, also have a socioeconomic bias. In 1990, 86 percent of those in families with incomes over $75,000 reported voting compared to only 52 percent of those in families with incomes under $15,000. Whether governments are more responsive because voter participation is higher has not been conclusively established. However, the pattern of increasing income inequality over the past several decades will likely aggravate citizen distrust. Researchers who have explored ways to increase public trust in government generally suggest the implementation of a broad range of strategies: greater transparency, engagement of citizens in the decision process through incorporation of citizen input and public information campaigns that inform the public about the good that government does. While governments can disseminate information through their own infrastructures (mailings, websites, etc.), these strategies also call for tactical use of the media. This approach recommends the use of positive press releases as well as developing relationships with print and broadcast journalists. In essence, governments are urged to utilize the same public relations strategies that corporations do. However, in a free democracy, the promotion of government by the media runs contrary to its traditional role as government watchdog. Trust (or lack of it) runs both ways and some researchers have examined the degree to which political appointees and senior-level public administrators trust citizens. From the time of the Federalists, elites have promoted the notion of representative (rather than direct) democracy on the basis that the “masses” were unqualified to govern themselves. Today, some civil servants are reluctant to promote citizen participation because they regard the general public as being focused on short-term personal gains rather than long-term community interests, as well as being untrained in necessary technocratic knowledge. Trust is often described in terms of social capital. Putnam has demonstrated the relationship between social capital and civic engagement, as well as a decline in both over the past several decades. This suggests that declining trust in government could, in part, be attributed to declining trust in general and not exclusively to failure on the part of government. While governments can certainly do more to promote trust by increasing transparency and citizen engagement, they may be relatively powerless to address larger social trends that are undermining trust. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of citizen mistrust is the “us versus them” view of government. Indeed, the very notion that public trust should be “managed” implies that citizens can be manipulated into correct behavior in the same manner corporate employers “manage” employees to forego self-interest in the pursuit of organizational objectives. The constitutional premise of government as “we the people” seems to be fractured. Overcoming citizen mistrust will require a long-term strategy and commitment.

How Powerful is Game Theory? Part 2 – A Powerful Tool for Strategic Planning? In part 1 of this article, we took a skeptical look at game theory and the claims made by Frank Schirrmacher in his book Ego. So if game theory is not a satanic game that destroyed the Soviet Union and makes our economies a playground for selfish rational crooks, if it is, as I concluded, only one of many decision support tools available to managers, is it even the powerful tool described in management textbooks? Game Theory Focuses Unilaterally on These Interactions. In some special markets and for certain usually very large players, in-market interactions account for the majority of the business uncertainty, but most factors that most companies are exposed to are not interactive. The development of the economy, political, social or technological changes are not influenced much by a single company. If a tool focuses entirely on interactions and other important factors are hard to incorporate, they tend to be left out of the picture. With a highly specialized, sophisticated tool, there is always a danger of defining the problem to fit the tool. Game Theory is also Simplistic. Most of the problems for which analytical solutions are generally known are extremely simple and have little in common with real-life planning problems. Over the years, game theory has been extended to handle more complex problems, but in many cases even formulating a problem in a suitable way means leaving out most of the truly interesting questions. In most cases, information is much more imperfect than the usual approach to imperfect information, probabilistic payoff values, suggests. Most real problems are neither entirely single shot nor entirely repetitive, and often, it is not just the payoff matrices but even the rules that are unclear. Any aspect that doesn’t fit the logic of player interaction either has to be investigated beforehand and accounted for in the payoff matrix, or has to be kept aside to be remembered in the discussion of results. The analytical nature of game theory makes it different to integrate with other planning concepts, even other quantitative ones. These Recommendations are Unflexible. If a tool delivers a systematic recommendation, derived in a complex calculation, that recommendation tends to take on a life of its own, separating from the many assumptions that went into it. However, whichever planning tool is employed, the results will only be as good as the input. If there are doubts about these assumptions, and in most cases of serious planning there will be, sensitivities to minor changes in the payoff matrices are still fairly easy to calculate, but testing the sensitivity to even a minor change in the rules means the whole game has to be solved again, every time. Game Theory Assumes Everybody else to be Rational, as Well. Worse than that, it assumes everybody to do what we consider rational for them. While some extensions to game theory are meant to account for certain types of irrationality of other players, the whole idea really depends on at least being able to determine how others deviate from this expectation. These factors significantly impact the applicability of game theory as a decision tool in every day strategic planning. In that case, why is it taught so much in business schools? Why are many books on game theory extremely worthwhile reading material? Game Theory Points in a Direction often Neglected. There are not that many other concepts around to handle interdependencies of different market participants. Just like having no other tool than a hammer makes many problems look like nails, not having a hammer at all tends to cause nails to be overlooked. Many dilemmas and paradoxes hidden in in-market interactions have only been studied because of game theory and will only be recognized and taken into account by knowing about them from game theory, even if the textbook solutions are hardly ever applicable to real life. Game Theory Helps to Structure Interdependencies. Although the analytical solution may not lead to the ultimate strategy, even without seeking an analytical solution at all, trying to derive payoff matrices leads to insights about the market. Systematically analyzing what each player’s options are and how they affect each other is a useful step in many strategic processes, even if other factors are considered more influential and other tools are employed. Game Theory Shows how the Seemingly Irrational may be Reasonable. Game Theory shows how even very simple, well-structured games can lead to very complex solutions, sometimes solutions that look completely unreasonable at first sight. This helps to understand how decisions by other market participants that look completely unreasonable at first sight may be hiding a method behind the madness. In short, while game theory probably doesn’t provide all the answers in most business decisions, it sure helps to ask some important questions. Even if it is not most adequate everyday planning tool, it is a good starting point for thinking – which is not to be underestimated. Large databases, traditionally the domain of the financial departments, are increasingly entering the world of strategic planners. Under the label “business intelligence”, database software and data mining tools are marketed to strategic planners, and their acceptance is quite obviously on the rise. Contributing factors could be a change of generations among planners, more user-friendly tools available, increasing technological experience among those contributing data (who often have a background in marketing rather than technology) and a narrowing cultural gap between strategic management and the technology people necessarily involved in setting up and running such databases. The main driver behind the spread of strategic management information systems, decision support systems and strategic planning cockpits, however, is the decision makers’ insatiable hunger for definitive answers, clear recommendations and solid data. Where traditional strategic conceps like portfolios or SWAT analyses are highly aggregated and deliberately vague in their conclusions, a strategic database can assign aggregated discounted cashflow numbers to a selection of potential future products, based on data from product and region experts across the company. We have to be aware, however, that the origins of such information about the future remain essentially the same: extrapolation, projection, estimates and, more often than not, educated guesses. Databases help to avoid the chaos of versions and formats that often occurs when strategic information is traded within the company using standard office tools like tables or presentations. The data can be located on a central server or even an external cloud under the control of the corporate IT experts and governed by corporate IT security guidelines. Adequate access rights for the different users can be set individually or by standard rules. Database user interfaces and data mining programs provide convenient tools to aggregate and visualize the gathered data, speeding up the process of generating bite-size information for decision makers and potentially reducing the workload in planning departments typically short of resources. The standardization of data going into the database and the tools employed to fill it force contributors to address a certain minimum of questions in their planning process, adhere to common conventions and summarize their results in a predefined form. Everybody discussing a decision can argue based on one agreed set of data, representing the best available, up-to-date information from experts across the company’s network, which may include external sales partners, market researchers and consultants. The clarity of versions and formats is not so much the result of the database itself, but of the strictly implemented strategic planning process that necessarily comes with it. If the thoughts behind a changed estimate in the database or a quick summary for an executive still end up being communicated in spreadsheets sent by e-mail, the advantage is eroded and the database becomes just one more data format users have to deal with. The reduced workload resulting from the use of business intelligence tools has to be compared to the additional resources needed to set up and run the systems. The needed expertise will often not be available within the company, and even for the most user-friendly tools, the actual planning cockpits will in many cases be programmed by external consultants. While standardized data structures to be filled define a minimum of questions to be addressed in generating the data, they also discourage any planning going beyond that, which may not fit into the database. Such standardization is particularly detrimental to any qualitative, critical or out-of the-box thinking that could be priceless as an indicator of possible yet unknown threats or as a source of ideas for future growth not included in current planning. The uniform view of the future defined by a planning database tends to reduce the awareness that the actual future will always be uncertain. The fact that the one future (or, at best, the generic base/best/worst case structure) defined in the database has been built from the input of many contributors and has been agreed upon between different departments makes it particularly difficult to argue against the results and ask the necessary “what ifs”. Some of these challenges can be addressed early in the process of setting up the database. Looking for synergies with database solutions already in use in the company, for example in controlling, can reduce the workload and accelerate the learning curve in the introduction phase. However, it also may introduce a bias towards processes and structures that are not ideal for information that contains estimates for an uncertain future rather than numbers from a well-accounted past. Leaving space for unstructured information within the database costs technical efficiency, but it may end up containing the one piece of information that avoids the need for parallel data exachange by e-mail or the decisive warning about an external threat that might otherwise have been unheard. Asking in time if an external support is to work as a consultant or merely as a programmer can save time and effort later and can avoid implementing potentially inefficient structures. It is important to be aware that databases, data mining tools and even strategic planning cockpits can be an interesting source of information to be taken into account in a decision, but they are not decision tools. Asking the many “what ifs”, evaluating alternative strategies, testing for different external scenarios or analyzing potential competitors’ strategies can be done including information from such a database, but these, the actually decisive steps of strategic planning, are not done by the database. In most cases, the user interfaces employed are optimized for visualizing what’s in the database and are not even very well suited for interactively calculating the effects of assumptions that go beyond the scope of the underlying data structures. It is, however, possible to develop tools to interactively calculate the impact of many different “what ifs” on the agreed planning basis, draw all the necessary information from the database and even write results for different scenarios back to the database, usually in separate but linked structures. The implementation will depend on the framework used, which will usually be either relational databases or multidimensional cubes. Furthermore, it depends on whether a separate data mining interface is used to access and visualize the data and if it should also provide the interface to the simulation and calculation tool. In the upcoming weeks, we will look at two case studies on such interactive planning tools linked to pre-existing databases, both allowing the same scenario and strategic alternative evaluations on the same data, but in different database environments. One will be a relational database accessed through a data mining tool, the other a multidimensional cube providing its own user interface. We will look at similarities and differences of the two implementations and suggest ways to work around their respective limitations.

Hewlett Packard is a technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. Hewlett Packard is the premier worldwide technology solutions provider to businesses, consumers and institutions. HP markets its products to households, small to medium size businesses and enterprises both directly, via online distribution, consumer-electronics and office-supply retailers, software partners and major technology vendors. Hewlett-Packard was one of the first companies to produce a laser printer for PCs and most software products include drivers for HP printers. The drivers control the printers through a language called PCL (printer control language). Other makers of laser printers design their printers so that they, too, understand PCL, making them able to emulate HP printers. In this way, their printers are HP-compatible and are thus automatically supported by many software products. HP is the largest worldwide seller of personal computers, surpassing rival Dell, according to market research firms Gartner and IDC reported in January 2008; the gap between HP and Dell widened substantially at the end of 2007, with HP taking a near 3.9% market share lead. HP is also the 5th largest software company in the world. No non-HP printer, however, is 100 percent HP-compatible. HP is the provider of all types of printers such as color laser printers, laser Printers, inkjet printers, multifunction printers, plotters, Mac Printers, refurbished printers, portable printers, fax machines and copiers. HP also provides printers through which you can create photos. They are basic inkjet printers, photo printers, all-in-ones printer, portable photo printers and professional-quality printers. HP also provides repair services for laser printer, printer cartridges, refurbished printers and other parts. Laser Printer Repair 911 provides corporations, small businesses and individuals with certified on site, in home and carry in printer repair services and upgraded printer parts.

Nesting Season for Sea Turtles! Back in July in Oaxaca, Mexico there were thousands of sea turtles who were starting their nesting season. Over 16,000 turtles have arrived on beaches and at a sanctuary in Mexico. It was also reported that last nesting season there were approximately 2 million sea turtles. Click here to watch the video of them arriving. Since 2010 the Humane Society Pets for Life program has been working to address the lack of resources for underserved pets in communities. The program now has over 400,000 veterinary services available. Last week they reached a major milestone for the program, 100,000 spay/neuter procedures performed at no cost to the owners. This is a major accomplishment and such a wonderful thing for the communities and places all over the world. Click here to learn more about this program. Inside a Baby Sloth Orphanage and Rescue Center! When orphaned baby sloths are hungry or adults lose their habitat, Yiscel Yángüez and Néstor Correa are on the case. They run an animal rescue center in Gamboa, Panama, and specialize in sloth rehabilitation and relocation. For the two of them, releasing healthy sloths back into the wild can be a bittersweet experience.

"Race to the Top: Implementation and Relationship to Student Outcomes" It's unclear whether the $4 billion federal Race to the Top initiative had a long-term effect on student achievement, according to a report by Mathematica for the Institute of Education Sciences. Race to the Top rewarded states for embracing policies like rigorous academic standards, revamped data systems, dramatic school turnarounds, and teacher evaluation through student test scores. Researchers found the 11 original Race to the Top states were more likely than states that didn't get that money to use policies and practices promoted by the program in four areas: school turnarounds, rigorous standards and tests, creating conditions for charter school success, and improving educator effectiveness. There weren't big differences between the states that got the grants and those that didn't when it came to creating data systems to measure student achievement and build state capacity.

Skateboarding is a pastime activity, an art form, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been molded and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the ages. A 2002 survey and study by American Sports Data discovered there were 18.5 million skaters in the world. 85 percent of skateboarders polled who had used a board in the last year were under the age of 18, and 74 percent were male. Those numbers have doubled since then. In the ensuing years the actual locations of skate parks have more than tripled making skateboarding more accessible as privately owned skate parks and indoor skate parks are coming into the picture. The largest change has been the generation that skated in their youth and have grown up with the “X” Games explosion into the global mainstream of competitive sports and now sees it as a participation activity for their children led by X-Games Athletes who are affiliated and instruct for our brand and web site. Be taught all of the basic principles of skateboarding fast in a one-week camp. We will show you the principles of skateboarding such as how to balance, push, turn, proper foot placement, and how to stop. Irrespective, of where you are at.. you can benefit from individualized instruction to meet your skill level. Location: We can do lessons in your driveway, in your garage, or at the Heath skate park. Skateboarding-Lessons of Heath was developed to help motivated youth demographic that wants to participate in the lifestyle and skilled regiment of skate boarding. We take great pride in helping people of all ages learn how to skateboard.

One of the major disasters that people are still talking about is the likelihood of a financial collapse. While it hasn't happened as soon as some have predicted, that doesn't mean that it's not coming. In fact, the threat seems to keep looming larger and larger, as we all wait for it to come. Perhaps that's part of people's fascination with Donald Trump's presidential run. As a well-known businessman, many are looking to him as the one who can prevent that collapse and turn the economy around. Were he to actually accomplish that, he would probably go down in history as one of the greatest presidents this country has ever had. But there's no saying that Trump will win the election, or even if he does, if he has enough savvy to do everything that he's promised. Granted, he is a successful businessman, who has gained a net worth in the billions, but running a business and running a country are two different things. Whether his business acumen will be enough to turn our economy around is something we may never have the opportunity to see. So it's clearly not time to declare victory over our country's struggling economy, regardless of what Obama says. The economy has been stagnant ever since the 2008/2009 housing bubble burst and unless someone does something to turn things around, it's not likely to get better any time soon. You and I are most likely to be paying more taxes, fighting more inflation and hearing more lies from the government. That means that the economic collapse is still on schedule. We don't know when it's going to happen, but there's really no reason to think that it won't come. We're still on the long slide towards the cliff, even if we haven't reached the cliff yet. We don't seem to be slowing down either. Will You Still Have a Job? The first question any of us have to ask ourselves about this is how we will survive. Of course, a lot of that depends on how badly we are hit, personally, by the collapse. Not everyone will lose their jobs and their homes, even if it might seem like everyone will. During the Great Depression, the biggest financial collapse this country has ever had, only about 25% of the population lost their jobs. While that was horrific in its magnitude, it also means that about 75% of the people managed to keep working. So the situation wasn't absolutely hopeless. Many people were able to keep working, keep paying their bills and keep feeding their families. Unfortunately, I can't find any accurate data which tells me what types of jobs were lost and what types of jobs were retained during that time. But there is some pretty good data available on what happened in Argentina during their financial collapse. As Argentina had an industrialized society, much like we do, they form a good model for what we can expect. Amongst the things we can look at is that there are several key job-related conclusions that can be drawn from Argentina. People who work in manufacturing and sales of luxury goods will lose their jobs; those factories and those retail outlets will most likely close. There won't be enough people who can buy those goods to maintain those businesses. People who work in retail will be hit hard, as sales will slow across the board. Automotive manufacturing and sales will drop, as people keep their cars longer. However, the market for repair parts will see a boon. Many businesses, especially small businesses, will have to cut staff. Those who are cut will be those who are worth the least to the organization, either due to their job knowledge, skills or productivity. Those who work in the financial markets will be hit the hardest, just like during the Great Depression. Many workers in service industries, other than essential services, will lose their jobs. Travel will drop significantly; so businesses associated with travel, from airlines to hotels will suffer. Based on this, we must look at our own job security, asking ourselves is whether our own jobs are at risk. Keep in mind that the fourth point that I've made above. The first to lose their jobs will be people who are of less value to their employers. So, if you are of high value, you have greater security. If you aren't, then you need to look at what you can do to increase your value to your employer. In today's day and age, the greatest value that any employee can offer their employer is to be the one person who goes above and beyond. Way too many people think that their job is a place to sit and text with their friends or play games on their phones. Those who do everything asked of them, and then look for more, become prized employees. Longevity is a factor here, as well; as employees who have been with the company longer usually know more. But that's not something that's set in stone. Some employees put the effort into learning, while others don't. If you don't know enough about your job, then it's time to learn some more. Of course, changing jobs carries a lot of risk in the current financial situation. If you have to change, do whatever you can to make sure that you are going somewhere where you will be considered to be a high value employee. Otherwise, your new job could evaporate under you, when the collapse comes. The greatest thing you can do to help ensure that your income continues during such a crash, is diversify your income sources. If you, like most people, depend on your job for 100% of your income, then losing that job is a catastrophic personal disaster. But if you have additional sources of income, then the problem becomes more manageable. What do I mean by additional sources of income? I mean having some sort of business on the side. Whether that means consulting in your normal work field or selling something on eBay, create and build up some sort of business. Just make sure that it is something that people will need badly enough, that they will continue to buy it, even in a bad economy. The other way to create a side business with security is to do business with the government. Our government currently approaching about 25% of the GDP. That means that there are countless businesses, large and small, doing business with the government. So find something the government needs and see if you can fulfill that need. Put your imagination to work on this. You'd be surprised what some of those needs are. I know a man who composes and arranges music for high school marching bands. He gets a few grand for every piece of music he composes. While that may not seem like a lot of money, it's a great sideline. Another way to diversify your income is to help someone else get a business started. If you have some money in savings and your child, a friend or family member wants to start a business, offer to invest in it. I'm not talking about a "go fund me" type of investment, where you are just giving them money, but rather buying into their business, so that you own a piece of it. Do it right, creating a contract showing your ownership percentage. We've got to realize that this is how wealthy people make their money. They either start businesses and then hire people to work for them or they invest in businesses that others are starting. Some wealthy businessmen are constantly on the lookout for small businesses and startups that they can invest in. Why? Because when that business grows, they own a part of it. That means that they get a piece of the profits; and all they've done to get it is invest money. If it works for them, it can work for us too. However, avoid investing, in the standard understanding of the word. Money invested in the stock market will mostly disappear during a financial crisis. That also means money in mutual funds, commodities and any other "paper" investment scheme. If you're going to invest, invest in something physical, like gold and silver. That way, you have something in your hand; not just a piece of paper that says you own so many shares of a now defunct company. Besides, precious metals always surge in price during any financial downturn. They are one of the most secure investments on the planet. Surprisingly, there are some types of businesses which will actually grow during a financial collapse. While people will be cutting their spending considerably, their needs will continue. One of the strategies that they will use to save money is to get the most out of what they have, rather than buying things all the time. We are a largely disposable society, buying things and then throwing them away when they've lost their luster. Rarely do we repair things anymore, unless they are big enough and expensive enough to warrant saving them. So while we might repair a car to keep using it, we aren't likely to repair a blender. That will change. Even people who are pretty well off and are accustomed to trading their cars in when the new car smell is gone, will be keeping their cars longer. Many of these people trade in their cars yearly, so that they don't have to deal with repairs. But the financial situation will cause even these people to repair, rather than replace. That means that one of the best businesses to be in, during a financial collapse, is some sort of repair business. I don't care if you're talking about repairing big appliances, little appliances, cars, computers, iPhones, or toasters, people will be looking for you. Since they won't be able to afford replacing things that they have, they'll instead look to repairing them. That opens up an incredible opportunity. It also opens up an opportunity for supplying the parts for those repairs. So, if you're not any good with a screwdriver, you might still be able to get in on the repair boon by becoming a supplier. You'll have to learn about the parts in your specialty, as well as developing sources for those parts, but your business will be fairly secure. If you do something like that, don't forget about stocking used parts as well. Junkyards do a booming business, simply because of the high cost of auto parts. Ok, so why not apply that to other products as well. One of the reasons that most people don't repair things, but replace them instead, is that parts are too expensive. But salvaged parts don't have to be that expensive. That makes them a very viable option for people who need those repairs. In the area where I live, there's a booming business in used appliances. These businesses buy or scavenge non-working used appliances and refurbish them, making them work again. Then they sell them as used. The parts they use in most of these repairs are parts that they've scavenged from other non-working appliances. They may be able to gut one washing machine and use the parts to repair three or four others. Then they sell the case as scrap metal, making money on it too. So really what people pay for, when they buy those appliances, is the repair work that has been done on them. Surprisingly, one of the things hit worse by a financial collapse is the food supply. When Argentina had their financial collapse in 1999, food became scarce in the city. That's not because the farmers weren't growing anything in the country or that there was a drought, the breakdown was in the distribution system to get that food from the country to the stores. The other thing that worked hand-in-hand with that, to cause food shortages, was the high inflation. Retailers didn't want to put merchandise on the shelf today, which could be sold for more tomorrow. So, even if they did have food, they might not make it available for customers to buy. This led to a large number of barter co-op groups starting up, mostly focused on trading food items. While different co-ops operated under different rules, one thing they had in common was that they avoiding using the national currency, as it was devaluing constantly. So instead, they'd develop a system of "credits" with a standard value for common food items. That gave everyone a basis for trading their excess food items for things they needed. But as I said, there was ample food in the country. It would have been easy for someone with a truck to go out to the country and buy a truckload of food, assuming they had the gasoline and money to do so. Upon returning back to the city, that food would have been like gold. Restaurants did well in the Argentinean collapse as well. Once again, that's surprising, as paying someone else to cook your food is more expensive than cooking it yourself. But I guess people have to eat, and not everyone cooks. So, while other businesses suffered, restaurants did well, as long as they had a steady source of food. With so many people out of work and desperate in Argentina, a fair number of people turned to crime. One of the top "cottage industries" in Argentina became kidnapping the children of wealthy families, for ransom. It became dangerous to be on the streets, unless you were armed. People stopped allowing their children to play outside and drivers stopped stopping at stop signs and traffic signals, unless they had to in order to avoid an accident. One of the best jobs available to many people was security. If you had a gun and were fairly proficient in the use of it, that became a fairly easy way to find a job. At a time when many people were out of work, working as a security guard, even for the low wages that such a position offered, was at least work. Of course, not all of the security guards were honest, and some actually worked together with the bad guys, passing information about their protectees to the very people they were supposed to be protecting them from. But that was a guaranteed means of going to jail, as their employers verified their address and other important details, before hiring them. Most people believe that the United States will be as bad as Argentina was, or even worse, when our financial collapse comes. If that's the case, there will probably be many well to do families who will be willing to pay, just for protection. Owning a security company will probably become a very profitable venture. The people who will do the best during the collapse will be those who are self-sufficient. While they will be affected by the collapse, they will be better able to roll with the punches, than anyone else. That's because they will be able to function without money, to a large degree. Basically, the more self-sufficient they are, the less need they will have for money. Of course, this means having a lot of skills and putting a lot of things in place, before the bad times come. Most of us are not anywhere near self-sufficient, even if we think we are. But just as many people lost their homes in the 2008/2009 housing collapse, just because they couldn't make their payments, so will many lose their homes in the next collapse. Owning your home, free and clear - This is a difficult one for most people, as we don't have the money to pay off our mortgage. But if you can't make the payment, they can take your home away from you. For that matter, if you can't pay your property taxes, they can take your home away from you. So, do what you can to pay off your home. This could mean downsizing now, before the collapse comes. Producing your own energy - While producing enough electrical energy to power your home is difficult and often requires a heavy investment, producing enough to take care of your critical needs isn't anywhere near as bad. If you have to get by without television and air conditioning, but have the basics you need, you're at least getting by. That's better than not having anything. Having a water source - If you aren't fortunate enough to have a stream or river on your property, you need some other source of water. For most people, that means a well. In many parts of the country, a shallow well is enough, as it will provide water. It may not be the best water, but it will be usable, especially if you filter it. Another possibility is rainwater collection, especially if you live in an area with lots of rain. Producing your own food - Growing your own food is the ultimate in self-sufficiency. There have been a number of people who have turned their back yards into mini-farms, growing enough for their family to live on. Doing so ensures that you have enough to eat, even if you don't have anything else. The thing is, doing all that is going to require a lot of investment, work and preparation. Few people can actually do it all; even if they spend a lifetime working towards that goal. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Every bit of self-sufficiency you gain means one less thing you have to count on society for. Even better than that, it's something that you don't have to pay for. The secret to becoming self-sufficient is starting where you are. What can you do for yourself, that you are currently paying someone else to do? Start doing that yourself and then use the money you save by doing it yourself to help make you self-sufficient in some other way. In this manner, you'll be able to fund your self-sufficiency drive, bit by bit. Then, of course, there are other skills, which while not necessary for survival, or even for helping you through a financial collapse, fit well with the homesteading lifestyle. Many of these are things that our forefathers did, which have become largely lost arts. But they are as useful today, as they ever were. All in all, self-sufficiency is your greatest protection against a financial collapse. While investing in gold and silver might give you a level of financial security, it only helps you when you sell it. Then, the money it turns into immediately starts going down in value. So that gold and silver is only going to last so long. Then, when it's gone, it's gone. While everyone else is suffering through the collapse, with some losing their jobs, losing their homes and perhaps losing everything they own, you can at least be eating and comfortable, even if you aren't wealthy. There's a lot to be said for having the ability to take care of yourself and your family, without having to depend on others for everything you need. In addition, many of these skills are easily convertible into businesses during the collapse. As I mentioned earlier, the ability to repair things will become highly valuable, as the vast majority of people will turn to repairing, rather than replacing. Those with the necessary skills will have the advantage. Then, of course, any excess food that you grow on your homestead can be sold to those who don't have the ability to grow their own food. At that time, people won't be so fussy about what they eat. If it's edible, someone will be interested. Between the ability to sell your excess food and the ability to repair things that are broken, you would actually stand a fairly good chance of profiting from the situation, while most of the rest of the country is suffering.

With the rising technology trends in Internet and cable television, the career path in telecommunications has evolved into a highly technical job. The career path of a technician in telecommunications involves lots of training and frequently updated equipment to keep up with evolving technology. Here is a guide to the essential items that you will need on your resume in order to be considered for this high-demand career. With the abundance of competition, customer service is a skill that is highly valuable in this career. Brand loyalty is the top priority when most cable television and Internet service providers are trying to be the consumer’s one stop shop for all of their telecommunications needs. Competition is now coming at the customers from cellphone carriers as well as satellite television and Internet competitors. Any training programs that you have been involved in need to be on your resume. The less your potential employer has to do to train you, the more of an asset you will be to them. There are telecommunications programs at most technology institutes which will give you all the basics to get started including basic electronics. Technicians have to route wiring and move wiring for customers based on their current needs and a general understanding of electronics is necessary. Another way to serve as an asset to your future employer is get your CCNA or MSCE certification. These will aid in having the required certifications that most employers are looking for. Although not really used on the job, they could help for future advances in your career in the telecommunications industry especially with business clients. CAT 5 & COAX wiring are two essential elements that you should have experience with as working with them is a main component of the daily work involved in being a technician. Other skills necessary are OSP (outside plant) wiring and color code for telephony and xDSL along with structured cabling which is used in business and multifamily dwellings.

paulo da costa is concerned with the passage of time and its effects on generational attitudes and memories. Da costa’s writing is recondite, preferring a lyrical, almost poetic style of narration. The stories in The Green and Purple Skin of the World (Freehand Books, 206 pp; $21.95) have an unhurried, meditative aspect that suits the material, but can also be wearisome over the course of an entire collection. The Table is typical of many of the stories in the book. Not much happens on the level of plot; the author is more concerned with dissecting the relationship between a mother and her son, and using that relationship to examine the way the past intrudes upon and influences the present. The son, who refers to himself as “the guardian angel,” has brought his mother (who refers to him as “the pest”) a new IKEA table for her kitchen. The mother’s old table is scarred and battered, and the son feels that it is time to replace it. His mother, however, thinks the old table is just fine, and can’t believe her son would want to substitute a factory-made piece of furniture devoid of character or history. The clash of tradition and modernity is fairly obvious, but da costa handles it with admirable subtlety, infusing what could have been a clichéd situation with a surprising poignancy. Other virtually plotless stories address similar material, but with less emotional resonance. The opener, Flies, features two pairs of males — an older couple and their grandsons — eyeing each other suspiciously from opposite sides of a street, and making somewhat tepid observations about the folly of youth on the one hand, and the decrepitude of age on the other. In Another Sunday, a young boy displays abject disinterest in his father’s heartbreak at his favourite soccer team’s championship loss. Not all of the stories in the collection are told in such a languid manner. The title story is epistolary; Those Who Follow is told from the alternating perspective of a hunter and the cougar he is stalking; and there are even a couple of speculative fictions. Not Written in Pencil eschews a lyrical approach in favour of a first-person narration by a working-class tough who takes his frustrations with his philandering wife out on an unfortunate interloper in a bar. But the narration here feels affected and forced — “This little incident with Cody tipped her over the punchline”; “enlightenment is a damn fancy-schmancy destination” — it never sounds authentic. Much better is the alternating perspective in My Real Mother Would Never, told, respectively, from the point of view of a young girl who has run away from home and her mother, who is frantically searching for her. The mother’s sense of helplessness is palpable; she is reduced to a kind of child herself when she calls her own mother for advice about her missing daughter. The girl, meanwhile, is driven by a sense of betrayal at the news that her mother’s new boyfriend is moving in with them; this treacherous emotional territory is traversed sensitively and with an indirection that is admirable, and helps elevate the material and earn the uplift in the story’s happy ending. If I want a merely descriptive, rationalistic storyline, neat and depleted of metaphor and lyricism, I will read a scientific or newspaper article, where language is controlled, contrite, uni-dimensional and aims at a single, uncomplicated truth that sees logic as the intelligence par excellence. What is the point of writing literary fiction if not to make us slow down, experience the beauty of language, poetry, spiritual and non-rational insights—insights that fall outside of the paradigm of rationality and which offer a much more holistic and complete human experience? If I want merely plot, action and sheer thoughtless art and indulgence, I will watch a gun-shooting Hollywood film—the trend du jour that invades me constantly even in my most recondite moments of the day that are meant to be lived in silence. Let us be quiet and in awe for a moment. Let us revel in that space that cannot be measured, encapsulated and defined, for it may be there that we fully exist and find the strength and illumination to become happier and better human beings—better towards ourselves and the world around us. What we may need more of, in these days of ours, is writing that makes us stop and ponder upon things, writing that goes beyond what we are, writing that questions and searches, not writing that merely indulges, reaffirms and is content with what, who and where we are or makes us laugh and think fast because we have more than enough speed in our world, in our life. And this is what and how I think—and write.

On 14 May 2018, Privacy Awareness Week was officially launched by the Hon Yvette D’Ath MP, Attorney-General and Privacy Commissioner Philip Green. Media and public interest in access to, and use of, personal data has increased over recent weeks and months, with high profile cases such as Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. Further, the mandatory notifiable data breach scheme commenced on 22 February 2018 for Australian Government agencies, certain private sector organisations, health providers and others. This year’s PAW theme ‘Value personal information – it’s worth protecting’ encourages individuals to value personal data, and both the public sector and the wider community to build a culture that respects and protects personal data whenever it is collected, stored and shared. “This PAW, I encourage everyone to learn more about how they can protect their own personal information or the personal information of others, including by attending our workshops this week at the Brisbane Square Library on Digital Self-Defence and Privacy”, Mr Green said. Other speakers at the official launch were Professor David Lacey, University of the Sunshine Coast and Managing Director of IDCARE, and Mr Paul McCarney, CEO, Data Republic. Professor Lacey spoke on his recent research on privacy and identity breaches across Australia, in particular Queensland and provided advice on best practice for managing personal data, including how to respond if you are the target of a scam. 1 in every 1000 Queenslanders 15 and over engaged IDCARE’s community support service during 2017. Affected Queensland residents lost on average $14,282 due to an incident. Queenslanders were most impacted by telephone scams. Mr Paul McCarney spoke on the application of privacy principles in the digital age, and the use of personal data determining its value and worth. He also advocated for privacy by design in enabling the protection of personal information. Video of the launch will be available at www.oic.qld.gov.au in the coming weeks. The Office of the Information Commissioner has released a suite of resources, including a quiz, tip sheets and posters, to help raise awareness of privacy rights and responsibilities. Privacy Awareness Week is being held in Queensland from 14 to 20 May 2018.

Anne Scott is the publisher of New Zealand Quilter magazine and the owner of Minerva in Wellington. Here, Ann shows off one of her quilts, that was part of the traveling exhibit, “Made in New Zealand”. Anne’s shop has tons of quilting and fiber books as well as a gallery with rotating displays. Minerva had a doll exhibit during our visit, big ones, tall ones, short ones, small ones. But, this is the little fellow who stole my heart! Since the tour was now well-indoctrinated into my passion for all things feathered, they were pretty darned excited to see and photograph the black birds. Te Puia is the heart of the Maori Cultural World. Their mission is to be the centre of knowledge and excellence for the preservation, presentation, education and growth of traditional expressions of Māori arts, crafts and culture. This woven flax garment is simply incredible. Their gallery features some incredible weavings, all done from flax leaves, including the floral arrangement. We took a weaving class, so we too could learn this art form. Looks pretty easy in this picture, where our teacher, Teresa Murray, whipped out this sample in no time at all! Teresa showed us how to score the flax leaf and then use a paua shell to remove the fiber. Once the fiber was removed, the remaining strands were rolled along the leg to form a twisted rope. It takes hundreds of these strands to make each grass skirt. Our team got started! It is not nearly as easy as Teresa made it appear. In fact, I toiled for two hours, inadvertently destroyed several flax leaves and, finally managed to get two strands done. Next, we all went down to the boiling pool, to boil our flax. Teresa showed us how it was done. Dave was one of her helpers. Karen, a New Mexico native, was the other helper. Here they are removing the boiled flax. This is the collective work of 18 students! The lesson that I learned here is that if you ever want to own a grass skirt, just pay whatever the asking price is! It will be worth it! Flax weavings hang beneath the roof along the walkway at Te Puia. We saw this ancient Chief’s cloak and woven skirt in the gallery too. It would have been used by a Maori chief and was adorned with real Kiwi feathers. Our hotel was located at the southernmost end of Lake Rotorua, in an area known as sulphur flats. (read stinky). But once you got used to the aroma of rotten eggs, the birding was rather good! The inland lake has a good population of Black-billed Gulls, a species that frequents inland lakes and is the most threatened gull species in New Zealand. Good numbers of Pukeko were present foraging among the gulls. Check out this funky PukekoMania blog with lots of humorous images and not so funny hazards. We saw Pukeko in wetlands throughout New Zealand, a truly gorgeous blue rail with a bright red bill, and legs. Sulphur Flat is home to many endemic species, including New Zealand Dotterel, White-fronted Tern, and Black-backed Gull. At Rainbow Springs, we visited a Kiwi breeding facility where eggs are removed from nests located in the wild, hatched and reared in captivity, and then released near their nest sites when they are large enough enough to defend themselves from stoats, rats, cats, and possums. We also got to see the native Tuatara, the ancient reptile, unique to New Zealand. Dave and Betty, who hail from Wisconsin, posed in front of the giant kiwi at the park. Meet Mr. Merino, one of the most desired breeds for the production of wool. New Zealand is renowned for its sheep and the working dogs that are part of the team. At the Agrodome, in Rotorua, we watched a demonstration of the different breeds of sheep and the different kinds of dogs that are used for herding. The show was entertaining and educational with hilarious parts, such as when a dog was herding ducks, and the audience was invited up to help milk cows and bottle feed lambs. Lenelle, the Australian on our tour, enjoyed the photo opp. Judy, a proud octogenarian, handles the just-sheared wool. And, Cora, who LOVES dogs, got a chance to pose with her handsome new friend. Cora missed her new puppy who stayed home in California, under the care of her hubby. That afternoon, we visited the Hamilton Quilter’s for their monthly meeting, featuring Daphne Phillips, an octogenarian, and one of the most prolific quilters ever! Daphne shared many of the quilts she had made over the course of her quilting career. Most inspiring was her ‘can do’ attitude, not to mention all of the quilts she had made. Ellen (in the flying goose jacket) checks out some of Daphne’s handiwork. The next morning we visited Donna’s Quilt Studio. Noted for her funky quilt fabrics, friendly staff, and fun quilting classes, Donna specializes in contemporary fabrics and original designs. Donna, and daughter Ashleigh are the go-to girls for the “something different” you’ve been trying to find. Here, Ashleigh helps ring up sales for our group! One of the interesting phenomenons about our tour was when the group of 18 quilterly types, excluding Mike and Dave, descended en masse on a quilt shop.

Food and Lifestyle are the two important factors for the successful journey in the yogic path. Food which is conducive to Yoga practice enhances the efficacy of the success and the one which is not conducive becomes one of the greatest obstacles to the progress in the path of yoga. “Food is the prime component of life hence is also known as medicine. Therefore everybody tries to get it who worships food as supreme”. The proper use of the food becomes the best medicine whereas improper food becomes the invitation for various disorders in the system. Various classical texts on Hatha Yoga give the wise advice for the suitable food for the practice. Hatha Pradeepika is one of the most referred traditional texts on Classical Curriculum of Yoga briefs about the quality of the food as follows. The quality of the food as explained in the above reference is helpful to strengthen the different tissues as per the Ayurveda concept of the body. This reference is a good guideline to differentiate between the desired and undesired consequences due to the poor eating and wring selection of the combinations of food items. According to Chandogya Upanishad, satvika food purifies the intelligence. Pure intelligence helps in meditation which leads to the highest state of mind. The food itself is means for the realization and hence it is considered as the reality to attain the reality. It has the impact on the gross as well as the subtle body also. The quality and quantity of the food along with mental condition during eating plays prominent role in the definition of the particular personality types.

Improving handling techniques for laboratory mice helps reduce stress and anxiety, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Methods. The techniques identified in the study should lead to further improvements in the welfare of the mice. Improving welfare conditions is a key element of the 'refinement' of laboratory procedures, one of the '3Rs' that aims to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in experiments. Currently, the standard procedure for handling mice is to pick up the mouse by its tail. However, scientists have not been aware that this can cause anxiety and stress to the mouse as mice appear to have an innate aversion to tail handling. Professor Jane Hurst and Rebecca West from the University of Liverpool have identified two other handling methods that significantly reduce anxiety and stress. To assess anxiety-related behaviour in anticipation of handling, the researchers observed behaviour such as whether the mouse would voluntarily approach and interact with the handler immediately before and after daily handling, as well as urination and defecation during handling and a standard test of anxiety. The first method involved bringing a clear acrylic tunnel towards the mouse. The mouse would voluntarily walk into the tunnel, allowing it to be lifted without direct contact. The second method was for the handler to cup the mouse in his or her hands and allow it to walk freely over the open gloved hands. As unfamiliar mice tend to jump immediately away, Professor Hurst recommends closing the hands loosely around the mouse on the first time until it becomes accustomed to the experience. The researchers also found that restraining a mouse by its tail did not cause undue stress or anxiety if the mouse had first been picked up using one of the above methods. When the mouse needed to be restrained more securely by the scruff of the neck, this did not reverse the taming effects of being handled on the open hands or using a tunnel. "Animal welfare standards in UK laboratories are extremely high, but even so, it is very important that we always look for ways to improve conditions for the animals," says Professor Hurst. "The routine handling of laboratory animals is essential, so it is important that we do all we can to reduce any stress and anxiety. Using methods that minimise anxiety also reduces confounding factors and improves the responses during experiments, leading to more robust scientific outcomes." The research was funded by the BBSRC, NC3Rs and the Wellcome Trust. Dr Vicky Robinson, Chief Executive of the NC3Rs, comments: "This study shows that even the simple act of handling a mouse can cause it anxiety and stress, which in turn can affect experimental results. All researchers using mice are going to have to ask themselves whether picking the animal up by its tail is now the right thing to do."

A beautifully filmed rendition of John Cage’s composition Forever and Sunsmell, performed by Dorothy Gal, Christopher Salvito, and Jessica Tsang and filmed and recorded by Christopher Salvito. The title and text of Forever and Sunsmell are from 26, one of 50 poems (1940) by e.e. cummings. Some lines and words have been omitted, others have been repeated or used in an order other than that of the original. The humming and vocalise (not part of the poem) are an interpolation. That’s from the video description. There’s a longer analysis of the piece at allmusic.com that talks about its place in Cage’s artistic development. For the complete text of the original poem, click through to Vimeo. T.S. Eliot’s 1925 poem The Hollow Men is spoken in unison by a trio of computer generated voices. Photography, code-generated video, original music and choreography are combined for performance. This work was part of Chipped Off’s wasteAWAY. The poem “A Boy” rang out to me while I was writing “Thunder Lay Down in the Heart”. Titles usually come in response to the music and I often find myself looking through books of poetry to turn my mind on in that way. I studied poetry myself with John Ashbery many years ago while a student Bard College – indeed he was my advisor. I really responded to the inner psychic conflict of the protagonist against the visceral narrative tension of the storm – the sound, like thunder, of falling “from shelf to shelf of someone’s rage”, the rain at night against the box cars, the inevitable flood. But to say I’ve completely understood the poem – on whatever terms – is to short change its mystery. I find something new in this poem every time I read it. It’s precisely that kind of altruistic unfolding that I hoped to embody in my musical work with its own flooded lines, dry fields of lightning, and cabbage roses. One reviewer recently described the work as its own “vast electrical disturbance”. Hard to disagree. For more information on the album, see the Western Vinyl catalog description. The story of Thunder Lay Down in the Heart begins with the poem “A Boy” written in 1956 by John Ashbery, well before he became the world renown, Pulitzer Prize winning poet we know him as today. In a rare collaboration, Tignor recorded Ashbery reading the work in his Chelsea apartment, surrounding it with his own original musical setting for strings that opens the record. A line from this poem became the title of Tignor’s twenty-minute work for string orchestra, electronics, and drums, featuring eminent Boston-based ensemble A Far Cry. The album’s B side continues the process of reinterpretation as Tignor electronically reimagines and remixes the title piece into “The Listening Machines” and “To Draw a Perfect Circle”, creating spellbinding ambient adventures derived directly from the tapes of this ensemble’s gut-wrenching virtuoso performance. Ending as we began with collaboration, the record’s final remix, “First, Impressions”, was created with composer / pianist Rachel Grimes (of Rachel’s). I suppose this is technically a music video rather than a videopoem, but it strikes me as much closer to the latter genre to the former — save for the fact that the poem takes the form of a very beautiful art song.

In all the SACD provides the modernist aficionado with the most freewheeling and variously instrumented introduction of Borep-Jorgensen's music I have yet to hear. No doubt the DVD film sequence adds to our appreciation as well. For that I do recommend you check out this offering. It is something of a milestone among Scandinavian New Music offerings in recent years. Nobody with an interest in the latest Modern Classical music can afford to ignore Arvo Part. And indeed why on earth would one want to, since his music has a sometimes stark grandeur, echoes of more ancient forms and a marvelously narrative demeanor that sets him completely apart among his peers? As time goes by we can more readily synthesize what he has done. A perfectly sensible and summed up offering out now is all four of his symphonic creations on a single CD entitled The Symphonies (ECM New Series 2600). So we get to hear all four in sequence, the Symphony No. 1 (Polyphonic) (1964), the Symphony No. 2 (1966), Symphony No. 3 (1971) and finally Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles" (2008). Conductor Tonu Kaljuste and the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic give us beautifully alive, heartfelt but measured readings of the complete output. We feel celebratory as we hear all four new readings and compare the works side-by-side. As the sequence proceeds we do feel a movement forward from a sort of attachment to "New Music" presentation gradually into the timeless eerie world of a present haunted by the memories of the past that is so much Part's special way with listeners. The conductor approaches the recording-performance as if it were one grand symphony and indeed listening we do feel a continuity and a movement more and more toward an iconically singular voice. Yet none of it sounds tentative in the least. Each phase is a confident and eloquent assertion with its own stylistic assumptions. The First in a neo-classical avant way, the Second an adept, very adventuresome collage, the Third with a turn to his special allusions to early music, the Fourth with a timeless spiritual meditation and some of his celebrated tintinnabuli form along with slowly unfolding sonic planes endlessly stretching forward. It is a sublime journey. Anyone who loves Part will find it all indispensable. Those who do not know Part would do well to start here. It is one of those releases that marks out the year as special. Can I be more plain? It is wonderful. In the world of 21st century music, there are or were those whose principal years were last century and those whose main thrust has been in the new millenium. It can matter for roots and origins in complicated ways. And in the end we can think profitably in terms of generations, and then one might find alignments, or perhaps not. Everything in the stylistic creative zone since the beginning of last century has been in a delicious state of flux and generalizations may not always hold true as readily as one might like. For now we might put all of the generalizations aside and turn to a single composer and his music. Where that music fits in will no doubt take shape as we go along in time. I am not going to try and force an easy typological judgement on the music today, though. Classification is critical for the internet yet in the end it can be too simple-minded to force something on a complex musical personality. Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016) is our focus. His is a complex intersection of possibilities. He of course did a great deal of composing before the turn of this century and his musical personality stretches back to an early classic-modern period influence though his music has always tended to go its own way. Today, most happily, we have a fine recording of Works for Cello and Piano (Ondine 1310-2), as performed with focus and rooted passion by Tanja Tetzlaff on cello and Gunilla Sussmann on piano. The program covers nicely the extended period between 1955 when Rautavaara was in his twenties through to 2000 when he had reached his 70s. The works keep a specially original style intact throughout, yet there is a great deal of growth to be sensed in that long gestatory period. Kimmo Korhonen in the insightful liners to the CD sets up a sort of dichotomy of ways to create a lifetime body of works as a composer. On one extreme end, there are those that rather early-on create a particular stylistic universe and essentially work within it throughout their career, so that in some ways each composition is a variation of each other composition, that the composer writes the "same" work over and over. On the other hand at the opposite end of the spectrum there are those who seek to create themselves anew at every moment, that realize a new possibility of music every time they write a new work. On that end perhaps we might think of Stockhausen. On the other end there is Vivaldi? Korhonen argues, to my mind rightly, that we most fruitfully can place Rautavaara in the middle of the spectrum. There is a neo-classical/neo-expressionist continuity to be heard in these cello-piano works for example, and yet each takes on its own special character within the continuum. And in part the variable can be the degree of Modernity, so to speak? Some veer closer to the tonal end of chromaticism, others let go a bit more on the strength of a tonal center. Either way there is a a musical voice that calls out its individuality at all times. So we can gain much from the form seeking yet mystically mysterious worlds of his Sonatas for Cello and Piano (No. 1 1973-73/2001 and No. 2 1991) We can hear the wonderful boldness of his 1955 "Two Preludes and Fugues." And there is the deceptively austere expressions of the Sonata for Cello Solo (1969). It fleshes out in your mind the more you listen. There is no simple characterization of the music on this program. It is lyrical in its deep structure yet does not often wear that lyricism on its sleeve, so to speak. It is music that bears repeated listens by revealing a bit more of itself at each pass. It is a feeling person's music. But it is also a thinking person's music. The music of the brilliant French Baroque Master Francois Couperin (1668-1733) seems as timely and as welcome as ever. Now that we are at the 350-year-anniversary of his birth, there have been some worthwhile albums coming out to celebrate the occasion. A fine one of them is Les Muses Naissantes (outhere RIC 387). It is a well-seasoned and vibrant exploration of Couperin gems, many of which I do not remember having heard before. There are some charming harpsichord solo pieces played nicely by Brice Sailly, some worthy chamber pieces with Sailly and Le Chamber Claire, and some songs featuring soprano Emmanuelle de Negri and the ensemble. There is to be found some genuinely spirited music and plenty of the sweetness you can hear readily in the luminaries of the French Baroque. The intertwining shifts in instrumentation and mood make for a nicely varied program. The period-faithful performances have liveliness and surety that mark the entire program as notable. Ms. de Negri, Mr. Sailly and La Chambre Claire are emminantly gifted and excellently suited to this repertoire. If you love Couperin, here is a fine addition to your collection. If for some reason you have yet to get acquainted with this lyrically alive and deeply expressive exemplar of French musical arts, this would serve well as an introduction. I for one am glad to have it. The prolific Carson Cooman has been producing an enormous output. Hundreds of works. An earlier volume of his organ music, Litany, I covered on these pages last March 11, 2014. Today we consider the latest volume of his organ music, Volume 7, Owl Night (Divine Art 25163). I have not heard anything from Cooman that was not well-crafted and engaging. Owl Night is that and a good deal more. It is orchestral-depth organ music in the grand tradition that characterised the French school from Franck to Messiaen. That is not to say that you readily hear an influence so much as it has a beautifully dynamic mysterium and big sweep, not unlike the most ambitious French School organ music that we who love organ music find so appealing. The music on this volume was written in the second half of 2016 and the first half of 2017. It covers a good deal of ground. So "Two Mantras" manipulates repeating figures and variations on them as well. "Owl Night" is a moody, quiet reverie. "Concert Piccolo" uses a 12-tone row previously utilized by Eberhard Kraus in a work of the same name. The piece is in memoriam. "Two Fantasias" utilizes the same musical materials for contrasting movements, one bittersweet atmospherics, the other triumphant and majestic. Finally five Preludio, a Postludium, and a "Toccata, Aria and Finale" send us off with flair. Quietude and extroverted majesty alternate for a most fitting conclusion. There is a deeply organ-ic experience available in this volume. There is much to assimilate and richly so. It is not un-Modern, it is un-self consciously Cooman Modern. And it is a very good thing, that. I recommend this to anyone who loves the organ. And anyone who has not yet experienced Carson Cooman and seeks a living voice of distinction in New Music. Good music. Very good. Worthy of your ears, certainly. Many Hovhannes acolytes will recognize the classic "Suite for Band" (1948) from earlier recordings. This version rivals versions I have studied. The previously unheard works are worthwhile, the other works done nicely. In all this is a nice one to have if you are a Hovhaness admirer. It may not be my first choice for a new listener. Yet at the Naxos price you cannot go wrong. Recommended. On December 30, 2013 I reviewed music by Kara Karayev on these pages. Here we are some nearly five years later and I have another one to bring up. Today there is a new CD of Karayev's "Symphony No. 1" and his "Violin Concerto." They are played enthusiastically and quite respectfully by the Kiev Virtuosi Symphony Orchestra under Dmitry Yablonsky. Janna Gandelman is the violin soloist and she sounds well. The music itself is the main attraction. Karayev (1918-1982) is considered the father of modern Azerbaijani classical music yet too he was aligned in the camp of the Russian moderns. The two works on the album are a nice contrast. The "Symphony No. 1" was written in 1943 and seems very much Russian Modernistic with the sort of lively severity Shostakovich did so well. Yet this is more than an an extension of that influence, for it travels far into a very vibrant palette of expression, dark and then brilliant, somber and then heroic, but serious, always even though there is a sarcastic playfulness to be heard, too. The "Violin Concerto" jumps ahead to 1967 and Karayev's very personal take on Serialist possibilities. There is even more of the Modernist to be heard, yet it very much sounds pan-Russian-Azerbaijanian in an individual way. These two works bear much fruit on close inspection. They are neither inconsequential nor lightweight. They are convincing reasons why Karayev should be heard today. For he holds his own. Very well. I don't suppose I will raise too many eyebrows if I say that Prokofiev's ballets to me rival those of Stravinsky. Well, maybe a few. It is hard to top "The Firebird," "The Rite of Spring" and "Petrushka." Nevertheless Prokofiev's "Cinderella" and "Romeo and Juliet" have an nearly equal power and charm to my mind. That does not mean they have had equal historic importance. Yet history is something that has passed and contemporary evaluation via continued performances is perhaps something else altogether. History is made. Contemporary appreciation either exists or it does not. By the time Prokofiev conceived of and wrote the ballet (1935-36, 1939) the Soviet Union was developing a set of guidelines that amounted to a judgement irrespective of context of what works were or were not acceptable to the regime. So were sad endings permissible? It sounds ridiculous now, but that was a huge issue. So much so that Prokofiev's original version had Romeo and Juliet's mutual suicides avoided through a last-minute intervention by Friar Lawrence. The ballet was essentially prevented from having a full performance for a number of years because of the sad ending heresy! Anyone who knows Prokofiev's musical personality must also know that a happy Romeo and Juliet would not be something Prokofiev would gravitate towards, since there is a bitter-sweet happy-sad element to his music at its finest. It is a key to the power of his music and also the power of Shakespeare's play. So we ultimately should be glad Prokofiev had the courage to follow the story as it was intended to be told. The complete ballet has some of Prokofiev's most moving passages and all-in-all it has great appeal regardless of the circumstances of its making. Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony come through with a detailed, spirited and impassioned reading of the complete opus. This may not be Prokofiev at his most Modern, in spite of some huge dissonances and some idiosyncratically hard-edged moments in the score. It hardly matters or it should not when the music is this transcendent and lasting. The memorable lyrical-brittle music for this ballet speaks to me as much as ever, in no small thanks to Alsop's loving attention. It is nothing short of a triumph, I must say. If you have not spent time with the complete Romeo and Juliet, here is the chance to do it with an excellent performance at a nice price. If you are a Prokofiev-aholic and have one or more versions, I suspect this version will be so balanced that you might well profit from adding it to your collection. For many years, in fact up until recently, the only music I'd been able to hear of Charles Villiers Stanford (1854-1924) was a few scattered choral works. By a not especially detailed look at such music I thought of Stanford as maybe a little Elgar-like, slightly stodgy and Victorian? In fact when you listen closely to Elgar that view is not uniformly warranted, so also Stanford. What I discovered in these new releases was the relatively untold story of a major figure in the English Modern Compositional Renaissance--not at all Modern in our accepted sense but neither all that Romantic. And not so stodgy, either. That impression is born out by the welcome addition of a three-CD set of his Complete Works for Violin and Piano (Sheva Sh 100). Pianist Christopher Howell seems perfectly suited for the music, as he did for the solo piano works. His partner for this project is violinist Alberto Bologni, who acquits himself in a fine manner as well. The music is nicely straightforward, tuneful, lyrical at times, never pretentious, not primarily virtuoso-oriented, a sort of English Chabrier in the focus on musicality. The folk and folk dance related pieces are the most charming but there too are some very nice moments of unvarnished song and instrumental singing. I imagine this might have made quite attractive salon music at the time. Today it stands out as remarkably down-to-earth music, not exactly fragile and sometimes robust yet also un-mawkishly tender too. Some of the rhapsodistic music veers firmly into Romanticism yet it does so almost folkishly and not at all idiomatically. In this way the music transcends era to be patently timeless. Yet it is very much of its time. In this music we can hear what for Stanford was a stance on being Anglo, on being an English composer that we now can see was in the air as a result. It helps explain and situate the very individual furtherance of a local style in the music of Vaughan Williams, Holst, Walton and the rest. Plus it is very enjoyable music in its own right. There are no great strides taken harmonically, nor are dissonances a factor, understandably. Yet too it is a definite break from any traces of Germanic Romanticism and a freeing up of the local to be itself. So in the end I cannot but recommend this set to anyone who seeks to ground fully in the origins of the Modern English Renaissance. The works here are delightful in themselves. It is a freshening of your usual fare, no matter what that fare might be. So listen. Sarah Nemtsov (b. 1980) has High Modernist cachet in my mind. I feel this way after happily exploring thoroughly her recent album Amplified Imagination (Wergo 7366 2). There are five compositions, each making use of conventional instruments along with electronic alterations and re-presentations. Each performed-recorded work occupies its own special world. So on the other spectrum of possibilities we have "zimmer I-III" which is a little more directly chamber-like with eight musicians including laptop players-transformers, amplified harp and amplified string quartet. Transformed sounds are integrated, as in a way another instrumental voice than a totally transformed ambient-timbral whole. Yet the music thrives on extended techniques so it is never a for-granted sonics. Never that. "Implicated Amplification" for amplified bass clarinet and three effect pedals is redolent and bursting with beautiful instrumentality, so to speak. Ms. Nemsov supplies that snakelike agility of an instrument with repeating patterns and timbral intersections both thoughtful and moving. It is a good example of what makes Sarah Nemtsov special. There is imaginative deliberation to all of these works. You feel after listening that there is a very alive somebody behind the contemplative and often extroverted sounds. I would say to you after listening many times, I would say listen to this without fail if you hold High Modernist and "Free" sounding music in high esteem. It is in its own way a triumph of sound over silence. Just how much piano music there is by Franz Liszt can be approximated by the fact that Naxos is now at Volume 48 of their complete set! There is no apparent let-off. This volume plays to me and I cannot help but smile as I listen for the sixth time. It, to be specific, is a recording of the Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos.12-17 (Original versions) (Naxos 8.573784). The pianist is Carlo Grante, who is not out to prove just how flashy he can be, and that is a good thing if we want to assess the original treatment and not merely be dazzled. So what have we to gain from hearing these prototypical versions? The Hungarian Rhapsodies can be profitably seen as one of the first significant forays into "nationalism" in the classical fold, which nowadays we might boil down to the use of "native" ethnicity or folk materials as the basis of a new music. It was never entirely something out of the blue, since someone like a Haydn was known to incorporate local thematic materials into his music--for example a string quartet appropriating the theme from what later most unfortunately became identified with the Nazi's as "Deutschland Uber Alles." And let us not forget how Renaissance composers often imported local songs of the day into their contrapuntal works--"L'Homme Arme" being a favorite in Masses of the time. That an aside, but it nevertheless serves to situate Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies for us as "ethnically specific" music, and most importantly excellent music for all that. The original versions of Nos. 12-17 have all the thematic charm of the ones now much more well-known to us. What maybe is most telling in the early settings is how the treatment is not exactly typical compared to the later way Liszt developed a virtuoso pianistic style that became so influential from that point forward. Listen to some of Keith Jarrett's solo recitals patiently and you hear eventually how it is still with us. The earlier Liszt Rhapsodies are a kind of un-self-conscious approach that perhaps aims at a musicality not entirely virtuoso-centered, or alternately not always quite typical of Liszt's codified later virtuoso style. In this way and also because the varied treatment is distinct enough to give great pleasure in its own right. anyone who loves Liszt would benefit from having these versions ready to hand. Having also the related "Magyar Dalok," another alternate version of the 10th Rhapsody and "Puszta Wehmut" are all welcome additions. In short there is much good listening to be had here. Those who know and love the Rhapsodies in the famous versions will find this a delightful alternative. And in any event the performances and obscurities make for welcome fun and enlightenment. So grab this as you may. John Ogdon (1937-1989)? You may remember him as a concert pianist. I had (and still have?) his RCA recording of Carl Nielsen's piano music. He was a pianist of great interpretive power. Many may not realize that he was a composer of brilliance, completing more than 200 works in between the demands of his concert career. We have a chance to appreciate some of his remarkable music on the recent Original Piano Works (Piano Classics PCL10132). On it Tyler Hays tackles Ogdon's very technically demanding and dramatic works with genuine aplomb. I was in the dark about Ogden's music until this. I surely am no longer! All you need do is put on the CD and listen to the first work there, "Sonata 'Dedicated to my friend Stephen Bishop'". It is piano music that dramatically enacts a special passion through an intimate understanding of the piano beneath the composer's hands. There is Ivesian brinkmanship, Sorabji-Scriabin-Alkanesque-Ornsteinian Promethean demands on the pianist, and a very convincing modern internal bite that allows for cascading dissonances and structural consonance contrasts. As you listen you grasp the tone-succession syntax as music-speak of a high order. There is a commanding pianist presence to this work that Tyler Hay takes to like duckwater takes to ducks! It is a momentary shock to hear this music for the first time. And indeed subsequent listens fully bear out the first impressions and deepens them. That initial inner feeling does not at all dissipate in the subsequent program of an additional three works substantial and invigorating. There are some remarkable chromatic fugal mazes happily to negotiate and a good deal else to savor as well. I feel no let down as I listen repeatedly to his "Ballade," his "Kaleidoscope No. 1 (6 Caprices)" and his "Variations and Fugue." Ogdon is a real discovery for me. If you listen to this program and its excellent performances I think you will be as pleasantly startled as I have been. Make no mistake! If you love a modern piano world as I do, you will feel right at home with Original Piano Works. The music is a modern wonder and the performances nothing short of heroic. Deliberately slapdash piano profundity never sounded so well! It is a reverse engineered Op 18 that has a brio that is more mercurial and intimate than emotion drenched. There is a subtle buoyancy to their readings, a most refreshing underplaying and removal of vibrato except for contrast in phrasings and for variable timbral presence. It seems more appropriate today to hear a less anguished, less heart-on-sleeve gushing quality in these works. And it is not to say that these readings are without feeling. They are quite feelingful. They just do not blubber so much. They do not so much openly weep as they quietly sigh. Eybler's togetherness and technical brilliance, too, are absolutely thrilling. That brilliance enables them to accentuate the near playfulness of the allegro movements, the quasi-Viennese folkish Beethoven, the contrast between sincere tenderness and bracingly swift flight. I will not go on at length about the myriad virtues of the music and its special presence with the Eybler Quartet. These are versions that serve as a critically righteous introduction to the three quartets in Beethoven's beautiful first efforts toward his very individual vision of the fourness string world. It also will be a most worthwhile addition to the collection of those who already know and love these works, for these versions give you insight into what the quartets are deep down and on their dazzling surfaces. Heartily recommended. Anton Bruckner's music came out of himself almost in spite of his everyday personality. He was a devout Catholic, a soul so timid that when an orchestra was running through one of his symphonies and a player questioned what note he was supposed to play, Bruckner was said to have responded, "whatever you'd like." He probably never even kissed a woman, which back then could have meant anything except a boldness, surely. No doubt in our modern, more canderous parlance he never kissed a man, either. His music was in many ways the opposite of his personality, except perhaps his devoutness, which was key. The music is of course bold and assertive with a cosmic hugeness far beyond most of the music others created during his lifetime, or even afterwards. His was the music not about God, or from God, it was God. Only Mahler in a certain mood could rival him for his huge cosmoses of God-like sound. That is so much the case that when I threw an "end-of-the-world" party as Three-Mile Island seemed to be cataclysmically melting down not far away from us, I immediately chose Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 as one of the soundtracks. The maelstrom of music that is the 9th seems truly like the Voice of God to me, as much as one might imagine such things. Given my life-long appreciation of this work, I do not shy away from versions yet unheard. So today we have the "Original SWR Tapes, 1996" of Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the 9th with the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Stuttgart des SWR (SWR Classic 19411CD). It is a version that is markedly well-paced and deliberate, in no hurry to race along and fill two sides of an LP. And that is all for the best. Giulini's cosmos does not unfold rapidly, so that each section comes to a predetermined weight without haste, in a heavenly canopy that need not arrive anywhere according to a set timetable. Bruckner of course is one of the weightiest composers in terms of large orchestral girth and a stoic refusal to entertain so much as bring a heavenly world to light, to the light, to life. It strikes me on the 9th that many would-be Minimalists could learn from Brucker how repetition and periodicity could still take on a developmental forward momentum that avoids what in some hands is the mediocrity of the banal. Motivic cells germinate, spin around a vortex, then develop without obvious, filler sorts of sequencing. The 9th has this wondrously spinning quality to it at times, sometimes as slowly as a huge cosmos of bulk like the heavenly material canopy of stars above us or of large sections of the universe that slowly turn in on themselves. One way to look at it is that Bruckner takes the leitmotif idea from Wagner and looks at it like a mass of cosmic frisbees. He spins them in slo-mo throughout his musical universe, spiralling, mutating, sequentially jettisoning their way through an eternity that only lasts (practically) for over an hour. What glory is to be heard in this opening up of aural things to our manifold listening experience! Seriously. The deliberate interpretation Giulini gives us lends itself well to the stately, ponderous spin of the music of the spheres as Bruckner hears it. And we can now perhaps gauge later Bruckner not just as some sort of obviously exploded Wagner. It is also music that hears in the heavens a spinning that post-High Modernism too hears in its own way. Of necessity Bruckner could not really be the voice of God. So he is in a way the ultimate ventriloquist. God in this lushly, grandly exciting canopy is really the voice of Bruckner impersonating God! I can think no better (but a few equally) convincing versions of this most remarkable work and what it is doing. The incredibly prolific Weinberg completed 17 String Quartets. They, as most quartets in the Modern Era, can be looked down upon as formalist-subjectivist by a rabid Stalinist realism. Accordingly the quartets were tainted by suspicion in the early years of life in his adopted homeland. That initial ill-will put the quartets under a cloud in the years that followed.Yet there is extraordinary music to be heard there. And Social Realism after all is a rather reductionist and delusional approach to what music is all about. Any theoretical approach that bans Weinberg has to be rejected. It is dead wrong. The excellent Silesian Quartet brings to us state-of-the-art performances of Weinberg's String Quartets Nos. 8, 9 & 10 (Accord ACD 241-2). The incredible beauty of the opening adagio for Quartet No. 8 lets us know just how special these quartets are. They are a product of Weinberg's middle years, the first from 1959 when he was around 40, the others follow in succession, 1963 and 1965. The liners to the CD make cogent mention of the autobiographical elements that appear in many of the quartets. The notes describe in 1963 the premiere Polish performance of any of his music, of the Quartet No. 8, which at the time seemed insufficiently Modern to the audience, aside from the spice of some dissonance. They were used to the High Modern search for new sonarities and innovations in form, and Weinberg was more concerned with a music that was "intensely emotional, usually melancholy, dramatic at times." Such is the substance of these quartets, intensely Expressionistic, closer to a Shostakovich (a Jewish one for all that) than someone like early Penderecki. From the vantage point of today, many will embrace these quartets for the reason that they are not Avant leaning. I myself feel that the addition of Weinberg should not be seen as a need to subtract early Penderecki, Boulez or Stockhausen. We can enrich ourselves all the more by allowing both musical visions to occupy our attention. There are deeply introspective moments in all three quartets. Compared with a Prokofiev, Weinberg is a shade more bitter than bittersweet. And in some regards he is almost unrelenting in his serious outlook. We have generally seen such approaches to quartet writing from later Beethoven on, and perhaps after a time we will come to see the Weinberg cycle as we do the Bartok, the Shostakovich, the Carter, the later Beethoven works? It is a moot point for the moment to me. What counts is to recognize the three middle quartets as very worthwhile and deeply absorbing listens, especially in these superb Silesian Quartet performances. A sober sadness gets an equally emphatic and perhaps slightly macabre folk dance rejoiner as we follow movement-to-movement and recognize the depth of all we hear on this program. There is a definite temperament in play in the Weinberg ethos. The picture as conveyed by his music is seldom exactly rosy. The events in his life gave him plenty of cause to feel that way. And we can appreciate the beautiful way he chose to express his temperament-biography in these quartets. Emotions are not funneled into musical expression in a one-size-fits-all manner. If they were music would be rather boring, wouldn't it? The triumph of Weinberg the composer is the triumph of invention over all personal obstacles. We can only rejoice at the results in this volume. Essential. With the rise of so-called Nationalism beginning in the later 19th century and onwards, the new importance of local folk forms to the Modern Classical world became obvious, yet often enough remained in an almost autonomous independance to Modernism itself. Both fed off each the other, yet could go separate ways at times while maintaining a contemporaneous existence, a happenstancial presence in the present. It is to the exceptional folk-based recreative music we turn with the recent volume Rhapsodie Roumaine (SoloMusica 277). On it we are treated to six compositional sets or individual works by the two, all centered around the vibrant reworking of Romanian folk moods, the rhapsody as reconceived in Modern-Post-Romantic terms. Authentic Romanian tonality-melody in the quasi-Gypsy expressive idiom makes powerful contact with the extraordinarily fertile imaginations of the two. It is a mix of the familiar and less familiar, the classics and the reworked classics, the discoveries, the more obscure. Enescu's "Romanian Rhapsody No. 1" gets a new version for piano quartet, while his exceedingly beautiful "Sonata No. 3 for Violin in A minor" receives near-ideal treatment by Gilles Apap on violin and Diana Ketler on piano. They do an exceptional job as well on the Bartok "An Evening in the Village" for violin and piano, and his equally stunning "Romanian Folk Dances. Sz. 56" for violin and piano. To top it off we hear Bartok's "Duos for Two Violins" arranged for two violas, plus the recently rediscovered Enescu "Nocturne 'Ville d'Avrayen'" for piano quartet. The music has enough modernity that you would never mistake any of it for 19th-century fare. And there is an exceptional folk detail that keeps it well out of the sort of quasi-patronizing popularizations you might encounter in earlier works of a pre-revival kind. The performances are uniformly sensitive and flamboyant as needed. The music is a joy and each piece fits fully into the thematic matrix to create a highly cohesive whole. Very recommended!

When you have boys, you need to keep them busy or they get into trouble. My 15 year old son loves to build things. This summer he decided to make a soda pop bottle launcher with his brother. All I had to do was purchase the items at Home Depot, and he was able to figure out the rest on his own. I love that this craft is super cheap and doesn't take very long to make. The kids were playing with it in the yard for hours with their friends. We even had a few dad's come over after work and ask what we were doing. This craft is for all ages and will provide hours of fun together. I am cracking up that some of the kids were eating yogurt while they were launching the rocket. This project is a part of the Summer Survival Series for Mom’s of Boys on The Joys of Boys. I have teamed up with several bloggers from June to the middle of August to help make your summer loads of fun and help you to break up your routine with fun activities, science experiments, crafts, fun food ideas and more. Adjustable Hose Clamp (size is important - get hose clamp with a range from 11 mm to 23 mm) The hose clamp must be a little bigger than the pipe because that is what holds on the Zip Ties to the pipe. Cut an 18" piece off of your 8 foot x 1/2" PVC pipe with the PVC pipe cutter. Glue the 18' piece to the 1/2" Tee with water resistant blue glue. Take your remaining piece of PVC Pipe and glue it into the other end of the Tee to make one long launcher piece. Glue the 3 inch PVC pipe to the remaining opening of your Tee. See collage for example. Glue the cap onto the end of your long PVC Pipe. Make sure the cap is on the end where your Tee is. Drill a 1/2" (13mm) hole from the middle of the inside of the 2nd pipe end cap. It's a good idea to hold the end cap with a pair of pliers and back it up with scrap wood to the drill bit does not ruin the table when it comes through. Pull the tire valve stem through the hole in the end cap, from inside the cap to outside. Grab the stem with pliers, but do not grab on the threads. Pull hard and wiggle the stem through until the groove in the stem gets seated on the pipe. You will know when you have it seated because it will be impossible to back the stem back out anymore. Slather some glue on the inside walls of the end cap. Make sure you do not apply so much that it blocks the opening to the valve. Glue the cap with tire stem onto the 3" pipe that is glued to the Tee. Duct Tape the 2 foot PVC Pipe to your long PVC Pipe, 18" down from the top. We taped it in 3 different places. This 2 foot PVC pipe gives your longer pipe support. Make sure you are taping the support pipe on the end that doesn't have the PVC Tee on it. See main image for example. Cut a 5 inch piece of duct tape. Place the Zip Ties on the Duct Tape so the head of the Zip Ties are facing down. Place them side by side until all 8 Zip Ties are on one side of the tape. The heads of the Zip Ties must be even on top for it to work. Use a ruler if you need to in order to make sure the heads are all aligned. Fold the rest of the tape over so the sticky sides are touching. This will secure the Zip Ties into place. Wrap the Duct Tape with Ties around the top of the PVC pipe (opposite end of the valve) so the head of the Zip Ties are facing in about 10 1/2" inches from the top. The Zip Ties should be on the same side as your support PVC Pipe. Take the adjustable hose clamp and secure the Duct Taped Zip Ties to the PVC pipe. See example. Tighten the clamp so the Ties don't move. Drill a 1/4" (7mm or so) hole near the end of the 2" x 1 1/2" PVC Pipe. Thread the end of the rope through the hole and tie it somehow to the outside of the pipe. Put Duct Tape as needed inside the 2" PVC Pipe on one side. This help make it a snug fit. This is the pull trigger. See example. Place the trigger on the top of the launcher over the Zip Ties so it is touching the clamp. The rope should be pocking out the bottom of the trigger. To launch the rocket, fill your soda pop bottle 1/3 of the way full with water. Push the 2 liter bottle onto the long pipe. It helps to twist the bottle a little as you push it on. The Zip Ties go over the neck of the soda bottle. The trigger pipe will rest on the hose clamp until you are ready to lock it into place. Lock the bottle on by pushing the trigger pipe over the heads of the ties. The Trigger keeps the bottle from coming off you launcher when you pump air into it. Pump air into your 2 liter pop bottle. We put 40 to 50 lbs of air into the bottle with the bike pump. When you are ready to launch, make sure your launcher is pointed straight up and not directly at someone. Pull the strings of the trigger and it pulls the trigger back and releases the Zip Ties from the bottle. The 2 liter bottle takes off in the air and the water from the bottle gets everyone under it wet. Prepare to have lots of fun with this one! It is addicting.

The journey. The path. The walk. The phases. The good. The bad. The ugly. The things that make us mad. The things that make us happy. The things that make us who we are. Our babies. Our toddlers. Our school-aged children. Our adolescents. Our children who grow into adults. Every person who takes on the role of parent knows exactly what I'm talking about. Parenting is hard. It's a challenge. It's also for most of us, the most amazing thing that we ever experience in our lives. That being said, everybody's experience is different. Here comes the BUT... You know the one, the one where I say BUT for parents of children on the autism spectrum or children who have developmental disabilities it is different. Well, today I'm not going to say that. Today I feel different. My thoughts today have been building slowly over time for seven years. Today I feel the power to embark on a new journey that I have never felt more pride, fear and accomplishment in accepting and embracing. Perspective. Change in perspective. Teaching perspective taking to others. I work as a Behavior Consultant at Alternative Community Training, an amazing organization in Columbia, Missouri. I also, at times, most of the time, parent as a Behavior Consultant. I spend a lot of time teaching people, my son included, who don't have the social skills that are needed to live and be independent in their community. I accept that. There are many days that I agree with it. But lately there are a lot of days that I hope, dream, and imagine living in a community that embraces differences in all people in a way that can and could make every interaction with others that we have a teachable moment. Social interaction that is an experience that is filled with acceptance and not judgement. An experience that is filled with acceptance and not pity. Social interactions between all members of our community where every member takes a few seconds to think about what the other person might be thinking before placing judgment or misinterpretation on the other person. An interaction between two people who just accept each other for who they are and who they are striving to be. The best person that they can be in that moment. It's nearing the end of March, and in our family that typically means gearing up for April, Autism Awareness month, a month filled with blue puzzle pieces, blue lights, walks and awareness for our son who does in fact have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. By writing this, I'm not asking you to see blue puzzle pieces and blue lights as negative or exploiting his differences in any way. I'm just asking that when you put on that blue shirt, turn on that blue light, and participate in events that bring needed awareness and education about the differences of all people that you make a real effort to not think about pity. Instead, take pride in understanding that all people are different. On April 2nd, World Autism day, we will be wearing our blue, we will be raising awareness that brings about change and most of all we will be looking at our boy with pride, acceptance and teaching him that all people are different, have different abilities and most of all that we love being his parents completely because of who he is and who he is striving to be.

An art therapist’s job is to care and treat patients through the use of therapeutic means involving channeling creativity into art. Caring for and establishing a trusting relationship with the patient is more important than the aesthetics of the art, mostly because the success of the job relies on how the patient will respond to the therapy. This can be both a fulfilling and frustrating job, so one has to know beforehand if he or she is viable to become an art therapist. Train and treat patients with art. The patients can range from elderly to little kids, while the therapy itself can aim to resolve either a physical illness or emotional duress. This means that the art therapist will have to utilize both psychology and art and create art therapy methods that have been tested to aid people in working through troubled moments. Have care and commitment to service. Creativity and imagination will also help the art therapist in aiding the client towards recovery. Commitment to the work is also a must because there will be times when the job can be stressful, so the art therapist has to love the job in order to thrive in it. To become an art therapist, it is advised for a candidate to get a master’s degree in the field of art therapy. Usually, the history, theory, and techniques of art therapy are taught during the two years of the program. In addition, an art therapist will also be taught about treatment settings necessary for the job and one will be able to complete a thesis. There are also certifications from the Art Therapy Credentials Board, such as being a registered art therapist and being a board-certified art therapist. Art therapists who want to be qualified for private practice would have to attain a PhD with a state licensure. Aside from the education, candidates for a career in art therapy should have good listening skills, a compassionate attitude, and genuine care for service of others, because the job entails interaction with different kinds of people. Since the job includes the word “art,” most people assume that the most important requirement that one has to have would be an extensive knowledge and talent with art. This means knowing how to draw, sketch, paint, and teach this particular knowledge. While experience of working in the arts is part of the job description, it is more important to have sensitivity to the patients that the art therapist will be caring for. Strong communication and listening skills will help in gaining the clients’ trust. One also needs to have a non-judgmental attitude so that there will be a trusting relationship between the client and the art therapist. A good way to see if one is suitable for this career is to volunteer with helping kids or the elders. This will allow one to see if helping and working with others fits one’s lifestyle and attitude. The profession of art therapist can be considered under the broad category of recreational therapists. This group involves treating patients through various methods, including crafts, drama, dance, singing, and arts. As a profession, art therapy is predicted to develop 18% of employment chances until 2018, as those who are currently practicing the profession will have to give way to the younger generation. There will also be job opportunities in communities like schools for disabled students and hospitals and clinics for recovering patients. Competition will become fierce especially with the economy. Cutting costs can affect some recreational therapists’ jobs, which can also affect art therapists. Some may have to transfer to clustered areas like cities in order to find art therapist job opportunities that pay the average income. But the industry poses a huge potential of developing, expanding, and being recognized by professionals and clients. Instead of an office setting with cubicles and computers, art therapists would be exposed to interpersonal relationships with different kinds of people. The work conditions may vary depending on the location of the candidate’s job. An art therapist can work in hospitals and clinics, domestic violence shelters, colleges and universities, correctional and elder care facilities art studios, sheltered workshops, and private practice. Since an art therapist is exposed to interactions with people, they would not be working with charts and graphs. Instead, art therapists would usually have to handle equipment like counseling tools, toys, and art materials that provide therapeutic relief when used, such as clay, pencils, paint, fabric, and wood. Usually, art therapists work full time from 30 to 40 hours a week. If one is doing private practice or is self-employed, he or she can opt to fix the working schedule according to the candidate’s preference. Travel is not out of the question, considering how some communities and settings may be in another area that would require the art therapist to travel. Annually, art therapists can earn from $30,000 to $70,000. However, based on the statistics from the Office of Science and Education at the National Institutes of Health, the salary for art therapists can vary depending on the company and the practical experience of the candidate. For instance, there is a difference between the incomes between entry-level professionals in environments like hospitals, correctional facilities, schools, and clinics, and private practices. The median income for the former is $45,000, while those in a private practice can earn as much as $75 to $150 per hour. However, one has to comply with the stipulations necessary to work in a private practice.

During an emergency, transit agency employees may be responsible for managing incidents, assessing situations, and taking appropriate actions. Crisis management is stressful, so transit agency staff not only need clear procedures to follow, but also training and practice on how to carry out those procedures. From considering emergency response in vehicle and equipment purchasing to exploring new ways to prepare transit personnel for emergencies, there are many opportunities for transit agencies to enhance their ability to respond effectively to any emergency they may face. In this guide, we discuss some of the most common voluntary recommendations the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus Safety Program has made to bus transit agencies to improve their response to emergencies. These recommendations are intended to help transit agencies reduce safety risk. We also provide examples of effective emergency response practices that transit agencies can adopt to implement the recommendations.

A young man who thought he had a common cold had in fact contracted a rare and incurable disease and now has just a 20 per cent chance of living beyond the age of thirty. David Tyzak, 20, from Barnstaple, Devon, contracted Wegener’s granulomatosis in December. It is an autoimmune disease where the body's own immune system turns on itself after being triggered by a bacterial or viral infection. It affects just one in 70,000 causes inflammation of the blood vessels. The nose, throat, lungs and ears usually become swollen and inflamed. Hospital on New Year’s Eve. What he thought was a common cold soon developed into a life threatening condition. He was put on a strong course of steroids and chemotherapy, the only treatment known to force the disease into remission. But he reacted badly to the medication and advice was sought from Cambridge-bused Dr David Jayne the UK’s leading expert on Wegener’s as David underwent a life-saving plasma exchange. He is now out of hospital but receiving treatment at the home he shares with his parents and sister Rebecca. But the disease has transformed the fun-loving young man who is now practically housebound and unable to see much of a future. He said: 'The disease never leaves you; it could re-emerge at any time. 'If I so much as catch a cold it could be life threatening,' he said. With treatment people can recover, with the disease going into remission or at least kept in check. However, there is a 50 per cent chance of a relapse even with the use of immunosuppressant drugs and corticosteroids to control inflammation. Frequent hospital checks are required as the disease can also lead to kidney failure. David, who has suffered complications in his lungs, has had to put his return to film studies at Bournemouth University on hold as a result. But he and his family are determined to help raise awareness of the disease and give something back to the charity which offered them support. David’s mother, Barbara Tyzak, said Wegener’s charity Vasculitis UK had been extremely supportive. She said: 'Vasculitis UK got us through a really tough time; when I was sat by my son’s bedside not knowing if he was going to live or die they were there for me.

Letitia Plummer addresses health disparities and provides sustainable solutions towards health equity and attaining health literacy for all communities. rate being the highest amongst the Black and Hispanic communities. Social and economic exclusion, lack of affordable housing and transportation access, reduced employment opportunities, all contribute to the disparity in healthcare. African American and Hispanic communities. resources, develop work initiatives and benefit from workforce development. Also, we need to make use of emerging technologies that connect patients with healthcare professionals for medical advice. For our city to reach its potential, it is imperative that we prioritize the health of our residents by making sure that everyone has access to health care and are knowledgeable about preventative care. Our Emergency Preparedness Plan must include mental and physical welfare in all phases of a disaster, and we need to leverage collaborations between medical schools and community clinics to provide affordable health care to vulnerable communities.

Michelangelo's Crossed-leg Slave (1520-30) and the three other captives shown on the following pages were intended for the 1532 version of the tomb of Pope Julius II. It is believed that one of the more disagreeable ruling descendants of Julius II, Francesco Maria della Rovere, the Duke of Urbino, passed through Florence twice during this period and used his power to pressure the artist to complete the tomb. Michelangelo created another captive in stone, Beardless Slave, which can be seen in detail on the next page.

Since the introduction of EU Animal By-product Regulation (ABPR) 1774/2002, the open burning and burial of fallen livestock on-farm has been prohibited. A new research project has examined the current methods of livestock disposal available to farmers within the UK, EU and globally. Upon consultation of farmers around the UK, a novel method of on-farm storage and bioreduction was desired to try to reduce the cost of disposal and increase compliance to EU legislation. The process of anaerobic digestion is a very interesting method that could be developed for the bioreduction of carcasses prior to disposal. Anaerobic digestion involves the transformation of organic material into volatile fatty acids and methane gas, by a mixed bacterial culture without the presence of oxygen. The methane released from the process can be utilised to provide heat or electricity to operate the digester and try to reduce the carbon footprint of carcass disposal. A series of experiments will be conducted to ascertain the suitability of anaerobic digestion for the bioreduction of carcasses. The efficiency of the process will be determined due to the degradation of carcass material, quantity and quality of methane production and the level of pathogen destruction.

Allow me to give a suggestion: Make unit testing a part of every test strategy. Add it in with exploratory and tool-based techniques, but make sure you add it. Good unit testing allows you to explore products deeper, lowers your estimate, improves quality, and maintains productivity pace. I don’t expect you to design or execute the unit tests, but having unit testing as an explicit part of your test strategy says you depend on it and expect it to help deliver quality products. So, you may be asking: Why doesn’t everybody do it? Unit testing can be one of those polarizing topics in software development. Many developers do not plan, create, execute, or record their testing. The ensuing defects erode their credibility, cause delays in projects, or cause focus to shift away from product development. If your project is not seeing adequate unit testing, here are some thoughts on its benefits and ideas you can use to collaborate with developers. For the purpose of this article, I discuss unit testing in the context of software development, and I think of unit testing as the same thing as development testing, low-level testing, or component testing. I submit that unit testing is any action a creator makes to check a change they made, and it is not necessarily automated. The unit test of a change can be a review or a demonstration of functionality—or, preferably, both. Under this definition, notice that I don't constrain anyone to just source code. There are many files that are necessary for an application to operate successfully. The application file itself, component files the application may reference, configuration files that direct behavior, database files, schema files, and debug files work together to deliver functionality. Each of these files can be impacted by a change to the source files used to construct the application, so any change to any file is a candidate for a unit test. Any change? you may be asking. Joe, if I change a single character in a configuration file, you are suggesting that a unit test is necessary? Under my definition above, yes. But it depends. For me, it depends on who made the change, the scope of the change, and the context of the change. As you work with developers, you learn who creates good code and whose code may need more review. You can see this in the number of defects discovered and by listening to conversations between developers. Until a developer proves a certain level of competency in producing good code, I might scrutinize his code a little more. As a test lead, I coach testers along this line, too. Similarly, you also assess a developer’s history in making changes and his familiarity with the products he changes to help determine the right amount of scrutiny. If a developer comes to me and says she made a simple change, I want to know what she means by simple. A unit test for a text change from “unit pest” to “unit test” might be a file comparison (i.e., before and after the change), where a change in the location of a database server might require a unit test demonstration. What is the context of the change? Finally, I want to know more about the context of a change. Production issues impacting customers require a brief but focused review. However, something discovered during testing or a drive-by demonstration may require one or more unit test scenarios. The amount of documentation depends on the credibility of the developer and development team, the present defect rate, and code complexity. When the code complexity and defect rate are low and the developer produces solid code, I might have the developer demonstrate the unit tests. This can be completed at his desk. As those dimensions change, I might require a list of bullet points or something closer to a test plan. In that case, I target something that requires half an hour or less to create. When our project’s defect rate nearly doubled over two iterations, I worked with the lead developer to have developers prepare for unit test demonstrations, to create better documentation, and to require unit test documentation before the code became available for test. Our defects decreased over the succeeding iterations. Because a demonstration and documentation were required, it helped the developer focus the unit tests to cover important functionality and improved the quality delivered to our test environment. Unit testing serves to scrutinize new and changed products. The products are as good as the tests, so objectivity is encouraged. However, the level of the unit test is the real value. When a developer unit tests her changes, she demonstrates integrity. Her tests help her understand the behavior of the product. When she demonstrates a product through her unit tests, she improves collaboration. Two minds using the medium of the test to review product behavior creates a shared responsibility and shared outcome. When she demonstrates a product to her business team member through her unit tests, she improves confidence. Demonstrating the basics helps the business team members trust her work, frees them to ask deeper questions, and makes them feel part of the solution. A clear, concise, and well-prepared demonstration helps business team members understand their product’s capabilities. With an understanding of the basics, they can explore the product through questions or experiments. Being part of that conversation benefits them and your project team because they are helping to create a solution that fulfills their needs. As a tester, a strategy that includes unit testing facilitates that relationship, improves quality, and saves time.