was no chance, really, of her leaving him, as all the money that she had previously brought to the marriage was now in his name. so everyone - from his wife, his legitimate white wife, to his various other liaisons really had very little say in what happened to them in the world that he presided over and created. gross : one thing you speculate about, you speculate that your great - great - great - great grandmother, who had been a slave, was probably baptized before the slave owner had sexual relations with her because you say that most of the slave owners had no compunctions about sleeping with a young teenager, but they were reluctant to have sexual relations with somebody who hadn ' t been baptized and was therefore a heathen. stuart : yes, i mean, with one of his groups ' of children, suki ann ( ph ), he baptized her at 14, and that was often something that planters did if they were going to be in a slightly longer - term relationship with the individual female slave. while they may have, you know, kind of one - off relations with a slave that they had just picked, sort of picked randomly on the plantation, usually if the relationship was going to last, it was quite common for them to get the slave woman baptized, which is an ironic thing because obviously felt that that was a, you know, a rather virtuous gesture, which is extraordinary, when in fact that they were, you know, basically raping underage girls. but that was - thus are the ironies slavery, i think. gross : so the first documented slave ancestor is john stephen ( ph ). he ' s the son of the plantation owner, robert cooper... gross :... and the unknown slave... gross :... who gave birth to john stephen. what ' s the first documentation you were able - the earliest documentation you were able to find for john stephen? stuart : the first moment i discovered john stephen was in an old inventory, and he was described as being 14 years old, colored, which was the term the west indian planters used for - certainly the barbadian planters for those who were mixed - race, and a laborer. i was looking for him because the good thing about barbados, it ' s a very small place, and a lot of the lore or family lore does get passed down. so we had - i had a sense that i was going to find this person. you know, people had


the good thing about barbados, it ' s a very small place, and a lot of the lore or family lore does get passed down. so we had - i had a sense that i was going to find this person. you know, people had - we knew that he was robert cooper ' s because even in my generation, there has always been talk of robert cooper because he was such a large and affluent planter. his reputation and his - the stories of him has kind of lingered in the community. so that ' s how - but all of it, i have to say, is hearsay. i mean, we as a family assume that all of the - i think we ' re talking about 18 children of mixed descent that he in some way prioritized, at no point does he ever admit, even when he was living with them - he doesn ' t describe him as his children in that way. so we know this because of what the family knows, if you see what i mean, what ' s been passed on and what we know for sure. gross : and the early documentation of john stephen that you found is in what was called a slave return that was kept by robert cooper, the plantation owner, and that was required. a slave owner at that time in barbados had to keep a registry of their slaves. what was the reason for that? stuart : it was the end of the slave trade. one of the important decisions after the end of the slave trade in 1807 was in order to prevent illicit slave trading in the region, planters had to submit a yearly list of slaves on their plantation just to show that they couldn ' t sneak on slaves who had been illicitly sold in the region. so, they started documenting their slaves very carefully. and then later on, of course, they would then become compensated when slavery was itself abolished because they were compensated per head of slave. so it was to their advantage to make sure that all the slaves on their plantation were indeed recorded so that they would get the maximum amount of money. gross : and just to clarify here that, you know, in barbados, the slave trade was ended before slavery was ended. so you couldn ' t, like, import slaves from africa, but you could still own slaves. stuart : absolutely, that ' s right. gross : if you ' re just joining us, my guest is andrea stuart. we ' re talking about her new book that ' s part memoir and part history. it ' s called " sugar in the blood : a


, that ' s right. gross : if you ' re just joining us, my guest is andrea stuart. we ' re talking about her new book that ' s part memoir and part history. it ' s called " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " let ' s talk more after a break. this is fresh air. ( soundbite of music ) gross : if you ' re just joining us, my guest is andrea stuart, and she ' s the author of the new book " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " and it ' s the story of her family tree in barbados, where her great grandfather eight times removed first came to barbados, and her great grandfather four times removed was a slave owner who had relations with an unknown slave, and that ' s where her family tree really starts. and her book is also basically a history of slavery in barbados, and that history is a little different from the history of slavery in the u. s. so let ' s get back to your family tree, which you ' ve traced back to a slave owner, your great grandfather four times removed, and an unknown woman slave who he had relations with. their son, john stephen, spent three decades in slavery before slavery was ended in barbados. what did he do after he was freed? stuart : we have traces of him as, you know, doing kind of a number of - kind of finding a place in the community. he became a shoemaker. i assume he also went on being a carpenter because that was the trade he was given on the plantation. and he married a woman of a similar caste, also a mixed - race slave of a very prominent planter. they had - i think it - i ' m trying to remember now, i think it ' s six or eight children. and he - he kind of managed to have a certain genuine quality of life, really, in that the privileges that were set up by being this son of a planter carried on through his life. to some degree that meant that he had - he had advantages that ordinary slaves just didn ' t. gross : after some of your ancestors worked as slaves on a plantation, how did your grandparents come to own a sugar plantation in barbados? stuart : well, it always seems to me an extraordinary irony that my grandfather would decide, or rather his father would decide, that it was a good idea to go back into sugar after the history, the torrid history that


sugar plantation in barbados? stuart : well, it always seems to me an extraordinary irony that my grandfather would decide, or rather his father would decide, that it was a good idea to go back into sugar after the history, the torrid history that our family had had with that particular crop. but i think, you know, even at the turn of the century - and we ' re talking about the turn of the 20th century - it must have felt like sugar was still the biggest game in town. it was still the historical crop of the island. to be a planter was to be at the absolute top of the social tree. and so in some ways you can see that for successful businessmen, even those who came from a slave line, the idea of becoming a planter must have felt like real success. and i think that was why my great grandfather decided to buy and also start to farm a plantation again. gross : so we ' re talking about grandparents who were what they would describe as mulatto, they were mixed - race. they were the descendents of the slave who had children through the slave owner. so who were their workers when they owned a plantation? stuart : well, yes, i mean, as i said, i was thinking about this when i was writing the book. and when i was a little girl going up to see my family ' s plantation, the workers were people who were darker skinned than us and who came - who were basically people who remained - who would have been the sort of bulwark of the kind of slave world the century before. they were the ones who didn ' t marry or work - you know, when i say marry, they didn ' t become involved racially with the planters - or quite so much. so they tended to be the poorer and blacker barbadians. so it was ironic that we had this juxtaposition of a family like mine who were given a certain degree of privilege, not least the color of their slightly lighter skin, because of their interrelationships with planters and their world being farmed by and cared for by workers who hadn ' t had that same history. gross : how did your grandparents and great grandparents treat the workers? stuart : i think that my grandfather was an eccentric, i would say is the nice way of putting it. and i think that he, he very much cast himself in the role of planter. of course, times had changed enough that one - the kind of horrible extremities of


eccentric, i would say is the nice way of putting it. and i think that he, he very much cast himself in the role of planter. of course, times had changed enough that one - the kind of horrible extremities of being a planter with - along with violence, and - was no longer possibly legally or even, you know, in a social sense. but he was, i think, rather overbearing. he very much cast himself in the role of planter, drank too much, gambled too much, womanized too much and, you know, was very much - it was a role that he couldn ' t quite shed. gross : so knowing that your family is a result of, you know, quote, " illegitimate children " that a slave owner had with an unknown slave, how does it make you feel knowing that your, you know, your mixed - race grandfather and great grandfather had illegitimate children, too? it ' s not really a word i like to use, illegitimate children, but, you know, children out of marriage. stuart : well, i suppose, to be honest, it was completely so much a part of plantation culture and carried on being part of plantation culture all the way through up until the present day, really, that it feels - i wasn ' t at all surprised. i mean, when i discovered that my grandfather had four additional outside - of - marriage children, that ' s what they were called in barbados, i was surprised that i didn ' t know because it ' s a small island, but i was not very surprised. and i was - you know, my uncle, i remember my uncle telling me a story about how he found out about one of his illegitimate brothers and sisters because one guy in his class said to him, oh, you see that guy over there, he ' s your brother. and my uncle turned around and met this man, and he was indeed his brother by another woman who worked the plantation. it ' s amazing how powerful the kind of - the kind of archetype of the plantation was, and i think this is true on mainland america and in the caribbean, about how the behavior of the plantation carried on after slavery ended. it was an archetypal way of living that just has enormous power and resonance and just went on long after officially slavery was over. gross : your father is a doctor, and he was the dean at the medical school at the university college of the west indies in jamaica. he was knighted for


that just has enormous power and resonance and just went on long after officially slavery was over. gross : your father is a doctor, and he was the dean at the medical school at the university college of the west indies in jamaica. he was knighted for his contributions to medical education. so i presume that when you were growing up, you had a pretty high status in the islands, you know, your grandparents owned a plantation, your father was dean of the medical school. so can you talk a little bit about your status in the islands and how race and the color of your skin did or didn ' t figure into that. stuart : yes, i mean, i had a very lucky upbringing as a child in that sense that i was - my father was a doctor, and we were - we had a very comfortable, pleasant life, really. i think i sort of mentioned in the book that we were the first generation of black children who, really, who could enjoy the fruits of a tropical caribbean childhood without slavery, you know, kind of yawning over us, really. and yes, i think i was very, very lucky. i think the idea of race and status in the caribbean has changed - not entirely changed. i think that there ' s still a kind of recognition that people who have lighter skins, therefore who are obviously descendent from both planter and slave, do tend to still have certain amounts of privileges. and it ' s not an accident that up until say my mother ' s generation, people were very actively making sure that they married other light - skinned people. and i think there ' s very, very many sort of parallels with america in this regard so that people could maintain the privileges associated with those realities. but i think now i think that ' s much less significant in that way. i think now certain barbados and many of the islands are much more of a meritocracy, and there ' s a much stronger emergence of kind of, you know, my father being very typical of, quote - unquote, " darker skinned " but, you know, very dynamic men who have come forward and kind of dominate the middle classes. so i think it ' s a privilege that now is kind of not as important. gross : andrea stuart will be back in the second half of the show. her new book is called " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " i ' m terry gross, and this is fresh air. ( soundbite of music )


back in the second half of the show. her new book is called " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " i ' m terry gross, and this is fresh air. ( soundbite of music ) gross : this is fresh air. i ' m terry gross, back with andrea stuart, author of the new book " sugar in the blood, " which traces her family tree. her great grandfather four times removed owned a sugar plantation in the caribbean island barbados, and fathered children with at least three of his slaves, including the woman who became stuart ' s forbear. those children became his slaves, too. stuart describes her bloodline as blending the history of both oppressed and oppressor. her book also describes the history of slavery in barbados. the history of slavery in barbados is significantly different than the history of slavery in the united states, so i ' d like to talk a little bit about that slavery. you describe barbados as the first slave society in the british americas and the first society entirely organized around its slave system. and you say it became the model for the plantation system throughout the americas. what made barbados the model? stuart : i think that barbados became the model, because it was the place in the british colonies where they found their cash crop - which was sugar, in their case, but on mainland america, we could discuss tobacco or cotton later. they found their mainland. they had found their crop, and they worked out how to create a working system which involves the importation of slaves from africa, how to organize gangs and groups, how to organize it in a kind of working - as a workforce, how to create laws that would police it, how to create a kind of racial story that would justify it. they did all those things and created that model which then became - and you can see its links in kind of mainland america and, indeed, across the americas generally. i mean, we must remember that, for example, the carolinas were settled by - the very early carolinas were - at least half of their early governors were from barbados. so - and you had a vast kind of backwards and forwarding between - i mean, now we think of america - mainland america and the caribbean and south america as somehow very distinct, different places, but certainly, the caribbean and mainland america in those days were described as the americas by the british, particularly colonists. and many people who had great plantations on mainland america also owned plantations in the caribbean, and vice


as somehow very distinct, different places, but certainly, the caribbean and mainland america in those days were described as the americas by the british, particularly colonists. and many people who had great plantations on mainland america also owned plantations in the caribbean, and vice versa. you had enormous trade links between the groups. they were, in the historical sense, the same place, which i know that we find to imagine now, but it was. and so those interactions meant that what happened in the caribbean had enormous influence on what happened in mainland america. gross : and you ' re saying that it was in the caribbean, specifically in barbados, that slavery was codified, that there were laws. they were practices that were written down and codified. there was a law in 1661 that was passed called for the better ordering and governing of negroes. gross : and i think one of the things that this law did - correct me if i ' m wrong - was that it clarified the differences between slaves and indentured servants. so there were also indentured servants in barbados. what were the differences? stuart : yes, it ' s quite fascinating because, of course, we forget now that on mainland america and in the caribbean, the first servants were indentured white laborers who worked a term. they were given - in exchange for their passage to the americas, they were given - they worked for five years, or it could be six or seven, depending on the agreement they had with their owners. and then they were free, and they were given a certain amount in the hope that they could then start a new life in the new world. so it was - barbados, like much of the americas, was actually, initially a european world, the dominant workforce being white and the owners also being white, were - you know. and so therefore, you had - it was only after the kind of realization that sugar was going to be able to - potentially - to make the money it was going to that they realized that they simply didn ' t have the same stock available of white indentured servants that they would need, and hence, shift over to slavery. so the white indentured servants worked in parallel in the early days with black slaves. and there was an enormous sense that it was important that these two groups didn ' t become close. there were a number of rebellions where the two groups worked together, and - because they were actually, of course, suffering the same - much of the same terrible ill - treatment and abuse and neglect


that these two groups didn ' t become close. there were a number of rebellions where the two groups worked together, and - because they were actually, of course, suffering the same - much of the same terrible ill - treatment and abuse and neglect. so the laws of 1661 made a real effort to give certain privileges to white indentured servants that were not given to the black workers in order that the two groups would not feel that they had common cause, so that they would not get together. and mainly, they made a lot of - there was a lot of racial significance put on the separation between these two groups. it ' s fascinating to see how racism is clearly invented at this point. there ' s a letter by one planter being sent home, saying : we describe ourselves here as the term whites, he said, is how we describe europeans here. and they really used created that term whites, in order to separate themselves from blacks, who were, therefore, became the kind of complete opposite and so on. it was a very, very canny move to create - to make sure that these two groups didn ' t come together. gross : you write that in barbados, as slavery grew, whites in barbados were afraid they ' d be outnumbered by slaves. was that more of a fear on the island of barbados then it was, say, in mainland america, in the american south? stuart : yes. i think this is one of the acute differences between the two, and i think of the two countries - or the two sets of conditions, the caribbean and indeed a lot of south america. there was this real, you know - barbados, for example, was four - the slaves were four times the size of the white population by the 18th century. so there was a real reality that slaves outnumbered the white population, which created a kind of siege mentality that was extraordinary. this never happened in mainland america. so the same population never had the same level of threat for the white population, which is not to say that they were not horribly and brutally maltreated. of course they were. but it was not the slave owners of the caribbean, and i think, you know, that some of them were of english descent, some french, some dutch, spanish - all lived in a state of extraordinary paranoia in relation to the number of slaves that they were surrounded by, hence the particularly draconian and disgraceful treatment of the slaves in the caribbean and those parts of the americas. gross : slavery in the united states


lived in a state of extraordinary paranoia in relation to the number of slaves that they were surrounded by, hence the particularly draconian and disgraceful treatment of the slaves in the caribbean and those parts of the americas. gross : slavery in the united states ended with a civil war. but several decades before that, in 1833, the slaves in barbados were freed. what brought about that emancipation? stuart : well, i think one of the things i feel very passionately about was that in britain, where i live, the story is very much around the importance of the abolitionist movement in britain and, you know, all the various people who were associated with it and very much put this down to the abolitionists movement. but the reality was, i think, that the slaves worked as hard for their freedom as the abolitionists did for them on their behalf. because i think that what was happening more and more, particularly in the caribbean - because that ' s where my story is set - was that more and more people, more and more slave revolts were happening. it was becoming so fractious and difficult that it was almost the point where the british authorities were feeling this is impossible for us to contain. the great specter of haiti was, of course, the great turning point. the 12 - year struggle on that extraordinarily island, in which the black slaves of the island managed to defeat both the british army and the great french republic and create the first slave - free slate in the americas, is one of the kind of biggest unforgotten stories of our age, and i think of that of the whole americas. it ' s an extraordinary tale. gross : if you ' re just joining us, my guest is andrea stuart. we ' re talking about her new book " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " and it ' s about her family tree in barbados, and also about the history of slavery in barbados. she traces her family tree to a slave owner and one of his slaves. let ' s take a short break, here. this is fresh air. ( soundbite of music ) gross : if you ' re just joining us, my guest is andrea stuart, and we ' re talking about her new book " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " and it ' s part family history and part history. it ' s the story of her family tree. she is from barbados, where her ancestry traces back to a slave owner


in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " and it ' s part family history and part history. it ' s the story of her family tree. she is from barbados, where her ancestry traces back to a slave owner who impregnated one of his slaves, and those two people, the slave and the slave owner, are her ancestors. her book is also a history of slavery in barbados. so slavery ends in barbados in 1833. gross : you ' ve said that you were part of the first generation that grew up more out of the shadow of slavery. gross : so what was different, do you think, for your generation? what ' s the point of demarcation there? stuart : well, i suppose i think that my father ' s generation, for example, the kind of the whole world of the plantation, its ethos, its ideas about what was not valuable and who was valuable really still overshadowed the life of - on the island. and i think, you know, very much, american - african - americans will probably sympathize with that. i remember my mother was rather beautiful and entered a beauty contest when she was - in the ' 50s. and, of course, she knew - she said she knew she just wouldn ' t win, because there had never been a black beauty queen in all the beauty contests, and that didn ' t happen until, i think, the ' 70s. so that there was - and, you know, my father, i remember, joined a club in barbados when i was - where my grandfather worked, and it didn ' t allow black members until 1975. so the kind of ethos of the plantation - the racism, the attitudes to, you know, kind of workers and people and so on - really cast a very long shadow, a shadow that was very, very evident for a very long time. and i think this, as i say, this is something that, you know, the african - american experience kind of echoes. once slavery was over, it took a long time for it to really go away. gross : so when you moved to england - which was back when you were a teenager - what year are we talking? stuart : seventy - six, i think it was. gross : ok. and you moved with your family, because your father accepted a position there. stuart : mm - hmm. mm - hmm. yeah. gross : did the color of your skin - and you ' re, you know,


was. gross : ok. and you moved with your family, because your father accepted a position there. stuart : mm - hmm. mm - hmm. yeah. gross : did the color of your skin - and you ' re, you know, you ' re a light - skinned black. gross : to the color of your skin mean something in england that it didn ' t mean in barbados or jamaica, where you lived the previous part of your life? stuart : the color of my skin did mean something different when i moved to britain, whereas, in the caribbean, my slightly lighter skin marked me out as being perhaps potentially a little more privileged, in britain there was none of that subtlety or ideas about race. it was very much i was a black person, and that was that. and one was very much reduced to a series of stereotypes - and rather dull stereotypes, at that - about what it was to be a black person. gross : do you think that in england, there ' s a different understanding of slavery and of the racial aftereffects of slavery, because the slavery wasn ' t in england? you know, the english colonies had slaves, but - i mean, some of the english colonies had slaves, but that wasn ' t happening in england itself. stuart : yes. i think that - i think it ' s generally true that one of the reasons there is a difference between britain and mainland america was that there is that sense in britain that it was something that happened a long time ago and far away, while in america, the slave experience very, very much existed, coexisted on the same piece of ground. and i think that that reality has made it irretrievable in america ' s history to be something that was dealt with. what i think is fascinating in britain is how little memory contemporary britons have of the reality of the fact that when that my family ' s family story first started, britain was not very far away at all. i ' m not talking geographically, but culturally. it was, you know, people like my first ancestor, who was an englishman, were absolutely - called themselves and described themselves as englishmen transplanted. they were still english. they still had the same mores, attitudes, behaviors, and they believed themselves to be english. and i think - so there ' s a real difference in how these two groups have dealt with slavery. and i also think that the fact that america had such a strong population of - number population of black people has made it


themselves to be english. and i think - so there ' s a real difference in how these two groups have dealt with slavery. and i also think that the fact that america had such a strong population of - number population of black people has made it incredibly important to come to terms with this extraordinary history, while in britain we ' re a relatively small minority. i think it ' s been easier for britain to ignore the history of their slave past than it has been for the mainland america. gross : is the plum grove sugar plantation still owned by your family? stuart : yes. i mean, it ' s no longer a working plantation and i think they ' re going to sell it and it ' s going to become real estate which is now much more, sort of, lucrative than sugar plantation space is, if you see what i mean. gross : will you be glad when that chapter of your family history is over, the plantation chapter? stuart : that ' s an - it ' s an extraordinary feeling. i have an enormous - and this is the irony of it all - is that i can remember and spent so much of my youth being at my grandmother ' s and grandfather ' s plantation and listening to the swaying sound of the cane. and running around, you know, this little magic world of beautiful gardens that surround the plantation house, then were bracketed all around by all the sugar cane and knowing the workers. and, you know, generally it was all for me a very idyllic adventure. and so the idea of it being over is both painful, because it represents to me very much my caribbean childhood, my past, my family, and then another part of me thinks that maybe it ' s time. for the island just - for me as well as the island to close the door on the plantation story and to walk into the future. gross : i ' m wondering, finally, if because of this book about the history of sugar and sugar plantations and slavery in barbados, where you ' re from, and also your book is a history of your family tree, if eating sugar has a different meaning for you than it does for me. like, if you think about all of that every time you put sugar in your coffee or, you know, eat something that has sugar sprinkled on it. stuart : that ' s a fascinating question. originally, when i started, oddly enough, doing the book i didn ' t have - it didn ' t particularly click. and it was not until i was reading some of the


##rinkled on it. stuart : that ' s a fascinating question. originally, when i started, oddly enough, doing the book i didn ' t have - it didn ' t particularly click. and it was not until i was reading some of the work by the abolitionists and one of their big, kind of, campaigns was that it was blood - stained sugar. that was what they described it, that it carried the blood of slaves. and i remember actually at that point putting some sugar into something and thinking, ah, it ' s this. you know? and realizing that his commodity just is, you know, and i thought again about the way that commodities - in my case it was sugar, in america the parallels would be, as i say, cotton or tobacco - how these simple - these commodities have such real visceral impact on the way our lives unfold and how extraordinary that is. that we don ' t consume them with any of those realizations, but that ' s the truth of it. gross : well, andrea stuart, i want to thank you very much for talking with us. stuart : it ' s been delightful. thank you. gross : andrea stuart is the author of the new book " sugar in the blood : a family ' s story of slavery and empire. " you can read an excerpt on our website freshair. npr. org. coming up, milo miles reviews the new yo la tengo album " fade. " this is fresh air. transcript provided by npr, copyright npr.


fractions, number lines, and order what is wrong with the following sample advertisement statement? for one day only, save,, and even more! this is a sale you cannot miss! each fraction value is less than the previous value,, but the ending " and even more " implies that each fraction value is becoming greater in value. the statement is a common mistake that many people make when using fractions. here, the order of the fractions in the statement is based on the value of the denominator and not on the true value of the fraction. the statement should be, for one day only, save,, and even more! since the advertisement is implying that on some items a person can save more than half the listed price. we use a number line model to illustrate fraction order for values between 0 and 1. we divide that length into two equal - sized pieces and label the point where the segment is divided with the coordinate. the distance from 0 to represents a length of one - half the whole segment from 0 to 1. we further divide each of those halves in half ; the points where each segment is divided are represented by the fractions and. as with equivalent fractions from the previous session, we may label the point at as, that is, this is another way to visualize equivalent fractions. the next diagrams illustrate an extension of fraction order relationships to twelfths, sixths, fourths, thirds, and halves, and how they relate to each other on the segment between 0 and 1. we bring these number lines together in the illustration below to a single number line with the coordinates labeled with the simplified form for each of the fractions in the above illustration. when we compare values, the one that is farthest to the left on the number line has the least value. looking at the diagram below, we see that ( circled values ). likewise, we see that ( boxed values ). if we did not refer to a completed number line, we could still determine these inequalities by changing each pair of fractions to fractions with common denominators. since,, and, we have. twelfths is a common denominator for fourths and thirds. since and, we have. sixths is a common denominator for halves and sixths. further note that we could have compared all four of the fractions,,, and by changing them all to the common denominator of twelfths. since, we have. by converting the fractional


denominator for halves and sixths. further note that we could have compared all four of the fractions,,, and by changing them all to the common denominator of twelfths. since, we have. by converting the fractional values to fractions with common denominators, we are able to easily compare their relative sizes. notice that the least common denominator is the least common multiple ( lcm ) of 2, 3, 4, and 6. the value of the lcm ( 2, 3, 4, 6 ) is 12 as illustrated below with the set intersection method for finding the least common multiple. reminder : we can also find the least common multiple ( lcm ) by prime factorization into the exponential form. 2 = 2 taking the largest exponent of each prime factor we get 22 · 3 = 4 · 3 = 12. so, lcm ( 2, 3, 4, 6 ) = 12. five students brought identical sized pans of bars to sell in a bake sale. the bars were all cut to be the same size. by the end of the sale, three - fourths of cary ' s bars, two - thirds of dana ' s bars, half of jamie ' s bars, five - eighths of lynn ' s bars, and seven - eighths of terry ' s bars were sold. whose pan of bars was the median amount sold? the median of a set of fractions can be found by using the same method that we used for a set of whole numbers. remember that the median is found by first ordering the set of values, and that a good method for ordering fractional values is to rewrite them with a common denominator. solution for the above problem : we first find the least common denominator by finding the least common multiple for 4, 3, 2, 6, and 8. we find the lcm by the prime factorization method. next, place the fractions in order from least to greatest. the median value is the 3rd value of. we take the simplest form, so the median is. we have found that cary sold the median number of bars. example : find the median of this list : solution : first we need to order these values from least to greatest. there are many ways to do this. we could use a number line like the one on the previous page. here, we will change all of these values to a common denominator : now we place these in order from least to greatest and select


there are many ways to do this. we could use a number line like the one on the previous page. here, we will change all of these values to a common denominator : now we place these in order from least to greatest and select the median. since there are 10 values in the list, we need to find the value that is halfway between the 5th and 6th values. so, the median is. we may use bar diagrams to help solve some types of problems. for example, use a bar diagram to solve the following problem : missy had $ 45. she spentof her money on a book. how much money does she have left? solution : the answer to the question, " what is of $ 45? " gives us the amount she spent. the amount she has left would be the amount left after the amount she spent is removed. we have that 1 unit is $ 9. so, 2 units would be $ 18 and 3 units would be $ 27. missy has $ 27 left after spending $ 18 of her $ 45. one way of estimating solutions to problems involving fractions is to use 0,, and 1 as key points or anchors to help us visualize the relative size of fractions between 0 and 1. these are good reference points or landmarks to keep in mind when estimating solutions. example : is closer to 0,, or 1? solution : first we notice that is equivalent to one - half, so is greater in value than. next we notice that the numerator 5, is as close as we can get to the denominator 6, without reaching. so we conclude that is closer to one. example : is closer to 0,, or 1? solution : first we notice that is equivalent to. we conclude that is slightly larger than one - half. example : estimate the value of the sum for. solution : we estimate the value of the sum to be 3, since. note that the symbol, ≈, means approximately equal to. the symbol should be used anytime an estimate or approximation is made during a computation. order is heaven ' s first law. an essay on man iv - pope, alexander ( 1688 - 1744 )


jane brody on health and aging. since the start of the 21st century, americans have made great progress in controlling high blood pressure, though it remains a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. now 48 percent of the more than 76 million adults with hypertension have it under control, up from 29 percent in 2000. but that means more than half, including many receiving treatment, have blood pressure that remains too high to be healthy. ( a normal blood pressure is lower than 120 over 80. ) with a plethora of drugs available to normalize blood pressure, why are so many people still at increased risk of disease, disability and premature death? hypertension experts offer a few common, and correctable, reasons : jane brody speaks about hypertension. ¶ about 20 percent of affected adults don ’ t know they have high blood pressure, perhaps because they never or rarely see a doctor who checks their pressure. ¶ of the 80 percent who are aware of their condition, some don ’ t appreciate how serious it can be and fail to get treated, even when their doctors say they should. ¶ some who have been treated develop bothersome side effects, causing them to abandon therapy or to use it haphazardly. ¶ many others do little to change lifestyle factors, like obesity, lack of exercise and a high - salt diet, that can make hypertension harder to control. dr. samuel j. mann, a hypertension specialist and professor of clinical medicine at weill - cornell medical college, adds another factor that may be the most important. of the 71 percent of people with hypertension who are currently being treated, too many are taking the wrong drugs or the wrong dosages of the right ones. dr. mann, author of “ hypertension and you : old drugs, new drugs, and the right drugs for your high blood pressure, ” says that doctors should take into account the underlying causes of each patient ’ s blood pressure problem and the side effects that may prompt patients to abandon therapy. he has found that when treatment is tailored to the individual, nearly all cases of high blood pressure can be brought and kept under control with available drugs. plus, he said in an interview, it can be done with minimal, if any, side effects and at a reasonable cost. “ for most people, no new drugs need to be developed, ” dr. mann said. “ what we need, in terms of medication, is already out there. we just need to use it better. ” but many doctors


a reasonable cost. “ for most people, no new drugs need to be developed, ” dr. mann said. “ what we need, in terms of medication, is already out there. we just need to use it better. ” but many doctors who are generalists do not understand the “ intricacies and nuances ” of the dozens of available medications to determine which is appropriate to a certain patient. “ prescribing the same medication to patient after patient just does not cut it, ” dr. mann wrote in his book. the trick to prescribing the best treatment for each patient is to first determine which of three mechanisms, or combination of mechanisms, is responsible for a patient ’ s hypertension, he said. ¶ salt - sensitive hypertension, more common in older people and african - americans, responds well to diuretics and calcium channel blockers. ¶ hypertension driven by the kidney hormone renin responds best to ace inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, as well as direct renin inhibitors and beta - blockers. ¶ neurogenic hypertension is a product of the sympathetic nervous system and is best treated with beta - blockers, alpha - blockers and drugs like clonidine. according to dr. mann, neurogenic hypertension results from repressed emotions. he has found that many patients with it suffered trauma early in life or abuse. they seem calm and content on the surface but continually suppress their distress, he said. one of dr. mann ’ s patients had had high blood pressure since her late 20s that remained well - controlled by the three drugs her family doctor prescribed. then in her 40s, periodic checks showed it was often too high. when taking more of the prescribed medication did not result in lasting control, she sought dr. mann ’ s help. after a thorough work - up, he said she had a textbook case of neurogenic hypertension, was taking too much medication and needed different drugs. her condition soon became far better managed, with side effects she could easily tolerate, and she no longer feared she would die young of a heart attack or stroke. but most patients should not have to consult a specialist. they can be well - treated by an internist or family physician who approaches the condition systematically, dr. mann said. patients should be started on low doses of one or more drugs, including a diuretic ; the dosage or number of drugs can be slowly increased as needed to achieve a normal pressure. specialists, he said, are most


dr. mann said. patients should be started on low doses of one or more drugs, including a diuretic ; the dosage or number of drugs can be slowly increased as needed to achieve a normal pressure. specialists, he said, are most useful for treating the 10 percent to 15 percent of patients with so - called resistant hypertension that remains uncontrolled despite treatment with three drugs, including a diuretic, and for those whose treatment is effective but causing distressing side effects. hypertension sometimes fails to respond to routine care, he noted, because it results from an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed. “ some patients are on a lot of blood pressure drugs — four or five — who probably don ’ t need so many, and if they do, the question is why, ” dr. mann said. how to measure your blood pressure mistaken readings, which can occur in doctors ’ offices as well as at home, can result in misdiagnosis of hypertension and improper treatment. dr. samuel j. mann, of weill cornell medical college, suggests these guidelines to reduce the risk of errors : ¶ use an automatic monitor rather than a manual one, and check the accuracy of your home monitor at the doctor ’ s office. ¶ use a monitor with an arm cuff, not a wrist or finger cuff, and use a large cuff if you have a large arm. ¶ sit quietly for a few minutes, without talking, after putting on the cuff and before checking your pressure. ¶ check your pressure in one arm only, and take three readings ( not more ) one or two minutes apart. ¶ measure your blood pressure no more than twice a week unless you have severe hypertension or are changing medications. ¶ check your pressure at random, ordinary times of the day, not just when you think it is high.


inaugurated in 1973, the sydney opera house is a great architectural work of the 20th century that brings together multiple strands of creativity and innovation in both architectural form and structural design. a great urban sculpture set in a remarkable waterscape, at the tip of a peninsula projecting into sydney harbour, the building has had an enduring influence on architecture. the sydney opera house comprises three groups of interlocking vaulted ‘ shells ’ which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. these shell - structures are set upon a vast platform and are surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses. in 1957, when the project of the sydney opera house was awarded by an international jury to danish architect jørn utzon, it marked a radically new approach to construction. view from the air towards the south east © commonwealth of australia outstanding universal value the sydney opera house constitutes a masterpiece of 20th century architecture. its significance is based on its unparalleled design and construction ; its exceptional engineering achievements and technological innovation and its position as a world - famous icon of architecture. it is a daring and visionary experiment that has had an enduring influence on the emergent architecture of the late 20th century. utzon ' s original design concept and his unique approach to building gave impetus to a collective creativity of architects, engineers and builders. ove arup ' s engineering achievements helped make utzon ' s vision a reality. the design represents an extraordinary interpretation and response to the setting in sydney harbour. the sydney opera house is also of outstanding universal value for its achievements in structural engineering and building technology. the building is a great artistic monument and an icon, accessible to society at large. criterion ( i ) : the sydney opera house is a great architectural work of the 20th century. it represents multiple strands of creativity, both in architectural form and structural design, a great urban sculpture carefully set in a remarkable waterscape and a world famous iconic building. all elements necessary to express the values of the sydney opera house are included within the boundaries of the nominated area and buffer zone. this ensures the complete representation of its significance as an architectural object of great beauty in its waterscape setting. the sydney opera house continues to perform its function as a world - class performing arts centre. the conservation plan specifies the need to balance the roles of the building as an architectural monument and as a state of the art performing centre, thus retaining its authenticity of use and function. attention given to retaining the building ' s authenticity culminated with the conservation plan and the utzon design principles. the sydney opera house was included in the national heritage


and as a state of the art performing centre, thus retaining its authenticity of use and function. attention given to retaining the building ' s authenticity culminated with the conservation plan and the utzon design principles. the sydney opera house was included in the national heritage list in 2005 under the environment protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999 and on the state heritage register of new south wales in 2003 under the heritage act 1977. listing in the national heritage list implies that any proposed action to be taken inside or outside the boundaries of a national heritage place or a world heritage property that may have a significant impact on the heritage values is prohibited without the approval of the minister for the environment and heritage. a buffer zone has been established. the present state of conservation is very good. the property is maintained and preserved through regular and rigorous repair and conservation programmes. the management system of the sydney opera house takes into account a wide range of measures provided under planning and heritage legislation and policies of both the australian government and the new south wales government. the management plan for the sydney opera house, the conservation plan and the utzon design principles together provide the policy framework for the conservation and management of the sydney opera house. a major cultural centre for sydney and its siting at bennelong point had been discussed since the 1940s. in 1956 the new south wales government called an open - ended international design competition and appointed an independent jury, rather than commissioning a local firm. the competition brief provided broad specifications to attract the best design talent in the world ; it did not specify design parameters or set a cost limit. the main requirement of the competition brief was a design for a dual function building with two performance halls. the competition generated enormous interest in australia and overseas. the new south wales government ’ s decision to commission jørn utzon as the sole architect was unexpected, bold and visionary. there was scepticism as to whether the structure could be built given utzon ’ s limited experience, the rudimentary and unique design concept and the absence of any engineering advice. the competition drawings were largely diagrammatic, the design had not been fully costed and neither utzon nor the jury had consulted a structural engineer. utzon ’ s design concept included unprecedented architectural forms and demanded solutions that required new technologies and materials. the new south wales government also faced public pressure to select an australian architect. the sydney opera house is often thought of as being constructed in three stages and this is useful in understanding the history of the three key elements of its architectural composition : the podium ( stage 1 : 1958 – 1961 )


public pressure to select an australian architect. the sydney opera house is often thought of as being constructed in three stages and this is useful in understanding the history of the three key elements of its architectural composition : the podium ( stage 1 : 1958 – 1961 ), the vaulted shells ( stage 2 : 1962 – 1967 ) and the glass walls and interiors ( stage 3 : 1967 – 1973 ). architect jørn utzon conceived the overall design and supervised the construction of the podium and the vaulted shells. the glass walls and interiors were designed and their construction supervised by architect peter hall supported by lionel todd and david littlemore in conjunction with the then new south wales government architect, ted farmer. peter hall was in conversation with utzon on various aspects of the design for at least eighteen months following his departure. ove arup & partners provided the engineering expertise for all three stages of construction. design and construction were closely intertwined. utzon ’ s unique design together with his radical approach to the construction of the building fostered an exceptional collaborative and innovative environment. his collaborative model marked a break from conventional architectural practice at the time. the design solution and construction of the shell structure took eight years to complete and the development of the special ceramic tiles for the shells took over three years. the sydney opera house became a testing laboratory and a vast, open - air pre - casting factory. the sydney opera house took sixteen years to build ; this was six years longer than scheduled and ten times more than its original estimated cost. on 20 october 1973 the sydney opera house was officially opened by queen elizabeth ii. after inauguration, new works were undertaken over time. between 1986 and 1988 the land approach and forecourt were reconstructed and the lower concourse developed under the supervision of the then new south wales government architect, andrew andersons, with contributions by peter hall. between 1998 and 1999 the recording and rehearsal room was converted into two areas : an assembly area for the orchestra and the studio, a revitalised performance space for the presentation of innovative music and performing arts. in 1998, in accordance with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of inauguration, the sydney opera house trust appointed sydney architect richard johnson to advise on future development of the site and to establish planning principles. through johnson, the sydney opera house trust began negotiations to reconcile with utzon and to re - engage him with the building in an advisory capacity. in 1999 utzon formally accepted premier carr ’ s invitation to re - engage with the project by setting down design principles that outline his vision for the building and explain the principles behind his design


the universe may be a deterministic system, but that doesn ' t mean random chance doesn ' t exist, or that you can determine the exact path the future will take in advance. for example, heisenburg ' s uncertainty principle shows that you can affect an electron ' s position by measuring its momentum, and vice versa. that ' s because electrons are so small that the act of observing them causes a change in their position or momentum, depending on whether you ' re measuring their momentum or position. there ' s a well - known experiment where you shoot electrons at a double - slit in a screen and then see what pattern they form ; if you don ' t observe the electrons going through the slit, they generate a standard wave interference pattern ( meaning the electrons are seemingly interfering with themselves ), but if you do, the pattern changes to one generated by particles. furthermore, if you delay the observation ( i. e., by using a removable detector screen ), you can cause a retroactive change from a wave pattern to a particle one, and if you make it possible to destroy the measurement of which slit the electron goes through, you can cause a second retroactive change, from a particle pattern to a wave one. here ' s something interesting to think about. let ' s say you have two people, essentially identical, except one believes that free will somehow exists, and the other believes that it doesn ' t. the two people will act differently based on whether they believe in free will or not. furthermore, if they later change their minds ( in other words, make themselves believe the opposite of what they believed before ), it will change their behavior. to make the point even clearer, if you had a third person who had never heard of free will, they ' d act in a completely different way than the other two - but once they heard of it, depending on whether it was " free will exists " or " free will doesn ' t exist ", it would instantly change their behavior from then on. in other words, yes, i believe it ' s possible to change your own behavior by making yourself change what you believe. i don ' t know whether that would actually be considered free will, but i do know that it ' s close enough to count for me.


the roman catholic church in its latin rite traditionally distinguished between the major orders ( holy orders ) of bishop, priest, deacon and subdeacon, and four minor orders, that of acolyte, exorcist, lector and porter ( in descending sequence ). 13 in 1972, the minor orders were renamed " ministries ", with those of lector and acolyte being kept throughout the latin church. 4 the rites by which all four minor orders were conferred are still employed for members of some roman catholic religious institutes and societies of apostolic life authorized to observe the 1962 form of the roman rite. in view of the 1972 renaming, what they are inducted into are now canonically called ministries, with those of lector and acolyte being kept throughout the latin church in general. from the beginning of the 3rd century there is evidence in western christianity of the existence of what became the four minor orders ( acolytes, exorcists, doorkeepers and readers ), as well as of cantors and fossores ( tomb diggers ). the evidence for readers is probably the earliest. in the west, unlike the east, where imposition of hands was used, the rite of ordination was by the handing over to them of objects seen as instruments of the office. 5 the council of sardica ( 343 ) mentions the lectorate alone as obligatory before ordination to the diaconate. the obligation to receive all four minor orders appears to date only from a time when they ceased to indicate exercise of an actual function. even in the early years of the 20th century, no minimum age, other than that of the " age of reason ", was laid down for receiving minor orders. 2 however, the 1917 code of canon law laid down that nobody was to be given clerical tonsure, which had to be received before minor orders, before beginning the regular course of theological studies. 6 before the entry into force of that code, it was an almost universal custom to confer all four minor orders at one time, since the bishop was authorized to dispense from the rule that each order had to be exercised for some time before reception of the next highest order. 2 today, as indicated in the 1983 code of canon law, anyone who is to be ordained to the diaconate must already have received the ministries of lector and acolyte and exercised them for a suitable period, with an interval of at least six months between becoming an acolyte and becoming a deacon. 7 the 1917 code of canon


the diaconate must already have received the ministries of lector and acolyte and exercised them for a suitable period, with an interval of at least six months between becoming an acolyte and becoming a deacon. 7 the 1917 code of canon law also restricted conferral of tonsure and any order below that of the presbyterate to those who intended to become priests and who were judged likely to be worthy priests. 8 previously, there were lay cardinals and others, including the famous franz liszt, who received minor orders alone. they could even marry and remain clerics, the status of belonging to the clergy being at that time conferred through clerical tonsure, provided that they married only once and that to a virgin ; but by the early 20th century a cleric who married was considered to have forfeited his clerical status. 2 today, a man who receives what were previously called minor orders is not yet a cleric, since today one becomes a cleric only upon ordination to the diaconate, 9 a rule that applies even to members of institutes authorized to observe the 1962 form of the roman rite, 10 such as the priestly fraternity of st. peter and others under the care of the pontifical commission ecclesia dei. in the early 20th century, auguste boudinhon said that, on the grounds that minor orders did not originate with jesus or the apostles, the view that minor orders and the subdiaconate were sacramental, a view held by several medieval theologians, was no longer held. 2 the slightly earlier g. van noort said that the view of their sacramentality, which was held by most scholastic theologians, including thomas aquinas, was then held only by a few, among whom he mentioned louis billot ( 1846 - 1931 ) and adolphe tanquerey ( 1854 - 1932 ). 11 in the 1950s, antonio piolanti recognized as orders only episcopacy, priesthood ( presbyterate ) and diaconate, 12 the three whose transmission is reserved to bishops. 13 in speaking of the hierarchical structure of the church, the second vatican council mentioned only these three orders, not minor orders or subdiaconate. 14 by pope paul vi ' s motu proprio ministeria quaedam of 15 august 1972, the term " minor orders " has been replaced by that of " ministries ". 15 two of what were called minor orders, those of reader and acolyte, are kept throughout the latin church, and national episcopal conferences are free to use the term "


term " minor orders " has been replaced by that of " ministries ". 15 two of what were called minor orders, those of reader and acolyte, are kept throughout the latin church, and national episcopal conferences are free to use the term " subdeacon " in place of that of " acolyte ". 16 the motu proprio specified the functions of each of these two ministries, 17 a prescribed interval, as decided by the holy see and the national episcopal conference, is to be observed between receiving them. 18 candidates for diaconate and for priesthood must receive both ministries and exercise them for some time before receiving holy orders. 19 conferral of the minor orders or ministries is by the ordinary : either a diocesan bishop or someone who is equivalent in law to a diocesan bishop or, in the case of clerical religious institutes and societies of apostolic life, a major superior. 20 the two ministries that are in use throughout the latin church could be conferred even on men21 who are not candidates for holy orders. 22 eastern christianity traditionally views the subdeacon as a minor order, 23 unlike the practice of the west which considered it a major order. the other common minor order is lector ( reader ). the minor order of porter is mentioned historically in some service - books, but no longer is given ; all of the rights and responsibilities of each minor order are viewed as contained in the subdiaconate. 2 the 22 sui iuris eastern churches that are in union with rome have their traditional minor orders, governed by their own particular law. 24 in all eastern catholic churches, subdeacons are minor clerics, since admission to major orders is by ordination as deacon. 25 the byzantine tradition allows for several orders of minor clerics. the sui iuris byzantine catholic metropolitan church of pittsburgh, also called the byzantine - ruthenian church, has the minor orders of candle bearer, cantor, lector and subdeacon, and in english uses the term " ordination " for their cheirothesis. 26 the minor orders of candle bearer and cantor are given before tonsure during ordination to the lectorate. 27 eastern orthodox churches routinely confer the minor orders of lector and subdeacon, and some jurisdictions also ordain cantors. ordination to minor orders is done by a bishop at any public worship service, but always outside the context of the divine liturgy. 28 the order of taper - bearer is now used as part of ordination as a lector. the orders of door


. ordination to minor orders is done by a bishop at any public worship service, but always outside the context of the divine liturgy. 28 the order of taper - bearer is now used as part of ordination as a lector. the orders of doorkeepers, exorcists, and acolytes are no longer in common use. 29 - the concise oxford dictionary of the christian church - auguste boudinhon, " minor orders " in catholic encyclopedia 1911 - catechism of the council of trent ( dublin 1829 ), p. 310 - ministeria quaedam, ii : " the orders hitherto called minor are henceforth to be spoken of as ' ministries '. " - a. villien, h. w. edwards, history and liturgy of the sacraments, pp. 237ff. - canon 976 of the 1917 code of canon law - code of canon law, canon 1035 - canon 973 of the 1917 code of canon law - code of canon law, canon 266 - instruction on the application of the apostolic letter summorum pontificum, 30 - g. van noort ( revised by j. p. verhaar ), tractatus de sacramentis ( paul brand, bussum, netherlands 1930 ), vol. ii, pp. 145 - 146 - antonius piolanti, de sacramentis ( fifth edition, marietti 1955 ), pp. 461 - 463 - piolanti 1955, pp. 463 - 468 - dogmatic constitution on the church lumen gentium - ministeria quaedam, ii - ministeria quaedam, iv - ministeria quaedam, iv - vi - ministeria quaedam, x - ministeria quaedam, xi - ministeria quaedam, ix - ministeria quaedam, vii - ministeria quaedam, iii - faulk, edward. 101 questions & answers on eastern catholic churches. new york : paulist press, 2007, p. 51 - cceo, title x, canon 327, 1992. retrieved 2008 - 11 - 11. - cceo, title 12, canon 560 and canon 565, 1992. retrieved 2008 - 11 - 11. - particular law for the byzantine - ruthenian church in the usa ( 29 june 1999 ). retrieved 2008 - 11 - 11. - eparchial newsletter ( october – november 1998 ) eparchy - of - van - nuys. org accessed 2007 - 11 - 28 - the sacramental


viticulture - n. : the cultivation or culture of grapes enology - n. : a science that deals with wine and wine making the v & e department combines the sciences of viticulture and enology in a single research and teaching unit that encompasses all of the scientific disciplines that impact grape growing and winemaking. for over one hundred years the university of california has maintained an active and productive program in research and education in viticulture and enology. the continuing excellence of the department has enabled california growers and vintners to develop practices that have allowed the golden state to achieve its potential and become a premier wine - producing region. dr. andy walker ; unraveling an olmo mystery in 1989, dr. harold olmo gave dr. andy walker a collection of grape seeds that he had produced the previous year. walker believed they had the potential for resistance to both pierces ’ disease ( pd ) and the dagger nematode ( xiphinema index ) that vectors fanleaf virus. they were the offspring of two v. rupestris females and six m. rotundifolia males. the rotundifolia is known to confer resistance to pd, x. index and fanleaf virus. walker ’ s lab began investigating the actual value of these rootstocks as parents in breeding new genotypes with effective resistance across a broad spectrum of applications, including rootstocks, raisin, table and winegrape production. for the next fifteen years, they tested and retested...


louisiana voodoo, also known as new orleans voodoo, describes a set of religious practices which originated from the traditions of the african diaspora. it is one of many incarnations of african - based religions rooted in west african dahomeyan vodun which developed within the french, spanish, and creole speaking african american population of the u. s. state of louisiana. they became syncretized with the catholicism and francophone culture of south louisiana as a result of the slave trade. during the 19th century, voodoo queens became central figures to voodoo and presided over ceremonial meetings and ritual dances. they also earned an income by administrating charms, amulets, and magical powders guaranteed to cure ailments, grant desires, and confound or destroy one ’ s enemies. the most famous voodoo queen of new orleans was marie laveau. in the 1830s she conducted private rituals behind her cottage on st. ann street of the new orleans french quarter, performed exorcisms, and offered sacrifices to spirits. also a devout catholic, marie encouraged her followers to attend catholic mass. the influence of her catholic beliefs further facilitated the adoption of catholic practices into the voodoo belief system. today, she is remembered for her skill and compassion for the less fortunate, and her spirit is considered one of the central figures of louisiana voodoo. today, voodoo is a major tourist attraction to the city of new orleans. shops selling charms, gris - gris, candles, and powders cater to both tourists and practitioners. the new orleans historic voodoo museum houses numerous artifacts and provides daily tours of the museum, the st. louis cemetery, and the new orleans french quarter. the museum also provides spiritual services including matrimony blessings, marriage ceremonies, consultations, and other rituals. voodoo ceremonies have been held against contemporary problems facing new orleans, such as crack cocaine abuse, burglaries, prostitution and assaults. louisiana voodoo is often confused with but is not completely separable from haitian vodou and southern hoodoo. it differs from vodou in its emphasis upon gris - gris, voodoo queens, use of hoodoo occult paraphernalia, and li grand zombi ( snake deity ). the cure - all was a voodoo spell that could solve all problems. there were different recipes in voodoo spells for cure - all ; one recipe was to mix jimson weed ( warning : due to the toxicity of jimson weed, it is not advised for unskilled practitioners to create ) with sulfur and honey. the mixture was placed in a glass


spells for cure - all ; one recipe was to mix jimson weed ( warning : due to the toxicity of jimson weed, it is not advised for unskilled practitioners to create ) with sulfur and honey. the mixture was placed in a glass, which was rubbed against a black cat, and then the mixture was slowly sipped. li grande zombi is the major serpent spirit of worship which corresponds to the loa damballah - weddo. it is most commonly linked to the name of marie laveau ' s pet snake, a huge boa constrictor or royal python ( ball python ) who was worshipped at her new orleans voodoo rituals on bayou st. john. st. john ' s eve the ouanga, a charm used to poison an enemy, contained the poisonous roots of the figure maudit tree, brought from africa and preserved in the west indies. the ground up root was combined with other elements such as bones, nails, roots, holy water, holy candles, holy incense, holy bread, or crucifixes. the administrator of the ritual frequently evoked protection from jehova, the christian god, and jesus christ. a love powder is a half teaspoonful of sugar, teaspoonful of peppermint and a teaspoonful of grated candied orange peel ; give a teaspoonful of this mixture in a glass of wine and the person will love you forever. in new orleans, gris gris is often carried in the form of a doll or a bag and is essentially a means of carrying a charm or a spell. voodoo mama ' s authentic new orleans gris gris ( gree gree ) are powerful magickal talismans created according to new orleans voodoo tradition. page 4 of 7 all pages


by gene emery new york ( reuters health ) - older women with thin bones should be screened every year and those with denser bones can safely wait up to 17 years to have their next bone mineral density test, according to new research. current recommendations have relied on bone mineral density readings to try to predict the speed at which bones weaken with time, said lead author dr. margaret gourlay of the university of north carolina at chapel hill school of medicine. " this is the first u. s. study to do it based on patients. " based on results from 4, 957 women who were studied for 15 years, the report, " makes a major contribution toward filling a significant knowledge gap in the field of osteoporosis, " said dr. margery gass, executive director of the north american menopause society, whose guidelines for brittle bone disease suggest testing postmenopausal women every two to five years. about 10 million americans over 50, most of them women, have osteoporosis, according to the national institutes of health. the cost to the u. s. health care system is as much as $ 18 billion per year. gourlay ' s team found that the best time to have a subsequent bone density test depended on a woman ' s starting point, as gauged by the so - called t score derived from using x - rays to measure the density of bones in the hip. the lower the score, the weaker the bones. among women age 67 or older who started out with a normal t score of - 1. 00 or higher, it took an average of 16. 8 years for 10 percent of the group to develop osteoporosis, indicated by a score of - 2. 50. they also looked at women with osteopenia, in which " your bones are thinner but not at the osteoporosis level yet, " gourlay told reuters health. as those t scores fell, it took less time for osteoporosis to develop in 10 percent of the women. for women with the lowest starting scores of - 2. 00 to - 2. 49, the interval was just 1. 1 years. for women with a score of - 1. 50 to - 1. 99, it was 4. 7 years. and among women who scored - 1. 01 to - 1. 49, it took 17. 3 years for one in 10 to progress to osteoporosis. the researchers adjusted the analysis to account for estrogen


was 4. 7 years. and among women who scored - 1. 01 to - 1. 49, it took 17. 3 years for one in 10 to progress to osteoporosis. the researchers adjusted the analysis to account for estrogen use and risk factors for osteoporosis. the volunteers were women from maryland, minnesota, pennsylvania and oregon. " we knew that the groups that had thinner bones to start with were going to transition to osteoporosis faster, " said gourlay. however, " we were not expecting this kind of separation between the low risk and high risk group. for those women with a t score above - 1. 5 to have just a 10 percent chance of making the transition to osteoporosis after 17 years was a great surprise. this was very good news. " however, the time intervals were not the same for all women age 67 and older. they shrank as women aged. " for example, among women with moderate osteopenia, the estimated ( bone density ) testing interval was approximately 5 years for women who were 70 years old and approximately 3 years for those who were 85 years old, " the researchers wrote in the new england journal of medicine. gourlay cautioned that the time scales may also be very different for women under 67. " the findings in this paper will enable clinicians to recommend bone mineral density testing from an evidence - based position, " gass said in an e - mail, adding that testing has been both under - used and over - used, depending on the setting, " primarily because of lack of data to inform guidelines. " it ' s under - used in women over 65 and over - used " in early postmenopausal women, the majority of whom are at very low risk of fracture, " she said. " some clinicians are even getting a ' baseline ' in early postmenopausal women, something no medical society is recommending. " her group recommends screening for all women who are age 65 and older and for women ages 50 to 64 if they are smokers, consume alcohol daily, weigh less than 127 pounds, have rheumatoid arthritis, have already had a fracture suggesting that their bones might be weak or had a parent who suffered a hip fracture. the test itself typically costs $ 250. gourlay said it ' s not clear if the guidelines will save money. " this tells us how to use the test better, but we ' re still concerned that overall the test


key : " s : " = show synset ( semantic ) relations, " w : " = show word ( lexical ) relations display options for sense : ( gloss ) " an example sentence " - s : ( n ) swing ( a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity ) " the party went with a swing " ; " it took time to get into the swing of things " - s : ( n ) swing ( mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forth ) - s : ( n ) swing ( a sweeping blow or stroke ) " he took a wild swing at my head " - s : ( n ) swing, swinging, vacillation ( changing location by moving back and forth ) - s : ( n ) swing, swing music, jive ( a style of jazz played by big bands popular in the 1930s ; flowing rhythms but less complex than later styles of jazz ) - s : ( n ) lilt, swing ( a jaunty rhythm in music ) - s : ( n ) golf stroke, golf shot, swing ( the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and ( usually ) hitting it ) - s : ( n ) baseball swing, swing, cut ( in baseball ; a batter ' s attempt to hit a pitched ball ) " he took a vicious cut at the ball " - s : ( n ) swing ( a square dance figure ; a pair of dancers join hands and dance around a point between them ) - s : ( v ) swing ( move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting ) " he swung his left fist " ; " swing a bat " - s : ( v ) swing, sway ( move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner ) " he swung back " - s : ( v ) swing ( change direction with a swinging motion ; turn ) " swing back " ; " swing forward " - s : ( v ) swing, swing over ( influence decisively ) " this action swung many votes over to his side " - s : ( v ) swing, sweep, swing out ( make a big sweeping gesture or movement ) - s : ( v ) dangle, swing, drop ( hang freely ) " the ornaments dangled from the tree " ; " the light dropped from the ceiling " - s : ( v ) swing ( hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movement ) " the soccer player began to swing at the referee " - s : ( v ) swing ( alternate dramatically between high


key : " s : " = show synset ( semantic ) relations, " w : " = show word ( lexical ) relations display options for sense : ( gloss ) " an example sentence " - s : ( n ) output, yield ( production of a certain amount ) - s : ( n ) return, issue, take, takings, proceeds, yield, payoff ( the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property ) " the average return was about 5 % " - s : ( n ) yield, fruit ( an amount of a product ) - s : ( n ) output, yield, production ( the quantity of something ( as a commodity ) that is created ( usually within a given period of time ) ) " production was up in the second quarter " - s : ( v ) yield, give, afford ( be the cause or source of ) " he gave me a lot of trouble " ; " our meeting afforded much interesting information " - s : ( v ) give way, yield ( end resistance, as under pressure or force ) " the door yielded to repeated blows with a battering ram " - s : ( v ) render, yield, return, give, generate ( give or supply ) " the cow brings in 5 liters of milk " ; " this year ' s crop yielded 1, 000 bushels of corn " ; " the estate renders some revenue for the family " - s : ( v ) concede, yield, cede, grant ( give over ; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another ) - s : ( v ) yield, relent, soften ( give in, as to influence or pressure ) - s : ( v ) move over, give way, give, ease up, yield ( move in order to make room for someone for something ) " the park gave way to a supermarket " ; " ` move over, ' he told the crowd " - s : ( v ) give, yield ( cause to happen or be responsible for ) " his two singles gave the team the victory " - s : ( v ) concede, yield, grant ( be willing to concede ) " i grant you this much " - s : ( v ) succumb, yield ( be fatally overwhelmed ) - s : ( v ) yield, pay, bear ( bring in ) " interest - bearing accounts " ; " how much does this savings certificate pay annually? " - s : ( v ) give, yield ( be


human rights or women ' s rights! where human rights are abused, women ’ s rights become a moon in the sky - flaws in the justice system. flaws in the justice system. in bangladesh women litigants are deprived of justice for weaknesses in the legal system. most of the civil laws promulgated during the british colonial regime ; many of which treat women unequally, consequently become victims of inequality in all aspects of their live. in the last century women made advances in socio - economic fields notwithstanding innumerable hindrances, but cruelty to women has not been ceased, rather it seems to have increased. although there are laws, yet they fail to establish the rights of women and assure justice to the litigant women. had the state law become women - friendly, it would have been easier to ensure justice too. it is astounding that women become victims in the state which espouses full freedom for women. in spite of the abolition of the system of self immolation of hindu wife on her dead husband ' s pyre and child - marriage, the rights of women could not be established in full in our social system. women even today, are afraid of various social curses like dowry related murder, abduction, throwing of acid etc. with the waxing up of law and order in the country oppression against women is mounting. for different causes women lag behind in terms of justice. but in the face of the demands spearheaded by women organisations the government promulgated the family court ordinance on june 17, 1985. it was presumed that the law would play an epoch - making role in maintaining the rights of women, but unfortunately even after the laps of 25 years it has done very little in this respect. the reasons for which the women community fails to establish its rights despite the existence of the family courts ordinance are as follows : 1. according to section 4 of the ordinance all assistant judge courts shall be treated as family courts. so the speedy trial is a far cry and the lengthy process of getting legal aid for women does not come to an end. 2. as per provisions of law only disputes relating to five matters like dissolution of marriage, restitution of conjugal rights, dower, maintenance, guardianship and custody of children may be solved in the family courts, but is the life of women in reality confined to these five subjects only? consistently, this law and the court are not sufficient to change the problem and the position of a woman ' s life. 3. as per article 27 of bangladesh constitution


courts, but is the life of women in reality confined to these five subjects only? consistently, this law and the court are not sufficient to change the problem and the position of a woman ' s life. 3. as per article 27 of bangladesh constitution - all citizens are equal before law and entitled to equal protection of law. though equality of all citizens in the eyes of law is mentioned in the constitution, the districts of the chittagong hill tracts, bandarban and rangamati have been excluded. considering all sides this law does not fall within the status of a universal law. 4. family courts have been empowered to deal with civil suits only, so it is not possible to file cases against criminal offences committed within the family in these courts. 5. though provision for fixed court fee has been made, yet there are many other expenses which have not been fixed resulting in the problems faced by rural women seeking redress. besides, we may say since the said law is in the light of the muslim family law, it cannot render any service to the hindus, buddhists, christians and tribal litigant women. therefore, it is a weak law. 6. according to section 20 of the family law ordinance, no procedure of the civil procedure code except section 10 and 11 shall apply to any proceedings brought to the family court. thus the family court ordinance 1985 is not a self sufficient law. 7. the code of civil procedure, 1908 needs to be amended to ensure that women get justice. for ensuring justice to women it is necessary to treat women as a human being. it must be borne in mind that women and man are not opponents of one another. it is the demand of time to make the family law ordinance a women - friendly law. the government for the greater interest of citizens will consider the genuine demand of more than half the population of the country.


by deborah zabarenko washington ( reuters ) - sea ice in the arctic ocean is likely to shrink to a record small size sometime next week, and then keep on melting, a scientist at the u. s. national snow and ice data center said on monday. " a new daily record... would be likely by the end of august, " said ted scambos, lead scientist at the data center, which monitors ice in the arctic and elsewhere. " chances are it will cross the previous record while we ' re still in sea ice retreat. " the amount of sea ice in the arctic is important because this region is a potent global weather - maker, sometimes characterized as the world ' s air conditioner. this year, the loss of sea ice in the arctic has suggested a possible opening of the northwest passage north of canada and alaska and the northern sea route by europe and siberia. as parts of the arctic melted, 2012 also set records for heat and drought in much of the northern hemisphere temperate zone, especially the continental united states. this summer could see the ice retreat to less than 1. 5 million square miles ( 4 million square km ), an unprecedented low, scambos said. the previous record was set in 2007, when arctic ice cover shrank to 1. 66 million square miles ( 4. 28 million square km ), 23 percent below the earlier record set in 2005 and 39 percent below the long - term average from 1979 to 2000. however, 2007 was a jaw - dropping " perfect storm " of conditions that primed the area for thawing sea ice : warmer and sunnier than usual, with extremely warm ocean water and winds all working together to melt the arctic. last year, arctic sea ice extended over the second - smallest area on record, but that was considered to be closer to a " new normal " rather than the extreme conditions of 2007, nsidc said then. this year is similar to 2011, scambos said by telephone from colorado. the melt season started between 10 days to two weeks earlier than usual in some critical areas including northern europe and siberia. signs of climate change if the sea ice record is broken this month, that would be unusually early in the season ; last year ' s low point came on september 9, 2011. typically, the melting of arctic sea ice slows down in august as the northern hemisphere moves toward fall, but this year, it has speeded up, scambos said. " i doubt there ' s been another year that had as rapid an early august


the melting of arctic sea ice slows down in august as the northern hemisphere moves toward fall, but this year, it has speeded up, scambos said. " i doubt there ' s been another year that had as rapid an early august retreat, " he said. overall, the decline of arctic sea ice has happened faster than projected by the united nations intergovernmental panel on climate change five years ago, according to nsidc data ( http : / / nsidc. org / news / images / 20070430figure1. png ). to scambos, these are clear signs of climate change spurred by human activities, notably the emission of heat - trapping greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide. " everything about this points in the same direction : we ' ve made the earth warmer, " he said. this summer has also seen unusual melting of the ice sheet covering greenland, with nasa images showing that for a few days in july, 97 percent of the northern island ' s surface was thawing. the same month also saw an iceberg twice the size of manhattan break free from greenland ' s petermann glacier. the change is apparent from an nsidc graphic showing current arctic ice cover compared with the 1979 - 2000 average, scambos said. the graphic is online at http : / / nsidc. org / arcticseaicenews /. " what you ' re seeing is more open ocean than you ' re seeing ice, " he said. " it just simply doesn ' t look like what a polar scientist expects the arctic to look like. it ' s wide open and the ( ice ) cap is very small. it ' s a visceral thing. you look at it and that just doesn ' t look like the arctic ocean any more. " ( editing by doina chiacu ) ( this story corrects the name of the agency to u. s. national snow and ice data center, instead of u. s. national climate data center, in the first paragraph )


giant panda ( en ) ; panda geant ( fr ) ; panda gigante ( sp ) ; temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of southwest china endangered ( iucn 3. 1 ) 1, 600 in the wild ( 2004 ) did you know? that the panda cub is 1 / 900th the size of its mother upto 150cm for adults 100 to 150 kg learn more about this amazing species! about the panda : - panda population - habitat : where they live - diet : what do they eat? - how long do panda ' s live? - what do they look like : size, weight, colors... - natural enemies and defenses - panda image gallery - evolutionary history - the future - why are they endangered? - why save the panda? - how we can save the panda? - what can i do to help? - get answers... - in 2004, a survey counted 1, 600 pandas in the wild ( read more ) - an adult panda can weigh about 100 - 150kg and grow up to 150cm - pandas have the digestive system of a carnivore, but they have adapted to a vegetarian diet of bamboos. - a panda may eat 12 - 38kg of bamboo a day - the panda cub is 1 / 900th the size of its mother, one of the smallest newborn mammals relative to its mother ' s size. - pandas are good tree climbers. - when breeding, pandas require at least 30km² to support them over the short term. love giant pandas? emblem of hope for a nation and global biodiversity over 50 reserves created by mid - 2005, the chinese government had established over 50 panda reserves, protecting more than 10, 400km² and over 45 % of remaining giant panda habitat. however, habitat destruction continues to pose a threat to the many pandas living outside these areas. currently, only around 61 % of the population, or about 980 pandas, are under protection in reserves. as china ' s economy continues its rapid development, it is more important than ever to ensure the giant panda ' s survival. wwf on the ground wwf has been active in giant panda conservation since 1980. more recently, wwf has been helping the government of china to undertake its national conservation programme for the giant panda and its habitat. this programme has made significant progress : reserves for this species cover more than 16, 000 km² of forest in and around their habitat. a survey ( released in 2004 ) revealed that an estimated 1, 600 individuals remain in the wild


all links within content go to mayoclinic. com vegetarian diet : a starter ' s guide to a plant - based diet special to cnn. com adopting a healthy vegetarian diet isn ' t as simple as scraping meat off your plate and eating what ' s left. you need to take extra steps to ensure you ' re meeting your daily nutritional needs. vegetarian diet planning a healthy vegetarian diet consists primarily of plant - based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seed. because the emphasis is on nonmeat food sources, a vegetarian diet generally contains less fat and cholesterol, and typically includes more fiber. vegetarians fall into groups defined by the types of animal - derived foods they eat : - vegans eliminate all foods from animals, including meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and cheese. they eat only plant - based foods. - lacto - vegetarians consume milk and milk products along with plant - based foods. they omit eggs as well as meat, fish and poultry. - lacto - ovo vegetarians omit red meat, fish and poultry but eat eggs, milk and milk products, such as cheese and yogurt, in addition to plant - based foods. to keep your vegetarian diet on track, you may find using a vegetarian food pyramid helpful. this pyramid outlines various food groups and food choices that, if eaten in the right quantities, form the foundation of a healthy vegetarian diet. meatless products, such as tofu dogs, soy burgers, nut loaves or texturized vegetable protein, add variety to your vegetarian diet. these products, found in many grocery stores and health food markets, simulate the taste and texture of meat and usually have less fat and fewer calories. many of the meatless products, such as tofu or tempeh, are made from soybeans. if you follow a vegan diet, you may need to find alternatives for eggs and dairy products. try these suggestions when meal planning or cooking : ensuring adequate nutrition - milk. drink fortified soymilk, rice milk or almond milk in place of cow ' s milk. - butter. when sauteing, use olive oil, water, vegetable broth, wine or nonfat cooking spray instead of butter. in baked goods, use canola oil. - cheese. use soy cheese or nutritional yeast flakes, which are available in health food stores. - eggs. in baked goods, try commercial egg replacers — a dry product made mostly of potato starch


baked goods, use canola oil. - cheese. use soy cheese or nutritional yeast flakes, which are available in health food stores. - eggs. in baked goods, try commercial egg replacers — a dry product made mostly of potato starch. or you can use the following to replace one egg : 1 / 4 cup whipped tofu or 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. for an egg - free omelet try using tofu instead of eggs. the more restrictive a diet is, the more difficult it is to get all the nutrients your body needs. a vegan diet, for example, eliminates food sources of vitamin b - 12, as well as milk products, which are a good source of calcium. other nutrients, such as iron and zinc, are available in a meatless diet, but you need to make an extra effort to ensure they ' re in yours. here are nutrients that may be deficient in a vegetarian diet and how you can get these nutrients from nonmeat sources : - protein. your body needs protein to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. vegetarians who eat eggs or dairy products have convenient sources of protein. other sources of protein include soy products, meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains. - calcium. this mineral helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. low - fat dairy foods and dark green vegetables, such as spinach, turnip and collard greens, kale, and broccoli are good sources of calcium. tofu enriched with calcium and fortified soymilk and fruit juices are other options. - vitamin b - 12. your body needs vitamin b - 12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. this vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs and cheese. vegans can get vitamin b - 12 from some enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement that contains this vitamin. - iron. like vitamin b - 12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole - grain products, dark, leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. to help your body absorb non - animal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin c — such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli — at the same time you consume iron - containing foods. - zinc. this mineral is an


body absorb non - animal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin c — such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli — at the same time you consume iron - containing foods. - zinc. this mineral is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in the formation of proteins. good sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, nuts and wheat germ. the key to a healthy vegetarian diet — or any diet for that matter — is to enjoy a wide variety of foods. since no single food provides all of the nutrients that your body needs, eating a wide variety helps ensure that you get the necessary nutrients and other substances that promote good health. start with what you know if you ' re thinking of switching to a vegetarian diet but aren ' t sure how to begin, start with what you already know. make a list of meals you prepare on a regular basis. some of these may already be meat - free, such as spaghetti or vegetable stir - fry. next, pick out dishes that could easily become meat - free with a couple of substitutions. for example, you can make vegetarian chili by leaving out the ground beef and adding an extra can of black beans or soy crumbles. or make fajitas using extra - firm tofu rather than chicken. you may be surprised to find that some dishes require only simple substitutions. once you have compiled a list of vegetarian meals, add new meal ideas. buy or borrow vegetarian cookbooks. scan the internet for vegetarian menus or for tips about making meatless substitutions. check out ethnic restaurants to sample new vegetarian cuisine. the more variety you bring to your vegetarian diet, the better the chance you ' ll meet all your nutritional needs. no matter what your age or situation, a well - planned vegetarian diet can meet your nutritional needs. even children and teenagers can do well on a plant - based diet, as can older people, and pregnant or breast - feeding women. if you ' re unsure whether a vegetarian diet is right for you, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian. flaxseed : is ground or whole better? dietary fiber : an essential part of a healthy diet whole grains : high in nutrition and fiber, yet low in fat healthy diet decisions : do you know what to eat?


webmd medical news laura j. martin, md dec. 6, 2010 - - flu season is here, and so far georgia is the state hit the hardest by this year ’ s influenza virus, according to the cdc. “ georgia is reporting high levels of influenza - like activity, ” anne schuchat, md, director of the cdc ’ s national center for immunization and respiratory diseases, said at a news conference. ” it gets a 10 of 10, and is leading the country in terms of what we will be seeing. ” the flu - - largely influenza type b - - has been reported throughout georgia, and been seen mainly in school - aged children, she says. in the u. s., flu season usually begins in the fall and runs through early spring. it peaks anywhere from late november through march. “ we know that the flu season has started here in georgia, and there has been sporadic reporting of influenza - like viruses throughout the country, ” including the southeast region of the u. s. and some of the western states, she says. “ places that don ’ t have as much flu as georgia will. ” the good news is that this year ’ s flu vaccine, which is recommended for everyone older than 6 months, is likely a good match for this year ’ s flu, schuchat says. “ some h1n1, an a / h3n2 strain, and b - strains have been seen this year, [ along with ] a mixture of b strains and a strains that haven ’ t been characterized, ” she says. this year ’ s vaccine protects against seasonal flu and the h1n1 swine flu. “ flu is unpredictable, but based on the viruses circulating so far, we do expect the vaccine to be a good match. ” as far as what type of flu season we can expect, schuchat can ’ t predict, but there is ample vaccine to go around which can keep flu activity at a minimum. approximately 160 million doses of the vaccine have already been distributed nationwide, she says. “ don ’ t be complacent because disease activity is low this year ; flu is coming, ” she says. “ you don ’ t want to find out how bad the season is going to be before you get the flu vaccine. ” schuchat says she is encouraged by the number of people who have already received a flu vaccine so far this season. “ we are a little ahead of last year ’ s seasonal flu vaccine, which