What's In This Article?
Maintaining the ability to drive is crucial to most senior’s quality of life. It helps them to stay connected to people in their respective communities. Being able to drive is an indispensable part of maintaining social ties while also having constant access to all services needed. Losing one’s ability to drive either voluntarily or for any other reason can have an adverse impact on a senior’s health. It puts them at risk for anxiety and depression.
Seniors who lose their driving capabilities face a higher risk of being moved to a long-term care facility. It increases their risk for isolation as it makes a senior more prone to loneliness because they will likely leave the house less often.
In other words, losing the ability to drive may also mean losing one’s independence. This is true especially if the senior is living alone and no family members are living in close proximity.
There are 14 million licensed drivers aged 65 years old or older, says the Federal Highway Administration. Of course, age is not a determining factor whether you are a bad driver or not. However, there are some physical limitations on elderly drivers. These limitations make driving, a daunting task for elderly adults.
The good news is that automakers and aftermarket manufacturers are introducing more and more features and products that assist drivers and make driving safer and easier!
For many seniors, driving is a necessity. There are times seniors may need to realize the need to hang up the keys and finally give up driving for good. Data shows the number of accidents increases when people reach the age of 65, and fatal accidents increase by age 75.
As we age, driving is a symbol of independence. As kids become teenagers, driving represents the ability to do things on their own. The same remains to be true to older adults. Elderly people drive with plenty of risks. Even if the elderly reduce the amount of time driving or giving up the keys; independence should not be diminished. The key here is to know what assistive devices and car features can be used to make driving safer and less stressful to people.
Alternatives to Self-Driving Cars
Self-driving cars are still a few years away but until then, here are some very helpful products that will make driving a lot easier for aging seniors.
Handybar Car Aid
Handybar Car Aid is a device that helps elderly to get in and out of the car easily. This handybar car aid is designed to help reduce a senior’s risk of falling. It provides great amount of leverage especially among seniors who find sitting or standing from inside of the car or into the car too difficult. The tool is inserted into a U-shaped striker plate on the vehicle door frame. It can be used in the side doors of both the driver and passenger. It supports weight for up to 350 pounds. Its added features such as seatbelt cutter and window breaker are helpful in cases of emergency.
Sun Zapper Glare Shield
Elderly people may have a problem with vision when there’s too much glare. And, such problem may spell danger especially when they’re driving. The Sun Zapper Glare Shield helps in keeping the glare out of the senior’s eyes. This tool attaches easily to the existing car visor and has a special shield (thus the name) to zap out the glare from the sun coming into the car.
Panoramic Rearview Mirror
With this tool, the 20/20 Panoramic Rearview Mirror, blind spots are effectively reduced. This tool can be easily installed over the existing rearview mirror. It works great for seniors with existing neck troubles or injuries. It helps them look over their shoulders with ease.
Sheepskin Seat Belt Cover
The seat belt is one of the leading safety devices one can have in the car. But, it is far from perfect. There are other issues that one can encounter when using a seat belt. The Sheepskin Seat Belt Cover helps in preventing chafing on the neck and shoulders. The seat belt may rub against the skin, which can be especially damaging to the elderly. The product comes in eight colors to best match the colors in one’s car.
Power Transfer Seat
The Power Transfer Seat enables the one sitting to rotate up to 90 degrees, which makes moving in and out of the car easier. The seat can be installed on both sides of the car. The tool fits most vehicles including minivans.
Getting in an out of a car is the biggest challenge for seniors. There are some car makers who are designing cars that are senior friendly. With the new cars, getting in and out can be easier. The challenge is how to make driving easier for seniors with older cars.
Padded Swivel Seat Cushion
We have to admit, getting in and out of a car can be sometimes a dread to seniors. A cushion can be a simpler way for seniors to get in and out. The Padded Swivel Seat Cushion is perfect for people with mobility struggles or those with hip injuries or problems. The padded seat is about 15 inches and is able to turn 360 degrees.
Seat Belt Strap Adjuster
The seat belt strap on your shoulder can be annoying. It is best to have some tool to keep the strap where it should be. The Seat Belt Strap Adjuster makes it possible to adjust the strap where it should be—in between one’s neck and shoulder.
Foot Pedal Extensions
Pedals are necessary in the operations of a vehicle. There are times that seniors may not be able to reach the pedals properly. The use of extensions is one great solution to this problem. Foot Pedal Extensions allow seniors to reach the pedals. At the same time, it will put the senior at a safe distance upon airbag deployment in an emergency situation. The tool is made from a non-skid surface and the extension ranges from one to four inches.
Get Help from Occupational Therapist
Different factors of aging can make it challenging for you to drive. If you are not certain about whether you are still physically fit to drive, ask help from an occupational therapist. An occupational therapist will help you assess which part of your body has issues that could affect your driving skills and how you can work together to overcome it.
You are most likely to have problems with driving if:
- Your neck hurts everytime you look over your shoulder whenever you need to change lanes. With this neck pain, you find it hard to look left and right when scanning the road.
- You experience pain in your leg each time you move your leg from the gas to the brakes or vice versa.
- Your arms are no longer strong or quick enough to turn the wheel as fast as you need to.
- Your reaction time is no longer as quick as before.
- Looking at traffic, road signs and people crossing the road – all at the same time has become a challenge for you.
Occupational therapists can give you suggestions on the best exercises that will help you overcome these challenges in driving. If you have just been through a stroke or surgery, occupational therapists can also help you in developing a plan in order for you to recover quickly and get back to driving again.
Obtaining clearance from an Occupational Therapist or Rehabilitation Specialist will give assurance to your loved ones that you are capable of driving again. These professionals will also give you advice on what strategies to use so that you can improve your driving skills. They can also make assessments on how long you are able to continue driving. These occupational therapists can also give you advice regarding the best assistive devices that you can use for your car to make driving a lot easier for you.
You may check out the website of The American Occupational Therapy Association if you’re looking for an occupational therapist or rehabilitation specialist. It is best to look for someone who has Special Certification in Driving and Community Mobility.
Debunking the “Seniors are More Dangerous Drivers” Myth
Data from Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) revealed that in Montana, teenage drivers were found to be involved in more deadly car accidents compared to elderly drivers. Moreover, results from a research conducted by the RAC Foundation showed that even though drivers aged 75 and above account for 6 percent of the population of license holders, they were found to only account for 4.3 percent of all serious injuries and fatal road accidents.
In fact, researchers from the Institute of Advanced Motorists and RAC Foundation believe that senior drivers are as safe as younger drivers. However, according to them, there are also exceptions. For example, in places where there are high-speed junctions and dual carriageways, seniors do struggle. The same thing is true in locations where there are slip-roads and high-speed roundabouts. These locations warrant drivers to make quick responses and quick decisions and these are things that many elderly drivers find too challenging. But, when it comes to driving everywhere else, senior drivers were found to be just as good as anybody else.
It is important to note that not all seniors are vulnerable to road accidents. Another important thing to keep in mind is that not all seniors are unsafe drivers. Luckily, there are ways to help seniors overcome some challenges that they have in driving. One of these is to make use of assistive devices that will help make driving a lot easier for them despite these challenges.
What States are Doing to Promote Safety Driving among Seniors
To be able to address these problems that the elderly drivers face, 33 states in the U.S., have come up with laws or provisions and some of these are the following:
Accelerated Renew Frequency – this provision requires less time for seniors to renew their licenses. Instead of renewing every eight years, some states require that seniors renew every four years.
Online and Mail Renewal Restriction – some states such as Alaska, restrict seniors aged 69 and above to renew their license online or through mail. They are required to be physically present at the Division of Motor Vehicle whenever they need to renew their license.
Vision and Road Tests – some states have mandated a stricter policy regarding road and vision tests for seniors renewing their driver’s license.


Typhoid fever – Congo
1458 cases of typhoid fever have been recorded since the beginning of the year in the city of Panzi, province of Kwango in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body, affecting many organs. Without prompt treatment, it can cause serious complications and can be fatal. It’s caused by a bacterium called Salmonella typhi, which is related to the bacteria that cause salmonella food poisoning. Symptoms include fever, sweating, muscle aches, dry cough and stomach pains. Incubation period of 6 to 30 days.
1458 cases reported, no deaths or hospitalisations reported.
Dr. François Mwakisenda insisted on the respect of hygiene which is an effective means of prevention against this disease called dirty hands.
Photo: Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium – Cultured in medium
Typhoid fever, so-called enteric fever caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, has a totally different presentation from that of the commoner kinds of salmonellosis.
It is usually spread by contaminated food or water. Typhoid fever is not a zoonosis like the more commonly seen types of salmonellosis.
Vomiting and diarrhea are typically absent but constipation is frequently reported.
The word typhoid (as in typhus-like) reflects the similarity of the louse-borne rickettsial disease epidemic typhus and that of typhoid fever; in fact, in some areas, typhoid fever is still referred to as abdominal typhus.
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Rural Alaskan Communities have the highest utility rates in America. Rural communities pay up to six times the national average cost of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour. Electrical power is supplied by diesel fuel that when transported to these pristine areas result in spills, soil contamination and health risks to Tribal members and workers. With the lowest per capita incomes in the United States, they also pay a disproportionately large share of income for this energy. Because diesel fuel is so expensive, the generators are often turned off at night to conserve fuel. The diesel generators are old and unreliable resulting in frequent power outages, power surges, and brownouts. They are also noisy and their emissions pollute the air, ground and water. The individual members of these communities are constantly pressured to choose between the subsistence lifestyle they desire and the need to generate cash to pay for basic amenities in a location where community and economic development activities are stifled by expensive and unreliable energy sources.
A W.I.S.H. Alaska will oversee the development of three projects in three communities to illustrate the viability of renewable wind, water and solar electric power in remote Alaskan communities while alleviating dramatic hardships for these native communities. Our proposed systems will be designed with real-time monitoring systems to measure the actual energy production and resulting diesel fuel savings through the year. In this way, the information obtained from these systems will help to demonstrate the viability of solar energy and lead to replication in other Native villages throughout Alaska and Canada.
The communities will also be supplied with education and hardware to use electricity in the most efficient manner. Individual community members will realize lower electrical use and therefore lower costs permanently. Energy efficient lighting and refrigeration will be emphasized resulting in a 30 to 40% load reduction for the community. This will also make renewable energy production a more viable alternative to the existing system as small wind, hydro and solar power is able to completely meet the demand.
Manley Hot Springs Village Wind Project
Manley Hot Springs is a small community connected by road to the Elliot Highway some 180 miles or four hours driving time from Fairbanks. Manley Village Council has a health clinic and several residences that do not have electricity at this time. The existing utility in Manley is a privately owned utility that charges $0.60 per KwH in addition to a $20 monthly service fee per customer. The utility indicates the cost of producing power is $0.12 per KwH and the remaining costs are attributed to delivery and overhead. Initial environmental information indicates strong and consistent wind on tribal land above the town. Tribal Wind Power production will provide ample power for the clinic and residences. Excess power will be sold to the existing utility at avoided costs reducing or eliminating the need for diesel power for the entire community. While there are regulations requiring the purchase of renewable power by the utility if available, we anticipate some reluctance on the part of the utility and have included legal fees within the budget to assist in setting precedence within the regulated utility environment.
Project implementation will begin with a year of on-site wind data collection so that the proper system can be designed for the site. Community electrical energy efficiency would begin immediately as well. The second year would bring actual power production including the required distribution system, training of local community members in maintenance and operation of the system and integration with the incumbent utility for the sale of excess power produced.
The Manley Community Council fully endorses the project and have indicated that they will provide complete cooperation; a letter of support is forthcoming.
Elim Small Hydroelectric Project
Elim is a community located on the Norton Sound coast southeast of Nome. Elim is not connected by road therefore fuel must arrive by barge, risking fuel spills in the marine environment that provides the bulk of subsistence food for Elim residents. The existing utility has opted out of state regulation and has no interest in lowering sales. The community recently had a meeting to establish priorities and Small Hydro development was voted as one of the highest priorities by over 75% of the community members.
The small hydro project combined with electrical energy efficiency will result in Elim becoming self sufficient with sustainable electric power. An appropriate stream that has no spawning grounds has been identified and preliminary information shows it to be capable of providing year round power. It is located approximately 7 miles from the community along existing trails. Road construction has been mapped and planned and lacks only funds for completion.
Current electric power is produced by diesel generators located in the center of town near the school. The Community is very concerned over air quality and the health of the children. Previous attempts to have the utility relocate its generation facility have been met with refusal.
The Elim IRA council fully endorses the project and has indicated that they will provide complete cooperation; a letter of support is forthcoming.
Native Village of Venetie Seasonal Solar Power Project
The Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government is the governing body for the northernmost Gwich'in villages in the United States, located north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska. In these remote conditions, diesel generators produce all electricity for a total population of approximately 250 people. Since there are no roads to the outside world, fuel must be brought in by plane then transferred to storage tanks, resulting in spills, soil contamination and health risks. Because diesel fuel is so expensive, the generators are often turned off at night to conserve fuel.
This project seeks to demonstrate the use of solar energy in remote northern locations. Typically, people think of tropical locations for solar power. However, with its long summer days -- 24 hours of continuous summer daylight in the NVVTG villages -- Alaska is an ideal technology to begin the transition to a more sustainable energy infrastructure. Solar energy will not mitigate the need for diesel generators in the short-term, however it can significantly reduce the amount of diesel fuel that has to be purchased and flown into the villages resulting in real and immediate economic savings for Tribal members.
We propose to install a 20 kilowatt (kW) distributed grid-tied solar electric (photovoltaic) energy system in the NVVTG villages. This amounts to approximately 10 percent of the villages current demand for power. The systems will be installed on community facilities such as the health clinic, washeteria, or tribal government offices to maximize the benefit and exposure to village residents. Tribal members will be trained on the theory, installation, operation and maintenance of the systems to build internal institutional capacity and reduce dependence on outside expertise. The systems will be designed with real-time monitoring systems to measure the actual energy production and resulting diesel fuel savings through the year. In this way, the information obtained from these systems will help to demonstrate the viability of seasonal solar energy and lead to replication in other Native villages throughout Alaska and Canada.


What is Arthritis? (ABC podcast click here) )
Arthritis is an umbrella term for over 100 medical conditions that affect your joints. This is because “arth” simply means bone and “itis” means inflammation. Therefore its anything causing inflammation of the bones.
Arthritis-related problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of bones, enabling them to move against each another) and surrounding structures. This can result in joint weakness, instability and deformities that can interfere with the most basic daily tasks.
As the population ages, the number of people with arthritis grows There is a widely held belief that arthritis is simply a consequence of age. But it is not a natural part of ageing. Trauma in the past that has not healed properly, poor exercise habits, poor nutrition, metabolic, genetic or hormone disorders all contribute to the disease.
Research suggests early intervention can not only delay the onset of the disease but may also reduce symptoms and progression.
While there are about 100 forms of arthritis, the three most common causes account for 95% of all arthritis. These are:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
There is no known cure for arthritis. However arthritis is usually manageable.
Less common forms of arthritis are:
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Juvenile arthritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)


Andrew Carnegie’s steel mills made him a huge fortune in the 19th century.
Still, he found “‘ostentatious living’ profoundly distasteful and the conduct of most New York millionaires strictly irresponsible.”
So in 1903, he decamped from his brownstone on Fifth Avenue and 51st Street, on Millionaires’ Row, and moved into a home he built 30 blocks north—practically the country at that time.
He wanted “the most modest, plainest and roomiest house in New York” with land for his wife to garden.
The Georgian mansion he commissioned was a palace compared to most New Yorkers’ homes—but it reflected his view that “the houses of some should be homes for all that is highest and best in literature and the arts…. Without wealth there can be no Maecenas.”
The four-story, 64-room mansion at Fifth and 91st Street was a technological marvel with a steel frame, elevator, central heating (sucking down two tons of coal on a winter day) and a primitive form of air conditioning.
He contemplated his philanthropy in his library overlooking Fifth Avenue, as a neighborhood built up around him.
The mansion is still there, but now houses the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum.


These three Goddesses are celebrated together in all the āpri hymns namely: 1.13.9; 1.142.9; 1.188.8; 2.3.8; 3.4.8; 5.5.8; 7.2.8; 9.5.8; 10.70.8; 10.110.8; Note that Mahī and Bhāratī are same. We reproduce below the comments of Sri Kapāli Sāstry.
The purāņās speak of no difference between Bhāratī and Sarasvatī. According to the purāņic story, Iļā, male head of the lunar dynasty, son of Manu, attained womanhood and became Iļā. But in the Veda, it is to be noted, these three associated together, conferring Sight, Hearing Vastness on the sacrificer, the rişhi, have their dwelling in Svar. Of these, Bhāratī signified by the term Mahī, the divine Power connected with the Vast Light, issuing from the House of svar, brings first the consciousness of the vast, bŗhat, to the Seer-Poet; Iļā favours him with the consciousness-sight, commensurate with this vastness. But Sarasvatī, the carrier of inspiration makes the seer capable of hearing the divine inspiration, the hearer of Truth.
The truth of Bhāratī or Mahī is described in (1.8.8) with the three adjectives sūnŗta, one with true speech, virapshī, flowing abundantly, and gomatī, full of the rays of Light. The entire hymn (1.8) entitled “Indra and Mahī” will be discussed in the second volume. Even though sūnŗta is used for Sarasvatī also in (1.3.11), we have to grasp the distinction between the deities.
Iļā, Sarasvatī and Bhāratī, conferring Sight, Hearing and Vastness respectively, are divine, born of the Truth-Light, powers of the Sun of the Light of Truth impeller supreme of the Universe. The adjective vishvatūrtiĥ (who carries all) used for Her of the Vastness, establishes the relation of Bhāratī to the very Impeller who is sought to impel our thoughts. All these three create supreme happiness-mayobhuvaĥ. They are not to be taken as some indistinct or formless divine powers; though they are mutually associated, the seers see their form as distinct, beautiful, supeshasaĥ, of good form.
We give below translations of some of the āpri mantrās.
May Iļā, Sarasvatī, Mahī, the three Goddesses of delight come to the seat, unharmed (1.13.9).
May Sarasvatī affecting our thought dhiyam and Goddesses Iļā and Bhāratī who carry all to their goal sit on our altar seat and guard our house of refuge by the self-law of things svadhaya. (2.3.8)
In unison may Bhāratī with her muses of invocation bhāratibhih, Iļā with gods, men and Agni, Sarasvatī with her powers of inspiration sārasvatebhirvāk, come down to us; may the three goddesses be seated, (7.2.8) and (3.4.8).
May Iļā, Sarasvatīī and Mahī, the three Goddesses who create the bliss sit on the sacred seat, they who never err (5.5.8).
May Bhāratī come swiftly to our sacrifice, Iļā awakening to knowledge like a human thinker and Sarasvatī, the three Goddesses, –may they sit, perfect in works, on this sacred seat of happy ease (10.110.8).
O ye three Goddesses, sit on the superior seat which we have made delightful for you; may the mother of revelation, Iļā, and the two goddesses with the luminous feet, ghŗtapadī, accept our firmly placed offerings and our human worship of sacrifice (10.70.8).
The translations are all due to Sri Aurobindo (HMF). Note in (10.70.8), the usual translation of ghŗtapadī as having feet of ghee does not make sense.


The idea behind the Readers and Writers Workshop model of learning is that students learn best by actually DOING what they are learning. Readers need to READ. Writers need to WRITE. Artists, need to sculpt or paint or draw. So what does the teacher do while her students are READING or WRITING or SCULPTING? The teacher is moving around the room, observing, encouraging, helping, giving hints and tips, in a word...TEACHING!
For more information on how to CONFER with READERS take a look at Jennifer Serravallo's book, Conferring With Readers.
For information on how to CONFER with WRITERS take a look at Carl Anderson's book,
Happy Teaching 2014-2015!!


HomeArticleWhat Is Dyslexia, Why Does it Affects Children? See Its Causes, Signs, Symptoms, And Treatment
What Is Dyslexia, Why Does it Affects Children? See Its Causes, Signs, Symptoms, And Treatment
Updated On 20 Mar, 2018 Published On 20 Mar, 2018
Dyslexia is simply the issue related to the difficulty in learning and writing. Symptoms may vary from one child to another.
Dyslexia is simply a learning disorder that makes a person difficult to read and write. A person with such type of learning disability faces trouble in processing words or numbers.
Dyslexia is not a disease that we acquire in the time being but it's a condition a person is born with, and it often runs in families. People with dyslexia are not stupid or lazy. Most possess an average or above-average intelligence and they work really very hard to overcome their learning difficulties.
What is Dyslexia? Know About Its Prevalence Worldwide
Raising a child with dyslexia is a real challenge. As you move on in your life you gain a lot of knowledge about the problems and challenges of the child while reading and writing.
Dyslexia is a lifelong issue that makes it difficult for people to learn some normal things. Kids with dyslexia may have a problem answering questions on they've just read.
Source: Gordon Turner Optometrists
People all over the world are affected by several types of earning disability. About 3-7% of the total population is affected by dyslexia in the world. Among them, about 20% show visible symptoms.
Here is a video on how to teach dyslexic children to read:
Over 40 million American adults are dyslexic and only 2 million know about their issues.The month of October is 'Dyslexia Awareness Month'.
Some Facts About Dyslexia
It is estimated that 1 out of 10 people have dyslexia.
The condition is not related to IQ. The great scientist Einstein himself was dyslexic, still had an IQ of 160.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability including poor word reading, word decoding, fluency, and spelling.
About 20% school-aged children in the US are dyslexic.
Signs and Symptoms
Some of the most common signs and symptoms linked with dyslexia in childhood are as follows:
1. Difficulty to Read
Many children have normal intelligence like other kids. Still, they face difficulty learning to read even with the help of elders.
2. Delayed Speech Development
A child with dyslexia may take a longer time to speak than normal kids. They may mispronounce words and find rhyming challenging and faces difficulty in understanding words that sounds the same.
3. Slow at Learning Sets of Data
Children with dyslexia may take a longer time to understand the alphabets and the way to pronounce those words. They may face difficulty in remembering the days, year, color pattern, and some arithmetic tables.


Introduction. Geology, Pre-history, Demographics, Anthropology and early History of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Feb. 05. Religions. Southwest and South Asia as the birthplace of religions. The spread of Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and the glimmering influence of early Judaism and Christianity. Ties with East Asia. The early Silk Road.
Feb. 12. The glorious age of Gandhara.The resurgence of Hinduism, Hindu India and the rise of Islam. . Its rapid spread across the region. Antagonism and accommodation between faiths. India as the great melting pot.
Feb. 19. The coming of the Afghans. The Great Moguls. Muslim India and Afghanistan. The subtle influence of Persia on politics, culture, language, architecture, trade.
Feb. 26. The deep influence of Sufism and emergence of Baha’aism, Sikhism, Ahmedism, Ismailism.The rise and spread of the Sikh faith, the first and only Kingdom of the Punjab and and how it affected the later history of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Antagonism and accommodation between faiths. India as the great melting pot.The deep influence of Sufism and emergence of Baha’aism, Sikhism, Ahmedism, Ismailism.The rise and spread of the Sikh faith, the first and only Kingdom of the Punjab and how it affected the later history of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Mar. 05. Mid-term quiz. And movie.
Mar. 12. The triumph of the West. The rise of mercantilism, colonialism and imperialism. Competition between the Europeans for control of the region.
Apr. 02. Sultanate-i-Khudad. Afghanistan, the Gift of God. Tthe graveyard of empires and the cockpit of Asia. John Company and the modernization of India. The Great Mutiny and British India. Divida et Imperia. Relations with Afghanistan.
Apr. 09. Native responses to Western imperialism. Muslims as protagonists in the reactionary movements. Messianism and militarism. The influence of Ottoman Turkey. The Chechens, Afghans, Indians, Wahhabis, Egyptians and Sudanese and how they fueled each others struggles and became models for Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaida.
Apr. 16. The modernization of India. The resurgence of Hindu and Muslim identities. India in the two world wars. The emergence of nationalism and peaceful agitation for freedom. The Indian Congress Party and the Muslim League. Dadabhoy Naraoji, Gandhi, The Nehrus, Jinnah. The Great Divide and the emergence of India and Pakistan. Bitter roots of enmity.
Apr. 23. Post independence India and Pakistan. The Cold War and strategic importance of the region. The importance of Afghanistan, China and Iran. Wars. Bangla Desh.
Apr. 30. Empires self-destructing. The Russo-Afghan War. The Afghan Civil War. The US invasion of Afghanistan.
May. 07.The aftermath.
May. 14. Final Exam.


The two greatest power of Catholic Christianity, the Triple Monarchy of England-Castille-Portugal and France had defeated the Rum-Seljuks several times in the second Occidental-Seljuk War, the First French-Seljuk War and the Great Seljuk War. Still, the Seljuks held some parts of Italy and the Balcans.
When king François IV had come of age and defeated his inner enemies, he wanted to gain fame and power by striking against the Seljuks too. Triple Monarchy of England-Castille-Portugal had fallen apart at this time already, so he was without competition. So the Second French-Seljuk War took place, during the years 1635-46. Again, smaller powers like Florence and the members of the Alliance des Alpes joined the war at France's side.
In the peace of Györ, Bourbon Hungary acquired Croatia, Slavonia, Transsylvania and the Banat, France the strategically important Aden, Venice the Peloponnes, Florence the northern half of South Italy. The Italians grumbled, however, because they thought their share was too small.
After the fifth defeat in a row, since 1650 Seljuk intellectuals (for the lack of a better word) suggested a different policy - instead of trying to regain a foot in Europe, the Empire should try to build up a "Greater Seljuk Empire", including many areas in Persia and Choresm, like the empire of sultan Saladin.


Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix
Are you a "taster" or a "non-taster?" PTC paper is used to test whether or not a person can taste the bitter flavor of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). The ability to taste or not taste PTC is conveyed by a single gene, TAS2R38, that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue. On average, 75% of people can taste PTC and 25% cannot. Each vial contains 100 testing strips. Order these testing strips online from agclassroomstore.com.
National Center for Agricultural Literacy


There are several ways to strengthen teeth. These methods include regular brushing, attending periodic dental checkups, avoiding sugary foods, consuming foods rich in calcium, eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and drinking lots of water.Continue Reading
Strengthen teeth by regular brushing to prevent tooth decay, and use toothpaste and supplements rich in fluoride to keep tooth enamel strong and healthy. Secondly, attend regular appointments at the dentist's office. These visits help prevent the development of cavities and other problems that cause wear and tear of enamel. Doctors recommend visits to a dentist twice a year. Thirdly, maintain the strength of teeth by avoiding sugary foods, which cause the production of harmful acids that weaken teeth.
Additionally, consume lots of calcium, a mineral with active ingredients that strengthens bones and neutralizes acids produced in the mouth. Foods rich in calcium that should be consumed regularly include milk, leafy greens, seafood and legumes. Another way to keep teeth strong involves eating food rich in vitamins and minerals. Foods rich in vitamins A, K, C, and D are highly recommended. Vitamin A, K and D can be found in leafy greens, cod liver oil and oily fish respectively, while vitamin C can be found in bell peppers and citrus fruits. Lastly, drink water regularly to wash away bacteria and food particles left in the mouth that cause tooth decay.Learn more about Dental


Sea-level rise, caused by climate change, is on a crisis course for many U.S. coastal communities. New research finds that as many as 311,000 homes on the East Coast and Gulf face being frequently flooded within the next 30 years.
According to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, rising oceans will jeopardize coastal residences collectively worth $120 billion by 2045 if greenhouse gas emissions are not severely curtailed. UCS says that — within two decades — this is likely to inflict a huge financial and experiential cost on about half a million Americans who live in the areas at greatest risk.
Putting a dollar value on these concerns is deeply disturbing. A 2017 article in “Think Progress” reports:
“[Accelerating sea-level rise] is very bad news for U.S. coastlines, and the only question left for Americans is: When will coastal property values crash? … Values will start dropping before we hit a few feet of sea-level rise. They will crash when a large fraction of the financial community — mortgage bankers and opinion-makers, along with a smaller but substantial fraction of the public — realize that it’s too late for us to stop catastrophic sea-level rise.”
Sean Becketti, economist for mortgage giant Freddie Mac, warns: “The country is facing a trillion-dollar bubble in coastal property values, a time-bomb which has been inflated by U.S. taxpayers in the form of the National Flood Insurance Program.”
Coastal officials need to conduct a rigorous “reality-check” before making matters worse by approving still more reckless development.
Kyler is director of Center for a Sustainable Coast


Blog/America's Economic History
Posted Jun 15, 2016 by Martin Armstrong
Political rivalry in the United States has been taking place since 1800 when the clash between the Federalists and the Jeffersonians pushed the political body of the nation to the point where it teetered on the brink of a second American Revolution. This clash of the Titans was sparked when the Federalists were about to lose power. John Adams tried to prolong Federalist control in direct defiance of the people by stacking the courts with Federalist judges to demonstrate that law was not law; it was driven by bias from the start. The new Constitution was not specific and far too ambiguous in many areas including that of the judiciary.
John Marshall (1755 – 1835) was previously a leader of the Federalist Party in Virginia and served in the United States House of Representatives from 1799 to 1800. He became the Secretary of State under President John Adams from 1800 to 1801, and in a political crisis he became the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1801–1835). Marshall was thrown into the office of Chief Justice in the aftermath of the presidential election of 1800. The Federalists were soundly defeated and their dream of a federal government dominating over the states was coming to an end. They were about to lose both the executive and legislative branches to Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. In a last desperate moment, President Adams and the lame duck Congress passed what came to be known as the Midnight Judges Act. This draconian attempt to install sweeping changes to the federal judiciary to always rule in favor of the Federalists was now at issue. This included a reduction in the number of Justices from six to five to prevent Jefferson from appointing a Justice when the next vacancy in the court arose.
The incumbent Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth was in poor health, and Adams tried to stack the court by offering the seat to ex-Chief Justice John Jay who declined on the grounds that the court lacked “energy, weight, and dignity.” Jay’s letter arrived on January 20, 1801, and there was little time left.
Adams turned to Secretary of State John Marshall who accepted the nomination immediately. At first, the Senate was delayed in hopes that Adams would make a different choice. Nonetheless, the Senate had no choice and confirmed Marshall on January 27, 1801. He was sworn in on January 31, 1801, and officially took office on February 4, 1801. The strange rush meant that Marshall continued to serve as Secretary of State until Adams’ term expired on March 4, 1801, thereby overlapping Marshall’s two positions of Chief Justice and Secretary of State.
Marshall became the longest presiding Chief Justice during the administrations of six presidents: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson. Marshall remained an advocate of Federalism, and, in this capacity, he was the nemesis of the Jeffersonian school of government throughout its tenure. On July 4, 1826, at the age of 90, John Adams lay on his deathbed while the country celebrated Independence Day. His last words were, “Thomas Jefferson still survives.” But Jefferson had died five hours earlier at Monticello at the age of 82. This, nonetheless, illustrated the battle between Federalist and Jeffersonians who believed in state rights and freedom.
Marshall was faced with the fact that the Constitution’s framers left the Supreme Court’s existence and scope of power very ambiguous. For the first three presidential election cycles, there were few matters of any practical concern with regard to law. The midst of this political crisis of 1800 threatened a political revolution, not necessarily among the people, but among the elites. This confrontation led to Marshall’s landmark decision known as the case of Marbury v Madison.
Adams attempted to stuff the courts with Federalist judges. A handful of commissions for Justice of the Peace remained undelivered when incoming Democratic-Republican President Thomas Jefferson came to office. Jefferson ordered his secretary of state, James Madison, not to deliver any of these appointments since they were clearly political. One disgruntled office seeker, William Marbury, sued to have his commission honored. Marshall denied Marbury his commission because the Act of Congress underlying the suit unconstitutionally sought to expand the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction beyond what it was intended. The case established that “it is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” Marshall further wrote, “If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each.” Strangely, Marshall had to rule against the powers of the Court itself.
This epic battle of Marbury v Madison illustrates that law has never really been law. The fight to install judges who will rule in favor of one side or the other proves there are serious problems with law. Obviously, politicians should never appoint judges. Secondly, the fate of any person should never lie in the ambiguous words of statutes. Any law, when enacted, should be passed to a Constitutional Court to interpret what that law means, which becomes binding BEFORE it is applied to anyone. Until we are ready to reform the Judiciary, there will never be any rule of law. Moreover, judges should never have life tenure. Judges should have one term and then they’re out. They must be subject to the same laws they declare.


Home > Amethyst (Molecule of the Month for January 2000 )
click on the picture above
Amethyst's importance originates in antiquity.
In the Bible
an amethyst is worn on the breastplate of Aaron, the high priest of the Hebrews. This amethyst represented the prophet Math, who was filled with the desire to please God and who had the gift of tongues.
In Greek mythology
Dionysus, the god of wine and song, was angry and vowed to slay the first mortal who crossed his path. That unlucky mortal was Amethyst, a beautiful maiden.
However, Artemis (goddess of virginity and the hunt) intervened and transformed Amethyst into white stone. When Dionysus saw what had happened, he repented and poured wine over the stone, staining the top of it purple. That is why the top of amethyst is purple and the bottom is white.
Though the story has other variations such as: The Goddess Diana transformed a beautiful young maiden, Amethyst, into a statue of pure quartz in an effort to protect her from vicious tigers created by the vengeful God, Dionysus. Dionysus having looked upon the results of his actions wept remorseful tears of wine upon the statue endowing the stone with the rich purple hue we know today. Dionysus as it happens was the God of Intoxication
In folklore and mythology
amethyst has many supernatural powers.
Amethyst purportedly Brings luck, Ensures constancy, Protects against magic, Prevents home-sickness, Protects against drunkenness, (the Greek word amethustos means "not drunk")
Leonardo da Vinci wrote that the gem dissipates evil thoughts and quickens the intelligence -- high praise indeed.
Amethyst is a variety of quartz with purple coloration which is caused by impurities of iron or manganese.
Color: Amethyst occurs in a wide range of purple shades. Index of refraction: 1.544-1.553 Birefringence: 0.009. The purple color can be throughout or can be in bands with white quartz.
Its color and beauty are without rival, even from other much more expensive purple gems. Purple is the color of royalty. The rich and powerful have worn it as a mark of rank for hundreds of years. Even today as an affordable gem available in a wide selection of cut stones it has a regal air.
Amethyst is found in many areas around the world, including Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Africa, and Russia. In the United States, Amethyst can be found in Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and New Jersey.
In Canada, Amethyst is found near Thunder Bay and in Nova Scotia. One typical feature of Amethyst from Thunder Bay is its reddish coloration, caused by an internal coating of red hematite (iron).
Russian stones ( form the Urals) are very clear and dark. They are cut for fine expensive gemstones and gave rise to the term Siberian to indicate the very best Amethyst. Uruguayan and Bahain represent high medium and low grades, regardless of the source.
Amethyst crystals are hexagonal and can occur as tall prismatic crystals or short stubby ones (Crystal system: trigonal). The crystals often have horizontal striations on their sides or faces. Hardness: 7 Cleavage: none
Amethyst is often cut as brilliant round and/or oval stones to maximize the color. Other cuts are used when the crystal shape would not yield a fine oval or round.
Amethyst is one of several gem quartz varieties. The others are :
Citrine. A yellow to orange variety, rare in nature but often created by heating Amethyst.
Rock crystal, a clear stone, occasionaly used as a gem.
Rose quartz, a pink stone, sometimes cut as a cabochon.
Smoky quartz, the brown to gray quartz stones, sometimes in error called smoky topaz.
Quartz (Amethyst) is a low pressure/temperature polymorph of SiO2. At high temperatures, quartz exists in the beta form, with hexagonal symmetry. At lower temperatures there is a displacive phase transition to a distorted structure with trigonal symmetry (alpha form).
If you have Apple's QuickTime software click here to see an interactive QTVR crystal of Amethyst.
Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC)
Update by Karl Harrison
(Molecule of the Month for January 2000 )


Strategies to Effectively Communicate with
Someone who has Alzheimer’s or Dementia
If you have experience caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you know that confusion can surface in so many ways: One day, a person forgets where they put her car keys; the next day, they forget what the family car looks like; and the next day they forget how to turn the ignition.
When communicating with someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia it is far more important to focus on our reaction to them than to worry about what exactly the person is confused or forgetful about. If we are not careful, it is easy to feel frustrated or annoyed with the person and this can translate into a negative feedback cycle that magnifies the issue.
Here we cover five strategies that can help you more effectively communicate with someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia:
#1: Do not try to “right” the “wrong”
When someone says something that is seemingly outrageous or that you know to be false, it is often instinctual to correct them. For instance, a woman I recently spoke with was telling me a story about her cousin who recently passed away. “You wouldn’t believe it,” she started to tell me, “but my cousin lived until she was three-hundred and six years old.” Instead of correcting her assertion or responding with laughter or ridicule, I simply validated her own feelings and agreed that it was quite remarkable. By giving her a minute to gather herself she was able to re-think what she said and correct it to one-hundred and three years old (which I knew to be true prior to this conversation).
When communicating with someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia, be aware that they are often simply unable to accept your attempts at reasoning. Trying to convince the person that what he or she has said is wrong or illogical will only cause defensiveness – to avoid embarrassment or to deflect a threat to their sanity, often expressed as an outburst of anger.
This can be especially in early-stage of Alzheimer’s or dementia, a person can be aware that he or she is growing forgetful, put yourself in his or her shoes: what would it feel like to know that what you say and think may not be true and accurate?
#2: Respect routines
While many elderly people maintain routines over many years, a person experiencing confusion related to dementia or Alzheimer’s may develop new routines, some to help ease anxiety or create a kind of purpose. Some simple routines can be both beneficial and harmless: always keeping their reading glasses in the same spot (even though it is the top drawer of the dresser between a month-old newspaper and a pile of illegible notes!) or running the dishwasher after each meal with only two or three dishes in it.
Actions that may seem bizarre or unconventional to us may provide a confused person with purpose and control. Effectively caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia is in part about challenging ourselves to adapt to behaviors unlike any we have seen before in that person. If the person is safe and seems to be calmed by certain tasks, it is often okay to allow these routines to take root.
#3: Encourage Independence
When it becomes apparent that a family member or friend is declining in their ability to take care of themselves, it can be difficult for everyone. Someone who once took care of a household, held a job, or raised a family cannot do something as simple as pour a glass of water or get dressed for the day. Take note of what the person can do instead of what they cannot do, encourage these activities and allow independence as to how they are done, no matter the length of time it takes, or where it occurs (within reason!).
Memories are precious for someone who is losing their memory. The ability to spontaneously recall memories may be lost over time, but triggering someone’s mind with old photographs, music, stories, or reminders of places can evoke a sense of not only gratification but belonging. Similarly, he or she may have a few vivid memories – listening to a story repeated multiple times may be less than exciting for you, but the ability to tell a story for that person is more than gratifying.
#5: Be aware of yourself
If a person is confused, and especially if they are unsure of who you are, the first thing they resort to is appearance – analyzing your body language, tone of voice, and general demeanor. Speaking in a low, calm voice and sitting with an open stature may help them feel at ease, therefore lessening any threats or negative feelings toward you. This will subsequently establish a sense of trust, hopefully easing the challenge of openly communicating with you. This may be a greater-than-expected challenge. Remember that regardless of who the person is and how deep his or her confusion lies, you can find ways to demonstrate that you continue to acknowledge him or her as a capable, respectable person and not just a confused person.
Alvita Care is a premier provider of in-home care services designed to enhance the well-being, independence and dignity of our clients. We understand the challenges of caring for a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Contact us today
We Have Special Skills for Helping Patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia:
Our caregivers are available to assist with personal care, household services, respite and/or companion care while bringing exceptional compassion, skills and knowledge about Alzheimer’s and dementia to our clients.


I've been spending some time recently planning our financial literacy course for next year. It's based on the book Raising Financially Fit Kids. I reviewed it on the blog here. There are probably a number of curricula offerings for financial literacy in the homeschooling world, but after glancing through the book again I was confident I could put something together that fit the Charlotte Mason philosophy (not that I'm an expert), fit our family's needs, and could be extended through not just this coming school year but every year.
We've never done anything regularly on financial literacy before. I decided to start with the first set of Basic Money Skills for 5-8 year olds. Joline Godfrey outlines activities and books for each skill as well as good books for parents or teachers to read so we can understand them ourselves. I simply went through the recommendations and chose a book and an activity or two for each skill. We're going to go through all ten skills reading a book for each one (generally one book per week), then go through all ten skills again with activities pertinent to our family and First Son. I love this plan because we'll be reading lots of books (hooray!) and because it allows us to cycle through the skills at least twice in the coming year. Rather than go through them a third time, we're going to read through a book on money - the history of money, how it's made, what it looks like in different countries, and so forth.
Our library had many of the recommended books and I had a couple myself, but there were a few I couldn't request. It turned out to be difficult to search for children's books on particular money skills. (Shocking, I know.) I found a list from the Ohio credit unions with suggestions that helped a lot in filling in the gaps. I'm still looking for a good book, a living book and preferably a picture book, on borrowing money or using a credit card. Let me know if you have any ideas!
We'll be spending 10-15 minutes a week on financial literacy. It's not a lot of time, but it will be dedicated and directed.


New York City’s appetite for energy is immense, making it a revealing case study for how people use — and waste — energy.
“Midtown Manhattan has more energy use than the whole country of Kenya, and New York state uses more energy than all of sub-Saharan Africa,” said Vijay Modi, a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University. “There is just this intense use of energy in cities like New York.”
A new project by Modi and graduate student Bianca Howard aims to put the city’s energy consumption on the map. The results of their work are displayed on an interactive map estimating the total annual energy consumption for nearly every building across the five boroughs.
Their research allows New Yorkers to get a rough idea of how much energy is used inside their homes, offices and businesses — and it offers a peek into the building next door, down the street and across the city. The goal of the project is to take some of the mystery out of energy usage.
“You go to the grocery store and you get a bill that tells you how much each item costs, but for the big expenses we pay for energy we don’t have any idea what we are paying for,” said Modi. “We get a bill from Conn Ed for let’s say $150, we don’t know how much of that is to run the refrigerator, the heating, the shower?”
Modi’s map invites users to inspect the city on a block-by-block basis, noticing patterns of which buildings and areas consume more energy than their neighbors. The map shows each property’s energy usage, broken down to heating and cooling, electricity and hot water. It also color codes each building’s annual total energy output, with dark red denoting the largest consumers of energy.
The map lists the energy use for every property lot in the city, but the building-level data is an estimate. Actual energy use for any individual building is not public information. The researchers coded the map based on data from the city that tracks average energy use by ZIP code, and then created an estimate for each property based on the type and size of the building.
Still, Modi said he hoped city residents would see his map as a call to cool their behavior at home. Across the city, 75% of all energy comes from buildings, according to the study, whereas nationwide buildings only account for 40%. (The main reason for the difference: fewer New Yorkers drive.)
“What I take away from this is that there is so much energy being used for domestic hot water — laundry, showers, dishes,” Modi said. While people might be particularly aware of the high energy demand that comes with summertime air conditioners, “it’s really the year-round uses that we need to look at. That’s the big message here,” he added.
But the even bigger culprit in city energy use is commercial real estate. Although two-thirds of city building space is residential, those abodes only account for about half of the energy use –meaning that commercial spaces use far more energy per square foot, Modi said.
On the map, the office canyons of Midtown are deep red, indicating the highest degree of energy use, while the largely residential blocks of Harlem and the boroughs beyond Manhattan show cooler shades of yellow and orange.
In the future, Modi argues, increased awareness of where energy is going to waste might spur cities to rethink our reliance on a few large power plants.
“It’s easy to capture what we throw away. What is more difficult is to figure out how to distribute it efficiently,” he said. “Think about if we had more local generators of energy, like on the block or building level. We could more easily capture that wasted heat and use it to heat a nearby building. The technology to do that is not hard.”
A local energy-generating plan would work particularly well for a landlord who owns a number of properties close together or for large entities, such an office building, hospital or school campus. The scenario is not that far-fetched: Modi said universities are working on local energy generation and sharing.


Oral hygiene is important in the early years to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Regular Dental check-ups with your dentist and dental therapist help to prevent and treat decay before it causes any major issues.
Children are afraid of doctor’s visit. Children should start to visit the dental practice as young as possible, so bring them along with you to your check-ups. A child’s first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable and positive. The more you and your child know about the first visit, the better you will feel. We want you to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our clinic. We want all of our new patients to have a fun, exciting, interesting, and educational experience at their first dental visit.
Children’s teeth begin forming before birth. As early as 4 months, the first primary (baby) teeth to erupt through the gums are the lower central incisors, followed closely by the upper central incisors. It is important that your child’s newly-erupted teeth (erupting at 6-12 months of age) receive proper dental care and benefit from proper oral hygiene habits right from the beginning. Although all 20 primary teeth usually appear by age 3, the pace and order of their eruption varies. Permanent teeth begin appearing around age 6, starting with the first molars and lower central incisors. This process continues until approximately age 21.
Dr. Sanjana Anand Memorial Dental Aesthetica & ENT Clinic offers services including:
- Fluoride Fillings
- Kids Root Canal Treatment
- Fluoride Applications
- Conscious sedation for kids
Thorough tooth brushing and flossing practices are the best ways to prevent cavities and periodontal disease, and there are places in your mouth that are difficult to reach even with regular brushing and flossing. A professional cleaning by our registered dental professional will ensure the very best removal of plaque in those hard-to-reach places.


‘Full-stack’ refers to both parts of the application, meaning development of front- and back-end. In most cases, back-end includes more technologies than the front end.
Software development has never been cheap. Nowadays, companies are looking for ways to optimize their tech processes without blowing up the budget. One of the ways to do it is to hire a team of developers that can handle end-to-end development within a single unit – a full stack team. In this article, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of such teams, as well as explore the cases when such teams are the most effective.
When did this notion emerge?
This notion of full-stack teams and full-stack developers first emerged in the late 1990s with the introduction of the world wide web. With the introduction of the Internet, many major enterprise solutions had to create web clients for their products, e.g. ERM & ERP systems that needed web access instead of desktop apps. It was common practice to add web clients to an existing solution since the development of a web client was cheaper than C/C++ desktop solution.
At that time two new terms appeared: back end and front end. Back end is the name of the server-side of the system. The front end is the client on the user’s site, be it a website, a mobile client, or both.
In the case of this article, we’ll take a look at the back-end as a vendor of data for the web or mobile client (sophisticated crawlers or data science applications are not included).
What is a full-stack team?
Depending on how you divide the scope of work, the definition of full-stack may vary. Basically, there are two ways to deal with the tasks at hand. Since the application can be sliced into layers, the layer represents a single subsystem (usually based on one technology). For example, a web-client, a server-application, and a database. The development teams can be divided in two ways:
- The teams develop only one or two layers (front-end team, back-end team);
- The work is feature-based, the team develops all layers of an application (from end to end).
The second option is called a full-stack team since the team covers all tech stack of the application.
On the contrary, a full-stack developer is an expert who can work on every part of the application development. A full-stack developer has skills for both front-end, back-end, and (in most cases) database development.
So, should a company go for a full-stack team or a full-stack developer? We do not believe it should be one or the other. Rather, it depends on the operating model of your company.
Value of a full-stack team for business
When your business needs an MVP, and time-to-market is limited, the last thing you need is to spend weeks on communication or scope arrangements between teams (including who does what and when). Here’s when a full stack development team is more efficient, allowing you to have:
- The planning stage is faster, as there is less communication, dependencies, and synchronization involved.
- Faster development process. If the right methodology is chosen, there’s less fuss about who does what.
- Better support. If the team is supposed to support the product, the expenses for the full-stack team will be lower as one person can fix many issues.
- Feature-owning. The dedicated development team has a better understanding of business needs and domain knowledge, resulting in a better understanding of requirements, easier bug fixing, and improved knowledge sharing.
- Less bureaucracy. When the project has multiple teams, often they have a hard time deciding ‘who’s fault was it’ and who has to fix it.
Full-stack teams vs full-stack developers
Whether to go for a full-stack developer or a team of specialists depends on such things as project size, type of the solution required, and most of all – your budget. Based on the type of project (especially if you need an MVP), evaluate your options carefully to decide whether you need a whole team or it will be an overkill. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of both options.
Typically, this is what a full-stack developer should be capable of:
- developing and designing features end-to-end;
- adding some automation tests to reduce development (in most cases this reduces QA efforts for happy passes);
- arranging the backlog, dealing with tech debt and separating general codebase;
- communicating with the PO and stakeholders.
On the bright side, a full stack developer is a much cheaper option compared to a team. Moreover, a full-stack developer is easier to manage. However, the code quality may suffer (due to the lack of code review*) and they may have broad, but shallow knowledge.
*code review is a part of a quality assurance process in software development when another developer(s) or tech lead reviews the code to ensure it follows the best practices.
Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of both kinds of developers.
Full-stack teams pros
- Faster development process;
- Higher quality;
- Effective support of the product;
- Low bus factor.
Full-stack teams cons
- Higher costs compared to a full-stack developer;
- Potentially longer staffing process.
Full-stack developer pros
- Lower costs of services;
- Easier management (compared to a team);
- Potential for scalability*
* In cases MVP proves to be successful, it’s easier to scale up as there will be a person who understands business needs well.
Full-stack developer cons
- Code quality can be lower (lack of code review);
- Higher ‘bus factor’;
- Knowledge depth might be a problem.
Factors to consider when choosing between a full-stack team and a full-stack developer
Now that we have looked at the differences, pros, and cons, we want to know whom to choose. The choice very much depends on the project criteria, that is:
- Project budget: if you have a limited budget, a full-stack developer would be an apt choice. However, in other instances, we recommend hiring a full-stack team.
- Project scope: The decision between a single developer and a team depends on the amount of work that needs to be done.
- Project size: If you have a small scale project, choosing a full-stack developer is justified. Otherwise, a full-stack team is recommended for a large scale project.
- Project quality: A single developer simply cannot see their own mistakes or might lack the knowledge about industry standards or best solutions.
- Product support: If further support of a project is required, a single developer won’t be able to handle both the development of new features and support of an existing part.
Is a full-stack team the right solution for your case?
Should every organization go for a full-stack team? Or more importantly, is a full-stack team a modern IT utopia?
Several aspects determine the best choice for every organization. A full-stack team is the best option in the following instances:
- Your budget allows hiring a dedicated development team;
- Your business processes allow the introduction of a full-stack team (in large enterprises with a vertical development structure it might be hard to introduce a full stack team);
- You have a scope of work for a full-stack (e.g. when you have a public API, and you don’t need a web client, you don’t need a full-stack team).
Whether your organization should hire a full-stack team or a full-stack developer is a matter of choice. Now that we have looked at the advantages and disadvantages of both choices, your decision should be based on your budget, project complexity and size, and urgency, among other things. Finally, it should be noted that most organizations turn to full-stack teams to build both their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and fully-fledged business solutions.