FWC uses teamwork to manage exotic species, improve habitat
As I See It
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Media contact: Rodney Barreto
Florida is home to many exotic species. The Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) works with our partners and
the public to manage the animals and plants that don't belong
Education is one tool. Recently, the FWC participated in
Invasive Species Awareness Week. The nationwide event promoted a
greater awareness of nonnative animals and plants and their impacts
on our environment.
Making the right decisions is another tool. On Saturday, March
12, the FWC will host the fifth annual Nonnative Pet Amnesty Day at
Zoo Miami. Dozens of exotic pet owners will do the responsible,
ethical thing at the event by surrendering their animals. I know it
will be a difficult decision to give up their beloved pets, but
they will have done the right thing. FWC staff makes every effort
to place the surrendered animals with qualified adopters. In the
past, people have turned in all kinds of nonnative critters - the
majority being snakes and other reptiles.
Science plays a big part. Earlier this month, the FWC and its
partners surveyed a small area in western Miami-Dade County where
Northern African pythons have shown up. Surveyors slogged through
marsh and trekked through thick, heavy brush to find these
nonnative snakes or any evidence of them. FWC biologists routinely
survey these areas to stop the species from spreading. Since 2009,
at least 20 Northern African pythons have been removed from the
Besides nonnative animals, Florida also needs to manage
nonnative plants. FWC staff periodically treats Florida's waterways
to manage invasive, exotic, aquatic plants such as hydrilla, water
hyacinth and water lettuce. Hydrilla, especially, can spread easily
throughout the state's lakes and rivers by hitchhiking rides on
boats. It clogs waterways, making recreational activities difficult
or impossible, and it chokes out beneficial native plants.
One of the best science-based methods the FWC uses to control
the spread of invasive plants is prescribed fire. FWC biologists
recently completed a large burn in the Everglades. The fires
eliminated undesirable, overgrown vegetation, and created access
for future exotic vegetation removal. The result is improved
habitat for our fish and wildlife.
The FWC continues to manage Florida's valuable native resources
in the face of entrenched nonnative species and the threat of other
plants or animals becoming established. We don't do this alone. We
Anglers help us deal with illegally introduced fish. While our
goal is to prevent new exotic fish from entering Florida's
waterways, that's not always possible, so FWC biologists develop
management practices for these unwanted fish. One management tool
for illegally introduced fish is to encourage anglers to fish for
exotics. The FWC recently certified a blue tilapia caught in the
St. Lucie River as the largest ever caught recreationally in
Florida. It weighed nearly 10 pounds and broke the world
Hunters in Florida also help the FWC manage natural resources in
the presence of exotics. Licensed hunters may harvest wild hogs, a
nonnative species, year-round on private property with landowner
permission. Hunters may also harvest wild hogs from wildlife
management areas during specific seasons.
Additionally, licensed hunters may take nonnative reptiles, such
as the Burmese python and Nile monitor lizard, from areas around
the Everglades during specific hunting seasons.
You can help protect our natural resources by never releasing an
exotic critter into the wild.
Not only is releasing nonnatives into the wild illegal, it can
be harmful to our native fish and wildlife. In some cases, exotic
critters will actually feed on our native fish and wildlife.
Nonnatives can quickly become a nuisance. Some spread disease. Some
Each of us can make a difference and help protect natural
Florida. Please report fish and wildlife law violators to the FWC's
Wildlife Alert hotline, 888-404-FWCC.


Environmental Ponderings: litter – the scourge of the modern world
Text Arend Hoogervorst Photograph Various
Mention the word “litter” in a conversation with a group of people and it is almost guaranteed that everyone present will have a horror story or example of the scourge of litter. Kloof Conservancy chairman, Paolo Candotti, will tell you about his distress at the quantities of litter seen during a weekend walk through the beautiful Krantzkloof Reserve. Local newspapers were full of appalling photographs of Durban harbour and the beaches, covered in layers and layers of littler flushed down the streams and rivers of KwaZulu-Natal after the recent heavy storms.
What is litter? It consists mostly of debris from the “throw-away society” that has characterised the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is mainly the cast offs of manufactured materials and goods such as plastic bottles and containers, cans, plastic and paper wrappings, newspapers, shopping bags, fast food packaging, cigarette packets and butts, cardboard and rotten or left over food. On a larger scale, urban litter can also include dead animals, old clothing, oil filters, discarded tyres, planks, broken bricks, pieces of concrete, branches and leaves, old mattresses and broken furniture.
Just give a thought to all of this ending up in stormwater drains. It blocks the drains and results in flooding which causes significant damage and costs for repair and restoration. Seventeen years ago, the cost of keeping stormwater drains and waterways clean of this disgusting detritus was over R2 billion (R2,000 million) per year (at an annual inflation rate of 6%, that converts to R5.37 billion in today’s money).
Litter near the Aller River.
Photo: Hugh McGibbon
What are the main causes of litter? The main cause is the anti-social behaviour of individuals dropping litter indiscriminately and dumping household wastes illegally. (It is a lazy myth to suggest that dropping litter creates jobs for people to pick it all up.) Inadequate disposal facilities, including insufficient litter and public disposal bins, has been cited as another cause, linked to the failure of authorities to enforce effective penalties to act as a deterrent to offenders. It has also been suggested that the failure of street sweeping services to rid pavements and curb sides of litter and rubbish has also reinforced the “acceptability” of litter. Some municipalities have claimed that street sweeping was cut because it was an extravagant and unnecessary “beautification” cost, rather than an important, preventative function for keeping stormwater drains clear.
Litter: negative social, environmental & economic impacts
Social & human health impacts
- Unsightly, smelly and dirty
- Can promote transmission of disease
- Tyres and containers can provide mosquito breeding areas
- Sharp objects can injure
- Psychological degradation of areas due to littering
- Injure, trap, suffocate, strangle or poison pets and wildlife
- Contamination of soil and water
- Blockage of stormwater drains
- High cost of clean-up of illegal dumping
- High cost of extra litter clean up teams
- Lowering of property prices in affected areas
- Reduction of tourism in affected areas
There is no simple or straightforward solution to littering. It requires a long term strategy which includes a widespread change in social behaviour regarding the use and discarding of resources. (Let’s start by not using the word “waste”, but instead regarding it as a resource that we haven’t yet found a use for?) The “consumer society” must go back to a more practical and family based focus upon the resource hierarchy model of use, reuse, repair, recycle and return.
Municipalities need to revisit their budgets on “waste management” and look at the preventative aspect, as well as the reactive component of waste disposal. In other words, spend money on community education, enhanced street sweeping to protect stormwater drains, strengthen the provision of disposal facilities such as litter bins and public skips, invest in recycling facilities even to the point of cross subsidising costs to make recycling more financially stable and sustainable, and build the brand of “sustainable use and management of resources” instead of the negative reactionary philosophy of “waste disposal”. From a corrective point of view, there needs be a stronger deterrent and penalty for littering and miscreants need to be made to understand their wrong doing. (How about 200 hours of community service picking up litter or cleaning fouled-up rivers?)
People must be proud of their community and environmental space and be committed to keeping it clean and attractive. There needs to be “buy-in” from all sectors of Society and an understanding by all of the financial and non-financial benefits of a clean and healthy environment. Section 24 of the South African Constitution says that, “…everyone has a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being… “ That won’t just happen, we have to make it happen. So, as a citizen committed to the Constitution, what are you going to do to maintain that right?
About the author
Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 36 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.


POLYCHRONICITY AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES AMONG
JAPANESE AND U.S. STUDENTS:
A STUDY OF RESPONSE TO CULTURE IN A U.S. UNIVERSITY SETTING
It has been theorized and anecdotally supported that the Japanese high-context culture is one in which polychronic time use is the norm. However when in settings at home and abroad where people from other cultures, especially those from "Western" nations, are involved, the Japanese are thought to engage in more monochronic time use behavior. The study of Japanese and U.S. university students in a U.S. university setting, reported here, is an exploratory project to see if this culture-response shift in behavior does occur. First a modified version of the PAI3 scale is validated and then applied to the two groups. Also a test to see if combining behaviors that polychronic consumers typically carry out are actually happening were done. Finally Japanese are purported to be more "procedural" in their time processing so this was tested. Indeed the Japanese students were more monochronic than their U.S. peers, all combining behaviors tested showed the Japanese and the U.S. students on the agreement side of the scales. However, no statistically significant difference was detected between the two groups on two of the three behaviors. The U.S. students were more likely to make store choices to combine errands. Both were on the agreement side of the scale and no statistical difference was found.
"Like the tonal scale of Japanese music, Japanese time is out of
phase with American time, and vice versa (Hall and Hall 1987, p. 24)."
Polychronic time use, sometimes called "p-time" or "polychronicity" was first identified in the cultural anthropology literature by Hall (1959). Polychronic time use occurs when a person does more than one activity at the same time, usually with varying levels of attention paid to each. Monochronic time use occurs when a person does one thing at a time during a specified time period. Subsequently, it was explored in marketing and consumer behavior contexts by Lane and Lindquist (1988) and Lane, Kaufman and Lindquist (1989). Traditionally the types of combined activities examined and studied were household chores, mixing household actions with child care, combining work activities, social activity with work-related actions and travel and communications/work/social activities (Hall 1959; Lane and Lindquist 1989; Robinson 1977; Szalai 1972; Walker and Woods 1976). Though polychronic time use has been discussed and evaluated in a cursory fashion in various disciplines, few attempts had been made prior to the early 1990's to measure the tendency to pursue such behavior and/or the feelings that people have toward it from the standpoint of consumer behavior.
In 1991 Kaufman, Lane and Lindquist (1991) developed and tested the "Polychronic Attitude Index" (PAI), a measure of people's tendencies to actually carry on two or more activities during the same clock block of time and their level of positive or negative feelings about this behavior. Individuals who scored higher on the scale were more polychronic and those with lower scores were more monochronic. Scores were based on self-reports. The items that ultimately became parts of the PAI were generated from discussions an suggestions found in prior time use studies (Hefferan 1982; Hill 1985; Robinson 1977; Szalai 1972) The original PAI scale consisted of four items and yielded a coefficient alpha (internal consistency reliability measure) value for the test population of 0.68. This value was not strong, but showed potential during this its development stage. The index was revised based on the concerns of the research team relating to one of the items which seemed to have a fixed location (at one's desk) bias and a new three item scale was tested (Kaufman-Scarborough and Lindquist 1999). This "revised" PAI was the starting point for the project reported here.
The Revised PAI
The revised PAI consisted of three items, as noted earlier. They were Likert-type, five position agreement scales ("strongly agree," "agree," "neither agree nor disagree," "disagree," "strongly disagree," scores 5 to 1, respectively). The three statements presented to respondents were: "I do not like to juggle several activities at the same time," "People should not try to do many things at once" and "I am comfortable doing several things at the same time." The first and second items were reverse scored and the three scale scores were then summed to determine a person's PAI score. As with the original four-item scale (Kaufman, Lane and Lindquist 1991), the higher the score the stronger was the polychronic tendency. Both the original four-item index and the new three-item scale were tested. The coefficient alpha for the former was 0.79 and for the latter it was 0.82 for the sample of 181 respondents from the communities surrounding a large city in the eastern part of the U.S. The alpha was slightly improved, but more importantly, the three surviving items allowed for unrestricted measure of the tendency.
When scales are developed for use in cross-cultural settings, it is important to test their validity and reliability on multiple samples of respondents (Usunier 1991). Though the revised PAI has been shown to be an improvement over its predecessor, the authors of the current study were interested in testing a further modified version of the scale in a setting where respondents had dramatically contrasting cultural backgrounds and reasonably similar time demand situations. A university in the U.S. is an excellent place to test PAI validity and reliability among persons of different cultural backgrounds. Here students from other lands study along side each other and with American peers.
In the present study the authors have decided to compare and contrast Japanese and U.S. university students on their responses to the PAI. Typically, most of the U.S. students are working at least part time, whereas only a small share of the Japanese students do so. In the case of the latter group those working for pay are employed by the university part-time (20 hours a week or less) because of immigration status. Also, lifestyles are quite different likely affecting time demands and the Japanese find themselves in a foreign cultural setting which assuredly impacts time use.
Japanese Time Culture
Time use among Japanese is interesting and complex and is characterized by several different types, depending on the cultural common practice and the level of personal interaction likely to occur. Many behaviors can be better understood by considering them in terms of the anthropological distinction between high- and low-context cultures. Hall (1977) classifies cultures on this basis. In low-context cultures, explicit, verbally-communicated messages are emphasized, as is punctuality and adherence to schedules. In direct contrast, in high-context cultures, establishing relationships through a flexible approach to time is the rule.
Polychronic time use is more dominant in Japanese, Middle Eastern and Latin American cultures. The Japanese language of time is not strictly polychronic. For example, appointments and scheduling are adhered to with great precision (monochronic time characteristics), but polychronic time behaviors are followed once a meeting begins. Japanese high-speed trains, for example, run on very precise schedules, but when decisions in a business setting are to be made it seems to take "forever." Hall and Hall (1987) indicate that the Japanese are monochronic in their time use when dealing with "foreigners" and with technology, yet act polychronically in all other situations. Further, in general, the Japanese are highly flexible and comfortable with compromises in order to meet the needs of a variety of people. Hall and Hall (1987) state, " ... in Japan the tightly scheduled monochronic pattern is applied to foreigners who are not well enough integrated into the Japanese system to be able to do things in a more leisurely manner ... the Japanese are polychronic when looking and working inward, toward themselves. When dealing with the outside world, they have adopted the dominant time system which characterizes the world. That is, they shift to the monochronic world" (Dance of Life, pp. 53-54).
A very interesting case occurs when the naturally-polychronic Japanese person encounters a low-context situation, such as a business meeting with people from the U.S. Hall and Hall (1987) tell us that the Japanese system combines both monochronic and polychronic time uses, foreigners (here, U.S. businesspeople) are dealt with monochronically, but when interacting with countrymen, they behave polychronically. One would anticipate a culture-response shift in behaviors when Japanese move into a low-context cultural living environment such as a U.S. university. However, as they become more acculturated, living for longer periods in the U.S., their time use patterns will likely more closely mirror those of the American students. Hall and Hall (1987) point out that cultures such as those in Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. tend to focus on monochronic time use. Here time is viewed "as money." It is tightly scheduled and budgeted. Further it is divided into small units and a high value is placed on punctuality.
Time Use Among Japanese Students in the U.S.
In the present study, we would expect that the Japanese students would actually indicate attitudes and behaviors that reflect monochronicity. In fact, the levels might be higher than U.S. as the Japanese strive hard to "fit in." In an earlier study focusing on Japanese students, others from the "Far East" and their U.S. counterparts, two of the findings areas related to their "views on time," in general, and their "processing of time" (Lindquist, Tacoma and Lane 1993). The results showed that the U.S. students were not as focused on the measurement aspect of time as much as the Japanese. Further the Japanese expressed stronger feelings about time as an asset or "as money" and as being "very important." The Japanese students were also more "procedural" in the way they processed time than the Americans. The procedural approach is where when an activity begins the "clock stops" and a person stays with the task until it is done. Then the clock "begins again" for him or her (Lane and Lindquist 1988). The Japanese also commented on how work was to be done in a certain period of time and that time "tells you when to start or finish your activities or your task." These positions point to a more monochronic (doing one thing at a time) time use style tendency for the Japanese students. The American students reported behaviors and feelings about time that were interpreted as more polychronic than the Japanese. These results reinforce the time use theories put forth by Hall and Hall (1987).
Research Objectives and Hypotheses
The research objectives of this project are:
1) compare and contrast the overall polychronic-monochronic tendencies of the Japanese and U.S. university student groups,
2) determine if the actual "combining of activities" behavior of the groups matches polychronic tendency and
3) determine whether the Japanese feel it is best to complete one task before beginning another as an indication of procedural time processing.
Hypothesis 1: The U.S. students will score below 12 (mid range of three item polychronicity scale) demonstrating monochronic tendency. A new version of the PAI3 will be validated and used to measure this.
Hypothesis 2: The Japanese students will score below 12 (mid range of three item polychronicity scale) demonstrating monochronic tendency.
Hypothesis 3: The Japanese students will be more monochronic in their tendency than the U.S. students.
Hypotheses 4: Japanese and U.S. students will report they do not (disagreement side of the scales) engage in the following three "combining activities:" a. choosing activities that are easy to do together, b. choosing products and services that allow them to combine activities, and c. choosing stores that let them combine errands.
Hypothesis 5: a. Japanese students will indicate it is best to complete one task before beginning another, demonstrating "procedural" time processing, and b. their agreement level will be statistically significantly higher than US students.
The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. All questions were closed-ended and the vast majority of the items were seven-point Likert agreement scales. This was a departure from previous measures which used five-point Likert scales. Moving to seven positions allows the scales to be treated as equal appearing interval rather than ordinal. The scale positions were "strongly agree," "moderately agree," "slightly agree," "neither agree nor disagree," "slightly disagree," "moderately disagree" and "strongly disagree." Scale positions were numbered from 7 to 1, "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." Respondents could also select "don't know." The three items used for the new version of PAI3 were: "I like to juggle several activities at the same time," "People should try to do many activities at once." and "I am comfortable doing several activities at the same time." The first two statements have been changed from negative to positive when compared to the earlier version of PAI3. Further the word "things" was changed to "activities" in the first two items to provide consistency in wording for the respondents.
A non-probability sampling method was used. A large Midwestern university was the setting. The U.S. students were surveyed in classrooms not part of the research team teaching schedule. The respondents voluntarily participated with no pressure, penalty or reward used for those who did or did not wish to do so. The Japanese students were primarily recruited through the Japan Club. A small per person incentive to go into the club treasury was offered. Other participating Japanese students were found on campus in student lounge areas. These respondents also voluntarily entered the sample pool. A total of 52 U.S. students (34 males, 18 females) were in the sample and 68 Japanese (23 males, 45 females).
The data was analyzed using the SPSS package. Frequencies, cross-tabulations, t-tests and coefficient alpha scale internal consistency reliability analyses were carried out.
Revised PAI3 Testing
The testing of the revised PAI3 was part of methodological actions. Coefficient alpha tests for internal consistency reliability were run on various subsamples of the respondent pool to check reliability across them. The coefficient alpha values for subsamples were as follows: U.S. citizens (0.88), Japanese citizens (0.77), U.S. males (0.91), U.S. females (0.83), Japanese males (0.68) and Japanese females (0.82). The alpha values are greater for the U.S. students pool than the Japanese. Also the values for both the U.S. men and women are greater than the 0.82 value that was achieved with the original PAI3 scale. We can conclude that either the changing of all items to be positive statements or the changing of the word "things" to "activities" or the nature of the sample itself could have individually or in combination contributed to this increase in alpha value for the U.S. student sample. Further testing would be needed to sort this out. Why the U.S. males had higher alphas than the females and why the Japanese females had higher alphas than the males are questions for future research. The revised scale is considered acceptable for measuring polychronic tendency.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Hypothesis 1 is rejected. The U.S. students do not on average score below 12 and therefore are not on the monochronic side of the scale. The mean value on the revised PAI3 scale for the U.S. students was 14.6 which is slightly onto the polychronic side of the scale. Of more interest is the fact that the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile scores for the U.S. group were 13, 15 and 18 which are all above the 12 score.
Hypothesis 2 is accepted. The Japanese students do on average score below 12 and therefore are on the monochronic side of the scale. The mean value on the revised PAI3 scale was 10.5 which is slightly on the monochronic side. Examining the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile scores the results show scores of 2, 10 and 14, respectively. Through the 50th percentile we see these students on the monochronic side of the scale.
Hypothesis 3 is accepted. The t-test run on the means of the two revised PAI3 distributions yielded at t-value of 5.168 for the 113 degrees of freedom (d.f.) with a two-tailed significance of 0.000. This coupled with the previous observations on the percentile distributions of revised PAI3 scores demonstrates that statistically the Japanese students are more monochronic in their tendency than their U.S. peers.
Hypothesis 4 a is rejected for both U.S. and Japanese students. The mean scores were 5.2 (13.7 percent neutral) for the U.S. students and 4.7 (10.8 percent neutral) for the Japanese which are both on the agreement side of the scale. Hence combining activities which are easy to do together is done. The scale statement used for measurement was,"When doing two or more activities at the same time, I choose activities that are very easy to do together." There was no statistically significant difference at the 95 percent confidence level between the Japanese and U.S. students. The t-test on the means yielded a t-value of 1.943 for d.f. of 114 and the two-tailed significance probability value was 0.055.
Hypothesis 4 b is rejected for both U.S. and Japanese students. The evaluation of the statement concerning choosing products and services to allow activity combination resulted in a mean value of 4.82 (24.5 percent were neutral) for the American students and 4.31 (31 percent were neutral) for the Japanese. Both respondent groups indicate that there is some effort to choose such products. The item used was, "I try to choose products and services that allow me to combine activities." The t-value for the t-test on the means was 1.823 for 86 d.f. with a two-tailed significance probability value of 0.72.
Hypothesis 4 c is rejected for both the U.S. and Japanese students. For the store choice to aid in combining errands item the U.S. students average value was 5.53 (10.6 percent neutral) and for the Japanese group it was 4.33 (32.7 percent neutral). The two groups score on the polychronic side of the tendency scale and, therefore, do engage to some extent in such behavior. The scale item used was, "I try to choose stores that let me combine errands." ( No definition of "errands" was given to respondents so this could be shopping only for some and shopping and other personal activity stops for others.) The t-test on the mean scale scores yielded a t-value of 4.036 for d.f. of 100 with a two-tailed significance probability of 0.000. This shows that the U.S. students are more prone to engage in this behavior than the Japanese. This difference may not stem solely from polychronic-monochronic tendency differences. People in Japan may not be used to being able to choose stores to combine errands or this may not be "typical" consumer behavior within the culture, or both. Further they may be less likely to combine errands because they are new to the area, may not know store locations and/or may not have transportation available. A clue to "other influences" is that three times as many Japanese indicated "neither agree nor disagree" than Americans in the sample.
Hypothesis 5 a is accepted. A single item used to test this hypothesis to determine if the Japanese students in the sample were more "procedural" in their time processing than the American students. The item was, "I believe it is best to complete one task before beginning another." The average agreement scores were 4.96 (16.2 percent were neutral) for the Japanese and 4.77 (15.4 percent were neutral) for the Americans, near the "slightly agree" position. The Japanese are showing a tendency to be procedural.
Hypothesis 5 b is rejected. The mean test t-value for this comparison was -0.693 for 118 d.f. with a two-tailed significance probability of 0.49. The Japanese do not show a stronger tendency to be procedural than the U.S. students. The caution here is that this single item might not be capturing the "procedural" tendency. Though this was not tested.
There were limitations in this exploratory study. Using only one university and a small pool of students not selected by a probability sampling method all contribute to the lack of generalizability of the results. However, the findings on the internal consistency reliability of the revised PAI3 scale and the stronger monochronic tendency of the Japanese students were as expected. Additional tests of the scale should be done to confirm its validity in other settings. Not addressed is the variability in central score bias when selecting answers on scales. Direct comparison in this study of the Japanese and U.S. student scores may not be appropriate. Questions regarding the tie between polychronic or monochronic tendency and actual consumer behavior in various situations beyond those touched on in this study is a next step in this research area. Do people have combining strategies to allow them to "be polychronic" or special strategies so they may efficiently "be monochronic" as consumers. Do people have an overall tendency and then shift based on the marketplace situation with which they are faced is a question that needs answering. A more comprehensive model of polychronic tendency should be built that would yield higher alpha values. Likely different models using fewer or more items to measure tendency would be needed in different cultural settings and situations. It is also essential to look across cultures to see if certain peoples have a tendency to be more polychronic or monochronic as anecdotally suggested (Hall 1959; Hall and Hall 1987). If so, what affect does this have on the benefits they seek from products and services they choose and other marketplace behaviors. Would an understanding of polychronic - monochronic tendency have impact on trading across cultures? These and other questions likely have arisen in the reader's mind as a result of this exploratory piece.
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February in the Elementary Music Classroom
February is just about to begin, which means a variety of themes that can be approached in elementary general music. This month consists of Groundhog’s Day on February 2, the Chinese New Year on February 10 (the year of the snake), Valentine’s Day on February 14, the 100th day of school, and it is also Black History Month. There are many opportunities to reinforce musical concepts with these events. Below are activities that I have performed in the elementary music classroom (PreK-3) during this month that involve singing, performing on instruments, moving to music, and music technology:
Groundhog’s Day: For PreK, I found a very simple tune online that I use in my Music and Movement Classes:
(Sung To:”I’m A Little Teapot”)
I’m a little ground hog, short and stout.
On ground hog day I pop my head out.
If I see my shadow I don’t come out.
I stay down in my hole and pout.
We would sing the song and then use props to act out this song. We would use a blanket to make a cave and choose a few students to be the groundhogs. As the rest of the students and I sing the song, the “groundhogs” would pop out or hide depending on whether they feel the groundhog should see his shadow or not. As a bonus, I play an excerpt from Haydn’s Surprise Symphony and have the “groundhogs” pop out of the cave when the orchestra performs the loud chord.
Chinese New Year: With Grades one and two, we utilize The Lion’s Roar by Han/Campbell. This book involves the Chinese luogo percussion ensemble of gongs and drums. It has simple rhythms and some more complex rhythms to fit your curriculum. The students adore performing in this ensemble. A few years back, I took a workshop with Han and was able to experience this series firsthand. It was a great experience.
Another way we celebrate this holiday in music class is we experience the pipa (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pipa-hd/id372312574?mt=8) and the erhu (https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/erhu-standard/id415582488?mt=8) through the iPad apps. After watching a video I have from the workshops of musicians playing these two instruments, I then have the students experience these two instruments through the iPads and these apps.
Valentine’s Day: I have several activities and games that I use for this day. One activity is one I made on the SMART Board. It involves the letters HEART and the lyrics that go to the tune of BINGO. When the lyrics come to spelling the word HEART, the students come up to the SMART Board and tap on the letters to reveal the rhythm pattern of ta ta ti-ti ta. We add instruments and perform the song together. I took this one step further today and had the kindergartners write the rhythm patterns on the iPad as I recorded them working together. The app I used, Explain Everything (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explain-everything/id431493086?mt=8), records the students as they are working so you can hear how they come to the end product. This app also allows you to share their work easily.
100th Day of School: Music K8 (http://www.musick8kids.com/ – this is their alternate sight where you can purchase a recording for .99) has some wonderful songs to celebrate the day. I have my elementary students compile a list of their “100 Favorite Songs.” Once the list is complete, we will sing and move to various songs on the list.
Black History Month: There are several effective ways to celebrate this theme in music class. One way is to sing and perform spirituals on acoustic and virtual instruments on Orff instruments, drums, recorders, and virtual iPad instruments. My third graders earn recorder stars for performing certain phrases of the spirituals. At the end of the unit, they can earn a wild star for playing one of the spirituals in its entirety (Good News is an example of this). You can find recorder stars here: http://www.maciepublishing.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=10&cat=RECORDER+REWARDS+AND+CERTIFICATES
Whenever I might approach a theme, I always make sure that I am approaching it with the musical concepts intact as opposed to approaching it with the theme being the main focus.
- Delaware State Music Day (http://delawaremea.org/) – “Integrating Technology into the Elementary Music Classroom” at 1 pm in Rm 147 on Saturday, February 9.
- Delaware State Music Day (http://delawaremea.org/) – “iPads in the Elementary Music Classroom” at 2 pm in Rm 147 on Saturday, February 9.
- TI:ME/TMEA (Texas Music Education Association) (http://www.tmea.org/conventions/2013) – “Enhancing the Elementary Music Classroom with Technology” with Catie Dwinal at 2 pm in CC 201 on Wednesday, February 13.
- TI:ME/TMEA (Texas Music Education Association) (http://www.tmea.org/conventions/2013) – “iPads in the Elementary Music Classroom” at 11 am in CC 202 on Friday, February 15.
- NJMEA (New Jersey Music Education Association) (http://www.njmea.org) – “Internet Resources for the Elementary Music Classroom” at 10:15 am on Saturday, February 23.
- NAfME Eastern Division Biennial In-Service Conference (http://www.nafme-eastern.org/) – “Interactive Music: New Resources for Today’s Classrooms” at 3:45 pm on Saturday, April 6. This session features Silver Burdett’s newest online curriculum which I am so proud to be a contributing author.
- Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) (http://www.ccsu.edu/smi) – Integrating Technology into the Elementary Music Classroom: A Course For Elementary Teachers Taught By An Elementary Teacher from July 8-12, 8 am–12:30 pm & Tues 7-9:30 pm.


As home to supermajors, as well as a plethora of smaller, independent energy players, the US boasts one of the largest concentrations of energy personnel in the world. With its insatiable appetite for energy resources, the United States is the world's single largest consumer of oil, using as much as 20.73 million barrels per day as of 2008. Recently, interest has peaked in the vast quantity of untapped natural gas resources in the US, the reserves of which were inventoried in 2008 at 238 Tcf, with producers specifically targeting the nation's promising shale formations for this energy commodity.
Surveying can mean several different things as it relates to the oil and gas industry. When discussing oilfield surveying, this usually refers to checking and creating the legal boundary for drilling operations. Surveyors will use a variety of techniques including GPS systems, hand tools, and sketches to create such boundaries. Surveyors may also be responsible for checking ownership of properties, and registering any updates with the proper legal authorities. Surveyors typically spend most of their time in the field and will travel extensively for these positions.


The clear answer of Roald Bahr, professor in sports medicine, from the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center is no. Mandatory electrocardiographic (ECG) screening of athletes would detect heart problems and save lives, argue Antonio Pelliccia and Domenico Corrado recently in the British Medical Journal, but Roald Bahr claims that the diagnostic accuracy is questionable.
In Norway, an eight-year review (1990-7) of sudden deaths from the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry found 23 exercise related deaths among 15-34 year olds - that is, an average of three a year. The authors estimate that the population at risk is about 325 ,000, corresponding to 0.9 deaths/100,000 a year, an incidence in the mid-range of rates reported in previous studies.
The implication is that 325,000 Norwegians would need to be screened routinely to save three deaths a year, assuming that everyone at risk can be identified and all deaths prevented. However, this is probably an optimistic estimate, argues Bahr, as the main cause of death in Norway was atherosclerosis, which is difficult to detect on a resting ECG.
Bahr agues that ECG screening of athletes fails accepted public health criteria for screening programs on several counts. Although sudden cardiac death is tragic, it is also rare.
The diagnostic accuracy is low and depends on which cardiac conditions are the main causes of sudden death in the population being screened. Screening of hundreds of thousands of athletes to save possibly only one life a year, as would be the case in Norway, cannot be justified.
Read the head-to-head articles of Antonio Pelliccia & Domenico Corrado and Roald Bahr.
Read André Picard, a public health reporter at the Canadian The Globe and Mail "Screening young athletes: What’s one life worth?"


The name of the realm of the dead and of the goddess presiding over it. Hel is situated beneath one of the three roots of Yggdrasil. It is where those who die of sickness or of old age go, while evil men go to Hel and thence down to Niflhel. The gate to Hel is variously called Helgrind ("Hel-gate"), Nágrind ("Corpse-gate") and Valgrind "Corpse-gate"). The river Gjöll, one of the rivers that spring from Hvergelmir, runs near the gate. At Ragnarök, all the champions of Hel will follow Loki to fight against the gods. They shall be wakened by a soot-red rooster.
Hel, the ruler, is named by Snorri Sturluson as one of the three children of Loki and Angrboða. He says in Gylfaginning, chapter 34, that the gods perceived by prophecy that from Loki's offspring great misfortune would befall them, so Odin had these children brought to him:
Hel he cast into Niflheim, and gave to her power over nine worlds, to apportion all abodes among those that were sent to her: that is, men dead of sickness or of old age. She has great possessions there; her walls are exceeding high and her gates great. Her hall is called Sleet-Cold; her dish, Hunger; Famine is her knife; Idler, her thrall; Sloven, her maidservant; Pit of Stumbling, her threshold, by which one enters; Disease, her bed; Gleaming Bale, her bed-hangings. She is half blue-black and half flesh-color (by which she is easily recognized), and very lowering and fierce.
In chapter 49, which details Baldr's death, Hermóðr rides to the underworld to offer Hel a ransom if she will let Baldr return to Ásgarðr. He crosses the Gjallarbrú, guarded by the maiden Móðguðr, who tells him that Baldr too has ridden over the bridge, and that he will find the road to Hel down and to the north. Hermóðr follows the Hel-way until he comes to the Hel-gate. His horse jumps over the gate and they proceed to the hall of Hel, where he finds Baldr sitting in the high-set. He tarries there overnight and in the morning he beseeches Hel that Baldr might ride home with him, telling her how great weeping was among the Æsir. Hel agrees to let Baldr go if all things in the world, alive or dead, will weep for him; if not Baldr would remain in Hel. And all things did, with the exception of a hag named Þökk, and so Baldr was not redeemed out of Hel. Still, both he and his slayer, his brother Höðr, shall come out of Hel after the final battle at Ragnarök to govern a new world. Baldr's wife Nanna, who died of grief after his death, was reunited with him in Hel.
Other visitors to Hel are Odin and the valkyrie Brynhildr. In the eddic poem Baldrs draumar, Odin rides to Hel to raise a völva from the dead and question her about Baldr's baleful dreams. On his journey he sees a blood-stained hound coming from Hel.
- Baldrs draumar, 6-7, 8.
- Grímnismál, 28, 31.
- Gylfaginning, 3, 4, 34, 49, 51.
- Skaldsparmál, 6, 13, 16.
- Vafþrúðnismál 43.
- Ynglingatal, 32.


Gum disease is an infection of the gums that occurs as plaque builds up along the gumline. Bacteria works down under the gums and causes damage to the tissues below the surface. At first, the infection will be undetectable to you. If left unchecked, gum disease will lead to the weakening of your bone structures and the loss of teeth. In fact, gum disease is the number one cause of lost adult teeth.
Find out how implants can improve your life! Fill out the form below for instant access.


In 1088 Su Song, Minister of Punishments and calendar expert to emperor Chen Tsung, designed and built a clock tower of three levels. It was water driven and consisted of an armillary sphere on the top level, a celestial globe on the middle level and an indication of the time on the lowest level. According to contemporary records it "measured time as exactly as the sundial."
The armillary consisted of 12 rings in three layers. Each ring carried a scale. The position of a planet could be determined by looking through a sighting tube. The celestial globe showed the rise, movement and setting of the stars. Time was indicated by human figurines that struck the hours.
The clock operated in the capital Bianjing (today's Kaifeng in Henan) of the western Sung dynasty for 39 years, when the Jin army took the city. The Jin dismantled the tower and transported it to their capital Yanjing (today's Beijing) but were unable to put it back together. The new emperor then ordered Su Song's son Su Xie to build a replica.
Su Song had written a report to emperor Chen Tsung, Xi Yi Xiang Fa Yao ("New Design for an Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe"), which contained a complete description and over 60 detailed drawings of his design. But Su Xie found that to keep the design secret, key sections had been removed from the report, so he was unable to obey to the emperor's request.
The original clock tower stood in the open. It was designed to withstand the elements and used bronze castings for all parts that required precision.
Su Song's water clock was a work of genius. Modern China accepted the challenge to recreate the clock tower twice. A replica in mainland China is of reduced size and did not fully resolve the escapement mechanism. A full-size water-driven replica that keeps accurate time was built in Taichung (Taiwan) in the 1990s and now has pride of place in its National Museum of Natural Science. It uses partly traditional material (bamboo for the water scoops) and partly modern replacement (fibre-reinforced plastic instead of bronze) and an electric pump to carry the water back up to the water reservoir.
The most inventive part of Su Song's design was the automatic water drive. 36 tilting scoops were mounted on a large drive wheel. As each scoop filled, at an accurately defined point its weight released a holding lever, allowing the scoop to nod forward. This turned the drive wheel and through a gear system the three levels of the tower. An escapement mechanism of balanced levers prevented the drive wheel from turning past the next scoop. Uniform water flow was achieved through a system of two tanks with overflow, so that the water level (and therefore the water pressure) in the drive tank remained constant as the reservoir emptied.
Illustrations: National Museum of Natural Science, Taipei; public domain


What is a linear transformer?
Electrical transformers take many shapes and sizes. For electronic hobbyists, linear transformers, made to deliver quick pulses of electricity, are often part of kit radios and other projects. In televisions and other appliances there are power transformers. In electronic hobby kits, you may have a need to test a linear transformer even though you do not have a failed or defective model, as this kind of testing is part of the learning process. Testing a linear transformer is less complicated than power transformer testing; if AC voltage is present in the primary winding of the linear transformer, there should be power output on the secondary side. If not, you may have a short somewhere.
Power transformer testing is more advanced. If the description of linear transformer testing left you scratching your head, do not attempt to test a power transformer. If you suspect your television or other appliance has a short, a bad transformer or other problem, let a qualified electrician or repair expert take a look.
Circuit Breakers Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fusible switch?
What is a circuit breaker?
What are specialty bus plugs?
How does an electrical surge work?
What is a whole house surge protector?
Can I install a whole house surge protector myself?
What should I do with my old circuit breakers?
Can I padlock my circuit breakers?
What should I know about circuit breaker locking systems?
What is a dual-pole circuit breaker?
Why does a dual pole circuit breaker work?
How many circuit breakers can I add to my breaker box?
What can I do if I am running out of room in my breaker box?
What is an FPE air circuit breaker?
What are "mains"?
Is there still an electrocution hazard with the mains turned off?
Why do my new circuit breakers keep tripping?
What is a low voltage circuit breaker?
How do I reset my GE circuit breakers?
Can I use a different brand for replacement circuit breakers?
Why does my circuit breaker keep tripping?
What information do I need to purchase a replacement motor starter?
Why is my motor starter noisy?
Why does my motor starter click but not turn on?
Why does my motor starter turn over slowly?
How can I tell if my motor starter is bad?
Can I use a manual motor starter as a disconnect switch for maintenance purposes?
What is an AFCI circuit breaker?
Why do I need AFCI Circuit Breakers?
What is a counterfeit Square D circuit breaker?
What is the National Electrical Code?
What is an electrical code test?
Where can I get electrical code training?
What is electrical grounding?
How dangerous is electrical wiring?
My mains are off. Am I safe from electrocution?
What should I know about high voltage electrical safety?
Do I really need an upgraded circuit breaker panel?
Can a damaged appliance cause my Seimens breakers to trip?
Will installing a circuit breaker other than the type specified in the manual void my warranty?
Can I recycle my circuit breakers?
What is an electric switchboard?
What is an electronics fuse?
What is a fuse holder?
What is an LED toggle switch?
What are momentary switches?
What is a semiconductor fuse?
What is a snap switch?
What should I do if I have counterfeit electrical supplies?
Where can I find more information on counterfeit electrical products?
Should I buy re-certified power circuit breakers?
What happens to re-certified or re-conditioned circuit breakers?
What is retrofitting?
What happens to my old gear?
How do I install a transformer?
What is an industrial transformer?
What should I do when taking delivery of a large transformer?
What issues should I be aware of for large transformers?
What is a linear transformer?
What is a voltage transformer?
What is a continuity tester?
How can I test a wall socket to see if it is causing my circuit breaker to trip?
What are used circuit breakers good for?
Should I buy reconditioned circuit breakers?
Can I use a flashlight to see my circuit breaker panel during installation of new breakers?
What would happen if my circuit breaker did not trip?
What are "replacement only" circuit breakers?
What should I do to protect my electrical system in case of a flood?
What should I do if the area near my breaker panel is flooded?
I smell something burning and see sparks. Is this my electrical system?


Law and order : Nixon's rhetoric and the Southern strategy
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Today's familiar Democratic and Republican party coalitions have not always existed; rather, they began to emerge in the 1960s as demographic and geographic groups shifted party alliances. This paper focuses on one factor in the party realignment: Richard Nixon's 1968 presidential campaign. Nixon's 1968 campaign was characterized by a balance between appeals to conservative, anti-integration Southern white voters and the risk of alienating Northern liberals. To implement this "Southern strategy," Nixon employed ostensibly race-neutral language that actually had coded racial meaning. This color-blind rhetoric was belied by the actions of the administration and Nixon's rhetorical shift to the right after taking office.


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Limnological sampling with VanDorn bottle, Lake Titicaca, Peru
A limnological assistant with a Van Dorn sampling bottle at Lake Titicaca, Peru. Researchers at the University of California Davis, and the University of British Columbia have worked with Peru's Instituto del Mar to understand limnological characteristics of this high-altitude lake (3800 m; 12,500 ft) located in the Peruvian and Bolivian altiplano. The Van Dorn water bottle can be lowered to any depth in the lake, and then triggered to collect a 10-L water sample for chemical and biological analyses.


WILDLIFE IN FOCUSRed Whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
Not all birds featured in this segment are native, so it’s good to know which ones aren’t.
|Red Whiskered Bulbul|
We all know the Noisy Miner bird is a native and the introduced Indian Mynah is not, because they’re so aggressive.
What about a little bird, that’s not that aggressive, doesn’t move to far from its territory and doesn’t make a squawking or screeching sound when it sings?
It has bright red patches at the side of its face, almost like a small dot.
They eat fleshy fruits which is their main food with occasional insects as well.
So let’s not linger any longer and find out all about it.
I'm talking with Dr Holly Parsons, manager of Birds in Backyards www.birdsinbackyards.org.au
Now you know that the Red Whiskered Bulbul is an introduced species.
These birds were deliberately introduced into NSW in the 1880's and later introduced to Coffs Harbour in NSW in 1918.
Then there was yet another release around Melbourne.
They have been known to occasionally pop up around cities like Perth and Canberra also and are probably cage bird escapes.
The Red-whiskered Bulbuls are non-migratory bulbuls found in tropical Asia - from Pakistan and India through to southeastern Asia and China. They typically roost in loose groups.
In parts of India, these birds were popular cage birds, because of their trusting nature so that they were easily captured.
VEGETABLE HEROESPEA SPROUTS OR PEA SHOOTS.
Peas are of course Pisum sativum scientifically speaking.
You might think that growing sprouts or shoots which have be re—branded as Microgreens is a relatively modern invention.
If you did, then you’d be wrong because medicinally and nutritionally, sprouts have a long history.
Did you know that Ancient Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders over 5,000 years ago?
In the 1700's, sailors were riddled by scurvy which is of course caused by a lack of Vitamin C.
Because of scurvy sailors suffered heavy casualties during their two to three year voyages.
|Pea sprouts contain heaps of Vitamin C|
These plus other fresh fruits and vegetables and a continuous program of growing and eating sprouts were credited with the breakthrough, thus solving the mariners' greatest casualty problem.
We obviously don’t have problems with scurvy now so why should we grow Pea Sprouts or Pea shoots as some people call them?
Pea sprouts/shoots are great for small spaces – they grow fast, taste delicious and are rich in Vitamin C, A and protein.
They’re easy to grow, they’re also perfect to try if you’re starting out.
Seeing (and eating!) the fruits of your labour in just in two or three weeks is rewarding and motivating.
Plus, pea shoots are a good choice for a shady spaces or to grow inside over winter – just sow a stray or two and keep near a bright window.
So How Do You grow pea sprouts?
Firstly, soak the peas in water for 24 hours (dried peas sold for cooking will normally grow fine and are much cheaper than buying seed packets).
Soaking the peas in water for 24 hours isn’t essential – but it helps to speed up the process of germination and they should double in size.
|Soak the dried peas first.|
An old tray or Styrofoam box from a market stall will do fine – just make sure it has holes in the bottom to allow water to drain out.
The trays sold in gardening stores for seed growing are about the right size, too.
Next Fill your container with compost or potting mix, about1 cm deep to 1 ½ cm below the top.
It’s always a good idea to use the best quality potting mix you can find – but having said that, pea shoots are pretty unfussy – and almost any mix seems to be OK.
After that, water the mix then sow the seeds on top of it.
If you want to use worm castings, never put more than 20% or 1/5 casting with the mix because you don’t want to burn your new shoots.
You can sow them very closer together – I try to leave a gap the size of a pea between each seed.
If you wanted to grow full sized pea plants, you’d sow the seeds further apart.
But as we’re only growing shoots, we can get away with close spacing
Cover with seed raising mix or potting mix– about the thickness of a pea.
Then finally water the surface lightly again.
TIP: if you’re using cheap potting mix, add some vermiculite to increase the water holding capacity and water your sprouts with a seaweed solution every time you water.
That’s it! All you need to do now is keep soil is moist – check it everyday for the next 7 – 10 days using the thumb test.
Use your thumb to press against the top of the soil.
If your thumb comes off clean and dry, water the peas.
If your thumb comes off even slightly moist or with a little soil, you’re good until tomorrow.
Another test is to lift the tray.
As you gain experience with growing sprouts and shoots in the container, you’ll get to know how heavy or light the tray is.
Light trays means it probably needs water.
If you are growing on a windowsill, or where there you have light coming in from just one side, you will want to rotate the trays so that the shoots will get sunlight more evenly.
In two to three weeks (a bit longer in cold weather) your crop will have grown 7 – 10 cm tall.
THAT WAS QUICK BECAUSE YOUR CROP IS NOW READY TO EAT!
|Good enough to eat, Pea Sprouts|
You don’t have to eat them all at once but instead store harvested pea shoots or sprouts in resealable bags in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
TIP: don’t wash the pea shoots until ready to cook with them.
The extra water from washing will deteriorate the pea shoots faster.
Keep the shoots dry and the pea shoots should stay fresh for over 2 weeks!
If you find that there is moisture in the bag, take a single paper towel, and place it in the bag.
When the crop has finished, put the roots in your worm farm or compost heap if you have one. Worms seem to like them very much!
Why are they good for You?
Packed with vitamins A, C and folic acid, Pea Shoots are a delicious, nutritious modern slant on the classic garden pea.
Pea Shoots are a nutritious leaf with high levels of vitamin C and vitamin A.
But wait there’s more, they also contain amino acids and they’re quick to prepare providing a tasty and convenient way to help people achieve their ‘5 serves of veg a day’ – especially as they are ideal partners for other vegetables whether served hot or as part of a mixed salad.
DESIGN ELEMENTSEvergreen or Deciduous Climbers?
Last week it was all about how plants climb, whether it’s from grasping a support with thin shoots that curl around like in Passionfruit plants, or with hooks as in Bouganvilleas and roses.
|Wisteria is a deciduous climber|
But now you need to decide if you want a deciduous climber or an evergreen climber.
Which works best for you?
Let’s find out. I'm talking with Glenice Buck, Consulting Arborist and Landscape Designer
|Stephanotis floribunda is an evergreen climber|
Yes you need to think about do you need leaf coverage throughout the whole year?
PLANT OF THE WEEKColeus species: Solenostemon scutellarioides
These plants (Coleus species) have a huge variation in the leaf patterns that you can buy.
|New Coleus varieties|
What could this plant be? Let’s find out. I'm talking with the plant panel : Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au
Coleus have square stems with saw-toothed, scalloped or ruffled leaf edges.
Coleus species are frost tender and need winter protection outside the subtropics.
In cool temperate climates grow these plants in the conservatory, as house plants, or outdoors as annual bedding plants.
Leaf patterns are so bizarre they may have inspired Paisley prints on fabrics.
But you may just want to brighten that dull corner of your garden and this is the plant to do it with.


American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter, Ayn Rand is known for her best-selling novels, The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957). Rand was born and educated in Russia from which she relocated to the States in 1926 which fostered within her, a more liberal way of thinking. Her writing style focused on a developing philosophical system, which she referred to as objectivism. Rand's theory of objectivism focused on the theory that reality exists independent of consciousness. She has been a significant influence among libertarians and American conservatives.
A faultless first edition, first printinginscribed copy of Rand's prolific, Atlas Shrugged published by Random House, in New York (1957) was selling for as much as $22,500 on abebooks.com. Rarelibrary.com also hosts a number of first edition copies of Atlas Shrugged, later printings, for considerably less.
The Ayn Rand Institute, a center for the advancement of objectivism, quotes that The Fountainhead "introduced the world to architect Howard Roark, an intransigent individualist. A man whose arrogant pride in his work is fully earned, Roark is an innovator who battles against a tradition-worshipping society-refusing to compromise his standards in work and life" which brought attention and acclaim to this 1940s novel on independence and freedom.
Rand, Ayn. We The Living. Macmillan Company, New York (1936). 3000 copies printed.
Rand, Ayn. Anthem. Cassell and Company, London (1938). 3500 copies printed.
Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis (1943). first edition points: page number 9 appears as o; referred mispelled refrred at 5th line of page 321; G. W. at page 381; Dominique mispelled Domininque at page 480; 7500 copies printed.
Rand, Ayn. ANTHEM. Pamphleteers, Los Angeles (1946). 1500 copies printed.
Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. Random House, New York (1957). Special Tenth Anniversary Edition contain 2000 copies; first issue jacket by: Salter
Rand, Ayn. For the New Intellectual. Random House, New York (1961). The Philosophy of Ayn Rand.
Rand, Ayn. The Virtue of Selfishness. New American Library, New York (1965). A New Concept of Egoism
Rand, Ayn. Capitalism. New American Library, New York (1966). The Unknown Ideal; With additional articles by Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan, and Robert Hessen; 700 copies printed.
Rand, Ayn. The Romantic Manifesto. World Publishing Company, New York and Cleveland (1969). A philosophy of literature.
Rand, Ayn. The Objectivist. Objectivist, New York (1971). Volumes 1-10; These include: 1)The Intellectual Bankruptcy of Our Age 2)Playboy's Interview with Ayn Rand, 3)Global Balkanization 4)Cultural Update, 5)A Study Guide to the Ethics of Objectivism, 6) The Objectivist Forum; Frequent contributors include Leonard Peikoff and Nathaniel Branden, with other contributors as well, including two articles by Alan Greenspan
Rand, Ayn. Philosophy. Bobbs, Merrill, New York (1982). Who Needs It?; Leonard Peikoff (Introduction)
Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. Easton Press (1989). The A Novel ( 2 Volumes in Blue Tooled Leather ); Moire Silk Endpapers, Coloured Frontispiece, illustrated by Victoria Vebell commissioned Exclusively for This Book


Phew! Jeez this one was stressful!
Dr. Laurie says that, “stress is a poison. We can all handle a little bit of poison everyday, but eventually it’s going to take us out.” With any kind of challenge, the brain activates the sympathetic nervous-system. Anxiety is closely related to stress and anxiety is “an age old process from when we were cavemen that there is a tiger in the woods and we’re either going to fight the tiger, run away from the tiger, or freeze and hope the tiger doesn’t see us. As soon as we are challenged by anything, this fight or flight response kicks in and stress hormones are released, such as cortisol and epinephrine. The body “carbs up” and releases glucose and fat to the cells of the body to get away from whatever we view as our tiger.
Marathoners “carb up” before a marathon because they know with a huge amount of energy they are going to need to run the race and the impending stress they are going to put on their body, they need a huge amount of sugar and fat as stored energy to slowly burn off during the race. The same thing happened with mental stress however with mental stress the body is actually not burning any energy. The body keeps making cortisol and epinephrine, releasing those stress hormones, the feeling of either needing to fight or run is real, however it’s just all in the mind. So all of that sugar stored has nowhere to go so it just gets converted into fat.
Cortisol is an appetite stimulant and so there is a link between chronic stress and weight gain. The body when stressed feels the need to pack away the sugar and fat for the impending marathon only if there’s no marathon, therefor no movement, and noway to burn off those access calories.
The fastest way to increase energy is to go for junk food. The more junk food a person eats the less nutritious are their meals and therefore more weight gain. So the two actually really go hand in hand. Interestingly enough though, in a study where scientists locked mice in a cage and added stress by putting in an aggressive mouse, they gave some mice regular mouse food, and other mice junk food (of the mice variety). What is really interesting is the stressed mice eating the junk food gained a huge amount of weight, much more than the stressed regular food eating mice. And the mice that were not subjected to the stress, yet still eating the junk food, gained weight but nowhere near as much as the stressed mice did. So it’s not just the stress that will do you in it’s the stress in combination with the poor diet that does. And it is also been found the region of the brain that plays a roll in modulating emotion influences appetite and how much energy you extol. So the more tired we are, the more stressed we are. If we have workplace conflict the more stressed we are. If we are dieting and we aren’t seeing any results the more stressed we are. And the more stressed we are the more we will reach for high sugar, high fat food in order to make ourselves feel better, comfort ourselves and fool ourselves into feeling less stressed all the while causing more stress because we are not being healthy and so the cycle starts all over again.
On the quest to lose 50 pounds in a year. Can she do it? Only time will tell....with the help of this blog.


The challenge is to obtain high quality in situ observations of the Arctic ice sheets and glaciers
In recent years a range of satellite sensors are capturing observations of specific interest for the study of ice sheets and glaciers. These include ice elevation and ice mass changes and ice velocity maps. However in situ observational networks are comparatively sparse but are vital to provide ground-truth for the satellite products. Logistical difficulties often mean that it is not possible to revisit instruments more than once every few years, ensuring that robustness takes precedence over other factors. There are a number of efforts to measure parameters around the Greenland ice sheet, nonetheless there is a need to improve the links and integration between these different activities in order to produce new and enhanced climate services needed for the increasingly accessible Arctic region.


Part I: Movies of Active Lava
The Island of Hawaii is home to Kilauea volcano, one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. The lava flows from Kilauea are derived from the Earth's mantle, approximately 60 kilometers below the surface. Lava flowing out of the Earth and into the sea is the process that formed the Hawaiian Islands out of the great depths of the Pacific Ocean, and which continues to enlarge the Big Island today. The latest phase of Kilauea's periodic eruptions started in January of 1983, when fountains of molten lava started to build the cinder cone called Pu'u O'o.
The three video segments shown here illustrate some of the activity that characterized the active of a vent called Kupaianaha was active to the east of Pu'u O'o between 1989 and 1992. Although each video is quite short, they provide interesting glimpses of active volcanic processes that are difficult to study from still photography.
This video shows a general view of the lava lake, which at this time was ~30 meters wide and 15 meters deep. In this view we get a good view of the start of three active lava tubes on the downslope side of the lake. It is through these tubes that the lava starts its 10 km journey to the ocean.
Here we can see in this video that the solid lake surface is denser than the molten lava, and so sinks into the lake, causing new molten rock to take its place on the surface.
[next page] [top of this page] [Beginning of Pele Meets the Sea]
Diving and video movie: Richard Pyle, Jane Culp, Frank Sansone, Gordon Tribble, Jane Tribble, David Schideler, Kevin Kelly, John Earle, Randall Kosaki;Copyright 1990 LavaVideo Productions, 741 N. Kalaheo Avenue, Kailua, HI 96734.
Digitization and HTML presentation: Cristina Lumpkin and Pierre Flament
To see some related photos and for references to some more information that may be of interest, please check out the link to Frank Sansone's web page on our Project Linkspage.


Awareness of the effect of mould on human health has increased in recent years and I see many patients affected by mould toxicity in my clinic.
Everyone can become sick from over-exposure to ‘biotoxins’ including mould, however most will recover once the exposure is removed. Some people though, are genetically predisposed to becoming sicker from these toxins, because they have an immune response gene called HLA-DR which prevents biotoxins from being detoxified by the body: this ultimately leads to a systemic condition called ‘chronic inflammatory response syndrome’ (CIRS).
In addition, patients with Lyme disease will be more sensitive and be more affected from mould toxicity.
Should we be concerned?
The short answer is “Yes”, because biotoxins are extremely common. Water-damaged buildings are a major concern, as mould can grow within these environments in 24–48 hours. In addition, mould can also grow in environments that aren’t water-damaged
Symptoms of mould toxicity
There is a very wide range of non-specific biotoxin accumulation symptoms, which can make mould toxicity and CIRS difficult to diagnose without Bicom bioresonance. These include:
- memory problems and brain fog (trouble with focus and word recollection, decreased learning ability and confusion; disorientation
- fatigue and weakness
- muscle cramping, aches and pains, joint pain without inflammatory arthritis
- nerve pain or “ice pick” pain; numbness and tingling
- hypersensitivity to bright light, blurred vision
- burning or red eyes, tearing
- sinus problems, cough, shortness of breath and asthma-like symptoms, chronic congestion
- tremors, vertigo
- abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, appetite changes, metallic taste in the mouth, weight loss resistance
- night sweats and temperature dysregulation, excessive thirst, increased urination
- frequent static “shocks”, morning stiffness, and skin sensitivity.
How do I know if mould is contributing to my poor health?
Unless you have positive proof of mould in your environment (you can see and smell it), it can be difficult to know if such mould and biotoxins are contributing to your poor health. However, the good news is experienced practitioners using quantum physics devices can test for mould and biotoxin exposure. What’s more, it is also possible to clear the effect of the mould and biotoxins quickly and effectively.
Naturopathic treatment for Mould Toxicity
Additionally, you may also prescribe:
- Detoxification support – skin brushing, rebounding, homotoxicology detox kits
- Toxaprevent – a medicated clay that helps to absorb mould biotoxins
- Clove essential oil – topical use: to infuse spray, on affected areas etc
- Australian Bush Flower ‘Green’ essence – helps desensitise from mould exposure
What else can you do?
If you do have CIRS and you have a genetic difference that makes you unable to remove biotoxins from your system, it is paramount importance to take additional steps to heal yourself. This is where the help of a knowledgeable practitioner who understands how to treat mould toxicity and CIRS effectively is required. To prevent accumulation of biotoxins in your environment:
- Use air purifiers and sanitisers
- Be sure to scrub mould off surfaces and dry completely
- Always fix leaks or other water problems as soon as they arise
- If absorbent material, such as tiles or carpet, becomes mouldy, throw them away
- Never paint over or caulk mouldy surfaces
- Clean and repair roof gutters regularly
- Regularly have your boiler and central heating system checked
- Frequently change air conditioner filters and keep drip pans clean and drain lines unobstructed
- Ensure the ground around buildings slopes away from the foundation, so water doesn’t collect at the base
- Measure indoor humidity with a meter and keep it between 30 and 50 percent, no more. Use a de-humidifier if necessary and/or increase ventilation
- Make sure kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms are well ventilated
- Never carpet an area that is exposed to moisture, such as a bathroom
Mould illness or CIRS is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. If you suspect your home has a mould problem, take the necessary steps to eradicate it and book yourself a consultation today!


This list presents all the reliable recordings of freshwater and terrestrial cyanobacteria and photosynthetic algae in the British Isles (with the exception of some diatoms). Brackish water and intertidal cyanobacteria are also included as there are recordings of a few species from both freshwater and marine environments. The list is accurate as of November 2014.
The list is the fifth update of one prepared for what was then called the Water Data Unit of the (UK) Department of the Environment in 1978. It incorporates the many taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and new species records since the previous version in 2003.*
The currently accepted names are sometimes a compromise between taxonomic experts. If there were conflicting views, the name adopted is usually the one proposed by the taxonomic specialist who prepared the chapter on the group for the second edition of the British freshwater algal flora. The rejected name is simply listed as one of the maximum of three synonyms given for each entry (only two in earlier versions). Obscure or long discarded synonyms are not included.
In taxonomically problematic groups caution should be used in converting one name to another. The limits for two described taxa may not be identical. In such cases we recommend checking the original sources (a Flora or monograph).
Even though we have adopted a cautious approach, many names in the present list differ from those in the 2003 version. In some cases we have retained the old names even where revisions have been proposed. This is because it seems likely that further revisions will change the names again within a few years, especially in the Cyanobacteria.
Records for the British Isles
Apart from some diatoms, all the organisms listed have been recorded at some time. In the great majority of cases the sources can be found in the Bibliography (PDF).
The British freshwater algal flora is probably still much under-recorded, however, especially in the far west of Ireland and Scotland. The present scarcity of phycologists with taxonomic training in Britain and Ireland means that a near complete list is unlikely in the near future.
Earlier versions of the Coded List were also aided at different times by Christine Sinclair, the late Nigel T H Holmes, Leslie R Johnson, Paul N G Boulton, Martyn G Kelly and Elizabeth Y Haworth. The main diatom list has not been revised from that provided by Kelly and Haworth for the 2003 version of the list. However, the names do correspond to the list used for the Environmental Change Network provided by Laurence Carvalho in 2008.
The author(s) cited after a scientific name are given according to the abbreviations of Brummitt and Powell (1992), with the exceptions of Grunow, van Goor and W West (instead of Grunow, Van Goor and West). Authors not in this publication are given in full with initials.
The attached gives more information on the 8-digit number used in the checklist.
Brodie J, Codd G A, Mann D (2008) The decline in the number of algal taxonomists in the UK. The Phycologist 75: 23.
Brummitt R K, Powell C E (1992) Authors of Plant Names. A List of Authors of Scientific Names of Plants, with Recommended Standard Forms of Their Names, Including Abbreviations. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
John D M, Whitton B A, Brook A J (eds) (2011) The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Whitton B A, John D M, Kelly M G, Haworth E Y (2003) A Coded List of Freshwater Algae of the British Isles. Second Edition. World-wide Web electronic publication.
Thanks to Michael Guiry, who checked all species entries (except diatoms) against those in AlgaeBase, and to those who told us of new additions to the flora, including J H Belcher, C F Carter, J T Krokowski, P Lang, A Pentecost, E M F Swale and D B Williamson.
Brian A Whitton: School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE
David M John: Life Sciences Department, Genomics and Microbiology Division, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
Prepared for publication by:
C Isabella Tindall: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB
Queries and comments
Updates for the Coded List will be published annually in the newsletter of the British Phycological Society (The Phycologist, edited by J T Krokowski).
*Some of these changes are mentioned and explained in the second edition of The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles (John et al 2011).
Freshwater Algal List 2014 (Excel file)


What is the difference between reading numbers as they are presented, and interpreting them in a mature, deeper way? One way perhaps to look at the latter is what statisticians call ‘confidence interval’.
Suppose I look at a sampling of 100 americans who are asked if they approve of the job the supreme court is doing. Let us say for simplicity’s sake that the only two answers possible are yes or no. Out of 100, say 40% say yes. As an ordinary person, you would think 40% of people just approve. But a deeper answer would be – the true proportion of americans who approve of the job the supreme court is doing is between x% and y%.
How confident I am that it is? About z%. (the common math used is 95%). That is an answer that is more reflective of the uncertainty related to questioning people and taking the answers to be what is truly reflective of an opinion. The x and y values make up what is called a ‘confidence interval’.
Let us illustrate this with an example.
From this article – out of a random sampling of 1089 people, 41% approved of the job the supreme court was doing. To construct the confidence interval, the first step is to determine if this sampling satisfies the needs for a normal distribution.
Step 1: Is the data from a normal distribution?
When we do not have the entire dataset with us, we use the below two rules to determine this:
1 The sample observations are independent – from the article it seems like random people were selected so this is safe to assume.
2 We need a minimum of 10 successes and 10 failures in the sample. – ie np >=10 and n(1-p) >= 10. This is called ‘success failure condition‘. Our n here is 1089, and p is 0.41. So successes are 1089*41 = 446.49 and failures are 642.5. Both are larger than 10, so we are good.
Step 2: Calculate standard error or standard deviation of the confidence interval is calculated as square root of p(1-p)/n. In this case it is square root of 0.41*0.59/1089 which is 0.0149.
Step 3: Find the right critical value to use – we want a 95% confidence in our estimates, so the critical value recommended for this is 1.96.
Step 4: Calculate confidence interval – Now we have all we need to calculate confidence interval. The formula to use is point estimate +- (critical value x standard error) which is 0.41 + (1.96*0.0149) = 0.4392, and 0.41 – (1.96*0.0149) = 0.3807.
So, we can say with 95% confidence that the true proportion of americans who approve of the supreme court is between 38.07% and 43.92%.
We can spare ourselves all this trouble by using a simple function in R as below, and we get the same results. We need to pass to this function what is 41% of 1089, which is 446.49.
Just typing prop.test(446.49, 1089) gets answers as below:
So, with just two figures – the sample count and percentage value, we were able to derive a deeper conclusion of what this data might mean. Thanks for reading!