i College Athletics: Distraction or Improvement to Athletes’ Education? | COLLEGE WRITING: DEBATE(S) IN HIGHER EDCUATION

Isabel Detienne

The debate behind college athletics effect on students’ academic success is a highly discussed topic. Many people draw the conclusion that the amount of time spent practicing and preparing for sporting events diverts one`s focus away from schoolwork. Some say that students would only truly benefit from playing college sports if they get paid because all their time is directed away from school. However, although this may happen in some cases, the most common side effects of time spent in college athletics are positive. The idea that college athletes need to get paid in order to truly benefit in a college setting is far from actuality. Collegiate athletes obtain countless skills that can not only benefit their physical health and mental being, but also those around them, resulting in an overall success in life.

It can be argued that college athletes should benefit financially from their athletic skills and time commitment during their college years.  It is no secret that money is the most valuable thing in today`s society, and college athletics seem to be of high value. An article written by Samuel Devoe discusses the reasons why student athletes should be paid: “College athletes are employees of their school, but with no compensation. Does that seem fair? No. Pay the athletes. It’s only ethical.” Devoe talks about how much schools benefit from their athletes work and time. He states that all their hard work deserves a little money in return. However, what Devoe doesn`t talk about is the lifelong skills and benefits college athletes are “paid” with. There are endless benefits of playing college sports that make the extreme time commitments worth it.

Our society thrives off of communication and interaction. In this sense, one of the most important things in life is having the skill to work well with others. A great way for one to perfect this ability is to join an athletic team. It’s nearly impossible to walk away from a season without strong friendships and connections. The average sports team requires approximately 20 hours of practice a week, along with the actual games, and additional travel and bonding time. The extensive amount of interaction and exposure each individual has to the team is more than enough to build family-like bonds. Although I do have a first-hand experience with these types of friendships and can attest to their positive effects, other people I know and have spoken with strongly reiterate my opinion regarding the positive benefits behind the time commitment. A fellow, college student, named Drew, argues the same point: “Athletics in college was a positive because of the fact that it helped me meet new people.” Athletics, at any level, is a wonderful way for people to strengthen new or old friendships. College athletics can amplify the benefit to the athlete even more, due to the fact that most individuals enter college without pre-established friendships to count on for support. By joining a team, students have a much easier time building relationships and meeting new people. The time spent on schoolwork alone could never provide individual`s with the same benefits that come from being on an athletic team. Because so much of student athletes’ time is spent on building friendships and bettering their athletic skills, many individuals experience a great deal of stress associated with their school-work load. For some, this means putting off their homework or even overlooking their assignments as a whole. This results in lowered grade point averages and less focus on what’s most instrumental to their future career success. While this is a possible outcome, the most common result from the overbooked schedule in an athlete’s life is far from detrimental.

The time-demanding aspect of a college sport forces individuals to rank things by importance and focus their attention where and when it’s needed the most. Student athletes who are intent on achieving maximum, academic success are forced to regulate every bit of their time off the field or out of the classroom in order to reach their scholastic goal. A peer of mine, Selena, is a great model of this idea: “It seems to be helpful for me when I’m really busy because I know I have to get all my homework done before I can do anything else.” Selena successfully benefits from the time constraints put on her schoolwork. Instead of depleting her academics, she directly improves them with her effective planning skills. This is a great illustration of how, despite the extreme amounts of time required by college athletics, success in school can be achieved, and in some cases, better orchestrated through efficiently assigning times to tasks .Athletes are pushed to give it their all, plus a little more in effort to achieve full satisfaction. These demands are not short-lived, but are expected for extensive periods of time. They are forced to practice every day despite their level of tiredness or stress. By continuously pushing themselves to achieve their highest potential over the lengthy course of the season, they begin to develop a stronger mindset, a different mindset.

Although it can be argued that college athletes are focusing far too much of their energy and time on athletics, the outcomes are far from negative. Student athletes develop an ambitious mindset that can be translated into their schoolwork as well with the “110%” motto being applied to academics as well. Another student in my class, Brock, reflects upon this claim beautifully: “Football has taught me to never give up and to keep pushing on no matter how hard it is. It has taught me skills for how to work through pressure and to win both on the field and in the classroom”. Brock, as well as many others, have found a great deal of success in sports by never giving up and have grown accustomed to directly applying this dedication their academics when they are off the field. The demanding hours of practice and preparation for games does take away from students’ academic timelines; however, their improved mindset has an overall, positive effect as they apply skills learned on the field to the challenges of academics. Athletes view all challenges as obstacles that they can overcome. .

Along with the personal effect college athletics has on athletes, many other individuals are influenced as well. Sport teams are one of the most common way students and faculty are brought together as one. The act of going to sporting events, standing side by side fellow fans, and cheering for one central goal is enough to unite an entire community of my peers who don’t play sports still directly benefit from athletes time and commitment to their activity. Without an athlete’s hard work and dedication, they would never be able to entertain, or in many cases positively influence others to be their best. A fellow student in my class named Sierra talks about how she learns important life skills just by watching others place sports: “to see everyone working together to accomplish one goal fascinates me”. She acknowledges the fact that athletes serve as some of the most fundamental role models in a college community. The amount of time and effort that students athletes put in, not only directly benefits themselves, but many of those around them.

Overall, the idea that athletics take up far too much of college students’ study time can be proven false. Athletes are asked to devote a great deal of their personal time during the season to practicing and preparing, but out of this devotion endless positive outcomes arise. Individuals are bound to create long-lasting, strong friendships, learn how to balance life’s stressors, gain a sense of ambition, bring a community together, and serve as the most common role models. These skills allow athletes to overcome any obstacle placed before them. The lessons that can be taken away from playing a sport in college benefit the student in their current academic positions, as well as influencing their future. Student athletes walk away from the playing field with improved physical health and a wealth of knowledge, tools and skills which will enable them to succeed throughout their lives, far more powerful than money. Money may be able to buy happiness, but what it can’t buy however, is the skillset that college athletes are gifted with.

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Tips For Layering Your Window Treatments

Sometimes a set of plantation blinds or a simple Roman shade is enough to complete your room's look. However, there are many reasons you may want to layer your window treatments. For one, you get more light control options. For another, layered treatments can give a more formal effect. However, you want to avoid your draperies overpowering the rest of your décor. Layer your window treatments with care for a tasteful look.

Creating a Staircase Art Gallery

Hanging pictures in a stairwell is a classic choice. The wall along a staircase otherwise could go unused, and that is why so many grandparents choose to display their grandchildren's school pictures along this wall, inviting guests to linger and admire their perfect grandchildren. Update the classic stairwell gallery by choosing a variety of candid family photographs or treasured pieces of art in frames that echo rather than mimic each other.

How To Create A Front Patio With A New Orleans Feel

Have you ever been to New Orleans? If so, you probably fell in love with the romantic and charming architecture of the French Quarter. Maybe you've just seen pictures of this beautiful city and you have decided to create a front patio with a New Orleans feeling. If so, from the front door to the stair railings, here are some ideas that might inspire you. The Floor - Brick, pebble stone or flagstone would all be perfect for the floor of your front patio.


Posts Tagged ‘Responsible investing’

Responsible Investing – why, what and how?

Responsible Investing – why, what and the how

Why is responsible investing a hot topic? What’s the difference between SRI and ESG? Can non-financial and financial goals co-exist? Russell Investments discuss the why, the what and the how of responsible investing.     Whether you’ve seen it referred to as SRI (socially responsible investing), ESG investing (environmental, social and governance) or just plain

August 24, 2017 Categories: Investment Strategy, Market Updates

Could bounded responsibility push responsible investing into the mainstream?

Responsible investing* continues to grow. But although the concept has its advocates, many large European and U.S. institutional investors have no policy with regards to responsible investing, and no intention of creating one. Bounded responsibility Among many institutional investors, responsible investing is not truly mainstream. The current situation is bifurcated: in or out. Investors in

Are ESG tilts consistent with value creation in Europe?


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Many people experience having to be responsible for family members, or perhaps close friends, who have become completely or partially unable to care for themselves or to manage their finances, due to some sort of physical or mental impairment.  In Pennsylvania, such a person is referred to as an “incapacitated person.”  The legal definition of an incapacitated person is “an adult whose ability to receive and evaluate information effectively and communicate decisions in any way is impaired to such a significant extent that he [or she] is partially or totally unable to manage his [or her] financial resources or to meet essential requirements for his [or her] physical health and safety.”

If a person is incapacitated, a Judge from the Orphans’ Court (a division of the County Court of Common Pleas) may, upon request by petition of any interested person or institution, and upon receipt of clear and convincing evidence at a hearing in court, appoint a guardian for the incapacitated person.  There are two basic types of guardianship.  One is a guardian of the estate and the other is a guardian of the person. A guardian of the estate is responsible for the incapacitated person’s finances.  A guardian of the person is responsible for the incapacitated person’s health and well-being.  The court may make a guardian’s powers either “limited” or “plenary.”  Plenary power is the right and duty to make decisions about any and all aspects of the incapacitated person’s estate or person, or both, depending on what the individual requires.  The Orphans’ Court may, when appropriate, allow a guardian only certain specific, or “limited,” powers.  For example, a limited guardian of the estate might be given the power to manage regular bank accounts and pay bills, but not to manage investment accounts.  A limited guardian of the person might be given powers to manage the personal affairs and day-to-day life of an incapacitated person, but not to make healthcare decisions.

By law, the Orphans’ Court is required to prefer limited guardianships over plenary guardianships whenever possible.  However, there are obviously many instances where severe or complete incapacity, total mental incompetence, or significant physical disability dictate the need for a plenary guardianship.

No guardian possesses the following powers, unless they are specifically and expressly authorized by the court:

1.                  to consent to an abortion, sterilization, psychosurgery, electroconvulsive therapy or removal of a healthy body organ;

2.                  to prohibit marriage or consent to divorce; or

3.                  to consent to any experimental biomedical or behavioral medical procedure or be part of any biomedical or behavioral experiment.

 Not even the court can grant the following powers to any guardian:

1.                  to admit the individual to an inpatient psychiatric facility or to any State center for the mentally retarded; or

2.                  to consent to the relinquishment of the individual’s parental rights.

In determining whether appointment of a guardian is needed and, if so, what kind of guardian and what kind of powers would be appropriate, the Orphans’ Court typically requires testimony from a treating physician, psychiatrist or psychologist to establish the nature and extent of an individual’s incapacities.  Typically, the physician or other medical professional is not required to be present in court.  Rather, such testimony is usually accepted in the form of written answers to written questions about the incapacitated person, which is signed by the individual providing the answers.  In addition, it is desirable to present testimony from family members, friends and others who have personal knowledge of the incapacitated person’s situation.

After receiving all of the evidence and testimony, the Orphans’ Court is required to determine the following:

1.                  The nature of the particular condition or disability which impairs the individual’s capacity to make and communicate decisions;

2.                  the actual extent of the individual’s capacity to make and communicate decisions;

3.                  whether guardianship services are needed at all, in light of special circumstances including the availability of family, friends or other supports to assist the individual, and whether there already exists such documents as a sufficient durable power of attorney, advanced directive for healthcare, living will or useful trusts; and

4.                  an appropriate duration for any guardianship.

The Orphans’ Court is permitted to appoint a guardian only when it finds that a guardianship is the least restrictive alternative available to meet the needs of the incapacitated person.

While the Orphans’ Court is always available, it should be emphasized that, in many, many cases, preparation of proper estate planning documents, before the incapacitated person actually becomes incapacitated, can allow caregivers to exercise most necessary authority without the need for a guardian to be appointed.  These documents include durable powers of attorney, advanced directives for healthcare and living wills.  Proper planning hopefully makes it unnecessary to petition the Orphans’ Court for guardianship, doing away with the time, expense and potential aggravation that goes along with such proceedings.

Notwithstanding prior preparation however, there is always the possibility that an existing power of attorney or other advance directive is poorly drafted or doesn’t clearly authorize a particular power necessary to help the incapacitated person.  It is also possible that the agent under the power of attorney is unable or unwilling to act, or is acting to the detriment of the incapacitated person.  In either of these situations, it may still be necessary to obtain the appointment of a guardian.  This is because a guardian can be granted the powers necessary to properly assist the incapacitated person.  The Court or the guardian would also have the power to revoke any prior power of attorney.

If you have not prepared your own estate planning documents, or if you know of someone else who would be well advised to do so, or if you have any question about your existing documents, you should seek the advice and counsel of a competent estate planning attorney.

Thomas A. Fosnocht, Jr., Esquire, is an attorney with the law firm of Wolf, Baldwin & Associates, with offices in Pottstown, West Chester, and Reading.  Mr. Fosnocht concentrates his practice in wills, estates, probate, Orphans’ Court, and real estate, and litigation related to such matters.  He may be reached at 610-323-7436 or by e-mail to

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Centre for the Mathematics of Symmetry and Computation

Computational Group Theory

Further information

An Introduction to Computational Group Theory, by Ákos Seress, published in Notices - July 1997, Volume 44, Number 6. It is available in PDF format [22KB] from the Notices website.

Mathematically, symmetry is described by groups.

Traditionally, groups and their properties have been investigated either algebraically or analytically. However, with the advance of modern computers, the exciting possibility of investigating properties of groups on a computer has arisen.

Long before computers came into existence, mathematicians considered the problem whether certain questions regarding groups can be answered by a repeatable sequence of steps, called an algorithm. As early as 1911, Dehn posed a question about groups described by presentations and it was possible to prove that these questions were not solvable by a deterministic algorithm.

Nevertheless group theorists already worked on group theoretic algorithms during the 1940s and implemented programs on computers in the 1950s. During the 1960s and 1970s group theoretic algorithms assisted the Classification of Finite Simple Groups.

Neubüser: An Invitation to Computational Group Theory provides a a summary of the history of Computational Group Theory.

Group Theory

Today, Computational Group Theory is a thriving branch of Group Theory. The subject is concerned with designing algorithms to answer questions about groups to prove the correctness of these algorithms and to determine the cost of running such an algorithm on a group.

Modern algorithms and high speed computers allow mathematicians to investigate very large groups on a computer. In particular, the computer algebra systems GAP and Magma, provide access to most of the state of the art functionality for groups.

Much progress in recent years has been made on designing algorithms for matrix groups. These algorithms take as input a small number of matrices and answer questions about the group defined by these matrices. In general, answering questions about such groups is difficult.

Even two 10 x 10 matrices with entries modulo 5 can have nearly 6.1069 elements.

In 1989, Joachim Neubüser posed the challenge to the computational group theory community: Given a group of matrices defined over a finite field, can we decide whether the group contains the group of all invertible matrices of the same dimension over the same field that have determinant 1?

For example, given the two 3 x 3 matrices with entries modulo 5:

g=(3 4 4, 3 4 2, 1 0 1)
h=(0 0 4, 1 3 4, 1 4 4)

do g and h generate a group which contains all invertible 3x3 matrices with entries modulo 5 that have determinant 1?

Questions such as these can now be answered by efficient algorithms on a computer for groups of matrices of dimension up to several hundred.

Centre for the Mathematics of Symmetry and Computation

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Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly

Elderly-Family-Member-Spending-Christmas-Alone-300x300In the year 2000, the Family Caregiver Alliance reported that  approximately 13 million Americans requried some type of long term care in nursing homes, assisted living facilities or at home.  According to current estimates,  by the year 2050,  this figure is expected to double to approximately 27 million.  This means that in roughly 36 years, 14 million more older Americans will require paid long-term care services, either in a nursing home, assisted living facility or at home with the services of a home health care aide.

As our population ages and life expectancy increases,  older individuals often need assistance with routine tasks of daily living (e.g. bathing, dressing, meal preparation, banking, shopping,  etc.)  Statistics show that by age 65, older individuals have a 68% chance of being physically or cognitively impaired in at least two tasks of daily living, and will require assistance of some kind.

Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly: Why Sound the Alarm?

We’ve known for many years that the elderly population in the United States is growing.  What many don’t realize,  however,  is that we’re also facing an imminent Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly.  According to employment projections released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for personal care aides, home health aides and nursing assistant jobs is expected to grow exponentially over the next ten years.  These workers are trained to provide the elderly in nursing homes, group homes and assisted livings with  the kind of care they require, such as  personal grooming, using the bathroom, eating, etc.  By 2020,  the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute estimates that there will be over 5 million paid caregivers in the US alone- making if the largest occupation,  surpassing employment in retail sales and food services.

But even in the current  labor market, there often aren’t enough applicants to fill these relatively low-paying,  highly demanding positions.  There is a serious Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly,  and the problem isn’t showing signs of abating any time soon. Caregiving positions have high rates of turnover and low employee retention rates.  Caregivers are frequently subject to stressful working conditions,  low pay,  physically taxing work and typically don’t receive benefits.

In most cases,  when there is a large enough demand for labor,  wages increase.  Most economists and eldercare experts suggest this won’t be the case with direct caregivers,  because Medicaid and Medicare pay their salaries.  In the current economic climate,  both programs are under enormous cost cutting pressures,  which make it highly unlikely caregiver’s wages will increase anytime soon.  Additionally,  when Medicaid and Medicare stop paying for caregiver services (e.g. when days are maxed out in a hospital stay),  the vast majority of low income and middle class families simply can’t afford to pay for caregivers out of pocket.  Although caregivers provide invaluable, their services aren’t affordable for most families,  even at the already low wages they receive.

Consequences of Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly

When families can’t afford to hire a trained caregiver, they are often forced to  provide care themselves.  This puts strain on family members who have to juggling work duties, personal lives along with caring for an elderly family member.  Caregiver burnout is a real problem facing family members who choose to step up and care for an elderly family member.  Because most people  don’t  have any training or experience in caring for the elderly,  they may grow frustrated with the physical and emotional demands of caring for an older adult. This can be an extremely dangerous situation for the elderly,  who don’t always have ways to communicate if they are being abused or neglected by their overworked or frustrated caregivers.

Currently,  agencies charge $18 dollars an hour for personal care aides and $19 dollars an hour for home health aides.  The aides themselves take home about half that amount.  Many home health care aides and eldercare experts who see an imminent care crisis looming hope the government will set standards for fair wages for personal care aides,  especially when it comes to benefits, overtime pay and training.  In order to fill the positions we currently have,  and the ones we’ll have in the near future,  we need to make caregiving jobs accessible and attractive to people seeking  employment.  These much needed changes will help ameliorate a serious situation,  and prevent the Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly from reaching a crisis point.

Personal Injury, Elder Abuse, Neglect and Shortage of Caregivers for the Elderly

Elder abuse is a frightening consequence of poorly trained healthcare aides,  or family members  family members but have taken on a role caring for an older family member that they  clearly can’t handle.  If you have been a victim of elder abuse,  or know someone who has been a victim of elder abuse at the hands of a medical professional, healthcare aide,  or in a nursing home,  contact the personal injury attorneys at Hardy, Wolf and Downing.  Your elderly loved one deserves to live their lives in peace,  safety and dignity.  Our experienced team of personal injury attorneys will assess your nursing home or elder care abuse case with sensitivity,  and can handle insurance companies,  nursing homes and administrators who may deny abuse occurred.  If you have been injured as a result of elder abuse, or nursing home abuse or neglect,  contact our personal injury team.  We will assess your nursing home abuse case,  and help you get the fair and just compensation you deserve for your injuries.

A Shortage of Caregivers- New York Times


Improving Your Skills When It Comes To Cooking

TIP! You want to make certain you have the prep work done ahead of time. The prep work should be done before you even start cooking.

Cooking can be relaxing as well as rewarding. A kitchen filled with with aroma and fresh ingredients is a great mood enhancer for most people. Finding the right way to cook the best meal can be difficult. Read this article to find out more about cooking a great meal.

TIP! Doing all of the things you need to in order to prepare a meal is a vital part of the cooking process. Make sure you have all the ingredients ready.

Spices should be stored in a cool and dark place. By storing them in excessive light and heat, their shelf life will decrease. Spices last longer and taste better when stored in cool, dark locations. These fresh spices will help add flavor to your meals, making them tastier!

TIP! If you’re cooking food for an important person, such as a new date or even your boss, you should make sure you are cooking food you are experienced at. Avoid trying to cook something new.

You should try a small portion of the meat you are cooking when seasoning meats. Burgers, meatloaf and meatballs require proper seasoning to taste their best. It’s best then to not cook all of it immediately, only to find out that the seasoning is off. Cook a small piece of meat first. After you have done this, you can decide if you need to change the seasoning or cook it.

TIP! This ensures that you have access to fresh fruit year-round. Furthermore, you can enjoy seasonal fruits without paying outrageous prices during the off season.

It’s vital that you always use sharp knives when cooking. Dull knives can be dangerous and they also make cutting things hard. You are more likely to cut yourself by using a dull knife, as opposed to when cutting using a sharp knife.

Boiling vegetables is a cooking process that decreases valuable nutrients in them. Quick cooking methods should be used when cooking vegetables so that their nutritional value can stay in-tacked.

TIP! When adding your seasonings during cooking, add small amounts of seasonings at a time, rather than adding everything at once. This will allow you to make your meal more flavorful, and will prevent you from adding too much seasoning.

Adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes is a great way to reduce the amount of fat and calories they contain. You should use equal portions of potatoes and cauliflower when making this delicious side. Since cauliflower is bland, it will mix right in with the potatoes along with the other ingredients. In addition, cauliflowers can blend into the same texture and color as potatoes, which makes cauliflower an excellent method of adding vegetables and decreasing calories from a mashed potato dish.

TIP! Avoid cooking with a wine that you ordinarily would not find palatable to drink. If you use a kind of wine you’ve never tasted before, you may mess up the flavor of the dish you’re working on.

When cooking vegetables, cook them as quickly as possible to keep their nutritional value. Vegetables which are cooked slowly can lose their taste and valuable nutrients. You have an added bonus, because these certain techniques make vegetables healthier in general. Cook your vegetables for the minimum amount of time for better results.

TIP! Make the most of your holiday feast by reusing the leftover turkey. The efficient thing to do is put the turkey in a plastic container and freeze it for later.

You can use it on practically anything. Sprinkle the seasoning on top of roasted pumpkin seeds and make a tasty snack, or sprinkle it on scrambled eggs. People will wonder on what the secret ingredient is!

They will act somewhat like a sponge that soaks up all the water. Wipe them off with a damp cloth to clean them.

TIP! You can chop fresh herbs quickly by bundling them together in bunches and cutting them with scissors. This will keep the herbs drier and lighter than chopped with a knife.

Do you have a difficult time figuring out how long you should grill your meats? It is a great idea to utilize a meat thermometer to make sure you cook the meat properly. If the meat is thicker than an inch and a half, it may be a good idea to close the lid of the grill to cut down on total grill time.

TIP! Prior to cooking ground meat, you should take the time to blot it. The reason for the blotting is to remove the surface moisture.

Burger patties often stick to the frying pan or grill during cooking and fall apart when you try to flip them. To prevent this, brush the grill with a bit of vegetable oil to keep your foods from sticking.

TIP! When boiling pasta, salt the cooking water generously. This will allow the pasta to take on the seasoning more efficiently.

Always soak skewers in water for 30 minutes before loading them with food and cooking. That way, they will not burn during the cooking process. Prevent softer food from falling into the coals by using two parallel skewers rather than a single one.

TIP! When sauteing, don’t put too much into the pan. The moisture from the extra food will cause it to steam.

Everyone who cooks needs to have good kitchen organization. If your kitchen supplies are not organized, this can cause confusion in the kitchen because you will be running around looking for the items. Consider storing similar things together. As an example, you may want to keep all of your spices together.

Many vegetables and herbs emit aromas that remain in the cutting board, regardless of how many times you clean it. This can save you from eating garlic strawberries.

TIP! Utilize other types of timers in separate sections of the house. If you use a watch or a cellphone as a timer, you will be sure to hear the alarm go off even if you are out of the kitchen.

Cooking Tips That Everyone Needs To Read

TIP! You want to make certain you have the prep work done ahead of time. Save time by doing the prep work before you begin cooking the meal.

Are you getting tired of having to constantly cook for your family? Do not allow cooking to cause you grief. Read on to get some invaluable insights on how to create stress-free and delicious meals for your family. After you take the guidance in this piece to heart, you will wonder where it was all of your life!

TIP! You can boil away all of the health benefits of many vegetables. To keep them loaded with nutrients that are beneficial to your body, chose faster cooking methods like steaming or sauteing, or enjoy them raw.

When stir-frying meat, it should be thinly sliced on the bias. This can take up much time and is also somewhat tricky. Take the cut of meat out when it is a bit firm but has not become frozen and begin to slice it across the grain diagonally.

If you boil your vegetables it can cook out the nutrients. Pick methods that cook the vegetables quickly so they keep their goodness, or eat them raw.

TIP! If you want to cook a pumpkin, cut it vertically in half. Place both halves cut side down on separate baking sheets.

For crispier French fries, you should chill the peeled potatoes in water for 30 minutes or more before frying them. Vegetables fibers can breakdown under high heat conditions. Soaking reinforces these fibers to produce better results.

TIP! If your time is short when making a roast, speed up the process by leaving in the bone while cooking. The bone acts as a conduit, transporting heat through the center of the meat.

To make the cooking process easier and faster, many preparatory steps can be completed ahead of time. Complete as many steps in advance as you can without risking spoilage. You can make a lot of your preparations a day or more in advance. This will enable you to enjoy the process of creating dishes that ordinarily would be a real task.

Garlic can add a tremendous amount of flavor to your food. However, when you are cutting and chopping fresh garlic, it can also leave its odor on your hands. Rub your hands along the metal rim of your sink in order to get the odor off your hands after handling pungent food ingredients, such as garlic. This will cleanse your hands and prevent the smells from transferring to the food you handle next.

TIP! Consider drying your very own tomatoes. Start by slicing a ripe tomato one-half inch thick, or you can cut Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise.

Save time and money by freezing leftover sauce in ice cube trays in the freezer. This way, when you want to make an easy meal another night, all you have to do is reheat it in a saute pan. Sauce cubes made this way are safe and will taste great!

TIP! After finishing up your Thanksgiving dinner, don’t just discard the leftovers. Place the remains in a container and store in the freezer for preservation.

Cooking for multiple people can be a bit overwhelming. You can implement several simple strategies to streamline your cooking process. You’ll be able to relax the next time you’re in the kitchen.

Things Are Heating Up In The Kitchen

TIP! Keep a few pointers in mind if you plan to attempt cooking with skewers. Not all metal skewers are created equal; traditional round metal skewers are not the best option to keep food in place when grilling.

Culinary skills can be called upon to improve your life in many ways. One thing that can be guaranteed is that everybody enjoys eating, and knowing it was home-cooked makes the meal that much better. But, not many people have the skills they desire to have. As your cooking abilities grow, you can be confident in attempting to make more difficult dishes.

TIP! Prep work can be done way ahead of time. Try to have the prep work completed before cooking; this is important.

There are some things you should be aware of if you plan to cook with skewers. To get a better hold on the food, use a square or twisted type metal skewer.

Vegetables that are cooked more quickly will be of higher quality. Taste and nutritional value suffer when vegetables are slow-cooked. As an added benefit, these techniques tend to produce healthier vegetables in general. Cook your vegetables for the minimum amount of time for better results.

Fresh Basil

TIP! When you are cooking, it is important to remember that a fresh ingredient is always better than a frozen or dried ingredient. Fresh ingredients can really enhance the flavor of your meal, as well as be more economical to prepare.

Are you using fresh basil to cook with? Take some fresh basil and put some of it in a glass. Make sure the stems are submerged in water. You could let it sit on your counter and it will stay fresh for weeks. You can even promote the growth of roots if you replace the water from time to time. Picking the leaves from time to time will cause the basil to put out new growth, so you will have a constant supply!

TIP! They will soak up much of the water, as if they were a sponge. Try using a clean, wet cloth and wiping them off instead.

When you are cooking, it is important to remember that a fresh ingredient is always better than a frozen or dried ingredient. Use fresh ingredients as often as you can; they offer more flavor and tend to be less expensive as well.

Cooking Process

TIP! You should think big when preparing chicken stock. Plan on preparing a large pot of stock in order to freeze it for storing.

There are many steps you can take towards prepping your food to make your whole cooking process easier. Try looking at recipes and see what can be done in advance without spoiling. You can simplify the cooking process by doing your prep work well in advance. This will enable you to enjoy the process of creating dishes that ordinarily would be a real task.

TIP! Sauteing vegetables in a small amount of chicken broth is a healthy and delicious way to cook. Not only does it lessen the amount of cooking oil needed as per a traditional saute, the broth adds an extra dimension of flavor to the vegetables.

It is important to keep your items fresh, so always store your perishable items, sugars, flours, etc, in sealed, airtight bins. When you store food in airtight containers, it will not spoil so readily, and bugs won’t be able to get into it. Airtight containers can be purchased at many retailers.

TIP! When purchasing recipe ingredients, always carefully read the label. There are many hidden, unhealthy ingredients put into common cooking preparations.

Add chicken broth to vegetables when you cook them. Simmering vegetables in the broth will keep them from adhering to the bottom of the pan and also infuse them with rich flavor. Chicken broth is dirt cheap, and can be bought at any supermarket.

TIP! Add seasoning gradually instead of putting it all in at the beginning. This will help to give your food the maximum amount of flavor possible.

If you are looking to lose weight and keep a healthy diet, it is very important you use less oil when cooking. Unnecessary fats are contained in butters and oils. A nonstick cooking spray will suffice and is not as unhealthy.

TIP! Get the most from garlic by buying only the freshest bulbs you can find. Garlic is normally sweeter when it is fresh.

Cooking Suggestions To Benefit You And Your Family

Food is essential for survival. However, simply eating to continue your existence is not a very exciting way to look at food. Eating a delicious meal is always terrific, but it’s even better when that meal is one you’ve cooked yourself. These tips can help you take those cooking skills to an other level.

There are a few things you need to know if you are considering cooking with skewers. Twisted or square shaped metal skewers hold the food better than round ones will.

A cool area is the best place for you to keep your spices for maximum freshness and taste. If your spices are exposed to moisture, heat, or light they may lose their flavor. Spices and herbs that are ground usually retain their flavor for close to a year. It is possible for whole spices to remain flavorful for up to five years. Keep spices fresh for the longest time possible by storing them correctly.

TIP! While it may be tempting to show off your culinary talents when entertaining a new love-interest or your boss, you will do best if you keep to a menu you are familiar with, and has already garnered rave reviews. Never prepare an unfamiliar recipe or try to use a different ingredient than you are used to.

Preparation is one of the most important things that you will have to do before you cook a meal for your friends or family. Take an inventory to be sure that everything that you will need is available. Assemble utensils and other needed equipment before you start to cook. With a good plan and everything in place, you will feel far less anxious.

Always keep your spices away from light in a cool place. If you leave them out somewhere, you will expose them to light, wetness, and heat, and it could ruin them. When a spice is placed in a cool area with very little light, its life is extended and it will taste better. Using fresh spices will make your food taste better.

TIP! Are you partial to using fresh basil in your cooking? Take a bunch of it and place in a glass. Submerge the stems in water.

Going through a long cooking process like boiling removes many important nutrients that are found in vegetables. For nutrient preservation, saute, blanch or steam your vegetables or simply enjoy them raw.

Fresh Basil

TIP! Try cooking your vegetables in chicken broth. This helps to prevent vegetables from sticking on the pan.

Is fresh basil something you cook with often? Take a few twigs of the basil and place it in a small container or glass. Make sure the basil’s stems are covered in water. The basil will stay fresh for a matter of weeks on your windowsill or kitchen counter. If you perform periodic water changes, the roots of the basil will grow in the water. Trim or cut the basil from time to time for additional growth. Now you can enjoy your fresh basil anytime!

TIP! When purchasing your ingredients for preparing a recipe, you should read all of the labels. There can be some ingredients in foods that are unhealthy.

Try lowering the amount of oil you cook with if you are trying to lose weight and eat healthier. Oil and butter provide a lot of un-needed fat. Replace them with a nonstick cooking spray and you won’t notice the difference.

TIP! Always seek out garlic that is fresh and firm. Older garlic tends to smell and taste woody, while fresh garlic ensures a sweet, yet savory flavor.

Wooden skewers should be soaked in water for a minimimum of thirty minutes before they are used. This is going to help ensure that they do not burn during the cooking process. You can make sure that food stays on your skewers by skewing the food with parallel skewers.

TIP! If you need to cook a roast quickly, do not remove the bone. Your roast will be done a lot faster because its bone transfer heat to your roaster.

If a particular wine’s flavor is unknown to you, then you shouldn’t use it as an ingredient in your food. Using a wine that you are not familiar with in your food can cause you not to like the flavor that’s produced. It is possible to find wines that are meant to be used in cooking.

Cutting Board

Many vegetables and herbs emit aromas that remain in the cutting board, regardless of how many times you clean it. Mark the end of your cutting board with indelible ink to remember which side is which.

TIP! Every cook knows how important it is to organize their cooking supplies. If you are not well organized, you’ll be a disaster in the kitchen.

Replace and refresh your spices twice a year. When spices sit around for too long, they tend to lose flavor. If you purchase a new spice but doubt you can use it before the flavor dries up, share some of it with a fellow cook.

TIP! When working in the kitchen, make a conscious effort to clean dishes as soon as you have finished with them. Keep soapy water on one side of the sink and use the other side to rinse your dishes.

To add more flavor to your dishes, try adding some stock that you have prepared. Making a large amount allows you to store some in the freezer for future meals. By making the stock in bulk, there will always be some available for your soups and other dishes. An enormous benefit of cooking your own soup stock or broth is that you know and control the ingredients in the stock.

TIP! Get your grill ready to go before you start to barbecue. A half hour is the lead time usually needed in order to have the grill properly fired up before you cook.

Learning how to cook, as well as having fun cooking, can be as wonderful as eating. Use the advice from this article and add other information you learn as you continue. Your skills will get better and people will bug you to cook for them!


Alchemy of Touch is a method of bodywork developed by Tapesh Paradiso. It is designed to elevate massage and bodywork to a new level, using different techniques from the Eastern and Western world into a single harmonized approach. The origin comes from Osho Rebalancing Massage where Tapesh retouched and improved this professional technique into a less static, more artistic and poetic way, working without any effort!

One of the most important aspects of Alchemy of Touch is the holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of the body, mind and soul. Releasing tension will open subtle energy channels or meridians through which the qi or life force flows—restoring the body and mind to a state of balance, harmony and relaxation.

Alchemy of Touch Massage is the profound fusion off:

Rebalancing, Deep Tissue Massage, Myofascial Chi-Release, Joint Mobilization (Trager Technique), Yoga Thai Stretches, Digital Pressure Massage, Holistic Massage, Visceral Work, Meditation and Energy Work. These techniques will be integrated with Tapesh his own innovative method; ‘Fluid Touch’. This technique uses wavelike movements, which allows energy to vibrate through the body improving fluidity and oxygen flow.

The Alchemy of Touch Massage Method requires and follows both a scientific and artistic approach. Science provides the basis through knowledge of anatomy, our circulatory and nervous systems and how these systems interact with our environment. On the artistic side the importance of touch is fundamental! This is expressed in the subtlety of an innumerable number of manual techniques of moving joints, freeing the skull bones, stretching ligaments, stimulating circulation, and effecting reflexes. Those who know how to develop the intuitive ability in the art of touch have a special gift of nature beyond what is learned.

Read More about Tapesh his innovative method ‘Fluid Touch©”  The fusion of the Alchemy of Touch techniques is further aligned using Tapesh his innovative method of “Fluid Touch”.
The human body is composed of liquid; 80% of your body is liquid. It is in constant motion, as if all the organs and the spine are floating in a waterbed. The technique of “Fluid Touch” is a dynamic process of changing speed and pressure, and playing with tightening and letting go. Squeeze, release, wave, movements and various other techniques improve the fluidity of the body. Everything flows and water is the primary conductor, which allows energy to vibrate and expand everywhere.
Fluid Touch naturally relaxes, rejuvenates, restores and refreshes.
Moreover, the breath becomes naturally wider and free, which increases the flow of oxygen in each cell, helping the regeneration and promoting an overall sense of wellbeing and healing.
Read More on What is Fascia

What is Fasia

Most people assume that it’s our muscles and bones that hold our body upright. When in reality, this is accomplished by the fascia, imagine the fascial system to the ropes of a tent. The center poles of the tent are our bones, the canvas of the tent is our muscles and the tension of the ropes (our fascial system) is what gives the tent its structure. The fascia is a three dimensional web of tough connective tissue that permeates every corner of our body, from head to toe. This tissue surrounds and infuses every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ, all the way down to the cellular level. Myofascial simply refers to the fascial system and how it relates to skeletal muscle, ‘myo’ meaning muscle and ‘fascial’ connective tissue.

Fascial restrictions are extremely common, and can develop due to trauma, poor posture, inflammatory responses, surgery or stress on the body. These restrictions can limit range of motion significantly, bringing our bodies out of normal alignment and causing pain in various ways. These areas of restriction exert a crushing pressure of up to two thousand pounds per square inch. Basically they can create a great disturbance in our body’s natural harmony! Think of myofascia like a spider web. If one part of the web is broken or damaged, the web doesn’t fall down. Instead, strain and tension has to be distributed across the web differently to account for the weakened section. In other words, other parts of the web pick up the slack of the weakened section, which causes pain and restriction.

Close up of Fascia

Close up of Fascia

Fluid in the Fascia

Close up of Fascia attachment

Fascinating Fascial Structures

The Fascial Web

Read More on What is Myofascial Chi-Release

What is Myofascial Chi-Release

Most massages specifically focus on muscles. They seek to loosen and relax muscles by applying pressure to them and gently manipulating them. The Alchemy of Touch Myofascial Chi-Release Massage Method does this too, but takes it one step further. It operates on the principle that you can unlock stored stress and tension in the body, releasing and opening up the energy channels to restore the balance in body-mind! Like a network of rivers nourishing a landscape, the opened channels through which Chi flows will nourish and energize your entire being!

Myofascial Chi-Release is a hands-on technique that facilitates a stretch into restricted fascia. A sustained pressure is applied into the restricted tissue barrier: after 90-120 seconds the tissue will undergo histological length changes allowing the first release to be felt. The therapist follows the release into a new tissue barrier and holds. After a few releases the tissue will become softer and more pliable. The restoration of length and health to the myofascial tissue will take the pressure off the pain sensitive structures such as nerves and blood vessels, as well as restoring alignment and mobility to the joints naturally restoring chi energy and balance.
This form of massage is reported to have far reaching benefits!

Chi energy flow in our body
What is Chi? Chi is your life force, and it determines your energy level. Chi travels and circulates through the channels of our bodies, similar to the way water flows in a riverbed. When your Chi is weak, it stagnates in these channels instead of powerfully flowing. Due to life’s circumstance and as you age, you may feel as though you no longer have the energy that you once had. When water meets a small rock, it will flow around it, when it meets a huge rock on its course it will stagnate. In our daily lives we get tensed all the time for many different reasons, our lives are full of stress; this fills our inner rivers with huge rocks. It is fundamental to remove the rocks and activate your chi, your life-force energy, to improve health, reduce stress and reverse the effects of sickness or ageing.

A continuous and steady Chi energy flow in our body is the key to health and well being!

Read More about Osho Rebalancing Massage.

Rebalancing® was developed in the late seventies in the Osho Commune in Pune, India. Many therapists from different backgrounds (Rolfing, Neo Reichian Bodywork, Tragering, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc) were at that time ready for a new holistic approach to bodywork. Under Osho’s guidance and personal feedback Rebalancing® was born. It was a meeting of Western scientific methodology combined with Eastern meditative practice. The new orientation in this concept was that the therapist and the client both can benefit from a session, when presence, meditation and body awareness are integrated parts. That’s why the two aspects of technique and meditation have the same value in Rebalancing.


Best Answer

I hope you will get a better answer.

I've not had the map be the most reliable feature, but the last update fixed a lot of issues.

I am scanning devices in IP ranges over VPN, and am SNMP scanning the routers and devices managing the VPN.

In my case I am able to see all devices, but many are not located where the should, and end up showing grouped together and colored red on the map indicating disconnected devices.

Once I've verified I can't improve scanning, I look at and follow through to manually resolve issues.


EU ILLY - 02 - 100 dpi - holly sharpeWords are not my forte  so sadly I cannot express as well as others can my complex feelings on the news today, but I felt the need to attempt to do so too strongly not to try. There are a whole host of reasons why I voted to stay in the EU, which I will not go in to entirely. I hope that in the days, weeks, to come I will be able to be more positive about the whole thing and figure out how we can attempt to get out of this mess.

The whole scenario, for me, has highlighted that this world is becoming too driven by greed, power, and money. And at times appears to have forgotten the power of love and the necessity for human connections, for remaining connected, as individuals and as countries, across the entire world. I believe that people are generally good, inherently so. Yet in many cases this has been clouded over by unhealthy distractions, and has led people to think that the purpose of life is to make money, and to somehow imprint their power on others, and on the world. The media for one has done a stellar job at brainwashing the masses into believing that somehow people that were less fortunate than us to be born in a country in a far worse state that ours are something to be scared of? And to abandon them. To make them feel like they are somehow less than us.

We are all human. And we are only human. And too many people have lost touch of what is at their core, their human spirit. We have so much power in our hands, with the right weapon, or vehicle, one can take another human’s life with such ease. Equally, we are so capable, of such wondrous and special things. Yet we are fragile and easily led astray, and too quick to turn our back, to seek revenge and to play to our egos and to the egos of those in power. NEVER believe that just because someone is in a position of greater ‘power’ than you, in a position to enforce laws, shun the less fortunate, to make a decision that will take the lives of many, to neglect their human spirit in exchange for wealth and power, never believe that that makes them more worthy, more intelligent or ‘right’. We, everyone, all ages, all races, need to question those in power, and speak up.
Headspace, and physical space, in my opinion should be a priority in everyone’s life. Take time out, by yourself, to allow your thoughts to drift, and be unobstructed by pressures and opinions that are not necessarily your own.

“Very few people on the planet have the opportunity to even follow their dreams at all. Most people live in poverty, or in communities where the repercussions for behaving how they want are a lot worse than people just talking shit. If doing what you want is an option for you, you should do it, because you’re one of the few lucky people who can. And even if you fail, you will be in a better position than if you’d never tried. Every horrible thing that has ever happened to me has added integrity to my art and improved my understanding of the human race.”

The above was said by Grimes, apparently. I love these words so much, and I love them even more knowing that she said them. I also love her. Have been a big fan of hers for a while, and then I got to see her live earlier this year in Glasgow, and now I am slightly obsessed. She is so amazing. She exudes energy, creativity, and complete and utter individuality. But anyway, she is right. If there is even a small, tiny strand of hope, window of opportunity or thread of chance that you can do what you want to do, you have to grab it with both hands and chase it until you can do so no more. I think the majority of people that aren’t happy, are unhappy because either they don’t know what they truly want, or they aren’t trying to get it, and have decided that it is not possible before they have even tried, which is insane when you think about it, and also because they cannot see how lucky they are with everything that they already have.

I put the above photo on my Instagram earlier, and not that that can sum up how I was feeling today. But I was feeling insanely thankful, and a tad overwhelmed, which happens to me a lot actually. Through a few things I have done over the past year, and things people very close to me have done, I have not had to tread far to witness first hand how unfortunate some people are, how fragile their lives are, how much they got the opposite of a head start in life. It makes my heart bleed, and break, and want to envelope them in all the love in the world. I want to take all their pain away, and stop all the pain that I know is still to come for them. But I know I can’t. I can try, and there are some things I can try and do within my power to help them. But I can’t live their life for them. And if I didn’t feel grateful for so much in my life before, which I did, I now feel even more so. I feel so blessed, so lucky, so fortunate. Rather than feeling some sense of guilt or sadness that for some reason I have been more fortunate in some ways than them, I see it as a chance to be even more grateful, and instead to take advantage of my situation. And to me that means spreading my own positive energy as far and wide as I possibly can. Whether that be through my work, or by each and every time I come in to contact with any other person. Which is not always easy to do, I have my bad days as well. But rather than dwell on those, I try to cherish the good days, the good moments, and hold on to them as long as I can, and to let them radiate to anyone I can connect with.

And until I figure out how to take their pain away, that is all I can do. That, and encourage everyone else to be more compassionate, to think before you judge someone, because you literally do not know what burdens they carry, you do not know what they have been through, you can only try to imagine, but until you have walked a day in their shoes, be kind, be more accepting, and the world will do the same for you.

To come back to the point of ‘The best things in life aren’t things’. The best things I know I have been given are by people. I have been brought up with stability, with a family around me, and with that, so much support, and I know how rare and splendid a thing to have had that is. And through many ways, that has given me love, so much love, and I know that has made me capable of feeling and understanding love, as well as understanding how important it is for everyone to have. So if you are dwelling on the money you feel like you don’t have, or the materials things that you crave for so much, take a step back and look at the people in your life, the love that is hopefully there all around you, and that you can give back to others. Showing someone you care, giving them your time, is more valuable than anything you could every buy them.

– Holly

Good will prevail.

In light of the awful things that are happening/ have happened in Paris, and indeed all around the world, all the time, we must not give up hope. In my opinion violence is never the answer or solution to combat anything. So if you are feeling hopeless, please think that there IS something you can do, by cultivating HOPE and LOVE and spreading it to EVERYONE in your life, all the time, in this way, you can help. If you think this is silly, just try imagining if everyone you knew did this, to everyone they knew, all the time. I am not saying that the world would change over night, but there would inevitably be a positive impact.This may only be a small step, but if you do nothing else, at least do this. It is something we can all do, and demonstrates that we are not giving up, or giving in, but taking action in the right direction. And maybe from there more solutions will become apparent. The world does not need more anger, greed, jealousy or violence, it needs love, compassion, and HOPE.

Notes on Meditation 2.

beautiful 1

I would like to start out by making clear that the following is simply an accumulation of my own thoughts and interpretations on what I have learnt so far, following on from my earlier post about meditation. I am calling this notes of mediation to continue with my previous post, however what I will talk about will also be about buddhism, and mindfulness etc, but all three are interlinked and basically stem from the same ideas.

Also want to say that this may all come out in a slightly jumbled way (as usual), as my thoughts tumble around my head, of which there are so many, and I don’t always know which ones to bring to the forefront. What I do know however, is the more I learn about Buddhism and related topics, the more I find the teachings so fascinating, and at the same time so simple, yet daunting in their profound meaning. For example, the saying that everything is a state of mind is in one way so obvious to me, so simple when you think about it, everything is only ever how you perceive it to be, two people could have witnessed or experienced the exact same thing, and yet they will both interpret it entirely differently.

I mentioned in my first post that there are many benefits to meditation. And whilst meditation is something you generally sit down/ lie down and do, mindfulness, in my words, is how you apply that to your everyday life. In theory, if we begin to develop a greater awareness of our mind, our being, our body, each and every living thing, and living moment, we will start to be able to notice a lot more. You cannot fix something if 1. You do not know what is wrong with it, and 2. You do not understand how it works. So if you begin to be mindful of your thoughts, feelings, actions, words etc you are better equipped to see when something is about to be thrown off balance and through practice, ie mindfulness, you can start to understand how your own body and mind works and therefore try to break down bad habits of non virtuous states – for example anger, neediness, jealousy, depression, guilt. And instead start to cultivate virtuous states such as love, compassion and cherishing.

So, I think what I want to focus more on in this post is in fact mindfulness. Developing an awareness of the present moment. An awareness of your thoughts, feelings, your body, everything. If you think about it, it makes sense that this is pretty much now proven to have dramatically positive effects on your whole being. If you are watching, and listening, you are more likely to notice and be able to stop it before you get angry, or start to self pity, or self loathing. The point I would like to make, which I made in a similar way in my first post, is that if you notice that actually you weren’t very nice to that person today, or you really shouldn’t have said that thing, or lost your temper the way you did, instead of beating yourself up about it, and wallowing in it, and therefore continuing on the downward spiral, and therefore continuing to attract bad future karma into your life, try to let it go and simply notice that you would not like to act like that/ talk like that again. Otherwise if you beat yourself up about it, you are creating guilt, a non virtuous state which creates self loathing. Buddhism/mindulness is about showing love and compassion towards others, but it actually all starts with showing love and compassion towards yourself.

For so many reasons you must try and show yourself love, and compassion. Not in a self involved or obsessed vain way, but in a way that means you do not talk down to yourself, do not have this inner dialogue where you are constantly putting yourself down and being hard on yourself for all the things you haven’t yet done, or all the things you haven’t yet achieved, or all the things you wish you were/ weren’t. Put quite simply, if you do not love yourself, who else will? The more you radiate a positive glow, a contentedness in yourself and your state, the more you will attract positive things and positive people into your life. If you are constantly wallowing in self pity and self doubt, even if those around you love your dearly, it becomes hard for them to always show it, and it can be draining to be around people like this. It is a matter of slowly trying to change your mindset, focusing on the good, following the ‘light’ and not getting bogged down with trying to be someone else or something else.

At nearly, if not all, of the meditation classes I have been to so far, the teacher starts of by saying that virtually everyone in the whole world wants the same thing. And this alone should bring us closer and realise how connected we all are. And this ‘thing’, is that everyone wants to be happy. It is just that people have different beliefs, or understandings as to how to go about that, or how to get that. A lovely thought that came up in a teaching was this idea of developing a realisation that it’s ok to find joy from food, shopping, sex, alchohol etc but knowing that it will never bring about permanent joy. These states of lust, or excitement or adrenaline, or sudden joy, they are not true happiness. The way they define it in Buddhism, in my interpretation, is that if you had endless amounts of any of the things I mentioned above, would you keep on being happy? Yes it can be fun to go out and dance, and drink with your friends, but if you did it ALL the time, would you be happy? Or how about that chocolate cake or pizza that you love so much, would you be happy if you ate endless amounts of it? What they instead say is that true happiness does not come from any external factor. True happiness is already within you in the form of deep inner peace, like a vast expanse of blue sky. But unfortunately that sky tends to get clouded over with grey clouds a lot of the time, but the blue sky is always there behind it….

Which leads on to my next point… the ultimate aim of meditation is to reach ‘enlightenment’, and be in this blissful state of happiness/ inner peace, all the time. And something a teacher said recently made so much sense to me, he said that instead of thinking of enlightenment or ‘nirvana’ as this unreachable/ inconceivable place that we need to work for years to get to, or travel miles to get to, instead, think of those little slices of peace and joy throughout your daily life – noticing these is basically practicing mindfulness. Try to notice the fresh air you breathe in when you go outside, the cool breeze on your skin, the sun as it shines through the clouds, the colours in the flowers, the blossom on the trees, the clouds and their amazing formations, the smile from someone you love, the words you shared with a friend, the water you drank this morning, the water on your skin in the shower, the feeling of being wrapped up in bed at the end of a long day.. I could go on, but these small things, these lovely warm feelings of peace and contentment, try and start to pay more attention to them, try to notice them throughout your day, and nurture them, cultivate them, give them attention and they will grow and grow and grow until there is only peaceful / peace – filled moments – THIS is nirvana. It is not some magical land in a parallel universe, the roots of it are already within us, we just need to help them grow and come to the surface.

“Joy has to do with seeing how big, how completely unobstructed, and how precious things are. Resenting what happens to you and complaining about your life are like refusing to smell the wild roses when you go for a walk, or like being so blind that you don’t see a huge black raven when it lands in the tree that you’re sitting under. We can get so caught up in our own personal pain or worries that we don’t notice that the wind has come up or that somebody has put flowers on the dining room table or that when we walked out in the morning, the flags weren’t up, and that when we came back, they were flying. Resentment, bitterness, and holding a grudge prevent us from seeing and hearing and tasting and delighting”

– Pema Chodron from the book, ‘The Wisdom of No Escape’ … which I have been reading and re-reading and will for sure be writing about within more blog posts in the future. It is an easy to read gold mine of wonderful Buddhist teachings!

smell the roses

Unfortunately there is a pattern by which most people in modern day society go about their lives, we are constantly trying hard to either make the things happen that we want, or avoid the things that we don’t want to happen. We are constantly going about (in a rushed and often hap hazard way) our days and lives trying to ‘fix’ everything, saying things like ‘when I have more money I’ll do this and that… and then I’ll be happy’, or when I have a new job I’ll be happy, or a new partner, or when I loose weight or when I get this or buy that. We continually place our happiness on external things, or on other people. We must realise that these things, or people will never fix us, it doesn’t matter where you go, or what you have, or who you are with, if you are not happy and content, and peaceful within yourself, you will never be happy. You may feel temporary joy or excitement, but it will fade again and you will keep looking for the next thing, for more money, for a better body, or a better boyfriend or job or car or bla bla bla… Placing this pressure on a thing or person is referred to in Buddhism as attachment, or ‘grasping’. And I think it just takes practice to take yourself out of your own head and realise that the answer does not lie in something outside of yourself. You already have everything you need to be happy. Think about that. Enjoy the right now, this moment, and be grateful for it all. Try not to lean on someone else or something else for security or happiness. We all do it, but the more you do it, the more you stray from a deep inner connection, a peace with yourself and your world, as it is now, right now.

There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, there is only ever today, here, now, right now. That is all we ever have. Tuesday does not exist. Tomorrow never comes.

twitter: @hollysharpe

Hello May.

rom my Instagram.

May is here.

Definitely one of my favourite months of the year, usually anyway. But let’s say it will be again, because it is always best to try and start of the month (or 6 days into the month…) on a positive note!

So, happy May everyone! I have NO idea where the rest of this year has evaporated to so far, but that’s ok, because today is a new day, and a new start. So here’s to embracing change, embracing the speed at which life races by, and letting go to the pressure of feeling like you aren’t in control of that. Here is to trying to not resist anything, and to being open and with a love filled heart to everything, and everyone, that comes into your life. Because I am fast believing that is the best way to be, but it takes practice for sure.

April was a good month for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the three workshops I did, thank you so much to everyone that came to them! It really was so wonderful to meet so many lovely new people, and of course be amongst creative people. I am pretty sure all the workshops went well and everyone that came enjoyed themselves, so I will definitely try and do some more later in the year. I also continued with my plan, alongside the fashion illustration workshops, to do as many new fashion drawings as I could. I learnt a lot from this, and the whole process, almost re-learning what works best for me, and what materials I like etc… Needless to say I didn’t do as many as I wanted to… and am still trying to finish a few of them, and working on a few that I have enlarged from small sketches to A2 size drawings… I hope to round it all up soon and post them online when I have the time, oh time!

Anyway, here’s to new beginnings! May they be bright and adventure filled for you all!


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What is Miscrave?

This little nook online is for any one topic I may wish to discuss. The content is rather miscellaneous yet stirring like a rave, hence the name MiscRave. The site doesn’t focus on any specific topic; I like to do analysis on markets and where things are heading but I may be distracted and talk about, music, TV shows, movies, figures, video games, philosophy, politics, nostalgia, the 90s, travelling, videos, entertainment, comics, anime, economics, physics, french and whatnot. You’ll find recurring themes through out but also plenty of oddballs from time to time. This is just one digital stop on the information superhighway that needs to be made.

Who are you?

I’m sdp. And as a true internaut who’s surfed on the world wide web for years I’m mostly known by that name online.  I studied economics and have lived in a few different countries. I enjoy learning and making new things.  I love music, technology, philosophy, science,  fictional characters, martial arts, and dinosaurs. I’m a bit of a nerd so I enjoy researching and analyzing stuff.

How can I contact you?

You can contact me by email: sdp@miscrave.com

You can also follow my latest mishaps on twitter:  0sdp

What can I really find on MiscRave?

I like to write about things  that you can’t really find in other places online, since they either get ignored or are not even given a discussion. This can be about forgotten topics, unpopular opinions, alternate analysis to the mainstream ones.

You won’t find in many places where someone is willing to discuss the continuity of neglected franchises, analyzing things with facts and not emotions, giving reality checks, recompiling information lost in the shuffle and remembering old videos buried by time. Anything obscure is fair game. You’ll also be recommended music of different genres along the way to expand our musical tastes and we have French Corner.

How often is the site/podcast updated?

A post is usually made every day but life happens and can get in the way. New episodes of the podcast  arrive every Wednesday.

What is MiscRave French Corner?

It’s a project of trying to learn as much French as we can in one year, come join us and learn a new language.  We have at least one French learning related post every Friday and a French related post pops up every once in a while other days. We also have English Corner if you want to learn English.

Aimez-vous les icônes twitter de néon?

J’adore les icônes twitter néon colorées

Crave it


EU says deepening ties with climate pact members after U.S. withdraws

LUXEMBOURG, June 19 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Monday it was deepening its alliances with other signatories of the Paris climate accord to ensure its implementation, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's demands to renegotiate the pact.

Trump's announcement on June 1 that he wished to renegotiate the terms of the landmark 195-nation deal - the first to oblige all nations to limit greenhouse gas emissions - was met with dismay the other countries who signed the agreement.

The EU pledged to team up with China, the world's largest polluter, to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

The Paris accord is "fit for purpose and cannot be renegotiated," the foreign ministers of the bloc's 28 nations said in a joint statement. They were meeting in Luxembourg.

"The Council (of ministers) deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the United States administration to withdraw from the Paris Agreement," they said.

The EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting that the bloc had on Monday adopted "very strong language" to underline the need to adhere to the commitments stipulated in the climate agreement.

"We are building strong global alliances to make sure that the Paris agreement, will be upheld, even after Trump's decision to step back," Mogherini said.

Trump has said participating in the pact would undermine the U.S. economy, wipe out jobs, weaken national sovereignty and put his country at a permanent disadvantage.

But EU ministers stressed the pact "allows each party to forge its own path".

The forging of stronger global alliances on the back of Trump's decision to withdraw from the pact has led to speculation that the United States' international clout and status will suffer significantly in the years to come. (Reporting by Robin Emmott in luxembourg; Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)


Last week, Safeway (NYSE:SWY) made a presentation (pdf file) to a group of institutional investors. The presentation, which the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provides some interesting insights into how Safeway is positioning its stock to large investors and into its strategy to defend its business against Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and other discounters.

In the first part of the presentation, entitled "Committed to Creating Superior Shareholder Returns," the company argues that long-term returns have been greater than the market and than its "peer group," which includes Alberstons (NYSE:ABS), Kroger (NYSE:KR), A&P (NYSE:GAP), Ahold (NYSE:AHO), and Winn-Dixie (NYSE:WIN).

Over the current CEO's tenure, from Oct. 1992 to April 2004, Safeway has returned 667% versus 239% for the S&P 500 and 80% for its peer group. While the company concedes that in more recent years (since April 1999), it has significantly underperformed the S&P 500, the presentation reassures potential investors that "recent share price performance is in line with our peer group." Looking at it that way, the stock perhaps doesn't sound like a bad investment.

But the real comparison should not be against other struggling business models in the "peer group," but against new, innovative retailers like Wal-Mart and Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFMI). In April 1999, $100 invested in Whole Foods would be worth $315 today and worth $132 if invested in Wal-Mart. Invested in Safeway, that $100 would be down to $44.

The presentation also provides some insight into how Safeway and other traditional grocery stores are trying to fight back against discounters. The strategy articulated by Safeway is two-pronged. First, it is "positioning for long-term competitiveness," which is no more than a fancy way of saying that the company is trying to cut costs wherever it can. Also, it is "creating a superior retail offering," which involves a series of actions taken to try to create differentiation, with higher-quality perishables and better service as the key factors.

In my opinion, the strategy is doomed to fail on both fronts. Conventional grocery stores will simply never be able to match the low-cost structure of Wal-Mart or Costco (NASDAQ:COST). And they certainly won't be able to create meaningful differentiation in perishables and service as they squeeze concessions from their workers or cut costs in other ways. Discerning customers increasingly have the option to shop at high-end stores like Whole Foods, where the quality of the perishables and service are significantly better than at a conventional grocery store. Stores like Safeway are simply stuck in the middle, and they are fighting a losing battle.

With the stock valued at an enterprise value-to-EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) number of 8.4, it's clear that certain investors are buying Safeway's story. But a more critical look at its recent presentation indicates that the viability of the underlying business model is questionable and that its strategy to defend against innovative retailers is fundamentally flawed.

Costco is an existing Motley Fool Stock Advisor selection, and Whole Foods is a former one. Check the newsletter out for six months, risk-free.

Fool contributor Salim Haji lives in Denver, Colo., and owns shares of Costco and Whole Foods.


Servizio Comunitario di Informazione in materia di Ricerca e Sviluppo - CORDIS

Transport phenomena in binary gas mixtures

The fundamental purpose of the research programme concerns theoretical and experimental studies of transport phenomena in binary gas mixtures: rare gas-simple polyatomic gas. Experiments on concentration diffusion and thermal diffusion in helium-carbon monoxide and argon-carbon monoxide systems have been carried out in a two bulbs apparatus at a pressure of 0.5 atmospheres. Data have been obtained for the concentration diffusion coefficient, D12 , and for the thermal diffusion factor, alphaT, for five temperatures in the range 308-356 K and, at each temperature, for three concentrations of the heavy component close to 25, 50 and 75 %. Theoretical comparisons for the system helium-carbon monoxide have already been studied, assuming the infinite order sudden approximation (IOSA) for the ab initio calculations. Seven potential energy surfaces have been considered: Thomas, Kraemer and Diercken potential (TKD potential); Gianturco et al. modification of the TKD potential (POT-11 potential); LeRoy et al. empirical anisotropic potentials, V(3,3,3) and XC9 ; three potentials proposed by Gianturco and Paesani calculated ab initio on the basis of the Hartrie-Fock approximation and on the theory of the density function. Ab initio calculations for potential energy surfaces for the argon-carbon monoxide system is intended. Experiments have also been carried out on concentration diffusion and thermal diffusion in mixtures of technical interest, namely in two helium-fluorocarbon systems that are important in environment studies related with the ozone layer of the Earth's atmosphere.


You are herePrograms/Services / Indigenous Justice Program / Indigenous Justice Circles

Indigenous Justice Circles

Services Provided

One of the major focuses of the program is the circle process. Circles are provided as an alternative to formal court process that is more inclusive of the needs of the Aboriginal communities and offender.

1.  Conflict-Resolution Circle

This Circle Process provides willing individuals the opportunity to actively address their conflict within an environment that supports healing. This Process will enable people to resolve conflict before it becomes a criminal activity, or to prevent conflict that is arising in the community. This Circle can be provided one-on-one or in a group setting.

2.  Early Intervention Circle

This Circle Process is designed for offenders at the pre-charge and post-charge stage of criminal proceedings. It enables the offender to have their criminal prevention of further criminal activity. It relies on the input from the community and victim to craft recommendations which will provide a healing process for the offender, the victim, and the community.

3.  Sentencing Circle

Sentencing Circles are used when the accused is to be sentenced for crime(s) committed. The Circles can either be part of the formal court system with the judge being present or can be held outside of the formal court without the judge being present. If the judge is not present the recommendations from the Circle are presented to the sentencing judge for consideration, although the recommendations from the Sentencing Circle are not binding.

4.  Healing Circle

Healing Circles provide healing and in some cases mediation. A crime does not need to take place to participate in this Circle. These Circles can be provided in jails and youth centres and can have as few as 3 people involved.

5.  Reintegration Circle

A reintegration circle is used to assist the individual who is coming out of custody that needs help reintegrating back into the community by providing support and resources to ensure a successful transition.


This is documentation for Mathematica 5, which was
based on an earlier version of the Wolfram Language.
View current documentation (Version 11.2)

Documentation / Mathematica / Built-in Functions / New in Version 5.0 / Numerical Computation /

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot[lhs==rhs, x, ] searches for a numerical solution to the equation lhs==rhs, starting with x=.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot[, , ... , x, , y, , ... ] searches for a numerical solution to the simultaneous equations .

FilledSmallSquare If the starting point for a variable is given as a list, the values of the variable are taken to be lists with the same dimensions.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot returns a list of replacements for x, y, ... , in the same form as obtained from Solve.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot has attribute HoldAll.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot[lhs==rhs, x, , ] searches for a solution using and as the first two values of x, avoiding the use of derivatives.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot[lhs==rhs, x, xstart, xmin, xmax] searches for a solution, stopping the search if x ever gets outside the range xmin to xmax.

FilledSmallSquare If you specify only one starting value of x, FindRoot searches for a solution using Newton methods. If you specify two starting values, FindRoot uses a variant of the secant method.

FilledSmallSquare If all equations and starting values are real, then FindRoot will search only for real roots. If any are complex, it will also search for complex roots.

FilledSmallSquare You can always tell FindRoot to search for complex roots by adding 0. I to the starting value.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot[expr, ... ] will search for a root of the equation expr==0.

FilledSmallSquare The following options can be given:

FilledSmallSquare The default settings for AccuracyGoal and PrecisionGoal are WorkingPrecision/2.

FilledSmallSquare The setting for AccuracyGoal specifies the number of digits of accuracy to seek both in the value of the position of the root, and the value of the function at the root.

FilledSmallSquare The setting for PrecisionGoal specifies the number of digits of precision to seek in the value of the position of the root.

FilledSmallSquare FindRoot continues until either of the goals specified by AccuracyGoal or PrecisionGoal is achieved.

FilledSmallSquare If FindRoot does not succeed in finding a solution to the accuracy you specify within MaxIterations steps, it returns the most recent approximation to a solution that it found. You can then apply FindRoot again, with this approximation as a starting point.

FilledSmallSquare See Section 1.5.7, Section 1.6.3 and Section 3.9.6.

FilledSmallSquare Implementation Notes: see Section A.9.4.

FilledSmallSquare See also: NSolve, Solve, FindMinimum, FindInstance.

FilledSmallSquare Related package: NumericalMath`InterpolateRoot`.

FilledSmallSquare New in Version 1; modified in 5.0.

Further Examples