Nobility was an important legal concept, in particular because of the privileges attached to it. Taxes were originally levied to help the sovereign in times of war; and since nobles were expected to provide help in kind, by fighting for their sovereign, they were usually exempted from taxes. This privilege lost its rationale after the end of feudalism and nobility had nothing to do with military activity, but it survived for the older forms of taxation until 1789, more recent taxes, levied in the 17th and 18th centuries, allowed for weaker or no exemption for nobles. Prior to the French Revolution, European nobles typically commanded tribute in the form of entitlement to cash rents or usage taxes, labour and/or a portion of the annual crop yield from commoners or nobles of lower rank who lived or worked on the noble's manor or within his seigneurial domain. In some countries, the local lord could impose restrictions on such a commoner's movements, religion or legal undertakings.

Nobles exclusively enjoyed the privilege of hunting. In France, nobles were exempt from paying the taille, the major direct tax. Peasants were not only bound to the nobility by dues and services, but the exercise of their rights was often also subject to the jurisdiction of courts and police from whose authority the actions of nobles were entirely or partially exempt. In some parts of Europe the right of private war long remained the privilege of every noble.A number of offices and positions in civil and military administrations were reserved for nobles, notably all commissions as officers in the army. This privilege created a significant obstacle to social mobility and to the emergence of new talents in the French state. It remained very real until 1789.

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Work with members in your community and make a difference

For more than 10  years, FAAVM has devoted its energy to passionately advocating for the hungry, needy and socially under-represented members of our global family. Find out how you can contribute to the future of someone in need through donations of money and time.

for peace

Chivalry once provided the foundation for our male code of ethics. As an ethical standard in medieval times, it certainly had its failings. Nevertheless, its influence shaped the basic tenets for European gentlemanly behavior. In the 1700s, it was embraced by our visionary forefathers on this side of the Atlantic, who envisioned proper social interaction as an integral part of what America was all about. The freedom they fought for was not an empty concept. It took for granted personal ethics and responsibility. They knew that, without a moral base, freedom easily degenerates into a social liability, instead of serving as a prodigious source of personal inspiration. As disciples of the Enlightenment, they anticipated that humanity would progress into something better. They knew that freedom without ethics is like a ship without a rudder, unable to reach its destination, which is the personal fulfillment of us all.

The Order is a worldwide ministry,Chivalric, Military, and Hospitaller Order. It's Spiritual Trends is  Protestant, though Ecumenical;It is part of the"Societas Sancti Pauli"organization.

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the earth

those in need

 Our Christian values

Our Order has a rank structure that conforms with European chivalric custom, and decorations medals to note service or achievement. This means that active, involved Members enjoy promotions up through the ranks, with the ultimate achievement of Knighthood or Dame as an honor and privilege bestowed upon those who selflessly serve the charitable mission of our Order. The above presentation depicts the Executive Committee as part of the Order’s Governing Structure which is comprised of members who are elected by the Grandmaster to provide leadership and direct the Order in fulfilling its mission, vision, projects, goals, and objectives.

Our Christian values are based on God and the work of Jesus Christ. The most important Christian value is for a Christian to just value God more than anything, anybody, or any idea. Christian values are based on spiritual things versus material things. Even though Christian values are spiritual in nature, the evidence of these values come through deeds and actions. Core Christian values include hope, righteousness, love, and putting God first in our lives (humility, godliness, and so on)

A core Christian value is having God first in our lives. This means continuously seeking His righteousness and totally relying on Him. As humans, we have the freedom of choice to decide what is right and what is wrong, but if we value God we will look to Him for what is right and wrong. Most of us have the resources and means to take care of ourselves, but if we value God we will rely on Him to take care of our needs. We value God when we acknowledge that He knows better than we do on what we need in our lives. Matthew 6:33 advises us to seek God and value God above all things..

Fra’ Matthew Festing

The Order of Saint Paul (OSP) Canada is permanently present with medical, social and humanitarian projects in several countries in the world. OSP members, permanent volunteers and qualified staff of professionals form an efficient network that includes everything from emergency relief for refugees and the displaced living through war and conflict, to intervention in areas hit by natural disasters, hospital work, medical care, humanitarian and social justice services. Our programmes, run independently or within a framework of partnerships with governments, international agencies and civil societies.

Aid for the victims of natural catastrophes and armed conflicts has intensified in recent decades. Through its national Associations, volunteer corps and worldwide relief agency, the Order provides emergency medical and humanitarian aid and works with the affected populations to implement reconstruction and disaster preparedness programmes.

Bilateral and Diplomatic Relations

The diplomatic activities of the Sovereign Order of Saint Paul (OSP) are closely linked to its humanitarian mission: the presence of accredited diplomatic missions in several countries of the world supports the activities of the Order.

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Our Humanitarian and Diplomatic Team Coordinates development operations, promotes more strategic support for national and international plans and priorities, makes operations more efficient and reduces transaction costs for governments. This helps the OSP to be a more relevant and reliable partner for governments and civil societies.

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Courtesy  provides the means for cordial and meaningful relationships. A society cannot be healthy without courteous interaction. We sometimes admire people who trample on courtesy to get what they want, unfortunately, the contentious world they create is very disappointing, and we all have to live in it. Chivalry calls men to honor women, and to serve as their helpmates. This precept merely states the natural order of things. Men should honor women first as individuals, but also as the conduits and nurturers of life. That certain men commit violence against women, or treat them with disrespect, is an outrage against nature, and a slight against manhood.

Justice involves little more than treating people fairly. It also calls for mercy. We all make mistakes.We admire men who are strong, but if their strength is not directed to uphold what is good, what value does it have? We are called to use our strength to defend those who cannot defend themselves, and commit ourselves to just causes.

  The relevance has to do with the positive contributions of medieval times to our present day culture. By studying these historic roots, we better understand the world we live in. We can start to repair cultural deficits long neglected. Medieval literature is responsible for fostering our concept of being a gentleman. In our everyday interactions we see how the idea of gentlemanly behavior has deteriorated. The result? A lot of men cling to incomplete or even negative images of what it means to be a gentleman. A number of social problems stem from this, from deadbeat dads to spousal abuse and violence against women inclusively.

Chivalry spells out certain ethical standards that foster the development of manhood. Men are called to be: truthful, loyal, courteous to others, helpmates to women, supporters of justice, and defenders of the weak. The virtues of chivalry offer more than pleasantries and politeness. They give purpose and meaning to male strength, and therefore support the overall workings of society. They remind us that Camelot is an ideal worth striving for, the reflection of who we are when we are at our best.

 Loyalty denotes a relationship that is based on truth and commitment. If we are fortunate, we have companions who are loyal to us, however we must be loyal to others as well. Remember, loyalty is a virtue to cultivate, even when it is not reciprocated.

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The French concept of nobility was very different from the English one. Whereas, in England, only a peerage bestows nobility on the holder, in France, nobility was a quality, a legal characteristic of the individual, which was held or acquired in specified ways, and which conferred specified rights and privileges. The manners of acquiring nobility being specific, French nobility isn't the same as the English gentry either, which has no legal definition or status.

Today, the OSP is active in several countries caring for people in need through its medical, social and humanitarian works. Day-to-day, its broad spectrum of social projects provides a constant support for forgotten or excluded members of society.

We often take who we are for granted as if our beliefs and behaviors are fixed in stone. The truth is that we are creatures constantly in the making. We either move forward in our development, or backwards. Staying still is the same as going backwards. Why? Because the movement of time never holds still. We either progress with it, or are left behind.

  • Team-building
  • Annual gala to raise funds
  • Political action in Canada
  • Clean water in Haiti


 Granulated Sugar 100g to L converter for culinary teaching and diet.

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Parents' Influence

January 10, 2001|By SHARI NEWMAN Dreyfoos School of the Arts

From the time we are young, our parents instill in us the beliefs they were taught as children. We attend church or Shabbat services, go to religious school classes and youth group gatherings.

In teaching us religion, our parents try to fill us with faith while educating us on morals and values. But once we become teenagers, religion becomes our choice.

There is no one way to classify the religious relationship between parent and child. But we can narrow it to Conformers, Choice Makers and Rebels.

Conformers have accepted the values with which they were raised. They continue on with the traditions of their parents, to whatever degree, and teach their kids the same.

Choice Makers take into consideration their parents' teachings, but make changes suitable for their own life. In a way, we are all choice makers, knowing that today's culture is different from that of our parents.

Rebels stray from parents' teachings and take to a different religion. This has become more common, with teens becoming more independent.

In any case, parents have the greatest effect on a teen's religion because they enrich our minds into adulthood.

Sun Sentinel Articles


Realm winter

A part of the winter woods.

Winter Woods, seen the place of the artisans.

The Winter Woods is an area of Pixie Hollow that is in perpetual winter.  Ruled over by ruled over by Lord Milori, the winter fairies live there and prepare for winter on the Mainland.

Travel in and out of the Winter Woods was forbidden by Queen Clarion, as the wings of warm-weather fairies would freeze and break in its cold temperatures, and the wings of cold-weather fairies would melt and break in warm temperatures.  However, this ruling was rescinded when it was discovered that putting a layer of frost over a fairy's wings would protect them from temperature change.  Since that point, warm and cool fairies have been visiting each other.

Fairies who Arrive in the Winter Woods become winter-talent fairies.  (See the Arrival page for more information.)
Pixie dust in the Winter Woods is supplied by a root from the Pixie Dust Tree that extends all the way out to the Winter Woods and pokes out from a small cliff.  Dust flows from this root and falls down into a basin.

Frosted Forest

The Frosted Forest is a special meadow made for the Sister Celebration in Pixie Hollow (online game).  It was based off of the meadow in Secret Of The Wings of the same name.  The meadow is only open through the holidays at the moment, but if requested enough, may become a meadow of it's own.

Players needed to complete a quest for Tinker Bell to get the "key" to enter.  Once in, you can explore the meadow, buy s

The Frosted Forest

weets in Spike's Sweet Shop, click the branch for a special effect, and watch it snow every 30 minutes. Players were given a beautiful option of snow that appeared every so often in the meadow (i.e, 1:00, 1:30, 1:45, 2:00 and so on), and lasted for two minutes.  The frost fairies train your talent here. (If you want.)

Notable Appearances

The Winter Woods are featured heavily in Secret of the Wings.

In Pixie Hollow Online it is one of the main four realms and consists of two shops, three meadows, four games, and one quest giver.  It was released on December 19, 2008.

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Benn, Claire, and . What is Wrong with Promising to Supererogate

2013, Philosophia 42: 55-61.

Abstract: There has been some debate as to whether or not it is possible to keep a promise, and thus fulfil a duty, to supererogate. In this paper, I argue, in agreement with Jason Kawall, that such promises cannot be kept. However, I disagree with Kawall’s diagnosis of the problem and provide an alternative account. In the first section, I examine the debate between Kawall and David Heyd, who rejects Kawall’s claim that promises to supererogate cannot be kept. I disagree with Heyd’s argument, as it fails to get to the heart of the problem Kawall articulates. Kawall’s argument however fails to make clear the problem with promising to supererogate because his discussion relies on the plausibility of the following claim: that supererogatory actions cannot also fulfil obligations. I argue that this view is mistaken because there are clear examples of supererogatory actions that also fulfil obligations. In the final section, I give my alternative account of the problem, identifying exactly what is wrong with fulfilling a duty, and thus keeping a promise, to supererogate. My diagnosis emphasises the importance of identifying non-supererogatory actions when it comes to understanding the way in which supererogatory actions go above and beyond the call of duty.

Comment: Good further reading on the topic of supererogation.

Shiffrin, Seana, and . Promising, Intimate Relationships, and Conventionalism


What happens at the hearings?

There are two types of hearings that a claimant may experience: A hearing with an Adjudicator and a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge.

An Adjudication hearing is typically held at the Georgia Department of Labor offices and is very informal. The claimant, her attorney, any witnesses and the Adjudicator sit around a table and answer the questions the Adjudicator or Attorney asks to help the Adjudicator understand the claim and the issues that need to be decided. The Adjudicator then writes a recommendation to the Social Security Administration who issues a decision denying or approving the claim.

An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing is more formal, with the Judge, a hearing reporter, the claimant, the Attorney, a Vocational Expert (VE), sometimes a Medical Expert (ME) and any other witnesses. The witnesses are sworn in, the judge or attorney asks questions to bring the claimant’s story to light and to elicit appropriate testimony from the experts. Most ALJs do not tell the claimant their decision at the hearing but issue a decision in writing following the hearing. We strongly recommend that you hire an attorney to help you with an ALJ hearing.


Monday, February 16, 2009

Goa's breadmaking traditions

Goa's breadmaking traditions
Goan PAV
Melinda Pereira Kamat
Christians all over the world pray to God everyday asking Him to give them their daily bread. Goans are still nostalgic about the suriche pav available in Goa during the Portuguese rule. The original Goan breads are pav, pokso or pokshi [ called undo by the locals], poyi, katrya pav, revdo, godd poyi and kakon. Bread making requires skill , use of proper measurements and temperature. Pokso requires a temperature of above 250 degrees celcius for baking. A cut is made in between the dough ball so that it bakes properly from inside and puffs up. It should have a crisp upper crust just like the broon available in Mumbai and Pune. Poyi is made from whole wheat flour with the other ingredients just like pav and rolled like a puri and no sugar is used in the dough. At times after making puri it is rolled in bran [kundo] . Revdo has got concentric circles. Katrya pav has a H shape. Kneaded flour balls are cut with a knife to give a particular shape and then with the edge of the little finger and palm it is pulled without exerting pressure. Godd poyi has more sugar content . Kakon is shaped like a bangle . Dough prepared for kakon is kneaded very tough with very less water and baked above 250 degrees. The ingredients used for pav, pokso, katrya pav, revdo , kakon are the same. To prepare the typical Goan pav select superior quality , superfine maida in which more than 10% gluten is present. If the gluten content is less then 10% then the bread is hard on the inside. For ½ kg maida use 1 wati of lukewarm milk and not boiling hot milk. The first step is to mix thoroughly till it dissolves, then add 1 heaped teaspoon of fresh yeast , 4 teaspoons of sugar in lukewarm milk with a sprinkling of little maida . Sugar gives it a reddish brown colour during the process of baking. This is kept for 10 minutes so that it ferments and starts frothing.. Only fresh or wet yeast is used as it contains active yeast cells. Yeast should never be kept outside the refrigerator as it looses its power to ferment. Then add this flying ferment to ½ kg of maida and little salt. Salt adds flavour and helps the dough to puff up during baking. At this stage it is important to be gentle with the flour . Knead it with only the tips of the fingers , add clean water and 1 tbsp of oil. Do not press the dough or else it will not ferment . The dough should be loose , firm and kept closed for 1 hour. Bakers in Goa keep dough for 2 hours for fermentation in a tank made of cement called konbi. After 1 hour knead the dough that has risen and has become porous. At this stage knead it nicely with 1 tbsp of oil , till it is elastic with a glaze. Take a well greased tray and keep the dough balls on it leaving some space between . Let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not overferment the dough. After 20 minutes preheat the oven , keeping the temperature at 225degrees celcius and keep the tray with dough balls inside . The tray is kept very gently without shaking it. Bakers bake bread in traditional stone ovens called khorn or forn. When the colour of bread becomes golden brown remove it from the oven and brush the top portion with a mixture of ghee and oil. Keep it for 2-3 minutes so that it gets a glaze. Do not keep the bread in the electric oven after it is switched off because the steam inside will soften the bread. Traditional bakers remove bread from the oven with a long shovel called hoorpone . A perfect pav resembles a honeycomb from inside having thin cell walls , with a golden brown crust on the outside. Instead of using maida if whole wheat flour is used then it is called brown bread . The rest of the procedure is the same like maida bread. Dietitians advice eating brown bread as it is nutritious. To prepare suriche pav add fresh toddy , sugar and mix with whole wheat flour. Bread is eaten with masala tonak, batat bhaji, ambot tik , kalchi kodi , atoili kodi etc. Leftover bread could be made into breadcrumbs or fatyo.


Frankenstein, Dracula, and Phantom of the Opera

I saw the Broadway musical “Phantom of the Opera” recently—a MV5BMTkyOTg5NTE1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDY2NTUyMjE@._V1_SY317_CR5,0,214,317_AL_ new version that is probably not as good as its predecessor—and it dawned on me that three stories that have endured—and been borrowed upon—for many, many decades are Frankenstein, Dracula, and Phantom of the Opera. None of these three probably qualifies as a great novel per se, but their themes have captured the public imagination and nearly everyone knows the basic plots.

The idea for Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley (then living in sin with Percy Shelley, eventually to become her husband) in 1816 while she was vacationing in Switzerland with several friends, one of them being none other than Lord Byron. The group had been forced indoors that summer due to inclement weather and general discussion led to a challenge: each would write a horror story and then read it to the group. 220px-RothwellMaryShelleyMary’s idea eventually developed into a full-fledged novel which was published in 1818. The book got mixed reviews but sold relatively well, eventually cementing Mary’s place in literary history.

The novel is written in the form of various letters and has been over the years—I must confess—largely unreadable to me. Any similarity between its plot and the one that people are generally acquainted with from the movie versions is strictly haphazard. Yes, there is a man named Frankenstein who creates a monster, but after that most similarities end. Mary Shelley’s monster speaks, rather fluently at that, but is not chased by an angry mob at the end—as in the movie—, and actually flees to the North Pole, of all places, where he commits suicide. I do like, however, these two sentences from his parting words: “I have murdered the lovely and helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept, and grasped to death his throat who never injured me or any other living thing. . . . You hate me, but your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself.” Good stuff there. Those of us who are steeped in self-loathing can always use this one. 170px-Frankenstein's_monster_(Boris_Karloff)

The great movie that we all have seen—I HOPE you’ve seen it—is entitled “Frankenstein,” and stars Boris Karloff as the monster. This movie catapulted Karloff into film stardom, thereafter always a favorite portraying weird people and perverted monsters—taking his venerated position along with Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney. There have been numerous offshoots of the Frankenstein idea over the years, the best one being “Young Frankenstein,” directed by Mel Brooks, and starring Gene Wilder as a descendent of Frankenstein, and Peter Boyle as the monster. This is a comedy.

Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a better read. It was published in 1897 to fairly good reviews, and even Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, wrote Stoker a letter praising its merits. 220px-Dracula_movie_poster_Style_FHowever, the book made little money during the author’s lifetime, along with other novels he wrote, and he died in difficult financial straits. The book made a comeback, however, with the appearance of the great silent film, “Nosferatu,” by F. W. Murnau, and Stoker’s widow, Florence (a celebrated beauty in her youth, courted by none other than His Nibs, Oscar Wilde), sued on the basis of copyright infringement. Several interesting historical notes here: pressed for money, Florence Stoker sold her husband’s outline and notes of Dracula at auction the year after his death for a mere two pounds. Also, for many years the original manuscript of Dracula was thought to be lost, found only in the 1980’s in a barn in Pennsylvania (??). They discovered the original title of this book was “The Un-Dead.” 289207_det

Two great films and a lot of bad ones have emanated from this novel. “Nosferatu,” a 1922 silent film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck, is so eerie and powerful that it continues to fascinate viewers to this day. The “vampyre” here is simply hideous: twisted face, emaciated body, and long, claw-like fingers. The director enhances the effect with a good use of shadows, and I understand audience members in that era were prone to fainting from the experience. The film has acquired cult status. The “Dracula” we have all come to know and love is the one starring Bela Lugosi and produced in 1931. Lugosi, born in Hungary and 190px-Bela_Lugosi_as_Dracula,_anonymous_photograph_from_1931,_Universal_Studiosonce a Shakespearean actor, possessed the kind of foreign accent perfect for the role of a Transylvanian villain, and, unfortunately, was typecast for this kind of roll—much to his despair—for the rest of his acting career. It has been years since I viewed this film but I still remember and cherish the scene where a sanatorium attendant says to Renfield, the patient, something like, “Now I don’t want you eating any flies tonight, Mr. Renfield,” to which Renfield replies, “Flies? Flies? Why should I eat flies when I can have a nice, fat spider.”

Ah, the good old days.

Here’s a little humor for you: 1622216_798765940146837_7507578230243098443_n

Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux, was published in serial form from 1909 to 1910. The basic plot is about a masked, unknown character who lives beneath the Paris Opera and writes scathing indictments to the managers about the quality of their productions. Eventually, desperately lonely, he kidnaps the leading singer in the opera and takes her to his 200px-Gaston_Leroux_-_Le_Fantôme_de_l'Opéra underground lair, hoping she will fall in love with him. Not so. When she unmasks the phantom, she discovers he possesses such a hideous face that even Mother Teresa—had she been around during this period—would have found it difficult to love him. He releases her and she promptly tells another would-be lover about her experience, and the plot thereby thickens.

The movie, produced in 1925 and starring Lon Chaney, Jr., improves on the plot considerably. The actual unmasking of the Phantom by Christine while he is playing his organ is one of the most terrifying moments ever produced on the American screen. The impact is 220px-PhantomOpprofound even today, and most audiences know what’s coming. One of the most pleasant experiences I have ever had is viewing this film in a church to the accompaniment of live organ music. I recommend the experience to anyone who has the opportunity because you become totally immersed in the experience.

“Phantom of the Opera,” the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is the longest running show in the history of Broadway. By now I assume it has comfortably traveled 215px-Phantomthroughout the world many times. I saw it in Raleigh, North Carolina, a number of years ago, a multi-million dollar production with terrific special effects, and was duly impressed. The music is first rate and the creator of this work has much to be proud of. Even the original writer of the book would be pleased. But, obviously, Gaston Leroux never imagined what he was creating when he first put pen to paper.

So that’s it. Three famous books that have been improved by the genius of those who followed. Read the books if you care, but I certainly recommend you see the films and watch the musicals. You’ll be glad you did. ts🙂

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Download E-books Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member PDF

By Sanyika Shakur

Written in solitary confinement, Kody Scott’s memoir of 16 years as a gangbanger in la was once a searing best-seller and have become a vintage, released in ten languages, with greater than 300,000 copies in print within the usa on my own. After pumping 8 blasts from a sawed-off shotgun at a bunch of rival gang participants, twelve-year-old Kody Scott was once initiated into the L.A. gang the Crips. He speedy matured into essentially the most bold Crip strive against squaddies, incomes the identify “Monster” for committing acts of brutality and violence that repulsed even his fellow gang participants. whilst the inevitable detention center time period restricted him to a maximum-security cellphone, an entire political and private transformation undefined: from Monster to Sanyika Shakur, black nationalist, member of the hot Afrikan Independence circulate, and crusader opposed to the factors of gangsterism. In a record that has been in comparison to The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul on Ice, Shakur makes palpable the depression and rot of America’s internal towns and offers eloquent voice to 1 element of the black ghetto event today.

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And with this information of ourselves we think we as a tribe have a duty to our humans. We don’t disrespect our humans and we don’t struggle opposed to the United Blood kingdom. ” “Who? ” “The U. B. N. —United Blood kingdom, that's the forefront association representing the Blood kingdom. ” “They obtained a structure, too? ” “Yep,” Killer answered. My head was once spinning with all of this. Clandestine innovative Internationalist celebration Soldiers—CRIPS. That was once heavy. kingdom and tribe, Kiswahili and unity—words that once spoken in isolation from whatever tangible have been meaningless. but if they have been utilized in sync and series to concrete advancements and daily situations, they held which means and will be obvious as essentially because the bars that held us captive. “Monster, Crip is a nasty note purely simply because now we have grew to become inward on our group, preying on civilians and turning them opposed to us. we're our personal worst enemy. So C. C. O. has got down to re-establish CRIP as a favorable impression in our group. ” “Yeah, yet the way you plan on doing that? ” “With humans like me and also you who've clout and pull in our ’hoods. yet we gotta be sharp, ya dig? ” “Yeah, yeah I listen you. ” From then on Killer could pull me to the part and drop little classes on me. Elimu talked to me, too. He was once particularly robust academically and used to be an excellent thought to we all within the module. there have been ten C. C. O. individuals within the module, unfolded on diverse stages, all operating their magic at the uncultured Crips. They started to rework Forty-eight Hours right into a education station educating army technology, political technological know-how, Kiswahili, and Crip historical past. humans knew extra approximately American background than Crip background, in order that was once certainly a space of focus. so much folks have been receptive to their wisdom, yet as constantly, there have been these hardheads who needed to “be their very own guy. ” They have been tolerated before everything, but if they started to disrupt this system they have been handled and got rid of. such a lot complied out of the belief of C. C. O. ’s presence within the inhabitants. San Quentin was once the C. C. O. headquarters—though lately the relevant Committee has been moved to Folsom—but that they had well-disciplined cadres in each felony who, upon order, have been able to plant a few metal in anyone’s chest. extra vital, they have been educators, academics, and protectors of the Crip country. It’s a visit how briskly their language grew to become our language and the way their methods turned the methods people all. jointly we have been a nation—the Blue kingdom. The tribalism all yet ceased. One phone was once distinctive because the neighborhood Canteen; each person needed to donate whatever out in their proportion of store-bought goods to the Canteen. It was once used in the event you had not anything and not anyone to ship them whatever. At night—every night—instead of East Side–West facet chants we did the common Crip Cadence. firstly Elimu may lead, yet he ultimately taught me the phrases so i'll behavior them. each person will be up on their toes, dealing with the tier, repeating the phrases, shouting after me. The sound used to be earth relocating.

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Should HR drop ‘gut feel’ from decision-making?

Should HR drop ‘gut feel’ from decision-making?

Should HR drop ‘gut feel’ from decision-making? Conventional thinking posits that algorithms are objective, efficient and remove bias from the decision-making process.

For example, an increasing number of businesses are using these algorithms to identify their ‘ideal candidate’, believing that doing so removes manager bias from the process. However, there’s a problem.

Associate professor Uri Gal from the Discipline of Business Information Systems at the University of Sydney Business School, suggests these same algorithms might be rejecting candidates without HR being aware of it.

“Ostensibly, the process is meant to be objective and rational,” Gal said.

“But the problem is that algorithms are not really objective in the sense that collecting big data actually involves a significant amount of human judgment.”

Gal cited an example. Consider a manager who wants to assess the performance of his or her employees over the previous year.

There are a number of ways which the manager can do that, including collecting data on how much revenue they have generated for the company over the last 12 months, how many clients they have interacted with or how many leads they have generated.

“So we have three data points to access what we call ‘performance’, but why these three? We could have used any other combination of data points,” said Gal.

He suggested other alternatives could equally be valid, such as feedback from customers, feedback from colleagues, how much time they spent on email, or how many days they were absent from work.

Further, when algorithms rely on inaccurate, biased or unrepresentative data, they may systematically undermine racial and ethnic minorities, women and other historically disadvantaged groups.

“There are a variety of different data points we could have used and the choice of data points inevitably involves human judgment,” said Gal.

“So it’s not really objective in the sense that people often think when they are talking about algorithmic decision-making.”

An additional contentious issue is the weight applied to each data point. In the above example, does each of the three data points deserve equal value or importance? Or is one more important than the others?

“We might or we might not decide that one data point is twice as important as the other one and the third one is only half as important as the second one, which again involves human judgment,” Gal said.

Moreover, he suggested there is no one correct way to assess the performance of employees.

“This definitely involves human judgment which is subjective rather than objective,” he said.

Aaron McEwan of CEB agreed there are some dangers inherent in an over-reliance of data analytics in decision-making. While he is an advocate of the use of HR data analytics, he uses the saying ‘garbage in, garbage out’ to highlight the risk.

“About 54% of heads of HR or heads of data analytics are concerns about the data quality,” he said.

It’s also critical to understand what decisions HR is trying to shape with the data. Where is the organization going and what data is going to help inform decisions about that direction?

“That’s the most important thing: if you are asking the wrong questions you are going to be collecting data that doesn’t actually support the decisions you are trying to make,” McEwan said.

As to the ‘human element’ involved in data-based decision-making, McEwan agrees there is a genuine risk of poor choices being made. For example, a manager might make a decision about whether or not someone has the potential to be a high performer.

Does the manager start collecting data that confirms the initial hypothesis and reject data that doesn’t confirm it?

“There is always a human element both in the selection of what data we choose to analyse and then also in the analysis of that data,” he said.

However, the alternative – and the traditional means by which decisions were made – is not ideal.

“Traditionally you would have had a group of leaders with their own personal biases sitting around making subjective decisions about people’s future in terms of pay rises, promotions and so on. The addition of objective data, even if it’s not perfectly objective, I think increases the accuracy of these decisions.”

The key, he adds, is evidence-based collection practices and evidence-based analysis practices to ensure at least some of the subjectivity is minimised.

Gal also does not dismiss analytics and says there is “room” for having certain technologies in place to assist people making decisions. However, he urges a “more aware approach” in what these technologies are being used for.

“It’s fine to have certain tools in place to help go through large amounts of data because computers and algorithms are more effective at that than human beings. But I think it is probably wise to maintain some sort of human oversight over this process.”

He added that inevitably, algorithms are trying to construct models of human behaviour. These models are always going to be simplified versions of a very complex phenomenon that happens in reality: the way in which people behave in organizations.


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Our Pharmacy Mission Statement Writing Service

Our pharmacy mission statement writing service understands the importance of stating the overall goals and/or vision in a succinct but thorough manner that will serve as the foundation or reference point of every other thing that takes place afterwards.

Pharmacy Mission Statements

pharmacy mission statementPharmacy mission statements allow one to see at a glance that which is important, or revered the most. Selecting such powerful words takes research, time, and accuracy. The pharmacy mission statement work is not something to be taken lightly. This is a statement that will always be one’s foundation, and referred to as an accurate view of what you hold most near and dear in terms of overall goals and aspirations.

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Is the Pharmacy Vision Statement the Same as the Pharmacy Mission Statement?

pharmacy vision statementThe pharmacy vision statement and the pharmacy mission statement are both used to clarify and accurately portray purpose. The pharmacy vision statement, however, is more a reflection of what you are aspiring to attain in the long-run than is the pharmacy mission statement. The vision statement aids in setting goals, and serves to inspire. The pharmacy mission statement, on the other hand, tells what is happening or going to happen, and why. It clarifies stance, value, and is very action-oriented. Instead of being used to encourage a dream, the pharmacy mission statement instead calls for action or ‘doing.’

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What commodities to invest in

A commodity market facilitates trading in various commodities. Investing Tips: How to Invest in Commodity Mutual Funds.Compare all of that to the simplicity of commodity ETNs, which are generally only taxed upon sale at the applicable short-term or long-term rates.However there are mutual funds which focus on commodities which are probably an easier way to participate in commodities.One of the first things every investor should do is take a look at their strategy and then research if there is a cheaper way to gain the exposure.In the financial world, a commodity is much more than just an item.

Commodity market - Wikipedia

How to Invest in Commodities—and Why You Should. Harbor Commodity Real Return Strategy is one example of a fund that has done this successfully.Reuters.com for the latest commodities news. Reuters.com for the latest commodities news. X. Edition: United States. Business. Business Home; Legal; Deals; Aerospace...It should be noted that ETNs can also avoid the fees that come along with rolling futures contracts and implementing a futures-based investment strategy.Commodities allow a portfolio to improve overall return at the same level of.

And most important of all, is there a cheaper way to employ the same strategy.Those who keep one ear to the ground, so to speak, will have a much better chance of hopping in and out of trends intraday and turning a quick profit from the momentum of commodity markets.

How to invest in water? • r/finance - reddit

There are many reasons to invest in energy and all its related sectors and companies.Commodities are one asset class that has recently become acceptable to most financial advisers as part of a globally diversified portfolio.The same way you can identify companies to invest in through publicly traded companies,.

5 Commodity Mutual Funds to Watch in 2014 - April 8, 2014

Despite their collapse,commodities deserve a 10% position in long-term portfolios.For some commodities, such as precious metals, it is possible to gain indirect exposure through an investment in companies that are engaged.For example, there are crude oil contracts traded on the NYMEX expiring each month of the year.

What are some "safe" stocks/commodities to invest in? • /r

The commodity market is currently in a bearish phaze primarily due to the global market slowing down to less than 2% GDP growth.Learn about Investing: Commodities are the avenues one must look for investing options and with our learning guide we provide precise information on what to invest in.Investment experts say gold is the best commodity to invest in because it has stood the test of time.

How to Invest in Futures - Budgeting Money

While it is difficult and risky for retail investors to directly trade in commodities, they invest through mutual.Note that this piece of advice is most applicable to futures-based investments (there are a select few physically-backed commodity ETPs as well as equity investments that can be used for longer term strategies).How To Invest In 2016:. ongoing economic strife in emerging markets and falling commodity prices go hand in hand with U.S. 2017 Forbes.com LLC.

Considering that commodities are risky, some people want to know why investing in them is a good idea.Most commodity ETPs that actually hold futures contracts, meaning the non- ETN segment of the universe, are structured as partnerships for tax purposes.Investing in commodities or commodity trading is very risky and should only be attempted if you know what you are doing.The path to commodity exposure is full of potential obstacles and pitfalls that can erode returns and lead to a less-than-optimal investing experience.

Also note that investors can use physically-backed products to avoid this issue, though that space is generally limited to precious metals.Rather, they examine observable market prices to determine which contracts are optimal for minimizing the adverse impact of contango or maximizing the benefit of backwardation.While it seems fairly obvious that a lack of monitoring is a poor choice, the recent influx in commodity ETPs has made this asset class more readily accessible to those who may not be used to keeping a watchful eye on their positions.

How to Invest in Commodities

Prices of volatile commodities can be hard to predict,. commodities you should invest in, investing in 2013, investing in commodities, investing in commodities.Alternative investments fund: A winning investment strategy: Investment quality trends newsletter.

Like a lot of novice investors, Jeanette is curious about investing in commodities — but she hates the idea of losing money.From Cabot Dividend Investor: After about eight weeks of consolidation, the major indexes all broke out to new highs late last week.

Best commodities to invest in - Risk - Commodity futures

A quick glance at the index description of a futures-based fund will tell you if it is utilizing the dangerous front-month strategy, or if it is using an alternative means to avoid contango.Rising prices for energy, metals, and agriculture results in a higher consumer price index ( CPI ).

Simple guide to commodity trading - Rediff.com

It has become accepted wisdom over the past few years that investors should allocate a small portion of.Go Finni Prite Cit, i n SEC reitere inetent ier rini ote in Srot, Fori Inetent Aior Serie offere on fee i tro Go Finni Prite Cit, LLC Seritie offere tro GF Inetent.Three Parts: Getting Ready to Invest Determining What Types of Securities or Commodities to Buy Diversifying Your.

These funds tend to have relatively stable share prices, and higher than average yields.When it comes to accessing commodities, however, the differences between these two product structures can be significant.Even in a futures-based approach to investing in natural resources, there are multiple options for crafting a commodity position.Below are ten rules of thumb that will help you achieve a more successful experience investing in commodity markets.


What Is Bursitis In Your Foot?

Bursitis may be the result of a direct injury to the heel, such as during a car accident, sport-related accident, or fall that causes a forceful impact or abnormal twisting of the foot. It can also occur due to repetitive use, misuse, or overuse, such as seen in athletic over-training. Excessive pressure over the subcutaneous calcaneal bursa, such from wearing shoes that are tight or fit poorly, can also be a causative factor. Septic bursitis occurs secondary to an infection. The infection may occasionally be systemic, but is most often a localized infection from a subcutaneous heel wound that leaks into the underlying bursa. Other risk factors include any of the following, existing Achilles tendinitis, existing Haglund’s deformity, the natural degenerative processes of aging, improper stretching prior to exercise, anatomical differences in the lower extremities that impacts gait, having deformed joints.

Non Surgical Treatment

Surgical Treatment


Inspection &

Drone for Inspection and Detection

What our Drones can do to help

Industries such as petrochemical, oil and gas, construction, communications, and utilities must carry out regular inspections of their equipment to ensure it is in safe working order. Human inspections can only go so far as people are often limited when it comes to heights or confined spaces. An increasing number of companies are beginning to use drones for inspection as they address the operational challenges faced by human inspections.

Things such as corrosion identification, detection and analysis of hairline cracks, spillage and leak detection, dilapidation assessments, and land surveys are much more easily carried out by drones than by hand. Data can be collected and sent back to a computer in real time for assessment, and any problems can be dealt with quickly and efficiently, causing minimal disruption to operations.

Drone comparison for Inspection & Detection

  • Dual sensors Ideal for powerline inspection
  • Capture more accurate data more effectivley
  • Long flight time

  • Precision Flying
  • More Resiliant to strong winds
  • Fly closer to objects

More and more countries are choosing to invest in renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, and solar. Over the last decade or so, the number of wind turbines has grown exponentially, and therefore so has the need for cost-effective and safe inspection methods.

Wind turbines are vast in size and are typically located in remote areas that are hard to reach. Cherry pickers, service platforms, hydraulic cranes, and rope decent are all methods that can be used to carry out safety inspections on wind turbines, but all of them come with risks and potential challenges. These methods typically involve heavy equipment or climbing, which is not only time consuming, but also costly and dangerous.

Drone inspections provide a safe and efficient solution to these issues as they do not require the use of heavy equipment, nor do they require an inspector to climb the turbine. A camera is attached to the drone and captures high-resolution footage, full UHD recordings, and multispectral thermal imaging, all at a lower cost and with far less downtime of traditional methods.

One of the critical functions of the energy industry is asset management, as well as monitoring to assess production performance, safety and environmental compliance, overall integrity, and several other factors. The needs are fairly straightforward, but the scale involved presents complexities and risks: Pipelines span thousands of miles, production platforms are often very remote, and manufacturing facilities present the potential exposure to hazardous chemicals. Maintenance and surveillance activities are costly and time-consuming to plan and execute, and must be done carefully in order to avoid leaks, unplanned shutdowns, and production outages.

Using an inspection drone in place of, or in addition to, conventional methods of facility management provides untapped potential for saving costs via activities such as automated maintenance, integrity, and surveillance workflow, and automated data gathering and analysis. Drone technology can also provide predictive insights on facilities, which can then be used to drive operational decisions, and lead to the improvement of business processes.

  • Decrease costs: Simple tasks can be automated by drones, therefore reducing labour costs. For example, the cost of using a helicopter for aerial inspections of pipelines using is approximately $3,000 per hour of operation. Using drones can significantly reduce these costs, as well as providing improved accuracy via multiple sensors on the same platforms
  • Reduce safety exposure: Drones enable the exploration of areas that have been exposed to contamination or could be potential security threats, enabling the delivery of supplies without putting employees at risk. For example, in Fukushima drones were used to assess the nuclear reactor damage.
  • Increase production: Keeping rigs and refineries up and running in the energy sector ensures the flow of product to customers. Drones can be utilised to avoid unnecessary shut-downs and reduce disruption to operations, thus keeping oil and gas moving efficiently.

Public infrastructures form the veins of every society, and include technical structures like roads, waterways, bridges, railways, and airports. Maintaining these structures is essential for the proper functioning of modern economies, yet it is also very costly.

There are several methods for turbine inspection from the cherry picker, service platform, hydraulic crane to rope descent. The problem with these methods is that they involve heavy equipment or climbing, which is time consuming, costly and very dangerous.

One of the biggest difficulties faced by maintenance and inspection services is how to cover the vast area that some structures occupy. The structures need to be inspected closely in order to perform proper maintenance; however, the physical inspection of each part requires a significant amount of time, which costs money.

One of the most efficient alternatives to physical inspections is using drones for inspection. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are able to carry various cameras for both day and night inspection, and can also be equipped with additional sensors such as thermographic and sniffers, as well as having the ability to be programmed to regularly fly specific routes. Drones are able to inspect larger areas in different, more efficient ways, in less time, and also at lower costs, allowing for an increased frequency in regular inspections, faster problem recognition, thus resulting in fewer negative externalities.

Power lines distribute electricity at very high voltages, making the maintenance of power lines is a risky job, and one which requires careful attention and caution from all involved. In order to maintain power lines effectively, the pylons must be examined regularly, and their insulators must be inspected in order to detect thermographic problems.

Inspections are traditionally carried out from the ground or via the use of a helicopter. Line inspectors that work from the ground must climb the posts to access the power lines. Helicopters are a safer option, but they are much more expensive and intrusive.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a safer and cheaper alternative to traditional methods. They are easy to deploy, and carry cameras that produce high resolution footage and thermal images. UAVs or drones can also be equipped with transmitters that share the footage in real time, allowing the operator to see exactly what is going on at a given time. Drones are able to fly within a couple of metres of the power lines, thus providing high quality footage in the safest possible way.

UAVs are utilised to conduct site threat assessments and provide highly responsive action-to-alarm activations. Solar farms are a perfect example of maintenance monitoring on an Infrastructure site that is both intricate, and extensive.

At Airborne Drones we recommend the AIRBORNE solutions with thermal and optical zoom sensor options for Inspection and Detection Applications.

Airborne Drones focuses on the design, manufacture, and marketing of long-range drones (10km, 20km and 35km), with the ability to carry payloads of up to 8kgs, for industrial strength commercial use. Long-range drones have the potential to offer great benefits to commerce and businesses. Solutions can be developed to meet the specific requirements of clients. Services can also include support and training during and after implementation.

Airborne Drones work with an international client base, ranging from South Africa to the UAE. Our clients include representatives from the following industries: Telecommunications, Marketing, Real Estate, Agriculture, Game farms, Wildlife management, Electrical installations, Security, Travel and tourism, Satellite electronics, Wind farms, Sheet metal manufacturing, Industrial Rope Access, Restaurant and Food, Environmental Affairs and Military Applications.

With regards to drone inspection services, Airborne Drones recommend the following:

  • Detection: The Airborne Solutions with thermal and optical zoom drone system comes highly recommended by Airborne Drones for its intelligent monitoring of the health and vigour of crops.
  • Manage for a fleet, not a flight: The exact number of drones needed will vary by situation, but enterprises should work towards acquiring a fleet of drones which will suit different purposes. Different drones have different applications, so build up your arsenal of drones to cover all the different types of flight and inspection you need to do regularly.
  • Plan global, think local: As a global organisation, you may have plans to use drones in multiple geographical locations. However, guidelines and regulations governing drone flight will vary in different regions of the world, so adjust your plans accordingly.
  • Design for data collection and analysis: Sensor data collected by drones will guide work processes and generate insights for your organisation, so ensure you have a data management platform to capture, process, and analyse the incoming data. This will help you to identify notable events and create reports.
  • Change how work is done: In order to take full advantage of the capabilities of drones, we recommend that you use them as an active part of the business process. The role of existing employees may need to change in order to accommodate drones into your organisation. For example in oil and gas pipeline maintenance, drones would become ‘digital workers’ and take on tasks which were previously done by humans, like leak detection or perimeter surveillance. This approach will ultimately help you to improve asset integrity, mitigate risks, and facilitate faster decision-making, thus increasing oversight.


9 Things Exceptional Writers Habitually Do So Well

Blogger Tolly Moseley

Have you ever wondered why some writers tend to write standout copy effortlessly, while others strain and struggle to craft content that meets the needs of readers? If you have read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The Art of Doing: How Superachievers Do What They Do, you know that highly successful people are not necessarily more talented than the majority. Highly successful people are just like you and me, but with a set of positive values, attitudes and habits that give them an edge.

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No matter what kind of writer, freelancer or creative person you are, or how small or big your business is, you too can become highly successful by adopting habits that promote success. Here are nine things highly successful writers habitually do so well you can emulate to achieve success. Keep in mind that about 50% of our daily lives is habitual.

1. They plan and prioritize with the end goal in mind.

Exceptional writers know life lives up to (or down to) what you expect of it. They, therefore, plan and prioritize their efforts meticulously with a positive end goal in mind, expecting that life will reward their efforts well. They know their stories and target audience before they sit to down to write. This allows them to work backwards and lay out clear steps that lead to success. If you don’t have a positive mindset and don’t expect life to reward your efforts, then it most likely will not. However, if you are optimistic and plan and prioritize with the end goal in mind, life will reward you handsomely. Confucius said it best, “Those who think they can and those who think they can’t are both usually right.”

2. They regard the reader’s agenda.

Exceptional writers know today’s readers are focused on “Me, Myself, and I.” The question on the reader’s mind is: “What’s in it for me?” or “Will this work for me?” Exceptional writers, therefore, ensure readers get valuable informative or entertaining from reading their finished work. It is not enough, nor is it sustainable, to only plan and prioritize your own agenda. Good writers weave into their work the audience’s agenda in addition to their own writing goals. If you can meet your reader’s agenda or needs, the battle is half won. You will avoid wasted effort, offer a powerful customer-focused experience and set yourself apart from the crowd.

3. They remove distractions when working.

Exceptional writers have mastered the art of concentration. They consistently remove any distraction that hinders them from achieving their core goals. Whether it is having a dedicated work space with good lighting to work from undisturbed, turning off cell phones and e-mail alerts or blocking distracting sites like YouTube and Facebook with tools like Anti-Social and Freedom, successful writers do whatever it takes to eliminate distractions when working. If you can figure out what is distracting you and combat it successfully, you will boost your ability to think clearly, focus on tasks at hand better and deliver your best work each time.

4. They write uninhibited and then edit later.

Exceptional writers don’t worry too much about the quality of their work at first draft. They focus on getting their ideas written down uninhibited first. They know there will be plenty of time to edit later. As Cecil Castellucci, a distinguished writer herself, says: “The best flowers are fertilized by crap.” She means that you are allowed to write a crummy first draft and then obsess over surface-level issues of grammar, style and typos later during the editing stage. In other words, separate the writing and editing processes because both require ample time, space and quiet to complete successfully.

5. They overcome procrastination.

Let’s face it. Some notable writers do procrastinate and still manage to deliver quality work at the last minute. However, procrastination is counterproductive for the majority of excellent writers. Procrastination leads to rushed work that often does not really hit the mark. Exceptional writers, therefore, habitually push themselves a little harder than the rest of us to get things DONE when they ought to. If you can push yourself a little harder and beat procrastination like the pros, you will be on course to reaching your goals and possibly winning membership in the ‘exceptional writers’ club.

6. They edit in dribs and drabs.

Exceptional writers edit their work in dribs and drabs. They write the first draft uninhibited, let the writing “cool off” and then come back to it later with fresh eyes for editing. You will often find them at their work desk whispering the words they have written to themselves. It might sound cheesy and appear silly, but successful writers don’t really care what it looks like because it works. Read your work out loud to yourself, break big chunks of text and reorder sentences to enhance readability. Also,correct typos and punctuation errors and obsess over word choice and sentence structure to achieve the exact meaning and sound you want. Keep in mind that writing is more than just meaning—it’s also about sounds and can be visual as well.

7. They let go of past results.

Exceptional writers know one big enemy of success and happiness is obsession about the past. They don’t let past experiences become stumbling blocks to future successes. They let bygones be bygones and avoid dwelling too much on past victories, failures or mistakes. They simply appreciate the best moments and move past the bad. This allows them to focus on producing the best work now rather than worry about illusions of what might happen tomorrow. Don’t get hung up on past results. Work hard and get what needs to be done—done! Small and steady steps coupled with persistence and perseverance are the key to long term success.

8. They learn from the writings of others.

Exceptional writers understand people around you have potential to be the best teachers you can have. They, therefore, diligently study the works and lives of writers they admire and consider themselves lifelong apprentices of the best writers. Their aim is to learn from the best, improve their own craft and expand their own horizon. Study and learn from writers you love to draw inspiration and develop your own language use, sentence structure and overall writing style. The best writers do this all the time and it helps them keep growing from strength to strength.

9. They end each day with gratitude.

Exceptional writers are grateful for the opportunities each day presents. They are equally grateful for each day spent. Gratitude is a secret ingredient that keeps them hopeful for tomorrow and motivated to keep pressing on the next day. As Melody Beattie notes, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

David K. William is a web writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Everything he writes is inspired by life experiences and study. David is also founding manager of WebWriterSpotlight.com. Follow @DavidKWilliam.

via 9 Things Exceptional Writers Habitually Do So Well

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Sunday, August 10, 2014

(Video) Iraq, the Cradle Of Civilization

Cylinder Seal, Old Babylonian Period, c.1800 BCE,hematite. The king makes an animal offering toShamash. This seal was probably made in a workshop at Sippar.

Historically, the ancient city states of Mesopotamia in the fertile crescent are most cited by Western and Middle Eastern scholars as the cradle of civilization. The convergence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers produced rich fertile soil and a supply of water for irrigation. The civilizations that emerged around these rivers are among the earliest known non-nomadic agrarian societies. Because UbaidSumerAkkadAssyria and Babylon civilizations all emerged around the Tigris-Euphrates, the theory that Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization is widely accepted.[14]
The Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer emerges in the Ubaid period (6500-3800 BC) and Uruk period (ca. 4000 to 3100 BC), culminating in the mid-3rd millennium before giving rise to the Akkadian Empire in the 24th century BC. This is often identified as the first empire in history.
Eridu was the oldest Sumerian site, settled during the proto-civilized Ubaid period. Situated several miles southwest of UrEridu was the southernmost of a conglomeration of earlytemple-cities, in Sumer, southern Mesopotamia, with the earliest of these settlements dating to around 5000 BC. By the 4th millennium BC in Nippur — in connection with a sort ofziggurat and shrine — a conduit built of bricks in the form of an archSumerian inscriptions written on clay also appear in Nippur. By 4000 BC an ancient Elamite city of Susa, inMesopotamia, also seems to emerge from earlier villages. Whilst the Elamites originally had their own script, from an early age they adapted the Sumerian cuneiform script to their own language. The earliest recognizable cuneiform dates to no later than about 3500 BC. Other villages that began to spring up around this time in the Ancient Near East (Middle East) were greatly impacted and shifted rapidly from a proto-civilized to a fully civilized state (e.g. EblaMari and Assur).


This bunch contains the following links:

, 5mnidpcwerjc9, ActivityFeed, Default, MyProfile, UserID, UserId, UserProfile, academia, action, alvernia, anderson, ask, aspx, bbp, berkeley, beta, blocktype, bml, buffalostate, capitalmarketweek, community, conf, cs, csg, display, do, ed283d2d77bdbf8358393a381964689c, editProfile, edu, eportfolio, forum, forums, gguild, gov, h2obeta, harvard, http, https, huduser, icsi, ict, id, independent, index, internet2, iupui, iwiki, joel, joelanderson24, kent, kzncomsafety, language, law, member, message, milkyway, mode, myomeka, ncku, netplusadmdev0, onlineForum, openscholar, p, page, peacockroom, people, php, posters, profile, rpi, satu, setiweb, show, showuser, sid, smartbody, ssl, success, tabid, team, teamid, terrin43, tfeid, tufts, tw, u, uid, uit, und, unioncountyga, unionspringsal, usc, user, userId, userinfo, view, viewProfile, viewprofile, volunteer, vue-forums, wall, wayne, web, wwdcforum, www, wyo, ym, za


Narcotics Anonymous Clarksville Area                                    Hotline 931-221-2807

Download Meeting List
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Download Meeting List
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What is the NA Program

"NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We meet regularly to help each other stay clean. ... We are not interested in what or how much you used ... but only in what you want to do about your problem and how we can help." Membership is open to all drug addicts, regardless of the particular drug or combination of drugs used. When adapting AAs First Step, the word addiction was substituted for alcohol, thus removing drug-specific language and reflecting the disease concept of addiction.
Central to the Narcotics Anonymous program is its emphasis on practicing spiritual principles. Narcotics Anonymous itself is non-religious, and each member is encouraged to cultivate an individual understanding religious or not of this spiritual awakening.
Narcotics Anonymous is not affiliated with other organizations, including other twelve step programs, treatment centers, or correctional facilities. As an organization, NA does not employ professional counselors or therapists nor does it provide residential facilities or clinics. Additionally, the fellowship does not provide vocational, legal, financial, psychiatric, or medical services. NA has only one mission: to provide an environment in which addicts can help one another stop using drugs and find a new way to live.
In Narcotics Anonymous, members are encouraged to comply with complete abstinence from all drugs including alcohol. It has been the experience of NA members that complete and continuous abstinence provides the best foundation for recovery and personal growth. NA as a whole has no opinion on outside issues, including prescribed medications. Use of psychiatric medication and other medically indicated drugs prescribed by a physician and taken under medical supervision is not seen as compromising a persons recovery in NA.


For this team project you have to imagine you are an English teacher and you want to prepare some activities for your students. Using Educaplay, an online tool, prepare 3 multimedia activities to study or revise any content (vocabulary, grammar, comprehension or writing) there is a variety of activities for you to choose (crossword puzzles, jumbled words, word searches....) and there is also a bank of resources if you want to get some ideas or see some samples. This is the link to the webpage.
And here is a tutorial.

Start working now. Deadline: Tuesday 17th November.
And when you deserve a rest, try any of these games.

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Featured Article
Featured Articles are the shining examples of the wiki's best pages. Each month a new Featured Article is selected by the community and staff based on its visual appeal and informational value.

Radiating was featured in July 2017.
A list of all Featured Articles can be found here.

This article, Radiating, is owned by Slade The Demon. Please do not edit this article without their explicit permission.

Radiating takes place in an environment in which the humans have gotten tired of worrying about the Monsters, and instead take more..."abrasive" action. Hundreds of years after the Barrier has been sealed, a nuclear warhead has entered the underground, undetected. As the weapon is detonated, lives are lost, changed, and absorbed by nuclear fire. With the Royal Family now dead, the citizens are left to govern themselves in a horribly irradiated environment. Although several systems are put into place, they all fail in spite of a functioning hierarchy. Will the Underground finally find a worthy society, or will it be consumed by nuclear fire...for the second time in recent history?

January, 2000 - First nuclear explosion destroys The RUINS. A Team of scientists are able to seal off the destruction, and save The Underground from a nuclear holocaust.

March, 2000 - Several explorers venture into the RUINS to discover mutated lifeforms. The mutants are briefly studied, before being exterminated.

May, 2000 - The explorers die in their sleep, due to radiation poisoning. Their deaths are covered up by The Royal Family.

Christmas, 2000 - The public becomes aware of the exploration team and their real cause of death. Panic spreads, but is eventually calmed down by the King's assurance that all is well.

February, 2001 - The second bomb is released into Snowdin. The town is evacuated by The Royal Guard. Many lives are lost here, and it is determined that all humans must be killed on sight.

March, 2001- Slade, realizing The Underground will soon be gone, ventures to Nightstar Canyon. He sets up camp, and soon others begin to venture to meet "The Phantom".

May, 2001 - A legend starts to spread throughout The Underground, of an old man living in a canyon to the North. Many brush it aside as a hoax, but many meet up with Slade, and form The Phantoms.

June, 2001 - In order to stop people from joining The Phantoms, Asgore bans all travel outside of The Capital. His decision is met with heavy resistance.

October 31, 2015 - A group of radical terrorists detonate a makeshift dirty bomb in Waterfall. Although the blast radius is very small compared to past bombs, the radiation expelled from the explosion forces many of Waterfall's citizens to move towards Hotlands.

Christmas, 2015 - The terrorists responsible for the attack on Waterfall reveal themselves as The Brothers of The Glow. They demand that The Royal Family allows them safe passage deeper into The Underground...their request is denied.

January, 2020 - The Brothers of The Glow discover several nuclear bombs hidden in The Underground, each has a note attached to it from a group calling themselves "The One".

June, 2021 - The Brothers of The Glow unite with several mutants, and release a threat that they will soon bomb Hotlands, and reduce it to ashes. These threats are carried out one week after the threat is made, many of those in Hotlands died in its defense.

July, 2021 - With no other options, Asgore moves the rest of The Underground's citizens into The Capital. This causes widespread chaos and rioting, which results in New Home being swarmed by angry citizens.

August, 2021 - The Brothers of The Glow lead a successful attack on New Home, Asgore is killed in this attack...and a fifth nuclear bomb is detonated...rendering most of The Underground unsafe.

October, 2022 - A former secret society known as "The Besieged" reveals itself to the inhabitants of The Underground, handing out clothing and purified water to it's citizens in a mass relief effort.

May, 2025 - The Besieged lead a mass migration of survivors deeper into The Underground. All survivors are scanned for radiation shortly after arrival.

June, 2025 - The Besieged lead a mass killing of irradiated survivors, declaring them "unclean". This is the time when The Besieged start democratically electing officials.

June, 2030 - The Divide is constructed. It is around this time that Eden's Gate is discovered by The Phantoms, after raiding it for weapons, it is marked by Slade as taboo.

December, 2030 - The Brothers of The Glow discover the final nuclear warhead, it is inactive and they must find the codes to detonate it. They set up camp in the crater the warhead rests, and send out search parties for the codes.

January, 2035 - The Besieged discover Eden's Gate, it's vault is empty due to past raids by The Phantoms. The Besieged make Eden's Gate their capital, and ask Slade to return the weapons found in the vault.

May, 2035 - The Besieged receive a courier from The Phantoms. Slade refuses to return the stolen weapons. The Besieged-Phantom conflict begins.

2040 - The Besieged-Phantom conflict ends, The Phantoms are victorious. Over the next few years The Phantoms expand their reach beyond Nightstar Canyon, teaching their religion to several struggling communities.

2041 - Widespread illness wipes out many of the children in The Phantoms, this time period is called "The Tragedy" by high-ranking tribe officials. Slade becomes infected with the illness, and his voice greatly changed because of it.

2042 - The Alliance is formed, several mutant communities are founded. Mutants attack nearby villages and towns for supplies, this worsens the stereotypes associated with them.

2048 - The first Sirens appear in The Underground, many of them die due to people thinking they are hideous creatures of the night. Sirens start to develop a common hate for humans and monsters.

2049 - Siren bigotry and racism is widespread, Sirens are not welcome in the majority of towns and trading establishments.

2050 - The Phantoms finally emerge from Nightstar Canyon and reveal themselves once more. Legends of The Phantom's strength in battle reach The Besieged, who prepare for war immediately.

2051 - Groups of Mutants, Sirens, and Androids start to visit Nightstar canyon. They are met with a warm welcome to the tribe.

2052 - The Phantoms accept all mutated lifeforms into the tribe. Slade warns Nightstar Canyon's citizens to prepare for war with The Besieged.

Radiating takes place 20 years after the bombs have dropped. Frisk never fell down in this universe, and the human SOULS were destroyed by the initial nuclear blast. All aspects of past society have been mostly taken out, although some signs and technology still do exist. With the majority of The Underground unsafe to live in, many moved deeper into it...for the safety of themselves and their families.

Nightstar Canyon - A small canyon, home to the Phantom tribe. The Canyon was discovered by Slade, days after the blast. Years have allowed him to carve out the Canyon to become much larger than it was initially, and set up a tribe.

The Divide - The Divide is the newly formed Barrier keeping people from wandering into the old Underground. The Divide was constructed by The Besieged, who formed it out of steel.

The Far Beyond - The Far Beyond is a large crater, with the last active nuclear warhead in it. The Crater is inhabited by The Brothers of The Glow, who believe that the nuclear blast was to eradicate monsters who were not "worthy", as a grand cleansing. The Great Beyond is highly irradiated. The Alliance resides across from The Brothers of The Glow, and often trade with the other group.

Eden's Gate - Eden's Gate is a large underground bunker not too far away from The Divide. Originally constructed by paranoid human scientists before the War, Eden's Gate is now home to The Besieged.

The High Ground - Named by The Phantoms, The High Ground is a cliff that is excruciatingly hard to reach. The High Ground can be used as a tactical vantage point due to it's immense height. Although many have ventured to see it's summit, none have returned.

The Phantoms - The Phantoms are a tribe who currently reside in The Nightstar Canyon. Founded by Slade 5 years after the explosion, The Phantoms speak a simplified version of English, which includes referring to oneself in the third person. The Phantoms have adopted their own religion, believing in spirits and the afterlife just like many Old World tribes. The Phantom wish to erase all other Factions and return to their simpler way of life.

Members Include:

Slade - Slade is the founder of the Phantoms, and tells stories of "The Old World" to the tribe's children. He believes that current technology is the source of evil, and marks all Pre-War buildings as "taboo". Slade has finally given in to aging, and has since grown a beard. Slade often watches his tribe's children, telling them legends. Several different illnesses have caused changes in Slade's voice. Although Slade currently stays in his 40-50 year old form, he will often return to his 30's in time for battles.

Paz - Paz, now in her mid 30's is the current medic and midwife for The Phantoms. Although she did not at first embrace the life of a tribal, she accepted her role in the community after a small amount of The Phantoms died in battle. Paz now lives on her own in a large building near Nightstar Canyon.

Aradesh - Aradesh is the name of an Angel child, who's father one day showed up in Nightstar Canyon. With his father brutally injured, and on the brink of death, the tribe had a decision to make. Although many were in favor of forcing the child into labor, Slade stopped the other Elders of the tribe. Slade raised Aradesh like he was his own son, and taught him how to strengthen his pyrokinesis. Aradesh is now 7, and still a naive child. Aradesh has been named "The Savior" of The Phantoms, and is Prophet of The Phantoms' religion.

The Alliance - The Alliance is a small group of soldiers living near The Far Beyond. The Alliance is positioned in a former research crater. The Alliance is comprised of several kinds of mutants. The Alliance hopes to eradicate all but The Brothers of The Glow and themselves.

Members Include:

REDACTED - SW, or "REDACTED TITLE" formally, is the founder and current leader of The Alliance. During the nuclear blast in Hotland, [REDACTED TITLE] had been torn apart by the initial blast. [REDACTED TITLE], however, did not die- instead, his bones fractures. The remaining bones reassembled themselves into a "Makeshift [REDACTED TITLE]"- A smaller, quicker, and scarier version. He takes the general appearance similar to that of a rancor, expect skeleton-like. REDACTED created The Alliance as an excuse to make monsters help him kill the other monsters- and he succeeded. He now goes by the name SW. The blast effected REDACTED's voice, making it sound extremely menacing.

Silver - After Caesar was left dead in the initial blast, Silver was on his own for the first time in his life. Not having a very good education, he often wandered towards The Divide and several craters to survive. This adventuring resulted in Silver taking in severe doses of radiation, turning him into a Siren. Although at first Silver described himself as "a disgusting, ugly, putrid monster" he has come to accept his new body, and is now proud to be a Siren. Silver visits The Phantoms in Nightstar Canyon from time to time, and is well liked by the tribe's children. Silver is not very loyal to The Alliance, but is still it's top field scout. Silver has made several attempts to visit Eden's Gate and explain the problems mutants face, but he is often shot at one sight by The Besieged. Silver has developed a smoking habit, and will often barter with The Phantoms for tobacco.

The Brothers of the Glow - The Brothers of The Glow were started by several Snowdin refugees, who were already heavily irradiated from the first nuclear blast. Without any mutations, they believed their resistance to radiation was a gift from God. The Brothers of The Glow seek to terminate any and all who oppose their views. The Brothers of The Glow worship the last active nuclear warhead, and pray that it will bring about a mass cleansing of The Underground.

Members Include:

Emily - Emily was hit by a fair amount of radiation but her radiation-resistant scales had kept her relatively safe, albeit messed with her mind a bit, causing her to worship one of the warheads. Her scales resistance unknown to her, she took it as a sign, and with Ulder’s help started ‘The Brothers of the Glow.’ She often attempts to find survivors to recruit, even fellow Agarifs, a thing she wouldn’t usually do and another addlement of her brain. She had attempted to recruit Italias, but Italias had left her, sickened of how she had worshipped what had destroyed the underground. Her scales are resistant enough to ward off most of the radiation in The Far Beyond.

Trent - A member of The Brothers of The Glow who had experienced a lot of the radiation. Confused as to how he didn't mutate, he decided to join The Brothers, and believed he was one of them. He now serves as one of the higher rankings, using his bag of gifts serving as a disguise for bombs.

The Besieged - The Besieged are a larger group of military trainees and scientists. The Besieged hope to wipe all traces of radiation from the Underground, and to retaliate against the Humans with their own nuclear bomb. The Besieged built The Divide, and currently reside in Eden's Gate. The Besieged hold Democratic elections for a leader every two years. As of now, The Besieged wish for the deaths of all other factions, including The Phantoms. The Besieged no longer wish to leave The Underground, but to reduce the world above to ash.

Members Include:

Ranch - After discovering implants that would give him the ability to once again walk, Ranch soon became a foot soldier for The Besieged. After receiving several injuries caused by The Phantoms, Ranch was honorably discharged from the military. Ranch is the current democratically elected president of The Besieged, and holds strong beliefs on how The Underground should be treated. Although Ranch's approval rating is not high among Besieged citizens, his military tactics have led The Besieged to a handful of victories against mutants.

Bryson - Bryson is a 'member' of The Besieged, not currently a candidate. Nor wishing to be a candidate, as, in reality, he only wishes to survive in this group long enough to develop technology that can resist the radiation that is covering the old Underground, in which he will take that technology, along with a large enough supply of food, to venture back into the Underground, to wait for the next human, kill them, and take their SOUL.

Joseph Alucard - A well known mad scientist of the Besieged, he is known for his breakthroughs and weapon production of the Besieged, he is also a very deadly man himself capable of killing a group of men easily. He joined the Besieged not only for science but for the family as well, though if any of the members even hurt one of his family members, what runs through them will run them through and what they use is what their demise.

Platinum Alucard - A tank and a rather high ranking officer in the Besieged, she is currently in her mid 30's (even look like one) with her staff beside her, she is always in the front lines to aid her allies through the use of her SOUL energy core, created by Joseph, to create barriers and shields for her allies and breakthrough the defenses of her opponents through the use of earthquakes.

Lily - An expert sniper and guns woman, many men and woman feared her not only as she is deadly and lethal, she is also one of the most beautiful woman on the Besieged though many troopers know to best steer clear of her for love is her greatest weapon of all. Her main weapon is Lover's Kiss, a sniper weapon created by Joseph too, it does not require bullets but requires magic, thus having a high ammunition for Lily until she runs out of magic.

Genevieve - An assistant of Joseph and guardian to both Lily and Platinum, she usually takes care of the wounded in infirmary and help Joseph with his research, her blood is cold to disguise herself from the Besieged, she usually don't want conflict but if it's necessary to kill, she will do it.

Independent Beings and Groups

Fear - Lynn Phobias Angel, or better known as "Fear", works as a spy and assassin for no particular faction. However, she will deny any job that includes going against The Phantoms, due to Slade being the founder of the faction. Fear had broken up with Slade a few years ago, but still cares for him.

Italias - Italias works alone, apart from her sister Ixca, and is unfactioned, not finding any other group she thought was worth it, and plans to find a way to escape the underground. She hopes to remind Emily of who she once was, and escape with her and Ixca. She doesn’t care about anyone else, and doesn’t even want vengeance against the humans. She hopes to make it above ground and live away, hidden. Her pink feathers had turned a pure white attempting to find a cure to save Emily and testing it on herself and later Ixca, causing all her feathers to be white. Likewise, she snaps into her dark version instantly and turning all her feathers black, although it’s harder to antagonize her to this point.

Ixca - Ixca had been mostly untouched by the blast and it’s effects (to the point Emily attempted to recruit her, but Ixca turned her down for her sister, Italias). She had only left to get food and a drink and to check what had happened hours afterwards, before meeting the white Italias face to face. After a small battle, Italias calmed Ixca down, telling them what had happened. Italias' experiments had turned her feathers a darker purple streaked with red, and also tinted her eyes red. She works with Italias, hoping to escape the underground and take revenge on the humans.

The Bookkeeper - The Wanderer is a mysterious figure who roams the wasteland. He carries nothing except a satchel, a cane, and his pistol. He wears light leather armor under his robe, and wears a pair of glasses. He was separated from The Library before the detonation in Snowdin, and the radiation covered the outside of the library, preventing him from getting back in.

Mutants - Their DNA corrupted by several nuclear blasts, many monsters initially turned into disgusting, repulsing mutants. Mutants have recently evolved, and can now maintain good health. While there are benefits to being a mutant, many are horrified by their transformation, and decide to take their own lives instead of live in their new body.

Sirens - Sirens are often mistaken for mutants, but are much different from them for a variety of reasons. Sirens are usually created when people are exposed to irradiated plant life or animals. Upon contact with these lifeforms for a currently undetermined amount of time, monsters will eventually enter a state of being that can be compared to evolution. The skin will become rough and bumpy, and skin color will change to a variety of pigments. Some Sirens have the ability to communicate with nature, but this has only appeared in a handful of test subjects. When "evolving", one has the chance that their voice will change, although voices often get scratchy and deep due to unknown reasons, voices becoming higher have been reported by many Siren-only communities.

"Angels" - Angels were originally discovered by Slade, after moving into Nightstar Canyon, and noticing he wasn't alone. Although his memory has faded over the years, Slade still named the peculiar creatures, who The Phantoms describe as a "beautiful, human-like species". Angels are the result of thousands of years of selective monster breeding. When the original Iblis went missing, they went into the deepest part of The Underground, raising their young. The Iblis were discovered by several different species of monster, and eventually, the species started to cross breed. This resulted in hybrids, stronger than anything The Underground had ever seen. The Angels are a mixture of Iblis, Vampires, and Sirens. Through crossbreeding, Angels were given amazing powers of telekinesis, and extremely weak mind reading. Although these powers have faded, and only a few Angels remain, rumor has it a group of them still live in The High Ground.

"War Drums" - War Drums are the name given to a special type of gauntlet worn by members of The Phantoms. These gauntlets were stolen from Eden's Gate long before The Besieged arrive, and have been the topic of many debates. The gauntlets work by using hydraulics to maximize the force of a punch, and counter-acts the loss of force that occurs when one hits an object. War Drums are given to men of the tribe when they turn 16, but a select group of women (Such as Paz), are known to wear them.

"The Atom's Blessing" - The Atom's Blessing is a device designed by early members of The Brothers of The Glow, with the intention to mutate anyone who stand in The Brothers' way. The Atom's Blessing, when thrown, emits not only a nuclear field, but also releases nuclear waste collected from The Far Beyond. While it's effective range is only as far as it can be thrown, in the hands of trained professionals, it is a dangerous weapon.

"Peacekeepers" - Peacekeepers are standard issue rifles given to The Besieged military. Specially designed by The Besieged's best scientists and weapon specialists, Peacekeepers are considered to be "The Swiss Army Knife of firearms". This is due to the fact that they come with a modification kit which allows soldiers to change their weapon from a sniper rifle to an assault rifle in minutes, meaning they can deploy less soldiers and still win a battle. The Phantoms own several Peacekeepers due to Besieged soldiers falling to their deaths in Nightstar Canyon.

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Living Systems

Grade 5

The Living Systems Module takes a look at life at every level of organization—from biosphere to individual organisms—to acknowledge that it is complex, involving multiple parts working together in systems to maintain the viability and vigor of the system. Understanding living systems—ecosystems, populations, and individual organisms—is a critically important perspective, leading toward an appreciation of the diversity and wonder of life on Earth.

Investigation 1: Systems
Students are introduced to a system as a collection of interacting parts that work together to make a whole or produce an action. They explore Earth as a system, focusing on the biosphere and describing ecosystems by looking at feeding relationships and energy transfers, described as food webs. Each group of students sets up a redworm habitat to study detritivores and the role of decomposition in ecosystems.
Investigation 2: Nutrient Systems
Students investigate nutrient systems of yeast, plants, and animals. They design an investigation to determine the necessary conditions for activating dry yeast. They plant wheat and observe the seedlings to determine which plants have chlorophyll. Students infer that the plants growing in light are producing food to provide nutrients to their cells. Students investigate how animals acquire nutrients by eating and digesting food.
Investigation 3: Transport Systems
Students learn that all cells have basic needs: water, food, gas exchange, and waste disposal. They explore the transport systems that multicellular organisms have for moving nutrients and wastes. Students investigate leaf transpiration, model a human heart system, and investigate their lung volume to find out about the interacting parts of the vascular system in plants and the circulatory and respiratory systems in humans.
Investigation 4: Sensory Systems
Through video, text, and simulations, students learn about the role of sensory and motor neurons in brain messages. They explore ways that animals communicate through sound, visual displays, and smell. They find out about the role that instinct and learned behavior plays in the life of animals. To bring closure to the study of systems, students find out about the North Atlantic Ocean ecosystem and its importance in the carbon cycle.