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The Common Sense Approach
How One Teacher Organized A Speaking Course
For 200 Chinese Graduate Students
Steve Schackne
- 3

A Common Sense Approach--Groupings

In an oral skills class, manageable size is essential if the class is to advance beyond an audio-lingual stage. Using a common sense approach, students are divided into 10 groups (A-J), 5 students per group. Class meetings can either be whole group (50) for 100 minutes; split groups A-E (25) for 50 minutes followed by groups F-J (25) for 50 minutes; or each individual group (A through J) separately for approximately 10 minutes.

The whole class grouping is used to outline class guidelines; give directions; discuss meta-language issues; pre-teach and clarify discrete language elements, such as grammar points, lexical items, pronunciation, collocation, and usage; and make special announcements. These classes are most often found at the beginning of a semester when students must hone listening abilities and, adjust to the pace and speaking style of the instructor [see Krashen; Krashen and Terrell].

The split groups rotation is used for both discovery queries and, especially, problem solving queries, with groups spending 50 minutes in in-group discussion, trying to solve a problem or make a choice. The teacher occasionally circulates to check progress, answer student/group questions or otherwise facilitate.

Individual group rotation is most often used for presentation, when students, through both in-class and out-of-class discussion, have solved a problem, reached a decision, or made a choice.

Whole class sessions tend to emphasize listening skills more than speaking skills. Split groups depend both on listening and speaking, with students taking turns, often paraphrasing and code-switching, trying to hash out a solution. Individual group work emphasizes one-to-one, teacher-student interaction with students presenting solutions and choices. This is an intense, English-only 10 minute session which stresses both fluency and accuracy.

A Common Sense Approach--Evaluation

A common sense approach here would be to simply interview the students, one-to-one or in pairs, and grade them on a set of sub skills, e.g., pronunciation, vocabulary, usage, structure…. The larger the set of sub skills chosen, however, the longer the interviews would have to run for objective evaluation. With 200 students, this could run to over 40 hours of evaluation. I have used both individual and pair interviews and, while I find them practical for rating oral skills, large numbers of students render the process inconvenient for busy teachers.

An alternative would be to have students write and perform a role play. While not as authentic as face-to-face communication, the role play has its own set of pluses.

It is a group project offering a pleasurable social activity for the students. Furthermore, by assuming a different persona and performing a set piece, students generally experience less anxiety than they would in a spontaneous, personal interview with the teacher [see Appendix B].

I present 7 scenarios, all describing a problem or conflict that must be resolved. The scenarios incorporate personalization/localization [see Harmer, p. 102], so the students have either experienced the situations described or know someone who has experienced them. Students can choose partners within their group or outside of their group. They are given a week to write a dialogue for the role play. The class, of course, does not cover writing, but some skill integration is more common than not in general esl-efl courses today. Once the dialogue is completed, I will go over it and correct it, explaining commonly occurring errors. After corrections are made, the students have a grammatically correct, colloquial dialogue which they can practice for a week and present in the final class. For evaluation, I chose to emphasize pronunciation and general comprehension (pronunciation being the weakest sub skill), but also factored usage, stress and intonation, and general creativity. Teachers, however, have the option to focus on different sub skills.

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beam of light

Also found in: Thesaurus.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.beam of light - a column of light (as from a beacon)beam of light - a column of light (as from a beacon)
heat ray - a ray that produces a thermal effect
sunbeam, sunray - a ray of sunlight
laser beam - a beam of light generated by a laser
References in classic literature ?
Eternal Beam of Light Divine, Fountain of unexhausted love, In whom the Father's glories shine, Through earth beneath and heaven above;
The hall, indeed, was in darkness; but when I peeped through the letter-box I could see a faint beam of light from the back room.
Summary: TEHRAN (FNA)- Think Harry Potter movie magic: Cornell researchers have demonstrated a "temporal cloak" - albeit on a very small scale - in the transport of information by a beam of light.
The researchers succeeded in their feat by developing a much more precise set of instructions, which create a grid-like roadmap capable of twisting and turning a beam of light around objects or space.
You'll have no problem finding the keyhole in the dark and the beam of light won't disturb your neighbours.
The new facility has three large laser laboratories to produce solid-state lasers, which use electric power to create an intense beam of light.


How To Deal With a Late-Paying Tenant – Keith Weinhold

What should you do when a tenant is paying late?

The first thing you must do is post your tenant with you state’s legal form that shows the rent amount that is past due and what the tenant needs to do to get the rent current again. There is a seven-word sentence you can use to  make sure that you tenants never pay late again. Find out what to say to late paying tenants about the legal form that you post.


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/ML 375
Quantity Available: 0, OUT OF STOCK
Origin: Italy
Primary Varietal: Liqueur - Apertif

To this day the Galliano recipe remains a guarded secret. Here is just a handful of the extracts: Mediterranean Anise, Juniper, Musk Yarrow, Star Anise, Lavender, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Vanilla.

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Chandigarh is a city and a union territory within the northern a part of India that is the capital of the state’s Haryana. Chandigarh and adjacent cities of Mohali (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana) square measure along known as Chandigarh Tricity. This city is the cleanest city in India. In Chandigarh is positioned near the foothills of the Shivalik vary of the mountain chain in Northwest Asian nation. The boundary of Himachal Pradesh is type of minutes faraway from its north border.

Chandigarh is a city and a union territory within the northern a part of India that is the capital of the state’s Haryana. This city is the cleanest city in India in.

Place to visit in Chandigarh:

1) The Rock Garden of Chandigarh

2) Sukhna Lake

3) Chandigarh Rose Garden

4) Timber Trail

5) ISKCON Chandigarh Sri Sri Radha Madhav Temple

6) Leisure Valley

7) Government Museum and Art Gallery

8) Funcity

9) Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park

10) Terraced Garden

11) Le Corbusier Centre

12) Garden of Fragrance

13) Open Hand Monument

14) Musical Fountain

15) Chandigarh Botanical Garden & Nature Park

16) Thunderzone

17) International dolls museum.

Fatehpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. This district covers an area of 4,152 km, Fatehpur between two holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna. Some places in Fatehpur have enormous tourism value. These are namely Bhitaura, Renh and Shivrajpur. Hathgam and Bawani Imali are the two places in the district entwined with the memories of Indian Freedom Movement.

Place to visit in Fatehpur:

1) Shri Tambeshwar Baba Mandir

2) Shkti Peeth Kalikaan Mandir

3) Shri Sai Mandir

4) Shri Moteshwar Mahadev Mandir

5) Shri Shakti Peeth Durga Mandir

6) Shri Panch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir

7) Shri Shive Mandir

8) Shri Jai Gurudev Sai Mandir

9) Eidgaah, Masjid E Natiyal

10) Masjid-E-Ayesha

11) Masjid-E-Noori

12) Peeli Masjid

13) Evanglical Church of India.


UFX was founded in 2007 and is composed of a team of professionals and experts in finance who have a high experience of over 50 years in the trading currencies industry. The UFX philosophy is simple: offer focused and personalized services that makes trading make sense. UFX cuts through the excessive jargon and provides financial content in a language that people from all walks of life can make sense of. We break down important financial data and explain it in terms even novice traders can understand.

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belgium solo

July 21st is Bel.gium’s national holiday  and I wanted to try something a different for this occassion. I’ve been thinking a lot about Bel’s characterizaton lately and as much I love her when she’s sweet, friendly or even anxious, I would love to see her express other emotions too, like bitterness and anger. Himaruya even mentioned in a character note that she’s scary when she’s angry - whatever happened to that? Idk, I just want to see the women in Hetalia being given a wider range of emotions and overall more layered characterization (in both canon and fanon).

Anyway, Bel.gium in 19th century totally makes sense to me as a woman who’s had enough of being passed around by men and feels like she has something to prove. I imagine this scenario took place during the Ten Days Campain in 1831, when the Dutch army invaded Bel.gium to regain control of the country. It wasn’t until French intervention that they backed off and it wasn’t until 1839 that the Nether.lands officially recognized Bel.gium’s independence. (Ned seems to be very reluctant when it comes to admitting defeat - Indo.nesia declared independence in 1945 and they didn’t recognize it again until 1949.)

Don’t tag this as any ship!!!


There are basically two parts to this question.
Firstly, I just wanted to check my thinking is right here - if each mode is the seven notes of the major scale starting on a note other than the first, does that mean that each mode is another possible shape of the major scale?
For instance, D Dorian is made of the same notes as C Major (Ionian) starting on D instead of C. So if I were to play D Dorian starting on the sixth string all the way up to the first, that's also just another shape of the C Major scale?
I'm pretty sure I'm right there, hope I've explained it well enough.

Secondly, does that also work for other modes (I don't see why it wouldn't)? For instance, would E Phrygian therefore be another possible way of playing an A Minor scale?

Hope that makes sense, thanks in advance!
Youve got it pretty much right..
just to help u out.

C ionian : C D E F G A B C
D Dorian : D E F G A B C D
E Phrygian : E F G A B C D E
F Lydian: F G A B C D E F
G Mixolydian: G A B C D E F G
A Aeolian : A B C D E F G A
B Locrian : B C D E F G A B

Quote by metalman12
Im gonna upgrade to a marshall mg.

Anyone can be inspired
And practice all day
But its those that are
Inspired each and every day
That achieve success
Awesome thanks, I knew the above but never really thought about the practical applications of that before. Thanks!
All modes cover the entire fretboard. Please see the sticky.


Abnormal Psychology

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Psychology is the study of human behavior and its causes. Human beings react differently according to the environment they are exposed to. The people who conduct this study are called psychologists. They seek to understand people’s behavior concerning emotions, the way they think, the way they see things, their learning process, what motivates them, cognition, their personality types and finally abnormal behavior that is regarded as abnormal psychology. Behavior that deviates from what is usual is regarded as abnormal and since psychology studies it, it opens up to abnormal psychology. This may also be referred to as statistical deviation.

There is a certain way that people are expected to behave at a certain age or time. If they stray from this set of activities, they can be regarded as abnormal. Many a time, human beings will behave abnormally due to several factors. As a result, their behavior pattern changes in the way they think and react emotionally to different situations. Personal distress also refers to abnormal psychology where a person’s behavior and thoughts make them uncomfortable. Psychologists prefer to call this abnormality maladaptiveness.

Maladaptive behavior is further classified into two aspects recognized as maladaptive to oneself or society. When individuals are maladaptive to self, this indicates that they are undergoing a phase in their life where they feel that they have failed. They feel worthless if they cannot reach their goals in life. They feel like losers since they have been unable to adapt to life’s demands. On the other hand, maladaptive to society encompasses the inability of individuals to fit in social groups. It disrupts or interferes with their ability to socialize with other people. This condition can be caused by environmental and emotional factors, which may cause stress.

Abnormal psychology manifests itself as depression thus most of its symptoms reflect those experienced by depressed individuals. An individual may suffer from addictions, eating disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, psychological disorders, sexual disorders, and anxiety disorders, which are at times referred to as neuroses. These disorders are further broken into four types, the first one being generalized anxiety disorder. This condition is characterized by anxiety, apprehension, helplessness, and paranoia. Panic disorder is the next type and individuals with this condition often suffer from panic attacks. These panic attacks come in form of extreme and sudden anxiety and this prompts one to behave abnormally.

The third type is the obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by repetitive, persistent, ritualistic, unavoidable, and uncontrollable thoughts. These people may be bent on performing one duty repetitively in a ritual-like manner. Most of the times, they may want to keep cleaning, keep talking about disasters or even death. Phobic disorders are the fourth type and an individual suffers irrational fears. A person may suffer from a simple phobia whereby they will fear one thing in particular. Others will suffer complex phobias where they will fear several things. Other disorders that a person with abnormal psychology may suffer are somatization disorders, which revolve around abnormal physical behavior. Schizophrenia also falls under the abnormal disorders. Treatment for abnormal psychology involves the intervention of a psychologist who may offer counseling to the victim. In severe cases, drugs and hospitalization are recommended to monitor the situation.

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Water Credit A new approach to WASH Solutions

11 Aug 2017

Access to safe water and sanitation for all has been one of humanity’s most intractable challenges, particularly in most developing countries. Government and non-government organizations have generated innovative mechanisms to enhance the quality of health of millions of people in these parts of the world.

UNICEF and World Health Organization’s 2017 report shows that 2.1 billion people, (3 in 10) lack access to safe water, 4.5 billion people, (6 in 10) lack access to a restroom. Several studies show that there are more people with a mobile phone than a restroom.

Due to that nearly one million people die from diseases related to lack of sanitation each year. Globally, one child dies from a water-related disease every 90 seconds. Diarrhea is the 3rd leading cause of child death worldwide, and a majority of those cases are communicated by contaminated water.

Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Although Ethiopia has a low level of urbanization, with only 17 percent of the population living in urban areas, the annual rate of migration to urban areas is growing at 3.57 percent and straining both the government’s and ecosystem’s capacity to provide people with basic services in its cities.

Sources indicated that while Ethiopia has made important strides toward improving access to safe water despite millions are still facing challenges in this regard. Government and donors alone cannot provide water and sanitation for the population. The sector needs fresh thinking and bold approaches to accelerate progress.

When we see the figures globally, annual aid for water and sanitation amounts to only eight billion USD, far short of the one trillion USD needed to solve this crisis and maintain the access on long term basis. The challenge is further compounded by the high cost of infrastructure, poor management of the existing structures, lack of proper operations & maintenance, poor water utility management, poorly targeted subsidies and misguided development assistance.

These realities and other insights should inspire us to think of other alternatives rather than delivering heavily subsidized water and sanitation solutions. There would never be enough charity and government subsidy to deliver WSS to everyone in need, we need to set out to find approaches that connect with the private sector to work towards self-supply options as highlighted by the Government of Ethiopia in the One WASH National Plan. The One WASH National Program (OWNP) is the Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE) main instrument for achieving the goals set out in the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP).

Water supply and sanitation is the top priority of Ethiopian water management policy and strategy. The_second growth and transformation plan (GTP-II) clearly articulates to reach 85% from current 59% in rural areas and 75% from current 58% in urban areas.

The GTP II is also an important vehicle to achieve the universal access to water supply and sanitation in line with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Charity alone is not a long-term solution. We seek sustainable financial solutions that will last and grow. The government cannot discharge its responsibility alone. Several stakeholders are part of these activities. Water.org, an American none for profit organization, founded by the famous film actor Matt Damon and Gary White, a water engineer is one of these organizations.

Water.org’s model of WaterCredit, working with MFI’s to bring about sustainable solutions to the global water crisis could easily be replicated in Ethiopia. As to Salfiso Kitabo, Country Director for Water.org, “The cost of bringing safe water and sanitation to the needy in Ethiopia is staggering. Government has many competing priorities to address and there will never be enough charity to solve the water crisis. Involving microfinance institutions can help the Government achieve its self-supply target”

Microfinance loans can be offered by many actors. This could include banks’ supports. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia as well as private banks could do that. These banks collectively cover a large geographic portion of the country, allowing for many of interested people to take action on their own behalf without waiting for the arrival of government programs. Therefore, multitude of actors offering water and sanitation microloans create the potential for the Government to achieve its targets for water and sanitation access at a faster rate.

Those living in absolute poverty will continue to require assistance from the government and the philanthropic community. However, for poor families with some financial means, microfinance institutions enable them to step up and accelerate change in their communities. With more of the poor being empowered to finance their water and sanitation solutions, governments and charities can target their scarce resources more effectively at the absolute poorest of the poor, stretching limited budgets further.

What is more, the role of microfinance to create job opportunity is vital. Under a microfinance model, families take loans and then are responsible for hiring local labor and purchasing water and sanitary materials. These activities stimulate the local economy and can create substantial markets for water connections, toilet construction and the vending of the necessary materials on levels that were not previously needed.

Water-fetching can occupy hours of a day, usually for women and/or female children. With household access to water and sanitation, hours that previously were occupied by water fetching and attending to sanitation needs can be redirected towards other productive works and schooling. These pure economic impacts can be combined with the gains in time achieved by higher levels of health from access to safe drinking water and sanitation, which also provide people with more energy to dedicate to work and school in addition to savings incurred from medical expenses that are no longer needed.

Household access to water and sanitation contributes to women’s empowerment, additional important aspect. Globally, women and girls bear the majority of water fetching responsibility and suffer more from lack of proper sanitation facilities.

Microfinance for water and sanitation contributes to financial inclusion. Microloans for water and sanitation are generally smaller than those disbursed for income-generation loans. Because these loans are smaller, people at lower income levels who might have been intimidated by larger loans are more likely to see these loans as within their means of repayment. In this way, microloans for water and sanitation can be seen as gateway loans that attract people who were previously excluded from formal financial systems. In addition, from repaying these water and sanitation loans, the poor establish creditworthiness that enables them to take out additional loans from commercial lenders.

Microfinance contribution to sustainability is the other significant role for the economy.

In many situations, resources provided by the government or via charity are not maintained properly and abandoned the moment they need repair (if they were used at all). Under a microfinance model, however, borrowers have a financial stake in their water supply and sanitation solutions, which creates a greater incentive to ensure proper operation, maintenance and usage.

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    Psalms 31 - Psalms 33 >> - HELP - FACEBOOK - GR FORUMS - GODRULES ON YOUTUBE

    PS 32 The happiness of them whose sins are forgiven, ver. 1, 2. The necessity of confessing our sins, and of prayer, ver. 3-6. God's promise to them that trust in him, ver. 7-10. An exhortation to rejoice in God, ver. 11. A psalm of David, Maschil. Title of the psalm. Maschil - Or, an instructor. This psalm is fitly so called, because it was composed for the information of the church, in that most important doctrine, the way to true blessedness.

    Verse 4. Hand - Thy afflicting hand. My moisture - Was dried up.

    Verse 5. The iniquity - The guilt of my sin.

    Verse 9. Will not - Unless they be forced to it by a bit or bridle. And so all the ancient translators understand it.

    Verse 10. Sorrows - This is an argument to enforce the foregoing admonition.

    God Rules.NET


- Gourmet Kosher Cooking - https://gourmetkoshercooking.com -

Onion Tart

2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks margarine
5 tablespoons ice water

4 -5 onions, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small zucchinis, sliced into thin rounds
2 -3 plum tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
1 baby eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
Fresh chives or scallions for garnish
Optional: Drizzle with pesto or honey mustard

For the Filling: Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Sauté until soft, add garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cooked onions into the tart and spread over the bottom of dough. Layer the zucchinis on the outer edge of the tart keeping them slightly overlapping and close together. Make two rows on the outer edge. Next layer the tomatoes in a circle, slightly overlapping each other. Now layer the eggplant in a circle, slightly overlapping decoratively. The outside circles should be zucchini, the middle tomatoes and the inner circles eggplant.

Bake for an hour at 350 degrees. When it is done, garnish with chopped chives or scallions and drizzle with pesto or honey mustard.


About Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind, a focused state of concentration during which your mind is calm and very alert and your body completely relaxed. During hypnosis you are not asleep but rather in a deeply relaxed state of consciousness where the hypnotherapist can better connect to your subconscious mind.

Your subconscious mind governs most of your unwanted behaviors, bad habits and limiting beliefs. Most people are not aware that it is approximately 7 times stronger than your will power or logic because it represents roughly 88% of your total brain power, while the conscious part of your mind only represents 12%. This is why it is so hard to make changes even when we consciously really want to make those changes. It is also why an unwanted behavior, bad habit or limiting belief often re-surfaces quickly after a temporary departure. Hypnosis is an extremely effective, comfortable way to connect with that subconscious part of your mind and make long lasting changes happen fast.

Hypnosis is an ancient tool that continues to gain interest, popularity and credibility. Hypnotherapy has been approved by the AMA (American Medical Association) since 1958 and has often been used in conjunction with western medicine and psychology due to the fact that it is safe, naturally occurring, pain-free and drug free.

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Emily Himes Iverson writes in the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform about punitive damage awards against estates.  The abstract is as follows:

Punitive damages are traditionally understood, at least in part, as damages designed to punish. It should therefore come as no surprise that, in the majority of states that have decided the issue, courts have chosen not to allow punitive damage awards against the estates of deceased tortfeasors. After all, the tortfeasor can no longer be punished (at least by tort awards). Nonetheless, punitive damages can also serve other purposes, such as deterrence. This Note argues that Michigan, a state which has not yet taken a stance, should adopt the minority position that allows punitive damages to be awarded against estates. Because of Michigan’s historically liberal stance on the survival of actions and its unique understanding of punitive damage awards, this Note contends that the minority position is the only position consistent with state law. However, this Note also advocates for legislative action in order to make Michigan’s adoption of the minority position absolutely clear. Such clarity would promote stability and predictability for plaintiffs and defendants alike and would ensure results consistent with Michigan’s broader history and policies.

via “Invading the Realm of the Dead: Exploring the (Im)propriety of Punitiv” by Emily Himes Iversen.


Author: Matt Johnson

Health Disparity and Health Difference

The difference between health disparities and health differences lies in inequity and injustice. We might see differences in mobility between elderly individuals and teenagers as a normal difference in age, not related to ageism, though certainly elderly individuals face issues of ageism. However, differences in mortality rates between people of different social classes can be directly related to social and economic inequity. Hence, a health disparity is a health difference that results from inequity and injustice.

Returning to my example of HIV, PrEP, and queer men, we know that queer men have been identified as a high risk group for HIV, which is why targeting PrEP and other interventions at queer men is so important for public health interventions and control of the epidemic. However, we also know that HIV/AIDS was originally considered to be a “gay disease” and limited action was taken at the original outbreak because of the social undesirable position of queer men. This social inequity based on sexuality was stronger at the outbreak of AIDS, but it still persists today. The combination of HIV stigma, poor sexual health education (for everyone, but also specifically for queer individuals), and lacking health care for queer individuals (health care providers are uncomfortable asking about sexual history, don’t ask about sexuality, don’t take necessary precautions, aren’t aware of health needs of queer individuals, etc) directly results in a health disparity resulting in higher rates of HIV among queer men, especially black queer men.

However, public health interventions that continue to target queer men for behavior change seem to push the blame of this health disparity and social inequity on those facing inequity, rather than targeting the providers who are unprepared and improperly educated to effectively care for queer men. We know that providers are less likely to prescribed PrEP to black queer men, compounding on social inequity based on sexuality to add race. This stems directly from racial and gender stereotypes that influence providers and limit their ability to appropriately care for black queer men (Calebrese et al, 2014; 2017). Nonetheless, public health interventions exacerbate the disparity by focusing on queer men adopting different health behaviors instead of educating health care providers and sexual health educators to provide better care for queer men. The root is structural, rather than individual, and ignoring the structural inequity continues to harm queer men, especially black queer men.

PrEP for Life

Reflecting on the models of health discussed previously (part 1 & part 2), a queer man without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; disregarding other illnesses) would be healthy, whereas a queer man with HIV would be unhealthy within the medical model of health. In the sociocultural model of health, both a queer man with HIV and without HIV would likely be considered healthy. Given current treatments, there would likely be no affect on an individual’s ability to perform the five activities of daily living. Finally, in the psychological model, we have no easy way to estimate beforehand.

However, within the “drugs for life” model, since queer men are identified within the public health discourse as high risk for HIV, they are immediately seen as bodies-at-risk. Within this model, being queer men can become a predisease for HIV. Much like pre-hypertension for hypertension, the predisease becomes an illness to be treated in itself. Here, we treat the predisease with public health interventions, but the predisease is the behavior of men having sex with men. However, with the best intentions, public health interventions and health communications campaigns can exacerbate the stigma within the queer community with regards to HIV and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Within this model, PrEP becomes another “drug for life.” There’s no point at which individuals can stop taking PrEP to prevent HIV. It has to be consistently taken in the same way that one would consistently take drugs after contracting HIV. Hence, the treatment for the disease and the treatment to prevent the disease have the same consequences. Presumably, patients would only stop taking PrEP after finding a long-term partner with whom they are monogamous (also presumably both partners would be HIV negative). However, this assumes compulsory monogamy and perhaps even compulsory matrimony. For queer men who don’t want to become monogomous or get married or who are worried about their partner’s (or partners’) infidelity might still be taking PrEP. This combination of high NNT (especially high NNT when we consider the effectiveness of condoms, which should still be used while taking PrEP, since it isn’t 100% effective) with the endless length of the prescription results in considerable profits for drug companies and a significant economic injustice for queer men.

Are You Healthy? (Part 2)

Previously, I discussed changes to our model of health due to randomized control trials and the pharmaceutical industry, as discussed in Joseph Dumit’s Drugs for Life. Here are the three primary models of health as discussed by Donald A. Barr in his book Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, & Health.

The first model is the medical model or physical health model that focuses on the absence of symptoms or other signs of disease or illness. However, Barr mentions several issues with this model of health, noting “that this approach to defining health tells us what the concept of health is not. . .It does not tell us what health is” (2014, pp. 15). He expands on this later:

“What are we to make of a condition that has no abnormal symptoms? An important example of this is high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension; persons with hypertension develop symptoms only after a number of years. Should we consider a person with somewhat elevated blood pressure to be unhealthy based on our knowledge that his blood pressure will eventually lead to further problems? What might be the consequences of labeling such a person as ‘unhealthy,’ even if he feels fine?” (Barr, 2014, p. 16)

These are the questions that Joe Dumit attempts to answer, looking beyond hypertension to guidelines about pre-hypertension and the prescriptions of statins with no understanding of when patients can stop taking them.

The second model is the sociocultural model or the model of health as functioning at a normal level. Barr looks at it in contrast to the medical model, which looks at absence, because the sociocultural model looks at the presence of an ability to function at a level that has been deemed normal (2014, p. 17). The ability to functional normally is defined in regards to one’s ability to completed five “activities of daily living (ADLs),” which are roughly, (1) eating, (2) bathing, (3) dressing, (4) using the bathroom, and (5) moving on one’s own (2014, p. 17). Of course, the entire premise of “normal functioning” is subjectively predicated on societal ideas of self-sufficiency that might vary from culture to culture or community to community.

The third model is the psychological model or the model of health as a feeling of well-being. In this model, individuals are able to assess themselves and their own health with the help of several developed measures (Barr, 2014, p. 18). However, Barr notes that these tests are often “time-specific” (Barr, 2014, p. 18). I would argue that health is always time specific and temporal. I may be healthy today, but I can quickly develop a health problem or injure myself, perhaps even resulting in a temporary or life-long disability, reaffirming the temporality of both health and disability.

According to Barr, these models can be combined to create a multidimensional model of health that presents a better picture of the health of an individual.

Trans Youth, Ethics, & Access to Healthcare

There are four primary principles for ethical decision-making in health care (respect for autonomy, 2. justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence); however, these four principles do not necessarily yield the most beneficial results for trans youth or bodies that exist in contradistinction to state controlled modes of life. Medical practice is able to manage the modes of life for trans youth, relying on non-maleficence and a paternalistic notion of future expectations to continually withhold medical intervention.

The duality of beneficence and non-maleficence has often been presented as the double effect, where a single action may have both positive and negative effects that must be weighed against one another (Veach, 2007). A common example is when providing morphine to a dying patient. The patient’s suffering will be limited, causing a beneficial effect; however, the morphine simultaneously slows the respiratory system, causing the patient to die more quickly, the harmful double effect.

In the case of trans youth, this double effect is often used as a way to withhold hormone treatment or other medical intervention because the state and the medical institution see the greater harm if trans youth “change their minds” about their gender. Further, medical professionals discuss the potential harms within a framework of compulsory reproduction. The harm of hormones is seen as an inability to reproduce later in life, which maintains the assumption that biology is destiny (Adkins, 2017).

As we approach these ethical issues, there are difficult power dynamics inherent in the biopolitical state that limits what modes of living are seen as livable. For instance, an inability to reproduce is seen as unlivable or unruly. To provide better care for trans youth, we need to deconstruct current notions about the lack of autonomy for young people broadly, and especially for trans youth.

Adkins, Deanna (2017). “Transgender medicine: A wealth of ethical dilemmas.” Presentation.

Veatch, Robert M. (2007) “How many principles for bioethics?” In R. Ashcroft, A. Dawson, H. Draper, and J. McMillan (Eds.) Principles of Health Care Ethics, Second Edition. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

Electronic Health Records and the Expert Patient

Electronic Health Records (EHR) are becoming more and more common as means for patient engagement. Medical practice has moved from a paternalistic mode of engagement to a mode of engagement that makes the patient active and directly involved. However, this process also demands more of the patients, both in terms of educating themselves and collecting and inputting data into an EHR.

While the goal of the EHR is better patient outcomes, we should think about accessibility. For patients who might not have access to a computer, the internet, or any means of collecting their own health data, it might be impossible to access an EHR or other patient portal. Additionally, patients with low health literacy or health information literacy might struggle to understand the information being provided to or asked of them.

Aside from difficulties directly using the EHR, patients are pushed into an expert patient role through the same attempt at creating active patients. While this might help with patient engagement, the need to gather information about one’s own health, illness(es), and medication(s) increases the burden on the patient. Being an active participant in one’s own medical care, requires labor on the part of the patient.

While this may improve patient outcomes, it might be impossible for many patients to gather additional health information either because they don’t know where to look or don’t have the time to search. The active patient model and the electronic health record are both features of a modern medical practice that require additional labor from patients and focus on an patient with certain means and abilities. Surprisingly, it may well be increasing the health disparities divide.

These are all considerations that practitioners should keep in mind with regard to electronic health records and the demands placed on their patients.

Are You Healthy?

To understand whether or not your healthy, you have to first understand what it means to be healthy. It seems straightforward, but in the modern age, this is a complex question.

We might at first be inclined to think that being healthy means that you don’t have any illness or injury. But is this always true? What if you have an illness that is managed by medication? What if a person has a disability but the disability doesn’t disrupt their daily life? What if you’ve been diagnosed with pre-hypertension but have no symptoms?

Joseph Dumit, Director of Science and Technology Studies and Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Davis, discusses various changes to our view of health and illness since the rise of the randomized control trial in his book Drugs for Life: How Pharmaceutical Companies Define Our Health (Duke University Press, 2012). He argues “that being at risk for illness is often treated as if one had a disease requiring lifelong treatments, drugs for life” (6).

Dumit discusses a few prediseases in depth, looking at pre-hypertensive, pre-diabetes, and borderline high cholesterol. “Literally, a disease-sounding syndrome is produced by correlating risk factors and naming it in such a way that it becomes common sense to think about treating ‘it’ as a disease in and of itself” (165). Hence, health becomes a matter of risk where we are all bodies constantly at risk of disease. If you have pre-diabetes, are you healthy? How do we understand our health in a risk economy of health?

This intersects interestingly with Donald A. Barr’s claim, in his book Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, & Health, that despite investing so much of our economy in health, US health indexes rank rather low; “[p]erhaps, our basic assumption–that more health care will lead, necessarily, to better health–is flawed.”

Apps, Websites, mHealth, Oh My!

Mobile health applications have taken off as opportunities for public health intervention coinciding with the increasing usage of mobile phones and mobile phone applications in everyday life. A search for “mobile app” in the Journal of Medical Internet Research returns over 1,000 results.

While some of these applications are certainly changing the way we approach our health and lifestyles, some of them can also do more harm than good. As a result, the FDA has developed guidance for the development of these applications to ensure their safety.

However, mobile applications aren’t the only option for providing health information and interactive experiences to users on mobile devices, though they’ve become an incredibly popular option. Many mobile applications could likely be created as websites using responsive web design to make them easily viewable from computers, tablets, smartphones, and so on.

This is especially important when thinking about your target audience. While younger audiences might use their phones regularly, older individuals might be less inclined to use a mobile app, but they might visit a website from their computer or tablet.

A website with responsive web design will also work across platforms (so users can switch between their phone, tablet, computer, or other devices) and will likely take less time and money to develop. They’re also easier to update and maintain for longer periods of time.

Also, if any of your users are like me, they might hate downloading yet another app to take up space on their phone. Apps contribute to clutter on your mobile devices and take up storage space that could be used for pictures, music, emails, and other content.

In a rush to utilize new technologies and meet users where they are, some of these mobile health applications have come out poorly.

Turner-McGreivy, et al. (2016), available from PubMed Central, provide a great comparison of responsive-design websites versus mobile applications, including an easy-to-use table.


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Saturn-Circling Cassini Space Probe Gets Set for Its Dramatic Grand Finale

by Susmita Paruchuri /
Cassini will make its final flyby of Saturn's moon Titan on April 21, using its radar to reveal the moon's surface lakes and seas one last time before it plunges between the planet and its rings.Photo illustration: NASA/JPL-Caltech /

After decades in space and a journey of more than 4.1 billion miles, NASA’s Cassini orbiter is set for its grand finale. On April 26, the school bus-sized craft will alter its orbit around Saturn, diving between the sixth planet and its celebrated rings for a closer look.

Mission scientists know that as Cassini passes through the 1,500-mile-wide gap, it could collide with the rocks that make up the rings. But they’re undeterred by that possibility.

“There is definitely an element of risk,” Dr. Curt Niebur, Cassini program scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., told NBC News MACH in an email. “We are traveling through a completely unexplored area at extremely high speeds on a path threading the smallest eye of the smallest of needles.”

Related: Saturn’s Moons Show More Signs They Could Support Life

Why send Cassini into harm’s way? Niebur and his colleagues hope the orbiter's plunge will reveal new insights impossible to obtain any other way.

“Some of the big unanswered questions are the way in which the rings formed, the age of the rings, and their mass,” Dr. Jim Fuller, a theoretical astrophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California, told NBC News MACH in an email. “If Cassini can measure the total mass of the rings, this will help us understand how the rings formed and how long they've been around.”

The answers to those questions, in turn, could help scientists understand how gas giants like Saturn form and evolve and how the other planets in our solar system came to be, Fuller said. They could also help us understand how planets form around other stars.

Cassini launched in 1997, flying by Venus and Jupiter on its way to Saturn, where its captured close-up images of the planet and its rings. The spacecraft has made some spectacular discoveries, including finding rivers flowing on one of its moons, Titan, and ice volcanoes on another, Enceladus.

The maneuver is a prelude to Cassini’s final, fatal plunge into Saturn, now set for September 15. NASA says Cassini will continue to send back data until the signal is lost, indicating the craft has met its ultimate fate.

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Hedvig Tordai

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Originally the term 'protein module' was coined to distinguish mobile domains that frequently occur as building blocks of diverse multidomain proteins from 'static' domains that usually exist only as stand-alone units of single-domain proteins. Despite the widespread use of the term 'mobile domain', the distinction between static and mobile domains is(More)
Based on homology search and structure prediction methods we show that (1) the N-terminal N domains of members of the plasminogen/hepatocyte growth factor family, (2) the apple domains of the plasma prekallikrein/coagulation factor XI family, and (3) domains of various nematode proteins belong to the same module superfamily, hereafter referred to as the PAN(More)
There is major interest in designing inhibitors for matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2, gelatinase A) since this enzyme is known to be involved in pathological processes such as tumor invasion or rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of MMP-2 inhibitor candidate drugs block the active site of MMP-2 by binding to its catalytic Zn2+ ion through a chelating(More)
Despite significant improvements in computational annotation of genomes, sequences of abnormal, incomplete or incorrectly predicted genes and proteins remain abundant in public databases. Since the majority of incomplete, abnormal or mispredicted entries are not annotated as such, these errors seriously affect the reliability of these databases. Here we(More)
We have shown previously that all three fibronectin type-II modules of gelatinase A contribute to its gelatin affinity. In the present work the second type-II module was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis in order to localize its gelatin-binding site. The functional integrity of mutant proteins was assessed by their affinity for gelatin using(More)
Human matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) contains an array of three fibronectin type II (FII) modules postulated to interact with gelatin (denatured collagen). Here, we verify that the NMR solution structure of the third FII repeat (COL-3) is similar to that of the second FII repeat (COL-2); characterize its ligand-binding properties; and derive dynamics(More)
BACKGROUND Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2, gelatinase A, 72 kDa type IV collagenase) has an important role in extracellular matrix degradation during cell migration and tissue remodeling. It is involved in development, inflammation, wound healing, tumor invasion, metastasis and other physiological and pathological processes. The enzyme cleaves several(More)
We have shown previously that all three fibronectin type II modules of gelatinase A contribute to its gelatin affinity. In the present investigation we have studied the structure and module-module interactions of this gelatin-binding domain by circular dichroism spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Comparison of the Tm values of the thermal(More)
Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) contains three fibronectin type II (col) modules that contribute to its collagen specificity. We observed that the CD spectra of the separate col modules account for the CD and temperature profiles of the in-tandem col-123 construct. Thus, to the extent of not significantly perturbing the secondary structure and thermal(More)
Analysis of the exon-intron structures of 2208 human genes has revealed that there is a statistically highly significant excess of phase 1 introns in the vicinity of the signal peptide cleavage sites. It is suggested that amino acid sequences surrounding signal peptide cleavage sites are significantly enriched in phase 1 proto-splice sites and this has(More)


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Corporate Aircraft

Aviation Consultakeynt 360 does offer a Turnkey Management Program for corporate aircraft under certain circumstances.

Because AC 360 is primarily a consulting service, we do not generally pursue the role of aircraft management. However since we absolutely have all the technical and operational experience to manage any jet aircraft, we will offer our help managing jet and turbine powered aircraft under certain circumstances.

These circumstances can develop when an aircraft owner may not have the control he desires over his flight operations, which can come about for several reasons. For example the owner simply does not have the time to track every operation of his Untitled-2aircraft or to assimilate the steep learning curve of the avation language to be able to track operations. Or sometimes there can be communication difficulties between the pilots and the owner, or worse yet; many pilots will not take responsibility for the over site of the aircraft as they do not consider that part of their job description.

The last circumstance is usually the most difficult for the aircraft owner. It leaves the owner with no control or protection at all over his multimillion dollar aircraft. In this circumstance, the aircraft owner can become subservient to the very necessary and required support system he relies on for parts, maintenance, and service. And that can get to be a very expensive problem. Anytime service providers sense an unsupervised aircraft in thier control, the opportunity to become creative with the billing, or less than conservative about adding additional, unnecessary, or redundant work exists. But add in oversight by professional aviation experts like AC 360 to represent the aircraft owner, and this problem is immediately corrected.

AC 360 will provide the oversight and expertise to bring the owner the control he desires and requires over his aircraft. We have run fleets of as many as 55 aircraft flying 72,000 miles a night, on time, on budget, and without incidents. So there is nothing we haven’t seen or cannoy handle when it comes to aircraft operations.


Health & Fitness, News

Global Warming-CO2 Is The Leading Cause Of Food Shortage

1-Global warming-Carbon Di Oxide

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is associated with the life of forests and plants because they use CO2 for their growth. It poses certain effects to the life of plants when its emission arises and spoils proteins in the plants which make nutrition less healthy. When plants would not produce enough proteins, there would be a shortage of healthy nutrition at the global level, a threat to global food security. CO2 is also posing threats to the food security due to the global warming. Even International institutions consider floods, earthquakes, powerful storms and other factors to add global warming but a new research calls for adding many other things in global warming and food security as consequences. CO2 drops the level of key minerals and healthy nutrition in different food and crop which may affect mighty population and global growth rate.

Samuel Myers, a professor at Harvard University led an experimental research which concluded that CO2 target many crops like rice and wheat and crop faces a significant shortage of protein and crucial health minerals like zinc and iron.

In addition to it, he further argued that if the projected level of CO2 continues to exist and maintain its trajectory, about 18 countries’ would lose their national dietary protein by 5% till 2050 because of the nutrition value of rice, wheat and staple crop. He further added in his research that the people of Asia and Africa, where people are already suffering from protein deficiency will be the first victim of global warming and then food security following by it. It is to be noted that once it is started, it becomes difficult to provide millions of people with food full of nutrition and produce more healthy food. There is no escape from global warming because it is natural process caused by the produced gasses exist in the natural environment.

Around 76 per cent of the global population extract most of the proteins of daily use from plants. The research conclusion predicts the biggest challenge of nutrition for Sub Saharan Africa, where a large number of people are already suffering from protein deficiency, and South Asian countries, including India, where rice and wheat constitute a major part of food which would become less nutritious.

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Dr Myers argues that the consequences may be less in large income states because their people can take self-care of their diet and health but the countries with less income will suffer a lot of problems. Their children could not get proper growth, their youngsters could not gain enough energy and their national health would be compromised. Furthermore, researchers say that if we consider only India in South Asia, 5-3 per cent of protein deficiency would add 53 million people to the list.

To meet the threats of global warming and nutrition deficiency, experts suggest to produce hybrid plants with the requisite production of proteins and for long seasons. All international food research institutes are taking responsibility to avoid the effects of global warming and shortage of protein from our daily usage food.


Countries yearning for freedom should be priorities for development support

This article was published in The Wall Street Journal

How to build democracies in the Mideast

9 March 2011

The revolts in Arab and Maghreb nations as well as the Green Movement in Iran are an opportunity to reshape Western policy in the region. In his speech in Kuwait last week, British Prime Minister David Cameron called for reforms there, for rule of law, and for freedom of association. Mr. Cameron quoted his favorite political philosopher, Edmund Burke, saying that such reform is vital to conserving liberty. Few would disagree. But how to make it happen?

The recent past offers several examples. The most famous is the Marshall Plan, which was as much a political vote of confidence in European democracy as it was a financial transfer. Later, in the 1970s, to consolidate democracy after the end of Spanish and Portuguese dictatorship, Germany and Nordic nations sent down hundreds of political organizers and millions of pesetas and escudos to support post-authoritarian political parties. In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan brought the U.S. back into the International Labor Organization and used trade unions to support Polish Solidarity. He also sent an African-American to be Ambassador to apartheid South Africa, as U.S. and European trade unions worked with multinationals to show how freedom of association was a fundamental element of stable democratic rule.

Today Britain could set up a Foundation for Democracy Development to provide an all-party source of income, travel grants, and overseas seminars for Arabic and Farsi speakers in Britain to turn Mr. Cameron’s appeal into a practical, step-by-step plan for economic freedom and democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. The City and Bank of England could make clear that credit lines will be available for independent business operations in Tunisia and Egypt.

Britain spends £8.4 billion per year on charity for Third World countries, despite mounting evidence that giving money to unreformed corrupt states that reject open markets, free press, and rule of law, simply allows authoritarians to maintain their grip on power. London does have a small outfit called the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, but its budget equals less than 0.005% of Britain’s foreign-aid allocations. If Mr. Cameron wants to put flesh on his calls for democracy he should insert the concept of democracy development alongside the ineffective poverty-reduction charity work that currently occupies British time and resources.

Tunisia and Egypt have received nothing from Britain in recent years while cash was poured into Zimbabwe and other authoritarian states further south. A small adjustment in spending would mean that the Arab countries yearning for freedom, as well as other countries willing to take the reform road, could now be priorities for British development support. The vested interests of the aid lobby may cry “foul,” but the best way to eradicate poverty is to promote democracy. A British Foundation for Democracy Development would begin that work.


The Moscow buildings
Дата: September 30th, 2011 автор: admin

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confed cup

The FIFA Confederations Cup is an international association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the holders of each of the six (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, OFC) regional championships, along with the FIFA World Cup holder and the host nation, to bring the number of teams up to eight. Since 2005, the tournament has been held in the nation that will host the FIFA World Cup in the following year, acting as a rehearsal for the larger tournament. However, 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar will not host 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup as announced by FIFA in 2015 due to Qatar's high temperatures during the summer period. This is the first edition, since the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, that the tournament host is not hosting the next FIFA World Cup. The reigning Champion is Brazil who won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, by defeating Spain 3–0 in the final for a record fourth title. They will not be able to defend their title, as they were eliminated by Paraguay in a penalty shoot-out in the Quarter-Finals of the 2015 Copa América. Wikipedia


Jeju International Brass Competition

Trumpet players from around the world gathered in South Korea for the Jeju International Brass Competition, August 8-16, 2017.

The Jeju International Brass Competition is carried out annually, for euphonium, bass trombone and tuba in the even years and for trumpet, French horn, tenor trombone and brass quintet in the odd years. Its 12th edition in the trumpet category took place on Jeju Island, South Korea. 62 candidates from the Peoples' Republic of China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan competed at the Seogwipo Arts Center in the South of the subtropical island.

In the first round, each participant played the first movement of Joseph Haydn's Concerto in E-flat until the end of the development and could then choose between Arthur Honegger's Intrada and Triptyque by Henri Tomasi, both short but very revealing touchstones for trumpet players. 11 candidates opted for Tomasi's delicate "miniature sonata" while 51 chose Honegger.

22 competitors (roughly one third) were moved on to the second round in which Vincent Persichetti's Parable XIV for unaccompanied trumpet and either Johann Melchior Molter's Concerto no.1 in D major or Johann Friedrich Fasch's Concerto in the same key awaited them. Only two contestants played the Molter.

The finalists were Min Choi, HyunHo Kim (both from South Korea), Nobuki Inukai, Maki Tsuruta (both from Japan), Maximilan Morel (Germany) and Lucas Lipari-Mayer (France). Each of them performed the Concerto for Trumpet by Charles Chaynes, accompanied by the Jeju Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Szymon Kawalla.

HyunHo Kim (b. 1992, South Korea) was awarded the first prize. The second prize went to Maximilan Morel (b. 1994, Germany) and the third prize to Maki Tsuruta (b. 1994, Japan).

The jury consisted of Éric Aubier (France), Jean-François Michel (Switzerland), SeongSoo Park (South Korea), Max Sommerhalder (Germany), Rex Richardson (U.S.A.), Eisuke Yamamoto (Japan) and ShuHan Yeh (Taiwan).

2017 Jeju laureates and jurors
Left to right: SeongSoo Park, Éric Aubier, ShuHan Yeh, Rex Richardson, HyunHo Kim (1st prize), Maximilian Morel (2nd prize), Maki Tsuruta (3rd prize), Max Sommerhalder, Jean-François Michel, Eisuke Yamamoto.

Source: Max Sommerhalder (Switzerland)

Take advantage of what ITG has to offer:


Cinnamon Rolls

We love cinnamon rolls. LOVE them. And make them quite often. Maybe a little too often.
They never get old. Truly, a classic recipe.
But come on, who doesn't love a dessert that can pass for "breakfast."

This recipe makes a lot of rolls. It fills a 13x9 pan quite nicely. Unless I'm having company, I will normally halve this recipe. It halves very nicely and fits in an 8x8 pan or if you are feeling fancy try a 12 in cast iron skillet for baking.

You will need:

1 ½ cups warm water
5 teaspoons yeast (or two packages)
¼ cup sugar
4-5 cups of flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup butter, softened
1 egg

For the filling:
6-8 Tablespoons butter, room temp
1 ½  Tablespoons cinnamon
¾  cup brown sugar (or a bit more, depending on how sweet you like them)

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand for 5 minutes.
Next, add about 2 ½ cups of the flour and all the salt.
Mix on low for 2 minutes. Add butter and egg. Mix another couple minutes, scraping bowl as needed.
Next add remaining two cups of flour and mix for about 4-5 minutes.
You want the dough to be slightly sticky. If it sticks to your finger when you poke the dough then add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. A little bit of sticky is ok. If your finger comes away covered then it's too sticky.
Next, roll dough into a ball and return to a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Preheat over 375F
Once your dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for a minute or two with your hands then roll out with a rolling pin. I typically roll mine about a ½ inch thick. You are looking for a rectangular shape somewhere around 9x13 inches. If you don't have a rolling pin, no problem. I sometimes just use my hands.

Once you've rolled the dough out, have your filling ingredients on hand.
Spread the softened butter all over the dough. Next, sprinkle the cinnamon over the butter. I like to use a butter knife and work the butter and cinnamon into the dough.
Next, sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and cinnamon.
Now you roll. I go for the longest side and roll from there. very carefully.
Once you've got it rolled into a nice log, take a large, serrated knife and start slicing. I slice each roll about 2 inches thick. Place in a 9x13 inch pan.
If you cut each roll about the same you should have exactly enough to fill your 9x13 pan with rows of 3.

Place in preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
As I say with every recipe, every oven is different. Keep an eye on them after about 15 minutes. You don't want them to get too brown.

While they bake, mix up a powdered sugar glaze. I start with about 1 ½ cups powdered sugar then add about 2 tablespoons milk. Keep going until you find the consistency you desire.
I let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 15 minutes before I add my glaze.
Or if you are feeling fancy, top them with our cream cheese frosting once they've cooled.
So delicious!!

Baked in cast iron

Baked in cast iron


The Effects of Surveillance and Copyright Law on Speech: Jon Penney at Berkman | MIT Center for Civic Media

What effects do laws and surveillance have on the exercise of freedoms online?

Today, the Berkman Center welcomed Jon Penney (@jon_penney), who is finishing his D.Phil at the University of Oxford, to talk about his dissertation research on chilling effects. Jon is a lawyer, Oxford researcher, and a research fellow at the the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.

What is a chilling effect? The idea, theorized in a US context by Schauer in 1978, was that laws might have an effect on legal, protected, and desired activities. Judges have been skeptical about this idea. In Laird v Tatum, judges claimed that chilling effects were not a 'cognizable' injury. In response to recent NSA cases, chilling effects were dismissed as too speculative. Scholars agree. Kendrick argued that chilling effects have a "flimsy" empirical basis. Many open questions remain, including the magnitude of chilling effects and their reach. In his dissertation, Jon set out to answer some of those questions.

How do you prove a negative? Jon points out that this challenge is one of the reasons that chilling effects have been so difficult to identify. Datasets of online behavior offer resources that can help us answer these questions in greater detail. Jon promises to offer two case studies with us today.

The effect of NSA surveillance on online participation

In June 2013, Edward Snowden released information about the US surveillance system PRISM. By 2014, Pew found that 2014 people had "heard" of PRISM. Matthews & Tucker (2015) looked at Google search activity and found a 5% decrease in Google searches on sensitive topics after June 2013. In March 2015, Wikimedia and the ACLU brought a lawsuit against the NSA, saying that pervasive surveillance had a chilling effect on participation.

Jon asked this question in his work, using an interrupted time-series design to examine traffic for sensitive content before and after revelations about NSA surveillance. What Wikipedia articles did he include in the study? Penney focused on 48 Wikipedia articles that corresponded with U.S. Department of Homeland Security "terrorism" keywords. The articles in this set received a total of 81 million views over the period of study. Jon checked these articles by asking Mechanical Turkers "if you knew the Government was monitoring online, how likely would you to be avoid them?" On average, the survey showed that this was content that would give some internet users cause to avoid them. Jon's research also normalized the traffic to these articles to overall traffic on Wikipedia.

What did Jon find? Firstly, he found that after the Snowden reports, sensitive content experienced a drop-off. But over time, people started to realize that they probably wouldn't go to jail, and the trend continued to increase over time. But there's a problem: there are two extreme outliers. What were these? Both of those outliers represent Israeli operations in Palestine, leading large numbers of people to read articles about Hamas.

In a second analysis, Penney developed a comparison group of security-related, non-terrorism articles from the same homeland security list. He also looked at the subset of potentially-chilled articles that were rated as most risky by Turkers. In this final analysis, he showed that among those articles, not only did fewer users read Wikipedia pages about those articles, the trend line reversed -- the traffic to those articles declined over time. In contrast, the comparison group did not have a reverse in trend lines. Penney suggests that there might be a long-term, ongoing chill from surveillance.

Do copyright laws like DMCA have a chilling effect on speech?

Next, Jon tells us about the DMCA "notice and takedown" copyright enforcement scheme, a statute that aims to police and enforce copyright on the internet. For example, imagine a blog on Google blogs. Imagine that some blogger has posted a video without permission. The rightsholder sends a DMCA notice to Google, who will then take the video down. The blogger can then decide if they want to accept the takedown or file a counter-notice. If they do file, the rightsholder can file a lawsuit. If not, the video is restored.

This scheme has been criticized widely. Many scholars have argued that this has a chilling effect-- there are millions of notices being sent every single day. Wendy Seltzer described this as a "chilling effect architecture" -- a regulatory scheme that favors a chilling effect on users. To test this, Penney did a random sample of 500 Google blogs. He visited each blog and coded them to identify which were online/offline, suspended, locked, and whether they had grounds for potential legal defenses. He then followed up to find out why they had made those decisions. The blogs in the sample ranged from business, culture, politics, adult content, science, personal blogs, and spam. The targeted content on those blogs were text, images, music, software, and "mixed."

What was the impact of the DMCA? Of the 500 notices, 88% of the content targeted by the notices was offline or inaccessible. 12% was still accessible. Among blogs that were targeted through the DMCA, 43% of the blogs were still there, the blog was suspended in 32% in the cases, 13% of the blogs were deleted or relocated by the user. Jon also analyzed the targeted content for potential legality. Across several categories, Jon found substantial percentages of likely-legal content that had been taken down, where the blog had been suspended or the person had deleted or relocated their blog. When challenged, users aren't replacing the content and leaving it offline, even if they have a good case for keeping it online. Penney also found no evidence of counter-notices -- people very very rarely challenge a DMCA takedown.

Overall Implications
Both case studies suggest the existence and persistence of regulatory chilling effects, says Jon. Secondly, Penney suggests conforming effects of these regulatory regimes, where people avoid certain information or leave content offline. Yet he's not sure if there's a single overarching theory to understand these effects. In the case of the DMCA, there might be a specific legal punishment that people fear, but perhaps surveillance is a . Finally, Penney's findings suggest that there's a huge potential scale of chilling effects. With 1 billion takedowns per year, a chilling effect at the size of 7% or 10% could be affecting very large numbers of people.

Questions & Answer

Could you talk about the choice of your comparison-related terms? Jon answers: this is one area of the study where I would like to enhance the sophistication of the comparison group. I wanted to avoid the bias. I considered a random sample of articles, but if you gather a group of random wikipedia articles, it's probably going to track certain trends that different kinds of events are going to influence. If I had to added articles about Justin Bieber, for example, it would be too different from terrorism content, such that whatever trends you would get would be too different. Instead he used what he called a "normative matching" approach, in the absence of a randomized trial.

I asked Jon if findings like his ever have impacts on courts, and what that path looks like. Jon: one of the challenges over constitutional litigation around surveillance is that there have been concerns about how to "prove" these claims. They're often described as subjective, speculative, "non-cognizable" injuries. Many of these fall down on the grounds that people don't have a standing to prove that they have been injured. Wikimedia lost at the first instance in the federal court, especially on standing grounds. Jon is hoping that having an empirical foundation for these kinds of claims might help the Wikimedia litigation and potentially other surveillance litigation. In other litigation, survey studies about chilling effects have been cited by briefs filed with courts. They've been successful sometimes to persuade courts.

Penny identified basically three routes for influence. One impact comes through methodologies that others could use when demonstrating they have experienced harm. Another impact comes through specific legal cases drawing attention to Penney's research to argue that chilling effects are real and that their specific complaint should be taken seriously. Finally, findings like Penney's could be shown to lawmakers as they consider similar regulations, to show them the side-effects of certain kinds of policies.

What might we do to reduce chilling effects? Penney replied that it's important to reform laws, which can be informed by empirical findings. Platforms also have a role; Google has been a leader in this area by providing all takedown notices to the Lumen project and supporting research. If more companies provided data to Lumen and collaborated more with researchers, they might be able to develop novel approaches to protect speech rights while responding well to the law.

What are the economic impacts of chilling effects? Jon notes that chilling effects can hurt public value in nonprofits like Wikipedia and can also hurt platform revenue, when they push users away from platforms.


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Financial, Encyclopedia.
References in classic literature ?
drawing still nearer to Mazarin, under the pretext of gaining a better point of view, "look at that simple white dress by the side of those antiquated specimens of finery, and those pretentious coiffures.
The duke, who had been walking slowly, stood quite still, and for some seconds he looked like a tailor's dummy standing and staring outside some antiquated shop.
There were, indeed, three antiquated cutlasses in a trophy over the fireplace, and one brown sixteenth-century map with Tritons and little ships dotted about a curly sea.
It was by this well that Jesus sat and talked with a woman of that strange, antiquated Samaritan community I have been speaking of, and told her of the mysterious water of life.


GIVE through
December 31

Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries

Friends of Public Libaries

Organization Mission

Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries support the city-county system through more than 8,000 annual volunteer hours, fundraising and advocacy. We provide books and programs to each branch.

Donations last year through Santa Cruz Gives funded the Veterans Resource Center at the downtown Santa Cruz branch; purchased books on all topics; and expanded the Robo Sumo program where teens learned to build, program and test wrestling robots while developing coding skills.

Our goal is to create stronger neighborhoods and a culturally-enriched county through accessible and diverse programs.

The Big Idea:
Santa Cruz Public Libraries—More Than Just Books!

For our 150th year, we celebrate not only how the libraries started simply as a source of free books for knowledge, but that now libraries offer so many more avenues to lifelong learning.

Your donation will add to our programming fund for the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Each program costs $250 to $1,500, depending on its scope. In 2018, we want to add 10 incredible programs a month to libraries (120 programs a year).

Examples of programs include:

$30 buys a CodeCombat license for a teen to learn coding for one year and get equivalent coding skills to a first year Stanford engineering student.

$50 brings an author talk to a branch.

$100 funds a citizen science presentation. Local scientists speak to the public about their current research.

$250 brings a magician to perform at a branch during the summer reading program.

$500 funds a year of collections (books and online resources) devoted to our special needs population.

$1,000 will fund a full workshop of RoboSumo Wrestling for 20 students or a year of Spanish Storytime at Live Oak Branch.

It is the generosity of the Santa Cruz community that allows the libraries to offer an incredible collection of books, materials and programming. Thank you!

I’m the mother of a five year old and my family loves the library. It’s such a part of our daily lives. We look forward to many more happy years utilizing the resources offered there. Thank you for being an integral part of improving our libraries!

Kristy Amory, Santa Cruz


Judge allows Samsung smartphone sale in US

Judge allows Samsung smartphone sale in US

Samsung achieved an important victory over its major rival Apple this week as a judge in the US ruled that its Nexus model can go on sale in the country.

The success of the Korean manufacturer's smartphones have propelled the firm ahead of is California-based competitor, but a freeze had been placed on the sale of the device in the US.

Apple had accused Samsung of copying its iPhones and iPad and a court in San Jose granted a temporary ban on Nexus devices last week.

However, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said it would temporarily stay the smartphone injunction while it considers Apple's arguments.

The appeals court did not explain the reason for the U-turn. Apple now has until Thursday to file a response.

The pair are currently waging legal war in ten countries, accusing each other of patent violations as they vie for supremacy in a fast-growing market for mobile devices.


segunda-feira, fevereiro 06, 2006

- Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
- When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
- Follow the three res. Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all your actions.
- Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
- Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
- When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
- Spend some time alone every day.
- Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
- A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
- Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
- Be gentle with the earth.
- Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
- Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

2 comentários:

O Politicopata disse...

Tenho um post dedicado a si no meu Blog!

Um abraço

O Politicopata disse...

Aliás que vai identificar com facilidade, uma vez que tem que ver com a sua conversa com o Gonçalo Capitão sobre a Microsoft

Outro abraço


23 February

Walking the onyx plank, receive your detractors as chimes in a turquoise breeze that blows from the starboard past. For stuck they are, under the thumb of the captain of the present. Turn also then to the port side future; for living in the moment can only leave you captive to the deck of the eternal goings on, hierarchy, and the other struggles that are actually the atrophy whose only hope is a speedy decay spurred by the salt of the winds.


Paris (Web Desk): An Italian firm designed a boat that uses human energy to sail down the Seine River in Paris .

According to Italian media, Carlo Ratti Associati, an Italian firm, came up with a brilliant idea to inspire people to exercise more at a very exotic location.

The boat is 65-feet-long (20-meter long) and holds up to 45 people. The energy generated by a workout at the gym can actually help to propel a boat.

The company said, “Paris’ Navigating Gym used the potential of harnessing human power. It’s still in development, but the designers estimate that it could be completed in 18 months.”

It functions by converting the pedal power into utility grade electricity. However, if there won’t be enough passengers on-board to run the ship, it will be able to use renewable energy sources, like the photovoltaic cells on its roof.

Now, tourists can enjoy their ride in the Seine River of Paris while burning some extra calories.


Thursday, April 28, 2011

Pure. Guts.

How Many Of These Can You Name

This is a great compilation video from dozens of movies that featured dancing, all cut together to the title song from "Footloose". As I watched, I got a kick out of trying to name all of the movies included. Proud to say, I got most of them. How many can you name?

The incredible floating fire ant - The Washington Post

So bound, an ant raft can survive for months.

Engineers studying animal oddities now report that together, the ants aren’t just stronger. They’re floatier. Airtight, even.

“Water does not penetrate the raft,” said Nathan Mlot, a mechanical engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology and lead author of the ant-raft report published in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academies. Even the bottom layer of ants stays dry, he said.

Check the link above for the full story. The gist of it is that fire ants (nasty little buggers) have learned to survive harsh conditions by working together. In this case, they actually create a floating raft by holding onto each other. In this way, they can ride out storms and floods that would clear out other animals.


Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood
aka Rotkaeppchen or Little Red Cap

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Little Red Riding Hood and the Hooded Deity

Shrouded in Mystery: The Female Hooded Deity

According to the Roman poet Juvenal who wrote around 100 AD, the hood or cucullus was a Celtic invention. It was primarily worn by people close to the land or those routinely exposed to the elements, such as farm laborers, travelers or shepherds. It had a practical funnel-shape, which could be easily pulled over the head. But it could also be worn separately or in conjunction with a cape or tunic. Besides having these utilitarian functions, the cucullus could also conceal the identity of the wearer. The most basic information about a person was wrapped in mystery so-to-speak because it was difficult to ascertain the gender, age, occupation or intent of such a cloaked figure.

In areas of Europe occupied by both Romans and Celts, archaeologists have found numerous representations of a hooded deity, which they refer to as genius cucullatus. Some of these figures are considered to be female and are believed to have some connection with earth goddesses. They often carry eggs or other fertility symbols while others carry parchments or scrolls, possibly signifying the wisdom and power associated with healing. It is thus believed these cult figures were revered for their control over prosperity, health and fertility. In 1931 two altars were found in the village of Wabelsdorf, Austria with the inscription “genio cucullato” or “to the hooded deity”. This finding is important because it confirms a formal cult following for these hooded figures. In Britain, genius cucullatus usually appears in groupings of three but in the Rhine-Moselle region of Germany the figure is usually alone and appears dwarf-like. The number three was significant in Celtic thought and the three-in-one function is prominent in the tale of Brigit, who simultaneously represented the functions of mother, guardian of childbirth and goddess of prosperity.

The Dirneweibl (of Bavarian folk tradition) and the character Little Red Riding Hood share some of the attributes of this mysterious deity: they all wear a cloak, which to some extent conceals their real function; they bring life-giving nourishment in the form of wine, cake and apples and thus represent healing, security and prosperity; the color red ties them to passion, love and fecundity. In short, they represents those basic things associated with the hooded deity. But it is perhaps most fitting that such a character be forever shrouded in mystery, leaving most of the story to the imagination.

This article draws heavily on information provided at
It is very worthwhile to read the entire article!

To read the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood:

To read more fairy tales:


Prayer to St. Lawrence

St. Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome, serving under Pope Sixtus II. He was born in 225 AD and was martyred in 258 AD during the persecution of Emperor Valerian. According to tradition, St. Lawrence was roasted on a gridiron with coals beneath it. After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, he made his famous cheerful remark, “Turn me over! I am done on this side”, and just before he died, he said, “It’s cooked enough now”. He is the Patron of chefs, comedians, librarians, miners and of Rome. His feast is celebrated on August 10th.