 What is Wicca

The Circle of the Sacred Well

An Eclectic Neopagan Circle

What is Wicca?

Wicca, sometimes called "The Craft" or "The Craft of the Wise" is one of many earth-based religions. The religion which is closest to Wicca in America is probably Native American spirituality. Traditional Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant, who wrote a series of books on the religion in the 1940's. It contains references to Celtic deities, symbols, seasonal days of celebration, etc. Added to this  were components of ceremonial magic and practices of the Masonic Order. A more recent form is eclectic Wicca which involves a combination of Wiccan beliefs and practices, combined with other Pagan and non-Pagan elements. The various traditions of Wicca are part of the Pagan or Neopagan group of earth-based religions.

How Old is Wicca?

Wicca is a recently created, Neopagan religion. The various branches of Wicca can be traced back to Gardnerian Witchcraft which was founded in the UK during the late 1940s.

Are Wiccans Pagan?

"Pagan" is one of those religious terms which has so many conflicting definitions that the word is meaningless. "Neopaganism" is a better term. It refers to a group of many religious belief systems that are reconstructions of (or patterned after) ancient Pagan religions. Wicca is one Neopagan religion, as are Asatru (Norse Neopaganism), Druidism, Shamanism, and ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek and other religions.

A follower of Wicca is called a Wiccan. Wicca and other Neopagan religions are currently experiencing a rapid growth in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. This is seen particularly among young adults, who are rejecting what they feel is the autocracy, paternalism, sexism, homophobia, and insensitivity to the environment that forms part of some more traditional religions. Many North Americans of European descent, who are keen to discover their ancestral heritage, are also attracted to this religion.

Is Wicca the Same Thing as Witchcraft?

 It is important to realize that:

The term "witchcraft" in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) refers to (mostly) women who used spoken curses to injure other people or destroy their property.

The term, "witchcraft" in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) refers to murderers who use poisons to kill people.

In North America, "Witch" and "Witchcraft" most often refer to Wiccans and Wicca.

Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede, a rule of behavior which prohibits Wiccans from performing any activity that dominates, manipulates, controls, or injures others.

Thus, in terms of behavior, Wicca is a benign and healing religion; the "witchcrafts" mentioned in the Bible are evil and destructive. The two are exact opposites.

 Some Wiccans consider Wicca and the modern definition of the term Witchcraft to be synonyms. Others differentiate between Wicca, which they view to be a religion, and Witchcraft, which they perceive to be the practice of magick (spelled with a ‘k’ to differentiate it from the sleight of hand performed by stage magicians).. Under this definition, Witchcraft is not a religion and thus can be (and often is) performed by members of any religion, or not religion at all.

Most Wiccans practice magick, however, while some do not and concentrate on the spirituality of the Wiccan religion.

Is Wicca a Form of Satanism?

The short answer is "No." The long answer is "It depends."

However, most people recognize that there are over many dozens of religions in the world, with different beliefs about deity, humanity and the rest of the universe. One of these is Wicca. Another is Satanism. These two religions have entirely different beliefs about deity, different rules for ethical behavior, different expectations from their membership, different views of the universe, different seasonal days of celebration, etc. Wiccans do not recognize an all-evil deity or quasi-deity like Satan. It is mainly Christianity and Islam which teach that Satan exists, either as an evil principle or as an all-evil fallen angel with supernatural powers.

Wicca and Satanism are not at all similar religions. However, the Christian church linked them in the past -- particularly during the Witch burning times of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. They regarded Witches as Satan worshipers. Some Christian denominations have not been particularly thorough in correcting mistakes of the past. So, Wicca and Satanism continue to be linked in many people's minds.

Satanism, as viewed by Satanists, etc.

Wicca, as viewed by Neopagans, etc.

Wiccans worship a Goddess and her consort, a God.

Their groups are called covens, not grottos or temples.

But the Bible Says . . .

The Bible contains many passages exhibiting intolerance towards other religions, and almost no passages which actively promote inter-religious tolerance. Wicca is certainly a religion that is very different from Judaism and Christianity. Wicca, as well as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Native Spirituality, Taoism, and hundreds of other religions are thus equally condemned by many verses in the Bible.

 Additionally, many Wiccans engage in specific practices to foretell the future. These include scrying, tarot cards, I Ching, runes, etc. Although these practices are not mentioned in the Bible, they are similar to other divination techniques which are condemned in various biblical passages. However, not all Wiccans engage in divination and the vast majority of persons who use divination are not Wiccans.

Some conservative Christians, and others, have concluded that two of the many forms of witchcraft are related -- or even identical. This is not true.  These individuals often believe that Biblical witchcraft in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures are in some way connected with the Neopagan religion Wicca. Since the King James Version (and some other translations) of the Bible calls for the extermination of "witches," these people may be motivated to oppress Wiccans. In one recent case, a Texas pastor demanded that the U.S. armed forces napalm Wiccans in his area.  In fact, as discussed above, Biblical witchcraft and Wicca are not only unrelated, they are completely opposite from each other.  Biblical witchcraft involves spoken curses or poisoning in order to kill or injure others. Wiccans are prohibited from harming others.

Wiccan View of the Divine

Many Wiccans believe in a deity that is largely unknowable -- sometimes called "The All" or "The One." However, they believe that they can comprehend the male and female aspects of the deity, whom they call the God and the Goddess. Sometimes, they commune with "The Goddess" or "The God." Other times, they link with specific Pagan deities from the past. Instead of "the Goddess," they might relate to Athena, Brigit, Ceridwen, Diana, Hecate, Ishtar, Isis, Venus, etc. In place of "The God" they may link to Adonis, Apollo, Dionysus, Odin, Osiris, Pan, Thor, Zeus, etc.

Some Wiccans pray to their God or Goddess.  Many Wiccans, however feel that they have more of a partnership with the God and Goddess than the God/worshiper relationship found in Christianity and other world religions. They need the Goddess and God; the God and Goddess need them. They welcome communion with the God and Goddess; they don't really worship them in the same way as followers of other religions do.

 Wiccan Beliefs

Wiccan Deities: Beliefs differ:

Most Wiccans believe that a creative force exists in the universe, which is sometimes called "The One" or " The All". Little can be known of this force.

Most regard the Goddess and the God as representing the female and male aspects of the All. These deities are not "out there somewhere;" they are immanent in the world.

Many regard various pagan Gods and Goddesses (Pan, Athena, Diana, Brigit, Zeus, Odin, etc.) as representing various aspects of the God and Goddess. The term "Wicca" normally implies that the person's religion is based upon Celtic spiritual concepts, deities, and seasonal days of celebration. Some Wiccans include beliefs, practices and symbols from ancient Pagan religions (e.g. Egyptian, Greek, various mystery religions, Roman, Sumerian) or upon Aboriginal religions (Native American Spirituality, Shamanism).

Some Wiccans are actually agnostics, who take no position on the existence of a supreme being or beings. They look upon the Goddess and the God as archetypes, based on myth.

It cannot be stressed enough that Wiccans have no supernatural being in their pantheon of deities who resembles the Christian-Muslim Satan.

Afterlife: Wiccans have a wide range of beliefs.

Other Wiccans anticipate continuity after death in some very narrow senses:

Back to More Information page

The above information is excerpted from the website for religious tolerance:  http://www.religioustolerance.org.  The mission of this website is: To extend religious freedom to people of all religious traditions, even though you may disagree with their beliefs and/or practices.  For more information on Wicca, or any other religious tradition, please visit their website.

Religious Tolerance

Due to a continuing negative perception of paganism as a whole and Wicca in particular, we felt it was necessary to provide some accurate information about Wicca.

The information on this page is provided in order to foster an understanding of the Wiccan religion.   It is not all-inclusive, nor are we attempting to speak for all followers of Wicca or neopagan religions.

Please understand that most pagan religions, including Wicca, do not believe in proselytizing, or seeking out new adherents.  We do not feel our path is the only right one, but that there are many paths to spiritual enlightenment.

We also feel that people will be drawn to the path that is right for them.  The fact that Wicca is one of the fastest growing religions in the Western World may be credited to a spiritual hunger and seeking that is not satisfied by traditional religions.

Blessed Be!


Convenience and comfort

My English is not good. I use google translator to express myself.My idea is simple. All cars have bunkering either the left in or right side. Many gas stations require putting the cart with that bunker, on the side of the dispenser.My idea is to place two fuel outlets. One on each side.


Need for Research in a Dynamically Changing Information Driven World…

When faced with competition, what makes an organization falter is the lack of up-to-date, mission critical information. In the modern versatile, competitive and dynamic market environment, companies are under increasing pressure to keep abreast of changes underway in the marketplace. Managing and embracing change is critical to corporate survival. Changes in demand, competition, technologies, consumer behavior, among others, requires companies to remain atop of trends, since the ability to adroitly take advantage of emerging opportunities and being able to quickly adjust to challenges can mark the difference between success and failure. The current challenging economic climate in the world economy, additionally requires more critical visibility about what is changing and why, since when demand in general declines, competition becomes more intense and as a result companies compete more fiercely with each other for fewer customers. Against this backdrop, market research is now a key part of every company’s development plans.

Published research is an ongoing, and continuous process of information extraction and analysis, designed to help companies rediscover their markets. Efficient and effectively modeled information and data help companies compete more successfully in challenging global markets, and run smarter, faster and competently by judiciously navigating, and negotiating through crucial periods of fundamental change that insidiously hits markets.

However, unstructured information and data in its raw form has limited or no value. Processing of raw data for conversion into actionable insight and for providing factual information is therefore critical. Static data and information feeds therefore needs to be transformed into dynamic informative, and instructive content capable of providing the knowledge edge required to keep ahead of competition.

BizAcumen’s Value Proposition

BizAcumen provides a winning edge by offering research and information solutions that help managers take control of their organization’s future. We recognize the fact that success for our clients comes not from reporting observations and data, but from uncovering and delivering insights embedded in information streams. In this competitive world, where access to timely information is everything, our information and intelligence solutions help corporate executives, strategic planners, and investment houses to align information with business strategies, and take informed decisions. we pride in our flair for accurately detailing prevailing sentiments in industries, nailing down future potentials, quantifying latent demand/consumption potential, identifying mammothian catches hidden between the fine dotted lines, and providing incisive insights into industry dynamics, economic fundamentals (i.e. regulatory environment, and competition), and expert prediction of future potential in the form of statistical, and numerical forecasts and projections.


EG452 Applied Programming

Engineering    credits: 3

This course will provide an introduction to various high-level languages and interactive environments for numerical computation, visualization, and programming used by engineers and scientists to develop and/or simulate sophisticated systems. The students will be exposed to a variety of tools, and built-in math functions that will enable them to explore multiple approaches in order to reach a solution faster than with spreadsheets or traditional programming languages, such as C/C++ or Java™. The students will also be taught how to apply these programming environments in a wide range of applications, including signal processing and communications, image and video processing, control systems, test and measurements, computational finance, and computational biology. More than a million engineers and scientists in industry and academia use these programming environments as their primary language for technical computing. Prerequisite: CS132.

Eastern Nazarene College
23 East Elm Ave.
Quincy, MA 02170
© Eastern Nazarene College


radio signals coming from every direction—and from beyond the Milky Way. It took a
full year of testing, experimenting and calculating for them and another group of
researchers at Princeton to explain the phenomenon: It was cosmic microwave
evidence that would confirm the Big Bang theory, first proposed by Georges Lemaître in 1931.


Home |Space | News

Is toxic rain killing organic molecules on Mars?

Dust grains made of a harsh chemical used as a disinfectant on Earth may rain down on the surface of Mars, new research suggests. This could solve a decades-old puzzle about why the surface of Mars is so lacking in the chemical building blocks of life as we know it.

NASA's twin Viking spacecraft failed to find any signs of organic material on the surface of Mars when they landed there in 1976. This was puzzling because, even if there is no native life on Mars, organic molecules from comet dust should gradually accumulate on its surface. Subsequent missions have also failed to find organic material on the Red Planet.

In the wake of the Viking measurements, scientists suggested that organic molecules on Mars are destroyed by hydrogen peroxide, which is used as a bleach and disinfectant on Earth. But there was no direct evidence that hydrogen peroxide was present on Mars, and it was not clear how it would even be produced in sufficient quantities to wipe out organic material.

Now, calculations have shown that large amounts of hydrogen peroxide could be produced on Mars as a result of wind-blown dust grains rubbing together. The analysis for the different stages of the process was carried out by two teams led by Gregory Delory at the University of California, Berkeley, and Sushil Atreya at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, both in the US.

Raining grains

When wind causes dust grains to rub against one another, an electric charge builds up that breaks down water vapour and carbon dioxide. The resulting molecules react with each other to make hydrogen peroxide vapour, greatly increasing its concentration in the atmosphere.

That concentration "gets so large that the atmosphere cannot hold it anymore", Atreya told New Scientist. As a result, it begins to condense into solid particles, which rain down onto the surface. This process is similar to the way snow forms from water vapour in Earth's atmosphere. However, the hydrogen peroxide falling on Mars would be in the form of microscopic grains, Atreya says.

The accumulating hydrogen peroxide would react with and destroy the carbon-based molecules that life as we know it is based on.

This mechanism was suggested in the 1970s as a way hydrogen peroxide might be produced on Mars, but it was not clear how it would work in detail and how much hydrogen peroxide it would yield. According to the new research, hydrogen peroxide would be present at a level of 4 parts per million in the atmosphere in areas where it is being produced by dust.

Methane mystery

Dust is agitated most dramatically on Mars in dust storms and dust devils, but Atreya says the process is "a lot more universal". The constant, small-scale disturbances of sand and dust from ordinary winds probably account for most of the hydrogen peroxide production, he says.

If hydrogen peroxide is present in quantities as large as those suggested by these studies, it will deepen the puzzle over Mars's mysterious methane source. Hydrogen peroxide would help remove methane from the atmosphere, so a larger source of methane would be needed to explain the levels seen there.

Small amounts of hydrogen peroxide were detected in the atmosphere of Mars in 2003. The instruments onboard NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, to launch in 2009, should be able to able to determine for certain if hydrogen peroxide is present in the soil itself.

If it is there in large quantities, it could cause problems for future human explorers. "It is possible there could be long-term corrosive effects that would impact crews and equipment," Delory says.

Journal reference: Astrobiology (vol 6, p 439 and p 451)

Toxic hydrogen peroxide may be produced in electrically charged dust storms on Mars (Artist's impression: NASA)

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From Canada to the Caribbean: Tree Leaves Control Their Own Temperature, Penn Study Reveals

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Media Contact:Jordan Reese | | 215-573-6604June 11, 2008

“It is not surprising to think that a polar bear in northern Canada and a black bear in Florida have the same internal body temperature,” Brent Helliker, professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn, said. “They are endothermic mammals like us ,and they generate their own heat. However, to think that a black spruce in Canada and a Caribbean pine in Puerto Rico have the same average leaf temperature is quite astonishing, particularly since trees are most definitely not endothermic. Our research suggests that they use a combination of purely physical phenomena — like the cooling from water evaporation or the warming caused by packing a lot of leaves together — to maintain what looks like leaf-temperature homeostasis.”

The study also presents a new hypothesis for why certain trees grow in certain climates and provides a new theory for how and why trees in the north will suffer from global warming, by overheating due to the mechanisms they have evolved to keep their leaves warm.

In addition, weather-forecasting models rely on accurate estimates of surface-water evaporation, much of which comes from tree leaves. Knowing the temperature of these leaves is crucial to an accurate prediction of future climate scenarios.

The team used their method to reconstruct tree canopy leaf temperatures in 39 species across 50 degrees of latitude and found that in warmer climates leaves were cooler than ambient temperatures and in cooler climates the opposite was true. Perhaps the more remarkable finding was that across such a large area and across so many types of tree that the leaves seemed to be operating at the same temperature, probably a result of natural selection acting to maintain optimal temperature for photosynthesis in the face of widely varying ambient climates.

Funding for this study was provided by the Department of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.


Main Content

Write a prayer that expresses your deepest wishes for your own financial well-being and the well-being of those dear to you.

Prepare yourself by reading "Meditation on Love" by Thich Nhat Hanh (Handout 2). Then, meditate or pray for a healthy relationship with money and wealth for ever-widening circles. Pray first for yourself. Begin with your deepest wish for your own relationship with money and wealth. Then, hold those in your family or close friends in thought or prayer. Then, the circle of your faith community. Then the community in which you live. Then, the larger world which surrounds you. Make this prayer a regular discipline as you strive to maintain your own spiritual and financial well-being.

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For more information contact


Design for an Optimal Probe

Michael Duff

Given a Markov decision process (MDP) with expressed prior uncertainties in the process transition probabilities, we consider the problem of computing a policy that optimizes expected total (finite-horizon) reward. Implicitly, such a policy would effectively resolve the "exploration-versus-exploitation tradeoff" faced, for example, by an agent that seeks to optimize total reinforcement obtained over the entire duration of its interaction with an uncertain world. A Bayesian formulation leads to an associated MDP defined over a set of generalized process "hyperstates" whose cardinality grows exponentiaily with the planning horizon. Here we retain the full Bayesian framework, but sidestep intractability by applying techniques from reinforcement learning theory. We apply our resulting actor-critic algorithm to a problem of "optimal probing," in which the task is to identify unknown transition probabilities of an MDP using online experience.


News Release Archive:

News Release 41 of 87

September 21, 2006 10:00 AM (EDT)

News Release Number: STScI-2006-12

NASA's Hubble Finds Hundreds of Young Galaxies in Early Universe

News release from NASA:

FOR RELEASE: 10:00am (EDT) September 21, 2006

Erica Hupp/Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202-358-1237/1726)

Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Lars Lindberg Christensen
Hubble/ESA, Garching, Germany
(Phone: 011-49-89-3200-6306; Cell: 011-49-173-3872-621; E-mail:

Astronomers analyzing two of the deepest views of the cosmos made with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have uncovered a gold mine of galaxies, more than 500 that existed less than a billion years after the Big Bang. These galaxies thrived when the cosmos was less than 7 percent of its present age of 13.7 billion years. This sample represents the most comprehensive compilation of galaxies in the early universe, researchers said.

The discovery is scientifically invaluable for understanding the origin of galaxies, considering that just a decade ago early galaxy formation was largely uncharted territory. Astronomers had not seen even one galaxy that existed when the universe was a billion years old, so finding 500 in a Hubble survey is a significant leap forward for cosmologists.

The galaxies unveiled by Hubble are smaller than today's giant galaxies and very bluish in color, indicating they are ablaze with star birth. The images appear red because of the galaxies' tremendous distance from Earth. The blue light from their young stars took nearly 13 billion years to arrive at Earth. During the journey, the blue light was shifted to red light due to the expansion of space.

"Finding so many of these dwarf galaxies, but so few bright ones, is evidence for galaxies building up from small pieces — merging together as predicted by the hierarchical theory of galaxy formation," said astronomer Rychard Bouwens of the University of California, Santa Cruz, who led the Hubble study.

Bouwens and his team spied these galaxies in an analysis of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), completed in 2004, and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), made in 2003. The results were presented on August 17 at the 2006 General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, and will be published in the November 20 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

The findings also show that these dwarf galaxies were producing stars at a furious rate, about ten times faster than is happening now in nearby galaxies. Astronomers have long debated whether the hottest stars in early star-forming galaxies, such as those in this study, may have provided enough radiation to reheat the cold hydrogen gas that existed between galaxies in the early universe. The gas had been cooling since the Big Bang.

"Seeing all of these starburst galaxies provides evidence that there were enough galaxies 1 billion years after the Big Bang to finish reheating the universe," explained team member Garth Illingworth of the University of California, Santa Cruz. "It highlights a period of fundamental change in the universe, and we are seeing the galaxy population that brought about that change."

In terms of human lifetimes, cosmic events happen very slowly. The evolution of galaxies and stars, for example, occurs over billions of years. Astronomers, therefore, rarely witness dramatic, relatively brief transitions that changed the universe. One such event was the universe's "reheating." The reheating, driven by the galaxies' ultraviolet starlight, transformed the gas between galaxies from a cold, dark hydrogen soup to a hot, transparent plasma over only a few hundred million years. With Hubble's help, astronomers are now beginning to see the kinds of galaxies that brought about the reheating.

Just a few years ago, astronomers did not have the technology to hunt for faraway galaxies in large numbers. The installation of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope in 2002 allowed astronomers to probe some of the deepest recesses of our universe. Astronomers used the ACS to observe distant galaxies in the HUDF and GOODS surveys.

Another major step in the exploration of the universe's earliest years will occur if Hubble undergoes its next upgrade with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 3 (WFC3). The WFC3's infrared sensitivity will allow it to detect galaxies that are so far away their starlight has been stretched to infrared wavelengths by the expanding universe.

The galaxies uncovered so far promise that many more galaxies at even greater distances are awaiting discovery by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled to launch in 2013. "With JWST, we will probe the dawn of galaxy formation to see the imprint of the first objects to form in the universe," Illingworth said.

The members of the science team are Rychard Bouwens and Garth Illingworth (University of California, Santa Cruz), John Blakeslee (Washington State University), and Marijn Franx (Leiden University).

For more information, contact:

Rychard Bouwens, University of California, Santa Cruz, California,
(phone) 831-459-5276, (e-mail)

Garth Illingworth, University of California, Santa Cruz, California,
(phone) 831-459-2843, (e-mail)

John Blakeslee, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington,
(phone) 509-335-2414, (e-mail) and

Marijn Franx, Leiden Observatory, Leiden, Netherlands,
(phone) 011-31-71-5275870, (e-mail)


Feline corneal diseases: herpesvirus and more (Proceedings)

Feline corneal diseases: herpesvirus and more (Proceedings)

Herpesvirus Infections - Overview

Ocular disease due to feline herpesvirus (FHV) is common. It is estimated that 80% of cats are latently infected with the virus, and approximately 40% of these cats will suffer recrudescent infection in later life. These estimates are based on data that is several decades old, and the actual percentages may be higher. FHV affects cats of all ages, but the initial (or primary) infection usually occurs in neonatal and adolescent cats. Symptoms include bilateral conjunctivitis, respiratory disease, and fever. Most cats recover from the primary infection in 7-10 days without specific antiviral treatment, but neonatal cats are more likely to suffer serious corneal and conjunctival scarring. Recrudescent infection can be unilateral or bilateral and with or without respiratory signs. Unilateral conjunctivitis or ulcerative keratitis in the absence of respiratory signs is common in adult cats with recrudescent infection. Stress appears to be an important factor in precipitating FHV. "Stressful" events may include topical or systemic corticosteroids, concurrent systemic disease, anesthesia, hospitalization, acquisition of a new cat, or extended owner absences (e.g., vacation). Other conditions that may be associated with FHV include non-ulcerative (or stromal) keratitis, conjunctival and corneal scarring (symblepharon), corneal sequestrum, eosinophilic keratitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), blocked nasolacrimal duct, and possibly uveitis. The remainder of this discussion will focus on corneal diseases.

Herpesvirus Keratitis

FHV keratitis can be ulcerative or non-ulcerative, but the ulcerative form is most common and is due to direct cytopathic effects of the virus. The non-ulcerative form (stromal keratitis) is primarily immune-mediated, occurs in response to viral antigen, and is characterized histologically by lymphocytic infiltrates. Corneal ulcers are most often superficial and irregular or geographic (map-like). However, faint linear to tree-branching ulcers, or dendritic ulcers, are considered pathognomonic of FHV. Dendritic ulcers can be detected with fluorescein stain using magnification and a cobalt blue light, but they may be easier to detect using rose Bengal stain. Ulcers resulting from especially virulent strains of FHV, or secondarily infected with bacteria, can quickly deteriorate. Conjunctival graft or corneo-conjunctival transposition surgery may be required for a deep stromal ulcer or descemetocele. Any cat with a corneal ulcer of undetermined cause should be promptly treated with an antiviral agent.

The non-ulcerative or stromal keratitis is characterized by circumcorneal to diffuse stromal opacity and blood vessels. Because the stromal keratitis is immune-mediated, improvement may occur with judicious application of topical steroids. However, topical steroids should be used only if the cornea is negative to fluorescein stain and if prior antiviral treatments have been ineffective. Then, they should only be used in conjunction with an antiviral agent. Caution is advised when contemplating steroid use in a cat with suspected FHV, and frequent examinations (at least initially) are prudent if they are used.

Diagnostic tests such as immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect FHV can be performed on samples obtained by conjunctival or corneal scraping. However, the incidence of false-negative test results is significant. Furthermore, normal cats with no evidence of ocular disease can be positive for FHV. The diagnostic value of such testing is therefore questionable, and the author rarely performs these tests. However, conjunctival or corneal scrapings for cytologic examination can be useful to eliminate other disease conditions from consideration (e.g., eosinophilic keratitis). If a cat has ocular disease consistent with FHV and has not received antiviral treatment, the best approach is to initiate such treatment.


Modern-Concepts-in-Biology-to-what-a-Plant-is by asafwewe

More Info
									Nutriceuticals Workshop

by Florianne Koechlin
Biologist, Blueridge-Institute, Basel - Switzerland

1. Plants communicate
A tomatoe-plant, when attacked by caterpillars, starts defending itself (eg production
of toxins against invaders ) The plant also releases odours to warn neighboring
plants so they start their self-defense. The odour is known to be a mixture of methyl-
jasmonates (also used in perfumes).

Triangle maize – caterpillar parasitic whasp : Experiments by Ted Turlings, University
Neuchatel (CH) show that when maize is attacked by caterpillars, little whasps
(Spdoptera Exigua Hübner) arrive soon and parasite the caterpillar. The plant sends
out „SOS-signals“ to attract the whasps. The plant „tastes“ the presence of caterpillar
by a molecule (volicitin) in their saliva and then starts to produce the SOS-signal – a
flexible triangle. (T.Turlings and B.Benrey, 1998, Ecoscience, 5 (3), 321)

„Communication“ among plants with the help of scent-molecules is common („a
constant chattering“)

2. Plants react to at least 16 parameters from the environment.
Plants can sense light, temperature, gravitiy, movement, chemicals etc. They react
to these parameters, change their behaviour accordingly (such as growth, number of
leaves, thickness of stem).

3. Plants „learn“ through trial and error
The overall goal is to maximise fitness in an unpredictable, ever changing and
extremely complex environment.
Example: Rootsystems must make decisions about growth, direction, dephts,
avoiding competing roots etc. They must integrate signals of soil hardness , stones,
light penetration, temperature, insects and microbes, distribution of water, Calcium
and niotrate, presence of gases such as CO2 etc; they compute these signals
together with many internal ones into decisions which are necessary for root-growth.
(A.Trewavas, 2004, Annals of Botany 93, 353)

4. Plants have a “memory“
Animal memory is often defined as: The experience of one organ can be used to the
advantage of others. Such processes are also known for plants.
Example: The pre-exposure of roots of a growing plant to low levels of salt or to
dryness enables the plant to survive later in normally lethal concentrations of salt or
in draught. The experience of the roots is thus translated to the whole plant. Pre-
treatment learning can last months or years, it also can be interrupted if the
conditions are reversed. (A.Trewavas, 2004, Annals of Botany 93, 353)
5. Are plants „intelligent“?
Anthony Trewavas (University Edinburg, GB) thinks so: Among the many definitions
for „intelligence“ he chooses the one given by David Stenhouse (philosopher and
psychologist from New Zealand): „adaptive and flexible behaviour during the lifetime
of an individual“. This is what plants are doing: they show a flexible, adaptive – and
most important: not all-predetermined – behaviour (although their behaviour changes
might be small and slow)
Example: Cuscuta, a parasitic plant which sucks the juice of its hosts: Cuscuta
comes to a hostplant and checks first, if it is worthwhile. If not: it moves on., If yes: it
starts building coils around the host. Cuscuta also computes if the host is a good one
or not: Many coils around a good one, few coils around a meager one. Amazing fact:
from the first encounter to the point where Cuscuta gets to juice and nutrients from
the host there is a timelaps of 4 days. Cuscuta computes the outcome 4 days in
advance and reacts accordingly. This, Trewavas concludes, is intelligent behaviour.

Studies show, that the molecular basis of learning in animals and in plants is very
similar (eg equal or similar signal pathways )

But where is the brain? Probably it is the whole plant, probably the membranes of
cellplasma, where hundreds of signal-molecules are located . It’s probably there
where most of the interactions and computing is done.

6. Differences between plants and animals
Animals move, plants are sessile.
Plants show an open organisation, a modular growth; they are „meta-populations“
Each organ is quite independent of the others. You can cut branches from a tree, you
cannot cut legs from an animal. Development and growth of animals means
development of an individual. Development and growth of plants means adding new
members (eg leaves, roots), getting rid of others. Plants consist of ever changing

Both plants and animals show much flexibility to optimise their fitness. And Trewavas
adds: „Intelligence“ in our culture is always defined in relation to action: Animals must
be fast, flee or attack. But plants do not move fast, they donot appear to be clever.
Their flexible behaviour may show within hours or days.

7. Conclusions
Not: Stop eating salade....But perhaps this radical new scientific view of what a plant
is might help change our perception of plants, might help argue against transgenic
plants, terminator and patents on plants. It also opens new and exciting perspectives
for agriculture (eg use of odours, enhancing induced self-resistence etc)
Article 24 of the Swiss constitution prescribes that the „dignity of creature“ has to be
guarded. Are plants creatures? If Yes, what are the implications? The Swiss Ethics
Committee EKAH (of which I’m a member) will discuss this issue in near future.

To top


Tsim Sha Tsui

Restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui

The über-chic modern dining room and towering, panoramic harbor views are stunning, but the cuisine—half Japanese, half Italian—is just as bold, with a structural integrity that gives the vistas a run for their money.

The famous Longjing tea leaves from the Hangzhou region make the stir-fried freshwater shrimp taste sweet and earthy, but the star of the show is missing from the English side of the menu—the smoked yellow croaker, an unremarkable, bottom-dwelling creature that, in the hands of the Tin Heung Lau

A team of Japanese chefs prepare robatayaki, or grilled meats and seafood, in this atmospheric, lantern-lit restaurant, located ina 19th-century lighthouse. Standouts include Yamaguchi chicken, Kagoshima pork, and Australian Wagyu sirloin skewers.


Drum Fill Friday: Classical Headbanging Edition

Try to identify the classical pieces that spotlight the timpani (kettledrums), bass and snare drums. Score high and hurl your imaginary sticks into the roaring audience. Score low and kick yourself, not your bass drum.

While you might think that advertising a classical music quiz with a photo of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is a mistake ... BOOM! You'll see why he's there in the very first question.


Judge John Durkin

Mahoning judges explain 'backlog'

The five Mahoning County Common Pleas judges said criminal and civil case filings are at an all-time high, making it impossible for them to …

Weathersfield police

Possible police imposter sought

County records damaged

Heavy rain damages records


Corey Lee decided to open a modern bistro in Hayes Valley for several reasons, but the main one comes from his own perspective as a diner.

The way he sees it, there isn't one restaurant doing all the things that a great modern bistro does: neighborhood friendly, serving creative bistro fare and, particularly important to chefs working long hours, open late.

That's what Lee - chef/owner of Benu, the four-star SoMa fine dining destination - hopes to give San Francisco when he opens his second restaurant, Monsieur Benjamin (451 Gough St.) in the spring.

"We have some great late-night dining in San Francisco, but there are only a few of them," Lee says, adding that he was also looking for more traditional French cuisine, but updated with seasonal ingredients and modern techniques.

The trick, he says, is to do that while keeping the hallmarks of a great bistro - designed for everyday dining, comfortable, bustling, casual.

"It's this living breathing genre," Lee says. "But when it's been translated to the States, in an attempt to convey authenticity, the modernization is gone."

The chef will be Jason Berthold, last seen at RN74 and a former colleague of Lee's at the French Laundry and Per Se. Berthold will work closely with Lee and Benu chef de cuisine Brandon Rodgers on the opening menu, but Monsieur Benjamin will be Berthold's kitchen to run.

San Francisco's Aidlin Darling Design will design the 95-seat space, with the same approach that Lee and Berthold are taking with the food - maintaining classic bistro reference points while updating the genre.

And how about that name?

"It's a name I heard when I was in Paris," Lee says, explaining that the two words next to each other conjure up a French-American juxtaposition that flows nicely.

"I have no idea who this person was, but it was an American. And it sounded right."

Going West: With an award-winning design, 25 Lusk was one of the biggest and flashiest openings of 2010. Now the ownership duo of chef Matthew Dolan and general manager Chad Bourdon are plotting a second restaurant.

They're working on a new place on the top floor of the Westfield San Francisco Centre (865 Market St.) alongside Martin Yan's M.Y. China, Cupola and Lark Creek Steak.

Bourdan says the unnamed 5,000-square-foot project is still in the development stage, but that it will be different from the polished, upscale 25 Lusk. Instead, this new place will be more approachable and lunch-friendly - and likely have some technology components.

"Conceptually, we have a strong idea," says Bourdan. "But we're working within the parameters of what Westfield wants to see, so some details are pending."

Going for gold: The American team in the 2015 Bocuse d'Or, a competition that has been likened to the culinary Olympics, will have a local flavor.

Philip Tessier, executive sous chef at the French Laundry for the past three years, has been selected to represent Team USA; his commis (or assistant) is 21-year-old Skylar Stover, also of the French Laundry.

The Bocuse d'Or, held every two years in Lyon, France, has traditionally seen the Americans taking a back seat to their European counterparts. In this year's competition, West Virginia's Richard Rosendale finished a disappointing seventh.

But maybe the restaurant lineage will do the trick: The highest-finishing American ever is Timothy Hollingsworth, who placed sixth in 2009 and also came from the French Laundry system.

Fresh squeeze: Mission District anchor Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission St.) has a new face behind the bar - and, for that matter, an entirely new bar.

Chefs/owners Gayle Pirie and John Clark have remodeled the restaurant's bar, and given the new look, it made sense to refresh the rest.

Kevin Dowell - a vet of Zero Zero, Wo Hing and Laszlo - has been appointed bar manager and is creating new cocktail menus for dinner and brunch. The new lineup is set to debut Jan. 2.

When diners go wild: There is a special circle of hell reserved for those diners that steal things from the restaurants they are patronizing. Sometimes, though, they get their just desserts.

Tyler Florence, who owns Mill Valley's El Paseo and San Francisco's Wayfare Tavern, recently shared one such tale on Instagram.

On Saturday night, Mill Valley police pulled over a car for a traffic violation. When the driver was searched, he was found to have a pair of El Paseo steak knives hidden in his socks.

A police officer returned the knives to their rightful home.


Difference Between Single Pole and Double Pole Switches

Double pole switches control two circuits at the same time.

Switches of the type you use in your house have existed since around the same time as the invention of the light bulb. A simple wall switch for an individual light, called a single pole switch, controls only one circuit. A double pole switch, on the other hand, controls two. Its most common application involves controlling 240-volt circuits, such as the one powering your furnace, which have two separate 120-volt lines.

Thomas Edison usually receives credit for the invention of the light bulb, but Joseph Swan actually simultaneously invented a light bulb in England in 1878. Edison unsuccessfully sued Swan for patent infringement, but they later formed a partnership called the Edison-Swan Electric Company. As Newcastle became one of the first cities lit by electricity, the need for a method to quickly disconnect the new light bulbs became apparent. J. H. Holmes of Newcastle filled this need by inventing the first quick disconnect switch in 1874. His company, the Newcastle Electric Works, manufactured the switches.

The number of connections, or throws, switches can make and the number of wires, or poles, they can control determine their classification. The common single pole, single throw (SPST) switch has only one position besides “Off” and has only one pair of wires. An “On/Off” switch for a 240-volt circuit, on the other hand, is a double pole, single throw (DPST) switch because it controls the two 120-volt hot wires in the circuit simultaneously. You would need a single pole, double throw (SPDT) switch to control two lights independently of each other.

An SPST switch has two hot terminals to which you connect the wires coming from the circuit and going to the fixture you want to control. In the most common form, a lever, easily controllable with your finger, toggles the rocker arm inside to the switch to make contact between the terminals when in the “On” position. A DPST switch functions like two of these joined together. It has four terminals, two for each circuit, and connects them simultaneously when you flip the lever to the “On” position.

Double pole switches basically represent larger versions of single pole ones, making it difficult to tell them apart. The best way to identify a double pole switch is to note that it has four brass terminals instead of two. To make the identification of double pole switches foolproof, manufacturers use green plastic to encase them, instead of the white plastic they use for single pole switches. Except for these two differences, the switches look almost identical. They do not differ significantly in size, and each has a green ground screw on the bottom.

To install a switch in a 240-volt circuit, you need a double pole switch. Possible applications in your house include the furnace, air conditioner or a hot tub. You can also use a double pole switch to control two different light circuits simultaneously and save yourself the inconvenience of installing two separate switches. A double pole switch confers an advantage if you have multiple lights or outlets to control in a room but limited space for electrical boxes. Disadvantages include the fact that both lights or fixtures connected to the switch will always have to come on at the same time.


Warning message

About NIA

Fiscal Year 2002 Budget

Older Americans are generally better off—healthier and wealthier—than ever before.1 Average life expectancy in the United States has at least doubled over the past century, and a baby born today is expected to live almost 30 years longer than one born in the year 1900. These improvements in life expectancy, from an average of 49 years in 1900 to age 76 at the turn of the 21st century, plus the advent of such programs as Medicare and Social Security have helped to improve both the physical and fiscal well-being of the Nation's older population. The added years of life have allowed the vast majority of older Americans to enjoy a healthy and active retirement. A majority of people 65 and older rate their health as good or excellent.

But good health is far from a universal reality for older Americans. The latest national surveys indicate that about one-fifth of people age 65 and older, more than 7 million people, report some disability.2

Chronic disease, memory impairment, and depressive symptoms affect large numbers of older people and the risk of such problems significantly rises with age. Nearly half of those age 85 and older suffer from Alzheimer's disease.3These millions of less fortunate older people struggle with daily activities as simple as bathing and dressing, with families and friends taking on the difficult and often costly role of caregiver.

Understanding the difference between advanced years that are active and independent and those that are characterized by frailty and dependence is at the heart of the NIA's research program. Since the Institute's founding in 1974, research has shed considerable light on aging and health.It is now known that aging itself is not the cause of disease, disability, and frailty associated with advancing age. Indeed, the converse is true: It is disease and disabling processes, influenced by age-related changes in the body and by unhealthy choices and sedentary lifestyles, that are the most important factors in compromising the quality of life for older people. This fundamental shift in thinking was reinforced most recently with insights from the National Long Term Care Survey (NLTCS) and other such longitudinal analyses. According to the NLTCS, the rate of disability among older Americans dramatically declined from the 1980s through the mid 1990s, even among people age 85 and older, who are most vulnerable to disabling conditions. These findings, along with evidence from a number of clinical trials and studies testing specific interventions, suggest more strongly than ever that disease and disability can be addressed and are not inevitable consequences of aging.

The challenge now is to maintain and even accelerate the trend in declining disability and to reduce rates of disease amid a steep rise in the number and proportion of older people. The task is urgent. Demographic projections show that the U.S. population is beginning to age at a rapid pace, with the first baby boomers turning 65 in 2011. Between now and the year 2030, the number of individuals age 65 and older likely will double, reaching 70.3 million and comprising a larger proportion of the entire population, up from 13% today to 20% in 2030.4 Of great interest is the explosive growth anticipated among those most at risk of disease and disability, people aged 85 and older. Their ranks are expected to grow from 4.3 million (1.6%) in 2000, to at least 19.4 million (4.8%) in 2050.3 The racial and ethnic makeup of the older population will change dramatically as well, bringing with it possibly even greater racial and ethnic disparities in health among a more diverse population of older Americans. These demographic factors threaten to combine to increase the burden of age-related diseases and conditions on individuals, families, and society. Unless new understandings and interventions are developed and implemented to reduce disease and disability before the population ages so intensively, the costs, in both human and financial terms, could be extraordinary.

In the 20th century, health research and public health practices did much to extend life and improve health. At the start of this new millennium, the NIA's research portfolio is aimed primarily at increasing "healthspan," or years of healthy active life expectancy. Aging research is at the threshold of discovery,poised to build upon the work of recent years to make a difference in the lives of older Americans and their families. Toward that end, NIA's overall program is wide-ranging and includes research on: the biochemical, genetic, and physiological mechanisms of aging in humans and animal models; the structure and function of the aging nervous system; social and behavioral aspects of aging processes and the place of older people in society; and the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of age-related diseases, degenerative conditions, and disabilities. The NIA is the lead federal agency for Alzheimer's disease research.

In close collaboration with the National Advisory Council on Aging and other public and private organizations, the NIA has developed a strategic plan for aging research, to identify goals for the next 5 years. These goals address scientific areas that hold the greatest promise for advancing knowledge, many outlined in this narrative. The NIA also recently completed a strategic plan on disparities in health status of older Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. In this narrative, the Institute focuses on recent progress and future directions for research in four key areas: Section I.) Alzheimer's disease and the neuroscience of aging; Section II.) reducing chronic disease and disability; Section III.) the biology of aging; and Section IV.) the behavioral and social aspects of growing older. In each of these efforts and more broadly, the Institute is paying special attention to reducing health disparities among different groups of Americans (Section V.). Interspersed within the narrative, in two sections, are "Stories of Discovery," which follow the history and the drama of unfolding scientific knowledge in a specific area of interest.

  2. Manton KG, Corder LS, Stallard E. Chronic disability trends in elderly United States populations: 1982-1994. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 94: 2593-2598, 1997.
  3. Evans DA, Funkenstein HH, Albert MS, et al. Prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in a community population of older persons; higher than previously reported. JAMA 262: 2551-2556, 1989.


Muppet Lessons

Breaking down the resolutions of three specific conflicts over the course of the “Classic Muppet years,” this article reveals examples for anyone attempting to preserve their art while also making money.

“…The lesson to take away from Henson’s management style is to freely and honestly give no for an answer, to listen well and then say it calmly but firmly, to protect the quality of your work. Three conflicts and three resolutions. This is a lesson for Disney—as it goes forward with Muppet films—and for any creative entrepreneur, anyone interested in making (good) art pay.”


Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka Episode No. 19

Chef Pankaj welcomes her mentor and friend, Chef Kunal Kapoor to an exciting episode of Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka. Chef Kunal prepares a tasty and poetic Daastane Paneer and a delectable Gulaab Jamun cheese cake for dessert.

kunal kapoor

Hrithik, Aishwarya, Abhishek at Kunal-Naina’s wedding reception

Kunal Kapoor, Naina Bachchan to host wedding reception in Delhi

Inside Aamir Khan’s grand birthday: Ambanis, B-town in presence

Perfectionist Aamir Khan’s lavish birthday bash was a starry affair. The actor’s producer wife Kiran Rao threw a grand 50th birthday at Lonavala. A day before the birthday Aamir Khan celebrated birthday with media by cutting veg cake and interacting with the media. The birthday was thr


Genesee Community College

Quick Links

Genesee Course Catalog

Official Course Information

Fall 2012

Physical Therapist Assistant Courses:

  or   List All Physical Therapist Assistant Courses
PTA106 - Physical Therapy Assistant Seminar 1
Credits: 2

Catalog Description: Introduces interpersonal skills and professionalism relevant to the health care environment. Addresses interactions between PTA and patients, therapists, and other health care team members. Advances concepts of social and cultural competency, confidentiality, and professional responsibilities. Addresses state laws and professional therapy association positions and their integration into clinical policies and procedures. Covers computer literacy, on-line medical research, effective study skills, and continuing professional development. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the PTA program. Corequisite: PTA 101.

Lecture: 2 hrs.

Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs):

1. Demonstrate basic verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients as well as other health care providers through participation in 3 situational role play presentations.
2. Demonstrate basic computer literacy through completion of 4 on-line assignments and participation in at least 4 on-line discussions.
3. List 4 examples of patient interactions which may be impacted by cultural or socioeconomic differences and in writing or during a role play, suggest appropriate modifications to address these issues.*
4. Demonstrate good study habits and time and stress management techniques through the written analysis of student's own study and lifestyle habits as well as written and oral discussion of areas in which change is required.
5. Identify at least 2 basic principles in each of the following areas: levels of authority, professionalism, planning, supervisory processes, performance evaluations, fiscal considerations, and clinical policies and procedures and discuss their importance in both written and class discussion formats.
6. Discuss in writing and orally 3 ways in which patient and family interactions are affected in each of the following areas: geriatrics, pediatrics, and while working with patients with disabilities.
7. Give 3 examples in writing which illustrate the changing face of physical therapy as it pertains to alternative medicine as well as patient education.
8. Write a research paper accessing health care literature via electronic sources (Internet and on-line journals) as well as hard copy resources.
9. List 5 important dates in the development of Physical Therapy in the US and discuss the significance of each.
10. Discuss the role of the PTA in terms of the history of the profession as well as identify supervision levels in acute care, SNF, home care and pediatric settings as per the NYS Practice Act.
11. List 5 significant dates in the history of the American Physical Therapy Association and discuss each date's significance. Discuss national, state and district APTA organization and the APTA's role in the oversight of the physical therapy profession.
12. Define in writing managed care and at least 5 related terms and discuss its impact on the healthcare system in the US today from the patient's and health care provider's points of view.
13. Describe in writing and role play the multidisciplinary team concept and discuss 3 reasons why it is important in health care today.

Content Outline:
I. PTA Education, Role and History of PTA, Learning Process, and

II. Accessing Information, computer technology and
Evidence Based physical therapy

III. Communication and Professionalism

IV. Ethics, Diversity, and Cultural Competency

Effective Term: Fall 2012


Ethanol subsidies continue to take punch after punch in the ring of public opinion. This time it’s the Washington Postthat is getting in on the action.

A staff editorial appeared in Tuesday’s edition of the Post, which pointed out that no matter the reason the subsidies continue to survive, they must end. “The supports must go. Congress has protected ethanol three ways: with a $6 billion-a-year tax subsidy to those who blend it into gasoline, a tariff on competing imports and a mandate that billions of gallons enter Americans’ fuel tanks every year, which come on top of three decades of federal patronage of the industry.”

As the piece goes on, the Post points out there are still ways the subsidies could survive. “Ethanol still seems to have hope in Washington. Somehow, some conservatives are wary of repealing the fuel’s tax subsidies because they could be construed as tax increases,” says the editorial.

In recent weeks ethanol subsidies have continued to survive on shaky ground. In June, the Senate voted to remove the $6 billion handout to the industry by a very wide margin. But because that amendment was attached to another bill that failed passage, the subsidies lived for another day. Most think the subsidies have little hope of surviving the chopping block during the upcoming debt ceiling debate. But factors like the Iowa caucus, fears about eliminating the handout being construed as a tax hike, and the idea that cutting this could lead to the end of oil subsidies have made getting rid of ethanol subsidies harder than it should be.

If ethanol subsidies survive another round, it certainly will because of special interests and straight-up politics, not because of a lack of outcry from major media outlets.


Thursday, June 24, 2010

Pinchas (Cozbi and Zimri)

This week I am cheating and using an old poem that I had written which will appear in the upcoming edition of the Mima'amakim journal this fall. It is an off-kilter sonnet voicing my discomfort with the massacre of Cozbi and Zimri by Pinchas. Viewed allegorically, much like the conquering of Eretz Israel in the book of Joshua, I have no problem with this narrative. These heroic though violent figures are extirpating the negative aspects of their own personalities and those within our communities. They are doing a reparation, a tikkun, by destroying the impulses that drive our animal soul.

Well, that works on a figurative, Kabbalistic level, but if we view Torah as a living history, how can one reconcile murder in the name of G-d? On top of that, Pinchas, a Kohen, is rewarded by HaKadosh Baruch Hu. In an age, in this way similar to all others, in which fundamentalists claim the right to exercise violent action based on divine authority (think Taliban, Saudi Arabia, GW's holy war which we continue to wage in the Middle East, Homophobes sanctioning hate crimes, a handful of militant Zionist settlers--NOT the Israeli majority-- who continue to decimate certain Arab populations because they believe it to be the will of G-d) and it becomes an even more frightening contemporary issue.

Please forgive me for getting so political for a moment, but this poem presents my, perhaps all too American, fear of what happens when religion and politics, or religious and political power become too much intertwined. Granted, I understand that there is a political vision presented by the Torah; however, that vision is not only political but spiritual. The just society that we will finally enjoy in the time of Mashiach will create an environment in which every person will have their material needs met, live in temporal and physical ease so that we can spend all our time connecting with the Divine. Perhaps Pinchas, though overly zealous, represents the singleminded person who only lives for that future time of redemption and his real shortcoming is wanting a future reality of justice so much, that he is willing to sacrifice the here and now, i.e. his relationship to those still created in G-d's image who do not share this vision. Who knows. Please enjoy and I welcome and encourage your thoughts and comments on the poem, or the politics...I guess.

Shabbat Shalom!
Cozbi and Zimri (in memoriam)

A sharp removal: triceps return flesh,
Burgundy triangle lance dances slow
Above the broken vessels—seeping thresh.
Pinchas ruffles his priestly brow, eyes low.

How can those holy fingers elevate
After slicing through missteps of the dead—
Cozbi, a woman who germinates bait,
Easily bitten off by the prince, red—

Weak. Night quivers, like a bonfire’s embers.
Broken bottles, casks, grapes in the dirt,
Swallowed by earth, preserved in the amber
Like mosquitoes, ink on parchment—inert.

Pinchas, we dance through raw desert, lovesick—
Our shipwrecked race...yet, a reward for this?

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Beha'alotcha (Wicks in the Wind)

I am indebted to a connection pointed out to us at Yeshivat Hadar by my teacher, the brilliant Dr. Devorah Steinmetz. In her literary approach to the narratives of our tradition, Dr. Steinmetz pointed out that the use of the word matar in most instances in the Torah are a type of punitive dew or rain. That is, something Ha---Shem sends as a punishment for haughtiness or some other infraction committed on either divine kingship or, in modern parlance, the categorical imperative.

Using this as my starting point, I've constructed a poem as a dialogue between Ha--Shem and B'nei Israel with HaShem instructing us to be holy, to keep moving toward Him and evolving, and with us kvetching about our material needs and dwelling in the constricted and limiting idealization of a past reality, rather than embracing this moment. B'nei Israel have a ball recalling all that was so glorious in Egypt, but, as Proust reminds us in his A la recherche du temps perdu memories are hardly ever authentic or truthful. A spiritual teaching that I have always sought to embrace is that this moment is really all that has significance and our halacha, whether obviously or not, imputes this message as much as any other.

Shabbat Shalom!
Beha’alotcha (Wicks in the Wind)

G-d: in your making go up,
into clouded cover,
night fire.
It’s all but a parochet,
a veil,
to tear through.
It’s all but a
To tear through,
To seduce Me.

Rest as wick; I’ll be your oil.
Stand wax still
O ye vessels
For My flame—
Spots for My sun.

B’nei Israel: Great…but who might feed us meat?
zacharnu et-ha eating!
Gah-gah-gah garlic, free-fish,
Cucumbers encumber mind’s eye in
Watermelon leaking leeks,
Hills of coriander seed.
Let’s grind it in a mill
like oil cake
drenched in morning dew.

G-d: Wicks in the wind!
Wicks in the wind!
If not... I’ll damn you in dew.

Shelach Lecha (The Woodgatherer)

I often find myself struck by the starkness of the biblical narrative. In Erich Auerbach's seminal work Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, the German-Jewish literary theorist and critic notes the salient difference between the detail of motives and description of action in Greek epic on the one hand, and the vague hyper laconism of the bible on the other. Auerbach attributes this distinction to the purposes set forth by the two texts; that is to say that the Greek epics were originally oral works open to the poet to embellish, but wholly a work of entertainment. Granted, one can glean moral teachings from Achilles' modus operandi in battle situations, or Ulysses journeying back to Ithaca, but the real meaning lie in those texts presenting a rubric from which the talented poet could improvise for the enjoyment of his spectators.
The Bible, on the other hand, is a legal text interspersed with narratives that expound the laws contained herein.

This idea, astute and yet somewhat obvious as it is, has never helped me to fully connect with biblical narrative. But it was also one of the catalysts for my undertaking the project of poem ha-shavua. What is interesting, at least artistically, about what the Torah is not saying? How are these figures thinking in the time of narrative, existential, and spiritual strife? As far as I am concerned, it is within the silence of biblical personages (our ancestors, paradigms of righteous and errant ways) where we find the Torah's true meaning. It is in the inscrutability or occasional unjust nature of things that happen that truly teach Jews and the Umot Ha-Olam how to live. That is because, quite simply, these moments where something happens and we have no idea of a personage's thoughts in that moment require us to ask ourselves "why," and search for the answers whether we find them or not. Perhaps this is the greatest gift of our sages in the Talmud when they expound upon our tradition with discourse and more than a few "Frank" interrogative terms.

This week's parashah is a wonderful and somewhat disturbing example of this economical narrative that forces us to drash as much as we can. The mekoshesh etzim "woodgatherer" punished for collecting wood on Shabbat. We ask might ask ourselves if he knew it was indeed Shabbat, or if he had been a tzaddik or malach simply
doing G-d's will in order that G-d could teach Moshe and B'nei Israel how to punish someone for transgressing the Shabbat.
All of these questions and many more are addressed in the commentaries. However, in my poem this week, I used the example of the woodgatherer as a meditation of the nature of Shabbos. Is it an ontological reality that we simply acknowledge and observe, or rather is it something that we must build or do (as the Torah reads with la'asot et ha Shabbat) with no intrinsic value beyond our spiritual striving? Could the woodgatherer feel the presence of Shabbat, or was he simply disobeying G-d without any repercussions but for his later punsihment?

I hope you enjoy this poem. I have fallen behind in this endeavor but hope, B''H, to be caught up in the next couple weeks. Please keep checking in. Shabbat Shalom!

Shlach lecha (The Woodgatherer)

Is there indeed a difference in the way
this lumber wilts,
my withered
unlike other days,
each pile
I make slides to a pool… an ocean… submerging
my blackened feet…a wave of wood… the jellyfish smart—
of stones.

Coming Soon!


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Joy happens within the moment. Joy activates the soul. True joy comes from following the higher purpose of your soul. Joy is something you experience now. If you feel there are reasons why you can’t experience joy right now, begin to create reasons why you can. If you're looking to the future to allow joy into your life, it may always remain just out of your reach.

Joy radiates from the center of your being. If you're looking outside yourself for joy, you will not find it. You won’t find joy in any situation that enslaves you to outer outcomes and situations.

Emotional Freedom is the Key to Experiencing Joy

It is usually emotions that snare you into joyless situations. That is why the key to experiencing joy is emotional freedom. If you find yourself in any situation or relationship that is not bringing you joy, it’s time to examine your beliefs. You will want to look closely to see if you hold any beliefs that say you must do anything that doesn't bring you joy. Often, when you look deeply into circumstances devoid of joy, you find that at the root the belief that you believe you don't deserve joy.

As a Divine being, your birthright is all the love, abundance and joy the universe has to offer. If you believe otherwise, it’s time to transform these beliefs to bring them into alignment with the Divine perfection of your spirit.

You're not obligated to do anything that doesn’t bring you joy. You’re not obligated to spend time with those who drain your energy, dishonor or disrespect you. As a Divine being, you can look at each person through the eyes of spirit and see what, if anything, you can do to help heal or assist them. If a person insists on remaining in a negative feeling state, you don’t have to allow them to pull down your energy. It is never for your highest good or that of another to lower your resonance in this way.

Focus on the Blessings in Your Life

Spend time appreciating what you have, noticing the moments of small blessings as you go through your day. Nature is a portal into joy. Notice flowers and sky. Notice the full moon through the trees. Notice night sounds in the woods. Notice the way the sun radiates off the surface of water.

Notice where you place your attention. Where do you put your time, energy and focus? It’s important to spend time in ways that help you in realize your highest good.

Create a ‘Joy’ List

Make a list of what you love, what brings you joy. What you love is directly linked to your spiritual purpose. The things on your joy list that you feel most drawn to right now represent steps you can take in your present moment to fulfill your spiritual purpose. As you take these steps, the path unfolds before you. In this sense, all roads lead to the same place. Don’t be concerned with what you "must" do now. Allow your journey to be a joyful dance with spirit as you allow each moment to unfold its own beauty and perfection.

Scarcity Consciousness and Joylessness Go Hand in Hand

If you resist doing what you feel most drawn to within the moment, if you resist doing what brings you joy right now, you're pushing away the feeling state of joy and the abundance that naturally flows through this doorway. Ironically, many resist doing what is most joyful to them because they are enslaved by thoughtforms that they must work hard at joyless occupations to manifest abundance. By denying joy, they push away the abundance they are seeking!

Every moment of every day you're receiving "cues" from your environment of the next step you can take on your journey of self-realization and joy. Begin each day by asking yourself what you can do that brings you joy. Give yourself permission to act on the answers. As you place your focus on joy, you will naturally know how to handle any challenges that come before you. When you're in a state of joy, your energy field is open and flowing. Information, guidance and life force energy pulses through you. You are open and receptive to guidance and feelings of well-being.

Many of you have settled for what passes for joy in your life, feeling it is impossible for you to be truly joyful. You will always find this circumstance disappointing. You will only have true joy in your life when you bring your focus to allowing it. Don't settle for anything less than this no matter what is going on around you.

Merging with Your Spiritual Purpose

You don't have to know the specifics of your spiritual purpose. It is enough to set an intention to align with your purpose for this lifetime. See this intention entering the cells of your body. Align your energy and your resources with your spiritual purpose. In time, you will begin to make different decisions in how you spend your time. As you take steps based on your intention to follow your spiritual purpose, it will begin to take form in your life. You'll find yourself drawn to new people, situations and ideas.

Joy is Self-Love and Appreciation

This is where you begin to act through joy - to choose and do things based on the joy they bring you. As you explore all the things that bring you joy, you come face-to-face with your spiritual purpose. If you're not sure of your exact purpose, just begin doing what brings you joy and you will soon find it.

Begin each day by affirming it is another glorious opportunity to experience joy. Hone your gifts and talents and share these with others. This is another day to step into the unlimited abundance of spirit. Having a goal and purpose for everything you do allows you to examine each proposed activity to see if it adds meaning and joy to your life or if it is just another empty, meaningless activity void of fulfillment. Observe if what others are asking of you is for your highest and best and for theirs. Examine if staying at a job that has grown stale is for your highest good. Learn to read the subtext of your life. By staying at a job where you feel in undervalued and unappreciated, you are affirming it is the same as saying you're not worthy of anything better, that you are in effect the one doing the undervaluing and under appreciating, and others are simply mirroring this to you.

Ways to cultivate the path of joy in your life:

One) spend time in nature

Two) notice where you place your focus and attention

Three) create a joy list

Four) focus on the blessings in your life

Five) create emotional freedom. End self-sabotage

Eight) be here now

Nine) practice discernment with others

10) read the subtext of your actions to learn any ways you are buying into scarcity

11) build a new vision for your life

12) align with your spiritual purpose

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Older Adults Make Smarter Decisions That Lead to Long-Term Gains, Study Shows

Many people believe getting older means losing a mental edge, leading to poor decision-making, but a new study from psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas AandM University suggests older adults are far better at making choices that lead to long-term gain.

The study, co-authored by University of Texas at Austin psychologist Todd Maddox, found older adults, at least 60 years old, are better at strategizing their decisions than those in their late teens and early 20s, who tend to focus on instant gratification.

Findings from the study, led by Darrell Worthy, professor of psychology at Texas AandM University, will be published in Psychological Science. Collaborators on the study include University of Texas psychologists David Schnyer, Jennifer Pacheco and Marissa Gorlick.

Contradicting negative stereotypes of age and reasoning ability, the results show that the wisdom that comes with age can allow people to make better decisions under some conditions. Maddox says the study gives insight into the decision-making process, which will help researchers learn more about the effects of aging in the brain.

However, in a second experiment, the older participants outperformed the younger group in choosing options that resulted in long-term gains, such as strategically storing the most amount of oxygen in "oxygen accumulators" on an imaginary space mission in Mars. In this portion of the study, 52 older adults (ages 67-82) and 51 younger adults (ages 20-26) performed decision-making tasks in which the choices they made influenced future rewards.

As part of the experiment, the researchers created a test with two oxygen extraction systems on Mars. The rewards depended on the respondents' previous choices. The respondents had to choose from two options: the "increasing option," which increased rewards in future trials, and the "decreasing option," which decreased future rewards but offered a larger immediate reward. In each permutation of the experiment, the older participants outperformed the younger group by figuring out which option led to the most long-term cumulative rewards.

"We found that younger adults performed equivalently in the experiment, but older adults were more adept at adjusting their strategy to fit the goals of the task," Maddox says.

The researchers suggest these results provide insight into how people use their brains as they age. When making choices, younger people use the ventral striatum, a region of the brain associated with habit formation and immediate rewards. As this declines with age, the psychologists theorize that people compensate by using their prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that controls rational and deliberate thoughts.

To test this theory, Maddox and his team of researchers are conducting a neuroimaging study to determine which parts of the brain respond to immediate gratification and long-term rewards while the participants engage in decision-making tasks. Collaborators on this study include Worthy, Jeannette Mumford, psychology research assistant at The University of Texas at Austin, and Russell Poldrack, professor of psychology and neurobiology and director of the Imaging Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin.


Glenn Rufrano, president and CEO of Cushman & Wakefield, discusses what’s driving retailer expansion plans domestically and globally. Retailers are trying to find markets where they can grow the fastest. Primarily, they are looking to emerging markets like Brazil, China and India as well as dense cities in mature markets, including New York, London and Hong Kong. To make that expansion a reality, retailers turn to global brokerage firms for assistance in understanding demographics and buying patterns as well as local laws and how leases are structured from country to country.


Nucleic Acids

The third group of macromolecules found in cells contain some of the largest molecules of the body - these are the nucleic acids. There are two major groups of nucleic acids, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Each group is composed of long chains of building block molecules known as nucleotides. There are four different nucleotides used in the formation of nucleic acids, these are adenine, thymine (uracil instead of thymine is found in RNA), guanine and cytosine (see Figure 11). Each nucleotide contains three distinct parts: a 5-carbon sugar (ribose in RNA, deoxyribose in DNA), at least one phosphate group attached to the number 5 carbon of the sugar, and one of four different nitrogenous bases that attach to the number 1 carbon of the sugar. Nucleotides are bound together via a phosphodiester bond between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the number 3 carbon of another. In this manner, very long chains (over 1 million nucleotides long) are formed.

The primary function of DNA is as the carrier of genetic information. DNA is found only in the nucleus of the cell and is the genetic component of the chromosomes. DNA is usually double stranded, meaning that two strands of nucleotides are attached to one another via H-bonds between different bases. Since each base can only form H-bonds with only one type of base (adenine binds with thymine, cytosine with guanine), the sequence of bases in one strand must complement the sequence of the other (and therefore, if you know the sequence in one strand, you can deduce the sequence of the other). During cell replication, the two strands separate and each is used as a template for a new strand. In this manner, one double stranded DNA molecule is perfectly replicated into two identical strands, one for each daughter cell. DNA is made only from preexisting DNA (any exceptions do not concern us in this course).

RNA is involved in synthesis of all proteins by the cell. As you should know, proteins are synthesized on cytoplasmic organelles known as ribosomes. Also, in order to make a particular protein, you need to know the sequence of amino acids. DNA contains codes for the amino acid sequence for all proteins made by the cell. However, DNA doesn't leave the nucleus and ribosomes don't enter the nucleus. So there is a problem, how does the code for a protein (that's in the DNA) get to the ribosome? The answer is through RNA.

Let us suppose that a cell needs to make a particular protein, say myoglobin. Somewhere on the DNA in the nucleus is a small stretch of nucleotides that code for the sequence of myoglobin. Through mechanisms that don't concern us yet, the nucleus activates enzymes that cause a complementaly strand RNA to be synthesized using the area of DNA containing the code for myoglobin as a template. In this manner, a strand of mRNA (for messenger RNA) is synthesized (a process known as transcription) that contains the code for the amino acid sequence of myoglobin. The mRNA then leaves the nucleus, travels to the ribosome where the code is interpreted and the protein synthesized (a process known as translation). This process occurs for the synthesis of all proteins and is summarized by the following:

There are two other functions of nucleotides that will be important to physiology. One is as a second messenger molecule which will be describe later in the semester. The other is the use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP, a nucleotide) as the energy currency of the cell. ATP can be hydrolyzed as shown in equation 8 with the release of energy. It is the energy derived from this reaction that the cell uses to drive almost every cellular function or reaction that requires energy. Any enzyme that catalyzes this reaction is known as an ATPase (there are many different ATPases in cells). New ATP is synthesized by the reverse of its hydrolysis using energy that comes from the metabolism of nutrients via glycolysis and the TCA cycle.

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Romney Is No Friend To The Free-Market

As those of us on the right have long known, a free-market economy, free of incessant Government intervention, is a hallmark of Conservatism in American politics. And, amid the skepticism, in regards to Romney’s sincerity on Conservative politics, and Limited Government, he recently made two statements that were very telling:

1. “My view is to allow the minimum wage to rise with the CPI (basically, a measurement of inflation), or with another index…”

Allow the minimum wage to rise? Keep up with inflation? Repair the (Federal) safety-net?

Minimum wage, while on the surface, may seem compassionate, it is actually a policy that keeps the skilled-workers working, and freezes out the less-skilled, and first-time workers. And, Inflation is caused by the incessant printing of money by The Federal Reserve, which devalues our currency, and causes all goods and services to rise in cost. Therefore, if I am not mistaken, Mitt Romney is basically suggesting that, under his Presidency, inflation, the minimum wage, and the welfare state, are here to stay, and will be tweaked, and adjusted, by the Technocratic Manipulators in his Administration!

So, while Mitt and friends, continue to print monopoly money, and prices continue to rise – some of us, who are fortunate enough to be employed, as the minimum wage increases, will be employed, and the rest of society will survive by living in the demoralizing world of food stamps and welfare?

Minimum wage, inflation, and the Federal safety-net, are all a creation of BIG GOVERNMENT; and, over the years, has been protected, and maintained, by a Federal Government that has long forsaken, and far exceeded, it’s Constitutional Limits! All three go against the very principles of a Free-Market economy; all three add up to tax increases; and, all three fly right in the face of Conservative economic policy in The United States! Mitt Romney, not only is no friend to The Free-Market, but, he is most certainly not a friend to The United States Constitution!

Romney’s remarks only confirm, and underscore, the fact that, just because one is a successful businessman, it doesn’t mean they understand how a free-market economy is suppose to function.

I, therefore, stand by my belief that, we are not in need of a successful businessman in The White House, but, rather, a person who understands The Constitution, and will work to return us to our Constitutional Foundation!


QT Prolongation: Closing in on the Target of Meaningful Data

Experts provide an update on a troublesome (and notorious) cardiac safety issue
Jun 01, 2005

A new study in Holland suggests that yet another group of antipsychotic and gastrointestinal treatments have been linked to increased risk of sudden cardiac death. In a longitudinal study by doctors from seven medical centers in the Netherlands, Thorazine (chlorpromazine), Haldol (haloperidol), and Orap (pimozide)—as well as two gastrointestinal drugs, Propulsid (cisapride) and Motilium (domperidone)—have been linked to increased risk of irregular heartbeat.

Like many medications before them, these drugs have been shown to prolong the QT interval, the few hundred milliseconds of electrical activity that control the heart's pumping action. QT prolongation has become a significant concern for pharma and FDA since the early 1990s, when Seldane (terfenadine), a popular antihistamine headed for OTC status, was derailed by data that linked it with sudden cardiac death and life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias, such as Torsades de Pointes (TdP). In the years since, an increasing number of drugs—antihistamines, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antibacterials—have been given additional warnings or pulled from the market because they increased the QT interval.

QT prolongation is not likely to go away as an issue for the pharmaceutical industry. In 2001, FDA's Janet Woodcock told the Los Angeles Times that the agency had lost patience with drugs that caused it. "We're encouraging people, if there's QT prolongation, don't develop it," she said.

It is increasingly important for pharma researchers to understand what QT prolongation is and how it affects clinical development and drug safety.

What is the QT interval?

Cardiac Cycle
The QT interval is part of the cardiac cycle as it is represented on paper with an electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG). The cardiac cycle—a single heartbeat—starts when the atria begin to fill with blood, and ends when the ventricles recover from the contraction that propels blood throughout the body.

An ECG represents the heartbeat as a series of waves that measure electrical changes in the walls of the heart—depolarization and repolarization—that accompany the blood movement. The QT interval is the time, in milliseconds, between the depolarization (Q) at the onset of ventricular contraction and the repolarization (T) that prepares for another contraction.

What is the normal QT interval?

The normal QT interval varies with the heart rate. That's why the QT interval is corrected for what it would be theoretically, at a rate of 60 beats per minute. This is known as the QTc (corrected QT interval). The normal QTc generally is accepted to be less than 440 ms, and on average is slightly longer in females. FDA concept papers have mentioned normal QTc as:

  • <430 ms in males and <450 ms in females
  • borderline between 430 and 450 ms for males and between 450 and 470 ms for females.


WFP donors

Many countries, institutions, organisations, companies and individuals contribute funds to WFP every year. Choose a year to see the corresponding list of donors. The list for the most recent year is not final and is liable to change as details of contributions work their way through the system.


On Friday 18 January 2008, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> >agreed that setting a systemwide default is sensible,
> >but if at all posible there should be no barrier for users to trying out
> > a different desktop
> students in some situations. If a class is being taught a common topic
> (rather than each individually working independently) differences in
> interface could cause too much distraction.

I can see your point,  but that doesn't stop a school from using Gnome in
one class, and KDE in another, and XFCE in yet another. (or Gnome one day,
and KDE the next).

And honestly, if the class is getting bogged down because 'start program X'
or 'go to site Y', or 'copy file X to Y' is problematic (that's pretty much
all the interaction you'll have with the DE in a non-computer class).
You'll save WAY more time in the long run by ensuring your students have
some basic computer skills before you start using the computer as a routine

(a one of computer use is a different situation, but if the computer is a
routine tool used in every class there's no contest)

> An analogy would be that the students do not get to pick the math book to
> read - they all follow the same book for consistency.

as I've said in my reply to Nigel and Andreas, the desktop is more akin to
the classroom then the textbook (which would be the site/document/program

> over "freedom of choice" for the students.

I absolutely agree that you have to get the teachers on board, but I'm also
firmly convinced that this particular issue isn't usually looked at from a
from a pedagogical perspective, but from a technical support one.

(and in a school environment the pedagogical perspective should have way
more weight).
Cheers, cobaco (aka Bart Cornelis)

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Academic journal article ETC.: A Review of General Semantics

Do Words Have Inherent Meaning?

Academic journal article ETC.: A Review of General Semantics

Do Words Have Inherent Meaning?

Article excerpt

IN AUGUST 2007, PARTICIPANTS on the Institute of General Semantics Forum discussed the frequently quoted statement "words don't mean, people mean," and the question of whether or not words have inherent meaning in a thread that shares its title with this article. (1)

Before proceeding, I feel that it is necessary to lay out my understanding of the subject by giving definitions of the major words in the title.

a single unit of language that has meaning and can be spoken or written The word "environment" means different things to different people. She spoke so fast 1 couldn 't understand a word (= anything she said).

what something represents or expresses Do you know the meaning of this word? The word has several meanings.

exisiting as a natural or permanent quality of something or someone The drug has certain inherent side effects. (Cambridge Dictionary of American English)

These definitions represent the collective senses by which these terms are understood by a majority of American English speakers as corroborated in standard dictionaries. (2)

In addition to these dictionary definitions, Korzybski in Science & Sanity (hereinafter S&S), provided us with his 'definition' of 'meaning' for 'words': "... words represent abstractions of different order ..." (p.21).

Combining all of these definitions, I can provide an overall definition of the word 'word' which matches my understanding:

word: a single unit of language that represents abstractions of different order and can be spoken or written.

I will discuss the usage of 'inherent' added to this definition later.

In this paper, I am restricting the use of meaning of a word to one specific level of abstraction, namely, that which is made by a reader/hearer upon encountering that word each time as part of a message of larger, more specific context. (3)

My immediate response to the question asked as the subject of the discussion was a definite 'no'.

This passage by Milton Dawes in Time-Bindings expresses well part of my views on the subject.

1. Words, by themselves, do not have meanings. (The 'meanings' of words we read in a dictionary were assigned by lexicographers. And lexicographers depend on the meanings given to these words by other humans.)

2. If I accepted that words by themselves had meanings, I would be acting elementalistically; I would be identifying; and I would be evaluating 'allistically'.

'Meaning' involves speakers/writers, their intentions; words they use to represent their intentions; my interpretation of those words; and my responses (conscious and non-conscious, verbal and non-verbal) based on my interpretation.

Words do not mean ... Humans give meanings. We are usually unaware that we do--but if we are very attentive, we can catch ourselves in the process. (p.6)

This summarized some of my thoughts about the subject, but didn't cover all of them, and so, I decided to try to lay out completely the foundations of why I. believed as I do.

During the course of the discussion, people did appear to acknowledge that, as happens in so many of our disagreements, the individual, personal, different and multi-level evaluations of several of the significant terms, especially including 'inherent' itself, formed the root of the problem. Becoming consciously aware that this was occurring emphasizes the raison d' etre of general semantics. (4)

As one example, I evaluated that some of the participants in the Forum discussion seemed to hold that meanings, once they had been formulated and placed in a dictionary, exist independently of both the formulator and any possible reader and that this constituted the inherent meaning of the words. I have seen this same attitude among many people, sometimes expressed as; "That is the meaning of the word because that is what is written in the dictionary. …

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RIES - Find Algebraic Equations, Given Their Solution

Semiserious Math Tricks

Formal Hypothesis

Some fairly serious maths has been done partly with the aid of RIES. For example, it was recently asked if there is a closed form for

SIGMAk=1..inf [ -1(k+1) ζ(2k) / 2(2k-1) ] = ζ(2)/2 - ζ(4)/23 + ζ(6)/25 - ...

where ζ() is the Riemann Zeta function. The series converges quickly and ries was used to find a guess for the answer:

$ ries 0.712688574959647755609169086586   Your target value: T = 0.712688574959647756 mrob.com/ries   x = sqrt(1/2) for x = T - 0.00558179 {44} x = e^-(1/3) for x = T + 0.00384274 {57} x = sqrt(5)/pi for x = T - 0.000926032 {60} [...] x = pi/(e^pi-1)-(1-pi/2) ('exact' match) {128} [...] --LHS-- --RHS-- -Total- max complexity: 67 62 129 dead-ends: 2785473 5271937 8057410 Time: 0.557 expressions: 187907 320749 508656 distinct: 95554 94028 189582 Memory: 14848KiB Total equations tested: 8984751512 (8.985e+09)

The answer is π/2 coth(π/2) - 1 = π/(e^π-1) + π/2 - 1, and can be proven reasonably easily using the series sum definition of the Zeta function, an identity (based on the calculus of residues) for the cotangent, and the simple identity coth x = i cot(ix).

Wild Guessing

Successive Refinement (Newton-Raphson Method)

To get a better approximation, add 1.442 and 0.00024957:

ries 1.44224957
(other answers not shown)

ries 1.442249570307408
(other answers not shown)
(and so on...)

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