Acquiring education through distance learning

Tuesday April 23 2019

By Hellen Nachilongo

Students may not always be physically present at a school, this neccessitates an alternative way of access to education.

Establishment of distance learning in Tanzania and other African countries continues to be a popular study option and remains the main alternative if you want to continue your education without having to undergo the conventional on-campus, classroom learning.

For instance, Tanzania, through Open University of Tanzania (OUT) has extended distance learning model, establishing a network of 30 region centers which have enabled people to access distance education.

For example, through OUT, some prisoners, refugees, expatriates, ministers and thousands others have accessed distance learning since its establishment in 1992.

OUT Vice Chancellor, Prof Elifas Bisanda said recently at a two day meeting that brought members of the African for Distance Education (ADE) to discuss several opportunities and challenges found in Open and Distance Learning (ODL).

Among other issues that were discussed were how to reach out to more disadvantaged people, including prisoners and refugees in accessing higher education.

Other issues discussed were universities providing distance learning becoming more aggressive in seeking legal rights of institutions to engage and enable regulators recognise the essential of distance learning because most regulators think distance learning isn’t beneficial.

According to him, his organisation has been making efforts to ensure that more prisoners and refugees are enrolled on the program offered at the facility. “But, the current, biggest challenge is how to ensure inmates access learning material through online access,” he said.

According to the VC, OUT currently prints reading materials and distributes them to prisons to enable enrolled inmates access the study material.

“We recently had two prisoners who graduated through our university, one prisoner based in the Lake Zone graduated with a Diploma. There are other prisoners in regions such as Tanga, Mwanza and Arusha who’ve also enrolled for diploma courses,” he said.

The aim of distance learning is to equip students from different walks of life with formal education, legal training and exposure to global best practices.

Mr Bisanda stressed that with advancement of technology, distance learning is a type of education that most people would require to enable them acquire an education even amidst unfavourable circumstances.

According to him, the learning institution wants to help disadvantaged people access higher education through OUT.

He noted that one of the hardest challenges facing students doing distance learning, mostly prisoners, is finding a way to provide lecture notes to them.

“On a regular basis it is difficult for them to access study material, therefore, we are forced to print copies and take the hard copies to them,” notes the VC.

As the term ‘distance learning’ suggests, people must use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to access education, unfortunately, some people live under conditions that make this requirement hard to access.

Mr Abdallah Adam from National Open University of Nigeria (OUN) said that in his country they had an inmate education program meant to provide free education to eligible inmates for undergraduates and post-graduate studies.

According to him, so far, there were 439 prisoners enrolled on a distance learning program recognized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Culture Organization (Unesco).

“Efforts should be made by all African countries to change their attitude towards prison inmates. If we leave them to only serve time we all will lose when they re-join society, but if we educate them we shall all benefit covertly or overtly from their knowledge and skills,” he said.

“It could make them independent because when they get out of jail most of them are not employed,” he added.

Former OUT vice chancellor Mr Tolly Mbwete said distance learning has not been useful and accessible only to intimates and refugees but, enabled thousands of Tanzanians and prominent ministers attain the education.

He stressed that for the years he served as a chancellor of OUT, a big number of politicians in the current and previous government have acquired education through distance learning.

According to him, distance learning helps students develop higher cognitive skills such that they become more reasoned, more articulate and are better able to negotiate better outcomes for themselves as higher education is thought to act as a form of dynamic security which manifests in a reduction in violence, anti-social behaviours and assault rates.

One of the biggest challenges facing people seeking higher education is the move towards more accessible learning through online technologies.

There are some universities that have developed systems that move away from hard copy materials, but does not rely on the internet. For example Australia’s University of Southern Queensland, they have a project which offers specially adapted courses and programmes preloaded onto servers or notebooks which students can access without having internet connection.

“The most popular of these technologies are the notebook computers which students can use to access the online material.

With rise of technology, universities are moving increasingly online, providing a better chance for students who cannot physically be at the university access education.

However, although many universities have moved away from the hard-copy model of distance learning, there are still some that have retained the system. In Tanzania, most universities require physical presence of the student so as to graduate.

For example, University of Dar es Salaam’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication requires students to attend at least 70 per cent of the lectures in order to be eligible for graduation.

Meshack Kennedy, a free-lance journalist is a beneficiary of distance learning. Having acquired a journalism degree online from University of Queensland in Australia, he started looking for work in that field. He now writes for different print and online mediums.

The aim of online or distance education is to reach disadvantaged, low and middle income earners.

Women are among the beneficiaries of the program due to their busy schedules both at work and at home.

Due to the rising number of people enrolling for distance learning, OUT decided to extend its education services to every individual with required qualifications.

“So far we provide different courses starting from certificate, diploma, degree, maters and doctors of philosophy,” said OUT Vice Chancellor.

Since the institution focuses on middle income earning individuals, students are allowed to pay school fees in instalments. Apart from that he said duration to complete a course is three years but, a student can extend the course for another three years depending on his/her financial situation and schedule.

Explaining on other universities, Mr Mohamed said OUT was not the only university that provides distance learning. “There are some universities that also provide distance and online education, among them includes University of Dar es Salam.”

People in the diaspora are also given an opportunity to enroll for online distance learning regardless of their location. They normally take their results to the examination council for equivalence, after the results are sent to us and we take the results to Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA).

OUT former graduate Mr Ramadhan Omary said that distance learning has enabled him to be independent and he gained confidence to pursue what he loved.

“The education offered at OUT gives students an opportunity to learn how to be self-sufficient and also pursue one’s dreams,” he noted.


Many years have passed since the last time I slipped on the water sitting on the edge of a Zodiac or driving it. I have always loved rubber dinghies for sea trips because they are so close to the water that you feel at sea even before you dive. This time, instead, I had to be very careful not to end up in it because the waters on which Sigurtur, our Viking guide, made us slip, were not the usual waters of the Mediterranean but the cold waters of the North Atlantic. We were zigzagging among the icebergs detached from Iceland’s largest glacier, the Vatnajökull. “Small” icebergs, which in any case showed all the characteristics of the enormous ones that come off the polar pack. The charms that these large blocks of ice and compressed snow give off are amazing.

Behind the first wonder the questions soon start. Why are some streaked with black? Are they memories of eruptions in a land where volcanoes sprouted from everywhere and where many lava fields were not yet able to cover themselves with vegetation? No, what we see are lines caused by the black sand of the nearby beaches, which also manages to cover the entire glacier when the arctic wind blows strongly from the north. As the icebergs melt, they then return to the sea the sand that its waves have created by breaking, with their incessant motion, small and large pieces of black basaltic lava.

In this bay the icebergs can reach up to 20 meters in height; considering that only a tenth of their height is visible, we realize that our Zodiac must proceed with caution if you don’t want to play Titanic!

The shapes that every single piece of ice shows are never identical: sharp or rounded shapes, long and flattened or like pinnacles; some show long tunnels that can be crossed along with extreme caution.
Even the different shades of more or less delicate blues that alternate with pure white generate questions. Snow does not always settle in the same way and the temperature, during or after a snowfall, can be more or less rigid. Even the pressure to which the different snow layers that accumulate in such a large and deep glacier are subjected is never the same. This game of changing conditions gives solid water several opportunities to refract light that touches or penetrates it. And here the blocks of ice manage to be marked by differently “coloured” lines. The guide explains that the blocks with more blue are those that have recently detached from the glacier and that over time tend to become more white and uniform.

Thus, slipping between the different shapes and changing colors of the water, we greet a common seal lying on a tiny flat iceberg that looks at us curious and unmindful of the cold. It basks in the sun and lets itself be photographed like a model used to paparazzi. Others, more timid, merely look at us, curious, between one dive and another.

Common seal (Phoca vitulina).

It is under the glacier that we realize how small we are. Hearing the crash of frozen water masses and seeing them dive into the sea is so impressive as to stop the photographing hand. Knowing that that glacier only ten years ago still stretched out halfway into the sea makes us reflect, once again, on the responsibility that everyone’s lifestyle has for the life of the planet.

Starting from the glacier, the icebergs, cross the bay, wear out and end their existence as solid water by landing on a large black beach. The smaller pieces, now transparent, show the air bubbles they contain, showing new meeting opportunities to light and water: new games before returning to saltwater.

Small pieces of ice, the last vestiges of the great icebergs, melt on the beach made up of black basalt pebbles blunted by the waves.

And while you leave the Ice Lagoon behind you, you think that even you are almost all made of water, only less cold and differently shaped. And you keep walking, waiting to get back to the water that generated you.

Earthgardeners ringrazia Etcware per il supporto tecnico


Writing in Different Genres

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An abstract is the first anchor to a research paper and should be written well. This step guide will help authors prepare an effective abstract. In scientific writing, an abstract is a concise summary of a paper. This quick guide will teach you how to write an abstract section in APA format. Then ask yourself: if your abstract was the only part of the paper you could A highlight abstract is specifically written to attract the reader's.

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Abstracts - The Writing Center

Only use abbreviations when abstract are certain they are common knowledge abstract your audience and cannot be writing. The same chronological structure as the original work. Why write an abstract? Abstracts allow readers who may be interested in a longer work to quickly decide whether it is worth their time to read it. Edit your abstract carefully to make it cohesive and meet the word count requirements of the journal. There are a few techniques that will help you in this process: Identify key terms: Источник статьи through the entire document paper key terms paper identify the purpose, scope, http://floristrycourses.info/1964-algebra-2-homework-help-teachers.php methods of the work.

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Decentralized Bilateral Teleoperation of a Group of UAVs with Switching Topology

ImageThis video shows a human operator using a haptic device to teleoperate a realistic physical simulation of a team made by 6 UAVs (quadcopters) by means of controlling the velocity of only one leader.
In the video UAVs have limited-range and line-of-sight communication and perception. From a control perspective, time varying topology is managed in a decentralized and passive way. During the overall experiment Human user receives a haptic feedback which is related to obstacles and UAV inertia.

The video shows an implementation of the teleoperation framework proposed in [1].

See also the teleoperation page for an overview on the topic.


Life-sized model of Titanoboa devouring a crocodilian, from the Smithsonian exhibit

Prehistoric snake was as long as a school bus.

Titanoboa is an extinct genus of very large snakes that lived in what is now La Guajira in northeastern Colombia. They could grow up to 12.8 m (42 ft) long and reach a weight of 1,135 kg (2,500 lb).

Fossils of the snake were uncovered from the Cerrejón Formation at Cerrejón, the tenth biggest coal mine in the world in the Cesar-Ranchería Basin of La Guajira, northern Colombia, covering an area larger than Washington, D.C.

By comparing the sizes and shapes of its fossilized vertebrae to those of extant snakes, researchers estimated that the largest individuals of T. cerrejonensis found had a total length around 12.8 m (42 ft) and weighed about 1,135 kg (2,500 lb; 1.12 long tons; 1.25 short tons).

Titanoboa inhabited the first recorded Neotropical forest in the world. It shared its ecosystem with large Crocodylomorpha and large turtles, which may have served as food for the giant snake, except large sized Purusaurus brasiliensis, for example, too big for Titanoboa to handle.

Unlike some contemporary poisonous snakes, Titanoboa wouldn't have benefited from brightly colored markings. The giant snake hunted by sneaking up on its prey. Most of the plus-size reptiles in Titanoboa's habitat were algae-colored and difficult to see against the landscape, making it easier to find dinner.

See also:
The Largest Insect Ever Existed Was a Giant "Dragonfly"
This Gigantic, Extinct Devil Frog Was Capable of Eating Dinosaurs


Heritage of the Founding Fathers
Heritage of the Founding Fathers

Ruling Actions
Josh Pittman

Those words ring true in America.  Today, the government institutes laws trying to control a person’s actions instead of changing the heart of a person.  When a person’s heart is changed, his/her actions will change as well.  Instituting laws will not change a person’s heart.

Take for instance the issue of gun control.  People think that if citizens were not allowed to own a gun, there would be less crime.  The problem is, if a bad guy wants to shoot someone but does not have a gun, he is going to obtain a gun someway.  This gun control law takes away a gun and a freedom from a good citizen, gives it to the government and bad people, and makes the good citizen defenseless.  This is one way rights are taken away.  This is not to say that anyone, anytime, anywhere, should own a gun but that the government should not take away the right for all citizens, regardless,
to own a gun.

Jesus worked from the heart-out instead of the outside-in.  He said if you hate someone, you have committed murder.  This stops a person from brooding and continually thinking about murder – it changes a person’s heart.  This does not mean the government should seek to control and rule the heart of someone; simply people should try to change the heart, the inside, of a person by showing them the love of God and pointing them to Jesus.

Instead of inventing laws aimed to controlling the actions of a person, all the while abridging the American people’s freedoms, let’s change the heart of a person.


Discussion Page

A piece of my heart goes to Greta Thunberg

If you haven’t seen or heard about Greta Thunberg, I ask that you start with her talk at TEDx and then watch her “scathing speech” at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. I have been much like her in that I couldn’t believe that there was a climate crisis because if it were true, then surely all of the really “good” and smart people in the world would make sure that we all knew about it and that we were all doing something significant about it, and not just giving it lip service.

Now I am an elder, so it is much easier for me to look calmly at it and to say with confidence that it is all part of the cycle of life, the holomorphic process, which absolutely hinges on crises like this in order to swing people into action. And that, I think is why most of the other elders don’t seem to be giving it the appropriate level of response. But she, and all of you young “wizards” out there (I explain “wizards” in my response below), are in the position to see the urgency to take action as “movers and shakers” (or “Beaters and Chasers”) because if you don’t, this crisis will hit you very hard in your lifetime. It is one that you can see coming and the last thing you want to do is to let it happen and then look back to realize that you, as a seemingly insignificant adolescent, could have done SOMETHING to help prevent it.

Holomorphosis: The Magic Word

I am an old wizard and my advice to you is to start by looking at yourself in the mirror and saying the word (and having an understanding of) holomorphosis. Consider it a magic word if you like, but understand that it is the miraculous process that we are all part of. The physical world as we see it with our physical eyes is only the holographic projection. When you look at yourself in the mind’s mirror with your mind’s eye, you either see the masks that you have created (like most adults do today) or you see your own Spirit of Truth, which you continuously create when you live in truth and allow it to transform itself into wisdom. That part of you is what communicates with Mother Earth when you are in harmony with the holomorphic process.

When you say “the magic words” (whatever it is that you say to make change in the world) with heart (sincerity), you transform dark energy into vibrations that manifest as quantum bits of energy that form physical reality and make things happen. Millions of us have been doing it (some call it prayer) but there is a competition going on. The tragic irony is that people with selfish agendas can also transform energy even though it is not in harmony with the life process. So we need more players, i.e. people who know how to “play the game” of life on the side of truth. You are at the “train platform” and once you pass through the gate and board the train to “Hogwarts”, you will learn what to do to discover your role .

The solution to the climate crisis is much simpler than you might think. Please read my post on Greta’s Facebook page below:

Thank you Greta. As I learn more about you, and about the physics of consciousness, I gain more insight into the concept of “old soul”. I realize that we who care about truth and accept the challenge – to take action so that we can “look ourselves in the mirror” as you said – are the ones who accept the “Spirit of Truth”, thereby gaining the $wisdom$ (the only thing of real value) and wake up in a new body. That is the underlying message of the Harry Potter myths; we eventually realize (sometimes through Asperger, meditation or “Hogwarts”) that we are wizards (wise-ards) – the embodiments of Truth. Too many people play the role of “Muggles” who accept the **crap** that they call “real life” and then try to give you **crap** about following your heart. Others play the role of “Voldemort” or “Quirrell”. They either fight against you or don’t even accept the challenge (metaphorically the game of “Quidditch” i.e. evolution of consciousness via physical journey in the womb of Mother Earth). We who acknowledge only truth realize that we have the power to,  and will, win the competition and thus save the world. As an elder physicist of Danish descent, I have been a “Seeker” going after the “Golden Snitch” for the last 30 years and I’m getting close to catching it (see my site at https://holomorphicprocess.com/). You seem to be either a “Chaser” or a “Beater” batting down the “Bludger”. And you probably know better than I (since I have been flying somewhat isolated in America) that there are a lot more wizards out there working with us. I know it can be exhausting, so I ask you to take a little piece of my heart. And I am asking everyone else to support us in this competition. To them I say, please realize that you too have the power to learn and face the truth in order to look yourself in the mirror. But as Professor Dumbledore warned, “The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.” If you choose to join us and find the “Sorcerer’s stone” you can only *find* it and never *use* it for your own agenda. The good news is, and here’s a secret… if you find it, you understand that there’s no need to use it as an “Elixir of Life” because you realize that life is already eternal. And that will bring you into the “Chamber of Secrets”. Make sure you are ready!

The real irony in life, the twist and the reason the hero always wins, is that the tragic irony I mentioned above (that people with selfish agendas can also transform energy, albeit out of harmony) produces physical structures that actually support the life process. So truth wins either way. It just takes a little longer, and requires more versions and sequels of the “Neverending Story” to reach the threshold, when the “upward” transformation process becomes “supercritical” (a nuclear power term that means exponentially increasing). Until then, we just have to stick with it and enjoy the game of life.

North Atlantic Books (2019). Kindle Edition. See https://skynelson.com/

Flow Remodeled

Information stored in DNA

How Much Information is Stored in the Human Genome?

A Global Collaboration

Originally posted August 31, 2018
Updated September 22, 2018

In the spirit of polymath projects, this project presents a problem: how to understand the holographic nature of reality, along with a proposed approach to solving the problem, which is explained in “The Holomorphic Process, Understanding the holographic nature of reality as a metamorphic process” (currently under review by a peer-reviewed physics research journal) to the online community in the hope that others, will read, think about it and offer feedback.  If the proposed model is correct, it greatly simplifies the math and provides a different perspective on the holographic principle.

The holographic approach (proposed by David Bohm) was applied to the thermodynamics of black holes by Leonard Suskind (see The World as a Hologram) and is a fairly new application to understanding quantum field theory (see Nassim Haramein’s “Quantum Gravity and the Holographic Mass” for example), but it is also applicable to many other branches of science, such as neuroscience (see Karl Pribram’s Holonomic Brain Theory), biology, information theory and the study of consciousness, as well as art and philosophy.  So it is well suited for interdisciplinary collaborative efforts.

My approach to understanding and proving the holographic nature of physical reality uses a simple geometric, relational model that I developed (and am still developing) by reverse-engineering the problem. By that I mean I started with the assumption that every quantum particle is a holographic projection, a “photon sphere” or “orb” of energy if you will, and graphically analyzed it by separating energy into two essentially equivalent yet perceptively different quantifiable components (space and time). The concept is simple. Motion is the common experience, the conserved quantity, and

the space-time-motion diagram models the difference in perspectives that everyone experiences when they realize that an object, perceived to be at rest, is also in motion relative to some other moving reference frame. Both perspectives exist simultaneously and the only difference is not in their essence, but in our perspective.

The model, I call it the space-time-motion (STM) model, only requires an understanding of undergraduate-level algebra, a little geometry, basic calculus, vectors and phasors, a little imagination and a willingness to work with natural units (as does QFT).  The key to the STM model is that it treats space and time as two different aspects of the same thing – motion. It illustrates that motion, a form of energy, presents in our perception as two equivalent yet different forms, as

1) a unit of energy referenced to its own rest frame, i.e. motion in space, that gives rise to angular momentum, and
2) as motion in time, i.e. a unit of energy referenced to some other motion – the standard unit of motion (the one used to define the standard clock).

Each of these forms is then separated into two perspectives:
1) from the inside looking out (mathematically represented as an expanding spherical wave) and
2) from the outside looking in (mathematically represented as an Euler exponential and thus a quantum wave function).

That’s four different perspectives that can all be represented in a single relational energy diagram (the representation of motion as the relationship between space and time). As a physical object, you can envision your body from all four perspectives. But you can only “see” three of them fully with your eyes. From the outside looking in, you can see the reflection of energy as your physical body. But you experience your “inner space”; you have “insight”.

The STM model treats one perspective, (from the inside-looking-out) as a vector in the linear (differentiated, relativistic) domain. It is a conformal projection – projected outward in space and time from its own center. The other perspective, (outside-looking-in) is treated as a phase vector (called a phasor, which is a simple spinor field) using a polar coordinate system in the frequency (integrated, quantum) domain. It is considered a reflection in the sense that it is the inverse of the projection and the zero-motion “event reference” point. The difference between the vector and the phasor is shown to be a magnification (characteristic of conformal projections) equal to the Lorentz factor. The reflection, represented by the circumference of a circle in the space-time plane, is the same energy as the projection and therefore a coherent wave, but scaled by a factor of 2pi (which is the linear measurement of a unit circle’s circumference, and Planck’s constant in natural units). So the functions that represent the two perspectives present as wave functions slightly shifted in phase. This is what creates the holographic effect; they appear to be different when in reality, they are the same.

To us, perception is reality, so when we perceive an object in motion relative to its background, we see it as a physical change in position and experience it as a metaphysical change in time. Without the background reference plane, we don’t see the physical change in position, yet we know that motion is ubiquitous so we believe that time is passing. In essence, we translate the concept of motion into a unit we call time. This is why many people say that time is an illusion. It’s not an illusion, it’s motion in disguise. (See The Nature of Time)

The STM model allows us to see this relationship from a “higher perspective.” By treating displacement in time exactly the same as displacement in space, it is clear that separation in perspectives creates the apparent rotation of the energy that we perceive as a particle (represented by a polar coordinate system). This rotation immediately changes the relationship between space and time (the ratio that is graphically shown as the slope of the phasor) until it is equal to the slope of the vector (which is what we measure as linear velocity, i.e. the ratio of displacement to time).  The point at which these two ratios are equal is shown to be equal to the golden ratio. The event is a reintegration of the projection with the phase-shifted reflection, very similar to the process of holographic imaging, and is shown to produce a physical energy fringe (related to the fine structure coupling constant) in space. Considering this fringe as a “germ” of energy that serves as both the holographic source and a single quantum grating of the holographic fringe, physical matter can be understood in terms of a transformational, metamorphic process that transforms formless energy (perhaps dark energy) into quantum particles with mass and angular momentum.

I begin with the same model as the Minkowski space-time diagram, which separates (mathematically differentiates) motion into orthogonal dimensions of space and time. By graphically superimposing a polar coordinate system (frequency domain) over the linear (relativistic) domain, the result is the STM energy diagram that models the linear domain as a vector projection in space and time (with magnitude equal to the total energy Hamiltonian including the Lorentz magnification) and the frequency domain as a phasor with magnitude equal to the energy, E=hf, of a quantum particle (since frequency, f, is the inverse of time).

Several relevant equations have been “derived” from or illustrated by the STM model, including the ones mentioned above as well as, De Broglie and Compton wavelengths, the Schrodinger equation and the Klein-Gordon equation. In order to advance this model, several experts will be needed, especially physicists, mathematicians and engineers who understand the physics of holography, relativity and quantum mechanics, Quantum Field Theory – the equations associated with the standard model of particle physics, and the current theory of gravity (including Einstein’s field equations).

Some computer programming will also be very helpful to produce graphical “windows” representation of the two domains and illustrate how focusing on the relativistic domain has the effect of collapsing the quantum domain. For future applications of the model, experts in biological processes and information theory will be needed because the process of DNA and cell reproduction appear to be amplifications of the process (differentiation, projection, reflection, reintegration), and DNA molecules contain information that may also be explained as information entropy stored by the holomorphic process. One of the long-term, practical engineering goals of this research is to understand radioactive isotopes as holographic units that can be “tuned” and thereby transformed to their stable state, with applications to radioactive waste processing. This will require experts in nuclear and radiological physics and engineering.

As a medical physicist I can see the value in the holographic approach to medical imaging. But a better understanding of the holographic nature of matter can also lead to improved treatment techniques. My doctorate thesis was on the development of a geometrically-based method of stereotactic radiosurgery to treat brain tumors, and I can envision the use of holographic tuning to modulate the radiation beams in a way that will deposit radiation dose to tumor tissue more selectively than the current procedure, which uses a single-frequency, collimated beam that is rotated about an isocenter to build up dose to the tumor while spreading it out in healthy tissue.


Docker Interview Questions

Docker is a form of virtualizing the operating system in form of computer code level. Docker was entirely written in the Go language and was licensed under Apache license 2.0 in the form of binary. The first version of Docker was released back in 2013. Docker was developed and it is maintained by Docker. Inc. It supports different operating systems like windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It also support different platforms like x86-64 windows and architecture. It was initially released as an open source and was initially developed for UNIX in order to isolate Linux kernel features. Well, if you have got your dream job that is related Docker and you are not so sure about the questions that can be asked during the interview as well as the answers you are expected to give, stick around because we have prepared you some of the most important questions about Docker that you are likely going to be asked during the interview.

1. What is a Docker?

Ans. A Docker is a platform containerizing applications to isolate them from each other so that it can ensure more efficiency as well as high availability regardless of the environments like the development, testing as well as the production. The applications that are related to dependencies like jar files and libraries will be packaged as well as formed as a container that is called containerized application which works independently and does not need any dependency. Docker usually ensure that the application can be run irrespective of the external factors. The container in Docker normally gets the support from host operating system as well as from the Docker engine which supports all the operational as well as infrastructural related dependencies.

2. List and explain the components of Docker architecture.

Ans. This is a normally asked question asked during the interviews and you should actually expect it to be asked during your interview so be well prepared for it.

  • Docker client. This component usually perform build pull as well as run operations in order to establish the communication with the Docker host. The Docker command normally makes the use of Docker API in order to call the questions to be run.
  • Docker host. This is the component that contain the Docker daemon, containers as well as the images. The images are normally the kind of metadata for the apps which are containerized in the containers. The Docker daemon on the other hand establishes the needed connection with registry.
  • Registry. The registry is the component that normally store the Docker images. The public registry are Docker cloud and Docker hub and they be s used by any person.

3. What is a Docker container?

Ans. A Docker container is a sort of an encapsulation to the app which normally hold dependencies and share the kernel with other containers in a duration when the isolated processes on the operating systems are being ran. You can create a Docker container by creating a Docker image. The Docker images can be simply run after they have been created using the Docker commands. The Docker containers are like instances of the Docker images at the run time. The images can be stored in private hosts or public hosts for example Docker hub. Docker image is a set of files that can be ran in isolated process.

4. What are the different applications and functionalities of using Docker?

Ans. There are various functionalities as well as applications of using as well as implementing Docker and they include the following.

  • Docker enables the isolation of the app.
  • Docker simplifies the configuration as well as provide an easy way at infrastructure level configuration.
  • Docker manages the code pipeline with ease which helps provide a consistent environment and stability in the app.
  • Docker enables lots of debugging capabilities that helps provide useful functionalities to implement.
  • Docker lowers the utilization of a lot of servers in the form containerization.
  • Docker improves the productivity of a developer to concentrate on the business logic solely.
  • Docker enables the fast deployment in a form of virtualization at the level of operating system.

5. What is Docker registry?

Ans. A Docker registry is a place where the Docker images are stored and Docker Hub and Docker Cloud are the public registries where the hosted images can be hosted upon. The Docker hub is a default storage for the images. It is possible to set an own registry as per the requirement. It is also possible to use Docker Data Center (DDC) and the DDC do include the Docker Trusted Registry (DTR). The store of Docker is going to provide you with an option of buying as well as selling the Docker images.

6. What is the lifecycle of Docker container?

Ans. You should also be very prepared for this question because it is very common. Anyway, the lifecycle of the Docker container is as highlighted below:

  • Create the container.
  • The next thing is to run the Docker container
  • Pausing the container is the next thing.
  • Unpause the container.
  • Start your container.
  • Stop the container.
  • Restart your container.
  • Kill the container and finally…
  • Destroy your container.

7. What are the vital Docker commands?

Ans. Below are some of the vital Docker commands.

  • Dockerd which is used to launch the Docker daemon.
  • Build command which is used to build an image file for the Docker.
  • Create command that has the function of creating a new container.
  • Kill command which has the function of killing the container.
  • Commit command that can be used to create a new image from changes in the containers.

8. What are Docker hub and Docker image?

Ans. To start with, a Docker image is set of files plus combination of parameters that can be used to create instances to run in different and separate containers as a process that is isolated. A Docker hub on the other hand is some kind of repository to the Docker images where the images are stored and can be accessed by the public.

READ  Top 12 GIT Interview Questions & Answers

Docker Interview Questions And Answers PDF

You can also download Docker interview questions and answers pdf from the link below :

Docker Interview Questions & Answers PDF

Hope the above will help you in preparing for Docker interviews.


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Color: Navy / White / Red
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"Our bags are carefully handcrafted by women cooperatives in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, using indigenous techniques that have been passed down through the generations. We help preserve and promote their unique cultural heritage as well as provide them with a living wage. We use locally-sourced and eco-friendly materials including natural straw, sustainably sourced shell and recycled wood. We are an all woman team which is why we are so passionate about ensuring that every woman has the right to develop to her fullest potential."

Made in USA & Philippines


Wrongful Death Cases

A wrongful death claim is a suit that arises from the death of an individual that was caused by the conduct of another. A wrongful death suit is different from other types of personal injury claims because the actual victim (the "decedent") is not bringing suit, rather it is the family members or the decedent's estate. As such, a wrongful death claim is brought to recover damages for the injuries that the surviving family and/or estate have suffered due to the death of the victim. The damages recovered do not include damages that are personal to the decedent, since the decedent is not allowed to recover for pain and suffering, mental distress, or any other form of compensatory damages unique to him or her. The purpose of a wrongful death suit is to provide relief to family members who have been injured emotionally and financially as a result of the family member's death. The plaintiff in a wrongful death action is the personal representative of the decedent. Fla. Stat. § 768.20. The personal representative does not need to have a connection with the events that caused the decedent's death. The decedent's negligence, however, will be imputed to the plaintiff, reducing or barring the plaintiff's recovery on behalf of the estate to the extent that the decedent's negligence was a proximate cause of his or her own death. Perdue v. Copeland, 220 So. 2d 617 (Fla. 1969). If a suvivor is found to be negligent, the non-negligent survivor's recovery cannot be reduced due to another survivor's negligence. Frazier v. Metropolitan Dade County, 701 So. 2d 418, 420 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997)

In Florida wrongful death cases, special consideration is given to the statute of limiations. Generally, you have two years from the time of the decedent's death to file a law suit. Fla. Stat. § 95.11. Wrongful death actions based on medical malpractice, however, are governed by the medical malpractice statute of limitations which may extend your right to sue to four years. Fla. Stat. § 95.11

In all matters involving wrongful death it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to file a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the statute of limitations. If a loved one has been a victim of wrongful death, call us now at (305) 371-7111. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.


Return to ChexSystems

Who is ChexSystems, Inc.?

ChexSystems, Inc. is a deposit account verification service used by financial institutions such as banks and credit unions. Deposit account verification is simply a tool, used within the banking industry, to aid in the application process of new accounts. The purpose of using ChexSystems is to identify any account mishandlings by potential applicants.

What is account mishandling?

Account mishandlings are causes for your bank to close your deposit account. This may include: excessive overdrafts over a short period, fraud, debts owed to a financial institution, or false information given on an application. Each bank has its own policies defining account mishandling and causes justifying closure of an account.

What is on a ChexSystems report?

ChexSystems reports contain a variety of information used for determining qualification of a deposit account. This includes:

  • If the applicant has an account closure on file
  • Whether outstanding debts have been paid
  • Validation of applicant’s social security information
  • Validation and verification of applicant’s drivers license information
  • Multiple overdrafts within a short period of time
  • Savings account, debit card or ATM abuse
  • History of checks ordered in the past 3 years

Do ChexSystems reports contain any positive information?

No. ChexSystems reports only contain negative information unlike other Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA) who often report positive and negative activity in a consumer’s history.

What if ChexSystems does not have a report on me?

How do I get a copy of my ChexSystems report?

ChexSystems reports can be ordered by mail, phone or fax. If you have been denied an account in the last 60 days, it is possible to obtain a report online.

How much does a copy of my ChexSystems report cost?

Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) amendments added to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you are entitled to a free copy of your report once every 12 months.

How fast are ChexSystems reports delivered?

Banks can access ChexSystems reports instantaneously by internet or phone. Consumer initiated reports are mailed within 5 business days.

Do reports stay on ChexSystems forever?

No. Each report submitted to ChexSystems is kept on file for 5 years.

How do I get a report removed from ChexSystems?

Reports can be removed by the bank or credit union who submitted it to ChexSystems.If there was an error by the bank, which led to a report being submitted, you can have the report removed if the error is proven to the bank. Banks can also remove a report if an outstanding debt is paid; however, banks are not obligated to remove accurate reports of account mishandling due to debts owed to the institution. Banks are required to mark the account as paid, if a collection amount is paid back.

Can I dispute a report with ChexSystems?

Yes. Disputes regarding a report can also be filed with ChexSystems. When a dispute is received by ChexSystems, they must respond back to you within 30-45 days, depending on how you obtained the report.After receiving your dispute, ChexSystems must verify your claim with the financial institution that submitted the report. If the disputed information can not be verified by ChexSystems, the information must be deleted from your report.

Can I add information to my ChexSystems file?

Yes. You may add a brief statement to your ChexSystems file. To add a statement to your file, the statement must be written and signed with a clear indication that you would like it added to your ChexSystems file.

How do I get in contact with ChexSystems?

ChexSystems, Inc.
7805 Hudson Road, Suite 100
Woodbury, MN 55125
Phone: 800-428-9623
Fax: 602-659-2197


News & Blog

December 5: The 80th anniversary of the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Today marks the 80th anniversary of a hard-fought and significant victory for separation of religious “morality” from government enforcement.

On December 5th, 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States passed, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment and ending national prohibition of the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. The exceptions were alcohol for chemical and industrial uses and communion wine. The Volstead Act, as it came to be called, passed despite President Wilson’s veto. The federal government enforced the act through the Department of the Treasury, which lacked the resources to enforce it—only 1,520 officers were assigned to the task. It’s estimated that in 1925 there were as many as 100,000 “speakeasies” (underground bars) in New York City alone. This greatly expanded the influence and wealth of the American Mafia and organized crime in general as they moved into the roles of producing and distributing alcohol in addition to providing “protection” from law enforcement.

The prohibition movement was led by Protestants and grew out of the temperance movement of the 19th century. The New Testament has stern things to say about drunkenness and saloons were thought to be destroying American families, not just because of alcohol but because of things like dancing, music, and sex workers, as well. While alcohol addiction continues to be a serious health problem in the United States and around the world today, religious morality as a basis for secular law is unconstitutional and always has been.

Although the Twenty-First Amendment has been in effect for, as I said, 80 years now, the idea that biblical moral values should influence the rest of us still holds fast in many parts of the country. Alcohol sales are prohibited in many areas on Sundays or after certain hours, a prohibition with no secular backing whatsoever. There are so-called “dry” areas in this country where the production, transportation, sale, or consumption of alcohol is prohibited or very tightly restricted.

I am of the opinion that adults should be able to make up their own minds. If, for religious reasons, someone chooses to abstain from alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, or anything else, that is her right. But passing a law that affects others in this way is against the letter and spirit of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Below, you’ll find a map of the United States showing  dry (red), wet (blue), and mixed (yellow) counties.

In October of last year, I visited Napa Valley on a road trip with a friend. I’m not much of a drinker, but I specifically wanted to go to Beaulieu Vineyards, one of the most-respected and oldest producers in the region. BV is historically important because it was the only Napa producer that did not shut down during Prohibition. The reason for this is that unlike other producers, there were able to strike a deal with the Catholic Church to produce sacramental wine for communion at masses all across the nation. They were able to buy up surrounding estates at a significant discount, and today are one of the largest producers in the United States. By the 1940s, following the repeal of prohibition, BV—as one of the only remaining commercial wineries in operation in the country—came to be the wine served at all White House functions.

Below is a picture of me with a row of wine barrels at the BV vineyard where the wine is fermenting before being bottled, and a picture of my road-trip friend “praying” to a HUGE vat of grape juice.

If you ever have a chance to visit, it’s worth an hour of your time: They do a wonderful tour and it’s an amazing history lesson surprisingly entangled with 19th and 20th-century United States religious history.

Have a great evening!
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Last week, Forbes’ Andy Greenberg investigated a dangerous but largely underreported problem in Internet security: the sale of zero-day exploits to customers not intending to fix the flaws. Zero-day exploits are hacking techniques that take advantage of software vulnerabilities that haven’t been disclosed to the developer or the public. Some companies have built successful businesses by discovering security flaws in software such as operating systems and popular browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer, and then selling zero-day exploits to high-paying customers—which are often governments.

France-based VUPEN is one of the highest-profile firms trafficking in zero-day exploits. Earlier this month at the CanSecWest information security conference, VUPEN declined to participate in the Google-sponsored Pwnium hacking competition, where security researchers were awarded up to $60,000 if they could defeat the Chrome browser’s security and then explain to Google how they did it. Instead, VUPEN—sitting feet away from Google engineers running the competition—successfully compromised Chrome, but then refused to disclose their method to Google to help fix the flaw and make the browser safer for users.

While VUPEN might be the most vocal, it is certainly not the only company selling high-tech weaponry on the zero-day exploit market. Established U.S. companies Netragard, Endgame, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are also in the business, according to Greenberg. He has also detailed a price list for various zero-day exploits, with attacks for popular browsers selling for well over $100,000 each and an exploit for Apple’s iOS going for a quarter million.

But who exactly are these companies selling to? No one seems to really know, at least among people not directly involved in these clandestine exploit dealings. VUPEN claims it only sells to NATO governments and “NATO partners.” The NATO partners list includes such Internet Freedom-loving countries as Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Russia. But it’s a safe bet, as even VUPEN’s founder noted, that the firm’s exploits “could still fall into the wrong hands” of any regime through re-selling or slip-ups, even if VUPEN is careful.

Regardless of who the buyers are, any security researcher selling zero-day exploits to those who take advantage of vulnerabilities rather than fixing the software is responsible for making the Internet less secure for users. The existence of a marketplace for such transactions does not legitimize the practice, and security researchers should never turn a blind eye to their ethical responsibility to help improve technology. We should help ensure the Internet promotes freedom and safety, and is not a system to control and oppress.

The governments who buy zero-day exploits also bear responsibility here. The administration has repeatedly warned of a crippling cyber-attack to our infrastructure and Congress is in the midst of debating an expansive new "cybersecurity" bill that, as EFF previously explained, will likely invade users’ privacy in the name of promoting Internet security. Yet the sale and use of exploits that leave ordinary users of popular software vulnerable—a real cybersecurity threat—remains unmentioned in this cybersecurity debate.

The U.S. government has the ability to make us more secure right now with no new legislation. Anyone—including the U.S. government—who has knowledge of security vulnerabilities should notify the affected companies and help fix the problems. Keeping flaws under wraps makes millions of Internet users less safe. If exploits are used to conduct attacks on network infrastructure, either in other countries or the U.S., those who sell exploits could be complicit in such acts.

A good cybersecurity discussion would address this issue head-on. If the U.S. government is serious about securing the Internet, any bill, directive, or policy related to cybersecurity should work toward ensuring that vulnerabilities are fixed, and explicitly disallow any clandestine operations within the government that do not further this goal. Unfortunately, if these exploits are being bought by governments for offensive purposes, then there is pressure to selectively harden sensitive targets while keeping the attack secret from everyone else, leaving technology—and its users—vulnerable to attack.

As EFF has stated previously, this is "security for the 1%," and it makes the rest of us less safe.

UPDATE: A prior version of this post stated that in Andy Greenberg's story, a hacker named the Grugq "implies the only reason he doesn't sell to Middle Eastern countries is they don’t pay enough." In fact, the article said the Grugq "limits his sales to the American and European agencies and contractors not merely out of ethical concerns, but also because they pay more." We regret the error.


Multichannel Vs. Omni-channel Marketing: What’s The Difference?

March 2, 2015 - Newsroom

Updated: 18th November 2018

The crucial difference between multichannel and omni-channel is how well the customer experience is joined together across each of the touch points. While both approaches involve selling in both an online and face-to-face environment. It is only an omni-channel approach that combines these interactions.

Perhaps the only thing that changes more rapidly than technology in today’s amped-up digital environment is the terminology used to describe that technology and its impact on consumers–and marketers. One recent example is the advent of the term “omni-channel” marketing. Many struggle to differentiate from another relatively recent term–“multichannel” marketing.

Still, those who are most enmeshed in the field say there is a key distinction between the two. It’s one that will have an impact on marketers as they continue to seek ways of having a meaningful impact on the consumers they hope to engage. And, importantly, it’s less about technology than it may seem.

What's the difference between multichannel and omni-channel?

There are keys differences between multichannel and being truly omni-channel. Years ago, if a consumer wished to purchase a television, he would go to a local department store. He would view the various options, and buy a television. As the world evolved, that same person’s purchase decision became informed not just by others (word-of-mouth), but through channels such as Consumer Reports, a print publication that offers reviews of various products. Then came the internet, and suddenly, a whole new world of possibilities emerged. Consumers were no longer reliant on local businesses to meet their needs. The internet allowed them to browse, research, and purchase online.

But the evolution didn’t end there. Enter laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Consumers had multiple options to satisfy their shopping needs. They might choose to shop in-store, or they might shop via a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or smart TV. The potential customer might learn of a new product in an email or through a social media post. They might visit the website on their laptop to learn more. The customer could talk with some friends about their experiences with that product, and ultimately use their smartphone to make the purchase. There are any number of possible combinations of these.

Omni-channel and multichannel challenges

That’s where an omni-channel approach comes in. “An omni-channel approach puts the customer, not corporate silos, at the center of its strategy,” Schwartz says. “It acknowledges that mobile and social have enabled customers to not only quickly switch between channels, but actually use channels simultaneously. For example, checking out product reviews on their mobile phone while evaluating a product on a physical retail store shelf.”

In essence, omni-channel marketing recognizes that customers engage with companies or brands in many different ways. They engage across multiple platforms-and grasps the inherent challenge this creates in terms of ensuring consistent experiences. Darr Gerscovich is VP of marketing at Ensighten, a digital marketing agency headquartered in San Jose, Calif. He was recently named a winner of Direct Marketing News 2014 40 Under 40 Awards. “Interpersonal relationships are ingrained so deeply into our social fabric that a customer will view your entire brand as a singular relationship,” says Gerscovich. Omni-channel marketing, he says, “ensures that customers receive a personalized conversation with your brand.”

New twist on an old standard

Brenna Holmes believes that the distinction between multichannel and omni-channel marketing is based on a tactical versus a strategic approach. With multichannel reflecting a more tactical effort. Holmes is VP of digital at Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey (CCAH), a direct marketing agency with offices in Arlington (Va.) and San Francisco. Most marketers-particularly those CCAH serves in the nonprofit world-tend to still be primarily focused on tactical, multichannel initiatives, she says.

Many of her clients, says Holmes, “have a legacy direct mail program that’s integrating marketing communication elements, but they’re not quite at omni-channel yet. They’re just kind of baby stepping toward it.” The concept, she notes, is really not that far afield from the now common focus on “integrated marketing communications”. There is an attempt to ensure the messages that consumers receive are consistent across all channels. “It’s just another way to get at the same core idea,” she says. Noting that “integration is essential for effective, results-based marketing no matter what it is and so some phrases just become more ‘hip’ than others.”

Gerscovich notes that most marketers currently tend to use “multichannel” and “omni-channel” interchangeably. But, he says, “I suspect that, in the coming year, people will be more deliberate” in their use of the terms. In his opinion, the distinctions between the two are significant.

Channels & touchpoints

An "outside-in" approach

That outside-in approach is how Tahzoo views omni-channel marketing, says Misia Tramp, EVP of insights and innovations for Tahzoo, a digital customer experience firm. The concept, she says, is really about “understanding how to eliminate effort from the customer experience.”

“That may sound very obvious, but I think it often gets missed,” Tramp says. There is a tendency to consider the many channels available today to connect with consumers as simply more options to be used. That’s more of a multichannel approach. Omni-channel, she says, involves “using data to understand where effort exists in the customer experience and how to remove-rather than add-effort.”

Omni-channel and your marketing strategy

Importantly, effective omni-channel marketing requires not just the efforts of those in the traditional marketing silo within an organization. In fact, because of the scope of what true omni-channel marketing can deliver, it requires a concerted and coordinated effort across multiple functions. Because coordinating multiple communication tactics and messages can be complex, this is where the real difficulty arises for those truly committed to delivering an omni-channel experience.

Omni-channel opportunity

All organizations have an opportunity to consider an omni-channel approach to their marketing efforts. From a nonprofit, fundraising point of view, Holmes says, “It’s going to take a lot of bridging of silos internally within organizations to ensure that communications are consistent from social media, to PR, to your policy team, to your fundraising teams.”

Gerscovich agrees that companies will need to break down silos to compete effectively in an omni-channel environment. The steps in the process, he says, are as follows:

Ultimately, people may represent the greatest opportunities-and greatest barriers-to creating a true omni-channel experience, notes Houchin. “I don’t think you can over-invest on the people front,” he says. The many points of customer interaction are where failure points most often exist. Addressing these issues is, he notes, more low-tech than technical-something that companies often don’t think about enough.

What lies ahead

Not one-size-fits-all

Whether it’s called “multichannel,” “omni-channel,” or some other form of “channel,” as with any other form of marketing, it’s really all about understanding and meeting consumer needs.


How to Boost a WiFi Signal

Is a weak Wi-Fi signal bothering you? Refer to the following article and find some easy ways that will help explain how to boost a Wi-Fi signal that you receive from a router.
Some years ago, we came face to face with a world-changing technology called the Internet. In order to be able to use the Internet, we had to connect our PC's with long messy wires. Over the years, technology kept advancing and today, we use wireless networking systems. These wireless networking systems have given us the much-needed freedom from wires that held us down to a particular desk. Today, we can move about freely using laptops. Not just laptops, but also tablet PC's and our old faithful desktop computers too, can be connected to the Internet with wireless networks. However, a common complaint, faced by users, is a weak Wi-Fi signal while using wireless technologically. We shall take a look at a few tips that will help us learn how to boost a Wi-Fi signal on laptops, as well as computers.

Ways to Boost a Weak Wi-Fi Signal

Wi-Fi signal is a type of radio wave. As the distance of the router from the laptop or computer increases, the signal becomes weaker. The wireless router acts as a transmitter, which is a source of Wi-Fi signal for the wireless adapter of the laptop that receives the signal. So, the output of the router and the distance between the router and adapter are dependent on each other for the Wi-Fi signal strength. Some simple modifications to your state-of-the-art routers will help in boosting the Wi-Fi signal received. If you are suffering from weak signals received on your laptops or computers, then the ways to boost a Wi-Fi signal may prove to be helpful.

Firmware Upgrade
The first thing to check is the router firmware. Most of the time, outdated versions of the router firmware tend to cause weak Wi-Fi signals. You should upgrade your wireless router's firmware to the latest version available. Also, installing the latest driver to the wireless adapter will also help in boosting a weak Wi-Fi signal.

Booster Antenna
Installing a Wi-Fi signal receiver booster antenna to the laptop will help in making the signal stronger. The Wi-Fi antenna booster will help to boost Wi-Fi reception and increase the speed of download considerably.

Signal Repeater
If you are using a Wi-Fi system in your office, or a large apartment, then you need to make sure the signal is received over large distances. For this, you need to install a Wi-Fi signal repeater. This device is very useful in catching the original signal and then amplifying the strength of the signal. This amplified signal is then transmitted over long distances. You should go in for long-range Wi-Fi repeaters that will help enhance Wi-Fi signal reception over distant places.

Output Power

Extender Antenna

Router Position

New Router
The last option to boost a Wi-Fi signal is buying the latest router that provides high-speed of transmission as well as better signal strength. You can upgrade to wireless-N (802.11n). It is found to be faster and has better range along with stability.

This is all about how to boost a Wi-Fi signal. In case of home computing systems, the wireless-N (802.11n) is found to be the best router for long-range signal transmission. Try these simple ways to boost a Wi-Fi signal and see an improvement in your Internet connectivity.
By Batul Nafisa Baxamusa
Last Updated: 10/6/2011
Bouquets and Brickbats


What is the recovery time after LASIK?

Immediately upon sitting up from your procedure you will notice improvements in your vision. These improvements will only continue to improve over the days following the procedure. You will be asked to take a nap once you get home after your procedure. While the eye will start to heal right away, taking a nap will help facilitate the initial healing. You will be able to see better when you wake from your nap, but we do recommend relaxing for the remainder of the day. A majority of patients are seeing 20/20 the morning after your procedure and most patients return to work and most of their daily activities, including driving. Over the course of the following few weeks, you may notice slight fluctuations in your vision, which are a normal part of the healing process.

Prescribed anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drops, as well as lubricating drops used following the procedure, will facilitate a faster recovery with minimal discomfort.


Latest uploads:

2020-01-20: Dahms: SQ

2020-01-16: Wimmer: StrO

2019-12-26: Scherpf: operetta

2019-12-20: Zilcher: No.59

2019-12-14: Schultze: song

2019-11-12: Tiessen: piano

2019-11-09: Farner: works

2019-10-26: Daase: Romance

2019-10-24: Mirsch-Riccius

2019-10-19: Haentjes: ClQuin

2019-10-05: Babin: Etoiles

2019-10-05: Veerhoff: VC1

Hermann Zilcher

Hermann Zilcher was born on 18 August 1881 in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). His father was the composer and pianist Paul Zilcher and so Hermann Zilcher received a musical education from an early age. In 1897 Hermann Zilcher began to study music at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main under James Kwast (piano), Iwan Knorr (counterpoint) and Bernhard Scholz (composition).

After his studies he moved to Berlin and became a favourable piano accompanist for singers and instrumentalists. As a pianist he also toured successfully through Europe and the US which led to an appointment as piano lecturer at the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich already in 1908 and professor in 1916. In 1920 Hermann Zilcher became director of the conservatory in Würzburg and two years later he founded the annual Mozart Festival in the same city. The festival evolved into an internationally acclaimed event and is still held nowadays. In the late 1920s Hermann Zilcher also founded the Würzburg Chamber Orchestra which he directed himself and brought to national renown. This activity established his conducting career and for example he was invited several times by Wilhelm Furtwängler to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1930s.

During the time of the Nazi regime Hermann Zilcher was a "fellow traveller" - according to the decision of the denazification hearings after World War II in 1945. He composed glorifying music for the Nazi regime and in the last days of the war was on the Gottbegnadeten list, which spared him from military service.

Hermann Zilcher suffered a weak heart for several years and died suddenly on 1 January 1948 in Würzburg (Germany).

The work catalogue of Hermann Zilcher contains - among others - 5 symphonies, concertos for violin, piano and cello, 2 operas, the oratorio "Die Liebesmesse", chamber music, songs and vocal music.

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of a juvenile composition by Hermann Zilcher. The work is called "Albumblättchen", scored for piano and was composed in February 1891, when Hermann Zilcher was 9 years old. The composition is counted as "No.59" and dedicated to his teacher "Herrn Jasper".

The photo on the right side shows the young Hermann Zilcher. The photo was taken by the photographer Arthur Marx in Frankfurt am Main around 1890, so at the same time when the mentioned composition "Albumblättchen" was created.

Due to the fact that this composition is unpublished so far, I present the score here for information purposes.

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© Tobias Broeker


Everything About Yerba Mate Production

From Seed to Drink: Everything About Yerba Mate Production

In previous articles, we talked about who drinks mate where we briefly mentioned how yerba mate came to be so popular and how it has influenced present-day life.

As we mentioned in the article on the history of yerba mate, the drink has been part of South Americans for hundreds – if not thousands – of years. Along the way, the different communities developed different techniques to grow, harvest and process yerba mate.

While technology has contributed to the efficiency of the whole production process, historian Javier Ricca has stated that mate’s taste, aroma, and quality has not necessarily improved. According to him, we’re probably drinking a mate that is as tasteful as the indigenous communities in the 16th century and earlier.

In this article we’ll be covering:

  • How long does it take to produce yerba mate?
  • Where does yerba mate grow?
  • When is it harvested?
  • How is it dried?

Yerba Mate Planting

In Spanish, ‘yerba’ sounds very similar to ‘hierba’, which means ‘herba’. However, yerba is actually the dry, toasted and shredded leaf of a tree that reaches 10 m high.

Ilex paraguariensis naturally grows in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay at the latitudes 10°-30° in an area of approximately 540.000 km² (247 acres). Regular high humidity, warm and constant temperature, as well as rich, well-drained soil, are some of the requirements for its growth.

The Spanish noticed that the seeds would not germinate just by planting them. The observed that when birds ate the seeds and digested them, Ilex paraguariensis would easily grow. To create an extensive and more effective cultivated field, these conditions were first encouraged by the taming of different types of birds. Over time, they managed to create a similar effect by washing the seeds repeatedly and let them in warm water before planting them infertile and very humid soil.

Nowadays, small Illex paraguariensis are kept in nursery gardens for their first 9 to 12 month. Then, they are transferred directly to the soil. The plants cannot be harvest until their 4th year, and it is not until the 7th or 8th year that they produce enough leaves to have a satisfactory performance from a commercial point of view.

Man checking Ilex paraguariensis plant to make yerba mate

Different conditions of humidity, altitude, temperature, etc., influence directly on the best time to harvest. According to Gustavo Peckolz, that time is from March to September in Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso; from January to September in the states of Paraná y Santa Catharina; from April to June in the Argentinian region of Misiones; and from March to July in the rest of Argentina and the Rio Grande do Sul.

The harvest is usually done manually by hand, with handsaws, machetes, scissors or electric scissors, which make the process less tiring and faster.

The leaves are collected into nylon tarps and then selected for its size and quality. The bigger ones are discarded, and then the smaller ones are quickly sent to the next stage.

Sapecado and Fogueado: Drying of Yerba Mate

Sapecado and fogueado are the two stages of drying and toasting yerba mate leaves.

The first one, sapecado, is a crucial step that needs to be done within the 24h of the harvest to avoid biological degradation. Right after the harvest, the leaves start to oxidize, losing their color, aroma, and taste.

To avoid that, the leaves quickly dried by exposing them to a very high temperature for a short time. The direct fire is controlled as direct fire or too much heat can burn the leaves, and smoke can affect the taste and smell of the leaves.

The product of a faulty sapecado is a brown and yellow yerba, that was marketed as a lower quality, cheaper alternative, and used for mate cocido. In contrast, the best quality – and strongest – yerba is that with a deep, uniform green color and characteristic aroma.

After the sapecado, the leaves go through another drying stage, called fogueado. At this point, the leaves are either put onto conveyor belts or spread on stationary racks and exposed to the hot air of between 80°C-100°C (176°F-212°F) for a period of 2 to 12 hours.

After the double drying process, which is nowadays done with gas or electricity – the yerba mate has lost 80% of moisture.

Canchado refers to both the process and the product of grinding the dried leaves. In this first stage of milling, the leaves are coarsely cut into squares of 1 cm² to bag and transport them more efficiently.

Yerba Mate Aging or Maturation

The bags of yerba mate are then stored in chambers where temperature, humidity, and light can be regulated. As it happens with wine and other products, yerba mate needs a controlled environment to be properly age and develop a richer blend. This maturation also helps ensure the characteristics and properties of yerba will be kept until it is bought and consumed.

Sources differ on the minimum time necessary for this process. From 9 months to 2 years, they all agree that the longer, the better.

Second Grinding and Design The Blend

In the final stage, the yerba mate is ground again, but this time to considerably smaller pieces that range from dust to a couple of millimeters.

The leaves are classified by type, age, size, etc. and mixed with dried stems and sometimes with dried herbs, to create different blends. At the beginning of the 20th Century, shop keepers had up to 18 different categories for yerba mate, based on how dry they were and the size of the leaves. Today, every brand mix and labels different blends, according to the proportion of stems, yerba dust, leaves and additives (such as herbs, citrus peel, spices, etc), which will define the taste, aroma, and color of the mate.

Yerba mate can be classified following different criteria, but the most basic one is the presence or absence of stems. With stems, it contains at least 65% of dry, toasted and shredded leaves and no more than 35% of stems. Without stems (called in Spanish ‘despalillada’ or ‘despalada’) contains at least 90% of dry, toasted and shredded leaves and no more than 10% of stems.

The yerba mate is regularly checked at the lab throughout the process. Each country has its own policies to control the production and export of yerba mate.

As part of the internal testing, all companies have tasters. A tasters job is to make sure the blends have a well-balanced flavor and that the yerba mate has aged enough to maintain their quality over time.

Yerba mate production is a process that may take at least 5 years from seed to drink. It’s tested, controlled, and requires great skill and precision. If you want to see it in action, we encourage you to watch the following video (in Spanish).

You can also visit our store and see the variety of yerba mate that we offer. Next time you are drinking mate, think about how it got to your hands, and enjoy!

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Five Functions of Astragalus Extract Powder

Astragalus extract is derived from the root of Astragalus Membranaceus in the pea family. Astragalus extract is also known as milk vetch root (referring to astragalus species that grow in the United States) and huangqi. The portion of the plant used medicinally is the fourth seven year old dried root collected in the spring and autumn.Astragalus extract is an adaptogen, that is, it has a balancing effect on bodily functions. Astragalus extract is used by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine to strengthen or tone the body's overall vitality, improve digestion, and support the spleen. Studies confirm astragalus extract contains medicinally active compounds, including a polysaccharide that stimulates the immune system.

Main Functions

2. Astragalus extract has the function of enhancing immunity, protecting the body from diseases such as can   cer and diabetes;
3. Astragalus extract contains antioxidants, which protect cells against damage caused by free radicals;
4. Astragalus extract is used to protect and support the immune system, antibacterial, and antiinflammatory, for preventing colds and upper respiratory infections;
5.Astragalus extract has the effect on lowering blood pressure, treating diabetes and protecting the liver.


Common Examples of Premise Liability

Premise liability refers to the responsibility of business owners to maintain the safety of their guests or customers. Any location that invites customers into their business is accepting the liability for injuries they may incur while on their property. All types of businesses, including restaurants, retail stores, hotels, and service businesses have the same responsibility to keep their facility maintained. According to Kevin Attkisson of The Attkisson Law Firm, “The area of the law related to premise liability is fairly broad and can include a large variety of situations.” Following are some examples of the most common types.

Slip-and-Fall Accidents

A number of things can cause people to fall including wet or uneven surfaces, loose floorboards, items in the walkway, torn carpeting, or the application of water, cleaners, or wax which make the floor slippery. Damage outdoors can include cracked concrete, potholes, or steps in poor condition.

Staircase Accidents

 Improperly constructed stairs, loose carpeting, rotting wood, flimsy hand railings, slippery stairs, uneven steps, poor lighting, broken steps, and objects placed on stairs are some of the reasons that they can be a danger. Business owners are required to have indoor and outdoor steps and staircases built up to code and maintained to keep them in good shape and protect them from premise liability.

Accidents Arising from Improper Maintenance

Nearly every type of material used will break down over time and become less reliable. Wood rots, concrete cracks and breaks, and even dirt surfaces erode away and become uneven. This area of premise liability can occur in the parking lot, on the sidewalk or walkway leading to the business, or inside the building. Any failure to maintain a commercial property that results in unsteady or uneven walking space will put the business owner at risk of being sued.

Failure to Hire Sufficient Security

All types of business owners are also liable for hiring adequate security according to the laws of their state. In cases where the business owner hires poorly trained security personnel, they are deemed negligent when an accident occurs. If the victim of the accident believes a lack of security is the cause of the crime that resulted in their injury, they may have a case for premise liability.

Due to its complex nature, any person who encounters any type of accident in a business or on their property should consider the possibility that theirs is a case of premise liability. To have the specific conditions surrounding the accident and their injury analyzed, they should see a personal injury lawyer who has experience and knowledge in this area of the law.

There are some distinct differences in premise liability according to the state where the accident occurs. For example, in Ohio, there is a law called “The Open and Obvious Doctrine” which makes proving that the accident resulted from the negligence of the business and that the condition that caused the accident was not an obvious hazard. Only an experienced lawyer with the knowledge of state and federal laws which pertain to personal injury can accurately determine if the accident victim has a legitimate claim.