Fatigue of metal aircraft

I better state here and now that I’m not an expert on metal fatigue, but in the course of my work a bit of knowledge rubbed off and I got pretty good at finding fatigue cracks, partly through perseverance and partly through knowing likely places to look.

You probably know that “metal fatigue” refers to the failure of a metal component or structure due to repeated loadings when the individual loads are somewhat less than a single load which would be required to break the part.  A simple example is breaking a piece of wire by repeatedly bending it back and forth until it eventually breaks.  One of the things you will have been aware of as you bend that bit of wire back and forth is that you are deforming the metal plastically, that is the metal is being permanently deformed or “strained”.  Repeated plastic strain, usually in microscopically small regions, is what initiates and drives fatigue cracks.  The repeated loads cause the crack to grow until there is not enough material left to support the load and the part breaks, apparently without warning.

First, a couple of definitions:

Stress:  Stress is defined as force per unit area.  Mathematically, that’s:

σ = F/A                 hence pounds per square inch or PSI

Engineers often use thousands of pounds per square inch or KSI.  The metric equivalent is Newtons per square meter or Pascals.  The Pascal is such a tiny unit that in structural engineering it is more usual to use Megapascals, which happen to be the same as Newtons per square millimeter.

Strain:  strain is defined as the change in length per unit of length,  Mathematically that’s:

Ɛ = Δ length/length     Since strain is just a ratio, there is no unit name

Elastic strain:  Metals are crystalline solids.  Think of them as grids of molecules connected by springy molecular bonds.  If a load is applied to a metal part, the amount that it deforms is dependent on the strength and arrangement of those molecular bonds.  When the load is removed the bonds snap back and the part goes back to its original shape.

Plastic strain:  Those molecular bonds are very strong and if metals were perfect crystalline solids they would be much stronger than they are, but all metals have flaws called dislocations which are in effect partially missing layers of molecules.  At the edge of the missing layer is a row of molecules that are not completely bonded.  If the force on metal is high enough the dislocation can move from layer to layer causing permanent or “plastic” deformation.  See dislocation movement for a demonstration of how the dislocations move.  While plastic deformation makes metals much weaker than they should be in theory, it’s not all bad news.  Much of our ability to form things in metal relies on our ability to bend, roll and stretch metal into different shapes

Plastic strain and initiation of fatigue cracks

Plastic strain is important because under repeated plastic strain those dislocations form microscopic extrusions and intrusions at grain boundaries.  The intrusions are effectively very sharp surface defects which initiate fatigue cracks.  The obvious solution is to design parts so that they are not plastically strained, but in a practical light-weight structure that is difficult to do.  Any discontinuity in a part acts as a local stress raiser.  For example, the stress immediately adjacent to a hole is at least 3 times higher than the stress in the surrounding material.  At sharp corners it is common for the local stress to be 5 times higher than the surrounding material.  Sonex and other kit suppliers instruct builders to avoid making any sharp notches and corners, but it’s pretty hard to avoid holes.  There are probably about 15 to 20,000 of them in a small metal aircraft.

Here’s a way to visualize the stress around a hole.  Imagine the lines are lines of force through the material.  The closer the lines, the higher the stress.

courtesy of www.fracturemechanics.org

If we draw a little graph of the stress on the surface of the material, here’s what it would look like.

courtesy of www.fractremechanics.org

You’ll notice that the stress adjacent to the hole is 3 times the stress away from the hole.  This can be shown by careful finite element analysis (FEA) but it has also been proven by extensive testing.  Test specimens with a drilled hole have a similar fatigue life to an undrilled part carrying 3 times the stress.

Tension and Compression Stresses

Repeated tension stress is what drives fatigue cracks, you are trying to pull the material apart after all, but compression stress can be important too.  While repeated compression stress is not going to cause a fatigue crack to grow, the occasional compression stress can have the effect of sharpening a crack, thus speeding up crack growth.  By contrast, the occasional large tension stress in a sequence of much smaller tension stresses can temporarily slow down crack growth by “blunting” the fatigue crack.

Likely locations of fatigue cracks

Fatigue is not generally a problem in home-built aircraft, largely because most of us don’t do many flying hours and also because most of us don’t do many high-load maneuvers.  Never-the-less I have seen several instances of fatigue failures in Sonex aircraft, mostly in welded steel parts including tail-wheel castors, tail-spring brackets and engine mounts.  Sonex alterations to the design of the rudder pedals hint that there were failures in the earlier design.

In general, fatigue cracks are most likely to occur in parts of a structure that are predominantly loaded in tension: the lower surface of the wing, the upper surface of the tailplane and the upper longerons, but most cracks will start at a stress raiser, a hole or discontinuity of some sort.  Cracks will grow at right angles to the direction of stress, for example, a crack in a wing skin will generally grow forward or back.  A crack in a longeron will grow across the longeron.

Wing main spar

The diagram below represents the main spar of one wing showing the forces acting on it.  All the little arrows represent the aerodynamic  forces pushing up on the wing.  They are reacted by the two large arrows at the wing attachment points.  The aerodynamic forces are tending to bend the wing upwards, compressing the top of the spar and stretching the bottom, so the lower face of the spar is the bit we are most interested in.  The graph below the spar is a bending moment diagram scaled to match the spar.  The bending moment is effectively the combination of force times distance that is trying to break the spar, and you can see that the maximum bending moment is at the wing attachment point.  The designers of the Sonex have taken this into account of course and that part of the spar is the strongest.

You can see from the graph, that halfway between the reaction loads, and also halfway across the fuselage, the bending moment is half maximum, but that is also the part of the spar that is heavily cut away so that the spars can cross over.  Again, Sonex designers have taken this into account by heavily reinforcing with extra  pieces of angle riveted to the spar web, but still, it is a stress raiser.  This part of the wing is not normally accessible but if you have to remove the wings at any time I think it would be worth a visual inspection.  Note that I am not saying the spar is weak or that you should expect fatigue cracks here, just that the most likely place for a fatigue crack would be from that cutout on the lower edge of the spar.

Fuselage top longeron in the cabin

The diagram below represents the main loads on the fuselage; engine, fuel , occupants and the balancing load supplied by the tailplane/elevator.  I haven’t bothered to show it but there is also the weight of the airframe itself.  All these forces are balanced by the aerodynamic loading of the wing.  All the forces are tending to bend the fuselage downwards, so that the bottom of the fuselage is being compressed and the top is being stretched.

A graph of the bending moment , scaled to match the fuselage would look something like the above.  Maximum bending moment is in the region of the cockpit and the highest tension loads are experienced by the top longerons.  I have never heard of any Sonexes experiencing  fatigue cracks in the top longerons, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, and it’s an easy region to inspect.  I would concentrate on all those open holes that are there for canopy latches and windscreen bows, but especially at the splice joints where the tail-cone attaches to the forward fuselage.

Known fatigue crack regions on Sonex

These are all welded steel parts which if made by Sonex are black powder coated.  Sonex say that fatigue cracks will show on the powder coated parts as a white line, but this is not my experience, at least with painted parts.  On painted parts cracks will sometimes appear as a fine black line which will obviously not show up on a black surface, but paint, especially thick paint, can hide quite long cracks.  If you are painting steel parts I would recommend a light colour.

Steel tail-wheel castor

In the FEA model shown here, the load applied to the axle holes is 1000 Newtons (225 pounds) which would probably be a pretty hard bang on the ground, but the maximum stress is way above the elastic strain limit. Cracks are likely to grow from the zones shown in red in the diagram.  Making the arms longer to fit a 6″ tail-wheel will exacerbate the problem.  Try to keep those landings smooth.  The good news is that a failure of the castor will probably be inconvenient rather than dangerous.

Tail spring bracket

I don’t have a pretty picture of this part, and it’s tricky to model (for me anyway) being effectively a composite part of the titanium tail spring and the steel tail spring bracket.  Titanium has nearly twice the yield strength of 4130N steel but only a bit over half the stiffness.  When materials of different stiffness share a load, the stiffer one carries most of the load (think of the fibres in fibre-composite materials), so that where the titanium tail spring is inserted into the bracket, the weaker steel tube is doing most of the work.  The end result is that the brackets can fail by either the tube cracking or the rear plate cracking, and I have seen a couple of instances of this.  The good news again is that failure of the bracket is probably not dangerous.

Engine mount

The diagram below is a somewhat simplified model of the Sonex lower engine mount loaded by just half the engine weight – the 1 G case.

The danger area is that little red zone at the intersection of the tubes.  An acceleration of just 3.7g will cause stress to exceed yield point in that zone.  There are a couple of other factors here: this is a weld heat-affected zone so yield strength could be lower; the above model is just a basic Solidworks analysis so the finite element grid is not particularly fine – stress at this point could be even higher.  Now you might think that you will rarely see 3.7g in your Sonex, and that could be right, but I have recorded up to 6.9gs in summer thermals in mine.  At some point Sonex changed the specification for wall thickness of that tube from 0.035″ to 0.049″ (the model above uses 0.049″).  The following link is to a trip report where Stuart Trist experienced exactly this failure.  His is a fairly early kit so the engine mount is probably the earlier 0.035″ type but his engine was the very light Jabiru 2200.  Stuart Trist’s Outback Adventure

I would urge people to check this region very carefully every service.

What do fatigue cracks look like?

The answer is; it depends, on material type and also thickness.  Ideally , you want to find fatigue cracks when they are small, but of course that is when they are hardest to see.

Cracked Lug

Here’s an example of a fatigue crack in thick material.  It’s a bit unusual in that this link is predominantly loaded in compression, but the bearing load is tending to split the rod so that the crack is growing along the centre of the rod, something I have not seen before. You can see it right?   Try clicking on the image to enlarge it and follow the red arrow.  In this case, the test aircraft had done the equivalent of around 28,000 hours, way beyond the life if this type of aircraft.

Above is a close-up of a similar crack taken with a small USB microscope.

Here is an example of a crack in thinner material, in this case the al. is between 2 and 3 mm thick and the crack has grown each side of the rivet to a total length of about 25mm.  The crack is long enough so that as the crack opens and closes, a black fretting material is produced which in this case gave away the location which was well out of sight and photographed with a camera poked into an inspection hole.  After finding this crack we checked the same location on the other wing and hey presto, a mirror image.

Cracks in thin material are not always easy to see.  This one is only a few millimetres long, but you know the saying; “from little things, big things grow”.  The brownish stuff is a composite patch over a previous crack in this region and the misshapen hole is from the rivet wiggling in the hole.

Useful tools for inspection

Mark One Eyeball – Surprisingly just looking at things will often find cracks

Inspection mirror – These are pretty cheap and useful for aiding the M1 eyeball.

Magnifying glass – My eyesight is not great and I find these pretty handy

Compact digital camera – Most modern compact cameras are capable of  taking very close-up images in “macro” mode and the image can then be enlarged to show up flaws.  I have a Nikon Coolpix S7000 that can focus down to 20mm.  Most other compact cameras will focus down to less than 50mm which is easily good enough.

USB microscope – You can buy cheap ones on eBay for around $25.  The best type I have used is a “Dinolite” which looks much like the $25 job but seems to have better optics.  Dinolites range from around $100 to $250 but we found the cheaper model Dinolites more useful.

Dye Penetrant Kits – you are unlikely to need these.  I used a penetrating dye to check a cylinder on my engine that had a suspicious line around the cylinder base. Since the possible crack was in fairly thick steel I couldn’t determine whether it was a crack even with a microscope.  The dye makes a hell of a mess but proved that the “crack” was nothing but a line on the surface from machining.

What to do if you find a crack

For a start, congratulations, you dodged a bullet.  It’s not the end of your world, well not now anyway.  The answer as always is, it depends, but usually you will need to either repair or replace the damaged part.  At the very least you should monitor the crack.  Repairs could be as simple as stop-drilling or blending out a small crack up to fitting a patch which can take the load from the cracked part, but most of us don’t have the expertise to design repair patches, and even experts muck that up at times.  Cracks in secondary structure can sometimes be tolerated.  Cracks in primary structure, wing spars, fuselage longerons and engine mounts cannot be ignored.


How Intelligent Do You Have To Be To Get A Career In Intelligence?

Jobs in the CIA are often left out of the normal equation of careers. It is often believed that in order to get hired by the the agency, one must be extremely intelligent. However, a massive IQ is not always necessary in order to get one of these coveted jobs.

IQ as a Gateway to the Central Intelligence Agency

All agents likely score above average on an IQ test. As the individuals who are most directly responsible for keeping the United States safe, these professionals need to be intelligent, aware, and mentally and emotionally stable. Having a poor score on an IQ test is enough to disqualify you from being accepted into the agency. However, it may not be necessary to have insanely high IQ scores. Those with an above average intelligence and a special skill set can still make it into the Central Intelligence Agency.

Having an extremely high IQ score could, in itself, make you an appealing candidate for the US secret service. However, IQ alone is not going to get you accepted in to the agency. A battery of tests will screen applicants on a variety of factors. Agents need to be mentally sound, trustworthy, able to handle extreme stress, able to work well with others, and a wealth of other personality traits that are necessary to the job. Having a high IQ is only one component that the agency is looking for in its agents.

Here are some more pointers on what it takes to become an agent:

Specialized Skills

The path of entry for many agents is having a specialized skill set. Some agents are appealing simply because they have a large IQ and can process the information given to them quickly. But language abilities, ability to solve codes, and the ability to work quickly under pressure are also extreme assets that a the secret service may be interested in.

Since the secret service has such a wide range of positions to fill, the agency needs people who are the best in their respective fields. Studies in psychology and international relations can be particularly valuable for getting accepted into the agency. Students should have exceptional grades in their fields of study, which may indicate intelligence but does not necessarily correlate.

More about the secret service:

Another special skill that is useful for agents is the ability to speak many languages fluently. People who have shown mastery of several languages are of immediate interest to the CIA. These individuals can help understand messages and codes sent by other nations, and they can also help with surveillance of high profile individuals in other nations. In short, there are many things that can qualify an individual for a Central Intelligence career, and intelligence is only one component of the job description.

Featured pic here.


Reasons Why Managing Your Debts is So Important

Why think that scares me the most is being under debt; because then I start worrying about how I’ll have to pay back it on time, even if there is no obligation on me to pay it all back. Sure, it sounds weird to many people, but that is how it works for me. Different people handle debts differently, so that is really important too.

With that said, you can always look up the 5 smart strategies for managing your debt, because they do work in most cases, and don’t give you much problem either. Sure, I believe that you are better at handling debts than I am, because otherwise it can be much more difficult to begin with. In this article, I am going to be talking about some of the reasons why managing your debts is so important. Let’s have a look, shall we?

You Want to Be Responsible

If you are looking to be a lot more responsible than you already are, you can start by managing your debs. I am not implying that you would be in debts all the time, but it is still better to make sure that you start managing because that you will be responsible.

You Want to Have Your Finances in Order

Another reason why managing your debts is so important that you need to make sure that all your finances are in order. Because having improper finances can be a huge, huge issue for many people, so it is always better to make sure that you keep your finances as much as in order as possible, because then it just gets annoying, and you cannot even enjoy properly, which basically sucks a lot. So, that is the one thing that one must keep in mind.


Patent Number: 6,168,201

Title: Gas generating apparatus for air bag apparatus and method for inflating air bag

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus mounted in a vehicle or the like for protecting a passenger of the vehicle by charging a gas into an air bag interposed between the passenger and an interior member of the vehicle chamber so as to inflate the air bag at the time of collision of the vehicle. The gas generating apparatus for the air bag apparatus includes a first chamber 9 which accommodates a combustible fluid 7 and which is provided with a first vent opening 8 leading to the air bag 3; a second chamber 5 larger than the first chamber 9; a first occluding member 13 for occluding the first vent opening 8; and an ignition device 14 for igniting the combustible fluid in the first chamber 9. By burning at least a portion of the combustible fluid 7 within the first chamber 9, the fluid in the first and second chambers 9 and 5 is discharged through the first vent opening 8 to inflate the air bag 3. Since, the first occluding member is swiftly broken to discharge a mixture of the combustible fluid in the first chamber, it is possible to shorten the initial responding time period required to start inflating the air bag.

Inventors: Takeyama; Shigeru (Kanagawa, JP), Ono; Takuhiro (Kanagawa, JP), Kawauchi; Yoshikazu (Kanagawa, JP), Yamamori; Kiyoshi (Kanagawa, JP), Eto; Norimasa (Kanagawa, JP), Takahashi; Hiroyuki (Kanagawa, JP), Tsuyuki; Mitsugu (Kanagawa, JP), Usui; Yasushi (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial

International Classification: B60R 21/26 (20060101); B60R 021/26 ()

Expiration Date: 01/02/2018


Bald Eagle
Bald Eagles

Bald eagles have a wingspan of 6 to 7 1/2 feet. The sexes are alike, with the female being slightly larger. Bald eagles sit 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall and weigh 8 to 15 pounds. Their eyes are 5 to 6 times more powerful than human’s. Their primary food is fish, and they will nearly always be seen near water. They also eat waterfowl, particularly the sick or injured, and occasionally carrion.

Bald eagles nest from November through April, depending on the latitude. It is believed that eagles mate for life. They frequently return to the same nest site year after year. The stick nests can reach sizes of over 7 feet across, 12 feet deep, and weigh over two tons. Nesting is a very critical time for bald eagles, so do not attempt to approach any nest.

The female lays one to three eggs. Incubation lasts 35-40 days, and the young’s first flight is about 75 days after hatching. Young bald eagles do not obtain the characteristic white head and tail of the adult until they are 4 to 5 years old. Until then, they can be identified in flight by a white diagonal strip under the wing and a spot in the “wingpit.” The belly, head, and tail will go through various mottled stages before reaching the adult markings. The white tail is generally the last adult characteristic to develop.

Fact Sheet: Bald Eagles and Lead Poisoning

+ Bald Eagle Etiquette
+ Historical Perspective
+ Bald Eagle Recovery, Good News
+ Bald Eagles in the Midwest

Bald Eagle Nest Reporting

Bald Eagle Nest Reporting Form
Bald Eagle Nest Reporting Form
How to Identify a Bald Eagle Nest

To talk to someone about reporting eagle nests in Iowa contact:
Boone Wildlife Research Station
1436 255th St., Boone, IA 50036
515-432-2823 or


Annie Kostolany Photography

Cuteness overload: simple children portraits

April 1st, 2018 · Annie Kostolany

I think we can all agree that children grow up too fast. And the small things we tend to forget first. The always curious look on their face, the funny questions they ask. The fact, that they are so cute and hilarious and they are so unaware of it. I simply love to photograph children: they are pure, natural, and honest. Taking their portraits requires a lot of patience though. First, I have to wait until they get accustomed to the presence of my camera, as it can definitely be intimidating first. It takes some time, so when I take photos of them, I don't stress too much about the timeframes of the session, and just take a little more time. Parents tend to appreciate it, and I can capture their best moments, so it's a win for everyone.

I communicate non-verbally with children all the time. As I travel so much, sometimes we don't even have a common language with them. It is something they do not seem to worry about much.

Cake mash is a wonderful, fun way to celebrate a birthday.

I am also very energetic, and love to work outdoors. It is important because this job sometimes requires to run, climb or crawl after my little models.

If you'd like to book a children or a family portrait session, just send me an email.


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Typical phrases said by family members in Spanish. Mothers and fathers say these things in Spanish and other languages!


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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Diagnosis to Victory Series, Part 4. “What’s With Wheat?” Documentary Review

I actually considered watching “What the Health?” but honestly, I was over hearing about it. It was all the buzz on social media for months. With so many people giving their opinions and having their “Aha” moments, I felt like I already watched it. So instead, I decided to watch “What’s With Wheat?” I had this documentary saved on my Netflix list for a while. I intended to watch it shortly after my IBS diagnosis in October 2016, because my GI doctor recommended that I avoid gluten, because it is difficult for the body to digest. I initially had a hard time eliminating wheat, because I grew up eating so much of it. I LIVED for a bologna or PB & J sandwich on Wonder Bread. So, why now at 30 something years old, do I experience digestive discomfort when consuming wheat? It made me wonder, what is in wheat NOW that wasn’t always present? This documentary proved to be eye opening as well as help me answer that very question. My hope is that by reading this post, you gain perspective on the wheat industry and become a more informed consumer whether or not you have a gluten intolerance or allergy. I am not a medical professional, nor and I telling you how to eat. You are free to make your own choices and create a lifestyle that works best for you.

The documentary provides perspective from farmers, scientists and nutritionists who discuss how gluten intolerance developed and how modern processes may be the cause. The documentary begs the question “So are we allergic to wheat? Or are we allergic to what’s been done to it?”

The documentary opens with a brief history of the agricultural industry. In the 1940’s, people weren’t consuming enough calories. So cereal was invented as a shelf-stable item to give people the calories they needed so they wouldn’t die from starvation.

Also during that time, wheat became fortified with vitamins and minerals in an effort to combat malnutrition. But during that fortification process, the wheat bran and germ were removed and chemicals were added. When those two elements are removed during production, there are few nutrients remaining. Much of the protein and fiber are stripped turning it into the common white flour we see today.

Also during the 1940’s, Ancel Keys conducted The Minnesota Starvation Experiment: “The Biology of Human Starvation” from 1944-1945. He sought to examine the effects of famine on the human body. As a result of his findings, he demonized fat and steered people away from what was a standard American breakfast of bacon and eggs. Some experts suggest he fabricated the correlation between fat and heart disease. So with fewer people consuming fat, they introduced more carbohydrates into their diets.

Another notable scientist during this era was Norman Borlaug. Borlaug worked for the corn and wheat board and sought to mechanize the agricultural production of wheat, known as the Green revolution, to increase output and help feed those in starving countries. He was awarded a Nobel Peace prize for his work. However, to increase output, more chemicals were added to the crops to help the plant thrive and be more resistant against disease and pests.

By the end of 1945, the same manufacturer who was creating the chemicals for warfare were also creating the chemicals for agriculture. Yeah, read that part again.  Instead of looking at the health of the plant, farmers were looking at the yield of the plant. Chemical fertilization leaves foods and crops deficient in vitamins and minerals.

Our wheat has become so commercialized and manipulated over the years that it doesn’t even resemble what it once was, resulting in wheat being one of the most problematic foods in the American diet. The chemicals in wheat are causing inflammation in our bodies. This is why we are noticing an increase in Celiac disease, gluten intolerance and even autism.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat. When we eat a normal protein (not the gluten protein from wheat), we eat it and is goes into our gut, our body pulls it apart into individual amino acids, and then we absorb them. Unfortunately, gluten is poorly digested causing damage to the gut and exposing the insides of the damaged cells to the immune system. Your body sees it as something it doesn’t like and it develops an immune reaction to it. This is known as an immune complex, which is very difficult for the body to get rid of once it develops. It can affect the brain, gut or cause an outward reaction, such as a rash on someone who suffers from eczema. Every part of the body can become inflamed, even the heart.

Another issue with wheat products is that they can be addictive. One documentary contributor noted the look of fear on people’s faces when he told them to eliminate wheat. “So I can’t have cereal? How am I supposed to eat a sandwich?” Aside from sugar, the most common foods people have an issue with are foods that contain gluten, such as bread or pasta. Gluten can be converted in the liver to a morphine like derivative called an endorphin. These morphine’s go to the brain and give that feeling of “Hi! I feel great!” So, it triggers the same brain response we get from a drug.

I will admit that I was also stubborn and didn’t want to give up wheat. But I learned to not focus on what I couldn’t have, but instead focus on all of the other nutrient-rich foods I can still have. Eliminating wheat as much as possible will not leave us nutrient deficient by any means. There are still an abundance of options that I enjoy, such as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, squash, corn tortillas, and gluten free bread.

So, knowing all of this about wheat, how do we move forward? The purpose of the documentary is to encourage us to ask questions and be more aware, and to understand the way food is produced. As a society, we have forgotten what it feels like to be healthy. The food we eat is sending signals to our DNA, which is our code of life. We are either sending signals that code for health or signals that code for disease. Modern agriculture has suddenly given us genetic information that our bodies don’t know how to handle.

To heal our bodies from the inside out, we have to go back to diet and lifestyle. So eating more whole, unprocessed foods, moving our bodies, meditative practices, and being surrounded by a supportive social network and a loving family.

To read my other IBS series posts, then click the links below:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

It Must be True, Right?! Diet Myths Debunked!

When we hear the same information over a long period of time from a variety of sources, we rarely questions its validity. But information regarding our health and wellness changes as more research is conducted and health care professional gain more knowledge. So I wanted to make this post to debunk some of the common myths that people still believe that are no longer true.

1)      “Eat a Low Fat Diet, because Fat is Bad” – When you see “Low fat” that should be your que to put it down! You can think of low fat as code for “chemical storm!” When companies make foods low fat, they often replace the fat with more sugar and/or sodium to enhance the flavor. You don’t need to ban all fat. The fats you want to avoid are saturated and trans fats. Both are often found in red meats and processed foods. But there are fats that do not raise cholesterol or increase your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Instead try to consume more Omega-3 heart healthy fats, which help to rebuild cells and will keep you fuller and more satisfied. Some examples are olive oil, salmon, or avocad

2)      “If You Exercise, You Can Eat Whatever You Want” – The weight loss equation is simple, calories in versus calories out. To lose one pound of fat per week, you must maintain a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day for 7 days, which is 3,500 calories. So it takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose one pound per week. It’s common to underestimate the amount of calories we consume and overestimate the amount of calories we burn. This is why it’s helpful to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to calculate calories and using a device, such as a FitBit or a Polar watch to track calories burned. You cannot outwork a poor diet

3)      “A Calorie is a Calorie” – While that is mathematically true, not all calories are created equal. You want to focus on the quality of your food. Consume more foods that are nutrient dense and contain micronutrients, such as fiber, which helps keep you full. You can have a candy bar or a turkey sandwich, but which option will give you the fuel you need?

4)      “Eat Less to Lose More Weight” – This is not the way to go! Calorie restriction is dangerous, because you actually risk slowing down your metabolism. Over time, your body may go into starvation mode, because it does not know when it will get more food. You will end up stalling your weight loss efforts. Instead, aim to eat 4-5 times per day. It’s not about eating less, but about eating better. As a general rule, if you are a woman trying to lose weight, your daily minimum calorie intake should not be less than 1,200 calories. Again, this is when MyFitnessPal will come in handy because you can enter in your information and the app will tell you how many calories to consume per day to reach your goal

5)      “Supplements Will do All the Work” – If you aren’t doing your part by changing your diet and exercising, then supplements will not be of any value to you. Supplements are used to enhance your results and should be used in addition to what you’re already doing

6)      “Stick to This Diet to Lose 5 Pounds a Week!”  – Diets are restrictive and will only lead to short-term results. They are a quick fix. Instead focus on a long-term lifestyle change. Consider what is sustainable for you, because what you do to lose the weight is what you will have to do to keep the weight off. So do you really want to be on the “cabbage soup” diet forever? I know when I tried to go “low carb/Atkins,” I felt deprived and frustrated, which only led me to gaining all the weight back plus more

7)      “Weight Yourself Daily” – You will drive yourself crazy if you do this! Change your relationship with the scale. Your success is not tied to the number on the scale. It’s important to also focus on non-scale victories as indicators of your success. For instance, focus on how you feel, how well your clothes fit, how you look, etc. When I was losing weight, I would weight myself once a week at my Weight Watchers meetings. There are several factors that could impact the scale such as fluid retention or if you’re doing strength training. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may not notice the number on the scale decreasing. But, you may instead notice that your clothes are fitting better and you look more toned and defined. Snatched!

8)      “If the Label Says ‘All Natural,’ It’s Healthy” – The term “natural” is not clearly defined or regulated by any entity. So, technically any company can make that claim on almost any product to influence your buying decision. Instead, look for terms such as “Organic” or “Non-GMO.” Those terms are regulated and companies must prove their product meets certain standards before making that claim on their product labels

9)      “Carbs are the Enemy”! – All foods have carbs, so you really can’t eliminate all carbs. Carbs provide your body with the fuel you need to sustain you through workouts and your daily life. Focus on consuming complex carbs that do not cause an immediate blood sugar spike and will keep you full for a longer period of time. Some of my favorites include brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato (mashed, baked, fries), acorn squash, butternut squash, plantains, spaghetti squash, gluten-free oatmeal, and gluten-free whole-grain bread

10)   “You Can Spot Reduce and Just Lose Your Stomach” – You cannot spot reduce. I repeat! You cannot spot reduce! You must lose overall body fat. You have to burn the fat off your midsection first before you start seeing more definition. A clean diet will be key to helping you see more ab definition. There are many ab exercises you can incorporate into your workouts to give you more definition. Abs are also genetic, so you may not end up getting the same abs as your favorite fitness inspiration

11)   “You Need a Gym Membership” – When I first started, I used DVD’s, I ran outside and I also purchased a treadmill. Over time, I’ve added to my home gym. Click here to see the post on my home gym! Other inexpensive options include taking your workouts outside, following YouTube videos or getting a gym membership from Planet Fitness, which is only $10/month. They have a trainers who can assist with developing a regimen and show you how to use the equipment

12)   “Don’t Eat After 7pm!” – Ummm….last I checked, calories couldn’t tell time. If you consume more calories than your body needs, then that is when you will gain weight. So if you come home late and you’re hungry, then eat! Don’t deprive yourself. Listen to your body. If you don’t eat before bed, you may wake up feeling ravenous the next morning and eating more than you would have if you hadn’t skipped dinner

What are some diet myths you’ve heard that you later discovered were false?

Shop Smart: Meal Prepping & Grocery Shopping for Success!

“So many aisles! So many signs! Where do I begin?!! Ohhh…samples? Yes, please!” Hold on, girl!! Pause. Before you get too excited, let’s rewind! Read this post first, because I’m going to be giving you my TOP tips to help you meal prep for success and shop smart!

First things first, go with plan. If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. It’s cliché, but very true. If you walk into the store aimlessly, you may waste your hard-earned coins buying food you don’t need. So make a list first by deciding what you plan to eat the following week for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. When I am using a recipe, I make sure it serves between 4-6 people; that way I know I have dinner covered for the whole week. I typically eat the same foods for all my meals throughout the week. This may be boring for some, but this works for me. An alternative could be to prepare two different dinners so you have a couple of options during the week. Or you could prepare a few different veggies, lean proteins, and healthy complex carbs. From there you could “mix n match” your meals throughout the week. For instance, lunch on day 1 could be brown rice, baked salmon, and asparagus. Dinner on day 1 could be turkey meatloaf, mashed sweet potato, and broccoli. Day 2 lunch could be turkey meatloaf, brown rice, and asparagus. Followed by dinner that’s baked salmon, mashed sweet potato, and broccoli. Whichever method you choose, make sure it’s the right one for you. Consider which option will be sustainable for YOU over time.

Typically on Thursday evenings, I plan my meals for the coming week in a chart that has a space for me to write out what I plan to have for each of those meals. I then use that chart as my guide to help me create my grocery list. If I am following a recipe, I check my pantry and fridge first to see if I already have the ingredients. If not, I add them to my list. I usually go to the store Friday after work or on Saturday morning. I then set aside 2-3 hours Sunday afternoon to actually prepare my meals. That amount of time also includes me cleaning up the kitchen – washing dishes, taking out the garbage and sweeping the kitchen floor.

Before you even head to the store, ask yourself, “am I hungry”? If so, have a healthy snack BEFORE you go, such as a piece of fruit, protein bar, veggies dipped in hummus, a handful of almonds, or string cheese so you can stay focused on your list and you’re not tempted to buy un-healthy foods. Trust me! When you’re hungry, things you wouldn’t normally consider will start looking good. Like that cheap, greasy pizza. Fix it, Jesus!!

When I get to the store, I start with the perimeter and then work my way down the aisles. The perimeter is where I get a majority of my food, including fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, almond milk, gluten free bread, gallon of water jug, cheese, and eggs. Down the aisles is where you will find many of the processed foods and refined carbohydrates, such as white pasta, cookies, and chips.

When I plan my fruits and veggies, I consider what’s in season. Purchasing seasonal fruit is more cost effective and it also means the fruit will be at its peak freshness. Depending on the store layout, the bulk food section may also be located along the perimeter. Since I am cooking for one person, buying in bulk is cheaper and allows me to get just the amount I need. In this section I get my quick oats, seasonings, gluten free flours, quinoa, brown rice, nuts and seeds.

My last stop around the perimeter is the frozen food section. I always grab some frozen fruit and vegetables for breakfast or my green smoothies. Frozen fruit is packaged at its peak freshness, so you can be sure the food will still have its flavor and nutritional benefits. You can also get a better deal buying frozen when you’re purchasing fruits that can still be pricy even in season such as raspberries, blueberries, cherries, mangos, and blackberries.

Down the aisles, I like to purchase condiments, such as balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, salsa, stevia, maple syrup, and reduced sugar ketchup. The aisles can also be a way to get low priced fruits and vegetables, such as canned pineapples, green beans or corn. If purchasing fresh produce is not in your budget, then canned is also a great option. When it comes to canned fruit, I typically stick with pineapple since that’s the one fruit I found where there is no syrup added. I would definitely try to avoid fruit that’s canned in syrup, even if the can says light syrup. Fruit is nature’s candy. It’s sweet enough on its own!

Even though most of the snacks down the aisles aren’t the healthiest options, there are still some good choices. Some of my favorites are rice cakes or popcorn. The Smart Food brand is my go-to, because it just contains corn, salt, and oil. Tortilla chips, portioned out, are a good option as well as protein/snack bars like Quest Nutrition Bars, Kind Bars, Think Thin, or Lara Bars, unsweetened applesauce, peanut butter with no added sugar or oil, and even crackers. The Mary’s Gone Crackers are the ones I really like!

When I can, I purchase the store brand since the quality is still there, but you’re not paying the extra markup for the fancy brand name. If there is no store brand option, I look at all the options and go with the cheapest one. I always make sure I keep freezer bags on hand. If I buy a package of meat and I don’t plan to use it all for the coming week, I will separate out what I need for my recipe, portion out the rest and stick that in the freezer. I also use freezer bags for my green smoothie ingredients. When I meal prep, I grab a handful of collards (or whatever green veggie I am using for the week, usually 1 cup), chop up a banana, and then whatever other fruit I am adding, and then freeze the bag. The evening before, I dump the smoothie ingredients in the blender along with my unsweetened vanilla almond milk, vanilla vegan protein powder, Greens, ground flax seeds and blend away!! Oh, and don’t worry. I plan to discuss green smoothies in more detail in a future post. So stay tuned!!

During the hectic work week is really when you will see the benefits of meal prepping! The small sacrifice you make to take a few hours one day a week is definitely well worth it. Having healthy meals prepared means I can avoid the vending machine and office treats. I don’t need to waste money buying lunch every day. Plus when I get home, all I have to do is pop dinner in the microwave, relax, and enjoy! Since my meals are prepared, I can’t justify picking up fast food on the way home just because I don’t have anything to eat at home and I don’t feel like cooking. When we’re tired, the last thing we want to do is think about what to eat and then stand over a hot stove to prepare it; especially during these warm summer months. If you decided not to cook and instead opted for your favorite fast food restaurant, you may tell yourself on the way there that you’ll get a salad. You start off with the right intentions. But…..once you get there, that one meal you told yourself you would stay away from, your trigger meal, is now staring you right in your face. Yep! That double bacon cheese burger, deluxe curly fries with some ranch on the side for dipping, and the soda to wash it all down! You devour it and then reality sets in that you’ve just pushed yourself further away from your goal for the week. You vow to get back on the wagon tomorrow. But the same thing happens the next day. You’re too exhausted to cook so you go for comfort. You go for what you know; what you’re familiar with and what will satisfy you in that moment. See where I’m going with this? Meal prepping leaves you with ZERO excuses to make food choices that are not in line with your goals. Meal prepping also means you’re consuming enough calories and nutrients throughout the day to sustain yourself. Some people still think eating 1-2 times a day will help them lose weight. The truth is that over time, your metabolism will slow down and your body will go into starvation mode and store fat because it doesn’t know when it will get more food. So it’s not about eating less; it’s about eating better quality food.

Weight loss and weight maintenance are 80% diet and 20% exercise. Your food choices play a huge role in either helping you reach your goals or pushing you further away from those goals. Don’t allow all of your hard work in the gym to be in vain due to consuming too many calories and by making poor food choices. Working out for an hour a day is the easy part. It’s what we do the other 23 hours of the day that can either really help us or hinder us. I hope these tips were helpful to you for the next time you make a trip to the store! I really hope you see the benefits of meal prepping and will give it a try!

Now, I want to hear from you! What are some of your top tips for shopping smart?

IBS: Diagnosis to Victory, Part III

Second Nutritionist Visit

So, like Dori I’ll “just keep swimming!” 🙂

IBS: Diagnosis to Victory, Part II

Getting Back on Track After the Holiday’s

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Diagnosis to Victory Series, Part I

I can be so stubborn and often get in my own way! I try to handle things myself without asking for help. But asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that you’re human. About 2 years ago, I started experiencing gas and bloating with no known cause. It didn’t seem to matter what I ate; healthy or otherwise, I would still experience these symptoms. There would be periods where the symptoms would go away and then return. Again, I couldn’t pin point what made the symptoms disappear or what caused them to re-appear. I went about my daily life hoping it would just be something that fixed itself over time. But after experiencing these symptoms for a while, I experimented with different over the counter drug store products for gas and bloating, but none of them proved helpful in alleviating my symptoms.

So finally in December 2015, I was starting to get frustrated all over again, so I went to my doctor and told him about my symptoms. He gave me a prescription for acid reflex. I wasn’t sure that would work considering my symptoms, but I decided to trust him anyway. At a follow-up appointment, I told him there was no relief. So he scheduled a kidney ultrasound. And the results showed….nothing. Sigh. Back to the drawing board, I guess. I researched doctor’s that specialized in digestive issues (gastroenterologist) and asked for a referral. The GI doctor suggested a colonoscopy. Yikes! I thought that was only for people who are a little more “seasoned” in age. But I went through with it, because that was the best way for them to rule out more serious conditions, such as colitis, colon cancer, ulcers, and Chron’s disease. The GI doctor took a biopsy as well. During my follow-up appointment, he confirmed I didn’t have any serious medical conditions (thank you, baby Jesus!!). So based on my symptoms, he diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

I was relieved and frustrated at the same time. I know that may sound strange, but I was relieved I didn’t have a serious, life-threatening condition, but I was also frustrated because there is no cure for IBS. Since it is not clear on what causes IBS, treatment focuses on relieving symptoms so that I can live as normally as possible. There are prescription medications, but either their long-term effectiveness is unknown or they may help with one IBS symptom, yet worsen other symptoms. The condition is best managed through dietary changes, reducing stress, and using medications, such as fiber supplements, laxatives or peppermint oil. My goal is to manage this condition and not allow it to manage me!

So, what is IBS? How is the condition managed?

IBS effects the large intestine (colon) and can cause gas, bloating, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Your intestinal walls are lined with muscles that contact and relax in a coordinated rhythm to move food through your intestinal tract to your rectum. If you have IBS, contractions may be stronger, causing diarrhea or the opposite may occur. The contractions may be weak; slowing food passage and causing constipation. I’m experiencing the latter.

It is not known what causes IBS, which is why there is no cure and the condition is challenging to manage. According to the Mayo Clinic, one theory suggests there may be poor coordination between the brain and the intestines. While others suggest food intolerances can cause IBS. Stress also plays a factor in the condition. Stress does not cause IBS, but can worsen symptoms.

My GI Doctor recommended I follow the FOD MAP diet, which is an elimination diet. There are certain carbohydrates found in certain foods that can contribute to IBS symptoms. These carbs are (be prepared for the longest acronym known to man!):

Fermentable, Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides and Polyols

There are certain foods that are high on the FOD Map list and fall into one of these categories. Their consumption should be avoided or reduced. For a complete list of low and high FOD MAP foods, check the link below:

The diet seeks to eliminate foods that are difficult to digest. Not all foods will cause the same adverse reaction in all IBS sufferers. So I am going through this process now and trying to eliminate foods that have high FOD Maps, such as broccoli, apples, hot sauce, and onions. I also replaced my oats, bread, and pancake mix with gluten-free versions. It is also suggested, that I not drink coffee. I’m still working on the coffee and the gluten-free recommendation! Lol.

Other changes I’ve made include increasing my water intake. I aim to drink a gallon of water a day while I am at work. Some days are easier than others. Second, I added Psyllium powder to my green smoothies. Psyllium husk is straight fiber! And fiber keeps you regularJ. I realized I may not be getting enough fiber, because when you blend or juice fruits, you’re not eating the fruit in its whole form, so you aren’t getting as much fiber. Also, I went to a local naturopathic clinic and one of the associates was also diagnosed with IBS. She suggested I take digestive enzymes to help my body break down my food. She also gave me magnesium powder to promote regularity.

As far as stress management, I have been trying to focus on taking long, deep breaths when I feel tense or stressed. I also make sure I eat without distractions and avoid eating in a hurry.

So far, I am starting to feel better and I hope I stay on the up and up! I’m not 100%, but feeling better now compared to a couple of months ago.

I encourage you all to be proactive about your health. Don’t be stubborn like I was and wait until you’re fed up before you seek help. You know your body and you know when something is not right. I could have been diagnosed with a serious condition that required treatment. I am so thankful that was not the case! But had I sought help earlier, I could be that much closer to finding a solution to help me manage my symptoms.

I plan to use this diagnosis to create a series of blog posts on what I learn, my experience with an elimination diet, new food finds and anything else that I think would be helpful.
I hope you will come along with me on my journey!

“Irritable bowel syndrome.” Irritable bowel syndrome – Mayo Clinic. N.p., 21 July 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2016. <;.


Science - Unit II - Universe

having the earth as the center
Proposed a geocentric model
having the sun as the center
Big Bang Theory
Spiral galaxy
galaxy that looks like a giant pinwheel spinning through space
Elliptical galaxy
a galaxy shaped like a round or flattened ball, generally containing only old stars
Irregular galaxy
A galaxy that goes not have the a regular shape.
Doppler Effect
the apparent change in frequency of electromagnetic or sound waves caused by the relative motions of the source and the observer
red shift
the change in the wavelength of light due to an object moving away from the observer.
blue shift
An increase in the measured frequency of light from an approaching source.
light year
the distance light travels in one year
bending of a ray of light
convex lens
a lens that is thicker in the middle than at the edges and bends light rays towards one another
concave lens
a lens that is thinner in the middle than at the edges
the spinning of an object on its axis
the act of splitting off into different directions
the state of separate elements joining or coming together
potential energy
Energy that is stored and held in readiness
kinetic energy
Energy in motion
The rate at which velocity changes
the movement of an object around another object


To do this, is a 365 day project where everyday I will post some a hand lettered piece, illustration etc. Basically something that I create with my hands. OmaType came about because my friend Erin Pille and I are both doing the project and are from Omaha, Nebraska. This is my second set of favorites so far. To follow the project and see every piece, you will need to follow me on instagram!


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"Energy transition for green growth" bill: attempting to renovate the French Energy model
Autori/Curatori: Patrice Geoffron
Anno di pubblicazione: 2014 Fascicolo: 2 Lingua: Inglese
Numero pagine: 16 P. 5-20 Dimensione file: 270 KB
DOI: 10.3280/EFE2014-002001

In 2015, the French Parliament passed a law that defines a strategy for energy transition after two years of open public debate. This legislative package outlines ambitious policy measures to reduce energy consumption and comprises an unprecedented effort to renovate homes and buildings. On the supply side, the Law aims for a diversification of energy sources with a phasing down of nuclear and the speeding up of renewable energy sources. Furthermore, by promoting a ‘circular’ economic model and positive-energy territories, it redefines the balance of power in favour of regional authorities, potentially leading to a turning point in French energy policy. But the Law also includes contradictions and grey areas. It is wishful thinking to believe in the phasing down of nuclear from 75% to 50% of the power production in 2025, combined with the stepping up of renewables to 40% of electricity consumption in 2030. And the current economic crisis puts a cap on the capacity of the State, as well as on local and regional authorities, to trigger the transition and, due to the same constraints, it is doubtful that households and corporations will be able to invest or bear the burden of higher energy prices. Finally, as with the German Energiewende, the French Law illustrates the European difficulties to define collectively a long-term energy strategy.

Keywords: French energy policy, energy transition, green economy
JEL Code: Q42, Q48, Q54

  1. Loorbach D. (2010). Transition management for sustainable development: a prescriptive, complexity-based governance framework. Governance, 23.
  2. Nordhaus W. (2011). Designing a friendly space for technological change to slow global warming. Energy Economics.
  3. Alkemade F., Hekkert M.P., Negro S.O (2011). Transition policy and innovation policy: Friends or foes? Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. 1.
  4. Buchan D. (2014). The French Disconnection: reducing the nuclear share in France’s energy mix. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
  5. CDC Climat (2014). Panorama des financements climatiques en 2011.
  6. Edquist C. Systems of innovation. The Oxford handbook of innovation. Oxford University Press, New York. Fouquet R. (2010). The slow research for solutions: Lessons from historical energy transitions by sector and service. Energy Policy, 38.
  7. Foxon T.J., Hammond G.P., Pearson P.J. (2010). Developing transition pathways for a low carbon electricity system in the UK. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 77.
  8. Geels F.W. (2004). From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory. Res. policy, 33.
  9. OPECST (2011). Rapport sur l’avenir de la filière nucléaire en France, n° 4097. Rotmans J., Kemp R., Van Asselt M. (2001). More evolution than revolution: transition management in public policy. Foresight, 3, 15-31.
  10. Smil V. (2010). Energy Transitions: History, Requirements, Prospects. Praeger, Westport, CT.
  11. Solomon B.D, Krishna K. (2011). The coming sustainable energy transition: History, strategies and outlook. Energy Policy, 39.
  12. WEC (2014). World Energy Trilemma. World Energy Council.
  13. WEF (2014). The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report. World Economic Forum.
Patrice Geoffron, "Energy transition for green growth" bill: attempting to renovate the French Energy model in "ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT" 2/2014, pp. 5-20, DOI:10.3280/EFE2014-002001

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Cornell University researchers need your help to train a robot to complete kitchen tasks
Cornell University researchers need your help to train a robot to complete kitchen tasks, by being able to understand natural language commands

Although a One Poll survey in May found that some of the UK public are afraid that robots will replace them in the workplace, the fact remains that it will take a while before this happens, as robots currently are quite limited when it comes to understanding commands.

For example, if you were to ask a robot to "make a cup of coffee", it would not be able to complete the task unless you broke down every single step to making coffee, such as turning on a tap, filling a kettle with water, boiling the water, pouring it into a cup and adding coffee beans, milk and sugar.

"While there is a lot of past research that went into the task of language parsing, they often require the instructions to be spelled out in full detail which makes it difficult to use them in real world situations," the team says on its website.

To solve this problem, a team of researchers headed by Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science at Cornell University's Robot Learning Lab, are teaching robots how to understand natural language commands in English, as well as how to account for missing information and how to adapt to different environments.

Understanding natural language commands

In order to achieve this, the robot is equipped with a 3D camera and computer vision software that helps it identify objects in its environment.

It has been trained to associate objects with their capabilities, for example, the fact that a pan can be poured into or poured from, or that a stove can heat things if you put objects on top of it.

The team have designed an algorithm that accepts natural language commands from a user and the environment in which to execute them, then translates the commands into a detailed sequence of instructions that the robot can understand.

The instructions are compiled into a verb-environment-instruction-library (VEIL) and the robot is fed an animated video simulation of the action, accompanied by recorded voice commands from several speakers.

Associating actions with commands

Tell Me Dave game
Tell Me Dave, a 3D-animated game where you teach a robot how to complete simple commands

The more that users play with the robot and give it commands, the better the robot learns how to complete tasks, by using machine learning to get the robot's computer brain to associate commands with flexibly defined actions and remembering when it has performed an action before.

At the moment, the robot is able to perform actions correctly up to 64% of the time even if the commands are varied or the environment is changed, and the researchers are hoping to improve this by teaming up with - you.

You can help teach a simulated robot how to perform tasks in the kitchen by getting an account on the Tell Me Dave website, entering instructions and trying to fulfil them in a simple 3D-animated environment.

The algorithm is detailed in the open-access paper entitled, "Tell Me Dave: Context-Sensitive Grounding of Natural Language to Manipulation Instructions".


In Dulci Jubilo for Brass Quintet

Difficult (Grades 7+)
2 minutes
Classical music
Brass quintet

This is an arrangement of the Fourteenth-century German/Latin macaronic carol Nun singet und seid froh by Heinrich Suso. In Dulci Jubilo is among the oldest and most famous of the "macaronic" songs, one which combines Latin and a vernacular language such as English or German.� Five hundred years later, this carol became the inspiration for the 1853 English paraphrase by John Mason Neale, Good Christian Men, Rejoice.

The tune itself first appeared in a manuscript in Leipzig University Library (Codex 1305)� around 1400 (which also contained the earliest version of 'Joseph, lieber Joseph mein'); some version of the song itself may have existed prior to 1328. It remained well-known and often used by Catholics and Protestants alike throughout the centuries. The 1533 Lutheran hymnal by Joseph Klug, Geistliche Lieder included it with three verses. It also occurred in Michael Vehe's Gesangbuch, which was published at Leipzig in 1537. In 1545, another verse was added between the last two: "O Patris caritas!" was likely written by Martin Luther and included in Valentin Babst's Geistliche Lieder (Leipzig).

This is an excellent and effective arrangement patterned somewhat after the settings of this melody by Michael Praetorius and Samuel Scheidt.

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When you buy the score - make multiple copies
When you buy parts - make multiple copies


Universality Limits in the Bulk for Varying Measures

Universality limits are a central topic in the theory of random matrices. We establish universality limits in the bulk of the spectrum for varying measures, using the theory of entire functions of exponential type. In particular, we consider measures that are of the form W 2n n (x) dx in the region where universality is desired. Wn does not need to be… (More)

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