Other Review

TJ (My Book Strings)

Literature and War Readalong October 2017: Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky

Here are the first sentences:

And some details and the blurb for those who want to join

The discussion starts on Tuesday, 31 October 2017.

Leslie Marmon Silko: Ceremony (1977) Literature and War Readalong September 2017

The good news first—I got along better with Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony than with N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn. I found the writing evocative; the descriptions of the landscape are stunning and it’s a very rich, multi-layered book. The bad news—it was still hard work. There’s not much of a plot, the story isn’t told chronologically, there’s a mix between prose and poems, and without some research, a lot of it would have gone over my head. And that even though I studied cultural anthropology and have at least some idea of Native American mythology.

Given its complexity and that I did only very little research after finishing it, I can’t write an exhaustive review. But I can give you a brief summary and focus on some of the elements that stood out for me.

Tayo, who is half Laguna and half White, suffers from PTSD. He’s a veteran of the war in the Pacific. But not only that, he was also a prisoner of war and one of only a few to survive the notorious Bataan Death March. He’s haunted by the atrocities of war, like the killing of Japanese prisoners, and the things he saw during the march, especially the death of his best friend Rocky. After his captivity, after the war, Tayo spends time at an army hospital but back at the reservation, it’s clear, he’s not cured. He hallucinates, hears voices, drinks too much and gets violent. His family feels that only a medicine man can help but the first ceremony doesn’t change anything because the medicine man is stuck in the past. Only when Tayo finds another medicine man, who incorporates the changes the world has undergone, does he have a chance to heal.

The book explores many themes. Change and identity, the way white people destroy nature and other humans, war, spirituality, the landscape and nature. One could pick any of these themes and write endlessly about it. Since I read this for the readalong, I’ll focus on  a few of the war elements.

There are several things that stood out. First, Tayo, Rocky, and their friends sign up because they hope that fighting for the US, will help them to be accepted. To become “real Americans” one could say. Once back, they soon learn that nothing has changed. They don’t receive any recognition and are pretty much where they were before, only worse off because now they have to deal with contradictions and trauma. Tayo discovers one of the biggest contradictions once he realizes that the Japanese look similar and that the faces of his friends and the soldiers merge in his hallucinations. That’s when he understands he has been instrumentalized by the whites. But not only that – they value him and his people as little as the Japanese. The atomic bomb was tested near the Indian reservations and then used to bomb people, who look a lot like the Indians. The sequence below illustrates this very well.

He had been so close to it, caught up in it for so long that its simplicity struck him deep inside his chest: Trinity Site, where they exploded the first atomic bomb, was only three hundred miles to the southeast, at White Sands. And the top-secret laboratories where the bomb had been created were deep in the Jemez Mountains, on land the Government took from Cochiti Pueblo: Los Alamos, only a hundred miles northeast of him now, still surrounded by high electric fences and the ponderosa pine and tawny sand rock of the Jemez mountain canyon where the shrine of the twin mountain lions had always been. There was no end to it; it knew no boundaries; and he had arrived at the point of convergence where the fate of all living things, and even the earth had been laid. From the jungles of his dreaming he recognised why the Japanese voices had merged with Laguna voices, with Josiah’s voice and Rocky’s voice; the lines of cultures and world were drawn in flat dark lines on fine light sand, converging in the middle of witchery’s final ceremonial sand painting. From that time on, human beings were one clan again, united by the fate the destroyers planned for all of them, for all living things; united by a circle of death that devoured people in cities twelve thousand miles away, victims who had never known these mesas, who had never seen the delicate color of the rocks which boiled up their slaughter.

Needless to say, that the book is to a large extent a criticism of white society and the way White people destroy everything – other people, animals, and nature. In the ceremony, Tayo learns that there are forces, called destroyers, who brought witchery, or dark witchcraft into the world to destroy it. The whites seem to have been the most infected and now act according to the destroyers’ will.

I know I’m not doing this book justice. It’s extremely complex and poetic. To properly review and analyse it, it would need, at least, a second reading.

I didn’t fully warm to Ceremony. I liked the descriptions of the landscape best. And the parts where Tayo’s on a quest to find his uncle’s cattle. Tayo’s a keen observer and the harsh beauty of the land, the precariousness of life in a dry, desert like place, where livestock is constantly threatened to die of thirst, is powerfully rendered. On the other hand, when I look at our world today, the way climate change affects us all, when I think of the 6th extinction that’s currently underway, and how “he who shall not be named” uses a rhetoric of total destruction, I can’t help but notice that Ceremony is an important book. Many of the themes are as actual today as they were when Leslie Marmon Silko wrote it.

I hope I could give a bit of an idea of the book. Its’ definitely ideal for students of American and/or Native American Literature, as it’s so rich and offers so many topics for analysis and discussion.

Here’s one of my favourite quotes:

The buzzing of grasshopper wings came from the weeds in the yard, and the sound made his backbone loose. He lay back in the red dust on the old mattress and closed his eyes. The dreams had been terror at loss, at something lost forever; but nothing was lost; all was retained between the sky and the earth, and within himself. He had lost nothing. The snow-covered mountain remained, without regard to titles of ownership or the white ranchers who thought they possessed it. They logged the trees, they killed the deer, bear and mountain lions, they built their fences high; but the mountain was far greater than any or all of these things. The mountain outdistanced their destruction, just as love had outdistanced death. The mountain could not be lost to them, because it was in their bones; Josiah and Rocky were not far away. They were close; they had always been close. And he loved them then as he had always loved them, the feeling pushing over him as strong as it had ever been. They loved him that way; he could still feel the love they had for him. The damage that had been done had never reached his feeling. This feeling was their life, vitality locked deep in blood memory, and the people were strong, and the fifth world endured, and nothing was ever lost as long as the love remained.

Other Reviews

TJ (My Book Strings)

Ceremony is the fifth book in the Literature and War Readalong 2017. The next book is the French WWII novel Suite Française by Irène Nemirovsky. Discussion starts on Tuesday 31 October, 2017. You can  find further information on the Literature and War Readalong 2017, including the book blurbs here.

Announcing German Literature Month VII

Doesn’t time fly?  It seems like only two minutes ago since we were celebrating GLM VI.

Just like in previous years, I will co-host this event with Lizzy’s Literary Life. During the month of November, both our blogs will be dedicated to literature written in German.

Will you be dusting down some neglected tomes from your bookshelves? Reading more from a favourite author or treating yourself to some newly translated works?  There’s a lot to celebrate in German Literature this year: the Theodor Storm bi-centennial, the Heinrich Böll centennial, or the three German titles on the longlist of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

It’s hard to know where to start, and impossible to fit it all in. So Lizzy and I have decided to let you meander through the trails of German literature wherever and in whatever fashion you may wish (and perhaps, between us, we’ll cover it all.)

The whole month will be read as you please, with two readalongs for those who enjoy social reading.

There is no obligation to participate in the readalongs.  As ever,  the only rule for German Literature Month is to simply enjoy reading something originally written in German.  A novel, a play, a poem. Literary non-fiction, even.  Blog about it. Tweet about it. Review on goodreads or any other review site of your choice.  Just let the world know about the treasures to be found in German Literature (and let us know about it also on a special link that will be made available on November 1st).

In years past support for German Literature Month has been phenomenal, and the event is now a true highlight of our reading calendar.  Will GLM VII match its predecessors? It will if you join us. Will you?

Literature and War Readalong September 2017: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

Leslie Marmon Silko’s novel Ceremony is the second Native American novel we’re reading for this year’s Literature and War Readalong 2017. I truly hope it’s more accessible than the first we read N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn. I struggled quite a bit with it as you can see here.

Leslie Marmon Silko was born in 1948, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is of mixed heritage, Laguna Pueblo, Mexican and white. She grew up on a Laguna Pueblo Reservation and continued to live there later in life.

Ceremony immediately became an American classic after its publication in 1977. It especially spoke to the Vietnam war veterans who related to the novels’ exploration of a veteran’s way of healing.

Here is the first sentence of Ceremony:

Tayo didn’t sleep well that night. He tossed in the cold iron bed, and the coiled springs kept squeaking even after he lay still again, calling up humid dreams of black night and loud voices rolling him over and over again like debris caught in a flood.

And some details and the blurb for those who want to join:

The discussion starts on Friday, September 29.

Literature and War Readalong May 2017: War Poems

Here are the first lines of each collection

In Flanders Fields (John McCrae)
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our Place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
Under duress, stone gives
up its constituent parts
Veteran shells, sediment
filled, crystalline. (…)
The Litany
She has to look down as the roll call begins.
She knows all of them, each name, every family.
When the sirens sound we huddle
under the kitchen table.
Mam, Nain and me.
It’s oak, it will keep us safe
when the house falls down.
Nain says Liverpool’s taking it bad. (…)

And some details and the blurb for those who want to join

Poems of the Great War

Voices from Stone and Bronze by Caroline Davies

Convoy by Caroline Davies

Memorandum by Vanessa Gebbie

The discussion starts on Wednesday, 31 May 2017.

After the war

Other Reviews

My Book Strings


Story Of An Hour – Book Report/Review Example

Story of an Hour" of the Institution
Topic: Story of an Hour
What does the title mean?
The duration of the story (timeline) is just one hour. The plot of the story begins and concludes in one hour.
How does the author’s life influence the story?
The theme of the story relates to the love of women to be independent. But the institution of marriage created by the society to bind them is the latent obstacle, which hinders the development of their personality. This opinion is difficult to digest, but merits sincere consideration.
Do the characters change?
No, the characters do not change. In the first part of the story, Mrs. Mallard receives the news of her husband’s death in an accident, stoically. But internally, she feels a sense of calm contentment that she would be able to live the life of her choice, free from the fetters of the married life. In the second part of the story, when her husband returns hale and hearty, she receives the news with a sense of relief and regains her original composure and readies to live the life destined to her lot as a woman.
Plot: Conflict? Resolution?
The conflict relates to the oppression that Mrs. Mallard experienced by thorough out her married life. She tries to avoid that question; even though she is aware of her plight and finally she gets an opportunity to envision what her life could be now without her husband to “bend her will”. She looks forward to the life of unfettered freedom. Though she misses her husband, she secretly enjoys that sense of relief. The second conflict in the story is about the restrictions placed by the society on women.
Explain the quotation (find any word with quotation and explain)
“But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome." Meaning, she was willing to live her second lease of life without her husband and enjoyed a sense of relief and expressed happiness to look forward to the era of unfettered freedom, with none to bother her.
Identify one literary theory and apply it to the story. (3-5 sentences)
Kate Chopin’s writing of the 1890s was influenced by theory of Feminist Criticism. Chopin demolished the superstructure of the noble institution of marriage created by the society and existing since time immemorial, within that ‘one hour’. In her inner world Mrs. Mallard craves for experiencing the joy of independence. She instantly realises that she is released from the cobweb called the institution of marriage and the type of life that she would live, excites and enlivens her. She feels liberated. It would be even correct to describe that she feels that she is born again.
Retrieved on February 19, 2014


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Self-investigation skills

Staying in the Present moment and being mindful

First, we will look at the idea of identifying the characteristics of your feelings, thoughts, reactions, and actions at any given moment. We could call that "who you are being", but instead let's call that "how you are being" (there is an important distinction that we will examine in a little while). With this context, the description of "how you are being" at the time a situation is occurring can include:

What are you thinking

How you are feeling

What you are telling yourself about your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.

Change the psychology of someone you can change their life

As you go through life you usually look at other people and events from your own perspective and only situations from your own point of view. Each and every one of us fight to defend and protect our own point of view and perspectives... but do you really know what you are fighting to defend and protect? When the look inward brings "bad news"

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2. Identify the characteristics of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, reactions, and actions at any given time.

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Motivation: Everyone is motivated to action by rewards like money or status. , however, refers to a motivation for the sake of personal joy, curiosity, or the satisfaction of being productive.

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March Book OneMarch Book TwoMarch Book Three

Of all the treasures in the Smithsonian, the exhibit that sticks with me the most is a pair of petite, scuffed, rundown, women’s loafers worn during the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.  I found the shoes in a distant corner on the upper floor of the National Museum of American History, tucked safely in a display case with photographs and posters from the trek.  The case had been relocated due to renovations elsewhere in the museum, and I was lucky to run across it.  Those shoes mesmerized me.  They had been worn for all 54 miles of the march and showed it.  I can only imagine what it had been like to wear them.

I am equally mesmerized by March: Books 1-3, the graphic novel trio by John Lewis with Andrew Aydin and art by Nate Powell.  John Lewis, currently a U.S. Representative from Georgia, has spent his life in the civil rights movement.  As a young man, he chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a key group in the movement.  He organized sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters, participated in the Freedom Rides, helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, and helped lead the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery.

March is Lewis’ memoir of his civil rights work in the 1950s-60s.  It’s an insider’s look at the movement from a less well-known perspective.  Lewis lays out the motivation for his actions and decisions as well as those of the movement’s student wing.  He provides insight into the internal politics of the various organizations behind the movement.  His descriptions and Nate Powell’s drawings reflect the brutality of the struggle for equality–humiliation, beatings, incarceration, bombings, torture, death.  March accurately reflects the times it depicts; as a result, it’s not always easy to look at or to read.

Lewis bookends the movement’s history with scenes from the first presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.  Book One opens with Lewis preparing for the event; as he stops by his Capitol Hill office, he meets a woman wanting her young sons to understand the significance of the day.  Lewis pauses to relate the history of the civil rights movement to her sons, and the story begins.  Although somewhat awkward as a narrative device–additional scenes with Lewis speaking to the woman appear to serve as transitions at different points in the books–the intensity and immediacy of the art and text make up for it.  Lewis anchors his experiences around the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, hence the title.  All 3 volumes echo the call of “We’ll march!”, building up to the Alabama trek’s successful conclusion at the end of Book Three.

Nate Powell’s drawings may only be in grayscale, but they make as much impact as full color.  He uses a mix of bold strokes and detailed shadings to convey a wide range of emotions.  He incorporates large swaths of black background (sometimes a majority of a two-page spread) to highlight text or fine drawings or grave subject matter.  Powell cleverly incorporates the sizable amount of text in his drawings without sacrificing space or emotional power.  He has a tremendous capacity to capture facial expression and body language, portraying with equal skill reflective thoughtfulness and intense hate demonstrated by both black and white figures.  The books have won multiple Eisner Awards (the graphic novel world’s equivalent of the Oscars) for a reason.

March: Books 1-3 is an intense, fascinating exploration of our nation’s recent history.  It’s a natural choice for graphic novel or memoir fans and history buffs.  It has plenty to offer a wider audience, however.  Give the first volume or all 3 to high school students and adults; the books are equally interesting as part of a broader discussion or enjoyed alone.  Be prepared to provide context for or an introduction to the civil rights movement for middle students who read March as it accurately portrays the events and language of the time.  Like that unassuming pair of shoes in the Smithsonian, Lewis’ memoir holds a powerful message.


A different approach is to assume that mental representations are more like theories in science: pieces of knowledge that can support many inferences in many different situations. For instance, Newton’s theory of motion makes predictions about infinitely many different configurations of objects and can be used to reason both forward in time and backward, from final state of a physical system to the initial state. The generative approach to cognition posits that some mental representations are more like theories in this way: they capture general descriptions of how the world works. A generative model describes a process, usually one by which observable data is generated, that represents knowledge about the causal structure of the world. These generative processes are simplified “working models” of a domain. Other mental computations operate over these generative models to draw inferences: many different questions can be answered by interrogating the mental model. This contrasts to a more procedural or mechanistic approach in which knowledge represents the input-output mapping for a particular question directly.

In order to make the idea of generative models precise we want a formal language that is designed to express the kinds of knowledge individuals have about the world. This language should be universal in the sense that it should be able to express any (computable) process. We build on the representational power of programming languages because they describe computational processes and capture the idea that what is important is causal dependence—in particular programs do not focus on the sequence of time, but rather on which events influence which other events (the “flow of data”). We introduce randomness into this language to construct a probabilistic programming language (PPL), and describe conditional inferences in this language. By using a PPL we are able to parsimoniously describe rich generative model structures and explore the inference patterns that emerge from the interaction of model and data.

Reading & Discussion: Readings

Next chapter: 2. Generative models


Create better lessons quicker
computer games, games, guitar, the drums, yoga, taekwondo, chess, skating, gymnastics, hiking.

Wheel of activities

by Ninarezo

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S2018 E2137: IYN Montclair: Coyl & Mernin; Wyman; York

Peter Coyl and Anne Mernin explain how their partnership is not just feeding kids healthy lunches, but is encouraging reading and learning; Rachel Wyman shares how her love for baking inspired her to create a running club, Fueled by Doughnuts; Katie York talks about how her organization is working to make communities in NJ friendlier for senior citizens.
Aired: 5/3/2018 | 0:26:28


Mutation research

Molecular basis of anticlastogenic potential of vanadium in vivo during the early stages of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

PMID 16942905

Carcinogen-induced DNA base modification and subsequent DNA lesions are the critical events for the expression of premalignant phenotype of the cell. We have therefore investigated the chemopreventive efficacy of a vanadium salt against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced early DNA and chromosomal damages in rat liver. Hepatocarcinogenesis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with a single, necrogenic, intraperitoneal injection of DEN (200mg/kg body weight). 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosines (8-OHdGs), strand-breaks and DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) were measured by HPLC, comet assay and spectrofluorimetry, respectively. There was a significant and steady elevation of modified bases 8-OHdGs along with substantial increments of the extent of single-strand-breaks (SSBs), DPCs and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) following DEN exposure. Supplementation of vanadium as ammonium metavanadate (NH(4)VO(3), +V oxidation state) at a dose of 0.5ppm in terms of the salt weight throughout the experiment abated the formations of 8-OHdGs (P<0.0001; 79.54%), tailed DNA (P<0.05; 31.55%) and length:width of DNA mass (P<0.02; 61.25%) in preneoplastic rat liver. Vanadium treatment also inhibited DPCs (P<0.0001; 58.47%) and CAs (P<0.001; 45.17%) studied at various time points. The results indicate that the anticlastogenic potential of vanadium in vivo might be due to the observed reductions in liver-specific 8-OHdGs, SSBs and/or DPCs by this trace metal. We conclude that, vanadium plays a significant role in limiting DEN-induced genotoxicity and clastogenicity during the early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.


Find out your birth path number and see what it says about your personality

birth path number
Do you know your birth path number?

You have probably checked your horoscope in the papers or a magazine from time to time to see what the stars have in mind for you. But, did you know that numerology can tell a lot about one’s personality? Find out your birth path number here!

The most important number in numerology is your birth path number. You can easily calculate this yourself!

Calculate your birth path number

Your birth path number can tell a lot about your personality. The number is always a number between 1 and 9, which you can easily calculate yourself. Simply write down your date of birth in numbers and add all numbers. Then split up that number and add the separate numbers until you have one number. If this sounds complicated, just look at our example below. We have calculated the birth path number of someone who was born on 1 May 1980.

Date of birth: 1-5-1980

1 + 5 + 1980 = 1986

1 + 9 + 8 + 6 = 24

2 + 4 = 6

In this case the birth path number is 6. Have you calculated your own birth number using this method? Check out what it means for your personality below.

Number 1

People whose birth path number is 1 are often called ‘the leader’. They are creative, independent and natural leaders. They like to do things their own way, which often leads to being perceived as headstrong and stubborn. People with number 1 are very honest and can be quite direct.

Number 2

Number 2 is also called ‘the diplomat’ because people with this birth number are very intuitive and sensitive. It is important to people with this birth number to be surrounded by loved ones. They do not like hurting others and will always be careful not to do so. They are also very humble and they value other opinions greatly. They are adamant about keeping the peace, which can drain their energy levels quickly. Because these people are so sensitive, they are also prone to depression and anxiety. Don’t let the mood of others determine yours!

Number 3

This is ‘the idealist’. People with this number are romantic, easy-going, charming and perfectionistic. People with this number often have a job in the creative field and they have many hobbies. Number 3s are easily excited and take on jobs hands on. Because idealists are often quite perfectionistic, they can be a tad insecure. This gives them the appearance of being grumpy, even though they are not.

Number 4

People whose birth number is 4 are ‘the conservatives’. They like discipline and order and they often are very responsible. They lack spontaneity, as they only act on things when they are 100 percent sure. Number 4s are dependable and like to work hard. This is also your downfall, as people with this number often take on too much at the same time.

Read all about the other five numbers on the next page.

Page 1/2


Did the CW order a new “Veronica Mars”?

No, the CW is not giving Veronica Mars a full season (at least not yet), but what they did order is a pilot from the executive producer of Veronica Mars, Diane Ruggiero. It will be a one-hour show about two crime-fighting teenager girls. The story will be that the girls have power but only when they are together. I have to say I am intrigued!
This could be a very good show if it is anything like Veronica Mars or could just be another (but not as good) version of Heroes. Let’s hope for the first option, can’t get enough of the witty and clever dialogues.


A man told his three year-old daughter to ‘Say goodbye to mommy,’ then sawed the woman’s head off as the youngster watched, police say.

Timothy Hernandez, 32, said he slaughtered girlfriend Vanessa Cons because God had ‘told him to strike (her) down’ and ‘because she did not repent,’ according to police reports.

He is alleged to have begun quoting Bible verses at Cons Sunday morning. Detectives believe he then used a butcher’s knife to saw Cons’ head off, before placing it on her torso.

The toddler, who has not been named, told police she saw Hernandez cut her mother with scissors, and that she screamed as he attacked her at his parents’ house in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Hernandez’s mom and dad discovered the bloodbath after returning from church, and called police.

They told detectives the couple had argued the night before Cons, who also has a five year-old child, was murdered.

Hernandez is further said to have confessed to killing Cons to police, and insisted his claim that he had been ordered to do so by God was ‘the truth.’

He was charged with premeditated murder.

Con’s brother Vidar Jay said on a GoFundMe page set up to pay for her funeral: ‘This feels like a bad dream.

‘My sister, Vanessa Cons, was a very loving person, who put her children first and herself last.

‘Despite any challenges she might have been faced with in life she tried her best to stay positive and meet obsticles head on.

‘Her smile would brighten any room and will never be forgotten. She is dearly missed.’

He added that it was ‘very difficult’ for the family to discuss further details of Cons’ gruesome murder.


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During this time, a Lakota Native American named Little Creek is also brought into the fort and held captive until he answers questions. Spirit is then broken in by the Colonel, who speaks his idea of how any wild horse can be tamed. Spirit gets a second wind and throws him off. When the Colonel gets frustrated and tries to shoot him, with Little Creek's help, they, along with other horses, escape the post. Little Creek's mare, Rain, meets them along with other Indians who capture Spirit. After returning to the Lakota village, Little Creek tries to tame Spirit with kindness, but Spirit refuses to be ridden. Little Creek ties Spirit and Rain together and, when he tries to leave, she insists on staying, then shows him her world. Spirit begins to warm up to Little Creek and falls in love with the mare. At the end of their time together, Little Creek tries again to ride him, but Spirit is still unwilling. He then decides that Spirit will never be tamed and frees him. As Spirit asks Rain to come with him to his herd, a Cavalry Regiment led by the Colonel ransacks the village. During a vicious battle, Rain is shot by the Colonel, knocking her into the river while Spirit knocks the Colonel off his horse, saving Little Creek's life. Spirit dives into the river to try to rescue Rain, but is unsuccessful and they both plummet over a waterfall. Spirit finds Rain dying from her injuries and stays by her side until scouts capture him. Watching Spirit being pulled away, Little Creek arrives, vowing to free him to satisfy his life-debt and follows the men after tending to Rain. Spirit and other stolen horses are then loaded onto a train and taken to a work site on the Transcontinental Railroad, where they are put to work pulling a steam locomotive. Not understanding, Spirit takes it as another challenge when he realizes that if the track extends along its present course, it will infringe on his homeland. Spirit feigns injuries resulting from exhaustion but breaks free from the sledge and breaks the chains holding the other horses. They escape, and the locomotive falls off its sledge and rolls down the hill chasing Spirit. When they reach the work site where the locomotive demolishes a building as it plows through it, then it crashes into another locomotive parked on the tracks and smashes into it, but because the locomotive is already under steam, its boiler explodes as it's being crushed. After the locomotive explosion, Spirit rushes out of the work site as the spreading flame starts to set it on fire. As it does, it lights a shed aflame which explodes because it was stored with explosives. The explosion causes a forest fire, and Spirit starts to gallop away as fast as he could, but the end of the chain that is wrapped around his neck gets snagged on a fallen tree Little Creek appears in time and saves Spirit from the wildfire. The next morning, the Colonel and his men find Spirit and Little Creek playing with each other. A climactic chase scene ensues on rock passages that lead to the Grand Canyon, where the two again outsmart the soldiers. Eventually, they are trapped by a gorge and forced to summit onto a cliff which faces over the gorge (beyond it is open space). Little Creek gives up, but Spirit manages to gain the bravery to leap off the cliff and onto the open land.

Spirit's move amazes the Colonel; he stops his men from shooting the two. Knowing it's for the best, the Colonel exchanges nods of respect to the two before walking off with the rest of the soldiers. Spirit returns to the rebuilt Lakota village with Little Creek and finds Rain still alive, nursed back to health by the Lakota people. Little Creek decides to name Spirit the "Spirit-Who-Could-Not-Be-Broken" and sets him and Rain free. He also took the feather out of Rain's mane and promises her that she will always be in his heart. Spirit and Rain travel day and night to his homeland. Eventually, the two horses joyfully meet up with Spirit's own herd. The eagle then appears as he flies up into horse-shaped clouds.


Ugolino Vivaldi

Unit Card:

Set - Rarity - Number

Task Force - Common - 47/60

The Vivaldi is one of those units that you use only if you don't have other options (its not bad, other destroyers are just better). In real ability and utility the Luca Tarigo is a superior destroyer for the same cost. While Vivaldi has respectable gunnery and ASW, the lack of subhunter or any other useful SA makes this unit sub par. Pegaso might also be a route to take, but she'll have trouble in any destroyer vs destroyer actions (which is where Vivaldi and Tarigo actually do quite well).

A niche unit to be sure, the Vivaldi has the advantage of have the rare ability, like a mine, of dealing damage in the movement phase. Raming a sub might mean that a z.506 might actually sink it with just a 2 ASW score ! Pairing this unit with the Euginio Sav means it can reach the center row on turn 2. Pairing it with a Schlswig-Holstien means an attack with the opening move of the game. Better on ASW than the Luca T, the real comparison is with the 8 cost destroyers of the KM that you could have taken. I'd say get a UgV, and keep it as a surprise option in select builds.

Plastic Figure Notes:


De-regulate Magnesium Glycinate: the best way to address magnesium deficieny

Do you know about one element which our body uses in 350 different ways? Yes, 350 different ways. It is THAT important. The element is magnesium. Though needed in small quantities, it helps our body in making bones. It also regulates the functioning of the brain and muscles besides maintaining blood sugar levels.

Magnesium is most commonly administered to patients using Magnesium Glycinate. But more on that later. First, let us fully comprehend the significance of magnesium.

Importance of Magnesium

Magnesium is a part of many key processes taking place in out body. Some of them include:

a. Making bones: Calcium is often considered the most important component of bones. However, the body needs Vitamin D in its active state for calcium absorption. Magnesium is the element which activates Vitamin D.

b. Functioning of the brain: Here, it gets a bit complicated. Memories in our brain are actually a huge network of synapses. Synapses tend to be variably strong or weak, a feature known as plasticity. Such plasticity has both computational and storage significance. Now, our brain has NMDA receptors which control this plasticity.

Theses NMDA receptors may be activated by calcium, glutamate and magnesium. However, excess calcium and glutamate are toxic. On the other hand, magnesium has limited side effects. Thus, it becomes an essential for proper brain functioning.

c. Muscle relaxation: Calcium signals muscles to contract. On the other hand, magnesium seems to signal them to relax. Magnesium makes the cell membranes selectively receptive to certain ions. This feature, known as ion transportation, helps our muscles relax.

Consequences of Magnesium Deficiency

With Magnesium’s important role, its deficiency is bound to leave an impact. Your body may give certain early signals regarding magnesium deficiency. They may include loss of appetite, fatigue and nausea.

However, extreme magnesium deficiency provides stronger signals. They may include cramps in the muscles, numbness of senses, tingling sensations and abnormal heart rhytms. Normally, magnesium supplements are able to effectively deal with these problems.

Why Magnesium Glycinate?

This is an important question. If magnesium so important, why not directly have it? Why not have it with in some other combination.

There is something special about glycine. Firstly, magnesium shares a strong bond with glycine. Hence, they don’t break up in the stomach.

Secondly and more importantly, it increases bio availability. Intestines use depeptide channels to absorb amino acids like glycine. Depeptide channels are the most abundant channels in the intestine. Magnesium gets absorbed along with glycine due to their strong bond. Hence, glycine vastly improves magnesium availability.

Therfore, magnesium glycinate is the most preferred combination for increasing the magnesium supply!

Side effects

A common query related to supplements. Any side effects?

Not much. A healthy body would use the required amount of magnesium and excrete the rest. However, magnesium may interfere with other medications. Osteoporosis curing Biphosphonates, Antibiotics and certain drugs used to treat peptic ulcers may be effected.

Magnesium may, in some cases, cause diarrhea and stomach upsets. Irregular heart beats and even cardiac arrests have been observed at abnormal doses. Hence, it is advisable to consult your physician before using magnesium supplements.

Magnesium is an essential component for healthy body functioning. In fact, it is said that a magnesium deficient person is two times more likely to die. Also, Magnesium Glycinate seems to be the best supplement around. Hence, it is definitely recommended for a magnesium deficient body.

When the government starts to regulate this compound we find it to be more expensive and cause a host of long term problems.

We Must Take a Note from Singapore’s Book

Europe, Singapore and the East

Useful Tips for Installing Water Heaters in Small Spaces

What are the Best Nootropics of 2017?

How to Stop Fatigue Before it Happens

What Causes Fatigue?

Conclusion Regarding Fatigue

Two Tools Changing the Nootropics World

Nootropics and Modern Technology

Nootropics Everyone Needs to Try

Drinks that Make America Great Again

Drinks Across America

Aniracetam or Oxiracetam for Stimulating Memory Enhancement

The Reasons to Try Nootropics

sunset-1177315_960_720For new people to the brain enhancing space, there are several ways to get started. Some people find that natural methods of improving brain health are best, such as fasting or drinking enough water and having a good diet. However, there are other methods called nootropics that are incredibly impactful. It depends on what you are taking and looking to achieve, but there are nootropic options you can utilize that will greatly improve your cognitive abilities.

  1. Nootropics can be natural options – if you are interested in nootropics for improving brain health, but don’t want experimental drugs, you can have that option. The best nootropics are the ones that have been used for thousands of years by traditional cultures, such as Indian and Chinese. There are nootropics like ginseng, ashwagandha, bacopa monnieri and others that can improve your brain without needing to go into any experimental phase.
  2. Globalization – you might wonder how globalization has an impact on whether you should take nootropics, but take a look at it from a competitive perspective. You’ll find that globalization is causing far more competition for brain power worldwide. Suddenly people from China who are very intelligent are competing with people in the western world, which means that any advantage needs to be taken to get ahead.
  3. Nootropics are safe – A lot of people automatically assume that anything which alters the brain is not safe. This is not true and nootropics are some of the most well researched products you can buy. Obviously it varies depending on what you are searching for, but in general you are going to find all types of options that have a lot of studies and evidence. There are also plenty of online anecdotes to help you see other people’s experiences.

3 Ways to Prevent Alzheimer’s

Whether you are in your 20s or already aging through 50s and beyond, it is important for you to prepare for old age and the diseases that often come with it. Most people don’t realize, but there are ways that you can prevent some of the illnesses that come with old age. People believe that it is only a matter of time before memory loss starts to cause problems, but with the right diet and supplementation, it is possible to prevent Alzheimer’s for a lot longer. Use these 3 ways to learn how.

  1. Choline – this is the easiest way to prevent memory loss and related problems. Just try to get enough choline in your diet daily and you’ll have a lot more of the neurochemical called acetylcholine, which is useful for improving your memory and preventing neurological decline. This is often found in eggs and in organ meats so if you are not a fan of eating liver and kidney, make sure you have enough eggs. Otherwise, take an alpha GPC or CDP choline option.
  2. Piracetam – the godfather of racetams and nootropics, piracetam is a great way to prevent neurological decline through adequate protection mechanisms. You’re going to find that the vast majority of people who are working on improving their memory can also protect it through the use of this drug.
  3. Oxiracetam – even though piracetam is the papa-bear, oxiracetam is a great method of preventing memory loss. In studies on rats, oxiracetam was the best drug for reversing memory loss caused by trauma so this could be a great option if Alzheimer’s has already started to creep in.

Any one of the above nootropics can be found at, they are a reputable nootropics vendor that carries a wide variety of nootropic supplements.While this is a relatively basic list, it is a great place for you to start so that you do not end up with any long term damage to your brain.


What is a proverb? A proverb is a simple and short saying usually known by many people, which expresses words of wisdom or gives advice, based on common sense or experience of humanity. (wik)

To learn proverbs better, try to spell them correctly! Take Proverbs and Sayings Spelling Test

List of 570 English proverbs and sayings used in everyday conversation.

To researh meanings and origins of the proverb and also view sample usage - click icon to the left of the proverb.

Select proverbs starting with:
-A- -B-C-D-E- -F-G-H- -I-J- -K-L-M -N-O- -P-R-S- -T- -U-V-W-Y-


What is this page?

The One Another's in Scripture
How does God expect us to treat each other? (Taken from Nancy's radio series "Who Needs the Church?")

Encouraging One Another
In a world where so many people are sad, lonely, and hurting, God wants to use your hands and words to communicate His heart and minister grace to those around you.

One another - a Christian perspective
Christians aren't supposed to just focus on doing good work themselves. They are part of a community of believers, and should look for ways to encourage their fellow Christians to do good works as well.

"One another" in the Bible: Romans 12:9-11
Community is an important part of the Christian life. This passage encourages us to remain devoted to our brothers and sisters in Christ, serving God together as a church.


Texto extraído de: POWERbreathe

On Sunday 26th May POWERbreathe attended the ASA South East Regional Age Group Championships in Crawley, West Sussex, with swim specialists Mailsports.

These Swimming Championships take place annually on dates designated for Regional Championships by swimming’s governing body, the ASA and by the Region Swimming Group.

This heavily subscribed event was held at the K2 Leisure Centre, a state of the art sports facility in Crawley on Saturday and Sunday.

Mailsports is one of the UK and Europe’s leading swim specialist retailers, and they recently brought POWERbreathe into their portfolio, so our very own Duncan from POWERbreathe teamed up with Mailsports at the event on Sunday.

Boys and girls aged 10 – 14 years took part in Freestyle events in the morning, and Freestyle, Breastroke, Butterfly and Backstroke events in the afternoon.

Duncan set up a K5 centre in the Leisure Centre where he presented POWERbreathe to the swimmers, and was delighted when 12-year-old Henry popped over to tell him how he’d bought POWERbreathe at Nick Gilligham’s Art of Swimming Course in Sevenoaks. Henry’s a keen swimmer and had been using POWERbreathe for about 6-months and told Duncan how it really helped him with breath holding while underwater, and with his breathing while swimming in general.

The age group swimmers were able to try out POWERbreathe for themselves on the K5 and see their breathing strength and performance in real-time on screen. Duncan explained the benefits of strengthening their breathing muscles for swimming, such as helping them to overcome the challenge they face in trying to inhale as much oxygen as possible in the shortest time possible. POWERbreathe helps with this challenge as it exercises the muscles used to inhale, making them stronger over a period of training – and for these age group swimmers who already lead packed lives, any training that takes no longer then 5-minutes is a bonus! They understood how POWERbreathe could help them improve their swimming performance and that by making their breathing muscles stronger, their breathing wouldn’t tire as quickly which would enable them to train and perform better, and for longer. Several of the swimmers went away with POWERbreathe Plus units, some with the POWERbreathe Plus Level 1 (LR) models, and some of the stronger, older swimmers with the POWERbreathe Plus Level 2 (MR) models. There was also a lot of interest in the K-Series, particularly the K5 which always seems to draw a crowd!

Before each swimming event there was a warm-up period, but like many sports warm-up, a specific respiratory warm-up was missing and yet would be hugely beneficial to these swimmers. By warming up the breathing muscles with POWERbreathe before any sport will reduce the feeling of excessive breathlessness at the start, and research has shown that a standard warm-up does fail to warm-up the inspiratory muscles.


Fall 2000, CSE 520: Lecture 2

The Semantics of the Lambda Calculus

The theory of the lambda calculus is an equational theory called "lambda-conversion", namely, a set of rules which allows to derive that certain terms are "equal" (i.e. lambda-convertible to each other).

This theory defines a semantics for lambda-terms in the sense that it defines the meaning of a term M as the (equivalence) class of all terms lambda-convertible to M.

It will be useful to introduce some preliminary notions.

Free and Bound variables

Given a lambda abstraction \x.M, we say that the operator "\x" is a binder for x, and that the occurrences of x in M are bound. The scope of this binder is the whole term M, except for the subterms of M which contain another binder for x, namely, the subterms which are again of the form \x.N.

These concepts of binder and scope are similar to the concepts of declaration and scope in programming langauges like for instance C, Pascal, or ML.

For example, consider the term

+++ (\x. ... (\x. --- ) *** ) ^^^
The parts ... and *** are in the scope of the outermost \x. The part --- is in the scope of the innermost \x. The parts +++ and ^^^ are out of the scope of both \x.

An occurrence of x is free in M if it is not in the scope of any binder for x.

For example, consider the term

(\x. x y (\x.\y. y z x ) x ) y x
We have 4 occurrences of x, of which only the last is free. The first and the third are bound by the outermost \x and the second is bound by the innermost \x. As for the other variables, we have 3 occurrences of y, of which the first and the last are free, and we have only one occurrence of z, free.

The free variables of M are all the variables which occur free in M. Formally:

FV(x) = {x}
FV(\x.M) = FV(M) - {x}
FV(M N) = FV(M) union FV(N)

Given a term M, a variable x, and a term N which does not contain any free variable which is bound in M (in a subterm containing x), the term M[N/x] (also denoted by M[x:=N]) is the term obtained from M by replacing every free occurrence of x by N. Formally:
x[N/x] = N
y[N/x] = y
(\y.M)[N/x] = \y.(M[N/x])
(\x.M)[N/x] = \x.M
(M P)[N/x] = (M[N/x])(P[N/x])

The condition "N does not contain free variables which are bound in M" is meant to avoid "variable capture". For example, given M = \y.zx, and N = y, if we simply replaced x by N in M, we would obtain the term \y.zy, which is intuitively incorrect since y, which was free in N, would become bound in M[N/x]. (Or in other words, M was constant on y and would become not constant.)

Alpha conversion

The alpha conversion (or alpha renaming) axiom formalizes the idea that "the names of bound variables don't matter". Formally:
\x.M =alpha \y.M[y/x]
provided that y is neither free nor bound in M.

Beta conversion

The beta axiom formalizes the notion of transformation which takes place when a function is applied to an argument. Formally:
(\x.M) N =beta M[N/x]
provided that N does not contain free variables which is bound in M (in a subterm containing x), so to avoid variable capture.

Example: (\x. x+1) 5 =beta 5+1 = 6

Variable assumption: To avoid the "variable capture" problem, and more in general, confusion with names, we will assume that all variables that occur free have names different from those of the bound variables, and that all bound variables have different names as well. Note that this assumption is not restrictive since we can always alpha-rename the bound variables.

For example, when we have a term like

x (\x.x(\x.x)x)
we will write, instead
x (\y.y(\z.z)y)

Another solution would be to define the notion of substitution so that it renames the variables automatically when needed. For this approach see for instance Hindley and Seldin, Definition 1.1.

The theory of the lambda calculus

We will say that M = N is provable in the lambda calculus, or that M and N are lambda-convertible (notation: |- M = N or simply M = N) if M = N can be derived using the alpha axiom, the beta axiom, associativity, reflexivity, transitivity, and the following rules:

Expressiveness of the Lambda Calculus

We will focus now on the computational power of the Lambda Calculus. We will show that the Lambda Calculus is computationally complete, in the sense that it is able to express all computable functions.

As a definition of computable function, we will use the system of "Recursive Functions" defined by Gödel in 1931.

Recursive Functions

The recursive functions are defined by using a few basic functions (also called initial functions or elementary functions) and a few rules for defining new functions from the already defined ones.

Initial functions

Rules for defining new functions

Given f : Nk -> N and g1,...,gk : Nh -> N, the function f o (g1,...,gk) : Nh -> N (composition of f and g1,...,gk) is the function defined as
(f o (g1,...,gk)) (n1,...,nh) = f(g1(n1,...,nh),..., gk(n1,...,nh))
Example: the function f(n) = n + 2 can be defined as the composition of the successor function with itself, namely f = S o S.

Primitive recursion

Given g : Nk -> N and h : Nk+2 -> N, the function f : Nk+1 -> N is defined by primitive recursion from g and h if the following equalities hold:
f(0,n1,...,nk) = g(n1,...,nk)
f(n+1,n1,...,nk) = h(n, f(n,n1,...,nk), n1,...,nk)
  1. The function plus(n,m) = n + m can be defined by primitive recursion from g = U11 and h = S o U32.
  2. The function times(n,m) = n * m can be defined by primitive recursion from g = Z and h = plus o (U33, U32).

Given g : Nk+1 -> N, the function f : Nk -> N is defined by minimalization from g if the following holds:
f(n1,...,nk) = mu n. (g(n,n1,...,nk) = 0)
where mu is the minimalization operator: mu n. P(n) returns the least natural number n such that P(n) holds. If such n does not exists, then the result is undefined.

Note that f could be computed by general iteration, i.e. using a while loop of the form

n := 0; while (g(n,n1,...,nk) <> 0) do n := n+1;

Example: Consider the function log2 n = k, where k is the number, if it exists, such that 2k = n (the result is undefined otherwise). Then log2 can be defined by minimalization from the function g(k,n) = | 2k - n |, where | m | represents the absolute value of m.

Definition The set of Recursive Functions is the smallest set which contains the initial functions and is closed w.r.t. composition, primitive recursion, and minimalization.

If we exclude minimalization from this construction, we get the set of Primitive Recursive Fuctions, which are all total. Minimalization is the only operator which introduces non-termination, i.e. partiality.


Slipped Disc Help - Through Hell and Back

Oil Painting - Fantasy Reviews - All

The Victorian Hawk Dragon has currently reviewed the following:

Lava Serpent of Wadjet - Egyptian Cobra Goddess, Sea Serpent of Atlantis

Oil Painting - Fantasy Reviews - Newest

Lava Serpent of Wadjet - Egyptian Cobra Goddess

Warriors of the Sands, and Guardians of the Egyptians, Lava Serpents bring Vengeance to the Earth:

Lava Serpent of Wadjet - Guardians of the Egyptians and Vengeance to the Earth

In the Foundries of Vesuvius, in the Bedrock of the Mountains - with the Persistence of the Endless, does a Lava Serpent sleep. In the Chambers of Thera, in the Magma of the Vents, with the Slumber of the Dormant, does a Lava Serpent lie. In the Enemies of Egypt, in the Pyramids of Conflict - with the Wisdoms of the Pharaoh, does a Lava Serpent wake. In the Eruptions of Primeval, in the Rush of the Lava - with the Movement of a Quake, does the Lava Serpent strike. In the Abyss of the Desolate, in the Carnage of the Crust - with the Aftermath of Onslaught, does a Lava Serpent revel. It's mission complete: a relic is born! I like the fact that this artwork captures the idea of a serpent that lives underground: as the serpent has been positioned between both Stalagmites and Stalactites - which in doing so, helps to suggest the presence of an Underground Cavern. The Cavern is not disjoint from the Lava Serpent (as you would expect), but has instead, been used to enhance the appeal of the serpent (through numerous artistic effects). First: the Stalagmites and Stalactites are used to pull you into the scene (by thought of their opposing directions - you tend to focus on the Lava Serpent). Second: the Stalagmites and Stalactites have been used as a way to add layering to the scene (as the Lava Serpent loops both under and over them - you tend to gain a perception of depth). Third: the rock ceiling/roof appears as though it's being held in place by the Golden Pillar (suggesting that the Cavern roof could collapse - as it is with the Wrath of the Earth). When these three effects/features are combined with the darker rock (towards the bottom-left of the artwork), I fall-under the impression that the Lava Serpent is sheltering (perhaps from the Storms of the Lava). I also approve of the use of colour within this artwork, especially the way in-which the Lava Serpents skin, appears to be connected with both the Element of Fire (the reds and yellows) and the Element of Earth (the greens). I also feel that the choice of colours was made (by the artist) to convey two further important concepts. First: there is the concept of size - as you realise that the Lava Serpents skin is repeated towards the top of the artwork (making me think of the existence of gigantic Lava Serpents). Second: there is the concept of belonging - as the Golden Pillar appears to be out of place (making me think of the Ancient Egyptians and their Engineering/Architecture Skills). I suspect that this artwork was painted in oils - as there's a fair amount of blending/transparency (on the Lava Serpents skin) and several raised/contrasting edges (especially around the black and red fans/frills). As such, it appears that the artist decided to break-up several uniform tones/areas, by employing the pointillism technique (in two places). The first: pointillism has been used on the darker rock (to suggest some-kind of underground algae). The second: pointillism has been used on the background (to suggest the concept of Inner Space - perhaps within the Centre of the Earth, where the Cavern is nothing but a Portal). Overall: I love the Conflict that occurs within this artwork. On the one side, there is the Elemental Powers of the Volcano (the reds of the serpent) together with the Savageness of the Earth (the Stalagmite and Stalactite teeth). Yet on the other side, there is the suggestion of such Powers being Tamed (by a Pillar of Egypt) and a connection with the Roots of the Trees (the greens of the serpent - and surrounding rock). I was also impressed by the variation of the pointillism technique, that's been used to paint/colour the Lava Serpents skin (as this is more akin to transparent dashes - as opposed to solid dots). Lava may be the primordial force of the Ancient Egyptians, yet when it comes to the control of their underground domains, Lava Serpents remain their weapon of choice!

17/02/2015 | Victorian Hawk

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Sea Serpent of Atlantis

Warriors of the Seas, and Guardians of the Mermaids, Sea Serpents bring Justice to the Deep:

Sea Serpent of Atlantis - Guardians of Mermaids and Justice to the Deep

In the Armouries of Atlantis, in the Vaults of the Reefs - with the Timeless of the Ancient, does a Sea Serpent sleep. In the Arsenals of Atlantis, in the Tides of the Seas - with the Patience of the Endless, does a Sea Serpent sleep. In the Foes of Atlantis, in the Temples of War - with the Councils of the Wise, does a Sea Serpent wake. In the Turbulence of the Oceans, in the Wrath of the Waves - with the Crush of a Hull, does the Sea Serpent strike. In the Depths of the Seas, in the Treasures of the Seabed - with the Pull of the Strong, does a Sea Serpent dive. It's mission complete: a shipwreck is born! I like the fact that this artwork captures the primary concept/idea of a serpent: the Sea Serpent has an S shape, which curls around and pulls you in (like a whirlpool). In doing so, it's easy to miss the fact that this is a baby Sea Serpent! Firstly, there is the fact that the Sea Serpent is on a similar scale/size to the shipwrecks anchors. Secondly, once you've pulled away from the whirlpool, you will notice that the Sea Serpents armour is repeated at the top of the artwork, and given the fact that this repeat is disjoint (from the baby Sea Serpent) - suggests just one thing: that there must be a bigger Sea Serpent above! I feel that the baby Sea Serpent is also sheltering - as he/she is nestled within a shipwreck: there's two anchors and the remnants of a coral covered hull against the side of a cliff (on the left-hand side), whereas the right-hand side (of the scene) appears to be much more open (to the sea). I also approve of the colour use within this artwork, particularity with the striking contrast between the bright fans/frills and the camouflaged Seaweed Armour. The yellow makes me think of Gold (and the Sun of Atlantis). The red and orange makes me think of Fire (and the Wrath of Atlantis). The blue hints at the coolness of the oceans and helps suggest the concept of layers. The blue also hints at an artwork that resembles a stained glass window (as the blue has not been used as a tint for the other colours). It appears that this artwork was painted in oils - as it seems that many of the surfaces are actually raised (especially the edges of the yellow, red and orange fans/frills). It also appears that the artist made use of a transparent medium (possibly Liquin) when painting the Seaweed Armour (as there's a fair amount of blending/variation at the edges of the brownish purple yellow). The use of a medium (such as Liquin) is also hinted at by the transparency/blending that's present on the seabed. The corals present on the remnants of the sunken hull, anchors and seabed (near to where the Seaweed sprouts) appear to be a variation of the oil painters pointillism technique - whereby the (relevant) background colour is allowed to show through (amongst the dots). Overall: I'm impressed with the variety of oil painting techniques that have been used to bring this Sea Serpent to life. This is especially true of the techniques used upon the seabed - whereby hard lines (in black) have been used to add both depth and clarity to the scene. There is also further variation, as the hard lines could have been added to the remnants of the sunken hull (e.g. to illustrate individual planks) - yet this has been avoided. Hurricanes may be the primeval force of the Mermaids, yet when it comes to the control of their undersea domains, Sea Serpents remain their weapon of choice!

09/01/2015 | Victorian Hawk

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Fire Fairy - Egyptian Fire Fairy Assassin


Opening ABR files

Did your computer fail to open an ABR file? We explain what ABR files are and recommend software that we know can open or convert your ABR files.

What is an ABR file?

Files that contain the .abr file extension are most commonly used by the Adobe Photoshop image editing application. Photoshop is used by consumers and businesses to edit and manipulate images that have been created online or taken with a digital camera. The Photoshop software has a variety of functions, including the ability to change textures, shapes and dynamics within the image that is being edited.

The Photoshop software's "brush" settings are what save the different aspects of the software's "brush effects". The ABR files that are located within the Photoshop software program are the files that store the different Photoshop "brush" settings. Each brush style has its own corresponding ABR file and can be accessed using the drop-down menu in the Photoshop application.

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What Is An SSA Triangle?

SSA stands for side – side – angle, and it means a triangle with known lengths of two sides and one known angle that is not between the two sides. When we have this much information, we can figure out the remaining side and the other two angles.

Describing An SSA Triangle

Picture a triangle with sides a, b, and c. The angle opposite side a is angle A, the angle opposite side b is angle B, and the angle opposite side c is angle C. In this triangle, we know that side a is 8 inches long, and side b is 6 inches long. We also know that angle A is 50 degrees.

Step One: Find Another Angle

We can use the Law of Sines to find either one of the unknown angles in the triangle. The Law of Sines states these ratios are equal:

When we use this law to find an unknown angle, it is easier to flip the equations, like this:

Now, we can plug in the information that we have.

sin(50)/8 = sin(B)/6

Since we have no information about side c or Angle C at this point, we can ignore them. Using algebra, we can rewrite the equation as

sin(B) = (sin(50)/8) x 6

Using a calculator, we can figure out that

sin(B) = .77/8 x 6 = .58

So now we know that the sine of angle B is equal to .58, but we have to take one more step to find out what angle B actually is. The next step is to calculate the inverse sine (sin-1). The inverse sine of .58 is 35.5, so angle B is 35.5 degrees.

Step Two: Find The Third Angle.

Now that we know two angles in the triangle, it’s very easy to find the third. We just need to remember the rule that all three angles of any triangle add up to 180. We know that angle A = 50 and angle B = 35.5; therefore, angle C = 94.5

Step Three: Find The Other Side.

Now we can go back to the Law of Sines to find the length of side c. Since we know two sides and their opposite angles, we can use either pair. For this example, we’ll use a/sin(A).

Plugging in the information we have, we get the equation

8/sin(50) = c/sin(94.5)

c = 8/sin(50) x sin(94.5) = 10.4 x 1 = 10.4 inches

Two Possible Answers

Note that there can sometimes be two possible answers for an SSA triangle. If the known angle is less than 90 degrees, it could be possible to flip the triangle, using the same side values but a supplementary angle, since the sine of any angle and the sine of its supplement are the same. This ambiguity is only possible when the known angle is less than 90, the adjacent side is longer than the opposite side, and the length of the opposite side is greater than the height.

Given the following information, find angles B and C and side c.

side a = 15

side b = 10

side c = ?

angle A = 120

angle B = ?

angle C = ?

First find angle B using the Law of Sines.

sin(120)/15 = sin(B)/10

sin(B) = sin(120)/15 x 10 = .58

sine-1(.58) = 35

So, angle B = 35 inches.

Next, find the third angle.

120 + 35 + angle C = 180

angle C = 45

Next find side c using the Law of Sines.

15/sin(120) = c/sin(45)

c = 15/sin(120) x sin(45) = 12

side c = 12 inches


The price of shame

As a Netizen, we sometimes need to think about our online behaviour. Have you ever thought of the following questions:

How do we react about an online phenomenon?
How do we see an offline phenomenon online?
How do we judge other residents of virtual world and why we do so?
How do we write a comment about them… etc.

Every click we do is important. As a Digital marketer, I believe in power of clicks, even more than others! For a long time, I wanted to write about this and today I suddenly came across this very good Ted talk from Monica Lewinsky. I guess you remember her and the story of Mr. president.

“We talk a lot about our right to freedom of expression, but we need to talk more about our responsibility to freedom of expression.”…Monica Lewinsky


Why Do Some People Like Dividends So Much?

by: Mark Bern, CFA

Comparing total return over multiple periods for the S&P 500 and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats may answer at least part of the question.

Planning for retirement? Do rising dividends play an important part in that plan?

Three methods commonly used to reinvest dividends.

I have included the value of dividends in several of my articles but decided it was time to write an article that focused on the subject. In order to provide full disclosure, as I was researching the topic I came across an article in Market Watch that is short and to the point that may might appreciate. There will be some parallels in the early portion of my article relative to that article but I just wanted to expand on the topic so that readers can understand the full impact that dividends can have over the long term.

To provide a little context I went to the horse's mouth, so to speak, and looked up total return for the S&P 500 (with dividends reinvested) compared to the S&P 500 Index return without dividends (just the appreciation) at the S&P Dow Jones Indices site indexology.com. Below is the chart provided:

This was over a period of 25 years so it is considered long-term. This is using just the S&P 500 Index without any selectivity using a passive investing strategy. The results provided were as follows:

" One thousand dollars invested in the S&P 500 at the end of January, 1988 would have been worth $5557 at the end of July, 2013. However, if the dividends were reinvested in the index, the investment would be worth $10,635 by the end of July. Reinvesting the dividends roughly doubled the value of the investment. Looking at the same time period, the annual return earned by the total return index was 9.71% and by the price index was 6.96%, a spread of 2.75%."

That 2.75 percent may not seem like much, but it adds up over time. It also equals 28.3 percent of the total return and is 39.5 percent higher than the appreciation of the index alone. So, if you are not reinvesting your dividends (assuming you are not retired and needing the current income) you may be missing out on a lot of additional return.

Now let's look at how the first article I linked to displayed the comparison. In that article, there was an added parameter: using only the Dividend Aristocrats (at least 25 years of rising dividends) of the S&P 500 total return (with dividends reinvested) compared with the entire S&P 500 index total return (this would be equal to the higher return in the above example). The author provided the comparison over the following time periods: 2016 YTD, three years, five years, ten years, fifteen years and 20 years (but only included the last four in chart form from FactSet).

For five years:

Source of chart: Market Watch

For ten years:

Source of chart: Market Watch

For fifteen years:

Source of chart: Market Watch

For Twenty years:

Source of chart: Market Watch

Now the table included in that article also highlights the differences but I will merely include the percentage increase in total return between the two approaches.

Three Years

Five years

Ten Years

Fifteen Years

Twenty Years

% Difference

Notice that once we get past the five year period (which in the scheme of things is relative short) the improvement becomes more significant and elevated compared to the three and five year periods. Of course, the whole idea of that article is probably to get people to invest in dividend aristocrats now, after the big outperformance during 2016, but that is probably not such a good idea. Investing today in what was hot just recently in hopes that the momentum will continue usually does not pay off in the short run. It would be best to take a better approach, something I will get into later in this article.

Now let's take a look at the very long term just to make sure we are not looking at a temporary trend. Here is a nice little (free) tool that you can use to calculate returns on the S&P 500 over any period you desire (calendar years only) all the way back to 1871. It only calculates full calendar year returns as in January 1, 19XX to December 31, 21XX. But it will calculate the average total return and the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) with or without dividends. So, I used a 50-year period from 1966 through 2015 (inclusive) in my first round. These results do not include any selectivity (using a sub-group from the index); just the index as a whole (again, passive investing). If an investor had invested in the S&P 500 over that 50 years and just let it ride collecting dividends and not reinvesting them s/he would have received a total CAGR of 6.39 percent and $10,000 would have grown to $221,100. Had s/he reinvested the dividends the CAGR would have increased to 9.69 percent and $10,000 would have grown to $1,021,700. Notice the difference that the dividends make? The average difference in CAGR with dividends reinvested increases by 3.3 percent or an improvement of 51.6 percent. Over an investing lifetime (which could be as short as 30 years or as long as 60 year, and is some cases longer) the difference becomes more and more apparent.

So next I did the same calculation comparing the CAGR for the S&P 500 without dividends reinvested and again with dividends reinvested for 30 years, 40 years, 60 years and 70 years (for those of you really young folks just getting started) and put the results in table form below (including the results for 50 years) all ending in 2015. CAGR w/o Div. means just the appreciation of the S&P 500 index without dividend reinvested, CAGR Div. Reinv is the total return including dividends reinvested, Difference is just the first CAGR subtracted from the second result, the Percent of Increase is the percentage improvement derived from reinvesting dividends and the column labeled $10,000 w/o turns into shows what that amount invested in the beginning (with no additional investments) would turn into over the Time Period without dividends reinvested and you can guess what the last column is.

Time Period

CAGR w/o Div.

CAGR Div. Reinvested

Percent of Increase

$10,000 w/o turns into

$10,000 w/ Div. Rein. Turns into

30 Years

40 Years

50 Years

60 Years

70 Years

There are at least three things should stand out when looking at this table. The least obvious is that without reinvested dividends an investor would have actually made less money in 50 years as opposed to having invested over 40 years. How can this be? The answer is that the 1970s were terrible as a whole and that the index was actually lower at the end of 1975 (90.19) than it was at the beginning of 1966 (92.88). So, without reinvesting the dividends an investor would have lost money during that decade and many did. But those who hung in there and reinvested dividends actually increased their respective net worth by $278,700 or 37.5 percent (not great but much better than the alternative).

The second thing one should notice is that the longer you keep your money invested the more time works in your favor. This is called the effect of compound interest, or sometimes referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." And rightly so. The take away from this concept is that as you build your nest egg it works for you and the more you have the more it works in your favor. This is the basic reason why the rich always seem to get richer (until the prodigal son/daughter comes along, anyway). Getting there is not so hard, it just takes time to get there, something that most investors are too impatient to achieve.

The third thing that stands out is how much difference just a three percent or so increase in CAGR can make over time. Notice how much faster an investor increased $10,000 into $1 million with dividends reinvested; 50 years may be a long time but it sure beats 70 years in my book.

Another thing that some will notice is that there seems to be greater consistency in the improvement in CAGR when reinvesting dividends the longer the period examined. There are two pieces to that puzzle that should be mentioned. First and before readers point it out, dividend yield used to be much higher in the earlier portion of the period(s) examined. That does help some. But do not forget that even after only ten years, in the earlier table, the improvement was already consistently well above 30% and the worst period longer than that looked at (30 years) showed an improvement of 32.6%. The other piece is that, over time, dividends come into favor and then go out of favor in terms of investing styles and company emphasis. During the 1990s there was little regard paid dividends by most investors and, in the end, the price was paid. There was also little incentive for managements to use higher dividend increases as an inducement to get investors' attention; it was not working. So dividend increases were, on average lower. But over the last few years, with bond yields scarce and investors chasing yields aggressively, companies have been increasing dividends at a torrid pace.

These cycles come and go, but the point is that it pays to invest in dividend paying stocks that have a great record of increasing dividends over time. When management is committed to returning cash to its shareholders and those shareholders reward those respective companies by reinvesting those dividends everybody wins, especially the shareholders.

There are two more aspects of dividend investing that I want to cover but I am afraid that if I continued here this article would end up being too long. So, I will just have to write another article or two in order to provide the complete picture of how advantageous it is to pay attention to dividends when investing. The first one was briefly touched upon earlier in the article but I feel it necessary to expand upon the concept for investors to comprehend how important it can be and how much of a difference it can make. The concept is selectivity. Most of this article was about passively investing and how much difference reinvesting dividends can make over time. The next article will focus more on how to add another layer of outperformance on top of that already impressive improvement by understanding how to select long-term winners.

The other piece of the puzzle that I want to cover is how advantageous it can be to add more money to the pot periodically over time. The three methods that I have used successfully (I will dispense with those methods that did not work for me; trust me, I tried them all early in my investing career) are buying the dips, dollar cost averaging and only buying deep bargains (usually called value investing). I will cover each of these concepts in greater detail an article(s) in the next week or two. I want to take the time to use actual examples so readers can follow along and visualize what can be achieved by using each method over time. That will take some work on my part but I think it will be beneficial for readers.

Paying attention to dividends can make a big difference to investors over the long term. The added increase to a portfolio's CAGR provided by reinvested dividends can add hundreds of thousands of dollars in value to a portfolio over a lifetime. Why would anyone not do this?

For those who would like to know " What Stocks I Own or Want to Own" please consider following me and clicking the box to receive email alerts. That is the only way to know when I update my weekly blog where I identify my favorite companies. For those who would like to learn more about my investment philosophy please consider reading " How I Created My Own Portfolio Over a Lifetime."


Ten things that you didn’t know about Donald Trump

6. How he became known

In 1971 Trump became involved in larger construction projects and initially came to public attention in 1973 when he was accused by the Justice Department of violations of the Fair Housing Act in the operation of 39 buildings, including false “no vacancy” statements, and sham leases presenting higher rents to minority applicants, to facilitate the denial of housing to racial minorities. Trump in turn accused the Justice Department of targeting his company because it was a large one, and in order to force it to rent welfare recipients.
Homeseekers House Word Cloud CURRENT_0


New Danganronpa V3 Gets New Screenshots Introducing Academy For Gifted Prisoners

Spike Chunsoft has released new screenshots and details for New Danganronpa V3 for PS Vita and PS4 via its official website.

New Danganronpa V3 is set in the Academy for Gifted Prisoners, a school created for the mutual killing game of 16 “Super High School Level” students. Various facilities exist within the school, like a warehouse filled with goods, a dining hall connected to the kitchen, a game room and research classrooms for the talents of each student.

A special encouragement plan called the “Gifted System” was established by the government to nurture the gifted youth of the nation. The chosen students are known as “Super High School Level” students who are granted various special rights like subsidy, suffrage and elibility for election.

There are 14 strict school regulations. Students who violate them, will be disposed by the high mobility humanoid murder weapon called “Exisal”. Each of the five differented colored weapons have a Monokuma aboard.

The game’s story is told in chapters. In each of them, a murder will occur and you only continue to the next chapter after you discovered the murderer. Investigation parts start after the murder happened and a body was discovered. At the location of the murder, you gather information from other students and the evidence required to solve the case.

Main plot elements like the students plotting to escape the school and Monokuma promoting the mutual killing game to the students are parts of the daily life. Between story progression, you will have free time to roam the school and interact with other characters.

During Class Trials, you will use the gathered evidence to try and pinpoint the blackened. The “Super High School Level” students will debate from various angles even using wrong information or guesses. The goal of the Class Trials is to discover the truth of the incident and to uncover the students’ inconsistencies. The gathered evidence from the investigation part can be used as “Truth Bullets”. When shooting the correct Truth Bullets at the appearing inconsistencies, you will be able to proceed the debate.

New Danganronpa V3 will be released for the PS Vita and PS4 in Japan on January 12, 2017.

Check out the New Danganronpa V3 Screenshots:

Via: Gematsu


Binge eating disorder (BED) is considered the most common eating disorder in the US and can be a difficult problem to address (1).

Characterized by episodes of eating unusually large amounts even in the absence of hunger, binge eating can damage health and leave people feeling guilty and ashamed.

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple strategies you can try to effectively prevent binge eating.

Here are 15 tips to help you stop binge eating and gain back control.

How to Stop Binge EatingShare on Pinterest

Not only can fad diets often be very unhealthy, but studies show that these overly restrictive eating methods may also trigger episodes of binge eating.

Instead of following diets that focus on cutting out entire food groups or significantly slashing your calorie intake in an effort to lose weight quickly, focus on making healthy changes to your diet.

Eat more whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains and moderate your consumption of treats instead of excluding them from your diet altogether. This will prevent binge eating and promote better health.

Setting a regular eating schedule and sticking to it is one of the most effective ways to stop binge eating.

Skipping meals can contribute to cravings and increase your risk of overeating.

Whether you prefer eating three large meals each day or smaller, more frequent meals, set a regular eating schedule and stick to it to help you stop binge eating.

Summary Adhering to a regular eating pattern can reduce your risk of overeating and may be associated with lower levels of ghrelin and fasting blood sugar.

Mindfulness is a practice that involves listening to your body and bringing your attention to how you feel in the present moment.

This technique can prevent overeating by helping you learn to recognize when you no longer feel hungry.

One review of 14 studies found that practicing mindfulness meditation was effective at decreasing the incidence of binge eating and emotional eating (6).

Another small study showed that combining mindfulness with cognitive-behavioral therapy may improve eating behavior and self-awareness (7).

Try listening to your body to recognize when your hunger tapers off. Additionally, practice eating slowly and enjoying your food to prevent binging and promote healthy eating behaviors.

Summary Practicing mindfulness can help you recognize when you’re no longer hungry to improve eating behaviors and reduce the incidence of binge eating.

In fact, studies show that increasing water intake could be linked to decreased calorie consumption and less hunger.

For example, one study in 24 older adults found that drinking 17 ounces (500 ml) of water before eating a meal decreased the number of calories consumed by 13%, compared to a control group (8).

Similarly, another study in older adults showed that 13–17 ounces (375–500 ml) of water 30 minutes before a meal significantly decreased hunger and calorie intake while increasing feelings of fullness during the day (9).

Other studies indicate that drinking more water can boost metabolism and increase weight loss (10, 11).

The amount of water you should drink each day can vary based on different factors. Therefore, it’s best to listen to your body and drink when you feel thirsty to ensure you’re staying well hydrated.

Summary Drinking more water can keep you feeling full to decrease intake and prevent binge eating.

Yoga is a practice that incorporates both body and mind by using specific breathing exercises, poses and meditation to reduce stress and enhance relaxation.

Studies indicate that yoga can help encourage healthy eating habits and reduce your risk of emotional eating.

Another study in 20 girls found that combining yoga with outpatient eating disorder treatment decreased depression, anxiety and body image disturbances — all of which could be factors involved in emotional eating (13).

Research also shows that yoga can decrease levels of stress hormones such as cortisol to keep stress under control and prevent binge eating (14, 15).

Summary Yoga can help prevent binge eating and may reduce common triggers like stress, depression and anxiety.

Some research suggests that increasing your fiber intake could cut cravings, reduce appetite and food intake.

One small, two-week study found that supplementing twice daily with a type of fiber found in vegetables decreased hunger, increased fullness and reduced calorie intake (17).

Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains are just a few fiber-rich foods that can keep you feeling full.

Having plenty of junk food in your kitchen can make it much easier to binge eat when cravings start to strike.

Start by clearing out processed snack foods like chips, candies and pre-packaged convenience foods and swapping them for healthier alternatives.

Stocking your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, protein foods, whole grains, nuts and seeds can improve your diet and reduce your risk of binge eating on unhealthy foods.

Summary Removing unhealthy foods from your kitchen and stocking up on healthy alternatives can improve your diet quality and make it harder to binge eat.

For instance, one six-month study in 77 people showed that increasing weekly exercise frequency stopped binge eating in 81% of participants (19).

Another study in 84 women found that pairing cognitive-behavioral therapy with regular exercise was significantly more effective at reducing the frequency of binge eating compared to therapy alone (20).

Walking, running, swimming, biking and playing sports are just a few different forms of physical activity that can help relieve stress and reduce binge eating.

Summary Studies show that exercising can reduce your risk of binge eating and decrease stress levels.

Starting each day off with a healthy breakfast can help you stay on track and reduce your risk of binge eating later in the day.

For example, one study in 15 people found that eating a high-protein breakfast reduced levels of ghrelin to a greater extent than a high-carb breakfast (22).

Try combining a few fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables or whole grains, with a good source of protein to avoid overeating.

Not only does sleep impact hunger levels and appetite, but sleep deprivation may be linked to binge eating.

In fact, one study in 146 people found that those with BED reported significantly greater insomnia symptoms than people without a history of this condition (24).

Another large study showed that shorter sleep durations were associated with higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and lower levels of leptin — the hormone responsible for promoting fullness.

Additionally, sleeping under eight hours per night was linked to higher body weight (25).

Aim to squeeze in at least eight hours per night to keep your appetite in check and reduce your risk of binge eating.

A food and mood journal can be an effective tool that involves tracking what you eat and how you feel. This helps you take responsibility, identify potential triggers and promote healthier eating habits.

Keeping a food and mood journal makes it easier to look for patterns in your diet and address potential problems and triggers.

Several other studies also suggest that tracking your intake may be linked to increased weight loss and better success with long-term weight management (27, 28, 29).

Talking to a friend or peer when you feel like binging is a simple strategy to stop overeating.

Another study in 125 obese women found that better social support was linked to decreased binge eating severity (31).

A good social support system is thought to reduce the impact of stress, which may help decrease your risk of unhealthy habits like emotional eating (32, 33).

Upping your intake of protein-rich foods can keep you feeling full and help control your appetite to stop binge eating.

Similarly, another study found that following a high-protein diet enhanced metabolism, promoted feelings of fullness and increased levels of GLP-1, a hormone known for its ability to suppress appetite (35).

Try including at least one good source of protein — such as meat, eggs, nuts, seeds or legumes — in each meal and enjoy high-protein snacks when you feel hungry to keep cravings at bay.

Summary Increasing your protein intake has been shown to decrease calorie intake, enhance feelings of fullness and increase levels of GLP-1, a hormone that can help suppress appetite.

Planning out your meals can help ensure that you have healthy ingredients on hand to prepare nutritious meals, minimizing your risk of overindulging on junk foods.

The practice can also help you improve your diet quality and make it easier to fit in plenty of fiber- and protein-rich foods.

In fact, one study in over 40,000 adults showed that meal planning was associated with improvements in diet quality and diet variety, as well as a lower risk of obesity (36).

Set aside an hour or two each week to plan out a weekly rotation for your meals so that you reduce your risk of binging.

Summary Meal planning has been associated with improvements in diet quality and diet variety. It can also make sticking to a regular eating pattern easier and ensure that you have healthy ingredients on hand at all times.

If you’re still struggling with binge eating even after trying some of the strategies listed above, it may be time to seek treatment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, the most effective form of therapy, explores the connection between your thoughts, feelings and eating patterns, then develops strategies to modify your behavior (37).

Other types of therapy used to treat binge eating include dialectical-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and behavioral weight loss therapy (37).

Summary Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered an effective treatment method for binge eating. Other types of therapy and certain medications can also be used.

Binge eating is a common issue that affects millions of people around the world.

Not only can it wreak havoc on your body, it can also take a major toll on your mental health and self-esteem.

Luckily, a few simple modifications in your diet and lifestyle can help prevent episodes of binge eating while improving your overall health and wellbeing.