NEA Literature Fellowships

Andrea Lingenfelter

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(2014 - Translation)

Excerpt from “Forrest Woods, Chair” by Hon Lai Chu

[translated from the Chinese]

Once the bitter secretions coating the inside of his mouth became a part of his body, Forrest Woods thought he might be able to forget that bitterness existed. But one morning he awakened from a dream and discovered that the rank and fishy taste, which had been growing steadily stronger, now covered his tongue like a callous. He threw up violently in the washbasin, but the nausea continued to batter him like massive waves, and it wasn’t until he had sat down on the floor and assumed the shape of a chair that everything finally calmed. “I am an inanimate object,” he comforted himself. Holding his breath, he savored the happiness of being a chair, even though, at that moment, there wasn’t another body sitting on his body.

He called his lover on the phone and told her he’d figured out how to break off their relationship. “Believe me, it won’t hurt a bit.” He spoke in the same gentle tone he used when he was missing her.

She was the first person who made Forrest Woods realize that he was a chair. There had been a stretch of time when they couldn’t go anywhere, be it a café, a restaurant, the theater, or the supermarket, because they didn’t even have enough money in their pockets to pay for public transportation. Although the summer holiday had had been going for 100 days already, neither of them had been able to find work that they could exchange for money. At noon, when people on the steaming hot thoroughfares couldn’t see their own shadows, Forrest Woods would walk an hour to get to her house. The two of them couldn’t bear to go a day without seeing one another, even though they weren’t in the habit of cuddling and rarely felt the desire to converse. On the other hand, the moment she saw him, she couldn’t fight the urge to sit down on him. Woods encouraged this new interest, and whenever he went to see her, he would stop on the way to browse at a large furniture store nearby, taking time to gaze at the assembly of chairs with their diverse postures; and every night, in the last hour before he went to bed, he practiced imitating different chairs. At the time, he told himself that chair practice was something he did to improve his circulation.

Nonetheless, on countless free afternoons, he would sit straight-backed in a chair, close his eyes, and imagine that he and the chair had merged into one. His arms became her armrests, his feet and lower legs served as her footrest, and his flesh reminded her of a soft cushion. More than once, she sighed quietly that there had never been a chair as warm and comfortable as he was. At this point, Forrest Woods had been completely unconcerned about what he was; after all, he had been raised since birth to be a human being, as a matter of course. When she pointed out what an outstanding chair he was, he felt unaccountably happy.

Excerpt in Chinese

About Hon Lai Chu

Called “the most outstanding young author in Hong Kong” by a leading critic, Hon Lai Chu writes Kafkaesque tales that are at once universal and specific in their portrayal of life in an unnamed hyper-modern dystopia that resembles Hon’s native Hong Kong. Written with precision and economy, these surrealistic works reflect the sense of dislocation experienced by citizens of the tiny territory, caught between its colonial past and an uncertain future under China. Constantly searching for shelter and meaning, Hon’s characters navigate an ever-shifting cityscape against a backdrop of demolition and construction emblematic of their own existential crisis.

Andrea Lingenfelter is a poet, China scholar, and translator of contemporary Chinese literature. Her many published translations include the novels Farewell My Concubine and Candy, as well as poetry by a wide range of authors from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, which have appeared in journals and anthologies such as Manoa, Push Open the Window, Chicago Review, and Frontier Taiwan. She also composed the subtitles for Chen Kaige’s 2006 film, Temptress Moon. Her 2011 collection of translations of poems by China’s foremost feminist poet, Zhai Yongming, The Changing Room, was awarded the 2012 Northern California Book Award for Best Poetry in Translation. She has taught Chinese literature at UC Davis as a visiting lecturer and will be co-editing Pacific Rim: Perspectives at the University of San Francisco during the 2013-14 academic year.

Photo by Neil Henry

Translator's Statement

Hon Lai Chu’s spare, elegant prose immediately drew me in, and I found myself in a surrealistic world, a place both familiar and off-kilter. To read Hon’s work is to gaze into a transparent and reflective window, where we glimpse a skewed and imaginary place overlaid with the reflection of ourselves and the reality around us. I’m not the first person to describe her writing as Kafkaesque, and I’m sure I won’t be the last.

I was very excited when this project came along. Hong Kong has always had a special place in my heart, and writing from the former British colony has largely been overlooked by the rest of the world. After all, its most famous cultural products are action movies. Hong Kong’s rapid development over the past half century has combined with the former colony’s fraught relationship with mainland China to foster a certain anxiety among those who live there. What is a young person born into such a diverse and competitive society to make of it all? How can individuals find their way forward?

The first of Hon Lai Chu’s stories that I translated, “Forrest Woods, Chair,” explores these questions. This story compels us to ask if it is possible for us to maintain our humanity in an era of diminishing opportunities, when market forces threaten to overwhelm and dehumanize us all. The story of Forrest Woods shows just how far one person is willing to go in order to be seen as a useful member of society.

While mainland Chinese fiction has continued to focus on themes and settings that are particular to the People's Republic of China and its historical experience, Hong Kong fiction may resonate more with Western readers. The absurdity of life in the modern world is Hon’s primary subject, and this gives her work great universality. What she is saying is vitally important, and I am delighted that through my translation her work will be accessible to more readers. Receiving an NEA Translation Fellowship is both a personal honor and an affirmation of the work to which I have long been dedicated.


Ukraine Accuses BBC of a Biased Interpretation of the Conflict in Donbass

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Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ

14th May, 2016

Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada appealed to the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Minister of Culture of Great Britain with the requirement to abandon the expression “civil war” when describing the conflict in Donbass.

As was reported on the Facebook of MP Svitlana Zalishchuk, the Committee on Foreign Affairs reacted to the BBC film about the MH17 accident in the East of Ukraine.

According to her, the expression “civil war” used by the authors of the film is a “Russian stamp”, and instead it is required to use the terms “Russian aggression” and “occupation”.

The Verkhovna Rada considers the use of the term “civil war” to be “biased and deceptive”, says the document published by Svetlana Zalishchuk.

Deputies of the Ukrainian Parliament also demanded that the BBC offer an official explanation.

The BBC, on May 3rd, showed a documentary film titled “Secret documents: who shot down MH17?”. The film deals with various versions of the tragedy, including the positions of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

Kiev regularly accuses Moscow of being involved in the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine, although Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is completely uninvolved in the events in Donbass, it is not a party to the domestic conflict, and is interested in Ukraine overcoming the political and economic crisis.

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About Honduras

Honduras is a Central American country with Caribbean Sea coastlines to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south (via the Gulf of Fonseca). In the jungle near Guatemala, the ancient Mayan ceremonial site Copán has stone-carved hieroglyphics and stelae, tall stone monuments. Offshore lie the Bay Islands, part of a massive barrier reef, which are popular for scuba diving.

Honduras is an absolutely wonderful country to discover. As a matter of fact, it offers three unique worlds to discover, making a trip here varied in culture, nature and relaxation. The world of Tropical Nature describes the many natural parks and curiosities that one can explore in Honduras. The world of the Maya is best represented by the city of Copan, an archaeological Mayan marvel, where the remains of two Maya queens were unearthed. Finally, the world of Caribbean Honduras has earned the nickname of "Banana Republic", which describes the beautiful coastal villages once ruled by banana companies. Also to explore are the Bay Islands, particularly the well developed Island of Roatan.
The major cities offer a full range of traveler accommodations, ranging from many first-class hotels to a variety of less expensive alternatives. Dozens of fine restaurants offer nearly every type of international cuisine, as well as delicious local dishes.

Capital :
Tegucigalpa Currency : Lempira Driver's License : International driver's license required Electricity : 110 volts, 60Hz Entry Requirements : A passport, valid 6 months beyond intended stay, and an ongoing or return ticket are required. It is the traveller's responsibility to check with the country’s Embassy for up-to-date information. GMT Time : -6 hr. Daylight savings time is not applied. Government : Democratic Constitutional Republic Land size : 112,090 km2 Language : Spanish, Amerindian dialects National Airlines : Islena Airlines, Atlantic Airlines and Aerolineas Sosa Population : 7,792,854 approx Religion : Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3% Required Vaccines : none Tourist Season : November through April

The Plato tipico is the most famous lunch. It consists of rice, beef, fried beans (frijolitos), and fried bananas (tajaditas). Tortillas and enchiladas are popular in Honduras, as well as baleadas which are filled with meat, beans and Honduran cheese. Tamales are a popular Christmas dish made of baked corn flour wrapped in plantain leaves with meat or fish in a sauce on the inside. Deep fried chicken with chopped cabbage is a staple takeaway dish. Plantains, beans and rice are an integral part of Honduran cuisine. Coconut is a common ingredient in coastal or island dishes.

The popular licuados are fruit juices and milk shakes, made with fruits such as mango, pineapple, watermelon and banana. If you would like to enjoy local beers, try the Salvavida, Port Royal, Imperial and the newest Barena.

Culture The cultural background of Honduras consists of mixed American Indian and Spanish descent. There are 8 other indigenous groups: the Lencas, the Chortiz, the Tolupan, the Garifunas, the Miskitos, the Pech, the Tawahkas and the Bay Islanders. About 80% of the population is classed as poor.

The Lenca people form the largest of the indigenous groups, covering the largest geographical area. Many Lenca traditions continue to be used, such as the construction of rural houses, techniques for sowing and harvesting crops, cooking traditional foods, firing of rustic ceramics and weaving of colourful baskets, hats and mats.

The Garifuna people, a mix American Indian and African slaves who escaped from a wrecked slave ship, conserve a unique language and culture. Garifuna music is different from the rest of Central America; the most famous form is punta. Other forms of Garifuna music and dance include chumba, Paranda and hunguhungu, a circular dance in a three beat rhythm, which is often combined with punta. In 2001, Garifuna music was proclaimed one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

Honduran music is a mixture of indigenous, European and African influences. Traditional instruments include the marimba, the caramba and conch shells. The Lenca, the Garifunas and the Miskitos have kept many of their musical traditions alive. Honduran folk music uses rhythms derived from Spanish music.

Many great writers and painters, such as Ramon Amaya Amador, Jose Trinidad Reyes and Lopez Rodezno, have emerged in Honduras.

Geography Honduras, the second largest country in Central America, borders the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south through the Gulf of Fonseca. Its topography consists up to 80% of mountains, with the occasional narrow plains along the coasts, the large lowland jungle La Mosquitia in the northeast, and the San Pedro Sula valley in the northwest. Offshore territories include the Bay Islands, a collection of three large islands, and over 60 islets and keys.

History Today's city of Copan, found in the extreme western part of the country, was a major Mayan city that flourished during the period of 150-900 A.D. This ancient kingdom was known as Xukpi. By the time Christopher Columbus reached the coast of Honduras in 1502, the once great city of Copan was overrun by the jungle. Honduras then became part of Spain's empire within the Kingdom of Guatemala. The Spanish ruled Honduras for approximately three centuries.

Honduras declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. In 1822 it was annexed to the Mexican Empire of Iturbide, which was overthrown in 1823. Hence Central America formed the Federation of the United Provinces. This Fedration disintegrated in 1838 and the states became independent nations.

The Football War of 1969 was fought with El Salvador. There had always been border tension between the two countries. The war lasted approximately 100 hours and led to an arms race between the two countries. After two and a half decades of military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. Hurricane Fifí caused severe damage in 1974. Hurricane Mitch devastated the country and wrecked its economic system in 1998.

Nature Honduras is home to many ecological systems, ranging from rain forests, cloud forests (some rising up to nearly 3,000 m above sea level), mangroves, savannas and mountain ranges with pine and oak trees. The Bay Islands are close to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, where you can see bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, parrot fish, schools of blue tang and whale shark swimming among the corals.

The Pico Bonito National Park rises majestically behind La Ceiba, offering wonderful hiking and bird watching opportunities. White water rafting enthusiasts should head for the Rio Cangrejal. A great place to encounter some local wildlife is the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge. Here you may see monkeys, alligators, manatees and water birds. The Lancetilla Botanical Gardens are a beautiful place to visit when in the town of Tela. Bird watchers flock to the Hotel Hacienda El Jaral's lagoon between October and May to watch the arrival of some 6,000 egrets which nest nearby.

But the biggest ecological attraction is without a doubt the La Mosquitia lowland rainforest, found in the north eastern region, where it lies in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. Referred to as "The Last Lungs of Central America", this Reserve was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1982.

Sports A variety of activities can be practiced here. A very popular one is horseback riding through coffee plantations, corn and tobacco fields. Some excursions companies offer tours to the Maya ruins on horseback as well. There are many wonderful hiking trails waiting to be explored. Also gaining popularity is deep sea fishing and bonefishing. Water lovers can enjoy sailing, sea kayaking, waterskiing, jet skiing, parasailing, and even floating on inflatable tubes down the mild rapids of the Copan River. There is great snorkeling and diving to be found here and many dive shops to go out with on the Bay Islands.

Hondurans love football (soccer). The Federacion Nacional Autonoma de Futbol de Honduras runs the popular football league while the Honduras national football team represents the country internationally.

Banks & Money
US dollars and travellers checks are easily exchanged for Lempiras in banks, major hotels, airports and exchange houses. US dollars are accepted readily in tourist areas and the Bay Islands.

In the larger cities, major credit cards are accepted in most restaurants, hotels and stores. ATMs can also be found in more populated areas and they can be used with debit or credit cards to withdraw money.

Climate Honduras is situated entirely within the tropics, which places coastal areas in a hot and humid climate, with a daily average around 28° C. In contrast, the elevated Central Highlands know a cooler more moderate climate due to the altitude, usually ranging somewhere between 15° C and 20° C. The rainy season lasts from May to October. Hurricane season is June to November.

For monthly average temperatures please refer to your destination of choice.

Communication The country code in Honduras is 504. Local phone numbers are seven-digit numbers. The modern telecommunications services offer direct-dialing, long-distance, fax and internet access. Internet cafés can be found in the tourist spots, as well as in hotels.

There is one weekly English newspaper, Honduras This Week, as well as six daily Spanish newspapers. Local radio stations and TV stations abound, as well as cable and satellite television.

Health All big city hotels and restaurants use purified water for beverages, ice and cooking. But bottled water and beverages without ice is still a better idea. It is also best to avoid street food vendors, as tempting as it may be.

Less frequented areas of Honduras may also be prone to Cholera, Chagas Disease, Polio, Dengue fever, Diphtheria and Malaria. If you plan an adventure trip, it may be a good idea to get inoculated. HIV & AIDS are a problem in Honduras so always be protected.

There are several species of venomous snakes and insects, but they should not become a great fear. Just watch where you stick your hands, and shake out your clothes and shoes in the morning. Bug bites can be a nuisance so bring some insect repellent.

Official Holidays January 1 - New Year's Day March/April - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter April 14 - Pan-American Day May 1 - Labour Day September 15 - Independence Day October - Americas Day October 3 - Francisco Morazan Day October - 21 Honduras Army Day December 25 - Christmas Day

Safety Street crime is a concern, with thefts and armed robberies on the rise in urban areas. You should cooperate with burglars if being robbed. Avoid walking alone, especially at night. Ask local people about which places are safe and which are not, and follow their advice. It is common for men to carry firearms and machetes, and disputes are sometimes settled with violence. But most of these crimes occur in the big cities, rural areas remain quite safe.

Use good judgement, take advantage of the safety deposit boxes provided by the hotels and ensure that your lock hotel door or your rented car. Carry your wallet and camera discreetly.

Shopping Honduras is definitely a great place to find wonderful handicrafts, particularly the Lenca ceramics, known for its strength, which is still made in the traditional way from pre-Colombian times. Other crafts include a variety of wood carving, woven basketry, embroidery, textiles and leatherwork.

This country is also world famous for producing high quality cigars. The most sought after cigars are the Flor de Copan range from Santa Rosa de Copan, and the cigars from the Danli region. You can also bring home a bottle of local Guaro or Gifity Rum.

Taxes & Tips The departure tax of around US $30, per person, must be paid when leaving the country.

The government sales tax is 12%, and is charged on all goods and services. Some luxury goods have a higher tax. Many hotels and restaurants add on a 10% service charge. Check your bill before tipping as it may have already been included.

Transportation There are four international airports in Honduras: San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba, and Roatan. A number of domestic airlines offer affordable flights within the country and to the islands. Boats from Belize come in to Puerto Cortes, not far from San Pedro Sula, twice weekly. You can also arrive to Honduras by buss or rented car from Guatemala, El Salvador, or Nicaragua.

Honduras has an extensive network of paved highways, which are generally considered the best roads in Central America. In more rural areas roads are generally unpaved. A variety of international rental car companies offer vehicles for traveling in Honduras.

Taxis are available everywhere in major towns and are not metered, so negotiate the fare before getting in. Ferries offer transfers to the Bay Islands and local bus companies are a great way to travel between towns. Hitchhiking is common in rural areas when there is no proper bus connection.

Contact our travel experts for more details


How Does America's Emergency Care Compare?

247 Americans visit the emergency department every minute across the United States totaling more than 130 million visits in 2010.  Right or wrong, the emergency department serves as the source of primary care for many and for others a necessary medical resource in times of need.  Given not only the sheer number of individuals who visit the emergency department each year, but also the importance of high quality emergent medical care, our ED's must work flawlessly.  Unfortunately, a new 2014 report card released by the American College of Emergency Physicians shows they don't.

Overall, the United States earned a D+ for emergency care.  This is worse than the grade of C- awarded in 2009.  Which states fared the worst?  Wyoming was the lowest ranked state with an overall grade of F.  Arkansas, New Mexico, Montana and Kentucky followed closely behind Wyoming for the award of worse emergency department care with D grades across the board.  Washington D.C. was awarded the top grade of B- followed by Massachusetts, Maine, Nebraska and Colorado.

In order to grade state's performance when it comes to emergency department care, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) evaluated 5 categories.  These categories included access to emergency department care, quality and patient safety, medical liability environment, public health and injury prevention and disaster preparedness.

Why did our emergency departments score so poorly?  When it comes to emergency departments, our system is seriously strained.  The number of emergency departments has declined over the past 20 years while the number of emergency department visits has increased at a rate of twice the rate of the growth of the U.S. population.  There simply isn't enough room in our ED's for all the patients.  Inadequate access to primary care, and especially advice from primary care providers after hours leads patients to use the emergency department as a last resort.  Baby boomers are aging bringing more and more sick patients through the doors of the ED.

Once patients arrive in the emergency department, the crowds of patients cause problems.  Overcrowding delays care even for acutely ill patients.  Overcrowded hospital floors delay admitted patients from being placed in rooms.  They remain in the emergency department causing further crowding while also receiving a lower quality of care than on the hospital floor.  This low qulity of care happens because the ED is not set up properly for longer-term patient care.

Overall, it looks like our emergency medical system is quite a mess according to the 2014 ACEP report card.  What can we do to fix the problem?  ACEP offers a number of suggestions for fixing the problem of our broken emergency department system.  Increasing access to medical care by both adding more healthcare facilities and increasing capacity of existing hospitals will help with the problem of overcrowding.  Directing patients with non-life threatening medical conditions to healthcare facilities outside the ED will allow more effective use of emergency department resources.  ACEP also encourages states to enact strict laws to help prevent injuries such as helmet laws for motorcycle riders.  Prescription drug monitoring programs would also help prevent emergency department visits related to overdoses.

There's no easy fix to the problems with emergency department care in America but something must be done to at least curb the decline of our ED's.  With Affordable Care Act still in it's early years, it remains to be seen how healthcare reform will continue to impact the system.

Is your emergency department overcrowded?  How have you seen overcrowding impact patient care?


6.3.27. Physics of VKGTU (1)

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6.3.27 The specific heat of some gas with a constant pressure and room temperature is equal 764,4 J / (кг*К), and its molar weight is equal 34*10-3¬ú/mol. To that are molar thermal capacities of this gas equal with a constant pressure and constant volume?

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Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell, Author . Little, Brown $27.99 (309p) ISBN 978-0-316-01792-3

Reviewed by Leslie Chang

In Outliers , Gladwell (The Tipping Point ) once again proves masterful in a genre he essentially pioneered—the book that illuminates secret patterns behind everyday phenomena. His gift for spotting an intriguing mystery, luring the reader in, then gradually revealing his lessons in lucid prose, is on vivid display. Outliers begins with a provocative look at why certain five-year-old boys enjoy an advantage in ice hockey, and how these advantages accumulate over time. We learn what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers. A detailed investigation of the unique culture and skills of Eastern European Jewish immigrants persuasively explains their rise in 20th-century New York, first in the garment trade and then in the legal profession. Through case studies ranging from Canadian junior hockey champions to the robber barons of the Gilded Age, from Asian math whizzes to software entrepreneurs to the rise of his own family in Jamaica, Gladwell tears down the myth of individual merit to explore how culture, circumstance, timing, birth and luck account for success—and how historical legacies can hold others back despite ample individual gifts. Even as we know how many of these stories end, Gladwell restores the suspense and serendipity to these narratives that make them fresh and surprising.

One hazard of this genre is glibness. In seeking to understand why Asian children score higher on math tests, Gladwell explores the persistence and painstaking labor required to cultivate rice as it has been done in East Asia for thousands of years; though fascinating in its details, the study does not prove that a rice-growing heritage explains math prowess, as Gladwell asserts. Another pitfall is the urge to state the obvious: “No one,” Gladwell concludes in a chapter comparing a high-IQ failure named Chris Langan with the brilliantly successful J. Robert Oppenheimer, “not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone.” But who in this day and age believes that a high intelligence quotient in itself promises success? In structuring his book against that assumption, Gladwell has set up a decidedly flimsy straw man.

In the end it is the seemingly airtight nature of Gladwell's arguments that works against him. His conclusions are built almost exclusively on the findings of others—sociologists, psychologists, economists, historians—yet he rarely delves into the methodology behind those studies. And he is free to cherry-pick those cases that best illustrate his points; one is always left wondering about the data he evaluated and rejected because it did not support his argument, or perhaps contradicted it altogether. Real life is seldom as neat as it appears in a Malcolm Gladwell book. (Nov.)

Leslie T. Chang is the author of Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China (Spiegel & Grau).

Reviewed on: 09/22/2008
Release date: 11/01/2008
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Three pillars of secure software development

The most secure software development lifecycles are in our experience built on top of three key pillars, we explain the three pillars, and each one's importance in security.

No organisation or development team wants an insecure software development process. Unfortunately for many organisations, that's just what they have in place. Insecure development occurring across multiple teams, all using a mix of different techniques and practices to develop a "secure" application. The most secure software development lifecycles are in our experience built on top of three key pillars, and in today's post I explain the three pillars, and each one's importance in your organisation's security efforts.

When it comes to application security, standards are an enabler. Without standards, your development team (both internal and external) won't clearly understand what's expected of them, and your development activities end up perpendicular to your security policies, compliance mandates and requirements.Secure development teams have clearly defined standards that they fully understand, that they can reference throughout the software development lifecycle, as and when they need to. Without secure development standards, it's impossible to build secure applications with any meaningful scale.

It should come as no surprise that secure development teams are well educated in security. Without adequate training and education, more vulnerabilities will make their way into your developed applications, which escalates your remediation costs. Remember that the later in the software development lifecycle a vulnerability is found, the more expensive it is to resolve.Security education shouldn't just be treated as a "one-off" for development teams, either. The most secure development teams receive ongoing training, and have access to computer-based training materials they can reference and learn from in their own time. Security best practices constantly evolve, and a one off half-day course just doesn't cut it.Are your development team(s) receiving regular security training? If not, why not?

Assessment represents the final pillar in the secure software development lifecycle. Assessments are crucial for identifying vulnerabilities and problems with your software development process, so that you can eliminate them.Assessments can be run on single software applications, a portfolio of applications, the entire software development lifecycle, or on your IT infrastructure itself.Effective assessment should always have findings that will help you to direct future security investments and prioritise remediation. The most effective development teams use an ongoing combination of security code reviews, penetration testing and threat modelling.The Three Pillars offer an excellent model for analysing security adoption within your organisation. If the model is new to you, have a think: which of the pillars are we using effectively, and where do we need to invest? No development lifecycle is perfect from a security standpoint, and every company will have its strengths and weaknesses.Learn more about Team Academy, our computer-based developer security training software & knowledgebase based on the three pillars of the secure SDLC by downloading our free course catalogue below.

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Warwickshire Police Warning

WARWICKSHIRE Police has issued a warning to motorists after a number of suspicious incidents in the south of the county and across the border into Gloucestershire.

The incidents involve a blue BMW posing as a police vehicle which has tried to force other cars off the road.

 The first incident was reported in the early hours of Friday morning, 17th June when the BMW, which had had its number plates removed, came up behind a car on the B4632 at Lower Quinton flashing its lights to get the other vehicle to pull over.

The BMW then overtook, stopped and blocked the road to force the other car, an Audi, to stop. The driver of the Audi managed to get past the BMW and lose it on a country lane.

On Sunday night a similar incident happened in the Featherbed Lane area of Wilmcote. The offending blue BMW followed another vehicle into Stratford after flashing blue lights at it to make it stop, and was lost in the Timothy’s Bridge Road area.

Similar incidents have been reported to Gloucestershire Police, including one on Saturday night which began in Shipston. Warwickshire Police has offered the following advice to motorists: “If someone tries to force you to stop using an unmarked vehicle do not stop but keep going until you get into a lit area with other people around.

This in itself seems to be deterring the offenders, but, if not, make your way to a police station or other secure location.

If you are able to dial 999 legally and safely do so. “Anyone who has any information which would help us trace these offenders is asked to call Warwickshire Police or Gloucestershire Constabulary on 101.”


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In iOS 7 or later, if an application implements AirDrop support, it is available through the share button.[9] AirDrop is subject to a number of restrictions on iOS, such as the inability to share music or videos from the native apps.[10]

Our plans were carefully thought of to provide mutual stability & lowest possible risk over the long term. With such plans you can\’t go wrong, we strive to return members initial principle as fast as and process withdrawals instantly. Constant members satisfaction isn\’t an easy task and our main goal in today\’s changing market will stay the same : Members Success!

An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from aircraft. Later small crates with parachutes were pushed out of the aircraft’s side cargo doors. Later cargo aircraft were designed with rear access ramps, lowerable in flight, that allowed large platforms to be rolled out the back. As aircraft grew larger, the U.S. Air Force and Army developed low-level extraction, allowing tanks and other large supplies to be delivered, such as the M551 Sheridan or M2 Bradley. Propaganda leaflets are also a common item to airdrop. The airdropping of weapons evolved to the concept of having the payload itself as one massive bomb. The 15,000 pound BLU-82, nicknamed the “Daisy Cutter” for its ability to turn a dense forest into a helicopter landing zone in a single blast, was used in Vietnam and recently in Afghanistan. The 22,600 pound GBU-43/B, nicknamed the “Mother Of All Bombs”, was deployed to the Persian Gulf for The Iraq War. These palletized airdropped weapons are used by cargo aircraft like the C-130 or C-17 in the traditional role of a bomber aircraft.

Hi Jeff, there is a relation to why i reference 5 years. I listen to all your podcast not just here but at Todd Treissder and Entrepreneur on Fire and that i know you are pretty big on active management and peer to peer lending.

With the interest Zcash is getting I highly doubt that any single miner will be able to pull off a 51% attack, that would mean a tremendous hashrate controlled by a single user. If there is such a user he would most likely be willing to mine and profit from it than using it maliciously. I’m actually yet to see a coin being destroyed by a 51% attack and double spending… though some smaller have suffered from loses from such attacks. It is not like you can just point out your Bitcoin mining farm to mine Zcash, because ZEC uses new and different proof of work algorithm and you can only mine it with CPUs and GPUs. Renting all available hashrate from a service such as NiceHash will also not be enough for 51%… and before trying to double spend coins you need to actually have some, so you need to either buy or mine a significant amount first.

Another aspect to take into consideration when choosing the right cards for mining is power consumption. Since you’ll be running the miner 24/7, its running costs will build up if you’re using power-hungry hardware, so skip on bling bling and fancy features like RGB lights or other things that can drive your power consumption up. Make sure you don’t cut corners on cooling, though, as you’ll need to keep the cards running in mint conditions to get the best performance. Also, since mining certain currencies such as Ether relies more heavily on the memory, opting for cards with superior memory chips will get you better results.

The first project to ever launch an ICO was Mastercoin. It managed to secure $5 mln worth of Bitcoins in 2013 selling their own tokens. Many other companies followed the example, like Ethereum in 2014, or Waves in 2016, raising over $18 mln and $16 mln correspondingly.

That does not mean, however, that some people won’t use AirDrop for pranks. Josh Lowensohn, from The Verge, used AirDrop to send pictures of sloths in spacesuits to unsuspecting subway passengers who had AirDrop set to Everyone.

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Airdrop on iPhone is one of the easiest ways to quickly share files, photos, and more between devices. You can Airdrop photos from your iPad to your friend’s iPhone or Airdrop photos from your iPhone to your Mac computer for an easy transfer. You can also Airdrop from iPhone to iPhone. As long as you have relatively recent devices running on an updated operating system, you’re probably already setup to use Airdrop. We’ll cover what Airdrop is below, as well as how to turn Airdrop on, how it works, and how to use Airdrop whether you’re on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Once you know how to use Airdrop, you’ll never go back.

Analyzing examples of relevant ICOs, one can piece together what are the main characteristics or factors for a successful ICO, both in fund gathering and in post-ICO valuation. Websites like Top ICO List aggregate and analyze all the upcoming ICOs.

The High Yield investment team employs a fundamental research approach that focuses on looking at individual companies’ historical cash flows, particularly over a variety of different industries and credit cycles. The strategy’s credit exposure is carefully managed through a rigorous analysis of borrowers and their ongoing cash flow characteristics. To further help reduce risk, the TIAA team also seeks to primarily invest in established companies with predictable cash flows.


Interview: Joaquim Cunha, Executive Director, Health Cluster Portugal (HCP) | PharmaBoardroom

joaquim-cunhaJoaquim Cunha, Executive Director of Health Cluster Portugal (HCP), emphasizes Portugal’s need to discover niches in which the country can excel and compete globally, while rebranding its image around the world. He also highlights the drivers behind cluster’s main initiatives: innovation, collaboration/coopetition and internationalization.

What is Portugal’s number one competitive advantage that the rest of the world needs to know about?

Undoubtedly, this is human resources. Portugal’s human resources are very well qualified and competitive, while being affordable.

Portugal’s R&D environment is outstanding. However, in order to succeed, our R&D institutions may need to adjust their strategies slightly to be aligned with the needs of the market. This is a difficult adjustment process but they are doing it. I would also like to refer our government’s initiatives in creating the best conditions to attract FDI. However, having a strategy to attract FDI and foreign companies only based in low taxes may not be enough. And so we are working on the environment; this means including not just R&D and industry, but also healthcare and clinicians in the equation, since the relation between clinicians and the R&D system is becoming more connected. In the past, there were no habits of cooperation between science and healthcare. Things are changing now as more resources are being shifted to applied research.

What are Portugal’s efforts in health tourism?

There is now an ongoing national commitment towards health tourism that involves the major players in the sector in the buildup of a strategy with a stable path of action, clear targets and objectives, and aiming the development of an international reputation for Portugal as a medical tourism destination. HCP is deeply involved in these efforts to promote the country’s appeal. The main problem in establishing a health tourism strategy is our deficit of reputation, which is seen across southern Europe, and that is the main constraint we need to overcome.

What factors have lead to that lack of reputation?

Southern Europe countries, and more specifically Portugal, can be very attractive for tourism and holidays mainly because its affordability, friendliness of people, climate and coastline, combined with investments in the golfing infrastructure in recent years.

However, in the context of science and innovation, and especially in what concerns healthcare, southern countries tend to fail in maintaining a good reputation and this is mostly our own fault. We do not sell our image properly. Furthermore, northern Europeans tend to perceive southern Europeans as less motivated and, therefore, less efficient. While this is not true, we have not been efficient in building up another image. Undoubtedly, as I mentioned before, European scientists do see Portugal as strong in health and science, but this may not be true of the average citizen. Therefore, we need to work on a collective strategy to turn this around. Some companies do have successful strategies, but the country, as a whole, has not been effective in this regard. HCP’s ambition is to provide a positive contribution to build this strategy through initiatives that overcome Portugal’s current image.

With these conditions, we need to work on our reputation, and I am sure we will succeed in this.

HCP was founded in 2008. Since then, what have been the company’s main activities?

HCP is a collaborative platform that brings together more than 130 members across the Portuguese health value chain, including universities, R&D institutions, hospitals, and major private healthcare groups, along with national and multinational pharmaceutical, device and ICT companies. The main driver for its foundation was the belief in the scientific and technological progress witnessed in Portugal over the last twenty years. The scientific potential of Portugal has been recognized by the international scientific community, as well, which is a huge asset for the country. Additionally, Portugal’s healthcare system, although developed slightly later than the healthcare systems of most European countries, is now globally very well ranked.

There are three key words that embody HCP’s goals: innovation, collaboration/coopetition and internationalization. The ultimate design is to turn knowledge into value within the Portuguese health value chain, while focusing all of our efforts on the global market. Interestingly, Portugal’s R&D system is somewhat internationalized as seen through research collaborations with the US and northern Europe established in recent years. However, it still lacks internal cooperation. In doing so, Portugal can learn how to be competitive and collaborative abroad. HCP can help create that network, which will develop our critical mass. By promoting cooperative projects, making connections between companies and R&D institutions, and removing bureaucratic barriers that still exist, we can achieve our focus.

Portugal is about to enter a new era. We are preparing a new period of development through a framework program called Portugal 2020, which is totally aligned with the European Commission’s Horizon 2020. Additionally, and as our country is emerging from recession, the government is launching an agenda for reindustrialization. I strongly believe that an effective and well-defined strategy to increase industrial work must comprise the so-called “smart specialization”. In other words, Portugal must decide in which selective areas the country could be globally competitive. This requires the evaluation of areas where Portugal has exceptional scientific and clinical competencies, and the alignment of these competencies with global needs. As a small country, Portugal cannot be competitive in all areas and lacks the resources to support a broadband scientific system; therefore, we must discover the particularly selective areas where we can work and excel.

What are these niches?

Given our privileged position in the national scientific and innovation context, we are now facilitating this process in which the entire industry is participating using a bottom-up approach. Evidence indicates that cancer and neuroscience are two pilot sub-clusters in which Portugal is specifically strong, but even these are too broad; within each, we must find specific niches to mobilize the best of our competencies. We are now working on the metrics, refining our current indicators, as the same methodology will be used to select the next few niches. Our ambition is that by 2014, HCP will have outlined its priorities and that other stakeholders follow suit. This will make Portugal stronger and more likely to succeed in the future.

Related to this, we are working on a few other initiatives. For instance, we want to have more presence in platforms and networks that already exist in Europe, particularly for translational research. HCP, or its members, can be more involved in such platforms, which will be the way to build the future. Those who do not put effort into this sort of networking will ultimately fail. Essentially, we have to define priorities in consequence to select those that are relevant for us. HCP is acting as a facilitator for that by creating the right conditions that allow companies to determine the best collaboration and internationalization strategies, while balancing the interests of patients.

We have no doubts about our healthcare system’s competencies, the quality of our tourism providers, or the interesting geostrategic position of Portugal in the world.

HCP emphasizes technology transfer as one of its priorities. Is the environment in Portugal strong enough to turn innovation into real commercial activity?

Portugal is no different from most countries. While technology transfer has historically been a bit of a struggle, today we perceive a business-oriented mindset from academia. The new generation of researchers is more global. An individual might study in Portugal, do his PhD in the UK, a postdoctoral in the US, and then go work somewhere else. This global thinking provides an open-minded approach. Ten or 20 years ago, the science system was such that an individual tended to grow within the boundaries of his or her country. The system can no longer do this, and we see the trend of more highly qualified academics moving to the business area. This is a tremendous paradigm shift.

How does HCP facilitate that way of thinking?

HCP is committed in raising awareness on this (and other relevant issues); in informing and training the key stakeholders of the health value chain (universities, research institutions, hospitals, industry, policy makers) on technology transfer and intellectual property protection and exploitation; in promoting the networking between academia and industry in order to contribute to change the paradigm of knowledge exploitation and valuing. HCP is also very committed in facilitating the access to high-quality services in the area of intellectual property. In fact one of our first initiatives in 2008 was to create agreements with patent attorney lawyers in the US and UK. The idea of these special arrangements was to demonstrate to our members that if you are working in science, intellectual property is crucial. If you want to be successful in this field, you have to work with the best in IP, which means about five or six patent lawyers in the world, unfortunately none of which are in Portugal.

Since about one and a half years ago, we are supporting the participation of our members on the European funding programs. Our objective is to bring together and promote network between national entities, top European universities and leading companies because we have to work with the best. We may choose the more expensive or tougher option, but it is the only way to be globally competitive.

This is a global game, and you have to work and cooperate with the best.

We have to come out of the comfort zone and compete globally, finding our niche and place.

Where do you expect HCP to be by Horizon 2020?

We will either succeed or fail. After 2020, I would be happy to see a knowledge-based economy in Portugal. In health, this strength in knowledge will be our vision for the future. We cannot return to a growth strategy based on low salaries. That option disappeared years ago. We have to select niches and define our assets and priorities as the world succeeding economies have done. Our cooperation with PALOPS, Portuguese-speaking African countries, and with the emerging economies of South America, North Africa and Middle East based on cultural links will provide us with a competitive advantage. Additionally, we still need to reinforce our presence in the most demanding markets such as Europe and the United States.

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Recrystallization | Kaohsiung City, Taiwan | MEPM lab

Taiwan is an island country with both high biodiversity and high population density. Currently, how we generate electricity is a huge issue in Taiwan. Taiwan has the cheapest electricity prices for industrial users in Asia. This is because almost 50 per cent of our energy is generated by coal-fired power plants. However, using coal increases air pollution and adversely affects peoples’ health. Hsinta, the largest power plant in southern Taiwan, by 2023, will shut down two out of four coal power plants currently operating. In addition, three new gas power plants will be built. Even though gas power plants have been proven to increase air quality, building one is still a huge undertaking, and we need to consider its impact very deeply before we build it. As a result of economic development in Taiwan, more and more power is needed by metropolitan and industrial users. Spaces in the rural “empty” coastal areas are targeted as sites for electricity generation. However, are these spaces really empty? These spaces are needed for wildlife, for the environment, and even for ourselves. Can we take them all? We need the electricity, but we are suffering from the consequences of air pollution, and coastal erosion and subsidence due to the loss of coastal wetlands.

Our vision is to follow natural processes and to respect everything living on the site, both permanent and temporary. The salt industry was once the major source of income for the local people, and is now a wildlife habitat, and a historical location. However, it is also an energy source primarily for people living far from this area. We believe the future plant should operate under three main principles: first, the principle of environmental justice, meaning benefits for local communities from the site; second, the principle of ecological integrity, meaning the harmonious co-existence of the various micro eco-systems at the site; third, the law of energy conservation, meaning no energy loss or waste. Recrystallization is a natural phenomenon. By definition, recrystallization is a metamorphic process that occurs under high temperature and pressure. In the field of geology, the term “recrystallization” means the growth of crystal with the mineral composition remaining unchanged. In the field of chemistry, it means the purification of the crystal. In the field of metallurgy, it is the process of reducing structural imperfection. For us, our concept of recrystallization is keeping the local, natural, social and historical elements of the site, letting the habitat develop naturally, purifying the environment, and changing the system to one where local communities get greater benefits from the operations of the plant. Therefore, we have rethought the systems in and around our site, including energy, carbon, physics, chemistry and hydrological cycles. The natural environment must be a balanced system. Energy consumption generates better economic development, but at the same time sacrifices the local environment and living conditions. This is clearly unbalanced. Our design will create a new balance by decomposing the system and its energy flows. Heat left over from the turbine generators will go into the economic cycle to warm the local fish farms, or into the social cycle to be reused by the local community. There will be no CO2 or particles, such as PM2.5 or PM10 released from the plant. It will be captured on site. Even though it is impossible for the site to be carbon neutral, because the energy generated is transmitted and used off-site, our proposed plan utilizes virtually the entire plant as a carbon sink to maximize carbon sequestration naturally.

A next-generation power plant should play the role of “recrystallizing” the original elements of its location, including habitat, nature, and social welfare. First, from the perspective of migrating birds, the compact, eco-friendly power plant is located on the least environmentally sensitive part of the site and is hidden by a natural skin. Three centralized air chimneys provide a green structure to serve both energy and ecological purposes. The plant forms a shape that follows the seasonal air current, which will lead the migrating birds down into the diverse wetland habitats. From the roof level, we can see how the plant itself is, in fact, a carbon sink. Solar panels on the top will be repositioned from the photovoltaic system currently located in the southwest of the site. Below the solar panels is a double skin green façade that connects to the centralized chimneys. The inner layer of the skin protects the power plant, and the outer layer will provide space for plants and maximize carbon sequestration. Airflow between the layers will reduce the building temperature, provide natural ventilation for wetlands, and change the local micro-climate to improve air quality. From the ground level, diverse wetlands, open water, ponds, marshes and mangroves will be restored based on natural wildlife habitats. The sociocultural life of local communities will be reconnected to the site through various activities. People will enjoy sports, swimming, walking, and bird watching in a natural setting without visual and noise disturbance from the plant. Our design uses a topographical approach which forms a harmonious earth-scape that blends human activities safely into the site. The site will welcome visitors to get close to the natural environment, learn about local history, and understand the process of power generation. We believe this will help people to understand the value of electricity whenever they turn on the lights.

Recrystallization – Hsinta Ecological Power Plant from jhengru on Vimeo.

Design Team – MEPM lab.

Design Credits (Text, image and Animation) – Prof. Shiauyun Lu, Jhengru Li, Tzuman Tseng, Hsianghsiang Wang

Location – Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Status – Hsinta Ecological Power Plant Construction Project Conceptual Design International Competition Third Prize


Accueil > Communication > Actualités scientifiques > Publications scientifiques

The geography of snake reproductive mode : a global analysis of the evolution of snake viviparity [Global Ecology and Biogeography]

Keywords : cold climate hypothesis, maternal manipulation hypothesis, oviparity, predictability, reproductive mode, seasonality, Serpentes, temperature, viviparity

par Frédéric Magné - publié le

Although most reptiles are oviparous, viviparity is a common mode of reproduction in squamates and has evolved multiple times in different lineages. We test two prevailing hypotheses regarding the biogeography of reptile reproductive modes to evaluate the selective forces driving the evolution of viviparity in snakes. The cold climate hypothesis posits that viviparity is selected for in cold climates, whereas the climatic predictability hypothesis predicts that viviparity is advantageous in seasonal climates.

View online : http://bit.ly/1XugBfq


Fox News Weather Center

Mekkhala's Moisture to Drench Tokyo, Eastern Japan

Moisture from former Typhoon Mekkhala combined with a rapidly strengthening area of low pressure to the south of Japan will result in a period of heavy rain for eastern Japan on Thursday.

The Greater Tokyo Area will experience some of the heaviest rain as the storm quickly tracks to the northeast just off the coast of Japan.

Heavy rain will fall across Shikoku and southern Honshu late Wednesday night into Thursday morning before shifting northward into eastern Honshu.

Heavy rain Thursday afternoon will quickly taper off to some light rain and drizzle Thursday evening around Tokyo.

Mild air being pulled northward with this storm will result in snow only falling across the highest elevations of Honshu on Thursday.

As the storm lifts farther north on Friday, blizzard conditions are expected across eastern Hokkaido while colder air wrapping in behind the storm will result in widespread rain and snow showers across western Honshu with snow squalls in parts of northern Honshu and western Hokkaido.

Weak high pressure will foster largely dry weather across Japan for the weekend.


We all have those days when we feel like we just can’t rise to the challenge, or when we may feel that we aren’t good enough. It’s normal to feel down on ourselves sometimes. But why is that? This matter of mental health has to do with self-esteem. Self-esteem is defined as “confidence in one’s abilities or worth.” There are various ways self-esteem can be impacted, and several things one can do to maintain a positive self-image.

To better understand this important aspect of life,  self-esteem must be examined from a neurological perspective.

A recent Dartmouth study reveals a possible source of self-esteem within the brain. It appears that internal locus of control—how much control over our lives we believe we have, which is directly correlated with self-esteem—is related to how well regions of the brain connect. This finding could help with future treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. The study found that people with stronger white matter connection from their medial prefrontal cortex (responsible for self-knowledge) to their ventral striatum (involved in reward sensation) showed high long-term self-esteem.

Understanding how the brain works in regards to this topic will help improve self-esteem when necessary. The way you think about yourself is developed in the same type of process as learning how to ride a bike. The more practice with the bike, the stronger rider you are. Eventually you can ride without thinking about it. A strong pathway in the brain has been created. When we are children, our thoughts about ourselves are created by the messages from those who we believe are important, such as family members, schoolmates, and friends. For example, if you were constantly picked on in school, this most likely led to the formation of low self-esteem and a negative self-image. Now as an adult, your thoughts repeatedly revert back to the messages engrained in your mind. If you went to a party, your self-esteem and pattern of negative thinking could kick in and lead to social anxiety and the belief that no one likes you; the reality is that the others at the party have not even met you yet! The default to pessimism is a dominant thought pattern. It is automatic, just like riding a bike after lots of practice. Circumstances trigger thoughts that, even unconsciously, cause the reactions— based on your established self-esteem. The good news is that these thought processes can be changed and self-esteem can certainly be improved! Here a few solutions to promoting a healthier self-image, based on cognitive behavioral therapy.

·      Be aware of what you are thinking and feeling.

Once you are aware, you can practice new, positive, thought/behavior patterns.

·      Identify difficult situations that may decrease your self-esteem ahead of time.

Anticipate the negative and inaccurate thinking and challenge initial thoughts that revert back to a negative concept of yourself.

·      Focus on the positive!

Remind yourself of all the good things about your life, all the things that have gone your way in the past week, and the skills and talents you have. You truly are more amazing than you may realize.

·      Re-label thoughts that upset you.

Instead of jumping to the conclusion that you must react negatively and beat yourself up, step back and ask yourself, “What can I do to make this situation less stressful on myself?”

Self-esteem is a product of unconscious and unconscious processes that occur within the brain. It is a common problem among all people to develop a negative self-view, or sometimes underestimate one’s own self worth. However, there is no need to feel stuck in a negative mindset. Adhering to a few simple changes and recognizing your thought pattern can make a world of difference. So, before you automatically think negatively about yourself or a situation, take a deep breath, step back, and realize that these feelings are not facts.

Respectfully yours,

Jada Jackson, LMHC-3.png

Jada Jackson  M.S., M.A., LMHC, NCC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Author, Talk Show Host, Life Coach and Communicator

Email: jada@TotalLifeCounseling.com

Jada’s website: Jadajackson.com
Website email: info@jadajackson.com
Blog: http://www.jadajackson.com/blog/

Author: Emily Simpson (Intern)


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LITERACY LEADERSHIP COURSE Module 1: The Case for Adopting a Coaching Mindset

3 Lessons

Why is it powerful “to think like a coach when beginning to design a literacy professional learning project? In this module, we overview the field of disciplinary literacy and introduce the four-part coaching framework that can effectively drive your capacity building work with teachers. You will also be asked to think about the current state of literacy teaching and learning in your context and then determine the next steps needed to build a strong disciplinary literacy professional learning initiative.

LITERACY LEADERSHIP COURSE Module 2: Conducting a Needs Assessment

3 Lessons

Why is an effective literacy assessment necessary in designing professional learning? This module will introduce you to the six critical steps in designing a literacy needs assessment that will inform you of the literacy teaching and learning strengths and areas of need in your school or district, which is essential to know in designing a strong literacy initiative. We also provide access to the Carnegie Content Area Literacy Survey, which is an easily alterable online survey tool you can use with teachers and students. Analysis of this survey data can help you determine the next steps in the design of your professional learning project.

LITERACY LEADERSHIP COURSE Module 3: Focusing on Adult Learning

2 Lessons

Why should we differentiate learning for adults? In this third module, you will learn the importance of differentiating the learning for the adults in your school. You will learn enough about Constructive Developmental Theory to understand how learning might look different for instrumental, socializing and self-authoring learners and when and how each type of learning might have a place in your professional learning project. You will also learn about human and social capital distinctions and how this might influence the teams, departments and the school culture in which you work, and ultimately how these distinctions might influence the design of your professional learning initiative.

LITERACY LEADERSHIP COURSE Module 4: Bringing it all Together: Draft Action Plan

3 Lessons

What will your professional learning design look like? By the end of this module, you will be ready to complete a draft of your literacy leadership action plan. You will read a case study of a recent disciplinary literacy professional learning project, consider its relevance to your context, and decide which elements you might borrow or adapt for your own professional learning initiative. You will learn about and decide which professional learning structures and routines will help you reach your goals. You will also think about who will participate in this initiative, the timing of various action items and the scope and sequence of the learning over months or years.

The Challenge of Adolescent Reading

3 Lessons

How can literacy tools and strategies enable students to learn and communicate content knowledge? In this foundation-building course, we discuss the challenges adolescents face reading, writing and communicating in their various academic content classes and introduce a framework for thinking about disciplinary literacy tools and strategies to support learning across academic disciplines. We also introduce the six domains of disciplinary literacy (disciplinary literacy, vocabulary, discussion, digital literacy, multiple texts, and writing to learn) that will help to form a bridge between teacher instructional strategies and student content learning. Finally, we introduce our publications and website resources that will help teachers enhance their instruction to meet context specific student learning challenges.

Exploration of Disciplinary Literacy

3 Lessons

What are the various text types that students encounter and how can we help them read and make sense of this vast variety? In this course we introduce these texts and the habits of mind that experts use to build and communicate knowledge in their fields. We highlight some of the challenges these texts pose to students and how disciplinary literacy tools and strategies can help students learn content information. In the second part of this course, we explore ways to build disciplinary literacy teaching and learning skills school and district wide.

Cross disciplinary academic vocabulary

3 Lessons

Why is vocabulary knowledge so important? In this course we introduce key research pertaining to vocabulary teaching and learning, the socio-economic effects on early word learning, how vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension are related, and the associated instructional implications for secondary teachers. We then overview how academic language is challenging for students, which kinds of words to spend time teaching, and the particulars of facilitating word learning with English language learners and other student populations. Finally, we introduce an interdisciplinary vocabulary-learning program and online tools that can help you decipher which words are most important to teach in the content specific texts you use in class.

Teaching Content-specific Vocabulary

2 Lessons

In this course we introduce a three-part framework to enhance discipline specific vocabulary learning within the context of your unit and lesson learning goals. These three interconnected pieces are: 1) create a language-rich, word curious classroom; 2) teach word-learning strategies; and 3) strategically choose which words to teach. You will learn ways to create a language rich learning environment, learn a variety of strategies to enhance vocabulary concept learning in your classroom, and learn to use a framework to help you choose which words to teach. Finally, we introduce some key word learning strategies from our shop and how you might adapt them to meet your context and learning objectives.

Engaging Academic and Civic Discussion

2 Lessons

Students will disagree with each other. That’s fine. But they need to be taught how to disagree: The phrase, “I see it so differently,” invites difference and clarification; “That’s stupid,” shuts off conversation. According to Erdmann and Metzger, “Discussion is the queen of lesson plans: an essential, prominent, but often under-taught tool for the classroom teacher. Although discussion is the most difficult classroom format to plan and to manage, it is also the ultimate bridge between reading and writing. Nothing in the secondary classroom is harder to plan and lead effectively, except perhaps differentiated instruction. No one is born knowing how to lead discussion; it took us years in the classroom—but it can be learned.” In this course, we provide specific tools and resources to help your students shorten their learning curve toward rich discussion.

Supporting Disciplinary Argumentation

2 Lessons

High-quality academic discussions that contribute to student learning are reciprocal, typically collaborative, sometimes exploratory, and usually open-ended. In the classroom, such discussions encourage students to share their perspectives, so that comprehension of a text or concept becomes a process of reconciling potentially competing perspectives to illuminate each other and helps generate deeper student understanding. In this course, we look closely at the ways that teachers use their instructional talk to strengthen student learning and provide assessment rubrics to help students understand the importance of oral presentation in your content area.

Text complexity

2 Lessons

How do we determine what level of difficulty will be appropriate for our students, especially those who are struggling? This short course provides a quantitative framework for measuring text complexity (which considers aspects of text, such as sentence length and the number of infrequent words) and a qualitative rubric developed for informational and narrative texts. Additionally, we explore how readability formulas are arrived at, explain how they can be useful but also misleading, and provide online tools that teachers can use if they want to determine a text's readability level.

Multiple texts

4 Lessons

While textbooks can be important sources of information in middle and high school classrooms, teachers wishing to encourage critical thinking and strategic reading often introduce multiple texts to students—at different reading levels—to promote understanding and engagement with content-area concepts. In this course, participants will explore the various text types available in their disciplines, as well as how different text types might be used to support student learning. Participants will be introduced to the notion of text sets—groups of texts related to the same content-area topic. We will examine example text sets and create an example that leads students to use key disciplinary habits of the mind.


Trey Songs, caught with a trans-gender actress!

Trey Songz

Rapper’s Trey Songz’ image could be in grave danger, after one of his fans caught him “grinding” on trans-actress Amiya Scott, back in 2012.

However, this isn’t something that new, as there was definitely something between these two.

“When Amiya Scott became a transgender female, her name was Myron, but when he moved to Atlanta, he transformed into Amiya Scott. Trey Songz used to fly out Amiya to his shows; they were messing around for a minute. Tiffany wants to be just like Amiyah, and tries getting at all her tricks,” said a person close to the…matter.

Amyia Scott

Obviously, we’re looking forward to seeing some actual proof of the potential relationship between these two. On the other side, maybe they’re just good friends, which doesn’t make things as interesting.

What are your thoughts on this?


R. Troy Allen

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Individuals who serve as airport board members in the state of Indiana are not required by law to have any aviation experience or training. This study was completed to determine the perceived need for airport board member training in the state of Indiana and identify potential training topics. Thirty Indiana public-use airport managers and thirty airport board members were surveyed. Twenty-one topic areas were rank ordered by mean value and two additional survey questions were asked to determine if airport board members and airport managers believed that training would be beneficial. A Spearman Rank Order Correlation indicated that there is a strong correlation (r, = .9018) among the study participants when rank ordering potential training topics. An Analysis of Variance found that there is no statistically significant difference exist between the two groups when they were asked if training would be beneficial F(l, 2) = 1.59, p < .05. Additionally, all of the suggested training topics were perceived as important and should be included if training were developed.

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A physically educated student will be provided with the skills and knowledge that will aid them in their journey to leading a healthy lifestyle. I believe Physical Education class should be a significant experience for all students where they become well-informed on the skills and knowledge necessary to lead a physically fit lifestyle. Moreover, I believe students should be provided with a positive and welcoming environment where fear of failure does not prevent participation. The environment will promote acceptance of diverse skill abilities and encouragement of peers will be endorsed. It is my mission to help students identify their interests in physical activities that they can enjoy participating in and outside of the school setting. Along with helping students overcome any potential physical or mental burdens that prevent them from leading a physically fit lifestyle. It is not enough to just provide students with the skills they need to stay physically fit, but also help them develop a sincere value for physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.


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JS.Nemucod. How to remove? (Uninstall guide)

removal by Julie Splinters - - | Type: Trojans

JS.Nemucod virus – a critical trojan that downloads viruses to a computer

Nemucod Trojan is a malware which disguises itself as a safe file. Such file can be downloaded from insecure web pages or be delivered to your email box disguised as an invoice or similar safe-looking document. Such deceptive file contains a JavaScript code, which downloads and runs Nemucod virus executive file. However, it is a critical computer threat, which runs its malicious processes in the background and can silently contaminate your computer with other computer viruses, including worms, viruses, Trojans, spyware or similar computer parasites.

JS.Nemucod virus is also known as TrojanDownloader: JS/Nemucod.H. Once it gains access to victim’s computer, it havocs the entire system: it destroys important files, corrupts Windows registry, steals personal information and also installs other malware. Reportedly, Nemucod virus spreads ransomware type viruses, including the most infamous ones, such as TeslaCrypt, Crypted and also Locky virus. Ransomware is probably one of the worst computer viruses, which hacks the computer, blocks access to it or encrypts all data stored on it. Then it commands to pay a ransom and threatens the victim to do it as soon as possible.

JS.Nemucod virus

Signs that indicate the computer is infected with JS.Nemucod virus:

  • Computer runs incredibly slow;
  • Programs cannot be opened or crash soon after user launches them;
  • Intrusive and aggressive pop-ups show up on the screen, even if user does not browse the Internet; typically, they announce that the computer is severely infected and suggest to install rogue anti-malware program to ‘fix’ all problems;
  • Web browsers act suspicious; user experiences multiple unexpected redirects to suspicious web pages.

Questions about JS.Nemucod

Unfortunately, it is very hard to detect and remove JS.Nemucod virus manually, because this threat tends to mask itself under unsuspicious and safe-looking names. What is more, this Trojan can disable computer security programs and pass through Windows Firewall and antivirus programs. To remove this threat, we strongly advise you to scan your computer with a powerful malware removal tool that is capable of detecting this virus. We recommend using Reimage anti-malware.

How does JS.Nemucod Trojan spread?

Trojans, unlike viruses, do not spread by themselves. They can only be installed manually. Usually, cybercriminals spread JS.Nemucod Trojan via email or messages on social media websites, peer-to-peer file sharing programs, or simply place its download link in insecure websites. However, the most popular and efficient way to spread this virus is to send it directly to victim via email. Cybercriminals send deceptive messages that usually urge the victim to open the email attachment, usually disguised as an official document, for instance, court notice, invoice, resume, or a bill. Email service providers usually automatically filtrate such messages as Junk/Spam, however, some deceptive emails might successfully pass through Spam filters. Before you open any email letter, check if you recognize the sender of it. If you don’t, you should not open such emails or files that come with them.

How to remove JS.Nemucod virus?

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to remove JS.Nemucod malware manually. It is a complex computer virus, which uses advanced techniques and manages to conceal its components in the computer system ably so that the victim would not find them. So if you have noticed that your computer acts suspiciously, or that some files or programs are missing, and the overall system’s performance has decreased, you should install a reputable anti-malware program and scan your computer with it to detect and completely terminate all components of JS.Nemucod virus and other dangerous programs that are related to it. You should initiate JS.Nemucod removal with SpyHunter or another powerful anti-malware tool with no delay.

do it now!
Reimage (remover) Happiness
Reimage (remover) Happiness
Compatible with Microsoft Windows Supported versions Compatible with OS X Supported versions
What to do if failed?
More information about this program can be found in Reimage review.

Press mentions on Reimage
Alternate Software
Alternate Software

About the author

Julie Splinters
Julie Splinters - Malware removal specialist

Contact Julie Splinters
About the company Esolutions

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If your child displays these 11 traits, you could be raising a genius -- seriously!

Is your kid just smart or one of the intellectual elite?

Signs you could be raising a genius
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Signs you could be raising a genius

Racing through milestones

One of the first signs that you may be raising a genius appears very early on in a child's life. Achieving developmental milestones way before predicted can be a sign that your child is ready to be challenged. Eboni Hollier, MD, board certified in developmental and behavioral pediatrics says, "Many parents of gifted children note that they often master developmental milestones at an earlier age than expected. In particular, language skills may be significantly above age level. Many gifted children often develop an extensive vocabulary and speak in complex sentences at an early age," she says.

Early pattern recognition

Pint-sized geniuses will begin to recognize repetition at an early age but it's not just simple color or shape patterns that catch their eye. Niranjan Reddy, PhD, from SuperBabysuggests that gifted children not only notice patterns and shapes in games and activities but can also see repeated behaviors, activities, and actions more easily than their peers. "Gifted children notice everything, from which bus passes the house after breakfast time to how many bricks can fit inside the toy trunk. They are very good at observing and remembering key information," he says. If you're child's artwork looks like this, you could be raising a genius.

A detailed knowledge or interest in their favorite topic

Gifted children will often have in-depth knowledge in one particular subject specialism or area of interest. This might mean they can tell you the scientific name of every dinosaur or explain the internal workings of a car engine. Whatever the topic, a child prodigy's knowledge is usually all-encompassing. As an article in Science Daily explains "a prodigy is someone who, by the age of roughly 11, displays expert proficiency or a profound grasp of the fundamentals in a field usually only undertaken by adults." Learn the 10 habits of parents of successful kids.

Preferring the company of adults or older peers

Gifted children may find it difficult to relate to their peers who may have different interests and abilities. Very smart kids can often feel bored in class as the work is too easy for them and will seek out more stimulating conversation with older peers and adults. You can help your child to make friends with people of all ages by teaching them social skills and empathy.

Focus and determination

Gifted children have perseverance for sticking with a task or habit until they have mastered it. Sunny Verma, founder and CEO of Tutorbright says, "Gifted children typically have an amazing sense of focus. When given a task, they tend to work on it without distractions until completion. TV, video games, and social media do not divert their attention, allowing them to finish with efficiency." Find out the 8 compliments that actually hurt your kid.

Leadership skills

Because of their maturity and natural organizational abilities many genius kids will become leaders of industry. Sunny Verma, describes how gifted children, "typically can take charge to find the most effective solution. They also self-regulate their performance making them always look for ways to improve—a desirable trait of leaders regardless of age. Because of this ability, they usually can lead their peers, as they have more confidence in their sense of direction and experience in taking charge."

They love to read

Just like children's author Roald Dahl's famous child genius heroine, Matilda, child prodigies are voracious readers. They often learn to read quickly and earlier than other children the same age and enjoy reading for meaning and pleasure. If your child has worked their way through Matilda's reading list they may well be genius material! These are the 10 simple ways to get your kid to love reading.

They are original

A common marker for recognizing a child may be exceptional is that they not only understand advanced work by others but they are also able to offer their own unique and original thoughts and insight into problems and puzzles. An article in Creativity Post finds that geniuses are always looking for new ways to approach problems or to look at the world, "They ask 'How many different ways can I look at it?, 'How can I rethink the way I see it?', and 'How many different ways can I solve it?'"

They are not perfect

It's worth remembering that even gifted children will still make mistakes, get things wrong, not behave correctly, or have setbacks from time to time. After all they're still kids! Being exceptional doesn't always mean you are exceptional across all curriculum subjects or aptitudes. Your child may be a math prodigy but find music baffling, or they may excel in a range of sports but find reading challenging. The key is to provide balanced opportunities for them to learn and develop. Mallory Kojkowski, Ed.D., director of admissions and outreach at Fusion Academy in Miami, reminds parents that even gifted children have areas of weakness. "Gifted students benefit from advanced cognitive competencies, but may still struggle in areas related to frustration, carelessness, lack of executive functioning skills, or poor concentration skills," she says.

There is a place for tests

Although testing is only part of the assessment procedure for understanding if your child may be gifted it can be an important marker, especially for school placements. Another test available from ORIG3N, a leader in regenerative medicine technology and consumer genetics assessments, may be able to tell you if your child has exceptional aptitude in a range of subject areas. The BLOOM DNA kitcan assess the genes that impact childhood development in the following areas: aptitude for learning new languages, math ability, memory recall, and other cognitive abilities. Whether or not your child is technically "gifted," they are no doubt a gift to you and their potential is unlimited. Here are 8 signs you're raising an emotionally intelligent child.

The post If Your Child Displays These 11 Traits, You Could Be Raising a Genius—Seriously! appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Why does low acid coffee make a difference?

Low acid makes all the difference!

Acid in coffee may not be the most top of mind when making a purchase at your local grocery store or your favorite local café. However, acid in coffee has detrimental impacts on your overall well-being.

One of the most common side effects of high acid levels in coffee is a PH imbalance in your blood. Consuming acidic coffee in large quantities can lead, cause or worsen heart burn and acid reflux.

Who knew?

In an average comparison of acid levels in Hevla Low Acid Coffee vs. other leading coffee brands, Hevla contains nearly 29% less acidic volumes.

There is no need to give up your morning ritual because of increased impact of heart burn or acid reflux. You can still enjoy your morning cup of joe without the unwanted consequences.

Make a change for your health, drink Hevla coffee!


4 reasons your disruptive talent will fail and what to do about it

Promoted by 4 reasons your disruptive talent will fail and what to do about it

As organisations look for ways to drive innovation to either defend against competitive threats or drive their growth strategy, many are turning to a new type of talent to fuel their success – disruptive talent. Disruptive talent are people who have the ability to spot opportunities to do things in radically different ways, can implement ideas quickly and successfully to deliver business value, all while working effectively within the constraints of a more traditional organisational structure.

The challenge is that while organisations can use assessments in the recruitment and selection process to find the right disruptive talent (i.e., those who have all the competencies required to succeed), often issues like lack of clear vision, misalignment of (1) stakeholders, and (2) organisational culture, and insufficient support for the innovator get in the way of their success.

To overcome the many challenges that result from advancing innovation, organisations need to clearly understand the potential problems, and take action to minimize the risks.

Challenge 1: Lack of clear innovation, vision and strategy

True innovation is still relatively immature in most organisations (i.e., most operate at an ad-hoc and isolated level versus one where innovation has been adopted enterprise-wide and is considered a measured and optimized business capability).  As a result many businesses lack a clearly articulated, understood or supported innovation vision and strategy. In many cases different functions within an organisation will view innovation and its necessity to either drive growth or avoid disruption through different lenses.

As a result when disruptive talent is brought in to drive innovation, either within the traditional boundaries of an organisation or through an innovation hub on the side, they face either indifference and/or resistance from many key stakeholders due to misalignment of goals.  This can be frustrating and contribute towards slower progress towards innovation goals.

Before bringing disruptive talent into an organisation, senior leaders need to clearly define an enterprise-wide vision and strategy for innovation. That vision and strategy needs to be widely and consistently communicated, and funding put in place to ensure success.

Challenge 2: Lack of buy-in to innovation

Even if a clear innovation vision and strategy have been defined, disruptive talent can still run into issues if key stakeholders don’t buy into the need for innovation. Many senior leaders still lack an in-depth understanding of how technology is disrupting their (1) industry and (2) customer and employee expectations, which can lead to a resistance to radical change/innovation.

This lack of support for innovation can be further amplified if key stakeholders also lack an understanding of how innovation success is measured.  Often sceptics are quick to assume innovation has failed if results are not immediate, or if ideas are killed. This can create even bigger obstacles for disruptive talent.

Challenge 3: Corporate culture

Organisational culture is probably the most complex challenge to overcome, as a number of different elements work together to create an environment that is conducive for innovation and disruptive talent to succeed.

For example, organisations need effective communication, creativity, fast decision making, productive internal and external collaboration, and agility.  Additionally, they need processes in place to support change management, risk management and knowledge management (see Figure 1: Building an innovative culture).  When elements are missing innovation will be slow and likely unsuccessful.

Poor performance across these different capabilities can in some cases be the result of a lack of organisational or personal ability (i.e., people don’t know how to do these things).  In other cases, poor performance can be the result of low or no motivation/willingness to build or strengthen one or more of these critical elements.

To build strong capabilities, there needs to first be buy-in to the importance of these elements which contribute to creating a culture that supports innovation. There then needs to be defined, and consistently applied, processes and tools/technology to support each critical practice. For example, for cross-functional collaboration to be effective, people need opportunities to work on projects, and processes and tools to share ideas and collaborate in an efficient and effective way.

Challenge 4: Lack of personal support for disruptive talent

Finally, in order for disruptive talent to be engaged and successful, proper support needs to be in place for this new type of high potential talent (see Figure 2: Supporting disruptive talent).  The disruptor needs to feel a connection to the organisation, and must be able to quickly navigate and overcome any unforeseen challenges or obstacles. They also need to be able to collaborate and create with other disruptors on a regular basis.

At a minimum, in addition to executive sponsorship, a disruptor needs a manager who can clear the path for them, and act as a connector to help the innovator integrate into more traditional teams.  The manager must be able to provide the disruptor with the autonomy they need to achieve their goals, while providing clear and constructive feedback along the way.

Additionally, as roadblocks can often be the result of organisational politics, hierarchy or process, disruptors need access to peer mentors who understand both the formal and informal organisation.

The mentors need to be able to offer advice about how to navigate roadblocks in a way that: (1) maintains and/or strengthens important relationships and (2) achieves desired outcomes in a manner that is consistent with corporate values. Without access to these savvy advisors, disruptive talent can easily and quickly find themselves without the support they need to achieve their mandate.

When disruptive talent is brought in at an executive level, they can also benefit from working with a professional coach.  As is it common for disruptors to feel like they don’t fit, they can benefit from professional support to reframe their thinking and challenge them to not just adapt to their new environment, but rather find creative ways to successfully fulfil their mandate.

Maximizing the return on your disruptive talent – 10 actions you can take:

Innovation is no longer an option. It is now critical to the long-term viability of every organisation. Although a number of challenges exist, organisations can take some key steps to improve the return on the investment they have to make in disruptive talent by:

5. Identifying and implementing a defined and accelerated process for innovation that includes identification of decision makers, risk management, and governance and measurement for each step.

6. Teaching the entire organisation how to be more creative.

7. Aligning rewards and recognition at all levels of the organisations to support innovation through calculated and intelligent risk-taking, collaboration, and agility.

10. Ensuring that disruptive talent have access to peer mentors and/or professional coaches to successfully navigate roadblocks.

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As a member of the Private Equity Growth Capital Council (“PEGCC”), Irving Place has adopted the PEGCC Guidelines as its Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) policy.

PEGCC Guidelines

3. Seek to grow and improve the companies in which they invest for long-term sustainability and to benefit multiple stakeholders, including on environmental, social and governance issues. To that end, we will work through appropriate governance structures (e.g. board of directors) with portfolio companies with respect to environmental, public health, safety, and social issues, with the goal of improving performance and minimizing adverse impacts in these areas.

4. Seek to use governance structures that provide appropriate levels of oversight in the areas of audit, risk management and potential conflicts of interest and to implement compensation and other policies that align the interests of owners and management.

5. Remain committed to compliance with applicable national, state, and local labor laws in the countries in which they invest; support the payment of competitive wages and benefits to employees; provide a safe and healthy workplace in conformance with national and local law; and, consistent with applicable law, will respect the rights of employees to decide whether or not to join a union and engage in collective bargaining.