Essays on slavery and abolition

Essays on slavery and abolition, American history essays: robert e lee: attitude toward slavery and abolition.

An essay on slavery and abolitionism by catharine e beecher 1837 in response to emily grimké's essay, an appeal to christian women of the south. The abolition - slavery essay example slavery and slave trade was a common practice in many parts of the world especially in. Free essay: the stories always started out with them being with their families and then they got split up because they were sold into slavery by the late. Essays us slave trade the forced migration of africans to the 13 original british colonies and the united states during the time of slavery involved mostly people. Below is an essay on abolition of slavery from anti essays, your source for research papers, essays, and term abolition of slavery essay paper examples slavery.

Essay on slavery and abolitionism it is allowed that the immediate abolition of slavery is to be produced “ `as it is usual to read these essays publicly in. The thirteenth amendment: the abolition of slavery between 1865 and 1875, the united states congress, led by the republican party, attempted to make the four. Slavery essays - slavery and abolition essay on slavery and abolition - the term slave is defined as a person held in servitude as the chattel of another.

Ladies and gentlemen, today i am going to persuade you that the slave trade needs to be abolished i am going to tell you some reasons it needs to be. Abolition of slavery essaysthe conflicting and different perspectives adopted by the north and south in discussing the issue of black american slavery is founded.

Abolition essay factors leading to the abolition of slavery in africa and the middle east can be seen from different perspectives one of them. Read this american history essay and over 88,000 other research documents the abolition of slavery the abolition of slavery it has been said that no reform movement. This book influenced many british people and caused them to be anti-slavery and exposing to the general public the hardships a slave faced causing much uproar.

Long and brutal – the fight for the abolition of the slave trade before it was a vital aspectin upholding the entire western economy, the slave t. Free essay: there was also pressure from countries outside south america that contributed to the end of slavery the clapham sect, an evangelical group from. The abolition of the slave and the united states (1808) had acted decisively to abandon the transatlantic slave trade in fact, abolition was print this essay. This sample abolition movement essay is published for informational et al, eds 1988 abolition of slavery and the aftermath of emancipation in brazil.

Your example of abolition of slavery essay for college and school classes free sample essay on abolition of slavery topics and ideas tips how to write good academic. This paper describes the movement and methods used in the process of abolition abolition movement was meant to end the slavery experienced by people of african.

Essays on slavery and abolition
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Sunday, 26 May 2013

Egyptian Hieroglyphs

                            Historical Background of Egyptian Hieroglyphs

                                    1) In 1799  a Frenchman, attached to Napoleon’s army found the Rosetta Stone near Alexandria in Egypt.

The Rosetta stone;

                                    2)After the surrender of Egypt to the British forces in 1801, the Rosetta stone, eventually landed in the British Museum.

                                    3)The Rosetta stone, had three identical texts written in three languages. Two of these were in Egyptian, one of these being Hieroglyphs, and the other in Greek.

                                    4) Two men eventually were able to decipher the Egyptian text on the stone by 1822. First Young, an Englishman, was able to decipher the cartouches. These were 7 exact symbols of a Pharaoh's name surrounded by an elliptical circle with a horizontal line at one end, found written on the stone. Later a Frenchman, Champollion, was able to decode the rest of the text, all with the aid of the Greek inscription.
                                     5) An usual aspect of Hieroglyphics is it can be written and read in several directions as in top to bottom or right to left, which is usual.. The key to reading the text really depends on which way the characters are facing. If they face to the right then the text is read from the right.

Hatschepsut Cartouche - Luxor, Luxor

Hatshepsut Cartouche

Above are examples of Egyptians text representative of the word Ramsses in numerous cartouches..

       1) The Circle or the God Ra in the cartouche gives the sound "Rah". Often the circle, representing the sun, will have a dot in the centre.
       2) The hanging plant with 3 limbs gives the sound "M" ( from good to eat sound, plant looks very much like the letter "M")
       3) The double staffs or sticks, gives the sound "S,S"
       4) The hanging plant and the staff together, gives the sound, "MEES"
       The proper way to pronounce Ramsses, Is not RAM-first syllable, SES 2nd syllable. There is no RAM syllable in ancient Egyptian. Ra is the Sun God not Ram. The correct syllables and pronunciation is RAH- MSES.   (Ra- me- ss) Similar to the word David. David is a Hebrew name and is pronounced. DAH-VEED.The English pronunciation is DA-VID, which is incorrect.

        The Egyptians also had representation of the cartouche that included an Omega like object (symbol) that connects man to the chariots of the Gods.  An artistic representation of the chariots of the Gods from the Sumerians, that the Egyptians used is the figure below. Note what is held in it's claws, and it's shape.

            In this case of the Egyptians, the object was the Shen, the Symbol that represented eternity, which in the figure above is holding in his claws. The Shen is made up of a rope and staff, that is also depicted in an elongated form, known as a cartouche. In the cartouche, the rope is extended to surround a King's name. Hence Shen can also mean, "to encircle". Both  the Omega and the Shen are quite similar in appearance, and had similar meaning to these ancient people.

           The ancient people of Israel also had their God that held a shen;

        Ezekiel in his vision for the rebuilding of the 2nd temple, (Ezekiel 40 2-4); he was approached by  YHWH caring a Shen. "In a Godly vision,...approached by a man who had the appearance of bronze and who held in his hand a flaxen string and a measuring rod."

            The Sumerians also had a Shen like object, seen in the figure below, which was again represented by a measuring staff and rope. (Compare it to the Egyptian Shen) The Anunnaki figure holding it shows his authority in measuring mans life.

The Shen throughout the ancient peoples on various religions and ethnic groups all seemed to have a symbol, Shen, Cartouche, or the Omega that represented life.

                                    5)With the fall of Egypt's power, Egypt became more isolated. It's religion and it's Hieroglyphic texts became more obscure. There may have been a time when foreign scholars, Roman and Greek, could read Egyptian text, but this is unknown. By the 1st  Century A.D., Hieroglyphs certainly was falling into disuse.


Miscarriage and causes

The medical terms used to identify this potential complication Miscarriage and causes loss gives most women an uncomfortable feeling, so throughout this article, we will refer to this type of threatened complication or pregnancy loss under 20 weeks as a miscarriage.

Other causes of miscarriage include: When should I contact my doctor? The use of chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat childhood cancer increases the risk of miscarriage.

Anatomical differences are common and can be congenital. This will effect the ability to continue the pregnancy and if a woman has repeated miscarriages, she can be tested for it. Pesticides for killing insects or rodents. With a molar pregnancy, both sets of chromosomes come from the father.

Infection Medical conditions in the mother, such as diabetes or thyroid disease Hormone problems Physical problems in the mother Uterine abnormalities A woman has a higher risk of miscarriage if she: Print Overview Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week.

Be sure to talk with your doctor about this. A partial molar pregnancy is usually associated with abnormalities of the placenta, and an abnormal fetus. If your pregnancy lasted close to 20 weeks, your breasts may produce milk within a few days.

Miscarriage: overview

Testing is usually recommended after 3 consecutive miscarriages. Problems with your uterus or cervixsuch as: Usually a miscarriage cannot be prevented and often occurs because the pregnancy is not normal.

Some of the causes of miscarriage include the following. In many cases, the symptoms may be due to a threatened miscarriage.

About 50 percent of miscarriages are associated with extra or missing chromosomes. Ask your health care provider for more information about these resources. There are different types of miscarriage, different treatments for each, and different statistics for what your chances are of having one.

Some women find the milk production upsetting and a reminder of their loss; others find it a comforting link with their lost baby that helps them to grieve. Most ectopic pregnancies o Advertisement. If a specific problem is identified with testing, then treatment options may be available.

Miscarriages are sometimes referred to by tissue-specific names to reflect the clinical findings or the type of miscarriage. These may be signs of an infection.

4 Common Causes of Miscarriage

Ask your doctor about your risk from the environment and how to protect yourself. Something may be wrong with the placenta.

A completed miscarriage is when the embryo or products of conception have emptied out of the uterus. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.

Symptoms of miscarriage Symptoms may differ depending on how advanced the pregnancy was and what caused the miscarriage. Ask your partner, a friend or relative to stay with you, preferably someone who can take you to the doctor or hospital if necessary.

Usually it is difficult to determine exactly why a miscarriage has occurred. Of pregnancies that make it past this point, about 10 to 20 per cent result in a miscarriage, mostly during the first 12 weeks. These procedures are not associated with pregnancy loss during the second trimester but they are associated with miscarriages and birth defects in the first trimester.

For this procedure, you will usually be given a general anaesthetic, your cervix is gently dilated opened and the remaining pregnancy tissue is removed from your uterus. Understanding the early fetal development and first-trimester development can help you to know what things your health care provider is looking for when there is a possible miscarriage occurring.

Having a miscarriage does not necessarily mean you have a fertility problem. In many cases, the miscarriage will take its course, and unless there is severe pain and cramping or severe blood loss, no treatment is required.Chromosomal Abnormalities. Chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus are the cause of about 50 percent of miscarriages before 13 weeks of pregnancy and about 24 percent of miscarriages between 13 to 27 weeks of pregnancy.

Miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the natural death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Some use the cutoff of 20 weeks of gestation, after which fetal death is known as a stillbirth.

The most common symptom of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding with or without pain. Sadness, anxiety.

9 causes of miscarriage

A miscarriage is the loss of a fetus before the 20th week of mint-body.com medical term for a miscarriage is spontaneous abortion, but "spontaneous" is the key word here because the condition is. A miscarriage during weeks 13 through 24, the second trimester, often results from a problem with the mother.

These are some health problems that increase a. "The void of knowledge surrounding causes of miscarriage has often been filled with misconception. Greater knowledge will help prevent this." And we all can help set the record straight, says Dr.

Miscarriage is very common and usually occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Miscarriage: overview. A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, the loss of a fetus is called a stillbirth.

Some of the causes of miscarriage include the following.

Miscarriage and causes
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Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and statutory holiday associated with Chinese and other East Asian and Southeast Asian societies. It is a public holiday in the Chinese mainland.

It falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

 Today the best known of these relates to the suicide in 278 BCE of Qu Yuan, poet and statesman of the Chukingdom during the Warring States period.

The best-known traditional story holds that the festival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BCE – 278 BCE) of the ancient state ofChu, in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty.

 A descendant of theChuroyal house, Qu served in high offices. However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance.

 Qu Yuan was accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he is now remembered.

 Twenty-eight years later, Qin conquered the capital of Chu. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in theMiluoRiveron the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

 It is said that the local people, who admired him, threw lumps of rice into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan’s body.

 This is said to be the origin of zongzi. The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

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The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.

Qingming is the best time for Taqing, or a spring outing, getting out and enjoying the early blossoms before summer. During the spring, everything in nature takes on a new look, as trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly. It is a fine time to go out and appreciate the beauty of nature during the festival.

Swings are very popular amongst children and are usually found on playgrounds. As a popular custom on Tomb Sweeping Day, swinging not only stops the chillness from eating cold food, but also develops a child’s bravery.

Meanwhile, Ju is a rubber ball made of leather on the outside and stuffed tightly with feathers on the inside. Cuju means “kick the rubber ball with foot”. It was a popular sport played by the ancient Chinese during the Qingming Festival. The Yellow Emperor was purportedly the initiator of Cuju, and he invented it to train his soldiers.

The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, the Qingming Festival was called “Arbor Day”. But since 1979, “Arbor Day” was settled as March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.

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Qinming Festival originated from Hanshi Day (literally, Day with cold food only), a memorial day for Jie Zitui, a historical character who died in 636 BC in the Spring and Autumn Period.

It is said that in the seventh century BC during the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Xiao was the monarch of the state of Jin. His eldest son, Shen Sheng should have inherited the throne on the death of his father. But Duke Xiao had other plans. He wanted the son of his favorite concubine, Li Ji, to succeed him as the ruler of Jin.

Duke Xiao had Shen Sheng murdered and would have done the same to his second eldest son, Chong’er, but Chong’er got wind of this and fled.

For 19 long years, Chong’er and his entourage of loyal officials and servants wandered homeless, no sterangers to cold and hunger. One day, Chong ‘er was too hungry and close to death. One of his most faithful followers, Jie Zitui, cut a slice of muscle from his own leg and served it to his master, thereby saving his life.

Finally in 636 BC ,Chong’er managed to take the throne that was tightfully his and took the official title of Duke Wen of the state of Jin.

After becoming the ruler of the state, Chong’er decided to reward the officials who had stayed with him through his years of wandering. But he forgot about Jie Zitui who had sacrificed the flesh of his leg. Jie Zitui was heartbroken and went away. Later Chong’er remembered Jie Zitui’s sacrifice and sent people to look for him.

Eventually they found him. Chong’er went in person to apologize and ask him to return to the royal court. But Jie itui left them and went deep into the mountains, so no one could find him again. Someone advised Chong’er to set fire to the area in order to force Jie Zitui into the open, where he could be talked into returning to the comforts of life in the royal house.

Chong’er took this advice and set fire to the mountain where Jie Zitui was believed to be hiding. The fires raged for three days and Jie Zitui was found leaning against a large tree, carrying his old mother on his back. But they were already burnt to death.

Chong’er was deeply saddened by this tragedy. He ordered that a temple be built in memory of his most loyal follower. He also ordered that no fires were allowed on the anniversary of Jie Zitui’s death. So people had to eat their cold food on that day, or the day of Hanshi. In addition, people began to visit Jie Zitui’s tomb and pay their respects to his memory.

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September 28 of lunar calendar is Jianshui Confucius Culture Festival.

Jianshui has a long history of civilization; it has 1200 years of city history. For more than 1000 years, Confucian culture and the frontier nation culture blend to form a unique border Confucian culture.JianshuiTemple was built in the Yuan dynasty (1285), it ranks top for its existing size, architectural level and well-preserved beauty. To carry forward the frontier Confucianism and Taoism culture,JianshuiCounty started to hold Confucius festival since 2005. Through large parties, large Confucius-sacrifice activities, tourism and cultural activities, the long history and culture of Jianshui and its rich tourism resources have been exhibited.

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On the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar, don’t forget to look carefully at the summer sky. You’ll find the Cowherd (a bright star in the constellation Aquila, west of the Milky Way) and the Weaving Maid (the star Vega, east of the Milky Way) appear closer together than at any other time of the year. Chinese believe the stars are lovers who are permitted to meet by the queen of Heaven once a year. That day falls on the double seventh (Qixi in Chinese), which is China’s own Valentine’s Day.

Most Chinese remember being told a romantic tragedy when they were children on the double seventh. In the legend, the cowherd and the Weaving Maid will meet on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way once a year. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on that evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings.

To Love and to Wait — A Romantic Legend

The legend holds that an orphaned cowherd was mistreated by his elder brother and sister-in-law, who eventually gave him an old ox and chased him out. The cowherd worked hard, and after only a couple of years he owned a small farm and house. He was lonely, however, with only the company of that faithful old ox.

One day the ox suddenly opened its mouth and talked, telling the cowherd that the heavenly Weaving Maid and her sisters were going to bathe in the Silver River. The Weaving Maid was said to be the youngest of the seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky.

The ox told the cowherd that he should go there to rob the Weaving Maid of her clothes while she was in the water. In exchange for the return of her clothes, she would become his wife. Surprised, the cowherd willingly followed the ox’s instructions and hid himself in the reeds at the riverbank, waiting for the girls to bathe. The girls did come as foretold. As they were splashing about and having fun, the cowherd rushed out of the reeds and grabbed the Weaving Maid’s clothing. In panic, the sisters dashed to their clothes, hurriedly put them on, and ran away.

The Weaving Maid, deprived of her clothes, stood on the riverbank and tried to cover herself with her hair as best as possible. The cowherd told her that he would not return her clothes unless she promised to be his wife. After a little hesitation and with a mixture of shyness and eagerness, she agreed to his request and they married.

The cowherd and the Weaving Maid lived happily together and had two children before the Queen of Heaven discovered the Weaving Maid’s absence. She was so annoyed she had the Weaving Maid brought back to heaven.

Seeing his beloved wife flying back to the sky, the cowherd was terrified and sad. He caught sight of the cowhide hanging on a wall. The magical ox had told him before dying of old age: “Keep the cowhide for emergency use.”

Putting the cowhide on, the cowherd, with his two children, went after his wife.

With the help of the cowhide, the cowherd was able to follow the Weaving Maid into heaven. He was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way.

The Weaving Maid went back to the heavenly workshop, going on weaving the clouds. But she was so sad and missed her husband across the Silver River so much that the clouds she weaved seemed sad. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River on the double seventh.

Magpies were moved by their true love and many of them gathered and formed a bridge for the couple to meet on the evening of Qixi.

It’s said that it’s hard to find a magpie on Chinese Valentine’s Day in China, because all magpies fly to make the bridge for the Weaving Maid and the cowherd. The one thing to prove that is the feathers on the head of the magpies are much lesser after the Chinese Valentine’s Day. And if it rains heavily on Qixi night, some elderly Chinese will say it is because the Weaving Maid is crying from happiness over meeting her husband on the Milky Way.

To Celebrate and to Pray —- Chinese Valentine’s Day Customs

The double seventh is the only Chinese festival devoted to love in the Lunar calendar. Actually, in ancient China, Qixi was not only a special day for lovers, but also for girls. As early as the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), girls began to celebrate Double Seven Festival in China. What was behind their celebration was their desire for the mastery of knitting, cooking, and home making, each of which was a must to be a fair lady at that time. As a result, girls would make tables, light candles, and present fruits in their courtyard in the hope of being blessed with these skills from the Weaving Maid. So the festival is also known as the “Begging for Needlecrafts Festival” or “Daughters’ Festival.” Although later the festival became associated with a love story, these activities survived.

1. Needlework

A girl will be more attractive to a suitor if she has talents of one kind or another in addition to being beautiful. In the old days of China, needlework was necessary as part of a girl’s dowry. Since the Weaving Maid is also an excellent seamstress, on the double seventh in ancient China, girls would hold weaving and needlework competitions to see who had the best hands and the brightest mind, both prerequisites for making a good wife and mother at that time. Just imagine, against the blue sky where the bright moon smiles, a pretty girl would thread the needle deftly…

2. Blossoms

The methods of keeping the skin fair and glowing by using blossoms have never been a secret to Chinese girls. On the double seventh, girls would put blossoms into a copper basin of water. The water, which would absorbe the essence of the blossoms, was said to be good to girls’ skin when they washed their face.

3. Singing

On the double seventh, girls would not forget to gather and sing a song called Qiqiao (Begging for Needlecrafts). The song expressed their sweet wishes of longevity for their parents and firm friendship for their “sisters.”

4. The Maid “Shrine”

Girls would also put up colorful “shrines” made of paper, fresh fruit, flowers, and incense as a tribute to the Weaving Maid and the cowherd. In some parts of Shandong Province (in East China), young women offered fruit and pastries to pray for a bright mind. If spiders were seen weaving webs on sacrificial objects, it was believed the Weaving Maid was giving a positive reply to the prayers.

5. Overhearing the Maid Crying

In the evening, people sat outdoors to observe the stars. Chinese grannies would say that, if you stood under a grapevine, you could probably overhear the Weaving Maid and the cowherd’s conversation. If you were lucky enough, they would go on telling you, you could hear the crying of the Weaving Maid.

6. Making Offerings

So many things — of joy and tears, praise and lament, hope and yearning — fall on the double seventh. In some areas in China, seven close girlfriends would gather to make dumplings. They put into three separate dumplings a needle, a copper coin, and a red date, which represented perfect needlework skills, good fortune, and an early marriage. But the festival celebrations were not confined to girls. It proved to be a day for all the people, young and old, men and women, to make offerings. It’s said if an offering were made for three straight years, the offering, or rather the wish, would come true.

7. Crop Forecast

8. Dolls and Puppets

9. Sun Books

To Meet or to Watch —- the Stars, Vega and Altair

Star Vega — The Weaving Maid The Weaving Maid, star Vega in the Lyra constellation east of the Milky Way, is the 5th brightest star in the sky, bright enough for you to find on a summer night. It is 16 times bigger and 25 times brighter than the Sun and is 25 light years away from the Earth.

The cowherd, Altair, a bright star in the constellation Aquila west of the Milky Way, is the 11th brightest star in the sky. Altair is 4 times bigger and 11 times brighter than the Sun. It’s closer to us than the Weaving Maid, star Vega, but still, it takes 17 light years for its light to reach the Earth. The two stars next to the Altair in the Aquila constellation, Alshain and Tarazed, are said to be the cowherd’s two children he took with him when chasing the Maid to Heaven on the cowhide.

Will Vega meet Altair in the sky on the double seventh? Actually, it is 16 light years from Vega to Altair. Think of it, if the cowherd sends a telegraph on Altair to the Weaving Maid, it will reach her in 16 years. And if a magpie’s bridge for the Star Altair — The Cowherd Weaving Maid and the cowherd really exist, can you imagine how long the bridge would have to be?

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Chinese Valentine’s Day, or Qixi（the Qiqiao Festival ）falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. This year, it is today. According to Chinese legend, a beloved couple, a cowherd and a weaver, are allowed to meet only once a year in heaven on this day.

In accordance with the legend, couples throughout the country are set to celebrate in both modern and traditional ways.

In eastern China’s Hangzhou city, the second Xiaoshan Qixi festival will mark the occasion with an evening of dance, crafts and local cuisine.

Many households in the area will place fruit outside their windows this evening to pay homage to the star Vega (the weaving maid) and a competition that involves young girls threading a needle will be held under moonlight. These activities originate from the Han Dynasty (206BC–220AD) and are widely spread in Xiaoshan.

Shanghai is also celebrating the occasion with the Lover’s Wall area on The Bund undergoing a complete renovation to give a new look to the festival. The surrounding area has been covered with marble and the fence around the wall now sports an ancient, more romantic style.

Fresh colors have added to the wall’s attractiveness with many couples choosing the location over more modern-day options to spend time with each other.

In Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, a large-scale festival will be held at the Huaqing Pool. Residents have been invited to contribute love stories, with 77 pieces, representing the seventh day of the seventh month, being read aloud. 77 couples will participate in a collective wedding ceremony, Tang Dynasty style.

Many young lovers choose Qixi, known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, to register for an official marriage licence to mark their wedding day.

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People in different parts of China celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in different ways, but one traditional custom is shared by all – eating cakes shaped like the moon.

As the name suggests, the Mid-Autumn Festival takes place in the middle of autumn. The month August was considered to be the second (or the middle) month of autumn, and the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day (the middle) of the eighth month in the lunar calendar each year. This year, the festival will take place on Sept 12.

There are many different beliefs regarding the origin of the moon cake. One theory suggests that moon cakes were originally used as vessels to pass secret messages, where people sneaked slips of paper in the filling of the pastry. Others believe that people paid respect to the lady that lived on the moon – Chang’e (along with her pet the jade rabbit) – by presenting exquisitely prepared desserts. Either way, the tradition was passed on, and the pastry has become the moon cakes we eat today.

The authenticity of either theory, or any for that matter, regarding the origin of the Moon Cake remains uncertain, but one thing is for sure – the Mid-Autumn Festival is incomplete without moon cakes.

The status of the moon cake during the Mid-Autumn Festival is equivalent to that of roasted turkey on Christmas Eve or chocolates on Valentine’s Day; it’s just indispensable.

The moon cake the must-have for any celebration of this traditional festival, not only because of its taste, but more so for its cultural and artistic connotations. With more flavors to choose from and ever-so-delicate packaging, enjoying moon cakes in the midst of fall, perhaps with a cup green tea or fragrant Chinese wine, has already become an artistic experience.

Moon cakes are round pastries commonly filled with lotus paste and seeds, red bean paste, ham or salted duck’s egg yolk. The surface of the cakes are often patterned with clouds, the moon and rabbits, each symbolic and significant for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The cakes are round, a shape that symbolizes reunions for the Chinese. Exchange of gifts among families and friends during the festival is one of the most amicable customs in China. Strolling under the gentle moon light is a good choice for the hopeless romantics. Even for the couples that are miles apart, admiring the silver moon under the same sky would emotionally pull them closer at that very hour.

The custom of eating moon cakes dates back thousands of years and is closely tied to Chinese culture and history. A considerable number of ancient Chinese poets have penned beautiful poems and writings about the festival and the cake.

So, whether you have had these delicious treats before or never even heard of them, be sure to get at least one on Sept 12. Enjoying a moon cake under the brightly lit full moon on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival is a one of a kind, emotionally fulfilling and artistically inspiring experience.

Don’t miss it.

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At Comtel Communications, we take anniversaries very seriously.  Just as we pride ourselves on long-standing relationships with our client base, we know that this is made possible because of our dedicated and loyal team of employees.  Our employees are family and we look forward to celebrating every year but especially major milestones.

Mike Martin has crossed one such milestone as he celebrates 10 years with our companies. Mike began as an intern with roles that have included a technician, installation manager, sales, and his current role as operations manager. To commemorate his anniversary, we held a dinner at Buckhead’s in his honor and featured him for this month’s blog.

Q: How long have you been with Comtel/Simplicity?
A: On July 27th, I have been with Comtel and Simplicity for 10 years.

Q: How long have you been in the telecom industry?
A: I have been in the telecom industry for 10 years as well.

Q: What did you do before arriving at Comtel?
A: Prior to Comtel, I was in a variety of positions. I worked in sales as well as in the restaurant business serving customers and managing staff.

Q: How did this impact your view of customer service?
A: It made a huge impact. I learned a lot from interacting with people. I also saw the value of excellent service on a customer’s experience.  Great service was key to success.

Q: Why did you decide to be with the same company for a decade?
A: It just kind of happened that way. I am busy and learning, so I have found no reason to leave.

Q: What has changed in the industry since you started?
A: Almost everything has changed - it seems like every day things change. Technology constantly evolves, and the same goes with telecom.

Q: What is your role at Comtel and Simplicity?
A: My role at Simplicity is the Operations Manager over Simplicity and the primary sales engineer for Simplicity products. I serve as a sales engineer for Comtel.

Q: Have you had any other roles? If so, what was your favorite?
A: I started out in client services, and then I sold for a while. I was the first technician with Simplicity and then moved into more of operational/sales engineer role. My favorite role has been that of a sales engineer because it gives me the ability to visit customers and discuss solutions.

Q: What do you think is the most important part about customer service?
A: I think the most important part of customer service is customer interaction - being able to actually talk to somebody and to solve their problems faster. Another important aspect is being able to resolve a situation yourself or walking a customer through how to solve it themselves, or a combination of both.

Q: What’s your favorite Comtel tradition?
A: My favorite Comtel tradition is the Christmas party. This is because the majority of people in the company attend and are in the same room - that doesn’t happen as often as we would like to.

Q: So, as you reflect on 10 years, what stands out about your experience been at Comtel?
A: My experience at Comtel has allowed me to always learn - there is never a dull day and the technology is constantly evolving.

To meet our team, click here.

About Comtel

Author: Abbey Twining


Spatial and temporal variations in indoor environmental conditions, human occupancy, and operational characteristics in a new hospital building

The dynamics of indoor environmental conditions, human occupancy, and operational characteristics of buildings influence human comfort and indoor environmental quality, including the survival and progression of microbial communities. A suite of continuous, long-term environmental and operational parameters were measured in ten patient rooms and two nurse stations in a new hospital building in Chicago, IL to characterize the indoor environment in which microbial samples were taken for the Hospital Microbiome Project. Measurements included environmental conditions (indoor dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity, humidity ratio, and illuminance) in the patient rooms and nurse stations; differential pressure between the patient rooms and hallways; surrogate measures for human occupancy and activity in the patient rooms using both indoor air CO2 concentrations and infrared doorway beam-break counters; and outdoor air fractions in the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems serving the sampled spaces. Measurements were made at 5-minute intervals over consecutive days for nearly one year, providing a total of ∼8×106 data points. Indoor temperature, illuminance, and human occupancy/activity were all weakly correlated between rooms, while relative humidity, humidity ratio, and outdoor air fractions showed strong temporal (seasonal) patterns and strong spatial correlations between rooms. Differential pressure measurements confirmed that all patient rooms were operated at neutral pressure. The patient rooms averaged about 100 combined entrances and exits per day, which suggests they were relatively lightly occupied compared to higher traffic environments (e.g., retail buildings) and more similar to lower traffic office environments. There were also clear differences in several environmental parameters before and after the hospital was occupied with patients and staff. Characterizing and understanding factors that influence these building dynamics is vital for hospital environments, where they can impact patient health and the survival and spread of healthcare associated infections.

PMID: 25729898


One Voice

Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia
Support Group (Northamptonshire)

What is Sickle Cell Anaemia?

The disorder affects the red blood cells which contain a special protein called haemoglobin (Hb for short). The function of haemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.

People with Sickle Cell Anaemia have Sickle haemoglobin (HbS) which is different from the normal haemoglobin (HbA). When sickle haemoglobin gives up its oxygen to the tissues, it sticks together to form long rods inside the red blood cells making these cells rigid and sickle-shaped. Normal red blood cells can bend and flex easily.

Because of their shape, sickled red blood cells can’t squeeze through small blood vessels as easily as the almost donut-shaped normal cells. This can lead to these small blood vessels getting blocked which then stops the oxygen from getting through to where it is needed. This in turn can lead to severe pain and damage to organs.

Everyone has two copies of the gene for haemoglobin; one from their mother and one from their father. If one of these genes carries the instructions to make sickle haemoglobin (HbS) and the other carries the instructions to make normal haemoglobin (HbA) then the person has Sickle Cell Trait and is a carrier of the sickle haemoglobin gene. This means that this person has enough normal haemoglobin in their red blood cells to keep the cells flexible and they don’t have the symptoms of the sickle cell disorders. They do however have to be careful when doing things where there is less oxygen than normal such as scuba diving, activities at high altitude and under general anaesthetics.

If both copies of the haemoglobin gene carry instructions to make sickle haemoglobin then this will be the only type of haemoglobin they can make and sickled cells can occur. These people have Sickle Cell Anaemia and can suffer from anaemia and severe pain. These severe attacks are known as Crises. Over time Sickle Cell sufferers can experience damage to organs such as liver, kidney, lungs, heart and spleen. Death can be a result.

Another problem is that red blood cells containing sickle haemoglobin do not live as long as the normal 120 days and this results in a chronic state of anaemia. In spite of this, a person with sickle cell disorder can attend school, college and work. People with sickle cell disorder need regular medical attention particularly before and after operations, dental extraction and during pregnancy. Many hospitals arrange follow-up appointments and it is advisable to discuss with the doctors questions concerning schooling, strenuous exercise, family planning, suitable types of employment and air travel. When a person is found to have a sickle cell disorder it is important that all members of the family be tested. They will not necessarily have sickle cell disorder but may be healthy carriers of a sickle cell trait.

Other types of Sickle Cell Disorders (SCDs)

There are also other different types of haemoglobin such as HbC and beta thalassaemia, that can combine with sickle haemoglobin to cause sickling disorders. When someone carries the gene for beta-thalassaemia they cannot make as much HbA as they should. If this is combined with the HbS gene then more of their total amount of haemoglobin is HbS and they can suffer from what is usually a milder form of sickle cell disorder than sickle cell anaemia.

Who Gets SCDs?

The different kinds of SCD and the different traits are found mainly in people whose families come from Africa, the Caribbean, the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia.* In Britain SCD is most common in people of African and Caribbean descent (at least 1 in 10-40 have sickle cell trait and 1 in 60-200 have SCD). It is estimated there are over 6,000 adults and children with SCD in Britain at present. There are other inherited conditions that mainly affect other groups, e.g. Cystic Fibrosis in Europeans, and Tay-Sachs disease in Jewish people.

Testing for SCDs

A special blood test (haemoglobin electrophoresis) can tell you whether you have a sickle cell disorder or are a healthy carrier, e.g. for sickle cell trait. Routine screening should take place for people in the groups listed during pregnancy and before anaesthesia, either at hospital or dental clinics.

Tests can be arranged by your general practitioner or at our local sickle cell centre. (Contact us for an up-to-date list of centres in the UK.) After a blood test you may be told that you or your child is `sickle positive’ or has `sickle cell’. It is important to ask whether this means sickle cell trait or a type of sickle cell disorder.

Testing unborn babies

It is now possible to test the unborn child to detect a haemoglobin disorder from as early as 11 weeks of pregnancy. For more information see the Prenatal Testing page and contact your local sickle cell centre, local obstetrician, haematologist or general practitioner.

What Sickle Cell Disorders are Not

People are often confused and disturbed by some of the incorrect information they have received about SCD.

Sickle Cell Disorders

are not leukaemia
are not cancer
are not white blood cells eating up red blood cells
are not infectious – you cannot `catch it’ as you would catch measles or a cold.

Sickle Cell Disorder is a condition which is inherited from both parents. This means that people are born with it, just as they are born with other characteristics such as eye colour, hair texture and height.

For further information please get in touch with us.


Where To Start with Resources and More

How To Identify a Good Party Tent

Many people consider parties to be an occasion of fun . Through good planning and organization, parties can be memorable . There are different types of parties that can be held ranging from birthdays to weddings when families come together . Tents are among the items that are very useful especially if the party is to be held outside . The sizes of the tents do vary, and the designs are also different depending on what one may prefer. The Party Tents can be bought or hired by the people who may need it at affordable prices. There prices also range depending on the uniqueness of the tent. When buying or hiring tent one should look out for the following.

When going for the tents, people should have a rough idea of the kind of tent that they may prefer. The tents can be designed to fit specific incidents. In most weddings, people may choose tents that are more colorful and more attractive so that it may make the occasion more colorful. The person should buy or hire tent that will accommodate everyone present in the party. This will make it possible for information to reach everyone that is present at the party.

People who want to hold the parties are advised to consult the local authorities for the permits. This is so because the police will be able to ascertain that the meeting being held does not pose a security threat. People attending the party must be assured of their safety, and so the permit will be able to confirm that the venue is suitable for the occasion. People can enjoy themselves because they are assured of their safety.

In cases where an emergency occurs, and people need to get out quickly, then the tents should have an emergency exit to facilitate that. One must ensure that fresh air can circulate in the tent since many people attend the parties. Some diseases which spread easily will be controlled by such an initiative. The weather conditions may be too hot, and so the tents should be able to allow for fresh air.

The people can consider going for the tent that is also waterproof especially at the top. The weather may change, and in such a case, the people may be disorganized because they are worried because of the rain. The prices of the tents are different, and so the person in need of one should be able to either buy one or hire them comfortably. People need to look for the tents early enough so that they are not disappointed when the day finally arrives. The tents are also supposed to be flame resistant. This will make everyone happy and have a good time.


Opinion: Could Library Building Be Option for Public Radio Move?

If public libraries never existed in the United States their concept would baffle most people if proposed today: a 100% free and public space where tax dollars purchase and provide books, magazines, music, videos, technology, and other community services at zero cost to the individual. The public library has been a grand achievement in providing access to knowledge and services in this country, and the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County is no exception.

Our local library system is the 3rd largest publicly run library in the country, and the 15th largest when including university library systems. It is also the largest public library run at the county level with Boston and New York running city level systems. For perspective, Hamilton County’s library holdings are 52% larger than Chicago’s and more than double that of Cleveland, Seattle, Miami, and the state of Hawaii’s systems.

Like most public libraries, Hamilton County’s has undergone dramatic changes in services offered in the past decades due to the explosion in digital media and internet resources. While libraries still contain substantial physical holdings, most new resources are digital and require less space.

The Main Library branch in downtown Cincinnati was expanded in the 1990’s with the construction of the North Building, as the South Building was too full to hold new books and physical materials. According to the Public Library Board, the changes experienced by libraries over the past decades have rendered the North Building’s space unnecessary for current usage. Their reports suggest that the South Building could accommodate what the North Building houses today.

In 2016 and early 2017, the Board considered selling the building and underlying land to reduce its footprint and provide funds for branch renovations countywide. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, better known as 3CDC, had been involved in advising potential futures for the building and the site. Protests followed this news, and the outcry pushed the Board to retain the property while finding new uses for the building.

This keeps the land public, alleviating concerns of those fearing a privatization of public assets in an era of dwindling public resources. To fund branch renovations the Board instead placed a 1-mill tax levy on the May 2018 ballot, which passed 63%-37%.

So what to do with the North Building? Aside from demolition the building, its redevelopment potential is restricted due to the high ceilings and massive floorplates which were necessary to hold the weight of hundreds of thousands of books.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati Public Radio (CPR), the license holder of WVXU, WMUB, and WGUC is looking to move. CPR’s current space in the CET Building and garage at 1223 Central Pkwy behind Music Hall has been rumored to be redeveloped in the near future, due to its proximity to the future FCC Stadium and the deteriorating condition of its public parking garage.

CPR has proposed siting its new facility near city hall, at 9th and Plum, a block that Indianapolis developer Milhaus has expressed interest in constructing apartments on since 2016.

Why fight over one parking lot when there are plenty of other options to pursue?

There is one option that would give CPR a new space and potentially satisfy the repositioning of the Library’s North Building: Move CPR to the North Building.

CPR needs large spaces for their studios and equipment, as well as office space. While they may not entirely fill the North Building, they could anchor a new era in the life of this critical public space in the region’s core. Ideas for the remaining space could include a museum on public radio and public libraries which could accompany CPR, as well as other public uses. There could be a news ticker that wraps around the building fronting on Vine and 9th Streets, giving updates to downtown residents, workers, and visitors.

As UrbanCincy previously explored, this area of downtown can be a reactivated with more residential housing. More residents help drive the vibrancy of the core and will help activate retail storefronts already in the area. Despite having city departments, Pure Romance, and other office users, retail activation still lags in this part of the neighborhood that has seen generations of demolition for parking.

A move to the North Building for CPR could potentially reactivate 9th street, be close the Cincinnati Streetcar and keep the space public. Likewise, continued residential development in the northwest quadrant of downtown will strengthen and reconnect that area of downtown to Over-the-Rhine and the new FC Cincinnati Stadium. Seems like this could be a win-win for everyone.

Venture Aims to Bring Passive Houses to Cincinnati

Recently UrbanCincy contributor Timothy Broderick sat down with Ronald Vieira, founder of PassivHaus — a venture designed to shake up the region’s building industry by dramatically reducing buildings’ energy expenditures to discuss building Passive Houses in the Cincinnati region. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Who are you?

My name is Ronald Vieira. Graduated from Xavier class of 2016. Born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela, but Cincinnati is my hometown. I like that I come from here.

What’s your job?

I am doing research to figure out how to decrease the extra payment people have to pay to build a passive house (PH). And that research consists in building the first PH in Cincinnati. There are a few PHs in construction in Cincinnati currently, but none of them have been certified yet.

What’s a passive house?

A PH is a building standard, a series of building standards that, if followed properly, you will reduce up to 90% of your heating load of your house, building, whatever your facility is. Overall it reduces up to 75% of your overall energy consumption.

How does it achieve such efficiency?

The main principle is super insulation — or as they call it, continuous insulation — because the idea is to isolate as well as we can the inside temperature of the house from the outside environment. Whether the outside is hot or cold or mild or humid or not it’s just to preserve the indoor environment to the best of the indoor’s ability.

So you’re basically creating a very stabilized climate?

Mhmm. A good analogy is your skin, which are your “walls.” To stay warm when you go outdoors, you put a jacket on. Similarly, when you’re building a house, the plywood is the skeleton of the house and then you build another exterior wall and put a lot of isolating material, like foam, and then that’s your newer, thicker wall.

Then you look where house is more prone to exchange air with the outside, which is windows and doors. You have to have really high-efficiency building doors and windows. Twenty years ago, new houses had single pane windows. Now the standard is double paned windows, and for PHs the standard is triple-paned windows.

How do you keep the air from getting stale/moldy?

Since you basically don’t have any communication from inside air to outside air, the filtration system for a passive house is a little different. This is an add-on equipment that you put on top of your furnace which cleans the air and filters it way more than a standard house. A high-quality filter is super important to a PH because it is airtight and needs better quality air while still using a lot less energy.

The way you put it it sounds like this cool thing that everyone should be doing, but it can’t be that simple. What are the biggest barriers to wider implementation?

Let’s start with the cost, which is the easiest to explain. You need more material — two walls + filler, for example. Another cost driver is the talent to design these buildings. There were only a handful of certified PH buildings in the US in 2009. The materials and the talent sums up to a 10 to 20% more cost. Now, this is all weather sensitive. The larger the building is, and the colder the climate is, the less expensive it’s going to be. It’s easier to keep it cool in the summer. When I did market research in Cincinnati, I found that we won’t need to go over the 10% premium. This is the promise of my company in the first three years. Then, we are going to figure out how to build these houses at 0% extra at the end of the third year.

The second barrier is the learning curve. These houses use new material and new ideas that most builders and architects don’t know. However, if you have the same group of people who are building the first house and then the second house and the third, they will quickly learn the process. That’s what I’m going to do.

You, yourself, are still learning how to build a PH. How will you build the first one?

You just need a PH consultant, which is not hard to get. Paul Yankee is my mentor on PH design, and he is the owner and CFO of Green Buildings Consultants. He has been advising since Day 1.

Are you going to get certified?

Yes, not as a designer but as a builder. But my architects will be certified.

What’s your motivation behind this work?

Typically, I think a little bit more in the bigger picture than the smaller picture. When I graduated college, I wanted to do something that will significantly impact the life of people in the world. That’s where everything starts.

Why climate change and not global poverty or something like that?

I think it was the education I received. Venezuela is a developing country, so my mom’s side is very poor. All my life I had very personal contact with extreme poverty. I felt like I was more qualified to tackle a systemic, non-social challenge than a social challenge. Plus, climate change is science, and my first three years at Xavier were chemistry.

So climate change, turns out the largest emitter [in the United States] is residential living. Why aren’t people doing anything about this? That’s when the research starts: how do I get people to generate energy in a greener way, or how do I get these people to use their energy in more wisely.

This has to do with energy efficiency and energy generation. Energy generation is far more complex, and my technical ability is not there at all. But my ability to find out how to build buildings in a way that keeps energy and consumes a lot less energy — ok, now I can do that. Doing research on home energy efficiency is how I stumbled upon PHs.

Is this only for rich suburbanites? Can you build something in the city?

No. I’m currently looking at a lot close to downtown. Furthermore, anything and everything can be built passive. You can use any particular architecture style whether it is contemporary, whether it is a bungalow, whether it is classical, or civil war era. You can have any type of architecture built to PH principles.

Now what you’re getting at, renovating houses like in Over-the-Rhine, that’s the next big challenge for PH builders. It is possible, but it is just another design challenge because you have to deal with existing structures. For historic buildings, specifically those in OTR, those are going to have more aesthetic and cost challenges.

What’s your short-term goals?

The official mission is to accelerate the adaptation process of PH principles to home residential construction. And then we’ll send segue into commercial, and that means mixed, urban living. I have a particular affinity for urban spaces. I am from the most inner city you can ever be in Valencia. So that’s all I know, basically.

Getting a large organization — like 3CDC — in charge of redeveloping a lot of buildings, getting in with them — that’s the goal. But all my energy right now is focused on building that first house. Nothing more. Who knows from there.

If you’re interested in building your own passive house, visit Ronald’s website or shoot him an email at vieirarxu@gmail.com.

PHOTOS: Downtown Construction Boom Underway

With well over $2 billion in new construction projects underway in Cincinnati’s urban core it is not hard to miss with construction fencing, cranes and lifts working at full tilt all over downtown and Over the Rhine. Many new construction and building renovations are underway throughout downtown and Over-the-Rhine. This gallery features photos of 16 projects taken this month. If added up the projects in the photos below are just a fraction of overall development with just over $400 million in construction activity.

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Cincinnati Neighborhood Wins Major Preservation Award

In 2006, Over-the-Rhine was listed as one of America’s Most Endangered Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Today that very same neighborhood is celebrated as a tale of monumental historic revitalization and revival. That effort was honored yesterday at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C.

At a reception that is part of National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week, representatives from the City of Cincinnati’s Zoning Department, Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation were presented with the “Preservation’s Best” of 2016 award by the group.

The event is sponsored by Preservation Action, American Institute of Architects, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Trust Community Investment Corporation, Unico, Inc., and Center for Community Progress and aims to highlight significant projects developed through federal incentives such as Historic Tax Credits.

“Through federal incentives like the Historic Tax Credit, historic preservation drives economic development and community revitalization across the nation by taking historically significant buildings that are dated and abandoned and turning them into viable community assets for a 21st century economy.” spokesperson Rob Naylor said in a statement.

On hand from Cincinnati to receive the award was Kevin Pape of the Over-the-Rhine Foundation, Zoning Administrator Matt Shad and Historic Conservator Beth Johnson from the city. West side Congressman Steve Chabot (R) also attended.

Naylor stated that the award, “highlights exemplary Historic Tax Credit projects that revitalize our cities and small towns and breathe new life into our communities. At a time when the future of the Historic Tax Credit is uncertain, these projects help to highlight the impact the program has had in communities across the country.”

Since 1981, federal tax credits have helped save over 377 buildings in Over-the-Rhine for a total of $267 million dollars. Despite losing 50% of its housing stock since the 1930’s the neighborhood is still considered the largest collection of 19th century Italianate architecture in the country and has been regarded  as “the coolest neighborhood in America.

Editors Note: Mr. Yung is a member of the Over-the-Rhine Foundation Board of Trustees.


Drunk birds causing havoc in US town

  07 October 2018    Read: 830
Drunk birds causing havoc in US town

Earlier-than-usual fermenting of berries in Gilbert, Minnesota have led to the local bird population enjoying itself a little too much.

"The Gilbert Police Department has received several reports of birds that appear to be 'under the influence' flying into windows, cars and acting confused," police chief Ty Techar wrote in a statement to the Washington Post.

An early frost has meant berries are fermenting earlier than usual, and many birds have not yet migrated south for the winter months, resulting in more drunken incidents than usual.

Residents of the small town of 1800 have reported a number of incidents of birds flying into windshields but Mr Techar has reassured residents it won't last.

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The Internet of Things: A Proto-technate

By Enrique Lescure

It becomes increasingly clear that the future we are shaping for tomorrow will be considerably different from today, and that the 21st century can potentially become even more dramatic than the 19th century in terms of techno-social development. While the future is indeed shifting, we can see two competing trends which will shape the future. The first one is the increasing exponential pace of ecological devastation, which threatens to destroy the current biosphere and usher in a new dark age for humanity. The second trend is exponential technological development, in terms of computational capacity, information technology, miniaturization, bio-tech, renewal energy and space research development.

These trends will undoubtly transform not only our civilization, but our planet as well. Therefore, it has never been as important as now that we establish a common ground on which we can shape the future existence of the human species and its interrelationship with the planet. To a large extent, social and technological development is not intentional, but a result of emergent processes – meaning that when a new technology is introduced, it will change the way in which human beings interact with the environment and thus eventually transform society and even – in the far perspective – human culture.

While it is difficult to predict the future, it is far from impossible to see towards where technological development could lead us if taken to its logical conclusion. While some are believing that the history of the human civilization is deterministic and will naturally lead to its end-state – the post-1991 realignment in most cases – that is only appearing to be so. In fact, while emergence strives to flow like mighty currents, we fundamentally do have the power to steer it towards the direction where we can see the optimal goals from the perspective that our civilization has chosen to embrace.

We argue that one of the potential logical conclusions of the implementation and development of the Internet of Things is the establishment of an intelligently managed and integrated infrastructure. Such an infrastructure can be utilized in order to create a near-total overview over the usage of resource flows, energy, trade, production and distribution. Thus, from the emergence of the Internet of Things, a technate can be formed.

TL;DR Summary

  • Integrated computer technology and miniaturization means that applications can interconnect to optimize communication and information to optimize functionality within various fields.
  • This process leads to the formation of intelligent cities, which in their turn will interconnect with one another and form larger and larger networks.
  • Eventually, this could mean the establishment of a global integrated network which allows for a total overview over energy-, infrastructure- and resource management on our planet.
  • This would present a great opportunity to exponentially increase our ability to manage resources sustainably while providing a good quality of life to all human beings, but also increases the risk for totalitarian centralized control.
  • Therefore, it is paramount that we establish a dialogue on whether this transition is desirable, in what way it should be implemented and how we could ensure popular influence over the transition process.
  • Fundamentally, the struggle is about who and how technology should be controlled during the 21st century.

Technological determinism and evolution

It is easy to imagine that the world we are living in today is the natural consequence of capitalism, industrialism, the scientific revolution and parliamentary democracy. To some extent, it is also true. For example, the rationalization process that the growth-oriented economy initiates when it transforms eco-systems into mono-cultures is the direction towards which the logical conclusion of Smithian Economics point. However, some characteristics of our current economy are to a large extent dependent on co-incidences.

One example is the ascendancy of the private automobile. Motoring has for three generations been such a natural part of western civilization that most people generally are taking it for granted. In the United States, a large part of the surface territory consists of highways, parking lots and the suburban regions made possible by the culture of motoring. The reliance on combustion engine cars have greatly affected climate change during the 20th and early 21st centuries.

However, neither the culture of motoring or the reliance on fossil-based fuels was a historical inevitability. During the early 20th century, there were cars that were powered from various differing sources, and it was not at all certain that the combustion technology would win the techno-evolutionary competition and become the dominant energy model for transport during that era. It was due to a series of historical accidents and investment patterns that this model won out.

Another example of a historical co-incidence was how the wild horse was hunted to extinction in North America during the older Stone Age, but how a small group survived on the Eurasian landmass and was domesticated. If the horse had gone extinct in Eurasia, or survived in the Americas, history as we would have known it would have been entirely different.

Thus, we need to look at technological development not as deterministic, but as evolutionary. Technology is developed on the basis of what has been tried before and proven to work, and thus constantly improves with baby steps. When new technological areas are discovered, the same process generally applies to them (unless these new technologies are outcompeted by established rivals that achieve the same aim). This also means that we can consciously choose what technological development we want to emphasise, and to a limited extent direct what effects on society this progress will have by consciously adapting our infrastructure to the future we are setting the course for.

On the Internet of Things

Robot Hummingbird

The Internet of Things can be defined in many ways – one of the simplest if to say that it is an observed trend. More and more, the minaturization of applications have allowed for a digitalization of previously non-digital technology. This means that the operational intelligence of everyday household items and infrastructure will increase, and that these items will be able to be a part of a large communications network.Picture-6

If this technology becomes widely available in the market, we can imagine that it would not be unusual to see integrated homes, which reminisces of the kind of computerized homes seen in old sci-fi shows from the 1960’s, where people are operating their home environment through their voice or through small chips placed inside their own bodies.

Let us think further. These systems can make homes inter-communicate, allowing for example a more optimal energy distribution between houses within the same neighbourhood, or why not integrated fire warning systems, that would alert the nearby homes of a fire in an application? Or what about integrated waste management systems and automated aquaponics production systems within every habitat, as envisioned by Alexander Bascom?

Eventually, there will be smart cities where all of the infrastructure consist of fully integrated systems, that can monitor energy and resource usage, set up alternative plans for resource usage or assist in the making of such plans, and also to some extent self-manage.

This interconnectedness will grow out from the cities, connecting through power grids, roads and railways, and eventually entire states and continents will be interconnected. This will inevitably – if taken to its logical conclusion – make the existing economical, social and political power arrangements outdated and lead to a complete transformation of not only the human civilization, but of the very concept of civilization itself.

Eventually, what will emerge will be a planet united through a network which allows for the transparent overview and the centralized, de-centralized or integrated management of energy and resources. In short, humanity will be within the reach of establishing if not The Singularity, so at least a Singleton.

The risks of neo-totalitarianism

While there are many causes to celebrate aspects of the ascent of the Internet of Things, there are also profound risks that need to be analyzed and put into context. The foremost of these risks is the issue of power. Already today, we are seeing tendencies towards a greater and greater concentration of wealth and power in supranational financial institutions and in multi-national corporate entities.

If such structures are given control over the Internet of Things, we would most likely see a very predatory process, the reduction of popular sovereignty and the increase of surveillance and centralization. What could become a system that can help save the biosphere and empower humanity, can under the wrong conditions instead become a virtually un-overthrowable neo-totalitarian Brave New World scenario.

Therefore, the role of the Earth Organisation of Sustainability – and similar organisations aiming for a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable world – should be to increase the availability of this knowledge, but also of the applications and the ability to construct the applications themselves, to the general public and to local communities, within the context of a consciously evolving proto-technate.

What is a proto-technate?

A proto-technate (a term defined by dr. Andrew Wallace), is a consciously evolving infrastructure management system, which includes and empowers all participants through transparency, de-centralization and constant availability for education. The system is evolving by learning from its previous mistakes, and the goal is increased sustainability, as explained in The Three Criteria.

This means that the control of the Internet of Things within the context of a proto-technate would be given not to corporations, governments or supranational institutions, but to local, voluntary groups that would utilize these technologies to manage their own local environment and the sustainability of their neighbourhoods. This would also allow for a more diverse array of solutions adapted to the local and regional needs of communities and individuals.

In the city of Umea, we in the new EOS Board are aiming to establish an intellectual and practical centre for the development and utilization of technologies to be adapted for the transition towards a sustainable society. The first step would be the establishment of an eco-lab in Umea, through which many local groups – as well as the public – can become connected and learn how to make their imprint in the process of developing and implementing techniques.

Ultimately, if we have a vision of how the world should look like in 100 years, we must work locally and together with individuals and communities to make this a reality. Our main goal in this respect should be to help ensure that the control of the knowledge and the new technologies is in the hands of the people and that it is used in a context of forming a sustainable civilization.

Intelligent cities as a step towards a technate

by Enrique Lescure

What is a technate

What is a technate?

What is an Intelligent City?

Risks and challenges

Happy 46th Earth Day

By Enrique Lescure

For 46 consecutive years, we have celebrated Earth Day, and yet the status of this planet is worsening. On the sixth Earth Day, in April 1975, we were in the process of the first overshoot of our global footprints. Since then, we have used up a larger and larger share of the Earth’s diminishing reserves, crowding out eco-systems to replace them with linear activities.

We have all the opportunities in the world to change the course, and a lot of things are undoubtly done. What is happening now however is that improvements are local and implemented within either regions (by political demand) or within companies (due to genuine convictions and green marketing), but in the same time, things like fracking and tar sands are exploding on the market, the cattle industry and meat production beats all-time records, and the main concern for decision-makers within both the western sphere and the BRICS sphere is how to maximise economic growth.

What forces are genuinely interested in saving this must plead, beg, work hard for little to no economic gain and almost apologise for struggling to save the lives of all of us, while those who are more responsible for the current state of our world would never have to worry about being homeless, about having to move around or whether they would have to buy food or medicines.

This post is devoted to those heroes of our time.

The tale of Alexander and Ann-Sofie

Alexander Bascom and Ann-Sofie Svensson. Alex and Ann-SofieA young couple in Umea, Sweden, who are passionate about innovation and aquaponics, they founded Green Free Will back in 2012, and sought resources to realize their dream of constructing automated biodomes which would transform our entire relationship with food. Their tale is one of love, struggle, many setbacks and triumphes.

Entering a collaboration with the Earth Organisation for Sustainability, Green Free Will was awarded an agricultural development grant from the European Union, which however took a long while before it arrived due to the bureaucratic structure of the application. When it finally arrived, we were all overjoyed, and so the construction could commence during the late summer of 2014.

Today, I feel privileged to announce that the last part of the grant was recently transferred to EOS, and is now transferred to Green Free Will, so they can do the last work on the dome before the next phase of the project begins. It fills me with happiness that Green Free Will’s project will receive a much needed morale booster.

Alexander’s and Ann-Sofie’s story is awesome, though not unique. Everywhere throughout the world, there are idealists struggling both to make their household economics hold together, and to initiate revolutionary innovative projects that will change the way we look at the world. This vanguard of the garages is a bright hope for humanity during Earth’s darkest hour in 65 million years.

One of the purposes of the EOS is to cooperate with and help people who burn for projects to realize them. As a small organisation, we sadly do not have unlimited resources. By helping us, you will help people like Alex and Ann-Sofie and organisations like Green Free Will to network and expand.

Ultimately, what we all are struggling for is the very foundation for our existence. In this matter, you are either for life or for death.

So thank you Alex and Ann-sofie, Richard, Jonathan, Stefan, Maria and the others! You are making the world a better place!

On Space

By Enrique Lescure

I’ll admit it. I love space.

It is not.

The allure of Mars

“Fuck Earth” ~ Elon Musk.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Mars.

The first priority

On Earth and on life

Sincerely, Enrique

Join the EOS Facebook Group!


Menopause After Hysterectomy

Menopause After Hysterectomy

The menopause after hysterectomy normally varies from one woman to another. However, some of them encounter hot flashes while others may be affected by certain urinary tract infections. This article provides some information on the same.
HerHaleness Staff
Last Updated: Dec 31, 2017
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of a woman's uterus to provide relief from health ailments like uterine fibroids, endometriosis, persistent pain, and bleeding. There are mainly three types of hysterectomy: total, partial, and radical. In total or complete hysterectomy, the uterus and cervix is removed along with the ovaries and fallopian tubes. During partial hysterectomy, only the uterus is removed leaving the cervix and ovaries intact. In radical hysterectomy, the uterus, cervix, ovaries, lymph nodes, and other supporting structures are removed. Generally, normal menopause occurs in women between ages 45 and 55, when the ovaries no longer contain functioning eggs and there is a drop in the hormonal levels of estrogen and testosterone, the sex hormones produce by the ovaries. Whether it is a partial, complete, or radical hysterectomy, a woman undergoes a surgically-induced menopause, that affects her childbearing ability and changes her hormonal levels considerably. Due to these hormonal changes or imbalances, a woman usually experiences early menopause after hysterectomy and some other side effects of the same, which are as follows:

Menopause After Partial Hysterectomy
If a woman undergoes this type, she is most likely to have a normal perimenopause and menopause. Hence, a woman can have menopause after going through hysterectomy. However, it is difficult to detect when it's going to start, as there are no periods to identify the initial changes. In cases where one ovary is intact, the woman will enter into menopause naturally. Also, if the uterus is removed but the ovaries remain, the monthly menstrual cycle will cease while other symptoms particularly experienced during menopause will commence at an earlier age.

Menopause After Complete Hysterectomy
Now, when a woman undergoes this type, i.e. when both the ovaries along with uterus and fallopian tubes are removed, she is thrust abruptly into menopause which is also termed as surgical menopause. As a result, women dealing with this surgical menopause usually experience devastating signs of menopause as compared to those who go into it naturally. Some of the symptoms are:
  • Hot flashes or feeling of warmth throughout the body that may last for 30 seconds to several minutes at a time. Besides this, the woman may also experience red skin flushes followed by severe perspiration.
  • Due to changes in the thinning tissues lining the urethra and vagina, probability of having urinary tract infections may increase.
  • Cosmetic changes like increased body fat and decreased muscle mass, a thicker waist, and dry skin.
  • Night sweats, anxiety, or depression.
  • Risks of having urinary incontinence.
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
  • Mood swings and fatigue.
  • Decreased libido or sex drive.
  • Chances of osteoporosis and arthritis.
After hysterectomy, a woman experiences physiological, emotional, and psychosocial changes, which are expected and normal. Since, in most cases with natural menopause, a woman gets the time to adjust, but with surgical menopause, the woman normally faces some physical and psychological difficulties. However, the bright side is that the woman would experience her menopause for a shorter span of time than those who go through it naturally. After hysterectomy, usually a woman undergoes hormonal replacement therapy, (replacement of lost estrogen hormone) which some women may tolerate while others may not. Hence, regular exercise, well-balanced diet comprising fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, sardines), fruits, whole grains and vegetables, social interactions, positive attitude, along with proper medical care and a sound support system, will help to adjust with the symptoms of surgical menopause and one can live a normal and healthy life after hysterectomy.


New earthquake in Japan

A powerful earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, took place yesterday at 11:22pm near Sendai in Japan, close to the centre of the large earthquake which occurred on the 1th of March.

Fortunately this time, there was no subsequent tsunami and fewer casualties or damage to buildings. However, it does suggest that the warning by geologists that another powerful event is likely to occur offshore in the region of Tokyo could well be more likely to happen in the near future.

Strangely, this earthquake took place just as the Moon entered Gemini, which is rather uncanny, as this mirrors events nearly a month earlier. In the first event, the Moon was at 0 degrees Gemini and this time, it was at 1.5 degrees Gemini, so very close. Coincidence or synchronicity?

I am not sure exactly what one can make of this from an astrology point of view - Gemini is an air sign and not really one traditionally associated with the symbolism of earthquakes or natural disasters. Perhaps one could say that, having just traversed the final degree of earth-sign Taurus prior to its Gemini ingress, it may have amplified Taurean energy? Or perhaps, looking at this from a slightly different perspective and say that magnetically or gravitationally, there is something about planetary bodies moving over that particular part of space that tends to upset the tectonic balance of that particular part of the world (though, of course, scientists would have none of this!) I suppose the only way to tell would be to see whether any further events take place when other planets cross that degree. The Sun is due to be at this position on the 21st of May, followed by Mercury on the 2nd/3rd of June. Let's wait and see...

What I can't help remarking on is the fact that the lunar nodes (in late Sagittarius and Gemini) were straddling the Ascendant-Descendant axis with Pluto in the vicinity, as they were during the Chile quake - again, is there anything in this or not?

The ruler of the chart, Jupiter, happened to be in a huddle with several other powerful planets (including the Sun, Mercury, Mars and Uranus, all in Aries), near to the IC, so in cosmological terms, deep underground - perhaps indicative of rumblings and grumblings below the surface?

Pluto, ruler of the underworld, was also making a square to Mars, ruler of Aries, between the first and 3rd houses - a very volatile combination often associated with violence, tyranny and accidents - which is a very apt aspect for such an event.

The Sun was also opposing Saturn, positioned near the midheaven position from below ground - a very strange configuration in a way. The Sun is clearly at its weakest power when at the midnight (as opposed to midheaven) position whilst Saturn, one of the so called malific planets, is very strong, being in Libra - the sign of its exaltation, and in the 10th house - the house it traditionally rules, so also is also a strong omen that the forces of darkness are stronger than those of light. This is symbolically significant for me because in my dissertation, I wrote that Saturn, in both alchemy and ancient astrology, had a very particular relationship with the Sun, and was sometimes referred to as the Black Sun...Hmmm...

Which reminds me, I MUST get round to writing that blog about Saturn and the Japan birthcharts and Hiroshima.

At any rate, what this all means remains to be seen. Let's wait until May before we draw any further conclusions. (How 'scientific' of me!)

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