Truth in [Free] Marketing — does this have to be an oxymoron?

I am currently reading Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman, a Pulitzer Prize winning foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times. In the chapter titled “The Stone Age Didn’t End Because We Ran Out of Stones” this quotation appears:

“Socialism collapsed because it did not allow the market to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow the market to tell the ecological truth.” – Oystein Dahle, former president of Exxon for Norway.

“What he meant, of course, is that the basic paradigm of modern, industrial-age capitalism, which flowered in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, treated things like pollution, waste, and CO2 emissions as essentially irrevalent “externalities” that could be ignored. As any economic textbook will tell you, an externality is any cost or benefit resulting from a commercial transaction that is borne or received by parties not directly involved in the transaction . . .”

“. . . We have been fooling ourselves with fraudulent accounting by not pricing these externalities. As [Ecologist] Lester Brown put it, we as a society ‘have been behaving just like Enron, the rogue energy giant, at the height of its folly.’ We rack up stunning profits and GDP numbers every year, and they look great on paper ‘because we’ve been hiding some of the costs off the books.’ Mother Nature has not been fooled. That is why we are having climate change. That which is not priced is not valued, and if our open lands, clean air, clean water, and healthy forests are not valued, the earth, when it is this flat and this crowded, will become a very hot, no-cost landfill very fast.”

So, add “Change the direction of the Free Market and the mindset of all those involved in it” to the list of things to do in the next few years in order to save our species and our planet. One more in a long and growing to-do list, each of which would be described by almost anyone who considered themselves rational as “IMPOSSIBLE” . . . but all of which have to be done, and quickly, if our descendants are to have a chance at being born.

Uncoupling From the Dog Train

After 60 or so years of living in the world of the trite, I find it exhilarating to be unfettered, able to think in a developmental way like a 13 year-old. Being a bit like the only dog at the park to be allowed off-leash, one can watch the rest of one’s kind running around with their noses up each others’ butts, looking for answers but finding only worn out mantras; “perpetual economic growth” . . . “jobs, jobs, jobs” . . . “free markets regulate themselves”.

I find this frustration permeating the work of many of the authors I have been reading over the last several years. My current read is Our Way Out by Marq de Villiers who has just observed “But we the people sometimes seem to be the no-brains in the no-brainer of energy improvement”. I find that it helps to be able to look from an objective vantage point to see that most of the drivel in the evening news is just that, and especially to realize that the majority of your fellow beings simply cannot detach themselves adequately to do so.

The recent railway tragedies in Lac Megantic, Quebec and Santiago de Compostela, Spain may be seen as a metaphor for the dangers of crowd based thinking. While it may be comforting to be part of the group, it can be catastrophic to be unable to decouple in the event of a runaway. So turn off the TV or other device of choice, go the the library, used book store, yard sale or all of the above, surround yourself with a mound of good books and start your search for Leonard Cohen’sCrack in everything” because that truly is “how the light gets in”.

Skeptics, Delayers (and millions of other deniers)

Below is an excerpt from this section of the book:

The Great Enemy of Truth

This was John F. Kennedy speaking to the Yale graduating class on June 11, 1962.

I am currently reading “Smelling Land” by David Sanborne Scott and the author opens a very good explanation of human reluctance to changes in the way we think with the above quotation.

Below is an excerpt from the book:

“It seems to me there are three ways we acquire knowledge—by accretion, integration or substitution. Depending on which route we’ve traveled to knowledge, new information sometimes requires that we pay an emotional price for the insight, understanding and comprehension we’ve found. So let’s try to anticipate how the route influences the emotional price.”

Accretion is the process of gluing additional information to the body of knowledge we already have. It can be fun. Usually the new information is accepted willingly and without stress. A single, easily understandable factoid is added to our brain’s immense memory capacity—disturbing no embedded knowledge, demanding little intellectual effort, requiring no emotional price. Everyone has their own examples—a new football scoring record would suffice.”

Integration is the process by which we come to appreciate a new and better way to link together the knowledge we already have, to place bits and pieces within a clarifying pattern. Since integration requires refitting many data chunks, to test how they fall within a new template, the process often needs a little more thought, more reflection. Still, although the effort may be greater, the resulting synthesis can be joyous compensation. We seldom need to pay an emotional price. Indeed, we often get an emotional high. An integration experience for a student mechanical engineer could occur when, in a moment of revelation, she suddenly realizes that the vector calculus equations she’s been applying to fluid mechanics can be wonderfully applied to the electromagnetic field theory that her electrical engineering roommate is studying, so that, together, they understand both fluid and electromagnetics a lot better.”

Substitution is different. New, discordant. white-knuckle information crashes in upon long-held beliefs, upon our convictions. We first scurry about looking for counter-arguments. for rationales that will undermine the new information, allow it to be set aside. But if all defensive arguments fail, and if we’re willing to push aside pre-existing flawed perceptions, then substituting new knowledge can be a painful process. None but the courageous will tread here. A childhood substitution, a few days before Christmas, in your parent’s cupboard, the train set you’d asked for from the North Pole—and you suddenly realize there really isn’t any Santa Claus. Or even tougher, because we’re older with beliefs more solidified, might be when we come face to face with implacable flaws in political or religious ideologies we’ve held for as long as we can remember.”

Tricks, Lies & Powerpoint Slides

An explanation of why information regarding the scope and pace of Anthropogenic (human caused) Climate Change is being withheld and “softened” at every level – Academic, Corporate, Governmental and Journalistic.

Pour yourself a coffee (it’s almost an hour long), you may want something stronger by the time the lecture is finished.

So here is what the “most powerful person in the world” thinks about that:

Apparently, despite opinions to the contrary, the US President is simply another guy that “doesn’t get it”. Creating the almighty jobs is “simply to address the need for more votes” because, if climate change is ignored no one will have or want a job – continuing to exist will be the primary need for future generations.

The even more almighty growth is, of course, the root of the climate change crisis and all the other factors which are lining up to cause the extinction of the human species. So, ignore climate change and work to destroy the Earth and humankind, not at your peril but at the peril of every scrap of life on the planet – the votes will keep on coming until they don’t, that will be how you know it’s time to assume the position – “crash position” that is.

Five Orders of Conciousness

David C. Korten in his book “The Great Turning”, lays out five Orders of Human Consciousness which I have greatly condensed and which are presented below —

The first experience of consciousness takes place in the womb where we float effortlessly in the warm amniotic fluids. There is no beginning, no ending. There is no “I” and no “not I”. Just to be is sufficient. For the first one to two years we learn to adapt to our physical world and to differentiate the “I” from the “not I”. From this point on, we progress through some or all of the following five stages of increasingly mature consciousness.

First Order: Magical Consciousness

A child of two to six years of age experiences a world influenced by magical beings, both friendly and sinister, such as those that exist in the classical fairy tales. Magical Consciousness is limited in its ability to connect the actions of the self and future consequences and cannot accept responsibility for such actions. Magical Consciousness depends on external figures to make things magically right.

Second Order: Imperial Consciousness

Transition from first order to second usually starts around age six or seven. A child at this age begins to discover that many relationships are predictable and that actions have consequences, and begins to explore its ability to influence the world through its own actions. The Imperial Consciousness is able to acknowledge another person’s point of view for purposes of calculating how to get what one wants but with little concept of loyalty, gratitude, or justice.

Third Order: Socialized Consciousness

Transition beyond the second order normally begins around age eleven or twelve. Coinciding with the onset of teenage rebellion, it brings a growing emotional intelligence and a recognition of the extent to which personal security depends on the mutual loyalty of the members of one’s group in a sometimes hostile world. It also brings an ability to see one’s self through the eyes of another and is capable of empathy.

Socialized Consciousness internalizes a play-by-the-rules, law-and-order mentality where fairness means a society that rewards those who work hard, leaves slackers to suffer their fate and demands retribution for wrongdoers. It adheres to culturally defined moral codes but lacks the ability to subject those codes to critical examination. It is the conciousness of those who have a “Small World” view defined by their immediate reference group and who expect that playing-by-the-rules will give them, their families and their communities a decent life. They do not yet grasp that complex system relationships may prevent whole classes of people from finding jobs or staying on the right side of the law.

Fourth Order: Cultural Concsiousness

Adulthood brings encounters with people whose cultural perspective is different from that of those in one’s own group. The initial reaction to such encounters is often a sense of cultural superiority or even absolutism: “The way of my people is the only right way”. A Cultural Consciousness is rarely achieved before age thirty, and the majority of those who live in modern imperial societies never achieve it, partly because most corporations, political parties, churches, labor unions and even educational institutions actively discourage it.

If, however, the Socialized Consciousness is secure in its identity, it may come to recognize that culture itself is a social construct and that cultural norms and expectations are subject to choice. This represents a profound step in the development of a true moral consciousness based on examined principles , and the beginnings of a capacity for cultural innovation. Those who have achieved a Cultural Consciousness are concerned with equal justice for all people not just for one’s own kind, and they work to repeal or revise unjust laws.

Those who raise significant challenges in an imperial society are likely to be subjected to a loss of standing or outright rejection. However, because they have the capacity to question the dysfunctional cultural premises of Empire, those who have achieved a Cultural Consciousness are essential to the cultural renewal and maturation that the Socialized Consciousness suppresses as threatening to the established social and moral order. They have an “Inclusive World” view that sees the possibility of creating inclusive, life-affirming societies that work for all.

Fifth Order: Spiritual Consciousness

The Spiritual Consciousness, the highest expression of what it means to be human, manifests the awakening to Creation as a complex, multi-dimensional, interconnected, continuously unfolding whole. It involves coming full circle back to the original sense of oneness of the womb experience, but with a richly nuanced appreciation for the complexity and grandeur of the whole of Creation as manifest in each person, animal, plant, and rock. Persons who have attained a Spiritual Consciousness have an evolving “Integral World” view.

Spiritual Consciousness is the consciousness of the elder statesperson, teacher, tribal leader or religious sage that supports an examined morality grounded in the universal principles of justice, love and compassion common to the teachings of the most revered religious prophets. It approaches conflict, contradiction and paradox not as problems to be overcome, but as opportunities for deeper learning. Each encounter with diverse people and situations opens a window to a piece of reality previously hidden from the conscious mind. Eventually, what appeared to be disconnected fragments of experience link together to awaken a profound sense of the spiritual unity of Creation.

The Socialized Consciousness is prone to characterize persons who have achieved a Spiritual Consciousness as lone contemplators disaffiliated from society because they disavow special loyalty to any group or identity. However, the Spiritual Consciousness simply transcends the exclusiveness of conventional group loyalties to embrace an identity that is inclusive of the whole and all its many elements. The sense of duty and loyalty once reserved for members of one’s immediate family, ethnic group, nationality or religion now extends to the whole. To the Spiritual Consciousness, the satisfaction of living in creative service to the whole is its own reward.

Collision With a Slow Moving Asteroid

I just watched an end-of-the-world movie. This particular one was an asteroid collision with a few weeks notice. Suicides,  a love interest, atonement, riots, orgies, all the usual things that happen just before the world ends. There were also references to keeping the status quo including the news anchor signing off a few hours before impact and reminding the audience to turn their clocks back as daylight saving time was ending.

Then, the movie ended with a flashbang and it was back to reality and the slow-mo version of the apocalypse with an ending that could be every bit as catastrophic but spread over generations of human suffering instead of weeks of debauchery.

If, instead of climate change we were facing an asteroid collision, discovered but not yet publicized,  would governments and corporate owned media be trying to silence scientists and covering up the impending disaster so another trade agreement could be signed, investors could be given a window in which to adjust their portfolios and environmental laws could be revoked so that mining stocks would jump . . . and would the markets stay open late on doomsday to optimize profits?

Blissful or Wilful, Ignorance is Dangerous

In most, if not all, civil nations there is a law under which people can be convicted for “Failing to provide the necessities of life” or something very like it. Prosecutions under such a law would often be against those whom the law saw as responsible for human beings such as babies, disabled persons and the elderly who are not capable of providing for themselves.

What perverse logic demands, under penalty of law, that we provide for a minority of compromised individuals who currently live in our society, something that would be done in most cases without question; but demands nothing of those in positions of responsibility who willingly refuse to make provisions for the continuance of the necessities of life for our entire species in the not-too-distant future? The making of profits by those who need them not one whit now takes precedence over efforts to protect the biosphere and the people who live in inter-dependence with it. And why? Because those wealthy investors and the public figures they control with that wealth preach the insane gospel of eternal growth to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else and everything on Earth outside their castle gates.

As the realization that this destructive and unsustainable way of life cannot continue slowly spreads through the populace, all recourse to make change is being removed by the political puppets in order to prevent legal challenges to their corporate masters. Failing removal of the cancerous corporate/political elements now prevalent in the industrialized world, I see only two possible outcomes of this situation in the medium to long term; species suicide through acquiescence, or armed revolution.

In Canada, our government has taken our country from being a respected supporter and keeper of peace to an ugly collaborator in war-making. Efforts now being carried on to build and maintain the Canadian military are those of an aggressor and could easily be turned on previously friendly nations or even Canadian citizens if those in power detected dissent beyond the instantly adjustable boundaries they were willing to allow.

As this is written, those corporate/political elements within Canada are signing treaties and enacting laws in private and without debate to enlist the governments and business interests of foreign nations if required in a fight against the Canadian people and their country. Democracy, justice, sovereignty and common decency have been sold for a few years of profit for the already filthy rich.

Lies, half-truths, hidden agendas and secrecy are now the norm in government and corporate-owned news media and the majority of people still seem to be blissfully and wilfully ignorant of what is going on in their country or the wider world. We may already have passed the point of no return with some of the positive feedback loops of climate change and a number of the indicators are triggering earlier and with greater effect than predicted by any of the computer models. While no single weather event can be positively attributed to climate change, it makes sense to open the discussion in order to have people thinking about what lifestyle changes might be required. If any more proof of wilful ignorance is required, think about the two points below:

– one survey showed that in 94 US news stories about Hurricane Sandy prior to its making landfall, exactly zero mentioned climate change or even extreme weather

– in all the flash-and-dash, thunder-and-lightning of the US presidential debates and speeches, climate change was never mentioned by either camp nor the debate moderators

Are we Condemned to Eternal Dumbnation?


Calgary - The Canadian city most attractive to people

    OTTAWA, Dec. 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Calgary stands tall among Canadian census
metropolitan areas (CMAs) as the city that is the most attractive to people,
according to the Conference Board of Canada's first-ever metropolitan
benchmarking study.
    "Labour shortages are already beginning to affect some Canadian cities.
Attracting highly skilled workers-and the business investment they
encourage-is crucial to Canada's economic competitiveness in the decades
ahead," said Mario Lefebvre, Director of the Conference Board's new Centre for
Municipal Studies. "The paradigm of 'people go where the jobs are' is changing
to 'businesses going where the people with skills and talent want to live.' In
other words, places attractive to people will also attract business
    City Magnets: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of Canada's CMAs compares
the performance of 27 Canadian cities in seven different domains: Economy,
Innovation, Environment, Education, Health, Society, and Housing. Each CMA is
given a report-card style ranking on each indicator, and an overall grade on
    Overall, the results show that size matters. Five of the top six spots
belong to big cities, with Toronto ranked second and Vancouver third.
Edmonton, Victoria, and Ottawa-Gatineau also score an "A" grade and rank
fourth through sixth. Montréal, in 14th spot and at the bottom of the "Bs",
has a lot of catching up to do.
    Five mid-sized CMAs appear in the top half of the overall rankings.
Included in this list are three provincial capitals: Victoria, Halifax, and
Québec City. The other two mid-sized CMAs are Kitchener and Oshawa.
Kitchener-Waterloo is a centre for high technology and research, while Oshawa
is unique in Ontario in that it posted strong economic results during the past
five years and outperformed all but three other Canadian CMAs in terms of
    Of the 14 bottom-ranking positions, seven are Ontario CMAs. The once
robust and now shrinking manufacturing sector has caused serious economic
downturns in most Ontario CMAs, pulling down their overall scores. Thunder
Bay, ranked 27th, has been hit by the double whammy of no employment growth
and very low income growth, as well as scoring low in the Health domain.
    In addition to leading all Canadian CMAs, Calgary held its own when
compared with 27 major cities in the United States. Thanks to its red-hot
economy, robust employment growth and young labour force, Calgary ranks just
behind first-place Washington and second-place Austin as the only overall "A"
cities. In general, Canadian cities trail their U.S. counterparts on key
economic measures and on higher education, but offer more affordable housing,
better commuting options, healthier lifestyles and better student-teacher
ratios. As well, the stronger employment growth recorded by many Canadian CMAs
over the past five years is a promising sign.

    Rankings of Census Metropolitan Areas and Overall grades:

    1 Calgary                 A
    2 Toronto                 A
    3 Vancouver               A
    4 Edmonton                A
    5 Victoria                A
    6 Ottawa-Gatineau         A
    7 Halifax                 B
    8 Oshawa                  B
    9 Kitchener               B
    10 Abbotsford             B
    11 Québec City            B
    12 Sherbrooke             B
    13 Saskatoon              B
    14 Montréal               B
    15 Hamilton               B
    16 St. John's             B
    17 Regina                 B
    18 London                 C
    19 Winnipeg               C
    20 Kingston               C
    21 Greater Sudbury        C
    22 Trois-Rivières         C
    23 Windsor                C
    24 St. Catharines-Niagara C
    25 Saguenay               D
    26 Saint John             D
    27 Thunder Bay            D

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Silent EM – Foreign states |

Silent EM – Foreign states

Published by Davide Pappalardo on March 4, 2018

Silent EM - Foreign StatesSilent EM is the monicker of American artist, based in New York, Jean Lorenzo. A project dedicated to minimal synth sounds mixed with coldwave and proto-EBM, something at the same time melancholic, dark and energetic, robotic but full of human passion and drama. He is active since 2013, and he has published many cassettes and vinyls under labels like FlexiWave, Function Operate and Fabrika Records, moving between the different faces of his sound. He even published a collaborative album with fellow artist Ortrotasce called Common Loss (FlexiWave, 2015) where both of them displayed their vision of dark and minimal synth-pop. Now he returns under Italian underground label Detriti Records with a limited cassette called Foreign States, an album made of twelve tracks full of robust moments enriched by cold synth sounds, robotic EBM rhythms and larger-than-life vocals.

His sound lives in a dimension in which different facets of the past are fused in an all-encompassing vision made of nostalgia and the mixing of emotions and existential states, moving between sadness, rage, affirmative actions. See the opener The Hunt with its eerie choruses and engaging drum machines, an old-school affair completed by baritone vocals and mesmerizing synth sounds, or Pure heart with its dramatic tension encapsulated in looping rhythms and minimalwave tinged electronics, enveloped in a cold but passionate vocal delivery. La tempestad is a short experimental pastiche, an ambient moment with oniric atmospheres, whereas Dead sky is built upon dreading synth-patterns and the same melodies of the aforementioned track, which confirm itself as a sort of intro. The soundscape is enriched by darkwave vocals and an enthralli9ng crescendo.

Gris reminds us of early 80’s synh-pop with its minimal structures and keys, a track with endearing refrains and hypnotizing loops, and The prey is a EBM-tinged ride centered on a militant rhythmic structure upon which retro-futuristic sounds and dramatic vocals are layered. The digital version of the album includes three bonuses: the Depeche Mode-love letter called Self cell, very close in style to German band TSTI, but with more of a dark atmosphere, the eerier Sangre with its Spanish lyrics and melancholic, crawling soundscapes full of tension, and finally Sentencia, a minimal-synth track with a spartan structure and funereal melodies.

Silent EM confirms himself as an underground artist firmly rooted in a sound influenced by early 80’s electronics, mixing minimalwave, synth-pop. Coldwave/darkwave and proto-EBM sounds in a personal take on “dark electronics”. Whereas sometime the music is robotic and cold, his vocal performance has a narrating quality in which he moves between drama, passion, melancholy, rage, giving us a human and engaging element perfectly fulfilling the tracks. Foreign States is probably his most accomplished work to date, and we hope he will further develop his style in the future following this path.

Label: Detriti records

Rating: 7,5


About The Art

My paintings are framed within the traditional symbolism. That means my personal style has been influenced by twentieth-century expressionism and the school of illuminators and sculptors of the Middle Ages.

From ancient times, symbolism has existed as a form of communicating a complex imagery of thoughts and ideas. It is based on matching things that seem to be different in terms of space, time, matter and other defining characteristics, but actually they have equal intrinsic properties and essences so they can be represented by the same symbol.

Likewise, the artist, by using symbolism in his artwork seeks spiritual maturation or rebirth through his art. The symbols themselves are the key to enlightenment. Each and every symbol helps to restore the original path of man in this world.

The meaning established in the art object is only a reflection of the light which contains the eternal spirit. The symbol in Art, as in Philosophy, is the sum in terms of the soul and body of things created in the universe that reflect the spiritual archetypes.

Luis German Ardila


Class: TDataTable
Declaration: procedure SortCols (SortRowIx: integer; Ascending: boolean; LowCol, LowRow, HighCol, HighRow: integer; IncludeHeaders: boolean);

The method SortCols provides a means to sort the columns of the data table, or part of it, according to the values in a single row. This row is specified by the parameter SortRowIx. The table is sorted column by column within the range [LowCol,LowRow] to [HighCol,HighRow]. The values outside this range are not affected (except for the row addressed by SortRowIx ). The sorting order is determined by the row SortRowIdx which is also sorted within the range [LowCol, HighCol ]. The parameter Ascending specifies whether the valus are to be sorted in ascending (TRUE) or descending (FALSE) order. The parameter IncludeHeaders determines whether the column names, decimal places, and columns attributes are sorted too. Note that in most cases this parameter should be set TRUE.

The sorting is performed by a modified bubble sort (CombSort), which has been reported to be comparable in speed to QuickSort (see also R.Box, S. Lacey, BYTE magazine, April 1991). The event OnSortExchange is triggered whenever two columns have to be exchanged during the sorting process.

Hint 1: The values of the row SortRowIx are always sorted, even if this row is outside the specified sort range [LowRow, HighRow].

Hint 3: If the sorting criterion is an ordinal or nominal variable the ordinal numbers of the data are used for the sorting process.

Example: The statement MyDTable.SortCols (3, true, 1, 1, MyDTable.NrOfColumns, MyDTable.NrOfRows, true) sorts the whole matrix MyDTable according to the values in Row 3.

Last Update: 2012-Okt-20


MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Confederate descendants and re-enactors dressed in soldiers’ uniforms and hoop skirts marched down the main avenue in Montgomery on Saturday to mark the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

They started at a fountain where slaves were once sold, past the church that Martin Luther King Jr. led during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and ended at the Capitol steps, where Alabama’s old and modern history often collide.

It’s the spot where former Gov. George C. Wallace proclaimed "segregation forever" in 1963 and where King concluded the historic Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march in 1965.

The city no longer rolls out the red carpet for the Sons of Confederate Veterans like it did 50 years ago, when the centennial of Davis’ inauguration was a state-coordinated celebration with past and present governors and officials from all ranks of government.

On Saturday, state and city officials gave permission for the SCV to march, but had no role in the events. Elected officials from the governor to the mayor chose to stay home or go to other events.

The reception was even colder from African-American leaders in the state.

"The whole celebration is akin to celebrating the Holocaust," state NAACP President Benard Simelton said.

Simelton said elected officials stayed away because they knew attendance would be viewed as a slap in the face to African-Americans, who make up one-fourth of Alabama’s population.

Black leaders had discussed holding a protest like the one held in December at a Secession Ball in Charleston, S.C., but decided against it.

"We didn’t want to give them more publicity," said Rep. Alvin Holmes, the longest serving black member of the Alabama Legislature.

A downtown shopper, Shirley Williams of Montgomery, who is black, shook her head as she walked by the parade. She said she was offended the parade occurred during Black History Month.

"It represents things in the past that were not positive. Some things ought to be remembered, but this brings up too many painful things people went through," she said.

Sons of Confederate Veterans members, who trace their history to ancestors who fought in the war, call it the "War Between the States" or the "War of Secession" rather than the Civil War. They say its origins have been distorted by modern historians.

SCV member Randy Beeler said he drove from Paducah, Ky., to "send a message the war was fought over states’ rights. Slavery was an issue, but it was not the main issue."

"Yes, it was about states’ rights. It was about states’ rights to have slavery," retorted Rep. Holmes, a retired college history teacher.

One of the organizers, Chuck McMichael, a past national commander of the SCV, called the comparison of the march to celebrating the Holocaust ludicrous.

The Montgomery event is the biggest event planned by the SCV this year to mark the sesquicentennial. In 2012, McMichael said the action will switch to Richmond, Va., which replaced Montgomery as the capital of the Confederacy.

Holding up a Confederate flag near the end of the ceremony, he told the crowd, "As long as there blows a southern breeze, this flag will fly in it."


Ola’ Macau

Since we can get to apply Visa on Arrival in Macao, so without any second thought we decided to traveled pass the border to Macao.

The journey from Hongkong to Macau should be quite interesting since we traveled by ferry, but unfortunately I kind of had a sea sick. So I slept through the journey until it arrives in the ferry terminal. 😦

For me, Macau is a beautiful city with a great architecture. Entering the country it feels like you are in a middle of an old European country. But don’t be shocked if you see someone smoking inside the building, even in a hotel lobby.  Gross :((

After Hotel check-in we walked around the city to Senado Square. They decorate the square with Christmas ornaments and make that place looks so amazing at night. You may see it for yourself in the pictures below, beautiful isn’t it?


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Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ in Health: How Can We Change This?

Coming into Thursday’s lecture, I was well aware of most of the discrimination that people in the LGBTQ+ community face in both the health field and in life in general. However, one of the most surprising things I learned was who initially pathologized homosexuality. I quickly assumed that the church/religion would have started this idea, but instead I found that it was actually medical professionals. Because of this, homosexuality was then diagnosed as if it were a disease. From then on, the stigma of anything outside the heteronormative person became evident and that stigma still persists today—through conscious and unconscious biases. And while bias against the LGBTQ+ community is clearly present, it surprised me to learn that bisexuals were more discriminated against in comparison to lesbian or gay people.
Discrimination of LGBTQ+ peole because of their sexual or gender orientation is not new to me, but it’s always shocking in the way that people would be discriminated against for something so seemingly trivial. While some biases against this community may be unconscious, this problem must still be addressed. I think the first step to confront this problem is to be informed of gender and sexual orientation and expression. I think by learning more about the different ways people can express themselves made it easier to be more understanding of others in the LGBTQ+ community. Being more informed about others and consciously acknowledging our biases against this and other communities would be a big step in the right direction to ending discrimination in the health field. What else do you think can be done to counter discrimination and bias against LGBTQ+ individuals in the health field?

27 thoughts on “Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ in Health: How Can We Change This?

  1. I was very surprised as well that health professionals were the main cause of the stigma against the LGBTQ+ community. Writing that homosexuality is a mental disease caused a lot of backlash against the community that is still present today. I thought this really showed how someone’s person bias can come to play even in a professional setting. The diagnosis of homosexuality as a disease did not seem to have much medical proof and was published because these people were different and not accepted by the general population at the time.
    I definitely think that people being more informed about the LGBTQ+ community will help relieve a lot of the stigma against this community. In discussion, many people said they would be outside of their comfort zone because they felt they weren’t as informed as they could be and didn’t want to make a huge mistake that could hurt the patient. Being well-informed will also lead to people making fewer quick judgments against LGBTQ+ individuals. In the health field, these fewer judgments will allow the health professionals to focus on the symptoms of the patient and less on their personal bias toward their patient.

  2. I was also shocked at the fact that medical professionals were at the front of the discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Medical professionals are people we should be able to trust and this made me think about what they could be discriminating against today. I also think you are correct that education about the LGBTQ community is the first step to eliminate discrimination. I was surprised at the amount of knowledge that I lacked prior to Adam’s presentation, and I still have lots to learn. Another way that each and every one of us can eliminate discrimination against the LGBTQ community is by simple speaking up. When overhearing someone speaking poorly about the community, call them out and explain why they are incorrect.

  3. As the others have stated, the fact that the LGTBQ community has faced so much controversy and criticism is attributed to health professionals is extremely unexpected. I originally thought that other, social factors would be the influence, such as ideology promoted by the church or media representations of the LGBTQ community. But nonetheless, health professionals went and labeled these people as having a mental disorder, which is completely inaccurate.

    In addition to learning more about gender and sexual orientation as discussed by other HSSPers, we can initiate a more aggressive plan, which is to encourage the LGBTQ community to express themselves. We won’t just know more about LGBTQ people, but create a comfortable environment for them. To do so, we can shape society so that these people won’t be looked at negatively anymore, but in fact embraced for their differences. We can start by speaking up, as mentioned, and encourage this perspective through the media, in the educational system, and forms of interpersonal contact.

  4. The fact that the LGBTQ community was discriminated the most by medical professionals is something that caught me off guard. I also assumed that it was the religious community was started the discrimination. By making homosexuality considered a mental disease, the treatments that followed reminded me of insane asylums where psychologists tried to deal with them with crazy treatments.

    In order to deal with this I feel that medical professionals should take sensitivity training so they can feel more comfortable dealing with the LGBTQ community . Times have changed, and I believe that if one is trying to help people by being doctor, then they have to help everyone.

  5. I was also taken aback by the fact that medical professionals were among those who discriminated the most against the LGBTQ community. Kyler’s story is especially upsetting to me because his mother took him to the hospital when he was in spiral, and trusted the healthcare professionals to help him. The healthcare professionals inappropriate behavior arguably indirectly attributed to Kyler taking his own life.

    You would think that healthcare professionals would and should be among the most informed and unbiased people because of their profession, but in many cases it is not so. I believe that in order to counter discrimination and bias against LGBTQ individuals in the health field there needs to be better education for healthcare professionals about the LGBTQ community and how to better serve their needs and respect their identities.

  6. I was surprised as well that it wasn’t the church who was starting the mass prejudice against the LGBTQ community, but medical professionals. I feel that the movement has moved a great deal forward, but there is still a long way to go for the community. One of my favorite music videos, called “make it stop” by rise against, portrays the horrors that occur during LBGTQ bullying, and the sad reasons for the highly escalated suicide rate. I once again feel that education is a key factor in helping to lower these factors. Being in New York for the weekend, I saw many same sex couples , and was happy to see the fact that most people in the city were just as welcoming to them. Now this doesnt mean that the problem is over by any means, but I do feel acceptance has come a long way and continued education will further acceptance. My question to other bloggers: Was LBGTQ bullying and/or hazing a large problem at your high school? And how does it compare to a liberal school like Michigan?

  7. I was also surprised that it was medical professionals, not the church, that started discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community. In my mind I always thought of doctors and the entire medical community as saints that served to heal people. I think the most important step going forward is passing a mandate that prevents discrimination in a medical setting. Setting a strictly enforced law in place has the potential to end, if not all, a significant amount of the current discrimination towards LGBTQ+ people.

  8. You say we should consciously acknowledge our biases. I agree, but to play devil’s advocate, how easy is it to do that? The thing about our biases are that they are subconscious and automatic. To constantly pull those subconscious thoughts out into the conscious mind is harder than it sounds because we usually do not know we have the biases that we do. It would also slow our thinking down because we would always have to stop and make sure our decisions have no undertones of bias. However, it may be worth it to slow down when it comes to medical diagnoses and treatments.

  9. I agree that most biases we have are unknown to us, but simply acknowledging the fact that we all do have biases is better than denying we have any at all. The medical professionals that pathologized homosexuality could have likely not even realized they were being biased. That is why implicit bias can lead to disastrous results. For example, the doctors that treated the transgender man, who was denied care because they thought he just wanted his insurance to cover transition-related surgery and turned out to have uterine cancer, probably didn’t intentionally overlook all the signs that led to uterine cancer, but their implicit bias against transgenders caused them to overlook serious medical issues. I think that if medical professionals recognized these common biases that occur among the LGBTQ+ community, there would be more awareness and effort to control these biases.

  10. I was also surprised that medical professionals pathologized the LGBTQ community first. I also thought that it would be religious leaders who did this. What was also surprising to me were the medical tests that the LGBTQ people had to endure in order to “cure their disease”. The effects from pathologizing the LGBTQ community still exist today. Some people still refuse to accept LGBTQ people for who they are and instead assume that it is a “fixable problem” or it’s just a “phase”. It’s so unfortunate and heartbreaking that stigma still exists for the LGBTQ community. I agree that an important step that needs to be taken is to inform people of gender and sexual orientation and expression. It’s hard to force people to be open minded and more understanding unless they are better informed and exposed to the LGBTQ community.

  11. I definitely agree that with your idea that health professionals should be more educated on different gender identities. When I first learned about health care disparities caused by implicit bias, I was in utter shock at the idea that modern HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, people whom go through years of schooling and training and people whom’s hands we put our lives in, would let something as absurd as personally-mediated bias influence their medical works in protecting the health/lives of innocent people. However, this made me realize the importance of medical professionals wholeheartedly individualizing each and everyone of their patients and making sure that they fully understand where each of their patients are coming from. Only after they are entirely empathetic with their patients can they wholeheartedly focus on providing each patient with the best treatment possible.
    Additionally, this lecture has presented the fact that although we may not notice it, we all have implicit biases that influence our actions, whether it be in the biggest or slightest way possible. During this lecture, I couldn’t help but tie the topic to the ongoing issue of police violence, and how many of the incidences are mediated by the officers’ internal bias/racism. On one of the The Daily Show’s with Trevor Noah, Trevor addresses the root of the all the shooting problems as well as what we must do to stop them. He talks about how a police department in Las Vegas has been making major progress through their new program in which officers are trained on how to assess and deescalate similar situations; the first major and critical step that they did was acknowledge the fact that they have problems properly interacting with suspects. Similarly, the first step that health professionals must do is own their mistreatment and acknowledge their implicit bias. The training process however would be completely different for medical professionals compared to police officers; their training must go back to the early fundamental years of med/grad school, if not undergrad. While it may take many, many years to reform health professional programs, if we don’t initiate the first steps now, who knows how many more lives will have to continue to pay the price.

  12. We are now in a much better place than we were in the 1980’s in terms of LGBTQ+ health. The stigma against homosexuality arose from medical professionals’ pathology. After this “diagnosis”, people started assuming that homosexuality is a disease that needs to be cured. This initial stigma is what caused such a health disparity in LGBTQ+ people in the first place.

    I think that in order to ease the health disparities in LGBTQ+ people, we should start by educating our nation about these health disparaties and their causes. This way, some of the stigma will be eased a little bit.

    1. I agree with your ideas that educating the public about problems the LGBTQ community faces is important. Reading the article titled ” In The Hospital, There’s No Such Thing as a Lesbian Knee,” made me realize how little I know about the discrimination the LQBTQ community faces in healthcare. I think by sharing articles such as this on sites where people read them would greatly draw attention to this subject that definitely needs more attention and activism.

  13. It was shocking to learn that well-educated medical professionals whose mission is to help patients with their illnesses were the ones who first pathologized the LGBGTQ community. However, it makes me wonder if medical schools and hospitals around the world are starting to take action and trying to educate medical students/medical professionals in the LGBTQ community.
    Also, as we learned, implicit biases plays a role in our decision-making process and medical professionals are constantly trained to make quick and accurate diagnosis . When I took the Skin Tone implicit bias test, my results told me that I have a strong automatic preference for light skin tone over darker skin tone, which shocked me. It made me question if I have ever made a decision or assumption about a person based on their skin tone without my own knowledge. This made me realize that medical professionals are capable of doing the same thing to their patients without their knowledge.

  14. Thank you for your comments regarding the lecture on LGBTQ health. It is important to realize that while stances differ regarding the LGBTQ community, loving others is crucial to providing not only the best health care but also developing friendly relationships. Note, however, that love does not always equate to agreement with a particular lifestyle. In order to improve the healthcare of all individuals, healthcare professionals need to treat all patients with the same amount of care no matter what their circumstance. In instances where treatments may prove detrimental to a patient, providers must discuss treatment options with patients, communicating effectively the risks or benefits of pursuing particular routes.

  15. I do want to agree that the most surprising bit of information from this week was the fact that medical professionals were the first people to be against the LGBTQ community. It is similar to the early fear with AIDS/HIV; people were very judgmental because they did not know anything about it. In most situations, I think knowledge is power.
    I believe the first step that should be taken in countering LGBTQ community biases is to first be aware of any biases we have may within ourselves against the community. Then, it is important that we are able to identify biases in other people, especially if said people are working within the health field, as it could jeopardize the quality of medical practice and/ or medical opinions. I also think it is important to inform the public about LGBTQ community, so it does not seem as unknown and scary. People tend to stray away from what is different, but if there is a plethora of information, it gives people the impression that it is okay to talk about LGBTQ topics and learn about the community. However, the biggest step that can be taken to counter LGBTQ bias is to inform the people on the disparities and biases out there. If the LGBTQ discrimination is brought to people’s attentions, it cannot be as easily denied and there could be more people who are willing to help against the unjust treatment that is taking place.

  16. First, I completely agree that the primary issue is misunderstanding or an absence of knowledge surrounding the LGBTQ community. My opinion is that this problem is natural and the process to solve the problems is natural as well. When the majority of a population is introduced to something they would consider “abnormal”, an immediate response is defensive and in this case, malicious. With that said, this is not a justification for the discrimination against the LGBTQ community, but rather reassurance that change is coming. This movement is naturally evolving, and it has already come a very long way.

  17. I think as a whole discrimination is due, in general, to ignorance. I don’t believe many of the people who oppose gay marriage or are homophobic know any gay people. Stereotypes and discrimination develop largely from the dehumanization of people. People need to understand the behaviors of gay people better to overcome their own biases. In order for people to understand other people they need to meet other people. Any scientific study could come out saying homosexuality was genetic. People would still choose to believe whatever they wanted to believe. However, having a friend who was a homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual could help them empathize with the cause.

  18. After reading many posts I think it’s fair to say that we were all surprised that medical professionals were at the front of the discrimination against the LGBTQ community. The question is why are we shocked about this? I think doctors are the most discriminating people. By definition, discrimination means to recognize a difference and it is the doctors job to recognize the difference each patient has versus a healthy person. However, it is important to note that what medical professionals have done wrong in the past is they put people into groups and labeled one as the “others”. Doctors should’t categorize an epidemic to one group of people because there is no such thing as differing groups of people, we are all humans with the same biological and anatomical qualities and thus we are all susceptible to the same infections. To answer your question on how to counter discrimination in the health field, medical professionals must individualize each patient and figure out what the best possible treatment is for them.

  19. I think one of the many reasons certain doctors are discriminatory to transgender people is because most of them don’t really understand the process of it or have any experience with the hardships that come with being transgender. It is also possible that, they are confused as to how to treat someone who may biologically be one sex but spiritually and emotionally be of the opposite one. I think that, to solve these problems, more emphasis should be put on treating transgenders in med school so that, from an early age, doctors are comfortable and know how to approach treating a transgender patient. Doctors are supposed to be people you can trust to help you and treat you as any other person but, right now, that is not the case. So, to me it is obvious something must change in regards to discriminatory actions within the healthcare system.

  20. I also found it quite surprising that medical professionals were at the forefront of the discrimination towards the LGBTQ community. People sworn with the delicate task of saving the lives of others were brazenly disregarding the health of the very people they swore to treat under the Hippocratic Oath.
    To remedy this situation, some people suggested that there needs to be greater information and awareness of the disparities facing the LGBTQ community. However, I would argue that this is insufficient. Simply increasing awareness of something doesn’t prevent it from occurring – it only puts an idea in the minds of people.
    Therefore, I propose that a law, or some form of revision of the AFA exist that prevents health professionals from discriminating patients based off of sexual orientation. The AFA’s section 1557 already prevents discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, so all that’s needed is a small revision added that prevents discrimination based off of sexual orientation.

  21. I thought that I knew almost everything that the LGBTQ community faces when it comes to struggles in the health care field. I came to this assumption because mostly all of my friends are apart of this community. However, in Thursdays lecture I came to realize that to actually understand fully you must do your research and in some cases be apart of the community. The most shocking thing about lecture was that doctors first discriminated against the LGBTQ community i just assumed that it was the church. It really pissed me off that the government refused to acknowledge HIV/AIDS as an issue. I believe that if it had affected the majority then we could have saved so many countless lives. On solution of this is to make people aware of the correct terms of people in the LGBTQ community. Also, if we make people aware of their bias then they will be more inclined to watch out for those when working.

  22. Most of the time, discrimination comes from ignorance and lack of related knowledge. Ignorance brings fear because it is natural for people to fear for the unknown. Therefore, I strong agree with what you said that the first step to confront the discrimination towards LGBTQ+ community is to be informed by the sexual and gender orientation and expression. However, the way of spreading this kind of information could somehow be crucial, because some people could not understand, or unconsciously refuse to understand that there are different gender expressions and sexuality orientation due to their background, the education they received, or many other factors. For instance, my grandparents grew up being educated that homosexuality is unnatural. They did not understand the concept of LGBTQ+ and refused to listen to me explaining this. Could you blame them for being kind of ignorant and having this naturally discrimination towards gay people? I don’t think so. If people were born and educated in a certain circumstance that barely accepted LGBTQ people, it could be very hard for them to change their perspective. This is the problem that bothered me for a long time and I really hope one day we could find a way to figure out how to let our society be a more comprehensive environment.

  23. I agree that becoming more familiar with LGBTQ terms and the spectrums of sexual orientation and gender expression is a very important first step to supporting this community and abolishing the biases against it. In doing this, we are automatically establishing our support and uplifting the community, because becoming familiar with the things that make up such a huge parts of many people’s identities and lives is, in turn, showing love and respect to everyone in the community. Since, a love and respect from all people for the LGBTQ community is our end goal, becoming familiar with these things is essential. However, this is only the first part of the process- the second would be integrating this knowledge, love, and respect into our families, friendships, and jobs. Unfortunately, things like this don’t take place overnight- they take lots of time, patience, and perseverance.

  24. Well said! I also was surprised that the source of discrimination against LGBT patients was medical professionals. It occurred to me that perhaps these medical professionals believe they are helping LGBT patients by attempting to “cure” them of their sexuality that they have pathologized. This is not a correct view, as it treats a subset of people as functionally incorrect, which is not scientifically true. Homosexuality is more comparable to a genetic trait, rather than a disease. Thankfully, this view will decrease in prevalence, as the correlation between homosexuality and HIV has been disproven. However, we must all address our biases to provide equal treatment for all patients, regardless of gender or sexuality.

  25. It is awful to say—and maybe it was because I was exposed to so many human cynical things—but I was not surprised at the fact that the biggest discriminators to the LGBTQ community were doctors. I think the best way to combat this discrimination is to bring awareness about the differences in varying communities.

    The article about that boy that the doctor kept misgendering who ultimately killed himself really touches me. It was not as if the doctor intentionally did that—but there are consequences to being unaware in general. I think social ideas etc. are not as stressed in the medical field as other subjects where in most cases you’ll have the most human to human interaction. It is important to bridge those relationships with people from varying backgrounds to prevent something like from happening, so-to-speak.

    This ties into my unsurprised realization at the discrimination that continues to occur—why wouldn’t it if people are not exposed or educated at an earlier age? Humans are naturally prone to fearing what they don’t know. I don’t know if that propensity is magnified in doctors, especially.

    It would be interesting to analyze these ideas.

  26. Just like you, I was also shocked that unlike what I would have though the medical professionals were there ones to discriminate the most. However, I don’t think that I am the only one who was not aware of this. I learned a lot from the entire lecture and I think that is what speaks the most.
    As far as “where do we go?” I think awareness will be the biggest impact. Those who are not within the LGBT community have no idea of these atrocities. Once more people are aware it will bring more attention. It really strikes me how because someone identifies within the LGBT community that somehow the world views their life as worth less. People should be better, especially physicians. It is because of these things that makes me want to improve the health care system. I hope that other people in our generations are being educated. It can help a lot if from here on out those learning are taught. That way when we got into the field we have a better understanding and can give people the care they deserve.

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Dealing with patient self-triage

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IN THE PAST 20 years, episodic care centers have experienced rapid growth.1Episodic care centers include the ambulatory care centers of retail clinics, urgent care centers, freestanding EDs, and hospital-based EDs. Such a variety of healthcare options creates both opportunities and challenges for patients as healthcare consumers. Patients need to decide the level of care and services they may need when they experience an acute illness or injury. This article will explain the challenges associated with patient self-triage with a focus on urgent care centers, and discuss how nurses can play a vital role in easing a patient's transfer from an urgent care center to the ED.
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The Archaeology of the Earliest Jesus Movement

Clearly we know and understand much about Jesus and his movement in the 1st century CE based on the material/archaeological evidence related to the history and culture of the times, including specific sites and artifacts discovered. However, the existence of any kind of material/archaeological evidence that can specifically be identified with either Jesus or his followers in the earliest period is a controversial one. Most scholars hold that no such evidence exists, however others argue the opposite. As with studies of the Hebrew Bible and Israelites history it seems we have Maximalists, Minimalists, and those in between.

The following is a basic reading list that I am in the process of developing and ever expanding, based on my own research, with both primary and secondary sources, many with hyperlinks.


Words of a go-getter

We’re all blossoming go-getters in one way or another, whether we’re ten years old gluing the final piece to a macaroni project or 100, looping the last stitch onto a six-foot crocheted blanket. No matter our occupation, enthusiasm and pure eagerness is in our pursuit.

My father isn’t one to freely hand out advice, but there is one specific bit that I can recall him boldly admonishing for various scenarios: “Go get ‘em.” Straightforward, I know, but if put into action appropriately, these three words can be the reason for a life of successful simplicity. In my case, facing the real world, rather than a musty chalkboard in a tenth-grade classroom, is a chilling experience. My writing is the platform of my future and I plan to forge ahead without heeding any consequences. So, with that, my father’s words seemed to be the perfect mantra to reassure, motivate and inspire myself.

When not in school, I spend every available moment exploring through the concrete jungles of New York City. It is here that I create a recipe for empowerment. I spent my childhood believing that life would be devoted to relaxation and rest, but in my fifteenth year, I was able to prove myself foolishly naive. The city is chock-full of sharp-witted minds that I desire to camouflage with. I want to write a life for myself, but still have a jovial time while doing so. Unfortunately, I am cursed with a single burden: time. When formed with a purpose, school is a genuine nirvana, but it devours the bulk of my waking hours. Don’t get me wrong, I am a school enthusiast on almost every level (the “almost” insinuates standardized testing), but it degrades me of time to experience the presence of new people and real life situations. Being a go-getter, for me, is not achieving distinguished grades in school, but it is being open and exploring the underneath. I want to take the black and white areas and turn them gray with new perspectives.

There are things that high school does not teach: an eye for beauty, a consciousness for the world, and praise for human nature. But, it coaches the diligence and persistence that an achiever must qualify. I want to live in a world where it seems as if the Roaring 20’s or the height of equality never ended. Although, it is virtually impossible to make these envisions reality, I believe solely in one certain cliché: if there is a will, there is a way. It is the top line in a go-getter’s Bible and is the meaning behind my father’s vehemence.

So, even though I am bankrupt with time, I have a will. I have a will and a want to take my love for writing and transform it into a blissfully rosy life. I dispel the anxiety of time by remembering my youth. I have an unwritten life ahead and am only beginning to check off the boxes on my to-do list. The dynamism of what is to come may take me off course, but it will only bring new interpretations to the table. I am a go-getter for becoming a better writer, and I will one day achieve this. And after that, maybe I’ll become a go-getter to diminish standardized testing.

One clap, two clap, three clap, forty?


Keeping track of your technical progress

Students often bring a number of books to lessons… unless they leave them at home, and that happens too! But what if you have a really creative way of helping your student (and yourself!) keep track of their technical progress?

Andrea, from Teach Piano Today, has come up with a relatively painless way to help you and your piano students do this and is also offering free printables. These suit RCM exams but you could adapt them to suit your exam syllabus requirements fairly easily. There are also some “blanks” for you to fill in yourself. Check out what Andrea has to say here and pick up the free printables here 🙂C major scale

Little Pianists Finger Strengthener

Here is a very simple idea but great for strengthening those little fingers. Using a small plastic cup and a balloon you too can make one of these little finger drums and help your youngest students to strengthen their fingers and have fun doing it!

Need to improve your sight reading?

Sight reading is one of those things that is an indispensable skill for musicians. If you want to be part of an orchestra, chamber group, vocal group or any kind of group of musicians, the ability to sight read makes the experience so much more enjoyable, less stressful and fun.

Today I discovered a website which gives you the opportunity to practise! The free version concentrates on rhythm, and you can sign up for a free one month trial with memory added to your rhythm. You can create your own rhythm by choosing the meter (duple, triple, compound, odd such as 5/8, 7/8 etc), number of bars (measures) and degree of difficulty (between 1 and 5). The rhythm is then played back to you while you clap along. The settings for playback include the ability to change the instrument (eg piano, clarinet, flute, guitar, drums, violin etc), the tempo, and format.

Below is a screen shot (click to see full size). Check the website out here! screenshot

Music and maths: a good combination

Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) on a portrait ...
Image via Wikipedia

Music and maths are often associated. People who are good at maths tend to also be good at music. Why is this? It’s quite simple really: music involves patterns, often mathematical ones. This video demonstrates how the famous German composer Johann Sebastian Bach does this, using the musical techniques of repetition, sequence, inversion and retrograde.

Find out about how transformation geometry relates to music here.


Specialties and Traditional performed

Karnataka :

Karnataka is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. The capital and largest city is Bangalore. Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Laccadive Sea to the west, Goa to the north west, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the south east, and Kerala to the south west. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the ninth largest state by population, comprising 30 districts. Kannada is the most widely spoken and official language of the state.

Karnataka festivals portray a wide variety. Karnataka festivals are indeed an area that is of worth speculation.
The Karnataka festivals has a strong bearing upon its past. The kingdoms that ruled in Karnataka has left an indelible mark on the lifestyle of the people of the state. Thus, we can find an admixture of cultural traits from the Sultans and the other Hindu kings.

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The southern state of Karnataka, in India, has a distinct art and culture. The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicity that are native to state of Karnataka combined with their long histories have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis who also consider themselves as Kannadigas. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and Siddhi tribes plus a few other ethnic groups also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana, a classical folk play, is one of the major theatrical forms of coastal Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka is one of the most vibrant in India with organizations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara and Rangayana active on foundations laid down by the Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company. Veeragase, Kamsale and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. Bharatanatya also enjoys wide patronage in Karnataka.

Karnataka music featureS a wide variety of classical and folk forms. Music from Karnataka are meant not only for entertainment but also for the spiritual betterment of the performers and the beholders. Influences have filtered in from every corner of southern and even northern India and have enriched the world of Karnataka's music and dance.

The cuisine of karnataka includes many vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. The varieties reflect influences from and to the food habits of many regions and communities from the three neighbouring South Indian states, as well as the state of Maharashtra to its north. Some typical dishes include Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Chapati, Ragi rotti, Akki rotti, Saaru, Idli-vada Sambar, Vangi Bath, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath, Davanagere Benne Dosa, Ragi mudde, and Uppittu. The famous Masala Dosa traces its origin to Udupi cuisine. Plain and Rave Idli, Mysore Masala Dosa and Maddur Vade are popular in South Karnataka. Kodagu (Coorg) district is famous for spicy varieties of pork curries while coastal Karnataka boasts of many tasty seafood specialities. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Holige, or, Obbattu, Dharwad pedha, Chiroti are well known.

Karnataka Documentary 1

Karnataka is very different comparing the other states . it has a lot of economy ,agriculture , and industry .In Karnataka , the life style is different as they follows the culture unlike the other states like some places of Goa. in Karnataka , the folk dance is Yakshagana , and in no other states have Yakshagana ; it is a better version of the folk dance of Kerala - Kathakali .


Case Study: Advanced Diesel Engines

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By Jeffrey Rissman and Hallie Kennan

Modern diesel engines are hugely important to the U.S. economy, especially in the transportation industry, where they are widely used in trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. Truck transportation, which is dominated by diesel engines, directly employed over 1.3 million people and contributed $252 billion to national GDP in 2010. The widespread adoption of cleaner, more efficient diesel engines, and the associated energy security benefits, was accelerated by tremendous technological advances made through research at national labs and by government-led coalitions.

Basic Combustion Research: In the 1970s and 1980s, the extent to which engine manufacturers could refine their products was limited by a lack of fundamental knowledge about the combustion process. Basic research is risky and long-term, so it is difficult for private companies to justify to their shareholders. To address this need, the government founded the Combustion Research Facility (CRF), which began operations in 1981, and the Advanced Combustion Engine R&D program (ACE R&D), which started in 1986. These programs brought together researchers from national labs, universities, and the private sector to achieve advances in fundamental understanding of combustion.

Simulation Tools: The CRF and ACE R&D programs also developed computer software capable of simulating the combustion process, such as KIVA codes and the Cross-Cut Lean Exhaust Emissions Reduction Simulation (CLEERS). These tools were used by engine manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Cummins, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to develop cleaner and more efficient engines.

Research Partnerships: In addition to the efforts above, the DOE played a critical role in bringing together private companies, government labs and agencies, and academia through partnerships that continued to refine engines through the 1990s and 2000s. These include the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) in 1993, the 21st Century Truck Partnership in 2000, the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership in 2002, and U.S. Drive in 2011. Additionally, DOE has convened smaller partnerships, such as the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Cummins, catalyst maker Johnson Matthey, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to achieve rapid technical progress. These partnerships achieved advances that improved vehicle efficiency, reduced harmful emissions, and reduced dependence on foreign oil.

As a result of government-supported research, heavy-duty diesel trucks went from 37% efficiency in 1981 to 42% efficiency in 2007. Truck fuel economy increased almost 20%, from a low of 5.4 miles per gallon in 1981 to 6.4 miles per gallon in 2010. From 1990 to 2009, per-mile emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, and particulate matter from the U.S. heavy truck fleet declined 67-81%, dramatically reducing adverse health impacts from diesel engines.

Today, diesel engines use an array of technologies developed through the CRF and ACE R&D programs. Government-led diesel research is ongoing; the ACE R&D program’s 2015 goals include improving overall efficiency of diesel passenger vehicles to 45% and commercial vehicles to 50%.

From 1986 through 2007, the CRF and ACE R&D programs generated over $70 billion in economic benefits to the United States while improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, and reducing U.S. reliance on foreign oil. The history of advanced diesel engines shows that government support of energy R&D is not wasteful and can generate a positive return on investment for the country while simultaneously achieving important health, environmental, and national security benefits.

The views expressed in this case are those of the AEIC staff and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AEIC principals.


Legend (TAKANO Masaharu) summary:

Reiji Saeki living in the north eastern countryside town lost his life in an accident during summer vacation. .....But before he knew it, a mysterious ball of light exist in front of his eyes in a world of whiteness. Being a magician from a parallel world, that ball of light is looking for someone qualified to inherit the magic they had created to prevent it from being lost. Reiji who took on that suggestion lives in the parallel world, Elgin, with a new body and powerful magical power.

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ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2012) — The risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) is highest in the month of April, and lowest in October, indicates an analysis of the available evidence, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The researchers compared previously published data on almost 152,000 people with MS with expected birth rates for the disease in bid to find out if there was any link between country of birth and risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

The analysis indicated a significant excess risk of 5% among those born in April compared with what would be expected. Similarly, the risk of MS was 5 to 7% lower among those born between October and November, the data indicated.

In order to exclude wholly or partially overlapping data, and therefore the potential to skew the data, the authors carried out a further "conservative analysis" in which such studies were left out.

But they conclude: "Through combining existing datasets for month of birth and subsequent MS risk, this study provides the most robust evidence to date that the month of birth effect is a genuine one."

And they go on to say: "This finding, which supports concepts hypothesised some years previously, surely adds weight to the argument for early intervention studies to prevent MS through vitamin D supplementation."


Break off a piece and crumble them into the bath and be surrounded by yummy smelling bubbles and pretty tinted water.

Each one will do up to 10 childrens baths, cut them with a knife in the box provided and store the extra for later.

So one in a tub will be a bit too much unless you love bubbles galore.

The bubbles are long lasting too, some have said upto 1/2 hour but it depends on your water hardness.

For the best bubbles hold under water in a seive/strainer.

Scent: Marshmallow - Musk, Vanilla and Jasmine. Oh my this smells divine.

Water Colour - Light Pink/Nil depending on the volume of water used.

Size - 100-110g each - 60mm diameter. Sold per scoop.

Ingredients: Bicarb Soda, SLSA, Cream of Tartar, Cocoa Butter, Calcium Carbonate, Coco Betaine Fragrance/Essential Oil, Colour.

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Homes: 10 Mistakes that Most People Make

Ways Of Saving Money When Moving

For one to experience a smooth move one must have a plan that they will follow. All the steps involved in the moving are imperative. Time and money is not wasted when you come up with an idea for your move. It does not matter if you are shifting within your neighborhood or to another town planning is required. The moving service you are going to use should not stop you from arranging. Success is a sure thing once you have prepared for every step. It does not matter the reason for your transfer if you are relocating your family, or going to college if you have a plan you will spend less. Planning will help us save more money which something we would want. The the program involves things that are very easy to execute.

A notepad and pen should be the number one thing you go for. On the notepad write down all the things that are going to be transferred. When new ideas pop in your mind note them down. When writing use a pencil instead of a pen so that you can delete anything that you need to change. Use colored pencils to color code various issues that are in the notebook.

The second thing will be to start writing down all the things that you would want to move. Write down the things in one room and finish before going to the next so that nothing is left out. Write the items for each room on separate pages so that if you want to add something there will be space. When you are at this stage make sure you put everything. This does not mean you can not make a few adjustments in your list but this way you will not forget anything.

All the big things like furniture and electronics should be put on the list. For those things that can break easily or are of value to you note that on the list. The stuff you are moving will need to stored in a box so it is vital that you have an idea of how many boxes you might need. The number of boxes that you require should be more because you might think that there is not much that needs to be packed when in reality it’s more.

When you have written everything that needs to be moved now write down how the work will be done. Coming up with plan helps you to save money. The first thing that will help you reduce the amount of money will be to go and look for a place to put your stuff. Material that is good, and pocket-friendly are the cardboard boxes. The things that are delicate may need a particular type of packaging, but the rest can go into cardboard boxes. A little amount of money will be required to get the boxes from the local supermarket or mall.

Your plates, cups, and spoons can be raped using old newspapers. To rap and even stuff the packing boxes you can use things like curtains, bed sheets, and even towels. A moving company should be next on the agenda after you have dealt with the packing. The moving company has to be pocket-friendly and good at their job. Moving will be so easy and cheap when you have put all the above points into account.

Why No One Talks About Homes Anymore

The Essentials of Homes – Breaking Down the Basics


Marble-Cliff driving directions and distance

Marble-Cliff : Route planner and distance

Location of Marble-Cliff

Marble-Cliff is a village located in the middle west of the united states in the county of Franklin, and the state of Ohio. Marble-Cliff lies near cities of Urbancrest, Hilliard, New-Rome, Columbus, Grandview-Heights, and Upper-Arlington. Marble-Cliff is geographically situated on 39.9867306 latitude and -83.0615745 longitude.carte-plan-Marble-Cliff


Romeo Giulietta

Romeo Giulietta is situated in Verona, 1 km from Via Mazzini.

Each room at this bed and breakfast is air conditioned and has a flat-screen TV. Certain units include a seating area for your convenience. Every room includes a private bathroom with a bidet and shower, with free toiletries provided. Romeo Giulietta features free WiFi throughout the property.

The bed and breakfast also offers bike hire. Verona Arena is 1.2 km from Romeo Giulietta, while Piazza Bra is 1.2 km away. Villafranca Airport is 11 km from the property.


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Remarks: Yarmuth Introduces 2018 Democratic Budget on House Floor

Oct 5, 2017

Washington, D.C. — Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, delivered the following remarks as he introduced the Democratic Budget “Investing in America’s Future” on the House floor. Remarks as prepared are below:

Thank you Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, Democrats and Republicans are looking at the same challenges facing our country and American families. Education, healthcare, and housing costs have all increased while wages stay stagnant.

It used to be that the two parties would debate different strategies to address the problems facing the American people. Sadly, those times are behind us.

In giving millionaires, including the majority of this Congress, the president, and wealthy donors a giant tax cut, the Republican budget does not even pretend to address the problems facing the American people. Not only does it ignore working families, it increases their challenges.

The Democratic budget alternative, in stark contrast to the Republican budget, begins to address the real challenges our country faces now and in the long term.

We are less than a decade removed from the worst economic crisis in most of our lifetimes, and we have a chance to rebound in a way that builds a foundation for our country to thrive for generations. But we have to seize that opportunity.

Rather than giving resources to people and businesses that already have them, we’re calling for targeted investments in programs that grow our economy, create good paying jobs, and provide real support for working families and real security in retirement.

Rather than sending thank you notes to the corporations that bankroll campaigns, we have an opportunity to make vital public investments that lead to a brighter future — rebuilding roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, all of which leads to good jobs now and in the long-run.

Rather than giving the president a multi-million dollar refund on taxes he refuses to disclose, we can invest in retirement security for seniors who didn’t inherit millions. We can invest in affordable education so young people do not have to grow up wealthy to have a shot at earning it in their future careers.

Instead of taking healthcare away from people, straining emergency rooms and making America sicker, we have an opportunity to continue investing in affordable, quality health care for all of us, finally eliminating a great burden on American families — a burden that no other developed nation shares.

This budget is an opportunity for our country to invest in our future, and if we adopt the Republican budget plan, we will have squandered it.

Democrats believe in a government that prioritizes American families, and they should be the priorities of this Congress. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to oppose the Republican budget and support the Democratic alternative. I reserve the balance of my time.