I did this when I watched Freak the Freak Out. Quick thing: I ship Seddie and I nitpick. You have been warned...

00:00:32 - "I know. This looks unusual." No, that looks about right.

00:00:54 - Squeezing a potato? Well, okay.

00:01:46 - "Scusi, but I need Freddie."
"Freddie hates you." ahahaha XD

00:02:18 - "You haven't had a date since Seinfeld got canceled." NEW FAVORITE SAM LINE.

00:02:24 - I love how Mrs. Benson is upset that Sam thought Seinfeld was canceled and not that she said she hadn't had a date in that long.

00:03:03 - Sam didn't insult Freddie back when he said her family was full of "freaks and mutants". :)

00:03:26 - Ball joint lube? What was Spencer using that for??? No, don't tell me. I'd rather not know.

00:03:35 - Ooh, fancy credits!

00:04:19 - Sam and Freddie are sitting next to each other. :))

00:04:54 - Sam and Freddie looked at each other and smiled. :)))

00:05:16 - Mr. Howard's back!

00:05:42 - "You wanna get kicked out of this class?"
"It's my dream!"

00:06:24 - At this point, my brother noticed that Steven didn't have a Pear Phone. I explained to him and my sister, who was also watching, that Dan has all the good characters get the Pear electronics, but not the bad characters. Like Nevel's laptop in iPTN wasn't a PearBook.

00:06:37 - I find this sudden change in Mr. Howard's treatment of Steven very creepy.

00:06:49 - Apart from explaining to the viewers what a 100-day kiss is, why did they have to explain it to Mr. Howard? I find that somewhat weird.

00:06:56 - Right after Gibby said he hadn't heard of the 100-day kiss, I said, "Well, he's Gibby." Right before Sam said, "Well, yeah, but you're a Gibby."

00:07:22 - My sister went "oooh" went she saw Tori with Steven.

00:08:35 - I like Jade with brown hair. I think the combination of the tan, the thinner eyebrows, and the black hair is too severe.

00:08:59 - "What up with that, what up with that!" XD

00:10:18 - Matt Bennett is so underrated. *makes mental note to find The Virginity Hit on Netflix*

00:11:16 - Sam and Freddie are playing a game. :))))

00:11:31 - Why do I find Sam hitting Freddie with an orange funny? :)))))

00:11:51 - "Steven's last name is Carson?"
"Yes, you should know that, I love him!" XD

00:12:03 - Carly's eyebrows changed throughout the episode. They're thinner in some scenes and less thin in other scenes.

00:12:38 - I knew there would be at least one Shelby Marx reference.

00:13:52 - "Oh, look, Sam and Freddie are here. That's different!" :))))))

00:14:58 - I knew he'd call Gibby to rub his back.

00:15:32 - At this point, I asked out loud, "Where's Cat?"

00:15:49 - Yay, Cat!

00:16:32 - Well, at least Sikowitz goes about the right way to cheer her up by pretending to chew on her hair. Side note: I WANT ARIANA GRANDE'S HAIR.

00:17:48 - Ooh, Sam has a Pear Phone!

00:18:32 - XD oh hai guys, I'm an adult and body humor still makes me laugh.

00:19:01 - Okay, Andre's locker is awesome.

00:19:06 - Sinjin wears a lot of super skinny jeans.

00:19:40 - omg, does Spencer have a book club? XD

00:21:35 - Cat is the most adorable person EVAR.

00:21:53 - oh Cat the greatest tragedy is that YOU ARE NOT A REAL PERSON wait did I really just type that

00:22:08 - "I felt your hand tense up." Why does that sound so dirty to me?

00:23:29 - I love the random noises Spencer makes.

00:23:56 - "My dad once told my mom he was coming back." Well now we know what happened to Sam's dad.

00:24:22 - I love how Twitter exists in Schneiderverse.

00:25:07 - "BF means boyfriend."
"Thank you, Freddie." XD

00:25:31 - lol "hands of a Goddess"

00:26:09 - "No yellow foods", huh? Bananas?

00:26:49 - omg when Spencer mentioned Hasselhoff, did Freddie really say "hamburgesa" and mimed sloppily eating a hamburger? I love Dan Schneider.

00:27:21 - hahahahaha not MacGyver: The Musical. MACGRUBER.

00:27:49 - I want Sam's outfit in that scene.

00:28:34 - "not the best driver"? And yet he drove them to LA?

00:29:56 - At this point, I said, "Something's seriously wrong with Rex." My brother looked at me and said, "Something's wrong with Rex?" I realized I momentarily forgot Rex isn't a real person. I R DUM.

00:30:17 - holy flipping fudging chiz that's a heck of a makeup job

00:30:59 - imo, Sam calls herself "Regina Goodbody" because the rest of her is hideous to look at.

00:31:16 - Patty Schwab?? She totally shtole that from Shtaschey Dillshen.

00:31:54 - Gibby's hat has the Drake & Josh logo. Seriously. I love Schneiderverse.

00:32:09 - Sam and Freddie looked at each other. :)))))))

00:33:31 - What if Gibby and Sinjin met and became friends?

00:34:06 - The theme to "Sister, Sister" just played in my head.

00:35:17 - I'm gonna be a broken record a lot. Cat is adorable and I wish we were friends in real life.

00:35:37 - ngl, I have totally pretended I was becoming human soup when I was in a hot tub.

00:35:53 - "It's me!" Sikowitz is the best. :)

00:36:44 - "The Joke Is On You" is playing.

00:37:56 - “Number One” by Ginger Fox. <3

00:38:15 - Carly put Sam and Freddie together to look for Steven. :))))))))

00:39:44 - My brother thought Kenan was in the panda suit.

00:39:54 - ahahahaha “Probably wanna get a job then.”

00:41:17 - Robbie likes the Spice Girls? Who still listens to the Spice Girls?

00:41:49 - omg did someone call Robbie “Samberg”? hahahaha XD

00:43:34 - The rhyming is good, but Matt Bennett (or whoever is the voice of Rex) can’t rap. Sorry.

00:44:08 - If I ever have a professor like Sikowitz, I bet his class will be awesome.

00:45:07 - “Give It Up” is playing!!!! Why didn’t that song ever go on iTunes?

00:45:34 - Funny. I thought Beck and Spencer would be the ones to freak out, and Jade would be all *poker face*.

00:46:53 - Why does Patty Schwab require a British accent? Random.

00:48:38 - Oh, Sam. No.

00:49:14 - Awww, I love how loyal and protective Freddie is of his friends.

00:49:24 - Are you sure Steven would pound him silly? Have you seen his guns? *ahem* Not that I’m looking (for some reason, I still think Nathan’s jailbait).

00:51:03 - Cat’s talking headband sounds like the speech feature on my laptop.

00:55:18 - Ooooh, me likey this plan. :)

00:55:54 - Wait, wait, why is there music playing? Did the DJ’s backup get here already?

00:56:09 - KENAN!!!!

00:58:51 - I loved All That. Best show on classic 90’s Nickelodeon.

00:59:37 - Ooh, Steven’s on his way up. I am excite.

01:00:00 - Kenan’s the best.

01:00:38 - “Yes! Ex meaning not anymore!” I loved Victoria’s delivery of that line.

01:01:13 - I liked Sam’s Italian accent. But I’m smh at Cameron’s (Steven) acting.

01:01:33 - RANDOM HUMILIATION!!! hahahahaha XD

01:02:11 - “We’re in the middle of a game!” I love Jade.

01:03:29 - idk but that rap was a little misogynistic.

01:04:00 - Sam has a very urban accent when she raps.

01:04:19 - I love Jennette. But she can’t rap either.

01:04:44 - “You couldn’t even rap if I stapled his lips and took his hand out your back.”

01:06:15 - CAT SPEAKS!

01:06:26 - Ooh, even better. Cat sings! imho, Ariana and Liz should get their own spin-off. I’d watch it.

01:06:52 - Yay, mash-up time!

01:07:23 - SAM IS SINGING!!!! SAM IS SINGING!!!!!

01:07:59 - I hear Nathan. He’s not terrible, but then again, he’s not a singer.

01:08:38 - eta: Jennette should be part of Ari and Liz’s spin-off.

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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Research Q of the Week: Mayors and Matrimony (4/30)

Question: Can our mayor legally marry people? I mean, people who aren’t marrying the mayor herself?

Answer: Once in a while word gets around that some mayor, somewhere officiated at a wedding. In all likelihood, that couple is now in all ways securely hitched, but not because of a power of the office of mayor.

Under state law, civil marriage (the only kind the state acknowledges) may be “solemnized” by only particular people. Most of them are judges. Or retired judges. Or court administrators. Or former court administrators. Also retired court administrators. Anyway, a lot of them just chose the right job to help couples say “I do.” Legislation has appeared in recent years to add mayors to the mix, but it hasn't gotten very far. Cold feet, perhaps. The League remains neutral on the topic.

Then there are the religious folks who can solemnize. For the most part, any licensed or ordained minister of any religious denomination may solemnize a civil marriage. The standard for being a minister is, at a minimum, having proof of authority from the minister’s “spiritual assembly.” We don’t know who is or isn’t a spiritual assembly, but there are some organizations whose spiritual assembly will fully instill solemnization authority upon anyone devoted enough to click a few internet links.

So, can the mayor marry couples by virtue of their office? No. But if they or anyone else Googles “how to get ordained,” it’ll be ding-dong, the bells are gonna chime in no time.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Mike's Math: How It All Adds Up at the 2015 Annual Conference

It all adds up at the 2015 Annual Conference in Duluth, but what does it add up to?

Annual Conference Planning Committee Chair and LMC board member Mike Mornson took some time to go through the unconventional math of the 2015 Annual Conference. See how Mike combines hot topics, adventurous activities, inspiring speakers, and more to equal the 2015 Annual Conference.

Find out more about the 2015 Annual Conference on the League's website.

Monday, April 27, 2015

One Last Hurrah: The Final 2015 Safety & Loss Control Workshop

A beautiful morning dawns at Sugar Lake Lodge.

Municipal parks and rec employees hear about how to reduce vandalism
in city parks from Loss Control Consultant Paul Gladen.

LMCIT's Public Safety Program Coordinator Rob Boe

Workshop attendees network and enjoy lunch.

Workshop attendees participate in an on-site safety
inspection at the Cohasset Public Works Facility.

Did you miss this year's Safety & Loss Control Workshops?

Photos taken by League Marketing Communications Coordinator Maggie Biever

Friday, April 24, 2015

Spotted: Copies of the 2015 Directory of Minnesota City Officials Have Arrived!

It's April, and that can only mean one thing: the 2015 Directory of Minnesota City Officials have been printed!

At the end of every year, the League collects information from all 852 cities in Minnesota and publishes the only printed directory that provides comprehensive information on every city in Minnesota. The 2015 Directory is your source for listings of city officials, city hall contact information, council meetings dates, and more!

Want to learn more about the 2015 Directory of Minnesota City Officials—or order a copy of your own? Visit!

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Research Q of the Week: City-Sponsored Festivals (4/23)

Question: Can the city hold a festival?

Answer: 'Tis the season for festival planning! The answer depends on whether spending your city's funds will be a valid public purpose expenditure. What is considered a “valid public purpose expenditure” you ask?

valid public purpose expenditure = public purpose + authority

So a city should ask itself: is the reason we want to put on this city festival for the public? And if so, does the city have the authority to spend city funds in this way?

While the purpose is a city-specific question, I can help on the authority question. There is no general authority for festival expenditures, but there is specific authority in state statute in limited circumstances:

County Fairs
Any city can appropriate money to a county and district agricultural society or association if the following conditions are met:
•    The society or association is a member of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society and
•    The city has a county fair held within its city limits or in close proximity

Memorial Day Observances
All cities have the authority to spend money for Memorial Day observances in "commemoration of the noble and valiant deeds of the nation’s soldier dead," as law puts it so eloquently. Cities can spend up to $300 annually for each 75,000 of population.

Centennial and Historical Celebrations
While state statute doesn’t specifically give cities authority to spend money for city centennial celebrations, an argument can be made that cities can spend money on such local celebrations under a statute allowing cities to spend money to commemorate important historical events that occurred in the city. All statutory cities and second, third, or fourth class charter cities can spend money to commemorating the anniversary of any important and outstanding event in the city’s history. Does your city host one of these festivals commemorating a historic event? We'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Interested in learning more about public purpose expenditures? For more information, see the League’s Public Purpose Expenditures Memo.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Research Q of the Week: Good Tax News for Cities (4/16)

Question: When does a city have to pay state sales tax on purchases?
Answer: It is rare to get good tax-related news. But, that’s just what the State Legislature gave cities in 2014. It amended state law to provide that statutory and home rule charter cities are exempt from paying sales tax on many goods and services. City purchases of inputs used to provide the following types of services qualify for the exemption:

•    Administration of housing programs
•    Ambulance and public safety services
•    Aquatic facilities
•    Cemeteries
•    Chore and homemaking services for the elderly
•    Correctional services
•    Farmer’s markets
•    Health and fitness centers
•    Housing facilities
•    Ice arenas
•    Licensing services
•    Local festivals and fairs
•    Municipal airports
•    Public transit
•    Recreational and athletic facilities
•    Road and street maintenance and lighting
•    Sewer and water services
•    Wastewater treatment services

In order to purchase items required to provide these services without having to pay sales tax, the city must complete a Form ST3, Certificate of Exemption and provide it to the seller at the time of purchase.

Some examples of goods and services that cities can throw in the shopping cart free from sales tax include:

•    Cleaning and maintenance of buildings
•    Lawn care and tree removal services
•    Construction equipment that is not licensed for road use
•    Most firefighting, police, and emergency equipment including repair parts, accessories, protective gear, fuel, foam, water, etc. (This exemption does not apply to motor vehicles, but another sales tax exemption may apply to some emergency vehicles.)
•    Office supplies, computers, software, printers, furniture, etc.
•    Vehicles that are not licensed for road use, such as aircraft, snowmobiles, and watercraft
•    Road-building materials and the delivery of aggregate materials
•    Utilities, chemicals, and fuels

However, not everything a city purchases qualifies for the sales tax exemption. Purchases by cities to provide the following goods and services remain taxable:

•    Gas and electric utilities
•    Liquor stores
•    Golf courses
•    Solid waste hauling
•    Solid waste recycling
•    Landfills
•    Marinas
•    Campgrounds
•    Cafes
•    Laundromats

For more information on the state sales tax exemption for cities see Minnesota Revenue’s Sales Tax Fact Sheet 176 Local Government – Cities, Counties, and Townships.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Using the Power of Play for Work

Working for a city can be rewarding, inspiring, and exciting. But it can be challenging, as well. Every now and then it becomes necessary to inject a little play into work to revive spirits and renew passion.

Steve Gross—one of three keynote speakers at the 2015 Annual Conference in Duluth—took some time to chat about the power of play. We asked him a few questions:

You use the power of play to build healing, life-changing relationships. How does the power of play relate to the relationship between city officials and their communities?
When I say ‘play’ I’m not referring to a type of activity, or a kids’ game. It’s a spirit you bring to whatever you’re doing—a commitment to be respectful and joyful, and to engage with the world around you. You can strengthen relationships—and your own happiness—by listening to others. Engage them. Be open to new ideas, and show that you value others’ contributions.

How do you encourage engaging the world with passion and joy? What difference does renewing passion and working with joy make?
Einstein said “The important thing is to keep the important thing important.” When you are engaging the world—and work—with passion and joy, you are paying attention and are aware of what’s going on around you. It’s important to set the intention, or create a plan, to focus on the important things, whatever they may be. And you can create a plan to focus on what you need to do to be able to focus on those important things, and then get to that joyful place.

What can others take away when you encourage them to access their own playfulness? How can individuals encourage this in others and how can it benefit the workplace?
The best advice is to be it. Sometimes, when you try to make people be more positive, you can have the opposite result. It’s best to be open, be joyful, be compassionate. If you’re genuine and caring that attitude will be contagious.

Steve will be talking about the power of play, engaging the world with passion and joy, and more at the 2015 Annual Conference. Find out more about the conference—and all three keynote speakers—by visiting

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Yes. Well, kind of—I’ll explain.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Four Generations—The Hawley Way

By CJ Holl
[The author served with Mayor Gary Johnson as councilmember from 2008 to 2014 and is a current Pelican Rapids city councilmember. Do you have a city story to tell? Submit your idea to]

Gary Johnson was elected mayor of
Hawley, MN in 2008.
Hawley is a small town of 2,500 about 20 miles from Fargo-Moorhead and, like many rural Minnesota towns, has seen many changes over the years. Once a retail center with an agricultural base, the town is now a vibrant bedroom community.

One thing that has been consistent within the city since the beginning is the involvement of the Johnson family. Mayor Gary E. Johnson, the current mayor, has been at his post since 2008. He is the fourth-generation Johnson mayor in the town’s history.

Hawley was incorporated in 1871, and the Johnson mayors date back to Gary’s great-grandfather Andrew Johnson, who served in 1891 and again in 1895. Andrew Johnson brought many businesses to the fledgling community, including a bank, an automobile dealer, a grocery store, a creamery, a potato brokerage, and a lumber yard. The main family business was the Johnson’s store, which was started in 1887 and was a department/general store and later a grocery store in downtown Hawley.

E.P. Johnson, Gary’s grandfather, was mayor from 1946 to 1949 and again from 1952 to 1954. E.P. went on to serve two terms as a representative in the Legislature. Burton Johnson, Gary’s father, served as Hawley’s mayor from 1972 to 1984.

E.P. Johnson’s brother, E.W. Johnson, also served as mayor for one year in 1933. All told, there have been five Johnson mayors of Hawley—spanning roughly 20 percent of Hawley’s 144 years.

The current Mayor Johnson said he learned about hard work and city service from his father, Burton. Burton was mayor for 12 years, and served in city government for a total of 24 years, including a long run as a councilmember.

“It was something all of us were aware of,” Johnson said of his dad’s service. “I remember being 14 or 15 years old and dad coming home at midnight. His commitment was legendary.”

When his father was the mayor, Johnson said, the city had only one meeting a month, which made for a late night, especially for a local grocery store owner.

Johnson said he has been proud of continuing the Johnson civic service tradition, but it hasn’t always been easy. Like most rural towns, as transportation, business, and community needs changed, Hawley lost many downtown retail businesses. Lately, however, it has highlighted its rural, small-town roots and values to attract new residents and businesses including a new concrete plant, a new implement sales and service facility, new retail, as well as other manufacturing and service business expansions. Hawley now is in the envious position of having to attract and free up housing space for new residents.

“We need to be progressive and continue to grow. If you don’t grow, you die,” Johnson said, adding that there is still a need for an enhanced community center, convention and meeting space, housing, a downtown anchor business, additional retail, and recreational amenities.

Johnson, who recently retired after more than 30 years at Honeywell, said he will continue to serve as long as the community wants him. And there could be a fifth generation waiting in the wings. His daughter, Jennifer, hasn’t yet stepped into local politics, but owns a local accounting business and has dabbled in a few committees and civic organizations.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Research Q of the Week: What the Well? City Authority to Regulate Use of Water Supply (4/2/2015)

Question: Our city provides water to the community, and we've heard rumors that a bigger business wants to drill a private well so it can use the water for its business. Do we have a say in that?

Answer: Since 1949 cities have had authority to regulate “the use of wells, cisterns, reservoirs, waterworks, and other means of water supply” in city boundaries. This authority includes the power to prohibit private wells in a city.

Zoning law provides yet more authority for cities to prohibit private wells or to prescribe areas of the city where private wells are allowed. City zoning authority can also be used to regulate structures, which would include private wells.

Why does this matter? For sure, Minnesota has water. But the supply is not endless. City water systems must protect groundwater supplies and conserve water resources. If all or even a few of the businesses or townhouse associations in your city drill their own wells and use many gallons of water, it can quickly cause problems for city water systems.

So what should cities do to protect local water supplies and infrastructure? To protect your city water supply and system, consider passing an ordinance that deals with private wells. Work with your city attorney to address wells used for irrigation, sprinkling or other uses, not just for drinking water.

The statutes and case law make it clear that cities have authority to regulate the use of wells to the extent of prohibiting them, and to require that the property owner connect to the city's water system in the interest of everyone's safety and welfare.

But remember, the limited tasks of constructing, repairing, and sealing the well are subject to Minnesota Department of Health regulatory authority. That's a blog post for another day. Oh well.

Got questions? You can email LMC's Research and Information Service ( for sample ordinances, or call us at (800) 925-1122 or (651) 281-1200.

Written by Jeanette Behr, research manager with the League of Minnesota Cities. Contact: or (651) 281-1228.


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How hook up jumper cables

How ro hook up jumper cables

. once the jump-started vehicle is running smoothly, carefully disconnect the jumper cables, reversing the connection order. if you can safely use jumper cables on your vehicle, make sure that the battery on the good samaritan’s vehicle has at least as much voltage as your own.. connect the black (negative) jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.

How to Jump Start a Car - dummies

. connect the red (positive) jumper cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.'s important to make sure the metal ends of the jumper cables do not touch each other or any metal surfaces on the car until they are connected to the correct battery terminals.. connect the red (positive) jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.

How to Jump Start a Car w/ Jumper Cables: Charging a Dead Car

check the cables to ensure they are secure and not covered with corrosion or other obstructions.’s a good idea to buy a set of jumper cables and keep them in the trunk compartment.: when disconnecting and connecting the battery cables, disconnect the negative cable first and reconnect the negative cable last.

How To Jump Start A Car Battery The Right Way | Meineke

How To Jump-Start a Car | Edmunds

1: how to use jumper cables:before trying to jump start the car make sure a "dead" battery is your problem.: do not hook the negative cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery. it won’t start, make sure that the cables are properly connected and have the good samaritan run his or her engine for five minutes.

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How to Use Jumper Cables - How to Jumpstart a Car

depending on where you battery is located you may need a screwdriver, but you'll definitely need jumper cables.) under the heavy electrical load of boost starting, lightweight cables may not be able to deliver enough current to start some engines. our first lesson, which i've repeated below, was on how to use jumper cables.

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Connecting Jumper Cables - Autotrader

deanna sclar if your battery has died, you may be able to use jumper cables to jump start it from some good samaritan’s vehicle. once your "dead" car has started and is running, immediately disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order and make sure to let it run idle for at least 30 minutes or drive it around for a little while to recharge the battery.’s always a good idea to carry a set of jumper cables with you at all times as you never know when your car or someone else’s will have a dead battery.

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How to Jump Start a Car : Connecting Jumper Cables to the Dead

if two people are available to jump-start a car, one person can simply hold the ends of the jumper cables safely separated while the other person moves between the cars, making the proper connections. connecting the jumper cables in the right order will minimize the chance of sparking." two of the most valuable lessons, changing a tire and hooking up jumper cables are best learned before an emergency arises, according to the car care council.

Official Car Talk Jump-Start Instructions

as long as you hook up the cables properly, it doesn’t matter whether your vehicle has negative ground and the gs’s vehicle has positive ground, or your vehicle has an alternator and the gs’s vehicle has a generator. select a good pair of jumper cables and carry them in your car. popularstep 3: with both cars off and in park, connect the jumper cables in the following order:(1) connect one red clamp to the positive (+) battery post of the "dead" battery.

How to Hook up Jumper Cables: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

How to Hook Up Jumper Cables | eBay

how to safely use jumper cables to restart a car with a dead battery. but if you carry jumper cables in your car and know how to use them properly, your problem is solved. if you don’t have jumper cables, you have to find a good samaritan who not only is willing to assist you but who has jumper cables as well.

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Jump-Starting Your Battery Using Another Car | Pep Boys

in some cases, the cables themselves will come with a chart reminding you of the proper order in which to connect them.. make a final check to confirm that the jumper cables are not near any moving engine parts, and then start the booster car. jumper cables or cables on a portable battery booster should be connected properly to avoid sparks, which can cause an explosion of the hydrogen gas emitting from a battery.

How to Use Jumper Cables | YourMechanic Advice

so, while you're hooking up the discharged battery to the live battery in the booster car, you'll want to do this without creating any sparks. as you are hooking up the jumper cables, make sure the metal ends of the cables don't dangle into the engine compartment, where they could get caught on such moving parts as a belt or a fan, or on the outside of the car, where they could scratch the paint. possible, consult your car's manual for the correct order in which to connect the jumper cables.

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Ancient Trees Bringing New Life to the Desert

Ancient Trees Bringing New Life to the Desert
By: Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

The prospect of a field trip usually elicits excitement from school children, but for five-year-old Shir, field trips are a part of the norm at her school, and they usually end up outdoors. For Shir and other residents of Israel’s Central Arava, the stretch of Israeli desert bordering Jordan, the outdoors can sometimes be the classroom. On this particular field trip, Shir’s class is visiting an acacia tree that’s more than a hundred times their own age.

In a part of the world that receives less than five inches of rainfall a year, trees are a strange and mysterious presence, solitary and skeletal umbrellas silhouetted against a scenic skyline of desert landscape.

Acacia trees in particular, which are mentioned in the Bible, are classified as a “keystone” species, not only anchoring the soil and preventing further desertification, but enriching it as well. Similar to smaller plants such as beans and clover, acacia trees are a legume, adding nitrogen to the soil which in turn helps other species grow and thrive.

When older residents began noticing that acacia trees were vanishing over a decade ago, the Central Arava Regional Council, along with the help of Jewish National Fund (JNF), stepped in and created the Adopt-an-Acacia program. This grassroots initiative goes far beyond just planting trees.

As science is now realizing, plants are smarter than we give them credit for, and an acacia tree growing in one corner of the world is uniquely adapted to its climate— such as rainfall, temperatures, and dozens of obscure factors like local insects and neighboring plants.

The Council and JNF began the project by asking local residents to collect seeds from trees already growing on and around their properties. The seeds were germinated and raised in a nursery, then returned to the areas where they had been collected.

Indigenous trees are hardier, more disease-resistant, and less reliant on irrigation. They’re also an important food source for native species, from tiny insects munching on the leaves to larger animals that eat smaller species and make their homes in the branches or trunks.

The older residents were right: there were fewer and fewer acacias each year. Some were being removed to make room for agriculture, but others were dying off for reasons that are still unknown.

A team of local researchers are investigating how the acacias survive—it was long believed, for instance, that their roots were very shallow, but their ability to tough it out through long dry spells suggests that they may have a delicate network of roots that run far deeper than researchers were previously aware of.

The kids on the field trip aren’t the only ones learning about the importance of trees in their region. The community has embraced trees, not only for the landscape, but to support the rich and complex web of desert life. Yael Haviv, head of the Environmental Unit with the Central Arava Regional Council, said, “In the last seven to 10 years, there’s been a real revolution in the way people think about the trees.”

And , for Jews the world over, the holiday of Tu BiShvat, the Jewish New Year for trees, is an opportunity to celebrate trees in general. In Israel, trees have played an essential role in bringing the country to life over the past century, with JNF paving the way by planting over 250 million trees throughout the country.

Now, some farmers are embracing trees so much so that they are leaving them in their fields rather than dig them up, accepting the inconvenience as a small price to pay towards restoring indigenous species.

Other trees are planting in sandy patches at the edge of farms, using their own limited water ration to irrigate the young saplings. (The Central Arava is not connected to the Israeli water supply system, but instead is reliant on limited water from aquifers and flood waters washed in from the nearby Sinai Peninsula.)

So far, families, individuals, and school groups, like Shir’s, have joined in the Adopt-an-Acacia program to plant over 4,000 trees in the region.

While the Central Arava can be a difficult place to live, for the 3,600 residents who call its seven rural communities home, it’s bursting with natural beauty.

But there’s still work to be done. With shovels and seeds in hand, Shir and her community in the Central Arava are busy reclaiming and preserving every inch of the Jewish homeland.

Adam H. Brill,
Director of Communications

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The Spitzkoppe

Located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib Desert, the natural beauty of the Spitzkoppe, or Spitzkop, is spectacular; an island of bald granite peaks situated in an endless grassy plain that is visible for miles around. Groot Spitzkop is often referred to as the 'Matterhorn of Africa' because of its similarity in shape, and it is one of Namibia's most famous mountains. Nearby are the Little Spitzkoppe and the Pontok Mountains. The enormous granite rocks were formed hundreds of millions of years ago due to volcanic activity, and subsequent erosion has resulted in fascinating rock formations and memorable outlines, which should not go unexplored.

The area is a paradise for climbers, although only those with a lot of experience and the correct equipment should attempt to climb the Spitzkoppe itself. Many San (Bushmen) rock paintings can be found in the Spitzkoppe area and these ancient artworks are thrilling to seek out; however, many of the prehistoric rock paintings have tragically been destroyed. 'Rhino Rock', at the foot of Groot Spitzkop, boasts some of the best surviving examples. The area is also renowned for its breathtaking sunrises, which turn the rocks from pale orange to flaming gold. Don't forget the camera!


retaining wall

Titan offers retaining wall installation. Retaining walls, or “block” walls, are designed to restrain soil between two different elevations, to shape the landscape for ease of planting, erosion control, water control, and structural support.  Retaining walls are typically use for single garden walls, elevated garden walls, fence systems, steps and stairs, to level out yard areas and outdoor living rooms. Retaining walls prevent down slope movement of soil, and provide support for vertical or near- vertical grade changes. They help stabilize a sloped landscape and provide flat surfaces at elevated intervals.  Retaining walls are typically built with concrete blocks, stone, or wood, and can be used in the front or back yards for flower beds, gardens, herbs, and ornamental plants. Retaining walls can also redirect surface water flows for better control.  Retaining walls have been used for millennia, particularly the stone wall which is durable, and has a classic, visually appealing look.  Concrete blocks can also be used, and are made in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes; typically less expensive over all, and faster to install.  Retaining walls can last for decades without maintenance.

Traditional stone walls can be dry (no mortar) for ease of relocation, or the standard stone-and-mortar wall. For erosion control, a gabion wall which is a stone-filled wire mesh, is a good choice.  Natural stones are typically cut from the local environment, which provides an ‘integrated look’ with the surrounding environment, and they come in all shapes and sizes.

Concrete blocks are made with a cement mixture, aggregate, and pigments, in a wide variety shapes, sizes, textures, surfaces, and designs.  They are durable, versatile, strong, and provide exceptional structural wall stability.  You have a choice of solid concrete blocks for stability, or hollow blocks that are lightweight and easy to work with – and your choice of mortar, or mortar-less designs.  Concrete block walls are resistant to pests, termites, and moisture; will not rot or rust, and don’t require maintenance.

Wood retaining walls have an understated look, but aren’t as strong or stabilizing without additional support from brace beams or cross-ties.  A traditional material for a wood retaining wall is railroad ties, but standard wood planks can be used if properly braced. Wood needs regular maintenance, including staining and waterproofing, to resist rot, mildew, termites, and cracking.

Brick retaining walls have a classic, beautiful look, but are not as strong or stabilizing without additional support, such as an inner layer of concrete blocks.


We offer three different dance workout classes. Each follows a different format, all will make you move and sweat.

FUSION is our original high-energy, fast-paced class format. It blends popular and global music and dance styles for a fun and addictive dance workout experience.

MODERN draws on modern and contemporary dance vocabulary for a more expansive, lyrical approach to dance workout.

“When I leave a Rhythm & Motion class, the world seems to be a better place.”
–Erin Derego,  Student

“As a professional dancer, I've found that Rhythm & Motion builds strength and improves stamina, but also provides a safe space to be joyous, to be equals, to be vulnerable, and best of all, to dance with freedom from criticism and judgement.”
–Vanessa Thiessen, Dancer, Post:Ballet

“...a size-positive environment. There’s no pressure to look a certain way. People come comfortably dressed in the bodies they have, and that’s all that anyone asks for here.”
–Jennifer Portnick, Student


x Abu Dhabi, UAESaturday 22 July 2017

Psychopaths - it's not just dictators and movie maniacs

Psychopaths aren't just crazed killers in the movies. They are among us - and not very easy to spot.

Do psychopaths run the world? The answer might seem obvious. But not quite in the way you'd expect.

"Psychopath" is often bandied about as an insult against those we perceive through the prism of news, popular culture, or personal experience. Charles Manson. The axe-wielding Jack Torrance in The Shining. Your Facebook stalker.

The reality is far more complex.

Outwardly, psychopaths appear normal. However, they feel no shame, guilt, or remorse, and gain satisfaction out of antisocial or violent behaviour. Above all they share a distinct lack of empathy for others, and are unable to foster genuine human attachment. In the 1880s the French psychologist Philippe Pinel coined the term manie sans delire ("mania without delirium") for them. They are not easy to spot.

In his recently published book The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through The Madness Industry, Jon Ronson raises, like many other psychiatrists before him, this question: do psychopaths rule the world? The author set out to investigate "this brain anomaly that leads some people to become killers [and] leads other people to become ruthless, vicious CEOs" and why "capitalism is a physical manifestation of psychopathy."

Central to psycho-spotting is the titular test, a series of 20 questions devised by Dr Robert Hare that outline the traits shown by sufferers. Each is marked with a 0,1 or 2. Score 30 or over, and you're a psychopath.

The items on the list are revealing, if only in how they relate to figures recently in the news.

Grandiose sense of self-worth (Anders Behring Breivik); callous/lack of empathy (Col Muammar Qaddafi); failure to accept responsibility for own actions (Hosni Mubarak); and criminal versatility (Osama bin Laden) are just a few of those categories.

But what of psychopaths whose vocation is not to kill and maim? Where do the undetectable ones dwell? The answer is, all around us.

Psychopathy afflicts almost 1 per cent of us. If you have 500 friends on Facebook, five are psychopaths.

And since, with a few exceptions, we avoid intentionally befriending mass murders and maniacal dictators, that means a percentage of our friends, colleagues and people we encounter on a daily basis - say, on our roads - are psychopaths.

Armed with Hare's checklist, spotting them might be easier. Alternatively, there is a danger in seeing psychopathy in the most mundane of actions. Sometimes, she's simply just not into you.

"I was attaining a new power, like a secret weapon," Ronson said in his book. "I was contemptuous of those naive people who allowed themselves to be taken in by slick-tongued psychopaths."

So, that creepy roommate? Potentially a psycho. The horrible boss? Psycho. A hit-and-run perpetrator? Definitely a psycho.

But are psychopaths self-aware, or do they live their lives blissfully unaware of the damage they inflict? Do dictators sleep well at night?

In Joseph Heller's bureaucracy-critiquing book Catch-22 - which gave its name to the widely used phrase - his fictional World War II US airmen could avoid flying dangerous, almost suicidal, missions only if they were clinically insane. The "catch" is, anyone who is fully aware of the risks and requests to be grounded is automatically deemed of sound mind, and therefore has no option but to fly.

By the same logic, does the mere act of acknowledging you are a psychopath, and hence able to control your actions, mean that you are no longer one? Opinion is split.

Psychopathy, as things stand, has no cure: empathy cannot simply be instilled into a person, nor can an individual be made to feel love. Today, there is no consensus among psychiatrists and physicians on its diagnosis, and many believe that even the term psychopath is inappropriate, as most people exhibit at least a few of the traits on Hare's list.

Hurtful words, after all, are not the same as killing someone softly, whatever Roberta Flack says.


Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Supreme Court admits it erred, upholds commutation of death penalty

Supreme Court admits it erred, upholds commutation of death penalty

Supreme Court: a frank admission

New Delhi: In a rare instance, the Supreme Court has admitted that its earlier judgments, in one and the same case, upholding the death sentence awarded by the trial court and confirmed by the High Court were a mistake and violation of human rights of the accused. The court in a second review upheld the Assam Governor's order commuting the punishment to life sentence.

A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and A.K. Ganguly in a recent order said: “Instances of this court's judgment violating the human rights of the citizens may be extremely rare but it cannot be said that such a situation can never happen. On a review of the reasoning in the petition, we find that the finding in the judgment is vitiated by errors apparent on the face of the record.”

Inalienable right

Writing the judgment, Justice Ganguly said: “Human rights are the basic, inherent, immutable and inalienable rights to which a person is entitled simply by virtue of his being born a human. They are such rights which are to be made available as a matter of right. The Constitution and legislation of a civilised country recognise them since they are so quintessentially part of every human being. That is why every democratic country committed to Rule of Law put into force mechanisms for their enforcement and protection.”

In the instant case, the Assam trial court held Ram Deo Chauhan alias Raj Nath Chauha guilty of murdering four members of a family in March 1992 and slapped the death penalty on him. This was confirmed by the Gauhati High Court and later by the Supreme Court in July 2000.

Review petition

In a review petition, the convict took the stand that he was a minor aged 16 at the time of the offence and the hence the death penalty could not have been awarded by the courts below.

A three-judge Bench by a majority of 2:1 rejected the review petition and again confirmed the death sentence. But Justice K.T. Thomas, in his minority judgment, felt that since there was a doubt whether Ram Deo was a minor or not when the offence was committed, it would be in the interest of justice to commute death to life imprisonment.

Later, acting on a an article written by Ved Kumari, Professor of the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, the National Human Rights Commission headed by the former Chief Justice of India J.S. Verma felt that Justice Thomas' reasoning was the correct approach and recommended that the death sentence be commuted and the Governor accordingly did so.

However, on a writ petition, the Governor's order was set aside by the Supreme Court in 2009 holding that the NHRC had no jurisdiction to intervene in the matter.

Governor's order restored

Allowing the review petition against this order, the Bench said: “On a very careful consideration of this issue, this court thinks that in view of various questions of far-reaching importance having been raised in this second review, it may be a travesty of justice if this petition is dismissed. If a person has been guaranteed certain rights either under the Constitution or under an international covenant or under a law, and he is denied access to such a right, then it amounts to a clear violation of his human right and NHRC has the jurisdiction to intervene for protecting it. We are of the opinion that in doing so, NHRC acted within its jurisdiction.”

The Bench restored the Governor's order of commutation of the death sentence.

Eminent people dare SC to book them for contempt too

Eminent people dare SC to book them for contempt too

NEW DELHI: Twenty-five citizens, including eminent persons, on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court daring it to initiate contempt proceedings against them as they were expressing solidarity with advocates Prashant and Shanti Bhushan, who had alleged that eight of the 16 former Chief Justices of India (CJIs) were corrupt.

The applicants included RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, social activist Aruna Roy, National Advisory Council (NAC) member Harsh Mander, former IIM Ahmedabad director-in-charge Prof Jagdeep S Chhokar, Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, former IFS officer and social activist Madhu Bhaduri, JNU's professor emeritus Amit Bhaduri, former West Bengal additional chief secretary Kalyani Chaudhuri and social activist Madhu Kishwar.

Others included professionals ranging from engineers, journalists, RTI activists, a major general and an educationist. Appearing for them, senior advocate Vikas Singh requested a Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir, Cyriac Joseph and H L Dattu that they be made parties in the contempt proceedings drawn against Prashant Bhushan for his views about corruption in judiciary published in a weekly magazine last year. With so many eminent persons seeking to be respondents in the case, the bench refused to take up the application.

पत्नी ने किया जज को जलाने का प्रयास

पत्नी ने किया जज को जलाने का प्रयास

रायपुर। छत्तीसगढ़ के कोरबा में एक जज को उनकी पत्नी ने पेट्रोल छिड़ककर जिंदा जलाने का प्रयास किया। जज की शिकायत पर पुलिस ने आरोपी पत्नी को गिरफ्तार कर लिया। मंगलवार को मुख्य न्यायिक मजिस्ट्रेट के समक्ष आरोपी को पेश किया गया, जहां से उसे न्यायिक हिरासत में भेज दिया गया। बताया गया है कि कुछ समय से दोनों के संबंध ठीक नहीं चल रहे थे।

स्थानीय अदालत में न्यायिक दंडाधिकारी द्वितीय श्रेणी केपी सिंह भदौरिया ने पुलिस को बताया कि मंगलवार सुबह घर में उनकी पत्नी मन्नू ने उन [जज] पर पेट्रोल छिड़क दिया और माचिस लेकर उनकी ओर दौड़ीं। जज ने भागकर अपनी जान बचाई। कोरबा के पुलिस अधीक्षक रतन लाल डांगी ने बताया कि जज की शिकायत पर मुकदमा दर्ज कर मन्नू को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया।

मन्नू ने बताया कि वह अपने पति से परेशान थी। उसने करीब आठ साल पहले अपने पति के खिलाफ दहेज प्रताड़ना का मामला दर्ज कराया था, लेकिन बाद में उनके बीच सुलह हो गई थी।

Put all new FIRs online: Delhi HC

Put all new FIRs online: Delhi HC

7th Dec 2010

NEW DELHI: In a major move towards transparency in police functioning, the high court has directed the Delhi Police to start uploading all First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in the city onto its website within 24 hours of filing. The police are required to implement the order from February 1, 2011.

The landmark order, passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan, said it's the duty of the police to provide information and the accused does not need to move court to get a copy of an FIR.

"Fair and impartial investigation is a facet of Article 21 of the Constitution and presumption as regards the innocence of an accused is a right. Therefore, a person booked under criminal law has a right to know the nature of allegations so that he can take necessary steps to safeguard his liberty," the bench said.

Earlier, additional solicitor general A S Chandiok and amicus curie Arvind Nigam submitted their suggestions on the matter.
The counsel had said that recording of an FIR was an official act of a public official in discharge of his or her official duties and, therefore, it was a public document within the meaning of Section 74 of the Evidence Act, 1872.

The court said an accused was entitled to get a copy of the FIR earlier than what's prescribed under Section 207 of the Criminal Procedure Code (which says the FIR would be supplied through a magistrate's order after the accused moves court).


Catherine Widgery
Crystal Light, 2013 etched glass, programmable LED light

Crystal Light encompasses 2,500 square feet of intricately etched glass and a response to the energy of the people of Salt Lake City using the dramatic weather as metaphor. Water in its different states embodies the energy exchange at the heart of this vibrant city as the ice and salt crystals and spectacular lightening storms are woven together. The structures of matter and energy patterns converge. Crystal Light responds to the shifting lights and colors of the surroundings. The sky and clouds become a part of the work as the etched forms are seen against this dramatic backdrop of light and color. At night, the viewer experiences a carefully choreographed lighting program that moves with the escalator and elevator.

North Temple Bridge / Guadalupe Station 400 West North Temple North Temple Airport Line

Artwork featured in header: Spatial Perception by Shawn Porter


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Decolonization and the Politics of Wildlife in Africa

September 26 - September 30

The establishment of European colonial rule on the African continent not only involved the colonization of nature, but essentially meant colonization through nature. Imperial politics of resource extraction, hunting, and conservation forged the upsetting and renegotiation of existing human ecologies and were often accompanied by the strict separation of the spheres of »nature«/»wilderness« on the one hand, and »culture« on the other. But in how far did decolonization across Africa south of the Sahara equally affect the sphere of ecology and relationships between humans and wildlife? What continuities and what changes can we observe in the transcontinental governance of wildlife and its concepts, practices, and actors? What role did animals play in all this and in how far did decolonization affect wildlife and individual species? Have Africa’s wild animals ever been decolonized? This conference seeks to address these questions in a trans- and multidisciplinary perspective. It aims to bring together senior and junior specialists in African and global environmental history, human-animal studies, human geography, political ecology, and the various conservation and wildlife sciences. Scholars based at African academic institutions are particularly encouraged to apply. We are interested in receiving proposals focusing on the transitional decades of late colonial rule and early independence.

Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study
Stellenbosch, South Africa + Google Map


When the world of adults is too much for you, you can always count on your Imaginary Friends!

Fed up with his despotic aunt, 10-year-old Noah takes off on an amazing journey to find the mythical magical land of the Big Blue Cats with his Imaginary Friend Mortando Malone and his new pal Daniel. But running away into an unknown and imaginary world can be dangerous, even deadly. With the help of Sarah, Noah will have to make out who his true friends are… and how to find the balance between reality and imagination!


Tour News

Five moments from the 2016 Women's Majors: US Open

2016 will go down as a memorable year for the United State Golf Association but sadly, for all the wrong reasons.

2016 will go down as a memorable year for the United States Golf Association but sadly, for all the wrong reasons.

Barely a month after the debacle involving men’s US Open winner Dustin Johnson at Oakmont, another rules controversy took the gloss off the US Women’s Open, too.

The richest and most prestigious title in the women’s game was marred by the handling of a ruling in the midst of a three-hole playoff between Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and American Brittany Lang.

The pair had finished tied atop the leaderboard at the CordeValle Golf Club in California and went to extra holes to break the deadlock.

On the second playoff hole, CordeValle’s 17th, Nordqvist found a fairway bunker off the tee and was faced with a difficult second.

She hit a remarkable shot just over the green and got up and down for her par to send both players to the par-five 18th still tied.

As the playoff continued, however, a close-up replay of Nordqvist’s shot from the fairway bunker showed she had almost imperceptibly brushed the sand with her club in the takeaway.

While it would be impossible for her to know she had done it, the high definition pictures clearly showed she had breached the rule.

What happened next, though, was what raised the ire of many fans. As they had with the Dustin Johnson ruling, officials came under fire for the timing of telling the two playoff combatants of the two-shot penalty to be imposed.

They told both players of the infraction after Nordqvist had hit her third shot to the par-five 18th green but before Lang had done the same.

Many felt the timing had a potential impact on the outcome with Lang having the freedom to play more safely than she otherwise might under the circumstances.

To her credit, Nordqvist handled the messy situation with class, sending out an upbeat Instagram picture and message soon after the tournament finished.

"Thumbs up for a great US OPEN! " Nordqvist wrote in the accompanying message.

"Proud of myself for the way I played this week. It wasnt ment to happen. Its blowing 35-40mph out there and I had a 5 iron downhill lie in the bunker on 17. It was obviously not my intention to touch the sand but it happened and life will go on. congratulations to Brittany Lang for a great week of golf!!

Rod Morri
About The Author : Rod Morri

More Articles from Rod Morri


Introduction: Mars; The History of Studies are Endless

As early as 300BC, Egyptians have referred to Mars as “Horus of the Horizon”. From the beginning that this massive red rock that boarders the terrestrial planets in their orbit around The Sun has been discovered, it has mystified and left civilians and mainly scientists wondering if there will ever be a chance that our neighboring planet will ever be set foot on by a human being living on our planet, Earth. Mars has been extensively researched and tested in the best of scientist’s ability and technology that was available to them at their point in history for hundreds of years. In 1894, The Lowell Observatory was established specifically to study Mars and all the wonders that our neighboring planet has to offer. As the years have passed and technology has improved, more and more information has been discovered about Mars and hypothesis made on if there was ever life on Mars, and if there could ever be life on Mars again. Photographs have been taken from high-tech telescopes and rationales have been made from the discovery of other objects in the heavens, such as Pluto, suggesting that Mars either had or could have life on its surface someday.

Today in the 21st century, with technology even stronger and more sophisticated than ever, scientist’s have begun to take further steps to learn the mysteries of Mars and learn more about the possibility of bringing human beings to Mars someday. With the development of customized rovers, cameras, space shuttles and tools, the possibility of humans one day setting foot on Mars has grown larger, as well as learning the real history of Mars.

The possibilities in space travel, astronomy and even science in general are endless, if astronauts ever landed on Mars and were able to fully examine and test everything about the planet’s surface and over attributes. By setting foot on Mars, astronauts would be able to set up extensive equipment to test the ground, air and atmosphere of Mars as well as being a large step closer to the Jovian planets, which would allow for more in-depth and close up research of the outer planets as well as posing the possibility of setting up space stations on Mars to actually explore the Jovian planets by way of spacecraft. The landing and thorough research of Mars is our next step towards discovering the true mystery of our solar system, as well as our existence as humans beings.

Setting foot on Mars: Why Someday Mars may be in Our Reach

Mars, being the fourth planet from the sun, is relatively small, comparing more to the size of The Earth’s moon than to most other planets in the solar system. The Mass of Mars is 5.419 x 10 to the 23 kg, while its density is 3.93 grams per centimeter cubed. Mars is very rocky and contains mountains much larger than any mountain that can be found on earth, and in that case, the largest mountain ever discovered in our solar system. Mars’ largest being Olympus Mons, which is actually a volcano, being measured to be 15 miles in height and its diameter around, according to In Quest of The Universe, “could cover much of the area of Washington and Oregon.

There are a number of possible reasons in which leave hope in scientists to someday reach human contact with Mars. The weather on Mars ranges anywhere from 30 degrees Celsius during the day (which is a very livable temperature for human beings) to -135 degrees Celsius at night. The reason for this very large slide in temperatures during the days and evenings on Mars is the fact that Mars has a very thin

atmosphere, causing the insulation during night hours to be very little, if evident at all. With the little atmosphere that Mars contains, being 95% made up of carbon dioxide, the temperature on Mars simply cannot be moderated. But the very mild temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius

leaves a window of opportunity for scientists and astronomers alike, to possibly be able to withstand the temperatures on a more moderately warm day on Mars.

Scientists have also noticed that the escape velocity on Mars would be 5.03 km/s, which is actually less than half of Earth’s escape velocity,

which is 11,200 meters per second. This would allow for humans to be able to land on Mars, do all the studying that they needed to do, and then be able to take off back to Earth.

The hypothesis that there may have been life on the planet, Mars at some point in history has been proven relatively valid over the years.

Photos have been taken from cameras and satellites in space showing some forms of possible dried up canals on the surface of Mars, as well as smooth edges on rocks and cliffs in the canals, which suggests that water causing friction with the constant rubbing up against the edges of

rocks in the canals, could have been the cause for the smooth edges in the canals.

Although scientist’s have failed to discover present-day water on Mars, they have discovered and noted the observations of the past presence of

The possibility of water once existing on Mars opens up a whole new door of ideas attaining to life on Mars. With water comes the existence of

plants, as well one key nutrient that human bodies, the only human-like prototype Earth knows about, need.

All this information that has been discovered about Mars in history has been convincing enough to scientists that there is a very good possibility that there was once life on Mars, and maybe even the possibility that someday, there could once again be life on Mars. Scientists studies have become much more extensive and progressive in recent years.

Challenges Scientists must Overcome

With the great opportunities sciences have noticed to discover more about Mars, the realization that there are also a lot of challenges for the study to be successful must be noticed. Challenges include the actual travel to Mars, the weather that they must withstand, the money it is going to cost, and the smooth landing that the air craft must made if it holds actual human beings.

Astronauts have actually never landed on a solid space past the moon. This challenge would require new equipment that would be needed as well as the knowledge of how to go through Mars atmosphere (the little atmosphere that there is) and successfully land on the planet(Noble).

Another issue, which I briefly discussed earlier, was the extremely fluctuating weather on the planet. It would be much easier for astronauts to commit to their studies if the weather on the planet was 30 degrees Celsius as opposed to negative 135 degrees Celsius. They would need to plan the correct times to conduct their mission, and be equipped with protection that can withstand extremely cold temperatures if need be. The spacecraft and any other equipment that they brought with them would also have to withstand the very cold temperatures that Mars poses.

Another issue that has more to do with politics than the actual space travel by scientists and astronauts is the money factor. Any space-experiment costs millions of dollars, let alone actual human contact and space travel to a never before visited planet. The research they would have to conduct and the finances that they would have to give to the project could cost more than any other space travel experiment ever known. The issue stands with the residents of the United States and the government of the United States. A lot of people are opposed to the amount of money The US puts into space travel in general, and feel that the money can go to better causes, such as the welfare of the poor in our country and protection of our country against terrorism. Opposers of using sufficient amounts of US funds on space travel complain that there are better ways to make our choices with the money that we have than to use it on space travel and exploration.

Another issue that astronauts and scientists need to consider is the actual landing on Mars and what types of obstacles they might face. Mars is filled with craters and mountainous surfaces. They would need to study and figure out the exact place that they were going to land and be prepared with the equipment and landing gear that they have designed, in order to have a safe landing for the actual humans on the ship, and eventually a safe take off back to Earth as well.

Recent Studies and Steps towards Human Contact

In order for astronauts to eventually be able to set foot on Mars, there are a number of research projects and studies that must be completed before “human contact” mission is even deemed plausible. Missions and research includes what scientists label as “fly-bys” of Mars, “Orbiters” of Mars, and the “Roving” of Mars.

“Fly-Bys” of Mars took place when we were just beginning our study on the solar system and mainly Mars. The first studies of Mars in space simply flew by Mars, taking numerous amounts of pictures on their way past. Flyby missions included the Mariner 3-4 and The Mariner 6-7, which took place in the 1960’s.

The first Mariner space craft flew past Mars on July 14, 1965, collecting the first close-up photographs of another planet. The pictures, played back from a small tape recorder on the plane, showed lunar-type impact craters, some of them frozen over from a very cold evening on Mars. The Mariner 4 spacecraft lasted three years in solar orbit, studying Mars’ solar wind environment and making coordinated measurements with Mariner 5, the second ship which was launched to Venus in 1967 (

These missions served as a great stepping stone to the beginning of our extensive research of Mars. Although technology was definitely not where it is today, NASA used what they had for equipment and set the precedent for the mid 20th century on how space exploration should be conducted. The pictures taken have helped lead scientists to their next step in exploring Mars; “The Orbiters”.

Orbiters are satellites that NASA scientists have launched into space to orbit Mars and take in-depth pictures and take readings on Mars’ atmosphere and weather. The Orbiters that we have sent out have given us a number of different types of information about our neighboring planet. Orbiters have helped us learn about the craters, gullies and channels of Mars as well as the rocks and polar ice caps. Also, without these orbiters, such as the Mariner 8-9 and first and second Viking, we may have never been able to obtain the extensive amounts of information on Mars’ landforms, internal structure, magnetic field and the elemental and mineral composition.

Recently, orbiters have helped to obtain information in preparation for our newest type of exploration on Mars, Rovers. For example, the satellites we have orbiting Mars have helped find appropriate spots to land are rovers safely, without any serious damage being inflicted on the machines before they even begin their research.

Satellites (orbiters) have been working hand in hand with Rovers, which will be explained next, to help identify “scientifically interesting sites” on Mars that rovers should study. That satellites lend a huge helping hand to the rovers, who’s controllers need to be focused on avoiding hazardous terrain, by aiming their antennas towards earth to translate the information on rocks and dirt that the rovers are picking up, and send the signals back to Earth for more in-depth, hands on studies.

Orbiters will also be a large help with the incoming space crafts containing further equipment, by assisting with the navigation for correct insertion into the orbit of Mars, as well as a smooth landing.

Lastly, orbiters are very helpful in the return of information studied on Mars, back to Earth. A strategy NASA has most recently used is launching the information found into Mars’ orbit in a small canister for the satellite to pick up and bring back to Earth.

The latest technology has allowed us to actually land on Mars and travel the planet via “a rover”. The rovers we have sent to Mars are actually inflatable. Which use very large, inflated wheels to move over rocks, as opposed to having to go around them and waste time. Rovers are built to be inflated upon arrival at Mars and deflated into a much more compact and light-weight piece of equipment to board the ships and return to Earth. Rovers now rely on state-of-the-art technology to know where they are on Mars and which rock and dirt samples are worth testing.

Eventually, NASA’s goal is to have teams of rovers roaming the planet, that can meet up and exchange information to eventually be sent to Earth for testing. NASA’s overall goat with the Rovers is to get them working to the point where they could even build a robotic colony and set up places for humans to land and live while they are on their journey. NASA has stated that if humans indeed to someday reach Mars, that rovers will act as a tool to “pave the way” for human contact.

Other Essential Equipment being used:

The large equipment, such as the satellites and rovers have done wonders for the experimentation on Mars, but there are various types of other equipment that we have used and plan on eventually using when the time comes that our own human feet are actually setting foot on Mars. This equipment includes special cameras, spectrometers, grinders and magnets.

The Panoramic Camera, nicknamed “the pancam”, is a pair of cameras with extremely high resolution that will be used to view both the land and sky of Mars. These cameras can be hand-held, but right now scientists have attached them on top of the rovers, in order to get the most hands on experience they can while still sitting in their laboratories on Earth. Each pancam has a special lens that allows images to be taken at different wavelengths, which helps scientists on Earth examine the rocks and gravel found to a greater extent.

The other type of camera that NASA is using is The Microscopic Imager, which can view rocks at an even closer view than The Panoramic Camera. This camera is specifically made to look for signs of the rocks interacting in any way, shape, or form with water that may have exited on Mars at any point. This camera does so by analyzing the size, shape and indentation on each rock that it views. This tool has also recently been added to the rover’s arsenal, as the camera can be attached to its arm.

Another type of tool that has just recently been used on Mars is The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer, in short, the Mini-TES. This scopes our rocks and reads the thermal radiation signals that rocks on Mars emit. By finding out the thermal radiation patterns of the rocks found, scientists are able to figure out which types of minerals are found on Mars. With this information, they compare and contrast their finding to already-known information on rocks and their nature-involvement with water; again searching for proof that water could once be found on Mars.

The last tool that I will speak of is The Rock Abrasion Tool, the RAT (how clever). The RAT is small and compact, but is designed to drill approximately two inches into rock formations found on Mars. Scientists use this tool to expose the insides of a rock, which may or may not be different than the outside of the rock. If it is found that the insides of the rock are different than the outsides, than scientists can study this and see what types of “environmental conditions” would have caused the outside of the rock to be different than the inside. This alone can help scientists discover what the environment on Mars was once like.

Conclusion: What does NASA have Planned for The Future?

With all the work that has been completed in the past five years, taking one step closer to discovering the mystery of Mars, NASA is only looking ahead towards the future. In late 2005, NASA plans to send orbiters into the orbit of Mars to study the temperature and overall weather of Mars, as well as continuing to search for signs of water. This mission is scheduled to last approximately one year.

In 2007, NASA plans to send a team of four rovers to different locations on Mars so that they can all collect data on Mars’ rocks, atmosphere and internal structure at the same time. They will be using an orbiter as a reconnaissance tool, to help organize the navigation of the mission, as well as relay their findings back to Earth for further studies.

Given the steps that NASA has taken in the most recent years to improve their technology and fully explore our neighboring planet, the mystery of Mars is surely within our grasp. Although plans for actual human contact have not been made, we should expect them to be made sometime in the immediate future. We began our exploration of Mars with “drive-bys” and proceeded with orbiters. We now have vehicles fully exploring Mars with high-tech cameras giving scientists on Earth a clear site to everything the rover sees. Recently, NASA has released their plans to build a robotic space station on Mar’s; could humans be next?

Lowell, Percival. “Mars”. Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1895

Lowell, Percival. “Mars and its Canals.” Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1895

Wilford, John Noble. “Mars Beckons: the mysteries, the challenges, the expectations of our next great adventure in space” New York: Knopf, 1990

Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Updated Regularly by NASA.

“Mars Timeline of Discovery” May, 2001. Astrodigital Inc.

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Sentence Examples with the word deliberate

I, 3); he attacked the Commentaries of Julius Caesar, accusing their author of carelessness and credulity, if not of deliberate falsification (Suet.

It was evident that a similar analysis might have been applied to tactual consciousness which does not give externality in its deepest significance any more than the visual; but with deliberate purpose Berkeley at first drew out only one side of his argument.

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From an ethical and religious point of view the deliberate removal of Alexius was an abominable, an inhuman crime: Peter justified it as necessary for the welfare of the new Russia which he had called into existence.

This theory would reconcile the conflicting evidence, that of those who saw Charles writing parts and read the MS. before publication, and the deliberate statements of Gauden.

We are asked to read into the Pregnani story a deliberate intrigue on Charles's part for an excuse for having James de la Cloche in England.

She shrugged with as much elegance as she could muster, and eyed him with deliberate interest.

The conventions drawn up at the second conference were a deliberate codification of many branches of international law.


From empire to democracy

Let's not waste $700bn on a bail-out, but use 'big government' for what it's best at – shaping a society that is fair and peaceable

From empire to democracy

And now, another sign: both major parties rushing to get an agreement to spend $700bn of taxpayers' money to pour down the drain of huge financial institutions which are notable for two characteristics: incompetence and greed.

There is a much better solution to the current financial crisis. But it requires discarding what has been conventional "wisdom" for too long: that government intervention in the economy ("big government") must be avoided like the plague, because the "free market" will guide the economy towards growth and justice.

It started way back, when the founding fathers met in Philadelphia in 1787 to draft the constitution. The first big bail-out was the decision of the new government to redeem for full value the almost worthless bonds held by speculators. And this role of big government, supporting the interests of the business classes, continued all through the nation's history.

When the cry goes up, whether from Republicans or Democrats, that this must not be done because it is "big government", the citizenry should just laugh. And then agitate and organise on behalf of what the Declaration of Independence promised: that it is the responsibility of government to ensure the equal right of all to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".


A bunch of people sarcastically asked whether I was planning to drop my health insurance. The answer is no, because my employer pays for it. But if the question is “Has this caused you to revise downward your estimate of the value of health insurance?” the answer has to obviously be yes. Anyone who answers differently is looking deep into their intestinal loops, not the Oregon study. You don’t have to revise the estimate to zero, or even a low number. But if you’d asked folks before the results dropped what we’d expect to see if insurance made people a lot healthier, they’d have said “statistically significant improvement on basic markers for the most common chronic diseases. The fact that we didn’t see that means that we should now say that health insurance, or at least Medicaid, probably doesn’t make as big a difference in health as we thought.

Certainly, this bolsters my belief that health insurance should provide financial protection from catastrophic events, not wrap-around first-dollar coverage. Those who used to read me on The Atlantic may recall that the McArdle Plan for Healthcare involved the government picking up the tab for any medical expenses above 15-20% of income: simple, progressive, and aimed at the actual problem we know health insurance can fix. Unfortunaely, Obamacare made that sort of coverage functionally illegal.

Which brings me to another belief I should update. Three years ago, after Obamacare passed, I predicted that Obamacare would not result in significant reductions in mortality. I now think that this is more likely to be right than I did before.


Expanding Possibilities, Technology in the Classroom

Guest blog post: Pete Oleson teaches middle-school and high school Science courses. Thank you for sharing this with us!
I don’t really think in terms that isolate technology from everything else that I do. Technology is another tool in the toolbox. Nothing more and nothing less.

For instance, in my Advanced Placement Environmental Science class, we're working on a project on the ENSO or El Nino in which students had to develop a hypothesis on the effects of an El Nino. They then had to locate data to test the hypothesis.

This would have been very difficult to do even 10 years ago, but now the data is available quite readily. By the time we are done, students have learned how to access computers at NASA using the Giovanni interface and finding data to test it. They also know how to locate historical weather records from NOAA (the weather service). They generate maps which are then scaled and analyzed using an analytical tool from the National Institutes of Health called ImageJ.

What they study is completely self-chosen, and what I do is look at their work in progress and offer suggestions on where to look for information and how to present it. When they're done, they generate a lab report that I critique using the same criteria I used when I got research ready for publication when I was an Industrial scientist. They revise it at least twice until it’s “good enough."

The truth is-- in the end--these are all transferable skills. They’re not about just doing my lab. They are about asking questions, making hypotheses, accessing up-to-date information, using cutting edge tools to analyze it, and presenting it coherently. What profession doesn’t want those skills?

To be honest, the kids are screaming.

This is hard. This is not playing with computers. This is very much using them as tools. Students are mad that they don’t have a step-by-step do-this, do-that procedure. Sometimes, it’s important to give them that. That is indeed part of science.

But the other part--the part they’ve never done, the exciting part--is to really think about questions and how best to answer them. Can I justify what we’re doing? You bet I can. Maybe there are those who think it would be better to have a “canned lab” that an “educator” has put together using 10 year-old data where everything works, spend 90 minutes on it, and then declare a success.

I want students who are working someday and come up against a problem and start thinking “How can I find that?” and “You know, there is a tool that you can use to find measure that, and I can access it and use it right now on my desktop.”

Remember ImageJ? Today, we might use it to analyze sea surface temperatures or chlorophyll concentrations that NASA collected--not 10 years ago, but last week. But it’s a tool that is also used to measure growth of tumor cells in MRIs and other digital images of cancer cells.

It’s not about computer as toy, anymore. It’s about the computer as a tool to expand possibilities.

Don’t think that it’s not hard work and time-consuming for me or anyone to master those tools because I spend hours doing it before I try to show them how to use them. But it can be done if you want to do it. In the end, science or learning isn’t about teaching a bunch of factoids for someone to regurgitate on a test and forget tomorrow. They can get a book or go to Wikipedia for that.

In the end, it’s about helping my students turn their challenges into possibilities...their “what ifs” into answers. How much is that worth?

~Pete Oleson

"ImageJScreenshot" by Original uploader was MarcoTolo at en.wikipedia - Originally from en.wikipedia; description page is/was here.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ImageJScreenshot.png#/media/File:ImageJScreenshot.png

It's not the Project that matters. It's the Thinking.

When I first started this blog on incorporating Project-Based learning (PBL) and developing those kinds of projects, I started off with the usual suspects: distinguishing between projects and PBL, emphasizing authenticity and “real world” applications, and so on. Then I stumbled upon a video on Socratic Questioning from the Foundation for Critical Thinking with Richard Paul.

Within the first two minutes of that video, I was blown away by Paul’s premise as it pertained to thinking. He posits:

The main goal is to help students think in some way (e.g., historically, geologically, anatomically, chemically, philosophically, mathematically) or to think like an artist, a writer, an analyst, a researcher, an historian, etc.  (Paul, 2013)

I paused the video at that point to marinate. Then, I started it over at the beginning again, just to be sure I got it. I thought:

 Isn’t this kind of thinking what we want from our students, ultimately?

Doesn’t PBL revolve around the idea that students will be doing this kind of  thinking, this depth of thinking?

Then, I considered one of the distinctions between Projects and PBL: projects focus on a product (a diorama or PowerPoint) (Mayer, 2012) whereas PBL focuses on how a student works with and within a real-world scenario or problem or one that simulates authentic real world situations (Larmer, 2012).

Having students create a presentation on a president falls short of PBL. It is a project, but it is not by and of itself project-based learning. It is project-based presenting.

Having students think like biographers or journalists is the goal.  Why does someone write about a president? For what purpose?  How would a journalist share what he/she found out? Consider, too, how the significance of the thinking changes when writing/reading about George Washington versus Bill Clinton—the shift from thinking like a biographer versus a journalist.

Real world thinkers are thinking like researchers, analysts, artists. Real world thinkers are thinking geologically, astronomically, and environmentally. They care about accuracy, clarity, depth, logic, and significance—all things that, if we were to witness them in a student project, would give us that teacher glow!

We don’t want students to “make a Prezi” or “make a brochure.” We want them to care about what they are reading and exploring (the content). We want them to care not just about the content, but about their thinking, their content.
If you really want to integrate PBL in your classes, step back and consider how you can move your students towards striving to understand things for the purpose of finding a resolution to problems yet to be resolved/continue to persist, or to provide a new perspective on something.

That’s what researchers, engineers, poets, dramatists, global citizens, historians, architects, artists…do.

Larmer, J. (2012, May 24). What does it take for a project to be “authentic”? Retrieved from http://bie.org/blog/what_does_it_take_for_a_project_to_be_authentic

Mayer, A. (2012, November 27). What’s the difference between doing projects and project-based learning? Retrieved from http://www.friedtechnology.com/2012/11/whats-difference-between-doing-projects.html

Paul, R. [CriticalThinkingOrg]. (2013, September 18). Socratic questioning series [disk 1] [part 1] [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvMGza0Roo4&list=WL&index=12