Good Days

Sometimes there are days where your lesson plan explodes in your face. You set up this great worksheet for your kids to explore the lesson on their own, and so they figure out the key points of the material without your help. Then, five minutes into the activity, no one understands the material and you find yourself running around like a chicken with your head cut off explaining to every other student how to calculate a dilation.

On days like these, which like obviously totally never happen to me, you have to focus on the positive in order to move forward.

I have this brilliant student who always finishes her work 10 minutes before the rest of the class. She spends those extra ten minutes bugging her neighbor and disrupting the class. I don’t understand why she’s in summer school or how she failed the class the first time, but she’s a gem I can always count on to have the right answer. She’s taking the ACT in September. She’s nervous. Today I brought in a few ACT math prep worksheets for her to try once she finished her work, hoping this would keep her focused and allow her neighbors to compete the class work at their own pace. She got stuck on the first problem on the worksheet, but kept working at it until she got the right answer. After class let out, she stayed for an extra few minutes to show me the problem.

“Look Ms. Abram! I solved it! I figured it out all by myself! I’m good at math. I’m good at math!! I’m going to major in math when I get to college.”

Day. Made.

I have 24 goober peas. I used to have 25, but one was kicked out of summer school. He was probably the brightest student in the class, but he was defiant and bored and his disrespectful attitude toward authority eventually got him removed.

I don’t know a lot about my students. TFA believes in creating relationships with your students, but most days I get so wrapped up in trying to fill their minds with math that I forget to ask how their day is going. I just assume that everything is going well in their 9th/10th grade lives, and that the biggest drama they’re facing is focused on snapchat stories or their yakarma score. As per usual, I am wrong.

I’ve learned a couple of things about my kids. I have a student who is five months pregnant. I have a student who I couldn’t get to stay on task no matter how much I pestered him. He was exhausted because the night before he had gotten into an argument with his mom and she kicked him out. He spent the night moving his belongings from his mom’s house to his brother’s house. I have a student who stays after everyday to get extra help because she usually doesn’t understand the material the first time around. In addition to being a high school student, she is also a mother.

When I was in high school, my outside life drama consisted of arguing with my mom about whether or not I was going to take AP Physics or AP Biology or both. I was torn up because I couldn’t be in the school’s production of Macbeth and the community theater’s production of the Little Mermaid at the same time. I have been told time and time again that my students will have harder lives than I ever could have imagined. I never believed that was true until I met them.

Extra Credit

One of my goals for my students is to help them become more culturally aware and knowledgable of what is going on in the world. They’re going to be college-ready scholars who can recognize a photo of Joe Biden. In an effort to make the class more fun for them (and me), I’ve added four bonus questions to the exit ticket for each day. It’s a 10 point quiz total, and each extra credit question is worth half a point.

I have incorporated that above mentioned vision and goals into my classroom by making these extra credit questions about various factors going on in the would around them. Below is my list of questions I’ve used so far- keep in mind that, on average, >99% of the class got these questions wrong. After they finish, I explain the answers to them and try to demonstrate the significance of the factoid. If you have suggestions for future questions (but not: what do you turn down for?), hmu.
What was the top grossing movie the weekend of June 10?
What are the Tony awards given for?
What two teams are in the Stanley Cup finals?
What position did Eric Cantor just resign?
Define democracy.
What county is hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup?
Name one Fortune 500 company headquartered in Atlanta.
Name three colleges in the state of Georgia.
What city hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics?
Who is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
Who wrote the Harry Potter series?
What is the highest score you can earn on the ACT?
Draw a platypus.
Who painted Starry Night? (I included a picture of it)
Name three of the five states that border Georgia.
How many US Senators are there?


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Peter Bernstein, Live at Smalls

Peter Bernstein -[]- Live at Smalls [ SmallsLIVE, 2012]

This is the first live recording for this historic trio. Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart started their influential organ trio as music students back in the late-1980 s and have all become celebrated musicians on their respective instruments. After recording for Warner Brothers, they toured frequently but the trio was never captured live. Here is an exciting three nights of music, expertly captured in beautiful high-quality audio.

The trio performs some of their favorite hits such as ‘Chant’ and ‘Milestones.’ Bernstein and Goldings also contribute some originals to the mix. To hear this group live is to understand why they are so celebrated among musicians. This is a mature group, subtly interacting, creating together and communicating.

..:: SOURCE: Amazon.com ::..


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Article Text

Rheumatic Fever and Streptococcal Infection
  1. University Department of Rheumatology, Basle, Switzerland

    Statistics from

    Rheumatic Fever and Streptococcal Infection.Unravelling the Mysteries of a Dread Disease. By Benedict F Massell. (Pp 394; $25). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-674-76877-9.

    For most physicians reading this book in the developed world, rheumatic fever is a condition studied at medical school, rarely encountered in clinical practice and not considered a “dread disease” in comparison with, for example AIDS. Armed with the Jones criteria and bountiful antibiotics we feel confident in dealing with rheumatic fever, sometimes forgetting that in the developing world it remains a major problem, and that mini epidemics still occur in the USA and Europe.

    This extraordinary work from Dr Benedict Massel is a timely reminder that rheumatogenic group A haemolytic streptococci are still present and still defying an effective vaccine development.

    Dr Massel has accomplished in one concise and readable book (286 pages of text and 107 of notes and references) a comprehensive clinical and scientific review of rheumatic fever that could only be written by one who was there caring for and performing research with patients suffering from this then truly “dread disease”. His style is clear and precise but in no way dry. In the early historical review, the painstaking clinical and postmortem observations of workers in the 17th and 18th centuries are described with generous original quotations from their work. The major manifestations were well known by the end of the 19th century including the observations by Barlow that in children, joint manifestations were less severe than in adults, in contrast with the cardiac features. This is still of relevance to rheumatologists today dealing with so called post-streptococcal reactive arthritis.

    The narrative proceeds into the 20th century with early epidemiological observations, Schottmüller’s identification of the haemolytic streptococcus (1903), Lancefield’s laborious classification of haemolytic streptococcal subtypes in 1928, and Schlessinger’s observation that the throat infection and lag period was aetiological, rather than another manifestation of rheumatic fever. The final link between a necessary haemolytic streptococcal throat infection and rheumatic fever was made independently by the English physician Collis and the American Coburn in 1931. These landmark developments are fully described.

    Chapters 8, 9, and 10 deal with the development of antibiotics from sulphonamide (Domagk 1932), to penicillin (Fleming 1929, further developed by Chain and Flory in 1940). These chapters stand alone as a coherent description of this extraordinary period of the human conquest over the pathogen, and we learn that Massel himself was the first to apply sulphonamide (sulphanilamide or “Prontylin”) to treat streptococcal throat infection in patients with rheumatic fever. Although this was unsuccessful in preventing rheumatic fever, later studies, also involving Massel, showed the now established fact that prevention of the primary infection rather than treatment was necessary.

    We learn somewhat surprisingly that Duckett Jones, enshrined in the medical literature for his diagnostic criteria of rheumatic fever (1944) continued to doubt the unique and obligatory association with haemolytic streptococcal infection until his death in 1954. Massel allows himself a gentle criticism of Jones’ lack of accreditation to some other key workers in the field concerning this.

    The later chapters deal with successful prevention programmes in military institutions in the second world war (later reflected in disquieting mini epidemics in US military institutions in the late 1980s after ceasing prophylactic penicillin programmes) and the evolving understanding of the immunogenetics (Zabriskie) and immunopathology. The section on emerging knowledge of T cell mediated autoimmune events is somewhat scanty, but does not detract from the overall relevance of this exhaustive review.

    The final chapters on vaccine development, especially dealing with non-type specific engineered vaccines containing conserved regions of the M molecule (Fischetti) take us into the next millennium with an optimistic tone. This is especially relevant for developing countries for which expensive antibiotics and improved housing and social circumstances are unfortunately not immediate options.

    The lessons learned from reading this book concerning the linking of careful, valid, clinical, and pathological observations to laboratory findings and eventually logical clinical trials could apply to any field of medicine today. Since acquiring this book to review, I have already used it several times as a reference text (the indexing and referencing are excellent) and strongly recommended it to anybody concerned with the relation between microbes and rheumatic disease despite the fact that it deals exclusively with rheumatic fever and the haemolytic streptococcus.

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A history of horror movies online to enjoy

Sometimes use the network for a movie is good idea. If you are looking for horror movies online, you will be an exciting surprise. No matter what your desire is fear, you are bound to find a movie you like. The Internet is slowly but surely becoming the premier destination to watch movies, the reason is the unlimited selection. This is definitely the case with respect to the horror genre.

There's something about being afraid that we like. Not always, of course, in reality, however, there is something exciting about being on the edge of your seat through a story. People tell scary stories around a campfire or when the power goes out and the house is dark, these stories work best when we feel vulnerable. A classic book as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it even has its roots in this type of storytelling. It was during a terrible storm in Switzerland that was locked inside with her husband and Lord Byron. They sat around the fire, reading German ghost stories, which gave Byron the idea that everyone should write their own supernatural history.

The history of the horror film is almost as old as cinema itself, George Melies directed the short film The Manoir du Diable moved in 1896. This vampire movie just two minutes, but was loved by the public. Over the next thirty years or so it would be mainly German filmmakers who dabbled in the horror, Nosferatu FWMurnau 1922 of the first feature vampires and Robert Wiene's Cabinet of Dr Cagliari the most memorable.

At the time the 1930s began, Hollywood has joined the game scary, and so began the era of Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy. Actors such as Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi became household names of these movies and its many sequels. By the 1950's added the horror genre into the mix foreign and evolving genre. There were movie studios were doing horror films exclusively and started seeing a lot of low budget movies crash.

The important thing is that many of the films of this generation are actually available to view online. Whether the invasion of the Body Snatchers, or Christopher Lee as Dracula, a number of online movie sites offer a great variety of these classic films. For the movie buff of the network is a treasure chest, with the ability of the films that are almost impossible to rent in video stores.

The new generation of horror began to unfold in the late 1960's and 70's with classics like Hitchcock The Birds and Psycho and Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist in 1973 became the highest grossing horror film in history. And then in 1975 made by the young Sharks Spielberg became the highest grossing film of all time. On the other side of the scale, independent films as Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead George Romero began a sub-culture horror films that would take movie franchises today as Saw and Hostel.

Of course, the seventies and eighties also saw the introduction of the legends of horror like Wes Craven and John Carpenter and film adaptations of the works of Stephen King. The work of Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Carpenter (Halloween) and Sean Cunningham (Friday the thirteenth), presented to adolescents at risk storylines that dominate the horrors of the next two decades. More recently they have been influenced by the emergence of Asian horror films, with many even remade in Hollywood. Films like The Ring and The Grudge are actually re-makes excellent Japanese films.

But the best thing about the search for horror movies online is that you are able to find that the sub-culture that has existed since the 1950's. Fans of horror movies and the Internet has given a means to show the world. There are hundreds of parody films, horror films, "gore-graphy" zombie movies, and much more out there. So if you want to be afraid tonight, turn on the computer and start searching. Wait, is not a horror movie to start it?


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Responsive-imageArch diocese of Kottayam has exhibited remarkable contribution at the time of various floods and droughts in different parts of Kerala. Though the affected areas are not come under Kottayam diocese, we found it as a part of our social apostolate to mitigate the sufferings of the victims and bring them under the process of long term rehabilitation measures.

On hearing about the Tsunami attack Kottayam diocese immediately rushed to the affected areas with men and relief materials like food and cloths. All the rehabilitation work are done through Kottayam social service society. KSSS constructed 38 Permanent houses in three plots in Adinad, Kulashekarapuram and Ayinivelikulam villages of Kollam district.Each of this plots are known as "CHAITHANYAGRAMAM".Responsive-image The houses were constructed as per the design and estimate of the government. All houses are concrete buildings with a sit out, living room, 2 bedrooms, kitchen and toilet. The total area of the house is 430 square feet. The plot was divided into sub plots and there is a common road having entrance to all the plots. Each house has a boundary wall. One of the main features of these houses is the installment of Smokeless Chula. The smokeless Chula is cost effective, and eco-friendly. We also arranged the facilities for the water supply and electrification of houses. Chaythanya Gramam The Tsunami had left the victims bereaved, which is one of the most difficult, painful, experiences. Psychological care was mission of KSSS during its work for the Tsunami victims. In order to enable the victims for achieving a normal life psychological support was given to victims. The intervention includes home visits, individuals counseling, group therapy, organizational games etc.

Chaithanya Matrimony
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Autocommunication II

Torop, Peeter 2002. Locations in Intersemiotic Space. In: Sarapik, V., K. Tüür and M. Laanemets (eds.), Koht ja Paik II. Place and Location II. Tallinn: Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Arts, 59-68.

In the case of nonverbal texts, the more abstract segmentation into the continual and the discrete systems of language became important. hereby it is important that a text with the continual dominant creates its meaning through the whole, or in the deductive way, and a text with a discrete dominant through its elements, or in the inductive manner. At the same time, a general principle is that continuality and discreteness are two co-existing parameters. (Torop 2002: 59)
An interesting supplication to the Lotman-Uspenskij (1973) distinction between discrete/continuus sign systems: here deductive/inductive and whole/elements aspects are added.
The juvenile book is an example of a metacommunicative whole in which the prototext is supplemented by a range of verbal and visual metatexts. While in culture the metacommunicative connections of a single prototext are usually separated and they are connected by time, or collective cultural memory, then in the book as a cultural text it is possible to create coherence in terms of space and time. (Torop 2002: 61)
I'm not exactly sure how this could be useful, but it may help explain intertextual "loans" and prototextual connections between dystopias and the biblical paradise myth.
A process taking place in intersemiotic space can be compared to a textologist who tries to sense, through notes, blueprints and versions, the working of the writer's mind and the story of the creation of his work. In the case of literature we can talk about the macrotime of the manuscript and the microtime of a concrete page of the manuscript. (Torop 2002: 62)
These are valuable terms for the #metablog discussion. Namely, that I consider "academic blogging" to be the best possible way to conduct humanitarian science. It is a "thinker's diary" where the influences from other thinkers are oblique/transparent, so that when future readers do read my papers, for example, they can check every reference and even see the connections with similar ideas that I have come across. I can only imagine how incredible it would have been for modern semioticions if Juri Lotman and others had conducted their scientific work this way...
Blueprint is like culture. In blueprint we can distinguish the complementarity of sign systems in the creative process, follow the shaping of an intention into a conceptual work of art, analyse the world of thought of the creator and his location in the intertextual space. For example, Fyodor Dostoyevsky's notebooks contain ideas, pictures, blueprints of others, but also details of attacks of epilepsy, facts connected with housekeeping, and also social and political thoughts. Being a notebook belonging to the pre-material of a novel, it contains a lot of information that is seemingly of secondary importance, though belonging to the same era. The result of complex study of a blueprint is the peculiarity of the creation process, and together with that, understanding the specific nature of the final text. Analysis of the creative process is holistic by nature, since the final result is already known. (Torop 2002: 63)
Indeed I have thought about including non-academic material (still about nonverbal communication) for a while, and tried to survey estonian web for notes on body language, etc. Maybe I should start recording my own observations as well? Well, I'd like to record an idea from my discussion with Jamie. She claimed that Estonian body language is reserved and shy, and there seems to be a lot that is so subtle that she does not understand it. For example, someone left the company and another person turned to her and told her that the person who left the company must have been deeply offended; yet Jamie noticed nothing like that herself. This would actually make for a theme in nonverbal communication - something to the effect of attention-blindness.
The accepting of a text into culture and the creation of a text are both autocommunicative process. The autocommunicativeness of culture is not much different from the autocommunicativeness of an individual creator. In neither case do we know with certainty if the case is about mnemonic autocommunication, i.e., about reporting the already known in another form or other sign systems, or with discovering autocommunication, i.e., with the creation of nover correlations in what exist in memory. (Torop 2002: 64)
Torop as if acknowledges the difficulties with discriminating varieties of autocommunication and downplays these differences. I tend to believe that there are significant differences in individual and supraindividual (cultural) forms of autocommunication - so much so that they seem like completely different processes, similar merely in outward appearance.
The intersemiosic aspect of culture is due to the partial overlap of signs and languages or sign systems of different arts - first, on the level of independent existence of these languages and texts created in them (e.g. film and theatre). The existence of a text as different simultaneous texts (e.g. novel, film, performance, picture) on the level of mental interference in the second. The third: the level of projection to the propositional texture or intertextual background. At the intersemiotic description of culture the recognisability takes place not only in the reception of individual holistic texts, but also in fragmentary reception processes. In the intersemiosis of culture, making sense and the hierarchisation of signs does not depend merely on texts - the same signs can belong to different texts and sign systems, and possess different meanings in different systems. Understanding cultural perception mechanisms in the basis for the understanding of the interlingual, intertextuality, interdiscursivity, and intermediality; thus the ontology of signs of different cultural texts is based on the nature of intersemiosis. (Torop 2002: 64-65)
This may become useful for concursivity: not only is it intersemiotic but there's an intertextual and even interlingual aspect, as certain descriptions "live their own life" burrowing into different texts.
The result comes in the need for a functional classification of signs outside the classification of types of signs. For the purposes of recognisability, it is useful to distinguish a priori or generally known signs, processual or authorship signs that bear a conception and aro often of an ad hoc nature, and a posteriori signs, i.e., signs making sense of the text as a whole. The functional aspect enables cultural autocommunicative sign processes and transformations to be followed, e.g. the translation of processual or authorship signs into a priori or conventional signs. This goes both for the translation of a verbal sign into another verbal sign, and the translation of a verbal sign into a visual or audiovisual. (Torop 2002: 65)
A neat simplistic sign-distinction. In broad terms, "body language" discourse deals with conventional (a priori; "coded") behavioural signs and nonverbal communication discourse deals with unconventional (ad hoc; "uncoded") behavioural signs.
A new parameter is mental text, or the notion of a text as a prototext with metatexts rooted in it that actualises as a mnemonic picture, and the peculiarity of which depends on the hierarchy of communication channels in culture. Mental text is not easily analysable as assembled text in the collective or individual memory. The same metacommunicative situation can also be described as a complementary text in which there is the coexistence of a text and metatext of different types either inside the text (comments, illustrations, foreword, etc.) or outside it (criticism, advertisement, parody, staging, etc.). In addition to relations between text and metatext, description can be based on the complementary nature of perception processes that allow us to talk about the multimodal text. If multimodality sways outside the text, i.e, when text is realised in a different material, we can talk about the multimedial text (e.g. multimedial commentary on a book). (Torop 2002: 66)
Just as there is a variety of understandings of autocommunication there is a variety of understandings of text. In fact, this seems to be the case with most notions of Tartu semiotics: code, language, semiosphere, space, culture, etc.

The Russian Perspective on the Notion of the Self: Mikhail Bakhtin’s “Inner speech” and Yuri Lotman’s “Autocommunication” (by Kim Soo Hwan, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies) [PDF]

The concept of “inner speech” by Bakhtin, which represents the semiotic connection between consciousness and unconsciousness, was suggested as a conceptual alternative to the Freudian unconscious. Meanwhile, a theoretical concept relevant to Bakhtin’s inner speech in Lotman’s thoughts — indeed, one of the most original and creative concepts of the latter — is that of “autocommunication.” Autocommunication refers to the case in which the subject does not transmit information to another person but directs it back to himself or herself. If Bakhtin tried to show why monologue-like inner speech was not a monologue but a complicated dialogue, Lotman proved why surplus repetition was creation instead of repetition. (Hwan)
In the first instance, semiotics is notably careless and/or carefree when it comes to the probems of the unconscious. In the second instance, Lotman indeed had a deal with repetiton, which was most likely influenced Jakobson's parallelisms. Lotman even claimed, that repetition could function as a metaphor. Now I realise that this may have something to bo with Bakhtin: the latter spoke of how the Devil, in Dostoevsky's works, repeated what a character said and although the words were exactly the same, the meaning was different.
In thinking of the self/ego, Russian theorists take a standpoint different from that of their Western counterparts. Their strategy is to concentrate on justifying the multiple, creative, and dynamic self-creating semiosis instead of revealing the emptiness of and cracks (fissures) in the subjectivity. Can we call it a characteristic strategy of “peripheral” thinking, which is distinguished from the “central” one, or is it merely another piece of evidence that shows the theoretical frailty of Russian thoughts on the issue of the subject? This is an open question. (Hwan)
I feel as if Hwan is falling for that same trap that is the first questions in my list of issues with autocommunication. Namely, he presumes that autocommunication and inner speech have to do with the concept of self or ego or subjectivity. To me it seems that these are indeed Western themes that Russians aren't very interested in, at least were not during the Soviet era.

Broms, Henry and Henrik Gahmberg 1983. Communication to Self in Organizations and Cultures. Administrative Science Quarterly 28(3): 482-495.

An autocommunicational text (e.g., a novel) may be read many times over; its function, however, is not to add information in the quantitative sense, but to enhance the ego. (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 482)
Really? Really really really?
The founder of modern sociology, Vilfred Pareto, said some sixty years ago, "Actions come from sentiment, not logic. Logic is applied a posteriori" (Pareto, 1968). (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 482)
I quite like this.
At the center of this store are the group's myths about itself - "we Americans." These images form and maintain the culture. The symbols, images, or simply call them group habits, are stored in typical words, pictures, and actions. Images can be transmitted from generation to generation in initiating courses, in schools, street corner societios, and, on the corporate level, in seminars and bull sessions. They cal also be transmitted by way of signs, the flags of nations, or evocative corporate trademarks. (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 483)
I'd like to know what these "typical actions" exactly are.
The phenomenon of communicating to oneself is a mechanism and a procedure that produces "mythic" information, i.e., those very symbols and shared images that form the nucleus of any culture. There are a number of instances in which such an information flow from "I" to "I,"as Lotman expressed it, is apparent. These are situations in which man turns to himself, as in diarywriting. Writing in a diary may be done in order to remember dates and events, but diary writing is also a medium through which to clarify one's own thoughts. Such turning-to-oneself processes to pacify and clarify the mind, with the help of autobiographies, diaries, monologues, and meditational formulae, are typical features and important elements even in our present-day cultures. (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 484)
Again some marked differences from Lotman's autocommunication. For example, Lotman (to my knowledge) doesn't say AC produces mythic information (if "new" information itself is not a mythical dream). Crarifying one's thought I like - that I can see.
Barnlund's (1971) model of intrapersonal communication is interesting in an autocommunicative sense, since it implies that a person, while sending a message, is "cueing" himself. The diary writer, while writing in his diary, is in fact cueing himself at the same time. Similarly,when a person is writing a memo, he is both informing the other person and "cueing" himself. The word "cueing" seems to hint at a self-imposed change. (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 484)
And this sounds awfully lot like Blumer's self-indication.
The communication system "I"-"He" makes it possible to transfer quantitative information, when information quantity is seen as central. In the second communication system, "I"-to-"I,"a qualitative change takes place in the person or group in question, which leads to enhancement of the ego of a person or of the team spirit of a group. This change leads to a displacement of context and thus to the introduction of a code, which turns the original message into a new one. When the sending of information to oneself is particularly strong, the result may be a reconstruction of the inner self. (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 485)
This is where Broms is inventing stuff for his own purposes (something to do with corporate culture, I guess).
But in autocommunication, the ego-enhancing information is not additive and cannot be measured in quantities. The novel Anna Karenina does not really add to our knowledge anything substantive about Russian railways, regardless of how many times we read it, but there is another kind of information intertwined in the text, between the lines, a sort of qualitative information. (Broms & Gahmberg 1983: 486)
Whoa, in this sense every non-scientific (or non-"informative") text is automatically autocommunicative.

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Panama Canal to Launch New Scheduling System

Panama Canal

By MarEx 2017-03-15 17:08:36

The Panama Canal Authority has announced that it will launch a new vessel scheduling and maritime resource management system in response to increased traffic through the waterway.

The system is expected to shorten vessel waiting times, increasing the number of potentially available vessel slots each day and improving the overall reliability of the route.

For the first time, the Canal will be able to execute a completely integrated operating plan for all its critical resources, including tugboats, pilots and line handlers. By improving situational awareness and by having more accurate data, the new system will allow for better decision-making, which will in turn help mitigate operational risk, says the Authority.

Following the opening of the Expansion last year, the Canal has experienced a surge in cargo and the number of transits by larger Neo-Panamax vessels and has set several monthly tonnage records.

The system is based on technology recognized for breaking multiple world records in solving some of the most complex optimization and scheduling problems.


The Flying Worker!

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The Flying Worker were a emo violence band from France who are often compared to Orchid and Reversal of Man. They released a number of 7”s and splits before disbanding.

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Tommy february6

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In 2001, 川瀬智子 (Tomoko Kawase) (born February 6, 1975, in Kyoto, Japan) launched her solo career under the name of Tommy february6, a character named from a combination of her nickname and birthdate. Vastly different from the japanese rock / japanese pop sound of the brilliant green for which she is also lead singer, Tommy february6's persona and sound are that of a generic Stock Aitken Waterman style 1980s pop icon. Her eponymous debut album was released on the day of her 27th birthday.

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Opposite of destruction

Opposite of destruction word list. Here are a variety of words whose meaning is nearly the opposite of destruction.

  • conservation preservation
  • perpetuation

Hope the above listing of antonyms for destruction is useful. This page may interest people looking for the opposite of destruction and destruction opposite.

Popular phrases for this post include, opposite of destruction, destruction opposite word, opposite word of destruction, opposite of distruction, the opposite of destruction, opposite meaning of Destruction, opposite word for destruction.


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Believe Lab -

Govinda is an Italian dj and psytrance party organizer. Born in 1986 to parents who had been traveling for many years, he grew up living in Goa experiencing its magic and freaky context from an early age. His first party in 1999 brought a full understanding of the Goa reality with its emphasis on freedom, and manifested his attraction to trance music. He started collecting music and playing it, at first with a Minidisc player and later with CDJs. In 2002, Govinda played his first dj set in the well-known Ninebar in Goa, thus marking the beginning of his dj career.

He instantaneously loved the feeling of enjoyment he could provide through music and the palpable interconnection that forms on a dancefloor. After a practice season, he was soon playing in the main legendary party spots in Goa: Discovalley, Paradiso, Primrose, Monkey Valley, Hilltop and many more. In 2005, he was signed to Spun records (the GMS label). Two years later, he went on his first international tour where he played along artists such as GMS, Pixel, Alien Project, Spacecat, Domestic, Perplex and Psysex, in Thailand, Nepal, Goa as well as several European countries. During the Goa season of 2007/2008, Govinda started following a different vibe and looking for a more psychedelic sound that would best fit his personality. At the time, Phatmatix, Digital Talk and Concept were his favorite artists. At the Mountain Madness Festival in Nepal, he played a set right before Ajja and fell in love with his sound. The meeting also started a connection with Peak Records, which later led to Govinda being signed on as a label dj. While frequently performing at Goan hotspots such as Club Westend, Hilltop, Ninebar and Shivavalley, he created with a group of friends the NightRainbow Project, a Goa-based party organization responsible for more than ten parties in the first season of its existence.

The sum of all his experiences finally took the the shape of the organization/label Believe Lab, founded by him and a few other fellas. Today Govinda and Believe Lab have been an important operator in international festivals in Italy, as Blackmoon Festival, Sonica. Believe Lab actively organized its own festival, 7 Chakras, where Govinda and his crew finally have the chance to promote positive messages as environmental awareness and self respect to people through music. His musical journey is not over yet and his dj sets are just fitting more and more any kind of psychedelic dancefloor.

Dj Govinda (Believe)


Thursday, June 20, 2013

The Practice--This is Your Body on Music

photo by Patricia Herlevi
Ever so often I wake up with an idea for a new blog post for working with sound and music.  Today while meditating, I started paying attention to how my body responded to the songbirds outside my window.  Then I pondered the question, what constitutes music?

Since I have listened to music from around the world in a variety of modes, scales, and structures, I understand that when even 3-notes are repeated in a pattern, this constitutes music.  Since all of this music came from humans there was no question as to its status as music.  But when we deal with nature do we consider the frog and bird songs actual music? And what about the frequencies contained in these nature songs, how do they affect our health and well-being? Do you ever wonder?

To indigenous musicians and people this is a no-brainer.  To them of course nature provides music and healing frequencies.  Indigenous people the ancients believe that the world is made of frequencies and that everything is interconnected, meaning those frog and bird songs affect the cell activities in our bodies.  Musicians and scholars such as the late Marjorie De Muynck and David Rothenberg actually spent time with non-humans creating music.  They do this for different reasons given their diverse backgrounds.  For instance, De Muynck was both a musician and an energy healer with indigenous heritage (Cherokee), so she produced nature-based recordings for healing and balancing experiences.

Rothenberg, comes more from a philosophical background, but is obviously in love with the natural world and on his Wikipedia page, he mentions that preserving the songs of nature help us to appreciate nature more so that we preserve it.  Not a bad mission.  He has recorded with birds, whales and insects--look for his videos on YouTube and his books in your favorite bookstore.

You can find Marjorie's CDs and books on Sounds True or Lemniscate Music (see end of post for links).

So the practice that I suggest is to visit a tranquil natural setting preferably with frogs or songbirds or if you are really eclectic head to a place with gulls or crows.  Sit in this place and pay attention to your body's reaction to the nature songs.  To be honest, I feel that the songbirds or frogs will provide you the most relaxing experience.  Though a sound of a hawk in the distance certainly has his or her effect too.  You can also try this with the wind, or a gurgling creek or the sound of waves coming in and out.  However, the key is to go out in the natural world and not use a nature CD for this purpose.  I want you to feel all the elements of nature around you so that you can experience a sense of Oneness.

Write down your experiences in your music diary.  You are keeping one? You can also share your experiences in the comment section of this post. (Lemniscate Music)

In review--Blue Note Meets Big Band

Jazz/Big Band
The Michael Treni Big Band
Pop-Culture Blues
The Bell Production Company
When I think of big band, my mind wanders back to the swing era and the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.  I’m ready to join a chorus of Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke commemorating the big band era.  Today, big band is less about swing and more about encompassing the history of jazz played on brassy horns, sultry winds and a big drum sound.  On Pop-Culture Blues, the title says it all, and trombonist and bandleader Michael Treni play jazz with blue notes with finger-snapping rhythms.
Expect high-octane solos on this instrumental album and a variety of blues, including Summer Blues, Smokin’ Blues, Mr. Funky Blues and of course, Pop-Culture Blues which reflects on weariness to pop culture and blues reflecting popular music styles.  I’m enjoying BQE Blues at the moment with sassy horns.  On Minor Blues, the musicians slow down and perform a blues ballad, but the biggest kick on the CD is Bluesy Bossa where the blues teams up with a Brazilian classic (bossa nova).  Craig Yaremko’s flute offers South American exoticism to the mix.  However, the CD mainly features walls of horns--crystal clear to sultry, and of course, bluesy.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

In review--Buddist Duo

Yungchen Lhamo & Anton Batagov
Cantaloupe Music


Taking Flight

From the tiny, silent hummingbird to the large, raucous crow, from the gentle bluebird to the feisty raptor, birds have always attracted fascinated admirers. If you’re one of those admirers and you’re an artist as well, then you’re lucky, indeed, because they’re wonderful subjects for drawing. Here are some basic approaches for drawing birds that will provide you with endless hours of artistic challenge.

Sketching From Life: Seeing this bluebird outside my window, I took a few reference photos and did some quick sketches with just enough color to suggest the bird’s identity. The live subject is always your best reference.

Be a Birder
To draw birds well you have to get to know them well, and bird watching is the best way to do that. Carry a sketchbook and learn to sketch quickly, noting your impressions of color, relative size and action. Take photographs, as well. Birds in zoos will allow you more extended observation, and preserved and mounted specimens in museums can be great references, too.

It’s surely difficult to get birds to hold still long enough for us to draw them from life, however, so every good bird artist should have good reference materials. There are many magazines for bird watchers, and well-photographed field guides are invaluable. Be careful when using other artists’ illustrations as references, however, because in addition to potential copyright violations, you must consider that their work represents only their interpretations of the shapes and colors of the birds they see. Always compare the drawings of others with the real thing before relying on them. With preparation like this, you’ll have a definite advantage in producing accurate and admirable bird portraits.

Find the Shape
Naturally, drawing birds becomes more challenging the more detail you want to include. Some patient artists produce exceptional work by rendering every visible feather, but even such precision will only be successful with well-conceived underlying foundations. These foundations, in fact, are the most important elements of all bird drawings, no matter what level of detail.

Size It Up: Here’s a trick for getting the proportions of your drawing correct. Visually estimate (or measure from a reference photo) roughly how many head-and-beak shapes would fit inside the shape of the bird’s body.

To re-create the shape of most birds, a dependable starting point is to visualize (or draw) two ice cream cones of different sizes. One represents the bird’s body, with the point of the cone at the bird’s tail; the other represents the head and beak. Never mind that this combination of shapes doesn’t actually look like a bird—it’s just a foundation, and the resemblance will come later.

The next step is to connect and refine these forms to represent a specific bird, and be particularly aware of relative sizes. For example, once you’ve established the shape of the head and beak, estimate how many of these conical shapes should fit into the larger mass of the body, and make sure the proportion is correct in the drawing. With that done, you can add the important length and diameter of the connecting neck. Be sure to observe whether the neck is straight or curved, thin or stocky, and so on.

Creating Life
Many experienced bird artists consider the eyes to be the most important feature. A bird doesn’t move its eyes around as humans do (it moves its whole head), and its eyes don’t reflect moods or emotions. For these reasons, be careful in realistic drawings to avoid humanizing a bird’s eyes or the posture of its head in the attempt to portray expression. I usually begin the eyes, which are essentially spherical, by outlining them with a Sketch & Wash pencil from General Pencil Co., or in color with a combination of ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Use a light value on the tops or sides of the eyes to reflect the color of the sky, and add an even lighter value for the highlight, but not pure white.

When drawing feathers, be selective: Put your effort into the few most prominent ones. Most have a generic shape but their details—including size, coloration and irregularities—are unique. Well-rendered feathers, therefore, aren’t like plates of armor or shingles on a roof. The best textural definition can be done on the edges and on the planes in the light, but less so in the middle tones and very slightly, if at all, in the shadow areas. You can suggest the less prominent feathers with just a few lines that indicate mass and shadows.

As a good model for a bird’s legs, think of an ordinary drinking straw, and use a modified triangle shape for the feet (see the illustrations at right). These shapes can then be adjusted for a particular bird, as the details will vary greatly. Be sure to note the difference in the feet when standing on a flat surface and when clinging to a tree limb.

Finally, remember that the greater the variety of birds you’re familiar with, the better your drawings will be. So go out and observe them, and fill your sketchbook with as many rapid, gestural sketches of birds as you can create. You’ll be surprised at how much there is to see, and at how good a bird artist you can become.

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British scientists shed light on mysterious dark matter that makes up most of our universe

It's a question that has baffled scientists for nearly a century - what is the mysterious 'invisible' matter that most of our universe is made of?

While stars and planets make up about 15 per cent of the universe's material, the remainder has been labelled 'dark matter' because it cannot be seen or detected by conventional instruments.

Now a team of cosmologists from Durham University believe they have found a way to detect it thanks to a computer simulation.

A computer simulated image of the glow of dark matter. Scientists believe it lies at the centre of our galaxy

The researchers have developed a system that shows the formation and evolution of  a galaxy like the Milky Way, which points to where scientists should look to spot dark matter.

The findings published in the journal Nature move researchers a step closer to solving one of science's great unanswered questions.

Carlos Frenk, a cosmologist at Durham University said: 'Discovering what dark matter is, is one of the most fundamental questions scientists can ask.'

'Uncovering the identity of the main component of the universe. That is what this is about.'

NASA scientists prepare the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope for launch in June 2008

Dark matter does not reflect light nor normally shine, but astronomers infer its existence in galaxy clusters by observing how its gravity bends the light given off by even more faraway galaxies. They do not know what it is made of, but think it could be a kind of particle.

The international research team, known as the Virgo Consortium, looked at a dark matter halo - structures surrounding galaxies which weigh a trillion times more than the sun.

Their simulations showed how the galaxy's halo grew through a series of violent collisions between much smaller clumps of dark matter that emerged from the Big Bang.

The findings mean that NASA's Fermi Telescope should search in the part of the galaxy where the researchers predict dark matter should glow in 'a smoothly varying and characteristic pattern' where it is easier to see, the researchers said.

That location is near the sun, just off the center of the Milky Way, Frenk said.

'What we have shown through a gigantic simulation is where the gamma rays would come from,' he said.

'We have given a blueprint for people on where to look and how the signal should appear.'


  • 14 Jun 2017 11:35 AM | Aimée Brandt (Administrator)

    By Daniel Zuchegno

    Speaker: T.R. Reid

  • 01 Jun 2017 10:53 AM | Aimée Brandt (Administrator)
    By Daniel Zuchegno

    Speaker: Robert Daly

    Mr. Daly began his discussion describing the rise of China and mentioning that China’s rise is legitimate and that the United States has never dealt with a country like China.  China combines physical size, military strength, and an economic presence that has never been seen by the West.  China has a population of 1.4 billion people; its annual population growth rate currently stands at only 0.44 percent (largely due to its three-decade-old one-child policy).  This growth rate ranks China 159th among the world’s fastest growing countries, and it is expected that India will overtake China as the most populous country in a little over a decade.  China’s GDP in terms of purchasing power parity is the largest of any nation in the world. China is the world’s largest exporter with more than $2.5trillion of exports and approximately $1.3trillion of imports, resulting in a positive trade balance of more than $1trillion.  China’s top exports include computers, broadcasting equipment, telephones, integrated circuits, and office machine parts. Its top imports are crude petroleum, integrated circuits, gold, iron ore, and automobiles.

    China’s annual GDP growth rate is slowing but is still 7.4 percent, ranking it as the 14th fastest growing country in the world.  China’s gross national saving is 49.5 percent of its GDP, making China fifth among countries with the highest saving rate. China’s per capita GDP is $12,900 per person.

    The immense volume of Chinese exports stems from three basic sources: rising labor productivity, relatively low wages, and a favorable exchange rate for Chinese currency.  For a variety of reasons, labor productivity growth in China, especially in manufacturing, has been relatively high and increasing over the last several decades. With a large supply of rural labor ready to take factory jobs, wages have been quite low relative to productivity.  As the available supply of rural labor diminishes, manufacturing hourly wages have tripled to $3.60 between 2005 and 2016, making Chinese labor more expensive than that of other middle-income economies such as Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.  Manufacturing wage increases accompanied rises in the overall average wage in China, which more than doubled to $3.30 per hour during the same period. As wages in China begin to rise to the levels of labor productivity, they are approaching the hourly rates of higher income countries like Greece and Portugal. Studies by the International Monetary Fund propose that the combination of these changes will result in China moving from having a vast supply of low-cost workers to being a labor-shortage economy between 2020 and 2025.

    The above numbers describe an economy that is transitioning into a more consumer oriented economy versus a pure export driven one. It is expected that China will be producing a very different set of goods in the near future from what it has produced until now.  With rising wages, China is home to the largest number of middle-class families of any nation in the world resulting   in an increase in demands for consumer oriented goods. The rise in wages also creates opportunities for new lower wage countries to emerge elsewhere, allowing these lower-income countries an opportunity to pursue a China-style growth miracle.

    Additionally, a more affluent China would have a stimulating effect on the overall global economy. The size of its economy could mean considerable increases in exports to China from other countries including the US. Mr. Daly pointed out that this rise in consumerism can be seen today in the US movie industry as movie producers cater to the second largest number of movie goers in the world in China. China also has the largest number of college students, the world’s largest bullet train network, the largest number of internet users, and the largest digital network in the world.

    Given this economy, how does the United State deal with China?  China relies heavily on sea lines of communication and has a very distinct desire to build its military to protect and maintain its sea presence in South East Asia. China’s economic power and desire to develop its military presence presents a unique challenge to the US. China is a comprehensive power representing a potential threat to US pre-eminence.  Mr. Daly pointed out that President Trump’s approach to China is very transactional.  President Trump ties policy agenda items together preferring to negotiate a transaction, policy X for policy Y. For assistance with North Korea, President Trump seems to have eased on criticism of Chinese exchange rate management policy and international trade in return for Chinese assistance with North Korea. The tying of issues and not addressing other topics seems to have empowered China to believe other issues are off the table and not up for negotiation. Issues such as human rights, Taiwan, China’s military presence in the South China Sea, and environmental issues, are in essence off the table as they are not part of the current negotiation.

    Prior US administrations pushed a series of agenda items independently, striving to attain agreements on each item and maintain a consistent perspective on a spectrum of issues, unwilling to negotiate or give in on US policy.  Mr. Daly pointed out that the piecemeal transactional approach being conducted by President Trump forestalls discussion on many strategic issues and sends a signal that everything is up for negotiation. From all appearances, China desperately wants a sphere of influence regionally and globally. The more China obtains a dominate role in areas around the world, the more difficult it becomes for the US to be a reliable ally not only in the Pacific Rim,  but also in other parts of  Asia and Africa.

    Historically, the US has voluntarily reduced its presence in parts of the world due in part to a moral and political imperative in support of social justice. China is somewhat amoral in its dealings around the world, using its rise to economic dominance as a tool to promote China’s influence outside of China and to some degree replace US hegemony. This form of gradual aggression must result in the development of an institutional strategic attitude toward China and a reevaluation of the US role in global affairs.
  • 05 May 2017 12:58 PM | Marianne Hughes

    By Daniel Zuchegno

    Speaker: Ambassador Celso Amorim

    Mr. Amorim is a Brazilian diplomat who served twice as Brazil's Minister of External Relations, from 1993 to 1994 and from 2003 to 2010. He was also the Minister of Defense from August 2011 to December 2014. Between 1987 and 1989, Celso Amorim served as the Secretary for International Affairs for the Ministry of Science and Technology. He helped to create UNITAlD, of which he is currently Chair, and is part of two United Nations Secretary-General panels: High-Level Panel on access to medicines and High-Level Panel on Global Response to Health Crises. He was also in charge of drafting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    He served twice as the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva and the World Trade Organization (1991-1993 and 1999-2001). Mr. Amorim was the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations in New York from 1995 to 1999 and the Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom in 2002. He is also a Permanent Member of the International Affairs unit at the University of Sao Paulo.

    The event was cosponsored by the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver

    At the event, Ambassador Amorim spoke of the Brazil’s role and influence in global affairs and the future of Brazil’s presence on the global political stage.

    History shows that to be respected and accepted as a global leader, a nation must be an economic power, commanding a large share of global output and trade.  The nation must also have a stable political climate domestically, be a military power, and have a global mindset or willingness to be an active participant of the global community.  Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world in both territory and population. It is a country without significant linguistic, cultural, racial, ethnic, religious or regional internal conflict. Since 1985 and the end of the twenty-one-year military dictatorship, Brazil has become a stable democracy, the world’s fourth largest, with regular, fair and free elections based on universal suffrage.  Its economy is the eighth largest in the world with one of most advanced industrial bases in the developing world having an impressive stock of  natural resources, Brazil is one of the world’s major exporters of agricultural produce and minerals and  is largely self-sufficient in energy becoming a net exporter of oil. Brazil is a world leader in alternative, renewable-energy technology, especially in the production of ethanol. The future of the Amazon rainforest, which is 75% Brazilian, is central to international environmental concerns.

    Brazil has an outstanding record as an essentially non-military country having one of the longest periods of peace with its neighbors..  Brazils regional influence can be seen in its active pursuit of  a policy of  engagement, both economic and political, with its neighbors - especially in South America, to a lesser extent in central America (including relatively little involvement with Mexico) and the Caribbean. Its relationship with the United States is generally good, but remains complicated; Brazil, for example, has resisted the US agenda for the economic integration of the western hemisphere.

    Brazil is a member of the Organisation of American States (OAS), founded in 1948; and the country’s presidents have attended all five Summits of the Americas held since 1994.  It is  committed to the formation in 2011 of a Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (with thirty-two members - that is to say, all the states in the hemisphere except the United States and Canada).

    Despite the country’s strong ties with the developing world and its extraordinary growth in its imports and exports, Brazil had been unable to acquire the decisive status it had long desired due in part to its failure to complement diplomacy with a commanding lead in its military power. In recent history, no great power has acquired a determined voice in international affairs without a major investment in military manpower and hardware.  Despite its moderate military strength, Brazil has participated in 33 U.N. missions since 1948, contributing around 27,000 troops to peacekeeping activities throughout the world in such diversified locations including Suez, Mozambique, and East Timor. Since 2004, Brazil has led the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) with the largest contingent of forces in the country, and in 2011, the Brazilian Navy took command of the Maritime Task Force at the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

    Ambassador Amorim argued that under president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian government international relations was prompted by three policy dimensions: an economic diplomacy, political reform, and a social agenda. This internal triad of policies under Lula had significant international impacts, since they were an answer to the need for an agenda that sought  to deal with the asymmetries brought about by a globalization policy based only on free trade and foreign direct investment ascribed to Washington and Europe. Such actions as the stimulus to internal markets and savings, domestic internal production and the reforms of domestic industrial capacities were seen by the Brazilian government as being impeded by the global development policies of the world’s dominant industrial nations.

    The combination of domestic social, energy, urban and agrarian productive policies showed a political will of the Lula  government to exercise a strong  hand  in the  global defense  of Brazilian economic interests. Brazil embarked on an intense international agenda, transcending a subordinated approach to globalization in favor of a more active leadership role leading to actions that could affect the course of regional and world events.

    As a global trader, Brazil wished to keep its relations with different areas of the world, giving priority to Mercosur and South  American  integration. As soon as Brazilian diplomacy started to contest some guidelines of US hegemonic power and stress its autonomy, a certain amount of leverage was created.  Subsequently, Brazil was able to call attention to the social-economic demands and infrastructure projects being pursued both internally and regionally with its neighboring nations.

    Brazil’s diplomacy dilemma was to face the unavoidable and tough dialogue among opposites,by strengthening its stance in the world and in South America. Friendly, but defiant, Brazilian diplomacy created its alliance with developing countries that were affected by the global trade and political policies of  the G20 nations. In broader terms, in the first years of the Lula administration,  Brazil strengthened—and in some cases established—strategic partnerships with China, India, Russia, and South Africa. As a result, the nation created new channels of cooperation among developing nations, such as the IBSA Dialogue Forum—a mechanism for cooperation and political consultation involving India, Brazil and South Africa.  Another channel was the establishment of a summit process involving Arab countries and South America and, separately, African countries and South America.

    Brazil’s multi-lateral coalitions, bi-lateral strategic partnerships and South-South alliances have enabled the country and its partners to fill a power vacuum in the international field in an effective and rapid manner. Brazil’s international presence prevented what was an essentially unbalanced trade negotiation process—based on the “Washington Consensus”—from becoming reality.  By sticking to its principles rather than giving into the prescribed globalization model, Brazil was able to protect and continue its internal policy development options.

    Although  Brazil’s emergence in the global economic and political arena has been rapid and impressive it remains to be seen whether it will be able to continue on this path or see its influence slowly decline as other nations begin to emerge. Several commentators have argued that Brazil’s rise in influence in global affairs has not been due to the rising importance of the Brazilian economy or its influence in global trade but due almost exclusively to the skill, integrity, and stature of its very capable diplomats such as Ambassador Celso Amorim. Ambassador Amorim’s presence and discourse at the World Denver event only serve to fuel that impression.

  • 10 Apr 2017 1:01 PM | Marianne Hughes

    By Daniel Zuchegno

    Early in the event, the panelists pointed out that ISIS and Sunni jihadism have a long history and have been present in various forms before Al Qaeda. Each panelist referred to the complex set of historical religious and political relationships that render a simple approach to ISIS inappropriate.  Attempting to paint a broad picture of these relationships, we can look into the political and religious geography of the area.  In Iraq, although the majority of the Iraqi population is Shiite or Shia, Saddam Hussein was a devout Sunni.  Over time, Hussein and the Baath party obtained political power in Iraq and Hussein ruled the nation from 1979 till 2003 when the US attacked Iraq and overthrew Hussein. The fall of Hussein led to the establishment of a Shiite majority government in Baghdad and the beginning of recriminations against the Sunni minority,

    In nearby Saudi Arabia, the Wahhabi movement led to a “model” society of Sharia observance and moral virtue.  Although Saudi Arabia is largely Sunni, the government does not share the radical ideology of violence prescribed by ISIS and does not publicly condone the actions of ISIS.  Jordan, like Saudi Arabia, also has a Sunni majority that does not share ISIS’ radical views. Unlike the government of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah of Jordan has shown to be more willing to join the fight against ISIS. King Abdullah’s involvement, however, represents a fine political tightrope as many Jordanians wonder why their monarch has joined the American-led coalition against jihadists from the Sunni dominated Islamic State (ISIS).

    In Syria, the political and religious factions are more interwoven.  President Bashar al-Assad is Alawite, a form of Islam that dates back to the 9th and 10th century, which has suffered from periodic persecution by the Syrian Sunni majority. The rise to power and continued execution of control by the Al Assad family is the result of a complex set of historical alliances between leaders of the Sunni Baath party and the Alawite minority. The civil war in Syria, beginning almost seven years ago, has led to an ever more complex series of rivalries in the country with minority religious groups tending to support the Assad government, while the overwhelming majority of opposition fighters are Sunni Muslims, not necessarily ISIS.

    A discussion of ISIS must recognize the connection between ISIS and its control over territory, in particular, a strong connection to specific areas in Syria and Iraq.  The conflict in Syria has made for a patchwork of control over vast areas of Syria. The chaos in Syria and the lack of a strong central government in Baghdad have combined to provide an opportunity for ISIS to claim control over vast areas of territory in both nations and an opportunity to proclaim a home for its newly created Sunni caliphate. The reality of ISIS is that the Islamic State is Islamic, very Islamic, following a medieval tradition of fundamental Islamic teachings which have been absent for hundreds of years. Although much of what ISIS looks like appears nonsensical, it can be seen as a sincere, carefully considered commitment to returning civilization to a seventh-century legal environment, and creating a formal caliphate to enforce traditional Islamic mandates of the prophet Mohammed.  Giving support to the growth and presence of ISIS and laying the foundation to the question, what ISIS really wants, Anjem Choudary comments, that, “Before the caliphate, “maybe 85 percent of the Sharia was absent from our lives… These laws are in abeyance until we have khilafa”—a caliphate.

    The final discussion of the evening addressed two interrelated questions; what are the similarities and differences between Al Qaeda, and why have so many westerners abandoned their homes and families to migrate to ISIS?  It was agreed that unlike Al Qaeda which was a clandestine operation resulting in substantial intelligence being expended by the west to search out and find members of the organization, ISIS is a twenty first century social media organization which uses Twitter, Facebook, and other global social media. Through the continual communication and dissemination of its ideology, ISIS has become a “caliphate of the imagination”, spurring individuals from the west to take action, to play a part in the creation of a utopia based on the strict adherence to the ISIS form of Sunni Islam. It seems that the ideology has given many recruits a sense of purpose, a belonging that fills the void for many who believe that their lives and society have failed them.

    All the panelist agreed that ISIS ideology is a serious threat to the world and argued that it is a threat that cannot be defeated on one front and is a struggle the US cannot win alone or quickly given the complexity and magnitude of the issues in question. Everyone reiterated that this fundamental ideology was driven in part by widespread bad governance, shifting social mores, and the humiliation of living in lands valued only for their oil.  Ambassador Hill added that without acknowledgment of these factors, no explanation of the rise of the Islamic State could be complete and that the best approach to addressing this myriad of issues is a multi-faceted approach that does not rely on military intervention but instead addresses some the foundational issues of religion, development, and justice upon which the ideology is based. This long term multi-pronged attack must be based on defense, diplomacy, economic development, and aid.

    A conclusion for the evening can be found in Ambassador Hill’s statement that the US must stay engaged with all the parties involved in the issue arguing that the US must lead the resistance to ISIS collaboratively being careful not to try and impose our will on others.

    I thank all the panelists for their many valued writings as well as their comments during the World Denver event that made this discussion of the topic possible.

    For more information on ISIS and the region, the following links provide a broad spectrum of information.

  • 10 Apr 2017 12:37 PM | Marianne Hughes

    By Daniel Zuchegno

    Discussions of the existence of a special relationship between the US and the UK has its origins in 1946 in Fulton, Missouri. In a speech given by Winston Churchill at Westminster College, Mr. Churchill addresses not only the role of newly created transnational institutions such as the United Nations but the role of free people to strive to maintain freedoms for everyone,

    Later in his Missouri speech,  Mr. Churchill muses: "Let no man underrate the abiding power of the British Empire and Commonwealth." Yet less than a year later, the US Secretary of State Edward Stettinius wrote to President Roosevelt and said: "Never underestimate the difficulty an Englishman faces in adjusting to a secondary role after so long seeing leadership as a national right."

    What makes this special relationship dynamic is the subsequent interaction between the two nations. Whether it be a disagreement of how to partition Palestine in the post WWII period, or failure of the UK to inform the US of their military intentions at the Suez Canal, or the UK refusing US requests to send troops to Vietnam during the early stages of the Vietnam War, or any number of other disagreements, each nation will always have distinct and at times disparate views.  Regardless of the existence of often times divergent policy choices, the panelists agreed that there is a much stronger alignment of political, social, and economic views that will continue to dominate the relationship between the two countries.

    It was pointed out by the panelists that despite the strong cultural bonds between the two nations, we must continually work  to maintain and expand our relationship.  The panelist’s pointed out that the UK-US relationship has pragmatic implications as the resources of each nation must be used to promote the common values of freedom and the role of government to protect and maintain the liberties Churchill described .

    It is this recognition of the pragmatic foundation of the UK-US relationship that was on display in a passionate discussion by the panelists in the WorldDenver event.  From the opening  discussion, the panelists reiterated the existence of a very strong and deep relationship between the US and the UK.  The consensus was that the unique relationship between the two nations wasn’t based in a historical narrative of our founding citizens. It wasn’t due to our connections on language or heritage. The relationship was based, as Churchill stated, on an overriding  consensus in our belief of individual freedom and the role of each nation in maintaining this freedom.

    The panelists unanimously stated that this special relationship had several practical foundations. The key foundations or elements of this relationship were described as;

    - Our long standing sharing of intelligence, the “5i’s”.  The Five Eyes alliance initiated in 1946  through a series of  bilateral agreements is a global surveillance arrangement of nations comprised of the United States National Security Agency (NSA), the United Kingdom’s Government Communications Headquarters(GCHQ), Canada’s Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB). The Five Eyes alliance  share intelligence, military technology,  and military strategy and mission.

    -A strong sense of political cooperation and respect. Both nations share core values in the specification of the role and limitation of government and a commitment to protect civil liberties for everyone. This cooperation is based on mutual trust and understanding among the two governments.

    -All of the panelists agreed that a further pillar of this relationship can be attributed to several very interrelated issues, a commitment to education and a strong economic and business relationship between industries and companies in a variety of sectors.

    It was stated repeatedly, that both nations value and promote education and recognize the value of education in building a strong economy and capable leaders in global business and commerce.  It was  pointed out that the UK is the single largest investor in the US and many US firms hire large numbers of UK citizens and vice versa.

    The issue that many in the audience wanted addressed was the impact that Brexit was going to have on both the US and the UK. It was pointed out that although the UK is leaving the EU it is not leaving Europe. The Brexit vote was  not anti-Europe but more of a populist vote for self-determination of UK concerns. The panelists agreed on two fronts, (1) the future birthed from this vote is to be determined as the UK must renegotiate trade and economic relationships with the rest of Europe and the US and (2)  these negotiations will provide  an opportunity to again place the UK in a key position in the world, holding not only a special relationship with the US but a special relationship with the rest of Europe.

    For more information you can look into the following links.

    http://www.nato.int/docu/speech/1946/s460305a_e.htm -The Sinews of Peace by Winston S. Churchill, 1946 in Fulton Missouri.

  • 03 Mar 2017 10:33 AM | Eddie Kamber

    By Casey Sacks

  • 28 Feb 2017 2:31 PM | Eddie Kamber

    By Daniel Zuchegno

    United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Series: Clean Water and Sanitation

    Panel:             Eleanor Allen, CEO of Water For People

                            Paula MacIlwaine, Deputy CEO of American Water Works Association

                            Katy Sill, Water and Sanitation Advisor in the USAID Water Office

                            Dr. Marshall Davert,  president of MWH

    The issues:

    What are the impacts of not meeting development goal number 6?

    •          They are managerially and financially autonomous.
    •          They are accountable to their stakeholders.
    •          They are efficient.
    •         They are customer-oriented.

    United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Series: Clean Water and Sanitation

  • 14 Feb 2017 4:31 PM | Eddie Kamber

    By Zachary Adams

    Country of Origin: Portugal
    Program Year: 1978

    From there, the rest is history.

  • 17 Jan 2017 2:25 PM | Eddie Kamber

    By Ilana Kurtzig

  • 03 Nov 2016 12:49 PM | Marianne Hughes

    By Ilana Kurtzig

    About Henri Barkey:

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Israel passes law meant to draft ultra-Orthodox

The matter featured prominently in elections last year that led to the establishment of a center-right government, which has pushed for the draft reforms.

Wednesday's vote passed 67-1 in the Knesset. The opposition boycotted the vote to protest what it says are strong-arm tactics by the ruling coalition. (AP)


Как перевести duality на русский язык

Часть речиЗначениеАнглийские синонимы
n(geometry) the interchangeability of the roles of points and planes in the theorems of projective geometry
nbeing twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses


Climate Change and Health

What is climate change to you?

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You can add images, texts, etc.

Climate Change in my sense

Our world is changing day by day. Climate change is one of them. Nowadays this has become the burning topic.

First of all, what is climate? Climate is the average of weather condition in a particular area. For example in the summer season we usually expect more heat, why? Because from the past record we see that in summer seasons there was more heat so in average we can say that in summer the temperature will be high.

Secondly, what is climate change? In general, climate change is the change in climatic pattern. For example, in winter season, usually the temperature is low but if the temperature does not fall like the previous years then it is climate change.

Now, if the climate is changing and it's impacting on us severely then we should know the reasons affecting climate change . The main reason of climate change is greenhouse gasses. The main greenhouse gases include water vapor, Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous oxide, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The other reasons are Aerosols in the Atmosphere, Land use change, Deforestation, Burning of coal or fuels.

So, if the climate is changing, how we know that the climate is changing? Well, the answer is by seeing it's impacts. Now let's discuss about some impacts of climate change. First of all, greenhouse effect. Day by day the temperature of the earth is rising because the heat is getting trapped due to greenhouse effect. Secondly, rise of the sea level. As the temperature is rising the ices of the polar region is melting so the sea level is rising. Thirdly, the plant and animal both world's life is changing. For example, the polar bear are facing food and shelter crisis due to climate change. Finally, more disasters are hitting. Due to climate change the number of disaster and also the severity of disaster has been increased. This picture will be more helpful to understand.<br data-trigger= ">

If the climate change continues then it will become difficult for all living spices. We all should be aware of climate change and take necessary steps to reduce it;s effect so that the future earth will become a better place to live in.

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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Whirly Birds - study in hydrodynamics and biomimetics

I know. It's a mouthful, isn't it? But it's a really fun project for kids of all ages. I did this experiment in 5th grade class yesterday, and it went well. But, it took much longer than I expected. I started with 6 designs, but I will cut that down to 3 designs in next week's experiment with a 1st grade class. I didn't realize how long it would take to cut these out.

An important disclaimer first. I got this project ideal from science buddies. Please check out It's a great place to go for project ideas.

Before I started the project, I discussed the concept of biomimetics or biomimicry. Simply, it means that engineers are trying to use what we find in nature to improve functions of man-made objects. A great example is velcro. It was invented by a man who went for a walk with his dog and came home with a lot of hooked burs from the local hills on his socks and his dog. He studied the burs and invented velcro. Imagine that!

This is the procedure for the experiment on science buddies. You can follow this or follow my instructions listed below.

Whether following the science buddies instruction or mine, it's good to read the background info.

Biomimetics - Studying and Learning from Nature

I start this class by talking about bumps on humpback whales' fins, shark's spiky skin, and tiny fins on mackerels. All this info is on the background info. I continue the discussion by asking the class if any of them were lazy or their parents call them lazy. Then I tell them that nature is also lazy. It doesn't want to do any more than it has to (in most cases). So, if they see something that doesn't make sense, they should investigate it because there's a reason for that feature.

1.      Paper, to copy the whirly bird designs on them. I've used two different kinds of paper in class (plain copy paper and construction paper), but I've also used card stock paper at home with my children to see the difference. It really doesn't matter for the lesson.
2.      Craft scissors for make patterns. It would be nice to have scalloped and saw-tooth designs, but this is not a must have. Any sharp vs. curvy pattern would do.
3.      Pencil and notebook paper to take down data.
1.      Ask which features were represented by which scissor designs. Sharp - shark skin/mackerel finlets. Curvy - tubercles on whale fins.
2.      Ask which edge would be most efficient. It's supposed to be curvy, but it wasn't a clear cut winner in our experiment.
3.      Follow science buddies instructions on cutting and making whirly birds. Here are some pictures.
4.      With a classroom of 33 kids, even dropping 6 design 5 times each was hard to complete in 90 minute class. So, I'd stick with the 3 designs. Now, if you're doing this at home, I'd say try all kinds of paper and craft scissor designs.
5.      After the experiment, ask if they could think of five different uses for their biomimetic findings. My classroom of kids came up with a thin skin to cover over boats, torpedoes, etc. to make them slice through the water more efficiently, to name a few.
6.      The key concept to talk about is that nature is lazy. There is a reason for most of the natural features on animals, plants, insects, and the students should investigate them.
Have fun!


A stand-alone alternate history steampunk clearly inspired by the Shakespeare play in the title.

Publication year: 2013
Format: ebook
Publisher: Xchyler Publising

A Midsummer Night’s Steampunk is pretty much what the title says: A Midsummer Night’s Dream recast in Steampunk. The story begins with a group of mechanics; men who have lost body parts in wars and those parts have been replaced with mechanical parts. Even though they now serve their country and fellow citizens very diligently, they are shunned by all other people. Our six heroic mechanics have decided to perform a play to the Queen in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Sadly, some of the mechanics require repairs before the Queen can fully enjoy “Pyramus and Thisbe” and they don’t want to return to the malicious care of the man who built them: Doctor Oberon Malieux. So, they head up to the Queen’s Artificer, Pauline Spiegel. The mechanics, Pauline, and her friends becomes embroiled with a plot to overthrow Britain.

Of course the retelling needs two pairs of star crossed lovers. They are Pauline Spiegel, a humble artificer, and her intended, Alexander MacIntyre who is a lowly clerk in the British Royal Household and Pauline’s friend Clemmie Hozier and her intended, certain young Lieutenant with the name of Winston Churchill. However, Pauline’s and Winston’s mothers were best friends and promised that their kids would be married to each other and to Winston duty becomes before love. Clemmie isn’t thrilled and Pauline is adamant that she wants Alex.

The villain of the story is Oberon Malieux, a brilliant doctor who has built the mechanized men from wounded soldiers from the Zulu War. However, lately has also built mechs from the criminally insane and uses them as his private army. He want power and wealth for himself and doesn’t care whom he hurts in the process. He also requires the expertize of his estranged wife, Lakshmi Malieux, who is an expert in eye surgery and has created small, insect like mechanoids. But she doesn’t want to help him; in fact she wants to stop him.

The book has lots of steampunk elements and very clever use of mechanical objects and people. It’s set in a Britain which is on the brink of war but that doesn’t darken the mood of the story. It uses quite a lot of real historical people with twists. The political scene is also somewhat different from the real politics around that time. I greatly enjoyed them and the characters, too.

The story is fast-paced, almost breathlessly fast and great, light-hearted fun. It also has lots of references to various Shakespeare plays.


Simplify Time Intervals in Java With TimeUnit

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In Java, like most programming languages, it is fairly common to represent and pass around time interval lengths as a number of milliseconds.  This how most hardware thinks of time under the covers, anyway.  It’s very easy to get a millisecond representation from any Java date or time object, and you can always get the current time from System.currentTimeMillis().   Therefore, milliseconds are a “universal language” that is often used in API’s, to avoid worrying about who’s using the Java 8 time library vs. pre-Java 8 libraries vs. Joda-Time or whatever.

It is common to pass time intervals as a millisecond value, but it is less common for humans to think about time at that level of granularity.  If you want a scheduled task to execute once every ten minutes, then it’s a bit awkward to think of that in terms of “once every 600,000 millseconds”.  When intervals span periods of hours, days, weeks and beyond, the mental conversion starts to become ridiculous.

The Old Pattern

Therefore, this is a common pattern that you will often see in Java code:

Java code sample without TimeUnit

static final long EVERY_TWO_WEEKS_IN_MILLIS =
    2 * 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;

Don’t do this!  Sure, this might be more intuitive and easier to change than 1,209,600,000.  However, it’s still very unwieldy, and is simply begging for someone to accidentally introduce an “off-by-an-order-of-magnitude” bug at some point.  Those are never any fun!

Using TimeUnit Instead

Java 5 introduced a better way of doing this, with the java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit enum.  Since that’s been around for years now, I’m always surprised during code reviews to encounter developers still using the old pattern.  I suppose this is something that everyone has to deal with once in awhile, but doesn’t come up often enough to think much about it.

The TimeUnit enum has constants for MILLISECONDS, SECONDS, HOURS, etc.  Pretty much every time unit you might reasonably use, up to the DAY level of granularity.

More importantly, TimeUnit contains toXXX() methods for converting from a given time unit to another.  There is a method corresponding to each constant (e.g. toMillis(), toSeconds(), toHours(), etc).

Putting these together, you can now represent the number of milliseconds in a time interval with greater readability and less chance of bugs, by using this pattern:

Java code sample with TimeUnit

static final long EVERY_TWO_WEEKS_IN_MILLIS =

It’s visually obviously what’s happening here, and very easy to change later if a different interval is needed.  In fact, if this value is only used in one place then there’s really no need for assigning it to a class-level constant at all.  That approach is commonly used in old-school Java, so that the name of the constant could give some visual indication of the value.  With the TimeUnit construct, this information is already apparent.

Steve Perkins

I am an Atlanta-based software developer, and the author of the book 'Hibernate Search by Example' from Packt Publishing. I currently work as an architect at BetterCloud, developing security and analytics SaaS products for companies using Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365.


city, building exterior, architecture, cityscape, built structure, skyscraper, sky, cloud - sky, high angle view, office building, modern, urban skyline, tall - high, tower, transportation, cloudy, road, city life, crowded, street

Want to buy this photo?

I believe in Artistic Expressions and a picture is WORTH a thousand words.I love Gestures on a piece of paper, Most of all I love seeing thru others..


Friday, May 8, 2015

We Are In This Together

Ladies we must represent our homes and our husbands well. It is one of the greatest honors and privileges we have. Let's take joy and pride in our roles and homes. We set the tone, so let's set it with grace and love and laughter and let's fill the air with the sweetest aroma of God's Word. And remember sweet ones, you are needed and loved and valued by the Most Holy of Holies. Find joy in serving Christ by serving your family. Let Him lavish His compliments upon you. Let's stop focusing on our need for attention or appreciation or praise and let's focus on giving Jesus the praise, appreciation and attention He so desires. We are in this together! 😘😘

He Overcame

Thank You, Jesus!

Kindness Month

At the beginning of every year, I sit down with the Lord and together we plan a word for each month, He wants me to focus on applying and living out.

April's Word-kindness!

Join me as we dig into God's Word and listen and learn everything He has to say about Kindness.

This month will you commit to doing one act of random kindness every day for the next 29 days!

It's not to late to start. There is still plenty of today left!

Three Beauties

Have you ever seen three more beautiful women? Well if you have ever met these precious ladies, your answer would be no, I haven't!

These women have hearts for Jesus and others that is unparrallel.

They have been through more together than you could believe, and yet their faith and trust in Jesus is unwavering.

Oh how I adore these women of God, and pray I will be half the woman they are today. They have loved, cried, celebrated, encouraged, taught and cared for me in every phase of life thus far.

I, of course, am a little more partial to the beauty in the middle, my mama! Isn't she a beauty? Oh the love that overflows from every pore within me for her is the greatest feeling. Her smile is the greatest medicine, her sweet voice on the phone is my greatest comfort and her hugs and kisses always reassure me, recharge me, motivate me, fill me up, and in their unspoken manner tell me it's all going to be okay.

I love her and those two amazing women!

Jesus, thank You for the gift of these three women and the example they have set for me as a woman and mama. Thank You for their faithfulness and commitment to You. Fill them with an extra sense of Your presence today that brings about a great abundance of joy and comfort and love and peace. Amen

How Do You Love?

How do you love? Selflessly or selfishly?

Selfish love, loves based off how it "feels."

Selfless love, loves in spite of how it feels.

Jesus help us to love selflessly, just has You have loved and love. Remind us how fickle our feelings are. Jesus thank You for demonstrating such selfless love as You hung on the Cross. There is not, nor will there ever be a greater act of love displayed. Amen

May we choose today to love selfLESSly!

Knowing Why.

If we know our "why" we are more likely to stick with it.

Do you know "why" you chose to follow Christ?

Do you know "why" you are doing what you are doing right now?

Do you know "why" you pray?

Do you know "why" you feel the way you feel or think the way you think?

Sometimes knowing the answer to the "whys" can be hard to figure out. But know this one thing.

Jesus' why....was YOU!

Why did He come...for YOU.

Why did He die...for YOU.

Why did He rise from the dead...for YOU.

Why did He leave the Holy Spirit...for YOU.

Why did He create please Him!

Why does He want a relationship with you....because He loves YOU.

Why should you commit your mind, body, soul, strength and life to Him...because He gave up His...for YOU!

Come be apart of our amazing team! We want to walk with you as you seek to honor Christ with your life, health, mind and body.


Trump targets visa program he says hurts American workers

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Turning back to the economic populism that helped drive his election campaign, President Donald Trump signed an order Tuesday he said should help American workers whose jobs are threatened by skilled immigrants.

At the headquarters of hand and power tool manufacturer Snap-on Inc., Trump signed an order that that asks the government to propose new rules and changes that will stop what he called abuses in a visa program used by U.S. technology companies. Dubbed “Buy American and Hire American,” the directive follows a series of recent Trump reversals on economic policies.

“We are going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first,” Trump declared, standing in front of an American flag fashioned out of wrenches.

Trump chose to sign the directive at Snap-on Inc., based in Wisconsin, a state he narrowly carried in November on the strength of support from white, working-class voters. Trump currently has only a 41 percent approval rating in the state.

He campaigned last year on promises to overhaul U.S. trade and regulatory policy, but his executive orders on those issues reflect the administration bowing somewhat to the limits of presidential power. Also, he has recently reversed several populist promises, including standing up to China, which he contended was manipulating its currency and stealing American jobs, and eliminating the Export-Import Bank, which he billed as wasteful subsidy.

But Trump returned to Tuesday to the economic tough talk of his campaign, saying: “We’re going to make some very big changes or we are going to get rid of NAFTA for once and for all,” referring to the Clinton-era U.S. trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

In his new directive, the president is targeting the H-1B visa program, which the White House says undercuts U.S. workers by bringing in large numbers of cheaper, foreign workers and driving down wages. The tech industry has argued that the H-1B program is needed because it encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting degrees in high-tech specialties — and because companies can’t always find enough American workers with the skills they need.

The number of requests for H-1B visas declined this year by about 15 percent, or roughly 37,000 applications, but the total was still nearly 200,000, far more than the 85,000 limit.

Tuesday’s order also seeks to strengthen requirements that American-made products be used in certain federal construction projects, as well as in various grant-funded transportation projects. The commerce secretary is to review how to close loopholes in existing rules and provide recommendations to the president within 220 days. The order also asks agencies to assess the use of waivers.

The trip brought Trump to the congressional district of House Speaker Paul Ryan, but Ryan was out of the country on a congressional trip. The president was greeted by Gov. Scott Walker outside Snap-on’s headquarters.

Canada has decided to impose import taxes on ultra-filtered milk, a protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese. It had been duty free but Canada changed course after milk producers there complained. About 70 dairy producers in both U.S. states are affected.

As for the visa program, Democratic lawmakers and organizations ranging from the pro-business Chamber of Commerce to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation say they welcome proposals to improve the visa program, though not always in line with Trump’s ideas.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., urged Trump to skip further study and support her bill to rebuild U.S. infrastructure with American iron and steel. The Chamber of Commerce added that it would be a “mistake to close the door on high-skilled workers” who can contribute to the growth and expansion of American businesses and make the U.S. more competitive around the world.

Trump has long pledged to support American goods and workers, but his own business record is mixed. Many Trump-branded products, like clothing, are made overseas. His businesses have also hired foreign workers, including at his Palm Beach, Florida, club.

Snap-on makes hand and power tools, diagnostics software, information and management systems and shop equipment for use in agriculture, the military and aviation. In addition to 11 factories in the U.S., financial disclosures show it has plants in China, Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

During his tour, Trump was shown metal boxes where cremated ashes are deposited. He called it “very depressing.”


How do I use a .bsg file?

uploaded by CCCanyon 2 weeks ago

I built this machine's exterior first and not minding the block count, as it's movie prop oriented that just need to work and look good. The machine is not identical to the Orca in game because I follow the more attractive original concept art.

290 blocks (flies good at 100 time scale)
Fakoptere (balloon stabilized)
Power x3.0 cannon
6 weightless missiles
Retractable landing gears

F G H --- move around
L-Ctrl --- unpin and start engine
X Z --- elevation
C V --- landing gears

Cams & Weapon:
B N M --- cameras
1 2 3 4 5 6 --- missiles
U J --- gun

Alternative control:
Arrow keys --- move around
L-shift --- gun
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