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Knowledge frames and strategic adaptation: a temporal- orientation perspective

Andrews, T.G. and McGaughey, S.L. (2008) Knowledge frames and strategic adaptation: a temporal- orientation perspective. In: Strategic Management Society 28th Annual International Conference, 2008-10-15. (Unpublished)

Observing that strategic management research originates from and reflects one end of a spectrum of psychological time variance, we explore the implications of this temporal bias for theorising and practice. Introducing a fundamental duality of psychological time based on future-time and present-time orientations, we argue that temporal bias affects the relevance of knowledge proffered in two main ways: the type of knowledge being disseminated, and the speed with which knowledge frames are produced, modified and transferred. Propositions that link temporal orientation and the speed of adaptation to frame-bending (i.e. incremental) and frame-breaking (i.e. discontinuous) change are offered. These initial propositions are extended to incorporate the effect of intra- and inter-national cultural distance on the transfer and consumption of knowledge frames (and associated practice).


Pop Culture

Q & A: Stephen Hawking and daughter Lucy

Next in line in for Al’s Book Club for Kids is “George’s Secret Key to the Universe,” by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. The father-daughter team collaborated to create an adventure story for kids based on “science fact” rather than science fiction. While Lucy provided the editorial craftsmanship, Stephen helped drive the story line with true-to-life details from the world of physics. To find out more about the challenges and joys of the book project, check out these two Q & As: The first is with Lucy, the second with the famous physicist himself.

Q & A: Lucy Hawking

Q: What gave you the idea for the book?

A: I have a 9-year–old son and I thought it would be wonderful if my father and I could write something together that would explain my grandfather's work to my son. In order to explain physics to kids, we decided use the events in the story to illustrate concepts.

It was clear to me that there was a wealth of science fiction available for children but not very much “science fact.” Science fiction can be exciting and very gripping, but it doesn’t tell us anything about the universe in which we live. We wrote an adventure that is based on real science rather than on fantasy. I thought it was important to weave science into the story  line because I wanted to make “George’s Secret Key to the Universe” appealing to children who wouldn’t otherwise pick up a book on physics. Obviously, we hope it will appeal to their parents, too!

Q: What is the story line?

A: The book is about this small boy called George who lives next door to the world’s greatest living scientist, Eric. George comes to the world of science with very little knowledge because his parents are fundamentally opposed to science and technology, which they blame for the problems facing the planet. Innocent as he is, George turns out to have the interest, curiosity and imagination to understand the concepts that Eric explains to him. Eric’s daughter, Annie, and his super computer, Cosmos, help to bring the world of physics alive for George and they all get drawn into the great challenge that presents itself.

Q: What was it like working together with your father on this project?

A: Integrating the physics into the story was a big challenge. We wanted to make the book flow so that it didn’t feel too didactic. It took hours of conversation to find ways to express these complicated concepts via a simple art form. I worked with both my father and one of his former Ph.D. students, Christophe Galfard, on the scientific elements in the book.

It was a fascinating process. Working with my father was a great thrill — he has the amazing ability to hold enormous amounts of information in his head, but also to pick out relevant details and make brief comments, which can completely transform your way of thinking. My father is an expert when it comes to framing difficult subjects in accessible language. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and I felt very honored to have this opportunity. Christophe Galfard also made a tremendous contribution in terms of the scientific story line, imagery and detail.

Q: How closely involved was Christophe Galfard?

A: Christophe came to the project at the end of writing his thesis. What he did so brilliantly was provide scientific content for me to translate into a story line. It helped me hugely to have someone I could consult closely throughout the process of writing this book. The grand vision of the book is based on my father’s 40-year career as a theoretical physicist — he directed, advised, corrected and wrote for the book. And Christophe worked on some of the ways to express some of these big concepts in a creative format.

Q: How did working on this book change your relationship with your father?

A: Working on this book together gave us the chance to form a relationship as adults, which was a great gift. We got to spend a lot of time kicking ideas around, so we learned so much about each other, and we had a lot of fun. It gave us something really special.

Q: What was it like growing up as the daughter of the world’s most famous physicist?

A: When I was young, he wasn’t the world’s most famous physicist. The fame didn’t arrive until the publication of “A Brief History of Time,” by which time I was in my late teens. When I was a child, he was well known among physicists, but they are a fairly select, serious bunch, not much given to celebrity idolizing.

What was most striking was the high level of attention his electric wheelchair attracted. I suppose that in the 1970s, it was quite unusual to see a disabled person drive himself around in a wheelchair. People really did stop and stare. (He did drive his chair extremely fast and sometimes in a rather perilous fashion.) I’m so glad that these days, disabled access is so much better and that disabled people are treated with more dignity by the general public. One big contribution my father has made is to show that having a disability does not bar you from leading a full and eventful life. His recent Zero Gravity flight and plans to go into space show that the sky is literally the limit, as far as he is concerned!

Q: Did you feel any pressure to become a scientist yourself?

A: No. From an early age, it was clear that my interests lay in the arts. My earliest ambition was to be a ballerina, but I was a bit small and round and prone to giggling too much — I lacked the necessary elegance to pull that one off! I think my dad would have been pleased if I had turned out a scientist because he truly believes that is the most interesting career open to anyone. But he also believes that you have to follow your own path in life and so he certainly wasn’t going to push me toward theoretical physics when it didn’t look like I was going in that direction naturally.

Q: You’ve recently had some exciting experiences on a tour of the U.S.?

A: I’ve just been on a research trip to the U.S., looking into ideas and material for the second book. I was very lucky to have some great experiences — I watched the space shuttle launch in Florida, which was just extraordinary. As you watch the shuttle lift from the ground, you see this incredibly bright light underneath it, brighter than anything you’ve ever seen before. But for the first few seconds, the launch seems to be completely silent and it’s such a serene event. Then the noise comes toward you and it’s so intense that your chest pounds, buildings shake and the air crackles. I was surprised by how emotional I felt afterward. I looked up into the sky and there was a very strange heart-shaped cloud formation, way up high. It made me want to cry but not from sadness, just from feeling overwhelmed.

As if that wasn’t enough, the next day I took a zero gravity flight with the Zero Gravity Corporation (who else?) from the Kennedy Space Center. It was the most fun I’ve had since I was 5 years old — floating in zero gravity is just hilarious — you cannot stop laughing! Somehow, you think it might be quite scary to go from zero gravity to high gravity within seconds. But it felt so natural and was so much fun! They gave me a blue flight suit to take home with me. I’m going to be wearing it to parties.

Q: What’s next for you and your father?

A: Next for me is writing the second book, which will focus on space travel. For my dad, a ride on Virgin Galactic! So you could say we are a pretty space-age family these days.

Q & A: Stephen Hawking

Q: You have just written a science book for children that will explain the universe — and black holes. What made you write this book and how do you explain black holes in a way that children can understand?

A: Children ask how things do what they do, and why. Too often, grownups — who don't know the answers and don't want to look silly by admitting they don't know — tell children that these are stupid questions to ask. It is very important for young people keep their sense of wonder and keep asking why. I'm a child myself, in the sense that I'm still looking. Children are fascinated by black holes and ask me questions. I find they soon get the idea if it is explained in nontechnical language.

Q: Will we ever be able to travel through time?

Q: What were you like as a child? What were your interests?

A: As a child, I wanted to know how things worked and to control them. With a friend, I built a number of complicated models that I could control. It was a natural next step to want to know how the universe works. If you understand the universe, you control it, in a way. I was never top of the class at school, but my classmates must have seen potential in me, because my nickname was Einstein.

Q: Do you believe we need to spread into space in order for the human race to survive? Will you travel into space yourself?

A: I think the human race doesn’t have a future if we don’t go into space. We need to expand our horizons beyond planet Earth if we are to have a long-term future. We cannot remain looking inward at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet. We need to look outward to the wider universe. This will take time and effort, but it will become easier as our technology improves. I therefore want to encourage public interest in space. I have never let my condition stop me. You only live once.

Q: Did you enjoy your zero gravity experience?

A: Being confined to a wheelchair doesn’t bother me as my mind is free to roam the universe, but it felt wonderful to be weightless.

“George’s Secret Key to the Universe” (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing) is out now.


Research Symposium: How Forests Adapt to Higher Temperatures
Angelica Patterson presented her work on broadleaf and conifer physiological responses to climate change at the 10th biennieal Research Symposium hosted by Black Rock Forest Consortium on June 26 and jointly sponsored by the Consortium and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.
Patterson’s Ph.D. dissertation at Columbia University explores how conifers and broadleaf trees respond to increasing temperatures, and what that may mean for the future of Eastern forests. She investigated respiration rates (or the release of CO2 from leaves) by sampling leaves from the canopies of trees at Black Rock Forest over several years and temperature ranges. Ten broadleaved and 6 conifer species were sampled and placed in airtight devices, where the released CO2 was measured and the respiration rate calculated. Patterson also examined the Respiratory Quotient (RQ, or ratio of CO2 released from the sample leaf to O2 consumed) and compared the ratios across 9 broadleaf species.
Results reveal that Northern broadleaved species (that is, species of broadleaf trees whose natural range lies mainly north of the Hudson Highland area) show higher rates of respiration in temperatures from 5-35 degrees Celsius than broadleaved species from central or southern ranges, whereas conifers with more Northern ranges show little change to lower respiration rates across 5-35 degree range from their central counterparts. The differing results of respiration response to temperature suggest that the northern conifers may have physiologically acclimated to this region's changing climate, whereas the northern broadleaved species may not be able to adjust.  This is consistent with these species’ observed migration northward towards cooler climates.
"In the context of a tree exposed to temperatures outside of their optimal growth temperatures, higher respiration rates (carbon loss), paired with low photosynthetic rates (carbon gain), minimize the net carbon gain of the tree (ie. slow growth)," Patterson said. "Scaling up to the forest level, a lowered net carbon gain of northern broadleaved trees, coupled with species replacement due to climate-induced species migration, may affect the carbon storage potential of the forest."
The RQ of each species gives a more in-depth picture of the processes underlying these respiratory changes. In balanced conditions during respiration, the ratio of oxygen atoms used to carbon is 1:1, as plants use carbohydrates (sugars) to fuel the respiration process. In an unbalanced condition, however, proteins or organic acids may be used instead of sugars, resulting in less or more oxygen used per carbon. Indeed, where RQ values increased across all broadleaved species as temperatures increased, this increase was lower for those with Northern ranges than those with Central or Southern ranges. This suggests that the Northern species are running out of carbohydrates faster, perhaps as a result of higher respiration or a re-use of CO2 by a temperature-dependent enzyme, PEPcase, involved in the Krebs cycle, a metabolic pathway involved in respiration that utilizes molecules for energy and releases CO2. The Krebs cycle can be more or less active depending on the species.
Patterson's results reveal mechanisms behind observed shifts in species ranges in a warming climate, as well as potential trajectories of the future forests of the Hudson Highlands. Since respiration is not reduced in these Northern broadleaved species, local forests may become a carbon source instead of a carbon sink as these species migrate northward. Conifers, which only comprise 2% of the forests within this area, have suppressed their respiration rates, although this may not influence the amount of carbon released from the trees in this system. With the information from this study we can better predict the carbon potential of our Northeastern forests, as well as the future of species composition in a climate that may resemble Georgia more than current New York climate.


中正大学 哲学系

哲学系学术演讲－Prof. Robert Goldblatt

10月19日Prof. Robert Goldblatt 学术演讲公告如下--

讲者：Prof. Robert Goldblatt
(School of Mathematics and Statistics, Centre for Logic, Language, and Computation, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
讲题：Modelling Equivalent Beliefs in Dynamics Doxastic Logic
时间：2016/10/19 (Wednesday) 15:10
The language of dynamic doxastic logic has modal connectives that express reasoning about the effects of belief revisions. We enrich that language with formulas that express the doxastic equivalence of pairs of propositions, meaning that revision of an anger’s beliefs to adopt either proposition of a pair has the same effect on the agent’s belief state. We provide this language with a structural semantics in which propositions are sets of possible worlds about which an agent may hold certain beliefs, and the agent’s disposition to respond to new information is modeled by functions that assign to each proposition P a ‘theory’ representing the set of propositions that the agent comes to believe after revising their beliefs to include P. A proof system will be described that is sound and complete for this semantics.

哲学系办公室　敬上


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Tips on record-keeping and cage cards (long, pix)

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Posted by rtdunham on May 11, 2003 at 12:56:21:

An exchange (this forum, 5/10) with Keith about how quickly his king laid after the first observed breeding prompts this. Keith later remembered the pair had been together several weeks before that too, though nothing apparently happened. It didn't matter much in Keith's case that the first introduction was overlooked, because he was breeding the same two animals together both times. But people who might use two different males, or who simply want to know for sure when a first breeding MIGHT have occurred, will benefit from scrupulous records. It doesn't have to be hard.

I'm SURE others have better systems than mine. But i figured it couldn't hurt to share my methods. Hopefully there will be something here that will be useful for newbie or oldtimer.

I keep MOST of my records on pre-formatted, quickie-printed index-sized cards on the front of each cage. That way I don't have to refer to a book to know what's been happening recently. When a card's completed, it goes into a file where it can still be quickly accessed (looking back to see when a female laid the previous year, for example, or whether she bred after a first or second shed, etc.) or ignored for years if not needed.

Here's a typical setup during my breeding season:

The card on the left is my standard cage card. Each snake is ID'd at top including the inventory number at top right (prior cards are indexed by that number, and if a snake is taken to the vet THAT is the number used to ID the snake -- no vet, who is used to identifying patients as "Rover" or "Tweety" wants to wrestle with "1998 hatch male homozygous for amelanism 2/3 chance possible heterozygous for hypomelanism 50% chance possible heterozygous for anerythrism, from Norm Dam vanishing pattern 1995 hatch female" which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue).

Note that I update a new card with pertinent recent information including when I got it and its arrival weight, and its recent shed history, so I don't have to look that up on prior cards. Sheds are color coded green. I record each successful copulation (I express sperm samples after possible matings, and rank the sperm count/viability on a seven-point scale--one to three carats pointing down for very low to likely meaningless inseminations, a midpoint, and one to three carats pointing up for sperm counts up to the maximum observed). I strive for three good (two to three carats up) breedings. Good breedings are color coded orange. Later when a female lays, that information--the date laid, number of good eggs and total in the clutch--all fits on a single line and is color coded yellow. The cards also include feeding records, of course. Some snakes are picky, and with 75-80 adults in my collection it's easier for me to have reminders of which animal eats only very small rat pinks, or only mice fuzzies, than to have to keep that in my head.

But look at how much can be known in a quick glance from the standard card: snake id, source, gender, inventory #, past breeding history (would be noted above the first box, if she'd bred before for me, coded yellow to stand out); shed history; breeding history, etc. Most of these cards also note the animal's weight coming out of brumation and perhaps monthly thereafter, so I can monitor her progression to ovulation and breeding. All this information at a glance makes it a great working tool.

The second "card", the post-it note at right, is added to females' cages during the breeding season.

It enables me to quickly ID the female (top left) and the male i'll breed her to (top right). it records her sheds so i can anticipate when she'll be ready to start introducing to the male. Once I start introducing, I note occasions where nothing seems to have happened (the first example on this card notes that she buried herself and there was no apparent action). Once successful breedings occur they're noted and color coded.

Yes, some of this duplicates info on the other card. Several reasons for that: 1) I occasionally find i've forgotten to record something. It's easy to refer to the other record, get the data, and add it where it was missing. We back up our computers, why not backup our herp records?! 2) The post-it note will be kept with the eggs during incubation (a bold notation is added, showing # of eggs good and total in clutch, date laid, and estimated due date). This extends the "know-at-a-glance" functionality to the rack that contains dozens of tupperware boxes incubating clutches of eggs.

But there are even more important reasons to keep careful records. Here's a post-it from a different female:

Note that at top right I've indicated two different males this female was bred to, and that in the breedings color-coded orange at the bottom, I've noted not only the date and the sperm count but, in each instance, which male was used. (I keep a different-colored post-it on males' cages, and record each breeding by that male on that card. This allows me to quickly and easily monitor how many times the male's bred and to see any decline--or, after sheds, often an increase--in sperm counts).

I sometimes use mutliple males when I have two of the same kind (I had two breeder snow males this year: I divided the approrpriate females and "assigned" half to one male, half to the other. But in a few instances, where i found only moderate sperm samples in a female, I'd cross her to the other male, too, as backup. No, I won't know which male is the father, but that's usually not of consequence. WARNING: It WILL be of consequence if I produce something dramatically new from one of those females and can't be sure who the father was. So I don't totally endorse that method, and I use it in only when the good seems to outweigh possible disadvantages.)

The other circumstance in which I'll use two males is when the babies will be distinguishable, when I'll know from their phenotype (appearance) who the father had to be. This card is an example of that: The female is a tricolor hypo possible het for anerythristic. I bred her to two males, one a snow (albino and anerythristic) and one a tricolor hypo definite het/anerythristic. If a hypo baby hatches, the hypo male is the ONLY male that could be responsible. Because he's hypo and she's hypo, all their babies would be hypo. IF she is het/anery, then 1/4 of their babies would be anerythristic and since they're ALL already hypo, that 1/4 would be ghosts (hypo and anery). So any ghost baby has to have been fathered by the hypo male also. Lastly, any baby that is NOT hypo or ghost has to have been fathered by the snow male. These could be wild-type, and would be triple hets (hypo mother, albino and anery father) or they could be anerythristics (if the mother is het anery) and would also be double het for the other two (albino and hypo) morphs. I switched to the snow male because
a) the tricolor hypo seemed to have low fertility (see top too lines of breeding records, only the second of which had enough sperm for me to even "count" and color code;
b) the triple hets and especially anery/double hets are in high demand and have exciting breeding potential;
c) the snow male would provide an easy means of testing the female to determine whether she is, in fact, het/anery--always a useful thing to know the following season.

the important thing is that it's all noted on this post-it that will accompany the eggs once the clutch is laid and is incubating. And the lines at the bottom of the post-it will make it impossible for me to not know, immediately, what the parentage is of the babies, no matter what their appearance, and no matter how busy and confusing a day it might be when that hatching occurs.

Record keeping: I recommend it!

PS: I keep two other sets of records during the breeding season:
1) A large, poster-sized calendar on which i schedule planned breedings, since males are being bred X multiple females, and then record--and color-code--the outcomes.
2) Before the season, I plan my pairings and create an excel spreadsheet showing each male followed by the females he'll be bred to. There are columsn for recording females' sheds, copulations and then pre-lay shed and laying results. Again everything for the season can be pretty much discerned from that one page of regularly-updated data. An added benefit is that I can SORT subsets -- the females that are going to be bred X 030 snow, for example -- so that they're listed in order of their post-brumation sheds, and thus the likely order in which they'll start breeding. Or I can sort on cells in a column I call "done" so that females I'm not finished breeding yet appear at the top of each male's harem. TD

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Sunday, 24/9/2017 | 5:07 UTC+0

Rather than get bogged down in philosophical conversations, The Discovery focuses on the domestic toll of its scientific progress. Jason Segel plays Will, the estranged son of Dr. Harbor (Robert Redford), the man who made the scientific breakthrough. When Dr. Harbor’s findings were made public, a global epidemic of suicides followed. Feeling an acute responsibility for the millions of deaths, Will returns to his father in hopes of convincing him to recant his life’s work. But Dr. Harbor, in pursuit of knowledge above all else, intends to go forward rather than backward.

Major spoilers for plot reveals and the ending of The Discovery ahead.

The Discovery.

The film, set in and around a gloomy mansion-turned-research-facility, builds to Harbor, Will, and the audience seeing for themselves what the afterlife actually is. Obviously everybody, viewers included, wants to know the answer, but the film isn’t prepared to deliver one in any satisfying fashion. The afterlife exists exclusively as a means to a narrative end, a tool to progress Will’s personal growth.

The Discovery is, in short, like the worst parts of Lost condensed to a feature film. Lost was at its best when drawing from an internal debate that was, like the philosophical engine powering the The Discovery, difficult to summarize and impossible to entirely unpack. “Is it better,” Lost asked, “to tackle life’s big questions with rigorous science, or unflinching faith?” The existential tug-of-war, played out most clearly in the relationship between Man of Science Jack and Man of Faith Locke, lasted 121 episodes. Lost was imperfect. It was overstuffed with metaphysics, fan service, and sudden random polar bears, and the show struggled most when it tried to answer the big questions of existence with truisms about good and evil, love and hate.

But time and again, Lost argued with itself, not merely about the mysteries of the universe, but the tools that guide us through it. Can science prove the assumptions of faith? Can faith answer questions science cannot? Are science and faith truly so different in their existential goals? This was network TV!

The Discovery, a film about the science of the afterlife, should at least be superficially concerned with science, faith, and the friction between them. Is there a God? What about heaven? Or hell? But The Discovery never aspires to be challenging, at least not beyond its Children of Men-like fascination with an apocalypse happening in slow motion. Science in The Discovery is like a deus ex machina on steroids, serving whatever purpose the plot needs it to. It gives people things to do while they reveal their personal dramas to each other. And so the work of a scientist is more like a series of fetch-quests. To test the afterlife machine, they need a body, so Will and Isla (Rooney Mara) steal a corpse (and open up to one another). When that doesn’t work, Dr. Harbor volunteers (and has a difficult conversation with his son). Then Will gives it a go (and discovers the truth about himself).

Rather than digging into the moral, ethical, scientific, or philosophical questions of these decisions or this contraption, the film mostly focuses on Will, who is about as curious as a bag of a sawdust.

And maybe all of that would be fine, if this were a film about faith. Lost’s finale was largely panned when it aired, but at least the episode committed to resolving the core’s big debate. The Man of Science and the Man of Faith reunite in a space disconnected from time, and along with the other characters, take a step into the glow of the afterlife. A show about, in part, the need of scientists to answer the questions of time and space, ends on a note that embraces the beauty and serenity of the unknowable.

The Discovery.

But The Discovery is practically antagonistic to the notion of faith, let alone resting in peace. The afterlife, it suggests, consists of countless dimensions in which every individual relives their biggest regret over and over until they fix it. Take for example, Will’s father, Dr. Harbor, who became so obsessed with his early research on the afterlife that he ignored his wife until she killed herself. But in the afterlife, Dr. Harbor can fix the relationship by going upstairs to see his wife in the nick of time. Yes, that’s as vapid as it sounds.

And yet Will’s turn is worse. When Will tests the machine, we discover that the entire movie has been set in his afterlife. In fact, Will has lived countless versions of this afterlife, trying again and again to repair it. His goal has been to save Isla, who in another lifetime was just a stranger he briefly met on a ferry, and went on to drown herself. Will has lived life after life with just the faintest sense that he must save her. And presumably every human is doing something similar.

The film plays this as if it’s touching, like some unholy mishmash of The Twilight Zone and Chicken Soup for the Soul. But it’s neither as intellectually fascinating as the former or emotionally soothing as the latter. Its afterlife, painted as an opportunity, is actually a Sisyphean hell. It’s also bizarre on the top, most obvious level. Will’s father made the discovery that led to millions of suicides, and we’re supposed to believe Will’s biggest regret is not saving a woman with whom he shared a short ferry ride?

The Discovery.

I’m left wondering what The Discovery is. Is it science fiction with no interest in science? Is it a spiritual romance with a perverse misunderstanding of faith and love? Or is it a movie that wanted to be all of the above, and in the end wound up being nothing? Perhaps what’s most frustrating about The Discovery is that its 110 minutes can be better spent with a story that is doing similar things, just with a sense of grace and skill the film is lacking.

HBO’s The Leftovers, which premieres its third and final season this month, and which shares one of Lost’s creators in Damon Lindelof, tells the story of humans left on Earth when a small percentage of the population seems to have been raptured. It begins as a stunning mediation on grief, and spirals into a weird, funny, cosmically bizarre exploration of the unknowable. Lindelof seems to have learned from Lost, as Leftovers isn’t so caught up in narrative contortions that it chokes itself to death, nor is it concerned with scientific justification.

Every element of The Leftovers — plot, setting, characters — serves its larger questions about existence, not the other way around. And that’s a crucial lesson that stands in relief alongside The Discovery. Good science fiction — or simply good genre fiction — uses its components to say something about the world and its people. It explores where we’ve been, where we are, or where we’re going. The Discovery isn’t a movie about science or faith, or even about humans. Instead, every element merely serves the story of a man chasing a woman through a dreary, infinite loop.


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The World

As the Voyagers traverse through the different lands held captive by the Transient, they encounter different lands and worlds that are unfamiliar to them. Each land features different environments and features that can change or impact defenses!

A lush landscape hidden from civilization for thousands of years, a small tribe of humans thrived in the trees. Building huts and bridges to escape the dangers lurking in the fog below, the tribe and forest lived in harmony with one another. A harmony that was disrupted when the Transient tore the woods from the land. The wildlife and tribe who once lived amongst the trees disappeared during this time, but dark shadows still lurk in the fog.

A small village from a more civil time lost to history. The landscape shaped by the enormous volcano, sakura trees blossom, and a river flows through the center. A peaceful, tranquil village, had it not been split down the center activating a dormant volcano, the settlers may have carried on living a peaceful, enlightened life.


Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Beirut, said the rocket attack was not the first on Israel from Lebanon.

Less than a week ago, a similar attack took place when a couple of rockets also fired from southern Lebanon hit Israel.

There was no immediate claim of responsiblity, and Hezbollah denied any involvement.

Israel and the Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in 2006, after fighters from the Lebanese Shia movement seized two Israeli soldiers.

Wednesday's attack occured on the 19th day of the Israeli offensive in Gaza that has left almost 1,000 Palestinian dead.


October 14th - Extreme Love...Is Patient

James 1:4

When you have a patient spirit, you will find yourself making fewer demands and being more satisfied with what you have. This present world is constantly telling you that you need more possessions to be happy. The opposite is true, when you are content with what you have, patience has done a work in your heart. Let patience do its work on your heart today. Lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth.


A contemplative tour through your family photo album

If you take a contemplative tour through your family album, you can appreciate the contrast between the body's ever-changing nature and your unchanging nature.

Take a look at photos of "yourself" (your body) when it was one year old or five years old. Then ask yourself: "Where is that body now?" Look at your child body and adolescent body among the photos, and ask yourself, "Where is that body now?" Where are all those bodies that were photographed so many years ago?

Now consider the following: There is not an atom in your body today that was present when those photos were taken. The eyes you see in the photograph are a different set of eyes than those you are seeing with: They are made of completely different material particles. The bodies in those photographs have long since disintegrated and merged into the earth, water, fire, and air, and have gone to make up other bodies—the bodies of various insects, plants, birds, animals, humans and so on.

Yet you are still you. You exist today. You also existed yesterday, last month, five years ago, ten years ago, 15 years ago, and so on. But that body you had one year ago, five years ago, 15 years ago, etc. does not exist today. You, the self, existed throughout all these changes of your body.

[For scientific evidence that you are not the body, click here]

Become aware of your body and its activities

Yogis have a meditation technique that helps them to realize that they are not the body. They say to themselves, “I am aware that I am doing such-and-such.” By doing this they experience a type of detachment from their body and its activities.

While a yogi is eating, for example, he’ll say to himself, “I am aware that I am eating … I am aware that I am tasting something sweet.” He doesn’t dive into the taste—rather, he is a little apart from it.

Through this technique, he gradually becomes detached from all the body’s activities, sensations, feelings, and so on. He is aware that things are happening, but he’s untouched by them. He’s free from the movement of the waves of sensations, thoughts, and so on that pass over him. He’s the calm center of the storm that rages all around him.

Such a yogi and a hedonist are exact opposites in consciousness. The yogi stands apart from the body and the hedonist dives into it—trying to savor every pleasant sensual tingle. And by diving into the sensual gratification, he is diving into the material senses—that is, he is becoming more deeply immersed in false bodily identification.


Areas of application

Troubles psychomoteurs

Psychomotor difficulties concern a delay in the acquisition, coordination, and execution of gestures that are not learned culturally or through an explicit education, but are instead acquired “naturally” over time (for example, walking, running, jumping, tapping out a rhythm with the foot or with the fingers). These are different from gestures related to dyspraxia, which are learned culturally (for example, eating with dinnerware).

Psychomotor disorders therefore concern the integration of gestures having a universal character into an individual bodily framework. For example, children who experience these difficulties may be unable to coordinate their arms and legs when they swim, may run in a disordered manner, may have difficulty balancing on one foot or going down stairs, etc. Disorders that affect proper coordination are also regularly correlated with dyslexia, albeit to differing degrees.

The Ear is not merely a sensory organ that captures sounds. It also plays an important role in motor function thanks to an internal organ known as the vestibule. The role of the vestibule is to manage the sense of balance. By means of its direct action on the vestibule, the Tomatis® Method acts directly on the regulation of muscular tone and thus on verticality, but also on the difficulties of laterality. Moreover, in conjunction with several other parts of the brain, the vestibular system plays an important role in the mechanisms controlling coordination and rhythm. As a result, the Tomatis® Method can effectively intervene on difficulties with rhythm and of coordination.

Finally, in conjunction with the cerebral cortex, the vestibule is highly involved in the capacity of spatial navigation and in the formation of the body schema. This is why Tomatis® Method’s fields of application also include difficulties of spatialization and of the body schema.

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President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shook hands at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, their first in-person greeting since Trump took office.

Trump followed up the handshake by putting his left hand on Putin's forearm and later patted Putin on the back.

Trump and Putin are scheduled to sit down for a 30-minute meeting at the summit Friday afternoon.


Bridging the Gap: Rethinking “Athlete Privilege”

The ongoing athlete vs. non-athlete divide continues to plague Middlebury’s campus. Despite the fact that 27% of the student body participates in varsity sports, including 200 students who compete in more than one varsity sport, when it comes to athletics at Middlebury, our community is far from united. Unlike at other schools such as Syracuse, Duke or UNC, in which students with differing interests and backgrounds bleed their respective schools’ athletic pride, the athletic fan-base at Middlebury consists almost entirely of athletes supporting other athletes. Why is this the case? “Athlete-privilege”, of course.

What is this “athlete-privilege” that we speak of on Middlebury’s campus?

While people may view the term differently — here, we will discuss “athlete-privilege” as the idea that athletes at Middlebury are favored over non-athletes and held to their own standard — one that involves academic loopholes and personal entitlements. While this case could be made for recruited athletes who had slightly different benchmarks to reach (depending on the sport) during the college application process, upon acceptance, all students at Middlebury are held to the same academic standard — athlete or not. This is what we tell ourselves; however, we know this is not the case.

Being an athlete at Middlebury comes with a price. Whether people want to talk about it or not, athletes are held to a different standard than non-athletes, one that comes with disadvantages and a stigma that is particularly evident in the classroom. Countless times, I have heard the excuse: “It’s just because he’s an athlete”, as if the title of being an athlete at Middlebury comes on a silver platter. While I agree there are many personal benefits of being an athlete, reasons why I continue to play a sport here, the role itself comes with many disadvantages.

Just to name a few: (1) Athletes have far fewer hours to balance work with demanding practice and game schedules (roughly 20 hours a week on average). (2) There are some professors who have issues with athletes in their classes (keep in mind I said some not all). (3) Many varsity-sporting events such as away games occur during the school week. As a result, at least once during a season, it is common to have a match or race that conflicts with a class period. In this case, arrangements are met to find a time to make up what was missed.

One of my first encounters with this so-called “athlete privilege” occurred my freshman spring. We were traveling to Gettysburg College for the Women’s Lacrosse NCAA tournament during the finals period. Not only would I be missing my exam slot for my Spanish class, but I would also be on a noisy, rattling bus for 8 hours en route to our final destination at the time. As was normal protocol, I explained the situation to my professor, insisting that I would do anything to accommodate his needs & take the exam on his terms. A new professor at the time, he had not yet encountered a situation like mine.

Ultimately, he decided that since I could not be physically present, to be fair, I would take the exam at the exact same time as the rest of my class on the bus, proctored by the school’s athletic director. While this may be an easy task for someone who is able to perform under pressure with distractions around them, I am someone who needs to work in complete silence. Yes — I’m that girl in the library who will “Shhh” you if you are being loud.

Regardless of my test-taking preferences, however, I had no choice but to roll with the punches and take the exam on the bus because I signed up to be an athlete here and because of that, I am willing to pay the price.

I’m not saying that there are more disadvantages of playing a sport here than there are advantages. Nor am I suggesting that non-athletes and professors should pity athletes who have limited schedules and fewer hours to get their work done. I am commenting on the divide that exists within our community and urging us to recognize the pressing issue as we carelessly toss around “athlete-privilege” in our everyday repartee.

Where is our Middlebury pride? Athlete or not, we are all here to be students and for that reason, we should come together to celebrate our common interests such as why we are here and why we love Middlebury. I am encouraging us to ask more of ourselves, to be understanding of each other’s hobbies and passions — and ultimately, I hope that as we move our separate ways, we will always be proud to have worn the Middlebury navy and white as students — athlete or not.

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Posts tagged africa

Young Continent, Old Leaders

Currently at 1.2 billion, Africa’s population is projected to more than double by 2050 and quadruple by 2100, reaching 4 billion. Young people make up a large part of Africa’s population but the continent is home to aging and many of the world’s longest-serving presidents. Unemployment is a reality across the continent and with the projected doubling population by 2050 new political, social and economic challenges face Africa. While African youth still remain marginalised in terms of political and civic engagement/involvement, the trend is beginning to change, and Africa’s growing and large youth population presents great opportunities.

Africa Day: Youth participation, the power is in our hands. Cartoon credit: Tony Namate/This is Africa
african identity

Media development in Africa: Telling our own African stories

Africa is not a country, but for a long time a single narrative about the continent has been told. Western, Asian and European powers know the importance of telling their stories. Countries in these regions have established media outlets that sell their narratives, religious beliefs, social, cultural ideals and political philosophies. This is hardly the case with African countries, and it should be addressed.

Supreme Court ruling annuls Kenya's presidential election result. Cartoon: Damien Glez

Cartoon: Supreme Court ruling annuls Kenya’s presidential election result

Kenya’s Supreme Court on September 1 invalidated presidential election result of the August 8 poll, which saw the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta. The Court ruled that the vote was marred by “irregularities and illegalities”. The Court said the election “was not conducted in accordance with the Constitution and … is invalid”. The ruling seen as a triumph for democracy and constitutionalism, and it has been widely celebrated across the continent, welcomed as an important precedent. Kenyatta will once again face a stern test from opposition leader Raila Odinga in the rerun scheduled for October 17.

Cartoon: Why do some African leaders cling to power?

Africa has seen some of its leaders clinging to power for decades. Some of these leaders will rather die hanging on to power than to handing it over to someone else. There are cases where some leaders continue to cling on by changing the constitution, removing term limits to stay in power. In recent years, a number of leaders have been successfully removed from power (Yahya Jammeh in The Gambia, more recently), but there are still a number of leaders prepared to manipulate the political processes to extend their stay in power.


Number of police firearms officers down by 19% in five years

It means the number fell by more than 1,300 personnel, or 19%, compared with five years earlier, while it was also down by 217, or 4%, on the previous year. It is also the lowest level since the current data set started in 2009.

The report said: "The number of AFOs was at its highest on 31 March 2010 (6,976) and has since been on a general downward trend."

The disclosure comes at a time when the police service's firearms strength has come under close scrutiny in the wake of terrorist atrocities in Europe.

Forces are training around 1,500 extra armed officers as part of counter-terrorism efforts, with 400 ready to be deployed to cities outside London around the clock.

However, rank and file police leaders have questioned where the extra personnel will come from, while there have also been calls for a review into the legal protection for firearms officers amid suggestions this is an issue in recruitment.

The figures also revealed that there were a total of 14,666 police firearms operations in the year ending March 2015 -  a decrease of 2% (273) compared with the previous year.

There were six incidents in which the police discharged firearms in the year ending March 2015, up from two in the previous year.

Simon Chesterman, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for armed policing, said: "The fall in the number of authorised firearms officers over recent years reflects the fact that forces in England and Wales have moved to more collaborative arrangements, with armed officers working regionally rather than in individual forces.

"Decisions on numbers were based on local threat and risk assessments.

He said recruitment to the roles "will be a challenge".

"New AFOs will be existing police officers who volunteer for a highly responsible and dangerous job to protect the public," Mr Chesterman said.

Shadow police minister Jack Dromey said: "According to the Home Office's own data, 1,329 firearms officers have gone in the five years since Cameron became Prime Minister.

"Police leaders have said time and time again that, without sufficient firearms capability, we would struggle to cope in the event of a terrorist attack.


Author Archives: alvi

The Essential Laws of Services Explained

Why It is Time for Companies to Switch to IP Phone Systems

Numerous new technologies were introduced to make business communications more effective. Definitely among those that made huge impact on business is the web.

Just a few years ago, landline based PBX was the main system employed by companies to communicate with customers, suppliers, partners anf staff. This is no longer the case. With the net and cellular technology, the old PBX system is becoming obsolete very rapidly.

The IP Telephony that runs on internet protocol is the fastest growing communication for business these days. It has more features and capabilities than the pstn pbx and other newer pbx systems. Aside from the enhanced functionality, one other reason why numerous companies prefer IP telephony over other pbx systems is its price. IP telephony is extremely affordable.
The Key Elements of Great Options

IP telephony offers plenty of advantages. Many people won’t believe it but the thing that users appreciate most about it is it gives them the ability to walk around while making calls. Nothing can prevent employees from leaving their desks or offices. They will not miss calls since IP phones are connected to the net. This may not sound much but it can boost employees morale and the productivity.
What You Should Know About Systems This Year

Because IP pbx uses the systems of the net, it offers a variety of features and functions that are not offered by the landline based PBX. Its system can incorporate numerous applications originally made to make the net more efficient. It routinely and simultaneously manages a great number of incoming and outgoing messages, place calls on hold, record calls and automatically reject calls that are not important. It also uses the emailing abilities of the web and can send voice and text messages and documents.

Easy maintenance, scalability and economy are some of the other benefits that companies will enjoy if they decide to replace their old pabx system with the more modern IP telephone system. It shouldn’t be difficult to decide to switch to IP pbx. It can be installed quite quickly and at no great cost at all since no additional gadgets are needed.

The scalability of an IP system is also very advantageous for users. IT experts are constantly developing new applications for the web that can also enhance the performance of IP pbx. This means the IP phone system in the office is always equipped with newest and most efficient features.

There is no doubt that the IP pbx is significantly less expensive than land based PBX. IP pabx system is actually best option when looking for effective business communications system.

The 10 Most Unanswered Questions about Communications

What Benefits You Can Get from the PABX System

So many businesses are now searching for ways to reduce the operating costs because of the economic issues that they face. Switching from the conventional phone service to the IP PBX can definitely help you save a huge amount of money on your business’ running costs. This is one of the most fantastic methods that you can implement major changes in the bills for the long distance calls for businesses.

You can simultaneously integrate various telephones when you use the PABX phone system. One can deliver information with the voice or they can make video calls or conferences without the need to spend a lot. Because of this, the expense which is obtained through the calls is minimized but the users can enjoy the advantage of mobility because the cell phones can be added into the system.

In some countries, the phone system providers provide businesses with systems which can use the protocol of the PBX and internet. There are various consumers that can be integrated and for this reason, all information which pertains to the company may be accessed in a certain network regardless of whether such individuals are outside or inside the country. The program utilized to achieve this feat is quite simple.
Getting Creative With Communications Advice

Another thing that you should know is that you can really get an effective IP mobile phone service. Aside from this, there are so many phone system providers which offer useful tips and support regarding the functions of the PABX phone system that makes the usage quite convenient. The experts are working to make a comprehensive package that will be able to provide the best and meet the telecommunication needs of their customers.
What Research About Systems Can Teach You

When the IP PBX phone system program is effectively integrated, then the company will be able to improve its potential in getting revenues through cutting down the unneeded running costs. Aside from this, the client that uses the IP PBX phone has the capacity to send out video clips and speech postal to various locations as they wish to in a quick way and they won’t have to spend a big amount of money.

Moreover, with the modern IP PBX system, there are many advanced features that you can use like the follow me and the advanced conferencing. Through the conferencing services, you can make a forum for discussion, whether private or public for the employees outside the organization. With the use of the IP PBX, you can make calls to different communication points in a simultaneous manner. Also, you can record calls as well as avail of all the features provided by the conventional phone systems and many more.

A Quick Overlook of Photographers – Your Cheatsheet

Important Things People Need To Know When Looking For A Newborn Photography Service

Having a new born baby is one of the most exciting times that couples can have in their marriage life, they want to share their experience by hiring a new born photographer. A new born photographer is a photographer that mainly photographs new born babies as portraits for their parents, they know how to take great pictures that parents can be proud to share to their friends. But there are a large number of new born photographers in the market today, photography service is a competitive market and couples must make sure in finding a good one to hire.

There are a number of things that couples must look out for when hiring a new born photography service, they can first try to check the portfolio of the photographer. It is that vital for people to know that their new born baby gets to grow up so fast and could not stay small, people must hire a new born photographer that has a vast knowledge on taking photos.

When people would look at the portfolio of the new born photographer, this can help couples to know how the photographer would take photos of their new born child. It is important for couples to check first the portfolio of the new born photographer, they can choose to look at their online portfolio on the internet in order for them to look up the photos which the photographer has taken.
The Art of Mastering Photographers

This can get to help a large number of couples at the total style of the photographer when taking photos, they must know how the photographer can easily take pictures of their baby and if it is good enough. Couples needs to compare the various pictures from a number of new born photographers and try to compare the kind of style that they want in the portrait of their own baby. People need to also compare the various prices that these new born photography services can get to ask from their clients, a number of these services would offer various prices from certain pictures of their new born baby.
On Pictures: My Experience Explained

Couples must try to make sure that the couples can find a new born photographer that can work with their new born babies, photographers must be really patient in taking photographs of their new born babies. Couples needs to also use the internet so that they can easily get to look up on various new born photographers which are on the market, they can find the best ones which have great reviews from different customers. Couples can also read reviews about the various new born photography services which are on the market, this is to make sure that they can get the right photos of their baby.

Healthcare Reform: How Doctors and Nurses View Universal Care and Current Reform

Even with a bill passed in both houses of Congress, Healthcare reform and the issue of a universal or national healthcare system continues to dominate discussions on the hill. There is talk of repealing the bill and potentially leaving millions more Americans vulnerable and uninsured. Some argue that repeal is for the best because the current bill gives the government too much power and circumvents our individual rights and freedoms. Still others argue that the bill does not go far enough to grant every single American the right to healthcare services. These views are polarizing both the Representatives on Capitol Hill and their constituents who live on main-street.

Nurses and physicians work in the field taking care of the insured, the under-insured, and the uninsured. These healthcare professionals see first-hand how the ability to pay for healthcare services shape people’s perception of illness and their willingness to seek medical assistance in a timely manner. Given how highly charged the issue is, it is important to know what these nurses and doctors think of all the hoopla that still surrounds the issue of healthcare.

Healthcare Workers’ Viewpoint:

The opinions in this article are those expressed by the nurses and physicians at a Dallas hospital. For confidentiality reasons the names of said nurses and physicians, as well as, the name of the Dallas area hospital where they work will not be used. Based on their experience in the system, these healthcare workers pointed out their frustrations with the current system, reform, and universal healthcare. The issue is healthcare reform and universal healthcare. How do nurses and doctors view this?

On the other hand, there are some nurses and physicians who vehemently oppose the idea of universal healthcare and reform that have been passed. These healthcare workers state the following:

Healthcare is not a right. It is the responsibility of each individual to work hard and pay for the care they require. Many people do not think their hard earned money should be syphoned to take care of individuals who are not pulling their own weight. A system that provides healthcare for all rewards people who are not contributing members of society. Even more, those who oppose healthcare reform and universal healthcare insist that it is not their place to take care of individuals who are lagging in their duties to self and society. These people become a drag on the system. Universal healthcare encourages the weaker members of society to stay weak and non-productive. If people had to pay for the services they receive, they are motivated to find work and everyone wins.
Paying for such a system will require an increase in taxation. This means more money taken from hard working Americans; money they can use to take care of their families, co-pays and deductions, as well as anything they think necessary. Increased taxation also limits funds available during retirement.
Some physicians and nurses believe that Medicare is a blithe on the healthcare system. In a free market society, insurance companies should be allowed to compete freely without a government run system that undermines the free market. Ideally, a free market will take care of pricing and completion will reduce the overall cost of healthcare. Hospitals and insurance companies that meet the demands of society will prevail. People who work hard will have access to healthcare services.
It is common knowledge that physicians in the United States earn more than physicians in other industrial nations. Extensive training and hard work is rewarded by respectable pay checks. Many worry that their living standards will drop if a national healthcare system is passed. Moreover, current reform advocates preventative care which may live certain specialties out of the loop. After years of training to be of service to society, these specialties may become obsolete.
Many people like to know that if they are insured, the care they need will be available to them when it is needed. It is perceived that extending healthcare benefits to all will lead to long waiting lines and if this were the case, many individuals are rightfully afraid of the cost to their lives and quality of living.

Patients are more likely to get preventive care if they are insured. Healthcare services cost a lot of money. Many people have been bankrupted as a direct result of their inability to pay medical bills, which include hospital stay, physician and auxiliary care visits (home health nurses & therapists), as well as, pharmaceutical aids and medical supplies. This means that the health and financial well-being of patients are affected by any laws that offer improved access to healthcare services.
Preventative care saves hospitals and tax-payers money. Although not a primary concern for nurses, they were quick to point out that the under-insured and uninsured patients who make it to the hospital only arrive when they are so sick that they may never be completely healed from a disease that could have been prevented with the right out-patient care. Due to the advanced progression of their illness upon admission, these patients stay longer in hospitals and respond less to conventional therapies. The result is a very high cost for the care provided. Since these individuals cannot pay, in many instances, the hospitals are stuck with the bills. In order to pay off debts accrued the hospitals increase the cost of care for those who can pay. It is a logical solution that now affects law abiding tax payers which could have been prevented.
People that are chronically ill cannot work and pay for healthcare. Some end up homeless and become society’s problem relying on assistance from private parties or city government. If everyone was insured, many people who require frequent medical care will be taken care of, thus reducing the number of homeless people in society.
The U.S. is the only industrial nation that does not offer healthcare coverage to all its people.
In a system that relies solely on profit motivated insurance companies to provide compensation, access to certain needed therapies become limited if they are not approved by the patient’s insurance company. These used to be most prevalent with the introduction of HMOs and have since improved. Still it is a stain many organizations prefer not to discuss. As people whose sole reason for being is the care of patients it is no wonder that many will like a system where compensation did not play such an indelible role.

Overall, during the interview process that led to this article, it became apparent that most healthcare workers opinions on access to healthcare were greatly influenced by the role they played in the care of their patients. It was quite apparent that the nurse’s role as patient advocate greatly influenced their view on healthcare reform and a universal healthcare system. An overwhelming number of nurses were in support of a system that offered coverage to every patient that walked through the hospital doors. Physicians, who were more likely to voice concerns over structure, efficacy, and compensation, were less likely to provide support of a system that will drastically change the existing landscape.

Investing In Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the industries that are most acutely impacted by this demographic shift. While many boomers will continue working, many are also retiring or are getting close to retirement. Most boomers are or still view themselves as reasonably young (mentally and physically) – the oldest, born in 1946 one year after the “boys came home” from WWII. For those of you without a calculator handy, the oldest boomers will be 62 years of age in 2008. This small but important factoid is lost on many bullish investors who see the present time as the “halcyon days” in healthcare investment in seniors housing options or Long-term care. Yet it will be 15 to 20 years before the leading edge of the boomers reach the age where these services will be in higher demand.

What many people, including even professional investors, forget or never learned is that much of the the current demand for healthcare is being driven by WWI babies, or what has been coined The Greatest Generation. The Greatest Generation is compromised of those who reached adulthood just before, and served in WWII. Many came from rural areas of Canada and the U.S. and settled in the larger centers after the War. This generation was entirely different than succeeding generations. While the differences are beyond the scope of this article, suffice to say that those who seriously study demographic shifts expect the baby boom generation to have an entirely different set of expectations regarding healthcare service and other services than their parents.

So, to recap thus far, there are a significant number of opportunities in the United States and Canada in healthcare investment; but these opportunities are not limitless and nor are they a sure bet. Demographic shifts are significant drivers of healthcare consumption patterns. It is important to attribute healthcare supply and demand drivers to the market and demographic to which they rightfully belong.

So, while healthcare investment opportunities abound, there is no replacement for sound judgment based on analytical inquiry. This is true of any investment decision. It is also key that current and projected changes across the following domains are reviewed in detail: demographics, finances, macro-economics, geography, consumer attitudes and behaviours, motivating factors (e.g., luxury, fear), urban/rural, SES, educational, cultural, risk orientation, and other personal and group-related factors. While this article zeros in on the effect that the baby boom will have on the healthcare investment market, there are a multiplicity of other factors and population segments that are, and will continue to exert significant pressure on healthcare economics and consumption patterns.

The following businesses related to healthcare delivery are and will continue to be worthy of consideration by individuals, private equity, and venture capital investors. Again, it should be noted that the list is only a starting point, and that investment decisions should be made on the best current and projective information possible. It will be necessary to use an array of analytical tools and methods (e.g., Porter’s Five Forces and other financial and statistical methods and models) to assess the industry/sector/business opportunity prior to making a significant investment into healthcare. Having said this, potential healthcare investment opportunities exist in the following areas:

Integrated Healthcare Centers, i.e., primary care (particularly where physician services, diagnostics (X-ray, CT, MRI), laboratory, and pharmacy are delivered within a short radius)
Providers of products & services for diabetes management, congestive heart failure, COPD, coronary artery disease, and other high incidence chronic diseases
Providers of mobility and other daily living assistive devices for those with a range of impaired gross or fine motor skills or other mobility limitations (e.g., caused by pain, arthritis, joint immobility)
Pharmaceutical and biotechology innovators and providers (care must be exercised due to patent limitations, proliferation of substitutes – generic drugs, lengthy approval processes, and other process and outcome risks such as the Vioxx controversy )
Health and hospitality services outsourcing (again, highly contextual and requires significant demand/supply driver analysis, political, environmental, union/non-union and other forces analysis)
In-home healthcare services (e.g., nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, care and support)
Medical or surgical retreats (highly specialized, significant risk)
Assisted Living or Long-term Care (these resources are capital intensive and targeted at the parents of the boomers, i.e., the WWI babies) – it will be 20 years before boomers will require these services in any great volume (be careful)
Major equipment and major/minor supplies providers (e.g., MRI, CT, ultrasound through to re-useable and disposable equipment)
Providers of re-furbished medical equipment to secondary markets, which include more price-sensitive purchasers (e.g. re-furbished CT scanner for a smaller rural hospital)
Alternative medicine centers (e.g., offering Ayurvedic Medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese Medicine)

Since information technology is a core function in healthcare, the following is a stand alone list of technology-related opportunities related to data/information collection and transfer:

Devices: quick, simple to use, portable, and ease workflow in high stress healthcare environments (e.g., emergency departments, tele-health)
Devices whose operating systems converge with mainframe of networked systems that admit, track, audit, and generate reports with minimum input and robust rule-based error checking
Devices or system that integrates disparate healthcare network data and traffic
Devices or systems which accurately expedite services
Devices or systems which improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis
Devices or systems which improve reduce human error and increase the probability of appropriate and targeted treatment options
Translational devices and applications of all sorts, i.e. translating actual “hands-on” data into useable, and interoperable information which can be used for diagnostic, treatment, recovery, and planning purposes
Electronic dashboard technology for strategic decision-makers
Providers of software applications that integrate disparate healthcare value chain and supply chain fragmentation
Providers of software applications that integrate in-hospital processes (e.g., admission, discharge, transfer); care-finance-payments; care-supplies-payments and other A/P and A/R alignment platforms and applications
Providers of software applications which refine, simplify, or facilitate the care planning of patients
Providers of systems integration
Providers of software applications for Human Resources, CRM, Finance, and other corporate functions

These are a few opportunities which currently exist in the healthcare context. As you might guess, many areas are being explored by larger firms. Healthcare IT is particularly attractive to larger, more highly capitalized companies and software developers. The competition amongst these groups is fierce due to the large volumes of funds in healthcare and the market opportunities driven by demographics and the need to constantly improve system performance. To date, there is no one firm with a strategic competitive advantage in any one area, though some healthcare sectors (e.g., diagnostics) have a high concentration of highly capitalized firms (e.g., GE and Siemens competing in the CT, MRI market).

Whatever investment decisions you decide, the amount of money you risk should be in proportion to your risk tolerance. Even “slam dunk” opportunities can turn out to be dogs if the circumstances are not right; or a context specific barrier is not weighed; or social attitudes do an about face.

If you are scanning the healthcare markets for opportunities to invest, be sure to do your due diligence and get help to investigate this complex and ever-expanding area. The due diligence you do prior to investing significant capital is essential to ensuring high double digit returns whilst minimizing your risk.

Healthcare Executive Recruiting – Bet on the Horse or the Jockey?

Evolving Healthcare Trends

Integrating the healthcare delivery system has led to certain advantages to the patients. For example, they can be offered alternative sites of care depending on their convenience. It helps in meeting the needs of the customers and their preferences which is taken into account. The number of providers are expanded and the patients get to have a choice. The relationship between providers and health plans are organized in the current trend and this ensures that the right care is provided in a convenient way to the customers.

There are defined budgets and expenditure targets for the populations which implies that there is a need to be efficient and productive. The formation of strategic alliances, networks, systems and physician groups can also add value. There are capitated payments and budgets allotted to the healthcare organizations. These are used to provide care to the defined population. The organization might like to improve on the payments and budgets as the expenditures of the companies increase. This results in the management to make decisions like forming strategic alliances with other organizations and increase the total resources. The growth of such networks will help in providing better care to the customers. Financial resources greatly influence the efficiency and productivity of the organization.

The aging population is influencing the healthcare delivery. There is increased demand for primary care of people over 65 years and for chronic care of people over 75. The ethnic and cultural diversity is also influencing the healthcare delivery. This provides a challenge in meeting patient expectations on one hand and diverse workforce on the other. Biological and clinical sciences have met with technological advances and have led to new treatment modalities. This has led to open new treatment sites and manage across the organization. External forces change the supply of certain areas of health professionals like physical therapy and some areas of nursing. The management needs to compensate for such shortages and they need to develop different teams of caregivers at different work sites. Changes in education of health professionals implies that the management be more creative in offering healthcare services. With an increase in diseases like AIDS and morbidity from drugs and violence, there is more and more need to work with community agencies, form social support systems and there is a need for more chronic care management. Advances in information technology is another area where there is a need to train the healthcare employees in new advances. They also need to manage issues of confidentiality and rapid information transfer. Increasing expansion of world economy has led to more competitive management of strategic alliances, care of patients across the nations and of different cultures.

Current environmental trends impact the healthcare delivery model. Organization’s success depends on its external and internal environment. The complex environments made up of uncertainties and heterogeneity of components leads to different organizational designs. The current environmental trends influence managerial and organizational decision making. The unique challenges facing the healthcare delivery organizations should be analyzed in order to develop and implement new and effective operational processes and strategies. As an impact of current environmental trends, the healthcare delivery system needs to improve individual, team, and organizational accountability and performance. The impact of advances in medical knowledge and information technology on the process of healthcare delivery should also be examined, and it should be leveraged to improve quality of care, process and cost controls, and revenue. New strategies would need to be identified and implemented for learning and performance improvement to create a culture that supports accountability, safety, and high-quality care. Innovative models in healthcare delivery would also be required in order to develop and implement strategies that promote organizational success and competitiveness.

Due to the current environmental trends, more emphasis is given to the customers and there is more of a patient-focused care. The healthcare delivery model has been shifting to the community based care. There has been an increased modification in care processes. The traditional ways are being challenged and more experiments are being performed to fulfill the demands to improve the quality of care. Due to the shift in the environmental trends in the healthcare delivery model, more emphasis is given to quality improvement. This will help improve the performance levels of key processes in the organization. The performance levels are being measured, the defects are eliminated and new features are being added to meet the customer’s need efficiently.

There is a new emerging contemporary trend in the U.S. healthcare system. Presently, the management research and assessment have been offered increased recognition. The emerging trend seen is that this is slowly forming an integral part of managerial and organizational effectiveness. With the emerging efforts in information management, it is leading towards clinical and financial networking. The trend seen among the physicians and nurses is that they are being increasingly involved in managerial activities. The managerial trends are also changing with respect to role performance and changing values. The managers role is getting more and more recognized in managing finance and human resources. Management training, lifelong and distance learning is being offered in preparing future managers.

The healthcare executives and managers will be faced with the major responsibility and challenge in the years ahead. They will be working with other healthcare providers and will be creating a competitive future for their organizations. They will not only be managing organizations but also a network of markets, services and joint ventures. Formation of more and more strategic alliances and partnerships will lead the management to manage across boundaries. The management will change from managing a department to managing the continuum of care. The management will be following a community-based approach. Trend in management is also shifting from just coordinating services to providing improvements in quality.

As the demands in healthcare are increasing, the management is responsible for forming performance standards. The management is also challenged to maximize the productivity and quality to serve the health needs of the community. The management is looking after the demands of the external environment as well as attending to the performance of the internal environment. The management is responsible for the performance of the organization.

Healthcare organization leadership will be responding to new trends and competitive forces. It will respond to continuum of care, overall health status of the population and more complex organizational structures. These emerging trends in the healthcare system will effect the organization’s leadership. The future managers would need leadership skills and vision to integrate the organizations and help in providing the best care. The managers will have to be committed to leadership and work on giving their organizations the best place and help their organizations adapt to the changing circumstances. More value will be given to leaders who will be able to lead the change process. As changes are inevitable for the betterment of the organization, the leaders should be able to identify how the change is to be received and how it is to be communicated at all levels of the organization without damaging the implementation process. The leaders might have to deal with increased pressures due to organizational complexity.

The leader in the organization provides strategic direction to the organization, manages diverse stakeholders, becomes mentors for management, is willing to take risks, helps the organization interact with the external environment and attends to the internal needs as well. Where required the leader will involve physicians in governance process and align physician and organizational interests. There will be a need for formation of learning organizations. Transformational leadership will create the required vision for the organization. Leaders will have a greater role complexity and they themselves will have to adjust rapidly to new situations. The healthcare organization leadership will have to live up to the values of the organization and will help in fulfilling the mission of the organization.

Individuals and groups within the healthcare organizations require more and more competencies. An enhanced lifelong learning is required due to the fast, changing environment. The individuals and groups within the healthcare organizations will be benefitted as there will be rapidly developing medical technologies which will result in increased services. More sophisticated health services will be provided to the consumers. The range and quality of services provided will be regulated for the benefit of people requiring home care, long term care and ambulatory care. The anticipated future development will also result in the increased competition among the health services organization. The individuals and groups will be involved more and more with the community for issues like drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and violence.

Individuals and groups will be faced with increased strategic planning and management in the healthcare organizations as there will be ever increasing involvement by the trustees and physicians. As the future environment in the organizations will be more complex, the individuals and groups in the healthcare organizations might feel more pressurized. They will need to serve the changing demands of the community as the population of elderly patients will increase. These individuals will require more professional training, increased levels of education and should be taking part in continuing education programs.

Due to the anticipated future development in the healthcare organizations, those individuals and groups will be valued, who are adaptable, committed, are able to add value and embrace change. These individuals will be required to experiment more and help in redefining the mission and goals of the healthcare organizations.


Kendriya Vidyalaya Mahasamund
Phone: 07723-222436Email:
केन्द्रीय विद्यालय महासमुंद
Kendriya Vidyalaya Mahasamund
Pride of Kendriya vidyalaya Mahasamund Mrs Narayani Singh HM selected for President Award 2016-17 . Kendriya Vidyalaya Mahasamund got 100% in Class X CBSE 2017 examination and 11 students got 10 CGPA.
 Laxman Temple(55 km)-

-One of the finest brick temples in India, this is characterized by exquisite carvings and precise construction. Sheshnaag serves as an umbrella to Load Shiva on the top of the entrance, while incarnations of Load Vishnu, Krishna Leela ornamental symbols, and erotic carvings adorn the sides. The religious segments of a temple - Vatayan , Chitya Gawaksha , Bharwahakgana , Aja , Kirtimukh and Karna Amalak - are engraved in the pillars of this Panchrath type temple. The inside has the Mandap (shelter), Antraal (passage) and Garbha Grih (the main house). The Archaeological Survey of India has established a museum in the temple premises, which houses a collection of rare statues and other relics significant to the Shaiva, Vaishnava, Buddhist and Jain faiths.-By bus.
 Anand Prabhu Kudi Vihar(30 km)-

Anand Prabhu Kudi Vihar-This 14 room Buddhist vihar , constructed by Bhikshu Anand Prabhu, a follower of Buddha, during the period of Mahashivgupt Balarjun, is the most famous of Sirpur's Buddhist vihars . The main entrance is adorned by a dwarpaal (doorkeeper) carved in stone pillars on either side. A six feet tall statue of Buddha touching the earth is installed inside the vihar . -By Bus.
 Sirpur(18 km)-

-The position of Sirpur is at the top of all international famed historical places of South Kosal ie, present Chhattisgarh. Sirpur, located at the bank of holy Mahanadi river, is completely merged with the cultural and architectural arts. In the old age(at the time of Somavanshiya emperors) Sirpur was known as 'Shripur' and was the capital of South Kosal. Sirpur has very special position in the history of Indian art due to the value of vital and original experimentals as well as religious and spiritual knowledge and science.

Sited on the banks of the holy Mahanadi river, Sirpur, known as 'Shripur' in ancient times, was the capital of South Kosala. It is historically significant from the angles of art, science, religion and spirituality. Sirpur is known for its Buddhist Vihars .-By Bus.

 Sipur(50 km)-

-Laxamn Mandir.
Boudh Mandir.
-By bus from Mahasamund to Sirpur.

 Swastik Vihar(14 km)-

Swastik Vihar-This Buddhist vihar , recently excavated, is believed to have been used by Buddhist monks for meditation and study.-By Bus.
 Gandheswar Temple (20 km)-

Gandheswar Temple -Situated on the banks of the Mahanadi river, this Shiva temple was built using the architectural remains of ancient temples and vihars . The effect is quite artistic. Various pictures of 'Shiva-Leela' adorn the top of the entrance. Inside there is a statue of Buddha touching the earth, as well as statues of Natraj, Shiva, Varah, Garud Narayan, and Mahisasur Mardini.-By Bus.


Dragon Slayer
Kanji 滅竜魔導士 (ドラゴンスレイヤー)
Romaji Doragon Sureiyā
Additional Information
Primary Power Dragon Slayer Magic

Dragon Slayers (滅竜魔導士, ドラゴンスレイヤー, Doragon Sureiyā) are people who use Dragon Slayer Magic, a form of Lost Magic.

Dragon Slayers are a unique type of people who utilize a form of Lost Magic, Dragon Slayer Magic. Each Dragon Slayer has their own form of Magic, just like each Dragon is a master of their own element. In addition, the said Dragon Slayer also has the ability to eat their own element. Doing so rejuvenates them and enhances their abilities. Dragon Slayers are known to possess keener senses than that of normal humans such as in smell, sight and hearing.

There are three generations of Dragon Slayers: the First Generation, who learned their Magic from actual Dragons, the Second Generation, who have had Dragon Lacrima implanted into their bodies, and the Third Generation, who are a combination of the previous two generations.

It seems that, for some reason, all Dragon Slayers of an advanced "level" suffer from severe motion sickness. At lower "levels", this isn't much of a problem, however, as the years pass, they too, will gain this weakness.

Dragon Slayer Magic has limitless functions in Edolas, and is valued as a priceless resource for everyday uses.

This form of Magic was born over four hundred years ago during the Dragon Civil War. The war that has been in a stalemate condition which scarred the land so badly, made the Dragons that supported co-existence between humans and dragons came up with a strategy wherein they taught humans Magic and were asked to join the war against the opposition faction.

The war that has been in stalemate began to favor the faction that supported co-existance. However there was a miscalculation that the Dragons had not predicted as the humans became corrupted by their Magic that they learned and started to slay all of the dragons from both factions, thus earning them the name "Dragon Slayers".

The MagicEdit

Dragon Slayer Magic (滅竜魔法 Metsuryū Mahō) is a Caster-Type Lost Magic utilized by Dragon Slayers.

Dragon Slayer Magic is a branch of Lost Magic which allows its users to transform their physical bodies into that of a Dragon. As a result, the user can transform their body into the element they control, utilizing both offensive and defensive styles. They can consume external sources of their respective natural element to replenish their own energy. A Dragon Slayer is immune to the effects of their own element, and can consume external sources of their element to replenish their strength. However, a Dragon Slayer cannot consume the element that they produce themselves, and elements must be consumed through the mouth. It is known that certain Dragon Slayers have been able to consume elements other than their own, allowing them to combine both elements inside their bodies and use them to increase their abilities.

There are two ways one can learn Dragon Slayer Magic. Through the first way, one must be taught by an actual Dragon. The ones who learned their Dragon Slayer Magic through this method are referred as First Generation Dragon Slayers. Through the second way, one must have Dragon Lacrima implanted into their body. The ones who learned their Dragon Slayer Magic through this method are referred as Second Generation Dragon Slayers. There is also another way which is a combination of the above two methods: ones who both learned their Dragon Slayer Magic by receiving the teachings of a Dragon and also having Lacrima implanted into their body. The ones who learned how perform Dragon Slayer Magic by utilizing both methods are referred as Third Generation Dragon Slayers.

First GenerationEdit

The original Dragon Slayers were taught their Dragon Slayer Magic by an actual Dragon. In most cases, the particular Dragon Slayer’s teacher was also their foster parent.

Second GenerationEdit

Those from this generation of Dragon Slayer have had Dragon Lacrima implanted into their bodies, granting them the ability to use Dragon Slayer Magic. Because they were not taught their abilities by a Dragon, they are considered artificial Dragon Slayers. Unlike the First Generation Dragon Slayers, they are capable of easily entering Dragon Force, seemingly of their own free will.

Third GenerationEdit

Dragon Slayers heralding from this generation have both been taught their Magic by actual Dragons and have had their bodies implanted with Dragon Lacrima. As with the previous generation of Dragon Slayers, these Dragon Slayers can also freely enter Dragon Force at will.

Dragon ForceEdit

Dragon Force (ドラゴンフォース, Doragon Fōsu) is an advanced Dragon Slayer ability. When a Dragon Slayer enters Dragon Force, they effectively turn into a humanoid Dragon, gaining reptile-esque scales and traits, such as further elongated, and sharper, canines for First Generation Dragon Slayers, and scaly arms, sometimes complete with claws, for Second Generation Dragon Slayers. Dragon Force is the final, most powerful state a Dragon Slayer can attain; granting them power comparable to that which a real Dragon possesses: the power to utterly destroy everything.

Dragon Force greatly increases the damage done by standard Dragon Slayer spells, and grants the user access to more advanced, powerful attacks. It also drastically enhances the user's physical prowess, making them far stronger, more resistant and faster, and considerably boosts their Magic Power, which becomes visible, taking the appearance of a Dragon. When exuded at its fullest, said Magic Power takes on a violent corporeality, likely as a result of the immense amount of Magic power employed.

  • For First Generation Dragon Slayers, those who have been taught their Magic by a real dragon, certain conditions must be met in order to enter Dragon Force: the only one known so far would be to eat substances with powerful Magical properties, preferably those somehow related to the element they can control and consume; while other, unrelated substances can be eaten as well, these have been described as being similar to "poison" for the user, causing heavy after effects, such as pain on activation and extreme exhaustion after use. However, it is likely that, due to it being considered the final state a Dragon Slayer can attain, a First Generation Dragon Slayer may eventually be able to freely enter Dragon Force without outside sources of power, like the Third Generation.
  • For Second Generation Dragon Slayers, those who have obtained their powers by implanting Dragon Lacrima in their body, they seemingly enter Dragon Force when they make use of their Dragon Slayer Magic, though this does not always seem to be the case.
  • Third Generation Dragon Slayers, those who have not only been taught by a Dragon but also have Dragon Lacrima implanted into their body, are capable of freely entering Dragon Force. However, the appearance of their Dragon Force is slightly different from the previous generations, for instead of actual scales, a scale-like design appears on their face and body.

Dual Element Dragon ModeEdit

Though unusual, only a few Dragon Slayers have obtained the ability to consume elements other than their own, allowing them to combine both elements inside their bodies and enabling them to utilize the properties of both elements besides increasing their destructive abilities. The two known Dragon Slayers capable of using this ability belong to the First Generation.

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Thursday 6/20/2013 11:43:00 PM

sinking bows offer their dim lights. the empty forest still hums. defiant of the darkness. her listening corprse has numbers to offer. the thorough horizon of flesh. separates lands and sky. her time travel is internal. her marathon runs in whispers.

if it's over and only the grave still waits. the taste is more measure than the sin.

hungry moments. chew on her. tumbling grief flattens. hollow hours.

the torn puppets. steal their dance from simple synonyms. the battered strings.define the madness. with letters from the future and choices from the past.

we name them. as we would any ghosts. processing the scars first. before swallowing the blood.

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Feelgood Choices

Loneliness is now recognised as among one of the major threats to health and wellbeing of the 21st century.  The Feelgood Factory is developing a range of programmes to combat this threat.

Why does it matter?

  • The impact of social isolation on mortality is comparable with the major risk factors for dying prematurely (smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity and obesity).
  • Social  isolation increases the risk of people entering institutional care.
  • Social isolation increases use of health and social care services.  For example rehospitalisation following discharge is 4-5 times more likely amongst those who are socially isolated.

What does the evidence say?

Group activities achieve better outcomes and those with an arts, educational learning or social focus are most beneficial.

The Feelgood Factory runs a menu of  successful programmes.

Feelgood Friday – This is a 16-week programme of tasters for people who have not been getting out much and have become stuck in a bit of a rut.  During the programme those attending will be helped to move on to other activities at the end of the run.FGF15

GAS—The Good Afternoon Social Group meets every Thursday afternoon in the Feelgood Factory.  GAS is an opportunity to meet people in a relaxed environment, to chat and share ideas and, from time to time, to go on visits to places of interest.

Feelgood Learning—Are you interested in learning new things in the company of others?  Feelgood Learning is an informal group that meets every Wednesday afternoon and looks at a range of topics in a relaxed but mentally stimulating way.  Subjects are chosen by group members and we then use literature, history, art and music or computers to explore them further.

Feelgood Craft—If you enjoy making things and using your hands creatively, then you will enjoy our crafting group which takes place every Monday afternoon.  No skills are necessary and help will be given where necessary.

One-to-one initiatives (e.g. befriending) are effective in certain circumstances.

The Feelgood Factory’s Befriending Scheme exists to improve the lives of people who cannot leave their own homes.  A befriender is a trained volunteer who can:

  • Come to your home and have a chat and a cuppa with you once a week.
  • Arrange to go out with you to libraries or places that you will find of interest.
  • Go with you to medical appointments
  • Be with you for at least 6 months.

Participatory initiatives are most effective.

In addition to the provision of groups we actively promote volunteering opportunities as a way of dealing with loneliness.We appreciate that this can be a big step to take so we provide support wherever desirable.

Telephone: 0151-291-8010

Charity no: 1074508

Company no: 3614799