Friday, February 15, 2013

Excise Duty on Securities

Photo from
As usually the case, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) decided to make a gift to taxpayers and improve the tax legislation for the New Year. One of the most striking products of this "improvement" is special tax on transactions in securities and derivatives (hereinafter - the "Special Tax").  The tax has been introduced by the Act of Ukraine "On Amendments to Tax Code of Ukraine with regard to Further Improvement of Administration of Taxes and Duties" of 6 December 2012 and has been effective since 1 January 2013.

It should be noted that, despite its name, the Special Tax is not a distinct tax, but merely a sort of excise duty. The proponents of the Bill have decided not to bother themselves with creating a new Chapter of the Tax Code of Ukraine for the introduction of the Special Tax qua separate tax. They have slighted the arguments put forward by the respective parliamentary committee in support of the fact that the proposed tax is a new and separate tax on financial transactions and cannot be considered an excise duty in terms of its economic substance.

Below is the brief description of the Special Tax.

Taxpayers. The Special Tax is chargeable on individuals and legal entities (irrespective of their residency). There are two types of the taxpayers: (i) those carrying out transactions in derivatives and (ii) those alienating securities. The taxpayers of the Special Tax are not subject to separate registration in the tax authorities.

Scope of the charge. By analogy with the taxpayers there are two groups of taxable transactions: (i) transactions in derivatives and (ii) transaction related to alienating securities (any form of disposal involving the transfer of the title). The taxable base is the contractual value of the securities or derivatives specified in the primary accounting documents.

Tax rates

Taxable transaction
Tax rate
Selling securities on a stock exchange with regard to which a stock exchange rate is calculated.

Transactions in derivatives conducted via a stock exchange.
Selling listed securities outside a stock exchange

Selling unlisted securities outside a stock exchange (securities not admitted to the trading on a stock exchange, or though admitted but traded as unlisted securities).
The execution of derivatives outside of a stock exchange.
5 tax-exempt incomes of citizens (UAH 85) for each executed derivative.

The mode of payment. The Special Tax should be withheld and remitted to the tax authorities by the tax agent by the deadline prescribed for a quarterly taxable period. The duties of tax agents are imposed on securities traders and the issuers of the securities of open-end investments funds (for the placement, redemption and repurchasing of such securities only). With regard to derivatives, the above fixed tax in the amount of 5 tax- exempt incomes of citizens is directly paid by the parties to derivatives (at least, such a conclusion can be drawn from reading the pure law, not yet covered by the clarifications of the tax authorities).  It is noteworthy that each party to the derivative is subject to the aforesaid fixed tax.

Risks and problems. The Act to the extent to which it concerns the determination of tax rate cannot brag about its unambiguousness which can naturally result in some problems and risks for the taxpayers.

First, the law is not completely clear on the point whether the taxpayer is eligible for the zero rate where the stock exchange rate has been calculated, but the securities of the taxpayer have not taken part in this calculation (the stock exchange rate has been calculated based on the bids/asks of other persons selling the same securities on the stock exchange). This may, for example, arise where the securities have been sold by the taxpayer based on the addressed bids/asks that are not taken into account when calculating the stock exchange rate.

It may be assumed that the tax authorities will pursue the position on the applicability of the zero rate only to those securities that have actually participated in the calculation of the stock exchange rate.

Secondly, in order to apply the zero rate to the transactions in securities traded on a  stock exchange the legislator requires  the stock exchange rate of such securities to be calculated in accordance with the requirements established by the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (hereinafter - "Commission") and approved by the central executive body in charge of financial policy. To date, the following requirements though set by the Commission (decision of 22 November 2012 1688), but without any approval on the part of the above-mentioned central executive body (probably, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine).

So, on formal grounds (the lack of the approval referred above) the tax authorities may not recognize the entitlement to the zero rate in respect of any transaction in securities carried out on the stock exchange.

Thirdly, the legislators have, for unknown reasons, forgotten to set forth a tax rate for transactions in securities conducted on a stock exchange with regard to which the stock exchange rate has not been computed. This may, for example, occur when during the trading session of a stock exchange in the course of which the taxpayer sold his securities there were less than three unaddressed bids and less than three unaddressed asks pertaining to the respective securities. Under the Procedure for Determining Stock Exchange Rate of Securities approved by the above decision of the Commission, in order for a stock exchange rate to be calculated there must be not less that the above specified number of the unaddressed bids and asks in relation to such securities.

If the stock exchange rate of securities has not been computed, but they have been sold on a stock exchange, then, on the one hand, there are no grounds to apply the zero rate, and, on the other hand, there are no grounds for the application of other rates (0.1% and 1.5%) either. The latter are relevant for transaction in securities carried out outside a stock exchange only.

How to act in this situation seems to be a sophisticated question. It is logical to argue that because the rate is not specified, the tax should not be levied at all. Not surprisingly, the tax authorities may have their separate opinion on this matter.

Policy considerations. Finally, here are some speculations on the policy consideration underlying the launch of the Specific Tax. Given that the exemption (zero rate) is granted to transactions in securities and derivatives traded on a stock exchange, it is not difficult to guess that one of the key objectives was to support the business of stock exchanges. But is this really the main purpose?

Perhaps, by enacting the Act the legislator intended to strike a blow to tax avoidance (tax mitigation). It is not a secret for anybody that securities are widely used in tax avoidance schemes. If the blow to tax avoidance has been stricken indeed, this will hold true only for securities that cannot be traded on a stock exchange at all (e.g. promissory notes).

“Tricks” with promissory notes with 1.5% tax charged at each stage of the sale may be too expensive to afford. In the meanwhile, as for shares and bonds, there should be no serious problems. In order for the zero rate to become applicable, it suffices to include the securities in the list of a stock exchange as unlisted securities which can be done almost anytime and even with reference to securities of rather dubious quality.


Location: 2351 E. Wheeling Ave., Cambridge; 2022 Southgate Parkway, Cambridge

Hours: Wheeling Avenue: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Daily; Southgate Parkway: 24 hours

Phone: Wheeling Avenue: 740-432-7682; Southgate Parkway: 740-439-4143

At McDonald's they make changes based on what they're hearing from their customers. They use 100 percent real beef patties, make Eggs McMuffins with freshly cracked eggs and use sustainably sourced Alaskan Pollock for their fish filets.


FEMA to Restart Katrina Housing Program

By  |

FEMA is going to restart a housing program for Hurricane Katrina victims in Texas this week. The agency will also start working on letters to explain to families why their housing assistance was cut off this past summer.

The move comes under the order of a U.S. district court judge who ruled that FEMA violated the constitution when it ended its housing program. The judge also said FEMA didn't adequately explain why it shut down the program.

But restarting the program could turn into an awkward situation for the agency. FEMA has challenged the ruling, and a decision on the appeal won't come until at least the middle of the week.


Outstanding works

Outstanding works

Monumental and simple, ancient and modern. There are works of art gracing every corner of the Spanish territory. Some are the creations left behind by long-gone ancient civilisations. Others offer a mute witness to the evolution of customs and tastes in Spanish society from past centuries to the present day. There are also contemporary creations, which can take their place on today's worldwide cultural landscape. The dialogue which evolves between all these works of art is one of Spain's greatest cultural treasures.

spain is culture


Beauty and Its Modes
Spring 2007

Roger Scruton

1. The Judgement of Beauty
2. Taste and Order
3. Form and Expression
4. The Place of Beauty

            What do we mean when we praise a landscape, a painting, a piece of music or a person as 'beautiful'? Does this word have a single meaning, and does it denote a single value? Why do we describe the object of sexual attraction using the same term that we use to describe a successful work of art? What is, and what ought to be, the place of beauty in the hierarchy of values, and how is it related to moral, political and personal ideals?

            Those are just some of the questions that will be covered in this stimulating course, covering some of the groundwork of philosophical aesthetics, as well as problems and arguments in the philosophy of mind. We shall look at what has been said about beauty by the great philosophers, and also at what it is possible to say about it now.

            Prof. Roger Scruton is the UK's leading conservative philosopher. He has published several outstanding books in this area, including:

Art and Imagination,
The Aesthetic Understanding,
The Aesthetics of Architecture,
The Aesthetics of Music,
Death-Devoted Heart: Sex and the Sacred in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde.


Blog Archives

NASA Adds to Evidence of Mysterious Ancient Earthworks

The discovery was happenstance.

Archaeologists Unearth Spectacular 3,500-Year-Old Warrior’s Grave in Pylos

Ancient Shrines Used for Predicting the Future Discovered

ancient shrines, gegharot archaeology, divination, ancient hilltop fortress

Credit: Photo courtesy Professor Adam Smith

Predicting the future

Flour for the future?

Future’s end

This gave me a lot of good ideas for treasure, but in particular for a magical crown of indeterminate construction, symbols and glyphs, decoration, and powers.

Actually, far more a powerful relic than a mere magical object.

The Nahal Mishmar Treasure

The objects in the Nahal Mishmar hoard appear to have been hurriedly collected. It has been suggested that the hoard was the sacred treasure belonging to a shrine at Ein Gedi, some twelve kilometers away. Set in an isolated region overlooking the Dead Sea, the Ein Gedi shrine consists of a large mudbrick walled enclosure with a gatehouse. Across from the gatehouse is the main structure, a long narrow room entered through a doorway in the long wall. In the center of the room and on either side of the doorway are long narrow benches. Opposite the door is a semicircular structure on which a round stone pedestal stood, perhaps to support a sacred object. The contents of the shrine were hidden in the cave at Nahal Mishmar, perhaps during a time of emergency. The nature and purpose of the hoard remains a mystery, although the objects may have functioned in public ceremonies.

This Ancient Pigment Could Soon Be Used to See Through Your Skin

This Ancient Pigment Could Soon Be Used to See Through Your Skin

Egyptian Blue in the Ancient World

This Ancient Pigment Could Soon Be Used to See Through Your Skin

Egyptian Blue in the Hospital

This Ancient Pigment Could Soon Be Used to See Through Your Skin

Images: Walters Art Museum

Divers Retrieve ‘Atlantis’ Metal Orichalcum from Ancient Shipwreck

Atlantis Map
(Photo : Athanasius Kircher)

There is a Secret few will know
Until that day it rises up,
For buried deep beneath the Earth
Lie coiling serpents in a cup,

Long before came history
To marque out frontiers of the past,
There toiled and bled unspoken days
That men today should flee aghast,

Wonders weird and terrors dark
Did stalk about the world those nights,
When those we’d hardly recognize
Did marvels by their hoary might,

Too long in sand or sea or clay
Has lain the wreckage of their age,
But those with other eyes to see
May still by peerage time assuage,

Specters worn by passage deep
Spectacular in deathless climes
Have breached the wall of life again,
And up from Hell made dreadful climb;

I’ve watched from shores by looking glass
As all these things have sure approached,
As seas disgorge the ancient rimes
That feed those things that do encroach,

And man with gore and screams of pain
Will roil in grave and long revolt,
But to what end I cannot name
Of torture, doom, or final hope?

Chaos will man gather round
Calling for it from afar,
A Heart of Stone imperfect cut
Whose pulse does beat for blood bizarre,

Like nothing man thinks anymore
Except in Secrets buried deep,
When questioned if he is in truth
A Man like God, or that which creeps,

It is not for me to say
What Man will be or where he goes,
Knowing only that I watch
As man revisits with his Ghosts,

Yet this I’ll say and temper hard
With all I know of what’s no more,
The day comes swift when men will find
That death is what they least abhor…

because these things are engraven by Tome and Tomb

Although not generally listed as such, it was truly one of the Wonders of the ancient world.

The Temple Mount in the Herodian period (37 BC–70 A.D.)

Leen Ritmeyer   •  12/03/2014

Following on from our previous drawing, the Temple Mount during the Hellenistic and Hasmonean periods, we now examine the Temple Mount during the Herodian period. This was, of course, the Temple that is mentioned in the New Testament.rit1

In 19 B.C. the master-builder, King Herod the Great, began the most ambitious building project of his life—the rebuilding of the Temple and the Temple Mount in lavish style. To facilitate this, he undertook a further expansion of the Hasmonean Temple Mount by extending it on three sides, to the north, west and south. Today’s Temple Mount boundaries still reflect this enlargement.

The cutaway drawing below allows us to recap on the development of the Temple Mount so far:

A visualization of this Temple Mount was made possible by combining the historical sources with the results of archaeological exploration. The main historical source is the first-century historian Josephus Flavius. His works, The Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities, although prone to exaggeration, are indispensable for this period. Also invaluable is the Mishnah, the earliest code of rabbinic law, written about 200 A.D., particularly the Tractate Middot, which deals with measurements. The New Testament adds further detail and context. All this was augmented by the results of the excavations to the south and west of the Temple Mount following the Six-Day War in 1967.

Read “Quarrying and Transporting Stones for Herod’s Temple Mount” by Leen Ritmeyer as it was published in BAR.

The Western Wall, which had four gates, was placed some 82 feet (25 m) outside the square platform with its southwest corner built on the opposite side of the Tyropoeon Valley.

The Southern Wall featured two gates, the Double Gate and the Triple Gate, often erroneously referred to as the Huldah Gates.

The most fortified feature in the Northern Wall was the massive Antonia Fortress (right in the drawing below), built to protect the Temple against attacks coming from the north and to guard the mount in times of strife. A large reservoir, the Pool of Israel (left) provided additional protection to the Temple Mount.

Once the platform was completed, double colonnades, or porticoes, were built above the outer walls to provide shelter from the elements. A huge hall called the Royal Stoa, with four rows of columns, was erected on the southern end. The pre-existing eastern portico that stood on the square mount was left unchanged. As it belonged to a pre-Herodian period, it was called Solomon’s Porch. Near the center of this platform a new gold-covered Temple was constructed that in turn was surrounded by many other buildings.

In 70 A.D., this splendid structure that had taken 46 years to build (John 2.20) was destroyed by the Romans. The only vestiges of the compound to survive the destruction were the four retaining walls that supported the Temple platform; the best known today is the Western Wall.

This drawing is the 7th in this series that were made specially for the new Temple Mount guide book that is awaiting publication. For the previous drawings see: Mount Moriah, Jebusites, Solomon, Hezekiah, Nehemiah and the Hellenistic and Hasmonean periods.

leen-ritmeyerLeen Ritmeyer is an archaeological architect who has been involved in all of Jerusalem’s major excavations. He was chief architect of the Temple Mount Excavations, directed by the late Prof. Benjamin Mazar, and of the Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, directed by the late Prof. Nahman Avigad, both of the Hebrew University. Together with his wife, Kathleen, he runs a firm called Ritmeyer Archaeological Design, which produces teaching and learning tools used throughout the world and offers consultancy on archaeological background and illustration. In 2006, his major work, The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, was published after thirty years of intensive research.

I’m familiar with these places. As a matter of fact they show up in my Other World novels.

Nevertheless they are as fascinating to me now and when I first learned of them.

In addition to the Real World significance of these domains this also possesses very under-utilized story and gaming possibilities. And God, yes, I’d love to vad these places.

This Guy Knocked Down A Wall In His House. He Never Expected This To Behind It. WOAH!

Province of Turkey was doing a little home remodeling. He decided to knock down a wall of his home for an expansion. He discovered a hidden room behind the wall with a slender hallway carved out of of the stone below his home. The hallway lead to a cave-like room which lead to more hallways and cave-like rooms. Before he knew it he had stumbled onto an entire city underground and attached to his home. The city was completely empty and abandoned but it had every amenity you would need to sustain a society. What he had stumbled on by accident was Derinkuyu and The underground cities of Cappadocia.
underground city 1

These tunnels are believed to be hand dug around the 15th and 12th century BCE. They sheltered the people and their food from the extreme climates above. They also served as protection from an enemy attack.

underground city 2

Here is A small drawing of what these underground cities look like. The ground is primarily made of ash and volcanic material making it easy to excavate and still very durable. No one is sure who first occupied the underground city however it is certain that many groups have occupied it over the centuries.

underground city 3

With up to 11 floors at points accessible to the public, the city reaches depths of over 280 feet below the surface. 11 floors have been excavated and deemed safe for tourism however it is speculated that there are over 18 floors below that have yet to be discovered.

underground city 4

The miles upon miles of tunnels are blackened from centuries of torches traveling through them. The city connects to other cities in the area spanning miles which would be able to sustain tens of thousands of people at one time.

underground city 5

The underground tunnels lead to giant rooms that housed schools, wine cellars, oil press rooms, churches, gathering halls, shops, tombs, arsenals, livestock corrals, escape routes and water wells separated from the surface water.

underground city 6

There are over 100 entrances to the underground cities but each and every one of them are hidden behind bushes or walls, even courtyards had entrances that were hidden but big enough to move livestock in and out of.

underground city 7

The entrances and other important rooms were guarded with giant stone doors. They were hand carved and weigh up to 1,00 pounds. Some are over 5 feet in diameter.

underground city 8

Underground river systems were used as drinking sources in order to avoid being poisoned by surface water susceptible to enemies above ground.

underground city 10

 How amazing is this place? I’m astounded that it was completely built by hand.

underground city 11

The size of the rooms is incredible. Right now about 10% of the underground city is open to the public but it was only discovered in 1963 so experts still have a lot to excavate and document.

underground city 12

This is one of the well shafts. They built it so that the vent shaft did not reach the surface. This would prevent any poisoning from enemies on the surface.

underground city 13

This is a vertical staircase leading to a floor below. These lead to most levels and can be very dangerous.

underground city 14

The tunnels were dug very narrow to force people to walk through them single file. This would give the people living in the underground cities an advantage over their enemies.

underground city 16

The room above is a wine cellar and cold food storage. The amount of detail and time that went into each room is impressive to say the least. To think that this may still be sitting undiscovered if it weren’t for one man who decided to remodel his home. He knocked down one wall and opened a door to another society completely hidden underground. A society hidden for thousands of years only to revealed in 1963.

early human populations extensively explored the planet,” … yeah, no kidding. Nevertheless the exact means and routes are still quite fascinating.

Studies show early contact between Easter Island and the Americas

The first known painting of Easter Island in 1775 by William Hodges. Image: Public Domain

The findings reported in the journal Current Biology lend the first genetic support for such an early trans-Pacific route between Polynesia and the Americas, an impressive trek of more than 4,000 kilometres (nearly 2,500 miles).

A need for re-evaluation

The findings are a reminder that “early human populations extensively explored the planet,” says Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas from the Natural History Museum of Denmark’s Centre for GeoGenetics. “Textbook versions of human colonisation events—the peopling of the Americas, for example—need to be re-evaluated utilising genomic data.”

Archaeological evidence had suggested that 30 to 100 Polynesian men, women, and children first landed on Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, around AD 1200, arriving in two or more double-hulled canoes. After settling on the isolated island, the Rapanui famously built giant stone platforms and over 900 statues, some weighing as much as 82 tons.

While it may have taken weeks for Polynesians to reach even the closest nearby islands, there are hints of contact with the larger world. For example, there is evidence for the presence of crops native to the Americas in Polynesia, including the Andean sweet potato, long before the first reported European contact.

Contact 19-23 generations ago

Genome-wide analysis of 27 native Rapanui now confirms significant contact between the island people and Native Americans sometime between approximately AD 1300 and AD 1500, 19 to 23 generations ago. The Rapanui population began mixing with Europeans only much later, in about 1850. The ancestry of the Rapanui today is 76% Polynesian, 8% Native American, and 16% European.

The new evidence about the Rapanui suggests one of two scenarios: either Native Americans sailed to Rapa Nui or Polynesians sailed to the Americas and back. The researchers say that it seems more likely that the Rapanui successfully made the trip back and forth, given simulations presented in previous studies showing that “all sailing voyages heading intentionally east from Rapa Nui would always reach the Americas, with a trip lasting from two weeks to approximately two months.” On the other hand, the trip from the Americas to Rapa Nui is much more challenging, which would have made it likely to fail or miss the island completely. From the Americas, Rapa Nui is indeed a small target, which might also explain why it took Europeans so long to find it.

Genome-wide Ancestry Patterns in Rapanui Suggest Pre-European Admixture with Native AmericansCurrent Biology

A second article in Current Biology by Malaspinas along with Eske Willerslev and their colleagues examined two human skulls representing the indigenous “Botocudos” of Brazil to find that their genomic ancestry is Polynesian, with no detectable Native American component at all.

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Unsung Atlanta Behind the Photographs: Overlooking Atlanta

As I was driving around Atlanta seeking the the unseen beauty of the city, I made an impromptu stop at the cemetery where this photo was taken.  I had passed the entrance to the place many times and had wondered what was behind the large trees obscuring the view.  Today was the day to find out.

Once I drove through the entrance gate, I saw that the cemetery was built on a steep hill.  I drove to the top and found a good place to park.  When I got out of my car, the statue you see of the couple with their arms around each other immediately caught my eye.  I walked around and photographed the statue from different angles, but when I stood behind the statue and could see all the way to the buildings downtown, I knew I had my shot.  This was another one of those moments where I couldn't just take the photo and leave.  Once I had the images I wanted, I put the camera down and experienced the moment myself, taking in the same view those two had been looking at since they were placed there.

I ended up using this image in a lot of the promotional material for Unsung Atlanta because I believe it is the purest representation of my vision for this project.  There is an element of togetherness as the two statues hold each other and experience the breathtaking scene.  There is the love for the city that they are overlooking, almost looking out for like guardian angels.  There is the uncertainty and the unsettling feeling of not knowing what will come next for their home.  But most of all there is hope—hope that as we zigzag through the ups and downs the future will bring that we will continue to move towards justice for the downtrodden, equality for those who have been counted as less, peace for those hurt by conflict, and love for all people across our city and our world.


Handy Hangover Cures for the Holiday Season

woman-hangoverWhen it comes to drinking, it’s all about damage limitation. Look after your body in the long term and your body will look after your hangover when it looms largely over your day. Even the most self-respecting Belle will admit to a little overindulgence at this time of year, so Shona Wilkinson, head nutritionist at www.nutricentre.com, has shared her top tips with us to hangover-proof your New Year!

Power on with Protein!
“Before heading out, make sure you eat a meal containing lots of protein (fish, meat, nuts, seeds, eggs, tofu) before you go out. Protein takes a long time to digest so it helps to line the stomach. Also as a preventative measure, take a milk thistle tincture before you party as this helps the liver deal with the toxins that will be introduced to the body.  Before bed, have a snack to help balance blood sugar levels – try marmite, humous or peanut butter on wholegrain toast,”’ says Shona.

Face facts!
Woken up looking like the bride of Dracula with last night’s make-up smeared all over your face?  Let the power of fruit enzymes get your skin glowing in no time!  MyChelle‘s new, festive White Cranberry Cleanser, at £8.50, naturally exfoliates, cleanses and brightens (www.mychelleuk.com).  WillowBark and Totarol help bring balance to oily and blemish-prone skin conditions. Pomegranate, a super fruit rich in antioxidants and naturally exfoliating fruit acids, protects against environmental aggressors, while keeping pores clear and skin calm.

Get juiced!
Resist that fat Cola and try a natural nutrient booster instead.  Shona suggests “In the morning, have a smoothie made of banana, kiwi, flaxseed, cinnamon and spirulina and omega 3. This will ensure a good supply of vitamins and help balance blood sugar levels.’’ Add some Omega 3 to make for the ultimate hangover smoothie, VeryWise’s new OmegaWise with mango and peach tastes great and contains your RDA ofOmega 3 and Vitamin D (£8.80 from www.verywisenutrition.co.uk).

B Prepared

Alcohol destroys your body’s vital energy boosting and nervous system protecting  B vitamins. Ensure you keep your B levels topped up the day before a big drinking session with a B complex like Quest’s new Mega B 50, £6.69 for a month’s supply from www.nutricentre.com

Hangovers – separating the fact from the fiction

1. Can food really help with a hangover or is it a myth?
Hangover symptoms show that the body is suffering from dehydration, mineral loss and low blood sugar, as well as the presence of toxic metabolites of alcohol. We can use food to prevent or reduce hangover symptoms, because certain nutrients are used for the body’s detoxification processes. We can use food and drink to counteract dehydration and nutrient loss caused by drinking, as well as to support balanced energy levels.

2. What should you eat before you go out and why?
The best foods and drinks to focus on are those which promote liver function. Firstly ensure you have protein (eggs, meat, fish, beans and lentils) because some amino acids facilitate detoxification, particularly of acetaldehyde which is thought to be a cause of unpleasant hangover symptoms. Secondly ensure you have antioxidant-rich fruits, fresh vegetables and leafy greens because they offer protection from free radicals which are considered another cause of hangovers.

Overall, it’s important that you do eat before drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol and additionally reduce the irritation that it causes to the stomach. Include healthy fats such as an olive oil dressing to slow absorption of alcohol, thereby slowing the work for your liver.

3. What should you eat the next day and why?
Start the day with a protein- and nutrient-rich breakfast.  Ideally choose eggs, because they are rich in cysteine which is needed to break down acetaldehyde. Try a healthier cooked breakfast of poached eggs, green leafy vegetables, grilled tomatoes and wholegrain bread. Keep your energy up by having plenty of slow release carbohydrates from wholegrains and vegetables.

Keep well hydrated by drinking plenty of water, or even better drink coconut water as it’s naturally rich in electrolytes which helps to better hydrate you – like a sports drink but without artificial sweeteners. You could also have a fruit smoothie. Alcohol consumption results in dehydration which contributes to symptoms such as headache and fatigue, so this is very important.

4. What foods and drinks should you avoid (before and after drinking)?
Before, during and after drinking it’s best to avoid sugary foods and drinks, because alcohol consumption tends to play havoc with energy and blood sugar control. Refined sugars will compound this problem so it’s better to focus on protein and unrefined carbohydrates which release glucose slowly.

After drinking it’s best to avoid caffeine because it could worsen the dehydration.  Finally, after drinking the stomach may be irritated so it’s best to avoid very spicy or fatty fried foods.  It’s not wise to start drinking alcohol the next day because it prolongs the period of time for which your liver is processing alcohol.

Here’s to a hangover-free New Year. Cheers!

Emily Cleary

Emily Cleary

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Marcelo Gleiser

Gleiser is the author of the books The Prophet and the Astronomer (Norton & Company, 2003); The Dancing Universe: From Creation Myths to the Big Bang (Dartmouth, 2005); A Tear at the Edge of Creation (Free Press, 2010); and The Island of Knowledge (Basic Books, 2014). He is a frequent presence in TV documentaries and writes often for magazines, blogs and newspapers on various aspects of science and culture.

He has authored over 100 refereed articles, is a Fellow and General Councilor of the American Physical Society and a recipient of the Presidential Faculty Fellows Award from the White House and the National Science Foundation.

In 1915, Albert Einstein concluded his General Theory of Relativity, a theory that would revise our understanding of gravity in radical ways.

Before Einstein, the dominant description of gravitational phenomena was based on Isaac Newton's theory, proposed in 1687. According to Newton, every two objects with mass attract one another with a force proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their distance: double the distance, the attraction falls by a factor of four.

Albert Einstein didn't like them.

To him, black holes were a bit of an embarrassment, as they compromised his dream of a "rational" nature, that is, natural phenomena that we could describe and quantify with the usual methods of science. According to this view, good scientific theories shouldn't generate absurd (read: "irrational") results.

America seems to be a magnet for devastating hurricanes these days.

Hurricane Harvey is a devastating reminder of how helpless we are when facing nature's human-dwarfing powers.

We dig holes and barricades, build dams and create ingenious systems of canals and levees. We try to pull the brakes on natural forces, or at least tame them. These measures protect us, and we surely would be worse off without them. We have come a long way since our cave dwellings.

This has been quite a space week for Americans.

"Nature loves to hide."

I entered the packed cafeteria with tray in hand, searching for the right food to eat.

Around me, hundreds of people of all ages spoke excitedly in dozens of different languages, commenting on each other's ideas, asking questions, and thinking of the next steps in their research programs.

Lunchtime at the United Nations?

There is comfort in distance, especially when the distance is in time.

Things that will happen far in the future seem not to bother us much, given that we will, most likely, be out of the picture.

A little less than a year ago, I wrote on these pages about the long-standing controversy of whether running is good or bad for your heart.

The history of science — in particular the physical sciences, like physics and astronomy — can be told as the incremental realization that there is large-scale coherence in the universe.

By large-scale coherence, I mean that some of the same physical laws hold at scales as diverse as the atom and the galaxy, and even the universe as a whole. In a sense, the universe speaks one language and scientists act as the interpreters, translating this language in terms that humans can understand and relate to.

Why all the violence?

Our Choking Seas

Apr 29, 2017

Time is our greatest ally and our greatest enemy.


Posted in Reading, Writing

BTN: History of the Alphabet

History of the Alphabet BTN story 12/9/17

1. What did the BTN story explain?
2. When and where did the Phoenicians live?
3. What did their alphabet look like?
4. The Phoenician alphabet included both consonants and vowels. True or false?
5. What did the Greeks add to the alphabet?
6. Who spread the alphabet around Europe and England?
7. Which letters did the English include?
8. Different languages used different _______________.
9. Not all languages use the alphabet. Some use…
10. Name three things you learnt about the alphabet watching the BTN story

Extension: Today emojis are used in a similar way to hieroglyphs, communicating thoughts and ideas through images. Design your own set of emojis and include meanings for each emoji. Emoji characters can include facial expressions, hand gestures, objects, places and animals. Design a message, which can be displayed in our classroom. 🙂 🙂

Posted in Writing

Zoom Writing

Zoom out from a picture

Here are some great examples of zoom posts to give you an idea of how it all works check them out before posting a comment.

Zoom Writing on Miss Scarrott’s blog 2015

Zoom Writing on Brett’s blog from 6K 2015

Huzzah – zoom out

Jacqueline – the zoom game

Posted in Writing

Writing Prompt

Use this picture as a prompt to write a snapshot.

Who’s hands are they?
Why are they behind bars?
Where are they?

Remember to use ‘show me don’t tell me’ and include interesting descriptions and information in your piece.

If you would like to publish your writing please post as a comment below 🙂

Posted in Reading, Writing

Year in review

Watch the BTN episode 2016 Year in review and then answer the questions below.

1. What do you think was the most interesting Aussie news event this year? Explain your answer.
2. Which world news story would you like to know more about? Why?
3. Which world news story had the biggest impact on you this year? Why?
4. Which story about kids did you find the most inspirational this year? Why?
5. If you were a rookie reporter, what would you report on?
6. What topics or issues would you like to see reported on BtN next year?
7. What do you think was the funniest moment on BtN this year?
8. What changes would you make to BtN?
Test your knowledge by taking this end of year quiz – Good luck!

Posted in Geography, Writer's Workshop, Writing

Dangerous Journeys to school

Click here to see how determined some children can be when it comes to getting an education.

After looking at the 25 different journeys to school (see link above), write a snapshot (in your draft book) telling the story of one of these students going to school or write a snapshot of how you get to school. When your draft is completed revise, edit and then publish as a comment on this post.

Posted in Reading, Writing

Reading an informative text

Today you will use the knowledge you have gained about Information Report text features and structure to help you read and answer questions in a text titled ‘Fashion Rules’.

Fashion rules!

Teenage boy wearing casual clothes Three female fashion models

Australian children think that fashion is important. And it’s not just the teenagers. Children as young as five now like wearing the latest styles. However, research shows that this is costing parents a lot of money.

In 2011, Australian parents spent an average of $550 on clothing for each child under the age of 12. This was an increase of 25% from 2010. Most of the increase has been caused by the purchase of trendy clothing, which is often more expensive. Sally Hayes is the manager of a large chain of Australian department stores. She says, ‘Children, especially girls, are no longer interested in wearing boring clothing. They like dressing in styles that are worn by pop stars and other celebrities. If they see something in a magazine or on the internet, they want to be able to buy it the next day. We supply what they want’. Recent favourites are short skirts, torn fabrics and high heels.

Boys are also keen to look the part. Boys prefer coloured jeans and t-shirts that are worn under open shirts. Adelaide mother Angela Jackson says, ‘My 10-year-old son is a keen skateboarder who wants to look like his skating heroes on television. As long as the clothing is comfortable, I am happy to buy it for him’.

Children’s health expert Dr Paul Telford worries about the amount of money that families are spending on their children’s clothes. ‘Many families are struggling to make ends meet,’ he says. ‘Parents tell me that they buy trendy clothes for their children because they want them to fit in with other kids. I think it would be better if children wore sensible clothes that did not cost too much. This would mean that families could spend their money on things that are more important, such as books and holidays together.’

Two of Australia’s biggest department stores predict that by 2016, families will be spending over a billion dollars every year on children’s clothing. The increase will be the result of more advertising on television and the internet that encourages kids to follow the latest fashions.

Read ‘Fashion rules’ then answer the questions in full sentences and with detailed answers.

  1. What does the text suggest about fashion?
  2. What does it say about boys? Girls?
  3. Angela Jackson says, ‘As long as the clothing is comfortable, I am happy to buy it for him.’ What does this suggests? Can you work out her attitude in what she says?
  4. Write 2 facts and 2 opinions from this text.
  5. Look for the reasons that Dr Telford gives for his opinion about kids’ fashions. What do you think are the words that best describe him?
  6. What is the importance of mathematics in this report?

Posted in Reading, Writing

Figurative Language

We are learning about figurative language. Today we watched some YouTube clips about metaphors, similes and personification. We also listened to a catchy song about similes and metaphors. Here they are;

Why do good writers use figurative language in their texts?

Can you give some good examples of figurative language?

Posted in Writing

Mystery of Oak Island

Last term year 6 students used ‘The mystery of Oak Island’ as inspiration to write a story.

Here is the unit of work in a  PowerPoint Presentation.

The mystery of oak island writing unit

Watch the Youtube clip to find out more about ‘The Mystery of Oak Island’.

Another video with a timeline and information about the Oak Island Mystery.

I was very impressed with the range of ideas and stories created by the students. We will be sharing the stories on the students blogs when they are published, so stay tuned…..

Have you heard of this story before?

What do you think about the mystery?


Date of Conferral

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

Douglas Campbell

Economic and climate changes, combined with changing government regulations, are altering the strategic business model for small farm operators and necessitating their reliance on multiple income sources to maintain financial viability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies of 3 small farming businesses in California's San Joaquin Valley that successfully implemented value-added products which contributed to their financial sustainability. Data from semistructured interviews and relevant documents were analyzed through the lens of system theory, utilizing in vivo coding to identify patterns and themes. Three high-level themes emerged: knowledge, marketing, and networking. The theme of knowledge reflects the value of pre-existing and new knowledge. The theme of marketing reflects 3 key areas including differentiation of value-added products, customer experience, and the value of word of mouth and social media marketing. The networking theme reflects the value of professional and community networking and connecting with family and friends. The findings of this case study may have implications for positive social and economic change. Farmers who sustain their operations and remain financially viable contribute to the local economy, provide continuing knowledge of agricultural practices to future generations, and contribute to the stability of available food. Providing information on successful value-added strategies used by a group of small farm operators may assist other owners of small farms looking to add value-added products and increase farm income. Doing so could lead to increased employment and a stronger local tax base.

Included in

Agriculture Commons


Thursday, 28 May 2015

What is Atychiphobia?

 - Tsz Ching Cheung

Hello, everyone - it's my first blog post for Student Minds. It's the first time for me to talk openly about my mental health history. I sincerely hope that it might help you understand more about Atychiphobia.

Before I talk about my experiences, let's understand what Atychiphobia is.

According to Wikipedia, Atychiphobia is the abnormal, unwarranted, and persistent fear of failure. Individuals with Atychiphobia tend to set excessively high standards for themselves. They believe that if they are not 'successful enough', they will be worthless and unloved. As a result, they feel anxious at any occasions in which they have to be examined, including homework, examinations, interviews, etc.

Ironically, since they have set such a ridiculously high standard for themselves, it is almost impossible for them to reach the standard. They feel like there is no chance for them to do the task 'perfectly'. They start to get more and more anxious, and finally overwhelmed by the negative emotions. As a result, they choose to procrastinate or even totally give up on the task.

In the academic setting, it can be hard to live with Atychiphobia. We often want to get nothing less than full marks. So if we could only achieve 95 at the moment, we would just give up. It's because if we do not do the task, we would never fail (and never win, of course).

How does it feel to have Atychiphobia? Well, I can try to explain!

Let's imagine that you have to finish an essay. It's extremely difficult, and you have absolutely no clue how to write it.

And you have less than 1 week to finish the essay.

You try to start with the introduction, but everything you write just looks terrible.

"Oh my God, the sentence structure looks awful...."

"Have I used the right words?"

"Should I start with the second paragraph instead...but I don't know what to write! I'm such an idiot!"

"What if the marker finds the introduction not impressive enough? Will I get a low grade because of it? What should I do?"

So you change the words. And you change them again. And again.

But no matter how to modified the sentence, it just looks equally disastrous.

You feel like your chest is being burnt. Your heart rate increases, you breathe faster, and it seems like there is a fire rising in your lungs.

The only thing you could think about is what might happen if you fail this assignment. Your parents no longer love you, your teachers are disappointed, and you lose all your friends at school.

You are overwhelmed with the negative emotions, and you can no longer focus on the task. As a result, you decide to leave the desk.

The same thing happens over and over again.  Every time when you try to do the assignment, you're defeated by the anxiety.

But as time passes, the deadline looms closer and closer.

You feel more and more hopeless. You feel like it is impossible for you to finish the essay.

The more you procrastinate, the more difficult the task looks.

The more difficult the task looks, the more likely that you'll procrastinate.

Finally, the deadline has arrived, and you haven't even written 1 word.

A lot of people thought Atychiphobia only occurs in the context of examinations or competition, where the performance of participants is directly evaluated. In fact, Atychiphobia could appear anywhere

A person with Atychiphobia can get anxious at lectures because he is worried that he might not behave like a perfect student. He could also get anxious at a gym, as he is afraid that he might not use the equipment perfectly. He might even get anxious at social interaction because he fears that he might not look perfect enough.

It is not uncommon for individuals to not hand in homework, not attend examinations or give up on interviews. Therefore, it can lead to significant consequences.

What makes it worse is that teachers and parents often find it very difficult to understand Atychiphobia. Individuals with Atychiphobia tend to be quite intelligent and hard-working, and usually have demonstrated excellent performances in the past. As you can imagine, teachers can't understand why a straight-A student would suddenly decide to give up on his examination or avoid going to school. They would think, why don't they just do the homework? They are neither stupid nor lazy, so why don't they just try HARDER?

Also, individuals with Atychiphobia might not necessarily demonstrate anxiety in places other than the school or examination centre. In my experience, I did not show extreme emotional responses when I wasn't in school. So when I went to talk with teachers in restaurants, they did not believe that I had any mental illness and I should be able to think myself out of fear and panic. As a result, individuals with Atychiphobia often need to face not only the illness itself, but also the misunderstanding from teachers and parents that can occur.

Finally, I want to share a few tips in taking care of friends and family with Atychiphobia.

There are five sentences that you should never say to an individual that is suffering from Atychiphobia.

1. "Just relax! You won't die even if you fail!"

Seriously, if someone said this to me four years ago, I would EXPLODE!

2. "Why haven't you finished your homework? The deadline is coming!"

As I have mentioned, procrastination is a common trait of Atychiphobia. They do not procrastinate because they are lazy - they procrastinate because they are anxious. Therefore, it means that they know that they are running out of time, but they just could not do it. They have probably been criticising themselves for days. So do them a favour, don't blame them!

3. "I just want you to finish the homework, it doesn't matter even if you do a terrible job."

But in their mind, 'doing a terrible job' is a lot more horrifying than 'not being able to finish the job'!

4. "Have you thought about the consequences of......"

Yes, they have. They know it more than you do. They just can't do it.

5. "Please, couldn't you just do it for me?"

People with Atychiphobia do care about their family and friends. They really want to satisfy your wants - they just can't do it. Saying this will just make them feel more and more and guilty, and it does nothing but worsen the situation.

Thursday, 21 May 2015

How to Run a Mental Health Conference - Student Minds Cambridge

- An Interview with Student Minds Cambridge

Student Minds Cambridge recently ran their second annual conference on mental health. It was another highly successful event, with five speakers attending and a full audience. We asked the team behind the conference why they decided to set up a mental health conference on campus and how they managed to make it so successful.

What inspired you to set up a mental health conference? What was the background to the initial planning?

Izzy Tilley, Vice-President:

We really wanted to run a mental health conference this year to follow on from the hugely successful conference run by last year’s Student Minds Cambridge committee, and hopefully to establish this event as an annual thing! Their conference ‘We’re all mad here’ was the first mental health conference ever to be run in Cambridge, and we wanted to make sure that events like these become a regular part of the Cambridge calendar. The dialogue on mental health is just starting to properly open up, and our whole committee was keen to help encourage even more people to come along and find out more about mental health from our diverse panel of speakers.

Laura-May Nardella, President:

Our initial planning was a very quick process; as soon as this year’s committee formed, we set a date (giving ourselves only four weeks to plan!) and decided that we were going to run the conference. We knew it was something that people were interested in attending from the success of the first conference so we got stuck in straight away.

How did you successfully get a number of high-profile speakers to the event?

Izzy Tilley, Vice-President:

We were lucky to have some great contacts given to us by the previous committee, but we also sent out emails to as many mental health charities and organisations as we could think of, as well as inviting individuals who have spoken out about mental health. Lots of people were interested, and we received more confirmations than we were expecting! If I had to give advice to someone trying to secure high-profile speakers for an event, I would say contact as many people as you can think of, and don’t be afraid to ask even if it is a long-shot!

What was difficult about organising the conference(s)? What surprised you?

Laura-May Nardella, President:

I think the most difficult thing was not knowing how many people would turn up. It’s quite difficult to gage from a facebook event exactly how many people will actually come to an event that they’ve clicked ‘going’ to but we worked on the basis that at least half probably would and went with that number. It turns out our expectations were exceeded in the end so we didn’t need to worry but, as is always the case when you want something to be a success, you tend to panic that no one is going to come. In hindsight, we could have made life a bit easier by ticketing the event. Once people have made that kind of commitment, they’re more likely to come.

I was really surprised by how smoothly the actual conference went though! Getting five speakers from all around the country to the conference on time, setting up projectors and sound systems, remembering speeches- I was so sure something was going to go horribly wrong at the last minute. I think with the amount of effort our committee put into planning and the great communication we had between us and our speakers, our worries were definitely misplaced.

Izzy Tilley, Vice President:

Personally I was surprised by how smoothly our organisation of the conference went – there were a few minor hiccoughs regarding the refreshments we wanted to provide afterwards, but apart from that we did not have any real difficulties. We ran on a tight schedule, having only a couple of weeks in which to organise the conference, which was stressful at times, but other than that we didn’t have any problems. It was also a nice surprise to see how many people we contacted were keen to come and talk at the conference – I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the enthusiasm we received was really heartening.

Lindsay Malone, Head of Events:

Publicity - working out how to get the word out and enthuse people about coming along. Surprising that social media can be so effective compared to old-fashioned posters, although the two work best together.

What aspects of the conference, or the way you advertised it, made it successful?

Laura-May Nardella, President:

We mainly advertised online through our twitter, our facebook page and the actual facebook event in the days leading up to the conference. Social media is such a great tool for these kinds of events. We did ask our reps to advertise by word of mouth in their colleges for us as well though. Our university is a bit of a weird bubble where you can’t advertise things too far in advance, otherwise people just don’t turn up. We knew this was the case though so we made sure to heavily advertise during the week of the conference.

I think that our Facebook event made it clear that there was going to be a great panel line up and giving people the chance to see who was coming to talk and what they were coming to talk about definitely spiked peoples’ interest.

Student Minds Cambridge's poster advertising the conference

What do you think was the impact of the conference?

Lindsay Malone, Head of Events:

There was lots more discussion about mental health generally by peers both in the lead up to the conference and afterwards.
People were surprised by some of the speakers taking more unusual angles around mental health and liked this as they could understand a more diverse range of issues.
Even for people who didn't go, we got people talking about mental health a lot more and that spread across all the colleges.
As a result, Student Minds Cambridge became a lot more well known because of the conference through all the publicity we received. It allowed us to make connections with important advocates for talking about mental health which should hopefully help with future events.

Do you have any testimonials from people who attended the conference?

“The SMC conference was not only perfectly timed in term for a discussion regarding mental health but brought together varied and interesting champions of the mental health cause, shedding light on not only student health but wide and all encompassing areas of this complex topic. It was great to have such a positive discussion about a topic that is so close to all our hearts in Cambridge, led by what is clearly a strong team, working towards a more aware Cambridge. This conference was just one element in the jigsaw of their progressive work so far this term.'”
- Undergraduate student, conference attendee

“I found the variety of speakers really helpful and it meant that it appealed to a wide audience - you had those speaking from a research-focused or economic point of view and then others speaking from a more personal background, such as the Beat woman who had suffered from an ED in the past. It meant that we all took something different from it that was either more personal to us or related to our course of study/ interest.” - Michaela Hine (first year student studying Russian and Spanish)
“I really liked the range of different speakers, not just labelling mental disorders under a blanket, but to show the intricacies of them and people's personal experiences with them and I suppose I took away a lot of questions about the nature of always being driven to work all the time- is it making us better, smarter and more efficient or is it actually lowering quality of life?” - Matt Worssam (Natural Sciences student)
“I found the part about how education generally teaches us to be competitive really interesting - it only then struck me how isolating and unnecessary that was, and how we actually could still do well without treating it as a competition or "guarding our secrets", as it were, even if that's what lecturers etc. make us feel” - Catherine Watts (first year student studying French and German)

Do you have any plans for future conferences?

Laura-May Nardella, President:

I think that we will definitely have some more speaker events in October when the new academic year starts but I hope that the conference will become an annual event that the following SMC committees take on. It is a lot of work to fit in around studying and our terms are incredibly short so a conference is a huge commitment to undertake. Having said that, it’s massively rewarding and we know these kinds of events put mental health back on the agenda every time they happen.

What would your advice be to anybody looking to organise a mental health conference?

Laura-May Nardella, President:

My biggest piece of advice would quite simply be: set a date and stick to it. Once you’ve got that date down on paper, you have to start organising things and you are under pressure to get things done within a time limit. Start emailing speakers and as soon as you’ve got your first speaker, find a venue.

My other piece of advice would be to get creative with your theme or your speakers. Get a diverse panel and cover lots of different issues. If all your speakers are talking about one aspect of mental health, you might not attract as many people to your conference. The more variety you have, the more people you will be able to reach out to!

If you've run a mental health event on campus that's been particularly successful, get in touch with us at We're always excited to share best practice from student groups across the UK to make our collective efforts at promoting student mental health on campus more effective.

My Experience of Depression

- Harriet

Friday, 15 May 2015

Mental Health Policy after the General Election

- Sophie Dishman

The aftermath of the general election is on everyone’s lips right now. But mental health isn’t. The nation has been swept with different policies and promises but mental health, although receiving more recognition than in the past, has still not been as prevalent as it should be. With few political parties mentioning mental health in their manifesto, is there anything that can be done to put mental health at the top of the agenda of the new government?

Mental health has always fallen short of health in any general election and in general, in my opinion. Yet mental health problems affect one in four of us. Mental health difficulties are so prevalent within society that the government should be doing more! They should be providing better funding to mental health services and voluntary organisations, because if we want the nation’s mental health to improve, we simply need the money to do it. Some political parties have pledged more funding in this area, but I still don’t think that it will be on par with the health budget.

Many of us will either have a mental health difficulty or know someone with a mental health difficulty and the government should recognise this. IN the run up to election, I don’t think mental health was mentioned a lot. It is a niche subject, difficult to debate, even though it affects so many people. It should be ‘up there’ with housing and immigration, but it’s treated as the poor cousin of health.

Attitudes to mental health still have a long way to go. Mental health stigma still exists. I’ve heard that some mental health difficulties described as the ‘lesser evils’. Politicians are ‘representing the country’, but they aren’t representing everyone’s views.  Those with mental health problems are not ‘crazy’ or ‘scary’ - we are normal people. The government should be ones to advocate this, they should be debunking the myths, along with organisations.

Mental health difficulties can affect education and employment and I don’t think that this has been reflected in the general election at all. A big thing that should be on the agenda is student mental health. For a lot of people, mental health difficulties begin at student age, and there are lots of challenges unique to the experience of leaving home and going to university which make it important to look after ourselves and get adequate support. Stress, for example, is common, and it can create or even exacerbate existing mental health problems. Being a student is difficult - exams, assignments, balancing work life with social life, jobs, moving away from home…it's by no means a straight road.

Employment may also be difficult to find because of mental health difficulties, some people can even experience discrimination. Finding a job is difficult enough, but with mental health difficulties it can be even harder - anxiety, depression, OCD - it has to be declared and I feel that some think that it isn’t worth it because of the stigma and the fear. People may also struggle to sustain employment because of their mental health difficulties which needs to be addressed and understood by the government and their employers.

Lastly, the government needs to commit to parity of esteem between mental health and physical health. I need to reiterate this again, because it is so important. If we achieve equality between them, then the things above should fall into place. It is a case of putting mental health on the agenda and making it a top priority. It does not have to be the only top priority, but it needs to be up there!

Post-Election Reflections & Mental Health Awareness Week

- Catriona Duncan

Following Thursday’s General election, I can’t tell if the result caused emotions of delight or anger. But following yesterdays’ confirmation that the former minister for Care and Support Norman Lamb is running for Lib Dem Leadership, I couldn’t help but share my delight. Whatever your political stance, this is good news for the future of mental health in the UK.

In his last position as minister, he was well informed on the shortage of mental health beds, mental health issues in young people etc and was perhaps the most passionate MP on the subject. Why does it all matter? In my mind, at least, he will continue to put mental health at the top of his list, if we back Norman.

If he is elected, he will continue to advocate on mental health issues like he did in his last position. It is of course difficult to know what the future will bring. Nevertheless as Care and Support minister he was a delight to meet in January at a mental health related university event and a genuine person who knew the state of mental health across the NHS.

While news spreads about his leadership bid, he was advocating that it was MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK. (MHAW). This year, the focus is around mindfulness.

My university has a series of events around mindfulness. To take the definition from ‘Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, without getting stuck in the past or worrying about the future.’

If I’m honest, as a postgraduate this is a bit difficult to do right now. I’ve got my very last lecture of the academic year today, which in itself shows how fast time has flown. Like many, I’ve also got written assignments rather than exams to complete, an MA dissertation to complete, and job applications to complete. It’s a lot of writing……… 24,000 words in fact.

I will be lying if I’m not daunted by the tasks ahead. But instead of thinking ‘have I done it right’, what grade boundary is it in or simply ‘did I answer the question?’ I have to pinch myself and remember to be mindful of the steep steps ahead, but break each assignment down into manageable chunks.

It’s so easy to get sucked into the midst of worry surrounding the exams or writing assignments with a mind-set like the one I described above, (I’ve done it and we all do). Yet with my library on campus now open from 8am to midnight over revision period (now) til the end of exams in June, there is a positive and negative to this: it creates a quiet space to revise, but fuels internal anxiety as you sit in the library watching those around you with their heads in their books looking for sources of inspiration or motivation. And those negative thoughts of failure, anxiety can find their way back.

Should you find yourself stuck in a moment of anxiety or with a flurry of negative thoughts, lacking motivation, do one of the following to practice mindfulness:

  • Listen to your favourite music
  • Walk around campus
  • Enjoy the fresh air
  • Attend one of the mental health awareness events on campus (such as meditation)
  • Catch up with friends over tea/ coffee/hot chocolate
  • Take some hints from the exam survival advice given by fellow bloggers in the recent posts

Or do any combination of these to stop the temporary anxiety from overwhelming you.

Did you notice? I said temporary… that’s just it. Any worries and negative thoughts you have are temporary. Don’t forget too: throughout your academic life thus far, you have passed numerous exams and completed many assignments.

For now: leave your revision or your writing. Give yourself a break.  Get yourself a Kit Kat and breathe. Remember a healthy mind = productive mind-set = good results.

Good luck. Happy Mental Health Awareness Week.

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

What is Mindfulness?

- Sophie Dishman

Mindfulness is simply being aware of something. Think of knowing that a car is coming or that the microwave is going to beep. You are aware of that happening. You can also do this with your thoughts, feelings and actions. Many of us are on ‘automatic’, we don’t think about things, we just ‘do’. Mindfulness is the opposite of this. We ‘manually’ assess something. It allows us to see things more clearly. It can help calm a situation which has many benefits for the body and the mind.

Mindfulness is something that is being used a lot within mental health. I have anxiety and OCD and I find mindfulness really helpful. If I am aware of an obsessive thought or am aware that I am getting anxious then I can take the best course of option to minimise the effects. It makes me aware of the present moment, which focuses my thinking.

Mindfulness also means being with the experience. This means actually thinking about an experience. Why is this happening? This way you become more aware of what has caused the situation. This is a great way to get to know what your triggers are. If you know what your triggers are, then you can control the situation and avoid them where possible.

If you can do both of these things then you can respond in a better way. You can separate your reaction from the experience. It’s training your brain which can help with mental health problems. If you detract yourself away from the situation, then you can control the outcome that it may have. This is one form of mindfulness.

I use this form of mindfulness in situations that make me feel anxious such as when I have exams, when I’m submitting assignments and in lectures where my trigger words are used. It helps me focus on the situation and helps me to become conditioned to those experiences so that I don’t feel as anxious. It is more difficult for my OCD, but it does help.

You can also meditate, which is another form of mindfulness. Meditation can come in many forms. You can sit or lie down, I’ve even known people to stand. I try to mediate every day, once or twice - irrespective of the fact that I’m Buddhist. There are many ways to practice mediation, but I have my own way of doing it. I lie on my back, with my hands on my stomach and I focus on my breathing, counting to ten. I use this as a distraction sometimes - especially in exam period. Some people listen to music, but I like to listen to myself breathing. Some people will focus on a noise. do this if I am really anxious and want to keep my thoughts away.

After practicing these two forms of mindfulness for a while, I’ve found that they benefit me a lot. I know when I need to use them and when I need to use my other self-coping techniques such as listening to music or writing things down. I use these techniques a lot more than the others though, because of their many benefits. I definitely feel more calm and relaxed about a situation and feel that I am able to cope with it better. I’ve recently used meditation to help me with decisions. I can focus on the pro’s and con’s better and feel that I am more focused on the problem, so I can find a solution. I’ve definitely become a better decision maker because of this. I know the best action for me, instead of acting instantly in the moment.

It’s really important for me to act mindfully. You shouldn’t feel silly for taking a step back from the situation. It’s important to be aware of yourself and this technique can be used with other coping techniques that you have. You won’t look back…you’ll be looking in the present.

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

The Student Minds Volunteering Festival

- Vicky Gall, Volunteer Coordinator at Student Minds

We are hugely excited to be organising the first Student Minds Volunteer Festival!

We have an incredible national network of passionate volunteers who are doing a whole host of different things at their university. From campaigning and events to organising conferences and running peer support groups, we believe that the network has the desire and energy to bring about lots of positive change surrounding the state of student mental health.

There are many different hopes pinned upon this exciting Volunteer Festival. Firstly we think that training and learning from the experiences of other groups if vital. At the Volunteer Festival we will be organising a range of workshops on a wide variety of topics facilitated by members of our Exec committee, mental health professionals, Student Minds team members and others… This will provide the platform for our volunteers to attend workshops of their choice, to learn things that will help promote positive change and to meet others who have used their passion for mental health to direct their career and/or further study.

The second hope we have for the Volunteer Festival is that our national network will have an amazing opportunity to meet others from different university groups, to share thoughts and ideas, build meaningful relationships and to facilitate a greater sense of community throughout the country.

We will also be using this opportunity to celebrate the success of groups this year, share the amazing things that have been going on throughout the network and awarding the Student Minds Awards! If you are a member of a Student Minds affiliated group, why not nominate your group for an award now (deadline: 6pm on 19thJune).

What’s the update?

We have a brilliant location booked! Hogacre common provides a brilliant location to relax and unwind in the great outdoors. Workshops will be in bell tents, there is plenty of space for camping and fingers crossed the weather will be on our side. Access to the pavilion gives us the added bonus of catering facilities (we will be providing all meals!), showers, bathrooms and other creature comforts.

We are in the process of inviting speakers and confirming plans for workshops and will be keeping you updated as more plans fall into place!

In the meantime, please do get in contact if you have any questions at all and sign up for a ticket to join us.

Friday, 8 May 2015

Writing to Combat Anxiety - Pen Heaven

- Pen Heaven

Do you ever feel isolated and detached from others when your anxiety is at its worst? We all need some time alone, but this brief time can easily turn into days and weeks, separating you from people you’d normally see every day. If you find this happening, consider putting pen to paper. Pen Heaven spoke to four bloggers who use writing as a way of dealing with their anxiety.

Keeping Journals

Devoting just a short time every day to chronicling what you’ve been through can have great long-term effects. Buying a dedicated journal can help you to channel your energy and form a routine, such as unwinding at bedtime. You can write as much or as little as you want, and look back over time to see how you’ve dealt with problems in the past and learn from mistakes. This means that the next time problems arise, rather than feeling overwhelmed, you’ll feel more self-aware.

Paige Kylee, who is a lifestyle blogger, shares her thoughts:

“I took to writing as my main source of anxiety relief almost immediately. One of the main problems I experience, as someone with panic disorder, is that I sometimes struggle, when I am anxious, to be rational. Normally, I haven't a single problem sorting through how I am feeling logically, rationally, and reasonably. Being anxious changes that entirely but writing forces me to break everything down into easy to understand parts. It makes me think in terms of a beginning, middle, and end and this process is nothing short of liberating.”

Creative Writing

If you need time to take your mind off things, consider creative writing as an outlet that you can pour your energy into. Whether you see it as cathartic or just a distraction, you could start with writing poems or stories, drawing out a comic strip, or simply doodling and making up characters. If every time you need a break you spend five minutes creating a new character, you’ll find you’ve created a small host of people to use in a short story. Using these characters in different stories builds your own collection of short fiction and before you know it an exercise to take your mind off things has developed a life of its own.

Author and poet, Dane Cobain, talks about how poetry has helped him:

“When I was well enough to make it through a full work week, I started making sure that I took proper breaks to try to keep my stress levels down, and so I started writing a series of poems called ‘Anxious Words’ on my lunchtime. That actually inspired me to start memorising my poetry and performing it at open mic nights, but at the time it was all about getting stuff out of my system.”

Sites like Wordpress and Blogspot make setting up your own blog a breeze, and can be the first step towards creating a conducive atmosphere if you choose to blog about what means most to you. Simply having space that you can dedicate time and energy into the things you love can turn your blog into something of a ‘safe haven’ you can turn to. Regularly blogging can generate a loyal readership that you can get to know through comments and emails. If you choose to blog about your anxiety, you may just find that similar people getting in touch with you to share their stories as well.

Jessica Harquail from Health Fitness Boss has benefited from keeping a blog:

“Since I've been writing my blog, I’ve been more open about my struggles and people reach out to share their stories with me. We try to help each other out and it makes both parties feel like they are understood and are not alone. When it comes to anxiety, feeling like you belong somewhere is everything.”

You can hear more from the bloggers in this post from the Pen Heaven blog.


Cooking with B.J

Back to Pakistani Cookery

Mixed Pickle

- 2 kg. raw mangoes
- 1\4 kg lemons
- 1\4 kg green chilies

- 1 kg. mixed vegetables such as carrots, peas, turnips and cauliflower
- 2 1\2 to 3 liters mustard oil
- 1\4 cup. salt
- 2 cups aniseed (saunf)
- 2 tbsp. turmeric
- 2 cup nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 2 cup fenugreek seeds (methre)
- 1\2 cup red chili powder or (according to the taste.)

1. Wash and pat dry all the vegetables. Cut the mangoes into half, remove seed and then cut into 11\2 inch sized pieces. Cut the lemons into half and slit the chilies carefully into half, leaving them still held together at the stalk. Peel the carrots and cut them into 2 inches long sticks. Peel and slice the turnip. Break the cauliflower into medium sized floret. Remove the peppery covering of the garlic and leave them whole.
2. Divide the salt into two parts. Place mangoes, lemons, garlic and chilies in a large bowl, sprinkle one part of the salt, mix well , cover and leave to marinate over night.
3.Next day gently squeeze out all the water released by the vegetables, taking care not to squeeze the juice from the lemons.
5. Place the carrots, peas, turnip and cauliflower in bowl, pour vinegar over it and mix well. Keep aside for 2-3 hours.
6. Strain the liquid from the vegetables and bring to a boil, put the vegetables and cook just for 2 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and put them in a tray to cool completely.
7. Heat mustard oil to smoking point, remove from heat and leave it to cool. Mix all the spice ingredients and remaining salt with enough oil just to bind the spices.
8. Stuff the green chilies with the spice mixture. Rub gently the rest of the mixture over the mangoes, lemons and other vegetables.
9. Place the mango mixture in an earthenware jar, Mix thoroughly with hands.
10. Pour in the remaining oil. The oil should cover the vegetables by about 2.5 cm (1 inch).
11. Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and keep it in an airing place.
12. Stir the contents of the jar for the first two weeks at least once a day. Do this to ensure that all pieces are completely dipped in the oil.
Note: In most of the Pakistani pickles, salt and oil are used as preservatives.
Did you try our lemon pickle.


Royal Holloway - Number Theory Seminar

Autumn Term 2014:

September 30th: Martin Widmer (Royal Holloway)

Title: Lower bounds for the height of a generator

Abstract: Let d>1 be an integer. In 1998 W. Ruppert asked whether any number field L of degree d has a primitive
element whose absolute multiplicative Weil height is, up to a factor depending only on d, at most the 2(d-1)-th root
of the root discriminant of L. Ruppert showed that the answer is ``yes" for d=2, and we will show that the answer is
negative for composite d. This is joint work with Jeffrey D. Vaaler.

October 7th: Manfred Madritsch (Université de Lorraine, Nancy)

Title: Construction of normal numbers by pseudo-polynomial sequences over the primes

Abstract: pdf

October 14th: Rainer Dietmann (Royal Holloway)

Title: Random Thue and Fermat equations

Abstract: We consider families of Thue and Fermat equations of the form ax^k-by^k=1 and ax^k+by^k+cz^k=0,
respectively, and obtain upper and lower bounds on the number of such equations of bounded height
that are locally soluble everywhere. Assuming the abc-conjecture, we can then show that almost all
locally soluble Thue equations of degree at least three violate the Hasse principle. A similar conclusion
holds true for Fermat equations of degree at least six. (joint work with Oscar Marmon)

October 21th: James McKee (Royal Holloway)

Title: All totally real algebraic integers are eigenvalues of graphs - part I

Abstract: In 1992, Estes showed that every totally real algebraic integer is the eigenvalue of an integer symmetric
matrix.  Combined with earlier work of Hoffman, this showed that every totally real algebraic integer is the eigenvalue
of a graph. (Recently Salez gave an alternative, more direct, proof of this latter result.)

The short series of lectures will go through the proof of the Estes theorem, following a slightly later paper of Estes and
Guralnick (also 1992), and will also cover Hoffman’s 1975 work.  The rough plan is for the first lecture to be an overview,
for the second lecture to focus on lattices over semilocal rings, and for the third lecture to give the meat of the Estes-Guralnick

October 28th: James McKee (Royal Holloway)

Title: All totally real algebraic integers are eigenvalues of graphs - part II

November 4th: James McKee (Royal Holloway)

Title: All totally real algebraic integers are eigenvalues of graphs - part III

November 11th: Victor Beresnevich (University of York)

Title: Sums of reciprocals of fractional parts of arithmetical progressions

Abstract: Finding estimates for the sums mentioned in the title is a classical topic in analytic number theory with many applications,
e.g. in the theory of uniform distribution. I will first recall some well (and possibly less well) known estimates due to Hardy, Litlewood,
Schmidt, Vaaler and others and then give an account of recent results due to myself, Haynes and Velani. Time permitting I will describe
the techniques for establishing the results.

November 18th: Mark Wildon (Royal Holloway)

Title: Open problems on enumerating partitions and permutations

Abstract: pdf

November 25th: Rachel Player (Royal Holloway)

Title: Ring Learning With Errors

Abstract: The talk introduces the Learning With Errors problem and its variant Ring Learning With Errors. The aim is to show how algebraic
number theory is applied in a cryptographic way and to provide the necessary prerequisites for Martin’s talk the following week.

December 2nd: Martin Albrecht (Royal Holloway)

Title: Implementing Candidate Multilinear Maps from Ideal Lattices

Abstract: Cryptographic multi-linear maps - if they exist - are versatile tools in cryptography. Recently, "graded encoding schemes" were
introduced as candidate approximations of cryptographic multi-linear maps. In this talk, we will first introduce graded encoding schemes
and give a simple application. We then describe how we might construct such a graded encoding scheme from ideal lattices and discuss
algorithmic number-theoretic challenges we faced when implementing this construction. In particular, we discuss algorithms for computing
with elements in the ring of integers of a cyclotomic number field of order 2^k.

December 9th: Jens Bolte (Royal Holloway)

Title: Arithmetic hyperbolic surfaces and their Laplace spectra

Abstract: The aim of this talk is to survey various spectral properties of Laplace-Beltrami operators on surfaces of constant negative curvature.
Some time ago it was noticed that eigenvalue correlations are contrary to what was expected, when the fundamental group of the surface is
arithmetic. I will describe the setting and explain why arithmetic groups play a special role. I will also discuss an explicit form of a Jacquet-Langlands
correspondence and its role in the context of Laplace spectra.


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Oregon Live reports on the fires:

The Hammonds' run-ins with the government began in 1999, when Steven Hammond started a fire that escaped onto U.S. Bureau of Land Management territory. The intent of the fire was to burn off juniper and sagebrush that hindered the growth of grass for their cattle.
BLM employees reminded Steven Hammond that although his family leased public land for grazing, he couldn't burn it without a permit. But in September 2001, the Hammonds started another fire. This one ran off their property on Steens Mountain, consumed 139 acres of public land and took the acreage out of production for two growing seasons, according to court papers.
Then in August 2006, lightning sparked several fires near the spot where the Hammonds grew their winter feed. Steven Hammond set a back-burn to thwart the advancing flames, and it burned across about an acre of public land, according to federal court records.

The problem is multifaceted.

"I find it incredible that the government would want to try these ranchers as terrorists," said Barry Bushue, the longtime president of the Oregon Farm Bureau. "Now is where the rubber meets the road. Right now is when the public should absolutely be incensed. And the public, I think, should be fearful."

The DOJ's acting US Attorney Billy Williams said, "We all know the devastating effects that are caused by wildfires.  Fires intentionally and illegally set on public lands, even those in a remote area, threaten property and residents and endanger firefighters called to battle the blaze."

"Congress sought to ensure that anyone who maliciously damages United States' property by fire will serve at least 5 years in prison," he added. "These sentences are intended to be long enough to deter those like the Hammonds who disregard the law and place fire fighters and others in jeopardy."

However, what was not communicated in all of this is that the BLM starts these kinds of fires quite often and it actually benefits the land, though many times the BLM's fires get completely out of control. Second, the fires that were started were not arson.

According to the definition of arson, the term means, "At Common Law, the malicious burning or exploding of the dwelling house of another, or the burning of a building within the curtilage, the immediate surrounding space, of the dwelling of another."

Notice the term "malicious." The definition of malicious is "Involving malice; characterized by wicked or mischievous motives or intentions."

There were no malicious, wicked or mischievous motives or intentions behind what the Hammonds were doing. In fact, as stated above, the BLM often engages in this activity and so do other ranchers.

Dwight's wife, Susan, said, "They called and got permission to light the fire… We usually called the interagency fire outfit – a main dispatch – to be sure someone wasn't in the way or that weather wouldn't be a problem."

"The Hammonds are a simple ranching family that for generations has cared for the land they live upon," the family wrote on its website. "Prescribed burns are a vital process in keeping the land healthy and productive in the area.  The BLM also performs prescribed burns and have let it get out of control many times, but never has it cost any federal agent hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and years of life in prison. The Hammonds prescribed a fire that moved to public land, they extinguished the fire themselves.  The courts found that the burn increased vegetation for the following years, and had a positive impact on the land.  With no authority or justification to prosecute, eleven years after the fire, federal attorneys have obtained judgment that the Hammonds are terrorists and must be punished severely for their actions."

Note that the courts found that there was a positive impact on the land!

Tri-State Livestock News reports on that testimony, "In cross-examination of a prosecution witness, the court transcript also includes an admission from Mr. Ward, a range conservationist, that the 2001 fire improved the rangeland conditions on the BLM property."

And why was that? According to Erin Maupin, a former BLM range technician and watershed specialist and rancher in the area who had been the neighbor of the Hammonds for years, said it was because researchers had determined that managing the invasive junipers, which steal water from grass and other cover was something necessary to increase the conditions on the land.

"Juniper encroachment had become an issue on the forefront and was starting to come to a head. We were trying to figure out how to deal with it on a large scale," said Maupin.

So, we know there was no malicious intent, but rather normal ranch operations. Therefore, how could this be considered arson? It's a part of ranching! If this is arson, then every person who has served on BLM and conducted the same kinds of fires should be immediately arrested, tried and if convicted treated as terrorists. But they won't be.

The root problem in all of this is the federal government assuming it can own open land like this.

They cannot lawfully. Under Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the US Constitution (The Property Clause), we read:

Seems clear enough. Congress can regulate territory or other property that belongs to the United States. However, what land is rightfully under the federal government's control to regulate under the Constitution? Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 states:

As Michael Lotfi rightly points out, "The clause gives federal control over the "Seat of Government" (Washington D.C.) and land that has been purchased by the federal government with consent of the state legislature to build military posts and other needful buildings (post offices and other structures pursuant to Article I, Section 8). Nothing more."

Cliven Bundy's family issued a warning:

We warn federal agencies, federal judges and all government officials that follow federal oppressive examples that the people are in unrest because of these types of actions.  The purpose of government is to protect the unalienable rights of the people, not to take them away.  It is the duty of the people to defend their God given rights if government fails to do so or turns to devour them.  Good, civil citizens wish only to live in tranquility and peace, but demand freedom while doing so.  We call upon you and all civil servants to effectuate the true purpose of government and change your actions as needed by fulfilling your sworn duty to the Constitution and ultimately to the People.

We further warn that the incarceration of the Hammond family will spawn serious civil unrest.  We advocate that all charges be dropped and that the Hammond family be allowed to return to the home and life that was so rudely interrupted.  The Hammond family has paid enough for this mistake, if any mistake at all. Further punishments to the Hammonds will require restitution upon those who inflict the injustices.

We call upon aware citizens and government officials to promote the protection and freedom of the Hammond family, and by so doing, maintaining the spirit of liberty that this beloved nation is built upon.

Indeed, Captain Joe Oshaugnessy of the Arizona militia put out the word on Facebook to inform citizen militias of a level 2 alert with information on who needs to be contacted to avoid a confrontation that will likely not end as well as the Bundy Ranch siege did.

Oshaugnessy has encouraged everyone to contact as many of these people in a "respectful manner" to "air your grievances," something the First Amendment protects, and call upon these people to follow the law of the Constitution that binds them, not the American citizen.

Sheriff David M. Ward
485 N Court Ave #6
Burns, Oregon 97720
[email protected]

Frank Papagni, ESQ. US Attorney (Prosecutor)
405 East Eighth Ave
Eugene, OR 97401
[email protected]

Lawrence Matasar, ESQ. (Defending attorney)
521 SW Morrison St, Ste 1025
Portland, OR 97205
[email protected]

Marc Blackman, ESQ. (Defending attorney)
1001 SW Fifth Ave, Ste 1400
Portland, OR 97204
[email protected]

Rhonda Karges, Resource Field Mgr, BLM
BLM, Burns District Office
28910 Hwy 20
Hines, OR 97738

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dept of Interior
36391 Sodhouse Ln
Princeton, OR 97721

Governor Kate Brown
State Capital Bldg
900 Court St NE, 160
Salem, OR 97301

405 E 8th Ave. Suite 2400
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Neil Evans
Portland, OR
Gerri Badden

U.S Attorney's Office – District of Oregon
[email protected]

Judge Ann Aiken, Chief Judge of the District of Oregon
[email protected]
Chuck Cushman

Public Advocate, American Land Rights Association
PO Box 400
Battle Ground, WA 98604

Former Judge Michael Hogan
PO Box 1375
Eugene, OR 97440