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The Copper Cauldrons aboard the
High in the reef, at the northern extreme of the Henrietta Marie's site, two riveted, copper cauldrons were discovered. These two pieces are similar in design, but of strikingly different sizes. With near certainty, these copper cauldrons were used as cooking vessels aboard the ship. The smaller of the two is a rectangular, two chambered one, with two coamed openings at the top. The other is a very large cube with a single opening, also
coamed. It is assumed fitted lids covered the openings, though none has been found. When considering the nature of the
Henrietta Marie's business, the need for two cauldrons like these becomes evident.
Aboard a slaver sailing from Africa to the Americas, there were two distinct populations - the cargo of slaves, and the crew. Though the Africans outnumbered the European sailors by 10 or 20:1, they shared no comforts. This indignity can be measured
through many different ways when looking at a slave ship, including the different foods that were customarily consumed onboard by each of the two groups. Though the actual foodstuffs generally do not preserve on shipwreck sites, the galley items, and tableware do. When one looks at differences between the cauldrons, it becomes clearer each was carried to accommodate the differences in the people on board..
Contemporary accounts from those who sailed on slavers record many of the common foods served to Africans, and how they were prepared. Over and over again, the same items appear - "horse" beans, yams, rice, "Indian" wheat, and
"mandioca." In a typical passage, Alexander
Falconbridge, a slave-ship surgeon, wrote in 1788
" The diet of the negroes, while on board, consists chiefly of horse-beans, boiled to the consistence of a pulp; of boiled yams and rice, and sometimes of a small quantity of beef or pork. The latter are frequently taken from the provisions laid in for the sailors. They sometimes make use of a sauce, composed of palm-oil, mixed with flour, water, and pepper, which the sailors call
slabber-sauce. Yams are the favorite food of the Eboe, or Bight
negroes, and rice or corn, of those from the Gold and Windward Coasts; each preferring the produce of their native soil... The horse beans and rice, with which they are fed aboard ship, are chiefly taken from Europe."
In 1699, James Barbot of the Albion Frigate described that the Africans on his ship were fed twice a day in groups of ten from a wooden tub, with each receiving a wooden spoon, and a coconut shell of water. Assuming these diets were typical, it would appear that nutritional requirements were, at best, being only minimally met, and dehydration must have been a persistent reality.
The crew of the Henrietta Marie would have fared better. Typically a merchant ship of the time would have been stocked with salt-meats, cheese, peas, biscuit, beer, brandy, and rum. Additional fresh provisions would have been acquired in Africa, and the sea could always provided plenty of fish and turtles. Two pewter plates found on the site, scarred with utensil marks, remain from their tableware.
Applying these scenarios to the cauldrons, the larger likely held the voluminous, plain, single-course meals needed to keep the Africans sustained. This vessel, with a capacity of almost exactly one-half of a cubic yard, would have served well to hold the large amounts to be cooked for the 200+ Africans. Its single chamber reflects the monotony of their diet. When this item was discovered, its bottom was filled with chain. At the time, in the third leg of the triangular voyage with the Africans already sold as slaves, it simply made for a nice storage space. The smaller cauldron with two chambers, one of exactly one cubic foot, and the other one and a half cubic feet, could have been used to prepare two hot courses for the crew, which numbered around eighteen.
Oppression was inherent in the trade of Africans to the West Indies, but when going beyond the surface, and examining the meaning and purpose of even apparently benign objects from the
Henrietta Marie, evidence for inequality is almost always found.
a printable version in Acrobat PDF format, please click
archaeology for more information.


High Earners Graze Food More Frequently, Stay Healthier
Sept. 1, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas — The more money you earn, the more likely you are to munch on a muffin or down a power bar at your desk. And the more frequently you munch, the better your chance of being healthy.
Those are among the findings in a report by University of Texas at Austin economist Daniel Hamermesh released earlier this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Hamermesh used data from the American Time Use Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to examine how much time Americans spend eating meals each day and how much time they spend "grazing"—snacking or drinking while working, watching TV or doing some other activity.
"When their time becomes more valuable, people substitute grazing for eating, essentially switching to multi-tasking," Hamermesh said. "Overall, better health is associated with more time spent eating, but especially with spreading that time over more meals per day."
Hamermesh found that more than half of all adults graze each day, with their grazing time almost equaling the time they spend eating meals. The average American adult spends about two-and-a-half hours eating or grazing every day.
Among the other findings:
 - Men graze less but spend more time eating meals than women, a finding that Hamermesh said was surprising because men are more likely to be in the workforce, and grazing while working is commonplace. In all, men spend about three-and-a-half more minutes a day eating meals than women.
 - Better-educated people eat more frequently, spend more total time eating, graze more frequently and spend more total time grazing than those with less education. Workers with a post-graduate education, for example, spend about 25 more minutes a day eating meals than high school dropouts.
 - Higher earners also spend more time eating individual meals, graze more frequently and spend more time during each individual grazing episode. A worker who earns $75,000 per year spends five more minutes more per day eating, and almost the same extra time grazing, than one who earns $25,000.
 - Those who spend more time eating have a lower body mass index (BMI), on average, and view themselves as healthier than those who spend less time eating. The impact on BMI appears to come from eating more frequently and spreading the impact of the food over more meals. Spreading eating time across another meal is associated with a BMI that is 0.2 lower—not huge, but still a few pounds less for a person of average height.
Hamermesh has done extensive research using data from the American Time Use Survey. He has also done research on labor demand, time use, social insurance programs and unusual applications of labor economics to such areas suicide, sleep, beauty and other subjects.
A copy of the report is available online.
For more information, contact: Gary Susswein, Office of the President, _PHONE_; Daniel Hamermesh, _PHONE_.
1 Comment to "High Earners Graze Food More Frequently, Stay Healthier"
1. Ricky said on Jan. 27, 2010
Hmm, I would have argued that the person who earns more is likely better educated and more likely to know the healthier foods from the ones full of empty calories and saturated fat. I wonder if the difference is nothing to do with the time spent eating but more on the type of food being eaten.


PBS KIDS GO!dragonflytv
Find out when DragonflyTV is on in your town.
Do It
photo of rainbow paper disc grab
 - a piece of string about two feet long
 - a cardboard circle about 6 inches in diameter, painted with rainbow colors. Poke two small holes near the center of the circle, about 1 inch apart
 1. Thread the string through one of the holes in the circle in one direction, then come through the other hole in the other direction. Tie the string ends into a loop. Center the cardboard circle on the loop.
 2. Hold the ends of the loop and twirl the wheel so the string winds up. Pull the ends of the string, and watch the wheel spin!
 3. Do you see the separate colors anymore? What do you see?
what happened?
Try the experiment, tell us what happens and watch DFTV for your results! What do you see when the color wheel spins quickly?
 view results
dragonflytv PBS Kids Go!


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An object that creates and manages the contents of a single-column table interface.
- watchOS 2.0+
You use a table object to set the number and type of rows and to configure the data objects for those rows. Take the following steps to configure a table object and fill it with data:
Define one or more row controller types in your storyboard.
Define a custom data class to manage the contents of each row type.
Tell the table object how many rows (and of what type) to display at runtime.
Use instances of your custom data class to configure each row's contents.
Do not subclass or create instances of this class yourself. Instead, define outlets in your interface controller class and connect them to the corresponding objects in your storyboard file. For example, to refer to a table object in your interface, define a property with the following syntax in your interface controller class:
During the initialization of your interface controller, WatchKit creates a new instance of this class and assigns it to your outlet. At that point, you can use the object in your outlet to make changes to the table.
Defining Your Table's Rows
After adding a table object to your storyboard, configure the row controller that comes with the table. A row controller defines the appearance of a specific type of row. A table comes with one row type initially and you can add more later. Each row controller in your table requires some minimal configuration to be usable at runtime.
Each row controller must have a name, which you set using the Identifier property in the Attributes inspector. You use this name to create rows of that type later.
Each row controller must have an associated class, which you set in the Identity inspector. At runtime, the table creates instances of your row controller classes for each row in the table.
To configure the contents of a row controller, drag elements from the library and drop them onto the row's group. For most rows, you will want to use a group object as the top-level object. You can also nest group objects to create vertical and horizontal arrangements for your interface objects. To that group, add the objects needed to display the row's contents. Figure 1 shows how a configured row appears in Xcode.
Each row controller needs a class to manage the contents of the row at runtime. The class acts as a proxy for the row in your code and stores the outlets you need to configure the contents of the row. Listing 2 shows the definition of a custom
My class that could be used for the row controller in Figure 1.
Setting the Number of Rows at Runtime
To fill a table interface object with data, use the
set method. These methods specify the type (and number) of rows to add to the table. If all rows are of the same type, use the
set method. If you use more than one row controller in your table, use the
set method. The row type string corresponds to the name you entered into the Identifier property for that row controller in your storyboard.
When you add rows to a table, WatchKit creates the rows in your Watch app and instantiates the classes corresponding to those rows in your WatchKit extension. The newly instantiated classes are stored internally by the table object and made available to you through the
row method. Use that method to retrieve each row controller object and configure the contents of the row.
Listing 3 shows an example of how to configure a table object from your interface controller. The
todo property referenced by the method is a custom property that contains the
WKInterface object being configured. After getting the data for the rows, the method calls the
set method to create the rows. It then iterates over the newly created row controller objects, configuring each one's label with the text for the to-do item.
When you want to update the contents of a table, call
set again with the new row type information. Calling these methods again forces the table to discard the old rows and create new ones. To insert new rows without removing the old ones, use the
Responding to Taps in Table Rows
In your storyboard, create a segue between a row controller and a destination interface controller. When the user taps on a row of that type, the system automatically pushes the destination interface controller onto the screen. To pass data to the destination controller, override your current interface controller's
context method, and return context data based on the selected row.
Alternatively, you can explicitly respond to taps in a table row by implementing your interface controller's
table(_: method. Use that method to present a different interface controller or to perform any other relevant tasks.
Supporting Item Pagination
Item Pagination lets users easily navigate through lists of items. When the user selects an item from the table, the app displays a detailed view for the item. The user can then scroll up and down to navigate between other sibling items from that table. For example if the user selects a stock symbol in the Stocks app, it will load the details for that stock. They can then scroll vertically to navigate to other stocks.
Item Pagination is disabled by default. To enable it, perform the following steps:
In the storyboard, enable the table's Item Pagination option in the Attributes inspector.
In the storyboard, define segues for all of the table's row controllers. Your table must use segues to drive its navigation.
If you programmatically navigate through a table's items (for example, when launching from a complication to a specific interface controller), be sure to use the table's
performmethod, instead of the interface controller's
Controller(with Name: context:)
performmethod lets watchOS know which table and which row initiated the segue. The system needs this information to provide the correct sibling items as the user scrolls.
Interface Builder Configuration Options
Xcode lets you configure information about your table interface object in your storyboard file. Table 1 lists the attributes you can configure in your storyboard and their meaning.
The number of row controllers supported by the table. Change the value to add or remove new row controller objects to the storyboard file.
The amount of spacing (in points) between rows.
The background image to display behind the table's items. Do not set an image if you want the background color or image of the underlying interface controller to be visible.
The background color for the table. Set the color to clear if you want the background color or image of the underlying interface controller to be visible.
A checkbox that determines whether Item Pagination is enabled. For more information on Item Pagination, see Supporting Item Pagination.
For each row controller in your table, Table 2 lists the attributes you can configure and their meaning.
A checkbox indicating whether rows of this type are enabled and tappable. When this option is disabled, tapping the row does not highlight the row or report the action to the table.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
- Subscriber is the default setting and it is for the basic user that can log in and read content. They can not post anything on the site itself aside from comments.
- Contributors are the next level up, they are granted access to the post-editor, and can submit content to the site blog for review. Contributors can not by default publish their own content or upload any media files to the site.
- Authors can do everything a contributor can do, but they are given the content to publish their own content and upload media to their own posts. They have the ability to add content without anyone checking it and they can edit their own content after it has been published. They can not however edit or modify any content that they did not create.
- Editors can do everything that authors can do but they are also given the ability to make modifications to content by other users on the site. This allows them to correct errors, or remove content altogether when other users create them.
- Administrators have complete control over everything on the site, such as themes, installing plug-ins, and user account creating and editing.
When you are satisfied with these settings, click: 'add new user' and your user will be added to the database.
To edit a user, navigate to the user button in the sidebar and select: all users'. You can modify a user by hovering over it and selecting edit. The edit profile screen gives even more options than when the user is created. You can assign a nickname for your user. And select how their name is publicly viewed on the front end of the site. When everything is as you want it, remember to click: 'update user' to save your settings.


text:
Last week Japan was again threatening China while Italy was mobilizing 45,000 more men for possible war service against Abyssinia. Also last week Lewis Fry Richardson, D. Sc., F. R. S., principal of Paisley Technical College, showed in the British journal Nature how the approach of any two nations toward war can be reduced to mathematical equations:
dx(1) /dt= k(1)(2)∙x(2)-√(1) + Δ(1)
The symbol d, common in calculus, operates to make the left side of the equation a quantity containing the element of change. The suffixes (1) and (2), explains Dr. Richardson, identify the symbols which they follow as the opposing...


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If you know the meaning of the second type of "data spill" as in the underlined, even if you're not a computer expert, please let me know what it means. I think "the transferred website" can contain the previous page's personal information entered, not the address like _URL_.
gu121)"Data spills" means that your personal information is disclosed to some people on the Internet. Many spills happen when you navigate from one website to another. The second site is notified by your browser of the identity of the first site, which might contain confidential information. Then, the data you entered on the first site could be transferred to the second. Data spills can also occur as a result of survey information that gets placed in a website address. When you fill out a form with personal information, you're sometimes taken to a page whose address contains the information you entered. This address could be seen by a third party, who then would have access to your private data.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
What is naive about Naive Bayes? Have an exam later, and this was a question on the sample paper we received. We haven't found a good clear answer yet, could anyone explain this?
share|improve this question
You need not be embarassed Peddler, you have asked a good question. +1 – Yavar May 16 '12 at 8:40
add comment
2 Answers
up vote 8 down vote accepted
There's actually a very good example on Wikipedia:
In simple terms, a naive Bayes classifier assumes that the presence (or absence) of a particular feature of a class is unrelated to the presence (or absence) of any other feature, given the class variable. For example, a fruit may be considered to be an apple if it is red, round, and about 4" in diameter. Even if these features depend on each other or upon the existence of the other features, a naive Bayes classifier considers all of these properties to independently contribute to the probability that this fruit is an apple.
Basically, it's "naive" because it makes assumptions that may or may not turn out to be correct.
share|improve this answer
I must say, I'm fairly embarrassed I asked this question now! Thanks Laurent! – Peddler May 16 '12 at 8:36
+1 for statement starting from "Basically, it's "naive"...." – Yavar May 16 '12 at 8:39
The wikipedia article explains it correctly, but I disagree that "it makes assumptions that may or may not turn out to be correct". With right amount of training data it does a good job of filtering out the irrelevant parameters. The "naive" part is that is does not consider dependence between the parameters.. and hence may have to look at redundant data. – Chip May 16 '12 at 8:50
add comment
If your data is composed of a feature vector X = {x1, x2,... x10} and your class labels Y = {y1, y2,.. y5}. Thus, a Bayes classifier identifies the correct class label as the one that maximizes the following formula :
P(y/X) = P(X/y) * P(y) = P(x1,x2,... x10/ y) * P(y)
So for, it is still not Naive. However, it is hard to calculate P(x1,x2,... x10/ Y), so we assume the features to be independent, this is what we call the Naive assumption, hence, we end up with the following formula instead
P(y/X) = P(x1/y) * P(x2/y) *... P(x10/y) * P(y)
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer


text:
economically or physically linked titles, or an option to combine retention leases and production licenses over the same petroleum field.
- Creating a fact sheet or guidance not on the retention lease process and releasing summaries on the Joint Authorities decisions to grant retention licenses in order to create a better understanding of the retention lease regime.
The recommended changes to the retention lease and production licence regimes are the most far reaching of the Interim Report and current or prospective titleholders, particularly those with interests moving from exploration towards development and production, should ensure they remain informed as these changes are taking place.
The current Australian decommissioning framework remains relatively uncertain, which has lead a number of operators assuming the most conservative position, being total site restoration. The Interim Report recognises that, given a large number of facilities will require decommissioning over the coming decades, the Government, industry and NOPSEMA will need to work together to develop a clear framework surrounding decommissioning obligations. The first port of call in developing a framework will be the current international regimes in place, including the United Kingdom's decommissioning regime.
While Australia's offshore petroleum regime is adequate in its current form, the increased knowledge of Australia's resources and the changing nature of resources that will be available to be exploited means that improvements in the regime could be made. The Government is yet to publicly take any action following the Interim Report and a number of the actions set out in the Interim Report require further government, industry and stakeholder input before they can be implemented.
Ultimately, titleholders should be aware that the proposed reforms may be implemented over the medium term, depending on the outcome of stakeholder consultation.


On Uniform Convergence and Low-Norm Interpolation Learning
AuthorFeedback »Bibtex »MetaReview »Paper »Review »Supplemental »
Lijia Zhou, Danica J. Sutherland, Nati Srebro
We consider an underdetermined noisy linear regression model where the minimum-norm interpolating predictor is known to be consistent, and ask: can uniform convergence in a norm ball, or at least (following Nagarajan and Kolter) the subset of a norm ball that the algorithm selects on a typical input set, explain this success? We show that uniformly bounding the difference between empirical and population errors cannot show any learning in the norm ball, and cannot show consistency for any set, even one depending on the exact algorithm and distribution. But we argue we can explain the consistency of the minimal-norm interpolator with a slightly weaker, yet standard, notion: uniform convergence of zero-error predictors in a norm ball. We use this to bound the generalization error of low- (but not minimal-)norm interpolating predictors.


text:
Kindertales: Stories Old and New for the Children of the Folk
Ships in 3-5 business days
Why the Moon changes. How Odin got his famous steed Sleipnir. Where the Easter Bunny and Santa came from. What a goatherd did when a grasping shepherd threatened his flocks. These and other tales, both old and new, are lovingly presented in this book of children's stories written especially for Heathen kids by Heathen parents.
Each tale was carefully crafted to be read aloud to children of all ages. Large, easy-to-read print and original accent illustrations make this book a joy to share.
Proceeds help support the Heathen Freehold of BC. Visit us online at _URL_.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Culture Of Nepal Terai Region
A selection of articles related to culture of nepal terai region.
Original articles from our library related to the Culture Of Nepal Terai Region. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Culture Of Nepal Terai Region.
- The Celtic Vedic Connection, Part I
- Of all the great ancient cultures perhaps no two share more parallels than those of the Celtic and Vedic peoples. A deep rooted affinity runs between them, what is present in one is mirrored in the other. Myths, Gods, Goddesses, even fairy tales bear a...
Religions >> Druidism
- Origins of the Celts
- Two new groups of people emerge in Central Europe during the late Neolithic (New Stone Age) period, one certainly immigrant. Each group may be distinguished archaeologically by characteristic artifacts found in their respective burial sites. One was a Bell...
History & Anthropology >> Celtic & Irish
- Pagan Culture Never Died
- Pagan culture never died. It changed, was hidden, became hushed -- but never died. We can look around and see that many of the Old ways are still part of everyday life. Here's a few examples. What others can you see in your own surroundings? A personal...
Saga of Times Past >> History & Anthropology
- The 'W' Word (Witch), What Does it Mean?
- The other day I sat down and again tried to define what it is that I am doing. We are talking about beginning our church next year, but a church of what? I am the type that is most comfortable with a clear and complete understanding, so I began at the...
Religions >> Paganism & Wicca
- Select Cross-Cultural and Historical Personifications of Death
- This extensive introduction includes some of the more well known, along with some lesser known Death "incarnations", and I use that term loosely, as in many cultures, the Angel of Death can be quite an adept shapeshifter. We have tried to cull...
Mystic Sciences >> Necromantic Studies
Culture Of Nepal Terai Region is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Culture Of Nepal Terai Region books and related discussion.
Suggested Pdf Resources
- Nepal's Terai: Constructing an Ethnic Conflict
- new fighting erupt in the Terai region of southern Nepal..
- EARLY MARRIAGE AND EARLY MOTHERHOOD IN NEPAL
- Nepal consists of three broad ecological regions: Terai, Hill and Mountain.
- Democratising Terai Forestry Governance: Emerging Innovations in
- Innovations in the Western Terai Region of Nepal.
- Stability and outcomes of common property institutions in forestry
- forestry: evidence from the Terai region of Nepal case study of the Terai ( lowlands) region of Nepal.
Suggested Web Resources
- Nepal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- 11 Culture; 12 See also; 13 Footnotes; 14 References; 15 External links.
- Terai - Nepal Home Page Travel Guide: The Most Comprehensive
- And the Terai is recommended to a new visitor to Nepal more in the spirit of both geographic and socio-cultural, of this country than to point out "must-sees".
- Culture Of Nepal Terai Region | RM.com ®
- Culture Of Nepal Terai Region articles, reference materials. Need more on Culture Of Nepal Terai Region?
- Nepal people, culture and information about sherpas, thakali, kumal
- Nepal people and culture page is for those looking information about magar, tamang, thakali, Ethnic Groups of Terai Region and Southern Nepal border.
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.


Sculptures and installations
Shape in Space
– Viktor Mitic's enigmatic interactive sculptures
Viktor Mitic's cut aluminum sculptures have a post-Pop flair. Inspired by the likes of Frank Stella, they animate space by combining car paint colour with shaped metal forms. Shapes and spaces between create a multi-level depth effect, animating space. The references could be to the industry and the machine, but Mitic interprets these forms as contrasting and assembling so they become a pure language where forms, shapes, each unique, inter-act and inter-relate. The result is to build a composite spatial dynamic. Drawing in space, presenting a series of 3-dimensional points of reference, builds scale structurally into an imagined and infinite scape. Mitic's gestural object sculptures materialize conceptions into a very real sculptural presence.
We can see that Viktor Mitic has moved beyond the purely linear to a more engaged mechanistic poetry. Blue lines curve, yellow lines curve, almost in parallel to one another, but at different depths. The depths are theatrical, close to the spirit of construction, and the huge, exaggerated, rivet-like attachments play on appearance and reality, giving the illusion that these are indeed mechanisms of the imagination.
The positive shapes used in one large-scale piece, and the left over negative cuts recycled into yet another, build a dialogue on presence and absence, on form, on utility and the projected imagination.
Viktor Mitic's latest sculptures explore a continuity, and this continuity makes his work integral and physical, emphasizing a structuralist worldview. His sculptures have to do with the way we visualize forms in space, and how sculptures as objects guide us to understand the infinite nature of our relation to environments.
– John K. Grande, Writer/Art Critic


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How Do Elves Breath?
Generally glittering dust that emanates from mystical creatures is a sign of enchanted magics at work. The most famous is of course Fairy Dust. Something Fairies produce when flying, or utilizing their powers. Elves hard at work, or utilizing magics may produce Elf Dust from their hands. Walking can cause the dust to sparkle from their feet leaving a clear trail behind them. These are in essence enchanted waste products caused by metaphysical energies being exerted in our physical world as metaphysical matter. If this was a perfect paranormal planet made of enchanted energies then dandy dusts of the supernatural sort wouldn't exist!
Most often Elf Dust is a by-product of their respiration process. When exhaled it's invisible most of time. However it accumulates in the surrounding environment. At North Pole City much of the glitter in the snow is actually Elf Dust. The majority of Elves, including Santa Claus's Enchanted Elves, only breath the Helium in our atmosphere. This partly explains their comical low pitched voices. Helium composes a mere 0.000524% of our air as opposed to the Oxygen we breath which makes up 20.946%. Elfin cells paranormally process the Helium, and manufacture an Argon-Neon compound of Ar²Ne³ that is exhaled from their lungs. Scientifically such a compound could never exist but this is the world of the supernatural we're talking about here. That being said the second this rare gas hits the air it immediately breaks down to Argon, and Neon. These gases, famous for causing the glow of Neon lamps, emit a brief glow from the Elves nose, and mouth if viewed in complete darkness. In addition the exhaled Elf Dust will visibly shimmer in that moment as well.
Elf Dust, like Fairy Dust, is a prime ingredient in several magical spells. Elf Dust is used in powerful spells due to it being harder to come by
than the Fairy variety. Elf Dust on it's own can be manipulated to provide temporary powers. In some cases breathing it in, or eating it directly can cause supernatural side effects. Simply carrying it around is thought to bring good luck. Tossing it at an entity of evil often causes some measure of repellent properties. Elf Dust can come in a variety of colors that can produce a plethora of paranormal properties. Santa's Elves produce a multi-colored dust with emphasis on the red, gold, and green glitter. Genuine Elf or Fairy dust always emits it's own luminosity. However the metaphysical energy powering it dissipates over the centuries, and most varieties will dull after 1000 years. If you should come across Elf Dust then use it sparingly because you may never find any again!


Learn Scuba Diving on Koh Tao
Why learn scuba diving? It may be to explore a new world, to travel to new places or to experience what it is like to be weightless just like an astronaut! If you are still wondering why, below are 5 reasons to visit Koh Tao to try scuba diving on your next trip.
Become an explorer
Descending to the depths of our ocean is a very special feeling. Realising how vast and diverse the ocean's underwater ecosystem is, can be quite humbling. Often people describe scuba diving as exploring a new and unknown world. We still regularly discover new species. Diving Koh Tao is a perfect way to satisfy this need to explore and learn how to scuba dive.
Travel to new places
Once you have completed your PADI Open Water scuba diving course, the world is your oyster! It will open up new travel destinations that you had never considered before. Maybe the quality of transport and accommodation take second place in favor of fantastic diving and exploring new parts of the vast underwater world.
Know what it feels like to defy gravity
We all know what it feels like navigate in a two dimensional way bound by gravity. But what about defying gravity and weightlessly explore in three dimensions? Your scuba diving instructor will teach you about buoyancy and how to remain neutral to gravity no matter what depth you are diving at. The possibilities are endless. Imagine exploring details of a huge war ship at eye level, as opposed to standing at the foot of it in a museum.
Join the scuba diving community
Scuba divers are relaxed people that share a love for our ocean and marine life. Being a scuba diver will undoubtedly change your life and introduce you to a new community of people. You will meet other divers from all over the world with whom you can exchange diving spots. Many divers attribute diving to having changed their lives forever. Especially those of us who become diving professionals and make a career out of diving.
Become an advocate for our ocean
We often think of the ocean as this vast body of water that is invincible. As a PADI scuba diver, you will soon realise how fragile the marine ecosystem is. Every choice you make is somehow connected to our ocean and its marine life. Most scuba divers fall in love with the ocean and become advocates to preserve our ocean for future generations. At Sairee Cottage Diving, we donate to PADI Project AWARE with every Open Water certification.
Can you think of additional reasons? Share them in the comments.
Spread the love
1 Comment
 1. Get under the water to chill out, empty your head of all the everyday hustle, bustle and stress. So calming down there in the blue, a magical place.
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Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center
The U. S. Geological Survey Eastern Mineral Resources Science Center conducts unbiased research on the occurrence, quality, quantity, and availability of mineral resources in order to help the Nation make informed decisions using earth-science information.
For more information about the Mineral Resources
Program and its mission, see U.S.
Geological Survey Energy and Minerals Science Strategy - A Resource Lifecycle Approach.
|Mineral Resources||Eastern / Central / Western / Alaska / National Minerals Information|
|Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry / Spatial Data|


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any device (whether in written, mechanical, electronic, or other form) that can be used by a worker to facilitate the performance of a job or task.
a guide for performers, which eliminates the need to recall the steps of a task by memory alone
a guide used to eliminate or minimize requirements to memorize information when performing critical tasks
a repository for information, processes, or perspectives that is external to the individual and that supports work and activity by directing, guiding, and enlightening performance
a tool to guide job performance in real time
A procedural guide that helps a person perform a task.
A repository for information, processes, or perspectives that support work and activities by directing, guiding, and enlightening performance. Job aids are often printed or visual summaries of key points or steps essential to the performance of a task.
A device designed for use on the job and providing guidance on the performance of a specific task or skill. May be printed or on-line. Used in situations where it is not feasible or worthwhile to commit the procedure to memory before on-the-job-activity. Often these are paper-based and posted on the wall in plain sight or in a small reference notebook. They can also be, decals, manuals, cards, etc.
A tool which can exist in paper form or on the computer which provides on-the-job instruction for a specific task.


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Aeration of Waste Water
Turbine aeration provides oxygen in sewage and waste effluent
Sewage aeration is necessary for providing oxygen to the effluent to be treated. Lenntech provides systems to be fixed to a concrete base or metal framework, and floating systems for ponds and waste water treatment plants. The turbine aerators are available in low speed (36 rpm) and high speed (to 1420 rpm) units with motor power ranging from 1.5 kW to 110 kW.
The advantage of the turbine aerators is that they aerate the water to be treated and also mix it, keeping the media homogeneous
As a rule of thumb, the amount of oxygen brought in the pond is twice the power of the turbine. For example, An 11 kW high speed turbine provides 22 kg/h O2 in the water.
Important for dimensioning the correct system for you are BOD and COD reduction required, and the dimensions (including depth) of the pond.


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Democracy is arguably the best political system for businesses.
Democracy is perhaps the safest political mechanism for industry. Any of the world's leading nations, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany, operate under representative political regimes. These countries encourage private companies to work in free markets without government interference. Democratic systems in various countries allow multinational companies to enter the market and enhance competition which leads to quality and efficiency in production. On the other hand, countries that control their markets tend to limit business opportunities. They encourage monopolies create inefficiencies in the market. However, the economic growth of China in the recent past despite non-democratic political system has caused questions on whether democracy is really necessary for the success of business. Nonetheless, most democratic nations top the Forbes' rankings of the most attractive countries for capitalism. Democracies such as Denmark and Sweden are among the best countries to do business.
The Factual evidence that will be used in the essay includes:
The U.S. is one of the leading democracies and is the biggest economies in the world.
Most top 100 companies in Forbes are from democratic countries.
Regulations in China have increased costs of about $70 billion.
Democratization accounts for approximately 0.5% to 1% increase in GDP.
U.S. foreign direct investment in democratic countries is about $250 billion compared to only $20 billion in non-democratic countries.
Essay Plan and Issues to be discussed
The essay will explore the benefits of democracy for businesses. To defend the thesis, this essay will identify the evidence of democratic countries that have prospered in business, especially the U.S. The essay will identify the theoretical and practical contributions of democracy to businesses. We will compare various sources and find a common ground on the topic to identify points that seem to be agreeable among most authors and scholars about the benefits of democracy for business. The essay will also give counterarguments, especially about China and Russia whose economies are improving despite having autocratic political systems. The essay will argue that these economies would have already overtaken the U.S. economically, but autocracies minimize their potential. The essay will look at how autocratic systems are likely to perform more poorly in the near future.
Questions to be answered
Is democracy good for business?
How does democracy affect the private sector?
Why is China's economy growing despite being autocratic?
Why are most successful enterprises come from democratic countries?
What are the costs of non-democratic systems?
Key Terms and References
Democracy: A system of government which involves the rule of law and respect for human rights, and implementation of representative government through voting.
Autocracy: A system of government in which people do not have a say in the leadership and governance of the country; the government controls economic, social and political issues of the country without involving citizens.
GDP: Gross Domestic Product refers to the amount of output produced within a country; its growth determines the strength and sustainability of a country's general economy.
Regulations: The requirements and methods of control that people in authority exercise over their subjects.
Free Markets: These are markets in which the forces of demand and supply are allowed to take place without government control or interference.
Multinational Companies: Companies operating in more than one country.
Foreign Direct Investment: This is an investment made by a company from one country in another country by establishing business operations or acquiring an existing business in the host country.
Subject Matter Experts
Forbes: Forbes is a global business media company with many business analysts and scholars. They are qualified and have the experience to provide commentaries and research on business issues.
Business Insider: This is a media company with trusted articles on business issues. Its articles and magazines give reliable information for the topic.
Bloomberg: Bloomberg is also a media company focusing on business issues. It has experienced business writers and editors such as Noah Smith who can post facts and evidence on business matters.
Annotated Bibliography
Badenhausen, Kurt. The Best Countries for Business 2015. Forbes, Dec 16, 2015.
This article provides examples of countries that have provided the best environments for business in 2015. This information will be important for the researcher to find out whether the countries suggested by Forbes are democratic countries or not. If they are, then we prove our thesis that democracy is good for business. Denmark was the leading country for business in 2015, and Sweden was topped the list of 2017. The U.S. is dropping in the rankings due to its increased regulations. Since 2009, the U.S. has enforced over 150 new regulations. Therefore, it is clear that there is a negative correlation between regulations and ease of doing business. It becomes more difficult to do business with increasing regulations, bureaucracies and red tape in less democratic environments.
Rampell, Catherine. Good for Business: Democracy and Economic Growth. The New York Times, October 27, 2008.
This article provides information from a reliable study carried out between 2000 and 2005. The study found that democracies are good for business, and suggested that trying to compare China with the U.S. is erroneous. Rampell uses data from the study to show that democracy contributes approximately 0.5% to 1% of GDP growth. In this regard, democratic systems promote economic growth and development; hence providing a good marketing and business opportunity for businesses. This source is important for the essay because it has researched data that provides evidence for the position of the paper.
Repucci, Sarah. Democracy is Good for Business. Freedom House, August 3, 2015.
This article uses data from World Bank to show that the most democratic countries are good for business. According to Repucci, stable and transparent governments provide the best environments for business to thrive. Democracy provides such opportunities. The article highlights the top performing countries according to World Bank. The best countries for business are free and partly free economies. The author also suggests that undemocratic countries impose red tape, obstruct business contracts, and create barriers to trade. Such barriers prevent multinational corporations from establishing their businesses in the country. This article is important for the essay because it provides evidence for the success of business in democratic democracies.
Smith, Noah. Democracy Is Good for Business. Bloomberg, January 22, 2015.
Smith suggests that China and Russia have grown economically without democracy, against the belief that democracy is good for business. However, the author notes that there are several other economies such as the U.S., UK and Japan which thrive on democracy, freedom diplomacy, and respect for the rules of law. Therefore, China and Russia are just exceptions which may still suffer in future for lack of democracy. This article is important for the essay because it gives a clear perspective of the counterargument of the current debate. It is good to see the issue from both sides in order to arrive at an objective conclusion. However, the article has a weakness in terms bias. The author does not recognize the weaknesses of democratic systems in terms of business operations.
Stroker, Frank. Democracy Rules: Why Business Thrives in Democratic Societies. CIPE, 27 June, 2012.
Stroker provides reasons why businesses thrive in democratic countries. The author suggests that countries that have become free politically are prospering economically. He then gives the reasons why that is the case. This article also provides reasons why the counterpoint of China is not strong enough to dispute the importance of democracy to businesses across the world. Stroker also suggests that over 90,000 protests are experienced in China annually as people show their discontent with corruption and poor governance. The police also arrest suspects without following due process of law. Due to these factors coupled with several labor strikes, many businesses may be concerned about their investments in China.
Works Cited
July 24, 2021


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The Carbonadium Synthesizer, is used to synthesize carbonadium, the only metal that can neutralize the "death factor" of Omega Red. The Carbonadium Synthesizer can liquefy carbonadium so that it can be molded into new forms.
Carbonadium is a resilient, unstable metal that is vastly stronger than steel but more flexible than adamantium. Due to its malleability, carbonadium is less durable than true adamantium, but still nearly indestructible. Omega Red has carbonadium coils through which he can transmit his ability to drain life energies. Carbonadium is highly radioactive and a very small amount, if ingested, has proven capable of dramatically slowing down Wolverine's healing factor. The only device that can produce carbonadium, known as the Carbonadium Synthesizer, was initially believed thrown into a river in Brussels by Wolverine; it has since been revealed that the Carbonadium Synthesizer had been hidden on the deceased body of a double-agent who died escaping Omega Red along with Wolverine, Sabretooth and Maverick. The synthesizer was retrieved and handed back to Maverick, whose mission was to retrieve the item for parties unknown. If implanted within the body, objects composed of carbonadium have proven to slow the accelerated healing factors of Wolverine and his son Daken. While slowed considerably, their healing powers aren't completely suppressed. It is currently unknown if carbonadium affects other beings with superhuman healing powers in a similar manner.
Wolverine is currently trying to locate the Carbonadium Synthesizer in order to safely neutralize and rescue his son Daken.
Omega Red is also searching for the Carbonadium Synthesizer in order to stabilize his condition.


Often asked: How close to the sidewalk can i build a fence?
How close can you build to a fence?
Fences must not be higher than three metres, or 1.2 metres if the fence is built from masonry. When the lot is adjacent to a residential zone, at least 75 per cent of the part of the fence that is above 1.8 metres in height, must be transparent.
Do I need my neighbors permission to build a fence?
As long as the fence is completely on your property, you can put it up without needing your neighbors permission. If the existing fence is on both your properties, you would need your neighbors permission to take it down.
Can I build a fence next to my neighbors fence?
A general rule (not sure if your neighbors abide to it) is to build the fence 1-2 feet inside your property line. You best option is to ask them to join your new fence to it and get a simple contract to protect yourself. Either that or put up all four sides in your property.
How close to my property line can I build?
1. Side and Rear Yards. Yard structures under six feet in height may be located up to a side or rear property line subject to building code and fire code limitations. Yard structures six feet in height or over shall be located at least three feet from any property line and shall not exceed 12 feet in height.
Can my Neighbour attach things to my fence?
Can my neighbour attach or nail things to my fence? The short answer to this question is, of course, "no". If you own the fence and you have not granted your neighbour permission to do so, they are not allowed to attach or nail things to your fence.
We recommend reading: Readers ask: How can i get free stuff to review?
Can my Neighbour build up to my boundary?
The short answer is "yes, subject to serving a valid notice and following the processes set out in The Party Wall Act. The party wall act only applies to "structures" (ie: a wall with a foundation), it does not apply to timber fences or other screens.
How do you tell if a fence is yours or neighbors?
Determine ownership by occupancy if the fence lies between or directly on the property line. Whoever uses the land up to the fence is considered the owner. If you have grass and mow the area directly up against the fence but your neighbor allows the weeds to grow on his/her side, then you own the fence by occupancy.
When building a fence who gets the good side?
Face the finished side of the fence toward your neighbor
The finished side should face toward your neighbor. Not only is this more polite, but it's the standard. Your property will look a lot nicer with the "goodside facing the outside world. Otherwise, your fence will look like it was installed backward.
What happens if Neighbour refuses to pay for fence?
In most states, adjoining owners must share the cost of the fence. That obligation only occurs if the fence is inadequate or there is no fence. There are exceptions: If one neighbour damages the fence, they have to pay for the entire costs of restoring it.
Can I legally paint my side of Neighbours fence?
If you want to change anything about a fence that legally belongs to your neighbour, you should ask their permission first – even if you're only painting or staining your side of the fence.
We recommend reading: Question: How can i find out if i was adopted?
Who owns the fence between neighbors?
Who owns the dividing fence? In most states, if you and your neighbour are both owner-occupiers, you share equal responsibility for the dividing fence on your land. Generally, that means you pay an equal share of the cost of a 'sufficient' fence. The definition of 'sufficient' differs from state-to-state.
Is it rude to put up a privacy fence?
It is rude to erect a fence in such a way that it extends several inches onto your property. The neighbor will be justified to demand total removal of the fence. The same applies to unruly bushes on your fence that may spread onto the yard of your neighbor.
Can a Neighbours gutter overhangs my property?
It is a well established principle that you own the airspace above your land, so if your neighbour's gutters overhang your land then they may be a trespass, even if you cannot reach them or they don't interfere with the day to day use of your land.
How close can a shed be to a Neighbour's fence?
Within 2 metres of a boundary the maximum height of a shed or any other building is 2.5 metres, but that shed or building can be right up against the boundary. The 3 metre flat roof and 4 metre pitched roof buildings will have to be more than2 metres from the boundary.
How close can a shed be to a neighbor's house?
Any shed must be built at least 2.5m away from the main house. It's advisable to be able to walk round all four sides, or however many you choose. This gives you access for decorating and repair.
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In sweatshops, the 'Brazilian dream' goes awry
Brazil's economy has risen, but it's generated new social problems along the way.
Brazil immigrants economyEnlarge
(Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) — When Margot Alarconciles woke up one morning last year and found her son sick with what appeared to be a cold, there was little she could do but wrap him in an extra blanket, walk down the hallway and start her workday: sewing clothes for up to 11 hours a day, six days a week.
"I couldn't leave my machine," she said. "Without my job, we could not eat."
Her 5-year-old son's condition deteriorated, and without proper care he soon died. Still grieving, Alarconciles now questions her decision to leave her native Bolivia for Brazil, where salaries can be many times higher but poor immigrants often must settle for work in sweatshops.
"This work is not worth it," she said on a recent Sunday as she waited to meet with an accountant who helps immigrants avoid legal problems by filing tax returns.
Despite efforts by Brazil's government to prevent labor abuses and the tragedies that stem from them, thousands of immigrants continue to toil in illegal factories supplying clothes and other goods to some of the country's best-known retailers, officials and immigrant advocacy groups tell Reuters.
Their stories show how one of the world's biggest economic shifts of the past decade — the rise of large emerging markets such as Brazil — have generated new social problems that many of the countries don't yet have the financial resources or experience to deal with properly.
As the economy boomed, the "Brazilian dream" became a magnet for workers from poorer Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Peru and even faraway Haiti. While Brazil's per capita income is only a quarter of the United States', it's still double that of Bolivia — and its currency has been so strong in recent years that migrant workers have been able to support entire families back home.
In Sao Paulo, the country's business center, the number of immigrants from other South American countries more than doubled between 2000 and 2010 to over 23,000, according to the Brazilian statistics agency IBGE. However, unofficial estimates by city officials put the number at between 200,000 and 400,000.
Alarmed by soaring reports of labor abuses as the migrants flowed in, Brazilian officials in 2009 tried to bring immigrants out of the shadows by signing a regional agreement that made it easier for many of them to receive work visas.
Rather than rely solely on police raids to uncover abuses, the government also consults regularly with immigrants' advocacy groups to find trouble spots and has held retailers responsible for labor abuses on production lines.
However, like many other recent initiatives including greater policing of Brazil's borders, the officials monitoring immigrants' welfare appear to be understaffed and underfunded.
Sao Paulo's metropolitan area has a population of 20 million. Luis Alexandre Faria is one of just two labor ministry inspectors charged with coordinating investigations into "slave labor," the government's term for sweatshop conditions.
Following a recent raid of three sweatshops, he said he believed he was just scratching the surface of the problem.
"I would not be particularly surprised if there were 20 or 30 of these places, all supplying clothes to the same company under the same conditions," Faria said.
The influx of poor migrants into such jobs has continued despite a sharp slowdown in Brazil's economy during the past two years, according to Roque Pattussi, the director of CAMI, a Brazilian immigrant advocacy organization.
"To an immigrant from Bolivia's highlands, Brazil is still the kind of place where somebody can make good money," he said.
Factory raids — and reparations
Faria and his colleague, Renato Bignami, spend most of their day poring over financial statements, hunting for clues that companies rely on low-pay labor.
In a recent case involving Le Lis Blanc, a high-end Brazilian retailer, Bignami said the company's statements showed that some of its divisions were producing thousands of product units a year without a single employee.
In June, Faria led a raid of three workshops he said were listed in Le Lis' financial statement, shutting all of them down. On the government's orders, Le Lis paid the workshops' 28 workers an average of 22,000 reais ($9,400) apiece to make up for unpaid and underpaid work.
In August, the government announced that it had added a fine of 1 million reais.
Le Lis Blanc's Brazilian parent company, Restoque Comercio e Confeccoes de Roupas SA, denied any knowledge of illegal work conditions at the workshops in a statement to Reuters, saying that two independent contractors had hired the workshops. It signed an agreement with the labor ministry to comply with the investigation and pay the workers, though it denies any wrongdoing.
In such cases, rather than deport the workers, the Brazilian government gives legal work visas to those who lack them, Pattussi said, illustrating the more tolerant approach in place since 2009.
Immigrants and advocates say the structure of sweatshops in Sao Paulo has evolved a lot over the past decade.
The factories used to be run mostly by Korean immigrants, but many were busted by the police because of their large size. The industry is now dominated by smaller, Bolivian-run operations, many of them in private homes, they say.
Angela Reveta Lauta moved to Brazil from Bolivia when she was five years old. Now, at 28, she owns a "confeccionaria" - a company that hires workshops on short contracts to produce clothing in bulk for large wholesalers and retailers.
"When I arrived here... nobody thought anything of Bolivian immigrants," she said. "Now, however, buyers come directly to me. They recognize that our work is the best. I am proof that life for Bolivians is better."
Long days, long nights
Yet many immigrants still live in a dark underworld where they see the government as an enemy determined to keep them from earning a good living.
Jesus, a 32-year-old Bolivian who didn't want to give his last name for fear of being targeted by the police, started his own workshop when his Korean boss went out of business after suffering two police raids in one month.
"She told us to rent a house and buy the machines we had been working on from her. We like it here," he said, placing a calloused hand on a metal shutter in front of the house. "It's quiet, and we can work in peace."
Still, setting up his own business has multiplied his risks. When he worked for the Korean woman, rent and food were deducted from his paycheck, meaning the rest was his to spend. He often sent it back to Bolivia, to his ailing father.
Now, he has to pay his part of the rent in a house he shares with a brother plus nearly $500 a month - on top of a whopping $10,000 two-year lease - for a stall measuring 4 square meters in a converted warehouse in a morning bazaar.
Jesus arrives at the bazaar in the commercial neighborhood of Bras at 5:30 a.m. to sell the cotton blouses that he, his wife and a niece produce in a small room in their house. After a quick lunch, he returns home to join the two women, working well into the evening.
"Thankfully, the Brazilian culture is one of luxury. Brazilians change their look two or three times a month," Jesus said with a smile. "That's good for the seller."
For the rank-and-file workers, life can be even more of a day-to-day battle.
Miguel, a Bolivian immigrant who also did not want his last name used, was one of the workers left without a job after the labor ministry's raid of factories producing for Le Lis Blanc.
Asked what he would do with the back wages he received, Miguel said he would stay in Brazil for at least another year. That would be enough time to bring his family over from Bolivia, rent a house and try to find another job, this time as a taxi driver.
Barring that, he would probably find work at another garment factory.
"Something is something," he said. "Having nothing would be worse."
($1 = 2.34 Brazilian reais)
(Editing by Brian Winter, Kieran Murray and Prudence Crowther)


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Kodiak Island, Alaska is an isolated island off the south coast of the state and gets no power from the state's main grid. Like other isolated islands, Kodiak has relied upon diesel generators to provide a large chunk of their energy needs, but the island is starting to ditch the diesel and harness the wind.
Up until recently, the island got 80 percent of its energy from a two-unit hydroelectric plant and the other 20 percent from seven diesel generators. The island installed three 1.5-MW wind turbines atop Pillar Mountain last year and as of this past August, those wind turbines have replaced most of their need for diesel, with the oil only accounting for 7.7 percent of their energy.
The Pillar Mountain Wind Project will save over a million gallons of fuel a year. The Kodiak Electric Associaton (PDF) hopes to produce 95 percent of their energy through renewable sources by 2020 and they're already most of the way there.
While Kodiak Island only has a population of 12,000, it seems places like this are leading the way to a clean energy future.
via Earth Techling
written by Cody Littlewood, October 22, 2010
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From: Ray Anderson (_EMAIL_)
Date: Tue Aug 08 2000 - 21:09:42 PDT
As you pointed out, digital designers like to see time domain waveforms
as the result of their simulations. A time domain simulator (a spice
variant, XTK, HP ADS or other time domain solve engine) is commonly
utilized. Inserting accurate models of discontinuities into such simulations
can sometimes be a challenging problem.
There are a number of ways such models can be developed:
Frequency Domain Methods:
From field solvers or from frequency domain lab measurements s-parameters can
be determined. As you mentioned, by means of optimization, a lumped (or
distributed) topology can be fit to the synthesized or measured data to create
a discontinuity model that can be quite accurate over some defined bandwidth.
Alternatively, the same s-parameter data can be mathematically manipulated
(extract poles and zeroes) to form a rational function (i.e. a ratio of
polynomials). Pade' functions are one common example. The derived rational
function can be implemented in a spice simulation as polynomial controlled G
A third method is to directly mathematically extract circuit element
values from measured or simulated s-parameter data. The derived circuit
elements (usually R's, L's, and C's) can then be used in a spice simulation.
One "gotcha" of the frequency domain methods utilizing measured
characterization data is that some sort of de-embedding must be performed to
try and separate the desired discontinuity data from the undesired fixturing
data. Sometimes a non-trivial exercise.
Time Domain Methods:
Methods exist to utilize time-domain (TDR and TDT) data that is measured in
the lab to create models that are suitable for time domain simulations.
A nice thing about the time-domain methods is that you can take advantage
of time windowing to extract the data relevant to the discontinuity of
interest and to ignore responses caused by fixturing.
TDR and TDT measurements allow one to extract parasitics, equivalent
circuits, impedance and delay, frequency dependent Zo, and s-parameters.
Methods that may be employed include: Model optimization, Peeling algorithm,
time domain network analysis, and rational functions.
The model optimization method is somewhat similar to the freq. domain
optimization method except one optimizes element values in a time domain
simulation instead of a freq. domain simulation.
The peeling algorithm is implemented in the Tektronix IPA-310 and 510
systems, the tool offered by TDA systems as well as Agilent (HP).
Time domain network analysis is a mathematical method currently
The rational function method is a time-domain adaption of the frequency domain
method of the same name.
I won't get into any of the details here. (it can get quite involved), however,
my colleague Madhavan Swaminathan of the Packaging Research Center at Georgia
Tech and his students have done extensive work on both time domain and
frequency methods of modeling and have published much of the work and have
several new upcoming pubs in queue on the subject.
There are many variants on the methods I've outlined, and I'm sure many
other methods I haven't mentioned here. The point is, once you have either
measured or synthesized characterization data for a discontinuity, there
exist numerous methods for introducing the data into a time domain
spice (or spice-like) simulations. Each method has it's pros and cons.
Depending on exactly what you are doing some methods may be preferred
> Hello, everyone:
> This topic has been brought up several times but I still want to have
> some idea from you as to what tools you use and when you use them.
> For digital designers, one of the major concern is the waveform they get
> at the devices pins. Such job is most efficiently done using traditional
> tools like HSPICE, XTK, etc., which can handle the active device models
> with non-linear characteristics.
> However, when the speed of signal get faster and faster, the
> discontinueties such as vias has to modelled properly. To get this
> done, full wave field solver such as Ansoft HFSS, which was
> traditionally aimed for RF/microwave/antenna design may have to be used.
> But the problem with field solver is that they usually does not support
> active device models (correct me if I'm wrong). My question is, how do
> you guys utilize results from field solver in your circuit simulation?
> As far as I know, one approach is to build an equivalent circuit for the
> interconnect under study, optimize the RLC values so that the S
> parameters from the equivalent circuit match that of the HFSS
> simulation. Is this approach the common one used by SI engineers? Any
> other approachs that you use and the tools you used? Please share with
> me your experience.
> Thanks in advance.
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1. Can antiperspirants or deodorants cause breast cancer?
Articles in the press and on the Internet have warned that underarm antiperspirants or deodorants cause breast cancer. The reports have suggested that these products contain harmful substances, which can be absorbed through the skin or enter the body through nicks caused by shaving. Some scientists have also proposed that certain ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants may be related to breast cancer because they are applied frequently to an area next to the breast.
However, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food, cosmetics, medicines, and medical devices, also does not have any evidence or research data that ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants cause cancer.
2. What have scientists learned about the relationship between antiperspirants or deodorants and breast cancer?
In 2002, the results of a study looking for a relationship between breast cancer and underarm antiperspirants/deodorants were reported (3). This study did not show any increased risk for breast cancer in women who reported using an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant. The results also showed no increased breast cancer risk for women who reported using a blade (nonelectric) razor and an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant, or for women who reported using an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant within 1 hour of shaving with a blade razor. These conclusions were based on interviews with 813 women with breast cancer and 793 women with no history of breast cancer.
A different study examining the frequency of underarm shaving and antiperspirant/deodorant use among 437 breast cancer survivors was released in 2003 (4). This study found that the age of breast cancer diagnosis was significantly lower in women who used these products and shaved their underarms more frequently. Furthermore, women who began both of these underarm hygiene habits before 16 years of age were diagnosed with breast cancer at an earlier age than those who began these habits later. While these results suggest that underarm shaving with the use of antiperspirants/deodorants may be related to breast cancer, it does not demonstrate a conclusive link between these underarm hygiene habits and breast cancer. Additional research is needed to investigate this relationship and other factors that may be involved.
Other research has focused on certain preservatives (parabens) that are used in deodorants and antiperspirants, as well as many cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical products. Parabens have been shown to mimic the activity of estrogen (a hormone) in the body's cells (5). Because estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer cells, some scientists have suggested that the use of deodorants or antiperspirants could cause the accumulation of parabens in breast tissues, which may contribute to the development of breast cancer. This hypothesis was supported by a 2004 study that found parabens within 18 of 20 samples of tissue from human breast tumors (6). However, this study did not prove that parabens cause breast tumors (5). The authors of this study did not analyze healthy breast tissue or tissues from other areas of the body, and did not demonstrate that parabens are found only in cancerous breast tissue (6). Furthermore, this research did not identify the source of the parabens, and cannot establish that the accumulation of parabens is due to the use of deodorants or antiperspirants. More research is needed to specifically assess whether the use of deodorants or antiperspirants can cause the accumulation of parabens in breast tissue, and whether these chemicals can promote the development of breast cancer.
3. Where can someone get more information on breast cancer risks?
People who are concerned about their cancer risk are encouraged to talk with their doctor. More information about cancer is available on the NCI's Web site (_URL_ Also, U.S. residents may wish to contact the NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) (see below) with any remaining questions or concerns about breast cancer.
Inquirers who live outside the United States may wish to contact the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) for information about a resource in their country. The UICC Web site is located at _URL_ on the Internet. Also, some countries have organizations that offer services similar to those of the U.S. Cancer Information Service. A list of international cancer information services can be found at _URL_ on the Internet.


In the Player's Handbook, it is pretty clear that reactions normally interrupt the thing that they are reacting to.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything, however, has explicitly changed all reactions to occurring after their triggers have finished resolving unless the ability specifies otherwise, and is reliant on that implicit assumption for several reaction abilities already.
This leads to contradictory interpretations of reactions that take implicit timing. How should this be resolved?
I'm particularly interested in how to resolve this in Adventurers League games, where players show up with perfectly legal characters reasonably expecting their abilities to work either way on account of owning or not owning XGE.
Reactions come after their triggers, except when they don't
If the timing is specified in the ability, use that timing. Otherwise, reactions occur after the trigger.
This entire thing is a matter of specific over general. In 5e, when a specific rule and a general rule conflict, the specific rule wins.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything outlines the general rule for the timing of reactions:
If you're unsure when a reaction occurs in relation to its trigger, here's the rule: the reaction happens after its trigger completes, unless the description of the reaction explicitly says otherwise.
So, if the timing of the spell/ability you are using does not specify a timing then the reaction will come after whatever triggered it.
This is essentially just rephrasing what was already in the DMG since its release:
Various spells and features give a creature more reaction options, and sometimes the timing of a reaction can be difficult to adjudicate. Use this rule of thumb: follow whatever timing is specified in the reaction's description. For example, the opportunity attack and the shield spell are clear about the fact that they can interrupt their triggers. If a reaction has no timing specified, or the timing is unclear, the reaction occurs after its trigger finishes, as in the Ready action. (D&DB)
Thus, nothing has changed in the way reactions are handled since the DMG was released. Even with the rule being in the DMG and XGtE, you may (and probably will) still meet players who misunderstand how reaction timing works. There is not too much you can do to prevent this, but having a thorough understanding of the basics yourself will allow you to talk them through the issues with confidence that you are correct. Thus, I have prepared an extensive analysis below to hopefully help you accomplish this.
Dealing with Adventurers League and false expectations
Firstly, it is simply a fact that a DM is going to have to teach/correct that players that don't know or misunderstand the rules. It is one of the DM's primary jobs. There is not much you can do at the table to fix a character built on a misunderstanding of a rule whether it was based on not owning a particular reference material or not.
So how do you deal with it when it comes up? Well, as an AL DM, you are bound to follow the rules as written for all cases in which the rules are clear. However, if there was a case of a reaction ability that you found unclear lean on the general rule. If the ability is unclear then just assume it comes after the trigger. If assuming this seems to break the ability or make it useless then it is probably incorrect. In short, either go with the reaction happening after the trigger or go with what allows the ability to work.
Reaction spells
Below, I go through every currently published spell with a casting time of reaction and show how it either follows or is an exception to the general rule above. Remember, each one of these spells is analyzed using this same rule. As long as you understand it, there should be minimal issues with adjudicating most reaction timing abilities.
Shield - interrupts trigger
Trigger: when you are hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell.
So, shield explicitly says that it takes effect before the triggering attack resolves (and before the triggering magic missile spell hits). That means it is an exception and may take effect before the triggering effect resolves. This is an exception to the general rule because it's timing is specified by its effects.
The DMG also explicitly says that shield interrupts its trigger:
See this Q&A for more on the timing of shield: Do you have to cast Shield prior to your opponent's attack roll?
Absorb elements - interrupts trigger
Trigger: when you take you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage.
Again, the spell wording implies that it comes before the damage from the attack is resolved and thus it applies to the triggering attack as well. See this Q&A and this Crawford tweet for more.
Counterspell - interrupts trigger
Trigger: when you see a creature within 60 feet of you casting a spell.
Counterspell thus interrupts the spell being cast explicitly (also, if it did not it would literally be useless).
This post deals partially with the timing of counterspell: Can a readied spell be Counterspelled after it is cast, but before the trigger occurs?
Feather fall - interrupts trigger
Trigger: when you or a creature within 60 feet of you falls.
A falling creature's rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round until the spell ends.
The effect description says that it slows creatures that are in the process of falling. This means that it interrupts the falling and is thus another exception. Again this is also clear because if feather fall did not interrupt the falling creature's decent, it would be useless as the ground will have stopped the creature already with potentially deadly results.
Hellish Rebuke - occurs after trigger
Trigger: being damaged by a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see.
You point your finger, and the creature that damaged you is momentarily surrounded by hellish flames.
Hellish rebuke does specify timing, but it aligns with the normal rules of reactions. The trigger is being damaged and the reaction occurs after that damage is resolved. So, this spell is not an exception.
See here for further discussion: Hellish Rebuke reaction with zero hitpoints
Soul cage - occurs after trigger
Trigger: when a humanoid you can see within 60 feet of you dies.
This spell snatches the soul of a humanoid as it dies and traps it inside the tiny cage you use for the material component.
The trigger is a humanoid dying and the spell snatches the soul as soon as its death is complete. Thus, this reaction does not interrupt the trigger and happens after the trigger is resolved.
Non-spell reactions
I'll go over the two most commonly used non-spell reactions. There are many abilities and other effects that are reactions so it would be incredibly unwieldy to go through and analyze them all. However, knowing and understanding these two should cover a large portion of your reaction timing issues in most games (in my experience).
Ready action - occurs after trigger
Trigger: variable
The ready action can be difficult to adjudicate because it is up to the person readying the action what they want the trigger to be. What makes this especially tricky is that there are no real guidelines for how specific of a trigger you can set which leads to some confusion when it comes to, for example, the question of whether you can interrupt the casting of a spell with a readied action (also see this).
One thing is quite clear though, the readied action is always carried out after the triggering condition is met. No matter how clever the exact trigger is worded, the readied action can never precede the triggering condition.
Opportunity attack - interrupts trigger
Trigger: when a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your reach.
An opportunity is thus taken before an enemy's movement completes and thus interrupts the trigger. The enemy is free to continue moving after the resolution of the opportunity attack if they are able.
The DMG also explicitly says that the opportunity attack interrupts its trigger:
These are all the spells with a casting time of reaction that are currently published and a couple examples of non-spell reactions.
You don't have to look at this list though as long as you remember adjudicating every single one of these things can be done just by looking at the particular ability by following one simple rule: if a timing is listed or implied use that timing, and have the reaction resolve after the trigger for all the others.
 - \$\begingroup\$ Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat. \$\endgroup\$ – mxyzplk Mar 16 '18 at 5:41
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Advanced excremeditation by a trained professional
Excremeditation is the most Slackful form of meditation, and is promoted by the Church of the SubGenius. It is a form of meditation involving defecating into a toilet and enjoying it. Here is a 12-step set of directions for advanced excremeditation (beginners should have already learned the basics of how to defecate into a toilet and enjoy it by now, so only do this AFTER mastering the basics, and please note the risks involved in this activity before attempting it, listed in the warnings after the 12 steps):
1) Eat a can of baked beans. Well, not the can itself, but the baked beans inside of the can. The can is made of metal, and eating it isn't good for you. Just eat the food inside a can of baked beans. If the can was big, you're all set with step 1. If it was a small can, eat another small can of baked beans (not the can itself, but the food inside)! Now you're ready for step 2.
2) Drink some coffee. The exact amount of coffee for step 2 varies depending on the person, but it should be caffeinated coffee, not decaf. If you are used to drinking coffee and can handle a lot of it, drink much more than usual. If you are especially sensitive to coffee and just a little makes you go Over The Edge, one cup of coffee is the perfect amount. For an average SubGenius, 2 or 3 cups of coffee should do the trick.
3) Eat some prunes, raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, sun-dried tomatoes, dried apples, or some other manner of dried fruit. It doesn't matter if it's freeze-dried like the way astronauts eat or if it is the sticky sort of dried fruit like prunes. All that matters is that it's dried fruit.
4) Go outside and start jogging. The moderate exercise should have a good effect on your digestion. Keep jogging in the area near your home until you start to feel a bit ill and are farting a bit.
5) Rush immediately to your bathroom, slam the door, sit on the toilet, and take a dump. Push out as much fecal matter as possible, while having your eyes closed, your head resting on your hands, and your elbows resting on your knees. Remember to keep your hands clean and away from your rear end.
6) After the fecal matter has stopped flowing, stay in this pose, with your eyes closed, your head resting on your hands, and your elbows resting on your knees. Do not move an inch, or open your eyes, or use toilet paper, or anything. Focus all of your thoughts and energies on your colon and any feces that is still in there and needs to come out. Continue doing this until you feel that your colon has been emptied completely. Your hands should still be clean.
7) Your hands are still clean and your colon is empty, correct? Without getting up from the toilet, masturbate to some pornography (do this REGARDLESS of your gender... girls, this means you should have remembered a vibrator). Also, if you like to smoke cigarettes or frop, do that at this time as well. If you forgot to bring any of those things to the area near the toilet, well remember to leave them there next time.
8) Get yourself cleaned up. You probably need a VERY thorough shower at this point, and that's AFTER using up all the toilet paper.
9) Take some anti-diarrheal and anti-gas medicine (2 mg Loperamide HCl combined with 125 mg Simethicone). Combine this with some type of central nervous system depressant (a benzodiazepine or a sleep drug like Ambien if you are prescribed that type of drug, or some alcohol or a sleep-inducing antihistamine like Diphenhydramine HCl if you aren't on that type of prescription). Only use ONE central nervous system depressant though, and don't take too much, just a little. Then go straight to bed and fall asleep, and you will have very weird dreams.
10) With any luck, The Rupture will happen to you during your sleep, and you will wake up on the Pleasure Saucers surrounded by Alien Sex Goddesses, on the way to Planet X.
11) If you wake up back on Earth, this means The Conspiracy has prevailed yet again. Do not despair. This is what usually happens. You can try excremeditation again another time if you want.
12) Fnord. That is all.
WARNINGS: Excremeditation is for trained professionals only. Do not try this at home. Excremeditation may be hazardous to your health. Side effects may include abortion, ADHD, aging, agnosticism, AIDS, alcoholism, allergies, Alzhemer's, anaphylactic shock, anarchism, anhedonia, anorexia, anthrax, apostasy, asexuality, Asperger's, asthma, Astrocism, atheism, autism, becoming an alt.slack kook, bisexuality, blasphemy, blood clots, "Bob", Bozoid metamorphosis, brain damage, brainwashing, a British accent, broken bones, bronchitis, Buddhism, bulldada, cancer, Capitalism, cardiac arrest, cerebral hemorrhage, Christianity, clenched anus, coma, Communism, Confucianism, confusion, congestive heart failure, conservatism, constipation, coughing, delusions of grandeur, deportation to North Korea, deprogramming, diabetes, diarrhea, Discordianism, drowning, drug addiction, dry mouth, the Ebola virus, election to Congress, The End Times, endocrine disruption, epilepsy, erectile dysfunction, eternal salvation, excommunication, excremeditation, exorcism, falling down, fascism, fever, fibromyalgia, flatulence, fnord, furry fandom, Gender Identity Disorder, giraffe obsession, hallucinations, heterosexuality, Hinduism, homicide, homophobia, homosexuality, immortality, incarceration, incontinence, infectious diseases, influenza, insanity, insomnia, internal bleeding, invisibility, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Islam, Judaism, kidney failure, lactation, legal arrest, liberalism, libertarianism, liver damage, loose stools, lunacy, magical abilities, mental retardation, Mermaid Syndrome, misdiagnosis, mud butt, Multiple Personality Disorder, nationalism, nausea, neurosis, nihilism, nuclear war, the number 23, obesity, omnipotence, omniscience, pacifism, paganism, pain, Parkinson's, Pastafarianism, PatrioPsychotic AnarchoMaterialism, perversion, pinkeye, PMS, poisoning, poverty, promotion to CEO, prostitution, psychic powers, psychopathy, psychosis, PTSD, racism, reincarnation, resurrection, revitiligo, rigor mortis, runny nose, schism, schizophrenia, Scientology, sexhurt, sexism, Shintoism, Slack, sleep apnea, sneezing, sociopathy, species dysphoria, spontaneous human combustion, stroke, stupidity, sudden death, suicide, supernatural powers, surreality, sweating, swollen pineal gland, talking in palindromes, Taoism, tardive dyskinesia, telekinesis, terrorism, time travel, unemployment, viral infection, vitiligo, watery eyes, xenophobia, Yetinsyny, Zoroastrianism, and any other condition not mentioned. The Church of the SubGenius is not responsible for any damages. Void where prohibited by law. All rights reserved. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
Excremeditation caught on camera (a silent film):
Church of the SubGenius Excremeditation00:11
Church of the SubGenius Excremeditation
Yeti excremeditation and other bulldada:
Corpseduction by Rev.Norwood S Grimes04:01
Corpseduction by Rev.Norwood S Grimes.
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Students on Ice
How to Apply
Applications are due May 5, 2014
Please prepare a letter that includes all of the following sections.
Which position are you applying for?
 Nahanni National Park Reserve
 Ivvavik, Aulavik, Tuktut Nogait National Parks, Pingo Canadian Landmark
 Wapusk National Park
 Kluane National Park
 Torngat Mountains National Park
 Ukkusiksalik, Auyuittuq or Sirmilik National Parks
 1. Personal Information & Eligibility
 1. Eligibility – Indicate which Inuit/First Nations/Metis you are a member of (except for Wapusk National Park)
 2. Full name
 3. Date of birth (you must be 18 years old or younger)
 4. Citizenship
 5. Complete Address (including postal code)
 6. Home phone number
 7. Cell phone number
 8. Email address
 9. Indicate whether you have a valid passport or plan to acquire one (you are required to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the trip ends)
 10. Confirmation of availability for full time work from June 30 to August 31, 2014 for students still in high school and from mid-May – August 31 for university/college students.
 2. Education
 Please describe how you meet the following criteria:
 - You must be enrolled full-time in a secondary or post-secondary institution (or be home-schooled) at the time of application, and be returning to full-time studies for the next academic term. Please indicate your current grade/year, the name and address of your school, and contact information for a teacher or principle (name, mailing address, phone number, email).
 - You must be 18 years old or under at the time of application, and you must meet provincial or territorial youth employment requirements.
 3. Language
 - Indicate your English language abilities (reading/writing/speaking)
 4. More about you
 Please answer each the following questions (maximum 225 words per question, please do not attach additional material).
 1. Why do you want to participate on the Students on Ice expedition?
 2. What does the Arctic represent to you?
 3. Please describe your volunteer, social media, and community engagement experience.
 4. In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge that your community faces? What are you doing to address this challenge?
 5. Please share with us how you have overcome a challenge you've faced in your life.
 6. How will you use you SOI experience to work towards meaningful change in your community, in your country, in the world?
 7. How would you share traditional and cultural knowledge with other students from around the world on the Students On Ice expedition?
Your answers will be used to rate you against the following criteria.
 - Ability to seek opportunities to establish new productive relationships;
 - Ability to communicate effectively
 - Initiative
 - Passion for learning
 - Interpersonal skills
 - Leadership
 - Judgement
Reference Letter
Please provide a letter of reference from someone who knows you well, such as a teacher, principal, school counselor, boss, volunteer supervisor, or a member of your community (not a close relative or family friend).
To assist your reference in preparing a letter, it will be useful to provide them with your application letter and the instructions below.
The reference should comment on some of the following: your academic abilities, character, attitudes, social adaptability, leadership qualities, and how you help in your community. Here are a few suggestions:
 - How long has the referee known the applicant and what is your relationship?
 - What are the applicant's greatest strengths?
 - How does the applicant demonstrate consideration for peers, self-confidence, self-discipline, openness to new ideas, maturity, energy and enthusiasm?
 - How is the applicant already involved in the community and do you see the applicant committing time and energy after the expedition to presentations, outreach and other community initiatives?
*If desired, referees can send letters directly to Parks Canada at for confidentiality purposes. We ask that referees include the applicant's name and chosen expedition in the subject line of their email.
Other information
Students are responsible to secure their own accommodations, and for meals and getting to and from work for the duration of their work with Parks Canada, with the exception of the Students on Ice expedition.
Students must be willing to work and/or travel in varied terrain, weather conditions, isolated locations and by various means of transportation.
Students must understand that this is work and an educational expedition, not a vacation. All students must be committed to participate fully in all aspects of the mandatory education program and research activities prior to and during the expedition.
Successful applicants enrolled in expedition field courses must agree to participate in and complete any pre-expedition preparations and/or post-expedition assignments as directed by their respective instructors.
Students must act as an ambassador for their community and be prepared to share their journey and experience with their community and country before during and after the expeditions. Students will be expected to submit stories and pictures for the Parks Canada social media network.
Where do I send my completed application?
Please send a complete application package (including your letter and your letter of reference) to Jennifer Johnson. Packages must be received by May 5, 2014.
Parks Canada Agency
Attention: Jennifer Johnson
25 Eddy Street, 4th floor (25-4-N)
Gatineau QC K1A 0M5
What if I have questions?
Please contact Jennifer Johnson for more details.
Jennifer Johnson: _PHONE_


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How to Teach Structured Academic Controversy
I was recently introduced to Deliberating in a Democracy in the Americas (DDA), a valuable online resource for teachers interested in helping their students develop skills in discussing controversial topics. It uses the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) model, developed by David and Roger Johnson of the University of Minnesota to provide structure and focus to classroom discussions. Not all issues can be easily debated as pro / con positions. SAC provides students with a framework for addressing complex issues in a productive manner that builds their skills in reading, analyzing, listening, and discussion. It shifts the goal from "winning" the argument to active listening to opposing viewpoints and distilling areas of agreement. It's a prime skill for civic participation and in alignment with Common Core close reading skills
The DDA site has all the material teachers will need to support discussion in 15 interesting deliberation questions including:
- Should our democracy allow schools to punish students for off-campus cyberbullying?
- In our democracy, should violent juvenile offenders be punished as adults?
- Should all citizens in our democracy participate in one year of mandatory national service?
- Should our democracy permit the cultivation of genetically modified foods?
The site includes well-documented background readings in English and Spanish with audio versions of each. And it provides links to additional online resources and a glossary of important terms for each question. It also includes a poll on the website where students can vote and see how other students have voted.
DDA details the SAC process as follows:
- Introduction. Teachers review the meaning of deliberation, the reasons for deliberating, and the rules for deliberation.
- Careful Reading of the Text. Students read the text individually, in small groups of 4 or as a whole class in order to reach a common understanding of the reading. If students do not understand the reading, the deliberation will not be successful. As a whole class or in their small groups, students agree on at least three interesting facts and/or ideas.
- Clarification. After checking for understanding of the terms and content, the teacher makes sure students understand the deliberation question.
- Presentation of Positions. Students work in small groups of 4 divided into pairs (A & B). Each pair is assigned a position. The position of the A's is to find at least two compelling reasons to say YES to the deliberation question. The position of the B's is to find at least two compelling reasons to say NO to the deliberation question. A's teach B's at least two reasons to say YES to the deliberation question. B's teach A's at least two reasons to say NO to the deliberation question. (Handout #2)
- Reversal of Positions. The pairs reverse positions. The B pair now adopts the position to say YES to the deliberation question; the A pair adopts the position to say NO to the deliberation question. The A's & B's should select the best reason they heard from the other pair and add at least one additional compelling reason from the reading to support their new position.
- Free Discussion. Students drop their assigned roles and deliberate the question in their small groups. Each student reaches a personal decision based on evidence and logic.
- Whole Class Debrief. The teacher leads the whole class in a discussion to gain a deeper understanding of the question, democracy, and deliberation. What were the most compelling reasons for each side? What were the areas of agreement? What questions do you still have? Where can you get more information? What is your position? (Poll the class on the deliberation question.) In what ways, if any, did your position change? Is there an alternative policy that might address the problem more effectively? What, if anything, might you or your class do to address this problem?
- Student Reflection. Students complete the reflection form either at the end of class or for homework.
Hat tip to Marilyn Cover at the Classroom Law Project for introducing me to DDA and SAC.
Image credit / flickr jaycross


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Creating a new generation of data to solve social problems.
One of the most powerful tools that we use is the Success Equation. We use this framework at the beginning of almost every client engagement and every workshop that we lead. It encourages organizations to consider their impact as a simple regression equation: A + B + C = D.
D is the ultimate impact you're trying to achieve. A, B, and C are the intermediate steps that lead to that impact. They are the intermediate outcomes. Your research and theory of change suggest that if you accomplish A, B, and C, then you will also accomplish D. Only after the A, B, C, and D have been defined do we start talking about measurement.
If A, B, and C are appropriately defined, then measurement is relatively simple. It is when the desired outcomes are vague or flowery that measurement becomes complicated. Often, organizations catch themselves trying to measure D (e.g. defining success for their job-placement agency as the community-wide unemployment rate) or measuring the strategies that lead to A, B, and C (e.g. defining success as the number of pamphlets distributed).
This simple framework was first introduced in Jason's book Benchmarking for Nonprofits. It continues to have a clarifying effect for our clients and the organizations we encounter in conference and workshop settings. We hope it can provide the same value for you!