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On-stage and in film, the Marx Brothers' antic comedy won millions of fans and left a major pop cultural legacy. Movies like The Coconuts (1929) and A Night at the Opera (1935) remain popular, and both Groucho Marx's wisecracking persona and Harpo Marx's silent, woman-crazed clown remain well-known icons. From their beginnings in vaudeville during the 1910s, to their rise as popular film comics during the Depression, Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo Marx delivered an energetic, anarchic comedy that seemed to overflow both the stage and the screen.
The Marx Brothers were the sons of Jewish immigrants from Germany, and all were born in New York City to Simon Marrix (later changed to Marx) and Minnie Schonberg. The first son, Manfred, died in infancy. Leonard Marx was born on March 22, 1887, and later adopted Chico as his stage name; Adolph Marx (later Arthur) was born on November 23, 1888, and adopted the stage name Harpo; Julius Henry Marx was born on October 2, 1890, and used Groucho as his stage name; Milton Marx was born on October 23, 1892, and adapted the alias Gummo; and Herbert Marx, born on February 25, 1901, would be known as Zeppo.
From an early age, the brothers were encouraged to express their artistic side. Harpo, naturally, played the harp, Groucho the guitar, and Chico the piano. In 1910 three of the brothers along with Mabel O'Donnell, Minnie Marx, and an aunt formed a singing troupe, the Six Mascots. While performing in Texas in 1912, Groucho, who had become irritated at the audience's inattention, made snide remarks. Instead of becoming angry, however, the audience laughed. From that point, the Marx family evolved into a comedy act, eventually comprised of Chico, Harpo, Groucho, and Zeppo.
During the 1920s, the Marx Brothers rose to fame in series of Broadway musical revues including I'll Say She Is, The Coconuts, and Animal Crackers. The latter two revues would become the brothers' first two movies in 1929 and 1930. Chico, Harpo, Groucho, and Zeppo then made three more films for Paramount, Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932), and their most critically regarded film, Duck Soup (1933). After 1933, Zeppo left the team, and the Marx Brothers moved to Warner Brothers, where they made A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races.
While the Marx Brothers are best known for their work in film, the trio and quartet can also be enjoyed on a number of recordings. The Marx Brothers Play & Sing is a three-disc box set of musical numbers from Coconuts, Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, At the Circus, Room Service, Go West, and The Big Store. Best of the Marx Brothers is a one-disc collection featuring oddities like "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady" and "Mama Wants to Know Who Stole the Jam."
Chico Marx died on October 11, 1961; Harpo Marx died on September 28, 1964; Groucho Marx died on August 19, 1977; Gummo Marx died on April 21, 1977; and Zeppo Marx died on November 30, 1979. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi


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- About Us
- Our Events
Indigenous people have a shorter life expectancy - around 18 to 19 years less than non-indigenous people. The average life span is 57 years for an Aboriginal male and 62 years for an Aboriginal female. The most common causes of death include:
- Circulatory diseases - including heart disease and stroke. The number of deaths caused by conditions such as coronary heart disease is double that of the non-indigenous population.
- Diabetes - and other diseases of the endocrine system. The rate of diabetes is six times higher among indigenous people. It is estimated that diabetes affects between 10 to 30 per cent of the Aboriginal population.
- Injuries - sustained in accidents such as car crashes. An indigenous person is three times more likely to die in an accident than a non-indigenous person. The Aboriginal population also has high rates of suicide and homicide.
- Respiratory system diseases - deaths from chronic disease are three to five times more common. Around half of the diseases are caused by infections. Respiratory infections are 10 times more common in the indigenous population.
- Cancer - particularly lung, cervical and liver cancer. According to the South Australian Cancer Registry, the death rate among the indigenous population is higher because the cancers are typically diagnosed at a later stage.
Babana has a key aim of improving the health of our community and we have worked with key organisations to provide programs that can assist. We would like to thank the Redfern Police and the Aboriginal Health Promotion Unit for their ongoing support of our health program.
We run a weekly health walking program which is attended by both Aboriginal and Non Aboriginal members of our community. We meet each Sunday (weather permitting) at the Babana shed and proceed for a walk followed by breakfast.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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- How a High-Resolution D/A Converter Can Help Capture the Sound Quality of a Symphony Orchestra
- Evaluation Board User's Guide for BD34301EKV-EVK-001
BD34301EKV is 32-bit high sound quality Stereo Audio D/A converter with ROHM original sound quality design, realizing excellent numerical performance (SNR: 130 dB (Typ), THD+N: -115 dB (Typ) ) suitable for high-end audio. Favorite sound is selectable by switching 2 kinds of digital FIR filters (Sharp Roll-Off, Slow Roll-Off). PCM I/F supports up to 768 kHz and DSD I/F supports up to 22.4 MHz.
It is the masterpiece of ROHM audio IC which pursues both the numerical values and sound quality performance required in an audio device to the utmost limits and created through the ardency of ROHM engineeers. That is ROHM Musical Device "MUS-IC".
"MUS-IC" Web Page
The BD34301EKV DAC chip, developed as part of ROHM's high-grade MUS-ICT™ series representing the pinnacle of audio ICs, emphasizes 'spatial reverberation', 'quietness', and 'dynamic range' – qualities important for reproducing classical music. Original sound quality design technology makes it possible to successfully reproduce the target sound quality by incorporating a circuit in the signal processing block to check for audio quality. At the same time, class-leading low noise and distortion (130dB SN ratio, -115dB THD+N) provide the high performance demanded by high fidelity audio equipment. At last, the customizable digital filter – a key function of the digital signal processing circuit – supports the creation of the ideal sound sought by audio equipment manufacturers.
The BD34301EKV delivers superior performance in audio equipment by improving sound quality in ways that cannot be defined by numerical characteristics (130dB S/N ratio, -115dB THD+N). For example, in the D/A conversion circuit, ROHM was able to minimize the power supply impedance of each constituent current segment while optimizing the wiring layout to reduce the clock delay (error that determines the timing operation of each current segment) as much as possible. In addition, the digital filter (FIR filter), a key function of the digital signal processing circuit, is designed to faithfully process even the smallest signals by achieving a rejection band attenuation of -150dB or less (a performance indicator of digital filters). This makes it possible to extract the full amount of information from sound sources and deliver sound quality characteristics that allow one to hear elements such as 'spatial reverberation', 'quietness', and 'dynamic range' important when listening to classical music.
The BD34301EKV enables selection of the digital filter (FIR filter) in the digital signal processing circuit from preset/custom/external settings. At the same time, both the filter's calculation coefficients and oversampling rate are programmable. Constructing a unique digital filter makes it possible to achieve different sound quality tunings for each audio equipment, reducing development load while contributing to the creation of ideal sound sought by audio manufacturers.
BD34301EKV is a 32-bit Stereo Audio D/A Converter with ROHM original sound quality design, realizing excellent performance (SNR: 130 dB (Typ), THD+N: -115 dB (Typ))*1 suitable for high-end audio. Different type sound is realized by selecting 2 kinds of digital FIR filters (Sharp Roll-Off, Slow Roll-Off). PCM I/F supports up to 768 kHz and DSD I/F supports up to 22.4 MHz

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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In calanoid copepods it is poorly understood how enzymatic activities and patterns are affected by abiotic and biotic factors. Such knowledge, however, is crucial to assess metabolic functioning and performance of organisms in different habitats. Therefore, our study focuses on digestive enzyme activities in relation to temperature, pH and food in the Arctic species Calanus glacialis and in Centropages hamatus and Temora longicornis from the North Sea. Enzyme activities were measured over a range from 0 to 70 °C (lipases/esterases, proteinases) and pH 5 to 9 (proteinases). In all species, relative proteinases activity peaked at 40/50 °C and pH 6; relative lipases/esterases activity peaked at 30 °C. Between 0 and 20 °C, lipase activity of C. glacialis was higher (40-70% of maximum) than that of the boreal copepods (25-64%), which suggests thermal adaptation of the lipid metabolism in the polar species. Incubating C. glacialis with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii showed (i) that enzyme activities increased especially in the alkaline range and (ii) that enzyme patterns, revealed by gel electrophoresis, differed from that of starving individuals, indicating that feeding induced enzyme expression. Such studies, linking abiotic and biotic conditions to enzyme functioning, can help elucidating the capacity of copepods to respond to environmental changes.
Freese D., Kreibich T. & Niehoff B., in press. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2012.04.007. Article (subscription required).


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|Posted by meaningmatters on July 15, 2012 at 11:20 AM|
Written by Kim Turgeon
I believe that over the last decade the amount of time children spend talking at home and at school has decreased dramatically.
At home families no longer spend evenings sitting around the dinner table or living room telling stories about their day or talking while driving in the car. Instead they are eating on the go and watching DVDs while they drive from activity to activity. The hustle and bustle of our afterschool activities combined with the accessibility of technology (including hand-held video games and video devices) has taken away from the time available for quiet conversation.
In school, a focus upon time on learning and measurable outcomes has pushed time spent talking further down on the priority list. Opportunities for students to talk in class take time and given the little instructional time we have with our students, it becomes hard to justify devoting a significant amount of that time to talking. I would argue though that the time students spend engaged in academic conversations with their classmates is time well spent in developing not only oral language but precisely the high level of literacy that is our ultimate goal.
Why Is Time Spent Talking Valuable?
Before children can comprehend print independently we spend time developing their comprehension skills through listening to our stories. We read aloud to them. Before children are able to communicate their thoughts independently, through writing, they need practice organizing, sequencing and sharing their thoughts orally. Think of it as a rehearsal for writing.
Wilkinson (1965) introduced the term "oracy" as a way for people to think about the role that oral language plays in literacy development, defining it as "the ability to express oneself coherently and to communicate freely with others by word of mouth." He stated that "oracy is the foundation of literacy." This makes sense when you think about a young child"s development and his/her ability to listen and speak well before he/she can read or write. Children learn to manipulate their environment with spoken words before they learn to do so with written words. (Content-Area Conversations, Fisher,Frey and Rothenberg, 2008)
When given plentiful opportunities to both hear good language structure and talk more frequently, children become stronger readers and writers.
How can you provide more opportunities for talk?
In summary, don't be so quick to jettison the time spent talking...it will help your children gain a framework for their writing!


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Baisakhi, marks the beginning of New Year, particularly in the northern part of India. It is among the few Indian festivals that has a fixed date. Baisakhi is always on April 13th. In Kerala, Baisakhi is called as "Vishu" and in Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as "Puthandu".
Considered a holy day, the devout celebrate the Baisakhi with a dip in the holy rivers just around the break of dawn. It is on this day that Sun enters Aries, the first sign of Zodiac. This signifies ushering of the new year.
In Punjab (the land of Green Revolution) particularly and in the northern belt of India in general, farmers perform their own prayers and rejoice. For on this day, they commence cutting their harvest. The fields can be seen full of nature's bounty. Dressed in their typical folk attire, both men and women, celebrate the day with Bhangra and Gidda. Sweets are distributed, old enmities are forgiven and life is full of joy, merriment and everyone seems to belong.
The above two are the main reasons for celebrating Baisakhi.
Baisakhi, however, has had a new dimension added to it by Guru Gobind Singh. For it was on the day of Baisakhi in 1669, that he established the Khalsa Panth and gave a final impetus to the course of the earlier nine Gurus of Sikhism.


Woman's self defense
The art of San Soo teaches you how to manipulate the skeletal structure
with less physical strength and effort
woman's self defense
San Soo is ideal for women. It is an art that is based on physics and applied with an understanding of anatomy. We teach women how the skeletal frame articulates, where the weakness in the musculature is and knowledge of pressure points. All this ties together with the student learning how to strike or kick with a relaxed body and dropping their centerline. Dropping one's centerline is another way of saying that you are lowering your center of gravity. When you learn to do this you are then able to project the full power of your body to whatever vulnerable area of your attacker that is necessary. This is what makes San Soo perfect for women. If a female weighing 100lbs. is attacked by someone who weighs 250lbs. she has the potential to seriously injure her assailant. Size is irrelevant if she knows how to take her 100lbs. and hit strike zones like the eyes, throat, ribs, diaphragm, kidneys, groin, knees, shin, ankle or crown of the foot, to name a few targets. Women have certain advantages over men because of their size and bone structure. A larger person in most situations cannot move as quickly as a smaller person, male or female. An example of an advantage of the female skeletal frame is the way the rib cage moves. If a male is placed in a Full Nelson hold (a hold executed by standing behind the person and the assailant bringing his arms under their arms and clasping behind their neck) and attempts to extricate himself by lifting his arms straight up over the attackers head to drop out of the hold, he will fail. He will fail because the male rib cage holds a wider position at the top and allows the attacker to have a much stronger grip. If a woman raises her arms above her head, the rib cage becomes narrower at the top, so as she drops her weight to the ground the attacker cannot continue to hold her as she slips through his grip.
We also teach women the psychology of an attacker. It is important for the person being attacked to let the assailant think he is in control and that she is defenseless. With proper training she may appear defenseless but will actually be prepared for self-defense. We cover many techniques that can take the attacker off guard and allow the potential victim to escape or possibly injure or even kill her attacker if it becomes necessary.
A critical area of discussion in our classes for men and women is intuition. It is that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you think something is wrong. You can be walking to your car, in your front door or leaving work. Your subconscious picks up something that is so small that most of the time you would dismiss it or you might be too embarrassed to call for help. That alarm is real and is always right! We teach our students to pay attention when this occurs.
Our Women's Self-Defense classes can be implemented in many ways. We can arrange individual classes, or schedule small or large groups. These classes can be designed as six or up to ten week sessions.
They can be scheduled to meet once, twice or more per week depending on the needs of the individual or group. The key to learning any self-defense technique is repetition. The more times the student attends class and practices, the more it becomes a natural part of them much like walking. The optimum way to learn is by enrolling in the general classes at Kung-Fu San Soo LA. Through continuous training you will be able to take advantage of the most comprehensive program available for women.
Please call Kung-Fu San Soo LA for scheduling classes at _PHONE_.


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This installment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series contains a variety of disaster behavioral health materials designed to directly benefit older adults and their families and caregivers. It is organized into four categories: (1) books, (2) tips and guides, and (3) reports and presentations. View the collection's annotated bibliography, which contains links to each resource; and helpful links, which provide links to organizations, agencies, and other resources that address the issues faced by older adults and their families and caregivers.
Resources address various audiences, including the following:
Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event
A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Care-Givers.
Immediate Disaster Response: Hurricane Sandy-Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS)
This installment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) focuses on first responders and, currently, Hurricane Sandy.


, b, strict=False)
Return the dot product of two 2D masked arrays a and b.
Like the generic numpy equivalent, the product sum is over the last dimension of a and the second-to-last dimension of b. If strict is True, masked values are propagated: if a masked value appears in a row or column, the whole row or column is considered masked.
strict : {boolean}
Whether masked data are propagated (True) or set to 0 for the computation.
The first argument is not conjugated.
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Welfare Sanctions and Conditionality in the UK
Conditional welfare arrangements require people to behave in a certain way to access cash benefits, housing or support services.
These conditions tend to be enforced through penalties or 'sanctions' that reduce, suspend or end access to these goods.
This Round-up considers how effective welfare conditionality is, what the impacts are, how different groups fare, and to what extent it can be morally justified.
It finds that:
- benefit sanctions are disproportionately affecting young people under 25, and there is evidence of severe impacts on homeless people and other vulnerable groups;
- international evidence indicates that benefit sanctions substantially raise exits from benefits, and may increase short-term job entry; but there are unfavourable longer-term outcomes for earnings, job quality and employment retention;
- there are concerns that welfare conditionality can have unintended consequences, including: distancing people from support; causing hardship and even destitution; displacing rather than resolving issues such as street homelessness and anti-social behaviour; and negative impacts on 'third parties', particularly children.


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Ask a question about 'Finnic languages'
Start a new discussion about 'Finnic languages'
Answer questions from other users
The term Finnic languages
often means the Baltic-Finnic languages
The Finnic or Baltic Finnic languages are a branch of the Uralic language family spoken around the Baltic Sea by about 7 million people....
, an undisputed branch of the Uralic languages
The Uralic languages constitute a language family of some three dozen languages spoken by approximately 25 million people. The healthiest Uralic languages in terms of the number of native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Mari and Udmurt...
. However, it is also commonly used to mean the Finno-Permic languages
The Finno-Permic languages are a traditional but disputed,group of the Uralic languages that comprises the Baltic-Finnic languages, Sami languages, Mordvinic languages, Mari language, Permic languages, and likely a number of extinct languages...
, a hypothetical intermediate branch that includes Baltic Finnic, or the more disputed Finno-Volgaic languages
Finno-Volgaic or Fenno-Volgaic is a defunct hypothesis of a subgrouping of the Uralic languages that tried to group the Finnic languages, Sami languages, Mordvinic languages and the Mari language...


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Nine members have taken the initiative to grant access to their databank of living plants on a single platform. The project offers a user-friendly interface with which the visitor can simultaneously consult the information in the various plant collections.
How Plantcol was created:
In 2001, the project was first initiated when the V.B.T.A. submitted a project request within the framework of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office's Long-Term Information Society Expansion Support Programme.
In 2002, preparations were made for constructing a website. In that same year, the decision was made to collaborate with forest arboreta via the V.B.T.A. members, even if these arboreta were not members. A further expansion of an inventory of Belgian collections of cultivated plants was instigated. The non-profit organisation, "Plantencollectief" (Plant Collective), was set up, which is open to collectors and administrators throughout Flanders. The objective was to bring together collections whose existence was threatened at a single repository, for the registration, protection and acknowledgement of valuable plant collections.
In May 2003, "Plantcol" was therefore established, an umbrella electronic information system for the genetic sources of living plant material and woody plants. The establishment of this database was subsidised by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office's Long-Term Information Society Expansion Support Programme (DWTC).


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Design of low cost, low emission marine propulsion systems
Ricardo marine propulsion experts used state-of-the-art computer aided engineering (CAE) software to evaluate the environmental and commercial performance of different marine propulsion system architectures under a range of different usage scenarios.
The work focused on the requirements of a typical harbour tugboat operating in a medium-sized European port. The general characteristics of the vessel were assumed to be a length of 35m, beam of 14m and draft of 5m, with a bollard pull of some 50 tonnes. Two alternative propulsion system configurations were considered for this vessel:
A high-efficiency conventional mechanical architecture, comprising two diesel engines powering respectively a port and starboard propeller by direct drive via a gearbox.
A hybrid electrical propulsion system based on two natural gas engine generator sets providing power to battery banks, with separate electric motors driving each propeller.
The study demonstrated the value of applying CAE simulation tools at the very earliest stages of vessel design or of repowering. From assessing the likely usage profile, the CAE tools allowed for the early assessment of detailed considerations of environmental performance, capital and operational expenditure requirements, and likely return on investment.


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The Mojave Desert was one of the last places in the "lower 48" where the United States federal government granted free homesteads to anyone who was willing to improve the land. Five-acre parcels were deeded by the federal government under the Small Tract Act of 1938, one of the last of the government's homestead acts. The government's goal was to distribute 1,849 sIM (457,000 ac) of desert that the Bureau of Land Management deemed disposable, most of it in California. By the time the act was repealed in 1976, about 36% of the land was privately owned. The rest is federally protected desert.
In the early 1950's, James E. Baugh, patriarch of the Baugh Family and grandfather of the President of Molossia, obtained 7,902 sRN (5 ac) of desert land under the auspices of the Small Tract Act. Under amendments to the act, homesteaders were granted a deed only if they built a structure with dimensions not less than 20.5 No x 27.4 No (12 by 16 ft). No water or power was required. In accordance with these requirements, and with the assistance of his brother, Bob, he proceeded to construct a small building in the forbidding desert, a homestead "shack". The shack was never much to look at, four walls, a roof, a door and some windows, all installed over time as money and materials allowed. This done, Mr. Baugh had fulfilled the requirements of the Act. In spite of only sporadic subsequent visits, the property was nevertheless fully granted to him in 1988. The shack, however, has long since been dismantled, probably by desert dwellers seeking building materials for their own shacks. Nothing remains today but the concrete slab.
Desert Homestead is a province of the Republic of Molossia. It is located in western San Bernardino County, about 31 IN (31 km / 19 mi) northeast of the town of Yucca Valley, California. Desert Homestead is exactly five acres in size and is open low desert, with mostly sand, scrub brush and creosote bushes. It lies on a low ridge not far from Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree, California, and is near to the Twenty-nine Palms Marine Corps Base and Joshua Tree National Monument (US).
In addition to being a province of our Republic, Desert Homestead is also a National Monument. It evokes not only the memory of the last Homestead Act of the United States, but also the memory of James E. Baugh, who had a dream to create a small legacy for his family in the desert. This legacy continues today, here in this harsh but lovely land.
The Original Desert Cabin


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Good Business Sense
Hugo Munsterberg, a pioneer in the field of industrial psychology, examined the workplace particularly the impact of monotony, attention and fatigue, and physical and social influences. As a professor of psychology at Harvard University, he and his students devised a number of different tests to administer to the personnel of various industrial plants. Munsterberg also studied the reliability of eyewitness testimonies and published his findings in "On the Witness Stand" in 1908. A psychologist and philosopher, Munsterberg received his medical degree from the University of Heidelberg. He attended the first International Congress of Psychology in Paris and served as president of the American Psychology Association. Born in 1863, Munsterberg died on this date in 1916.
Copyright InteliHealth, Inc., 2011. All rights reserved.


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Ask An Expert
Meet our Marriage and Family Therapist Expert: Michelle Barone, M.A., M.F.T.
Michelle Barone, M.A., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, teacher, parent educator, and retired La Leche League leader.
Michelle Barone received her B.A. in Human Development and her teaching credentials at Pacific Oaks College. She received her Masters at Azusa Pacific at the California Family Study Center.
She has worked with families and young children for over 28 years. She has been an infant-toddler, preschool, and parent educator, classroom teacher for severely emotionally disturbed children, and educator for emotionally disturbed adults.
For the last 20 years, Michelle has been a family therapist, primarily working with families who practice attachment parenting and who homeschool their children. Michelle's two children, 19 and 13, have been homeschooled their whole lives.
Michelle contributed to The Homeschool Book of Answers, edited by Linda Dobson, and is the author, along with homeschool advocate Mary Shannon, Exploring Your Family's Educational Journey.
Michelle is in private practice in Los Angeles, California. She conducts parent education workshops, parenting groups, and private consultations. For information about her services, visit _URL_.
Michelle shares her philosophy of living and learning with young children, along with some tips and resources:
Living with young children is a special and fleeting time for families-challenging and frustrating, yes-but a time that is crucial to the development of young minds and souls.
As a family therapist, my goals are to help families create a nurturing, respectful, and fun environment for everyone, but one in which communication between all members is clear and loving. Building relationships based on unconditional love supports growth and learning in children. Because parents are their child's first teacher, the need to mirror a world of acceptance and curiosity is important in order for children to feel safe to explore their world. Children learn as much, if not more, by unspoken words and the emotional climate and attitudes expressed in their households.
Children need clear, loving communication. Clear communication supports an open mind and allows for full expression of thoughts and feelings without judgment or criticism. In my practice, I use a variety of materials and exercises to help parents and children discover the loving power of connecting to each other. Some of these materials can be found at:
- Quality Parenting, Ilene Val Essen, Phd.
- Unconditional Parenting, Alfie Kohn
- Nonviolent Communication
Here are some basic ideas for communicating with pre-school age children:
- Accept feelings without judgment. Model and teach feeling words.
- Give reasons for both yes and no answers. "No, we can't go to park right now because I am making dinner." "Yes, we can go for a walk now because we are done with lunch and it is fun to be outside."
- Give choices. "Would you like eggs, or cereal?" "Do you want to walk or ride your bike?"
- Do not offer a choice when there is really not a choice. "Do you want to go to the store?" is not a choice when you are going and they must go with you.
- Let children make decisions about those things that matter to them. The shirt they wear, the toy they bring to the park, and the amount of food they eat. Respect their choices even if they are not what you would have chosen.
To increase confidence in communication and avoid power struggles, I encourage parents to have a clear understanding of what to expect at each age and stage of a child's development.
Children's emotional and physical growth is quite rapid during the preschool years, and knowing what to expect and how to respond is very empowering for both parent and child. A home environment that supports learning, with lots of available, age-appropriate books and activities helps a child feel safe to explore and grow. Spend quantity time during the day with your child by including them in your daily chores and activities. This fosters cooperation and increases their self-care and independence skills.
The Gesell Institute Child Development Series are a good place to start your discovery of child development. These books are a result of direct observation of young children. Arnold Gesell, founder of the Gesell Institute, set forth some basic principles that are important for parents to understand, such as:
- All children proceed through the same sequence of development, but all vary in rates of development.
- There is an inner timetable, which determines the child's rate of development. Trying to teach activities ahead of that timetable will at best result in only minor, temporary growth.
- A favorable environment helps to insure the realization of a child's potential.
- Each child is unique in temperament and growth style. The culture should try to adjust to each child's uniqueness.
- It is important for parents to know and understand their own and their child's temperament.
How is it that children are so different? Temperament, personality and growth style are different for everyone! It is helpful to truly understand your child's temperament and how it matches or doesn't match with your style. Many battles or problems arise from not understanding temperament and growth style.
An easy, first introduction to temperament is:
Nurture by Nature: Understand Your Child's Personality Type - And Become a Better Parent -- by Paul D. Tieger, et al.
Healing our own childhood wounds.
We all bring to our relationships the good and the bad from our own upbringing. Children will always make us face any unfinished issues we may have from our own childhood. Much of the work I do with parents is helping them to unravel and heal their own childhood hurts so they can bring healthy patterns into their own family.
A good resource to begin your own healing journey is:
Growing Up Again - Second Edition: Parenting Ourselves, Parenting Our Children (Paperback) by Connie Dawson, Jean Illsley Clarke - Is a wonderful book that clearly outlines the tasks at each developmental stage and what we can do to heal ourselves while parenting our children in a healthy way.
You can learn to joyfully live and learn with young children through a simple basic prescription:
- Plan: Having a basic rhythm to each day can be very useful. Young children like predictability in their lives. Plan ahead for new experiences, long days, changes in routine. Try to give yourself extra time for tasks. Hurrying with young children is very stressful for all.
- Patience: It can be hard to wait for a child to dress herself, or pack his own bags. Children naturally want to finish playing before they have to leave. Be patient. Their world and experiences is as important as yours. Be respectful and use patience when helping to transition from one activity to the next.
- Play... Play... Play: Let them play. It is their work and how they integrate experiences in their world. Make things fun, sing songs, march to the car, make tasks fun and laugh! Then let them play some more.
This is a great book to help your parenting become more playful:
Playful Parenting (Paperback) by Lawrence J. Cohen
Preserve: Preserve their time as young children. Don't be in a hurry to rush them to grow up, to separate from you for long periods of time. Preserve the relationship by being on their side, by teaching them by example, by protecting them from unrealistic expectations. Preserve the biological need for parents and young children to be together and to honor that you are the most important person in your child's life.


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The wave nature of electrons affects the electron's energy levels. Electrons form standing waves and each energy level has to have a whole number of wavelengths for the standing wave to exist. So, the wave property of electrons dictates how there are fixed energy levels for each electron.
I think Dr. Lavelle used the example of constructive and destructive interference in light waves to illustrate the idea of diffraction so that he could show us that because electrons passing through a crystal show diffraction they have wave-like properties. So if you were asked to explain how electrons show wave properties it would be useful to know!
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Thursday, October 3, 2019
Gynura bicolor - Okinawan Spinach
Polska wersja
 Gynura bicolor is a perennial tropical, half-succulent plant from Asteraceae family of East-Asian origin. It can grow as a small dense bush, high groundcover or climbing plant. It is often called Okinawan Spinach as for years it was used in Japan, Taiwan, China and some South-East Asian regions, as a leafy vegetable. In the last decade it's humble popularity expanded outside of those Asian countries, reaching USA and Australia, but generally worldwide this plant still remain a rarity. Alongside it's culinary values it's health benefits are also highly appreciated, and in the last decade it's medicinal actions and phytochemistry has been tested sporadically.
 The other names of Gynura bicolor include : Hong Feng Cai (Chinese), Sambung Nyawa Ungu (Malay). Edible Gynura and Okinawan Lettuce (English).
 There is a lots of misinformation on Internet as this plant is very often called mistakenly by amateurs as Gynura crepioides. This name obviously derived as a distortion of a name Gynura crepidioides, which is in fact old, nowadays out of use synonym for Crassocephalum crepidioides. Crassocephalum crepidioides plant is quite closely related to Gynura bicolor, and share few of it's culinary and medicinal uses, but is less safe for consumption as it contain more pyrrolizidine alkaloids than G. bicolor (so it can be harmful to human liver even in not so huge doses). C. crepidioides also differs much in appearance from G. bicolor, so no serious gardener can mistake both plants.
 Authentic Gynura bicolor plants are also sometimes mislabeled as Gynura divaricata, Gynura pseudochina or Gynura procumbens. Gynura procumbens is actually the closest relative to Gynura bicolor, it's leaves has more smoothely toothed-lobbed edges, and downside of it's leaves is green and not purple, but both species growth habit, general outlook and flowers are the same. Also taste of both is quite the same (I think G. bicolor tastes just bit more nutty-herbal), and it's nutritional and medicinal values are very similar to.
 Gynura bicolor is generally a perennial vine but it's stems are quite thick, straight and stiff, so with regular cutting of stems tops this plant can grow like a small shrub. If left to grow, it's stems can get around 4m long, crawling on the ground or climbing on a tree, fence etc. It's leaves and young stems are subsucculent, older stems are becoming half-woody. Due to water storage in it's tissues it can survive serious drought, but it thrive in wet compost soil and humid tropical climate. In nature it grows usually in wet meadows, forests outskirts, on river banks and near lakes, but not on swampy ground, as waterlogged soil is causing Gynura's roots rotting. I was experiencing this problem every year in my garden in north of the Philippines during the rainy season, one week of constant rains in flat area and all Gynura plants was gone dead rotten. Hence, I've started to plant new Gynura plants only on slopes, where water can't retain. As a tropical plant it also can not withstand any frost, but I've read interesting claim that it '' Grows all year round in warm climates, and will die back in winter in the cooler climates – generally will reshoot in spring.''
 Gynura likes full sun and partial shade, in strong shade it's growth is slow and disturbed. It starts to flower after some period of water scarcity, mostly during dry summer months. So if you grow your Gynura in pots indoor and you would like to see it flowering - don't cut it's stems for some time (you can still pick few leaves leaving some on stems) and gradually stop watering it until the soil will be very dry. If the plant has enough sunlight you should see flower buds appearing shortly after. G. bicolor is generally easy to grow indoors and just like in gardens it can be quite ornamental, due to it's nice shape and purple young stems and downside of the leaves. The flowers although rather small, comes in clusters of few and have a nice looking, vivid orange-red colour. And it is followed by also attractively looking white puffs of seeds.
 Gynura bicolor can be propagated by seeds, but stems cuttings grow roots very easily and quickly, and the layering is easy too, as the stems that touch the soil usually grow roots soon. Compare to other leafy vegetables it is relatively pest and diseases resistant, but sometimes it can be affected too, for example by snails or fungus.
 Although Okinawan Spinach can cope with any type of soil, for best harvest it should grow in rich well drained, wet compost soil in high temperature. The leaves and tender tops can be harvested all year round, but if plants are still young and small it is better to pick leaves only and always leave enough on plant to not slow it's further growth. G. bicolor leaves have still soft skin and flesh and are crispy even when already old, but are more nutritious, contain less water and store for longer without wilting, than the young underdeveloped leaves. Of course it is the best to pick the leaves or tops straight before eating, as the level of it's antioxidants content drops every with every minute after picking. But if you have to storage it for few days and your plants are already big, then cut whole long stems and keep in such form until consumption time, when you can remove leaves and tender tops from tough stem. This is the best way to keep it fresh even for a week in room temperature or cooled. But for really long storage purposes it can also be dried.
 Gynura bicolor leaves and young tender shoots has a mild taste with nutty-herbal aroma. It is very juicy and crispy, bit mucilaginous, and can be used fresh or cooked in any possible way that leafy vegetables are. It can be added to salads or sandwiches, juices or smoothies, steamed or boiled like spinach, added to soups, stir-fries, omelettes or turned into tempura.
 Reddish purple colour of downside of Gynura bicolor leaves can make your salad more colourful, but when boiled the colour is getting darker and less attractive. To avoid it becoming slimy pulp, the leaves should be cooked only for short time.
 Okinawan Spinach is a vegetable of cooling character and so in Chinese cuisine it is usually cooked with warming ingredients like ginger, sesame oil or rice wine. In Japan, the leaves are eaten flavoured with a sauce of saki, shoyu and vinegar. In Taiwan it is very popular as an ingredient in vegetarian cuisine. It is highly regarded for it's original taste and nutritive values also in some regions of South-East Asia, but it is rather not well known veggie.
 The leaves, stems and roots of the plant can also be made into tea by boiling with water.
 Gynura bicolor popularity as a medicinal plant is just as small as it's availability. It's health benefits are well known probably to everyone that consume it as a vegetable in Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia or other South-East Asian countries. But even in those places it is rather less known plant. And very few books or websites about Asian medicinal plants has any information about G. bicolor in it. But it seems to be getting more popular nowadays in East Asia, and even starts to be known elsewhere, in USA, Australia or Russia. As it attracted more attention in last decade, a small number of scientific studies has been conducted to tests G. bicolor phytochemistry and medicinal actions, mainly in Japan, China, Taiwan and Malaysia.
 Gynura bicolor is traditionally consumed a a folk remedy to help in conditions like : hypertension, diabetes, cancer, constipation, inflammations, herpes simplex virus, rashes, pimples, rheumatism, kidney diseases, migraines, dysmenorrhea, post-labor recovery, hemoptysis, to improve blood circulation and stop bleeding, to alleviate swellings and to detoxify body. Fresh smashed leaves are applied as poultice on skin diseases and wounds.
 In Traditional Chinese Medicine Gynura bicolor is described as cold herb, good for treatment of diseases caused by excessive heat in the body. In terms of Western Herbalism this plant is described as : antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, immuno-enhancing and chelating (cleaning body from heavy metals).
 One study results showed that the ethyl acetate extract of G. bicolor possessed cytotoxicity and induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death in human colon carcinoma cells (HCT 116 and HTC 15), and the other, that this herb could induce apoptosis in HL60 leukemia cells.
 Gynura bicolor is rich in flavonoids (anthocyanins, quercetin, kaempferol), glycosides (quercitrin, isoquercitrin, rutin) and polysaccharides, it also contain : terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, terpenes, phenols, caffeic acid and β


text:
Yennecott was name given to the land stretching from Orient Point to Wading River by the Corchaug Indians. Founded in 1640 as Southold, the Puritans who came from the colony of New Haven, settled the area and acquired title to the land. The Reverend John Youngs and his Puritan followers left New Haven in October of that year. Eventually, the Indians who originally owned the land were forced to leave or were enslaved.
By the 1670s, shipping had developed into a major industry as the only way to transport goods was by boat. Through the years, the governor of New York, at the time, required all ships to stop and clear through customs in New York to prevent smuggling. Shipping remained a major industry until the railroad arrived almost two centuries later.
The Revolutionary War left Southold for an empty town as most its people left for Connecticut, leaving the British to occupy Southold from 1776 through 1783 when the war ended.
In 1838, Greenport Village became a major shipping and whaling center, thus attracting most of Southold's shipping and ship building industry. With the advent of the Long Island Rail Road in 1844, the train was now the major transporter of goods and people. Southold had remained an agricultural town and with its history of horse racing, became the home of the breeding farms in the 19th Century.
Southold School District


text:
This is done in a very different way than any of the other pieces. The painting has seven different symbols from seven different religions and ideologies layered upon eachother, each painted in a different chakra color. I took photos of myself in various yogic asanas and collaged them to form a pattern, glazing countless layers of color to achieve an almost mirror-like surface.
The seven different symbols and colors vibrate harmoniously, each preserving their individual tone and identity. The harmony created is the universal sound, vibrating from the deep space far beyond the atomic level. It resonates through the fibers of our universe and the ripples on the waters of the unconscious form the mandalic flower of life, the sacred geometry that constructs our universal path.


text:
Reproductive Justice Curriculum for Congregations
Unitarian Universalists (UUs) are called to answer the chilling political debate on reproductive rights with calls for reproductive 'justice' and respect for the fullness of every person's reproductive and sexual life. The election of the 2012-2016 Congregational Study/Action Issue, "Reproductive Justice: Expanding our Social Justice Calling," is a milestone opportunity for Unitarian Universalists to live into this call. This curriculum was written to help UUs take on this call to action.
You can download the entire curriculum and handouts (PDF, 68 pages) or review by session:
- Session 1: Introduction: What is Reproductive Justice?
- Session 2: Sacred Sexuality
- Session 3: Inherent Worth and Dignity
- Session 4: Reverence for Life
- Session 5: Right of Conscience
- Session 6: Conclusion: Moving Forward
Rooting us in our religious history and theological callings, this six-week curriculum outlines the distinctions between reproductive "health," "rights," and "justice"; opens awareness of reproductive oppressions; offers opportunities to learn about ourselves and each other as sexual and reproductive beings; and equips us to move forward, out into the world, with integrity and vision.
The curriculum was written to be used by a multigenerational group. Encourage young adults, older adults, and youth to participate in your congregation's course and share the curriculum brief (PDF).
Finished with the Curriculum?
Please complete the Completion and Evaluation Form.
See the Unitarian Universalist Association's Moving Forward: In-Depth Resources on Reproductive Justice for detailed materials for education, action, and reflection on the five program issue priorities identified by the Reproductive Justice Advisory Group.
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For more information contact _EMAIL_.


text:
The goal of this project is the development of a mobile application for fall detection to be integrated in an early diagnostic by paramedics. As an example, if a skier falls, our application detect this fall and collects information on the fall and following physiological parameters. Once the paramedics arrive, they can use their own smart phones to read the information via bluetooth.
In this work, several different sensors like accelerometer and heart-beat sensors can be connected to one central device running the application. Accelerometer data is used to detect falls. Once a fall is detected, connectivity is established by optionally sending an emergency signal (e.g., a text message with GPS) and starting a bluetooth-server that allows a client app to download and display all health-related data. Additionally, health data is collected from all sensors (e.g., blood pressure, ECG, other connected sensors) and may be further processed to gain more information on the accident. For example., accelerometer data can be used to calculate directionality and intensity of an impact to estimate possible injuries.
The application will be deployed on an android system embedded in skiing goggles. While the app is initially designed for sports injuries, it could also be extended to other domains.


We need a new system of law publishing in Canada: Digital Law. Digital Law is a change in the way laws are made available to the public, not a change in the structure of our legal system or the entities that create the law.
This is the second in a series of posts about solving the A2J crisis. The first article explains the larger problem and provides context for this piece.
I've begun with the solution (Digital Law), and assume that you believe that Canadian law is effectively unavailable to the public in 2019. If that sounds wrong to you, or you're not familiar with the details of the legal system & legal publishing, you may want to start with the problem statement at the end of this article.
Canadian law is not available to the public and that's the first problem that needs to be solved before the public can access affordable legal services delivered through digital platforms (the only way to achieve low-cost law at scale). This post explains what's not published online, what should be published, how it should be published, and why Digital Law is the first step towards solving the A2J crisis.
The Solution: Digital Law for a Digital World
Wherever you live in Canada, your life is governed by millions of legal rules encoded in a variety of documents that set out what the law is. It's impossible for anyone to read a tiny fraction of these rules, even if they were published (and they often aren't). There are so many laws that the only possible hope of people being able to follow the law is if it's encoded digitally and available to people digitally. No country does this yet but Canada could do it in a matter of a few years, at relatively low cost.
The Digital Law Future: Proposal for a Modern Legal System
Here are the features of a new Digital Law system:
A. All law published online, in a standard technical format
B. References within laws published in a standard technical format, or a standard human format (e.g. McGill Guide)
C. Standard API to access the law (e.g. US Federal Register API)
D. Municipal laws registered and published along with provincial laws
E. Plain English summaries of the key elements of the law (e.g. NSCA headnotes)
F. Presumption of openness and free access
Below are explanations of the above features and why they're important.
First Step: Publishing Everything
The first step to Digital Law is to publish everything that's intended to be a part of the law. That's not the case right now and Canadians are being left in the dark about what the law that governs their life is. This needs to change and law must be made available to the public online. The next step is to make what's published useful, but if the laws aren't published comprehensively then everything else is moot.
Standard Technical Format
Laws are data. Right now that data isn't structured in a way that computers can understand. The data needs to be formatted consistently and properly.
In the same way that people must fill in the forms correctly in order to get services from the government, the government needs to fill in the "forms" for us about what the laws are. Laws must be in a format that can be read by computers and people.
Why Format Matters
A common saying in computer programming is garbage in, garbage out. Our legal system suffers from a garbage in problem. This problem is created by the wide variety of organizations entrusted to create law (who don't work with each other) and a lack of knowledge about why or how this should be done. The legal system continues to publish its output as it always has, even while tech companies invest billions into Big Data and data [is] the oil of the digital era.
Making Law More Accessible
An important benefit of providing standardized formats for law is that they can be translated using automatic translation tools for non-native speakers. Machine translation has advanced to the point that translations can be done accurately and quickly, and this can help Canada deliver on the promise of a bilingual country, while also providing access to the millions of Canadians who can't read French or English fluently. This would be impractical to do with human translators, but can be done efficiently at scale for dozens of languages with good quality results due to recent advances in the field. Standard formats are the first step towards unlocking laws using other types of technologies, whether that's automated translation or screen readers for people with sensory disabilities.
References Are Essential
How laws relate to each other is a critical feature of our legal system. Judges interpret laws and elaborate on the laws, and they do that with reference to existing laws. Those references must be standardized in order to allow computers to understand relationships between laws. The relationships and references between laws are often a critical element of the legal rules because of the interdependencies that exist in Canadian law (e.g. the Ontario Interpretation Act).
It doesn't matter what the format is, it just needs to be consistent.
APIs Are How Computers Talk to Each Other
APIs are standard interfaces for computers to access data. Most laws today are published in ways that humans can understand but don't provide any programmatic way to access laws. The best example of what this could look like is the United States Federal Register API. Although there have been some efforts in Canada like the BCLaws API, APIs are not typically available for Canadian law. This needs to change.
APIs are subtly different than standardized law. The APIs are how computer programs can access the systems that hold the laws.
Municipal Laws (+ Everything Else)
Municipal laws are important but rarely available to the public. The City of Toronto published well over 1000 by-laws last year and there are millions of by-laws across Canada that can't be searched or discovered without making a trip to a research library. These laws should be registered in a central location and made available.
The broader point is that all laws need to be made available to the public, no matter what form they take. There's a lot more to law than just provincial or federal statutes and regulations.
Plain English Summaries
Most laws are written in legalese that can't be understood by the public. Where possible, the people making the law should write a summary of it, organized by what's important to the readers. A good example of this is the format of Nova Scotia Court of Appeal decisions (e.g. this recent murder case). Although computers can summarize information, today's technology isn't capable of providing the sorts of concise summaries that legally-trained people who work with the subject matter frequently can produce.
Presumption of Openness
The key to Digital Law is a presumption that laws are open to all and ought to be made available. This concept is resisted by many participants in the legal system, in part because they're comfortable with the status quo and don't see what advantages openness would have. Yet this is at odds with how most Canadians view the legal system, and I think most people would be surprised to find out that there are barriers to accessing the law. The Canadian Judicial Council (the organization for Canadian judges) has this to say about allowing the public to find case law (Model Policy for Access to Court Records in Canada, s. 4.6.1):
However, if the judgments are posted on the internet, it is a good practice to prevent indexing and cache storage from web robots or'spiders'. Such indexation and cache storage of court information makes this information available even when the purpose of the search is not to find court records, as any judgment could be found unintentionally using popular search engines like Google or Yahoo.
The above quote is at odds with the growing movement for open data in Canada and abroad, where governments have recognized that open data is important. All of the above points about Digital Law can be mapped to Canada's Open Data Principles, and similar statements about Open Data published by provincial governments and municipalities. The time is right for adopting Digital Law, and a very strong presumption of openness.
How Much Would Digital Law Cost?
Digital Law would likely end up being cheaper than the current system of ad-hoc publishing where thousands of different organizations are expected to figure out how to make their legal documents available. A standard system would streamline this and greatly reduce the IT costs involved in maintaining these systems.
A relatively modest team of people could support the entire country's infrastructure for laws. Modern software delivery methods allow very small teams of developers to deliver hugely impactful systems.
Even if Digital Law wasn't cheaper than the current system, the consumer advantages would be so enormous that I can't imagine a cost-benefit study wouldn't conclude this to be a more cost-effective approach. The current model relies heavily on non-government actors supplying the appropriate metadata and formats as to make the law useful, but this comes at a heavy cost in the form of legal product subscriptions and inconvenience for the public.
How Does This Help?
Digital Law is a necessity in our digital world because it enables every other type of digital solution. Laws today are simply too numerous and too important to work with on a manual basis. We need to upgrade our infrastructure in order to start delivering cheaper legal services to the people who need it (which is all of us). If we don't have Digital Law then we can't have affordable, good quality digital legal solutions. Digital Law is an important first step toward solving the A2J crisis.
The Problem: Canadian Law Isn't Available to the Public
Most people have a hard time believing that law isn't available to the public. But as someone's who has practised law for many years and developed several businesses based around making legal information available, I have first-hand experience with this problem. Law is often theoretically available, but not practically available (or even actually available). The ways in which the law is made not available are a combination of a lack of attention, lack of investment, commercial


Ultima Thule
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Aussiegirl reviews Kobzar's Children
This is a review that Helen wrote for Amazon.com last July. It is a well-writen and impassioned review, and I think it deserves to be reprinted on her blog so a greater number of people can read it.
Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Stories by Ukrainians
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Edition: Paperback
Price: $11.01
A superb and gripping book about the Ukrainian immigrant experience, July 10, 2006 Reviewer: Aussiegirl
In the introduction to this collection of short historical fiction, memoirs, and poems touching upon a century of the history of Ukrainian immigrant experience, Marsha Skrypuch writes the following:
"When you don't write your own stories, others will write them for you."
And in publishing this marvelous collection of stories she begins the process of putting the record straight. Like Marsha, I too grew up with the realization that I belonged essentially to an invisible and completely unknown ethnic group -- Ukrainians, whom no one seemed to have ever heard of, and if they had, they said things like -- "That's the same as Russian, isn't it?"
As Marsha explains in the foreword, the kobzars were Ukraine's wandering blind minstrels, who in the ancient tradition of Homer memorized long epic historical poems that spoke of the great events of Ukrainian history, and in doing so kept a population that was largely illiterate in touch with their great heritage.
During Stalin's times, in addition to their traditional role they kept people apprised of the repressions and persecutions and famine, and so they came to the notice of Josef Stalin, who called for a national conference of kobzars. Hundreds showed up, and all were shot. There are a few kobzars who survived to tell the tale, and a very few who carry on the tradition today.
Because Marsha does not speak Ukrainian, she did not have access to the emigre literature that spoke of the immigrant experience, and of experiences in Ukraine. But Ukrainians are inveterate story tellers, and as fortune would have it, the writers of these tales are either witnesses themselves to the events they describe, or are children of parents who told vivid tales of their own experiences, and as such the works have a compelling and hypnotic interest.
I couldn't put the book down. I frankly had expected a charming work aimed at children, but how mistaken I was. Although this book is suitable for all ages capable of reading at this level, it is of no less interest to the adult reader as to the young reader. It never talks down to its audience. In the same way that I remember my own parents relating the many stories of our family, no punches are pulled. Harsh reality and horror and danger take their place alongside tales of humor, childhood pranks, and misunderstandings.
Beginning in the early part of the century, the stories span everything from a memoir of homesteading in the early 1900's in the wilds of western Canada, to a first-hand horrifying account of a young child's suffering and survival during the Stalin-created Ukrainian famine genocide of 1933, in which at least seven million Ukrainians perished. Tales of helping out in a family grocery store take their place alongside a psychologically insightful meditation on the interior life of an elderly Ukrainian woman living in her memories while confined to a nursing home. One of the stories relates the shocking history of how Ukrainians were unjustly interned in hard labor camps by the Canadian government during WWI, and subjected to treatment that is sadly reminiscent of Soviet gulags. This is a chapter of immigrant history I knew absolutely nothing about. There's a delightful tale about the tragicomedy of attempts to move the grave of one family member from one cemetery to another, followed by a grim personal memoir of surviving Auschwitz. The stories span a century of experience, beginning in the early 1900's and ending with a charming Christmas time tale that takes place during the exciting days of the Orange Revolution.
Ukrainians do not talk down to their children. We do not protect them from the harsh realities of history and of repression. Perhaps this is why Americans and Canadians of Ukrainian descent are generally highly sensitive to any encroachments upon their freedoms and dangers gathering in the world. We have experienced, if not first-hand, then through the tales of our parents, the kinds of things that can happen if people forget their history.
As such, Marsha Skrypuch has done a great service by publishing this book. Not only has she introduced the literature and history of Ukraine to immigrants who may no longer be in touch with the language of their ancestors, but she also exposes the stories of these people to a wider American and Canadian audience.
This book must and will, by its very nature, find a wide audience. It is gripping, well-written, well-balanced, and paced with a mixture of lighter and darker topics, and in the end is a testament to the basic humanity that binds us all into one common human experience.
History comes alive when we read about the lives of individuals. What once existed only as a page in a history book or a phrase with a date attached, suddenly becomes a gripping personal drama that anyone can identify with.
Buy this book, read it. You don't have to be Ukrainian to thoroughly enjoy it and to profit by it. We are all enriched by enlarging our knowledge of history and the very human stories that make up that history.
The kobzars indeed live, and this book carries on that great Ukrainian tradition. Every country needs its kobzars.
Further thoughts on Verdi's Requiem
and unafraid.
which was calculated to terrify the listener into virtue, Verdi added
uncertainty and supplication as first the soprano pleads urgently
From George Martin's Verdi: His Music, Life and Times:
by stirring in the audience the ancient feelings and fears of primitive
Mozart the musical climax of the poem comes on "Rex Tremendae
intersession; there is only dwindling power and continued uncertainly.
Such, said Verdi, is man's lot in life."
the quest for assurance that life and life after death have certainty
solution Verdi reflected the increasing uncertainty of the end of the
nineteenth century when Darwin and the new science were shaking
to develop a relationship."
heart of humanity, God and truth.
All the best -- Helen
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Musings on Verdi's Requiem
This is another very long and very beautiful email that Helen wrote to veritas, her internet friend, on October 20, 2003, soon after -- perhaps the same evening -- we had returned from hearing a performance of Verdi's immortal Requiem at the Kennedy Center. Her heart was full of the beauty we had just experienced, and as always, she just had to get it down in words before it had vanished.
Towards the end of the email her thoughts naturally turn to the mystery of life -- and to music: how beautiful and sad that everything beautiful in life passes ---like music -- only
exists in time --- we cannot freeze it --- we cannot hold it --- we cannot admire it when we like --- only in the passage of time does it exist -- like us ---- so ---the ultimate mystery -- and perhaps --- this is why music moves us so deeply.
She was delighted when I found this quotation from The Leaden Echo, a poem by Gerald Manley Hopkins, in which he poses the same question: How to kéep—is there ány any, is there none such, nowhere known some, bow or brooch or braid or brace, láce, latch or catch or key to keep
-- and then gives his answer, in the companion poem The Golden Echo, that beauty comes from God, and returns to God. This seemed to match her own feelings.
Hi veritas --- well --- we had a wonderful time -- beautiful weather --
beautiful drive into Washington through the foliage of Rock Creek
Parkway -- almost all the way from our house down directly to the
Kennedy Center - makes a beautiful drive -- beautiful winding creek,
heavy forests on either side with a strip of bike/hike trail and picnic
areas -- people jogging, biking, picnicking -- lovers strolling and
taking pictures of one another -- leaves drifting softly down and
over the pavement everywhere -- soft rich colors -- blue sky -- perfect
October day in Washington - and then the Ken Cen -- nice architecture
sort of neo-Greco-classical -- you'd know the correct phrase -- echoing
the rest of the monuments nearby -- the Washington monument looming in
the distance - the famous/infamous Watergate Hotel next door -- all
those expensive shchmancy-fancy stores -- Christian Dior, etc. -- a
little taste of how the other half lives --- but all lovely. We've
there before of course -- but not for about a year.
Inside -- red carpets, crystal chandeliers, mirrored walls and
enormous ceilings -- a fitting place for a center for the performing
arts - housing the Opera House, Concert Hall and the Eisenhower Theater
-- lovely. The place was sold out --- I love to people watch -- all
sorts -- young, old, frumpy and dowdy and casually dressed (why don't
people make an effort?) some sweet old things in wheelchairs being
pushed up the ramp and I thought - you dear, dear sweet ones -- once so
young -- your hearts so full -- and now -- is this what you want to
-- the


- How To Videos
 Virtual or remote learning is a new way of learning for everyone. Rest assure West Cary has created some step-by-step tutorials as well videos produced by WCPSS to help navigate the virtual process. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your grade level counselor or the student's teacher. Use the topics below to learn more about the online process.


Stanford University Home
Stanford News Archive
Stanford Report, April 24, 2002
Rare rocks offer a unique glimpse of the Earth's core
Rare grains of metal from California and Oregon are providing new clues about the origin of the Hawaiian Islands -- and fueling old controversies about the evolution of the Earth's core.
In a study published in the April 19 issue of the journal Science, researchers from Stanford and the University of Copenhagen used state-of-the-art technology to measure 13 millimeter-sized grains of rock collected from slabs of oceanic crust and the lower mantle that have been pushed up on the American continental shelf in the Klamath Mountains of Northern California and Southwestern Oregon.
Geologists believe that the Hawaiian Islands were created by a hotspot deep in the Earth. Some researchers say the hotspot is located in the mantle, while others say it is at the core-mantle boundary. Image courtesy of USGS
The samples are of particular interest to geologists because they contain large amounts of the element, osmium (Os). Though rarely found on the surface, osmium is believed to occur in relatively high concentrations in the Earth's core some 1,700 miles below the crust. The core is too deep for scientists to observe directly, so the discovery of osmium-laden rocks provides tantalizing hints about what lies below.
"Osmium loves iron," said Stanford Research Associate Anders Meibom, lead author of the Science study.
"We know that osmium is found in iron meteorites," he added. "Since the Earth's inner core is also predominantly iron, we believe that osmium has a strong tendency to go into the core instead of remaining in the surrounding mantle, which contains little iron."
Volcano studies
Earlier studies of lava from volcanoes in Hawaii and Siberia revealed high concentrations of two very rare osmium isotopes: 186-Os and 187-Os. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.
Rare osmium isotopes found in California and Oregon may have originated in the Earth's outer core, 1700 miles below the surface, according to a new study. Courtesy of USGS
Scientists suspect that the Hawaiian and Siberian lava samples were produced by hotspots - stationary sources in the mantle that feed hot magma to the volcano on the surface. Some researchers maintain that hotspots originate just 60 miles below the crust, while others contend that the source is much deeper -- 1,700 miles down at the core-mantle boundary.
To resolve the controversy, Meibom and Science co-author Robert Frei of the University of Copenhagen decided to analyze the rock samples from California and Oregon.
"It is very likely that these osmium-rich grains will provide clues to the chemical makeup of the core-mantle boundary itself," Meibom said.
The researchers' goal was simple: First they would determine the 186-Os and 187-Os isotope composition of the California-Oregon rocks. Then they would compare those levels to the known isotope concentrations in the Hawaii and Siberia lava samples. If the results were similar, it would lend support to the idea that the Hawaiian and Siberian hotspots originate at the core-mantle boundary instead of near the surface.
The isotope analysis required the use of two powerful instruments located in two countries: the SHRIMP (Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe) operated by Stanford and the U.S. Geological Survey; and the N-TIMS (Negative-Thermal Ionization Mass Spectroscope) at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
"These are cutting-edge technologies," observed University of California-Santa Cruz scientist Quentin Williams, an expert on the geology of the inner Earth. "These types of osmium grains are harder than the devil to find. I'm quite impressed that they found some."
The SHRIMP and N-TIMS analyses revealed that osmium isotope levels in the California-Oregon rocks are remarkably similar to those in the lava samples from Hawaii and Siberia. A likely explanation is that all of the samples came from hotspots located at the core-mantle boundary, according to Williams.
"All of these sites -- from Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific to Asia to North America -- show grossly similar osmium isotope characteristics," Williams concluded. "Therefore, they are actually a signature of the Earth's core."
Meibom and Frei were more cautious, noting that reservoirs of osmium isotopes could exist higher in the mantle. Their findings also rekindled a long-standing dispute between geochemists, who believe that rare osmium isotopes must have been established in the liquid outer core as the solid inner core was forming when Earth was less than 100 million years old, and geophysicists, who maintain that the inner core formed much later.
"We've never had a sample of the core and we never will," Williams noted. "The best we can hope for results like these: a geochemical hint of the core's perfume -- a faint scent of the core, if you will."
Anders Meibom


Recently I have noticed a sign saying "Brown is the new green" in the front yard of a house that I pass by every morning. This is the movement to encourage people to save water for the severe drought in California. Keeping your lawn green takes a lot of money, so it looks like an excuse for not watering to save, though it's a reminder for others not to waste water just to make their grass look beautiful.
This reminds me of a Japanese saying: 隣の芝は青く見える (The grass is always greener on the other side). Literally translated, the color of the grass would be "bluer" in Japanese.
The "green" of the nature is often described as blue because, in ancient time, there were only four color terms in Japanese: black 黒（くろ）, red赤（あか）, blue 青（あお）and white白（しろ）. The color くろ (black) is related to くらい (dark) for something dark and shadowy, while its antonym あか (red) has the same origin as あかるい (bright), full of light = the color of fire. しろ (white) is also in the bright side of the color spectrum, but this color describes more about clearness or visibility. Then, あお (blue) takes the opposite side of the colors, not as dark as black, rather wide shades of grey, green and purple, including blue.
That is why "blue" is still used instead of green in lots of expressions in Japanese. For example, the mountains with fresh green leaves growing in the trees are called 青山 (lit. blue mountain), or the traffic light that indicates "go" is usually referred as blue, as in 信号が青になったら渡りましょう (Cross the street when it turns blue). Although, 緑 みどり (green) is also acceptable in the case of traffic light and actually used, still it is less common, partially due to the number of syllable being longer than あお (blue).
This color 青 (blue) has a connotation of being young, like an unripe, such as 青春 (adolescence, young days), 青二才 (greenhorn, young and inexperienced person). Yes, of course we describe those still "green" bananas as まだ青い (still blue), and even the green apple is 青りんご (blue apple).
So, in Japanese, "Blue is the old green".


text:
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) reporting obligations
In England, all public bodies should have published their equality information by 30 March 2023. They should have also published equality objectives, which should be specific, measurable and timely. We will monitor compliance with the PSED specific duty requirements.
For further detail on the requirements of the specific duties in England, please refer to chapter 6 of our PSED Technical Guidance.
Read about the specific duty reporting obligations in Scotland.
Read about the specific duty reporting obligations in Wales.
On 5 April 2011, the public sector equality duty (the equality duty) came into force. The equality duty was created under the Equality Act 2010.
The equality duty replaced the race, disability and gender equality duties. The first of these duties, the race equality duty in 2001, came out of the Macpherson Report on the murder of the black teenager, Stephen Lawrence. Following failures of the investigation of Lawrence's murder, the report revealed institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police. It was clear that a radical rethink was needed in the approach that public sector organisations were taking towards addressing discrimination and racism.
Prior to the introduction of the race equality duty, the emphasis of equality legislation was on rectifying cases of discrimination and harassment after they occurred, not preventing them happening in the first place. The race equality duty was designed to shift the onus from individuals to organisations, placing for the first time an obligation on public authorities to positively promote equality, not merely to avoid discrimination.
Following the introduction of the race duty, it was clear that progress could also be made on other areas of equality through the introduction of similar duties. The disability equality duty came into force in 2006, followed by the gender equality duty in 2007.
The equality duty
The equality duty was developed in order to harmonise the equality duties and to extend it across the protected characteristics. It consists of a general equality duty, supported by specific duties which are imposed by secondary legislation. In summary, those subject to the equality duty must, in the exercise of their functions, have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
These are sometimes referred to as the three aims or arms of the general equality duty. The Act explains that having due regard for advancing equality involves:
- Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics.
- Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
- Encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.
The Act states that meeting different needs involves taking steps to take account of disabled people's disabilities. It describes fostering good relations as tackling prejudice and promoting understanding between people from different groups. It states that compliance with the duty may involve treating some people more favourably than others.
The equality duty covers the nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Public authorities also need to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination against someone because of their marriage or civil partnership status. This means that the first aim of the duty applies to this characteristic but that the other aims (advancing equality and fostering good relations) do not apply.
Purpose of the duty
The broad purpose of the equality duty is to integrate consideration of equality and good relations into the day-to-day business of public authorities. If you do not consider how a function can affect different groups in different ways, it is unlikely to have the intended effect. This can contribute to greater inequality and poor outcomes. The general equality duty therefore requires organisations to consider how they could positively contribute to the advancement of equality and good relations. It requires equality considerations to be reflected into the design of policies and the delivery of services, including internal policies, and for these issues to be kept under review.
Compliance with the general equality duty is a legal obligation, but it also makes good business sense. An organisation that is able to provide services to meet the diverse needs of its users should find that it carries out its core business more efficiently. A workforce that has a supportive working environment is more productive. Many organisations have also found it beneficial to draw on a broader range of talent and to better represent the community that they serve. It should also result in better informed decision-making and policy development. Overall, it can lead to services that are more appropriate to the user, and services that are more effective and cost-effective. This can lead to increased satisfaction with public services.
Last updated: 22 Feb 2023


System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems
ProcedureHow to Extract an Audio Track on a CD
Use the following procedure to extract an audio track from a CD and copy the audio track to a new CD.
If you don't use the cdrw -T option to specify the audio file type, the cdrw command uses the filename extension to determine the audio file type. For example, the cdrw command detects that this file is a.wav file.
$ cdrw -x 1 testme.wav
 1. Insert an audio CD into the CD-RW drive.
 2. Extract an audio track.
 $ cdrw -x -T audio-type 1 audio-file
 Extracts audio data from an audio CD.
 T audio-type
 Identifies the type of audio file to be extracted. Supported audio types are sun, wav, cda, or aur.
 Identifies the audio track to be extracted.
 3. Copy the track to a new CD.
 $ cdrw -a audio-file
Example 4–3 Extracting and Creating Audio CDs
The following example shows how to extract the first track from an audio CD and name the file song1.wav.
$ cdrw -x -T wav 1 song1.wav
Extracting audio from track 1...done.
This example shows how to copy a track to an audio CD.
$ cdrw -a song1.wav
Initializing device...done.
Writing track 1...done.
Finalizing (Can take several minutes)...done.


Meteor Storms
From Space Engineers Wiki
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Meteor Storms Meteors01.jpg
Meteor showers are an optional element that vary from annoying to catastrophic. The frequency, size, and speed of meteor showers can be changed in the World Settings. Left unchecked, meteors will do a pretty good job of knocking chunks off of things if one does not prepare well enough for them.
Meteor storms are a randomly occurring event, during which a number of meteorites will spawn and be launched towards the world from the direction of the sun. This also remains true if Enable sun rotation option is enabled as well.
 - Normal: 1-180 minutes
 - Cataclysm: 1-60 minutes
 - Armageddon: 1-10 minutes
Their severity can be altered in the World Settings, and the options are as follows:-
 - Safe : No meteor storms.
 - Normal : Meteor storms will occur rarely, more as a nuisance than a real threat.
 - Cataclysm : Meteor storms occur regularly and cause significant damage.
 - Armageddon : Meteors never stop. Meteors are on fire. Meteors will cause major damage. Good luck.
Meteors appear to come in two sizes; a larger one, which is clearly visible from a distance and can tear through 4x4 chunks of large light armour, and a smaller one, which is only visible when relatively close and can tear through a maximum of 1 block of light armour.
Defending yourself and your world from meteors can be accomplished in two basic ways: either put something between you and the sun, or shoot the meteors before they can hit.
The former (putting something in the way) is likely the first thing you will do, as it is trivial to put everything behind an asteroid.
The latter requires a bit more effort, as it requires you to build either a Gatling Turret or an Interior Turret, plus ammo. Once they are in place, meteors are (for the most part) no longer a problem.
When a meteor strikes a planet or asteroid, a small quantity of ore is deposited (including platinum, even on Earth). The quantity of ore is less than one thousand kilograms.


Some users might have to redirect specific locally-connected USB devices so that they can perform tasks on their remote desktops or applications. For example, a doctor might have to use a Dictaphone USB device to record patients' medical information. In these cases, you cannot disable access to all USB devices. You can use group policy settings to enable or disable USB redirection for specific devices.
Before you enable USB redirection for specific devices, make sure that you trust the physical devices that are connected to client machines in your enterprise. Be sure that you can trust your supply chain. If possible, keep track of a chain of custody for the USB devices.
In addition, educate your employees to ensure that they do not connect devices from unknown sources. If possible, restrict the devices in your environment to those that accept only signed firmware updates, are FIPS 140-2 Level 3-certified, and do not support any kind of field-updatable firmware. These types of USB devices are hard to source and, depending on your device requirements, might be impossible to find. These choices might not be practical, but they are worth considering.
Each USB device has its own vendor and product ID that identifies it to the computer. By configuring Horizon Agent Configuration group policy settings, you can set an include policy for known device types. With this approach, you remove the risk of allowing unknown devices to be inserted into your environment.
For example, you can prevent all devices except a known device vendor and product ID, vid/pid=0123/abcd, from being redirected to the remote desktop or application:
ExcludeAllDevices Enabled
IncludeVidPid o:vid-0123_pid-abcd
Note: This example configuration provides protection, but a compromised device can report any vid/pid, so a possible attack could still occur.
By default, Horizon 7 blocks certain device families from being redirected to the remote desktop or application. For example, HID (human interface devices) and keyboards are blocked from appearing in the guest. Some released BadUSB code targets USB keyboard devices.
You can prevent specific device families from being redirected to the remote desktop or application. For example, you can block all video, audio, and mass storage devices:
ExcludeDeviceFamily o:video;audio;storage
Conversely, you can create a whitelist by preventing all devices from being redirected but allowing a specific device family to be used. For example, you can block all devices except storage devices:
ExcludeAllDevices Enabled
IncludeDeviceFamily o:storage
Another risk can arise when a remote user logs into a desktop or application and infects it. You can prevent USB access to any Horizon 7 connections that originate from outside the company firewall. The USB device can be used internally but not externally.
Be aware that if you block TCP port 32111 to disable external access to USB devices, time zone synchronization will not work because port 32111 is also used for time zone synchronization. For zero clients, the USB traffic is embedded inside a virtual channel on UDP port 4172. Because port 4172 is used for the display protocol as well as for USB redirection, you cannot block port 4172. If required, you can disable USB redirection on zero clients. For details, see the zero client product literature or contact the zero client vendor.
Setting policies to block certain device families or specific devices can help to mitigate the risk of being infected with BadUSB malware. These policies do not mitigate all risk, but they can be an effective part of an overall security strategy.


text:
Background: Although bone repair is a relatively efficient process, a significant portion of patients fail to heal their fractures. Because adequate blood supply is essential to osteogenesis, the authors hypothesize that augmenting neovascularization by increasing the number of circulating progenitor cells will improve bony healing.
Methods: Bilateral full-thickness defects were created in the parietal bones of C57 wild-type mice. Intraperitoneal AMD3100 (n = 33) or sterile saline (n = 33) was administered daily beginning on postoperative day 3 and continuing through day 18. Circulating progenitor cell number was quantified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Bone regeneration was assessed with micro–computed tomography. Immunofluorescent CD31 and osteocalcin staining was performed to assess for vascularity and osteoblast density.
Results: AMD3100 treatment increased circulating progenitor cell levels and significantly improved bone regeneration. Calvarial defects of AMD3100-treated mice demonstrated increased vascularity and osteoblast density.
Conclusions: Improved bone regeneration in this model was associated with elevated circulating progenitor cell number and subsequently improved neovascularization and osteogenesis. These findings highlight the importance of circulating progenitor cells in bone healing and may provide a novel therapy for bone regeneration.


Lesson 1: Drawing Closer to Jesus Christ
Young Women Manual 2, (1993), 2–4
Each young woman will desire to draw closer to Jesus Christ.
 1. 1.
 Pictures 1, Jesus the Christ (62572); 2, Jesus Washing the Disciples' Feet (62550); 3, Jesus Healing the Nephites (62541); 4, Jesus Praying in Gethsemane (62175). All are located at the back of the manual.
 2. 2.
 Optional: Obtain a picture of a famous person (see the Introduction).
 3. 3.
 Assign a good reader to prepare to read for the class 3 Nephi 17:1–3, 5–7, 9–13, 15–25.
 4. 4.
Suggested Lesson Development
Write the name of a well-known government or Church official, or other prominent person whom the young women would not know personally, on the chalkboard. You may want to place a picture of the person selected at the front of the class.
 - What do you know about this person?
Have the young women briefly name all the facts they can about the famous person, such as place of birth, vocation, reason for the person's fame or importance, and name of the person's spouse.
 - How many of you actually know this person?
Point out that knowing about a person does not mean that we know him personally. Put away the picture.
Each Young Woman Needs to Know Jesus Christ
Picture and discussion
Place the pictures of Jesus Christ in front of the class.
Discuss what the young women know about Jesus—his life, his actions, his attributes, and his character traits.
Thought questions
 - Even though we have all this information about Jesus, do we really know him?
 - Why is it important that we know Jesus Christ?
Scripture and teacher explanation
To help answer these questions, ask class members to turn to John 17:3, and have one of the young women read the passage aloud. Explain that we can all come to know Jesus Christ. As an indication of what it is like to be with and know the Savior, read (or have a good reader present either in person or on tape) the following excerpts from the Savior's visit to the Nephites: 3 Nephi 17:1–3, 5–7, 9–13, 15–25.
Teacher testimony
Bear your testimony that Jesus Christ loves each of us. He gave his life for us, atoned for our sins, and desires that we each come to him.
The Example of Jesus Christ Will Inspire Each Young Woman to Draw Near to Him
Chalkboard discussion
Ask the young women what characteristics they would like to have in a friend. List these on the chalkboard. Answers might include understanding, kindness, loyalty, patience with weaknesses, and willingness to listen.
Ask the young women to recall some incidents from the life of Jesus that show he is the type of person they would like to have as a friend. You may wish to relate their responses to the list on the chalkboard when appropriate.
If the young women are having difficulty responding, you may wish to refer them to the pictures of Jesus you have displayed. Or you could distribute one of the following scriptural references to each young woman. Have her look it up and read it silently. Ask her to tell the class what characteristics Jesus showed that she would value in a friend. Be familiar with each incident so you can help anyone who is having difficulty.
 1. 1.
 Mark 10:13–16. (He greatly loved children.)
 2. 2.
 John 13:3–5. (He was humble and willing to serve, as evidenced by washing the feet of the Apostles.)
 3. 3.
 3 Nephi 17:5–7. (He remained with the Nephites to heal their sick, lame, and blind.)
 4. 4.
 John 4:5–14. (He was friendly with the Samaritans, who were looked down upon.)
 5. 5.
 Luke 15:11–32. (He was forgiving and taught others to be forgiving in the parable of the prodigal son.)
 6. 6.
 Matthew 18:11–14. (He cared for each person individually as taught in the parable of the lost sheep.)
 7. 7.
 Luke 7:36–50. (He loved even the sinner.)
Explain that the examples mentioned help show us that Jesus is a kind, loving person we would like to have as a friend.
If it was not brought out in the above discussion, you may wish to point out that one important part of friendship is sharing experiences and problems with someone who understands and really cares.
Ask the young women to name some things that make them unhappy or depressed. (Rejection, feeling unloved, loneliness, being talked about by others, temptations that must be faced.)
Ask them to name experiences Jesus had that might have discouraged him. Possible responses include the following:
 1. 1.
 Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. (Mark 6:1–6.)
 2. 2.
 He was talked about because he made friends with people who were not popular. (The story of Zacchaeus; Luke 19:1–10.)
 3. 3.
 He was tempted. (Matthew 4:1–11.)
 4. 4.
 As he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, his Apostles fell asleep. (Matthew 26:36–46.)
 5. 5.
 Peter denied knowing him three times. (Matthew 26:69–75.)
(The scriptural references in parentheses need not be read in class.)
 - How do these examples show us that Jesus can understand and help us?
Through Her Efforts, a Young Woman Can Draw Closer to the Savior
Scripture and discussion
Explain that Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 gives us some general guidelines about how we can each develop a closer friendship with the Savior. Have one of the young women read this scripture aloud.
 - What three words from this verse tell us how to draw near to the Savior? (Ask, seek, knock.)
 - What are some of the ways we can ask, seek, and knock as we try to draw near to Christ? (Pray, study the scriptures to find out what Christ did and what he taught, and try to live a Christlike life.)
 - According to this scripture, what are we promised if we draw near to Jesus? (That we will find him; he will draw near to us.)
Elder Bernard P. Brockbank called this process of asking, seeking, and knocking a "God-given formula on how to reach and know your Heavenly Father and your Savior, Jesus Christ" ("Be Worthy of Celestial Exaltation," in Speeches of the Year, 1974 [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1975], pp. 378–79).
Teacher presentation
Point out that becoming like the Savior is not an overnight process. It takes time, effort, and genuine desire. One of the reasons we have the Church is to help us grow closer to Jesus.
Tell the young women that the lessons this year will help them draw nearer to Jesus by helping them develop characteristics that he has, such as patience, love, forgiveness, and charity. Drawing closer to the Savior will be a great source of strength and comfort to all the class members, as it was to the girl in the following story:
"It had been one of the worst days I'd had since we'd moved. For the most part, things had been going very well in these past months. Our new ward was friendly, and the girls my age had made a special effort to include me in the group. They brought cookies and flowers soon after we arrived and even held a breakfast in my honor. But somehow, remembering these things didn't help on this particular night.
"There had been a misunderstanding with one of the boys in the ward whom I especially liked, and a few words were spoken that left me hurt and confused. I came home feeling depressed. My mother's cheery 'hello' and reminder that it was my turn for the dishes only made me more upset. I went to my room and lay down on my bed.
"I thought of my brother Robert who had left on his mission just a few weeks before. If only he were still home, he would understand my problem and help me. Then I started thinking about our move. As I thought of this, I began to doubt the sincerity of my new friends. Little words or glances that hadn't bothered me before now became proof that these friends really didn't like me very much. Even some little problems at school started to grow larger.
"Then a picture of my father came into my mind. He had died several years before, and I began thinking about how hard it had been for us since then. These things only deepened my loneliness and despair, and it seemed like all the warmth and security I had known were rapidly slipping away from me. All of these feelings welled up inside of me and finally exploded in tears—tears that came freely from a deep well of frustration and loneliness. I cried for over an hour.
"Then almost unnoticed, other thoughts began to tumble over one another