Is Carrageenan Vegan Friendly And Safe? (Benefits + Dangers)
Carrageenan is an ingredient used in so many different foods, supplements, and other products, but most people probably have never even heard of it. Chances are that your food and supplements contain carrageenan because it's one of the best alternatives to gelatin for both vegetarians and vegans.
Unfortunately, as good as it is for replacing gelatin, some people feel that the ingredient causes them health problems and try their best to avoid it.
While there is still much research to be done to draw any definite conclusions about whether or not the ingredient is safe for humans, there is evidence that it has some benefits and harmful effects.
Current estimates of carrageenan intake in humans range from 20 mg to several grams per day.
In this article, I will discuss some of the potential benefits and dangers of carrageenan.
What is carrageenan
Carrageenan is derived from red edible seaweeds and used widely in the food industry as a thickening, gelling, and stabilizing agent. However, it's also used in supplements, pharmaceuticals, hair care products, toothpaste, foams, and many other products.
Although carrageenans have been introduced on a larger scale in the last century or so, they've actually been used in China since 600 B.C.
There are three classes of carrageenan which have different molecular structures making them suitable for different products.
 - Kappa (strong rigid gels)
 - Iota (soft elastic gels)
 - Lambda (thickening polymer)
In the United States, the ingredient can be identified simply as "carrageenan" whether or not it's refined or semi-refined. If you're in the European Union, look for E numbers E-407 and E-407a [1].
Which foods and supplements contain it?
I can't simply name every single food and supplement which contains carrageenan here, but there are a few products that you should be careful of.
 - Milk substitutes: soy milk, soy yogurts, almond milk, coconut milk, almond milk, baby formula.
 - Vegan supplements: omega 3, vitamin D, chewable multivitamins, protein powders.
 - Vegan snacks: nutrition bars, protein bars, confectionaries.
 - Prepared foods: soups, vegan desserts, vegetable stocks & broths.
If you're having trouble finding carrageenan-free milk products, check out my article on vegan milk substitutes. From there you will find links directing you to the relevant pages for whatever type of non-diary milk you're after.
If you're looking for a good omega 3 supplements that don't contain carrageenan, you can find a good selection here.
What are the benefits?
Carrageenan is mostly fiber and due to its high molecular weight, it cannot be absorbed by the body. But although it contains no nutritional value, there are some potential benefits from using it in food products and supplements, despite the controversy around the ingredient.
How it improves food and supplement products
 - It helps bind the ingredients together, improving texture, consistency, and taste.
 - It helps preserve the ingredients so that they have a longer shelf life.
 - It's completely vegan-friendly and helps create a similar alternative to non-vegan foods.
How it can improve your health by lowering the risk of disease
Carrageenan has been studied in humans for its potential health properties in
May improve cholesterol and improve cardiovascular disease risk
Studies have shown that carrageenan may improve cholesterol profiles of those consuming the ingredient for several weeks. In one study, subjects saw an increase in good cholesterol (HDL), (1.65 vs 1.25 mmol/L) and lower triglycerides (0.87 vs 1.28 mmol/L) while they consumed the ingredient [2].
In another study where researchers looked at the effect of a carrageenan food supplement in patients with cardiovascular disease, there were several significant improvements in biomarkers which could indicate that carrageenan is beneficial [3].
The main findings of the study include:
 - Reduction of leukocytes (15.9%)
 - Reduction of fibrinogen (8.63%)
 - Reduction of C-reactive protein (13.03%)
 - Reduced total cholesterol levels (16.5%)
 - Reduced LDL (33.5%)
 - The atherosclerotic index decreased (36.6%)
Acts as a prebiotic to help good bacteria flourish in the gut
Keeping our intestinal microbiota in good order is extremely important for our health. To encourage the growth of good bacteria, we can eat 'prebiotic' foods such as carrageenan, which will help keep the bad bacteria in check and improve the healthy bacterial colonies.
A review looking at the in vivo and in vitro effects of carrageenan on bacterial growth has found that it could be a good prebiotic in humans, but so there needs to be more research done because carrageenan has also been linked with inflammation in the gut in some people [4].
Other research suggests that carrageenan might be helpful in protecting intestinal cells against damage from stressors and improve cell viability when in contact with toxic agents [5].
What are the dangers?
Carrageenan, for all its positives as an alternative food additive to improve vegan foods, it does have some downsides.
Yet, despite the downsides that I'll go into in just a minute, the FDA and other agencies have refused to ban the ingredient because there is not enough evidence that it's a significant health risk [6].
Carrageenan could worsen ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease
Ulcerative colitis
If anyone should avoid carrageenan, it is people who already have bowel issues. Carrageenan, when studied in animals and humans, appears to cause inflammation and worsen symptoms of colitis.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, clinical trial, ulcerative colitis patients were assessed to see if a diet that was free from carrageenan had any effect on their disease.
All of the subjects in the study had to eat a diet that did not contain any carrageenan, and then they were randomized into two separate groups where one took a capsule containing carrageenan and the other did not.
During the study, inflammatory markers were monitored as well as whether or not the subjects had a relapse.
It was found that three patients who had been given 200 mg carrageenan capsules had experienced a relapse while none of the placebo groups who took the tablets had one.
When the researchers measured IL-6 and fecal calprotectin (markers of inflammation), they found that these had increased in the carrageenan group only [7].
Crohn's disease (IBD)
Carrageenan has consistently been found to have negative effects on animals when they are given it in their diet.
In guinea pigs, 100% of the animals that are given carrageenan develop ulcerations in their large intestine which closely resembles the lesions found in humans with ulcerative colitis.
Carrageenan appears to degrade the protective mucus layer of the intestinal wall, leading to activation of immune cells, the release of proinflammatory cytokines, and increased inflammation [8].
Should vegans eat carrageenan?
Vegans can eat carrageenan and not experience any negative side effects. However, people who experience digestive problems should probably try to keep their diet free of carrageenan.
Fortunately, there are now many companies that recognize the potential dangers of carrageenan in some groups of people and offer foods and supplements that use safer alternatives.
If you're one of those that have not experienced any problems, you may continue to eat carrageenan as it is still considered safe for most people by the FDA.
I recommend also watching Dr. Greger's video on whether or not carrageenan is safe.
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Explosions Are Main Cause of Spine Injuries in U.S. Soldiers
FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Explosions are the main cause of spine injuries among wounded U.S. military personnel, a new study finds.
Researchers analyzed more than eight years of data on back, spinal column and spinal cord injuries suffered by American military personnel serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Of nearly 11,000 evacuated casualties, about 600 (nearly 5.5 percent) had a total of more than 2,100 spinal injuries.
Explosions accounted for 56 percent of spine injuries, motor vehicle collisions for 29 percent and gunshots for 15 percent, the study found. In 17 percent of spine injuries, the spinal cord also was injured. Fifty-three percent of gunshot wounds to the spine led to a spinal cord injury.
The study also found that 92 percent of all injuries were fractures, 84 percent of patients' wounds were the result of combat and spinal injuries often were accompanied by abdomen, chest, head and face injuries.
The findings, published Sept. 19 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, are an important first step in helping orthopedic surgeons develop treatment plans for military personnel with spine injuries, as well as for civilians with similar injuries, according to the researchers.
"In these current military conflicts, the latest technologies in body armor, helmets and other protective devices have helped save many soldiers' lives," Dr. James Blair, an orthopedic surgery chief resident at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, in Texas, said in a journal news release.
"We also have access to advanced life-saving techniques in the field and medical evacuation strategies that are keeping many more service members alive," he added.
"But when a person survives an explosion or vehicle collision, there has still been a great deal of force on the body," Blair noted. "Many of those survivors are coming to us with severe injuries to their spine and back. We needed to describe and characterize these injuries so recommendations can be made on how to provide the most effective treatment and rehabilitation for our wounded warriors."
The North American Spine Society has more about spine and spinal cord injuries.
SOURCE: Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, news release, Sept. 19, 2012

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
A jQuery plugin for easy creation of responsive lightbox-style
media galleries and carousels. Features:
- Groups together your media in a lightbox-style gallery or carousel.
- Autorotating carousels.
- Carousel pager support.
- CSS transitions.
- Basic UI included.
- Lazyloads images and video through lazysizes.js.
See below for basic setup and examples.
Download from GitHub, or install from npm or bower:
You will find everything you need in the folder
- Add slidebox.css to the header of your html.
- Load jQuery in your page, preferably in the footer to optimize load times.
- On the next line load slidebox-min.js or slidebox-lazy-min.js.
- Create a gallery by wrapping your images in an element
slide-box. See the examples below, and the source of this page.
Example 1: Image Grid with Zoom
You can nest images one element deep. The parent element needs to have a class of
slide. For instance:
background-size: cover to create image blocks equal in size. Look at the CSS included on this page in /demo/demo.css.
Example 2: Carousel
Create a carousel by adding the class
box-carousel to your container. Carousels have pager support built-in. If you want a pager, include it in HTML following the structure below.
As a starting point, the default
slidebox.css provides a responsive width of 50% as a starting point, with an image ratio of 4/3. You can override this in your own CSS. For instance, if you need the carousel to have a fixed width.
The carousel above has been set to 100% of its parent by defining these styles:
Make sure to load your CSS after the included stylesheet.
Example 2A: Automatic Looping
Create a carousel that loops by itself by setting two data attributes:
- Time between slide transitions in ms.
Example 3: Lazy Loading
slideBox.js can lazyload images through the lazysizes.js plugin.
To make this work:
- Load the lazy version of the plugin: slidebox-lazy-min.js.
- Add the CSS class
lazyloadto your slide element.
- Move your image source to a data attribute called
Created by Carst vd Molen

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Dr. Joanne Simpson, the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in meteorology, died March 4, 2010, at the age of 86. Her groundbreaking, influential career spanned more than half a century, beginning with her teaching meteorology to World War II Aviation Cadets and ending with her retirement as the head of the Severe Storms Branch in the Laboratory for Atmospheres at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
In the photo above, taken in the 1950s, Simpson is bent over reams of images of clouds that she filmed during long flights between islands in the tropical Pacific. From the photos, she is drawing detailed maps of cloud formations. These observations underpinned her first major contribution to atmospheric science: the boat-rocking hypothesis that tropical clouds weren't just the passive result of atmospheric circulation, as meteorologists of the day believed, but were in fact the cause of it.
The large-scale patterns of air circulation in the tropics were already well-established: fueled by solar heating, air rose over the tropics, spread poleward at high altitudes, sank back to the surface at subtropical latitudes, and flowed back toward the equator at the surface. The pattern, the Hadley Circulation, is the foundation of the global atmospheric circulation.
But while the Hadley Circulation had been documented and described, meteorologists didn't really understand how it physically worked. Through her observations and models, Simpson and her advisor, Herbert Riehl, demonstrated that some tropical clouds reach towering heights—as high as 15,000 meters (9 miles). These cumulonimbus clouds, which Simpson called "hot towers," act like chimneys for the warm, moist air rising from the tropical oceans. The hot towers allow water vapor to reach unusually high altitudes. The heat released when the vapor in these very tall clouds condenses into water droplets and ice crystals is the main driver of the rising-air part of the Hadley Circulation.
Many scientists go their entire careers without the satisfaction of making such a significant contribution to their field. For Simpson, though, seeing her hot tower hypothesis verified over the next two decades was surely a kind of poetic justice as well. Her interest in tropical clouds was considered acceptable by the all-male faculty at the University of Chicago, where she earned her doctorate, because, as the department head told her, no one was very interested in them, so it was a good subject "for a little girl to study."
After establishing their importance to the global atmospheric circulation, Simpson went on to demonstrate the influence of hot towers on hurricane intensification. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she led research into the potential of cloud-seeding to reduce the intensity of hurricanes. In the 1980s, she became the driving force behind the first satellite mission to study tropical rainfall from space. Simpson said that she considered her involvement with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, launched in 1997 and still operating today, to be the most important accomplishment of her career.
To read more about Simpson's influential and award-winning career, the childhood experiences that fueled her ambitions, and what it was like to be pioneer for women in science, please read her biography, written in 2004 for our series "On the Shoulders of Giants."


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This is the second article in a series on publishing text in Hebrew and Yiddish for genealogy books. The first article looked at Finding Hebrew Fonts. This article looks at using those fonts to publish Hebrew, Yiddish or any Right-to-Left (RTL) language using Adboe InDesign, without having to buy the more expensive Adobe InDesign ME (which has extensive support for RTL languages).
The standard software for professional publishing these days is Adobe InDesign. When publishing genealogy books there are genealogy programs that can output formatted reports and books (such as the book output options of Heredis and GEDitCOM II mentioned on Tuesday), but if you want a fully customized book that can be published professionally (or through an online publisher/printer like lulu.com) either you or someone else who is helping you will likely need to use InDesign. InDesign itself is not cheap (about $650), but if you want to use RTL languages like Hebrew, Yiddish, or Arabic, it costs hundreds of dollars more for the ME (Middle East) version.
Why would you want to use RTL languages in a genealogy book? Some examples include transcribing Jewish gravestones which in many cases are at least partially (and frequently wholly) in Hebrew, and transcribing handwritten Yiddish letters. You could just put in a translation of the texts, but adding the original text, especially when the orginal may be hard to read, is a nice touch.
There are actually two InDesign add-ons you can buy that will enable RTL features in standard InDesign, ScribeDOOR from WinSoft International and World Tools from In-Tools. The cheapest solution is still $99. Again, perhaps too expensive, especially if it's not for a copy of InDesign you own. So what if you could use RTL langauges in InDesign without an expensive plug-in? Well it turns out you can, with a little trick I'm going to show you.
Keep in mind this trick won't add all the RTL features that the ME version of InDesign offers, but it will let you insert RTL text that will lay out properly. For short texts like gravestone transcriptions, or simple texts like letters, this is more than enough. If you want to format complicated things like forms and complex layouts, chances are you'll need to spend the extra money and get one of the other solutions.
Technically this has been possible since InDesign CS4, but I believe it may have required some scripting to make it work. I'm using CS6 and there is nothing you need to get it working other than following the steps below.
Open InDesign, and go to the Paragraph settings. You want to select the Adobe World-Ready Paragraph Composer:
|Step 1: Select the Adobe World-Ready Paragraph Composer|
This is what defines the type of text-box you create when using the Type Tool in InDesign.
Next, select the Type Tool:
|Step 2: Select the Type Tool, and create a text box|
and with the Type Tool selected, create a text box on the page.
|Step 3: Command/Control Click and select 'Fill with Placeholder Text' from menu|
|Step 4: Select Hebrew from the pop-up menu|
|Hebrew Placeholder Text in the text box|
Now you just delete the Hebrew text and your cursor will be on the right side of the text box, ready to enter any RTL text, whether Hebrew, Yiddish or Arabic.
|Empty Text Box in RTL mode ready for text entry|
You can change your font, size, whatever – and it will now all work in this text box. Use any number of Hebrew fonts, like those I mentioned in my recent article Finding Hebrew Fonts.
If you use this tip, let me know. If you're interested in hearing more about publishing genealogy books, let me know in the comments.


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Desa Kolok – literally "deaf village" – in the north of Bali has a
community with a unique sociolinguistic setting. The presence of genetic
deafness over many generations has given rise to an indigenous sign
language and socio-cultural adaptations to deafness.
The village community in Desa Kolok has adapted to the presence of deafness
to an extent not known in any other community. Deaf members of the village
have special social roles such as waterpipe management, burials, and
policing of the village, and there are specific cultural and social
practices referring to deafness, including a deaf god in the local variety
of Hinduism and myths about the origin of deafness in the village.
The author also documents the linguistic structures of the village sign
language Kata Kolok ("deaf language") in detail. Kata Kolok differs from
most other known sign languages with respect to the use of the sign space
in its linguistic system: the sign space is not used metaphorically to
refer to non-spatial concepts such as time, transitivity, or logical
contrasts. Thus there is no metaphorical "time line" with the future in
front and the past at the back of the signer, and transitive verbs do not
have a movement from subject to object location. The author also provides a
detailed account of the patterns of language use for both signed and spoken
languages in this multilingual village.
In summary, this book paints a compelling, vivid picture of the village
community, the patterns of language use, the cultural significance of
deafness, and the structure of the sign language. The book includes a data
CD with video clips of the village and the sign language as well as colour
photographs showing daily life in the village. The book will be of interest
to sign language linguists, typologists, linguistic anthropologists,
sociolinguists, and specialists in language documentation and field
This book is published by Ishara Press, an ethically responsible publisher
in the field of sign language studies.


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Research by the Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative shows that a "positive and consistent relationship" can be discerned between tree diversity and ecosystem productivity.
The GFBI states:
"The biodiversity–productivity relationship (BPR) is foundational to our understanding of the global extinction crisis and its impacts on ecosystem functioning. Understanding BPR is critical for the accurate valuation and effective conservation of biodiversity. Using ground-sourced data from 777,126 permanent plots, spanning 44 countries and most terrestrial biomes, we reveal a globally consistent positive concave-down BPR, whereby a continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline in forest productivity worldwide. The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial forest productivity alone—US$166–490 billion per year according to our estimation—is by itself over two to six times the total estimated cost that would be necessary for effective global conservation. This highlights the need for a worldwide re-assessment of biodiversity values, forest management strategies, and conservation priorities."


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Two-Week Summer Institutes
Participants in a Nano-CEMMS Summer Teachers Institute work on a soft-lithography project under the guidance of Professor Kenis.
Interdisciplinary teams of math, science, and career and technical education teachers participate in a two-week summer Institute and partner with scientists and engineers in state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities. They see first hand how these specialists utilize scientific inquiry, mathematical problem-solving, and engineering design and technology to solve real-world problems associated with the science of nanotechnology. Teachers develop hands-on, cross-disciplinary classroom activities designed to teach students the principles of nanotechnology and to highlight many of the careers associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
During the first week of the Institute, teachers are introduced to nanotechnology through demonstrations and presentations. They tour Nano-CEMMS research facilities and work directly with nanoscientists in a cleanroom, using nanotechnology processes to complete a project. During week two, teachers will share ideas as they develop nanotechnology learning modules for their classrooms, including higher-order thinking skills, hands-on experiences, the incorporation of reading across the curriculum, the adaptation of instruction to a variety of learning styles, as well as the development of appropriate assessments to measure student understanding.
School Year Institute Days
Participants in the Nano-CEMMS Summer Teacher's Workshop work together with Professor Choquette's Photonics Device Research Laboratory.
During the subsequent school year, the Nano-CEMMS educators follow the progress of teachers implementing the modules in their classrooms and provide support and materials for teachers implementing the developing curriculum. Four additional Institute days provide continued collaborative work, focused on helping teams field test and apply research-based, best practices in the development of their classroom activities.
At the conclusion of the school year, teams participate in a two-day Wrap-Up Conference, where teachers exercise their content knowledge and instructional skills by presenting their classroom activities based on concepts of a research-driven curriculum development model. Instructions and resources for the modules will be made available to teachers and students worldwide through the project's web site.
- Work and collaborate with other teachers in a interdisciplinary model
- Complete an on-line assessment (pre and post), measuring teachers' current instructional practices and content to show alignment between current instruction and State Standards (additional information available online at _URL_)
- Attend the two week Summer Institute.
- Work throughout the school year to develop and implement nanotechnology and engineering related curriculum, including a formalized project related to this curriculum and your instruction
- Participate in programmatic evaluation throughout participation in the project
- Return to the University of Illinois for four, one-day Institutes
- Come back after the school year for a two-day Wrap Up Conference
- Receive a stipend for participation during non-school year Institute days and district reimbursement for substitutes during school year dates
- Agree that Nano-CEMMS and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have permission to utilize and disseminate the work created during the program
We are not accepting applications for our summer institutes at this time.


54.35)
 An array can also be populated using a For Next loop (see next example).
Dynamic arrays
 Our declarations so far have been of the form:
 Dim expenses (5) As Currency
 This statement shows that the array called expenses contains 5 fixed
 elements, and that the lower and upper bounds of the array index are 0 to 4:
 meaning that the starting index is 0 and the highest index is 4. However, there
 are some situations that arise in which the size of an array would be unknown
 to the programmer in advance of writing the program. For example, if an
 array was going to itself contain a variable number of data items. A dynamic
 array can be declared to deal with this situation. It is declared just like any other
 array, except that the parentheses are empty. Hence, a dynamic currency array
 called expenses, would be declared as:
 Dim expenses () As Currency
 A dynamic array can be resized using the ReDim statement, as in:
 ReDim expenses (10)
 Arrays are primarily used to deal with lists. The following example is typical
 of the use of arrays. The SALESMAN workbook uses a macro to add the five
 working weekdays to get a total for the weekly mileage. The figure is then
 entered into the ActiveCell (this must be in the range WeekSales in order that
 it can be used). The program outputs, using a MsgBox, the daily mileages
 that were entered and a chance to change any of the values in case there was
 an error during entry. The user will be prompted with a MsgBox that will
 contain Yes and No options. Should the user select No, the program will ask
 them to re-enter the data again until they respond with Yes in the MsgBox.
 After this the program will then respond with another MsgBox stating the
 total for the daily sales. The program will also enter this value in the
 ActiveCell of the blank worksheet Sheet2. Although this could be done
 without the use of arrays, they make the job easier. Listing 5.3 shows how
 this program would work.
 This example uses an array to store the daily sales for an employee. This is
 done by reading the data into an array using the InputBox function. These
 items are then added to get a week sales total. The result is placed in the
 ActiveCell in the Sheet2 (a temporary location). In the declaration section,
 the array called thisDaySales(5) has been declared as an Integer array. After
Listing 5.3 Using an array to total daily sales
 Sub totalDailySales()
 'Adds together five items of data to get a week sales total for the employee.
 'For each working day
 Dim answerStr As String
 Dim totalSales As Integer
 Dim answerNo As Integer
 Dim thisDaySales (5) As Integer
 Dim dayCount As Integer
 answerStr = ""
 TotalSales = 0
 Worksheets ("Sheet2").Select
 For dayCount = 1 To 5
 thisDaySales (dayCount) = InputBox(prompt:= "enter sales for day: "
 & dayCount)
 totalSales = totalSales + thisDaySales(dayCount)
 For dayCount = 1 To 5
 AnswerStr = Str (thisDaySales (dayCount)) + answerStr
 AnswerStr = "Do you want to change these values?" +answerStr
 answerNo = MsgBox (answerStr, 4, "Check daily Mileages")
 Loop Until answerNo = 7
 ActiveCell.Value = totalSales'set value of the active cell to total sales
 ActiveCell.Offset (0, -1).ColumnWidth = 14
 'extend the column width in the left cell, so complete label will be visible
 ActiveCell.Offset (0, -1).Value = "Total Sales ="
 'insert "Total Sales" in this cell
 End Sub
 declaring all the variables, the line Worksheets (Sheet3).Select will
 select the Sheet2 for storing the final result.
 The purpose of the Do Until loop is to allow the user the chance to check
 the correctness of the data entered posting the total to the ActiveCell on the
 weeklysales worksheet. (Loops will be studied in more detail in Chapter 7.)
 Notice how two For Next loops are used in sequence in this program. The
 first is used to read the daily sales data into the array called thisDaySales. The
 second is used to create a string variable called answerStr. The purpose of
 the answerStr variable is to contain the sequence of data input for the five
 daily sales; data stored as a string is easier to output with a MsgBox
 statement. The variable answerNo that is used for the MsgBox response will
 contain the values Yes or No. The Loop Until answerNo = 7 line will test
 to see if the value No has been chosen. When it has, the loop will terminate
 and the contents of the totalSales variable will be written to the active cell
 of the week_sales range of the worksheet. The program will then terminate.
 There are three screenshots showing action points during the program run.
 Figure 5.6 shows a InputBox request for day 2. Figure 5.7 shows the
 MsgBox that displays the data for the five days. Notice that this box lets the
 user correct any mistakes by retyping the data set. Figure 5.8 displays the
 Sheet2 display after the user has accepted the data in the MsgBox.
 Figure 5.6 Entering daily data for the VBA program Listing 5.5
 Figure 5.7 MsgBox output showing the daily values from program Listing 5.5
 Figure 5.8 Value of TotalSales and label in left hand column in Sheet2
 1 Examine the following entities and consider what data types you would use
 to represent them as variables in a VBA program:
 M the cost of a colour television
 M the number of pages in a book
 M the temperature in a freezer cabinet
 M someones presence or absence at a meeting
 M a persons height
 M the number of people at a rugby match
 M a deadline for returning a machine on hire
 M the population of the UK
 M someones name
 M The percentage swings at an election..
 2 Write VBA statements for the following:
 a) Declare a Long integer variable called NoOfStars. Assign the value of
 65,000 to this variable.
 b) Declare a Single variable called HeightOfStudent, and then assign the
 value of the variable to 1.655.
 c) Declare a Currency variable called PriceOfBook, and then assign the
 value of the variable to 18.95.
 3 Write a VBA program that will input two numbers using the InputBox
 function and output the smallest number input using a MsgBox function.
 Test the program with a suitable range of values.
 4 Write a VBA program that will input three values using the InputBox
 function, and output in a blank sheet using the cell range C2:C4, the three
 numbers in reverse order.
 5 Consider the following real-world entities and represent them with user
 defined types as in the examples EmployeeRecord and Course above: a
 member/customer of a video shop, a bank account, a book in the library, a
 CD in a music shop stock system. You will have to decide on which fields
 are needed for each of the entities. Write an example macro to use one of your
 user-defined types.
 6 Study the following code and see if you can work out what it does. Then open
 the weeklySales worksheet of the SALESMAN workbook, go to the VBE
 and enter this sub procedure. Run and test using suitable values.
 Sub listBonusValues()
 Dim bonus(12) As Currency 'declare 3 variables as integers
 Dim bonus_number As Currency
 Dim index As Integer
 Dim cell As Object
 Dim strMsg As String
 bonus_number = InputBox(prompt:="enter bonus value")
 'ask the user for some values
 index = 0
 For Each cell In Range("month_bonus")
 bonus(index) = cell.Value
 index = index + 1
 strMsg = "Current bonuses of salesmen: &vbCr &vbCr"
 For index = 0 To 8
 strMsg = strMsg & Str(bonus(index)) & vbCr
 MsgBox strMsg, vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Array of bonuses"
 End Sub
 7 Create a new workbook called my_array_book. Write a VBA macro that
 declares an array called MyArray of size 8. Input the array items using the
 InputBox function. Under the headings Array elements and Array
 reverse elements the macro should transfer the array to column A in the
 default worksheet. The program should also write the contents of the array
 in reverse order to column B of the worksheet. (Hint: to


This unit describes the skills and knowledge required by EAL learners to read and write a range of straightforward digital and/or print texts relevant to employment.
Unit details
Study level:
Vocational and further education (TAFE)
Unit code:
Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce and extend knowledge and skill competence within set and controlled parameters in accordance with each unit's learning outcomes and performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines. Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills and knowledge: - vocabulary and expressions for a range of straightforward texts related to employment; - common collocations; - sentence structures for simple, compound and conditional sentences; - question forms, such as to request information; - paragraph structure in formal communications; - definite and indefinite article; - a variety of adjectives and adverbs used in workplace documents; - a range of adverbial phrases, prepositions and prepositional phrases; - a range of tense and aspect forms; - reported speech used in communications and other work related texts; - a range of phrasal verbs; - a range of modals and modal forms, including negative form of need to and have to; - a range of discourse markers and cohesive devices to structure text; - reported speech; - reading strategies; - reading skills; - a limited range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms; - variation of register in workplace communications; - language and conventions appropriate for social communication purposes; - use model texts to guide production of written texts; - recognition of some inferred meaning by using a range of cues, such as syntactic, semantic, logical, contextual; - awareness of tone and intention of writer; - detect and express opinions and attitudes in texts, and; - plan, draft, proof read and redraft written texts.
Where to next?
As part of a course


Data Synchronization
Swift Talk
New on
In this article
Think of sync or all you sync will sink.
Not Dr. Seuss
Synchronization is a fundamental element of software development. It takes many forms, from forcing clocks on different devices to agree on just how late it is, to serializing access to resources in multithreaded programming with a _USER_ block.
In this article, I want to introduce various approaches to data synchronization, which I'll refer to from here on simply as sync. In short, the question is: how do you keep two data stores, separated by space and time, mirroring one another as closely as possible?
My own interest goes back to the early days of the iOS App Store, and sync has played a major role in how I've earned my living ever since. I am the developer of a study card application called Mental Case. With versions for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, Mental Case is more a suite than a single app, and one of its distinguishing features has always been the ability to sync up your study material and progress between devices. Originally, in the era of the digital hub, Mental Case would sync a central Mac over a local Wi-Fi network with one or more iOS devices. Currently, the Mental Case apps sync peer-to-peer via iCloud.
Properly implementing sync can be challenging, but it is a problem that is more specialized than developing a general web service, and this allows for more specialized solutions. For example, where a generic web service will invariably require server-side development, it is possible to adopt a synchronization framework with minimal changes to your existing codebase, and no server-side code at all.
In what follows, I want to introduce the various approaches to sync that have arisen since the early days of mobile devices, explain their workings at a high level, and give some guidance as to which would work best for your app. I'll also delineate the new trends in sync, which point to where we are heading.
A Brief History
Before looking at the various approaches to sync in detail, it's worth examining how it has evolved and adapted to the constraints imposed by the technology of the day.
As far as consumer devices are concerned, sync began with wired connections. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, peripheral devices such as the Palm Pilot and iPod would sync with a Mac or PC via Firewire or USB. Apple's Digital Hub strategy built upon this approach. Later, with network speeds increasing, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth supplemented the wire to some extent, but iTunes continues to use this approach today.
As cloud services took off later in the 2000s, the role played by the central Mac/PC shifted to the cloud. The cloud has the advantage that it is accessible whenever a device has a network, and it's always on. With cloud-based sync, there was no longer a need to be at home in the vicinity of your computer to sync.
Each of the approaches above utilizes what I'll term Synchronous Communication (SC) between devices. An app on your iPhone communicates directly with a Mac or cloud service, and it expects to receive a response in real time.
At present, we are seeing the rise of a new approach to sync, one that is built upon Asynchronous Communication (AC). Rather than 'talking' directly to the cloud, the app exchanges data with a framework or local file system. The app does not expect an immediate response; instead, data is transferred to and from the cloud in the background.
This approach decouples the application code from the sync process, freeing the developer from explicitly handling sync operations. Examples of products following this new direction are Apple's Core Data—iCloud framework, the Dropbox Datastore API, and even document stores like TouchDB (which is based on Apache's CouchDB project).
This history of sync does not follow a single linear path. Each stage overlaps with those that follow, continuing to be utilized even as new approaches evolve. Today, all of these techniques still exist and are in active use, and each may be an appropriate solution to your particular problem.
The Sync Grid
We've already seen that approaches to sync can be categorized according to whether they involve synchronous communications, but it is useful to break things down even further according to whether a'smart' server is involved, or whether the process is essentially peer-to-peer, with the client apps handling all of the complexities. This leads to a simple grid into which all sync technologies fall:
Synchronous Asynchronous
Client-Server Parse
Windows Azure Mobile Services
Custom Web Service
Dropbox Datastore
Wasabi Sync
Peer-to-Peer iTunes/iPod
Palm Pilot
Core Data with iCloud
Core Data Ensembles
The Synchronous Peer-to-Peer (S–P2P) approach was actually the first to be broadly adopted, and used for peripheral devices like iPods and PDAs. S-P2P tends to be simpler to implement, and local networks are fast. iTunes still uses this approach, due to the large quantities of media transfer involved.
Synchronous Peer-to-Peer Synchronous Peer-to-Peer (S–P2P)
The Synchronous Client-Server (S-CS) approach grew in popularity as networks improved and cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) became popular. S-CS is probably the most common approach to sync in use today. From a implementation standpoint, it is much the same as developing any other web service. Typically a custom cloud app is developed in a language, and with a programming stack unrelated to the client app, such as Ruby on Rails, Django, or Node.js. Communication with the cloud is slower than using a local network, but S-CS has the advantage of being 'always on,' and the client can sync from any location with network connectivity.
Synchronous Client-Server
Synchronous Client-Server (S–CS)
With Asynchronous Client-Server (A-CS), the developer adopts an API for data storage, which gives access to a local copy of the data. Sync occurs transparently in the background, with the application code being informed of changes via a callback mechanism. Examples of this approach include the Dropbox Datastore API, and – for Core Data developers – the Wasabi Sync service.
One advantage of the asynchronous replicate and sync approach is that apps continue to work and have access to the user's data when the network is unavailable. Another is that the developer is less burdened with the details of communications and sync, and can focus on other aspects of the app, treating data storage almost as if it were local to the device.
Asynchronous Client-Server
Asynchronous Client-Server (A–CS)
The Asynchronous Peer-to-Peer (A-P2P) approach is still in its infancy, and has not seen widespread use. A-P2P places the full burden of piecing together the 'truth' on the client app, without any recourse to direct communication. Developing an A–P2P framework is complex, and that has led to some well-publicized failures, including early attempts by Apple to add iCloud support to Core Data (recent attempts are much improved). As with A–CS, each device has a full copy of the data store. The stores are kept in sync by communicating changes between devices via a series of files, typically referred to as transaction logs. The logs are moved to the cloud, and from there to other devices by a basic file handling server (e.g. iCloud, Dropbox), which has no insight into the file content.
Asynchronous Peer-to-Peer
Asynchronous Peer-to-Peer (A–P2P)
Given the complexities of developing an A-P2P system, you might ask why we should even bother. One major advantage of A-P2P frameworks is that they abstract away the need for an intelligent server. The developer can avoid all server-side development, and can take advantage of the multitude of file transfer services available, many of which are free. And because A-P2P systems are not coupled to a particular service, there is no danger of being locked in to a single vendor.
The Elements of Sync
Having introduced the different families of sync algorithms, I now want to take a look at the common components of these algorithms. What do you have to consider over and above what you would need to handle in an isolated app?
There are a few elements that all sync methods have in common. These include: * Identifying corresponding objects across stores * Determining what has changed since the last sync * Resolving conflicts due to concurrent changes
In the sections that follow, I want to address each of these, before moving on to explain in more detail how you would go about implementing the algorithms.
In standalone apps, with a single store, objects are typically identified by a row index in a database table, or something equivalent like an NSManagedObjectID in Core Data. These identities are specific to the store, and not suitable for identifying corresponding objects on different devices. When an app syncs, it's important that objects in different stores can be correlated with one another, hence the need for global identifiers.
Global identifiers are often just Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs); objects in different stores with the same global identifier are considered to be logically representative of a single instance. Changes to one object should eventually result in the corresponding object also being updated. (UUIDs can be created in Cocoa with the recently added NSUUID class, or the oft-forgotten globallyUniqueString method of the NSProcessInfo class.)
UUIDs are not appropriate for all objects. For example, it is not unusual to have certain classes of objects for which there are a fixed set of members to choose from. A common example is a singleton object, for which only one possible object is allowed. Another example is that of tag-like objects, where uniqueness is determined by a


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Thursday, March 31, 2005
Science overview article pointing to two current papers on signal transmission through gene cascades in noisy cellular environments. the article concludes that this work "represents an important advance toward a more quantitative synthetic biology. These studies offer insights into gene regulation, and, together, provide a framework for the further characterization of input/output relationships among regulators and their targets. These quantitative approaches can be applied to natural gene networks and used to generate a more comprehensive understanding of cellular regulation. This will enable a better characterization of individual genetic components and modules, opening up the possibility of designing more complex synthetic gene networks. Such networks could be engineered with specific properties that filter unwanted noise from signaling networks or exploit noise-induced switching to sample more diverse phenotypes."


text:
But African Americans do not perform as well as whites on these tests even if test-takers from both ethnic groups have attained the same number of years of schooling. Because of the lower scores, healthy African Americans may be more likely to be misdiagnosed with Alzheimers disease or other cognitive defects.
In an effort to make neuropsychological tests more accurate, Columbia Health Sciences researchers decided to study whether quality of education, rather than quantity, could explain the lower test scores among African Americans.
In their study, the investigators measured quality of schooling by administering a reading test to 192 elderly African Americans and 192 elderly non-Hispanic whites from Northern Manhattan. The participants, who were all 65 years and older, did not have dementia and were functioning normally in their daily lives.
The researchers found that they could eliminate most of the racial differences found in the neuropsychological test assessments by factoring in the scores from the reading tests. Both blacks and whites with a poor reading test result achieved similar neuropsychological test scores.
The findings suggest that including an assessment of reading skills will help neuropsychologists know what scores to expect from elders with diverse educational backgrounds, says Dr. Jennifer Manly, lead author of the study and assistant professor of neuropsychology in the
Contact: Annie Bayne
Columbia University Medical Center


text:
Projecting a Positive Image
Research shows that people form an impression of you within three to six seconds of meeting you. This initial impression becomes a lasting association. It is constantly being reinforced by emotions and reason. These initial impressions are rarely rationally based but rather are based on factors such as manners, appearance and dress. Since others are judging you, it would behoove you to understand what positive characteristics you exhibit and how to reinforce them and what potential negative characteristics you manifest and how to modify or eliminate their impact.
This highly interactive half-day seminar focuses on providing tips and techniques for immediate application. Projecting a Positive Image comprehensively reviews virtually every aspect of personal image and style. Practical examples and creative ideas for increasing confidence, poise, etiquette and professional style are shared. Through numerous exercises and feedback, participants develop a plan for properly packaging themselves with self-respect and respect for others.


text:
Green leafy vegetables are essential in our daily life and provide us with vitamins, but one disadvantage of green leafy vegetables is that they are difficult to store. This is a troubling problem for both demanders and suppliers of leafy greens. Especially for vegetable growers and suppliers, if the vegetables are not sold out, it is difficult to preserve them, or it may cause harm to the vegetables during transportation. So, how to protect the sale of green leafy vegetables?
In the daily life, the protection method of green leafy vegetables:
- Air dry the water on the surface of the green leafy vegetables naturally. Then put it in the bag, put a paper towel in it, and tie the bag. Then put it in the refrigerator to chill. The purpose of putting paper towels is to absorb the moisture that appeared in the bag during refrigeration, so that the leaves and stems will not rot quickly due to excessive moisture. However, it can only be stored for three or five days at most.
- Remove the rotten leaves and yellow leaves from the green leafy vegetables. Put it in the water and wash it, pay attention to the place where the roots have mud. Boil a pot of boiling water and add a spoonful of salt, so that the green leafy vegetables are clean and bright, with high appearance. Blanch the green leafy vegetables in boiling water for ten seconds, then soak them in water again to cool. Finally, after the green leafy vegetables are dried for two or three days, the green leafy vegetables will become dry and brittle, so they can be stored and eaten whenever you want.
- Dry the green leafy vegetables and put them in a fresh-keeping bag, pinch the mouth of the bag, put it in the water, use the pressure of the water to expel the air in the bag, dry the water outside the bag and put it in the refrigerator. The green leafy vegetables treated in this way are like being evacuated and can be stored for at least a week without being damaged. Remember to make sure that the mouth of the bag is facing upwards and water cannot get into the bag, otherwise the vegetables will still be spoiled.
However, for leafy vegetable sellers, the above method is not advisable, and leafy vegetables must be processed. Simple processing can be carried out, which can prolong a certain fresh-keeping period, and deep processing can also be carried out to process vegetables into dried vegetables, canned vegetables or frozen vegetables.
Whether it is the deep processing of leafy vegetables or simple fresh-keeping processing, a vegetable processing line is required. The vegetable processing line includes vegetable washing machines, vegetable cutting machines, vegetable drying machines, and vegetable packaging machines. Putting the unearthed vegetables in the washing machine can remove impurities such as impurities and small flying insects on the surface of the vegetables. An ozone generator can also be added to the vegetable washing machine to sterilize the vegetables. At the same time, it can also prolong the fresh-keeping period of vegetables and enhance the value of vegetables. Of course, if you want to process dried vegetables, canned vegetables or frozen vegetables, you need to match the vegetable dryer or freezing machinery in the pre-processing production line.
We are a vegetable processing line manufacturer with many years of manufacturing experience. If you are a vegetable grower or seller, you can contact us if you want to process vegetables. We will provide you with solutions and quotations.


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N1 units should arrive with batteries installed. If there is a plastic pull tab sticking out from the front of the unit, please pull the tab out to reconnect the batteries and restore power to the unit during the set-up process.
The power status can be checked by pressing either of the buttons on the side of the unit. While pressing the button, look at the LED indicator on the top of the unit making sure the it flashes green/amber.
- If the indicator does not flash, check that the plastic pull tab has been removed.
- If it has been removed, open the case to confirm 2 CR2450 are installed properly. The flat side with a "plus" (+) symbol should be visible.
- If the batteries are install properly, and the indicator will still not flash when the button is pressed, the batteries likely need to be replaced.
Joining the Network
Power on the device to search for the network:
- On detection of a compatible network, the LED indicator will turn green for five (5) seconds; otherwise, the LED indicator will remain off.
- During the first two minutes after powering on, the device will check for a network every 15 seconds.
- After the first two minutes: the N1 will check for a network every 15 minutes.
If the device does not connect within the first two minutes, check to make sure a K1 Gateway is within range and powered on with all LED indicators glowing. Please reach out to Kairos if the device continues to not connect.
- Pressing the button once causes the device to check its status with the network:
- The LED indicator will flash green if a report is successfully sent to the network
- The LED indicator will remain off if the device does not receive a response from the network.
- Pressing and holding for five (5) seconds causes the LED indicator flashes green 20 times causes the device to turn off and restore factory settings. If the indicator does not flash, the operation was unsuccessful.
The N1 remains in a sleep mode to preserve battery life for one (1) hour before sending a message to the network indicating it is still online. If a leak is detected, it wakes up immediately and sends an alarm over the network.
If the N1 has not joined the network, it will continue to try every 15 seconds for a two (2) minute window. After trying for two minutes, the device goes to sleep for 15 minutes before attempting to connect again.
- Use a flathead screwdriver, or similar tool, to remove the battery cover and remove the two CR2450 batteries.
- Replace with a pair of CR2450 batteries, making sure the (+) is visible once installed.
- Follow the steps in the Powering On section to ensure the device is operating.
- Keep the unit dry - rain, various liquids, or moisture build-up may corrode the electronics or short circuits. If the device becomes wet, please remove batteries and allow it to dry completely before restoring the batteries and testing the unit.
- Do not use or store in dusty or dirty areas.
- Do not store in excessive heat or expose to fire. High temperatures can shorten the life of electronic devices, destroy batteries, and deform or melt some plastic parts. Batteries can explode under high heat conditions.
- Do not store in excessive cold. There is a risk that, as temperature rises, moisture will form inside and damage the electronics.
- Do not throw, knock, or shake the device. Rough handling of equipment can destroy internal circuit boards and delicate structures.
- Do not wash with strong chemicals or detergents. Any chemicals entering the case can cause corrosion, damaging the housing and/or the electronics.
- Do not apply with paint. Paint could clog contacts and render the device ineffective.


Navigation überspringen.
Ray: Under the Banyan Tree
Ray, Romita:
Under the Banyan Tree : Relocating the Picturesque in British India / Romita Ray. - New Haven, Conn. [u.a.] : Yale University Press, 2013. - xi, 360 S. : Ill., Kt.
ISBN 978-0-300-18769-4
US$ 85,00
DDC 704.949954
Under the Banyan Tree is the first comprehensive study of the evolution and flourishing of the picturesque during the British Raj. Romita Ray argues that this concept allowed British artists and writers traveling in India to aestheticize the Indian landscape, its people, and the biota (the banyan tree and the elephant, above all). These ideas not only shaped specific landscapes in India, but also fed the imagination of a global audience throughout the British empire. The material in this engaging text ranges from river landscapes and tea plantations to elephants and bejeweled Indian princes, shedding light on how the concepts of picturesque beauty and pleasure were diversified in India, sometimes dramatically beyond their conventional parameters. Exquisitely illustrated with unusual and beautiful images, Under the Banyan Tree is both a starting point for examining the function of the picturesque and an insightful addition to scholarship investigating British art and empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. [Verlagsinformation]
Acknowledgments. ix
Introduction: The Picturesque Prism. 1
1. Along the Water's Edge. 19
2. A Cup of Tea in a Veil of Mist. 53
3. A Grove in the Banyan. 97
4. Imperial Phantoms. 153
5. The Tusks of Empire. 201
Epilogue: Continuities. 261
Notes. 268
Bibliography. 312
Index. 349
Romita Ray was born and raised in Calcutta. She is an associate professor of art history at Syracuse University, New York. Profile page.
Quellen: Yale University Press; WorldCat; Bookbutler; Library of Congress
Bildquelle: Yale University Press
Bibliographie: [1]


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MOLAB (MObile LABoratory) is a world-class distributed infrastructure which consists of key laboratories across 10 European countries providing coherent access, under a unified management structure, to a set of mobile equipment and related competencies, for in-situ non-destructive measurements of artworks, collections, monuments and sites. The analysis may be orientated towards art‐historical or archaeological questions (execution techniques, dating, under‐drawings in paintings etc.; assessing the state of conservation of artefacts; determine or test the optimal preservation strategy to slow down alteration processes; monitoring conservation treatments and informing a risk assessment. All the techniques are non-invasive, so there is strictly no sampling or contact with the surface under exam. The motivation for MOLAB arises because a significant fraction of historical patrimony consists of wall paintings, monuments, sculptures, buildings that cannot be moved from their location which implies that non-invasive studies on these objects must be necessarily carried out in-situ, through mobile instrumentation. Even in the case of movable patrimony (such as paintings, ceramics, gems, manuscripts, etc.), it can often be quite difficult, if not impossible, to move such works to a laboratory, due the high risks and costs associated with their transportation and often fragile state. An advantage of MOLAB is that the measurements, being carried out in-situ, lead to real-time results, permitting an immediate discussion of the recorded data.
What is new. Now MOLAB includes mobile laboratories with unique competencies in-ground and aerial remote sensing as a key to enable interdisciplinary research in new fields and application scenarios such as i) exploration, survey and documentation of archaeological interests, ii) preventive and landscape archaeology, iii) interpretation, documentation and diagnosis of the state of conservation of built and monumental heritage. Also, the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy includes new capabilities and provides unique results applied to cultural heritage objects.
Name: Costanza Miliani
Phone: +39 _PHONE_


Class Overview 6.18.07
Updated Fri, Jan 02, 2009 by Savanja
The Classes of EverQuest II
This is an overview of the classes currently available in EQ2. The class you choose, will have a hand in which races and starting cities are available to you, so choose wisely!
Each class is listed below along with their in-game description.
Good Aligned Classes
These classes may be utilized with good aligned races and will start in either Qeynos or Kelethin.
Templar: Templars use divine power to mend the wounded and cure the suffering of the afflicted. They can enhance the fortitude of their allies while making their opponents more vulnerable to attacks. Templars can pacify foes, nullifying their normal combat attacks for a short time.
Illusionist: Illusionists employ subtlety and distraction to impose their will upon the enemy. Using their mental acuity to confuse, misdirect, and subdue their opponents, Illusionists can bring order to an otherwise chaotic environment while bestowing beneficial enchantments upon their allies.
Monk: The Monk is a spiritual combatant who believes in the philosophy of mind-over-body. This mastery of physical prowess allows Monks to hasten their formidable attacks, purge their bodies of ailments, move invisibly past their enemies, and even fool opponents into believing them dead.
Paladin: The epitome of honor and valor, Paladins excel in martial combat while employing divine magic to enhance their abilities and strike down their enemies. By invoking both protective and healing magic, the Paladin can often survive battles that would crumble those of lesser resolve.
Ranger: Rangers are unrivaled in their ability to hunt foes and scout dangers in the untamed wilds of Norrath. Known for sneaking safely through dangerous territory, Rangers use stealth, perception, and cunning to seek out enemies and fell them from a distance with a deadly volley of arrows.
Swashbuckler: The Swashbuckler is a dashing rogue known for flamboyant acts and grandiose accomplishments. Using cunning and skill, Swashbucklers inflict devastating attacks against foes before slipping into the shadows. Masters of misdirection, Swashbucklers often avoid the blame for their potent strikes.
Mystic: The Mystic is a shaman of spiritual preservation and enlightenment. Mystics are known for their powerful warding spells that protect allies from harm. The Mystic can enhance the party's attributes and provide magical protection in combat while inflicting debilitating weakness upon the enemy.
Conjurer: Though possessing many potent abilities, the greatest weapons in the Conjurer's arsenal are the powerful elemental minions summoned forth to do their bidding. These dutiful servants obey their master's every command, whether ordered to stand guard or launch attacks against the Conjurer's foes.
Neutral Classes
These classes will work in combination with any race and any starting city.
Troubador: Troubadors inspire and protect their companions with songs of bravery and heroism. By infusing music with magic, Troubadors enbolden their allies into performing outstanding feats of courage against their opponents. The Troubador's songs are particularly popular with the spellcasters.
Dirge: Dirges play songs of despair, misery, and lamentation that invoke intense fury and aggression within the hearts of their allies. The Dirge can use music to inflict great despair and longing in enemies, demoralizing them so completely that their abilities are significantly diminished.
Fury: Embodying the primal forces of nature, the Fury is equally capable of both defense and destruction. In addition to regenerative healing, Furies can enhance the physical attributes and mystical might of their allies, making the attacks of their party members even more formidable.
Warden: Wardens invoke their druidic powers to mend wounds and purge disease and poison from their allies. While Wardens excel in regenerative healing, they can command the forces of nature against their foes. They can change shape, imbuing themselves and their allies with the form of the great wolf.
Wizard: The Wizard can unleash the purest forms of destruction by harnessing the arcane magics of fire and ice. Channelling the full force of these elements into deadly focus, no other type of mage is able to match the Wizard's ability to inflict such great devastation upon a single target.
Warlock: Warlocks are masters of death and decay who channel the forces of poison and disease to bring untimely end to their enemies. By invoking these dark powers and unleashing destruction all around them, Warlocks can deal devastating damage against multiple opponents at once.
Guardian: The Guardian is the anchor of any group of adventurers, providing leadership and protection for their allies. Combining durable armor with an impressive array of defensive skills, Guardians can remain standing after absorbing substantial amounts of physical damage from their enemies.
Berserker: The Berserker is the personification of unbridled aggression and fury. They are fearsome opponents, especially when facing many foes at once. Berserkers stand at the forefront of battle, unleashing their devastating rage upon the enemy while keeping unwanted attention away from their allies.
Evil Aligned Classes
These classes may be utilized with evil aligned races and will start in either Freeport or Neriak.
Inquisitor: Capable of serving as the cornerstone of any adventuring party, the Inquisitor can heal wounds and purge ailments such as disease and poison. Inquisitors invoke divine strikes against their opponents and retaliate with unyielding conviction against those that dare to harm their allies.
Coercer: The Coercer is capable of subduing enemies, sending them into a paralyzing state of fascination of causing them to flee in uncontrollable terror. Masters of domination, Coercers can subjugate the mind of another, taking complete control and forcing an unwitting creature to do their bidding.
Bruiser: Bruisers are relentless juggernauts of strength and intimidation who have transformed their bodies into vicious weapons to inflict pain and suffering upon their enemies. Masters of physical combat, Bruisers rely upon deflection and agility to avoid attacks as they brutalize their foes.
Assassin: The Assassin is the master of sinister strikes and opportunistic attacks. Exceptionally skilled at surprising unwitting opponents, they strike suddenly and inflict massive damage. Assassins are known for using deadly poisons to debilitate their targets before finishing them off.
Brigand: Brigands are crafty rogues who employ intimidation and force to subdue their enemies. The Brigand maintains an element of unpredictability to arouse discomfort, fear, and confusion in an opponent. Strikes from a Brigand will often leave a foe crippled and vulnerable to further attacks.
Shadowknight: Shadowknights are malevolent crusaders who wreak fear, hate, and despair upon all who would oppose them. In addition to their formidable martial skills, Shadowknights conjure dark magic with which they can enhance their abilities and drain away the life force of their enemies.
Defiler: The Defiler is a shaman of corruption and spiritual enslavement. A powerful ally, Defilers are able to mend wounds and remove ailments from the afflicted. Fearsome in battle, the Defiler employs ancient rituals of dark power to sicken, harm, and reduce the fighting prowess of the enemy.
Necromancer: The Necromancer is the unholy master of death and decay. Dominating the unliving, Necromancers summon forth undead servants that attack their opponents without fear or hesitation. Necromancers employ dark arcane magic that weakens the enemy as they drain away its life force.
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Infield Defense in PARTs: A Major Update to Defensive Runs Saved Coming Soon
A major update is coming soon to Baseball Info Solutions' Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) system to improve our evaluation of infield defense.
Currently, DRS does not account for infielder positioning, thus relying on one "Range & Positioning" component to assess a fielder's ability to convert batted balls into outs. It also considers shift plays entirely as a team defense, attributing runs saved/lost to the team overall.
That, however, is about to change. We'll be breaking the DRS system into PARTs.
PART stands for Positioning, Air Balls, Range, and Throwing. This new system isolates each of these elements for individual fielders. It also allows us to evaluate how individual players perform defensively in shifts. BIS has been charting pre-pitch infielder positioning since 2013, which makes it possible for positioning to be evaluated.
Given that positioning is largely controlled by the team rather than individual player, it is now its own separate component. Positioning Runs Saved will be added to the team's DRS total, but not the individual player's total. Thus, an infielder's DRS is now the sum of:
* His Air Ball Runs Saved
* His Range Runs Saved
* His Throwing Runs Saved
How does this change the way we think about infield defense? We are transitioning from evaluating "how often did a player make that play?" to "how often did a player make that play given where he was positioned?" Additionally, we're able to evaluate all infield plays, not just ones involving an unshifted defense. The result, we believe, is a more accurate overall depiction of defensive performance.
How do we actually estimate the effects of positioning? The system evaluates the chance a play would be made without considering fielder positioning (using information about the batted ball's trajectory, location, and velocity and the batter's speed) and compares it to the chance it would be made considering those variables and the fielder's positioning. If a batted ball is estimated to be a high percentage out, but a fielder isn't close to it, then the team will get penalized in the form of Positioning Runs Saved—but the fielder will not.
What does all this look like in action? Let's consider Matt Chapman of the Oakland A's, one of baseball's top defensive players.
The current DRS system awarded him 18 Defensive Runs Saved for 2019. The new system, however, will have him at 34 Defensive Runs Saved. Stripping out positioning and including shift plays gives Chapman a significant boost.
Here's the breakdown at how we arrive at the new number:
* Range Runs Saved: +19
(+11 in non-shifts, +8 in shifts)
* Throwing Runs Saved: +11
(+10 in non-shifts, +1 in shifts)
* Air Ball Runs Saved: 0
* Other Runs Saved: +4
(Good Fielding Plays/Defensive Misplays, Double Plays, Bunts)
* Total Defensive Runs Saved: +34
What doesn't get included here is positioning, and the system calculates that Chapman accumulated -13 Positioning Runs Saved (-10 in non-shifts, -3 in shifts). Again, this number will still be included in the team total, but the individual player will not be penalized for it.
We can also see the gains for Chapman from including shift plays, as he was +8 for Range and +1 for Throwing in shifts. Even though the A's shifted the least of any team per BIS charting, that's a significant Runs Saved total that was previously uncredited to Chapman.
This data for Chapman and all other Major League players will soon be rolling out on, and it will also be featured in The Fielding Bible – Volume V (coming in the spring of 2020) and in The Bill James Handbook 2020 (out November 1).
 - Steve, the basis still does revolve around batted ball location, but it's more granular than traditional zones and there's also consideration for the trajectory and speed of the batted ball, among other variables.
 1. What is the process of ensuring that infielder positioning data is correct? Does this system use Statcast data for infielder positioning? If not, how is that data entered?
 - George, unfortunately we can't use Statcast data for our public metrics if the data isn't fully publicly available, and in this case, fielder positioning coordinates aren't fully available. The data is charted via video by our Video Scouts, with each positioning point being evaluated by two separate people to ensure it's as correct and complete as we can make it.
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How Did Mount Rushmore Get Its Name and Who Was Mount Rushmore Named After?
Rushmore wasn't the guy who carved the mountain.
After gold was discovered in South Dakota in 1874, the Sioux tribes that lived there were forced out, and prospectors and a smattering of tourists and curiosity-seekers moved in.
In 1885, a New York attorney named Charles Rushmore was riding through the area on a guided horseback tour and asked the name of the mountain.
His guide teased the city slicker: "Hell, it never had a name, but from now on we'll call the thing Rushmore."
Strangely enough, the name stuck.
The lawyer Rushmore, by the way, never abandoned his rocky namesake, he was one of the first to donate a large sum of money toward carving the mountainside.
 1. kailey says
 yea some guy said that he went to see mount rushmore in 1919 but the funny part is is the mountion was not built till 1927….
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text:
October 22, 2012
Game Design Club:
Like movie making, game design involves a lot of complicated processes, from programming the environment and character abilities to inventing the levels and point systems. These parts of game design and more will be covered in this 11 week course, using the game design software GameMaker. Your child will have the chance to work in a small group setting to discover more about the fascinating world of gaming.
Time: Mondays, September 24th – December 17th, 2012
Kids Session from 3: 15 pm – 4:45 pm, Teens Session from 5 – 6:30pm
$500 PROMO PRICE! Just $330 for 11 week session. Payments made in installments of $110 every four weeks.
Kids Register Here! Ages 8-12
Teens Register Here! Ages 13-17
Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, but is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser, by computer, at the material to be cut. The material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas, leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials.
In this class, you will learn how to cut your designs onto one sheet of MDF (medium density fiberboard).
Time: October 22nd, 6:30-8:30pm


text:
Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
Commonly seen inshore and in harbors, the brown pelican is the heaviest sea bird that fishes by plunge-diving. Groups of brown pelicans often fish together, skimming over the waves before rising into the air, folding back their wings, and hitting the water with a spectacular splash. The pelican's throat pouch balloons outward underwater, scooping up prey, which it then swallows at the surface.


What's in store each day?
The Camp Curiosity experience begins the moment you pull into the designated drop-off area. At the start and end of each day, a camp staffer will greet you at your vehicle and verify your information for maximum safety.
Group Time
Your child will head to their assigned multi-age group where they will build relationships with peers, teachers and counselors through pre-camp activities and team-building exercises. During these sessions, staff learn more about your camper and make sure their individualed needs are being met. We want to ensure that each child's experience is the right balance of having fun, making friends, challenging their skills and sparking their curiosity.
Each camp group follows an individual schedule with a blend of scientific content, outdoor play, and Science Center experiences. All content is taught by licensed educators throughout Northest Ohio. Each day focuses on a different aspect of STEM which allows us to continue to monitor the group dynamic. If we find that a camper would benefit from switching to another age group, we will work with you to find the right fit.
Time Outdoors
All campers take a daily trip outside to let loose and dedicate time to just play. Physical acitivites outside can include team games, playtime with water, or having fun just being silly!
All Camps
Each day, the entire camp meets to play games and engage in challenges. This time creates a sense of community, energy and excitement unique to Camp Curiosity.


Cure Terms Glossary
Gelation is process of gel formation. In the process of cure, the onset of gelation is the point when the mix is no longer capable of flow (the no-flow condition). At this point, viscous and elastic character are in balance (storage & loss moduli equal in value) and the gel point can therefore be regarded as the half-way house between purely viscous and purely elastic states. In molecular terms, gelation occurs when an infinite network first forms.
Gelation is critically dependent on the functionality of the starting mix - i.e., the higher the initial functionality, then the earlier in the cure will gelation occur. The competition between intermolecular (crosslinking) and intramolecular (cyclisation) complicates matters and current theories focus on predicting a critical conversion, pc, below which gelation is not possible. One such expression estimates the critical conversion for gelation in stoichiometic cure effected by the stepwise reaction of two types of mutually reacting groups (i.e. A + B → C) as:
pc2 = 1 / (φ1 - 1) (φ2 - 1)
where pc is a fractional conversion (i.e. 0 - 1), and φ1 & φ2 are the average functionalities of the starting molecules
Unlike vitrification, there is no change in change in reactivity of the system on gelation.


Poster of Linux kernelThe best gift for a Linux geek
Local index Up
Prima::Image - Bitmap routines
 use Prima qw(Application);
 # create a new image from scratch
 my $i = Prima::Image-> new(
 width => 32,
 height => 32,
 # draw something
 $i-> begin_paint;
 $i-> color( cl::White);
 $i-> end_paint;
 # mangle
 $i-> size( 64, 64);
 # file operations
 # draw on screen
 $::application-> begin_paint;
 # an image is drawn as specified by its palette
 # a bitmap is drawn as specified by destination device colors
Graphic input and output
When an object enters the enabled state, it serves as a canvas, and all Prima::Drawable operations can be performed on it. When the object is back to the disabled state, the graphic information is stored into the object associated memory, in the pixel format, supported by the toolkit. This information can be visualized by using one of "Prima::Drawable::put_image" group methods. If the object enters the enabled state again, the graphic information is presented as an initial state of a bitmap.
 $a-> begin_paint;
 $a-> clear;
 $a-> color( cl::Green);
 $a-> end_paint;
 $a-> rop( rop::XorPut);
 $::application-> begin_paint;
 $::application-> end_paint;
It must be noted, that "put_image", "stretch_image" and "put_image_indirect" are only painting methods that allow drawing on an image that is in its paint-disabled state. Moreover, in such context they only allow "Prima::Image" descendants to be passed as a source image object. This functionality does not imply that the image is internally switched to the paint-enabled state and back; the painting is performed without switching and without interference with the system's graphical layer.
File input and output
Depending on the toolkit configuration, images can be read and written in different formats. This functionality in accessible via "load()" and "save()" methods. Prima::image-load is dedicated to the description of loading and saving parameters, that can be passed to the methods, so they can handle different aspects of file format-specific options, such as multi-frame operations, auto conversion when a format does not support a particular pixel format etc. In this document, "load()" and "save()" methods are illustrated only in their basic, single-frame functionality. When called with no extra parameters, these methods fail only if a disk I/O error occurred or an unknown image format was used.
Pixel formats
Prima::Image supports a number of pixel formats, governed by the "::type" property. It is reflected by an integer value, a combination of "im::XXX" constants. The whole set of pixel formats is represented by colored formats, like, 16-color, 256-color and 16M-color, and by gray-scale formats, mapped to C data types - unsigned char, unsigned short, unsigned long, float and double. The gray-scale formats are further subdivided to real-number formats and complex-number format; the last ones are represented by two real values per pixel, containing the real and the imaginary values.
The conversions can be performed between any of the supported formats ( to do so, "::type" property is to be set-called ). An image of any of these formats can be drawn on the screen, but if the system can not accept the pixel format ( as it is with non-integer or complex formats ), the bitmap data are implicitly converted. The conversion does not change the data if the image is about to be drawn; the conversion is performed only when the image is about to be served as a drawing surface. If, by any reason, it is desired that the pixel format is not to be changed, the "::preserveType" property must be set to 1. It does not prevent the conversion, but it detects if the image was implicitly converted inside "end_paint()" call, and reverts it to its previous pixel format.
There are situations, when pixel format must be changed together while down-sampling the image. One of four down-sampling methods can be selected - normal, 8x8 ordered halftoning, error diffusion, and error diffusion combined with optimized palette. These can be set to the "::conversion" property with one of "ict::XXX" constants. When there is no information loss, "::conversion" property is not used.
 $image-> type( im::bpp4);
 $image-> palette( $palette);
 $image-> palette( $palette);
 $image-> type( im::bpp4);
produce different results, but none of these takes into account eventual palette remapping, because "::palette" property does not change bitmap pixel data, but overwrites palette information. A proper call syntax here would be
 $image-> set(
 palette => $palette,
 type => im::bpp4,
This call produces also palette pixel mapping. This syntax is most powerful when conversion is set to "ict::Optimized" ( by default ). It not only allows remapping or downsampling to a predefined colors set, but also can be used to limit palette size to a particular number, without knowing the actual values of the final color palette. For example, for an 24-bit image,
Instead of "palette" property, "colormap" can also be used.
Data access
The pixel values can be accessed in Prima::Drawable style, via "::pixel" property. However, Prima::Image introduces several helper functions, for different aims. The "::data" property is used to set or retrieve a scalar representation of bitmap data. The data are expected to be lined up to a 'line size' margin ( 4-byte boundary ), which is calculated as
or returned from the read-only property "::lineSize".
This is the line size for the data as lined up internally in memory, however "::data" should not necessarily should be aligned like this, and can be accompanied with a write-only flag 'lineSize' if pixels are aligned differently:
 $image-> type( im::RGB);
 $image-> set(
 lineSize => 7,
 print $image-> data, "\n";
 output: RGB-RGBInternally, Prima contains images in memory so that the first scanline is the farthest away from the memory start; this is consistent with general Y-axis orientation in Prima drawable terminology, but might be inconvenient when importing data organized otherwise. Another write-only boolean flag "reverse" can be set to 1 so data then are treated as if the first scanline of the image is the closest to the start of data:
 $image-> set(
 data => 'RGB-123-',
 reverse => 1,
 print $image-> data, "\n";
 output: RGB-123-
Standalone usage
The image functionality can be used standalone, with all other parts of the toolkit being uninitialized. This is useful in non-interactive programs, running in evnironments with no GUI access, a cgi-script with no access to X11 display, for example. Normally, Prima fails to start in such situations, but can be told not to initialize its GUI part by explicitly operating system-dependent options. To do so, invoke
 use Prima::noX11;
Similar to Prima::Image::data property, Prima::Icon::mask property provides access to the binary mask data. The mask can be updated automatically, after an icon object was subject to painting, resizing, or other destructive change. The auxiliary properties "::autoMasking" and "::maskColor"/"::maskIndex" regulate mask update procedure. For example, if an icon was loaded with the color ( vs. bitmap ) transparency information, the binary mask will be generated anyway, but it will be also recorded that a particular color serves as a transparent indicator, so eventual conversions can rely on the color value, instead of the mask bitmap.
If an icon is drawn upon a graphic canvas, the image output is constrained to the mask. On raster displays it is typically simulated by a combination of andand xoroperation modes, therefore attempts to put an icon with "::rop", different from "rop::CopyPut", usually fail.
Prima::Image properties
colormap _USER_
See also "palette".
conversion TYPE
Selects the type of dithering algorithm to be used for pixel down-sampling. TYPE is one of "ict::XXX" constants:
 ict::None - no dithering
 ict::Halftone - 8x8 ordered halftone dithering
 ict::ErrorDiffusion - error diffusion dithering with static palette
 ict::Optimized - error diffusion dithering with optimized palette
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 0 0 1 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 1 0 0 0 ]
 ict::ErrorDiffusion, ict::Ordered:
 [ 0 0 1 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 1 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
 [ 0 0 0 0 ]
height INTEGER


text:
Let's Eat Out: Americans Weigh Taste, Convenience, and Nutrition
by Hayden Stewart
, Noel Blisard, and Dean Jolliffe
Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-19) 16 pp, October 2006
Whether eating out or buying carry-out, Americans are consuming more and more of their calories from full-service and fast-food restaurant fare. The share of daily caloric intake from food purchased and/or eaten away from home increased from 18 percent to 32 percent between the late 1970s and the middle 1990s, and the away-from-home market grew to account for about half of total food expenditures in 2004, up from 34 percent in 1974. Analysis of a survey of U.S. consumers indicates that respondents want convenience and an enjoyable dining experience, but the desire for health also plays a role as does diet-health knowledge.
Keywords: Consumer preferences, diet-health knowledge, eating out, food away from home, imperfect information, restaurant foods, rules of thumb
In this publication...
Need help with PDFs?


'd like to hang up that picture.
 * I don't know where to hang that picture up.
 * His friends are going to move out at the end of the month.
 * Is he going to help move his friends out?
 Most of the time when you are "ending a sentence with a preposition," you are actually doing no such thing--you are using a seperable verb. But because we write them as two separate words even when they are next to each other, we don't really think of them as being that closely related anymore. Also the fact that those "particles" (the technical term for them) look and sound exactly like prepositions helped lead to the confusion.
 I remember in my introductory syntax class, we spent about a week proving that the sentence structures for English and German were virtually identical, but mirror images of each other. (things that German tended to move to the back, English tended to move to the front, and vice versa) but we had to diagram an awful lot of sentences to get to that point.
 - by Smallpond ( 221300 ) on Thursday September 02, 2004 _USER_:36PM (_TAG_) Homepage Journal
 That gives me an even better idea. Its probably much easier to detect when someone blinks then to track eye motion. So just change a few words of text whenever they blink. I suspect the result could be pretty funny.
 As for why people blink at a specific rate, and whether that changes based on level of concentration, that's been studied.
 "Studies have measured the blink rate and tearing on computer workers and noted that the blink rate dropped very significantly during work at a computer compared to before and after work. There was no significant change in tearing. The data support the fact that blink rate decreases during computer use, but also show that other tasks can decrease the blink rate. []
 Possible explanations for the decreased blink rate include concentration on the task or a relatively limited range of eye movements. Although both book reading and computer work result in significantly decreased blink rates, a difference between them is that computer work usually requires a higher gaze angle, resulting in an increased rate of tear evaporation. Since the main route of tear elimination is through evaporation and the amount of evaporation roughly relates to eye opening, the higher gaze angle when viewing a computer screen results in faster tear loss. It is also likely that the higher gaze angle results in a greater percentage of blinks that are incomplete. It has been suggested that incomplete blinks are not effective because the tear layer being replenished is 'defective' and not a full tear layer."
 Which suggests that my blink rate may go up now that I have bifocals, since I have to look through the bottom of them for close-up work (lower gaze angle). I think a lot of the dry eye that I get is from the a/c, anyway.


King/Warrior respectively. The second two relate to Expression Axis, and Sage/Artisan respectively. The third set of two relates to the Inspirational, and Priest/Server respectively. And finally the Assimilative and Scholar. The "Nobilities" will tend to be emphasized in various degrees depending on the predominance of Overleaves across the Axes, and, of course the Role and Casting. We will OPEN THE QUEUE here for your questions regarding what we have shared so far. Type three asterisks *** to indicate that you have a question, and we will call upon you in order. QUEUE IS NOW OPEN [Maureen] What comments would you make re: the axiom — "If you have the choice choose to enjoy" related to today's material? MEntity: Maureen, we think that is a valid statement, and in MOST of life circumstances, that choice for \enjoyment is present, but it would be a lie to say that it is a choice in every circumstance. It is rare that a fragment would or could choose to "enjoy" Suffering, itself, but one CAN choose to find moments of joy, or to allow moments of joy, however fleeting, to count, even in the midst of Suffering. If someone suffers from cancer, it would be irresponsible to tell that person to choose to enjoy the cancer, but it would be helpful to remind them that there is joy beyond the suffering, or alongside the suffering. Does this response offer some insight, Maureen? [Maureen] move towards inclusion rather than exclusion - yes thanks MEntity: Yes, Maureen. That is a valid elaboration. [Corinne] Could you explain further the differences between structure and foundation from the beginning part? MEntity: The difference between Foundation and Structure is the difference between what IS the concept and the DETAILS of that concept. The concept of a foundation for a home is fairly standard, for example, but what the details of that home may be as built upon any foundation is varying. It could be also be said to be the facts within the facts. CHOICE is a foundation for any form of conscious, but the details of how that choice is built, evolved, utilized, applied, etc is as varied as any home. Does this help clarify? [Corinne] Ok...it's clearer. Is this distinction relative to choice similar for the essence and the personality or different? MEntity: Another example might be that you have a LIFE, and that is a Foundation, but what you DO WITH THAT LIFE is the structure built upon it. [Corinne] AH! I see. MEntity: You will always have a range of Choice between Reaction and Creativity within any Circumstance, but you will not always understand or consciously choose your Circumstances. [Oscar] Hello Michaelses Would you care to elaborate on "...any way that seems obvious to you", which you mentioned in relation to possibility of Choice? MEntity: For example, one may not "choose" a certain illness, but the choices made over time during the life may end up resulting in that illness. To that extent, one DOES CHOOSE the illness, but it is no way an obvious process. Another example might be that one may not "choose" to be attacked by a murderer or rapist, but the choices that lead one to be in a certain place at a certain time resulted in being accessible to the attacker. To that extent one DOES CHOOSE the path that leads to the attacker, but in no way that is fair to call an "obvious choice" made by a person. One may not choose to live with the aches and pains of growing older in a finite body, but one DOES CHOOSE to grow older, and thus the inherent conditions that go along with age must be included in that choice. Do these examples help to clarify? [Oscar] yes very much so, thanks [DanR] Michael, could you comment on a bias seen in fragments where they view their own suffering as arising from unfortunate external circumstances while they view other fragments' suffering as arising from poor choices? For example, "I am poor due to a bad upbringing and lack of opportunity while they are poor because they chose not to work hard." Does overcoming this bias help with Essence evolution? MEntity: The first example is one of Survival Suffering: blame on the past, on the upbringing, on the past. Survival Suffering is wrought with comparisons for the sake of excuses and alleviation of self-reflection and self-authority, self-responsibility, etc. Comparing Suffering is never insightful. It is about as useless as defining a line between Art and Not Art. By this we mean that while there are three types of Suffering that do have symptoms and behaviors distinct to each, they are still Suffering. Anyone who Suffers can use your help, and if you suffer, you can always use your own help. Therefore, yes, the transcendence of comparisons will always help one to tend to his own Creative solutions for his suffering, rather than to ensure them because they are justified when compared to others'. Comparisons are helpful for navigation, but if not used for navigation, they become the parameters of centrifugal vs creative force. Does this help in answering your question? [DanR] Yes, thank you very much Michael. [Bobbi] Having recently been dropped by a friend of 35+ years, I am left wondering if my change from uneasy ally in her Denial Suffering to offering self-empowerment/self-love suggestions caused the freeze-out. Do I try to get back in, or let her evolution continue without me? MEntity: Your observations are valid. The "freeze-out" is often the modus operandi of those in Denial Suffering, and if we see the correct fragment, your assessment is valid. As mentioned before, Suffering is Suffering, regardless of Denial, Survival, or Conscious, and any Suffering person can use your help. The choice is yours to make, but there is a risk that it could lead you to your own Suffering in some way. And if you are willing, then that can be a path of Creative Force. We would say that it would be helpful to continue what you have already done, which is to continue along lines that are on your own terms, and not catering to the perceived delusions. [Bobbi] Would the risk be rejection? [Bobbi] Again. MEntity: There is a way to return to the friendship with more offers of support and intervention without it being consuming, and that would be through calling upon one of the 7 Nobilities that come naturally to you, or that you wish to take on as a challenge. [Bobbi] Thank you. Very helpful. MEntity: When one moves into uncertainty, risk, and limitation of choice, but recognizes that choice is still an option, then calling upon one of the 7 Nobilities can help one to focus the choices. [Bobbi] Good to know and have in the holster! MEntity: For instance, in your case, you can make the choice to take the risk because you are willing to challenge your Empathy, or to utilize your Forgiveness, or to encourage her Strength by exemplifying it in yourself, etc. As we said, Suffering is not the Nobility, in itself, but from Suffering comes the 7 Nobilities, and one eventually learns to call upon those actively and willingly in the lifetime. When one actively calls upon a Nobility, then Suffering is minimized, if not diminished entirely. [Bobbi] I must have missed that in the other books. MEntity: It is not there. Our teaching is not completed in any book. [Jill] Would it be accurate to say that someone who is highly sensitive is highly reactive due to interpretation of experiences? MEntity: Highly Sensitive does not automatically equate Highly Reactive, though the phrase "highly sensitive" is often imposed upon those who are more obvious in their reactions or creative responses. Highly-sensitive people simply react OR respond quickly. Those who are highly-sensitive require more downtime for calibration and recalibration, since their sensitivity equates quickness. On the surface, and often, yes, this is reactionary, but it can evolve into a quickness of consciousness and creativity just as easily as anyone can. Does this lend insight to your question? [Jill] Is sensitivity due to Overleaves, imprinting etc.? MEntity: Sensitivity can be a result of any number of combinations, but most-often it is the result of AWARENESS. When one is "sensitive" in the sense that one is offended by the slightest thing, it is NEW, or RAW Awareness, whereas one who is "sensitive" in a sense is intuitive and transcendent of the senses, it is INTEGRATED Awareness. [Jill] Thank you. I have been struggling with the distinction for quite some time MEntity: Sensitivity is a state that every fragment strives for, and cycles through in terms of rawness vs integration. Being easily upset or offended only means that one has not found acceptable solutions to the awareness that has come to be, and this can be the case in a spectrum of situations. For instance, one can be sensitive to the behaviors of others in a way that upsets one because this emphasizes the differences between oneself and another. What to do with that awareness is then a process of Integration. [Jill] So we can truly feel empathy on the way to agape? MEntity: One can be sensitive to the plight of animals, or the oppressed, and but raw awareness will be ineffective and reactionary, often exacerbating or defeating