Create Effective Dialogue Simulations for Online Sales Training with iSpring Version 8.3
Dialogue simulations are important in sales training. iSpring Talkmaster makes creating them easy.
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Create Effective Dialogue Simulations for Online Sales Training with iSpring Version 8.3
How important is it for sales personnel to say the correct thing at the correct time to a potential customer? It is very important. Communication or dialogue is a significant part of any sales process. Good communication skills help sales people connect well with potential clients. Their lack will result in lost clients and deals. Considering this, communication skills need to be included while training sales personnel in any field. The best way to develop communication skills would be through dialogue simulations.
Unfortunately, neither sales training programs nor sales managers realize that conversation skills are very difficult to master and offer only basic training in this area which is not sufficient if the intention is to make successful sales deals. But organizations that focus on this aspect of sales training are reaping the benefits. Examples include companies such as IBM and Schlumberger which have emerged leaders in their respective industries. The best way to provide this training is through dialogue simulations.
 Dialogue simulations
Simulation training helps individuals learn by performing an action in order to achieve a certain outcome. The learning outcome from the simulation comes from experience and adults, we know, learn better through experience. Dialogue simulations are a way to develop conversation skills.
These simulations provide experiential learning for sales training. Many sales personnel are aware of the strong points of the company's products or services but fail to communicate them to the client or adapt their presentation according to the client's needs. Dialogue simulations can fill this gap by letting sales people take part in simulated conversations in different situations where they can practice what to say and how to say it.
Dialogue simulations are a way to develop conversation skills in a low risk environment. They help sales people develop the required soft skills when interacting with customers. Constant training will help them make effective conversations. One key communication skill is the ability to pay attention and listen to what the other person is saying and understand the intention and motivation behind it. People with good communication skills pay attention to what the other person is saying and then respond accordingly. Similarly, a good sales person listens attentively to what the customer wants and using his knowledge of the product, tailors his responses and suggests solutions.
The dialogue simulations used in e-learning sometimes fail to train sales people on the appropriate ways to respond. This is because such dialogue simulations are hard to create and require the creation of scenarios, characters, and dialogues for different situations.
iSpring TalkMaster
The TalkMaster enhancement in iSpring 8.3 makes creating dialogue simulations easy. TalkMaster has built in tools that help create characters and scenarios that mirror real life communication. They provide the option of adding voiceover to a character's lines in dialogue simulations, adding a realistic touch to the conversations. Dialogue characters can be made to speak as if in real life communication with the Talkmaster tool.
The tool is simple and easy to use and offers many options. You can create simulations, choose characters, and select appropriate emotions for them. There is the option to select the background for the scene and choose what you want your characters to say and add the appropriate reply choices or reply messages.
What's more, you can create a new dialogue scene based on the reply. You can type new text for your characters and change their emotions and create a branched scenario. This will help create different dialogue simulations for various situations.The scenes you create can be a dialogue between a customer and a sales person in a car showroom or customer and sales person negotiating the price of a product. The options are many. This helps sales personnel learn how to interact with customers in different situations and how best to respond to their needs.
iSpring 8.3 TalkMaster is useful for e-learning developers, trainers, and instructors as they can enhance the course with audio features. It can create a realistic training tool that has a positive impact on the training results.
If you can think of other ways in which TalkMaster can be used in sales training, do share with us.
A Training Manager's Handbook to Rapid E-learning Development
Create Effective Dialogue Simulations for Online Sales Training with iSpring Version 8.3
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By Christina L. Stamos, Peter Martin, Tracy Nishikawa, and Brett F. Cox
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Water Resources Investigation Report 01-4002 Version 2
Sacramento, California 2001
A two-dimensional view of the model simulation--simulation period 1931-99. (mov 3.1 MB)
A two-dimensional view of the model simulation--simulation period 1931-99. (m4v 1.9 MB)
The proximity of the Mojave River ground-water basin to the highly urbanized Los Angeles region has led to rapid growth in population and, consequently, to an increase in the demand for water. The Mojave River, the primary source of surface water for the region, normally is dry-except for a small stretch of perennial flow and periods of flow after intense storms. Thus, the region relies almost entirely on ground water to meet its agricultural and municipal needs. Ground-water withdrawal since the late 1800's has resulted in discharge, primarily from pumping wells, that exceeds natural recharge. To better understand the relation between the regional and the floodplain aquifer systems and to develop a management tool that could be used to estimate the effects that future stresses may have on the ground-water system, a numerical ground-water flow model of the Mojave River ground-water basin was developed, in part, on the basis of a previously developed analog model.
The ground-water flow model has two horizontal layers; the top layer (layer 1) corresponds to the floodplain aquifer and the bottom layer (layer 2) corresponds to the regional aquifer. There are 161 rows and 200 columns with a horizontal grid spacing of 2,000 by 2,000 feet. Two stress periods (wet and dry) per year are used where the duration of each stress period is a function of the occurrence, quantity of discharge, and length of stormflow from the headwaters each year. A steady-state model provided initial conditions for the transient-state simulation. The model was calibrated to transient-state conditions (1931-94) using a trial-and-error approach.
The transient-state simulation results are in good agreement with measured data. Under transient-state conditions, the simulated floodplain aquifer and regional aquifer hydrographs matched the general trends observed for the measured water levels. The simulated streamflow hydrographs matched wet stress period average flow rates and times of no flow at the Barstow and Afton Canyon gages.
Steady-state particle-tracking was used to estimate travel times for mountain-front and streamflow recharge. The simulated travel times for mountain-front recharge to reach the area west of Victorville were about 5,000 to 6,000 years; this result is in reasonable agreement with published results. Steady-state particle-tracking results for streamflow recharge indicate that in most subareas along the river, the particles quickly leave and reenter the river.
The complaint that resulted in the adjudication of the Mojave River ground-water basin alleged that the cumulative water production upstream of the city of Barstow had overdrafted the ground-water basin. In order to ascertain the effect of pumping on ground-water and surface-water relations along the Mojave River, two pumping simulations were compared with the 1931-90 transient-state simulation (base case). The first simulation assumed 1931-90 pumping in the upper region (Este, Oeste, Alto, and Transition zone model subareas) but with no pumping in the remainder of the basin, and the second assumed 1931-90 pumping in the lower region (Centro, Harper Lake, Baja, Coyote Lake, and Afton Canyon model subareas) but with no pumping in remainder of the basin.
In the upper region, assuming pumping only in the upper region, there was no change in storage, recharge from the Mojave River, ground-water discharge to the Mojave River, or evapotranspiration when compared with the base case. In the lower region, assuming pumping only in the upper region, there was storage accretion, decreased recharge from the Mojave River, increased ground-water discharge to the Mojave River, and increased evapotranspiration when compared with the base case.
In the upper region, assuming pumping only in the lower region, there was storage accretion, decreased recharge from the Mojave River, increased ground-water discharge to the Mojave River, and increased evapotranspiration when compared with the base case. In the lower region, assuming pumping only in the lower region, there was less storage depletion, increased recharge from the Mojave River, increased ground-water discharge to the Mojave River, and increased evapotranspiration when compared with the base case. Overall, pumping in the lower region does not negatively affect the upper region; however, pumping in the upper region negatively affects the lower region by decreasing recharge from the Mojave River.
Streamflow, pumpage, and water-level data from calendar years 1995-99 were used to validate the calibrated ground-water flow model, that is, to test that the ground-water flow model will duplicate measured data for a noncalibration period without modification of the model parameters. In general, the simulated results are in good agreement with the measured data, and the simulated hydrographs for wells in the floodplain and regional aquifers follow the measured water-level trends. Simulated streamflow data for the 1995-99 wet and dry stress periods at the Lower Narrows, Barstow, and Afton Canyon were compared with the measured data for average streamflow for the same periods; in general, the model reflects 1995-99 streamflow conditions. The simulation results also indicate that the streambed conductance values calibrated to the 1931-94 conditions reasonably simulate the 1995-99 conditions and therefore can be used for predictive purposes.
To visualize the magnitude, spatial distribution, and timing of water-level changes in the basin through time, simulated hydraulic heads for 1932-99 were compared with simulated hydraulic heads for 1931. Greater than average annual inflows to the Mojave River from the headwaters during the late 1930's and throughout much of the 1940's resulted in simulated hydraulic heads that were higher than the 1931 hydraulic heads along the Mojave River in most model subareas. Parts of the Baja and Harper Lake model subareas had declines in the simulated hydraulic head because of the increase in agricultural pumpage. By 1960, the simulated hydraulic heads were lower than the simulated hydraulic heads for 1931 in all model subareas of the floodplain and the regional aquifers because of pumpage. After 1960, the size and the magnitude of the areas of the regional aquifer for which simulated hydraulic heads were lower than those for 1931 continued to increase until the end of the simulation (1999). Along the Mojave River, hydraulic heads fluctuated in the floodplain aquifer in response to recharge during years with large inflows with little apparent effect on the simulated hydraulic heads in the regional aquifer.
Three water-management alternatives were evaluated to determine their effect on ground-water resources using the calibrated ground-water flow model. The water-management alternatives consider the artificial recharge of imported water allocated to the Mojave Water Agency (MWA): the first assumes that zero percent of the MWA allocation is available (alternative 1), the second assumes that 50 percent of the MWA allocation is available (alternative 2), and the third assumes that 100 percent of the MWA allocation is available (alternative 3). Each of the three water-management alternatives were evaluated for a 20-year drought. Streamflow conditions were simulated using the 20-year drought of 1945-64 with associated calibrated stream parameters.
Management alternative 1 results in a reduction in ground-water recharge from the Mojave River compared with average recharge for 1995-99; this reduction is reflected in simulated hydraulic-head declines between 1999 and 2019 of as much as 45 feet. Management alternatives 2 and 3 result in no change in recharge from the Mojave River for management alternative 2 and a small increase for management alternative 3 when compared with recharge for management alternative 1. The artificial recharge of imported water causes increases in simulated hydraulic head for both management alternatives at each of the artificial-recharge sites. Some of the increases are related to water that recharges into areas of low transmissivity which implies that the recharge operations may benefit from being distributed over a larger area.
Purpose and Scope
Description of Study Area
The Mojave River
Ungaged Tributary Streams
Definition of Aquifers
Effects of Faulting on Ground-Water Flow
Ground-Water Recharge and Discharge
The Mojave River
Fish Hatchery Discharge
Treated Sewage Effluent
Transpiration by Phreatophytes and Hydrophytes
Bare-Soil Evaporation from Dry Lakes
Underflow at Afton Canyon
Ground-Water Flow Model
Model Boundary Conditions
Simulation of Recharge
Fish Hatchery Discharge and Imported Water
Treated Sewage Effluent
Simulation of Discharge
Recreational Lakes in the Baja Model Subarea
Transpiration by Phreatophytes and Bare-Soil Evaporation
Simulation of Steady-State Conditions
Simulation of Transient-State Conditions
Steady-State Ground-Water Flow Directions and Travel Times
Evaluation of Effects of Regional-Scale Pumping
Upper Region Pumping Only
Lower Region Pumping Only
Summary of Effects of Regional-Scale Pumping
Simulated Changes in Hydraulic Head, 1931-99
Evaluation of Selected Water-Management Alternatives
Management Alternative 1: Zero Percent of Artificial Recharge Allocation
Management Alternative 2: 50 Percent of Artificial Recharge Allocation

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Legal Definition of attestation clause
: a clause at the end of a will in which the witnesses state that the will was signed and witnessed with all the formalities required by law and which often sets forth those requirements
Love words? Need even more definitions?Merriam-Webster unabridged
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How To Create a Perfect Brand Book For Your Product
How To Create a Perfect Brand Book For Your Product
To be deemed a competitive and successful brand, you have to develop a thorough brand book.
The set of rules in a brand book present valuable ideas and pointers for the future, as well as define the entire direction of your brand. For a sustainable, long-term business model, a detailed brand book is essential.
If your products are to succeed on the market, they have to be in sync with the brand book. There are a lot of different ways to create an amazing brand book, depending on the niche your business is in. However, some tips are universal than others. Follow them, and your product will have a meteoric rise.
Make an effective introduction
A brand introduction is much more than a window into your brand. It should be a detailed breakdown of your brand culture and what do you stand for. Begin with a story about how your brand came to be.
Be sure to emphasize how far you come from the moment your brand came to be. When putting together a brand introduction, you have to offset the brand story with visions of the future.
It's quite simple when you observe it from afar. All the success from the past, combined with ideas for the future, adds up to an exciting present. Every brand book for a product should include a strong brand introduction.
Emphasizing the ideals and goals of your brand is the best way to instruct your employees on the development of a new project. To summarize, an effective introduction consists of answers to three questions:
 - What problem does the brand solve?
 - How does this particular product solve that problem?
 - How effectively does the product tell the story of your brand?
Choose logos and visual branding elements
After a brand introduction, it's time to focus on branding. Every brand book must contain instructions for your team, on how to incorporate branding into that project.
Remember, the goal is not just to urge people into buying your new product. Instead, it's to gauge their interest with one product and have them become loyal customers and brand ambassadors.
Logos are especially important, as they are the most usable and most powerful visual branding tool at your disposal. Work with your team to choose the right logo. If you are going to create a new logo, make sure it doesn't stand out from your past brand identity.
In the case of a rebranding effort, you can use the brand book as an inspiration for a whole new identity. Include the logo in your website design plans, while also having the web design contract ready.
A good logo should be visible, but not in the focus of your design. It should add to the packaging, but not sway attention from the product itself.
Fuse words with images
A perfect brand book is neither entirely textual or visual. If you only use images, your target audience will feel like there is a lack of information. A text-only brand book will make it extremely hard to read.
The best way to prove the point is to have visual elements complement the textual part, and vice versa. Therefore, a large focus of the creation process should include a great copy.
If you and your team are having trouble with putting your ideas into words, think about outsourcing the descriptions and explanations for each section. The best way to do it is to expert writers from a writing service that specializes in writing college papers, white papers, business writing etc. EssayWritingLand is a good example of an online writing service.
When using a writing service, you can communicate with the writing team directly. Let them know about your goals, ideas and demands. With regular updates and briefs, you will know exactly how the brand book will look like.
Involve your entire team
According to a study by Salesforce, 86% of all employees have cited a lack of teamwork as the main cause of project failures. Brand books are no exception. By involving your entire team, the brand book will be more detailed than ever before.
Different inputs will give the entire team different ideas. Brainstorming will lead to unison in design, writing and every other element.
If only one or two people handle the creation of the brand book, they won't be able to observe every section critically. Allocate responsibilities during the creation process. Not only will this make the process much faster, but the entire team will be able to weigh in and decide accordingly, in case of a dilemma or a problem.
Define public relation policies clearly
A well-put-together brand book is a representation of your brand, product and goals. Unfortunately, it cannot aid you in establishing interactive communication. To let the audience know about the right channels of communication, you need to devote an entire section to PR.
In recent years, influencer marketing has become more important than ever. 60% of all PR executives say it's a vital part of the future. Thus, it would be a good idea to include a detailed plan concerning collaboration with influencers.
Insert the names and contact information of people responsible for communicating with clients, business partners, etc. Define social media policies in relation to activity rules, content that should be posted.
If you want to take a really thorough approach, define the desired tone for posts, color combinations for images and more. The more things you mention, the clearer your brand identity and vision will be.
Concluding thoughts
With the right organization and attention towards details, a perfect brand book is a very achievable goal. It's an effort that will pay dividends for the product launch, as well as the overall success of your brand.


text: I established Earthspun Books to publish beautiful books about our planet Earth that serve to enlighten, stimulate and inform their readers. My decision was driven by the desire to have more control over the content, presentation, format, marketing and pricing of popular earth science titles. Earthspun books convey key, fundamental concepts about Earth and, in particular, the relationship between people and Earth - how Earth impacts upon us and how we are increasingly having impacts on Earth. There are currently two titles, and it is anticipated that the list will grow over the coming years. Simply click on the book cover image to explore more about what they are about, with Table of Contents and example page excerpts included. The books are available at reasonable prices in several different formats (print and digital - refer to the Buy page for details).


Interest towards Statistical Inversion Mathematics is growing rapidly
Mathematics is maybe the oldest form of science, but Statistical Inversion is a fairly new method. Finland - and Sodankylä have a major concentration in scientists specialized in Statistical Inversion. Possibilities for using the technology in various applications have been limited, because of the challenging needs for calculation power and particularly for memory. Moore's law is doing its job, you could say.


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APPENDIX No. I
Remarks on the Origin and Genealogy of the Franklin Family.
THE origin of the name of Franklin, in England, may perhaps be traced to a different source from the one supposed by Dr. Franklin. The name Francquelin or Franquelin, is found in France; and, while he resided there, be received letters from several persons bearing that name, who claimed relationship, as having the same ancestry. It was said, that the name could be traced back at least to the fifteenth century in Picardy, and that the records of the town of Abbeville contained the names of John and Thomas Franquelin, woollen-drapers, who were inhabitants of that town in the year 1521. From this part of France, the emigrations to England at that time and previously were frequent, and it was inferred, that one or more families of the name of Franquelin were among the number, and that in England the orthography of the name was changed, according to a common usage. In the absence of direct proof on the subject, this conjecture is perhaps worthy of some consideration.
Dr. Franklin seems to have taken much pains to search out the history of his immediate ancestors. He traced them back four generations to Thomas Francklyne of Ecton, in Northamptonshire. His grandfather had nine children, of whom his father, JOSIAH, was the youngest. Josiah Franklin emigrated to Boston, New England, in the year 1684, or in the early part of 1685.
By the Record of Births in Boston, it appears, that there was a family by the name of Franklin among the early settlers. In 1638 the birth of Elizabeth, daughter of William Franklin, is recorded. There were other children, one of whom was Benjamin, who also had a son of the same name. The descendants of this family were, numerous. It is likewise probable, that one or two other families, of the name of Franklin, settled in Boston some time afterwards; but it is believed that no relationship can be traced between any of these families and that to which Dr. Franklin belonged.
When Josiah Franklin established himself in Boston he had three children, born at Banbury, in Oxfordshire. After the birth of four others, his first wife died. He then married Abiah Folger, daughter of Peter Folger, of Nantucket, probably in the early part of the year 1690. By this marriage be had ten children, making seventeen in the whole; ten sons and seven daughters. BENJAMIN was the youngest son, and the fifteenth child, his sisters Lydia and Jane being younger.
All the brothers and sisters of Josiah Franklin lived and died in England, except Benjamin, who emigrated to Boston in the year 1715. His son, Samuel, a cutler by trade, had preceded him. This Benjamin was born March 20th, 1650. At the age of sixteen be began to learn the trade of a silk-dyer, and served an apprenticeship of seven years. He afterwards set up that business in London, and followed it there till he removed to America. He was married to Hannah Welles, daughter of Samuel Welles, a clergyman of Banbury, on the 23d of November, 1683. In one of the manuscript volumes of poems, mentioned by Dr. Franklin, is the following printed advertisement. "Wrought things, printed English or India calicos, cloth, silk, and stuff, scoured; linen, cloth, silk, and stuff, dyed, printed, or watered ; and black cloth, silk, and stuff, dyed into colors; by Benjamin Franklin, at the Indian Queen, in Princes-Street, near Leicester Fields." He had ten children, six sons and four daughters. They all died young, except Samuel, the eldest. His wife died on the 4th of November, 1705. From a brief account of himself, preserved in manuscript, and from some of his pieces in rhyme, he seems to have had many afflictions. Poverty, adversity, and sickness pursued him through life. When he left England, his wife and all his children, except his eldest son then in Boston, had been dead several years. After his arrival in Boston, he lived with his brother Josiah four years, till 1719, when be went to reside with his son, who had recently been married and become a housekeeper.
The manuscript volumes of poetry, before mentioned, are curious. The handwriting is beautiful, with occasional specimens of short-hand, in which Dr. Franklin says his uncle was skilled. The poetical merits of the compositions cannot be ranked high, but frequently the measure is smooth and the rhymes are well chosen. His thoughts run chiefly on moral and religious subjects. Many of the Psalms are paraphrased in metre. The making of acrostics on the names of his friends was a favorite exercise. There are likewise numerous proofs of his ingenuity in forming anagrams, crosses, ladders, and other devices. The specimens below were written to his nephew and namesake; the first two, when he was four years and a half old.
Sent to his Namesake, upon a Report of his Inclination to Martial affairs, July 7th, 1710.
"Believe me, Ben, it is a dangerous trade,
The sword has many marred as well as made;
By it do many fall, not many rise,
Makes many poor, few rich, and fewer wise;
Fills towns with ruin, fields with blood; beside
'T is sloth's maintainer, and the shield of pride.
Fair cities, rich today in plenty flow,
War fills with want to-morrow, and with woe.
Ruined estates, the nurse of vice, broke limbs and scars,
Are the effects of desolating wars."
ACROSTIC, Sent to Benjamin Franklin in New England, July 15th, 1710.
"Be to thy parents an obedient son;
Each day let duty constantly be done;
Never give way to sloth, or lust, or pride,
If free you 'd be from thousand ills beside;
Above all ills be sure avoid the shelf.
Man's. danger lies in, Satan, sin, and self.
In virtue, learning, wisdom, progress make;
Ne'er shrink at suffering for thy Saviour's sake.
"Fraud and all falsehood in thy dealings flee,
Religious always in thy station be;
Adore the Maker of thy inward part
Now is the accepted time, give him thy heart;
Keep a good conscience, It is a constant friend,
Like judge and witness this thy acts attend.
In heart with bonded knee, alone, adore
None but the Three in One for evermore."
The following piece was sent when his Namesake was seven years old. It would appear that he had received from him some evidence of his juvenile skill in composition. Sent to Benjamin Franklin, 1713.
"Tis time for me to throw aside my pen,
When hanging sleeves read, write, and rhyme like men.
This forward spring foretells a plenteous crop;
For, if the bud bear grain, what will the top!
If plenty in the verdant blade appear,
What may we not soon hope for in the ear!
When flowers are beautiful before they're blown,
What rarities will afterward be shown!
If trees good fruit un'noculated bear,
You may be sure it will afterward be rare.
If fruits are sweet before they've time to yellow,
How luscious will they be when they are mellow!
If first years' shoots such noble clusters send,
What laden boughs, Engedi-like, may we expect in the end!"
These lines are more prophetic, perhaps, than the writer imagined. He continued to make verses, and to turn the Psalms into rhyme, after he came to New England. The precise time of his death is not known. He was living in 1727, and probably died the year following, at the age of seventy-eight.
His son, Samuel, had a son of the same name, born October 21st, 1721. He was an only child. He followed the trade of his father, and died in Boston, February 21st, 1775, leaving four daughters. 1. Eunice, married to Benjamin Callender. 2. Hannah, married to Samuel Emmons. 3. Sarah, married to Jerome Ripley. 4. Elizabeth, married to William Clouston. The last three are now living, in 1839.
The ancestors of Abiah Folger, the mother of Dr. Franklin, emigrated from England to America. In a letter to his sister, dated in London, January 13th, 1772, he says; "No arms of the Folgers are found in the Herald's Office. I am persuaded it uses originally a Flemish family, which came over with many others from that country in Queen Elizabeth's time, flying from the persecution then raging there." For the following facts relating to the family in America, I am chiefly indebted to Mr. William C. Folger, of Nantucket, who has made a diligent search in the early records of that Island and of Martha's Vineyard.
There is a tradition in the family, that John Folger, and his son Peter Folger, (the name was then written Foulger) crossed the Atlantic in the same vessel with Hugh Peters, in the year 1635. They came from Norwich, in the county of Norfolk, England. Peter was then eighteen years old, and

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Guest column: Museum Advocacy Day 2012
What is a museum? There are many definitions. Among those with currency today are, in no particular order, pillars in our educational infrastructure, protectors and interpreters of our historical, scientific and cultural heritages and bastions of authenticity in an increasingly virtual world. Yet in a stubbornly stagnant economy, museums can be seen as crucial economic cogs for communities, large and small, all across America.
These days, museums are serving what is perhaps an unexpected function for U.S. communities, but a role our institutions have served for decades: as economic engines, creating jobs and generating business for companies large and small, but particularly small, in communities everywhere. In direct expenditures alone, museums annually inject more than $20 billion into the U.S. economy. America's estimated 17,500 museums employ more than 400,000 individuals. And perhaps most compelling in these times of tightening local budgets - and the slash and burn approach to budgeting at the federal level -- was a recent U.S. Council of Mayors study that found that, for every $1 invested in cultural institutions (including museums), municipalities saw $7 in tax revenues come into their coffers. That's a rate of return that would make even Warren Buffett swoon.
And that astounding return is due to the thriving cultural tourism industry in our country. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, cultural tourism accounts for $192 billion in economic activity annually.And many of those monies are spent with the local eateries, the local bed and breakfast, or the local gift shops in communities across the country.
Museums have long been cultural destinations in and of themselves. Trips including cultural and heritage activities comprise one of the most popular and significant segments of the travel industry, accounting for 23 percent of domestic trips. Clearly those trips generate economic activity for local businesses. Visitors to historic sites and cultural attractions, including museums, stay 53 percent longer and spend 36 percent more money than other kinds of tourists.
One needs look no further than Price to see the impact our museums have on our economy. The Prehistoric Museum, USU Eastern is a travel destination from a global community, seeing visitors from Japan, Germany, Sweden, and many other countries as well as scientists from around the world.
How do museums generate such economic benefits? The enduring popularity of museums is a major factor. The Prehistoric Museum attracts over 30,000 visitors annually. Nationwide, there are an estimated 850 million museum visits each year; that's more than the attendance at all professional sporting events and theme parks combined. Witness the fact that the Smithsonian Institution alone attracts 30 million visits each year.
All of this is to share the value museums bring to our communities every day, as economic sparks, as pillars of our education system, and as major contributors to the overall quality of life here in America.
We will be conveying that message to our elected leaders on Capitol Hill on Feb. 28, when more than 300 museum professionals from around the country journey to Washington to make our case to Congress. If you value our local museums, we urge you to join us by contacting your elected officials, at all levels of government.
The American Association of Museums' website _URL_ has a range of tools to help you.
Museums are vital to our communities and their economies. Help us keep our museums - and our communities - strong by lending your voice to ours, ensuring that the cause of museums is heard on Feb. 28.


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Unprecedented numbers of people seeking refuge from armed violence in Ukraine are arriving in many OSCE participating States. These people, mostly women and children, face risks of human trafficking, including sexual and labour exploitation, during their journey or upon arrival in a destination country. In light of the vulnerabilities of these people, the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings today issued a set of concrete recommendations for countries to prevent trafficking.
The recommendations contain guidance to address the needs of people seeking refuge, as well as policy measures to prevent and mitigate their vulnerabilities. They also look at longer-term challenges like integration into host communities from the perspective of preventing exploitation.
- Providing housing and immediate assistance like food and clothing;
- Establishing information centres and hotlines that can give clear official information on registration, residence, and rights in a language refugees understand;
- Introducing immediate measures to inform people seeking refuge of the risks of human trafficking, including "too good to be true" transportation, housing and job offers along migration routes and in vicinity of reception facilities and online.
- Disseminating official information broadly and monitoring for misleading information on housing and employment opportunities to prevent trafficking and fraud;
Furthermore, States are recommended to grant temporary residence permits, access to the job market, education for children, and ensure family preservation and reunification by not separating children from their parents. Reception facilities should be distributed across countries to avoid overburdening assistance and support systems in certain areas. Finally, States should also establish clear procedures for exchanging information on people seeking refuge to prevent people, especially children, from going missing.
"We need to prevent the current humanitarian crisis from turning into a human trafficking crisis," said the OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey. "Establishing prevention measures and addressing vulnerabilities of people seeking refuge should be a priority right now and is the focus of our recommendations."
The complete set of recommendations is available on the OSCE website: _URL_
The Special Representative continues to monitor the humanitarian situation and will be traveling to the border areas of the neighbouring countries to assess the situation on the ground and assist OSCE participating States on issues related to trafficking in human beings.


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submarine gapArticle Free Pass
submarine gap, also called Abyssal Gap, steep-sided furrow that cuts transversely across a ridge or rise; such a passageway has a steeper slope than either of the two abyssal plains it connects. Grooves known as interplain channels exist in many submarine gaps; the sediments in these channels are continuously graded. The graded sediments, in conjunction with the gradient and the furrowed topography of the gaps, suggest that turbidity currents flow through the gaps, from the higher abyssal plain to the lower. Turbidity currents transport and differentially deposit sedimentary material, while eroding the interplain channels.
What made you want to look up "submarine gap"? Please share what surprised you most...


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There are almost 3.905 billion females (2021 numbers) in the world. That is just shy of the 50% mark of the population of the world. The economy of the world though is not always looking at making this population a participant in the decision making process. We have through this newsletter looked at the deleterious effect of stereotyping at the micro-level, what happens at the macro-level of stereotyping? Turns out not including half the population in consideration when we design a product, or refuse to let a product scale because of stereotyping is bad for every gender. Let's get into it. The luggage that glides was invented in 1970 by Bernard Sadow, a family man employed in the luggage industry, and patented in 1972. The invention of wheels for bags revolutionised the travel industry!
In the late 19th century, about 5000 years after the invention of the wheel, and barely a year after NASA sent two men to the moon's surface, when mass tourism exploded, Europe's largest railway stations flooded, and porters were in short supply, the modern suitcase was born. Robert Shiller considers it an archetypal example of how innovation is very slow. It took over 15 years for the rolling suitcase to reach the mainstream, even after Sadow had patented it, even though it existed decades before it was "invented" in 1972. Before Sadow, earlier British newspapers began advertising suitcases that used wheel technology in the 1940s when porters were dwindling and passengers increasingly carried their own luggage. This isn't a suitcase on wheels, but a gadget called "the portable porter" - a wheeled device that can be strapped to a bag. But the idea of adding wheels to the suitcase didn't catch on. Why?"Mother of Inventions" author Katrine Marcel points out that the story about the woman gliding her suitcase across the railway platform was actually published in the Coventry Evening Telegraph in a section called 'Women and the Home', along with some perfectly English cooking tips. In other words, only women should roll their suitcases, but men could just as well carry them. They were viewed as niche products for women only. Men carrying suitcases on wheels was considered absurd or, worse, ridiculous. Her assumptions are that both men and women were incapable of demonstrating mobility, and that rolling a suitcase was unmanly.Another powerful example of this slow-to-evolve mindset is the electric car, which has remained a niche product for environmentally conscious consumers despite its potential for disrupting the global transportation industry. The electric vehicle experienced the same initial resistance as the wheeled suitcase did in the early days.By the turn of the century, EVs were seen as an inferior solution to fossil fuel-powered vehicles because their range was limited, and their batteries were heavy and bulky. People were also concerned about charging their cars at night, considering them an unreliable source of energy. These limitations eventually spurred the narrative of electric cars as a niche product that was more suitable for women than men. As a result, they failed to gain widespread traction in the market until the recent surge in demand for eco-friendly vehicles. The story of the electric car shows us that the path to mass adoption isn't as simple as finding a technical solution - it also requires us to change the gender perceptions associated with a product in order to drive its demand in the marketplace.
In another example, in the soft material sector(textiles), women have historically been underrepresented as innovators and leaders in the industry. Their contributions have been overlooked and undervalued simply because their products were perceived to be feminine in nature.In 2019, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted a study on what they called the fabric ceiling. As far as entry-level positions are concerned, women make up 73 percent, and 78 percent of students at fashion schools are women. There are only 12.5% of female CEOs among Fortune 1000 companies, and only 4.8 percent of female directors among Fortune 500 companies.A study by Dr. Caren Goldberg reveals that stereotypes of what a prototypical man is are similar to those of a prototypical manager, and that men tend to be more assertive and capable than women. As a result of the stereotype matching, men are more likely to fulfill our notions of what a manager should look like, and fewer people can match it in a female-dominated field.Women are historically excluded across all industries for a variety of reasons, including cultural stereotypes about women and their abilities to do their job well, as well as systemic factors like occupational segregation and gender-based wage discrimination.As today's economists often explain the reason for male-female salary discrepancies is because of differences in job choice, with men tending to choose professions with higher salaries and lower hours while women choose those that pay less but are more flexible and require less training or experience.However, when we delve deeper into this topic it becomes clear that it is not so simple.Doctors and midwives, who are traditionally seen as male and female roles, differed not only in their gender but also in their skills and qualifications. When heavy rules began to take effect in the 19th and early 20th century, midwifery became confined to nursing skills alone and doctors took over more of the technical work considered'male'. Katrine believes the midwife's role would have been different if we had looked at gender differently. She asserts she could have performed a C-section and made a much higher salary.Katrine argues that when a field is dominated by one gender there are many unconscious biases and prejudices against those who are not in that group which can discourage women from entering those fields in the first place. The fact that society has long thought of jobs as being predominantly for one or the other has meant that women who feel they can succeed in a field sometimes don't apply because they believe they are not 'allowed' to do so. Those who do manage to get onto a career path are then less likely to progress through to the top because of the unconscious bias towards their sex which pushes them out at a later point in their careers than men in the same positions.Similarly, the construction industry stands out. For centuries, men have been seen as the natural choice for most construction jobs because of their strength and agility. However, increasing automation in the industry has made these stereotypes obsolete - meaning that it's no longer socially acceptable for male workers to be viewed as the sole breadwinners of their families. Unfortunately, this shift in perception has hardly been reflected in the hiring practices of the construction industry - leading many women to leave their professions once they start families.There has never been a greater appreciation for innovation and entrepreneurship in our societies. We have also witnessed the astonishing efficiency with which the financial system has excluded women. In a world where 97 per cent of venture capital goes to men, we need to redefine how we view risk, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
If we're serious about improving access to affordable clean energy, we need to address these limitations head-on - otherwise, we'll miss out on huge opportunities to tackle climate change and other environmental issues. As a result of how we currently describe technology's history, women are not excluded only from the primary sense, but our definition of technology has also shifted over time to exclude what women have done. Stockings were knitted by men as a technically advanced job; needlework was knitted by women.
The churning of butter by women was a simple servant's job; the churning of butter by men was a technical operation. While women could program computers, it suddenly required a very specific type of nerd brain that could neither show any basic social skills nor shower its associated body. It is now impossible not to recognise the impact of this exclusion on our intellectual history. What we don't know is that the entire history of technology is written with these oversights.In most cases, breakthroughs are about envisioning a world before it even exists, and then building a product to fit that world. This is key to many green innovations. You must first be able to imagine another way of being in order to have an idea for the product that will make that way of being possible, affordable and popular.
Our society's ideas of masculinity are some of the most unyielding ideas we have. There are many in the world who would rather die than let go of certain notions of masculinity. The next technological revolution cannot be based on the same assumptions.


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Who made this product: Basha
The founder of Basha knew she had to do something when she met women living on train stations in Bangladesh, selling their bodies to survive. Today, Basha is part of a long-term programme whereby women can leave the sex industry and access education, medical support, counselling, and finally employment making beautiful jewellery which is sold all over the world. Each purchase of Basha jewellery means you're supporting a woman in Bangladesh who now has an alternative source of income to the trauma and degradation of working in the sex industry. In the Bengali language, 'basha' means house and 'asha' means hope. Committed to Fair Trade principles, they are truly building a 'house of hope' for women – many of them mothers - escaping trafficking and sex work.


This definition will make a series of rectangular cells move in the z-direction and scale based on their distance from point attractors. Finally, they will loft together to form the modules.
By using the "Spatial Deform (Custom)" component you can deform a freeform surface. You have to define a space syntax of points and forces. First, give the moving points and related forces to the space syntax and then define some points which are fixed and have no movement.
The Splop component Wraps geometry onto a surface. Basically, you can distribute a geometry on a surface by using the Splop component. The Geometry will not be deformed as it is transformed if You activate the Rigid option.
In this exercise file, you can learn how to scale a series of boxes by using the range and graph mapper to produce a non-linear distribution.
In this grasshopper definition a way of creating a desired number of arcs will be demonstrated using the 3 point arc component. In order to do so, 3 sets of points will be required. One set is only one point in the center which all arcs are connected to.
In this definition by using a parametric helix and modeling a series of triangles on the path you can make spiral spikes. You can also change the graphs to get different results.
In this grasshopper definition, by defining a planar module and mirroring it by one of the module's edge as the mirror plane, you can create aggregation model from this recursive loop.
In this grasshopper definition by choosing a random point inside a rectangle and creating a loop which constantly cuts the rectangle from a point vertically and horizontally you can have a parametric subdivided model.
In this grasshopper definition first we scatter a series of random points inside a brep and then generate random vectors to cut the brep with the related planes. Finally you can move the pieces away from each other.
In this grasshopper definition by training a neural network using boundary curves (representing a function in an urban scale) you can use it to recognize the function of any given closed curve.
In this grasshopper definition by using the lunchbox plugin you can convert a csv file into a pie chart
In this grasshopper example file you can define a sphere and use the TSP(travelling salesman problem) component from the Leafvein plugin as a space filling algorithm.


into a length of white yarn and attach a yellow sparkly bobble to the side of the hair band
Use of the toys and projects is at your own risk.
©Christina Sinclair Designs 2015sand
Quick Quiz Answers
 1. a pot of honey
 2. a hand of bananas (or bunch)
 3. a carton of milk
 4. a tube of toothpaste
 5. a tin of baked beans – or can
 6. a pack of batteries
 7. a jar of marmalade
 8. a bottle of shampoo
 9. a bag of sweets
 10. a can of soup – or tin
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Bhutan is a paradise for bird watchers. On the world scale, the country is recognized as forming the major part of an area of especially high biological diversity known as the Eastern Himalayan "Hot spot."
Over 770 bird species have been recorded in Bhutan so far and many more species are likely to occur. This is a large number for the size of the country.
There are ten bird species in Bhutan, which have been identified as globally threatened by Bird Life International. These include the Black-necked Crane, one of the World's rarest and least known cranes, which traditionally winters in Bhutan, the Rufous-necked Hornbill, Blyth's Tragopan, and Blyth 's King fisher, Ward's Trogon, the chestnut-breasted partridge, the white-bellied heron, Wood snipe and Pallas's Fish Eagle.
In addition, Bhutan is also home to winter visitors which breed farther north, such as migrant thrushes and for many breeding summer migrants including cuckoos and flycatchers. Most of Bhutan 's resident birds are Altitudinal migrants, which move up and down the mountains depending on the season and weather conditions. Bhutan may also be internationally important for 114 species, which may have significant breeding population in the country. These birds have breeding ranges, which are restricted to an area encompassing the Himalayas, northeast India, northern south East Asia and southwest China.


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Biography of The Flying Friar Giuseppe Desa Part 3
About the Flying Friar Giuseppe Desa, biography and history of the levitating Saint.
PEOPLE WITH STRANGE POWERS
The Flying Friar
Joseph even lifted others while in ecstatic trances. During a festival in Copertino, while holding his father confessor's hands, Joseph was gripped by a rapture, and the two were lifted into the air. Another time, he cured a madman by grabbing him by the hair and levitating with him for 15 minutes. Witnesses to these manifestations frequently had to be revived with smelling salts.
During his ecstatic states Joseph was in a complete trance. His garments were never disarranged, his legs and feet were always covered by his robe, and his neck was covered by his cowl. However, once while levitating, his sandals fell from his feet, and they were returned later by a fellow friar. In addition to his amazing ability to levitate, Joseph was also clairvoyant. He could read the thoughts of people for whom he acted as a confessor--frequently reminding sinners of their confessional omissions. And he healed the sick, found lost articles, and could multiply food.
As Joseph's reputation grew, so did the number of visitors hoping to witness one of his miraculous flights. A crowd at Pietra Rubea tried to remove the tiles from the church roof in order to see what he would do during Mass. He was visited by many noted people. The most prestigious guest was Johann Friedrich, Duke of Brunswick, who was the patron of the great German philosopher Leibniz. In February, 1651, the duke went to Copertino. Unbeknownst to Joseph, the duke observed him from a private staircase in the church. In the middle of saying Mass, Joseph shrieked and rose into the air in a kneeling position, slowly moving backward and forward. The following day the skeptical duke again witnessed this incredible phenomenon and was so overawed he immediately renounced Lutheranism and became a Catholic.
In August, 1663, Joseph was stricken by a fever. The day before he died, he passed into an ecstatic state and floated from his deathbed to the steps of the chapel. He murmured, "The Ass is beginning to ascend the mountain." On the following day, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 1663, he died.
In 1758 a church was built in Copertino to honor its most famous son. The Church of St. Giuseppe da Copertino still stands in the Via Vittoria. Just over 100 years after Joseph's death, on July 16, 1767, it was formally announced that the Flying Friar had been made a saint.
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Heart Line – the Key to Your Love Life
heartstraightThere are three major lines in the hand, and each one is separately examined by a reader during a palm reading. The heart line is the first one. Found towards the top of the palm and under the fingers, this line represents love and attraction. According to believing, the heart line represents people's emotional living, and how our emotions act or will act during our lifetime.
The heart line is also linked to romantic perspectives, relationships, physical love, health of our heart etc. Sometimes, people can detect a high blood pressure and react in a timely manner, all thanks to palm reading of the heart line.
Where Does It Start
Depending of the position where the line starts, the meaning is different. For example, in situations where the heart line starts under the index finger, the reader determines that the client lives a satisfying love life. People who are selfish in love see their heart line starting beneath their middle finger. The last place where the line can start is between the first and middle finger. If it starts there, the person falls in love easily.
Symbols on the Line
Sometimes, there might be symbols on the heart line. A circle on the line signifies sadness or depression, while a broken heart or lines crossing show emotional trauma.
How Does the Line Look
The heart line is associated with all things concerning love. But the form and the shape of the line represent different meanings.
 - Long, straight line is associated with people who are rational and analytical. They tend to consider other's feelings first.
 - People who need freedom in love have short straight line. They tend to show their affection through actions rather than words.
 - A long, curved line is associated with people who are driven by passion and desire.
 - A short, curved line represents reserved people in love, preferring more intimate settings.
 - People who've experienced personal betrayal have unique heart line. There line has two or more Xs found at the outer palm.
 - If the line is split in two, the person hides his/her emotions in order to meet the needs of other people.
 - If the heart and the life line touch, the person is very vulnerable and his/her heart can be broken easily.
Players (people with many lovers) have wavy heart line. Even though they have many lovers, very few of those relationship develop to something serious.
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Researchers Emphasize the Need to Monitor Rivers for Triclosan
Ever heard of triclosan? As an antibacterial and antifungal agent, it is used in everything from toothpaste, to soaps, socks and trash bags. While the US Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the European Union all regulate triclosan, the chemical is not monitored and often gets absorbed into sewage sludge after wastewater treatment.
Researchers from Germany and Slovakia are claiming that triclosan is harmful to the ecology of rivers and are calling for further monitoring of the chemical. After monitoring the Elbe river basin, concentrations of the chemical at various test sites were found to exceed the predicted no-effect concentration for algal communities. From the 500 river basin-specific pollutants investigated, triclosan ranked sixth as one of the most particularly harmful substances in Europe. According to an article published in the journal Environmental Science Pollution Research, scientists want to emphasize the importance for routine monitoring programs at the European scale.
Also, according to a recent study, triclosan may even enter agricultural fields through municipal irrigation water that may contain sewage sludge, or through manure. These contaminants then can make their way into cropped plants. Researchers studied the metabolism of triclosan and other chemicals after their uptake into carrot cell cultures and found that plant uptake of environmental contaminants may severely underestimate the extent of uptake into plants. This will eventually lead to potential human exposure to contaminants via food of plant origin.
The chemical triclosan is not one of these new candidates on the list of priority substances that are monitored by the European Union. This chemical has been on the market since 1972 and it was not until 1998 that the first serious effects were discovered. Scientists are also concerned that triclosan cannot only be detected in organisms living in wastewater but also in human plasma and in breast milk.
Approximately 350 tons of triclosan were used in the European Union in 2005. However, it is still not monitored in many parts of Europe. "Substances that are not on the list of priority substances do not have to be monitored and substances that are not monitored are usually not included on the list, because too little is known about their environmental relevance", says Dr. Peter von der Ohe from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research.
Examining hundreds of pollutants in river ecosystems around the world is a daunting task, however monitoring these chemicals needs to be improved to better protect the health of our ecosystems and the health of our communities.
For more information see the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research.
Water testing image via Shutterstock.


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Field Blacksmith Shop
Peleg Field, New Berlin's first blacksmith, moved to the area in 1796. The Field Blacksmith Shop served the community of New Berlin, New York, from 1827 until the 1850's. Since two other blacksmiths had set up shop in New Berlin by 1827, this building may have been Field's attempt to stay ahead of his new competition. The building is unique because it has two forges, is much larger than typical blacksmith shops, and has interesting architectural features.
What Do Blacksmiths Do?
Blacksmiths work with iron and steel to create a variety of goods. As skilled craftspeople in the 1800's, blacksmiths provided important services to growing communities. Rural blacksmiths were able to work on a number of different types of smithing. The more diverse a rural blacksmith's skill, the more valuable he was to the community. They mostly focused on making and repairing farm equipment, shoeing horses, making kitchen utensils, and working on hardware for vehicles. The community would depend on the blacksmith to manufacture and repair most of the hardware that families used every day.
Blacksmiths as Businessmen
A blacksmith would keep accounts of his work. In his day book, he would keep track of what he did that day. He would also keep an account book to track the debits and credits of his customers. Customers rarely paid the same day that work was done. Payment could either be cash, goods, or services.
The Industrial Revolution in America began to change the job of the rural blacksmith. With the mass production of farm equipment and household items, the blacksmith spent less time making items and more time repairing items. Over time, it became cheaper to replace a broken item than have the blacksmith repair it. With the increase in the number and quality of roads, more people were having their animals shod. Slowly, the role of the blacksmith changed to someone who mostly shoed horses.
Tools of The Blacksmithing Trade
The blacksmith shop would need to contain a forge, bellows, tools, iron, and fuel to do the job. The heart of the shop would be the forge and bellows. The forge is where the iron would be heated. The bellows would force concentrated air under a coal or charcoal fire to make it hot enough to work the iron, usually around three thousand degrees. After the metal was heated to around two thousand degrees, it would be moved to the anvil. The surface of the anvil would provide a place to absorb the blows from the hammer, and by using certain parts of the anvil, could help form the shape of the object being forged. It was common for the blacksmith to make a tool specifically for a particular job. The tools used by the blacksmith would fall into several categories with the blacksmith having multiple variations in each type of tool. They would vary in size, weight, and face type to accomplish a particular job. Blacksmiths would use hammers, punches, tongs, forms, chisels, wedges, and fullers. If a blacksmith did not have a perfect tool for a job, he would make it. Tools created by a blacksmith for a particular job were often very unique and unrecognizable even to other blacksmiths.


Lecture 8: Manifolds
8.1 Definition of Manifolds, fields and forms
Throughout this lecture, the word differentiable will be used to mean manifolds1.png.
Definition 1: A diffeomorphism is a function manifolds2.png between open sets of manifolds3.png which is differentiable and has a differentiable inverse.
Definition 2: The half-space manifolds4.png is the set of points in manifolds5.png whose last coordinate is non-negative. A k-dimensional manifold-with-boundary is a subset manifolds6.png of manifolds7.png such that every point manifolds8.png satisfies:
There is a diffeomorphism manifolds9.png from an open neighborhood of manifolds10.png such that
where the set manifolds12.png is either manifolds13.png or manifolds14.png
The set of manifolds15.png which satisfy the condition with manifolds16.png is called the boundary of manifolds17.png and is denoted manifolds18.png If the boundary of manifolds19.png is empty, then manifolds20.png can be referred to as a manifold.
If manifolds21.png, then a coordinate system around manifolds22.png is a 1-1 differentiable function manifolds23.png for which there is an open set manifolds24.png satisfying:
 1. manifolds25.png
 2. manifolds26.png has rank manifolds27.png for each manifolds28.png
 3. manifolds29.png is continuous.
Proposition 1: A subset manifolds30.png of manifolds31.png is a k-dimensional manifold if and only if every manifolds32.png has a coordinate system about manifolds33.png
Proof: If manifolds34.png has a function manifolds35.png as in the definition of manifold, then let manifolds36.png be the projection on the first manifolds37.png coordinates of manifolds38.png and manifolds39.png be defined by manifolds40.png Then manifolds41.png is a coordinate system about manifolds42.png. (The condition involving the rank follows by applying the chain rule to manifolds43.png where manifolds44.png is with manifolds45.png being the projection on the first manifolds46.png coordinates.)
Conversely, if manifolds47.png is a coordinate system about manifolds48.png, then define manifolds49.png by manifolds50.png. If manifolds51.png is such that manifolds52.png, then manifolds53.png is invertible in a neighborhood of manifolds54.png. The inverse in this neighborhood is the desired function manifolds55.png as in the definition of manifold.
Note: If manifolds56.png and manifolds57.png are a coordinate systems about manifolds58.png, then manifolds59.png is a diffeomorphism as the proof showed that manifolds60.png is just the first manifolds61.png coordinates of the diffeomorphism manifolds62.png
In particular, manifolds63.png is independent of the choice of coordinate system manifolds64.png about manifolds65.png This set is called the tangent space of manifolds66.png at manifolds67.png If manifolds68.png is a element of the tangent space at manifolds69.png for every manifolds70.png in manifolds71.png, then there is a unique manifolds72.png in the tangent space of manifolds73.png at manifolds74.png such that manifolds75.png We say manifolds76.png is a differentiable vector field of manifolds77.png if each of the manifolds78.png are differentiable vector fields of each manifolds79.png. In particular, if manifolds80.png is the restriction of a differentiable vector field on some open subset manifolds81.png containing manifolds82.png, then manifolds83.png restricts to a differentiable vector field on manifolds84.png
Similarly, a differentiable k-form on manifolds85.png is a function manifolds86.png which assigns to each manifolds87.png an manifolds88.png such that manifolds89.png is a differentiable k-form on manifolds90.png for every coordinate system manifolds91.png about manifolds92.png. The derivative manifolds93.png of manifolds94.png is the differentiable k-form on manifolds95.png provided by the following result:
Proposition 2: If manifolds96.png is a differentiable k-form on manifolds97.png, then there is a unique differentiable manifolds98.png -form on manifolds99.png such that for every coordinate system manifolds100.png about manifolds101.png, one has
Proof: For each manifolds103.png, let manifolds104.png be chosen so that manifolds105.png. Let
This definition is independent of the choice of coordinate system manifolds107.png and is easily shown to be the desired differentiable manifolds108.png -form on manifolds109.png
8.2 Orientation and Integrals
Let manifolds110.png be a finite dimensional real vector space of dimension manifolds111.png and manifolds112.png be non-zero. Then manifolds113.png is non-zero for every basis manifolds114.png of manifolds115.png. Thus, the set of (ordered) bases of manifolds116.png is partitioned into two sets, such that two bases are in the same set if and only if manifolds117.png applied to the bases gives a real number of the same sign. The set to which an (ordered) basis belongs is called its orientation and is denoted manifolds118.png Note that two bases being of the same orientation is independent of the choice of manifolds119.png The usual orientation of manifolds120.png is defined to be manifolds121.png
Suppose that for every manifolds122.png (where manifolds123.png is a k-dimensional manifold), one has chosen manifolds124.png an orientation of the tangent space manifolds125.png. Then these choices are said to be consistent if and only if for every coordinate system manifolds126.png about manifolds127.png and every pair manifolds128.png, one has manifolds129.png if and only if manifolds130.png Such a consistent choice is called an orientation of manifolds131.png ; a manifold which admits an orientation is said to be orientable.
If the manifolds132.png are consistent, then one says that the coordinate system manifolds133.png is said to be orientation preserving if manifolds134.png for every manifolds135.png Clearly, if manifolds136.png is a linear transformation with manifolds137.png, then exactly one of manifolds138.png and manifolds139.png is orientation preserving.
Now, let manifolds140.png be a manifolds141.png -dimensional manifold-with-boundary and manifolds142.png Then manifolds143.png is a manifolds144.png -dimensional subspace of manifolds145.png. There are precisely two unit vectors perpendicular to this subspace. Choose a coordinate system manifolds146.png about manifolds147.png in which 0 maps to manifolds148.png and manifolds149.png Then the one of the unit vectors of the form manifolds150.png with manifolds151.png is called the outward unit normal manifolds152.png Suppose we have an orientation manifolds153.png for manifolds154.png. Then choose manifolds155.png a basis for manifolds156.png such that manifolds157.png. Then the manifolds158.png define a consistent orientation on manifolds159.png called the induced orientation. Note that the orientation induced on manifolds160.png from the usual orientation on manifolds161.png is the usual orientation if and only if manifolds162.png is even.
If manifolds163.png is manifolds164.png -dimensional manifold contained in manifolds165.png which admits an orientation manifolds166.png, then one can also define an outward unit normal manifolds167.png as the one such that if manifolds168.png is a basis of manifolds169.png with manifolds170.png, then manifolds171.png is the usual orientation of manifolds172.png
If manifolds173.png is a manifolds174.png -form on a manifolds175.png -dimensional manifold-with-boundary manifolds176.png and manifolds177.png is a singular manifolds178.png in manifolds179.png, we can define:
Integrals over manifolds181.png -chains are defined in the obvious way. In the special case where manifolds182.png, we will always assume that manifolds183.png is the restriction to manifolds184.png of a coordinate system manifolds185.png (where we assume manifolds186.png If one has an orientation for manifolds187.png, we say that the singular manifolds188.png -cube is orientation preserving provided that manifolds189.png is.
All the definitions have been set up to guarantee the following result:
Proposition 3: If manifolds190.png are two orientation preserving singular manifolds


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A brief history of public inquiries
As was stated in the First Report of the Select Committee on Public Affairs there has been "a trend, from the primacy of parliamentary committees and royal commissions up to the second decade of the century to the dominance of 1921 Act inquiries until the 1970s, then the predominance of ad hoc or subject specific statutory inquiries subsequently."
Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921
Before the Inquiries Act 2005, statutory tribunals of inquiry were established under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921.
Oonagh Gay, in the parliamentary paper Investigatory inquiries and the Inquiries Act comments that public inquiries set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921, "were independent of Parliament, although their establishment depended upon parliamentary resolution and upon the willingness of the Government to find the necessary time to debate such a motion." Sir Andrew Turnbull KCB KVO, Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service between 2002 and 2005, in giving evidence to the Select Committee was rather more scathing in his description of "this rather clunking instrument of the 1921 Act, which assumes everything is in public, with full legal representation and so on…"
The Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 primarily deals with the powers of the inquiry once it has been set up, rather than the determination of public concern that the Inquiries Act 2005 stipulates. Gay comments that "the tribunals were designed to replace an earlier system of investigation by parliamentary committee into matters of urgent public concern after that system was discredited by the unsatisfactory outcome of an inquiry by a Commons committee into the Marconi Affair in 1913."
The focus of public inquiries held under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 has been allegations of serious misconduct by the government or public officials. They have included investigations into allegations of political corruption, police brutality and serious disasters. The Salmon Commission opined that tribunals held under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 should "always be confined to matters of vital public importance concerning which there is something of a nation-wide crisis of confidence." The limiting wording of the commission was not carried into the Inquiries Act 2005 however, which simply requires "public concern".
Since 1921, the British Government invoked the act around 20 times. Prior to four public inquiries, listed below, held in the 1990s, the Act fell out of use for some time. It is now repealed by the Inquiries Act 2005.
Notable public inquiries held under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 include:
- Aberfan landslide disaster
- Dunblane School Inquiry
- Harold Shipman Inquiry
The Republic of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland retains some United Kingdom legislation pre-dating independence in 1922. The Smithwick Tribunal of Inquiry, an inquiry set up to enquire into suggestions that members of An Garda Síochána or other employees of the State colluded in the fatal shootings of RUC Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and RUC Superintendent Robert Buchanan, was established by resolution of the Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann and under the 1921 Act.
The Salmon Commission
The Royal Commission on Tribunals of Inquiry, 'The Salmon Commission' was chaired by Lord Justice Salmon. It made recommendations affecting the protection of witnesses, in particular the Salmon Principles.
Since the Salmon Commission
A useful and comprehensive narrative on the development of public inquiries can be found in the Report of the Select Committee.
Inquiries held under other legislation
Schedule 3 of the Inquiries Act 2005 repealed a range of sections or whole pieces of legislation that gave authority to hold a public inquiry.
Inquiries that had been held under such legislation include:
- Rosemary Nelson Inquiry (Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998)
- Robert Hamill Inquiry and Billy Wright Inquiry (Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 before conversion to Inquiries Act 2005)
- Marchioness-Bowbell Inquiry (Merchant Shipping Act 1995)
- Victoria Climbié Inquiry (Children Act 1989; NHS Act 1977; and Police Act 1996)
- Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974)
A number of public inquiries have been held on an ad hoc basis. These include:


Ellen Spertus
Google, Mills College
Senior Research Scientist, Professor of Computer Science
Ellen Spertus is a professor of computer science at Mills College and a senior research scientist at Google. She received her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in computer science from MIT, where she first developed the interest in gender and computer science that has infused her career. She has done research in compilers, computer architecture, artificial intelligence, online communities, and computer science education, helping create App Inventor for Android and the Code.org "Hour of "Code" tutorial with the goal of increasing the number and diversity of students exposed to computer science. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.


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Vodka is a clear, high-strength alcoholic beverage made from two base ingredients; ethanol and water. The purity of the ethanol and the quality of the water are essentially the only factors governing the mouthfeel and flavor of the finished product.
The name vodka is derived from the Slavic word voda, which means "water". As the additional "k" puts the word into its diminutive form, vodka can be translated as "little water".
Vodka has been produced for more than a thousand years, with the earliest documented production dating back to 9th-Century Russia. It is thought that the vodka-producing tradition then moved westwards, reaching Poland by the 11th Century. Some vodka brands we know today have their origins in the 16th and 17th centuries, Zubrowka and Goldwasser among them. Smirnoff and Stolichnaya, perhaps the world's two most famous vodka brands, are relatively new by comparison, dating back to the late 19th and mid-20th centuries respectively.
Vodka can be distilled from any number of a broad range of raw ingredients, as long as there is a high content of starchy sugars. While the majority of modern-day vodka is based on such cereals as corn, sorghum, rye and wheat (the latter two typically produce the finest quality vodkas), the base alcohol can also be produced from potatoes, rice, sugar beet and soy beans. In theory molasses and grapes can also be used, but this raises the question of how to distinguish such vodkas from rum and brandy, which are made from molasses and grapes respectively. Worth noting is that the only distinction between rye whisky and rye vodka is that the former is distilled just once, and only to the alcohol purity at which it will be sold, while the latter is distilled to 95 percent purity and then cut with water.
The number of distillations through which a vodka is put before bottling is a significant factor in its quality. Double distillation is usual, but some producers make a point of using triple distillation. Anything beyond this and the quality/quantity ratio of finished vodka falls below the point of economic viability. Filtrants such as activated charcoal are sometimes introduced into the still to purify the spirit further, although this practice is generally limited to larger-scale producers who require a homogenized product.
It is often the specific combination of impurities that distinguishes one vodka from another; to filter these out is to remove whatever separates a particular vodka from simple ethanol. As is the case for whisky, the water used to dilute the spirit down to its final strength is of equal importance, particularly as it comprises almost half of the bottled product. However pure and distinctive the uncut spirit, diluting it with water of low quality will result in a low-quality product.
Vodka is often consumed straight, particularly in Slavic cultures, but as its popularity has increased around the world, it is increasingly used as a reliable base alcohol for various mixed drinks and cocktails. Its most common non-alcoholic blending partners are cola, orange, lime, cranberry and soda/tonic water, and it lends itself particularly well to more complex cocktails due to its lack of obvious flavor.
Modern consumer trends have enabled the vodka market to expand dramatically over the past few decades, with diverse flavorings such as honey, mango, lime, blackcurrant, chocolate, coffee and chilli being used to spice up vodkas, significantly increasing the breadth of their appeal, particularly to younger consumers.
European Union legislation defines vodka as "a spirit drink produced by either rectifying ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, or filtering it through activated charcoal, possibly followed by straightforward distillation or an equivalent treatment, so that the organoleptic characteristics of the raw materials are selectively reduced".
Food matches for vodka:
- Europe: Penne alla vodka (pasta with sauce); salad Olivier (Russian salad)
- Asia: Do chua (pickled carrot and daikon); salmon sashimi
- Americas: Caviar; scallop ceviche; chocolate, vodka and raspberry cupcakes (sweet)
- Australasia/Oceania: Smoked trout canapés; sticky vodka, orange and chili cake (sweet)
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|HIV/AIDS Networking Guide - A comprehensive resource for individuals and organisations who wish to build, strengthen or sustain a network (International Council of AIDS Service Organisations, 1997, 48 p.)|
|Chapter 1 - Networking for a More Effective Response To HIV and AIDS|
Most networks have some or all of the following characteristics. They are:
a group of organizations and/or individuals who come together to pursue joint goals or common interests;
venues for social action through exchange and mutual learning;
sustained through some form of communication;
committed to a jointly developed structure and shared responsibility; and
they are based on member-ownership and commitment to shared objectives and means of action.


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The Silver Shark is also known as Bala Shark, Tri Color Shark Minnow, Hangus and Silver Bala. This exotic ornamental fish was imported from Thailand by the aquarium fish traders (Galib, 2010). Origin is Thailand and Malaysia (Aqualandpetplus, 2009). Life span 8-10 years and they are named sharks because of their appearance and the shape of their dorsal fin (Fishlore, 2009b). Available in aquarium shops of Dhaka, Khulna and Rajshahi city (Galib, 2010).
Species: B. melanopterus
Barbus melanopterus Bleeker, 1851
Puntius melanopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
Body elongated and laterally compressed. Body color is silvery with darkish above. Edges of dorsal, pelvic, anal and caudal fins are marked with black border. Lateral line scales are 35 in number (Galib, 2010).
Measurements of the different body lengths were obtained as follows: SL 74.67% of TL, FL 80.67% of TL, BD 22.67% of TL, HL 22.67% of TL, CP 8% of TL and Eye 35.29% of HL (Galib, 2010). Maximum size recorded 13 cm whereas 33 cm size was reported by Fishlore (2009).
Fin formula: D. 9; P1. 11; P2. 10; A. 6; C. 20.
Food and feeding
This fish is omnivorous in nature and feeds on phytoplankton, but mostly on small crustaceans, rotifers as well as insects and their larvae (Rainboth, 1996).
Breeding and gender differentiation
Gender is hard to determine, but the female may be smaller than a male Silver Shark of the same age (Fishlore, 2009).
The Silver Shark is commonly used as ornamental/aquarium fish. Retail price varied between BDT 150 and 200 per pair (Galib, 2010).
Aqualandpetplus. 2009. Caring for your new Bala Shark, Aqualand Pet Plus info on Balantiocheilus melanopterus, retrieved on December 16, 2009. _URL_
Fishlore. 2009. FishLore.com Tropical Fish Information, retrieved on December 12, 2009; _URL_
Galib, S.M. 2010. Cultured and Ornamental Exotic Fish Diversity of Bangladesh, MS dissertation, Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, 169 pp.
Rainboth, W.J. 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, 265 p.


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Did you know that newborn babies have the most water? An average newborn is roughly 75% water, a level that decreases as we age, dropping to about 50% for an elderly person.
The amount of water inside the body throughout the course of its life also varies depending on what shape that body is in. The more muscular a body is, the more water it contains. Conversely, the more fat there is in a body, the less water there is, because the water-content of fat is low. Our vital organs, like the brain, lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys, contain between 65% to 85% water*, while bones contain around 30%.


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- Historic Sites
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
In the 1940's Tuskegee, Alabama became home to a "military experiment" to train America's first African-American military pilots. In time the "experiment" became known as the Tuskegee Experience and the participants as the Tuskegee Airmen. Come share their experience as depicted at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.


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Brahmani RiverArticle Free Pass
Brahmani River, river in northeastern Orissa state, eastern India. Formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers in southern Bihar state, the Brahmani flows for 300 miles (480 km). It winds generally south-southeast past Bonaigarh and Talcher and then turns east to join northern branches of the Mahanadi River, which then empties into the Bay of Bengal at Palmyras Point. It is one of the few rivers that cut across the Eastern Ghats, and it has formed a minor gorge at Rengali, where a dam has been built.
What made you want to look up "Brahmani River"? Please share what surprised you most...


Thanks to Mitch Wheat for inviting me to talk, and letting me choose the topic: F#.
Also a major thanks to both Joel Pobar (for callvirt, around all things dynamic and functional spin) and SecretGeek (for slides and some helper starter scripts)
There was also a callout to Paul Stovell: "F# is Overhyped" as I was demonstrating a sum-of-squares example. Thankfully, there are better demos of F# over and above Fib sequences and other simple 17th century maths problems.
I used Luca Bolognese's F# demonstration from PDC2008; watching his video intently and re-typing his code. A great way to learn a new language, and for many new programming paradigm.
There were some questions from the group, including a couple from the pub a little later on.
 1. Parallel across multiple machines
 Parallel/Multicore/Concurrency for the masses, not just for rarefied scientific endeavour is in vogue.
 In Luca's F# PDC demo, the Seq.pmap and Seq.psum methods are using System.Linq.ParallelEnumerable added via System.Threading which is a part of the Microsoft Parallel Extensions Jun08 CTP. The Parallel extensions are a part of the.NET Framework 4.0 CTP (and a part of mscorlib.dll, System.dll and System.Core.dll with.NET 4.0)
 Across multiple machines, we are in the bounds of Windows HPC. From a Q&A on the Parallel team blog:
 Question: What is the relationship between HPC Server and Parallel Extensions? Does one replace the other?
 Neither replaces the other, and in fact they're useful in combination. HPC Server is all about scaling out to nodes in a cluster of machines, and Parallel Extensions is all about scaling up on an individual machine. Just as you can use Parallel Extensions to parallelize your desktop applications, you can use Parallel Extensions to parallelize the.NET applications running on nodes in your cluster. This can be quite powerful when used in conjunction with HPC Server functionality like the new WCF-based SOA Service Broker.
 More from Lynn Langit and others on Parallel Programming in F#
 Matthew Podwysocki has an interesting post on using F# Async in C#. Cheeky, but nice. Also some notes about how the F# compiler differences with closures.
 2. F# vs. C# numerics and compiler optimisation
 There has been some recent discussions on differences between C# and F# IL. A good place to start reading about the small things.
 3. UI threads, F#, use for UI vs data manipulation
 You can write UI in F#; Windows Forms, Web Forms or WPF: the question remains, is F# the most productive UI language right now?
 As F# executables are running on the CLR, the same threading/UI considerations as C# apply. It is more likely, however, that you are doing async/parallel work in F# – but never "behind your back". That is, you will call a method asynchronously or run a set of tasks in Parallel: both deliberately.
 In other words: with Windows Forms, _URL_ apply; and with WPF _URL_ apply as marshalling mechanisms.
 4. Assembly inclusion when creating app (eq: LINQ prior to.NET 3.5)
 The current September 2008 CTP F# is supplied under the Microsoft Research Shared Source License agreement. In (ii), you can redistribute 3 DLLs. In my experience, you need to include these DLLs with your application/dll when bundling with other code (I was slightly wrong last week, sorry)
 It may be a little early to speculate how this will appear in the final VS2010/F#. I will ask the product management guys. Maybe like the Parallel Extensions, it winds up in mscorlib?
 5. Casting types, syntax
 To step ahead of the automatic type inference in the F# compiler, you can do the following:
 let (stringlist : list) = ["one","two","three"] // list of strings
 In F#, there is a concept of upcasting:
 let myObject = ("this is a string" :> obj) // its not a string, but an object
 downcasting uses a similar syntax, but it prone to runtime InvalidCastExceptions
 let myString = myObject :?> string // cast myObject down as a string
 And to do type testing, use a syntax such as
 if (myObject :? string)... // test for type prior to doing something nasty
I subscribe to SecretGeek's mantra from his presentation F# Eye for the C# Guy"learn one new language every year (or two)"


Brief Lives Quiz | Eight Week Quiz A
Buy the Brief Lives Lesson Plans
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What book in the series does this one pick up after?
(a) 5th.
(b) 7th.
(c) 4th.
(d) 6th.
(a) So she can forget what happened between her and Dream.
(b) So she can rule the way she wants.
(c) So she can live more simply than before.
(d) So she can get some powers.
3. What is the name of Andros's grandson?
(a) Kurt.
(b) Kris.
(c) Krane.
(d) Karl.
4. What kind of creature is Dream?
(a) A God.
(b) An Endless.
(c) An Immortal.
(d) A Creator.
5. Who does Matthew talk to about Dream's lovers?
(a) Leonard.
(b) Luca.
(c) Lenny.
(d) Lucien.
Short Answer Questions
1. What just ended before this book began?
2. How was Delirium helped through her transformation?
3. What city does Delirium meet with a vagrant woman at the beginning of the book?
4. Why does Delirium say she is having such a hard time holding herself together at the beginning of the book?
5. Who warns Dream about trying to find Destruction?
(see the answer key)
This section contains 210 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page)
Buy the Brief Lives Lesson Plans
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In this applet, you are given a value for one of three objects. See if you can figure out the values of the other two by using the balance. You can drag objects on and off the trays of the balance. The scales will tip to indicate which tray has the larger value. If you are having trouble understanding how the balance works, learn here. Enter your guesses in the boxes below the shapes. Hit "Try" to see if you deduced the correct values.
Once you think you have mastered this game, go here and we will count the number of moves it takes you to find your answer. The fewer the better!
Last Revised: 6/17/02
Send comments to _EMAIL_


Case study: Map'n Track Friends
One of the applications created is called "Map'n Track Friends" which is a location-based service application that allows users to share their location trajectory authorized persons. Figure 4 shows a person lets his two friends know his location. One of the advantages of PLASH platform is able to support different types of mobile devices without changing of application logic or server software. Server software of Map'n Track Friends simply uses authorization control services (e.g., register, login or logout, change and lookup password, or sent notification to users) provided in Service Layer to authenticate users. In Map'n Track Friends, users are able to store their trip (i.e., a set of location points) information, share their current trip information with friends, or browse and track they friends' trip information.


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Did you think I meant Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens' A Christmas Carol? Uh, not exactly. I'm talking about people finding God in an Ebenezer—a real Ebenezer!
Did you even know there was such a thing as an Ebenezer?
If you've ever sung the Christian hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, you may have come across the word, depending on your hymnal. I have two hymnals. The beginning of the second verse in one reads:
"Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I'm come…"
But in my newer hymnal, the second verse opens with:
"Hither to Thy love has blest me; Thou hast bro't me to this place…"
Wikipedia has additional verses. Several contain the word Ebenezer.
Nevertheless, what's an Ebenezer? If we "raise" our Ebenezer, as the verse suggests, are we lifting Scrooge above our heads?
Actually, Ebenezer is a standing stone, if literally translated, a "Stone of Help." In the Old Testament, leaders sometimes stood a large stone up to commemorate something extraordinary God did for them at that site. Then when children or others asked why that stone was standing there, those who knew the story could pass along the information to a new group or generation.
Dictionary.com defines Ebenezer as a noun and says this:
male proper name, sometimes also the name of a Protestant chapel or meeting house, from name of a stone raised by Samuel to commemorate a victory over the Philistines at Mizpeh (I Sam. vii.12), from Heb. ebhen ezar "stone of help," from ebhen "stone" + ezer "help."
On his web site, Dr. Gregory S. Neal explains about the Ebenezer:
"In 1 Samuel 4:1-11 and 5:1, the Ebenezer is strangely identified with a particular site, about four miles south of Gilgal, where the Israelites were twice defeated by the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant was stolen. These battles took place, however, before the site was actually named Ebenezer. It was like someone saying that Dinosaurs once lived in Dallas county — they did, but not when this area was called 'Dallas.' Likewise, the two battles mentioned in 1 Samuel 4 and 5 took place at Ebenezer, but some time before it was so-named.
"The site wasn't named Ebenezer until after the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines, and took back the Ark of the Covenant. To commemorate the victorious battle, Samuel set up a marker-stone, named it "Stone of Help," and thereby the site became identified with the stone and with the place where God's miraculous help aided them in their victory over the Philistines. The stone, standing up-right, was called 'Ebenezer,' and the site naturally took on that name as well."
The next time you see Ebenezer Scrooge, I hope he makes you think of extraordinary events God has orchestrated in your life. Take the time to tell someone that story. When you do, because of your rock-solid faith standing there for them to plainly see, people will be finding God in an Ebenezer.
Enjoy this rendition of the hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing sung by Lauren O'Farrell, to hear how Ebenezer fits into the song.


These Blacknose Sheep Look Just Like Stuffed Animals & They Make Great Pets!
The Valais Blacknose sheep (In German: Walliser Schwarznasenschaf) is a wonderful breed of domestic sheep that originated in the Valais region of Switzerland.
They are documented as far back as the 15th century! However, Valais Blacknose sheep were not officially recognized as unique until the 1960s.
Valais Blacknose sheep are raised for both wool and meat. These remarkable sheep are unmistakable with their black faces, ears and long spiral horns, black patches on their knees, hocks and feet.
They are extremely friendly and will love humans as much as humans love them.
You shouldn't be surprised that they have been called the cutest sheep in the world!
Valais Blacknose sheep wool is course: the average fiber diameter is approximately 38 microns, with a staple length of 100mm or more.
The annual yield is about 4 kilograms per head.
Their wool is best sutied for carpets or felting.
These black-faced sheep are known to be very friendly, tamed easily and have a naturally peaceful demeanor.
H/t awesomejelly.comfacebook/valaisblacknosenz via


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In a basic Arduino sketch, if you want to take action based on the status of a digital input pin, you'd check the state of the pin repeatedly until a particular condition is met. However, as your sketches become increasingly complex, you'll find that it's not always the best way to do this. EngBlaze posted a pair of guides to using interrupts so that you can execute code asynchronously in Arduino sketch. Here's the analogy they use to illustrate the difference:
Imagine you're sitting on your couch, enjoying a frosty brew and watching a movie after a long day. Life is good. There's only one problem: you're waiting for an incredibly important package to arrive, and you need it as soon as possible. If you were a normal AVR program or Arduino sketch, you'd have to repeatedly stop your movie, get up, and go check the mailbox every 5 minutes to make sure you knew when the package was there.
Instead, imagine if the package was sent Fedex or UPS with delivery confirmation. Now, the delivery man will go to your front door and ring the doorbell as soon as he arrives. That's your interrupt trigger. Once you get the trigger, you can pause your movie and go deal with the package. That's your interrupt service routine. As soon as you're done, you can pick up the film where you left off, with no extra time wasted. That's the power of interrupts.
The first guide covers using hardware interrupts, such as switches and the second discusses timer interrupts, so that you don't have to repeatedly check if a certain amount of time has passed when executing code on a particular interval. The guides are complete with code examples to give you a jumpstart on your own interrupt-driven Arduino project. [via Reddit]